It was a huge milestone of scientific and technological advancement. (Plus, at the time, politically significant). Humanity went to space! We set foot on a celestial body that was not earth for the first time in human history! Thatâs a big deal! Iâve never thought about it before but now that I have, itâs ridiculous to me that thatâs not part of our everyday lives and the public consciousness anymore. Why donât we have a public holiday and a family barbecue about it. Why have I never seen the original broadcast of the moon landing? It should be all over the news every year!
Itâs July 20th. Thatâs the day of the moon landing. Next year is going to be the 54th anniversary. Iâm ordering astronaut shaped cookie cutters on Etsy and Iâm going to have a goddamn potluck. Youâre all invited.
PITCH: We call it Moon Day, and then every 7 years when it falls on a Monday, that's an even BIGGER deal and we call that Moon Day Monday and go absolutely apeshit about it (the next Moon Day Monday is in 2026 so we have a couple trial runs first)
After fighting my way through Cauldron Kappa, I was in need of a long rest, so it was a few hours past dawn when I left the Sky Clan camp to seek out the nearest Charger herd. Fortunately for me, I found some just north of the Greenhouse, overriding one for the road.
Approaching the entrance to the Greenhouse, I spotted a Lowland patrol coming toward me. I dismounted, eager for any news on Quen movements in the area since I was here a couple weeks back. The soldiers had been sent out here to discover the same, after the dead Tenakth squad had been found on the road to the south. The tribe was eager for revenge, but they'd found no sign of the mysterious tribe along their route so far. I went to explore the ruins themselves, hoping I could find something.
There were certainly no soldiers around, but I did come across one of their camps by the coastline; fire was cold and the fish heads were rotten. They must have cleared out pretty soon after Alva found the data they needed, not returning since. They'd left a few of their lanterns out, but the boats were gone along with the netting covering the entrance by water. That's too badâI'd have to search the rest of the coast, though I was hoping someone at Tide's Reach might be able to tell me where to look.
I rode south along the coast, passing the herds of Clawstriders and Snapmaws by the Tenakth's many fishing traps. Soon enough, the towers of Tide's Reach came into view.
Leaving my Charger at the southern entrance, I climbed up through a narrow stone passageway to reach the settlement. Visiting the weapons merchant, I traded in the spoils of Cauldron Kappa and restocked my pouches. It was definitely time for a change of clothes, too. I stunk of rust and fish.
I cleaned off my patchy Sky Clan paint and pulled out my old Lowland Reaver outfit, having the required matching paint applied by the enthusiastic stitcher of the settlement. I used the opportunity to hunt for rumours, and the painter seemed to know all. I guess they get one-on-one time with most soldiers in the settlement, however far they roam. The murderous tribe in their strange boats had been spotted by some northern lookouts returning to the ocean mists toward the Isle of Spires. There'd been no further sign of them in that stretch of water, though reports from Thornmarsh way claimed they'd been ferrying back and forth from the southern strands of the Long Coast. I wonder, were they scouting out the Far Zenith base? Seemed like the sort of place they'd take an interest in. Unfortunately they wouldn't find these Ancestors all that benevolent. If I head down there, I might catch the Quen on one of their tripsâI'll just have to hope they either have a Diviner with them, or they've heard the story of Elisabet Sobeck walking around in the present day.
The painter suggested I speak to the settlement's leader, Cragella, for more information. As I was heading over to find her, I overheard a pair of women arguing about someone being dangerous, not worth searching for. One of the women was badly injured, and not by a machine, by the look of it.
I stopped to inquire, thinking I might be able to lend some medicinal remedies at the very least. The injured woman, named Fenirra, recognised me instantly, then asked if I was by chance heading out into the Stand of the Sentinels. A leading question, so I pried further; she was worried about her father, Garokkah, an old man who'd taken to wandering the forests alone and would not be persuaded to return. Revikka, her friend, offered some much-needed context. Garokkah had been the one who'd injured Fenirra, stabbing his own daughter in the back. According to her, the man had been acting strangely, aggressive and aloof. Fenirra conceded, saying that when they'd argued out in the forest, it was like he didn't even recognise her.
Sounded like the man was gravely unwell, dangerous to himself and others. His camp was to the south-east, Fenirra said, which was vaguely in my direction of travel...maybe I could justify the detour. Fenirra was practically begging; I was afraid she'd try to drag herself out of here wound and all if I didn't agree, not that Revikka would let that happen. I said I'd keep an eye out for her father.
Zip-lining down to the docks of Tide's Reach, I found Cragella staring off into the calm grey sea. She was speaking to her comrade about increasing the guard by the coast, locking supplies away in the town centre. They were expecting raidsâfrom the Quen? When I asked, she said it was rebels they were worried about. A band of them had crossed the ocean on a makeshift raft and killed a few of the guards on duty by the docks, carrying away caches of food, remedies, and ammunition. What were rebels doing out at sea? A raft couldn't possibly survive a trip all the way to the Isle of Spires, surely. Maybe west was just the only direction they had left to run, or maybe they were up to something out there in the city ruins. Something at Sylen's behest?
Cragella feared that the raiders would return once they'd exhausted the supplies they'd stolen, but there wasn't much I could do to help without a boat of my own to go searching for them. I asked her for further information on the Quen, and for that she suggested seeking out Atekka, the Commander of the Lowland Clan. She'd taken a keen interest in tracking the new tribe's movements as they continued to land on the clan's southern shores. So, Atekka's back in Thornmash to stay this time. Maybe I can find out more from her about the blood choke, get to the bottom of why Gaia can't clear it.
The fog hung thick, obscuring the distant city skyline. If I can't find more of the Quen, maybe I'll end up needing to build a raft of my own and brave the currents. A last resort. I don't like my chances.
I left Tide's Reach in the early afternoon, calling my Charger up from the sands. I made good on my word to Fenirra, veering east on my path south to search for signs of her father.
