Sky: Children of the Light Lore Theories- [A thread]
Wasteland Journal: What did the lookout scout see? Part 1.
⚠️Spoilers⚠️ for wasteland spirits and locations ahead.
When you first enter the flooded dunes of the place we call The Battlefield in Golden Wasteland, we are absolutely stunned by the shift in tone.
[ Disclaimer, these are simple theories I've put together with a mix of Sky community theories and some of my own investigation, and as time of posting, nothing in this post has been confirmed by TGC. ]
First Thread: Context-
A common understanding in the Sky theory community (found in the official discord server and a few blog posts, we are very small and committed) is that the Golden Wasteland was an industrial complex to produce and provide resources to the greater Sky civilization.
This theory is rooted in the similarities found in the Graveyard Broken Temple and the final temple in hidden forest.
Now, I can go in to further detail as to why the community feels that these temple like structures are factories/industrial complexes, and my personal theories on what exactly was produced in another post dedicated to the Hidden Forest, but for now, let's stick to the Lookout Scout.
Humoring me and the industry complex theory, I've concluded that the Golden Wasteland wasn't just a production complex, but specifically a power plant of some sort.
Throughout the Wasteland, from the Golden Wastelands itself to the Shipwreck (not the Ark) you will find a network of pipes that seemed to transport water to and from locations. My theory is that the factories in Wasteland refined the resource transported from The Hidden Forest to the Graveyard temple, and the water was used as some sort of coolant, cleaner, or at least a moderator.
You can even see some pipe work on the distant temples, and other factories.
The entire wastelands are covered in a sour water that seems to have been long contaminated and stagnating between the time of the ancestors and our Sky kids. Broken and clogged pipework litters the landscape, passing through each of the "temples", and destroying the landscape so it's inhospitable to all light dwelling creatures.
Part 2, the layout, following shortly.
Wasteland Journal: What did the Lookout Scout see? Part 2.
The Layout of the Wastelands.
(I have to do this in multiple parts because of the image limit per thread)
I was always fascinated by The Golden Wastelands. It's probably the realm I always default to when I need to do an extra candle run. When I'm not flying through on autopilot, I'm always discovering something new.
One particular area that's always gotten me excited was The Graveyard. It's the first place you'll encounter a krill, the broken factory, and of course... The reservoir.
"Reservoir?" You ask, and I'm so happy you asked. The Graveyard. Specifically-
-this krill infested place. Let me explain.
The Graveyard has some really unique constructed and natural features. The whole place is a bowl shape. To the left of the entrance are natural juts of earth, and to the left are some wall structures.
Most notable...
Next to the pipe that is the shipwreck entrance is a dam. I don't have the image space, but if you can brave the krill, you will find massive inoperable power gems (similar to the ones found on two player doors in Prairie, or the doors, and temple irises, in Forest). This tells me that this dam either opens and closes... or rises and lowers to control the water level.
It's a flood gate. Similar to what's found on IRL dams.
Now, what's on the other side of this dam? Well, my imaginary captive audience~
~the shipwreck of course.
What does this mean?
It means that there used to be a LOT more water in this area, and in the broken temple wastes. The Broken Temple area was once elevated on constructed pathways leading to the factory in graveyard. The factory, the temples, the walk ways, everything is made of stone, and over time sunk into the sand.
The only place elevated location is at the top of the stairs in Graveyard leading to the Wasteland Elder's Temple.
The issue? There's another factory on the way temple, and pipework networking across the landscape.
What does this have to do with the Lookout Scout?
So, I answer with this, what did he see that caused him to sound the alarm?
Coming in part 3 tomorrow.
Wasteland Journal: What did the lookout scout see? Part 3.
(I also forgot to mention, at the top of the Graveyard exit stairs, when you approach them from high above, you can see another gate at the top of the stairs.)
Hello old friend. Let's see if we can figure out your story.
The first time I played Sky, the Battlefield probably held the most tension. No krill in sight but I just knew they were coming. The music stops, and you're greeted with a foggy landscape and then... The shield.
So, let's establish our cardinal directions. From the Elder's Temple is north, the Shipwreck exit is east, and the first shield is south-southeast, the dunes are west.
Now, let's establish one other thing.
That is a spear shaft jutting out the of shield. Whoever attacked these defenders with both, A. Large. And B. Armed with similar weapons to the Wasteland Elder, if not the Wasteland Elder's spears itself.
A lot of critical IRL power plants will have a military base with standing armies protecting the factory. Especially nuclear power plants.
Let's establish a timeline of events. Spike barricades have been built around the Wasteland temple's entrance, and the Wasteland Elder is ready for an invasion. Our first thought would be krill, the only threatening "enemy" found in the game, but krill don't wield spears. Whoever is going to attack, they're armed, and they're like the ancestors if not, are the ancestors.
All civilians and laborers have been called to evacuate while the army stands their ground.
Did the scout see the army arrive? I don't think so. See, when activating the scout, the temple is already destroyed.
He's moving around already broken rubble. The battle has been raging. He's been sneaking around, trying to stay hidden from the battle raging below. He peers over the edge, ensuring that none of the enemy soldiers spot him.
So, something prompted the scout to climb the broken temple. At the top, just before freeing his spirit, he's looking east to the pipework leading to the Shipwreck, likely where the army came from. Then, when you activate him he looks south-southeast towards the shield. Pauses as he looks in horror, then alerts the men at the battle station... South-southeast isn't the battle, but the reservoir.
It could be another approaching army... or it could be the destruction of the refinery. He's seeing, essentially, a Chernobyl of Sky. Pipes are overloaded, after all, these power plants likely power the pumps and the floodgates. Power networks are overloaded, pipes burst, both fresh water and contaminated, and all of the water from the Shipwreck's sea comes flooding into the battlefield. He tried to alert them, but it was too late, for water even filled the Elder's Temple. Enemy and guardian of the temple alike washed away in the flood. The Elder didn't even get a chance to see what the alarm call was about, he thrust his spear and was washed away.
I theorize that whatever caused Eden, also caused the power surge in the Golden Wasteland. Whatever was closest to Eden's mountain, from The Vault of Knowledge, to Golden Wastelands was destroyed.
Without power, the rest of Sky slowly died off. The other factories textured into the OOB skybox abandoned, if the workers didn't die in the initial power surge. The Valley of Triumph, formerly a bustling city, was left in ruin. Those who survived tried to live humble lives, but the civilization died with those factories and the community of ancestors eventually dwindled away.
Thanks so much for reading this far! If you have any theories you want to me take a look in to or cover, feel free to throw a request in my asks. Any critiques, questions, or ideas of your own, go ahead and add to the thread! I'm considering making a little hobby YouTube channel covering Sky theories, so if you'd be interested in seeing that, lmk!
This took WAY to long for a mobile game, between taking pictures and working around tumblr's image limit, my brain is mush. I almost got krilled! And I'm too nice not to help someone burn a tree if they ask, even if it's the forth time I've done it today... but TGC just has a way with me.
My next theory will cover the production cycle both natural/and manmade in The Hidden Forest.
