Hytale Lore Explained: Complete Guide to Orbis World & Factions

Hytale isn't just another block-based sandbox game. Beneath its voxel exterior lies a rich, interconnected world of ancient gods, warring factions, and cosmic mysteries that rival any fantasy RPG. While most players are excited about the building and combat systems, there's an entire narrative universe waiting to be explored.

Thanks to years of concept art releases and developer insights, the Hytale community has pieced together an intricate lore that spans multiple planets, ancient civilizations, and an epic battle between light and darkness. Content creator CanadianFlash recently compiled 50 fascinating lore details in an excellent video, and I'm excited to dive into these mysteries with you.

Let's explore the hidden depths of Orbis.

The Eternal Conflict: Gaia vs. Varyn

Gaia: The Life-Giver

At the heart of Hytale's story is Gaia, the benevolent goddess worshiped by many of Orbis's inhabitants. She represents life, nature, and the elemental forces that sustain the world. Evidence of Gaia's influence appears throughout Orbis:

Ancient Temples: Massive structures dedicated to her worship
Iconography: Her symbol—a tree of life branching into the five elements—appears carved into ruins across all zones
Worshipers: The Kweebecs and Ferans are confirmed devotees
Orbus Officers: An ancient order of human knights who served as Gaia's champions

But here's where it gets interesting: In concept art of the Temple of Gaia, the goddess appears to be sleeping or dead, encased in some kind of crystal cocoon. What happened to her?

Varyn: The Void Lord

Where Gaia represents life, Varyn (also called Von in some sources) embodies corruption and destruction. This cosmic entity seeks to consume Orbis, and his influence manifests through:

Void Creatures: Corrupted beings including Void Eyes, Void Spawns, Crawlers, and even a massive Void Dragon
The Outlanders: An entire faction bearing Varyn's diamond-shaped mark and wielding purple void magic
Corruption Symbols: His iconography appears on infected zones and corrupted creatures
Green Eyes: Any mob with glowing green eyes is under Varyn's control

The central conflict of Hytale appears to be restoring Gaia's power and stopping Varyn's corruption from consuming Orbis entirely.

The Six Zones & Their Elements

Orbis is divided into distinct zones, each aligned with a primal element:

Zone 1 - Emerald Grove (Earth): Lush forests home to the Kweebecs and Trorks
Zone 2 - Howling Sands (Wind): Desert ziggurats where the Scar once enslaved the Ferans
Zone 3 - Borea (Water): Frozen lands threatened by the Outlanders
Zone 4 - Devastated Lands (Fire): Volcanic region with the mysterious Slothians
Zone 5 (Lightning): Yet to be revealed in detail
Zone 6 (Void): Varyn's domain

Each zone contains elemental crystals that players will likely need to collect. The current theory? These crystals activate portals leading to the Temple of Gaia, where we'll attempt to revive the goddess and save Orbis.

Faction Rivalries & Dark Histories

The Scar's Enslavement of the Ferans

One of the most compelling storylines involves Zone 2's dark past. Concept art clearly shows the insect-like Scar faction enslaving the Ferans (fox-like humanoids).

The Ferans still wear "freedom bracers"—bracelets engraved with the wind symbol—on their wrists and ankles to remember their history of slavery. The wind element itself represents freedom in Hytale's symbolism, making this a deeply thematic choice.

But questions remain:

Who built the massive ziggurats? The Ferans under slavery, or the Scar themselves?
What is the Sand Empress, and why is she imprisoned beneath the Sand Palace?
Do the crystals inside each ziggurat control the Scar through some kind of hive mind?

Kweebecs vs. Trorks

In Zone 1, the adorable Kweebecs face constant threats from the brutish Trorks, who capture them for unknown reasons. The Kweebec life cycle is particularly fascinating:

Seedlings: Drop from Elder trees at the heart of villages
Young Kweebecs: Energetic adventurers who explore the world
Mature Forms: Return to villages as artisans, cultivators, or warriors based on their experiences
Elders: Eventually root themselves and produce new seedlings

The Outlanders vs. The Fawns

Perhaps the most mysterious conflict involves Zone 3's Outlanders—corrupted humanoids who perform dark rituals using void magic. They appear to have nearly wiped out an ancient faction called the Fawns, of which only a single piece of concept art exists.

What happened to the Fawns? Are we arriving just in time to prevent their extinction?

Tessa and Kyros: A Tale of Two Officers

Among the most intriguing characters are Tessa and Kyros, both members of the ancient Orbus Officers—Gaia's elite knights.

Tessa represents the light, wielding the traditional sword and shield of her order. She appears heroic, noble, and aligned with Gaia's cause.

Kyros, however, tells a darker story. His armor bears Varyn's colors (purple and green), his eyes glow with void energy, and his sword crackles with corruption. Yet he still wears the Orbus Officer symbol on his chest.

This is clearly a "fallen knight" narrative—think Anakin Skywalker or Arthas from Warcraft. We don't know if we'll fight Kyros, redeem him, or discover his story through memory mirrors, but he's positioned as a major antagonist.

