# Shard Investigation
The following content is compiled from physical evidence in the Mariana shard, interviews with surviving Marianai, and Marianai military reports.
"Chelae" is the Mariani term - a transcribed word from those invaders' strange syllables,which we think is their name for themselves. We have not been able to translate their language, which is apparently made by certain mouth parts rubbing together, in the manner of terrestrial crickets.
The Marianai first came into contact with the Chelae ten years before the Smash-Up, at first in fleeting glimpses, and then in the discovery of a well-hidden underwater base. They attempted to contact these obviously intelligent creatures, but teams sent as embassies failed to return. Only when the Marianai received a coded message from a scout did the Marianai realize the Chelae were dangerous, and were probably preparing an attack.
The Chelae, perhaps aware of their exposure, promptly attacked, both in the deep sea and in shallower waters. In a fair fight, the Marianai, with their warrior training, were able to match the Chelae, in spite of the Chelae's thick shells.
However the Chelae have advanced portal technology. The Chelae forces could arrive without warning, and promptly retreat if overmatched. They also had powerful energy weapons that could boil the ocean around the Marianai. And they had a mysterious biotechnology -- Chelae larvae could turn the Marianai into biological drone warriors who attacked their own people.
In desperation, the Marianai tried a near-suicidal defense. They uncapped volcanoes, turning the ocean acid. It hurt them, but it weakened and dissolved the Chelae's shells and killed them. The Chelae vanished to whatever Shard they came from.
However, Marianai had no time to celebrate this victory. Their homeland had been utterly destroyed, and the acidified seawater continued to sting with every breath they took. The ecosystem suffered severe damage, the population faced heavy losses, and even the basic conditions for post-disaster recovery could not be met. Worse still, the Smash-Up happened, resulting in the core area of Mariana being torn into a Shard and teleported to the Shardverse. Many believes that the disaster was triggered by the Chelae as they retreated, but no one knows the truth.
Note: After arriving in Acme, Lancer "Sonar" hopes to share the story of Mariana with all Shards through the power of herself and other Lancers, as a form of warning. This series of archives will continue to document information related to Mariana, and perhaps, when Acme is facing similar threats, these records may prove helpful.
