The Glass Edge

The remains of the Glass Edge hover above Nakugard VII.

The joke is often that the Minmatar build their stations and ships from whatever rusted scraps they find laying around. This joke has gone so far as to become a bit of a rallying cry: “In Rust we Trust” is often heard from Matari loyalists going into the attack. And to an extent, the jokes have some truth to it. The Minmatar have never been known for their graceful architectural styles. In fact, the architectural style fittingly seems to be almost the antithesis of the Amarr design philosophy. Whereas the Amarr put form first, cladding all of their ships and buildings in gold, and fit the function in from there, the Matari choose to put function first. They’re not afraid to show the underlying structural elements. If something is just there to “look nice”, it’s not needed. In a society as starved for resources as the early Minmatar Republic, making things “look nice” simply wasn’t a priority. They wanted to get the job done, not win beauty contests. Intriguingly, given the lack of development in their designs, the Minmatar still seem to be in that mindset.

A look down one of the two twin undock ramps that gave a rather pleasant panorama of surrounding space.

But more intriguingly from a historical perspective is that the Nefantar apparently followed this design philosophy. Although they had little chance to really develop their architectural styles before being forced from the Hjoramold stronghold, perhaps what is most striking is how dissimilar it is from Amarr stylings. Although there was certainly internal dissent, the Nefantar systematically brought themselves closer and closer to the Amarr between first contact and the official invasion. And after they withdrew totally to Hjoramold, they proceeded to adopt Amarr policies en masse. Surprisingly, however, they didn’t adopt Amarr architectural themes. Although Nefantar architecture generally appears a tad more blocky than the more traditional Seven Tribes architecture, it’s notable that they don’t borrow from Amarr architecture until after their move to the Mandate. Although there are certainly explanations for this (not wanting to further inflame the other Tribes being the most notable), I still find their decision to stick closer to Minmatar architectural norms interesting. One of the more notable examples of Nefantar architecture can be found at the Glass Edge. Aura, apparently growing a bit more poetic as time goes on, summarizes it thusly:

Nakugard is the entry system into the Ani constellation, ancestral home of the Nefantar tribe. The constellation enjoyed great prominence while the Minmatars suffered under the Amarrian yoke. The Glass Edge served once as a surveillance outpost for the Nefantars, but today it serves as a reminder of what the Nefantars stood for. The tribe used its privileged position to gather great wealth here, sometimes by force, but more often through guile and veiled threats. That is the glass edge, it may not be hard or obvious, but it will make you bleed all the same.

A close up of one of the apparently-functional surveillance stations.

As someone interested in architectural stylings, I enjoyed looking over the Glass Edge’s structure. As I mentioned above, it was a bit blockier than normal Minmatar designs, who normally go for a shorter, but more spread out station design. The Glass Edge, on the other hand, was a taller station, with multiple ingress and egress points for different sized vessels. Beyond the more gaping egress points, the station also features the traditional long undock ramp surrounded by transparent viewports, one of my favorite parts of classical Matari station design. This station in fact features twin undocking ramps in this design, presumably allowing for a fast transfer rate. On another side of the station, three gigantic docking/undocking ports yawned open, presumably allowing larger freighter vessels to dock and easily transfer cargo.

A rather dense cloud of debris surrounds the remains of the station.

As could probably be expected, the station itself has sat abandoned for quite a few years now, leaving scavengers plenty of time to pick at the remains. Gaping holes in the massive superstructure can easily be seen, and there is quite a bit of debris from the inner workings of the station floating around outside. Considering the fact that this was a surveillance station, it is not surprising that the station is also surrounded by various sensor antennae to report what is going on in nearby space. What IS surprising, however, is that, unlike the station, the radio antennae appear to be in almost pristine condition. Perhaps the Republic retrofitted the sensors for their early-warning net. The variety of Matari vessels now surrounding the station certainly supports that theory, but none of them were willing to comment on whether the surveillance stations were in fact operational.

One of the ships who has set up permanent residence near the Glass Edge.

