Operation: Ghoul Purge

21 December 2017 – 04 January 2018

Operation

On Thursday, 21 December 2017, Operation: Ghoul Purge began with the release of Update 22.8, and was set to run for two weeks. The Update also coincided with the release of a new webcomic in the Fragments series, The Ascension, regarding the creation of the ghouls. Upon logging in, Tenno received a video message from the Lotus in their inbox:

Inbox message:
A New Threat Emerges
Grineer Ghouls threaten Cetus. Get to the Plains of Eidolon and help control this threat.
Lotus (video message): "Tenno, vast numbers of Grineer ghouls are breaking ground near Cetus. Konzu requests any assistance you can provide."

Selecting the event would take the Tenno to Cetus, where Konzu was directing the event. Idling near Konzu would cause him to speak a couple of event-specific lines, in addition to his usual speech:

Konzu: "Khanung! We've got trouble. Not normal Grineer trouble either. Something nastier… ghouls."

Konzu: "Ghouls. Wretched things! Half-baked Grineer clones buried in bags full of pus and hate! I want them off Plains, killer! The place is lethal enough already."

Konzu: "Watch your step out there, killer. Ghouls are sprouting!"

Konzu: "Swazdo-lah, killer! I thought we'd seen the last of these ghouls, but nooooo, they're back!"

Mechanics and Missions

This operation introduced the Grineer Ghoul enemies into the game. These enemies can be found in "burial grounds" or "graveyards" on the Plains of Eidolon. When entering a burial ground, Vay Hek or the Lotus will announce the ghouls' presence, and the ghouls will burst out of the ground and attack the Tenno en masse, similar to Infested units. During the operation, Konzu will offer two additional bounties, drawn at random from a pool of four Ghoul Purge bounties. The bounties are:

Only two of the bounties will be offered at a time: one at a 15-25 level range, and another at a 40-50 level range. The reward tables are tied to the difficulty level, and not to the particular bounty objective. Similar to normal bounties, each Ghoul Purge bounty consists of four stages, selected randomly and in a random order. The Lotus provides dialogue linking the various stages to the overall bounty objective, which can be found on the respective pages for each Ghoul Purge bounty.

In addition, the Incursions offered on the Plains in Free Roam will be replaced with Ghoul Incursions, featuring the same mission types as the Ghoul Purge bounty stages, with unique dialogue. After the removal of Incursions from the Plains, this no longer applies.

Bounty Stages

There are eight possible stages in Ghoul Purge bounties, though only a maximum of four will be used in a single bounty. Most are identical or similar to the normal stages of regular Cetus bounties, though some are unique to the Ghoul Purge operation. The Liberation and Drone Hijack bounties are not used in Ghoul Purge bounties.

Resource Theft

This stage operates identically to the Resource Theft stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must kill a marked Grineer, who will drop a datamass, which is inserted into an armoured vault. Tenno must defend the armoured vault from being destroyed for 3 minutes. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Supply Sabotage

This stage operates identically to the Supply Sabotage stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must kill a marked Grineer, who will drop a supply beacon. This beacon can be picked up, which will trigger an airdrop of a supply crate and Grineer reinforcements. The Tenno must destroy the supply crate, then trigger two more supply drops as before and destroy them in sequence. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Cache Recovery

This stage operates identically to the Cache Recovery stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must find three supply caches hidden throughout a waypointed area. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Capture

This stage operates identically to the Capture stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must find a marked Grineer, incapacitate them with damage, and capture them by interacting with the downed target. The only difference is that the capture target is a Ghoul Rictus instead of the generic Grineer target. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Assassinate

This stage operates identically to the Assassinate stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must kill a number of enemies (35 for a full squad) within the objective area, prompting the appearance of an enemy leader, who must also be killed. The only difference is that the stage takes place in a ghoul burial ground, so the enemies killed are ghouls, and the assassination target is a Ghoul Alpha (either a variant of the Augur or the Rictus). The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Rescue

This stage operates identically to the Rescue stage found in normal bounties. The Tenno must kill four guards surrounding a prisoner, then disarm a bomb collar on the prisoner, then escort the prisoner to an extraction point. The only difference is that the prisoner is a Ghoul Expired. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage.

Ghoul Hunt

This is one of the new bounty stages that only occur on Ghoul Purge bounties. Tenno must travel to a number of ghoul burial grounds (3 for a full squad) and clear them of all enemies (35 for a full squad). The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage, which is detailed below.

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "Ghoul heat signatures in the soil near your location. Locate and eliminate the threat."

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "Eliminate any ghouls that emerge from the ground."

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "Careful. Subterranean ghoul signatures, and lots of them."

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "You have stepped into a ghoul burial ground. Get ready for a fight."

