This is indeed similar to the other monument. The metals react to chimeric compound in the exact manner, but the nearby drill does not react at all. I would classify the monument as a rare metal and will try to gather shavings to take back to Dunar for study. I cannot wait to return. The wyvern have been too keen, and my lancers cannot take much more.

We were fine. We were through. The Scars were in retreat. We didn't even know the relic was there. It went volatile. Elementals spilling all over the place. I'd rather face a dozen Scars than an unstable Shaper relic. Give me something I can outthink or outshoot instead of a reality-warping death-machine.

— Sentinel Brin, Sentinel report

Citizens of Fort Tarsis,
We would like to thank all those who helped the Sentinels keep wyvern from nesting in the tower, cleaned up the wyvern droppings around the courtyard, and hosed the droppings off of Sentinel Barr. Together, we will continue to make Fort Tarsis a clean place to live.

— Assistant Governor, Jutte Felhain

As for my students, Klata believes that the Anzu, creatures as old as time, are not gone, but merely living among us... that perhaps a titan or even humans are Anzu. This is ridiculous. When has a titan ever built anything? And if humans were Anzu, don't you think we would have some sort of knowledge of that? There are stories of Anzu in the north guiding the Dominion's hands, but this seems like Dominion propaganda to me. They're much scarier if we all think they have some ancient being guiding them now, aren't they? The Anzu are gone, simple as that.

— Arcanist diary

It was coming at us, friend! Ice bombs from the sky! Just about took out Tubbs and Karl. Wyvern chimera, man... they're the worst.

Shadow Lock has been breached. Fourth titan spotted. Shadowmark sinking. Evacuation confirmed.

Antium
–Striders en route - 20.
-Estimated arrival - one week

Fort Tarsis
-Confirmed Sentinels for route - 100.
-Governor ready for refugees.
-Freelancer support.

Heliost
-Striders en route - 8.
-Estimated arrival - 3 days.
-Sending weapons.

Cypher support - Freelancer and Sentinel maneuvers

When a titan dies, the liquid pumping through its stone heart cools and hardens to become corium, one of the strongest metals in the world. During the height of their power, the urgoth led titan hunts to harvest corium for weapons and machinery, and nearly drove the creatures to extinction. When the Legion of Dawn was formed, their javelins were forged from the mountain of titan hearts their oppressors had stockpiled.
After the war, the desire for corium persisted. While titan numbers have been replenished by the Anthem, they are still rare and powerful creatures. Corium harvesters sometimes prefer to try their luck against Scar Luminaries, who are known to pick clean the bodies of fallen titans. Either way, the odds are not in their favor.

Crimson Lancer Rewrite: Season Eleven, Episode Eight
Kista angled her javelin five degrees farther west to compensate for the strong headwind. Below her, the jungle on the mountainside showed no signs of Shaper ruins. Suddenly, she hit turbulence and her vision was clouded by ice and condensation. The ripstream dropped, forcing her to descend into the canopy of the trees.
"Kista, I sense multiple heat signatures closing on your position." Cypher Ada warned.
Kista snapped her thrusters into hover position and readied her Resolution pistol. She scanned the treetops for signs of whatever had alerted Ada. The jungle remained quiet.
A wyvern's fireball struck her armor. Overheated, Kista's flight controls failed and she crashed into the mountainside.

Crimson Lancer Rewrite: Season Eleven, Episode Eleven
Kista pulled herself out of a pile of branches and debris. Another fireball like the one that grounded her slammed into a nearby tree, scorching the bark and turning leaves to ash. She couldn't get the wyvern in her sights through the canopy.
"Ada, can you detect the Shaper ruin? How far away is it now?" Kista asked, her mind always on the mission at hand.
"I've lost the sense of it, Kista." Ada said. Her voice was unusually frustrated. "It interferes with my abilities somehow. I know you've flown about fifteen klicks from your last position, but I detect nothing at all Shaper-related."
Another fireball struck near Kista's feet. "We have to keep looking. I'm continuing on foot."
"Kista," Ada said, suddenly worried, "Dallus found an entrance on the eastern side of the mountain. He's gone in, despite my warnings. I've lost contact."
"Damn them!" Kista swore. "Have they forgotten the Freelancer motto? Help me find the eastern entrance, Ada. We don't have much time."

Crimson Lancer Rewrite: Season Eleven, Episode Twelve
Back in Fort Tarsis, Freelancers Henley and Braxton carefully filed their incident reports to Sentinel command, to properly inform the fort about the acid Titan they encountered earlier, and this greatly improved morale in the fort because Freelancers and Sentinels should cooperate instead of perpetuating petty lancer rivalries. Also, Bianca fell down a well.

Unlike chimera, which are fauna transformed by Shaper energies, elementals are sentient beings brought into existence by the clash between Shaper instruments and the violent energies of the Anthem of Creation found at the center of a Cataclysm. While the fire-spewing wyvern is commonly referenced as the example of an elemental, the most notorious and universally feared is the monstrous titan. Pioneering researcher Gelhold Fraf theorized that if we could unlock the secrets of an elemental's formation, we would gain profound understanding of the Shapers' design for this world.

