TCT 49: Return to Riven

“Endings and beginnings are within the Fissure…” Cyan’s Riven remake finally released earlier this year – and there’s a lot to discuss! So, for our Autumn 2024 edition, we’re bringing you our longest episode to date, featuring:

  • Cavern News with Dalken Starbyne
  • TCT Talk with Ankhangel, Esto and Maurus: Riven 2024 non-spoiler discussion, Mysterium 2024, and the future of the D’niverse
  • Music Piece: “Abandoned Homestead” by Maurus
  • Chapter III of our D’ni history series “Deep Dive with Esto Centura”
  • TCT Talk Continued: Riven 2024 SPOILER discussion

Background music courtesy LCC and Robyn Miller.

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TCT 48: In Review

Happy Easter! For our Spring 2024 edition, we bring you:

  • TCT Talk with Ankhangel, Dalken Starbyne, Esto Centura, Maurus, and Sh’aeri, covering Riven news & hype as well as a TCT year-in-review
  • Chapter II of Deep Dive with Esto Centura, exploring the Preafter era
  • Sh’aeri’s That’s Just Me Of Course, reflecting on 20 years in D’ni
  • Musical Piece: “Rowena Forest” by Sasha Strange
  • A Riven Sound Effect Mystery?

Additional show notes:

  • Note that our TCT Talk was recorded prior to the subtitle “New Discoveries of the Lost D’ni Empire” being removed from the promotional material for the Riven remake – this appears to no longer be part of the title.
  • Our deepest apologies to the Video Game History Foundation for butchering the name of your organization multiple times – You guys are doing very important work helping to preserve art in a medium that often makes preservation very difficult!

Background music featured in this episode courtesy LCC, Robyn Miller & Tim Larkin.

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TCT 47: Myst 30th Anniversary Special (ft. Rand & Robyn Miller)

30 years of Myst – and 20 years of Uru! The Cavern Today is proud to present a very special celebratory episode for our Autumn 2023 edition, featuring:

  • Cavern News with Alhon
  • Ankhangel Op-Ed
  • Skit
  • TCT Talk with Alhon, Ankhangel, Dalken, Esto, Maurus & Sh’aeri, featuring our interview with very special guests Rand & Robyn Miller
  • Musical Piece: “Sara’Aou (Shores Of Naybree)” by Maurus
  • The premiere of Deep Dive with Esto Centura
  • Mysterium Retrospective with Dalken Starbyne
  • TCT Mad Lib

Background music featured in this episode courtesy LCC, Tim Larkin, Robyn Miller and Jack Wall.

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TCT 46.5: Cyan Visit 2023

After visiting Cyan HQ as part of Mysterium 2023, we decided to record an impromptu addendum to Podcast 46, giving our immediate reactions to our experiences there. We set out intending to record about 10 minutes of audio we could append to the end of Podcast 46… and then went on recording for almost an hour. So instead, we are releasing this audio as a bonus episode. We hope you enjoy our impromptu deep dive into our visit to Cyan HQ!

Please note this was hastily recorded in a hotel room after our Cyan visit, so the audio quality of this bonus episode is not to our usual standard. That being said, we hope you will bear with us, and enjoy our take on our visit to Cyan!

Note: This episode contains minor spoilers for Riven – if you have not played the original game, listen at your own risk!

TCT 46: Live from Mysterium

“Around the world and across the Ages…” The Cavern Today podcast has been bringing listeners news & views from the Myst fan community since 2005 – and now, for the first time, we’ve recorded a live, in-person podcast from Mysterium 2023 in Spokane! For this, our Summer 2023 edition, join Sh’aeri, Esto, Dalken and Maurus as we discuss:

  • Our trials and tribulations getting to Mysterium
  • The last time TCT members were at a Spokane Mysterium
  • What we’ve loved about Mysterium so far
  • Excitement for tomorrow’s trip to Cyan HQ
  • Audience Q&A

For the first time ever, you can also WATCH this episode, filmed live at the convention, at this link, courtesy of Mysterium!

We want to give a HUGE shout-out to all the Mysterium staff for their help making this happen, and for their awesome job putting together the biggest Mysterium to date. You guys rock! We also want to extend a thank you to Justthinktink, who was a huge help to us, and made us awesome TCT-themed gear for the occasion. Thank you so much for your support – we love you!

