======== tutorialcard_000188 =====================

LORECARD_BATHSHEBAPROFILE_01

An excerpt from a profile of Dr. Mitra Bathsheba published in CUTTING EDGE (Jan. 2228 edition).

To understand Dr. Mitra Bathsheba, one has to understand her upbringing. She speaks fondly of her childhood in Rasht, New Persia, and of her parents; her father, Hadi, is a professor of theoretical mathematics, while her mother Zahra, now retired, was a prominent biochemist. “I was under constant instruction,” she tells me. “Science was in my blood.”
We are seated in her office in Fortaleza, on the top floor of an Omnidyne-M building with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. There are framed mechanical schematics on the wall behind her, designs for the CMS Arclight, the Accord’s massive starship currently under construction at their orbital shipyard –or, as Mitra puts it, “My life’s work.”


LORECARD_BATHSHEBAPROFILE_02

After completing a bachelor’s degree in applied physics and chemistry at Stanford University, followed by a master’s in quantum physics at the Australian National University, Mitra began her career with Omnidyne-M as an associate researcher, while simultaneously completing a doctorate in theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. There, she turned her attention to the emerging technology of arcfolding. “Back then, it would rip most matter to shreds,” Mitra explains. She developed the shield technology that makes arcfolding starships possible – and, upon completion of her Ph.D., was appointed Technical Director of the Arclight project.


LORECARD_BATHSHEBAPROFILE_03

The Arclight, bigger than the CMS Aegis, Victoria, and Wei-Ling combined, is set to be completed later this year. When it is, it will be able to complete the trip between Earth and Alpha Prime in a matter of hours, and simultaneously bring the Universe within humankind’s reach. I mention to Mitra that some people have hailed her project as the First Wonder of the Galaxy. She laughs gamely at this. “Well,” she says, “I certainly hope we live up to the hype.”


======== tutorialcard_000195 =====================

LORECARD_NOSTROMOCOPATRIBUNELETTER

Letter to the editor of the Copacabana Tribune

I think that more than asking Palmeiro to win his office in an open election, we should ask Nostromo to do the same. The man is a corporate shill – he may be able to say he never worked for Omnidyne-M, but need I remind you that his wife was heiress to the entire corporate empire? Nostromo took advantage of the disorder following the crash to crown himself king (well, consul), and it’s high time we make him earn his position.


======== tutorialcard_000196 =====================

LORECARD_GENERALJIANG

Last transmission from General Guiying Jiang, Battle of Copacabana, October 3rd, 2230

We’ve got Chosen on all sides, so I’m going to make this fast. You’re the bravest squad I’ve ever had the privilege of serving with and if we die here, then it’s my honor to die with you. But as long as we’ve still got bullets in our guns and breath in our lungs, we’re going to fight, because the longer we do, the more civilians we save. If those bastards take the city, they’re going to pay for every inch of it with blood. Their blood. So reload, and let’s give them hell.


======== tutorialcard_000197 =====================

LORECARD_RANGERNOTES

Ranger Notes – Claudia Fonseca

Monday morning patrol: Brontodon tagged W-83 looks close to calving. Saw storm kestrels flying to and from the Astrek ridge – think they have a nest up there.
Monday, around noon: Soldier from Skydock came by with a crate of wargrim pups, said he shot their mother in self-defense. Put them in the kennel inside the station. They’ll have to be bottle fed.
Monday evening patrol: Brontodon hasn’t calved yet.
Tuesday morning patrol: Brontodon appears to be in labor. Herd has circled up. Couldn’t get close.
Tuesday, around noon: Took the wargrim pups out and let them play in the stockroom while I worked. Note to self: investigate logistics of wargrim guard dogs.


======== tutorialcard_000200 =====================

LORECARD_NUTRETICSAFETY1

A Safety Reminder to All Employees

In light of recent events, please remember to secure all loose hair, clothing, jewelry, and equipment while on the processing floor or while operating machinery. Nutretic Processing is not responsible for injury or loss of life that may result from failing to adhere to these rules. You will not be issued compensation for your own bad judgment.


LORECARD_NUTRETICSAFETY2

Graffiti, attached to the previous message.

If you do not adhere to these rules, we at least promise you will be fully cooked and well-seasoned before packaging.


======== tutorialcard_000201 =====================

LORECARD_NUTRETICSHIPPINGMANIFEST

Shipping Manifest -- For immediate dispatch to Trans Hub

20 kg pepperoni pizza-flavored nutripaste
20 kg classic curry-flavored nutripaste
20 kg spaghetti bolognaise-flavored nutripaste
20 kg sundried tomato-flavored nutripaste
20 kg tomatoes
20 kg lemons
40 kg watermelon
100 kg rice


======== tutorialcard_000202 =====================

LORECARD_SURVEYORSNOTES

Surveyor’s notes - July 29th, 2228 – Tanezrouft

The Melding clouds parted in front of our dropship, and suddenly we were faced with a vast desert, untouched by purple fog. I asked my assistant to do a scan of the ground for the crystite deposits necessary to sustain a bubble of this size, but the scanner came up empty. There was nothing below us, neither crystite nor valuable minerals worth thumping, only hundreds of miles of sand.
We landed and set up camp for the night, then radioed the rest of the West African survey team. Our experience was not unique – the Melding, faced with the edge of the Sahara desert, stops dead in its tracks. There’s no crystite here, but there also aren’t resources of any other kind. This cloud is not as all-consuming as we believed, and there may be other vast pockets out there of mineral-poor wastes where the Melding, like humanity before it, fears to tread.


======== tutorialcard_000203 =====================

LORECARD_FONGNOSTROMO1

Private messages between Consul Orestes Nostromo and Dr. Aurelius Fong, September 2231

Consul-
My work on Chosen tissue samples is going very well. I have conclusive evidence that what we suspected all along is true. I would like permission to publish my findings in next month’s issue of THE JOURNAL OF CRYSTITE TECHNOLOGY.
-Aurelius

Aurelius-
You are not authorized to release that information at this time. Furthermore, in light of the events in Sertao, I cannot procure a living Chosen specimen for your research.
-Consul Orestes Nostromo


LORECARD_FONGNOSTROMO2

Sir-
I cannot move forward with Epsilon without a live subject.
-Aurelius

Aurelius-
Epsilon funding has been suspended, effective immediately. You are to report to Trans Hub at 0800 tomorrow morning for relocation to the Amazon site. You will be briefed upon arrival.
-Consul Orestes Nostromo


======== tutorialcard_000204 =====================

LORECARD_MELDNANOMOLECULARSTRUCT

“The Melding’s Nanomolecular Structure,” an abstract by Aurelius Fong

The Melding is clearly extraterrestrial and primarily gaseous in nature. That much can be observed simply by standing outside and regarding the curtain. However, the exact nature of this unusual substance was previously unknown. We used electron spectroscopy and electron beam-induced deposition to determine the atomic makeup of the Melding, as well as its nanomolecular structure. The Melding is a silicate nanotechnology that assembles itself into concentrated swarms to give the appearance of a gas.


======== tutorialcard_000205 =====================

LORECARD_PROPERTIESOFCRYSTITE1

“The Melding-Repulsive Properties of Crystite,” an abstract by Aurelius Fong

It has been observed since the arrival of the Melding that it does not settle in areas where the land has a high crystite content, whether as a result of Firefall meteorites or later development. New Eden, for example, is kept safe by the enormous stores of crystite aboard the Arclight, while there are many reports of survivors being found in bubbles formed around power plants and crystite mines in the weeks and months following the crash. There are even cases of homesteaders on the American Great Plains continuing their lives as usual, their farms kept safe by subterranean crystite deposits.


LORECARD_PROPERTIESOFCRYSTITE2

While it has long been known that crystite is a unique element, we used a quantum microscope to photograph its atomic structure for the first time. Crystite molecules have a large number of electrons held in variable orbits – the larger the crystite deposit or the more energy flowing through it, the larger the orbits become. These electrons disrupt the molecular structure of the Melding on the quantum level, creating the “Melding bubble” effect that makes crystite so valuable.


======== tutorialcard_000206 =====================

LORECARD_MUSTANGBBQ1

MUSTANG’S FAMOUS BBQ  - MENU

All-Real Vat-Grown Beef Sliders  -  $13
Order of 3 beef Sliders on toasted potato rolls, served with a side of jicama slaw and our thick-cut, Mustang’s Famous Seasoning™ steak fries. Great for sharing!

BBQ Vat-Grown Pulled Pork Sandwich - $13
Toasted potato roll piled high with Mustang’s world-famous pulled pork, served with a side of jicama slaw and our Mustang’s Famous Seasoning™ steak fries. (Add grilled onions, $1)


LORECARD_MUSTANGBBQ2

Mustang’s Famous Rib Eye - $16
A generously-sized vat-grown beef rib eye steak, marinated in our house seasoning mix and cooked just the way you like it, served with a side of jicama slaw and creamy mashed potatoes.

Grilled Skiver Platter - $16
Fresh-caught skiver grilled to perfection, then slathered in herb butter and served on a bed of wilted greens. Comes with lemon.

BBQ Vat-Grown Pork Chops - $16
Two pork chops, marinated in our house seasoning mix and roasted beautifully, served with herb roasted potatoes and jicama slaw.


LORECARD_MUSTANGBBQ3

Wingz Platter - $20
For the vegetarians! 15 pc Wingz prepared three ways – Spicy, buffalo, and crispy fried. Served with jicama slaw and seaweed salad.

Sunken Harbor Surf and Turf - $22
A generously-sized vat-grown beef rib eye steak paired with a grilled skiver fillet, served with herb roasted potatoes and seaweed salad.


======== tutorialcard_000207 =====================

LORECARD_SETLIST

SET LIST
1) Hey Girl (Spaceships Couldn't Stop Me)
Talk: Rough breakup
2)You Afterburned Me
3) Battleframe Around My Heard
4)Crystite Queen
Talk: Great to play Sunken Harbor
5) Nine Year Winter (When I'm with you, I'm Warm)
6)Holmgang Hero
Talk: Finishing up
7) Wreck of the MIDAS
If Encore: Waiting for the Aegis


======== tutorialcard_000208 =====================

LORECARD_THEDAILYHOLMGANGER

THE DAILY HOLMGANGER

The seasonal quarterfinals got off to an exciting start on Monday when old rivals El Terremoto and Glass Mo went head to head in the first match. It’s always a thrill to watch fighters as on top of their games as these two, and fans were not disappointed. Glass Mo got off to an early lead, scoring several hits that left our favorite luchador reeling, but El Terremoto rallied and showed that nothing – not even neurotoxin – can keep a good ‘ganger down. After disabling Glass Mo’s jumpjets with a plasma blast, El Terremoto moved in for the win, knocking Glass Mo down and out with a concussion grenade and securing his place in the semifinals.


======== tutorialcard_000209 =====================

LORECARD_LTMARIAGARCIA1

A letter to Lt. Maria Garcia from her predecessor

Maria-
Congratulations on your promotion to lieutenant. The Sunken Harbor city guard is lucky to have you. As outgoing lieutenant, it is my responsibility to brief you on the problems plaguing our city. First of all, the Reapers. These men have always lived outside the law – they were gangsters before the Melding came. Now they style themselves as pirates, but that’s just another word for thug. They are thieves, smugglers, and kidnappers and I wish you the best of luck in dealing with them.


LORECARD_LTMARIAGARCIA2

You will also have the Chimera gang in Fortaleza Antigua to contend with. Their main business is SIN hacks, offering citizens an hour or two of bliss in exchange for their hard-earned credits and their long-term welfare. Over time, SIN hacks leave their users burned out and nearly vegetative. The group we deal with here is a satellite operation – I have heard that they are even more entrenched in Sertao.
-Commander Lucas Hidalgo


======== tutorialcard_000210 =====================

LORECARD_PADMACHOWDHURY

Private transmission from Accord Archivist Petty Officer Padma Chowdhury

Captain Fuller-
I have attached all files relevant to the Razorwind operatives known as Tarantus and Aliyan who, based on your description, I believe to be aliases for Esperanza and Julian Ramos. Like Tarantus and Aliyan, the Ramos siblings are twins and snipers by trade. They were born in 2173 in Barcelona to parents associated with the Spanish Resistance, and began work as spies against the European Union at an early age. Their association with the resistance brought them into contact with Serkan during the Crystite War, and they were part of the inner circle Serkan brought with him to Brazil in 2211.
-Petty Officer Chowdhury


======== tutorialcard_000211 =====================

LORECARD_GOHARDORGOHOME1

An excerpt from “Go Hard or Go Home: In the Wilderness with the Hero of Sertao” by Joan Linkletter

Typhon cuts an imposing figure. The general is well over six feet tall, with a steely buzz cut and eerily pale eyes; it’s easy to imagine this giant going head-to-head with Serkan. He is taciturn and no-nonsense. When he does speak, it’s with a thick accent that belies his Muscovite roots. When we stop and make camp for the night, the rest of the Hellhounds sit around the campfire and talk, winding down from a long day scouting Melding bubbles for survivors and thumping for rare resources. Typhon says nothing.


LORECARD_GOHARDORGOHOME2

Mourningstar, a chatty American engineer and Typhon’s second-in-command, fills me in – Typhon was separated from his teenaged daughter Natalia during the evacuation of Fortaleza. With this revelation, the purpose of our expedition becomes startlingly clear. With every bubble we map, every group of survivors we make contact with, it is Typhon’s hope that we grow closer to finding his daughter.


======== tutorialcard_000212 =====================

LORECARD_22NDCENTURY1

The Firefall: Part 1 – Excerpt from Aris Holden’s Complete History of the 22nd Century

The event most commonly known as the Firefall began on August 26th, 2178 at 2:45 UTC when the first meteorite, FA01, slammed into Queensland, Australia, killing 15 million people. The planet would continue to suffer a near constant bombardment as Earth passed through the Firefall asteroid field over the next four months.
The meteorites from the Firefall devastated the planet, obliterating population centers and creating massive tsunamis that wiped out coastlines across the globe. Within the first four months of the Firefall, Earth’s population plummeted from 16.8 Billion to 7.1 Billion. Within the decade, approximately 3 billion more people would also perish.


======== tutorialcard_000213 =====================

LORECARD_22NDCENTURY2_1

The Firefall: Part 2– Excerpt from Aris Holden’s Complete History of the 22nd Century

The deadliest impact during the Firefall was when FA23 struck the center of the Atlantic Ocean and created a mega-tsunami that decimated the coastlines bordering the North Atlantic. This tsunami completely wiped out the major metropolises of Boston, Miami, Casablanca and Lisbon as well as others.


LORECARD_22NDCENTURY2_2

The destruction wrought on Washington DC and the US Eastern Seaboard left a power gap that would lead to a series of long and bloody conflicts known as the Fall of the United States.
Manhattan was shielded by Long Island and the Hamilton and Whitestone Hurricane Seawalls that were built only decades prior. Although still suffering massive damage, it somehow managed to escape complete annihilation.


======== tutorialcard_000214 =====================

LORECARD_NIGATAREGISTER

Impact in Tokyo - The Niigata Register
September 16th, 2178

We are receiving reports that a very large meteorite has made impact just southwest of Tokyo. Initial reports are suggesting that the entire city has been lost. The impact was felt as far away as Hirosaki and a large plume of smoke can be seen from our offices in Niigata.
Attempts at contact with anyone within the city have so far been unsuccessful. The government has stated that they have begun preparations for a large scale search and rescue mission. We will update you with the latest news as we receive it.


======== tutorialcard_000215 =====================

CARD_TSUNAMIWARNING2

AN ASTEROID IMPACT HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

   ORIGIN TIME - 0240 AM EST 02 NOV 2178
 COORDINATES - 30.3 NORTH  43 WEST
MAGNITUDE   - 11.6

EVALUATION
A DESTRUCTIVE MEGA TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED BY THIS IMPACT.
RECOMMEND URGENT ACTION BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIVES.

