Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
Fashion-Frame flashbacks intensifies.
Destiny 2: Acts of an Old Exodus [Evangelion/Destiny] [Sequel Thread]
- Thread starter Ultra Sonic 007
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- USA
Let us never question the untold horror of a Guardian V. Tenno fashion show.
1.7, in which Eris meditates.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Eris hummed thoughtfully, quietly finishing off her bottle of etherious water. "I hope you are not too tired."
"Of course not! Your kid's simple by comparison," said Sakura with a ready grin. "I'll be in the living room when you're ready." The youthful girl walked with a surety that belied her appearance, a sense of unspoken confidence that only seasoned adults possessed. Though it was no surprise, given that she was over a hundred years old by this point. It was strange, to think about the circumstances of their initial meeting, during that fateful mission to reclaim Unit-01 so long ago.
Even stranger, to think that they would become friends.
Then again, a lot of things in Eris's life had changed. Given how much civilization itself had changed after the end of the Second Cataclysm, perhaps it was only natural.
The pregnant Hunter slowly moved into the living room, idly looking at the walls laden with paintings of Japanese landscapes and pictures of various peoples that Sakura had helped throughout the years. Taking prominent position were 'graduation photos' of the various classes she had taught A.T. Field manipulation to, among which included certain famous faces like Wei Ning, Ikora, and Lord Shaxx. Her eyes trailed over to the mantle above the fireplace, on which sat Sakura's most treasured possessions: the cracked shell of Ai, Sakura's dead Ghost; the false Thorn that had once been wielded by the late Dredgen Vale, Sakura's unlikely comrade; and an aged and faded family photo of the Suzuhara family, depicting Sakura, her father, and her brother Toji.
Strange, how something as simple as a photo could hold such value.
' o?o '
Then again, perhaps it wasn't that strange. To hold something tangible, instead of the fleeting whispers of memory...
"You ready?"
Eris, her thoughts interrupted, turned towards Sakura; the girl had taken a position in the reclining chair, hands folded in a solemn, sagely pose. "Yes." She quietly moved over towards the couch, lying down on her back. The Hunter's breathing slowed, as she began to manipulate her soul. "I'm ready."
"Okay...focus inward, just like before..." As the proverbial master of A.T. Fields spoke familiar instructions, Eris tuned her out. Instead, her intentions turned inward and downward, to the life within her womb. The A.T. Field of Sakura Suzuhara began to swirl around her, isolating them from the spiritual ambience of the world. There was just her soul...
...and that of her child.
Such was the way of a child: pure and unadulterated emotion, with no concept of restraint or nuance or degree. Such were the impressions that Eris experienced, less words and more along the lines of nebulous, half-formed ideas.
The Light within began to churn, rambunctious and agitated-
Eris's soul intermingled with that of her child, slowly redirecting the Light into a calm whirlpool instead of frenzied eddies. Such was the necessity of this task, to keep her child from utilizing the Light subconsciously.
' :) '
And so mother communed with her unborn daughter, within the solemn silence of the soul.
"Of course not! Your kid's simple by comparison," said Sakura with a ready grin. "I'll be in the living room when you're ready." The youthful girl walked with a surety that belied her appearance, a sense of unspoken confidence that only seasoned adults possessed. Though it was no surprise, given that she was over a hundred years old by this point. It was strange, to think about the circumstances of their initial meeting, during that fateful mission to reclaim Unit-01 so long ago.
(Ikari had bolted down the forested slopes of Mount Tehanashiyama, and she had commanded their fireteam to follow. What a shock it had been, to find that he had seen another living soul in the Hive-infested ruin of Old Japan...and, as it would turn out, one that he had known from the Time Before.)
Even stranger, to think that they would become friends.
(She had already plied Misato Katsuragi for a multitude of stories involving Shinji Ikari's past...and the Iron Lady's constant teasing was an additional reason to avoid her. Hence why she inevitably sought out Sakura Suzuhara, to learn more about Ikari's past. When the girl had inquired as to why she sought stories of such a thing...well, her facial expressions had apparently explained enough. "Oh, so it's like that, eh~?" smugly cooed the girl. Mercifully, that was as far as Sakura's teasing went.)
Then again, a lot of things in Eris's life had changed. Given how much civilization itself had changed after the end of the Second Cataclysm, perhaps it was only natural.
The pregnant Hunter slowly moved into the living room, idly looking at the walls laden with paintings of Japanese landscapes and pictures of various peoples that Sakura had helped throughout the years. Taking prominent position were 'graduation photos' of the various classes she had taught A.T. Field manipulation to, among which included certain famous faces like Wei Ning, Ikora, and Lord Shaxx. Her eyes trailed over to the mantle above the fireplace, on which sat Sakura's most treasured possessions: the cracked shell of Ai, Sakura's dead Ghost; the false Thorn that had once been wielded by the late Dredgen Vale, Sakura's unlikely comrade; and an aged and faded family photo of the Suzuhara family, depicting Sakura, her father, and her brother Toji.
("I always had it in the bottom of my backpack, in a little plastic slip," explained Sakura, while they were eating hot stew on a cold Winter's night. "My old man had always been particular about preservin' stuff...and after I learned how to hide from the Hive using my A.T. Field, I made a beeline for Hakone to see if anything was salvageable. Course, our old apartment complex had all but collapsed by then...but I was able to at least grab one photo before I decided to hightail it out of there. Nearly got spotted by a Wizard. Totally worth it though." Discussions turned towards Eris's own past...and that was something she was less than certain of.)
Strange, how something as simple as a photo could hold such value.
' o?o '
Then again, perhaps it wasn't that strange. To hold something tangible, instead of the fleeting whispers of memory...
"You ready?"
Eris, her thoughts interrupted, turned towards Sakura; the girl had taken a position in the reclining chair, hands folded in a solemn, sagely pose. "Yes." She quietly moved over towards the couch, lying down on her back. The Hunter's breathing slowed, as she began to manipulate her soul. "I'm ready."
"Okay...focus inward, just like before..." As the proverbial master of A.T. Fields spoke familiar instructions, Eris tuned her out. Instead, her intentions turned inward and downward, to the life within her womb. The A.T. Field of Sakura Suzuhara began to swirl around her, isolating them from the spiritual ambience of the world. There was just her soul...
Hello.
...and that of her child.
-mama-
Yes, it is your mother. It's time again.
-joy-
Yes, it is your mother. It's time again.
-joy-
Such was the way of a child: pure and unadulterated emotion, with no concept of restraint or nuance or degree. Such were the impressions that Eris experienced, less words and more along the lines of nebulous, half-formed ideas.
The Light within began to churn, rambunctious and agitated-
Calm yourself.
Eris's soul intermingled with that of her child, slowly redirecting the Light into a calm whirlpool instead of frenzied eddies. Such was the necessity of this task, to keep her child from utilizing the Light subconsciously.
-calm-
That's right. It is important, until you are ready to see the world with your own eyes.
-peace-
Good girl.
That's right. It is important, until you are ready to see the world with your own eyes.
-peace-
Good girl.
' :) '
And so mother communed with her unborn daughter, within the solemn silence of the soul.
Last edited:
1.8, in which we learn why Guardians having babies used to be frowned upon.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: The Taboo
"It's one thing to have kids. It's another to have them when there's a nonzero chance of them swinging an Arc Blade while still inside you." - Misato Katsuragi, after a battle against Warlord Segoth's forces
During the terrors of the Dark Age, when the Risen Warlords ran wild, a few were more notorious than others. Basking in their supernatural powers, these Warlords indulged their baser lusts, keeping mistresses and concubines. As various nomads and clans and tribes gathered under the Traveler in greater numbers, horror stories of these Warlords' lascivious ways began to spread. Although some considered these claims to be quite exaggerated at first, concrete evidence began to accumulate, especially when the Iron Lords began engaging in combat with the Warlords on a more frequent basis.
Although scientific studies were never performed, the dominant hypothesis was that the offspring of the Warlords in question bore a natural connection to the Light. Without a Ghost to regulate that connection, infantile minds and newborn souls would often draw upon that power without warning. The consequences for mortal women were always fatal. The one documented case of a Risen bearing a Warlord's child - the infamously heinous duo of Warlord Horus and Warlord Katherine - ended in that child's death, when Katherine ripped the fetus out of her womb in a fit of anger after it activated a Bladetrance. Ultimately, some Warlords carried such a reputation that many women opted for suicide rather than imprisonment in their holds.
As the Iron Lords waged their campaigns against the Warlords and their bandit hordes, the fledgling municipal governance of the young City began debate over the issue of Risen parentage. By the time the Consensus was established, and the Risen began to be more well-known as Guardians, the Taboo was colloquially established as a force with both legal and social power: Guardians were incentivized to focus on missions and fieldwork, and the Speaker engineered a social propaganda campaign to minimize whatever biological instincts a Guardian may have retained regarding natural offspring. In light of the general terror that the civilian populace had with regards to the stories of the Warlords' offspring, any Guardian would have had to sire a child with another Guardian; in the face of increasing aggression from the Fallen, such pairings would have been rendered even more unlikely, due to an increasing mission load.
As the decades passed, these horror stories faded from common parlance. The Taboo became less of a constant anathema, and more of an unspoken cultural superstition.
The topic came under additional discussion as more Awoken made their way to Earth from the Reef, and the reality of Awoken births became tangible. Although bearing paracausal powers, the offspring of Awoken displayed subtler effects than those of the Warlords, manifesting primarily in terms of spiritual and mental disorders. Non-Awoken mothers were more commonly affected than pureblood Awoken; however, by the time these incidents began occurring on Earth, the Reef had long established various methods of reducing the probability of such disorders manifesting. These methods were shared quite eagerly by knowledgeable Awoken who decided to call Earth their home, and there was no need to expand the unspoken Taboo.
