Mission: Saturnism

Mission: Saturnism is the second mission of the Exile's Accord Strangelet quest in the Edge of Fate. Lodi believes dark matter is poisoning the Exiles' Ether supply. Destroy their dark matter production and confront the Archon.

Objectives

• Reach the Central Refinery
• Upgrade Relocator
• Sabotage the Central Refinery — Machinery destroyed (×3)
• Clear the House of Exile

Transcript

(Mission Begins)

Location: Augur's Bethel, Kepler

The Guardian enters an ancient train to enter the time anomaly.

Ghost: Orin says these trains are like quantum-entangled objects held in superposition across the fourth dimension.

Drifter: Eh… Orin says a lot of things no one understands.

Lodi: No, I — I get it. It's like a… time-lock.

Travelling down the set of railcars, the Guardian eventually exits the anomaly to find themselves in a cave passage with several pipes leading into the station blocked by crossbars.

Ghost: We're through. Now to disable the Exiles' dark matter refinery.

Lodi: I wish it was as simple as talking to them. Last time I tried, I got shot at — and it wasn't my Eliksni accent.

Drifter: They get real touchy sometimes. Sensitive little crustaceans.

Lodi: Crustaceans? Interesting. Well, I think their diet is causing the issue. Like drinking from lead pipes. Cut off their supply, and their heads might clear up.

Entering into their Matterspark form, the Guardian travels into a small tunnel.

Ghost: Lodi, did the Aionians ever explain why they stopped working with the House of Exile? From what I gather, it didn't end well.

Lodi: I got to talking with one of the old pilots who grabbed on the subject a bit. Aionians tried to synthesize Ether for the House.

Drifter: Why? It's not a simple job. Leave it to those Servitor garbage disposals. Matter goes in, Ether goes out. Easy.

Lodi: Except here, everything's imprinted with dark matter — which they apparently want to extract for a pure conversion to Ether. The Aionians say it shouldn't be harmful, but the singularity seems to make it toxic to the Eliksni.

Travelling down into another section of the station, the Guardian destroys a drone maintaining a barrier around a utility hole.

Barriers disabled

Acquiring a Relocator, the Guardian travels down the utility hole to return to the cave passage. Using the Relocator, the Guardian activates an anchor-pad and uses the device to teleport themselves into the room blocked by the pipes.

Ghost: That's it!

Entering into this new section, the Guardian engages with Fallen combatants.

The Archon: You think us sick, but I am mighty. Exile is our teacher, our home. Our rifles are many. Our will is anointed by the Giver.

After defeating the Fallen combatants, the Guardian uncovers another Relocator. However, they are unable to activate the anchor-pad as the distance of the projectile is too short.

Ghost: This teleportation jump is out of the anchor-pad's range. Maybe we can extend it somehow?

Finding a nearby machine, the Guardian draws the power of the two connecting devices to activate the machine empowered by dark matter.

The dark matter core surges…

The Guardian uses the machine to upgrade the Relocator.

Ghost: Guardian, it's super-charging the cannon!

A Relocator launcher materializes

Using this upgraded launcher, the Guardian uses the Relocator to activate a Relocator Relay that then activates a teleporter.

A Relocator Relay redirects energy… Relocator accessible

Using the Relocator to transport themselves to another section of the cave, the Guardian travels into an entrance and finds themselves in the central refinery.

Ghost: This is the House's central refinery. My scans are going a little haywire… but… that can't be right. These pipes are operating at alarming pressures.

Drifter: Let me fill you in on a little secret. None of House Exile's gear has safety regulators — my kinda people.

Within the central refinery, the Guardian defeats a House of Exile detachment.

Lodi: Hey, team. I've seen those little flying bots lay hot potato delivering dark matter to your proximity.

The Guardian finds another entrance blocked off by a barrier.

Ghost: Hmm… I have an idea. Guardian, a concentration of dense matter could send the whole system over the edge. Let's look for these shanks.

