Miniknog

Typical Miniknog Society

The Miniknog is the oppressive government of Apex civil society and the main antagonist in the quest to fetch the Apex artifact. They are responsible for VEP, which transformed the Apex into the intelligent yet ape-like race seen now.

The player will encounter the Miniknog as the dominant power at Apex test facilities, Apex Miniknog bases, Apex city apartments, and Miniknog base space encounters, as well as the Miniknog stronghold. The Miniknog “leader”, Big Ape, is supposedly an all powerful, godlike Apex being who is constantly lionized by Miniknog propaganda. Despite what most Apex have been lead to believe, Big Ape is actually a fiction perpetuated by the Miniknog. It is not revealed in game to the player who is truly at the top of Apex society, but it appears to be some form of oligarchical ruling council.

The Miniknog is neither all-knowing nor all-powerful, as a large number of rebel camps exist across the known universe. As such, the Apex are the only race in the game shown to be engaged in a full-blown internal conflict.

History

The former name of the Miniknog.

Before it came into power, the Miniknog was known as the Ministry of Knowledge and were seemingly responsible for overseeing scientific efforts in Apex society. When the Cultivator bestowed the Apex with an artifact known as The Genesis Coil, it came into the Ministry of Knowledge's possession.

In a major bid for power, the Ministry of Knowledge, now reestablished as the "Miniknog", warned of a deadly waterborne pathogen that their doctors had already discovered a cure for. With the required vaccination of all citizens also came forced enrollment into the Vestigi-Evo Process, which significantly improved mental functions, but had the unintentional side effect of physically devolving the once-human-like species into apes. Within ten years, the entire Apex race had undergone VEP, marking a permanent change in their biology. The Miniknog have tried to reverse the physical devolution caused by VEP with the De-Ape programme, but the project has been wrought with issues, making it little more than a way to dispatch political dissenters.

In all likelihood, the pathogen that gave rise to the Miniknog was either never real, or was itself made by the Miniknog. Fabricating this disease would have allowed them to immediately take power, pose themselves as saviors, and enroll the entire race into participating in their experiments. With one simple move, the once-insignificant researchers of the Ministry of Knowledge had grown into an all-powerful regime not limited by ethics or funding, taking the Apex into an age of advancement at the expense of their freedom.

Quests

Players must fight the Miniknog in a mission assigned by Esther in order to fetch the Apex artifact. To accomplish this, the player must storm a Miniknog stronghold and defeat a holographic projection of Big Ape.

Randomly generated quests may occasionally feature Miniknog scouts as an adversary.

Opposition

As the Miniknog is a brutal government based upon an immense fog of lies and propaganda, there is a movement, the Apex Rebellion, that is bent upon overthrowing Miniknog rule. Anti-Miniknog rebels can be found in Apex rebel camps. Compared to the Miniknog’s highly advanced weaponry and tactics, arguably the best in the known universe, the rebel arsenal seems relatively makeshift. Despite this disadvantage, the resistance is still holding up. Lana Blake is one of the most important figures in the resistance movement.

Themed Decoratives

Anti-Miniknog Decoratives

A couple of anti-Miniknog-themed decorative objects are available.

Disobey Sign Headless Big Ape Statue

Pro-Miniknog Decoratives

A number of Miniknog-themed decorative objects are available.

Apex Male Bust Apex Poet Portrait Apex Scientist Statue Big Ape Bust Big Ape Cross-Stitch Big Ape Doll Big Ape Monument Big Ape Poster Big Ape Record Glorious Leader Painting Ministry of Knowledge Sign Obey Sign Reassignment Sign

Lore

The Miniknog (and the Rebels that oppose them) are the subject of a number of the codex entries discovered by the player.

Apex Rebel Camp

The Silly Miniknog La Resistance Rebel Dispatch Apex An Identity Lost

Apex City Apartments

The Superior Species Apex Ration Book Dissent in our Midst! Miniknog Crisis Aversion 10 Years On

Apex Miniknog Base

'Project: De-Ape' Lab Report RE: Selection bias! Side Effects of VEP

Apex Test Facility

10 Years On Side Effects of VEP Rebel Dispatch

Miniknog Stronghold

Contents Page Defensive Systems Miniknog R and D Report Report on Rebel Bases

Miniknog Space Base

Internal Report

Trivia

• "Big Ape" is a reference to "Big Brother", the term given for the government's figurehead in George Orwell's 1984. Likewise, the name "Ministry of Knowledge" (the original name of the Miniknog) is inspired by the various ministries mentioned in that book (e.g., Minitrue, Minipax, Miniluv, and Miniplenty). Just like said ministries, the Miniknog promotes the opposite of what it supposedly represents, sowing ignorance and misinformation while hoarding knowledge to itself. Perhaps before it became the totalitarian regime that it is now, the Miniknog did genuinely promote the advancement of the Apex's collective knowledge, but if so, it gave up such noble pursuits before living memory.