#court of savathûn

[telestoapologist]

DESTINY 2 AS TUMBLR TEXT POSTS 💠💬✨

(19/?)

[flowers-of-io]

Savathûn, Insidious, combs her fingers through the river of stars drifting across the ceiling of the freshly completed Dreadnaught. The chitin on the walls still smells of newness, and various servant Acolytes and minor courtiers scuttle around with hands full of relics and banners dragging behind them, hanging up lanterns, lifting statues onto pedestals. Oryx stands presiding over this whole commotion with his head held up proudly and hand resting on the Willbreaker’s hilt.

“Why have you called this place the Mausoleum?” she asks, chasing a constellation with her hand and watching it dissipate between her claws.

Oryx rolls his shoulders, all regal, and the stars look like a diadem around his temples now—small flickering things at the crown of his vastness.

“Because it is the tomb of all the worlds we have liberated from existence, enshrined here as a map of our celestial crusade.”

“Eight hundred thousand fifty-two planetary systems. I’m impressed you’re still keeping count.”

“If we don’t know where we came from, how will we know where to go?”

She snorts at his tone, scholarly and formal like he is reciting prayers during the Feast of Swords. There is pride on his face, watching her watch the stars glimmer above them like precious stones.

“Then I expect dear old Fundament is hanging as the centrepiece over your throne.”

Oryx looks at her with his eyes the colour of nebulas and gestures, almost carelessly, to a tiny bright dot in a cluster of identical bright dots suspended on a distant part of the ceiling, above the ravine. From her spot at the edge of the balcony Savathûn can barely make out the largest moons.

This is a conversation about what is a crown jewel and what is a pebble, and, from Oryx’s perspective, an older brother’s lesson for an obstinate sister. And maybe if she were younger, less hardened by power and hunger, she would have picked up this gauntlet thrown in her face and they would fight, splattering gore across the polished floors. But wisdom comes with age—or maybe she is just too weary or too unbothered, or doesn’t want to make a scene in front of the Court—and Savathûn only scoffs, and turns away to admire the carvings on a nearby column.

(She does not remember this conversation anyway, untold millennia and heresies later—only the outline of their silhouettes against the cosmic river, and the weight on her left shoulder where Oryx’s hand rested—and it is one of the first memories she tells Immaru about.)

—the negative spaces

[sun-singer]

Inktober day 20: lake, featuring the Harmony and the gift mast

“Xivu Arath kills the wishful bishops, and Savathûn achieves some secret purpose, and Oryx’s Court tears down the Gift Mast. The Harmony people wail in terror, and they throw themselves into the silver lakes of Ana-Harmony to drown.��

[savyir-genesizz-the-wizard]

All Cogito-4 fics chronologically

Will be updated. If a fic isn't here it means that it's not canon anymore sorry

Pre-D1

Destiny 1 Report from the bottom of the canyon [X] Report from secret Operation Powerplant [X] Report from the Last City [X]

Destiny 2 Report from the crashed ship [X] 9 sayings of the Nessus scouts in A5341 sector [X]

Post Beyond Light Report from an unimportant rock [X] Report from a rock marked with yellow paint [X] And I killed Cayde-6 (old but still somewhat canon) [X] Lost and found [X]

Post Final Shape A house and a clothing line [X] Fragmented, Vex [X] Together (Wawrzyn's report) [X] Rebirth (Report from Savathûn's Court) [X] Ensnare (Of course I did) [X] Divine [X] Fireteam Colide plays a board game [X]

Full timeline, abriged:

BrayTech scientist (chemist)

pirate on an Eliksnii pirate ship after 4th reset

Killed while defending the crew from a ambush

Risen during the Great Hunt (1st of July)

Student of a Warlock named Štefan Ryba

Leaves the City for missions after the Battle of The Burning Lake (after Ryba goes missing)

Takes part in The Great Disaster (he's greatly affected by it (terribly scared of Hive) but doesn't let anyone know)

Doesn't oppose Osiris but doesn't align himself with the Cultists

Leaves the City more often after Osiris'es exhile (to avoid the tensions between fractions)

