The Quest To Find Raxxla

[Han_Zen]

There are multiple references to thunder gods in the game. There are references to princess being rescued from dragon…the heros quest…. And references to the celestial axis.

All of these can be related to the early myths involving (usually a thunder god) fighting a dragon/serpent. Sometimes related to a world axis, often the snake is a”world” snake … later the gods are replaced with larger than life Heros and the snake is guarding some kind of boon or treasure…

Ya this is the kind of stuff Holdstock enjoyed - especially in his Mythagos. The Arthur legends have alot of that - and when i think of Art Tornquist i think of Holdstocks Ragthorn …

There are lots of possible connections. Most are probably pure coincidence.
King Arthurs last name is Pendragon, meaning head dragon (from Welsh). The name Arthur is speculated to mean bear, from Celtic Arto or Welsh Arth. This actually fits even better with Art than Arthur.
Bear links to the Ursa constellations. As does the idea that the name comes from the star Arcturus. Arcturus means "guardian of the bear" in ancient Greek.

Arcturus in ED has a gas giant named Arcas. Arcas was the son of Zeus and Castillo (Ursa Major) that ended up in the sky, as Ursa Minor.
Arcturus also have a rocky body named Major.

Colm means dove. That would be the Columba constellation.

This is from just some quick googling.

 

[simulacrae]

There are lots of possible connections. Most are probably pure coincidence.
King Arthurs last name is Pendragon, meaning head dragon (from Welsh). The name Arthur is speculated to mean bear, from Celtic Arto or Welsh Arth. This actually fits even better with Art than Arthur.
Bear links to the Ursa constellations. As does the idea that the name comes from the star Arcturus. Arcturus means "guardian of the bear" in ancient Greek.

Arcturus in ED has a gas giant named Arcas. Arcas was the son of Zeus and Castillo (Ursa Major) that ended up in the sky, as Ursa Minor.
Arcturus also have a rocky body named Major.

Colm means dove. That would be the Columba constellation.

This is from just some quick googling.

I like the Art - Guardian reference… so it could be guardian of the thorny branch? Back to Guardians…

 

[Frankymole]

Raxxla is the Holy Grail? Does the thorn return to the legendary thorn tree at Glastonbury, supposedly springing from Joseph of Aramathea's staff?

 

[selbie]

I like the Art - Guardian reference… so it could be guardian of the thorny branch? Back to Guardians…

The Guardian parallel is definitely strong. Like Han_Zen touched on, the Pendragon name was derived from Arthur's father Uther who seems to have laid the seeds of his son's downfall by "shape shifting" into his enemy to have an illegitmate child with Lady Igraine. This illegitimacy then occurred with Mordred who ended up being the downfall of Arthur. It does feel similar to the Guardian's being undone by their own Construct which determined they are unfit to rule the galaxy. The fact it was the Civil Construct making that determination and not the Military one is also telling.

The naming Pendragon as the Uther wiki suggests,

"is composed of the Old Welsh prefix pen- "a tall hill; headlands; great heights", which is still used for place names in Wales and Cornwall (as in the famous Cornish town Penzance, or "holy headland") combined with the Old English dragoun "dragon" which was borrowed from the Old French dragon (originally the Latin accusative noun draconem "a massive serpent or sea creature"

More mountain and monster parallels.

 

[simulacrae]

I know this was mentioned back in the day when they created them. But the Starter Systems were all renamed after magical/mythical weapons or tools. Something a hero would need to go fight a big scary monster.

 

[Authari]

There are lots of possible connections. Most are probably pure coincidence.
King Arthurs last name is Pendragon, meaning head dragon (from Welsh). The name Arthur is speculated to mean bear, from Celtic Arto or Welsh Arth. This actually fits even better with Art than Arthur.
Bear links to the Ursa constellations. As does the idea that the name comes from the star Arcturus. Arcturus means "guardian of the bear" in ancient Greek.

Arcturus in ED has a gas giant named Arcas. Arcas was the son of Zeus and Castillo (Ursa Major) that ended up in the sky, as Ursa Minor.
Arcturus also have a rocky body named Major.

Colm means dove. That would be the Columba constellation.

This is from just some quick googling.

