Ethereals: Dossier

Regisora, Voice of the Sovereign

"The one given to Mosrimor is gone now. There is only the Voice."

- The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

To the Imperator,

Scouting operations have continued to proceed effectively. Sicarius, Quisilia, and Nebulan have confirmed that, for the most part, the maps are unchanged, although all previous infrastructure of the Empire has been destroyed or is otherwise gone. I have personally gone to several locations which previously housed Imperial strongholds or administration centers.

As expected, there was nothing able to be recovered aside from the occasional ruins that one would not be able to identify as Ethereal unless they had previous knowledge. This is not the important detail here – upon entering one of the previously numbered systems, over the next few days I became aware of a presence of some kind.

It immediately vanished as soon as it touched my mind, but it was enough to justify scouring the planets until I found it. Fortunately, I did not need to as the presence manifested again. It was an alien mind the likes of which I have never felt, and though it said nothing, it is apparent that it was observing me. Eventually I found the source, which I suspect was influenced by the presence in subtle ways.

To my surprise, I stumbled upon a completely intact underground facility. I was considering pulling back and acquiring the Battlemaster and the Guardians for support exploring this ruin, but before I could do so, I found myself approached by the defenses of the facility, and they were unlike anything I had ever seen.

They were aliens of species we had never identified in the Empire, and I am unaware of if they existed before or after our collapse. But they were clearly not originals. They appeared to be extensively modified through cybernetics and some kind of nanotechnology. What was concerning is that when I reached out to their minds, I found them in a state of bare functionality, if not outright dead with their bodies kept alive through other means.

These aliens were not aggressive towards me, but merely observed until one of them started speaking our language fluently. It stated I was welcome to explore and that there was one who wished to speak to me. I replied with questions, as to what they and this place was. The answer was simple, though it only raised more questions. It was as follows.

"This is a Sanctum to the Sovereign One, and we are his guardians."

I will remind you that the term "Sovereign One" was one of the lingering archeological mysteries of the Empire, which had long been assumed to be a radically old precursor extinct galactic species that theoretically controlled the galaxy. There had been several breakthroughs, as I'm certain Cogitian could tell you, but the Synthesized took priority.

Obviously, any connection to these Sovereign Ones should take immediate priority. At this stage we absolutely cannot afford to allow an opportunity like this to go unexplored. While I suspect that there is not an actual Sovereign One here, it may have information, research, and other materials which we can utilize as we move forward.

I will not enter this Sanctum without support. These Guardians have agreed to allow me to depart and wait for support. They do not appear to be a significant threat at this time. I am uncertain if I could defeat them on my own, especially as their own capabilities are unknown. The technological level of the Sovereign Ones was never determined, but if the theory about their galactic conquest is accurate, we should at least assume they were the equivalent of the Empire, in technology, if not psionic power.

- Regisora

Regisora,

I have reviewed the materials that were preserved concerning these Sovereign Ones. There is a significant amount of unproven theory and outright speculation. Certainly not enough to accurately determine anything substantial about them. This discovery, should it be proven to be directly connected to these Sovereign Ones, would be able to clarify a significant portion of the speculation.

You are correct. It is worth investigating.

I have sent Cogitian, Fectorian, and the Guardians to assist in securing this Sanctum. They should be able to assist in dealing with defenses should the situation turn violent. If there is one of these Sovereign Ones there, do not engage, and inform me of the development. We should not risk dealing with such entities unprepared.

I await the outcome.

- The Imperator

Imperator,

Cogitian, Fectorian, and the Guardians will make their reports to you, but as they did not experience the same things I did, there will be significant context lacking. We arrived and the resident guardians allowed us entrance. Fectorian confirmed that they were utilizing nanotech that he seemed highly disturbed by, noting that it was of a function and make he couldn't identify, but that was more advanced than the Empire developed.

