Kankritos the Insect Plague's warframe quest: Hive's remains (In progress; Part 3 out)

[Crimsonblack 54]

Primary concerned Warframe

Kankritos the Insect Plague

Other Warframe concepts:

Obion Three

Cantus of Hands

Cohedron the Wireframe

Kasaya of the Calming Incense

Galloglaich the Highborn

Meeyas of the Mists

Introduction:

The player receives a message from Konzu requesting their help.

"Hey, Killer. I thought it prudent to tell you that grineer have unearthed something possibly interesting." He grunts. "Possibly not, but they were making a lot of noise earlier. Maybe it's just some leftover infested from a boil or another one of the monsters of the night. Come see me and I'll tell you more."

The player receives the quest from the mail.

First Part:

The player meets with Konzu at Cetus.

"You came. Good. I don't know what they're doing, but the Grineer have made even louder noise." He waves his arms in the air in a gesture of disgust. "Always with their destruction. Go check them out to make sure it's nothing we should worry about." He nods and smiles. "Heard there was some shiny stuff in their new hole. I know you like shiny things. Go get them, killer."

The warframe rushes to the plains, following the coordinates that Konzu provided. There was nothing to worry about...much, especially with how the grineer worked. And yet...they HAVE uncovered strange things thanks to their incomparable greed. Still. If there was something of value in it, perhaps Konzu's sarcasm and teasing had merit.

The Lotus warns you on your arrival to the site. "Tenno, be careful. I am detecting no life signs at the dig site, nor am I detecting signs of infestation. Whatever came here left no trace at the site. You will have to go deeper in."

Arriving at the site, however, you notice a large amount of destroyed Grineer drills with their pieces tossed about like trash. Several dried husks of the former cloned troops around, but those are the rare bits. Most of what was left from the excavation team are nothing left but bits of armor that Ordis takes an interest in.

"Operator, do you see the armor? It looks like they were -TORN TO SHR-R-R- nibbled on by small teeth or mandibles, but what can eat Grineer armor?" He makes a whine, worried about what is to come. "Please be careful. It could be another sentient giant, or a piece of the sentient that Gara destroyed."

The warframe travels through the tenno, weapon at the ready and senses sharp, but all they find are dead grineer and bullet holes in the stone walls. Some white growths start appearing the deeper the tenno goes in, eventually discovering a massive hole in the wall revealed by a collapsing, thin layer of rock. There is still nothing but the sound of wind flowing through the caverns, until buzzing comes into earshot. The tunnels are buzzing with black clouds of swarming insects that dissipate and disappear when the tenno gets too close, prompting the Lotus' interest.

"Tenno, what was that? Insects?" She gives pause and ponders. "Those hives you passed...did anything come from them?"

"No, Lotus," Ordis chimes in. "By my scans and calculations, the hives are calcified and several centuries old. They have been here long before the Grineer."

"I see," Lotus responds. "Keep searching for what happened, Tenno."

Eventually, the Tenno slides down a steep angle and comes across buried Orokin architecture, but being within the Earth's shifting form has damaged them beyond repair. Barely a murmur of their former glory, the path leads to a giant golden orb surrounded by white bands torn from a large crack upon the object's surface.

"What is that?" The Lotus wonders. "I don't remember anything of this design by the Orokin. And that opening...What was stored within...Tenno! Get out of there. Something is coming your way."

"Something huge!" Ordis panics.

An invasive buzzing sound, almost entering the Operator's head, reveals its source to be an immense swarm of insects coming in from the crevices in the walls and the inside of the orb. The warframe tried to flee, but the voracious insects start devouring the tunnel walls, causing them to collapse before the frame can escape, forcing them to circumvent the barricades and shoot through thin walls detected by Ordis and Lotus and escaped to a tunnel underneath a Grineer base. Preparing for a fight, you come to the surface, blade and gun in hand, but no one is here apart from dead troops and destroyed turrets.

"Operator, the same thing h-h-happened here too." Ordis glitches out again before being able to speak.

The Cephalon's transmission becomes choppy, making his voice fade before being completely cut off. In its place is a new transmission from an unknown source. One that growls in a very low tone and with an echo. Another swarm of insects appears in front of the Tenno from the camp, swirls around them, then leaves, leaving behind something interesting. It's a blueprint for neuroptics for a new warframe. The voice comes in again, wheezing like it had not had water in centuries.

The Lotus is quick to recover the transmission. "Tenno. What is that? Who was talking to you?" She pauses and observes what you acquired. "Return to your ship. I want Ordis to analyze and tell me if there's anything he can find. I will do a search on my side as well in the mean time." She exhales loudly. "I do not recognize this warframe."

