Story

The story of the D’ni civilization began when they established their underground empire on Earth some 10,000 years ago. While living beneath the Earth’s surface, the D’ni practiced what they called the “Art of Writing,” which enabled them to create links to incredible, alternate worlds of fantastic variety called “Ages,” to which they could travel through “Linking Books.” The D’ni people thrived for thousands of years, but later met with a great catastrophe that all but ended their civilization. Their vast cavern was left uninhabited, and their Linking Books and Ages seemed lost forever.
Relto

Then, in the late 1980s, a few humans from the surface discovered that cavern. One of these humans was Elias Zandi. He devoted the rest of his life to exploring and, eventually, restoring that ancient city in the D’ni cavern, preparing to one day reveal their discovery to those who were suddenly feeling irresistibly drawn to the cavern.

When he passed away in 1996, his legacy was divided between a foundation that he set up and his only son, Jeff Zandi. The foundation came to be known as the DRC (D’ni Restoration Council). As their name implies, they took on the task of physically restoring the ruins of the D’ni cavern. If you choose to visit the cavern at some point, you’re sure to run into them.
D’ni

Jeff Zandi, on the other hand, was interested in learning why the D’ni civilization fell in the first place. He continued studying the teachings of Yeesha, by far the most talented of all the D’ni writers, and daughter of Atrus and Catherine. After years of learning, the younger Zandi is finally comfortable bringing others to an uru (a D’ni word meaning “large gathering” or “grand community”).

Characters

The Bahro

The Bahro (D’ni – Bah = Beast, Ro = Person/People) are an ancient race long enslaved by the D’ni (the term Bahro appears in the Book of D’ni this was a generic term like foreigner) they are also known as The Least.

They have a distinct look about them with their leathery skin, insectoid features and large wings that wrap tightly around their chests. They live in many Ages in domed caves and can link at will without the use of any books or stones. Yeesha and Calam discovered the Bahro and the Tablet, when Calam died Yeesha set about forming the Journeys that would lead to the Bahro being released from their prisons.

The Tablet was returned to the Bahro and after 10,000 the Bahro regained their full power, what the future hold for them is unknown but it will no doubt effect the restoration of D’ni

Portrayed By: N/A.

Kadish

Guild Master Kadish was once a member of the Guild of Writers but was dismissed for reasons not yet known, it is possible it was because he was a poor writer or perhaps his Age, Kadish Tolesa, was deemed an illict one. Kadish lived during The Fall, dying alone in the vault of Kadish Tolesa whilst his wife died back in D’ni wondering where her husband was.

Kadish however proved himself to be an excellent engineer, working on Er’cana and Ahnonay. Before the fall he ran the Watchers Sanctuary (aka The Great Tree Pub) where he would regularly host contests with the intricate puzzle built into the building, challenging visitors to try and solve the “The Path of the Shell”, Kadish was the only one who ever solved it before his death.

Portrayed By: N/A.

Yeesha

Yeesha (D’ni for Laughter) is Atrus and Catherine’s third child, born after Atrus had finished writing Releeshahn for the D’ni survivors.

Nicknamed “Desert Bird” she left her family at the age of 16 to head out into the world, this eventually lead her to D’ni. It was there that Yeesha began to learn of D’ni and their fall, it was there she met Calam a D’ni writer. Calam and Yeesha learned from each other and from Calam’s knowledge Yeesha became probably the greatest D’ni writer. It was also during this time she discovered the Bahro, The Least as she called them. A race that had been enslaved for 10,000 years. Calam was later killed, and Yeesha went on to discover that she was “The Grower” that a man known as The Watcher had prophesied about.

Yeesha crafted the Journeys for people to take, to teach them of the true nature of the D’ni and its Ages. Yeesha’s future has yet to play out, according to a line of text in Words Yeesha has or will have a daughter of her own.

Portrayed By: Rengin Altay

Zandi, Jeff

Jeff was the son of Elias Zandi, one of the first people to venture into D’ni after its re-discovery. Jeff had taken trips to the Cavern with his father on a number of occasions until he had an argument with his father over how D’ni should be restored. His father brought up a lot of the land around The Cleft which he later left to Jeff when he died of a heart attack.

Elias left his money to the DRF, with this money Dr. Richard Watson went on to find the DRC. Jeff was offered a place upon the DRC but refused saying that “his vision for the restoration was something beyond what we on the Council could comprehend,” according to Dr. Watson.
Jeff was the person that allowed a great number of explorers access to D’ni against the DRC’s wishes. Sitting at his trailer home at The Cleft, Jeff welcomes all the new explorers and sets them on Yeesha’s Journey.

Portrayed By: Jeff Zandi (Physical Model), David Ogden Stiers (Voice).