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Outer Wilds - The World • XXI: The Journey is Complete

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Voltgloss
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Outer Wilds - The World • XXI: The Journey is Complete

Post by Voltgloss »

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    Outer Wilds - 0 - preparations and tutorials
    Outer Wilds - still 0 - last bit of study before we head off
    Outer Wilds - 1 - the first days goes about like how you would expect
    Outer Wilds - 2 through 5 - a mouse in a briar bush full of cats
    Outer Wilds - 6 to 9 - destroy the world etc.
    Outer Wilds - 10 - that thing I see whenever I wake up
    Outer Wilds - 11 - none of the planets are just normal
    Outer Wilds - 12 - the wildest revelations are so close to home
    Outer Wilds - 13 - a big ol' rock
    Outer Wilds - 14 - whisked away (repeatedly)
    Outer Wilds - 15, 16, 17 - every possible cosmic horrors happening all at once
    Outer Wilds - 18 - treasure buried in the sand
    Outer Wilds - 19 & 20 - a floating chunk of rock and ice
    Outer Wilds - 21 - nomai's secret slide
    Outer Wilds - 22 - giant's hate
    Outer Wilds - 23 & 24 - learning the nomai strats
    Outer Wilds - 25 - earn your degree in two simple lectures
    Outer Wilds - 26 - associate quantum engineer degree
    Outer Wilds - 27 & 28 - lost in time/space
    Outer Wilds - 29 - a conversation
    Outer Wilds - 30 & 31 - back to our regular scheduled programming
    Outer Wilds - 32 - massive dead animals
    Outer Wilds - 33 - two landmasses meeting one another under a stormy sky
    Outer Wilds - 34 & 35 - every day life of the nomai
    Outer Wilds - 36☆ - if you see a star by the video number, that means I'm squarely in DLC zone
    Outer Wilds - 37-39 - dead-end leads to black hole leads to cacti
    Outer Wilds - 40 & 41 - might as well be walking on the sun
    Outer Wilds - 42 - ice world platforming
    Outer Wilds - 43 - ☇ 🎗️⚡
    Outer Wilds - 44 - beginning of the third act
    Outer Wilds - 45 & 46 - gone fishin'
    Outer Wilds - 47 - giant's deep and dark bramble are not the same planets
    Outer Wilds - 48-50 - three deaths? must be a bramble episode
    Outer Wilds - 51 - incredibly close, impossibly far
    Outer Wilds - 52 - home is where the hearthians are
    Outer Wilds - 53☆ - around the world in less than twenty minutes
    Outer Wilds - 54☆ - science can and will be painful
    Outer Wilds - 55☆ - abusing my incidental ability to stop time momentarily so that I can watch movies
    Outer Wilds - 56☆ - a machine that goes clickety-clackety and isn't on fire
    Outer Wilds - 57☆ - hearthian reacts to unknown sorrowful alien species 👀 ✔️#cryingirl
    Outer Wilds - 58☆ - paradise is a place where you can't see anything
    Outer Wilds - 59 & 60☆ - the lawnmower hearthian
    Outer Wilds - 61☆ - assumptions
    Outer Wilds - 62☆ - i have too many crumbs please someone buy my bread
    Outer Wilds - 63☆ - three hidden spots
    Outer Wilds - 64 & 65☆ - it's forbidden heretic movie night!
    Outer Wilds - 66☆ - quick and easy wrongwarp tutorial
    Outer Wilds - 67☆ - a dead man hears no lies
    Outer Wilds - 68 to 70☆ - the spooky part
    Outer Wilds - 70 & 71☆ - a conversation, part 2
    Outer Wilds - 73 to 75 - a messy return
    Outer Wilds - 76 & 77 - gravity squeeze
    Outer Wilds - 77 - doing all the right things
    Outer Wilds - Final - ℝ - destroying the world, preserving what's inside
    Last edited by Voltgloss 1 year ago, edited 64 times in total.
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    Voltgloss
    Ask, and you shall be given. Think, and you shall find.
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    Outer Wilds

    Post by Voltgloss »

    TIMBER HEARTH

    Ship's Logs
    Village
    -The one and only Hearthian village, as well as the main source of explosions on this planet.
    -The Nomai statue in the observatory opened its eyes and looked at me! I saw strange glowing lights and my own memories flashed before my eyes.
    -Hal says the statue has never opened its eyes before (despite Hornfels’ best efforts).
    NPCs
    Slate
    "There's our pilot! Back from your pre-launch campout under the stars, I see. So it's Launch Day, eh? Seems like only yesterday you joined the space program, and suddenly here you are, leaving on your first solo voyage. What do you say - ready to get this beauty off the ground? It's all fueled up and ready to go!"
    >All systems go!
    "Glad you're excited, but remember, if you wreck the ship I'm not building you a new one. I'm not made of lightweight reentry grade aluminum alloys, you know. Anyway, you'll need to get the launch codes from Hornfels at the observatory before you can lift off. Just bring those here once you've said your goodbyes or whatever."
    {after receiving launch codes}
    “Looks like you’re ready for takeoff! The excitement of a launch is fun and all, but I can’t wait to get back to working on the new ship. We’re working on fixing the autopilot’s avoidance system for this one! ...Uh, sorry.”
    {second loop}
    "Oh, hold up, you’re going to want to get the launch codes from the observatory first."
    >I already got them from the observatory, remember?
    “Huh. Must be inhaling more fumes than I realized. That stuff is potent. Well, if you’ve got the codes, I’m not gonna stop you. Good luck, and take care of that ship!”
    {third loop}
    “There’s our pilot! Ready to get this beauty off the ground? Hey, what can I do you for?”
    >You’re lucky I’m in a time loop, because otherwise I’d be super dead.
    “And you’re lucky I don’t have you grounded for medical reasons, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    {after visiting Stranger}
    "Hey, hold up a sec!"
    >Yeah yeah yeah, I already know about the launch codes.
    "What? No, I was going to tell you about using the ship log to set destination markers for locations you’ve visited before. It’s a brilliant feature, if I say so myself. Dead useful. And the risk it poses of shorting out the fuel regulator and causing the ship to explode is so minimal that only Gossan would worry about it."
    >Wait, so how do I use it?
    "When you’re on your ship, open up its log to the location you want to mark. Anywhere’s fine, as long as you’ve been there at least once. Hop in the pilot seat, and the ship will throw up a destination marker on your display. It’s that easy."
    "“Wow, Slate! How do you come up with these incredible ideas?” Oh, I do the best I can with what I’ve got. Really, you’re too kind."
    >This was extraordinarily convenient timing. Thanks!
    "Sure thing, hatchling!"
    "Anyway, I’ve got a fire to enjoy, and you’ve got launch codes to grab. Go wild with the marking feature while you're out there. Just, uh, try not to follow it so directly you fly into the sun, okay?"

    Mica
    “Hey, it's you! Slate said you're blasting off in your ship today. I'm really excited to see the launch! Aren't you gonna go into space? Aren't you? You better not have changed your mind!”
    >Hey, I'm still going!
    “You better be! It's been forever since anyone launched into space. I really, really want to see it. Really bad. Hey, you want to try out my model ship? Slate says it's just like the real thing, only less likely to start a fire.”
    {after model crash}
    “Wow, that was just like the time the external fuel tanks exploded on reentry! You'll... you'll be okay flying the big one, right?”

    Porphy
    “Heyo, hatchling! I hear you're leaving us to seek adventure amongst the stars. When you return, let's you, me, and Gossan open up a bottle of the Good Stuff.”
    >I'm only seeking adventure amongst one star, actually. Other stars are too far away.
    “Another metaphor ruined in the name of scientific accuracy.
    Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy your travels. Good luck!”

    Rutile
    “You're actually blasting off in that thing, huh?”
    >I'm told my odds of survival are statistically quite high.
    “Yeah, the space program's certainly come a long way. I should probably thank you for causing fewer flash fires than your predecessors. By the way, good luck with those retro rockets.”

    Marl
    "So it's launch day, huh? Hal's going to miss you. Speaking of launch day... I was thinking about it, and the platform those ships launch from is getting old. Isn't about time you built a new, less flammable one? That big tree in the village would be the perfect choice. I wouldn't mind helping out the space program. Just say the word!"
    >The launch pad is FLAMMABLE?!
    "Ha! You didn't realize that? Don't worry, it's held up for all the launches so far. It'll definitely be fine for yours. Probably."

    Gneiss
    “Hello there, space cadet! I hear you're leaving the crater today. If you meet any of the other travelers up there, remind them to take proper care of their instruments, won't you?”
    >Tell me about the travelers' instruments.
    “Oh, sure! I made all of their instruments, you know. Let me see... There's Chert's drums, Riebeck's banjo, and Gabbro's flute. And Feldspar's harmonica, of course, though Feldspar's been missing for a long time. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday they were playing their harmonica around the campfire... Anyway, you hear music in space, that'll be one of the space program's other travelers. If you feel like company, you can always pull out your signalscope and track them down.”

    Tephra
    "Hullo, astronaut!"
    >What's with the radio?
    "We wanted to play hide and seek, but Moraine won't let us borrow their signalscope because it's “really delicate” and “not supposed to be thrown around like that.” Hey, hey, can we use your Signalscope? Can we? Can we, please? We'll even let you be “it”!"
    >Sorry, can't today.
    "Awww, really? But we can't play without a Signalscope... Play with us later, okay?"
    {later on}
    "Hullo, astronaut! Are you going into space today? Are you going into space and never coming back like Feldspar did?"
    >...What?
    "Yeah, um, Hornfels says Feldspar went away into space and didn’t come back. Hornfels says Feldspar was the best pilot ever, but no one knows what happened to them."
    >That's not something I want to think about right now.
    "But if Feldspar disappeared, you might disappear, too, right? You’re not as good as Feldspar, so you should be really careful not to get lost."

    Galena
    “... Good luck in space”

    Spinel
    "Fishing rhyme, fishing rhyme... Singing helps me pass the time.
    You're leaving the crater? Guess we'll all be a little busier without you around to lend a hand. That big water planet, Giant's Deep - that's where I'd go."
    >Why's that?
    "One time, after the rest of the village had left to sleep and it was just the two of us sitting around the campfire, Gabbro told me about their first trip to Giant's Deep. They landed their ship easily enough in the waves, but couldn't see too far down, on account of how murky the water was, I guess. Too dark. Gabbro wanted to see what lay beneath the surface, so they decided to travel deeper. They traveled down, and down... But suddenly, Gabbro couldn't go any further."
    >Tell me more.
    "I will, I was just pausing dramatically. As though exercising a will of its own, the water was refusing to let Gabbro go any deeper. It held Gabbro back. ...Almost as if it were trying to protect them from something. And then, in the terrible darkness, Gabbro saw it...! The tentacle of some hideous beast!"
    >AHHH!
    "I mean, that's what Gabbro said, anyway. Whatever it was, it freaked Gabbro out pretty good. Everyone wants to hear new stories at the village campfire, you know. Make sure you bring some back with you!"

    Gossan
    “Hey, I thought I might see you before the big launch. Nerves getting the better of you?”
    >I’m a little nervous, yeah.
    “Good. Everyone should be a bit nervous going into space. I got cocky during my first flight and nearly put a new crater in the moon. Still, I was never as green as you.”
    >Hey, I’ve gotten better!
    “Think so, do you? Feel like proving it to your old flight coach? There’s a “satellite” — which is definitely not just a piece of broken mining equipment — set up down in the zero-g cave and in need of repairs. If you’re looking for a little last-minute zero-g practice, head down the lift and into the cave. Or don’t, so long as you’re confident you can make ship repairs in space.”
    >One repaired “satellite,” coming up!
    “Cool. Get to it, and try not to concuss yourself right before your first launch.”
    {After repairing the 'satellite'}
    “Nicely done! Of course, it’ll be a little more stressful when you’re hurtling through space, but just remember your training and try not to hit anything big. I can see you’re itching to get off this rock, so go get the launch codes from the observatory and get out of here already. Best of luck out there! And hey, try to avoid getting yourself killed now that I’ve put so much time into training you, got it?”

    Tuff
    "Hey, hey. Nice of you to drop down."
    >I'm getting some zero-g time in.
    "So you're going in there? In the cave? Hnnngh... What? No, I'm fine. Great. Great and fine."
    >You don't look fine...
    "Well you know I hate that cave so I don't know why you're making me talk about it. Fweh... now I've got hand sweats."

    Arkose
    "Hi, astronaut! You know the patch of ghost matter inside this fence? Gossan said it used to be bigger when they were a hatchling. 'Cause ghost matter evaporates. It just takes a su-u-u-per long time to go away. I hope there's still ghost matter in the village when I'm a grown-up. Ghost matter is awesome!"
    >You know ghost matter is how Tektite lost their foot, right?
    "Whoa, really?! ...That is so cool!"

    Hal
    “Hey, hey, it’s my favorite astronaut! Launch day at last, huh, buddy? it’s the translator tool’s inaugural flight, too! I’m so excited it’s making me nauseous. Just think — you’ll be able to translate any Nomai text you want, anywhere you are. The two of us put a lot of hours into inventing that tool, so don’t break it, okay? Haha! ...Oh, geez. Do not break it.
    ...Ugh, ignore me, okay? I’m just nervous. And I’m not even the one going into space! How are you feeling?”
    >I’m excited!
    “Good! You’ve only been waiting for this day since we were hatchlings. I can’t wait to see all your training pay off!”
    “So what’s the dirt? You here to see the new Nomai statue?”
    >New statue?
    “You haven’t heard? Gabbro brought it back with them from Giant’s Deep, and Hornfels just finished prepping it for display. This is it right here. Neat, huh? Makes me wish we could see what a real live Nomai looks like, but I guess this is as close as we’ll ever get. Check it out — looks like they had fur! Fur is weird. This is the first fully intact statue ever found, you know. And for how old it is, it’s in great shape! ...Ah geez, I got a little carried away there. Go on, you have a ship to launch! Take care of yourself out there, you hear?”
    {after statue experience}
    “Hey, hey! So did you get a good look at that Nomai statue?”
    >The statue was glowing! Why was it glowing?!
    “Whoa, whoa — the statue was doing what? So its eyes opened, and then you saw images from your own memories and glowing lights flying around? You mean like a hallucination? Listen, no offense, but… are you sure you’re okay to launch? Like, medically speaking?”
    >No, that statue is definitely weird.
    “I mean, if you’re saying it happened, then… I guess maybe it did. But why? Hornfels tried everything to get the statue’s eyes to open, and nothing like this ever happened to them. I don’t think you’re going to get any answers from the museum statue, but Gabbro said they were going back to Giant’s Deep. Dunno which island they’re on, though. Maybe they’d be able to tell you more? On the other hand, Gabbro’s, y’know, Gabbro, so maybe you’d be better off searching for more info on your own. ...Geez, now I’m really jealous you’re going into space! Hey, see if you can use our translator tool to find out more about the statue, okay? Good luck, and safe flying!”
    {second loop}
    "Hey, I was just about to come find you! Look look look, you’ve gotta see this — the Nomai statue’s eyes are open! They, uh, used to be closed. Probably should’ve started with that. And now they’ve opened! We’re not sure why they opened, since no one actually saw it happen, but this is huge news! Should someone tell Gabbro? Or maybe Riebeck? Oh, stars, this is so exciting, it’s making my stomach hurt!"

