The Quest To Find Raxxla

[Han_Zen]

Here is a snip from Imprint, that explains the GalCop system from Elite:
«The second generation of ships were available with fly-by-wire systems for jump. Hood had the GalCop Galaxy One approved plateau of systems already installed in his navigation units when he had bought his Cobra. Once GalCop had reconnoitred Galaxy One and began to colonise throughout the systems, they realised that by using the available knowledge of the galaxy they could introduce a bespoke jump map of GalCop worlds. It had been an important phase in GalCop history. Drives with the kick but not the brains reduced the expensive navigational processing equipment needed to plot and control jumps. There were numerous associated benefits. Nearly all spacers were now limited to activity inside GalCop boundaries which conveniently reduced interaction with other planetary federations or general over-expansion which GalCop might be unable to consolidate. Planets that were not designated as inter-system reception worlds were left off the jump map, as were a number of 'secret systems' and systems which were still undergoing monitoring and exploration under GalCop's after-the-fact conscience policies.«

In GalCop you had to be Elite to get a job with full jump navigation.

 

[CMDRGURU951]

Just got back to the bubble after completing all the Colonia missions, and much to my dismay, nothing happened. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Just as expected. This damn puzzle....

 

[Rochester]

I think we should try Tycho's Supernova again... its in the right area off Cass and could have been visible by old Philip Sidney (1572)...

FD 'say' they didnt put it in....https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?p=4890586&viewfull=1#post4890586

But did they really? Most likely they did omit it but when it comes to 'there will be no clues' they cant really confirm it if it were the mystery X loaction...all in all we're all probably in agreement its a non-existant location, but then again its right off the shoulder off the H&S area on the Elysian Shore...

Looks like a nice area, and I still fancy going back to the H&S so I may just have another gander.

 

[Crimson Echo]

Since Raxxla was not in Elite 1984 I suspect that the systems in the old elite only denote the general location, and may not contain Raxxla themselves. Since there are only a few systems from galaxyies other than 1 (that contained lave) and Raxxla was rumored to be in another galaxy in the Elite 1984 sense. So we should be searching the areas around the non-galaxy 1 systems.

Isinor being the only permit locked system is also interesting.



Totaly baseless ideas ahead:
I suspect the dark wheel base is not in these regions, and is much closer to Sol. Specifically Lacaille 8760. Based on the 'earliest days of interstellar flight' would not necessarily mean FTL flight.(solar sails etc) The stations in the system are named after astronauts, and a interstellar flight visionary. Various bodies in the system were discovered by Cmdr Tionisla (why name a CMDR after an old System?), and Luko mentions Tionisla in relation to the Dark Wheel historically. The system is really close to sol, but was able to be discovered by a player? (Kinda Strange) Since the body (7h) is tidally locked a synchronous orbit would make sense. Detecting the station from real space visually is likely impossible (even know stations are nigh impossible to see. In supercruise that known stations glow, but not from real space.) So we would need to manually fly the orbit in real space waiting for any sign of the station (like a nebulous 'ship scan detected' that might signal the station instance being loaded?) (insane time requirements, or luck needed)

Spoiler

Two NPCs with seemingly significant names lead me to Lacaille 8760. Howard P. Lovecraft jumping in from ross 154, and a NPC braben flying a Clipper that was haning out around 7H. When I got close to 7h the clipper started sort of spiraling out away from the moon. (entirely circumstantial evidence at best. ) I was not able to follow the wake with the corvette (no wake scanner, but i was able to roughly locate the system by sight) (wake directions of NPCs have been fixed since the q4 update last year!) Quickly grabed the conda with a wake scanner, and started looking at possible systems withing 21 LY the cobra could have jumped to. Two of the systems had a 8 moon gas giant, but the other one had a station already there.(hardly a good place to hide.)

https://imgur.com/a/JjIz5zA
Of course is all this baseless speculation, but wanted to point out that the DW base and Raxxla may not be directly related w.r.t. location etc.

