Unknown 9: Awakening

First appears in:

Scrapper

Bruiser

Astrid Nilsen

Dr. Emilio Matos

George William Crowfield

The Cambrian Device

Shade Bracers

The Deep Fold

Terminals

The Sahin Language

Tree of Life

Dasuden, Richat Structure, Northwest Africa

Peshanden

Reithden, Central Africa

Reithden: What Was Once Lost

Quinta Matos: Signs of Life

Chamiri: Hostile Takeover

While pursuing an old pupil of Reika’s named Vincent Lichter across the desert of the Richat Structure, Haroona unexpectedly confronts a mysterious faction calling themselves the Ascendants. She witnesses her mentor mercilessly cut down by Vincent before a raging sandstorm separates them forever.

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Chapter 1

Four years after &lt;sp&gt;witnessing her mentor swallowed whole by a sandstorm in Richat, a jaded and reclusive Haroona learns that those responsible, the Ascendants, have landed in her hometown of Chamiri, India. With suppressed emotions rising to the surface, Haroona quickly hits the streets to track down their leader, Vincent Lichter, and make him pay for the loss of Reika.&lt;/sp&gt;

Chapter 2

While crossing the river in pursuit &lt;sp&gt;of Vincent, Haroona meets a lone American gunslinger named Luther Goodwin. &nbsp;While their intentions vary, they both seek a major Ascendant camp deep in the jungle. Ever the loner, Haroona reluctantly agrees to work with Luther as he seems to know his way around the mysterious Ascendants. &lt;/sp&gt;She helps him procure &lt;sp&gt;Vincent’s prized airship, the Morning Star, on their way to locating the man himself, but just before they make their escape from the camp Haroona’s journal is confiscated by Mila Savić, an ex-confidant of Luther &lt;/sp&gt;who has become a bitter rival. &nbsp;

Suknasari Forest: Unlikely Companions

Chapter 3

Once aboard the Morning Star, &lt;sp&gt;Luther reveals himself as a member of the Leap Year Society, and that their meeting in the jungle was no accident. Before processing this, Haroona is introduced to Buchra Ilunga, another society member informing them the Ascendants are in search of a special amulet believed to be in Haroona’s old village in Northern India.&lt;/sp&gt; How they know who Haroona is and what she might have concerns her but not as concerning as learning that &lt;sp&gt;four years ago her mentor did not perish in the desert. Reika is alive?! Moreover, the LYS need Haroona’s help in finding her but first they need the amulet.&lt;/sp&gt;

The Morning Star: More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter 4

Returning to her temple village built along the Shivalik range, Haroona is relieved at the sight of &lt;sp&gt;village leader and childhood friend, Azad Jayed.&lt;/sp&gt; Unfortunately, it is too late:&lt;sp&gt; every hut has been raided and turned inside out by Ascendants.&lt;/sp&gt;&lt;sp&gt; Retrieving her amulet, Haroona infiltrates the temple where Vincent soundly beats her in combat. However, a familiar looking airship appears just in time.&lt;/sp&gt;

Chamatkari Mandir: Homecoming

Chapter 5

After their daring escape, the Morning Star is in hot pursuit by enemy fighter planes. Narrowly surviving the attack, a patient Haroona lets her guard down in the lounge as &lt;sp&gt;Luther and Buchra describe Seshin, a malevolent being of sorts, supposedly imprisoned deep within the Fold. Vincent’s goal is to unleash this being upon the world. Meanwhile, &nbsp;Haroona’s only chance of finding Reika is to pick up her trail in Sintra, Portugal.&lt;/sp&gt;

The Morning Star: He Found Something

Chapter 6

Sneaking into Quinta Matos, the luxurious country estate of the brilliant inventor and Ascendant, Dr. Emilio Matos, Luther and Haroona uncover&lt;sp&gt; evidence that not only is Reika alive, but that she was held captive here prior. But to what end?&lt;/sp&gt; Exploring the estate reveals Matos latest invention, a cutting-edge machine that &lt;sp&gt;seemingly enhances a Diver’s ability to descend deeper into the Fold known as a Tethering Capsule. &nbsp;But for what purpose has Matos built this? How does it connect to Reika?&lt;/sp&gt;

Chapter 7, Part 1

On the remote possibility of &lt;sp&gt;reuniting with Reika, Haroona follows the inventor Matos towards a dangerous underground Sanctuary. At Luther's insistence, she performs her first Dive into the Fold only to be welcomed by a blissful Dr. Matos who asserts the two have encountered one another many times before. To save Reika, she must obtain an artifact known as the Cambrian device. Later, Haroona catches a distant but terrifying glimpse of Seshin before a harrowing escape ensues.&lt;/sp&gt;

