The Quest To Find Raxxla - Place that isn't a place, door that is also the key. The myth.
This ship log will be used to document the assumptions, facts, theories and efforts surrounding Raxxla, with the ultimate goal of locating Raxxla. All commanders willing to join are most welcome. If no new entries are made by me for a period of 2 weeks, you must assume that I have been eliminated by the Dark Wheel, swallowed by the abyss, or found Raxxla and have gone there. I hope for the latter (but will probably send pretty postcards).
Raxxla
A planet in another galaxy? with an alien construct that's a gateway to other Universes. The Dark Wheel found it (and lost it?), and will keep it's location secret at all costs.
Everything we know (@Jorki Rasalas)
Assumptions
- Raxxla exists and can be found.
- Supporting indications:
- The existence of the Dark Wheel faction which is strongly connected to Raxxla.
- Missions[2][3][4][6]
are currentlywas being handed out and might be related to Raxxla.- Mission [2] mentions a rumour that talks about:"A certain celestial body. Place that isn't a place, door that is also the key. The myth.". Upon delivery you receive a message mentioning a map and a context for coordinates.
- Mission [6] is very vague about the "hunt for, well, you know", but could be a reference to Raxxla. However, this mission could be feeding the ships log (data crystals or spheres?) into the Mission: Obfuscated In The Outer Rim.
- Strongest indication for the existence of Raxxla so far is
Drew's blog entry[7]the inclusion of Raxxla in the Codex.
- Supporting indications:
- Raxxla is an installation and located near a Capricori system. [20]
- Members of the Dark Wheel are already making inter-galactic jumps using the spheres they have onboard, hence the "intercept Dark Wheel ships" Elite only mission.
- Complete missions to see if it gives any results.
- Tail all and any Dark Wheel ships using a wake scanner to see if they suddenly inexplicably disappear.
- The Dark Wheel has lost[6]? the location of Raxxla and are currently trying to decrypt data crystals? to recover the location. Missions[2][3][5] indicate that the Dark Wheel is having no luck decrypting the data crystals themselves and are employing the services of others to assist in this endeavour, directly and indirectly.
- Raxxla is in an another galaxy and the only way to get to it is using the key;the gateway placed in our galaxy. Where would one place an alien gateway in our galaxy?
- Possible gateway incarnations:
- "Gateway station" - a station acting as a gateway, upon entering you are instantly transported?, how would you select destination - one station - one destination?
- Jumping into a permitted system transports you to another universe? - Witch's Reach? - or a station in the permitted system is the gateway
- Entering hyperspace in a particular fashion or in a particular system will transport you?
- A system with the alien construct with a letterbox orbiting a planet, just like a station?
- Possible gateway incarnations:
Also confirmed by FD here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/page-1234#post-9584643
Astronomy
Tourist Spot's in Shinrarta Dezhra
Public FD Raxxla statements:
- DB:Does Raxxla exist?
- MB:Positive confirmation for Raxxla in the Milky way - DJTruthsayer lore interview with Michael Brookes
- DW:Raxxla exists and we know where it is
- DW:Raxxla exists, we know where it is, and why people haven't been able to find it...
- Ascorbius: Ascorbius confirms MB speaking about 'The system where Raxxla is (was?) located has been visited at least once' at Lave-con Q&A
- MB: 'Raxxla is something different (than Shinrarta Dezhra)'
Tip off missions - Will they lead us to Raxxla?
The general consensus is no. This is backed by these posts: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/page-1329#post-9901771 and https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/page-1329#post-9901711.
Raxxla Obfuscated? (Codex->Exploration)


RAXXLA
"To the jewel that burns on the brow of the mother of galaxies! To the whisperer in witch-
space, the siren of the deepest void! The parent's grief, the lover's woe, and the yearning of
our vagabond hearts. To Raxxla!"
- Alleged toast of the Dark Wheel
The legend of Raxxla has been circulation, in whispers, for centuries. The quest for this
mysterious place, the location of which is a deadly secret, was said to be the principal aim
of the Dark Wheel, a putative fraternity of legend-chasers from the early days of interstellar
travel.
