This is the Legendary Mission version of the similarly named Critical Objective. Enemies are tougher, but the rewards are excellent.
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 expedition can be played multiple times.
- There are no text pop ups
in this mission. - There are several artifacts found lying around inside the Fortress. Interacting with them will allow Faye and Haluk to comment on their importance, and Cortex entries may be unlocked.
- Make sure to scour each chamber thoroughly, because there are several hidden Treasure Chests in each of the chambers. Do this before activating the gauntlets/trials.
- Ancient Ash Titans are very tough enemies. Using Acid or Armor Buster types of damages is the most effective way to fight them.
- When only a fourth of the Titan's health remains, green and blue circles show up on the ground. At this time, it starts randomly throwing its attack. If the Titan is destroyed before the two circles meet, the rewards received will have a better chance of having a high rarity.
- Use Acid, Armor Buster, or Fire type damage to tackle Dominion Brutes or Turrets.
- Use Ice or Lightning or Shield Breaker damages to deplete any shields of enemies.
- Set the Dominion Valkyries on burning status by doing Fire damage to them and disable their flight until the status wears off.
- Avoid defeating elite type Dominion Shocktroopers and remaining near them, because they drop loose death rattle grenades after their health is depleted, which self explode in a matter of seconds to do massive Lightning Blast damage.
- The Frost Hounds are very vulnerable to fire attack.
- It is also recommended to make use of any explosives scattered across the map during combat when in need.
These are the locations where the Freelancer begins the expedition, has to perform tasks to advance, and conclude the expedition.
Cortex Entry
Legendary: The Fortress of Dawn (Mission) is categorized under the Legendary mission type of expedition. These expeditions do not have any specific cortex entries associated with them.
Trivia (May Contain Spoilers)
- This mission is the most lucrative in terms of Loot Drops, because apart from the four chests, there are three Apex Enemies encountered.
- The Freelancer is surprised at the view of the fortress even if they have already seen it before (during Freeplay).
- The object identified as Legion Engineering Apparatus is also found in the Fort Tarsis Freelancer Enclave on display.
- The three trials are modeled after the legend of General Tarsis.
- Trial of Might: Tarsis and the Mountain and Tarsis and the Sword of Thunder.
- Trial of Resolve: The Last Stand of General Tarsis.
- Trial of Valor: Tarsis and the Shaper's Great Rings. (This is not encountered in the Legendar mission version)
- These trials were set by Arden Vassa after General Tarsis' death, but before he sealed the Fortress.
- The Freelancer saw the Titan and the Dominion because they were their greatest foes at that time. To any other lancer, the enemies would have been different.
- This is the first time the voices of Arden Vassa and General Tarsis are heard.
- The Trial of Valor (which is not available in the Legendary Mission version) takes two years for the Freelancer to complete. This means:
- The Freelancer had to endure through every moment of their life since they became a Freelancer, including the attempt to Silence the Heart of Rage.
- If the Freelancer had become a lancer earlier or later, the Trial of Valor would have taken an appropriate time equivalent to those. This is true for any new lancer attempting to become a Legionnaire.
- Whatever the age of the Freelancer was, they are two years older when they complete the Trial of Valor.
- This in turn reinforces how the mind can be altered through the misuse of Gateway Devices, and the Gateway that lancers and anyone linked to an amplifier, including cyphers.
- The 3 javelin effigies (statues) are:
- The effigy for Trial of Might is that of Magna Stral.
- The effigy for the Trial of Resolve is Liatrelle the Unbroken.
- The effigy for the Trial of Valor is Midderon (not encountered in this mission)
- The trials of might, resolve, and valor are represented by the primary colors blue, green, and red, respectively in their gauntlet.
- After the Trial of Resolve is completed, there is not Trial of Valor, but the mission end Treasure Chest shows up, opening which will end the expedition.
- Paladins/Dominion: Might, which separates the weak from the worthy.
- Sentinels: Resolve, which separates the fearful from the valiant.
- Freelancers: Valor, which separates true lancers from the false.
- The Legionnaires must possess all these 3 qualities, but they need not be balanced.
- The Freelancer is the first person to become a Legionnaire in nearly 500 years and to enter the Fortress of Dawn.
Below is the Script and Walkthrough for Legendary: The Fortress of Dawn (Mission):
Briefing
Legendary: The Fortress of Dawn. Enter the sealed fortress and recover the Javelin of Dawn.
In Expedition
The Freelancer can now enter the Fortress of Dawn using General Tarsis' signet.
Enter the Fortress of Dawn
The Freelancer exits the strider in Sanadeen's Pass.
Enter the Fortress of Dawn
The Freelancer flies in the direction provided by Faye.
