In amongst the drama of the DRC leaving, I've completely failed to mention that they gave us access to Ahnonay before they left. The world is intriguing. I haven't worked my way through all of it yet, though there is a rumor that all isn't as it appears there.
The book from the Watcher's Pub doesn't actually lead to the Ahnonay itself, rather to a small room exiting to a short hallway. At the end of the hallway, on a pedestal, is the book to Ahnonay itself. The hallway has a series of stained-glass pieces which are exactly the same as those found in the upper balcony of Kadish's Gallery. Word on the street is he is responsible for Writing this Age as well.
Oddly, the Link panel in the book shows a huge waterfall, but nothing of the sort can be seen when you arrive there. Strange.
Upon first linking to the Age, I found myself on a little ring-shaped island. A curious clock/radar sort of device sits in a pool in the middle of the island. A lighthouse sort of building sits on a rock just offshore. The island is populated by pink-leafed trees and a group of small, 4-legged crustaceans we've come to call Quabs. I'll do a detailed analysis on them later.
The ring island is surrounded by strong currents, which prohibit escaping from it. I was able to swim out to Lighthouse Rock after a few exhausting tries. The building has a door on the backside, but no way to open it; presumably there is a way to get into the building without going though the door. Something else that's strange about this place.
Oh, as well there are apparently some floating cities a little ways away from the island. But, as mentioned, the currents around the island are too strong to swim over to them. Maybe I'll bring down a small zodiac or something.
I have more exploring to do. I'm starting to agree with the rumors, something isn't right about this world...
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
What next?
So I was wrong, everyone is gone. Cate, Kodama, Victor, Marie, Douglas... They've left. Victor and the other "real" DRCists say they are looking for funding. They haven't given up yet. But, regardless, they are gone, and we have no idea if they'll return.
What will happen to the restoration? We've all worked so hard, I can't believe it can end like...
It won't end. The Explorers are still here, and Bahro war or not, we'll stay. We'll keep things going. There is so much to be learned, so much to discover still. The DRC may be gone, but the Tree will continue to grow.
It must!
What will happen to the restoration? We've all worked so hard, I can't believe it can end like...
It won't end. The Explorers are still here, and Bahro war or not, we'll stay. We'll keep things going. There is so much to be learned, so much to discover still. The DRC may be gone, but the Tree will continue to grow.
It must!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The Exodus
Cate is leaving the Cavern. She announced two days ago that she wasn't getting a return on her investment, and so she was pulling her funding and leaving the DRC.
My initial thought was "well what'll happen to the other DRC members?", and an answer was not long in coming. Last night Dr. Kodama announced he was leaving as well. With no funding to continue the work, he didn't see any point in sticking around. I don't blame him, but it is a huge loss. Though he lacked in social skills, he made up for it in expertise.
So now, there's only Marie and Victor left! Watson is apparently back from wherever he's been, but hasn't been seen in over a month. Engberg made a brief appearance at the same time Watson did, but word on the street is he's done with the Restoration. I hope he finds peace wherever he looks for it. It wouldn't surprise me if Marie and Laxman also called it quits, Lord knows they've had a rough time of it over the last year. But something tells me they won't give up so easily. They've both dedicated a large part of their lives to this project, and I think they'll at least try and see it through.
Time will tell. And probly very shortly.
My initial thought was "well what'll happen to the other DRC members?", and an answer was not long in coming. Last night Dr. Kodama announced he was leaving as well. With no funding to continue the work, he didn't see any point in sticking around. I don't blame him, but it is a huge loss. Though he lacked in social skills, he made up for it in expertise.
So now, there's only Marie and Victor left! Watson is apparently back from wherever he's been, but hasn't been seen in over a month. Engberg made a brief appearance at the same time Watson did, but word on the street is he's done with the Restoration. I hope he finds peace wherever he looks for it. It wouldn't surprise me if Marie and Laxman also called it quits, Lord knows they've had a rough time of it over the last year. But something tells me they won't give up so easily. They've both dedicated a large part of their lives to this project, and I think they'll at least try and see it through.
Time will tell. And probly very shortly.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Guilds
While all the drama with the War has been unfolding, the DRC has been busy themselves. I'm still not sure why, but they have decided to institute the formation of Guilds. They have chosen five initial ones to be formed, with the intent to form others once the system is in place. The first five Guilds are those of the Writers, Maintainers, Cartographers, Messengers, and Greeters.
The Kirel neighborhood was initially opened by the DRC to provide information on the new Guilds. They made it all nice with info tables, balloons, and free t-shirts to show your support of your favorite Guild. They have since opened up Guild-specific "pubs" as gathering places. They are similar in form to the Watcher's Pub, but decorated in the Guild colors and banners. Rather nice, actually. I particularly like the Writer's pub, it's all in black and burgundy. Nice and moody.
No mention of a Naturalist's Guild, of course. The DRC has been very slow in returning correspondance on DZS-related questions. Slow as in "hasn't responded ever". The DZS discussed how we saw ourselves fitting in with the Guild structure. I'd like to push for a Guild of Naturalists/Scientists/etc, but I think that may be further down the line. For now we'll sit tight, keep doing our work, and see what happens.
The Kirel neighborhood was initially opened by the DRC to provide information on the new Guilds. They made it all nice with info tables, balloons, and free t-shirts to show your support of your favorite Guild. They have since opened up Guild-specific "pubs" as gathering places. They are similar in form to the Watcher's Pub, but decorated in the Guild colors and banners. Rather nice, actually. I particularly like the Writer's pub, it's all in black and burgundy. Nice and moody.
No mention of a Naturalist's Guild, of course. The DRC has been very slow in returning correspondance on DZS-related questions. Slow as in "hasn't responded ever". The DZS discussed how we saw ourselves fitting in with the Guild structure. I'd like to push for a Guild of Naturalists/Scientists/etc, but I think that may be further down the line. For now we'll sit tight, keep doing our work, and see what happens.
Back in Business
My journal mysteriously reappeared today after a couple months of being missing. Looks like the last time I wrote in here was the end of June - quite a bit has happened since then! I wonder where this thing has been? It usually lives on the shelf in my Relto. Nobody has been there for months though, so I have no idea where it could have been...
Unfortunately, I haven't been to Relto, the Cavern, or anywhere else in the "D'niverse" in some time either. Surface work has kept me busy. I do check the news regularly though, and big things have happened.
Doug made it back from Noloben with more news of the Bahro civil war. Around the same time Phil Henderson also showed up alive and well! Wish I could have been there for that, The Great Tree has been holding out hope that he'd return for years. He's just as enigmatic as ever, perhaps a little more hippy-ish than before, and still speaks in non-conversational riddles.
