A disturbance in the Somatic Link prompts the Lotus to send operatives back to the Tenno Reservoir.
Previous story quest: Rising Tide
Starting the quest
This quest becomes available after completing the Sedna Junction. Upon completing the Junction, the Tenno will receive an inbox message from the Lotus.
Inbox message:
Urgent Situation on LuaTenno,
Something has happened on Lua and my sentries have become unresponsive. I need you to investigate immediately.
—The Lotus
The quest can then be activated in the Codex. Starting the quest will trigger the cinematic cutscene. Names in brackets indicate that the speaker is not identified in the scene, but their identity is revealed or inferred later.
Intro cutscene
[A dark hallway with dim lighting is shown. At the end of the hallway is a round room. Two figures sit in the middle of the room, silhouetted by the light shining behind them and their features obscured. As they converse, the viewpoint slowly advances through the hallway, zooming in on the figures.]
[Worm Queen]: "I'm… afraid, sister. Your Continuity grows near."
[The larger figure reaches out to the smaller, who flinches away. Perhaps the gesture is a slap or a threat.]
[Elder Queen]: "Hush, worm. Let the beasts do their work."
[Worm Queen]: "But the Dreamers have awakened. They will come for us."
[The larger figure touches the other's shoulder, and this time she does not flinch.]
[Elder Queen]: "Yes, they will… like the answer to a prayer."
[As the viewpoint is about to enter the chamber, two large, corpulent Grineer step in, one from each side of the doorway, and bar the entrance, slamming their polearms on the ground.]
[on board Orbiter]
Lotus: "Tenno? Are you alright? Your Somatics output seems high."
Operator: "I… just… nodded off. It's nothing."
Lotus: "Good. Deploy a warframe to Lua. My sentries have gone silent. We may have an intrusion."
Operator: "On it."
First Mission: Investigate the Reservoir on Lua (Zeipel, Lua)
This mission takes place on the Orokin Moon tileset, populated by Corrupted enemies. There is no objective listed, but a yellow waypoint appears on the minimap.
Lotus: "It was here Margulis put you into the dream, tried to heal you… tried to give you the strength to tame the Void within you. In a way, this is where you, where all Tenno, were born."
Operator: "But we weren't born here, were we?"
Lotus: "No. When the Zariman was found adrift, the Orokin did everything they could to erase their mistakes. Transit recordings, personnel logs… everything was wiped out. The only thing they kept was… you."
Lotus: "I'm detecting an unknown signature farther ahead. Find out who it is and what they're doing."
As the Tenno runs through the map towards the waypoint, they will encounter a dark figure, who will quickly teleport away upon being spotted.
Operator: "I just saw the intruder… moving fast. I think it's Teshin."
Lotus: "Teshin? What is he doing here? It looks like he's heading to a Reservoir. Follow him."
Teshin: "Leave now. This doesn't concern you, child."
Operator: "Don't call me that. What are you doing here?"
The waypoint leads to the Reservoir. It has suffered damage since the events of The Second Dream – the waterfall has stopped and the pool is drained. The white branches dangle from the ceiling, detached from the pods, which are scattered askew across the floor. Upon entering the room, a cutscene begins.
[Teshin is kneeled before an open Transference pod. The Tenno's warframe approaches him cautiously from behind. Teshin runs his hand along the inside of the pod and stands up, rubbing his fingers together in front of him. His chest and face light up with a red glow as an elderly female voice is heard.]
[Elder Queen]: "Bring them to me."
[The Tenno aggressively descends the stairs towards the Reservoir and voices themself.]
Operator: "What was that?"
[Upon hearing the Tenno, Teshin adopts an annoyed expression and addresses them without turning around.]
Teshin: "The Queens."
Operator: "Queens?! The Grineer Queens? Tell me what—"
[Teshin suddenly dashes towards the Tenno, turning and unsheathing the longer of his two nikanas in a single fluid movement, holding the blade, outstretched, to the warframe's neck. The Tenno is clearly taken aback.]
Teshin: "I am warning you. You think you're safe behind this metal, but you're not. Not in the ways that matter here. Behind this—" [Teshin taps the warframe on the chest with his nikana] "—you're still just a child—"
[The Tenno interrupts Teshin by knocking the nikana away with the warframe's hand. The blade spins away and embeds itself upright in the ground some distance away. The warframe steps away from Teshin and points angrily towards him.]
Operator: "Stop saying that."
[Teshin turns and walks away from the Tenno.]
Teshin: "Follow me again, Tenno, and you will answer to my sword."
[As he leaves, Teshin holds out his hand. The nikana is pulled from the ground by an unseen force and flies through the air, landing firmly in Teshin's grip.]
After the cutscene, Teshin deploys a spectre and cloaks himself. The spectre begins to flee as the Reservoir fills with Corrupted.
Lotus: "I thought the Queens were just an invention of Grineer command. No one has ever seen them in the flesh."
Operator: "I have a feeling Teshin has. Can you track him?"
Lotus: "Not with spectres masking him. But, Tenno, we don't know anything about the Queens. Maybe Teshin alone should—"
Operator: "No. Teshin's not going to tell me what I can and cannot do. I'll take out his spectres so you can track him."
The spectre is deep purple in colour and otherwise resembles Teshin. It will sprint away from the Tenno, dropping small ice crystals at frequent intervals which inflict Cold status on the Tenno if touched. Like most capture missions, the Tenno must pursue the spectre, bring its health down, and interact with it to capture it.
(upon capturing the spectre) Lotus: "I have a lock on his route. Exfiltrate when you're ready."
[on board Orbiter]
Lotus: "Teshin is trying to mask his location from us, but I have pinpointed a suspicious signal for you to investigate. Find him; we need answers."
Second Mission: Track Teshin (Carpo, Jupiter)
The mission takes place on the Corpus Gas City tileset and is populated by Corpus enemies. There is no listed objective, but a waypoint on the minimap.
Lotus: "All my scans for Teshin have converged on this location. Find him."
Operator: "Why hasn't he reached out to us? If he is pursuing the Queens, we can help him."
Lotus: "Pride, or shame. He does seem to have some connection to them. Stay on the trail. Finding the Queens could give us a tactical advantage against the Grineer."
Operator: "Understood."
(upon spotting the spectre) Operator: "I've picked up the trail again."
Lotus: "That's not Teshin; it's another one of his spectres. He's trying to shake us off the trail. Capture that spectre; we can use it to find the real Teshin."
(upon capturing the spectre) Lotus: "Well done. Return to your ship, I will alert you when I've decrypted this spectre's control signature."
[on board Orbiter]
Lotus: "Teshin's spectre points to what should be an unpopulated asteroid field, but deep scans show the presence of a security matrix. Someone is trying to hide something. I need you to find out what. Prepare your Archwing."
Third Mission: Pursue Teshin into the Asteroid Field (Naga, Sedna)
The mission starts off in Archwing mode, in a densely-clustered asteroid field. In the distance, a large Grineer structure built onto an asteroid can be seen, and the Tenno is waypointed toward it.
Lotus: "Something is hiding in this asteroid field, but before you can investigate you need to disable the security matrix. Ordis, are you certain this is the best angle of approach?"
