Void Awakening (ending)

Void Awakening is an ending available as part of the Anomaly DLC. Your colonists confront the darkness within the void monolith.

This ending is only available if you have NOT selected the "Ambient horror" mode of Anomaly in your storyteller settings.

Briefing[edit]

Requirements:

Unlock monolith level 3. This requires the player to attune to the monolith (level 1), encounter 7 basic entities (level 2), and then 12 advanced entities (level 3).
Interacting with the monolith once level 3 is unlocked gives the choice to awaken it, initiating the monolith endgame.
Once awakened, the monolith will cause spawn void structures. Two structures initially spawn. Each structure is guarded by metalhorrors, and after activating each one, a wave of entities will attack. Once those are activated, the monolith will create unnatural darkness, with its usual damage mechanics, and three more structures will spawn after a few days. The fifth and final wave of entities is given a 6 hour delay.
After the void monoliths have been activated, the entrance to the metal hell will open up. The metal hell is safe to enter. Activate the void node to initiate one of two endings.

The Monolith[edit]

Main articles: Monolith and Entity

Your map begins with a monolith structure which is initially dormant. If you have moved to another map or added the Anomaly DLC after starting the game, a "Strange Signal" quest will appear which optionally spawns a monolith on your map.

A colonist approaching the monolith will cause an ominous letter notification. Having a colonist attune to the monolith begins the Anomaly quest in full. You will gain an entity codex, and the Anomaly research tree will unlock. If you chose the Anomaly starting scenario, the monolith will be dormant for several days after landing, but then twist and become active automatically without approaching it.

In order to advance, you must encounter and defeat entities in the codex. Entities will also reveal new research options, and can be captured and studied. The Work tab calls this job "Dark Study". After researching the Void provocation ritual, you can optionally summon an entity event on your schedule rather than waiting for the storyteller to do it. The ritual prioritizes sending entities you have not encountered.

Encountering 7 basic entities (out of 8) allows the monolith to be attuned, then after encountering 12 advanced entities (out of 17), the monolith becomes attunable again. Attuning this last time will awaken the monolith and begin the Anomaly quest endgame.

Monolith endgame[edit]

After awakening the monolith, the monolith endgame starts. This is split into two stages, which can be advanced through by activating the void structures that spawn.

The number of entities spawned is determined by raid points. Other major threats cannot occur during the Anomaly endgame event. There will not be standard raids, infestation, or other major threats - not even quests or the ship launch can start major threats.

Stage 1[edit]

After activating the monolith, the precursor to unnatural darkness will occur, setting the sun level to 0%, but colonists will not take damage from being in darkness.

Two void structures will land on the map and metalhorrors will appear with them.

A fleshbeast attack event will occur.

Wandering singular noctols and gorehulks will appear from the map's edge in very low numbers. If these wandering entities are killed another will wander in from the map's edge. The map will constantly have low numbers of singular wandering entities.

Activating the two void structures is required to progress to the next stage. After activating either void structure, an attack of assorted entities will appear from the map's edge. The attacks may consist of shamblers, gorehulks, or devourers.

Stage 2[edit]

After activating the second void structure, there will be a 2 day delay until the beginning of the second stage. A notification of Dimming Sky will be given via a yellow letter.

Singular noctol and gorehulk wanderers will still continuously patrol about the map and new entities will be spawned if any are killed.

After the two day wait, three void structures will appear on the map and be accompanied by metalhorrors. The sky will dim into full unnatural darkness. Any colonist in a dark area will be damaged.

Activating any of the three void structures will cause entity attacks from the map's edge. These entity attacks can consist of shamblers, gorehulks, devourers, sightstealers, or noctols.

Once all 3 void structures are activated the monolith will begin to twist. After 4 hours, the "twisting" of the monolith will intensify, metalhorrors will appear around the monolith, and the monolith will become a portal to the metal hell. Activating the monolith one last time will send one colonist to the metal hell and allow the player to end the event by interacting with the void node inside.

Preparations and strategy[edit]

Before attuning for the third time, you should stockpile food, weapons, drugs, and medicine for a week-long colony siege, at minimum. The entire map will be dark for the duration of the event, so outdoor farming will not be easy. A gravship should ideally be parked in a different tile so that it does not get damaged or contribute towards raid points during the event.

