Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 11:54 pm Posts: 37 Location: Depths Of D'ni
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(snippets transferred from GoW Forums - Builders Section)
Here's a lengthy bit of the main story of the Age of Eder Bahrehltahn. The entire work is quite complex; I'll save the best parts for you to explore and discover on your own. My partner Zuri and I(along with many others in and out of the GoW and you know who you are) have been working diligently with this Age, and we have plans to release a link to the first areas of the Age for the fans in the very near future. For a close look at what we've been doing so far, you can see the GoW forums under the Builders section.
These snippets do not represent the entire story, but they have been carefully chosen to impart a general atmospheric image in the reader's mind of what the Age holds. The main story consists of 3 separate volumes, each written by different people in different times, each containing a piece of the history of the Age. The third volume is a work in progress, and has not been publicly released, but it will reveal even more of the story in time. Actually, I'm done with my half; I'll let everyone else fill in the rest.
The history, the events that surround the Age, and the people who were connected with it flow together into a lost and enigmatic story of epic proportions. Learn of an undiscovered D'ni Age where every aspect was and is controlled by the hand of the Maker, and revered by every mortal being. Discover the fate of the people of the Age, and explore the beauty of a forgotten world filled with ancient and sacred mystery.
Enjoy,
Stranger
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Excerpt Set #1 - Volume 1
The Journal Of Ash'taroth
(being discovered in D'ni by one Mihrotahn while exploring a housing district in the upper level of the City)
"I have written down here the events that have lead me to freedom - the end of my life here in D'ni and the rebirth of it in a new cycle. The remains of what i once was are gone, and i have become something more. I have found the Path that leads to the Maker...."
"I fear I cannot write much here of what has transgressed- but if I do not write it here then where? I have to record this somewhere; our ancient and sacred society must be preserved as it always has been....."
"So I will write here, and remove the muted silence that has held our order in sway for many centuries. I know that it could chance that someone will find this journal. If someone does; remember us....."
"The tunnel where our order has gathered for thousands of years was conceived during the times of the first great leaders, and the tunnel Book has passed from each leader to the next. The Book was always hidden to be discovered again later. The chain has never been broken, and although none can confirm it, we believe our wisest elder still possesses the knowledge of the location of the Book. The others have been talking about him as of late, referring to him as "our good friend". He has become a respected and wise leader of our order; hopefully I will get the chance to meet him soon. He only appears at the times of the gatherings, and none know of where he truly resides....."
"The reason for such secrecy is quite clear now. The rest of D'ni simply wouldn't understand; their minds are clouded with disbelief. The more I grow towards the group the further I grow away from my home here. My family's beliefs reside where my own are, and so they too have sacrificed in order to know more of our great order, and of our Maker. I know they will be beside me in the years to come, and for that I am thankful....."
"Today while we were gathered, I saw him. The one that everyone has been talking about. I was told to address him as Shetehntahn, but also heard many call out to him as the "White Figure". I asked one of my order what this meant, and he told me about the paintings I had seen lining the walls of the tunnel. Sure enough, the great Shetehntahn is in them; portrayed always as a figure painted in white. Many great murals and carvings have been added to the tunnel to honor his wisdom, which flows from and leads us closer to the Maker of worlds..."
"After a great celebration this evening, Shetehntahn came over and passed me a small, black leather- bound korvahk, and said it was to be my own. I opened the Book and noticed that it contained a link to the tunnel. In his few last words to me, he proclaimed my official enlightenment, and the korvahk that he has given me provides constant access to the tunnel where our order gathers. I have become one of the Enlightened Ones, those who are deemed worthy to enter the hidden tunnel Age of Tar'sahl, the place where the order has gathered for millenia to serve and worship our Maker....."
"A great journey has begun for me, and I am learning much from the others. Since I first met Shetehntahn, he has revealed much; I do believe that he has reached a higher plane, for none can claim to have seen the visions he has seen - those being sent from the Maker. If it truly is the divine plan that he lead us, then my family and I will follow....."
"Our order is slipping further away from D'ni with time. We are still D'ni, and will always be, but our assembly has become more. We have become more. Day after day, we go about our lives in D'ni, while the others plot and scheme against themselves. They are unaware of what lies beneath, ahead; just above. Night after night, we gather in the great vault room beyond the tunnel to come close to our Designer, the Weaver Of Possibilities. This evening, during our great feast in the Vault Room, a message arrived. Destruction is eminent; a tragedy in the Cavern - the time has come to flee. I will never forget my home. I grieve for D'ni; many of those that I once knew there are no more....."