 

[Xaintly]

The picture of the Dark Wheel station in the codex is interesting to me.

• The star is a very deep red
• It looks quite big for something presumably far away
• Most 'M' stars are too small to have anything but snowballs

I visited a bunch of K, M, L, T, Y, C stars to check the color. The K, M (Red Dwarf), Tauri and C stars I checked were much more yellow. L and Y were too purple.
The closest match to color that I could find were M (Red Giant) and M (Red Super Giant). They are also quite big.

Based on that, I ran a search on the EDSM data for Red Giant/Red Super Giant WITH a Gas Giant that has at least 8 moons. I found 41 results.
Does anyone want to help check these? I want to try flying around the 8th moon at close range and seeing if anything pops up.

Zaurak - checked: zaurak c 2 h, non-landable icy body, already mapped. mapping & flying around it didn't expose anything
4 Cassiopeiae - checked: 4 Cassiopeiae AB 2 F, G and H could all have a claim as the "8th moon". Mapping & flying around them didn't expose anything
Shui Wei Sector FC-U b3-3 - BCD 1 H already mapped, mapping & flying around didn't expose anything
Smojue TE-I b23-4
Blu Euq FT-K b49-16
HR 6001 - CMDR Edelgard von Rhein checked, found nothing.
Thueche XK-B c2-6
Dryooe Flyou KE-M b23-45 > by colonia, near interesting black hole Dryooe Flyou PC-V E2-457
NGC 2682 FBC 3456 > S class star - Scanned & checked by CMDR Macros Black, nothing found in orbit: This is a suicide system, neutron jump in with no way out!
21 Zeta Cephei - Scanned & checked by CMDR Macros Black, nothing found in orbit
Dumboi HM-D d12-26 > Neutron
Synuefe JS-G b44-0 - M3, M8, ABC 2 H, landable, mapped, flew around, nothing
Ploi Aewsy PB-S b31-11
Juenio IS-K d8-900
Eol Flyou ZU-G d10-270
HD 14284 - M5, Scanned & checked by CMDR Macros Black, 3 H and 4 H, nothing found, star is also too yellow
Floarph JC-D d12-5 - M5 star
Wepua MV-Y d3028 - M5 star
Aucofs HK-A d4
Aucofs QR-W d1-3 - M5 star
Slegou HX-L d7-4
Sleguae YW-B d13-1
Ploea Eurl BM-C b27-0 - M7 star
Byeia Eurk QR-T c17-21 - M8 star
Swoiwns QS-Q b7-0
Spoihaae WS-D b18-8 - M8 star
Col 173 Sector NO-P b35-1 - M8, Mapped and flew around 4 H, nothing found
Floadu JK-A d0
Synuefe CA-K b56-8 - M8, 9 H mapped, flew around, nothing
Gru Hypue JY-I d9-90
Synuefai KP-V b49-5 - M8, Mapped & flew around 8 H but nothing happened
Stuelou EN-Q b36-8 - M8
Eoch Pruae KY-I d9-2322
Byeia Thai VT-Z d13-0
Prua Phoea XF-O d6-21
Bleia Eohn AU-A b33-3 - M3+ M8
Traikaae QY-M b12-0 - M8

I pasted all these into the galaxy map, they all have population 0 and economy: None.
I'd be surprised if finding their station is this simple (eg, maybe it only appears if you have the invite from The Real Dark Wheel or some special permit), but it can't hurt to rule out the known systems.

FWIW I'm triple elite, king, admiral & allied with TDW and all factions that are known to grant system permits

Edit: Cmdr Macros Black is en route to some (thanks!), added notes with some of the darker colored stars (M8 is pretty dark)

Edit 2:
I ran a query for ordinary Red Dwarf stars + gas giant + 8 moons in the same system and came back with 7658 results, so that's not good.

