On the Shoulders of Giants

Version

Please help with verifying or updating older sections of this article. At least some were last verified for version 3.9.

This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Event chains

Events

Empire event chains

Habitable Worlds Survey

Comet Sighted

Fleet Maneuvers

Horizon Signal

Mass Extinction Through the Ages

Radical Cult

Sublight Exploration Probes

Wanderlust: Rogue Scientist

The Hunt for the Hyacinth

 Fountain of Youth

 Genetic Crossroads

 **On the Shoulders of Giants**

 Homesick

 The Cost of Freedom

 The Fear of the Dark

 The Guest

Anomaly event chains

Drifting Battlefield

Gas Giant Signal

Impossible Organism

Limbo

Orbital Speed Demon

Shrines to the Old Gods

The Ransomeers

 42 Years and 3 Days

 Lost Amoeba

Colony event chains

A New Species

Abandoned Terraforming Equipment

Ancient Drones

Dancing Plague

Feral Overload

Hidden Vault

Impossible Corrie

Metallic Puddles

Mharin Kharin

Migrating Forests

Mushroom Picking

Myrmeku Activity

Nemma World

Rise of the Manifesti

Subterranean Civilization

The Doorway

Underground Vault

Unexpected Mineral Seams

Primitive civilization event chains

Anti-Alien Task Force

Missing Scientist

Rogue Agent

Shuttle Crash

 Propulsion Proponent Proclamation

Once the Mid-Game year has been reached empires with the  **On the Shoulders of Giants** origin that finished excavating all archaeological sites in their home system will be given a unique event chain. Finishing the event chain will replace the *Spurred by the Past* empire modifier with a more powerful one.

The event chain has two mutually-exclusive stories determined when the final chapter of the last Archaeology Site has been excavated. Both the steps required and the final modifier are identical in both routes.

### Cold Trail

 *During a routine system scan one of our sensors picked up a small - but strange - energy signature. It's quite likely trace exhaust from a fusion drive or something similar, but the signature doesn't match anything we've encountered so far, and it appears to be remarkably old - several thousands of years! One theory amongst our scientists is that the fusion drive trail might belong to the Benefactors.

We should assign our astro-science department to this research project as soon as we can.*

80% chance

**Fascinating.*** Issue Special Project: Pathfinding
* Event chain is named Intercepting History in the situation log

### Trail of the Victor

 *One of our sensors recently picked up a strange energy signature in our home system. It was almost dismissed as a glitch at first; upon closer inspection the reading turned out to be an ancient energy trail from a fusion-based propulsion drive.

Deeper analysis is needed to know more, but it is possible that this trail was left by the Relentless when they left our system thousands of years ago.

We should investigate this further.*

20% chance

**OK*** Issue Special Project: Tracking the Predator
* Event chain is named Relentless Pursuit in the situation log

### Finding the Benefactors

 *The old fusion drive trail turned out be quite challenging to analyze due to its considerable age. Eventually the science department managed to calculate a likely navigation vector, and establish that the trail was pointing to a hitherto unknown system not many jumps away.

The destination has been made available, and we should consider sending a science vessel there to investigate further.*

Cold Trail

**Fascinating.*** Point of interest: Follow the Trail

### Picking up the Trail

 *Despite its remarkable age, our science department have managed to analyze the drive trail sufficient to ascertain its exit vector. This effectively means that we can pursue the demons of our past.

Has enough time passed to quell their violent nature completely, or are we to discover a new threat? A new route has been plotted, and we can pursue it whenever we want.*

Trail of the Victor

**Fascinating.*** Point of interest: Running into the Fire

### These Ravaged Fields

 *Even after the first, broad sensor reading of the [current system name] system it became clear that something very violent and destructive occurred here eons ago.

Broken spaceship parts and debris are scattered throughout the system, and the local void is teeming with energy residue from weaponized lasers and fusion explosions.

In this silent graveyard a single signal has been isolated, and it's coming from a small space station nearby.*

Finding the Benefactors

**OK*** Issue Special Project: Investigate the Dead Station

### The Silent Freighter

 *On entering the system, our sensors immediately picked up multiple anomalies.

The most prominent reading was a gigantic energy cloud which - upon closer inspection - turned out to be hundreds of smaller fusion drive trails like the one previously discovered. An absolutely massive fleet must've come to a halt here for some reason.

