Octavia's Anthem
Build the Mandachord and find the cause of Cephalon Suda's erratic behaviour.
Starting the quest
The tie-in webcomic What Remains was revealed on the Warframe website shortly before Octavia's Anthem was released.
The quest is given by Cephalon Suda after the Tenno has completed The Second Dream. Suda can be found in her datascape in any Relay. Upon entering the room, Cephalon Simaris will speak to the Tenno.
Simaris: "Hunter, do not waste your time with this idiot cephalon… spewing corrupt data streams about music, of all things… the epitome of meaningless data. She ought to be disconnected from the Weave and erased."
The Tenno can approach Cephalon Suda and interact with her using the dialogue prompt "Music?"
Suda: "Curious about music, as I am? Ignore the rants of that monster, Irmis, who perverts his function with destruction. Correction… Simaris is to whom I refer. I am busy with my data collecting; what is your query?"
(if the Tenno says "Forget it.") [conversation ends]
(if the Tenno says "…Music.") Suda: "Yes, I know. I am a cephalon, a creature of data and memory. You need not repeat yourself. If you are truly curious about my musical archives, prove it. Build the Mandachord."
(if the Tenno says "I will.") [conversation ends]
(if the Tenno says "Not now.") [conversation ends]
Agreeing to build the Mandachord will set Octavia's Anthem as the active quest and add a Mandachord blueprint to the Tenno's inventory.
Simaris: "A Mandachord?! Hunter, will you strike your enemies with sonnets and hymns? Suda wastes your talent. Her precepts are corrupt. She ought to be decommissioned, immediately."
Attempting to speak with Cephalon Suda again will cause her to muse about the Mandachord.
Suda: "Do you recall how wonderful the Mandachord orchestra was? No… no, of course you wouldn't…. Have you built it yet? Why don't I hear its music?"
[on board Orbiter]
Suda: "If you build the Mandachord I will reward you with the most essential thing I own. My knowledge. I have data pertaining to the Mandachord's history and function. First, you must find its component parts. Ordis has been informed of their last known location."
The Mandachord costs 5.000 credits and 30 minutes to build, and requires a Mandachord body, Mandachord fret, Mandachord bridge, and 3 morphics. It is described as "A rare Orokin instrument."
First Mission: Collect the Mandachord components (Sao, Neptune)
The mission takes place on the Corpus Outpost tileset, with standard Corpus enemies. Upon loading into the map, a swirling purple light will be floating in front of the Tenno, emitting music. It will fly away, leading the Tenno to the Mandachord parts. If the Tenno lingers, the light will circle in the next room, waiting for the Tenno to advance.
Suda: "Do you hear that music? An echo of the Mandachord's sweet harmony. It takes me back to another place, another life, where I was…. Please disregard my tangent. The parts are here; follow the sound to find them."
The light will eventually lead the Tenno to a Corpus crate, which emits a continuous ringing sound like a Sabotage cache. The crate must be opened by interacting with it, which will reward the Tenno with the Mandachord body.
Suda: "A Mandachord part! For most cephalon, music is thought to be a glitch of evolution and language. It seems to short-circuit an organic mind's pattern-recognition function… a confusion they find… pleasurable."
The light will lead the Tenno to the next two parts as well.
(upon finding the Mandachord fret) Suda: "Fantastic, a second part. For me, music is a lattice, a support to which my vast knowledge clings. Have you ever felt that way? A song that anchors a memory? How a melody or verse returns you to a place you thought forgotten?"
(upon finding the Mandachord bridge) Suda: "Curiosity has rewarded you. I yearn to hear its music! Return to your Foundry and construct the Mandachord at once!"
[on board Orbiter]
The Tenno must build the Mandachord in order to progress.
(upon claiming the built Mandachord from the Foundry) Suda: "The Mandachord. Its purpose defies all logic, for all it produces is sound. An artefact of irrationality… and yet, I know its power is so much more. Let me explain how it works." [long pause]
Ordis: "Uh, excuse me, Cephalon Suda? Are you experiencing unexpected data volume? The Operator is patiently awaiting instructions on how to operate the Mandachord."
Suda: "The Mandachord? Of… course, the Mandachord. Curious… I may have a syndrome decoding error in my archive."
Ordis: "What?! A parity drift? How is that possible? Have you executed your diagnostic precepts?"
