Matti loves mysteries. He has one for the Freelancer now that some scrolls have been recovered. The Freelancer wants to help Matti, especially, because he has found more to Raban Maur’s curious writings.
Hints and Suggestions
- The dialog exchange between the characters will change depending on whether single player or multiplayer mode is played.
- Remember to perform Feats to obtain XP for increasing Pilot Level and receiving Alliance bonus.
- This particular expedition may have a video walkthrough after the Cortex Entry section for documentation.
- Make sure to read the text pop ups that show around the memorials. This can be easily done with the help of a Sniper Rifle. Zoom and aim at the pop up marker that looks like
for the best view. - While looking for the second set of runes, some of the runes are hidden behind Skorpion eggs. So, clear out the eggs to examine the runes.
- When trying to deal with the Arcanist Vault, the green glowing attunement points must be touched/entered by the Freelancer's javelin to match the correct script frequency. This will open the Arcanist Vault. If the enire process isn't done in 30 seconds, the vault will reset, and the whole attunement process must be repeated.
- Fauna can be defeated with any type of damage, quite easily. Blast Damage is preferable to fight hordes of Fauna.
- To deal with the armored targets like the Ursix, use Armor Buster, Acid, or Fire damage, as they are the most effective against it. Target the weak point on its head for more damage.
- Strip the shields of shielded enemies using lightning or shield breaker damage dealing combat equipment. This is useful on Outlaw Elementalists and Gunners.
- Use Blast Damage to tackle hordes of Outlaws.
Objectives
Ancient Footsteps
Follow Raban Maur's Clues to Uncover His Secrets
Launch Expedition
Travel to First Ruin
Runes Collected
Travel to Next Location
Runes Collected
Explore Passageway
Explore Ancient Complex
Search for Maur's Signs
Complete Vault Attunement
Attunement Progress
Vault Reset
Complete Attunement
Attunement Progress
Open Vault
Rescue Matti from his Attackers
Return to Surface
Return to Matti’s Strider
Defeat Outlaws
Replace the Battery
These are the locations where the Freelancer begins the expedition, has to perform tasks to advance, and conclude the expedition.
Cortex Entry
The Cortex Entry shows the description and the outcome of the expedition.
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Outcome: Following Maur's clues led to a vault that was supposed to contain Raban Maur's data archive.
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For a Collection of similar Cortex Entries, See: Agent Quest (Journal) |
Video Walkthrough
Video guides are added for convenience and documentation of 
Anthem. These guides show almost all possible incidents that may occur during each playthrough of this particular expedition.
The below video is on rotation. The cycle repeats after 4 days. The type of javelin used, the voice of the Freelancer, and any possible season changes during each rotation. If any Cypher Annotations are found, they are mentioned in the video’s description. Not all such annotations are in one video, but all 4 videos will make up for each other’s shortcomings, if any.
Quest Chain
This expedition is a part of the Riddles of Raban Maur Storyline. When the storyline is completed, an appropriate challenge is also completed, which will reward the Freelancer. The following are the related quests in order for this storyline:
- Elysian Secrets
- Ancient Footsteps
- Contract: Archive Hunt
- Tell Me Maur
- Contract: Decryption Research
- Secrets of the Auspex
Trivia (May Contain Spoilers)
- The text pop up near the Stinkhand plant reads:
- Stinkhand plants produce toxic spores. Avoid.
- Staying in the mist released by stinkhands will cause acid damage to the Freelancer’s javelin.
- This is one of the few non-legendary missions that reward Treasure Chests.
- No footsteps can be seen on the screen when the Freelancer mentions about them, unfortunately.
- The outlaw with the unique javelin colors and design is never seen in the game, unfortunately.
- The text pop up on the strider’s limb reads:
- Riddled with damage, but still functional, as long as the power can be restored.
- This is one of the few Matthias missions where there is no post-expedition cut scene.
Below is the Script and Walkthrough for Ancient Footsteps (Mission):
Briefing
Matti waits for the Freelancer in the lab by the variety of plants.
- Matti: "Do you like mysteries? I love mysteries."
- The Freelancer: "Depends on the mystery. I take it you mean the writings of Raban Maur we found?"
