Dimensional Expedition Logs
| Dimensional Expedition Logs | |
|---|---|
| Firebase Zulu | |
 | |
| Type | Tour Guide Tip |
| Place | Firebase Zulu |
| Available to | Heroes, Vigilantes, and Rogues |
| Level range | 1–50 |
Overview
Introduction
All Your Firebase...
Exploration Mission
These personal logs are mandatory for everyone assigned to the Firebase Zulu detail, Portal Corp's coalition with the military to push into the Shadow Shard. As the expedition ventures into the unknown, every single detail collected could assist with the effort to confront Rularuu's forces.
Unfortunately, many of these recordings never make it back safely; the dangers of this reality stalk outsiders at every turn. Collecting any logs you come across and pursuing any leads could yield substantial benefits.
- You are on the way to investigation... for Firebase Zulu.
- Make your time... doing something else.
Too Busy
You are unsure how long investigating any of these logs might take. As a precaution, you decide to finish up some of your outstanding tasks to ensure your availability.
No More Missions
Portal Corp thanks you for your service regarding locating and investigating missing logs. At this time, no outstanding logs are documented.
Accolade
You've obtained this Accolade by earning every Exploration badge within Firebase Zulu.
Missions
Defying Gravity
Briefing
One of the first things Firebase Zulu staff are trained in is being conditioned to understand that they can't understand. There's a degree of mental fortitude required to operate in a location that defies all logic.
It seems the first exercise in their regimen is to visit a small outcropping that affords a good view of the entirety of the military installation. This view often challenges their preconceptions and those who can accept it emerge with stronger minds. As you foresee continued involvement in the Shadow Shard, <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>you decide this training exercise is one you should undergo as well.</color></scale>
- Try to comprehend Defying Gravity.
Those who do not pass these regimens are assigned to return to Earth, as extradimensional fields have been found to induce negative effects on a soldier's psyche. "Shadow Shard Sickness" has been the cause of many soldiers being discharged from this post.
You will have to keep your wits about you to stave off the dimension's influence on your own mind.
Mission Objective
- Take in the scenery of Firebase Zulu
Visiting alien dimensions, as the briefing told you, can be a disorienting experience. In the Shadow Shard the rules of physics operate differently, where masses measuring in the megatonnes float unsupported in the open air. From this vantage you can get a clear picture of the massive size of the island Firebase Zulu sits upon, and see that truly it floats unaided in the alien air. The mind reels at the reality of it, and as the briefing warned it is best if one not contemplate this fact too deeply.
Dimensional Sojourner
Briefing
It appears the first stop for all personnel assigned to Firebase Zulu is to visit the portals located at the northern end. This hub connects to all of the other notable sectors within the Shadow Shard. Given the extreme scope of the dimension, the hub is essential for reaching many points of interest.
As you will be operating within the Shadow Shard yourself, <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>familiarizing yourself with the most effective travel methods here would be a great place to start.</color></scale> Time to go scope out those portals.
- Fancy yourself a Dimensional Sojourner.
Given how efficient portal travel is, you cannot help but wonder how long it would take to travel this dimension using more traditional methods.
The Shadow Shard is probably be measured in hundreds, if not thousands of miles. Walking sounds rough. You will stick to using the portals.
Mission Objective
- Visit Firebase Zulu portal hub
You have tread upon the soil of a parallel dimension and now are ready to expand your horizons. From this point, portals link Firebase Zulu to other operational bases scattered throughout the Shadow Shard. Each minute you spend here places you among a tiny fraction of the human race who have not only left the world of their birth, but breathed the air of an alien world. You are a rare breed, a privileged traveler, a Dimensional Sojourner.
Stormwatcher
Briefing
Part of the orientation within Firebase Zulu is to see the front line: The forward operating base that separates the military installation from the violent elements of the Shadow Shard.
Despite the military having established various small-scale bunkers throughout the dimension, they are often difficult to maintain. Both personnel and material are in short supply, and the bunkers are often abandoned due to the sheer number of enemies in the area. Make no mistake, <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>this place is a warzone; you should see its front lines for yourself.</color></scale>
- Stand witness as a Stormwatcher.
Rularuu is fiercely bent towards a single goal: The oculus that is the breach into our world. While research is ongoing, it appears the Shadow Shard is irrevocably linked to the dimension you call home.
His armies will never withdraw as long as their master remains trapped; you predict the war here will only continue escalate without any cessation.
Mission Objective
- See Tempest Sector frontline
It was here that Earth's explorers first encountered the mysterious entities of the Shadow Shard. Their threat was implicit and the need to keep them contained became a driving force in the establishment of Tempest Sector. As a representative of Paragon City, you have joined the fight to prevent the denizens of the Shadow Shard from extending their range into your home dimension. Some see their discovery of Primal Earth's dimension as inevitable; a "coming storm" which could rival the Rikti Invasion in destructive potential.
Alpha Ranger
Briefing
This log is in rough shape; You can only imagine it was taken off the soldier after they fell in the line of duty. Reviewing the soldier's final moments makes anxiety creep through your mind: They were assigned to Point Alpha, but the base there is under constant threat of being overrun by Rularuu's forces. Sadly, logs like this are not an uncommon sight in the Shadow Shard.
<scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>You decide that you will lend your aid to these soldiers.</color></scale> As you press forth into the dimension, knowledge of the local bases and their operations will benefit you greatly. These servicemen are fighting an impossible war, maybe you can help ease the load.
- Qualify as an Alpha Ranger.
The metaphysical nature of Rularuu's armies makes fighting them difficult even for you, how average soldiers armed with conventional weaponry are expected to stem the tide is incomprehensible.
Yet fight these brave men and women must, if nothing is done Rularuu will break into our world and then truly, all will be lost.
