Faction Quests

Faction Quests could be considered the main quest of the game, though each major faction has their own quest to follow (except the Mezari, who share the Vaulters faction quest) which begins the turn after the faction's first city is founded. Each faction quest consists of eight chapters, and will provide powerful technology unique to that faction as a reward at set points in the quest line. Once a faction has completed their main quest, they will unlock the ability to construct the Temple of the Earth's Core (which leads to the Wonder Victory) as well as access to the epilogue quest, which upon its completion results in a Quest Victory.

Each faction's quest can also be found on their respective pages.

## Wild Walkers

 Summary
 It is time to explore and learn. Search ancient sites for whatever treasures or knowledge they may contain.
 Reward

 Time and experience bring knowledge, though new knowledge is not always welcome.
Your dream of a great new tower to the stars, a symbol to Gaia, has been put off by strikes and riots at the building site. Achak Adahi, who leads the Sokwa, claims your dreams are foolish sacrilege. He, and many others, continue to insist on the old ways. There are those, however, who have seen what you have seen, and question the old ways as you do.
 Summary
 Your empire must grow, and you must have help to do this. Make contact with a neighboring Minor Faction and assimilate them into your Empire - peacefully or forcibly.
 Reward

 Time and experience bring knowledge, though new knowledge is not always welcome.
Your dream of a great new tower to the stars, a symbol to Gaia, has been put off by strikes and riots at the building site. Achak Adahi, who leads the Sokwa, claims your dreams are foolish sacrilege. He, and many others, continue to insist on the old ways. There are those, however, who have seen what you have seen, and question the old ways as you do.
 Summary
 Give your people optimism and new purpose by founding a city in a new region. Grow the city so it provides a solid source of Industry.
2. To sustain your dream you will need to produce 25  in your new city.
 Reward
2) Visions of Glory

 There are always those who bluntly refuse to accept reality. Achak and his followers are twisting their words in philosophical knots, trying to find some explanation for the things the patrols have discovered. The facts are clear: We are not alone, and we were not the first. One day their disagreements could turn violent; Truthseeker Jenoa is not the only one who warns you of this.
From these other peoples you have heard other tales and new histories; many of these myths and legends contain seeds of a similar story - a story that ends in tragedy. The farther you go, and the further you study, the grimmer and more perplexing the truth becomes.
 Summary
 You have certainly learned this: Auriga is dangerous. Develop your military by selecting a Hero and building a worthy army. Test the Hero and their army in battle and secure peace in your region.
 Reward

 The truth must be accepted, even when it is unpleasant. Achak seems to be silent, for the moment. But it is likely that things will flare up when you announce your latest idea: permitting beings of assimilated factions to rise up to high-level posts in your government. If allies can be trusted, why should they not be exploited to the fullest?
It is a time of consolidation and reflection, for the knowledge you have gained requires time and analysis before it can be acted upon. Bet your convictions remain clear on two points. First, that Auriga is a dangerous place that requires buildings of exceptional strength if your people are to survive whatever forces destroyed those who came before you. Second, that the Wild Walkers must be open and inclusive to any and all people's, ideas, and improvements that can help secure their future. Certainly those who built the ruins had knowledge of engineering far beyond what is known today.
 Summary
 Now that the region is safe, you turn your eyes back to the internal workings of your empire. Strength and progress will come by building and improving City Centers and building up Districts.
 Reward

 It has been a time of great learnings.
 Summary
 To bring your vision for the Wild Walkers into fruition, the mysterious Ahote Zaltana must be found. Track him by inspecting an ancient site where he is rumored to be.
 Reward

 Summary
 You must improve Zaltana's skills if you hope to stave off the oncoming cataclysm. Once his skills are improved, he must take an expedition to discover the secrets of the Endless.
 Reward

 Zaltana has emerged, holding designs for a thing whose complexity seems impossible. How can hands build something whose plans are incomprehensible?
 Summary
 Now that tools -- both magical and human -- are ready, the labor must be done.
 Reward

 Summary
 You will have the glory, but only Gaia knows if that will also bring success. Build the Ogmakwan in your Capital City, and hope that it is enough.
 Reward

## Broken Lords

*Your people cleave to the ideals of honor and chivalry, even as they discover cruel and vampiric ways to sustain themselves. They very soul of your nation hangs in the balance as you carve the future of the Lords of the Amber Plains.*

 Summary
 Build an army and explore the area around your new city. Carefully explore ruins in the region to find remnants of Endless technology.
 Reward

 Summary
 Mysteries of the planet's past likely give keys to your future. Improve your scientific knowledge to help decrypt them.
 Reward

 Summary
 Imperial necessities mean that you must expand your empire, even by means you do not like. Colonize, pacify, and be watchful.
 Reward

 Summary
 Your subjects and advisors demand that you place the Marquis at the head of a city. Make sure the city -- and the empire -- survive the rule of this mountebank.
 Reward

 Summary
 Launch a campaign to capture a region. It will give you an opportunity to get rid of de Suluzzo -- and extract his pendant through an arcane ritual.
 Reward

 It is the end I had hoped for, but not in the way that I wished. The marquis seems to have vanished from Auriga; he and most of his troops disappeared into one of the great ruins and neither word nor survivors have come out. Strangely his pendant remained, glowing at the entrance. A twisted strip of endless mysteries.
 Summary
 The Marquis has found death through the ritual, but his precious pendant is yours. Find the location where other, associated artifacts may be - and secure them if you can.
2. Your success has stirred the natives! Defeat the armies that rise up around you.
 Reward

 It is the end I had hoped for, but not in the way that I wished. The marquis's body, pendant intact, was found before the portal of an ancient temple. Most of his followers lay there as well, their bodies crushed and withered. Though many weep, the alchemists and archivists are dancing with joy, for they now have his pendant to study.
Vinchus states that, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the pendant and the Circlet were once the controls of a great machine. Further study, however, has shown indications of where a missing third piece may be. If the third piece has any resemblance to the powers of the first two, its discovery is of the utmost importance for the empire. Auriga does not release her treasures without a tithing of blood, however. Let us hope the thing will be worth the lives it will cost to obtain it.
 Summary
 The Marquis has disappeared, but his precious pendant is yours, find the location where the other associated artifacts might be -- and secure them if you can.
2. Your success has stirred the natives! Defeat the armies that rise up around you.
 Reward

 *Continues from 6. Machines of the Ancients*
The whispers of the sceptre have revealed something of our past. Some of these ruins, it seems are ours; still guarded by mechanisms that we once set in place yet no longer understand or control. Though I am not sure if this makes me proud, or sad.
The sceptre uncovered at the last site, though not part of the mysterious mechanism, was clearly a key to its fate. When the mechanism was built, instructions on its location and use were encoded within in the sceptre; like a divining rod that acts as a key - no mere parchment or stone for our mysterious ancestors. Only Dust, and magic, could reveal the sceptre's secret, and only a genius could make them do so. That is why Vinchus now has both the eternal gratitude of the empire and a stunning domain in Palunbajo. Such efforts should not go unrewarded.
 Summary
 Build a strong army equipped with the sceptre; the sceptre will give access to the site. Inspect the site - which seems to belong to your ancestors - very carefully...
2. Defeat the army guarding the site.
 Reward

 *Continues from 6(Alt). From His Cold, Dead Hands*
The whispers of the sceptre have revealed something of our past. Some of these ruins, it seems are ours; still guarded by mechanisms that we once set in place yet no longer understand or control. Though I am not sure if this makes me proud, or sad.
The sceptre uncovered at the last site, though not part of the mysterious mechanism, was clearly a key to its fate. When the mechanism was built, instructions on its location and use were encoded within in the sceptre; like a divining rod that acts as a key - no mere parchment or stone for our mysterious ancestors. Only Dust, and magic, could reveal the sceptre's secret, and only a genius could make them do so. That is why Vinchus now has both the eternal gratitude of the empire and a stunning domain in Palunbajo. Such efforts should not go unrewarded.
 Summary
 Build a strong army equipped with the sceptre; the sceptre will give access to the site. Inspect the site - which seems to belong to your ancestors - very carefully...
2. Defeat the army guarding the site.
 Reward

 *Must be a custom faction with the Anarchists trait at level 1 or 2*
The whispers of the sceptre have revealed something of our past. Some of these ruins, it seems are ours; still guarded by mechanisms that we once set in place yet no longer understand or control. Though I am not sure if this makes me proud, or sad.
The sceptre uncovered at the last site, though not part of the mysterious mechanism, was clearly a key to its fate. When the mechanism was built, instructions on its location and use were encoded within in the sceptre; like a divining rod that acts as a key - no mere parchment or stone for our mysterious ancestors. Only Dust, and magic, could reveal the sceptre's secret, and only a genius could make them do so. That is why Vinchus now has both the eternal gratitude of the empire and a stunning domain in Palunbajo. Such efforts should not go unrewarded.
 Summary
 Build a strong army equipped with the sceptre; the sceptre will give access to the site. Inspect the site - which seems to belong to your ancestors - very carefully...
2. Defeat the army guarding the site.
 Reward

 Something from the past was awakened when the temple was opened. I cannot say what, but in all our cities the Dust seems to have awakened. I understood that we could do magic, but I never imagined it existed on this scale. Something is happening in the empire, and I must exploit it to the fullest. Vinchus came down from his mansion; even he sense the change. Upon his advice, I will equip a governor with the artifacts we discovered, and see what changes that will bring to my empire.
Whatever happens, we may at least put to rest the question of draining innocent life.
 Summary
 Put together the three parts of the ancient artifact. More resources may be necessary to make it function again.
2. Build the new Improvement, the Altar of Channeling, in 3 of your Cities.
 Reward

## Vaulters

*Your legends speak of places and things that you do not see on the world of Auriga. It is time to learn more about your planet and your past and, in this way, preserve your future.*

 They call themselves Vaulters. They found me scorched and blackened in an ancient cavern that their people had long forgotten. How long had I lain in that darkness? Only the stars know, but my limbs, rusted and groaning, tell me ages must've passed. I will never forget the looks on their faces -- haunted, awestruck, but above all, fearful. The realm that they'd called home, the subterranean paths and chambers that riddled the planet, had come under attack from some cataclysmic force, had shaken and split and ruptured, decimating their numbers.
Their leader, the First of the bloodline as she is known, recognized in me something valuable, and brought me back to life in that dusty crypt. For this I will be eternally grateful. I vow to be her faithful servant until the end of days, wherever that may lead.
 Summary
 My saviors have retreated from the chaos of the subterranean realm, seeking sanctuary on Auriga's surface. Out first task is to assimilate a minor faction.
 Reward

 First of the bloodline Zolya has taken the first step in securing the Vaulter's future; a strong alliance with a local tribe has been built. Alas, my own progress in uncovering my history has not been so fruitful. My memory circuits have all but failed, and only confusing glimpses of the past cross my electronic mind. I see tormented faces, hear gargled screams, feel the slick touch of warm blood. Memories of the operations I performed? Or something darker? On my chassis is stenciled my droid class: Operation and Medical Procedures Robot... but I am certain I was known by another name. Whatever it was eludes me though.
To save myself from madness, I try not to dwell on these matters, instead focus on the plight of my new masters. The legends of their past are awakening. Far beneath the surface, in the excavations that only came to light from the subterranean quakes, they discover more and more ancient relics bearing their sigils. They yearn to unravel these mysteries -- perhaps even learn things that will grand them an advantage over the other races that stalk this great planet. First of the Bloodline Zolya discusses these things with the fire of a zealot in her eyes. I have a feeling that their story and my own will entwine.
 Summary
 For a civilization to flourish, valuable resources must be secured and borders made safe. My masters must found two Strategic Resource mines, and eliminate any invaders in their lands.
2. Our new installations have drawn the attention of roving armies. They are unlikely to leave us in peace, so it will be war...
 Reward
2. Winter Shelters

 First of the Bloodline Zolya has taken the first step in securing the Vaulter's future: a strong alliance with a local tribe has been built. Alas, my own progress in uncovering my history has not been so fruitful. My memory circuits have all but failed, and only confusing glimpses of the past cross my electronic mind. I see tormented faces, hear gargled screams, feel the slick touch of warm blood. Memories of the operations I performed? Or something darker? On my chassis is stenciled my droid class: Operation and Medical Procedures Robot... but I am certain I was known by another name. Whatever it was eludes me though.
To save myself from madness, I try not to dwell on these matters, instead focus on the plight of my new masters. The legends of their past are awakening. Far beneath the surface, in the excavations that only came to light from the subterranean quakes, they discover more and more ancient relics bearing their sigils. They yearn to unravel these mysteries - perhaps even learn things that will grant them an advantage over the other races that stalk this great planet. First of the Bloodline Zolya discusses these things with the fire of a zealot in her eyes. I have a feeling that their story and my own will entwine.
 Summary
 The changes to Auriga are not limited to the underground realm. My masters must locate ancient sites that can shed light on these natural disasters.
2. There is no such thing as too much knowledge; we must find and search the [Ruins] in the region called [Region].
3. Our search parties have drawn the attention of roving armies. They are unlikely to leave us in peace, so it will be war...
 Reward
2. Deep Diviner
3. Winter Shelters

 Opbot! My name is Opbot! The name came to me as I performed an amputation on a Vaulter fighter who was grievously injured in a recent battle. The act must've dislodged old memories. I remember living on a great ark. It was a place of light and peace and refinement.Then something terrible happened. My surgical facility was overrun with the wounded. Under flickering lights and dying power I carried out endless surgeries. Soon, the anesthetics ran low. Screams rang through the hollow space, and the blood... the blood never ended. I think something broke inside of me...
The Vaulters aren't interested in my ramblings. Their attention is on Auriga. The planet shifts and turns, but to what end is unclear. I sense unease among their ranks. Division, even. Some yearn to return to their dimly-lit underground halls, pray to the old gods, and wait out whatever calamity is befalling Auriga. First of the Bloodline Zolya has other ideas though. And fortunately, she still has the support of the majority. For now.
 Summary
 Much data has been collected regarding Auriga's changes. We can take advantage of our knowledge to protect us from the effects of the Dark Season and grow our cities.
2. Build 2 new Boroughs in your city [City].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 The source of the feeling of darkness inside me revealed itself. I killed. I, a droid built to heal people, killed. All the suffering, all the bloodshed I witnessed must have caused something in my mind to snap. I went on a murderous spree. The instruments used to ease pain became tools I used to inflict pain. Countless men and women died at my hands. Thank the gods, but somehow I was stopped, left for scrap in some abandoned place. But now I learn the worst thing. The Vaulters who saved me are the descendants of those who I murdered. In many of their faces I see the faces of those I cut to ribbons. My shame and guilt burn bright, but I do not have the strength to confess.
 Summary
 Evidence for the legendary "Argosy", a near-impregnable fortress thought only a myth, has come to light. The site must be found... and entered.
2. Search the ancient [Ruins] in [Region], using a Hero that is equipped with the Deep Diviner.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Stalking the dimly-lit corridors of the "Argosy" has brought back all the horrors in my mind. I remember odd details - desperate hands gripping a bulkhead, a woman scrabbling to get away into a vent, staring at a bloody scalpel with gleeful fascination. The memories stun me immobile, unable to speak. My behavior has not esaped the notice of First of the Bloodline Zolya. She doesn't ask outright, but as we explore the site together she gives me plenty of chance to talk. I dissemble, afraid to tell her the truth. Our bond is weakening.
 Summary
 The "Argosy" is much more than a fortress. It is a starship. The long task of repair must begin - part of which is finding the missing parts. The stars await.
2. The leader is willing to help, but does not believe in receiving nothing in return. He requests that we return later - with 50 [Luxury Resource] and 30 [Strategic Resource].
3. The [Minor Faction] village has supported us with reinforcements. It is time to search the ruins with an army led by a Vaulter Hero.
 Reward
2. [Minor Faction] Army: 3 Units
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 I have told Zolya my dark shame. My mechanical limbs shook as I confessed. For a long while she stayed silent. She told me that this was a hard truth for her to hear, but better that she knew than didn't. She said she'd begun to draw away from me, but with this confession she could begin to have faith in me again. "Will it happen again?" she whispered. I told her I couldn't be certain it would not, but that I thought it unlikely. "You harm a single one of my people, and I will have you broken into a million pieces." After these words she has said nothing more on the subject, and i believe that she keeps my confession to herself. I mustn't let her down. I long to be back among the stars.
 Summary
 Rebels claiming that Zolya leads the Vaulters to annihilation have taken a city, crippling the supply of vital resources. They must be dealt with.
2. During 10 turns, stop using the Vaulters Holy Resource Boosters. Assign a Vaulter Hero with the skill [Skill] to one of your cities.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 The fighting across Auriga intensifies as the many races of the planet battle for survival. Every day more and more Vaulter wounded cross my operating table. They bleed and moan and scream, and long-forgotten feelings stalk the fringes of my mind. I do what I can to share the burden, disseminate what I know to the other vaulter medics, but they cannot match my abilities. I was built to heal, to mend, so why do I find it so hard? Even though I am a machine, I give myself downtime, but the breaks never feel long enough. Soon it will be time for my next shift, and I am afraid of what might happen, but I cannot neglect my duties. I wish whatever outcome the Vaulters are fated comes to pass soon.
 Summary
 Ancient technologies can only be revived with newfound sciences. For the “Argosy” to become spaceworthy, science investment must be prioritized.
 Reward