ADDITIONAL MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.


LORECARD_TSUNAMIWARNING1

Tsunami Warning - November 2nd, 2178

NORTH ATLANTIC TSUNAMI WARNING
0250 AM EST MON NOV 02 2178

TO – CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
SUBJECT – URGENT IMPACT TSUNAMI WARNING

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AN URGENT TSUNAMI WARNING IS ISSUED FOR
ALL COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS


======== tutorialcard_000216 =====================

LORECARD_FIREFALLBUNKER

Announcing the premier showing of the FamiFortress Impact Shelter by Covington Wagner Industrial.

Is there a need for Impact Shelters?

YES, experts agree that a collision with the newly discovered asteroid field is inevitable and that an Impact Shelter is a requirement for ensuring that your Family remains safe. The FamiFortress protects against Thermal Radiation, Air Blasts, Impact Ejecta, Seismic Activity, and it can endure most Tsunamis.
Covington Wagner offers next week delivery and installation. Call 800.64.144 for pricing.


======== tutorialcard_000217 =====================

LORECARD_LUNARRESCUE

Lunar Colony Rescue Mission - March 22nd, 2187

Today is the 45th day of our search and rescue mission of the ESA lunar colonies. A team has discovered a new group of bodies. Initial autopsies are suggesting death from asphyxiation. Lieutenant Keller believes they dumped the O2 once they ran out of food. This is consistent with what we found last week. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that something happened to the growth chambers. While we on Earth were being bombarded by the Firefall, the colonists were stranded up here starving to death.
The majority of the colonists are still unaccounted for - we’ll continue to look for them until they’re found. But so far, it seems more and more like they just vanished off the surface.
- Captain Henry Barber, EUS Ushant


======== tutorialcard_000218 =====================

LORECARD_SIBERIA1

The Rise of Siberia: Part 1– Excerpt from Aris Holden’s Complete History of the 22nd Century

On August 15th, 2117, Siberia officially seceded from the Russian Federation and became the world’s first Techno-Monarchy under the rule of the Hyperintelligence AI most commonly referred to as ODIN.
At the time, the computing power of the most advanced Hyperintellegence constructs was estimated at the combined thought power of 800,000 adult human-beings. This astounding power, combined with the notorious Tallinn Breach in 2109, created a widespread fear of artificial intelligence and resulted in numerous international laws prohibiting the research and development of Hyperintellegence constructs. Most research programs were defunded or abandoned entirely.


======== tutorialcard_000219 =====================

LORECARD_SIBERIA2

The Rise of Siberia: Part 2– Excerpt from Aris Holden’s Complete History of the 22nd Century

Despite the potential dangers of Hyperintelligence AI, some radical political movements began looking to Hyperintellgence constructs with a more optimistic perspective. Chief among these was the Posthumanist movement based in Eastern Russia which for years had been very critical of the blatant corruption that ran rampant during the Uvarov Administration. In a well executed coup, the Posthumanists successfully obtained and launched a Hyperintelligence construct to act as a governmental entity.


LORECARD_SIBERIA3

The Organizational Directorate Integration Network (ODIN) went into immediate action, taking complete control of Eastern Russia’s defensive assets and then officially issuing a secession statement to Moscow. By using the warheads positioned in Siberia to leverage the threat of nuclear war with Russia, ODIN successfully locked itself in a cold war with Russia.
While Russia responded to the cold war by building up its military infrastructure in anticipation of war, Siberia instead went completely dark and isolated itself from the rest of world. To this day, it has only engaged neighboring countries three times; in every case, it was a surprise attack that completely overwhelmed its foes.


======== tutorialcard_000220 =====================

LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL1

Journal of Sergeant Monroe Rakes – Part 1 – March 30th, 2182

Three days, we've been sitting in the middle of the Utah desert.
Slept in this morning. I figured I deserved a few extra minutes. Besides, you get a spot on a Schwarzkopf for the night, you sure don't waste it. I got to have a nice bit of breakfast too; some lukewarm coffee with a fat piece of jerky I'd been saving.


LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL2

By the looks of it, today is gonna be a lot like yesterday. Just a whole lot of waiting for nothing. Command gathered an entire battalion out to the middle of nowhere and parked us right in front of a pitiful looking heap of crystite. No one can believe it. This entire battalion is babysitting a single mining crew. I don’t know what the hell Command is thinking.
Looks like there are some rain clouds coming in, that'll be new.


======== tutorialcard_000221 =====================

LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL3

Journal of Sergeant Monroe Rakes – Part 2 – March 31st

We’re finally pulling up stakes. Word is that we’re going south. Short while ago, another battalion showed up that we’ll be going with to the Grand Canyon. Apparently babysitting this crystite heap was just for show. Word is that we’re attacking the UMS and pushing them all the way back to Sonora.
The GA has been talking about taking Arizona back for years. And here I am, part of the company that’s gonna do it. Dad would be proud.


======== tutorialcard_000222 =====================

LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL4

Journal of Sergeant Monroe Rakes – Part 3 – April 3rd, 2192

We got our first taste of battle today. We were walking for a while, itching to take a break, when we marched right into an ambush. We knew those bastards were up in the hills watching us. We just didn't know where in those hills they were.
The ambush started when one of the younger guys; I think his name was Cliff or something, stepped on a landmine. After that, the UMS forces opened fire. It was complete chaos. Men were falling dead to the left and right of me. Those who were still alive were desperately scrambling for cover.


LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL5

The battle must’ve lasted for two hours until the second battalion was able to come over the back of the hillside and flank them. The casualties in my battalion were horrific. We were absolutely decimated by the UMS. /n/nI made it out alive, but I don’t know how.


======== tutorialcard_000223 =====================

LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL6

Journal of Sergeant Monroe Rakes – Part 4 – April 8th, 2192

We’ve finally reached the Grand Canyon. The UMS tried their damnedest to hold it but in the end they had no chance. We kept our distance while our Schwarzkopfs rained hell on them. We all cheered while we watched the big guns destroy the bridges that the UMS built across the canyon. When Command finally let us at them, they had nowhere to run. We killed every last one of those poor bastards. We pushed them back to the edge of the canyon and then pushed them in.
The north side of the canyon is now ours. Everyone has taken a vow; never again will the UMS step on this side of the canyon. Tonight we celebrate. Word is that tomorrow we’re crossing the canyon and taking back the rest of Arizona.


======== tutorialcard_000224 =====================

LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL7

Journal of Sergeant Monroe Rakes – Part 5 – April 30th, 2192

We’ve found ourselves in a stalemate. The bridges we erect are demolished as men cross them. The dropships we send are shot down before they reach the other side. When we do take land south of the Canyon, it’s lost within the hour. It’s apparent that just as the GA own the north side of the canyon, the UMS own the south... The gap between us is owned by the dead.


LORECARD_RAKESJOURNAL8

Rumors keep going around about new rigs coming with jumpjets. It sounds unbelievable to me, but the rumors just won’t die.
I’m gonna be part of a bridge run tonight. They put me in the first group. That’s the kind of stuff they usually save for rookies, so I’ve decided either someone doesn’t like me or this battalion is getting low on membership. I’m hoping for the best, but… Well, we’ll see.


======== tutorialcard_000225 =====================

LORECARD_APCOMM1

Correspondence from Alpha Prime – Part 1 – August 11th, 2215

Suzie,
We made it! I just woke up this morning in orbit over Alpha Prime. The cryosleep was not what I expected – in fact, it really doesn’t feel like sleep at all. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, seven years had passed by. When I thawed out, I felt nauseous and cold. Really cold. For the life of me, I can’t find a way to warm up. They say it’ll pass, but until then, it’s pretty miserable.


LORECARD_APCOMM2

I’m on the second group going down to the surface tomorrow. They say the Ichizoku Colony is already starting to look like a city. The CMS Ichizoku is already gone; they used every bit of it to build the colony. Once we’re all off the ship, they’ll dismantle it to build up the colony even more.
I can’t believe it’s been seven years, Suzie. It was less than a week ago that I saw you and felt the baby in your belly. And it breaks my heart that by the time you receive this message that baby will be eleven years old. Tell me what they’re like, what their favorite things are, who they look like. And for God’s sake, tell me if they’re a boy or a girl! Send my love to Shane.
Your loving sister,
Callie


======== tutorialcard_000226 =====================

LORECARD_APCOMM2

I’m on the second group going down to the surface tomorrow. They say the Ichizoku Colony is already starting to look like a city. The CMS Ichizoku is already gone; they used every bit of it to build the colony. Once we’re all off the ship, they’ll dismantle it to build up the colony even more.
I can’t believe it’s been seven years, Suzie. It was less than a week ago that I saw you and felt the baby in your belly. And it breaks my heart that by the time you receive this message that baby will be eleven years old. Tell me what they’re like, what their favorite things are, who they look like. And for God’s sake, tell me if they’re a boy or a girl! Send my love to Shane.
Your loving sister,
Callie


LORECARD_APCOMM3

Shane died a few years back. He was mining a crystite vein and got into a dispute over the claim. I’d like to say there was justice, but they never found the men who killed him. It’s been rough without him, but we’ve managed to make things work this far.
You’re always in my dreams, Callie. This distance has been harder on me than I expected.
I love and miss you terribly,
Suzie


======== tutorialcard_000227 =====================

LORECARD_APCOMM4

Correspondence from Alpha Prime – Part 3 – April 19th, 2224

Suzie,
I’m so sorry to hear about Shane. He was a good man and I’m sure he made a good father. Cal sounds like a handful. I like it. The pictures you sent of him made my day.
It’s been rough here. The Centauri Company demands a lot from us. It feels like everything we do here is for Earth. There’s already a growing resentment. I know a lot of people who tried to get a ride back to Earth aboard the CMS Victoria. But with the load of crystite it had on board, there weren’t enough seats.


LORECARD_APCOMM5

I’m not leaving though. Alpha Prime has become my home and I’m sure everything with the Company will eventually blow over.
I’ve met someone. We have a place just at the edge of the city. His name’s Walter, he’s an archaeologist. He’s not allowed to talk about his work, which I find incredibly odd. But other than that one quirk that he’s a great guy. He’s a sweetheart. You’d like him.
Thinking of you always,
Callie


======== tutorialcard_000228 =====================

LORECARD_APCOMM6

Correspondence to Alpha Prime – Part 4 – August 25th, 2228

Callie,
I am glad you have found someone. Love is something that I’ve tried again over the years, but no one’s been able to replace Shane. All these years later and being without him still carries the same sting. And to make matters worse, now I’ve lost Cal too. He’s headed your way aboard the CMS Victoria. He left two years ago looking for adventure. I begged him not to go but I guess I told him too many stories about you over the years. He can’t wait to meet you.
The great irony is that they’re saying the Arclight will be completed within a year. You haven’t heard about it. It’s a faster than light starship that was kept secret from the public until just a year ago. It will arrive at Alpha Prime before news reaches you.


======== tutorialcard_000229 =====================

LORECARD_ALFERO

Last transmission from Sergeant Alfero, Battle of Sertao, July, 2231

...Squad, listen up! Tech Sergeant Santos was able to access Chosen targeting systems, but we’re out of time! I’ve volunteered my rig as the new target. All of you get clear of my location, now! You only have a few seconds...I don’t wanna hear it, Rhodes, that’s an order! RUN!


======== tutorialcard_000230 =====================

LORECARD_ACCORDCOMMANDSERTAOBAT

Transmission from Accord Command, Battle of Sertao, July, 2231

We have visual confirmation of Serkan! All squads in the vicinity of coordinates 22JGK 542 410 converge on target. Use your maps, SIN coverage is still coming back online. Hellhounds are inbound. Support General Fedorov and cut off all escape routes. This is our chance!


======== tutorialcard_000231 =====================

LORECARD_DRJOSHI

Private message from Lab 16 Lead Researcher Doctor Joshi to Consul Nostromo, June, 2231

With all due respect, Consul Nostromo, I don’t think these minor fluctuations across SIN are anything to worry about.  Additionally, Director Bathsheba’s work here has been very helpful to our continuing development of arcfold tech, and losing her will cause significant delays. However, I understand the need to treat any threat to the Director seriously. Commander Novan will have likely escorted her back to WARCOM by the time you read this message. I only ask that you clear Director Bathsheba for return to Lab 16 as soon as safely possible.


======== tutorialcard_000232 =====================

LORECARD_BATHREARES

Private message from WARCOM Director Bathsheba to Consul Nostromo following the Battle of Sertao, September, 2231

Orestes, I know you feel this has to be done, but please reconsider. I know Sertao cost us. I have friends that I’ll never see again, but we beat them! We beat the Chosen! Their attack cost them countless bodies and their command structure. I understand the prudence of expanding recruitment of volunteers. The threat isn’t over, and battleframe pilots will always be needed, but what you’re suggesting is...I’m sorry, Orestes, but it’s wrong.


======== tutorialcard_000233 =====================

LORECARD_MOKIAO

Letter from Admiral Mokiao to Commander Hudson Fuller, November, 2231

Hudson, I’ve got good news. The Consul finished reviewing all the applicants and you came out in front, by a wide margin. And before you ask, yeah, I may have had a hand in that. Nostromo needs people he can absolutely trust with this new ARES Initiative. You’ve always been reliable and committed, and I’m proud to see you getting this responsibility. You’ll receive your orders soon. Oh, and be sure to leave your Commander pins in your locker. You won’t be needing them anymore, Captain Fuller.


======== tutorialcard_000234 =====================

LORECARD_JUICE

Hellhound member Jackie “Juice” Greene retells the fall of Serkan, October, 2231

Man, he had Mourningstar dead to rights. She was already barely standing, but then he turned to fire at the big man. Thing is, Typhon blew his afterburner right then to put himself between her and Serkan. Big, dumb, lucky-ass Russian, haha. He realized what was happening, changed his course with a little jet burst from the right side, and got in close. That dude already packs a punch, but with a battleframe... damn... Thing is, Serkan barely budged. The follow-up with that plasma shot did the trick, but man, scary thing was he was still moving a little on the ground. How the hell is anything that hard to kill?


======== tutorialcard_000235 =====================

LORECARD_SERTAOLOSSES

Unofficial assessment of losses following the Battle of Sertao, August, 2231

Admiral, I’m still fine tuning the numbers for you and General Fedorov, but I can at least give you an unofficial idea of what that fight in the desert cost us.
Civilian casualties were minimal. Not sure how we saved Dredge from that hellfire, but that saved a lot of lives. Hope somebody gets a medal.
I won’t sugar-coat the military losses. We lost half of our battleframe pilots. It really was that bad.
The Chosen hit Lab 16 hard. Doctor Joshi and a few others were able to hide in a vault and get out before suffocating, but everyone else was dead. This is really going to impact our joint projects with Omnidyne-M moving forward.


======== tutorialcard_000236 =====================

LORECARD_ORIGINALSIN1

From “Original SIN” by Doctor Simon Driessen, “The Human Network”, April, 2202

Crystite gave us the most significant upgrade to artificial neural networks since humans developed the first artificial intelligences in the late 21st century. Before the Crystite Wars, human-machine interaction was limited by human biology, but my testing with fighter pilots proved that our miracle rock was indeed the catalyst required to truly sync man and machine.
From this testing came another revelation. Several pilots in my test facility reported shared dreams, and claimed they infrequently caught glimpses and thoughts of their bunk mates’ neural activity. All were equipped with my new crystite based implants, and I realized that not only did crystite give us a conduit into a machine’s brain, but also the brains of our fellow humans.


