WildStar: Mordesh revealed as the emo race of the Exiles

Carbine Studios, the team behind the upcoming sci-fi/fantasy MMORPG WildStar, has finally revealed the final race for the Exiles faction. That race is the Mordesh, considered to be the dirty little secret of the Exiles.

The Mordesh, who look like the emo kids of the faction, is sort of the counterpoint to the other Exile races. Consider them a necessary evil. They are tall and lanky, with a dark cyberpunk-ish type of style. But the lore behind them is where things are really interesting.

The Mordesh, from the planet of Grismara, were once a very beautiful and advanced race. They had a flourishing civilization, mostly due to their advancements and refinements in alchemy, making them the envy of the galaxy. That attracted the attention of the Dominion, which they joined.

Then in 1578 AE, something great and awful happened. Victor Lazarin, acknowledged as the greatest alchemist in Grismaran history, created the Everlife Elixir — a substance that he claimed granted immortality. The elixir was distributed worldwide to every Mordesh. Unfortunately, the elixir became unstable, which led to necromantic physical degeneration combined with mindless cannibalistic rage.

Victor Lazarin concept art

The outbreak was known as the Contagion. At the beginning of the Contagion outbreak, casualties were high and mounted quickly; the Mordesh were on the brink of extinction. The Dominion wasn't much help, as they responded to the Contagion with a brutal quarantine, supplying no help to the survivors. Lazarin, on the brink of madness himself, created a vaccine called the Vitalus Serum. The Vitalus Serum didn't cure the disease, but it suppressed the psychological symptoms of the few remaining survivors.

That's when the Mordesh — receiving no help from the Dominion — turned to the Exiles. The Exiles smuggled them piecemeal through the Dominion blockade. The Mordesh had a hunted status and were few in numbers. This forced them to become adept in artifice and deception. The results were the createion of the Black Hoods, a covert intelligence group that waged campaigns of sabotage and assassination against their enemies.

The game takes place 80 years after the Contagion outbreak. For 20 to 30 years the Exiles have smuggled Mordesh out. However, their number are still low because the Mordesh have lost the ability to procreate.

There's also the underlying fear that the Contagion could come back. What happens if the Vitalus Serum stops working, or if the Mordesh don't take it? Can the Contagion infect other races? We've been told by Chad Moore, lead narrative designer of WildStar, that it's a legitimate fear and concern that will come up and be addressed in the story. The content will be dark, fun, unique and have lots of personality.

As for what classes are available to the Mordesh, their options are Warrior, Stalker, Spellslinger and the two unrevealed classes. Since the Mordesh (along with the other new race, the Chua) are a technologically advanced race, it stands to reason that the new classes will have something to do with technology.

We'll find that out soon, as the last two classes will be revealed in the next month or so.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com