"Each day that passes brings news of even greater destruction. The home that I once knew is no more; swallowed by a great cloud of Death. How could we have come to this, after so long? I weep inside and out for the tragedy at hand. The decisions of one man, and the innocence of the ahrotahn woman; so much progress lost over so little pride. D'ni is falling, and we must find a way to escape, even if to the shadows. The Children of Yahvo must not die. We have all agreed to do what we can. We have taken only what will be needed with us and fled to the tunnel. Now, we look to the great Shetehntahn for our deliverance - we know that he will find a way. With the divine help of our Maker, we will find a way; all pray as the dark times grow near....."
"Shetehntahn has presented us with yet another great relic of our order - the kormahn of Eder Bahrehltahn, written in the early days after the migration to the Cavern by our order's founding elders, who were also great Masters of the Art. Throughout the Ages the group has possessed it and kept it hidden, so hidden that its exact location remained a mystery until now....."
"He declared that he had been given visions from the Maker, and that He had shown him the secret Tree room beyond the Great Door, where the Book had lain hidden for centuries. The Maker had shown him the meaning behind the stones, and had shown him the combination to the Great Door by which he gained access at last to the Tree Room and the Book containing the ancient Age of our order. It will be our new home, and our great leader has assured us there is abundance there. Our elders whisper to one another of the legends from our past that have come full circle....."
"Kah'lira, my loving and devoted wife, and my son Ash'tereth will accompany me to the ancient Age of our order. I'll use Kah'lira's link to the Tunnel instead of mine, since I'm leaving my own korvahk and this journal behind when we go. I don't want to go against the others wishes, but if by chance it is found, then it is my hope that whoever finds it also finds us. I must prepare well, and despite the dangers of a return visit there now, I cannot bear to leave D'ni without knowing that somehow I might have a chance to return or be found, even though I know it is unlikely. My wife and son must not know about this, at least not for now. I know I haven't spoken much about my family here, but what is at hand goes beyond my family; beyond all. I have them here with me now, and we will have our time again soon, because we believe....."
"Our home is no more, and we have suffered a great loss. We are shattered- D'ni is shattered after thousands of years; but we still cling to hope. Through the smoke and the madness, we have found a way out into the light. In this new Age of our Maker, there will be life and abundance, and so we will endure. We are leaving now - soon we will once again bolt the Great Door, just as our ancestors and the descendants of our order have done before us. We cannot allow anything to escape into our sacred world; a world that was divinely designed just for us. We must keep watch at the Great Door, always. We thank our Maker....."
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I'll take this opportunity to delve a bit further into the story.
It consists of several parts, the first being the Journal of a D'ni man known as Ash'taroth. He was of common D'ni blood, and he and his family were bound at some point in time to a secret society known as the "Children Of Yahvo".
Throughout D'ni history there have been numerous sects or groups of religious fanatics. The Children Of Yahvo had survived, flourishing and then vanishing back into the shadows without trace; or so it would seem. It appears that the group was still around during Ash's time in D'ni, and he and his family were devout followers.
Their "order" met each night in Tar'sahl, which was also know to them as the "Tunnel", a wondrously crafted Age that had been written thousands of years before, by their descendants. The location of the descriptive Book to that Age was passed in secrecy to each great leader of the cult, and so the Age had always been kept safe.
At the time Ash's journal begins, the leader of the group was a D'ni man by the name of Shetehntahn; a great Writer of D'ni and a wise prophet, he was a mysterious leader who only appeared when the group gathered in the Tunnel.
When the Fall came, the Children Of Yahvo escaped to Tar'sahl, and it was here that the great Shetehntahn planned to write another Age, but instead discovered their true means of escape. He claimed to have visions, and somehow was able to open what was known as the "Great Door", an intricately crafted mechanical seal within the "Vault Room" at the end of the Tunnel.
The way into the Door had been lost over time; even his own people could not enter it, but Shetehntahn found the way in. What he found on the other side of the Door was amazing - a "Tree Room" masterfully designed thousands of years ago, and there, in the alcove of a great Tree, the "kormahn", or descriptive Book, of the Age of Eder Bahrehltahn.
They had thought that the Book was lost, but now they had found it again. They had found the Age of the Maker again; the ancient Age of their secret order. And so they fled there to escape the Fall, and bolted the Great Door behind them again, so that none could follow them.
Ash'taroth's journal ends after the Great Door is barred, and the story continues through the eyes of another mysterious inhabitant of D'ni, a man by the name of Mihrotahn.
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Excerpt Set #2 - Volume 2
Journal Of Mihrotahn
(given by Mihrotahn to Stranger around 2007 surface time approximately 3 years after Stranger entered D'ni)
"Its strange how things happen down here - the coming and going of explorers like myself, some of their names lost in time; the coming and going of the Bahro, who are the unseen. It has been many years since I first arrived, and D'ni has become my life....."
