Back when the D’ni Restoration first launched in 2003, there was a good bit of controversy between the DRC, Yeesha-followers, and various groups in the Cavern. This all pales in comparison to my recent discovery of the Max for President campaign stealing funding from the D’ni Restoration Council! Something must be done! Some folks are even wearing Max t-shirts in the Cavern. Will this rabbit-like thing stop at nothing?!?!

*catches breath*

All sensational blogging aside, I greatly enjoy playing Sam & Max. I just load it up on my laptop whenever I’m waiting for sparkly portals to appear in the new Pod Ages. Episode 5: Reality 2.0 is definitely my favorite.

Anyways, I’m going to head back to Relto to sit underneath my newly-appeared trees and do some unit conversions to try to access another Pod Age portal.

I’ve heard some rumors that Douglas Sharper has returned to the Cavern. I got to meet him once or twice back in 2003. I’m not quite sure what to make of him. (I’m not a big fan of hunting and Sharper is.) The real event was this: Back in ‘03, I was exploring Teledahn and found a linking book to the Baron City Office. (One of the coolest fish tanks I’ve ever seen.) Being the explorer that I am, I went there. Sharper later found out I was snooping around his office and didn’t take that too kindly.

But where am I to draw the line? When does exploring become snooping? Does Sharper have any right to claim the office as his own?

I decided to visit the office again and see if I could find him. He wasn’t there, but I saw his journal was still on his desk. Has he updated it? I’ve got competing voices in my head: to read or not to read?

I really want to see what Sharper’s been up to and meet up with him. I’m not going to read his journal (for now), but I wonder if he reads blogs…

I was very impressed! The hosts really knew quite a bit from the glyphs. I had never really taken much notice of them, nor the time to investigate them fully. I learned a good bit and was excited to hear some discussion from fellow explorers.
Sure, the Bahro still creep me out. But if they can create paintings like these, perhaps they aren’t nearly as inhuman as I think.

In other news, the D’ni Restoration Council has launched their newly renovated web site. The discussion forums have disappeared, so I invite everyone to gather over at the D’ni Explorers Guild. Yeah, that’s a shameless plug. But I haven’t had much time to work with the Guild lately, so the least I can do is plug it. :)

When Odo’Ital found shiny, glowing sparkles in Gahreesen, he quickly called upon his fellow explorers–Novah and myself–to investigate with him. I think Novah was the first to stand among the sparkles, and also had the most appropriate reaction of the group:

“I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be my squishy!”

I’m guessing these things are from Yeesha. Although they add a beautiful addition to Relto, I’m still a little unnerved as to their appearance. They almost seem to be a memorial to the Bahro. Has anyone heard from Yeesha lately? So many explorers are returning to the Cavern, but we still haven’t heard from her yet.

We have, however, heard from the DRC. They’re updating their web site and, more importantly, have released a new Age: Eder Delin. I’d like to get an expedition together to visit the Age; Please leave a comment to this entry if you’re interested.

I caught up with Odo’Ital today. He’s helped me out with the D’ni Explorers Guild quite a bit. Today, he helped me power up Gahreesen. It’s a lot easier with a second pair of hands.

I think I’ve overcome most of my fear of heights… just not my fear of giant spinning fortresses. And the moaning creatures that lurk around them. No wonder the DRC is so focused on safety…
Maybe in a few months the DRC will get the Training Wall there restored and open for explorers. I went rock climbing once on the Surface; I wonder if wearing a Maintainer’s Suit will weigh you down a lot.

Dusante’s always been a little crazy. So it’s fitting that we explored Teledahn together today. Mushrooms and Dusante seem to be a good mix. I was quite surprised when I stumbled upon him in Ae’gura; I haven’t seen this kid for years. It’s great reuniting with old friends down in the Cavern.

Although there’s still no snow on the Surface, there’s plenty of pollen in Teledahn. Dustante actually showed me a trick to make climbing onto the roof of the hut there.
Didn’t see Shroomie. Wonder where she’s hiding? All in all, it was a good day’s work.

Yesterday, my brother, Phaedrus, came down and we explored the Kadish Age together. It was good seeing him and cracking Kadish’s defenses is always easier with a second pair of hands. It reminded me of the Ocean’s 11 movie.

It was great running through Kadish again; I hadn’t been there in a long time. It contains my favorite Relto page, which I was quick to snag.

I also went back to the Art Gallery and now I fully understand the artwork there, instead of my clouded hunches I had in 2003. But I stumbled upon a new, confusing observation: the doors in the Empty Vault are different than the ones in the Full Vault. (They hinge open instead of sliding.) I’ve never had any idea how the two vaults are connected or how Yeesha could manipulate this. But I also never noticed that they really are two different vaults.

Yeesha, and the D’ni, are always surprising me. It appears that nothing it what it seems.

I just finished my last final exam for the semester, got all packed up, and returned to visit D’ni. My family’s not too keen on the idea that I won’t be home for Christmas break, but I think it’s a great opportunity to return to the Cavern. It’s just calling me back. Maybe I’ll even get my brother to visit a few times.

Apparently there was a large Bahro scream on Tuesday that caused all explorers in the Cavern to spontaneously link to Relto. DRC Restoration Engineer Victor Laxman visited Ae’gura and some of the Bevin Neighborhoods to inspect for damage and discuss the scream:

We had some problems after the scream, some trouble with the lattice that I think is fixed. So we should be able to get things back up and running quickly. It was just so strange that we wanted to error on the side of caution.
(Victor Laxman 12/20 14:22:27)

First people start linking without books, now where do the limits lie? The Bahro still creep me out a little bit. I’m not sure if it’s related, but there does seem to be a mass influx of new explorers. It’s great being reunited with some old faces and helping out some new ones.

Anyways, it’s nice to be back in the Cavern again. Sure, there isn’t any snow. But, for me, D’ni is a place of joy and peace (at least for the time being). And that’s what the holiday season is all about.

When the DRC closed the Restoration in February 2004, it was a shock. I had great ideas of what D’ni could be… But suddenly it was closed off, before it ever had a chance to show itself. It was a lot like gearing up all year long for a national cross-country meet, then tripping over the start line when you began. A few explorers remained. I would visit from time to time, but I mostly resumed my life on the Surface.

May 2006 saw a resurrgence of explorers to the Cavern. It seems the Call to D’ni that was inside all of us remained. Some of the DRC restoration engineers must have felt the Call as well. So did Blake Lewin. Blake was able to convince Turner Broadcasting to supply limited funds to get the DRC’s efforts rolling again.

That’s where we’re at now. Explorers are returning. We don’t have much momentum yet. But we’ve always had energy. D’ni awaits.