Phil heralded the return of "Him" - none other than Dr. Richard Watson. The good doctor explained that he had been with Yeesha, Engberg, and the Bahro, travelling the Ages. Apparently he is responsible for returning a powerful Tablet to the Bahro - a Tablet that the D'ni had long used to enslave and usurp the power of the Bahro. This is the root of the Bahro War - the new-found freedom of the Bahro to decide their own fates. One group has chosen to forgive and rebuild their society; one group has chosen to exact revenge for millenia of abuse.
To this point, the "good" Bahro have shielded the Cavern from the ravages of the "bad" Bahro. Apparently this war has engulfed hundred of Ages and caused untold damage across the worlds. Our protectors have created a deception which has fooled their enemies (and ours, by extension) into ignoring the Cavern, but Watson isn't sure how long that will hold up. Should the plan fail, he says there is no force which can save us.
Doug, scorned by so many Explorers has left us to join the beneficent Bahro. Always a man of action, he has seen the ramifications of this conflict and has pledged to do his part. He has been gone awhile now, and I wish I had seen him before he left. There are still so many things I wanted to ask him.
Unfortunately, I haven't been to Relto, the Cavern, or anywhere else in the "D'niverse" in some time either. Surface work has kept me busy. I do check the news regularly though, and big things have happened.
Doug made it back from Noloben with more news of the Bahro civil war. Around the same time Phil Henderson also showed up alive and well! Wish I could have been there for that, The Great Tree has been holding out hope that he'd return for years. He's just as enigmatic as ever, perhaps a little more hippy-ish than before, and still speaks in non-conversational riddles.
Phil heralded the return of "Him" - none other than Dr. Richard Watson. The good doctor explained that he had been with Yeesha, Engberg, and the Bahro, travelling the Ages. Apparently he is responsible for returning a powerful Tablet to the Bahro - a Tablet that the D'ni had long used to enslave and usurp the power of the Bahro. This is the root of the Bahro War - the new-found freedom of the Bahro to decide their own fates. One group has chosen to forgive and rebuild their society; one group has chosen to exact revenge for millenia of abuse.
To this point, the "good" Bahro have shielded the Cavern from the ravages of the "bad" Bahro. Apparently this war has engulfed hundred of Ages and caused untold damage across the worlds. Our protectors have created a deception which has fooled their enemies (and ours, by extension) into ignoring the Cavern, but Watson isn't sure how long that will hold up. Should the plan fail, he says there is no force which can save us.
Doug, scorned by so many Explorers has left us to join the beneficent Bahro. Always a man of action, he has seen the ramifications of this conflict and has pledged to do his part. He has been gone awhile now, and I wish I had seen him before he left. There are still so many things I wanted to ask him.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Moving Forward
Events are moving along quickly, and I'm finding it hard to keep up. It's tough just following the news, let alone making time to try and have a hand in it!
I caught Doug briefly last night, just as he was heading out to Noloben. I feel better after having talked to him. He's most definetly not going on a killing spree. He's going to do some observations of the Bahro. Doug expects that there'll be a war going on, and he wants to watch what happens and see if he can't learn more about the Bahro so we can deal with them intelligently. He expressly said he wouldn't kill one except in self defense.
God help him if he gets found though...
On a different topic, Laxman dropped off some sort of machine on the ferry docks to monitor the light levels in the lake. I haven't talked to him or actually seen it yet. I wonder if it's a spectrophotometer that measures light levels, or a population counter, or a nutrient sampler, or a... Like I said, I should try and chat with Laxman, or at least go poke at the thing.
I also briefly visited Er'cana, and it's as marvelous as I remember. Didn't spend much time there, just wandered the canyon for a few minutes. I'll try and get into the manufacturing complex in the next couple of days, and get to work on the pellets. According to the DRC, different pellet recipes will have different results, including some that are actually harmful to the algae. I'm going to make it my top priority to find out what factors contribute to the "bad" pellets, so we can warn people.
I caught Doug briefly last night, just as he was heading out to Noloben. I feel better after having talked to him. He's most definetly not going on a killing spree. He's going to do some observations of the Bahro. Doug expects that there'll be a war going on, and he wants to watch what happens and see if he can't learn more about the Bahro so we can deal with them intelligently. He expressly said he wouldn't kill one except in self defense.
God help him if he gets found though...
On a different topic, Laxman dropped off some sort of machine on the ferry docks to monitor the light levels in the lake. I haven't talked to him or actually seen it yet. I wonder if it's a spectrophotometer that measures light levels, or a population counter, or a nutrient sampler, or a... Like I said, I should try and chat with Laxman, or at least go poke at the thing.
I also briefly visited Er'cana, and it's as marvelous as I remember. Didn't spend much time there, just wandered the canyon for a few minutes. I'll try and get into the manufacturing complex in the next couple of days, and get to work on the pellets. According to the DRC, different pellet recipes will have different results, including some that are actually harmful to the algae. I'm going to make it my top priority to find out what factors contribute to the "bad" pellets, so we can warn people.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Rambo
Doug's off his rocker. He was asked by the DRC to go to Noloben and gather information on the Bahro, watch them in their home world, and see if he can figure out what's going on. He's decided to include a spot of personal revenge while he's at it, and made the mistake of telling of everyone about it. Now everyone's going ape-poopey over it.
He mentioned that he wants to bag a Bahro, one of the bad ones that killed Wheely. For some reason people have blown that up into "Sharper's going on a genocidal killing spree". He really said nothing of the sort, but mob mentality being what it is...
I hope he calms down before he does anything stupid.
He mentioned that he wants to bag a Bahro, one of the bad ones that killed Wheely. For some reason people have blown that up into "Sharper's going on a genocidal killing spree". He really said nothing of the sort, but mob mentality being what it is...
I hope he calms down before he does anything stupid.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Replacement
I just got word... The DRC has officially decided that Michael Engberg isn't coming back, and has voted to fill his seat with... you got it... Cate Alexander. So not only does she now control the cashflow, but has a vote in the operations as well. Time will tell whether this is useful or just a power play on her part.
However, she did mention that the vote wasn't unanimous. Apparently Marie voted against her. I've always like Marie the best out of the Council members. It's interesting that out of the three votes, the only one against Lexie was the one with a woman's intuition.
Time will tell...
However, she did mention that the vote wasn't unanimous. Apparently Marie voted against her. I've always like Marie the best out of the Council members. It's interesting that out of the three votes, the only one against Lexie was the one with a woman's intuition.
Time will tell...
Newness
As of June 24, 4:00 pm Cavern Time, the Great Zero is up and working! We've been doing the calibration missions for some time now, and Laxman finally got enough info to get the thing working again.
So now we have our pretty blue line scanning the Island again. Yeah!
