An interactive story written by Grade 5F; the pupils of Clermont State School. Their teachers blog and more info at http://mrafinlayson.wordpress.com

1. Images courtesy of
cyan ltd
The interactive story
Written and Illustrated by
Jessie, damian, callen, patina, will, tayla, miles, krissy, brendan, josh,
leilani, emily, claire, fletcher, nikita, zane, lleyton, jordan, gus and tom Clermont state school
grade 5f

2. Click here for Click here for
An introduction Instructions
(for those not familiar with the
game or the work of grade 5f)
Click here for
The story

3. Introduction
THE GAME IN SCHOOLS
Myst is a computer game developed in Tim Rylands, a teacher from England,
1994 by Robin and Rand Miller. The started using one of the games in the Myst
premise was very different to the norm of series (there are 5) in his English lessons.
the time. There were no instructions, no The idea was to immerse the students in
guns, no deaths… no feasible enemies. this mysterious world and get them to
Instead the player ‘woke up’ on a develop their English skills by describing
mysterious island – the only thing left was what they were seeing.
to explore.
The idea was an amazing success – boosting
Critics thought the game would be a failure his students achievements exponentially.
but instead it became the highest-selling PC Tim now travels the world giving lectures
game of all time. on his ideas. The basic premise has now
developed so much so that many teachers
The beautifully rendered and imaginative
are designing entire Literacy units based on
landscapes, coupled with the intriguing
the computer games.
storyline, which comes to light through
gameplay, and of course – the intelligence AT CLERMONT
of the puzzles – made the game a runaway
I designed a 6-week literacy program based
success.
on the remake of the original Myst game;
RealMyst. This story is the whole-class
culminating activity.

4. Instructions
This is an interactive adventure story,
meaning you make the choices.
Read each part of the story carefully – if
there is a choice for you to make – click on
Go Left
the option you decide on. Go right
If there is no choice for you to make then
click on the arrow in the bottom-right
corner – this will take you to the next part
of the story.
Links to other parts of the story can be
words or pictures – if you move your mouse
cursor over the screen it will change shape
when something can be selected.
But first things first – right click and select
{arrow} – {visible} always use the cursor and the
icons – if you just click on the screen or press the
right arrow key – you won’t be directed to the
correct slide

5. I slowly opened my heavy eyes. I could not remember a thing. I looked around
and was hypnotised by the calm azure waves lapping gently against the dock
upon which I lay.

6. The smell of salt was strong in
the air as I picked
myself up from the old wooden
jetty

7. Stepping forward into the sun I
could not help but feel afraid of
the unknown.
In the water beside the dock I
could see the top of a sunken ship
protruding through the waves and
before me - a hill rising into the
distance with some strange cog-
like device at its summit.

8. Imposing gray buildings of stone
stand tall and proud above the
docks. Thank God; a sign of life
other than the sound of my own
breathing and the two butterflies
that flutter care-free above me. I
must find someone, anyone, perhaps
they can tell me where I am and how
I got here?

9. I walked forward hesitantly, I am after-all, a stranger here. I quickly
realise that this island is small but my, there are some strange things to
see. A tower looms over all like a king upon a throne; resting at the tip of
what looks like a volcano. Is that a spaceship?! What a bizarre place!
There are signs of life everywhere… a strange-looking temple, an
unreachable clock tower, a furnace room, power poles, imposing
walkways flanked by mysterious symbols but in the centre of it all,
standing proud and imposing beneath the tower – a temple-like library.
Perhaps this would be a good place to start my exploration?

10. What is this place?
It has lots of different books. There are
some burnt books. Why is there a red and a
blue book on a shelf by itself? This place
looks like an ancient library. There is a
strange symbol on the floor boards.

11. I walked over to the
book shelf and slowly
picked up the red book.
Then I opened this
unpredictable
journal.
There was a man crying The Red
out from the pages. Book
In the book he
whispered “my name is
Sirrus” and “waiting
for red pages”. I
closed the book.

12. I nervously took one step at a
time over to the opposite side
of the room where the blue
book was awaiting to be
opened.
I was really anxious to open
the blue book but I was
nervous at the same time. I
apprehensively opened the
dark blue cover.
I heard a faint cry for help. He
said “My name…Achenar”
and “retrieve…blue pages”.

13. In the library was a map of the island. It had some places on it,
like the library and a strange tower. On the top of the map it
read Tower Rotation. There was a turning device on the map I
turned it to some cogs it started to make an ear-splitting
beeping noise.

14. I knew from the journals on the shelves that this
was how I could find my way to the different Ages,
perhaps if I got the pages for the men in the red
and blue books they would be able to help me?