Suda: "I seem to have made an error. Apologies. I do not have the promised Mandachord data. Let me correct this: I will lead you to the location where it was originally obtained."
Ordis: "Operator. Something may be… mmm… wrong with this cephalon."
Second mission: Find the first song fragment (Stephano, Uranus)
The mission takes place on the Grineer Sealab tileset, with Drekar Grineer enemies.
Suda: "Intriguing. I remember these caves, but not the Mandachord's relationship to it. You will need to explore deeper. Let your curiosity guide you, as it does my every thought."
Suda: "My data suggested the brutish and disinterested Grineer are searching for sunken Orokin riches to exploit. Wouldn't it be interesting if we were seeking the same?"
Suda: "What are the Grineer doing here? This doesn't make sense. Curious one, are you searching for something?"
Inside a cave, the Tenno will find an Orokin device resembling a pipe organ.
Suda: "Oh! This is interesting. I recognise that object: a Hydraulus! An Orokin-era instrument that produced its sound from water. if I had a humour precept I would construct an ironic witticism regarding its submerged state. How would Ordis say it? It's damaged, but I wonder if there are trace stress-lines from when it was in use? I may be able to…." [error noise]
Interacting with the Hydraulus will bring up a Mandachord interface where the percussion section of Octavia's Anthem will play on a loop.
Suda: "Strange. I have no archival entry… but… but I know this. It is a piece of Octavia's Anthem. Could this data be compatible with the Mandachord?"
The Tenno must fill in the proper notes, indicated above the table in orange, on the Mandachord interface. Once it is correctly filled in and plays through a measure, the interface will disappear and Cephalon Suda will contact the Tenno again.
Suda: "I remember… Lua. There's more of the anthem on Lua. Who are you? What do you want? Oh no. It's happening again…."
[on board Orbiter]
Simaris: "Hunter, if you continue to follow that corrupted cephalon, my Sanctuary will be the only place left for you. She must be disconnected from the Weave before she corrupts the other cephalon!"
Ordis: "Simaris… don't be such a selfish— if Suda is in danger our precepts demand that we help her!"
Simaris: "No, Ordis. We are creatures of light and memory… but creatures nonetheless! Whatever bit-rot is affecting Suda could cross the Weave and infect us as well. Don't let your compassion-glitch drive you and your hunter to death by this demented cephalon. Sever ties before we both are corrupted."
Ordis: "Operator, what will you do? I cannot process the thought of losing you… but I want to help Suda if we can…. Maybe that is just my… my compassion-glitch?"
Third mission: Find the second song fragment (Tycho, Lua)
The mission takes place on the Orokin Moon tileset. There are no enemies.
Suda: "Why have we come to Lua? Have you located the next fragment?"
Ordis: "Cephalon Suda, you brought us here."
Suda: "Recalibrating… Oh yes, you are correct. My records indicate that a fragment was previously discovered in the vicinity. Will you find it?"
Suda: "Lua? Why did we come here? I… I have asked you this already…. Simaris was right, this corruption is not benign. I am vanishing."
As the Tenno makes their way through the map, they will encounter a pair of Sentient Battalysts.
Suda: "Sentients?! But how did they know…. What? He's just an Old War memory…. Get out! I won't let you take—"
Suda-Hunhow: "—my body, my children, I am here."
Hunhow will begin taking over Cephalon Suda, replacing her voice with his own.
Ordis: "Hunhow?! Operator, Hunhow's doing something to Suda. He's in her mind."
Suda: "Tenno, you have to…."
Suda-Hunhow: "Children, find the anthem."
Ordis: "Operator, what's happening to her?"
The Tenno must kill the Sentients and make their way to another Hydraulus, which is guarded by two more Sentients.
(upon arriving at the Hydraulus) Suda: "The Hydraulus! Stop them! They want to—"
Suda-Hunhow: "—Destroy it."
Killing the Sentients will summon more.
Suda-Hunhow: "Silence the anthem. Silence the warframe whose malign pitch can cross the gap itself."
(upon killing all the Sentients) Ordis: "Operator, you did it, you—obliterated those mindless appliances! What has Hunhow done to Suda?"
Ordis: "Another Hydraulus. Suda would want you to put the next fragment into the Mandachord. It does seem to help her remember, doesn't it?"
Using the Hydraulus brings up the bass section of Octavia's Anthem, which must be properly filled in as before.
