User:Dante the Ghost/Sandbox
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| Future in Darkness | |
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1960 |
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Track down an unfamiliar signal coming from the Dwindler's Ridge. |
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- "Get to the Ridge, find out what's there, and put it down. The Cabal are moving too quickly for my liking."
- — Commander Zavala
Future in Darkness is the first story mission of the first part of the Paradox expansion's storyline. After intercepting a distress signal from Variks, the Vanguard sends the Guardian to lend assistance and to investigate fears of possible Cabal interference. Upon arriving to Dwindler's Ridge the distress signal is revealed to be false, and the Guardian must fight for their life to survive.
Transcript
{Cinematic}
A stylized swirling of lights fades in—the Milky Way galaxy, its billions of stars twinkling in the night. The Traveler appears in its center, graphing lines forming about it.
- The Exo Stranger: Once upon a time, there were two entities...
The Traveler moves through space, passing by many worlds and stars. As its influence touches each world, stylized geometric shapes appear around and about them, some interconnecting.
- TES: ...two powerful, elemental forces, which have been from the beginning of reality.
The camera pans back, moving swiftly from the Traveler and its benevolence. A group of shaded-in triangles, one noticeably larger than the rest, moves across space. As they move, the designs arranged by the Traveler shatter into fragments, some breaking apart other designs before the Black Fleet reaches them.
- TES: The Light and the Dark. We know them as the Traveler, and the Darkness. For the longest time, we were ignorant about the Darkness' true nature.
The Traveler alights over a large planet with fifty-two moons. A larger, more ornate design flourishes—the Ammonite civilization, the Leviathan, and the multitudinous life on Fundament below.
- TES: All information we had concerning it was lost in the Collapse, and all that we knew were rumors, superstitions, and other species' many contradictory myths.
The Traveler leaves Fundament as its elegance shatters. The symbol of Oryx encompasses the Jovian. As the sphere moves out of view, the Black Fleet arrives and halts above Fundament. The symbol of Oryx breaks apart into three smaller pieces, encircling the Fleet in a slow rotation, before setting off after the Traveler.
- TES: We now have learned who our true enemy is. The Hive, the Vex, merely servants to the Black Fleet. They know only one thing—to consume the Light. They hunger for its very essence, yet it is pain and misery. A double-edged sword the Fleet uses to control its thralls.
As the narration progresses, the Traveler moves through the universe, pursued by the Hive and the Fleet. Every single dot of light, every single drawing, the Traveler finds and leaves almost immediately shatters thereafter. Finally the sphere passes through the Milky Way and enters Sol.
- TES: And also for the longest time, we believed we knew the reasons for the Traveler's existence. A necessary counterbalance to the evil within us. But this was never so.
The Traveler alights above Sol, and sends out a pulse of power. The initial Fleet of triangles that follows is repulsed, destroyed in a tangle of lines and patches. The Hive enter, first Crota then Oryx's symbols, then break into fragments. The Vex symbol appears over Venus and Mercury briefly, before, it too, fades away.
- TES: The Traveler is a dying god... or rather a fragment, of goodness and Light. It cannot fight its battles. It needs its defenders. And so the Guardians were born.
Sol fades away, replaced by an army of Guardians and Ghosts; in the foreground is the Vanguard, and towering above them is The Guardian.
- TES: With you as its sword and shield, the Traveler could fight back against its oppressor. Time and again you have beaten back the Darkness' many assaults.
Brief portraits of the Guardians' greatest victories splay across the screen—the Black Garden, Oryx, Ghaul, and Eramis.
- TES: Victory was within reach—and then came the Fleet. Those broken shapes you fought on Europa, only a prelude. This time, they knew the answer: to achieve victory, they would target you. And so...
A fuller image of the Fleet appears onscreen, fully defined, the large central pyramid flanked by hundreds of lesser vessels.
- TES: They did.
The image of a single humanoid figure appears, dominating the screen, before fading away.
{Cutscene}
The landscape of Earth appears. Trees shake in a light breeze, clouds scud across the sky, birdcalls sound. A whirring sound is heard, growing louder and louder—then the grass parts and a Sparrow soars across.
- Commander Zavala: Guardian, the Vanguard has detected a signal originating from Variks in the general location of Dwindler's Ridge. You understand that we are cautious, as current intelligence has Variks placed firmly on Europa.
- Ghost: Yes, Commander. It's worrying. It could be a trap by the Cabal.
- Zavala: Comscan has detected several Cabal ships in the local area for weeks now, congregating around Dwindler's Ridge. Whether this is the Empress making her move at last, or a Ghaul fanatic finally coming out of hiding, we are not certain. You are our eyes and ears on the ground.
The Guardian speaks.
- Guardian: Understood.
- Zavala: Zavala out.