However, in the wake of the Second Cataclysm and the subsequent end to formal hostilities between Earth, the Reef, the Eliksni, and the Cabal, the question of Guardian parentage slowly began to emerge, once more. Even with the War of Unification briefly raging throughout the Solar System, the question would seemingly have to be answered in a more formal fashion, especially once the newborn son of Hunters Sai Mota and Omar Agah became public knowledge.
The potential social dynamics of Guardians living in a time of relative peace will still be subject to many years of debate and discussion; however, in light of the discovery that the A.T. Field is the means by which one - Guardian or otherwise - manipulates the Light within, the Consensus made training in A.T. Field manipulation (whether it be from Sakura Suzuhara or one of her accredited pupils) a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking to bear a child from a Guardian, regardless of their mortal status or paracausal inclinations.
"It's one thing to have kids. It's another to have them when there's a nonzero chance of them swinging an Arc Blade while still inside you." - Misato Katsuragi, after a battle against Warlord Segoth's forces
During the terrors of the Dark Age, when the Risen Warlords ran wild, a few were more notorious than others. Basking in their supernatural powers, these Warlords indulged their baser lusts, keeping mistresses and concubines. As various nomads and clans and tribes gathered under the Traveler in greater numbers, horror stories of these Warlords' lascivious ways began to spread. Although some considered these claims to be quite exaggerated at first, concrete evidence began to accumulate, especially when the Iron Lords began engaging in combat with the Warlords on a more frequent basis.
Although scientific studies were never performed, the dominant hypothesis was that the offspring of the Warlords in question bore a natural connection to the Light. Without a Ghost to regulate that connection, infantile minds and newborn souls would often draw upon that power without warning. The consequences for mortal women were always fatal. The one documented case of a Risen bearing a Warlord's child - the infamously heinous duo of Warlord Horus and Warlord Katherine - ended in that child's death, when Katherine ripped the fetus out of her womb in a fit of anger after it activated a Bladetrance. Ultimately, some Warlords carried such a reputation that many women opted for suicide rather than imprisonment in their holds.
As the Iron Lords waged their campaigns against the Warlords and their bandit hordes, the fledgling municipal governance of the young City began debate over the issue of Risen parentage. By the time the Consensus was established, and the Risen began to be more well-known as Guardians, the Taboo was colloquially established as a force with both legal and social power: Guardians were incentivized to focus on missions and fieldwork, and the Speaker engineered a social propaganda campaign to minimize whatever biological instincts a Guardian may have retained regarding natural offspring. In light of the general terror that the civilian populace had with regards to the stories of the Warlords' offspring, any Guardian would have had to sire a child with another Guardian; in the face of increasing aggression from the Fallen, such pairings would have been rendered even more unlikely, due to an increasing mission load.
As the decades passed, these horror stories faded from common parlance. The Taboo became less of a constant anathema, and more of an unspoken cultural superstition.
The topic came under additional discussion as more Awoken made their way to Earth from the Reef, and the reality of Awoken births became tangible. Although bearing paracausal powers, the offspring of Awoken displayed subtler effects than those of the Warlords, manifesting primarily in terms of spiritual and mental disorders. Non-Awoken mothers were more commonly affected than pureblood Awoken; however, by the time these incidents began occurring on Earth, the Reef had long established various methods of reducing the probability of such disorders manifesting. These methods were shared quite eagerly by knowledgeable Awoken who decided to call Earth their home, and there was no need to expand the unspoken Taboo.
However, in the wake of the Second Cataclysm and the subsequent end to formal hostilities between Earth, the Reef, the Eliksni, and the Cabal, the question of Guardian parentage slowly began to emerge, once more. Even with the War of Unification briefly raging throughout the Solar System, the question would seemingly have to be answered in a more formal fashion, especially once the newborn son of Hunters Sai Mota and Omar Agah became public knowledge.
The potential social dynamics of Guardians living in a time of relative peace will still be subject to many years of debate and discussion; however, in light of the discovery that the A.T. Field is the means by which one - Guardian or otherwise - manipulates the Light within, the Consensus made training in A.T. Field manipulation (whether it be from Sakura Suzuhara or one of her accredited pupils) a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking to bear a child from a Guardian, regardless of their mortal status or paracausal inclinations.
Last edited:
Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy: The Awoken
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy
"The Awoken"
...I'm honestly not too sure what to call this one. Do I go with the Reef, since that's where story begins? Or Awoken...eh, we'll figure it out later. I'm talking about em' both anyway.
It's funny to think about the Awoken in a certain sense, when they first started arriving on Earth during the latter half of the Dark Age. Some thought of them as aliens at first - cause hey, skin in shades of blue or purple, or green and gray? Glowing eyes? I mean, seriously - until they started speaking of their origins. For a given value of 'speaking'. Most of them were rather vague about it, but they gave off mysterious vibes, given the whole Light/Darkness dichotomy they had going on.
The ones that adapted to life on Earth were pretty okay, but they were very hesitant to talk about their life from back home. And if you ever happened to make it to the Reef in the old days, well...they had a very strange way of looking at you. Like they wanted to be untrusted, so you'd hightail it out of there ASAP if only to avoid the heebie-jeebies...what the hell is a heebie? Or a jeebie? Do you have any idea, Buck?
...man, you are no fun.
Anyhow...maybe they just really didn't like outsiders? Who knows. But the rumors about how they became what they are, now those were wild. Everyone had a story about how the Awoken came to be, from alien parasites to puppets of the Nine to secret demons to not-so-secret angels to Fill-In-The-Blank. There was actually one Cryptarch who had a really neat theory, about how they had actually gotten caught in a singularity during the Collapse that pushed them into a pocket universe, where they were gods for all intents and purposes. That actually would have been pretty sweet, now that I think about it.
But as with many things in our varied lives, the truth is far more mundane.
So! Let's rewind. Back to the First Cataclysm, after we lost our colonies on Mercury, Venus, and Mars to the Darkness. Well, the Nine and their Taken, as we would find out much much later, but Darkness still fits. A lot of our colonists didn't fancy making a retreat back to Earth, where the Ahamkara were still causing a racket. So a bunch of colony ships decided to take off for the Deep Black, to take their chances outside of our Solar System. Can't really blame em' either, cause some of the memories that occasionally flicker into my head about the Time Before...well, they aren't pleasant, so those times were probably even worse.
But, they had only made it as far as the Asteroid Belt when the Collapse began, when the Traveler was crippled. I don't know the exact particulars of whatever ritual the Nine were cooking up in those final hours, but it had drawn a hell of a lot of nastiness from who knows where. Thankfully, the Traveler's sacrifice expelled the Nine and their shadowy horrors, ending the Cataclysm...but those poor colonists were caught right in the middle. The Asteroid Belt just happened to be that threshold where the encroaching Darkness and the expanding Light met.
It changed those colonists, turning them into the Awoken.
By all accounts, those first years were harsh. Resource-starved. But somehow, under the leadership of a rather mousy NERV engineer by the name of Maya Ibuki and her cuddle-buddy Shigeru Aoba, they managed to cobble enough of the colony ships together to form a workable society. They turned to the closest family of asteroids - the Vestians - and began terraforming them, hollowing them out. Not exactly sure who made the ultimate decision to crown the little lady as a Queen, but anyone who's ever called Earth "home" knows that we've got a strange fascination with royalty. Not even playing cards are safe: King, Queen, Jack, Joker? Come on, it's not just me.
Those were the humble beginnings of the Reef, which would eventually spread to a lot more asteroid families.
Now, by the time little Maya passed on and her daughter Ritsuko Ibuki became the second Queen, the Nine had apparently gathered themselves and started snooping around. They couldn't get back to the Inner Planets because of some MAGI mumbo-jumbo that's too complicated for me to explain, so they had to use the Awoken as intermediaries to figure out what was going on on our end. A lot of Awoken were suspicious, but the Nine had gifts and secrets to offer that were enticing for a lot of people. And trust me, if you've ever seen some of the Exotic gear that Xûr used to carry when he was the Agent of the Nine (memo to myself, he gets his own entry later), you'd probably be salivating yourself...if you've got a tongue and salivary glands, that is.
But with long lifespans being what they are, and with people still being people, and with the Nine being dicks, it's no surprise that there ended up being power struggles throughout the years, especially after the third Queen came along...I think her name was Alis Ibuki? It's honestly amazing that the Royal Family can trace their lineage back to the first, but that's what minor ancestral worship can get you. Or major, depending on how deep you dive into that sort of thing. Basically, they went from Alis Ibuki to Sjur Voronov to Osana Voronov to Naomi Sov over the next few centuries, with a bunch of false queens along the way...huh, maybe that's why the Awoken were always hesitant to explain their origins? Maybe they were just embarrassed by so much drama.
Yes Buck, that is my new headcanon.
And all the while, the Fallen and the Cabal and the Hive and the Vex were getting their grubby hands all over the Inner Planets, while the Nine kept the Outer Planets locked down. Wonder how it felt, being stuck in the middle?
Anyhow, we go to our seventh Queen, the daughter of Naomi Sov: Mara, who actually ended up dueling and killing her cousin Erika, who was first-in-line for the throne. There's actually a deeper story there, but that's for another entry. Mara's reign is where things start changing, mostly due to a couple of things.
First, the Reef Wars: for the sake of keeping the House of Zeruel and the House of Leliel from joining their brethren at the Battle of Twilight Gap, the Awoken unveiled themselves, and kicked a lot of ass. This naturally got some people's attentions, but given the overall uncertainties that existed regarding Reef power dynamics in those days, this knowledge didn't go very far among the people of Earth.
