anonymous

Thats some real interesting stuff you got there. Given the fact the blue liquid is Element 115 (as Richtofen states that the robots run on 115), this is additional evidence that E115 is the physical manifestation (crystalline, liquid or gaseous) of ethereal energy. To quote something from another thread: "We consider Element 115 as a physical substance, in reality it is a highly concentrated crystalline variant of ethereal energy, these electromagnetic fields in all matter. (...)The Aether, Vril, 115, the Welteis and ethereal energy, it might all be the same thing, or similar; merely in different concentrations and/or substances. This energy is omnipresent and forged the Multiverse, and it wasn't until the Elder Gods started to seed this 'space-time' in our perceivable, physical universe, that rocks and crystals of E115 were a thing." In Buried and Die Rise we learn that ethereal energy is omnipresent in all matter. At the same time, we learn that 115 shouldnt exist in our physical universe. While this seems to contradict each other, 115 is meant with ethereal energy in a physical state of matter, which shouldnt exist. Ethereal energy originally exists only as energy, but these Conversion Generators seem to transform it into liquid, perceivable, 115. Cool to hear about that difference between the four classic elements and the fifth, Aether, I have never linked this with Origins before. We have the staff of Wind (air), Lightning, Fire and Ice (Water).

@clueless Love it! I would genuine be fond on continuing the story this way: No further dragging but more in-depth explanations of what we encountered already. As for the maps: Plaza: Having a relatively small and simple map (like the Giant and Nuketown) in a game of larger and complicated maps is a pre, espessially to make new players get in touch with the basics of Zombies. A shopping centre sounds like the perfect location for various fun weapons that can be built from all the objects found in the shops. Think about the Jetgun, the Sliquifier, the Trample Steam, the Headchopper, etc. Preferable no overpowered wonderweapons and buildables, but ones with a fun effect. The setting itself isn't really scary but it could go the goofy way. Chateau en Ruine: We already had a castle map, so maybe this map could be set mainly on the land surrounding the castle. Normandy is famous for its dense hedgerows and fields, add a little darkness and mist and you've got your creepy atmosphere. Parts of Normandy also have a Celtic culture, which would perfectly fit with Origins' theme of ancient megaliths and menhirs. Perhaps adding an old Celtic cementary and make the castle severely ruined, with a broken roof etc, to make it very different than the 'high tech castle' that Der Eisendrache is. Qabr Almawtaa: This one is my favourite, creating a claustrophobic effect with all its narrow subterrean tunnels. Adding a certain dark music theme when the George Romero-like boss approaches, but not yet visible, would certainly contribute to the fear. The Pyramids of Giza are also believed to be a gateway to Agartha/Hollow Earth, so maybe adding deeper tunnels that lead to a room filled with lava (similar to Shadows of Evil's undercroft), or perhaps put the Pack-a-Punch machine here so the players can merely temporary stay there due to the lava. Stan rozpadu: Maps based on real events always do good. Chernobyl lays in an interesting area, and due to human evacuation much of the local rural areas, as well as the city Pripyat, are fully abandoned and overgrown by plants and trees. An abandoned Soviet city certainly provides a creepy atmosphere, espessially if you take in mind the nearby DUGA radar, which could be used as a Soviet Global Polarization Device. Perhaps Convergence and Ozzoth Arkatugua could collide as a single map, as I could see a connection between a deeply unstable dimension and entering the Dark Aether. Kinda similar to Origins and the Crazy Place, except that both realms would be equally large and extensive. The Dark Aether could provide an alien landscape which could be inhabited by all sorts of Apothicons including ones we havent seen yet.

Another fun thing to have is a game with relatively small maps set in the post-apocalyptic world after the events of Moon. These maps could be survival maps like Town, but could also include other gamemodes as originally planned for Black Ops II. It could be a Grief mode of Broken Arrow scientists versus SDC marines set in a Chinese skypscraper close to Die Rise, or a Tower Defense-like game set on top of the Mexican pyramid of the Moon, where 8 players have to defend the four stairs leading to the top of the temple. Various gamemodes where Maxis followers have to battle the Flesh. There will be no big interactive easter eggs but suple things like morse codes that give more information about the current state of the world.

As the end of the month approached, I was really looking forward to a new reveal of chapters. I like it how the two min stories, Richtofen's and McCain's, are really tying together now. Richtofen also clearly behaves like a sadistic maniac now, seems like the blackness at last has swallowed his heart. And then my eyes noticed Nikolai's testsubject name, 4N0N! Can you imagine there being a reference to your name in one of your favourite books? I was bursted with honour upon reading that, and still kinda gazed. I've been a follower and fan of this Storybook ever since it began, I've seen all your hard work put in it and all the rewrites of different versions of the chapter. Its like a series you follow over years, new episodes being released every now and then. Occasionally, on holidays, I started re-reading it all, enjoying it every time again. And then reading this small nod, this 4N0N, that really is something that fills me with happiness. Thank you

