– Part Two –

DAY FOUR: CYAN WORLDS – July 01, 2023

This was it: the BIGGEST day of Mysterium! It was the trip to Cyan World’s headquarters in Spokane!

I rode a Mysterium-supplied bus to get there in the morning, packed with fans like me. It took about thirty minutes to arrive, traveling North over the river and through Spokane’s Town and Country area into Mead. When we arrived, driving through the gates toward the cluster of buildings that made up Cyan, I had a Wonka’s Chocolate Factory level of excitement. “Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three…” We were about to enter a world of “pure imagination.” The main headquarters, that I had dreamed about for years, was within eyesight.

Mysterium’s attendees all queued up to enter their church where presentations would be held. I was somewhere in the middle of the long line, standing in the parking lot that was surrounded by tall pine trees that were interspersed around the buildings. Given the heavy themes of “creation” in the ‘Myst’ series (where people write tomes that transport one to literal worlds), it seemed only right to be entering a church first. Thankfully, there was no dark presence of someone like Gehn, the antagonist of ‘Riven,’ welcoming us there but a staff of very enthusiastic and friendly associates of Cyan. As we were all seated in the church, I spotted several fans wearing costumes of different characters from the games. I have never been to ComicCon, but it felt akin to that and smaller convention experiences I’ve gone to (such as Jurassic Park’s 25^th Anniversary Event at Universal Studios Hollywood).

After a brief welcome, Cyan’s presentations began. Eric Anderson, Cyan’s Creative Director, and Hannah Gamiel, Cyan’s Development Director, hosted the lengthy “State of the Union” presentation. For nearly an hour, they enthusiastically discussed what the company had been working on, including some special announcements. They shared details on new updates for their 2021 ‘Myst’ remake, their newly-released game ‘Firmament,’ and then… their upcoming remake of ‘Riven!’

They revealed that most of Cyan were focused working on the new ‘Riven,’ and that it would not be quite the same as it originally was. Their team was joined by the game’s original creators Rand Miller and Richard Vander Wende. Richard was the co-director and co-designer of the game, as well as the writer and director of its live action segments. He also co-wrote most of the journals that players would want to read to fully understand the game’s expansive worldbuilding. Richard created endless unique designs that were always memorable and inspiring.

Rand and Richard decided that since they were going to recreate the game in 360 degrees, why not be able to see things that couldn’t be accessed before? They also wanted to refine things they felt would better serve the game’s story. However, they assured us that it would still largely be the game we remembered, right down to its earthy, lived-in aesthetics. From there, Eric and Hannah teased that new projects would be forthcoming that could expand the D’ni & ‘Myst’ lore, among other things.

Near the end, a Q & A session went on for about ten minutes, before closing out with an exclusive first look at the ‘Riven’ remake in action! Being among the first people in the world to see the three-dimensional “Crater Island” was an exciting moment I’ll never forget. As I sat there, surrounded by like-minded fans, we collectively took in the free-roaming, gorgeous playthrough. The fact that they said it wasn’t even complete was astounding, because if it had been released as-is, I am sure most people would have already been quite pleased.

After the presentation finished, it was time for us to split into pre-determined groups to cycle through different activities. My group, the Ytrams (a frog-like creature found in ‘Riven’), started with a Rand Miller meet-and-greet! His portrayal of the Atrus character, especially his soothing voice, had been engrained in my mind for what felt like an eternity. Meeting him in-person was as much of a celebrity moment as it would be for a teenager meeting their favorite Marvel actor.

In the church’s greeting room with Rand was RAWA (Richard A. Watson), a man instrumental in the creation of Cyan’s worlds. Each fan only had a couple minutes with them. After we took our photo together, I barely had enough to time to say, “thank you for everything you’ve done.” I had wanted to tell Rand something more meaningful, but given the time constraints, it was still amazing to have finally met one of the men behind everything! My Atrus!

Next up for my group was a BBQ held behind the headquarters building. I desperately wanted to go inside but had to wait, however the outdoor patio was impressive too. As we lined up to grab our hotdogs and other items, we were enclosed by a rock-walled waterfall with plants populated within. Some people ate there while others went to an area with grass by the church. After I ate, I was able to sneak away from my group and take photos of the alluring structure that had inspired me all these years. I also took a selfie with it, of course. I knew if I hadn’t done it then, it would have been much harder to get pictures unobstructed by others doing the same. It was a golden moment where there was no one around, as if it was just me and the headquarters building finally meeting properly.

After lunch wrapped up, we finally had a tour inside. It was exactly as I imagined it would be, loaded with amazing artifacts and artwork from the ‘Myst’ games. The costumes characters wore, concept art, props, and other priceless items adorned walls and glass cases. It made me a little emotional to finally see it all in-person. I was finally inside the place that 10-year-old me thought had been impossible to enter. The fact that this was a working building where Cyan’s team worked was incredible. What a great environment!

Their lower level had a special presentation set up with props and costumes focused on ‘Riven,’ including some of the linking books seen in the game and the lever used to free the player in the beginning. It was a quick walkthrough, so I couldn’t snap as many photos as I had liked, but it was fulfilling, nonetheless. However, there were still more presentations to see.

We returned to the church and witnessed an incredible invention: a replica of Gehn’s Imager created by RIUM+ that used patent-pending Andotrope technology. It was literally history in the making before our eyes, as it displayed several three-dimensional images and full video within its cage that could be viewed the same way no matter what angle you looked at it. I could definitely see this kind of technology used in theme parks, at the very least.

Next up was the Video Game History Foundation’s Cyan Project, hosted by the foundation’s Library Director, Phil Salvador. Perhaps my favorite presentation of the day (apart from the ‘Riven’ remake reveals), Phil showed us restored VHS transfers of behind the scenes material from the making of several Cyan games, most notably ‘Riven’ and ‘Myst 4: Revelations.’ The footage from ‘Riven’ was a hilarious blooper reel that featured Sheila Goold as Catherine, John Keston as Gehn, and of course Rand Miller as Atrus. You haven’t lived until you see Keston’s numerous flubs and swearing. The company has since restored ‘The Making of Riven’ as well.

The final presentation at Cyan was a discussion with Rand Miller and Richard Vander Wende as they showed off the new ‘Riven’ content. Several early screenshots were teased to whet our appetites, while they eased fans with any concerns of “screwing anything up.” Afterwards, there was a lengthy Q & A session with fans that was both serious and lighthearted fun. To watch both masterful artists passionately speak about their work with fans was such a joy and the perfect way to end the festivities.

If I had one disappointment from the entire event, it was the absence of someone: Rand’s brother, Robyn Miller. Robyn was the co-director and co-designer of ‘Riven,’ but also its soundtrack composer, as previously mentioned. It would also have been amazing to have seen or met him. Maybe someday.

The Cyan trip ended with a massive group photo on the grassy area, before me and many others had to hop back on the bus to the hotel. It was with a heavy heart that I had to return, as I looked back one last time at that once-mysterious building.

I had done it. I had made my dream come true.

When we arrived back at the Mysterium conference area in the hotel, we were met with a surprise. To our delight (but to the dismay of our wallets), they offered for sale a brand-new Mysterium-exclusive copy of ‘Myst: The Book Of Atrus,’ signed by Rand Miller. I couldn’t help but order it, especially since I wasn’t able to get an item signed by Rand (at his meet-and-greet, you could either get something signed or a photo taken; not both).

While there were two convention games that followed, Gemedet Tournament and Name That Tune, I was feeling a bit tired for once and retreated to my room for the rest of the night. It had been a long, eventful day and the experience wasn’t over yet.