An ominous incident occurs two weeks causing the storm cloud in the sky. And now, Dr. Harken has finally prepared a special device called the Egress. But it seems that the arcanist cannot stay in one place, even when handcuffed and locked behind bars. How will the Freelancer proceed?
Objectives
- See Harken about Building the Egress
- Speak with Harken
- Silence the New Cataclysm
- Defeat Spear
- Complete Events (Optional)
- Locate Vara
- Defeat Vara
- Confront Harken about the Storm
- Talk to Harken
- Here We Go Again
- Return to Echo of Reality
Notes
The 'Two Weeks Ago' cutscene automatically begins when the Freelancer enters the prison.
Script and Walkthrough
Briefing
See Harken About Building the Egress
Speak with Harken
Two Weeks Earlier
A Valkyrie clad in white is standing in the middle of a Shaper relic containing a shallow pool of dark liquid, holding a spear in her hands. A second Valkyrie slowly proceeds towards the first, while more Valkyries stand around the two in a circle.
- Kelrik (stands in front of the first Valkyrie, on the pool): "Are you afraid?"
- Vara (while holding the spear): "Why would I be?"
- Kelrik: "The Monitor—"
- Vara (strikes the spear on the ground): "Was corrupted by the Anthem. I will not have that problem. (She places her palm on Kelrik’s chest) Remember: I do this not for myself— but for you. And all of Stralheim."
Kelrik gently holds Vara’s hand for an instant, and then backs away.
- Vara (Hovers for an instant): " For Stralheim."
Vara jabs the Shaper relic pool with the tip of the spear. The relic becomes active. The dark liquid rises around the two Valkyries forming a ribbon and swirling around them.
- Vara: "”Might separates the weak from the worthy.”"
- Vara: "”Only the strong can provide order.”"
- Vara (pained breathing): "”Only the strong can provide order.”"
- Kelrik (concerned about Vara): "Vara!"
- Vara: "—stay back! (Vara sihnals Kelrik to stop using her hand)"
- Vara: "”Order is the path to peace.” (pained yell)"
- Vara’s javein becomes covered in the dark liquid, and soon, her face. The swirling ribbons then proceed to stain Kelrik, and the rest of the Valkyries around. In the next instant, all the Valkyries liquify to dissolve inside the dark ribbons. The ribbons immediately are sucked back inside the Shaper relic pool.
The only remaining thing in the pool is the shaft of the spear, which its tip is submerged. Thunder roars! Lightning sparks around the spear arcing into the dark pool. It draws a surge of Shaper energy from the surrounding to raise the spear above, its spearhead encapsulated inside a Shaper crystal; a rift has formed above this spear.
Present Day
Haluk is out side Fort Tarsis glaring at the Storm in the sky. Dust and feather particles are sweeping around the fort.
- Freelancer: "Heard thunder, is everything… okay?"
- Haluk (walks towards the Freelancer standing behind him): "Thought nothing could ruin this view."
Commander Vule hurriedly walks towards the two.
- Vule: "Freelancer— he’s gone. Harken’s escaped."
- Haluk: "Well, this has turned into an interesting morning. Go with Vule, I’ll update Adams on the storm. (He taps his walking cane twice)"
The freelancer follows Commander Vule back inside the fort prison. A restless Sentinel Brin runs towards Vule and another sentinel inside javelins.
- Brin: "Uhh—oh! Hello, uh, you wanna come in? (She backs off as the Sentinels walk) No? Ok, uh, well! I have some funny—funny news!"
Brin walks backwards into Harken’s prison cell while the two Sentinels investigate the cell.
- Brin (trying to convince Vule): "Um… one minute he was there, then—poof! And yes, I know how crazy that sounds, but—"
Doctor Harken pops out of thin air biting an apple. Vule is quick to point his rifle at the doctor, as Brin looks at him confused.
- Harken: "Have you tried one of these? They are delicious!"
Harken takes another bite of the delicious red apple.
- Vule: "Sentinel Brin, secure the prisoner."
Harken raises his hands and goes to Brin secures him.
- Harken: "Oh… (whistles) …mmm… oh."
Harken tosses the bitten apple at the Freelancer, which is immediately caught. Brin handcuffs him. The other sentinel and Vule point their rifles at Harken.
- Vule: "How did you get out?"
- Freelancer: "And... why did you come back?"
Brin holds her hands around her waist expecting answers.
- Harken: "The truth is: I could have left at any time. So the “how” is inconsequential."
Leaving Harken inside the prison cell, everyone walks out.
- Harken: "You don’t have to do this. This isn’t necessary (Harken walks towards the cell door). Look— I chose to stay because I want to help."
