This article has a very special purpose. It’s been put together by Katia Sae to lay out the journey that intrepid travellers must follow to relive her adventure and earn some of the $175 of prizes we’re offering in our Grand Tour bounty. To learn more about Katia’s original journey, check out our interview from Fanfest 2023.
Below, you’ll find details, player history, and lore covering each of the 20 destinations in the Grand Tour. You might choose to take inspiration from them for your bounty journal. But first, here’s a quick overview:
Katia Sae Monument, The Forge, Saisio, Caldari
Birthday Bash, Pochven, Tunudan, Pochven
Battle of Iyen-Oursta Monument, Sinq Laison, Iyen-Oursta, Gallente
Old Man Darieux’s Stargate, Essence, Old Man Star, Gallente
Project Discovery Phase One Monument, Metropolis, Lanngisi, Minmatar
Duvolle Gravitational Wave Observatory and Trace Cosmos, Solitude, Gererique, Gallente
Fallen Capsuleers Memorial, Khanid, Molea, Amarr
EVE Travel Agency, Genesis, Mozzidit, Genesis
The Monolith, Dead End, Genesis
EVE Gate, Genesis, New Eden, Genesis
Chribba Monument, Domain, Amarr,
True Creations Pool of Radiance Research Lab, Stain, 6QBH-S, Nullsec (south)
Steve Memorial, Esoteria, C9N-CC, Nullsec (south)
Massacres at M2-XFE Monument, Delve, M2-XFE, Nullsec (south west)
Titanomachy, Immensea, B-R5RB, Nullsec (south)
A History of War, Insmother, C-J6MT, Nullsec (east)
Pioneer's Sanctuary, Tenal, ZH3-BS, Nullsec (north)
Syndicate Executive Retreat Center and Cord of the Elements, Syndicate, D-B7YK, Intaki, Nullsec (west)
Epicenter, Anoikis, Thera, Wormhole
Sisters of Eve Flotilla (Drifter wormhole), Anoikis, Redoubt, Wormhole
Stop one: Katia Sae Monument
System: Saisio
Region: The Forge
Image credit: Tamayo, Signal Cartel
Katia Sae is a Caldari capsuleer born 31 March YC85 on Saisio III (Achura) in the Okomon Constellation. Achur pilots have only recently taken to the stars and - true to her ancestry - she is considered a Stargazer among her people. Having explored all of the New Eden cluster, there is little doubt of Katia’s dedication and desire to unlock the secrets of the universe.
Katia began her journey from her home system of Saisio with her first gate jump being the Abagawa gate on December 1st YC111 (2009). Visiting the Abagawa gate today, you’ll find the Achura Stargazers Society’s Monument to Katia Sae’s achievement.
Stop two: Birthday Bash
System: Tunudan
Region: Pochven
Image credit: Mark726, EVE Travel
In June of 2020, a capsuleer by the name of Chappy78 Chapman wanted to celebrate his final birthday. The player behind the character had recently been informed that his cancer had returned; the diagnosis was terminal with very little chance of survival. He decided to celebrate life and wanted to do it with his online family. At first, Chappy wanted to celebrate by forming a fleet to go looking for trouble, but the news of his situation spread fast with several of the big Nullsec alliances and CCP getting involved. What happened next was a celebration of over 2,000 EVE Online players gathering in two massive fleets, blasting each other.
The result was a fight that lasted around 12 hours with hundreds of billions of ISK lost, including Chappy’s Phoenix dreadnought. CCP honoured the event by leaving the wrecks as monuments in the Tunudan system. Over the course of the next year, Chappy would overcome the odds to win his battle against cancer.
Stop three: Battle of Iyen-Oursta Monument
System: Iyen-Oursta
Region: Sinq Laison
Image credit: Arachnis, Signal Cartel, TripTiks
From Aura: “This monument marks the sacrifice of all those who died or were injured in the Battle of Iyen-Oursta. Let peace prevail and nevermore war darken these stars [...] The climactic battle of the Gallente-Caldari War was fought over the system of Iyen-Oursta in late BYC10. An outlying colony system that had attempted to remain neutral in what was effectively an interstellar civil war, Iyen-Oursta was viewed as strategically important by both the Gallente and Caldari. Inevitably, both sides moved to secure the system for their own, and a major battle resulted. The battle is historically notable as the first battle in which capsule-controlled vessels were used in large numbers by a non-Jovian empire.”