"I first came to D'ni with the intention of finding out what had happened here. I learned what I knew on the surface from my native friend, and he had shared many historical accounts of D'ni and its history - ancient relics and fragmented legends of his own lost tribe. I wanted to know more, and so I began searching; not really knowing what I might discover....."
"I stumbled upon a space between all spaces; the very place where the D'ni people dug upwards from below. I climbed down, wanting to know more, not fearing death for the sake of finding knowledge. I have found that death will find you anywhere, even underground, and now it seems I don't have long before my own Maker takes me, for I have grown old since I first discovered this place....."
"What I have found is more; so much more than I had anticipated, and I am finding new venues each day to sustain my growing desire and thirst for the knowledge this place contains. The D'ni came here many thousands of years ago to return to a humble way of living; here to this dim lit Cavern to rebuild their culture and begin again. The stories, history, and tragedy they left behind are near overwhelming - for there are great lessons to be learned here, many paths leading in every direction; one leading to truth, the others leading to pride, deceit, and failure....."
"In my time in this place of many places I have found many things that cannot be explained; at least, in a sense that the history of them has been lost to time itself. Things that once belonged to the D'ni - their homes, their clothing, and of course- their Books. Although many have been found in our own time of exploration, the likely chances of a Book even being left behind were slim. It can be assumed that most of the Books that have been found were left behind under certain circumstances of stress or importance(like the Great Fall), and Books such as these have become a great joy for me to discover. Most of them tell of the things already know about the D'ni; places and events we may or may not have been subject to, but have knowledge of. These Books are the bulk of the great Journey, the places one can learn from. There is always a lesson to be learned; knowledge to be gained - in the Ages, and in the future to come....."
"Yet there are those rare finds(and I haven't found many which is no surprise knowing how the D'ni worked)that tell of events and places we may have never been subject to, and that would have remained lost if it were not for chance alone of them being found. When we find these kinds of Books and writings, they sometimes fill in the empty spaces of a long lost history we still only know little of. Some mention certain circumstances we may have not been aware existed in D'ni society, and what I am about to share deals with these later kinds of Books, particularly three of them which I have discovered and still possess....."
"Approximately two years ago, while I was exploring an area in the upper level of the City I had not previously seen(it was obvious to me that it was a wealthy housing district), I discovered the ruined home of a D'ni man and his family. The man's name was Ash'taroth. After examining the house, I uncovered a dark red, leather bound journal of some length belonging to Ash, which is the name I have come to know him by. Also, amidst the remains of one of the broken walls, I found a small niche compartment containing a single black leather bound korvahk.
I thumbed through the journal, stopping on every page to adjust my mind to exactly what I was reading. The journal was amazing - it spoke of an unknown secret society, known as the Children of Yahvo, and of how they had planned to leave D'ni just before the Fall. The society itself was ancient, being formed during the first thousand years of the migration to the Cavern, and it had flourished many times throughout history and had always remained intact, even up to the times of the Fall, at which time Ash himself was a member.
The journal told of an ancient "tunnel Age" known as Tar'sahl, and a vault room above it that had been used for thousands of years to house their gatherings and ceremonies. It was in that place that they came at last, before whatever fate had befallen them, and the writings in Ash's journal had ended there, just as many of the histories and undiscovered events in D'ni unfold. Having found these two Books, I knew Ash must have left them here for some reason; perhaps he wanted them to be discovered eventually. Further reading of the journal proved this to be true. I had never seen anything like it before, and most likely never will again. Time is not enough, and I have grown old here.
What's even more interesting is the korvahk that I found. The link is still perfectly intact and the image of the place is crisp and clear. Time has been kind to the Book, but the longer I keep it, it slowly deteriorates from age, and I must handle it carefully in order to preserve it. I have placed it with the rest of my Books, and those in a secret location of my own design. More people have found this place, and they are coming down from the surface. I welcome them, and it has been a long time since I saw anyone, but I must preserve what I have found, at least for now....."
"Eventually I did muster up enough courage to try the link to Tar'sahl. It indeed lead to a spherical shaped "Link Room", with a beautifully crafted, suspended walkway stretching out in the distance to a darkened tunnel entrance. Stunning to behold and a rarity even in D'ni, intricately designed panes of bright colored stained glass depicted early events and important symbols of the great order that once inhabited that dimly lit space....."
"A much wider room could be seen on the other side of the tunnel. I tried the walkway, and it seemed sturdy enough. The Tunnel of Tar'sahl was brilliant - it contained many interesting murals, all depicting events that had taken place there over the years. I will be returning to examine them in much greater detail, as it is quite evident that they contain more than mere simple visual explanations. After entering the tunnel, I was able to gain access to the upper "Vault Room" beyond..."
