Exanima story
- Thread starter PipesOfMadness
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PipesOfMadness
Insider
I think those are older scrolls. Something happened there long ago. Could explain why it was abandoned.
There will probably be more scrolls in level 4 which will illuminate more of what is going on.
I propose 3 different occupations. I will outline them from oldest to present.
The first occupation (ancient) was the constructor of the dungeon we enter through the portal. This civilization's technology is marked by the extensive use of a bronze like mettle, heavy armor, decorated weapons and furniture, lots of blue pottery, and spider iconography. This civ clearly had significant wealth. I suspect, but have little evidence, that they were somewhat more advanced than the civilizations that followed. We know the least about this civilization because we have few remaining written records. I would guess they existed at least 150-200 years before the game takes place. The only written records we do have speak of a council and discontent within the ranks of both the council and the guards. The skeletons we face come from this civilization. I can only guess that their motives had something to do with the power which lies beneath. There is a letter which speaks of a hero killing the gods, and this leading to inevitable demise at the hands of something "far worse".
The first 2 civilizations are linked by the portal. Who made this portal is unclear, but I would guess the first civ. If the second civ made it, why dig out such a underground staging point? Instead they must have built the staging point at the portal.
The second civilization is the one that built the dungeon before the portal. We know much more about them because their writings are still intact. This means they cant have existed that long ago, certainly not more than 200 years. The dialect used in there writing is said to be different, so is spelling. This suggests that at least 150 years have passed. They organised a huge industrial effort to build and outfit this dungeon with what appears to be industry to create a military expedition. They then opened/pass through the portal and explored the first civilization's remnants. They moved supplies, and even raw materials through the portal (see store rooms immediately after passing through). It is strange that we so no corpses from this civilization at all. That is, no corpses wearing there armor that were not clearly recent, and no fully equipped solders as corpses. It is possible that they did not suffer any significant losses in there expedition? This lack of corpses makes little sense to me. All the wooden equipment and furniture we see come from this civilization. Most of the weapons before the portal also come from this civilization (with some notable exceptions, i.e. the proctor). The architecture and outfitting of the dungeon shows clear class divisions in this civilization. We see prisoners chambers, barracks for solders, and large rooms with fancy decorations for whoever was running this effort. We also know from writing and from direct observation that they had organised heavy industry including pottery, glass blowing, mettle working, woodworking, etc. Nothing is said of their motives, but it is clear that they organised a military expedition through the portal and into Civ #1's ruins. It is also clear that they expected resistance as they build many barricades and defenses along the way. The technology of this civilization is marked by use of a silvery mettle, perhaps steel, wooden furniture and storage, little decoration, pragmatic design, and lots of written reports. There is some demonstrated interest in science shown by a book cataloging plants.
Both civ #1 and #2 had lights and torches that burn forever, showing some significant magical/technological competency (and possibly indicating that the existed at the same time/similar times).
The final occupiers of these lands are the current ones. There story has already been told in this thread so I will not repeat it. All the zombies we see come from the necromancy of the current occupants.
P.S. It is concevable that civ #1 and civ #2 existed concurrently, and civ 2 invaded civ 1?
The first occupation (ancient) was the constructor of the dungeon we enter through the portal. This civilization's technology is marked by the extensive use of a bronze like mettle, heavy armor, decorated weapons and furniture, lots of blue pottery, and spider iconography. This civ clearly had significant wealth. I suspect, but have little evidence, that they were somewhat more advanced than the civilizations that followed. We know the least about this civilization because we have few remaining written records. I would guess they existed at least 150-200 years before the game takes place. The only written records we do have speak of a council and discontent within the ranks of both the council and the guards. The skeletons we face come from this civilization. I can only guess that their motives had something to do with the power which lies beneath. There is a letter which speaks of a hero killing the gods, and this leading to inevitable demise at the hands of something "far worse".
The first 2 civilizations are linked by the portal. Who made this portal is unclear, but I would guess the first civ. If the second civ made it, why dig out such a underground staging point? Instead they must have built the staging point at the portal.
