Stormtalon’s Lair Revealed

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for our weekly dose of new info from the good folks over at Carbine Studios. This week we get to take a look at the story behind one of the dungeons in WildStar, known as Stormtalon’s Lair.

Keep reading to get all the info, and let us know if you’re looking forward to exploring this dungeon in the comments below!

In the heart of Galeras, at the southern end of the mysterious Gale Canyon, lies an ancient cave known as Stormtalon’s Lair. Watched over by a tribe of the mysterious Thundercall Pell – an enigmatic race that is native to Nexus – the cave has always been a shrouded in mystery. But recently, the Exile Academy of Science has detected a strange energy source emanating from the depths of this cavern, and sent in a team of researchers to investigate. Unfortunately, the members of this team have not yet returned – but their scattered reports have shed light on the strange ritual taking place in the shadowy depths of Stormtalon’s Lair.

MYSTERIES OF THE PELL

Although the XAS has limited information about the Pell, it is obvious that they have been on Nexus for thousands of years. Scientific reports indicate that they have a primitive culture based on the worship of elemental powers, with tribal social structures based upon a strict religious hierarchy. Data from linguistic analysis has also revealed multiple references to what the Pell call ‘the Masters,’ an undefined pantheon of deities that play a significant role in their beliefs and religious rituals. Strangely, the Pell seem to display an innate knowledge of Eldan technology and are often observed using it with a skill that belies their otherwise primitive culture. XAS anthropologists have theorized that the Pell once served the Eldan themselves, but more data will need to be collected before such claims can be confirmed.

INSIDE STORMTALON’S LAIR

Inside the cave, the Pell are engaging in a time-wrought tradition passed down from their ancestors, using an ancient Eldan incubator to transform one of their acolytes into a monstrosity known as Stormtalon. Having chosen a worthy candidate for the ceremony, the Thundercall High Priest is making preparations for the imminent birth of their “god” using a strange mix of magic and technology that the Pell have developed over thousands of years on planet Nexus. Sensing that the momentous event is near, the Pell inside the cavern have been driven into an insane, religious fervor and will attack any outsider on sight.

The incubator requires massive amounts of power, a problem the Pell have solved by siphoning energy from the nearby Focus of Air and channeling though an area known as the Conduit. Guarding this vital region is a formidable Thundercall Invoker, a powerful Pell warrior infused with latent energy from the Conduit. Surrounded by acolytes who channel power from the Focus into their master, the Invoker is prepared to will unleash his fury upon those who dare to interrupt the ritual.

Realizing that the sanctity of Stormtalon’s birth might soon be desecrated by interlopers, the Thundercall High Priest has created a massive elemental known as Aethros and has ordered the creature to destroy any outsiders who attempt to pass through. Aethros is imbued with terrifying destructive power, and has called forth an array of raging whirlwinds to serve as the ceremony’s  last line of defense. Those who wish to witness the birth of Stormtalon will be forced to survive this deadly tempest, and overcome the fearless elemental guardian who controls it.

THE BIRTH OF A GOD

Beyond Aethros lies the incubator itself, an ancient Eldan device known to the Pell as the Godmaker. Originally constructed as a prototype for the mysterious Eldan experiment known as the Primeval Protocols, the Godmaker has been maintained through the millennia by the Thundercall Pell, most of who no longer remember its original purpose.

Having prepared the chosen acolyte for the ceremony, the Thundercall High Priest will initiate the final phase of the incubation process, infusing the acolyte with massive amounts of primal energy and transforming him into a terrifying winged abomination known as Stormtalon. Hungry for death and destruction, the Pell’s new god will wreak unparalleled havoc on the outside world if he is not defeated in time…