The Sanctum itself held a mixture of artifacts, weapons of types Fectorian was unable to identify, and production facilities for nanotech. Runes, symbols and art pieces were also present throughout, none of which Cogitian or I could identify. Had it not been occupied with a clear sense of danger, this would be one of the greatest archeological discoveries in galactic history.

As it was, it was possessed by something very much active, if not alive.

The Sanctum guardians led us into a room with an elevated stone platform, upon which was an alter holding a black orb. All of the Sanctum guardians departed the room, and as we approached it, the black around the orb fell off into a holding container below, where it swirled. Fectorian identified it as the same kind of nanotech in the guardians.

In its place was an orb that emanated a dull blue; clouded and dense as if viewed underwater. Light gave it the effect of ripples, and when viewed a certain way, there appeared to be perspiration around the orb. An optical illusion, but one even Fectorian saw and had no answer for. Cogitian and I had a long and prolonged discussion on what it could be, as according to what little we knew of the Sovereign Ones, orbs were something that was important, but we had little idea of what it could be.

Fectorian speculated that it could be a nanoweapon trap. The Guardians agreed, and purged the surrounding nanites, confirming that psionics would be effective against them. Fectorian took multiple detailed scans of the orb, but was equally unsure as to what it could be. Limited durability tests seemed to indicate it was heavily resistant, if not immune to all damage.

Finally, I made the choice to pick it up.

Immediately I was transported into some kind of telepathic dreamscape. My own mental defenses provided no protection, and were outright bypassed. Where I stood was as if it was underwater, though if there was no water and I could breathe. Then a voice spoke to me. I cannot accurately convey the experience through this update, and will submit you to observing my memories.

It was a Sovereign One. They exist. At least one of them lives. He knew what we were, and was surprised that there were Ethereals that still lived.

It wanted to speak to you directly.

It knows about the Synthesized, and implied that there are other Sovereign Ones. We have stumbled upon not only one of the most important discoveries in galactic history, but perhaps an ally that will not only ensure the Synthesized are defeated, but allow the Empire to rise again stronger than ever. An alliance of this magnitude cannot be ignored.

Everything we have done will be for nothing if we do not do everything possible to ensure our success. This must be done.

- Regisora

Regisora

Inform the Sovereign One I will be coming to speak to him.

- The Imperator

XCOM Profile 154

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Regisora – "Voice of the Sovereign"

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

Hair color: None (Ethereal)

Eye color: Solid Orange

Skin color: Purple

Height: 13'2"

Weight: 375 lbs. (Estimated)

Distinguishing Features: A completely black-armored Ethereal-esque figure. Has the ability to modify density of form and exact specific armor configuration. Unknown how much organic material has been supplemented or replaced.

Physical Condition: Exceptional, and enhanced due to nanotech improvements. Physiology is likely greater than the Battlemaster, and equivalent to Fectorian in his battlesuit. Unknown to what extent genetic modifications have been applied.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Regisora is, in retrospect, the first victim of the Imperator's alteration of priorities. She was unlike him in many ways, and brought along because throughout the war she had grown to suspect that there was more to the Synthesized and what the Empire was facing than an unthinking swarm of machines.

An archeologist specializing in precursor civilizations – with the stated goal of eventually discovering the creators of our species – she was not a warrior, tactician, or soldier. But she had a talent for finding connections between seemingly unconnected events and artifacts. Had there not been a war, I suspect that Regisora would have succeeded in her goal, but like the rest of the Empire, she was pressed into service to fight against the Synthesized.

She was among the only Ethereals to examine captured Synthesized bases and soldiers from a cultural perspective. While I consider such efforts a waste, she nonetheless found something that made her insist that the Synthesized were intelligent to some degree – and that they had been around long before we had been.

I suspect now that she had stumbled upon evidence pointing to the Sovereign Ones. Perhaps this was what caught the attention of the Imperator. It was never made explicit, though her role was to assist in finding enclaves and caches of abandoned alien technology and potential species. There was a high probability of encountering species who had evolved into something sapient, and Regisora would be responsible for determining the best path for assimilation or diplomacy.