However, I flew toward a Red Super Giant and a Red Dwarf to see how close you have to be for them to look like the picture:
Red Super Giant (Pegasi 2) - Textures still visible, star is a little too small at about 1000 ls away
Red Giant - Textures not visible until about 25 ls, star is still small until under 15 ls
Red Dwarf - Textures not visible until about 25 ls, star is still small until under 10 lswell the

 

[Macros Black]

The picture of the Dark Wheel station in the codex is interesting to me...snip

Sign me up initially for:
21 Zeta Cephei
NGC 2682 FBC 3456
HD 14284

Can you update your list with CMDR names as to minimize overlap. If I encounter more from the list on the way southbound, I'll check those too.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Has it ever come to you guys mind that you might need to be triple Elite to find it? Makes sense to me lore-wise.

 

[Rochester]

Some random thoughts following some fruitless footling around the core systems...

Art Tornqvist - if not a clue or anagram but an actual in-game character - Art was a shipboard mechanic, circa 2296 based out of Tau Ceti system.

Now do we know of any vessels existing within that time frame setting off from TC?

I'd always liked the idea of it being literal. And there being a crashed vessel some place, possibly containing another clue...

 

[Scytale]

Jason Ryder was back from the black and preparing an expedition to Raxxla when killed.
So, you did need to "prepare" for going to Raxxla, then ?
What did it mean ?

Also, now, you don't even need to be single Elite to interact with the TDW faction... do you ?

 

[Xaintly]

Some random thoughts following some fruitless footling around the core systems...

Art Tornqvist - if not a clue or anagram but an actual in-game character - Art was a shipboard mechanic, circa 2296 based out of Tau Ceti system.

Now do we know of any vessels existing within that time frame setting off from TC?

I'd always liked the idea of it being literal. And there being a crashed vessel some place, possibly containing another clue...

I stopped by Tau Ceti because I agree this system sounds fishy.
Its the first recorded mention of Raxxla, so it seems reasonable that whoever discovered it was based out of this system.
Tau Ceti is also the first human colony outside Sol, and had indigenous alien life until the human settlers wiped them out.

"Art" = Arete = Greek goddess of Virtue = "Queen Virtue" from the Astrophil & Stella poem?
or "Art" = "Arthur", as in King Arthur the 'quest for the holy graal' guy?
Tornqvist = "Thorn Branch" = beats me, lol

What's a clue and what's a random name?

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Also, now, you don't even need to be single Elite to interact with the TDW faction... do you ?

No you don't. But perhaps being triple elite spawns different missions or something? Has anyone ever tested that?


Also (not having read the whole thread that's just too much) has anyone used the new scanners to check locations were previously nothing was found?

 

[Scytale]

Mmmmh... I bet I am not the only 3E Cmdr who has been doing dozens of missions of all type for TDW faction and their allies/partners all around the Bubble from Ticushpakhi to Varati... (Almost) never had anything weird happening.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Reading the wiki again, TDW is searching for Raxxla, so I assume they do not know where it is and are on our side actually, opposed to what is stated in the op of this thread. Or did I get something wrong? So maybe we would have to help them expanding into another system of question in order to uncover it?

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Okay another post which also coincides with a feeling that I had too: That Raxxla is located in Polaris.
The System is Permit locked so we can't just get inside, but there may be a way to obtain the Permit womehow and we've not uncovered that yet. Dunno if this has been discussed in the thread before.
I noticed that when jumping to a nearby system you can indeed select and target it, just engaging the FSD gets denied.

Spoiler

I have found a reddit thread discussing the topic, really interesting:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange..._missing_raxxla_link_please_just_hear_me_out/

"So we have the Gate (Raxxla in Polaris), the Bridge (Bifrost in Alioth) and the Way (Waypoint in Sirius)."

Also with Alioth, it is the home System of the Alliance as we all know, being controlled by Edmund Mahon, the Prime Minister.
When I checked these systems here: https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Permits/Uninhabited on Inara, some of them were listed as exploited by Edmund Mahon. A connection perhaps?
How can an uninhabited system be exploited by a power at all?

