I just got the game for Christmas, so forgive me for being a little late , but my mom and me had a question. What ever happened to Catherine? We just started the game 20 minutes ago and Atrus said "I have lost...my sons, my wife, Cathering." What happened to her????? I'm sure this has been discussed before or this is obvious, but we have no idea.

quote:

Originally posted by icefall5:
...we have no idea.

I doubt anyone does, to be honest. My theories are:
1) Died of old age
2) Died in an earthquake, sandstorm, or whatever destroyed Tomahna

I so hope Cyan decides to shed some light on these things....

Tomahna's Destroyed????

Yeesha says in one of her monologues that she watched Catherine die, but we're not told what of.

quote:

Originally posted by Jnathus:
Tomahna's Destroyed????

"My journey has come to an end. I have lost my home, my Books, my sons...." --Atrus at the beginning of the game.

I suppose he could have just had the bank foreclose on him, but I think it means Tomahna has been destroyed.

quote:

Originally posted by riven2000:

quote:

Originally posted by Jnathus:
Tomahna's Destroyed????

"My journey has come to an end. I have lost my home, my Books, my sons...." --Atrus at the beginning of the game.

I suppose he could have just had the bank foreclose on him, but I think it means Tomahna has been destroyed.

Well, speaking as the banker for '18th Century Home Trust', I can tell you the aweful truth. Atrus was vastly overdrawn on his funds, had taken out several million dollars in loans both to finance the building of the property called "Tomahna", as well as to pay off the D'ni craftsmen he hired to construct his many bases on various ages. He also had taken out ancillary loans to pay for the equipment costs to make all the various traps, mechanical puzzles, artful devices, and colorful constructions in those Ages, and then subsequentially defaulted on them. There was also the fact that he had to take on his fathers' debts after his disappearence under let us say, suspicous circumstances. In the end, not even The Stranger could help his old friend Atrus out from under the mountain of debts he incurred. The Tomahna property was eventually purchased for pennies on the dollar by an eccentric spinster lady, and became commonly known as the 'Winchester Mystery House". The D'ni craftsmen Atrus owed money to hired some salvage operators to clean off all the Ages they could identify with their stuff on it - most of which was bought outright for a few thousand dollars by one Nikola Tesla, who promptly went into business with Westinghouse in the turn of the 20th century to manufacture electric motors and other electrical contrivences which he claimed credit for. It was all too much for the Atrus family - Catherine suffered a stroke and died in tragic circumstances shortly after, and her last words to Atrus were something to the effect that he truly sucked as a business man, and why couldn't he be more like his father in this area- cutthroat. Yeesha left for a spiritual quest to find her lost soul, and Atrus, now an old and broken man, spent the days wandering the New Mexico Desert alone, and howling at the full moon... He was placed in a sanitorium shortly after being caught by the locals who affectionately knew him as "The Laughing Man", where he spent a few tranquil years until Yeesha busted him out and helped him to get a job managing a McDonalds in Cupertino, California. People in Cupertino knew him as the strange, yet kindly, pale eyed man who used to tell their children fantastical stories whenever they stopped to get a shake and some fries... but no one ever believed him, until the Myst series of games came out , thereby allowing Atrus to retire comfortably on the proceeds of his share in them.

Now you know the truth, and also why 'End of Ages' is the last game in the series, unless you want to have a Myst game where Atrus manages a McDonalds in the 1980's

I knew it! I knew I ran into Atrus a few times at McDonald's before...I think he actually gave me a free double quarter pounder with cheese once because I had asked for "ketchup only" and someone put mustard and pickles on it by accident. I can remember hearing him say to one of the employees something to the effect of: "if you make that mistake again I'm going to lock you in a book and banish you to an island." The employee proceeded to laugh hysterically in his face and then went back to work. I guess Atrus was always thinking creatively regardless of the environment he was in...

ROFLOL

"...And the fries...did you make the fries? FOOL!!!...."

Atrus: Ah, my friend, you've returned. We meet face to face! And the page? Did you bring the page?

Stranger: Page? What are you talking about? Money? I'm a dollar short. I just told you.

Atrus: [Sighs] You didn't bring the page. You didn't bring the page. [Slams his hand on the register] What a fool are you! Oh... Did you not take my warning seriously?

Stranger: Huh?

Atrus: [Sighs and looks down] Welcome to McDonalds. You and I will live here - forever.

Stranger: Screw this, I'm going to Burger King.

Good one! Do you remember thisexclusive Myst 4 trailer?

Man, I *have* been away too long.

My God! I never saw that trailer...that was hysterical!