Jade Shadows: Constellations asks you to take a side early on, backing one of two new Protoframes who guide the Stalker’s feuding sons. Ryoku is the Ash Protoframe loyal to Sirius, and Vena is the Garuda Protoframe loyal to Orion. Picking one means you board their Railjack and hunt the other.
Quick answer: There is no wrong choice. Run The Kuva Wytch to side with Ryoku and earn Emerald Talents, or run Scoria’s Angel to side with Vena and earn Crimson Talents. Both tokens currently work at the same Pontis Tower vendor, so the decision comes down to which ship and character you prefer.
How the Ryoku and Vena choice works
You need to finish the original Jade Shadows quest first, which unlocks Jade Shadows: Constellations in your Codex. After you complete the Constellations quest, the Uranus Proxima region of the Railjack Star Chart opens up, and that is where the choice lives.
Head to Uranus Proxima from Navigation and you will see two mission nodes. Each one ties you to a single Protoframe. You take command of that character’s fully-equipped Railjack and crew, break into the rival’s capital ship, and finish with an arena duel against the opposing Protoframe.
| Mission node | Ally | Railjack | Token reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kuva Wytch | Ryoku (vs Vena) | Santovan’s Oath | Emerald Talents |
| Scoria’s Angel | Vena (vs Ryoku) | Marrowbone | Crimson Talents |
The two ships play very differently. Ryoku’s Santovan’s Oath leans on cloaking, ranged weapons, and regenerative ammunition for precise strikes, and his vessel is rigged with traps and ambushes. Vena’s Marrowbone is built for interception and raw damage, a heavier, blood-soaked machine that hits hard. If you want a stealthy, methodical run, take Ryoku. If you want straightforward firepower, take Vena.
Rewards: Emerald Talents, Crimson Talents, and the Pontis Tower vendor
The main reason the choice matters is the token you collect. Aiding Ryoku in The Kuva Wytch hands out Emerald Talents, while aiding Vena in Scoria’s Angel hands out Crimson Talents. Both feed the same vendor in Pontis Tower, the new Uranus hub that becomes accessible once you complete the quest.
At that vendor you can spend the tokens on items tied to Sirius and Orion, their signature weapons, and other cosmetics and gear. The tokens can also be used to upgrade your Railjack crew. So far the tokens appear to have universal use, which means picking one side does not lock you out of any reward over the long run.
You can play both sides and change your earlier decision
Neither node is permanent. You can complete the quest with either Vena or Ryoku, then keep running both missions afterward to bank both token types. Decisions carried over from the original Jade Shadows quest also feed into Constellations, but after you finish the new quest you can change that earlier decision from the Pontis Tower.
To launch from the hub instead of Navigation, travel to Vena or Ryoku inside Pontis Tower, step through the portal behind them to reach their Railjack Dock, then use the console to board and select Begin Mission. If your matchmaking is set to Solo before entering, you also get the option to board your personal Railjack. You do not need to own or level a Railjack of your own to play either mission.
Recruiting Ryoku or Vena as Railjack crew
Both Protoframes can eventually be hired as permanent crew for your own Railjack once you put in enough work with their post-quest missions. They do not appear in the Kinemantik Instant Messenger system, so you learn about them through these Railjack missions rather than the usual KIM entries. After they join, you can assign them to any role and equip them with weapons from your Arsenal.
The bottom line is that the Ryoku versus Vena pick is about playstyle and presentation rather than missing out on rewards. Choose the ship and character you enjoy fighting alongside, then return to the other node when you want the second token. With both Emerald and Crimson Talents feeding the same vendor, you can work toward every Sirius and Orion reward regardless of who you backed first.
