Journey to Idyll: Aniimo chapter 1 story and walkthrough

At a glance

• Where: Starfall Valley, the starting zone chosen by the Polaris Institute, then Astra.
• How it starts: automatically, at the start of the game.
• Prerequisites: none.
• Sections: An Idyllic Trip · Aniimo Catching Journey · The Mysterious Cavern · Institute Initiation.
• Characters: Nicole, BINI #9, Helion and Lunara, Principal Oswen, Instructor Lita, Nai-li, Dr. Lewis.
• Rewards: every completed section gives Aniimo EXP, Credits, Growth Flowers and Aniipods (details under each section).

1. An Idyllic Trip

You join the Polaris Institute expedition team as a special observer, planning to livestream the whole adventure. You have barely arrived when an overeager Emberpup shoots a fireball at you. Nicole, your guide, steps in just in time.

She walks you through your first catch: that same Emberpup becomes your first Aniimo. Starfall Valley mixes ponds, grassland and giant trees, and at least three Aniimo families live there. Nicole suggests you record every one of them.

Step by step

1. Follow Nicole to complete your identity verification.
2. Explore the area, then catch the Emberpup. That catch quest alone gives 20 Aniipods.
3. Catch up with Nicole when she calls you.
4. Use your Emberpup to burn the vines blocking the path, then enter the valley.

Section rewards: 5 Growth Flowers, 3,000 Credits, 422 Aniimo EXP, 10 Aniipods.

2. Aniimo Catching Journey

You explore the valley and fill your Aniilog. Nicole answers your questions along the way: an egg caught in vines is a wild Aniimo egg, the chests bear very old markings, and rumor has it that ruins are hidden in the valley, although no expedition has ever found them.

With the Outpost not ready yet, you take a break. Nicole explains the expedition’s goal: studying the Prismana Flow, a rare phenomenon that can transform Aniimo. She also tells you about the Institute’s badges. Suddenly, BINI #9 detects unidentified data, goes haywire and flies off with your account and your data. Chasing it, you watch it get swallowed by a huge ancient cube, and the same force pulls you and Nicole in.

Step by step

1. Talk to Nicole, then chase after BINI #9.
2. Catch a Celestis, a Hummin and a Skippy, then head back to Nicole.
3. Out of Aniipods? Go see Nicole: she gives you 10.

Nicole’s tips, straight from the game:

• An Aniimo that camouflages itself got scared. Back off, wait for it to lower its guard, then try the catch again from farther away.
• You have better odds catching an Aniimo from behind or from the side, or while it eats or sleeps.
• Odd-looking lotus leaves may hide a surprise: take a step back before you approach.
• An egg stuck in vines comes free once you burn the vines with your Emberpup.

Section rewards: 5 Growth Flowers, 5,000 Credits, 1,234 Aniimo EXP, 10 Aniipods.

3. The Mysterious Cavern

You wake up in ancient ruins covered in murals. One shows Aniimo and people in a city; another shows the exact shape of the cube that took BINI. When the murals light up, the sun and moon symbols come to life and turn into two small Aniimo: Helion, the embodiment of Sol, courage and light, and Lunara, the embodiment of Lun, harmony and wisdom.

They explain that a human can receive only one of their blessings. You make your choice, but nothing happens: after their long sleep, their powers and memories are still hazy. Then the ground starts shaking. The “big cube” has woken up, and it is furious.

You find Nicole facing the Ancestor Prism while BINI helps the enemy. The cube summons stronger and stronger Aniimo. At the last moment, Instructor Lita arrives and tells you the only way to win is to Twine. You bring down an Infergon, but the cube spins out of control. Helion and Lunara unleash all their power and briefly take the adult forms shown in the mural. Pushed back, the cube shrinks into a palm-sized cube. Exhausted, the two Aniimo turn small again: your companion collapses beside you, and the other returns to the mural.

Back in Astra, clips from your livestream play on the plaza’s big screen. The expedition is on hold. Principal Oswen meets you and Nicole: he invites you to join the Polaris Institute, and the Institute returns BINI #9, repaired by Lita’s team.

