The Plaguelands

"Clear the way to the heart of the SIVA threat, and open a new front on this war for other Guardians."

- In Game Description

The Plaguelands is the third story mission in Destiny Rise of Iron, and takes place in the Plaguelands.

Objectives

 * Push into the Plaguelands
 * Scan the Dead Vandal
 * Capture the Bunker
 * Enter the Bunker
 * Assault Fallen Fortifications
 * Destroy Shield Generators
 * Disable the Guns
 * Destroy the Walker

Transcript
{Loading screen}


 * Lord Saladin: The Iron Lords believed we could contain SIVA by destroying the chamber where it was produced. These Fallen must have restarted the process. We need to get back into the chamber and cut off the flow of SIVA at the source.


 * Shiro-4: I think we need to focus on what we know. The Fallen have occupied a military bunker in The Plaguelands. We won't get any reinforcements in that area until the Fallen's artillery is taken out.


 * Saladin: The Fallen are a symptom... SIVA is the disease.

{Gameplay}

The Guardian lands in the Rocketyard.


 * Shiro: Alright, Vanguard reinforcements are standing by, but until those guns are down they can't leave the hangar. I need you to shut them down.
 * Ghost: Understood.

The Guardian approaches the severed hole in the wall, where they previously extracted information from the corrupted sensor grid.


 * Ghost: Guardian, there's a dead Vandal near you. Can you get me a scan?

''The Guardian finds and approaches the Vandal, a few meters away from the Grid computer. They let Ghost out and it scans the body.''


 * Ghost: He's Fallen, basically, but armor is enhanced, weapons have been modified, cybernetic enhancements...


 * Shiro: Most Fallen Houses have a sect dedicated to this sort of thing. They're called Splicers. They're like body hackers--bio-engineers.


 * Saladin: (sighs) It is worse than I feared... the Splicers are not only using SIVA to transform this place, they are using its technology to transform themselves.

''As the Guardian ventures deeper into the area, they enter a long abandoned industrial building. Large gashes, cuts, and holes are ripped apart in multiple places, leaving an eerie orange glow along the edges of all the stolen material.''


 * Ghost: The Fallen have done some... remodeling.
 * Shiro: They're taking the metal for something big. Hope they're not using it to toughen up those gun emplacements.

''Using the torn metal and SIVA veins as a breadcrumb trail, the Guardian walks into Foundry 113. It appears to be an old parking garage, although much of the area has been either destroyed or re-purposed. A gigantic pile of metal sits on the far side of the foundry, seemingly resembling an eye. A Skiff is seen heading to orbit after dropping off Splicer troops.''


 * Shiro: I've never seen the Fallen do anything on this scale before. I'm calling for more reinforcements.


 * Saladin: You said yourself reinforcements will be useless until the guns are down. Besides, they will not be prepared for what they'll find.

The Guardian fights and eliminates the Splicer platoons within the area and explores further, finding another tunnel of sheared metal.


 * Ghost: I thought SIVA was technology, but this... it's like something alive... growing! Out of control!
 * Saladin: These Devil Splicers are using SIVA, but they cannot control it. They are like children with a new toy.

They reach a ledge where a metal column has been completely torn in half, seemingly supported by countless threads of SIVA.


 * Ghost: I don't know of any toys that eat Russian industrial complexes.

''The Guardian continues, finally emerging outside. Suddenly, booming explosions are heard, and the Guardian looks along the horizon. In the distance, several anti-aircraft guns are firing across the sky.''


 * Shiro: (shocked) Those guns were destroyed during the Collapse! How did the Fallen--


 * Saladin: It's not the Fallen.


 * Shiro: Maybe it's not, but the Fallen are the ones pulling the triggers out here. The Vanguard wants them taken down? We take them down!

The Guardian mounts their Sparrow and heads in the direction of the cannons as they continue firing.


 * Ghost: If SIVA does what the wielder wishes, then whoever's controlling this hasn't quite gotten the hang of it.

''The Guardian rides into the next area, where a Splicer battalion is defending the entrance to a bunker. A few Servitors dot the outside area, and a Splicer Vandal fires from a sniper tower.''


 * Ghost: Detecting a high concentration of SIVA shielding the gun emplacements.


 * Saladin: Even SIVA enhanced shields would require an energy source. But be careful. There's something familiar about all this.


 * Ghost: (sarcastically) Right! Destroy the familiar generators, and then take down Shiro's... "zombie guns".

''The Guardian fights their way into the bunker, killing reinforcements and the Splicers inside. The Guardian finds a SIVA growth hanging on the far wall, and open fire on it, until it explodes with a swelling flash of red. More Splicers emerge.''


 * Ghost: Shield power levels are dropping.

''The Guardian either destroys the Splicers or ignores them, and finds another spore nearby. They destroy it.''


 * Ghost: That's it! Shield is collapsing. You should be clear.


 * Shiro: Guns are upstairs. Take 'em out!

''A passageway is revealed behind the veins of SIVA. The Guardian goes inside, walking past a long abandoned office.''


 * Shiro: If I didn't know better, I'd say the Splicers were creating a beachhead. Something of this scale could be used against the City.

''The Guardian continues until they reach three gun emplacements outside. A Skiff lands directly in front of them. The Guardian kills the reinforcements, and notices two shoulder mounted Shock Cannons sitting between the cannons.''


