Myst Series

"[if the player comes back to Saavedro after the first approach towards him] What? You don't think I am serious about destroying Releeshahn? Drop the barrier, or I will drop this. [Saavedro proceeds to do the latter after waiting long enough. Alternately, if the player makes a third approach, Saavedro will hit the player with the Releeshahn book]"

"[if the player pulls the lever as asked to do so by Saavedro] Apparently, it is my turn to live up to the end of the bargain. [he drops the Releeshahn book into the water and gets away with the gondola as the objective to claim Releeshahn has failed]"

"[opening cinematic, writing a letter to the player character] For twenty years, I've harbored a secret. People talk about my sons and the evil things they did, but still I remain strangely mute. I do not discuss my own actions that day, or the rage I felt when I burned the two Linking Books that had snared them. Some people believe my sons died in those fires, but the truth is, they did not. You're the only one I can confide in, my friend, so I'm asking you to come to Tomahna. There are things I must tell you... about my sons."

"[first meeting with the player, in his lab on Tomahna] Hello, my friend! I see you made it in one piece, so... Yeesha's driving wasn't too erratic, I hope. [chuckles] Well... you're probably wondering why I asked you here. The truth is, I need your help. As you know, my sons, Sirrus and Achenar, were trapped twenty years ago after they destroyed many of the Ages I'd written. At the time, Catherine and I decided to leave them imprisoned, because we hoped it might reform them. Now Catherine believes our sons should be released. But I need an objective opinion. I must find out if either Sirrus or Achenar deserve to be freed, and... you're the only one we can trust."

"[ending, in Tomahna] Ah, my friend... seems I'm always thanking you. Catherine is taking Yeesha to Tay. She's alright, she really is a... strong little girl, but she's gonna need time. She loved Achenar and... and Sirrus, very much. [sighs] God, this is hard. It's as if a door inside me has closed, despite everything I've done to keep it open. But in a way, maybe that's good. My sons may be gone, but my daughter is safe. And now Catherine and I can give her all the love and attention she'll need to move on with her life... just as we must move on with ours. Endings are just another form of beginning, I guess... and the harder an end is to face, the more hope we bring with us to the next beginning."

"[first encounter with the player, on Serenia, holding the Life Stone] Wait! Please! Listen to me. Okay, okay, it doesn't look good, I admit it, but it's not what you think! I'm just taking it for a little while. Borrowing it, so to speak. It's the plan. Sirrus is mad! He's got Yeesha! I just want to stop him. He's a nutcase! He's here... don't let Father come here, or you'll screw up everything! Find my journal, the one from twenty years ago. Sirrus doesn't even know that I kept one. I hid it in a stone pillar in the forest, near where two rivers are crossing. It'll explain everything. Sirrus... is mad. He's gonna kill Father! I've gotta stop him!"

"[dying from the toxic pollen of the old Memory Chamber] We did it. The transfer... worked. We saved Yeesha. [laughs, coughs] Don't look so surprised. The Life Stone had to be inserted directly into the shrine. Otherwise, it wouldn't've worked. Only way to do that was to break the glass that contained the gases. 'Course, that made it kinda lethal. Better this way. All the things I did... [Yeesha comes to, surprised] It's okay. Sirrus is dead. It's over. Everything's gonna be okay, little sis... it's gonna be okay... be okay... [collapses and dies, head in Yeesha's lap]"

"[memory from Serenia necklace, trapped and shivering on Spire] I thought I was the only devious one in our family. But this? Oh, this is classic. No Book, Father? No Linking Book home? Think, Sirrus... think."

"[memory from Serenia necklace, at bottom of "nearest palace" in Spire - seeing there is no ground, and no Linking Book] NO! I... am... Sirrus! And I will NOT BE DEFEATED!"

"[opening monologue, to the player] Thank God you've returned. I need your help. There's a great deal of history that you should know, but I'm afraid that... I must continue my writing. Here. [hands the player his journal] Most of what you'll need to know is in there. Keep it well hidden. [picks up a book] For reasons you'll discover, I can't send you to Riven with a way out, but I can give you this. It appears to be a Linking Book, back here to D'ni, but it's actually a one-man prison. You'll need it, I'm afraid, to capture Gehn. [hands the player the Prison Book] Once you've found Catherine, signal me, and I'll come with a Linking Book to bring us back. [writes in the Book of Riven, then closes it, opens it to its first page, glances for a beat] There's also a chance, if all goes well, that I might be able to get you back [holds it up, showing the blurred descriptive panel] to the place that you came from."

