RAXXLA CODEX ENTRY
"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 circulating, 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 systems. 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 cosmetic enlightenment. The earliest document 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 universe can be accessed. These details however, were later shown to bear a striking resemblance to the 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 is 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.
The earliest recorded mention of Raxxla dates from 2296. Below are the only colonized systems and dates founded
Timeline:
2097 - First generation ships
2151 - Tau Ceti Founded
2191
...l...- Delta Pavonis, Altair, Beta Hydri founded
2230
2280 - Martian relic found
2288 - Eotienses arrival and terraforming started
2292 - Achenar colonization starts
2296 - First mention
Beta Hydri spelled "BETA HYORI" in original 1984 Elite MAP LINK
During 22nd century first hyperdrive is invented:
[CODEX - THE FEDERATION - HISTORY]
-"When faster-than-light travel became a reality in the 22nd century, several terrestrial corporations competed fiercely to establish the first human colony in a new star system."*NOTE: GALNET NEWS 07 JAN 3303 - "Hyperspace technology originated in the early 22nd Century, but it wasn't until the 2800s that consumer ships began to take advantage of it."Galactic News: Hyperspace
3278 - FSD created [Sirius system: Tourist Spot 0202]
3297 - FSD sold on market
Unconfirmed lore states that each person who knew where Raxxla was went out in search of it in the black for many years. When they returned to civilization they just knew. Times range 20-40 years
This is supported by "Elite Encounters RPG" by Dave Hughes. As the only fully endorsed book that confirms and explain limitations of lore and humanity.
An excerpt from the book:
Life expectancy in the fourth millennium for a healthy individual without any life extending technology or treatment is about one hundred and twenty standard years. Medical care is very effective at all ages, and it is common for most people to live until at least their nineties and live active and full lives.
Treatments are available to fend off most effects of old age until the natural degeneration of the body reaches a point where it can’t be held off. Healthy living is culturally ingrained into most colonies based on their initial environments being frugal and based on active, healthy lifestyles.
There are exceptions: locations with hostile environments still exist, such as worlds with dirty atmospheres, space stations that lack fresh produce and spacecraft environments where recreational activities may be lacking. These generally contribute to earlier deaths, but most people who live in these environments tend to take measures to improve their lifestyles where they can. As noted above there are biological and technological means available to extend life, but the natural functions of the body restrict their effectiveness – a maximum of about 20 years can be gained by artificial means. Nearlight speed travel can allow someone to live beyond their time, but only in a chronological sense – the body will still be of a similar physical age by the time it starts to shut down.
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.25c Drive [Generation ship drive] or Hyperdrive?
Tau Ceti - Both work
Delta Pavonis - Both work
Altair - Both work
Beta Hydri - Both work
Eotienses - Hyperdrive only
Achenar - Hyperdrive only
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RAXXLA codex entry was not originally in game. It was added after confirmation of Raxxla in game by Michael Brooks and David Braben during 3.3 Expansion. When added a system name changed from "Pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55" which is now known as "DELPHI"
Codex entry being introduced to the community
Oct 19, 2018
YouTube LINK