The second civilization is the one that built the dungeon before the portal. We know much more about them because their writings are still intact. This means they cant have existed that long ago, certainly not more than 200 years. The dialect used in there writing is said to be different, so is spelling. This suggests that at least 150 years have passed. They organised a huge industrial effort to build and outfit this dungeon with what appears to be industry to create a military expedition. They then opened/pass through the portal and explored the first civilization's remnants. They moved supplies, and even raw materials through the portal (see store rooms immediately after passing through). It is strange that we so no corpses from this civilization at all. That is, no corpses wearing there armor that were not clearly recent, and no fully equipped solders as corpses. It is possible that they did not suffer any significant losses in there expedition? This lack of corpses makes little sense to me. All the wooden equipment and furniture we see come from this civilization. Most of the weapons before the portal also come from this civilization (with some notable exceptions, i.e. the proctor). The architecture and outfitting of the dungeon shows clear class divisions in this civilization. We see prisoners chambers, barracks for solders, and large rooms with fancy decorations for whoever was running this effort. We also know from writing and from direct observation that they had organised heavy industry including pottery, glass blowing, mettle working, woodworking, etc. Nothing is said of their motives, but it is clear that they organised a military expedition through the portal and into Civ #1's ruins. It is also clear that they expected resistance as they build many barricades and defenses along the way. The technology of this civilization is marked by use of a silvery mettle, perhaps steel, wooden furniture and storage, little decoration, pragmatic design, and lots of written reports. There is some demonstrated interest in science shown by a book cataloging plants.
Both civ #1 and #2 had lights and torches that burn forever, showing some significant magical/technological competency (and possibly indicating that the existed at the same time/similar times).
The final occupiers of these lands are the current ones. There story has already been told in this thread so I will not repeat it. All the zombies we see come from the necromancy of the current occupants.
P.S. It is concevable that civ #1 and civ #2 existed concurrently, and civ 2 invaded civ 1?
Well, there's quite a few velvet shirts and tunics in level 4. Velvet was a very expensive and sought after material in the ancient world, so that supports your claim.
I've also proposed the idea of the original civilization (level 4 skeletons) and the second civilization (skeletons with rusted equipment in level 3) were at war with each other. My theory is that civilization 1 used a very powerful magic to wipe out civilization 2 but the magic got out of control and killed both sides.
Holy.Death
Insider
I am not entirely certain we can attribute all scrolls to same persons we know of. Remember the scroll in the Mental Ward (and a book describing "animal" bite marks, etc.)? I think it could've been from one of the patients who has been resurrected. It could be helpful to know if we have encountered this type of handwriting before...
Viking34
Member
Does anyone have any thoughts about the scroll found on one of the level 4 skeletons mentioning
something about an oath and how everyone agreed to undergo it? That they swore their lives no longer mattered, but later realized they were tricked and the cause was pointless. I'm thinking this is what made them into the reanimated skeletons forced to guard the halls forever.
Hedgehog-of-Fog
Member
There is another - more "fresh" - scroll on 4 stage: about Papin, who was escaping from dungeon, but met Sir and was forced to reanimate those skellies to distract Sir on them.
NachoDawg
Member
My theory on the Ancient civ is that instead of calling them a civilization, maybe we just stumbled into the headquarters of a Thaumaturge order. The expensive and exquisite (and more high fantasy) designs tell me this was an organization or collective of upper-class people with a culture that might as well be a social construct. (No one would bother with so expensive designs for an entire civilization, right?) There's several offices, "white collar" work- and gathering areas.
This isn't a home or a place meant for self-sustainability like perhaps lvl 1,2,3 are more like. There's thus far no high-class sleeping quarters and a small servants quarter hidden away.
The biggest clue to me on why this is a thaumic order is the scroll that talks about a "Hero" that kills their God. That would be an extremely casual tone to have about your own religion, so this feels like something that actually happened.. I bet that after the God died, the wizard society changed. The wizards were free to do what they wanted, but, something goes wrong with the anarcy and the society collapses.
Exanima happens 20 years before Sui Generis, and a big point in Sui Generis is that Thaumaturges are all become rouge agents that only work for themselves.
