Uru Photography

larryf58 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:01 am

As a companion to my zoology topic, here's the beginning of another project I've had in mind for quite awhile. After climbing all over the various Ages and getting into places the DRC would really rather I didn't, it occurred to me that you folks might like to see some of the things that are hidden from view normally, and hear about some of the history of the place.

Please note that just like the Zoology topic, this is done IN CHARACTER. You won't be seeing raw edges, glitches or any of the other artifacts that are caused by holes in the code. This is told from a scholarly point of view, as if I'd really gone to the places I'm going to cover. It will contain as much factual information as I can dig up, along with my own speculations.

To give credit where it's due, much of my information is from mystlore.com, edited, reworded, amended with information from other sources, and with my own observations added so that it isn't just a matter of ripping off the work on that site. I'm adding to the work they did, but some of it is my own opinion rather than facts I can attribute to a reference.

So here we go with a new topic -- the architecture of D'ni.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:22 am

Built in 347 DE, the Palace was the official residence of the kings of D'ni, although like surface monarchs, it was not their only residence. The Palace is a complex of six buildings. In the map, buildings 1 and 2 face the Tokotah Courtyard (A), on either side of a locked gate leading to the Palace Courtyard (I), and are entry ways into the complex. Whatever other purpose they may have served is unknown. Building 3 is a wall with space for a corridor in it. Building 4 is a gatehouse structure. Building 5 is a round tower, and the ground level contains the Hall of Kings. The upper level serves as the footing for an arch (F) that according to existing maps once led to the upper residential districts of Ae'gura and the Guild Hall. Building 6 was most likely the primary residence, and has a second floor door leading onto an elevated walk (H).

Overview of the Palace complex from the south:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Overview of the Palace from the east:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Overview of the Palace from the north:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Signs on the southeast corner of building 1 pointing with symbols for the Concert Hall Bridge and the Library:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Although it cannot be confirmed, I suspect that there are rooms and corridors under the stairs and courtyard, providing space for servants and service areas, and a private way for a king to get to building 3 to reach the balcony. This is pure speculation on my part, but would account for the building being too small for much of a palace otherwise.

The walls around the Palace Courtyard are hollow, and contain corridors. Midway along the north face of the wall is a door opening on the Palace Balcony (C). In the northwest corner of the wall, there are windows overlooking Sutherland Point (D) and the Canyon. The entrance into the wall is most likely in building 2.

There are several access points into the complex. The eastern side of the complex borders Tokotah Courtyard, and has a gate with a short flight of steps behind it, leading to a door into building 1. Next to it is a gate with a long flight of steps leading to upstairs entrances to buidings one and two, and then up to the Palace Courtyard. Next to that is an ungated doorway into building 2. The road from the Hall of Kings to Sutherland Point has a door into building 4, behind which is a flight of steps down to the Palace Courtyard. Finally, there are many doors leading to balconies and opening on the steps from Tokotah Courtyard to the Palace Courtyard.

An overview of many of the interior doors in the complex:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

A closer look at the alley between the rooftops of building 2:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The stairs from the Courtyard up to the western doors:

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On top of building 4 there is an unidentified structure that has a door onto a railed rooftop deck. There are four projections facing roughly north on the top of the structure. No one has advanced any theories as to what purpose the structure may have served.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Hall of Kings:

This is a large, round, high-cielinged room with 34 memorials on decorative ribs for Kings of D'ni. The upper half of each rib lists the name of a King. The lower half has a shelf that holds a notebook with a brief biography supplied by the DRC from various research sources. It is unknown if the shelves were originally used for the same purpose. The Hall of kings is not the only location of biographic notebooks. Several that should have been in the Hall were taken to the Tokotah Rooftop to be worked on, and there are three in the Ae'gura Library. More can be found in various Ages; there is one in Eder Kemo dealing with the story of the Eder's origin and the King who commissioned it.

The decorative ribs in the Hall of Kings with various names inlaid in gold:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The floor mosaic in the Hall:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The roof of the Hall:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

King's Lookout:

The Kings Lookout (B) is a small round plaza at the northeast corner of the complex, between the Palace and the stairs from Tokotah Courtyard down to the Canyon Mall. It overlooks the canyon, and offers a clear view of the canyon Mall, Concert Hall stage, and the Concert Hall Bridge.

Palace Courtyard:

The Palace Courtyard (I) is an inner courtyard surrounded by the palace buildings and walls. It is currently inaccessible. It was reached by interior doors in the complex, a stairway from Tokotah Courtyard, and a door in building 4.