Second part:

Lotus contacts the operator, her tone mildly tired from the stress induced by the chase.

"Tenno," she starts. "I have found potential information regarding this warframe you discovered in that tunnel and the broken container."

"What was within, Lotu-u-u-s?" Ordis chimes in.

"A warframe was held within, although why its records were stripped from Orokin archives is still a mystery." She begins speaking to Ordis. "Ordis, what have you found on your end?"

"Well," he starts meekly. "I have also come up short, but there is a lot of new traffic popping up on grineer channels."

Lotus hums in interest. "Related to the insect swarms?"

"Yes, and something -OUT FOR BL-BL-BL- humanoid passing through the grineer bases with a disturbing tranquility."

The Lotus ponders the information for a moment and speaks to the operator again. "Tenno, I want you to go to the base that has been most recently affected by this strange plague and investigate it. We might more information there."

"I have marked the most recent zone of transmissions the display," Ordis explains.

The operator readies to drop in the thick jungles of the Earth with weapons ready and focus straightened, but something is off, and Ordis is the first to remark it.

"Operator, the base is in ruins, and there are several ignited fuel leaks everywhere." He whines in worry. "Please be careful around here."

The tenno crawls through the metallic hallways infesting the jungle's innards, ever careful to not be seen by the grineer, although finding the culprit amongst the debris is hard. There's not much to go by other than damaged equipment and destroyed infrastructure. Then the first trail appeared; One bloodied by combat. Several kavat corpses and the body of a kavat trainer lay strewn about the large corridor. They were quickly accompanied several grineer corpses all pointing to a door torn from its hinges and spitting sparks from its broken gears.

"Hm. It looks like the grineer spent all their ammo," Lotus noted. There is a pause in her voice. "Several broken, organic chunks around here as well. Looks like they were aiming at the insects."

"Lotus, if I may," Ordis interjected. "There appears to be some sort of shape etched i-i-i-into their armorszzzz."

"You're right. Tenno, get closer," Lotus orders. After a few seconds, the woman speaks to the tenno with a stunned tone. "Tenno, this is...Whoever has been doing this has left clues related to whatever is...e sphe..."

Her voice starts to break and become inaudible, and while Ordis tries to reestablish the link, he too loses connection with the operator, leaving them in the dark, both figuratively and literally, within the grineer base. The operator continues through the base, observing the surrounding and questioning the lack of grineer around, but a comlink forcibly opens up, reminiscent of what happened within the tunnels. Just like the occurrence on the Plains of Cetus, an invisible figure grumbles in the same echoing tone as before. Its voice gradually fades to insect buzzing before getting cut off by the Lotus.

"This is the second time this interference has occurred. Did you see who it was, Tenno?" she asks sternly.

The conversation is cut short by one of the grineer corpses shooting its gun at the warframe. It is gradually accompanied by many other grineer bodies rising whilst insect swarms buzz around them, restoring their bodies to full functionality. The operator feels somehow disturbed by the sight but also comfortable thanks to the familiarity.

"Operator, I have found an exit for you at these coordinates," Ordis explains. "Please hu-hu-hurry and get out of there and away from those...things," he curses. "WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN?!"

Using their abilities and skills, the tenno shoots and cuts their way through the hordes of insect-infested grineer bodies shooting at them, but when they're about to reach the door leading to the exit, the facility goes into lockdown, prompting the Lotus' intervention once again.

"These events can no longer be considered coincidences. Whoever is causing these actions is after you, Tenno." Her anger and frustration are displayed in her voice, and she would grumble under her breath were it in her nature. "The access codes have been directed to this area. Get to it, hack the terminal, then get out. I will maintain the security once you have entered it to prevent this happening once more."

The facility is crawling with more bug-infested, but as the tenno nears their new destination, the roaring scream of tusk firebolgs' engines loom overhead through the openings running through what should have been a ceiling. The pipes and thin frame do nothing to hide the transport ships of the grineer bringing in more trouble. The room the tenno enters has a terminal, but it is blocked by a large wall of insects. Standing in front of it is the outline of a strangely deformed humanoid composed of insects that does not hesitate to attack. Throughout the fight, the shadowy figure intermittently contacts the operator to impart its grumbling and chittering to no comprehensive level. The bugs comprising the enemy make it hard to fight, and the creature has its own bizarre apparel of shotguns gnawing away at the structure of the warframe, but victory is eventually achieved, and the wall of insects dissipates, dropping a distorted blue orb upon the floor. Vigilant as always, the Lotus does not let this opportunity pass.