Also, Cate has been making some announcements. Apparently they are working on a new Age to release in the coming months, called "Jalek". It was a D'ni gaming arena, though they won't elaborate on what kinds of gaming went on there. Sounds like it could be cool.
Also, Er'cana is going to be released this week. I'm very excited about that. I was there a few years ago, just a couple times, shortly after the DRC left the Cavern for the first time. I haven't been back since, though I love the place. With access through the newly remodeled Watchers Pub, I can't wait to return!
And with that comes the possibility of relighting the Lake. I remember that Kadish had originally used the machinery in the Er'cana factory to produce pellets, which when dropped in the lake via a link to the Uran Silo, caused it to glow brighter for a few seconds. While a lot of research still needs to be done in regards to the Lake algae, perhaps we can start conducting experiments to find out if there's a way to indeed restimulate their growth and light cycling.
My concern is people will start dumping pellets in the lake without regard for the unknowns in the lake ecology. Until we know the nature of the algae, the nature of the poison that killed it, and the nature of the pellets themselves and how they can stimulate the algae, I'm hesitant to encourage full scale "pellet dumping". I need to find Laxman and get some info from him.
So now we have our pretty blue line scanning the Island again. Yeah!
Also, Cate has been making some announcements. Apparently they are working on a new Age to release in the coming months, called "Jalek". It was a D'ni gaming arena, though they won't elaborate on what kinds of gaming went on there. Sounds like it could be cool.
Also, Er'cana is going to be released this week. I'm very excited about that. I was there a few years ago, just a couple times, shortly after the DRC left the Cavern for the first time. I haven't been back since, though I love the place. With access through the newly remodeled Watchers Pub, I can't wait to return!
And with that comes the possibility of relighting the Lake. I remember that Kadish had originally used the machinery in the Er'cana factory to produce pellets, which when dropped in the lake via a link to the Uran Silo, caused it to glow brighter for a few seconds. While a lot of research still needs to be done in regards to the Lake algae, perhaps we can start conducting experiments to find out if there's a way to indeed restimulate their growth and light cycling.
My concern is people will start dumping pellets in the lake without regard for the unknowns in the lake ecology. Until we know the nature of the algae, the nature of the poison that killed it, and the nature of the pellets themselves and how they can stimulate the algae, I'm hesitant to encourage full scale "pellet dumping". I need to find Laxman and get some info from him.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Dearly Departed
An incredibly sad and frightening news has been buzzing around the Cavern.
Michael Engberg, of the DRC, had brought his daughter Willow ("Wheely") down to the Cavern several months ago, so she could be with him (apparently he's a widower). Wheely was exploring with her friend Rose, and they got into an unstable area next to the Kahlo Pub, where the building had cracked open. They found themselves in a room covered with Bahro carvings, and while they were in there, the building collapsed and killed Rose.
Wheely was trapped in the room for two days while the DRC frantically tried to get her out. Most frightening was that a Bahro was in the room watching the whole time it seems, not harming her, but not really helping either.
Just as the rescue team was about to enter the room and save her, the Bahro went berserk. It was jumping around screeching something that sounded like the word "Noloben". Wheely was frightened, and Michael kept telling her it was ok, he was coming for her. Her screams for her father were the last sounds heard from the room, as he fought to get in and save her.
When the rescuers finaly got there, they found that Wheely had been killed. It hasn't been confirmed, but comments from the DRC so far lead us to think she was mutilated in the same way as the Negilahn creatures. Engberg was utterly devastated - first his wife killed in a climbing accident, now Wheely killed in a caving accident.
I'm numb; I don't have words for me emotions right now. I read transcripts of the events and conversations surrounding her entrapment and final hours, and my heart is utterly broken.
...
why?!
... it doesn't make sense
Michael has disappeared into the Great Shaft. Apparently he was heard muttering the words "Dr. Watson" before linking to the Descent. Nobody's heard from him.
What is happening?
Michael Engberg, of the DRC, had brought his daughter Willow ("Wheely") down to the Cavern several months ago, so she could be with him (apparently he's a widower). Wheely was exploring with her friend Rose, and they got into an unstable area next to the Kahlo Pub, where the building had cracked open. They found themselves in a room covered with Bahro carvings, and while they were in there, the building collapsed and killed Rose.
Wheely was trapped in the room for two days while the DRC frantically tried to get her out. Most frightening was that a Bahro was in the room watching the whole time it seems, not harming her, but not really helping either.
Just as the rescue team was about to enter the room and save her, the Bahro went berserk. It was jumping around screeching something that sounded like the word "Noloben". Wheely was frightened, and Michael kept telling her it was ok, he was coming for her. Her screams for her father were the last sounds heard from the room, as he fought to get in and save her.
When the rescuers finaly got there, they found that Wheely had been killed. It hasn't been confirmed, but comments from the DRC so far lead us to think she was mutilated in the same way as the Negilahn creatures. Engberg was utterly devastated - first his wife killed in a climbing accident, now Wheely killed in a caving accident.
I'm numb; I don't have words for me emotions right now. I read transcripts of the events and conversations surrounding her entrapment and final hours, and my heart is utterly broken.
...
why?!
... it doesn't make sense
Michael has disappeared into the Great Shaft. Apparently he was heard muttering the words "Dr. Watson" before linking to the Descent. Nobody's heard from him.
What is happening?
Answers Lead to Questions
I've been on the surface for awhile, getting married and spending a honeymoon on Maui. I just got back to the Cavern and found out progress has been made during my absence! Darned Doug and Nick, running off and working while I'm away.
Apparently Doug spent the last couple weeks setting up a blind in Negilahn, and using it for observations. I'll hafta get the whole story, but from what I can tell, he not only found out what the predator was, but had an awefully close call with it. Seems it was the Bahro, a group of them, and they set him up. Mid attack he got rescued by another group of Bahro who showed up to fight the first group - do we have a Bahro civil war on our hands? The ramifications of that are terrifying!
Apparently Doug spent the last couple weeks setting up a blind in Negilahn, and using it for observations. I'll hafta get the whole story, but from what I can tell, he not only found out what the predator was, but had an awefully close call with it. Seems it was the Bahro, a group of them, and they set him up. Mid attack he got rescued by another group of Bahro who showed up to fight the first group - do we have a Bahro civil war on our hands? The ramifications of that are terrifying!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Bad News
Nick got fired by the DRC. After the fiasco last week where Sydney Austin published transcripts of her private conversations with him, he was put on probation by Lexie. It seems he snuck back into the City, though details are hazy, and Sydney ratted him out to Cate. Now he's been canned, and Sydney is spouting pro-DRC "Cate showed me the light" nonsense.
What's going on here?!?!