Before I did, I dismounted to clear the vines of a metal flower coating the entrance to a shallow cave. There was a Stalker inside. I even checked with my Focus this time, but these vines confuse its scanners like a Spikesnout's spray. Anyway, downed the Stalker quick enough, but what I found inside was truly strange. A pair of Tenakth corpses lay beside a campsite. The corpses were fresh, the firepit barely gone cold. By their wounds, the Stalker had killed them, but how the hell had they all ended up behind an Adamantine Wreath? I had to conclude that the flower had been sitting dormant at the entrance from one of its long-ago tests, and the machine had triggered it somehow, trapping itself and the unfortunate campers inside the cave.
Whatever happened, the camp had plenty of valuable resources the soldiers would no longer be needing.
I had to go a little out of my way to reach Garrokah's camp, taking a zigzagging path up an eastern incline, crossing a series of rolling waterfalls to and fro by Lowland bridges.
I took a short break near the top of the falls at a shelter.
Moving on, I finally reached the place Fenirra had described, following a trail of blood along the road to Garrokah's camp. There was a lot of itâFenirra was lucky to be alive. If her friend hadn't found her, she would've died here at her own father's hand.
At the modest camp, I found yet more blood, along with supplies and containers of paint and oil overturned in what must have been the struggle with Fenirra.
Looking out from the incline on which the camp sat, I spotted a cluster of explosive traps, and a Clawstrider stomping right for them. Rushing down to investigate, I found Garrokah defending his camp from the machine.
After I helped Garrokah take down the machine, he greeted me sternly. I tried to tell him about Fenirra, thinking he maybe didn't understand how badly he'd hurt her, but Garrokah wouldn't let me get a word in. Said there was a squad patrolling the road to the south-west that was about to walk into an ambush. I certainly hadn't spotted any signs of rebel activity in the area, but maybe they'd managed to repopulate the outpost near Tide's Reach.
I gave Garrokah the benefit of the doubt, though he couldn't tell me how he knew this ambush was about to happen all of a sudden. But, as I followed him west, calling my Charger after me at a trot (of which he seemed oblivious), it became increasingly clear that something was off with Garrokah. He said attacks from these 'traitors' had been happening for yearsâabout a rebellion that was mere months old. We weren't on the same page, but if I could get him to return to Tide's Reach, maybe someone there could help him.
After dispatching the machines, I built myself a path of crates up to a cargo holder, hitching a ride as it swung around toward the core, taking a scenic route over a pit of spitting electrical coils. Finally, there was only one node left between me and the Cauldron core.
An Apex Tideripper hung suspended in the weaving light. Hephaestus, or some vestigial agent of its suite, worked away desperately on the machine. The Cauldron was almost ready to deploy its final line of defence. I had to swim over and override the core before it could.
Too late; as soon as I dived in to begin my approach, the cage of light fizzled out and the Tideripper plunged into the water. It circled the core closelyâno way was I getting those overrides without taking the machine down.
I used a node on a nearby gate to get back to the pump room, lowering the water level to expose the floor of the core chamber. That would be enough to put the machine and I on equal footing.
I found the machine's Apex variant almost easier to deal with than the original. It was weak to frost, so with a few chillwater arrows, I coated the beast and focused fire with my Boltblaster on its red, glowing heart, exposed whenever it flopped its mass toward me. Its jets of Purgewater made it hard to stay standing and fire off another round of frost, but once I did, and repeated the process with my Boltblaster, the machine went down quick. I stripped the kill and made my way to the core, eager for my most powerful set of overrides yet.
I was right to be excited. My Focus downloaded the access codes to some of the largest machines around, including one I'd yet to encounter. Some of them were corrupted, as usual, but a good chunk were perfectly intact. This was going to give me quite the edge out in the wilds...until Gaia absorbs Hephaestus, of course.
I swum back out of the Cauldron, leaving it considerably more flooded than I'd found it.
I surfaced into the middle of a cold, clear night. The Shellsnapper's corpse still lay overturned on the beach, with no reinforcements yet gathered, thankfully. My energy was spent. I marched through the shallows and climbed the cliff face to reach the Sky Clan shelter.
There was enough time yet before dawn for a decent night's sleep. To the Greenhouse tomorrow, to pick up the trail of the Quen.
seeing a doctor who just accepts my case as fairly predictable and talks to me like I'm a regular person who happens to be dealing with some very specific medical issues. is healing. this guy had a little laminated flipbook with diagrams he used to explain the biomechanics of what they are going to be looking for when they do the ultrasounds and how those things might impact my body and what the treatments might be if they find them. he was neither condescending nor inaccessibly jargon-y. just very straightforward and matter of fact. at one point I sort of gratefully expressed how much I appreciated him discussing everything with us so thoroughly and he just looked at me blankly like he didn't understand what the alternative would be? like "but that's just my job..?" and I was like oh sir. i appreciate very much that you have that attitude about practicing medicine. but also (thousand yard stare)
In the end, I only managed a few hours sleep at the camp by the Sky Clan watchtower. It was just too damn cold, but more pressingly, another Shellwalker convoy was approaching. I rode west through the dark hours of morning, before spotting the deep red glow of Firegleam clinging to an ancient red-brick ruin.
I figured I could escape the notice of the Clawstrider trio nearby as I snuck up to the ruin. After detonating the Firegleam, I approached to collect my salvage, but only managed to scan one of the datapoints from a distance when an Apex Ravager came blundering from the opening, eyes red and affixed to me. How do these machines keep getting themselves into these places?
I tried to take the Ravager down as quickly as possible, but of course the Clawstriders heard the commotion. I tied the Ravager down in the river shallows, tearing off its cannon and detonating its blaze canisters, trying to do as much damage as I could with my spear before the other machines joined in. That's when the Shellwalker convoy caught up, the machine and its escorts skittering over the rise and right down to the riverbanks to join in the fun. I used a smoke bomb to scatter them, overriding the Shellwalker to distract the Ravager as I took down the pair of Burrowers. I'd hoped, then, to finally get at my salvage in the ruin.
