- “Fight through the mysterious badlands of the Graveyard of the Ancients and confront Ignotus.”
- ―Mission Briefing
Ancient Horizon is the second map of The Final Chapter saga, created by RoachTheIntelCollector.
Overview[]
Ancient Horizon is set at the Graveyard of the Ancients, a rocky badlands that unusually is located at the base of Mount Saint Helens in Washington; the location was first featured in the map Final Union in the Day of Judgment saga. The graveyard is littered with the weapons of the dead who once fought in the badlands for an ultimate power hidden at the site; the ability to open a portal to a place that cannot be accessed by normal means.
The map is divided into two major areas; the Badlands, which consists of two large circular areas connected by a canyon path, and the Skein of Severance, a stone labyrinthine created at the heart of the graveyard by Ignotus in order to test the heroes' strength.
Story[]
A dark corridor manifests at the badlands of the Graveyard of the Ancients, a site at the base of Mount Saint Helens where a great war between those who sought to acquire a mysterious power occurred. Ignotus emerges from the corridor as it closes behind him, taking in the sights around him. He then proceeds to walk through a small canyon path ahead of him before reaching a vast opening of the badlands. Seeing the clearing ahead of him, he summons No Name and points it in front of him, telling himself that it was nearly time. No Name then begins to charge up with a surge of energy in his hand as he then plunges the blade into the ground, sending out a shockwave that spreads across the clearing. As the skies darken, multiple stone structures begin to shoot out from the ground, forming a massive stone labyrinthine below a forming portal in the sky. Ignotus then levitates to the top of the canyon he passed through, where he oversees the span of the labyrinthine in the horizon. With No Name in hand, he watches as a large stone pillar forms at the base of the maze's center and below the portal. Ignotus then chuckles to himself as lightning strikes in the distance.
Sometime later, another portal opens in the first opening of the badlands as the heroes emerge from the Realm Between. As Tachibana seals off the portal behind them, Peterson is quick to question where they have appeared. Tachibana explains that they are now within the rip timeline of the Zero Arc universe, although Peterson repeats his question, asking for him to specify where they have arrived. As the group looks around, TJ notices Mount Saint Helens a distance to their right, asking how they could be in a desert badlands in an area like this. Tachibana realizes that they are at the Graveyard of the Ancients, the site of a legendary war where those who participated sought to acquire a special power hidden in the badlands. He goes on to explain that this power was the source of the badlands and its odd geographical location. Rook suggests that this mysterious power could be the source of the Unversed, although Tachibana shoots this idea down, saying that this power couldn't possibly be generating negative emotions, although he does believe that the source of the Unversed was nearby. Suddenly, the Unversed soon begin to spawn in around them in large numbers, forcing the group to fight them off as they press through the canyon path ahead.
As the group exits the canyon, they spot a hooded figure standing in the second opening alone. Approaching the figure, the figure congratulates the heroes on their journey thus far, saying that he knew it was one they would be willing to partake in. Roach cautiously readies his sidearm, asking the figure how they know who they are and what they've been doing. The figure chuckles, asking Roach if he would really be willing to shoot himself. Roach gasps as the figure turns to face them, pulling down their hood to reveal their synthetic body. Though different, Roach immediately identifies the figure as Xarcoh and calls out his name. Ignotus chuckles, saying that he has since abandoned that name in exchange for a new one, reintroducing himself as Ignotus. As a brief aura of dark energy fumes off of him, Mac realizes that he was the source of the Unversed. Ignotus confirms this suspicion, saying he learned of the Unversed while he learned of what would be his future in the original timeline. Tachibana asks how he figured this out before Ignotus chuckles, extending his right hand out beside him and summoning No Name. Everyone gasps, recognizing the weapon from the Boss Rush tournament. Tachibana is the most shocked, frantically questioning how he acquired it. Ignotus explains that he found it when he first entered the Nexus, as the weapon returned there once the Grandmaster was slain. Tachibana calls him out, asking how he even got into the Nexus, as he most certainly did not give him the power to access it. Ignotus reveals that following his physical destruction at the hands of Amici in Tunisia, his soul traveled through the rift he created in search of a place for it to rest. While traveling, he was instead brought into the Nexus, where he discovered No Name and used its powers to learn of the events of the original timeline, including what would be his ultimate fate and future. Gary asks how he has a body now before Ignotus reveals he acquired a synthetic body from a destroyed universe connected to the rest of their multiverse. Tachibana realizes that he was referring to the Arc 3 universe, theorizing that its destruction caused a temporal paradox throughout the multiverse that allowed the creation of this rip timeline.
As the Unversed started to converge around them, the heroes question what Ignotus was planning on doing. Ignotus explains that if they really want to find out more, then they must proceed through the labyrinthine behind him to seek out their answers before warping away. As the numbers of the Unversed continued to grow, the heroes are forced to head into the maze in order to escape the growing horde. As they navigated the maze, the group question Tachibana on the special power found at the site. Tachibana explains that it was the power to access that which cannot be normally reached, although he doesn't know what Ignotus could possibly use this power for if he already has a method of accessing the Nexus. Continuing their way through the maze, they encounter a total of four large Unversed battles in four different areas found in the maze, fighting all of them in order to advance forward before reaching the base of a towering pillar at the center of the maze. Concluding it was a dead end as there was no way around it, they soon spot another surging Unversed orb like the one they found in the Realm Between. Knowing that by interacting with it would open the path ahead while unleashing a powerful Unversed, the group prepare themselves before touching the orb, causing the group to teleport to the top of the pillar. Looking around, Ignotus appears before them, mockingly asking if all the fighting was wearing them down. Angered, Roach summons the Harbinger, telling Ignotus to drop the act and tell them what was going on. Instead of summoning No Name, Ignotus instead summons his Harbinger and points it exactly how Roach was towards him, cryptically remarking that "it" was incomplete. While the heroes are confused by this, Ignotus chuckles before offering the group a final clue in the form of the Iron Imprisoner before warping away laughing.