I’ve often felt that a culture’s architecture can give intriguing insights into that culture’s thought processes. The harsh, unforgiving lines of a Caldari station hint at their utilitarian nature and their need to conquer the harsh environments of space. The graceful lines of a Gallente station, with their large biodomes and stations that appear almost as a work of art, showcase their more peaceful nature and their desire to have a station blend in as much as possible with their local environments, instead of conquering them. Amarr stations too have a graceful design, but their willingness to clad all of their stations in gold showcase a desire to stand out from the crowd, to show off their superiority over everyone but God. And what of the Minmatar? What of the “In Rust we Trust” mentality? I think it shows almost a certain kind of pride in their ability to “live off the land,” so to speak. To take what they can find, and not only make it functional but also imbue a certain beauty of its own, to show that these days, not only can the Republic survive, but maybe that they can also thrive.

Basic Information:

• Attraction: The Glass Edge
• System: Nakugard
• Security Rating: 0.5
• Region: Metropolis
• Potential Hazards: If you’re below a -4.5 in security status, or -5 standing with the Minmatar, you’ll have to deal with some rather unpleasant policemen.
• Additional Notes: This also serves as a Minmatar COSMOS site.

Assassin’s Overhang

Legacy sits near the Assassin's Overhang

In the highest spheres of power, there is no greater fear, and (realistically speaking) no lesser threat than that of assassination. Civilized nations shun it, yet secretly keep plans Just In Case. The less civilized nations, of course, merely do away with the former and don’t exactly keep the latter much of a secret. It is something that security forces train their entire lives to prevent, yet whether or not it is successful often comes down as much to luck as skill (on both sides). It is a powerful political statement and can prove crushing to a nation, or it could mobilize them under a martyr as never before. In short, assassinations are the choice of last resort for most people and nations, yet for some they provide the golden standard of what they could achieve (not that I in any way advocate assassination).

The remains of an old Amarr engine pod floats among the Overhang.

So what describes the difference? It seems to be mostly a function of how powerful the rebellious group appears vis-à-vis the established power. For small groups, or groups that are just getting started, assassination provides an “easy” way of proving themselves to the larger community. It establishes the group as a power to be dealt with and a player (welcome or not) in the larger scheme of things. Larger powers realize that they often have more to lose than to gain when committing assassinations. With the gloves off, no one is safe. In retaliation, the aggrieved nation could go after the assassin’s leader, civilians, or any number of other high stakes targets that are often considered “off limits” in war. To prevent that almost inevitable escalation, the ever fragile laws of war  try their best to discourage assassination, and, as noted above, most “civilized” countries are more than happy to at least give the appearance of following suit.

Uriok VIII hangs in the distance beyond the Overhang.

As discussed, though, for smaller groups the calculus shifts significantly. With little in the way of organized leadership, and knowing that they will probably all die anyway, the PR and morale-boosting benefits far outweighs the potential losses for many small rebellion groups. And, as they have proved many times before, the Minmatar have proven themselves very adept at rebellion. Shortly after the colossal failure of Amarr military might at Vak’Atioth, the Minmatar rebellion must have felt as if they were standing on a razor’s edge. Downtrodden by over a century of Amarr rule, the rebels needed a way to not only make the Amarr respect them as equals, but to also rally their fellow Matari to their cause. Amarr royalty, much as that would prove a boon to Matari everywhere, was out of the question given their limited resources and exposure. However, there were a group of Minmatar sympathizers that would serve nicely in that role: the Nefantar. In case you can’t see where this is going, Aura provides the basics of the story:

Early in the Minmatar Rebellion, when the Amarrians and their Minmatar collaborators were still confident of succeeding in squashing it, the rebels managed to strike a massive blow to the Nefantars. Using a double-agent, they lured the military leader of the Nefantar tribe to this remote location and assassinated him. Even if the Empire managed to hunt down the assassins and kill them, the moral blow dealt that day reverberated throughout Minmatar space, spurring the freedom fighters on.

The site is little known today except to historians. In light of its past it’s funny that shady Amarrian agents are using the location today to further the Empire’s cause within Minmatar space.

In a somewhat fitting way, Amarr agents have recently made inroads at the Overhang.