On the plus side, Sharper's definetly back, and has been in Negilahn for a few weeks on recon. Seems he's seen our predator, I definetly need to find the guy and catch up. Need to figure out out what to do about Nick, too, that could cause some snags.
What's going on here?!?!
On the plus side, Sharper's definetly back, and has been in Negilahn for a few weeks on recon. Seems he's seen our predator, I definetly need to find the guy and catch up. Need to figure out out what to do about Nick, too, that could cause some snags.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Word on The Street
Nick's on probation.
Cate let us know the other day that due to his "fraternizing" with Explorers, he won't be allowed to visit the Cavern for a few weeks. I assume this is in regards to his pseudo-dating relationship with Sydney Austin, but who knows. What it means is that he's going to be much harder to get a hold of, and he's going to be much harder to get information out of. That's not going to help things.
However, it seems Sharper is back in the Cavern, doing "recon" as Cate referred to it. I'm going to have to track him down.
Cate let us know the other day that due to his "fraternizing" with Explorers, he won't be allowed to visit the Cavern for a few weeks. I assume this is in regards to his pseudo-dating relationship with Sydney Austin, but who knows. What it means is that he's going to be much harder to get a hold of, and he's going to be much harder to get information out of. That's not going to help things.
However, it seems Sharper is back in the Cavern, doing "recon" as Cate referred to it. I'm going to have to track him down.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Can we move on yet?
Apparently Nick was around yesterday afternoon, for the first time in a couple weeks.
And nobody bothered to ask about the animals! Good Lord!
Nobody cares! It's cuz we haven't been making a stink about itlately. The DRC disappeared, and we did all that we could do in their absence, but without their help, we can't move forward. Unfortunately, it's been so long that people have either lost interest or forgotten about the Negilahn deaths.
Oddly enough, the Anti-DRC Movement has picked up on it in the last day or so. They're just using it as another example of "the DRC sucks", but I think we can use that to gain momentum to restart the research. While I don't agree with everything they say, they do have a knack for getting people's attention. Never would I ally any group I'm a part of with them, but in this case we have a common goal, and we can use them to spread the word and raise awareness of the issue.
And with that public awareness, perhaps the DRC will start to listen to us.
Just maybe...
The ADM is hosting a "protest" in regards to "the DRC is killing all the cute animals" on Monday night. I don't know if I can make it, but I'm trying to get some of the other DZS folks there to keep an eye on things. I don't want this project to fall in the hands of the ADM.
And nobody bothered to ask about the animals! Good Lord!
Nobody cares! It's cuz we haven't been making a stink about itlately. The DRC disappeared, and we did all that we could do in their absence, but without their help, we can't move forward. Unfortunately, it's been so long that people have either lost interest or forgotten about the Negilahn deaths.
Oddly enough, the Anti-DRC Movement has picked up on it in the last day or so. They're just using it as another example of "the DRC sucks", but I think we can use that to gain momentum to restart the research. While I don't agree with everything they say, they do have a knack for getting people's attention. Never would I ally any group I'm a part of with them, but in this case we have a common goal, and we can use them to spread the word and raise awareness of the issue.
And with that public awareness, perhaps the DRC will start to listen to us.
Just maybe...
The ADM is hosting a "protest" in regards to "the DRC is killing all the cute animals" on Monday night. I don't know if I can make it, but I'm trying to get some of the other DZS folks there to keep an eye on things. I don't want this project to fall in the hands of the ADM.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Blow Over
The Anti-DRC Movement kick-off meeting was last night. I didn't go, cuz I'm not particuarly opposed to the DRC (seeing as how I'm working with them and all). It seems the presentation was a lot of hooey based on speculation and inaccurate accusation.
I don't think the Great Tree has to worry about their position of DRC watch-dog being usurped...
I don't think the Great Tree has to worry about their position of DRC watch-dog being usurped...
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Fast Times at Uru High
It seems Nick has gone and created a hornet's nest with a group of females around here. After my first couple of conversations with Nick, he started inviting Heaven, Jazz, and sil_oh_wet to some of our hang-out times. We all became friends, and later Nick asked them to spread around some historical work he'd been working on. Some bits from a religious text, a few things about some D'ni pop stars (apparently they liked folk music), odds and ends like that.
Then along came Sydney Austin.
She used to hang around the Cavern, and caused a major stir with her brashness. At one point there was even a sit-in being held to try and start a dialogue with Cate Alexander (Lexie), and Sydney single handedly ticked her off to the point she left and refused to talk to people.
Now she's back, and determined to follow through with her Anti-DRC Club agenda. i don't understand it myself, but if that what she wants to do, fine. Problem is, she's totally playing Nick. Sydney claims that "Nick is mine", and has warned off any other girls who hang around with him that they "better not get in the way". It's caused quite the high-school drama stir, and I plan to stay out of it as much as I can.
However, it's my friends that are being attacked, and I won't stand for that.
Adding to the problem is that Nick has gone AWOL, and hasn't done anything to rectify the situation. Doug is right... The "boy" needs to step up and take some responsibility.
Then along came Sydney Austin.
She used to hang around the Cavern, and caused a major stir with her brashness. At one point there was even a sit-in being held to try and start a dialogue with Cate Alexander (Lexie), and Sydney single handedly ticked her off to the point she left and refused to talk to people.
Now she's back, and determined to follow through with her Anti-DRC Club agenda. i don't understand it myself, but if that what she wants to do, fine. Problem is, she's totally playing Nick. Sydney claims that "Nick is mine", and has warned off any other girls who hang around with him that they "better not get in the way". It's caused quite the high-school drama stir, and I plan to stay out of it as much as I can.
However, it's my friends that are being attacked, and I won't stand for that.
Adding to the problem is that Nick has gone AWOL, and hasn't done anything to rectify the situation. Doug is right... The "boy" needs to step up and take some responsibility.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Map
Cate Alexander left a most intriguing document in the museum for us... A map showing that Negilahn, Dereno, and Payiferen are all continents on the same world! Pod locations are called out by number, and it's marked with 13 time zones (hence the 13 hour day between portals).
A few things are starting to click, and this must be the "clue" Nick was hinting at yesterday.
If Dereno is indeed having the same problems at Negilahn, that changes a few considerations. Is it one predator? If so, how do they travel so quickly? Or is it multiple predators in multiple places, a bio-invasion?
Or is it even an animal predator at all?
A few things are starting to click, and this must be the "clue" Nick was hinting at yesterday.
If Dereno is indeed having the same problems at Negilahn, that changes a few considerations. Is it one predator? If so, how do they travel so quickly? Or is it multiple predators in multiple places, a bio-invasion?
Or is it even an animal predator at all?
Dereno
Ran into Nick last night, first time since the "outing". It was good to see him, and know things are ok. Apparently Doug is on the surface doing some research or something, and should be back shortly. We'll connect up and figure a new plan of action, likely involving more trips to Negilahn.
