Guide

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

My Flight from Arboria

Lore

The last battle on Arboria was a nightmare. So many of us didn’t make it to the ships, so many more stayed behind to cover our escape. Arwick led the resistance to the very end, until the queen ordered him to get aboard the escape craft. It was then that I, too, left my home. I was just as frustrated as Arwick seemed to be, but the queen had given us orders. What else could we do? We had to leave or face death on our homeworld.

And then the
place we went next – the ships of the Exile Fleet – was a nightmare, at least at first. Unless you are an Aurin, you probably can’t understand what it feels like to leave the soil of Arboria behind for a vacuum sealed metal can in cold outer space. But even the fleet was not without some connection to our home. The agriculture ships that kept everyone alive were in trouble, and it turns out we Aurin could help. That was how we thanked the humans
for getting us off the planet, but I still wonder if we made the right choice. After all, would the Dominion ever have found us if the humans hadn’t first?

As the queen says, that line of thought is like a weed that puts deep roots down in your heart. It will only grow into a tree of hate, and I have to save my hate for the ones truly responsible for the destruction I witnessed on Arboria: the Dominion.

And so we are here, on Nexus at last. I’ve been
invited to join the queen’s entourage for the landing in Everstar Grove. I’m looking forward to having soil and grass beneath my feet again. It’s been far too long.

[The rest of this personal journal is unfinished. It appears this Aurin’s journey ended once and for all on Nexus.]

Guide

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

Containment Protocols

Lore

OUTBREAK LEVEL 1: Contagion Reported/No Physical Evidence
A Level 1 outbreak is the simplest form of outbreak to manage safely. A Level 1 outbreak may simply be an erroneous report.
Recommended Response: Investigation by ordinary authorities employing hazardous material gear to check validity of the report.

OUTBREAK LEVEL 2: Confirmed Contagion/Less than 5 Infected
A Level 2 outbreak is to be taken seriously and can quickly lead to a higher-level situation.

Recommended Response: A Reaper team (minimum 2) should proceed immediately to the site of the outbreak and eliminate infected individuals and confirm no Contagion remains present.

OUTBREAK LEVEL 3: Confirmed Contagion/More than 5 Infected
A Level 3 outbreak is of immediate concern to all surrounding communities. Chance for exponential infection among remaining Mordesh nears 100%.
Recommended Response: A full Reaper team (minimum 6) must eliminate the infected
individuals and capture potential infected for observation. Any sign of further infection must be dealt with immediately and lethally. The area must then be quarantined to non-Mordesh for six standard months.

OUTBREAK LEVEL 4: Confirmed Contagion/1 or More Communities Infected
A Level 4 outbreak requires an immediate military response per the Exile Accords.
Recommended Response: A military air strike must be ordered immediately with the express goal of wiping out the localized area of outbreak.
Reaper teams may not be dispatched until FCON completes this operation and confirms no life signs at site. Then a full Reaper team MUST confirm outbreak has been eliminated. A quarantine must then be observed for one standard year.

OUTBREAK LEVEL 5: Confirmed Contagion/Landmass Infected
A Level 5 outbreak is the second-worst type on record. If all Mordesh on a landmass (island or continent) are confirmed to be infected, the entire landmass must be considered lost.
Recommended Response:
Orbital bombardment of landmass with weapons of mass destruction. Reaper teams may not be dispatched until FCON completes this operation and confirms no life signs. Four full Reaper teams MUST confirm outbreak has been eliminated. Landmass is to then be quarantined for five standard years with no life forms of any kind allowed to escape.

OUTBREAK LEVEL 6: Confirmed Contagion/Planet Infected
A Level 6 outbreak is the worst type on record.
If all Mordesh on a planet are confirmed infected, the planet must be considered lost.
Recommended Response: Planetary evacuation of non-Mordesh and non-infected followed by full orbital bombardment of landmass with weapons of mass destruction. Planet is to then be permanently quarantined to all species with no life forms of any kind allowed to escape.

Guide

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

Lazarin’s Own Alchemical Products

Lore

A Message from the Doctor

Fellow Mordesh, some of you may despise me. You are not alone. Not even I can forgive myself for the creation of the Contagion, and I never will. What I can do is continue to work on a cure that will truly heal our people and allow us to walk unburdened by Vitalus once more. To that end, I am pleased to announce Lazarin’s Own Alchemical Products, a line of quality goods that will directly improve the lives of all Mordesh. And please note, whatever you may think of me, that I
am not interested in profit. The proceeds from these products will go directly to research into a cure for the Contagion, which, as you know, is my life’s work. I will not rest until we are free of this curse, even if I can never undo the results of my hubris.

Yours in suffering,
Dr. Victor Lazarin

Lazarin’s Own Primal Epidermis Rejuvenator
Every Mordesh knows the heartbreak of dry, flaky skin and the inevitable, nightmarish itching sensation that results. Vitalus can keep us alive, but can it
keep our graying skin smooth and supple? Of course not. But Lazarin’s Own Primal Epidermis Rejuvenator can! Just one jar of this lotion per day applied liberally to exposed skin will prevent flaking and itching for a full 72 standard hours! Do not accept cheap Protostar knockoffs that only mask the itching and moisten the skin with artificial lubricants. Infuse your necrotic flesh with primal moisture from the labs of Victor Lazarin!