    Hornfels
    “There you are! I just finished pre-flight observations, and local conditions are good. Time to get our newest astronaut off the ground! And you’ll be our first astronaut ever equipped with a Nomai translator tool! I confess, I’ve been giddy all day just thinking about it. We’re better equipped than ever to unravel the mysteries of the Nomai. You and Hal should be very proud of your work! Tell me, what’s your plan once you’re in space?”
    >I’m going to learn more about the Nomai.
    “I might have guessed as much! No sense in making a translator tool if you’re not going to use it to translate anything. We’ve barely scratched the surface of the Nomai writing in our solar system, so we still know very little about them. We’ve no idea if they originated here or traveled here, or why they disappeared. That tool of yours should prove indispensible in solving the mystery of this ancient species!”
    “Well then, looks like all that’s left is to send you off! All in all, it’s a fine day for a launch!”
    >I’m ready to get off this rock!
    “Excellent! You’ll be needing the launch codes, then. Here they are. Best get off the ground before Slate makes any more modifications to your ship, eh? Good luck out there! Let me know if I can help you with anything.” {Launch Codes received}
    {second loop}
    “Hey, look at this - the statue opened its eyes! Bet you wish you’d seen that happen, huh? Sigh... Me, too. I’m not even a little closer to understanding what’s going on with this statue.”
    “Was there something you needed?”
    >Where are the other travelers?
    “Well, let’s see... Chert is on the Hourglass Twins, Riebeck is on Brittle Hollow, and Gabbro is on Giant’s Deep. And... there’s Feldspar, obviously, but of course we don’t know where they are, or if they’re even still alive. Feldspar has been lost for a very long time, I’m afraid.”
    >Tell me more about Feldspar.
    “Feldspar was one of the four founding members of Outer Wilds, along with our flight coach Gossan, Slate the engineer, and me. As ground control and later the museum curator, I didn’t work with Feldspar as closely as Slate and Gossan did. I can tell you Feldspar was absolutely fearless, though. Nothing scared them. Test-piloted everything Slate ever built! It’s a wonder Feldspar lived to see space, frankly, but they did. Flew all sorts of dangerous stunts and explored everything they could find. And then one day, they just... didn’t come back. We don’t know what happened, or where Feldspar went, or even whether they’re still alive. It’s been a long time since they left.”
    >No thanks, I'm good.
    "Take care!"

    Tektite
    "Heyo, hatchling! Thought you were taking that tin can of yours into space today — what’re you still doing here?
    Me? I saw something crash over the horizon and didn’t like what I was seeing in the pictures my Little Scout was sending back, so I thought I’d come over here myself and take a look."
    >Is that a Dark Bramble seed?
    "You think so? It’s nothing I’ve ever seen on Timber Hearth before, so you’re probably onto something there."
    "Whatever it is, it put down roots in a hurry. I don’t like the look of this thing, hatchling, and that’s a fact. Think I’ll set Marl and Hal loose on it. Best get rid of this mess sooner rather than later, and no one can remove an unwanted plant faster than a tree keeper can. I’ll have to get a look at what’s inside the seed, first, though. Don’t want to set anybody to hacking up a potentially dangerous plant without a better idea of what’s lurking inside there. Tuff can help me haul the old scout launcher over here. Obviously the opening is too small for someone to fit inside, and anyway, I’m not gonna blindly stick my hands into anything that looks as unpleasant as that seed does. That’s a good way to lose an arm or two."
    Notes and Signs
    Outer Wilds Ventures Presents: Postcards from Orbit
    - This projector is linked to our "Sky Shutter" satellite, which is currently orbiting Timber Hearth. The satellite is equipped with two onboard cameras. See if you can take a snapshot of our village!

    Museum - Feldspar's pilot seat
    - This pilot seat, used by pioneering astronaut Feldspar, is all that remains of our inaugural flight into space. Although it’s been argued such a distinction requires a breathtakingly liberal definition of flight, that day will nevertheless always be remembered as landmark achievement in Hearthian history.

    Fenced-Off Ghost Matter
    - DANGER! Inside this fence is a pocket of ghost matter - a strange and dangerous substance that’s invisible to the naked eyes. The good news is that you can detect ghost matter with a camera. Moving through ghost matter is uniquely painful and will probably kill you. Don’t complain to me if you hurt yourself fooling around. -Hornfels

    Zero-G Cave
    - Hey! Come say hi to your old flight coach before your launch. I’ve got zero-g training set up if you want a refresher. -Gossan

    Museum - Nomai statue
    - This remarkably intact statue was carved by the Nomai, an ancient species who dwelled in our solar system thousands of years ago. The statue provides us with our most detailed look yet at the Nomai, who appear to have been covered with a layer of fur. Note the decorative jewelry that has been carved as part of the antlers. Although their artifacts and structures have been found on almost every planet in this solar system, we still have no idea where this species came from or what happened to them.

    Museum - Nomai writing
    - This piece of Nomai writing was essential to deciphering their unique language. Although this text is linear, Nomai text often branches off from a central point. Interestingly, each branch tends to be written by a different author.

    Museum - Nomai skeleton
    - What you see here are parts of the Nomai skeleton. We can tell from their skulls that they possessed antlers and, quite unusually, only three eyes. The Nomai body was most likely adapted for living exclusively on land. The differences in the Nomai’s anatomy, such as their shockingly fragile bone structure, show us that Hearthians couldn’t have descended from Nomaian ancestors. It’s not clear where the Nomai originated from, or why they disappeared. We hope to find more clues to this puzzle as we explore our solar system.

    Museum - Nomai technology
    - The Nomai technology brought back from space by our astronauts has been a great boon to Outer Wilds Ventures, allowing us to modify expedition gear in exciting and useful ways. For example, the Little Scout now boasts a warp retrieval capability that allows astronauts to recall their scouts almost instantly. This has dramatically reduced the number of scouts lost to the depths of space.

    Museum - Gravity crystal
    - This crystal was taken from a Nomai ruin on Brittle Hollow. It seems to create a local gravity distortion, and was most likely used to traverse steep surfaces. Try it out!

    Museum - Sun life cycle
    - Stars like our sun generate light and heat by fusing hydrogen into helium. As it grows older, the star runs out of hydrogen and starts to contract. As the star’s core contracts, it gets hotter, causing the outer layers to expand. The star has become a red giant. When the core is hot enough, it starts to fuse helium into carbon. If a star is massive enough, it will continue to fuse carbon into even heavier elements like iron. Ultimately, the star will collapse under its own gravity and then explode in a violent event called a supernova. Based on Chert’s observations, this will one day be the fate of our own sun.

    Museum - Anglerfish
    - This anglerfish specimen was found attached to the landing gear of one of our ships that flew close to Dark Bramble. It appears well-suited to living in dark places with minimal atmosphere.

    Museum - Attlerock's gravity
    - Watch closely... these balls move on their own! The ground is perfectly level, so what do you think causes this spooky motion? The answer is the moon! As it orbits our planet, the Attlerock’s gravity pulls on objects from different directions. In fact, it’s pulling on you right now!

    Museum - Moving rock
    - The strange rock moving around in this grotto appears to react to conscious observation. The level-headed among us realize there must be some sort of optical illusion at play, but Gabbro claims the rock “exists in all possible states until it is observed” (whatever that means). Whatever is actually happening, both sides of this debate agree the effect is extremely creepy.

    Museum - Nomai pottery
    - Aside from the dwellings and structures they built, the Nomai also made art. This decorated pottery was discovered on Brittle Hollow. Some ancient Nomai art depicts strange animals, foreign celestial objects, and other subjects that can’t be found in our solar system, which makes us wonder whether the Nomai originated elsewhere in the universe or simply had vibrant imaginations. Were the Nomai born in our solar system? Or were they born among other stars and planets - and if they were, how and why did they come here? These are just some of the questions we hope to answer through further xenoarchaeological expeditions.

    Museum - Satellite exhibit
    - The radio tower here on Timber Hearth was built to receive transmissions from our deep space satellite, and to this day still houses the first-ever photos taken of the entire solar system. These photos were made possible by the deep space satellite's unusual vertical orbit that carries it high above (and below) the plane of the solar system. Thanks to a recent upgrade, the deep space satellite is now responsible for generating the real-time solar system map used by our newest astronauts.

    Museum - Outer Wilds Ventures founding members
    - Outer Wilds Ventures founding members. Clockwise from top left: Hornfels, Gossan, Slate, and Feldspar.

    Museum - Outer Wilds Ventures exploration
    - Outer Wilds Ventures, Timber Hearth’s first and only space program, was founded to explore the farthest reaches of our solar system. Feldspar was the first Hearthian to be intentionally launched into space. They completed the first orbit around Timber Hearth and later made the first of what would be many landings on our moon, the Attlerock.

    Radio Tower
    - ...Aaand we're recording! Ahem. It's been two days since the launch of the deep space satellite, and I'm about to view the first batch of photos. Let the record show that on this historic day, Outer Wilds Ventures has— Aaaah! They're printing, they're printing! Here they come! ...Stars above, will you look at that. There's Brittle Hollow. And look, look there, that's Hollow's Lantern! And there's Giant's Deep, and — and the Quantum Moon! I'm speechless, completely speechless. Every single astral body in our magnificent solar system, looking stunning from every angle in each of these three images. And in color, no less! Now this is art. I could stare at these photos forever. Doesn't Timber Hearth look tiny from — Hold on. What is that? That can't be right. That's... I mean, that's not even possible. Am I interpreting this photo correctly? What's even stranger is it doesn't show up in either of the other photos. Just this one... Well, there must have been an equipment malfunction, I suppose. Only sensible explanation for it. I'll radio Gabbro and ask them to go examine the satellite's lens for defects.
    {anomaly shown at 40 degrees}
    Nomai Writings
    Museum
    - CASSAVA: We’re nearly ready! Filix and I have finished construction, and she says calibrating the device won’t take long.
    -- FILIX: Fortunately, the Attlerock’s lack of atmosphere will make calibration simple. After all this time, I’m thrilled to finally resume our search!

    Mining Site
    - COLEUS: After closer observation, mining site 2a wouldn’t be safe for the native life dwelling in some of this cave’s pools, so (unfortunately) we’ll have to mine one of the other sites.
    -- COLEUS: On the opposite hand, new life! This species is semi-aquatic, and very hardy. The ecosystem here is quite robust, so I believe they’ll thrive in the long run. Be cautious near the pools if you visit 2a to meet them.
    --- CYCAD: I was watching them once during a rest, and the hours escaped from me. They’re fascinating (I wonder what their fourth eye does)!
    --- COLEUS: They remind me of a subterranean species that my mentor, Melorae, once told me about (from when our clan used to travel across this universe). I imagine she would have enjoyed these lifeforms greatly.
    -- CYCAD: There are a few other cave sites that look promising. What about site 2b (it shares similar formations and strata)?
    --- OENO: This sounds promising! Will you and your mentor investigate? If mining site 2b proves safe for this native species, we’ll move our work there.
    ---- CYCAD: Site 2b is safe! Coleus says we’ll continue to monitor our activity and its effect on life here.

    - OENO: I’m still amazed by how much ore the Ash Twin Project requires!
    -- CYCAD: Isn’t this the ore for the remaining towers being built on Ash Twin? The completed towers I’ve seen are quite large!
    --- OENO: No, the material for those towers is all being taken from Ash Twin. The ore we’re mining here will be used to craft an immensely thick protective shell that will physically seal off the chamber inside Ash Twin’s core.
    ---- CYCAD: If they're sealing off all entrances, I hope they've planned a-core-dingly!
    ----- OENO: I thought you had forbidden your apprentice from making puns, Coleus.
    ------ COLEUS: How else would he improve?
    -- COLEUS: I’m relieved by our clan’s decision to use Timber Hearth’s ore only for constructing the shell. If, eventually, life on this planet were to evolve to the point of advanced metallurgy, I’m confident we won’t have destroyed their ability to create!

    - YARROW: My gratitude for the latest shipment, Oeno! This ore should be the last we’ll need for the Ash Twin Project.
    -- YARROW: Once we’ve finished the shell that seals off the central chamber, we’ll check to ensure there are no longer any physical entrances. Ramie and I will be checking the interior and then the exterior for cracks (our final safety check).
    -- OENO: This is exciting news! Can I offer an extra set of eyes for this final check (specifically, mine)? If my work here is complete, I’d be delighted to help.
    --- YARROW: We’d be grateful if you would! The more eyes, the better, as the smallest flaw or opening in the shell that protects the Ash Twin Project could lead to disaster

    The Attlerock

    Ship's Logs
    Lunar Ruins
    -The Nomai text in the observatory talks about calibrating some sort of device on the Attlerock.
    NPCs
    Esker
    “Oh, hey, it’s you! Ground control didn’t tell me you were launching. Long time no see! Actually, I guess it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone.”
    >Don’t the other travelers come by?
    “The Lunar Outpost saw more traffic back when our ships were less sophisticated and needed more frequent repairs. Nowadays, it’s mostly used to keep a set of eyes on things. Sometimes Chert comes by to say hi, but Gabbro is Gabbro, and you know how Riebeck feels about 'unnecessary spaceflight.'”
    >Seems lonely up here.
    “A little. I’m in touch with ground control — Hornfels and Gossan, mostly — and they radio up to chat now and then. And when ground control forgets I’m up here and they usually do, I launch my Little Scout at the village.”
    >>They forget about you?
    “I don’t blame them. For one, I don’t check in as often as the other travelers, since I’m always in one place. And it’s not so bad up here, really. At least it’s peaceful and quiet. You don’t always get that in our solar system. Let alone in our village.
    >Was that you whistling?
    “Probably. Or actually, definitely. The other travelers carry instruments, so they don’t bother whistling. You can pick up their music with a signalscope, you know. Best spot for that is the north pole. Great reception. The north pole is marked in red on your mini map, but the Attlerock is a pretty small moon, really. Just go north. You can’t miss it.”
    >What is this place?
    “Ha ha, very funny. ...Oh, stars above, you’re serious, aren’t you? That’s just depressing. Sigh… Welcome to the Lunar Outpost, which apparently the space program doesn’t bother to teach anyone anymore. When we first started Outer Wilds, travelers used to bring their ships here all the time for repairs. Our spacefaring technology has improved loads since then, but the older ships tended to, uh, fall apart a lot. Like, more than they do now. Using the outpost cut down on the number of launches and landings taking place in the village and also the number of fires. Nowadays, though, it’s mostly just me up here raising saplings from Timber Hearth and keeping an eye on things.”
    Notes
    Chert’s Research Notes - property of Chert!
    - This is an old crater. The neat thing here is that the composition of the samples I took from the impact site matches the composition of the ice on the outskirts of Dark Bramble. I’d posit the Attlerock was hit with a piece of the planet that used to be where Dark Bramble now lies. To follow up on — maybe there are more fragments of the old planet Dark Bramble destroyed on other astral bodies in the solar system?

    Riebeck's Notes
    Okay, wow. Wow. I’ve seen this ruin in other travelers’ pictures, but seeing it for myself… It’s really old, isn’t it? But wow, this is the coolest day of my life. ...Okay, um, time for some official notes! So this is some kind of Nomai “locator.” It can point out the different planets - which is incredibly cool, by the way - but from what little I can understand of the writing here, I think it was built to try to find something specific? I’m not sure. I also was able to translate something about the south pole of Brittle Hollow, so I’ll fly there to see if I can learn more. Yep. Just gonna get back in the ol’ ship and take off. Totally safe... Mostly safe. Oh, stars above...

    Esker's Signalscope Log
    Day 48: Still not picking up Riebeck’s banjo from Brittle Hollow. I’m sure they’re fine, but I’ll feel better once I can hear their music.
    Day 51: Listened to Chert play for a while today. Unrelated, someone should tell Porphy and Gossan their flirting is not subtle from an aerial perspective.
    Day 55: Banjo music coming in loud and clear today! Sounds like Riebeck’s doing okay. That oaf, I was worried!
    Day 63: Today I thought I heard something... strange. I don’t know — it was probably nothing.
    Day 70: No, it’s back again today, too. Something strange is coming from Timber Hearth.
    Day 76: Okay, I know this is crazy, but the sound from Timber Hearth sounds exactly like Feldspar’s harmonica. But Feldspar disappeared in space ages ago. It can’t be them…
    Day 88: It’s still here. This is creepy. Maybe my signalscope is broken? I’d better talk to Gneiss.
    Nomai Writings
    Eye Signal Locator
    - THATCH: Where should this new, more sophisticated locator be built? It may need to be larger than this Eye signal locator is.
    -- COLEUS: Annona and those of us originally stranded on the Ember Twin built a Quantum Moon locator there, but the heat of the sun made its construction challenging. I wouldn’t recommend building on that planet.
    -- PLUME: The southern glacier on Brittle Hollow has ample available space. I could construct a new building to house this proposed locator.
    --- FILIX: Yes, let’s build there! I imagine our young friend Conoy would enjoy that immensely. He’s always held a great interest in the Eye, especially for a child born so long after the crash.
    ---- PLUME: I will begin construction on Brittle Hollow’s south pole immediately, then!