And possibly other places, because that was the second part of the conversation - animals are being killed in Dereno too. Similar to the Negilahn animals. Nick hasn't seen it himself, just heard from some of the other ResEngs working on that Age.
I guess we'll hafta check that out too... Better pack my long-johns.
He also hinted that we'd soon see a clue that will help make the connection between Negilahn and Dereno, a connection which he obviously already knows. One of these days his little games will catch up with him.
And possibly other places, because that was the second part of the conversation - animals are being killed in Dereno too. Similar to the Negilahn animals. Nick hasn't seen it himself, just heard from some of the other ResEngs working on that Age.
I guess we'll hafta check that out too... Better pack my long-johns.
He also hinted that we'd soon see a clue that will help make the connection between Negilahn and Dereno, a connection which he obviously already knows. One of these days his little games will catch up with him.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
No News
I haven't seen or heard from Doug or Nick since our trip. I've talked ot a number of people in Cavern, and answered questions as best I can, but it's going on a week now. Wonder what the hold up is.
I'm going to install cameras in my Pod windows, to track what comes aronud when. As well, I hope to verify that the predator does not come near the Pod area.
I'm going to install cameras in my Pod windows, to track what comes aronud when. As well, I hope to verify that the predator does not come near the Pod area.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Story Time
Ok, I've had a couple days to sort through things. Timt to put down the whole story.
Douglas Sharper, Nick White, and I were out in the jungles, hiking around, maybe a mile and half or so from the Pod. Something caught Sharper's eye, and he got all excited and called us over. It was a dead animal carcass, looked pretty fresh. "The freshest we've seen yet" Nick says. My guess was it was less than an hour old.
I've seen dead animals before, but this was unbelievable. Worse than I had expected. It was a gorilla-like animal, bigger than me, and weighing several hundred pounds while alive. What the D'ni named a "reepah". It had been violently killed, almost purposefully violent. Shredded. Pieces were in the trees and scattered all over the ground. It wasn't just a prey animal taken down by a predator - something wanted to make a spectacle of it's kill.
Sharper got really rattled and said he'd never seen anything like it, not even close. Nick lost his lunch, poor guy, and I couldn't blame him. Doug had his gun out and was scanning the jungle, scanning the trees, on alert. I swallowed the bile in my mouth and stepped up to examine the carcass.
To be honest, I don't even know how to describe it, it was a mess. The chest cavity has been ripped open and the internal organs messily thrown around. We found most of them, eventually, at least as far as we could tell. Many were unidentifiable. The neck was broken, but not cleanly; the reepah had been thrashed around. Limbs were twisted, broken, and missing; we found one arm hanging from a tree, and strips of the legs and chest nearby. The reepah has a tail sort of like a scorpion, and that was in about three pieces, crushed and torn. The more we looked around, the more of the body we found. Nothing had been eaten, just mangled.
The forest was very quiet, without the usual bird and monkey calls that you hear at the Pod. All in all it was a very chilling sight. And to make it worse, there was no evidence of the attacker.
We tracked around for a bit, but all we found on the ground were the reepah tracks. Though reepahs are partly arboreal, this one had been on the ground when he was attacked. We followed his sign back a ways, but there was nothing unusual about it. At the attack site there were some scuff marks in the nearby trees, however. Claw marks, I would guess, but nothing clear enough to identify the source. Something had been in the tree, but whether it leapt to another tree or flew away we couldn't tell.
I took a few tissue samples for analysis, but Sharper was getting antsy. He didn't like the situation, and was urging us to hurry along. We left the body, and after finding what we could, we got out of there. No telling if the predator would be back, and we didn't want the jokes about us being "bait" to come true.
Sharper headed off to find the DRC, they were expecting a report. Nick and I each Reltoed out, we needed time to pull ourselves together. Later I went back to let people know what happened. Sil_oh_wet was holding a "hope you get back safe" party/vigil in her Bevin, so I dropped in to share the story.
Talking with Doug further, sounds like his chat with Lexie went ok, better than he expected. She'll leave access to Negilahn open, since to date there has been no predator activity in the immediate vicinity of the Pod (which is weird, and worth thinking about). I don't know what the rest of the Council wants to do though. Doug has a few things he wanted to follow up on, and was talking about setting out some remote cameras and things. If this keeps up, we might even have to take a longer trip in the near future.
Just to follow up, the DNA samples were inconclusive. I didn't think they'd be much help, and it turns out I was right. I couldn't get any consistent results, which basically tells me that the reepah DNA isn't anything like ours. Their coding structure must be different, and without a basis of comparison, further testing seems futile.
Douglas Sharper, Nick White, and I were out in the jungles, hiking around, maybe a mile and half or so from the Pod. Something caught Sharper's eye, and he got all excited and called us over. It was a dead animal carcass, looked pretty fresh. "The freshest we've seen yet" Nick says. My guess was it was less than an hour old.
I've seen dead animals before, but this was unbelievable. Worse than I had expected. It was a gorilla-like animal, bigger than me, and weighing several hundred pounds while alive. What the D'ni named a "reepah". It had been violently killed, almost purposefully violent. Shredded. Pieces were in the trees and scattered all over the ground. It wasn't just a prey animal taken down by a predator - something wanted to make a spectacle of it's kill.
Sharper got really rattled and said he'd never seen anything like it, not even close. Nick lost his lunch, poor guy, and I couldn't blame him. Doug had his gun out and was scanning the jungle, scanning the trees, on alert. I swallowed the bile in my mouth and stepped up to examine the carcass.
To be honest, I don't even know how to describe it, it was a mess. The chest cavity has been ripped open and the internal organs messily thrown around. We found most of them, eventually, at least as far as we could tell. Many were unidentifiable. The neck was broken, but not cleanly; the reepah had been thrashed around. Limbs were twisted, broken, and missing; we found one arm hanging from a tree, and strips of the legs and chest nearby. The reepah has a tail sort of like a scorpion, and that was in about three pieces, crushed and torn. The more we looked around, the more of the body we found. Nothing had been eaten, just mangled.
The forest was very quiet, without the usual bird and monkey calls that you hear at the Pod. All in all it was a very chilling sight. And to make it worse, there was no evidence of the attacker.
We tracked around for a bit, but all we found on the ground were the reepah tracks. Though reepahs are partly arboreal, this one had been on the ground when he was attacked. We followed his sign back a ways, but there was nothing unusual about it. At the attack site there were some scuff marks in the nearby trees, however. Claw marks, I would guess, but nothing clear enough to identify the source. Something had been in the tree, but whether it leapt to another tree or flew away we couldn't tell.