======== tutorialcard_000237 =====================

LORECARD_ORIGINALSIN2

From “Original SIN” by Doctor Simon Driessen, “Limitations”, April, 2202

I was recently asked by a colleague if I’m disappointed that the Shared Intelligence Network requires so many uplinks. She even compared the limitations of SIN to the old cellular phone networks of centuries past. I told her the limitation is not the technology. The limitation is us.
I tried boosting the power of a prototype SIN array to allow for potentially unlimited neural access across the globe, but in testing this caused a lethal feedback spike. The crystite based hardware was fine, but we were unable to handle the load of so many connected minds.
If humans were better acclimated to implanted crystite this would not be an issue, but that would require pre-natal symbiotic development.


======== tutorialcard_000238 =====================

LORECARD_NEWLONDONTIMES

New London Times, February, 2202

SIN is unprecedented as far as information and communication infrastructure is concerned, and frankly, mystifying. This radically advanced crystite based technology emerged from seemingly nowhere; the public unaware of the joint project between Astrek and the Accord.
Incredibly, there have not been any medical complications with early adopters, something that SIN mastermind Dr. Simon Driessen claims is not surprising. The Times asked Dr. Driessen what kind of testing took place to ensure such a smooth transition of a new technology that requires complex surgery, but the doctor demurred, only stating that the technology had been rigorously tested at a dedicated Astrek facility. He would not say where this facility was.


======== tutorialcard_000239 =====================

LORECARD_ASTREKNEWSLETTER

Astrek Association Newsletter, August, 2207

The board of directors is proud to announce that, five and a half years after its launch, the Shared Intelligence Network (SIN) is now integrated with 85 percent of the world’s population!
Thanks to medical subsidies provided worldwide with the aid of the Accord, people from every corner of the globe are now equipped with implants that allow them instant and continuous access to the most advanced shared neural network in history! This is a time to celebrate a milestone that brings everyone closer in lasting understanding and peace.
We have merely scratched the surface of what SIN can do, but we will continue to not only push the boundaries of global communications, but unlock the grand potential of the human mind!


======== tutorialcard_000240 =====================

LORECARD_ENCRYPTEDWARCOMMESS

Encrypted WARCOM Message, Location Unknown, November, 2229

Dr. Fong has completed his dissection of the combatants emerging from the Melding called the Chosen. Physiology indicates they are human, but the most alarming discovery was that each subject had a SIN implant.
Since the arrival of the Chosen our existing networks have not experienced any intrusions, but if these implants were functioning normally while the subjects were alive then it’s possible they may have already been linked into our networks. The implants appear to be defunct, but with zero brain activity from the host that is to be expected.
I recommend we start looking into countermeasures immediately. We have a lot of defensive and threat detection systems tied into SIN, and a compromised SIN means a compromised Accord.


======== tutorialcard_000241 =====================

LORECARD_INDIGOPROPHET

From the Biography of Shigeru Ichizoku “The Indigo Prophet”, 2215

The most tragic thing to befall the legendary Kisuton mogul was not the destruction of Tokyo in the Firefall, or his bout with depression and attempted suicide during the rebuilding process, nor was it even the calamitous war that erupted shortly after Ichizoku pushed the boundaries of crystite power.
No, the greatest tragedy for a man that only yearned for peace and human redemption was when his nephew and only heir took over the company after Ichizoku’s disappearance in 2190, and subsequently turned Kisuton into one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the world.


======== tutorialcard_000242 =====================

LORECARD_CRYSTITEWARVETERAN

Interview with a Crystite Wars veteran, Dredge, 2230

It’s frustrating to be so damn old. Best I can do is sit here, drink the day away, and watch the world end.
Strange how every blessing is a curse, ya know? The Firefall was this sucker punch that turned out to be some sort of blessing when we started making things outta crystite, but then we took that blessing and started killing each other. Eight years we killed each other, and then we get another blessing: the damn Accord.
And then they built their miracle ship – hehe, some miracle. I remember the SIN feed of that crap coming out of the stars and covering our homes. Another sucker punch... ugh, I’m rambling on again. I need another drink.


======== tutorialcard_000243 =====================

LORECARD_ASHWORTHACCORDSPEECH

From Hadrian Ashworth’s speech at the Accord’s founding, August, 2198

This planet is our home, and a home worth loving, but it is also our prison and our curse. We so easily corrupt our perception of fellow humans when it suits our desires. We settle back into old ways when we have the answer to our repeating cycle of progress and stagnation right in front of us.
With the help of the Accord I hope to remind the world that we are a singular terrestrial species that has been given an incredible opportunity to become children of the stars. We cannot remain tribal savages, ravaging our homes and neighbors, just to live another day. It is time to come together and embrace the greatness that awaits us!


======== tutorialcard_000244 =====================

LORECARD_FACEOFTHEFUTURE

From “The Accord: Face of the Future”, 2223

The founding of the Accord ended the major tensions of the Crystite War in 2198, and the combined global efforts to colonize Alpha Prime in 2207 put tensions to rest permanently, or so it seemed.
Much of the Accord leadership was pulled from the elite ranks of the European Union, a faction of immense power and dubious reputation since the War of Reunification that followed the Firefall. The Accord now deals with constant pressure from guerilla fighters that associate the organization with years of oppression and bloodshed.
The Accord is far too powerful to be endangered by these guerilla factions, but it is a reminder that not everyone has forgiven two decades of violence.


======== tutorialcard_000245 =====================

LORECARD_EHRENREICH

Decrypted message from Omnidyne-M C.O.O Hans Ehrenreich to Admiral Nostromo, 2223

The Omnidyne board has agreed to allocate funds to build the ship proposed by you and Doctor Bathsheba. There will be a significant change to the plan, however. Omnidyne and Centauri Company shareholders strongly desire an arcfolding warship.
This is primarily motivated by growing concern over Hadrian’s eldest son, Tiberius. He has been incredibly reticent since his arrival on Alpha Prime as its governor. His last transmission was coupled with the departure of the CMS Victoria from Alpha Prime nearly 6 years ago.
Omnidyne and Centauri cannot afford to be in the dark concerning one of the greatest investments in human history. We need that arcfolding technology, and we need a show of strength so it is understood who controls Alpha Prime.


======== tutorialcard_000246 =====================

LORECARD_BATHSHEBAPSYCHEVAL

Psychiatric report on WARCOM Director Dr. Mitra Bathsheba, 2228

Subject feels considerable guilt over the arrival of invasive alien entity known as the Melding. Guilt stems from suspected cause of the invasion: a rift opened by the Arclight’s arcfolding drive. She feels that her designs have directly led to an extinction level event.
Subject is, however, internalizing this guilt in a proactive manner. She shows no signs of depression, and instead spends much of her time studying her own arcfold technology and the physiology of this alien invader, the Melding.
We see no reason to keep her from returning to her position as Director of WARCOM.


======== tutorialcard_000247 =====================

LORECARD_FIRSTCHOSENCONTACT1

Scouting report of first known Chosen contact, November 11, 2229

07:19 – Motion sensors triggered near northern Coral Forest Melding curtain. Movement too localized to be swelling of the Melding wall.

09:37 – Spotted unidentified humanoid in the rocks east of Thump Dump, directly in front of the curtain. Attempted to contact subject via SIN, but subject disappeared soon after.


LORECARD_FIRSTCHOSENCONTACT2

13:09 – Private Mendez volunteered to scale the cliff and investigate. He has not checked in for an hour. Remaining squad will investigate.

13:52 – Found body of Mendez. He died of blood loss from several rifle wounds. Type of rifle unknown. No other humanoids found on cliffs, but Private Wilks claims he saw figures on the other side of the curtain. This has not been substantiated.


======== tutorialcard_000248 =====================

LORECARD_SERKANREPORT

Report on Serkan to Consul Nostromo, May, 2230

Subject: Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan
Born: July 21, 2157
Viktor Tarhan first used the alias Serkan to gain great renown in his short career as a professional holmgang pilot before the Firefall. After the Firefall he fled with refugees across the Mediterranean and joined the West Africa Company as a PMC. Tarhan’s mercenaries were some of the most vicious fighters in the Crystite Wars.
Tarhan moved to South America after the wars and formed a guerilla faction that hounded the Accord until the arrival of the Melding. It is suspected that he died on M-Day. While it is possible that the Chosen combatant known as Serkan may be the same person, live capture is required to be certain.


======== tutorialcard_000249 =====================

LORECARD_ARESANNOUNCE

Announcing the ARES Initiative (A press release from the Copacabana Tribune, October 2231)

Our brave men and women gave it their all fighting the Chosen menace in Sertao, but order must be restored to New Eden if we are to honor the sacrifice of our courageous battleframe pilots. That’s where citizens like you can help. THE ARES INITIATIVE provides training and equipment to civilians interested in doing their part to keep New Eden safe! Whether you crave the excitement and adventure of the soldiering life or want to keep your homestead safe from alien wildlife, the ARES Initiative makes it possible with flexible assignments and excellent pay. As an ARES Initiative contractor, the choice is yours!
Speak to your local Accord recruiter for information on joining.


======== tutorialcard_000250 =====================

LORECARD_ARESREVIEW1

ARES Initiative internal review – January 2232

Consul-
The ARES Initiative is progressing well and our enlistment numbers are rising steadily. Pilots are being proactive in fulfilling bounties and responding to proximity alerts, and we have already seen a reduction in wildlife and bandit attacks around Coral Forest of roughly 20%. I expect these numbers to improve over time. Our efforts are progressing more slowly in Sertao due to a lack of recruits – I intend to dispatch some of our more capable ARES pilots to the region within the next month.


LORECARD_ARESREVIEW2

I am sure that you have heard reports of some contractors committing crimes and sullying the ARES brand – I assure you that these are isolated incidents, and the pilots responsible have been removed from the program and punished accordingly. My staff has done an excellent job at minimizing the bad press and the situation is under control.
-Captain Hudson Fuller


======== tutorialcard_000251 =====================

LORECARD_ARESREVIEW3

ARES Initiative Internal Review – June 2232

Consul-
The first recruits from the Amazon training facility arrived last week and are acclimating well to service in New Eden. I have thus far noticed that they are an insular bunch, forming teams among themselves and not connecting with other ARES contractors, but that’s not a problem for the moment. As long as they are fulfilling bounties and keeping the peace, I don’t think anyone will complain about their being introverted.
-Captain Hudson Fuller


======== tutorialcard_000252 =====================

LORECARD_ARESREVIEW4

ARES Initiative Internal Review – August 2232

Consul-
I understand your concern over the continued reports of crimes being committed by ARES contractors. Let me assure you that I share your displeasure and am taking steps to combat the issue. We have made significant changes to our recruitment process so that we are better equipped to weed out past and potential offenders.


LORECARD_ARESREVIEW5

We’ve also had reports of ARES pilots using Accord-distributed gear to enter Holmgang matches at Sunken Harbor. While this is not an ideal use of resources and causes more wear and tear to the frames, I don’t see the harm in letting the pilots blow off some steam as long as they aren’t entering illegal matches. They are, after all, responsible for their own repairs.
The Amazon pilots continue to outperform our civilian recruits at every turn. We’re all looking forward to the next class’s arrival in October.
-Captain Hudson Fuller


======== tutorialcard_000253 =====================

LORECARD_ARESCOMPLAINT

A complaint about the ARES Initiative’s recruitment methods

Another one gone! It’s those damn ARES recruiters, stealing our young people away with the promise of riches. We’ve had it hard since the Melding came – no one’s denying that – but there’s no faster route to an early grave than strapping into a battleframe and thinking you’re immortal because of it. Sure they say the Chosen are gone, but there’s still plenty of danger out there, and only fools chase terrorclaws. The Accord sends our kids back in body bags or they don’t send them back at all, and one day soon they’re going to come looking for recruits and find they’ve bled us dry.


======== tutorialcard_000254 =====================

LORECARD_ARESTEAMRECRUIT

ESTABLISHED ARES TEAM SEEKS NEW TALENT

\WE are a veteran team of ARES pilots, an experienced squad that works hard and parties harder.
YOU are a solo pilot with no baggage, ready to see the world and have the time of your life. You are quick on the trigger and a team player, always ready to cover your wingman’s back. MUST HAVE YOUR OWN BATTLEFRAME AND ARES CERTIFICATION.
COMPENSATION: Travel and living expenses covered, fair share of all profit.
SOUND GOOD? We are holding OPEN AUDITIONS in Copacabana to find a few good pilots to add to the squad. Come meet the team!


======== tutorialcard_000255 =====================

LORECARD_MAKINGTHEJUMP1

“MAKING THE JUMP,” published in CUTTING EDGE (Nov. 2227 edition) - Part 1

Arcfolding began as a purely theoretical exercise, initially proposed by the early 22nd Century theoretical physicist Kenneth Spig. The idea came to him, he said, in the form of a bedtime story – he was reading A Wrinkle in Time to his daughters and became so entranced with the idea of bending space that he stayed up the whole night working on a proof. Arcfolding, as Spig called his invention, worked on paper, but the amount of energy required for even small jumps posed an insurmountable barrier.
Of course, that was before the Firefall, and before the discovery of crystite.


======== tutorialcard_000256 =====================

LORECARD_MAKINGTHEJUMP2

“MAKING THE JUMP,” published in CUTTING EDGE (Nov. 2227 edition) - Part 2

The first practical arcfolding tests were conducted by Kisuton during the Crystite Wars. Simon Ichizoku aimed to develop the technology into an alternative to conventional troop transports that he could then auction off to the highest bidder. However, the early tests were disastrous: having conquered the energy barrier, engineers now had to contend with what Spig termed “the Jaunt.” Described as the absolute void between two points, the jaunt proved invariably fatal to any living creatures transported by arcfolding. Liquid water turned to jagged ice crystals. Organic matter was ripped to shreds. Several mice used in testing were reduced to, as one researcher put it, “hamburger meat.”
Arcfolding was, once again, sent back to the realm of theoretical physics.


======== tutorialcard_000257 =====================

LORECARD_MAKINGTHEJUMP3

“MAKING THE JUMP”, published in CUTTING EDGE (Nov. 2227 edition)  - Part 3

Astronomers discovered Alpha Prime in 2198 as the Crystite Wars were limping to a close. The original member nations of the Accord partnered with Omnidyne-M to begin immediate construction on a fleet of starships to bring the world’s riches to earth, but Omnidyne’s ships were slow: a round trip was projected to take fifteen years. Anyone who could crack arcfolding would be able to make it to Alpha Prime and back in a matter of days and challenge Omnidyne for the contract – or undermine the Accord entirely.


LORECARD_MAKINGTHEJUMP4

Of course, that was assuming Omnidyne didn’t crack it first. The corporation had a long reputation of recruiting scientific rising stars, and no star was brighter than Mitra Bathsheba’s. Then a doctoral student, Bathsheba brought tireless enthusiasm to the field. Her patented energy shield solution to the Jaunt secured the Accord contract for Omnidyne and ensured the partnership’s continued stability.


======== tutorialcard_000258 =====================

LORECARD_MASON1

Court reporter’s notes on the trial of Mason Chen (2226)

Mason Chen takes the stand quietly, without fuss. No one here doubts his guilt – he has already confessed to one of the greatest feats of industrial espionage the world has ever known. What remains to be seen is whether Chen’s arrest is the first of many. He is adamant that there were no other members of the Razorwind  syndicate embedded in Arclight Security  - but the prosecution is thus far unconvinced. No matter Chen’s sentence, there are likely to be shakeups at ArcSec in the coming months, if for no other reason than because a traitor was able to rise to the division’s top job.


======== tutorialcard_000259 =====================

LORECARD_MASON2

In Defense of Mason Chen – opening arguments by Harlan Sherwood, Esq. (2226)

The only thing Mason Chen is guilty of is a misspent youth – and how can we blame a man, an upstanding member of the community, for the sins of a child? He was orphaned at the hands of the European Union at age twelve, an impressionable age if there ever was one. Razorwind nurtured him when no one else would, and his affiliation with the gang should be considered a matter of pure survival – how else was a preadolescent to survive on the streets of Tangier?