    - COLEUS: I was upstairs testing the Eye signal locator, and it can hear and follow the signals from the sun, Giant’s Deep, and Brittle Hollow.
    -- COLEUS: However, something strange is happening when I ask the Eye signal locator to follow the Eye’s signal: The device’s indicator rotates wildly and never points to just one direction.
    --- THATCH: This is a curious result. It’s possible the Eye has stopped calling out its signal.
    --- FILIX: I see! I most likely calibrated the locator incorrectly. Privet (my apprentice) and I will make adjustments and try again.
    ---- FILIX: An update: Disappointingly, everything is correctly calibrated after all.
    ----- CASSAVA: It saddens me to posit this, my friends, but I believe this locator cannot detect the Eye's signal. We would need to build a more sensitive device if we want to locate the Eye of the universe.
    ------ THATCH: Then we will build it. Don’t lose hope, Cassava; our search for the Eye is what brought our clan to this place. We won’t give up so easily!
    ---

    HOURGLASS TWINS

    NPCs
    Chert
    “Goodness, it’s you! Hello! I take it your first launch went well, then? Welcome to the Hourglass Twins. Mind the sand, now.”
    >What are you up to?
    “Hornfels asked me to update our star charts, so I’m out here observing. This is one of the best places in the solar system to spot astronomical events, you know. What’s weird is I’ve actually seen a couple of supernovae today. Usually, I’d be fortunate to see just one. Keep an eye or two on the stars, and maybe you’ll spot one yourself!”
    “Tell me, what can I do for you?”
    >How do I know if I’ve spotted a supernova?
    “Supernovae look like extra bright stars to the naked eye, but if you zoom in with your signalscope you can tell that they’re actually enormous explosions. Massive stars go supernova at the very end of their life spans, which is why it’s so unusual to see two in a single day. I wonder if some of these stars are older than we realized?”
    >What are you doing out here?
    “Right now I’m documenting stars. Hornfels noticed our star charts are out of date, so they asked me to update them. Please don’t tell the others I said this, but sometimes I think I’m the only traveler out here interested in doing any science at all. ...Er, maybe don’t tell Hornfels, either. I think they’re pretty deep in denial.”
    >Where should I explore here?
    “To be honest, I haven’t left this lakebed. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m really quite good with the Little Scout, so I’ve been taking pictures of everything from right here in my campsite. Have you seen the old shipwreck site on the Ember Twin’s southern hemisphere, the one shooting a bright beam of light into the sky? It’s not one of our own crashes, surprisingly enough — this one’s a Nomai ship. You’ll find Nomai ruins across the Twins, but, strangely, not a single settlement! Believe me, if there was one to see, I’d have seen it with my Little Scout. So where did they live? Not on the surface, clearly. The Ember Twin is full of cave systems, though — maybe the answer lies underground?”
    >How dangerous is that big column of falling sand?
    “On a scale of one to dead, I’d give it a seven or eight. Awfully pretty, though. Right now sand is flowing from Ash Twin to Ember Twin, but did you know the process eventually reverses? We’re not completely sure why the sand flows back and forth between the Twins, but it seems to be a natural phenomena. Oh, if you’d like to see something interesting, check out the other Twin once a little more of its sand drains off. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
    >Just saying hi.
    “Watch out for falling sand, okay? I’ve had to dig myself out once or twice, and that’s not half as fun as it sounds.”
    >I found something!
    "Please, do tell!"
    >Actually, nevermind.
    “Nothing you’d like to discuss at the moment? That’s no trouble! If you do discover anything you want to talk about, I’d be happy to help!”
    Nomai Writings
    Lakebed Caves
    - MELORAE: Coleus is missing! He vanished from the Lakebed Cave (the one at the bottom of the dry lakebed at the north pole) several days ago, and we’re unable to find any trace of him. I don’t know how much air he had when he disappeared. I beg any friend reading this, help us recover Coleus!

    - MELORAE: This rock is very familiar! Did you travel here, my sedimentary friend? Because your unique color and texture appears identical to a rock I met earlier.
    -- MELORAE: Wasn’t this same rock fragment in the cave we found at the bottom of the dry lakebed (at the north pole)?
    --- COLEUS: We plan to reexamine the northern Lakebed Cave. (Maybe our friendly rock will meet us down there!)
    --- COLEUS: An update: Melorae and I went back to the Lakebed Cave and observed this rock again. Sometimes it’s there, and sometimes it isn’t.
    ---- MELORAE: That means this rock wanders like the Quantum Moon does. How curious!

    - MELORAE: Friends, if you find any sign of Coleus, I implore you to tell me! He vanished without a trace during our research trip, and has been missing ever since.
    -- BUR: Melorae, some of us from the Sunless City are here to help search for Coleus. Can you tell us more about your expedition?
    --- MELORAE: You have my gratitude, Bur! Coleus and I were studying the caves’ geology. We hoped to learn more about a unique and wandering rock that visits several different caves in the area.
    -- ANNONA: Where was young Coleus lost, Melorae?
    --- MELORAE: He disappeared in the cave at the bottom of the dry lakebed at the north pole. It happened in an instant, and without warning.
    ---- MELORAE: I turned away from Coleus to examine a sample, and when I turned back, he simply wasn’t there anymore. He had a limited supply of air, Annona! I’m afraid for him!
    ----- ANNONA: Hypothesis: We will learn more by examining the northern Lakebed Cave where Coleus disappeared. Search quickly, everyone; we have no time to squander!

    - COLEUS: How curious! This rock took me with it to a new location. I wonder why this happened?
    -- COLEUS: Curious, but also alarming: This new cave appears to lack an entrance or exit. Also, the rock that brought me here disappeared while I wasn’t watching.
    --- COLEUS: The wandering rock has returned! Never before have I been so delighted to see a sedimentary specimen.
    -- COLEUS: I wonder if I myself became quantum briefly when the rock carried me here! This seems the clearest explanation. Hypothesis: If the rock can bring me here, it can also carry me out.
    --- COLEUS: My hypothesis was correct! I can travel on this rock, as long as I’m not observing my surroundings (meaning I must be in complete darkness). I’m going to bring my mentor here to see this.
    ---- COLEUS: Melorae is here now, too. We theorize when a conscious being is in contact with a quantum object and ceases to act as an observer (explaining the need for darkness), the being can become entangled with that quantum object, and they move together.
    ----- MELORAE: Friends, Coleus has discovered a new quantum rule! (He has also promised me he’ll never vanish again, even if he does learn something useful from it!)

    Gravity Cannon and Shuttle
    > Activate the gravity cannon
    > Call the shuttle home
    > The shuttle is currently resting at the comet

    - CLARY: I fear our situation may be dire:
    - CLARY: Pye, Poke, and I landed here on this comet not long after its arrival in this star system. Our shuttle’s equipment heard strange energy readings coming from somewhere beneath the surface.
    - CLARY: Pye and Poke were able to locate a fissure in the ice on the comet’s sunward side, and they descended inside to investigate the source of the readings.
    - CLARY: But... Pye and my sister have been gone for a long time now. They haven’t contacted me since descending below the surface, either.
    - CLARY: Should I leave the shuttle to look for them? I want to follow protocol, but I don’t know what I’ll do if they aren’t well…
    - CLARY: Poke... Pye... Come back to me safely, my friends.

    Ash Twin Towers
    - CLARY: Here’s our first delivery, Yarrow: one warp core, fresh from the Black Hole Forge! Root is installing this core’s sibling on Brittle Hollow as I write this.
    -- CLARY: I wish I could wait here for you to arrive, but the forge (and my unfinished work there) is calling. I’ll return with more materials soon.
    -- YARROW: My gratitude, Clary! With this, the Ash Twin Project is underway!
    --- YARROW: I confess, I’m deeply curious about what you and Poke found on the White Hole Station that started this project. Could I visit sometime to learn more?
    ---- CLARY: I recommend you do! The White Hole Station is the model for the towers being built for the Ash Twin Project, so a visit to the station would be doubly useful.
    ----- YARROW: I suppose, more precisely, I would like to visit the White Hole Station with you, Clary.
    ------ CLARY: I’d be happy to explain our findings!
    ------ POKE: Yarrow, stop using this scroll wall to flirt with my sister (in romantic matters, her density rivals a neutron star’s) and go meet her on the White Hole Station.

    - YARROW: Some time has passed since I checked in with you, Pye. How are you and Idaea progressing with the Sun Station plans?
    -- PYE: Presently, my assessment is that our plan will either fail explosively or succeed explosively.
    --- IDAEA: Pye, you know I don’t find that funny.
    ---- PYE: How curious; Ramie thinks I’m a gas. And I don’t recall requesting that you monitor this conversation, Idaea.
    ----- IDAEA: I don’t see what state of matter you are has to do with this. And I don’t recall supporting the Sun Station’s construction, but here we are.
    --- YARROW: Hypothesis: Time spent away from the station would be beneficial to you both.
    ---- PYE: I’m immensely interested in testing your hypothesis, Yarrow.
    ----- IDAEA: That, at least, we can agree on.

    Escape Pod 2
    - ANNONA: We need status reports for all systems, but initial things first: Is everyone unharmed?
    - RHUS: Our escape pod’s passengers are afraid, but physically well, Annona; everyone survived the crash.
    - ANNONA: This is a relief, at least. You have my gratitude. Bur, were you able to find the other escape pods’ distress signals?
    - BUR: I can hear both signals somewhere in this star system, but I don’t believe either escape pod crashed on the same planet as us.

    - BEGIN FLIGHTLOG: Escape Pod 2. Vessel has been mortally injured. Emergency sequence activated. Awaiting departure from Vessel.
    - Launching Escape Pod 3... Now launching Escape Pod 2.
    - ALERT. Collision imminent. Preparing for impact.
    - Scanning external environment... Scan complete. External temperature is prohibitively high.
    - Verdict: INHOSPITABLE. Do not seek shelter on planet surface.

    - MELORAE: The heat from this star system’s sun is more bearable below the surface.
    - MELORAE: When our escape pod punctured this planet’s surface, it broke into what scans show is a cave system with much cooler air. I would recommend we seek a site down there to build a long-term shelter, Annona, but these passages are a maze!
    - ANNONA: Even with this danger, they are still our best chance for survival. We’ll form teams and descend into the caves to look for a shelter site. We can mark our findings on the walls to avoid becoming irreversibly lost.
    - ANNONA: Be cautious, everyone.
    - RHUS: And be aware of the sand as you search. It appears to be rising gradually.

    Caves to City
    - MELORAE: Do not follow this tunnel to its end! (Coleus and I will examine the horror that lies at its terminus later, provided we live through this.)

    - RHUS: Keep moving, friends: There is nothing of interest at the end of this passage but rocks.
    -- RHUS: And while these rocks are interesting, they can wait until a less urgent time.

    - MELORAE: We have found an enormous cavern at the end of this passage that appears promising! I believe we could construct long-term shelter there.
    -- ANNONA: The cavern Melorae found is a wise choice for shelter. Could one of you mark directions for the others to follow?
    --- COLEUS: This is the start of the path to the shelter site. I’ve left directions to guide you there.
    ---- MELORAE: Of note: We must hurry, as the pathway there is filling with sand. Do not allow yourself to be buried by sand, and make sure no one is lost!

    - ANNONA: Of note: This passage leads to breathable air. Refill your supply tank there (we cannot tell how far or deep these tunnels may wind), but do not linger, as the area is exposed to the heat of this alien sun.
    -- ANNONA: Refill your air supply tank and return quickly.

    - COLEUS: The path to the shelter site is somewhat convoluted, so follow the instructions ahead closely!

    - COLEUS: To reach the shelter site, walk forward until you meet the sandfall at the pit, then turn left. Continue to the room filled with rock column formations and climb upward through the opening above them.
    -- COLEUS: The sand here is rising, so you must be cautious but swift.

    - COLEUS: Be cautious crossing the chasm ahead. The bridge Melorae and I crafted will do its job, but it isn’t strong.
    -- COLEUS: Once on the far side, look for the tunnel hidden behind the falling sand. Follow it, and you’ll reach the shelter site.

    - COLEUS: You’re doing well! There’s only a little farther left to go now until you reach the shelter site. You can rest there. Hurry, before the sand comes!

    Sunless City Center
    - Should we build the Sun Station to power the Ash Twin Project?
    -- IDAEA: I almost can’t comprehend this is being suggested seriously. The purpose of the Sun Station goes against every standard we hold ourselves to and everything we believe in as a species!
    --- PYE: Unsurprisingly, Idaea, I disagree. We’re pushing a possible new technology further than ever before. That, in my experience, is the defining characteristic of our species.
    --- COLEUS: If we fail (and the probability of this is not insignificant), we will without question destroy ourselves, all life here, and the rest of this star system. I wish to protect these species.
    ---- IDAEA: The potential annihilation of an entire star system is too severe a cost. We shouldn’t build the Sun Station, no matter how badly we want the knowledge that comes with it.
    ----- POKE: Fear of failure is a poor reason not to try. I believe, if we’re cautious, the Sun Station will work. I believe in Pye.
    ------ PYE: Poke, I’m deeply honored. Idaea, I comprehend your position; however, if we aren’t all but certain the Sun Station will not cause destruction once we’ve built it, then I won’t support the station’s use.
    -- YARROW: Are there other ways to generate this level of power?
    --- PYE: Theoretically, yes. Practically, no. I can’t imagine discovering them in our lifetimes...
    --- RAMIE: I understand this proposal is unsettling, but the Sun Station must be built if we hope to complete the Ash Twin Project.

    Eye Shrine District
    - Be welcomed in this place. This shrine is a space to reflect on what brought us to this star system: the signal from the Eye.
    -- We observed the Eye's signal in our travels, and followed it here to find its source.
    --- What we know is this: The source of the signal (which we have chosen to call the Eye of the universe) is older than this universe itself. The rest, we have yet to learn.
    ---- Enter, and open your mind to its possibilities.

    - If the Eye called to us, why won’t it reveal itself? Why is it so difficult to locate it?
    -- Did something happen to it?
    -- Did the signal stop? Does the Eye no longer desire to be found?
    --- Perhaps this isn’t the Eye’s choice. The Eye may not be able to communicate with us more than it already has.

    - Is the Eye natural, or artificial?
    -- Maybe someone built it.
    --- The Eye is older than the universe itself. How could something exist before its creator?
    ---- It could be naturally occurring, though this doesn’t answer how the Eye could be as old as it is.

    - Did the Eye deliberately call out to us by sending the signal, or did we hear the signal by coincidence?
    -- We could be seeing meaning where there is none. Suppose the signal was produced incidentally.
    --- Does that mean the Eye is any less important, though?
    -- Perhaps the Eye wanted to be found (could it be sentient?). Maybe it chose us.
    --- Does the Eye desire something from us? Could it need us in some way?
    ---- Maybe it doesn’t have to be us.

    Anglerfish Overlook District
    - MELORAE: This is amazing (look inside the cave)! How did this come to rest here? We haven’t encountered others in these caves; I think this is a rare find.
    -- MELORAE: From what we can see, Coleus and I believe the specimen must be very old indeed. Imagine what we might learn if we could examine it!
    --- COLEUS: We both agree it’s unlikely this dry planet is this horror’s place of origin (especially considering what we observed during the Vessel’s evacuation).
    ---- MELORAE: Clearly this hole is too small for it to have fit through. Hypothesis: There is another entrance to this cave. If there is, Coleus and I will find it! We can’t leave valuable information undiscovered!
    -- COLEUS: An update: We need to find a way inside quickly, Melorae, because when I returned here to search for an entrance to the cave, there were children playing on the specimen!

    - LAEVI: Whoever was it when we ended last time is the anglerfish.
    -- LAEVI: Rule change! The anglerfish now has to wear a blindfold. (And do not peek!)
    --- LAEVI: The rest of us (the littlefish) line up against one wall. When the anglerfish says go, the littlefish sneak across to the other side.
    ---- LAEVI: If the anglerfish catches you, you’re eaten.
    ----- LAEVI: Last littlefish to be caught is the new anglerfish! (The old anglerfish gives the new anglerfish the blindfold and becomes a littlefish.)
    --- LAMI: Why are we changing it? It’s too hard if you can’t see anything!
    ---- LAEVI: Aunt Pye says real anglerfish are blind, so you have to wear a blindfold! The rule stands!
    ----- ILEX: Rule update: It’s okay if younger kids don’t wear the blindfold when they’re it. (The rest of us will still wear it for scientific accuracy and to make the game more even.)

