Endelle Stroth

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Endelle Stroth, known within the Ele Metanation as El-Endelle, is the female fugitive and former Curator of the Aglostarros University Museum, on the planet Aglostarros in the Coreworlds. She is an alumna of the University of Aglostarros, and had gained some experience of analog astrogation during her studies. Endelle is also the great-granddaughter of Professor Argil Stroth, another University of Aglostarros alum whose thesis *On Adaptive Programming* became seminal to the development of non-sentient adaptive systems in the Coreworlds.

Stroth was born long after the launch of Project Centennial in 2165, but she was serving as the Curator when the project was reactivated in 2265, and was notified by night guard Thide when his colleague Garrad found the Project’s command console in the lower levels of the Museum.

Stroth was responsible for overseeing the Project Centennial exhibition which was hosted at the Museum. Part of her duties included giving interviews to the press regarding the Project, and compiling weekly dispatches to patrons of the Museum. She was proud of her work. Stroth always signed these dispatches with “Yours in curiosity, Curator Endelle Stroth”.

Stroth occasionally enjoyed drinking a glass of Adenean wine while reviewing research notes in her office, as a reward for a job well done. She also enjoyed watching the sunset over Aglostarros' skyline, which she considered a reminder of the wonder to be found in the everyday, as well as perusing the University's library and attending occasional ambassadorial dinners. Due to the nature of her job, she found it much easier to converse with academics and investors than young children.

Following Centurion 23’s discovery of the 'Living Wall' orchid on the twin planets of Veden and Vodan, in the Vire system, Stroth met with the Coreworlds Conglomerate’s high-ranking military personnel to discuss the combat applications of Project Centennial’s findings, including the 'Living Wall' orchid’s apparent invulnerability to blades, bullets or energy weapons. She refused to allow this research on the basis that the Project’s work was to promote progress, not destruction, but she was overruled by her superior, the University’s Vice Chancellor.

After the Compass Rose Cerite was sold at auction for more than ⍺200 million, representatives of the buyer approached Stroth and asked her to remove all references to Crystal Cerite or the Compass Rose from the archives of Project Centennial. Stroth rejected this demand, and reassured patrons that the Museum’s small collection of Crystal Cerite specimens would remain on display.

Stroth was distraught at the destruction of the planet Harthoe, and strongly implied that the blame for the tragedy should be laid at the feet of Baroness Dorn Oramande, matriarch of the Family Oramande, although her role as Curator and the defamation laws of the Coreworlds Conglomerate prevented her from saying as much outright. Stroth later disregarded these restrictions to become more vocal in her opposition of the Oramandes. Following the destruction, she called on visitors to the Project Centennial exhibition to make the most of the wondrous phenomena they encounter every day, as they may never know when such experiences will be lost forever.

Approximately one month following Harthoe’s destruction, the ARK Mandate was established by the Aglostarros University Museum, with the Stroth in the lead role. She justified the Mandate by claiming that the galactic community had a duty to defend the wonders of the galaxy from those who would threaten or hoard them. In this context, the ARK Mandate was seen by some as Stroth’s rebuke of private collectors such as Baroness Oramande. Stroth also clarified that the Mandate was separate from Project Centennial, but that the two were “connected in spirit”, the former a natural progression from the latter, and also that it had no ties to the widespread militarisation in the Conglomerate Exploration Zone.

Following the apparent destruction of at least seven ARK starships, including the *Venture*, at the hands of the Galactic Liberation of Wonder movement, Stroth called an emergency meeting with the Mandate’s investors in which she described GLoW as “dishonourable anarchists” resorting to “scare tactics” that would not materially impact the ARK Mandate’s work. At a memorial for the *Venture*’s crew, Stroth was called upon by Erea Drace to end the Mandate, despite its good intentions.

