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The Great Tree still kickin'
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Professor Askew Great Tree Member

Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 2532 Location: Bloomfield, CT
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Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:53 am Post subject: Episode Zero - "The Beginning" |
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Gadren has written up a brief story telling of the earliest days of D'ni, its subsequent fall, and its discovery by the DRC and Explorers. He and Marten have also provided links to various artwork that will support this story. (I'll try to get those posts over here).
This first film will more than likely be a collection of supporting visuals with a music background and "narration".
Once everything is assembled here, we'll ask for volunteers if needed, and continue the process.....if that makes any kind of sense.  _________________ Professor Daniel Askew - Securing our reality from the machinations of the Station Masters. |
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Durin Mephit Great Tree Officer


Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 3119 Location: Tigard, OR
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:37 am Post subject: |
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I took Gadren's last draft and came up with this. It is as concise as I could make it... sorry if it runs a bit long.
Quote: | At the dawn of the Agricultural age, while mankind established the first human settlements on the Earth, beneath the surface there thrived already a grand pinnacle of civilization.
Exiles from a dying world, the Ronay, had arrived beneath the Earth within a great cavern they christened D'ni, or "New Beginning." Under the guidance of Ri'neref, their leader, the citizens of D'ni began a new way of life. They developed an ordered system of laws to protect their freedoms. They constructed massive machinery with which to excavate the stone around them. And most important of all, they perfected the method by which they arrived on Earth: the Art of Writing, creating books to forge links across the vast infinity of possibilities that they called The Great Tree.
For nearly one hundred centuries, the D'ni civilization grew and thrived. And then, D'ni fell. At the hands of a traitor, six million D'ni lives were exterminated by a foul poison spread through the cavern air. The few survivors of this tragedy took shelter in other worlds. Years later, a D'ni descendant by the name of Atrus returned to D'ni. He gathered those survivors he could find from their hidden worlds, and together they sought to rebuild the cavern... but their gathering was too small, and the task at hand too great. Atrus and his followers decided instead to start over once more, and wrote Releeshahn, "The Whole." To that Age, they departed. And after that, the once august cavern languished and fell into disrepair.
But today, D'ni lives once more. Twenty years ago, a man by the name of John Loftin discovered the cavern. In the following months and years, he returned with friends, one of whom established the D'ni Restoration Foundation (which in turn birthed the D'ni Restoration Council, or DRC). At first a trickle, then a steady stream of surface-dwellers have journeyed to the ruins of D'ni, hoping to restore what once was. Feeling "called" to the cavern, these people have formed a community passionate about D'ni -- both its history, and its future.
But what history should be restored, and what shape should D'ni's future take? The DRC, a self-proclaimed group of archeologists and researchers, has taken on the responsibility for studying and rebuilding D'ni and its Ages. Their methods are meticulous and cautious; but some suggest that the DRC is ignoring or whitewashing the history of D'ni, and with it, important lessons that we should learn. Persons like Jeff Zandi, Douglas Sharper, and Phil Henderson advocate foremost the dogma and knowledge of Yeesha.
Yeesha, a descendant of D'ni's survivors and the daughter of Atrus, also wants D'ni restored, but her goals differ in some points with those of the DRC. Advocating a "spiritual" restoration to go with the physical restoration of the DRC, Yeesha puts forth a quest to modern-day explorers. This "Journey," feared and rejected by some, embraced and defended by others, highlights the flaws and corruption that destroyed D'ni, in the hope that history will not be repeated. |
_________________ Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768
Last edited by Durin Mephit on Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:11 pm; edited 9 times in total |
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Ashtar Friend of The Great Tree


Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 321 Location: Spokane, WA.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: |
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That looks very good Marten and Gadren. I can't see where it needs any improvements, but I will give it more thought tomorrow. Good job!
Ashtar _________________ Uru Live KI #: 69208
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Durin Mephit Great Tree Officer


Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 3119 Location: Tigard, OR
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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Any suggested refinements would be more than welcome. I still feel that the beginning is slightly awkward, but cannot find a concise way to express it otherwise.
We will also need someone to record this speech. It will not be me! I hate my voice. _________________ Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768 |
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Professor Askew Great Tree Member

Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 2532 Location: Bloomfield, CT
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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As I mentioned in the Structure thread, Marten, I'll be happy to take this on. Voice and all.
I better get cracking. _________________ Professor Daniel Askew - Securing our reality from the machinations of the Station Masters. |
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Durin Mephit Great Tree Officer


Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 3119 Location: Tigard, OR
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent.
I've made a few more minor changes just now. Time to take a break, and, er, pay attention to work. _________________ Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
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Rils Great Tree Member

Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 815 Location: Screw Ballard, I live in Edmonds now
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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In the last paragraph you mention Atrus as though he is an important piece of the story (which of course he is), but he isn't mentioned elsewhere. Maybe it would be worth throwing in a line explaining the significance of that family.
Just thinking that, as a newbie to Uru and hearing this history for the first time, I wouldn't have any idea why Yeesha and Atrus are important.
~Rils _________________
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Professor Askew Great Tree Member

Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 2532 Location: Bloomfield, CT
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the input, Rils. I'll keep it in mind as I go over Gadren's and Marten's writing and prepare for production. _________________ Professor Daniel Askew - Securing our reality from the machinations of the Station Masters. |
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Durin Mephit Great Tree Officer


Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 3119 Location: Tigard, OR
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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Rils:
How about now? I've added some additional explanation. All of the changes are in paragraph 3.
Observation: By my slow tongue, the current opening is roughly 4 minutes long. _________________ Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
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Rils Great Tree Member

Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 815 Location: Screw Ballard, I live in Edmonds now
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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woah, very nice! I like it mucho grande!! It's a very good inclusion - succinct, to the point, and lays out why we should pay attention to Atrus' legacy.
I'm getting more and more excited about this all the time, can't wait for it to become reality.
~Rils _________________
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Cycreim Great Tree Officer


Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Posts: 1274 Location: Toronto, ON
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Nice. This is a great episode to have, we can refer back to it pretty often for filling in the background gaps.
Would you guys like some artwork to go along with the narration? I can do colour doodles in Photoshop really fast these days and come up with some pretty okay-looking stuff.
I might even be able to do a bit of simple stylized animation. _________________ KI: 34353 |
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Professor Askew Great Tree Member

Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 2532 Location: Bloomfield, CT
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Cycreim, I will definitely be in touch with you about that tomorrow. I would say I'd get back to you tonight but unfortunately I'm trapped in the bedroom due to 100 degree temperatures and plenty of humidity. It's ridiculously hot. Murderously hot. Anyway, I'm sure I'll take you up on that art offer. I'll be spending some of my work day tomorrow gathering images off the various sites. I'll let you know what art I need. _________________ Professor Daniel Askew - Securing our reality from the machinations of the Station Masters. |
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Cycreim Great Tree Officer


Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Posts: 1274 Location: Toronto, ON
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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I won't have my tablet before this Friday but if you give me a little bit of something I can do a quick proof of concept, possibly by Monday, though you know how these things go.  _________________ KI: 34353 |
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brian Fearless Leader


Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 1372 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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Professor Askew wrote: | ... due to 100 degree temperatures ... |
Move to Seattle _________________ #Brian Fioca
#KI: 11882331
#KI: 1504111 [disconnected]
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Durin Mephit Great Tree Officer


Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 3119 Location: Tigard, OR
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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Just as one little piece of this... I'd love to have a picture of a desk, and fade in one Polaroid of Zandi, then another Polaroid of Sharper, and finally, a third Polaroid of Henderson, arranged tastefully but somewhat scattered at the end of the shot.
For Yeesha, I'd want a shot of her facing away from the camera... never show her face, but show her standing overlooking the cleft, an over-the-shoulder type shot.
These are just some vague ideas I have on how to arrange things, towards the end of this video. Some of you probably have even better ideas... but by pooling our talents I think we can make this start really shine.
And I agree with Brian: Move to this coast, Prof! It's better out here. Bring the wife! We'd love to meet her.  _________________ Durin Mephit * Member of Guild of Messengers - Unless otherwise stated, opinions are mine only and not Guild endorsed.
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