Iron Banter: This Week In Destiny 2 — The Dangling Threads

The Techeuns have been gathered and the Festival of the Lost is over, and so we have entered a interval of Destiny 2 wherein, uh… not quite a bit is occurring. Bungie remains to be conserving busy with its weekly changes and tweaks to the Trials of Osiris, and it has been actually fascinating to observe the method because the developer works to reinforce that mode. But November is one thing of a catch-up month for Destiny 2 gamers. We’ve obtained a while to kill.I missed final week’s Iron Banter, so this can be a good catch-up alternative for me as nicely. Rather than speak concerning the ongoing Trials experiments as soon as again–we’ll in all probability try this subsequent week–this seems like a superb probability to look world wide of Destiny 2 and assume on all of the issues that have not been part of the Season of the Lost. Numerous story concepts are in movement in numerous corners of the photo voltaic system, and it is not clear the place they’re headed or how they will converge. So let’s speak concerning the threads that stay dangling.The Missing Emperor And The Struggling EmpressCalus was an ominous and fixed presence within the photo voltaic system up till lately, so what occurred to him?Last season, earlier than Osiris was revealed as Savathun and we had been semi-going to battle with Cabal Empress Caiatl, we spent lots of time on the Glykon, the derelict Cabal ship that served because the setting for the Presage mission. Central to that mission was a singular query: What occurred to Emperor Calus, previously of the Leviathan that sat in our photo voltaic system for years?This is one thing I’ve been which means to carry up right here for a bit, and simply as I used to be making ready to take action, YouTuber lore daddy Byf dropped a video working down comparable questions and ideas. As at all times, his is an effective evaluation of the scenario and its larger implications.Byf focuses on the query of whether or not Calus is dead–something steered by the whispers you may hear inside the Glykon, a few of that are Calus’ voice, a few of that are the voices of different useless of us. We’ve seen for some time now that the Darkness has some reference to the useless and may use their voices, so listening to Calus in there suggests he might need purchased it through the large communion experiment on the heart of Presage’s story.But characters this season have acknowledged that Calus is, to a point or one other, nonetheless a variable. We know from the Presage mission that the Glykon managed to enter one of many anomalies the place the planets lacking from our photo voltaic system was once, and we all know he managed to make use of the Scorn and the Crown of Sorrows, indirectly, to seemingly speak to the Darkness. And then he disappeared. That’s lots of setup only for him to die offscreen, looks like.So the query is, what does Calus communing with the Darkness imply, what occurred to him, and when will he be again? Is he nonetheless one thing of a pal to us, given how a lot we helped him over on the Leviathan? The Calus scenario would possibly linger within the background for some time, however this seems like an important piece of the puzzle as we close to Lightfall in 2023.I’m going to make use of this chance to plug my half-defunct Destiny lore Tiktok venture that I’ll or might not ever return to. Meanwhile, Empress Caiatl is not a serious half of the present season, however she’s undoubtedly nonetheless a participant within the total image. Caiatl has popped up in background lore now and again, and even despatched a message to Zavala asking if the Cabal and the Vanguard ought to staff as much as nuke the Dreaming City as a option to get rid of Savathun. Zavala turned that concept down, however diplomatic talks are nonetheless open with the Cabal Empress, who has been actively engaged in battling the forces of Xivu Arath. We know Crow is presently liaising with the Cabal, and an offended Lord Saladin has been paling round with them too, infuriated by the Osiris/Savathun betrayal.Caiatl has a rating to settle with Xivu Arath and we spent a complete season incomes her respect whereas refusing to bend the knee and be a part of her empire. Seems like additional developments for an alliance–or not–are forthcoming, and the political scenario has modified. Caiatl demanded Zavala pledge fealty as a result of the distinction and power customs of the Cabal required it. But there is a battle on and the Hive are gunning for everybody, and Caiatl appears extra pragmatic than stalwart. I’m anticipating extra Cabal negotiations to kick off sooner moderately than later, perhaps as quickly as Vanguard missions begin delving into Savathun’s throne world.The Friendly HarpyThe Harpy may very well be the important thing to future diplomacy with the Vex, in addition to constructing the robots as precise characters.The Season of the Splicer ended with a Vex incursion into the City, and with it got here a second wherein you could possibly discover a Vex Harpy that wasn’t aggressive, however as a substitute appeared to attempt to talk. The Morse code message the Harpy appeared to be saying was “Assistant,” which everybody within the Destiny 2 group took to imply that former Io quest-giver Asher Mir was making an attempt to contact us.Questions linger concerning the Harpy’s deal–had Asher been reworked or downloaded into the robotic, or was he utilizing the robotic kind of like a walkie-talkie to make contact from another place? Either method, it steered a form of “inside man” inside the Vex collective, and doubtlessly, a option to make the Vex allies themselves. After all, within the Season of the Splicer, the Vex appeared to be enthralled by the Quria, a Taken Vex thoughts beneath the management of Savathun. Thus, Savathun presents as a lot a risk to the Vex as she does to everybody else.There’s quite a bit we simply do not know concerning the Vex usually, however we do know they’re used as a weapon, to a point, by the Darkness. The Glassway Strike on Europa is all about