The Shellwalker finished off the damaged Ravager, as intended, but the Clawstriders had finally parsed the chaos and focused their acid attacks on me. I overrode the last remaining Burrower, and hoped for an additional ally among the Clawstriders as well, but only Apex variants remained. I used plasma ammo against the pair, building up a charge before unleashing my explosive Spikethrower to embed maximum damage into the reaction. I overrode my trusty Shellwalker a second time to keep it on side, and with it and my plasma strategy, the Clawstriders were finally finished with. The sun had risen by then, and I'd already lost precious time, along with my Charger mount, who'd drawn the ire of the Clawstriders while I'd been focused on the deadly Ravager.
I thought I was in the clear, keenly hoping that the salvage inside the ruin would make the long fight worthwhile, but before I could reach it, my loyal Shellwalker shot its lightning balls at a flock of Sunwings overhead, who came down to land right beside my prize.
That was it; I had to cut my losses. I'd exhausted too much ammo and energy both to make it through this fight. I ran, but I didn't get far before one of the Sunwings caught me with a plasma blast from its head-mounted cannons. The charge building around my body, I knew I wouldn't make it out of this if I let the machines bolster its power any further. I dodged the Sunwing's second attack, one of its plasma-infused boulders, managing to round the bend before the charge ensnaring me burst, sending a painful, burning shock through every muscle and throwing me at force to the ground. I pulled myself up, scrabbling on the gravel road, and kept on running. Scraped to hell, stinging all over, head pounding and still without my damned salvage, I fled the Sunwings. Fortunately, it wasn't too much further to the coast, and right there on the edge of Sky Clan territory was the last camp on their patrol path, stocked well with a fire burning.
The camp on the cliff's edge overlooked the beach, the ruins of the Greenhouse just to the south. I was more interested, for the moment, in the triangular entrance carved into the northern cliff face: the entrance to the Cauldron Terakka had told me about. But I wasn't ready to brave it just yet. Exhausted from my lack of sleep, and badly beat up by that disaster of a delve.
I patched my wounds, replenished my ammo, and slept all the way through to the early afternoon.
My condition was much improved them, and I was ready to plug the depths of Cauldron Kappa. In the shallows by the flooded entrance, a Shellsnapper waddled around with a few Burrowers on the lookout. I glided down and speared through one of the Burrowers from above, seeking out the second and overriding it to my side.
I used my new, potent acid arrows to corrode the Shellsnapper, then unloaded into it with my Boltblaster. I used my Spikethrower to blast off its protective shell, then pierced its vulnerable kinetic dynamo and plasma generators. Another round of acid and piercing ammo, and it went down. The resulting battlefield was a mess of frozen shards, though I escaped practically unscathed, compared to my tousle that morning.
Swimming in through the entrance, the damage to the Cauldron continued. The whole place was mostly flooded, covered in thick marine growths of seaweed, coral, and urchins. A home to more fish than machinery.
Swimming through the overgrown corridors, the sharp slants of sun, I reached a chamber undamaged and above ground. Had to fight a couple Apex Spikesnouts on the way, but with my acid arrows they gave me no trouble.
Further in, I swum through a vast, sunken chamber, lit from beneath by a deep green glow. Metal debris floated there, collecting on the far distant floor. There were a few Snapmaws down there with me, but I managed to avoid their notice.
Swimming to the chamber's surface, I overrode one of the Snapmaws who'd come up to stalk the gangways, keeping it off my back as I searched for a way to the core.
In the largest room yet, I found my first functional area of the facility: a giant pump, driving down into the ocean to extract its power. I suppose this place was always intended to work with the tides, but with damage over time, the water had seeped into places it was never meant to reach, bringing the wilds with it. Hephaestus had clearly been hacking at the place as wellâthe place was crawling with Apex machines. So many Burrowers in my path.
The entrance to the core was too high up to reach. Fortunately, the three nodes in the pump room allowed me to raise the water level bit by bit, constructing a makeshift path to reach the upper levels.
On my way through those upper rooms, I met a pair of Shellwalkers. I overrode one yet again to get those powerful shock blasts working for me. With its help, I took down the Apex Shellwalker, Spikesnouts, and Scroungers littering the chamber.
As I went to leave the Bulwark, Erayyo, one of the two melee pit masters, called me over. He made a show of it too, getting the crowd in on it, requesting a rematch against 'the Champion'. I felt a little pressured, but it was my own pride that wouldn't let me turn away without a fight. As blatantly unfair as this two-against-one challenge was, I knew I had what it took to take both him and his brother down this time.
It didn't take long; I couldn't let it, not with Virrak's huge electrified hammer and laser-hot blade a-swing. I concentrated on Erayyo first, the weaker but quicker target, since Virrak's movements were easier to predict. That wasn't too difficult, just had to watch my back (with some help from my Focus), keep dodging and weavingâI was far more agile than both of them. Once Erayyo was down, Virrak gave me a hard time. Patience was all I neededâenough to wait until he tired himself out with a flurry of swings, look for an opening, and get a few clean strikes in. By the end, most of the settlement had gathered around the pit, or watched from the upper levels. When I stood victorious, Virrak on his knees, I even thought I glimpsed Tekkoteh peering out from his sanctum at the shelter's peak, but I couldn't be sure. Might be a good time to clear out of here.
After collecting my mark from Erayyo, I picked up a couple remedies for the road, then glided back down to the forest floor.
Back on my Charger, I only made it a short way down the western road before spotting rebel markers. I was concerned for a moment, but further down I saw the tell-tale, decorated start line marking the track. It was Attah and her band of outlaw machine-riders.
I left my Charger by their machine pen, dismounting to greet her. Beside her was Haxx, the Sky Clan soldier I'd spoken to by the race track camp on the way down to the Stillsands. They called this region the 'Bonewhite Tear', which was typical Sky Clan cheery. Haxx was eager to race against me again, here on a track he knew well. To convince me, he pointed to the elusive Red Teeth, who'd decided to make an appearance to observe the race. As if that was meant to be some kind of honour. I was down to race either way; for the reward, and for the thrill. Still running on adrenaline from my fight in the pit. I'd ride twice as hard west once it was done and make up any time lost, of course. Who knew when I'd happen upon this lot again.
