Stobe

Stobe is a character in Kenshi lore. The two zones Stobe's Gamble and Stobe's Garden are named in honor of him. His remains can be found in Stobe's Garden, east of a Reaver Camp and west of Ark. 

The Skeleton Bandits often speak about Stobe. They, along with most Skeletons, seem to acknowledge him as a deity. Though it is not known explicitly what he did to earn this respect, a few conclusions can be made:

• Whatever Stobe did, it was enough to earn the respect of all Skeletons (at least the ones you can play as, and that acknowledge his existence).
• He might be a behemoth. Stobe while being significantly larger than your average Skeleton is also significantly smaller than the Behemoth bodies found in Obedience, whilst also looking significantly different. Most Skeleton behemoths died in the massacre at Obedience or the war leading up to it, but he seems to have survived—or, perhaps, he was the reason the massacre was deemed necessary.
• Skeletons do not seem to agree on what Stobe was supposed to represent and achieve. Elder, the leader of Skeleton Bandits, calls him an "exterminator of the human plague", but also a "martyr".
  • If a Skeleton character interacts with Elder, the only response that the said Skeleton can state in response to Elder's dialogue is that Stobe being "exterminator of the human plague" is a lie and that Elder himself is also aware of it. This is verifiable as true given the existence of Humans in Kenshi. However, it's unclear if Stobe had the intention of exterminating humans but failed, or did not have such intention to begin with.
  • In the same branch of dialogue above, Elder also states that calling Stobe "exterminator of the human plague" is a "justice" that is "ironic". And that through this "Stobe is finally getting the recognition he deserves" and "a fitting retribution to top it off". It is unclear or at least not explicitly stated in what exact sense it's ironical in, who the target of retribution is, and if Elder wants Stobe to have recognition out of veneration or vilification for/against him.

Stobe's death is mostly shrouded in mystery. Stobe's 'Gamble', as a name, seems to imply it was the site where he met his demise, with the 'Garden' being where life went on. Not too far from where Stobe lay dead, you can find what appears to be a rocket or missile partially buried in the sand. Unlike most random space junk in the world, this world item seems deliberately placed. Perhaps this was the Ancients' contingency plan to end life on Kenshi following their collapse or abandonment of the island/planet, which Stobe sacrificed himself to stop. This would make more sense than a showdown where Stobe was 'killed' by an army or another Behemoth, as whatever killed him would then go on to kill the other races he tried to preserve. In the case of a rocket or missile, it would not go on to kill—even if Stobe dies in the process of stopping it.

There are clearly holes in this theory; but it seems the most plausible given the lack of additional information in-game and environmental storytelling surrounding Stobe and the area his husk inhabits.

Connection with Chitrin

According to the Book of Sacrifice, it told the story of Father Chitrin, an ancient and long-forgotten deity within the Holy Nation religion which at one point saved the planet from some unknown calamity. Judging by the theory already presented, Stobe's status and reverance as a "matyr" and the inclusion of the giant wrecked missile points to several possible conclusions.

1. Chitrin and Stobe are the Same person and is a Behemoth
   1. According to the Book of Sacrifice, Chitrin was "betrayed" by his "children" but yet despite this betrayal, he appeared forgiving of their "sins" and thus sacrificed himself to save them from calamity. The almost mytical status of a savoir and matyr is shared between the two, alluding to them being one of the same.
   2. Secondly, according to the dialogue spoken when entering Obedience with a Skeleton, Stobe's unwavering devotion to save his children despite their "sins" and "betrayals" shares the same flaws as those of the Behemoths because of their own sense of "blind obedience and unquestioning loyalty" to their human masters.
2. The Skeletons revolted against Humanity and launched a dooms-day weapon
   1. The Obedience dialogue made it clear that "man became afraid of the destructive capabilities of its own creations" and thus the First Empire most likely consisted of Human masters as the First Empire's destruction were repeatedly mentioned to have been biological in nature. This would explain how the Skeletons were able to survive the First Extinction.
   2. Because of what happened within Obedience and the Behemoths, it can be assumed that the Skeletons feared for their own destruction and thus revolted against their Human masters.
   3. The Okanite theories books as well as the Mass Extinctions book all follow a similar theme of conflict between the Humans and Skeletons at some point in the past. This may explain why Okranites abhor Skeletons in their religious doctrine, because of the sentiment that they nearly wiped out humanity from the planet.
   4. The book "Scripture of Radiance Vol I." described the myth of a great battle which took place within the skies above between Narko and her Skeleton minions against Okran and his human followers supporting the theory of the missile-strike being the main event which almost spelt the doom of Humanity.
3. Stobe sacrified himself to save Humanity from the First Extinction.
   1. According to the book Mass Extinction III, it has been hypnotized by Atticus that a doom-day weapon of a biological nature was used to wipe out the First Empire, with a further theory stating that "an attack could have easily been carried out by the skeletons themselves."
   2. This is further supported by the wreckage of a massive missile next to where Stobe died.
   3. The book "Okranite Theories In Relation To Findings Series I" also supports the theory that a small group of surviving humans was saved from total extrinction by the hands of a great savior.
   4. This may explain why Narko and Okran were at one point the same being. and why the Okranite religion made a distinction of Stobe being one of light and one of darkness, for Stobe was an abhorrent Machine and yet unlike the Skeleton, he did not hate humanity but instead sacrificed himself because of his love for them, a lone machine that stood up for humanity against the other machines.
4. The Skeletons felt immense guilt for what they've done and thus sought to recreate Civilization.
   1. The sacrifice of Stobe on behalf of the humans was likely the reason why many Skeletons felt immense amount of guilt for their genocide against humans as evident with the CPU of Cat-Lon, which mentioned that "Cat-Lon's dream was to rebuild civilisation and make up for past mistakes" and to "undo the crimes and errors of Skeleton-kind and redeem themselves to mankind"
   2. This sense of guilt is best expressed within the book "The Mystery of Skeletech II", describing the sudden mass suicides of skeletons at an unknown point in history.
   3. This may also be a reason why many Skeletons suffer from memory loss and amnesia, so as to forget the misdeeds of their past. Others, like Iyo in the University of Machinist actively try to hide the Skeletons involvement with the First Extinciton based on an interact if the player is also a Skeleton "Look, you don't need to worry... no one will ever know the truth. As long as I am Finch's second-in-command, I will see to that myself."
   4. Thus, the Second Empire was most likely form as a way to recreate civilization and to shepherd and protect the surviving humans as atonement for Skeleton-kinds sin. It is from the Second Empire that the Okhranites first began to worship Chitrin and thus became the progenitor of the Holy Nation.

Trivia

Stobe's sacrifice and his involvement in stopping the missile strike which would've destroyed the last humans shares similarities with the movie Iron Giant.