<So (why do I start half of my posts with "so"?) a while ago I made a strike dubbed Searching the Archive. It was part of a larger arc called Warning. This time, I ditched the story arc and focused all of my efforts on this strike. Improving dialogue, adding in new ideas, changing up the strike loot (in part 2) and even having possibly my biggest plan yet... requesting a soundtrack. Still, a lot of things are the same and/or similar. Enough about that, let's move on. The setting is the middle of Antarctica. A massive "warped" Vex-ish construct has been made in the area. The construct has attracted the attention of the Taken and the lack of Vex resistance has attracted the Fallen. Both have drawn in the Cabal, hoping to launch a "one and done" mission. All three forces have engaged over and on the construct and the area around it. That's where you come in. You land in front of a canyon. Two Cabal Warships fly over you. You grab your sparrows and move on. [b]Ikora Rey[/b]: Guardian, all factions on Earth are fighting over this construct. Your job is to investigate it and find out how to stop it. [b]Cayde-6[/b]: Stop it? If it's possible, why can't we overload it and blow these guys sky high? That, or just leave it there, let them kill each other. [b]IR[/b]: We still need to know what's in there and if it's dangerous to the planet. [b]Ghost[/b]: Guys, please. We're about to be in the middle of a war, keep it down. You enter the first "warzone". Imperial Tanks, Skiffs, Harvesters, Heavy Pikes, every vehicle belonging to the Cabal and Fallen are everywhere. Drakes are next to the entrance. Fight through, give the Fallen, Taken, and Cabal hell. [b]G[/b]: Woah. This really is a war, but why are the Taken here? What's in there? [b]C6[/b]: That's why you're here. Get to that structure and if something's in your way, blow it up. [b]Commander Zavala[/b]: Ikora, we've just received an encrypted transmission from the structure. It's the same signal we use, but it's laced with something we can't describe. [b]IR[/b]: I'll check it out. Zavala, take my place for now. You leave the first warzone, heading into another canyon. A massive Fallen Ketch, at least twice the size of the average, appears, shooting down a Cabal Carrier, which crashes further down. [b]G[/b]: Boy, they really are giving each other a hard time. [b]Z[/b]: Scouts say the Cabal arrived because of the Fallen. They brought this on themselves. [b]G[/b]: But the Fallen normally run from a Cabal fleet, why have they stayed? Why did they bring reinforcements? [b]C6[/b]: Maybe they think they can take them out with their special weapon. That Ketch has been identified as the secondary flagship. That thing isn't going down anytime soon. [b]Z[/b]: We'll worry about that later, get in that building. You get into the second warzone, right in front of the entrance to the structure. A Taken Archon spawns. "Quirsis makes it an even fight..." All vehicles disappear and you are unable to get them back. (Fire before the message if you want to hurt him a bit). This is a Darkness Zone. Even though the vehicles are gone, there are still a ton of adds. Kill them dead. And kill Quirsis, Taken Archon while you're at it... I mean, you need to to pass. So pass. [b]G[/b]: We're inside. [b]Z[/b]: Good, now f- Ikora? What did you find? [b]IR[/b]: The message was laced with an advanced Vex technology. We still don't quite understand what it is, but we were able to decipher the message itself. It says, [quote]Light and Darkness are one within me. That's why the Blight has come. I look like the machines, but I am Patient 0-199-7.[/quote] [b]C6[/b]: I'm sorry, but what does any of that mean? [b]IR[/b]: I don't really know, but we've asked our medical staff and they say that Patient 0-199-7 was a Guardian that came in because of the Vex changing his body. He was taken in after we won the Red War and has no Ghost. [b]G[/b]: So, whatever's causing this is a Guardian. [b]IR[/b]: The message said that he looked like a Vex. That could imply complete transformation, but what about the Light and Darkness? We've seen 1 Guardian get fully turned during the Taken War, and he had no Light left, just Vex. And where does one get the Darkness? [b]C6[/b]: We should send reinforcements. [b]Z[/b]: We can't, it's too hectic. After wandering around hallways, you enter a large area similar to the Pyramidion. Though the area feels like Vex, it doesn't look like it in the slightest. You jump down one platform and suddenly a Ketch (normal) crashes through the ceiling. Fallen crawl out and Taken start spawning, now having a direct shot deeper into the structure. The destroyed Ketch also gives you a path to the next platform. [b]G[/b]: Guys, the Taken are here. [b]Z[/b]: You've fought them before, push through. [b]IR[/b]: Our team has figured out the Vex energy. It belongs to an "Archival Mind". [b]G[/b]: Didn't we already see one of those? It can't be the same one, it was destroyed in the Forest. [b]IR[/b]: I don't know. [b]C6[/b]: Wait, what was destroyed and when? [b]Z[/b]: I don't know of an Archival Mind. [b]IR[/b]: We'll talk about it later. You make it to the large cylindrical structure at what seemed to be the bottom of the room. Looking down you see a large red laser going down for miles. [b]C6[/b]: Oh that's not good. [b]IR[/b]: It looks to be absorbing power from systems across the planet. It hasn't reached us yet, put an end to this. [b]Z[/b]: I agree. You enter the structure, going around a stairwell. G: I just got a message from the Mind. It's note about... "caution"? "The storm is coming, and no Light will shine through it?" This is weird... You jump down a pit into a large circular room with 4 massive pillars. In the middle is a 20 meter wide pool of a glowing red liquid. Above is a red light shining on a red hologram of [insert literally any item/planet/person in Destiny here] and then shifts to [ilaippidh]. [b]G[/b]: What is this? I'm picking up Vex energy, Light, SIVA? And Blight from that liquid. The pool starts to come together, making a Vex Mind and emptying the area. https://i.imgur.com/o7CtjkG.jpg [b]Phase 1[/b]: The Archival Mind walks around the area, trying to cut you with its axe. If it runs into a pillar and a player is within 5 meters of it, it will cut the pillar, taking out a significant portion of it. [b]Phase 2[/b]: At 2/3rds health, it will switch to a sword and shield. It will also start running around. Its shield will absorb light based attacks and deflect anything else. It will protect its front, so aim for the back because attempting to shoot in the foot won't go well. Phase 3: At 1/3rd health it will fall on the ground, surrounding itself in a glass prism and glow white, changing its form. The rest of the fight is against a Warlock with Vex-ified Voidwalker abilities. Occasionally he will produce a diamond around him, and it can only be deactivated by shooting the top or bottom nodes that make it. Once he is at 1% health he will slam the ground and teleport away. The hologram will change into a hologram of the Tetrahedral fleet. A chest will appear for your loot n' stuff. [b]G[/b]: Guys, he just teleported away. [b]IR[/b]: No matter, grab some data and shut it down, we'll analyze it afterward. [b]C6[/b]: And take a picture of that hologram, I recognized everything that thing made except for that one. [b]Z[/b]: Nice catch, Cayde. Imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/wZ20P So that's the strike. Let me know any thoughts about my self-promoting... uh... self by commenting or some shit. PART TWO: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/244481721 [b]TL:DR[/b] - Read or I will banish you to the void for the second time because I am an emotional person unable to accept differing opinions and need to feel appreciated in this world where I'm literally a speck in.>