The Hex
The desperate hunt for Albrecht Entrati has led the Drifter to the city of Höllvania on December 31st, 1999. Despite the Scaldra lockdown in the face of the Techrot menace, the citizens do their best to celebrate. But this has all happened before… and ended in disaster.
Previous story quest: The Lotus Eaters
Starting the quest
The Hex requires both The Lotus Eaters and The Duviri Paradox. Once both quests are completed, the Tenno Drifter will receive an inbox message from the Tenno Operator.
Inbox message:
1999Hey. I think you know where you need to go. I will stay here. I will watch her, them, everyone. I'll be waiting for you to get answers and come back to us. Whatever happens in that year, whatever makes it so important, figure it out.
Okay. I guess you should really get going.
Please find him.
—Operator
P.S. I don't know how to prove it, but it really is me, not… it. Remember our meal on the Zariman?
The Hex can then be started from the Codex. Upon setting it as the active quest, a cutscene will play.
First mission: Happy Y2K! (Höllvania)
[Fireworks burst in the sky over the snow-covered city of Höllvania, in the year 1999, as the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" plays in the background. An unseen crowd counts down from ten to ring in the new year. As the count reaches zero, the music and crowd noise abruptly cease as a flash of light blooms on the horizon, resolving into a glowing mushroom cloud rising to tower over the city. Suddenly, the sound of a bell is heard, and time quickly rewinds in black and white.]
[The view changes to show a CRT TV screen playing music videos for the boy band On-Lyne.]
TV Announcer: "It's December 31st, 1999. Let's SAY GOODBYE to the OLD YEAR with a track you all know and love from GLOBAL sensation On-Lyne!"
["Party of your Lifetime" begins playing on the TV. The view zooms out, showing the TV screen in the corner of the security booth of the Höllvania Central Mall, as seen in The Lotus Eaters. Green text in the lower third types out:]
HÖLLVANIA CENTRAL MALL
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 23 HRS 59 MINS
[Arthur, as seen during Whispers in the Walls, sits in the chair in the security booth, absentmindedly looking at his hand. Green text identifies him as:]
ARTHUR NIGHTINGALE
ROLE: SQUAD LEADER
BATCH: 'EXCALIBUR'
[Suddenly, blue energy envelops Arthur's right hand, and it seizes up in spasms. Arthur grips his wrist with his left hand, trying in vain to control it.]
Arthur: "Not again!"
[The possessed right hand drags Arthur over to a computer on the desk and uses the keyboard to open a blank text document and type out:]
UNDR MIRAS AVE
10 MIN
DNT B L8
[The blue glow ceases and Arthur regains control of his hand. He rubs it as if it is sore.]
Arthur: "Bastard."
[Arthur punches the computer screen, breaking the glass and causing it to fall dark. The view moves to over his shoulder, and the player is given control of Arthur as the cutscene ends.]
An objective marker indicates that Arthur needs to find his Atomicycle keys, suggesting he speak to Amir and pointing to the mall's arcade. Inside, a protoframe resembling Volt can be seen playing two different arcade games simultaneously, using his speed ability to dash between the game cabinets as he moves. As Arthur approaches, the other protoframe addresses him without looking up or pausing his activity.
Amir: "I'm on break, Arthur. Don't mess with my gametime."
Green text identifies the protoframe as:
AMIR BECKETT
ROLE: TECHNICIAN
BATCH: 'VOLT'
Arthur: "Need my Tommy keys, Amir. I'm not letting another lead on Entrati go to waste."
Amir does not respond to Arthur, but remains focused on his games.
Amir: [grunts in frustration] "Oh, that— that was cheating."
Arthur, rebuffed, is instructed to speak to Aoi. She can be found sitting on the counter inside the mall's music store. Aoi is a protoframe resembling Mag, and is using her abilities to telekinetically manipulate several dozen rectangular cards sculpted from metal, periodically collapsing them all into a floating sphere of liquid metal before sculpting the mass into rectangles again.
Arthur: "My keys better not be in that mess."
Aoi: [giggles] "Learn to hotwire, geez!"
Green text identifies her as:
AOI MOROHOSHI
ROLE: LOGISTICS
BATCH: 'MAG'
Arthur is next waypointed to talk to Quincy. He can be found in front of an empty storefront, inside which he has hung up many posters of Doktor Friday. Quincy is shooting the posters with a Reconifex rifle as Arthur approaches.
Arthur: "Did you take my damn keys—"
Quincy: "Don't distract me, boyscout."
Quincy turns and points the gun at Arthur as green text identifies him as:
QUINCY ISAACS
ROLE: MARKSMAN
BATCH: 'CYTE-09'
Arthur holds up his hands as he backs away.
Arthur: "No disrespect, Quincy. Got places to be, is all."
Quincy turns back to his shooting gallery as Arthur is directed to talk to Lettie.
Arthur: "Someone is taking my stuff."
Lettie is found in a large, lounge-like room, holding a rat in one hand and standing next to a couch where another protoframe is lying.
Arthur: "How's she doing?"
Lettie: "If she wasn't your blood, she'd be on her own out there."
Green text identifies her as:
LETICIA GARCIA
ROLE: MEDIC
BATCH: 'TRINITY'
Arthur: "Got a lead on Entrati. Sewers. Arse deep in Techrot, most likely. I'm going after him, for all our sakes. Lettie, look, if you've taken my keys again…."
The protoframe on the couch holds up a set of keys and jangles them. Green text identifies her as:
ELEANOR NIGHTINGALE
ROLE: PSYCH-OPS
BATCH: 'NYX'
Arthur grunts and takes the keys. He is instructed to go to his Atomicycle, which is in the mall's parking garage. As he approaches it, the horn honks and the engine turns over, as a cutscene starts.
Quincy: "Hold up, hero boy."
[Arthur turns to see Quincy standing by the door to the mall, holding up his Reconifex.]
Quincy: "You're going after Doctor E all by yourself?"
[Aoi steps forward as well.]
Aoi: "Or maybe you're gonna bail on us, Arthur? Forget it."
[Lettie and Eleanor walk up to join the others.]
Lettie: "We're in this mess because of you."
[Amir speeds into the garage in a burst of static electricity.]
Amir: "I'm coming too! Guys? Uh… am I sensing some tension here?"
Arthur: "No one's bailing. I got us into this, and if it kills me, I'll get us— [exasperated growl] fine. Aoi, Amir, Quincy on backup. Lettie, you and Eleanor hold the fort here, keep the gennies running."
The cutscene ends and Arthur is directed to mount his Atomicycle. Doing so will load the mission, as Arthur speeds through the tunnels. Aoi and Quincy join him on their own Tommys, while Amir sprints alongside them. The other three take a left turn through the tunnels as Arthur continues straight, eventually emerging alone onto the winter streets of Höllvania.
Arthur is waypointed to traverse the mostly vacant city to find Entrati, until he comes to a military roadblock, triggering a cutscene.
[Arthur skids to a sideways stop on his Atomicycle to avoid crashing into orange barricades laid across the road. On the other side, a woman in a military uniform and a gas mask stands atop a wrecked van, holding a long cigarette holder.]
[Major Rusalka]: "The Doktor's dashing patient zero in the flesh?"
[The woman sticks her cigarette holder into a port on her gas mask and takes a long drag, then pulls it out to exhale a cloud of chartreuse smoke. Green text identifies her as:]
MAJOR NECI RUSALKA
ROLE: SCALDRA COMMANDER
ARMAMENT: EFERVON HARNESS
Major Rusalka: "Shame. But my Scaldra have their orders."
[The Major sticks the cigarette holder into her mask again, this time for safekeeping, and leaps down onto the ground. She saunters over to her personal Atomicycle and mounts it, starting the engine before looking directly at Arthur.]
Major Rusalka: "Kill. On. Sight."
The Major speeds away as the cutscene ends, and Scaldra troops emerge from behind vehicles and barricades, opening fire on Arthur. Arthur must fight his way through the waves of Scaldra forces and traverse the city.
Major Rusalka: "Pity. We could've been allies, kiddo. My Scaldra: put that thing down!"
At one point, Arthur will be confronted by a Scaldra Dedicant, who will be unexpectedly killed by a shot from far away.
Quincy: "Iced 'em. Too slow, Arthur."
Arthur: "I had it under control."
Eventually, Arthur will come to a large public square with a fountain.
Major Rusalka: "Have it your way. By this time next year, nothing will remain of you slugs."
(upon entering the square) Major Rusalka: "Meet the co-star of your grand finale. An H-04 Efervon Tank. Enjoy."
A massive orange tank will enter the square, demolishing the fountain as it does so. It will begin attacking Arthur with both its main turret as well as an active protection system, and is invulnerable to all damage.
Arthur: "Requesting assistance!"
Quincy: "The vents above the treads!"
There are glowing ports on the top of the tank, as well as on the tread wheels. They must be destroyed in order to render the tank vulnerable.
(when the tank is vulnerable) Major Rusalka: "Viktor? Drop them in. NOW."
A plane will fly overhead, dropping off Scaldra paratroopers to join the fight. When killed, they will drop a Thermian RPG weapon, a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher with 5 shots.