The Sparrow turns sharply and comes to a halt. Over a ridge the view is breathtaking—between two mountains dominating the sky, their white-capped peaks lofty and tall, with swathes of dark green trees shrouding their sides, is a dark pass covered in shadow where no sunlight can reach. A rumbling suddenly shakes the ground. The Guardian jumps off and crouches down, the Sparrow transmatting away.
High overhead a grand Cabal warship flies into view, its engines pulsing. It goes into the pass and disappears. After a moment of hesitation, the Guardian gets back up and jumps off the ridge.
{Gameplay}
The Guardian makes their way deeper into the pass. Soon they are covered in twilight as the sunlight is blocked by the mountains. Birdcalls sound and animals cry in the distance—peaceful, serene. No enemies to disturb the vision.
Ghost: I find it amazing that in spite of the calamities that we have gone through, somehow, the natural world has endured. Truly, the Light is bountiful.
The Guardian: Only for the weak.
Ghost: Didn't you hear Eris? Forget those messages, they distract.
They eventually come across a pack of Cabal War Hounds. The War Hounds do not attack if the Guardian does not shoot them.
Ghost: Strange behavior from these beasts.
If the Guardian kills them:
Ghost: A dead dog is a good dog, am I right?
Whether they attack the War Hounds or not, a Cabal Champion appears and speaks.
Champion: Begone, City soldier! You interfere with things you don't understand.
Ghost: I dare say we know more than you. (Red War Campaign uncompleted)
or
Ghost: If you have seen the things we have killed you wouldn't be saying that. (Red War Campaign completed)
Champion: Then die for trespassing!
If the War Hounds have been spared they will immediately attack the Guardian. Either outcome, a squad of assorted Cabal soldiers jumppack into the area and attack. The battle is swift and fierce, but the Guardian prevails. About a third of the Champion's health is whittled away.
Champion: You dare defy me?!
More Cabal arrive, in larger numbers, supported by Goliath tanks and Interceptors. After a pitched battle, the Guardian defeats them. More of the Champion's health is depleted.
Champion: You will not survive this time.
A third and final wave of Cabal attack, supported by Threshers and Harvesters. The Guardian again defeats them and the Champion.
Champion: (death rattle)
If the Guardian approaches the corpse a Ghost Scan feature will prompt.
Ghost: Hmmm, that is strange. According to these markings this Cabal is a member of the "Bone Crushers"... but there is no record anywhere in the Cabal roster of such a legion. Not even a reference or offhand mention.
The Guardian progresses onwards. They arrive at the entrance of a large Cabal fleetbase that resembles similar entrenched fortifications on Mars. Entering the base, they are attacked by Bone Crushers Cabal, but sporadically. They eventually make their way to the central command building, where a locked door awaits them.
Ghost (New Light): (snorts) Cabal locks are nothing more than toothpicks. I'll get this open. (New Light)
or
Ghost: Remember the time I summoned a legion on us the first time we went to Mars? (Veteran)
The door opens and they enter the base. It is seemingly deserted. It looks as though it had been completely abandoned despite the activity outside.
Ghost: The signal from "Variks" is coming from over there. Be ready for surprises.
The Guardian approaches the end of the hall and enters the main command room. A large viewscreen covers the far end of the wall, and a table occupies the center of the room displaying a hologram of Earth, its Moon, and the Traveler hovering over the Last City's position. If the Guardian approaches the table, a Ghost scan will prompt.
Ghost: The level of detail on this map is insane. The Cabal have even mapped out the conversion of South America into a city. I thought Rasputin's satellite network had blocked it out.
The Guardian reaches the viewscreen. Beneath it is a bank of computers.
Ghost: So this is where the signal is coming from. But where is Variks?
?: We have been expecting you, Guardian.
Enemies
Cabal
- Bone Crushers War Hound
- Bone Crushers Psion
- Bone Crushers Pulsar Aggressor
- Bone Crushers Pulsar Defender
- Bone Crushers Lightning Psion (aerial)
- Bone Crushers Legionary
- Bone Crushers Ballistarius
- Bone Crushers Flamer
- Bone Crushers Phalanx
- Bone Crushers Lancer
- Bone Crushers Marauder Lancer (aerial)
- Bone Crushers Incendior
- Bone Crushers Gladiator
- Bone Crushers Centurion
- Bone Crushers Hypaspist
- Bone Crushers Gunnery Sergeant
- Bone Crushers Colossus
- Bone Crushers Draconarius
- Bone Crushers Thunderbolt Colossus (aerial)
- Bone Crushers Interceptor
- Bone Crushers Goliath Tank
- Bone Crushers Breaker Goliath Tank
- Bone Crushers Harvester
- Bone Crushers Thresher
Shadowkeeper
- (TBA)
Bosses
- Champion of the Bone Crushers
- Eobard Thawne, Speedbreacher of Kirito