Reach the Fortress
- The Freelancer: "Here we go. How's the connection, Faye?"
- Faye: "Everything's clear. Head for the Fortress of Dawn. With the General's signet, I should be able to pass you off as a Lancer of the Legion of Dawn."
The Freelancer flies towards the fortress. Upon reaching Morning's Edge
- The Freelancer: "Woah."
- Haluk: "There she is. The Fortress of Dawn."
When the Freelancer reaches the edge of Vassa's Way, their flight is disabled.
- The Freelancer: "Damnit, they've got a grounder."
- Faye: "That means they'll be entrenched up ahead. Be careful. They've set up turrets. We need to take them down."
Clear out Dominion Forces
The Freelancer destroys the turrets and nearby Dominion enemies.
- Faye: "One less turret to worry about. There's no way they brought all that over the bridge. They must be gating in."
- The Freelancer: "Then we better shut them down."
- Faye: "There are many energy signatures in the courtyard. Head for the fortress doors."
When the Freelancer goes towards the fortress doors by foot, the Dominion have indeed set up a gating device with anchors. This means, the Dominion are trying to bring in a larger force.
Anchors Destroyed
The Freelancer must now destroy 5 anchors to remove the shield from the gating device, in order to destroy it. On top of this, more Dominion forces are gating in.
- Faye: "The gate's connected to those anchors. Break that and we shut this down."
The first anchor is destroyed.
- Faye: "That's it! Take them all out and we can cut off the Dominion reinforcements."
When half the anchors are destroyed, more enemies gate in.
- Faye: "More Dominion gating in!"
The final anchor is destroyed.
- Faye: "I'm not picking up any more anchors. You're good to target the gate itself."
Destroy Dominion Gate
The Freelancer targets the gating device while fighting enemies. If the gate is still not destroyed,
- Faye: "Mr Dominion gating in."
Tougher enemies start to pour in, until Legendary Enemies show up. The Freelancer finally destroys the gate.
- Haluk: "Nice work! Look at that thing burn!"
- The Freelancer: "Was that… praise? From Haluk?"
- Faye: "Find the locking mechanism. If I'm right… the general's signet should open the door just like a key."
Enter Fortress
The Freelancer unlocks the fortress door using the signet and enters it.
- The Freelancer: "Welcome to the Fortress of Dawn."
- Haluk: "I can't believe we're seeing this."
- Faye: "You're the first to stand in his spot for centuries. Look around. I want to see all of it."
Haluk is able to see everything like Faye, because he is likely connected to the Gateway and the amplifier chair, which allows users to see what a lancer sees.
Recover the Javelin of Dawn
Th efReelancer must find the location of the coveted javelin.
Search Fortress
The Freelancer looks around the fortress searching for clues and examining the artifacts in ruin. When they interact to read about a statue.
- Faye: "This was one of the Legionnaires, I think."
Later, the Freelancer interacts with an Ornate Masonry.
- Faye: "Can you get a closer look at that?"
The Freelancer also interacts with a fallen container.
- The Freelancer: "What's this?"
- Faye: "That's a funerary urn. A Legionnaire is buried in here."
Finally, the Freelancer interacts with a Legion Engineering Apparatus.
- Haluk: "What is that?"
- Faye: "Something of Arden Vassa's. I'm certain of it."
The Freelancer then reaches the massive effigy. They interact with the mural under this Effigy of Might.
- The Freelancer: "I swear I've seen this design before."
A voice, whose origin is unknown, can be heard.
- Arden Vassa: "Behold the doors of Might! Whosoever wishes them open, place your signet! The trial of might separates the weak from the worthy. So says Arden Vassa."
- Faye: "Arden Vassa! Is that really his voice? Over there, that looks like you could plug the signet in, doesn't it?"
- The Freelancer: "Only one way to find out."
Insert Signet
The Freelancer inserts their signet into a slot under the mural. Immediately, their link with Faye is disconnected. Their gateway connection is severed and they are somehow transported to an unknown Shaper Ruin, lit by a blue sun.
- Arden Vassa: "You think yourself worthy to claim a place among the Legion of Dawn knights? Then know this, a true Legionnaire must be tested. The greatest of us all Helena Tarsis, lured her foes into battle at a place of her choosing. There she brought them ruin and destruction through strength and guile. Prove yourself. Walk the path of General Tarsis. Bring forth your greatest foe. May your might prevail against the darkness."
- The Freelancer: "Faye? What just happened? Faye?"
The Freelancer must find a way to escape this Gauntlet of Might.
Complete the Trial of Might
The Freelancer finds a giant Titan, laying dormant, in the middle of the ruin. When the Freelancer approaches it, the sleeping titan wakes up.
