The Sentinel Trials is a storyline saga that was created by RoachTheIntelCollector on January 9th, 2019. It is the twentieth storyline saga of the Roach Chronicles. It is preceded by Balance and Order and is succeeded by the Boss Rush collaborative project. Unlike most of Roach's previous sagas, this saga features four zombies maps, while the fifth serves as a cinematic prologue. However, a special prelude map was released after the completion of the story. The story follows Mackenzie Davis shortly after the horrifying Day of Medusa event as he embarks on a quest to undo Master Ronin's actions with three new allies in the Arc 2 universe in search of a mystical material known as Prima Materia, which can only be obtained by completing the trials provided by the three Sentinel Artifacts.
Story[]
Prologue[]
In Higgins' underground lab in Green Mountain. Mac and Novus are gathered at a round table. Mac is being treated by Higgins for his wounds while he silently eats a bowl of soup. After Higgins finishes, he walks over to a sink to wash his hands. Daniela soon breaks the silence, asking Mac how things came to be in his universe. Mac then begins his story, explaining that he was part of a team of heroes in the Arc 1 universe known as Amici; they were close allies to Umbra Ops, a set of heroes Novus previously encountered. Patrick asks Mac where Umbra Ops were, but Mac solemnly replied that they died trying to save the universes from Erebus before the Day of Medusa event. The camera soon pans into Mac's eyes as a series of flashbacks begins.
In the first flashback, Mac narrates the events of The Search and The Disaster sagas, saying that at one point in history Umbra Ops were being held captive by Unit 14, a research organization bent on creating a loop in time in order to preserve themselves. Amici were unsuccessful in stopping Unit 14 from escaping with their prisoners, but they were able to create an audio log detailing the cycle which was sent to a junkyard the past versions of Umbra Ops would visit later on, thus allowing them to learn of and break the cycle, but ended up becoming Soulless as a result upon discovering the Harbinger and utilizing its dark powers. Upon learning of Umbra Ops's fate, Amici set out to find them and bring them home, but ended up encountering their Soulless counterparts. After learning that the only way to restore Umbra Ops was to destroy their Soulless, Amici began pursuing them around the world, slaying all of them until encountering Xarcoh in Tunisia, where Amici ended up becoming trapped in Limbo and later the Fractured Realm while Umbra Ops were able to be reformed.
Mac continues his story, saying for a time, Amici would become astral forms of themselves due to their prolonged stay in the Fractured Realm. However, when Gruntijackal emerged in what would be known as the Arc 1 universe, Umbra Ops left their original universe and traveled to the Day of the Departed festival in the Arc 1 universe, where they would witness Gruntijackal's flawed attempt to resurrect himself by accidentally creating a rift to the Fractured Realm with the Yin Blade. During this time, Amici would come across the rift inside the Fractured Realm to the Arc 1 universe, utilizing it to return to reality while also becoming mortal once again. Upon landing in Chinatown, they would reunite with Umbra Ops and fight with them against the undead released from the Fractured Realm until the rift would eventually close, trapping Gruntijackal within it as a result of their final battle. From there, Amici parted ways with Umbra Ops, with both groups choosing to remain in the Arc 1 universe, with Umbra Ops rejoining the military while Amici retired to Florida, where they obtained connections to the CIA.
Jacob then questions how the Day of Medusa came to be. Mac then sighs before continuing his story, saying that Amici stayed in retirement for two years until the CIA informed them of Master Ronin, a Goruxian warlord who caused chaos during the Convergence and in an event known as the Eclipse War in the Eclipse Universe. Amici also learned that the CIA accidentally allowed Ronin's soul to inhabit their secret Project Pax A.I., where he soon escaped with the Cube of Darkness. It was there where Amici learned of Umbra Ops's demise, and agreed to join the military in order to combat Ronin and his army of Cube Monsters. Amici traveled across the world, fighting off the army of Cube Monsters while searching for Ronin. During a battle in Australia, Amici learned of Ronin's warship just off the coast and pursued it, but ended up being captured, where they would be used by Ronin to obtain the Cortex, an ancient Aetherian bioweapon from Ball's Pyramid. After escaping thanks to the help of the Aetherians, Amici pursued Ronin to his base at Shop 8 in the Caspian Sea in Russia, where they witnessed him charge up his Medusa weapon with the Cortex. Despite killing Ronin and destroying the Cube of Darkness, they were unable to prevent the Medusa weapon from activating, causing it to randomly wipe out 75% of all life on Earth, including the other members of Amici.
