Enter the Kingdom of Duviri.
Starting the quest
The Duviri Paradox may be chosen as the Tenno's starting path when first beginning the game. If so chosen, the introductory cutscene will begin immediately.
If the Warframe Path was chosen instead, then The Duviri Paradox can be started from the Codex at any point after completing Vor's Prize. Upon selecting it as the active quest, the "Duviri" toggle will appear on the Starchart. When the Tenno selects the Duviri toggle, the only option available will be "The Duviri Paradox". Upon entering Duviri, an introductory cutscene will play.
Names in brackets indicate that the speaker is not identified in the scene, but their identity is revealed later or inferred.
[Over a black screen, Dominus Thrax's voice is heard.]
Dominus Thrax: "Begin again!"
[Within a field in the colourless landscape of Duviri, a man lies prone on the ground – a Drifter.]
Bombastine: "Royal highness, ladies and gentlemen! An entertainment!"
[At Bombastine's voice, the Drifter starts, and gets to his feet. He is wearing a silver theatre mask with a neutral expression. As he stands up, he looks around the sky, searching, and draws his dual nikanas.]
Bombastine: "How many times will one dissenter die… before accepting their fate?"
[The view cuts abruptly to a life-size metallic mannequin, standing on a stage. The mannequin is clearly a representation of the Drifter, moving in the same manner. Instead of two nikanas, the mannequin is holding two wooden sticks, and the mask on the mannequin's face bears a pitiably sad expression, in contrast to the Drifter's neutral mask. Bombastine is also present on the stage, and twirls around, pointing to the Drifter mannequin as he speaks. The stage is ringed by a large audience, all wearing masks and robes, posed in perfect ranks, completely motionless – like statues. The view cuts back and forth between the Drifter in the field and the mannequin on the stage. The Drifter – and the mannequin – lowers his head and slumps his shoulders in exhaustion.]
Bombastine: "I ask you once more: How many times will one fool die…."
[A detailed replica of an Orowyrm – much smaller than a real Orowyrm, but still much larger than a person – appears above the stage, twirling with Bombastine's movements. It hovers in front of the mannequin, who notices it with a start, and holds up its "swords" above its head in a protective gesture. The Orowyrm charges the mannequin, knocking the swords away as it passes. Dominus Thrax's hand is seen, directing the wyrm's movements. It continues to swirl around the mannequin, knocking it to and fro, and the Drifter in the field is seen to be similarly battered in unison.]
Bombastine: "How much will one proud human soul suffer… before bending a knee to the greatness of their eternal king?"
[The Orowyrm knocks the mannequin flat, breaking off its left arm in the process. The mannequin gets up, standing before a raised throne, atop which sits Dominus Thrax in a bored pose. The Orowyrm floats up behind the mannequin and pounces on it, and the mannequin crumples to the floor, as does the Drifter. The Drifter's mask – and the mannequin's – is torn off his face and tumbles away on the ground.]
Bombastine: "Citizens of Duviri. It is a well-known fact – to each and every one of us, yes? – that the unbent knee… must… be… broken."
[Dominus Thrax walks down the stairs from his throne to stand on the stage, near the dismembered mannequin. As he nears Bombastine, the courtier kneels before the king and bows his head, while still narrating. The Orowyrm flies down and floats before the king as well. In the field, the Drifter slowly gets up again, kneeling in the traditional Tenno seiza position. Two wisps of blue energy stream into his nostrils, and he closes his eyes. Elsewhere, the blue streams of energy flow into a Mesa warframe. The Drifter opens his eyes, and Mesa is now in Duviri, accompanied by a Nova and Excalibur, all riding Kaithe horses. The landscape around them is rendered in colour, in contrast to the monochromatic surroundings. The three warframes gallop off towards the real, life-size Orowyrm flying in the skies, and their Kaithes grow wings and carry them towards the massive beast. Back on the stage, Bombastine lifts his head in curiosity, while Dominus Thrax raises his hand, commanding the Orowyrm. Mesa's Kaithe approaches the wyrm's head, and as the wyrm swirls around to face her, the warframe leaps from her mount, readies her Regulators, and fires. The Orowyrm is racked with azure explosions from head to tail, and falls from the sky. Dominus Thrax, shocked, suddenly finds himself in the field. He stares at the gargantuan wreckage of the Orowyrm, and collapses to his knees. The Drifter stands in front of him, and offers his hand to the king. The ground near the Drifter, and indeed the entire landscape behind him, is lit in colour. Thrax reaches out a hand towards the Drifter, before appearing to change his mind.]
Dominus Thrax: "Begin again!"
[Dominus Thrax slams his outstretched fist onto the ground, and the colour flees from the land as a gray tide washes over it, leaving only a small island of green grass where the Drifter is standing. The cutscene ends on Dominus Thrax's glowing white eyes, before transitioning to another cutscene.]
First Spiral: Calm
[The Drifter's voice is heard over a rotating black and white spiral.]
Drifter: "Ever get that feeling you're stuck? Spinning inside your little wheel. Only to find… you're right back where you started."
[Within the courtyard of the King's Palace, the Drifter is hauled before the throne by two Dax guards, and roughly thrown on their knees. This is the player's Drifter. If the player has never customised their Operator or Drifter's appearance, they have the opportunity to do so now for the Drifter.]
Drifter: "And so it goes. Day by day, year by year, until you're dead… inside. You feel nothing. You're just a prisoner trapped in the spiral of someone else's dream…."
[The Drifter kneels before Lodun, the king's executioner. He points to the Drifter, though his speech is not audible. One of the Dax guards draws his sword and stabs the Drifter through the heart from behind. The Drifter grunts in pain and dies.]
Dominus Thrax: "Begin again!"
[Dominus Thrax, on his throne, slams his fist down on the armrest, and after another black-and-white spiral, the Drifter is once more dragged before Lodun by the two Dax.]
Lodun: "—you've made the king furious! And not just him… ME! We've both had enough of you! By order of his majesty Dominus Thrax, DEATH BY—"
[The Drifter rolls their eyes and speaks the sentence in unison with Lodun, having clearly experienced this speech many times before.]
Drifter: "'Death by impalement.'"
