The Lotus Eaters
A strange call comes from beyond and must not go unanswered.
Previous story quest: Whispers in the Walls
First Mission: Investigate the Sound (Sanctum Anatomica, Deimos)
The quest becomes available upon completion of Whispers in the Walls and can be activated in the Codex. Upon setting it as the active quest, the Tenno will be directed to travel to the Sanctum Anatomica.
The hub area will appear as it usually does; however, no characters can be interacted with and no other Tenno will be present. The Tenno will be waypointed through the broken Sanctum wall, out into the sandy Indifference. At the far end of the space, on the cliff edge where the communication device was previously, the Lotus will be standing, back to the Tenno, staring out into the abyss. Approaching her will trigger a cutscene.
Lotus (distractedly): "Hm? Oh. It's you."
[The Lotus does not turn to face the Tenno when speaking, merely tilting her head slightly in their direction. The 1999-era communication device in her hand – previously seen during Whispers in the Walls and afterwards sitting on the cliff edge – rings, and she opens it, staring at the screen. Behind her, the Tenno's warframe kneels dormant as both Operator and Drifter emerge from it, both walking forward until they stand at either side of the Lotus, still behind her.]
Three dialogue options for both Operator and Drifter will be displayed. The player must choose an option for each, and the scene will not progress until both dialogue lines are selected.
- Operator ("Are you okay?"): "This isn't just a bad memory, is it? This is new."
- Operator: ("…What is that noise?"): "I've seen that device before. Some kind of… communicator?"
- Operator ("Don't listen to it!"): "It's him. I knew he'd come after you next!"
- Drifter ("Careful there."): "Easy. You're scaring the kid."
- Drifter ("I'm here to help."): "Whatever this is, I'm not leaving you alone with it."
- Drifter ("What do you mean, 'it's you'?"): "D'you mind explaining exactly what you mean by that?"
[The Lotus, not having moved or reacted, suddenly twitches her head, then whirls to face the Operator. She still holds the communicator in front of her.]
Lotus: "You, my child. The Great Indifference wants to take. I want to let it. I feel… only the call."
[The Operator looks uneasy. The Lotus' head twitches again, and she turns to face the Drifter.]
Lotus: "You, my champion. Please. Drown out that noise that beckons. If any other answers the call… no. It has to be you. Our paradox."
[The Lotus holds out her hand, offering the device to the Drifter.]
The cutscene ends and the player is given control of the Drifter. The communicator begins ringing again, and the Drifter is waypointed to touch the device and "receive contact". Upon doing so, a quicktime event appears. Completing the event causes the Drifter to initiate Transference.
The Drifter appears in an abandoned shopping mall from the era of 1999 – the Höllvania Central Mall. The Drifter is in Void mode, invisible. Kalymos is nearby, curled up on the tile floor, asleep. As the Drifter approaches her, she will wake up, stretch, then walk away, leading the Drifter through the mall. No other people or creatures are present. Kalymos will lead the Drifter from one side of the mall to the other, passing various shop fronts and amenities, up the stairs to the second floor, along the corridors, then back down to the main floor, before arriving at the security booth. The kavat will sit on the floor and vanish, and a ringing sound will sound out from the booth. As the Drifter enters the booth, the Lotus' voice – calling "Tenno" – can be heard faintly echoing all around. Inside the booth, on the far desk, next to the printer, sits the communication device. The Drifter is prompted to interact with it and "make contact", which will trigger another quicktime event. Completing the event brings the Drifter back to the Sanctum, still standing before the Lotus and touching the device in her hand.
Lotus: "Do you hear it? The calls of angels, devils, life itself? It's grown so loud. It tries to follow in his footsteps through time. You must find him first."
The quest will be marked completed, its description changed to the following:
The link to the past is forged, but time is running out. While Loid works tirelessly and the Lotus keeps her lonely vigil, step by step the Indifference draws closer to its coveted prey.
The Tenno will receive an inbox message from Loid containing the communication device.
Inbox message:
The VisitorTenno,
None of us could hear the Device that was calling from the abyss of history. The Daughter of Hunhow heard it, and almost succumbed to its call. She raised her voice in song to drown it out, and that we did hear.
I should have known she was waiting for you.
You answered a call and in a way, found an answer. For me. The time is almost right to finish the Kalymos Sequence.
I will soon be able to send you to the city-state of Höllvania, in the plague year of 1999 – a most perilous time. Without your equipment, you would surely perish.
Luckily, the Vessels have a connection to Albrecht's "volunteers" that I believe I can exploit. You will not arrive unarmed, nor unarmoured.
We won't be late!
—Loid
The device is named "Arthur's KinePage", and has the description "Stay connected anywhere, anytime with the KinePage all-in-one communications revolution from Kinemantik! Boosting a massive 2 megabytes of memory, you'll never run out of storage space." The KinePage is an Orbiter decoration. When placed, it can be interacted with, displaying a single line of text scrolling across its tiny screen: "NO NEW MESSAGES. SCANNING…."
After the quest
After the quest is complete, the Lotus will remain in the Sanctum, still standing on the edge of the abyss and facing the formless Indifference. She has idle lines she will say randomly.
Lotus: "Lua. The miracle. Do you understand what it cost?"
Lotus: "You know what It gave. But what did you promise It in return?"
Lotus: "It is hungry, Tenno. And I… am a distraction."
Lotus: "I will not let It devour one instant of my pain. Not even Ballas. Not even the Jade Light."
Lotus: "The System is changing. We are changing. If I become something you do not recognise, do not mourn."
Lotus: "Lotus. Margulis. Natah. We live… we rise… we endure."
Lotus: "Within this shell, the three of us entwine. We forge a new strength."
Lotus: "I was the Daughter. I became the Mother. In time I shall be the Witch, blind once again, empty of all but wisdom."
Lotus: "I kept vigil while you slept through the dark centuries. I can do it again."
Lotus: "I will guide you, as I always have."
Loid will also have new dialogue when greeting him, in addition to his normal dialogue.
Loid: "The Daughter of Hunhow seems content to guide your missions from here."
Loid: "The Cavia are wary of our visitor. I have reassured them she is to be trusted. Not that they listened to anything I have to say, mind."
Loid: "She remains as she was, Tenno. Attentive. Watching."
Loid: [sigh] "I cannot envision the burden she has taken upon herself… nor what it is costing her."
Loid: "Our 'guest' is still with us. I would make her more comfortable… if I had the slightest idea how."
KinePage messages
On 03 September 2024, 13 days after the quest released, the KinePage started ringing if the Tenno had placed it as a decoration. Interacting with it would show a new message: "WHO STOLE MY KINEPAGE"1.
On 09 September, 6 days later, a new message appeared on the KinePage: "ELEANOR IF YOU STOLE THIS I SWEAR".
On 17 September, 8 days later, a new message appeared: "I CANT KEEP BORROWING LETTIES FOREVER".
On 27 September, 10 days later, a new message appeared: "AMIR WE TALKED ABOUT THIS".
On 15 November, 49 days after the last message, a new message appeared: "GR8 DEALS @ BIG BYTES". This coincided with the return of the Höllvania Central Mall.
3 Comments