In no time, everyone had their mounts ready at the start lineâeveryone except Red Teeth. This was the toughest course yet, and the machine riders were improving, almost an even match for my expertise. There were incidents on the track, as alwaysâan entire herd of Fanghorns crossed the track as the leading pack swept past, sending the flimsy machines tumblingâbut in the end it was me in the lead, with Haxx, then Josekk close behind. It was a close thing, but I managed to cross the line first, taking the win over Haxx.
I claimed my reward from him once the race was through. He was a little more gracious than Josekk, glad just to witness my prowess on the track. And I performed well enough to attract the attention of Red Teeth himself. Great.
The guy maintained his whole stoic, mysterious shtick, challenging me in a roundabout way to a race at the crew's next stop. He said something dramatic about only feeling alive when he was on the track, the thundering of metal beneath, the threat of arrows and spears from all sidesâabout how he saw that same activation in me when I raced. Like he was trying to set up some dark, kindred spirits-type rivalry between us. It fell flat, though I couldn't help but feel a little intrigued by the man, especially given that he hid his face. Was it all part of his racing persona, or was he really that infamous, even among the Tenakth? What made a man like him defect from Regalla's rebellion?
I took a quick rest at the camp beside Pekka and Elotakk, who were once again arguing about which would win in machine match-ups.
I couldn't stop for long. Fortunately, I had protected my mount well on the track, warding off attack from the other racers. My Charger was in good condition to carry on. I rode on as the afternoon shadows lengthened and the temperature finally began a crawling upward climb.
The light, leaves and grasses turned gold under the evening as I came up behind a Shellwalker convoy. In the distance I spotted a lonely pair of Tenakth watchtowers. This had to be the place Gerrah had been talking about.
Spotting the vines of another metal flower cloaking the entrance to an Old World tunnel, I tried to avoid the Shellwalker and its Burrower escorts as I activated my vine cutter module and glided down into the tunnel from above. So much for my effortsâa Shellwalker had managed to get itself trapped inside. I overrode it before it saw me, and it guarded the entrance from the convoy as I extracted the Greenshine within.
Riding away from the two Shellwalkers, now locked in battle, I reached the lower of the two watchtowers, finding two of the three missing soldiers there.
Their names were Pivallo and Kivva. As the leader of 'Ram Squad' Kivva greeted me as an ally, remembering me from the Embassy at Barren Light, and of course for my stunt at the Bulwark. Strange to think that the Embassy was almost three months ago now. I relayed Gerrah's message about Tekotteh's lapse in power over his enforcers. The squad would face no punishment if they returned; there was no need to suffer this perilous post any longer. Relieved at the news, Kivva sounded her horn to signal their third squad member, Ezekko, down from the second watchtower on the opposite cliff. She received no answering call.
After a few more attempts, I offered to take the climb and see what the trouble was myself. I'd have a far quicker time of things with my Pullcaster and Shieldwing.
As the sun set, I glided across the ravine between the cliffs, grappling up the sheer spots and taking the marked patrol path to the summit. The temperature dropped fast with the climbing altitude and the fading sun. Any touch of warmth was sapped from the sky in moments. Had to keep moving to stop the numbness setting in.
Approaching the watchtower, the sharp green rays of Skydrifter scanners split and bounced from the clear sheets of snow. A pair of them circled the peak. I tied one down with my Ropecaster before the other could spot me, overriding it and letting the two battle it out while I made for the watchtower. I couldn't see any sign of Ezekko. Things weren't looking good.
I found him around the other side of the tower, curled up in the snow beside the supplies. By the look of the scorched, deep scratches along his neck and back, one of the Skydrifters had caught him by surprise. I collected his tag, knowing his squad would want them, them glided down to give Kivva and Pivallo the bad news.
I wasn't far into my long, moonlit glide when I saw a flock of Glinthawks swoop in toward the lower watchtower. The rest of Ram Squad were in trouble.
Once I landed, I tied down and overrode one of the Glinthawks, and as it attacked the other three, I tied each down one by one, leaving them open to attack from Kivva, Pivallo and I. By the time all were downed, the last Glinthawk hacked through the override and I took it down with a few hardpoint shots to its chillwater reserve.
When the battle was won, Kivva figured Ezekko would be returning soon, taking the slow way down the mountain, and I had to break the news. She didn't believe it at first, said Ezekko was their best warrior, one of the greatest in the clan...but even greatness can fall in a split-second lapse in vigilance. Ezekko was gone. Kivva thanked me for my help, handing over a reward. She and Pivallo would head back to the Bulwark that very night, not wanting to hang around this place a moment longer.
Making use of the facilities, I built up the camp's fire to last through the night, huddling up under shelter as close to the flames as I could get. It'd be a rough night, though it was warmer here than in the Sheerside valley. I figured I just needed a couple hours rest, then I could press on and reach the coast; find somewhere more pleasant to rest properly.
I woke early in Stone Crest, about an hour before dawn. I'd ride west this morning, stopping at the Bulwark to trade, but before I set out I couldn't resist making the short ride to the other side of the peak to visit the Sheerside Hunting Grounds. With my powerful Glowblast sharpshot bow at my command, I'd be able to snag the plasma trial medals with ease and purchase more of Dukkah's premium weapons. It was an investment of time well-spent, in my view, to take down machines faster in future, and I knew I'd be down in the valley before the sun could rise all that far.
I made the trip in the dark through painted stone arches, past firelit markers, to the camp on the opposite side of the cliffs.
Reaching the camp, I greeted the Grounds Keeper and named my trial. Lokattok settled in for a good show.
Building up a plasma charge on the Rollerback took only a couple of shots; it was then just a matter of dodging the Bellowbacks' elemental projectiles before the charge went off, allowing me to pierce the Rollerback's weak points to maximize carnage inflicted in the second detonation. Repeat all that again, and I'd mastered the trial with plenty of time to spare.
