Unbound Hearts

(OOC: Spoilers below. Do not read before completing Ahnonay.)

Last night, Clyde and I guided Araxia through her Ahnonay journey. Araxia has turned out to be a hell of a quick study, and it took her only a few hours – putting my first time to shame, I must say. And of course, her face and giddy laughter when she finally pressed that last button were beyond priceless. Another day, another convert.

However, we were especially eager to get Araxia’s perspective on the Age because of one of its enduring mysteries: gravity. Where we stand, both inside the mobile structure, and out at the edge, in Kadish’s office, the force of gravity is obviously downward and Earth-like. Yet the raging water column curves away, both above and below, suggesting a torus structure, much like Catherine’s infamous Age. The puzzle was this: at the very center of such a structure, where its mass is pulling equally from all sides, the net gravitational force is supposed to be zero. The water accelerates as it comes in from above, and picks up enough momentum to carry on through the center and out into space. But we, already at the center and standing still, should be more or less weightless.

My first theory was that a larger mass was situated below us, providing direct downward gravity even when the net force of the torus is zero. But this presented all kinds of other problems: how would the water maintain its cycle without being caught in the parent body’s field? Why doesn’t the torus itself fall and collide with it? Is it in some kind of orbit, and if so, why doesn’t its velocity skew the water column to one side? The concept was convoluted at best, and would have been hell to Write. A simpler solution had to exist.

That’s when we realized our obvious mistake. Of course, we must be centered horizontally, which is why we weren’t drifting towards the inner walls of the torus. But there was no reason why we had to be centered vertically. The structure is simply built closer to the top of the inner column – the torus’s center of mass is still below us, and, with the right distribution of volume, produces a normal Earth-like g-force at this spot. Meanwhile, the water column surges on downward (or rather, inward), regardless of the mobile structure’s minor interference.

Some curiosities remain. We still have no idea how to account for Ahnonay’s constant and uniform light source. Clyde is also preoccupied with the water column itself, which seems to display two overlapping spiral currents; a spiral pattern is to be expected with a draining system of this nature, but to have two discrete and opposing layers is extremely peculiar. One day, I suppose, we’ll tackle these challenges. Until then, Ahnonay shall remain the Age that keeps on giving.

For archival purposes, this is Vormaen’s original introduction & invitation to new members of the Unbound Hearts, posted to the DRC forum on March 12^th, 2007. I only reread it after writing and posting our revised manifesto, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two line up pretty closely. Perhaps our role has not changed as much as I’d worried. Full article after the jump.

By the way, for readers of Uru Blogs and other syndications, I apologize for flooding the feed with all these self-serving diatribes. I’m pretty sure this is the last of the current salvo.

I know that quite a few don’t always see eye to eye with me and my opinions. I also know that many have their groups that they are a part of.

I created the Unbound Hearts of D’ni years ago to try and stop the shifting of too much power going to one side or the other. I know that some of you might think I am jumping the gun, but it is still a possiblity here. We dwell in an unknown world where power is relatively untapped, and can be harnessed for good or evil. Many times in the past there were attempts to force feed us the need to choose sides. If there’s one thing I learned from Cyan and their interpretations of the journals, is that when given the choice between one or the other, the truly unbound can go beyond such choices, and find another.

Perfect example. In Cyan’s Myst V, it was presented to the player that they could either choose Yeesha, or Escher. Things were too black and white, and neither was the right choice. The player stepped out of the bounds of right or wrong, and made a choice that resolved so much. Breaking boundries and making compromises can solve more than splitting our community. There are only a handful of us in the group now, but we are just looking for people that want to think outside of the box. I cherish this community as much as any of you, and I feel with the combined effort of others, we can achieve so much, without wars or conflict, no matter how unavoidable they may be.

Don’t mistaken this hood as my hood, because it is not. It belongs to all that join. It has full access the the Great Zero, Tsogal, and to our own city instance, so the need for solice is available and held in high regard. The group is also there to assist ANYONE that comes asking for help, be it with ages or questions about their surroundings or the D’ni history. Anyone that would like to join can contact myself, Halcyon, or Kaelri.

Please, I do ask for no harsh criticism. I am just openly inviting people to join, and I will not question why this hood or this hood was created, and I’d hope that respect will be returned. I hope to hear from you folks soon. Take care.

I’ve finished a new and improved About article for this site. If you’ve been wondering who on earth we are and what we’re doing here, please do have a look!

(An OOC version is also available.)

As I alluded in my earlier post, I’ve begun setting up my private office on Ahnonay. As a rule, I try not to leave a material footprint in the Ages — especially those with delicate ecosystems — but I’m willing to indulge in some luxuries.
Notebooks and sketchpads, yes, alongside accouterments of the modern explorer: a scanner, a drawing tablet, a good sound system, and pair of 1TB external hard drives. I broke a series of KIs trying to solder a USB into the rim, but once I got the hardware connected, I was pleasantly surprised to find the KI firmware extrapolating and loading its own drivers with minimal guidance from me. I’m now working to establish a remote server that I can access through the Lattice.

