In Their Footsteps is a main story mission in Starfield. This mission will begin immediately following the mission Unity.
Summary[]
The Hunter and the Emissary wish to speak to you.
Objectives[]
- Hail the Scorpius
- Dock With the Scorpius
- Talk to The Hunter
- (Optional) Talk to the Hunter
- (Optional) Talk to the Emissary
- Leave the Scorpius
Detailed Walkthrough[]
The Hunter will be shocked you found him. He will reveal that he allowed you to obtain further Artifacts because he wanted to see what you could do. He has been impressed. He will let you know there is another Starborn on board. The Emissary will speak and invite you aboard the ship, stating much of their conversation has been about you. They personally guarantee your safety if you come aboard.
Board the Scorpius, and you will meet both the Hunter and the Emissary again. The Hunter will inform you that you met the Emissary during All That Money Can Buy - they were the Starborn aboard the Helix. The Emissary thanks the Hunter for the stellar introduction, and explains that your success is "unprecedented". Both the Hunter and the Emissary agreed that continued use of force against you is unwise.
They will explain what the Starborn are. They are individuals - some are united in motivation, some are in it for themselves. The Hunter counters this - stating the Starborn are all in it for themselves, some are just more honest than others about it. He compares The Emissary's actions to his own, explaining that the end goal isn't all that different. The Emissary changes topics - stating they needed to ward you off. The Hunter counters again, stating anyone who can collect the Artifacts should be able to.
They then explain what the Unity is. The Emissary explains it is a place, a gateway. It is where the Starborn were reborn. The Emissary will then reveal the face of the companion you lost during High Price to Pay. The Emissary states they have seen hundreds of universes. Where The Emissary came from, they were the one who went to the Eye. They left you (the Spacefarer) to be killed by a variant of the Hunter in their original universe. They collected the remaining Artifacts, opening the doorway to the center of that universe, and to an infinite number of other universes. That is what the Unity is. Once you step into it, you become Starborn. The Unity is the way the Starborn enter other worlds. The Unity, the Artifacts, and the temples are all connected. The Emissary reveals that all the Artifacts are needed to complete the Armillary, which opens the gate to the Unity. In every universe, Starborn fight over these Artifacts, usually resulting in many innocent lives lost. The Emissary makes their pitch - the power granted by the temples needs to be governed. Not just "anyone" should be able to acquire the Artifacts, powers, or become Starborn.
The Hunter counters. He states that the people (Starborn) siding with the Emissary are hypocrites. They use the chaos of the Artifact hunt to establish an order and try to govern who is worthy of them. The Hunter has a different perspective - he attacked you because he wanted the Artifacts. You fended him off and escaped. You weren't successful because of morals or because you are righteous - you were successful because of your skill, luck, and persistence. The Hunter will then appear to be a version of Keeper Aquilus. Aquilus wants you to walk the path he walks. To give up. To appreciate the universe you are currently in.
- This reveals Keeper Aquilus to most likely be the Pilgrim or someone who knows everything about the Pilgrim and the Unity.
The Hunter states of course the Keeper has these views. He has seen and experienced everything. The Hunter thinks you should have the right to do that yourself. According to the Emissary, you have never come this far. The Unity is opening up to you for the first time. The Hunter then states you will tip the scales one way or another, and you need to pick a side. You can pick a side or choose to remain neutral. The Emissary mentions a truce between the three of you.
You can optionally talk to The Emissary and The Hunter, to get both of their perspectives.
Once you're finished, leave the Scorpius. Before you reach the exit, the Emissary will have one more thing for you. It will act as both an acquisition of another Artifact, but also a lesson in how dangerous they can be. They direct you to Old Earth's moon Luna in the Sol system. They state that "there are secrets there you must discover yourself". The Emissary also directs you back to Constellation - they likely have discovered a few more Artifacts on the fringes of space. Part of the Emissary is "curious how Constellation will react to what you've learned." With this, The Emissary hands you the Moon Base Key and the mission ends, where you receive your rewards.
Rewards[]
- 750 XP
- Moon Base Key OR NASA Access Code
- Random resources
Notes/Trivia[]
- If you are Starborn (NG+) and chose to replay the main storyline, you will have completely unique (different) dialogue with the Hunter and the Emissary. The Emissary will scold you for "reliving" your old life in a new universe and trying to pull the strings/force unnatural outcomes. The Hunter will disagree, stating we all (all being Starborn) retrace ourselves a dozen or so times. The Emissary has the opinion that you are a visitor in this universe, rather than someone living in it, and you have a responsibility to not significantly alter it. The Hunter disagrees - he thinks we have just as much right to exist in this universe as anyone. The Emissary asks if you "have the right to turn another universe our your playground". The Hunter states that each Starborn gets to decide what is right and wrong for themselves, that is the freedom the Unity offers. This also skips the entire explanation of the Unity.
- The Emissary will then direct you back to the Moon with the Moon Base Key to acquire the Artifact and relive what happens to Earth, OR
- You can tell The Emissary you already know you need to go to NASA and that you will head straight there. In that case, they will give you the NASA Access Code.
- The Emissary also directs you to Constellation to find the rest of the Artifacts and describe the Unity to them. The Hunter says that you should continue keeping your past hidden from Constellation. The mission then ends.
- After this mission, all Constellation companions will have a unique conversation about the events which transpired. This conversation will also be unique if you have completed the commitment mission for that companion and are currently still married to them.
- When speaking with Barrett, this will give you the mission Worlds Apart.