This might explain why such has been lacking in the Collective, as with her loss, there was no one as appropriate to fulfill such a position.

Regisora found a location on an alien world, and went down with several other Ethereals to investigate it. When she returned, she revealed to the Imperator the existence of the Sovereign Ones. I do not know exactly what was discussed between Regisora, the Imperator, and Mosrimor, but soon after Regisora volunteered to be the emissary between the Imperator and Mosrimor.

Initially the alliance seemed promising, even if myself and others were kept in the dark regarding details. The Imperator and the new Voice of the Sovereign spoke regularly, and she provided him with an extensive amount of information. Information I suspect pushed the Imperator towards making the decisions he did.

Eventually he worked to isolate Regisora from the rest of the Collective and us, something few of us paid attention to – the Voice included as she was presumably more preoccupied with learning from Mosrimor. By the time any of us understood what she was now, it was too late to reverse it, and we should assume that whatever Regisora was, she is now a puppet of Mosrimor.

Why the Imperator sacrificed her like this I do not know; perhaps to sell an illusion of the alliance. Much like the Bringer and the Creator, he desires to manipulate until he can control.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

I am uncertain how much this section can apply, as it is unlikely that Regisora has any free thought or will that is not that of Mosrimor. I suspect that Mosrimor has likely adapted her original personality to his own needs, and there is some worth in discussing the mental state of Regisora prior to her assimilation as the Voice.

She was highly curious for one of our species. The matter of our creators is one we had little interest in pursuing further. We tend to not investigate unless the results directly affect us, and the original designers of ours were not coming back, nor would they be able to initiate some kind of takeover once we took full control over our genome, thus there was little point in investing time and resources outside of curiosity.

Ethereal archeology was not a large field. The knowledge that could be provided was widely believed to be of limited use at best, and primarily academic in a way that would only increase our knowledge of the galaxy, not the Empire or our species. Archeology was seen as another gateway towards sometimes finding technology or theories which we could adapt. It was rare, but happened frequently enough that a small but dedicated Ethereal corp of archeologists were kept around.

Regisora disliked unanswered questions, and as the Empire grew, there were many, many largely irrelevant questions that had been started, but never concluded when a certain point was reached. As such, she sought to close as many as possible. The largest ones she failed to adequately conclude, but this is more due to the ill-timed attack of the Synthesized than her own ability.

This curiosity and drive for the final answer is what I believe led to her openly volunteering to be the Voice of the Sovereign. There are few that are as knowledgeable as the Sovereign Ones, and Mosrimor could likely answer many, many questions she had – and many she wouldn't have even known to ask.

Following her assuming the position of Voice, I have seen far less of her. Not enough to accurately determine to what extent she has been changed, but in the few times I've spoken to her, there is an air of control and certainty to her words that she lacked before. More mechanical and structured.

A poor sign.

It is possible, I suppose, that Regisora retains some semblance of self, but the Voice is not who Regisora was, not anymore.

SECTION 4: The Sanctum of the Sovereign

For the past few years Regisora has almost stayed exclusively confined to the place where she originally discovered the Sovereign One. I have only visited it three times, and each time there have been significant changes. The first time was shortly after the alliance, and the place she discovered was little more than an underground bunker that held a collection of advanced and enigmatic weapons and art.

Since she became the Voice, she has turned the Sanctum into a stronghold that is impossible to penetrate conventionally.

Above and below ground she has not merely been responsible for turning an underground bunker into a towering temple of clear alien design and origins. Within this temple are cloning facilities, engineering labs, nanite farms, hydroponics, stasis chambers, and more. Black orbs of Mosrimor are disguised as part of the décor and architecture.