Energy is no concern; the whole facility already runs on hydroelectric power from the mammoth waterfall just a few meters behind me. If, perish the thought, I never came back from one of my upcoming journeys, I would be secure in the knowledge that my equipment here would outlive me by centuries — perhaps for future generations to find.

While I appreciate the addition of the outer balcony, where it’s rejuvenating to walk out and feel the rushing air and the spray on my face, I frankly miss the window that used to be here. I can no longer achieve that warm, enclosed, protected feeling with the press of a button. I’m always exposed. Maybe I’ll start building a replacement. Tomorrow.

This has been my tradition on every cavern expedition in the last six years. It’s not that I distrust Relto. On the contrary, I realize that Relto is more private, and probably safer and more secure. The Bevin, too, might be a superior choice; I can’t monitor visitors or greet new explorers from here. But then, that’s partly the point. The seclusion, the isolation, the feeling of resting in a secret place, hidden, a long journey from the well-traveled paths. Ahnonay isn’t the choice of my mind or my hand. It’s the choice of my soul.

What is it about this place? It’s the water: raging, spiraling, surging its way down the torus wall in every direction, constant, merciless, yet paradoxically soothing. Serene. Like a permanent thunderstorm. It’s the light: pure white, perfect, glaring, consuming. I couldn’t take it forever, but in transient bursts, there is no substitute for its purging effect. And it’s the looming monolith of Kadish’s monster. To look out through the empty space and see whole worlds held in its arms. To think of him standing here at this window, quietly basking in the power he had at his fingertips. To think that this is the home of such a breathtaking creation, and this — this room — is the mental crucible that its creator chose for himself.

Not that Kadish is a man whom I idolize, per se. But inspiration is neither good nor evil in and of itself. This place is a cradle of dreams. I will choose which dreams will manifest. That choice is mine.

I think I’ll sleep here tonight.

Before the Grower began playing her hand in the restoration of D’ni, the concept of “instancing” did not exist. An Age was simply an Age. Now, every explorer has his own Teledahn, her own Minkata — we even think of our personal instances in terms of property. It is unclear whether the “original” Teledahn or Minkata (or any of the other dozen Ages we’ve unearthed) even exists anymore.

As a result, it has been difficult, to say the least, to congregate anywhere outside of the city and public neighborhoods. I’ve always thought that this was a shame. I’d have loved to bring guests to my primary office on Ahnonay, or organize a meeting of cavern notables in the conference room on Gahreesen, without the mess of wrangling access permissions in Nexus.

But now, a kind and thoughtful explorer named Kenguin has decided to change that. Kenguin is offering free Nexus invitations to all of his Ages, to anyone who asks, in the hopes of creating pseudo-public instances where open gatherings and spontaneous encounters are possible, the way they are in Ae’gura and the Bevins. I’ve fallen in love with the idea, and I encourage you to participate and help spread the word. You can read more about Kenguin’s project here.

I’ve been reading through my old forum posts and KI audio logs, looking for inspiration as I write a new description of the Unbound Hearts for this website. While doing so, I stumbled upon the speech I gave at our first town hall, on April 21st, 2007, announcing our return for the second restoration. A lot has changed since then — both the nature of the U.H. and the circumstances of its role in the cavern. But many of the same fundamental roots still apply. So if you’d like to revisit a significant moment in the history of the Unbound Hearts, join me after the jump.

Welcome to the Unbound Hearts.

You may have heard of us, from time to time. My companion here, Vormaen, founded this Bevin months ago. But in the last few weeks, some events have taken place in the cavern. We believe that this is the best possible time for our rebirth.

A storm is coming. I’m sure that many of you have heard of the “Anti-DRC Movement” that has arisen. They have good intentions, in spite of the name. But their methods are divisive, hostile, political. I suspect that this is the first of many such creations that threaten to take the cavern in a direction that it should not go, and sweep the rest of us along with them.

So what is this?

This is a sanctuary. A safe haven. For anyone who believes in the right *not* to choose. Between the DRC and Yeesha, the cults, the guilds, any of these conflicts and schisms. We all came here for different reasons, but we have a common purpose. We want to explore these beautiful Ages and the majestic ruins around us in peace. And friendship.

So. First of all, this Bevin itself has a purpose. A service that we will provide to *everyone.* All explorers, of all philosophies, anyone who is a part, physical or spiritual, of this noble restoration. It is a sanctuary. Open to all. With the freedom to travel – our Books will always be open to those seeking some brief serenity. And with the freedom to speak – I hope that this place can be a forum for the free exchange of ideas.

I attended the Anti-DRC meeting last Wednesday, and I was struck by how unruly, orderless, and even hostile that the crowd gathered there became, almost at the drop of a hat. So when it ended, I invited their leaders to this Bevin. They accepted. And they stayed for hours. And we saw the kind of debate that truly breathes life into this new D’ni. I dearly hope that these walls will see more of the same. Maybe we’ll even get a few DRC members in here, every once in a while. They may be encouraged to come to a place where they know their words will be treated with sincere curiosity.

Second: this is, after all, a Bevin. We extend an open invitation to anyone who seeks a friendly and helpful gathering of comrades. And I’d be delighted to have anyone who wants to join this evening, or any other time you see one of us in the cavern.

