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The Guardian approaches a transmitter

Eido: Hello! My name is Eido. My father is Misraaks, Kell of our House. I took my name from his first Awoken friend, Sjur Eido. As Scribe for the House of Light, it's my job to preserve our House's history, so that hatchlings may one day learn our stories. Misraakskel requested that I leave some records for the Humans of the Last City so they might learn about Eliksni culture in their own time. As he says, "Inside a Ketch, everyone breathes the same air. Though I have doubts that the Humans will care to hear our stories, the snipers who look down on us don't look like the curious types. But the Great Machine has chosen them, so I must give them the benefit of my faith. Hopefully this effort does not go wasted.

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The Guardian approaches the chassis of Insurrection Prime

Eido: Here lies the remnants of Kell's Scourge — a dark period in Eliksni history. After the Whirlwind, many Eliksni were overcome by feelings of hopelessness. They were homeless, hungry, and hunted by Guardians and Hive alike. So when Siviks founded Kell's Scourge, promising to return Eliksni to power with ancient weaponry, many were drawn to his call. Though the Scourge claimed to fight for Eliksni empowerment, in reality, they represented the final degradation of our culture. A once-great interstellar civilization was reduced to an anarchist mob, led by a power-hungry coward. Let ours be a cautionary tale: no matter how enlightened a culture, there are always those who prey on our worst impulses for their own gain.

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The Guardian approaches a House of Light Skiff

Eido: Many Eliksni spend their whole lives on ships. They become more than a home —they're like a member of the family. Misraaks found me in the vent of a wrecked ship, you know. We joke that my father is a Splicer and my mother is a Ketch. [laughs] After the fall of our homeworld, Riis, Eliksni scattered across the stars. Having lost our grounding, Ketches evolved from modes of transportation into permanent homes. Even after Eliksni began to resettle in places like the Reef, we never lost our reverence for the machines that kept us alive. Now, after so much wandering, it's hard to believe that there's real ground beneath us, and a real sky above.

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The Guardian approaches Ether tanks

Eido: Humans think of Ether as food for Eliksni. A form of sustenance. That's only partially true. Ether also catalyzes physical maturation and promotes molting. In that sense, it's like hormones in Human adolescents. In a world of unlimited Ether, like Riis before the Whirlwind, all Eliksni look like Captains. That's our final form. Most Eliksni you see now are underdeveloped. They're forever stunted by Ether rationing, which began as a necessity, and gradually evolved into a mechanism of social control. Now, ruthless leaders like Spider use the distribution of Ether to keep their followers dependent. If Eliksni are ever to live in peace, we must make Ether available to all, regardless of rank.

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The Guardian approaches a House of Light banner

Eido: Eliksni Houses are more than tribes for sharing work and resources. They also represent living philosophies. In many ways, the House of Light is traditional: we worship the Great Machine, and we embrace ancestral roles like Splicers and Scribes. But in other ways, we're different. My father, Misraaks, is Kell of our House. But he does not act as past Kells. He does not take more than his share of Ether, and he does not punish by docking limbs. These are radical, but popular, ideas in our House. However, Misraakskel also believes in peace and cooperation with humanity. This is less popular. Everyone in our House has seen Eliksni killed by Guardians. Not just warriors, but innocents and hatchlings. I lived for many years among the Awoken, and understand that Humans do good things as well. Sometimes. But the others in the House of Light have not been so lucky in their allies as I have. It will take time to earn their trust.

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The Guardian approaches an Eliksni ward.

Eido: Some Eliksni tell hatchlings that these wards keep Guardians from attacking us in our sleep. We know this is not true, of course, but it helps hatchlings to rest peacefully. Soon enough, they must learn that the Guardians cannot be stopped by such things. That they cannot be stopped at all. Even by death. After that, the ward changes meanings. For grown Eliksni, it's a reminder that the Great Machine blesses life-givers and killers alike. But now that we have seen the Guardians among their own people, taking orders and making awkward small talk… I don't think this tradition will continue in the House of Light. We no longer see Guardians as monsters. Just people: frightened and misguided.

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The Guardian approaches a shrine of the Traveler

Eido: During our Golden Age, the Eliksni civilization spanned many star systems. Farther than humanity could imagine. And in all of our exploration, we never found anything more wonderous than the Great Machine. It's one of the few things all Eliksni Houses can agree on. That's why shrines like these are made of many small pieces. Each bit was added by a different House. It's a tradition that lasted generations. Most of those Houses are now extinct, and their members are scattered. It's funny. I revered the Great Machine all my life, without ever having seen it. And now that it's right overhead, I still look to this shrine for comfort.

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The Guardian approaches a House of Light Shank

Eido: This Shank has been with us for many years. She's temperamental, but loyal. She's in need of constant repair, but we're used to it. Our House has fixed every part of her, from sensors to exhaust. So when I look at her, I don't see an object. I see the members of my House. I see myself. To us, machines are vessels, not just tools. This is why scrap-working is so important to Eliksni culture. It's a way of sharing our spirit with the world, even when we have nothing. I'm sure that Guardians feel the same way about their Tower. It's more than a hollow form. More than the rubble it was built from. The Tower is the keeper of the Vanguard spirit, and you would defend it more fiercely than any other building. Is it not so?

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The Guardian approaches a Ghost Shell

Eido: I discovered this Shell among Spider's supplies. Many Eliksni fear Guardians but delight at your Ghosts. We think of them as extensions of the Great Machine's will. Deserving of reverence. When we arrived here, we were surprised to discover that many Guardians treat their Ghosts like equals, or worse, like servants. Guardians throw their lives away for sport, in games like Crucible or Gambit, taking the miracle of resurrection for granted. As if Ghosts needed the Humans, and not the other way around. Eliksni have had their blessings from the Great Machine, it's true, but we've never known the power that Ghosts grant humanity. I think that if Eliksni became Guardians, we would use the Light to serve the Great Machine, not our own amusement.