Lodun: "—YOU WILL LOOK AT ME WHEN I—"
[Suddenly, a Paracesis sword made of Void energy flies out of nowhere and stabs the Drifter from behind, protruding from their chest. The Drifter grunts in pain and grits their teeth, as Ballas' voice is faintly heard. One of the Dax guards looks up in the sky quizzically to see where the sword came from.]
[Ballas]: "…but you can send it back to hell!"
[The Paracesis is ripped out, and vanishes. The Drifter catches their breath, then looks down to examine their body; there appears to be no physical wound from the sword. Lodun looks around in confusion. There is a distant rumble of thunder. Lodun and the Drifter both look up to the sky, where a brightly glowing object has emerged from a green rift in the air and is rapidly plummeting towards the courtyard.]
Lodun: "HA! Even better! Death by… METEOR—"
[The Drifter scrambles to their feet and sprints away just as the object impacts the ground where they were kneeling, obliterating Lodun and the Dax, sending bits of stone flying. The Drifter, having survived, approaches the crater to examine the object: it is the Lotus' right hand, severed during The New War. It emanates wisps of cyan-green energy, and projects a small amount of colour onto the largely grayscale surroundings. The Drifter gets on their hands and knees at the edge of the crater, and the wrist of the hand sprouts several clawed tendrils of green energy. The tendrils latch onto the Drifter's right hand, wrist, and lower arm, pulling them deeper into the crater.]
Drifter: [grunting] "What the fu—"
[The Drifter, with significant effort, pulls their hand out of the crater and stands up. Their hand is now glowing blue, and the Lotus' hand is floating above it, still connected via tendrils to the wrist. The Drifter grabs their arm, grunting in pain. The Lotus' hand opens and closes along with the Drifter's right hand, and then suddenly it jams itself onto the Drifter's wrist. The Drifter grimaces in pain briefly, then holds up their hand to examine it. The Lotus' hand has replaced their own, emerging from the middle of another hand made of Sentient flesh, in a grotesque display of overlapping biology. The Drifter's lower arm also appears to now be made of Sentient flesh, with green tendrils of energy wrapping around it. The Lotus' voice echoes faintly in the background.]
[Lotus]: "Wake up, Tenno."
[The Drifter looks over their new hand with interest, moving the fingers to test it. They hold up their left hand to compare. Their gasps of surprise turn into excited laughter, before the hand emits a glowing mote of cyan light.]
[Lotus]: "Remember."
[The mote of light flies over to the body of a Dax guard killed by the meteorite, and the cutscene ends, giving the player control of the Drifter.]
The Drifter is waypointed to take a Sirocco pistol from the Dax corpse. The Sirocco fires silent bolts of green energy, and can be overcharged by tapping the reload button at a specific time during a reload animation, which will significantly increase the damage of the next shot fired. The Drifter has no melee weapon.
(upon taking the Sirocco) Drifter: "Why not?"
Once the Drifter obtains the Sirocco, a Dax Herald will appear from the direction of the king's throne and will run towards the Drifter. The player is given instruction on how to fire their weapon, and prompted to kill the Dax.
(upon killing the Dax Herald) Drifter: "Now what?"
The Drifter has four abilities, one of which is disabled at the moment. The other abilities are: Guiding Hand, which summons a mote of light from the Lotus' hand that flies a path to the next objective; Restorative, which is a healing injection that restores a small amount of health and clears status effects; and Smoke Screen, which deploys a smoke grenade that grants invisibility within a radius and duration of effect. All the abilities have cooldown timers before they can be used again. The Drifter can sprint, slide, and roll, but cannot double jump or aim glide.
The King's Palace is filled with Dax, standing guard or on patrol. Loud trumpets blare in the background, sounding the alarm. The Drifter is prompted to use Guiding Hand, which will indicate a path out of the palace; however, the Drifter must fight or evade many Dax Gladii and Heralds on their way. If the Drifter approaches too close to a Dax Gladius, a short cutscene will play where the Dax will dash forward and grab the Drifter by the throat, killing them.
(when seizing the Drifter) Dax Gladius: "Back in your place!"
Every time the Drifter dies, Dominus Thrax will appear, speak, and slam his fist on his throne, resetting the day with a black-and-white spiral. The reset will place the Drifter right after the introductory, cutscene, after receiving the Lotus' hand but before obtaining the Sirocco.
(upon Drifter's death, variant) Dominus Thrax: "Every time you try, you die. That's the loop."
(upon Drifter's death, variant) Dominus Thrax: "What's gotten into you, Drifter? You seem a little… emotional?"
(upon Drifter's death, variant) Dominus Thrax: "This won't last. [sigh] You're as hollow as the rest of these dolls."
Deaths past the third will show Dominus Thrax resetting the day with no comment.
When the Drifter leaves the palace complex, a short cutscene will play, showing a massive Orowyrm appearing out of a portal in the sky.
Dominus Thrax: "Maybe this will help you relax?"
At the bottom of the hill is a small courtyard with a skeletal Kaithe horse tied to a rail, and a bridge leading off the island to the Duviri mainland.
(when the Drifter approaches the bridge) Dominus Thrax: "Haha… what's gotten into you? Where's that apathy I've come to love?"
(while crossing the bridge) Drifter: "A way out?"
As the Drifter attempts to cross the bridge, a short cutscene will play wherein the Orowyrm will rise up from beneath the bridge, destroying a section of the arch. The bridge will be impassable on foot.
Drifter: "Dammit."
The Drifter will have to double back and mount the Kaithe, which will buck several times before allowing the Drifter to ride it. Instructions for Kaithe riding will be displayed, including double jump – which the Drifter will need to cross the damaged bridge. After crossing the bridge, however, the Drifter will no longer be pursued by Dax enemies.
In the Primrose Village just past the bridge, the citizens are cowering from the Orowyrm. Approaching will cause two of them to speak.
Duviri citizen 1: "The king! The king! There goes our honoured king!"
Duviri citizen 2: "Where? Where?! He gave me no eyes to see him!"
Duviri citizen 1: "There! I think it's him? Sir, will the dragon devour us today? I live to serve, even as food!"
Duviri citizen 2: "What? There's a dragon too?"
Duviri citizen 1: "Didn't you hear it?"