It makes sense that Raxxla which is a state of Enlightenment shared among a Sacred Kinship, it makes sense that an Ancient Order of Knights a Holy Brotherhood would have sworn by this Cup of Covenant passing it down to the Templar as had been to them, by their Elite Combateer Ancestors, the Templar obviously becoming the Freemasons then happens to evolve into the Modern Day Dark Wheel (which may be a reference to the galactic monument found at the Tionisla Graveyard, where the Elite Combateer look o'er the Realms of the Dead across Eternity and the Living and the Dead working to secure the Celestial Portal between Realms. When you get to the Battlements of the Heavens at least you'll have experience there Commander.

 

[Han_Zen]

The Guardian parallel is definitely strong. Like Han_Zen touched on, the Pendragon name was derived from Arthur's father Uther who seems to have laid the seeds of his son's downfall by "shape shifting" into his enemy to have an illegitmate child with Lady Igraine. This illegitimacy then occurred with Mordred who ended up being the downfall of Arthur. It does feel similar to the Guardian's being undone by their own Construct which determined they are unfit to rule the galaxy. The fact it was the Civil Construct making that determination and not the Military one is also telling.

The naming Pendragon as the Uther wiki suggests,

More mountain and monster parallels.

Whatever the Arthurian legends tells us, they are at least acknowledged in the game. Both Annwn and Avalon are represented by systems.
Annwn can be seen as Hell (Welsh otherworld) and Avalon can be a Heaven.

The systems are close to each other, just bellow Achenar.

 

[Han_Zen]

It makes sense that Raxxla which is a state of Enlightenment shared among a Sacred Kinship, it makes sense that an Ancient Order of Knights a Holy Brotherhood would have sworn by this Cup of Covenant passing it down to the Templar as had been to them, by their Elite Combateer Ancestors, the Templar obviously becoming the Freemasons then happens to evolve into the Modern Day Dark Wheel (which may be a reference to the galactic monument found at the Tionisla Graveyard, where the Elite Combateer look o'er the Realms of the Dead across Eternity and the Living and the Dead working to secure the Celestial Portal between Realms. When you get to the Battlements of the Heavens at least you'll have experience there Commander.

There are more Templars than the Dark Wheel. This is from the book Imprint (set in the later years of GalCop): "The bulletin analysis already laid the blame on the Knights Templars, a terrorist force across the galaxies which seemed far better organised in recent years and was committed to destabilizing GalCop."

 

[Authari]

Whatever the Arthurian legends tells us, they are at least acknowledged in the game. Both Annwn and Avalon are represented by systems.
Annwn can be seen as Hell (Welsh otherworld) and Avalon can be a Heaven.

The systems are close to each other, just bellow Achenar.

The Lord Of Raxxla casts his gaze out upon Heaven and Hell and the Plane In Between, with his Right Hand he gives his aid through His Servants the Children of Raxxla to therefore the House of Raxxla within it the Holy Generation these things all must grow with time. The Lord of Raxxla is not Dead as some say he merely is the Once and Future King he who gives the Cup of Covenant to all his Servants to act as the Incarnation of His Word.

There are more Templars than the Dark Wheel. This is from the book Imprint (set in the later years of GalCop): "The bulletin analysis already laid the blame on the Knights Templars, a terrorist force across the galaxies which seemed far better organised in recent years and was committed to destabilizing GalCop."

Where do you learn these things unless you perhaps are a member of such a secretive organization yourself, or a veteran of the Lore of Raxxla?

 

[Han_Zen]

Where do you learn these things unless you perhaps are a member of such a secretive organization yourself, or a veteran of the Lore of Raxxla?

I'm not very secretive. I have been around the Elite universe a while though. I've played the games and read the old books. Nothing more than that.
My memory is quite key-word sensitive. When you say 'Templars', I think 'we have those in Elite'. So I just look it up.

The book with the quote is called Imprint. FD has reused that word, for the Thargoid Imprint. A stat you get for scanning the Thargoid device.

Another example of reuse of particular words, is the word construct. It was used in the Dark Wheel to describe the portal on Raxxla. FD has reused it as a name for the sentient AI, created by the Guardians.

Things like that makes me think that the old books are worth a quick read.

A good collection of old stories: https://www.dream-ware.co.uk/

 

[Rochester]

Whatever the Arthurian legends tells us, they are at least acknowledged in the game. Both Annwn and Avalon are represented by systems.
Annwn can be seen as Hell (Welsh otherworld) and Avalon can be a Heaven.

The systems are close to each other, just bellow Achenar.

The Lost Realms of Robert Holdstock
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10214625

“The systems are close to each other, just bellow Achenar.”

“The Beaumont system was a frontier world far below Achenar.” Elite Legacy.

