lunaquantica

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Glowing Crystals & Voided Minds

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Characters & Pairings: Female OC & Lest (Arcane), Female OC/ Viktor (Arcane/League of Legends), Singed (Arcane/League of Legends), Smeech (Arcane), Sevika (Arcane), Viktor (Arcane/League of Legends), Lest (Arcane). Warnings: violence, mention of murder, blood and gore, death. Summary: Enith confronts Singed and makes and interesting discovery. Note: This fic is still a work in progress. I may end up changing things on the go, but it's perfectly readable.

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Enith could hear the squelching sound of Singed’s hands rummaging through the guts and blood of one of his test subjects, while he talked to himself all the time.

She sat in a corner, wide-eyed, trying to find a way to escape.

One hour after her imprisonment, she noticed a simple yet logical thing.

There were many corpses and very little blood on the floor, sure Singed could have drained the bodies before dumping them, but if her intuition was right it meant that there was a conduit to drain the liquids.

It would be big enough for her to squeeze into it and escape if she was lucky enough.

She carefully moved some bodies around, trying not to make too much noise, hoping that the minds of the people she was about to touch were already gone.

As she dragged away the last dead person only to discover that the drain was too small for her, panic started to bloom again in her chest.

Her eyes darted around, trying to find a solution, and when she didn’t find one, she started to scream at the top of her lungs.

Enith hoped that someone could hear her and come to save her, but if Singed was still there after all that time, it was because no one ever acknowledged his presence or was smart enough not to investigate further.

If only she had retained her full powers, she could have been at home with Vik, her mind spiralling in the comfort of her little Poro.

She thought of her parents who will never know about their daughter’s death, about Lest who tried to stop her…if she just had listened.

The trap over her head opened again and Singed horrendously scarred face watched her from above “Time’s up little rat” he giggled.

“I have a proposal for you,” Enith said, sounding defeated.

“What could you offer me, uh? You are nothing but dead meat” Spitted out the mad scientist.

“What you seek for. Knowledge. I have a gift you will surely find useful. You want to understand, to comprehend the thin threshold between life and death…” Enith spoke, trying to keep her voice steady, and to her surprise, Singed listened.

“Minds have no secrets for me. Imagine the amount of knowledge I could gather for you. Imagine how we could manipulate everyone in this city.” She saw a little spark in the man’s eyes before he threw down an old rope for her to climb.

As soon as Enith was beside Singed, he gripped her by her hair, tilting her head to meet his crazy eyes.

“Prove it” he intimidates her, holding a scalpel to her throat and she could already feel the sharp edge cutting through the first thin layer of skin.

Enith showed her open palms, informing him that she must touch someone to see into their minds, and Singed allowed her to lay a single finger on his temple.

Once more, Enith saw the revolting view of the man’s consciousness, but this time, she forced herself to resist.

She had to find something meaningful and valuable that only Singed could know about, something that could prove her ability to him.

And among other things, a way to escape.

The pulsating tangle of viscera was in constant motion, contracting and expanding as if breathing, Enith ventured with an uncertain step, struggling to find Singed’s memories, too deeply buried by her madness.

The young woman risked slipping at every step, the wet and slimy walls certainly did not make her job easier.

Finally, she saw a small opening, a glimmer, moving in the chaos.

A small golden light first appeared on one side, then on the other, always equally bright.

Enith tried to get closer to see better and saw a small pocket watch, perfect and immaculate.

She took it before the viscera could swallow it again.

She opened it and sad, slow carillon music started to play, a picture of a beautiful blonde girl was stuck under the lid.

Orianna.

Singed’s mind suggested to her.

His daughter, long lost and never forgotten, always loved unconditionally.

Despite everything, he still remembered her voice and her sweet laugh.

Enith had found what she was looking for.

“Your daughter, Orianna. She loved a sad melody…a carillon.” She said, proceeding to hum the song.

Singed's grip on her loosened, his eyes getting even bigger from surprise “You…saw her?”

“I couldn’t…” Enith replied sincerely, distracting the man enough to steal a vial from his belt. “There’s too much horror in your mind that you suffocated the memories of her…”

Her fingers carefully pulled at the cork, slowly and soundlessly.

“She would be disgusted by the monster you became” she hissed.

