If you clicked on this video; and are interested in getting Anthem, you're probably wondering what kind of lore Anthem has. As Bioware discusses it here and there, gameplay mechanics still seem the main core of Anthem; If you're a Bioware fan/follower, you will probably know what they are ultimately good at: Environmental Storytelling, Character Development, and World Building.
So without further ado, let's understand the basic lore of Anthem:
The Anthem of Creation:
In the beginning, Anthem of Creation, or simply the Anthem, is the unknowable force and source of pure creation in the world of Anthem. The Shapers or Gods, sought out to create the world in nine days, but vanished after three, leaving only their instruments.
The unfinished Anthem lashes out in rage and chaos, destroying all that was created, leaving those in a brink of survival.
But the problem with the chaos in this world is the Shaper relics, or instruments of the Gods, which are massive tools once used by the Shapers to create the world of Anthem. Leaving or vanishing before finishing their work, the Shapers left their instruments strewn across their unfinished creation. The tools are in direct conflict with the Anthem of Creation, a conflict which causes the constant, violent reshaping of the world.
The only thing that is closest to the Gods are known as Scars, the non-human enemy force alien to the world of Anthem. They seek out the technology of the Shapers, and are said to have a mysterious connection to the Shapers, so they might have a future narrative just to keep in mind....
Humanity:
Now I believe the only race we know in this unnamed planet is humanity, in which we have two factions: the 'peaceful' side of humanity that resides in Fort Tarsis in which the player is from.
And then we have the hostile group of humans who sought out the Anthem of Creation as a source of power:
The Dominion is a militaristic, fascist human faction and ancient enemy of the Freelancers, as well as the primary enemy in Anthem. They are known for creating the Storm Javelin.
Being opposed to the Freelancers, the Dominion desires to force all of humanity under their rule. To their extent, the Dominion aims to control the instruments of the Shapers/Gods and harness the power of the Anthem of Creation. Apparently there's a huge secret within their past, whatever that may mean for the narrative of Anthem...
Their capital, Stralheim, is situated in the North part of the world, an area which they have aggressively been conquering. In which, they are led by The Monitor.
Another force is known as the Sentinels; the chief upholders of the law throughout the cities and settlements of the world, including Antium, the governmental kingdom of humans. Where they serve as the city's primary defensive force. Operating from Fort Tarsis, they believe in justice and order above all else, and see themselves as a fortification to protecting the people from the chaos of the outside world.
In the eyes of the Sentinel leadership, the Freelancer are a disorganized force whose fierce independence makes them unreliable. Because of this, they rarely coordinate with them.
Due to a world that is stuck within it's own genesis, an unfinished world; leaving humanity stripped from safety to being behind walls. All while one faction wants to unleash the Anthem's power, where the other wants to destroy it and recover peace.
Either way, the humans fight against this chaotic world using what's left for them. By hand-creating Javelins to repel against the disorder beyond the walls of their Fort. As we all know, there are different Javelins that fight due to a player's preference. Eventually those who are brave enough to protect humanity in Fort Tarsis search and seek relics to help whatever remains in this unfinished world, also known as the Freelancers.
Freelancers:
The freelancers are the player; you. You can play into specific classes that each Javelin is designed for. Bioware makes this very clear, and it's not really lore but as much of only the extension of what these suits represent;
Ranger is the all around average class
Colossus is your tank class
Storm is your mage class
Interceptor is your stealth close range class
Either way, you can switch any Javelin and are free to customize them pretty well. But lore wise?
They are a renowned faction of brave warriors responsible for safeguarding humanity and exploring the perilous lands beyond Fort Tarsis. They face forces plotting to conquer humanity head-on, and are also the primary means by which resources are gathered for the Fort Tarsis populace. For their valiant efforts, they are revered as heroes behind the wall. Javelin exosuits act as Freelancers' primary means of offense and protection while on expeditions, empowering them with several superhuman capabilities.
Freelancers are basically the main help to fight against the cause of this catastrophic world and while the Dominion does the opposite of using power of the Anthem, but all of humanity who fight in the outer sides of this world potentially follow the footsteps into the renowned Legion 500 years before present in Anthem.
Legion of the Dawn:
The Legion of the Dawn was the first to create and pilot Javelins. It all started with the heroic tale of Helena Tarsis.
500 years ago, Helena lived in a grim period for humanity; every day was a struggle just to survive, with few resources available, and little time to utilize them. Helena, however, envisioned something different. With the help of her followers, Arden Vassa, a 'genius of their time' and inventor, built the Javelin of Dawn. Known as the first Javelin, and eventually one was given to each of Helena's disciples.
With these powerful tools at their disposal, General Tarsis led the Legion of Dawn to victory against the forces of the world, finally giving humanity a chance to live in peace. She led humanity to a place of strength and security, where they could build a fortified city that would withstand the nightmarish threats that roamed the lands. This led to the creation of Fort Tarsis, which was named after her. She came to favour using the Colossus Javelin..
Tales of Helena's deeds from this time exist, though are unknown to be true. The Freelancers tell a story of her scaling a mountain to defeat a massive beast at its peak to protect the people below. The Sentinels tell of a valiant stand where she and her lancers protected a village in the path of disaster. She has been shown to have single-handedly slain an ash titan. In the end, Helena sacrificed herself for the good of humanity.
In Fort Tarsis, Helena is believed as a legend, maybe even worshipped for her tale.
"Our world is a violent and cruel place. For centuries, we lived at its mercy, unable to rise above the violent chaos that shook our land and mutated the creatures around us. We would be suffering still, if not for the Legion of the Dawn. Under the eye of General Helena Tarsis, they built the first javelins, protected us from the chaos, and created a new future for all those who came after. Their story – her story – is what makes ours possible.."
Fort Tarsis & Characters:
As we know, Fort Tarsis is a fortified human settlement enclosed by a mega-structure known as "the Wall", which protects the fort's inhabitants from the dangers of the outside world. Freelancers are commissioned to venture outside the fort, to gather resources for the free people of Fort Tarsis and combat forces seeking to dominate them head-on.
Being a Freelancer, you have a strider, (player hub) an armored mobile base of operations which moves on four mechanical legs. It is used primarily beyond Fort Tarsus, providing Freelancers a headquarters while on expeditions beyond the wall.
The Freelancer's strider is manned and maintained by a crew comprised of 3 characters:
Haluk - Whom the Freelancer has the most history with; he's a legendary Freelancer and mentors those younger. He's also the strider driver, keeping the base operational, along with being a technician.
Owen Corley - Probably the one that talks a lot in this game, because he is known as a cypher, humans gifted with and rigorously trained in the ability to communicate mentally over long distances, performing complex analytical calculations and processing incredible amounts of information on the fly. They serve in support roles to Freelancersin the field, providing information and analysis from amplifier chairs to those embarking on expeditions.
Faye Navine - Also part of your team, and also a cypher, she is one of the most interesting characters due to her having a personal connection to one of the main threads from the critical path..
So I'll end it right here, As there is more to base ground off of for Anthem, this is briefly the basics for understanding the World and Lore of Anthem.
Have any questions of comments leave them below, and we can discuss them together. Like and subscribe for more Bioware content like this, and see you in the next video!
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