15. Which age should I
explore first?
The S to ne s hip Ag e ?
The S pac e s hip Ag e ?
The Me c hanic al Ag e ?
The Channe lwo o d Ag e ?
And then…

16. I walked in to a dark room, in front of me I saw a blood-red
dentist chair. Should I sit in the spooky chair?
I decided to risk it.

17. A screen popped out in front of me. I started to shiver.
Then I typed in the dates from the tower in the library

18. I followed
the
instruction
s and the
model ship
rose
majesticall
y from the
pool was
this a clue?

19. I went to the docks and there before me was the real ship. I went
into the ship and there was a little hideout. There in front of me
lay a book. I opened it. It lead to Stoneship Age.

20. It zapped me into the book.
As soon as I got there the rain was
trickling down. I felt a funny tingle. I
appeared on an old ship. The sky was
stormy. The tip of the wind touched me, I
got cold.

21. The deafening thunder made me scared. The lighting
danced across the black laden sky. There were rocks
like snake fangs coming out of the water.

22. There was a big light house. I walked back on to the ship.
There were tunnels leading away. I walked down one of them.
There was an old door with a green light on it. I pressed it. It
opened and I walk in.
It was a room. I found a red page in a draw. I picked it up. I

23. I went down the other tunnel. There I found another door
I pressed the light. There I found a blue page. I picked it up
and walked out. I walked into the lighthouse. Then I
pumped power to the generator and the lights came on in
the spooky hall way.
I found the myst book

24. On Myst island stands a
tree that is higher than
every other tree.
It has a retainer wall
around it with a little hole
to walk inside.
I found a hut beside the
tree. I walk inside. It
looked as though there
was a boiler I tried turning
it on but it would not light.
I turned around to find a I lit the old, rusty boiler
safe. I think that’s what twisted the handle.
the numbers from the
library were for (7.2.4) we Found the tree had
pressed the blood red been lifted. Before my
button. I saw before my eyes I saw the linking
eyes a black and gold box
of matches. book.

25. I carefully opened the
book and saw a little
picture. I hesitantly put
my hand on the page.
Suddenly I was going so
fast I groaned. I felt odd
to find my self in the
Channelwood age.
I slowly opened my eyes
to feel a splinter stuck in
my finger from the
wooden path I was
laying on. I was stared
right in the face by
booming towers of bark.
I could see never-ending
paths with pipes
running right along each
path.
There were spiral
staircases. I saw a little
island with a windmill on
the top.

26. I started to explore this odd island I saw in the top of my vision a multitude of bridges with
huts on each tree. I walked to the island and saw a generator. I switched the generator on
and the pipes were gushing with water. I followed the pipes to a corner and turned the
handle and followed the rushing water again to an elevator. The elevator took me to
Achenars room and as soon as I stepped in the door. The first thing I saw was a death bed.

27. I saw the blue page near the death bed. I got out the door to the elevator
with the red and blue pages to find the Myst linking book over the other side
of the broken bridge. I fixed the bridge and walked to the pipe and made it
cross to the other pipe. The water was going to the elevator I hoped in the
elevator to the empty box right in front of me was the Myst linking book.

28. I d is c o v e r e d I n e e d e d 5 9 v o lt s t o p o w e r
t h e s p a c e s h ip . I w a s a t th e p o w e r
s o u r c e w h e n I r e a lis e d t h a t t y p in g t h e
v o lt s in w a s h a r d e r b u t I m a n a g e d it .

29. W a lk in g t o t h e s p a c e s h ip I k n e w
t h a t it c o u ld n ’ t b e t h a t e a s y .
Wh e n th e d o o r fo rm e d a n
e n t r a n c e I s a w t h e p ia n o . I
k n e w e x a c t ly w h a t t o p la y f r o m
t h e s p a c e s h ip b o o k s o I d id
w h a t I n e e d e d t o a c c o m p lis h

30. Then I turn to see
5 switches. I
changed them and
realised that I
need to make it
the same rhythm
as the piano.
Doing so, I
glanced at the
linking book I open
it and there I touch
the picture with a
zap. This links me
to the Spaceship
Age.

31. I walk outside then the door
closed behind with an ominous slam
me trapping me here. A shudder ran
through me. The only thing I could
see was an odd walkway and heard
the sound of the ocean waves. I
was forced to explore more and
more. All the mountains and stair
cases led to levers and pictures
that I’d never noticed. I walk
around the island finding a huge
furnace.