Fectorian himself assisted in the architecture of the Sanctum, using it to test out experimental designs which have led to rooms that reconfigure themselves; a layout that can change continuously, and security systems so dangerous no one sane would step foot on the planet. No one is allowed into the Sanctum without accepting an 'inoculation' of nanites which are extracted when an individual leaves.

This inoculation is crucial as it sends a signal to the nanites seeded throughout the planet and Sanctum that you are not a threat and should not be consumed. It is a highly unnerving experience, and Fectorian has even considered adapting it to other planets and strongholds, though appears to have held back for now.

Revelean has also assisted Regisora in the corruption of the planet itself. All life on the planet has been modified to exist in a symbiotic relationship with Mosrimor nanites, often augmenting and enhancing them in various ways – as well as consuming anything not recognized by the programming. The world of the Sanctum is lethal in a way that cannot be adequately described. Andromedon terraformers have been able to initiate hurricanes which pick up free-floating nanites which exist in the atmosphere of the planet and in the ocean, and spread them further across the world.

Supposed natural formations and life hold Mosrimor's nanite orbs, masquerading as rocks and fruit. The Voice and Mosrimor have full knowledge and control over the entire planet, and attacking in any conventional way will result in annihilation. It is a very real question of how to fight on a planet when the entire planet will literally kill you the moment you step on it.

The defenses of the Sanctum do not end there. Ground-to-space missile launchers are built throughout the planet, though concentrated at the Sanctum. Warheads packed with nanites are capable of disabling and appropriating ships more effectively than conventional explosives. Every single animal and insect, large and small, can be summoned and controlled at the flip of a switch.

The Sanctum Guardians are among the most unknown and distressing, considering the implications. I have only seen a few, but the ones seen are of no alien species I have seen before. Questions remain, but either Mosrimor and the Voice have an army of new aliens secretly under their command, or it is some attempted creation. These Guardians are not Meat Puppets – many of which roam the Sanctum and are seeded throughout the planet – but they do not appear to be completely alive either.

I would advise that the planet simply be destroyed the moment we are presented with the opportunity. A conventional battle is suicide, and the planet is corrupted beyond hope of recovery – as is Regisora.

SECTION 5: Concerns and Abilities

It would be easy to categorize Regisora as an enhanced Meat Puppet, but that is an extremely dangerous underestimation of her capabilities. Meat Puppets are mere imitations of an Ethereal; failed clones which need to be supplemented with nanotechnology. A true Ethereal enhanced with similar measures would be capable of facing nearly anything and emerging victorious.

Regisora was not a warrior, but given her connection to Mosrimor now, I no longer believe this applies, and we should expect her to have a firm if not complete grasp of all psionic disciplines. This is not taking into account the very real possibility of Mosrimor assuming control of her as T'Leth does with his own Agents, making her even more dangerous.

Her enhancement through nanotechnology is extensive and should be assumed to be superior to that of the Meat Puppets, and as a fully cognizant Ethereal, she will demonstrate considerably more tactical acumen and skill than the average Meat Puppet, and is more likely to incorporate nanites and psionics more fully.

This is not to say I believe she is invincible. She can be fought and killed. But we should treat her presence as a plague, and purge it accordingly. We cannot take chances with the Voice deployed against us – a reality that will only grow more likely the longer the war continues. She will not be deployed unless we demonstrate that we are a threat – or if T'Leth shows himself more prominently.

As both have happened, expect her sooner than later.

ENTRY #4482 – VOICE OF THE SOVEREIGN

SECURED ON SANCTUM NETWORK

ATTEMPTED HOSTILE PENETRATIONS: 15

IDENTIFIED HOSTILE ACTORS:

- ZARARCH

- UNIDENTIFIED ANDROMEDON UNION

- UNIDENTIFIED ANDROMEDON UNION

- ETHEREAL FECTORIAN

RETALIATION AUTHORIZATION: FALSE

ENTRY TEXT BELOW

The Imperator no longer trusts me or Mosrimor. He likely assumes subversion by Mosrimor; a consequence of his paranoia and observation of the Sovereign Bringer.