"[returning to Catherine's prison, after trapping Gehn; she enters the elevator and activates it] We have to move quickly. Gehn's people may already know what's happening. Once we're back with the Moiety, we'll have time to regroup. Can I see the book? [takes the Prison Book...and looks shocked to see Gehn inside it] You did it. We're all free. You captured Gehn! But there's still his followers. I'm not sure what they'll do once they realize he's gone. I'll have to get the villagers to safety as soon as possible. You go back to the Temple Island and reopen the Fissure. I know it's risky, but it's the only way to signal Atrus. I'll try to make it back there as soon as I can, but don't wait for me. Don't forget, the portal combination's in my journal. Good luck."

"[first meeting with the player in her prison, speaking Rivenese, then recognizing the player] You made it. But how'd you get past Gehn? [looks down after a moment] He must really believe I've gone mad. [looks back up at the player] I know what he's doing. He's watching you. He's waiting for you to make a mistake. He's hoping you'll lead him back to D'ni. You can't let Gehn -- Atrus sent you to save me, but if Gehn gets back to D'ni, he'll kill him. [leans forward, speaking low] I think I know how to signal Atrus, but it's going to take both of us. You'll have to trap Gehn before you can get the combination. Be careful. [steps back, speaking louder - as if for a listener's benefit] Go then. If you won't help me, I have nothing more to say."

"[worse ending; if the player releases Gehn in Tay and becomes trapped in the special prison book] It appears that the Moiety and I will finally be able to discuss our differences face-to-face. I don't know exactly why you released me. But you realize, of course, that this must be the end for you. I can't take the chance that you will change your mind again. It may provide you with some solace, however, to know that with this act of self-sacrifice, you have secured your place in history. The D'ni culture will be reborn, and the lives of millions will be purified... thanks to you. Farewell. [closes the cover]"

"[bad ending; if the player releases Gehn and becomes trapped in the special Prison Book] I don't know exactly why you released me. But you realize, of course, that this must be the end for you. I can't take the chance that you will change your mind again. It may provide you with some solace, however, to know that with this act of self-sacrifice, you have secured your place in history. The D'ni culture will be reborn, and the lives of millions will be purified... thanks to you. Farewell. [closes the cover]"

"[bad ending; if the player uses the special Prison Book before meeting Gehn; in Age 233, Gehn instructs his servant, Cho, to go through the book. Once he does, the player appears in the cage; Gehn looks the player over before setting the book down, picking up his dart gun and shooting the player] Forgive me, I don't believe we've met. I am Gehn. And you must be the one whom Atrus sent to trap me. I don't know where you got the brilliant idea to trap yourself in the book, but I must tell you that I am quite disappointed that it is you, and not Atrus, who must pay the price for this foolishness. [the player's vision and hearing become hazy as the poison takes hold] My one wish before I die would be to see him finally assume some responsibility for his actions. Perhaps it will happen one day. In the meantime, you have my sympathies. [screen fades to black]"

"[bad ending; if the player does not link, Gehn closes the Book, picks up his gun and shoots the player] You see, I have changed. There was a time when I might have let you live. I made that mistake with Atrus once. It's a pity you decided not to give me a second chance. But, there is still time. [screen fades to black]"

"[if the player returns to summon Gehn a third time, Gehn's speech and actions are terse] All right then, once more. [Holds Book up to the player] The only path open to you now is through this Book. Take it."

"[if the player does not link, Gehn raises an eyebrow and closes the Book] You are free to go. But... I think you should not come back unless you are willing to use the Book."

"[if the player returns to summon Gehn a second time] I'm relieved you've returned. I thought perhaps you had decided against it. [Holds the Book up to the player] Here. I shall follow you directly. Please."

