Lore

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KEY FINDINGS:

– The mysterious apparition that has been sighted across Nexus appears to be an Eldan-created being known as Drusera.

– According to Drusera, the Eldan’s sole purpose on planet Nexus was to create the “Genesis Prime,” a “perfect being” of some kind – although at this point it is unclear exactly what purpose such a being was supposed to serve.

– Drusera is the Genesis Prime.

CONCLUSIONS:

The observations within the exo-lab represent a landmark event in the ongoing investigation into the Eldan’s disappearance. Not only do we now have a clear idea about the true nature of the Nexus Project, it appears that we also have access to an individual who was created by the Eldan themselves, and may have been present at the time of their disappearance.

At this point we cannot fully ascertain whether or not Drusera is a reliable source of information, but datacubes found throughout Exo-Lab Prime seem to corroborate the important points of her story. It also appears that the Eldan had some difficulty developing the technology that was necessary to create the Genesis Prime, but that at some point designs for a “Protoplasmic Resonator” were mysteriously delivered by the leader of the Nexus Project.
The source of this advanced technology is yet unknown.

Details about the full capabilities of the Genesis Prime are still undefined, although a datacube entry by the virtual construct known as the Caretaker seems to indicate that its powers are virtually limitless. If Drusera is indeed the Genesis Prime, then her ethereal figure would appear to be little more than a means of communication, with limited power to affect the real world.
If this is the case, then where, exactly, is the real Genesis Prime located?

We believe that Drusera is now our most important link to discovering what happened to the Eldan, and whether or not it represents a danger to the Exiles on planet Nexus. We anxiously await her next communication.

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ADDITIONAL

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– The information concerning the true nature of the “mysterious apparition” seems to dispel the current rumor that Chua agents of DRED had infused Exile water sources with an unidentified psychotropic substance. Field tests on known psychotropics substances should cease immediately.

Lore

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KEY FINDINGS:

– The Eldan were studying an extremely virulent biological agent that they had designated “the Strain.”

– According to Drusera, the Strain appeared soon after the creation of the Genesis Prime. The details surrounding its origins are still disturbingly unclear.

– The Eldan were unsuccessful in developing an effective defense against the Strain. Given the horrendous condition of the infected organisms within Exo-Lab X-39, this fact is extremely
concerning.

CONCLUSIONS:

The information collected in Exo-Lab X-39 is both enlightening and disturbing. First and foremost, this facility had been tightly secured by the Eldan, who appeared to believe it required the highest level of quarantine from the outside world. It was only with the assistance of Drusera that we were able to bypass the advanced security measures and observe the organisms inside.

Those observations were indeed frightening. According to Drusera, the virulent biological
infection known as the Strain appeared not long after her creation. Datacube recordings reveal that the Eldan were both impressed and concerned with its capability to infect and transform any biological creature that it came in contact with.

Although the evidence is so-far inconclusive, it has been theorized that the Eldan were somehow responsible for engineering the Strain. What is clear is that they were unable to create an effective vaccine against its effects, despite the advanced level of their
technology. Drusera seemed particularly concerned by this fact. It appears that she was hoping to discover information to the contrary.

Could the Strain be what was ultimately responsible for the Eldan’s disappearance? If so, why haven’t we discovered any examples of the infection outside of this exo-lab? At this point, we seem to have more questions than we do answers. We can only hope Drusera contacts us again soon.

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ADDITIONAL

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– The XAS wishes to reiterate, particularly to the esteemed Dr. Lazarin, that XAS members are NOT authorized to obtain a sample of the Strain for their “own personal studies.”

Lore

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KEY FINDINGS:

– The origin of the Strain has now been identified. It appears that it was created by an intelligent biological anomaly that calls itself “the Entity.”

– The Entity was extremely interested in the operative who ventured through the portal into the cave, especially because of their recent interactions with Drusera.

– Based on the events in the cave, it would appear that the Entity has the power to create life based on another organism’s “primal
pattern.”

CONCLUSIONS:

Our search for the Eldan has taken a darker and more horrific turn. As before, our capable operative entered the portal that appeared at the archaeological site outside of Thayd – but instead of finding Drusera, they were confronted by a malevolent presence that eventually revealed itself as “the Entity.”

The frightening nature of this being can hardly be described in this report. Along with being physically terrifying, it seems possessed of advanced intelligence and an
intimate knowledge of the Eldan and their activities on planet Nexus. During the encounter, the Entity stated that it was also one of the Eldan’s creations, that it was responsible for the Strain, and that Drusera was not telling the entire truth of what transpired here.

The Entity seemed extremely interested in our operative, and was curious as to why Drusera had singled them out. Even more alarming, after subjecting our operative to a series of harrowing “scientific” tests, it used the operative’s
“primal pattern” to create a unique humanoid Strain mutation it called “the Skurge.” We can only assume that these abominations will play a future role in the highly volatile circumstances unfolding here.