"Tenno, I'm in the system. Your path is clear, but that orb is possibly a key to what we seek. Grab, then leave. Ordis waits."

The moment the Tenno leaves, they intercept a transmission by the condor Vay Hek angrily squawking through the grineer commlinks.

"I don't care about the losses. Recover my base and kill whatever DARES to lurk within MY property!"

With the sudden battle between the forces of the infected and the regular grineer, the operator sees an opportunity to sneak by unseen, but the numbers are too great for the chance at full stealth.

"THE TENNO?" Vay Hek screeches. "RAAAAAAGH! ALWAYS the tenno! Kill it! Now! Kill the tenno maggots and the traitors! For MY glory!" he commands loudly.

With some wit and flexibility, the operator manages to return to their shuttle and escape relatively unharmed, leaving Ordis to enthusiastically scan the orb and display its contents.

"Operator. This...this is three-dimensional, holographic art...but I do not understand. I hoped to find an art piece within, but...The diorama is...-COMPLETELY STUP-P-P- illogical."

"This is no mere diorama. It is a story. A format used long ago by the Orokin...but it is one that was used for..." The Lotus trails off for a moment but recovers quickly. "If you can find the others, then maybe we can piece together whatever this thing is."

Ordis performs another scan and gasps in surprise. "I have found plans within the diorama regarding blueprints for a chassis. Another piece to the puzzle as well, it seems."

The diorama itself, although fractured in the form of varying sized, hexagonal pillars, displays infested trying to chase away the insects from themselves and their corpses and sentients attempting to kill the insects while destroying infected as collateral damage. The whole diorama leans towards the center, where a section of the orb lay and a thin hand with two antenna-like structures upon its back lay, seemingly resting on the metallic, white-and-gold surface of the orb. The center piece was emphasized by a bright white pillar of light engulfing it, although the full form of it could not be discerned. On closer inspection, interspersed between the infested and sentients were distorted, damaged forms. Vaguely humanoid, but the shapes looked...wrong. A bizarre 'art piece' indeed.

Third part:

The rogue transmission appears again, but its voice is not a meandering slough of static and chittering.

"You come. You follow. We hunt. We kill. It is not the mind but it is the host. We wait no more. One more turn. Return to the source. A burden unperturbed."

The transmission cuts, and Lotus speaks up. "They...spoke this time?"

"But there was still a loud buzzing in the background," Ordis noted. "What does it mean?"

The Lotus remains silent a moment. "This person," she says with doubt, "is, perhaps, searching for insects to weaponize. The ones within the sealed tomb were very active." She hums pensively. "I had Ordis analyze the insects and the pieces found on your warframe after your exit, but this kind of technology...it shouldn't have..." She stops abruptly, and her tone changes immediately. "I've intercepted transmissions by the Corpus. One of their stations on Pluto is being assaulted by 'black clouds'."

"No doubt the -DISGUSTIIIIII- creepy little beasts," Ordis deduced. "I will prepare for sortie."

Before the tenno can move, the Lotus speaks one last time. "Tenno. Be careful. This foe is...they do not-SHOULD not, exist. There is something wrong here. A secret hidden this exceptionally for so long cannot work as intended."

Reaching the base, the tenno and Ordis see plasma balls and laser rounds flying everywhere, splashing against the glass panes on the inside in bright flashes while the clouds buzz around the complex.

"Operator, scans show something of Orokin origin moving about the complex," Ordis says. "It is...it is looking for something." His voice notes a hint of fear.

The tenno proceeds and...finds little resistance as the Corpus are too busy fighting off the clouds and their own kind. During one trek through the hall, the windows of the outside burst inwards and the shards slice up moa and Corpus alike. Clouds of the insects fly in and dissipate throughout the complex, leaving the tenno to fight more of the 'controlled' enemies. Ordis chimes in when he notices the shields of the enemies vanishing near instantly when they're engulfed by the buzzing clouds.

"Operator, these insects are devouring the energy of the shields. They feed then kill the victim when the shields -EXPLODE- go down. What a curious development," he notes with intrigue and a bit of excitement.

A room further away shows the entirety of its being having been scraped and shredded by the insect swarms, leaving not even a flickering like or short-circuiting moa. Bodies are strewn about, but they are numerous, and strangely...placed.

"Tenno," the Lotus starts. "There is something odd about the placement of those bodies. Examine them. Perhaps our 'friend' wants us to find something."

