King of the Mountain is a story mission in Destiny: Rise of Iron. It takes place in Felwinter Peak, Earth and is the first mission in the quest Rise of Iron.
Objectives[]
- Capture Vostok Observatory
- Restart the Gondola
- Ride to the Top
- Escape the Gondola
- Ascend the Mountain
- Defend the Mountaintop
- Reach the Temple
- Eliminate the Fallen
- Defeat Sepiks Perfected
Transcript[]
{Cinematic}
- LORD SALADIN: In the years after the Collapse, the world had no Guardians. It had only Iron Lords.
The screen fades to red, then fades to Jolder laying on the ground.
- SALADIN: Immortal. Fearless. We fought to protect the survivors of a once great age.
Jolder rises to a kneeling position and takes off her helmet. She looks at her helmet, fractured and damaged. She then looks around the SIVA replication chamber in Site 6 as SIVA floats behind her.
- SALADIN: Our battle was about more than crawling back from the shadows.
Jolder stands up and readies her weapon. A few other Iron Lords pepper the area with various weaponry. She turns toward the front of the room, where two more are seen fighting SIVA.
- SALADIN: The Iron Lords would give humanity back its future.
Cut to black. Fade in on a small patch of snow in the Iron Temple, where a dead Ghost sits. A wolf walks into frame, sniffing the broken lens. It lifts its head, turning toward the bridge. Lord Saladin walks across the bridge toward the wolves. The camera cuts to black again, then cuts back to the earlier battle. Jolder sprints toward the entrance, jumping over and sliding under falling pieces of the room. She fires her weapon at a stream of SIVA, then runs to the door as another red cloud starts to infect one of her fireteam. She leans against the door to the chamber, looking outside. Lord Saladin is in the hallway fighting SIVA with an Iron Battle Axe. Cut to black. Saladin appears in the doorway of the shrine to the Iron Lords. He looks to the statue of Jolder. The screen cuts back to the battle. Jolder clutches her abdomen in pain. Saladin stands, having destroyed the SIVA cloud he was fighting. He turns to Jolder and looks at her with a puzzled expression. She shakes her head and reaches towards a monitor that says, "DOOR SAFETY OVERRIDE: PURGE," then presses a red button next to it. The door starts to close. Saladin rushes towards it. Jolder pulls out a small detonator. SIVA begin to rush all around her. Just as the door closes, she activates the detonator. Cut to black.
- SALADIN: Some know the legend. But no one truly knows how the Iron Lords died their final deaths.
Fade to black, then to Jolder's statue in the shrine. A large flame pit sits in the center, where Saladin is now standing. Saladin lifts a large bowl filled with water, and holds it over the central fire.
- SALADIN: That was something you had to be there for. To witness. To remember.
Lord Saladin pours the contents of the bowl into the fire pit, extinguishing the flame. The scene changes to the outside of the chamber, the sealant smoldering in heat. Saladin pounds his fist on the door in mourning.
- SALADIN: To know even heroes can die, and survival is not always a victory.
The scene fades to the smoldering embers of the shrine's dying flame. Saladin exiting the chamber, holding his helmet.
- SALADIN: Now I am the lone sentry. And my watch is eternal, waiting for the day when whatever we disturbed awakens.
The fires of each statue in the room go out. Saladin stops at the entrance to the shrine and puts on his helmet.
- SALADIN: The Iron Lords are gone, but our fight is far from over.
The doors to the shrine close. Fade to black.
{Cinematic}
Fade into a diagram of the Solar System. A drawing of the Traveler forms, surrounded by the symbols of Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks.
- GHOST: The House of Devils is back, and they're digging into Golden Age research labs all across the system.
The drawing zooms out to show Earth.
- GHOST: This isn't a simple smash-and-grab. They're on a mission.
The drawing of Earth zooms in to Old Russia, where a large Vanguard symbol appears over it.
- GHOST: At first, the Vanguard wasn't particularly concerned.
The Vanguard symbol disappears and is replaced by the symbol for SIVA.
- GHOST: At least, not until the Devils decided to move back into the Cosmodrome.
The symbol floats to the northeastern corner of Old Russia. A thick white border begins to form around the territory, and more symbols appear within it. Small veins appear from the symbols, visualizing the swift territorial control the Devils are gaining in that area.
- GHOST: Now the Devils are shifting a massive amount of resources to an area nearby that's been dark for centuries. Normally I'd say it's just another day, except what's really got everyone talking is that Lord Saladin has left his post at the Iron Banner to take charge of the situation personally.
The symbol of the Iron Lords appears over the Devils' area, then moves southwest towards the Cosmodrome.
- GHOST: Only rather than go straight to the Cosmodrome, Saladin wants us to investigate an abandoned observatory in the mountains. Very strange.
The camera pans and zooms to a southeast area of the map, showing a simple drawing of Felwinter Peak.