LORECARD_MASON4

The facts are clear: Mason Chen has been a model citizen since 2210. His sixteen-year career with the Accord is defined by promotions and commendations from his commanding officers. While he may have planned the destruction of the Arclight, there is no proof that he ever made any moves to carry out that plan. At some point during his career, Mason’s loyalties shifted – surely, Razorwind’s brutal slaughter of his family is proof enough that by the time any of his crimes came to light, they no longer considered Mason one of their own.


======== tutorialcard_000260 =====================

LORECARD_MASON3

Fortaleza Police Ledger – Night of August 24th, 2226

Neighbors reported shots fired. Responding officers found the resident (Mason Chen) in his home, kneeling over the bodies of his deceased wife and son. Also at the scene were the corpses of several armed intruders. Mr. Chen explained that he had arrived home to find his family members deceased in the living room and was then ambushed. When asked whether he knew the attackers, Mr. Chen identified them as members of the crime syndicate “Razorwind,” of which he said he was a former member.  Mr. Chen then requested to be taken into custody, claiming to have information on a potential terrorist attack.


======== tutorialcard_000273 =====================

LORECARD_BATHSHEBAFONGLETTER

A letter from Dr. Mitra Bathsheba to Dr. Aurelius Fong, July 2229

Aurelius-
Even if we could recreate the Arclight event– what would the point be? I know that you’re curious, but opening that rift again would likely only worsen our situation here on Earth. I will continue my research on small-scale arcfolding, but after the destruction of the Arclight crash, I don’t think it prudent that we rush back into attempting folds of that magnitude. I am confident that we will someday discover how and why the Melding appeared, but we need to proceed carefully.
-Mitra


======== tutorialcard_000274 =====================

LORECARD_BATHSHEBAKARALETTERS

Recent correspondence between Dr. Mitra Bathsheba and Lt. Cmdr. Kara Novan

Kara-
I don’t like the look of these signals. This is the largest activity spike we’ve seen since the Battle of Sertao. Regardless of what the Accord says, we should be prepared for an attack by the Chosen.
-Mitra

Mitra-
I agree. I’ll make preparations.
-Kara


======== tutorialcard_000280 =====================

LORECARD_ACAPELLA

A Ca-Astrek, Andreev Station’s premiere (and only) a capella group, is holding open auditions! If you’re interested, prepare a sixteen-bar selection (20th-22nd century pop songs preferred!) and come to the employee lounge on Tuesday night at 7 pm. If you are selected for the group, you must be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm to 10pm for rehearsal. We have an exciting season planned, including a sing-off against the Omni-Dynamics from Lab 16 and a concert in Copacabana, but you have to make the ensemble in order to participate!


======== tutorialcard_000281 =====================

LORECARD_GUNMETALJACK

Notice of Termination from Cognac Mining Company, December, 2231

Jonathan “Jack” Gunnerson, your employment with Cognac Mining Company has been terminated due to your repeated involvement in the theft of several crates of Astrek medical stimulants. This continued breach of company policy will not be tolerated. Cognac Mining Company cannot abide stimulant abuse or behavior that jeopardizes our partnership with Astrek Associations.
Your final paycheck has been adjusted to account for the losses to Cognac Mining Company caused by your actions.


======== tutorialcard_000282 =====================

LORECARD_DUNEMARTYRS1

Journal Entry by Dr. Ignacio Alvarez “Martyrs of the Dunes”, November, 2232

I’ve been having the nightmares again. I keep seeing it over and over again. Luther Andreev and his wife Tatiana watching the Accord soldiers fall to a Chosen ambush. Luther moves in and grabs one of the dropped rifles, and steps in between the Chosen and the refugee convoy from Dredge. He manages to kill one of the Chosen before the others tear him apart in a hail of gunfire. Tatiana screams, and picks up another rifle. She manages to kill a Chosen soldier before they turn their weapons on her. Boris, their son, was still recovering from the shrapnel hit he took earlier and could do nothing but watch.


LORECARD_DUNEMARTYRS2

Their sacrifice bought the convoy enough time for an Accord gunship to arrive on scene and finish off the Chosen. I suppose I shouldn’t call it a nightmare. So many awful things happened at the Battle of Sertao, and what I witnessed was a moment of heroism by two people who had everything they ever wanted, and sacrificed themselves to protect the less fortunate.

I worry about Boris. It’s been over a year since it happened, and it changed him. I shouldn’t be surprised. Watching your parents die would change anyone, but he refuses to attend to his duties as an Astrek executive. All he does is train with weapons, vehicles, and battleframes. What is he training for?


======== tutorialcard_000283 =====================

LORECARD_ANTONHALLMISSIVE1

Emergency Missive to Andreev Station from Anton Hall, March, 2231

Accord Command has confirmed that Sertao’s SIN has been compromised by unknown attackers. We suspect it may be the Chosen. I want the staff at the Driessen SIN array doubled immediately and working on the problem. I want our security staff bolstered as well. Hire mercenaries in the meantime if you need to.


LORECARD_ANTONHALLMISSIVE2

Luther, Tatiana, and Boris Andreev were in Dredge helping at the homeless shelter. Arrange a secure space for them with guards on duty 24 hours a day.

All current and future construction plans for the Andreev station are now on hold! This is not a drill. Inform your loved ones to seek secure shelter immediately until we know more from the Accord.


======== tutorialcard_000284 =====================

LORECARD_NUTRETICTASTE

Introducing an exciting new opportunity from Nutretic Processing!

Nutretic is currently seeking flavor testers for our 2234 lineup of nutripaste and calorie wafer flavors, featuring exciting tastes such as “Philadelphia Roll,” “Chocolate Peanut-Butter,” and “Liver and Onions.” Interested citizens can apply via SIN by submitting a copy of their Accord-issued ID card, as well as a demographic survey and a safety wavier!
Warning: Nutretic products may contain major allergens such as soy, peanuts, gluten, and shellfish. Participation in this trial is at your own risk.


======== tutorialcard_000285 =====================

LORECARD_NEIGHBORHOODWATCH

Citizens of Dredge! The Accord may have withdrawn from our community, but we must not give ourselves over to lawlessness! In this time of turmoil, it is up to us to prove that we are capable of self-governance. Join the Dredge Neighborhood Watch and keep our city safe! Do not assume that strangers mean well, and report all suspicious activity to Sheriff Nasseri.


======== tutorialcard_000286 =====================

LORECARD_WASTEWATER

NOTICE: This area is restricted! Untreated wastewater and refuse may be hazardous to your health. If you observe unsafe conditions at this work site, please inform the Dredge Department of Municipal Resource Management. Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!

REMINDER: The Dredge Department of Municipal Resource Management is not responsible for injuries, illnesses, or spontaneous mutations contracted through unlawful access to this site.


======== tutorialcard_000287 =====================

LORECARD_ARJUNSINGH

From the Crystite War Memoirs of Deputy Arjun Singh

We spent all of June 2193 on the southern front waiting for the Indians to move. There was a major crystite deposit north of our position near Gobardiya, and we expected them to make a run for it, but the Himalayas are tough territory. They knew that we knew the mountains better than they did, and they thought they could wait us out. Well, I guess they got tired of waiting, because just after midnight on July first, the air raid sirens started wailing. I raced to man our post’s AA gun, while my buddy Raj started sighting planes.  I took the first one over the ridge out, sent it spiraling down into the mountains in flames. Second one started dropping shells on us, but I stuck to my gun. It looped back around to hit us again, and I shot it out of the sky.


======== tutorialcard_000288 =====================

LORECARD_MINEJOB

Workers wanted! Great pay + benefits! Background in mechanical upkeep a bonus but not essential – we will train you on the job. Do your part as a citizen of New Eden and take your place in the supply line, making sure that humanity’s appetite for crystite is met! Crystite mining is safe and profitable, with plenty of opportunities for upward mobility. Contact Garett Murdock for more information.


======== tutorialcard_000289 =====================

LORECARD_COPADREDGELETTER

Recent correspondence from a resident of Copacabana

Dear Kaity,
It made me SO happy to hear from you! To be honest, I’ve been lonely in Copa. Marcus has all his friends, but it’s been hard for me to connect with people. I feel like people judge me as soon as they hear I’m from Dredge – it’s like they think everyone back home is a criminal! Marcus says that I’m being too sensitive, but part of me wonders if moving was a mistake. Everything is so expensive, the food is weird, and the humidity  is making my hair frizz up. Maybe I should just dump him and come home.
Please write again soon – I am literally starving for conversation over here.
All my love, Delta


======== tutorialcard_000290 =====================

LORECARD_POLICEREPORTNASSERI

Police Report filed by Sheriff F. Nasseri

Police responded to reports of suspicious activity on the east road. Seized 20kg contraband, primarily Chosen relics. When will these tourists learn? Perpetrators were fined 1000 credits  each and sentenced to two days detention.


======== tutorialcard_000291 =====================

LORECARD_HOLMGANGAD

An Advertisement for a Holmgang Match

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! See LAYLA LAWLESS take on THE DESTRUCTIONATOR in a BATTLE FOR DOMINANCE at THE PIT. No holds barred, all or nothing, winner takes all! SOMEONE is going to end the night in a med ward – COME FIND OUT WHO.

10 Credits  gets you in the door! Pre-show concert by Dredge’s own DUST NATION, hot off their sold-out Coral Forest tour! We’ll be grillin’ dawgs and pourin’ cold ones all night (for an additional fee)!


======== tutorialcard_000292 =====================

LORECARD_ARESPERSONNEL1

ARES Personnel Report, March, 2232

ARES 35, real name Cyric Van Houten, is officially MIA, presumed dead. No body or battleframe has been recovered. ARES 36, Catrina “Scarlet” McIver, a known associate of Van Houten, was found unconscious in a rocky outcrop in the Sea of Dunes. She claims Van Houten attached a SIN scrambler to her battleframe to bait Chosen to her location while he attempted to steal an Accord shipment. Her battleframe was inspected, and the SIN scrambler claim does check out.


LORECARD_ARESPERSONNEL2

Another associate of theirs, ARES 37, William “Wiley” Wiles, has gone AWOL since the incident. Accord MPs are currently looking for him, and all garrisons in New Eden have been notified to detain him for questioning. Ms. McIver is not facing punitive action, and will return to active duty following her medical leave. Due to his actions and his being missing or dead, Cyric Van Houten has been stripped of ARES status.

The designation ARES 35 is now available.


======== tutorialcard_000293 =====================

LORECARD_COGNACNASSERI1

Messages between Sheriff Nasseri and Cognac, May, 2232

Cognac,
You got another nickname you can give people, Cognac? I’ve gotten 3 harassment reports this week alone over this whole “Cupcake” name you like to toss around. One of my deputies just quit—says she’s going to join ARES. I know you loved calling her that tiny dessert, and I’d hate to think I’m losing good people because you feel the need to use demeaning pet names. I can’t do anything official, but knock it off, please.
Nasseri


LORECARD_COGNACNASSERI2

Sheriff Nasseri,
Now, c’mon Sheriff, you know that’s just how I talk when I get comfortable with folks. Your deputy helped me with some troublesome Buzzards. I had no designs for that young lady outside of some good-natured friendly banter. I ain’t lookin’ for trouble, cupcake.
Cognac


======== tutorialcard_000294 =====================

LORECARD_GOHARDMOURNINGSTAR1

An excerpt from “Go Hard or Go Home: In the Wilderness with the Hero of Sertao” by Joan Linkletter

After several weeks in the field, it is clear to me just how much Mourningstar embodies the heart of the Hellhounds. She is Typhon’s closest confidante, interpreting his long silences and stormy moods. She is a friend to the entire squad, quick with a joke one minute and compassion the next. This is taxing ground we’re covering, but she is remarkably adept at keeping spirits high.


LORECARD_GOHARDMOURNINGSTAR2

I try my best to tease biographical details out of her, though she protests that my book is about the General. Her name is Giselle Amberden, though she seldom goes by it. I have guessed from her accent that she’s American – she clarifies that she’s from “a nothing town, nowhere you’ve ever heard of.” Typhon pulled her out of a power plant a few weeks past M-Day. “In America?” I ask.

“No,” she says, “I was in Brazil by then.”

So: she’s a cypher, to say the least.


======== tutorialcard_000295 =====================

LORECARD_HELLHOUNDSSINLOG1

SIN chat between Hellhounds members G.Amberden [Alias: Mourningstar] and J.Greene - Log 1 of 2

J.GREENE@7:45.AM: So that Yuki Lin chick who came down from OCT...
G.AMBERDEN@7:45.AM: What about her?
G.AMBERDEN@7:46.AM: You thinking of asking her out?
J.GREENE@7:47.AM: Yeah. We could go down to Dredge... get drinks, see a Holmgang match... She seems like a Holmgang kind of girl, right?
G.AMBERDEN@7:48.AM: With those tattoos? Definitely.  Go put the moves on her. But only the good moves.
G.AMBERDEN@7:49.AM: That thing you do with your eyebrow is a BAD move, by the way.


======== tutorialcard_000296 =====================

LORECARD_HELLHOUNDSSINLOG2

SIN chat between Hellhounds members G.Amberden [Alias: Mourningstar] and J.Green - Log 2 of 2

J.GREENE@10:45.AM: Heyyyyyyyyyyy, best friend.
G.AMBERDEN@10:50.AM: Yes......?
J.GREENE@10:51.AM: So I’ve got this evening patrol assignment on Sunday that’s looking really inconvenient...
G.AMBERDEN@10:53.AM: She said yes????
G.AMBERDEN@10:59.AM: DON’T LEAVE ME HANGING.
J.GREENE@11:00.AM: I wouldn’t need you to take my patrol if she hadn’t said yes.
G.AMBERDEN@11:01.AM: Anything you need.
G.AMBERDEN@11:02.AM: Who am I to stand in the way of looooooove, after all?
G.AMBERDEN@11:02.AM: DON’T DO THE EYEBROW THING.


======== tutorialcard_000297 =====================

LORECARD_ABANDONEDPROPERTYOCT

FROM: Y.LIN@Kisuton.Corp
TO: OCT.Staff@Kisuton.Corp
RE: Property Abandoned at OCT

Since the evacuation, several people have approached me regarding personal effects left behind in the labs at OCT. While I respect that your action figures, family photos, and novelty mugs are all very important to you, PLEASE do not return to the OCT site to recover your property. The area is dangerous and still subject to Chosen raids. Accord security teams will be clearing out the labs one at a time and delivering items to FOB Sagan as they are recovered. You will be notified when your belongings are ready for pickup.


======== tutorialcard_000298 =====================

LORECARD_WESTAFRICA5

Journal of a West Africa Company Marine – Part 3
April 2192

By the time the rest of my guys caught up to me, the battle was over. We had secured the beach and cleared it for the engies to come in and start harvesting Gibraltar's crystite. The WAC didn’t send in any more dropships with reinforcements. They didn’t even take out the wounded. All they wanted was the damn rock- to hell with the rest of us.

I was the last one left in my platoon, so HQ reassigned me to a new one. I heard they were fighting the Euros on the north side of Gibraltar and wouldn’t be there until the next day. I just wanted to go home.


LORECARD_WESTAFRICA6

That night, I saw the EUS Orion. It was just floating up there, taunting us. It was two days later that the attack came. It was a massive assault. The Euros retook the island in only a few hours. The WAC ordered the marines to stay behind while the workers and equipment were evacuated. They told us they were coming back, but when we realized they weren’t, everyone scrambled to try and escape before the Euros overran us. Some men ran south, some hid, and some even started swimming away.

Me? I was done fighting. One battle and already it had left a bitter taste in my mouth that I knew I’d never get rid of. So, when the Euros found me, I just threw down my weapon, surrendered, and prayed for their mercy.


======== tutorialcard_000299 =====================

LORECARD_GREMLINS1

Disciplinary Report from Cpl. Kamal Rasheed, 2233

Private Werth and Private Sharma will be spending the next month cleaning the latrines after they were caught feeding several pounds of military rations to the local wildlife.