"[if the player does not link through after a certain period, he steps back] You may need some time to decide. That is reasonable. [activates the oven that powers the Linking Books] Until then, as a token of my good intentions, I will allow you free access to my Linking Books, crude though they may be, and to the rest of the Fifth Age. Please understand, there is nothing I want more than a chance to resolve matters between Atrus and myself, especially in light of what has become of Catherine. But unless you are willing to demonstrate to me that your intentions are honorable, I cannot risk it. The sanctuary I've been writing for the islanders is nearly complete; after all these years, it would be a shame if I were unable to finish it. The work I am doing is quite demanding. Please don't signal me unless you've decided to use the Book. The switch will reset itself once you link from here."

"[following the introduction, if the player has recovered the special Prison Book] Which brings me to the point of all this. The Linking Book you brought with you; you're very fortunate to have recovered it. If I may? [takes the Book from the player] Thank you. [examines it for a moment, frowning...then returns to the player] Perhaps it would be best if you went through first?"

"[following the introduction, if the player has not recovered the special Prison Book] I know that you arrived in the Fifth Age with a Book that was immediately stolen from you. Needless to say, its reacquisition is of interest to me, though my personal history with the Moiety does not give me much hope for it. Still, there is a chance you might somehow manage to retrieve it. If you do, I would ask, for the safety of all concerned, that you bring it to me at your earliest opportunity. Again, to be honest, my reasons here are partly selfish. There is so much yet to be resolved between Atrus and myself, especially in light of what has become of Catherine. In any case, my immediate concern is the completion of the sanctuary I have long promised to all the islanders. In the meantime, as a token of my good intentions, I will allow you free access to my Linking Books, crude though they may be, and to the rest of the Fifth Age. As for the stolen Linking Book, we should probably not meet again until you've recovered it. I will know if you succeeded, and will await your return. Good luck with your search; I hope to see you back here shortly."

"[first meeting with the player, in "Age 233"] I apologize for the cage. I'm afraid this situation has often required of me a more... primitive code of conduct than I might otherwise have chosen. I am Gehn. I assume you've heard of me. Yes... well, I suspect you have acquired some false information of who I am now. Not that my son would have lied to you about me; no, not Atrus. It's just that... well, I'm sure he believes me to still be the depraved father I once was. Yes... I even tried to kill him once. God, if I had accomplished that, who knows what I would have become? A great father, indeed, who tries to murder his own son. Thankfully, he trapped me on Age Five, a prison of my own creation. No Books, no precious inks, no Ages to link to, nothing but my own foolish ambitions. That was thirty years ago. Thirty years, thirty lifetimes, what does it matter? No sentence could be too harsh for the man I was. But I have changed. To be sure, the deeds of my past can never be completely atoned for, but my mission was an honorable one. [lights his pipe, takes a draw from it] I'm sorry, this is all a bit awkward. I... it's been a long time since I've attempted to persuade anyone of my intentions. Most of the people here have already made their minds up about me, one way or another. I myself do not trust the words of most men, so I don't expect you to believe me. In the end, though, you may discover that I do have more than mere words to offer."

"[upon first noticing the trapped player] ... Cho ... ??!! ... Ah... tah... tahgemah b'soo rekoah ("give me the book"). Etc."

"[Message in the imager by the dock] Catherine, my love, I have to leave quickly. Something terrible has happened. It's hard for me to believe ... most of my Books have been destroyed. Catherine, it's one of our sons! I suspect Achenar, but I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I'll find him, and Sirrus as well. Oh, I should have known better than to have left my library unchecked for so long! [Sighs] Well, I've removed the remaining undamaged Books from the library, and placed them in their places of protection. You shouldn't have to use the Books until I return, but if you've forgotten the access key, remember the tower rotation. Oh, and don't worry, Catherine, everything will be fine. I'll see you shortly. Oh, and erase this message after you've viewed it, just to be safe."

"[bad ending, returning the last blue page] Oh yes! I'm free! [laughing madly] Oh, I feel alive! And how do you feel, my friend? [giggles] Oh, and what have we here? Perhaps the pages you worked so hard for? [giggles as he rips out a page, the image becomes staticky] Whoops! [laughing insanely] Oh, yes! Oh! Perhaps you're seeing the world from my point of view. [the static becomes heavier] Sirrus ... where's my brother? [puts his face close to the book] Maybe someone will rescue you some day! [cackles as he rips out more pages] You lose. [laughter, static]"