 The fighting across Auriga intensifies as the many races of the planet battle for survival. Every day more and more Vaulter wounded cross my operating table. They bleed and moan and scream, and long-forgotten feelings stalk the fringes of my mind. I do what I can to share the burden, disseminate what I know to the other vaulter medics, but they cannot match my abilities. I was built to heal, to mend, so why do I find it so hard? Even though I am a machine, I give myself downtime, but the breaks never feel long enough. Soon it will be time for my next shift, and I am afraid of what might happen, but I cannot neglect my duties. I wish whatever outcome the Vaulters are fated comes to pass soon.
 Summary
 A spaceworthy “Argosy” will be worth nothing without a star map. Zolya must make the necessary preparations.
 Reward

 Blood, blood, blood, everywhere blood! I close mechanical eyes yet my mind's eye remains stained red. In the silence of the night I still hear the sudden change in tone of my auto-saw as it meets a patient's bone. I cannot take much more of this! At least I have found the courage to tell Zolya of my growing impulses. Four Vaulter guards are now stationed in my theatre. They think they are there to protect me from attack, when the fact is the opposite is the truth. I can remember the peace of the endless dark, and I simply wish to be among the stars again, free.
 Summary
 Endless Necrophage attacks disrupt the launch of the "Argosy". If the Vaulters are to escape Auriga, the old enemy must be defeated once and for all.
2. Survive the Necrophage waves attacking [City], for at least the next 5 turns.
3. A final wave of this insect plague is coming: an army with a Proliferator advances on [City]. Defend your people!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Extreme Yields, Temple of the Earth's Core

## Necrophages

*Many species run rampant on Auriga, but only the Necrophages are truly of the planet. The others are thieves and trespassers; the others must die...*

 Unease riddles the nest. I can feel it everywhere: In the hurried footfalls in the tunnels, in the huddling, in the lingering in the fungal gardens. They doubt me. The sifters, the burrowers, the soldiers, even the blasted groomers - get off! They all doubt me, and their doubt seeps into my chitin. I sit in my lair, fret, fret, fret, fretting, while above hind-legs grow bolder, nipping and harrying and slicing at our tracks.
Enough! I must erase those doubts! But how? Doubts bite deeper than any jaws. Full bellies! Yes, full bellies will give them solace. Otherwise they begin to eye one another hungrily, otherwise the weak will be ripped apart by the strong. That can't happen. That mustn’t happen.
 Summary
 He Who Meddles, leader of a breakaway Necrophage hive, must feed his people. To do so, he has chosen to attack minor faction villages.
 Reward

 Unease riddles the nest. I can feel it everywhere. In the hurried footfalls in the tunnels, in the lingering in the fungal gardens. They doubt me. The sifters, the burrowers, the soldiers, even the blasted groomers- get off!- they all doubt me, and their doubt seeps into my chitin. I sit in my lair fret,fret,fret, fretting, while above hindlegs grow bolder, nipping and harrying and slicing at our tracks.
 Summary
 He Who Meddles must destroy minor faction villages and armies that threaten the new Necrophage colony.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Sweet, sweet, sweet flesh. The nest thrums with fevered dreams, with faith, with belief. The workers scuttle with extra fervor, the groomers with purpose, the soldiers with mandibles high. The tunnels resound with the click and scratch of anticipation. Now's the time to hatch, hatch, hatch more plans. To be a race who can command the surface as we command the dark, we must... evolve.
 Summary
 It is time to accelerate the evolution of the Necrophage. Find the resources needed for Rhiss al-Khali to start his experiments on prisoners and Necrophages.
2. Search the same [Ruins] after gathering X Dust.
 Reward
2. Ka-Riss

 All the captives died. All except Rhiss. Agony wrapped itself around him too, but unlike the others he came out transformed. Patches of chitin cover his soft hind-leg skin, and only his eyes show the thing he once was. He has asked for a new name, and I have granted him his wish. He will be known as Ka-Riss. I never imagined a hind-leg could show such chitin, such single-mindedness. Maybe his experiments mark our path to victory. Menials! Fetch the hind-legs!
 Summary
 Rhiss has been adopted; his name will be Ka-Riss. Driven by some ultimate goal, he speaks of valuable Resources, needed for his experiments, that are held in a secret place by the Vaulters
2. With the Hero Ka-Riss assigned to an army, search the [Ruin] located in the region called [Region].
 Reward
2. Fungal Laboratory

 Peace, peace, peace, can I get any peace? Every burr, every click, every scratch echoes through the hard tunnels, drills deep into my head. I need to think! To think is to see is to plan is to survive. But the noise! The noise distracts me from my task! Menials! Get out! Ah, some peace. But a brittle one. Our acts have not gone unseen by the eyes of the hind-legs. They grow bolder by the day, sending out parties of fighters. They will be killed and feasted upon, but I fear for the day they organize themselves as well as we do. They will overwhelm us unless we have the numbers; our attention must turn to a new chamber. While we build it we will be vulnerable. The hive will need to be protected, the enemy scattered from our lands. Then? Then we can truly start swarming this world "Auriga"...
 Summary
 A new wave of Necrophages is to be hatched. Build the Fungal Laboratory to increase the fecundity of the hive, and protect the region while it is under construction
2. For X turns, make sure there are no enemy armies in [City] and a city garrison of 6 units minimum (not including Militia).
3. Your success protecting the Hive calls wandering units to your empire. Search the [Ruins] in [City] in order to recruit them.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Necrophage Army: 4 units

 What can you learn from a dead enemy? That was the question Ka-Riss asked me. A simple question, but a deep one. Answers skittered in the shadows, out of reach, until I finally understood his meaning. Nothing. Nothing can be learnt from a carcass, from a bag of bones wrapped in rotting flesh. Yes, we might feed, but we don't learn. We learn of the enemy by having one of them fighting by our side, or better, letting one of the enemy lead our own numbers. We wait and watch and learn. But how? I demanded. How do we convince a single hind-legs to join us, to reign death upon his own broodmates? You do not know men, he told me. They will betray their people, their land, even their own family for the right incentives. Money, power, pure simple hatred, he said, eyes gleaming as he looked up. He told me there are places --"marketplaces" -- where the hardiest leaders from different races can be bought, traded, sold. They will lead your armies and you will learn how men think, he said.
 Summary
 Learn about the other factions on Auriga -- to better destroy them -- by hiring non-Necrophage Heroes and defeating enemy armies with those Heroes leading your armies.
2. Defeat 2 armies with an army led by a (Wild Walkers/Ardent Mages) Hero and 2 armies with an army led by a (Vaulters/Broken Lords) Hero
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Our plight consumes me. When I rest, instead of the soothing dark that once cloaked me, I am flooded with visions of ruin. Rivers of fire cascading out the depths. Hives crushed into nothingness. Mountains upturned, the land scrubbed of all life, hind-legs and hive-dweller all dead. When Ka-Riss is lucid, a state that escapes him for most of the cycles, he scratches incoherently about a machine --built by the ancients of this planet-- that may be our salvation. He is my most accomplished leader in the field, but his mental regression, his slide into becoming yet another savage killer among thousands, fills me with dread. As my mind soars, his unravels. Maybe civilization will be beyond us. Maybe I am the freak, the monster, an evolutionary dead-end doomed to return to the dust from whence I came.
 Summary
 Rhiss has dreams of glory for the Necrophage - perhaps even greater than yours. Put him at the head of an army and send him out to conquer.
 Reward

 We are doomed. Doomed to be nothing more than unthinking killing machines. I have seen the evidence. The "Endless" made us to be killers, and they made us well. My hope that we might become something more than our nature lies in ruin; Ka-Riss's degeneration into savagery is complete. Nothing occupies his mind other than the next fight, the next feed. We are killers. And I? I have found peace with that. We are what we are. And we will survive.
The eggs that we will scatter to the darkest corners of this land will see to that. Before that though, our numbers must swell so that we can send our swarms far and wide. The eggs must be buried in icy chasms, the hearts of forests, desert caves; every habitat we can reach, for none know which places will heal and which will be forever blighted after the winter has passed. By conquest, by gluttony, or simply through the sheer march of time our numbers will swell to meet the task.
 Summary
 Both Minor and Major Factions must fall before the Necrophages. Assimilate Minor Factions, then grow the city to prepare for the final onslaught.
2. Reach the exact number of 8 population in your City [City].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 We are doomed. Doomed to be nothing more than unthinking killing machines. I have seen the evidence. The “Endless” made us to be killers, and they made us well. My hope that we might become something more than our nature lies in ruin; Ka-Riss's degeneration into savagery is complete. Nothing occupies his mind other than the next fight, the next feed. We are killers. And I? I have found peace with that. We are what we are. And we will survive.
The eggs that we will scatter to the darkest corners of this land will see to that. Before that though, our numbers must fall until only the strongest, the most ferocious, the most tenacious stalk our hives. Only then will we ensure that the gene-line is ready for the challenges that await on the other side of the long winter. Starvation, banishment, the sacrifice of the weak and feeble to feed the strong - the methods don't matter, only the outcome. “Cruel”, the hind-legs might say, but cruel is still better than dead.
 Summary
 Both Minor and Major Factions must fall before the Necrophages. Assimilate Minor Factions, then cull the population so that only the strongest remain for the final onslaught.
2. Reach the exact number of 8 population in your City [City].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 The winters draw ever longer, and I foresee a time when the planet will be scoured of all life. Before that time comes we will swarm the surface, lay waste to all those whose path we cross, and set the seeds of our descendants in the halls of ancient places. There they may find some respite from the coming storm. Whatever happens, we will raise armies without equal, and even if every last mortal dies, at least the stars will witness how the Necrophage swarmed Auriga, sweeping aside all who stood in their way.
We were made to kill, and so we will kill.
 Summary
 The Necrophage hunger consumed Ka-Riss. Alone, you must prepare for the end of times. Gather Givers of Remembrance in one of your cities, reach Era IV in the Research Tree, then seed your eggs across Auriga.
2. Level up Hero Ka-Riss to 9.
3. With the Incubation Orb item equipped on a Necrophage Hero, search the 3 ruins located in the regions called [Region], [Region], and [Region].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Mindless Slaughter, Temple of the Earth's Core

## Ardent Mages

*While many of your people have grown slovenly and soft, the rigors of survival and study have kept you and your clan strong. But now your brother has been killed, and the signs lead in many confusing directions. It will require all the strength you have, and all the pain you can sustain, to solve the mystery and secure the future of the Ardent Mages.*

 Summary
 Try to bring together your followers and the faithful after the events of your brother's death.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: Must be playing a custom Ardent Mages faction with the Pitiless trait*
 Summary
 Try to bring together your followers and the faithful after the events of your brother's death.
 Reward

 The truth is we were growing slovenly. Turning away from the caress of thorn and whip and fire. Turning away from the old gods. Turning away from the very pain that gave our lives meaning - and power. I was disgusted by our failure; my brother, even more so. We didn't see eye to eye on all things, but we saw eye to eye on that. He was... searching... searching for something that might arrest our fall and restore our convictions. What, I don't know. Whenever I pressed him he would say “Sister, the truth lies in shadow. When it comes into the light I will tell you all.” He was taken in the final contrition trying to learn that truth.
 Summary
 The scope of the search party has narrowed. Learn something of your brother's investigations by searching two ancient sites.
3. The [Minor Faction]! They are from a village in the region called [Region]. Find the village and Parley with them to learn more about what is going on.
4. The [Minor Faction] hold an artifact belonging to your dead brother: The Transcendent Rod of Verda! Defeat their army and reclaim your brother's possession.
 Reward
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
4. Transcendent Rod of Verda

 *Prerequisites: Must be playing a custom Ardent Mages faction with the Pitiless trait*
The truth is we were growing slovenly. Turning away from the caress of thorn and whip and fire. Turning away from the old gods. Turning away from the very pain that gave our lives meaning - and power. I was disgusted by our failure; my brother, even more so. We didn't see eye to eye on all things, but we saw eye to eye on that. He was... searching... searching for something that might arrest our fall and restore our convictions. What, I don't know. Whenever I pressed him he would say “Sister, the truth lies in shadow. When it comes into the light I will tell you all.” He was taken in the final contrition trying to learn that truth.
 Summary
 The scope of the search party has narrowed. Learn something of your brother's investigations by searching two ancient sites.
3. The [Minor Faction]! They are from a village in the region called [Region]. As you torture the last living officer, he tells you that an army with a precious artifact will soon depart from a nearby village. Find them. Kill them.
 Reward
3. Transcendent Rod of Verda, Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 We possess the finest interrogators in all Auriga. Our Inquisitors know the landscape of pain the way a red spider knows the dunes; they know how to burrow through weak flesh in search of the truth. That my inquisitors learnt little from the prisoners tells me that there was little to know. Search the ruins, they were told. Safeguard any trinkets you find, and smite any who follow in your path. Who gave them such instructions, and for what ends, remains shrouded in darkness.
 Summary
 Ensure that Minor Factions are no longer a threat to your Empire.
 Reward