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TCT 45: Live from the Cavern

For our Spring 2023 edition, we’re excited to bring you something a little different this time: our first LIVE episode, recorded live in The Cavern Today’s Hood in D’ni on May 5, 2023. Due to the “live” nature of this recording, the format for this episode will be a little different; a bit more like the streamlined talk-only format of Over the Fence.

Join Maurus, Esto, Dalken, Bert and Sh’aeri, as we discuss:

  • Cyan’s new Firmament Trailer
  • Thoughts on the MOULa Q1 Update
  • State of the Cavern
  • TCT is coming to Mysterium 2023!

Background music featured in this episode courtesy LCC.

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TCT 44: Make a Home (ft. Tweek)

‘Tis the season to be jolly! For our Holiday 2022 edition, we’re closing out the year with:

  • Cavern News with Dalken Starbyne
  • Skit
  • TCT Talk with Bert, Esto, J’nathus, Maurus, Narym & Sh’aeri:
    • Riven remake announcement
    • Myst merch we’d love to see
    • Highgarden release
    • The Cavern during the holiday season
    • How has Myst & Uru influenced the way you play other games?
    • What other worlds have you been exploring, and what is your GOTY?
  • Cavern PSAs with Mowog
  • Interview with Keith “Tweek” Lord
  • Musical Piece: “Ages of Tweek Suite” by Sasha Strange

Background music featured in this episode courtesy LCC, Arclife, Robyn Miller, and Barentity.

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TCT 43: Restoration (ft. Patrick Dulebohn)

The Cavern Today is back with its first podcast in nearly a decade! For our Summer 2022 edition, we are pleased to bring you:

  • Cavern News with Alhon and Narym
  • Skit
  • TCT Talk with Bert, Dalken, J’nathus and Maurus:
    • Our interview with Patrick “Doobes” Dulebohn
    • What has surprised us the most about the state of Uru in 2022?
    • Myst VR
    • Speculation about the future of Myst and Uru
  • Mowog’s Thought for the Pod
  • A tribute to Jeff Wise, and a reprise of his musical piece “Kerath’s Arch”
  • Sh’aeri’s “That’s Just Me of Course”

This podcast is dedicated to TCT staffer Jeff Wise and Frank “Stungthumbz” Whiting, who both passed away in 2020 – though you have linked to the perfect age, you’ll always be in our hearts.

Starting with this episode, we have adjusted episode numbering to more accurately reflect the number of prior episodes of The Cavern Today. As this is the 43rd mainline release of “The Cavern Today,” this is now considered episode 43.

Background music featured in this podcast by LCC and Tim Larkin.

Additional Links:
Guild of Messengers Event Calendar
Ages of Doobes
Guild of Writers
H’uru/OpenUru Github (to report bugs and file requests)
Korman tutorials
OpenUru (Foundry and link to discord)

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[TCT 42] The Cavern Today Ep. X: Myst 20th Anniversary Special

To Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Myst, The Cavern Today is proud to present this special podcast, featuring:

  • Cavern News with Dalken Starbyne
  • D’Lanor – “Stream of Unconsciousness”
  • Special Retrospective TCT Talk
  • Jeff Wise – “Gardens of Bandam”
  • Return of the TCT Mad Lib

This will be TCT’s final podcast for the time being – We will continue maintaining the website and its archives, but the production team will be taking an indefinite hiatus to focus on other projects. Thank you for your support over the years, and shorah!

Background music featured in this podcast by Jack Wall, LCC, and Robyn Miller.

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[TCT 41] The Cavern Today Ep. Nine: Open Source

Our first podcast in over a year features:

  • Skit
  • TCT Talk:
    • URU is Open Source
    • CyanWorlds.com Engine
    • Fan Run MO:ULa based server list
    • “State of the URU” – our thoughts on Uru and the impact it’s had on us and on our greater gaming experiences / lives.
    • Myst and Riven on iPad
    • Playing Uru on your tablet via Splashtop2
    • The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s The Art of Video Games added Myst last year
  • Musical Piece: Jeff Wise, “The Way Things Are”
  • Mowog Thought

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