This page contains copies of personal emails and public posts about Linking and The Art of Writing which were written in 2002 by RAWA, Richard A. Watson, Cyan programmer and ultimate D'ni historian. The plain gray print is quoted from Cyan's web site, or written by Richard Watson.

Lisandra, of the Tales of the D'ni web site, kindly wrote to me, offering to share this letter from RAWA. Her email explains:

From: Lisandra
To: Kehrin
Subject: [Fwd: Checking for accuracy]
Date: Friday, May 31, 2002 4:20 PM

Hi Kehrin,

When I was working on my site I received this answer from RAWA. Since you've collected emails from him on Linking, I thought you might like to have this one since it gives a little more info on the Tree of Possibility.

Shorah,
Lisandra

Thank you for sharing, Lisandra!

Lisandra wrote to RAWA:

Hi RAWA,

I'm including a statement in a commentary and I just want to make sure I'm stating it accurately. If you would be so kind as to check it at your convenience, I'd really appreciate it. I hate asking you. You must be busy beyond belief. If you have anything to add or elucidate, please feel free. Thanks a bunch.

Shorah,

Lisandra

Statement:

"The branches of the Great Tree grow without end, yet the Maker knows them all" This quote is found on D'niGuild, presumably a D'ni proverb. Apparently Cyantists have been aware of the concept of a Great Tree of Possibilities since they first began to reveal the D'ni saga in Myst. RAWA wrote in a letter to fans on Nov 14, 1997, "In the 'infinity' of the 'Tree of Possibilites' there are countless worlds to match any description you can write. There is a chaotic element in how the Book selects which of those many worlds it will link to, which even the D'ni never were able to compensate for." The Great Tree is how the D'ni communicate their understanding of quantam reality and parallel universes. When a Descriptive Book is written, it will link at some point on a branch of the great tree. If the Descriptive Book is changed, it still links to the same age, but to another branch i.e. another reality.

RAWA wrote to Lisandra:

It looks good as is.

The last sentence touches on a very complicated subject - changes to the Descriptive Book. I'm not sure how to state more clearly how it works without going off on a few dozen tangents. It's possible to make changes that will force the Book to link to another Age entirely. It's possible to make changes that further define the Age without linking to a different Age, etc. Very tricky stuff, and I'm not sure that you'd even really want to get into it... it raises more questions than it answers.

;)

RAWA
Richard A. Watson
D'ni Historian
C Y A N

From: Dr. Watson, DRC Member
Posted to: DRC Discussions Forum, DRC Org website
Subject: Unbelievable
Date: December 11, 2002

Unbelievable
I spoke with one of the Uru explorers yesterday. I personally watched him use the mysterious Book. The Book did not remain behind. It indeed went with him. Frankly, I had really expected this to be some kind of hoax.

We have never found a D'ni Book that can do this. It obviously would have been useful enough that one would think that the D'ni would have figured out how to do it long ago if it were possible, but none of their Books can do this.

And that's not the only D'ni rule that this Book breaks. You are not going to believe this one, Vic. Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself.

Anyway, the explorer came back shortly after, and offered to let me see the Age it links to. I was hesitant, since we know so little about this Book, but I agreed.

The Book links to a small island, only it's not surrounded by water, it's surrounded by clouds. There is only one small building and a few small trees.

My host had another surprise for me. As I watched, he used his Book again and re-appeared at the link-in spot on the other side of the island. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. He was able to link within an Age. No D'ni Books can do that either.

I am really not sure what to make of this Book. It does not conform to the D'ni rules we've learned over the years. Until we have a better understanding about how this Book works and why it can break some of the D'ni rules that we know, and have some kind of assurance that breaking these D'ni rules is safe, we should not encourage their use. We cannot stop the Uru explorers from using their Books, but we need to be clear that if they choose to continue using them, that they are using them at their own risk. I will not be using any of those Books again until I better understand them, and I insist the other DRC members refrain as well.

I think it's time that I talk with Prof. Zandi directly.

Dr. Watson

From: Victor Laxman, DRC Member
Posted to: DRC Discussions Forum, DRC Org website
Subject: Unbelievable
Date: December 12, 2002

Then you think that Zandi is writing this book??? Surely not!!!

v

From: Dr. Watson, DRC Member
Posted to: DRC Discussions Forum, DRC Org website
Subject: Unbelievable
Date: December 13, 2002

No, I don't think he's writing them, Vic. Zandi knows even less of the Art and the Books than we do. We are a long way from being able to write Books of our own; he could not have written these Books. But if they are of D'ni origin, why haven't we ever found, or even heard of any other Books that work this way?

I have many questions but not many answers at the moment.

Dr. Watson