After a moment of observing the corpses at several angles, the Tenno discovers a symbol gnawed and burnt into the surface of the victims. A strange assortment of long lines and two sets of small ones extending out from near the tip of the shapes. Each large line is shaped into an assortment of bends interwoven with each other.

The Lotus comes in once the Tenno has scanned the symbols. "These forms...they remind me of ancient Orokin symbols." There is a pause. "Return to your ship. I should have deciphered part of it by then."

The moment the tenno attempts to leave the room, the door slams shut on them, and a transmission reaches their warframe.

"You try to leave without reading? Is it simply running from the truth? A demonstration, perhaps, for unlearned."

A painful prick is felt in the back of the Warframe's neck, and it wreathes in pain and agony while the Operator feels it within them as well. Flashes of gold and white race before their eyes, but gradually, it starts to dim. To decay. Leaving the clean chambers and colors for a disquieting assortment of rooms and the smell of mold and humidity. All the while, a male voice speaks out.

"It is not what I would have hoped for. A creature that creatures violent ones. A need to research. To develop. To capture..." The voice sounds regretful. "One of many -perhaps successful- projects in this line." The voice chuckles. "Aren't they amazing?" it asks cheerfully. "These creatures. Kill one and thousands more will take its place, each generation as dangerous as the last."

The operator aboard Ordis is out of their transference pod and, shaking their head between pants from exhaustion caused by the excruciating pain.

"Operator, are you okay? Your life signs spi-i-iked," Ordis worries. "I was -EXCITED TO- worried that something terrible was happening."

"It's...it's alright, Ordis. I'm okay," the Tenno replies through exhausted gasps.

They readjust back into their seat and reestablish connection with the warframe. After they've returned, the Lotus speaks again.

"Tenno, I have deciphered part of the symbols. They are a crude reproduction of ancient Orokin glyphs...but...They weren't made by hand or machine."

"By a weapon, then?" Ordis asks. "A laser?"

"No. There would have been scorch marks around the forms." Lotus gives pause and hesitates to speak again. "I have transferred the partially decrypted text to your codex. Read it. It should give us a clue as to who or what is running around the system. I also found plans concerning a warframe's systems."

The decoded text reads: Many secrets live and die upon Lua, but those secrets are brought back within the void. Dead, monstrous eldritch beasts of rot and decay. A place even the infestation likes not to tread. Come to us. Not of the mind but host to the body. We will teach you.

Part 4 later

[Crimsonblack 54]

ech

[(XB1)c0demanb 18]

I love it. Good story so far. Keep working to finish the quest.

[Crimsonblack 54]

On 4/17/2018 at 6:58 PM, (XB1)c0d3manb said:

I love it. Good story so far. Keep working to finish the quest.

Oh. Just saw this now. Okay then. I'll think of the next part. Shouldn't take long.

[Crimsonblack 54]

Just released part 2.

[(XB1)c0demanb 18]

14 hours ago, Crimsonblack said:

Just released part 2.

Still love it.

[Crimsonblack 54]

1 hour ago, (XB1)c0d3manb said:

Still love it.

Does it need any work? It's not really written like a book since it's supposed to be a present action during the game, making it harder for me.

[(XB1)c0demanb 18]

It could use a little bit of organising and nicing up. Right now it is very wall-of-texty.

[Crimsonblack 54]

22 hours ago, (XB1)c0d3manb said:

It could use a little bit of organising and nicing up. Right now it is very wall-of-texty.

That's not what a wall of text is. Walls of text are nonseparated paragraphs. If you mean that it's very narrative, then I understand.

[Crimsonblack 54]

On 2018-04-27 at 1:59 PM, (XB1)c0d3manb said:

It could use a little bit of organising and nicing up. Right now it is very wall-of-texty.

I've been busy with other stories and books. I'll get back to this soon.

[Crimsonblack 54]

Added part 3

[Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 44]

Maybe another warframe you could create can have a tie to primordial nature, similar to Carnán from Shadow of War. You’re good at making them, so I can make an exchange between her and Grineer:

 

G: She’s picking us off one by one!

W: Vat men come thousands strong.

G: Get out here and show yourself! 

W: Enslave-ed are rivers and trees.

[Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 44]

On 2018-04-13 at 3:19 PM, Crimsonblack said:

Primary concerned Warframe

Kankritos the Insect Plague

Other Warframe concepts:

Obion Three

Cantus of Hands

Cohedron the Wireframe

Kasaya of the Calming Incense

Galloglaich the Highborn

Meeyas of the Mists

Introduction:

The player receives a message from Konzu requesting their help.

