John "Fighting Branch" Loftin was an archeologist that often worked for Elias Zandi. He was also the third human after Anna and the Stranger to discover D'ni.

In 1987, Branch was exploring in Eddy County, New Mexico, when he stumbled upon a cave with a narrow crack in the back wall. Following signs that it had been cleared by human hands in the past, he ventured deep inside and discovered D'ni digging machines. Apparently, he had stumbled across the same cave Anna and her father had found in 1715.

In 1988, Branch brought Elias to see the cave, and together they discovered the Great Shaft. This was a life-changing experience, and the two men became passionate about exploring the tunnels and caverns.

Finally, in 1989, the pair discovered the D'ni cavern and the city.

Branch and Elias took another trip in 1990, this time accompanied by Dr. Richard A. Watson. On this expedition, they crossed the lake to the islands such as Ae'gura and K'veer, and they found and retrieved journals written by a woman named Katran. The journals were not written in English, so they were unable to read them at first. The trio brought more specialists into the project, and with them formed an organization called the D'ni Restoration Foundation, or DRF.

1991 marked the last trip the Branch would take to D'ni. During the expedition, Branch lost his life, although the cause remains unknown. In an interview, Dr. Watson once said about it: "Yes, a very painful subject. Suffice it to say that there was an accident. The tragedy is that it could have been avoided if we had just been more careful."

It was Branch's death, as much as anything, that caused the remaining DRF members to become borderline obsessed with ensuring that safety would be the highest priority when working in D'ni. Their attitude would clash with the desire of later arrivals to have more immediate access to all of the city and Ages of the empire.

Myst, the Myst logo, and all games and books in the Myst series are registered trademarks and copyrights of Cyan Worlds, Inc. Myst Online: Uru Live is the sole property of Cyan Worlds Inc. The concepts, settings, characters, art, and situations of the Myst series of games and books are copyright Cyan Worlds, Inc. with all rights reserved.

I make no claims to any such rights or to the intellectual properties of Cyan Worlds; nor do I intend to profit financially from their work. This web site is a fan work, and is meant solely for the amusement of myself and other fans of the Myst series of games and books.