 Every morning after administering my seven repents, I walk from the castellum to the chamber where my brother's scepter hangs, and take it in my hands. The instrument hums with a strange power, as if it is restless, as if it still seeks something. I imagine Verda holding it, spinning it, mastering it. Somehow it holds the key to his demise, holds the key to his work. We will found a new city, populate it with our brightest minds, and raise it as a center of mortification and study as is needed to understand my brother's enquiries. The scepter has an affinity with the Dust that permeates this world, like a diviner's rod channeling ancient forces. I am certain that Dust is key to what my brothers sought to achieve, but by what methods remain a mystery...
 Summary
 Found a city dedicated to scientific research in order to better understand your brother's scepter and magic. Gods willing, these studies will shed light on his mysterious death too.
 Reward
2. Verda's Temple
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Learning - and suffering - proceed apace at Verda's Temple, as screams of enlightenment and ecstasy echo from the buildings day and night. Dust is much more than we ever imagined; it is no simple spice or mineral that we once presumed. It teems, and writes, and endlessly transforms itself into million-hued aspects, almost as if it was alive. Sometimes it makes a man a savant of numbers, sometimes it makes him able to scale a wall in three bounds, sometimes it makes his heart hammer so hard it erupts from his chest in a crimson fire. I am certain that long ago our forgotten ancestors mastered this Dust, and enslaved it to do their bidding in miraculous ways. We are far from that point, but our path is clear. We have climbed onto the foothills of knowledge and caught a glimpse of boundless lands beyond, but we must keep climbing until Dust contains no more mysteries than does water.
 Summary
 How did your brother stumble upon capabilities that were mastered by the ancients long before? It is time to learn more of Auriga's ancient, Dust-riddled places, and ready your people for further investigations.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Learning - and suffering - proceed apace at Verda's Temple, as screams of enlightenment and ecstasy echo from the buildings day and night. Dust is so much more than we ever imagined; it is no simple spice or mineral that we once presumed. It teems, and writes, and endlessly transforms itself into million-hued aspects, almost as if it was alive. Sometimes it makes a man a savant of numbers, sometimes it makes him able to scale a wall in three bounds, sometimes it makes his heart hammer so hard it erupts from his chest in a crimson fire. I am certain that long ago our forgotten ancestors mastered this Dust, and enslaved it to do their bidding in miraculous ways. We are far from that point, but our path is clear. We have climbed onto the foothills of knowledge and caught a glimpse of boundless lands beyond, but we must keep climbing until Dust contains no more mysteries than does water.
 Summary
 How did your brother stumble upon capabilities that were mastered by the ancients long before? You must study winter's effects on ancient, Dust-riddled places, and ready your people for further investigations.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Every night he comes to me in my dreams. Always the same. I believe it is a memory - well part of a memory - but the mind plays tricks so I cannot be certain. We are children, a handful of years between us. We are walking in the dunes beyond the last tents of our settlement where penitence is offered, the sun hot, the land barren save for a scattering of spine trees. Something sparkles on the sand, and Verda snatches it up. He turns his back, gasps. “What, what have you found?” I cry, curious but enjoying being teased nonetheless. “Show me!” He turns back to me, his hands cupped, eyes gleeful. “With this we could be as powerful as the Saoshyant, sister.” He lifts his hands closer... and then the earth shudders, and the sun blinds me momentarily, and when I can see again he is gone, only his footprints left in the sand.
When someone leaves you suddenly, without warning, without answers, it is like having a piece of your heart ripped from you. You are not complete. I know this because though the shock of his death has now passed, there is still a hole the shape of Verda inside me. I don't know if we will ever be together again, but I do know that that hole - that wound - will only begin to heal when I learn the truth.
 Summary
 You now have greater knowledge of your brother and greater influence. Verda had a hidden lab, accessible with his scepter and a specific incantation. But more magic is required to find its exact location.
 Reward

 The air was musty, and though the flasks and instruments were caked in a layer of grime the echoes of Verda's presence came to me. The way he stacked codexes, the small relics he carried for luck, the faintest trace of his scent in the robes hanging in his armoire. Reza brought me his chronicle, carrying it in a devout fashion, opened to the last entry. The scrawl was his; spidery and precise. The date at the head of the parchment recorded a day a few scant days before his death. I read:
“I have found myself thrust upon a miracle, the ebb and flow of the Dust inside my mortal body like the tide of a wondrous sea. When it comes, it comes in great waves of fire, cleansing me, before infusing me with the strangest powers. Sometimes the pains is so great a blackness takes me, but regardless of what wounds it inflicts upon me I always come back. In two days I will possess more Dust than I will ever need. I will transcend. I only hope Azeema keeps his word.”
 Summary
 In the lab you have learned much of your brother's last days and the Roving Clansmen he dealt with. They will kill to keep their secrets and their Dust - prepare yourself!
 Reward

 Summary
 For the sake of your people, it is time to complete that which your brother began. Transcending IS the future of the Ardent Mages; you must build the Altar of Transcendence.
 Reward

## Roving Clans

*Is Dust the goal of life, or merely the best way to keep score? Whichever it is, you are ceaseless in your efforts to understand and acquire it. What better way than to dig into the secrets of the past, and those who first mastered it? The task will be difficult, requiring effort and sacrifice. But then, if it was easy, it would hardly be fun...*

 It has been said, by women and men wiser than myself, that only the gods can know the beginnings and the ends of things, and in claiming to recount a tale one steps upon their all-powerful toes. I dare to say that I have a tale, however, and in the telling of it I hope to offend neither the listener nor the gods, for though there is a beginning, it is you who will see it through until the end.
 Summary
 It is best to be undisturbed when seeking truths, particularly when they are not underfoot. First pacify the [Minor Faction] villages in the region with the ruins indicated by the Rays of Dust.
2. Now to delve a bit deeper: Inspect the [Ruins] located in [Region].
 Reward
2. Roads of Dust

 It is said by the sages that any undertaking must balance the influences of the past, the present, and the future. With a city established and troops at my command, I felt the present was more secure than it had been for some time. As for my plans for the future, they depended very much on what I had discovered in the ruins, from the past. For upon Auriga, the past is a weighty thing indeed.
 Summary
 The relics indicate that a specialized building is needed to investigate the vast riches left beneath the surface of Auriga. And the Wild Walkers have secrets of construction not known to other factions...
2. Build the High Towers City Improvement in the city ruled by your Wild Walkers hero.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 It is said by the sages that any undertaking must balance the influences of the past, the present, and the future. With a city established and troops at my command, I felt the present was more secure than it had been for some time. As for my plans for the future, they depended very much on what I had discovered in the ruins, from the past. For upon Auriga, the past is a weighty thing indeed.
 Summary
 The relics say one must obtain specialized knowledge of the powers of Dust to understand the vast riches beneath the surface of Auriga. And Ardent Mages master Dust in ways unknown to other factions...
2. Search 3 “Temple Ruins” with an army led by an Ardent Mage Hero who is equipped with the Manuscript.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 It is said that the open mind profits more than the closed one. Indeed, studies and indications that were brought by these heroes from other nations increased my knowledge of Auriga. And as always, with knowledge, came power.
 Summary
 Dust is not the only thing worth studying on Auriga. Gather Strategic and Luxury Resources - both for the wealth they bring, and for the knowledge they may reveal.
 Reward

 It is said that blind greed leads to blind decisions. If I was to be accused of any weakness, it would most likely have been that one. However, regardless of what the rumors whispered, I did not then look kto gather Dust solely to increase my own treasury.
Scientists and mystics have always been excited by one curious goal - bringing together enough Dust to create what they called a “critical mass”. It sounds more like a weight problem than a glorious discovery, but they assured me that if sufficient volumes of Dust could be assembled, the magic within it would awaken sufficiently to unlock the echoes from the great Dust labyrinths of the past.
 Summary
 Collect a critical volume of Dust to trigger readings in the sages’ mechanisms and resonate with the ancient Dust sources inside the planet. But think of your public image; raise your Influence as well.
 Reward

 It is said that blind greed leads to blind decisions. If I was to be accused of any weakness, it would most likely have been that one. However, regardless of what the rumors whispered, I did not then look to gather Dust solely to increase my own treasury.
 Summary
 Seek out magical Anomalies to learn more of Dust, and gain Influence to more easily execute the next steps.
 Reward

 It is said that all things come to he who has patience. That, alas, was hardly my most obvious trait. I was learning patience, however, as the unfolding of my great plan had taught me as much about myself as about my world. I urged my followers to move onward, ever onward, as the Clans do. From other people's we had learned of Dust and Auriga, from resources and anomalies we had learned of the hidden magics of the past, and next I determined that we would bring these things together and unlock the greatest secrets of all. The Academy of Teneb stated, without hesitation, that the greatest resonance of Dust from across Auriga lay somewhere beneath our feet. What great labyrinth of the ancients had been built? What strange lode or mine of Dust might exist there? Feverish ideas crossed my mind as my body tossed sleepless during the hot nights.
 Summary
 A region, [Region], is the source of the Dust-laden emissions and resonances measured by your sages. If your dreams of wealth and power are to come true, that region must be under your control
2. Raise a Hero to Level 7; they will then have the experience necessary to decrypt the [Ruins] in [Region].
3. It seemed that something defends this ancient place of power - but that is unsurprising. Destroy the defenders!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Summary
 A region, [Region], is the source of the Dust-laden emissions and resonances measured by your sages. If your dreams of wealth and power are to come true, that region must be under your control
2. Raise a Hero to Level 7; they will then have the experience necessary to decrypt the [Ruins] in [Region].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 It is said that before beginning any project one should be well supplied with logic, prayer, and luck. Yet only the first two can be controlled by us and for the third, the gods must intervene. And so it was, for me; in one of the old places of Auriga we discovered an ancient mechanism that we called the Well of Dust. It was a thing of glorious complexity; equal parts motionless and mechanical, energetic and inert, enormous nad seemingly simple.
 Summary
 In order to understand and reproduce the Well of Dust, our sciences must be highly advanced and the Trade Routes that bring Dust maximized.
2. Develop Trade to identify the best location for the device by having at least 3 Cities bringing each a minimum of X  Dust from Trade Routes.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 It is said that if willing hands cannot be found, unwilling ones will do. That was the set of my mind at this point in my quest; I refused to be dissuaded or derailed. Perhaps it was indeed Dust Fever; perhaps one day I would be found chattering mad amid ledgers and scrip, seeing thieves and swindlers in every shadow.
 Summary
 Your dreams require hands - go and find them among the Minor Factions
 Reward

 It is said that dreams are dangerous things, for they drive one to fulfill them at any cost. One could argue that this was indeed my fate; I had forsaken my family and given over much of the ruling of the Clans to others while in the pursuit of my goal. But I saw the final stretch laid out before me, waiting like a well-irrigated caravanserai at the end of a long road of dust and desert.
 Summary
 To gain the most benefit from Well of Dust, you must build it in a city in the center of your economic empire. The more Dust and Trade Routes it touches, the greater your windfall!
 Reward

## Drakken

*Cherishing your role as the protectors of Auriga, the many troubling changes in your world force the Drakken out of their isolation as they seek to learn. As you explore and discover new peoples and new problems, you are challenged as well to discover the roots of your own race and its ancient, honorable duty.*

 She extends her wings, stretching her muscles. The gesture has replaced a simple smile, as she learned during the trip that a Drakken smile induces terror, not harmony.
Kehangana is content. The city has been founded, and this first step of her duty responsibly executed. They are far from Drakkenhome but that, she believes, was the will of the Twelve.
Had it been her sister, Prapaheni, things would have been different. They would have halted a scant few days from Drakkenhome; Prapaheni would be too concerned with distance from tradition and not enough with movement toward the future. The Twelve were wise to choose Kehangana first. And this is especially true now, with signs of change so heavy in the air. What to make not just of the longer winters and the earthquakes, but also of something closer to home - the birth of those they call Drakkenlings. Why do the eggs that only ever produced Drakken now produce these things? Why now? Many confusing signs seem to appear - and accelerate. Whatever the answer may be, it is certain that it involves change. And Prapaheni is ill-equipped to deal with that.
 Summary
 From this new city you will reach out to the other species of Auriga. Driven by strange portents, like eggs that bear these wingless Drakkenlings, you must learn what is happening on Auriga.
2. Produce 10  Influence in one of your cities.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Prapaheni awakens. While the smells of the warren are familiar, the smells from the surroundings are radically different. She is upset, uneasy. She knows they were sent to found a new city and doubtless her sister, Kehangana, interpreted the commands a bit too liberally. It is irresponsible to travel so far from the Twelve, so far from Drakkenhome. Though physical distance is easily conquered with wings, what Prapaheni fears is distance from tradition. Without traditions, without structure, will they not descend into the forms of their most ancient ancestors, before They came, and revert to barbarism?
 Summary
 The Drakken survived millennia on a planet wracked by cataclysm; their wisdom must be disseminated. Building your Influence to spread diplomatic messages, and prepare troops for those who will not listen.
2. Defeat 3 armies with an army led by a Drakken Hero.
 Reward
2. Aura of Leadership

 Kehangana awakens, and sees that Prapaheni has not been idle.
Their prestige and influence grow; sadly, the military grows as well. Prapaheni turns too easily to aggressive methods in order to achieve her goals. Regardless, it is now Kehangana's time, and she will not waste it.
The passing of Chamewhana into the Whispering Galleries is an inevitable part of the cycle of Auriga; Kehangana refuses to view it as an omen and simply gives reverence to the one who has passed on.
 Summary
 To continue their efforts, eggs must drop and incubate or the city will wither. Technologies must be learned and resources collected to build an Oologic Nursery in these unfamiliar lands.
2. Build the Oologic Nursery. The city with the Improvement will need a minimum 20  Food from District/Exploitation tiles.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Prapaheni awakens.
The sights and sounds of the Oologic Nursery give some solace in this strange place, but she feels the same gnawing unease as her sister. Doubtless They had many means to listen and study the planet, but the knowledge of these ways disappeared when They warred upon Themselves.
She is loathe to inspect ruins and desecrate Their remains; the very though is unpleasant to Prapaheni. Instead, she decides to work methodically through the many minor people's they have encountered, speaking to their scouts and their wise men to see what information they have gleaned. This is and always will be the role of the Drakken: To protect and guard the lesser people's, to maintain things as they are in a world of chaotic change.
 Summary
 Rather than loot the ancient places that you consider sacred, gain knowledge of Auriga from others who have fewer scruples - Minor Factions. They will also access to their knowledge and artifacts.
 Reward

 Prapaheni awakens.
The sights and sounds of the Oologic Nursery give some solace in this strange place, but she feels the same gnawing unease as her sister. Doubtless They had many means to listen and study the planet, but the knowledge of these ways disappeared when They warred upon Themselves.
She is loathe to inspect ruins and desecrate Their remains; the very though is unpleasant to Prapaheni. Instead, she decides to work methodically through the many minor people's they have encountered, speaking to their scouts and their wise men to see what information they have gleaned. This is and always will be the role of the Drakken: To protect and guard the lesser people's, to maintain things as they are in a world of chaotic change.
 Summary
 Rather than loot the ancient places that you consider sacred, gain knowledge of Auriga from others who have fewer scruples - Minor Factions. They will also access to their knowledge and artifacts.
 Reward