The Deep Fold: First Dive

Chapter 7, Part 2

With both factions racing towards &lt;sp&gt;Anatolia, a tenuous plan is devised to slow the Ascendants’ progress.&lt;/sp&gt; Meanwhile, with the help of a passage in &lt;sp&gt;Dr. Matos’ journal, a petrified Buchra uncovers Vincent’s twisted plan to enter the Deep Fold with the intent of merging with Seshin.&lt;/sp&gt; Now more than ever, &lt;sp&gt;the Cambrian device must not fall into the hands of the Ascendants.&lt;/sp&gt;

The Morning Star: Dark Intent

Chapter 8

Haroona and Luther trek across the steep canyons and narrow gorges of Anatolia before reaching an underground chamber dating back to the Sahin era. Haroona uses her amulet to unlock the Cambrian device, triggering an Echo revealing &lt;sp&gt;her mentor as one of the Unknown 9.&lt;/sp&gt;Bringing their discovery above ground their progress is quickly stunted as &lt;sp&gt;Reika appears before them, having joined forces with the Ascendants. She claims the Cambrian device for Vincent’s cause and leaves a gobsmacked Haroona along with Luther and Buchra to be taken prisoner upon the Morning Star. &lt;/sp&gt;

Anatolia: Woman Out of Time

Chapter 9

Not giving in, Haroona and &lt;sp&gt;the crew escape their makeshift cells to battle the Ascendants and retake the airship’s bridge. Taking time to recuperate, Haroona reflects on her Reika, the mentor she thought she knew.&lt;/sp&gt; Eventually, Haroona takes her place on the exterior landing platform with&lt;sp&gt; Luther and Buchra as the Morning Star begins its final descent into the Richat Structure, where they will no doubt face Reika&lt;/sp&gt; once more.

The Morning Star: Reclaiming The Bridge

Chapter 10

Landing near Dasuden, an ancient Sahin ruin stripped and peeled back by years of relentless excavation, Haroona, Luther and Buchra quickly traverse &lt;sp&gt; the Ascendant dig site on the way to its underground gateway. &nbsp;Before they can advance, Mila appears, severely wounding Luther before Haroona defeats her for the last time. Unable to continue, Luther urges the women to complete the mission – nothing could be of more importance than stopping Vincent and Reika. Leaving Luther behind, Haroona and Buchra enter the Oculus, an imposing underground gateway into the Richat Sanctuary.&lt;/sp&gt;

Dasuden: Blood and Vengeance

Chapter 11

After an arduous descent into the Sanctuary, &lt;sp&gt;Haroona and Buchra break into the Terminal chamber to see the Cambrian device and tethering capsule already in use by Vincent and Reika. Haroona follows them into the Deep Fold where she coordinates with her past and future Shades to defeat Vincent, hurtling his untethered Shade into the unknown. However, it is too late: Reika succeeds in releasing Seshin.&lt;/sp&gt;&lt;sp&gt;Back in the Terminal chamber, Seshin’s dark form begins seeping from the Cambrian device into Haroona’s body, imbuing her with phenomenal Umbric power that she uses to dispatch all remaining Ascendants. Haroona is overwhelmed by the power inside her, and it threatens to consume her completely. Seeing Haroona in such a precarious state, Reika realizes her catastrophic error. She performs the ultimate sacrifice by drawing Seshin into herself, allowing Haroona to quickly place her mentor’s possessed body once again inside the Tethering Capsule. &nbsp;Contained in this makeshift prison, Seshin no longer resides within the Fold but cannot spread across the physical plane either, effectively placed in a state of perpetual stasis.&lt;/sp&gt;&lt;sp&gt;Having neutralized the threat, Buchra and Haroona emerge from the Oculus to observe Luther slumped on the ground, eyes closed but finally at peace.&lt;/sp&gt;

Peshanden: Demons Below

Chapter 12

&lt;sp&gt;Reika’s body, inert and dreamless inside the tethering capsule, is now safely aboard the Morning Star. Heeding her mentor’s last words, Haroona and Buchra find themselves dropped in the humid jungle expanse of Central Africa.&lt;/sp&gt; For countless centuries, no one has disturbed the lost complex of Reithden... until now. &lt;sp&gt;Haroona is afforded a precious farewell with Reika, at least in the guise of Buchra, before entering the Sahin city ruins. Outside the wondrous conclave hall, Haroona parts from Buchra and takes her first steps in joining the Unknown 9.&lt;/sp&gt;

Chapter 13 Media Gallery

What begins as a mission to right the wrongs of a troubled past turns into a perilous quest to unearth and protect hidden knowledge that could lead us to a brilliant golden age or total and utter destruction. Follow along as Haroona, a Quaestor with an innate ability to venture into the Fold, learns to master her supernatural abilities and takes on the all-powerful Ascendants to ensure humanity’s salvation. Are you ready to dive into the story details?