Every year, the people of Bastion send Freelancer hunting parties out to reap the land's bounty and thin dangerous wildlife populations before darker seasons approach.

Participate in this Festive Event by hunting the creatures of Bastion in any Game Mode

A wyvern attempt to nest atop the Fort Tarsis towers last week caused mass panic for residents. The wyvern in question landed in the central courtyard, causing citizens to flee indoors. Nearby Sentinels were quick to respond and managed to slay the beast. No one was killed, though Sentinel Garred Barr is recovering from minor injuries. Considerable damage was done to the courtyard.

—From "The Fort Tarsis Times"

The rarest mineral current known, corium is only found within the heart of a titan. Freelancer Trapper recovered this crystal from the Heart of Rage during the First Freemark Expedition, just a few weeks after the fall of Freemark. The titan, nicknamed “Javelin Breaker,” wiped out most of the expedition before it was finally destroyed.

An airtight, armored exo-suit linked to a pilot's thoughts and impulses. Javelins are capable of short flights and have been the major technology of defense and exploration. “Arden Vassa crafted a suit of armor, plated in ember and hope. This would make General Tarsis stronger than the urgoth, than the ursix, than the titan. This would be humanity's salvation. A spear, hurtling towards freedom. A Javelin of Dawn.”

When cyphers began to appear, Corvus integrated new technology into links, so that the cyphers could “accompany” lancers on missions, giving specific direction, information and guidance. While not necessary to piloting a javelin, working with a cypher is a proven life saver.
Since a javelin is merely an extension of its lancer, they work best when specifically crafted to an individual's preference and ability. It is common for lancers to upgrade their javelin to their liking with guns, cannons, shields, and seals.

Dearest Bex,

I think about you every day. I miss you. I've seen so many exciting things. I understand why you didn't come with me, but I still wish that you did.

Highlights… we passed a Scar village. I ate manticor on a dare. I visited the Fort Tarsis library. There's a kind of fountain nearby. I sat there and read about a million words. But wherever I go, I make sure to visit the Freelancer enclave. I want so badly to pilot a javelin like my aunt. I'm determined to impress Freelancer Yarrow.

Here's a joke... how many Scars does it take to kill a Titan? Fifty. Because, it's a glitching Titan!.

That's terrible, but I hope you're laughing anyway.

I miss your laugh.

Teenen

Icetide Means it's Time For Ice Smash!

This week the season kicks off with the traditional Fort Tarsis Ice Sculpture Smash! Participation is free but those taking part must bring their own tools. Please gather at the south wall at sunrise to claim your block of ice. Come and show off your artistic skill to your fellow citizens by creating an effigy in ice. The traditional flinging of the sculptures off the wall begins just before sundown on the same day.

Note: This season, after much debate, images of the Royal Family of Antium will still be permitted to be carved, however, those sculptures will not be permitted to be thrown off of the wall and smashed when that time comes.

Citizens in Tarsis are once again invited to the Freelancer Enclave tomorrow for shaved ice treats. Freelancer Jak will act as Honorary Frost Fellow for the festivities this year. The cyphers will be running games of chance with the proceeds going to the Tarsis Cypher Scholarship which sends altered children from underprivileged families to a satomi.

Congratulations to our resident Bard who recently returned from Antium with a trophy as the top dramatist in Bastion this season.

His winning dramatization of General Tarsis and the Ice Titan held the assembled crowd rapt for an entire afternoon, while the encores continued for almost a day more. Notably, near the end of his performance, he had everyone on the edge of their seats recounting the story of our recent fire during the Season of Skulls.

A wyvern attempted to nest atop one of the Fort Tarsis towers last week, causing mass panic for residents. Wyverns, one of Bastion's most dangerous creatures, have emerged from the Heart of Rage for the past ten years. They have caused damage throughout the north, where natural ripstreams have kept them from migrating over the mountains.

The wyvern in question appeared to be looking for a nesting place and landed in the central courtyard, causing citizens to flee indoors. Nearby Sentinels were quick to respond and managed to slay the beast. No one was killed, though Sentinel Garred Barr is now recovering from minor injuries.

Considerable damage was done to much of the courtyard, and repairs are already underway.

A titan breeched the Shadow Lock last night. After blasting through the door for most of the afternoon, the titan succeeded in making its way to the edge of Shadowmark, but was felled by the cooperation of Sentinels and Freelancers. Our deepest thanks to the individuals who fought into the night to keep Shadowmark safe, and our hearts go out to the families of Freelancers Chenda Dhoe and Alston Xen, as well as Sentinel Kriti Ving. Their loss is deeply felt by all of us. A memorial service is planned for later this week.

What a day. I woke up late, and when I got to work I discovered I’d left my signet in my kitchen. I grabbed a spare off the wall and hopped into my javelin. Sure, I could kind of move, but the chances of hitting a nesting wyvern in the tower, even at mid-range, were slim. In short, meet me at the bar.

