Chozo Lore: Difference between revisions

The history of the Chozo stretches back into ancient times, so far into the fog of the past that we know not where our ancestors came from. One thing is clear, however: the Chozo who colonized Tallon IV made a conscious choice to eschew a civilization of advanced technology. They chose to live in harmony with nature, guided by the providence of the universe. As this city grows, we plan to honor them with written tributes, carvings etched in stone to remind us always of their legacy.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Many long years have passed since we Chozo first took root in this land. The passage of time has always been a source of fascination to us; it is the belief of many Chozo sages that the truths of the universe hide within the tumbling currents of time's flow. Even as we search for answers there, however, we find illumination in other, unexpected places. We know not how the ability has come to us, but recently many Chozo have begun to sense things beyond the realm of ordinary perception. Strange sights and inexplicable sensations flood our minds, filling us with visions of past and future. We take this growing ability to be a sign of our burgeoning harmonization with the infinite; perhaps, finally, the universe's secrets are becoming known to us.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Our sanctuary grows by the day. We Chozo know much of technology, but we do not worship it. Our home here on Tallon IV will be a place of simplicity: structures hewn from the stone, bridges woven with branches, hallways caressed by pure waters. We build around the ancient and noble trees, drawing from their strength and giving them our own in return. All that is wild will flow around us here; our race will be just one more group of creatures in the knit of nature. It is our hope that such a state will bring with it great wisdom and a greater understanding of the nature of the universe.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Many Chozo are gifted with the distant sight, and even more begin to learn it as our harmonization with the universe becomes more and more complete. We peer forwards, seeing prophecy in the ripples of the water, hearing rumors of coming days on the breath of the wind. Though we celebrate the distant sight, many of these visions are dark - the worst of the prophecies, and the most common, tells of the coming of the Worm. Born from parasites, nurtured in a poisoned womb, the Worm grows, devouring from within, until the world begins to rot. Not all prophecies come to pass, of course, but we cannot help but fear this dark portent.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Unforeseen by sages, a meteor came as if from nowhere, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. Its destructive force spent, the fallen star burned itself out rapidly, and the incident should have faded into memory...but the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, a strange energy that clawed at natural life with a ferocity that seemed almost sentient. Bound by our ignorance of this phenomenon, we Chozo could only watch in horror as this dark force slowly began to spread across the surface of Tallon IV.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

The cries of this dying land echo in our ears as we Chozo watch the Great Poison seep ever further into the living pulse of the planet. The dark energy sinks into the trees and waters, devouring all life. Peaceful beasts die by the thousands - some creatures survive, but their forms grow as twisted and evil as the force that fell from the sky. Many of these mutated monstrosities remain small enough to do little harm, but others grow enormous and threaten our very existence. One such beast defiles our sacred fountain, disgorging poison from its foul form, replacing pure, flowing water with cascades of creeping death. Even in the face of such horror, we Chozo do not turn in fear. We are all that stands in the way of this Great Poison, and it is our duty to contain it.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

The future is a vague thing, ever-changing and always in doubt. Even if we Chozo could gain the ability to foresee the future, it would be a hollow gift, for we could never hope to control what has yet to occur. The fountain is an example of this - the day may come when its water dries up, and there is nothing we could do to stop such a tragedy. But we do know this: unlike the uncertain flow of water, the power of our will is strong and enduring. The will of the Chozo will never dry up.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

As the Great Poison reaches ever further into the planet, we Chozo begin to feel the gnawings of despair - before it is too late, we now make our last stand. We have begun to build a temple to contain this darkness; at its heart we will place a Cipher, a mystical lock powered by twelve Artifacts and filled with as much power as we Chozo can harness. We wonder, though - even when we are done, will it be too late? And will the power of the temple, and the Cipher itself, prove strong enough to hold back the poisonous tide that even now swells within the ground, threatening all life?<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

What is this otherworldly pestilence that infests the land, seeking out life in its blind need for corruption? And where did the meteor that brought it originate? Was it crafted by alien hands or is it a roving chunk of a planet that suffered a violent end? Our minds quail in horror at the thought that long ago, in some corner of the universe as yet unseen by our eyes, an entire planet was perhaps once coated with this Great Poison. Whatever cataclysm may have ruptured that doomed place must have been mighty, indeed...and if other meteors from it spread through space, bearing this evil to the far corners of the universe... We hold fast to the hope that this is not so, that the only surviving remnants of this evil are here, on Tallon IV. Then, at least, there is hope for its eradication.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

The containment of the Great Poison... This task has fallen to the Chozo, and we will not flee from our duty, even as we suffer with the land and its creatures. We will pour our will into the Twelve - the Artifacts that, when brought together, form the lock that holds this great evil at bay in the depths of the planet. This lock must stand up to all who might come to assault it. To preserve the power of the seal, and to protect it from those who would meddle for their own designs, we will spread the Artifacts across the land, hiding them from prying eyes. The lock must never open until the day comes when this disaster can finally be put right.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Throughout our living nightmare, as we battle with this unyielding darkness, we Chozo see a light. This light glows with promise, chasing the shadows cast by the Great Poison and purifying that which has grown toxic. It is strange, though - at times it looks to our eyes as if the light coalesces into the figure of a woman. Burning brightly, the luminescence descends from space then retreats back into the infinite blackness from whence it came. When this prophecy comes to pass, when the light recedes, the Chozo's long vigilance of containment will finally come to an end.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

None know if our temple, the Cradle, will prove powerful enough to contain this evil forever. For now, it wraps around that abomination, cutting it off from the world above. But how can we Chozo hope for the Cradle to remain intact when that which it guards writhes in the darkness, growing always stronger? The fate of this world rests with the gathering of Artifacts we call the Cipher, but even it is not all-powerful. It is strong, yes; an enchanted whole made of twelve links. Still, it is finite in its reach, and we who guard it are slowly succumbing. Will the Entrusted One arrive before our vigilance crumbles away? That time rapidly approaches...<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

To the Entrusted One: if you read these words, then our hope has not been in vain. Your path is fraught with danger - monstrosities beyond description lurk in the shadows, starving, hunting for prey, searching for ways to quench the poisonous urges that bloom in their brains. Some of these are shrewd, but they are blinded by their evil designs: believing in the black promise of the Great Poison, they seek to harness it for their own ends. It is these last that are the greatest danger, perhaps an ever greater one than the Great Poison itself. When you rid the universe of these creatures, you will be the true Entrusted One.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>

Things bound to earthly shapes are temporal and frail; existing in a single dimension, they are fragile, vulnerable, and ultimately mortal. However, not all things obey this law - shapeless, they wait beyond the realm of perception, emerging only when one arrives who can feel their presence. Such is the will of the Chozo. Our will to defeat the evil seeping into this planet remains forever, desiring only to see the darkness meet its end. Mindless but strong, our will shall never sleep until the Entrusted One arrives to cleanse this land.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>  

The power of our temple has been enough to halt the spread of the poison on Tallon IV, but whether the evil can ever be truly destroyed is not for our eyes to see. The future is cloudy to us, a world of veils where dark apparitions flit in the shadows. Within this strange world, one image stands out in the mist, flickering through the landscape, wraithlike. It is a human, a lone figure shining in the toxic shadows. We Chozo do not know what it is, but our hearts swell with hope at the promise of that glowing light. We will place our faith in our shrine; we will be there when the light shines upon our land.<ref>{{cite|quotation text|Chozo Lore|Metroid Prime}}</ref>