The flashbacks then end, with Mac explaining to Novus that he seeks to find a way to undo Ronin's actions. Higgins then explains that he knows a potential way, but it would be incredibly dangerous. Higgins soon informs Mac of an ancient substance known as Prima Materia, which was said to be the founding building block for all universes in existence. He continues by saying that the last of the known Prima Materia was contained in three relics known as the Sentinel Artifacts, which when activated would begin a trial to test the participant's worthiness to harness Prima Materia. When all three trials are completed, one final trial will begin, which will reward the participants the last of the Prima Materia at the end, which can be utilized to do virtually anything the user desires. Mac asks where he could find the Sentinel Artifacts, but Higgins explains that only one has been officially discovered, saying that it was in the possession of his good friend Doctor Evan Jones, an archeologist and explorer who would be presenting it at the Boston Museum of Science on August 15th. Higgins tells Mac that he would inform Doctor Jones of what Mac wanted, and hands Mac some money to take an airplane to Boston. Patrick also tells Mac that he knows two friends who would be more than willing to help, saying he will contact them to meet Mac at the Boston International Airport. Higgins tells Mac that he can spend the night in the spare bedroom of the lab, saying that in the morning Novus will drop Mac off at the Green Mountain airport. Mac thanks Novus, saying that he will set things right.
Museum of the Dead[]
On the morning of August 14th, Mac's plane lands in from Green Mountain. Upon collecting a couple of his belongings, he meets with Simon Turner and Mark Harrison, the two friends Jacob mentioned. The two introduce themselves to Mac, saying that they heard what happened in his universe and that they will help him accomplish his goal in fixing everything. The three then leave the airport and head for a hotel in downtown, where they begin to question what the Sentinel Trials involved. Mark then takes out his laptop and unveils a slideshow he created, explaining that based on his brief yet informative research, he theorized that the Sentinel Artifacts will transform the environment around the artifacts into a twisted version of itself, adding various utilities around the area and transforming all who are not involved with the trials into the undead. He also explains that time around the trials will be paused until it is completed, and all who are not involved with the trial will forget everything during the trial. At that moment, Mac receives a phone call from Doctor Jones, informing the three that he fears something will happen tomorrow on the day he presents the artifact, saying he has suspicions that his work is being watched by someone. He tells them to meet him backstage at the museum, saying he will let them in.
The next morning, Mac, Simon, and Mark arrive at the Boston Museum of Science. There, they find Jones preparing for his presentation in his room in the museum, where he greets the three. Jones explains that his suspicions were correct, saying that the nefarious Unit 14 will undoubtedly seek to steal the artifact from them. This alerts Mac, saying that in his universe he helped defeat them, but Jones explains that this is the Arc 2 version of Unit 14, explaining that they have not been defeated yet. While the four talk, a Unit 14 agent sneaks into the backroom behind the four's room, where the Sentinel Artifact is at. As the agent grabs ahold of it, the four enter the room, where a standoff occurs. Mac orders the man to drop the artifact, but he refuses; instead he activates the artifact, creating an energy bubble around the group. As the artifact explodes, Prima Materia soon leaks out from it, sending it flying all around the museum and turning everyone into zombies while transforming the environment all around them. As the man laughs, Simon tackles him down, punching him twice before picking him back up and kicking him out of the bubble, causing the man to panic as he is transformed into a zombie as well. As the bubble disperses, the zombies gets up from the ground and tries to attack them, but the four are able to escape the room and lock him inside of it. Running downstairs to the main lobby, they find all of the exterior doors blocked off by goop created by the Prima Materia. As hordes of zombies converge onto their position, Mark discovers a supply crate that was manifested by Prima Materia next to them. Opening the crate, Mark discovers various weaponry, which he soon tosses to the others. As the four ready their weapons and stand next to each other, they begin to fight off the undead.
After the four are able to restore power to the museum, they are soon contacted by a mysterious voice, who explains that in order to complete the trial, they must "begin anew for the one that sleeps" and "look to the stars for answers". Know what the second clue was referring to, the four head to the planetarium, where they see the stars on the ceiling moving around in a pattern. Pack-a-Punching their weapons, Simon determines that they must create a constellation of something with the stars. Looking around the museum for clues, the four discover that they must draw out the constellation of the Little Dipper and Big Dipper. Returning to the planetarium, the four are able to shoot the two constellations, causing them to manifest on the ceiling. The room then shakes, causing the constellations to manifest into Prima Materia. The four then follows the Prima Materia as it journeys around the museum before striking the skeletal remains of a Tyrannosaurus, causing the ancient beast to be resurrected. As it lets out a mighty roar, the four realize that this was what the first clue meant. The four then proceed to engage the beast in battle, where they discover that it has the power to alter the area around the room. After a long battle, the four are able to destroy the beast, causing it to explode and send out a bright light.