Takes part in The Battle of the Twilight Gap (as defending the ammunition suply chain)

Works on planets and other objects distant from Earth as a reasercher (notably the Asteroid Belt)

Recieves a vision from Traveler and finds his mentor's light artifacts

When the Red War starts he returns to Earth but doesn't take part in the final battle (stays at the Farm)

Confronts rumors of his mentor being Taken but doesn't find them in the Ascendand Realm nor the Reef

Investigates Nessus and the Vex for the first time

Fights on the Leviathan

Establishes a permament camp on Nessus

Confronts the nightmare of his mentor

Assigned Warlock Vanguard Deputy by Ikora Rey

Gets involved with Misraaks'es Splicers (works with them during and after SotSplicer)

Investigates alternative timelines and learns how to manipulate Vex structures

Leaves Nessus after the Echoes Incident

[thefirstknife]

When Eris Morn banished Xivu Arath from the Black Terrace, her throne world, I immediately started to wonder if such a thing was mentioned before.

This whole season was sublime with the amount of care and references to past Hive and Eris lore—heck, Imbaru was finally mentioned again in game by name!

So when the banishment happened, I thought this was completely new thing, but reading back on the lore I was amazed to find out it wasn't!

This happened before to Oryx. In the fourth Book of Sorrow it mentions how Savathûn and Xivu Arath conspired together to lock Oryx out of his throne-world, forcing him to cut his way back in and claim it.

"I think that Savathûn and Xivu Arath are trying to steal the tablets from me. They must have cut off my tribute while I was away communing with the Deep." -XXXIV: More beautiful to know

"We have marooned Oryx within the Deep." "Savathûn and I conspired to strand Oryx on his expedition." -XXXV: This Love Is War

"I fought my traitor siblings and I fought the swarming corpse of Akka and I cut my way back into my own court, the High War, which had been usurped." -XXXVI: Eater of Hope

I was so giddy when I read this, and so I thought you and your audience would like it too :)

YES!

This season was honestly a love letter to the Books of Sorrow. There were so many throwbacks, little details and mentions of stuff from there, it felt like a really nice way to bring this, ngl, fundamental text of Destiny into the game proper. Like, this text was never in the game and this was such a cool way to bring some of that content into voice lines that you can hear and interact with.

Hearing Xivu talking about the conquests from the Books of Sorrow was such a treat. It's one thing to read it and I absolutely adore that this was a written text because it added something special to it in written format, but it's another thing and more, new context to hear it being narrated in voice lines.

Super cool detail with the throne world as well. Eris knows the text well and she was so sneaky about her plan, outsmarting everyone involved. Absolutely incredible solution, one I'm genuinely glad was not telegraphed otherwise because it worked so well as a surprise.

[songs-of-future-past]

Destiny 2 News

This again, because it was fun last time. A day late because I was out yesterday. So, fashion first:

Mariachi Pistolero: You know what? Could be fun. We always need more Western cowboy stuff in our space fantasy. 8/10

Crane Martial Artist: I can't think of many items that fit this theme save for the Untethered Edge set? 5/10, not something I'd personally use much outside one particular Stasis build I have, but could be interesting. At least it's different.

Atlantian Royal Guard: GIMME. I don't have any other comments. 10/10

Kami / Kodama: Again, not something I'd use, but it sounds pretty. 4/10, I'd have to see it.

Oni: Claw gauntlets, love it. Also extra fingers could be fun. 3/10, there's only one part of this that I'd use.

April Fools: Their description doesn't make too much sense to me, but if it's like the DDLC set I don't care. 1/10

Court Jester: Again, I'm kinda meh on this one, sorry. 1/10

Bardic Traveller: Oh we need instrument stuff. Been waiting on something string instrument related specifically for Strand. 7/10

Verity's Brow ornament: FINALLY!! I've been waiting on something, because that thing doesn't go with Jack shit. Now I can actually use that one DPS build in good conscience.

Everything else is under the cut.

First off, congrats to Biggz, Mariomonkey, and luigistyle for your dungeon race win. That was a tough run, and y'all should be proud of your gold. Although the race has ended, contest mode is going to be running again this weekend to make up for the PSN crash.