With a swift motion, she smashed the small glass container on the ground, creating a thick cloud of green smoke as the acid started to corrode the floor.

One of Singed’s feet was hit by the fluid, and his shoe quickly melted until the corrosion started to reach his skin.

He screamed and lost his grip on Enith who quickly grabbed a surgical metal tray and used it to hit the man several times until he fell to the ground, barely breathing.

Her heart was thundering, her lungs burning again and her mind was racing fast, she debated with hers if killing him for good was truly an acceptable idea.

Murder never was.

“He’s a monster,” she thought, “Zaun will be better without him” She took a sharp bone saw and kneeled.

Then she thought that tying him up and handing him over to justice wouldn’t be a bad idea, he would spend the rest of his miserable days in a squalid prison without light, suffering from hunger and thirst and wallowing in his sewage.

She definitely liked that idea way better. ------------------------------------------------------------ With Singed tied up and stripped of any weapons, proper or improper, Enith began to search through his lab for a clue to tie him to the hex crystals traffic but couldn't find any.

Not a single note, half-burned piece of paper or even the smallest fragment of gem.

She tried to push her restrained powers to their limit, her hands trembling in the effort of trying to perceive even the faintest trace of magic.

Nothing.

Enith then dragged his unconscious body as close to her house as possible, which as it turned out, wasn’t too far away.

With no small amount of effort, she managed to drag him a few more meters out of the sewers, until quick, light footsteps prevented her from going any further.

She hid as best she could in a very narrow alley, hiding Singed’s unconscious body behind a dumpster.

“Enith? Enith, please, is that you?” called a familiar voice.

Enith looked around the corner and saw her friend with her make-up smudged by tears.

“Lest!!” she yelled, running to hug her tightly.

“I thought you were dead! I heard Screech’s men talking about you and the sewers and I thought you drowned. Oh my god Enith, I was so scared,” Lest cried, sobbing into her friend’s shoulder.

“Lest I…I’m fine. Don’t worry, I have just a few bruises and scratches, okay? But…I’m afraid I need your help.” Enith asked, pointing at Singed, “Do you know where I can deliver this bastard?”

“Maybe…maybe I have an idea, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.” Lest said, “Shall I help you carry him to your lab?”

Enith smiled “How could I do without you?” ──── ◉ ──── Lest sat on the edge of Enith’s bed, her back straight as Enith stood behind her, gently running a brush through her long, brown hair.

"You're spoiling me," Lest murmured, her voice low, almost sleepy.

Enith gave a small smile, though Lest couldn’t see it. "Just repaying a fraction of what I owe you,", she said softly, fingers moving, guiding Lest's dark strands into place “After today I think the list is just getting longer”.

Lest tilted her head slightly, feeling the soft pull of her hair as Enith began to style it.

After a few quiet moments, Lest opened her eyes, staring at their reflection in the big, foggy mirror across the room.

"What does my mind look like, Enith?" she asked, her voice lighter, trying to sound casual.

Enith paused, her fingers still in Lest's hair for a second, before resuming their careful work.

"It’s a maze garden," Enith said softly, her voice almost distant. "Beautiful, enormous, and dangerous. Full of secrets," she continued, "and it’s very easy to get lost in it."

Her voice held a distant edge, as she was talking to herself. "But I know how to navigate it."

The thought made Lest shiver slightly, not from fear, but from something else she couldn’t quite name.

Enith tied off the elegant braid, letting it fall gently against Lest’s back.

Lest felt a warmth rise in her chest, one that she quickly pushed down before it could surface.

"Good, because I'd be afraid if you got lost," Lest said quietly, her eyes meeting Enith’s in the mirror.

"I’d find my way out," Enith replied, her voice steady. "Because I know you."

Lest smiled faintly, but the weight of Enith’s words stayed with her long after the silence returned. ──── ◉ ──── Lest stirred in the soft sheets, her long body shifting as her ears caught the faint clink of a pot from the kitchen.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Enith asked, pouring hot water into two cups for tea.

“Like a baby, thank you,” Lest replied, sitting up and stretching. “And you? I stole your bed, I should have slept on the sofa instead of you”

“Nonsense, you’re my guest” answered Enith, serving the breakfast.

They sat at the table together, enjoying a quiet breakfast and chatting about mundane things.