 * Ghost: So, those destroyed guns? SIVA un-destroyed them.


 * Shiro: "Undestroyed"?


 * Saladin: Look for a central SIVA node inside those emplacements! Destroy that and it will break the Fallen's hold on the gun.

''The Guardian approaches one of the guns, and finds a spore underneath the cannon, in the center of an overwhelming amount of SIVA embankments, guarded by a Splicer Captain. The Guardian kills the Captain and destroys the node. The cannon stops firing and shuts down.''


 * Ghost: Get ready! Fallen are sending reinforcements.

Ignoring them, the Guardian reaches the next cannon, and destroys the node there as well.


 * Shiro: Keep it going! Air support is standing by, but they can't do much while those guns are still up!

''Another Skiff drops off even more Splicer reinforcements, including Servitors. They are eliminated and the final cannon is shut down.''


 * Shiro: Great job! Hawks are inbound! Just hold the area until they get here!

''A fourth Skiff approaches, this time carrying a Perfected Walker, augmented by SIVA technology. It is dropped behind the now-defunct cannons and attacks the Guardian.''


 * Ghost: Uh, Shiro? I'm pretty sure that air support isn't going to get here in time.

''The Guardian takes cover and defends against the Walker. Suddenly, over a dozen SIVA spores appear all at once.''


 * Shiro: Saladin?!
 * Saladin: (urgently) It's directing the corruption to resurrect the guns!

''The Guardian tries to destroy all the spores, but they grow back nearly instantly. They have no choice but to defeat the Walker themselves. They use either their own weapons and abilities, or use the Shock Cannons to eradicate it.''


 * Ghost: It's working!

The Perfected Walker falls, and the remaining Splicers scatter.


 * Saladin: Centuries passed and I have learned nothing. Shiro, can your forces secure that area?


 * Shiro: We'll do our best.


 * Saladin: Try. I need the Guardian to return to the Temple. If we are to avoid the mistakes which led us here, he/she and I must speak about the fall of the Iron Lords.

Mission ends.

[{Cutscene}]

''The scene fades in to an overhead shot of the lanterns in the Iron Temple. Lord Saladin and the Guardian walk towards it, side by side. The Guardian's Ghost is floating over their shoulder.''


 * Saladin: This may not make sense to you, but it took your fight to remind me that immortality is not the same as invincibility.


 * Ghost: I don't understand.

''Saladin stands directly in front of the shrine, and releases his own Ghost, which silently floats upward towards the center of the chamber. It opens its wingtips, and spreads a wide blue light, scanning the entire monument. Small images appear, previously hidden, above each statue in the mausoleum.''


 * Saladin: When the Ghosts first found us, those who were chosen were blessed with power, but not wisdom.

The camera focuses on one image of a group of Iron Lords.


 * Saladin: The Iron Lords came together in search of a solution to mankind's struggles. Instead, we found SIVA.

The camera slowly pans to another portrait of an Iron Lord, with their hand outstretched towards a door containing SIVA.


 * Saladin: We dreamt of using SIVA to build starships, colonies... we would become what the Traveler always believed we could be.


 * Ghost: But something happened.
 * Saladin: SIVA had been lost to time. When Timur tracked it to the Cosmodrome, we thought our quest was finally over. SIVA would be ours for the taking.

Saladin faces the Guardian, speaking darkly.


 * Saladin: Rasputin responded.

''A portrait of the symbol of Rasputin is shown. As Saladin continues speaking, various weapons firing and explosions are heard faintly in the background; the memory of the battle is still fresh in his mind.''


 * Saladin: More than a hundred Iron Lords entered the Plaguelands. In the end, only nine reached the replication chamber.

''Another portrait shows two crests; one bearing the Iron Lords' symbol, the other, SIVA. The camera cuts to yet another portrait, of seven Iron Lords in front of a door.''


 * Saladin: But since we were chosen by the Traveler and our cause was just, we were certain the day would be ours. Until SIVA took control.

A traumatized expression paints Saladin's face, as more explosions sound, and screams of pain are heard.


 * Saladin: It infected our weapons... our armor. The corruption puppeted us against one another.

''The sounds fade, and Saladin turns to face Lady Jolder's statue. Above it, a final image--Jolder holding the door shut on one side, and Saladin himself running towards the other.''


 * Saladin: In the end, Jolder sealed the chamber with the Iron Lords inside, rather than let SIVA escape. A battle was won... heroes died... and our mistakes stayed here.


 * Ghost: (confused) But Rasputin survived?


 * Saladin: This is not Rasputin. But neither is it something I know how to fight.

The images disappear, and Saladin's Ghost returns to his side.


 * Saladin: They are using SIVA in ways we never even imagined.


 * Ghost: How would the Fallen have learned more about SIVA than the Iron Lords? Or better yet, where did they learn?

Saladin ponders the Ghost's questions, slowly coming to a realization.


 * Saladin: They haven't mastered SIVA yet... this is all still new to them! See Tyra. She's studied SIVA's origins. If there's a way to track the Fallen's discoveries, she will know where to look.

''The Guardian and Ghost leave, and Saladin looks towards Jolder's statue once more. Fade to black.''

Gallery
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