"[after retrieving blue pages from the other four Ages of Myst] Hello. I'm Achenar. I'm glad to see that you've returned to help me escape from my wrongful imprisonment. It was Sirrus who did this to me. Sirrus, my wicked brother. Do not listen to him. I warn you! I warn you, he's a liar. Do not be persuaded by his evil lies! Do not release him. He killed my father. He will kill you. [giggles] It began when my brother Sirrus began to lust for riches. He stole from the Ages of Myst. He hoarded up riches for himself! While Father... Father slept away his watchfulness, my sick brother secretly pronounced himself king. King of the Ages of Myst, he said. He began to look upon me with disgust, his lowly brother! I hated him! Then Sirrus began to destroy the Ages of Myst. He burned their forests, he tore down their structures, flooded their lands... murdered their inhabitants. He completely destroyed all but four of the Ages. Of course, I had to warn Father, but when I finally found him, there was Sirrus, also, talking cleverly with the lying tongue of a serpent! He convinced Father that it was I who destroyed the Ages. He convinced Father that it was I who was greedy for wealth and plunder. And as Sirrus dealt the final blow, he tricked Father into believing that I was the murderer. But Sirrus did not deal as fast a blow as he planned, and as Father died a slow death, he at last doubted my brother's clever lies. And so in dying, Father imprisoned us both, unsure from where the blow had come. [giggles] I swear to you what I say is true! [pleading] Release me. You must release me. My brother's a deceitful liar. He deserves punishment. I only wish vengeance for my dear father. He's a murderer, believe me. You must only recover one additional page to release me from this prison. It's the easiest to find. Go to the bookshelf, that's in this library. On the far right side of the middle shelf, there's a burned book which is different from the other burned books. It is filled with patterns. Find pattern 158. Mimic its design on the panel of the fireplace. Doing this will bring you to the last blue page. Remember, don't take the red page, only the blue page! Return it quickly to me. And do not touch the green book. It's a clever trap to imprison those who have not been warned. [giggles] Do not be tempted, or you will rot and die, imprisoned as I am. I tell you, if you follow my instructions, it will be well worth your while, I promise you that. Go. Go."

"[bad ending, returning the last red page] Oh, yes! Yes. I'm free! Oh, thank you, my friend! My dear friend! You've done the right thing. You stupid fool! [laughs] It looks like perhaps you're in the book now? [laughs] And what have we here? A page. [rips it out, the image becomes staticky] Oh, no! [laughs] I hope you enjoy your new home as much as I enjoyed it. [rips out another page] There. I can't see you. You're getting less clear. I hope you're into books! [laughs and rips out more] The library's much the same as I left it. Oh, Achenar... [laughs as he rips out another page] Goodbye. [laughs as he pulls out another page, more static]"

"[in an imager in Achenar's rooms in the Channelwood Age] I hope I pushed the right button. Very interesting device, dear brother. I'm not erasing anything important, am I? [laughs, then becomes serious] He is preparing. Remember, take only one page."

"[after retrieving red pages from the other four Ages of Myst] Ah, you've finally returned. I owe you a debt of gratitude, for you have nearly released me. My name is Sirrus. I trust that from your explorations, you've become convinced that my wicked brother Achenar is guilty, and I am innocent. It is I who am wrongfully imprisoned here, imprisoned by my father. I don't know who you are, or how you came to this island, but I assume you must at least know something of the books. It was Father who was a master of the books. He wrote hundreds of them, all describing and linking to the fantastic places and Ages which he had discovered. The room in which you now stand was our father's library. It was here in this room, on this island named Myst, that he housed most of his books. But such a waste... by now, you have surely discovered that Achenar has burnt and mutilated most of his books. Why? Our father was always watchful of our explorations. We grew up under his strict supervision. But when we came of age, he gave us unbridled access to the Myst books. He began to leave our adventures more and more unchecked. Unsupervised as we were, my brother began to become... disturbed. He began to take more from the Myst Ages than he had given. Soon he gained a twisted... pleasure... from the conquest and destruction of the other Ages. It was horrific. His thirst for destruction, alas, even I discovered his insanity too late. He had completely destroyed all of the Myst Ages but four. I wasted no time; in warning my father, I thought he would recognize Achenar's guilt. But in a fit of rage, he imprisoned both my brother and myself within the pages of these books, designed to hold us until he could judge which of us was guilty. To discover the truth, our father embarked on one final journey. However, he has never returned. I can only assume that he perished along the way, leaving me, an innocent victim, trapped forever. But now, you are here to release me. Listen carefully. You must find one more page, and I will be forever free. There is a book on the shelves in this library, which is mostly burned, but has a few pages still intact. It is the last book on the middle shelf. Find it. This book is filled with a variety of patterns. Find pattern 158 and recreate it on the door of the fireplace. This will bring you to the last red page. Bring that page to me, and I will finally be released, and able to reward you, of course. Ignore the blue page. That page finishes my brother's book. It chills me to even think of what would happen if you were to release him. There is another warning: Where the red and blue pages reside, there is also a green book. If you touch the green book, you will also be imprisoned forever. Our father gave us this same warning long ago. I suggest you follow his advice. Go now. Soon we will meet face-to-face."