Stroth later admited to losing faith in her work with the ARK Mandate upon realising that she faced the enmity of GLoW, wondering whether facing such adversity was simply the nature of being in the public eye. Following the publishing of GLoW’s Manifesto, Stroth expressed some empathy with the organisation’s desire to ensure that endangered cultures and ecosystems are preserved, but noted that she believed their methods leave much to be desired as, to her knowledge, the raids resulted in the destruction of ARK’s starships and the deaths of all on board. She also railed against implications that the AUM sought to close off its recovered artefacts from the public.

Under further scrutiny from the Empire of the Queil, Stroth reassured envoy Prince Aster at a press release that the Centurion probes found within the Empire’s territory were merely explorers doing what they were programmed for, and that they came in peace. This did little to placate the Queils, who feared that the Centurions posed a substantial security risk. These concerns of the Queils arose at the same time as Stroth was summoned to Andar Prime by the Trifold Union, to consult with them on solutions to the increasing volatility in the galaxy. She feared that the meeting was more likely to be some form of recrimination.

At the summit, Coreworlds Conglomerate ambassador Rayan Tiller reassured Stroth that she was not on trial, but Prince Aster nevertheless chose to lay the blame for much of the galaxy’s volatility at the feet of Stroth and the University. Stroth chose to reframe the meeting as an opportunity to find solutions to these issues rather than making accusations, which the other attendees ultimately agreed to. Privately, however, she pondered whether her and her institute’s actions had caused or invited the ensuing challenges and disasters.

Following these negotiations with the Trifold Union, Stroth “borrowed” a pocket credol from the Threshold of the Ninth Plane and used it to undertake the Pilgrimage of Aneth, arriving after a month at the Halls of Aneth on Kollian, where she suspected that the Galactic Liberation of Wonder was hiding. Proven right, she was taken in by Challe and provided GLoW with access to Project Centennial’s observations, in the hope that this might be seen as a peace offering to alleviate attacks on the ARK Mandate. She also anticipated that sharing responsibility for the Project might help to lift some of the burden on her own shoulders. However, Stroth soon began to doubt that she had done the right thing and feared that her mistake would be found out.

During a period of quiet following her meeting with GLoW, Stroth had the opportunity to attend the Xunne Operatic Players’ production of traditional Xun opera *The Fall of Exia*, during its limited run at the Gardolos Theatre on Aglostarros. She was not sure what to expect before the performance, but reported that her colleagues had spoken highly of the work.

Stroth was rattled by the news that Centurions had begun targeting the Empire of the Queil’s military assets and facilities with lethal and destructive force, expressing surprise that the probes would be capable of such violence. Fearing retribution, including from the Empress of the Queil herself, for having given GLoW the backdoor access to Project Centennial which she assumed had enabled the attacks, Stroth made the decision to flee the Coreworlds and her position as Curator.

The Trifold Union subsequently decided to issue an open warrant for Stroth’s arrest. She was also stripped of her role as Curator of AUM. The warrant stipulated that Stroth be brought in alive and unharmed for a ⍺100,000 reward. Public opinion was uncertain as to whether she was responsible for the attacks on the Queil or merely negligent in her ignorance of the Centurions’ aggressive nature, but rumours held that the Union had prepared an additional charge of sedition for Stroth’s suspected association with GLoW. The charges came under close scrutiny from the legal analysts of the AlTime News Channel. The price on Stroth's head would later be upped to ⍺200,000, and then ⍺400,000, as the potential treason allegations became more credible. When Centurions 56 and 72 were apprehended by the Queil military in the Gordian Veldt, digital autopsies of the probes confirmed that their software had been extensively patched by GLoW, using the AUM Curator's command codes. This revelation led the Trifold Union to increase the bounty on Stroth to ⍺1,000,000. The AlTime News Channel soon ran a feature detailing how to report a sighting of the fugitive.

Stroth was last sighted fleeing the Coreworlds following a diplomatic mission. In her absence, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Aglostarros gave a statement distancing his institution from the ex-Curator. Stroth was known to be travelling in her personal Veldt Star Industries *Estir*-class starship, the *Looking Glass*.

