Fear and Loathing in Striga Isle

Speak to Moonfire on Striga Isle

In the wake of Archon Swann's revelation about an anti-Nictus faction within the Council at the end of the Cosmotron incident, we've been monitoring the Council very closely, looking for any trace of this group within the Council. Now Moonfire thinks that she's found something, and has asked for you to speak to her on Striga Isle.

I'll let Moonfire tell you what she's found herself. This could be very interesting indeed.

Large sections of Striga have been overrun by the Banished Pantheon, and these caverns appear to be full of the creatures.

Objective: You found some strange weapons here.

Quantum Dispersal weapons

These weapons are based off of the Void Hunter's Quantum Array guns, but have been tuned very differently. These weapons are specifically designed to work against the Nictus, and people with implanted Nictus fragments.

Mission Complete: You defeated Captain Dawson and recovered some strange weapons.

Moonfire was correct. These weapons appear to be tuned specifically to fight beings like the Nictus. I guess they'll have a strong effect against creatures of the Pantheon as well, since they are controlled by an energy being of sorts. What I don't understand is why a Warwolf and a Galaxy Archon were helping to test them. There's more going on here, and I think this is just the beginning of something big.

Infiltrate a Galaxy base to learn about Booker

We have some people looking at the Quantum Dispersal weapons you recovered, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about what was going on in those caves. One of the things that troubles me is if they were testing anti-Nictus weapons, why were Warwolves and Galaxy troops helping them? We've done some investigation, and found the base where Archon Booker was stationed. There may be some clues to his motivations there if you can get in and retrieve them.

Booker isn't talking, but others did mention that he kept journals. If you can find them, it might help us discover why he's conspiring against the Nictus. It might also identify other members of the conspiracy. You only need to find Booker's journals. If you want to fight or you have to fight, you can, but it's not necessary.

This base is being used exclusively by Arakhn's Galaxy troops.

Objective: You found one of Archon Booker's notes.

Booker's recent journal

This handwritten journal was written by Archon Francis Booker. This journal covers the last year or so in his life to the present. He describes being contacted by Archon Swann about his growing dissatisfaction and unease as a Galaxy soldier:

'Went to the meeting place to find Swann talking to a War-wolf. FIghting nearly broke out until Swann got us all to realize how much we had in common. After we talked, we found we had a lot in common. Like we a;l felt the monsters in us now.'

'The next night, Swann took us all to meet with Archon Coster. He told us about the group. He told us about their plans. All of us agreed. The Nictus must be stopped, no matter the cost.'

Much of the rest of the journal talks about bringing in more Galaxy troops who feel uneasy with their transformations, all the while carefully avoiding the majority who exult in their new power.

Objective: You found one of Archon Booker's notes.

Booker's early journal

This hand-written journal was written by Francis Booker, and details his early years in the Countil. He spends pages talking about the first time he met Arakhn after disguinishing himself in battle, and the honor he felt when he was selected to become one of the Galaxy troops. He also spends several pages describing his disgust for Requiem, who he regarded as an egotist and Arakhn's enemy. It is not until the last few entries that a note of discord is struck:

'Arakn told us all today. Now I know the truth, and it sickens me. I can't believe I once relished this power. I feel it growing in me, changing me. The others don't seem to mind, but I feel it like a cancer eating away at who I once was. Alien thoughts and feelings, welling up every second I don't fight to push them back. I don't even know if I'm human, but now that I've learned the truth of their plans I know that human or not I have to fight them while I still can.'

Unfortunately, Booker makes no further mention of what the 'Turth' he learned was.

Mission Complete: You found two of Archon Booker's journals.

These journals are interesting reading. Booker clearly feels like he's being transformed into something he doesn't like by teh Nictus fragment implants he received. He chose to fight against it by joining theis group, knowing full well that if they succeed it could be the death of him. I just wonder what he learned about Arakhn that made him snap.

More practically, we know about Archon Swann, and have him in custody. However, Archon Coster is a new name to this investigation, and from the journal it sounds like he was closer to the conspiracy than Swann. We'll start investigating immediately.

Catch Archon Coster in his lab.

We've done some research on the name you found in Booker's journal, 'Archon Coster'. It turns out that Coster runs a research-orientated facility on Striga Isle. A research facility that was workign on new applications of Arakhn's Quantum technology. I think we may have learned what those new applications are. We've been able to locate Coster's facility, and I would like you to go in a catch him there.

Catching Coster is the most important thing. he can tell us more about teh conspiracy, and anything he says about these Quantum Dispersal guns could help Dr. Winslowe and his team to reverse-engineer them. He may not be willing to talk, so also keep an eye out for any other information you can find.

You realize that something's gone wrong the moment you walk in. Several dead guards and bullet-ridden zombies alert you to the Banished Pantheon's presence.

Objective: You found the body of Archon Coster. It looks like a Pantheon Totem crushed him before he even fired a shot.

No honour among conspirators

You found this report on Archon Coster's body. It's shocking contents read:

'My Lady:'

'I have the last name. As you suspected, it is Archon Stone. I transferred the scientists to his care, and now he trusts me completely. The full list of conspirators against you is: Voight, Stone, Saager, Turley, and Swann. With Swann's set-up and capture engineered so well, their technical progress has ground to a halt, and none of the remaining four suspect a thing.'