Far below these Lost Realms is a system called Michel (French for Michael) and Sopedu - (Guardian of the East), this is in alignment with the Brookes Tours; in Paradise Lost Michael casts out Adam and Eve at the Eastern Gates of Paradise.

Post in thread 'The Quest To Find Raxxla'
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10241212

Is Raxxla not within the Empyrean but in Hell? Or rather below it in the Otherworld!

 

[Han_Zen]

The Lost Realms of Robert Holdstock
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10214625

“The systems are close to each other, just bellow Achenar.”

“The Beaumont system was a frontier world far below Achenar.” Elite Legacy.

Far below these Lost Realms is a system called Michel (French for Michael) and Sopedu - (Guardian of the East), this is in alignment with the Brookes Tours; in Paradise Lost Michael casts out Adam and Eve at the Eastern Gates of Paradise.

Post in thread 'The Quest To Find Raxxla'
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10241212

Is Raxxla not within the Empyrean but in Hell? Or rather below it in the Otherworld!

I don't think any of this gives much hint of the location of Raxxla. It might give clues about the axis that defines the mythical up and down we are locking for. Raxxla is probably not located in the upper or underworld.
The way I read the hints and myths, Raxxla houses a doorway. This doorway is built to access earth (mythological), by those that inhabit the upper world. Those from the underworld can also (possibly unintended by the creators) access earth via this doorway.

Seen from the side of earth, the doorway on Raxxla should give access to both the upper and underworld. Using Miltons model, Raxxla should be on a straight line towards heaven. Hell should be down and to the side. Below earth, but only accessible by going up first.

The story of Arthur is interesting, because he goes the other way. He is an inhabitant of earth (Britton) and he travels to these mythical places. Not much is written on how he does this, but we know he uses a ship. The Argonauts also use a ship.

Even gods, angels and demons need a ladder, a bridge or a gate to go to earth and back.

I'm not entirely sure that earth in the myths is the planet earth. It could be, but it could also represent the entire observable universe, the Milky way or the Sol system.

 

[selbie]

I don't think any of this gives much hint of the location of Raxxla. It might give clues about the axis that defines the mythical up and down we are locking for. Raxxla is probably not located in the upper or underworld.
The way I read the hints and myths, Raxxla houses a doorway. This doorway is built to access earth (mythological), by those that inhabit the upper world. Those from the underworld can also (possibly unintended by the creators) access earth via this doorway.

Seen from the side of earth, the doorway on Raxxla should give access to both the upper and underworld. Using Miltons model, Raxxla should be on a straight line towards heaven. Hell should be down and to the side. Below earth, but only accessible by going up first.

The story of Arthur is interesting, because he goes the other way. He is an inhabitant of earth (Britton) and he travels to these mythical places. Not much is written on how he does this, but we know he uses a ship. The Argonauts also use a ship.

Even gods, angels and demons need a ladder, a bridge or a gate to go to earth and back.

I'm not entirely sure that earth in the myths is the planet earth. It could be, but it could also represent the entire observable universe, the Milky way or the Sol system.

To me Earth is interchangeable with the known Universe and I would assume that aspect of translation between myth and the game is integral to this mystery.

Talk of the doorway and Rochester's notes does spark some thought for me.

Without Satan or for that matter the existence of Hell, there would be no bridge that facilitates the passage of souls between realms. So you could say the source of this access is something involving Hell or the other Underworld parallels such as Annwn or even some dead dragon stinking up the place
If a system "far below" Achenar is in lore, does that imply Achenar is a start or endpoint?
I note that Ache(r)nar was the arabic for "star at the end of the river" - which was changed when Acamar was included in the constellation Eridanus. Rivers, straits, etc are often symbolic passageways.

Alternately, there could be a clue found in a place where Satan was cast out of heaven - "to that side Heav'n from whence his Legions fell". So a gateway to the void of Chaos could exist somewhere amongst the Empyrean realm of star names as opposed to the gateway between heaven and our Universe.

 

[Rochester]

The term upon the outer rim from the removed missions, if viewed through the prism of Paradise Lost, in context to the phrase, the jewel that burns upon the brow, and the Miltonian quote about a pendant world; does make me suspicious that FD is describing the location of Raxxla in the same manner to which Milton did for Paradise, as being upon the outer rim of Chaos.

I feel a lot of the information from the codex is painting a very wide picture which actually identifies the Miltonian Cosmological Model, and therefore Raxxla’s position below the Empyrean.