Next to this 'fleet parking lot' our scans picked up another kind of reading: a derelict transport ship. This freighter appears to be as old as the energy signatures, but traces of its own signature differs from that of the lost fleet.

We should inspect the abandoned ship closer.*

Picking up the Trail

**OK*** Issue Special Project: Investigate the Silent Freighter

### Raided and Hunted

 *The signal we picked up originated from an emergency pod aboard the space station. Due to severe damage, the dead station left few clues to what happened here. Our scientists have managed to piece together snippets of data, in order to form a narrative.

This station was a research facility, and is where the Mind-Wipe technology was invented - the same technology used to diminish our ancestors. The station and its protective fleet were engaged by some unknown force, after which the technology was most likely stolen.

One particularly interesting message has been translated - radio chatter from the enemy fleet:

'**They're trying to escape! Follow them. Use their own weapon against them. See how they like it.'**

We've picked up a new fusion drive trail and established an exit vector based on it.*

These Ravaged Fields

**OK*** Point of interest: Almost There

### The Maker's Might

 *The freighter contained a log. Though damaged by time, some data could still be recovered.

The freighter had been intercepted by the massive fleet. Unclear as to how or why, the Captain of the freighter ended up conversing with the Admiral of the Relentless fleet. Apparently they spoke for weeks, but what they spoke of remains unknown - although the phrase 'nature of power' recurs frequently.

The fleet suddenly departed, leaving the freighter unscathed. The last entry in the log was a quote from the Admiral: '**No, leave them. Destruction is easy. Real power is the ability to create.'**

We have analyzed the fleet trails and may take up our pursuit again.*

The Silent Freighter

**OK*** Point of interest: Finding the Old Enemy

### Trail's End

 *The trail of the Benefactors ends in this unexplored system. Our long range sensor doesn't pick up anything unusual, but we should survey the system properly to see what we can find.*

Raided and Hunted

### The Tyrant's Rest

 *This is where the fusion drive trail ends. It's quite likely that any remnants of the Relentless species - if there are any - will be found here.

So far the only sensor reading of any particular interest comes from what appears to be some kind of small space station. An energy pulse radiates from it at set intervals, but apart from that there's no sign of any activity.

We can proceed to investigate immediately.*

The Maker's Might

**Interesting.*** Issue Special Project: Analyzing the Old Beacon

### Final Rest

 *The primitive species found in this system is none other than the **Thwaa'Phyr** - known more commonly in our culture as the Benefactors.

Our xenologists are unsure of the details, but everything indicates that they somehow fell victim to their own mind-wiping technology, and were left on this planet to fend for themselves. No one knows the implications of this fate better than we do.

We should consider our next step carefully.*

Trail's End

**Fascinating.*** Issue Special Project: Project Ouroboros

### Blissfully Ignorant

 *The scientists have finished their investigation of the old space station. The entire structure is a big cannon of sorts. Eons ago it triggered and fired a pulse at the Relentless homeworld - a pulse that we, the [main species name], know full well: a **Mind-Wipe pulse**.

In a quest to redeem themselves from their past sins, the Relentless - now known as the **Vemetosha** - used the weapon on themselves, effectively diminishing their entire civilization.

The magnitude of such a decision - and the follow-through - stands as testament to how very seriously the Relentless wanted to atone. Can we forgive them?*

The Tyrant's Rest

**Is ignorance really bliss?*** Issue Special Project: Project Ouroboros

### Closure

 *Sometimes the events of the universe unfold in a most poetic fashion. Once the undisputable masters of our ancestors, the Thwaa'Phyr species eventually found themselves struck by the same fate as our ancestors.

Whatever their intention might have been, we must acknowledge the fact that to some degree, they tried to redeem their desperate and excessive act.

Now that eons have passed, the sides have been reversed, and we have returned their favor.

Just as the [main species name] species once did, now it's time for the Thwaa'Phyr to experience what it means to stand on the shoulders of giants.*

Final Rest

**Good luck!*** **Spurred by the Past** modifier removed
* **Full Circle** modifier added

### Not the Enemy

 *A dark chapter of in the history of the universe has ended, and we have written a new one - a brighter chapter. Our benevolent project initiated a ripple effect in our society, each member feeling a sense of purpose and good intent. Maybe space isn't such a dark place after all - the unfathomably vast darkness of the void notwithstanding.*

Blissfully Ignorant

**Excellent.*** **Spurred by the Past** modifier removed
* **Goes Around, Comes Around** modifier added