Guiding Hand will direct the Drifter to the Agora, where Bombastine stands on a dais in the centre of a circular auditorium, with several Duviri citizens seated in the audience. Interacting with Bombastine triggers a short cutscene.
Bombastine: "I am the Bombastine of the courtly stage… until that witch, Luscinia, took it from me! [clears throat] A fancy new hand, sire? Lucky you."
Drifter: "I don't belong here. Shit. I don't even know why I'm talking to you. You're just some Thrax plaything, right?"
Audience: "Oooooh!"
[Bombastine dramatically covers his eyes with his hands.]
Bombastine: "Too true. Not like you. No matter how much work I put in."
Drifter (whispering): "I'm just looking for a way out of here."
Audience: [laughter]
Bombastine: "A way out? When all of us are obliged to stay?"
Drifter: "Where?"
[Bombastine indicates a region to the south, not far away.]
Bombastine: "Yonder."
[The Drifter points at Bombastine aggressively.]
Drifter: "Don't get in my way."
Audience: [laughter]
The cutscene ends, and the Drifter is prompted to use Guiding Hand to lead them to the next objective.
Bombastine: "Ah! The audience loves you. Of course, they would."
The Drifter will be guided to a small table, in the Zariman style, with two chairs and a plate of colourful food cubes. The arrangement is incongruously placed on the grass and dirt next to the road. Interacting with the table will transport the Drifter to a room within the Zariman 10-0 colony ship.
Drifter: "What the hell?"
In the centre of the room hangs the torso of a statue of Albrecht Entrati; the statue's legs lie broken on the floor. Tendrils of black Void corruption bind it to the ceiling, and its arms have been overtaken by Void corruption as well and are unfurled to the sides, the hands drooping with long black talons. The head has been reshaped to resemble that of a Void Angel (with the statue's golden headpiece remaining intact) and gleams with a blue light. Moss grows on the statue and hangs off the dangling waist. The scene is quite eerie.
Unlike Duviri, the room is rendered in vibrant colour. In the centre of the room is a purple glow. Approaching it will cause another figure to appear: a younger, adolescent version of the Drifter – the Operator. The Operator perfectly mirrors the Drifter's movement, in the opposite direction. There will be another purple glow elsewhere in the room; the Drifter must manoeuvre the Operator into the purple glow by moving to the opposite point in the room. Once the Operator is at the correct point, a new glow will appear; the Drifter must place the Operator in four different points in total. Once the last location has been reached, the Drifter must return to the purple glow in the middle of the room, where a small object is hanging in midair. The Drifter will take the item, and return to Duviri in a white flash. A short cutscene will play as the Drifter examines the item: it is a child's posable figurine, with ball-and-socket joints. It is missing its head, an arm, a hand, and a leg.
Bombastine: "For the person who has everything, a little something extra."
The Drifter is awarded 20 Intrinsics points.
Bombastine: "Be on your way. That Orowyrm is hunting, and it has your scent. Though you could buy some time if you fed it Luscinia first."
Guiding Hand will direct the Drifter to the north. As they go, a loud rumble of thunder can be heard.
(variant) Dominus Thrax: "I've never seen you get this far… sad, isn't it? Though, not like you can feel a thing."
(variant) Dominus Thrax: "You're as hollow as the rest. Dead inside, with the 'out' soon to follow."
(variant) Dominus Thrax: "I am your cloud above, your fire below, your reckoning."
The Drifter is led to the northeast corner of the island, east of Watershed Hamlet and across the gap from Lonesome Outlook. Off the shore of the island are the massive floating statues of Dominus Thrax's head and hands. The hands are, at the moment, flat and outstretched, and there is a portal on one of the palms. The Drifter is directed to jump their Kaithe off the island and onto the hand. A small rablit is present on the hand as well, and upon the Drifter's arrival, it will scurry into the portal and disappear. The Drifter is waypointed to follow.
The portal leads into a cave. There is a large central section where three warframes – Excalibur, Mag, and Volt – kneel on stone plinths. Off to the sides are several small alcoves containing fire pits, a stable for the Kaithe, and so on. Large holes in the ceiling provide natural illumination. As the Drifter approaches the centre of the cave, a short cutscene will play.
[The Drifter steps slowly around the warframes, examining them. They look down at their Sentient hand, and back to the warframes, before being interrupted by a voice behind them.]
[Teshin]: "Right now, you're thinking… is this real? Or some fevered dream…."
[An old man, clad in Dax Bishamo armour but covered by a blue and gold hooded robe, steps from the shadows, and stands on a short ledge overlooking the central cave. He has a large metal cane, and cradles the rablit seen earlier. He plants the cane in the ground and stands still, ending the cutscene.]
The Drifter is prompted to approach the man and talk with him, which starts a conversational cutscene.
Drifter: "I'm wondering why the hell this all feels so damn familiar."
[Teshin]: "Emotions. They guide where others fail. The king's spiral takes away time… experience."
Drifter: "You don't seem like the others."
Teshin: "I am Teshin."
[The rablit in his arms squeaks.]
Teshin: "Oh! Yes. And this is… well, it was you that named her… remember?"
The player is prompted to select the rablit's name.
(Sun: Sol) Teshin: "Sol. I long to see her purifying light, but a great and terrible wall now divides us. Thrax has trapped you in his bottle… and you must escape."
(Neutral: Terra) Teshin: "Terra. I remember her oceans crashing wild under churning skies. This place is a nightmare façade of that world…a prison from which you must escape."
(Moon: Lua) Teshin: "Lua. I miss the ebbing of that pensive light. Here, we spiral in the constant glare of an absurd purgatory. You need to break free."
Drifter: "I'm… just so tired."
Teshin: "The figurine you pulled from the paradox. The lost toy of a temperamental child. You need only to find the rest of its pieces."
[The Drifter holds up the figurine.]
Drifter: "You can't be serious. You can keep the doll. I've got to get as far away from this as I can."
Teshin: "You know you cannot run from here with Thrax on the throne. But, by all means, try again. I'll even give you my blades."
The cutscene ends and the Drifter is waypointed to a set of dual nikanas named Sun & Moon, resting by the fire pit off to the side.
(upon equipping Sun & Moon) Teshin: "Until the next spiral, then."