Step by step

1. Explore the cavern and talk to the mysterious Aniimo: this is where you choose Helion or Lunara.
2. Go see what’s happening, and help Nicole defeat the mysterious Aniimo.
3. Defeat the enemy: Lita urges you to fight while Twined.
4. In Astra, talk to Principal Oswen and Nicole.

Section rewards: 5 Growth Flowers, 10,000 Credits, 1,771 Aniimo EXP, 10 Aniipods.

4. Institute Initiation

Nicole gives you a tour of the Institute. Through the skylight camera, you can see Idyll right below Astra. At the front desk, Nai-li, a student who works there part-time, asks the question: do you want to join the Polaris Institute?

If you say no, a long vision plays out: an ordinary life in Astra, a companion you never see again, losing touch with Nicole, and years of regret about that world. You snap back at the front desk, feeling as if you had an endless dream; your companion suspects the cube is influencing you. You enroll, receive your uniform, and Nai-li points you to the Holographic Discovery Booth, where the Institute displays a rare Prismana Aniimo.

Nicole then introduces Dr. Lewis, an instructor in the Pathfinding Department who leads the expedition. You become a full member. Before you leave, Principal Oswen gives you a badge case that already holds his own Starbound Journey Badge, the Institute’s rarest distinction. You promise to fill the case with achievements of your own.

On Idyll, at the Outpost, Dr. Lewis shows you the Research Console and tells you about the Prismana Flow: Aniimo exposed to it can take rare forms, like his Icho. As you leave, a huge winged Aniimo sweeps overhead. Nobody sees it but you and your companion. Dr. Lewis gives you your first mission: go to the Branch, the giant dandelion that symbolizes the Vein, and earn its recognition.

Step by step

1. Follow Nicole on the Institute tour, up to the front desk.
2. Finish the tour and make your choice, then complete the enrollment ceremony.
3. Report to Dr. Lewis, then go to Idyll.
4. At the Outpost, upload your catch results to the Research Console, then talk them over with Dr. Lewis. Uploaded data earns research points, which the Institute rewards.
5. Follow Dr. Lewis out of the Outpost.
6. You can also talk to Bohr by the Holographic Discovery Booth.

Section rewards: 300 Safaris, 5 Growth Flowers, 10,000 Credits, 1,440 Aniimo EXP, 10 Aniipods.

Characters you meet

• Nicole: an expedition team member and your guide. She only Twines with Stella, her Celestis.
• BINI #9: your terminal and assistant, which translates, scans and takes calls.
• Helion and Lunara: the two Aniimo from the mural, embodiments of Sol and Lun.
• Principal Oswen: head of the Polaris Institute, and once an explorer of Idyll himself.
• Lita: a Battle Art instructor who steps in inside the cavern.
• Nai-li: an Institute student working the front desk.
• Dr. Lewis: a Pathfinding Department instructor who leads the expedition. His partner Icho is a Prismana Form Scorchhowl.
• Bohr: head of the Aniimology Department.

What’s next?

The next chapter, Setting Out Again, sends you to the Branch and then to Nimbus Fields. To place everything on the map, open the interactive map of Idyll. You can also read the Aniimo story summary or the characters page.

Read next

• Aniimo story summary Story and quests
• Aniimo characters Story and quests

All of Aniimo’s story and quests

Frequently asked questions

Helion or Lunara: which one should I pick at the start of Aniimo?

In the cavern, you choose the blessing of one of the two. Helion embodies Sol, courage and light; Lunara embodies Lun, harmony and wisdom. The one you pick becomes your companion, and the other goes back to sleep in the mural. The story follows the same path either way: only your companion's lines change.

Can you refuse to join the Polaris Institute?

You can say no at the front desk, but the game then plays a vision of an ordinary life in Astra and brings you back to the same question. The story moves on once you accept.

I ran out of Aniipods in Starfall Valley. What now?

Go back to Nicole. A short dedicated quest has her give you 10 Aniipods.