Attempt
Stranger was very familiar with the legends of the D'ni people. Having heard countless tales about them from Atrus, he was no stranger to the topic.
So it was no surprise that the numerous stories got Stranger interested in the workings of the civilization. After all, it was their linking books that were able to take him to many fantastical places. Tomanha, Channelwood, Serenia, Ameteria, even Riven was a result of their art. It was the book of Myst that had started it all, and the idea behind that book was also thanks to the D'ni.
So one day Stranger asked Atrus how linking books really worked. The man was more than happy to tell his old friend the story. He even went so far as to show the ancient writings to Stranger.
When Stranger seemed to become interested, Atrus taught it to him. As he had already taken the J'nanin lesson course, however forced and altered, all he needed was the art of writing and he could make his own age.
He kept the teachings very well, and remembered them for a very long time. Eventually, there came a time where he came bored of his explorations.
Myst Island was getting old, as were the four other ages connected with the island. Riven was gone, and there was currently no spare linking books to J'nanin, otherwise Stranger would have gone to the 223rd age or Edanna right away. And even though Serenia was a fantastically beautiful place, there was nothing else to see there.
However, there was another solution. If there were no other places he wanted to go to, and if the places he did want to go to were barred, there was one other option previously unopened to him. He could create his own age.
It could be a world of his choosing. An age he could create to his liking. And he would be able to explore it all by himself! It would be something to remember.
And so, he took a blank linking book that Atrus had given him should he ever decide to try his hand. The red cover was soon unseen as the book was opened. He began writing.
It took him a long while. Stranger lost all track of time. He was sure it took him many days at the least. Exactly how many he was uncertain, it seemed like forty days total. Of course, he took breaks.
But he soon had his very own age. After working for so long, he was finally done. As he looked at his work with excitement, he could barely wait any longer.
And yet, something was missing. Stranger could tell that something was missing, and he hesitated as a result. The problem was he did not know what he had missed.
He opened it. The panel that existed as the actual link to the world was there. He flipped through. All of the words he had so carefully printed were there. Puzzled, he closed the book.
Stranger sat back in his seat and shook his head. He couldn't figure it out. The age seemed, incomplete somehow. Yet all he could do was to stare at the blank red cover.
Hmm… blank? He leaned forward to better examine the cover. All he saw was red; there was nothing else on the cover, not even words.
That was what was missing. A name, the newly written age did not have a name.
But Stranger soon fixed that. Carefully, he wove the name onto the cover with his pen. Now the age had a name. He was truly done.
Stranger sucked in a breath. It was time. He grabbed a nearby linking book, one that actually linked back to the age he was on; he would need a way to return.
Then, with the sheer amount of anticipation forcing his hand to shake, he slowly opened the book to reveal the panel. A moment later he was gone.
For a moment, the area was devoid of activity. Only the wind was there to disturb the silence.
Then a sound was heard as the Stranger rematerialized a few moments after he left. He was back.
For a second, he looked around as if trying to find out exactly where he had linked to. As it turned out it was exactly where he had been before. And he looked down to the linking book he had previously used to go to the new age below him.
He sat down, and at the same time he reached to pick up the linking book. He looked at the panel for a moment, which was still visible as the book had not closed since he linked away. Then, with a sigh, he tossed the linking book away.
I should leave the art of making ages to the professionals. Needless to say he did not like what he had seen.