The Drifter is also prompted to invest in their Intrinsics skills at a set of golden rings near the fire pit. Upon opening the menu, only one option is available: to invest in Riding Intrinsic rank 1, which will consume the 20 Intrinsics points they were just awarded. Riding rank 1 will unlock the Drifter's remaining ability, which allows them to summon their Kaithe at will. The Drifter also has the ability to customise their Kaithe's appearance at the stable, or their own appearance at a mirror. When they have taken Sun & Moon and upgraded their Intrinsics, they can take the portal out.
The portal leads back to the floating hand statue. Duviri, however, has entered the Anger Spiral. The sky is full of roiling crimson storm clouds, replete with thunder and lightning, including, in the distance, a massive cloud shaped like Dominus Thrax's head, eyes and mouth glowing threateningly. Fiery meteors will occasionally fall nearby.
Dominus Thrax: "Did someone make a new friend? Trying to make me jealous, are you? I'll find him, soon enough."
A Dax Gladius appears on the hand, and the Drifter is instructed in the ways of melee combat with their new nikanas. The Drifter is prompted to perform a series of actions as they are learned, with the Dax Gladius essentially acting as a practice dummy. If the Dax is killed during this training period, it will instantly regenerate all its health back.
- Lock on to the Dax
- Hit the Dax 3 times
- Break Dax's block 2 times
- Block 3 attacks
- Parry 3 attacks
- Dax Arcus appears
- Reflect 3 projectiles (a Dax Arcus will appear for this exercise, and will die once it is completed)
- Restore your health
- Dodge 3 attacks
- Use a Power Strike
- Interrupt 3 Special Abilities
- Switch target 3 times (a Dax Herald will appear for this exercise)
Once the training is completed, the Drifter must kill both the remaining Dax.
Dominus Thrax: "I'm trying to laugh it off, but… you're testing my limits."
Once the Dax are dead, a short cutscene will play where the Orowyrm appears and flies directly at the Drifter, narrowly missing them.
Dominus Thrax: "Didn't I warn you?"
Teshin: "The Orowyrm Lodun, anger personified. Quick, you must find a way to the mainland."
The Drifter is prompted to summon their Kaithe, and instructed how to fly it.
(after flying for a short time) Teshin: "Impressive. If you are done gallivanting across the skies, might I suggest finding shelter on the mainland, before Lodun's wrath is turned upon you."
Once the Kaithe lands, a short cutscene plays, showing the Drifter galloping along the road, until the Orowyrm swoops down and burns them to ash with its fire breath. Afterwards, the Drifter appears back in the cave, talking to Teshin.
Teshin: "—you're thinking… is this real?"
Drifter: "—some fevered dream. Alright, Teshin. I'll try it your way."
Teshin: "You remember. Good. Now, we can begin."
The cutscene ends, and the Drifter is waypointed to inspect the warframes in the centre of the cave.
Teshin: "Warframes. Brought here by the paradox. In the world beyond the wall, they were the weapons of a warrior caste called the Tenno. I suspect your 'hand' may offer a way to control them, as they did. Choose."
The player is prompted to choose between Excalibur, Mag, and Volt. Doing so will trigger another cutscene.
[The Drifter looks down at their right hand, flexes the fingers, then holds the hand out towards their chosen warframe. The warframe glows purple and recoils. The Drifter, eyes closed and teeth gritted, redoubles their efforts. The sound of a Transference pulse is heard, and the warframe stirs, then looks down at its own hand. It slowly, clumsily, stands up. The Drifter's hand trembles with the strain, and the warframe twitches. The Transference stream glitches out and the warframe collapses to its knees. The Drifter winces, but continues to attempt Transference.]
Teshin: "Relax. Let your mind adjust to the dissociation."
[With a white flash, the Drifter successfully Transfers into the warframe, and the cutscene ends with the player in control of the warframe.]
The Tenno is directed to take the warframe through the portal. On the other side is a cephalon-styled Voidscape similar to Simaris' Simulacrum. The Tenno is prompted to learn the Tenno ways of parkour, including bullet jumping, aim gliding, and wall dashing, in a simple obstacle course.
(upon completing obstacle course) Drifter: "Alright, I think I'm ready."
Teshin: "Then go."
Another portal will appear. This takes them to the Undercroft, a region of Duviri even more detached from reality. Islands of rough stone float in a cyan, stormy Voidscape, twisted into the spiral shapes common to Duviri. Broken and crumbling Orokin architecture, in both the Zariman and Duviri styles, rises from the rock or is embedded within it. Overgrowing moss and grass give an additional sense of abandonment.
Teshin: "The king's reach is weaker here in the Undercroft. On the surface, I suspect this warframe would be a liability, attracting his every wyrm. But here, you can roam free and revel in its power."
Drifter: "So what am I doing here, Teshin? A joyride?"
Teshin: "You are seeking a paradox. You will need more than her hand and my blades to survive above. Hmm. Here they come."
Corrupted enemies will appear, and the Tenno is directed to kill 5 of them with their warframe abilities. The warframe is unarmed, but there are frequent spawns of energy orbs to encourage ability use.
(upon killing 5 Corrupted) Drifter: "There's something else down here."
Teshin: "Yes, a paradox. You must find it."
Three secondary weapons will appear within golden rings: the Akvasto, the Pyrana, and the Lex. The Tenno must choose one.
Dominus Thrax (glitched): "Think you can hide from me down here, Drifter? I play wherever I want!"
More Corrupted will appear, and the Tenno will have to kill 5 more with their new secondary weapon. After doing so, two primary weapons will appear: the Boltor and the Tigris. The Tenno must prove their proficiency with their primary weapon of choice, then choose a melee weapon (the Kronen or the Fragor) and do the same.
(after demonstrating proficiency with all three weapon classes) Teshin: "You're no Tenno, but I have seen worse."
Drifter: "Sure. You want to tell me what's so special about these 'Tenno'? This ain't so hard."
Teshin: "From the other side… they command the selfsame powers of Void that make the walls of our prison. I suspect the paradox is their attempt to help us."
A new portal will open. Entering it will trigger a loading screen that will transition directly to the next Spiral.
Second Spiral: Anger
The spiral begins with mumbling over a black screen, followed by the Lotus' voice.
Lotus: "Dream…."