(upon picking up a Thermian RPG) Quincy: "Found a hole in its shield, Arthur!"
Arthur: "Thanks, Quincy."
The Thermian RPGs will deal massive damage to the tank. When it is almost destroyed, Arthur will have the option to interact with it. Doing so triggers a short cutscene.
[Arthur, standing on top of the tank, pounds his hand on the back of the tank's active protection system, causing it to start firing. Grunting, Arthur forces the APS to aim downwards and shoot through the tank's crew compartment, triggering small explosions. Arthur bullet jumps off the tank and lands in a crouch as the tank rumbles and shakes, leaking flames and efervon. Finally, the entire vehicle detonates, and the ground of the square crumbles with the strain, throwing Arthur and the tank into a crater. Eleanor speaks to Arthur via telepathy.]
Eleanor: «Wake up, brother. He comes. A crownless king, clad in gold. A pallid beast… tap-tap-tapping.»
[Arthur gets up onto one knee, coughing and regaining his bearings. A feline yawn, followed by purring, gets his attention, and he turns to see Kalymos sitting nearby, her form indistinct in the falling snow and residual dust and smoke. She prowls over to Albrecht Entrati, who stands near a tunnel entrance, his back to Arthur. Albrecht's KinePage device rings, and he looks down at its screen as Arthur draws his sidearm. As Arthur aims at Albrecht, the latter disappears into a green mist, followed by his kavat, and the cutscene ends.]
Aoi: "Arthur! What the hell was that? Where are you? Come in!"
Arthur: "He's here. Deep in the Techrot. I'm going after him."
Arthur is waypointed into the tunnel, which leads into a network of sewers and subway tunnels, all overgrown heavily with strange, fungus-like structures made from wires, cables, and distorted electronics. Strange Techrot creatures, as seen briefly during Whispers in the Walls, occupy the tunnels and will attack Arthur as he makes his way through, seeking Albrecht. Eventually, Arthur will arrive at an underground shopping mall and come to a large, open concourse area with a pillar of computer monitors, all displaying the Entrati eye logo.
Arthur: "What in hell…."
As Arthur approaches, he will suddenly grip his head, and the player must complete a quicktime event. Successfully doing so starts a cutscene.
[Arthur lowers his hands and looks at the monitors. Suddenly, a giant maw erupts from the middle of the pillar, dislodging screens and scattering tech-debris to the ground. Arthur is thrown back a pace and crouches in a ready position. The maw retches a couple times, then vomits out a plain Excalibur warframe, which lands on its feet on the tile floor. The Excalibur looks up at Arthur, who takes a couple steps back.]
Arthur: "Entrati! What devils follow you?"
[Excalibur takes a few steps towards Arthur. Arthur looks down at his hand, then back at the warframe. Excalibur is impassive and silent, as warframes usually are. Arthur bares his teeth and draws his Exalted Blade, holding it at the ready and dropping into a crouch. The Excalibur mirrors his actions, and the two square up, facing each other across the Techrot-infested mall floor.]
Arthur: "Bring the hellfire!"
[The two dash towards each other, meeting in a burst of energy as their swords clash between their bodies. They stay in that position for a moment, each trying to overpower the other, until a surge of Transference energy ripples outward from Excalibur, knocking Arthur back. The warframe, now without impulse, slumps to the ground as Arthur staggers backward, hands gripping the side of his head, while images flash through his mind: the Lotus carrying the Operator to the Somatic Link, the terrifying visage of the Man in the Wall, the bright mushroom cloud towering over Höllvania. Arthur grunts, strains, then throws his hands forward as if hurling an object from inside his head, and indeed, the Drifter appears, flipping through the air and landing flat on the floor. The Drifter reacts quickly, drawing their Sirocco, but Arthur is quicker, driving his Exalted Blade through the Drifter's palm and impaling their hand to the ground as the Sirocco is knocked aside. The Drifter, grimacing in pain, looks up. Arthur pants from the exertion as he leans on his sword, then kneels down to address the newcomer.]
Arthur: "That… was VERY rude."
The screen goes black and transitions to another cutscene.
[The sound of a fist landing a blow is heard. A shirtless, extensively tattooed man – VIKTOR VODYANOI – stands over Albrecht Entrati, who is cuffed to an office chair. Viktor cracks his knuckles and prepares for another hit, but is interrupted by a tsk-tsk noise from the doorway. He looks up to see Major Rusalka leaning against the doorjamb. Green text on the screen reads:]
SCALDRA INTERROGATION CELL
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 19 HRS 27 MINS
Major Rusalka: "Viktor. That's no way to treat our little tourist."
[Rusalka walks into the room. She is no longer wearing her gas mask, and her whole face can be seen. Viktor moves aside as she approaches Albrecht from behind.]
Viktor: "Hmph. He won't talk."
[Rusalka places her right hand on Albrect's far shoulder. Her hand is a prosthetic, with orange-painted metal plating, and long hooked claws as fingers.]
Major Rusalka: "Oh, not even to me…?"
[The Major walks around to stand in front of Albrecht, who has not moved or spoken, only sitting with his head down. Viktor has apparently left the room. Albrecht snorts derisively and slowly raises his head to look at Rusalka.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Hmph. Not my type."
[Albrecht's words are slow and somewhat pained. Bruises paint large blotches on his face, and one of his eyes is swollen shut. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth and stains his teeth. Nevertheless, he gives Rusalka a wry smile. The Major circles behind him again, slinking like a predator, laying her clawed hand on his shoulder once more as she leans down to speak into his ear.]
Major Rusalka: "Oh, but we're old friends."
[Her final words are pronounced with special emphasis, carrying the background guttural rumble of the Voidtongue. Albrecht looks straight forward impassively. When his captor circles around again to stand in front of Albrecht, it is no longer Major Rusalka, but the form and voice of Loid, Albrecht's assistant and lover. When he speaks, his voice continues to have a guttural whisper underneath it, indicating that this is no human being at all.]
The Indifference (as Loid): "Aren't we, master?"
[Loid looks down at Albrecht with a look of scornful contempt. Albrecht is initially taken aback, but soon resumes his neutral expression. Loid turns to the side to address a non-existent companion, gesticulating with exaggerated pleading motions.]
The Indifference (as Loid): "Master, my master. Why hast thou abandoned me?"
[Loid then walks over to take the place of his own conversation partner, his form becoming that of Albrecht himself.]
The Indifference (as Albrecht): "All that matters is I'm here now. There, there… my faithful man-cat."
[The Indifference walks over again to take the place and appearance of Loid. The real Albrecht remains seated, his gaze following the Void entity as it walks back and forth.]
The Indifference (as Loid): "But is it really you? After all these years I've— AGH!"
[Loid jerks, as if an invisible entity has seized his arm and is pulling him away.]
The Indifference (as Loid): "Master! You're hurting me!"
[Albrecht interrupts to laugh weakly, the first reaction he's had to The Indifference's theatre performance. Loid immediately pauses his one-sided altercation and looks over at Albrecht.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Ha! [coughs] That's it, isn't it? The poison to your plan."
[Loid glares down at him.]
The Indifference (as Loid): "And what is that?"
Albrecht Entrati: "Love."
Second mission: Marty’s Loop (Höllvania)
Another cutscene immediately follows.
[The Drifter sits in a chair in a small room, watched over by interrogators, much as Albrecht was. Green text on the screen indicates:]
HÖLLVANIA CENTRAL MALL
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 19 HRS 10 MINS
[Arthur, Amir, and Quincy stand over the Drifter, the latter two leaning on the wall. The Drifter has evidently just finished telling their story.]
Amir: "Woah. Like Marty McFlea."
Quincy: [snorts] "You takin' the piss?"
[Quincy waves dismissively at their captive. Arthur addresses the others while still facing the Drifter.]
Arthur: "If it's bullshit, I'll feed Marty here to the Techrot myself. But the clock's running out."
[Amir drops his amused expression and looks thoughtful, even worried.]
Amir: "The nuke… kinda makes sense, actually."
Drifter (grimly): "Happy New Year."
Arthur: "Well, you're on point, Marty. But…"
[Arthur walks forward to stand just before the Drifter, looking down at them menacingly.]
Arthur: "…you try any of those head games again, and there won't be much left for Lettie to stitch back up. You read me?"
[The Drifter looks down at their right hand, now roughly bandaged. They stand up to look Arthur in the eyes, the two facing off with scant centimetres between them.]
Drifter: "Loud and clear."
The cutscene ends and the Drifter appears in a hallway off of the security booth. Arthur is not present. The Drifter is directed to speak to Quincy, who is at his normal spot, shooting the Doktor Entrati posters. When spoken to, he will stop, turning to face the Drifter and leaning his rifle against his shoulder.
Quincy: "Check me out, givin' kit to Entrati's Cybercop."
The Drifter will be given an AX-52 rifle, a Vesper 77 pistol, and Arthur's custom Skana.
Quincy: "Naw. More like V-1000. Sent to smoke us all, am I right?"
The Drifter will Transfer back into their plain Excalibur warframe on the spot, and are directed to head to the garage. A TV near the mall's exit plays a radio announcement as the Drifter passes by.
