Pith and Vinegar

The important part for those of you reading a summary via a feed: it’s free.

I’m torn between describing the history of the Myst/Uru franchise and why this is important, and describing the in-character historical backdrop against which Uru plays out.

In brief, this is the second time Uru has returned, and may be the first time any MMO has gone open-source. Prior knowledge of the Myst series is useful, but not necessary. You just have to like puzzles.

Uru takes place on Earth in the present. “Uru” has its origins in the Sumerian, and connotes “deep city.” There’s a happy coincidence that the name spells out “you are you,” as many people make avatars representative of themselves. There are no orcs or elves here.

Not long ago, a group of explorers uncovered the remains of an ancient civilization in an immense cave beneath the New Mexico desert. The city – and its civilization – were called the D’ni. The main characters of the other Myst series were the last remnants of this civilization. The explorers wanted to restore the city and founded the “D’ni Restoration Council.” Many individuals (the players) felt a “calling” to join them, and thus find themselves in the New Mexico desert. But Yeesha, last of the D’ni, may not be dead, and may have different goals in mind for the restoration.

Anything else would be spoiling things. You’ll do best to find out for yourself. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

If you want an invite code, which will put you in the same Neighbourhood as me so we can find each other faster, I’ll be happy to help out.