Ordis: "Well, outside this corridor lie burst scanners, severe radiation, proximity mines, GRINEER DEATH BEAMS so yes, Ordis recommends staying within the shipping corridor."
The Grineer structure is built on top of the asteroid and also mined within it. A pair of long cannon barrels can be seen sticking out at an angle, firing on something in the distance. As the Tenno approaches, they are directed to a tunnel bored into the side of the asteroid. Inside is a small hangar space where a Grineer transport vessel is waiting. Upon the Tenno's approach, it moves forward through the tunnel, which cuts straight through the asteroid.
Ordis: "Operator, watch that transport ahead. The scanner is only able to scan one side at a time. You can use that to your advantage."
Beyond the asteroid, the ship slowly flies through a tight chasm formed by surrounding asteroids. Other asteroid bases are visible through the gaps in the walls. Grineer devices are embedded into the asteroids. As the ship flies through the chasm, sensors activate to scan the ship. These scanners consist of a fan of red laser beams that wash over the ship as it passes. The scanners are positioned all around the ship, but are stationary, so each scanner has a large blind spot on the side of the ship opposite from the scanner. The Tenno must keep pace with the ship, moving above, below, or to the side of it as it passes through each scanner.
Lotus: "You heard Ordis. Keep the transport between yourself and the beams. Do not let them touch you."
If the Tenno is not successful at avoiding the scanner beams, they will immediately respawn back at the first tunnel behind the ship, automatically using up a revive, and the mission will resume from there.
(if the Tenno runs into a scanner) Lotus: "You've been detected. They know you are here."
(when approaching the fourth scanner) Ordis: "Another scanner, to the right of the ship."
(when approaching the fifth scanner) Ordis: "They're going to scan the top of the transport; get below it."
(after passing through the fifth scanner) Lotus: "Nicely done. They still haven't seen you."
(after passing through the sixth scanner) Ordis: "You're clear."
After the sixth scanner, the chasm ends with another large asteroid with another tunnel cut through it. However, this tunnel is covered by an ethereal red shield that only the transport vessel can pass through, and the Tenno is waypointed to a different tunnel to the side. This tunnel is more natural than the shipping tunnel, but reunites with the transport on the other side of the asteroid, leading into another chasm with four more scanners.
(when approaching the last scanner) Ordis: [sigh of relief] "This is the last scanner."
(after passing through the last scanner) Ordis: "Yes. Might I say that was smooth, Operator."
Lotus: "You're through. Land at the checkpoint."
The chasm ends with yet another large asteroid with a tunnel. As the Tenno approaches the tunnel, they will transition abruptly from Archwing mode into normal gameplay, and land on the tunnel floor. The ship will land on a landing pad shortly inside the asteroid. The interior is a warren of caves and Grineer fortifications.
Lotus: "This checkpoint is the central hub of the security matrix. Shut it down so Ordis can fly you in undetected."
The Tenno is waypointed to a console guarded by (initially) unalerted Kuva Grineer. The Tenno must shut down the security matrix by interacting with the console, which will start a mobile-defence-esque stage in which Kuva Grineer will try to destroy the console, while the Tenno must defend it. In contrast to mobile defence, the HUD does not display a timer counting down, but a "Overriding Security" process counting up from 0% to 100%. The process takes 1:30 minutes.
(upon starting the defence) Lotus: "They're coming for you. Don't let them abort the shutdown."
(upon completing the defence) Ordis: "Ordis no longer detects any security."
Lotus: "Good, but we can't take any chances. Silence the remaining Grineer."
The Tenno must kill all remaining Grineer units on the tile. Due to the convoluted nature of the asteroid interior, they can be hard to find.
(upon killing all Grineer) Lotus: "You are in the clear. Keep moving."
The Tenno is directed through the asteroid to a large opening on the other side, whereupon they will automatically transition into Archwing mode again. The asteroid leads into another chasm which quickly opens up as the surrounding asteroids become more sparse. In the distance, a massive Grineer base can be seen – larger than any of the asteroid bases seen yet. Giant structures are built on top of the rock. Satellite asteroids are attached to the larger central node by scaffolding and long, thick cables. Large excavations expose the inner core of the asteroid, and it glows red.
Operator: "Are you seeing this?!"
Lotus (moderate static interference): "It must be the Queens' fortress."
Operator: "Are those Fomorian engines mounted on an asteroid? No wonder we've never been able to find it. It's always moving."
Lotus (moderate static interference): "Excellent, Tenno. Now get out of there. We'll need to analyse the intel you've gathered before our next move."
Operator: "Negative. I'm heading in for a closer look."
Lotus (moderate static interference): "There is a lot of Transference distortion in this area. I recommend we abort this mission and wait for Teshin to reach out."
At this point the player will be confronted with a dialogue box: "Boarding the Kuva Fortress will restrict mission access. Commit?"
Selecting "Yes" will immediately transition the Tenno into the next mission, without the opportunity to go back to the Orbiter to change loadout. The Tenno must complete the entire quest in order to return to their ship.
(Yes) Operator: "If the base moves again, we'll lose this opportunity. I'm going in."
(No) Operator: "Fine. I'll head back to the Orbiter, but the base won't be here for long."
[on board Orbiter, if the Tenno chose to go back]
Ordis: "Operator, if you must enter the Queens' fortress, you'll need to hurry; it could disappear at any moment."
Fourth Mission: Infiltrate the Grineer Asteroid Fortress (Dakata, Kuva Fortress)
Once this mission is started, the Tenno will not be able to return to their Orbiter to change loadout until they complete the quest.
​The mission takes place on the Kuva Fortress tileset, with Kuva Grineer enemies. The Tenno is not given an objective, but a waypoint leads them deep into the Fortress.
Operator: "Massively fortified. The Queens have to be here. I'm going to infiltrate the base."
Lotus: [heavy static]
Operator: "Lotus, are you receiving me?"
Lotus: [heavy static]
​The Tenno eventually emerges into a large open space, ringed with Grineer bunkers. In the middle is an elevator control console which needs three keys. The keys are dispensed from computer consoles in the area: one near the elevator control, and two in the bunkers nearby. Once the keys are taken from their consoles and installed in the elevator control console, a grille at the far end of the tile rises to reveal a large elevator, seemingly for moving freight or large groups of soldiers. As the Tenno enters the elevator and descends, an elderly female voice can be heard.
[Elder Queen]: "We're so glad you came."
Operator: "Lotus? If you can hear me, something's tampering with the Transference stream. I'm going to locate the source."
Lotus: [heavy static]
After the elevator has finished descending, the Tenno is waypointed deeper within the fortress.
[Elder Queen]: "We have a gift for you."
The waypoint will lead the Tenno to a round, moderately-sized chamber with a high ceiling. A platform is in the centre of the room, shaped like a shallow dome, linked around the rim to thick, woven braids that chain to the ceiling. Gaps in the platform show a pool of slowly-swirling water beneath, emitting traces of steam or fog, and there is a larger opening in the centre, clearly shaped to receive something. The walls of the chamber are punctuated by doorways a couple metres off the ground, opening out to short, square platforms that ring the room like teeth. Swirling patterns of bulbous shapes are painted on the walls. The whole room is dimly lit with red light from an indiscernible source and gives off an air of being tightly claustrophobic despite its size. As the Tenno enters the room, a cutscene triggers.