Second, fast-forwarding almost a hundred years later, we've got the first official Alliance between the City and the Reef. Really touching stuff, but kinda driven by a bunch of other stuff happening...Buck, I have to gloss over some things, or this entry will get even longer. We'll cover them later! Anyway, it was very good timing, given the declaration of war from a Zeruelix by the name of Skolas that came, like, right after.
Third, the Purge. We'll have to cover that later. Gotta entice you to keep reading somehow, eh? Let's just say it involved Mara's younger sister Nula Sov, and we'll leave it at that.
Fourth, the Wedding of Mara and Zavala. Not entirely sure how this one's gonna play out, given the whole issue with succession and governance and bloodlines, but that's above my pay grade. We'll figure it out if they ever have a kid. But it was a big spectacle, even if the Awoken have horrible taste in music. I mean seriously, who plays a track titled 'Come, Sweet Death' at a wedding?! Anyhow...
I'm kinda fuzzy on the exact nature of their intrinsic abilities. They seem to have a thing for subtlety. Or outright misleading you. More people could stand to go for misdirection, cause it can make for a helluva trump card. But I digress, the Awoken have a good measure of power on their side, most of it kept under wraps. Probably for a good reason, even if it leads to the sneaking suspicion that they're never quite upfront with you.
Yet, despite the long separation and the nature of their transformation...I think a lot of people are glad that we've reunited.
Also, Prince Uldren (he's Mara's younger brother, by the way...no Buck, I didn't forget him, shut up)? If you ever read this, for whatever reason...I'll give you fifty thousand Glimmer if you walk up to Fenchurch Everis one day and call him daddy. Triple if you get it recorded.
To the dear newbie who might be confused, ask around about Fenchurch Everis and Naomi Sov. You'll learn plenty.
"The Awoken"
...I'm honestly not too sure what to call this one. Do I go with the Reef, since that's where story begins? Or Awoken...eh, we'll figure it out later. I'm talking about em' both anyway.
It's funny to think about the Awoken in a certain sense, when they first started arriving on Earth during the latter half of the Dark Age. Some thought of them as aliens at first - cause hey, skin in shades of blue or purple, or green and gray? Glowing eyes? I mean, seriously - until they started speaking of their origins. For a given value of 'speaking'. Most of them were rather vague about it, but they gave off mysterious vibes, given the whole Light/Darkness dichotomy they had going on.
The ones that adapted to life on Earth were pretty okay, but they were very hesitant to talk about their life from back home. And if you ever happened to make it to the Reef in the old days, well...they had a very strange way of looking at you. Like they wanted to be untrusted, so you'd hightail it out of there ASAP if only to avoid the heebie-jeebies...what the hell is a heebie? Or a jeebie? Do you have any idea, Buck?
...man, you are no fun.
Anyhow...maybe they just really didn't like outsiders? Who knows. But the rumors about how they became what they are, now those were wild. Everyone had a story about how the Awoken came to be, from alien parasites to puppets of the Nine to secret demons to not-so-secret angels to Fill-In-The-Blank. There was actually one Cryptarch who had a really neat theory, about how they had actually gotten caught in a singularity during the Collapse that pushed them into a pocket universe, where they were gods for all intents and purposes. That actually would have been pretty sweet, now that I think about it.
But as with many things in our varied lives, the truth is far more mundane.
So! Let's rewind. Back to the First Cataclysm, after we lost our colonies on Mercury, Venus, and Mars to the Darkness. Well, the Nine and their Taken, as we would find out much much later, but Darkness still fits. A lot of our colonists didn't fancy making a retreat back to Earth, where the Ahamkara were still causing a racket. So a bunch of colony ships decided to take off for the Deep Black, to take their chances outside of our Solar System. Can't really blame em' either, cause some of the memories that occasionally flicker into my head about the Time Before...well, they aren't pleasant, so those times were probably even worse.
But, they had only made it as far as the Asteroid Belt when the Collapse began, when the Traveler was crippled. I don't know the exact particulars of whatever ritual the Nine were cooking up in those final hours, but it had drawn a hell of a lot of nastiness from who knows where. Thankfully, the Traveler's sacrifice expelled the Nine and their shadowy horrors, ending the Cataclysm...but those poor colonists were caught right in the middle. The Asteroid Belt just happened to be that threshold where the encroaching Darkness and the expanding Light met.
It changed those colonists, turning them into the Awoken.
By all accounts, those first years were harsh. Resource-starved. But somehow, under the leadership of a rather mousy NERV engineer by the name of Maya Ibuki and her cuddle-buddy Shigeru Aoba, they managed to cobble enough of the colony ships together to form a workable society. They turned to the closest family of asteroids - the Vestians - and began terraforming them, hollowing them out. Not exactly sure who made the ultimate decision to crown the little lady as a Queen, but anyone who's ever called Earth "home" knows that we've got a strange fascination with royalty. Not even playing cards are safe: King, Queen, Jack, Joker? Come on, it's not just me.
Those were the humble beginnings of the Reef, which would eventually spread to a lot more asteroid families.
Now, by the time little Maya passed on and her daughter Ritsuko Ibuki became the second Queen, the Nine had apparently gathered themselves and started snooping around. They couldn't get back to the Inner Planets because of some MAGI mumbo-jumbo that's too complicated for me to explain, so they had to use the Awoken as intermediaries to figure out what was going on on our end. A lot of Awoken were suspicious, but the Nine had gifts and secrets to offer that were enticing for a lot of people. And trust me, if you've ever seen some of the Exotic gear that Xûr used to carry when he was the Agent of the Nine (memo to myself, he gets his own entry later), you'd probably be salivating yourself...if you've got a tongue and salivary glands, that is.
But with long lifespans being what they are, and with people still being people, and with the Nine being dicks, it's no surprise that there ended up being power struggles throughout the years, especially after the third Queen came along...I think her name was Alis Ibuki? It's honestly amazing that the Royal Family can trace their lineage back to the first, but that's what minor ancestral worship can get you. Or major, depending on how deep you dive into that sort of thing. Basically, they went from Alis Ibuki to Sjur Voronov to Osana Voronov to Naomi Sov over the next few centuries, with a bunch of false queens along the way...huh, maybe that's why the Awoken were always hesitant to explain their origins? Maybe they were just embarrassed by so much drama.
Yes Buck, that is my new headcanon.
And all the while, the Fallen and the Cabal and the Hive and the Vex were getting their grubby hands all over the Inner Planets, while the Nine kept the Outer Planets locked down. Wonder how it felt, being stuck in the middle?
Anyhow, we go to our seventh Queen, the daughter of Naomi Sov: Mara, who actually ended up dueling and killing her cousin Erika, who was first-in-line for the throne. There's actually a deeper story there, but that's for another entry. Mara's reign is where things start changing, mostly due to a couple of things.
First, the Reef Wars: for the sake of keeping the House of Zeruel and the House of Leliel from joining their brethren at the Battle of Twilight Gap, the Awoken unveiled themselves, and kicked a lot of ass. This naturally got some people's attentions, but given the overall uncertainties that existed regarding Reef power dynamics in those days, this knowledge didn't go very far among the people of Earth.
Second, fast-forwarding almost a hundred years later, we've got the first official Alliance between the City and the Reef. Really touching stuff, but kinda driven by a bunch of other stuff happening...Buck, I have to gloss over some things, or this entry will get even longer. We'll cover them later! Anyway, it was very good timing, given the declaration of war from a Zeruelix by the name of Skolas that came, like, right after.
Third, the Purge. We'll have to cover that later. Gotta entice you to keep reading somehow, eh? Let's just say it involved Mara's younger sister Nula Sov, and we'll leave it at that.
Fourth, the Wedding of Mara and Zavala. Not entirely sure how this one's gonna play out, given the whole issue with succession and governance and bloodlines, but that's above my pay grade. We'll figure it out if they ever have a kid. But it was a big spectacle, even if the Awoken have horrible taste in music. I mean seriously, who plays a track titled 'Come, Sweet Death' at a wedding?! Anyhow...
I'm kinda fuzzy on the exact nature of their intrinsic abilities. They seem to have a thing for subtlety. Or outright misleading you. More people could stand to go for misdirection, cause it can make for a helluva trump card. But I digress, the Awoken have a good measure of power on their side, most of it kept under wraps. Probably for a good reason, even if it leads to the sneaking suspicion that they're never quite upfront with you.
Yet, despite the long separation and the nature of their transformation...I think a lot of people are glad that we've reunited.
Also, Prince Uldren (he's Mara's younger brother, by the way...no Buck, I didn't forget him, shut up)? If you ever read this, for whatever reason...I'll give you fifty thousand Glimmer if you walk up to Fenchurch Everis one day and call him daddy. Triple if you get it recorded.
To the dear newbie who might be confused, ask around about Fenchurch Everis and Naomi Sov. You'll learn plenty.
Last edited:
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
I think that would just make Fenchurch laugh, and leave Uldren either traumatized or killed by Mara.
Slice of Life: Legendary Weapons
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
TIME: AUTUMN, 7 ABS
LOCATION: A CRYPTARCHY STUDY HALL, THE REBORN CITY
Novitiate Egil grimaced, rubbing the bridge of his nose to relieve pressure. "Shouldn't have asked Master Ives about ideas for my ordination treatise..." he muttered, eyes briefly glancing over the various books and weathered parchments littering the table in front of him.
"Your research methods are inefficient," groused Cyronax, a Psion on 'loan' from the Red Legion.
"Clearly," agreed Fylziks, an Iruelim that was also on 'loan' from the House of Iruel. It was a scene of increasing commonality, as those with training in cross-cultural communication - or those with built-in 'translator software', like an Iruelim...or those with psionic minds that could seamlessly communicate intentions and meanings to the point it sounded like the spoken word, like most Psions - shared knowledge and established connections. Or tried to.
