I am the Sage, the caretaker of the Archives, the greatest repository of knowledge in Arcadia! We're about a mile beneath Arcadia City, and sealed away from the surface with a full array of techno-magical barriers. I've been here for an awfully long time...

But if you can see and hear me — if my transmissions have finally broken through, and you are what I think you are... then all the waiting will have been worth it.

You are a True Arcadian, or at least you will be once you get here.

This is great news for both you and the people of Arcadia, who have labored for centuries without the leadership and protection of your kind. It's been over 200 years!

So who am I? Right here, right now, I am my work — and my work is guiding you.

Like I said, you are a True Arcadian — a mighty hero born from the void, the likes of which haven't been seen by mortal eyes for centuries.

The first True Arcadians awakened to a world ravaged by the Shattering, a cataclysm that scattered artifacts, creatures, and even structures of a hundred worlds across its surface.

They brought with them formidable combat skills, unearthly strength and willpower, and startling insights into science and magic. Yet none had a single memory of life before their arrival! Still, they pressed on, and soon survival gave way to settlement and city-building.

By the time they ascended over two centuries ago, the first True Arcadians had changed the face of Arcadia forever — not the least of which by the mortal lineages they left behind.

But a lot can change in a few hundred years... and this is the world you will inherit.

While modern history was set into motion by the True Arcadians, something must have set the stage for them — for the chaotic world they struggled against in those first, desperate days.

We say the the first True Arcadians had no memories of what came before their awakening, and this is true; their lives essentially began the moment they arrived.

But all True Arcadians know one thing: everything broke, and Arcadia is all that's left.

Simply put, the Shattering created Arcadia... but exactly what shattered and why has been the subject of obsessive research and furious debate over the centuries.

Every artifact, every structure buried in this world holds a piece of that puzzle!

I'm not the most qualified person to ask about surface life — such are the sacrifices I have made over the years! — but I'll do my best.

On its better days, Arcadia is a place of wonder, and its crowning achievement is Arcadia City — a testament to the persistence and ingenuity of the first True Arcadians in its construction, and the tenacity of their mortal descendants in maintaining it.

But for each day that the city's walls hold back the dangers of the wild, where its citizens travel through Arcadia's public portal network without incident... there is another day when the magic and technology underlying modern Arcadian life begins to falter.

And when mortals venture beyond Arcadia City to scavenge for the materials that keep it running, they do so without any of the heroic gifts that their True Arcadian ancestors had.

You and your fellow True Arcadians could not have come at a better time!

Of all the mysteries that the True Arcadians wrestled with, the inactive portals scattered across Arcadia proved to be the most frustrating. What clearer sign could there be that our destiny lies elsewhere than these feats of dimensional engineering?

Centuries of intensive Gateway research gave rise to Arcadia's local portal network, and don't get me wrong — it's amazing technology.

But while some say that our common understanding of the Shattering means that Arcadia will always be alone in the void, and that we are all that is left...

I believe that the Gateways will open, that our world will once again serve as a crossroads, and that you and the new True Arcadians will be instrumental in making that happen. An age of rediscovery is within our grasp — I'm sure of it!

That depends on how close you are to arrival. You might make planetfall in a matter of minutes, or you might have days or weeks to prepare.

Regardless of when, however, the where of it has never been in doubt.

First, you will fall through the Threshold, the barrier surrounding Arcadia, laying claim to the remnants of the Shattering you find there to assemble your physical form. The first True Arcadians had no way of knowing that this takes focus and determination, but I'll be happy to offer my insights into the process on the way down. Listen closely and you'll be fine!

I expect you'll find yourself in Arcadia City after that, and the daily life of a legendary hero will be yours to explore at your leisure. I doubt I'll be able to maintain contact after that, so keep your wits about you as you go forth!