[The warframe walks cautiously into the room and looks around, examining the walls and the braids in the centre. The Operator, back in the Transference chamber, gazes intently through the warframe's sensors before their own eyes grow wide with surprise.]
Operator: "I know this place."
[The Tenno continues to look around the room until they sense a presence behind them. Quickly turning around, they are greeted with the sight of Teshin, head bowed and hand on his nikana. The Operator reacts with shock.]
Operator: "Teshin?!"
[Teshin raises his head to look at the Tenno and shakes it sadly as he speaks.]
Teshin: "You shouldn't have come here. You have ruined us both."
[In a swift motion, Teshin draws his nikana, but only makes it halfway out of the scabbard before he is interrupted by a droning chant that sounds for a couple of notes. Staring up at the ceiling, his face grows grim and he sheathes his nikana again. Around the room, large, corpulent Grineer – the Kuva Guardians – step out of the doorways onto the platforms and plant their polearms on the ground. In the centre of the room, a round, hovering dais descends slowly from the ceiling. Short braids dangle from its rim. On the dais' right side sits the Elder Queen, a vaguely Grineer head and torso leading into a thick, ophidian lower body partially embedded in the dais. On the left side of the dais is simply an empty hole. Behind the warframe, Teshin kneels on one knee and bows his head as the dais lowers into the central hole of the platform. The Elder Queen leans heavily on a sceptre as she addresses him.]
Elder Queen: "Well done, Teshin Dax."
[The warframe looks back at Teshin as the Operator frowns in confusion and anger.]
Operator: "Teshin Dax… you're with them?"
[The Tenno turns to face the Elder Queen again as Teshin rises from his kneeling position.]
Teshin: "I have come, as you commanded, my Queens."
[As Teshin speaks, the Worm Queen – smaller, lighter in colour, and composed mostly of Grineer cybernetic replacements – emerges from the hole in the dais up to her torso, supporting herself with her arms.]
Worm Queen: "And this is your offering? My sister needs the orphan child, not its Infested puppet."
Teshin (confused): "The child? For what purpose?"
Worm Queen: [laughs] "To eat it, of course!"
[The Elder Queen interrupts, pointing to the others sharply as she reprimands each in turn.]
Elder Queen: "Hush, worm! Do not question your lords, Teshin Dax. Bring me the orphan. Bring me my Yuvan."
[The Elder Queen rises to tower regally over the others in the room as she finishes speaking. The warframe looks from Teshin to the Queens before clenching its fists and channelling energy to emphasise itself.]
Operator: "ENOUGH!"
Worm Queen: [gasps and clutches chest] "How rude!"
[The Elder Queen lowers herself and speaks with mocking, false tenderness.]
Elder Queen: "Oh, it's not their fault, Worm. Mommy and Daddy weren't around long enough to teach them any manners. [laughs] We will have to."
[Teshin takes the chakram-like Orvius on his back and throws it at the warframe. It hovers over the warframe's head, paralysing it and suspending it in an energy field. After a few seconds, the warframe collapses to a kneeling position on the ground, unresponsive. The Operator leans forward, concerned, as static interference begins to occlude the screen and Ordis' transmissions.]
Operator: "Ordis! What is this?!"
Ordis: "A Transference surge, Operator! You're losing your warframe connection!"
[The Elder Queen raises her left hand, and the warframe is lifted into the air, limp and dangling, still suspended by the Orvius. The Queen makes a pulling motion, and the warframe floats over to hover near her.]
Elder Queen: "You have some idea that you're invincible, don't you? Nestled away in that mad cephalon's crib… but you belong to me now. For you see, child, we conceived of these ugly, metal cysts."
[The Queen holds her sceptre horizontally, with the red fluid-filled vessel at its head directly in front of the warframe. The vessel begins to release the red fluid in snaking, tendril-like streams, which flow towards the warframe's head.]
Ordis: "Operator! Cut the link!"
[The Operator closes their eyes in concentration for a couple seconds before shaking their head in distress.]
Operator: "I… I can't!"
Elder Queen: "We gave you your precious gifts. And now, just as easily, we take them all away!"
[The Queen moves the sceptre closer, and the red fluid appears to be burrowing into the warframe. Back in the Somatic Link, the Queen's assault manifests as a red spectral energy burrowing into the Operator's forehead, clearly causing great pain. The static interference on the screen worsens.]
Ordis: "CUT THE LINK! Transference overload in 5… 4… 3…."
[Ordis' voice fades away as the screen fades to white.]
On board Orbiter
[The Operator slowly regains consciousness, sprawled on the floor in the Transference room. The Somatic Link is nonfunctional, throwing off sparks and clouds of smoke. The Tenno's sentinel floats around the room aimlessly. Snowflakes gently fall from the ceiling and there is an eerie chiming music playing faintly. As the Operator sits up, the snow dissipates – evidently an illusion or hallucination.]
Ordis (sadly): "Great job, Ordis. Ship Cephalon? More like Ship Fail-bot. When the Operator needed you, most you—"
Operator: "Ordis, enough."
[The Operator begins to stand up, clutching their head and still somewhat disoriented.]
Ordis: "Operator?! By stars! Don't do that to me. I am sorry. I do not know what happened. Please, command me to self-destruct. [red lights strobe on walls and alarm tone sounds] Let me start it for you: commencing self-destruct in 5… 4… 3… 2—"
Operator: "Stop. [strobe lights and alarms stop] Uh… what's… what's with the music?"
[With an audible screech, the music gets louder.]
Ordis: "Isn't it great? I can lead you through some breathing exercises…."
Operator: "Just turn it off! [music stops] Get the Transference power back on, okay? I lost my warframe."
Ordis: "I've been trying. You may need to do your… uh… Tenno thing again. Re-energise it, you know, with your Void… stuff!"
The cutscene ends and the player is given control of their Operator. Aside from their health bar, there are no HUD elements. The Tenno must reactivate the Somatic Link by firing at it with Void Beam, as they did at the end of The Second Dream, but they will be unable to. Any attempt to activate Void Beam will backfire, stunning the Operator briefly and cancelling the attack.
(upon failing to activate Void Beam) Operator: "I— I can't. It's… gone."
Ordis: "What? Gone? Are you sure? How will you command the warframes if your—"
Suddenly all the lights on the Orbiter will turn red and an alarm will sound in the background. Ordis' voice will change, mid-sentence, into a deeper, darker, toneless version.
Ordis (hostile voice): "Conditions satisfied. Engaging purge precept."
The Tenno's sentinel, still hovering about, will begin to attack the Operator with the default sentinel weapon.
Operator: "Purge? Purge what?! Ordis?! What the hell?!"
Ordis (hostile voice): "You no longer possess Transference. You no longer command the warframes. You no longer are the Operator. You must be purged from this vessel."
Ordis (normal voice): "Non-Operator, I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but I'm going to decompress the ship now."
Vents in the corridors will suddenly begin depleting air, causing intermittent suction currents which can block the Operator's path, stunning them. The Tenno is waypointed to the Navigation Console at the front of the ship and must reach it before they run out of oxygen (shown in the HUD as a 1-minute countdown) or the sentinel kills them.