32. On the other side of the island I saw crystals. When light hit the them they immediately
glistened, hidden in them was the red page.
Next I caught sight of a waterfall. It gently flowed over the rocks, with a lovely trickle and
there lay the blue page. Walking back towards the spaceship I noticed a door, there
were small levers that made different sounds I matched them with the pictures I’d seen
and the door opened leading down to a type of rollercoaster that took me too another
stop, I got out and saw a door - inside was the Myst book.

33. I looked up and saw a clock that said Myst. I could not reach it. I went to the
library and touched the map of the island and turned the tower to the cog. I
touched the picture and a secret passage opened. I walked down the ragged
stairs and saw an elevator. I walked into it and pressed the up button. I
walked out of the old elevator when it stopped. I climbed up the ladder. On
the key there was a time that said 2:40. Then I climbed down the ladder and
walked back into the elevator. I touched the down button and it went down. I
walked up the stairs. I quickly ran to the clock and put the time 2:40 using the
red wheels on the doc. A mysterious clanking noise was swiftly followed be a
bridge rising through the water. A pathway to the clock tower. I crossed and
opened the door at the base of the tower. I was at the base of the tower and
was confronted by another puzzle. After completing that I realised that the
entrance to the Mechanical Age was now open. I crossed back to the island
and wandered up the paths to the hill with the giant cog, it was open!

34. I walked up the stairs to the cog. There was a book I opened it
and it was a linking book. I zapped into the book. I ended up on a
indescribable Age.
It was called the Mechanical Age. No wonder it was called the Mechanical Age, It had, nuts, bolts and cogs
every where. Then I looked left and I could see the horizon reflecting off the water. The sky was a gloomy
blue .I walked off the sand and I took my first steps in this new world. I walked into a temple looking building.
It had a floor like a chess board. There were two hallways.

35. The room looked as though it was a
I chose to go left..
museum – very clean and tidy. It was so cool. There were
models of everything on the Myst island.

36. In the right hallway there was a
room with a lot of weapons and
poison. It was like a torture
chamber.
I was getting scared.

37. I searched both of the rooms and I found a
blue page and a red page.

38. I solved the remaining puzzle to get off the island.
I found a linking book to go to the island
of Myst.

39. B a c k o n M y s t Is la n d I h o l d a l l 8
p a g e s in m y h a n d ; f o u r f o r S i r r u s
a n d f o u r f o r A c h e n a r . I s t u m b le d
a r o u n d s lo w l y t h in k in g a b o u t
Ac h e n a r s r o o m s . Th e y w e r e
t e r r i f y in g - h e h a d w e a p o n s o f
to rtu re .

40. I put all the pages in Sirrus’s book, the screen cleared and he said,
There is a book on the
shelves in this library which
is mostly burnt but has a
few pages still intact. It is
the last book on the middle
shelf. Find it.
This book is filled with a
variety of patterns. Find
pattern 158, and recreate it
on the door of the fireplace.
This will bring you to the
last red page. Bring that
page to me and I will finally
be released, and able to
reward you, of course.
But what about achenar?

41. I crossed the library and placed the blue pages into achenars book,
the screen cleared and from the pages achenar said,
Remember, don't take the
red page. Take only the blue
page and return it quickly to
me.
And do not touch the green
book! It is a clever trap to
imprison those who have not
been warned. Do not be
tempted: for you will rot and
die, imprisoned as I am.
I tell you, if you follow my
instructions it will be well
worth your while. I promise
you that. Go. Go.

42. so I walked to the book shelf and looked for the half burnt book on
the right hand side on the middle shelf and found page 158.
I put the code into the fire place and hit the button, the whole room
turned round with a creak.

43. What a horrible decision…
Achenar? Sirrus?
Or the mysterious
green book?

44. The final red and blue page were right in front of me.
I thought again about what Sirrus and Achenar said
in the last pages and what their rooms look like.
Reaching my shaking hand forward I grabbed
Sirrius's page.

45. I slowly walked to the Myst library and stood in front of
the red book. It was like a nightmare deciding if I should
put Sirrus’s page in. I went forward and the book
suddenly flashed golden

46. as I put the page in something felt like it was sucking me forward.
I saw a strange sight… it was the library.

47. I was trapped in the book Sirrus was there on Myst! He was
tearing the pages out one by one and laughing with joy. In no time
there were no page left and it was pitch black.

49. I decided that I would trust Achenar, because I think he’s more
trustworthy than Sirrus.
I had the final blue page in
my hand and walked slowly
towards the book.

50. I put the blue page in, feeling extremely
nervous but still sure that this was the
correct choice.
I place the blue page in the dark blue book.

51. Suddenly I was trapped in the horrible blue book, and
now Achenar was in the library and he chuckled at me ,
at the same time he was ripping the pages out
Rip...

