Let's Play Myst 3: Exile - Part 33
0Here is how the shields on Narayan work:
"Like the water on Riven, water in Narayan has special properties Atrus has learned to control -- in this case, the eternal mists and sea of clouds that blanket the Age. Atrus installed special blue crystals in the linking chamber. Each crystal in its natural state generates a harmonic that excites the water molecules in the surrounding mists, causing them to bond and form an impenetrable shield of ice in a perfect sphere around the crystal.
These crystals were mined on Amateria, as you might expect. (In fact, Amateria is the source of many crystals with special properties.) The big one that generates the outer shield glows atop the tower. (You see it if you look up from the roof.) The small one that generates the inner shield is embedded in the floor of the gondola platform, just outside the doorway.
To lower the shield, Atrus taps into the geothermal vents below the tree to power a generator (the large cylindrical device you stand on in Narayan). This, in turn, sends a current to one of two crystals, directed by the routing switch in the upper tapestry chamber. The current serves to stabilize the crystal, allowing the shield to dissipate.
The art is similar to that which Atrus applied in Amateria, but substantially more flexible due to the special properties of water in Narayan. Ice spheres in Amateria are quite fragile and susceptible to harmonic vibrations. Because of this, they're limited in diameter, and also will not form naturally into a sphere, but must be molded by a rotating Water Lathe."
Phil Saunders - creative director for Myst III: Exile