TV Announcer: "Brrr! We got a blizzard coming in! Well, the On-Lyne boys had better get their lip balm ready before the big show, or it's gonna be a chappy New Year!"
Inside the garage, Aoi is standing next to the POM-2 computer and its generator.
(upon approach) Aoi: "So you just puppet this thing? Whole lot of metal in there…."
The Drifter is given an Atomicycle with the Rust Belt livery, and the ability to summon it on the gear wheel.
Aoi: "Arthur's taking a chance on you. You hurt him, and I'll twist you inside out. (cheerily) Try not to scratch the paint."
Upon mounting the motorcycle, the Drifter will speed off into the tunnels as the mission loads. Along the way, the Hex will discuss the recent developments, via transmission.
Aoi: "Lettie, you buying this shit?"
Lettie: "No, Aoi. I am not."
Arthur: "Cut the chatter. 19 hours til we're popping corks, or vaporised. We get Entrati and put a stop to this."
The mission is an Exterminate against Scaldra troops. The Drifter is tasked with killing 99 enemies. During the mission, a broadcast will ring out over the various speakers and megaphones placed throughout the city.
Major Rusalka: "Höllvania. The eve of a new millennium brings with it great change. The war criminal Albrecht Entrati, father of the Techrot plague, has at last been captured. His co-conspirators, the terrorist cell known as 'Hex', will soon be brought to justice. Tonight, we will fill the great… Void of suffering. A New Year… a new era! Höllvania will be great once again!"
Aoi: "Right, we're the terrorists. Love what you've done with the place, lady."
(when the objective is 25% complete) Quincy: "Lotta heat here in the opp-block, Arthur. You sure Marty's lead isn't just a setup? You holding something back, heroboy?"
Eleanor: «You wouldn't believe it anyway.»
(when the objective is 50% complete) Lettie: "Amir, you said the nuke story made sense. This Y2K shit real?"
Amir: "Of course it's real. Some glitch in the old control software. Probably written in COBOL."
Lettie: "¡Ah, chingado!"
(when the objective is 75% complete) Arthur: "Holding cells ahead. Big moment for you, Marty."
Drifter: "He'll be there."
Once all 99 enemies are dead, the Drifter is waypointed to a specific location, which turns out to be a service corridor within a metro tunnel. As the Drifter walks down the hallway, they leave their warframe behind. At the end of the passage is a door to a small side room – the 'Scaldra interrogation cell' seen earlier. The door is barricaded with planks nailed across the frame. Shooting them free triggers a cutscene.
[The Drifter slowly walks into the small room. Albrecht Entrati is slumped in the chair, facing away from the door. The Drifter cautiously grabs the chair's backrest and swivels it around. As it turns to face them, suddenly, the person in the chair snaps their head up to leer at the Drifter – it is the Operator, or rather, The Indifference, wearing Albrecht's hat. A Voidtongue cackle rings out as the Drifter recoils in shock. The doppelgänger brings their legs up to sit cross-legged and rests their grinning face on their folded hands as the chair keeps swivelling. When it spins round again, the chair is empty.]
The cutscene ends, and the Drifter Transfers back into Excalibur as Scaldra troops pour into the tunnels. The Drifter must fight their way out.
Arthur: "You better have him. Marty? Is Entrati there?"
Drifter: "He's gone. It's broken through already. Changing things."
Loud alarm sirens will ring out in the area.
Arthur: "Bollocks! Get your arse out of there! Quincy, Aoi, we need fire support!"
Quincy: "I told you this was a setup!"
The Drifter must make their way to the extraction point, fighting Scaldra along the way.
[in Höllvania Central Mall]
HÖLLVANIA CENTRAL MALL
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 14 HRS 5 MINS
As the Drifter walks from the mall's garage to the food court, where the Hex are gathered, the protoframes can be heard debating the situation.
Arthur: "So what do you want me to do, Lettie?"
Lettie: "Maybe, we cut our losses like we should've done weeks ago. We pack up and get the hell out of this estercolero before it's turned to ash. Just an idea!"
Aoi: "You don't have a problem with a few hundred thousand going up in smoke?"
Lettie: "Anyone still stuck here is Techrot anyway. [sigh] Sometimes you have to amputate, Aoi. And cauterise."
When the Drifter arrives, interacting will trigger a cutscene wherein they discuss further.
Quincy: "Didn't come out here to cut an' hide. If Doctor E won't stop this, then I say we do it. Am I right, Amir? AMIR?"
[Amir, playing on a handheld gaming console, does not react. Quincy's shout startles Eleanor, causing her to drop a paper cup she'd been toying with.]
Arthur: "So where's Entrati? You said this was a loop."
Eleanor: «Not anymore, is it? Your boogeyman changed the rules. You're toast like the rest of us now.»
Drifter: "Seems so. But that means we can change it too."
Arthur: "Stop the nuke."
Quincy: [tsks] "No one listens."
[Amir raises a hand for attention, speaking without looking up or pausing his gameplay.]
Amir: "Get me wired in."
[Quincy throws up his hands in resignation, and the cutscene ends.]
Third mission: Hell-Scrub (Höllvania)
The mission is a Hell-Scrub mission on the streets of Höllvania, against Techrot enemies. Quincy fights alongside the Tenno, who is still using their plain Excalibur warframe.
Eleanor: «The Techrot's pumping out spores.»
Lettie: "I don't want more of that shit in my system!"
Arthur: "Slow it, Lettie! Amir. Talk to me. Is your plan ready?"
Amir: "Uh… almost. Just needs a transponder onsite. Any Scaldra console down there should do it."
Hell-Scrub is a new variant of Survival wherein the life support towers, called Hell-Scrubbers, have a tendency to crust over with increasing amounts of spore growth. This prevents the Hell-Scrubbers from being activated until the growth is shot away, and if left for too long, the Hell-Scrubber will mutate into a fearsome Techrot Babau enemy. The Tenno must survive for 10 minutes.
(when the first Hell-Scrubber appears) Amir: "Hell-Scrubbers! Giant air filters to capture Techrot spores. I've commandeered their deployment system. Just need you to keep them pumping."
Arthur: "Quincy and Marty, keep the air clean while the rest of us search the tunnels for a terminal. You too, Lettie."
Lettie: "I start turning like Eleanor, I'll be haunting your ass."
Amir's normal dialogue from Hell-Scrub missions will also play during the mission.
(when a new Hell-Scrubber appears) Amir: "New Hell-Scrubber inbound!"
Quincy: "Likkle Amir knows all about these opps and their systems. A proper boss like you is smart enough to figure it out, innit, Marty?"
The mission will take the Drifter down into the infested tunnels beneath Höllvania.
(when 8 minutes remain) Arthur: "Eleanor, you sensing any civilians down here?"
Eleanor: «Not one.»
Arthur: "So. Wherever they're hiding out, it's above ground. That's a mercy."
(when 6 minutes remain) Arthur: "Amir! Found a terminal!"
Amir: "Coming! What. Oh! No no no no. That's… not a terminal, Arthur. Not any more."
Arthur: "Oh, shit. Aim for the head!"
(when 4 minutes remain) Lettie: [coughs, spits] "See, this is why the Major wears a freakin' face mask."
Eleanor: «Oh, please. You're as infected as the rest of us, Lettie.»
Lettie: "Yeah? Look up 'latent infection', bitch."
(when 2 minutes remain) Eleanor: «Hold. Sensing a Scaldra force on the surface.»
Lettie: "Even Scaldra got more sense than to come down here."
Arthur: "We'll see. Keep us posted."
(when 30 seconds remain) Arthur: "Amir? You in?"
Amir: "Root access confirmed. Höllvania Public Utilities, I am in you! ["Party of Your Lifetime" plays in the background] Huh? MP3s?!"
Quincy: "What did you do, Amir? Come in? [sighs] Comm's dead."
[in Höllvania Central Mall]
As the Drifter enters the mall from the garage, the place will be filled with the sounds of On-Lyne's "Party of Your Lifetime" playing through speakers in the building. Aoi will be standing near the mall entrance, dancing.
Drifter: [groan] "What is going on?"
Aoi: "Isn't it great? Amir got these from the hack!"
The Drifter is waypointed to the mall's second floor. As they move towards the staircase, Arthur's voice will call out.
Arthur: "Amir! Can't hear myself think!"
Amir: "Sorry! Got it!"
The music will cut out.
Aoi: "Awww… come on!"
Arthur will be upstairs, inside an abandoned clothing store. Upon entering the store, a cutscene will play.
[Albrecht's large kavat, Kalymos, is curled up next to a clothing mannequin. Arthur kneels beside her, scratching her ears. The Drifter walks into the store with a surprised gasp.]
Drifter: "Kalymos?"
[Kalymos will get up, stretch, and leap over to the Drifter, accepting their pets with a purr.]
Arthur: "She showed up, after the hack. [sigh] Look. Marty. Maybe we got off on the wrong—"
[Suddenly, the store will rumble and quake briefly. Glowing scribbles, identical to those in the Deimos laboratories, will appear on the wall, floor, and ceiling, centring on a door in the back wall. Swirls of blue energy fill the air, and a light flickers on, highlighting the door.]
Arthur: "Entrati."
[Kalymos will stand up and trot through the doorway, which opens for her, as the cutscene ends.]
