Guide

Map

Wilderrun

1.

The Zax Abides

Lore

[This appears to be an excerpt from an unauthorized, quite complementary, and questionably factual biography of Mondo Zax.]

THE ZAX ABIDES
by Naxod Moz, biographer

CHAPTER 4: Rise of the Zax
Time had come for the Zax to make his move. Many enemies had gone by the wayside. Many more to go. But now the path to power had never been clearer. All that was left was to get rid of the obstacles.

What’s this? Surprise! Next day, seven members of
Royal Collegium leadership go missing. Bad time to plan vacation trip to Mikros. Worse time to land on Mikros. Super-duper WORST time to visit Mikros, land there, and walk off of privately owned ship wearing no identification marking you as important Dominion officials. Draken take Days of Rage very very seriously. See offworlders land in middle of big bloody festival? Time to kill! Too bad leaders of Collegium got dates and mixed up. Too bad leaders of Collegium don’t check
their own stupid data. Too bad leaders of Collegium rely too much on bots and computers to do thinking. TOO BAD FOR THEM!

At least, that is very popular theory. Pieces of Collegium leaders never actually found.

The Zax abides.

Uh-oh! Big big power vacuum at top of Collegium. Time for the Zax to move in. Yes?

No!

Turns out stupid Royal Collegium have big “meritocracy” system. Seven leaders gone? Seven more swoop in to take their place! Stupid Collegium.
The Zax was right there. Ready to lead the Collegium to glory! Also, explosions! More explosions than stupid Collegium leaders can even count! But so what? No big deal.

The Zax abides.

Seven new leaders of Collegium take precautions. Guards. Poison-sniffer bots. Canceled vacation plans. New Collegium leaders think they are so smart! But not smarter than the Zax. The Zax needs no Collegium. The Zax just needs the Zax! And a small weapons research division
that can grow to rival Collegium in power, but with weapons instead of stupid generic science with no weapons. A Dominion Research and Experimentation Division.

Collegium want to waste time with science of what? Food? History? Plants? DRED wastes no time! If it not kill, or explode, or turn enemy inside-out and ooey-gooey, DRED no want it!

So let leaders of Collegium have their way. Let leaders of Collegium smile and dilly
and dally and do nothing useful. The Zax and DRED will lead the way!

And the Zax abides.

Guide

Map

Wilderrun

1.

Torine Battle Log

Lore

The dead keep coming. The hordes of the corrupted dead do not stop. They do not sleep. No matter how many we kill, more come.

When our sisters fall in battle, the horde corrupts their bodies. Our sisters rise up again and attack. When our sisters are wounded, the horde corrupts their bodies. They turn on us and attack. The dead are forever changed.

The infestation can corrupt without killing. Many of the creatures attacking us look familiar. We have fought these creatures before,
but they are different. Their appearance is… disturbing.

I saw Liveria changed after one bite. That was not enough to kill her, but it did change her. She now has teeth in her arm. Teeth that bite. We needed seventeen arrows to take her down.

We are not the only hunters fighting these creatures. We have seen glimpses of outsiders in the jungle. Their weapons are very different from ours, but clearly they are not strong enough. The outsiders are dying, too.

Some believe we should work
with the outsiders. No one can agree on this. We do not trust them, but the outsiders cannot possibly be worse than the corrupted ones.

Of course, the outsiders may not trust us. Our sisters have tested their strength many times, and sometimes, we kill them. The outsiders may attack us on sight, but if the hordes keep coming, the outsiders may not be strong enough to attack us.

We have worked with outsiders before, long ago, but never for long. I have heard of their treachery,
but if we cannot find a way to work with them, we may all die.

I am leaving the camp to speak with them. I am bringing five sisters with me.

If I do not come back, you will know what has happened.

Guide

Map

Wilderrun

1.

The Emissary’s Creed

Lore

We, the chosen sisters of the Toria, may she ever wield the blade, do swear to serve as Vitara’s emissaries to the outsiders.
To treat with the outsiders and learn their ways.
To make peace with those who would be enemies, and strike pacts with those who would in their ignorance strike at Vitara or seek to slay the holy Blademother for her perceived crimes.

We swear these things not out of trust or fealty to the outsiders. Nor do we seek to become as they are, to use their heretical
machines, to sail the stars above where no swordmaiden can stand tall.