I snatched up my medals, replenished my ammo supplies, and took in the pink sunrise as it rolled across the neighbouring peaks.
Taking the long, frozen glide down to the valley floor, I called my Charger down the slope behind me. It didn't take long for the machine to catch up as it bound down the zigzagging mountain road.
I then began the day's ride west through the forest. After another hour or so of hard riding, I stopped at a well-stocked Sky Clan shelter on one of their patrol paths, fire burning high. I needed it, the cold penetrating deep through my scant Tenakth armour.
Pushing on, I passed the ruins where Kotallo and I fought that Rebel Tremortusk together. That was a good fight, and had sent a clear message to the rebels of the region. I didn't spot any signs of resumed activity on the road. Seemed that Regalla hadn't been able to regain a foothold here since.
Passing a frozen waterfall beside more patrol pathways and watchtowers, I spotted a Survey Drone drifting along the cliff side. I left my mount and took the climb, which fortunately included some man-made handholds for frequency of use.
As the drone swooped down near the lookout platform, I intercepted its path and pulled it down, loading its data onto my Focus for reintegration with Gaia. I suppose, once she merges in Hephaestus, she'll be able to use her machines to gather this kind of data, even build new and improved Survey Drone models. Still, this drone's vantage might come in useful in the meantime.
Machines gathered thick along the final stretch to the Bulwark, but my Charger sped past them before they could attack.
Reaching the Bulwark just before noon, I took the lift up into the city. The residents had erected temporary reinforcements on the broken side of the rock wallânothing that would stop a rebel army, but better than nothing.
As I made my way through the bustling centre of town, the clan's Chaplain, Gerrah, called me over. According to her, things had been chaotic here at the Bulwark over recent weeks. Ever since Tekotteh had returned from the Kulrut, his reputation, bruised by my damage of the Bulwark's defences, had taken a turn for the worse. He faced hungry challengers, just as Yarra did, and insubordination within his closest ranksâeven those he'd once trusted as his enforcers. People saw him as either weak and spineless for bending to Hekarro's will, or a cowardly traitor, unwilling to strike back against Regalla. Gerrah had tried to offer her advice, but she feared it was too late for Tekotteh to regain his holding.
His final, flailing acts of power had been cruel, pointless, and managed to piss off both aspects of his opposition. One of these had been to send a trio of well-respected soldiers to retake a pair of watchtowers on the far western edge of Sky Clan territory. The region was overrun with machines, and frequented by rebel forces trying to gain entrance to the clan's lands. Stationing the trio there was a clear attempt to get some of Tekotteh's loudest dissenters as far from the Bulwark as possible, issuing what may just be a death sentence in the process. They'd been out there for weeks now, and since then Tekotteh's power had further waned. Even if he ordered his soldiers to punish the trio for leaving their post, no one would obey. The clan needed them back, Gerrah said. They were loyal to Hekarro, and to Kotalloâthey had been the Sky Clan soldiers that had joined him at the Embassy.
Since I'd be riding past their post anyway, I told Gerrah I'd relay this news if I found them, tell them to return to the Bulwark, where hopefully they can help steer this unrest toward Hekarro's peace.
Further into the settlement, I overheard a pair of young women arguing about one of their comrades 'flying on the wings of the Ten.' I inquired, and the skeptic of the two, Kettah, told me about a fellow soldier they'd lost in recent battle against a Stormbird, though to hear her friend Serivva tell it, the soldier had clung onto the Stormbird and rode it up into the air. Whether she'd been alive when the 'riding' happened was up for debate, but Serivva believed the requirements of the old myth were satisfied. Regardless, this dead soldier, Ferikka, had been one of their best, and the friends wished to recover her armour and her tags for proper funeral rites. But the peak the machine had deposited her body on was too high and sheer to climb; there was no getting to her, no matter how good of a climber one was. I was almost tempted to try, but couldn't let myself get steered that far off track. I lent my condolences to the pair and continued on.
Climbing to the upper levels of the town, I traded with some of the local merchants, offloading salvage for key machine resources. On the way, I saw another familiar face.
It was Penttoh, along with his new friend Rokko. They stood near the tattoo station, where Penttoh was about to have his first real ink inscribed as a soldier since completing his training. He was nervous, but Rokko had his back, playfully teasing him about his apprehension. It looked like Penttoh was finally getting the recognition he deserved from his peersâhopefully dissuaded now from throwing his life away just to secure it. He thanked me again for helping him complete his climb.
With that, it was time to leave the Bulwark and continue on my way west.
Being a calm, gentle, non-reactive person is really hard work, which is probably why many people are none of these things. Personally I think itâs worth it but sometimes one does want to just roll around on the floor wailing at the top of oneâs lungs
People in my notes who think Iâm repressed or dissociating: you will feel better when you learn emotions are not a binary of Not Feeling It vs Being Overwhelmed By It
Bounding past Salt Bite, I faced the long, sun-drenched road west to the coast, soon crossing the border into Sky Clan territory.
The path from here on was untraveled by me. The new road transitioned to the old; a dark, cracked highway covered in ancient vehicle carcasses.
After a long stint of riding, I spotted the glimmer of Firegleam beneath the surface of a small lake. And of course I couldn't resist detonating it, knowing I'd find something valuable behind. Was due for a rest anyway, if you could call a dive into a near-freezing lake restful. I made sure to record the blast through my Focus, knowing Varl's fondness for watching underwater explosions. According to Zo, he'd enjoyed learning about underwater volcanoes for that very purpose. I was rewarded for my trouble and the chill with a huge cluster of Greenshine.
Getting the lay of the land, and an idea of my progress so far, I grappled up the cliff wall beside the frozen waterfall to check out the Sky Clan shelters above. They were well-stocked, but unmanned as of the moment.
The Sheerside mountains loomed ahead in the west. I couldn't see it from this side of the mountain, but I wasn't too far from Stone Crest. I'd be able to reach it by nightfall for sure.