Now, I say we’re open to anyone, but of course, there are *dozens* of Bevins like what I described. However, I think that there are two kinds of people who will be attracted to this – a neutral, protective Bevin. Some of you may know of Myss Terrie’s Bevin. We have a close relationship with that neighborhood – you could call us allies. (We’ve been trying to build up a network of Bevins like this, so that we can find strength in numbers if we ever had to resist the ambitions of a large and pretentious Guild or Cult or whatever rears its ugly head.) But it is there that I see these two kinds of people, who I hope may see in themselves an Unbound Heart, and seek our companionship.

First, normal explorers – those who are here to explore and admire the Ages, challenge themselves with puzzles, and simply love life, free of the surface-like worries that they came here to be free of. If that is why you are here, and you have no desire whatsoever to be swept into this complicated stage drama of the cavern before we see what sides Yeesha truly meant that we would have to take, then I say that you are a true Unbound Heart. These are the people who I hope to gather here – when the Storm passes, I say that they will be the reemerging sun. And until then, they will be the light in which we rest here.

The second kind of person is one like me. Personally, I can’t resist the conflict. I am a passionate follower of Yeesha’s teachings on the journey, and I want to speak on that more than anything else. If one of your goals here, whenever you speak on the state of the cavern, is to protect those who do not wish to see this descend into a kind of civil war, then you, too, are someone who we offer our warmest invitation toward.

I’ve been making an extra effort to keep my pellet factory in Er’cana in working order. I recently unearthed an old recipe, just a few notches higher than Yeesha’s in mass and temperature, but nearly twice as effective. It also requires a slightly longer processing time — about four-and-a-half hours — so I’m only able to churn our two or three batches a day. But it’s oddly satisfying work. Like gardening. If I owned a massive wind-powered industrial plant in my backyard.

I had a bit of a scare when the number-four fluid silo showed a murky composition, while the other three were nearly transparent, as normal. I was able to clear the fluid by cycling the drainage pump a few times, but I’m going to keep an eye on it; if there’s a leak, or an eroded pipe letting rust into the reservoir, I’ll need to grab my Maintainer’s suit from the garrison and have a closer look.

I haven’t been myself of late.
I haven’t slept for several days.
But coming home I feel like I
Designed these buildings I walk by.

Well. As it turns out, I sort of reclaimed the wrong Bevin last week. I realized it after discovering that our courtyard clock was missing. A linking book is one thing; a giant specimen of ancient machinery, quite another. The error has been corrected, and Renata and Clyde — the two poor souls who joined before the error was discovered — have been successfully transferred. Even better, our Eder Delin is safe and secure after all. There is snow on the ground, naturally, and the door, although unusually reluctant to stay open for long, appears to be in working order.

Another pleasant surprise: Vormaen, the Unbound Hearts’ founder, has returned to the cavern. I truthfully wasn’t expecting to see him again, especially given the circumstances under which he left us three years ago. Unless he expresses a different desire, I will continue to serve as the leader of the U.H. But it’s a joy and a relief to welcome him back into the home he built.

Speaking of neighbors, our ‘hood is regrowing at a surprising pace. I’ve managed to track down a few of our old members: Mirabi, Al’Kaera, and MystOdyssey. I have reason to believe that Mousie may show up in the near future, as well. As for new members, in addition to Renata Jael and Clyde Craft, I’m pleased to welcome Araxia into the fold. Last night was her first time in the cavern — an unbound heart indeed.

If all goes well, I’ll have our “About” page and memberlist up this afternoon. Watch this space.

I can’t write long. Packing, you know – takes forever, even when you’re only bringing it through a book that’s already bolted to your belt loop. I write, however, to say this:

The Unbound Hearts have returned to the cavern. We’ve reoccupied our old Bevin, although the Lattice has stubbornly refused to let me rename it from “Kaelri’s Bevin.” Someone has also greedily stolen our Eder Delin and replaced it with the distinctly-inferior Tsogal, but I’ll be sending some notes about that in the days to come.

Mind you, when I say “the Unbound Hearts,” it’s really just me, for the moment. I haven’t been able to contact Mousie, Luona, Kedran Cor, or anyone else, not to mention Vormaen, the founder of the UH. If they see this, I hope they all know that they’ll be welcome to return, if they so choose.

However, we do have some new faces. If you look on the right, you’ll see Renata Jael, who has joined the cavern community as something of a dispassionate observer. I’ll let her introduce herself, but despite her reservations, I think she’s a perfect fit for the Unbound Hearts, and I’ve invited her here to contribute to this blog. I’ve also inducted two new explorers, Clyde and Erca, with a prospective fourth – a charming woman from across the Atlantic – on the way.

I do not know yet what role the Unbound Hearts will play in this new phase of the Restoration. I know that I am proud of the work we did in mediating the Anti-DRC Movement affair, and I know Vormaen has approved of my leadership since passing the torch to me. For now, I have three simple hopes: that we are known; that we do good works; and that we remain true to our principles. Beyond that, the ending can never truly be written.