There is a special rock with a label and a warning sign next to it located outside of the normal play area at the Dantooine Crash Site in SWTOR. It appears to be Professor Cavalz’s personal obsession. Let’s dig into this secret!
This guide is based on the latest PTS 7.8 release, which may be unfinished or subject to change. It is possible there is more to this secret that I have not yet found.
Table of contents
The story behind the Primal Rock
There’s this a rock northeast of the Research Camp, outside of the map’s boundaries. It appears to be of special significance as it’s labeled with a sign in Aurebesh and a warning message on a datapad nearby.
This rock appears to be a personal obsession of Professor Cavalz, one of the lead scientists at the Geothermal Disruption biome at the Dantooine Crash Site.
There is also a mini backstory about this rock, which is given to us in the form of text from datapads. Reading them, we learn that the scientist is obsessed with this rock and is calling it “universal rock” and “primal rock”. His colleagues at the Geothermal Disruption forward camp are getting more and more annoyed and worried about his condition and his persistence and lack of respect for anything else they are doing in the area.
I don’t know yet if there is more to this story, but I wanted to share my discovery so far and maybe you can help me find more.
The Datapads at Geothermal Disruption camp
There are four datapads scattered around the Geothermal Disruption forward camp. They all discuss to some extend Professor Cavalz’s Primal Rock. I’ll list them in the order that makes sense for the “narrative”.
Some of the datapads may not be visible to you. If this is the case, progress the Wreckage on Dantooine main quest and come back to the camp later to check. I am still investigating the requirements for them to show up at the locations listed below.
Research Log Entry 0057
The datapad is located on the ground of one of the mini tents behind the two Geothermal Researcher NPCs. It gives us an insight of Professor Cavalz’s discovery. It also gives us a hint of the location of the rock – northeast of the crash perimeter.
I’m on the ledge northeast of the crash perimeter, and there is no doubt in my mind that found a very special rock. No other rock conveys such a strong feeling of warmth and comfort. This isn’t just an unusual rock-I’m convinced it’s a primal rock, the key to a deeper understanding, beyond our natural perception, of all geologic matter and how it’s connected! I need to uncover these mysteries, but of course I’m constantly interrupted by requests to help wrangle the space zoo specimens.
Now my fellow researchers are becoming obsessed with the rock, too. Their interest is validating, but they don’t understand what they’re dealing with. If they interact with the rock, they’ll only hurt it. Or themselves, I suppose. I can’t trust them to keep themselves under control around it. I put up a sign to prevent them from disturbing my rock, which should settle the matter.
Personal Research Journey Entry: 039
The datapad is sitting infront of Processor Naul, who is to the right of Professor Cavalz. It reveals her frustration with the professor’s obsession over this rock.
This datapad is not initially accessible. It may require you to progress the main mission or earn reputation.
Professor Cavalz’s obsession with rocks is completely out of hand. He’s somehow managed to convince some of the other researchers that this one particular rock is… l don’t know, magical or something? It’s borderline insane. Meanwhile, actual living creatures in the area suffering and dying and Cavalz just seems depressed that he has to help save them! Okay, maybe that’s not completely fair. He was saying something earlier about performing calculations for toxic fume drift. I suppose I should go do what he’s talking about. But it he starts talking about his “universal rock” again, I swear I’m going to lose it.
Research Log Entry 0147
The datapad is on a metal container inside the big tent. It contains a personal note from Cavalz, talking about the sign he placed near the primal rock.
This datapad is not initially accessible. It may require you to progress the main mission or earn reputation.
The sign seems to be keeping the other scientists away from my primal rock, but my excitable coworkers are also ignoring something potentially devastating, which shouldn’t surprise me.
I’m detecting fumes from the toxic runoff created by the Jannimak’s wreckage. My calculations indicate that the fumes will soon spread to other areas, with a high probability they will cause unpredictable, catastrophic reactions—snow could melt into deadly poison, spores could mutate into who knows what, and rocks will certainly suffer significant damage! As unstable as these environs are, the possibilities are nearly limitless. I’ve tried to convey the severity of this, but no one seems to listen to me. Maybe if I make another sign…
Where to find the Rock
Now that you know the backstory, let’s go find that primal rock! There is a slope you can climb with or without a mount in the southeast corner of the Research Camp.
Head northeast through the rubble and ship’s wrecked parts. There is another lng slope going around some rubble leading further northwest towards the corner of the global map. You are now out of the bounds of the Research Camp, so the game displays the global map for the Dantooine Crash Site..
At the end of the slope, you will reach a small camp. Here, you will find the rock, a datapad with a warning and a strange glowing skull overlooking the area.
The datapad displays the following when you click it:
Do not study, touch, scan, speak with, or otherwise interact with this rock unless you have a Level Five or higher Geological Aptitudes rating (which you do not!).
– Professor Cavalz
The rock has a plaque infront of it, written in aurebesh. The text reads:
“SAMPL EAMI-LEA”
Vulkk’s Notes
To me this looks like a dev’s playful joke or easter egg. Or perhaps it’s a part of a bigger mystery that we have yet to discover. Cavalz is obsession with the rock, kind of reminds me of Dead Space.
The term Primal Rock is not widely known in Star Wars. At least I don’t know any meaning. There’s the Primal gunship from the Clone Wars era, but that’s a stretch.
Primal Rock in the video game Avowed, serves as a crafting material. It’s an piece of rock that is used in high quality item enchanting.
I am still puzzled what the glowing skull has to do with all of this. I tried scanning the objects with Microbinoculars. Tested their strength with guns and lightsabers. Came back with an active Research Notes: Geothermal Disruption. I could not find a way to interact with the rock or the skull.
If you discover more, leave a comment, let us know. Thank you!