"The vault room opened into a wide circular gallery, a beautifully crafted room which was the main area of the group's activities. I noted a strange system of both numbers and symbols inlaid all around the ceiling and floor there. Around the circumference of the room were 12 stones of equal size adorned with intricate carvings. From the entries in the Tunnel Testimonial, I deduced that there were six "Story" stones that told of the society's existence through the many centuries. There had been 6 great leaders of the group that had come forth, and each one had added a stone and a story. The story stones had carvings that depicted the group's deep religious devotion to Yahvo, whom they referred to as the Maker.There were 6 "Symbol" stones as well; again from the Tunnel journal, I found that they were connected to the numbers and symbols I had seen....."
"Across the Vault Room, I found the Great Door that was magnificent to behold. Intricately crafted upon it, the carved silhouette of a mighty Tree, and inside of it's trunk rested a Book. There were slots to match the symbols as well. This was how Shetehntahn was able to pass beyond the Great Door. After some time, I found the way into the Door, with the help of the symbol stones and the Tunnel Testimonial's vague hints. I will not divulge here exactly how this was accomplished, but one can pass beyond that massive Door; just as Shetehntahn and the Children of Yahvo did long ago....."
"The D'ni had great respect for "terohk jeruth" or "the Tree Of Possibility", since it was the first creation of the Maker, and according to creation, all things were made under it's might. I came into a large cylindrical "Tree" room; its heights and depths could not be seen. In the center of the room was the Tree - its roots stretching down into the dark mists below, and it's branches held up to the darkened and mist shrouded heights above. Wondrously crafted hanging banners and panes of "Story Glass" accented the ceiling above the Tree and the walls and walkway there. The room was simply amazing. An expertly designed suspended staircase lead out to the Tree itself. Many of the symbols were here in the Tree Room as well. I deduced that each one had something more to do with this place. Although Ash had never fully described what had been on the other side of the Great Door, now it was evident that they had truly gone further into the unknown....."
"Then all else was as nothing. I saw it - in a small room within the Tree itself. A dimly lit niche carved from the inside of the massive Tree, it's walls and ceiling adorned with murals and depictions of a mysterious place. What my eyes had actually stopped on was the Book. Resting on an intricate pedestal carved into the shape of the Tree was the kormahn of Eder Bahrehltahn. They had left it behind! Beside the kormahn was another smaller but delicately crafted Tree testimonial book that revealed why they had come back here and why they left the Book behind. I will remain here for some time studying this place and what I have found....."
"I left the Book there - I have seen that often when Books are moved or taken from their resting places, changes somehow occur in Ages, for good or ill. Such is the fate of the Books, and the fate of the Ages. I did take the tunnel testimonial, and the korvahk to the tunnel, along with Ash's journal. As long as I possess the korvahk, and can assume that their are no other viable links into it save mine, then the kormahn in the Tree room will remain safe as it has for thousands of years......"
"The understanding of these enigmatic people has taken me longer to realize than expected, and now the Called are coming, here to D'ni. And their Caller - I have learned of what She knows and have seen what She can do. I sometimes think of what the Children would have thought of Her. I grow weaker by the moment, and can only hope that someone will come along that I can trust with this - someone willing to explore deeper, and uncover more. I will do what I can to help the Called, for we travel the same paths, and we have all come to understand that the Least have become Greatest here now....."
"At last, I feel like a heavy weight is being lifted from me. I have spoken with one of the Called; "Stranger" he is known by the others. On my way down from the surface, I remembered seeing a name scratched into the wall. I could only guess who had made it, but it described exactly what I was to this ancient place at that time. So I took for myself the name Mihrotahn, which is D'ni for "stranger". I find myself wondering sometimes just how many "strangers" have come down here...."
"Coincidence? Perhaps. But it is true and he is here, along with others who are wise, and willing to learn. Soon he will want to know more; and I feel like he can be trusted. Stranger is a true seeker of knowledge, and he is ready for all that D'ni holds. So when the time is right, I will show him the korvahk that links to Tar'sahl, and hope that he can understand what I have only glimpsed, and want to know more about these lost people and their ancient order....."
"I have shown him all the Books, and we have gone to the Tree room and seen the kormahn there. He has promised to do what he can to preserve things as they are. He is going to Eder Bahrehltahn soon, along with a team of several explorers. I believe in him; like me, he has gained much wisdom in his own time down here. I want to go, but I know I do not have it within me to make the journey. I have only dreamed of what Eder Bahreltahn might truly be like; perhaps this Stranger can find out what's really on the other side. He will add yet another chapter to this ancient tale. In my time down here in this place of many places, I have all but become D'ni. My Maker calls....."
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(3rd volume coming soon)
All names, places, events, and any material related to the Myst franchise used in this work are humbly presented here with due and sole rights belonging to Cyan.
_________________ Isyeerehmah Rehbahrehltahn ~ Shetehnehmah Rebahrehltahv
Rever the Maker ~ Cherish the Made
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