The Drifter will be in a Zariman Dormizone room, but one half of the room will be overgrown with moss and Void corruption. There is a mirror to customise the Drifter's appearance and a set of gold rings to invest in Intrinsics. The door leading to the rest of the Dormizone is locked, but at the other end of the room is a doorway with a damaged door, permanently stuck open. Blue light spills out through the crack into the Dormizone, and Teshin's muffled voice can be heard from the other side.
Teshin (muffled): "Of course. I didn't trust her. [pause] Why not? Well, she was a Sentient! [pause] I told you already, no! No! I didn't know all that then, did I? We believed as the Orokin had us do."
Entering the door will trigger a brief loading screen, and bring the Drifter to Teshin's cave. The door to the Dormizone is located at the end of a stone passageway, with occasional snarls of Void corruption. Teshin will still be speaking.
Teshin: "It was war, after all. It defined us. We were made to hate without reflection. [pause] Ha! No. No vacations. Hmm… I suppose Saturn, maybe? I've always wanted to see the rings up close…."
(when the Drifter approaches) Teshin: "Oh, feeling better? That warframe took a greater toll on you than I expected…."
Drifter: "Who were you talking to?"
Teshin: "If you are recovered, we must begin at once to seek the other pieces of Thrax's figurine. I expect they will manifest the same… as paradoxes on the surface. Gear up, look around, and tell me when you are ready."
The Drifter is prompted to interact with several locations in the cave. The closest is the figurine from the paradox, lying on a stone next to the Intrinsics station.
(upon inspecting figurine) Teshin: "All his horses, all his men… the sooner you find the pieces, the sooner you get out of this place."
Another is a Narmer veil, lying on a red Narmer banner near the Kaithe stable.
(upon inspecting Narmer veil) Drifter: "How'd you end up here, anyway?"
Teshin: "Through the eye of a storm… I'm not sure if I was dead or alive at the time. You?"
Drifter: "Huh, it's been too long for me. Maybe I was on that ship… or maybe… the same way you did."
The final items to inspect are the three weapons chosen while in the Undercroft: a primary, secondary, and melee. These will be floating behind the chosen warframe. The two warframes that were not chosen by the Drifter will no longer be present in the cave.
(upon interacting with the weapons) Teshin: "Thrax will reset the spiral the moment he senses a warframe on the surface. We will save that for the Undercroft. This should at least give you a fighting chance against his false Dax."
Once the Drifter has interacted with all the objects in the cave, they will be prompted to enter the portal to Duviri.
Teshin: "He's in a mood… see for yourself…."
The portal will place the Drifter just north of Fort Wyrmsoul. Duviri will still be in the Anger Spiral, and the Drifter will have to act out the tale of The Prince of Fire.
Teshin: "You have angered Thrax, and because he is a creature of emotion, his world follows. From the Duviri Tales… 'The Prince of Fire'."
Teshin: "Be wary. In the story, the king's men had blades of molten steel!"
The tale of the Prince of Fire centres around Lodun, who serves as mission control for the Drifter. The Anger Spiral must be played out in the traditional Duviri experience, with the Drifter performing 6 tasks assigned by Lodun (side objectives and activities are not available during the quest).
- Defeat the Dax guarding the treasure
- Enter the Undercroft (Survival)
- Defeat the Dax guarding the treasure
- Enter the Undercroft (Void Flood)
- Open the chest and defeat its guardian
- Purge the darkened areas of Liminus
Upon completing the final task, Lodun will emerge in Orowyrm form and fly around the map threateningly.
Teshin: "Do you feel it? Nearby? The paradox you seek."
In the house on Lonesome Outlook is a bright purple glow, containing a part of the figurine – the leg.
(upon taking the figurine part) Teshin: "Mmm. Good. Return to me when you are ready."
A portal to Teshin's cave will appear nearby. In the cave, the Drifter must go to the figurine and interact with it. Teshin stands next to the figurine, holding the rablit in his arms. A cutscene will play.
[The Drifter picks up the figurine. With their other hand, they take the leg they just obtained and socket it into the figurine's hip joint. The view changes to a black-and-white scene inside the Zariman, in the aftermath of the Void-jump accident. Furniture is scattered around, and there is disturbing graffiti on the walls. A young person, rendered in shadow so as to leave their appearance ambiguous, is crouched over in the corner, shaking with rage. They are holding the figurine from the paradox, and suddenly they tear the figurine's head off, colouring the scene a deep red as they do so. The Drifter narrates.]
Drifter: "I guess we're born with anger. An instinct like any other. Like squinting at the sun or… flinching from a burn… but some of us… maybe we learn it."
[The view returns to Teshin's cave. The Drifter recoils, hyperventilating, and throws their arms over their head protectively.]
Teshin: "Easy. I have you."
[Teshin comes from behind and lays his hand on the Drifter's shoulder. The Drifter whirls and shoves him away.]
Drifter: "Don't!"
[Teshin stumbles back, and the cutscene ends.]
The Drifter must interact with Teshin.
Teshin: "You saw that ship in the sky… the Zariman. Our child king must be one of those who was abandoned there. A Tenno."
("Explain?") Drifter: "You said the Tenno are trying to help me… this 'paradox' stuff. Now you're saying Thrax is one of them? He doesn't seem too helpful."
Teshin: "The history I know… that Zariman ship returned from the Void, bringing with it the extraordinary power the Tenno command. But here is a different path, I suppose. A difference in parallel. A paradox in itself."
(when the Drifter says "What's next?") Teshin: "The world above changes every day following what Thrax feels. Ready yourself for the next day and consider what you have learned…."
The Drifter is prompted to "Rest by the fire". Doing so will trigger a black-and-white spiral, and transition into the next Spiral.
Third Spiral: Joy
The Drifter will awaken by the fire in Teshin's cave, with Teshin resting nearby.
Teshin: "Well, it seems that Thrax woke on the right side of his crib today…."
The portal will lead to Upperhaven. Duviri will now be in the Joy Spiral. The sky will be a bright blue, with light pink clouds.
Drifter: "Sickening."
Teshin: "Remember: the joy he feels is not lacking in danger. Find the fable hidden and play it out. That way, you may discover the next paradox… the next piece we need."