Stop four: Old Man Darieux’s Stargate
System: Old Man Star
Region: Essence
Image credit: Mark726, EVE Travel
From Aura: “A unique stargate constructed by Ceul ‘Old Man’ Darieux - using a fleet of drones of his own design - following a disastrous navigation accident that left him as the sole survivor of a Federation gate-building expedition.
“In YC11, a Gallente gate-builder vessel was sent to construct a link between the then Ouperia system and Villore. A critical error in the gate-builder ship’s jump drive navigation systems placed the ship several light years off course, in the middle of an asteroid cluster. In the confused aftermath, an asteroid struck the vessel and killed four of the five crew. Ceul Darieux was left with the daunting task of regaining control of the ship and somehow completing his mission or returning home.”
Stop five: Project Discovery Phase One Monument
System: Lanngisi
Region: Metropolis
Image credit: Mark726, EVE Travel
Project Discovery is a minigame within EVE Online supporting citizen science projects. Phase One engaged the player community - analysing COVID-19 data to help scientists’ understand its impact on our immune systems. Over 327,000 players made 115 million data submissions, saving scientists 330 years of research on how COVID-19 affects human blood cells and immune systems.
From Aura: “In YC118, the Sisters of EVE launched the Project Discovery citizen science platform to the capsuleer community through the GalNet […] Beginning on YC118.03.09, Project Discovery's Phase One work was aimed at achieving a comprehensive categorisation and analysis of tissue samples acquired from the Drifters since their emergence in early YC117.”
Stop six: Duvolle Gravitational Wave Observatory and Trace Cosmos
System: Gererique
Region: Solitude
Image credit: Strelnikova, Signal Cartel, TripTiks
From Aura: “This Duvolle Laboratories corporate research facility was established in the Gererique system to take advantage of its close proximity to the field of miniscule black holes and weird spatial rifts known as ‘Trace Cosmos’. Gererique has the notable distinction of being the only inhabited system that comes close enough to sections of Trace Cosmos to make the phenomenon visible to the naked eye. The results of research conducted at this observatory are considered closely guarded trade secrets of Duvolle Laboratories.”
Stop seven: Fallen Capsuleers Memorial
System: Molea
Region: Khanid
Image credit: Vanessa Pacht-Feng, Signal Cartel, TripTiks
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “Realising the need for capsuleers to remember their own, in YC109 capsuleer Azia Burgi, along with a few friends, decided to collect corpses they found floating in space after battles and pirate encounters. A cathedral-like structure in the Kor-Azor system seemed like the perfect resting place for the recovered bodies. They placed them in anchored secure containers around the structure, much like a planetside graveyard.
“After a time, the containers would degrade, making the site more and more difficult to maintain. The decision was made to move the cemetery to the Molea system around the first moon orbiting the second planet, under the protective shields of a capsuleer station, also known as a POS.
“Thankfully, in YC122, after many years of faithful hard work, the Upwell Consortium built the Fallen Capsuleers Memorial to replace the ageing and vulnerable POS that once tended the final resting place of those who’ve passed. Today, the site has earned the respect it deserves across the community.”
Stop eight: EVE Travel Agency
System: Mozzidit
Region: Genesis
Image credit: Katia Sae
Several capsuleers inspired Katia Sae on her journey, one of whom was Mark726 and his blog EVE Travel. After more than ten years of exploring and documenting nearly two hundred sights around the cluster, Mark726 built the foundation in Mozzidit where it all began, establishing himself in the lore of New Eden. It’s the most exhaustive travel resource you’ll ever find. His hard work and dedication over the years is admired by all that read his blog, and the ‘EVE Travel Agency’ is a fitting tribute.
Stop nine: The Monolith
System: Dead End
Region: Genesis
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Aura: “It’s full of stars.”
Stop ten: EVE Gate
Region: Genesis
System: New Eden
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Aura: “The EVE Gate is a giant jump gate located in the New Eden system. The letters ‘EVE’ are prominently written over the top of the gate, although their meaning is unknown. Although located three light-years from New Eden's star, the gate can be seen as a bright 'blob' in the sky. At this distance, it would take several years of high-speed travel to reach. The Sisters of EVE, and possibly others, conduct research on the gate despite the enormous amount of radiation it emits.
“It is a common belief that, several millennia ago, humanity's ancestors travelled through this gate and its then-stable wormhole to populate the New Eden cluster. When the wormhole later collapsed, the colonies were severed from the worlds which sustained them, bringing a dark age upon the inhabitable worlds.
