What, How, and Why?

Occasionally, the topic of penguins sneaks up on the Riven Lysts and grabs the unwary. Those who haven't encountered this phenomenon before are often perplexed. This page is intended to address the most common questions about the infiltration of these mysterious, flightless birds on the Lyst.

Q. What do penguins have to do with Myst and Riven?

A. Well, nothing, really.

Q. How did all this get started then?

A. It all began rather innocently. In early 1998 I sent a reply to the Lyst which included this rather pointless paragraph:

"Well, I do have one more childhood dream. You know, the one about moving to Antarctica and living as a penguin for a year. I'd learn to speak Penguinese, getting enough fish to feed my whole flock [hey, anyone know the official term for a group of penguins?], they'd be so grateful that they'd elect me Emperor, and we'd go to war with the group of evil penguins living on that iceberg just to the north, and we'd win 'cause I'd teach my army how to make those really hard snowballs, but then there'd be the assassination attempt, and I'd have to flee for my life, and waiting for all the snow to melt, which, of course, it wouldn't, and I'd never be heard from again. Never mind."

Then, a few weeks later, at the end of one of my posts I wrote:

"RAWA-TRIVIA: I also have a fear of rabid penguins wearing striped pajamas. (They keep eating all of the ice cream!)"

Someone remembered my mention of penguins the earlier post, and made a connection between the two posts and pointed it out to the Lysts. The penguins have been with us ever since, their legend growing and evolving. Some of the Lysters enjoy it, others tolerate it, others get their feathers ruffled at the mere mention of the poor sphenisciformes.

Q. Why penguins?

A. Well, it wasn't intentional. I've always liked penguins. The mention of penguins (and other birds) in unusual places seems to be a staple of British comedy that I like, and that was probably a subconscious influence. Whatever the cause, it has impacted several Lysters enough to contribute to my now growing collection of the little tuxedo-wearing fish-eaters.

 Penguins | Comedy | Collection | Clan Lord | Misc.