Support Civilization Ex through the following links: Patreon: www.patreon.com/civilizationex Direct Donations: www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GN2PGCU4KN2FQ&source=url Merchandise: civilization-ex-store.creator-spring.com kzread.infostore www.civilizationex.com/store Membership: Click the Join button next to Subscribe or Click Here: kzread.info/dron/LPMbl6z7UiLFTXNvoXShEg.htmljoin Sign up for Audible: www.amazon.com/hz/audible/mlp/membership/plus?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1524216631897&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=civilizatione-20 Audible Premium Plus: amzn.to/2VWvH3M Audible Gift Membership: amzn.to/39aXBOo Kindle Unlimited: amzn.to/396vNdX Amazon USA Link: www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatione-20 Amazon Canada Link: www.amazon.ca/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=civilizatio0b-20 "The Thrones Effect" Available Now! Written by: GoT Academy, Civilization Ex, Because Geek, Secrets of the Citadel, Gray Area, Ideas of Ice and Fire, History of Westeros, and Smokescreen Ebook, Paperback and Audiobook: www.amazon.com/The-Thrones-Effect-Gil-Kidron-audiobook/dp/B07R7BSRQS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=thrones+effect&qid=1606177382&sr=8-1

@NicholasIrvin

11 ай бұрын

hay civ love the videos of you channel but can you do star wars money video

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

@@NicholasIrvin I'll keep it in mind :)

@CoolDee933

11 ай бұрын

U should get back with marvel cause we all miss enjoying your mcu contents.

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

@@CoolDee933 I don't feel comfortable returning to the MCU until they clarify what is canon.

@CoolDee933

11 ай бұрын

@@CivilizationEx they had the timeline and all on Wikipedia

*if I'm not wrong, the First Empire settled on Kenshi. Meaning, the moon was colonized by some interplanetary civ (maybe intergalactic). Then, at some point, it was cut off from the rest of the Empire (which is pressumably like 99% of the First Empire). For all we know, the moon of Kenshi could be (probably is) a forgotten footnote of some huge, highly advanced civilization.

@MrVlad12340

5 ай бұрын

And one day a huge golden dude with like million of each stat will arrive, and offer the Unification...

@Tinylittledansonman

4 ай бұрын

I hope Kenshi 2 expands on this. But I always figured Kenshi was a failed colonization project from the planet you orbit and these wars perhaps ended everything between both the moon and the planet. The main clue to this is a lot of the massive debris you see around seem reminiscent of space stations or capital ships and there isnt much lore explanation for them. Even the behemoths werent that large. Seems some type of massive battle went down in the planets orbit range raining debris on the moon, must have rained on the planet too as well though.

@kuo8088

4 ай бұрын

@@MrVlad12340either him or one of his sons with daddy issues

@potrillo8748

4 ай бұрын

@@MrVlad12340the deity you speak about is called beep

@austinlipnicki7761

3 ай бұрын

we now the green planet kenshi orbits is habitable, it could be that the first empire never fell, we watch them survive, we watch them thrive, we watch them breath, we watch them live, they do not watch us.

I like the skeleton’s lore. Machines that actually regret their genocidal war and try to make amends.

@joshuamostyn5377

11 ай бұрын

Making themselves crazy with regret like catlon

@tatamieoka9100

9 ай бұрын

Indeed

@Archenw

9 ай бұрын

"We're always crying"

@toetruck1589

9 ай бұрын

the skeletons in the time of kenshi are kind of assholes tbh, all they do is brood in the deadlands and the ashlands and despite them having so much extremely valuable resources and skills they just sit there moping all day instead of contacting existing civilizations

@blu7384

8 ай бұрын

@@joshuamostyn5377I don’t think cat-Lon regretted a single thing my guy he was still obsessed with the glory of the Second Empire when we find him 💀💀

heck yeah, I never imagined you would do a Kenshi lore video, this is awesome!

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

I love this game so much I couldn't help myself lol

@xllGustavollx

11 ай бұрын

@@CivilizationEx As do I, thanks for making this.

@MarshalMarrs

11 ай бұрын

@@xllGustavollxwhat is kenshi?