{Cutscene}
The scene slowly fades in to a mountain slope on Felwinter Peak. The Guardian's jumpship can be seen in the distance.
- SALADIN: A group of Fallen has captured Felwinter Peak. My team and I are en route, but we won't get there in time. I need you to secure the observatory at the top.
The ship floats to a close height above the ground and drops the Guardian onto the mountain.
- SALADIN: It is imperative the Fallen do not establish a foothold on that mountain.
Fade to black.
{Gameplay}
- SALADIN: If the Fallen are working their way up the mountain, their goal is to take Vostok Observatory.
- GHOST: What would the Fallen want in an abandoned outpost?
- SALADIN: Things better left buried.
The Guardian heads up the mountain.
- SALADIN: There is a gondola near your location. Take it up to the observatory.
The Guardian approaches the gondola station and kills the Fallen guarding it. The Guardian sends their Ghost to activate the gondola.
- GHOST: Whoa, this hasn't been activated for more than four hundred years!
The door opens and the Guardian steps in. The Ghost activates a panel inside the car, and it begins moving.
- GHOST: With this sort of reception, it might be a touch ambitious to think we can secure the entire observatory.
- SALADIN: There's a courtyard in the rear of the facility. If you can secure that, you should be able to keep them from the Iron Temple until we arrive.
- GHOST: Wait, Iron Temple? Like Iron Banner? Iron Lords?
- SALADIN: Stay focused. There's too much at stake.
The gondola makes its way past several plateaus. A few Vandal snipers are perched on each one, and they fire upon the Guardian.
- GHOST: Watch out!
Skiffs flank the gondola on both ends, dropping additional troops.
- GHOST: I think there's more of them!
Tracer Shanks now attack the Guardian as well, the gondola suffering even more damage.
- GHOST: I don't think I like this little metal box any more.
A Skiff pulls up next to the gondola itself, attacking directly with its cannons. It blows a hole in the side, and the gondola stops moving.
- GHOST: We can't take another hit like that. Jump!
If the Guardian stalls:
- GHOST: Come on, you can do this. Just jump!
The Guardian drops down onto the slope.
- GHOST: I don't understand. If there's something so important up there, why wasn't the Vanguard protecting the Temple all these years?
- SALADIN: This place and its secrets are my responsibility.
The Guardian ventures further, making their way around narrow ledges and paths. On their way, the Guardian encounters more Fallen.
- GHOST: You know, this is more than a few Fallen. Just for the record.
- SALADIN: We cannot afford even one to claim what lies on that mountain.
The Guardian finally reaches the observatory and encounters more Fallen.
- GHOST: Be careful. Picking something up nearby.
The Guardian finds a few Dregs kneeling in front of Sepiks Perfected.
- GHOST: Servitor! Wait...
Sepiks teleports to the Guardian and attacks.
- GHOST: Sepiks Prime? It's supposed to be dead! And there's something odd in the energy signature. It's not Fallen, but it's regenerating.
- SALADIN: Did you say it's regenerating? Kill Sepiks, Guardian! Kill it now!
Sepiks teleports to the Iron Temple..
- SALADIN: If that's what I think it is, the Temple doors will not be strong enough to hold it back! You must destroy it before that happens!
The Guardian heads toward the Iron Temple.
- SALADIN: Do not let Sepiks enter that Temple!
The Guardian reaches the Iron Temple and engages Sepiks. More Fallen are dropped off by Skiffs.
- SALADIN: Detecting reinforcements approaching your coordinates.
The Guardian continues to fight Sepiks and the Fallen. Saladin speaks these lines at random:
- SALADIN: The high ground, Guardian. Use it!
- SALADIN: You must hold the mountain, Guardian!
The Guardian defeats Sepiks Perfected. Cut to black.
{Cutscene}
The Guardian and Ghost walk up to the doors of the Iron Temple.
- GHOST: All this trouble to break into an old temple?
A ship breaks atmosphere, gaining the Guardian's attention. Lord Saladin lands in front of the Guardian. Two Vandals drop down behind the Guardian, and Saladin immediately kills them with his machine gun.
- SALADIN: Even old wolves still bite. (to comms) Shiro, what's your status?
Saladin walks past the Guardian to the doors of the temple.
- SHIRO-4: Circling around to make sure the area's clear. Be there in a sec.
- SALADIN: Well done, Guardian.
He turns to face them.
- SALADIN: The Temple is secure. Now we can--
Saladin is interrupted by a hissing noise. They both turn to see Sepiks Perfected rising near them before teleporting away.
- SALADIN: Shiro! Get a lock on him!
The two run toward the edge of the foyer, looking for the Servitor's location.
- SHIRO: I just picked up... wait. Multiple impacts near the wall in Sector 17!
- SALADIN: They're attacking the sensor grid. They must know where SIVA is! Guardian, go to the Cosmodrome immediately! If Sepiks escapes, the Fallen won't be our only problem!
Fade to black.
{Mission Ends}