Changes: Ghost Matter

Revision as of 06:42, 30 March 2020

Ghost Matter is an extremely hazardous substance found throughout the Solar System. While invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected by the camera or Little Scout. When photographed, it appears as a blue-green aura in the air. It can also be detected by the presence of blueish-silver crystals, as these Ghost Matter Crystals usually indicate the presence of Ghost Matter.

Ghost Matter is extremely dangerous and will severally injure or kill any living being who lingers within it for more than a brief moment. However it doesn't universally appear wherever there are Ghost Matter crystals, and some patches of crystal can be crossed safely. Firing the Little Scout through patches of crystal, or taking photographs with the scout's camera can inform the player as to whether a path is safe to cross.

When interacted with, Ghost Matter visibly flairs up as it reacts with whatever has contacted it. If the player enters a patch of Ghost Matter, their screen becomes noticeably distorted and becomes a discolored blue-green color. If the player lingers for more than a few seconds, they will instantly die.

History

Ghost Matter was brought to the system within the The Interloper, a comet that had recently entered the Solar System during the Nomai civilization. The Nomai detected the comet's arrival shortly after the failure of the Sun Station. Upon investigation, the Nomai explorers Poke and Pye discovered a way below the surface of the comet and discovered within an incredibly dense, highly pressurized core of exotic matter. Their tests indicated that the core was at risk of rupturing as the comet approached the Sun, and the resulting release of exotic matter could eradicate all life in the Solar System. Before they could warn their clan of the danger, the core ruptured, killing the Nomai explorers and all Nomai in the Solar System instantly. This event ended all Nomai life within the solar system, leaving behind only the remnants of their civilization.

Hundreds of thousands of years later, the remnants of the ruptured core can be found throughout the Solar System in the form of Ghost Matter Crystals. Ghost Matter crystals can be found on most planets in the system, and they remain a deadly hazard to all living creatures.

Notes

Prehistoric Hearthians existed in the water beneath the surface of Timber Hearth during the rupture. Due to their continued survival it can be inferred that Ghost Matter's hazardous properties are nullified by water.
The Village has a small patch of Ghost Matter Crystals that produce Ghost Matter. Arkose can be see periodically throwing rocks into it.

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+[[File:Ghost Matter.png|thumb|209x209px|An active Ghost Matter field on Timber Hearth]]
-Ghost Matter is a hazardous material found throughout the Outer Wilds' [[Solar system|Solar System]]. While invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected via the silver crystals that adhere to nearby surfaces, or captured on camera by the player's [[Little Scout]]. When photographed, it appears as a ghostly blue-green aura in the air around certain Ghost Matter crystals.
+'''Ghost Matter''' is an extremely hazardous substance found throughout the [[Solar system|Solar System]]. While invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected by the camera or Little Scout. When photographed, it appears as a blue-green aura in the air. It can also be detected by the presence of blueish-silver crystals, as these Ghost Matter Crystals usually indicate the presence of Ghost Matter.
-It is extremely dangerous, and will kill anyone who stands within it for more than a couple of seconds, or severely injure players that pass through it at speed. However, it doesn't universally appear wherever there are Ghost Matter crystals, and some patches of crystal can be crossed safely - one can even stand directly next to the [[The Interloper|Ruptured Core]] without harm. Firing the Little Scout through patches of crystal, or taking photographs with the scout's camera can inform the player as to whether a path is safe to cross or not. <br>
+Ghost Matter is extremely dangerous and will severally injure or kill any living being who lingers within it for more than a brief moment. However it doesn't universally appear wherever there are Ghost Matter crystals, and some patches of crystal can be crossed safely. Firing the Little Scout through patches of crystal, or taking photographs with the scout's camera can inform the player as to whether a path is safe to cross.
+When interacted with, Ghost Matter visibly flairs up as it reacts with whatever has contacted it. If the player enters a patch of Ghost Matter, their screen becomes noticeably distorted and becomes a discolored blue-green color. If the player lingers for more than a few seconds, they will instantly die.
 == History==
-Ghost Matter appears to have been brought to the system by the comet known as '[[The Interloper]]'. Text logs indicate that the Nomai detected the comet's presence some time around the failure of the Sun Station project. Upon investigation, the Nomai explorers [[Poke]] and [[Pye]] found a way below the surface of the comet and discovered within it an incredibly dense, pressurised core of hazardous 'exotic material' - the crystal that the [[Hearthians]] know as Ghost Matter. Their tests indicated that the core was at risk of rupturing and the resulting explosion could wipe out all life in the solar system, but before they could warn anyone of the danger, the core detonated, killing them instantly. This event put an end to all Nomai life within the solar system, leaving behind only the remnants of their civilisation.
+Ghost Matter was brought to the system within the [[The Interloper]], a comet that had recently entered the Solar System during the Nomai civilization. The Nomai detected the comet's arrival shortly after the failure of the Sun Station. Upon investigation, the Nomai explorers [[Poke]] and [[Pye]] discovered a way below the surface of the comet and discovered within an incredibly dense, highly pressurized core of exotic matter. Their tests indicated that the core was at risk of rupturing as the comet approached the Sun, and the resulting release of exotic matter could eradicate all life in the Solar System. Before they could warn their clan of the danger, the core ruptured, killing the Nomai explorers and all Nomai in the Solar System instantly. This event ended all Nomai life within the solar system, leaving behind only the remnants of their civilization.
-Thousands of years later, Ghost Matter crystals can be found on most planets in the system, and they remain a deadly hazard to living creatures.
+Hundreds of thousands of years later, the remnants of the ruptured core can be found throughout the Solar System in the form of Ghost Matter Crystals. Ghost Matter crystals can be found on most planets in the system, and they remain a deadly hazard to all living creatures.
 == Notes==
-* It is known from Nomai text logs that the primordial Hearthians existed in the heated waters beneath the surface of [[Timber Hearth]] at this time. It can then be inferred that they were shielded from the blast, and survived to evolve into the species we see in-game.
+* Prehistoric Hearthians existed in the water beneath the surface of [[Timber Hearth]] during the rupture. Due to their continued survival it can be inferred that Ghost Matter's hazardous properties are nullified by water.
+*The Village has a small patch of Ghost Matter Crystals that produce Ghost Matter. [[Arkose]] can be see periodically throwing rocks into it.
-* Ghost Matter is the only matter in the game that photographs in colour, although this is likely just a gameplay convenience rather than a property of the matter itself.
-* The crystals that accompany Ghost Matter appear to be shards of the Ruptured Core. Given that they aren't necessarily dangerous on their own, it's possible that the Ghost Matter itself is some kind of gas or vapour that was encased within the core. It's uncertain how the core came to be pressurised - whether it emitted the matter and pressurised itself, or whether it was pressurised by an outside influence - but according to in-game text logs, it presented no immediate danger before it exploded. It is therefore possible, although there is no definitive indication in-game, that the core may be a deliberately crafted weapon. This hypothesis is encouraged by the fact that the ice of the comet appears to have formed around the core, as it might if the core had been ejected into space.