The conversation took a more serious turn when Lest paused, spreading butter on a slice of bread. “I’ve been thinking…have you seen something that connects Singed to the crystals traffic?” she gestured with the butter knife,

Enith sighed. “Nothing…there was nothing…no hex technology, no crystals. All of this and for what?”

“Even If he wasn’t behind the illegal import trade, he is still a criminal and a killer. You could hand him to Piltover’s enforcers…They’d definitely reward you for it.”

Enith looked at her friend like she had once after finding out her Poro had vomited on her bed.

“Lest, Piltover’s enforcers will find him right at their door but I won’t be there to shake hands and take credit. They would probably lock me up with him, I’m only another filthy Zaunite for them.” she spitted out.

“Are you? Well…a friend of mine owes me a favour,” Lest suggested with a mischievous smile. "Her husband is the Head of the Council of Piltover.”

“It’s a terrible idea” commented Enith.

“It’s the only one we have. I’ll talk to her,” answered Lest.

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Some fun facts about...

MYST (1993)

1• Island Exploration: The game is set on a mysterious island called Myst, and players explore different Ages by solving puzzles to progress.

2• No Character Interaction: Unlike many games, Myst doesn't feature direct interaction with characters. Instead, players interact with the environment and discover the story through journals and clues.

3• Best-Selling PC Game: Myst held the title of the best-selling PC game until it was surpassed by "The Sims" in 2002.

4• Influential Graphics: The pre-rendered graphics in Myst were groundbreaking at the time, contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere.

5• Multiple Endings: Depending on the player's choices throughout the game, there are multiple endings, adding to the replay value.

6• Minimalistic Soundtrack: The game's music, composed by Robyn Miller, is minimalistic but iconic, contributing to the overall ambiance of the game.

7• Expansive Franchise: Myst spawned several sequels, spin-offs, and even novels, expanding the lore of the original game.

8• Cyan Worlds: The game was created by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller, co-founders of Cyan Worlds. They had a significant impact on the development of the adventure game genre.

9• First-Person Perspective: Myst popularized the first-person point-and-click adventure genre, influencing many games that followed.

10• RealMyst: In 2000, a real-time 3D version of Myst called "RealMyst" was released, allowing players to explore the island in a more immersive way.

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Front and back cover of "The Book of Atrus" by Rand and Robyn Miller and David Wingrove published in 1995.

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Do you know that Myst had to have its series of comics?

Don't worry, not many know this!

Dark Horse Comics published the first issue in the '90s... And there was only another one after that, not even linked to the first.

It was meant to show what happened before the event narrated in the game but was an absolute flop.

"The Book of the Black Ships" showed Sirrus and Achenar being... Well, themselves, so two brothers that are always on the brink of making some disasters.

The real problem? The Publisher switched the two boys' names and personalities and when Cyan asked them to correct those ENORMOUS mistakes they replied something like "Nah", so Cyan canceled the contract.

If you want to read it anyway, I got a pdf just for you!

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"The graphic adventure that shook the world"

"You can't get killed, nor can you do anything that will automatically lose the game, your new world is a series of bewildering enigmas that when added together become Myst."

- Barry Brenesal, 4 stars review on PC Magazine, 1994

Image and article from pcmag.com

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The Basics of D'ni Grammar

(research by Richard Watson)

D'ni is not an Earth language, but because the D'ni are so similar to humans physically and mentally, their language has similarities to some of our native tongues.

D'ni is often compared with Hebrew, since the two languages have similar characters and sounds. But there are many differences, with the most obvious one being that D'ni is written left to right, unlike Hebrew.

The D'ni alphabet has 24 characters, but there more than 24 consonants. These are created by adding indicator marks to a letter. For instance, the character for a "v" sound is the same as the character for a "b," only the "b" has a dot over it. Generally, any consonant without a dot is a fricative, meaning it's produced by air passing continually between the tongue and lips. A consonant with a dot over it contains a stop, meaning that the air is cut off. in the case of a dotted "v," the air is stopped by the lips. By adding indicators to their vowels, D'ni's six vowel letters are expanded to eleven vowel sounds in their spoken language.