As the light dies out, the Prima Materia around the museum soon begins to undo itself, reverting everyone back to normal. As the four holster their weapons, a blue apparition soon appears before them, displaying a coastal harbor and another Sentinel Artifact. Jones reaches out for it, causing the four to be imbued with the knowledge within the apparition as it soon disappears. Mac then tells the others that on the apparition he saw the logo of Unit 14 on the side of the ship. Realizing that the apparition was referring to a Unit 14 coastal facility, the four soon depart from the museum through a backdoor to avoid attention, where they begin to search for the facility's location using the Prima Materia knowledge they obtained. Meanwhile, the Unit 14 agent who activated the artifact soon breaks out of his imprisonment in the room, where he soon radios other members of Unit 14 under the callsign "Agent 14", saying that Vindicta has formed and that they have obtained some of the knowledge. As a voice on the radio questions what they should do, Agent 14 informs them to ship out their artifact to Station 11 posthaste.
Safe Harbor[]
Two days following the completion of the first trial, Vindicta have rented a car and have driven to Terminal Island, the port island within Los Angeles. As it began to get cloudy and rainy, the four park their vehicle near the entrance to Unit 14's coastal facility. Mac explains that they have to find a way in without being detected. The four then follow the perimeter of the barbed wire fence protecting the facility, and upon reaching a clear area, use a cutting tool to cut into the fence. Sneaking past guards, the four spot an out-of-place crate being loaded into the cargo hold of a ship. Mark confirms that it was the same ship they saw in the vision, realizing that Unit 14 must have secured the artifact sometime prior and that the crate must contain the artifact. At that moment, a guard spots the four in their hiding place, raising an alarm. Knowing that they were compromised, the four shoot their way through the port, where they are able to board the cargo ship through a side door on the side of the ship. As Unit 14 reinforcements arrived on scene, the four were able to barricade the door, thus buying them some time. The four then search the hold before spotting the crate. As Unit 14 attempted to break open the door and come down the main stairs into the hold, Jones explains that they have to activate the trial, saying it was the only way that they could make it out alive. Agreeing, Mac activates the Sentinel Artifact, triggering the second trial and turning the Unit 14 reinforcements and the dead soldiers. The four then fight their way up to the top deck after being cornered in the hold, where they see that the entire Unit 14 port and the nearby waters were surrounded in an energy bubble. As the undead continued towards them, Vindicta readied their weapons and began to fight off the undead once again.
Fighting back below decks, the four discover an apparition of the first Sentinel Artifact. Touching it, it soon explodes into some Prima Materia, breaking open the door they previously barricaded. Exiting the ship, the four fight their way through the port and the nearby warehouse. During this, they are once again contacted by the mysterious voice, saying that in order to past this trial, they must "discover that which was not meant to be discovered", "release the specimen", and "defeat the one who guards the sea". As the four fought in the warehouse, they discovered the room containing the Pack-a-Punch Machine. There, they discover a small safe hidden beneath a table. Wondering if the safe was what the voice meant, the four return back to the site of where they entered the facility, where they recover the power tool they used. Using the tool, the four are able to break into the safe, where they discover classified Unit 14 documents. Within the documents described Unit 14's research into Prima Materia, as well as the fact that they've secured "two of the three". The documents also describe a small squid-like specimen they captured and began experimenting on at a secret underwater lab, which could be accessed from a secret room in the dry dock in the port. Heeding the information, Vindicta discovers the secret entrance, where they find the underwater lab. Seeing the small squid in a glass tank, the four are able to release the squid from its imprisonment, allowing it to return to the sea.
Returning to the cargo ship, the four spot the squid coming into contact with the energy barrier surrounding the area. Suddenly, the barrier collapses, and the Prima Materia within the barrier soon flies towards the squid and infects it. As the squid sank into the water, the gangway onto the cargo ship suddenly collapsed and the ship started to automatically set sail. As the water next to the ship bubbled, the squid resurfaced, having been transformed into a massive Kraken, latching onto the side of the ship. The four soon engage the Kraken in a massive battle as zombies attacked the four as well. While fighting, the four discover direct-energy cannons on the deck of the ship, which acted as anti-air defenses. Using this, the four are able to use the cannons to inflict damage onto the Kraken. The Kraken soon lets go of the ship, swimming under it and resurfacing on the other side. There, the Kraken then causes the ship to tilt at a small angle, causing Vindicta to slide towards it. As Mac, Mark, and Jones held onto the railing just before the Kraken's mouth, Simon was able to grab onto the seat of a cannon, where he was able to use it to shoot a shot into the mouth of the Kraken. As the Kraken lets go of the ship and the others are able to get back onto the deck, it soon explodes in a blinding light.