Ordis (normal voice): "Former Operator, Ordis cannot keep missing like this! Get out of here before I (hostile voice) purge you."
(if the Tenno lingers) Ordis (normal voice): "Ex-Operator, if you get to the Navigation Console, I may be able to detach the Landing Craft before I… before I kill you."
Ordis (hostile voice): "You are not the Operator. You will be purged."
Ordis (hostile voice): "Exterminate! Exterminate the Non-Operator."
Ordis (normal voice, echoing): "Operator! Cut the link… cut the link!"
Arriving at the Navigation Console will cause the screen to fade to white and automatically load into the next mission.
Fifth Mission: The Mountain Pass (Earth)
The mission begins with a cutscene.
[The Tenno's Landing Craft drops off the Operator on a rocky mountain pass and flies away. Snow comes up to the Operator's knees and continues to fall heavily from the sky, blown by powerful winds. The Operator wraps one arm around themself for warmth as they use the other to shield their face from the driving snow, and they slowly walk forward up the mountain pass.]
The cutscene transitions into gameplay, with the player controlling the Operator. All movement options are restricted except walking. The Operator walks past a few tattered, nondescript flags flapping in the wind – the only signs of civilisation here, apart from stone steps carved into the ground, visible where the snow has blown away. As the Tenno continues walking, the Queens' voices can be heard in the background, speaking indistinctly. Eventually, the Tenno comes to the top of the peak. A snow-covered bridge of rock or ice connects the peak to the mountain adjacent, spanning a deep chasm. As the Tenno crosses the bridge, large pieces of it will crumble and fall into the abyss in a thunderous avalanche, but the Tenno will still be able to cross. On the other side, the path follows the edge of a cliff into an opening into the mountain framed by giant icicle-like ice formations. Once the Operator is inside, they stop huddling, and sprinting is re-enabled. Deeper in the cave, the icy corridor transitions into a large cavern of rock. The path leads up to an alcove with a campfire burning, and as the Tenno approaches, an old, desiccated corpse can be seen kneeling before the fire. Past the corpse is a wide, rectangular doorway cut into the rock, leading to another cavern. Upon nearing the corpse, another cutscene begins.
[The Operator kneels in front of the corpse, examining it with a hint of disgust.]
Operator: "Ugh… what happened to you?"
Teshin: "They gave up."
[The Operator stands and turns around to see Teshin behind them. The Operator angrily walks towards Teshin and leaps into the air to attack him.]
Operator: "You… you betrayed me, you Infested piece of—"
[Teshin knocks the Operator several metres back with a single effortless blow. On the ground, the Operator whirls around and threateningly extends their hand, glowing with Void energy.]
Teshin: "Yes, do it."
[The Operator slowly gets up, hand still outstretched, then charges their Void Beam to strike Teshin. It backfires again, and the Operator clutches their head as they stumble backwards to the ground. Teshin watches impassively, having not taken a step the entire while.]
Teshin: "As I thought. The hard way, then."
[The Operator stands up again and addresses Teshin with thick contempt.]
Operator: "So, the great Teshin is just a dog, fetching the Queen's stick wherever she throws it."
[Teshin holds out his hand, and his Orvius zips into his grasp. He slowly walks forward, and the Operator, maintaining a defiant expression, nevertheless takes a couple steps back. This takes them over the threshold of the doorway at the rear of the cave.]
Teshin: "I warned you. Now you're trapped inside this place with the Queens burrowing in. Now I am forced to undo what Margulis did, to open the gates… and make you suffer."
[Teshin tosses his Orvius into the air to adjust his grip on it, then flicks it at the small stone post set into the ground, next to the door. The post is illuminated by Orokin symbols that still glow with blue energy, and upon impact from the Orvius, the doors slam shut, sealing the Operator within the mountain. The Operator, annoyed, turns away from the door and faces the cavern interior as the cutscene ends.]
The Tenno must walk through the cave deeper into the mountain. Stalactites and stalagmites border the corridor, and periodic lights of presumably Orokin construction provide warm, yellow illumination. As the Operator walks, passing through additional doorways and the occasional skeleton, Teshin speaks to the Tenno with a disembodied voice.
Teshin: "Margulis lied to you, a lie of omission. She did not cure the Zariman children – she erased them. My only hope is that truth still lingers inside you, buried within your mind. The power and the misery… of the Void."
The Operator comes to a large cavern with no floor, dropping off into an abyss. The path forms a ledge that rings the chamber, and the walls are covered in the golden architecture characteristic of the Orokin. In the centre of the cavern, hanging in space, is a giant Ayatan sculpture, frozen and unmoving. Giant icicles hang from the ceiling, encasing the sculpture.
Teshin: "The Ayatan sculptures are perpetually in motion, monuments of Orokin Continuity… immortality. But this one is halted and aging, needing you, as the Queens do. Will you give in to them? Or will you face the coil?"
The Operator must use their Void Beam on the ice that constrains the sculpture, but Void Beam cannot be channelled for more than a fraction of a second before the Operator is staggered. The sculpture must be hit multiple times, and the Operator may need to reposition themself around the room to hit it properly. When all the ice has been shattered and the Ayatan sculpture hangs freely (but still unmoving), the Operator must hit it once again with Void Beam. Doing so will trigger a cutscene.
[The Operator channels Void Beam for a couple seconds, much longer than the previous attempts, until they are overwhelmed. They stumble to their knees, clutching their head, and topple off the ledge into the abyss. A short loading screen interrupts the cinematic, which resumes with the Operator, lying unconscious on a patch of ice, surrounded by rocks and skeletons. A fragment of a long bone is buried in the Operator's thigh. The Operator stirs, regaining consciousness without opening their eyes. A red light, centred on their forehead, illuminates the Operator as vague shapes, reminiscent of a ship's viewports and a fire, begin to appear in their mind.]
Operator: "I… remember…."
Elder Queen: "Mother takes your hand and says there's been an accident. 'But don't worry, angel, you're safe with me.' Her eyes are distant, unfocused…."
Operator: "She's lying."
[The shapes and the red light fade away, and the Operator opens their eyes with a start. They slowly stand up, favouring their injured leg, as their voice—"She's lying"—echoes in the background. Noticing their wound, the Operator takes hold of the bone fragment, braces themself, and rips it out of their leg with a grunt. Before the Tenno is a wide cavern with a low ceiling, and the Operator throws the bone into the cave dismissively. This provokes a mechanical, grating roar, and Teshin warns the Tenno of what they have disturbed as the cutscene ends.]
Teshin: "Beware, the ravenous Golden Maw."
Operator: "Why does it have to be ravenous?"