After the group fights and defeats the Iron Imprisoner after a frantic and tiring battle, it fades away like Dark Hide did. Asking if it was over, the ground suddenly shakes as lightning begins to strike around the maze before the bolts strike upwards into the portal above, revealing a spatial-like padlock in the form of a constellation. As the group questions what it was, Ignotus warps behind Roach, sideswiping him and causing him to drop his Harbinger while his guard is down. Ignotus quickly grabs it while dropping his own Harbinger onto the ground, and before the other heroes can react, Ignotus uses Roach's Harbinger to knock them down with a powerful shockwave, causing their weapons to blow off the side of the pillar and into the maze below. Ignotus levitates towards the lock, explaining that it was the seal of the Nexus, saying that The Father created it in order to prevent the Nexus from ever being changed; not even The Son or Nexus Apparitions could do such a feat as the seal prevented them from doing so. Roach asks what he was doing with his Harbinger before Ignotus reminds him of what was imbued within it; Dark Creation, a substance that could manipulate destiny. He explains that The Father could only use No Name to see into the future it was being consecutively passed through, saying The Father only saw up until the events of the Boss Rush tournament and nothing after it, as No Name returned to the Nexus without an owner that was gifted the weapon. Because of this, he thought that Dark Creation, the only substance powerful enough to break the seal, was forever gone and entrusted in the right hands in the form of Roach and his Harbinger. Ignotus reveals that everything that has happened with the Unversed was all part of his plan in order to lure Roach into the rip timeline so he could steal his Harbinger and open the seal, allowing him to assume control of the Nexus and reshape it into his own image. Ignotus then mocks Tachibana, thanking him for everything he has done in making this possible before sending a beam of energy from the Harbinger into the lock, causing it to shatter and for Ignotus to be consumed by a beam of cosmic energy. As Ignotus laughs in victory as his physical appearance changes, he enters the portal above as it closes behind him in a thunderous explosion.
As the heroes got up from the ground, they question Tachibana what they could do, but he does not give an answer. Instead, he silently stares towards where the portal once was as he sighs in disbelief before closing his eyes.
Weapons[]
Starting Loadout[]
- Strife
- Combat Knife
- 4 Fragmentation Grenades
Off-Wall Weapons[]
- Strife - 500 points
- [- 500|10/22 - 500] points
- RK 7 Garrison - 700 points
- Saug 9mm - 750 points
- Escargot - 1000 points
- MOG 12 - 1000 points
- Swordfish - 1200 points
- Mozu - 1250 points
- MX9 - 1250 points
- Spitfire - 1400 points
- M1897 Trebuchet - 1400 points
- Maddox RFB - 1400 points
- KN-57 - 1400 points
- ICR-7 - 1550 points
- Vapr-XKG - 1550 points
- Peacekeeper - 1600 points
- Auger DMR - 1600 points
- Titan - 3750 points
- Galvaknuckles - 6000 points
Mystery Box[]
- ICR-7
- Rampart 17
- KN-57
- Vapr-XKG
- Maddox RFB
- Swat RFT
- Grav
- Peacekeeper
- Hitchcock M9
- MX9
- GKS
- Spitfire
- Cordite
- Saug 9mm
- Daemon 3XB
- Switchblade X9
- Escargot
- M1927
- Titan
- Hades
- VKM 750
- Tigershark
- Zweihänder
- MOG 12
- SG12
- Rampage
- 10/22
- Auger DMR
- ABR 223
- Swordfish
- S6 Stingray
- Essex Model 07
- Paladin HB50
- Outlaw
- SDM
- Koshka
- Vendetta
- Locus
- Strife
- RK 7 Garrison
- Mozu
- KAP 45
- Welling
- Ballistic Knife
- Ray Gun
- Ray Gun Mark II
- Cymbal Monkey
Power Perks[]
- Human Shield - Withstand more damage, 2500 points.
- Helping Hand - Revive faster, 500/1500 points.
- Speed Loader - Reload guns faster, 3000 points.
- Marathon Runner - Sprint faster and longer, 2000 points.
- Stopping Power - Shoot faster and gives more damage, 2000 points.
- Fallout Enhancement - Grants the player the ability to receive no splash damage and created a nuke effect when diving to prone, 2000 points.
- Sugar Rush - ADS faster, faster mobility when aiming down the sights and increased hipfire accuracy on all weapons, 3000 points.
- Blade Master - Melee faster and longer, 2000 points.
- Proximity Ping - Highlights nearby zombies within close proximity of the player, 2500 points.
- Der Wunderfizz - Grants the player a random perk, 1500 points.
Trivia[]
- The entire map is an exact replica of the Keyblade Graveyard from Kingdom Hearts III.
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