I took a few tissue samples for analysis, but Sharper was getting antsy. He didn't like the situation, and was urging us to hurry along. We left the body, and after finding what we could, we got out of there. No telling if the predator would be back, and we didn't want the jokes about us being "bait" to come true.
Sharper headed off to find the DRC, they were expecting a report. Nick and I each Reltoed out, we needed time to pull ourselves together. Later I went back to let people know what happened. Sil_oh_wet was holding a "hope you get back safe" party/vigil in her Bevin, so I dropped in to share the story.
Talking with Doug further, sounds like his chat with Lexie went ok, better than he expected. She'll leave access to Negilahn open, since to date there has been no predator activity in the immediate vicinity of the Pod (which is weird, and worth thinking about). I don't know what the rest of the Council wants to do though. Doug has a few things he wanted to follow up on, and was talking about setting out some remote cameras and things. If this keeps up, we might even have to take a longer trip in the near future.
Just to follow up, the DNA samples were inconclusive. I didn't think they'd be much help, and it turns out I was right. I couldn't get any consistent results, which basically tells me that the reepah DNA isn't anything like ours. Their coding structure must be different, and without a basis of comparison, further testing seems futile.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The First Trip
My mind is buzzing, I can't concentrate...
Nick, Doug, and I went on our first recon trip last night. It was fairly uneventful, right up to the moment we found the carcass...
It was a huge gorilla thing, I think. From what we could tell at least, we managed to find most of the pieces...
I've not seen anything like it. The animal, Nick called it a "reepah", was just shredded, absolutely mangled. It was scattered over a small area, mostly on the ground, but found some bits in the trees and bushes. Seems like the majority of the parts were there, from what we could tell; it wasn't eaten.
Just destroyed.
I got some samples to run, I'll post some details when I can focus...
Nick, Doug, and I went on our first recon trip last night. It was fairly uneventful, right up to the moment we found the carcass...
It was a huge gorilla thing, I think. From what we could tell at least, we managed to find most of the pieces...
I've not seen anything like it. The animal, Nick called it a "reepah", was just shredded, absolutely mangled. It was scattered over a small area, mostly on the ground, but found some bits in the trees and bushes. Seems like the majority of the parts were there, from what we could tell; it wasn't eaten.
Just destroyed.
I got some samples to run, I'll post some details when I can focus...
Monday, March 19, 2007
Still Waiting
Doug and Nick apparently spent the weekend on the surface, going to a couple of OSU Ducks games in Spokane. Fun for them, but I spent the whole time wandering the Cavern looking for them. Woulda been nice if they'd mentioned their trip...
Oh well. If we don't get something going soon, I'm gonna hafta start sampling on my own. Every day we wait is another who knows how many animals dead.
Things to keep in mind:
- Check water samples of the pool around the Pod - possible leaching of contaminates? Along with that, check presence of known pollutants/poisons in carcass tissue (might need a lab on the surface to do that, and that presents certain problems of it's own).
- Examine condition of carcasses, autopsies if possible.
- Leave remote cameras (motion activated) and environmental monitoring sensors.
Unfortunately, so much of the further research depends on what we find. The problem is too big, too vague; it needs definition. I'll know better what to test once we make the initial foray.
Glad the DRC is picking up the check on this...
Oh well. If we don't get something going soon, I'm gonna hafta start sampling on my own. Every day we wait is another who knows how many animals dead.
Things to keep in mind:
- Check water samples of the pool around the Pod - possible leaching of contaminates? Along with that, check presence of known pollutants/poisons in carcass tissue (might need a lab on the surface to do that, and that presents certain problems of it's own).
- Examine condition of carcasses, autopsies if possible.
- Leave remote cameras (motion activated) and environmental monitoring sensors.
Unfortunately, so much of the further research depends on what we find. The problem is too big, too vague; it needs definition. I'll know better what to test once we make the initial foray.
Glad the DRC is picking up the check on this...
Friday, March 16, 2007
Sharper
I caught Nick the other day, as he was on his way to go shooting with Doug. He invited me to come along, which was unexpected!
We met in his Teledahn, and Sharper joined us a little later. I hadn't met him before, interesting guy. I couldn't quite figure out how to read him. He showed up in a boat of a sort I'd never seen before. Metal probably, good chance of D'ni design. He had no idea; just scrounged it up somewhere I imagine.
He took us across Shroomie Bay and around the point, to a cove where he had some stuff laying around. Old mushroom chunks, random junk parts, stuff like that. Doug also had a variety of guns for us to practice with, and we spent some time blowing mushrooms into bits. I've used rifles before, so at least I know what end gets pointed at the target, but I'm definetly a little rusty. Doug had a huge ole gun that was his favorite. Nick and I christened it "Big Betsy", which Doug didn't appreciate, so of course the name stuck.
Watching Doug and Nick is funny. Doug is a tough guy, and doesn't take crap from anyone. Except Nick. Sharper lets Nick bug him in ways he'd never let anybody else. He dishes it right back of course, it's nice to see they are good friends. I'm definetly feeling the third wheel here, but that's ok.
They won't tell me much about what's in Negilahn, trying to keep my first impressions unbiased I suppose. However, I'm not dumb, and what I'm reading between the lines is interesting.
The carcasses are killed and generally left to rot it seems. Surplus killing - no point to it. Nick described the results as "scary". Even Doug seems uncomfortable with it; he's pretty solid, but every once in awhile I'd catch something in his eye that didn't sit right.
We talked about maybe going for our first trip tonight, though I still haven't heard back on the particulars. I think I've managed to get the basic equipment that I'll need, and I'm feeling like I'm about as ready as I can get! Doug needs to sort out a few final details and we'll give it a go.
If I don't come back, my sister can have my music collection and Dave gets the fish. Sell the rest and give the money to the DZS!
We met in his Teledahn, and Sharper joined us a little later. I hadn't met him before, interesting guy. I couldn't quite figure out how to read him. He showed up in a boat of a sort I'd never seen before. Metal probably, good chance of D'ni design. He had no idea; just scrounged it up somewhere I imagine.
He took us across Shroomie Bay and around the point, to a cove where he had some stuff laying around. Old mushroom chunks, random junk parts, stuff like that. Doug also had a variety of guns for us to practice with, and we spent some time blowing mushrooms into bits. I've used rifles before, so at least I know what end gets pointed at the target, but I'm definetly a little rusty. Doug had a huge ole gun that was his favorite. Nick and I christened it "Big Betsy", which Doug didn't appreciate, so of course the name stuck.
Watching Doug and Nick is funny. Doug is a tough guy, and doesn't take crap from anyone. Except Nick. Sharper lets Nick bug him in ways he'd never let anybody else. He dishes it right back of course, it's nice to see they are good friends. I'm definetly feeling the third wheel here, but that's ok.