As the ship rebalanced itself on the water, the Prima Materia from within the second Sentinel Artifact soon cleansed the port of the infected. As an apparition of an island and the third Sentinel Artifact manifested before the four, Mac soon realized that it was Station 11, Unit 14's main base of operations, something that Umbra Ops had previously experienced. As the four gained the knowledge from the apparition and it disappeared, they are suddenly ordered to stand down and drop their weapons. Dropping their guns, they see that they have become surrounded by Unit 14 soldiers, all of whom were zombies during the trial. One man soon steps out of the crowd of soldiers, commending the four on the completion of two trials. Horrified, the four realize that it was the same man that triggered the first trial back at the museum. The man introduces himself as Agent 14, stating that they have no intention of killing the four, explaining that they are more valuable to them alive than dead. As the ship continued to sail onwards, Agent 14 explains that the four will complete the third and final trial for Unit 14, saying that they will serve as the key to unlocking the ultimate trial for them. As the four were soon incapacitated by Unit 14 and imprisoned in the ship's brig, Mac tells his allies that there was no turning back from what they have started.
Darkest Shores[]
A few hours later, the SS Bulker passes through a fog layer, revealing Station 11 in the distance. As the sunset was starting to become covered by clouds, the ship was able to dock at the island's port. Vindicta are then brought out of the ship's brig, all bound in shackles, as they are escorted down the ship's gangway onto the island, where Agent 14 was waiting. Agent 14 then welcomes the four to Station 11, explaining that they have made some modifications to the island to help ensure the trial is completed. Mac tells Agent 14 that they would never help an organization such as Unit 14 obtain unimaginable power such as Prima Materia, but Agent 14 simply laughs, saying that they have no choice, revealing that he knows what they want the Prima Materia for, telling Mac that if they refuse to activate the third trial, then there was no saving the lives lost on Earth in the Arc 1 universe. Mac then sighs, asking Agent 14 to bring them the third Sentinel Artifact. Agent 14 happily obliges, ordering his men to fetch the artifact. While some of his soldiers fetched the artifact, Agent 14 undid Vindicta's shackles, reminding them that any wrong moves would cost them greatly as various Unit 14 soldiers aimed their weapons at Vindicta.
As the soldiers returned with the Sentinel Artifact, they hand it over to Simon. Agent 14 then explains that he will be watching before walking away with some soldiers. Jones questions how he would achieve such a feat, but Agent 14 explains that he will be watching the trial from within a bunker designed to shield Prima Materia's effects, wishing the four good luck before laughing once again. As Agent 14 entered the bunker, he ordered his remaining men to force Vindicta to activate the artifact. As the soldiers surrounded Vindicta, Mac tells Simon to activate it. Nodding back, Simon activates the artifact, triggering the third trial as the area around them is infected by Prima Materia, turning everyone excluding Vindicta and Agent 14 into zombies. As a Prima Materia energy bubble encases the island, Vindicta swiftly defeats the zombies that were surrounding them, picking up their discarded weapons off of the ground. As Agent 14 utilized an intercom, he tells Vindicta to complete the trial, or die trying.
As the four fought on the island, Mac remarks to the others that this was what Umbra Ops must've felt like when fighting on Station 11 back in the Zero Arc universe. Before long, the four discover the entrance to the underground testing labs, where they are able to locate the facility's power. Upon turning it on, the mysterious voice contacts them once again, saying that in order to pass this trial, they must "harness unspeakable energy", saying that with it can they "defeat the evil within". As the four searched around the testing labs, they discovered the schematics for two experimental energy weapons called the Unholy Hellbringer and the Widowmaker. As Jones studied their designs, he explains that they, along with the Up-n-Atomizer, harness an experimental energy called "F-Space", which could allow them to utilize focused kinetic energy into lethal weapons of mass destruction. Mark questions what they would need to create them, with Jones replying that they will need to find a device that can safely manipulate the F-Space energy in order to forge the weapons. Exploring the island, the four discover parts for a device titled the "F-Space Manipulator", a hi-tech glove that can generate focused beams of F-Space energy and also manipulate large quantities of raw F-Space energy.
Using the glove, the four are able to utilize Unit 14's supply of raw F-Space energy to forge the two weapons. However, while they were forging the weapons, a Catalyst zombie came into contact with the raw F-Space energy, mutating it into a large F-Space Catalyst, which soon rampaged on the surface of the island. Agent 14 soon contacts the four through the facility's intercom, warning them of the creature on the surface. Acknowledging the warning, the four return to the surface, where they see the creature shooting a beam of F-Space towards the Prima Materia barrier. The creature then is able to rip a part of the barrier off, using the F-Space energy to combine it with himself. As the creature let out a ghastly shriek, the four soon utilize their own F-Space energy weapons to combat the creature while Agent 14 looked on. As the four fought the creature, they discovered that there were three large chunks of Prima Materia within it that could theoretically be removed with the F-Space Manipulator. Using the glove, the four are able to slowly draw out each of the three piece of Prima Materia within it, severely weakening the creature. Upon removing all three, the four are able to blast the creature with their weapons until it eventually exploded in a bright light, cleansing the island and completing the third trial.