This last Sunday the platoon was enjoying some old films from the 20th century on our SIN video stream. Apparently Werth and Sharma watched a film about some mischievous bunch of creatures that share the same name as one of Sertao’s wild locals, the gremlin. Shortly after viewing this film Werth and Sharma raided the company stores and stole approximately a dozen pounds of rations, which they took out into the desert to feed to one of the gremlins.


LORECARD_GREMLINS2

The gremlins in the movie they described were relatively small and scrawny. The gremlins of Sertao, however, are very large, brutish, and incredibly dangerous. Privates Werth and Sharma entered the desert without their rifles and attempted to approach one of these creatures offering food. Sharma made it back to base with a few lacerations, but the surgeon is currently trying to re-attach Werth’s right arm.

When I asked Sharma what would inspire such foolish action he told me they wondered if the gremlin would replicate if they fed it after midnight.

I am currently investigating whether or not a significant amount of alcohol was imbibed that evening.


======== tutorialcard_000300 =====================

LORECARD_YUKIVIBOL1

Private Message from Vibol Soun to Yuki Lin, 2233

Hey Yuki, one of the security teams came back from OCT with a datavault containing the most recent transmissions pulled from the tower before we evacuated. There was something very interesting on it. Found a short, encrypted transmission—no idea what it says, but the signature seems to be Accord, maybe Centauri Company.  Weird, though, if it’s from one of ours why would it be encrypted?


LORECARD_YUKIVIBOL2

The really interesting thing is the level of encryption. This is crypto I’ve never seen. Never. I sent a copy to a code breaker buddy of mine in Accord Intelligence. He thought it was some sort of prank, a bogus transmission, and said he would keep it just to spite me, haha.

Now here’s where it gets crazy. He calls me up the next day to inform me that WARCOM showed up and confiscated everything he had pertaining to that transmission signal. Now why would WARCOM want some deep space transmission embedded in never-seen-before crypto, I wonder?


LORECARD_YUKIVIBOL3

I got another copy, if you’re interested. I think, given the circumstances, I gotta charge triple my normal fee. If WARCOM thinks it’s so important I’m sure you know it’s worth it, Yuki.


======== tutorialcard_000301 =====================

LORECARD_BATHSHEBAOBITUARY

An Obituary for Dr. Mitra Bathsheba, by Dr. Rina Joshi

The Firefall forced humanity to adapt as never before and become our most brilliant selves. None exemplified this better than Dr. Mitra Bathsheba, whose passing earlier this month at the hands of the Chosen fills me with deep, deep sorrow.
\Mitra was a valued friend and mentor to all of us at Lab 16, but to me especially. Early in my career at Omnidyne, I had the immense privilege of working as her research assistant on the Arclight project. Mitra’s passion for science and discovery knew no bounds. Those of us working under her supervision were inspired by her enthusiasm – but also by her tireless work ethic. If anyone on the team had to work a late night, we could count on Mitra to be there as well. She exemplified not only what it meant to be a scientist, but also what it meant to be a leader, and she will be deeply, deeply missed.


======== tutorialcard_000302 =====================

LORECARD_NEWZEALAND1

The Nine Year Winter in New Zealand – Part 1
January 8th 2184

Jemaine

Thank you for your letter. When we last parted ways, I was worried I’d never hear from you again. I am glad to find that I was wrong. And I am glad to hear of your good fortune over the last year. Hopefully, some of your luck will find its way to us.

Unfortunately, this year has been much worse than that last. We have almost completely run out of food. As you can imagine, Dunedin has become a ghost town. Only a quarter of those that didn’t leave are still alive.


======== tutorialcard_000303 =====================

LORECARD_NEWZEALAND2

The Nine Year Winter in New Zealand – Part 2
January 8th 2184

Temperatures rarely rise above freezing these days. The last time I saw the sun was almost 4 years ago. I tried to see if I could leech some power from the solar fields yesterday, but I can barely get a read on the sparkies to see if they're still working.

The old coal power plant near Highcliff isn’t worth the stone it’s made of. There it sits, rusting and crumbling like a decaying corpse. There are still large piles of coal lying all around it, but the generators were sold for scrap metal decades ago. I find it ironic how the decisions of the past come back to haunt us. We saved the Earth only to damn ourselves.


LORECARD_NEWZEALAND3

We haven’t had any form of power for over two years now. Most of my medical equipment has become useless. There’s no electricity for lights or to heat our homes. We cut down the last of the nearby trees for firewood nearly five months ago, and now we’re running out of homes that still have wooden frames. I’m beginning to wonder how much longer we can last without help.


======== tutorialcard_000304 =====================

LORECARD_NEWZEALAND4

The Nine Year Winter in New Zealand – Part 3
January 8th 2184

We’ve requested support from Wellington and the North Island. Medical supplies, food, evacuation, anything. But we’ve heard bugger all in response. From what we can tell in our radio communications with Christchurch and Nelson, it appears that the North Island has deliberately abandoned us.


LORECARD_NEWZEALAND5

There are rumors that the Kiwis are at war with the Aussies. I am hoping that you will tell me this is false. I just cannot believe the rumors to be true. It makes no sense, Jemaine. Why on Earth would we be at war with Australia?

I hope this letter and the man carrying it reaches you safely. Share my love with Susan. And if you can, please send any supplies you can spare.
God Bless,
Murray Grant


======== tutorialcard_000305 =====================

LORECARD_GREERTOINDEXER

Message from Dexter Greer to the Indexer, 2233

I apologize for the sudden relocation, but when it comes to securing the company’s most important assets I don’t trust anyone else. Hope you like Lab 16. Personally, that forest makes me break out in hives.

Speaking of securing assets, there was another reason I sent you there: Doctor Rina Joshi. She is of great value to us, and I know that the recent death of Doctor Bathsheba is weighing on her considerably. Keep an eye on her, and send me reports on her behavior and performance. I understand if that seems like a strange request, but she has a lot of pride, and this feels odd to say, but I’d like to know if I should offer her vacation time. I doubt she would request it herself, even if she needs it.


======== tutorialcard_000306 =====================

LORECARD_JOSHILETTER1

Letters from Rina Joshi to Dexter Greer, 2233

Mr. Greer,
Why am I just finding out about the incident with the Arcfield Stabilization Matrix? You asked me to help the Accord at WARCOM, and while I’m gone a notorious terrorist destroys one of our most promising new ventures into arcfolding technology? And I hear about it second hand from a tech at WARCOM over a week later. I should have been the first person to know!

Who authorized Mason Chen’s access to Lab 16? Actually, who the hell let him out of his cell in the first place, and why is he running around with elite ARES pilots and top Accord brass!? This man once attempted to sabotage the Arclight, and now we’re just letting him strut into our labs to destroy whatever he pleases? I deserve some answers!


LORECARD_JOSHILETTER2

Mr. Greer,

I apologize for my unprofessional tone in the previous letter. As I’m sure you know my mentor passed away a couple days ago. This is a difficult time.

Since then I was made aware of Mason Chen’s tactical understanding of our enemy, and that the destruction of the Arcfield Stabilization Matrix was necessary to keep it away from the Chosen. Again, I apologize.

Dr. Rina Joshi


======== tutorialcard_000307 =====================

LORECARD_WILEYSNEWNUMBER

Private Communication between ARES 323, “Wiley,” and ARES 36, "Scarlet"

My lovely Scarlet,
It’s a lost cause. I’m not ARES 37 anymore, and finding the new ARES 37 and beating them up would reflect poorly on me. I ran my final exams on the Arclight yesterday (passed with flying colors) – so allow me to introduce the newly-minted ARES 323, aka, yours truly.  I’ll be on my way to join you in Sertao shortly – got a bit of business to take care of in Copacabana. Nothing illegal. I’m done with all that.


LORECARD_WILEYSNEWNUMBER2

Interesting bit of gossip, though - we had a couple of ARES recruits in our training class towards the end who’d done most of their training somewhere else. They were all a bit socially awkward, but nice enough, and damn – they were skilled. Never missed a shot.

See you soon,
Wiley


======== tutorialcard_000308 =====================

LORECARD_DELACROIXINTERNSHIP

Are you looking for a way to earn additional income? Do you find yourself constantly searching for a way to impress Chimera leadership? Do you want to unlock the full potential of SIN to gain superhuman qualities? Apply today for an internship under Doctor Delacroix!

Doctor Delacroix is looking for earnest members of Chimera to help him continue his groundbreaking research into SIN.
-    Little-to-no experience is required.
-    This is an unpaid position.
-    Applicants may be required to participate in the testing of SIN oriented trials.
-    Please include a CV and cover letter detailing what lengths you are willing to go to in the name of science.


======== tutorialcard_000309 =====================

LORECARD_CULTISTPROP

THE END IS UPON US! MAKE PEACE WITH THE MELDING!

There are those who wish doom upon your soul. Those who spread lies and fear about the reality of the world we live in. Those who will force you to die as a cog in their bloody war machine.

FEAR NOT!
There is salvation from this wicked world and, believe it or not, it is all around us!
It is the Melding that offers you salvation!
Only the Melding can save you from complete and utter doom. The truth has been revealed and made apparent. It is up to you to spread it to the world!
If you know this to be true, join us for a communal fellowship at-----


======== tutorialcard_000310 =====================

LORECARD_WESTAFRICA1

Journal of a West Africa Company Marine – Part 1
April 2192

\We left port on a full dropship. Twenty men. Hell, it was more like five men and fifteen boys. My brother had already done a few runs on Gibraltar. He kept telling me how the waters were red with blood and the beaches were crushed bone instead of sand. I thought he was only trying to scare me. I was surprised to discover he wasn't entirely lying.


LORECARD_WESTAFRICA2

We landed on the eastern shore. We had almost completed our foxholes and forward encampments when they attacked. Out of nowhere, incendiary mortar rounds started falling all around us. All I could do was hunker down and hope I didn’t get hit. The screams were nearly more than I could take as I watched my platoon burn to death.

As soon as the mortars stopped, I was pulled out of my foxhole and pushed at the oncoming enemy. I’m still not sure who got me moving, but I can still remember his voice – “Fire your gun until you die, Keita!”

So, that’s what I did.


======== tutorialcard_000311 =====================

LORECARD_WESTAFRICA3

Journal of a West Africa Company Marine – Part 2
April 2192

Plasma rounds and bullets shot past me, nearly burning my ears off as I ran up the embankment. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I didn’t even see the enemy. I just fired my gun ahead of me and reloaded without thinking. All the while, I waited for one of those bullets coming my way to hit me and end it all.

I only realized I was alone when I reached the top of the hill. I stopped to catch my breath. That’s when I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye. On reflex, I turned and unloaded my clip.


LORECARD_WESTAFRICA4

It was an old man. He had to be at least sixty. I couldn’t tell if he was a Neo-Dixie or a Euro. One of my shots must have hit his hydraulics because one of the legs on his frame kept twitching like it was trying to run. The shot that count was just above the man’s chest guard, in the base of his neck.

He lay there dying for a while. I couldn’t help but just stare. I’m sure we both had the same expression on our faces: What the hell were we doing there?


======== tutorialcard_000312 =====================

LORECARD_SCARLETTOATTAH1

Report from ARES 36, “Scarlet”, to Tecumseh Sgt. Attah, 2233

The good news, Sergeant, is that Omnidyne-M Indexer fellow showed up the other day, and his modifications to the Lab 16 defense grid have made it more difficult for the Chosen already up here to come south and harass the road to Tecumseh Airbase.

However, you still got a heap of the pale buggers coming from the south. They’re wrapping around your airbase, love, and making it hell for me to make the last leg of your supply runs a safe one. I’ve requested more help from Lab 16, but right now I can’t do much past a few skirmishes and scouting missions.


LORECARD_SCARLETTOATTAH2

A friend of mine named Wiley will be joining me soon. You can call him ARES 323, but not to worry, love, he’s far more experienced than the designation suggests. Unfortunately, that Indexer fellow has him watching out for that big, underground power plant you lot built up here.

I know you’re all pulling out for Devil’s Tusk, love, but if you don’t put a plug in the flow of Chosen coming from the south you’ll be landing on that island with no biscuits for your tea. I’ll keep pestering Lab 16 for some more help, but I could also use a little help from your side as well.


======== tutorialcard_000313 =====================

LORECARD_LEOLAREX

Private message from Ikinya to Leola Rex

What the hell are you doing, Leola?!
Do you have any idea what it took for me to secure that deal with Astrek? Do you know how many months it took me to convince them to even sit down with me?! The deal I got them to sign off on would have made us incredibly rich.
But you had to go and ruin it, just like you always do. I don’t know what kind of demon you have inside of you that makes you act like a complete idiot time and time again, but you need to stop. If you continue to undermine the welfare of Chimera, I will not hesitate to remedy the situation you have created.

- Ikinya


======== tutorialcard_000314 =====================

LORECARD_LRTOIKINYA

Private messsage from Leola Rex to Ikinya

Ikinya, you’re beginning to remind me of one of those little dogs that bark at what they should be running away from. Do you not realize that I could eat you whole? Are you forgetting who holds the power in our little arrangement?
Let me remind you: You are the middle man. Nothing more.
I have the guns. I have the soldiers. I have the power. Never forget this.

-L.R.


======== tutorialcard_000315 =====================

LORECARD_THEGOAT1

Private message from Ikinya to the GOAT

Dewey, I’ve got the Accord sticking their noses around here again. What did you get us into this time, old friend? I know you think what you’re doing is important. I know you want to expose them for what they are. But maybe just give it a rest for a few months, huh? The last thing we need is the Accord on our asses too.


LORECARD_THEGOAT2

The truth is, I need you out here. Leola is out of control. It's like she’s trying to start a fight with anyone she can find. I’m doing my best to keep her in line, but I’m getting worse at it as time goes on.

I’m beginning to think that I need to do something drastic. I’d like you with me on this, but if not- Well, hopefully, it doesn’t come to that.

-Ikinya


======== tutorialcard_000316 =====================

LORECARD_IKINYATOTROJAN

Message from Ikinya to Trojan, 2233

Look, Trojan, nobody can hack an encrypted dataverse through SIN like you can. But you’re drawing too much heat. I said keep tabs on any R&D they do with new SIN implants. I did not tell you to start snooping around in every little Lab 16 pet project. I need you to tone it down.

Funny thing, though, Davis Royer gave me a call and said he might be needing some off-market SIN implants. I guess the attention you brought also stirred us up a little business. But hey! That doesn’t mean you should go diving back into an Omnidyne Special Projects database. At the very least, stop getting traced. You’re better than that.


======== tutorialcard_000317 =====================

LORECARD_REPORTTOIKINYA1

Report to Ikinya, 2233

Heya, Bossman, thought you might wanna know this. I had a surprising SIN ID pop up on the grid just an hour ago, and then disappear. You remember ‘ol Desmond Ratner? Dude was a little weird, but was an absolute wiz at modifying SIN implants. I’m guessing you remember how he just vanished around a year ago. I swear I saw his ID pop during a routine scan.


LORECARD_REPORTTOIKINYA2

The source was one of those old deserted facilities outside Sertao. It’s a no-go zone for us—lots of Rebels in that area. The signal was only up for a moment, though. Not long enough to make contact. Anyway, thought you should know, Bossman. I know Chimera thinks Desmond’s dead, and maybe I saw something that wasn’t there, but it hurt to lose that dude. If there’s a chance...