The earliest recorded mention of Raxxla dates from 2296, from the journal of Art Tornqvist,
a shipboard mechanic based in the Tau Ceti system. He writes: 'Cora comes home soused
and raving with wild stories, a new one every night. She claims she's found a map to some
pirate stash, and all I have to do is loan her my ship so we can go dig it up. Maybe we
should go find Raxxla while we're at it!' Although Tornqvist's account is the first known
attestation of Raxxla, it is clear from text that the myth was already in circulation.
It is extremely difficult to find consistency among the various fragmentary rumours of
Raxxla. Much like the ancient myths of Atlantis, El Dorado and the kingdom of Prester John,
interpretations of the story range from the sceptical to the outlandish: Raxxla has been
suggested to be anything from an unremarkable moon to a state of cosmic enlightenment.
The earliest documented stories tend to agree on several points, however: that Raxxla is a
definite place, and that it holds a mystical secret.
Several versions of the Raxxla story mention an alien artefact, the Omphalos Rift, described
as a gateway or tunnel through which parallel universes can be accessed. These details
however, were later shown to bear a striking resemblance to children's story Princess
Astrophel and Spiralling Stars, and soon lost credibility. Undaunted, some Raxxla
seekers insisted that the story's author had cunningly concealed facts about the
mysterious locale in his book as hints for those with eyes to see.
Students of Raxxla lore have noted that the legend exerts a strangely potent fascination on
the minds of seekers. Commentators have compared this sensation to 'fernweh', the
unaccountable longing for a place one has never seen. More than one interstellar
treasure-seeker has become obsessed with Raxxla to the exclusion of all other dreams,
and spent his or her entire life in a futile search for it.
Raxxla also plays a role in several conspiracy theories, most of which attest that it has
already been discovered by some kind of sinister cabal (or sole tyrant), which has
leveraged its power to establish covert dominance over humanity.
Whatever the truth of the matter, one thing remains irrefutable: the legend of Raxxla
continues to inspire explorers and conspiracy theorists to this day.
"To the jewel that burns on the brow of the mother of galaxies! To the whisperer in witch-
space, the siren of the deepest void! The parent's grief, the lover's woe, and the yearning of
our vagabond hearts. To Raxxla!"
- Alleged toast of the Dark Wheel
The legend of Raxxla has been circulation, in whispers, for centuries. The quest for this
mysterious place, the location of which is a deadly secret, was said to be the principal aim
of the Dark Wheel, a putative fraternity of legend-chasers from the early days of interstellar
travel.
The earliest recorded mention of Raxxla dates from 2296, from the journal of Art Tornqvist,
a shipboard mechanic based in the Tau Ceti system. He writes: 'Cora comes home soused
and raving with wild stories, a new one every night. She claims she's found a map to some
pirate stash, and all I have to do is loan her my ship so we can go dig it up. Maybe we
should go find Raxxla while we're at it!' Although Tornqvist's account is the first known
attestation of Raxxla, it is clear from text that the myth was already in circulation.
It is extremely difficult to find consistency among the various fragmentary rumours of
Raxxla. Much like the ancient myths of Atlantis, El Dorado and the kingdom of Prester John,
interpretations of the story range from the sceptical to the outlandish: Raxxla has been
suggested to be anything from an unremarkable moon to a state of cosmic enlightenment.
The earliest documented stories tend to agree on several points, however: that Raxxla is a
definite place, and that it holds a mystical secret.
Several versions of the Raxxla story mention an alien artefact, the Omphalos Rift, described
as a gateway or tunnel through which parallel universes can be accessed. These details
however, were later shown to bear a striking resemblance to children's story Princess
Astrophel and Spiralling Stars, and soon lost credibility. Undaunted, some Raxxla
seekers insisted that the story's author had cunningly concealed facts about the
mysterious locale in his book as hints for those with eyes to see.
Students of Raxxla lore have noted that the legend exerts a strangely potent fascination on
the minds of seekers. Commentators have compared this sensation to 'fernweh', the
unaccountable longing for a place one has never seen. More than one interstellar
treasure-seeker has become obsessed with Raxxla to the exclusion of all other dreams,
and spent his or her entire life in a futile search for it.