    - MELORAE: Anglerfish study
    -- COLEUS: This anglerfish’s digestive tract suggests death by starvation.
    -- MELORAE: Visually, the specimen appears to be of the same species as the anglerfish in Dark Bramble. We don’t believe it originated from this planet.
    -- MELORAE: The long growth protruding from its head is bioluminescent. Perhaps it used this growth to attract prey (a lure?).
    -- COLEUS: An update: Melorae, while I was here making sketches of the anglerfish, I observed the children I saw earlier playing here again. They’ve added a rule to their game that incorporates our research (it’s wonderful)!
    --- MELORAE: I’m entirely delighted! It’s never too early to appreciate biology!

    Stepping Stone District
    - TAGET: Are we playing the fossil fish game tonight?
    -- SOLANUM: I fed the fossil fish a new lantern. If you go to the Stepping Stone Cave, the entrance to the Fossil Fish Cave is easy to see now.
    --- LAEVI: Gratitude, Solanum! It’s good you’re small enough to climb in through the hole at the Anglerfish Overlook.
    ---- LAMI: I’m still small enough!
    ----- LAEVI: You won’t be for long. Mom and Dad are tall, so you and I will be tall, too.

    - LAEVI: We’re meeting in the Fossil Fish Cave to play the game! If you’re too big to climb through the Anglerfish Overlook hole:
    -- LAEVI: You’ll have to go the long way, but it isn’t far. Go to the Stepping Stone Cave, and then up and into the Fossil Fish Cave.
    --- TAGET: I tried to get to the fossil fish through the Stepping Stone Cave, but I couldn’t find the entrance. Where is it?
    ---- ILEX: Remember to feed the fossil fish first! If you go to the Anglerfish Overlook and throw a light into his mouth, he’ll show you the way.
    ---- LAMI: Taget can’t fit through the Anglerfish Overlook hole anymore because he grew bigger! He’s taller than Laevi now.
    ----- LAEVI: Who cares? Ilex is still tallest.

    High Energy Lab
    - RAMIE: Note: This door will need to remain closed for some time! Pye and I are running an experiment based on the extraordinary findings from the White Hole Station.
    -- PYE: Ramie and I will be running this experiment until one of us (specifically, me) can prove the other wrong, so although it’s inconvenient, the lab currently can only be accessed by the path from the Sunless City.
    --- RAMIE: Inviting sand inside would disrupt our setup and could have enormous consequences. (We realize this is an intriguing prospect, but the door must remain closed nonetheless!)
    -- RAMIE: An update: The High Energy Lab is now being used to design the Ash Twin Project! If you’re here to help (or even just to observe), be sure to use the Sunless City path to the lab.

    - PYE: Records show Nomai arriving at the warp receiver on Brittle Hollow very slightly before departing from the White Hole Station. Ramie and I are devising an experiment to test if this is a real phenomenon or simple machine error.
    -- RAMIE: In theory, what we want to try to reproduce is a negative amount of time elapsing between something entering the black hole and exiting the white hole at its destination.
    -- PYE: Initial things first: Our experiment setup will first pair a small black hole core with a small white hole core to mimic the setup on the White Hole Station.
    --- Hypothesis: It is possible for an object to exit a white hole before entering the corresponding black hole.

    - RAMIE: An update: Our experiment here reproduced the anomaly in arrival and departure times, but Pye is unconvinced it’s more than an equipment error. I hope to strengthen the effect to render it visible to the unaided eyes.
    -- PYE: To that end, we’ve decided to try adding more energy. I imagine the Sunless City’s energy supply should prove sufficient.
    --- PYE: Of note, Ramie: Yarrow requests that we let him know before we reroute energy to the experiment.
    ---- RAMIE: I’d hate to leave him in the dark!
    -- PYE: All available energy has been rerouted from the city to our experiment. Ramie and I are about to run a new test.
    --- RAMIE: Hypothesis confirmed! Hypothesis confirmed! I saw it! Pye saw it! Hypothesis confirmed!
    ---- PYE: This is beyond extraordinary! This changes everything! What a beautiful day for the intersection of abstract theory and practical application!

    - RAMIE: The Southern Observatory is asking if creating a 22 minute interval is possible (that is, to have something arrive 22 minutes before it is actually sent through the warp).
    -- RAMIE: We’ve learned the negative interval of time between departure and arrival can be increased by adding more energy to the warp core. Problematically, the energy required to extend the interval increases at an exponential rate.
    --- PYE: Hypothesis: Creating a 22-minute-long interval is possible, but we are currently unable to generate the necessary energy.
    ---- PYE: Ramie and I believe it would be necessary to invent a new method of producing energy, a thrilling but enormous undertaking. We would also require advanced warp technology able to handle such energy.
    ----- PYE: We would also likely need an enormous space to fit these proposed new energy and warp technologies together. The only location large enough would be Ash Twin.
    ---- RAMIE: The energy is currently unavailable, you say? You’re a gas, Pye!
    ----- PYE: My pun was unintended, Ramie, so I believe it’s you who’s aeriform!

    - PYE: The Ash Twin Project will be one of our biggest undertakings (metaphorically and physically). To build it, we need a way to travel quickly between Ash Twin and each location that holds crucial project materials.
    -- ROOT: What if we used warp towers (like the one we have on the White Hole Station) to connect Ash Twin directly to each critical location?
    --- CLARY: Poke, Root, and I can begin work on this immediately in the Black Hole Forge (this will keep us busy!).
    --- YARROW: Of note: Each tower on Ash Twin will warp to a different planet.
    ---- YARROW: My gratitude to those who noted my imprecise language! Yes, the sun is not a planet. I believe this has been sufficiently clarified (kindly stop reminding me!).
    ---- PHLOX: We can design each tower to visually reflect its warp destination!
    ----- PHLOX: The Giant’s Deep tower, for instance, could resemble a cyclone. And we could model the Timber Hearth tower after a geyser mountain!
    Last edited by Voltgloss 1 year ago, edited 37 times in total.
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    Voltgloss
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    Outer Wilds

    Post by Voltgloss »

    Sun Station

    Nomai Writings
    - 281,042 YEARS AGO: No user commands received for 10 minutes. All systems entering sleep.
    - X MINUTES, X SECONDS AGO: Increased solar activity detected. Sun Station hull integrity approaching critical levels. Closing emergency doors.

    - PYE: Mission: Science compels us to explode the sun!
    -- IDAEA: Can’t we change this? I don’t enjoy working in view of such a morbid mission statement.
    --- IDAEA: Here’s a better one. Mission: Determine if it’s possible to prompt the sun to explode.
    ---- PYE: You lack a sense of humor.
    ----- IDAEA: At least I don’t lack a sense of ethics!
    ------ PYE: Kindly refrain from going supernova on me before the sun does, Idaea.
    --- PYE: But it’s accurate. We’re going to create a supernova for the purpose of scientific progress. That’s our mission.
    ---- IDAEA: Our mission is to decide if such an irresponsible feat is even possible.

    - YARROW: What happened? Did the Sun Station not fire?
    -- PYE: It fired, Yarrow. But it failed. The sun barely responded; there were infintestimally small surface-level changes, but they were barely visible, even to the third eye.
    --- PYE: The Sun Station is useless. It will never, and could never, cause the sun to explode.
    ---- PYE: I don’t know what comes next, my friends. I suppose we must start over, but I’m unsure how to start over.
    ----- YARROW: Return to Ash Twin first, my friend. Perhaps a change of task would help: Spire noticed a comet approaching this star system that we’d like to investigate.
    ----- YARROW: Pye... I hurt for you, my friends; we all know how hard you’ve both worked. I can only offer my compassion. How are you? How is Idaea?
    ------ IDAEA: We’re well, Yarrow (or as well as can be expected, given the circumstances), though disappointed. I may have disagreed with exploding the sun, but I never wished the device would fail. I’d hoped our terrible work was finished.

    - Star has reached end of natural life cycle. Now approaching red giant stage. WARNING: Evacuate Sun Station.
    - Approximate time until Sun Station is destroyed by expanding star: X MINUTES, X SECONDS
    - Approximate time until star’s death: X MINUTES, X SECONDS
    ----

    BRITTLE HOLLOW

    NPCs
    Riebeck
    “Oh, you launched! That’s great. Great job, you. Wow, I guess that means I’ve been out here a while, huh. Well, um, this is Brittle Hollow. But you probably knew that. Lots of history here. ...It’s great.”
    “Hi! ...What’s up?”
    >What are you doing here?
    “I’m here to see the Hanging City. It’s always been my dream to see it with my own four eyes, ever since I was a hatchling. An alien race lived in this solar system long before our species even existed! How could I not want to see what their civilization was like? Only… You’ve… probably heard the others say it, right? I’m afraid of space. Seriously, I’m more surprised than anybody that I’m out here. Do you want to know how I even got this far? I fell. Tripped over a gravity crystal. It’s dumb luck that I landed somewhere my Little Scout says is halfway stable, instead of being sucked into… what’s below. I’ve been gauging the stability of the ground around me using my Little Scout, and this seems to be the place with the best surface integrity, so I’m just going to stay here until I’m ready to move on. ...But that’s enough about me and my problems. You didn’t come all this way to listen to me blather, did you! Heh, that’d be… yeah.”
    >I learned something!
    “Oh, cool! Um, what is it?”
    >>I found the Nomai escape pod on Brittle Hollow.
    “Wow! So then, the Nomai probably came here from somewhere outside the solar system. And they must have been in trouble when they launched their escape pod… but what kind of trouble? And where did the escape pod launch from? I’m so curious! This is an amazing discovery. I hope we can find out more about how and why the Nomai arrived here!”
    >>I saw the old settlement.
    “Isn't it amazing ?Hard to believe the settlement is still standing, but there it is. It really makes you appreciate living somewhere like Timber Hearth. You know, somewhere that isn't being constantly bombarded with meteors and rocks and stuff.”
    >>I saw the Hanging City on Brittle Hollow.
    “You visited the Hanging City? Oh gosh, how was it? Was it amazing? Was it beautiful? ...Was it scary? The Hanging City is where the Nomai settled permanently on Brittle Hollow. It was their most advanced settlement here! Why they chose to build their most advanced settlement so close to a you-know-what is beyond me. Maybe that kind of thing makes sense to a Nomai, though. ...Maybe they needed the black hole for something?”
    >>I found Nomai writing about a quantum pilgrimage.
    “A pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon? The Nomai mentioned the Quantum Moon in a lot of their writing, so it was clearly special to them. And um, special enough to make a trip there by themselves! It sounds like a coming-of-age ritual, like how hatchlings stay hatchlings until their stomachs are strong enough to drink sap wine. Maybe once a Nomai journeyed to the Quantum Moon, they were considered an adult?”
    >>I went to the comet, and…
    “Oh, wow. Wow. So that’s how the Nomai died? That’s… really sad, isn’t it? I know it was a long time ago, but still… Stars above, it’s lucky we hadn’t evolved to live on land yet. To think, if the comet hadn’t killed them, our species might have coexisted in this solar system. That would have been amazing. But… I guess if I hadn’t wanted to learn why the Nomai disappeared. I’d never have left Timber Hearth and come out here, or had any of these adventures. ...Don’t get me wrong, space is terrifying! But, you know, it has its moments.”
    >>I TALKED TO A LIVING NOMAI!
    “AHHH! That doesn’t make any sense! I don’t understand! I am very excited for you, though! P-please stop yelling! ...What? On the Quantum Moon, you said? There’s a sort of-living Nomai on the Quantum Moon?! WELL, WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SO?! Oh wow! Wow! This is the best thing that’s ever happened in the history of Outer Wilds Ventures! I can’t believe you talked to an actual Nomai! Great! So I just have to go back into space, fly to the Quantum Moon with zero visibility, find a spooky ruin, and travel through a few different types of dangerous terrain to get there. Okay, yeah, that’s… that’s not so bad. That’s probably doable…
    >>Actually, nevermind.
    “Oh, okay. If you do find learn something new about the Nomai, though, I’d love to hear it! Um, if you don’t mind, I mean.”
    >Where should I explore here?
    “Oh wow, where shouldn’t you explore here? Um, not the black hole, actually. That’s… very no. Which is unfortunate, because uh, the most exciting stuff is all below the crust. Including the Hanging City — that’s just to the north. You can kinda see it from here. There’s also this big dome on the south pole called the Southern Observatory. You can’t get inside from the surface — trust me, I tried — but if it’s like the rest of the Nomai structures here, there’s probably a path to it beneath the crust somewhere. Good luck with exploring. Um, if you learn anything about the Nomai, I’d love to hear it, if it’s not too much trouble?
    >See you later.
    Notes
    Riebeck's recording
    I’m here! I did it! I put the ship down safely! Um, in that the ship went down, and I didn’t sustain bodily harm. A few minor repairs, and it’s like the ship never even hit those rocks! One of my better attempts. Feldspar would barely have laughed at me, I bet. That’s the good news. The bad news... I, uh, haven’t found a way inside this structure yet. The door is broken, and I know I’m not great at exploring, but I think I would have found a different entrance by now if there were one. P... probably. I can’t get inside from here, but I know there are paths below the surface. I’m going to head north to the ruins on the equator to try to find a way down.

    Riebeck’s notes
    The journey here from the south pole has been, um... I’m going to go with “harrowing”, because of the, um, all of the meteors. But hey, at least I made it here unconcussed and not on fire! Okay, let’s see... I poked around a little, and there’s some sort of old Nomai path that starts across from my campsite, inside the ruined building with trees growing out of it. Doesn’t look like anything horrible - just stairs leading down. I can handle stairs! After I get my supplies together, I’ll follow the path and see where it leads..

    Feldspar's notes
    FELDSPAR’S SPARE JETPACK FUEL - It’s annoying to schlep across the planet to the ship if I can’t use my jetpack, so I’m leaving this here. I checked with my Little Scout — I do too use it, Hornfels, ya burnt marshmallow — and the scout’s integrity reading said this piece of Brittle Hollow is as stable as any, but who knows. If the fuel’s still around, feel free to use it. If not, well, wherever you’re reading this note, I’m sure you’ve got bigger problems.
    Nomai Writings
    Tower of Quantum Knowledge
    - BELLS: Be welcomed in this place! Above you stands the Tower of Quantum Knowledge.
    -- BELLS: If you are making your first pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon, ascend these stairs, and obtain the last of the knowledge you need for your journey.

    - BELLS: Beneath your feet lies the Tower of Quantum Knowledge.
    -- BELLS: If you are preparing to make your first pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon, descend the steps to the entrance below. The knowledge held within will help you on your journey.

    - PLUME: The trees are moving! The trees in this grove wander about freely (the entire plant, roots and all)! This is not normal, even for this alien planet. And I never see them move! Is that even possible?!
    -- PLUME: If anyone else witnesses this disturbing behavior, I implore you, record your observations here. Either these trees are aberrant, or my brain must be!
    --- THATCH: Plume is right; the trees do move! I confess I didn’t notice until I read his notes.
    --- THATCH: Alarmingly, it isn’t only the trees: There is other matter in this area (such as that unusual shard of rock) moving in this same eerie way.
    ---- FILIX: That rock is unusual for another reason, too, Thatch: It possesses color and texture I’ve never seen elsewhere on this planet!
    ----- FILIX: Hypothesis: This rock shard’s presence is significant. We should study it! (Could it be what is causing other nearby objects to also move about this area?)

    - THATCH: Plume, Filix, and I have determined this atypical shard of rock is the reason objects in this grove are behaving in a quantum manner.
    - FILIX: Of note: A unique signal is coming from this shard! Curiously, our friend the wandering moon sounds the same.
    - FILIX: I’ve also heard the same signal this shard produces calling out from Giant’s Deep, Timber Hearth, and the Hourglass Twins. Suppose there are other shards like this one!
    - THATCH: The only other object we’ve observed displaying this quantum behavior is the wandering moon. I imagine the moon’s behavior and this grove’s are related.
    - PLUME: In her note from earlier, Filix mentions this strange type of rock isn’t found elsewhere on Brittle Hollow. What if it isn’t originally from this planet?
    - PLUME: Hypothesis: This “quantum shard” is from the wandering (quantum) moon. Perhaps it is even a small piece of the moon itself.