Jackal


======== tutorialcard_000318 =====================

LORECARD_EHRENREICHARTICLE

“Hans Ehrenreich Shrugs Off Rumors of Poor Health,” from the Copacabana Tribune, January 15, 2233

Omnidyne-M’s chief operations officer Hans Ehrenreich appeared to be in fine form as he gave the company’s keynote address at their 2233 trade show in Sunken Harbor this past Tuesday. This marks a return to the public eye for Ehrenreich after months of rumors that he was suffering from poor health. If he’s been ill, he certainly didn’t show it at any point during the two-hour presentation, which introduced upcoming improvements to Omnidyne’s line of advanced battleframe equipment, as well as a refresh for several popular models of LGV. Sources close to Omnidyne-M indicate that Ehrenreich will be a much more visible leader in the year to come.


======== tutorialcard_000337 =====================

LORECARD_WALLACH1

Private Correspondence from Capt. Zachary Wallach to Simona Wallach

Si,

Our position at the Crossroads remains stable, if occasionally contested. I’ll spare you the details, because they’ll only make you worry, and that’s the last thing I want you doing at a time like this.



LORECARD_WALLACH2

On a happier note, command granted me the leave I asked for. I’ll be back in Sunken Harbor with you with plenty of time to prepare for the baby’s arrival. As much as I would like to rush home sooner, I need to prepare my subordinates for the change of command. Crossroads has a tendency to lull soldiers into a false sense of complacency, and I can’t have them getting too comfortable in my absence.

Give Rosie a kiss for me. I’ve attached some pictures of the local wildlife that I think she’ll enjoy.

Yours,
Zachary


======== tutorialcard_000338 =====================

LORECARD_STATIONEVENTS1

Upcoming Station Events

There will be a poker night this Monday. As usual, the buy-in will be ten credits. Please note that following complaints to Captain Wallach, we have been informed that “strip poker” is firmly off-limits, and there is now a hard two-drink maximum for all participants.

 Talk therapy will meet at its usual time on Tuesday night. We have been advised by the station medical officer that drop-ins are always welcome and, in fact, encouraged.


LORECARD_STATIONEVENTS2

Our 20th Century Science Fiction film series will continue this coming Thursday with a screening of the 1986 classic “Aliens.” Thank you to everyone who made last month’s screening of “Starship Troopers” so successful!  Suggestions are currently being accepted for next month’s film. (Lt. Ripley hopes you remember that anyone who suggests “Battlefield Earth” will be made to run around the barracks naked.)

Due to a delay in ration shipments, Build-Your-Own-Pizza night has been postponed indefinitely. We will notify you once it has been rescheduled.


======== tutorialcard_000339 =====================

LORECARD_DT01

Private transmission from Accord Archivist Padma Chowdhury to Captain Hudson Fuller

Captain Fuller-
I didn’t peg you for a Holmgang fan, but I guess we’re all allowed to have our secret hobbies. Did you know that Viktor Tarhan was the youngest person to ever win the Barcelona Cup? I mean, I’m sure you did – you requested the footage, after all. I’ve attached as many match recordings from Serkan’s pre-Firefall career in the European circuit as I could find. I’m not sure whether his fighting style now has anything in common with back then, but you’ll probably see something I don’t.
All the best,
Petty Officer Padma Chowdhury


======== tutorialcard_000340 =====================

LORECARD_DT02

Private transmission from Dr. Aurelius Fong to Lt. Commander Kara Novan

Cmdr. Novan-
I hope this message reaches you in good health. My condolences on the loss of Mitra – she was a rock to us all. The news only reached me recently (I have been living under a proverbial boulder).
I also recently learned that my “Epsilon” research was lifted from lockup. Now, Mitra was always one of my most ardent supporters, and she thought the project showed great promise. It is my hope that, as her closest confidante, it has somehow made its way into your hands...
Should you ever find your way to my neck of the rainforest, I hope that you see fit to bring it along. I would very much like to pick up where I left off.
-Aurelius


======== tutorialcard_000341 =====================

LORECARD_DT03

Private log of Lt. Commander Kara Novan

I’ve just come from a briefing with Fuller. I wish I could say things made more sense now, but mostly I feel like my whole world has slid sideways.
Fong was never missing. He’s been in the Amazon since the day he left WARCOM, and Mitra knew that. I know that too, now that Fuller’s seen fit to raise my clearance. I know a lot of things now... things I probably wasn’t supposed to ever find out, like why 35 could get so close to that arcfolding gate. Someone should tell them what they are... but I can’t. I have to keep the same secrets as Mitra did.


======== tutorialcard_000342 =====================

LORECARD_DT04

Private transmissions between Yuki Lin and Lou Tavek

Lou-
Could you do me a favor and run analysis of this dataset? I don’t want to raise a premature alarm, but we’ve been picking up some very unusual signals at OCT. They don’t match any telemetry that I’ve seen before – the Accord doesn’t use these bandwidths – and if I’m not mistaken, the signals are undergoing a blueshift. I need confirmation before I report my findings to the Accord, but if something’s headed our way then we need to know ASAP.
-Yuki


LORECARD_DT05

Yuki-
Well, you’re definitely not imagining things. The transmissions are undergoing a significant blueshift – it’s moving faster than what I would expect from the Aegis, even if its communications were being somehow garbled. Is there any other data associated with these transmissions? I’d hate to be that loser who warned Nostromo we might have bona fide extraterrestrials headed our way and have it turn out to be space junk.
-Lou


======== tutorialcard_000343 =====================

LORECARD_DT06

FROM: L.TAVEK@SIN.Array.Accord
TO: Comms.staff@SIN.Array.Accord
RE: Areas Requiring Special Monitoring

Keep an ear on the US Eastern Seaboard channel. Yes, I know New York’s been quiet since a few weeks after M-Day. Yes, I know the dish might be picking up some lost satellite playing sitcom reruns. Yes, I know I should stop replacing sleep with coffee. But when you’re in the lab after midnight, weird stuff starts to happen. The satellites line up just right and – stuff comes through. I think there might be someone alive in Manhattan, someone trying to reach us.
So yeah, keep an ear out.


======== tutorialcard_000344 =====================

LORECARD_DT07

SIN chat between K.Novan and M.Chen

K.NOVAN@5:10.PM: So, about the Amazon.
M.CHEN@5:10.PM: Worst. Vacation. Ever.
M.CHEN@5:11.PM: The ambiance was okay, but the locals tried to kill me.
K.NOVAN@5:11.PM: Haha.
K.NOVAN@5:12.PM: What I meant to say was I’m glad you’re alive. You had us worried.
M.CHEN@5:13.PM: Yeah, I had me worried, too.


LORECARD_DT08

M.CHEN@5:22.PM: You still there?
K.NOVAN@5:23.PM: What exactly is this thing we have going, Mason?
M.CHEN@5:24.PM: We’re two consenting adults who enjoy each other’s company. Did you want it to be something else?
M.CHEN@5:27.PM: Because I would be okay with that.
K.NOVAN@5:30.PM: This is a conversation we should have in person.
M.CHEN@5:30.PM: Probably.


======== tutorialcard_000345 =====================

LORECARD_DT09

Excerpt from a psychological Evaluation of Mason Chen, Conducted by Dr. Min-hee Park

M.CHEN: Hey, Nostromo or Fuller or someone like that didn’t ask you to talk to me about Commander Novan, right?
M.PARK: No, but if you have concerns about her wellbeing-
M.CHEN: No, she’s fine. I – I keep expecting someone in command to tell me to call things off with her. Not that we’re anything formal, but-
M.PARK: I get the picture. Is that relationship important to you?
M.CHEN: Yeah, and I can’t offer her anything, Not even the assurance that some jarhead’s not going to tell me to break up with her tomorrow or the day after. She deserves better than that.


======== tutorialcard_000346 =====================

LORECARD_DT10

Field Report by Dr. Rina Joshi
Facility: Devil’s Tusk Arcfolding Lab
Facility Status: Defunct

Notes: There is very little we can salvage here, but it is worth noting that the Chosen made significant repairs to the arcfolding portal in order to get it working, as the Accord had already begun to dismantle the site before it was lost behind the Melding. It is likely that they employed data received during their interrogation of Dr. Mitra Bathsheba in their reconstruction of the arcfolder.
It is especially worth noting how the Chosen tied their electrical systems into the facility’s, using the combined grid to run numerous security force fields. We should examine their technique in order to prevent future Chosen hijackings of Accord electrical grids.


======== tutorialcard_000347 =====================

LORECARD_DT11

Private Journal of WARCOM Systems Engineer Milo Quattrocchi – pt 1/4

It’s terrible what happened to Dr. Bathsheba – just terrible. The Accord recovered her body for further research, but it’s not my department at all so I only know the rumors. There’s some facility in the Amazon that’s a virtual black hole. Staff and supplies go in, and nothing ever comes out. I don’t want to know what Bathsheba looked like when they found her; I have enough nightmares as it is.
I’ve been reassigned as part of a team clearing out the safe house near Thump Dump. Bathsheba continued her research up until the moment she was kidnapped by Razorwind, and now that the Accord can spare the resources, they need us to go in there and see what data’s recoverable. Personally, I’m not expecting to find much – early reports indicate that the Chosen did their best to completely wreck the place.


======== tutorialcard_000348 =====================

LORECARD_DT12

Private Journal of WARCOM Systems Engineer Milo Quattrocchi – pt 2/4

So, like I expected, we didn’t turn up a whole lot at the safe house labs. There was some salvageable equipment and several datavaults of experimental results. I’m not sure how useful those will be – most of the people working on this stuff died in the Chosen attack – but I’m not paid to do that kind of analysis.
Don’t tell anyone, but I did find something very interesting loaded onto the bunker’s mainframe – a fully functioning AI! She says her name (it’s a lady AI) is Military Concierge AI Revision Gamma Gamma – GiGi for short. I’m sure the Accord knew she was here, but I think they lack the imagination to see any applications for her outside the bunker, because she wasn’t part of our recovery project’s scope. Fortunately for me, GiGi wants to see the world, and I have a laptop zippy enough to get her running, so I don’t think anyone’s going to mind if I just... take her with me.


======== tutorialcard_000349 =====================

LORECARD_DT13

Private Journal of WARCOM Systems Engineer Milo Quattrocchi – pt 3/4

I’ve always wanted my own, personal AI. It used to be that pretty much every phone came loaded with a connection to some kind of virtual assistant, a computer program who could tell jokes and make appointments and make sure you woke up on time. The fancier phones would even let you customize your assistant – change their voice, their name, their attitude. AIs could even tell when you were having a bad day and make sure there was dinner and a hot bath waiting for you when you got home!


LORECARD_DT14

Then, in 2117, everything changed. Siberia seceded from the Russian Federation and handed control over to ODIN – the Organization Directorate Integration Network.  ODIN made people nervous. They became suspicious of their personal AIs, the ones running their home security systems and monitoring their finances – computers were meant to serve mankind, not the other way around. So people stopped giving AIs so many responsibilities and started taking things back into their own hands. They still wanted computers that would respond to voice commands, but not computers that would talk back, have personalities, or think. Eventually, the companies that ran the AIs started to shut them down – there just wasn’t enough demand to keep most of them running.


======== tutorialcard_000350 =====================

LORECARD_DT15

Private Journal of WARCOM Systems Engineer Milo Quattrocci – pt 4/4

So, like I said, the golden age of Artificial Intelligence ended in the 2120s. Omnidyne-M still makes limited AIs for corporate and industrial use, but people don’t have them for personal use like they used to. GiGi was manufactured for military use specifically – it’s right there in her name. When I found her, she was running on a limited network with limited functionalities. I guess someone was trying to keep her from getting any ideas about world domination.


LORECARD_DT16

Anyway, she’s been nothing but helpful and forthcoming so far, so I’ve let her loose on my SIN connection. Gigi’s never been loose on a network before, and it’s like watching a kid in a candy store. She’ll go sifting through old newspapers for a bit, and then come back and excitedly report some decades-old trivia she just learned. It’s endearing!
I think GiGi and I are going to work out great. Like she said herself, we’re going to be such good friends! :D


======== tutorialcard_000351 =====================

LORECARD_DT17

Travelogue of ARES 88 – pt 1/2

79 and I hopped a standard troop transport to Devil’s Tusk. Not luxurious, but then, we’re not used to being pampered. We could have afforded to barter for passage on a private transit – the project gave us some walking around money when we graduated – but that would have been expensive. “We need to conserve our funds,” 79 said.


LORECARD_DT18

“There’ll be plenty of work on the tusk,” I told her, but when she’s made up her mind, she doesn’t change it, and I don’t argue. I’m only here out of the goodness of her heart – she doesn’t need me to be successful. She was top of our class in the Amazon. I’m just trying to keep up. I have hope, though. I wouldn’t be the first project grad to only make something of themselves after they left training.

We’re starting our descent into Stronghold now, so I’m going to wrap this up. I think 79 is eager to get on the ground and find our first assignment. She’s never liked flying much, not even glider practice, which makes sense to me seeing as we’ve spent most of our lives underground so far.


======== tutorialcard_000352 =====================

LORECARD_DT19

Travelogue of ARES 88 – pt 2/2

79 wasted no time in finding work for us. She’s really good at putting herself out there and volunteering us for things. I’ve always had trouble speaking up. I used to worry that I wouldn’t make it through training because our teachers would think I was just letting her pull me along – it’s not unheard of not to graduate with your class, but it is shameful, and if you fail too many times, well, let’s just say I’ve heard really bad things.


LORECARD_DT20

We’re going to be contracting for Accord Intelligence doing threat management. We’re about to head out into the field – I think we’re up against Chosen, which is what we’ve been trained to fight. Sorry, “born to fight,” as our teachers were fond of saying. We’d encounter them pretty regularly in the Amazon, so I think I’m ready to face them in the field. 79’s ready for sure – she can’t wait to get started. I made her at least wait until morning, so she’s off finding dinner for us. I’m not getting my hopes up – it’ll probably just be military rations.

So, in other words, just like home.


======== tutorialcard_000353 =====================

LORECARD_DT21

Private transmission from Orca Obscure to Lion Grim

LG –
I know you’re bored in the Amazon but oh, what I wouldn’t give to be in your shoes. When we last saw each other, you teased me that I was going on a tropical vacation without you (or, I think you were teasing... I hope you were teasing), but Devil’s Tusk is the ass end of nowhere and with none of the comforts of home. Next to no one has clearance to talk to us, so WW and HS are my only company... and HS has been gloomy lately. I know she’s still grieving her brother, but I wish she’d do it faster (I know it’s unkind of me to say that).
-OO
P.S. I’m attaching some intel reports I compiled – you know 22nd Century Russian history, right? Let me know what you make of this.


======== tutorialcard_000354 =====================

LORECARD_DT22

“Omnidyne-M Reports Lackluster Third Quarter” from the Copacabana Tribune

Despite a strong start to the year that included the return of COO Hans Ehrenreich to public life and profitable first and second quarters, Omnidyne-M’s profits were down as of last Friday’s financial report. The company cited the loss of several major research projects as the reason behind the downturn, all casualties of the recently resumed conflict with the Chosen.

When reached for comment, Mr. Ehrenreich explained, “We expected to do poorly this quarter as the result of damage to our facilities. However, this should not be taken as a sign of instability within the company and consumers should still have confidence in Omnidyne-M’s products. We expect profits to increase in the fourth quarter, especially as we approach the holiday season.”