D'ni follows a familiar noun-verb structure. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify. Adverbs follow the verbs they modify. Quantifiers such as "very," "extremely," and "really," which add emphasis to phrases, are indicted by numbers from one to twenty-five. The higher the number, the stronger is the emphasis. For example, the phrase "I am a little tired" in D'ni becomes, "I am tired to two." "I am very tired" would be. "I am tired to twenty." To exaggerate something, the D'ni would use a number over twenty-five. "I am incredibly tired," in D'ni could be written or spoken as, "I am tired to thirty."

There are a number of important prefixes and suffixes in D'ni. Verbs use a suffix to indicate both number and person (this is similar to Spanish). For example, the D'ni word for eat is "rees," which is the form it takes when you say "I eat." The suffix "en" is added to indicate that he, she, or it eats, "rees-en." "They eat" uses the suffix "eet." "rees-eet." "We eat" uses "et," "rees-et." "You eat" (singular) uses "em," "rees-em," "You eat" (plural) uses "tee," "rees-tee." You can change this phrase to a command by adding the additional suffix, "ah." To order an individual to eat, you would say, "rees-em-ah!"

Verbs use a prefix to indicate the past, present, and future. To say that you have finished eating, the phrase is "ko-rees." To say that you are currently eating, the phrase is, "do-rees." To say that you will eat later, the phrase is "borrees." Other forms of the suffix are:

• kodo (past progressive): kodo-rees (I was eating)

• le (perfect): le-rees (I have eaten)

• kol (past perfect): kol-rees (I had eaten)

• bodo (future progressive); bodo rees (I will be eating)

• boko (future perfect): boko-rees (I will have eaten)

• bodol (future perfect progressive):

bodol-rees (I will have been eating)

Other common prefixes are "re" for "the." The D'ni word for "book" is "kor," so to indicate "the book," the phrase is "re-kor." The word "and" is "ga," so to indicate "and the book, you would say "ga-re-kor." Suffixes can indicate ideas such as plural and possession. To make a noun plural, add "tee" to the end.

The word for "books" is "kor-tee." To indicate possession, add the suffix "akh," which roughly corresponds to "of." The phrase "Gehn's book," in D'ni is structured, "book of Gehn," and is written, "kor-okh Gehn." An adjective, such as "garo" ("mighty"), can be changed to a noun with the suffix "th," as in "Garoth" (Mighty One). You can change the same adjective into an adverb with the suffix "sh," "garosh," as in "mightily." There is also a special set of characters called the "Garo-hevtee," "Great Words." These symbolize important ideas of groups of words.

From " From Myst to Riven: The Creations and Inspirations" (1997)

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Bless your dash with some flaming (well not literally, thanks haven) sketches from Rand and Robyn Miller, made when they were working on Myst and its ages.

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"I realized, the moment I fell into the fissure, that the Book would not be destroyed as I had planned. It continued falling into that starry expanse, of which I had only a fleeting glimpse. I tried to speculate where it might have landed, but I must admit that such conjecture is futile. Still, questions about whose hands might one day hold my mystery book are unsettling to me. I know my apprehensions might never be allayed, and so I close, realizing that perhaps the ending has not yet been written." ~ Atrus

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Behold the Fab Five Myst Masterpieces – one from each Age, plus the mandatory Iconic Myst Island view (which is my favorite)

Official Myst Wallpapers from Cyan

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Are you into reading?

Because I am, like really into it.

I'm all about Myst's epic saga – those books transport you to a whole new world (and I mean literally).

It's like real books, but with a teleportation twist.

And guess what?

I'm about to drop a link to a book (pdf format) that talks about a game with books that have a serious case of wanderlust.

Check out "Myst & Riven, The World of the D'ni" by Mark J. P. Wolf – because who doesn't love a good read?

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-Myst- Masterpiece Edition

The beginning:

Sure, this might not be the 'right' way to ace the game, but watch this video for those moments when cracking the riddle feels like trying to find your keys in a black hole – it might just save your sanity!

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Hello!

Oh wait, you don't know me yet!

Welcome to my page, where I attempt to unravel the mysteries of Myst without getting lost in the age of questionable fashion choices and perplexing puzzle logic.

It's like trying to find the plot in a Choose Your Own Adventure book written by someone with a confusing sense of humor.

Let the journey through surreal landscapes and head-scratching riddles begin!