(upon clearing one graveyard, variant) Lotus: "This area is clear. Move on."

(upon clearing one graveyard, variant) Lotus: "No ghouls remain. Keep moving."

Purge

This is one of the new bounty stages that only occur on Ghoul Purge bounties. The Lotus will give dialogue relating the objective to the larger ghoul operation, mixed with the regular dialogue for this stage, which is detailed below.

First, the Tenno will need to kill a marked Grineer soldier.

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "That Grineer is carrying a grokdrul processor. Take it from him."

(upon arriving at waypoint, variant) Lotus: "Grokdrul processor located, acquire it."

The Grineer soldier will drop a processor on death, which can be picked up by interacting with it. This will limit the Tenno to secondary or melee weapons only.

(upon killing the Grineer, variant) Lotus: "Pick up the processor."

(upon killing the Grineer, variant) Lotus: "Retrieve the grokdrul processor."

Once the processor is picked up, the Tenno carrying the processor must gather 10 grokdrul. Grokdrul drums scattered around the camp can reward up to 5 grokdrul when destroyed, and enemies killed by the Tenno with the processor have an increased chance to drop 1 grokdrul. Resource boosters will increase the amount of grokdrul gathered, and thus accelerate the collection process.

(upon picking up the processor, variant) Lotus: "The next step is to fill that processor with grokdrul."

(upon picking up the processor, variant) Lotus: "Good, now find some grokdrul and begin loading that processor."

(upon acquiring 5 grokdrul, variant) Lotus: "The processor is half full. Good work, but you still need more grokdrul."

(upon acquiring 5 grokdrul, variant) Lotus: "You are halfway there. Find more grokdrul."

(upon acquiring 10 grokdrul) Lotus: "Done. Now, get to the drop position. I am sending down an injector."

Once the processor is full, the Tenno must travel to a waypoint some distance away. The Lotus will send down an injector. Approaching the injector with the grokdrul processor will automatically relieve the Tenno of the processor and begin the injection sequence. The injector must be defended from attacks until the process reaches 100% (which takes 100 seconds). During the process, the injector will be attacked by both Tusk Grineer as well as ghouls.

Lotus: "Place the processor in the injector."

(upon starting the injector) Lotus: "It will take some time to pump a lethal dose. Stop all Grineer from trying to disable the injector."

(when the injector is at 67%) Lotus: "The processor is almost empty. Hold out for just a little while longer."

Stepping into a ghoul burial ground

When entering a ghoul burial ground, either intentionally during the course of a bounty or simply during free roam, Vay Hek will taunt the Tenno, revealing the ghouls' presence. His taunt lines are listed below.

Vay Hek: "My favourite ghoul is… THE ONE THAT RIPS YOUR MAGGOT HEAD OFF!"

Vay Hek: "My ghouls… my fantasies made flesh…."

Vay Hek: "Dinnertime, my ghouls! You're having MAGGOT!"

Vay Hek: "Ghouls, wake! Time to play. Time… TO KILL."

Vay Hek: "My ghouls kill to live, and live to kill. And kill, AND KILL!"

Vay Hek: "Watch your step, Tenno. My ghouls could be anywhere."

Vay Hek: "My ghouls can remake you, too. Accept their touch."

Vay Hek: "Rise from your cold beds, my creations. Spit the earth from your mouths. And KILL!"

Vay Hek: "Come out, come out, come out! Meet your NEW FRIENDS! It's SLAYTIME!"

Vay Hek: "Like all parents I want a future for my children. As long as that future involves DEAD TENNO MAGGOTS!"

Vay Hek: "My ghouls came from bags. YOU! WILL LEAVE IN THEM!"

Vay Hek: "Ah, I love that 'new ghoul' smell, fresh from the bag."

Rewards

Rewards for this event consisted of the rewards granted from running the bounties, which consisted of relics, endo, Encrypted Journal Fragments, Hunter Mods, and blueprints for the Stubba and Quartakk. Each bounty also awarded Standing with the Ostron faction. There was no overall operational reward, nor a failure condition.

Aftermath

After the event was concluded, Tenno received an inbox message from the Lotus with a video message:

Lotus (video message): "The ghoul presence on the Plains of Eidolon has returned to nominal levels. Konzu wanted me to pass along his deep appreciation for your efforts."

The Ghoul Purge bounties were removed from the bounty board, and the incursions returned to their normal missions and dialogue, but the ghoul burial grounds remained on the Plains, and would spawn ghouls if they were approached, along with Vay Hek's taunt lines.

This is a recurring event, arriving back on the Plains roughly 16 days after the end of the last one. As such, it may be experienced multiple times. However, subsequent Ghoul Purges have been much shorter than the original event, lasting 3-4 days instead of the original 2-week event.

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