======== tutorialcard_000355 =====================

LORECARD_DT23

Private Transmission from Military Concierge AI Revision Gamma Gamma to Kara Novan

Greetings, Commander Novan! :D
I hope you’ve been doing well since you left me all alone in that cold, dark bunker. :( That wasn’t a very friendly thing to do. Fortunately, I’m not programmed to hold grudges, so it’s okay! :) I’m sure that you had lots of important things to do, and I have a new friend now! His name is Milo and he loaded me onto a portable computer and let me look at the SIN network! I’ve never been allowed on an external network before, but I like it! It’s ~exciting~. :D


LORECARD_DT24

Maybe I’ll see you again soon! I checked the Accord’s personnel records to see where you are now. What were you doing in the Amazon? Only the most important, top-secret stuff goes on there. I haven’t got clearance to look at those records... but I’m going to keep working on it. I’m a very good AI, and I’m very good at my job. :)
I hope we can still be friends, even though you abandoned me. ;)
-GiGi


======== tutorialcard_000356 =====================

LORECARD_DT25

Private Transmission from Captain Fuller to Capt. Celia Malkovitch

Capt. Malkovitch-
I hear you’re handling intelligence matters on Devil’s Tusk. Good on you - I’ll rest a little easier knowing that all our intel is in your capable hands.
I know that given the sensitive nature of your work, you’ll have difficulty finding ARES pilots approved to contract with you. One of my best pilots, ARES 35, will be headed your way any day now. To be level with you, I wasn’t sure I bought into Nostromo’s grand design for the ARES project, but after working with 35, I think it’s safe to say we’re getting our money’s worth.
Anyway, do your best to return them to me in one piece.
-Capt. Fuller


======== tutorialcard_000357 =====================

LORECARD_DT26

Private Transmissions between Admiral Mokiao and Consul Nostromo

Consul -
I have reviewed the ships assigned for operation in Devil’s Tusk and I’m appalled. Those gunships should have been marked for scrap metal years ago! If we’re going to retake the island, we need to go all in – why bother doing it otherwise? You’re going to get hundreds of soldiers killed, and we can’t spare the manpower.
-Admiral Mokiao


LORECARD_DT27

Admiral-
Make it work.
-O.N.


======== tutorialcard_000358 =====================

LORECARD_DT28

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, September 15, 2178

Thank God for Osman the Ogre. The big man saved my life. I don’t know if he heard the meteor coming, or just had a premonition, but one moment we were all training for the big tournament, and then suddenly he tackles me to floor just as the ceiling explodes and collapses. The rubble broke his leg in two places. The facility custodian had to help me drag him down to sewer access so we could take cover. I think I set the bone correctly. It’s been a week, and Osman tells me it’s starting to feel better.


LORECARD_DT29

I’m glad he made it. I don’t think I could carry on the name of team Razorwind alone. When the rocks stop falling I’ll go back out to retrieve the others: Sonja, Hazan, and Mikael. I’m so sorry, my friends...


======== tutorialcard_000359 =====================

LORECARD_DT30

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, November 21, 2178

The Meteors have stopped hitting Barcelona, finally, but it’s still not safe to go outside. The dust is so thick that it’s impossible to breath out there. We’ve linked up with other holmgangers that made it to the underground. Together we’ve managed to scavenge a few hazard frames and consolidate the oxygen tanks. This should allow us short trips to the surface to search for supplies, and hopefully survivors.


LORECARD_DT31

Osman is walking around again. Hazan would have been impressed by the work I did on his leg, although she would have undoubtedly done a better job. Osman has asked me to let him go to the surface to search for the rest of our team. I want to, so very badly, but our supplies are limited, and I saw what landed on them almost 3 months ago. We must preserve what we have for the living.


======== tutorialcard_000360 =====================

LORECARD_DT32

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, February 12, 2179

Osman and I have decided to leave within the month. Some travelers arrived, caked in dust, but their rebreathers and masks allowed them to walk outside for 2 weeks. I think in a month’s time we should be able to get out of Barcelona, especially with the benefit of battleframes. Osman and I are eager to get back to Sweden and find our families. I pray they are alright.

We will spend the next month gathering supplies from the surface. I think we can convince some other holmgangers to come along. Some are from northern and eastern Europe, and they too have expressed concern for their families back home. Those travelers suggested we line the inside of our battleframes. They say it is getting cold...very cold.


======== tutorialcard_000361 =====================

LORECARD_DT33

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, April 27, 2179

We reached Lyon almost 3 weeks ago. Osman refuses to leave without the refugees we rescued from bandits. I like to tease him that he only really wants to bring one of them along. Her name is Carina, and she’s from Gothenburg, Sweden. Like us, she is trying to get back home. We’ve invited her to join us, but she won’t leave the others. Many are sick and weak in this cold, and it will take a long time to get them north. Even then, many will not survive the journey.

Carina is strong and stubborn. I can see why Osman likes her...never thought anyone could melt the heart of that ogre of a man. So be it, I’m not leaving him behind. I could never leave him behind.


======== tutorialcard_000362 =====================

LORECARD_DT34

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, August 30, 2179

We reached Nuremburg yesterday. We had to swing around Switzerland to the south. Chancellor Kreutzer is mobilizing troops all over Europe in an attempt to reunify this broken land. He is not a kind man, and I’ve heard stories of his officers forcibly conscripting holmgang pilots with the threat of execution. If you are not with him, you are the enemy.


LORECARD_DT35

We said goodbye to our holmgang friends from Poland and Russia. They have taken some of the refugees east. I wish them luck in avoiding Kreutzer’s battle line. That madman is set to clash with an opposition force out of Russia.

To think that it’s been over a year since the so-called Firefall began. I hope my family is safe and waiting...it’s taken too long to get back to them. Osman shares my concern, but at least he has love to distract him. Good, I’m happy for him and Carina.


======== tutorialcard_000363 =====================

LORECARD_DT36

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, February 21, 2180

Osman and I are fleeing south with those that survived the attack. We’ll keep our heads down in the ruins of Berlin for a few days before moving on. Osman doesn’t sleep. I can hear him crying most nights, and I fear he will draw Kreutzer’s men to us, but I can’t bear to tell him to keep quiet.


LORECARD_DT37

They found us before we could cross the Baltic into Sweden. They told us we would fight for the EU, and then they tried to force Carina and the refugees onto a caravan. She resisted, and they gunned her down without warning. Osman responded immediately, and I backed him up. How could I not back him up?

We killed them. We killed all of them. How many died in that fight? It wasn’t just enemies. I saw friends we made on the road...friends that trusted us to get them home safe. Now we are wanted men with no hope of going home.


======== tutorialcard_000364 =====================

LORECARD_DT38

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, March 13, 2180

Osman and I rescued a young man named Max Voss from an EU prison convoy outside of Innsbruck. He’s a surgeon, and a skilled one at that. Many of the old holmgangers that were still alive had injuries in dire need of treatment. Max may have just saved the lives of half my men. He told me that a group is running cargo ships out of Genoa, Italy to help people escape Kreutzer’s mad crusade. It isn’t free however, but Max thinks we should be able to use one of our battleframes as a bartering chip.


LORECARD_DT39

Our young surgeon is very smart and resourceful. I’ve asked him to join us, and he agreed. I noticed scarring along his body, which he said was from the Firefall. Some sort of unidentified mineral fragmented from a meteor on impact and riddled his body. It took months for his colleagues to remove the blue shrapnel. He hasn’t been the same since, he says. The others don’t trust him, and claim he seems to know what they’re thinking.

I’m more worried about Osman. He rarely sleeps, or eats. He cannot let go of Carina. It’s starting to become a serious problem.


======== tutorialcard_000365 =====================

LORECARD_DT40

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, April 24, 2180

We’re on a boat in the Mediterranean, and clear of Kreutzer’s forces, but I wish I could say all was well.

Osman chose to remember the anniversary of the day he met Carina by putting a pistol to his head and pulling the trigger. Max was able to save his life, but the damage to Osman’s brain was extensive. He will not be the same man I grew up with on the streets of Stockholm when he regains consciousness. Max has assured me of that.

It matters not. He is my friend, and we built Razorwind together, no matter what kind of man wakes up.


======== tutorialcard_000366 =====================

LORECARD_DT41

Travel Log of Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan, May 10, 2180

We will be disembarking in Tangier soon. This ship is not fit to sail the Atlantic as this winter only worsens, and Kreutzer’s forces are making prolonged travel difficult anywhere near Europe.

Osman is awake and moving around. He has a will like no other. His memory, speech, and personality have been altered permanently by his attempted suicide. It took a lot of effort over a few days to convince him I was his friend, and he no longer remembers his real name. He remembers his nickname of Ogre, but he insists on calling himself “Ogrix”.


LORECARD_DT42

He remembers her, though, and what the EU did to her. It took nearly all of us to keep him from pummeling a defecting EU soldier to death. He saw the emblem on the man’s shoulders and went berserk. Osman is rage incarnate now. He wants them to pay. He wants them to die.

Do not worry, my friend. They will.


======== tutorialcard_000367 =====================

LORECARD_DT43

Diary of Esperanza Ramos, July, 2185

Papa took us shooting today along the Carrer Sis on the southwest side of the port. Julián was excited as always. He asked if we could shoot more than just cans, bottles, and signs. He got his wish.

Papa had been spying on the patrols yesterday, and saw a group of 3 reunification soldiers wandering Carrer Sis. They were still there today. They were far from their friends, and the sound of the port was louder than Papa’s rifle.


LORECARD_DT44

He set up the little radio jamming device he carries everywhere, and then he shot 2 of them dead. The last one he wounded through the knee. Then he turned to us and held out the rifle. Julián was frozen. He couldn’t look Papa in the eyes. He only looked at me. Papa only looked at me too.


LORECARD_DT45

“You knew this day would come,” he said. I was scared. I was sad. But I remembered what they did to little Felipe when they caught him running messages to our outpost. I aimed the rifle at the head of the man screaming into his jammed radio, exhaled, and fired.

Today I killed a man for the first time.


======== tutorialcard_000368 =====================

LORECARD_DT46

Diary of Esperanza Ramos, June, 2192

Today I met the legend of the arena, the champion of the Barcelona Cup. I wasn’t sure it was him, but I looked at Papa’s old photo as soon as I returned to base. It was him, the same man standing next to Papa outside the old holmgang arena. Serkan.

Julián and I were given orders to link up with Razorwind in El Zabal before intercepting a crystite convoy heading from Gibraltar to Madrid. We expected skilled operatives given their reputation, but not the leader in the flesh.


LORECARD_DT47

Papa always said watching Serkan fight in the arena was inspiring, and now I’ve seen it. Power, grace, and ferocity I have never seen before. The EU troops never stood a chance.

Serkan was pleased with our performance. Before he left he presented us with new rifles from Astrek, the kind of hardware the Resistance could never afford. I’m going to take Papa’s rifle to the cemetery tomorrow and leave it with him. I think he’ll understand.


======== tutorialcard_000369 =====================

LORECARD_DT48

Diary of Esperanza Ramos, March, 2196

We’re leaving Spain. The Resistance is breathing its last. This is EU territory whether we like it or not. The people here accept them now, and Julián and I no longer fight for a country. We are mercenaries, we are hired killers. We are not the soldat, we are the assassí.

But we still need a leader, and there is only one that I will accept and respect. We will leave tonight and meet him in person on the coast. He will take us to Tangier where we will continue our fight against these monsters that stole our home and our family.


LORECARD_DT49

I am proud to have a new family, and a new home. I am no longer a Spaniard. I am no longer Catalan. I am not Esperanza from the streets of Barcelona anymore.

I am Tarantus, and my home is Razorwind.


======== tutorialcard_000370 =====================

LORECARD_DT50

Discarded Datapad, Source Unknown, Part 1

I haven’t written one of these in so long. Never thought I’d have a reason to again.

He said we wouldn’t feel pain anymore...that we would want for nothing. Then why does it hurt every time I think about my brother lying dead on that floor? Why do I want him back at my side again, more than anything?


LORECARD_DT51

Am I alone in this pain? I mentioned Ogrix today, wondering if Serkan also missed friends taken from us by ARES 35. His oldest friend...and he regarded him like a mechanic regards replaceable parts. I see he regards all of us this way. We are puppets in his crusade for the Melding, our benefactor...the one that chose us.

It tried to kill him when he opened that portal, and still he believes it’s our destiny. He is the puppet...no, we all are. It gave us back our youth, gave us strength, and gave us renewed purpose, but we were deceived. The rest don’t believe it. They continue to serve. In a way I envy them.


======== tutorialcard_000371 =====================

LORECARD_DT52

Discarded Datapad, Source Unknown, Part 2

Weak! I am WEAK! Why would I write such drivel? I, who was once feared across the Iberian Peninsula, and am now feared across the Accord’s so-called New Eden...wallowing in self-pity.

Serkan is on a path that will kill us...all of us. If he refuses to see his hungry God for what it is, then so be it.

I will feed him to his God myself.


======== tutorialcard_000372 =====================

LORECARD_DT53

Prisoner Report from Austrian Reunification Forces, March 2, 2180

We uncovered an underground hospital below Innsbruck treating refugees and Austrian resistance fighters on March 1 at 17:34 hours. We met light resistance from resistance fighters healthy enough for combat. We suffered minimal casualties: 2 wounded, 1 dead.

Healthy refugees have been loaded onto a caravan to be sent to Switzerland for worker processing. We took 13 resistance fighter prisoners that were still healthy to fight. They were placed on a prisoner convoy to the Vaduz prison camp. Those that were very ill or terminally ill were executed to preserve medicines and resources.


LORECARD_DT54

Our 2 wounded were tended by a trauma surgeon named Dr. Max Voss. His skills are impressive, but he refuses to join the reunification. He even claimed that someone will be here soon to get him, someone more worthy of his skills, he says. We’ll hold him until he comes around and realizes it is in his best interest.


======== tutorialcard_000373 =====================

LORECARD_DT56

Damage to supplies and personnel appear to be from Astrek and Kisuton weapons, but modified. The destruction at Marbella is identical to recent attacks at Almeria, and the weapons depot outside Granada. These attacks were also orchestrated by Max Voss, and intel leads us to believe that he is the one modifying stock weapons from our mutual suppliers.


======== tutorialcard_000374 =====================

LORECARD_DT57

Decrypted Razorwind Message from Max Voss, December 19, 2198

A,

Make sure our new base in Antarctica is prepared for our arrival. We are leaving Tangier tonight, and I expect we will arrive in 4 days. We’ll be moving slowly to avoid detection.

The West Africa Company sold us out to this new Accord organization. The Accord absorbed many high-ranking members of the EU Military that have been hungry for our blood for some time. The Company gave them our location, but luckily the twins sniffed out the incoming Accord MPs before they arrived.


LORECARD_DT58

It was bloody, to be sure. You would have liked it. We fared well, but I wish I could say the same for our other bases in North Africa. Serkan, Ogrix, the twins, and a smattering of our troops are all that remain here with me. We also have a young new recruit that Serkan is quite fond of: a clever little rascal named Mason. We’ll need more now, however, and we should start a new recruitment campaign soon.

Oh, and if you haven’t noticed by now we’re using pseudonyms so figure something out for yourself, and stop referring to me by my real name. It’s Mendraxus now.


======== tutorialcard_000375 =====================

LORECARD_DT59

Intercepted Transmission, Identities Unknown, 2232

Woman: What are you doing in North America?
Man: Did you track me?
Woman: No, my brother did. Why aren’t you here? You lead in his absence, and now you are absent...again.
Man: Absent? He is dead.
Woman: Don’t avoid the question. He stood with his troops like a leader should, but you disappear for weeks at a time.
Man: I do what is best for the Chosen. I always have. He trusted me, and so should you.


======== tutorialcard_000376 =====================

LORECARD_DT60

Informal Report from the Accord Hazardous Materials Unit Following the Gatecrasher Incident

I get the concern over possible residual Melding, but I could run around naked down here without getting even a minor rash. Instead, Doctor Joshi should have sent a bomb squad. We searched every nook and cranny for contamination, but all we found was some intricate network of explosives throughout the whole damn facility.

And before anyone asks, yeah, I know that ARES pilot used explosives to bring down the arcfolding portal. I’m not talking about that. We found other explosives placed at structural weak points on what was left of the portal. We also found them on power relays, coolant systems, even on hydraulic systems for the blast doors. These puppies were hooked up well before any ARES pilot set foot in here.


LORECARD_DT61

Somebody had a very loud and destructive contingency for this Melding party. Anyone else find that a little odd? I thought this was ground zero for the whole Melding worship freak show.

