Er'cana
 | |
| Author | unknown |
|---|---|
| Connections | |
| Restoration progress | |
| Current phase | Released |
| Added | January 2007 |
| Phase 5 began | January 22, 2007 |
| Released | June 26, 2007 |
Er'cana (er'Kana[contested]) is a large harvest Age, used by the D'ni to provide nutritional supplements to the bioluminescent lake algae living in the D'ni cavern's lake.
Appearance
The visible part of the Age is made up of a branching arid canyon which was probably cut by a river in the past. Tall fruiting plants grow on long fibrous stalks in and around small pockets of water. Two sets of elevated tracks run through the main canyon. One branches off into an area that is inaccessible due to a chasm in the canyon floor; the other terminates in a sealed door, blocking access to whatever lies beyond it. Both sets of tracks lead back to a massive stone structure which spans the width of the main canyon. This structure is integrated with a dam that forms an artificial lake on the upstream side of the canyon. It also serves as a manufacturing plant for the pellets used to feed the lake algae back in D'ni. Snow-capped mountains stand in the far distance. Their run-off feeds the artificial lake.
High on the canyon wall next to the factory is a small installation whose purpose has not been discovered.
History
D'ni history
The main purpose of Er'cana was the production of pellets rich in nutrients. When dropped into the D'ni cavern's lake, the algae there would respond to the influx of nutrients, producing extra light. Former Guildmaster Kadish used a special formulation of these pellets in an effort to bolster his claims to be the prophesied "Grower", who would "bring light" to the cavern[1]. In fact, much of the pellet-making machinery was designed by Kadish.[2] To test the pellets, he used a silo in the Uran district of D'ni where they could be dropped into an isolated pool of lake water.
First DRC restoration
Following the DRC's first abandonment of the cavern in early 2004 CE, Er'cana was one of two Ages used by Yeesha for the Path of the Shell – a journey which followed on from the first task she gave new explorers of freeing a bahro from imprisonment.
Second DRC restoration
During a town hall meeting on July 6, 2006, Dr. Ikuro Kodama of the DRC noted that he hoped Er'cana's resources would be useful in future efforts to restore the cavern's lake water's algae to a more normal light level and activity cycle. The Age progressed to Phase Five on January 22, 2007, and was finally released by the DRC on June 26, 2007. However, by the time the DRC closed the Cavern again in April of 2008, no visible progress had been made on the lake algae project.
In the media
At Mysterium 2006, the band Cobalt Core performed "Ode to the Myst"[3], a song written by the band's lead vocalist as a tribute to Er'cana. It is available as a download from the band's Google Drive.
References
- ↑ The Watcher. Words, Section 1. Uru.
- ↑ Michael Simpson. The Watcher's Sanctuary. Uru.
- ↑ Iwasaki, Scott. "Music notes: 'Myst'ified fans find parity in fantastic worlds", Deseret News, August 25, 2006, accessed August 20, 2021.
