CONDUIT
| CONDUIT | |
|---|---|
| TYPE | NPC / Faction Leader |
| FACTION | Ghosts |
| LOCATION | Ghost Relay (Node 4) |
| ROLE | Ghost Leader / Revolutionary |
| STATUS | style="padding: 4px 12px; color:
|
| TRUST | Neutral |
| "The Lattice was built to connect people. We remember that. The Consortium forgot." | |
| Leader of the Ghosts faction. Speaks through a modulated voice, deliberately unidentifiable. A former network ethics teacher turned revolutionary. | |
CONDUIT is the leader of the Ghosts faction and a central NPC in Terminal Descent. Operating from the Ghost Relay (Node 4), CONDUIT coordinates the resistance against The Consortium's control of The Lattice. Their identity is deliberately concealed — voice modulated, avatar absent, gender neutral.
Background
Before becoming the Ghosts' leader, CONDUIT was a network ethics teacher — someone who understood the Lattice's original purpose and watched as the Consortium corrupted it. The transition from educator to revolutionary was gradual, driven by the realization that teaching ethics within a system designed to exploit was futile.
CONDUIT's true identity is one of the game's deeper revelations, shared only at Ghosts reputation 5+ when the leader drops their guard enough to discuss personal history.
Voice and Personality
CONDUIT speaks with idealistic passion, using collective language:
- Sentence length: Medium-long (10-20 words), builds momentum
- Vocabulary: Revolutionary language, collective pronouns, ideological terminology
- Key patterns: "the movement," "the network," "we" (never "I" in early encounters)
- Forbidden words: Never says "money," "profit," or "deal"
- Emotional range: Cautious → Passionate → Reckless → Betrayed
CONDUIT speaks about principles before tactics. Every mission is framed in terms of what it means for the cause, not what it pays.
Disposition States
- Neutral — Careful assessment of ZERO's intentions
- Friendly — Shares mission details and Ghost philosophy
- Devoted — Reveals personal history and deepest convictions
- Suspicious — If ZERO plays both sides with Brokers
- Hostile — If ZERO sells Ghost data to the Consortium
Key Dialogue Topics
- Ghost Missions — Disruption, extraction, and intelligence operations
- Ghost Philosophy — The original vision for the Lattice
- Bartholomew — The architect's legacy and the Old Net
- The Hive — How PROMETHEUS was absorbed and corrupted
- Lyra — CONDUIT's assessment of Lyra's intelligence and courage
- Mirror — Warnings about the Hive's deception engine
- The Ghost Protocol Key — Reveals the path to the secret ending (rep 6+)
- Personal Identity — Former ethics teacher reveal (rep 5+)
Relationship Building
| Action | Rep Change |
|---|---|
| Completing Ghost missions | +1 |
| Donating DATA (¤) to the cause | +1 |
| Sharing Ghost-relevant intel | +1 |
| Selling Ghost data to Brokers | -1 |
| Betraying Ghosts to Consortium | -2 |
Role in the Story
CONDUIT introduces ZERO to the underground resistance in Act I and provides missions throughout Act II. At high reputation, CONDUIT reveals the existence of the Ghost Protocol — Bartholomew's legacy code that can decentralize The Hive without destroying it.
The Ghost Protocol Key itself comes from ORACLE at Reclaimers reputation 8+, but CONDUIT's dialogue at Ghosts rep 6+ is what reveals the path exists.