"Hey, Killer. I thought it prudent to tell you that grineer have unearthed something possibly interesting." He grunts. "Possibly not, but they were making a lot of noise earlier. Maybe it's just some leftover infested from a boil or another one of the monsters of the night. Come see me and I'll tell you more."

The player receives the quest from the mail.

First Part:

The player meets with Konzu at Cetus.

"You came. Good. I don't know what they're doing, but the Grineer have made even louder noise." He waves his arms in the air in a gesture of disgust. "Always with their destruction. Go check them out to make sure it's nothing we should worry about." He nods and smiles. "Heard there was some shiny stuff in their new hole. I know you like shiny things. Go get them, killer."

The warframe rushes to the plains, following the coordinates that Konzu provided. There was nothing to worry about...much, especially with how the grineer worked. And yet...they HAVE uncovered strange things thanks to their incomparable greed. Still. If there was something of value in it, perhaps Konzu's sarcasm and teasing had merit.

The Lotus warns you on your arrival to the site. "Tenno, be careful. I am detecting no life signs at the dig site, nor am I detecting signs of infestation. Whatever came here left no trace at the site. You will have to go deeper in."

Arriving at the site, however, you notice a large amount of destroyed Grineer drills with their pieces tossed about like trash. Several dried husks of the former cloned troops around, but those are the rare bits. Most of what was left from the excavation team are nothing left but bits of armor that Ordis takes an interest in.

"Operator, do you see the armor? It looks like they were -TORN TO SHR-R-R- nibbled on by small teeth or mandibles, but what can eat Grineer armor?" He makes a whine, worried about what is to come. "Please be careful. It could be another sentient giant, or a piece of the sentient that Gara destroyed."

The warframe travels through the tenno, weapon at the ready and senses sharp, but all they find are dead grineer and bullet holes in the stone walls. Some white growths start appearing the deeper the tenno goes in, eventually discovering a massive hole in the wall revealed by a collapsing, thin layer of rock. There is still nothing but the sound of wind flowing through the caverns, until buzzing comes into earshot. The tunnels are buzzing with black clouds of swarming insects that dissipate and disappear when the tenno gets too close, prompting the Lotus' interest.

"Tenno, what was that? Insects?" She gives pause and ponders. "Those hives you passed...did anything come from them?"

"No, Lotus," Ordis chimes in. "By my scans and calculations, the hives are calcified and several centuries old. They have been here long before the Grineer."

"I see," Lotus responds. "Keep searching for what happened, Tenno."

Eventually, the Tenno slides down a steep angle and comes across buried Orokin architecture, but being within the Earth's shifting form has damaged them beyond repair. Barely a murmur of their former glory, the path leads to a giant golden orb surrounded by white bands torn from a large crack upon the object's surface.

"What is that?" The Lotus wonders. "I don't remember anything of this design by the Orokin. And that opening...What was stored within...Tenno! Get out of there. Something is coming your way."

"Something huge!" Ordis panics.

An invasive buzzing sound, almost entering the Operator's head, reveals its source to be an immense swarm of insects coming in from the crevices in the walls and the inside of the orb. The warframe tried to flee, but the voracious insects start devouring the tunnel walls, causing them to collapse before the frame can escape, forcing them to circumvent the barricades and shoot through thin walls detected by Ordis and Lotus and escaped to a tunnel underneath a Grineer base. Preparing for a fight, you come to the surface, blade and gun in hand, but no one is here apart from dead troops and destroyed turrets.

"Operator, the same thing h-h-happened here too." Ordis glitches out again before being able to speak.

The Cephalon's transmission becomes choppy, making his voice fade before being completely cut off. In its place is a new transmission from an unknown source. One that growls in a very low tone and with an echo. Another swarm of insects appears in front of the Tenno from the camp, swirls around them, then leaves, leaving behind something interesting. It's a blueprint for neuroptics for a new warframe. The voice comes in again, wheezing like it had not had water in centuries.

The Lotus is quick to recover the transmission. "Tenno. What is that? Who was talking to you?" She pauses and observes what you acquired. "Return to your ship. I want Ordis to analyze and tell me if there's anything he can find. I will do a search on my side as well in the mean time." She exhales loudly. "I do not recognize this warframe."

Second part:

Lotus contacts the operator, her tone mildly tired from the stress induced by the chase.

"Tenno," she starts. "I have found potential information regarding this warframe you discovered in that tunnel and the broken container."

"What was within, Lotu-u-u-s?" Ordis chimes in.