The floor of the cave is made of countless scattered bones, and a creature burrows beneath them, its winding path throughout the cavern betrayed by the bones it disturbs. There are columns of rock throughout the cave, decorated with an image of some Orokin construct carved into the stone. If the Operator steps onto the bones of the cavern, the Golden Maw will sense them and quickly change direction to intercept the Tenno. The Maw travels much faster than the Operator and is impossible to outrun. If it catches the Tenno, it will burst from the ground, seizing the Operator in its jaws – and it can be seen that the image on the columns is that of the Maw itself – and dragging it back beneath the ground. This respawns the Operator back at the beginning of the cave, after a quick loading screen that depicts the Operator floating unconscious in the Void. The only places safe from the Golden Maw are the patches of stone on the ground, usually surrounding the base of the columns. When the Operator is standing on the rock, the Golden Maw does not sense them and cannot reach them, and the Operator can quickly sprint from one to the other to traverse the cave. Alternatively, there is a tunnel off to the left side that bypasses about half the cave.
Teshin: "The Queen burrows into your mind just as the creature worms beneath your feet. With each step, you will discover what Margulis took from you. With each step, pain awaits you."
After the Tenno crosses the cavern, they see a static, glowing, hologram-like vision of a mother standing next to a teenage child – the Operator.
Operator: "I can't even remember her face."
Approaching the image will cause it to dissolve and rush into the Operator's head, lifting them a little off the ground as they absorb the memory before dropping them back to the ground. The Operator opens their eyes with new understanding – they have unlocked Void Blast.
Teshin: "Your past has weathered Margulis' manipulation. It lurks here, your only hope of surviving the Queens."
Further into the cave, the way is blocked by a pile of boulders that have settled in the passageway.
Teshin: "Destroy this barrier and go deeper into your past."
Operator: "Sounds great, Teshin."
The Tenno must use Void Blast on the rocks, which will cause them to crumble away. This triggers another cinematic as the Operator continues to recover their memories.
[The Operator stands still, their eyes closed. Red light again illuminates them and the cave around them fades away.]
Operator: "The air was acrid and still."
Elder Queen: "The biomes had been sabotaged. The food stocks dwindled. Paranoia gripped your father's mind. What was it he said, as he stared out into the starless black?"
Operator: "Something's out there, kiddo… watching us."
[The red light fades and the Operator opens their eyes, waving their hands in front of them as if fending off a flying insect. The process of recovering memories is clearly somewhat disorienting.]
As the Tenno walks further, their words echo again in the distance. They come to another memory-image: several figures, some fighting one another, others fleeing or clutching their heads.
Operator: "The whole ship went insane."
This memory gets absorbed like the previous one, and unlocks Void Dash for the Operator.
Teshin: "You exist on the fold between two worlds. The world we know, of blood and steel; and the world that watches and dreams, the Void. Charge across the fold as you once did."
The Tenno stands at the edge of a chasm in the cave – small, but too large for the Operator to jump over. They must Void Dash across it to continue. On the other side is another bone cave with two Golden Maws patrolling, but it is much easier to cross by chaining Void Dashes.
Operator: "Incredible. And I was kicking myself for not bringing a rope."
After the cave is a short passageway which ends in a pit of bones. At the bottom of the pit is a single Golden Maw, which does not move, but emerges periodically to snap at the air and announce its presence. There is no ledge or path on the other side of the pit, just a wall of loose boulders. The Tenno must Void Dash across the pit, into the rocks, to proceed. This starts another cutscene.
[The Operator bursts through the rocks, scattering them. As they get up on one knee, red light surrounds them and their eyes close.]
Operator: "I smell… smoke."
Elder Queen: "Fires rage on the lower decks. Blood shimmers in the fitful light. Hunting parties roam the ship. But there is singing and laughter and play… for all the children have come together. Their minds, somehow unbent. You wipe away your tears, thinking—"
Operator: "This is my family now."
[The Operator stands up as the red light dissipates. "My family now" echoes in the distance.]
A short distance away is a third memory-image: three people menacing a fourth person on the ground.
Operator: "They tore her apart."
This memory grants the Operator the ability to enter Void Mode.
Teshin: "The Queen is nearly through. She knows what you did, giving her resolve. Now, you must master the fold. Walk upon its edge, concealing your movement within the shadows you create."
Operator: "'Shadows I create'. Another Teshin metaphor, right?"
Beyond is another bone cave with several Golden Maws. The cave is convoluted and twisting, and it is not easy to see the next rock island from the last, which limits the usefulness of Void Dash, but the Operator can walk safely on the bones while in Void Mode, and the Golden Maws will not sense them. However, if the Operator runs out of energy while in the middle of the bones, they will be unlikely to make it to safety before a Golden Maw devours them. The Tenno must use a combination of Void Dash and Void Mode to navigate the cavern.
On the other side is another barrier of rocks. Destroying it with Void Blast will start another cutscene.
[The Operator is stunned upon breaking through the rocks, and they will flinch before being surrounded by red light, keeping their eyes closed.]
Operator: "I can hear them…."
[A ghostly hand rises up and grips the Operator's throat as the Queen speaks, but the Operator does not react.]
Elder Queen: "The grownups are howling at the door… drowning mad in the Void ocean, but you… you are at ease, swimming within the depths! You remember then how the howling stopped – they had broken through."
[The ghostly hand falls away. The Operator has three dialogue choices to be selected by the player. A decorative wheel in the corner of the screen assigns an alignment to each option as it is selected.]
(Sun: "I held out hope") Operator: "I held out hope we'd be rescued. So I avoided the bloodshed."
(Neutral: "They had lost their minds") Operator: "They had lost their minds. I didn't blame them. We built a makeshift prison."
(Moon: "They were nothing but animals") Operator: "They were nothing but animals by then. So I hunted."
[The Operator opens their eyes, raising their hand to their throat to mimic the apparition and massaging their skin. Their dialogue choice echoes in the background as the cutscene ends.]
A fourth memory-image lies further on: a Tenno using Void powers against other attacking figures. This memory gives the Tenno the power of Transference.
As the tunnel continues, the floor turns to bones and a Golden Maw can be seen. At the end of the tunnel the way is barred by icicles, and the Tenno cannot bypass it.
Teshin: "Your repressed power has returned, fused with your Tenno abilities, amplifying them. You've outgrown the cradle. Now your Transference is innate. Control these Orokin beasts and escape this prison."
Operator: "Control them? Like a warframe?"
This Maw will rear up from the floor to attack the Operator, and when it does, the Operator can stun it with Void Blast. When stunned, it will lay on the floor, twitching, and the Tenno can take hold of it with Transference. When controlling the Maw, the Tenno can move throughout the tunnel, and can burrow underneath the icicles that were blocking the path. In the next cave are two other Golden Maws, which can be attacked and killed by the Tenno's Maw, or ignored. At the end of the cave is a golden gate. Attacking the gate will shatter it and transition the Tenno back into Operator mode, on the other side, safe from the Golden Maws. In front of the Tenno is an opening to the outside, back out to the mountain. Approaching the exit will trigger a brief loading screen.
Outside, the Tenno must follow a snowy path along the side of the mountain as Teshin speaks of his kind. Occasionally the Tenno must use Void Dash to cross chasms or Void Blast to shatter icy obstacles.
Teshin: "Know this Tenno, that I am a Dax. A soldier of a lost era, the last of my kind. By Orokin hands we Dax were given great power, great strength… but an even greater weakness. To obey their command. To never defy the kuva, the sceptre, the symbols of their dominion. No Dax can ever raise steel against an Orokin. Only you can do that."