@Rayofgames

11 ай бұрын

​@@MarshalMarrs a rpg

@gabrielmorin8498

11 ай бұрын

Wow never thought this would happen thank you so much hahahaha

It's interesting to think that the earlier iterations of the Holy Nation might have been a lot more moderate than the version we meet in-game, becoming more extreme and heretical with the passing generations as their history was lost to time. It's also pretty ironic that what began as a rebellion against the Second Empire's authoritarianism and racial caste system was eventually warped into a genocidal, luddite slave empire with a caste system based on race and sex. If Kenshi 2 really turns out to be a prequel, it would be a nice twist for them to be portrayed as a "good guy" rebel faction in the story; then you'd have the dilemma of whether or not you should help them, knowing what they'll eventually devolve into.

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

That is a really interesting point. I can't imagine rooting for them, lol. Kenshi 2 will be very interesting.

@isaiahvaldez3330

11 ай бұрын

I remember hearing that the latest and current Phoenix was the most radical and xenophobic in the history of the Holy Nation. Or something like that, I can't remember if I'm misremembering or not.

@MarzaButTube

11 ай бұрын

Kenshi already does the whole "destroying or giving a faction power isn't always good, even if they seem good or evil" thing, and I feel like kenshi 2 will really put that in perspective w/ context from kenshi 1. You'll probably not be a big fan of the second empire in your travels, but going back to the first game those will really seem like the glory days. And yeah maybe the hn will seem like good guys, but we know it isn't that simple

@Yarblocosifilitico

10 ай бұрын

Good point. But, actually, the HN are kinda the good guys in Kenshi 1 already. There's a great video out there about which faction is the best for the world of Kenshi, which makes the argument that destroying the HN and the UC on the base of their inmorality is actually the worst ending, because it leaves Kenshi devoid of farming and tech. No other faction could grow enough to maintain some semblance of civilization, so it's a lesser evil situation. Plus, if they became extremists over time, there's a chance to reverse the process, they're not necessarily locked into religious fanatism.

@Daniel_Lancelin

10 ай бұрын

@@Yarblocosifilitico That's a good point; the HN control some of the last fertile soil on the moon, and a even a backwards civilization is preferable to the unchecked violence, anarchy, and outright apocalyptic inhospitality of places like the Cannibal Plains, the Shrieking Forest, Venge, the Fog Islands, etc. It's not really any different from your average classical/bronze age empire in its practices anyway, when you think about it.

This is such a fantastic game. The world, the music, the gameplay. One of my most favorite.

**A Brief Note** This video is my attempt to create a full-length history of the moon Kenshi, as this is one of my favorite PC games of all time. However, so much of the past remains unknown it's impossible not to speculate and theorize. So while I did my best to form a narrative from the most likely timeline of events based on the scarce in-game evidence available, there is every chance that in Kenshi 2 we may learn some of this video is not entirely accurate. If that happens, I will certainly update this video, but for now, I think the information in this video represents a reasonable approximation for the true history of Kenshi. Fun Kenshi Fan Links and Resources: Fan-Made Kenshi Narrative Playthrough "Sands of Time" - kzread.info/dash/bejne/fa2Mp7mCnai-pdo.html&ab_channel=RyconRoleplays Wiki - kenshi.fandom.com/wiki/Lore_Books Fan-Made History of the First Empire - www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/comments/b64dwo/the_definitive_lore_of_kenshi_1_the_first_empire/ Fan-Made History of the Second Empire - www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/comments/b81qra/the_definitive_lore_of_kenshi_2_the_second_empire/ Fan-Made Speculative Maps of the Ancient Past - www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/comments/aqpcsz/kenshis_sealevel_thoughts/ i.imgur.com/QixBZPk.png

@GabrielRodrigues-xs6jp

11 ай бұрын

You're a real one for shouting rycon out, that dude and you are underrated creators

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Rycons playthroughs are amazing, love the narration he does at the beginning of his vids. :)

@billbillinger2117

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for the links, and lore. I recently started playing Kenshi and it has become one of my favorites as well. It makes me feel as though I am running around in The Age of Strife from Warhammer 40k, and like 40k the lore is purposefully foggy which I also love.

