Ceph Mountain

Ceph Mountain
Location:	Located in the middle of the island
Description:	After growing from a meteor, the alien mountain is known to store a huge mass of energy which is used to power their machines to build aliens. An alien warrior is known to have been buried under the mountain and comes out after months of construction.
First Appearance:	Contact (covered with earthly skin, an uncovered gate shown during the opening cutscene) Onslaught (extraterrestial parts shown) Core (Internal parts fully shown) Paradise Lost (external parts fully shown) Adapt or Perish (Warhead)
Last Appearance:	Paradise Lost (visibility blocked afterward by the Ice Sphere) Frozen Paradise (visibility blocked afterward by the Ice Sphere)

The Ceph mountain is a mountain located in the middle of the island. The mountain seems to be absorbing energy from nearby energy sources such as electricity. Itself is in fact, the "Ceph Spaceship" itself buried under Earthly skin.

Geography

The Ceph mountain is 2 kilometers tall and covers part of the mine established under it. Inside, the mountain contains many chambers used to store the Ceph in it. The mountain is known to cause earthquakes on the island in which the KPA thought as volcanic activity. At the top of the mountain, smoke and dust is being released into the air.

During Crysis

The ceph mountain evolved from a meteor that came from a galaxy four million light years away, which took them years and years from the formation of the Earth and it's moon to 2020. After days by days, it opened up, expanding as it grew. KPA forces soon detected it, and investigated the island. The KPA soon evacuated civilians off the island, claiming that there is volcanic activity on the island. The KPA then got Rosenthal's team to work on the Ceph mountain and the Ceph "fossil". The KPA dug deep into the mountain's entrance and established a mine there for the research team to work on the relic.

The U.S. Military responded to the crisis and were aware about the Koreans, knowing that they are hiding something. After weeks, the mountain sealed off as rocks and soil covered it up and still causes earthquakes. During the events, it released Ceph scouts, causing terror around the island. Nomad soon learned the location of the relic with the help of Rosenthal's information as the U.S. assault the island. The Ceph mountain started an earthquake during the tank raid on the KPA as it shook off rocks, revealing the alien mountain. Nomad then secured the area near the mountain and headed into the mines. He found Helena Rosenthal and another scientist working on the mountain as he gets knocked out by Korean Nanosuits. Kyong then disabled the nanosuit of Nomad's and argued to Helena, ignoring the warning of electromagnetic activity increasing rapidly inside the mountain. He kills a scientist as he ordered his men to exploded the C4 placed on the mountain's entrance as electrical surges come out, killing Koreans, giving Kyong power, and activating Nomad's suit.

After killing Kyong, Nomad evacuated Helena as he is trapped inside the mountain. Nomad entered the Ceph mountain as he recordes footages of the interior of the mountain. On the USS Constitution, Helena tells Morrison that the mountain is one giant power source, which runs down the entier structure to supply the Ceph. Morrison told Nomad that the Ceph mountain is using energy sources to send messages into M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, which is almost 4 million light years away. He believes that the planet will be destroyed if the Ceph wins so he plans to use nuclear missiles to stop the Ceph, but fails to. Morrison stated that over a week ago in the event of Crysis, the US military detected hi-heated radioactive activity on the island, which confused them to be the KPA nukes being tested. In reality, it was actually the Ceph mountain that caused it.

During Crysis Warhead

The Ceph mountain is first seen in Adapt or Perish, covered with some earthly skin. Psycho and Eagle Team do not get close. It is known of being the main base of the Ceph. It releases many Ceph units out to attack any survivors and support Ceph forces outside of the sphere. The radioactivity on the island, which is actually caused by the aliens, confused Emerson that the container contains a nuclear missile.

USS Maine frozen inside the Ice Sphere with the Ceph Mountain in the background.

Trivia

• The Ceph mountain resemblies a volcano and acts like a volcano.
• The original Chinese name for the island was 靈山島 (Ling Shan Dao), which mean "the isle with the mountain of spirit". It was unclear whether the mountain was officially named Ling Shan, or "the mountain of spirit", through it seems well-suited.