The exotic mission Derealize is out, rewarding the Barrow Dyad exotic submachine gun. Keep an eye on the preview screen, I've heard there's a secret with the gun there. Absolute blast of a mission, by the way. Everyone say welcome back to the dick wall.

The updated Trials of Osiris is now in full swing, so far it is much more enjoyable and far less stressful. Still don't like PvP, but I'll go visit our favourite bird uncle for once. On the flip side, Iron Banner is coming back, although Valus Forge is back to his usual one week rotation. Go bark at him while you can.

To simplify security, Bungie is updating account unlinking. If you need to do so, highly recommend unlinking now while you can.

Holochips have also been released, giving your guardian a contrail for twelve hours. If anyone would like, I'd like to get a couple people together to teach Grasp of Avarice to test out whether or not it can help with Sherpa runs.

Referring back to Destiny streams, Game2Give managed to raise an impressive $2,753,931.26 for disaster relief with the help of donors and over 200 streamers and content creators

~ Just gonna copy the known issues list over ~

The Nether:

Sometimes the Tome of Want: A Primer quest does not progress after meeting Step 3 and Step 4 requirements.

The Bolt Charge boon description should say, "At maximum charge, any ability damage generates a powerful bolt of Arc lighting at the target's location."

Several lines in each language for Memory of Savathûn, Memory of Oryx, and Memory of Xivu are cut off or not played at all.

Sundered Doctrine

When damaging shrieker bosses, players receive critical damage feedback, but damage is actually regular base damage.

When tracking Ikora's Drowning Labyrinth quest, completion of certain steps may stop progress on the next steps.

Upon a player reaching the rally banner for the second boss, previous areas will become soft kill volumes, which may kill teammates who are behind.

Abilities

The On Point gilded Triumph's description strings mentions Stasis, but it should say Strand.

The Hunter Arc Aspect Ascension depletes all Super energy when used during a roaming Super.

The On the Prowl Hunter Aspect currently grants a small chunk of ability energy over the seven-second duration of each stack instead of all at once.

The Ascension Hunter Aspect drains all Super energy if used while in a roaming Super and doesn’t work with certain mods and Exotic armors.

The Storm’s Keep Titan Aspect does not synergize with Arbor Warden.

The Volatile Marksman artifact mod is restoring class ability energy too quickly.

The Ionic Sentry Arc Warlock Aspect does not synergize properly with Exotics and other parts of the Arc subclass.

Weapons

Class-specific weapons (Swords & Exotic Glaives) can be used with any class. This is not intended.

The new competitive weapon, Redrix's Estoc, can only be earned once in the first week when doing placement matches.

Crafted Vault of Glass weapons incorrectly allow Deepsight Harmonizers to be used.

The Fatebringer (Timelost) doesn't have a socket for mementos.

The Discord and Harmony perks count down before the player switches to the necessary weapon.

Armour

The Stoicism "Heart's Pledge" ornament doesn't show cloth on the feminine body type.

The Tempest Strike Hunter Aspect does not activate Nightmare Fuel Perk on Sealed Ahamkara Grasps.

Blight Ranger's Exotic perk, Voltaic Mirror, does not trigger Bolt Charge when cancelled.

Memento Shaders can be previewed on armor in the Armor Management screen. This is not intended, and Mementos aren't being considered for use on armor.

General

Grandmaster Triumphs reference a previous Episode.

Ammo bricks give less ammo than intended.

In any case, go check out the main article for Artist of the Week and Movie of the week, and have a wonderful day.

[crow-posting]

Things I Think About:

Awoken Edition

Do Reefborn Awoken still bio-engineer their children? I think I read somewhere that natural births superseded bioengineered ones by the time The Guardian visits the Reef, but I can't find the grimoire/lorebook for that. It'd be an interesting point of tension between Reefborn and Earthborn (especially for those trying to date!) - while the former would see it as a way of survival, the latter might see it as a form of eugenics/population control.