“The EVE Gate is part of the religious beliefs of the Sisters of EVE. They believe it to be a gift from God and that it is His will that they study it thoroughly and unlock its secrets. According to the Sisters, God lives on the other side of the gate.”
Stop 11: Chribba Monument
System: Amarr
Region: Domain
Image credit: Katia Sae
Another capsuleer who inspired Katia Sae on her journey was Chribba.
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “Chribba is known as the most honest capsuleer in all of New Eden, and rightly so. From his first days as a capsuleer, Chribba was what some call a Veldspar enthusiast, happily mining in Highsec in his Revelation-class dreadnought.
“He first gained acclaim in the wider capsuleer community as a GalNet tools developer, but where his reputation really began to shine was when he started brokering titan and supercarrier transactions as a neutral third-party dealing in billions of ISK [...] This monument, located in the Amarr system of the Domain region, is a testament to his legacy of trust and peaceful industry.”
Stop 12: True Creations Pool of Radiance Research Lab
System: 6QBH-S
Region: Stain
Image credit: Strelnikova, Signal Cartel, TripTiks
From Signal Cartel’s TripTiks: “This system boasts a colourful and enormous maelstrom as its backdrop. The sight is both scary and beautiful, and the system's magnetic and terrible nature can't be ignored. Sansha's Nation has built a facility in the system with the aim of studying the crystal structures around the Pool of Radiance event. If anyone enters the area without permission, they should be prepared for immediate action from True Creations’ forces.”
Stop 13: Steve Memorial
System: C9N-CC
Region: Esoteria
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “In September YC108, the leader of the alliance Ascendant Frontier, Cyvok, proclaimed, ‘The face of warfare in New Eden has changed forever. Now let’s name the !*%£er’ Showing a penchant for quirkiness that capsuleers are well known for, ‘Steve’ - the first ever capsuleer-built titan - was born. But Ascendant Frontier’s elation at Steve’s construction was short-lived. Just a few months later, the first ever capsuleer-built titan became the first ever titan loss.
“There is some mystery as to exactly what went wrong, be it capsuleer error, technological breakdown, or some sort of corporate conspiracy. Whatever the case, what we do know is that Cyvok was not around when scouts from Band of Brothers learned of Steve’s location, found it vulnerable, and rushed to inform their commanders. In the blink of an eye, the captainless ship was crippled and destroyed, with nearly nineteen-thousand crew still onboard. Steve’s wreck in C9N-CC continues to burn to this day.”
Stop 14: Massacres at M2-XFE Monument
System: M2-XFE
Region: Delve
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “A more recent conflict, the Imperium and PAPI War of YC122, only demonstrates the continued escalation and proliferation of titans and capital ship warfare. In stark contrast to the time of Steve - when the construction and destruction of a single titan sent shockwaves throughout New Eden - today the loss of over 450 titans over the course of just a few days seems to be par for the course.
“Here, PAPI forces continued their push into Imperium space. In only the first twelve hours of the conflict, the system saw over 250 titans lost, and the battle raged over several more days. The Imperium successfully defended, though both sides claimed victory after the initial engagement. Over the following weeks, PAPI continued their offensive. The peak of the battle saw 6,739 pilots in a single system, breaking all previous records. At final count, 450 titans were lost, along with over 20,000 other vessels. In the end, Imperium could not hold the system.
“To both sides of this conflict, we honour you and your crews who sacrificed and fought for what you believe in.”
Stop 15: Titanomachy
System: B-R5RB
Region: Immensea
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “YC116, only eight years after the face of warfare in New Eden had changed forever, titans were no longer the cherished queens of the battlefield they had once been. Once rare and devastating, titans had proliferated to become just another pawn that could be offered up in sacrifice to the gods of war.
“The Bloodbath of B-R5RB occurred here in the Immensea region during the height of the Halloween War. While it’s not exactly clear why, a sovereignty bill went unpaid in Pandemic Legion and N3’s staging area, opening up the system to be claimed. Enemy scouts for the CFC and Russian Coalition noticed the mistake and quickly jumped on the opportunity.
“Over the course of the 21 hour battle that ensued, 75 titans would be destroyed. Prior to this time, the most titans lost in a single conflict was about a dozen. The battle’s escalation engaged 7,500 capsuleers from over 700 corporations and 55 alliances, with losses amounting to a staggering 11 trillion ISK.”
