The Natives
It’s difficult to decide which pile to put the Ikthians in. On one hand, the aquatic race definitely traveled to Nexus in search of Primal Water, finding it in abundance. But on the other, it’s unclear just how long they’ve been trying to harvest the planet, as they spend most of their time underwater. There could be huge industrial complexes lurking beneath the waves, powering the Cortex’s scientific experiments, or constructing war machines for the Triton Guard.
A question mark also hangs over the Falkrin, proud and arrogant flying humanoids that seem to build their nests near sources of Primal Air. Culturally rich and relatively sophisticated, it seems surprising that the Eldan would leave them untouched compared to other indigenous creatures. Perhaps the birdmen put up a good fight.
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The Eldan did create one race that we know of: the OS-1, now simply known as Osun. Now scattered in tribes across Nexus, they remain fiercely opposed to outsiders. But there’s another race, known as Pell, who seem to have a more varied worldview. While they all seem to revere the Eldan as ancient gods, some (like those in Stormtalon’s Lair) continue their ancient practices in ritualistic ceremonies. Others, like the Clearwater Channellers in Whitevale, seem to be more relaxed, communing with the primal energies directly. It feels as though the Osun and Pell have an intertwined history that’s begging to be unpicked, and possibly a shared future as well.
Not all Eldan creations turned out as impressive. The diminutive Skeech have the unenviable reputation of being useless at pretty much everything apart from extinction, spreading like an infestation through the cave systems of Nexus. Once a pet project, the intervening years have turned them into chaotic cannibals, with only a rudimentary understanding of shamanism.
The Moodies didn’t fare much better, becoming highly shamanistic and gaining simple necromantic powers. Their culture doesn’t extend much beyond that, existing as grunts and squeals alongside snatched phrases. They also cling to their masks ferociously, possibly as a sense of identity; being the only anchor to their self they have left after being reanimated countless times.
The Catalyst
When the Exiles and Dominion arrived on Nexus, they introduced (or reintroduced in the case of the Mechari) seven new sentient species to the world. Since that moment there’s been further bifurcation, as ancient Eldan technology has melded with these new arrivals to create something new.
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Ever since the Eldan mysteriously vanished from Nexus, their machinery and Exo-labs have been operating on auto-pilot, in some cases long after they were supposed to expire. With nanotechnology-based augmentation facilities running haywire, it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled through the wrong teleporter. In a strange twist of fate, that person happened to be Dominion missionary Calidor Antevian.
Abandoning his faith in the Vigilant Church, he became obsessed with something he described as ‘The Truth’, using the nanites that surged through him to cybernetically enhance himself. He then forcibly converted victims into devout followers, promising that they would ascend into godhood through technology. The Order of Ascended Souls (or Ascendancy) can seem like an ironic contrast to the Freebots, but they are deadly, fanatically serious.
The disturbing thing is that this could potentially happen elsewhere on Nexus. All it takes is someone with a steadfast mind to start poking around in an abandoned Eldan complex.
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And yet, this is all just the start. There’s an entire galaxy of incredible beings or pathetic vermin (depending on your faction), and it’s highly likely that they’re eager to be a part of the Nexus gold rush. Once they make landfall, who knows how the planet might change them. It’s one of the reasons why, even after all I’ve seen, I’m confident that WildStar will keep on surprising me.
Gareth Harmer / Gareth Harmer has been blasting and fireballing his way through MMOs for over ten years. When he's not exploring an online world, he can usually be found enthusiastically dissecting and debating them. Follow him on Twitter at @Gazimoff.
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