@Dioury

10 ай бұрын

Your video is so much better than Slippin's. Thank you.

@user-pb6yi2ob4w

6 ай бұрын

tech hunting ain't easy but damn it's fun

this is without a doubt the best intro to the start of the game, you lay the whole map out in a storyline then it ends with 'you are the main character go do whatever' if i didnt play it already this would make me try it

@giovannicervantes2053

3 ай бұрын

He probably should have mentioned you gon die a lot cause you are not that guy and will remain not that guy until you make it so through grueling hard work through training and getting your ass kicked

Kenshi lore always blows my mind. You really have to dig for any info on how things got that way. I'd definitely read a novel about the history leading up. It's almost like a whole epic tale based on the moon of a planet you heard about in passing in one of the Dune books. Unique vibes for sure.

@daniel-on2yp

3 ай бұрын

I like to think that the nearby solar system is futuristic still and the moon of kenshi is unapproachable because of automated space defences that still operate so they just said screw it it's a baron rock anyway

Ok, I didn't expect you to make a lore video about one of my favorite videogames. This is great!

I love Kenshi. Such a unique and bleak world.

5:40 The Cannibal madness may have been caused by Narko/the Female Behemoth, sending out a signal as she wandered the Leviathan Coast. A scrapped model of a headless 30ft gynoid who looks exactly like Cannibal bodypaint. 6:41 Cat-lon may have beheaded her. I'd like to think she was a terraformer Behemoth, and created the Shek as well.

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Very interesting theory! :)

@eyeballpapercut4400

5 ай бұрын

The smaller version of that gynoid is the scrapped Whistler race

Have Kenshi theories of your own? Let me know in the comments!

Best game at giving absolutely 0 forgiveness to new players. Never thought this game would get featured ❤

Timestamps: 00:00 Opening Titles 0:14 Intro 1:05 The First Empire 4:28 Chaos Age 4:51 The Second Empire 6:28 The Cult 8:11 Holy Phoenix and Rebellion 9:45 The Armour King 10:00 Founding the Holy Nation 11:10 Second Empire Exiles 11:40 Warring Factions of the Wasteland 12:08 The Holy Nation 12:56 The United Cities Empire 13:45 Slave States 14:21 Rebel Factions 14:51 Enforcers Become Shek 15:24 The Shek Kingdom 15:52 Post-Empire Skeletons 16:28 Gangs of the Swamp 17:04 Gangs and Minor Factions 17:32 Hivers 18:27 Fishmen 18:41 United Cities Famine 19:06 Red Rebellion 19:27 Tale of Luquin 20:08 Holy Nation Enemies 20:26 62nd Holy Phoenix 20:39 King Shager 21:31 Queen Esata 21:46 Shek Enemies 22:08 Hiver Factions 22:21 Outro

I love KENSHI it’s a great game

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Might be my fav game of all time :)

I suspected that Kenshi has some good lore but never expected something that deep. This is exquisite! Now I love the game even more. Thx for effort put to piece that together and making this video!

man i remember when kenshi first came out wayyy back in 2013 and playing it, could never get into it so i dropped it for years but then maybe 2 or so years ago i decided to give it a try again and i was blown away by how different it was and once I was able to get my bearings and figure things out Ive absolutely fallen in love with the game and its certainly one of my top favorites of all time

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

I had a similar story, first time I played I lasted about 20 minutes before I quit. Like a year later I saw a vid about how you should start by mining copper. So I decided to give it another try and ended up playing the entire day. What a masterpiece of a game.

@Pwnicus187

11 ай бұрын

I bounced off hard in 2014 but had a similar story in 2018. I absolutely *love* this game.

Hell yes. Never would have guessed you would do Kenshi.

No way Tengu got greenlander-washed 💀 Great video.