The Drifter must act out the tale of The Harbinger of Joy. Mathila will serve as mission control, and assign 6 tasks to the Drifter to be completed.
- Race through the gates / Defeat the Dax guarding the treasure1
- Enter the Undercroft (Excavation)
- Herd Tamms
- Enter the Undercroft (Exterminate)
- Find the hidden chest
- Energise shrine
Upon completing the final task, Mathila will arrive in Orowyrm form and fly around. A paradox glow will appear at Mathila's farmhouse, containing a piece of the figurine – the arm.
(upon taking the figurine part) Teshin: "You found it! Good! So, tell me… did Mathila's joy wear off on you?"
Drifter: "I hope you're kidding."
Dominus Thrax: "You think I'm not paying attention? You think I don't know what you're up to? My Dax are searching… we will find your nasty little den soon enough."
A portal to Teshin's cave will open nearby. In the cave, the Drifter must interact with the figurine, triggering a cutscene.
[The Drifter reattaches the arm to the figurine, and the scene changes to a Dormizone kitchen inside the Zariman. Three children, including the shadow figure seen in the last memory, sit around a table eating food cubes, while two more are carrying a celebratory cake to the table. All the children are laughing and smiling. The scene is originally in black and white, but shifts to a pink hue, and then full colour over time. The Drifter narrates.]
Drifter: "Our whole lives, we run towards it: some 'thing', some 'one', some wavering oasis of joy and contentment. Sad thing is… most happiness seems to come by accident. Maybe it's not about getting it… but letting it."
[The Drifter recovers from the memory, breathing deeply and smiling. Teshin approaches, and the cutscene ends.]
Teshin: "You're smiling."
Drifter: "I am not."
Teshin: "His memories are giving you something. As these emotions flow through you, you take from him his singular power over the world."
Drifter: "I don't want sharesies. I want out."
Teshin: "But look. The Dormizone. It's lit up now."
The Drifter is prompted to return to Dormizone through the passageway in the rear of Teshin's cave. In the Dormizone room, the door to the rest of the habitation is unlocked now (although the Vistasuite room is locked). When the Drifter enters the kitchen, a short cutscene will play.
[The Drifter approaches the kitchen table, which is set with a tray of food cubes, a cup, and a set of chopsticks. The Drifter calls out to Teshin as they sit down.]
Drifter: "Well, shit. You hungry?"
[Teshin's voice comes muffled from the cave.]
Teshin: "Go ahead! But save some for [Sol/Terra/Lua]!"
[The Drifter picks up the chopsticks and begins eating, and the scene cuts to black with a sound of dishes and cutlery clattering.]
Fourth Spiral: Envy
The scene will fade back in with the kitchen table empty except for a cup. The Drifter must return to the cave through the Dormizone door (causing a black and white spiral loading screen) and speak with Teshin.
Teshin: "Now, do you believe it?"
Drifter: "Let's go."
The portal will lead to Farbreeze Hamlet. Duviri will now be in the Envy Spiral, with the sky a venomous green.
(upon entering Duviri) Dominus Thrax: "Who is this new friend of yours, anyway? I made you! I kept you safe all this time. They're nothing I can't be!"
Teshin: "Ignore him. Play out the day. Let him see that his control has weakened."
The Drifter must act out the tale of The Covetous Courtier. Bombastine will serve as mission control, and assign 6 tasks to the Drifter to be completed.
- Reconnect the power lines
- Enter the Undercroft (Void Flood)
- Guide your reflection into the light
- Enter the Undercroft (Defence)
- Defeat the high ground Dax
- Assemble the shrine
Upon completing the final task, a paradox glow will appear at the Agora, containing a piece of the figurine – the remaining hand.
(upon taking the figurine part) Dominus Thrax: "It wasn't me that started stirring up this mess with the executions. You got it in your head to get out. Don't you see now, that these stories are for you? For us?"
A portal to Teshin's cave will open nearby. In the cave, Teshin will be standing next to the figurine, arms crossed, holding neither his cane nor the rablit.
Drifter: "No, uh, [Sol/Terra/Lua]?"
Teshin: "Hrmmm."
Interacting with the figurine will trigger a cutscene.
[The Drifter reattaches the figurine's hand. The toy is now almost complete, missing only its head. The scene changes to a stage at one of the public outdoor areas in the Zariman ship. A student poses with two proud parents, as if for a photograph. A Zarium accolade is pinned to the student's breast, and all three are smiling. Before them is a Zambuka Ayatan sculpture, mounted on a Pedestal Prime. On the far end of the stage sits the shadow figure seen earlier, hunched over and looking at the happy family. The scene is originally in black and white, but shifts to a green hue over time. The Drifter narrates.]
Drifter: "Nothing's worse than anger, right? It burns your lungs. It ashes the trees. But you can see it, right? And after it passes… maybe something new sprouts up. But resentment… resentment is desolation. It salts the soil, so that nothing ever grows again."
[The sound of a drawn sword is heard, and as the memory ends, the view abruptly cuts back to the cave, where Teshin now has his nikana to the Drifter's throat. Teshin leans in close and speaks angrily to the Drifter. His hood has fallen back, exposing his whole head for the first time.]
Teshin: "Didn't see it coming, did you? That I was just using you? You think there's some magic land outside of here? All there is… is war and suffering. Understand?"
[The Drifter grimaces as they struggle against the blade at their neck.]
Drifter: "I think so."
Teshin: "Do you? Do you really? You keep calling this a prison, but you know what it really is? It's the entire place in the entire universe that is… actually… safe."
Drifter: "Clearly."
[Behind Teshin, the Drifter's chosen warframe, still kneeling on its plinth, starts to glow with Transference energy, and twitches slightly.]
Teshin: "You had it all. A whole world to yourself. But you were bored. Ungrateful. You had to bite the hand that feeds!"
Drifter: "Like [Sol/Terra/Lua], eh?"
[Teshin removes the nikana, looking confused.]
Teshin: "Like what?"
[The warframe immediately stands and dashes over to Teshin, bodily throwing him across the cave. Teshin slams into the rock wall, and gets up on one knee with a grunt. The warframe walks over to the old man as a cloud of black smoke envelops him. When it clears, a Dax Gladius remains in Teshin's place, speaking in Dominus Thrax's voice.]