The Drifter is directed to enter the door. Past is a short corridor of changing rooms for the clothing store, ending in another doorway, again ringed with glowing designs, as well as CRT monitors bearing the Entrati eye crest. On the other side of this doorway is an expansive living space, with walls of exposed brick and concrete, and stairs to a second-storey landing overlooking the main space. Arcane devices, with strange designs yet familiar forms, are placed throughout the area. Green text indicates:
ENTRATI BACKROOM
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 11 HRS 31 MINS
In the back corner is a large bank of monitors, and it is to here that the Drifter is waypointed.
Upon interacting with the monitors, the screen will display "Enter sequence password". A variety of words will float around the screen: MINN, OROKIN, ZARIMAN, AMPHORA, OTAK, ARTHUR, EULERIA, LOID, TAGFER, and KALYMOS. The Drifter must select the correct password: KALYMOS. Albrecht will appear on the screens, the video jittering initially as the feed stabilises.
Albrecht Entrati: "…T-T-T-Tenno. If you are seeing this, your loop has been altered."
Drifter: "No kidding."
Albrecht Entrati: "You and I are trapped here. Soon the Murmur will crawl through the cracks and devour this world and its possibilities."
Albrecht Entrati: "Our only means of escape… our only hope to contain this horror I have created… will require a spark of energy rare in this timeline. You know what this means."
Albrecht Entrati: "Do not allow Arthur and the Hex to stop this. I realise what I am asking… but you of all people understand what is at stake. For the sake of everything before and to come… at midnight tonight… the 'bomb' must go off."
After viewing Albrecht's message, the Drifter is directed to one of the devices nearby. It resembles the Tenno's Arsenal station from the Orbiter, and displays the message: "Restore Arsenal". Interacting with it will instantly load the Tenno's warframe and loadout (removing the plain Excalibur they had been using up to this point, as well as the loaned weapons).
Some of the devices around the backroom will now be active. These are versions of the stations from the Tenno's Orbiter and Landing Craft, including mod station and Focus settings. Other devices are largely recognisable even though they are still inactive, such as the Foundry, Void Relic segment, and Navigation console. There is even a tunnel leading to a Techrot-infested alcove with the Helminth chair. Additionally, there is a new station by the door where the Tenno can modify their Atomicycle (this station is active as well).
Once the Drifter has finished gearing up, they can exit the backroom to go back to the mall. There will be a knocking sound heard in the corridor. Amir will greet them at the second door.
Amir: "We found him, Marty! Come on!"
Drifter: "Who?"
Amir will then dash away out of sight, and the Drifter must go to the garage to mount their Atomicycle and start the next mission.
Fourth mission: Prisoner Convoy (Höllvania)
Aoi: "We got chatter on Scaldra comms! They've been moving a VIP at regular intervals. It's gotta be Doctor E, right? Meet me across town."
Viktor: "Fences up, Scaldra."
The Tenno must ride through the city until they reach a barricade set up over the road. They must kill all Scaldra troops in the area.
Drifter: "That convoy's a trap. I doubt Entrati's even on—"
Arthur: "—If there's a chance he's on it, we have to try. Only he can stop this."
After the Scaldra troops have been defeated, more will appear in waves to assault the position, and the Tenno must hold out for 60 seconds.
Aoi: "Convoy approaching the Mehra Tunnels. That's the place to hit them."
Arthur: "No air support. Smart."
Aoi: "I'm just a pretty face, Arthur. [gunfire] Oh sh—" [crashing sound, then static]
Drifter: "Arthur, what if he doesn't know—"
Arthur: "—Just haul arse to Aoi. Rest of us will catch up."
The Tenno is waypointed to Aoi's position across town. She is trapped underneath a truck that has turned on its side.
(upon arriving) Aoi: "Get these assholes off my back."
A group of Scaldra will be set up at the end of the street, laying down fire, some with Thermian RPGs. The Tenno must defeat them all.
(after enemies are defeated) Aoi: [straining] "Too… heavy."
The Tenno must return to Aoi and interact with the vehicle pinning her, triggering a short cutscene.
[The Tenno pushes up on the van, while Aoi does her best to manipulate the metal, wavy patterns emerging from her fingertips. With both their efforts combined, the van tips upright, freeing the protoframe. She gets up slowly and painfully, recovering quickly.]
Aoi: "Still not used to… whatever this is." [indicates her partially Technocyte hands]
[Aoi eyes the van, which is still intact. She looks at the Tenno and waves at the vehicle.]
Aoi: "Here. Let's ditch the cycles for something less… conspicuous."
[With a cough of the ignition, the vehicle rumbles to life. The tyres screech as the truck reorients itself on the road. Aoi is in the driver's seat, sticking her head out the window as she waves to confused Scaldra troops.]
Aoi: "Thaaaank yoooou!" [honks horn]
[The Scaldra troops recover and start shooting at the vehicle, but it is already turning down the road and heading into the freeway tunnels. The Tenno stands up in the truck's flatbed, looking over the cab, and hefts a stolen Thermian RPG on their shoulder.]
The cutscene ends, transitioning into a unique mission type where the Tenno is standing in the truck's flatbed as Aoi drives it through the tunnels. If the Tenno moves too far, they will fall off the vehicle (respawning back on). Green text indicates:
MEHRA TUNNELS, HÖLLVANIA
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 10 HRS 41 MINS
Scaldra vehicles will appear on the road, either in front of or behind Aoi's truck, but all heading in the same direction through the tunnels. The vehicles will shoot at the truck with their turrets, and the Tenno must destroy them with the RPG (which has infinite ammo but a low fire rate).
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Nice one, Marty!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Eat that, jerk!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Yeah!!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Wasted!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "That was a good one!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Whammo!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Pick the bones out of that!"
(after the Tenno destroys a Scaldra vehicle, variant) Aoi: "Hah hah hah hah ha!"
Eventually, another vehicle will come into view in front: the prisoner transport van. Aoi will stay on its tail, and the Drifter is directed to disable it with an RPG. Doing so will damage its tyres, and it will continue at a slower speed, throwing up sparks. The sound of an Atomicycle can be heard from behind.
Aoi: "Arthur's caught up!"
However, instead of Arthur, it is Major Rusalka on her own armoured Atomicycle, featuring handlebar-mounted machine guns.
Major Rusalka: "So you're the new lapdog, kiddo? Tell me, Toto, what's he done to earn your loyalty?"
Aoi: "You know this witch?!"
Drifter: "Uh… it's complicated."
The Tenno must destroy Rusalka's Atomicycle, which will require multiple direct RPG hits. Once the bike has a sliver of health remaining, a cutscene will start.
[Rusalka will growl at the Tenno and shout over the sound of engines and tyres.]
Major Rusalka: "Not the jealous type! But… if I can't have him… you can't either!"
[The Major will rev her Atomicycle, rearing up on the back wheel and driving it forward in a burst of speed, zooming past the Tenno's truck just as the whole motorcade exits the tunnels to the surface streets, and smashing into the back of the prisoner transport van.]
[An explosion whites out the Tenno's view, before resolving on the flaming wreck of the prisoner transport van. The vehicle is on its side, in flames, at the edge of a municipal park where it meets the street. Major Rusalka, gravely wounded and missing her gas mask, drags herself away from the wreckage on hands and knees, coughing and panting. She is wreathed in rippling gray energy, and as she struggles, her form shifts to that of Loid before reverting back to the Major, multiple times in succession. Finally, as the gray energy dissipates, she stops and rolls over onto her back, propping herself up on an elbow as she watches the Drifter approach her on foot. The Hex protoframes arrive, dismount their bikes, and back up the Drifter. Albrecht strolls from around the wrecked van, pacing behind Rusalka. He is still bloodied and bruised from Viktor's interrogation, and is now holding his left arm gingerly, likely having injured it in the crash. He waves his hand at the Scaldra major as he addresses the Drifter.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Here is the breach. With each cycle, more seeps into her."
[Rusalka pays little attention to Albrecht behind her, instead hacking up blood and looking up at the Drifter with confusion.]
Major Rusalka: "Who… who are you?"
[Albrecht nods down at Rusalka curtly.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Kill her. Now."
[The Drifter draws their Sirocco and aims it at Rusalka. However, they hesitate, the weapon wavering in their grasp, until they break aim, shaking their head. The player is given a choice on their dialogue.]
(Sun – "You do it.") Drifter: "You do it. I'm not your puppet."
(Neutral – "It's not really her…") Drifter: "But it's not really her that's doing this…."
(Moon – "I'd be no different.") Drifter: "What? Then how'd I be any different?"
Albrecht Entrati: "If you cannot sacrifice even this much…"
[Albrecht turns around and takes a few steps away, looking out over the park as he continues.]
Albrecht Entrati: "…how will you do what comes next?"
Arthur: "What's he talking about, Marty?"
[The Drifter looks down and ponders, then turns back to Albrecht.]
Drifter: "Maybe… I won't."
[Albrecht lowers his head in disappointment, then turns around and walks towards the Drifter.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Are you more a child than your other? Do you think I am not haunted by these choices?"