How do Reefborn Awoken treat their AI? It is said that Reef Frames are merely "computers with robotic appendages"; do they view their AI with similar indifference? How would they approach Failsafe? How do they feel about the humanization of Last City Frames, or even pre-Golden Age robots like Curiosity? If Medusa is real, and not just a construct of Savathûn, how would they react if she revealed herself?

Throughout Season of the Seraph, Mara called Rasputin an "it" and said the Awoken "has long been wary of such a power in the system." She claimed Ana shaped Rasputin into something better, but did she actually see him as "more than a weapon" in the end?

Are Reefborn Awoken still prejudiced against Earthborn and Risen Awoken after the events of Forsaken? They aren't openly hostile, but many still seem to believe that Earthborn and Risen are severed from their people/purpose. How do they treat Distributary-born Earthborn vs. second- or third-gen Earthborn? How do they treat humans with Awoken ancestry? Is "cousin" a formal greeting or a friendly one? Do Earthborn call Reefborn "cousin" as well?

. . .

Edit: adding additional lore entries / flavor text about Earthborn and Reefborn interactions! Thank you @chrimsone for reminding me of some of these! ("Queenslaw"; "Of Earth and the Reef"; "Tigerspite"; "III: Just A Kindness"; "Spirit of Alliance")

. . .

How many of the original Awoken (891 crew or 40,000 passengers) are left? What roles do they serve? Does the Vanguard keep track of the ones who came to Earth? Did the ones in the Reef become part of Mara's court, so she could keep them close?

Do humans with Awoken ancestry have access to Awoken magic? Can Awoken Warlocks learn to dream-walk like Techeuns do? Can Risen Awoken hear Mara telepathically if they choose to open their minds to her? Does Mara have the same effect on Risen and/or later-generation Earthborn as she does on Reefborn? For those who are fully Awoken, do the abilities they pass on get weaker or stronger (or stay consistent) with each generation?

How diverse is Reefborn culture? How much influence does Mara have over it? Aside from local dialects, which developed before the Awoken settled in the Reef, most aspects of Reefborn culture were created to keep them united under Mara's rule. Does Mara have a "soft" influence like British royalty, or does she actively set standards for what is acceptable/frowned upon/taboo? (If she does set cultural standards, I imagine they're presented like the Capybara Corner, where certain behaviors are encouraged* from a young age.)

*Encouraged or idealized? Who's to say. :)

The tragic encounters with Aphelion. The effect of asphodelia flowers on Awoken. The uses for and significance of amethyst. The fact that a lot of things that affect Awoken start with "a."

The parallels between Archiloquy and Nitrogen. The parallels between Savathûn and Mara. Mara's obsession with secrets and how she views "secrets" differently than "lies," even though a lot of her "secrets" can be considered half-truths and lying by omission. The idea that secrets - not truth - keep people safe.

OC-Specific Thoughts #1

Due to paracausal interference during his first resurrection, my Warlock retained his original memories. Would Reefborn Awoken see him as the person he was, or the person he is now?

Mara sees Crow as Uldren, even though she didn't see Savin as Chao Mu or Orin as Nasan Ar. If Reefborn Awoken now believe that Risen can "revert" to their old selves by regaining their memories (actual memories, not "second-hand" accounts like Shinobu's journal), how do they explain other differences - new personalities, the Light's alteration of DNA, etc? Would this change in outlook also change whether they respect a Risen's current identity/personhood?

OC-Specific Thoughts #2

How do Reefborn Awoken treat The Guardian? In the current story, Mara has forgiven The Guardian enough to share her power with them, and even encourages them during their battles against the Shadow Legion. She also seems to blame Savathûn for Uldren's death, though she still views Petra and The Guardian as his "executioners."

However, while Reefborn are more monolithic than Earthborn and baseline humans, they aren't a hive mind and not everyone agrees with Mara's decisions. People like Jolyon probably hold a grudge against The Guardian regardless of Mara's actions or official decrees. Would they act on that grudge? Would they make it known through disapproving expressions and terse tones? Or would they hide it as best they could, whispering just out of earshot and only glaring once The Guardian had passed?

