No Man's Sky may be a game that is mostly about exploration and getting awesome spaceships. But there is lore to be found in the game and quite a bit of it, to boot. Of the three main species, the Vy'Keen are a warrior race that values combat above all else.
Veteran and new players alike can look forward to a shiny update that dropped alongside the Series X and PS5. On top of massive alien worms and volcanoes, the game can now handle up to 32 players at a time. But what do fans need to know about the Vy'Keen in No Man's Sky?
10 Vy'Keen Physiology And Anatomy
Like all of the intelligent species in the Euclid galaxy, the Vy'Keen are bi-pedal and humanoid. They feature two legs and two hands with five digits on each hand. Where they differ most regards their faces, number of mouths, and their beards.
Vy'Keen with metal beards, mouth tendrils, or multiple mouths have a higher rank than others and could even be royalty. Other members of the Vy'Keen species might have metal horns on either side of their head or a set of four horns.
The species is native to the outer edge of the galaxy from a planet known as Dryn’Dargh.
9 Vy'Keen Culture
Anyone who has played the game knows how warrior-centric Vy'Keen culture is. Some NPCs will just say "Death" over and over with a "Grah!" thrown in for good measure. But more than glorifying violence, the Vy'Keen operate on a reciprocal honor system. If the player does something for a Vy'Keen, they are honor-bound to return that favor.
They generally refer to their young as "cubs" and teach them hostility and intimidation from a young age. They value socialization very much with a lore entry saying “Bonded with their family alone, contact with any other entity will invoke mortal dread [in young cubs].”
There is also a distinct “it takes a village” mentality when approaching society, as well. “We are all family” can be found in a few Vy'Keen lore entries.
8 Military Derived Titles And Vy'Keen Language
The Vy'Keen language is guttural in nature but depends a great deal on body language, too. In the same way that a Gek may emit a certain smell to convey a mood, a Vy'Keen will take on a certain posture. This sometimes coheres with their honorifics and titles.
Members of the Vy'Keen species generally bear military-derived titles such as Brigadier, Ensign, and Conscript. But they also include Prefect, Vy'Keen-at-Arms, Liquidator, and Sentinel Hunter.
Most Vy'Keen will refer to the player character as weak, pathetic, or a coward until a certain rank is reached.
7 The Importance Of Monoliths And Plaques
Vy'Keen ruins include plaques, buildings, and monoliths. Plaques usually indicate battle sites and include short records of historical events. One such entry might be something about taking out Sentinels and making fun of the Gek.
The monoliths are far more spiritual in nature, often referencing ancestral spirits. Interacting in the right manner with grant players increased standing with the Vy'Keen and more understanding of the Atlas language. They can also receive artifacts and upgrades from them, as well.
Something known as the "Great Monolith" is a bit of a holy site for the species.
6 Why The Vy'Keen Hate The Sentinels
The Vy'Keen don't hate the Sentinels for nagging at them when they steal Gravitino Balls. Instead, most Vy'Keen view the Sentinels as a direct threat to their ways of life and culture.
After all, the Vy'Keen seek to be the most powerful race in the galaxy. The Sentinels seek to protect specific things in the galaxy. They were destined to be at odds with one another. Due to this impasse, the Vy'Keen waged a long and arduous war against the Sentinels.
This war took a huge toll on the Vy’Keen population with many casualties. As a result, their warriors were too weak to respond to the First Spawn’s destruction of Korvax Prime. Though they condemned it, they could not defend the poor Korvax. But there is more lore behind the Sentinel hatred.
5 Who The Heck Is Hirk The Great?
Hirk the Great is sort of like the Vy'Keen's Alexander the Great. He was a fearsome warrior and skilled military leader. There is great mythology around Hirk. He is lauded as a great hero in their society and credited with defeating the Sentinels. He also acts as a prophet for the Vy’keen regarding the Travelers.
During a lull in the Sentinel War, Hirk went to the Great Monolith Legend has it that he called to it five times with no answer. But on the sixth time, the monolith responded. It spoke of the Travelers and said not to attack them, but honor them instead. Though the monolith said nothing of the Sentinels, Hirk did not stifle animosity against them.
However, that's merely Hirk's telling of the historic events.
4 The Cult of Nal
A dissenter had risen to power in the Vy'Keen culture known simply as Nal. Lore entries suggest that the Cult of Nal did not hate the Atlas and his opinion on Travelers differed, as well. It also suggests that it was Nal who received a vision at the Great Monolith and not Hirk. In great envy and rage, Hirk threw Nal off the mountain Dun's'kaareen.
"Know that I heard the word of the Atlas where Hirk had heard nothing. In their rage, in their impotent jealousy, Hirk struck me from the mountain and I saw the truth of what the Monolith had said. That my end would be an awakening. That in this dream, nothing should perish... Or so it would be until the coming of the last Traveller. So it would be until the destruction of realities. Know this, the final testament of Nal..."
This eventually caused a civil war between Hirk's supporters and what became called the Cult of Nal.
3 The Vy'Keen Relationship With Travelers
Speaking of Travelers, the lore surrounding them (and, by proxy, the player character) is mysterious and occluded. However, there is some concrete evidence in Vy'Keen lore about the purpose of the Travelers within the Euclid Galaxy.
Though Hirk did not encourage violence against them, records indicate that he still wasn't a fan. Nal, on the other hand, believed and was comfortable with the fact that the Last Traveller would end the universe. As for what that means exactly, fans are still in the dark.
2 Don't Mess With Their Multitools
Having once been hunted by the Sentinels and then dominated by the Gek, the Vy'Keen are very intent on never being prey again. They have fostered a predator mentality and seek for all life in the universe to fear them.
As a result, the species values their multi-tools for their offensive capabilities. If the player has a better multi-tool than the Vy'Keen NPC, in-game interactions will note that the Vy'Keen NPC is envious of the player. Moreover, some Vy'Keen will straight up give the player their own multitool if the player impresses or intimidates them.
1 They Still Hate The Gek
Current players know that the new species of Gek differs from the bloodthirsty, imperialist First Spawn. The Korvax sacrificed their own nanite clusters to rewrite the Gek's genetic code. This made subsequent Gek more docile and humble. But the Vy'Keen still pretty much hate the Gek.
“The Gek changed. They became peaceful. Their spawning pools bred in the name of commerce. The Vy'Keen accept this peace, but we do not forget as the other beings of the Galaxy are so keen to do. Dishonor is unchanging. Crimes marked in blood do not fade. We do not forget.”