We swear these things for one reason, and one reason alone.
To fight that which seems unbeatable. To destroy that which may be indestructible. To annihilate with the living power of Vitara that infinite darkness which represents all that she is not.

And so we, the Emissaries of Vitara, swear this above all: we will wield any weapon, accept any ally, and sacrifice all to
defeat the Strain. For if the Strain defeats Holy Vitara and conquers this world, it will be the end. Not just for Vitara, or those who serve her… but for all life in the universe.

Guide

Map

Wilderrun

1.

Spiders of Nexus

Lore

Day Seven

Our tour of the caves of Nexus has utterly failed to live up to my expectations. I cannot believe I actually left my post at Cassus University to study the arachnids of this backwater world!
Remains of smaller specimens indicate the local species have the same abilities as their multi-legged brethren off-world. Tensile strength of their spider webs conforms to expected parameters. Tiny mammalian bodies drained of blood confirm that the local species use
typical hunting routines. Many of the bodies were injected with a paralytic poison. Subterranean tunnels show that smaller specimens are capable of burrowing.

This is all rather pedestrian. I could have found similar specimens back on Cassus.

Our study does have one twist, however: according to local legend, a bizarre alien artifact nearby encourages many of the local living creatures to thrive. The populations are supposed to be much larger than average for an
area this size.

So far, the results have been disappointing. This is a tragic waste of my time and intellect.

Day Eight

I WAS WRONG. I WAS SO INCREDIBLY WRONG.

Those smaller species we found weren’t representative of the local population. THOSE CREATURES WERE THEIR OFFSPRING. To think! If their young grow to that size, how large are their parents?

We’ve been sleeping within modest force fields and insect netting to ensure our safety, but clearly, our
precautions HAVE PROVED INSUFFICIENT.

I woke up this morning to discover my traveling companion has vanished!

Something has devoured most of the netting. A trail of blood confirms that the spiders actually dragged his body away! How could so many of them coordinate their efforts? How could they do it so silently? And more importantly, WHY DIDN’T I WAKE UP?

Their poisons must be especially potent. Thankfully, I don’t see any signs of tiny spider bites on my skin.

I must follow these tracks, but I dread the thought of having to slaughter an entire swarm to rescue my companion. Our supplies include enough fuel to rig a crude incendiary device. I do not want to waste the fuel, but if his life is on the line, I may have no choice.

I’m off to follow the tracks.

Day Eight: Addendum

The trail leads farther than I thought.

Day Nine

IT’S NOT A SWARM. IT’S ONE SPIDER! IT’S AS BIG AS A
HOVERBIKE!

SENDING TRANSMISSION. SEND HELP.
GOOD LUCK. GODSPEED.
GOODBYE.

Guide

Researcher Anton’s Field Journal obtainable for Dominion.

Researcher Anton’s Field Journal Dominion Map Location.

Map

Wilderrun

1.

Researcher Anton’s Field Journal

Lore

Expedition Day 7
The infestation is dire. It spreads quickly and envelops all around it, twisting creatures, contorting them into ravenous monstrosities. Last week a large grazer buck was bitten by a corrupted garr. Now, green spittle flows freely from the buck’s maw and bulbous sacs of pus protrude from its body, violently popping every so often. Most animals keep a good distance from the Strain, but it has overtaken the area’s prime food and water
sources, leaving wildlife little choice but to risk contamination.

Expedition Day 8
Confound it! Last night a varmint sneaked into camp and coated all of my materials in muck before I chased it away. I cleaned up as delicately as I could, but nevertheless managed to wipe some of the filth onto my brow. Already the bio-phage is taking hold. Odd bumps dot my face and my skin seems to be hardening into some kind of shell. I also feel strong, able to lift
great weights with ease. I must work quickly to finish my latest antidote formula, though it shall likely be my last.

[The text on the next page resembles haphazard scratches, each letter varying greatly in size and shape]

Expedition Day ???
My spine has become twisted and my limbs elongated. I fight back urges to kill, but that compulsion grows stronger. I feel I am fading away. I can no longer remember the name of my wife. My children. May they
never suffer this fate.

[The rest of the journal is nothing but smudges of green and orange. Indecipherable scribbles are strewn erratically about the journal. There are no further entries.]