Approximately three weeks later, Stroth remained at large and had begun keeping a journal of her escapades, as she had once attended a lecture about the therapeutic benefits of the activity. In her first entry, dated 01.05.2270, she took stock of the accusations leveled against her and the poor decisions which had brought her to this point. She also expressed her intention to seek refuge in the Ele Dominion. In her flight, Stroth was pursued by the bounty hunter Tren Krellos, piloting his starship *The Gunmetal Gyre*. Having followed the *Looking Glass* via a tracker embedded in its hull, Krellos followed his target into the Ele Dominion.

After about one month of continuous travel, on 11.05.2270, Stroth noted that her supplies were dwindling and she would soon have to begin consuming the *Looking Glass*'s bio-paste. Despite her desperate situation, Stroth estimated that she had crossed into the borders of the Ele Dominion, and planned to continue on until she found any signs of civilisation. Stroth was soon set upon by the *Gunmetal Gyre* while travelling close to the star Doresh Daar, and struggled to fight back in the *Looking Glass*, finding herself thoroughly outmatched by the bounty hunter's advanced gunship. However, she was spared capture by the arrival of the Ele starship 'Arrowhead'. Stroth and Krellos were taken aboard the 'Arrowhead' as informal captives, during which time Stroth fell back on her university training in to observe and take notes on everything around her.

Aboard the 'Arrowhead', Stroth and Krellos met with El-Deen, whom she recognised as the Ele ambassador from his diplomatic robes. El-Deen explained to the two new arrivals that they had nothing to fear, and that they were already becoming part of the Ele Metanation. Stroth later admitted in her analysis that she still did not fully understand the Metanation, and speculated that it may be some kind of creature. She hoped to commit more observances to her temporary personal archive after having been released from the holding cells of the 'Arrowhead'.

Following several days of travel, Stroth reported that she had not yet experienced any observable mental or physical changes as a result of joining the Metanation, but did admit that resting well aboard the 'Arrowhead' had restored her spirits. Stroth wished she had access to the AUM's laboratories in order to study any biological effects of the Metanation's influence, and speculated whether the concept might simply be a belief that the Ele had convinced themselves is true. Stroth continued to ponder these questions as she and Krellos were taken to the Ele capital world of El-Kera, in the El system.

As Stroth continued on her journey, she focused more on observing the wonder of the Ele Dominion, considering herself one of the privileged few to have seen beyond its borders. She still felt uneasy around Tren Krellos, who had promised a détente in their conflict while under the auspices of the Ele, but found herself growing closer to the bounty hunter while they shared a living space, to her own surprise.

Upon setting foot on El-Kera, Stroth was instructed by El-Deen to choose her mask, in order to truly become one of the Ele. Stroth surprised herself by choosing the Warrior, even though she imagined her past would characterise her more as a Conductor. She reasoned that she was fighting an ideological battle to prove the value of wonder and discovery, and to restore her reputation. With this choice, Stroth took the name El-Endelle.

Approximately one week into her time living in the city of Korus, El-Endelle found her life among the Ele surprisingly "normal", and quickly acclimatised to differences in culture such as communal meals and the sharing of goods and labour without need of currency. However, she often found herself battered and bruised from her combat training, which was mandated as a result of having chosen the Warrior mask. Settling in a small apartment, El-Endelle quickly got to know her neighbours, including El-Jevier, El-Ineol and El-Sondur. Stroth was invited to and attended many hearty meals and conversations with her neighbours, and noted that even the standard-issue bedsheets in her apartment were a vast improvement over her life aboard the *Looking Glass*. She did not see much of Tren Krellos in this time, and didn't think about the price on her head that often.

After learning of the proliferation of invasive nere trees on El-Kera, El-Endelle became fascinated by the impact of the Ele Metanation on the movement of societies and objects across physical space.