"A warframe was held within, although why its records were stripped from Orokin archives is still a mystery." She begins speaking to Ordis. "Ordis, what have you found on your end?"

"Well," he starts meekly. "I have also come up short, but there is a lot of new traffic popping up on grineer channels."

Lotus hums in interest. "Related to the insect swarms?"

"Yes, and something -OUT FOR BL-BL-BL- humanoid passing through the grineer bases with a disturbing tranquility."

The Lotus ponders the information for a moment and speaks to the operator again. "Tenno, I want you to go to the base that has been most recently affected by this strange plague and investigate it. We might more information there."

"I have marked the most recent zone of transmissions the display," Ordis explains.

The operator readies to drop in the thick jungles of the Earth with weapons ready and focus straightened, but something is off, and Ordis is the first to remark it.

"Operator, the base is in ruins, and there are several ignited fuel leaks everywhere." He whines in worry. "Please be careful around here."

The tenno crawls through the metallic hallways infesting the jungle's innards, ever careful to not be seen by the grineer, although finding the culprit amongst the debris is hard. There's not much to go by other than damaged equipment and destroyed infrastructure. Then the first trail appeared; One bloodied by combat. Several kavat corpses and the body of a kavat trainer lay strewn about the large corridor. They were quickly accompanied several grineer corpses all pointing to a door torn from its hinges and spitting sparks from its broken gears.

"Hm. It looks like the grineer spent all their ammo," Lotus noted. There is a pause in her voice. "Several broken, organic chunks around here as well. Looks like they were aiming at the insects."

"Lotus, if I may," Ordis interjected. "There appears to be some sort of shape etched i-i-i-into their armorszzzz."

"You're right. Tenno, get closer," Lotus orders. After a few seconds, the woman speaks to the tenno with a stunned tone. "Tenno, this is...Whoever has been doing this has left clues related to whatever is...e sphe..."

Her voice starts to break and become inaudible, and while Ordis tries to reestablish the link, he too loses connection with the operator, leaving them in the dark, both figuratively and literally, within the grineer base. The operator continues through the base, observing the surrounding and questioning the lack of grineer around, but a comlink forcibly opens up, reminiscent of what happened within the tunnels. Just like the occurrence on the Plains of Cetus, an invisible figure grumbles in the same echoing tone as before. Its voice gradually fades to insect buzzing before getting cut off by the Lotus.

"This is the second time this interference has occurred. Did you see who it was, Tenno?" she asks sternly.

The conversation is cut short by one of the grineer corpses shooting its gun at the warframe. It is gradually accompanied by many other grineer bodies rising whilst insect swarms buzz around them, restoring their bodies to full functionality. The operator feels somehow disturbed by the sight but also comfortable thanks to the familiarity.

"Operator, I have found an exit for you at these coordinates," Ordis explains. "Please hu-hu-hurry and get out of there and away from those...things," he curses. "WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN?!"

Using their abilities and skills, the tenno shoots and cuts their way through the hordes of insect-infested grineer bodies shooting at them, but when they're about to reach the door leading to the exit, the facility goes into lockdown, prompting the Lotus' intervention once again.

"These events can no longer be considered coincidences. Whoever is causing these actions is after you, Tenno." Her anger and frustration are displayed in her voice, and she would grumble under her breath were it in her nature. "The access codes have been directed to this area. Get to it, hack the terminal, then get out. I will maintain the security once you have entered it to prevent this happening once more."

The facility is crawling with more bug-infested, but as the tenno nears their new destination, the roaring scream of tusk firebolgs' engines loom overhead through the openings running through what should have been a ceiling. The pipes and thin frame do nothing to hide the transport ships of the grineer bringing in more trouble. The room the tenno enters has a terminal, but it is blocked by a large wall of insects. Standing in front of it is the outline of a strangely deformed humanoid composed of insects that does not hesitate to attack. Throughout the fight, the shadowy figure intermittently contacts the operator to impart its grumbling and chittering to no comprehensive level. The bugs comprising the enemy make it hard to fight, and the creature has its own bizarre apparel of shotguns gnawing away at the structure of the warframe, but victory is eventually achieved, and the wall of insects dissipates, dropping a distorted blue orb upon the floor. Vigilant as always, the Lotus does not let this opportunity pass.

"Tenno, I'm in the system. Your path is clear, but that orb is possibly a key to what we seek. Grab, then leave. Ordis waits."

The moment the Tenno leaves, they intercept a transmission by the condor Vay Hek angrily squawking through the grineer commlinks.

"I don't care about the losses. Recover my base and kill whatever DARES to lurk within MY property!"