Defeat Titan
The Freelancer fights the Titan, as it fights back.
- Arden Vassa: "The Urgoth brought death and misery upon countless generations. Strongest of the foes of humanity. Tarsis made it her life's work to shatter their grip upon the world."
As the health of the Titan deteriorates, Arden Vassa divulges more stories to the Freelancer.
- Arden Vassa: " The Urgoth outnumbered the Legion a hundred to one, and yet we had no fear, for our general held a secret power. And she knew to wait for the right moment to unleash it."
When the health of the Titan is near its end Vassa finishes his story.
- Arden Vassa: "The Urgoth fell upon us like night itself. Then Tarsis unleashed the Voice of Heaven upon them. The mountains bowed to her will. In a great chorus of thunder, humanity's foe was crushed."
The Freelancer fights the Titan, which explodes upon its defeat.
- Arden Vassa: "You pass the test. Before your might, the greatest of foes crumble. Yet more trials lie before you, lancer. Go forth. May the path lead you to the dawn."
Exit the Gateway
The Freelancer walks back the path shown, but is also free to explore this gauntlet. Once they reach the smoggy exit, they are back in front of the effigy of the Trial of Might.
Recover the Javelin of Dawn
- Faye: "There! Connection's re-established! Where were you?"
- The Freelancer: "I fought a titan! But I never left this spot, somehow?"
- Faye: "It's a gateway device! That's why I lost our link."
- The Freelancer: "Whatever it was, I used up real ammo in there."
Search Fortress
The door behind the effigy of the Trial of Might open up and the Freelancer ventures forth and finds another effigy. They approach it,
- The Freelancer: "Another part of the legend of General Tarsis?"
- Faye: "It's likely another gateway device. Be ready."
The Freelancer interacts with the mural.
- Arden Vassa: "Behold the doors of Resolve! Whosoever wishes them open, place your signet. The Trial of Resolve shall separate the fearful from the valiant. So says Arden Vassa."
The Freelancer places their signet and is transported to a different reality of the Fortress of Dawn's courtyard. The courtyard is not in ruins and is lit by a green sun.
- Arden Vassa: " The path comes to an end for you here. As it did for our general, as it does for us all. Your inevitable death awaits you, lancer. Go forth to face it."
- The Freelancer: " Wait... "the path comes to an end"? Is this... the last stand of General Tarsis?"
Complete the Trial of Resolve
Hordes of Dominion enemies spawn to reach the point being defended by the Freelancer
Time Remaining
The point is defended completely through the progression of time.
- Arden Vassa: " To race her enemy to helpless Antium, Tarsis took only a handful of knights. They had swiftness, but the enemy had overwhelming strength. And yet, Tarsis held her ground."
Complete the Trial of Resolve
More hordes of Dominion enemies spawn to reach the point being defended by the Freelancer. This time, the enemies are tougher, and many have elite rarity. The defending point moves closer to the door of the fortress.
Time Remaining
The point is defended completely through the progression of time.
- Arden Vassa: " In the narrow mountain pass, the Legionnaires stood against the might of the urgoth horde. For if they wavered, if their fragile line broke, Antium would fall, and countless others with it."
Complete the Trial of Resolve
Even more hordes of Dominion enemies spawn to reach the point being defended by the Freelancer. This time, the enemies are tougher, and many are elity type. The defending point is very close to the fortress door.
Time Remaining
The point is defended completely through the progression of time.
- Arden Vassa: "Tarsis met the urgoth leader in battle and was struck a mortal blow. Even as Tarsis knew her life was ending, she fought on. As her life's blood ebbed, she drove the enemy back."
Complete the Trial of Resolve
Even more hordes of Dominion enemies spawn to reach the point being defended by the Freelancer. This time, the enemies are tougher, and many have legendary rarity. The defending point is the closest to the doors of the fortress and much smaller this time.
Time Remaining
The point is defended completely through the progression of time.
- Arden Vassa: "You pass the test. Under the weight of inevitable death, you did not break. Arise and go forth, lancer. One more trial awaits you. May the path lead you to the dawn."
Open Chest
The Freelancer opens the Treasure Chest.
Post Expedition
The Freelancer can repeat this expedition or go on a different one.
Notes and Remarks
- Unless the chest is opened, the expedition will not end.
- The moment the chest is opened, the expedition end banner shows up, unlike the Critical Objective counterpart.
- Before Pilot Level 30, all items found inside the hidden chests are Crafting Resources or loot.
- The dialogs in this expedition will always remain the same as mentioned in this script. However, certain conversations may be skipped if actions are performed quickly, or additional conversations will show up if there is a delay.
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.
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