The Freelancer drags the prison cell door to close it shut.
- Harken: "You can trust me (Harken walks upto the bars of the door and sighs). Feel better?"
- Brin: "Much."
- Freelancer: "Stay in your cell and don’t cause trouble."
- Harken: "Couldn’t help but notice the forecast while I was out and about. Stormy with a chance of doom"
Harken has somehow come out of his handcuffs while holding an apple. He tosses the apple between his hands once and then shows it to the Freelancer. The Freelancer snatches the apple, giving it to Brin who is slightly impressed.
- Freelancer: "Talk. Quickly."
- Harken: "Vara started the Cataclysm."
- Freelancer: "Gathered that much. You’re supposed to be working on the device to get me inside. Nt pulling stunts like—"
- Harken: "You mean the Egress? I finished that hours ago. Go check my workbench."
Harken walks towards the other side of the cell pointing towards his workbench. The Sentinel in the javelin proceeds to take a look. Harken leans in on the bars of the prison cell holding a familiar red object in his hand.
- Freelancer: "You could’ve just said so. "
- Harken: "I could’ve, yes. Attach it to the dawn shield. There’s now way of knowing what you’ll face inside. But the Egress will get you in and out of the cataclysm."
- Brin: "According to you."
The Sentinel in the javelin reveals the Egress, a triangle shaped device, which the Freelancer takes.
- Harken: "Well, I’m all you’ve got."
While the freelancer examines the Egress, Harken bites the red apple, chewing it. Sentinel Brin—notices the apple she has been holding in her hand—has a perplexed expression on her face as she throws a surprised gasp. Harken smirks while confidently exhaling.
In Mission
Silence the New Cataclysm
Defeat Spear
Use the Echoes of Reality game mode to enter the Cataclysm=
Silence the Echo of Reality
Leave the Safe Zone
- Faye: "Try not to move. The reality around you is extremely unstable."
- Freelancer: "Got it. Not moving into the Chaos Field."
- Faye: "Be quick. The longer you are in the storm, the greater the chance it will absorb you."
Go out of the pocket of stable reality into the cataclysm
Note: Each week, a new arena was added, which unlocked additional dialog for that arena. These dialogues can be found here. Vara can be faced after completing all the arenas or as soon as you exit the safe zone the first time.
Locate Vara
When the Freelancer enters the Throne of Echoes
- Freelancer: "There’s Vara."
Vara has taken a titan-like form. She shrieks.
- Vara: "I know you. My brother’s killers. He was weak. Unfocused. Distracted by ambition. I’m not. I can remake the world."
- Freelancer: "You have to stop. This plan can’t work! Your “world” is collapsing as we speak.!"
- Vara: "I can keep it alive by will alone. But you won’t live to see it."
Depending upon Vara’s attacks, she can use one of these dialogs
- Vara: "I’ll tear you apart."
- Vara: "Burn."
- Vara: "I will break you."
- Vara: "Get over here."
- Vara: "This is my reality. The Dominion rule it."
When Vara receives the final blow, she disappears
- Vara: "This is not the end. I still command this reality. I will return."
- Freelancer: "She’s down! Faye, how do I silence this cataclysm?"
- Faye: "I don’t understand it. If Vara’s controlling the cataclysm, it should have stopped—or at least weakened! But nothing seems to have changed."
- Freelancer: "So now what?"
- Faye: "This reality is unstable and about to collapse. Come back to the fort before you get caught in it. We can plan our next step there."
Post-Mission
Vara was defeated, but the cataclysm rages on. Speak to Harken, and find out why the storm wasn't silenced.
Confront Harken about the Storm
Talk to Harken
- Freelancer: "Alright, Harken. What's going on? I killed Vara."
- Harken: "And the Storm abides. Fascinating isn't it?"
- Freelancer: "You told me Vara Brom was the heart of the Cataclysm. Why is it still alive when she's dead?"
- Harken: "I realize this is not obvious to most people, my dear Freelancer, but Arcanists are not born with answers. We experiment, we study... and there we find the Truth. In this matter, you'll hav eto think like an Arcanist and not a lancer. Investigate the Cataclysm. Study it."
- Freelancer: "You want me to go back in?."
- Harken: "You didn't expect this to be easy, did you? Learn about the storm, and perhaps we'll find a way to silence it for good."
- Freelancer: "."
Here We Go Again
Return to Echo of Reality
So this is where Echoes of Reality entered multiple times. As each week passes by, a new event is added to the Echo of Reality, making it tougher and more dangerous, at the same times, equally rewarding.
At a certain point after a few weeks, the next quest is unlocked.