@eyeballpapercut4400

5 ай бұрын

cursed DukeToss channel pic

I never like or comment, but kenshi was an excellent choice, from a splendid content creator, one of my faves. Great job man. IDK how you can top this

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm so happy Kenshi fans are liking it. :)

Before I first learned any lore and just looked at the area in stobes garden and saw the rockets and the last zone being called stobes gamble it made me think stobe didn't save the humans, it made me think stobe gave his life in a final act of revenge by destroying the last of humanity's escape or weapons that were going to be used against the skeletons. Locking humanity forever in this doomed world

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

I had similar thoughts, when I first saw him I figured he was a leader of the Skeletons. When I learned the truth I was heartbroken. Love this game. :)

@generalvoid1630

11 ай бұрын

It's also interesting to me that the word gamble is used instead of sacrifice or something similar. Kind of implies that although pretty much everything about him is forgotten, those who named the land remembered his death as not a choice between ones self and the many, but a desperate attempt to maybe save everyone in exchange for certain death. I feel like Stobe had no idea if he would succeed in his death, but died anyway just because he had to try.

@rooknado

10 ай бұрын

@@generalvoid1630beautiful, you have a beauitufl mind

I like to think the first empire continues to exist out in space, trying to return to it's former glory

@paulinxm8201

2 ай бұрын

I like to think the empire is so glorious it doesn't even care about that dumb little moon, and just moved on to the planet it orbits or to somewhere else when the local skeletons went mad. Imagine a spacefaring civilization that is so advanced they can afford to just leave! I hope they learned their lesson and are in good terms with their robotic buddies now.

I'll be sure to keep this video around for the next time a year or more passes since I last played Kenshi, 20 minutes of Lore refreshment is just perfect for starting again.

Ok the world of this place is super deep lore wise and it leaves unanswered questions adding realism. I want to play this game now entirely because of these lore videos and watching actual gameplay. I just wish they would make it multiplayer or the 2nd one could be just small personally hosted games and the option to play offline.

this is amazing. game deserves all the recognition it can get. crazy seeing this from you afyer watching for years

Thank you for making this video! If I may present to anyone who would like to enjoy a narrative playthrough of the game, I would recommend watching/listening to The fire margin.

@dannymaurice5543

11 ай бұрын

Well if it ain't Best Dad Bondrewd.

This is def the most coherent Kenshi lore vid out there. Good job man

A surprise for sure, but a welcome one! One of my favorite games.

YOOOOOOOOOO! No way! Awesome video CivlizationEx, thank you for covering this strange and wonderous history of Kenshi.

My favorite lore enthusiast doing a video on kenshi. My boy!

WOW. I would never imagine to see kenshi lore… top 5 game all time for me.

Really love the visuals in this! :) great work!

I've not thought much about Kenshi 2, but this wonderful video made me actually feel excited for a game's release for the first time in at least two years. Weird. I may be three months late, but thank you for making this!

Never heard of this IP before, but I'm gonna dive into it now with this video! Wouldn't dare not watch an upload! I really appreciate the content- thx!

oh god. you did it. kenshi lore. please make it regular series

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

There are a few more vids coming, but after that it depends on whether people like them or not.

Wow! So glad to see kenshi lore! Thanks so much for this!

It is a good day when CivilizationEx uploads

This is in my top 3 favorite games, thankyou for making such a great documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

This is amazing thank you so much for your work!

Big fan of Kenshi and this entire youtube video is so well made! Actually did a good job all data represented is correct (played Kenshi for years) I am impressed!

what a great video, i really love your format

Great work! It is suprising how deep lore of Kenshi is

Ok, Didn't exspect a Kenshi video outta you. Let's go!

Hey, just dropping a comment to support Kenshi content. great video thank you for your time making it.

im with the others, this is a huge but awesome surprise. cant wait to see what you cover when kenshi 2 drops

never thought id see a kenshi video on this channel. good stuff. lets see if i learn something new

This has to be the best documentary summary of Kenshi lore I've seen so far, great job!. I was expecting mentions of The Hub's history and Deadcat's conquest by the cannibals too, but it's very good anyway. I really liked your custom designs of characters and places. I think that the "memory reset" that the skeletons perform is actually a lie to hide their implications during the first extinction, under the pretext of not remembering anything. The reason behind this is uncertain to me, maybe out of remorse or shame, fear of further discrimination, or something else. I also think that the natural disasters which, combined with the rebellion of the skeletons, led to the first extinction, were not caused by the skeletons themselves but were a consequence of their actions. I follow the theory that the inhabitants of the first empire were humans from a highly advanced intergalactic empire that terraformed this moon and settled there, creating an artificial atmosphere and a climate control system to support life. However, when the rebellion of the skeletons happened, either these control systems were destroyed or there was no one left to regulate them, leading to violent climatic changes that brought all kinds of natural disasters, contributing to the near extinction of humanity in this world and gradually transforming the once fertile moon into what it is today.