It seems a foregone conclusion that the Entity had something to do with the Eldan’s disappearance, but the true nature of its involvement has yet to be discovered. Based on these most recent observations, we have delivered a strong warning to the Exile Council, and FCON has been put on high alert.
It appears that this Entity has larger plans, undoubtedly diabolical, and our ability to control the situation is questionable at best.

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ADDITIONAL

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– It has come to our attention that “Deadeye” Brightland has recently offered to “acquaint this Entity with some bullets.” Although we appreciate the bounty hunter’s willingness to offer his services,
it is the recommendation of XAS Logistics that we do not take him up on his offer. I have asked for volunteers to relay this information to Mr. Brightland, but none have yet come forth.

Lore

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KEY FINDINGS:

– The being known as Drusera seems to possess almost unlimited powers, including the ability to manifest matter using only her mind.

– The Entity is aware of Drusera’s capabilities and appears to be intent on somehow obtaining those powers for itself.

– Despite her apparent omnipotence, Drusera seems powerless against the Entity.

CONCLUSIONS:

The events which recently transpired within the alleged “pocket in time and space,” however
enlightening, do not bode well for the success of this investigation, nor for the survival of our fledgling Exile civilization on planet Nexus.

One fact does indeed seem certain: that the power of the Genesis Prime, the being we now call Drusera, is almost limitless. On many occasions during this most recent encounter, she appeared to possess the ability to manifest matter and create life at will. This very fact alone might be considered the most significant scientific discovery in our history, or
perhaps in the history of the universe itself.

Taking into account all of our collected knowledge about the Nexus Project, it would seem that the purpose of the Genesis Prime was to facilitate the Eldan’s desire to perfect creation – and from our observations, it would appear that they were successful. Drusera is gifted with near-omnipotence. There is almost nothing that she is incapable of.

Yet the threat of the Entity looms ever larger. Drusera greatly fears this biological abomination, and her
powers seem considerably less effective against the Strain. Despite her assurances that our operative was safe inside the anomalous space-time location, the Entity and its minions appeared there and destroyed everything that Drusera had so easily created. During this event, Drusera herself fled the scene – seemingly frightened to confront the Entity face-to-face.

Drusera has stated on more than one occasion that the Entity wants her powers for itself. If that eventuality were to somehow take place, the
consequences for planet Nexus, as well as the universe beyond, would be unimaginably catastrophic.

What conclusions can we draw at this point? The fate of the Eldan is somehow inextricably tied to the creation of the Genesis Prime, as well as the emergence of the Entity. But the relationship between these two is complex and frustratingly opaque. We can only hope that Drusera can give us further insight into what is happening before it is too late for us all.

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ADDITIONAL

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– Commander Stonebreaker’s most recent request has been soundly rejected. The supply requisition stating that his troops need increased beer rations “because of science” will under no circumstances receive official XAS approval or sign-off.

Lore

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KEY FINDINGS:

– The Eldan considered the Entity to be extremely dangerous, and attempted to destroy it in the Terminus Complex.

– The power of the Entity was too great, and the Eldan were instead destroyed.

– Arriving too late to save the Eldan, Drusera imprisoned the Entity in the Lightspire – knowing that the prison would not last forever.

CONCLUSIONS:

It appears that the question concerning the fate of the Eldan has finally been answered.

Based on the data collected during the Terminus Complex incident, it has been confirmed that the Eldan were indeed destroyed by the Entity. This fact comes as no surprise to the XAS, given the data that we have collected throughout our research here on Nexus.

According to Drusera, and corroborated by information extracted from datacubes throughout the complex, the Eldan attempted to destroy the Entity near the end of the Nexus Project. Unfortunately, the creature broke free of its restraints and
laid waste to the facility. It also appears that the Eldan were eradicated during this event as well. If any remain on the planet, we have yet to discover them.

Having arrived too late to help her creators, it appears that Drusera used her considerable powers to imprison the Entity in the monolithic exanite structure known as the Lightspire. It has now been imprisoned there almost a thousand years. According to Drusera, it won’t hold the beast for much longer.

What exactly does this mean?
First and foremost, it appears as if the Entity we have observed is merely a projection of the actual creature – not unlike Drusera herself. If indeed this is the case, then the true power of the Entity must be mind-boggling.

Secondly, despite her considerable capabilities, Drusera does not appear to have the ability to destroy the Entity. If the Eldan considered Drusera a god, then the Entity should be afforded the same status.

Further questions come to mind. Where, exactly, is Drusera?
If she is truly the Genesis Prime, then why can’t she destroy the Entity? Although her assistance has been extremely enlightening, there are still aspects of her story that are either unclear or misleading. Can we actually trust her? Do we have a choice?

