by Eladrin

Hi everyone!

Today we’re going to look at Psionic Ascension, look at how the experience of delving into the Shroud will change, and finish off with the Superstitious Belief set of civics.

Today we’ll follow the path of the Cevanti Sovereignty as they unlock the power within them.

Broke a mirror? Seven years in jail.

As is typical with the Ascension Perks that unlock Paths, the Mind Over Matter AP can be selected as your third Ascension Perk. Not much has changed regarding the Ascension Perk itself.
Hard Reset empires must be fully de-cyberized, and Gestalt Machine Empires or Shroud-Forged empires must \[REDACTED BY THE ANIMATOR OF CLAY]. Machines (whether Gestalt or Individualistic) tend to have a slightly tougher time interacting with the Shroud, so the Interdimensional Processing AP requires one extra Ascension Perk unless your empire has a Chosen civic.

The Psionics tradition tree requires Psionic Theory, which the Mind Over Matter agenda can grant as a permanent research option.

Much like how we’ve improved the other Ascension Paths, taking the Tradition tree will begin a situation that tracks your progress through Ascension and explores the societal ramifications of such change.

They call it “enlightenment” because of the glowing eyes.​

We can attempt to hasten our awakening through Organized Meditation, consuming psionically active materialsthat are certainly not dead aliens, or unraveling the threads tied to other planes of existence. Should we lack either of the latter, our approach guides us towards what we seek.

Progress through the situation is partially gated by progress through the Psionic Tradition tree, and the events that occur will influence the end results.

These first steps towards enlightenment open up a new sub-tab for the Shroud in Contacts, though it is admittedly pretty empty right now. Our position within the Shroud is slightly offset based on the nature of our Empire and the acts that have had impact on our collective soul.

Show me where to look, tell me, what will I find?

Acts of the physical realm reflect and ripple through the immaterial.​

At a certain point, we will need to establish a Psi Corps in order to continue developing our potential.
Later on, we will need to pursue a Great Awakening to spread enlightenment to all Cevanti.

Completing the Psionic Ascension situation will let us realize our psionic potential, permitting our telepaths to reach into the Shroud.

As mentioned earlier, our actions in the material plane have an impact on our attunement to the Shroud. We’ve shifted a bit since we first encountered this panel.

Our eye is open! It’s time to delve into the secrets of the Shroud and commune with the entities therein.

Piercing the veil and reaching into the Shroud is no trivial matter - it can take years to recover from such an exercise. In mundane mechanical terms, delving starts with a five year cooldown, but this of course can be modified in many ways. There is no longer a material cost.

Communing with the entities we find reveals their domain to us and gives us a Special Project to make “first contact” with this entity.

Completing communion reveals this entity to us in its full, terrifying glory.

This “Cradle of Souls” seeks order and harmony. But we Cevanti know that is foolish - order comes through the crack of a lash and by force of arms! We reject such a weak entity and redouble our vow to pursue our own path!Embracing? Resolving? Pleasing? More like revolting!​

Our choice to spurn the Cradle of Souls has shifted our position within the Shroud away from its domain. We’ve discovered some of the acts that will bring us more or less in accord with this entity, and a “Calling” that we can fulfill in order to become closer with it. Envoys can also be assigned to a variant of “Improve Relations” with an entity, increasing our Attunement.
Attunement to a domain grants Psionic Accords, which are essentially passive effects for mastering that domain. Active Covenant Powers exist for those who are more eager to lash themselves to serving a patron. Rumor has it that a servant can never truly reach the pinnacle of their potential though, and that such an “easy way out” is more limiting in some ways.

The next entity we encountered was a Starving Being, a ravenous beast called the Eater of Worlds. The raw power of this creature appealed to the Cevanti.

You may have noticed that the deeds associated with this “Eater of Worlds” are diametrically opposite those of the weak and pathetic “Cradle of Souls”. Each action that brings us in accord with one will reduce our accord with the other.

Over time (and console commands), the Cevanti gained close attunement to the ravenous patron, and during one of our delves, it offered great power in exchange for a small sacrifice.

Accepting this Covenant would unlock both Covenant Powers associated with the Eater of Worlds, but would chain our people in servitude and force us to carry an ongoing cost. We reject this and will forge our own path like the Zroni did so long ago.

While this dev diary focused primarily on the events where we encountered the established major patrons of the Shroud, there are minor patrons to interact with, rumors of greater powers out there, and of course, numerous other events.