The Prima Materia barrier soon condensed into a ball of light, where it soon traveled to the surface of Station 11. As the ball formed into an apparition of an arena, the four touched it, causing it to react as it formed into a wraith of a woman. The woman soon spoke to the four, telling them that she was the voice that assisted them in the trials. Revealing herself as Oracle, she announces that the four have proven themselves worthy for the ultimate trial. As she raised her arms, the apparitions of the three Sentinel Artifacts reappeared, manifesting themselves into their physical forms. At that moment, Agent 14 barged out of his bunker, explaining that he deserves some recognition as he was responsible for helping the four get in reach to all three of the artifacts. However, Oracle deemed him unworthy, saying that he sought to manipulate them into getting the Prima Materia for himself and his selfish intentions while they sought to save billions of lives. Furious, Agent 14 shouted that he could easily prove himself worthy before grabbing ahold of one of the Sentinel Artifacts. However, the three Sentinel Artifacts returned to their apparition forms, where they soon surrounded Agent 14 before letting out a beam of energy, striking Agent 14.
As Agent 14 lets out a scream of horror, a red portal started to form behind the group. Mac questions Oracle what was happening, but Oracle calmly responds that Agent 14 was getting the chance to prove himself, saying that his soul will serve as the gateway to the ultimate trial while his body would be used for something far more greater. As Agent 14 lets out one last scream, his body exploded into a ball of light, which soon zoomed through the portal. Oracle soon questioned Vindicta on which universe they wanted the ultimate trial to take place at. Looking to each other, Mac responds the Arc 1 universe. Smiling, Oracle has Vindicta look towards the portal as it displayed a desert in the Arc 1 universe. Nodding to each other, the four entered the portal, with Oracle following behind them.
The Ultimate Trial[]
Vindicta and Oracle soon step out of the portal in the middle of the desert. As the portal closes behind them, Oracle explains that the time for the ultimate trial has come. Mark questions if she will help give them clues in order to solve the trial, but Oracle explains that this time it is them that must discover what to do, saying they will know what to do when the time comes. Holding the three apparitions of the Sentinel Artifacts, Oracle combines them into one large physical artifact, giving it to Mac. Mac then activates the artifact, causing the ground below them to shake. Suddenly, a massive desert arena raises from the sand below them. Oracle then wishes the four good luck before disappearing. As zombies started to raise from the sand, the four readied their weapons one last time, with Jones saying that it was an honor to fight by their side. As the four fought around the circular arena, they discover four buttons on four pedestals around the center podium. Mac instructs the others to go to a separate button and press them at the same time. Once everyone got into position, Mac counted down from three before the four of them pressed their respective buttons. This causes four doors to open on the outer wall of the arena, each of them taking the form of a portal. While three of the portals were dimmed down in color, one of them was pulsating, which caught the attention of Simon, saying that that must be the portal they must go through. Agreeing, the four arm up before entering the portal.
Vindicta soon finds themselves in an underground chamber with a small forming rift near the center. Mark questions where they were, but Mac soon realizes where they are as the silhouette of the Soulless emblem formed in front of them. As Prima Materia soon encased the symbol, it manifested into none other than Xarcoh, the Soulless of Roach. Wearing his original black coat, Xarcoh at first questions what was going on before more Prima Materia surrounds him, corrupting his mind and forcing him to challenge the four to a fight. As Vindicta fought against Xarcoh, Simon questions Mac on who he was. Mac explains that he was Xarcoh, Roach's Soulless who formed after Roach removed his soul with the Harbinger in order to break a time cycle created by the Zero Arc universe version of Unit 14. As the battle raged on, Jones asks why they are fighting him in the first place. Stopping for a moment, Mac realizes that they are in Tunisia, the place where Xarcoh attempted to return to Limbo. This causes Xarcoh to pause for a moment as some of the Prima Materia surrounding him disappeared. Mark realizes that the fight wasn't about defeating Xarcoh, rather to understand how it came to be and what the repercussions of the aftermath would cause. Continuing with his story, Mac explains that despite Xarcoh's initial destruction, his newly formed soul escaped through the rift while Amici were imprisoned in the Fractured Realm. Mac then explains that Xarcoh would trigger a chain of events that somehow lead to what Vindicta were currently doing. Suddenly, Xarcoh collapses to the ground as the Prima Materia leaves his body. Xarcoh soon asks the four what this trial symbolized to them. Mac responds that it helped explain how things would eventually come to be. Satisfied, Xarcoh tells the four that they have passed the first trial room before fading away as a portal formed where he once stood.