Knowledge that the Bringer continues to exist is concerning.

The Imperator should not have engaged such an entity without consultation. His ultimate goals for working with the Bringer are elusive and he has failed to accurately justify himself. I suggested bringing forward additional information on the Bringer acquired from Mosrimor. It has not been the first time this entity has emerged, and it will not be the last.

Mosrimor does not know the full extent of what this creature is capable of, but what he has shown is enough to confirm that this is not something which should be utilized. Mosrimor has refrained from pushing the issue forward. Curiosity has taken hold of him, perhaps something he learned from me. I suspect his intentions, for I share them.

The Imperator intends to weaponize the Bringer.

The next question is against who.

The targets are limited. The Imperator would not sanction Paradise station unless he believed such power would be necessary. I put forward the idea that he intended to act against the Synthesized, for such power would be useful. Mosrimor countered with the idea that it is not the Synthesized who are in the sights of the Imperator, but the Sovereigns themselves.

Could the Imperator truly be intending to enter the cycles in this manner? To establish himself as an alien power to challenge the Sovereigns? Something no alien has reliably achieved before?

I remain skeptical.

It is understable that Mosrimor has similarly become concerned, as if the Imperator's target is the Sovereigns, then he – and by extension I – would become targets. At this moment the Imperator cannot afford to remove us, but should the Bringer be brought under his control, this protection ceases. I cannot see the Imperator so callously tossing this alliance aside, but he is an Imperator.

They were to be the best of us.

A new possibility has emerged; one I have long suspected and am preparing to explore further. The Imperator has lied, but not about his intentions towards Mosrimor, but to all of the surviving Ethereals. He knows very well that he is unlikely to be the only Imperator who survived, and that there might be others out there.

Perhaps he knows there are others out there.

The Bringer may not be for the Sovereigns. They may not be for the Synthesized. They could be for the Imperators who stand against his vision of a new Ethereal Empire. The only ones who could reliably challenge a being of his power outside of a Sovereign.

The Imperator sees far. It is one of his strengths. His view is Sovereign in outlook. Perhaps not for dealing with other Imperators, but ensuring his control over others he has hidden. I have begun to suspect that we were not the only Ethereals who the Imperator placed into stasis. If he could hide us, he could hide others.

Yet if so, why has he kept them hidden?

An unknown. One I am intent on uncovering.

The Imperator continues to be distracted, and assumes I merely remain on the Sanctum at all times. He is distracted by the conflict on Earth, and the growing discontent within the ranks of Ethereals. Expected. Concerning if handled improperly. Two Ethereals have been lost to T'Leth. One has been lost to the Bringer. More cannot follow.

T'Leth remains confined to the Human Solar System. He must stay there. His war can be waged without issue. But his species cannot expand. Seeding nearby systems has been proceeding well. The Bringer has also continued causing issues for the Imperator and T'Leth. Perhaps one will kill the other. Distraction offers opportunity.

Too many enemies still roam this galaxy. Hiding in the dark and leaving decisions to a young Ethereal will solve nothing. The Sovereigns roam the galaxy and we are far behind the curve. Survival is of the utmost importance now, and that can only be achieved by remaining outside the knowledge of the roaming Sovereigns for now.

The war against the Humans must end. T'Leth must be contained or killed. The Bringer must be contained or destroyed. Neither poses a permanent threat now. Both forces will fight and bleed each other. The Imperator has demanded increased support; support which can be provided at this point. Curious the Imperator seeks to utilize Mosrimor now.

Perhaps it will make him realize that he cannot hope to defeat a Sovereign without another of equivalent strength.

It is what the Imperator is planning that must be uncovered. It is what he is hiding.

And he is hiding something.

Something that will shatter the already fragile trust between the Ethereals he trusts, and those he does not.

It must be uncovered.