[ DIXOTOMIA ]
Who Is Lying to Reynor? Price and Stern (Dixotomia Spoilers)
Spoiler warning: this post reveals the lies at the heart of Dixotomia's story, including the reveals from the design notes.
In Dixotomia's lore, nearly everyone who gives Reynor orders is lying to him. Edward Price withholds what he knows and wants the Spark at any cost. Otto Stern sells the toxin in Reynor's arm as a bonus and denies knowing Duncan. The design notes add that the attack itself was engineered. This post separates what the novelization pages show from what the design notes add.
What do the novelization pages show?
The novelization pages establish seven facts, and each points at someone in authority:
| Clue | What it shows | Who it points to |
|---|---|---|
| Three years of dead relay | The comms blackout is deliberate: Tibet blocks the planetary link and someone knocked out the achron station at counter-Varna | Tibet |
| A three month warning | Everyone on Karna knew the inspectors were coming, despite a manual that says to arrive quietly | Tibet |
| Johnny's closed door | Johnny had secrets and died before explaining | Johnny |
| Troopers shooting troopers | The massacre is Tibet killing its own, and the suit AI cannot read their telemetry | Tibet security |
| The Spark order | Price wants it at any cost, from a man he has just registered as a private | Price |
| The toxin | Stern controls what is in Reynor's bloodstream and sells the side effects as a bonus | Stern |
| The name Duncan | Stern denies knowing a name Reynor heard a monster say aloud | Stern |
How does Price lie?
Price's lies are mostly lies of omission, delivered in a warm voice. His first order is to retrieve the Spark from D6 at any cost, out of a burning building, from a man he has only just registered as a private. Then Price softens: he calls him Ron, says he is closest to the Spark and asks him not to let him down.
The order itself is inconsistent. It says F5 on the open channel and F4 on the private one, and the lore leaves open whether that is a trap or a slip.
The design notes then add more. Price confirms that Johnny is missing while knowing better, blames Viviana Eidenhart and sends Reynor to the Tower. There, dying, she says that Price is not who he seems. The profile Who is Edward Price in Dixotomia? covers his background.
How does Stern lie?
Stern lies in a clinical voice. He says the creature cannot be identified. He calls the massacre a mass insanity that lasted a while and then stopped, even though the story has just shown Tibet troopers firing on each other.
On the toxin, he admits the truth and spins it: an active neurotoxin around the wound will not yield to direct removal, omicron blockers restrain its spread, and as a small compensation they will slightly enhance Reynor's abilities until he is cured. Then Reynor asks his last question, who Duncan is. Stern takes off his glasses, wipes them on his sleeve and says he has no idea. Who is Otto Stern? has his dossier.
What do the design notes add?
The novelization pages stop mid-scene as Reynor leaves Stern's office. The design notes carry on:
- Stern engineered the attack to advance his research.
- Price was in on it, but only to neutralise Johnny.
- Neither of them planned for a third party to abduct Johnny.
- Price blames Viviana Eidenhart and sends Reynor to the Tower.
- Dying, Viviana says Price is not who he seems.
- At the Refinery, Reynor finds footage proving Johnny is alive.
How do the two sources compare?
Putting the sources side by side shows how much the design notes add:
| Question | Novelization pages | Design notes |
|---|---|---|
| Who caused the attack? | Not stated | Stern engineered it, and Price was in on it |
| What happened to Johnny? | He dies in the corridor | Price calls him missing, a third party abducts him and footage shows him alive |
| Who does Price blame? | Not stated | Viviana Eidenhart |
| What is the toxin for? | Stern calls the side effects a small compensation | Stern wants to perfect the mutation |
| Where does Reynor go next? | Stern's office, where the pages end | The Tower, then the Refinery |
Why do the lies work?
Each lie comes wrapped in something useful. Price's order is urgent and delivered warmly, with a nickname. Stern's explanation arrives with a treatment and a perk. Reynor has little time and little to check against: the relay is dead, his friend is dying, the troopers are shooting at him and Esmeralda shows nothing at all.
That is the lore's idea of a company town in miniature. Every source of information is owned by the people who benefit from controlling it.
What does each liar want?
| Character | Motive according to the design notes |
|---|---|
| Edward Price | The planet's resources, and an army to exterminate the infected |
| Otto Stern | To perfect the mutation and run his experiments openly |
| Viviana Eidenhart | Beauty, youth and material supremacy, not power |
| Alister Duncan | Revenge, and augmentation without limit |
The motives show why the lies work. Price wants resources and an army. Stern wants room to experiment. Neither motive needs Reynor to know the truth.
What stays open?
Some questions remain open in the lore:
- Whether the F5 and F4 mismatch in Price's order is a trap or a slip.
- Whether Esmeralda Ortega, who binned the label on Reynor's treatment file, is on anyone's side.
- Whether Duncan dies in the hall fight.
- Who exactly knocked out the achron station at counter-Varna.
There is no Mine 17 investigation on the page, no confrontation with Price and no resolution. For the full sequence, read Dixotomia story explained.
Dixotomia is a single-player VR sci-fi horror shooter, and the lies are what hold its mystery together. The game is on Steam, with a free demo for a first look.
Frequently asked questions
Who is lying to Reynor in Dixotomia?
In the lore, nearly everyone giving Reynor orders is lying to him. The two main liars are Edward Price, who withholds what he knows, and Otto Stern, who controls what is in Reynor's bloodstream and denies knowing Duncan.
Does Edward Price betray Reynor?
According to the design notes, Price was in on the engineered attack, but only to neutralise Johnny. He then blames Viviana Eidenhart and sends Reynor to the Tower, where she says Price is not who he seems.
What does Stern tell Reynor about the toxin?
Stern says a neurotoxin around the wound will not yield to direct removal, that omicron blockers only restrain it, and that the blockers will slightly enhance Reynor's abilities as a small compensation until he is cured.
Was the attack on Tibet HQ planned?
The design notes say Stern engineered the attack to advance his research and that Price was in on it. The novelization pages only show the attack, not its cause.