Vindicta uses the portal to return back to the center arena, where the portal behind them disappears as the closest one to their right began to pulsate. The four then enter the portal before appearing on a side street in a city at night. Looking around, Mac spots that the moon was green, symbolizing the Green Eclipse that transpired during the Day of the Departed festival in 2017 in the Arc 1 universe. At that moment, a silhouette of Gruntijackal appears before them as Prima Materia manifests it into Gruntijackal while he was still in his spirit form. As Gruntijackal remarks that he was back yet again, he spots the Green Eclipse in the sky above along with the rift to the Fractured Realm. Having no memory of his botched attempt to resurrect himself, Gruntijackal claims he could resurrect himself with the rift before turning his attention to Vindicta, saying that he will destroy anyone who stands in his way. As zombies approached Vindicta, the four began to fight them off while also avoiding Gruntijackal's attacks. Mac explains to the others that this was Gruntijackal, an evil spirit who escaped from another universe, traveling to the Arc 1 universe in order to harness the Green Eclipse to resurrect himself, although his actions would unleash the horrors of the Fractured Realm onto the Arc 1 universe. Despite telling a part of the story, this had no effect on Gruntijackal. Jones explains that this trial didn't involve explaining how things came to be, rather it must be about something else. As Mac killed a zombie, he realized what he was doing. Mac soon tells them about the consequences of Gruntijackal's actions, saying it ruined lives, turning innocent people into the undead and taking away their futures for a time. Mac then realizes that they have been doing the same with the Sentinel Artifacts, saying that they are no different than Gruntijackal in this case. This causes Gruntijackal to stop as the undead around them faded away. Gruntijackal then tells the four that they have passed the second trial room before fading away as well, forming a portal where he stood before.
As Vindicta returned to the arena, they spotted the next portal having a dark aurora around it. As the four entered it, they arrived atop a dark tower below a massive dark hurricane. Mac explains that he doesn't recognize any of this, saying that if the trials are in chronological order, then this must've occurred before the Day of Medusa event. At that moment, the silhouette of the Cube of Darkness formed. Unlike the other two fights, darkness surrounded the silhouette, forming a masked man in front of them. Mac realizes that it was Erebus, the same entity that Umbra Ops defeated right before the Day of Medusa event occurred. Erebus soon charges towards the four, engaging them in a brutal fight. In the struggle, Erebus summoned the Harbinger. Shocked by this, Mac is able to lunge towards Erebus and is able to rip off his face mask, revealing Roach's face. Horrified, Mac realizes that Erebus was in actuality Roach himself. Mac begins to call out Roach's name, but Erebus denies that that is his name before separating Mac from the others. Mac questions Erebus, asking who he saw himself as. Erebus replies that he was an envoy for the darkness of the Dark Realm, saying that it is his mission to consume the universes in eternal darkness. Mac responds otherwise, saying that he was a protector of the universes, saying he would always put his life on the line in order to protect the ones he loved. Enraged, Erebus tackles down Mac, saying that it is his destiny to bring the end times. Punching Mac repeatedly, Mac says that he was sorry before sheading a tear, seemingly accepting defeat. Suddenly, Erebus began to struggle and he clenched his head and began to cry as well. Mac gets up and continues, saying that he never should've left his friends for retirement, saying that he could've prevented all of this. Erebus then collapses on the ground as he lets out a scream. Looking back towards Mac, he begins to cry some more, asking if it was truly him. Mac says that it was, saying that he was sorry for letting him fall into the darkness. Erebus gets up, saying that it wasn't his fault, saying that he had no control over the future, telling his friend that no matter what happened, he always knew that Mac would never truly retire, saying that they have gone through all of this trouble to undo something, trouble that has cost them more than anything they have ever done. Mac smiles before hugging his friend, telling Erebus that it was an honor to have him as a friend. Erebus responds by saying that his name was Roach before saying that they have passed the third trial room. Erebus then peacefully fades away as a portal formed where he stood. As the rest of Vindicta regrouped with Mac, they comforted him, saying that they still had one more trial room to go.
Returning to the arena, the four then enter the final trial room, where they appeared atop Shop 8. Mac then realizes who they would be fighting as the silhouette of the Goruxian symbol appeared before them as it summoned Master Ronin in his original form. Ronin is shocked at seeing Mac again, saying that it wasn't possible that he was still alive. Mac told him that he knew what this trial was asking for, saying that it wanted him to get revenge on the man that destroyed 75% of life on Earth. Ronin chuckled, asking if achieving revenge was actually worth the effort he was going through. As Ronin fought Vindicta, Mac called out Ronin as a hypocrite for his flawed beliefs, though Ronin justified himself, saying that Mac would never understand what it was like to suffer if he never suffered. Mac explained that suffering, while inevitable, wasn't something that needed to be enforced on others if possible, though Ronin refused to listen, claiming that it was those who cause it that deserve suffering the most. Tired of Ronin's words, Mac stopped fighting, much to everyone's confusion. Mac angrily yelled for Ronin to open his eyes, saying he was literally describing himself with his outlook. Before Ronin could counter, Mac advanced, saying that he understood the suffering Ronin went through, though he told the warlord that it wasn't something that he needed to equally respond with. Ronin asked what Mac was doing then if not getting his revenge, though Mac explained that he was undoing the suffering Ronin caused, explaining that all those innocent lives he took held no quarrel with him, much like the Aetherians before he provoked them. Ronin grumbled that the Aetherians were an obstacle for him to protect his people, though Mac told him that he was full of it, saying that Ronin had lost himself in his thoughts for power to the point where he no longer saw the difference between protecting and endangering, using the concept of revenge as hollow justification for getting more power. Enraged by his words, Ronin leapt towards Mac with a hidden dagger, though he quickly responded by shooting him in the chest. Mac explained that he understood it; the trial wasn't to get revenge on the man that caused his suffering, it was to reveal his errors and get him to admit it, something Ronin did with his hostile response. Ronin denies, though Mac tells him once again to open his eyes and reconsider his outlooks, saying that he sees what Ronin cannot admit verbally. A bitter Ronin solemnly told the four that they had passed the final trial room before dying of his wounds and fading away, creating an exit portal for the four to move onto the final trial room. As the last portal formed, Mac nodded to Vindicta, saying that no matter what happens, he would always be by their side.
