Arca Monolith

The Arca Monolith is an artifact that is seemingly connected to the Reapers. It is introduced in Mass Effect: Evolution.

This device is first discovered by the turians who uncovered it at an unknown site where they transported onboard one of their vessels. The ship later crashed on the planet Shanxi and the turian crew members were transformed into Husks that guarded the relic. Its presence on Shanxi led to the First Contact War in 2157 against the Systems Alliance. The Turian Hierarchy dispatched General Desolas to retrieve the artifact and his search in an abandoned human settlement led to his capture by mercenaries Jack Harper, Ben Hislop and Eva. Unaware of Desolas's mission, they tracked his detachment down to a cave on the planet where Harper and Hislop entered into the cave. There, they fought the mutated turian guards and eliminated them but during the study of the relic; Ben Hislop touched it where he received a seemingly fatal energy surge. Harper attempted to save him only to be left in a coma. This incident allowed the turians to take the drop on Eva and capture the three whereupon they transported the relic away leading to an end to the First Contact War when the Citadel Council got involved in the matter.

Afterwards, it was transported secretly to the planet Illium for study. When Harper was returned to the Alliance, General Williams told him to investigate the matter which led to Jack and Eva arriving on Illium in order to track the artifact down. Using the local Extranet, they attempted to pose as people looking for the item which drew Saren Arterius out with his bodyguard of Husks in order to capture Harper who demonstrated his ability to understand the strange language exuded by the Monolith. Seeing this, he had his bodyguards sent to capture Harper and during the skirmish, it was revealed that one of the cloaked hulking figures was Ben Hislop who was now a Husk.