At the peak, a golden structure is built into the mountain. As the Tenno approaches, the door opens.
Teshin: "A Yuvan theatre, long abandoned. In ages past, I would have stood guard as the young and exotic were paraded through the mountain pass and marched by the viewing pane. They'd barter here, the Orokin. Withering and coughing, as they prepared for their Continuity."
Operator: "She doesn't want me dead."
Teshin: "No. The Queen doesn't want to kill you. She wants to become you. To burrow through your mind, corrupting it with despair, until only she remains."
Inside the theatre, broken vials of red liquid litter the floor. At the end of the hallway is a viewing chamber, with seats on the side. The wall opposite the Operator is a single pane of frosted glass, and as the Tenno approaches the glass, a cutscene triggers.
[The Operator slowly turns around, looking around the room. Vague shimmers of light hint at the memory of Orokin past, sitting on the couches, looking down at the Tenno. As the Operator turns back to the glass, their reflection is suddenly overwritten by the image of the Elder Queen, startling the Tenno. The Tenno steps forward, face only centimetres from the glass, and the image of the Queen is absorbed into the Operator, causing them to flinch as red light, centred on their forehead, begins to surround them, and the Operator's eyes close. Before them, instead of the Operator's reflection, sits the Queen, narrating another memory.]
Elder Queen: "No crew aboard, only the children… only the parricidal monsters they had become. The endless Void, the gazing abyss, the bottomless ocean of horror… it coiled itself around your tender heart."
[As the Queen finishes her sentence, she raises her hand and places it on the glass, and the Operator mirrors her motion, placing their hand against hers. The Tenno is given three dialogue choices, each with its own alignment.]
(Sun) Operator: "I hated it."
(Neutral) Operator: "I controlled it."
(Moon) Operator: "I embraced it."
[The Operator opens their eyes with a determined look as they speak. They raise their hand and fire a Void Beam into the glass viewing pane, causing radial cracks to form. As the Tenno concentrates, the red dot of light on their forehead begins glowing again, and Ordis' voice can be heard faintly in the background.]
Ordis: "CUT THE LINK!"
[The scene abruptly cuts to the Operator, sitting in the Somatic Link, with the red energy of the Queen's sceptre burrowing into their forehead. As the Tenno grits their teeth in concentration, the energy retreats. The scene goes back to the Queens' throne room, with the warframe still suspended in front of the Queen. The kuva flowing from the sceptre begins to cloud and back away from the warframe, to the astonishment of the Queen.]
Ordis: "CUT THE LINK! Transference overload in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…."
[The Continuity process abruptly stops, causing both Queens to recoil. The warframe, no longer being controlled by the Operator, the Queen, or the Orvius, drops down onto the platform and limply slides into the pool of water underneath.]
On board Orbiter
[The Operator emerges from the Somatic Link, out of breath. They walk out into the Transference room, catching their breath with their hands on their knees.]
Ordis: "Operator? Is that… is that 'you'? Your brain activity flat-lined for a moment there… can you speak? By stars, the Operator's mind is destroyed!"
[The Operator examines their hands and arms, rubbing their head, still somewhat dazed.]
Operator: "I… I'm fine. Just… just don't play any music. I need to think."
Ordis: "Music? …Operator, you are not making sense! The Transference surge must have affected you as well. Try to rest while I begin repairs."
[The Operator looks at the Somatic Link, then down to their hands.]
Ordis: "Hmm… this is odd. The circuits are dead, but I'm detecting Transference energy… coming from… coming from you?"
[The Operator clenches their fists, Void energy swirling around their hands as the cinematic ends.]
The player is given control of their Operator and prompted to exercise their powers, in sequence.
(upon Void Blast) Ordis: "Careful Operator, you'll damage the ship… damage me!"
(upon Void Dash) Ordis: "Amazing. How are you doing this? It is slightly terrifying if I'm honest."
(upon entering Void Mode) Ordis: "Operator, my sensors have gone dark. Where are you?"
(upon exiting Void Mode) Ordis: "Oh. There you are! Impressive. Very useful. Ordis is a little afraid right now."
(upon Void Beam) Ordis: "Operator, you'll breach the hull! Please restrain yourself."
After the Tenno has exercised their new Void powers, another cutscene happens.
[The Operator stands in front of the Somatic Link.]
Ordis: "Have you lost your mind?"
Operator: "No. But I've lost my warframe… and Teshin… what if the Queens know that he helped me escape? I have to go back."
Ordis: "Impossible! Just as you thought, the base has moved again. We don't know where it is. There's no way back."
[The Operator shakes their head expressively.]
Operator: "My warframe. It's still there."
Ordis: "Haven't you been listening? The Transference system is fried!"
[The Operator looks briefly at the Somatic Link and shakes their head.]
Operator: "I don't need it anymore."
[The Operator looks outward and the Tenno is prompted to activate Transference. Upon doing so, the screen slowly fades into white as the Tenno's consciousness is projected thousands of kilometres away, and Ordis' voice tapers off.]
Ordis: "Operator, where are you going? Don't leave meeeeee…."
The Queens’ Throne Room
[The Elder Queen angrily berates Teshin. She points her sceptre at him, and a beam of red energy shoots out of it and strikes him, forcing him to his knees.]
Elder Queen: "What did you do, Dax? What did you do?! How did a child reject the Continuity?"
[Teshin tries to stand up, weakened by the sceptre. The red beam has stopped but the Queen still points the sceptre menacingly at the Dax.]
Teshin: "Forgive me, my Queens."
Elder Queen: "We hold the sceptre! We command you. We are—"
[A deep rumbling interrupts the Queen. She plants the sceptre in the ground and leans on it as the entire chamber trembles, and the Worm Queen hunkers down in her hole. Both Queens look around the room anxiously, trying to find the source of the disturbance. The sound of rushing water rises sharply, and the Tenno's warframe bursts out of the pool beneath the throne, rising up into the air menacingly and channelling energy before landing on the ground, standing firmly before the Queens. The warframe ripples with energy as the Operator manifests physically and steps out of the warframe onto the ground. Seeing this, the Worm Queen raises her hands in terror and looks to the Elder Queen.]
Worm Queen: "Sister! The dreamer's come for us!"
[The Worm Queen retracts herself into her hole in the throne, disappearing from view. Behind the Tenno, Teshin slowly stands up, dismayed.]
Teshin: "Tenno, no! After everything you've endured to escape, why did you come back?"
[The Operator looks back at Teshin with determination.]
Operator: "I came back… for you."
Elder Queen: "Stupid child. You don't give up, do you? But coming here in the flesh? [choking laugh] That was a big mistake [coughs]. Guards! Kill this warframe and bring me my new skin!"
[The Operator phases back into the warframe and a red energy shield covers the throne as the cinematic ends.]
Teshin: "The Guardians protect the braids; the braids protect the Queen."