[Suddenly a peal of ominous laughter rings out. Albrecht looks down. Rusalka has been replaced with The Indifference's doppelgänger of the Tenno's Operator, who is sitting cross-legged in the snow, cackling wildly. It raises a hand and begins levitating off the ground, still in a seated position, as it speaks the Voidtongue in a booming voice.]
The Indifference: "XATA FASS XATA."
[The Drifter braces themself, but a flash of orange light bursts outwards, consuming Albrecht, the Drifter, and The Indifference, and they vanish without a trace. Arthur and the Hex step back, shielding their eyes, then look on at the steaming circle of melted snow that remains. Amir sputters and stammers before making a finger gun gesture.]
Amir: "Marty's legit!"
[in the Entrati backroom]
A new cutscene continues from the first, starting with the Hex members gathered before the screens in the backroom.
[The screens are paused on Albrecht's face, and from the grim moods of the protoframes, it is clear that they have just finished watching his message to the Drifter. Green text shows:]
ENTRATI BACKROOM
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 4 HRS 52 MINS
[Quincy is facing away from the group and the screens, looking down in thought. Then he raises his head and turns to look at the others.]
Quincy: "Nice score you got us here, Arthur. But you know what? I've had my fill of the circus. I'm out."
[Amir steps towards him, pleading.]
Amir: "Quincy… c'mon man! Maybe we don't need Marty to stop this? Don't—"
Arthur: "—North's your best bet. Mountains… might be a chance against the fallout."
Quincy: "Cheers."
[Quincy hangs his head for a moment.]
Quincy: "Look—"
Arthur: "—Anyone else? No?"
[Quincy walks away. Aoi briefly watches him go as Lettie speaks up.]
Lettie: "We'll still follow you, brave king. But this half-assed plan's gone full guano. Amir's Y2K thing won't even work."
Amir: "Yeah. I should have said."
[Amir spreads his arms in a discouraged motion.]
Amir: "Controller's… air-gapped. Good policy actually."
Arthur: "Air-gapped."
Lettie: "Off-net. We'd have to full-on the reactor and patch it direct. Only about four thousand Scaldra to the six of us. Bad odds, güey."
Aoi: "Five of us."
[Aoi gestures to the empty spot where Quincy had been standing, then takes a step towards Arthur.]
Aoi: "Arthur, maybe it is time to bail."
[Eleanor, who is sitting on a stool, impassively listening to the conversation thus far, silently starts shaking her head. She leans forward, addressing the others telepathically.]
Eleanor: «There's an army beneath our feet. You all know it. My loving brother just needs to ask. I know he's itching to.»
[Lettie steps forward and gestures curtly with her hand.]
Lettie: "Eleanor… Arthur, don't you dare. She's barely hanging on as it is."
[Arthur looks at Lettie with a resigned shrug.]
Arthur: "You said it yourself, Lettie. Bad odds."
[He turns towards his sister and sighs.]
"Eleanor. I'm asking. Please."
[Eleanor smiles, her laughter projected into the others' minds.]
Eleanor: «'Please'? A grand New Year's Eve, indeed. Okey-dokey, Arthur.»
[Eleanor stands up.]
Eleanor: «Who's on point?»
The player is now given the choice of who to play as for the next mission: Arthur, Amir, Lettie, or Aoi (Eleanor has her own objective and is not selectable for this portion). Clicking on any of the protoframes will pull up a window showing the gear they will bring into the mission:
- Arthur: Excalibur batch, AX-52 rifle, Vesper 77 sidearm, Skana melee
- Amir: Volt batch, Amprex rifle, Protokol Vekesk sidearm, Lacera melee
- Lettie: Trinity batch, Latron rifle, Protokol 95 sidearm, Dual Kamas melee
- Aoi: Mag batch, Burston rifle, Protokol Hira throwing stars, Bo melee
After confirming the player's choice, the next mission will immediately start.
Fifth mission: A New Queen (Höllvania)
The player enters the streets of Höllvania as the Hex member they chose. The other three protoframes not chosen will be alongside them as friendly squadmates. Eleanor and Quincy will not be present.
Eleanor: «Princess Lucina Zoological Gardens. Free admission on New Year's Eve… if you can get past the Scaldra.»
The squad must traverse the city to reach the waypoint, fighting Scaldra along the way. Soon they will encounter barricades and need to enter the tunnels beneath to continue, encountering Techrot.
(upon entering the tunnels) Eleanor: «Scaldra think they've contained the outbreak here. But the Techrot here is different… more… patient. Biding their time….»
Arthur: "They can do that?"
After exiting the tunnels, the protoframes will soon find themselves at a Scaldra barricade complex set up in front of the zoo entrance. They must kill 45 Scaldra troops in the area.
Viktor: "Bad form to arrive early. And without your mystery date? I thought they taught Britannic men better…."
Arthur: "Viktor, you love this city. Y2K is gonna haywire the plant. Call off your dogs for the night and help us."
Viktor: [laughs] "Y2K? Ozone? Acid rain? And I took you for a warrior. Air support, you are go for drop."
Troops will continue to pour in from neighbouring streets and by air drop.
(after killing all enemies in the area) Viktor: "Mediocre display. Not worth my time. Enjoy your picnic in the park, children."
The view will fade to black before showing Eleanor inside the zoo. Green text on the view says:
PRINCESS LUCINA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
REACTOR INCIDENT IN 2 HRS 50 MINS
Eleanor: «Wait here. I do this alone.»
The player is given control of Eleanor. She has Nyx's abilities and wields a Sybaris rifle, Protokol Spectre sidearm, and Tonbo melee. Per her instructions, no member of the Hex accompanies her.
Lettie: "I'm sorry we put you up to this."
A telepathic voice will sound in Eleanor's mind, slowly, forming the words with difficulty.
[Legacyte]: "We've waited. Our severed sister."
Eleanor must make her way to one of the zoo exhibits, where a structure called a "rotpod" is present, thick roots snaking away from its base. Upon approach, Techrot monsters will swarm her from every angle.
[Legacyte]: "I Queen of these. First sister from trees."
Eleanor must fight for 60 seconds. After that, the rotpod becomes vulnerable, and she can destroy it.
(after destroying the first rotpod) [Legacyte]: "Sisters. Wicked. Always jealous to be queen."
Eleanor must make her way to another pod and repeat the process twice more: fight the Techrot for 60 seconds, then destroy the rotpod.
(upon arriving at the second rotpod) [Legacyte]: "Bad. Mad. Sad."
(after destroying the second rotpod) Lettie: "She won't come back from this."
Arthur: "Then none of us will."
(upon arriving at the third rotpod) [Legacyte]: "Mine! Me! Mine!"
After destroying the third rotpod, a cutscene will show a new enemy arriving, a large Techrot enemy similar in size and shape to a gorilla. Green text identifies the creature as:
LEGACYTE
PRIMITIVE TECHROT HIVEQUEEN
The Legacyte has three segments in its health bar and is invulnerable while surrounded by its flock of Techrot minions. All the lesser Techrot enemies need to be killed to render it vulnerable. Once a third of its health is depleted, it will spawn more allies, becoming invulnerable again. Eleanor must kill its minions and attack it again, repeating until it only has a sliver of health remaining. A cutscene will play.
[The Legacyte, injured, backs away as Eleanor slowly walks towards it. A group of other Techrot are assembled on the rocks behind the Legacyte, and it gestures to them, offering them to Eleanor and crouching down in submission.]
Legacyte: "Me. Help. You. Many friends!"
[Eleanor smiles, looking around at the Techrot minions approvingly.]
Eleanor: «Many friends. Yes.»
[The Legacyte nods its head frantically, spreading its arms wide.]
Legacyte: "Many."
[Eleanor chuckles telepathically, then grows more serious. Her eyes roll back, then close. When she opens them again, her sclerae are glowing bright green, rather than her typical purple. She smiles again.]
Eleanor: «Less one.»
[Eleanor opens her mouth slightly and licks her lips, then extends her tongue for its full length. It lashes forward, striking the Legacyte directly. The Legacyte falls, twitching in its death throes, as the rest of the Techrot look on.]
Sixth mission: We Fall (Zariman 10-0)
The mission starts with a brief cutscene.
[The view focuses on the Zariman 10-0 ship, on the gap between the Void and reality, as the voices of the Drifter and Albrecht echo in the background.]
Drifter: "Maybe… I won't."
Albrecht Entrati: "Are you more a child than your other? Do you think I am not haunted by these choices?"
[The Indifference's laughter rings out. The Drifter wakes up as they appear inside the Zariman ship in a swirl of gray energy. The cutscene ends and the player is given control of their Drifter.]
Drifter: "Entrati?! Get me out of here!"
There are no enemies or HUD elements other than the minimap. The Drifter must explore the ship to look for a way out. As they move down the corridor, they will suddenly see a figure materialise out of black, swirling liquid, like thick oil. It is Eleanor, frozen in a leaping motion, her tongue extended. She stands in a turbulent puddle of the same dark liquid.
(as the Drifter approaches) Eleanor: «Shoot us in the back—»
"Eleanor" will dissolve away into black fluid, which flows towards the Drifter and covers them head to toe in a coat of black oil. The Drifter recoils, and the dark liquid fades away quickly.