They won't tell me much about what's in Negilahn, trying to keep my first impressions unbiased I suppose. However, I'm not dumb, and what I'm reading between the lines is interesting.
The carcasses are killed and generally left to rot it seems. Surplus killing - no point to it. Nick described the results as "scary". Even Doug seems uncomfortable with it; he's pretty solid, but every once in awhile I'd catch something in his eye that didn't sit right.
We talked about maybe going for our first trip tonight, though I still haven't heard back on the particulars. I think I've managed to get the basic equipment that I'll need, and I'm feeling like I'm about as ready as I can get! Doug needs to sort out a few final details and we'll give it a go.
If I don't come back, my sister can have my music collection and Dave gets the fish. Sell the rest and give the money to the DZS!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
A Few References
Things I'll want to remember later...
- The Lotka-Volterra Equations, which describe the mathematical relationships between predators and prey.
- Also this site which has some interesting theories about surplus killing. It seems there's three possible motivations: exploitation of bountiful prey, pathological killing, and hyperstimulation. "Pathological Killing" is a combination of no ethical code in animals with not knowing how to react if prey doesn't run away. Hyperstimulation seem sto be the most popular choice; most surplus killing occurs when large amounts of prey are confined to a small space, and the predator's instincy to kill is continually being triggered.
I can't wait for our trip, to see what evidence is produced.
- The Lotka-Volterra Equations, which describe the mathematical relationships between predators and prey.
- Also this site which has some interesting theories about surplus killing. It seems there's three possible motivations: exploitation of bountiful prey, pathological killing, and hyperstimulation. "Pathological Killing" is a combination of no ethical code in animals with not knowing how to react if prey doesn't run away. Hyperstimulation seem sto be the most popular choice; most surplus killing occurs when large amounts of prey are confined to a small space, and the predator's instincy to kill is continually being triggered.
I can't wait for our trip, to see what evidence is produced.
Missed Connections
I spent some time hanging arond, waiting for Sharper to show up last night. Apparently shortly after I left, he came looking for me. Figures.
Let me just say I love the little two-tailed monkeys! Cute little buggers. I'm curious if the spots on their crests can be used to identify individuals, I'll hafta keep my camera and notebook handy.
Wonder if I can tame one...
Let me just say I love the little two-tailed monkeys! Cute little buggers. I'm curious if the spots on their crests can be used to identify individuals, I'll hafta keep my camera and notebook handy.
Wonder if I can tame one...
Monday, March 12, 2007
An Interesting Day
What a day, it seems bigger things are happening than I thought. I'm going to have to keep my ears and eyes open here.
Nick was hanging around the Cavern most of the day. He's told everyone that himself, Sharper, and me are going hunting outside the Pod. Everyone is in a tizzy; most are excited, there's a few complainers of course, but that's normal. I'm excited; this will be "first contact" for an Explorer with a feral Age, and I can't sleep for the anticipation.
Nervous, though. Nick suggested I get some shooting practice in.
The DZS folks are being good about it, I'm really happy that that has taken off. We have our own website now, forums, wiki, the works. I missed the first public meeting last Saturday, due to some unexpected problems, but we've scheduled another for this Sunday which I should be able to do.
If we had 30 people at the first one, this meeting will pack the house...
A small group of us (Heaven, Jazz, sil_oh_wet) hung out with Nick for awhile yesterday in his Eders. We didn't bug him much about stuff, mostly cuz he invited us there to get away from the crowd that follows him every time he's in the hoods. He did make a few vague remarks though that piqued my interest. Nothing definite, but it seems plans are in the making which will change things around here...
I've made one equipment run, basic stuff. Time to find some of the more particular items on the list.
Nick was hanging around the Cavern most of the day. He's told everyone that himself, Sharper, and me are going hunting outside the Pod. Everyone is in a tizzy; most are excited, there's a few complainers of course, but that's normal. I'm excited; this will be "first contact" for an Explorer with a feral Age, and I can't sleep for the anticipation.
Nervous, though. Nick suggested I get some shooting practice in.
The DZS folks are being good about it, I'm really happy that that has taken off. We have our own website now, forums, wiki, the works. I missed the first public meeting last Saturday, due to some unexpected problems, but we've scheduled another for this Sunday which I should be able to do.
If we had 30 people at the first one, this meeting will pack the house...
A small group of us (Heaven, Jazz, sil_oh_wet) hung out with Nick for awhile yesterday in his Eders. We didn't bug him much about stuff, mostly cuz he invited us there to get away from the crowd that follows him every time he's in the hoods. He did make a few vague remarks though that piqued my interest. Nothing definite, but it seems plans are in the making which will change things around here...
I've made one equipment run, basic stuff. Time to find some of the more particular items on the list.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
The Unexpected Offer
So, Nick eventually found me, with the infamous opening line "We need to talk."
Things get tricky from here. One of the interesting aspects of dealing with a private organization is that they ask you to keep certain things to yourself. Can't blame them, either. But it does present challenges.
We met in the Council's neighborhood, and basically he offered me a job. Doug Sharper has indeed been tasked with investigating a disturbing situation in the Museum Age of Negilahn. It was written to provide the D'ni people a place to observe wildlife from the shelter of a self-contained viewing Pod. Negilahn is a jungle world, supposedly rich in all manner of animal and plant life.
Only there's no animals.
Explorations outside of the Pod have provided certain clues, which the DRC are unable to interpret. Doug is a master hunter; during the first Restoration he admitted to hunting and killing a large marine predator on Teledahn he calls "Shroomie". Because he was generally reprimanded for that, it's with glaring irony that he's being hired again specifically track down and kill something else.
Once rich with wildlife, Negilahn has apparently become quite barren. Only two different sorts of animals have even been seen from the Pod since it was made public - a cute sort of two-tailed monkey, and an enormous flightless bird the D'ni called an "Urwin". Studies by the DRC have shown that animal populations are dropping. Apparently it was pretty dramatic at the beginning, but they are finding less carcasses as more animals are being killed.
It seems the problem is predation. Something is killing the animals, or scaring them away. Nick wouldn't tell me specifics, only that the carcasses are savagely attacked but generally not eaten. Whatever it is doesn't seem to be hungry; it just likes to kill.
And Nick offered to let me help him and Doug track it down.
Nominally, this would include the help of the DZS, but officially I'm the guy. "Famed assistant to Doug and Nick" or some such. I'm not particularly interested in popularity, it's annoying. As soon as word gets around the Cavern that yer someone special, they never stop pestering you. No, for me it's the chance to learn, to explore, to be the first to do and see things and make a difference.
So I said yes.
I'm not sure what this position will entail, Nick said something about having to "make it official". Hopefully I can catch up with him again in the next couple of days and he'll have more details.