- Matti: "I’m becoming predictable! So! Here we are: Raban Maur makes a brilliant discovery, but doesn’t tell anyone. Instead, he hides documents about it behind layers of riddles and security. He doesn’t even mention it in his seminal work. Curious, don’t you think? The way I see it, there’s only one way to solve this puzzle. There are clues in Maur’s documents. We must follow the trail of breadcrumbs he left. Erryl extracted information about another location—what used to be a waypoint for traveling Arcanists. We think another clue is hidden there"
- The Freelancer: "Leave it to me."
Follow Raban Maur's Clues to Uncover His Secrets
The Freelancer prepares for the expedition.
Launch Expedition
The Freelancer ventures outside the walls.
Briefing Gallery
In Expedition
The Freelancer gets out of the strider in North Rock. Matthias is inside the Strider.
- Matti: "Here we are. Tracking down the clues Raban Maur left. No idea where they’ll lead, but that’s the fun of it. I’ll stay here with the strider. It’d be nice to go with you, but my notes are generally heavy. So heavy. Let’s get started! I can’t wait."
Travel to First Ruin
The Freelancer flies to the location given by Matti in Strider Alley.
- Matti: "As I mentioned. This sed to be a waypoint for Arcanists. Then, you know, a Cataclysm. It was damaged and abandoned. According to his writings, Maur hid information in a series of runes. They should be around here somewhere."
Runes Collected
The Freelancer must collect 5 runes. There is a text pop up near one of the Stinkhand plants. If the Freelancer comes into contact with the acid mist from the Stinkhands,
- The Freelancer: "(Coughs.) It’s burning through my suit!"
- Matti: "those plants are growing very close to these runes. Almost as if they are deterrent."
- The Freelancer: "You think they were planted on purpose? Isn’t this ruin ancient?"
- Matti: "These things? They live forever. And they get toxic over the years. They could have killed you easily, if you hadn’t been in a javelin."
- The Freelancer: "Great!"
- Matti: "Death traps? Danger? This only proves we’re on the right track!"
At the halfway mark of examining the runes,
- Matti: "Wonderful! Can you see any others? There have to be others!"
When all 5 runes are collected,
- Matti: "Interesting. It all matches up with what I’ve seen in Maur’s writings. Yes! As expected, they’re leading us to another location."
Travel to Next Location
The Freelancer goes to the next location.
- Matti: "Did you know most of Raban Maur’s discoveries are lost to time? And now, we’re the ones who’ll bring them back! Think about all the good that might do!"
- The Freelancer: "Better be worth the danger, is all I’m saying."
- Matti: "Oh, I’m certain it will be."
The Freelancer reaches The Iron Serpent district.
Runes Collected
The Freelancer must collect 6 runes scattered all over the Monument.
- Matti: "The runes must be around here somewhere."
The Freelancer, unfortunately, encounters an ursix in the middle of what looks like a Scar campsite.
- Matti: "Blast. Look at the size of that thing! Bad luck."
The Freelancer defeats the Ursix. The freelancer proceeds to examine the runes. Wolven are nearby.
- Matti: "Thos things will make it difficult to find the runes."
The Freelancer can also encounter Skorpions while locating the runes with the help of the radar.
- Matti: "Skorpions. Everywhere. Blast, this will be more difficult than I anticipated."
When a few runes are remaining,
- Matti: "We’re getting close. Just a few more runes."
When all the runes are collected,
- Matti: "I have it! I have it! I think I know where all this is leading. There is a Shaper ruin nearby that Maur is known to have studied extensively. This says he hid something there. A data archive, located in a vault."
Explore Passageway
The Freelancer goes to the Shaper ruin that Matti mentioned. It leads to The Bane Engine.
Explore Ancient Complex
The Freelancer is under the Giant's Crossroads when inside the Bane Engine.
- Matti: "We’re getting close. I have chills. Good chills, I mean. Oh, this is exciting."
Skorpions have nested inside this Shaper ruin.
- Matti: "Watch out for those skorpions."
Search for Maur's Signs
The Freelancer must find the hidden Arcanist Vault. The skorpions keep spawning, so they can be ignored at this point. When the vault is found, the Freelancer needs to activate it.
Complete Vault Attunement
- Matti: "A vault! You need to find the attunement points to open it. Look around."
Attunement Progress
The Freelancer must find 8 attunement points scattered all across the area. They glow green in color.
Vault Reset
The vault will reset in 60 seconds if all attunement points are not found within that time. Unlike the radar for finding items, the attunement points can’t be detected by the radar. So, care must be taken to find the points, and temporarily memorize their positions if the vault resets.
