D'ni

This, in short, is the story of the D'ni. In ages long past, the D'ni discovered the art of book-making. But their books were not as ours. Through some combination of precisely manufactured paper, ink and glue, long training, and perhaps some strange genetic heritage, the D'ni were able to create Linking Books: Books which, through a portal of sorts on an inside page, allowed the transport of people and objects to another world. Merely placing a single hand upon that portal would instantly transport you into the realm it pictured; though there was no guaranteed way to get back. There were, as with all things, details and complications (did the creation of Linking Books actually create new worlds, or merely allow access to existing ones? How does one get back after traveling through? Can Linking Books be used as weapons?), but they are not essential.

After long millennia, the D'ni civilization collapsed in rebellion and plague. Only a handful of D'ni survived; some trapped on the other side of the Linking books, a very few others escaping the ruins of the D'ni entirely. Atrus, grandson of the last living D'ni councilor, became the central figure in the slow revival of the D'ni; as was his father, Gehn, on the other side. The tales of their rivalry, and of Atrus's battles with his own sons, stretched across years and worlds; but they, too, are not essential.

What is essential is that, in their long existence, the D'ni devised their own number system, independent of the Arabic numbers we use today. The Internet will give you a better description than I can (as I learned regrettably late), and one can observe the principles here, on the project that took me an hour or so this afternoon. Amaze your friends! Cypher your writings! Hone your mind! The possibilities are endless.

...yeah, I really, really wish I knew that article existed before I started the project.