I'd like to note the difference between 'Vril' and the 'Vril-Ya'. The latter being, indeed, the ancient alien race we know as Keepers, religions calling them Gods or Demons, the Coming Race mythos calling them the Vril-Ya. Essentially the name doesn't matter, but the Black Sun symbol shows that this is indeed the same race as is spoken about in external sources like the Coming Race. That alone can be seen as a reference to Vril, or Vril energy, but there are more. Most are in Black Ops I, the Vril Rod, the Vril Sphere, a morse code in CotD blinking 'VRIL' and files being named after Vril, such as the Aztec calender in CotD. Of course one could argue that these are all references to the Keepers (the Vril-Ya), but I do believe the energy also plays a role in this. Spoilers for Richkiller! Ethereal energy is everywhere. 115 is the fabric of space-time, of our 3D-temporal universe. Perhaps this ever-present, unperceivable form of 115 (if I can even call it like that) is Ethereal Energy. I think the pure crystalline form of 115, the form the Apothicon Overlords send in meteors to Earth, is a concentrated form of Ethereal energy. The energy it emits is no ordinary ethereal energy anymore, it is called Vril. And @RichKiller I think those energy fields are the ever-present ethereal energy. See it as 115 in some kind of very thin state, dimensionless and unperceivable, like Shooter said in that other topic "like the atmosphere around Earth". In another plane but yet all around us, as it is the fabric of space time. Once we got the element crystalline, perceivable, however, it becomes a whole other story. Imagine a "brick" of space-time in the form of a rock, imagine the amount of ethereal energy concentrated. I think this is Vril energy. EDIT: Maybe the Conversion Generators in Origins convert this Ethereal Energy into perceivable, liquid 115

@Rapt and @RichKiller I know you two have read Shooter's thread about Time Travel and the Aether, and I ask you, upon reading this thread, is there a connection between Ethereal Energy and Vril? Ethereal Energy is described to be everywhere, omnipresent, while Vril seems to be only there at extremely high concentrations of energy. However, both are directly connected to 115, both become higher the more 115 there is. Could we conclude that Vril is a very high manifestation of Ethereal Energy?

This post is great, I never noticed it but in my opinion it deserves a movement to the Asylum. Also brains to you @Rapt for re-discovering it! Now initially concerning the OP: I think the Aether isn't merely the spiritual/nonphysical realm, but rather the realm of energy. Thia can be explained by Einstein's "E=m*c2" or Maxis's "matter can be transferred in energy", as well as Faust's interpretation about the science behind the Matter Transference Device. Bearing this in mind, does that mean our in-game spirits or souls are purely energetic? It would explain the odd correlation between Leylines, deathroads, burial grounds and electromagnetic fields. Perhaps energy is time independant, thus it exists in the Aether and thus can our souls in the form of energy be send to the future or past. Return through Aether. It does raise the question how souls, ethereal energy and 115 are interconnected, though. My interpretation is that ethereal energy is omnipresent in everything but in different doses. Souls are like 'travellers' through the ethereal realm and crystalline 115 is a direct, solid bridge between the physical world and the Aether. I like your idea about the Moon rockets being send to high deposits of 115 to destroy this 'bridge' between Richthofen and the physical world. It seems like now, only people with a high amount of 115 in their brains (the Flesh and Stuhlinger) are still connected with Richthofen and the Aethereal dimension. I'm curious what other two locations, next to Groom Lake, held such a high amount of 115 that they had to be destroyed. My thoughts go to either Shangri-La, Excavation Site 64 or Tunguska. Now concerning your comments, I really like the idea of there being two versions of Origins: the one we know and one in which Primis fails or perhaps never unites, eventually leading to the events of the original timeline a rough 20 years later. It would perhaps even make sense of Report 44. OG Maxis bring a robot with his brain in a jar is a classic theory that I am sure of the developers heard od, and I think robotic SOPHIA in Gorod Krovi was a small neat little nod to that theory. However, the timeline kinda screws up this idea. You see, there are differences between the OG dimension and dimension 63 even before Origins. For instance, it ia stated that in the OG dimension Group 935 was founded by Maxis in the 1930s, while in dimension 63 it was clearly prior to Origins, during WW1. @Rapt I also like your idea about the paradox, and how it forces Primis not to die. However we see this clearly happen, every game we play, so how could this be canon? @RichKillerdo you mean your 'good forest ending' happens when Primis die in game and the paradox isn't resolved? How could that occur, as that essentially generates a Grandfather Paradox?

2 chapters of the Storybook and a couple of new theories this busy day of my examination week? Man I'm so hyped, but since I dont have infinite time I dont wanna rush such masterpieces like this. Uhh but I dont have patience either. So reading these chapters will be my reward for learning for about two hours. I'll give your feedback later and btw love the music you post all the time alongside the chapters, giving them a certain extra atmosphere. EDIT: Nice ones, reminds me a bit of the Inglorious Basterds scene where Hans Landa makes a deal with Aldo the Apache. I got your pun of Richtofen referring Cornelius to a 'him or her' by the way ;). These must be one of the few good times for Richtofen, feeling like he is all in control and everything goes to plan....until a little girl got in between.

@Matuzz Great thread, thank you for the translations of the boxes (we were looking for it for some time :p). Just out of curiousity, is there any hard evidence that the project Steiner worked on (concerning Nova-6, Mount Yamantau and Rebirth Island) were also part of the Ascension Group? Or are it more likely assumptions? I'm not sure if the BO1 CIA intel says something about that, but I feel like the Ascension Group was restricted on experimenting with 115 and winning the Space Race to reach Griffin Station & the 115 deposit there prior to the Americans.