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for the compliment, I'm so happy Kenshi fans are liking my video. Since this was a general history I did skip over some details, but I do talk more about the hub and Deadcat in my Major Powers series, and I plan to eventually make a Minor Powers series where I can go into more details as well. :) I enjoyed reading your theory for the background, mine is similar, but personally I think the ancient humans did not so much settle Kenshi as they did colonize it to extract resources. The first war destroyed their intergalactic empire and left Kenshi independent and on their own. Then the robot rebellion/environmental disaster caused the first extinction. But I do think robots were directly responsible, which is why Stobe sacrificed himself. And here is my secret theory for which there is no support: The ancient humans of the First Empire descended from human that originated on our Earth. Chitrin is the last remnant of the word Christian, which is still used as a religious term. So fun to speculate! Can't wait for Kenshi 2 to learn all my theories are wrong. :)

@deltharion

10 ай бұрын

​@@CivilizationEx With so many variables, it's likely that we'll all end up learning the same thing lol. Your "secret theory" is interesting, I also believe that humans could have come from our earth. The part about "Chitrin" having its origin in "Christian" is an interesting interpretation; I had never come across anything relating them in that way before. Although I think it comes from a gem or mineral, I had already seen a similar term somewhere. I'm glad to know that you'll continue developing the lore of Kenshi. After watching the video, I completely immersed myself in the rest of the series, and it are pretty good. Keep going with it, I'm eager to see more!

So that's why motumbo made a hive sleeper cell in blister hill...

@EZAD.

9 ай бұрын

Motumbo for ever😂😂😂

I bought this game when it came out, but it just seemed like a lot so I never got around to it... Today is the day. Thanks for a great video! You really put a lot of work into it and though I don't know the lore, I feel like its a great recounting of events and gives new players a good idea of the world they're entering. Cheers m8 :D

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

First time I played I gave up after 20 minutes because I thought it was boring and there was nothing to do. Boy was I wrong, lol. Helpful tip for a newbie: Mine copper nodes for early income and experience, carry around a heavy backpack to build up your strength. Run a lot and build up your athletics. Safest way to survive is to run away. Have fun :)

@RespawnM

11 ай бұрын

@@CivilizationExVery helpful advice! I’ve learned quick that running is the my friend 😂

@saloonboone

11 ай бұрын

@@RespawnM Not sure how far you've progressed but the best advice I can give you is to be cautious of combat but understand that it's necessary, you'll have to pick your fights and try to engage in winnable, or more importantly survivable fights in order to build your combat skills. Most notably your toughness, if you manage to survive long enough to get decent toughness and melee attack/defense the difficulty begins to drop off dramatically.

@RespawnM

11 ай бұрын

@@saloonboone Fear is the mind killer that also keeps ur limbs attached to your body and that body outside of a slave cell

the crossover I needed awesome!

Man do I love Kenshi. Keep it up man!

This is like a miracle for me

Ffs now I gotta reinstall and play kenshi there goes my life again...

DUDE I LOVE KENSHI LETS GOOO

Thanks for making this

Cool to see Kenshi getting some more love recently

This was great. Thank you a lot :)

Love the lore, played the game for a long time built a huge base, haven't played in a while but it is one HELL of a time to jumo back in

this brought me to tears. kenshi the all time underated game ever

Incredible video!

The music in this game is beautiful, and im someone who doesnt often notice that in games. It helps to sell the whole atmosphere of it all.

Gifted I always been ti discover splendid creators, your gift is noted and appreciated. We’re proud of you and I shall remain by your side to followyou bloom!