Raxxla also plays a role in several conspiracy theories, most of which attest that it has
already been discovered by some kind of sinister cabal (or sole tyrant), which has
leveraged its power to establish covert dominance over humanity.
Whatever the truth of the matter, one thing remains irrefutable: the legend of Raxxla
continues to inspire explorers and conspiracy theorists to this day.


"Oh, they're out there alright. I've never met them, but I know they're out there. Think about
how well known the stories are. Now think about how easy it would be for some two-bit
band of hucksters to pass themselves off as the Dark Wheel and start trading on their
reputation. Doesn't happen, does it? Not for long, anyway. Whenever someone tries to
usurp the Dark Wheel name, sooner or later they get quietly shut down. And that's how I
know"
- Felicy Farseer, explorer
The Dark Wheel is the name given to a legendary group of adventurers, explorers,
investigators and treasure-hunters, the existence of which is so lacking in corroborative
evidence that it is generally considered a myth. The group is often mentioned in
connection with the equally unsubstantiated 'Raxxla'.
Those who believe in the existence of the Dark Wheel consider it to be a continuous and
clandestine organisation, operating since the very earliest days of interstellar travel.
According to the lore, only a handful of the bravest and most competent pilots of each
generation are honoured with an invitation to join the group. It is futile to attempt to
contact the Dark Wheel on one's own initiative, however - it is always they who initiate
contact, initially in disguise, revealing their true identity only once a suitable test of
courage and skill has been discreetly administered, and passed.
Opposing theories assert that new members are selected on the basis of lineage, with
existing members covertly training their children and revealing the fact of their
membership only when the child is ready. Conversely, some members are believed to go to
great lengths to prevent their children from ever become involved, the group's
secrets are dangerous.
According to self-professed Dark Wheel expert Lyta Crane, a conspiracy theorist and
'people's journalist' who has painstakingly assembled an archive of relevant data, the
original group was based in a disused starport orbiting the eighth moon of an unnamed
gas giant. The station was toroid, hence 'wheel', and operated with a minimal power output
so as to avoid detection, hence 'dark'.
Crane believes that this starport is still in use, and is the only means whereby the genuine
Dark Wheel can verify its identity; new inductees can examine the record and artefacts
preserved there, and thus satisfy themselves that the group has indeed been operating for
centuries. No such starport has ever been found, however, and rival experts have accused
Crane of forging her evidense in order to maintain the revenue from her billions of
followers.
Over the years, many people have claimed to be members of the Dark Wheel, to have
identified some or all of the group's members, or to have discovered the group's location,
but the contradictory nature of these claims suggests that most of them, if not all, are
untrue.
In 3300, a group identifying itself as the Dark Wheel emerged in the Shinrarta Dezhra
system, which is not accessible to pilots of lower than Elite rank. It is not apparent if the
group is a legitimate descendant of the original Dark Wheel, a reconstruction, or merely an
opportunistic imitator.
This thread also searches for the Dark Wheel station.
References
[1] The Dark Wheel
[2] Mission: Obfuscated In The Outer Rim
[3] Mission: The Silent Song Of The Spheres
[4] Mission: Discrete Redistribution Agent Desired
[5] Mission: Dark Wheel Seeks Diplomats For Discreet Delivery
[6] Mission: What Was Lost Will Soon Be Found
[7] Possible Raxxla existence confirmation
[8] Positive confirmation for Raxxla in the Milky way - DJTruthsayer lore interview with Michael Brookes
[9] Drew Wagar talks about the very first Raxxla references in "The Dark Wheel"
[10] Xaintly's compilation of this thread (9 March 3305)
[11] Thread searching for the Dark Wheel Station
[12] Operation Less Than Three
[13] The Holdstock Report
[14] TDW faction in Shinrarta Dezhra the real deal?
[15] Elite Timelines
[16] Great Raxxla Potato Hunt
[17] The Green Glow Hunt In Sol
[18] Raxxla hidden in an asteroid belt?
[19] Brookes Memorial Series
[20] Mission: The Darkkster Puzzle
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