    - BELLS: Welcome, Solanum! Your arrival here means you’ve completed your preparations on Giant’s Deep and are ready to depart for the Quantum Moon.
    -- BELLS: On your pilgrimage, the Quantum Moon will carry you, just as it carried me and many in our clan before me, to the moon’s sixth and most secret location.
    --- BELLS: You’ll be aided in your pilgrimage by the shrine our clan built on the Quantum Moon. But remember this final rule: To explore the sixth location, the shrine must be on the moon’s north pole.
    ---- BELLS: Be curious on your journey!

    - BELLS: If you’re here to make your first pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon, you are almost prepared to set out on this deeply significant journey. Before you do, pause, and remember your history.
    -- BELLS: We make this journey not only for ourselves, but also to honor the members of our clan who came before us: those who, after the crash that brought them to this star system, became stranded on Brittle Hollow and on Ember Twin, with no communication between these two groups of survivors.
    --- BELLS: These Nomai looked upward from two different planets and saw the same wandering moon visiting their skies. It was this moon (the Quantum Moon) that kept their curiosity alive during this long period of hardship.
    ---- BELLS: After the two divided groups were able to reunite, it became our clan’s united goal to find and visit the Quantum Moon. This took time, and many Nomai who dreamed of seeing the Quantum Moon died before we discovered how to make the journey.
    ----- BELLS: When you reach the Quantum Moon, recall these Nomai, and carry their curiosity onward with you.

    Escape Pod 1
    - THATCH: Is everyone unharmed?
    - PLUME: No one was badly injured from the escape pod’s impact. We’re incredibly fortunate.
    - THATCH: This is good news, at least. Have we heard from Escape Pod 2 or Escape Pod 3?
    - FILIX: No, I... I’m unable to make contact. My equipment can hear the other two escape pods’ distress signals, however. If it’s any comfort, both pods must be structurally intact.
    - FILIX: I’ll continue calling for them.
    - THATCH: My gratitude. If we can —
    - PLUME: Thatch, the moon is approaching again!
    - THATCH: Everyone brace yourselves, swiftly! The volcanic moon has returned!
    - THATCH: Be cautious of falling ash and debris!
    - PLUME: ...I believe the moon has passed.
    - FILIX: This planet doesn’t appear eager to have guests. We are certainly unwelcome on its surface.
    - THATCH: We need to find shelter, and quickly. The volcanic moon won’t be gone for long.
    - PLUME: I observed several promising sites below the surface, but we’ll need to construct a way for everyone to climb safely down this cliff. Perhaps we could build platforms?

    - BEGIN FLIGHTLOG: Escape Pod 1. Vessel has been mortally injured. Emergency sequence activated. Awaiting departure from Vessel.
    - Launching Escape Pod 3... Launching Escape Pod 2... Now launching Escape Pod 1.
    - ALERT. Collision imminent. Preparing for impact.
    - Scanning external environment... Scan complete. Minor structural instabilities detected. Pockets of breathable air detected. Adequate solar energy detected. Verdict: HOSPITABLE.

    Old Settlement
    - PLUME: Use caution! A black hole sleeps below. You must not slip.

    - PLUME: Of note: Be sure not to wander far from here. Though this area is somewhat unstable, it’s safer than any we’ve found so far.
    -- PLUME: The temporary settlement is finished, but remember to be cautious of falling rocks and dust created by meteor impacts.

    - THATCH: This knowledge is too dear to lose: Here is everything we can recall about the signal we encountered while aboard the Vessel.
    -- FILIX: The signal looked like an eye: round, with a circle at the center much like a pupil. (Suppose the signal was looking for something.)
    -- FILIX: The signal was older than the universe itself! This is the most significant detail.
    --- PLUME: No Nomai clan has ever encountered anything like it! How can anything in this universe be older than the universe itself?
    ---- THATCH: Imagine what rare and profound knowledge it might offer. We must find this Eye of the universe.

    - THATCH: Is the hardest part of this tragedy not knowing who we may have lost? Or will the hardest part come later, when we learn? (Be well, Aunt Melorae...)

    - THATCH: I can’t understand. Why did the Vessel crash in that place?
    -- PLUME: Was the Vessel unwell in some way?
    --- FILIX: No, Annona and I checked before the warp, and the warp core and navigation systems were both well.
    -- FILIX: We warped to follow that curious signal from the Eye of the universe. Where we arrived was wrong; it wasn’t where we tried to go.
    --- THATCH: Suppose it wasn’t a problem with the Vessel, but with our destination.
    ---- FILIX: I’m afraid for our friends in Escape Pod 3....

    - PLUME: Given concerns about our settlement’s stability, where should we construct a new, less temporary shelter?
    -- PLUME: I believe we should migrate to the northern glacier.
    --- FILIX: What if we use gravity crystals to craft a stable path?
    ---- THATCH: Building beneath the crust again would shelter us from the volcanic moon’s eruptions.
    -- THATCH: We need to stay close to the escape pod so Filix can monitor incoming messages. We can’t be rescued if we aren’t present to respond.
    --- FILIX: I don’t believe anyone is coming to save us, Thatch. Now we must save ourselves.
    ---- PLUME: I agree. We’re here because the Eye’s signal called to us and we followed. If we’re to find it, we need to not merely survive, but thrive.
    ----- THATCH: This is a wise point, Plume, and eloquently made. If moving to the northern glacier will keep us safer, then that is what we should do.

    Warp Platform Area
    - CLARY: To our friends on Brittle Hollow: I just warped here from the White Hole Station (on the other side of Brittle Hollow’s black hole)! Our design worked; we’ve successfully recreated warp travel!
    -- FILIX: This is wonderful news! I can’t wait to see the warp tower (although it’s been a long time since I’ve jumped through a black hole!).
    -- POKE: I don’t know how close it is to Annona’s original design, but as long as what we’ve built works, then I’m delighted! I knew we could do it (Cassava, I hope you’re reading this)!
    --- POKE: Wait, this can’t be correct. Clary, have you seen these readings? If they were accurate, they would violate causality. There must be an equipment error somewhere.
    ---- POKE: I’m returning to the White Hole Station. If you and Root meet me there, we can run a full diagnostic and hopefully locate the problem.
    ----- POKE: (Don’t tell Cassava.)

    - PYE: Ramie and I reviewed the records you sent, Poke, and they appear to show Nomai are arriving at the warp receiver on Brittle Hollow slightly before departing from the White Hole Station.
    -- POKE: I understand it’s exceedingly odd, but Clary and I have tested and retested the equipment, and the result is the same every time someone warps.
    --- RAMIE: The interval is incredibly miniscule (roughly one hundred-thousandth of a second). Do you suppose our instruments can’t accurately measure time to such a small degree?
    -- PYE: As I’ve already told Ramie, these measurements can’t be accurate. How can a Nomai arrive on Brittle Hollow before he or she ever stepped into the teleporter? The implications are absurd.
    --- POKE: I don’t disagree. It would mean I’ve inadvertently broken several fundamental theories regarding this universe. We would have to reconsider all of our beliefs about the nature of time.
    ---- RAMIE: Yes, I hope so, too!
    --- RAMIE: Poke, as Pye is confident the reading is inaccurate, she’s kindly helping me attempt to recreate this phenomenon at the High Energy Lab. We’re designing an experiment to take more data.
    ---- PYE: An update: Poke, the High Energy Lab is in the canyon on Ember Twin’s equator. Come here at once. You need to see this.

    School District
    - LAMI: Explanation of Festivals
    -- LAMI: All the Nomai clans from all over the universe meet in one place to share what they’ve learned in science and art. It’s called the festival!
    --- FILIX: Don’t forget, festivals happen every ten years!
    --- LAMI: We can’t go because we’re stuck here. But Filix says we used to go, too.
    --- LAMI: At some festivals, one clan’s big discovery can mean all the Nomai get to advance, too. Like Annona’s warp core, which made it so everyone can warp long distances and explore more.
    ---- LAMI: Each clan has a festival envoy to show their most interesting work. (Our envoy was Thatch!)
    ----- LAMI: A single festival could last a long, long time!

    - SOLANUM: Formation Of This Universe
    -- SOLANUM: No one knows how this universe was made, but one thing we do know is everything used to be very hot and very dense (tightly packed together).
    --- SOLANUM: As this early universe expanded, it also cooled down. Once it had cooled down enough, particles were able to group together to form things like galaxies, stars, and planets!
    ---- SOLANUM: Since then, space has continued to expand at a faster and faster rate, which is hard to think about for too long without your brain hurting.
    ----- SOLANUM: This universe will keep getting colder and larger, until one day, the stars and the life they support will all die.
    ------ SOLANUM: That’s scary to think about, even though Conoy tells me it won’t happen in our lifetimes. But it’ll happen in someone else’s, someday!

    Meltwater District
    - The Ash Twin Project requires a powerful, highly advanced warp core. How should we obtain it?

    - Solution 1: We could retrieve the warp core from the Vessel.
    -- RAMIE: The Vessel's warp core is broken, at best (recall those present when the Vessel crashed said it sustained lethal injuries). There is no guaranteed reward for this risk.
    --- CONOY: Perhaps we could still repair it. My grandmother told me there was little time to assess the nature or extent of the damage.
    --- CASSAVA: Even if it no longer functions, the old core could be a valuable blueprint, provided we’re able to transport it back here.
    -- PHLOX: This would require a return to Dark Bramble. Plume (my father) said many good Nomai perished there.
    --- CYCAD: My mentor (Coleus) and his old mentor once discovered and studied an anglerfish fossil on Ember Twin. Using that knowledge, we could avoid the anglerfish entirely!
    ---- COLEUS: What Melorae and I learned from that fossil would theoretically help us evade the anglerfish, but our hypothesis was never tested on a live specimen.
    ----RAMIE: I remember that anglerfish fossil! We used to play in Fossil Fish Cave when we were children.

    - Solution 2: We could craft a new advanced warp core inspired by the Vessel’s warp core.
    -- OENO: The greatest challenge here, I think, is we don’t have the design for such a powerful core, or any of the original crafters of the Vessel’s core.
    --- CLARY: No, but Poke was apprenticed to Annona, who created the original design, and our Black Hole Forge is adept at crafting simpler cores.
    ---- POKE: I believe I can be of use here! The Vessel’s warp core was created before my time, but Annona explained many of his designs to me.
    -- IDAEA: This is the safest path for our clan.
    --- AVENS: Is the safest path the best one? Our goal is worth the risk.
    ---- CASSAVA: Is it, though? We’ve tried for so long to find something that I (and others) now believe might be impossible to find. If the search for the Eye is a futile one, we should choose the option with the least potential for harm.
    -- SPIRE: Abandoning the Vessel’s warp core and its casing means losing valuable knowledge.
    --- MITIS: This is true; however, it’s knowledge we have little hope of recovering. It would be best to relearn, I think.
    -- POKE: I would very much like to craft such a powerful core! More relevantly, I believe the Black Hole Forge crew and I could recreate the basic design.

    - POKE: I feel strange, trying to recreate Annona’s warp core without him. At times, it still feels strange to no longer be his (very young) apprentice, and for the Black Hole Forge to be in my care and not his.
    -- POKE: Hypothesis: This will always feel strange. Even though my time with him was short, I miss my old mentor, and deeply.
    -- POKE: To have the chance to try is thrilling, but... I don’t want to disappoint everyone. I think I can do this (probably), but what if excitement has clouded my assessment of my own abilities?
    --- POKE: Was I wrong in volunteering to build it...? I was born in this star system, and never saw Annona’s warp core with my own three eyes. I only know what he taught me. What if I’ve bitten off a larger portion than I can consume?
    --- POKE: Still, all I can give is my best. And as Annona would say, should my best prove insufficient, then we will find another way to achieve what’s needed. I have Clary and Root in the forge, and I have my clan. I am not alone!

    Gravity Cannon
    - The shuttle is currently resting at the Quantum Moon.
    - Call the shuttle home
    - Activate the gravity cannon

    - SOLANUM: I’m at the shuttle! I’m ready to make my first pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon.
    - BELLS: That’s exciting! You’re almost ready, but there’s still one more rule you need to learn. Come see me at the Tower of Quantum Knowledge.
    - BELLS: The tower is on the opposite side of Brittle Hollow. If you follow the path west to the Crossroads, you can reach the tower from there.
    - SOLANUM: My gratitude for the directions, Bells. I’ll see you soon!

    Southern Observatory
    - CONOY: Cassava’s Construction Yard has been using the cyclones on Giant’s Deep to lift Orbital Probe Cannon parts into orbit, but one component was pushed down past the current that usually prevents anything from sinking.
    -- CONOY: Spire and I are crafting a model to determine why this happened.
    --- SPIRE: An update: It’s now clear there are two different types of cyclone.
    ---- SPIRE: Most cyclones on Giant’s Deep rotate clockwise. These are the cyclones Cassava typically uses to send components into orbit.
    ---- SPIRE: There also exists a rarer type of cyclone that spins the opposite direction and pushes objects beneath the waters and below the current.
    ----- CASSAVA: My gratitude, Spire. Conoy is showing me your handiwork, and I’m intrigued by this secondary type of cyclone. But was it really necessary to build a model to tell me that?
    ------ SPIRE: The model will be useful as we continue monitoring Giant’s Deep.
    ------- SPIRE: Also I very much wanted to make a model.

    - CONOY: What have we learned thus far in our search for the Eye of the universe?
    -- MALLOW: Based on our knowledge of the Quantum Moon, we believe the Eye is in orbit around this star system’s sun. This would mean the Eye is located within a finite (albeit enormous) range.
    -- PLUME: Those of us on the Vessel originally followed the Eye’s signal to this star system, but we were unable to warp to the Eye itself.
    --- PRIVET: The locator we built on the Attlerock and the new, more sensitive locator we built here were both unable to detect any trace of the Eye’s signal.
    ---- AVENS: Hypothesis: The Eye has stopped emitting its signal.
    -- CASSAVA: Suppose the Eye doesn’t wish to be found.
    --- PLUME: Cassava, how can you suggest that? The Eye’s signal called out to summon us to this star system!
    ---- CASSAVA: I’m aware; I grew up hearing the Eye’s story. Yet we’re no closer to finding it than you were when you first arrived here.

    - CONOY: How should our methods change as we continue our search for the Eye of the universe?
    -- PRIVET: As we couldn’t find the Eye’s signal using two different devices built for this exact purpose, we should discontinue this search method.
    -- MALLOW: We know what the Eye looks like thanks to the Quantum Moon, so what if we try to find the Eye visually, instead? Let’s send out a probe!
    --- CASSAVA: Mallow’s idea is clever, but we have no idea where the Eye is in relation to here. The probability of launching a probe in the correct direction would be absurdly small.
    ---- CONOY: I believe I have a solution for that problem! Have you spoken with Ramie and Pye about the technology they’re developing?
    --- AVENS: We’d need to build a probe-launching mechanism to cover those long distances quickly. A cannon in orbit around a celestial body would circumvent the need to escape gravity’s pull.
    ---- CASSAVA: Giant’s Deep would be a good choice. It’s furthest from the sun, so it would provide the best angles for launch. And it’s moonless (except when the Quantum Moon is visiting).
    ----- AVENS: Yes, let’s build the cannon in orbit around Giant’s Deep!

    - ERROR: Unable to determine orbit. No signal detected matching any known criteria for the Eye of the universe.

    Black Hole Forge
    - CLARY: I have good news, Yarrow! The advanced warp core is ready to be installed in the central chamber of Ash Twin.
    - YARROW: I’m intrigued, love! Everyone here working on the Ash Twin Project is excited to see it (Pye is beside herself with joy!).
    - POKE: No, it isn’t!
    - YARROW: Is everything well at the forge?
    - CLARY: Don’t worry, love; Poke is only nervous. The core is extraordinary, and her design work is beautifully clever.
    - POKE: The core’s durability could still be improved! I need more time!
    - CLARY: Ignore her, Yarrow. The core is finished. And if my sister tells you otherwise, then she will be finished, as well.