Dominus Thrax: "Once upon a time… there was a dying, old man…."
[The Dax stands up swiftly, grabbing the warframe by the throat and lifting it up. A portal snaps into existence nearby, and the Dax throws the warframe into the Undercroft.]
The cutscene ends, and the Drifter will be left in the Undercroft, operating their warframe with its weapons. Liminus enemies will attack from all sides, and the Drifter is directed to "survive". The Undercroft is in black and white rather than its usual vibrant colour, and Dominus Thrax's taunts can be heard in the background.
Dominus Thrax: "…As he lay on his bed, dying, he called to each of his beloved children…."
Teshin (faintly): "Drifter!!!"
Dominus Thrax: "When each did hear his rasping call, they answered with a hollow longing!"
Teshin (faintly): "Drifter!!!"
Drifter: "Teshin? Teshin!"
A portal will open, but will merely lead to another region of the Undercroft. The Drifter will again have to survive against waves of Liminus.
Dominus Thrax: "So they came to his bedside, one by one, and his firstborn knelt there. And the old man said, 'My child… my child… why be your eyes so dry?'"
Dominus Thrax: "And the firstborn said, 'So that I might be strong, father.' And so the old man gave to them the deeds for all his lands."
Dominus Thrax: "To his second born, he said again, 'My child… my child… why be your eyes so dry?'"
Dominus Thrax: "And his second child said, 'I shed no tears, father, for I chose now to remember only the joy you made of my life.' And so unto him, the old man gave his family home."
Another portal opens, leading to another region of the Undercroft.
Dominus Thrax: "And when his last child had entered, he said again, 'My child, my child, you were my favourite of all. Why show you no feelings at all?'"
Dominus Thrax: "And the last child said to him, 'I feel nothing, for it was I… who has killed you.'"
A portal opens, leading back to Teshin's cave. When the Drifter goes through it, a short cutscene plays.
[The Drifter slowly approaches Teshin's rablit, which is squeaking nervously. Suddenly, the rablit perks up, and the sound of metal footsteps can be heard. The Drifter whirls around to see the Dax Gladius, blade drawn.]
Drifter: "Where is he?"
[The Dax flourishes his blade and crouches down into a combat stance.]
Dominus Thrax: "Don't you worry. Justice comes swiftly in my kingdom."
The cutscene ends, and the Drifter will have to defeat the imposter, who fights like a standard Dax Gladius, with no special abilities. When his health is depleted, the Dax will kneel on the floor, prompting the Drifter for a finisher.
[The Drifter extends their dual nikanas in preparation for the final blow, but the rablit suddenly appears, running up the length of the Drifter's outstretched blade, then leaping onto the Dax's chest. The Dax is knocked to the ground, grasping at the animal, who continues to attack the Dax's chest, squeaking loudly the whole time. The rablit eventually rips out the Dax's heart, and the soldier falls still.]
The Drifter must exit the cave via portal to search for Teshin. The portal will take them back to the Agora. It is nighttime in Duviri.
Dominus Thrax: "All Kaithes are banished, by my decree!"
The Drifter must make their way to the King's Palace by foot, as kaithe summoning is disabled. They must fight through multiple squads of Dax soldiers sent to stop them. As they fight their way past Watershed Hamlet, the sky will change to the Happy Spiral, in bright daylight.
Dominus Thrax: "I've never seen you like this! So ready to fight! It makes me so happy!"
As the Drifter continues, the sky will change to the Anger Spiral.
Dominus Thrax: "But why are you doing this?"
Upon reaching Moirai Crossing, the sky will change to the Envy Spiral.
Dominus Thrax: "You never cared this much for me…."
When the Drifter reaches the broken bridge leading to Thrax's island, a mounted Dax Equitem will appear. As the Drifter approaches, a cutscene will play.
[The Dax rears up on her kaithe, flourishing her Azothane nikana, before charging the Drifter. The Drifter leaps into the air, landing on the kaithe's saddle facing the Dax, and punches the Equitem in the face, knocking her off. The Drifter turns around in the saddle so they are facing forward, and goads the kaithe to run across the bridge and jump over the gap. However, as they are in midair, the Orowyrm flies from underneath, knocking the kaithe aside and sending the Drifter plummeting to the ground. The view cuts to black.]
[Lotus]: "Wake up, Tenno."
[The Drifter wakes up in midair, falling rapidly. They look around, then turn to face the ground, holding out the Lotus' hand. A bright green burst of energy repels the ground and slows the Drifter's fall enough for them to land safely on their feet.]
The Drifter will land on the other side of the bridge, in Castle Town. More Dax will appear to fight the Drifter, and Lodun's voice can be heard over loudspeakers.
Lodun: "By order of his majesty, Dominus Thrax, you are charged with the crime of treason! The penalty for which is DEATH! DEATH… BY… IMPALEMENT!"
Drifter: "Teshin? Teshin!"
The Drifter must fight their way to the courtyard in the King's Palace, where the quest first started. In the courtyard, Teshin is kneeling down, flanked by two Dax Heralds. After killing the Dax, a cutscene will play in black and white.
[The Drifter runs to Teshin, who has clearly been injured, and kneels before him.]
Drifter: "Teshin!"
[Teshin lays his hand on the Drifter's shoulder.]
Teshin: "Take… care… of [Sol/Terra/Lua] for me."
[The Drifter mirrors the gesture, reaching back and placing their hand on Teshin's shoulder.]
Drifter: "I will."
[Colour comes back into the world, with the sky tinged with the deep blue of the Sorrow Spiral, and a light snow begins to fall.]
Teshin: "You are… feeling, now."
[The Drifter bows their head, then looks up with a determined expression.]
Drifter: "I am."
Teshin: "Good."
[Teshin goes limp and slumps over, dead. He fades into a black mist that quickly dissipates, as the sky shifts to the Anger Spiral. The Drifter slowly stands up, looking down at the spot where Teshin was. The Orowyrm Lodun can be seen behind them, approaching rapidly. The Drifter turns around and holds up their hand at the Orowyrm. The Lotus' hand glows brightly, cutting to white as the Orowyrm reaches the Drifter.]