If The Guardian (like my Hunter) has a history of not getting along with Mara, would it make the Reefborn's disapproval more obvious, or would they continue to act in ways that Mara would deem acceptable? Would it affect the way they treat people close to The Guardian, friendly towards The Guardian (Petra, Shuro Chi, etc.) or even Guardians in general? Would it change if The Guardian had helped them personally?

And would Jolyon ever reconnect with Crow, considering how close Crow and The Guardian have become?

[xivu-arath]

⭐ ?

I went with a conversation yet unfinished!

an unofficial pattern that amuses me is that all my lavinia fics start with her complaining about the setting. nailing this starting scene (following toland, ascendant mud) was what made me realize it

there's a lot of wording I'm proud of in this one, but I quite like the description of sav's court from afar, and the "fountain left unfilled" considering what happens in the twq campaign...

of course I wrote this with both "a taste of salt" and the dust lorebook in mind, so there's a lot of offhand references and things I wanted to touch on in some way. it's important that in the simulation, savathûn always gave lavinia a familiar (and impossible) tea, while the tea she makes in this fic is wholly new and has possibly never been tasted before by anyone... (and the tea and bone teacup in turn remind me, at least, of truth to power and dul incaru pouring poison...)

I do wish I'd managed to find space for immaru but there was no coherent way to get him in and finish the fic close to time! it was also at max blustering small orb capacity already, I feel

[sightsofdestiny]

Athenaeum, Court of Savathûn

[thefangirlthatwaited]

Encounter (Chapter 142) - A Destiny 2 Story

Crow x Guardian

We landed in the Throne World less than an hour after Eris ordered us to mobilize, and right away, I could sense something was wrong. There was powerful Hive magic at play. I lifted my hand, and bits of soulfire swam around my fingers. 

“Ruby?” Shadow asked, eyes glued to my hand.

“This isn’t Savathûn’s or Eris’s magic,” I explained.

“That would mean...” Raven faltered.

“Do you hear it? The thrumming of her battlesong. Xivu Arath’s brood has come.” Eris explained as the doors to the Spire opened.

“WE WILL MAKE OF MY SISTERS COURT A BATTLEFIELD.” Xivu Arath yelled as she summoned her army to attack, and I barely made it to cover it as shots flew inches from my face.

“Fuck,” I hissed, trying to keep my composure. I should have expected Xivu Arath to fight back, but I didn’t expect retaliation this soon.

“What’s the plan, oh fearless leader?” Artemis teased.

I peeked from our pillar and saw a big ass Knight. “That’s our target. I can sense the Hive magic coming from it. We kill that, and we have our way forward.” I turned to my team and came up with a plan on the fly. “There are five of us, so let’s divide and conquer. West and Raven, I want you two to work on the outer ring. Keep the snipers and as much as the reinforcements from the rest of us. Artemis, Shadow and I will work on the Knight and its front line. Got it?” The team nodded. “Good. Let’s show Xivu Arath what the Light can do.”

We split into our teams and got to work. Xivu Arath was the God of War, and her army proved it. They fought harder than any Hive we’ve come across in a while. But as the saying went, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” It was exactly what was happening here. With one final shot of my Taipan, the Knight fell, and our way forward opened.

“You hear that? … She’s in our heads,” Immaru warned as if we hadn’t heard Hivu Arath before the fight.

Ikora scoffed. “I hear it.”

We continued to ascend the Spire as Hivu Arath screamed at us.

“THE HELIUM DRINKS. THE AMMONITES. WE SOUNDED THEIR END WITH OUR BLADES. THE ECUMENE. THE HARMONY. THEY WAILED IN TERROR AS WE SANG THEIR EXTINCTION. HUMANITY HAS JOINED THE CHORUS OF OUR WAR ETERNAL.”

“What is she doing?” Ikora asked.

Xivu Arath issues her challenge.” Eris replied.

“You’ve really done it now. You need to chase Xivu’s goons out of here before they take over.” Immaru explained.

“Can we stop the bickering and focus on the issue at hand? Are there more of Hivu Arath’s minions?” I hissed.

“Ruby, press on!” Eris replied, causing my anger to boil.

“Ruby, don’t,” Stell warned.

“I know.” 