This however might be conflicted against the prominence of systems and environmental factors pointing to the Lost Realms zone. So in my opinion Raxxla is still in this intermediate flux; it’s more likely higher up, upon the Empyrean/Chaos boundary, but equally it could be below the Otherworld?

Of course I do strongly believe this Otherworld/Underworld realm is likewise an integral part of the cosmological model in that its linked via the Path of Jacques, which technically could be the path of Satan out of hell.

A bridge to the Empyrean?
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10304929

 

[simulacrae]

The way I read the hints and myths, Raxxla houses a doorway. This doorway is built to access earth (mythological), by those that inhabit the upper world. Those from the underworld can also (possibly unintended by the creators) access earth via this doorway.

I have gone back to looking at the Egyptian stuff - specifically the Funerary Texts relating to the path of the soul. The Egyptian stuff is more useable in that they correlated things to the stars much better then the greeks romans or christians when describing it.... still working on it but ... I thought i would bring it up as you seem to be looking in a similar way.

Relating to the Sun Door... thought id mention what i have been working on (still a work in progress)
Have been using The Ascension-Myth in the Pyramid Texts as a guide. But the myth itself seemed to change quite alot over time. I think the Door is on the Horizon, not a central line (There is also a good paper on Satans Journy in Milton that indicates heaven is square and the chain hangs off the East Wall). - Im also looking at the Amduat, the path of the Sun as it the same path the Pharoh takes...

My current interpretation (all still in flux) is that on the Western Horizon the Kings Soul climbs the ladder to the Sun... The king is bound for the eastern side of the sky" He enters the Sun Gate and is then proceedes to Orion? followed by a trip across the celestial river afterwhich he is raised up (from the ecliptic?) by Set? to the Indestructables (the circumpolar stars)

The problem with having a "path" in the sky that I see is that it is very dependant on the time of year .... I suspect this is part of the reason things were switched to the "underworld"

Incidentally there is also the Book of the Two Paths... the Guide to Rostau, Rostau also being another name for the Giza Plateau where the Pyramids are... If we felt the need to tie in some Holdstock....

Apologies for the scatterbrained way im presenting this - but still digesting it myself:

Sah (the hidden one) Father of the Gods is Orion and his Consort is Sopdet (Sirius). Osiris is described as the Dweller in Orion.

From the Pyramid text of Unas (Sarcophagus Chamber South Wall):

151: Orion is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. Sothis is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. This Unas is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. He is content because of them, he is refreshed because of them, in the arms of His father, in the arms of Atum.​

While trying to find "Manu" - a Mountain in the West - where the sun set (Horizon)...And RA (ya a sun god not a storm god... but Set did help i hear) fought with Apep the world snake... I ended up finding the Starter Systems ... hence my earlier post. Manu has been renamed to Dromi.

Oh also I think the OnionHead might have been related to the Sokar Onion Festival thing.... Also in the book Legacy - when Julia visits Kappa Fornacis it brings on her desire to explore, and it is the only mention of Raxxla in the book.

So ya still playing with things -

 

[Authari]

I'm not very secretive. I have been around the Elite universe a while though. I've played the games and read the old books. Nothing more than that.
My memory is quite key-word sensitive. When you say 'Templars', I think 'we have those in Elite'. So I just look it up.

The book with the quote is called Imprint. FD has reused that word, for the Thargoid Imprint. A stat you get for scanning the Thargoid device.

Another example of reuse of particular words, is the word construct. It was used in the Dark Wheel to describe the portal on Raxxla. FD has reused it as a name for the sentient AI, created by the Guardians.

Things like that makes me think that the old books are worth a quick read.

A good collection of old stories: https://www.dream-ware.co.uk/

Didn't want to break character but I looked up the book Imprint thanks to your post, gonna read it and see if I can't find anymore clues about Raxxla, a very interesting detail none the less. And you are very fortunate to have learned about Raxxla in your time when others have not heard His Word, The Word of Our Lord of Raxxla, until just very recently. (I'm embracing this caricature whole heartedly)

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

<Snipped>

Is Raxxla not within the Empyrean but in Hell? Or rather below it in the Otherworld!

I don't think Hell or Chaos ties in at all with MB's love of Paradise Lost, which he clearly expended a fair amount of effort to embody in the game. You've identified the Empyrean as being in/on the border of Alliance space, which definitely agrees with the clue we have from MB in his Elite Legacy novel.

If Han_Zen's hypothesis is correct that there is a gateway/doorway/alien construct related to Raxxla then I suspect either Raxxla is Paradise and there is a gateway to it, or Raxxla itself is the gateway &we have no idea to what...either way as DB said "you don't know what it is!"

