Players of Ark: Survival Evolved will soon have the opportunity to learn more about those who came before them by way of Explorer Notes, the first of which was revealed yesterday. These notes will tell the stories of the island's previous inhabitants, and also reveal their ultimate fates.

By studying their notes, learning through their experiences, and revealing the secrets they have discovered, you will be able to get closer to the heart of the mysteries surrounding the Ark, Studio Wildcard said. It added, with a winky-face, that not everyone can survive like on the Ark, which I'm guessing is a hint a to why you're now on the island, and your predecessors are not.

The studio said it's also going to stop, at least for now, rolling out new Dino Dossiers so that it can focus on catching up on the backlog it's already built up. We also want to see how the game evolves with further additions, so we can finalize what our remaining batch of creatures (Basilosaurus anyone?) will be and what they ll bring to the Ark, it wrote. Don t worry though—we ll still have a content reveal every Monday!

You'll notice that the first note, viewable up close below, is written in Chinese, which makes it trickier to read than you might have expected. Fortunately, the users of Steam are many and varied, and one of them has offered this translation, which I've edited slightly for clarity:

It has been four nights since I woke up. I'm writing the passing things down. If I go back, my family will ask me about this. If I am dead, I hope it can help others. The ghosts and monsters are everywhere, they are all scary and dangerous. I was scared and I couldn't sleep at night. I have been to many places but I cannot avoid them. The plants are also strange and I don't learn about them. Although I am away from my hometown, I must find a way to go back home. It's the most important thing.

It's rough, I'm guessing because the translator's first language isn't English, but you get the idea.

An all-new, almost-flying menace known as Phorusrhacidae rapidesultor has joined the strange realm of Ark: Survival Evolved. But don't worry about struggling with that tongue-twisting handle, because you can just call it the Terror Bird for short.

The Terror Bird stands from eight to 12 feet tall, and while it can't actually fly, it is capable of high-speed sprints and brief leaps. It's aggressive but can be tamed, and its combination of fast ground-based travel and near-flight capabilities makes an excellent combat mount. It's also kind of goofy looking, which I like: Getting smoked by a T. rex is one thing, but taking a thumping at the hands (claws?) of an oversized dodo bird adds a layer of humiliation to the action that I consider a real selling point.

The latest Ark update also includes the game-changing grappling hook tool that gives players the ability to climb sheer walls, snag objects, and drag (or be dragged by) creatures of various sorts, including those that fly. Tribal Alliances are now functional, enabling small Tribes to band together against larger ones in both PvP and PvE modes, and Coel fish now come in different sizes that provide differing amounts of resources.

The Ark: Survival Evolved Terror Bird update—technically known as version 2235—is live now, while the game itself is on sale for $20/ 15 as part of the ongoing Steam Lunar New Year Sale.