Mission Objective
- Lend aid to Point Alpha
The soldiers of Point Alpha man one of the most embattled posts in the Shadow Shard. They deal with skirmishes on an hourly basis and the attrition rate is very high. Coming here is viewed as both a blessing; the men cheer any powered assistance they can get against an enemy they can barely comprehend; and a curse, for your presence indicates the danger they are in and the inadequacy of their modern weapons against this threat. But being here has made you an honorary Alpha Ranger.
Shadow Architect
Briefing
After listening to the log, it seems like mostly construction jargon and shipping manifests. At the end of the day, these military installations don't build themselves! It seems the unfortunate building inspector was working on a project located at Point Foxtrot before an undue fate befell them.
To be honest the idea of nondescript construction work happening within the Shadow Shard surrounded by Rularuu's minions in every direction is an almost comical juxtaposition. <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>You are curious to see what the work in progress at Point Foxtrot looks like.</color></scale>
- Inspect a Shadow Architect project.
You have to respect the persistence it must take to build anything here. The Shadow Shard's bizarre landscape and illogical forces of nature aside, there must be continual setbacks due to aggression from the hostile denizens. Yet the workers see their jobs to completion despite the difficulties.
Such tenacity should be applauded. Not all heroes wear capes, some wear hard hats.
Mission Objective
- Scale construction at Point Foxtrot
Humanity is a creature who builds. It finds virgin territory and makes its mark. The Shadow Shard is no different. Even in the short time since it was discovered, a flood of construction material made its way through the dimensional membrane into the Shadow Shard and the building began. The crews met the unearthly challenges that faced them and established numerous military facilities in this strange territory. There is something almost surreal about seeing this construction crane, something so commonplace on Earth here in an alien dimension: the mundane meeting the unearthly.
X-Ray Spectator
Briefing
The log's owner mentions wishing they had the proficiency and expertise of the X-Raiders in their own squad. It appears the personnel stationed at Point X-Ray are considered some of the cream of the crop in terms of military prowess.
Looking over the map, you see X-Ray is the point located closest to Firebase Zulu's operational perimeter, meaning they are the sentinels that stand over the precipice looking into the beyond, where Rularuu's influence has remained almost entirely unchecked. You are impressed, these guys must be cut from a cloth apart. <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>You are curious to see what makes the X-Raiders so elite.</color></scale>
- See through being an X-Ray Spectator.
It is entertaining to imagine the super-cool military buffs in those cliché action films. Never missing a shot, gruff but commanding, and always walking away from the explosions. Perhaps these X-Raiders are similar? Or potentially they will defy the stereotype and deliver a dose of reality.
Either way, you cannot wait to see what they are all about.
Mission Objective
- Spectate Point X-Ray
The soldiers of Point X-Ray like to call themselves the "X-Raiders." They are an elite squad specializing in sniper rifles and counter-insurgency and though they find themselves in a completely unfamiliar environment they still employ their military discipline and peerless training to the effort. They don't generally welcome super-powered individuals but seeing as you've come as far, you've clearly proven yourself against the "hostiles" and so they offer you a grudging respect. Though they are not ready to give you the title of fellow X-Raider... yet.
Dancer with Death
Briefing
This log is covered in blood. Whoever its owner was, you can only assume they died a gruesome death. After reviewing the contents, you discover they were stationed at Point Tango. A phrase that stands out often appears in their logs: <color #98fb98>"Dance with Death."</color>
You have overheard from a couple soldiers that those stationed at Point Tango are faced with near constant battle; the outpost draws Shadow Shard aggression faster than any other installation in the sector, and nobody is sure quite why. <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>You decide to return this log, and check out their post while you are at it.</color></scale>
- Appreciate role of a Dancer with Death.
The saying goes that it takes two to tango, and if the soldiers positioned at Point Tango are always dancing with death you imagine they must be a resilient lot.
There is the impression that rather than being dreaded, the personnel assigned to this post take pride in their responsibility. You cannot help but admire their outlook in the face of potential annihilation.
Mission Objective
- Survey status of Point Tango
Point Tango has come under repeated assaults that have wrought more devastation than any of the other military installations in the Shadow Shard. The damage of these constant attacks is evident in the shattered concrete structures, the warped metal supports, and on the faces of the soldiers manning Point Tango. Despite the danger of their post, they are unflinching in their defense of the installation. In the spirit of the name of their base, Point Tango, they've coined the phrase "Dance with Death" for whenever the denizens of the Shadow Shard launch another attack against their position. They welcome you to dance with them, and survive as they have... if you can.
Shard Leaper
Briefing
These logs make mention of the owner having a terrible fear of heights and struggling to keep up with the gravity geyser movements of his squad mates. These strange fonts reverse the polarity of gravitational force and you would be lying if you said using them for travel was easy to get the hang of.
It is unlikely that the fate of this log's writer was favorable, he was assigned to check fluctuations in several areas on Point Sierra. An errant gravity geyser will hurl somebody to a swift and usually gruesome end. <scale 1.1><color BurlyWood>You will save countless lives by ensuring this assignment gets completed.</color></scale>
- Make the jump and be a Shard Leaper.
Recent temporal displacements have made travel via gravity geysers difficult to manage. Some super-powered individuals still swear by them and their unparalleled speed.
However, for most a trusty jetpack with a few extra fuel cells has become the standard for venturing into the Shadow Shard.
Mission Objective
- Leap onto Point Sierra
It is an odd coincidence that the soldiers manning Point Sierra are composed of units drawn from Mountaineering Corps. One of the ways by which they welcome new recruits to their station is to take a "hop" over to the neighboring shard for a quick strike-and-fade attack against the enemy. They welcome you to do the same.