I think Exanima is really all about how that happened
This isn't a home or a place meant for self-sustainability like perhaps lvl 1,2,3 are more like. There's thus far no high-class sleeping quarters and a small servants quarter hidden away.
The biggest clue to me on why this is a thaumic order is the scroll that talks about a "Hero" that kills their God. That would be an extremely casual tone to have about your own religion, so this feels like something that actually happened.. I bet that after the God died, the wizard society changed. The wizards were free to do what they wanted, but, something goes wrong with the anarcy and the society collapses.
Exanima happens 20 years before Sui Generis, and a big point in Sui Generis is that Thaumaturges are all become rouge agents that only work for themselves.
I think Exanima is really all about how that happened
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turtleman155
Insider
interesting 
Holy.Death
Insider
My suspicion is that with the death of the God (Gods?) souls of the dead are wandering the astral plane and because of this it's possible to bind them with thaumaturgy to lifeless bodies, thus creating what we know as zombies. Skeletons are the next logical step: after sufficient enough time meat rots away, leaving only bones.
Perhaps later on we will see some kind of flesh golems and automatons fueled by the souls as well?
Perhaps later on we will see some kind of flesh golems and automatons fueled by the souls as well?
konggary
Member
I still haven't recovered from the trauma that The Rotten gave me in Dark Souls 2
PipesOfMadness
Insider
I think these guys gave their life to a cause and at some point things started to change but they already made their vows.
Maybe something like pledging your allegiance to a government and that government had and internal reconstruction of belief. Who knows.
PipesOfMadness
Insider
This is quoted directly from the Bare Mettle website:
"Each form of thaumaturgy grants specific effects rather than having a particular purpose. For example, a necromancer would use powerful Mind thaumaturgy to evoke the transcended mind of the dead, causing them to take control of their remains. The revived dead control their decayed bodies by means of their own dormant capacity for thaumaturgy. "
All undead control their own bodies through their own capacity for thaumaturgy. The necromancer does not control them directly I believe.
I agree with NachoDawg that civilization is the wrong word. I think the cause of the destruction we see has got to be the evil force. I think they killed there god and in doing so upset the balance of power, unleashing the evil force.
What I'm still confused about is, if there was a war between civ #1 and civ #2 why don't we any dead from civ #2? They seem to have all prepared massively for a fight, and then disappeared! Perhaps we will discover whats left of them deeper in the chambers of civ #1?
What I'm still confused about is, if there was a war between civ #1 and civ #2 why don't we any dead from civ #2? They seem to have all prepared massively for a fight, and then disappeared! Perhaps we will discover whats left of them deeper in the chambers of civ #1?
Greenbrog
Insider
None of the bodies from the first group of people are here, including what they were fighting (Lvls 1-3). All of the "corpses" are from the recent expedition. The skellies on the other hand are probably from the first people, or whatever special magic made them stripped them down to a skellie; more likely they were skellies already. On the fourth floor the skellies were part of some honour guard, hence they came back equipped well and "like a baws." You are led to believe that while some of the undead were created individually that the magority were probably created under some "blanket" event (most of the "walking corpses," probably all; maybe the proctor was made separately.) Whatever event made "us" is probably the event that turned most of the undead, to undead. I believe the "corpses" (trying to label them here, as zombie is just wrong) were alive when they were turned into what they are.
You wake up in a huge scorch mark. Least it looks like one.
We know portals exist.
We don't know where the portal actually goes, and it seems to lead somewhere very very well preserved and was of significantly enhanced technology, architecture and had abundant resources (metal doors and furniture). Safe to assume the first three levels a more "mundane", or at least much more recent in construction.
While the first 3 levels specifically had part of their structure built to make a portal entrance, it isn't of the same people that did "post portal", different architecture.
Post portal people had some ominous symbology associated with themselves, though it doesn't seem inherently violent.
What we don't see says a lot too.
No sacrificial pits, alter, or totems depicting violence or blood rights.
Despite being built for war, we see very few corpses, of either humans or (if they were fighting something inhuman) in-humans.
