Chapter 2: The Swamp Component Part 1
Mission(s): I Like My Monsters Rare * Side Mission (NC)
An Acquired Taste * Side Mission (NC)
DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt
Deciding to stay in the swamp/marsh lands a while longer to see what he could find, Zero trudges up back to the Hunter's Lodge, and finds Sir Hammerlock inquiring after any missions. The gentleman obliges and Zero listens in.
"I here tell of a borok that dines only on human flesh. You'll either have to be extremely clever, or extremely suicidal to lure it out. I've marked its lair on your ECHO device. Head there now."
Zero looks up the Borok on his ECHO, and ends up looking at some sort of skin covered slimy thing with two large front legs and two small back legs. It looks hideous, and certainly worth the trouble of killing.
Half worried that this'll get him killed Zero heads out the door until he realizes something. Maybe it's not one thing that would help Maya; maybe it's a whole lot of things. This makes sense to Zero and he goes back into the Lodge, and inquires after Sir Hammerlock of the cure to all of Maya's symptoms.
Zero doesn't tell the gentleman who they're for, but since he was detailed enough Sir Hammerlock was intrigued enough to provide the information. Then followed a list – torn rather unceremoniously from the pages of a dusty old book – of rare and almost certainly deadly to acquire ingredients to make a tonic that would almost certainly cure the symptoms Zero had just described.
Almost certain – since Zero was already searching for something that shouldn't exist anymore – was good enough for the Assassin, and he tucked the list in his pack and left. Zero then ran back the way he had come, down the rock arm that is, and came to the catch-a-boat system.
Before that however, Zero comes up and stops next to the bounty board. Looking at the available missions Zero sees multiple. And an opportunity to collect a possible second ingredient, but decides to take the most convenient one.
A Savage comes on the ECHO, "[Unintelligible language] – oh, wait, what am I doing? You don't speak Aegren. Sorry. I'm one of the native bandits you've been shooting at around here. Howyadoin'? Anyway there are a few rare and irritating creatures I'd like you to kill for me. No way to tell where or when they'll turn up though – just keep your fingers crossed and your eyes open."
Now keeping his eye out for monsters, in general, Zero summons a Corrosive Fan Boat from the catch-a-boat system. After hopping in the fairly bulky contraption and switching it on, the machine hums to life a giant fan could be heard slowly spinning – loudly – keeping Zero suspended above both water and land.
The faster Zero went the more the fan sped up. It reached a speed and noise level to attract attention. Zero drove right taking an almost 90 degree turn and heading straight across and over the cold unforgiving marsh waters. After sailing maybe 10 to 20 feet Zero came to the area where he had previously found the two rusted doors.
Instead of going there, this time Zero drove to the left and passed through and archway. What lay beyond was an inlet of water, and stretching beyond that was a vast ocean interrupted by giant craggy pillars and monuments of rock.
Out of the inlet waters came several Savages, two villages stationed on either side of the inlet both contained two groups of several more savages. While dodging spears and bullet fire from the two villages Zero strafed the Savages in the inlet with the Fan Boat's mounted gunfire.
After leaving a few bloody, pulpy, and dead Savages in the water of the inlet. Zero sailed left and attacked the Savage village – savagely. Zero used the mounted gunfire to strafe apart and blow holes inside the Savages houses. With the mounted launcher, Zero sent corrosive projectiles, which exploded on contact with the Savages – showering them in acid.
After decimating the one Savage village Zero – after checking his minimap – realizes that harassing these Savages was pointless at the moment. Turning back around Zero sailed along the rout he had taken and then sailed under the Hunter's Lodge. Now heading in the right direction (the minimap had taken a while to update to the new location) Zero turned left and went along the cliff side.
After traveling along some distance Zero reaches a waterfall and another cliff face. To Zero's right separated from the cliff by about 10 feet a couple Savage houses guard what looks like the only entrance through the cliff – the one Zero is trying to get through.
Zero hops out of the Fan Boat, and quietly sneaks into the Savage guard post. A steam pump stands in the middle of the post pumping power to god knows where. Zero finds it fairly easy to sneak up behind and take down the Savages with quick slices from his katana.
Thinking that nothing much must happen here for the 'security' to be so lax, Zero heads over to the entrance cutting into the cliff. Checking his ammo, Zero pulls the lever to open the gate. Instead of opening the proper way, the thing slides into the ground – flinging up dirt clots as it does so.
After opening the gate, Zero dashes along a thirty-foot narrow passageway with walls close together – and a ceiling only 20 feet off the ground. After the passage curves slightly and runs for another 10 feet Zero comes to a open space – at the bottom of a fairly wide but deep rock shaft.
Spotting a shack like structure, with an elevator ahead Zero jogs forward. Dr. Zed then comes on the ECHO explaining that Maya's condition is getting worse, and that he'll have a full report sent to Zero within the hour. Now with more haste, Zero makes it inside the elevator and presses the button.
The elevator rises up the wide round shaft of rock, and turning around once it comes to the top Zero finds another shack like structure connecting the elevator with an elevated area, Zero walks out hurriedly but stops suddenly. Looking around him, Zero is awed by the size of the structure, and at how so much of it cuts into the rock.
Due to it's mangled and worn down state, plus the fairly large hole near where he came up leading down into the belly of Aegrus – Zero couldn't figure out what it was for. Two giant floating spores came Zero's way, and after a bit of maneuvering he got out his Chinook and blasted their meaty vulnerable undersides.
After that, Zero turns away from the giant open doorway leading to the place where he needed to go. Looking out Zero saw a highway of sorts running along and curving towards the structure where Zero now stood. About a hundred feet out from the structure, it cut off and didn't stretch much closer.
Zero turned around and marched through the doorway and along the metal floor. As zero went along, he saw to his left a very old dump truck. Looking closer at its base between the wheels Zero sees a faded yet still legible DAHL printed on part of the rusted machine.
It now dawned on Zero that this giant structure was an old Dahl mining facility – and by the look of the dump truck's old and dated technology it was a really old facility. After examining the truck for a little longer, Zero turned right again and headed out. Zero comes to the edge of the metal walkway, and finds him self on a bit of a ledge.
After surveying the area, Zero jumps down and is almost mauled by a Borok the color of the grass, and the size of half the dump truck. The massive creature scuttles off and Zero realized it's the monster he's looking for. The Borok shrinks and transforms, twisting due to some violent reaction then dives under the water vanishing.
Zero realizes it wasn't the monster he was looking for, but decided to be wary all the same. Looking to his right Zero sees a pond area, surrounded by Borok nests, bodies lay in the water bobbing softly. Whatever that creature was it either killed its own kind, or did it for another reason all together.
Zero heads forward, and slightly to the left to avoid stepping through the water – despite that it would be a straight shot to where the monster he was supposed to find was hiding. As he does so however, Savages come from nowhere ahead of him, literally appearing in puffs of smoke and shouting battle curses at Zero.
Readying himself Zero swaps for the Sand Hawk prepared to face the Savages, which included four gunmen, two hunters (spear wielding bastards), 9 Savage warriors with shields, and 3 Witch Doctors – 1 with a black staff, 1 with a glowing zap-y staff, and the last with one wreathed in flame.