The courtyard:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The stairs up to the courtyard:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

View of the courtyard stairs from the roof of building 2:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The doors that open on the short flight of stairs down to the Courtyard:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Palace Rooftop:

Accessed by a Bahro stone, this is the higher and smaller of the two rooftops of building 2. It overlooks a larger rooftop that is separated from it by a small alley. A Bahro crier periodically appears on the edge of the larger rooftop overlooking Tokotah Courtyard.

Palace Balcony:

The Palace Balcony (C) is located on the north wall (3). It has a locked door that leads into the wall. It can be reached by means of a Bahro stone. The balcony has the torn remnants of three banners hanging from the rails. Although they are extremely faded, a little of the D'ni script once printed on them can still be seen. It is possible that the balcony was used by the kings to make appearances and deliver speeches.

The balcony:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The banners hanging from the balcony railing are difficult to read, but they seem to spell "SHchmedi". I haven't been able to find a translation of the word. Here is SHchmedi written in D'ni characters so that you can compare it to the banners.

Here are close-ups of the banners:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Sutherland Point:

Mistakenly called the Palace Courtyard on some maps, Sutherland Point (D) is the first landing on the street (E) leading from the Hall of Kings to the Ae'gura Library. It's real name, if any, is unknown. Sutherland Point got its name after the first known KI photo of Marie Sutherland was taken at this location. The point has a signpost in its center with directional markers for the Guild Hall and the Concert Hall Bridge. The point is one of the best places to observe the Concert Hall stage structure.

The signpost:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The Palace from Sutherland Point:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The Palace Alcove:

The Palace Alcove (G) is a street leading from Tokotah Courtyard to the Hall of Kings. It has a Nexus terminal midway along the level section of the road.

The Guard Walk above the Alcove:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Ainia · **Posted:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:35 am

Shorah larryf58!

A very good topic! I'd been thinking lately that these hidden views would be worth exploring in more depth some day. Perhaps we are on the same wavelength here too...

A suggestion regarding the darkness of your photos--have you tried adjusting the gamma settings on your ki? I would love to be able to see better detail.

I will send you a couple more suggestions via PM shortly.

tachzusamm · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:16 pm

I assume you applied a brightness correction to the images. That's mostly the worst you could do, because it shifts the black level and does nearly have no effect on the bright parts.
Ainia made the best suggestion: Instead of adjusting the brightness, adjust the gamma.

Plus, you could play a bit with color saturation, contrast, and local contrast (not available on every image processing software).

I made this example using this scheme using one of your pictures:
1. de-applied the brightness shift
2. increased gamma to 1.4
3. applied a small color saturation increase
4. a small contrast increase
5. finally a small local-contrast increase

to show how they *could* look.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Image processing software: Paint Shop Pro (old, but cheap, and works well).
The GIMP, photoshop, or other software will work too, of course.

Might look a bit overexposed now, but how much you apply from each effect is up to you finally, because you're the artist.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:55 am

Tokotah is a series of buildings that stretch most of the way up the left side of Ae'gura Island, excluding the Ferry Terminal and the Museum. They most likely were the site of administrative offices and shops. Even today, the complex of buildings would make a fair-sized shopping mall by Earth surface standards. The only areas of Tokotah explorers are able to access are the Tokotah II Building One rooftop, the Kahlo Pub, Sharper's spy room, and the Tokotah Alley.

Tokotah I:

Tokotah I is a prominent building on Tokotah Courtyard, bordering Tokotah Alley and the Museum. A large DRC tent is set in front of its main entrance. Its most notable feature is the light sculpture on its roof.

Tokotah I front view:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah I side view:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah I rear view:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah I light sculpture from Tokotah II rooftop ledge:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah I is structurally sound, and DRC messages from 2002 indicate the lower levels passed Phase 5. It served as the headquarters of the DRC, and appears to still contain sensitive documents and Linking Books for unreleased Ages, which may explain why this building was never opened to explorers.

Tokotah II:

Tokotah II is building complex bordering Tokotah Courtyard and the Great Stair. It is the site of the Tokotah Rooftop, Sharper's spy room, and the Kahlo Pub.

Although marked as one building on the map in the Tokotah Courtyard, closer observation reveals that it is made up of four or five buildings around a central rooftop. The buildings are numbered from Tokotah Alley down to the Great Stair second landing, with Building Five opening onto the landing behind the DRC tent and barricades.