Full chapter on Ao3

[okome-sasanishiki]

失われたセクター Lost Sector

🟥カバル Cabal

🟦フォールン Fallen

🟧ハイヴ Hive

🟨スコーン Scorn

🟩ベックス Vex

🟪宿られ Taken

ネオムナ Neomuna

🟥水耕デルタ Hydroponics Delta

🟥黄金の令状 Gilded Precept

🟩スリラドローム Thrilladrome

エウロパ Europa

🟩パーディクト Perdition

🟦封印されたボイド Concealed Void

🟩塹壕E15 Bunker E15

月 Moon

🟦K1ロジスティクス K1 Logistics

🟦K1クルー区画 K1 Crew Quarters

🟦K1コミュニオン K1 Communion

🟧K1リベーション K1 Revelation

夢見る都市 The Dreaming City

🟪星明りの間 Chamber of Starlight

🟨叶わぬ願いの入江 Bay of Drowned Wishes

🟪アフェリオンの休息 Aphelion's Rest

ネッスス Nessus

🟦亀裂 The Rift

🟦死肉の穴 The Carrion Pit

🟩太陽系儀 The Orrery

🟩古代人の理念 Ancient's Haunt

🟥合流点 The Conflux

サバスンの玉座の世界 Court of Savathûn

🟨抽出 Extraction

🟧埋葬所 Sepulcher

🟨変性 Metamorphosis

コスモドローム Cosmodrome

🟦エクソダス・ガーデン 2A Exodus Garden 2A

🟧ベレス・ラビリンス Veles Labyrinth

[ramshead-shackles]

Krardosc had not been alive very long. How long had it been? Ten court cycles? Twenty of the human years? She didn’t know. It didn’t really matter, not to Hive.

And definitely not to a Hive Lightbearer.

She had been very careful to keep her affliction hidden, to keep her little Light tucked carefully away from the view of her Brood, away from the prying grasp of the War God. She did not remember, but she was clever, and picked up on little fluctuations in voice and tone that would suggest she knew things, or that such information would be above her station.

She had written down the names of the most prominent members of her brood before she had died, perhaps as a way of honoring them? It didn’t matter, it worked now as a ledger of things to remember, things that would be detrimental to forget.

And yet, Krardosc still failed. She could not tithe, not with darkness, as she should. And she was found out; and she killed her brood mother, running for her and her Ghost’s life, into the wilderness. Alone, the two of them ran for a very long time.

It was the same Ghost that had condemned her to this fate that had offered her a name. “Krardosc” was a combination of Hive words, meaning “Warrior of Wits”, and even though it felt unfitting, she had politely accepted it. Yes, Krardosc. She could prove worthy of that.

Still, the newly named Krardosc didn’t have a name for her Ghost, and as the two wandered, they bonded. Slowly at first, with only the Ghost doing much of the talking. And then, one day, she was sleeping, and found the little Ghost resting against her chest, between her claws. And she had smiled, beneath the chitinous face. And had gently patted the shell of the Ghost, and uttered a name: Satu.

Satu and Krardosc traveled alone, for a long while, an acolyte and her Ghost. They kept out of sight, lonely, but having each others company to take the edge off. Finally, stumbling across the furtherest reaches of the planet called Earth, Krardosc found hope; and a home. A Knight, a Wizard, and two other Acolytes, each with their own Ghost, and secret Light. They had found each other, and had secreted themselves away into a den of bones and mud, and they welcomed the other Lightbearer, after she had proven herself against their Wizard.

And for once, she felt at peace. Yes, this is where she was meant to be. Each of them had come from a different brood, the Knight an old remnant of the Taken King’s children, the Wizard once a member of Savathûn’s court, tithing to the Witch Queen, and praising her Light, until he had received his own. The two others Acolytes were twins, and an odd pair. They did not talk very often, except to each other, and would not share what brood they had originated from. But they were fiercely loyal, and they taught Krardosc everything they knew; which was much.

She was home, and she made an effort to make it Satu’s home too. The little Ghost was timid, though he loved to talk and learn and listen, just as his Acolyte did.