No one can accuse Haroona of leading an easy life.&nbsp; From an orphan living on the streets of Chamiri to adopting the ways of a nomadic Quaestor-in-training, she possesses a special gift belonging only to the very few. As the source of her phenomenal strength, she believes it also keeps her from fully integrating into society; using her gift to help others sometimes does more harm than good. Haroona develops feelings of isolation, slowly withdrawing and shutting others out. &nbsp; After receiving guidance in the Umbric arts and discovering the existence of the Fold, she learns to control herself better than before. The knowledge is nothing short of a revelation, however, it does not - or cannot - fix everything. Now in her early twenties and still alone in the world, Haroona takes on odd jobs to survive while meandering in and out of dangerous circumstances. Prone to reckless behavior or acting on impulse, Haroona nevertheless possesses wisdom beyond her years, granting her purview to see life for what it truly is: one big game where the stakes hardly matter anymore.

Haroona

Azad is not the kind who actively seeks leadership: It naturally falls to him simply because there isn’t an alternative. Separated from his parents when he was just a child, he served as a ward in a Chamiri missionary before being forced out into the cold with other orphans. As the oldest among them, Azad felt responsible for their survival. He taught members of his urchin gang, including a promising new girl named Haroona, how to subtly pickpocket the rich and outsmart street constables by running faster or leaping further, all the while grinning ear to ear.&nbsp;Although his cracked skin and weathered hands tell a sad tale, they cannot mute his naturally tenacious and optimistic outlook on life. Together with Haroona, the orphan who became a man has built a thriving mountain village at the base of Chamatkari Mandir where even the forgotten or discarded are permitted to dream of a brighter future for themselves. The job of a leader, it would seem, is one that is never quite finished for Azad.&nbsp;

Azad Jayed

In the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas, locals know of a spry old woman usually called Reika. Her name is about all that’s known. She’s not quite a wandering sadhu (or mystic), not quite a hermit. She is certainly not from the area yet she speaks every local dialect. Some villages may go years between seeing her. She is not hostile but declines any invitations or gifts.&nbsp;Some in the early LYS have a similar experience of her. For a time, she is often around their gatherings, though nobody can say if she was a member or not. She shares little and limits her interactions—a watcher, not a joiner—but always seems to be the most knowledgeable and skilled Quaestor in the room.&nbsp;There are rumblings that she takes on apprentices from time to time. For eager Quaestors this is a prospect as exciting as it is intimidating; just being in Reika’s presence can be a humbling experience.

Reika

In 1888, Vincent Lichter was the youngest to witness the birth of the Leap Year Society (LYS). His family - deeply entrenched in an esoteric secret order - embraced the LYS ethos, and Vincent soon became a devoted member. His fascination with the Fold intensified, leading him to specialize in Diving—a discipline that would alter the course of his life.&nbsp;Within the LYS, Vincent’s talents and ambition propelled him forward. To the elder Quaestors, he symbolized hope—a harbinger of the society’s potential impact upon the world. His decision to join a Diving research project in 1890s Alaska was hailed as a providential blessing, all but guaranteeing the project’s success.&nbsp;In the rugged Alaskan wilderness, Vincent collaborated with brilliant and dedicated Quaestors. After relentless effort, he achieved his first Dive into the mind-bending Deep Fold. Each subsequent Dive left him transformed; his determination turned into obsession. Marshalling support, he expanded the project into a Diver training school—the Ascendants. Yet, in this pursuit, Vincent’s noble qualities, once in the service of the LYS’s altruistic goals, twisted into something more troubling and radical.&nbsp;As the Ascendant rhetoric grew provocative and their Fold explorations reckless, the Leap Year Society had no choice but to shutter the Ascendants initiative. Undeterred, Vincent declared war. The Ascendants, he asserted, were the true heirs of the LYS. Members could either pledge allegiance to him or face Ascendant wrath. Nothing would stop them from harnessing the ominous power they discovered in the Fold for humanity’s future—a future where Vincent wielded significant power.

Vincent Lichter

This quietly spectacular little pendant is as mysterious as the woman whose name is attached to it. Its traits are unmistakable: a hooded figure, both foreboding and reassuring who hovers over a conspicuous keyhole motif whose significance has been lost to time; a style evocative of long forgotten ruins; an unidentified material that appears to have been cast as a whole and is somehow both impervious to wear and deeply marked by eons of time.&nbsp;When she bestowed it upon her, Reika would only tell Haroona that the amulet was a symbol of being part of a family, or of a cause that is larger than oneself. In beholding it, one can almost feel the enormity of that cause.

Reika's Amulet

Umbric abilities, enabled by a Quaestor’s connection to the Fold, defy the laws of nature as we typically know them. Sometimes known as the Umbric arts, these abilities improve with practice, and experienced Quaestors who have a strong connection to the Fold and a keen sense of their own Am exhibit more potent abilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each Quaestor’s profile of abilities is their own—some excel in common skills like Peeking and Diving, while others specialize in rarer abilities like Tuning. As humanity’s comprehension of the Fold deepens, a multitude of unimaginable abilities may lie waiting to be discovered.

video game

Unknown 9: Awakening

Chapter 1

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

Unknown 9: Awakening – Cinematic Launch Trailer

Unknown 9: Awakening – Live Action Trailer

Unknown 9: Awakening – Story Trailer

Unknown 9: Awakening – Gameplay Overview Trailer