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Prior to release, several Explorer Notes were found in the ARK Dev Kit and posted online.[1] These differ from the Explorer Notes that were officially released. According to the devs, these notes are not canon.[2] This means that the respawn mechanic is not part of the lore, and the characters of Gellia and Elimisha do not exist. They are listed here for purely historical reasons, but do not affect ARK's story.
Non-canon Explorer Notes
Day 1
“
I’m not sure where this place is, or who brought me here. My first instinct was to figure out where I was and how to get home. I was scared at first, but that went away when I saw them: creatures unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Dinosaurs, giant arthropods, extinct mammals not seen since the Ice Age. How I got here no longer matters; what is important is that I stay. There are others on the island: some together, some alone. Many look scared or lost; perhaps they will be friendly if I approach them with gifts
„
~ Elimisha
Day 9
“
I’m not sure where this ..? The creatures on the island are magnificent. I never dreamed I’d seen anything this amazing in my life. None of them are exactly what I expected them to be. Perhaps I should study them in detail? Yes, I think I’ll do that. I’ll list what I’ve heard other people call the creature, give it an actual name, and approximate its time of origin. Next I’ll find and watch the creature for several days, and briefly describe what I’ve seen. I think it would be a wonderful task while I’m here. And who knows, maybe others might find my work useful. Knowing which creatures are carnivores, or which creatures are aggressive, might save some lives.
„
~ Elimisha
Note #1
“
Latin
[Incomplete transcription.]
„
~ Gellia
Translation
This must be Elysium. My father was wrong about this place. I do not see any ferryman, nor a three-headed dog. I do see monsters and savages. [what follows is much more loosely translated.] I saw men just as in life [?]. I do the same. What else can we do? Most have left the coast, and run deep into the woods. Some build huts or houses. Some rest, having killed a monster [?]. And he [they?] have taught me. I have built a home. It is stronger to build out of fruit-tree wood [?]. I know there is good stone nearby. And after building with it, it is joined into walls [??]
Note #2
“
Latin
[Incomplete transcription.]
„
~ Gellia
Translation
I need a safer house. The walls took longer to build than I expected. A wooden fence kept monsters away. It did not stop people. It was broken within days. I was robbed. The walls are 12 feet tall now. No one bothered me for several days. Someone still got over the wall. He killed me, that I remember. I woke up at the beach again. Is not an illusion, I died and came back to life. My house is still standing. The murderer robbed the house. He also taught me a lesson. I need taller walls. The house must be stone too. Need to find metal soon. Tamed monsters can tear down stone. I’ll start tomorrow.
Note #1
“
My allies have requested that I write a memoirs about my time here. My name is Edmund Rockwell. I am one of the most known men of the island and one of the few who feels save from the marauders. I live in a well-fortified base on an Atoll south-west of the main island, where I do my experiments. I understand the flora of this island more than anyone alive, and I choose to share my knowledge. People write down my formulas. I hear they're called Rockwell Recipes. I only ever wrote them down once but people make copies.
The most common fruits on the island are easily the berries. Three berries in particular seem to be the most abundant. They have wildly varying appearances but their chemical makeup is very similar. It is not their similar chemical and nutritional makeup that surprises me most but their perfect coloring. What are the odds that the three most common berries on the island are primary colors of pigment that are perfect for making almost any color of dye? And what are the odds that the other two common berries are white and black? It almost seems like these were placed here by some higher power to help us.
„
~ Sir Edmund Rockwell
Note #1
“
When I woke up four nights have passed. I started to decide which path I should take. If I return, my family would wonder where I've been; If I die, I wish I could die helping others. Demons and monsters are everywhere, and they’re all very fierce. I was so afraid that I couldn't sleep. I tried to take detours everywhere, but I couldn't avoid them. The flora is also strange as I couldn't recognize any of them. Though I'm a thousand miles from home, I'll need to find my way home eventually. This is the heaviest burden of all.
„
~ Mei Yin
Note #2
“
I'm afraid that going back home would not be as easy as I thought. I walked along the sea for several days, then I stumble upon a boat that will give me a way (??), or one could say I earned my way through. Is there not (??). I went through a few fishing villages. A couple times I even went pass castles, but no one was willing to help me. Most of them threatened to kill me. I realized I was on an island when I went through the same village twice. In the following days when I was walking along the shoreline a lot of people tried to rob me, others tried to kill me – or even worse. I killed them. From one of my attackers I salvaged a strange weapon called the 'rifle'. I used to have a pike as my only form of self defense. Now I've got a sword, armor made of monster bones and a rifle.