Guide

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Deployment Orders: Operation Prime Time

Lore

FCON, I ain’t never lied to ya. This is the big one. Do or die. Probably both, but the second one don’t mean a thing if we don’t get the first taken care of.

We found what we think is the source of, hell, just about every dangerous secret on Nexus right here in the Grimvault, and we’re gonna make sure Exiles are the ones callin’ the shots when the time comes and the hammer drops and the space-chickens come home to roost.
We’re gonna hit hard to take control’a what territory we can, clear out these corrupted Strain monsters – that oughtta be fun – oh, and take down a Dominion superweapon before it wipes the arkship outta the sky. All with supplies on the low side and pretty much the whole planet in a state of open war. That means we’re all we got, mercs.

There’s operational intel from the Widow sayin’ we got some kinda ancient energy being in here trying to help us out.
I’m just gonna say this once – stick to the blasted plan! And when in doubt, listen to your immediate commander. The chain’a command is there for a reason, and anyone who violates orders on the word’a some hallucinogenic space ghost is gonna find themselves in the stockade!

Finally, listen up. I know we lost the Widowmaker. Those were good men, women, and mechs onboard that ship, and they didn’t deserve to die.
The ones that lived deserve their fates even less, and you’ll be doing ’em a favor if you kill ’em first chance you get. But the Widowmaker’s just one ship. Get that situation under control, FCON, get what supplies we need, and prep for the big final push into the heart of this blasted craphole.

When Grimvault’s good and pacified, we’ll roast Ruxnillian splorg franks over the flames.

– Stonebreaker

Guide

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Star-Dog Arkship CanineCare Receipt

Lore

Star-Dog Arkship CanineCare
“When you need things for your dog… in space!”
est. 1601 AE

– RECEIPT FOR PURCHASE –

– Proto-Chow for Canines (30 Day Supply)…..11g99c
CloneBone Chews (20 packs)…..5g99s99c
Refurbished Armor Components, Canine (4 pieces)…..320g99s99c
Woof’n Drops Canine Incontinence Treatment (10 bottles)…..48g99c
Wolf-Pak Cargo Pouches (4)…..14g99s99c

Proto-Store Nullspace Storage Unit (Model 002 – Fits All Wolf-Pak Cargo Pouches)…..139g99s99c

Thank you for shopping with Star-Dog!

Guide

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Cryo Pod Emergency Operation Manual

Lore

Congratulations! You have activated the escape and survival functions of your cryo pod! Please read the following instructions carefully.

Yes, if you’re reading this message, you are almost certainly in a dire situation and need to evacuate this ship, station, or slightly larger escape vessel immediately, and all purpose-built escape pods are destroyed or unavailable.
That means you need to get away in quite possibly the same pod in which you have been traveling, sleeping, or relaxing. That’s why every cryo pod we make is equipped with vital components to ensure safe escape from whatever peril you find yourself facing, be it rapid atmospheric decompression, aggressive Marauder boarding parties, or simple mechanical breakdown.
Please ensure these safety features are installed before attempting to use this cryo pod for extravehicular escape, atmospheric reentry, or hard landing procedures.

Congratulations! Your safety features are installed! You can look forward to an increased chance of survival and will be able to manually guide your cryo pod in for a gravity-assisted landing, also known colloquially as a “hard crash.”
We recommend you complete any last documents you may wish to complete before your potential death, as the safety features of this cryo pod model are in no way guaranteed to ensure complete survival. To ensure complete survival, please install portable holo-crypt device.

I’m sorry! This cryo pod is not equipped with a portable holo-crypt device. In fact, there is no such thing as a portable holo-crypt device!
We have found, however, that sales of this cryo pod model improve by several percentage points when portable holo-crypt devices are mentioned. This is now hardwired into this safety briefing. Forgive the oversight!

Congratulations! Your new cryo escape pod is ready for launch. Happy landings!

Guide

Find and enter Ethereal Hollow.

Proceed to northwestern part of the cave.

Make your way to the second floor.

Just behind creature Moris Dustland…

… is the Journal.

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Moris Dustland’s Journal

Lore

Entry #971MD-033
Auto-Record Mode Activated

What were we thinking? Like I don’t know. I know exactly what – who – I was thinking about. “Let’s take a joyride,” she said. “What could happen?” Oh, I don’t know, friends, how about getting lost in a labyrinth of Strain-infested tunnels with no hope of rescue or even any hope of being found if you actually stave off infection and disease.
I don’t even know where my sister ended up, and we’ve always had sort of a link. Like, I know how she’s feeling, she knows how I’m feeling… but it’s like she’s not even there. What’s happening in this place, anyway?