And together, they were no longer alone, together they found family, and hope, and something deeper than even that.

Love.

[flowers-of-io]

The Second Law of Anatheme

Read on Ao3

One day, Savathûn gave her daughter Balwûr Bitter-Poison a task.

She said, “Take ten thousand Thrall and put some in caves, and some in water, and some in the void of space; and slaughter them any way you wish. But there is one condition, which is that you must look each one of them in the face as the last flicker of soulfire fades from their eyes. Then return to me and tell me what you have learned.”

So Balwûr picked ten thousand Thrall, those who had already fought enough to grow eyes, and put some in caves, and some in water, and some in the void of space, and slaughtered them. From her hidden court Savathûn watched the proceedings—every fiery explosion and every glint of a blade.

“Testing her strength, are you now?” Xivu Arath inquired, both impressed and jealous. Savathûn bowed her head, and distracted her sister with a poison dart aimed squarely at the throat of her chief pilot, causing his body to collapse onto the controls and crash the ship head-first into a nearby war moon.

“Testing her curiosity, I see,” Oryx the King rumbled, peering down at her from high atop his osmium throne. Savathûn hid a smile, and lied the truth to her brother until half of the Dreadnaught was everted back outside-out.

When Balwûr returned to the High Coven, covered in blood and fed richly with tithes, Savathûn awaited her in the Watchtower, from where a trillion of her eyes spied into every corner of the known universe.

“What have you learned, my daughter?” she inquired.

“The amount of power drawn from a death is equal to the negative weight of the absence this death causes,” Balwûr said, with no small measure of pride in her voice. “It is in accordance with Ka-Thûlaar’s Fifth Dogma of the Conservation of Energy, but while he believed it is the transfer of tithe to which the influx of power is ascribed, I propose that tithe and power are separate from each other and while the former is both the cause and effect of the latter, it is power that ultimately determines the weight of one’s absence and the size of the anatheme created by removing them from existence.”

“And what of the Thrall?”

“When I looked into their eyes, in the fade of the soulfire I saw all the possibilities of who they could have become had I permitted them to live. Those possibilities, never manifested, did not add weight to my tribute. Thus I conclude it is only the Real that has weight, and an Intent must manifest in reality if it is to be an anatheme; for something must first exist in order to be killed, and there is no absence of things that do not exist.”

“Correct,” Savathûn said, rising from her fauteuil. “Realising the weight of every life is imperative to shape your will with the power drawn from ending it.”

Then she lunged forward and wrapped one massive hand around her daughter's throat.

Balwûr tried to wrestle free, but she was no match for the strength of her mother within her own throne. As her vision tunnelled and her essence tugged on insistently to peel itself off from its failing vessel, a feeling of great dread overcame her: in that moment, she realised the true weight of her mortality, hung on a single fraying thread that was her crushed windpipe, and she thrust out a hand in a desperate attempt to claw at her mother’s grip. The world was falling off of her in a dizzying twirl, fuether and further away, swallowed by darkness. Balwûr shut her eyes as the thread severed.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Then she awoke, confused, in a place between places. The stone underneath her was solid and sleek. She rose and looked around—she was standing alone on a small island bobbing on the grey Ascendant currents, its edges still fresh from carving, its structures half-manifested into being. She reached out gingerly and felt the weight of it, the potential energy buzzing soundlessly in the air, the steady current of power rushing under her feet. She thought of her hands stained black with thrallblood, and of her worm curling up as the last wisps of soulfire flickered out in hollow eyes. And she understood.

[ghoustghoust]

okay but what if Mara is actually dead and the “Mara” we see in the Queen’s Court is actually Savathûn manipulating us?

[savyir-genesizz-the-wizard]

-15- Together

ACCESS: RESTRICTED DECRYPTION KEY: 98XTU88T41$WAW-990 REP #: VIP-BREACH AGENT(S): IKO-006

SUBJ: Agent Cogito-4 spotted in the Quagmire

We have intercepted a conversation on a closed channel frequency used by the "Fireteam Colide" within the Court of Savathûn between VIP#0311, known as titan Kobzar-13, a Vanguard Scout, and COG-411, Vanguard Reasercher and Deputy Warlock Vanguard Cogito-4. The conversation confirmed his current location and mentioned artifact's from the Sunken Piramid.