With the sudden battle between the forces of the infected and the regular grineer, the operator sees an opportunity to sneak by unseen, but the numbers are too great for the chance at full stealth.

"THE TENNO?" Vay Hek screeches. "RAAAAAAGH! ALWAYS the tenno! Kill it! Now! Kill the tenno maggots and the traitors! For MY glory!" he commands loudly.

With some wit and flexibility, the operator manages to return to their shuttle and escape relatively unharmed, leaving Ordis to enthusiastically scan the orb and display its contents.

"Operator. This...this is three-dimensional, holographic art...but I do not understand. I hoped to find an art piece within, but...The diorama is...-COMPLETELY STUP-P-P- illogical."

"This is no mere diorama. It is a story. A format used long ago by the Orokin...but it is one that was used for..." The Lotus trails off for a moment but recovers quickly. "If you can find the others, then maybe we can piece together whatever this thing is."

Ordis performs another scan and gasps in surprise. "I have found plans within the diorama regarding blueprints for a chassis. Another piece to the puzzle as well, it seems."

The diorama itself, although fractured in the form of varying sized, hexagonal pillars, displays infested trying to chase away the insects from themselves and their corpses and sentients attempting to kill the insects while destroying infected as collateral damage. The whole diorama leans towards the center, where a section of the orb lay and a thin hand with two antenna-like structures upon its back lay, seemingly resting on the metallic, white-and-gold surface of the orb. The center piece was emphasized by a bright white pillar of light engulfing it, although the full form of it could not be discerned. On closer inspection, interspersed between the infested and sentients were distorted, damaged forms. Vaguely humanoid, but the shapes looked...wrong. A bizarre 'art piece' indeed.

Third part:

The rogue transmission appears again, but its voice is not a meandering slough of static and chittering.

"You come. You follow. We hunt. We kill. It is not the mind but it is the host. We wait no more. One more turn. Return to the source. A burden unperturbed."

The transmission cuts, and Lotus speaks up. "They...spoke this time?"

"But there was still a loud buzzing in the background," Ordis noted. "What does it mean?"

The Lotus remains silent a moment. "This person," she says with doubt, "is, perhaps, searching for insects to weaponize. The ones within the sealed tomb were very active." She hums pensively. "I had Ordis analyze the insects and the pieces found on your warframe after your exit, but this kind of technology...it shouldn't have..." She stops abruptly, and her tone changes immediately. "I've intercepted transmissions by the Corpus. One of their stations on Pluto is being assaulted by 'black clouds'."

"No doubt the -DISGUSTIIIIII- creepy little beasts," Ordis deduced. "I will prepare for sortie."

Before the tenno can move, the Lotus speaks one last time. "Tenno. Be careful. This foe is...they do not-SHOULD not, exist. There is something wrong here. A secret hidden this exceptionally for so long cannot work as intended."

Reaching the base, the tenno and Ordis see plasma balls and laser rounds flying everywhere, splashing against the glass panes on the inside in bright flashes while the clouds buzz around the complex.

"Operator, scans show something of Orokin origin moving about the complex," Ordis says. "It is...it is looking for something." His voice notes a hint of fear.

The tenno proceeds and...finds little resistance as the Corpus are too busy fighting off the clouds and their own kind. During one trek through the hall, the windows of the outside burst inwards and the shards slice up moa and Corpus alike. Clouds of the insects fly in and dissipate throughout the complex, leaving the tenno to fight more of the 'controlled' enemies. Ordis chimes in when he notices the shields of the enemies vanishing near instantly when they're engulfed by the buzzing clouds.

"Operator, these insects are devouring the energy of the shields. They feed then kill the victim when the shields -EXPLODE- go down. What a curious development," he notes with intrigue and a bit of excitement.

A room further away shows the entirety of its being having been scraped and shredded by the insect swarms, leaving not even a flickering like or short-circuiting moa. Bodies are strewn about, but they are numerous, and strangely...placed.

"Tenno," the Lotus starts. "There is something odd about the placement of those bodies. Examine them. Perhaps our 'friend' wants us to find something."

After a moment of observing the corpses at several angles, the Tenno discovers a symbol gnawed and burnt into the surface of the victims. A strange assortment of long lines and two sets of small ones extending out from near the tip of the shapes. Each large line is shaped into an assortment of bends interwoven with each other.

The Lotus comes in once the Tenno has scanned the symbols. "These forms...they remind me of ancient Orokin symbols." There is a pause. "Return to your ship. I should have deciphered part of it by then."

The moment the tenno attempts to leave the room, the door slams shut on them, and a transmission reaches their warframe.