What a day. I woke up late, and when I got to work I discovered I'd left my signet in my kitchen. I grabbed a spare off the wall and hopped into my javelin. Sure, I could kind of move, but the chances of hitting a nesting wyvern in the tower, even at mid-range, were slim. In short, meet me at the bar.

— Xak

This Cataclysm affects everything. Wyvern, once rare to this land, burn up the countryside. The Emerald Abyss is now the source of unexplainable disappearances and Shadowmark is sinking into the ground. And titans, creatures that nearly faded into myth, broke through the Shadow Lock and are stomping closer to Fort Tarsis. How soon until they breach the Antium Lock and destroy our city on a whim?

— From The Heart of Rage: A Discussion

Site of the tragic Hureen Slide. A large caravan of merchant striders from the Hureen company were travelling to Freemark, only to be buried by a landslide that killed most of the crew. Those who survived managed to walk to the Tower Road before wyvern caught them. Freelancers found the lone survivor, hiding in a tree nearby.

Dear Mother,

It is the second week of our expedition to find the Tomb of Tarsis, and my initial excitement has turned to frustration. Any clues the Fortress of Dawn may provide are locked inside. My mentor thinks there must be a piece we're missing—perhaps a key or lock or some technology that's been lost over time. If only we had Dunar's library. The loss of that city has left a hole in our history. Yet I'm glad to be here, not counting the wyvern and tesilars. The company is most fetching and our catering has been superb.

Love to Dad
Blais

Nothing ever stays buried in this world. Nothing is sealed forever. Black secrets that should remain under the earth come whistling back to plague us. This place ain't done spewing forth darkness. This is cursed dirt, you mark my words.

—Lasseter San, trader

These caves are a great place for enthusiasts to discover elementals! Note how these creatures form packs of similar or different types depending on the surrounding conditions. Don't get too close, though—you'll scare the poor elementals into exploding, which will kill you and them.

—From "Bastion's Amazing Animals!" by Venwick Crok

According to Garred's “The Volume of Tarsis,” Arden Vassa build the citadel of Arath along the High Road as a base of operations for lancers to keep watch over the strider path. While Arcanists place the time of the Citadel's destruction before the shadow fell on Anshar, there has been speculation over what could have demolished such a large structure, and while chimeric compound is present, there is not enough evidence to support the theory of Cataclysm. In recent years, there has been support for the idea of a titan having wreaked havoc, as stated in Dalathie's “The Freelancers Three.”

Titans are a major force, and a force to be reckoned with! Once a rare creature, titans have been continuously coming out of the Heart of Rage over the past few years, and so we've gotten to know more about them than ever before. Titans reproduce by growing an "offshoot," a smaller copy that just breaks off and walks away. But smaller doesn't mean less dangerous! If you happen to come across one, you may be lucky enough to catch them in a bad mood and see it shoot energy from its chest! What puts a titan in a bad mood? Just about everything! Truly unforgettable!

— From “Bastion's Amazing Animals!” by Venwick Crok

"I could tell you about titans, but you would not believe me. No story, no account, no anything prepares you for that first time you see one. Destroy them where you find them, you hear me?"

—Freelancer Yarrow

"The stone monster slumbered. I've seen the jungle move with uncanny speed to overgrow and reclaim anything abandoned, soon overwhelming even the grandest structures—yet the broad back of this silent giant remained curiously bare of green. Perhaps there is a voiceless understanding that the jungle cannot master something beyond the natural world."

—From "An Explorer's Account: The Collected Journals of Utassi Hans" by M. Chronicler

Years turned over, and Vassa followed the teachings of Idris and the Emberlings. Tarsis worked to thwart the urgoth, freeing all in her path, relying on runes to aid their flight until that day when Vassa crafted a suit of armor, plated in ember and hope. This would make General Tarsis stronger than the urgoth, than the ursix, than the titan. This would be humanity's salvation. A spear, hurtling towards freedom. A Javelin of Dawn.

And so, the free people grew from a few who dared to follow the moonlight, into a legion waiting for the sun to rise, ready for the bright rays of victory.

There are things that will kill you for food or self-defense. Then there's these elemental terrors, that kill you to appease their own malicious sense of humor. Not only will they rain fire from above, but they will sneak up behind you and then rain fire from above. Luckily, you can listen for their distinctive shriek and take cover. If you can find cover. What if you don’t have cover? What if you’re all alone with no hope of rescue? My professional advice is: just stay home in the first place. There are so many better things to do.

—From “A Guide To Living Things That Will Kill You” by Timon Batrok

"It is not enough to watch the tall grass and dense vines for the flash of a predator's teeth—we too must gaze upward to search for silhouette of long wings and cruel talons."

—From "The Grindstone of Fate" by Mentor Kurcer Attjax

"A collection of steady, unblinking eyes watched from the high cliff. We were striking camp as quickly as possible, but clearly running out of time. The collection of flying predators grew by the second. We must have seemed easy prey to those merciless creatures. In truth, we were."

—From Field Record #189, by Utassi Hans