Tokotah II from the Great Stair second landing:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah II from the Great Stair third landing:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah II from the Ferry Terminal roof:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The central rooftop of Tokotah II is largely undecorated. Access to the area appears to have been through the surrounding buildings. No information has been released as to what might have been beneath it.

Standing on the central rooftop:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

At one end of the rooftop, the one facing the Ferry Terminal, there is another rooftop at a lower level. Oddly, although both appear to have been accessible to foot traffic, neither of the the rooftops appear to have any protective walls surrounding the open edges.

Building One:

The main and highest structure of Tokotah II, this building is bordered by the Great Stair, Tokotah Courtyard, and Tokotah Alley. This building contains the Tokotah Rooftop and the Kahlo Pub. A small alley, which is barricaded, curves around the outside and leads to a dead end.

Access to this building seems to be by a set of double doors on Tokotah Alley, but the main entrance is really on the opposite side, with a set of stairs leading up to it from within the building complex. The doors leading to the stairs seem to be inside the corridor leading to the Kahlo Pub. Farther down the corridor is another set of doors that lead to building five.

What appears to be the entrance to the Kahlo Pub corridor is a door midway up the Great Stair. However, part of the corridor collapsed, causing the break that explorers now use to access the corridor.

Back (and most common view) of Tokotah II Building One:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The stairs to the main entrance from Tokotah II Building Five:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Another view of the stairs to Tokotah II Building One:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The blind alley behind Tokotah II Building One:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The door to Tokotah II Building Five in the Kahlo Pub corridor:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The door I presume to be to the Kahlo Pub corridor on the Great Stair third landing:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Building Two:

Bordering Tokotah Alley, this building consists of two towers that face the lake. Although the towers might seem to be two buildings at first, closer examination reveals the two towers share the same base at the bottom, with double doors opening on Tokotah Alley. The second tower is also marked by an extension on one side that appears to hold a large balcony.

Tokotah II Building Two from Tokotah Alley:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

View toward Tokotah II Building One from Building Two roof:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Building Three:

Located next to Building Two, this appears to be a tower, and may be a part of one of the surrounding buildings. Too little of the overall structure of this building can be seen for a reasonable conclusion to be drawn.

Building Four:

Located on one side of the lower rooftop, this building is very plain. It has a promenade on its roof -- an open courtyard flanked by several decorative pillars.

Building Five:

The lowest of the Tokotah buildings, its main door opens onto the second landing of the Great Stair. Access to it is currently blocked by DRC barricades and a tent. Its roof appears to be decorated with a courtyard similar to that of Building Five, and once had a series of stone lintels decorating it. Several of the pillars collapsed, so the original appearance is marred now.

Tokotah II Building Five main door:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Tokotah II Building Five roof:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Main_Avvie · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:09 am

You may have very well answered a long standing question I've had. It never occurred to me that the door on the higher landing of the Great Stairs might be an entrance into Tokotah. That's a reasonable enough assumption.

D'ni architecture and the layout of the city and its structures is what fascinates me most about URU. Your records and analysis are incredibly intriguing, and you've brought some fascinating revelations to light!

I look forward to what you find next!

larryf58 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:35 am

I haven't been able to jimmy open the door on the third landing, so I can't be certain that's it's actually an access to the Kahlo Pub corridor.

However, my conjecture is that it opens onto a room with a staircase down to what remains of that end of the corridor, which runs underneath the middle section of the third landing. The upper section of the third landing forms a space that is more than large enough for an elegant room, which my speculation places at the head of the stairs down to the corridor.

Main_Avvie · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:13 am

It is difficult to speculate... I once entertained that it may have been the entrance of the so called "Arch Museum" but I always figured that assumption way off... I'm not sure anyone knows where that might have been.

Of course, it may be something simple like sewer access or a janitorial broom closet

although that door is hardly in an inconspicuous location. You'd think something important was behind there... but given the space it's difficult to imagine what.

Perhaps it's a tunnel leading straight back into the rock, to a chamber underneath the plaza... can't imagine what that might be, though, other than the Tomb of the Great King, but that seems a bit far fetched...

Regardless, your assumption sounds the most solid to me...

Of course, we'd all love to see what's behind all the closed doors in D'ni... while I lament that we don't, there's still the fascinating sense of intrigue those questions evoke

Ae'gura has some fascinating architecture! In its design, that is. It's nothing like anything to be seen on the surface, past or present. I wish more of the cavern were available for exploration, if only to see a variety of D'ni architectural styles. Their layout of streets and buildings is most unique and difficult to make sense of. Very indicative of the standard D'ni mindset.

janaba1 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:29 pm

Awesome, larryf58, just awesome!!! ...

