Since the first Mass Effect, Bioware laid down the foundation for a number of different storylines that would come to a head by the time Mass Effect 3 begins. Among the more memorable is that surrounding the sterility virus forced on the Krogan — also known as the genophage.
The virus was meant to keep the Krogan population in check to prevent them from starting a war they’d likely win due to their superior numbers. It is a highly sensitive subject for all involved but is it the right decision to cure it. There is a lot to factor into the choice of curing the genophage.
The Factors
Of course, curing the genophage is a big deal but there are a number of circumstances to take into consideration before doing so. This will give you a potential idea as to the consequences and ramifications of curing the disease.
Who Is The Leader Of Clan Urdnot?
The leader of the clan will vary based on whether Wrex survived Virmire and was convinced that Saren’s genophage cure comes at too great a cost.
- If Wrex survived, then he will be the leader of Clan Urdnot in Mass Effect 2 and 3. He makes it clear even before he becomes a clan leader that he wants to focus on rebuilding since waging war has brought only misery.
- If he died, then his brother Wreav will be the clan leader. Unlike Wrex, he makes it clear he wants revenge on those that wronged the Krogan once the Reapers are out of the way.
Was Maelon’s Cure Saved Or Deleted?
For this choice to have occurred, you need to have completed Mordin’s loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2 since this choice happens at the end of that mission. The data contains information discovered from Maelon’s experiments on Krogan females and is a key factor in determining Eve’s fate, which will be discussed later.
The Journey To The Choice
After some time passes after rescuing Eve from the Cerberus attack on Sur’Kesh, Mordin will propose using the Shroud on Tuchanka to dispense the cure. Once you initiate the mission, the Salarian dalatrass will tell Shepard that the Shroud was sabotaged in the past to prevent a cure from being released. She will also offer Shepard an ultimatum.
If Shepard sabotages the cure, then she will give them Salarian support and war assets in the war against the Reapers.
Preparation
You will be facing Reaper enemies during the course of this mission. They primarily consist of husks, cannibals, marauders, brutes, and ravagers. It is best to have a good balance between combat, tech, and biotics-focused squadmates.
The Mission
The mission will open with the clan leader, Wrex or Wreav, talking about how this will be a defining moment for the Krogan. Eve will notice that Shepard looks conflicted and ask them what’s wrong. Here you have the choice to reveal the deal or not. But before you can, you are interrupted and have to deal with some Reapers.
After they are dealt with, the Krogan convoy heads to the Shroud. If you chose to try and reveal the deal, then Eve will ask what you were trying to say. Here you can finally reveal the dalatrass deal uninterrupted. It is important to note that if you wish to sabotage the cure, you should not reveal this.
Eventually, the convoy will stop at a collapsed bridge, which delays your arrival. But it’s too late for the turian fighter squad serving alongside you since the Reaper guarding the Shroud detects and attacks them. One crashes into the convoy, forcing Eve’s car to continue on without Shepard.
Here, you can make your way through an underground tomb where you can pick up some credits if you examine some of the art. Here you will hear rumbles that come from Kalros, described by Eve as the mother of all thresher maw. Once you make your way outside to what looks like a temple, continue pressing forward where you will encounter Reaper forces as well as ravagers. Aim for their sacks, which are their main weak points.
Once you make your way out of this area and into a more open locale, you will see Kalros pursuing Eve’s vehicle and another vehicle. Keep pushing forward and deal with any enemies in the way to eventually reach a stairway where a cutscene in which Shepard’s squad hurries over to the truck plays out.
Now you are at the Shroud facility, where you have to deal with the Reaper. Eve will propose using ceremonial hammers to lure Kalros to the Reaper. Here, avoid the laser trying to incinerate you. Once you get close to the hammers, there are brutes in the way — you also have to avoid being crushed by the Reaper. An area will be marked by a sudden shadow, avoid this by backing away if you are out of the way. If it shows up in your spot, run. Once the hammers are activated, enjoy a cutscene of Kalros taking down a Reaper.
Decision Time
Once the Reaper is gone, Shepard heads inside the crumbling facility to find Mordin and talks to them. If Maelon’s research was saved, then he will reveal that Eve survived and that she will be a good mediator should the clan leader get any ideas. If it was destroyed, then Eve will die.
Regardless, Mordin will reveal that the only chance to release the cure is by going to the top of the facility to manually authorize the release — it’s a one-way trip. Here is where the decision comes into play. If you wish to cure the genophage, Shepard will try to convince Mordin there’s another way. However, he will disagree. You can share a somber goodbye before he goes up the elevator to cure the genophage.
If you wish to sabotage it, then Shepard will try to convince Mordin to back down from it — he will refuse and a renegade decision will have Shepard pull a gun on him. He is not intimidated, and here a renegade prompt will appear. Pressing it will shoot Mordin. He still goes up the elevator but dies before he can release the cure.
If Wreav is the clan leader, Maelon’s data was destroyed, Mordin survived the suicide mission, and Eve is dead, then Mordin can be saved by talking him out of curing the genophage, at least for now.
The Consequences
Once the mission is said and done, Shepard will receive Krogan aid and Salarian aid (if they chose not to cure the genophage) in the war against the Reapers. If Wrex was clan leader, then you will also get a bonus asset consisting of Krogan mercenaries.
However, if Wrex is the clan leader, then he will confront Shepard in the Citadel later on, where he reveals he discovered Shepard’s deal with the dalatrass. He will then try to kill Shepard and they will be forced to put their old friend down. If Wreav was the clan leader, then he never finds out.
If Mordin survived, then he will be forced to leave Shepard in order to make it seem like he sacrificed himself to cure the genophage. He can then be talked to before the final push on Earth.
As for the ending, a number of slides will play out depending on the decisions made.
- If Wrex is clan leader and the genophage was cured, then Krogan can be seen rebuilding Tuchanka after the war ends. If Eve survived, then you will see her hand a Krogan baby to a family.
- If Wreav is clan leader and the genophage was cured, then he will be seen rallying Krogan for more fighting, seemingly ready to enact his vengeance upon the galaxy (unless synthesis was chosen, in which case he will abandon his plans). If Eve survived, then she will build her own army to fight Wreav’s, seemingly leading to a Krogan civil war.
- If the genophage was not cured, then a slide will show a Krogan female sitting and observing a barren Tuchanka.
- If Mordin was saved, then a slide will show him working in a lab with a krogan male and female in tubes. Seemingly trying to find another genophage cure.
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