Stop 16: A History of War
System: C-J6MT
Region: Insmother
Image credit: Katia Sae
From Katia Sae’s New Eden Traveller series: “Early YC108 was a time before titans, when dreadnoughts were the most expensive asset on the field of battle. Red Alliance was one of the largest Nullsec sovereignty holders, claiming about 450 systems spread across five regions. Of course, that kind of achievement created enemies along the way for Red Alliance, and none were more formidable than the Coalition of the South.
“Pushed back on its heels after losing most of its territory, Red Alliance fell back on the age-old tactics of guerilla warfare and small gang assaults. After a particularly successful battle, they reclaimed C-J6MT in Red Alliance's home region of Insmother. They vowed to never lose it again.
“The Coalition quickly put that vow to the test, throwing vast numbers against Red Alliance. Despite being outnumbered six to one - a comparison that would strike fear in any Commander's heart - Red Alliance held. Against all odds, their much smaller force stood firm against the onslaught of the Coalition of the South. After that, the Coalition lost the will to continue the war.”
Stop 17: Pioneer's Sanctuary
System: ZH3-BS
Region: Tenal
Image credit: Rani Ulfr, Signal Cartel
From Aura: “This bustling space port has seen better days. It was built some years ago by ambitious gas harvesters intent on capitalising on the booster craze that gripped space navigators all over the known universe. But conflict with the Guristas Pirates looms on the horizon unless their ludicrous demands are met. And with the difficulty of summoning mercenary reinforcements out here, the conflict looks to become pretty one-sided.
“Today the settlement is composed of various racial and cultural groups, being a popular stopping point for freelance harvesters and mercenaries from many corners of inhabited space, intent on cashing in on the ‘gas rush’.”
Stop 18: Intaki Syndicate Executive Retreat Center and Cord of the Elements
System: D-B7YK
Region: Syndicate
Image credit: Arachnis, Signal Cartel, TripTiks
From Signal Cartel’s TripTiks: “Less than a dozen jumps from the Intaki Syndicate's home system of Poitot, the Executive Retreat Center provides a rare and breathtaking view of an otherwise-concealed dark-cloud anomaly, and a markedly less breathtaking view of an admittedly luxurious facility probably used by bored Syndicate executives for mandatory team-building exercises. The Cord is visible from anywhere in D-B7YK, but the Retreat Center is a natural choice for photography.”
Stop 19: Epicenter
System: Thera
Region: Anoikis
Image credit: Katia Sae
In November of YC117 (2015), Katia Sae had finished Phase I of her journey, visiting all of known space (K-Space). After taking a break, she returned to her explorations on January 3rd, YC118 starting Phase II: the exploration of Anoikis (wormhole space). First stop was Thera, the crossroads of wormhole space where she was greeted by Mynxee and a fleet of Signaleers celebrating the completion of Phase I and the start of Phase II. Katia would base out of Thera for the first six months of her exploration of Anoikis.
The Epicenters can be found in various shattered wormholes systems as well as the crossroads wormhole system of Thera. Not much is known about the Epicenters other than they are generally 250 kilometres across, which is long enough to warp from one side to the other.
Mark726 of EVE Travel notes “the Epicenter demonstrates a melding of both Talocan and Sleeper components. Many of the traditional Sleeper stations can be found at Epicenters, such as enclaves, preservation conduits, and thermoelectric converters. You can find these kinds of buildings within almost any Sleeper site in Anoikis.”
Stop 20: Sisters of EVE Flotilla
System: J174618 (Drifter wormhole Redoubt)
Region: Anoikis
Image credit: Mark726, EVE Travel
On March 9th, YC121, nearly ten years after Katia Sae began, she visited the Drifter wormhole J174618, Redoubt, and completed her travels. The Great Fleet, a fleet of over 70 Signaleers, met Katia in her home system of Saisio to celebrate the completion of her extraordinary journey.
In each of the five Drifter wormholes, Barbican J110145, Conflux J200727, Redoubt J174618, Sentinel J055520, and Vidette J164710, there can be found a Sisters of EVE Flotilla. Why they are there and what they are doing is unknown. Whatever they find or discover, we may never know. Perhaps one day.
Now you know where you need to go, visit the Katia Sae’s Grand Tour bounty and prepare to fly.
All of the descriptions and images above were provided by Katia with the help of Aura, TripTiks, EVE Travel and other sources. Some text has been amended for brevity.
Created at . Page last updated at .