The location the Matari rebels chose was a rather out of the way piece of real estate. A good 600,000 kilometers from Uriok VIII in the remote outer reaches of the system, only a few chunks of rock make this place anything resembling a place of note. The spiny arms of a convoluted piece of asteroidal rock mark the final resting place of the Nefantari general, whose name is already lost to history. He evidently was lured out here in an early Amarr battleship. Its wreckage, what little that hasn’t been picked away by scavengers even out here, is all that remains of the assassination that helped catapult the Minmatar Rebellion from a small sideshow to a major war that helped form one of the four main nation-states of today. Their showing of military might here, and the ease with which they planted the double agent, served to rally Minmatar to the rebellion and give notice to the Amarr as well. And proved that as much as assassination is abhorred by most people and governments, it can occasionally serve a purpose as well.

Basic Information:

• Attraction: Assassin’s Overhang
• System: Uriok
• Security Rating: 0.5
• Region: Metropolis
• Potential Hazards: If you’re below a -4.5 in security status, or -5 standing with the Minmatar, you’ll have to deal with some rather unpleasant policemen.
• Additional Notes: This also serves as a Minmatar COSMOS site.

Culture Recess

The Culture Recess floats above Uriok IX.

During any unpopular occupation, a number of groups will eventually sort themselves out. The vast majority of people will simply try to carry on and survive under the new order. Even if they don’t like their new overlords, they have families or friends that depend on them, so they’ll just try to stay out of the invaders’ way. The next group that inevitably forms is the resistance/rebellion/guerillas/terrorists… however you want to call them. They dislike the occupation enough to fight for their freedom. They probably have the sympathy of most of the public, but not everyone is willing or able to support them. The measures they take, how far they’re willing to go, how many people they are willing to kill to get their way… all of that varies from cell to cell and even from person to person. But the fact of the matter is that they’re able and willing to fight against the invaders. Of course, this is the group most likely to be wiped out (at least if the invaders have their way).

The station was originally constructed as a cross-cultural center to encourage ties between the Amarr and the Nefantar.

The most interesting group, in my opinion, is the so-called collaborator group. These are people who have decided to cast their lot with the invaders, in joining the new government, passing on information, or otherwise supporting the new regime. The reasons for doing so vary widely. Some simply follow whoever is in charge, legitimately or not, migrating towards whatever power exists. Others owe something to the new regime (perhaps the invaders have their family). And some just, in fact, agree with the invaders. Perhaps they didn’t like the old regime or they were the ones who asked for the invaders to come. But for whatever reason, they are willing to cast aside all previous relations and earn the scorn of their fellow countrymen in siding with the new regime.

The central temple can be seen through holes in the massive station's superstructure.

The emergence of such a group during the Amarr occupation, then, could easily be foreseen. What perhaps couldn’t be foreseen was the sheer size of the collaboration group, or the ferocity with which they took up the Amarr theology, truly seeing themselves as lower than the Amarr and only worthy of subservience. Not just a few people here and there, but an entire tribe of the Minmatar were willing to cast their lots with the Amarr. The reasons for which the Nefantar collaborated with the Amarr are the subject of substantial debate even today, with as many theories as there are people you ask. But whatever their motivation, the Amarr had every reason to continue to woo the Nefantar to ensure that they didn’t have a change of heart. The Empire devoted substantial resources to developing ties with the Nefantar, even before the Rebellion started, to make sure that they had someone on their side amongst the tumultuous world of Minmatar politics. One of the projects they developed in an attempt to welcome the Nefantar into their flock was the Amarr-Minmatar Cultural Center. As Aura explains:

The Amarrians poured lot of wealth into the Ani constellation to keep the Nefantars happy. While most of that wealth was burned in heady narcissism, some was used to try and build an independent infrastructure for the Nefantars. A few of these ventures turned out to be quite successful, but most were doomed to fail from the start. The Amarr-Minmatar Cultural Center, constructed on this site, was such a project. Intended to amalgamate the cultures of the two races, the project never really took off. It was quickly abandoned, to much mockery from the rest of the Minmatars. Culture Recess is one of the mock names given to the facility by the Minmatars.

A closeup of the central temple.