The Old World highway bridge wound down and then back up the slopes, disappearing under thick mountain snows.
Cresting its peak, I soon arrived at the gates to Stone Crest, entering the city as dusk began to fall.
Heading for the heart of the settlement, I met with Terakka, the scout I'd spoken to the last time I was in town. I told her I was heading west beyond the coast, and pried for any rumours she might have heard about the Quen. She had indeed heard about another tribe encountered by Lowland patrols in recent months. They'd been spotted along the coast both north of Tide's Reach and south of Thornmarsh, but if it was conquest they wanted, the tribe had made no attempts to encroach on Tenakth territory. Unfortunately, that was all she knew. No changes to my plan then, I'd start at the Greenhouse and search for signs of them.
Terakka also told me what to expect on the road west. Past the Bulwark, Sky Clan patrols were still rebuilding from the rebel presence, repairing infrastructure and attempting to drive out the most deadly of machines. On the western edge of their territory, the machines congregated thick, likely because of the flooded Cauldron on the coast. A Cauldronânow that was worth noting.
After a quick evening meal, the sun was already down. I might have been able to push on to the Bulwark before crashing from exhaustion, but it'd be a stretch, and I wasn't too comfortable staying the night in a city controlled by Tekotteh.
I'd make up for it with an early start, I decided, satisfied with my progress so far. I tucked myself away in the bed-house, warm and laid with boar skins for comfort.
There's this notion that being able to stream professional theater shows will hurt the industry, because people won't go to the effort to support live theater anymore, and this is based on the anxieties of the film industry, but live theater isn't a film. The better analogy is sports.
Look me dead in the eye and tell me that people being able to sit at home and watch The Game -- the fandom that encourages, the ongoing investment over the years, the memories and traditions of Watching the Game with family and friends -- harms the ticket sales of real live go-to-the-stadium sports. Of course it doesn't. Of course all that *is the reason* that people care so much about sports they'll invest a small fortune on not only tickets but often travel costs to be part of it all in person. And the people who aren't doing that *can't* do that and weren't going to regardless, but their at-home participation and investment still boosts the profile of pro and NCAA sports as cultural institutions.
Maybe it's possible to fall in love with film and be immune to the romance of Going to the Cinema such that you'll just freely choose the same film in the comfort of your living room. It's not possible to fall in love with something that happens live and not want to be there to experience it. The consequences of procasts, for theater just like for sports, can only be A) more people motivated to make live theater part of their worlds, aka more money, when theaters everywhere could desperately use more money, or B) more love. Which is worth arguing for because reasons I assume I don't have to defend.
so frustrating to be a skeptic with a sense of whimsy because like. I want there to be cryptids. I want there to be magic. I want there to be evidence of something we don't fully understand and can't explain. but then 99% of the "proof" out there for that stuff is like. the most obvious scam you've ever seen in your life.
By the time I woke up, which was early to begin with, Erend had already left for Barren Light. Before heading west for San Francisco, I went down to check on Beta, making sure she wasn't about to refuse working on the equipment Gaia needed.
I have never felt as awkward around anyone as I do around her. Can't stop nervous smiling to make up for the frustration I'm trying to hide. She'd spent the night analysing the designs Gaia had shared, making small improvements and simulating their effectiveness based on her knowledge of Zenith signal analysis methods. She called the designs 'modest' (a nice way of calling them primitive, I suppose), but conceded they would likely function as intended. It wouldn't matter anyway, she couldn't resist adding, since the Zeniths would find the source of each surge and stop our attempt before it could begin. Thanks for that, Beta.
Setting off, I glided down to meet my waiting Charger. Rukka called me over to her camp as I passed. I told her that I'd disrupted the rebel operation in the Stillsands, which she was glad to hear. She didn't have any further rebel news for me, though she had recently returned to Scalding Spear and heard an interesting story there from a young soldier. The soldier mentioned meeting me back east months ago when she and her squad had been on their first training mission, though not soon enough to save the young soldier's brother, who had been killed by Bristlebacks. Regrettable, especially since the region was considered a relatively safe training ground with its tamer machines. Tame as they were, even a Burrower could kill a hunter caught off-guard.
I didn't tell Rukka the truth about Sokorra's brother, keeping her secret. If she's still in Scalding Spear now, I should stop by and visit her. It's on my way west anyhow, and it'd do good to brief Yarra personally on the rebel situation down south.
Taking the opportunity to zip-line down the mountain, I called my mount and rode it down through the blighted military ruins as the morning showers continued.
Across the Dry Yearn, I rode through the mountain pass and headed down to Scalding Spear.
I was welcomed graciously by the guards once they recognised me. It's been too long since I visited this place.
Once inside, I spotted Yarra up at her command post at the base of the tower, her vulture Meat on its perch beside her. When I joined her there, she told me with some pride that she hadn't killed any would-be usurpers since our last meeting, though a handful had tried to gain support among the clan. I told her about the rebel operation I'd uncovered in the Stillsands, warning her that rebels may attempt to cross the desert further north now that they couldn't use the passage near Fenrise anymore. She would review the clan's patrol patterns accordingly. She was able to point me toward Sokorra as well.
She was on the other side of the settlement with the rest of her squad, joined now with a few others for a patrol assignment in the Greenswell. They were soon to leave, so Sokorra wouldn't be able to visit Korreh in Plainsong any time soon, which she'd been hoping to do once her training was complete. She thanked me earnestly for my help with Korreh, and I told her that on my last visit he'd been living well with Jaxx's guidance, playing music among the Utaru that'd made him a popular member of the community. She smiled at that, glad to hear her brother was finding ways to live and thrive beyond life as a soldier.
As for Sokorra, the soldier's life was suiting her well. She asked if I would pass word onto Korreh that she would visit as soon as she couldâthat she hadn't forgotten him. I would as soon as I found myself back there, else I'd ask Zo to pass him the message on her return.