    - CLARY: Regarding the warp towers on Ash Twin: Does each tower have to be perfectly aligned with the center of the astral body to which it’s tuned?
    - CLARY: I enjoy precision as much as the next Nomai, but if, for example, a tower’s base were to shift even slightly, that tower might no longer align with its astral body.
    - CLARY: More accurately, I enjoy precision as much as the next Nomai, provided the next Nomai is not Poke.
    - POKE: We don’t need the alignment angle to be exact; it only needs to be within five degrees of the astral body’s center.
    - POKE: Of note: This gives us a slightly longer warp window. I imagine this window will last roughly several seconds.
    - POKE: As such, any Nomai stepping onto the warp platform during the active window will be immediately warped. We will need to be careful around the platform for the duration of the time it’s active to avoid accidental transportation.

    - ROOT: Where am I taking this first black hole core? (And where am I taking the remaining cores once they’re ready?)
    - POKE: The white hole cores are for the warp receivers. Each of the six receivers are being constructed at different locations, so those deliveries will be a greater pain in your cervical spine.
    - POKE: The tower designs in the High Energy Lab on Ember Twin reveal each receiver's location. Ask Yarrow; he is familiar with them.
    - CLARY: All of the warp towers are being constructed on Ash Twin, so the black hole cores will go there.
    - ROOT: My gratitude! In that case: Poke, Clary, I’m leaving for delivery! I’ll send Yarrow your regards.
    - CLARY: Poke, I’ll return to the forge shortly; I’m going to catch up to Root and help him deliver the first core to Ash Twin, just to make sure Yarrow receives it.
    - POKE: Of course you are.

    - POKE: Of note: Yarrow believes he spotted a flaw in the warp tower designs: namely, that one of the warp towers on Ash Twin will never activate, because its warp receiver will never align overhead.
    - POKE: Does your romantic interest think a warp tower’s alignment point is its receiver? Does he not know that a warp tower always aligns with the center of its corresponding astral body?
    - CLARY: That isn’t an unreasonable belief, given the receiver does have to be located on (or in close orbit around) the relevant astral body.
    - CLARY: I seem to recall that was your understanding of warp technology, at first.
    - CLARY: No, Yarrow understands the distinction. He likely doesn’t realize the Hourglass Twins are so close together they function as a single astral body, with a shared alignment point in between them.

    Hollow's Lantern

    Nomai Writings
    - WARNING: Increased solar activity detected.
    - WARNING: Increased volcanic activity detected.
    - VERDICT: Location is now inhospitable. Evacuation recommended.

    - ROOT: Friends in the Timber Hearth Mines, the last type of ore you sent us survives the longest in direct heat.
    -- ROOT: Can you send us more of the same for additional testing? We’re attempting to improve its durability, and our forge has already burned through everything you sent!
    --- OENO: We’ll deliver more ore to Hollow’s Lantern immediately. You must be fired up about crafting the Ash Twin Project’s protective shell!
    ---- ROOT: Yes, the idea of an encasement that’s supernova-proof, however briefly, has kindled my curiosity!
    ---- ROOT: My gratitude! I imagine we’ll also have an updated estimate soon of how much ore is needed to seal off the Ash Twin Project.
    ----- OENO: Will it be more than we initially thought?
    ------ ROOT: It will be significantly more. The smallest crack or opening in the protective shell would destroy everything.

    White Hole Station

    Nomai Writings
    - POKE: Welcome to the White Hole Station! If you fell through the black hole by accident (don't worry, you aren’t the first), this warp tower can return you to Brittle Hollow.
    -- POKE: Every warp tower is tuned to a specific astral body. A tower's warp can only be used during the brief window when the tower is aligned with its corresponding astral body (in this case, Brittle Hollow).
    --- POKE: If you look up while the station is rotating, you can see the alignment happens when the astral body is directly overhead. You must be standing on the warp platform on the floor during this alignment to be warped.

    Return warp status: CHARGED. Step onto warp platform when ready.
    ----

    GIANT'S DEEP

    Ship's Logs
    Gabbro
    -Hal says Gabbro went back to Giant's Deep to try to learn more about the Nomai statue in the observatory.
    NPCs
    Gabbro
    “Nice, it’s you. Good to see you made it here in once piece. The first solo launch is a doozy, isn’t it? So hey, don’t freak out or anything, but lately I keep, like, dying repeatedly. I dunno, it’s pretty weird. What about you? Have you died lately, or is it just me?”
    >No, it’s me, too. We’re in a time loop.
    “Time has been behaving unusually lately. Yeah, a time loop makes sense. Cool.”
    >You’re taking this pretty well.
    “Heh, right back at you. Personally, I like new experiences, and I’ve never been in a time loop before. I mean, I don’t think I’ve been in a time loop before this one. It looks like you and I are the only ones who can tell that time’s gone all weird. I tried radioing Hornfels and asking if they’d died, too, but they thought I was being metaphorical. Even if I tell Hornfels about the time loop, they never remember by the next one. They don’t realize anything’s different. And here’s another weird one for you — every time I die, all of my memories from that loop replay back to me. I’m pretty sure that’s related to this big stone Nomai statue I found on one of the other islands. I was looking at it, and the statue opened its eyes and started glowing. It replayed my memories like it’d seen them through my own eyes, just like what happens each time I die.”
    >That happened to me with the statue at the museum.
    “You too, huh? Then the Nomai statues must have something to do with why we’re the only ones aware of the time loop. So… no glowing statue, no time loop awareness? I think that’s going to be my leading theory, but if you find out anything new about the statues or the time loop, let me know, okay? I’ll be here. Anyway, that’s what’s new with me. But hey, this is your first solo voyage! ...Kind of! Let’s talk about you, you know? How’s space treating you?”
    "Have you ever stared at a cyclone for so long, it started to hypnotize you? I’m telling you, they’ll pull you into a trance if you look at ’em long enough."
    >I found something!
    “Nice, nice. Whatcha got for me?”
    >>I found what happened to the Orbital Probe Cannon.
    “Whoa, that’s the cannon breaking apart at the start of each time loop? For real? Did you figure out why?”
    >>>Overenthusiasm.
    “...It’s kind of scary how much that sounds like something Slate or Feldspar would do. I’m pretty surprised the Nomai built something that actually broke! Come to think of it, though, 'broke' might be the wrong word. Because it looks like the Orbital Probe Cannon is still firing successfully at the beginning of each time loop.”
    >What are you doing out here?
    “Well, what are any of us doing here, really? ...Nah, I’m just kidding. I’m out here exploring our solar system, same as you. But I tell you what, outer space really gives you room to think. It’s quiet and peaceful out here. I mean, it’s usually quiet and peaceful. Sometimes a cyclone comes by and lifts my little island paradise clean out of the water. Then: less peaceful.”
    >Where should I explore on Giant’s Deep?
    “Here’s something you might like — at the start of every time loop, I keep seeing a bright flash in the sky at the start of every loop. Something must be happening up there in orbit around the planet. What else, what else… Have you been to Statue Island? That’s what I’ve been calling it, seeing as it’s the island where I found the glowing Nomai statue. ...Get it? I was on the beach on Statue Island when the whole glowy business happened, by the way. It’s a nice beach for that kind of thing. I give it a solid 7 out of 10 on the Gabbro Relaxation Scale. If you feel like checking out Statue Island, it’s the one with two islands connected by a natural rock arch. Well… mostly connected, anyway. You’ll see.”
    >What’s up with this planet?
    “Haha, I know, right? ...Oh, you meant, like, tell you more about it? I gotcha. Well, Giant’s Deep is massive, and mostly water. No surprises there. There’s a strong current a ways beneath the surface that prevents anything from sinking below it. Seriously, I tried everything I could think of to get past that current, and neither idea worked. As for land masses, I’ve counted four islands, including this one. There’s also the one with that Nomai statue I saw on the beach. You’ve seen the cyclones? Yeah, they’re hard to miss. They’ll toss up everything in their path, islands included. Little tip — if you get picked up, try to land in water. Less likely to kill you.”
    >Where’s your ship?
    “That’s a good question. It’s definitely on this planet somewhere. I mean, unless a cyclone came by and tossed it into space, I guess. Heh, that would be pretty nuts. I hope it’s not lonely.”
    “Heyo, time buddy. It’s a good thing I never get bored of rain, huh?"
    >I reached the inside of Statue Island.
    “So the Nomai created those head statues to record memories, huh? ...Yeah, I could see the Nomai doing that. Not sure what for, but it seems like their sort of thing. Do you think the statues are recording our memories, then? ‘Cause I remember that one on the beach looked at me funny. That must be my memory-friend!”
    >I found a photo of you inside the old radio tower.
    "Nice. Did I look busy in it? I hope I looked busy. Must have been from the time Hornfels sent me to check on the deep space satellite. They thought Ol’ Spacey might be malfunctioning, but I couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it. Which is probably how it got a shot of my beautiful be-helmeted face, come to think of it. I always thought it was kinda sweet that the best way to find Ol’ Spacey is to use a map that’s generated by the satellite itself, isn’t it? Like it’s inviting us to visit. Good ol’ deep space satellite, always making sure we know where we’re going."
    >>Why’d Hornfels think it was broken?
    "Dunno. Hornfels probably told me why, but Hornfels tells me lots of things, and sometimes I tune out. Or pretend there’s signal interference and I can’t hear them. Best guess says the deep space satellite must have sent Timber Hearth some weird pictures, but like… what’s considered “weird” for a satellite, you know? Anyway, if you ever want to visit Ol’ Spacey, fastest way is to jump into your ship and use your solar system map to lock on to the satellite, same as you would any astral body."
    >How do you stay so calm in the face of repeated impending death?
    “Deep breaths… no, seriously, I meditate. Want me to teach you? It’ll be the next loop before you know it.”
    >>Sure, why not.
    “Ok, close your eyes…”
    Notes
    Feldspar's log
    Trip 4, entry # whatever
    - Crashes: 2
    - Boring crashes: 0 (remember to see Slate when I get back)
    Ha ha, yeah! Yeah! All the way down to the core! Consider yourself conquered, Giant’s Deep — you just got Feldsparred. That was one of my more dramatic feats, if I do say so myself. Can’t believe I wasn’t electrocuted! Ahhh, can’t wait to tell Hornfels and Gossan about this one — I guess brute force isn’t always the answer. Right, so that’s one more off the list. Seems all that’s left is the big one now. Dark Bramble, here I come!
    Nomai Writings
    Statue Workshop
    - LAMI: They’re going to test the memory statues tonight! Phlox says it could be dangerous, so we can’t come.
    -- LAMI: But, what if we didn’t use the door and snuck in the other way? Does anyone want to?
    --- TAGET: Phlox specifically told us not to do that.
    --- LAEVI: I really want to see the test, too, Lami, but that’s a huge risk to take. We probably shouldn’t. Maybe Phlox’ll let us see a later test.

    - PHLOX: Yarrow, would you kindly step back so Daz is closest to the statue? When pairing, the statue will choose whoever is in closest proximity.
    - PHLOX: ...See how its eyes have opened? That tells us the statue has paired with Daz. Now, no matter where he is in this star system, Daz’s statue will record his memories and send them to the Ash Twin Project.
    - YARROW: This is extraordinary sculpting work, Phlox!
    - DAZ: He has outdone himself again, hasn’t he? And now that we have our first successful pairing, we can test my memory storage prototype.
    - DAZ: Each statue will send a single Nomai’s memories to his or her own storage unit within Ash Twin.
    - PHLOX: Each storage unit will be equipped with a mask, the statue’s counterpart, which will be able to send those stored memories back to the corresponding Nomai.

    - PHLOX: I’m curious: Is sending a being’s memories back in time the same as sending the being itself back in time?
    -- PHLOX: As an example, if we were to send my memories back in time, is that the same as sending “me” back in time (not my physical body, but my essence)?
    --- DAZ: I imagine they’re two different actions.
    ---- CASSAVA: Wouldn’t both actions be effectively the same?
    ----- DAZ: Suppose that time was being rewritten. I believe this is different than receiving memories from what is effectively the future.
    ------ CASSAVA: But isn’t the end result identical in either case?

    {Ash Twin Projection Stone}
    - RAMIE: I’ve installed the masks inside the Ash Twin Project, Phlox. They look beautiful (although I do feel as though I’m being observed!).
    -- RAMIE: It’s comforting to know the statues will not pair until the project succeeds. Otherwise, I imagine the experience would be hard to endure!
    --- PHLOX: Ideally, they’ll only need to activate once the project succeeds; as a safety measure, however, the statues will also activate in the event of equipment failure.
    ---- RAMIE: They will? Why is that?
    ----- PHLOX: If anything goes wrong with the Ash Twin Project, the statues (and their masks) will make us aware of the situation and enable us to fix it. Otherwise, it would be possible for us to remain permanently unaware of the problem.
    ------ RAMIE: I hadn’t thought of that! What a profoundly horrific fate that would be.

    Tower of Quantum Trials
    - Be welcomed in this place. This tower shares with all who ask the knowledge needed to make his or her first quantum journey.

    - Enter this place without friends, however; these are lessons to learn for yourself.

    - Seek the wandering arch.

    - Observing a quantum object; observing an image of a quantum object. These are the same.

    - The arch and the crystal do not naturally meet.

    - This is the last one (but we made it harder).

    - We offer our congratulations! You’ve learned the rule of quantum imaging. Take this knowledge with you on the remainder of your quantum pilgrimage. Remember, the other quantum shards have other lessons to teach. Our curiosity goes with you on your journey. You walk in the footsteps of those who came before you, and your path guides those who will follow later.

    Construction Yard
    - CASSAVA: This is it: We’ve finished building the final Orbital Probe Cannon module and are ready to send it into orbit around Giant’s Deep for assembly!
    -- CASSAVA: To all my friends here at the Construction Yard, my gratitude for your tireless work. I had given up hope, but I truly believe this cannon may actually succeed where many other attempts have not.
    --- DAZ: Are you going gelatinous on us, love? I’m delighted by your words, but they’re atypical for you!
    ---- CASSAVA: If I’m ever half as gooey as Mallow and Avens behave together, Daz, you may launch me from the Orbital Probe Cannon.
    -- CASSAVA: Our next step will be to send Privet up to the Orbital Probe Cannon to install the probe tracking system.
    --- DAZ: If I know my brother, Avens (and his spouse) will want to launch the probe with as much power as possible. I’m worried the cannon would break under the strain.
    ---- DAZ: I propose we give Avens and Mallow a slightly lower maximum power setting than the absolute maximum possible to create room for their enthusiasm.

    {Brittle Hollow Projection Stone}
    - CASSAVA: Conoy, Daz and I were lifting Orbital Probe Cannon components into orbit for assembly, and one somehow sank down down(sic) beneath the current.
    -- DAZ: Conoy, you should’ve seen it! We’d thought it was impossible for any cannon components to sink even partially below the current, but ours sank straight to the core!
    -- DAZ: Cassava convinced me not to try to recreate the phenomenon myself using other cannon parts, but we’re very curious to know what happened! How could something pass through the current?
    --- CONOY: My gratitude for your interesting question! This is exciting: Spire constructed a model of Giant’s Deep here at the Brittle Hollow’s Southern Observatory, and it's revealed how an object might sink below the current.
    ---- CASSAVA: Conoy, I’m unable to grasp the answer by looking through the projection pool. If I visit the observatory, would you kindly explain?
    ----- CONOY: If you don’t mind the trek beneath the surface to the south pole, I’d be delighted to see you! (There are two trailheads, one at Brittle Hollow's gravity cannon and one at the Tower of Quantum Knowledge.)

    - CASSAVA: I have bad news, Avens. Yarrow says there was a problem with the proposed power source, so the Orbital Probe Cannon won’t be asked to fire.
    -- AVENS: I hope you’re pulling my locomotive limb here, Cassava.
    --- CASSAVA: I wish I were, my friend, but no. They aren’t certain they can fix the problem, so the Orbital Probe Cannon is on indefinite hiatus.
    --- CASSAVA: Tell Privet and Mallow they should return from the cannon. My spouse and I will remain at the Construction Yard, for now.
    ---- AVENS: An update: Mallow and I will join you and Daz. Privet left to visit her brother. She fears Idaea may feel responsible.