Today, the Culture Recess is only a monument to the Amarr’s failed attempt to subjugate the Minmatar. The site itself is fairly straightforward. The Amarr used their trade stations as a basis for the Center. Where normally there would be a docking point for ships, the Amarr apparently decided that there wasn’t quite enough religion, and placed another of their space temples. Of course, today the site is a complete wreck. The station is quite dilapidated and long picked over by scavengers. As usual, all that remains is the actual superstructure (one of these days, I would have to research what was in superstructures that made them so unwanted by scavengers, but I suppose that is neither here nor there).

One of the ships that can often be found near the Recess.

Part of me wished, however, that I could see this in its heyday, if only to see how the Amarr tried to tie the two very different cultures together. It must have been quite the effort, as the Amarr tried to balance their natural inclination to play up their own importance with the need to glorify the Nefantar and try not to alienate the other tribes.

Of course, it’s pretty much a moot point now. With both the Amarr and Nefantar long expelled from Minmatar space, today the Culture Recess is just a monument to the biggest problems faced by collaborators throughout history: if the invaders are ever expelled, they’re stuck dealing with the consequences of their decision to side with the losers. The Nefantar gambled when the Amarr came in, and they lost. They continue to pay for that choice to this day.

Basic Information:

• Attraction: Culture Recess
• System: Uriok
• Security Rating: 0.5
• Region: Metropolis
• Potential Hazards: If you’re below a -4.5 in security status, or -5 standing with the Minmatar, you’ll have to deal with some rather unpleasant policemen.
• Additional Notes: This also serves as a Minmatar COSMOS site.

New Jita Memorial

Tattered remnants of the original monument to the winners of the Ruevo Aram Riddle Competition

Editor’s Note: For anyone interested in reading the original background of the Memorial, please see here.

The word “milestone” dates back to the Dark Ages of New Eden, before any of the current civilizations (beyond the Jove of course, but they hardly count) had retaken the stars. Apparently, a “mile” used to be a measure a distance in a particularly gruesome measuring system. Something called a “foot”, which measured 12 “inches,” was the basis, and 5,280 feet went into a mile. Whoever created that particular system of measurement clearly was a braver man than I. Regardless, milestones entered the modern lexicon because on Amarr Prime, the Udorians used the mile system, and at every mile would place a stone to mark how far long the road a traveler was. “Milestones” soon evolved to refer not just to notable distance markers, but also any notable event in a person’s life. While (thankfully) the mileage system itself has faded away, the words never have.

The head of the original monument floats nearby, severed from the main monument.

I bring up milestones today because today marks not just one, but 3 separate milestones of my own. First, today marks the 4th anniversary of me graduating from the Center for Advanced Studies with my pilot’s license. Today also marks the 2nd anniversary of this travelogue of New Eden. Finally, this marks the 100th entry on said travelogue. Long time readers may know that I hesitate to focus on myself much in these entries. New Eden itself is the story, and I’m merely a minor player in the vast web of its history. Still, I hope my readers will forgive me a bit of introspection on this fairly momentous occasion. That a short entry two years ago about the EVE Gate would span such a massive undertaking was really quite unthinkable to me. With 100 sites profiled, and still plenty more to come, I am quite happy in the knowledge that this will not be the last milestone I find on my journey.

Professor Science approaches the ruined monument in its new paint job.

But not all milestones are positive ones. New Eden has recently undergone a milestone of sorts: CONCORD’s over-aggressive attempts to dictate capsuleer activities and funnel them into a variety of (generally unwanted) activities. Capsuleers responded to this attempt to dictate how to spend their time in classic capsuleer fashion: organizing what is almost certainly the single largest riot in known history. Riots broke out in most major trade hubs for days on end, with capsuleers venting their frustration in the only way they knew how: live ammunition. Rens, Amarr, and Dodixie all saw local fluid routers jammed with protest messages against CONCORD policy. But nowhere was the riot larger than the central trade hub of Jita. The object of the mob’s rage: the Jita Memorial, originally built to commemorate the winners of the Ruevo Aram Riddle Competition, back in YC 108. The poor thing did not take it well, and today its tattered remains are all that’s left. Aura was able to dig up the following for me:

This was once a memorial to the winners of a riddle contest sponsored by the late entrepreneur Ruevo Aram. After standing proud for half a decade, it was destroyed in late YC 113 by capsuleers who were staging a mass uprising against an intolerable status quo of intergalactic affairs. Today, the ruins of this once-great work of art stand as a testament to the fact that change is the universe’s only constant.

