By ISD Caiden S'or and ISD Lunaire Elois
Seyllin, Essence - On this fourth anniversary of the catastrophe which befell Seyllin I, ending countless lives on the planet and heralding the advent of seemingly random-appearing wormholes in known-space, the Seyllin Conference wrapped up its 4th annual event last weekend.
Since the first conference was held, the goal has been to evaluate what has been learned and share this knowledge with the rest of New Eden. The conference was headed up by newcomer Jennifer Starfall of Repracor Industries [RPCIN]. Her appearance on the scene has helped to jumpstart the activity behind the conference to bring the event to fruition this year. With her was a long time contributor, Morwen Lagann of Tyrathlion Interstellar [TYRIN], member of the Rote Kapell alliance. Lagann was with the Synenose Accord during the first Seyllin Conference. This year's event was well attended and was broken up into lectures and Q&A sessions over a two day period.
The conference opened with an overview of the possible origins of the Sleepers and more recent evidence of conflicts between what appears to be several ancient races. There was much speculation about the origins of these races and how they may have affected the development of New Eden. Theories abounded about their presence among us now, and the threats that they pose to our way of life. Reinheart Novan of Societas Imperialis Sceptri Coronaeque [SFRIM] delivered this lecture and fielded many question regarding the subject. He was followed by Saede Riordan of Alexylva Paradox [ALXVP], who gave an overview on the known mechanics of the wormholes themselves.
Day One wrapped up with a disturbing lecture about the creation of wormholes. Kithrus of Tzedakah [TZED] in Aegis Militia Alliance, explained that although [he believes] it is commonly accepted that wormholes are a randomly occurring phenomena, new theories speculate that wormholes are being intentionally created. Kithrus asserts that the tragedy which has brought some of the brightest minds in New Eden together to work through these issues was no accident at all. Could Seyllin I have merely been a victim of circumstance as some alien cynosural-like field ripped it apart? These questions and more are being constantly researched and deliberated upon by conference participants.
Day Two opened with a lecture that built upon the ideas presented the day before. In his lecture, Ninavask from The Synenose Accord [SYNE] presented an abundance of capsuleer evidence and theories from which much can be inferred, though little actually proven. He states "These theories make it clear that there has been some evidence, however limited, in the past that some unknown entities have been taking an interest in the Empires. Be it Capsuleers or otherwise." This brings us to the latest threat to New Eden since the Sleepers; the Drifters.
Drifter battleship-class vessels have been entering known space, and are equipped with a new super-weapon which appears to be very powerful, some say on a par with a Doomsday device. By some accounts, a single volley from this weapon killed a Vindicator-class battleship. Frenjo Borkstar of Lost Valkyries [FLOST] touched on these Drifters in his lecture, while they were covered in more detail by a capsuleer from the School of Applied Knowledge, Lisa Ouyano. Ms. Ouyano gave some very helpful information that many should heed before approaching these Drifters. She highlights that little is known about what triggers their aggression. What is known, is that when they are located near a wormhole, proximity to that wormhole appears to be (in all cases so far) a trigger. Some have recorded the "magic number" out to 50km from the wormhole. However, approaching their ships outside of the wormhole zone do not necessarily cause aggression. She states, "Physical proximity to the Drifters themselves does not seem to be a trigger, I spent several nights bumping them back and forth." She continues, "On the other hand, I got a Caracal within 50 km of one of their wormholes, and they aggressed." Other theories were talked about regarding the appearance of the Drifters, speculation of their origin, and interaction between Sleepers, Drifters, and Sansha's Nation. While many feel that they are somehow linked, it is not known how.
There is much that we do not know about these beings, but capsuleers have gained some knowledge and made many advances through investigation and exploitation of sites that have been found in wormholes. It seems that every time something new is learned, however, it leads to more questions. There are few cold, hard facts about the mysterious appearance of the Sleepers, and now Drifters. More is being discovered all the time due to the tireless efforts and diligence of those involved with this and many lesser known conferences and gatherings. For a more detailed look at the lectures and discussions covered, transcripts of the Seyllin Conference 4 are available.
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