09 August 2013 – 12 August 2013
Intel video
On Thursday, 08 August 2013, a video titled Operation: Arid Fear was released with the description "Operation: Arid Fear is approaching… will you be ready?" The video showed a Grineer Lancer – or perhaps a holographic projection of one – suspended in a Corpus facility, while several Crewmen look on. In the foreground, a Corpus Scout walks away, carrying a datamass. The video is narrated by a Corpus voice.
"How do we hide it? The Tenno, with their eyeless slag, will squeeze it from our scouts. They already know our methods from their capture missions. Data viruses distributed among our flock will not hold them off. Hiding the Grineer base and collecting our fees requires escalation. My plan is simple: gather our scouts and navigators, and launch them into the Void. This has two benefits: the Betrayers will be hard-pressed to assemble the coordinate data, and if they do, they will place themselves at great risk aboard a conventional craft within the Void's storm. If the Board approves, I will divide our flock into 3 groups and begin. It pains me to help the Dogs in this way, but as always, profit numbs the feeling."
Operation
On Friday (09 August 2013), the event began with the release of Update 9.5 and was set to run for a maximum of 6 days. Upon logging in and selecting the event, the diorama from the intel video was displayed, along with a box of text containing the same message:
RE: Secret Grineer Colony
How do we hide it? The Tenno, with their eyeless slag, will squeeze it from our scouts. They already know our methods from their capture missions. Data viruses distributed among our flock will not hold them off. Hiding the Grineer base and collecting our fees requires escalation.
My plan is simple: gather our scouts and navigators, and launch them into the Void. This has two benefits: the Betrayers will be hard-pressed to assemble the coordinate data, and if they do, they will place themselves at great risk aboard a conventional craft within the Void's storm.
If the Board approves, I will divide our flock into 3 groups and begin. It pains me to help the Dogs in this way, but as always, profit numbs the feeling.
—Alad V
The forum post gave more detailed instructions:
New Grineer settlements have been discovered – your help is needed to unlock them!
After our successful defence of the Corpus from the Fomorian invasion, we received intel that the Corpus are in possession of information regarding the location of secret Grineer settlements within the solar system. Infiltrating these Grineer settlements is crucial – we must find the Corpus Scouts that hold this information. The Corpus have hidden these Scouts in the Void to escape us – we must capture them!
To enter the Void and find these Scouts, you'll need to collect Datamass and Cipher components by completing replayable special Alert Missions. Once you've received these components, you'll need to obtain a Corpus Void key blueprint within the Market. Using these components, visit the Foundry and build a Corpus Void key that will take you to the vessel located in the Void. You must capture the Corpus Scout onboard the vessel and complete the mission.
Once each capture is complete, you and every Tenno in the mission will receive a point. Diligence is key. Capture as many Scouts as possible. We will track your progress and notify you when we have acquired all of the necessary information to piece together the exact location of the settlements.
After Phase 1 was completed, a new forum post was made with a new message:
Tenno,
Phase 1 of Operation: Arid Fear is nearing completion, and it has been revealed that the settlements are hidden deeper than we expected. The Corpus are dispatching reinforcements for the next phase.
Though the Grineer settlements remain hidden, we have discovered the Corpus were stockpiling new Dual-Stat Mod technology within the Void. Tenno operatives will receive these rewards based on their contribution: Shred, Vigour, Lethal Torrent.
Mechanics and Missions
Tenno had to obtain valuable data from special Alert missions. These missions, like regular Alerts, showed up randomly on the Starchart and could be of any mission type, in any location, at any level, and would be active for about an hour. Unlike regular Alerts, they remained on the Starchart after completion, and could be completed multiple times until they expired. Each Alert mission rewarded either a Corpus Cipher or a Corpus Datamass (specific to each particular alert), and could be identified by their description: Operation Arid Fear.
After obtaining Corpus Ciphers and Corpus Datamasses, Tenno had to buy Corpus Void Key blueprints from the Market, for 2.000 credits each. The Corpus Void Key required a Corpus Cipher and a Corpus Datamass, and cost 1.500 credits and 60 seconds to build (although the build could be rushed for 0 platinum). The blueprint was not reusable, and thus to construct multiple keys, Tenno had to purchase multiple blueprints. The Corpus Void Key had the description "Corpus Scouts are hiding in the Void. Use this key to find their ships and hunt them down!"
After obtaining the Corpus Void Keys, the Tenno could access their Void Key interface on the Starchart to select the key and load into the mission. The mission was a standard capture mission on a Corpus ship. The number of Corpus Scouts ranged from 1 to 5, and was partially random, weighted by the number of Tenno in the squad. The Corpus Scout was armed with a Spectra and, unlike Capture targets at the time, could flee into an escape hatch to exit the map, rendering him unable to be captured. During the second phase of the event, Scouts gained the ability to create a freezing AoE shockwave, which would slow down Tenno close to the Scout, allowing them to escape easier. During the third phase of the event, Scouts gained the ability to cloak themselves, though they would still receive damage, and could be stunlocked with melee attacks.
