Lore & Origin Story — The Arrival on Xabia Mo

This chapter describes the narrative framework of {{Antares Open World}}: the arrival of the Laos on Xabia Mo, the prophecy of the indigenous people and the opening scenario in which the player begins their journey.

In a Land Before Our Time

For millennia, the civilizations of {{Antarien}} have gazed into the infinite vastness of space, directing their eyes and landmarks toward the stars. Since the beginning of recorded time, generations have awaited the arrival and return of their long-anticipated and long-overdue gods. In accordance with their prophecy, they maintain astronomical calendars, hoping to better and more precisely determine the moment of divine arrival. They align their entire lives to the stars, convinced by the traditions of their ancestors of their gods' benevolence.

On a special day in October, their prophecy seems within reach as their expectant eyes discover a shimmering magnificence approaching the horizon with grace. Blinded by the sun, the indigenous people of Xabia Mo await the arrival of the gods they have worshipped since time immemorial. The Laos, after an endless voyage, together with her three sister ships reaches the small idyllic island of Xabia Mo on the day of the solstice in the year 53.10.3 after SURA.

...and I saw a people full of expectations, a savior in me. I possess the skills of a prophet to peer into the souls of the unbelievers, to command them to true deeds. Once the Antarian gods looked down from the heavens and showed me my enlightenment, just as I once was, so I see my newly discovered people toward their true destiny. I heard of infinite treasures, of gold, of the worship of spiritual powers. I gave them weapons, tobacco and wine. Soon I saw myself as ruler, prophet, no — in the eyes of my followers I had become a god. ...

Through their steadfast faith and their lack of association with existing knowledge, the indigenous people were convinced that their prayers had been answered. What followed can be read in the long-dusty history books of {{Antarien}}.

The arrival scene establishes the core themes of the entire game: perception versus reality, the fine line between salvation and subjugation, and the question of whom one can trust. These motifs run as a common thread through all design chapters. According to various experiments, human consciousness can process approximately 40 bits per second — our perception, limited by our senses, merely forms an image in the brain. To put it somewhat more freely, we do not see with our eyes but rather with our brain.

Lore Chronology

Prophecy of the Gods' Return — Astronomical calendars, life aligned to the stars. Generations await the arrival and return of their gods.

Arrival of the Laos on Xabia Mo — 4 ships reach the island on the day of the solstice. Admiral Norus Larun is worshipped as a god. Gifts: weapons, tobacco and wine.

Birth of the God Ras — The star Antares turns blood red. Plague, corruption and pestilence descend upon Antarien. Cosmic mythology manifests in the physical world.

Ice Comet Impact — Panspermia as an act of creation on an exoplanet. Building blocks of life are carried by the comet.

The Player Awakens — The young hero awakens without memories. Tutorial start in the wilderness or the submarine catacombs.

Dedication and Guiding Principle

The concept is intended as a visionary time capsule of infinity — written for his son Luca and for all other peace-loving people on this earth. In harmony with the strongest force in the universe: love, understanding, tolerance and compassion for one's fellow beings. The deep hope lies in growing up in a socially competent society, finally awakening and learning from the past — drawing the right lessons from antiquity and world history, where hunger, suffering, instruments of power, intolerance and the ignorance of a few earth-dwellers' greed no longer hold sway.

Wake up, ... we are many! This is my appeal to humanity.

A truly good idea can be recognized by the fact that its realization seems impossible from the very beginning.

Mythological Anchoring

With the birth of the god Ras according to RAL 22.10.0.3.15.7, the star Antares turned blood red. Plague, corruption and pestilence descended upon the homeland and world of {{Antarien}}. — Transmitted SURA 17.2.30

This passage anchors the cosmic mythology of {{Antarien}}: the star Antares itself reacts to divine events. The connection between astronomy, religion and physical world changes is a central design element that runs through the {{Ephemeris}}, {{Religion}} and {{Kalender}} systems.

Opening Scenario (Prologue)

After character generation, the player is assigned a home planet in the Antarian universe. The choice of race plays a specific role in the selection of the solar system. Through an opening cinematic, the player is shown the impact of an ice comet on their home planet. By delivering building blocks of life through Panspermia, the concept manifests purposeful life in the universe.

It is deliberately left open whether this is a targeted colonization by third parties or whether it can be attributed to a higher divine power. After an unspecified period of the act of creation, the opening scenario and the player's interaction begin.

Awakening and First Steps

The young hero awakens in the age class of their choosing, in an environment typical of their origin. Their character has lost all memories upon awakening — potentially stranded deliberately on an exoplanet through {{Panspermie}}, from their ark (comet) there evolved a perhaps intentional act of creation from alien organisms into intelligent life.

Wilderness scenario as starting environment. The player is organically guided toward forestry professions — not by selection, but through action and consequence.

Antarian prison politics (Sudden Drop). The career path is determined by the character's later actions.

Professions in {{AOW}} are not selectable. They are determined exclusively by the character's later actions. There is no profession selection during character creation — the player discovers their vocation organically through gameplay. A profession is not a decision, but a consequence.

During the tutorial, the player initially wanders alone and abandoned through the forest or dungeon. They familiarize themselves with the topology of their spawn point specific to their planet. Along the way, the character gradually finds useful items which — by explaining their functionality — progressively expand their interface and HUD. The player is thus systematically introduced to the game mechanics without an explicit tutorial breaking the immersion.

The Luminous Companion

A central element of the opening scenario is the encounter with a luminous firefly. Resembling an astral energy in its appearance, it initially serves the hero as a simple light source. From the very beginning, there seems to exist a special form of synergy between the two.

As the story progresses, the character discovers that their ever-returning and faithful companion communicates with others of its kind and possesses a highly developed swarm intelligence that is barely comprehensible to them. A common language of communication must be found by the player — this is not a tutorial gift, but a process of discovery.

The firefly serves as the first illumination in dark environments. The player recognizes the practical utility of their companion without understanding its true nature.

Communication with the swarm intelligence is unlocked. Commands can be transmitted to many locations simultaneously — a powerful tool for coordination.

The companion becomes the communication bridge between the player's own characters. A meta-interface through the swarm intelligence.

Through the companion, the player can intervene in the game from a distance. The full scope of the astral connection reveals itself.

What the young hero does not yet know: they are dealing with a very ancient Antarian consciousness/soul. This is why we subtitle {{Antares Open World}} with the Latin wisdom "Mens sana in corpore sano" — a healthy mind in a healthy body. This complex topic — the trinity of body, mind and soul — is dedicated its own chapter in the manuscript.