Travelling across a tunnel below the inaccessible room, the Guardian accesses the room by infiltrating from the tunnel area. Destroying a type of Heavy Servitor known as Graviton-Laden Exile, the Guardian acquires a Graviton Cluster Charge.

Ghost: You were right, Lodi. This scans like dark matter, wrapped around an artificial gravity well.

Drifter: Sounds like the type of thing that'd make a nice loud rattle inside some heavy machinery. Don't it, hero?

The Guardian finds a machine made up of large pipes responsible for the House of Exile's dark matter production.

Drifter: Oh, don't worry if it doesn't fit. Just jam it in there!

The Guardian deposits the Graviton Cluster Charge into the machine and destroys the device in the process.

Ghost: Pressure's increasing, but the pipes are still holding. We need more.

Forces of the House of Exile enter the central refinery.

Drifter: Incoming Exiles! Crack your knuckles and rack your slides!

Lodi: I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but they seem intent on a fight.

The Guardian defeats the Exile forces.

Lodi: Their leader doesn't sound like he's crazed… or confused. He has an agenda, and a voice to wield it.

Drifter: Seen a lot of those types in my time.

Lodi: Maybe we could still reason with him.

Acquiring another Graviton Cluster Charge from defeating a Heavy Shank, the Guardian travels towards the second machine.

Lodi: Levaszk, the House of Exiles, and the Aionians, used to be allies. Don't turn your back on that. Let's look for a solution. Together.

The Archon: Fool-scholars halt our ascension for their distant study — no more! We will feed of the Giver, drink of it, enter its horizon.

The Guardian deposits the Graviton Cluster Charge to destroy the second machine.

Ghost: It's barely holding together! One more, Guardian.

The Guardian defeats additional Exile forces and discovers another entrance leading to the final machine, however it is blocked off by a barrier.

The Archon: Entomb the Deathless! Protect our ascension!

Drifter: Well now, that went, uh… great.

Lodi: It did. We learned the House centers around this "Giver". Watch your flank, Guardian.

The Guardian obtains a Relocator and uses it to activate another teleporter. Entering into the teleportation pad, the Guardian transports themselves into an upstairs hallway above this blocked room.

The Archon: You feed their greed! Speak their human lies! Aionians want us truth-blind. To keep the anomaly's sight from Eliksni eyes.

Travelling down this hallway to a vent, the Guardian finds themselves in another room. Destroying another Heavy Shank, the Guardian obtains another Graviton Cluster Charge and the barrier is disabled.

The Archon: Our voice is a raised spear, arc-sparking. See it against the black space sea — our banner! WE SUFFER — ALL SUFFER!

Depositing the Graviton Cluster Charge, the Guardian destroys the final machine and disables their dark matter production in the process.

Lodi: I came here thinking these Eliksni were poisoned and needed help. But this… like a bunch of Holy Rollers.

Forces of the House of Exile encircle the Guardian.

Drifter: More Exiles between you and the exit.

Lodi: This "Archon" has a stranglehold on his people. They're going to follow him right into the grave.

The Guardian battles the House of Exile.

The Archon: I have seen your doom. Your fall spread across many visions — many possibilities. Only one must strike true!

The Guardian defeats Exile Azikk, Dark Matter Foreman and the remaining Exile forces.

Lodi: That pilot I spoke to. He mentioned the Archon, Levaszk… wasn't always the leader of the House. But… one day he starts getting visions. Next, he gets a taste for politics.

Ikora: A gift from his "Giver."

Lodi: The Giver and the singularity sound like synonyms, but I can't see how a black hole gives anyone anything.

Ikora: Given what we know, my hypothesis is that the source of the Holy Singularity — as the Aionians call it — and the Exile's Giver are one in the same.

Lodi: Ikora… the Nine invited us here. It was III. The thought just… it's like it unlocked in my head.

{End Mission: Saturnism}