Those pictures are really so outstanding and very impressive and absolutely do
justice to this thread's header 'Uru Photography'. You're revealing reagions of D'ni,
of Ae'gura, everybody would love to discover and to see filled with life and beauty
in person, and you're presenting those immeasurable treasures in an excellent
high-quality one wouldn't expect being possible to be delivered and in such a great
detail ...

A big Kudos for the high-end equipment and for your skilled eyes of a photographer,
dearest larryf58, and many thanks for sharing those gems with additional vivid portrayals
of its history, topography and possible usage ...

larryf58 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:22 pm

I sometimes wish I had high-end equipment!

Most of the photography is done with simple things: rope, inexpensive climbing gear, and a set of lockpicks, wrenches, and pry-bars. The photos themselves are mostly taken with nothing more sophisticated than the KI on my hand. I use it because when you're venturing boldly (or somewhat timidly, in my case) into dangerous restricted areas, having to manage a lot of cameras, bags, and other items hanging off you and adding weight is highly undesirable.

With prompting from tachzusamm, I investigated my software tools more thoroughly, and found that I could brighten up my photos using GIMP, which is a free program. This saves me from having to bring in a lot of extra lighting that I'd have to carry up into the rather precarious places I often have to traverse to get the shooting angles I want.

Back to the door.

I've paced off the measurements, and my theory is still holding water. If the corridor did continue out under the Great Stair, it would run under the the flight of steps up to the roof of the room behind the door. The lower part of the landing in front of the door is about four feet higher than the floor of the corridor.

The space under the upper part of the landing looks to be around 15 yards deep, and around 18 yards wide. It's about 10 yards from the door to the area where the corridor would be. To say that there's enough space in there for a 4 foot high flight of steps down to the corridor would be an understatement.

Why would the door have a depiction of Kerath's Arch over it? Your guess is as good as mine. However, the idea that it might contain a museum dedicated to the arch does have one flaw. As you face up the Great Stair, on the left side of the upper part of the landing there is a very large chip knocked out of the structure, and it's showing solid rock under the terrace, not a room. That may indicate that the space between the door and the end of the landing is more like a tunnel than a room.

Or it may indicate that the door is to a broom closet. Unless someone from the DRC speaks up, we may never know.

DLordofTime · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:26 pm

What would be really awesome is to have some sort of 3D model of these area, so that we can see how everything fits together. Or for someone with the magic key to D'ni to open up all the doors.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:22 pm

Here are a few more pictures from Tokotah II.

This is a view of one of the decorative rock arches on the terrace atop Tokotah II Building Four. I'm standing under another.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Visible from the lakeside promenade near the Ferry Terminal, you can see that there is a door in Building Four that exits on a narrow ledge. Here's a shot of the door from the ledge. The ledge goes around the building, and there's an identical door on the opposite side of the structure. It's too dark there for me to get a photo of it.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

In that last photo, the scaley-looking structure to the right is the top of the flying roof over the Ferry Terminal.

Looking at the main entrance to Building One, here's a picture of the area from atop a strange decorative walkway. It's a semicircular stone walk with no guard rails. You can see a gate from the stairs that allows access to it, so it was always intended that people could walk out here.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Here is the main door to Building One.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Finally, here is a view from the balcony around the main door, down at the stairs up from the Kahlo Pub corridor. You can see where I was standing two photos ago, at the end of the straight beam in front of me. The part that is broken off probably made it more or less square shaped at the end.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Going by these features, and all the ladders and high, narrow walkways to be found throughout the Ages, I've always wondered if the D'ni weren't half-bird. That, or they must have had a serious love affair with vertigo.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:22 pm

The Esplanade:

The Esplanade is the level paved area next to the harbor, where the Ferry Terminal Nexus pedestal can be found. At one end is the Ferry Terminal, and at the other is a tunnel through a naturally hollow stalagmite that opens on a short walk that seems to go nowhere.

The Waterfront as seen from the Concert Hall Foyer:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The Waterfront from out in the harbor:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The railings around the waterfront have two patterns in the metalwork. The first and most common is a depiction of the Arch of Kerath, and the second is another design which I do not recognize, but which might be a representation of the vanished Steward's House. This railing is found on the gates of the stalagmite, the railings inside the stalagmite, and the railings of the short walkway on the other side of the stalagmite.

The Arch in ironwork as a railing:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The second ironwork design:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Judging by its use on the Ferry Terminal, waterfront railings, and halfway up the Great Stair, my best guess is that the Arch on a fan backdrop is used as a symbol to represent the island of Ae'gura.