    Probe Tracking Module
    - YARROW: I have exciting news, Privet: The Ash Twin Project is almost prepared to receive the probe data from the Orbital Probe Cannon.
    -- YARROW: Ramie is adding some finishing touches here, but she’ll be finished soon. Are you and the Orbital Probe Cannon well?
    --- PRIVET: We are! The Probe Tracking Module is ready to record each launch’s flight trajectory and will automatically transmit all relevant data to you.
    ---- PRIVET: Once the probe determines the location of the Eye of the universe, I’ll send an alert directly to you and Ramie.
    ---- PRIVET: On the other appendage, I’m now worried about this cannon’s structural integrity and its crew’s moral integrity.

    - Receiving data from probe 9,318,098.
    - Visualizing current trajectory of probe 9,318,098.

    - Retrieving previous launch data from Ash Twin.
    - Total number of probes launched: 9,318,098
    - Deep space anomaly matching all known criteria for the Eye of the universe found by probe 9,318,054.

    - Retrieving stored coordinates from Ash Twin.
    - Displaying coordinates for the Eye of the universe.

    Orbital Probe Cannon

    Nomai Writings
    Control Module
    {Launch Module Projection Stone}
    - AVENS: Mallow, my better 50 percent! Cassava is sending the last of the cannon components. Soon (relatively speaking), we’ll know the Eye’s precise location!
    -- MALLOW: The thought of concluding our elders’ curious and challenging search increases my heart’s temperature, my love!
    -- AVENS: Cassava tells me he and the Construction Yard crew have determined a power setting we are not, under any circumstances, to go above.
    --- MALLOW: I see! And am I right to think that, consequently, we’ll be ignoring that setting?
    ---- AVENS: I can posit with nearly 100 percent certainty our friends have accounted for our natures, so I suggest we do!
    ---- AVENS: Giving the Orbital Probe Cannon all the power it can structurally withstand creates the greatest chance of finding the Eye of the universe.
    ----- MALLOW: Yes, the probe must travel as fast as it can, as far as it can. I’ll make some adjustments!

    {Giant's Deep Projection Stone}
    - CASSAVA: I have bad news, Avens. Yarrow says there was a problem with the proposed power source, so the Orbital Probe Cannon won’t be asked to fire.
    -- AVENS: I hope you’re pulling my locomotive limb here, Cassava.
    --- CASSAVA: I wish I were, my friend, but no. They aren’t certain they can fix the problem, so the Orbital Probe Cannon is on indefinite hiatus.
    --- CASSAVA: Tell Privet and Mallow they should return from the cannon. My spouse and I will remain at the Construction Yard, for now.
    ---- AVENS: An update: Mallow and I will join you and Daz. Privet left to visit her brother. She fears Idaea may feel responsible.

    __ MINUTES, __ SECONDS AGO: Request to launch probe received from Ash Twin Project.
    - Cannon aligned with randomly selected probe trajectory. Gravity field activated.

    BEGIN LAUNCH LOG: Orbital Probe Cannon. Launch request received. Probe launch successful.
    - Probe Tracking Module is receiving data from probe.
    -- WARNING: Orbital Probe Cannon structure compromised during launch. Damage to multiple modules detected.

    ORBITAL PROBE CANNON DAMAGE REPORT: Severe structural stress detected. Assessing damage to modules...
    - Control Module: Intact. No structural damage.
    -- Launch Module: Viewport window fractured. Module exposed to vacuum of space.
    --- Probe Tracking Module: MISSING.

    Launch Module
    {Probe Tracking Module Projection Stone}
    - MALLOW: Imagine, Privet: the Probe Tracking Module will be the first to know the coordinates of the Eye of the universe! You’ll be the first to see them!
    -- PRIVET: I am honored and terrified!
    --- PRIVET: You won’t ask the Orbital Probe Cannon to use so much power that it breaks, will you?
    ---- MALLOW: Fret not, my nervous friend! We only need to fire the probe once, anyway, so who minds if it compromises the Orbital Probe Cannon’s structural integrity slightly?
    ----- PRIVET: I would mind, Mallow! I would mind, because we won’t be capable of receiving our probe’s data if the Probe Tracking Module is destroyed!
    Last edited by Voltgloss 1 year ago, edited 24 times in total.
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    Voltgloss
    Ask, and you shall be given. Think, and you shall find.
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    Outer Wilds

    Post by Voltgloss »

    DARK BRAMBLE

    NPCs
    Feldspar
    “Whoa! Where’d you come from? No one’s come here in… well, ever, actually. That makes you the second Hearthian to ever reach Dark Bramble — after me, of course. Well done! ...Say, it’s you! They made you an astronaut? And you haven’t blown yourself up yet, good for you!”
    >We all thought you were dead for sure.
    “What! Me, killed off by thorny, extradimensional plants that entirely violate the laws of space and time, and a couple of giant predatory fish with gaping maws and enormously sharp fangs? Not in this lifetime, little buddy. I set up camp here when my ship got stuck here in Dark Bramble. Been living off the land ever since.”
    >So what exactly happened to your ship?
    “Oh, this is a good story. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep and needed a new challenge, and none of us had ever been inside Dark Bramble, so I think, hey, let’s give that a try. I’ve been cruising around for a while, dodging the odd massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, when I run into this huge anglerfish, the biggest I’ve ever seen. I pull a few stunts, try to shake the thing off — nothing too fancy. I'm going full-speed when the fish clips me, knocks me into a vine, and... well, like I said, I crash. Blammo! On impact, my ship starts making noises like it's coming apart from the inside, and I think, well, that ain't great. Sure enough, I barely get out of there before the electrical systems start sparking like crazy. I camped out near where I crashed at first. I found this skeleton later — great find, would've been stupid not to use it. So I moved my setup over here and planted my emergency tree seeds. Been here ever since!”
    >...Wow.
    “Yeah, pretty much. Anyway, that’s how it all went down, hatchling! Story’s over, but feel free to stay and enjoy the fire a while. Or don’t. Fire’s not going anywhere.”
    "Anything else you wanted?"
    >I found something!
    “Lay it on me, hatchling!”
    >>I found a Dark Bramble seed on Timber Hearth.
    “...That’s bad business, hatchling. As Chert will tell you if you so much as glance in Dark Bramble’s direction, there used to be a fifth planet where the Bramble is now. This infernal plant appeared at the center and kept growing, and growing, and growing, until it shattered the planet and scattered its pieces across space. If we don’t get that seed you found sorted real quicklike, I suspect Timber Hearth will be heading toward the same fate. And I tell you what, we Hearthians have overcome far too much to be done in by some worthless seed.”
    >You reached the core of Giant’s Deep? How’d you do it?
    “Giant’s Deep’s core, huh? Ahhh, that was a wild one. But since you’re asking, I gotta assume you haven’t made it down there yourself yet, right? If I tell you how, it kinda feels like cheating. Hm… ...On a completely unrelated note, that sure was a big, hollow vine my ship crashed into. Yep. If I were you, I’d go take a walk and see where it ends. You’ll want to go to the tail end of this anglerfish skeleton here and look for a flickering light in the fog — that’ll be my old ship. Path starts there.”
    >What happened to this anglerfish?
    “Oh, the skeleton? It was like this when I got here. As near as I can tell, this anglerfish must have been chewing on the vine and eaten a seed, and then the seed grew and grew in the poor fish’s stomach until… this happened. Gross, huh? This skeleton was a good find. The light keeps the fish away, you know. See, they’re territorial, so they mostly avoid each other. That’s why I set up camp here.”
    >Shouldn’t I tell ground control to come get you?
    “Well… yeah, sure, whenever you have the time. Frankly, I kinda like it out here. Quiet, peaceful...ish. You’re a little young to understand, but it’s a lot of pressure, being the best that ever was. Been nice to have a break.”
    Notes and Recordings
    Feldspar's Camp
    Trip 4(?), entry #... I’m gonna say “not 1.”
    Crashes: 3
    Boring crashes: 0 (a personal best!)
    Whoa ho! Never thought I’d see one of these beasties outside of Giant’s Deep! They were awfully useful back there — maybe a jellyfish could be useful here, too?
    BLEARGH. This thing tastes terrible! The outside is all rubbery and tough -- maybe that’s because it insulates the jellyfish’s insides from getting zapped by electricity?
    Right, I’m going inside of this jellyfish’s interior cavity to see if what’s in there tastes any better.

    {inside jellyfish}
    Note to Feldspar: DO NOT EAT THIS EVEN IF YOU ARE DYING. It would be too sad if this were the last thing you ever ate in this life. I guess these jellyfish are only useful for insulation from electricity. Again, DO NOT EAT. (Love, Feldspar)
    Nomai Writings
    Escape Pod 3
    - BEGIN FLIGHTLOG: Escape Pod 3. Vessel has been mortally injured. Emergency sequence activated. Awaiting departure from Vessel.
    - Now launching Escape Pod 3.
    - ALERT: Multiple collisions have altered pod’s trajectory. Significant damage to pod detected.
    - WARNING: Navigation error. Life support error. Propulsion error.
    - Scanning external environment... Scan complete. Gravity not detected. Breathable air not detected. Multiple lifeforms detected (potentially hostile). Verdict: DO NOT EXIT POD.

    - SECCA: Our escape pod crashed as we tried to flee this place, destroying our movement and communication capabilities in the process.
    - SECCA: We’ve held out as long as we could here, but this pod’s supply of breathable air is nearly depleted, and the anglerfish attack more and more frequently.
    - SECCA: Our best chance at survival is to return to the Vessel to either repair the damage or, more probably, await rescue.
    - ESCALL: Secca, is the message finished? The Vessel’s beacon is already growing fainter; it will be gone in a matter of hours. We need to leave here, quickly.

    - DIN: There is a new problem: Our equipment is detecting two distinct beacons from the Vessel.
    - SECCA: But it isn’t possible for the Vessel to be in two different locations at the same time.
    - DIN: I agree, but the beacons are exactly identical to each other. Perhaps if I had more time —
    - SECCA: We’re nearly out of time already, Din; the Vessel’s beacon is quickly fading. Soon, it will be gone, and we will be lost.
    - ESCALL: We will follow the beacon whose source is nearest to us.
    - DIN: But suppose that beacon is false!
    - ESCALL: We likely don’t have enough air to reach the farther of the two beacons, Din. The decision is made for us.
    - ESCALL: We’ll leave a trail of lights as we go. There’s still a chance someone could hear our escape pod’s distress signal.

    - SECCA: To any who come here searching for us: We followed one of the two beacons from the Vessel to this place, but now can go no further.
    - SECCA: It’s almost too faint to hear now, but the Vessel’s beacon is still faintly emitting from within this thorny seed. Yet the opening is too small for even a single Nomai to fit through it, so our escape pod couldn’t have flown through here.
    - SECCA: I don’t understand how this could be possible, but this gruesome place seems able to manipulate space itself; maybe this was our undoing.
    - SECCA: To be so close to the location of the Vessel and still so far is... difficult. Worse, the Vessel’s beacon is dying; soon, we will be unable to hear it.
    - SECCA: There is nothing we can do now but try to perhaps find a way inside, or at least attempt to comprehend why this happened.
    - SECCA: My dearest hope is that the other escape pods were able to reach relative safety.

    The Vessel
    - FILIX: This is Escall’s Vessel; something went badly wrong during our warp, and our Vessel is mortally wounded. We need help as quickly as possible!
    - FILIX: Our Vessel appears to have... has it fused with the local environment, somehow? There are vines that are now part of the Vessel! It’s been torn apart from inside itself!
    - FILIX: We... we are abandoning our Vessel. Any Nomai clans or spaceflight-capable species receiving this message, I implore you, we need your help!
    - FILIX: Is this broken? Can anyone hear me? Our Vessel is dying! We need immediate assistance!

    - CANNA: To any Nomai clans whose Vessels can hear this message:
    - CANNA: It’s clear the universe is dying. There are fewer and fewer resources and safe places within space now, so my clan and I believe the best option is for all of our clans to stay together.
    - CANNA: If you can reach the Gloaming Galaxy, we’ve found that Blackrock’s suns are fairly stable, and life in this star system is (comparatively) thriving. We live in relative safety.
    - CANNA: If you prefer to continue exploring alone, know you will be on your own.
    - BROMI: Canna, we’re making our way to you.
    - CANNA: It’s good to hear from you, Bromi! We’ll watch for your Vessel.
    - CANNA: Has anyone heard from Neem? His clan was on its way to our Vessel, but they never arrived, and he hasn’t sent any messages. I’m beginning to worry.
    - BROMI: That is unsettling. It reminds me of that old myth my grandfather used to tell, the Disappearance of Escall.
    - CLEM: I remember hearing that story as a child! One day, Escall’s Vessel simply stopped responding. The other clans searched and searched, but found no trace. It was as if their missing friends had warped out of existence.
    - HYSSOP: That’s no myth, friends; Escall’s clan existed, and their story was real.
    - BROMI: What a curious event to have passed into myth! Our ancestors’ ancestors were told that story when they were young. Are you sure it’s true, Hyssop?
    - HYSSOP: It was a very long time ago, but yes. My clan’s ancestors searched for Escall’s clan for a long time, but in the end, none of them were ever seen again. (It’s the only time in our history a Vessel has ever disappeared this way.)
    - NEEM: Hyssop, I hope you aren’t comparing Escall’s story to my clan’s Vessel!
    - CLEM: Neem, my friend! We feared you were gone!
    - NEEM: Not yet, we aren’t, but nearly. We found trouble during our warp: The triple suns of the Bright Spark star system exploded, and it was only a lucky coincidence we weren’t caught in the blast. We’ll meet you soon, Canna!
    - CANNA: I’m relieved your clan is safe, Neem! It’s good to hear your words. Any Vessels nearby, remember to be extremely cautious of potentially unstable stars (which is most of them, now).
    ----

    THE INTERLOPER

    Nomai Writings
    - CLARY: This is troublesome: It seems the comet wishes to submerge our shuttle in ice. If we stay on the surface too long, the shuttle may freeze entirely.
    - POKE: Even if it did, couldn’t someone call it back home to the gravity cannon on Ember Twin?
    - PYE: Yes, but the exploration of the comet would be more difficult if we were without the shuttle until someone recalled it. Perhaps we shouldn’t have landed on the dark side of the comet...
    - CLARY: Suppose one of us remained in the shuttle to keep it warm and continue monitoring the surface.
    - PYE: This would be wise, I think, Clary. If you don’t mind waiting here with it, Poke and I can continue to investigate the surface.

    - PYE: I’m receiving much stronger energy readings now that we’re beneath the crust. Whatever it is must lie somewhere below, closer to the comet’s center. And I’m starting to think it’s more dangerous than we realized.
    - PYE: Clary, can you hear us?
    - CLARY: Yes, but your voices are faint. I fear we will lose communication entirely if you continue any deeper.
    - POKE: Keep the shuttle warm for us, Clary. We’ll return the moment we identify the source of the energy readings!
    - CLARY: I understand, but... Be cautious, both of you.

    - PYE: The stone is muting our energy readings; they should be ten times what we’re seeing, at least.
    - POKE: Pye, I don’t think we want this matter interacting with us. As far as I can tell, direct contact with it would almost certainly be fatal.
    - PYE: I’ve never encountered anything like this casing, but it’s all that’s protecting us from what’s inside. Worse still, this matter is disturbingly volatile.
    - POKE: ...Pye. Whatever the matter inside this stone casing is, it’s more than just profoundly unstable; it’s under tonnes of pressure. Look at this density scan. I’ve never seen anything this tightly compacted before! What is this?
    - PYE: This is orders of magnitude worse than I’d imagined. If this stone were to rupture, the lethal matter within would rapidly expand, completely blanketing this star system almost instantaneously. And the pressure is still building as the comet approaches this star system…
    - PYE: Return to the shuttle, right now! The rest of our friends need to know they’re in terrible danger. Leave your equipment and run!
    - POKE: What are you doing, Pye?!
    - PYE: The more we know about this alien matter, the better our chances of survival. I will learn what I can here. Go, warn the others; maybe they can construct shelter somehow. ...Now, Poke!
    ----

    QUANTUM MOON

    NPCs
    Solanum
    Identify and You
    - “I am Solanum, a Nomai. My clan arrived in this star system before my birth, and we now call it home.”

    Explain and You
    - “I am on my first pilgrimage to the Quantum Moon. All Nomai in my clan make this journey when we come of age. Even though the Eye cannot be reached from here, the Quantum Moon remains special to us, as it carries us nearer to the Eye than any other place we know. I’ve journeyed here to be close to the Eye. While the Eye is obscured from our sight, we can see the Quantum Moon’s reflection of the Eye in the sky above us.”