No sources of food. Many kitchens, but we see no where to farm food. No fungus caverns, or greenhouses or anything; maybe they aren't in the game yet but it's significant, because levels 1-3 were independent from post portal, at some point. Probably 1-3 is a castle/bunker or some such (underground) and at that point you aren't actually far below the surface, and the "farming" is just outside the big doors (like a feudal castle.)
Frankly, we don't have enough information. And trying to figure it out would be like have 10 pieces to 5 puzzles that all tell different stories and none of which happen to link together. It's fun to speculate, but no conclusion, unless BM spoilers, will likely be very accurate.
You wake up in a huge scorch mark. Least it looks like one.
We know portals exist.
We don't know where the portal actually goes, and it seems to lead somewhere very very well preserved and was of significantly enhanced technology, architecture and had abundant resources (metal doors and furniture). Safe to assume the first three levels a more "mundane", or at least much more recent in construction.
While the first 3 levels specifically had part of their structure built to make a portal entrance, it isn't of the same people that did "post portal", different architecture.
Post portal people had some ominous symbology associated with themselves, though it doesn't seem inherently violent.
What we don't see says a lot too.
No sacrificial pits, alter, or totems depicting violence or blood rights.
Despite being built for war, we see very few corpses, of either humans or (if they were fighting something inhuman) in-humans.
No sources of food. Many kitchens, but we see no where to farm food. No fungus caverns, or greenhouses or anything; maybe they aren't in the game yet but it's significant, because levels 1-3 were independent from post portal, at some point. Probably 1-3 is a castle/bunker or some such (underground) and at that point you aren't actually far below the surface, and the "farming" is just outside the big doors (like a feudal castle.)
Frankly, we don't have enough information. And trying to figure it out would be like have 10 pieces to 5 puzzles that all tell different stories and none of which happen to link together. It's fun to speculate, but no conclusion, unless BM spoilers, will likely be very accurate.
Maybe we haven't seen everything of civ 2 (original creators of level 1-3), I can't really imagine that BM would make us play nothing but this high fantasy setting for the next 10 levels.
Perhaps civ 1 and civ 2 were allies at first, which is why the portal was built, but civ 2 used this as a chance to directly attack civ 1.
I don't really have an explanation for why there aren't more skeleton remains in level 1-3. We will probably be revisiting civ 2 ruins after a few more levels and maybe a scroll will explain what happened to the bodies.
We obviously don't have much information as of right now, but it's pretty fun to speculate about what happened.
Perhaps civ 1 and civ 2 were allies at first, which is why the portal was built, but civ 2 used this as a chance to directly attack civ 1.
I don't really have an explanation for why there aren't more skeleton remains in level 1-3. We will probably be revisiting civ 2 ruins after a few more levels and maybe a scroll will explain what happened to the bodies.
We obviously don't have much information as of right now, but it's pretty fun to speculate about what happened.
Holy.Death
Insider
This rises a question: why would necromancers rise the dead if not for studying and if they couldn't be able to control them?
Mowglia
Member
Great thread, some fascinating stuff here. Maybe the theories are incomplete or even wrong, but they still make for a very interesting read.
I like this explanation, and it would explain why the blue lights are similar across all four levels. Except why would they bother linking their HQ to a dilapidated dungeon...to attack/reach whoever was there? How did they reach the outside world before they built the Portal (assuming they even did)? Could the thaumaturgists really have built Level 4, it seems ancient despite its unusually good condition?
So many things just don't add up.
The only things I'm assuming at the moment are:
1) Someone built Levels 1 through 3.
2) Someone else built Level 4.
3) At some point the Portal was installed, connecting both places over a presumably large distance.
4) The thaumaturgists were using Levels 1 through 3 to experiment. At some point they moved into Level 4 and presumably beyond.
5) For whatever reason the character is on the trail of one or more of the thaumaturgists, otherwise why keep the note? Perhaps simply to find the exit, perhaps to investigate further - who knows? I'd like to know how the character got there at least, and our intention, since we are the character.
Given the above I think it's reasonable to believe, at least for now, that Exanima is "all about how that happened".
