Deception

Deception is the fourth Myst Online episode. It took place between September 8 - 12, 2007 CE.

Preview

On August 21st, the following description appeared on the Coming Soon section of the Myst Online website:

Despite the ongoing battles of the Bahro and the threat of the coming war, the DRC continues its efforts to introduce a new Guild system to the cavern. Toward that cause, new Guild pubs are introduced providing Guild members with new areas to congregate and socialize.

Meanwhile, Phil Henderson continues to spread information regarding the Bahro and their conflicts as a former DRC member returns to the cavern. What new information does he have to share and will it lead to salvation or destruction?

Be sure to join in now as this episode serves as a lead-in to the Myst Online: Uru Live Season Finale.

Events

September 8

• J.D. Barnes, while in The Great Tree's neighborhood, says "there are some important leads to follow up on" in Dr. Watson's journal.
• Phil Henderson visits several neighborhoods saying "He is coming" and "we need colors."
• Cate Alexander addresses explorers in Kirel.
  • She says she doesn't know what Phil is up to.
  • She's upset that the Guild Pubs are not available yet.
• Reteltee talks to explorers about the plan to restore the Guilds.
  • He reiterates what he was told by Marie Sutherland, that access to the Guild Pubs is dependent on which shirt one chooses in Kirel to show support for a particular Guild.
  • Other Guilds that are not represented yet does not mean they won't be in the future.
  • He tells a story about a Guildsman in the Guild of Surveyors who is sent to survey a new Age alone. When the Guildsman returns, he cannot answer questions about the Age unrelated to surveying, and is admonished for attempting to explore the Age alone, without the help of trained members of other Guilds.
  • Explorer DocOlanA brings up that the explorers are full of people who do the sort of work in the restoration professionally and could help the restorations. Reteltee says that the DRC seem to be hesitant to give up any control, especially since they take the most vocal negative members of the community to be indicative of the whole.
• Reteltee returns later and begins speaking cryptically and disturbed by something.
  • He refers to being "Watched".
  • He says that the Cavern does not belong to us, or to the bahro, and that "deception begins within".
  • He says we have taken what is not ours, but that if we leave, we take it with us.
  • He hopes that Dr. Watson comes, as he hopes he can "restore sanity".
  • He says the Guilds may save us, or break us.
• J.D. Barnes leads a discussion in the Watcher's Pub.
  • He suggests that since Michael Engberg went to Descent to find Dr. Watson, that important clues might be in Dr. Watson's journal.
  • He also theorizes that reteltee's change in his second speech of the day was intentional, and that it was meant to attract attention and drop hints about something larger which reteltee cannot talk about.
  • He points out that Dr. Watson's journal has a lot of holes, including one where he was planning to talk to Dr. Kodama about something unspecified.
  • He suggests that explorers comb over journals and ask the DRC questions to see what they could find out.

September 9

• Early in the morning, Douglas Sharper links into the Watcher's Pub.
  • He says he was told that Cate Alexander was in a bad mood and he's looking for her.
  • He's worried that the war is coming to us sooner than we think and that we are over our heads.
• Reteltee visits the Watcher's Pub after Sharper leaves.
  • He says he only speaks in riddles when he's not allowed to be forthright.
  • He thinks we need to be building communities.
  • He feels Dr. Watson has the key to the puzzle, and that we'll need his guidance to make amends with the Least. He thinks Yeesha will not do it.
  • He says that Watson knows the answer, that Yeesha does as well, and that Atrus knew, but was too afraid to act on it.
  • He mentions "The Watchers may already feel I've said too much".
• Cate Alexander announces that Guild pubs will be available in the hour.
  • She declines to comment on problems with the Guild Pubs that might have delayed them.
  • Ahnonay is still "many days away".
  • She suggests you support the Guild closest to your interests.
• Guild pubs become available in the Nexus.
  • The Nexus shows a link to a Guild pub based on the shirt you have selected in Kirel.
• Reteltee makes another appearance, this time in Kirel, discussing his recent actions and the Guild pubs.
  • He says that he is not going to be an official supporter of any one particular guild, but will change shirts depending on which Pub he wants to go to.
  • He says that the DRC will neither confirm nor deny that they are taking actions that could endanger the cavern, and that he's unable to comment about whether the rush to release ages by Cate has to do with an upcoming bahro war. He also says that he thinks that the DRC knows more about Esher's experiments with the bahro than they're telling explorers.
  • He assures explorers that his alliance lies with them, not the DRC. He says that the DRC is not the same one that Watson founded. He says that he trusts Yeesha and Phil Henderson more than the DRC.
  • He confirms that he's had an encounter with a bahro at his Relto, but says that there is an OOC reason that he cannot comment on it.
  • He says that, if there is a war, he is going to stay in the cavern for it, even if it means that he dies.
• Douglas Sharper addresses explorers in the Watcher's Sanctuary.
  • He says that the war is worse than we think and that the Cavern might not be around for much longer.
  • J.D. Barnes tries to get him to reveal more, but he says he'll let "him" explain it, and that we can only try to be prepared.
  • He mentions he is going to open the Spy Room again.
• Reteltee meets with several explorers (J.D. Barnes, Marten, JWPlatt and Tai'lahr) privately to discuss the DRC, the bahro, and the Guilds.
  • He feels the DRC has been using the Guild issue to divide explorers, which he things is dangerous. He feels whatever is coming will require the explorers to be unified, or there will be a second "Fall".
  • Cate Alexander no longer talks to reteltee. He says only Marie Sutherland talks to him, but makes a point to emphasize that he is "their" Guild Advisor.
  • Marten suggests that if Dr. Watson returns, he can bring the DRC under control. But reteltee says he think Watson will not want to be a part of the new DRC.
  • Reteltee says he cannot say more, but he has left hints for people to figure out. He's confident that the explorers can figure it out before the DRC does.
  • He says he cannot talk about a number of things, including his communication with a bahro in his Relto because he "knows how not to get himself killed".
  • After Reteltee leaves, J.D. Barnes states he think that reteltee is trying to pass on a message about Douglas Sharper, given how often he uses the word "sharper" when dropping hints. He also says he thinks reteltee is trying to point explorers to the Words of the Watcher in the same way.
  • He suggests that a recording of the conversation be given to other explorers in order to see what else Reteltee might be hinting at.