Egil shot an irate glare at the two, his glowing orange eyes flickering with irritation. "We never had natural psychics as a biological feature, so we had no incentive to ever invent something like ink with latent psionic energy, or computer chips with mental interface circuits."
"My point still stands."
"And the problem with your method of analyzing," added Egil towards the Iruelim, "is that it tends to damage the original material. Electronic media with established communication protocols are one thing, but original articles are kind of hard to come by!"
The cohesive cloud of biological nanites buzzed irritably, looking like a coppery-orange dust cloud that refused to settle. "Your research methods are still inefficient," he droned, in a slightly tinny voice that echoed, as if a chorus of thousands spoke in unison with such synchronization that there was perfect overlap.
"Don't you have anything better to do than distract me? I'm trying to compile a list of mythological weapons so that I can analyze their similarities and differences, and whether any of those can be explained by culture."
"Something like the Exalted?" asked Cyronax, his lone eye suddenly sparking with intrigue.
"That was an Evangelion, it doesn't count."
"Hold," countered the Psion. "I was part of the many intelligence maniples that scoured this City for information after we conquered it during the war." Left unsaid was the fact that said City had then been razed to the ground by Ghaul prior to the Battle of Saturn, but that wasn't relevant to this conversation. It would also defeat the point of this whole enterprise. "The data we obtained regarding your kind's perspective on Evangelion definitely treated it as a mythical weapon, regardless of how concrete the reality became upon their resurgence."
"...that is a fair point," admitted Egil. For centuries, stories of Evangelion were wild and rampant, even in the Reef. "But this is going to be focusing on weapons more fitting for...infantry, I suppose would be the technical term?"
"Handheld personnel weapons then."
"Yes!"
"Your...Guardians...seem to have their own particular classification of weaponry," remarked Fylziks. "Based on conversations I've held with more experienced Eliksni," said experience involving active combat from pre-Alliance times, it went unsaid, "certain weapons are prized and glorified with unique names and odd stories. The Last Word, the Iron Cupid, Gjallarhorn, the MIDA Multi-tool..." The collective of nanites briefly vibrated. "Though their classification is rather odd, given that they apparently considered baseline shrapnel launchers and wire rifles to the same degree."
"Given reports I've seen of Guardians using a standard projection rifle with superoptimal capabilities beyond the manufactured limitations, there's probably a reason for that," remarked Cyronax.
"A fair point." Fylziks hummed. "An odd obsession; we Eliksni adored the divine technology of the Great Machine, making the Servitors in its image; but we did not exhibit a similar level of iconography with mere weaponry. Such adulation was reserved for individuals bearing sufficient similarities with our Progenitors."
"It seems to be an interesting and innate desire as far as mankind goes," audibly pondered Egil. "Are there any such stories among the Cabal, Cyronax? I know the Exalted is one...?"
The Psion snorted. "The Cabal are a highly martial culture that prized conquest. Of course there are weapons with mythological and historical status. The Leviathan-Killer, the Blood-Bolter, Tyranny's End, the Legion's Tonic...I can go on, if you'd like. I think the Primus of the Blind Legion still retains possession of the original Vexinator, come to think of it..."
"A list would be nice, yes. I mean, we have so many examples that we've managed to pull from ancient records: Excalibur, Masamune, the Remington, the Pinto...it's hard to know where to begin!"
The Iruelim briefly wobbled, as though the entire swarm had hiccuped. "Pinto? Isn't that one of this planet's native legumes?"
"It is."
"What deranged individual would name a weapon after a legume?"
Egil shrugged. "I'm not sure, but there are enough eyewitness testimonies that have survived regarding its infamous brutality. According to the legends, its victims were set on fire in a massive explosion. Given that there's no mention of any kind of mechanical incendiary devices like a flamethrower, it must have been deadly."
Cyronax snorted. "Child's play by Cabal standards."
"Interesting...but still, why a legume?"
"Etymology isn't the point of my planned treatise!"
2.1, in which we look back towards the honeymoon.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: Ghost Fragment - The Queen and the Governor 2
"...so...who wants to be the one to tell them the bad news? Not it!"
"...so...who wants to be the one to tell them the bad news? Not it!"
Mara Sov arched a fine eyebrow, slim and kempt to the point that it would have appeared groomed if Zavala didn't know Awoken biology better. "An unexpected hobby," she said.
The Governor glanced down at the scarf he was crocheting, bearing a muted red color. "Everyone has a hobby of some sort." Even work could be counted as a hobby, if you were a workaholic.
"Finesse unbecoming of a Titan, some might say."
"Just as some might say the Reefborn are detached and haughty to a fault." It was one of the strange little things he had picked up on, throughout the course of their relationship; for all the Queen spoke of living up to the expectations of her title as the Reefborn perceived it, she seemed to take a hidden delight in bandying about ill-suited stereotypes. Perhaps it was a form of release, knowing that she herself was a stereotype to some degree, to subvert them in turn? At any rate, it caused her nostrils to flare with amusement. "It is a useful skill."
"You say the word Reefborn as though you were not one of us." The Queen quietly sat down on their bed, staring intently at him. The large habitat pod they were residing in - one of many on the Plutonian Remnant, to serve as domiciles for individuals unable to survive the vacuum like the Ramielim and Bardielim could - was currently aglow in the cool light of a nearby tower of blue Ramielim crystal, filtering and amplifying the faint light of the Sun into something more useful.
Zavala kept on crocheting as he replied, "Your subjects certainly do not consider me to be one." It had been a subject of contention amongst the Awoken of the Reef, when their nuptials had first been announced.
"Your family was among those who left the Reef during the reign of Alis Ibuki, the third Queen. There were many challengers to the throne during her reign, and the loyalty earned by Maya and her daughter Ritsuko had been waning. Despite the dangers of the Inner Planets and the unknown condition of Earth, not a few deemed the risks worth it." She spoke with such surety and confidence that he didn't doubt it was true.
Even so, it had little relevance to him. "When I was reborn, it was in a crashed spaceship, resting in the shallow shores of a desert land. I couldn't tell you how long I had been dead." Long enough for all of the other passengers on that doomed vessel to have decomposed into skeletons, so at least a year, perhaps several. "I couldn't tell you why the ship had crashed." Only in retrospect could he recognize the signs of damage on the outer hull: arc burns and spike missiles from Fallen cutters. However, the exact circumstances, and the House responsible, had been lost to time. "Nor would I have been able to tell you who I had been or where I had come from." As someone born after the Collapse, he would not have possessed an intrinsic spiritual connection to his Ghost that allowed the reclamation of memory, as had been the case for others who had lived in the Time Before. Such Guardians, by necessity, had to start fresher than others. "All I had was a name tag on my jumpsuit that read 'Zavala', and that was enough for me. For all intents and purposes, Earth is the only home I've ever known."
Mara hummed, quietly processing the information without letting slip any hint of what she thought. "There have been others, like you." Reefborn who had died, and been reborn as Guardians; all bearing Ghosts that brought no connection to who they had once been. "There was a story I was told as a child: of a man named Chao Mu, who died before Maya had ever been crowned, and was reborn during the reign of Ritsuko. He was the first of the Risen to ever emerge from the ranks of the Awoken." Zavala had heard other Awoken tell this story before; it was either a children's fable or a tragic tale, depending on the storyteller. "He had decided to call himself Savin, because he thought people would think him savvier." Not all Guardians could be called clever, alas. "He did not remember his wives, nor did he remember the son that had been a hundred and ten years of age at the time. All of his former interests and desires, his personality quirks, his vices and virtues: gone. When his powers were tested, and he was brought back to life, Savin was still the only one who remained. Chao Mu no longer lived."
Zavala wondered what Mara's eventual point would be, knowing she was building up to it; he was no stranger to certain Awoken's distaste for Guardians.
"What would you say, to one that would despise the Traveler for bringing back a mere shell? To essentially make infinite sacrifices out of those who were dead and gone, and did not ask to be brought back?"
A probing question, or perhaps another test? "If you go even further back, who ever asks to be born?" he asked, looping the fabric around the crochet hooks all the way. "Perhaps one could say that the soul is a fundamental reflection of who one is, without the excess and accretions of a life lived. Perhaps Savin was being true to the core of Chao Mu." Perhaps, in the end, he had simply been reborn as the purest expression of who he had once been. "One could argue that Savin was more real than Chao Mu had been." Philosophy could be a seemingly callous and uncaring tool, for all its utility and necessity; however, Mara knew he was speaking in hypotheticals, and did not even rise to the possibility of offense at his words. "I cannot claim to know the answers, only that Chao Mu was given another chance." Even if it was a chance that few had apparently agreed with. "What he did with that chance is left to the judgment of history." So it would be with everyone else, in the grand scheme of things. He and Mara were no different.
"And what did he do with that chance, pray tell?"
Zavala thought, and pondered, thinking of the many Guardians he had come across over the years. Then, he remembered. "He perished at Six Fronts, exhausting his Light with Nova Bomb after Nova Bomb to destroy a multitude of Fallen Walkers. His corpse and the remains of his Ghost were found in front of an intact civilian shelter." He quietly looked into the Queen's eyes, and wondered at how many rivers of thought this would inspire. "I believe that Chao Mu would have been proud. What do you think?"
Mara did not answer.
Or rather, she was interrupted, for his Ghost suddenly manifested from his body in a flash of Light. "Lorenzo?" The mere fact he had chosen to emerge at all wasn't good. What had happened-?
"I just received a message from the Vanguard. Ten hours ago, there was a surprise attack on the Fatherworld, but we're only now getting new details." His Ghost turned warily towards the lone female in the room. "Queen Mara...your brother..."
And just like that, the honeymoon was over.
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Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
Oh, the irony.