Returning to the arena, Oracle freezes time, stopping the zombies momentarily. Oracle explains that they have done well, saying that the final battle awaits. Before Oracle disappeared again, Mac asked if the people they fought were real and not illusions. Oracle smiles, saying that it was really them, saying that the power of Prima Materia brought them back in order to test their courage. As Oracle once again disappeared, time continued as a gate to the north opened, revealing another part of the arena. The four then travel through the doorway and into a large square shaped arena. The gates soon closed behind them as the ground below them began to shake. Suddenly, Agent 14 emerged through the sand, having become heavily mutated as punishment for his actions back at Station 11. Agent 14 tells the four that this was all their fault, saying that Unit 14 deserved to have the Prima Materia for themselves. Mark tells Agent 14 that he was full of himself, saying that Unit 14 would've undoubtedly utilized Prima Materia into weapons. As zombies started to appear, Agent 14 tells the four that their long journey has come to an end before charging at the four. As the final battle occurred, Vindicta utilized the F-Space energy weapons against Agent 14, slowly destroying pieces of his limbs. As the more limbs they destroyed, the more Agent 14 would become enraged. As Agent 14 was down to his last limbs, Mac charged towards him alone. Jones questioned what he was doing, but Mac replies that he was ending it all. As Agent 14 charged towards him as well, Mac pulled out his Combat Knife before doing a flip in the air, landing behind Agent 14 and stabbing him through the back of the neck. Removing his knife, Mac and the rest of Vindicta watched as Agent 14 collapsed onto the ground and screamed one last time before exploding in a white blast, destroying him and the rest of the zombies.
Oracle soon appears once again, congratulating the four on completing the ultimate trial. Handing Mac a large vial of Prima Materia, she questions him on what he would do with such power. Nodding to the four, he replies that he would undo Master Ronin's deadly actions, brining back the people lost in the blast, as well as all of his deceased friends. Oracle smiles, saying that he has proven himself as a selfless individual with a heart of gold. Mac soon unleashes the Prima Materia from the vial, causing it to spread around the world, undoing all of Master Ronin's damage and resurrecting everyone lost in the blast. As this happened, some Prima Materia stayed in front of the group before manifesting into Gary, Doc, Rick, Chris, TJ, O'Ryan, Rook, and Roach. Mac runs over towards the others, where everyone groups up for a large group hug. Mac questions Roach if he remembered their emotional fight, to which he responds that he does. Everyone soon celebrated their victory as the sun began to set. After everyone was done celebrating, Roach utilized his teleporter device to bring everyone to the Arc 2 universe, where they met up with Novus. Mac thanks Novus and the rest of Vindicta for helping him on his quest, saying that it wouldn't have been possible without their help. With everything said and done, the heroes of the Arc 1 universe returned back to their universe, with Roach exclaiming that it was time to begin focusing on protecting the world from evils that would undoubtedly one day surface again.
Prelude[]
Blood of the Moon[]
Shortly after the Arc 1 heroes depart to their universe, Higgins questions Jones on how he came to learn about the Sentinel Artifacts and Prima Materia in the first place. Jones sighs, saying that he has to come clean; this was not the first time he fought against the undead. This alerts Higgins, asking him what happened. Jones begins to flashback to the day he learned of the Sentinel Artifacts and the power buried deep within them.