The Indifference: "Eleanor is the first to die."
The Indifference speaks in a multilayered chorus of voices, as heard earlier, though Rusalka's voice is the most prominent.
As the Drifter continues, Lettie's voice can be heard.
Lettie: "Eleanor!"
A figure of Lettie made out of the same black fluid is in the next room, recoiling away from an unknown threat. Like Eleanor's, it will dissolve upon approach and coat the Drifter with oil for a few seconds. Swirls of black oil will also begin occluding the edges of the HUD, increasing with each successive Hex member encountered.
The Indifference: "Then Lettie."
Further down the hallway, they will hear Quincy's voice.
Quincy: "Peek-a-boo."
The figure of Quincy will be sitting on a balcony high above the Drifter.
(when the Drifter gets closer) Quincy: "See ya soon, momma."
This time, when "Quincy" dissolves and his oil covers the Drifter, it seems to affect them more, with the Drifter grunting and trying to fling the liquid off. The oil will not fade completely, with traces of it remaining on the Drifter's clothes.
Drifter: "I've seen enough, Albrecht!"
The Indifference: [chuckles] "Not that old dog. This is me." [three knocking sounds]
Aoi: "Arthur! I can't! I can't— I can't!"
"Aoi" will be found in the next chamber, with her hands held out in front of her. When she dissolves and covers the Drifter, the Drifter will struggle, briefly immobilised at the feet, before most of the oil fades. However, some of it will remain, primarily coating the Drifter's legs and lower torso, as the Drifter continues down the next hallway.
The Indifference: "These gifts you have: a piece of me. Given freely."
The Indifference: "But those before you were butchers. Flayed flesh… for stolen stars."
Amir's figure is next, in a seated position, slumped over in an invisible chair.
Amir: "I was… too… slow."
When the figure of Amir dissolves, the weight of the oil forces the Drifter to fall to their knees. They must crawl slowly down the rest of the corridor, where a figure of Arthur can be seen.
The Indifference: "But those before you. They did not ask. They butchered me. My flesh fed their greed."
When the Drifter gets closer, Arthur's figure can be seen to be sitting on the ground, leaning against something.
Arthur: "Just… go."
As the Drifter approaches, a projection of Albrecht Entrati – in full detail and colour, not made of oil – materialises, standing over "Arthur" and pointing a Lex Prime pistol at his head. Then Albrecht turns to the Drifter, points the Lex Prime at them, and fires. The view goes white.
Seventh mission: Reach the Reactor (Höllvania)
The mission begins with a cutscene.
[A modest snow falls over the city of Höllvania, while fireworks bloom in the night sky and crowds cheer in the distance. The melody of "The Great Despair" plays as members from the band On-Lyne speak, presumably from the Höllvania stadium during their New Year's Eve concert.]
Zeke: "How are we doin' Hölvaniaahhhhhhh?!?!!"
DJ RoM: "We can't heeeear you!"
Zeke: "Yo, sounds like someone's tryna kick off the party without us!"
Harddrive: "No way, man! Ain't no party 'til I show up!"
Drillbit: "Let's show 'em how it's really done!"
Packet: "Höllvania, you ever been in love?"
Drillbit: "And who's had their heart broken? We feel you. But trust me – stay strong. Time heals everything. And I know you know it, right? 'Cause love… is time."
[The view cuts to Amir, looking around nervously and pushing his glasses up.]
The cutscene ends and the player is given control of Amir. "The Great Despair" plays in the background, drowning out most other sounds and dialogue. Green text on the screen says:
HELL. YOU ARE NEVER GETTING OUT
ONLY 23 MINUTES LEFT, KIDDO
Amir is waypointed to a clearing in front of a Scaldra installation, where he must fight off waves of Scaldra troops. Arthur and Aoi fight alongside him as allied squadmates.
Amir: "Arthur, this place is swarming with Scaldra!"
Arthur: "Hold there. She'll get it open."
Once the song ends, the view fades away to Lettie, in the tunnels deep underneath the reactor. Green text says:
HÖLLVANIA REACTOR ACCESS
THEY ARE ALL DEAD ALREADY
Lettie is accompanied by Eleanor, who will summon some Techrot monsters.
Lettie: "Eleanor? You still okay?"
Eleanor: «We are fine.»
A Scaldra Flayer will appear and attack Eleanor, knocking her to the ground. Lettie is instructed to use Blessing to heal her ally, which will allow Eleanor to get back up.
Eleanor will make her way through the tunnels, summoning Techrot as she goes to fight the Scaldra units that try to stop her. Lettie must accompany Eleanor, keep her safe and healed, and help fight off the Scaldra troops.
Viktor: "What's going on down there? Eight squad? Eight squad, report! Get Efervon units down there now!"
A variety of heavy units – Eradicators and Dedicants – will appear, setting up chemspires that will flood the area with Efervon gas and kill off the Techrot.
Eleanor: «Children! NO!!»
Lettie: "Eleanor, hold here. I'll clear the gas."
Lettie must clear out the heavy units and destroy the chemspires before the pair can continue. Once she does, The Indifference can be heard laughing in the background. The two protoframes will continue through the tunnels and up the stairs, fighting off Scaldra, until they come to the locked entrance to the reactor's lower levels, triggering a cutscene.
[Eleanor's eyes flare bright green, and she points towards the gate. A Legacyte hurls itself at it, breaking a large hole into the barricade to let the others through. Lettie draws her Protokol 95 pistol and aims it at the back of Eleanor's head, cocking the hammer.]
Lettie: "Eleanor!"
[Eleanor slowly turns around.]
Eleanor: «Shoot us in the back, Lettie?»
[Lettie lowers the gun.]
Lettie: "Making sure that you are still… you."
Eleanor: «Of course, we are.»
[Eleanor suddenly gets a predatory look in her eyes and begins advancing on Lettie.]
Eleanor: «And you can be, too.»
[Eleanor's tongue snakes out of her mouth, and she leaps in the air at Lettie. Lettie raises her gun again as she braces for the collision, and a single shot is heard before the view cuts away to Quincy. The sniper raises his rifle as the cutscene ends. Green text says:]
SNIPER'S NEST
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
The player is given control of Quincy. Quincy is perched in an apartment high above the streets, looking down at the Scaldra barricade, and he will not move. Gameplay occurs only through the scope of his Neutraliser sniper rifle. The player is free to look around, zoom in and out (though they cannot stop aiming down the scope), and shoot.
Scaldra Eradicator: "Sir, the sub-floors have been breached. Requesting backup!"
Viktor: "No! This is what they want. Hold!"
(when Quincy kills a Scaldra) Arthur: "What the hell? Wait… Quincy?!"
Quincy: "You are proper shit at directions, Arthur. Heads down while I do my job, arright mate?"
Arthur: "Show-off. Better make a move, though. They'll get on you."
Quincy: "Ha! I'm seeing this through."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Pop."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Gotcha."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Peek-a-boo."
Additional troops will be airdropped in from time to time.
Quincy: "Go! I got this."
Eventually, a Scaldra Efervon Tank will rumble through the streets and stop in front of Quincy's building, raising its main gun to aim directly at the sniper's position. A short cutscene will play.
[Quincy raises his head from the scope and lowers his gun. He looks up with acceptance.]
Quincy: "See ya soon, momma."
[Quincy closes his eyes, and the tank fires, obliterating the residential unit. The view shifts to Amir, now inside the power plant. He nervously pushes his glasses up on his face. Green text says:]
REACTOR CONTROL ROOM
END OF THE ROAD, KIDDO
The cutscene ends and the player is given control of Amir. Arthur and Aoi are alongside him. The three are in the control room, with a large window on the wall looking directly into the reactor chamber. Banks of computers and control equipment are in the centre of the room and along the walls. A large digital clock display above the wall reads: 1999 : 23 : 55.
Amir: "Don't have time for this!"
Amir is waypointed to head to the control panel. Upon arriving, he will immediately begin typing away.
Arthur: "Tell me you got this."
Amir: "I can only type so fast!"
A short cutscene will play.
[An alarm sounds out as, within the reactor chamber, the two arrays of control rods start to withdraw from the core. As they leave the core, flames vent out of the exposed openings.]
Aoi: "Uh. Is that— is that supposed to happen?"
Arthur: "Amir?! Aoi, can you do something?"
Aoi: "What do you want me to do?"
Arthur: "I dunno, hold them in!"
[Amir continues typing furiously. Aoi steps up in front of the reactor window and holds out her hands, gripping the control rod arrays with her telekinetic grasp. She grunts with exertion as the pistons move back towards the reactor, but they stop short of actually entering it. Blue energy wisps around her fingertips as the control rods move back and forth, Aoi using all of her strength to fight the hydraulics pulling them back. Additional alarms blare from inside the reactor chamber. Aoi's face grows increasingly more desperate as she makes little progress. Arthur, greatly concerned, steps towards her, holding up his hands.]
Arthur: "Aoi! Stop!"
[Arthur's attempted intervention is interrupted by a loud screech and a crashing sound from inside the reactor. He turns to look through the window as a Techrot Babau appears, climbing on top of the reactor. It extends its four tails and roars. Arthur looks back at Aoi, then at the Babau, back and forth several times, clearly torn, before darting off in the direction of the change room (which leads into the reactor chamber). Aoi's voice goes ragged as she pants and strains, and her skin rapidly discolours (possibly due to radiation burns or blood pooling beneath the skin).]