I vaguely remember Uldren being a bit ooc when he got rezzed. This should be interesting to see.
2.2, in which we look at an Awoken funeral for royalty.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
/13 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/
/The Great Mausoleum, the Reef/
The house of the dead had an asteroid all to itself.
Within the Vestian family of asteroids, linked to Sovereign through a combination of gravity tethers and short-range teleporters (along with the addition of various Lelielim warp gates, in the years following the Second Cataclysm), the Great Mausoleum served as the host for all Reefborn Awoken who had passed away. Though cremation and subsequent spacing had been the most common form of disposing of the dead in darker and harsher times, the increasing importance of the Royal Family - of bloodlines and lineage and tangible history - had resulted in the creation of this place, centuries ago.
Today, it was getting another addition.
As Awoken of all ages - and not a few outsiders, mostly of Earthling stock - began to gather for the impending ceremony, Mara Sov was gathering her thoughts, in a small room reserved for the family of the deceased. She was the only one present.
She was alone, to ponder and think amidst the pink asphodelias that grew from immense pots of purple clay, each vessel larger than a person.
Inhale. Exhale.
Remember. Inhale.
Remember. Exhale.
Mara steeled her face, opening her eyes. It was time for the ceremony to begin.
And so she exited the room, stepping into a great chamber filled with her people. As they rose - adorned in the dark purples, blues and blacks of mourning - and she walked towards the new gazebo which would house his body, the pallbearers processed into the chamber from the other side, carrying Uldren's coffin. As they moved, the funeral choir - comprised of men, with a quartet of women playing traditional guitars as accompaniment - began to solemnly sing the First Funeral Dirge of Lord Aoba, for Men.
/The Great Mausoleum, the Reef/
The house of the dead had an asteroid all to itself.
Within the Vestian family of asteroids, linked to Sovereign through a combination of gravity tethers and short-range teleporters (along with the addition of various Lelielim warp gates, in the years following the Second Cataclysm), the Great Mausoleum served as the host for all Reefborn Awoken who had passed away. Though cremation and subsequent spacing had been the most common form of disposing of the dead in darker and harsher times, the increasing importance of the Royal Family - of bloodlines and lineage and tangible history - had resulted in the creation of this place, centuries ago.
Today, it was getting another addition.
As Awoken of all ages - and not a few outsiders, mostly of Earthling stock - began to gather for the impending ceremony, Mara Sov was gathering her thoughts, in a small room reserved for the family of the deceased. She was the only one present.
(Zavala had offered to accompany her, to stand by her side as the Lord Consort during the ceremony. She forbade it, as it would come across as...disrespectful, for someone of different blood to stand beside her during the ceremony. For an Awoken funeral, it would be most improper. "I am your husband," he felt fit to remind her, with a certain sobriety that was his trademark. "Some would consider such a relation to be deeper than blood." And that, she told him, is why so many refused to consider him Reefborn: lineage and blood ties among family? Such things could not be discounted by the Awoken.)
She was alone, to ponder and think amidst the pink asphodelias that grew from immense pots of purple clay, each vessel larger than a person.
(She sat at the foot of Ilia, a Techeun assigned by her mother for her education. As they toured the Great Mausoleum, Ilia solemnly pointed out pink flowers that were ever-present. "It was the first new cultivar created by our people in the wake of the Collapse. It was another sign that we were capable of not just surviving, but living.")
Inhale. Exhale.
(As she meditated on the more intricate aspects of the energies churning through her soul, her younger brother regaled her of tales about those who had braved the realms of the Nine and returned unscathed, of Corsairs who had misled Fallen scouting parties, of Paladins who had managed to triumph over Guardians in games of wit and chance. "Tell me, my sister; what do you think of heroes? As a concept?" It all depended on the cause, was her answer. "I disagree, for every cause can be opposed; a hero for one cause is merely the villain of another. Is not the ideal Hero one who stands above all things?" What fanciful thinking, and she said so in as many words. "Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But isn't it an ideal worth pursuing?")
Remember. Inhale.
(Sjur Eido, Queen's Wrath of Naomi Sov, was a legendary warrior amongst the Awoken. Despite Sjur's advanced age, the Queen's Wrath was nothing to joke about; hence, when her brother announced that he had been chosen to learn from Sjur, she calmly asked if he wanted funeral plans arranged. "Someone named after the fourth Queen is bound to be equally vicious; it will be yet another task that the Prince is expected to clear." And so Uldren did, without complaint and without relent. Yet, after every session, more and more of that heroic ideal was chipped away, as Sjur exposed him to the sheer number of threats that stood against their people. She was glad; Heroes such as the ones Uldren spoke of served no cause, and were thus only fit to die for nothing in the end. Such was the way of the universe.)
Remember. Exhale.
(It was a tense day, years after the end of the Reef Wars, when she asked Uldren if he regretted his station, to perpetually be in her shadow. Or, to use their younger sister Nula's terminology, to be bound by a chain to her throne. "Have I in some way displeased you?" he calmly asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion. She swiftly dispelled his suspicion, calling it unbecoming and ill-suited for his demeanor. "So you say, my dear sister; yet, I have learned much of our history, and know just how quickly treachery can spawn. If I cannot shield you directly from it, then I can at least spot it and destroy it before it ever reaches our shores." How precocious. In a strange bit of nostalgia, she asked if a true Hero would speak such words. With a bitter smile, he answered, "Heroes may be few and far between, it is true...but without the Queen, the Awoken would be rendered headless. In the big picture...family comes before everything." She nodded, glad that - even if some part of him did not accept that, for such a smile was the grin of one with lost dreams - he at least understood.)
Mara steeled her face, opening her eyes. It was time for the ceremony to begin.
And so she exited the room, stepping into a great chamber filled with her people. As they rose - adorned in the dark purples, blues and blacks of mourning - and she walked towards the new gazebo which would house his body, the pallbearers processed into the chamber from the other side, carrying Uldren's coffin. As they moved, the funeral choir - comprised of men, with a quartet of women playing traditional guitars as accompaniment - began to solemnly sing the First Funeral Dirge of Lord Aoba, for Men.
"Carry on my wayward son! There'll be peace when you are done! Lay your weary head to rest...don't you cry no more~"
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Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Well, if it's sung by the equivalent of a church choir with sad guitars, then sure. It's not a strict cover.
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
To be fair, with a somber atmosphere you can make a light hearted song or picture or anything seem really heartbreaking.
Its a matter of perspective.
Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy: The Hive
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy
"The Hive"
And then there's THESE assholes!
No, I'm not being hyperbolic. I'm never hyperbolic, despite accusations to the contrary...now Buck, am I wrong about the Hive being assholes?
I thought so.
See, as far as our enemies went, the Hive were...special. The Fallen hated us for allegedly stealing the Traveler. The Cabal and the Vex didn't really hate us; we were simply in their way. I would say that the Nine didn't hate us, because that implies they considered us worthy of their hate, and I think they looked down on us too much for that.
But the Hive? The Hive truly hated us. They saw us as vermin, worthy of nothing but extermination...especially because of the Light that we used. And they treated it like a religious crusade.
Now, a lot of this information is second-hand. If you want to get the skinny, you'll need to talk to certain Cryptarchs...who'll probably have based most of their lore on the works of Toland and Eris Morn. Good luck trying to find Toland, and Eris Morn...well, she's kind of unapproachable if you're not already a friend. I guess Taox might count, but no one's seen her since the Battle of Saturn. Ooh, and given their history, Variks and some of the older Eliksni might be happy to explain things to you...maybe. Depends on their mood. Fortunately, you've got me to shoot you straight!
...no Buck, why would the skinny be a weird catchphrase? Isn't that one normal?
Anyhow, the Hive can be traced back to a species called the krill, on a planet called Fundament. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (man that is really hitting the nostalgia meter something fierce), the krill lived on Fundament as a prey species. Overall, their life was allegedly short and brutal. Three siblings by the name of Aurash, Sathona, and Xi Ro wanted to change the destiny of their people...and they did. Now, instead of undergoing a journey of personal discovery to master the art of diplomacy or the might of justice or the power of love or anything pleasant like that, they ended up finding the Worm Gods, who probably had a boner for the Darkness, and definitely had a hate boner for the Light. Yes Buck, I am sticking with those descriptions.
These three siblings made bargains with these Worms, taking the names of Auryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath, and ushering in the first generation of the Hive. They would go on to escape Fundament, and chase the Traveler all over the cosmos, murdering and genociding all over the place while doing so. Who knows how many worlds were rendered barren by their works, or how many species they rendered extinct? I don't know, because they apparently did their thing for millions of years...sometimes getting beaten back, but never for good.
They got especially nasty when their god-king Auryx directly communed with the Darkness itself, becoming Oryx, the Taken King. We'll cover the Taken elsewhere, because they're kind of...separate, from the Hive. Sorta.
Now, how do the Hive pertain to us? Funnily enough...well, okay, it wasn't funny at all, but you get what I mean...we got hit by them in a few different ways.
First, the one that most people are aware of: Crota. The Son of Oryx. At some point long before we achieved spaceflight, Crota and a bunch of his Hive broods burrowed into our Moon, turning it into a proverbial fortress. Then, during the First Cataclysm, they emerged and started invading the Earth in various locations...especially Old Japan. That place got hit hard. Can't exactly say how widespread they ever got, given how scant our records from that time are, but suffice to say, when the Traveler sacrificed itself, it pretty much vaporized the Hive, leaving only their wretched ruins...for a time. Things might have gone hairier for us the next go round when Crota woke up, if it hadn't been for Unit-02. I'll have to talk about the Clash of Giants at some point...but, third time's the charm, right? I wonder if Crota thought that when he attacked again during the Threefold Invasion, only to get stomped by Unit-01 and Unit-02. Look up footage of Asuka's finisher, it was spectacular.
