Gone to the surface, not sure for how long.
After my meeting with Jilen and sampling some of his home-made wine I had been entertaining the idea of experimenting with something similar, perhaps using the Norapods from Fahets.
With Rob’s help I was able to acquire some equipment to add to Sul so that I could start my experiments, Sul has the best source of heat needed for the process so it seemed logical that I should set up the gear there.
Took us a day or so to get the equipment set up and the heat right. But we eventually got the Norapods processing. Given my fondness for harder alcohol like whiskey and brandy, I figured I’d try with a Norapod Brandy, fruit brandies are not unheard of after all.
The first attempt was a disaster, I’m still not exactly sure what happened, but the result was a mess and tasted highly unpleasant.
It took us a few more tries, experimenting as we went to get a formula that worked right.
Last night, we celebrated the success by testing the first bottle of 40% Norapod brandy that doesn’t taste like something served up in the depths of hell. The bitter after taste of the Norapod seems to be a little more pronounced in the brandy, I think I may have to look into finding a way to scale that back if possible, but it’s not a bad taste, I if mixing it would help.
I was fully prepared that the Norapods wouldn’t be suitable for the process, little surprised they worked.
Once some extra fine tuning is complete I think I shall process some bottles for aging and see how those taste in the future. I need to send a bottle off to Blake to try to see if he wants some for the pub he’s restoring.
Well what a couple of entertaining days it has been.
I decided to get Beneath a domain name, unfortunately beneath.com was taken so I opted for dniexplorer.com.
I put a splash page up with some numbers referencing some lines in Words, whilst I worked on moving the site over and implementing the new layout just in case someone discovered it, I figured they’d transcribe the numbers and read the messages.
Word spread out into the community, and I watched as some people got close to figuring it out but not actually doing so, until someone finally did.
So I figured I’d continue and add some more puzzles, watching people solve them. I’m not really a puzzle person myself, I like Professor Layton but that’s about as far as it goes. But I thought I’d continue a narrative of sorts, on a certain subject leading up to a final puzzle and solution with a few red herrings thrown in.
There have been better puzzles in the community, but I enjoyed setting them up and I hope people enjoyed solving them.
To the people in the various, threads, around, I tip my hat.
Marein has posted a nice summery of the puzzle.
So to the old, welcome back to Beneath, to those new, welcome to Beneath, my journal of my explorations and discoveries in D’ni.
True to her plans, my wife returned to the Cavern lastnight after 6 long years of being away.
We wondered through most of the old places, Gira, Kemo, Teledahn, Ae’gura and so on. It was nice to see her remaining upbeat through the experience, if not excitable at times, I’ve not seen her feel this way about the cavern in a long time.
Overall we spent several hours exploring again, like old times, although she wished not to visit some of the newer area’s released by the DRC’s last stint in the cavern, nor did she want to visit any of the explorer restored/developed Ages.
Perhaps in time she will change her mind on that, who knows.
Thursday found our family driving 6 ours across several states to spend Thanksgiving with relatives. Friday found us attending a wedding of Jen’s cousin. Saturday found us attending the birthday of Jen’s grandmother. Sunday found us driving the 6 hours back up home.
To say I was tired come the new week was a great understatement, as a result I spent a few extra days up top getting my energies back, not to mention the slight feeling of being burned out was not a great motivator in my returning.
However the work proceeds so I returned back today.
Interestingly Jen indicated the interest in perhaps returning herself. After the DRC left back in 04 her relationship with the Cavern has been a troubling one, often leaving her upset about the restoration ending. Whilst we restore ourselves, it isn’t the same as the work the DRC was doing in her mind, and I am in agreement with her views.
However, with a memory of Gahreesen, a memory that didn’t upset, she felt perhaps it was the time to make a visit, I must admit I miss her company greatly in the Cavern, I miss the discussions and theories we used to weave, but one step at a time.