 Kehangana awakens, and immediately senses unrest within the eyrie.
She quickly discovers its root: This strange object that a worshipful tribe gave to her sister. Kehangana sighs, heavy-hearted. She does not believe the rumors of subjugation and of ages spent as Their slaves; while They had power that made Them omnipotent, They always treated the Drakken with respect. Why else could They have left the Drakken as stewards of Their home?
Regardless, the artifact must be studies and understood. Assumptions made from cursory glances and uninformed readings must be countered by careful analysis done by the wise and the experienced.
 Summary
 Quell the rumors and restore your people's confidence. First bring their Approval rating up to an acceptable level, and then continue to grow your empire and its Influence.
2. Create 3 new boroughs in your empire.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Kehangana awakens, and immediately senses unrest within the eyrie.
She quickly discovers its root: This strange object that a worshipful tribe gave to her sister. Kehangana sighs, heavy-hearted. She does not believe the rumors of subjugation and of ages spent as Their slaves; while They had power that made Them omnipotent, They always treated the Drakken with respect. Why else could They have left the Drakken as stewards of Their home?
Regardless, the artifact must be studies and understood. Assumptions made from cursory glances and uninformed readings must be countered by careful analysis done by the wise and the experienced.
 Summary
 Quell the rumors and restore your people's confidence. First bring their Approval rating up to an acceptable level, and then continue to grow your empire and its Influence.
2. Create a new level 2 city district in your empire.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Prapaheni's slumber has not been restful. She awakens ill at ease and restless, wondering what news has come of the strange artifact.
Before the archivists and loremasters are even part of the way through their reports she stops them; rewriting history is of no use to the Drakken. The Drakken have a responsibility and a way to execute that responsibility, and cracked theories will not help them. She forbids further study of the object; were it in her power, she would have it destroyed. The mission of the Drakken is not compatible with their sacrilegious ideas and she will have nothing to do with them.
No, the way of the Drakken is to grow tall and strong, to lead by example, to impose their will upon the mighty and to preserve and protect the weak. She will not take off on flights of fancy like Kehangana; she will instead show the glory of the Drakken ways.
 Summary
 Ignore the artifact. It is not your role to rewrite history, but to make it. Let other nations witness the power and glory of the Drakken in both war and peace.
2. Make sure you have 3 Minor Factions assimilated within your empire.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Kehangana awakens, and her dreams have been less disturbing than she though - for with them, she has gained a sense of purpose. Whatever They wanted, the Drakken have the right to choose their own destiny.
The loremasters have discovered much during the years she slumbered. The Drakkenlings, for instance, were planned from the beginning; They foresaw a time when war between empires would erupt. Written into the cells of the Drakken were the messages that would trigger the hatching of a footsoldier unit when war became generalized necessity. This much They saw: The future of Auriga would be uncertain, but certainly violent.
The loremasters also speak of the ancient war when They fought among Themselves. Two camps, apparently, broke apart and brought death upon each other. One used weapons of lightning and fire that struck the body, the other devised weapons that worked on the mind and soul. What monsters, then, were They...? A shaken Kehangana would like to know.
 Summary
 The truth of the artifact must be known. A strange spirit awoke with the loremasters’ studies, inhabiting places where They once lived. It is time to discover the truth, however painful.
2. The spirit you chase is not alone. Defeat the army of Haunts.
3. Find the region [Region]. Search the [Ruins] with a Drakken Hero holding the Spheroid (Note: Not during winter).
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Kehangana is content. She has put away her silly curiosity, and will strive to bring peace to Auriga. Their will shall be done in the way They wished. All else is heresy and foolishness. Perhaps she will awaken Prapaheni, perhaps not. This strange system of shared government was not Their will, and is therefore not important. Her role is to protect, to grow, to respect the traditions as They intended. And there is much to be done if that is to be successful.
 Summary
 You find peace in submission to Their will. Your questions and dreams? Corrupt and meaningless. It is far more important to bring peace and prosperity to Auriga than to chase unimportant dreams and artifacts.
2. Build the Auriga Institute in each of your cities. The city containing the Improvement must produce at least 20 Influence.
 Reward
2. Eye of the Endless, Temple of the Earth's Core

## Cultists

*You bring these lesser beings up to a state of wisdom and power that they can barely comprehend; such is the nature of your purpose. Seen through the eyes of one of these lesser followers, however, the path is anything but straight, and their grim determination is richly rewarded. When they survive, of course.*

  The conversion begins, but the task is formidable. Few of those we attract are worthy, and even those must be trained. It would be convenient if more survived the training, but the Unspoken insists on rigor.
We will follow one of these. Perhaps we can learn from it.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
It came with machines, and troops, and we saw that our weapons were nothing. Our tools, armor, fences, walls... useless.
It was cold and terrifying; it preached and promised - as all the powerful ones do. But this was different. These Cultists want to convert, invade the old places, and cover the world with their believers. But who is insane enough to dream of ruling a world? This Cult. It told us about a vengeance of centuries, and asked us to join their terrible purpose.
 Summary
 You have work to do to bring these savages into the purpose of the Cult. While you train the recruits, you must continue to swell their ranks. Go forth, and convert more.
 Reward

  They begin to think. This is good; they will come to us willingly - in time. For everything must be bent to the will of the Cult. Or be destroyed.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
I have seen this “conversion” again. What power do they have that makes others so glad to obey? Once you are converted you never doubt or hesitate, just follow orders. As if you enjoy it. Like dogs, wagging tails, eager to please.
 Summary
 The power of the Cult begins to grow as Minor Factions are converted. The next step is to move from conversion to assimilation. The worthy ones must see and accept their fate.
2. The Cultists wish to study ruins - Search the [Ruins] with at least 2 level 2 Minor Faction units in your army.
 Reward
2. Order of Isiver

  The worthy ones no longer fight; they look, and think, and ask. Soon they will even become useful.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
They said they would let me lead again. I will be free in the city, and even join the armies patrolling the region. Of course they want safety and security. But now they also want to build up the city into a huge center of faith and study. Faith in what? To study what? They get angry when I ask this, so I stopped doing it.
Worse yet, I have seen them. The Queen, the Unspoken. The coldness, the hatred, the madness that I felt made the back of my neck twitch. Can a purpose like that, a drive that intense, even be intelligent?
 Summary
 The Queen and the Unspoken demand power - and privacy. Their lands must be secured against intruders, and the city must be raised up to even greater levels of glory.
2. Reach the level 2 with your City Center
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

  The worthy ones no longer fight; they look, and think, and ask. Soon they will even become useful.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
They said they would let me lead again. I will be free in the city, and even join the armies patrolling the region. Of course they want safety and security. But now they also want to build up the city into huge center of faith and study. Faith in what? To study what? They get angry when I ask this, so I stopped doing it.
Worse yet, I have seen them. The Queen, the Unspoken. The coldness, the hatred, the madness that I felt made the back of my neck twitch. Can a purpose like that, a drive that intense, even be intelligent?
 Summary
 The Queen and the Unspoken require a greater center of worship. They require a Hero to administer their city; the Hero will show their worthiness by growing the city's power.
2. Upgrade the city center to level 2.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

  Now we test them, see if they are useful implements of the Queen's will. Those that are shall become leaders. Those that are not are no longer useful.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
They have grown strong, a bit at a time, waiting until they were ready. I try to find the place inside me with the anger and hate, but instead find thoughts of awe and of fear. They are grim yet their words make sense; when they speak I feel a thrill of what they might achieve. Their city is now a great fortress, and from here they will begin to move.
They execute the plan they spoke of when they first crushed us. Build strength, seek knowledge, spread across Auriga. That's how it is with fanatics; a speech is not just words but an oath, and the Cult is happy to die fulfilling that oath.
It is both terrifying and thrilling, and something inside me wants to be carried away on that wave of blind faith and utter dedication. For the moment I resist.
 Summary
 The Cult's time is coming. They will test their readiness in a new region, whatever the consequences. The Eternal End can only arrive through strength and dedication.
2. A roaming army that refuses to convert is out for revenge in the nearby region [Region]. No rebellion will be tolerated; find them and kill them.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

  Now they feel our power. Soon they will feel our purpose.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
They have learned to build armies, fight wars, and conquer new lands. They will keep doing this, but now they turn to the second part of their great purpose. It is time to study, to learn, to rediscover the great power that is hidden in the old places. The ruins and resources of the planet are their next goal so they can prepare their labs and workshops for the final phase. They remain ugly to me, in the way they move and think and the way they look. But they do what they say.
 Summary
 The Cultists must study and learn, preparing for their final efforts. Though the old places may be full of danger and corruption, resources and knowledge can be used to counteract this.
2. Research 10 Technologies in the Era III of Technology.
 Reward
2. The Wordless Will

  They are with us, even if they are not aware. Now, we move.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
I have seen the armies lined up in ranks, straight and tall and full of excitement. They are fanatic soldiers, and their holy war to spread across Auriga is near. There will be more faithful, more converts, more angry tribal chiefs with broken legs lying in pits. But when I see the result, and how far and how fast they grow, I also feel that strange thrill of power and conquest and purpose.
I am becoming the thing that I hate. Or that I hated. But the drums and trumpets sound, and the sound of thousands of feet marching echoes in the city. It is impossible to be indifferent and detached.
 Summary
 The Cultists are laying the groundwork for the final phases of their plan. Armies go out to conquer and convert - without limit, without pity. The Cult must grow.
 Reward

  They are with us, even if they are not aware. Now, we move.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
I have seen the armies lined up in ranks, straight and tall and full of excitement. They are fanatic soldiers, and their holy war to spread across Auriga is near. There will be more faithful, more converts, more angry tribal chiefs with broken legs lying in pits. But when I see the result, and how far and how fast they grow, I also feel the strange thrill of power and conquest and purpose.
I am becoming the thing that I hate. Or that I hated. But the drums and the trumpets sound, and the sound of thousands of feet marching echoes in the city. It is impossible to be indifferent and detached.
 Summary
 The Cultists are laying the groundwork for the final phases of their plan. Armies go out to conquer and convert - without limit, without pity. The Cult must grow.
 Reward

  We are moving forward. The doubters will come with us, or be crushed beneath us.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
I don't need to be told that the final steps are coming. It is in the air - in the voices that crack, in the hurried movements. But I want no part of this. I had forgotten the horror and the shame of being converted, the ruin of my village, the slavery of my people. I wanted to kill them all, to wield a hammer the size of a mountain and bring down their great citadel with one god-like blow.
But they are wiser than I am. As soon as I let my rage show I saw the members of my village driven up to the front lines of battle. And my great challenge was over. Where is my honor and virtue now? Could I sacrifice them for my pride? Would I rather see them die quickly in battle, or slowly on a planet turned into a vast slave-hold of the Cult? Directly or indirectly I can't kill them. Their fate is their own to choose, not mine.
 Summary
 Your revolt was short-lived; your people would be sent to the front lines of battle if you persisted. Accept your fate. Prepare for the final effort. Find joy in the greater purpose.
2. Make sure you have two Preachers at least level 6 and a Cultist Hero at least level 9.
 Reward
2. All Beings Are Siblings

  We will not fail; the Eternal End will arrive. Rejoice, and prepare to purify this ruined planet.
 Journal of a Disobedient:
How did I get here? Leader of a simple tribe, wanting only peace and prosperity for her people. We were ants in a dance of giants, and would have been crushed and enslaved - or eaten - by any other nation. But this Cult, this abomination, this sanctuary, gives us a chance to defy and oppose those great empires that sit astride the world like lions across their fallen prey.
The force of their purpose is like a growing wave. You join it and ride; either to create a glorious future, or to crash in a thousand shards on some alien shore. If you don't join the wave it rides over you, and you are drowned and decimated.
I have chosen to ride it. The purpose draws to a close. The End for which they have been striving is near. We believe in the visions of the Cult as though our gods meant for my tribe to join them.
 Summary
 The final preparation is to build the city to a size of unparalleled greatness. From that base of power, the Cult can reach out, fulfill its purpose, and seize its destiny.
 Reward

## Forgotten

*Frustrated by the insularity - and perhaps cowardice - of your people, you and two allies decided to leave and forge your own destiny. But your journey barely started before disaster struck, and your mission has turned to one of bloody revenge.*

 My dreams are still haunted by the night we lost my friend, my rock, the previous leader of the Warfarers Divinity: Master Shadow Ziema Adya.
They came upon us not three days out from the Targadian Mountains, shadowy figures in the night. At first we though them simple bandits preying on hapless travellers; desperate rogues who'd made a fatal mistake in selecting their victims. We imagined we would kill them easily enough... but we were wrong. Had Arla not been left behind, sick with fever, we may have mastered them. But in our arrogance, we underestimated them. Ziema battled formidably, saving many of our lives, but that only aided our attackers’ true intentions. They wanted not to rob us or kill us but to steal away Ziema herself!
And they succeeded.
And it wasn't only her they took. Some of my most experienced warriors also vanished that night.
In the aftermath, stranded in the Aurigan wilds, bloodied and exposed, there was little we could do except carry on with our original plan - without Ziema or the others.
Every day the same questions burned in my mind. Who kidnapped Ziema? Did one of our party betray our intentions to the spineless trinity who rule the Forgotten in Dagaari Tanga - the fearful High Consecrate and the feeble Masters of the Divinities? Those rulers who have forgotten our motto: “We are the power in the shadows”? Or was she taken by some other enemy who escapes my attention? The questions burn. The one that burns the most though is this: Where is she now?
Before we settled [Region], all I could do was seethe and agitate. Now, though? Now I can begin to get answers.
Now I will do everything in my power to find Ziema.
 Summary
 Your plan to rebuild a new Forgotten civilization has started badly. Of your two most powerful allies, Arla never made the journey, and Ziema has been kidnapped by unknown forces. Locate her.
2. Treachery! The [Minor Faction] claim dissident Forgotten, hiding in ruins in the nearby region [Region] played a part. Find and defeat them.
 Reward
2. 2 Forgotten Units: Predatore

 Funny, how men become eager to talk before the persuasive glow of a firebrand. Unfortunately the dissident Forgotten knew little, save for the fact that Ziema and the others were taken to a distant city. It would’ve been easy to order these men's deaths after their confessions, but to do so would be wasteful, not to mention unjust - they were only pieces in others’ designs. A Drakken, a Vaulter, and another who kept every facet of their identity hidden are the ones who pull the strings, they tell me.
Vengeance must wait, however. First I must find Ziema.
The fact she was captured and ferried leagues across Auriga gives me hope that she still lives. I fear, though, the state in which I will find her. I remember vividly her strength, her ambition, her hopes for our people. Back in Dagaari Tanga, when we plotted our escape together, seeking a better way for the Forgotten, I remember the conviction of her words: “We will not survive the coming winters by cowering in the mountains like rats. We will control Auriga by embracing who we are! We are the power in the shadows…” I hope she still has the means to speak those words.
 Summary
 The rebel Forgotten who have joined your armies claim Ziema and the others are being held captive somewhere in [City]. Someone, somewhere in the city must know more.
2. Now you know where in the ruins of [Region] Ziema and the others are. To free them, search the indicated [Ruins].
 Reward
2. Ziema Adya

 I should feel relief and happiness upon seeing Ziema back in our midst. And I do. But those emotions are eclipsed by much more powerful feelings; feelings of rage and frustration. A desire for vengeance. Though Ziema is broken and a remnant of her former self, even in her weakened state I see that same glimmer in her eye. She cannot yet talk of who her captors were nor for what purpose they tortured her. That will come in time. For now, I must do everything in my power to rebuild her strength.
Of Arla, the third pillar of our trinity, I hear whispers that she wandered from Daagari Tanga in a fever; her body found in the wilderness. If true, the Forgotten have lost a great leader. We will honour her by forging the greatest Forgotten civilization ever to grace Auriga - one able to withstand, perhaps even flourish, in the grim winter that comes.
Ziema's dual swords, Shadowbinder and Shadowbrand, lie broken, exactly as we found them beside her slumped body. When her strength has returned, we will find a way to make them whole again.
 Summary
 Ziema is a pale shadow of her former self after her incarceration and torture. You must send her out into the world to rebuild her strength - and reforge her swords, Shadowbinder and Shadowbrand.
2. With X Glassteel in reserves, send Ziema to search the [Ruins] in [Region] to repair her legendary swords - and herself!
 Reward
2. Ziema Adya, Shadowbrand, Shadowbinder

 Ziema paces like a caged animal, clawing her hair as she tries to recall her tormentors. “I remember the Drakken most of all. In the darkness, devoid of any light save the torches they carried with them, I lost track of the days, but he would always be the first to have his turn. After waking me with the pail of freezing water, he would begin by peeling a fresh strip of skin from my flesh, small and perfectly rectangular. With his fetid lizard breath spilling over me, he said that if I could count the strips I would know how many days I’d been held. “
As she speaks the cold rage gathers inside me. During her earlier years when the Masters were bolder, Ziema led many raids against the Drakken. Perhaps this Drakken is one of those left nurturing an icy grudge. “I have crossed his path before, I’m sure,” she says. “The way he eyed me with such hatred, the way he whispered the same two words in his bastard tongue. He knows me.” She tells me one of the claws of his left hand was missing, a misshapen stump where the digit should be. “Loose me, and let me track him down. I will cut his monstrous head from his scaled body-”
“And I will gladly sharpen the blade for you, Ziema,” I interrupt. “But we must be clever, lest these cockroaches scurry into the dirt never to be seen again. And our missing companions may also never return.”
 Summary
 Ziema is strong again - at least in body - but the trail to her tormentors has grown cold. To have any chance of finding them, your grasp over your people - and your enemies - must also grow stronger.
2. Perform a Level X Decrease Population or a Level X Target Governor infiltration action in any infiltrated city.
 Reward
2. Tower of the Consecrate