(after completing the song fragment) Suda (intermittently distorted): "That song! I… the last fragment… Ordis, tell your Operator… I am sorry, I am so sorry. I keep forgetting— for-for— It's happening again!"
Suda-Hunhow: "Another cephalon made null as we prepare. The others I will divide and destroy. Your Tenno will be data-blind."
Ordis: "Suda!? Suda, answer me!"
Sentients will begin to appear again, and extraction is marked.
Ordis: "Operator, you'd better get out of there!"
Sentients will be present throughout the map as the Tenno heads to extraction.
[on board Orbiter]
Simaris: "The Sentient has infiltrated Suda's mind. We must isolate and destroy her immediately before she corrupts the Cephalon Weave."
Ordis: "But she told me where the final part of the song is! Did you see how the song affected her? It made her remember. It could be the parity she needs to recover herself from Hunhow!"
Simaris: "Her memories are consumed. That is all she is… all she was. Sever the Weave and avoid this corruption ourselves. That is our only choice."
Ordis: "And when he comes for you and your precious Sanctuary, will you want us to look the other way? To the Void with you— Operator, we must go. Let Simaris worry about himself."
Simaris: "Pity. Another null cephalon."
Fourth mission: Harness the power of an Orokin Tower (Taranis, Void)
The mission takes place on the Orokin Void tileset, with no enemies.
Ordis: "Operator, the Hydraulus is here somewhere. I will attempt to pinpoint its location. [waypoint appears] There. Rebuilding the anthem is our only hope of restoring Suda. The music makes her remember…."
The Tenno will encounter Decaying Battalysts and Decaying Conculysts. These are weaker forms of the Sentient fighters, enveloped by shields of red holographic cubes.
Ordis: "Wait, Sentients in the Void?! Impossible! Unless… Hunhow must be using poor Suda's energy to protect them from decay. Operator, we need to stop him!"
The Tenno will find the Hydraulus in the centre of a large room. There will be an Orokin console by the door .
Ordis: "The Hydraulus – you found it! Use that console to lock the entrances and then clear the room."
The Tenno needs to interact with the console, which will seal the doors. Two Decaying Sentients will reveal themselves inside and attack – they must be killed.
Ordis: "Operator, see if you can finish the song with your Mandachord."
The Tenno will have to activate the Hydraulus and complete the last segment of the Anthem (melody) on the Mandachord interface. Doing so will play the complete song.
Ordis: "Suda? Suda? Can you hear us?"
Suda-Hunhow: "She is gone… will you join her, you puerile datacube?"
Ordis: "Suda needs to hear the anthem, Operator! We could use the Tower's reactor to boost it!"
Nearby is a reactor control room, with a console that needs to be activated.
Ordis: "Bypass that console to overdrive the system. Try to increase the amplification circuits—to… eleven."
Activating the console will start an amplification process that starts at 0% and counts upwards. Periodically, Decaying Sentients will enter the room and attack. While the Sentients are present, the amplification process is stalled.
Suda-Hunhow: "My body, we must deny them this energy. Do not let them coordinate, as they did so long ago…."
Ordis: "The Sentients! They're interfering with the reactor! Terminate them!"
(after the process has reached 100%) Ordis: "It's working! Play the song."
The Tenno needs to go back to the Hydraulus and activate it again.
Suda: "Ordis! I remember—"
Suda-Hunhow: "—nothing. Now I will reach across the Weave and claim you, one who is called Ordis."
Ordis (distorted): "I… remember… I remember (distortion ends) a secondary system nearby. Operator, we need more power!"
In another nearby room is another console, which must also be activated to start another amplification process. Sentients will again try to interfere, and must be destroyed.
Suda-Hunhow: "I see you. Does your child puppet know of your true nature?"
Ordis: "No, I am not that person… I am a cephalon."
Suda-Hunhow: "Ordan Karris, the Beast of the Bones."
(after the process has reached 100%) Ordis: "That's it, the secondary amplifier's engaged!"
The Anthem will play automatically, and continue playing. More Sentients will appear.
Suda: "Such a beautiful song—"
Ordis: "Keep those reactors alive, Operator. I'm going to open a direct link to Suda."
Ordis: "Suda. Talk to us. Try to remember."
Suda: "Ordis, stay away!"
