Among the many epic bosses in Lineage 2, Core is one of the least contested in the original game. However, with the arrival of progression and classic servers, this forgotten raid boss gained renewed popularity. Behind Core lies one of the most fascinating stories in the history of the Giants—a tale of ambition, scientific progress, and the consequences of challenging the gods.
The Beginning of the Giants' Scientific Age
After the devastating War of the Gods and the worldwide flood caused by Eva's mistakes, the Giants lost much of their trust in the divine. These disasters marked the beginning of the Lower Era of the Giants.
Unlike their ancestors, who relied on manipulating primordial magical forces, the Giants of this era began treating magic as a science governed by the physical laws of the world. Their greatest ambition was no longer simply mastering magic—it was achieving immortality.
Through advanced technology, they learned to cybernetically enhance their bodies, greatly extending their already long lifespans. As their knowledge expanded, they began to question why the gods—whose actions had repeatedly brought catastrophe upon the world—deserved such absolute power.
The Giants possessed flying cities, magical vehicles, and unrestricted access to the Palace of the Gods. Their achievements eventually convinced them that they had become equals to the gods, and soon they sought to replace them entirely.
Preparing for War Against the Gods
To challenge the divine, the Giants needed two things:
A weapon capable of harming the gods.
An army of beings free from the limitations imposed on mortal races.
To accomplish this, they established a vast network of hidden laboratories across the continent where they performed biological experiments on living creatures while continuing their research into immortality.
The Construction of Cruma Tower
In the region that would later become Dion, the Giants constructed an enormous mobile fortress and research facility known as Cruma Tower.
Evidence found within the game's files suggests that the massive broken tree near the surrounding swamp is actually an ancient Tree of Life, similar to those found in the Elven Forest. This primordial tree had survived the creation of the material world, the Great Flood, and countless catastrophes, only to be destroyed by the Giants during their experiments.
According to the quest Temple Missionary, the Giants also captured two of the four peaceful giant turtles known as Cruma. Bound by enormous chains, these creatures were forced to carry massive fortresses built upon their shells.
Originally, Cruma Tower floated through the skies, propelled by the immense strength of the chained turtles, giving the structure its legendary name.
The Laboratory of New Life
Inside Cruma Tower, the Giants carried out some of the most ambitious biological experiments in history.
Its halls became laboratories filled with failed creations and experimental lifeforms, including:
Torfe monsters
Dicor humanoid plants
Premo trolls
New insect species such as Stakato, giant ants, spiders, bees, and leeches
To protect the facility, the Giants created numerous guardians:
The magical being Martes, who defended the tower's summit.
The giant golem Karnamakos.
Squads of Susceptors controlled by the artificial intelligence known as Susceptor Archon.
The Creation of Core
At the heart of the tower stood the Giants' greatest technological achievement: Core.
Core was an advanced artificial intelligence designed to oversee every system within Cruma Tower. It managed the laboratory's operations, coordinated defensive mechanisms, and controlled the minds of many lower lifeforms created through the Giants' experiments.
Initially, the creatures produced inside the tower were simply modified versions of existing life and remained bound by the limitations established by the gods. Because of this, the gods considered the Giants' work harmless.
That would soon change.
The Creation of New Races
While studying the mysterious Full Moon Disease that spread across Gracia, the Giants succeeded in creating the Mahum race.
Their greatest breakthrough came after discovering Mimir's Elixir, which enabled them to create an entirely new race: the Kamael.
Unlike previous creations, the Kamael were intended to become an army capable of waging war against the gods themselves.
Einhasad, who alone possessed the divine authority to create life, viewed this as an act of rebellion.
The Fall of the Giants
In response, Einhasad struck the world with the Hammer of Despair, triggering unimaginable destruction.
The once-mighty civilization of the Giants was devastated, and her angels hunted down nearly every survivor.
Some Giants were rescued by Gran Kain and taken to the Immortal Plateau, while others fled into the Giants Cave, where generations of isolation eventually caused them to degenerate.
Cruma Tower crashed to the ground.
Still chained to the fallen structure, the giant Cruma turtles could no longer move. Over countless centuries, the land beneath them eroded and filled with water, creating the swamps that surround the tower today. Unable to escape, the exhausted creatures eventually died, leaving behind only their enormous shells and the unfinished fortresses built upon them.
The Long Sleep of Core
With the collapse of the Giants' civilization, Core shut down and entered a dormant state.
The abandoned tower slowly filled with the mutated creatures once created inside its laboratories. For thousands of years, Cruma Tower stood as little more than a forgotten monument to a civilization that had nearly rivaled the gods.
Many treasure hunters sought the artifacts hidden within its ruins, but only a few ever succeeded. Among them was the pirate Zaken, who searched the tower for the secret of eternal life.
The Awakening of Core
Several years before the events of Lineage 2, refugees and surviving degenerated Giants briefly occupied the tower.
After peace returned between Aden and Gracia, the magicians of the Ivory Tower discovered an ancient Giant teleportation device, allowing them to organize an expedition into Cruma Tower. A group of Dwarven researchers joined the mission, including:
The spoiler Piliel Aurora
The talented craftsman Kaeldor, who would later become Doctor Chaos
His mentor Master Tarzif, creator of the first siege golem, who searched the tower for a cure for his gravely ill granddaughter
During the exploration, Piliel accidentally removed one of the tower's control devices.
This single action reactivated Core.
Awakening after nearly two thousand years of inactivity, the supercomputer immediately seized control of the minds of nearby lower lifeforms. The monsters inhabiting the surrounding region became fiercely protective of Cruma Tower, turning it once again into one of the most dangerous places in the kingdom.
Legacy
Although Core is often overlooked compared to other epic bosses, its story represents one of the most important chapters in Lineage 2 lore. More than just a raid encounter, Core symbolizes the Giants' unmatched scientific achievements, their overwhelming pride, and the catastrophic consequences of attempting to rival the gods themselves.
