This is my own, shortened rendition of Atrus's Journal.

The Journal of Atrus

50.11.24

I realized the moment I fell into the fissure that the book would not be destroyed as I had planned. It continued falling into that starry expanse on which I had only a fit eclipse. I have tried to speculate where the book might have landed. I must admit, however, such conjectures are futile. Still, the questions out of hand wonder who hold my Myst book are unsettling to me. I know my apprehensions might never allayed, so I must close, knowing perhaps, the end has not yet been written…

51.11.25

My father had banished me from Riven (his 5th age) through the Star Fissure. All of his natives watched. Including Katia, or Catherine. She was horrified by her lord's actions. Gehn was the creator of Riven many years ago. I am now 10 years old. My father taught me the art of writing the linking books. I am now in my own world, D'ni, which I created a year ago. I have friends here, who shall help me free Riven and Catherine. I shall defeat Gehn, my father…

60.4.11

Gehn has appeared in D'ni and is attempting to destroy me. I am still in my writing room, writing away to keep Riven safe. I have been monitoring the problems for ten years now. I have stabilized the problems for the moment. I must prepare. Gehn shall come.

60.4.12

Catherine has been Linked to Myst. This is very good. Gehn does not know.

60.4.13

Gehn was mad. Insane even. All his books, his links to other worlds, had failed. Even Riven was in a state of decay. He knew that his precious worlds had little time left.

I told him that if he did not ceased to write, he would, along with his worlds, be destroyed. He attempted to murder me. But I stripped away his powers of literacy. He may not terrorize another world. I banished him to Riven, where he would write one linking book. His 233rd age.

After his excommunication from D'ni, I retrieved my Myst book and returned to Catherine. There, we married and linked back to D'ni to celebrate. My dear wife believes that I am a god.

I only wish.

62.6.3

Our sons Sirrus and Achenar are now two months of age. I will soon take them to my newest creation, Channelwood.

But now, I fix my wife's native home of Riven, one of the three remaining ages of Gehn. The others are Katri (233rd) and his book refinery (1st) where I receive my tools for writing.

I have seen Gehn manipulate the inhabitants of Riven through the blurred image of the Link.

I have also discovered a new book, a Prison Book. I have copied it and hope that it is successful. It is a one-man prison. A one-man prison. It is very dangerous. If one person is already entrapped, and another touches the link, he is trapped and the other is free to roam the Age.

I must end here, for Achenar and Sirrus are waiting for my story.

84.6.5

I have created Myst as a library, an observatory and a holding place for my Age books. The four main Age books are hidden in obvious places. For instance, my Mechanical Age book is hidden in a giant gear. Catherine loves this place, especially the Rotating Tower and The Library.

Sirrus and Achenar are quite content in the Stoneship Age. They are fascinated with the Myths of Emmit, Branch and Will. Soon, they will be able to travel to the Selenitic Age. I am still afraid that the meteors will endanger them. But they are almost twenty-three and ready to explore without a hand holding theirs.

They can already speak the tree-dweller language of Channelwood. They are extremely intelligent men. I am proud of them.

86.5.13

My sons have learned of greed. In my library, I placed two trapping books, which appear to have great riches. The two of them decided to go to these "paradises" and were trapped inside their prisons, with the charges of greed. I was shocked. But I also learned that they trapped me here in D'ni before their exiles, by taking a single page from my linking book. I have been betrayed.

Luckily, I have the Riven Book. I can help Catherine now. She has disappeared. I left her a message in our fore~chamber. And, to lead her to it, another note. I must continue my writing. Riven is in great danger now.

87.7.13

Something truly miraculous has happened ~ beyond all conceivable probability, someone has found my Myst Linking Book and has freed me from this prison! I hope that this traveler may help me in my quest to find Catherine. I know she is in Riven, after being captured in the Moiety Age, her own written age. My friend informed me that Sirrus and Achenar tried to trap him in the prison books. They did not succeed though. I destroyed the books, and continued writing.

87.7.16

My friend has returned and linked to Riven to find Catherine and Gehn. I have equipped him with a Prison book that appears to be a link to D'ni. He agreed to find him and trap him, and signal me so we can all return to our homes. I know that Riven shall die after this. But, it must be done. I shall close here.