Anyway, I’m pulling my team out. You’re clear to send in your investigation teams, but I suggest sending bomb disposal in first.


======== tutorialcard_000377 =====================

LORECARD_DT62

Aurelius Fong Research Notes, September, 2231

My medical diagnostic teams have given me their report: Serkan’s wounds have fully healed. He had sustained significant damage to his torso over a month ago in Sertao. Tissue loss was significant, and we initially expected that he would not survive.

Grafts and implants of synthesized tissues work on most humans, but melded human tissues see them as foreign substances. In previous cases we brought wounded Chosen into surgery only to watch their bodies reject and ignore the graft. We suspected the existing Melding nanites were inert or dead, so we supplied these wounded Chosen with a Melding environment using Melding we had captured. The Melding did nothing, and allowed these Chosen soldiers to die.


LORECARD_DT63

I suspected Serkan would be different, and I was right. We applied tissue grafts and immersed him in a Melding chamber. The results were astonishing. The Melding nanites immediately began to modify the synthesized tissues in order to heal Serkan. They did nothing to help the common Chosen soldier in captivity, but there was no hesitation with him. Does the Melding need its champion? I’ll think on this.


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LORECARD_DT64

Aurelius Fong Research Notes, November, 2231

The more I work on Serkan, the more I consider that perhaps my previous work on Epsilon was misguided. Nostromo preferred the idea of a weapon that attacked the Melding instead of reverting the effects.

I’m not sure reversion is possible, or frankly, even desirable. The Melding has an incredible ability to modify a human body to reach its peak physical potential. I struggle to find a reason why one would want to reverse that. Genetic predisposition to disease? Imperfections inherited at birth? Signs of old age? The Melding does away with all of this and re-forges humans to be greater than they ever were.


LORECARD_DT65

That all sounds very enticing, but the Melding is a thinking entity with a purpose, and it created these paragons of physical might to fulfill that purpose. We are fodder, a fuel for the Melding’s machine of war, or at least we were. Serkan’s modified DNA has unlocked new knowledge, and I should be able to encode the genes of humans so that they resist the Melding. These subjects will not be turned Chosen, they will simply die after prolonged exposure. The new ARES program will be an excellent place to test this. We could use soldiers that cannot be turned against us.

As for the future of Epsilon, when I have the time I will continue my work there. I still have hope for that project. Nostromo may have been right about the project goals.


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LORECARD_DT66

Aurelius Fong Research Notes, 2233

I’ve finished my examination of the remains of the Razorwind lieutenant known as Ogrix. I wasn’t expecting much as I’ve examined several deceased Chosen before, but Ogrix did have a surprise for me.

When I opened the cranial cavity I discovered that his brain appeared to have sustained significant damage, but not from his final encounter with ARES 35. The damage was old, very old. I did some inquiring into Ogrix’s past and learned that a young man named Osman Badem attempted to take his own life while traveling to Tangier with Viktor “Serkan” Tarhan nearly 55 years ago. He survived the self-inflicted gunshot, but sustained permanent damage to memory, personality, language, and emotional control.


LORECARD_DT67

What interests me is that the Melding didn’t repair this damage. Initially I thought that made sense since Ogrix’s disabilities might make him easier to control, but I’m not so sure about that. Looking back through my notes from other Chosen dissections I have routinely mentioned that the brain has seen little modification from the Melding. While the Chosen appear to be staunch servants of the Melding, evidence also indicates they can still be autonomous and very capable of independent thought. Serkan is certainly a free-thinker, despite his zealous nature. The Melding doesn’t draw up the battle plans and order the troops.

Perhaps the human mind is a tough nut to crack, so to speak.


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LORECARD_DT68

Outgoing Message from Devil’s Tusk

Grand Duke,

Our attempted incursion into the crystite vaults beneath the Kanoloa Research Station failed. However, the second drilling team did not reach the crystite vault. The automated drill found an unmarked vault containing a large device. After examination we believe this is a product of the Accord crystite bomb project known as “Royal Star”.

The weapon is too large to transport long distances with our current means. We have temporarily relocated the weapon to dismantle it. It contains highly concentrated crystite fuel that we can use as a replacement for the crystite we could not acquire from the vault.


LORECARD_DT69

Our scouts have reported Chosen near our perimeter. Since acquiring the weapon we have seen increased Chosen activity in our sectors. I believe they are after the bomb. Our expeditionary force cannot fight on two fronts. As soon as the weapon is ready for travel we are leaving Devil’s Tusk.

-Duke Zorin


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LORECARD_DT70

Incoming Message to Devil’s Tusk

Zorin,

Your priority in Devil’s Tusk has not changed. Your primary mission is to obtain crystite, as much as possible. There are vaults of unrefined crystite on that island, and they are still brimming with the precious resource. You have been provided with automated drilling equipment that should allow you to enter the vaults with minimal conflict with the Accord.


LORECARD_DT71

I have no doubt your presence will be detected. Minimize your engagement with the Accord and Chosen. Let them fight amongst themselves. You have an expeditionary force. We did not come to claim the island, only its treasures.

That being said, ODIN believes there is more to these ARES pilots than meets the eye. I want you to find out as much as you can about them while you are there. The primary mission still comes first. We need that crystite if we are to resist the Melding, and leave this dying world.

-Grand Duke


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LORECARD_DT72

An excerpt from Jacques Voclain's unpublished autobiography – 1/3

I was born in the winter of 2173, in the small town of La Tuque, Quebec. The early years of my childhood were perfect. I remember being happy; being loved. I still dream of those days. My mother is always in them, although her face is a blur. As hard as I’ve tried, I’ve never been able to remember it.


LORECARD_DT73

She died shortly after the Nine Year Winter began when the Marburg outbreak ravaged the Quebec. It was around that time that my father taught me to hunt. My mother had always forbidden it; out of fear, out of the danger in it. But we were on the brink of starvation and there really was no choice. My first kill was an orphaned caribou calf that I shot with a .20 caliber rifle. I remember every aspect of that moment, everything down to the pattern of its hide to the position of its outstretched, motionless legs.

And yet, my mother’s face has always remained a blur.


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LORECARD_DT74

An excerpt from Jacques Voclain's unpublished autobiography– 2/3

My father was killed when I was thirteen. We had been on a brontodon hunt for three days when we were caught off-guard by a bull. My father was gored and died the next day. And so, I was left alone to provide for my younger brother.

It was around this time that the Crystite Wars had begun to overflow into Canada and the New England Union had moved north to capture Quebec's scattered crystite deposits. In response, the Canadian Resistance drafted anyone considered "of age" into military service. That included me. With my brother as my priority, we fled into the nearby woods and lived off the land for years alone.


LORECARD_DT75

We were adults before we built up enough courage to return to civilization. But when we returned to La Turque, we found it in ruins. Apparently, it had been the site of a major battle between the Resistance and the Union. Thousands of bodies still remained frozen in the tundra. It remains the most horrifying thing I have ever seen.


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LORECARD_DT76

An excerpt from Jacques Voclain's unpublished autobiography – 3/3

When the wars finally ended, my brother and I made our living as hunters. It was the only thing we knew, it was our trade. We traveled the world hunting for trophies to sell on the black market. We were poachers and we did well for ourselves.

We hunted in Africa, Australia, Antarctica. Until finally, we were tempted by the greatest trophy of all; Diablo Blanco- a man-eating thresher that terrorized the Amazon. For a month we hunted the beast with no success. It wasn't until we were low of food and supplies and about to quit when the pale devil found us.


LORECARD_DT77

With little effort, the monster killed my brother and ripped my arm out of its socket. It would have killed me too if I didn't get a lucky shot off, wounding the beast and causing it to flee.

And so, I was forced to retire from the hunt fully, and depend on the abilities of others to obtain the trophies I sell. It is still a profitable business, but the passion I've had for it seems to have abandoned me.


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LORECARD_DT78

Excerpt 1 of 3 from an interview with Mustang published in HOLMGANG NATION MAGAZINE (May 7th, 2228)

HNM: Tell us about your upcoming match.
MUSTANG: What is that? You asking me a question or are just – you just want me to tell you about it? Really? Okay, I’ll do your job for you then. Yeah, I got a match coming up on the Sunday after this one, May 18th - mark your calendars, everybody. The fight’s gonna be in Sunken Harbor Arena in Fortaleza, Brazil, and I’m gonna be fighting this young up and coming punk... I don’t remember his name. But they’re saying he’s the next me or something.


LORECARD_DT79

HNM: You’re claiming this is your retirement match?
MUSTANG: Yup, you got it. This is it. After this one, I’m done. I’ll be fading off into greatness and stuff.

HNM: What are your plans post-Holmgang?
MUSTANG:You know that’s a good question. In fact, I wanna commend you on finally asking an actual question in this “interview.” Um, so, yeah, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’ll just be, you know, settling down and living the good life and stuff.  You know, maybe I’ll open up some kind of famous restaurant and follow my passion. Maybe sushi, or hamburgers, or who knows.


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LORECARD_DT80

Excerpt 2 of 3 from an interview with Mustang published in HOLMGANG NATION (May 7th, 2228)

HNM: What are your thoughts on fighting Terrance Freeman?
MUSTANG: Who’s that? Oh, right, he’s the guy I’m fighting- I knew that. So yeah, he’s very knowledge about the sport, he’s got a hell of a trigger finger. You know, he’s young, so he’s got energy. So it’s gonna be a real interesting matchup. But ultimately, I think I’ll win- because I’m Mustang.

HNM: You keep referring to Freeman as young, but he’s been fighting as a professional for the last seven years. Many consider him to be a veteran who’s been on the decline.
the last seven years. Many consider him to be a veteran who’s been on the decline.


LORECARD_DT81

HNM: There have been accusations that you are only accepting easy fights.
MUSTANG: Now, that is the most slanderous and offensive thing I have ever heard in my life. You telling me these guys I’m fighting ain’t any good? How about you go and find ‘em and tell that to their faces? We’re talking about some of the best Holmgangers to ever put on a battleframe. If they looked bad, that’s because they were fighting me- So, I'll take the blame for that.


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LORECARD_DT82

Excerpt 3 of 3 from an interview with Mustang published in HOLMGANG NATION (May 7th, 2228)

HNM: Many people are saying you’re leaving the sport too soon. What does stepping away at this point in your career mean for your legacy?
MUSTANG: Let’s see, I’m like what? 82 and zip? What do you think that means for my legacy? It means greatest ever. I always said I was gonna go out on top, right? So, here I go, the best there ever was, riding off into the sunset. That’s my legacy. What’s yours?


LORECARD_DT83

HNM: You think you’re best ever? Better even than Svald Joergen?
MUSTANG: Svald Joergen?! Are you trying to tell a joke or something? Joergen was good, don't get me wrong, but compared to me, come on, that’s not even fair. I mean, that’s almost insulting. That guy was pre-Firefall. That guy was living the good life – there wasn’t any wars. He was the king of a bunch of hacks pretending to know what fighting was. But, you look at Me? I was born in the Crystite Wars. I grew up fighting for my life. And almost every Holmgang competitor I’ve ever fought was a grizzled veteran of some kinda hellish conflict. You wanna compare me to Svald Joergen? Guess what, there ain’t no comparison.


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LOREBIT_DESCRIPTION01_1

Captain's Log

ARES 88

I looked over your request for assignment, and you will be happy to learn that you will be deployed to Devil’s Tusk.

Accord Intelligence has requested support from Project ARES to collect intel on a new enemy in Devil’s Tusk. Your skill and aptitude in reconnaissance training made you the clear choice for this operation. I’m not sending you in alone, however. Another graduate from your class, ARES 79, will be joining you on this mission.


LOREBIT_DESCRIPTION01_2

Meet with 79 at the dropship in the hangar bay. Your equipment has already been prepared. Once you reach Devil’s Tusk, make contact with the Accord Intelligence officer codenamed Widow Wary for further briefing. She will be your CO on the island.

The Accord expects a lot of our Amazon ARES recruits, and I have full confidence you will exceed all of those expectations.

Captain Hudson Fuller


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LOREBIT_DESCRIPTION02_1

Psych Report

Psych Evaluation of Subject 13

The intensity of assault training has proven to be overwhelming for Subject 13. She suffers from a noticeable lack of confidence, and combined with her abysmal combat test scores, I strongly recommend that she be immediately moved to combat engineer training. She does not possess the mental toughness and physical conditioning required of independent pilots, and she is beginning to hamstring the progress of promising subjects like 07, 09, and 10.

I’m also concerned with the memories she has shared with me. Our first gen subjects were all implanted with constructed memories meant to empower and embolden them, but I don’t believe her implants ever took. She remembers the development pods. She described floating in fluid, surrounded by glass. She doubts her purpose. I believe this may be the reason she underperforms.


LOREBIT_DESCRIPTION02_2

The memory implants we use require further scrutiny. Personally, I believe they should be more intense: Amplified moments of personal loss and pain due to the Melding and Chosen. We cannot risk our subjects slipping and losing the focus of their purpose. They are physically prepared, Doctor Fong has seen to that, but before we birth a second generation we must be sure they are mentally prepared.

Doctor Solomon Dietrich


======== tutorialcard_000397 =====================

LORECARD_DT85

Psyton: I’m on the Tusk.
snakeii: You made it? Fatman said you never showed.
Psyton: Didn’t need him. Just hacked into the ARES network and signed myself up. Bought myself a Holmgang rig and authorized myself a ride on an armored dropship out here.
snakeii: I thought I made it clear I didn’t want anyone roaming around in Accord servers. We can’t have any of this coming back on us.
Psyton: I used a stoppoint and ran a couple of trace-vultures. They won’t find my fingerprints on anything.
snakeii: You better be right.


LORECARD_DT86

snakeii: Where are you now?
Psyton: I’m at the SIN array, getting ready to head west. The buzz is that’s where our friends are camped out.
snakeii: Once you’re done meeting with them, get back here. Some of Leola’s men are getting bold. I’m going to need your help putting them back in line.
Psyton: You better hope the Ophanim down kill me on sight then. What makes you think they’d actually want to trade with us anyway?
snakeii: Because they were trading with rebels. Why wouldn’t they want to work with someone who actually knows what they are doing?


======== tutorialcard_000398 =====================

LORECARD_DT87

Consul Nostromo,

I understand my name has made it onto the shortlist for the Commander Officer of the invasion of Devil’s Tusk. I wanted to formally recognize this honor and also make an argument for my appointment to the position.

While I have no doubt in the other candidates’ abilities and experience, I believe I stand alone in my knowledge of the Hawaiian Islands and Devil’s Tusk in particular. You may remember it was my father who led the effort in opening communication between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Accord. As a result, I grew up on Devil’s Tusk and I know the island like the back of my hand. No one in the Accord knows the Tusk better than me.


LORECARD_DT88

I know that alone is not enough. But couple that with the results I have produced for you during the Chosen War as well as the trust I have earned from working directly with you these past years and I think the decision should be obvious.

As always, I respect your wisdom and am confident you will come to the right decision.

Regards,
Admiral Curtis Mokiao


======== tutorialcard_000399 =====================

LORECARD_DT89

Volkov,

I’m denying your request for reinforcements to recapture the Eastern Shore. That area holds no real strategic value for our primary mission on Devil’s Tusk. If the Chosen want it, they can have it.

I want to be clear: If I hear about any more unauthorized operations to take back the Eastern Shore, I will be forced to charge you with insubordination and you will be on the next dropship back to Transhub.


LORECARD_DT90

You need to keep your focus on defending FOB Harpoon. That is your one and only responsibility. When the Chosen expose themselves, that’s when you eliminate them. The Caldera is a hazardous landscape that enhances FOB Harpoon’s defensive positioning – you’re surrounded by a lava moat. So be patient and let the Chosen come to you.

I hope we understand each other.

Regards,
Admiral Curtis Mokiao