My business concluded, I couldn't stick around. I left Scalding Spear and returned to my mount, riding north-west through the desert. To reach the Greenhouse and hopefully reunite with the Quen, I opted to take a direct path to the ruins by crossing Sky Clan territory.
I passed through a nearby Desert clan camp, then spotted the telltale pale green leaves of an Adamantine Wreath tangling some Old World ruins. As I approached, A Slitherfang shot up from the sands; it wasn't worth the fight it'd take me to reach the salvage within the vines. A job for another day.
Climbing above the desert sands, I rode up into the Greenswell, vegetation thickening as I went. I stopped by the abandoned camp beside the roadâI wonder if this is where Sokorra will be stationedâremembering another metal flower I'd spotted here on my last crossing. Again, no idea how the vines had managed to grow over such a new structure.
Of course a Leaplasher convoy was bouncing past at that exact time. After I'd destroyed the vines and was picking over the contents of the supplies behind them, they bounded over, whipping their shock-charged tails around. I took them down by overriding one of their Watcher escorts and and stunning the Leaplashers down with my spear. My Charger lent some helping kicks as well.
I escaped with only minor electric burns. Should have ridden right past. I took a quick rest, taking in the view from the highest Watchtower before pressing on.
Further north then, before turning with the road to head west. The Tallneck of the region, released from the nearby Cauldron, lumbered close behind.
I rode alongside the vast, clear salt lake on the road to Salt Bite, the temperature already beginning to plummet. I wasn't looking forward to my authentic Sky Clan experience wearing this light armour in the frigidity of the Sheerside ranges.
the place I work at remodeled these split gendered restrooms into âinclusive restroomsâ and never told us what they meant while construction was ongoing. I need you to know every atom of potential criticism or whining that couldâve happened disappeared when people found out this meant we got 10 fully separate private bathrooms with sinks inside. Iâve not heard a single person crack a joke about the inclusive signage. this is the world TERFs are trying to steal from you
This is called a "superloo" and terfs are actively trying to steal this from you, in the UK they changed bathroom regulations to mean new buildings have to prioritise gendered toilets rather than build superloos.
This also upset a lot of architects and designers who like the superloos. They're also typically more like small rooms rather than having doors you can look under.
I have a friend who was strongly against inclusive bathrooms because he felt that âbathroom stalls are already really exposed due to how theyâre constructed, so no wonder women donât want men in the same bathrooms as themâ and when I pointed out that we could just⌠build better bathrooms⌠with less exposed stalls, he got really quiet and then said âhonestly that sounds so much better, but there must be some problem with building them like that, because otherwise wouldnât we already be doing it?â BESTIE we are. WE ARE. Old-style bathrooms are cheaply made, poorly designed, and all around bad. Havenât you noticed that menâs restrooms rooms get weirdly sticky? Havenât you noticed that womenâs restrooms end up with giant lines? This is because these rooms are architecturally awful. And we can do better now, because we know more! And we are!!! People are actively designing better bathrooms that address known problems, and guess what: those bathrooms are âinclusiveâ in the same way that curb-cuts are inclusive. It doesnât matter if the ramp was built for a wheelchair or a stroller; it doesnât matter if the bathrooms were designed specifically for gender inclusivity or just because fall-apart-if-you-sneeze-on-them metal stall dividers with giant ass peek gaps suck. We can in fact improve our built environment to better meet our needs. Stop cutting off your nose to spite your face; stop settling for less just because someone else might also enjoy it.
Seattle's SEA-TAC airport has an all gender restroom that's a row of about a dozen fully enclosed separated little rooms that lock, with a shared bank of sinks and it's great. Love it. Lot of very strange encounters at the sinks, feels odd the first few times! But people laugh it off almost instantly. Because it's not actually a big deal to share a sink.
After presenting my idea to distract the Zeniths with multiple Cauldron signals, Gaia pressed on with her explanation, suggesting that Beta help design and construct remote pulse generators along with Gaia's transport rig. Beta actually rolled her eyes. Actually had the audacity to shake her head and look at Gaia with clear anger. There was some history to this interaction, I'd bet. How many times had Gaia tried to encourage Beta's work, only for her to tell Gaia it was impossible, belittle her intelligence.
As she'd told Gaia before, Beta snapped, it still wouldn't work. Hephaestus had done just as Beta feared and written the Alpha Registry out of its own access controls. Elisabet Sobeck's genetic code wouldn't help us here. We wouldn't be able to access the subfunction's code to forge a link to Gaia. It didn't have to listen to a word we said. So, then, all we needed was a higher level of clearance.
Beta was quick to retort that there was none, and for a moment I thought I knew something that she didn't, something the Zenith's stolen Zero Dawn data wouldn't have been able to teach her, but her research since arriving on Earth had filled in the gaps. Ted Faro's Omega clearanceâthe highest access level for project Zero Dawn. A backdoor into the system engineered beneath even Elisabet's notice.
Beta pulled up Faro's profile, explaining the concept of Omega clearance for Varl's benefit. Gaia said that using Omega clearance would indeed work, since her predecessor had been unaware of its existence until Faro activated it to take control of Gaia Prime and kill the Alphas. I'd never thought about it, but it must have been awful for her, having to watch that monster use her own facility to kill her creators and friends.
Beta said the only place Faro was likely to have kept a copy of his Omega registry credentials was in his private bunker, Thebes. That was, if its servers had remained intact all these centuries, which wasn't a given. No one ever discovered Thebes' exact location, though apparently Far Zenith believed it to be somewhere in San Francisco. They'd considered trying to find it when they'd been searching for copies of Gaia. Good thing I knew where to find the city, and had the tribe residing there, the Quen, somewhat on-side thanks to my resemblance to one of their revered Ancestors.
I explained this to Beta; that hazy location was all I needed. I would go west once again, almost as far as west went, and hope that the Quen had already uncovered the site. No doubt Faro had spared no expense ensuring his bunker would outlast the eons. It seemed likely to me that I'd find the registry intact. That was my side of the operation, she just needed to build Gaia's support rig and pulse generators
Beta looked almost...resigned. Disappointed? I couldn't fathom why. We had a way forward, a chance to win; her conviction that this was all impossible had come into contention, but wasn't that a good thing? Was she so fixated on being right? Somehow, I didn't think that was it, but damned if I was going to try and figure her out. I had better things to do.
