At the core of our action-adventure game and the larger Unknown 9 universe are nine mysterious guardians of knowledge, shadowy figures always present at the fringes of history. Who are the Unknown 9? Why are they watching over humanity?
For centuries, Quaestors—seekers of the Unknown—have tried to answer these questions.
Who are the Unknown 9?
The Unknown 9 are a group of immortals who have seemingly watched over humanity for our entire existence. Little is understood about their motives or origins. They have long been relegated to the realm of folklore and dismissed as mere superstition. But generations of Quaestors believe they are real—and that they possess profound wisdom and power.
Within minutes of playing Unknown 9: Awakening, you’ll learn of this group’s peculiar history. However, as you’ll soon discover, the 9’s role within the world of Unknown 9 reaches far beyond the video game. This group’s actions, when they choose to act, have the potential to transform humanity’s long-term trajectory, affecting every facet of our story-driven universe.
Mysterious interlopers
Scattered through the ages are forgotten technologies and radical breakthroughs that don’t quite fit the period in which they were made. These are believed to be signs of the Unknown 9 interacting with humanity, guiding us into a new age.
Signs of the 9 are usually only visible to those who know how to find them—with one major exception. Two thousand years ago, the warmongering Emperor Ashoka suddenly gave up his military career and instead devoted his life to the pursuit of enlightenment. It is said that he founded a secret society composed of nine brilliant minds, each one tasked with safeguarding the rich knowledge of the empire.
But some believe that Ashoka’s Nine Unknown Men is a mere cover story for a far stranger, older truth. After all, evidence of the 9 long predates Emperor Ashoka. Hints of their influence appear in Ancient Egyptian mystery schools, Babylonian engineering feats, and the legend of Atlantis.
What do these stories have in common? They involve societies that made incredible achievements before their inevitable destruction.
A struggle as old as humanity
Truth seekers have long theorized that humankind follows a pattern: the higher a civilization climbs, the farther it falls. Golden ages of peace and prosperity are always followed by corruption, greed, and division.
Throughout these cycles, the Unknown 9 remain the steadfast guardians of absolute truths. When the time is right, they reveal their knowledge to those deemed worthy to receive it. It is then up to the recipient to choose how to act upon this information.
To be chosen as a bearer of this wisdom is a heavy burden. After all, the kind of powerful knowledge that builds empires can just as easily destroy them.
Seek the Unknown
In the battle to guard, share, or even erase knowledge, the Unknown 9’s true role has been lost to time. If they have wisdom far beyond our own, can they guide us to a new age of enlightenment? Or are we doomed to continue this cycle of progress and destruction forever?
It’s the task of Quaestors to find out.
Our universe’s distinctive cast of characters will, at some point, find themselves in the 9’s orbit. Unknown 9: Awakening’s Haroona explores the Fold, hunting down the wisdom hidden within it by the 9. Andie Robertson of the Genesis Trilogy delves into forgotten history, finding traces of these figures wherever she turns. Jaden Crowe has been trained to seek and fight them since he was a child. Even Blake and Lazari of Out of Sight have seen evidence of the 9—though they don’t yet recognize it.
Have you encountered the Unknown 9? Your journey to uncover their secrets is only beginning…