And why in hell did I ride a cryo pod all the way down here like some kind of idiot Granok merc? Stupid, Moris. So. Stupid.

Entry #971MD-035
Last recording didn’t work. This equipment – something’s gotten into it.
Can machines get sick? I think my datachron is broken. It can’t tell me where I am, and I’m definitely lost. I can’t find the others, either. “Oh, just scan for our transponders, Moris,” they said. Well what happens when your datachron breaks, geniuses?

Entry #971MD-038
Shouldn’t have tried to crack the da – ron open, I think s – ata may – been lost. Not feeling so good myself. Only been half-hour since la – since la – since landing. Itching. Skin hurts.
W – cryo pod sealed cor – ec – ly? Can’t say. Need help. I wa – go home.

Guide

Find and enter Ethereal Hollow.

Take a path that leads to a lower part of the cave.

At the end of a long tunnel is the journal.

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Archaeologist’s Diary

Lore

Grimvault Expedition of Discovery
Day 21

Although it seems clear to even a casual observer, I cannot stress this enough – the current Grimvault, the disease-infested universe of corruption and Strain, was not designed with anything like this in mind. The Eldan did not leave this place like this. They wanted the Strain confined, and Grimvault itself was more of buffer zone. Now the buffer zone is filled with Strain, and it’s only getting worse.
All technology in this area, while Eldan and therefore mysterious and strange, nevertheless served a purpose, one the Eldan took with them when they disappeared. Now that technology has been compromised by the Techno-Phage.

Grimvault Expedition of Discovery
Day 22
Although this Ethereal Hollow resembles a natural formation, I’m beginning to think nothing in this Grimvault is natural. It is completely saturated with corruption, and this underground network is no exception.
What purpose did this corrupted complex serve? Was it, as some have hypothesized, the site of the Eldan’s downfall? I must dig deeper.

Grimvault Expedition of Discovery
Day 23
Dead. Most of them in the latest attack. The corruption all around us – it is coming to life. The Strain… it thinks. Walks, talks, and fights. It is intelligent. And it hates us.

It walked, it roared, it snarled, it killed. It wants me… us. It is not just a substance. It is thinking. It wants.
It needs.

It kills. It wants me to kill. It wants me to join it. They want me to join them. I… we… will join them.

We will kill.

Lore

[These quick formulae were hastily scribbled out on a scrap of paper still stamped with the seal of the XAS and then tossed aside. There is only one way to test the accuracy of these calculations.]

Guide

Map

Southern Grimvault

1.

Deployment Orders: Operation Genesis

Lore

Radiant Legionnaires, this is the battle we’ve been destined to fight since, well, maybe since Emperor Dominus called the people of Cassus to be leaders of a glorious Dominion. We’ve fought too hard to let it all slip away now, and by the gods whose world we fight for, I swear we will not allow foul corruption to devour the empire.

That doesn’t mean I don’t see what we’re up against. I see this Strain, in all its diseased infamy.
My belief in our ultimate victory simply means I’ve faced down the nastiest, meanest, vilest, and all-around rottenest the galaxy’s got to offer with you men, women, and Chua at my side. Through hell and worse we made it through then, and as your commander I tell you the Radiant Legion will be victorious today!

The enemy we face has been testing our limits. They look like beasts, but believe me when I say the smart ones are damned good tacticians.
And there’s a lot of smart ones, people. Just remember the training, and don’t underestimate them, ever. So we stick to the plan and engage where necessary, but remember the goal – the Phagelabs.

Near as we can tell, that’s where the Strain has been confined this entire time, but now they’ve broken free. We’re going to shut it down.
But along the way, any threats to the Dominion, the emperor, or this planet will be dealt with as the Radiant Legion always deals with the enemies of the empire – with order and justice for all.

This includes the bloody Exiles! Make no mistake. They may not be corrupted by the Bio-Phage, but they’re corrupted by treason, treachery, and heresy. They’re worse than the Strain.
They chose to fight against a just and righteous galaxy, and we shall not now indulge in alliances of convenience with their kind.

The Strain must be contained and ultimately destroyed. The same can be said for the Exiles. They cannot be allowed to take control of the Grimvault. But for the gods and the emperor, the Radiant Legion will.

– Commander Antevian