Thank you friend ❤

Where is our beloved Skin Bandits, and why it was not mentioned that they are moderates compared to other factions?

@Daniel_Lancelin

11 ай бұрын

They just want help peeling potatoes.

Kenshi has the most hidden lore, so this video is a real boon to the community.

This game has so much potential for future versions and the lore is so in depth

My first introduction to Kenshi was Ambiguousamphibians Torsolo series, I did not expect it to be this in depth

wow you are doing kenshi... this is most welcomed :)

Man never thought i would see you cover kenshi.

CIV EX!!! Here's mine: Whether the subjects mentioned in the Lore Book the Letter of Parting were referring to a Slaver Noblewoman and a Peasant turned Max-Security Criminal

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Kana and Luquin eh, a very interesting theory, I remember reading online someone mentioned maybe Luquin tried to seduce her as part of his killings. Very interesting stuff :)

Thank you for this video.

Honestly, I think the fall of the First Empire action came about because the same conflict between skeletons and humans happened on the Empire's main world, but unlike in Kenshi, the fight there was so severe and brutal that it completely destroyed that planet's capacity to sustain life. Because if there was an overarching Technological Empire in this situation, I douby they would just forget a moon colony so completely for so long. If the empire still remained in the main world they definitely would have made contact since going to the moon is incredibly easy.

Awesome man

Perfect video. Lore explained superwell and the final message is on point.

By Okrans Holy Light! that was realy well done!

really good video bro

starting video game histories? this is awesome, can you do something on mount and blade or more on elder scrolls?

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

Elder Scrolls I may touch on when the new game comes out. As for Mount and Blade that is one of my fav games, and definitely a consideration. :)

I was really hoping that you would start the video with a "hey, hey people!" :D

Slight Correction: The Southernmost Shek Region is the Spider Plains, not Spider's Plains.

This is perfect

This is the first time I'm hearing about Kenshi

It is bonkers how the story of this game just came from one dude and his sister.

Praying Kenshi 2 comes out this decade

@BigCyan

9 ай бұрын

Give up hope unless you start making ut yourself

@pira707

5 ай бұрын

@@BigCyan100% chance the beta at least comes out within the next 3 years lol

@BigCyan

5 ай бұрын

@@pira707 then the final version in 10 years

Wish we knew more about the Bugmaster. Who the heck is he? Why was he amassing an army of spiders?

@CivilizationEx

11 ай бұрын

We don't know the details, but he was likely planning an invasion of the Ashlands. No idea why though lol.

@Daniel_Lancelin

11 ай бұрын

I always imagine he was just some madman that grew up among the spiders; maybe he was doused with their pheramones as a child, so they mistook him for one of their own. Over time, he grew incredibly resourceful and brawny due to Arach's harsh environment and ascended as their "king." Or who knows, maybe he's just some gigachad that beat them all up until they submitted to him lol. I think his overall goal is just to overrun the Shek Kingdom (and eventually the rest of the world) in order to advance his own power and gain more territory for his spiders to hunt and reproduce.

Thats just an amazing video tbh

Holy shit this is a video I didn’t know I needed

Cant believe i missed this

Thank you for playing scorching wind at the beginning of the video

Still waiting for more lore about Fallout series!!!!

I caught that Wilburger reference! I hope to give this game a shot one day. I've been curious about it for a while.

Hey love this, can you do a Rimworld, Ragnarok Online and Battle Brothers lore next?

how did this fly under my radar i love kenshi

this lore vid went hard

i love your little drawings

It HAS to be humans who were the masters of the robots, otherwise the behemoths would never be so blindly obedient to humans and thus the price of obedience would never have happened

Whoa, wait, Kenshi? I don't think I've ever seen a video on that, except for maybe the odd gameplay one.

We really do need more games set so far after an apocalypse that the history of everything is pretty much a big mystery that you really only get bits and pieces to.

1000+ hours on kenshi, always looked for any lore i can get my hands on in-game but after watching this i realized how incomplete it was now i got motivation to explore and experience the truth first-hand instead of just aimlessly crushing cities i don't agree with

I only know this game exists because of the hilarious shit General Sam does in it, nice to see it has actual real lore