Aoi: "Arthur! I can't! I can't— I can't! Arthur! Arthur!"
[Suddenly, blood vessels burst in her eyes, turning them red. Her left eye droops and she immediately goes limp, collapsing dead on the floor. Unrestrained, the control rod arrays fully retract to the chamber walls.]
The cutscene ends and the player is given control of Arthur, now inside the reactor chamber. Techrot monsters are present as well, and Arthur must kill them. Once all the Techrot are dead, a short cutscene will play, wherein the Babau on top of the reactor will roar and start smashing holes in the reactor housing as it climbs down to the chamber floor. Additional flames and smoke will erupt from the reactor.
Arthur must fight and kill the Babau. Shuffling Fragments from the Murmur will also show up in the chamber, swiping at Arthur. Once the Babau and all the Murmur are dead, Arthur must limp slowly up the stairs to the walkway next to the window looking into the control room. Once he reaches the top of the stairs, a cutscene will play.
[Arthur stumbles and collapses against the glass. He looks in on Aoi, dead on the floor, and Amir, still rapidly typing away. The soldier struggles to stay on his feet, but the rising radiation levels (indicated by Geiger clicks) overcome him, and he falls down to a seated position, breathing heavily as his head leans against the window. A gunshot is heard. Amir stops typing and looks down at his abdomen, which is sporting a large bullet wound. He fumbles weakly with his hands before collapsing in the desk chair, slumping to the side.]
Amir: "I was… too… slow."
[The Drifter, now standing in the control room, looks at Amir in dismay.]
Albrecht Entrati: "He's ash in seconds. No need for misery. Come. Now."
[The Drifter turns around to see Albrecht Entrati. His Lex Prime is pointed at Amir, having just shot him. Albrecht no longer has the bruises and injuries of the past few days, and looks completely healthy. He lowers his gun. The clock on the wall behind him now reads 0000 : 00 : 00.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Murmur expelled. Tau is in sight. They've given their lives for this. Make it count."
[Albrecht gestures to the dead bodies around them. The Drifter looks around too, then looks at Arthur, on the other side of the glass. Arthur weakly turns towards the Drifter.]
Arthur: "Just… go."
[Arthur goes limp and breathes his last. The Drifter adopts a look of determination, and shakes their head, turning to Albrecht.]
Drifter: "No. I can save them."
[Albrecht slowly raises his Lex Prime at the Drifter.]
Albrecht Entrati: "Not unless you know them."
[Albrecht fires. The Drifter, gripping their chest, falls to their knees as Voidtongue rumbles in the background. They collapse on their side as the digital clock display flickers between 1999 : 23 : 55, 0000 : 00 : 00, 1111 : 11 : 11, and 9999 : 99 : 99, at one point displaying Requiem glyphs1 instead of numbers. The clock falls from its position with a clang and clatters to the floor, going dark. The Drifter, near death, raises their right fist and slams it on the ground, mirroring the gesture used by Dominus Thrax in Duviri. A bell sounds, and time reverses, fading into a black and white spiral, and then blackness.]
At this point the quest will be marked complete. The new description for the quest now reads:
The triumph of The Indifference falls in snow and ash as the shattered corpses of the Hex lie in the midwinter cold.
Only the Drifter's spirit refuses to accept that the story is over. Somehow, the Hex are the key. But once the circle has been broken, what can heal it again?
The Drifter will appear back in the Höllvania Central Mall. They will receive an inbox message from Loid, containing a Forma, the Magnetic Might mod, and a blueprint for the Cyte-09 warframe.
Inbox message:
What happened?Drifter,
I can make no sense at all of these readings. Your site of temporal injection has somehow shifted. Your loop now encompasses the entire year of 1999.
Albrecht's interference is to blame, no doubt. What does he feel you need more time to achieve? He surely must have given guidance, however cryptic!
I can offer one service, at least. I discovered a clandestine blueprint among Albrecht's personal effects, for a warframe so secret it was never named. It is yours.
—Loid
Following the quest, the Tenno Drifter now has permanent access to Höllvania through the POM-2 computer in their Landing Craft. They may also switch their base of operations to the Entrati backroom in the mall, now fully operational. Missions and bounties in Höllvania, as well as the Hex syndicate, are now unlocked. The POM-2 computer can also be used to utilise the 1999 calendar reward system and Kinemantic Instant Messaging (KIM) to speak to the Hex.
Finale
Kalymos can be found in the Entrati backroom, sitting next to the Arsenal. She can be interacted with to reprise the events of New Year's Eve and achieve a better outcome. To do so, the Drifter must first interact with the Hex over KIM and start earning Chemistry with them (achieved through KIM, gifting, and/or bounties). Once the Drifter has advanced two Chemistry levels to "Liked" status with each Hex member (which also includes reaching rank "2-for-1" with the Hex syndicate), the finale becomes available. Attempting beforehand will display the message:
Strengthen your connection to the Hex members before revisiting the New Year's Eve disaster.
After reaching the requirements, interacting with Kalymos will start the final quest mission, starting with a cutscene.
[The view focuses on the Zariman 10-0 ship, on the gap between the Void and reality, as the voices of the Hex echo in the background.]
Amir: "We're not gonna make it, man. I don't… have… time."
Lettie: "Maybe, we cut our losses like we should've done weeks ago."
Arthur: "What's he talking about, Marty?"
Quincy: "I told you this was a setup!"
Aoi: "I can't! I can't! I can't!"
In much the same fashion as before, the Drifter will awake on the Zariman in a swirl of gray energy. This time, a trail of cyan energy leads them through the ship, though the route is identical to the last time.
The Indifference: "Eleanor is the first to die."
In the hallway, figures of Eleanor and Lettie, made out of thick, black liquid, pose motionless in a puddle of the same liquid. Eleanor is leaping on Lettie with her tongue out, and Lettie is recoiling away with her gun drawn. Both of the "oil statues" are slowly sinking into the puddle.
(as the Drifter approaches) Eleanor: «Shoot us in the back—»
The Drifter must interact to "help". Doing so triggers a quick-time event where the player must hold down a key. The Drifter will kneel down and pull on a strand of Void energy emerging from the centre of the pool. As they draw on the strand, hand over hand like pulling a rope, the "oil statues" of Eleanor and Lettie will rise back up out of the puddle, and gradually become more "real", with colour and details. When they are fully out and fully real, a flash of light transitions into gameplay.
The player is controlling Lettie, in the tunnels beneath the reactor. Eleanor is alongside her. The player must re-enact the quest segment wherein Lettie and Eleanor swarm the underground with Techrot and breach the reactor basement.
Lettie: "Eleanor? You still okay?"
Eleanor: «We are fine.»
Viktor: "What's going on down there? Eight squad? Eight squad, report! Get Efervon units down there now!"
Eleanor: «Children! NO!!»
Lettie: "Eleanor, hold here. I'll clear the gas."
When the two protoframes arrive at the entrance to the reactor's lower levels, a cutscene will play, similar to before.
[Eleanor's eyes flare bright green, and she points towards the gate. A Legacyte hurls itself at it, breaking a large hole into the barricade to let the others through. Lettie draws her Protokol 95 pistol and aims it at the back of Eleanor's head, cocking the hammer.]
Lettie: "Eleanor!"
[Eleanor slowly turns around.]
Eleanor: «Shoot us in the back, Lettie?»
[Lettie lowers the gun.]
Lettie: "Making sure that you are still… you."
Eleanor: «Of course, we are.»
[Eleanor suddenly gets a predatory look in her eyes and begins advancing on Lettie.]
Eleanor: «And you can be, too.»
[Eleanor's tongue snakes out of her mouth. Suddenly, the sound of Transference is heard, and Eleanor stops in her tracks.]
Drifter: «Eleanor, only here to help. It's up to you.»
[The Transference ends, and Eleanor shakes her head to clear it. Immediately, her tongue shoots out, apparently of its own volition. Quickly, she grabs it with her right hand, stopping it. It thrashes and flails in her grasp, but she hunches over and pulls as hard as she can. Her head draws back as she extracts the Technocyte growth, ripping it out of her throat and holding it high as a pained screech can be heard – whether from Eleanor or the tongue itself is not clear. The deed done, Eleanor catches her breath and looks up at Lettie, giving her a smile, before she collapses to her knees.]
Lettie: "Eleanor… Eleanor!"
[Lettie quickly holsters her pistol and goes to catch her. Eleanor cries out in pain, wiping blood away from her mouth, before settling and looking back at Lettie. Her eyes are glowing purple again, rather than the green of the Techrot. She speaks aloud for the first time in months.]
Eleanor: "I'm here."
[She smiles at Lettie, who smiles back in relief.]
The cutscene ends and gameplay returns to the Drifter, on board the Zariman.
The Indifference: "And I thought we were becoming friends."