 Every night Ziema wakes screaming. I am always first in her chambers, first to hold her, gently rock her and tell her that she's safe now, that they can't hurt her anymore. Last night as I cradled her she whispered her nightmares to me. Dark visions of sharpened blades, faceless monstrosities, her body twisted into painful geometries. “The Drakken inflicted pain, but he never scared me - not like the Vaulter woman.” Ziema tells me the woman was cruel, methodical, and never uttered a single word. “Her methods seemed almost familiar…”
I ask her what cause this Vaulter woman might have had to wish to harm her. Ziema goes still as stone in my arms. “I remember.” During one of her earliest missions for the Warfarer's Divinity, she tells me, her scouting party came across a small company of vaulters in Forgotten territory. All escaped save for one young girl who they imprisoned in a threadbare cell in a crumbling fort. Ziema was the guard. A malicious Forgotten interrogator tortured her for secrets she didn't possess. “After every interrogation the girl begged me to help her, but I was too cowardly to do anything,” she says. “One day we unlocked her cell and simply left.:
“Darkness begets darkness,” I whisper. “One question remains: how did they find us on that night?”
“I think the one who always watched, still and silent, can answer that riddle. I suspect he is… a Forgotten.”
Her words stun me. One of our own?
 Summary
 The three who tortured Ziema still roam free. If they are to be found new methods of enquiry must be learnt, new tools and technologies seized. Evolve your empire into a true “power in the shadows.”
2. Master additional dark methods! Obtain a total of 30 Technologies from Era I to Era III
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 A breakthrough!
The whereabouts of the Forgotten who disappeared the night Ziema was taken remain in shadow, but the whereabouts of one of Ziema's tormentors has come into the light.
As our power grows, as our influence reaches further, we hear more and more idle talk from underground drinking pits, gossip in bustling street markets, and loose tongues in our enemies’ corridors of power. Several sources, informers across Auriga, have reported that the Vaulter woman we seek leads a ragtag army in the wastes of some nearby region. The latest reports suggest she hides in one of the ruins of the area. They tell me her name is Agi.
“Agi,” Ziema whispers when I relay her the name. “Yes, that was her name. Agi.”
I notice the gentle way in which she says the name, like she is sheltering a beautiful, fragile flower in her cupped hands. “Do you still seek vengeance?” I ask.
 Summary
 Progress! Informants indicate that one of Ziema's three tormentors - the Vaulter - commands an army somewhere in a large area. You must lead an army there and see that she is delivered to justice.
2. Agi has finally been cornered and Ziema can have her justice. The enemy must die!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 A breakthrough!
The whereabouts of the Forgotten who disappeared the night Ziema was taken remain in shadow, but the whereabouts of one of Ziema's tormentors has come into the light.
As our power grows, as our influence reaches further, we hear more and more idle talk from underground drinking pits, gossip in bustling street markets, and loose tongues in our enemies’ corridors of power. Several sources, informers across Auriga, have reported that the Vaulter woman we seek leads a ragtag army in the wastes of some nearby region. The latest reports suggest she hides in one of the ruins of the area. They tell me her name is Agi.
“Agi,” Ziema whispers when I relay her the name. “Yes, that was her name. Agi.”
I notice the gentle way in which she says the name, like she is sheltering a beautiful, fragile flower in her cupped hands. “Do you still seek vengeance?” I ask.
 Summary
 Progress! Informants indicate that one of Ziema's three tormentors - the Vaulter - commands an army somewhere in a large area. You must lead an army there and see that she is delivered to justice.
2. The place is deserted! Agi has tricked you, and now leads an attack against your city [City]. Make sure her army is no longer a threat.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Ziema walks with her head held a little higher, her lips set a little less tighter. The Vaulter's death has lifted her, but she still aches to root out her remaining two tormentors. In the aftermath of Agi's death, I imagine they have gone to ground like the vermin they are. News travels fast in this land.
Of my warrior companions there is still no sign.
As I feared, leads are few and far between. Whoever the Forgotten may be who masterminded the whole affair, I have not a clue. Every Forgotten I suspect, every Forgotten who had reason to hate us - to wish that the fragile shoots of our plans for a new, greater civilizations wither and die - comes back clean. Of the Drakken there is likewise little sign, but through diligent work we did discover the loose thread that will be his unraveling: his name.
Archivist Mukangung.
A name is a powerful thing. With it we can learn the Drakken's life story. Where he was born, where he travelled, where those who he loves reside. Ziema now understands why his desire for vengeance against her burned so bright: She led the incursion against his Drakken kin and their eyrie at the Gahve Pass, claiming after the massacre that she had not noticed the flags of surrender. A merciful death, given what becomes of prisoners of war in the Targadian Mountains. Fortunately for us, there are others he still cares about...
If we can't go to him, we will make him come to us.
 Summary
 The second torturer remains at large, but you've uncovered a crucial bit of information: the Drakken's name. With it you've learned enough. Time to attack!
2. The noose is tightening... Archivist Mukangung is hiding in a village. Pillage or destroy villages within other empires until he is forced to show up.
3. Archivist Mukangung and his army were hidden in the last village! Now, make sure the whole army is defeated.
A she?
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 The trail for the Forgotten who masterminded Ziema's kidnap and torture, like Auriga itself, grows cold. We are the power in the shadows now - listening, watching, manipulating, even killing across the world - and yet this Forgotten, this ultimate betrayer, escapes our grasp. Ziema agitates, consumed with finding her. I worry for her sanity.
Despite our victories, despite our readiness for the endless winter, until she is found - until we learn of my companions’ fates - neither of us can have peace. And then... like something from a dream... the letter arrives.
My hand still shakes just like when I first read the words.
I am the Forgotten you seek.
I am the power in the shadows, risen high among the [Empire].
I hold those you still seek.
Come, wreak your vengeance.
 Summary
 The Forgotten who masterminded Ziema's kidnap and torture, has planted deep roots in the [Empire] empire. If you are to have your vengeance you must prepare for war.
2. Now attack! Defeat three [Empire] armies.
3. At last the Forgotten comes out of the shadows, in the [Ruins] in [Region]. With Ziema, crush this traitor!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1
3. Master Deceivers, Temple of the Earth's Core, Sable Deceiver Napog Dauda, Skya Keeper Dabuo Ofosu, Efalo Tegret

## Allayi

*After centuries in hiding, it is time to rebuild the Allayi civilization. You must preserve your world and your goddess, Mother Auriga, and unlock the mystery of Her enigmatic Pearls that burst forth in the Dark Season. The destinies of your nation and your planet are intertwined; let us hope that you can save them both...*

 "...When Auriga brings forth her fruit in winter it will be a sign that once again our time has come..."
The Epistle, page 4

So the burden, and the glory, fall to me.
We have taken the return of the Guardians as a signal; from the forests and the mountains we come together to rebuild our culture. In my hands sits the waxed and oiled leather pouch, black with age, that contains the Epistle of Vros Grayspire and the Euchologion, the ways of prayer.
Through all the Silent Years we have guarded these scrolls, handing them down from father to son, waiting for the moment when we could once again serve our role as sentinels of Mother Auriga. We are together except for the flying Skyfin, a symbol of our power and freedom. With its strength we can reclaim our place by her side.
 Summary
 Your people are converging after centuries in the wilderness. You lack only the Skyfin, a powerful ally and totem of your people. With its help, and the potent Pearls , you hope to save Mother Auriga from disaster.
2. Build the Altar of Auriga. You will need to gather enough Pearls  by searching Ruins, or by collecting them when the Dark Season brings them to the surface.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 "...And when She beheld the Light and the Veil, Auriga brought us forth, the Chosen, who lived within both worlds and changed between them, and She called us the Allayi ..."

Now that our altar has been founded, and our faith renewed, we shall begin to impose the will of Auriga. Though our cause is just and we are Her Chosen we will still remain humble; there is much to learn -- and with knowledge comes strength.
 Summary
 Auriga needs us; we must grow in power and wealth so that we can do what She requires of us. Faith alone is not enough; we must believe in our cause but also have the power to impose our will.
2. Produce X Influence  in one of your cities for X turns.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 "...for all gifts from Auriga are precious things, and would not be offered if they were not of importance for the Chosen ..."

It has been generations since the Allayi have come together. When the Guardians were felled we fled; the weapons of the Profaners were too terrible, and their war ghouls the worst. But as all things evil they too have passed - though the damage they did was horrific. Now Auriga seeks us out to heal and protect her. Some whisper that she is dying, that the longer Dark Seasons are a sign of her end. Of The End. But I say that the Pearls, and the offerings we give to her, will help us both.
 Summary
 We had been lost and drifting for generations. Now that we are together we will show our strength; we shall make Her altar a beacon of wealth and wisdom.
 Reward

 "... for though we are great, and our hearts true, She cannot be saved by our efforts alone. All beings are both Her children and Her toil; all must rise up to heal Her wounds..."

Let the great and the small sing our praises!
Our hour has begun; from across Auriga the villages and towns of the lesser peoples have begun to heed our call - and feel the force of our purity. They beg us for more information, for our wisdom, for our very presence on their lands. Their awe and devotion is manifested in their practices, for they are saving the precious Pearls bestowed by Auriga so that we may collect them and use them for Her cause.
 Summary
 Word of our faith has begun to spread; some of the lesser peoples of Auriga seem to be willing to follow our path. We must find them, bring them into the glory of Her worship, and reap the benefits of our fidelity.
2. They are awed and delighted by our visit. Their leader has indicated you the ruins where we may find their stock. Search the localized ruins in [Region] to get the treasure.
3. Word spreads of other devotees. A [Minor Faction] tribe in [Region] wants to hear your words. Locate the region and talk to this village.
4. Next, in [Region], they ask only to stand in the presence of the Skyfin to become followers. Talk to the indicated village with a Skyfin unit of at least Level 3 (in Dark form).
 Reward
2. Orb Droplist picks 1
3. Low Prestige Droplist picks 1
4. Orb Droplist picks 1

 "... for though we are great, and our hearts true, She cannot be saved by our efforts alone. All beings are both Her children and Her toil; all must rise up to heal Her wounds..."

Let the great and the small sing our praises!
Our hour has begun; from across Auriga the villages and towns of the lesser peoples have begun to heed our call - and feel the force of our purity. They beg us for more information, for our wisdom, for our very presence on their lands. Their awe and devotion is manifested in their practices, for they are saving the precious Pearls bestowed by Auriga so that we may collect them and use them for Her cause.
 Summary
 Word of our faith has begun to spread; some of the lesser peoples of Auriga seem to be willing to follow our path. We must find them, bring them into the glory of Her worship, and reap the benefits of our fidelity.
2. They are awed and delighted by our visit. Their leader has indicated you the ruins where we may find their stock. Search the localized ruins in [Region] to get the treasure.
3. Word spreads of other devotees. A [Minor Faction] tribe in [Region] wants to hear your words. Locate the region and talk to this village.
4. Heresy rears its ugly head. Some [Minor Faction] renegades have stolen the Pearls . Find and defeat the army in [Region] in order to settle this affair.
 Reward
2. Orb Droplist picks 1
3. Low Prestige Droplist picks 1
4. Army Loot: 15 Pearls

 "...these places exist, and did so long before the Profaners came to defile them. In time of need they will still be places of hope, and power ..."

I believe that we now have the strength to do this. To find the old places where our ancestors and Grayspire lived and prayed. If we can bring our people there, we can reclaim the ancient places that meant so much to us -- and that were such targets of savagery for the Profaners and their war ghouls.
It is possible. It must be possible.
 Summary
 To undo the ancient damage to Mother Auriga we must find and use our ancient powers to heal her. We must bring the people to the places where our knowledge and our power lay so many years ago.
2. Pilgrims report strange activities in a place called [Region]. Find and search the indicated ruins in this Region with an Army that contains at least 1 Settler unit.
3. A trap! The savage war ghouls of the Profaners have been set loose from their crypt. These Scythers are pitiless and powerful; avoid them for X turns!
 Reward
2. Orb Droplist picks 1
3. Army Loot, Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 "...a strong will cannot act alone, it must be aided by strong hands and strong hearts... Even if our lifeblood is the cost, we will not give less than Our Mother gives..."

We must be close to a great discovery -- why else would the Nemesis have disturbed our works? As the greatest weapon of the Profaner, it must be blocking our greatest sources of power. We need to destroy it once and for all, and forge ahead.
To remove the threat, to continue, is a challenge we cannot fail. To stop now would be not only to admit our own failure, but to condemn Mother Auriga to a lingering death. So we will build our hands and our hearts; strengthen our cities and our powers.
 Summary
 The appearance of the Nemesis army shows that we must be close to our goal of uncovering the secrets of the Profaners. It is still out there somewhere; we must prepare our cities for its unholy aggression.
2. Beware, the Nemesis has spawned again! It's now heading to the city of [City]. You must either avoid it for X turns or defeat it.
3. Fight their power with your power. Obtain a minimum of 8 Blessings in the Altar of Auriga screen.
 Reward
2. Army Loot, Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1
3. Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 "...a strong will cannot act alone, it must be aided by strong hands and strong hearts... if our lifeblood is the cost, we will not give less than Our Mother gives..."

A painful yet brilliant victory - and one that confirms our convictions. We must be close to a great discovery -- why else would the Nemesis have disturbed our works? As the greatest weapon of the Profaner, it must be blocking our greatest sources of power. And where there was one, more may follow...
We must be prepared for this threat if we are to continue; to stop now would be not only to admit our own failure, but to condemn Mother Auriga to a lingering death. So we will build our hands and our hearts; strengthen our cities and our powers.
 Summary
 The appearance of the Nemesis army shows that we must be close to our goal of uncovering the secrets of the Profaners. Though we destroyed it once, their foul factories may create more - we must prepare our cities.
2. Fight their power with your power. Obtain a minimum of 8 Blessings in the Altar of Auriga screen.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 "...harvest Her Pearls where they rise... these are the gifts of Auriga to the Allayi, the Chosen, who will save Her from eternal winter..."

