A Hearthian's Guide to the

Outer Wilds

A fan creation by

Welcome, Hearthian!

This is your one stop shop to getting you affiliated with our solar system, or as we like to call it, the Hearthian Solar System. As I’m sure you know, we are Outer Wilds Ventures. Located on our home planet of Timber Hearth, we are the one and only space exploration program dedicated to learning about our fellow planets and the history they contain. Outer Wilds Ventures was founded by Feldspar, Gossan, Slate, and Hornfells. We train astronauts, such as yourself, by equipping them with our state-of-the-art wooden space crafts and advanced space exploration technology. We currently have several space explorers out discovering things about the planets in the Hearthian System, but we will talk about them later.

Feldspar is our veteran astronaut. They are known for their daredevil spirit. Nothing will frighten Feldspar or deter them from doing incredibly dangerous things. Unfortunately, Feldspar has been missing for quite a longtime. It was bound to happen eventually, with their track record for doing dangerous things. Hornfells is our ground control operator as well as the curator for our museum which hosts our findings of the Hearthian System. Their ground control station is located at the top of our wonderful museum. Gossan is the Outer Wilds Ventures flight instructor. They help our fledgling astronauts understand zero-g through the use of the Zero Gravity Cave located at the center of Timber Hearth. Finally, Slate is our incredible mechanic. They have developed the wonderful technology, such as the Surveyor Probe Mk. IV, that we use to explore the planets.

Though we may call our solar system the Hearthian System, we are not the first advanced race to call these planets our home. Our exploration of our neighboring planets and led us to discover traces of a long-gone advanced species called the Nomai. Not much is known about them, other than the fact that they had three eyes instead of four like we do (strange!). Much of their history is shrouded in mystery. Why did they come to this solar system? What sort of technology did they develop? How did they all perish? But that is where you come in, young Hearthian! You will set off, like many astronauts before you, and discover the secrets that our solar system has to offer! But before you do that, you need to learn about our solar system, and that's where this guide comes in! Enjoy this compact guide to everything we Hearthians know about each of our neighboring celestial bodies.

A Hearthian's Guide to the

Outer Wilds

A fan creation by

Welcome, Hearthian!

This is your one stop shop to getting you affiliated with our solar system, or as we like to call it, the Hearthian Solar System. As I’m sure you know, we are Outer Wilds Ventures. Located on our home planet of Timber Hearth, we are the one and only space exploration program dedicated to learning about our fellow planets and the history they contain. Outer Wilds Ventures was founded by Feldspar, Gossan, Slate, and Hornfells. We train astronauts, such as yourself, by equipping them with our state-of-the-art wooden space crafts and advanced space exploration technology. We currently have several space explorers out discovering things about the planets in the Hearthian System, but we will talk about them later.

Feldspar is our veteran astronaut. They are known for their daredevil spirit. Nothing will frighten Feldspar or deter them from doing incredibly dangerous things. Unfortunately, Feldspar has been missing for quite a longtime. It was bound to happen eventually, with their track record for doing dangerous things. Hornfells is our ground control operator as well as the curator for our museum which hosts our findings of the Hearthian System. Their ground control station is located at the top of our wonderful museum. Gossan is the Outer Wilds Ventures flight instructor. They help our fledgling astronauts understand zero-g through the use of the Zero Gravity Cave located at the center of Timber Hearth. Finally, Slate is our incredible mechanic. They have developed the wonderful technology, such as the Surveyor Probe Mk. IV, that we use to explore the planets.

Though we may call our solar system the Hearthian System, we are not the first advanced race to call these planets our home. Our exploration of our neighboring planets and led us to discover traces of a long-gone advanced species called the Nomai. Not much is known about them, other than the fact that they had three eyes instead of four like we do (strange!). Much of their history is shrouded in mystery. Why did they come to this solar system? What sort of technology did they develop? How did they all perish? But that is where you come in, young Hearthian! You will set off, like many astronauts before you, and discover the secrets that our solar system has to offer! But before you do that, you need to learn about our solar system, and that's where this guide comes in! Enjoy this compact guide to everything we Hearthians know about each of our neighboring celestial bodies.

The Hourglass Twins

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The first planetary body (or in this case, bodies) from our lovely sun are the Hourglass Twins! Their gravity is slightly less than that here on Timber Hearth so be wary of this if you go exploring there! These two planets are very puzzling indeed. They are the only binary planets in our system and have a co-dependent nature to them. You see, the twin planet’s gravitational pull on each other changes from time to time, resulting in an incredible natural phenomenon where an immense amount of sand is passed between the two, thus giving them the name “Hourglass” Twins.

There is much to see on the twins, but please, mind the enormous sand column if you happen to be exploring them. We don’t want a fresh Hearthian astronaut to be sucked away by a planetary sand transfer phenomenon.