For now I guess I'll just collect my books, buy some camo pants, and start converting my little hut on Relto into a research lab. I'll need a couple of microscopes, dissection supplies, field sampling kits, binocs, tracking gear... Better start a shopping list. Maybe I can "borrow" some of this stuff...
Things get tricky from here. One of the interesting aspects of dealing with a private organization is that they ask you to keep certain things to yourself. Can't blame them, either. But it does present challenges.
We met in the Council's neighborhood, and basically he offered me a job. Doug Sharper has indeed been tasked with investigating a disturbing situation in the Museum Age of Negilahn. It was written to provide the D'ni people a place to observe wildlife from the shelter of a self-contained viewing Pod. Negilahn is a jungle world, supposedly rich in all manner of animal and plant life.
Only there's no animals.
Explorations outside of the Pod have provided certain clues, which the DRC are unable to interpret. Doug is a master hunter; during the first Restoration he admitted to hunting and killing a large marine predator on Teledahn he calls "Shroomie". Because he was generally reprimanded for that, it's with glaring irony that he's being hired again specifically track down and kill something else.
Once rich with wildlife, Negilahn has apparently become quite barren. Only two different sorts of animals have even been seen from the Pod since it was made public - a cute sort of two-tailed monkey, and an enormous flightless bird the D'ni called an "Urwin". Studies by the DRC have shown that animal populations are dropping. Apparently it was pretty dramatic at the beginning, but they are finding less carcasses as more animals are being killed.
It seems the problem is predation. Something is killing the animals, or scaring them away. Nick wouldn't tell me specifics, only that the carcasses are savagely attacked but generally not eaten. Whatever it is doesn't seem to be hungry; it just likes to kill.
And Nick offered to let me help him and Doug track it down.
Nominally, this would include the help of the DZS, but officially I'm the guy. "Famed assistant to Doug and Nick" or some such. I'm not particularly interested in popularity, it's annoying. As soon as word gets around the Cavern that yer someone special, they never stop pestering you. No, for me it's the chance to learn, to explore, to be the first to do and see things and make a difference.
So I said yes.
I'm not sure what this position will entail, Nick said something about having to "make it official". Hopefully I can catch up with him again in the next couple of days and he'll have more details.
For now I guess I'll just collect my books, buy some camo pants, and start converting my little hut on Relto into a research lab. I'll need a couple of microscopes, dissection supplies, field sampling kits, binocs, tracking gear... Better start a shopping list. Maybe I can "borrow" some of this stuff...
An New Beginning
Let me start by saying this - when I first went to the DRC asking them to make the D'ni Zoological Society official, I never expected it to really work...
Due to recent events, I'm starting this log as a record of my adventures with Doug Sharper and Nick White of the DRC. It seems there are events in motion which will have unexpected and unforseen consequences, and I have been given the choice to be a player in this game.
Naturally, I said yes.
Some background, perhaps, to set the stage. I have been visiting the Great Cavern of D'ni since about New Years, 2003. I was there for the first Restoration effort, and watched as the D'ni Restoration Council (DRC) tried to rebuild what is perhaps the greatest civilization on Earth. Tried... and failed. I was there when they closed access to the Cavern, and with sorrow laid my linking book aside. When Laxman notified us that they were providing a way for the Explorers to return to the Cavern, though the Restoration would not continue, I happily made my way back and spent the next several years exploring the Ages of D'ni. I was there when the first test signals came across the ki network. I was there when the DRC proudly announced it's return, and the resurrection of the Restoration with new funding.
And now, I have been given the opportunity to play a small part in this grand endeavor.
The DZS was the brainchild of some conversations between Sh'aeri and myelf, with some help from Kierra Windsong. As with any good scientific Society, we exist to research and further the knowledge base of a topic; in this case, the flora and fauna of the D'ni Ages. The D'ni, of course, were able to establish connections to an infinite variety of worlds through the Art of Writing; by using specific techniques to describe a place in a Book, they were able to Link there physically.
For an ecologist like myself, the possibilities are endless.
Naturally, some like-minded folks got together and we decided to establish a group dedicated to this research. Though labelled "zoological", botany is certainly something we will be looking at as well; after all, it's impossible to really separate the two.
We wanted support from the DRC, since their resources far outweigh our own. They have access to ancient D'ni records which would be a tremendous help in sorting all this out. But they are also traditionally very... tight-fisted... with their knowledge.
But now Doug Sharper has returned to the Cavern to investigate the animal problems on Negilahn, and through Nick White, a DRC translator and buddy of Sharpers, heard about the DZS. It seems he's interested in our help, as he's had Nick trying to track me down all day. Given what I know of Doug, this is going to be anything but boring...
Due to recent events, I'm starting this log as a record of my adventures with Doug Sharper and Nick White of the DRC. It seems there are events in motion which will have unexpected and unforseen consequences, and I have been given the choice to be a player in this game.
Naturally, I said yes.
Some background, perhaps, to set the stage. I have been visiting the Great Cavern of D'ni since about New Years, 2003. I was there for the first Restoration effort, and watched as the D'ni Restoration Council (DRC) tried to rebuild what is perhaps the greatest civilization on Earth. Tried... and failed. I was there when they closed access to the Cavern, and with sorrow laid my linking book aside. When Laxman notified us that they were providing a way for the Explorers to return to the Cavern, though the Restoration would not continue, I happily made my way back and spent the next several years exploring the Ages of D'ni. I was there when the first test signals came across the ki network. I was there when the DRC proudly announced it's return, and the resurrection of the Restoration with new funding.
And now, I have been given the opportunity to play a small part in this grand endeavor.
The DZS was the brainchild of some conversations between Sh'aeri and myelf, with some help from Kierra Windsong. As with any good scientific Society, we exist to research and further the knowledge base of a topic; in this case, the flora and fauna of the D'ni Ages. The D'ni, of course, were able to establish connections to an infinite variety of worlds through the Art of Writing; by using specific techniques to describe a place in a Book, they were able to Link there physically.
For an ecologist like myself, the possibilities are endless.
Naturally, some like-minded folks got together and we decided to establish a group dedicated to this research. Though labelled "zoological", botany is certainly something we will be looking at as well; after all, it's impossible to really separate the two.
We wanted support from the DRC, since their resources far outweigh our own. They have access to ancient D'ni records which would be a tremendous help in sorting all this out. But they are also traditionally very... tight-fisted... with their knowledge.
But now Doug Sharper has returned to the Cavern to investigate the animal problems on Negilahn, and through Nick White, a DRC translator and buddy of Sharpers, heard about the DZS. It seems he's interested in our help, as he's had Nick trying to track me down all day. Given what I know of Doug, this is going to be anything but boring...
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