 

[Rochester]

I don't think Hell or Chaos ties in at all with MB's love of Paradise Lost, which he clearly expended a fair amount of effort to embody in the game. You've identified the Empyrean as being in/on the border of Alliance space, which definitely agrees with the clue we have from MB in his Elite Legacy novel.

If Han_Zen's hypothesis is correct that there is a gateway/doorway/alien construct related to Raxxla then I suspect either Raxxla is Paradise and there is a gateway to it, or Raxxla itself is the gateway &we have no idea to what...either way as DB said "you don't know what it is!"

Well MB may have indicated what Raxxla was not, which is to say it might be ‘something different’ when someone asked if SD was a good example, so we might assume it’s not a body?

I suspect Raxxla to be certainly in a system, for everything in game is within a system (an instance) so it must be something in a system but probably not a body, and like the garden design might indicate its within the structure of a system so possibly something around a body?

I suspect Raxxla is the construct/gateway/state of enlightenment but it’s - in a system, and that system is simply a ‘representation’ of Paradise - as a type of ‘Lost Realm’ like other examples also appear in game, that system hangs from the Empyrean. One might presume its in or of the rings of a particular body?

 

[Authari]

I have gone back to looking at the Egyptian stuff - specifically the Funerary Texts relating to the path of the soul. The Egyptian stuff is more useable in that they correlated things to the stars much better then the greeks romans or christians when describing it.... still working on it but ... I thought i would bring it up as you seem to be looking in a similar way.

Relating to the Sun Door... thought id mention what i have been working on (still a work in progress)
Have been using The Ascension-Myth in the Pyramid Texts as a guide. But the myth itself seemed to change quite alot over time. I think the Door is on the Horizon, not a central line (There is also a good paper on Satans Journy in Milton that indicates heaven is square and the chain hangs off the East Wall). - Im also looking at the Amduat, the path of the Sun as it the same path the Pharoh takes...

My current interpretation (all still in flux) is that on the Western Horizon the Kings Soul climbs the ladder to the Sun... The king is bound for the eastern side of the sky" He enters the Sun Gate and is then proceedes to Orion? followed by a trip across the celestial river afterwhich he is raised up (from the ecliptic?) by Set? to the Indestructables (the circumpolar stars)

The problem with having a "path" in the sky that I see is that it is very dependant on the time of year .... I suspect this is part of the reason things were switched to the "underworld"

Incidentally there is also the Book of the Two Paths... the Guide to Rostau, Rostau also being another name for the Giza Plateau where the Pyramids are... If we felt the need to tie in some Holdstock....

Apologies for the scatterbrained way im presenting this - but still digesting it myself:

Sah (the hidden one) Father of the Gods is Orion and his Consort is Sopdet (Sirius). Osiris is described as the Dweller in Orion.

From the Pyramid text of Unas (Sarcophagus Chamber South Wall):

151: Orion is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. Sothis is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. This Unas is encircled by the Duat, when the One-who-lives-in-the-Horizon purifies himself. He is content because of them, he is refreshed because of them, in the arms of His father, in the arms of Atum.​

While trying to find "Manu" - a Mountain in the West - where the sun set (Horizon)...And RA (ya a sun god not a storm god... but Set did help i hear) fought with Apep the world snake... I ended up finding the Starter Systems ... hence my earlier post. Manu has been renamed to Dromi.

Oh also I think the OnionHead might have been related to the Sokar Onion Festival thing.... Also in the book Legacy - when Julia visits Kappa Fornacis it brings on her desire to explore, and it is the only mention of Raxxla in the book.

So ya still playing with things -

Osiris described as The Dweller? Felicity Farseer having an opinion on the Dark Wheel? Undoubtedly these Engineers have worked on ships throughout the Galaxy including the Dark Wheel's do not discount the systems of the Empire, where Avalon lays beneath the Light of Nu (a system nearby and Egyptian concept of Primordial waters) to gain the favor of Asphodel (another system nearby) whereupon lays the crux of the Axius Mundi (Yet another system nearby) remember how in the codex it says the author made a children's book with reference's to guide people to Raxxla? It mentions Asphodel in there too... hints, hints Brother, let your Faith be your guide for it shall lead you to Raxxla.

 

[simulacrae]

hints, hints Brother, let your Faith be your guide for it shall lead you to Raxxla.

Or lead me onto a Far God ship heading towards Yog- Sothoth - which might be the same thing