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One thing you need to know about the Stalker series is just how much dangerous junk it throws at you, andStalker 2: Heart Of Chornobylis no different. Within minutes of the intro, you’re already attacked by invisible tentacle murderers and have little place to run. As you explore more of the ominously named Zone, you’ll discover how many hostile mutants, people, and rips, in reality, are just waiting for you.
Still, one of the more mysteriously dangerous presences in the Zone is Monolith. This has been around since the start of the series and continues to make everyone uneasy, for good reason. A closer examination of Monolith may make you feel better prepared.
Spoiler Warning!
Where Are The Origins Of Monolith?
In the early days of exploration in the Zone,those who would eventually come to form the Monolith were Stalkers like any other Stalker. However, as they spent more and more time in the Zone, their views on the region and its effect on the surroundings began to influence their minds.
After realizing thatthe Artifactsthey discovered could perform impossible feats, they start to believe that the power of the Zone was potentially limitless, capable of performing miracles. As a result of these growing beliefs, this group of like-minded Stalkersbanded together under the rumor that there was a massive Artifact at the center of the Zone, which they dubbed the Monolith, and became determined to protect it.
What is Monolith?
After the idea of the Monolith came to be,the group named itself after this theorized Artifact and became fanatical about its protection. They more commonly refer to it as the Wish Granter and believe no one should have access to its power.
While this is an understandable perspective to a degree, their dedication to the cause is almost religious extremism, to the point that they will attack any Stalker that isn’t a part of their order. They also have very twisted recruitment techniques, asthe average member of Monolith is a regular Stalker who has been brainwashed by devices known as psychic emittersthat have spread throughoutthe Zone.
Even though it was originally thought that Monolith was fully responsible for their beliefs and brainwashing,it was revealed that they were in the service of an even greater entity known as the C-Consciousness. This psychic manifestation was the result of intense experimentation to find a way to link human minds into a collective consciousness, being created from a small hivemind among the scientists involved in the experiments.
The C-Consciousness continued the experimentation by attempting to research and eventually control the Zone. To this end,it created the Wish Granter to draw in Stalkers so they could be brainwashed into serving the entity,transforming into a force that would keep other Stalkers away from the C-Consciousness. This is the true source of the Monolith faction and the one controlling brainwashed members.
What Is Monolith’s Role In Stalker 2?
Throughout theoriginal Stalker series,Monolith served as the primary antagonistic organization. Almost every other faction in the Zone saw them as a threat and were understandably afraid of them, preferring to avoid them altogether. Of course, since most Stalkers come to the Zone to investigate and gather powerful Artifacts, they’ll eventually run into Monolith, becoming either targets or brainwashed members.
Though it’s unclear how much time has passed between Stalker: Call Of Pripyat andStalker 2, it appears that Monolith has been significantly splintered. An early encounter with a man known as the Ninth sheds some light on the current state of the faction. He appears lucid enough to explain that he no longer hears or feels a psychic connection to the Monolith, and neither do many of his comrades. This is likely due to one of the endings of the previous game, where the protagonist confronts the C-Consciousness and forces them to cease operations.
This left many Monolith members without direction or organization until some were united into a new group named Noon (Noontide). Their ideology is based on the fact thatthey survived or broke free from Monolith’s brainwashing and want to help other Stalkersdo the same. However, they’re still widely mistrusted by other factions even though they have an overall neutral stance and are less likely to attack on sight.
Despite this drastic change, the original Monolith still operateswithin the center of Chornobyl, specifically around its Nuclear Power Plant. Their psychic emitters are still functional, so brainwashing is still a very real threat (Stalkers often refer to it as “being turned into zombies”) and is still extremely hostile to anyone who isn’t a Monolith member.
