"Xen is the gateway between universes and dimensions. It is the place where time, space, physics, and other known rules that define ones life go out the metaphorical window. What will happen when a Child of Xen, a perfect Supersoldier, a Guardian of Humanity, and a Spectre of a Council of aliens find themselves caught up in a war of survival? Find out in "Xen Effect"."
— Xen Effect Description
A fanfic created by The Pilot Archangel, Xen Effect
is a fusion fic of Mass Effect, Halo, Half-Life, and Destiny; combining various elements of the listed series into a crossover taking place in the world known as Xen, the crossroads of the multiverse. As these various franchises and heroes meet, the Nihilanth plots and acts.
Can also be found on Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own
This work contains examples of:
- Absent-Minded Professor: Mordin Solus shows shades of this, as he's more interested in Xen and how it breaks reality as opposed to the crew and his friends before he snaps himself out of it.
- Absurdly Youthful Mother: Yehochanan mentions offhandedly that Xenians reproduce at around the age of 14 to 15. To the more modern sensibilities of the Chitikka, this is more than a little off putting. Cortana and Mordin do point out that in such a deadly environment, and due to being from a hunter-gatherer society; reproducing at an early age is vital to a species survival. The information does little to settle everyone's nerves.
- Achievements in Ignorance: Just from being in Xen, Shepard and the other Quarians compromised Immune Systems start to repair themselves and even go into overdrive. Yehochanan, not understanding germ theory or anything resembling it, forcibly takes Shepards helmet off to "help" him eat some food she's given him. Shepard and the other Chitikka crew members are stunned that he doesn't keel over dead. Yehochanan is simply confused as to why Shepard started panicking when she took his helmet off.
- Achilles' Heel: Pretty much all the non-Xenians that come to Xen experience the exact same problem. They're soldiers trained to fight other intelligent enemies, not wildlife with reality defying abilities. Whisper-11, The Master Chief, and Jon'Shepard all are nearly killed multiple times just in the first few hours of their stay in Xen simply because they underestimate just how dangerous the wildlife is.
- Acid Attack: Courtesy of the Bullsquids. Yehochanan is introduced stalking and killing one for the meat and for the pelt.
- Actor Allusion: When Whisper-11 plays a recording of Cayde-6's unfortunate encounter with the Vex portal network, Chief thinks that he reminds of a certain Sergeant Buck due to how similar he sounds.
- Acquired Poison Immunity: A variation. Shepard and the other Quarians do not dare to remove their helmets or any part of their suits for fear of death inducing allergic reactions. Exposure to Xen cures them of this problem.
- Adaptational Species Change: The Chitikka being the canonical Normandy from a different universe where Humans do not exist; all the human crewmembers are subjected to this. Shepard, Kasumi, and Jack are Quarians, Miranda is an Asari, Joker is a Turian, Jacob is a Batarian, etc.
- Adorable Abomination: Given that they know nothing about the Xenian wildlife except for how deadly they are, the wildlife is treated as Abominations. Kas however finds the Headcrabs and Direwolves adorable.
- Alien Arts Are Appreciated: While staying aboard the Chitikka, Yehochanan finds the sound of Shepard and Miri playing a set of instruments to be relaxing.
- Alien Hair: Quarian women have "Hair-Quills", which looks and acts like regular hair like what a human woman would have; unless the quarian woman in question feels threatened, angry, or some combinations. Then the Hair-Quills stiffen and become very pointy, like a porcupine's quills. This is apparently an evolutionary holdover to protect Quarian women from rape and from predator's while nursing infants. Quarian men on the other hand just have regular human-like hair; albeit with more bizzare colors like midnight-blue, violet, or crimson.
- Alien Sky: The main archipelago near the Nihilanths Tower in Xen rests inside a nebula, creating stunning vistas that even the wide-travelled heroes can't help but admire.
- All Women Are Lustful: Subverted in regards to Quarian Women. Quarian women have a much higher sex drive compared to females of other species; meaning they desire sex more often than others. In the modern age (and with a restriction on the number of births that can be had), this isn't much of a problem and is easily medicated.
- Amazon Chaser: Shepard certainly has a preference, given his past relationship with Liara (before a bad breakup); and his poorly concealed attraction to Yehochanan.
- Amazonian Beauty: Yehochanan is noted by many to be quite beautiful, buxom, and very fit; which is a given considering how she's a hunter-gatherer.
- Gun Nut: Whisper-11, as indicated by her rant about the MA5B's various deficiencies (being bulky as hell, lack of a rail system or even basic iron sights, the redundant ammo counter, using an underpowered round, etc.)
- Naked First Impression: Shepard is teleported from the Chitikka into a pool of water during the Resonance Cascade; while Yehochanan was in the midst of bathing. Yehochanan is too startled by the appearance of an alien to really care (though she does forcibly turn him around once they both realize they aren't hostile); and Shepard is too much of a professional to ogle her in the moment, though he does find it embarrassing when the crew start teasing him about finding a new candidate for the "relationship betting pool".
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Cayde-6 is normally the laid-back, jesting, happy go lucky Hunter Vanguard-but when he learns that both Whipser-11 and the portal that took her are gone, he doesn't take it well: first by looking like he was about to shoot the unfortunate fireteam leader that reported it in just for being the bearer of bad news, and then grabbing Elise by the throat and slamming her into a wall when he goes to confront her about what she knows. Suffice to say, this freaks everyone around him the hell out. Turns it, his behavior is down to a tendril of darkness from Xen that's taken ahold of him.
- The Stoic: The Exo Stranger. She's rather blase about getting slammed against a damn wall by a pissed of Hunter Vanguard.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Though it's not dwelt on, given that events that take place after 'Forsaken' are referenced, it seems Cayde and his ghost are spared their canonical deaths in the Prison of Elders.
