Grunt: Rite of Passage

Travel to the krogan homeworld, Tuchanka, in the Aralakh system, located in the krogan de-militarised zone, and speak to the clan leader.

Acquisition
This is Grunt's loyalty mission, in which he requests that Shepard travels to Tuchanka so that he may complete the krogan rite of passage. In the cargo hold of the Normandy SR-2, Grunt will pace back and forth restlessly as he tells Shepard that he is unnerved by his intense desire to destroy and kill. It has become an involuntary compulsion rather than an intentional, pleasure-seeking activity. He requests that Shepard take him to Tuchanka, as EDI is lacking in the area of medical records pertaining to krogan, who now fiercely guard their medical data since the salarians used it against them with the genophage.

Walkthrough
With Grunt in your party, speak with the current leader of clan Urdnot, who will note that Grunt is of the age where he must complete the krogan rite of passage, and refers the party to the clan Shaman. The clan shaman will relate various information about the rite, as well as krogan history and culture. Gatatog Uvenk will protest Grunt taking the rite, as he is tank bred. You can get Uvenk to stand down in a number of ways. After Shepard agrees to be Grunt's krantt, the shaman sends Grunt and company to the traditional grounds of the rite.

The rite involves repeatedly pressing a switch, which begins a sort of monologue and spawns waves of enemies:
 * 1) Varren - The first wave summons multitudes of varren and they all descend upon Shepard, Grunt and the third party member. A good strategy is to try to shoot them before they get too close. They're deadly in close quarters, but pose no threat at a distance as long as they stay there. They come from two sides of the map at the opposite corners from the switch, so Shepard needs to stay sharp and not leave his or her back unguarded.
 * 2) Klixen - These fire-breathing creatures make up the second wave and are delivered by harvesters on either side of the map. These definitely need to be taken out while Shepard is still out of their fire-breathing range or they can quickly cause havoc and deal a lot of damage.
 * 3) Thresher Maw - This is not so much a wave as it is a giant creature attack. There is only one Thresher Maw and the primary objective is simply to survive. All Shepard and his teammates have to do is survive the attack for five minutes and the test will be ended. If Shepard and company manage to kill the Thresher Maw, they gain the respect of the krogan and the rite ends. The Thresher Maw moves around the outskirts of the map, but is easy to follow when it dives back underground. The Thresher Maw can destroy some of the weaker structures, so try to avoid those for cover and go for the sturdier walls instead.

After the Thresher Maw is destroyed or the timer hits the five-minute mark, the Rite of Passage is officially over. However, at that point Gatatog Uvenk and his krantt make an appearance. During the cutscene, Uvenk expresses that he is impressed by Grunt's accomplishment. He then seeks out a loophole that he believes will allow him to accept Grunt. Grunt, however, is not at all pleased by what Uvenk is saying. No matter what conversation option Shepard chooses, they end up engaging Uvenk and his krantt. Uvenk has a barrier and armor that need to be taken down to kill him and there are three or four Gatatog Warriors with him. Once they are all dead, Shepard and his comrades may return to the Urdnot camp. Grunt then becomes a full-fledged member of Urdnot Clan.

Note: There are two krogan corpses that can be searched during the fight against Uvenk. But you have to loot them before finishing the fight because you will automatically leave the area.

Enemies

 * Klixen
 * Varren
 * Thresher Maw
 * Gatatog Uvenk
 * Other Krogans

Mission Summary

 * Experience: 750 (937)
 * Credits: 30,000
 * Cerberus Funding: 15,000
 * Credits Found: 15,000
 * Power Unlocked
 * Grunt: Fortification
 * Upgrades
 * Shotgun Damage (Synchronized Pulsar)
 * Resources
 * Platinum: 2,000

Trivia

 * After this mission, should Shepard have killed the the thresher maw, several krogan will comment on the thresher maw Shepard killed, stating that it has not been done since Urdnot Wrex underwent the trial himself.
 * Upon returning to Tuchanka after the quest, should Shepard have killed the thresher maw, EDI will report that there have been numerous breeding requests directed for Grunt. Humourously (and to Grunt's amusement), there is also one for Shepard.
 * Humorously, you can get Uvenk to stand down using a renegade interrupt, in which Shepard headbutts him, catching Uvenk off guard and amusing the shaman. If Urdnot Wrex is present (survived the encounter on Virmire in ME1), he will headbutt Uvenk automatically when Uvenk attempts to interrupt Shepard's conversation.