September 10

• Phil Henderson walks along the Tokotah Rooftop and tells explorers that "he" is here and we have to listen.
• Explorers find the sparkle has moved to Teledahn, and that there is a bahro stone to the spy room there.
  • In the spy room is a Linking Book to Phil's Relto.
• Marie Sutherland announces that the stained glass contest winners for Eder Delin and Eder Tsogal will be put into neighborhoods today.
• Marie Sutherland goes to various neighborhoods and replaces the Eder Tsogal book for Eder Delin.
  • It is winter in Eder Delin.
• Michael Engberg links into Ae'gura.
  • He says he has been alone and doesn't want to talk about it.
  • Marie Sutherland greets him and they link out to a private neighborhood.
• Victor Laxman gives a pep talk to explorers about pellet production.
  • He says pellet production has fallen off and they need 'consistent' production to light the lake.
  • JWPlatt points out that without consistent feedback about how they have an effect, explorers are not likely to continue making pellets.

September 11

• Very early in the morning, Dr. Watson returns to the Cavern.
  • Michael Engberg came to find him.
  • He has been with Phil Henderson for many years. He's also been in contact with Yeesha.
  • He has been to Releeshahn and says that Atrus is still there.
  • The bahro conflict spans many ages, but earth is safe for the time being.
  • How effective communication with the bahro is varies by individual bahro. Some seem to understand some of our words, others do not. They respond to emotion very well.
  • The bahro have lived in Noloben for a long time, though he doesn't know if it is their Age of origin. It's one of the Ages with the heaviest fighting.
  • The bahro have recently been given their freedom to choose their own destinies. Some are choosing revenge and destruction.
  • He has a great deal to think about in regards to the DRC.
• Douglas Sharper tells explorers in the Watcher's Pub to listen to Dr. Watson, and that the bahro are busy fighting each other to the death.
• Cate Alexander announces that Dr. Watson has chosen not to rejoin the DRC.
  • She says they are unsure about Michael Engberg and mentions Douglas Sharper is 'leaving'.
• The DRC sends out a KI message with a graph of pellet production.
• Phil Henderson meets with explorers in his Relto.
• Dr. Watson meets with explorers in the Watcher's Pub.
  • He reveals that he is the one who gave the Tablet to the bahro, thus making him the protagonist of Myst V.
  • He does not know who created the Tablet, and neither does Yeesha.
  • He says that he feels like we should stop restorations. He reiterates Yeesha, "Find a way, make a home."
  • Besides this, he answers few questions from explorers directly. He does not talk about his experiences in Releeshahn nor about what he's talked to with Yeesha and Atrus.
  • Yeesha has no children. This would bring into question the Words of The Watcher.
• Phil Henderson meets again with explorers in his Relto.
  • He says to listen to Dr. Watson and says that the answers are there. Explorers just have to "listen to her."
• The stained glass winners are placed in neighborhoods.
• Nick White visits explorers and tells a few jokes.

September 12

• Eleri organizes a Town Hall and invites Dr. Watson to appear and answer questions.
  • Dr. Watson does not attend. However, J.D. Barnes does attend, and Eleri asks him to answer questions in Dr. Watson's stead. [1]
• The DRC vest clothing item appears in Phil's Relto.
• Dr. Watson gives a prepared speech to explorers about the guilds and the bahro.
  • He stresses that, for the guilds to work, explorers need to put their pride aside and learn to work together.
  • He clarifies that he does not feel that explorers should leave the cavern. He does say, however, that he personally feels that restoration should not continue.
  • He says that he has come to the conclusion that the "bad" bahro are simply being destructive because they can, possibly to avenge the deeds that Esher committed.
  • Very importantly, he says that Yeesha has searched hundreds of Ages to try to find something to stop the bahro war, but she could not find it. He says that the guilds need to create new Ages in order to try to find something to help stop the bahro war.
• The Birds Relto page appears in the dry Cleft.

Content

• Areas
  • Guild pubs
  • Phil's Relto
  • Spy room
• Clothing
  • DRC vest in Phil's Relto
• Relto page
  • Birds relto page in the dry Cleft
• Other
  • September Sparkle in Teledahn.
  • Stained Glass Restorations for Eder Delin and Eder Tsogal in neighborhoods.