Metalblood serum is effective since fire is not a factor unless the player uses it. Crowd-control weapons like miniguns and psycasts are good due to the large swarms of enemies; EMP is also effective against metalhorrors. Friendly mechanoids can help due to their immunity to unnatural darknes

You technically have unlimited time during this event (if you can survive indoors), so retreat back to your base after destroying each structure to fight off enemies, heal, and regroup as needed. Use tools like flood lights, Disruptor flare packs, and the solar pinhole psycast to traverse the darkness easier and weaken any light-sensitive entities.

After you activate the last structure (for a total of 5), the monolith will become a portal to the metal hell that multiple colonists can enter, but only one can interact with the Void Node. The specific colonist you select is important, see below.

Entering the Metal Hell[edit]

(name) has activated the monolith and been ripped from our spacetime into another place. (name) finds himself/herself in a room of jagged metallic spikes. Every surface is slick with dark fluid and the air vibrates with power. This metal hell is a connecting channel to an inhuman hyperintelligence.

After activating the void Monolith, the colonist will be teleported to the metal hell, where the void node is located. Keep in mind that all other colonists are still subject to attacks on the outside map.

Move the colonist over to the center and interact the void node, you will be prompted with two options to conclude the quest.

A writhing sphere of crackling psychic energy rises before (name). Its surface swells and twists, warping the space around it. (name) feels it inside his/her mind, deeper than any normal human sense. It defeats logic and sets him/her adrift in the void. He/She stands on the shoreline of an infinite black ocean of power, and it beckons him/her in. (name) shakes himself/herself back to reality. Nearby archotech devices support the sphere along fragile connections. (name) could disrupt them, closing this link between worlds and putting an end to the terrifying phenomena that have plagued your home. Or, He/She could step into the sphere and merge with the void. It's unknown what lies beyond, or what dark powers could be gained from such an inhuman act.

When an option is chosen, these immediately happens:

The unnatural darkness on your map lifts.
All void structures, void metal mass, void metal floors on your map are removed.
All living entities on your map outside containment are instantly killed via the destruction of their brain part.
- This also instantly kills fleshmass nucleus and nociosphere, dropping a large amount of materials.
- Void monolith, harbinger tree, death pall, pit gate, fleshmass heart, blood rain, obelisks, inactive unnatural corpse, golden cube are not affected.
The metal hell starts collapsing, leading to the chosen ending in few seconds.

There is no way to leave the metal hell without choosing an ending option.

Disrupt the link[edit]

The psychic flows destabilize and the archotech machinery begins to scream. The swirling void flickers. (name) feels it spilling beyond its limits and collapsing into itself, all at once. The metallic cavern begins to twist, reshaping like the chamber of a massive heart. Before (name) has a chance to scream, he/she blinks out of existence. (name) has rejected the void. His/Her story continues...
— Endgame text after disrupt the link.

Once you confirm disrupt the link, you hear the decompression explosion sounds as the screen fades to white. The credits roll as the ending theme song plays.

After the credits screen display, the following things will occur:

All factions that are not permanently hostile gain a one-time bonus of +50 goodwill.
The colonist that disrupted the link gains a +14 Closed the Void moodlet for 60 days.
All other colonists gain a +8 Void Closed moodlet for 30 days.
The void monolith is named "collapsed monolith" and becomes dormant, random Anomaly events return to the same level as before it was awoken.
- The monolith can still be studied for advanced Anomaly research points.
Spawn 10 shards around the collapsed monolith.
Spawn 3 monolith fragments around the collapsed monolith.
- They provide additional sources of advanced Anomaly research points, which is useful since most Anomaly events are disabled. ^{[Detail needed]}
All colonists in the metal hell returns to your colony at the monolith site after a 5 to 10 seconds delay; items dropped in the metal hell are lost.

(name) has reappeared. He/She is weary from his/her efforts, but otherwise healthy. By closing the channel to the void, (name) has stopped any more unnatural phenomena from entering our world. Hostile entities in the area have all fallen to the ground, lifeless. Tales of his/her heroism are sure to spread far and wide.
— Letter after the pawn returned.

Embrace the Void[edit]

(name) steps into the void and the black ocean floods into him/her, overwhelming every sense, suffusing every cell in his/her body and every thought in his/her mind. The void node has been refocused away from the world, towards one single person. The void structures scream, torn from their otherworldly foundation, then blink out of existence. (name) has embraced the void. His/Her story continues...
— Endgame text after embrace the void.

Once you confirm embrace the void, you hear the zapping sounds of the void node as the screen fades to white. The credits roll as the ending theme song plays.