Available to all four main government types, the Superstitious Beliefs set of civics highlight civilizations that find patterns that others cannot see, and rely on predictions, numerology, astronomy, or other techniques to ensure that good fortune is assured.

The thirteen year cycles of weal and woe grant good fortune in certain endeavors while making it unwise to pursue others until circumstances change.

Their Galactic Dowsing edict allows them to apply their skill at divination to surveying, providing tangible benefits.

Davide and I will be streaming Shadows of the Shroud on YouTube and Twitch today (and next Thursday) at 16:00 CEST.

Join us, ask questions, and see all sorts of spoilers from the next few dev diaries while you’re downloading a certain game that we’ve all been waiting for.

Next Tuesday we’ll have a dev diary featuring more about the Entities of the Shroud and Psionic Auras, and see what the Cevanti are up to after they take the Experimental Sentencing civic.

As was foretold[forum.paradoxplaza.com], the Shadows of the Shroud expansion is coming to Stellaris alongside the 4.1 ‘Lyra’ update.

Our seers predict that this next great era begins on September 22nd.

Open your mind and encounter expanded Psionic content, including an Ascension Path situation, tradition tree overhaul, and new advanced governments.

Encounter strange new Patrons as you attune and delve.

Deeds and Callings lead to Accords and Covenants. Auras grow. These are the tools of those who attune.

While pledging yourself to a Patron is one path to power, others chart their own course towards mastery of the unknown.

Gestalt empires - both hive minds and machine intelligences - will be able to pursue Psionic Ascension.

The Shroud can exert its influence in many ways. In the Shroud-Forged Origin, an “architect” of sorts has taken interest in some of your drones.

Cut off from the central Machine Intelligence, the demands of these units are ever-increasing.

* The gestalt Hive Mind authority requires either Utopia or BioGenesis. The gestalt Machine Intelligence authority requires either Synthetic Dawn or the Machine Age, though Shadows of the Shroud grants access to the Machine Intelligence authority if you are playing the Shroud-Forged Origin. (Synthetic Dawn or The Machine Age are still highly recommended for a more comprehensive machine experience.)

Powers, knowledge, and wealth beyond measure are yours for the taking - and you already know the cost.

Endbringers are a Challenging Origin that can bargain to delay the inevitable and acquire even more benefits from this unfathomable pact.

*The End of the Cycle will remain available to players who own Utopia.

Shadows of the Shroud will also grant access to this feature (in case you do not own Utopia) and exclusive new content that expands it.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT. THE END IS NEAR​

Freedom is meaningless without sovereignty of thought. Shadows of the Shroud introduces the Mindwardens, available either as an established enclave sworn to combat and contain psionic threats, or as a Challenging Origin where you work to establish the first Mindwarden Order.

The Shadows of the Shroud expansion includes:​

• Psionic Ascension (also unlocked by Utopia)​

• Three new Origins:​

  • Endbringers​

  • Mindwardens​

  • Shroud-Forged​

    • Shroud-Forged grants access to the Gestalt Machine Intelligence authority while playing this Origin.​

• Six new Civics​

  • Chosen / Chosen Executives / Chosen Many / Apostle Network​

  • Entropy Drinkers / Corporate Vampires / Parasitic Caste / Energy Extractors​

  • Experimental Sentencing / Judicial R&D / Corrective Consciousness​

  • Secret Societies / Influential Cartel​

  • Superstitious Beliefs / Fortune Enterprise / Zodiac Nexus / Pattern Finders​

  • Tankbound / Corporate Thinktank​

• An enhanced Psionic Ascension Situation, culminating in advanced Psionic government forms​

• A new system for delving into the Shroud itself, including Deeds, Accords, Callings, and Covenants​

• Psionic Auras and Seals​

• New Patrons and entities to encounter in the Shroud, and expanded content for old acquaintances​

• EXPANDED END OF THE CYCLE​

• New Psionic Species Traits​

• Psionic Portraits that reflect the change within once their Psionic potential has been unleashed​

• Two new shipsets​

  • Mindwarden​

  • Psionic​

• Psionic Diplomatic Room, City Set, Advisor, Music Tracks, and more​

This Thursday we will reveal more details about the Psionic Ascension situation, explore the new Shroud panel, discuss how to influence the relationships you have with the entities you may find, and show off the Superstitious Beliefs/Fortune Enterprise/Zodiac Nexus/Pattern Finder set of civics.

Shadows of the Shroud is included as part of Stellaris: Season 09.https://store.steampowered.com/app/3417870/Stellaris_Season_09__Expansion_Pass