Ash Twin

Ash Twin is given the title of “Ash” due to its dependence on the sand. When the sand is on Ember Twin, Ash Twin becomes a different place, with many strange Nomai ruins running along its entire circumference. Several towers connected by bridges loop around the planets center while strange antennae spring out of the poles of the planet. Ash Twin is a place no Hearthian truly understands, much like the other planets in our system. We simply stand back and observe it as we don't want to get sucked away by the sand column.

Ember Twin

Ember Twin is given its name due to its rusty red-colored desert surface. Cacti and various rock formations dot the surface. Recently, we sent Chert, Outer Wilds Ventures’ astronomer, to Ember Twin so they could conduct extensive research on our neighboring solar systems and galaxies. Chert also reported some interesting findings about Ember Twin. Apparently, there are many tunnels that run underneath the surface of the planet. These caves could offer a cool sanctuary compared to the blistering heat experienced on the surface of the planet.

Timber Hearth

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Timber Hearth! Our home planet, second from the sun. From its lush forested groves, to our beautiful geysers and the expansive plains between them, what isn’t there to love about our home! You know it all too well, my Hearthian. One of the largest craters on Timber Hearth is where we have set up our village. Dozens of generations have lived and made history in our small village. Our observatory/museum that Hornfells runs plays host to the many findings and accomplishments of the astronauts of Outer Wilds Ventures. Our state-of-the-art spaceship launch pad is made by the finest woodworkers in our village. It has only burned down several times, but it will always be a staple of our humble ways of life. As you set off to travel amongst the stars, don’t forget about your home back here on Timber Hearth. We’ll always be here to welcome you back from your travels, no matter what.

The Attlerock

Our quaint moon, the Attlerock, is our only natural satellite. Its surface is almost entirely barren except for many, many deep craters that pock its surface. years ago, Esker, one of Outer Wilds Ventures founding members, took on the role of Director of the Lunar Outpost. This outpost used to serve as an initial pit-stop for astronaut’s first ventures into space, but as technology progress and we could fly further, it soon became obsolete. We haven’t heard much from Esker lately, so maybe pay them a visit . . . they might be a little lonely up there.

Brittle Hollow

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The third planet from the sun is Brittle Hollow and its moon Hollow’s Lantern. Unlike most planets, Brittle Hollow does not have surface under neath its barren and rocky crust. At its center, instead lies an intimidating black hole. Periodically, pieces of the planet’s crust will become loose and fall into the black hole, never to be seen again. Please take care and watch your step if you explore this planet. It has much to see on it including a strange domed structure. This (likely) Nomai structure is located on the Brittle Hollow’s south pole. Last we heard, one of our explorers, Riebeck, was heading off to inspect this structure. They have a large interest in the Nomai but also has a huge fear of space travel. Please be on the lookout for them if you go there . . . we’re all a little worried about them.

Hollows Lantern

The angry volcanic moon of Brittle Hollow proves to be its host’s downfall. The several volcanoes that stick out of Hollow’s Lantern’s magma covered surface periodically hurl meteors down to Brittle Hollow’s surface, breaking its pieces off to fall into the black hole core. This is not a nice moon. Seek shelter if you happen to see it spewing meteors or you'll end up burnt to a crisp . . . or exploded.

Giant's Deep

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Giant’s Deep is the largest planet in the Hearthian System and has an intense gravitational pull. It has a thick outer cloud layer that gives way to a vast ocean surface. Several rocky island float on the top layer of the ocean but so do many tornadoes as their planet is always in the middle of a storm. These tornadoes can be any Hearthian’s downfall as they will launch you and even the free-floating islands into a low orbit around the planet. If you find yourself with a tornado hurtling toward you, it is best to just accept your fate and become a moon of Giant’s Deep.

One of our explorers, Gabbro, has set up camp on one of these floating islands on Giant’s Deep. Recently, they brought back a statue of a Nomai that we now keep in the observatory on Timber Hearth. It is the only relic that we have found that shows us what Nomai used to look like. If you find yourself braving Giant’s Deep, pay Gabbro and their flute a visit.

Strange Nomai Structure

A strange tubular Nomai strcture orbits Giant’s Deep. As with many Nomai structures, its creation and purpose remain a mystery. Some of the astronauts have theorized that the Nomai built all of these structures to serve specific purposed integral to their life while others say that they could just be pieces of art, as our other findings has pointed to. Either way, they play host to strange technology that we have only scraped the surface of.