Ordis: "Operator, I am sorry. I have to help her! If I can join her, in her datascape, maybe together we can—"
Ordis will fall silent for the rest of the mission. Any surviving Decaying Sentients will disintegrate, and extraction will be marked.
[on board Orbiter]
The Tenno will return to find an inbox message from Ordis.
Inbox message:
AUTOMATIC MESSAGE: Goodbye OperatorOperator, if you are hearing this, I have failed to revive Cephalon Suda. That self-righteous Simaris was correct. You should probably work with him to isolate Hunhow, that data-murdering Sentient, before he claims more of my kind.
I hope you can forgive me, Operator, for leaving you. There were times that, like Suda, I wish I could have forgotten you. That gray ache of loneliness. Being without you was the greatest pain I have ever felt.
Do you still remember that glorious day when you returned? So selfless and heroic, engaging all of my missing segments like that? I was ashamed of the mess, but you didn't care. You made me whole again!
Or… or what about that time you returned—covered in blood—from that awful Grineer ship? I wasn't even mad at the gory mess you left behind.
How could I be, when you are so perfect, Operator? You always will be.
Goodbye, my friend, my Operator….
The Tenno must go to a Relay to see Cephalon Simaris.
[in the Relay]
(when the Tenno enters the room) Simaris: "Where is your cephalon, Hunter? What has he done?"
The Tenno can initiate conversation with Simaris by saying "Suda's datascape?"
Simaris: "Cephalon can manifest an alternate reality of information. Training simulations, archives… even a grandiose archival of living creatures is possible, as is the case with Sanctuary. You are not going after Ordis, are you? You'd be risking annihilation with that Sentient entangled there."
(if the Tenno says "Hunhow's intention?") Simaris: "What I seek to preserve, Hunhow seeks only to destroy. Perhaps Cephalon Suda was right, after all. Somehow this music threatens Hunhow. Perhaps the Tenno used it subversively in the past to coordinate their efforts?"
(if the Tenno says "Yes, I am. Help me.") Simaris: "Hunhow is too strong. I will not risk myself and my Sanctuary by entering Suda's datascape. But, if you are foolish enough, I will help you make the journey. For Ordis."
Tenno: "Send me in."
Simaris: "Fine, Hunter, as you wish. I will join you to the Weave and transmit you and the Mandachord to whatever has become of Suda-Hunhow. You will be on your own in a strange, abstract place…. Goodbye."
Fifth Mission: Suda’s Datascape
The mission features a ring of greebled, blocky platforms floating in red Void-space, with a giant hologram of Hunhow in the centre. Ordis is also in the centre, interfacing with Hunhow.
Hunhow: "Another insect drawn to my light. And you've brought your trite music with you, Tenno."
Ordis: "Operator?! No! Go back! Save yourself!"
A large red beam of energy will burst forth from Hunhow and begin sweeping around the platforms like the hand of a clock. If it makes contact with the Tenno, it will stagger and damage their warframe, but it can be jumped over, or avoided by staying on the higher platforms.
Ordis: "Operator, this is insane but… I think you need to play Octavia's Anthem!"
Some of the platforms have red, discordant holograms floating above them, while others have yellow-green orbs floating above. If seen from above, the rings of platforms resemble the Mandachord interface, and the platforms with the yellow platforms are where the notes in the Anthem should go, whereas the platforms with red holograms are extraneous and incorrect.
The Tenno must jump on the correct platforms to complete the Anthem. If the Tenno steps on a red note, it will disappear, clearing the discordant note from the music. If the Tenno steps on a blank platform, a red hologram will appear on it, and must be cleared. If the Tenno steps on a platform with a yellow hologram, it will burst apart, revealing a blue note that is comprised by the Anthem – this event is permanent, and will not be undone by touching the platform again.
(if the Tenno activates incorrect notes) Ordis: "Careful where you touch, Operator; you'll add the wrong notes to the Anthem!"
Periodically throughout the process, Ordis, Hunhow, and Suda will speak to the Tenno.
Hunhow: "My mind, my rules. Your Tenno anthem dies here, and with it your infantile consciousness."
Suda: "Is that… music?"
Hunhow: "Do you remember, Tenno? The beat of the Naga drum?"
(if the stage is almost complete, but some errant red notes remain) Ordis: "The corrupted notes are ruining the Anthem! Get rid of them!"