52. Soon it was pitch black and Achenar
was giggling his sakes off.
Rip...

53. It’s dark in here
Rip...

55. Slowly I opened the
green book I felt
nervous, scared but
excited to go though.
It was cold and dark
with very dim lights. This
place is extremely
strange

56. I felt scared to meet Atrus. When I saw him he was writing at his desk. He asked me for
the green page I handed him the green page. Atrus put the page in the middle of the book
and it allowed him to travel.

57. Then he opened to the first page and flat strap vanished!!!!!!!!!
While he was gone I stared at the old, wooden desk that Atrus was writing
at.

58. Atrus told me that his sons would no longer bother me but better than that… myst
island was mine! Incredible! I’ve never been so excited to use a linking book

59. So the mysteries of the island are mine to explore at my leisure.
What a fantastic reward for all my hard work!
I shall go to the library and relax, knowing
That I helped save a good man…
What a fantastic end…
…or is it?

61. Follo
w
the d ing Atrus
o es
insid ck and am Specific
e b in
purpl all that w led insid struction
e glo as to e s
w. be se the tunne I walked
en w d
as w l. When I own to
alls in g
fused ot
with
a

62. stro
ll
unti ing dow
l n th
the I came e
red
b acro passa
hap g
pen utton a ss the d eway I
hap . n
pen I waited d waite igital im kept on
ed. for a d for ag go
min som er. I pr ing,
ute e e
and thing to ssed
noth
ing
f
the front o
o go to ow
eat idea t utton. A sn er.
ld b e a gr golden b igital imag
at it wou press the n the
d e wha
t
d th d po o se
Id ecide imager an ff popped u ton again t my finger
ital cli but as
t he dig d mountain o the back n my back
de dt ow
shrou lked aroun a shiver d
a d
As I w appen I ha
h
would it again.
ed
press

63. Then I heard in the
distance a deep
CLANG. I went over to
the note that was
nailed on to the wall to
see that it had
changed into an
enclosed box.
c

64. I observ
ed wha
from wh tw
en I rea as in the box.
was two d in the It had 2
number book th digital d
at was
I heard
a slight
s one w
as 40 a sitting in ials. Remembe
nd the o the libra rin
to the s
pa
BANG.
I rushed ther wa ry that t g
that the ce ship where out of th
e
s 2735. he
I put 40 re
re was t
a little d he bang had c passageway a in,
oor that ome fro nd wen and
went un m. Sud t over
der the denly n
space s otic
hip path ing
.

65. I was walking along it when I saw in
the corner of my eye that there was a
door into a windy staircase. I went
inside and came to a pedestal that
had a black creepy button on it.
Without a blink I pressed it.

66. It suddenly started to slowly creep up to the library floor. Rushing up to the library, not
wasting a breath, and with no hassle at all I put one foot in and there I spotted a
beautiful, varnished alter sitting right in front of my eyes. Seeing the alter I also saw a
blue book sitting on top of the alter. I was curious to see what was inside the blue book,
and it felt like it was calling out for me to open it.

67. So I was guessing that this was the RIME AGE and I
was excited. In the distance I saw a hut that was as
cold as the snow flakes landing on my blue skin. I
was cold so I went inside.

68. I glared at a gas heater that had a tap on the outside to turn it on. I went back inside and
tried to get warm. Suddenly my eyes turned to see a door, at first I couldn’t find the door
handle but eventually I found it.

69. I went inside and found a mist shrouded hallway and then
there was an old elevator. I trembled inside and went around
nervously. I came to a stone window, and stared at the snow
flakes coming down.

70. I pulled a leaver and Aurora Borealis with streams of colours of
flashing lightning filled the sky. I turned to notice a button sitting on
the wall. Again my hand stretched over to a red button and the
elevator spun around and suddenly opened.

71. I was facing a desk with a
brown book. I opened the
book and it had a picture of
four different shaped
crystals. I then turned to go
back into the elevator
because there was nothing
else.

72. a
am e to
ow n I c d a note
ent d that ha at there
nd w room ote
th
do or a o a en
t the ked int w on th .
I shu . I wal a
e. I s e cryst
als
n
room Cathari of fiv
s
from picture
were

73. r
a ge d
im an
n h
e d a my ld
tic ran ou
no n I it ws.
n e p
he wh e to our
I t at h ol
th er t e c
ov ang
ch

74. I changed all the metal plates to the ones that were on
Catharine’s letter. I then saw an amazing place that was
projected on to the imager it was called the RIVEN AGE. This
was my reward! This was a fitting end!

75. Or perhaps, a new beginning?

76. No, seriously… the end!