Another view of the wrecked statue atop the memorial

The now-destroyed monument still sits only a few kilometers from the main trading hub in New Eden, Jita IV, Moon 4, at the Caldari Navy Assembly Plant. Wreckage from the riots remain, strewn about the old temple-like structure. A monument to the tenacity of capsuleers everywhere, and their determination to not let anyone tell us what we should be doing.

So it seems like both myself and New Eden are reaching our own milestones. New Eden’s showing of the lengths capsuleers will go to demonstrate our discontent, and myself with a multitude of anniversaries and records. As we approach the traditional winter season festivals, I can only add this: A happy holidays, and my sincerest thanks, to all. Safe travels.

Basic Information:

• Attraction: Jita Memorial
• System: Jita, near Jita 4-4 Caldari Navy Assembly Plant
• Security Rating: 0.9
• Region: The Forge
• Potential Hazards: If you’re below a -3 in security status, or -5 standing with the Caldari, you’ll have to deal with some rather unpleasant policemen. Furthermore, there’s always the possibility of spatial anomalies (OOC: Lag) in Jita due to its high volume of traffic. Because of the high volume of traffic, suicide gankers and station camps (not to mention isk scammers) can be common.
• Scheduling Note: Thanks to aforementioned winter holidays, EVE Travel will be on break until the first full weekend of January! Happy Holidays!

Forlorn Hope

A camera drone sits above the Gallente-built residence and looks upon the rest of the Forlorn Hope

It is remarkably hard to be a slaveowner in this day and age. Once most of the more menial jobs (like harvesting crops, mining, etc) are automated, you’re left using slaves for jobs that require having actual knowledge. You can’t train a slave to fix a speeder or maintain a laser turret without teaching some of the underlying concepts of transportation or weapons theory. Of course, at that point, slaves who might be less than enthused in their current occupation now also have means to sabotage any jobs that they are put in charge of. More unfortunately (for the slavers, at least) is that most modern jobs require at least rudimentary education. Unlike the slaves from the ancient days, most slaves nowadays NEED to know how to read and write. The thing about that pesky education is that it also allows them to be much more exposed to concepts like “freedom” and “not being a slave.” From there, at least for the more determined slaves, it’s fairly easy to get them to sabotage and attempt to escape. From a slaver’s point of view, that is not the most desirable situation.

A look at the rather run-down looking Ragnarok that served as the original research center.

Once slaves are educated, something more than just pain is needed. Slaves know that something better is out there now, and the pain of the lash alone is often not enough to maintain control over the slave population. The Amarr struggled with this for quite a while before coming upon a solution. In retrospect, it’s one of those ideas best classified under “blindingly obvious.” Just make the slaves WANT to be slaves. If you can addict them to it, so much the better. And thus was born vitoxin and it’s cure, vitoc. Originally, it started as a simple toxin that lodged in a slave’s bloodstream, threatening to poison the slave if the antidote was not taken every 24 hours. In more recent centuries, Amarr researchers have upped the deviousness of the scheme to an almost absurd degree. Today’s vitoxin is a virus that pumps the toxin into a slave’s body unless the antidote is taken. The death is quite gruesome, from all reports. More importantly, today’s vitoc also releases endorphins and oxytocin, giving the slave a euphoric, drug-like high that quickly addicts slaves. By triggering the same neural pathways that are activated during bonding events (such as having sex, or childbirth), the drugs attempt to bond slaves to their masters, and make them actually addicted to being a slave.

A ship stays stationed near the tachyon bombardment array.