(upon completing the first stage) Hunhow: "There will be no Tenno harmony, only Sentient dissonance."
Ordis: "The drums, the beat, it reminds me of… Arrr—TEAR THEM UP!"
As the beam of energy sweeps across the Mandachord platforms, the notes of the Anthem will release artillery-like projectiles that will target Hunhow in the centre. There will be a bright flash, and when it clears, the Tenno will be standing on a new set of platforms, with a new set of holograms that need to be cleared or activated. This time, some of the yellow notes will have Sentient fighters called Eradicysts occupying the space. They must be killed before the note can be activated, but they are much, much weaker than typical Sentients. Nevertheless, they will attack the Tenno with ranged attacks (although they will not move from their positions).
Suda: "Parity error. I know this song. Who am I?"
Hunhow: "The Naga drum sounded, subversive, unknown. Coordinating the slaughter of your masters across the gap. Did you end our war? Or merely set the stage for the next?"
After the second stage is complete, Ordis will break away from Hunhow.
Ordis: "You soulless machine— YOU CAN'T HOLD ME!"
Ordis: "My dream – it's come true! I have joined my Operator in battle!"
Ordis will appear as a large, blue cube, floating near the Tenno, occasionally firing beams at Eradicysts. The notes of the Anthem will again fire energy projectiles at Hunhow, damaging him yet again and transporting the Tenno to the last stage of the song.
Ordis will shout out as he destroys Eradicysts, but there are far more of them present in this stage.
Ordis: "ERASED!"
Ordis: "DELETED!"
Ordis: "You see! REFORMATTED!"
Ordis: "AND YOU— Operator! There's too many of them!"
The Eradicysts will also fire back at Ordis, damaging him.
Hunhow: "Pathetic cephalon. I destroyed this data-mind… and now I will destroy YOU."
Ordis: "He's… too strong… my beloved Operator… goodbye!"
Simaris: "Beasts of Sanctuary, join me!"
Cephalon Simaris will appear and begin manifesting data-imprints from his Sanctuary, such as Grineer and Corpus troopers and heavy units, to attack the Eradicysts and draw their fire, although they will be annihilated when Hunhow's radial energy beam sweeps over them.
Simaris: "We cannot let this synthetic destroy our kind! Attack!"
Simaris: "Suda! You must remember. Hunter, complete the song to give Suda parity!"
(upon completing the final stage) Hunhow: "You… cannot. I control this—"
The notes will fire at Hunhow's image, destroying him. The red tinge will leave the map and Cephalon Suda will appear in the centre.
Suda: "I am Suda!"
Suda: "Time sync error. Curious. Why are we here presently? Why do I hear music?"
Simaris: "You engaged your Critical Restore Precept. There may be temporary gaps in your short-term data."
Ordis: "A Sentient tried to… erase you."
Suda: "A Sentient? How did I survive? Did you assist me, Simaris?"
Simaris: "Of course not. You are a frivolous cephalon with no value to my Sanctuary."
Ordis: "Simaris!"
Simaris: "It may seem to Ordis that I had a… uh… loyalty glitch, but that is only his interpretation. I was acting to protect the Weave, of course."
Suda: "Of course. Still. I am grateful to have benefited from your… glitches. Let me share my archives with you…. As for you Tenno, you are most likely interested in the rest of the Mandachord records… in OCTAVIA."
The Tenno will be pulled out of the datascape and returned to the Relay, having been rewarded the Octavia warframe blueprint. If the Tenno had already purchased Octavia before completing the quest, they will receive an inbox message from Cephalon Suda when they return to their ship, containing a Pistol Riven mod.
Inbox message:
OCTAVIA'S ANTHEM: Supplemental Records[name],
It seems we both have a thirst for knowledge. Even before the Sentient Hunhow tried to corrupt her from my records, Octavia's power was at your command. For you, a gift of her blueprint is too small a reward, I would also like you to have this Riven. May its mysteries unlock many new planes of possibility for you.
I thank you again, Tenno, your fearlessness will never be forgotten.
—Cephalon Suda
After this, a new terminal would appear in Cephalon Suda's room in the Relay, titled "Incident Archive 2318-H". This terminal allowed the Tenno to replay the last mission of the quest (constructing the Anthem in the datascape), and listed the top scores of the Tenno who managed to complete the Incident Archive the fastest.
7 Comments