One of the Kuva Guardians standing around the edge of the throne room will jump down to the floor and begin to attack the Tenno. Warframe abilities are disabled inside the chamber, and the Tenno cannot use their primary or secondary weapons, or any gear items. The Kuva Guardian is completely immune to all attacks from the Tenno's weapons. Only the Operator is capable of harming them. The Tenno must activate Transference to enter Operator mode and stun the Guardian with a Void Blast, causing them to kneel briefly on the ground. Once the Guardian is stunned, the Operator must Void Dash through them, and the Kuva Guardian will drop their Kesheg polearm and become vulnerable. The Guardian can then be killed either with the Operator's Void Beam or by Transferring back to the warframe and attacking with melee weapons. After some time, the Guardian will pick their Kesheg back up if not killed, and will become invulnerable again.
Despite their ponderous size, the Guardians are capable of leaping and dashing great distances. If they deplete the Operator's health – a somewhat easy task – the Tenno will be returned to the warframe, but they can activate Transference again immediately. The warframe itself is immune to damage while the Tenno is in Operator mode, but each time the Tenno is returned to the warframe, the warframe's maximum health is reduced, making it increasingly difficult to survive when not in Operator mode.
(if the Tenno does not activate Transference) Teshin: "It's time to show the Queens what they have awoken within you."
(if the Tenno does not activate Transference) Teshin: "Tenno, this is one fight your warframe cannot win."
(if the Tenno does not activate Transference) Teshin: "Remember the mountain. Remember your new strength."
(after activating Transference but before stunning the Kuva Guardian with Void Blast) Teshin: "Their weapons contain kuva. It protects them from your warframe but not from your Tenno powers."
(after activating Transference but before stunning the Kuva Guardian with Void Blast) Teshin: "They are protected by the kuva in their weapons. Find a way to disarm them."
(after activating Transference but before stunning the Kuva Guardian with Void Blast) Teshin: "Tenno, remember the Golden Maw and how you brought it to heel." (repeats periodically until the Tenno uses Void Blast)
(after stunning the Kuva Guardian but before disarming them with Void Dash) Teshin: "You stunned the Guardian. Dash to strike from within the Void." (repeats periodically until the Tenno uses Void Dash)
(after disarming the Kuva Guardian with Void Dash) Teshin: "They're vulnerable. Attack."
After the Kuva Guardian is killed, the six thick braids that connect the throne platform to the ceiling will glow red, and can be destroyed with the Operator's Void Beam.
Teshin: "The red braids shield her. Destroy them!" (repeats periodically until the Tenno destroys a braid)
Elder Queen: "Shut up, you insolent Dax!"
(upon destroying two braids) Elder Queen: "Guards! Kill this Tenno!"
After destroying two braids, the others will become invulnerable again, and two more Kuva Guardians will attack. The Tenno must stun, disarm, and kill both as they did before. Once the Guardians are dead, the Tenno can destroy three additional braids before they become invulnerable again.
(upon destroying three more braids) Elder Queen: "Long enough have I lived in these ugly Grineer bodies. I need new flesh… I deserve new flesh! Yours! Guards! Kill this warframe and bring me my new skin!"
Three Guardians will now attack the Tenno, and must be killed, which will make the last three braids vulnerable.
(upon destroying the final three braids) Elder Queen: "By my Orokin blood, I command you, Teshin Dax, to kill this Tenno."
Teshin: "No, I cannot."
Elder Queen: "You must. By your oath eternal."
Teshin: "That child I met on the mountain will surely die here."
Operator: "That child is gone."
Teshin will begin to attack the Tenno. He can attack with his nikanas and throw his Orvius, which will suspend the Operator in the air helplessly, allowing Teshin to easily dispatch them. However, unlike the Kuva Guardians, Teshin is not invulnerable to normal attacks, and thus the fight is more straightforward – although still not easy, as the warframe is still restricted to melee weapons, and Teshin can parry strikes with his nikana.
Teshin: "I can show you no mercy; show me none in return."
(when his health is about 67%) Teshin: "Yes! From the moment I began training you, I have anticipated this moment."
(when his health is about 33%) Teshin: "You must not stop. Defeat me."
(when his health is at 0%) Teshin: "I cannot go on!"
When Teshin is defeated, he will kneel on the floor and continue to speak his dialogue lines.
Elder Queen: "We are Orokin! We created you! We are your golden lords!"
Elder Queen: "Come out, come out, little demon."
The Elder Queen will now attack the Tenno directly with the red beam from her sceptre. Every time she fires, she must lower the shield protecting her, and in that gap of vulnerability, the Operator must Void Dash through her.
(periodically) Teshin: "Without her sceptre, she is powerless. Break her shields and use your Dash to steal it."
Elder Queen: "You'll pay for that."
(periodically) Elder Queen: "Show yourself, you little coward."
(periodically) Elder Queen: "I see now, how you cast me out. Simple, really. There's no room for me in that wicked, swarming head of yours."
(periodically) Elder Queen: "Is this how you hunted the Zariman crew? Is this how you murdered your parents?"
Successfully Void Dashing through the Queen will trigger a cutscene.
[The Operator emerges from the Queen's chest, phasing through her to seize her sceptre. The Queen is stunned, and falls forward, her headpiece toppling off as she collapses flat on the dais. The Operator's momentum carries them through the air and they land roughly on the ground, rolling a few times before lying prone. Teshin, now standing, looks at the Operator with satisfaction. The Queen lifts up her head, sees Teshin, and angrily commands him.]
Queen: "What are you waiting for, Dax?"
[As she speaks, she looks over at the Operator, and a look of shock appears on her face as she sees the sceptre. The Operator deliberately rises to one knee, and plants the sceptre on the ground. The Queen recoils, and looks worriedly at Teshin, who slowly turns to the Queen, and grasps his nikana.]
Teshin: "A chance to kill you… and now, I finally have it [draws blade]. Shall I, Tenno?"
The Operator is given a choice, to decide on the Elder Queen's fate. The choice determines the remainder of the cutscene.
(Sun) Operator: "No. Let her rot. That will be her sentence." [The dais begins to rise up towards the ceiling. Teshin and the Operator look on impassively as the Queen almost slides off the dais onto the ground, her thick, slug-like lower body dangling. Coughing and gasping, she climbs her way into her hole in the dais and slides in, snake-like, desperate to get away from the Tenno. The dais disappears into the ceiling.]
(Neutral) Operator: "No. I will do it." [The dais begins to rise up towards the ceiling. The Queen re-seats herself in her hole, sitting up as she floats away from the Tenno. The Operator raises their hand and channels Void energy. The Queen screams as the Operator fires a Void Beam directly through her chest, then falls silent. Her corpse slides out of the hole and into the pool below as the dais continues to rise, disappearing into the ceiling.]
(Moon) Operator: "Kill her." [The dais begins to rise up towards the ceiling. The Queen is still hunched forward, trying to climb back into her hole. Teshin runs forward and leaps several metres in the air to meet the floating dais, slicing the Queen's head off with a single stroke as she screams. He touches down on the dais, then leaps backwards to land next to the Operator. They both watch as the Queen's headless body slides forward, out of the hole and into the pool below.]
The cutscene ends and the Tenno is free to leave the throne room by the same door they used to enter. Teshin leaves the throne room and disappears to fight the Grineer.
Teshin: "The Worm has rallied the troops. Get to your ship. I'll divert them. Go!"
Lotus: "Tenno? Tenno? I've been trying to get through. Are you… alright? Your Transference stream seems different, stronger."