Adressing your concerns, #411's behaviour is not out of ordinary.

Communication has been transcribed below. Breaks are described in annotations.

COG: Listen, I'm never against a friendly mission or two together but I think that you are just using me to complete Savathûn's puzzles. KOB: Well, it's not like you're getting nothing out of it. COG: I'm not because I'm not going to use something made by a Queen of Lies. KOB: …Is that why you are levitating?

Note: Only background noises are heard for 402 following seconds.

COG: …I think that this will be it. KOB: What is this? COG: A black disc, roughly 20x20cm. Star-shaped hole in the center. KOB: I heard that some guardians use something like this for shooting practice. COG: No, no, these ones are different. It's like a gigantic columnal of a crinoid. This being in Rhulk's possesion would suggest that there must have been a civilization of these somewhere, likely inteligent. I saw some more artifacts depicting these creatures inside the vessel. KOB: …And? COG: What do you mean? It's a great discovery! KOB: But… if you found this in a piramid… they are dead. And so is the Witness so there is no point in learning from them or anything.

Note: Here the recording captures approximately 10 seconds of silence.

COG: Really? KOB: What? And before you say something about me not carrying about science- COG: Yeah, yeah, I know. KOB: You don't really care, do you? COG: I do. I care about the crinoids. And the others, too. Do you sometimes think they had friends? KOB: Likely.

Note: Here the recording captures approximately 4 seconds of silence.

COG: Sorry. KOB: It's ok. I get it, I think. …Why are you here anyway? Nessus didn't work out? COG: …What do you mean "didn't work out"? Half of the planet collapsed! I did half of the sampling collecting work and left before I got burned to death by radiola. KOB: What? COG: You didn't know that?! KOB: I was on Earth! Why wouldn't I be? Everyone in the City is talking about how bat demons are going to get us and that Targe is dead- COG: I'm afraid that you are not wrong. Then I won't be worrying you more. Just know that Nessus is out of the equation and I- well, I want to have something to do! Last time I got to exploring a piramid it got lost to the Darkness and when I came back it was gone!

Note: Here the recording captures two seconds of a long sigh from #411.

COG: And that thing that happened to Nessus. Let's just say that I lost a bunch of Vanguard equipment and I think that Ikora is trying to get me. Don't tell her where I am…

MESSAGE ENDS

[phthalology]

“Who taught you to be this way?” Nokris asked once, with both cruel sarcasm and innocent curiosity, and it stuck.

So Savathûn works this question, while imbaru ticks along and she prepares to wear a face that is not hers. She looks into the nooks and crannies of her throne world, and in that way in which one’s own mind can get in one’s way, she finds a squatter.

The Pyramid is a scuttled ship and a laboratory and a museum and the home of something big and terrible and yet surprisingly delicate.

Savathûn meets the Disciple for the first time in a long time.

She kicks him, her talons slapping his spine to swiftly deliver his face to the ground. This, Savathûn hopes and imagines, is embarrassing for him.

“Do you remember Taox?” She thunders, spreading her wings.

Rhulk waits a moment to answer. Probably composing a letter: Oh, my dear Witness, today I discovered irony …

He does not want to kill her. It is not time. They both know it.

“Who?”

They talk. Long enough for her to come to believe he truly does not know, or remember, or care. The traitor and the teacher had krill concerns, and the Disciple’s were cosmic. Taox truly operated on the scale of one krill court to another. Her decision to kill her wards — the children she had raised up into a harsh world, the children who escaped their first set of jaws — was deeply mortal.

Savathûn wonders whether she simply wants to believe this, then wonders why.

The Disciple scrabbles for the glaive Savathûn knocked across the shining floor and draws around himself a red, smoky curtain of spiraling, boring knives. Savathûn focuses on the alternate definition. Teleporting herself out of the Pyramid is easy; it’s in her throne world, after all, and the same thing that could kill her gives her power.

(That, too, she had learned in part from Taox … )