"[Good ending, bringing the page to Atrus in D'ni] Ah, my friend! You've returned. And the page, did you bring the page? Ah, give it to me. Give me the page. Please, give me the page...the page, my friend, the page. [page is given, Atrus sighs in relief] You've done the right thing. I have a difficult choice to make. [Pulls out his Myst Linking Book, returns the page to it, and opens it to its linking panel] My sons have betrayed me. I know what I must do. I shall return shortly. [Links to Myst; after a moment, he returns] It is done. Oh, I have many questions for you, my friend, but ... my writing cannot wait. I fear that my long delay may have already had a catastrophic impact on the world in which my wife, Catherine, is now being held hostage. Oh, and ... reward. I'm sorry, but all I have to offer you is the library on the island of Myst—the Books that are contained there. Feel free to explore at your leisure. I hope you find your explorations satisfying. You will no longer have my sons to deal with. [Continues writing] Oh, and, uh ... one more favor. I am fighting a foe much greater than my sons could even imagine. At some point in the future, I may find it necessary to request your assistance. Until that point, feel free to enjoy your explorations from my library on Myst. Thank you again. [Goes to his writing, and after a moment] The Book, my friend; you can use the Myst Linking Book to return to Myst. [Returns to his writing, and does not look up again]"

"[Sad ending, going to D'ni without the page] Ah, my friend! You've returned—we meet face-to-face. And the page, did you bring the page? ... [Sighs] You didn't bring the page. You didn't bring the page! [Thumps the book he is writing in, the Book of Riven, in frustration] What kind of fool are you? Ah! Did you not take my warning seriously? [Long pause] Welcome to D'ni. You and I will live here ... forever."

"[First encounter with the player, in the green book in the Myst library's fireplace] Who the devil are you? Don't come here to D'ni—not yet. ... Oh, I have many questions for you, my friend, as you, no doubt, have for me. Where should I begin? Perhaps my story is in order. My name is Atrus. I fear you've met my sons, Sirrus and Achenar, in the red and blue books on Myst Island, in my library. My library ... it contains my works, my writings. I wrote many Books—many Books that linked me to fantastic places. It's an art I learned from my father, many years ago. Oh, but the red and blue books, those were different. I wrote those books to trap overgreedy explorers that might stumble upon my island of Myst. But I had no idea my own sons would be entrapped. My sons, Sirrus and Achenar, we had many journeys together. I gave them free rein to the Books; perhaps it was not wise. I could see the greed growing in them. I had not told them about the red and blue Books. Their imaginations went wild; they dreamed of riches and powers. Of course, they did not know the Books were traps. They begged me for access to those Books, and I, of course, denied them. They devised a plan, an evil plan. I had no idea to what extent their greed had progressed. Their own mother ... they used their own mother—oh, my dear Catherine—to lure me here, to D'ni. Of course, I could return to Myst, except that they removed a single page from my Myst Linking Book; I cannot return without that page. You, my friend, can bring that page to me. Oh, I pray that you believe my story above the lies my sons have told you. If you could find it in yourself to return that page to me, here in D'ni, I could go to Myst and bring justice to my sons for what they have done. I must return to my writing. I pray that you believe me. Please hurry, bring the page. Bring the page with you."

"[Opening voiceover] 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 have tried to speculate where it might have landed; I must admit, however, such conjecture is futile. Still, the questions about whose hands might one day hold my Myst 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."