The XAS has made a recommendation to the Exile Council that mass evacuation protocols be prepared for Exiles across planet Nexus. Of course, if the Entity escapes, such measures will more than likely be meaningless.

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ADDITIONAL

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– Despite these growing tensions, or perhaps because of them, Queen Myala Everstar has reiterated her intention to “hug each and every Exile on planet Nexus.” The XAS has been asked to analyze the physical and psychological benefits of such a program. Efforts at doing so are ongoing.

Lore

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OBSERVATIONS:

– As already reported, Dominion forces successfully managed to infiltrate Megatech Station, eluded or eliminated all perimeter resistance, sabotaged the tower controls, destroyed a wing of Hellfire tanks, dispatched a sizable estimate of Megatech troopers and bots, permanently dismantled an enemy War Construct, and neutralized four Exile mercenary
squads along with a Warbot before unleashing the Eldan Annihilator held there to destroy the entire facility. That these accomplishments were all the work of a single agent serves as still further proof of the shoddiness of Exile defenses.

– While our operative was able with minimal interfacing to reprogram the Annihilator, the full range of its destructive capabilities is still uncertain. Speculations as to the unit’s original annihilatees remains under debate, with popular theories
ranging from tectonic reconfiguration and satellite creation to repelling trespassers. But who such trespassers could have been remains unanswered and perhaps unanswerable.

– Though a laudable act, the total destruction of the facility and its hundreds of on-site Exile personnel does leave us guessing on several fronts: was the prevalence of cybernetic security forces a purely tactical decision or had the Exiles made progress in analyzing the Annihilator’s circuitry?
If the latter, perhaps the timing of our assault was even more auspicious than anticipated.

HYPOTHESES:

– While the assault is being widely (and rightly) hailed as a military success, a surprising amount of useful intel on the Eldan was also gleaned in the process. We now know that for all their omnipotence the Eldan still felt the need for external security units. Large ones. This strongly suggests either vigilance against a previously unrecorded threat or simply distaste for their activities being
observed. Which of these proves the case, only time will tell.

– Furthermore, considering the speed with which even Exile scholars were able to bring the Annihilator online, we can also safely assume that it is self-powered, technically accessible, and almost certainly not the only of its kind. Sweeps for comparable energy signatures in unmapped regions are already in progress.

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RECOMMENDATIONS:

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– While FCON reports corroborate that the Exiles’ ability to construct another research emplacement in the region will not be possible soon, that the present whereabouts of the Annihilator is uncertain is an ongoing topic of concern. While our operative’s decision to board a transport ship in order to survive the explosion is understandable, the failure to observe the Annihilator’s probable destination, let alone pilot it back to base for more extensive reconditioning, is very much regretted.

Lore

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OBSERVATIONS:

– Although the disappearance of the Elder Cube within mere moments of its obtainment was admittedly a failure, it was at least a highly instructive one. While we are still sifting through all the implications of the reports, several new revelations have already put our research far ahead. Not least among these is the confirmed existence of the Elder Cube itself, and with some degree of certainty its continued existence on Nexus.

– That the Eldan used Skeech as test specimens has already been well archived. That some remain not only preserved but alive would seem to be the result of properties inherent in the environment and not the Skeech themselves. Dissection by the newly dispatched teams should settle the issue, interference by the Caretaker or construct reinforcements notwithstanding.

HYPOTHESES:

-The notion that the Elder Cube “rejected” Artemis Zin on genetic grounds or according to criteria for which
we have no template should be investigated, but seems unlikely. The Caretaker’s central role would seem to preclude this possibility, as he/it made no direct reference to such hurdles. Moreover, Zin herself was not the operative who physically recovered the key fragments.
To all of which we must add the by no means inconsequential fact that she survived its ostensible rejection.

– Where then did the Elder Cube go? Unknown. Was its relocation the desired outcome all along, either on the Caretaker’s part or the Cube’s? Failure as an integral stepping-stone to all solutions is a critical Eldan concept that we have seen exemplified time and again.

– Again we see evidence that they linked prestige with intellectual challenge.
While this assertion alone is of mild intrinsic value, it is comforting to note that, godlike as they were, the Eldan were not incapable of hubris. They consistently saw themselves as “gladiators of the mind” pitting their wits against the deepest secrets of the universe. We are thus encouraged that their motives and therefore artifacts are within the scope of our understanding.

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RECOMMENDATIONS:

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-Further data is required, especially regarding the capabilities of the guardians of other yet undiscovered labs. While our operative performed adequately under the circumstances, it would have been of interest to see their disposal methods of trespassers. An expedition along these lines is already being assembled.