But...you might wonder what brought Crota to our little corner of the cosmos to begin with. That can be laid at the foot of another Hive deity: his mom.
Enter Nokris, the Bride of Oryx. She arrived on Earth much earlier, for some nefarious plan that only makes sense in the mind of the deranged. Presumably. Anyhow, Nokris? You can thank her for the Ahamkara. Yep, that's right: the dickish wish-granting dragons that caused the First Cataclysm were actually her babies. Worst. Mother. Ever. The only thing she was good for is the fact that we created the Evangelions using her flesh.
...oh, did you not know that?
Yeah, it's something we really don't like talking about, given how awkward it is...it kinda sorta had to come out when the Second Cataclysm came to end (trust me, I'll explain later). So, on the one hand, we can thank Nokris for Unit-01 and Unit-02...though, that means we can also thank her for the Nine.
Basically, the Hive were the source of all of our biggest problems.
Which brings us to the third Hive of note: a stranger by the name of Rei Ayanami. Hoo boy...she'll get her own entry. Suffice to say, the title 'Successor of Nokris' should tell you plenty as is.
So we had to deal with the Son of Oryx, the Bride of Oryx, and Rei Ayanami. You know what happens when you get so many demonic deity-slash-royalty figures in one place?
If you guessed "draw the attention of the entire Hive triad", then you're not a newbie at all, you filthy cheater.
Essentially, Oryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath all came crashing into the Solar System at the onset of the Second Cataclysm. It was not pretty. Ask some of the Cabal veterans; out of all the belligerent factions, they faced the Hive the most.
By the end of the Battle of Saturn, we at least managed to kill Oryx...thanks to the combined efforts of a few Guardian fireteams, Tabris, Zeruel, Unit-01, and Rei Ayanami. "Wait a second, I thought Rei was an enemy?!" you might exclaim with confusion. Trust me, you don't even know the half of it when it comes to her. But yeah, it should tell you just how big a deal Oryx was when it took that much firepower to take him down.
As for his sisters, Savathûn and Xivu Arath? Well...I can't exactly claim to know what happened to them, given what happened when Shinji Ikari ascended. I kinda like the Cabal term for what happened: the White Wave...because that's pretty much what it was; among other things, it wiped out all of the Hive.
Seriously, all of them. Don't know if they were actually destroyed or simply whisked away...but we haven't seen a single Hive in-system since the Second Cataclysm ended. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
You might wonder if it would have ever been possible to make them into allies, like we did with our other enemies. And to that I say, you're either infinitely optimistic or superbly naive. No offense.
The Hive modeled themselves - their core nature, their very being, their proverbial selves - on the edge of a blade, cutting at everyone and everything, killing and killing until they either were all that remained or were killed themselves. And they did so with relish.
I'm glad they're dead. You should be too. And if some of them still exist out in this vast universe of ours, you'd better hope we never cross paths again.
Sometimes, a monster's only good for slayin'.
"The Hive"
And then there's THESE assholes!
No, I'm not being hyperbolic. I'm never hyperbolic, despite accusations to the contrary...now Buck, am I wrong about the Hive being assholes?
I thought so.
See, as far as our enemies went, the Hive were...special. The Fallen hated us for allegedly stealing the Traveler. The Cabal and the Vex didn't really hate us; we were simply in their way. I would say that the Nine didn't hate us, because that implies they considered us worthy of their hate, and I think they looked down on us too much for that.
But the Hive? The Hive truly hated us. They saw us as vermin, worthy of nothing but extermination...especially because of the Light that we used. And they treated it like a religious crusade.
Now, a lot of this information is second-hand. If you want to get the skinny, you'll need to talk to certain Cryptarchs...who'll probably have based most of their lore on the works of Toland and Eris Morn. Good luck trying to find Toland, and Eris Morn...well, she's kind of unapproachable if you're not already a friend. I guess Taox might count, but no one's seen her since the Battle of Saturn. Ooh, and given their history, Variks and some of the older Eliksni might be happy to explain things to you...maybe. Depends on their mood. Fortunately, you've got me to shoot you straight!
...no Buck, why would the skinny be a weird catchphrase? Isn't that one normal?
Anyhow, the Hive can be traced back to a species called the krill, on a planet called Fundament. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (man that is really hitting the nostalgia meter something fierce), the krill lived on Fundament as a prey species. Overall, their life was allegedly short and brutal. Three siblings by the name of Aurash, Sathona, and Xi Ro wanted to change the destiny of their people...and they did. Now, instead of undergoing a journey of personal discovery to master the art of diplomacy or the might of justice or the power of love or anything pleasant like that, they ended up finding the Worm Gods, who probably had a boner for the Darkness, and definitely had a hate boner for the Light. Yes Buck, I am sticking with those descriptions.
These three siblings made bargains with these Worms, taking the names of Auryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath, and ushering in the first generation of the Hive. They would go on to escape Fundament, and chase the Traveler all over the cosmos, murdering and genociding all over the place while doing so. Who knows how many worlds were rendered barren by their works, or how many species they rendered extinct? I don't know, because they apparently did their thing for millions of years...sometimes getting beaten back, but never for good.
They got especially nasty when their god-king Auryx directly communed with the Darkness itself, becoming Oryx, the Taken King. We'll cover the Taken elsewhere, because they're kind of...separate, from the Hive. Sorta.
Now, how do the Hive pertain to us? Funnily enough...well, okay, it wasn't funny at all, but you get what I mean...we got hit by them in a few different ways.
First, the one that most people are aware of: Crota. The Son of Oryx. At some point long before we achieved spaceflight, Crota and a bunch of his Hive broods burrowed into our Moon, turning it into a proverbial fortress. Then, during the First Cataclysm, they emerged and started invading the Earth in various locations...especially Old Japan. That place got hit hard. Can't exactly say how widespread they ever got, given how scant our records from that time are, but suffice to say, when the Traveler sacrificed itself, it pretty much vaporized the Hive, leaving only their wretched ruins...for a time. Things might have gone hairier for us the next go round when Crota woke up, if it hadn't been for Unit-02. I'll have to talk about the Clash of Giants at some point...but, third time's the charm, right? I wonder if Crota thought that when he attacked again during the Threefold Invasion, only to get stomped by Unit-01 and Unit-02. Look up footage of Asuka's finisher, it was spectacular.
But...you might wonder what brought Crota to our little corner of the cosmos to begin with. That can be laid at the foot of another Hive deity: his mom.
Enter Nokris, the Bride of Oryx. She arrived on Earth much earlier, for some nefarious plan that only makes sense in the mind of the deranged. Presumably. Anyhow, Nokris? You can thank her for the Ahamkara. Yep, that's right: the dickish wish-granting dragons that caused the First Cataclysm were actually her babies. Worst. Mother. Ever. The only thing she was good for is the fact that we created the Evangelions using her flesh.
...oh, did you not know that?
Yeah, it's something we really don't like talking about, given how awkward it is...it kinda sorta had to come out when the Second Cataclysm came to end (trust me, I'll explain later). So, on the one hand, we can thank Nokris for Unit-01 and Unit-02...though, that means we can also thank her for the Nine.
Basically, the Hive were the source of all of our biggest problems.
Which brings us to the third Hive of note: a stranger by the name of Rei Ayanami. Hoo boy...she'll get her own entry. Suffice to say, the title 'Successor of Nokris' should tell you plenty as is.
So we had to deal with the Son of Oryx, the Bride of Oryx, and Rei Ayanami. You know what happens when you get so many demonic deity-slash-royalty figures in one place?
If you guessed "draw the attention of the entire Hive triad", then you're not a newbie at all, you filthy cheater.
Essentially, Oryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath all came crashing into the Solar System at the onset of the Second Cataclysm. It was not pretty. Ask some of the Cabal veterans; out of all the belligerent factions, they faced the Hive the most.
By the end of the Battle of Saturn, we at least managed to kill Oryx...thanks to the combined efforts of a few Guardian fireteams, Tabris, Zeruel, Unit-01, and Rei Ayanami. "Wait a second, I thought Rei was an enemy?!" you might exclaim with confusion. Trust me, you don't even know the half of it when it comes to her. But yeah, it should tell you just how big a deal Oryx was when it took that much firepower to take him down.
As for his sisters, Savathûn and Xivu Arath? Well...I can't exactly claim to know what happened to them, given what happened when Shinji Ikari ascended. I kinda like the Cabal term for what happened: the White Wave...because that's pretty much what it was; among other things, it wiped out all of the Hive.
Seriously, all of them. Don't know if they were actually destroyed or simply whisked away...but we haven't seen a single Hive in-system since the Second Cataclysm ended. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
You might wonder if it would have ever been possible to make them into allies, like we did with our other enemies. And to that I say, you're either infinitely optimistic or superbly naive. No offense.
The Hive modeled themselves - their core nature, their very being, their proverbial selves - on the edge of a blade, cutting at everyone and everything, killing and killing until they either were all that remained or were killed themselves. And they did so with relish.
I'm glad they're dead. You should be too. And if some of them still exist out in this vast universe of ours, you'd better hope we never cross paths again.
Sometimes, a monster's only good for slayin'.
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Re: the funeral version of Wayward Son - isn't there that one Supernatural version that has those really slow sad bits? Because that is exactly where my head went
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
The thought of Cayde interacting with the Star Wars universe fills me will both rabid anticipation and pure, unadulterated terror.
2.3, in which Uldren gets his eulogy.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
As the male choir sung and chanted the ancient words - somber and solemn, in sync with mournful acoustics - and the pallbearers advanced towards the gazebo, Mara Sov took in the entire room at a glance. Hundreds of Awoken, standing room only; several aliens, particularly a few Psions that had served Uldren within the Crows; of the VIPs present, Zavala and Variks were the most notable. While her husband was characteristically solemn, Variks actually looked legitimately sad.
