Der Anfang | Call of Duty’s Dark Aether Storyline

The Start of a New Dark Aether Story

Der Anfang (German for “The Beginning”) marks a new chapter in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies storyline. It is part of the Dark Aether Saga, first introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Acting as a prequel to Die Maschine, Der Anfang introduces new lore, characters, and gameplay systems that expand the Zombies formula while keeping its dark, supernatural roots.

The story centers around Oberführer Wolfram Von List, a Nazi officer seeking to resurrect an undead army through a pact with the Dark Aether god Kortifex the Deathless. Players join forces with four otherworldly allies—Elder Gods who oppose Kortifex—to fight back against this rising evil.

Setting and Story Overview

The events of Der Anfang unfold across multiple locations, with Stalingrad serving as the central hub. Players travel between the Soviet Union, France, and the Empire of Japan through mystical portals.

Trapped within a containment spell created by Kortifex, Allied operatives must complete objectives to unlock new areas and weaken Von List’s control. As each objective is completed, the difficulty increases, echoing mechanics from Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak mode.

Four Elder Gods—Inviktor, Saraxis, Bellekar, and Norticus—guide the player throughout the mission. Each one grants a Field Upgrade, giving players supernatural abilities to survive Kortifex’s undead forces.

Main Objectives in Der Anfang

There are six unique objectives in Der Anfang. Each one is tied to a specific Elder God and plays differently, testing various survival skills.

Blitz

Led by Inviktor, Blitz challenges players to survive a timed onslaught within a confined area. The goal is simple—hold out as long as possible and kill zombies to weaken Kortifex’s power.

Harvest

Saraxis introduces the Harvest objective. Players kill zombies to collect Runestones, which must be deposited into a Sin Eater obelisk. The process repeats several times, feeding the Sin Eater and restoring Saraxis’ strength.

Transmit

Bellekar and Gabriel Krafft enlist the player to escort a floating zombie head carrying a rune-sealed transmitter. The device must reach its destination while players fend off waves of enemies, staying inside the transmitter’s area of effect.

Purge

Norticus tasks players with capturing Control Runes that contain Augmentors—entities that empower Kortifex’s magic. Each rune must be secured before time runs out, or a massive zombie wave will appear as punishment.

Void

Unlocked later in the map, the Void portal leads to Shi No Numa, a classic Zombies location. Players face endless zombie waves, with increasing difficulty every few rounds. They can choose to “Flee” and return to Stalingrad with rewards or stay longer for greater bonuses. Surviving 12 rounds in the Void grants a permanent perk protection bonus.

Sacrifice

Vercanna introduces the Sacrifice objective, where players stop zombies from feeding Syphoncores. If zombies complete their ritual, a rift opens, releasing overwhelming enemies. Successful defense rewards loot, while failure kills all players in the area.

The Prologue Quest

The Prologue Quest acts as a short narrative setup that leads players deeper into the story. After completing an initial portal objective, players gain access to Von List’s office and the Void portal. Surviving waves in Shi No Numa triggers a cutscene featuring Kortifex, revealing more about his control over the mortal world.

Returning to Stalingrad, players can access new areas and activate additional portals. This progression eventually leads to new dialogue sequences with Gabriel Krafft, expanding the mystery of Kortifex’s dark spell.

Core Features of Der Anfang

Der Anfang experiments with new systems and builds on mechanics from earlier Zombies titles.

Weapons and the Mystery Box

The Mystery Box returns, offering random weapons in exchange for Essence. Standard weapons from Vanguard’s arsenal are available, alongside Zombies-exclusive upgrades that scale with difficulty.

Demonic Fountains

Demonic Fountains replace traditional perk machines. Each fountain grants a unique power:

• Aethereal Haste: Increases movement speed.

• Demonic Frenzy: Boosts reload speed.

• Diabolical Damage: Enhances critical damage.

• Fiendish Fortitude: Raises health.

• Venomous Vigor: Improves health regeneration.

Players can upgrade these perks through multiple tiers, using Sacrificial Hearts earned from completing objectives.

The Altar of Covenants

One of the most distinctive additions in Der Anfang is the Altar of Covenants. It allows players to exchange Sacrificial Hearts for random upgrades, called Covenants, that alter gameplay in powerful ways. These upgrades can improve weapon performance, enhance field upgrades, or modify core mechanics.

Tome of Rituals

Introduced with the Season One Reloaded update, the Tome of Rituals lets players upgrade their Field Upgrades for stronger effects. It adds long-term progression and gives more control over the Elder Gods’ powers.

Audio and Visual Storytelling

Der Anfang maintains Zombies’ traditional cinematic storytelling through cutscenes and in-game radios. The intro cinematic sets the stage for the alliance between Von List and Kortifex, establishing the tone for the campaign. Throughout the game, players can find radios that reveal backstory details about the Dark Aether, the Elder Gods, and the human struggle against Kortifex’s domination.

Each completed objective expands the playable zone in Stalingrad, offering both visual and narrative progression as the containment spell weakens.

Round Themes and Difficulty

Unlike traditional round-based Zombies maps, Der Anfang uses objectives to increase difficulty. As more areas unlock, enemies grow stronger, spawn more frequently, and introduce elite variants.

The game’s pacing mimics the escalation of war. Early objectives are manageable, but later stages push players into chaotic battles that test strategy, positioning, and resource management.

Cutscenes and Lore Expansion

The Der Anfang intro cutscene showcases Von List’s pact with Kortifex and the moment their dark power merges with the mortal world. It sets up the motivations of both villain and heroes.

Kortifex’s goal is to dominate all dimensions through his undead army, while the Elder Gods aim to stop him. The prologue quest deepens this tension, leading players into the larger arc that will unfold across future maps.

The Legacy of Der Anfang

Der Anfang represents the foundation of Vanguard’s Zombies narrative, reintroducing supernatural warfare with new systems that move away from the traditional round-based formula. It bridges the gap between Cold War’s Dark Aether storyline and future entries, positioning itself as a key part of Zombies’ evolving mythology.

The map’s design, mechanics, and lore laid the groundwork for later additions such as the Void objective and Seasonal updates that expanded player progression.

Though experimental, Der Anfang captured a pivotal moment for the Zombies mode — one where narrative depth met evolving gameplay. Players who enter Stalingrad face not only the undead but also the lingering shadow of the Dark Aether.

Closing Thoughts

Der Anfang remains a defining step in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies experience. It introduces a new style of objectives, expands the Dark Aether story, and brings the supernatural horror of Kortifex’s army to life. As the first chapter of Vanguard’s saga, it stands as both a fresh beginning and a haunting reminder of what lurks beyond the mortal world.

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