'As you surmised, My Lady, the Pantheon have begun to retaliate for the tests against them. I have purposefully played down this possibility to keep the others off guard. We shall soon be able to clean up teh remainders. I would like to stress, however, that the Kheldians have been getting closer. We may need to deal with them soon. I await your next orders, Lady Arakhn.'

'Ever your servant,
Archon Coster'

Objective: You found an interesting order on this laptop.

Scientist Transfer Orders

You found these orders on Archon Swann's computer. They aruthorize the transfer of several captive scientists to another facility contoller by a fellow conspirator named Archon Stone. From the date, the move was very recent.

I should have seen it coming. The conspirators had a traitor in their midst. That's politics as usual within the Council. However, that puts us on an accelerated time table. Once Arakhn knows that her man has been killed, she's sure to act before the remaining conspirators escape. If she captures those scientists or the conspirator's weapons, we may never see them again. From now on, this is a race to the bottom of this conspiracy.

Rescue Scientists at over-run base

The information you recovered from Archon Coster's base has led us to the location of the base where the scientists the Conspiracy had kidnapped are being held. We have been monitoring the base to plan a strike. Now that Arakkhn's double agent in the conspiracy has been killed, she'll likely move quickly to round up the conspirators. We were hoping we could find the right chance to send you in, but our monitors have intercepted distress calls from the base. They're being overrun by the Banished Pantheon! It's imperative that those people are rescued from the Council before something happens to them.

There's another target to consider, along with rescuing the scientists. Archon Stone, one of the other conspirators, is the commander of this base. If you can capture him before Arakhn's operatives of the Banished Pantheon can get to him, he could be a valuable source of intelligence.

Archon Stone is in captivity and we've gotten all the scientists to safety. Arakhn is certain to be on the trail of the remaining conspirators now. We don't have much time before this explodes.

Disrupt Arakhn's intelligence and locate the conspirators

Arakhn is moving against the conspirators. That isn't necessarily a bad thing now that we've rescued the kidnapped scientists, but any of the conspirators we capture could be valuable sources of information. They've been watching Arakhn and Requiem for years, and may know a lot about their activities. We need time to find the remaining conspirators, and as long as Arakhn is hunting them, we won't get it. We have to disrupt her intelligence long enough for us to find and capture the conspirators, and we're going to need your help to do it.

It turns out that Archon Coster wasn't Arakhn's only spy among the conspirators. We found references to him among Archon Coster's papers, and have been able to identify him. His name is Lt. Wester, and he works for Archon Turley, one of the conspirators at large. Your mission is to catch both of them, netting us one conspirator and blinding Arakhn's operation.

The base appears to be in a state of hurried packing. You see several boxes packed full of papers to be moved.

Objective: Lt. Wester had some last words before he laspsed into unconsciousness.

'She told the Center everything'

'Arakhn knows that you're hunting down the conspirators. She's made plans to handle it. She told the Center everything. Even now his troops are preparing, soon they'll take care of all the conspirators for us. best of all, any accusations they make will look like desperate lies. You won't be able to move fast enough, Kheldian. They'll be out of your hands forever.'

Objective: You found some paperwork on archon Turley.

Evacuation plans

You found these plans on Archon Turley after you defeated him. It looks like the remaining conspirators think the cause is lost, and plan to take what they've learned and leave Striga Isle. What's more, they mention that they've made contact with another villain organisation called Arachnos, and plan to defect to it with all of their new weaponry.

Mission Complete: You captured Archon Turley and Lt. Wester, and discovered that the remaining conspirators are planning to evacuate Striga Isle.

Good work, you captured both of them before they could get away or Arakhn could get to Turley. If they're planning to leave Striga Isle and defect to another organisation, we have to stop them.

Catch the last two conspirators before they leave Striga

The two remaining heads of the Conspiracy are preparing to escape Striga Isle, and the Center's personal guard are leading the attack to re-capture them now that Arakhn has let him know about the conspiracy. This is the last chance we're going to have to catch them ourselves. After this is over, they'll be beyond our reach, one way or another.

Archon Saager and Archon Voight are the last two leaders of the conspiracy still free, and they're planning to keep it that way. They've loaded up a tanker-ship with their loyalists, and plan to take it to the Rogue Isles. We can't let that happen. The information that know about the Nictus activity within the Council could change everything. What they know about arakhn's schemes and Requiem's plots will keep the heroes of the city busy for months, and set the Council back years.

The interior of this vessel rings with the sounds of battle

Objective: You captured Archon Voight, who had a few final words.

'Many, many more secrets...'

After you defeated Archon Voight, he said:

'You fought well. I can accept this loss, because I know that you'll keep fighting the Nictus even after I'm in the Ziggurat. The Council is a lost cause, though. Keep up your investigation. There are many more secrets than even we discovered. Many, many more secrets...'

Objective: You have captured Archon Saager.

Mission Complete: You captured Archon Saager and Archon Voight, the last of the Council conspirators.

We now have Swann, Stone, Turley, Saager, & Voight all in custody. The few things they've already talked about have already lead to arms smuggling rings and several hidden bases. That intelligence has been valuable. They've also said some very disturbing things about what the Nictus within the Council have been planning. There's a lot to investigate, and none of it could have happened if it weren't for you, Xamot Der.

it may take some time to reach the next stage of this. Your power hase grown immensly since you began your life as a Kheldian, but to continue to fight against the Council, you should concentrate and train yourself further. Come back and talk to me when you are Security Level 30. I think you'll be strong enough then.