The Cultivator is the major character in the universe of the 2016 sandbox game Starbound. It was an ancient force of balance in the universe. It existed for aeons, and harmony reigned under its influence. When the Ruin arose, the Cultivator was forced to fight it to save the universe. It was able to seal the Ruin away from the rest of the universe, however it drained all of its energy in the process, resulting in its death.
Before its death, the Cultivator granted six chosen races with artifacts. These artifacts were given to the Floran, Hylotyl, Human, Avian, Glitch, and Apex races. When these artifacts were placed in the gate where the Ruin was sealed, the gate opened, allowing for the Ruin to be destroyed for good.
In art in the Starbound universe, the Cultivator is depicted as a large (implied to be astronomically so) humanoid figure, often seen holding stars and planets. Whether it had this form, or had any physical form at all, is unknown.
Overview[]
A god-like entity that wandered the galaxy an untold amount of time ago, The Cultivator helped to uplift the main six races through powerful artifacts it gifted to each of them. Aeons before the story began, it vanished after battling the Ruin, leaving behind grand, dilapidated structures such as the gateways, the Ark, the challenge portals and the Ancient Vaults.
Personality[]
The Cultivator is the unquestionably noble being responsible for uplifting all known life in the galaxy, which stood in opposition to the Ruin. It fostered life throughout the galaxy, and ultimately sacrificed itself to defeat the Ruin and protect its creations. However, while benevolent, the Cultivator did make some mistakes. Unfortunately, those few mistakes had disastrous consequences, including the creation of the Kluexian faith, and the eternal medieval tech-level the Glitch are stuck in.
Symbolism[]
It’s hand is the most prominent feature of its statue in the Ark — held carefully over the galaxy hologram, and splayed out as though sheltering it. The smaller holograms in the chamber depict the Cultivator holding planetary bodies aloft in its hands, and later using one hand to force the Ruin into a portal. When it addresses the player at the end of the game, it appears as a hand made of energy, held in the same pose as the statue.