The Allayi look to me, and I have no answers. In the arcana of the Winter Tree, the Altar itself, it is indicated that the Pearls we so gleefully harvest are not a gift to the Chosen, but the last dying energies of Mother Auriga. In defiance of the wisdom of the Epistle!
Which is correct? Are they ours to take? Others will if we do not, and She does not reabsorb them if they are left to lie. What are these Pearls? Why do we have them?
I can only answer that these things exist, that they help us, and that even the grimmest sacrifice, if accepted with piety and love, is a blessing.
I hope...
 Summary
 The damage done by the Profaners is so grave that the Pearls of Auriga appear to be Her last drops of blood, not some blessed gift. We must hurry if we are to help Her; obtaining a weapon that will allow us to destroy the Nemesis is a first step...
2. Equip the new item on at least 1 Monk Unit and integrate that Unit into an Army on the map. Then wait until the Nemesis reappears on your territory...
3. The Nemesis is back, within the territories of your empire! For the last time, destroy the Nemesis that is targeting your armies and cities.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1
3. Army Loot, Mad Fairies Droplist picks 1

 I can no longer quote the Epistle. Whatever winter it was, long ages ago, from which Vros Grayspire saved Her, it was not like this Dark Season. I do not have the heart to take up a pen and alter the sacred text, so I put it aside and face the future without it. Without prophecies, without promises, with only the hands and the hearts of the Allayi.
This much, at least, is clear: The Pearls are for us, meant to save us from whatever fate awaits Her. She would save Her children, Her Chosen, from the long winter that comes.
It has happened before -- the Long Sleep, the long Dark Season, and at the end Auriga rises anew. This is the best we can hope for; that we can bring Her to a state where She can sleep the sleep of restoration and flower again.
 Summary
 We have little choice but to fight on, preparing ourselves for the Dark Season that lies ahead. If we cannot save Mother Auriga, we can at least survive so that someone will remember Her.
 Reward

## Morgawr

*Morgawr awoke in a lab without a sense of past. An entity that is a single mind of many bodies, Morgawr has a powerful compulsion to dominate and control the minds of others in order to achieve their ultimate intent. But there are many questions that it would like to answer. Who are I? Where do I come from? What are all these strange, one-minded beings who get in our way? Why are I driven to do what I do, and how will I know that I have succeeded?*

 Morgawr awakens. Darkness.
Moves heads, limbs. Presses out, grabs, crushes, twists. Breaks weakened bars, shatters cracked glass. Morgawr moves.
Freedom. After uncountable years. Flees the structures, the caves, into the water. Dark water. Too cold, too dark. Hides too many enemies. Too many memories.
Freedom!
Morgawr moves in the darkness, finds others. So few.
Rises. Seeks the light. Seeks... Air. Land. Fire. The forge. Walls. Weapons. These are strange images... Memories?
Morgawr remembers the time in prison. Asleep, but aware; the horror of immobility, impotence, imprisonment. Must breathe the air, use fire, build and conquer, spread across the world. Never to be imprisoned again.
Never to let a power survive that could imprison. Never to be the weaker.
 Summary
 The Morgawr have awakened and destroyed the places that held them prisoner. To continue their war for freedom, they need stronger cities and better armies.
 Reward

 Morgawr is not in chains, but is not free. Free means unchallenged. Free means unthreatened.
Freedom costs. Must grow, be stronger, be crueler. Freedom is having no equals. Having no threats.
The fortresses threaten. Built by the jailers, smelling of the jailers. Run by the jailers’ beasts. Fortresses must be taken, controlled, conquered, mastered. Fortresses can never be trusted.
Start there. Make the fortresses grovel. Never trust the fortresses, the smell of the jailers. What other creations of the jailers might be lurking within them?
Morgawr rises from the waters. Spies the fortresses. Opens the doors, climbs the walls. Silent, merciless, cold, relentless.
Sees the terror in the eyes of the jailers’ beasts.
 Summary
 The Morgawr must find peace their own way - by dominating others, not by trusting them. The first step is to increase the armies and give the Morgawr a good capability to attack. Next, fortresses must be taken. Weakness cannot be tolerated.
2. Capture the localized fortress in [Ocean] or [Ocean].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, Picks 1

 Morgawr has a city, many minds, food, shelter. But feels the gnawing of fear, the hatred that lies outside.
The Jailors’ remnants are everywhere in the sea and on the land; the Jailors’ dupes and tools like those in the fortresses that remain on the oceans.
Morgawr looks down, sees the darkness it came from, feels fear. Things lurk down there - remnants of prisons and hatred and memories of terror. But Morgawr must face fear to be free of fear. Will dive, hunt, find answers.
 Summary
 Learn to control an oceanic region; the great watery world should belong to you. Seek the treasures, and face the fears of the deeps by exploring Ruins.
2. Search all the Ruins in the ocean [Ocean] and its neighbor [Ocean].
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 *Prerequisites: Must have Catspaw trait*
Morgawr rest, and think. Air, food, water, shelter - these exist. But still too few Morgawr. Too many others.
Was hunted once; will be hunted again. Must happen, because history is a circle. But circles, like chains, can be broken. Even shattered.
No peace, no security, until Auriga is one people under one mind. Morgawr mind is a strong mind, but scarred by ages of confinement. Must be tested, developed, honed.
 Summary
 The Morgawr must secure land regions as well as the seas. Apply the great mind of Morgawr to the simple minds that live on the land. Use Morgawr abilities to take control of a Minor Faction army and use them as your pawns.
2. Some [Empire] troops have decided to stop the threat that your expansion represents. Defeat this army coming for you from [Region]!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 *Prerequisites: Must have Dissent trait, but not Catspaw*
Morgawr rest, and think. Air, food, water, shelter - these exist. But still too few Morgawr. Too many others.
Was hunted once; will be hunted again. Must happen, because history is a circle. But circles, like chains, can be broken. Even shattered.
No peace, no security, until Auriga is one people under one mind. Morgawr mind is a strong mind, but scarred by ages of confinement. Must be tested, developed, honed.
 Summary
 Dominate the simple minds that live on the land. If not, they will always be a threat. Use Morgawr abilities to wrest control of a Minor Faction from the Major Faction that pacified it.
2. Some [Empire] troops have decided to stop the threat that your expansion represents. Defeat this army coming for you from [region]!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 *Prerequisites: Must have neither Dissident nor Catspaw traits*
Morgawr rest, and think. Air, food, water, shelter - these exist. But still too few Morgawr. Too many others.
Was hunted once; will be hunted again. Must happen, because history is a circle. But circles, like chains, can be broken. Even shattered.
No peace, no security, until Auriga is one people under one mind. Morgawr mind is a strong mind, but scarred by ages of confinement. Must be tested, developed, honed.
 Summary
 Morgawr must learn to dominate the simple minds that live on the land. If not, they will always be a threat. Build up armies using other people's - to grow your strength, and to confuse those who would harm you.
2. Some [Empire] troops have decided to stop the threat that your expansion represents. Defeat this army coming for you from [region]!
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Morgawr feels something. It is out there. Limiting, controlling, defining. Keeping Morgawr mind under control, keeping it feeble. Free-but-chained.
The thing is an old thing, a thing of the Jailers. An evil thing. A thing that must be discovered, thwarted, destroyed before it can hobble the Morgawr mind.
Rage! Hatred! Old evils still exist, still haunt, still try to dominate.
No. Calm. Controlled. Thinking. Only Morgawr will dominate. Must learn of Jailers - their magic, tools, machines. Grow stronger. Grow smarter.
 Summary
 The Morgawr are being controlled or limited by a force that their collective mind can feel. It must, of course, be destroyed. But to discover it, and learn how to destroy it, will take wealth and technology.
2. Make sure you have at least X Luxury Resource facilities within your empire.
 Reward
2. Dust-Mind Decoupling

 Morgawr feels something. It is out there. Limiting, controlling, defining. Keeping Morgawr mind under control, keeping it feeble. Free-but-chained.
The thing is an old thing, a thing of the Jailers. An evil thing. A thing that must be discovered, thwarted, destroyed before it can hobble the Morgawr mind.
Rage! Hatred! Old evils still exist, still haunt, still try to dominate.
No. Calm. Controlled. Thinking. Only Morgawr will dominate. Must learn of Jailers - their magic, tools, machines. Grow stronger. Grow smarter.
 Summary
 The Morgawr are being controlled or limited by a force that their collective mind can feel. It must, of course, be destroyed. But to discover it, and learn how to destroy it, will take wisdom and technology.
2. Make sure you have at least X Strategic Resource Facilities within your empire.
 Reward
2. Dust-Mind Decoupling

 Morgawr gloats. Power grows, domination grows. Reckoning will come... but not yet. More work to do. More enemies to whittle down.
Some species are lesser and no threat. Other species will try to take Morgawr freedom, return Morgawr to chains. Those must be destroyed.
Morgawr needs better tools to fight others.
Strong tools that will protect freedom, destroy enemies. Living tools, that can listen, take orders, fight.
 Summary
 The Morgawr ascent continues. They search for pliable, living tools that will do their bidding - for as long as the tool survives. There is a power the Morgawr call “Totems” that they can use to dominate, enslave, and burn the life out of other creatures. Now is the time to use it.
2. Defeat 2 enemy Armies with armies exclusively composed of Units cursed by a Totem accessory. Reinforcing friendly armies don't count.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Morgawr is satisfied. But never content. Morgawr knows that any opposing force is a risk; any empire a jailor.
Morgawr schemes. Mind - body - Dust. These things are linked. Interdependent. Can be manipulated. If strong enough, can interchange them.
Body becomes Dust, mind becomes... mine. Others are gullible. Others will do Morgawr work. Will be glad to gain Dust for killing Morgawr enemies. Others are easy to control.
 Summary
 The Morgawr are moving forward to their ultimate goal: Total freedom from any threat or risk. One major obstacle that remains are other empires, for as long as they exist they could thwart the Morgawr's plans. What is freedom as long as some form of opposing power exists?
2. Maintain a Black Spot against [Empire] for X turns, or make sure it is destroyed.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 Morgawr exults. Others are weak, without purpose; kill each other for Dust. Little minds thinking little thoughts. No vision. No intent.
Only Morgawr sees world as one world, people as one mind. Only Morgawr can use one great mind to control many small ones. Only Morgawr will prevail. See last step to freedom, last chain to break. Last vestige of evil tools of the Jailers.
Jailers feared Morgawr great intent, Morgawr mind. Jailers were not stupid. Jailers created Dampening Wave; an engine driven by tides and currents to suppress Morgawr thoughts, limit Morgawr movements.
Fortresses and Jailers’ beasts are all part of Dampening Wave. Must control them, breach them, make the engines turn through seasons and pry out their secrets with Dust.
Freedom will be expensive, painful, long. But there is no other goal. There is no other reason to exist.
 Summary
 The Morgawr face their final task in their search for ultimate freedom: breaking the seal created by the Endless Jailers that limits their evolution. By maintaining control over certain Fortresses and amassing enough Dust, the works of the “Jailers” can be broken, and the Morgawr become truly free.
2. At a season change, and while keeping the control over the two Regions [Ocean] and [Ocean], make sure you have at least X Dust.
 Reward
2. No More Ties, Temple of the Earth's Core

## Kapaku

*After the destruction of their homeworld by the machines - terraforming robots of the Virtual Endless - the Concrete endless brought the Kapaku, to Auriga, promising them a world that they could transform into another fiery Eden. When the Kapaku discover Auriga is not the empty world their saviors led them to believe, Custodian Aktyl begins to wonder what secrets this new world holds...*