Stroth's training as a Warrior continued under the guidance of the Lindellian El-Q'rokar, who managed to teach her enough to hold her own in a fight. The two also discussed the nature of the Metanation, and El-Q'Rokar offered to show Stroth how to use the power of the Metanation to traverse great distances instantaneously, an idea which intrigued the former Curator. To this end, the two travelled together aboard an Ele cargo transport to the lifeless planetoid El-Phyyr, where Stroth and El-Q'rokar meditated in order to access and visualise Ele thought-threads. Subsequently, Stroth successfully used these thought-threads, focusing on her own personal memories and connections, to travel instantaneously across space and arrive outside the door of her apartment.

The feat amazed Stroth and confirmed to her both the reality and the power of the Ele Metanation. As the importance of the Metanation hit home to her, she feared what the Queil Empire or Conglomerate would do if they ever learned of its nature. Shortly after, Stroth's fears became more tangible as she estimated that the Centurions would soon begin crossing the border into the Ele Dominion. It was at this time that she was summoned before the Ele Congregate in their Halls, and learned that Centurions had begun attacking citizens of the Dominion without provocation. When Stroth suggested they try capturing and analysing a probe to find out the cause of the aggression, the Congregate responded that they would do their best, and encouraged her to stay close at hand.

The capture of the Centurion by an Ele Excision Team on the conservation world El-Saire appeared to unfold smoothly, and Stroth expressed excitement that she would soon be able to study one of the probes first-hand on El-Kera. She surmised that the Centurions must have very simple programming, but remained confused as to their current aggression. After analysis of the captured probe revealed that the Centurion's survival programming had become paranoid and perceived the Ele Metanation as a constant cyberattack, Stroth reported to the Ele Congregate (with some fear and hesitation) that the Centurions would seek the destruction of the Metanation in order to complete their mission. She later reassured herself that the attacks had been through no fault of her own, but rather flawed programming that had decayed over a hundred years, after originally being implemented by her great-grandfather Argil with a substantial amount of guesswork and approximation.

While working on a solution to the threat posed by the Centurions against the Metanation, Stroth was visited in her apartment in Korus by her neighbour, El-Sondur, and one of El-Sondur's twin children, El-Sona. The two were concerned when Stroth had not attended the most recent Feast of Elforsht, and encouraged her to practice self-care rather than putting more pressure upon herself. Stroth was very touched by the gesture, and by El-Sona's gift of a "Wonder-Ball" matrix which she claimed would help Stroth to focus while working. As she continued to work through her findings on the Centurions, she soon came to the conclusion that the only way of stopping them would be from their central console on Aglostarros.

While waiting for the Ele Congregate to rule on her plan to stop the Centurion attacks, Stroth retired to the Fields of Elkre botanical gardens, where she again encountered the bounty hunter Tren Krellos, now going by El-Krellos. To Stroth's surprise, the two of them had a relatively amicable conversation, in which Krellos confessed to feeling a lack of purpose within the Metanation, and warned Stroth that she would still be pursued outside the Dominion's borders.

After reviewing Stroth's findings, the Congregate met with her again in a small orchard outside the walls of Korus where, as expected, they asked her to return to Aglostarros in order to stop the Centurions. With the Congregate's promise that she would be welcomed back to the Metanation upon her success, and despite her nerves, Stroth accepted the mission. The *Looking Glass* was subsequently refitted for the mission, and the Congregate also assigned Tren Krellos to accompany Stroth when she returned to the galaxy. Stroth considered this a strange twist of fate, and hoped that Krellos didn't rediscover his love for money once outside the Metanation. Stroth and Krellos both underwent the ritual of the Severing to break their connection to the Metanation. They planned to make their journey via 'Uncharted Space', which Stroth correctly noted was a misnomer due to the likely presence of numerous civilisations within the region. The voyage took them through an area occupied by the Rhyzomic Expanse, a vast and ever-growing network of roots and branches several parsecs across, which posed a significant navigational complication.

Before departure, Stroth was sure to stock the *Looking Glass* with multiple crates of tab-rations. She also handed the "Wonder-Ball" back to El-Sona with thanks. After departure, Stroth noted in her diary that she may have been viewing Krellos in an unfairly uncharitable light, and that she should talk to her companion more.