2.2 The Anchor
Overview
After following the Vex transport rings along the coast of The Cistern, the party arrives in The Anchor. Descending into a quarry, the party encounters an ongoing battle between a sizable Vex force and a handful of Loyalist Cabal. Judge is contacted through psionic synapse by Commander Bahr'Toran, the Centurion leading the Loyalists here. Bahr'Toran is grateful for the help of a Champion, and informs Judge that the shielded Vex Cyclops is maintaining a barricade here that is halting progress. His Psions identified a conflux on the lower levels that may be powering the shield. The party can choose to aid the Cabal or act on their own, as Judge is the only one able to readily communicate with the Loyalists. Bahr'Toran will offer to include the rest of the party immediately at Judge's discretion. Forming a psionic synapse involves the target making a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw, which they may choose to fail if they want to take on the synapse willingly. Succeeding on this save causes the formation of the synapse to fail and they are immune from any attempts to implant a synapse for the next 24 hours.Upon defeating the Vex Cyclops and lowering the barrier, the party can choose to advance quickly or speak further with Bahr'Toran. If they choose to stay, Bahr'Toran will tell them the following:
- The Vex have taken the artifact beyond the barrier that was just lowered.
- He advises all party members to receive a psionic synapse so that they may communicate.
- > If Judge claims the party is under his command, the other party members receive one-way synapses. If he identifies them as equals, they receive two-way synapses.
- Bahr'Toran wants to send one Psion with them to facilitate communication.
- The goal is for the party to go ahead and punch a hole through the Vex defenses for the remaining Loyalists to churn through in short order; they need a moment to regroup and Bahr'Toran is similarly confused by any suggestion of retreat.
Encounter
Environment
The arena for this encounter has three distinct levels: a sniper loft, the main battlefield, and an underpass.The party enters on the sniper loft and must drop down to the main battlefield with their ability jump (DC 15 Acrobatics check). The loft can only be re-accessed via a set of climbing walls on either side of the arena, both requiring a successful DC 20 Athletics check to climb.
The main battlefield is shaped like a C, wherein the center of the battlefield is split by a gaping chasm. The party will enter on the lower half of the C where the Cabal are set up, and the Vex are on the upper half.
The underpass is accessed by dropping off the backside of the main battlefield onto a platform overlooking a chasm (DC 10 Acrobatics check). On this underpass is the shield conflux and 2 Vex enemies protecting it. To move from the underpass to the main battlefield, there is a Vex grav lift that will drop the player into the Vex-controlled area of the map.
Enemies
The enemies challenging the party here are Vex; a Medium-difficulty encounter including one Cyclops enemy.Cyclops
The Cyclops enemy is being shielded by a conflux in the underpass of the arena. Until the conflux is deactivated, the Cyclops is considered to have a damage point of 25 in addition to its normal properties. When the Cyclops is destroyed, the barricade preventing the party from advancing will be dissolved.Shield Conflux
The shield conflux here cannot be hacked; it was set up hastily and lacks the proper endpoints for a Ghost to interface with it. It should be simply shot to death.Rewards
- 2,200 glimmer
- 1 Microphasic Datalattuce
Parent Plot
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