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
Ash buries all, in time. But still we mark the pages and pass down the stories before the all-consuming fire comes.
Auriga frightens. Vast sparkling blue oceans, crisp green plains, snowy wildernesses - a sickening panorama, not unlike the hellscape the machines made of our world.
Twelve-and-five fire-births we have witnessed, cowering and huddling in the shadow of the Endless' great vessel that carried us to this world. Why they saved us I know not. Time untold we slumbered in their cold crypts, held in dreamless sleeps by strange machines beyond our understanding. Too long, I fear.
If Overseer Elohys knows more of this world, it doesn't say. For all it's done for the Kapaku, the thing unsettles me: ancient living brain entombed in a walking coffin, at once magnificent and macabre. I often spy it in kindled conference with Custodian Tua, but she never shares of what they speak. More qualms... Her name would be last on my lips as one to succumb to fanaticism: her mind a grindstone, pragmatic and tenacious - But I confess, the burning reverence for the Endless that has sparked among my kin disturbs me.
Yes, they saved us. But as we Kapaku say: only the flame gives its warmth freely. For now, I must put these doubts aside. The time has come to strike out from our savior's cradle.
We will tame Auriga. One day basalt plains will stretch as far as the eye can see, great volcanoes will loom from the cracked earth, and the sickening blue of its seas will have turned to the chromed yellow and green I still remember.
It is our right - the Endless have promised us, and given us the tools to make it so.
 Summary
 Our long journey beneath the stars is over. Now it is time to begin transforming Auriga into a fiery paradise. First though, we will need materials to power the Endless' terraformation machines...
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
Ash buries all, in time. But still we mark the pages and pass down the stories before the all-consuming fire comes.
Auriga frightens. Vast sparkling blue oceans, crisp green plains, snowy wildernesses - a sickening panorama, not unlike the hellscape the machines made of our world.
Twelve-and-five fire-births we have witnessed, cowering and huddling in the shadow of the Endless' great vessel that carried us to this world. Why they saved us I know not. Time untold we slumbered in their cold crypts, held in dreamless sleeps by strange machines beyond our understanding. Too long, I fear.
Upon our arrival, we discovered several intelligent life forms on the planet. It seems Auriga is not the clean slate the Concrete made it out to be... Overseer Elohys claims to be as shocked as we are, for what that's worth. For all it's done for the Kapaku, the thing unsettles me: ancient living brain entombed in a walking coffin, at once magnificent and macabre. I often spy it in kindled conference with Custodian Tua, but she never shares of what they speak. More qualms... Her name would be last on my lips as one to succumb to fanaticism: her mind a grindstone, pragmatic and tenacious - But I confess, the burning reverence for the Endless that has sparked among my kin disturbs me.
Yes, they saved us. But as we Kapaku say: only the flame gives its warmth freely. For now, I must put these doubts aside. The time has come to strike out from our savior's cradle.
We will make Auriga our home, even if others already claim it! Descending in the Endless' great vessel, we spied nomadic trails, scattered hamlets, even bustling metropolises. We will start with the villages in whose midst we find ourselves...
 Summary
 Our long journey beneath the stars is over. But Auriga is not the empty world the Endless promised us. Otherskins stalk the land, some more civilized, others less so. We must start with the weaker ones...
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
The night terrors assail me every eve.
Half-truth, half-fantasy, they are born from my memories of the last days on our old world. Wave upon wave of killer machines moving ever closer to our last remaining settlements, crashing against our Golem defenders whose numbers dwindle every day. Beyond them I see that our beautiful world is already gone - sturdy grasses covering what was once lava plains, volcanoes smouldering into dormancy, the air disgustingly clear. And then our Endless saviors arrive, smashing the machine menace, but when Overseer Elohys reaches me he offers not a hand, but a fist.
I always wake at that moment, stone cold.
Auriga is not the empty world we were led to believe. Our scouts have unearthed more ancient mechanisms. We hoped they might be the trinkets of long dead races, perhaps the lost artefacts of Otherskins who crashed onto the world aeons ago, but when a Kapaku expedition came face-to-face with living, breathing Otherskins that dream died. I watched Custodian Tua carefully as the truth was announced at the Magma Council meeting... She knows more than she lets on.
Overseer Elohys plays down the Otherskins' presence. "Evolution is tenacious", it pronounces. "Life finds a way".
The Endless insists it didn't know that Auriga was inhabited, and that nothing has changed by the fact.
"The world is still yours to make in your own image. You have our blessing. And our tools."
A solemnity has fallen over the Kapaku. There are stirrings of a schism. Some whisper that we must learn more of these Otherskins before we act further, while others murmur that our volcanoforming efforts should be redoubled at once.
There is but one thing agreed by all: We must be prepared. Now is not the time for ideological disputes.
 Summary
 We learn that Otherskins walk this land. Our priority must be defense.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
The night terrors assail me every eve.
Half-truth, half-fantasy, they are born from my memories of the last days on our old world. Wave upon wave of killer machines moving ever closer to our last remaining settlements, crashing against our Golem defenders whose numbers dwindle every day. Beyond them I see that our beautiful world is already gone - sturdy grasses covering what was once lava plains, volcanoes smouldering into dormancy, the air disgustingly clear. And then our Endless saviors arrive, smashing the machine menace, but when Overseer Elohys reaches me he offers not a hand, but a fist.
I always wake at that moment, stone cold.
Auriga is not only settled with crude Otherskins. Our scouts have unearthed more ancient mechanisms - intricate, complex devices that couldn't have been fashioned by any of the races we have come across. Even our best tinkers are bewildered by the intricacy of the craftsmanship. There can be only one conclusion: a great civilization once occupied this world. I watched Custodian Tua carefully as the truth was announced at the Magma Council meeting... She knows more than she lets on.
Overseer Elohys claims ignorance and plays down the implications. "The galaxy is ancient", it says.
"Who knows what races spread across the stars in past eras? Today they are gone, and only primitive tribes remain. Auriga is still yours to make in your own image. You have our blessing."
A solemnity has fallen over the Kapaku. There are stirrings of a schism. Some whisper that we must learn more of these Otherskins before we act further, while others murmur that we must strike while we still have the advantage of surprise.
There is but one thing agreed by all: We must be prepared. Now is not the time for ideological disputes.
 Summary
 Otherskins stalk this world, growing bolder with every passing day. Our aura of mystery, perhaps even invincibility, dwindles as their memories of the descending star vessel fades. We must assert our authority over the more pliable ones.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
We are united in our survival, but the faultlines in our society grow. After leading a geological expedition, Overseer Elohys returned only to be ambushed by an angry crowd. They jostled the Endless, accusing it of deceiving the Kapaku and demanding it admit the truth of why its people sent us to Auriga. I know not what truth they imagined, but their accusations found sympathy among many passers-by. Open riot seemed imminent until cooler heads prevailed.
Privately, my mind too worries over these ideas... Are we being turned into tools, here to destroy an ancient enemy of the Endless? Are we part of a cruel entertainment or experiment? Or are we, as Elohys maintains, simply unlucky to find Auriga inhabited?
Custodian Tua stands fast by the latter. Even more than the High Priest of the Temple of the Saviors, she is the one who has become the figurehead of the Endless' defenders. "The Endless saved us from the machines!" she rails. "Do we so easily forget? Overseer Elohys has forsaken its people, its home, its very physical form, so that we may benefit from its wisdom and survive this harsh world! Remember, we Kapaku are certainly fallible."
She still burns from the Magma Council's refusal to address the machine incursion early enough. To our great shame - to my great shame - most of us thought them innocent visitors. And who paid the greatest price for that willful ignorance? The Haku Clan. Tua's clan.
So, we find ourselves split at either side of a fissure that runs deeper every day.
The Doubters and the Defenders.
I don't know who to believe. All I know is that there is no going back from Auriga. In spite of its harsh wildernesses, hostile races, and strange climes, it is now our home.
With our forces strong, the time has come to thoroughly survey this land.
 Summary
 Is Overseer Elohys here for us or the Endless? Auriga's ruins may hold the truth.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
The Kapaku stand at a great crossroads.
The history of this world remains shrouded in smoke, but it cannot be disputed that Auriga seethes with intelligent life. Myriad races occupy the planet. From windswept deserts to snow-covered peaks, from shadowy forests to deep caverns, even in the clear, terrifying seas: The Kapaku have found creatures that are much more than simple beasts. Understanding is difficult, but we cannot deny the truth. They are civilized. They are like us.
Except for one vital difference. More like a gulf, in truth.
Where we suffer and struggle in Auriga's hellish landscapes, they flourish.
And that's the great dilemma that threatens to tear us apart: Do we attempt to claim the entire world, as we originally intended, and consign them to death? Or do we try to fashion some equilibrium with these races so all may survive? The Doubters say turning Auriga into a world of rock and lava would make us no better than the machines, while the Defenders chide that we have no time for sentimentality. In their eyes, to think we can share this world is the deadliest naiveté. Overseer Elohys and Custodian Tua share the latter opinion, of course.
They are not always in harmony, however. Yesterday, I spied them in furious argument, the Endless a trembling volcano of suppressed rage, while Tua spat gobs of incandescent fire. Elohys stonewalled me when I later asked the nature of their feud, while Tua answered with barefaced lies. She told me their quarrel concerned only tactics, and in the larger strategy of conquering Auriga they were united.
I don't know which path we should take. All I know is that there are secrets to uncover. The Endless have a past here, I am certain of it.
 Summary
 Deep divisions risk spilling into civil war over the rights of Auriga's other races. I must learn why the Endless sent us here - fast.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
What is this world that the Endless have delivered us to?
We had expected seasons - even on a world of rock and lava we measured our lives against the shifting weather. Ash blizzards through the depths of winter, lava storms at the height of summer. We marked events and celebrations by these shifts, not least among them the annual meeting of the Magma Council when summer's meteors burn on the night sky.
Auriga though? Auriga's seasons are deranged. Yes, there are summers and winters here, but they are chaotic: Their arrival and length no more predictable than Overseer Elohys' moods. The long nights of twilight unsettle us too, when the world becomes cloaked in darkness and the Dust sparkles and shimmers. We know it is bound to the movement of the planet's moons, and we can even anticipate its arrival for the Endless have taught us this much, but its mechanism is frustratingly opaque.
But I'm merely dancing around the worst issue:
Auriga's winters are growing longer.
Every season the winters grow worse, the winds more biting, the snows deeper. Each time the thaws come later and later. A growing fear spreads like a disease among the Kapaku: We fear one day Auriga will become nothing more than an icy crypt for all its denizens, all our misadventures frozen for time immemorial in its snowy wastes.
Did the Endless send us to a doomed world?
And if so, for what reason?
I dare not ask Overseer Elohys bluntly, for fear of arousing its rage. But the question remains, a burning coal in my mind during the long nights. Perhaps Auriga is experiencing some growing cataclysm, it suggests. All the more reason to fight harder.
Elohys' patience with us wears thinner by the day. It spends more and more time secluded with Custodian Tua, plotting. I will send my champion into the political fray, and pray she can use all her wits to uncover the truth.
 Summary
 Auriga's winters grow harsher with every passing season. Is the planet condemned to an icy death? We must find answers, but first Haukea Wai must discover what Custodian Tua and Overseer Elohys are plotting.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
Some sights you can never forget. They sear into your mind, and you will carry them with you till your flame burns out.
We reached the entrance tunnel to the underground site as night fell. Haukea emerged from the shadows, eyes scanning the horizon beyond us. It must've only been a matter of moons since I'd last seen her, but in her eyes I could see someone who'd aged half-a-lifetime.
"Thank the Fires", she managed. "You must be exhausted - and famished. Rest tonight and we can -"
"We go now."
She nodded, then snapped her fingers to call over her mount.
We descended in silence, deep into the earth. The air grew hotter and murkier - enough so that I could remove my breathing mask - but it was a small comfort against my trepidation. The passage sides gradually smoothed from natural formations to artificial walls, and I gasped when I first spied the familiar symbols of the Endless, their carvings half-eroded by time. Strange dead shells littered the ground, like the sloughed exoskeletons of giant insects. We passed a couple of crumpled suits, the fabric frayed, alien bones poking through the rips.
Then we entered the facility proper. I still shudder at the recollection. Preservation stacks filled with corpses, each displaying different variations of fatal burns. Cylindrical fluid chambers where blind, crab-like tentacled menaces still twitched in time with our footfalls. Flickering screens documenting the terrifying evolution of a fungal phage on different host species. Every chamber greeted us with fresh horrors.
"What is this place?" I stuttered.
"We believe it's an Endless military lab. They must've been researching every conceivable means of mass killing."
I was left speechless. The horror was too much to take in.
"We have uncovered another two facilities since I sent for you. Even more in the weeks prior. All deserted."
Everything suddenly fell into place. Auriga, the whole planet, must've been an Endless research station. A secret world of horrors until some calamity had befallen it, forcing the Endless to abandon it. Evidently, the world had healed in the time since, and the survivors had emerged from their hideaways to reclaim the surface.
And in the Kapaku, the Endless had found a race capable of erasing their great shame - completely. We were their hapless cleaners, and our survival mattered not a jot.
It was then I knew we must find Custodian Tua.
 Summary
 With its horrifying, experimental labs, Auriga became the Endless' great shame. Overseer Elohys thought it could use the Kapaku to destroy the evidence, no doubt using Custodian Tua as an orchestrator. Why had she helped though? We need to find her.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
Custodian Tua was brought before the Magma Council this morning, heavy chains rattling on the stone floor.
To my surprise, she had known of the Endless' history on Auriga before we even set eyes on the world.
"Before I went into cryosleep," she said, "Overseer Elohys told me that if the Kapaku were to survive on Auriga, I had to do everything in my power to help it destroy certain sites with the volcanoforming machines. It threatened to kill us all if I ever spoke of this plan. I think it chose me because my clan came so close to annihilation; it knew I wouldn't hesitate. Everything I did, I did for the Kapaku."
While the Council remained in stunned silence, the news of the Endless' deeds spread through the city like wildfire.
If Overseer Elohys is true to its word, this knowledge will doom us. Or perhaps it was lying to Custodian Tua, empty threats to keep its pawn in check. In either case, the revelation of the Endless' deception has united the Kapaku.
The Temple of Our Saviors has been ransacked, set to torch. None would defend the Endless now. The Kapaku are nobody's tool, nor will we be the excecutioners of the Otherskins from Auriga.
No doubt many of those races evolved from the Endless' twisted experiments. This world is their birthright, bought and paid for with the same sufffering and loss that we have endured on our own world.
If we are to have a future we will have to find a common path - and hope to weather out winter together.
First though, a more pressing matter burns. A thorough examination of Overseer Elohys' quarters has revealed the Endless' true plan: To see Auriga cleansed in a single wave of lava, using our volcanoformation machines to precipitate volcanic eruptions from pole to pole.
The Endless' reprehensible past will be lost, along with all life on the planet. Even we Kapaku won't survive it.
 Summary
 Overseer Elohys is attempting to trigger a chain reaction of volcanic eruptions that will see Auriga become one unending lake of lava. It must be stopped.
 Reward

 From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
The memory of the Endless' deceit is still a raw and painful one in our collective psyche. The wounds will be a long time healing. We trusted the Endless, thought them our saviours, but they saw us as nothing more than an instrument of erasure.
Why did Overseer Elohys take such personal interest in the Scouring of Auriga? That remains a matter of broad speculation. Custodian Tua wasn't wrong when she said the Endless had made great sacrifices to join us here.
Some think it might've been one of the Endless who oversaw Auriga during its days as a world of horrors. Others that it was the scientist personally responsible for birthing the terrifying Necrophages. Others still, think perhaps it was just an ordinary Endless... A citizen riven with patriotic fervor, who couldn't abide any tarnishing of the Endless' reputation on the galactic stage.
We may never know.
The winters are growing longer and harsher. We will claim enough of Auriga to give ourselves a chance of survival, but I am not convinced this great freeze can be arrested.
Every moon we hear whispers of the Otherskins' plans for survival - escape, slumber, descent - and their ideas fuel our own geomancers' imaginations.
So we hope, and we keep the fires kindled.
Whatever happens, we can ensure Auriga's past is not lost. We will never destroy - or subvert - history. Not our own, nor anyone else's.
Expeditions to the Endless' labs are being mounted, and the grim spectacles locked therein studied, deconstructed, and chronicled. We are tinkerers, after all. This is our great strength. We will build a great monument-archive for Auriga's story to last through the ages.
 Summary
 The Endless' shameful past on Auriga must not be lost. First though, we need to carve out our own realm on this world, and ready ourselves for the longest winter.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: Must be playing custom Kapaku faction without the Volcanoforming trait*
From the Journal of Custodian Aktyl
The memory of the Endless' deceit is still a raw and painful one in our collective psyche. The wounds will be a long time healing. We trusted the Endless, thought them our saviours, but they saw us as nothing more than an instrument of erasure.
Why did Overseer Elohys take such personal interest in the Scouring of Auriga? That remains a matter of broad speculation. Custodian Tua wasn't wrong when she said the Endless had made great sacrifices to join us here.
Some think it might've been one of the Endless who oversaw Auriga during its days as a world of horrors. Others that it was the scientist personally responsible for birthing the terrifying Necrophages. Others still, think perhaps it was just an ordinary Endless... A citizen riven with patriotic fervor, who couldn't abide any tarnishing of the Endless' reputation on the galactic stage.
We may never know.
The winters are growing longer and harsher. We will claim enough of Auriga to give ourselves a chance of survival, but I am not convinced this great freeze can be arrested.
Every moon we hear whispers of the Otherskins' plans for survival - escape, slumber, descent - and their ideas fuel our own geomancers' imaginations.
So we hope, and we keep the fires kindled.
Whatever happens, we can ensure Auriga's past is not lost. We will never destroy - or subvert - history. Not our own, nor anyone else's.
Expeditions to the Endless' labs are being mounted, and the grim spectacles locked therein studied, deconstructed, and chronicled. We are tinkerers, after all.
This is our great strength.
We will build a great monument-archive for Auriga's story to last through the ages.
 Summary
 The Endless' shameful past on Auriga must not be lost. First though, we need to carve out our own realm on this world, and ready ourselves for the longest winter.
 Reward

## Mykara

*A Vaulter leader, saved by the Mykara after the slaughter of her people, slowly comes to terms with her new existence - and the strange symbiosis between the Mykara and the Urkans.*

 The ozonic stench of the Mages' lightning attacks fills my nostrils, mingles with the smell of burning flesh. I stumble down a narrow passage, the dim phosphorescent light from the mycelial veins causing my shadow to flicker across the craggy stone. The rock shakes. I hear the deep-throated roar of the Urkan, and my skin crawls with terror. I'm gripping a weapon, a mighty axe, but it feels like deadweight in my hands. Am I rallying my men or running from the enemy? The passage opens into another tableau of slaughter, my kinsmen dying or dead on the cold stone, their blood sprayed in crimson arcs or pooled in dark puddles. I stop dead.
You cannot linger. You are Toth Ágnes. You are the First of the Bloodline. Others need you. Empty words. This is a slaughter. I know there are no others. I've brought death upon these people who followed me away from the homevaults.----------Memory and reality are hard to distinguish. I slumber, drifting between the past and present. The battle is over, of that I'm certain. I survived, somehow. In the here and now I feel renewal, regrowth, and a desire to reach into new places. I am confused. I slip back into my recollections, the familiarity outweighting the distress...----------Something grips my ankle, and my body tenses, fingers gripping the shaft of the axe. It's only a dying kinsman though. To my shame, I don't know his name. A handful of words spill from his lips, whispered and ragged.
"Avenge us."
 Summary
 Everything is hazy in the aftermath of the Mages' massacre, but I survived. Now I must recover my strength. Now I must prepare for vengeance.
 Reward

 Today I awoke and discovered the horrifying truth. I am Mykara, and the Mykara is me. We are one, a symbiosis of flesh and filaments, memories and myths. In the cold light of day, I can now clearly remember how I survived.
The Mykara had fascinated me for a long time, when I led those who would join me away from the homevaults. It was an anicent fungal species, mycelial tendrils and mushroom fruit, no sign of what it would one day become. Growing largely in the suberranean realm, it was unseen by most, and overlooked by the rest. But I saw its potential. Sinewy, resilient, vigorous, I knew it could transform a Vaulter settlement. And it did. Crops, waste, defense. It was a wonder material. It even began to shed light on the legendary Urkan beasts, who reputedly emerged from the Aurigan crust every few centuries, before slipping back into folkloric tales...sadly one of those same beasts came under the spell of our anicent enemy, the Mages, who used it to find and then destroy us...
As my kinsman died in my arms, as I basked in my feelings of vengeance, a desperate idea came to me. The Mykara had brought me to this juncture, and the Mykara would grant me my revenge. After all, in my heart, I'd always been convinced it was much more than a mere, mindless organism. I scrambled deeper and deeper into the earth, far into the inky darkness of the thickest mycelial forest, where thick tendrils vied with web-like skeins. Unable to move any further, I lay on a bed of filaments, and curled myself into a ball. It swiftly ensnared me, a cocoon of protection wrapped around a heart of malice...
Now we are one. It acts, I act, we act. Sometimes it almost feels like I'm doing things against my will. It is terrifying, but I will grow used to it, even perhaps enjoy it.
 Summary
 My new existence - a union of Mykara and Vaulter - is an unsettling one, but one that gives me power. Before I begin my quest for vengeance, I must interrogate those nearby to learn if others of my vault survived.
 Reward