Randomly throughout the mission, a Void interference effect would appear on the screen, accompanied by a transient shift in colour and an audio effect similar to that heard when warping into a Void tower. This "Void storm" effect could potentially be detrimental to the Tenno's ability to aim, but would also restore 25 energy to everyone in the squad.
During the Void Capture mission, the Lotus would give instructions on locating the Scouts.
(mission start, variant) ​Lotus: "Somewhere in this Void ship are Corpus Scouts. They have crucial information about the location of the Grineer settlements."
(mission start, variant) ​Lotus: "These Corpus Scouts think they are safe hiding in the Void, but that is a false assumption. Bring them to me."
(mission start, variant) ​Lotus: "You are looking for Corpus Scouts. They have crucial information about the location of those Grineer settlements."
(during mission, variant) Lotus: "We must not let the targets slip through our fingers. Find the Scouts."
(during mission, variant) Lotus: "Keep moving. The sooner we find the Scouts, the sooner we can decode the location of those settlements."
(during mission, variant) Lotus: "We cannot allow the Scouts to escape."
(upon finding a Scout, variant) Lotus: "Good job finding a target. Make sure he doesn't get away."
(upon finding a Scout, variant) Lotus: "You found a Scout. Execute the capture protocols."
(upon finding a Scout, variant) Lotus: "Our subject is here. Capture the Scout."
(upon capture, variant) Lotus: "You captured a Scout, but your job isn't done yet. There are still more."
(upon capture, variant) Lotus: "You got him. Keep going."
(upon capture, variant) Lotus: "Target apprehended. Find the others."
(if a Scout escapes, variant) Lotus: "That Scout got away, but there are still more. Keep moving."
(if a Scout escapes, variant) Lotus: "We lost him. Find the others."
(if a Scout escapes, variant) Lotus: "Target lost. Locate one of the others."
(upon capturing all Scouts, variant) Lotus: "That's the last Scout. Head to extraction."
(upon capturing all Scouts, variant) Lotus: "You did it. We are one step closer to finding those settlements."
(upon capturing all Scouts, variant) Lotus: "We are one step closer to finding those settlements. Time to head home."
(upon capturing all Scouts, variant) Lotus: "I am not detecting any more Scouts. Get to extraction."
Each mission awarded 1 point for each Scout successfully captured. If all of the targets escaped, the mission would fail.
(if all Scouts escaped, variant) Lotus: "Mission failed. All the Scouts escaped"
(if all Scouts escaped, variant) Lotus: "You let all the Scouts escape."
(if all Scouts escaped, variant) Lotus: "The Scouts escaped! We are no closer to finding those settlements. This is most disappointing, Tenno."
A global progress bar for the event was displayed on the Starchart and progressed from 0% to 100% as the Warframe playerbase captured Corpus Scouts over the weekend. As the first phase was completed, a new phase would begin, with its own progress bar. The three phases were: The Target, Escalation, and Last Stand. The phases were identical except for the new abilities gained by the Corpus Scouts.
Selecting the progress bar for the second phase would bring up the event diorama with the message:
We've decoded a segment – we are zeroing in on the Grineer settlement. The Corpus are anxious to preserve their contract with the Grineer – they have dispatched new tools to the next segment of capture targets….
Rewards
Each Tenno who participated received an Arid Fear emblem and the new Shred mod. Tenno with at least 50 points received Shred and Vigour, and Tenno with at least 100 points received Shred, Vigour, and Lethal Torrent. The top clans in each bracket received a statue for their Dojos. Upon successful completion of the third phase of the event, the Grineer settlements were revealed to the Tenno: the Martian moon Phobos, which was added to the Starchart. Phobos also saw the introduction of the Grineer Settlement tileset and its associated enemy variants, all of which have been moved to Mars (and retconned) as of Spectres of the Rail.
Aftermath
After the event, a lore entry was added to the player profile (later moved to the Codex), with the following text:
My Queens,
They found us. Why did the Corpus think they could hide in the Void? Despite their heritage, they seem blind to the Tenno's connection to that place. I know you are sour on mysticism, but I'm beginning to turn my view on it.
Every time we tear a Tenno corpse from its metal womb we find nothing to explain their power. Our warframe engineers gesture wildly about nanotechnology, how reactive dissolution hides the answers. What if a warframe is merely a lightning rod? A conduit for these demons of the Void? Consider how it could change our plan.
For now I await the Tenno's invasion of our settlements. I have brought with me some reinforcements and your messages of encouragement to rile up the troops.
—Vor
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