Shuffling Fragments and Lumbering Fragments from the Murmur will appear and attack the Drifter, who must fight them off with their Sirocco. Defeating the last one will briefly stun the Drifter. Afterwards, they can continue through the ship, following the blue strand of energy up a set of stairs to reach the balcony overlook where Quincy's oil statue is mostly submerged in its puddle. Interacting and performing the quicktime action will show the Drifter pulling Quiny's sitting oil statue out of the puddle, transitioning into gameplay with a white flash.
As before, the player will be restricted to looking through Quincy's Neutraliser scope and sniping.
Scaldra Eradicator: "Sir, the sub-floors have been breached. Requesting backup!"
Viktor: "No! This is what they want. Hold!"
(when Quincy kills a Scaldra) Arthur: "What the hell? Wait… Quincy?!"
Quincy: "You are proper shit at directions, Arthur. Heads down while I do my job, arright mate?"
Arthur: "Show-off. Better make a move, though. They'll get on you."
Quincy: "Ha! I'm seeing this through."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Pop."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Gotcha."
(after killing an enemy, variant) Quincy: "Peek-a-boo."
Quincy: "Go! I got this."
When the tank rolls through the streets and arrives in front of Quincy's building, the sound of Transference will be heard.
Drifter: «See?»
Quincy's Seek ability will be activated, allowing him to see through walls and barriers and highlighting enemy heads – including that of the tank driver.
Quincy: "Yeah. Yeah, I do." [deep breath]
With a single shot, the player (as Quincy) is able to shoot through the tank's armour and kill the driver. The bullet will also penetrate critical systems and disable the tank completely. This triggers a short cutscene.
[Quincy raises his head from the scope and takes a breath. Then he looks through the scope again to assess the battlefield.]
Quincy: "Not today, momma."
[Satisfied, he lowers the rifle and shouts into his comms.]
Quincy: "Area secure. Godspeed, Amir!"
The scene will transition back to the Zariman. The Drifter must fight off another wave of Murmur enemies before following the strand to Aoi.
The Indifference: "Did you forget? Albrecht's going to burn them all anyway!"
Aoi's oil statue must be rescued like the others with the same quicktime event. Completing it transitions the scene to the reactor control room, with the player controlling Aoi this time. Amir, standing next to Aoi, will cast Speed and race over to the control console to hack into the system, while Arthur will stand nearby.
Arthur: "Tell me you got this."
Amir: "I can only type so fast!"
The control rod arrays will begin to retract from the core as alarms sound out.
Aoi: "Uh. Is that— is that supposed to happen?"
Arthur: "Amir?! Aoi, can you do something?"
Aoi: "What do you want me to do?"
Arthur: "I dunno, hold them in!"
Aoi must stand in the centre of the room and interact to hold in the moderator rods. Doing so triggers a cutscene.
[Aoi steps up in front of the reactor window and holds out her hands, gripping the control rod arrays with her telekinetic grasp. She grunts with exertion as the pistons move back towards the reactor, but they stop short of actually entering it. Blue energy wisps around her fingertips as the control rods move back and forth, Aoi using all of her strength to fight the hydraulics pulling them back. Additional alarms blare from inside the reactor chamber. Aoi's face grows increasingly more desperate as she makes little progress. Arthur, greatly concerned, steps towards her, holding up his hands.]
Arthur: "Aoi! Stop!"
[Arthur's attempted intervention is interrupted by a loud screech and a crashing sound from inside the reactor. He turns to look through the window as a Techrot Babau appears, climbing on top of the reactor. It extends its four tails and roars. Arthur looks back at Aoi, then at the Babau, back and forth several times, clearly torn, before darting off in the direction of the change room (which leads into the reactor chamber). Aoi's voice grows ragged as she pants and strains.]
Aoi: "Arthur! I can't! I can't— I can't! Arthur! Arthur!"
[Suddenly, the sound of Transference is heard, and time slows down for Aoi.]
Drifter: «You can. You're strong enough.»
[A look of inspiration appears on Aoi's face, and she smiles.]
Aoi: "Oh. Oh!"
[Aoi begins moving her hands in complex motions and ripples of telekinetic force can be heard as she seizes control of the hydraulic systems operating the control rod arrays. With a grunt, she pulls, disabling the hydraulics. The control rod arrays stop moving and sag in their housings. Relieved, Aoi takes the control rods and easily inserts them into the reactor core, now that nothing is opposing her. She lets out a satisfied sigh and relaxes.]
The cutscene ends and the scene returns to the Zariman.
The Indifference: "None of this matters."
Drifter: "Then why are you trying so hard to stop me?"
The Murmur will again attack the Drifter, this time with a Severed Warden accompanying them. Afterwards, the trail leads to a puddle in which Amir and Arthur are both submerged. Rescuing them with the quicktime event starts another cutscene.
[Arthur fights the Babau within the reactor chamber. In the control room outside, Amir is frantically typing away.]
Amir: "We're not gonna make it, man. I can't even compile in time-"
Arthur: "-Then we go down swinging!"
[Suddenly, Amir flinches and cries out. He grabs at his chest, still typing with his other hand.]
Amir: "Not now. Not now."
[He quickly recovers, going back to his work on the control console. The sound of Transference is heard.]
Drifter: «Amir, slow it down.»
[Amir starts hyperventilating, clutching at his chest again.]
Amir: "I don't... have... time."
Drifter: «[deep inhale, then exhale]»
[Amir stops typing and steps back from the console as he follows the Drifter's prompt.]
Amir: [deep inhale, then exhale]
Drifter: «Hold out your hand.»
[The protoframe raises his right hand in front of his face. A long data-spike – his PARAZON – emerges from his wrist and snaps into place. Amir looks at it with excitement, then back at the console. With a grin, he stabs the blade into the computer and begins interfacing with the system directly.]
[The cutscene then transitions to show Arthur, having defeated the Babau, now sitting against the window to the control room, exhausted and possibly wounded. The Drifter kneels down on the other side of the glass, and Arthur turns weakly towards them.]
Arthur: "Just… go. Mmm… dnnne."
[Arthur winces in pain.]
Arthur: "Entrati…?"
[The Drifter puts their hand against the glass.]
Drifter: "Bailed."
[Arthur looks at the Drifter's hand, still bandaged from earlier that day.]
Arthur: "Sorry… mbout yur hnnd."
[Arthur raises his hand to indicate the Drifter's injury. A ripple of Void energy pulses outward from the Drifter, whose hand starts glowing. Arthur notices this and attempts to turn around.]
Arthur: "Wha— are you—? Wait. [grunt] Nooo."
Drifter: "Hey, let's get out of here, Arthur. Both of us. Okay?"
[Arthur looks at the Drifter, then slumps with exhaustion and resignation. He nods weakly.]
Arthur: "Okay."
[The Drifter lowers their hand, then Transfers into Arthur through the glass. Blue energy washes over the protoframe, and Arthur closes his eyes as his body is reinvigorated. He then picks up his Skana from the floor and uses it as a cane to help himself stand up.]
The cutscene ends and the Drifter must walk Arthur's body slowly towards the change room to leave the reactor chamber. Albrecht's voice sounds in the background.
Albrecht Entrati: "Your heart would struggle to move them. It had to grow… the only way it ever does…"
When Arthur enters the change room, a cutscene will play.
[Arthur stumbles into the room and totters on his feet. As he collapses, the Drifter Transfers out in front of him and catches him.]
Albrecht Entrati: "…with others. Carry this power with mercy, Tenno."
[The Drifter slowly lowers Arthur into a sitting position. Behind them, the door to the control room opens. The rest of the Hex are standing in the doorway, and Lettie pushes her way through the others and runs to treat Arthur as the scene fades to white.]
The Drifter appears in the mall's backroom with a swirl of gray energy. "Party of Your Lifetime" plays in the background, as the laughter and voices of the Hex can be heard.
Arthur: [sigh] "What a day."
Amir: "Well that burned a few calories!"
Quincy: "Man ain't nothin' without his mains. Respec'.
Aoi: "Right here by your side. Now and always."
Eleanor: «I'm not afraid to die… but I'm glad I didn't.»
Lettie: "Hey! After this we go for dinner."
The Drifter is waypointed to the bank of computer monitors on the ground floor. One of them displays a text document that reads only:
THE SEQUENCE IS COMPLETE
The quest is (again) marked as complete and its description changes to:
The Hex are united and the reactor is safe. History now follows a new course.
There is a final ending cutscene.
[In the Origin System, Loid walks through Albrecht's extensive laboratories, tapping away at a golden data-pad. Suddenly, there is a loud rumble and a bright light from behind him. Loid slowly turns around, wary of what he might find. A Vessel, one of those being controlled by The Indifference during Whispers in the Walls, is moving. It looks at Loid and rests its hands on the edge of a tall staircase, then smiles and throws up a peace sign.]
When the Drifter returns to the mall, they will receive an inbox message from Arthur containing noggles of all the Hex members.
Inbox message:
Hard to believeDrifter,
Albrecht's gone. Rusalka too. I can't believe how close we came to oblivion. You showed us what we were missing. For that… thank you.
You still need to keep the loop going, though, don't you? Because it's not enough to put things right, is it. We need to keep them right.
Soldiers against the tide. Now and forever.
—Arthur
Completing the Hex Finale is required to rank up to Hot & Fresh (rank 4) with the Hex syndicate.