Zanovar

Zanovar

[[File:]]
Type	Planet
Zone	Zanovar

Spoilers ahead! You feel a compulsion to stay away. Proceed at your own risk.

Zanovar was a planet under the control of House Taligari, destroyed by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV under false pretenses at the onset of the Great Spice War. It now lies in ruins, and is the primary location for Act 5 and conclusion of Book One of the game story.

Pre-game history

The history of Zanovaraligns with established canon, the game lore builds upon these events and slightly reframes them. In summary:

Tyros Reffa, half-brother to the Emperor, had no real ambition for the Golden Lion throne and chose a vocation as a Jongleur to entertain people and remain out of sight of the wider Imperium. He chose Zanovar as his home, given it was a 'pleasure planet' under the fiefdom of House Taligari

When the Emperor learned of the existence of Tyros, he ordered the whole planet of Zanovar to be destroyed by the Sardaukar. Tyros was not on the planet at the the but when he learned of the destruction, he and his Jongleur troop performed at Kaitain where during Tyros' speech exposing the truth, a Sardaukar bodyguard next to the Emperor was inadvertently killed by a ruby laser staff.

Tyros was incarcerated, tortured and executed by the Emperor, however managed to smuggle a recording of his speech to Ixian Ambassador Cammar Pilru, which was used to blackmail the Emperor into paying restitutions to Ix.

In-game lore

The Player is encouraged by several means to travel to Zanovar - primarily at the conclusion of The Great Convention - Part I, the history of the player's bloodline is deliberately witheld and required access to knowledge about 'The Zanovar Incident'

After saving Esmar Tuek at Fallen Light during The Great Convention - Part II, Esmar provides a ship to travel to Zanovar to find Cammar Pilru and answers to their true identity.

Together with Elara Tuek, they find the planet to be in ruins, lifeless and raining. They are greeted by several statue projections welcoming them to the planet and it's entertainment venues. Sardaukar and CHOAM Mercenaries patrol many areas.

Recordings, Projections, Dialogue and Notes

Throughout Zanovar there are many fragments which tell the story of life before the Emperor destroyed the planet, as well as from the more recent inhabitants. These transcriptions form a rough chronological order of the experience on Zanovar during the Act 5 story.

Greeter Projections

The first greeter projection is right at the entrance

UNKNOWN: Greetings, visitor! House Taligari welcomes you to Zanovar. Our dedication to hospitality and the arts ensures that Zanovar will be one the premier planets to visit in the coming years.
UNKNOWN: That's right, the future is bright on Zanovar, and there is nowhere to go but up. We welcome you to join us and step into the future, where you and I will spend the rest of our lives.

Elara Then Comments:

ELARA TUEK: Zanovar wasn't always like this. It was.. sweet, music, laughter, light. People brought their children here to forget the Imperium for a while.
ELARA TUEK: Then, the Sardaukar came. They didn't sort the guilty from the innocent. Old, young, men, women, it made no difference. They burned it all down.
ELARA TUEK: The opening strike was an amusement park. Official story said spice was hidden there. It's still under constant surveillance. Make your way there, and assume you're being watched.

The first recording from the attack

En route to the Amusement park, there is a Shigawire tape from the attack

UNKNOWN: Mayday, mayday, mayday! Explosions reported at the amusement park. Is this a terrorist attack? It cannot be the Sardaukars..
UNKNOWN: Is someone posing as them? Do we fight back? Awaiting further orders.

The second greeter projection is near decayed trees by the amusement park

Towards the amusement park, the second greeter statue:

UNKNOWN: On Zanovar, we delight in the wonder of our cities and architecture, but understand the importance of natural beauty.
UNKNOWN: Visit our many beautiful parks and carefully cultivated biomes, designed to sooth the mind and help proliferate our planet's pollinators.
UNKNOWN: Experience. experience. exp-

By the entrance to an arts centre, there is another greeter projection

The third greeter projection is near the ruined entrance of an art institution

UNKNOWN: Did you know that Zanovar leads the universe in the pursuit of the arts and excellence?
UNKNOWN: House Taligari ever continues its famous commitment to all forms of creative expression - from visual art, to literature, to the performing arts.
UNKNOWN: Jongleur troops from hundreds of planets visit Zanovar, every year, to hone their craft.
UNKNOWN: The cosmos is cold, vast, and dark, but we keep the flame of humanity burning bright throughout.
UNKNOWN: Next month, do not fail to see the Ingravid Opera, visiting all the way from the planet Artisia.
UNKNOWN: They have a very special performance plan.. performance plan.. performance plan... perf..

In the museum, there is a projection of a Sandworm, and the curator gives the following voiceover

The holographic sandworm projection in the museum

MUSEUM CURATOR: You've read the stories, now see the most singular creature in all the known universe.
MUSEUM CURATOR: Surrender yourself to pure awe and see our replica Sandworm of Arrakis! Marvel at the exquisite details and titan scale of the beast.

Notes

Name	Text	Screenshot	Location Screenshot
Medical Admin Notes	Medical admın notes Chaos. Patients, injured and maimed. Coming in faster than we can properly process. Bodies. Clearing spaces for them. People looking for loved ones. Arguments whether to barricade the entrance or admit more wounded. We need help.
Excerpts from reports	Excerpts from reports Various sightings of reported craft. Accounts on what kind of craft vary. Imperial. Sardaukar. Invaders. Too much conflicting testimony from eye witnesses to make a determination. Rumors quickly spreading of a visit from the Emperor. No official announcement of such a visit. If this is a surprise visit, we do not have the proper security organized. Amusement park visitors reported hearing cheers which became screams. Reports of explosions. Dispatching units to investigate. We are under attack. The attackers have not been identified or even seen. The only sightings are of Imperial craft. Have they defeated the enemy?
Note from Disgruntled CHOAM Merc Loc	Note From One Disgruntled CHOAM Merc to Another Mardigan, The rain! The rain, the rain, the rain, the rain! What are we doing out here? CHOAM don't always give the cushiest assignments, but I hate this. Hate the work. Hate the planet. Hate my position. Hate the Sardaukar pricks. Mostly, I hate the rain. Everything's wet, always wet. Feel it anytime I move my toes in my waterlogged boots. Never ends. The sound! Water drops. Tap-tap. Water sluicing. If it doesn't stop, there will be murders! Tap-tap-tap! Everything's gray. The rain washes the color out of everything. Even my memories are colorless. I'm losing it. Can't get dry. -T
CHOAM Patrol Orders	CHOAM Patrol Orders From: Master Sergeant Shah To: Sergeant Makarova Round up your squad. We have new patrol orders. These come directly from the Sardaukar, and I don't want to hear any grumbling from you or your soldiers on that count. I'm sending the route now. There is a broken apartment complex midway through. You've proved to be a good sharpshooter. I want you to take a position up there. At least it gets you out of the rain. Now get rambling!

Gallery

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