Dark Bramble

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This planet is one of the biggest mysteries that we have come across in our findings on our solar system. Dark Bramble appears to be less of a planet and more of a collection of gnarled and twisted vines. Large pieces of ice are supported by these vines as they stick out from the center of the planetary mass. Could this have been a planet at one point? Perhaps it was a planet covered in a thick layer of ice and snow, like the poles of Brittle Hollow. Almost every one of our astronauts agrees that this “planet” is incredibly ominous. Those that have been brave enough to fly within even 100km of it say that there are several “holes” or “doorways” on the center mass. A cloudy layer obstructs anyone from seeing inside it, but some have sworn they saw some sort of movement. Either way, I suggest you remain faraway from this planetary remnant if you have an ounce of Hearthian in you.

The Interloper

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The Interloper is not a planet, but a comet simply captured by our sun as it orbits in an elliptical pattern. As with all comets, The Interloper seems to be made almost entirely out of ice. This comet seems to have been around longer than we have since even our eldest members remember it seeing it glide across our Hearthian skies from Timber Hearth. None of our astronauts have been able to land on its incredibly small body. Our highly advanced telescopes have been able to get a close up look with it as it passes by our humble home on Timber hearth. The comet appears to have two sides to it: a sun-facing side and the dark side. The sun-facing side is aptly named since it never faces away from the sun during The Interloper’s elliptical orbit. Several rocks dot this side’s surface as ice chasms twist between them. The dark side of The Interloper is silhouetted by the comet’s blue trail. The dark side seems to have pillars of ice jutting off the back of it. The face that this comet is made almost entirely of ice is quite concerning since it flies so close to the sun. We should try to discover all we can about The Interloper before it possibly melts in the next several generations!

The Wandering Moon

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Now, when we mentioned Dark Bramble being one of the biggest mysteries of the Hearthian System, we were holding off on the title of “Most Mysterious” to give it to our friend the Wandering Moon. This moon is not nearly as ominous as Dark Bramble seems to be, though. The Wandering Moon gets its name because, of course, it wanders. Sometimes it can be observed orbiting the Hourglass Twins. Other times it will find a friend in Giant’s Deep orbit. We’ve been able to observe it orbiting every planetary body (minus The Interloper) and sometimes it doesn’t seem to orbit anything! It goes missing for periods of time but eventually, it ends back up around one of the sun’s planets.

Some in our Hearthian village find it quite unnerving as it gives off a strange signal. The fact that it doesn’t have a true home makes some Hearthians fear it, in a sense. Others believe it to be a a simple friend that lends its company to each of our wonderfully unique planets. It’s always a treat to look up from our home in Timber Hearth and see the Wandering Moon passing silently by accompanying our native moon, the Attlerock.

The Sun

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The “star” of the show, is, of course, our humble Sun. The yellow dwarf-type star lies at the center of the Hearthian System and all the planetary bodies orbit around it. Additionally, we have recently found something else orbiting the sun impossible close. We’re not sure exactly what it is since it moves too fast for us to keep up with, but some have speculated it to be an ancient Nomai structure. This seems far-fetched in some regards since it is almost impossible for something to be orbiting that close to the sun. Along with the other numerous Nomai ruins and structures, it remains a mystery.

As with every star, our sun has a doomed existence. In many many many many millennia, our star will eventually begin the end of its lifecycle. It will eventually turn into a red giant. After this phase, it will contract into a small ball of energy before exploding in a supernova, destroying our entire solar system. This may sound like a terrible fate for our future generations but fear not! Chert has been an incredibly meticulous astronomer and predicts that our sun will not go supernova for a very VERY long time. So just put that out of you mind as you set off on you Outer Wilds Ventures journey.

Good Luck, Hearthian

There you have it! The Hearthian System in its glory. Where do you think you’ll go first, young astronaut? The sand plains of Ash Twin? Or the rocky crust of Brittle Hollow? Maybe you’ll be the first to land on The Interloper? The solar system is yours to discover! Don’t forget to pay a visit to our fellow explorers out there if you happen to see them. We’re all out there rooting each other on as we make discoveries that are bigger than ourselves. Good luck, Hearthian, and as Feldspar once said, “Don’t fly safe!”

A huge thanks for Mobius Digital for this incredible game.

A Hearthian's Guide to the

Outer Wilds

A fan creation by

A Hearthian's Guide to the

Outer Wilds

A fan creation by

Thank you for visiting!

Good Luck, Hearthian

There you have it! The Hearthian System in its glory. Where do you think you’ll go first, young astronaut? The sand plains of Ash Twin? Or the rocky crust of Brittle Hollow? Maybe you’ll be the first to land on The Interloper? The solar system is yours to discover! Don’t forget to pay a visit to our fellow explorers out there if you happen to see them. We’re all out there rooting each other on as we make discoveries that are bigger than ourselves. Good luck, Hearthian, and as Feldspar once said, “Don’t fly safe!”

A huge thanks for Mobius Digital for this incredible game.

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