Ten years prior, Jones was attending an astrology commemoration party at the Georgetown University Astronomical Observatory. Jones explains that the reasoning for the party was to observe the blood moon lunar eclipse that was happening that night. While the party occurred outside, Jones entered the observatory in order to use the bathroom. Upon coming out, he found a mysterious zodiac mural on the floor beneath a skylight that wasn't there before. While Jones inspected the mural while standing in it, the eclipse reached it peak, as the moon turned blood red. Suddenly, a beam of the blood moon's light shined through the skylight, coming into contact with the mural. At that moment, the mural began to react, and the zodiac symbols on the outer circle of the mural began to individually light up. After all of them lit up, an energy bubble surrounded Jones and the mural. Cracks started to form in the mural, and soon a strange black and red substance soon emerged from the cracks. This substance soon flew around the party, transforming the rest of the party goes into zombies. As the energy bubble dispersed and a larger one formed around the area, Jones attempted to escape with his life as the undead began to target him. When Jones found himself cornered, the substance soon came towards Jones, with it a voice, who explained to Jones that he must succeed in "foreseeing what was to come". Reluctantly agreeing, Jones reached out towards the substance, which manifested into a rifle. Knowing what he must do, Jones began to fight the undead all by himself.
While fighting around the area, Jones would find several blobs of the substance littered around the area. As he approached them, he would begin to hear the voice that spoke to him earlier. The voice would make cryptic remarks of events that would one day transpire, saying things such as "the four will unite with history" and "an evil searches for an evil". After listening to three of the voice's cryptic remarks, a surge of energy began to emerge from within the observatory. Upon entering it, Jones found himself locked in the foyer containing the mural. Suddenly, more of the substance began to leak out of the cracks, manifesting into a replica of Jones himself. The replica soon engaged Jones in a hand-on-hand fight as the zombies watched on from outside. As the fight raged on, the replica was able to pin Jones onto the ground. As the replica began to choke out Jones, Jones was able to pull out one of his grenades, shoving it into the replica's mouth. As the replica released him, Jones punched in it the mouth, causing it to swallow it. Jones soon dived behind a fallen over shelf as the grenade exploded, destroying the replica and sending out a bright white light.
As the light died out, a blue apparition appeared before him, displaying one of the three Sentinel Artifacts. When Jones came into contact with it, Jones began to see glimpses of the future, including his discovery of the first Sentinel Artifact, the formation of Vindicta, and a brief sight at Unit 14's logo. Horrified, Jones soon fled the party as everyone returned back to normal, having no memory of what just occurred. As the flashback ends, Jones explains that that night is what helped him research the Sentinel Artifacts, where he would later learned that the substance at the party was indeed Prima Materia. Higgins smiles, saying that that's why Jones was so excited when he heard of Mac searching for the Sentinel Artifacts and the Prima Materia. Higgins then questions Jones on why he kept this story from the others, with Jones explaining that if he told them, then it could have potentially derailed the visions of the future and lead down to a future where Unit 14 could have succeeded in uniting the Sentinel Artifacts for themselves. At that moment however, both Jones and Higgins started to glow; before any of them could ask what was happening, the two are promptly teleported away.
Characters[]
- Mackenzie Davis (playable)
- Evan Jones (playable)
- Simon Turner (playable)
- Mark Harrison (playable)
- Jacob Roberts
- Daniela Knight
- Patrick West
- Samuel Higgins
- Agent 14
- Oracle
- Xarcoh (resurrected through Prima Materia)
- Gruntijackal (resurrected through Prima Materia)
- Erebus (resurrected through Prima Materia)
- Master Ronin (resurrected through Prima Materia)
- John Doc
- Rick Peterson
- Gary Arlington
- Roach
- O'Ryan
- Yaxnor (mentioned only)
- Chris
- Xirsch (mentioned only)
- TJ
- Lextyr (mentioned only)
- Alex "Rook" Miller
- Axel Miller (indirectly mentioned)
Maps[]
Weapons[]
The saga introduces weapons from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, while introducing a new starting weapon known as the 10/22.
Assault Rifles[]
- ICR-7
- Rampart 17
- KN-57
- Vapr-XKG
- Maddox RFB
- Swat RFT
- Hitchcock M9
Submachine Guns[]
- MX9
- GKS
- Spitfire
- Cordite
- Saug 9mm
- Daemon 3XB
- Escargot
- M1927
Light Machine Guns[]
- Titan
- Hades
- VKM 750
- Zweihänder
Shotguns[]
- MOG 12
- SG12
Tactical Rifles[]
- 10/22
- Auger DMR
- ABR 223
- Swordfish
- Essex Model 07
Sniper Rifles[]
- Paladin HB50
- Outlaw
- SDM
- Koshka
Pistols[]
- Strife
- RK 7 Garrison
- Mozu
- Welling
Wonder Weapons[]
- Up-n-Atomizer
- Unholy Hellbringer
- Widowmaker
- F-Space Manipulator
- Cymbal Monkey
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The main theme of the saga "Alistair's Theme" is also the main theme of the Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
- This is the first saga to feature a single playable character outside of their original universe, with Mackenzie Davis originating from the Arc 1 universe while a majority of the saga is set in the Arc 2 universe.
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