The cutscene ends, fading back to the Drifter now controlling the Orowyrm Lodun through Transference. Controls for operating the Orowyrm are shown on screen. The other four Orowyrms (Mathila, Bombastine, Luscinia, and Sythel) will appear, and the Drifter must use Lodun's fire breath to kill all four as they fly around Duviri's skies.
(upon killing an Orowyrm) Dominus Thrax: "Stop this childish tantrum RIGHT NOW! Do you understand? He's dead and he's gone, and he's not coming back!"
(upon killing a second Orowyrm) Dominus Thrax: "I don't care how angry you get! You can't change ANYTHING. You can't even change yourself!"
(upon killing a third Orowyrm) Dominus Thrax: "Jealous of my wyrms? You think stealing them will bring him back? Are you stupid? It's TOO LATE!"
After killing all four Orowyrms, the Drifter is directed to fly to the King's Palace, and a cutscene will play.
[The Orowyrm reaches the palace and coils around the main tower like a snake. Bits of stone and masonry are knocked off and fall to the ground. Inside, Dominus Thrax sits on his throne, looking up nervously as the building shakes around him. Large chunks of stone start raining down nearby, breaking the throne into pieces and causing it to topple. The roof caves in, revealing the angry red glare of the sky. Thrax tumbles down the stairs in front of the throne with a wail, and a small object falls out of his hand and bounces across the floor to land before the Drifter, who has entered the throne room. The Drifter picks up the object, which is the head to the paradox figurine. It is a model of Dominus Thrax's head. The Drifter holds up the figurine and reattaches the head with a resounding click, triggering a final memory.]
[The figurine of Dominus Thrax lies on the floor of a Zariman Dormizone, next to an open storybook: Tales of Duviri. An adolescent child wearing a Zariman jumpsuit kneels nearby, head in their hands – it is the young Drifter. Outside the window can be seen the swirling chaotic currents of the Void, and in the distance, landmasses are starting to form. Inside the Dormizone, items are scattered everywhere, graffiti is painted on the walls, and a large swirl of Void corruption sits in the corner, with Dominus Thrax's distinctive right arm emerging from it, reaching upwards.]
[Back in the throne room, Dominus Thrax sobs pitifully as he crawls towards the Drifter, who is still looking at the figurine in their hands, with dawning realisation.]
Drifter: "This… this is—"
Dominus Thrax: "—MINE!"
[Dominus Thrax jumps up from the floor and seizes the figurine from the Drifter. He backs away, crouching in a defensive stance, while cradling the doll and continuing to cry. The Drifter looks up at the throne and starts walking up the stairs towards it. Time reverses and the throne reassembles itself from its demolished pieces.]
Dominus Thrax: "Mine. Mine. It's mine."
[The Drifter sits on the throne and leans back.]
Drifter: "You… can have it."
[The Drifter pounds their fist on the throne's armrest, resetting the Spiral. The black and white spiral loading screen reappears.]
Teshin: "—you're thinking… is this real? Or some fevered dream?"
[The Drifter finds themself back in the cave, speaking to Teshin, who is holding the rablit in his arms once more.]
Teshin: "You did it. You took control."
Drifter: "I always had it. Thrax didn't make this place—"
Teshin: "—you did. But… you reset it. You gave it all back to him. Why?"
Drifter: "I guess it… felt like a good trade."
Teshin: "Mmm!"
Drifter: "So… what's next?"
Teshin: "Those beyond the wall have helped you. You will need to repay that debt. But you've earned your freedom. A way through the paradox and out of the spiral. Be warned… you will not be as you are now… but as you were then. Do you see it? The other side?"
[The view fades to show a scene from the Origin System, depending on the Drifter's choice of name for the rablit: either a close view of the Sun, surrounded by asteroid debris and Grineer ships; or a placid lake upon Earth, surrounded by trees; or a view of the ringed moon Lua cresting over a mountain range on Earth.]
Drifter: "I… I see it."
Teshin: "What will you do?"
The Drifter now has a choice, with two options presented over the black and white spiral screen:
- Leave: Enter the Origin System
- Stay: Subdue the spirals of Duviri
(Leave) Drifter: "Sometimes you get stuck. Sometimes you go numb. The colour drains away. You stop trying, and that just feeds the spiral going down. Maybe you'll get lucky one day. You see yourself in the mirror and snap out of it. But for some of us… it takes more. A friend. A stranger. A story. A helping hand."
If the Drifter chooses to Leave, they will return to the Orbiter. If the player is new and chose the Paradox Path, the game will instead immediately transition to the Awakening quest, beginning the Warframe Path.
(Stay) Drifter: "Maybe things don't work out the way you thought. Your life, your dreams, your 'self'. No matter where you go, there you are. This loop you're in… maybe it's not so bad after all? It's not a trap, or a habit, or a sentence. It's just your life, waiting for you to live it."
If the Drifter chooses to Stay, they will return to the Dormizone room, where they can enter Duviri again through the doorway to Teshin's cave. If the player is new and chose the Paradox Path, the Drifter will be confined to the Dormizone, only able to start new Duviri sessions. Attempting to exit the Dormizone's door will, after a confirmation prompt, immediately transition to the Awakening quest, beginning the Warframe Path.
In either case, the quest will be marked complete. The Tenno will receive an inbox message from Acrithis containing the Sun & Moon blueprint for their warframe, the Mountain's Edge stance mod, and the Tales of Duviri storybook decoration (though new players will not receive this message until they complete Awakening and obtain their Orbiter).
Inbox message:
TESTING… DRIFTER CAN YOU READ THIS?Persuading the Zariman's own resident archivist to allow me access to your residence was not easy. A fearsome entity called Melica, she insisted I needed a 'pass' prepared by my 'teacher'.
In case we have not already spoken: I am Acrithis, archivist of Duviri. And I believe I know who you are. Better, perhaps, than you do.
As a token of trust, I enclose this curious blueprint. The blades are modelled on Master Teshin's, but weighted for warframe use. Clearly they are meant for you.
—Acrithis
From this point, Duviri can be accessed through the toggle on the Starchart. Once the Tenno has completed Angels of the Zariman, they will also unlock their Dormizone and can enter Duviri that way as well. All three Duviri modes (The Circuit, The Duviri Experience, and The Lone Story) are available for play.
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