Operator: "We have neutralised the Queens. Teshin… Teshin helped me. I'm heading to extraction now." [extraction marker appears on map]
Lotus: "The Queens… they cut me off… I should have been there for you. I'll signal Ordis to pick you up right away."
Ordis: "Thank the stars you're safe, Operator! I forbid you to leave the Orbiter like that again, it's just too much for an old cephalon like me."
The alarms will go off shortly, alerting all Grineer on the base. The extraction waypoint leads to a launch tube, which will eject a shipping container of some kind. Exiting the launch tube will transition the Tenno into Archwing mode, and they must follow the container as it flies throughout the base, passing through tunnels and between asteroids, until the Tenno comes to the edge of the asteroid field, and the Landing Craft will pick them up.
[On board Orbiter]
Ordis: "You rescued your warframe! What a relief. But… Ordis wonders, are you still able to walk the ship as… yourself?"
The Tenno is prompted to use Transference to enter Operator mode.
(upon activating Transference) Ordis: "Impressive! Just think of the possibilities! You can help me clean up that Infested door!"
Lotus: "A mother wants to shield her child from the evils of the world. Margulis didn't lie to you. She protected you."
Operator: "But isn't it better I know the truth? Wouldn't you want to know? Teshin said—"
Lotus: "Teshin thinks he knows better. Maybe he does. Maybe you needed to know to survive the Queens. But you are changed now."
Operator: "That's what you have to say? That I'm 'changed'?"
Lotus: "What you did… you didn't have a choice. Tenno, you were only just a—"
Operator: "Don't. Don't do that. Don't make excuses for me."
Ordis: "What's this? An Old War beacon? How exciting, Operator. You will want to investigate this… oh. I'm sorry… did I interrupt?"
Selecting the Navigation Console will immediately load the Tenno into the next mission.
Sixth Mission: Return to the Mountain Pass (Earth)
The Landing Craft drops the Tenno off at the same mountain pass from earlier. As soon as the warframe lands in the snow, the Operator manifests out of it, with the Queen's sceptre holstered on their back. The Operator can now sprint and has access to all their Void abilities, and must walk the same path they did in the Continuity sequence to enter the mountain. The Orokin stone doors can be opened by activating the stone posts with Void Beam, and the giant Ayatan statue is activated in the same way. Upon activation, the sculpture begins to move freely, and stone ledges slide out from the walls to provide a path across the abyss. The Tenno must Void Dash to each ledge, taking them to another door that eventually leads out of the mountain, to a snowy peak. Upon leaving the mountain, sprinting is disabled, although the Tenno can still Void Dash. At the summit stands Teshin, looking out at the world below. Approaching him starts a cutscene.
[The Operator walks up to stand next to Teshin, holding the Queen's sceptre in their hand. Teshin looks sideways at the sceptre, at the kuva.]
Teshin: "You don't know what to do with it."
Operator: "Tell me."
[As Teshin narrates, the Operator holds the sceptre up and examines the flask of kuva intently.]
Teshin: "Hmm… some believe the kuva within is the blood of the Orokin ancestors. An elixir of power… of immortality. Others believe it to be a poison, a corrupting oil that brings madness and evil."
[The Operator looks at Teshin.]
Operator: "What do you believe?"
Teshin: "I believe them both. But for you, Tenno, perhaps this kuva is just a symbol. That what you choose to do will define you more than anything."
[Teshin turns and walks a couple steps back, and the Operator holds the sceptre up again. The Tenno must decide what to do with the kuva.]
(Sun: Destroy) – [The Operator pulls the kuva flask from the sceptre, and holds it up, examining it for a couple seconds, before tilting the flask and pouring the kuva out, off the edge of the mountain, into the abyss. Suddenly, the Operator's eyes turn black, with a pinprick of white in the centre. Their surroundings fall away into a void of shimmering stars as they speak unbidden, their voice eerily distorted.] [Man in the Wall]: "You mad at me, kiddo? Did you forget? You owe me."
(Neutral: Control) – [The Operator pulls the kuva flask from the sceptre, and holds it up, examining it for a couple seconds, before turning back and handing the flask to Teshin. Suddenly, the Operator's eyes turn black, with a smattering of white flecks in the centre. Their surroundings fall away into a void of shimmering stars as they speak unbidden, their voice eerily distorted.] [Man in the Wall]: "Don't forget, kiddo… you're nothing without me."
(Moon: Consume) – [The Operator pulls the kuva flask from the sceptre, and holds it up, examining it for a couple of seconds, before tilting the flask to their lips and drinking it all. Suddenly, the Operator's eyes change into a flurry of white spots against a black sclera, and their surroundings fall away into a void of shimmering stars as they speak unbidden, their voice eerily distorted.] [Man in the Wall]: "Hey, kiddo, what took you so long?"
[Teshin grabs the Operator by the arm, and they are shaken out of their strange trance. The stars fall away and their eyes return to normal. The Operator turns to face Teshin.]
Teshin: "The world weighs more heavily on you now. Try not to lose yourself, Tenno."
[The Operator stands with the kuva-less sceptre, looking at the mountain with Teshin by their side as the cutscene ends.]
After the quest is complete, the Tenno will be shown their alignment wheel, the sum total of their three choices during the quest, and will receive an inbox message from Teshin containing the Broken Sceptre staff, a blueprint for the Orvius, a glyph of the Twin Queens, the Mountain Pass Captura scene, and a Riven mod.
Inbox message:
A Child No LongerOn an icy mountaintop, a child, cold and scared, met an old man, the prisoner of a poison oath. For the child, a frozen death would have been a peaceful end. Instead, they fought on and found a fire within themselves, a way to light the path ahead.
The old man was a traitor. He deserved death, but the child was wise and merciful, and freed him from his burden. With that, the child left the cradle behind and they became more than a Tenno. They became themselves.
Tenno, if you can find a way to forgive this old man's deception, to trust him again, then he will forever be in your service.
—Teshin Dax
The Tenno will also receive an inbox message from Ordis, containing the blueprint for the Personal Quarters module for the Orbiter.
Inbox message:
A Space to Make Your OwnIt's time we made some changes around here.​
(video message) Ordis: Operator, Ordis has been thinking. Now that you are here in the flesh, we should make the Orbiter more comfortable. Ordis has identified an old storage space you could use. Stand by while I— TORCH THIS JUNK— dispose of my old belongings. Out with the old and in with the new, right, Operator? Construct this Domestic Habitation Segment to extend life support to your new room.​
(upon starting Foundry construction) Ordis: "When that Domestic Habitation Segment—ugh, get married why don't we?—is complete Ordis will renovate your new space. Ordis loves nesting!"
(upon claiming segment from Foundry) Ordis: "Your Habitation Segment is complete and the new room is ready. Ordis cannot contain his excitement. Will you go there now, Operator? Will you?"
(upon entering room) Ordis: "Well, what do you think? Not too shabby, yes? Ordis hopes the Operator enjoys this new room."
After the quest, the Tenno will retain the ability to interact with others as the Operator, giving access to the Quills of Cetus, Vox Solaris in Fortuna, and the Necraloid in the Necralisk. The Tenno also has access to Sortie missions.
Next story quest: Chains of Harrow
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