Then again, the enigmatic Tabrix had long been fond of the Royal Family. Even the one that could legitimately be called an usurper, she thought as her peripheral vision observed another gazebo over twenty yards away.
Such was the nature of this chamber, reserved for all members of the Royal Family. From the first - and empty - coffin for Maya Ibuki down to the newest addition in Uldren Sov, all of their line would be buried in this place.
As the dirge came to an end - in sync with the pallbearers placing Uldren's coffin in the middle of the gazebo, so smoothly as to not even make a sound - and the chamber went quiet, the designated eulogist stepped forward to speak. Petra Venj, her Wrath, faced the people gathered, knowing that this was being broadcast all over the Reef and beyond. With one soft inhale, Petra began to speak. "Gathered are we, to observe the final rest of royalty," she said, voice amplified by a throat mic.
"And witnesses we shall be, for those who have led us through the brightest light and the deepest shadow," responded the many Reefborn Awoken, a seamless answer that conformed to a ritual long-established.
"Uldren Sov, second-born of the Sixth Queen, Naomi Sov."
"Long may they live through the bonds of blood."
"Uldren Sov, Crown Prince of the Reef, and servant to the Awoken family."
"Long may he be remembered in celestial memory."
"Uldren Sov, bound to the Light and the Darkness, who walked the line between."
"Long may he hold the line."
Petra paused, and began to speak per the free-form portion of the standard eulogy for royalty. "Uldren Sov's reputation was mixed in the eyes of many. Many of us adored him for his victories and his determination. Many of us despised him for the heaviness of his right hand, in service to the Queen. Yet all things he did, not for the sake of public approval, nor for the necessity of pride; all that he did, was born out of a love for the Awoken, for his family. Such was what drove him, from his days spent under the tutelage of Sjur Eido, to the struggles and pains we have experienced in this fledgling Alliance of ours. Whatever was asked of him, no matter his personal distaste for it...he did so, to the utmost of his capacity. Such was the duty that formed the very core of his being." She paused, peering ominously at the gathered crowd. "I know that the question of vengeance is on the lips of many, and on the minds of still more. Fret not, for justice will be served. Our Queen has guaranteed such."
Mara Sov let the murmurs and whispers wash over her, not a few of which were more audible than they dared. The question of vengeance was easily answered by the need for justice; in the end, all things within the Reef were of her domain. Her brother had been hers, and he had been taken away by a Warmind. By a MAGI, ostensibly under their control. Such subterfuge, such rank cowardice...would not be allowed to stand. Such was the Queen's wrath, hence why Petra spoke with her authority.
"No matter what may come, our people shall endure. That would be the wish of a man whose blood, sweat, and toil was given for so many years, without question and without relent. Such was the nature of the man called Uldren Sov, Prince of the Awoken." And with that, Petra Venj withdrew, prompting Mara to step forward. Such was the nature of Awoken funerals, to speak swiftly with meaningful words, than to blather on with useless fluff. Such was the nature of the ritual that Mara was about to perform, as she let her soul speak for her: an aura of white and black flickered over her form, gradient flames emitting an aura that both soothed and discomfited the people watching.
Such was the reality of death: in many ways a state of existence that was both heartening and disheartening, for a variety of reasons.
And so Mara Sov chanted, calmly and regally, as the very essence of her soul seemed to suffuse the chamber.
Mara quietly exhaled, letting her soul recede. Such was the duty of a Queen, to experience sorrow without feeling it. "Long live Uldren Sov."
"Long live Uldren Sov," solemnly responded the Reefborn, as they knelt on bended knee.
"Long live the Prince of the Reef," finished Petra Venj.
"Long live the Royal Family."
(When she asked him why he betrayed his fellow Fallen during the Reef Wars, the Tabrix had a strange little smirk on his face. His answer was oddly telling. "Variks sees the signs, yes? Of a people driven to the brink, yet have managed to claw their way back. One could even say that you have moved on, yes? It is something that the many Houses of we Fallen have yet to do..." He bitterly chuckled. "I see it in the eyes of your brother, yes? His anger is driven by a furious love for his people; so many of my own have anger driven by hate. The proper path is simple then, yes?")
Then again, the enigmatic Tabrix had long been fond of the Royal Family. Even the one that could legitimately be called an usurper, she thought as her peripheral vision observed another gazebo over twenty yards away.
(Even though no body had ever been found, the demand that Nula Sov be granted a proper funeral had been...substantial. Despite all revelations regarding her nature as a mere iteration of Rei Ayanami, many of the Reefborn had disavowed it as baseless propaganda, to retroactively justify the Purge. In the end, a funeral had been granted, but not as a favor to them. Even if it was useful in mollifying many of her subjects, Mara's decision had been driven by practicality: putting Nula Sov to rest would finally allow her to move on, to no longer let the memory of her beloved sister trouble her. Once the empty coffin was placed, and the ceremony was complete...the constant plague of 'what if' that had plagued her nightmares ceased to be.)
Such was the nature of this chamber, reserved for all members of the Royal Family. From the first - and empty - coffin for Maya Ibuki down to the newest addition in Uldren Sov, all of their line would be buried in this place.
As the dirge came to an end - in sync with the pallbearers placing Uldren's coffin in the middle of the gazebo, so smoothly as to not even make a sound - and the chamber went quiet, the designated eulogist stepped forward to speak. Petra Venj, her Wrath, faced the people gathered, knowing that this was being broadcast all over the Reef and beyond. With one soft inhale, Petra began to speak. "Gathered are we, to observe the final rest of royalty," she said, voice amplified by a throat mic.
"And witnesses we shall be, for those who have led us through the brightest light and the deepest shadow," responded the many Reefborn Awoken, a seamless answer that conformed to a ritual long-established.
"Uldren Sov, second-born of the Sixth Queen, Naomi Sov."
"Long may they live through the bonds of blood."
"Uldren Sov, Crown Prince of the Reef, and servant to the Awoken family."
"Long may he be remembered in celestial memory."
"Uldren Sov, bound to the Light and the Darkness, who walked the line between."
"Long may he hold the line."
Petra paused, and began to speak per the free-form portion of the standard eulogy for royalty. "Uldren Sov's reputation was mixed in the eyes of many. Many of us adored him for his victories and his determination. Many of us despised him for the heaviness of his right hand, in service to the Queen. Yet all things he did, not for the sake of public approval, nor for the necessity of pride; all that he did, was born out of a love for the Awoken, for his family. Such was what drove him, from his days spent under the tutelage of Sjur Eido, to the struggles and pains we have experienced in this fledgling Alliance of ours. Whatever was asked of him, no matter his personal distaste for it...he did so, to the utmost of his capacity. Such was the duty that formed the very core of his being." She paused, peering ominously at the gathered crowd. "I know that the question of vengeance is on the lips of many, and on the minds of still more. Fret not, for justice will be served. Our Queen has guaranteed such."
Mara Sov let the murmurs and whispers wash over her, not a few of which were more audible than they dared. The question of vengeance was easily answered by the need for justice; in the end, all things within the Reef were of her domain. Her brother had been hers, and he had been taken away by a Warmind. By a MAGI, ostensibly under their control. Such subterfuge, such rank cowardice...would not be allowed to stand. Such was the Queen's wrath, hence why Petra spoke with her authority.
"No matter what may come, our people shall endure. That would be the wish of a man whose blood, sweat, and toil was given for so many years, without question and without relent. Such was the nature of the man called Uldren Sov, Prince of the Awoken." And with that, Petra Venj withdrew, prompting Mara to step forward. Such was the nature of Awoken funerals, to speak swiftly with meaningful words, than to blather on with useless fluff. Such was the nature of the ritual that Mara was about to perform, as she let her soul speak for her: an aura of white and black flickered over her form, gradient flames emitting an aura that both soothed and discomfited the people watching.
Such was the reality of death: in many ways a state of existence that was both heartening and disheartening, for a variety of reasons.
And so Mara Sov chanted, calmly and regally, as the very essence of her soul seemed to suffuse the chamber.
~Worlds near and far have witnessed your song~
~A life forged in light and dark~
~Though the candle fades, and the day grows long~
~Never shall you be forgotten~
~Though the stars may burn, through a void most strong~
~Forevermore, shall your self endure~
~A life forged in light and dark~
~Though the candle fades, and the day grows long~
~Never shall you be forgotten~
~Though the stars may burn, through a void most strong~
~Forevermore, shall your self endure~
Mara quietly exhaled, letting her soul recede. Such was the duty of a Queen, to experience sorrow without feeling it. "Long live Uldren Sov."
"Long live Uldren Sov," solemnly responded the Reefborn, as they knelt on bended knee.
"Long live the Prince of the Reef," finished Petra Venj.
"Long live the Royal Family."
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2.4, in which the Assembly gathers.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Zavala remained quiet and stoic as the funeral slowly began to disperse, with the civilians departing first. Those who had served with or under the Prince lingered, eventually leaving elsewhere. Before the hour was out, Petra Venj was the last of the other Awoken to leave, briefly glancing with concern at her Queen.
Mara had remained stoic through the whole ordeal, bearing it all with a sense of magnanimous detachment. Fitting for royalty, he supposed, even if he personally preferred her to showcase some form of emotion.
'You realize that that would mean Fenchurch or Calus would need to be in close proximity.'
...a fair point, he conceded. There were certain personality types that managed to pierce even Mara's cool hide and aloof temperament. I am no different, he mused, thinking of Guardians' various antics throughout the years that he had dealt with. Cayde came to mind immediately. For all my disdain of the former Speaker's duplicity...he was certainly able to carry the burden of leadership with a sense of proper temperance.