Needless to say, a significant portion of the Republic’s R&D efforts have focused on counteracting this virus. Not just for the multitude of slaves still within the Empire, but also for millions of recently freed (or escaped) slaves who still find themselves needing daily injections in order to not die horrible, painful deaths. Not only that, but to also break the addiction in order to have the former slaves as productive members of society. The last thing the Republic needs is slaves who are not only still addicted to vitoc, but actually attached to their former masters due to the chemically induced affection. To that extent, the Republic recently established one of the largest research centers of its kind in Yrmori, the Forlorn Hope. A fitting, if somewhat depressing, name for a research center dedicated to reversing the evils of Amarr enslavement of the Minmatar. As I entered the site, Aura presented me with the following information:

Housed aboard a Ragnarok-class titan, the Forlorn Hope is a massive laboratory complex dedicated to finding a cure for former slaves infected with Vitoxin. It was built by Eifyr & Co. as a memorial to Dr. Mishkala Osnirdottir and her research team, who were killed when their research facility in this system was destroyed by sabotage. Some say her spirit haunts the new laboratory complex, protecting the scientists there and guiding them towards the cure she never found in her lifetime. Others say that’s superstitious nonsense, but there has never been an accident at The Forlorn Hope since the last.

Given a titan’s normal job as a bringer of death, it was heartening indeed to see it used in another fashion. A scan of the titan was summarized by Aura as the following:

This massive laboratory complex was once home to over 10,000 scientists, their staff and security personnel, working day and night to unravel the mysteries of Vitoc. Since the return of the Minmatar Elders and Otro Gariushi’s bequest of Insorum [Editor’s note: a secondary cure for vitoc] to the Republic, the facility has largely fallen into disuse, but some few scientists cling on, pushing to finish what they started before they too seek more commercial roles.

For the most part, research continues inside the newer biodome nearby, but a few smaller laboratories and their staff still insist on basing out of the aging titan.

The tachyon accelerator sits above the decrepit ruins of some unknown structure.

‘Aging titan’ is right. The titan itself is literally falling apart at the seams. Gaping holes can be seen in the general superstructure, making it a minor miracle that anyone manages to live there, much less perform complicated biochemical research. Still, a titan is a titan, and is always a site to see. As usual, my poor Professor Science was absolutely dwarfed by the hulking giant, a mere speck on the hull plating next to the beast. Even a nearby Tempest seems tiny next to the mass of the Ragnarok class titan. Pieces of debris, presumably from the titan, floated in a halo around the converted research center. I kept needing to tell myself that the titan was inhabited: there was certainly no outward sign of active power sources or life, and I could only assume that the habitable parts of the ship occupied only a very small portion of the entire internal volume. On the plus side, I was able to check the Ragnarok off my list of ships I’ve seen. With this out of the way, all I need is the Erebus and I’ll have seen every titan class in person.

The modern research labs.

Compared to the dilapidated Ragnarok, the other research sites practically gleamed in the sunlight. A Gallente-built outpost serves as the main residential area for the researchers. The biodomes serve as both nature reserves and stores for research materials. Nearby, a complex of control towers were melded together with other structures to form the primary research labs. Four control towers were needed to provide the necessary computing power for the protein folding models necessary to defeat the vitoxin virus. Sticking out from the main structure were a number of ancillary labs, specializing in various research areas. All together, this was probably one of the most advanced research centers in the entirety of the cluster. For when more high energy research is necessary, there was a tachyon collider nearby. I’m not entirely sure what a tachyon collider was needed for in biochemical research, but admittedly that’s not my area of expertise. Strangely, the collider is surrounded by ruins. Age has taken its toll on whatever used to sit there. All that remains are mangled sections of metal, surrounding the crackling energy of the tachyon bombardment chamber.

Yrmori glints off the residential structures in the background.

Forlorn Hope is an odd combination of the old and the new. An old and run down titan sitting next to the cutting edge of research facilities. A tachyon bombardment array sitting on top the warped ruins of some ancient facility. In some respects, it was an accurate analogy of slavery. Slavery is one of humanity’s most ancient (and monstrous) customs. Today, it is an old and tottering institution that (at times) seems held together by sheer force of will. In order to keep it functional today, the latest research must go towards figuring out how to best maintain control, often resulting in significant advances in biochemistry and psychology. If only the Amarr realized that they could attain the same results without resorting to such barbarism. But I suppose that’s a bit of a forlorn hope.

Basic Information:

• Attraction: Forlorn Hope
• System: Yrmori
• Security Rating: 0.6
• Region: Metropolis
• Potential Hazards: If you’re below a -4 in security status, or -5 standing with the Minmatar, you’ll have to deal with some rather unpleasant policemen.
• Additional Notes: There are a number of agents scattered throughout the area, but the latest reports suggest that they are not yet offering missions.