Lazarin’s Own Herbal Intoxicant Tea
Due to the sensitivity of
Vitalus implants, many Mordesh find the consumption of alcoholic beverages to be a very bad idea. Too many times have intoxicated Mordesh failed to refill their Vitalus stores, or worse, failed to recognize the signs that a friend has become Ravenous. That’s where Lazarin’s Own Herbal Intoxicant Tea comes in! Lazarin’s Own isn’t derived from alcohol, but relies on natural supplements grown by friendly Aurin herbalists to trigger the relaxation centers of the brain, diminishing anxiety, paranoia, and mild
joint and epidermal pain. Not habit-forming. Outlawed on the planet Cassus, but then, so are Mordesh.

Lazarin’s Own Alchemical Pet Sealant
Many Mordesh go through their lives alone, rarely knowing the friendship of another being or the touch of a friendly domesticated beast, all for fear of accidentally triggering a Contagion outbreak. Now Lazarin’s Own Alchemical Pet Sealant can allow you and your furry, slimy, or scaly friends to cavort and frolic without fear of cross-species contamination.
Just spray a bottle of Lazarin’s Own on your favorite jabbit, vind, dagun, or chompacabra and enjoy each others’ company for up to 24 standard hours without reapplication! Available in floral, musk, and citrus scents. Lazarin’s Own Alchemical Pet Sealant is not approved for use on sentient beings and is not to be considered a replacement for Vitalus Serum.

Guide

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

The Wisdom of Elderoot

Lore

[According to the introductory page, this collection of sayings and chants are the work of the ancient tree Elderoot. Presumably they have been transcribed from dictation.]

You can plant a tree near water, but you cannot make its roots absorb water and nutrients. That will happen naturally.

A lie can travel around the entire planet while the truth is still putting down roots.

I do not spare great concern for the future, for my roots are buried deep
within the soil of the past.

A growing root can break a stone when a hammer blow cannot. All that is required for the former is patience; all that is required for the latter is strength.

A tree strives ever upward, reaching for the sun and stars. Those who walk on the ground strive to and fro, upward and downward. I do not say one is better than the other, but the striving tree lives many times longer than the walking animal.

I am not the
only one of my kind with deep thoughts. One must simply listen more closely for the words of the others.

I once thought there was no crisis urgent enough to warrant thoughtless action. Now I know this for a fact. There is always time to consider.

To the insect, a tree is the universe. To the universe, even the tree is an insect.

Guide

Find and enter Exo-Lab 71: The Arboretum.

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

Report to Doctor Lazarin

Lore

[This XAS scientist’s report to Victor Lazarin would have been of more use if it had actually been delivered.]

REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR

Facility ID: Exo-Lab 71
Location: Everstar Grove
Facility Status: Active
Recommendations:
-Further study
-Technological salvage
-Biological sample return

SUMMARY
Translation of Eldan signage and data records indicate this facility was designated Exo-Lab 71. Like all exo-
labs discovered thus far, it appears to be dedicated to a particular set of experiments; unlike many of those same exo-labs, this one is almost completely intact and functional – making it an even more noteworthy discovery than
suspected.

Exo-Lab 71 is not a large facility, but it appears to be capable of drawing a tremendous amount of life energy from its immediate surroundings. Currently, the exo-lab is in a sort of standby mode, but it is nevertheless channeling power to the entity designated “Elderoot.”

There can be little doubt that Exo-Lab 71 was directly related to the enhancement of the Elderoot entity. Further investigation will be required if we are to
co-opt this technology and use it in our ongoing search for a cure to the Contagion.

Guide

Find and enter Blighted Tunnel.

Map

Everstar Grove

1.

The Livingroot Phenomenon

Lore

Field Study Day 2
I’ve been off Arboria too long. Today, I could have sworn a root vegetable said “hello” to me as I walked past. I attempted to reply, but the root vegetable then remained stubbornly silent. Of course, this was no ordinary root vegetable, but what we are tentatively calling “sprouts” for lack of a better term. They are plants, but also mobile. A truly strange phenomenon. Am I crazy to think one of them spoke to me? Nothing
surprises me on this planet, and I’ve only been here a couple of days!

Field Study Day 4
It happened again. But this time, the sprout said more than “hello.” This time, I had short, stilted, but definitely two-way conversation with one! I’m not certain it’s the same one who spoke to me before, but it could well be. It told me it was called a Livingroot Grower and that it was a “friend of Elderoot.” It seems these sprouts take care of the big, sentient
tree that is at the heart of Everstar Grove. I cannot wait until the queen arrives and can meet these amazing creatures!

Field Study Day 7
After days of searching, and talking to any sprout I could find, I finally tracked down my friend the Livingroot Grower. He – I can no longer think of him as an “it” – was disturbed, even frightened. He said that Elderoot was concerned at the influx of settlers arriving in his grove. The old tree has been here a long
time, the sprout told me, but never before had the sprout seen Elderoot in such distress! But after further examination of the strange enhancements attached to the tree’s root system, I think I’ve spotted the real reason for Elderoot’s distress. An infestation of insects have burrowed up from beneath the surface and are consuming his roots! I assured the Livingroot Grower that I would tell someone. I just hope I can get this report to the others
before the queen arrives. I want her to meet Elderoot so much. Our queen has sacrificed so much. Leaving Arboria was hard for all of us, but I think it almost killed Queen Myala. So meeting a wise tree like Elderoot will surely help her feel better. I just know they’ll be the best of friends!