Strange Terrain

"Enter Hive territory and find Xol's feeding ground. Draw him out and stop him before he can surface."

- Mission Description

Strange Terrain is the fourth story mission of the Warmind expansion. Set in Hellas Basin on Mars, the Guardian was sent to the tunnels under the Hellas Basin to track down and eliminate Xol, but encountered his Herald instead.

Story Transcript
Zavala: If we find the place where this God Worm feeds, we can use the Traveler's fragment to draw out Xol.

Ghost: I've been running some scans. There's a cavern that intersects with one of Xol's tunnels.

Ana Bray: Zavala, listen to me. I've studied the logs. Rasputin was barely able to stop Xol the first time.

Ghost: Guardians, I'm getting some kind of interference. I can't make sense of it.

Zavala: Our mission stands. We will defeat Xol, and we don't need the help of a Warmind to do it. Not when we don't know what else it might do.


 * The Guardian heads deeper through the Olympus Descent.

Ghost: The interference is getting worse, but I'm starting to pick up a pattern. Do you hear it, Ana?

Ana Bray: I'll need more data to be sure, but yeah. I'm thinking it might be an encoded message.


 * The Guardian finds a glowing Hive crystal.

Ghost: Those crystals are surging with energy. They must be using them to gather power to feed Xol.


 * The Guardian kills an Ugul Gar Knight. It drops a relic.

Ghost: The energy in this relic is volatile. Try throwing it at the crystal.


 * After destroying the crystal, the Guardian continues.

Ghost: It looks like the Hive have been busy down here.

Zavala: Keep going. According to scans, there's a large chamber where all the tunnels intersect. That makes it the most likely spot for Xol's feeding ground.

Ghost: Look at the size of these tunnels. Xol must be immense.

Ana Bray: Meaning Xol is stronger than we thought.

Zavala: All the more reason to take it down now.


 * The Guardian kills Šimmumah ur-Nokru.

Ghost: They were chanting in an archaic form, about a priest - Nokris - and how he was labeled a heretic.

Zavala: What could possibly qualify as heresy for the Hive?

Ghost: Something about… resurrection?


 * The Guardian arrives in a large cavern

Ghost: This is some kind of holy space. They're readying another offering for Xol.


 * The Guardian destroys the crystals and kills Kvada ur-Nokru.

Ghost: The feeding ground is right below us.

Ana Bray: I've decoded the interference pattern. Akka, Eir, Yul, Ur… those are names, Guardian. Ancient, powerful names. This is more than we-

Ghost: Ana! Ana!


 * The Guardian arrives in a large, open chamber in the Penumbral Depths. Nokris appears.

Ghost: That's not Xol.


 * The Guardian defeats Nokris.

Ghost: There, in the center. That's where we can place the fragment.


 * The Guardian places the fragment down. The chamber starts shaking. Xol appears.

Xol, Will of the Thousands: There is no Light here. You are alone. You shall drift. You shall drown in the Deep.


 * The cavern collapses, burying the guardian.

(Cutscene) Ghost: Guardian…? Guardian?! Where are you?!

Ghost: Thank the light!

Ana Bray: Xol is heading directly for the Clovis Bray facility and Rasputin. If Rasputin dies, the javelin goes with him. Xol wins.

Zavala: Very well. My reservations about the Warmind aren't as important as defeating Xol. We do this together. What do you say, Guardian?

Ghost: We say it's about time.

Enemies

 * Hive - Grasp of Nokris
 * Thrall
 * Cursed Thrall
 * Acolytes
 * Knights
 * Ugul Gar Knight
 * Šuluh Knight
 * Šuluh-teth Knight
 * Wizards
 * Ogres
 * Vanquishers
 * Adherent

Bosses

 * Šimmumah ur-Nokru
 * Kvada ur-Nokru
 * Devoted of Nokris
 * Nokris, Herald of Xol

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2
 * Warmind