Beta left in a slump; Varl and I exchanged a glance. Him smiling, me fuming. He followed Beta out to make sure she had everything she required to begin.
I stayed behind to have a private word with Gaia. She explained her progress toward healing the biosphereâor at least holding back permanent collapse before we could return her full tool-set to her in the form of Hephaestus. She was beginning to curtail the blight, though it clung fast in some areas, especially around Plainsong and Thornmarsh, where what they called the 'blood choke' still infected the water supply.
She'd also analysed data I'd collected from The Greenhouse and concluded that the Adamantine Wreath project would never have been successful. The Swarm would have found a way to hack the machines and deactivate the vines after only a few years if they'd been mass-deployed. That's a shame; I guess there really was no hope for preserving the Old World.
Gaia also caught me up on some of the more mundane goings-on around base. Kotallo continued in his private, sombre study of Old World conflicts, Zo in her pursuit of repairing the Land Gods, for which the software module was almost complete, and Erend had, between study sessions of his own, discovered the concept of birthday parties. Now apparently he was trying to get everyone in on a plan to throw a surprise party for me. Okay first of all, never born, second: party-averse. No thanks. Gaia predicted my reaction and had already tried her best to dissuade Erend. The thought was nice though, I guess. I'd really rather he focused on tracking down the Sons of Prometheus.
Back in the common area, I spoke to Varl again. In my absence, he'd been reading up on the data that Beta and Gaia shared with him on Ted Faro and the fate of the Alphas. He was horrified, as I had been when I first saw that hologram at Gaia Prime. Predictably, he asked if I could use his assistance in my journey to Thebes, but I declined. At least I had a good excuse this time, else I might have actually considered letting him tag along. The Quen would welcome me with open arms, but I wasn't sure even an Ancestor's word would be enough to stop them killing trespassing 'barbarians'.
I spoke to Zo next, who echoed Gaia's confidence in the Land Gods' software module's soon success. She would be returning to Plainsong soon to administer the code to the Land Gods there, though would need my assistance in reaching the others. Gaia had tracked them down, but they were in tricky-to-reach spots. My specialty.
Zo said she still hadn't given up trying to coax Beta upstairs to sleep in the light, but she remained stubborn. At least she was coming up for meals now, spending some of her time in the common area.
To Kotallo next, locked in quiet study. He had what he called a 'personal matter' to discuss with me. Scared me for a second, but all he wanted was company on a journey he planned to make to the Ninmah lab. He'd come across Old World data about advanced robotic prosthetics, eager to attempt to build something of the like to replace his missing arm. Gaia had helped him come up with a few possible designs, and believed the parts he'd need were likely to be found in Far Zenith's old lab based on the data I'd uncovered there.
He needed to borrow my skills in interfacing with and understanding Old World technology. It would be a huge risk returning to that place; the Zeniths likely still monitored it, and might send Specters or worse after us if we returned. But this was worth it. I knew how much this meant to Kotallo. When I agreed to go with him, he pumped his fist and actually cracked a smile.
The washroom facilities were looking a whole lot more lived-in, with the residents continuing to make repairs. All cubicles were now fully functional; no wonder everyone stayed put here most of the time. You don't get these luxuries anywhere else.
Erend returned shortly after, having been out making preparations to return to Barren Light. My teasing about his apprehension around Kotallo had paid off. The two had finally started getting along, frequently playing Strike together over the past week or so. Erend admitted that he had to fill in most of the conversation, and that he was yet to come close to winning a game, but the Tenakth could hold his ale, on which his respect was contingent.
I told him what I'd uncovered of rebel activity at Devil's Grasp, and Asera's secret base called First Forge. Erend hadn't heard of it from any of his spies, which he met regularly to the south-east near the Spinebreak. He was confident in what he could uncover with his Focus on a second visit to Barren Light. By the time I returned, he said, he'd have something to show me. I liked his attitude, and decided not to mention the whole birthday party plan thing. He too offered to accompany me to San Francisco. Obviously I turned him down, though he made me promise to have him along when I infiltrated First Forge. He wanted to confront Asera himself, given her involvement in Ersa's death.
Back in my room, I allowed myself a little time to brood over Beta. Even after all this time staying with us, safe from Far Zenith, she remains completely negative. It's almost like she doesn't want us to succeedânot in the sense that she's sabotaging us, just in that she undertakes her work with a sort of world-weary exasperation. As if she knows how all of this will end and is just playing along. How generous of her.
For this reason, it's difficult to commend her hard work in developing a viable merging strategy with Gaia. We'd be nowhere close to victory without her, but her attitude makes it impossible for me to really appreciate her presence. The others seem to have no issue tolerating Betaâequally awed by her intelligence and horrified at her deprived upbringing, holding an infinite reserve of sympathy because of it. But knowing who she isâwho Elisabet was, and what Beta could be, what she should be because of that...I find my sympathy for her running low.
I headed downstairs just to check out the new room Gaia had opened up in the Base, not feeling up to a conversation with Beta. Fortunately, she wasn't interested in talking either, and was hard at work once again on her Focus. She seemed to be annotating the schematics Gaia had drafted up for the transport rig.
In the new room, I found a datapoint recording from one of the facility's designers, who had aided the construction of its first chambers. These became the blueprint for Gaia's automated construction of other Regional Control Centres across the world.
It referenced a place called 'the Vault' where the speaker had left records of someone he lost to the Swarm. I'd already found the locked door down below, hidden through a maze of vent shafts, but the datapoint held no clues to the code. I'd have to keep an eye out. I was able to power up more of the facility by fetching a spare power cell in the meantime.
With that, it was getting late. I worked on my gear for a while and went over our plan to capture Hephaestus on my Focus, then bedded down for the night.