 

[Han_Zen]

Okay another post which also coincides with a feeling that I had too: That Raxxla is located in Polaris.
The System is Permit locked so we can't just get inside, but there may be a way to obtain the Permit womehow and we've not uncovered that yet. Dunno if this has been discussed in the thread before.
I noticed that when jumping to a nearby system you can indeed select and target it, just engaging the FSD gets denied.


I have found a reddit thread discussing the topic, really interesting:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange..._missing_raxxla_link_please_just_hear_me_out/

"So we have the Gate (Raxxla in Polaris), the Bridge (Bifrost in Alioth) and the Way (Waypoint in Sirius)."

Also with Alioth, it is the home System of the Alliance as we all know, being controlled by Edmund Mahon, the Prime Minister.
When I checked these systems here: https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Permits/Uninhabited on Inara, some of them were listed as exploited by Edmund Mahon. A connection perhaps?
How can an uninhabited system be exploited by a power at all?

The main problem with Polaris is that every commander that played FFE, went there.

There is an Alien portal there. It's Thargoid and leads to Miackce (possible Col 70 Sector FY-N C21-3).

It has all the ingredients, but it would be quite anticlimactic.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

It has all the ingredients, but it would be quite anticlimatic.

Well yeah, I kinda expect such a thing. Although being able to jump through a portal would be quite cool.
Other than that I don't expect anything special when we actually do find Raxxla. It's more of an easter egg.

 

[Eckee]

Reading the wiki again, TDW is searching for Raxxla, so I assume they do not know where it is and are on our side actually, opposed to what is stated in the op of this thread. Or did I get something wrong? So maybe we would have to help them expanding into another system of question in order to uncover it?

Yeah that’s why we need to find TDW and join them in order to find Raxxla

 

[Scytale]

What was lost will be found again
E/F missions in front page.

 

[Han_Zen]

What was lost will be found again
E/F missions in front page.

The only thing TDW ever had, was Jason and his evidence. After he died they have been faffing about blindly for a few hundred years.

I think they are better at making riddles with ancient greek motifs, than they are at finding ghost worlds.

 

[Edelgard von Rhein]

Experiment time! Based upon the Eleusinian Mysteries, I'm guessing that becoming part of The Dark Wheel involves similar trials. In-game this might amount to:

• dromena (things done). Combat accomplishments. Attempt to gather 2 MCr + in either combat bonds or bounties (I say 2 MCr so that a Thargoid Cyclops kill is sufficient).
• deiknumena (things shown). Trading accomplishments. Gather a certain selection of rare goods. My first guess is Aganippe Rush, HR 7221 Wheat, Terra Mater Blood Bores and The Waters of Shintara.
• legomena (things said). Exploration accomplishments. Gather 2 MCr+ in exploration data, including at least one Earth-like World.

The start and end point will be, I'm guessing, Bohmshohm. Or perhaps it doesn't matter. I think the time limit could be more important - the Eleusinian Mysteries were 9 days, so that it how long will be needed, I'm guessing. All the above accomplishments generate vouchers or something that can be sold, so they should all be turned in together at the destination station. I am triple Elite, which also seems likely to be a requirement (I am Admiral and Duke, though I doubt it is necessary to have superpower rank).
.
There is a big catch, potentially. The Eleusinian Mysteries were secret, upon pain of death - which is why we don't know exactly what they are. I worry that there might actually be a real-world NDA involved before we are allowed access, in order to prevent us revealing how to do it and many pilots following the path and optimising the process. That sounds weird but unless there is otherwise something unique about each attempt that means you cannot simply reproduce the same steps until successful to gain membership and must try a new approach each time, there will be a mass influx of members. So I plan to complete all these steps this week but I might ask one or two people to multicrew with me to act as witnesses if something does result (I can take screenshots but I've never captured video and doubt my laptop can handle it as it's borderline on memory as it is).
.
BTW there is a video about tracking down the systems from the original Elite by Down to Earth Astronomy; it seems he was inspired to check by Drew's recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqwswKOeQ2s
It's about 15 min from the end that he finally gets the list and starts checking systems in the Galaxy Map.