Forums » Pantheon Lore

Origin of the Archai - Theory

    • 187 posts
    September 4, 2016 10:37 PM PDT

    Istuulamae said:Things change a bit with an Archai, for instance, which has no real compatibility with another race. Well, maybe with one. In a way. I'll have to elaborate later. Good question.


    Here's my tin foil hat lore theory: I think Istuulamae dropped a hint towards Archai and Gnomes being compatible because the Archai were created by ancestral Gnomes, specifically the Archanos!

    For my hypothesis to be correct, the following must be true:

    1. The Archai's home planet Roa must be exist within the complex Gnome planet Stormona.
    2. Archai culture and language refers to the ancient Archanos Gnomes as "followers of Roa's Dark Celesial Lord"
    3. Archai liberation took place after the "Prophain" Gnomes (modern gnomes before they lost their form) were exiled to Skyhold.

    I think the Archai's "home planet" was either a small planet orbiting the nearstar Elos or the inner crust of Stormona itseslf. When the Gnomes first pierced the inner crust of Stormona, along with the discovery of Elos and its small planets, they unknowingly discovered an indigenous race of pure energy called the Aoeyn. After the ancient Gnomes experienced their second rift, the Archanos' greed to harvest Resivore lead them to utilize this discovered energy (the formless Aoeyn) and alchemically created the humanoid Archai as a workhorse. However, because the Arcanos were not aware of the Aoeyn's sentience, they were able to overthrow the advanced Archanos by suprise.

    The reason this connection isn't made by either the modern Gnomes or the Archai while on Terminus is due to the "Prophain" being exiled and having to sacrifice their form for survival. The exiled Gnomes were not aware of the existance of the Archai, and the Archai don't recognize the new bodies of the Gnomes wrapped in Resivore cloth, Maq'esh. Based off of the concept art, It does look clear that the Gnomes and Archai shared a similar "high energy" environment. (radiation from eyes and body)

    Bonus Tin Foil: The reason the Gnomes and Achai are neighbors on Terminus is because they used the same "giant hole" formed in Stormona to escape the collapse of Elos and whatever force deposited them on Terminus, naturally put them in the same area.
    Extra Bonus Tin Foil: The suffix -ai is a plural possessive suffix in Hungarian (haha I know, a stretch) meaning Archai could mean "the Archanos', or property of the Archanos".

    Tell me if I'm hot or cold Istuulamae!


    This post was edited by Syntro at September 4, 2016 11:33 PM PDT
    • VR Staff
    • 246 posts
    September 9, 2016 6:08 PM PDT

    Syntro -

    I have thought a lot about how to respond to this. Namely, whether or not to even respond at all. Because --

    1. You put a lot of great creative effort into this idea. It really is fantastic.

    2. It is not the shared history of the Gnomes and Archai, because -- while interesting -- they don't have a traditional shared history, or really one at all.

    3. I've always loved (and participated in) fan speculation and theory. It's part of the adventure, right? Part of the experience, sleuthing through the possiblities and rambling on in your mind or with friends or on a forum. I did it with LOST, Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars, LOTR and so many more story arcs.

    I HATE the thought of interfearing with you doing that. I loathe the thought of me stopping you from speculating, or anyone else. Speculate! Guess! Assume! Above all, WONDER!

    The only reason I am saying anything is because you asked me to, and you put forth so much imaginative effort and it was so good to read. And no one had yet affirmed that yet.

    So good work, but nay sir. Tis not the tale.


    This post was edited by Istuulamae at September 9, 2016 6:11 PM PDT
    • 187 posts
    September 9, 2016 6:23 PM PDT

    Haha, no worries Istuulamae. I revel in the world of the unkown! In fact, I love the realm of the unkown so much that I dedicated my life to it - I'm a theoretical biological physicist! By telling me I was incorrect you've given me the best gift anyone could have given me, a new opportunity to try and string together a more refined theory! Thanks, my friend, for the response. I appreciate the input. :D

    All data is good data, whether or not it aligns with your hypothesis. Back to the whiteboard.


    This post was edited by Syntro at September 9, 2016 6:26 PM PDT
    • 613 posts
    September 12, 2016 10:22 AM PDT

    Istuulamae said:

    Syntro -

    I have thought a lot about how to respond to this. Namely, whether or not to even respond at all. Because --

    1. You put a lot of great creative effort into this idea. It really is fantastic.

    2. It is not the shared history of the Gnomes and Archai, because -- while interesting -- they don't have a traditional shared history, or really one at all.

