Tomb of the Unknowns

"While the body may pass, the deed will forever endure. These hallowed halls embody our duty to remember forever and always. May these Gears rest in honored glory."

—Tomb of the Unknowns Monument.

Gears 5 Tomb of the Unknowns exterior — The Tomb of the Unknowns during the Battle of Old Ephyra

The Tomb of the Unknowns was a graveyard and tomb for many of the greatest and most decorated Gears of the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army. Located across the street from the House of Sovereigns in Ephyra, the Tomb housed unknown Gears killed in the Pendulum Wars, and war heroes who are awarded an Embry Star.^[1] It later commemorated the Gears lost during the Locust War, Stranded Insurgency, and Lambent Pandemic.

Famous Burials and Monuments[]

Sgt. Major Grame J^[1]
Major Helena Stroud^[1]
Private Carlos Santiago
Mausoleum dedicated to recipients of the Embry Star^[1]
Monument dedicated to the Siege of Anvil Gate^[1]
Memorial Wall inscribed with the Gears killed from 17 B.E. - 17 A.E.
The Eternal Flame

History[]

Pendulum Wars[]

Memorial garden — The Memorial Garden and Eternal Flame before Emergence Day.

The Siege of Anvil Gate[]

The Battle of Aspho Fields[]

Locust War[]

Lightmass Offensive[]

The tomb was the site of much action in the Lightmass Offensive, and was the setting for Lieutenant Minh Young Kim and Redshirt Gyules' deaths, as well as the fight between Marcus, Dom and a Berserker. As the only way to kill the creature was to use the Hammer of Dawn, the memorial garden at the back of the building provided a good outdoor area to use the deadly weapon to full effect.^[2]

Before Emergence Day, only the most important Gears of Sera would have been buried here. Now, with the Locust Horde invasion, many of the burial sites have most likely been desecrated by Emergence Holes or Seeders. All that is left of the building is now in ruins.

Interwar Period[]

By 14 A.E. the Tomb of the Unknowns had been abandoned along with the city of Ephyra. By 17 A.E., however, the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon created by Professor Adam Fenix destroyed the Lambent forces and neutralized the Locust Horde, ending the 17 year war and finally entering Sera into an era of peace.

Anya Stroud became the leader of the new Coalition of Ordered Governments, acting as First Minister. First Minster Stroud employed the help of former comrade and friend, Damon Baird, to build New Ephyra. Using a three-dimensional printing machine using recycled materials, called the Fabricator, Baird built an construction crew known as DeeBees to use the ruins of Old Ephyra to build the new capital of New Ephyra.

However, while DB Industries was dismantling Old Ephyra for building materials, the Tomb was left untouched. Restoration efforts were being made by the COG to preserve and eventually reopen the Tomb to the public. This would make it one of Tyrus's few historical sites to still be valued by the COG.

Among the restoration, the Coalition also erected a postwar memorial wall dedicated to the memory, service and sacrifice of Gear soldiers who were killed in the line of duty throughout the Pendulum Wars, the Locust War, the Stranded Insurgency, and the Lambent Pandemic.

Swarm War[]

Battle of Old Ephyra[]

The Tomb of the Unknowns was one of the areas fought at during the Battle of Old Ephyra, as the Swarm Army attempted to attack New Ephyra by invading the Old Ephyra ruins. In order to defend New Ephyra, Damon Baird had COG squads plant Hammer of Dawn beacons across the Old Ephyra ruins, one of them being the Tomb of the Unknowns, led by Garron Paduk.

Cpt. James Dominic Fenix, Lt. Delmont Walker, and Cpl. Kait Diaz arrived at the Tomb to assist Paduk and plant the beacon. In between the waves of attacks by Swarm forces, Cpl. Kait Diaz laid down relics belonging to previous Gears who died during the previous wars and saluted those inscribed on the memorial wall. After planting the beacon, the Kraken destroyed it. Queen Reyna Diaz of the Swarm confronted Delta Squad and captured them, forcing Cpl. Diaz to choose between saving Cpt. Fenix or Lt. Walker, with the other being killed by Queen Reyna.

Due to both the Kraken and use of the Hammer of Dawn, the Tomb of the Unknowns was destroyed, along with the majority of Old Ephyra.

Behind the Scenes[]

Gears 5 Tomb of the Unknowns Memorial — The memorial wall: "Inscribed Here Are the Lost"

All the names inscribed on the memorial wall in Gears 5 are every single character in the Gears of War franchise, appearing or mentioned, who died fighting for the COG during the Pendulum Wars, Locust War, Stranded Insurgency, and the Lambent Pandemic.
If nine specific collectibles in the Gears 5 campaign are collected, an easter egg can be activated at the memorial wall. The items will be placed in front of the wall one at a time, eliciting a quote from its owner. After the nine items have been placed, Kait will salute, and silhouettes of the items' original owners will appear. The collectibles, their owners, and quotes are as follows:
- Weathered Glasses (Adam Fenix) - "But all I can do is make sure you all have a future."
- Chairman's Wristwatch (Richard Prescott) - "Go forth, and bring back the hope of humanity!"
- Storied Embry Star (Dominic Santiago) - "Look, Marcus is busy saving the world again, so, I gotta be there for him."
- Worn Lighter (Michael Barrick) - "Here's to the good fight, and living to see another day!"
- Lost Gear Helmet (Benjamin Carmine) - "Private Ben Carmine, sir! Reporting for duty, sir!"
- Islander's Lost Earring (Tai Kaliso) - "Everything happens for a reason."
- Faded Photograph (Alicia Valera) - "Every life we save today is something special. It's another chance for someone."
- Ruptured Gear Helmet (Anthony Carmine) - "Something's wrong with this thing. It keeps jamming!"
- COG Tags: Minh Young Kim (Minh Young Kim) - "Welcome to Delta Squad."