Creating Al-An's Storage Medium (Body) - Subnautica: Below Zero Guide - IGN (2024)

Welcome to IGN's Subnautica: Below Zero walkthrough guide. This portion of the wiki will teach you to build AL-An's body, or new storage medium.

Creating Al-An's Storage Medium

Al-An is an Architect alien life form Robin first encounters while Finding Sanctuary Zero.

Al-An must build a new body and takes refuge in Robin until that time.

Throughout the story, Robin talks to Al-An and with his help, discovers Architect sites that will help him build a new body.

There are three main parts of Al-An's body:

• Architect Organs
• Architect Tissue
• Architect Skeleton

Let's walk through building each one.

Building Architect Organs

AL-An's organ blueprint is located in the Crystal Cache. Before you go, you will need the MK3 depth upgrade on your Seatruck so that your crush depth is 1,100 meters.

Building the MK3 Depth Module

If you haven't made it already, this will require the MK2 depth upgrade module as well. These materials you'll have already used before; it requires two Ruby, one Enameled Glass, the MK1 upgrade and one Synthetic Fiber. Don't forget—you don't need to craft a new upgrade module for this recipe. Just unequip the current one from your Seatruck.

The MK3 module requires one MK2 module, one Plasteel Ingot, two Kyanite and three Nickel. Of these, you may not yet have encountered Nickel or Kyanite.

Nickel can be found in the channel/cave system leading down to Marguerit's Seabse. If you aren't sure how to get there, return to the Finding Marguerit's Seabase page.

Instead of going all the way to her base, however, you'll want to stop short as you dive into the cave system and go no lower than about 270 meters deep.

You should be able to look around and find Nickel on the walls.

Next, you'll need Kyanite. And we should get enough to build Al-An's organs since the location is dangerous.

Kyanite is located in the Crystal Caves. From Margeurite's Seabse, you can continue downward and will find yourself in the caves filled with purple crystals.

But you aren't alone—the Shadow Leviathan lives here and is very dangerous. if you haven't already, be sure to stop by Marguerit's and pick up the free Perimeter Security Upgrade lying on her floor for your Seatruck. You can deploy it, which will force the Leviathan to let go of your Seatruck if it grabs on.

You'll want to dive into the deeper area of the cave where Kyanite is more plentiful. Grab four to five before you go, then return home to your Drop Pod and craft the MK3 module.

This recipe requires the Modification Station, which you build with Habitat Builder; you can't build either with the Fabricator.

Architect Organ Blueprint Location

Perhaps the easiest way to find the Architect Organs blueprint is by once again returning to Marguerit's Seabase, using the Mercury II wreck to guide you to the Lilypad Islands and down into the channel where her Seabase is located.

Then you can again find the Crystal Caves from this point.

You should also see Alien Architect PDA signal locations on your screen; Al-An will have uploaded these to you throughout the gameplay. As you move toward the Crystal Caves you will notice one of these signals is getting much closer; you can also use this PDA signal to help you navigate if you choose.

At this point we're looking for the Alien Body Cache signal. As you enter the Crystal Caves from Margeurit's, turn right and work your way down and east.

You'll need to squeeze your Seatruck through a couple of tight channels. Continue down and eastward. You should see vegetation and coral on the rocks around you.

The cavern will open into a large space with crystal formations on the top and bottom. If you dive into this large formation you will see a channel there.

Follow the crystal path in the channel until you come to another large open area in the crystal cache.

If you look left you will see an Architect doorway. Seaglide in; the room is full of oxygen and you can park your Seatruck outside.

Follow the pathway and scan the Architect Organ blueprint at the end of the room.

Architect Skeleton Blueprint Location

Now it's time to find Al-An's skeleton. It's possible you'll need to return home after our excursion to the Crystal Cache for food and water. Or maybe you're ready to continue.

Either way, let's meet up at Marguerit's Seabse! We'll use it to access the Deep Lilypads Cave.

From Marguerit's, head up into shallower water and in a general East direction. Work east and down until you come to a long crevasse between two islands.

Head straight down until the water turns pink.

Work your way down and toward the left in the crevasse. You should have an Alien Architect signal Al-An uploaded to your PDA you can also use for guidance; upon entering the Deep Lilypad Caves it should be less than 500 meters away.

Continue working down and in a Southeast direction. Avoid collision with the Anemone as they will damage your Seatruck.

You should begin to see Arichtect items and can also use these to guide your way until you come to the next Body Cache entrace.

Once inside you will find yourself in a sort of meditation garden.

In front of the Architect state you will find a fallen Architect skeleton to scan.

Once you do, Al-An will talk about his network, and about building a new body. Now it's time to find the final Architect body piece.

Architect Tissue Blueprint Location

The Architect Tissue blueprint is the only one on land. It's located in the third Arctic Spires clearing. We'll start from the Phi Landing Pad.

We previously built our Snowfox and Hoverpad just beside the Phi Landing Pad. We'll need it now.

Turn right and head toward the bridge in a Northeast direction. We'll need to fix it to cross. Look for the broken Hydraulic Fluid lying on the bridge and scan it to synthesize the blueprint.

The recipe requires Creepvine seed cluster and two Gel sacks. Gel Sacks are relatively easy to find in the Deep Twisty Bridges, Lily Pad Islands, Deep Purple Vents and other biomes.

When you have collected your items and built the Fluid, return to Phi Robotics Landing Pad, insert the fluid into the bridge controls and use the control panel to lower the bridge.

Continue north/northwest and pass a second communications tower.

Take the path on the right but instead of going up the slope, go underneath the ice bridge. This leads to the first Arctic Spires clearing.

Cross between Northwest/North to the second Arctic Spires clearing.

After you pass this clearing, keep northest/east as you enter the second Arctic Spires clearing and to a tunnel on the other side. This is also where you'll start to encounter Ice Worm leviathans, so be careful!

Continue north after the tunnel and head down the slope; there is always an Ice Worm ambush here. Stick to the right path, then right again. You'll find yourself in the third Artic Spires clearing. Walk about 400 meters straight north to the Arctic Cache.

You will find some slopes or crevasses that lead down at the back of the third clearing; follow them until you see broken Architect cabling.

Continue down this path until you come to the Cache entrance. You'll be warm inside and can scan the Architect arm at the back of this Cache, which used to be a mining facility.

You're now ready to return to your Drop Pod and prepare for Subnautica End Game in which we build Al-An's body.