Beyond Orbis: Four Other Planets

Here's something most players don't realize: Orbis isn't alone in the universe. Concept art reveals four other planets:

Num Drazzle: Half bright, half dark—possibly half-corrupted by Varyn
Torbal in: A destroyed, fiery world that appears beyond saving
Carac: A swampy, mysterious planet
Nexus: The "Varyn planet"—pure void energy

Will we visit these worlds? Are they alternate dimensions (alterverses)? The lore suggests Hytale's scope extends far beyond a single planet.

Memory Mirrors & Ancient Secrets

Throughout Orbis, players will discover Memory Mirrors—mystical artifacts that replay historical events. Look for temples with Gaia's symbol and spherical tops, especially in Zones 1 and 2. These mirrors will likely reveal:

The fall of the Orbus Officers
How Varyn corrupted the world
What happened to Gaia
The true history of faction conflicts

The Undead, Void Magic, and Corruption

Hytale uses eye color as visual storytelling:

Green glowing eyes = Corrupted by Varyn (Outlanders, void creatures)
Blue glowing eyes = Undead faction (skeletons, zombies)
Blue antenna (Scar) = Hive mind communication

There's also the mysterious Void Heart item mentioned in recent reveals. Theory: This rare drop from void creatures (possibly the Void Dragon boss) is used to craft endgame equipment.

Dungeons, Bosses, and Exploration

Each zone contains themed dungeons marked by lanterns:

Orange/Red lanterns = Unexplored dungeon
Blue/Green lanterns = Already completed

Boss encounters teased in concept art include:

Void Spider: A massive corrupted arachnid in Zone 1's Emerald Grove
Void Dragon: Similar to Minecraft's Ender Dragon but with Hytale's signature polish
Sand Empress: The imprisoned Scar leader beneath the ziggurats
Corrupted Golems: Found in the Temple of Gaia, with Kyros's sword embedded in one

The Slothians & Forgotten Jungle

Zone 4's Slothians are a recently revealed faction living in the underground Forgotten Jungle. These peaceful creatures wear bamboo-style armor and coexist with dinosaurs. Their presence raises questions:

Why do they need armor in an isolated jungle?
What threatens them besides dinosaurs?
Is there another unknown faction in Zone 4?

Scorch Ruins: A Human Mystery

Among the most haunting locations are the Scorch Ruins—abandoned human settlements where torches still burn. The developer description reads:

"These ruins are depleted human structures where torches still burn, providing an eerie atmosphere as players investigate what happened to the inhabitants..."

Are there survivors? What catastrophe befell these humans? The still-burning torches suggest something recent, not ancient.

Portals, Gateways, and Endgame Theory

Concept art shows elemental-themed portals throughout Orbis. The leading theory for Hytale's main quest:

Explore each of the six zones
Collect elemental crystals from zone-specific dungeons
Use crystals to open portals
Eventually access the Temple of Gaia
Revive Gaia and push back Varyn's corruption
Potentially travel to other planets/alterverses

Recent item reveals like "Storm Leather from an ancient gateway" support the portal theory, suggesting we'll need materials from special dimensional rifts.

Special Flowers, Rituals, and Alchemy

Even small details matter in Hytale's lore:

Special flowers with unique powers (possibly for alchemy)
Outlander ritual pools where regular Outlanders transform into colossal warriors
Kweebec wind runes that may indicate they were also once enslaved (by Trorks?)
Faeran Gaia carvings showing cross-cultural worship
Clops hidey-holes where these wandering traders create secret bases in ruins

What This Means for Players

Unlike Minecraft's minimal narrative, Hytale is building a story-driven experience while maintaining sandbox freedom. You can:

Ignore the story and just build and explore
Engage with the lore through quests, memory mirrors, and dungeon exploration
Choose sides in faction conflicts (save Kweebecs, ally with Ferans, etc.)
Uncover mysteries at your own pace through environmental storytelling

The Exploration Mode launching with early access will let players experience this lore without heavy quest gatekeeping.

The January 13th Mystery

We're weeks away from early access, and there's still so much we don't know:

Will we meet Tessa and Kyros in-game?
Can we actually revive Gaia?
What is Varyn's ultimate goal?
Are the other planets accessible?
What happened to the Orbus Officers?

Join the Discussion

This is just scratching the surface of Hytale's lore. As we explore Orbis together on the HyBeast server, we'll uncover these mysteries firsthand.

What lore element excites you most?

The Gaia vs. Varyn conflict?
The Tessa and Kyros storyline?
Faction histories like the Scar's slavery?
The mystery of the other planets?

Drop your theories in our Discord and let's piece this story together!

Sources & Further Reading

This post draws heavily from CanadianFlash's excellent lore compilation. If you want to see all the concept art and hear more theories:

See you in Orbis, adventurers. The story is just beginning. 🌍⚔️✨

Have a favorite piece of Hytale lore? Share it in the comments! And if you spot any lore details in early access that I missed, tag me on Discord—I'll update this post as we discover more.

The Deep Lore of Hytale: 50 Secrets of Orbis You Need to Know