5: Snake River

There are several large groups of Pfhor scattered along the river here. I want you to help the humans and the IADDs neutralize them. You'll have to jump into the canyon below to proceed, so ensure you're stocked up on everything before you go. There is a path that eventually loops back around to Central Command, which I will probably have you return to once your mission is complete. Stay safe out there.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ L'hal struck out today against the dissenters, ordering the execution of 20 captured rebels after what I can only describe as a brief drumhead trial. They were brought below the Great Citadel, stripped of their cloaks, and tossed into the molten inferno by the [Praetor's?] guards just minutes ago. Never before in written history has one of the Elders put another Mrrak to death, let alone 20. A powerful message to the masses.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ Yet I can see in the eyes of the masses, the rebels are just in their cause. We have never faced down such an existential crisis. Those on the city's outskirts were the first to endure the famines, and it is only getting worse. More flora and fauna go extinct each year as the ecosystem deteriorates around us. Generations have passed since the last [F'lickta?] sighting. Our world is dying a slow death, but the Elders are disinterested in seeking solutions, as if they expect one to simply appear before them. As if they don't believe what is happening before everyone's eyes.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ I have felt recently that the old [scripts?] are perhaps nothing more than myth, just as I believed long ago. Tales spun of our ancestors' eternal prosperity, taught to us simply to maintain the old order, in the face of unmistakable decay. Each day I believe more and more that we are doomed to the death which has befallen so much around us. The river beside me, a hollow body of gushing water, once teemed with life - a sight I can never witness. Those who come after me will see even less.

You must gain entry to the subterranean structures. You'll need a green keycard to access the basement under the Central Command tower to do this. I have reason to believe someone with a green card may be nearby, so explore this area more if you haven't already located them. Next, you'll need to redirect magma from below Central Command - currently sealing the only entrance to these underground structures - into a nearby cavern that acts as a sort of drainage pool.

The switch beside you opens a large door to an access corridor, pictured here. Make your way to this corridor. I will contact you with the next steps for draining the magma chamber once you reach your next destination.

What are you doing? You still need to flood the magma chamber below the area you were just at. I told you to do that first. If you insist on sticking around here, you might as well search for a green keycard, which you will also need to access the basement beneath Central Command. You should be able to find a keycard somewhere along the river nearby. You'll need to jump down into the canyon. Then, follow the river until it snakes back around to the east. You can return to the Hot Gates Cliffs through a corridor pictured here. Just remember that you still need to flood the magma chamber once you're there.

What are you doing? You still need to flood the magma chamber below the area you were just at. I told you to do that first. If you insist on sticking around here, you might as well search for a green keycard, which you will also need to access the basement beneath Central Command. You should be able to find a keycard somewhere along the river nearby. Remember that you must return to the magma chamber near the cliffs to flood it. You can return through the corridor near you, pictured here.

Now that you successfully drained the magma from below Central Command, all you need is a green keycard to access the tower basement, and you'll be able to enter the subterranean structures and commence the next phase of my plan. You should be able to locate a green keycard somewhere nearby along the riverbanks. Comb the surrounding area thoroughly if you still need to find it. Once you have it, return to Central Command, and enter the tower's basement through the green door.