Complete Attunement
When all 8 points are found, the freelancer must return to the Arcanist vault to complete the attunement process. The Freelancer interacts with the vault.
Attunement Progress
The Freelancer must wait inside a green Cypher Projected circle to progress the attunement. If they go out of it, then the progress will dwindle and the circle becomes orange. If enemies enter it, then the circle becomes pale, progress slows down, but doesn’t stop. The Freelancer will also have to deal with any skorpions trying to breach the circle.
Open Vault
When the attunement progress has finished, the Freelancer interacts with the vault to open it. The encasing of the vault shatters to reveal a Treasure Chest. There are several items inside the vault, along with some special rewards.
- Matti: "Do you have the data archive? All the information we gathered indicates Maur hid an archive here."
- The Freelancer: "There was no data archive. Lots of old things, but no archive."
- Matti: "What? Were we wrong?"
- The Freelancer: "There are footsteps in the dust. Not mine. Someone’s been here."
- Matti: "Someone took it before we did?"
Al this while, Matti was moving in the Strider to reach a different location near to where the Freelancer was. There are signs of distress coming from Matti’s communication link. This was more than the noise from the strider’s movement.
- The Freelancer: "What was that?"
- Matti: "The strider… the strider’s shaking. What—"
- The Freelancer: "Matti?"
- Matti: "The strider’s under attack! I… I’m under attack!"
- The Freelancer: "On my way!"
The Freelancer quickly gathers the old items and rewards from the chest and heads towards Matti!
Rescue Matti from his Attackers
The Freelancer must find a way to reach Matti’s strider.
Return to Surface
The Freelancer comes out of the Bane Engine back to the Iron Serpent.
Return to Matti’s Strider
The Freelancer flies to the strider.
- Matti: "Outlaws! The one in charge… he’s not like the others. The colors and embellishments on his javelin. Familiar, but I can’t place them! Crap!"
There is an Outlaw ambush!
- Matti: "Stop! Shooting! At! Me!"
Unfortunately, the Strider falls.
- Matti: "I’m going down! The strider’s down. I’m defenseless!"
Fortunately, the Freelancer reaches the Tracks of Midderon, where ethe strider is downed in the nick of the time.
Defeat Outlaws
He Freelancer fights with the Outlaws.
- Matti: "You bastards will be sorry when the Freelancer gets you!"
Matti finds more outlaws have now gated in.
- Matti: "Reinforcements headed your way!"
The freelancer deals with them all!
- The Freelancer: "Is that all of them?"
- Matti: "All except the leader. He left after taking down the strider. Why does someone want me dead?"
- The Freelancer: "Breathe. Tell me what I can do to help you."
- Matti: "Okay. Okay. It looks like we’ve lost power to the engine. If you find back up batteries, we might be able to reroute the systems to use them instead."
Replace the Battery
The freelancer finds a replacement battery from within the wreckage. There is a text pop up on one the left lib on the strider’s back side. When the Freelancer inserts the battery,
- The Freelancer: "Got the backups in. any luck?"
- Matti: "Things are starting up. Slow. Might take some time… but it’s a good sign. This is awful. After all that, we didn’t even get Maur’s data archive."
- The Freelancer: "Where do you think it is?"
- Matti: "The boss taunted me about the archive before he told his men to murder me. He’s behind it all. I just know it. Why don’t you head back to the fort. I’ll meet you there. Ugh. The inside of this thing smells like burnt-out wired."
The Freelancer returns to the Fort.
Post Expedition
The Freelancer goes to meet Matti in the Matthias Lab. However, Matti has not returned to Fort Tarsis yet. They have time to go on another expedition, and by the time they are done with it, Matti will have reurned to the fort safely.
Notes and Remarks
- This expedition has a conversational cut scene during briefing.
- This expedition has a conversational de-briefing post mission.
- The dialogs mentioned in the script can vary across different play-throughs and different repetition of the game modes. The dialog will be taken from a pool that get rotated in-game. The script mentioned here is from one such instance only.
Expedition Map
Note: The Expedition Maps feature is still a Work in Progress. Sometimes, a refreshing/reloading of this page may be required to zoom-in or zoom-out completely.
- Guidelines:
- Click on an to find expeditions related to "Ancient Footsteps (Mission)".
- Click on Filters to select or unselect various expedition types.
- Click on + to Zoom-in and -to Zoom-out.
- Clicking on the link below the description/image of each pop-up will take you to that page.
- Click on an