 I feel myself, my identity, slipping deeper into the Mykara's collective consciousness. It is a soothing, liberating, mind-expanding feeling, as my attention expands across the world and deeper into the past. But it is also a betrayal. I swore I would have vengeance, and I will not break that promise. I must not forget.
As the Mykara has changed me, so I have changed the Mykara. Out of my form, perhaps out of my very cells, it grows workers, builders, soldiers.
Some will be my instruments for my purposes. I will send an army back to our devastated home, and find the Mages' trail.
The site of our old vault--and the massacre--is hazy to me, but I must find it. During my slumber the Mykara moved me, and the geography of the world feels unfamiliar. It is hardly surprising that a Vaulter struggles to recognise the landscape; we've always been happier in the subterranean realm, more attuned to the vagaries of stone, the smell of the depths, and the shades of darkness that you learn from living underground.
 Summary
 The only way to pick up the trail of the Mages is to revisit the site of the massacre, the place I once named home. My armies will need to search among a few candidate sites.
 Reward

 Calm, the Mykara whispers, but I am anything but calm. The growing symbiosis, the melding of my self into the Mykara collective, has been arrested as I find myself shaken to the very core. Did the Mykara save me or imprison me?
As my soldiers explored the ancient scene of the massacre, relaying their impressions through the mycelial web that stretches across Auriga, it was the small details that first alerted me to something being amiss. Flooded corridors and stagnant pools of water, lichen overgrowths and collapsed caverns, rusted machinery and scattered bones. Ironically, it wasn't until they came to the chamber of the great orrery, that the truth became impossible to deny. Despite the decay all around, the celestial mechanism had carried on working flawlessly, a testament to Vaulter engineering.
Auriga had circled its sun 284 times since the Mages' attack.
The Urkan beast commanded by the Mages would've returned to the depths. The Mage who was the architect of the slaughter would've died long ago. The same for their offspring. And their offspring's offspring, and onwards for who knows how many generations...
In that thought though, I found a tiny, devious, shard of hope. The Mages were a proud people, enraptured by their heritage, traditions--and history. A clan who committed such a famous victory--with an Urkan, no less!--would likely survive, even prosper, through the ages. The clan would be celebrated. Songs would be sung in their honor.
They wouldn't be hard to find. And so it was.
We will not have our revenge on those who committed the massacre. We will have our revenge on their descendants. They will pay for the sins of the ancestors, and they will have a new song to sing. Is there anything sweeter?
I war with the Mykara, but I still must avenge the Vaulter dead.
 Summary
 We cannot hurt those who committed the genocide, lost as they are to the river of time, but we can hurt their descendants.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: At least one Urkan has appeared.*
I still feel the Mykara's disapproval, but I also feel their acceptance. Every day our union grows stronger. My thoughts entangle with the collective's, such that I'm sometimes unsure where my mind ends and the Mykara's begins. Calmed, I follow threads of meditations deeper and deeper into the distant past. I witness that the Mykara and the Urkans have clashed many times over the ages. The cycle is always the same. The Urkans emerge from the heart of Auriga and wander the land, wreaking havoc on the fledgling cultures they encounter. Before they can strike a terminal blow though, the Mykara rise up from the depths and pacify the beasts.
For time immemorial, the Mykara have been the Urkans' keepers. And now the Urkans rise again, the Mykara rise likewise.
I wonder how many souls like myself have been merged into the collective over the millennia? Within the collective's memories I find no impression of such spirits--either I haven't reached deep enough into the Mykara's recollections, or the psyches of these individuals has blended so intimately that they've become untraceable. Will this be my fate too?
 Summary
 With the Urkans return imminent, it is time to work in harmony with the Mykara. Even if it weakens us, we must study the ancient tome and be ready for the great beasts.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: No Urkans have appeared.*
I still feel the Mykara's disapproval, but I also feel their acceptance. Every day our union grows stronger. My thoughts entangle with the collective's, such that I'm sometimes unsure where my mind ends and the Mykara's begins. Calmed, I follow threads of meditations deeper and deeper into the distant past. I witness that the Mykara and the Urkans have clashed many times over the ages. The cycle is always the same. The Urkans emerge from the heart of Auriga and wander the land, wreaking havoc on the fledgling cultures they encounter. Before they can strike a terminal blow though, the Mykara rise up from the depths and pacify the beasts.
For time immemorial, the Mykara have been the Urkans' keepers. And now the Urkans rise again, the Mykara rise likewise.
I wonder how many souls like myself have been merged into the collective over the millennia? Within the collective's memories I find no impression of such spirits--either I haven't reached deep enough into the Mykara's recollections, or the psyches of these individuals has blended so intimately that they've become untraceable. Will this be my fate too?
 Summary
 With the Urkans returned, it is time to work in harmony with the Mykara. Even if it weakens us, we must study the ancient tome and gain dominance over the great beasts.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: At least one Urkan has appeared.*
Deep in my slumber, away from my corporeal perceptions, I hear them. A faint babble, not unlike the gentle susurration of waves on the shore. Listen more carefully though, and the murmur becomes more like a chorus of lullabies. They are the voices of children of Auriga, long assimilated into the Mykaran collective, and I am simply the most recent of their number. The youngest sibling.
I know not their names, and even though their bodily forms have no doubt enmeshed into the mycelial fabric to such a degree that identification would be impossible without instruments of science, I can feel their heritage. Among the refrain I detect a Drakken, Wild Walker, Sister of Mercy, Necrophage, even a Morgawr. No doubt there are others I cannot yet discern. I imagine they are in communion--conversing, pleading, persuading--a combined influence on the intentions of the Mykara who harbors them all.
They carry the history of their people, the history of Auriga.
 Summary
 We must strengthen the Urkans we control and defeat the armies of lice that threaten the Mykara's survival. Only this way will the past be preserved.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: No Urkans have appeared.*
Deep in my slumber, away from my corporeal perceptions, I hear them. A faint babble, not unlike the gentle susurration of waves on the shore. Listen more carefully though, and the murmur becomes more like a chorus of lullabies. They are the voices of children of Auriga, long assimilated into the Mykaran collective, and I am simply the most recent of their number. The youngest sibling.
I know not their names, and even though their bodily forms have no doubt enmeshed into the mycelial fabric to such a degree that identification would be impossible without instruments of science, I can feel their heritage. Among the refrain I detect a Drakken, Wild Walker, Sister of Mercy, Necrophage, even a Morgawr. No doubt there are others I cannot yet discern. I imagine they are in communion--conversing, pleading, persuading--a combined influence on the intentions of the Mykara who harbors them all.
They carry the history of their people, the history of Auriga.
 Summary
 The Urkans are not abroad yet, even though their lice roam. We must bait them to the surface, and ensure they become ours. Only this way will the past be preserved.
 Reward

 In the long silences I begin to discern the voices of the others more clearly. They are singing, a rich tapestry of music composed of many threads, each telling a piece of Auriga's history. In my mind's eye I see glittering cities of chrome and glass lancing up to the heavens, citadel-like eyries on snowy peaks, a band of hunched survivors trekking a devastated wasteland, each a remembrance from the Mykaran collective. I feel the stream of visions is a conversation, but I still lack the insight to follow the nuances, and the images come to me unexpectedly, jumping between long-separated eras like the attentions of a capricious god.
I don't think those that were once Wild Walker or Morgawr or Endless or whoever retain much sense of their own identity, and I feel the same thing happening to myself. The deeper I dive into the Mykaran collective--the more closely I can follow the symphony--the further I feel from my old self. I was a...Vaulter. Yes, a Vaulter leader. Something terrible happened to my people, but I forget the reasons, and only remember the fear and terror. It doesn't matter. It's over now. I'm sure the collective remembers, anyway.
 Summary
 I am Mykara. Mykara is me. Like the others who've come before, I must help preserve the story of Auriga. We must ingest a city.
 Reward

 *Prerequisite: Must be playing a custom Mykara faction without the Overgrown Cities trait*
In the long silences I begin to discern the voices of the others more clearly. They are singing, a rich tapestry of music composed of many threads, each telling a piece of Auriga's history. In my mind's eye I see glittering cities of chrome and glass lancing up to the heavens, citadel-like eyries on snowy peaks, a band of hunched survivors trekking a devastated wasteland, each a remembrance from the Mykaran collective. I feel the stream of visions is a conversation, but I still lack the insight to follow the nuances, and the images come to me unexpectedly, jumping between long-separated eras like the attentions of a capricious god.
I don't think those that were once Wild Walker or Morgawr or Endless or whoever retain much sense of their own identity, and I feel the same thing happening to myself. The deeper I dive into the Mykaran collective--the more closely I can follow the symphony--the further I feel from my old self. I was a...Vaulter. Yes, a Vaulter leader. Something terrible happened to my people, but I forget the reasons, and only remember the fear and terror. It doesn't matter. It's over now. I'm sure the collective remembers, anyway.
 Summary
 I am Mykara. Mykara is me. Like the others who've come before, I must help preserve the story of Auriga. We must reach out further.
 Reward

 The endless winter comes, creating an icy tomb out of an entire world. Snows will lie a hundred hands deep. Oceans will freeze. Life will cease.
Well, if we are fortunate, not all life.
Some species seek refuges from time. Others grasp for the cold reaches of space. For ourselves, the Mykara, we will withdraw into the heart of the planet where molten fires battle against the encroaching ice.
We sing rich remembrances: vivid memories of biological horrors in Endless laboratories; their descendants eking out a life in irradiated wastelands; later, a slaughter of one Aurigan tribe by another in a subterranean citadel. Our melodic discourse speculates on science and philosophy, truth and justice, crime and punishment, but our first instinct is always to preserve. Whatever comes of Auriga, we will abide, ready to share its story.
 Summary
 Soon, the winter will be unending. We must make our first city an engine of our survival, as we prepare to retreat deep into the sanctuary--and warmth--of the mantle.
 Reward

## Epilogue

 Is the end of Auriga coming near? Cracks begin to appear in the planet's crust, particularly in those places where ancient sites of the Endless were dug particularly deep. It is hard to say if it is the work of the Endless, or of some greater spirit, but at five of the most affected sites great beams of Dustlight illuminate the planet as far as the eye can see.
Exploration of these locations show a vast network of tunnels, rooms, and storehouses; as your explorers investigate they also seek to better understand this ever-stranger world on which they live.
 Summary
 Auriga is in movement; it is time to go and figure out why.
 Reward

 *Prerequisites: Be playing as the Vaulters or Mezari*
Work on the Argosy has ground to a halt. While much has been learned, and much done, certain problems will require enormous time and effort: The cracks in the hull, a failed energy source, broken life support systems...
Yet now, as the Vaulter people begin to lose faith, it seems the Great Orrery has other plans for you.
Cracks begin to appear in the planet's crust in places where the Endless had excavated their deepest ruins. But beyond that, and stranger still, at five of these sites great beams of Dustlight reach up, illuminating the planet as far as the eye can see.
Explorations of these locations show a vast network of tunnels, rooms, and storehouses. As your explorers investigate, they also seek to better understand this ever-stranger world on which they live. The sites are infested by beasts and roaming armies; it appears that gaining access to these places will not be so easy.
 Summary
 Auriga is in movement; it is time to go and figure out why.
 Reward

 The mysteries of Auriga are as numerous as they are frustrating. This one is greater, however; never before has the surface broken open to expose its core. To understand what has happened and why will require securing the area while you mount a well-equipped expedition for to do in-depth exploration and analysis.
It is at least clear that the great underground labyrinths were more than just storehouses; given the strange equipment and speciments it seems that Auriga was at one time a warren of interconnected laboratories. Sadly, there is little time left to pursue these discoveries as more pressing problems arise. For one, Minor Factions in the affected regions are sure of a coming apocalypse, or catasttrophe, or some sort of event that shamans describe with ever greater adjectives of horror and destruction. Wheter they are correct or not, the tribes and people are up in arms against any and all armies.
And you must find your own answers to this theoretical apocalypse. Is the planet cracking apart, are the long-dead technologies of the Endless sending a final message, or is the soul of the planet making you an offering?
 Summary
 Secure the region long enough for a team of scientists to explore the fissured Ruins.
 Reward

 This is unheard of. Is it science beyond magic, or magic beyond science? It comes from a place of the Endless, yet holds some enormous... thing... that is entirely different from the ruins and artifacts seen so far. Alchemists, wizards, and scientists divide their time between swooning with excitement and arguing with vigor about obscure materials and designs.
And once again other problems arise to distract you. Though the Minor Factions are to some degree pacified, armies of some sort of servant or guardion now pour from the Dust-lit ruins. They are ugly, misshapen things, hardly the work of the Endless who came before. Or, perhaps more worryingly, the work of certain Endless under terrible stress in a moment of desperation...
Thus the little that is clear does not make things easier. The vessel is certainly some means of transport, with seats and beds, yet without wheels or runners. One's mind shies away from the conclusion; sanity is not compatible with the idea that it could be a vessel to take one elsewhere -- into the air, even beyond?
 Summary
 Whatever this vast behemoth is, it will lie dead until its source of energy is returned. You must seek it at one of the other sites illuminated by the Dustlights; beware of the ancient guardians who rise up to protect them!
 Reward

 The materials of which this energy crystal was made can be found - even improved upon - by the wondrous natural resources of Auriga. To that end, we must seek and scrape to bring together enough magic and metal to repair it.
Other disturbing news comes in. Firstly, that the vast living spaces beneath the surface were certainly biological testing laboratories. It seems that Auriga was one gigantic research center, with strange new species of all sorts created below the surface, then released above. Was this proliferation of beasts what eliminated the Endless from their own planet? And why does it appear that all the vats, silos, cages, habitats, and tubes were opened from within and their contents released?
 Summary
 The energy crystal must be repaired. To do this, you will need to gather specific Strategic Resources.
2. Wait 5 turns for the energy crystal to gain its full charge. Then search the ruins again to take the crystal.
 Reward
2. Generator Crystal

 We are ready, but perhaps unprepared. It is one thing to leave a village or travel to a new region. But to depart from a planet, with little understanding of where or how we will go, is hardly reassuring. The sages assure me that the ship will guide us safely to a new home; the governors are preparing great stores of food and materials for the trip.
In leaving, we depart from a place that we thought of as "home" and ourselves as its occupants. It is somehow easier to leave knowing that it was more a laboratory, and we merely the descendants of its specimens. Do we feel kinship more with those who experimented on our ancestors, or those who broke open the locks and released their own experiments upon them? Each nation, each person must make this choice to come to grips with their past, as we take a great leap into our future.
 Summary
 All that remains is to load the goods and the citizens into the vessel. A simple task, no?
2. The Crystal powers the engines; wait for 4 turns until the engine are ready for takeoff.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 *Prerequisites: Be playing the Cultists*
We are ready, the Faithful brimming with eagerness. There is no greater cause than the elimination of the Endless, and the gods have given us the means to achieve this. We need no further proof that we are blessed in the eyes of the Universe!
It is easy to leave this place called “home”, knowing that it was a laboratory and that we are the descendants of its specimens. Our holy mission is clear; we will eradicate the remains of those who experimented on our ancestors, and leave nothing but a cleansed Universe where we can start anew.
 Summary
 All that remains is to load the goods and summon the faithful to the vessel. A simple task, no?
2. The Crystal powers the engines; wait for 4 turns until the engine are ready for takeoff.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1

 *Prerequisites: Be playing the Mykara*
We Mykara have lived beneath the crust of this planet for so long, that now, finally on the verge of departure, we feel a great sadness. Our tales echo back through the ages, before the winters, before the blossoming of new races, before even the scarred and irradiated lands that the Endless wrought. Long, long ago, only the Urkans shared Auriga with us. We wonder what will become of the great beasts...
But we must not dwell on the past. We must look to the future--to the stars. We wonder what society we will forge, away from the loamy earth that has kept us safe all these millenia.
 Summary
 It is time for the Mykara to secure the vessel that will take us to the stars. A simple task, no?
2. The Crystal powers the engines; wait for 4 turns until the engine are ready for takeoff.
 Reward
2. Mad Fairies Droplist, picks 1