'Is that admiration I hear?'
Almost every villain has at least a certain level of virtue. That's what makes them villainous. After all, it was no great loss if scum behaved as such; however, when supposed paragons fell? When icons and heroes succumbed to lesser impulses or tainted pursuits? That was what made for the greatest of sorrows amongst the people; Dredgen Yor came to mind immediately.
"A beautiful ceremony, yes?" Zavala glanced to the Tabrix standing at his side; Variks gazed with a sense of melancholy at the coffin containing Uldren's body, even as Mara calmly descended the gazebo's steps. "Proper perspective, given to the end of a life lived. Keeps one humble, yes?"
"Indeed," he agreed. Zavala glanced into the cool eyes of his wife, who was now staring at the both of them. Though her expression was still regal in its composure, he could see the traces of ire in her flickering eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I am going to mollify my people, and assuage their fears before the next gathering of the Assembly." She briefly inhaled, letting a bit of her anger show; before Variks and Zavala, she felt a lesser need to keep up appearances. "I will endeavor to find an answer from my Techeuns as to the cause of the...incident." Her gaze focused on his own. "It is my sincerest wish that you also have an answer from your subordinates by then."
"That is my intention," he answered, knowing that the next few days would be busy ones. "I have a meeting with the Consensus tomorrow, and a call with Clovis-9 the day after." He hoped that they would be fruitful, as the Assembly would occur in three Earth days from now.
Variks nodded sagely, even as the Servitor within his sternum glowed a soft magenta. "Such is everyone's hope, yes? Would be a true shame, if our hard-fought peace were to be squandered over such a tragedy."
Those were the words that ended their brief convention, as Queen, Governor, and Kell dispersed to do what they had to do.
xxxx
The next day, Zavala met with the Consensus, and obtained the testimony of Shin Malphur about the attack on the Fatherworld.
The day after, he had a very...illuminating conversation with Clovis Bray himself, regarding the most recent analysis of the Warmind mainframes and the MAGI that served as their controlling minds.
Then, the very next morning...
xxxx
/16 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/
/The Tower of the Consensus, the Reborn City/
Governor Zavala quietly sat at his desk, waiting for the clock to strike nine o'clock in the morning. At that moment, various holo-projectors within his office would activate, showcasing the other members of the Assembly: a pseudo-legal term to describe the heads of state of each faction within the Sixfold Alliance. Or, the closest equivalent thereof; Variks was Kell of a House of one, but his bearing of the Progenitor Tabris meant that the other Kells deferred to him in matters of non-Eliksni governance and relations. And the, Pax, well...it was hard to consider a portion of the Vex Collective as an equal party, Light-empowered or no.
'What are the odds this turns out poorly?'
...I would rather not say.
The clock reached the appointed hour, and various holograms of the Sixfold Alliance's other members manifested in a flash of orange and blue, displaying five other individuals.
Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef.
Variks, Kell of House Tabris.
Caiatl, Empress of the Cabal Empire.
Xûr, Herald of Calus.
Achronos, Diplomatic Mind and Infinite Proxy.
"We are all aware of why we're gathering today," began Governor Zavala, cutting to the chase, "so I'll skip the pleasantries."
"You have acquired additional data," stated the Pax Minotaur, immediately deducing the nature of his opening statement.
"Yes."
"Then speak," demanded Mara.
Zavala slowly turned towards Variks. "Wille discovered ciphered transmissions that had been passively received by MELCHIOR in the hours prior to the Warmind strike on the Fatherworld. After it was decrypted, they compared the symbolic language in the metadata to all available records...and found a match to the Eliksni." He let the words hang for a brief moment, before adding, "Specifically, a match to the traditional language of the House of Tabris."
Mara had remained stoic through the whole ordeal, bearing it all with a sense of magnanimous detachment. Fitting for royalty, he supposed, even if he personally preferred her to showcase some form of emotion.
'You realize that that would mean Fenchurch or Calus would need to be in close proximity.'
...a fair point, he conceded. There were certain personality types that managed to pierce even Mara's cool hide and aloof temperament. I am no different, he mused, thinking of Guardians' various antics throughout the years that he had dealt with. Cayde came to mind immediately. For all my disdain of the former Speaker's duplicity...he was certainly able to carry the burden of leadership with a sense of proper temperance.
'Is that admiration I hear?'
Almost every villain has at least a certain level of virtue. That's what makes them villainous. After all, it was no great loss if scum behaved as such; however, when supposed paragons fell? When icons and heroes succumbed to lesser impulses or tainted pursuits? That was what made for the greatest of sorrows amongst the people; Dredgen Yor came to mind immediately.
"A beautiful ceremony, yes?" Zavala glanced to the Tabrix standing at his side; Variks gazed with a sense of melancholy at the coffin containing Uldren's body, even as Mara calmly descended the gazebo's steps. "Proper perspective, given to the end of a life lived. Keeps one humble, yes?"
"Indeed," he agreed. Zavala glanced into the cool eyes of his wife, who was now staring at the both of them. Though her expression was still regal in its composure, he could see the traces of ire in her flickering eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I am going to mollify my people, and assuage their fears before the next gathering of the Assembly." She briefly inhaled, letting a bit of her anger show; before Variks and Zavala, she felt a lesser need to keep up appearances. "I will endeavor to find an answer from my Techeuns as to the cause of the...incident." Her gaze focused on his own. "It is my sincerest wish that you also have an answer from your subordinates by then."
"That is my intention," he answered, knowing that the next few days would be busy ones. "I have a meeting with the Consensus tomorrow, and a call with Clovis-9 the day after." He hoped that they would be fruitful, as the Assembly would occur in three Earth days from now.
Variks nodded sagely, even as the Servitor within his sternum glowed a soft magenta. "Such is everyone's hope, yes? Would be a true shame, if our hard-fought peace were to be squandered over such a tragedy."
Those were the words that ended their brief convention, as Queen, Governor, and Kell dispersed to do what they had to do.
xxxx
The next day, Zavala met with the Consensus, and obtained the testimony of Shin Malphur about the attack on the Fatherworld.
The day after, he had a very...illuminating conversation with Clovis Bray himself, regarding the most recent analysis of the Warmind mainframes and the MAGI that served as their controlling minds.
Then, the very next morning...
xxxx
/16 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/
/The Tower of the Consensus, the Reborn City/
Governor Zavala quietly sat at his desk, waiting for the clock to strike nine o'clock in the morning. At that moment, various holo-projectors within his office would activate, showcasing the other members of the Assembly: a pseudo-legal term to describe the heads of state of each faction within the Sixfold Alliance. Or, the closest equivalent thereof; Variks was Kell of a House of one, but his bearing of the Progenitor Tabris meant that the other Kells deferred to him in matters of non-Eliksni governance and relations. And the, Pax, well...it was hard to consider a portion of the Vex Collective as an equal party, Light-empowered or no.
'What are the odds this turns out poorly?'
("The utter lack of any executable directives remains the most puzzling part," admitted Clovis-9, his synthetic green eyes gleaming through the projected image. In the background, he could see various Wille technicians and Ana Bray hard at work at their terminals. "But after performing a deep dive, we finally found something of interest.")
...I would rather not say.
The clock reached the appointed hour, and various holograms of the Sixfold Alliance's other members manifested in a flash of orange and blue, displaying five other individuals.
Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef.
Variks, Kell of House Tabris.
Caiatl, Empress of the Cabal Empire.
Xûr, Herald of Calus.
Achronos, Diplomatic Mind and Infinite Proxy.
"We are all aware of why we're gathering today," began Governor Zavala, cutting to the chase, "so I'll skip the pleasantries."
"You have acquired additional data," stated the Pax Minotaur, immediately deducing the nature of his opening statement.
"Yes."
("It wasn't any sort of direct communication, or even a logged transmission. It was a set of staggered data packets that MELCHIOR received without actively acknowledging it...almost akin to stray thoughts, if you will." Clovis-9 leaned in, staring directly into his eyes through the projection. "But the data, as innocuous as it currently appears to be, is telling." When he asked why, the aged Exo said, "Because of how it was encrypted.")
"Then speak," demanded Mara.
Zavala slowly turned towards Variks. "Wille discovered ciphered transmissions that had been passively received by MELCHIOR in the hours prior to the Warmind strike on the Fatherworld. After it was decrypted, they compared the symbolic language in the metadata to all available records...and found a match to the Eliksni." He let the words hang for a brief moment, before adding, "Specifically, a match to the traditional language of the House of Tabris."
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StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
Hooo boy. The Eliksni are gonna fuckin riot.
And our man Variks gonna be in the hot seat for minute.
At least until Fikrul goes about his asshole-ish ways.
And our man Variks gonna be in the hot seat for minute.
At least until Fikrul goes about his asshole-ish ways.
- Location
- USA
Oh shit WAT?
- Location
- The Hub
Well golly gee, I hope we get some art for fic specific stuff, because I STILL have no clue what the members of the Pax are supposed to look like outside of them maybe being "Vex, but their Radilorian Fluid and Optic is probably purple, orange or blue with appropriately coloured metal bits.".
Also since Wille got namedropped right at the end there, I would be remiss in not expecting the AAA Wunder to show up in some form or other.
Also since Wille got namedropped right at the end there, I would be remiss in not expecting the AAA Wunder to show up in some form or other.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Wille has been around since the first GONG, essentially taking the spot of the FWC in terms of philosophy, with Clovis Bray influences. Among the factions, the only one with a notable fleet of any kind is Seele. However, the topic of hypothetical space-faring vessels has been unexplored.
As for the Pax, they're basically the Vex from Mercury with glowing Light showing through their eyes.
/Foolproof, aka Vex!Penny
//is the sole exception
///because she has plasma chainsaws for hands