    3. I've always loved (and participated in) fan speculation and theory. It's part of the adventure, right? Part of the experience, sleuthing through the possiblities and rambling on in your mind or with friends or on a forum. I did it with LOST, Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars, LOTR and so many more story arcs.

    I HATE the thought of interfearing with you doing that. I loathe the thought of me stopping you from speculating, or anyone else. Speculate! Guess! Assume! Above all, WONDER!

    The only reason I am saying anything is because you asked me to, and you put forth so much imaginative effort and it was so good to read. And no one had yet affirmed that yet.

    So good work, but nay sir. Tis not the tale.

     

    Prey tell what is the story then?   This is the race I will be playing so I am alway chomping on the bit for more. 

    Great post!!! 

    Ox

    • 3016 posts
    February 11, 2017 1:33 PM PST

    Oooh mysteriouser and mysteriouser...you will have to illuminate us Istuulamae,  when the time is right. :)

    • 341 posts
    February 12, 2017 2:52 AM PST

    Archai are a tall race of people who are descendants of a race known as Aoeyn from the crystalline planet of Roa. The Aoeyn were destroyed by the followers of an evil deity known simply as The Celestial Lord, then reconstructed as a slave race, which became the Archai. Though enslaved, the new race discovered the ability to bond themselves with their environment. At a young age, each Archai goes through a ceremony known as "The True Birth" where their bodies graft with one of the four primary elements (earth, fire, wind, water) or even metals or minerals. This fusion is represented by markings on their bodies that remain for the rest of their lives. This power allowed them to wage a war that freed them from slavery.

    On Terminus, the Archai founded Su'Roa ("Little Home") on a small island of diverse geology. Though they are viewed by many as stoic warriors, the Archai quite enjoy songs and look for any excuse for a celebration.

     

    - Initial development concept outline.


    This post was edited by Xxar at February 12, 2017 2:53 AM PST
    • 2886 posts
    February 13, 2017 6:57 AM PST

    Xxar said:

    Archai are a tall race of people who are descendants of a race known as Aoeyn from the crystalline planet of Roa. The Aoeyn were destroyed by the followers of an evil deity known simply as The Celestial Lord, then reconstructed as a slave race, which became the Archai. Though enslaved, the new race discovered the ability to bond themselves with their environment. At a young age, each Archai goes through a ceremony known as "The True Birth" where their bodies graft with one of the four primary elements (earth, fire, wind, water) or even metals or minerals. This fusion is represented by markings on their bodies that remain for the rest of their lives. This power allowed them to wage a war that freed them from slavery.

    On Terminus, the Archai founded Su'Roa ("Little Home") on a small island of diverse geology. Though they are viewed by many as stoic warriors, the Archai quite enjoy songs and look for any excuse for a celebration.

     

    - Initial development concept outline.

    But how does this explain Istuulamae's reference to the Archai being "compatible" with another race?

    • 284 posts
    February 13, 2017 7:39 AM PST

    Well, he first said they had no compatibility. I'd imagine this is an oblique reference to their strange rivalry with the Dark Myr or, maybe, with their strong alliance to the Dwarves.

    • 2886 posts
    February 13, 2017 7:54 AM PST

    Jimmayus said:

    Well, he first said they had no compatibility. I'd imagine this is an oblique reference to their strange rivalry with the Dark Myr or, maybe, with their strong alliance to the Dwarves.

    The Dwarves would actually make a good amount of sense considering they were formed from ice and stone. That elemental affinity would almost certainly make them compatible with the Archai. I'd be willing to bet on it.

    • 284 posts
    February 15, 2017 7:56 AM PST

    Well, that and Su'Roa is close to (off the coast of?) Whitethaw, as the Archai and Dwarves led a joint guerilla effort on that continent in the Deicide War, and then subsequently were forced together into the Frozen Sanctum. This is conjecture of course, because 'connection' can mean a great many things and I'm just looking at the most mundane one.

    • 2886 posts
    February 15, 2017 8:17 AM PST

    True, it could mean many different things, but the origional Istuulamae quote comes from https://www.pantheonmmo.com/content/forums/topic/3756/are-different-races-quot-compatible-quot which is referring more to the races' ability to reproduce with each other. So that's the context I'm approaching it with. But the fact that Archai and Dwarves are allies and have fought together makes it that much more likely that they would mate. The fact that they are both elemental in nature makes it theoretically technically possible. That's my tin foil hat anyway haha