The Ferry Terminal:

The Terminal from the front:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The Terminal from the dock side:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

In D'ni year 5202, King Emen approved a new public ferry system between Ae'gura, the smaller islands such as K'veer, Katha, and Neref, and to the City Proper. The City Proper is built into the walls of the cavern, and consists of many districts, rich, poor, middle-class, and industrial. The districts include the neighborhoods explorers have been permitted to access. Ashem'en, where the Er'cana Silo is located, is one of the districts of the City Proper. Ae'gura island was primarily the center of government and religion.

The Ferry Terminal is a building that divides the Ae'gura Docks from the esplanade. Most of the building is a roof-covered dividing wall with a flying roof over that, but the end on the water consists of a short tower that may contain a beacon, as the roof looks like it could be a lens.

The top of the flying roof:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Under the flying roof:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The flying roof from the end of the docks:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The "lens" from above:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The "lens" from the broken "reflector":

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The tower and the "lens":

[Reveal] Spoiler:

In the Fall of D'ni, a great deal of damage was done to the structure -- and the rest of the city -- by earthquakes. Several of the pillars supporting the roof of the dividing wall collapsed, and a large hole was knocked through the tower, perhaps by a ferry boat ramming into it.

Collapsed roof and wall:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The hole in the tower:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Sunken ferry boats:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Oval room on roof with broken walls:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Another angle on the oval room:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The door into the tower may be a harbormasters' office, access for maintenance workers, or some other purpose entirely. However, there are large windows on the second story of the tower which provide a panoramic view of the harbor, and that points toward the office as a more likely explanation.

Door to offices:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Door to docks:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

All along the esplanade railing, the railings around the docks, and decorating the Ferry Terminal itself are stylized images of Kerath's Arch. There is also an inscription in D'ni that reads, "rehbahntahno tehneeehn shehmtee". Unfortunately, no one has a definitive translation of the sentence, so I can't tell you what it says in English. Considering that it is found in many places on Ae'gura, it's most likely a slogan for the city or government.

Support pillars:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Support pillar capital:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Inscription of city slogan:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Kerath's Arch:

The Arch of Kerath, which is more commonly called Kerath's Arch, was originally called the Arch of Kings. It's a massive structure at the natural opening into the harbor of Ae'gura Island made of huge blocks of stone that are fitted so well you can't see the joints. Its design was based on a monument the D'ni remembered from Garternay. Plans for the Arch were announced by King Ja'kreen, but the actual construction was begun later and was overseen by Guild Master Koris. According to prophecy, the Arch was to welcome the Great King when he appeared. In the hopes that they would be the one, all the kings after Ja'kreen sailed under it as part of their coronation ceremony. According to rumor, Ahlsendar was born beneath the Arch as his mother fled the Pento Plague, and so, when he passed under it again in his return to D'ni, he was hailed as the Great King.

On his deathbed, King Rikooth saw his son, Kerath, sailing through the arch on a lizard-shaped boat, returning from exile. According to legend, he felt Yahvo moving him to declare Kerath the next king. When Kerath oversaw the change of the government of D'ni, the Arch of Kings was renamed the Arch of Kerath to honor him as the last King of D'ni.

The esplanade faces Kerath's Arch, and there is a Nexus terminal midway along the bottom of the cliff face. The Great Stair begins here and leads up to the Tokotah Courtyard.

According to D'ni history, somewhere along the edge of the harbor was the Steward's House, a location where the heir to the throne of D'ni would be crowned after he journied by boat under Kerath's Arch. It's possible that the House is on the bottom of the harbor now, due to the earthquakes that severely damaged the cavern during the Fall.

The only decoration on the arch are carved inscriptions on the capital of the same slogan found on the Ferry Terminal. The inscriptions are on both sides of the capital.

The Arch of Kerath:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The inscription on the side facing the island:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

The inscription on the side facing the cavern:

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Main_Avvie · **Posted:** Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:48 am

Fantastic as always, Larry! Keep those insights coming!

larryf58 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:36 pm

Ainia pointed out that there are Bahro flying about in the photo of the Arch. I didn't even notice them getting into the picture! A group of them were hanging around, watching me and probably trying to figure out what I was doing. I was so accustomed to their calls at that time that I'd tuned them out while concentrating on my work. Shows how focused I was that a number of them could sneak into frame without me realizing it.

If you look carefully, there are seven of them that I can make out. There is a small shape in the top of the opening that might be an eighth, and on the right edge there may be a ninth.

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