"You try to leave without reading? Is it simply running from the truth? A demonstration, perhaps, for unlearned."

A painful prick is felt in the back of the Warframe's neck, and it wreathes in pain and agony while the Operator feels it within them as well. Flashes of gold and white race before their eyes, but gradually, it starts to dim. To decay. Leaving the clean chambers and colors for a disquieting assortment of rooms and the smell of mold and humidity. All the while, a male voice speaks out.

"It is not what I would have hoped for. A creature that creatures violent ones. A need to research. To develop. To capture..." The voice sounds regretful. "One of many -perhaps successful- projects in this line." The voice chuckles. "Aren't they amazing?" it asks cheerfully. "These creatures. Kill one and thousands more will take its place, each generation as dangerous as the last."

The operator aboard Ordis is out of their transference pod and, shaking their head between pants from exhaustion caused by the excruciating pain.

"Operator, are you okay? Your life signs spi-i-iked," Ordis worries. "I was -EXCITED TO- worried that something terrible was happening."

"It's...it's alright, Ordis. I'm okay," the Tenno replies through exhausted gasps.

They readjust back into their seat and reestablish connection with the warframe. After they've returned, the Lotus speaks again.

"Tenno, I have deciphered part of the symbols. They are a crude reproduction of ancient Orokin glyphs...but...They weren't made by hand or machine."

"By a weapon, then?" Ordis asks. "A laser?"

"No. There would have been scorch marks around the forms." Lotus gives pause and hesitates to speak again. "I have transferred the partially decrypted text to your codex. Read it. It should give us a clue as to who or what is running around the system. I also found plans concerning a warframe's systems."

The decoded text reads: Many secrets live and die upon Lua, but those secrets are brought back within the void. Dead, monstrous eldritch beasts of rot and decay. A place even the infestation likes not to tread. Come to us. Not of the mind but host to the body. We will teach you.

Part 4 later

This actually reminded me of something I dreamt about: during a mission in a war between Light and Dark worlds I keep getting pestered by insect swarms. When I ask them what I want, they coalesce into a new member of my team. 

 

That was actually because the dream was a hybrid beat-‘em-up RPG game.

[Crimsonblack 54]

On 2018-08-06 at 5:50 AM, Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 said:

This actually reminded me of something I dreamt about: during a mission in a war between Light and Dark worlds I keep getting pestered by insect swarms. When I ask them what I want, they coalesce into a new member of my team. 

 

That was actually because the dream was a hybrid beat-‘em-up RPG game.

You didn't need to quote the entirety of this post.

[Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 44]

I think I got a plot you can work with for CH #4:

 

the one contacting you is actually the queen of the swarm. She’ll help you if you kill a renegade sister of hers. That renegade sister was the one for the original prototype for the frame, but it eventually drove out the transferred Tenno and turned against the Orokin, that is why it was sealed away. Centuries of hunger and isolation have driven the renegade to madness, so she must be euthanized. Only then can you build the new Insect Plague warframe. Because as an ingredient for completing the warframe you need a queen of the swarm, similar to how the mandachord was essential to Octavia.

[Crimsonblack 54]

On 2018-08-02 at 10:36 PM, Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 said:

Maybe another warframe you could create can have a tie to primordial nature, similar to Carnán from Shadow of War. You’re good at making them, so I can make an exchange between her and Grineer:

 

G: She’s picking us off one by one!

W: Vat men come thousands strong.

G: Get out here and show yourself! 

W: Enslave-ed are rivers and trees.

Strange. I received no alert for this reply of yours.

 

On 2018-08-14 at 5:30 AM, Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 said:

I think I got a plot you can work with for CH #4:

 

the one contacting you is actually the queen of the swarm. She’ll help you if you kill a renegade sister of hers. That renegade sister was the one for the original prototype for the frame, but it eventually drove out the transferred Tenno and turned against the Orokin, that is why it was sealed away. Centuries of hunger and isolation have driven the renegade to madness, so she must be euthanized. Only then can you build the new Insect Plague warframe. Because as an ingredient for completing the warframe you need a queen of the swarm, similar to how the mandachord was essential to Octavia.

I wasn't going for a queen of the swarm. That's an overused idea that I actually did fiddle with a bit in my head.

 

I like the transference idea, though. I was actually thinking of how to apply it to fit the new information about the warframes.

[Sc10n0fD4rksp0r3 44]

When I have time, I’m going to use my Spore: Creature Creator to create a magnified insect from the swarm and post it here when it’s done. Do I have permission to do that?