    Identify and Quantum Moon
    - “This is the Quantum Moon, where we both are standing. Despite also orbiting other celestial bodies, the Quantum Moon is the Eye of the Universe’s moon.”

    Explain and Quantum Moon
    - “Have you encountered a quantum shard on another planet? The shards look the same as the quantum moon’s surface does now, while at the eye. From this, we can reasonably infer the Quantum Moon’s natural state is as we see it now, and that the Eye is its primary location. Given the Quantum Moon is the Eye’s moon, it’s likely that any characteristics the moon exhibits are also exhibited by the Eye itself. The Quantum Moon and its shards, for instance, are quantum, thus, the Eye is likely also quantum. In fact, this moon is probably quantum because its proximity to the Eye made it quantum, the same way the areas surrounding quantum shards that landed on other planets eventually became quantum, too.”

    Identify and Eye of the Universe
    - “We are orbiting the Eye of the Universe now, although we cannot see it (only the Quantum Moon’s reflection of it). The Eye is older than the universe itself, and my clan believes it dwells in an extremely distant orbit around this star system.”

    Explain and Eye of the Universe
    - “There is fundamental uncertainty throughout the universe. Normally, this uncertainty is only observable on a very small scale. As one approaches the Eye, however, that uncertainty grows enormously. The Quantum Moon probably exhibits macroscopic quantum behavior because of its proximity to the Eye. Shards that broke off from the Quantum Moon have a similar effect, as I imagine you’ve seen elsewhere in this star system. Conscious observation forces a quantum object to collapse to a single possibility. But what would happen if a conscious observer somehow entered the Eye itself? Over time, this has become my clan’s greatest question.”

    You and Eye of the Universe
    - “Many in my clan have believed the Eye called to us for a particular purpose. When I was a child, I used to believe the Eye was malevolent, to have lured my clan to this star system only to then vanish from them so completely. But I don’t fear the Eye, anymore. In fact, it became my fondest hope to see the Eye itself, someday, but I fear this may be beyond my reach. You may think I’m strange, but I have a hypothesis that I may not be entirely alive. Perhaps my journey has reached its end.”

    You and Quantum Moon
    - "Like many of my clan before me, I journeyed here to see the Quantum Moon's reflection of the Eye. This is the closest any of us have come to seeing the Eye itself. You may think I'm strange, but I have a hypothesis that I may not be entirely alive. Perhaps my journey has reached its end. "

    You and Me
    - “We do not have much connection, you and I. Still, this encounter feels special. I hope you won’t mind if I think of you as a friend.”

    Identify and Me
    - “I’ve never met one of your kind before. It’s an honor to speak with you! I particularly admire your four eyes. There are many questions I would ask, if I could comprehend your language. You have my gratitude for understanding mine.”

    Explain and Me
    - “I imagine your purpose here is the same as mine: to learn about and to find the Eye of the Universe. I’m unsure how you arrived here, however. Perhaps you came from another star system, as my clan originally did?”

    Me and Eye of the Universe
    - “Suppose you could reach the Eye of the Universe: would you try to enter it? What do you imagine the effects of a conscious observer might be?”

    Me and Quantum Moon
    - “Is this your first time on the Quantum Moon? It’s my first time here. If you’ve come here looking for answers, I hope you find them.”

    Quantum Moon and Eye of the Universe
    - “I imagine you’ve noticed the Quantum Moon changes in appearance depending on which location it is currently orbiting (for instance, the moon looks quite different when orbiting Giant’s Deep than it does when orbiting the Hourglass Twins). Because the Quantum Moon clearly changes in its different forms, the Eye (being this moon’s primary location) must be similarly malleable. From this, we can hypothesize that the Eye represents extreme changeability. That said, despite its malleable nature, the Quantum Moon becomes locked to one specific version of itself when it is consciously observed. But what would happen if a conscious observer were to enter the Eye?”
    Last edited by Voltgloss 1 year ago, edited 4 times in total.
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    Outer Wilds

    Post by Voltgloss »

    THE STRANGER

    Slide Reels and Visions

























    Passwords
    "pilot room maybe": sun - eye - fire - eye - fire
    "film burning building": waning moon - saturn - waning moon - star - star
    Last edited by Voltgloss 1 year ago, edited 13 times in total.
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by raocow »

    ominous
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by thatguyif »

    Hmmmm
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by Grounder »

    in ad 2101

    war was beginning

    also, you might be a bit too quick on the draw here, voltgloss
    killer7 has a bonus level
    edit: egg on my face i guess
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by KobaBeach »

    finally king's field (note: i have no idea if it's king's field)
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by Crow »

    aww yeah i love slime rancher
    i've honestly never played a video game in my life
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by EllenHouraisan »

    Portal 2????
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by Donut »

    I swear if the mystery FPS is Hexen, the La-Mulana of FPSes...
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by thatguyif »

    realizing something...pulls out banjo, staring intently at Voltgloss
    C, G, B...G C-B-A-G-A-B G D, G, B...G C-B-A-G-A-B-D-B
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by Crow »

    thatguyif wrote: 1 year ago realizing something...pulls out banjo, staring intently at Voltgloss
    C, G, B...G C-B-A-G-A-B G D, G, B...G C-B-A-G-A-B-D-B
    yeah this is what speculation has honed in on

    but i'm not sure this game needs a voltglossary 'cause it keeps track of everything by itself but ehh

    i've honestly never played a video game in my life
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by thatguyif »

    Knowing raocow he'll forget it's there. And sometimes there are clues that aren't particularly contextualized.
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    Re: mysterious space reservation

    Post by thatguyif »

    Grounder wrote: 1 year ago edit: egg on my face i guess
    More like egg on your TOAST
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Ace of Rods: The Fateful Step

    Post by Draexzhan »

    Gosh I am really looking forward to this playthrough. It absolutely is in a similar vein to La-Mulana and everything about it just feels so well thought out.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Ace of Rods: The Fateful Step

    Post by Donut »

    Aww man. I've had Outer Wilds on my queue for a while now, so I may have to give this LP a miss. Hope raocow has a blast with it though, I've heard nothing but good things about it.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Ace of Rods: The Fateful Step

    Post by thatguyif »

    Called it

    I gotta wonder. This game is extremely spoiler-sensitive. I wonder if we should just preemptively apply AUS rules on the YouTube comments? I don't trust the commenters not to drop even the lightest spoiler. Like I ain't saying shit without a spoiler code attached here.

    But yes, I am excited for this.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Ace of Rods: The Fateful Step

    Post by kitikami »

    With how small the planet appears to be, the zero-G cave could just be a cave that goes all the way to the center of the planet, no tech or simulation necessary. It's kind of counter-intuitive, but the net gravitational force is zero at the planet's center of mass because the planet's mass is distributed around you pulling you equally in all directions. If we could theoretically travel to the center of the Earth, we would also experience steadily weaker gravity until we felt weightless.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Stargazing

    Post by Draexzhan »

    kitikami wrote: 1 year ago With how small the planet appears to be, the zero-G cave could just be a cave that goes all the way to the center of the planet, no tech or simulation necessary. It's kind of counter-intuitive, but the net gravitational force is zero at the planet's center of mass because the planet's mass is distributed around you pulling you equally in all directions. If we could theoretically travel to the center of the Earth, we would also experience steadily weaker gravity until we felt weightless.
    Yeah, I believe that cave is in the center of the planet. As I recall, if you have a planet with a hollowed out center, that entire hollow will be zero G, even if you're not at its center. The math just so happens to work out that way.

    Looking forward to the journey officially starting tomorrow.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Déjà Vu

    Post by Validon98 »

    I had the urge to make a log of deaths/loop ends, if for nothing but to count them (I don't usually do that but I feel like contributing something in some capacity). Just gonna edit this as we go along. :V

    (As of loop 12 I'm realizing this is going to get big so into the spoiler tags it goes to save space.)
    Loop 1: Incinerated by a large explosion of some form (actually a supernova, now that raocow has seen one directly)
    Loop 2: Eaten by an anglerfish
    Loop 3: Failed to escape the sun's gravity
    Loop 4: Forgot to put on the spacesuit
    Loop 5: Taken by surprise by an anglerfish
    Loop 6: Said hello to Hollow's Lantern
    Loop 7: Crash landing on Brittle Hollow
    Loop 8: Landing gingerly on Brittle Hollow
    Loop 9: Watched the last moments of the solar system
    Loop 10: Embraced the supernova after much was learned
    Loop 11: Asphyxiated in the caves of Ember Twin
    Loop 12: Waited for the end to come by the campfire
    Loop 13: Left the Attlerock in a very Hearthian manner and returned to it, in a more fatal Hearthian manner
    Loop 14: Did not heed Gabbro's advice on what to do when being thrown into space by a tornado.
    Loop 15: Didn't scurry along the walls like a mouse well enough.
    Loop 16: Aah! Real Anglerfish!
    Loop 17: Used an anglerfish as a death warp, as you do.
    Loop 18: Turns out, trying to launch a Nomai shuttle when its gravity cannon is partially buried just makes you crash into the side of it.
    Loop 19: Autopilot once again led to the sun, Slate should really fix that.
    Loop 20: Stranded in space by the gravity cannon and willfully death warped via asphyxiation.
    Loop 21: Experienced the fate of the Nomai clan first hand.
    Loop 22: Experienced the end of the solar system without getting stuck in that tree again.
    Loop 23: Didn't quite remember to refill oxygen before heading down to Giant's Deep
    Loop 24: The quantum trials have a time limit of until the solar system gets blown up and time ran out.
    Loop 25: Admiring a supernova, if fatal, is at least pretty cool in a sense.
    Loop 26: Got a degree in "making the journey to the Quantum Moon" right before the end days. Talk about tight deadlines for your thesis.
    Loop 27: Welcomed a bit too forcefully to the southern pole of the Quantum Moon.
    Loop 28: Got lost in space and ran self out of oxygen, again.
    Loop 29: Barely managed to avoid the supernova, living past it if only for a little longer.
    Loop 30: The sun was really intent on not letting the hatchling land on Ash Twin.
    Loop 31: Another series of days and nights on Timber Hearth, another supernova, what can you do?
    Loop 32: Even when inside the brambles that seemingly break the laws of space and physics, the supernova comes anyways.
    Loop 33: Learned how to relax from Gabbro. A supernova probably happened or something but we'll count these as "meditation."
    Loop 34: The sun is there to catch the hatchling each time they're a bit too greedy for the void hole.
    Loop 35: The sun sure is doing its running out of things to properly fuse and exploding thing again.
    Loop 36: Embarked for the first time on the hidden ship (later known to be the Stranger) and would have been stuck there for some time if the whole nomai memory thing wasn't still happening.
    Loop 37: Decided that one too many times through the black hole was enough to give the next loop a shot.
    Loop 38: Also decided that an unwarranted crash landing was not worth it and meditated yet again.
    Loop 39: The cactus tunnel gave the hatchling a rather spiky hug.
    Loop 40: The bloodlust of the cacti still needed to be sated.
    Loop 41: The hatchling got to experience the sun station falling into the sun firsthand, uh I guess that counts as falling into the sun.
    Loop 42: Drifting aimlessly through space is as good as time as any to meditate.
    Loop 43: Launched right into a nice view of the end of the solar system, thanks Ash Twin tower.
    Loop 44: Experienced what it was like to become a Hearthian pancake thanks to sand.
    Loop 45: Meditated instead of having to deal with being crushed to death, which is fair because that sucks.
    Loop 46: After an exciting day learning about fish, the Hearthian said hi to the death of the sun yet again.
    Loop 47: Giant's Deep really wanted to ruin the moment with the supernova today.
    Loop 48: Avoiding egg guardian the first only to get eaten by one of the nearby fish outside.
    Loop 49: Same as before, because real talk this maneuver is pretty scary.
    Loop 50: Turns out there is at least one other anglerfish other than the three in red zone. Oops.
    Loop 51: Experienced the end from where everything with the nomai began, in theory.
    Loop 52: Decided to go back to Ash Twin the Hearthian way instead of the Nomai way, the hatchling's legs did not appreciate it.
    Loop 53: How many alternate timelines worth of hatchlings being stranded on the Stranger will there be? Who knows!
    Loop 54: After breaking all of their bones and living, the hatchling then died to being gently carried along by the current into a rock. What a shame.
    Loop 55: A fun trip down the river while nearly being concussed to death was fortunately (unfortunately?) interrupted by the Ash Twin Project.
    Loop 56: Chilled by the diving bell as the Ash Twin Project did its thing.
    Loop 57: Ash Twin Project, take me home, to the place, I belong.
    Loop 58: The Ash Twin Project being able to take dream memories on top of regular memories is good at least.
    Loop 59: Got lost in the dream, decided to just meditate there for a bit.
    Loop 60: Woken rudely just as it was time for the sun to explode.
    Loop 61: Chilled in the flooded tower for a bit until the Ash Twin Project stopped you from needing to swim until you drowned.
    Loop 62: It's nice that the timing for the end days starts just as the tower falls. Anyhow yadda yadda Ash Twin Project yadda yadda memories.
    Loop 63: Defiantly yelling at the Ash Twin Project to not yet do the thing, but alas.
    Loop 64: Got tossed around the rocks of the river like a ragdoll.
    Loop 65: Did some science to confirm that burning to death is a valid way to enter Owlnet.
    Loop 66: The Ash Twin Project was going to do its thing, but the hatchling's river adventure ended up going badly right at the end.
    Loop 67: Roast hatchling isn't exactly a fun time but it is the way to avoid dealing with the consequences of waking up.
    Loop 68: Got chased around so long that the Ash Twin Project decided enough was enough.
    Loop 69: Finally got that death on crash landing into the Stranger. It had to happen.
    Loop 70: With all the pieces of the puzzle together (?), the hatchling meditated to the next loop.
    Loop 71: Burning to death for the internet part 3, accidentally messed up trying to get to a boat.
    Loop 72: Burning to death for the internet finale, leading to an important conversation.
    Loop 73: Sometimes you fall asleep when hurtling through a black hole.
    Loop 74: Other times, after thinking very hard as to what you have to do.
    Loop 75: And sometimes you sleep when you presumably have obtained knowledge and need to act upon it, later.
    Loop 76: Sometimes you gotta sleep on how the warps work.
    Loop 77: YOU ARE DEAD. END OF TIMELINE.
    Loop 77-2: The hatchling witnessed the death of their universe and the birth of the next. Unfortunately, the Big Bang is also fatal.
    With the space saving, going to also have a running total of deaths by cause.
    Deaths by supernova: 16
    Deaths by anglerfish: 8
    Deaths by falling into the Sun: 5
    Deaths by forgetting to put on the spacesuit: 1
    Deaths by falling into Hollow's Lantern: 1
    Deaths by crash landing: 3
    Deaths by asphyxiation (not counting forgetting the suit): 4
    Deaths by impact: 8
    Deaths by ghost matter: 1
    Survived the loop (outside of the Stranger): 1
    Survived the loop on the Stranger: 11
    Meditated through a loop: 11
    Deaths by impalement: 2
    Deaths by being crushed: 1
    Deaths by burning: 4
    Deaths by the Big Bang: 1

    Timeline Ends: 2
    Last edited by Validon98 1 year ago, edited 52 times in total.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - Déjà Vu

    Post by helucard »

    This is looking to be a hilarious sequence of events, I love what I've seen so far, can't wait for more.
    Good luck making progress, I'm *intrigued* now.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - The Fool • 0: Unlimited Potential

    Post by Petzi »

    Ooooooooooh my gosh, I'm SO hyped for this! I finished this game like two weeks ago and I absolutely loved it, I thought "man, what if raocow played this? I dunno, puzzle games aren't usually his this" yet HERE. WE. ARE.

    And I'm LOVING it! This is like a dream come true, ever since I finished the game it hasn't left my mind.
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    Re: Outer Wilds - The Fool • 0: Unlimited Potential

    Post by thatguyif »

    Okay, I'm jamming to both the numbering system referring to loops, and just how this is going.

    I won't add much else since I said I won't say shit. A lot of this is learning through trial and error, and that's what makes this fun.
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