how the Darkness informed Clovis Bray to construct a portal to a Vex planet, just for the Vex to invade Europa in response. It looks like we’re on account of truly begin interacting with the Vex as a individuals although, and the Asher/Harpy connections looks like an in-road to try this, particularly as we transfer towards going through Savathun.The Sisters Bray And The WarmindElsie labored to alter the Dark Future timeline of her origin to avoid wasting Ana, so there’s undoubtedly extra to see with each characters.An enormous a part of the Europa growth was understanding the drama of the Bray household, with the Exo Stranger revealing herself as Elsie Bray, sister to Ana Bray (previously quest-giver on Mars) and granddaughter to Clovis Bray (megalomaniacal Golden Age inventor of Exos and all-around bastard). Elsie additionally informed us her complete deal: She’s been touring from timeline to timeline, affecting adjustments in an try and preserve the photo voltaic system from falling to the Darkness. So far, she’s failed–a lot. This time, she’s making an attempt one thing new: particularly, all of the stuff with us, and a distinct strategy to coping with Ana.In the longer term that Elsie has seen, the Dark Future lore e book, we discover out that the Darkness and Stasis handle to deprave an enormous variety of Guardians. That contains Eris Morn (extra on her in a second), who turns into the chief of the dangerous guys, overtaking even Savathun. The Vanguard and remaining champions of Light within the photo voltaic system finally lose all the things, particularly when it seems that Ana was a double agent working for Eris all alongside, and Elsie is compelled to kill her.To forestall the Dark Future, Elsie revealed herself to Ana through the Beyond Light growth and the 2 confronted the enormous Exo Clovis Bray head on Europa. But the place issues go along with Ana and Elsie from right here is unclear. Elsie helped all of us perceive Stasis so we (hopefully) would not be corrupted by it, and her story, together with Ana’s, is on maintain in the meanwhile. But with shut ties to the Darkness, there have to be extra happening with these two.Ana’s story additionally contains the Warmind Rasputin, who was mainly annihilated by the Darkness upon its arrival. Ana has been constructing Rasputin an Exo physique for some time now, though she’s been unsuccessful in waking him up, apparently. Still, that thread has to go someplace. Rasputin was far too large of an addition to the Destiny universe to only faucet out. We’re nonetheless ready to seek out out what occurs when the Warmind out of the blue has the flexibility to stroll round and do stuff.What’s Eris Morn Doing?Eris is extremely wrapped up in finding out the Darkness, understanding Stasis, sussing out Savathun’s nonsense, working for the Vanguard, and serving Mara Sov.In a current interview with GamesRadar, Bungie talked about its present strategy to story and the Season of the Lost, noting that for the sake of time and storytelling, not each essential character may very well be featured within the season’s story. One large, considerably obvious omission is Eris Morn. Our resident Hive and Savathun knowledgeable, Eris has been a serious a part of understanding the Hive’s doings since Destiny 1’s first growth, The Dark Below. She’s been a serious a part of the examine of the Darkness in addition to Savathun all alongside, and he or she has large ties to Mara Sov, the Awoken queen–Eris is her agent, similar to she’s an agent of Ikora Rey as a member of the Hidden.Eris has an enormous stake within the present story, however she’s not part of it largely for the consideration that having her current could be too many issues. But Eris goes to point out up once more quickly, of that we might be fairly certain. She’s too near all this stuff to not be part of it. What’s extra, although, there’s all that Dark Future stuff, and that instantly considerations Eris’ ties to the Hive, Stasis, and her communions with the Darkness on the Moon and Io.The Season of the Lost has dealt quite a bit with Crow being Uldren, his ties to Savathun, and what all of which may imply for his character going ahead. But simply as doubtlessly fraught with evil potential is Eris Morn, who the sport has teased as being perhaps aware of some Darkness-related issues that she hasn’t actually divulged. Eris has been haunted by Darkness-induced nightmares, she’s been finding out the Darkness’s communications and Savathun’s plans, she’s been serving to Mara Sov execute her personal machinations, and he or she’s been messing round with Stasis. There’s a cause Eris is on the heart of the Dark Future in Elsie Bray’s timeline–there’s much more happening along with her than has but been revealed.The final tidbit about Eris would possibly come from a newly launched teaser for Destiny 2’s Savathun-centric growth, The Witch Queen. Bungie’s social movies for the growth have teased the thriller you will be making an attempt to unravel within the growth, however the newest one is wholly centered on the concept that not everybody we presently belief is reliable.Previously, it appeared just like the board of threads was one thing Ikora had been making and finding out. But on this trailer, Ikora is without doubt one of the individuals whose trustworthiness is being questioned. So whose board is that this?Maybe this can be a nothing thought, a mere mixture of components for advertising and marketing functions that are not truly indicative of story. But Bungie is often fairly good about making issues that appear like clues truly change into clues, which makes me surprise if we’re not seeing another person puzzling by way of these mysteries–namely, maybe, Eris Morn. It already seems like paranoia is attending to Eris, with the Vanguard’s resistance to her stance on Stasis and the seemingly chilly shoulder she’s gotten from Mara (there’s lore from Beyond Light within the “On Stasis” lore e book that make it sound like Eris is advocating for Stasis to the Awoken queen, understanding full nicely that Mara would undoubtedly not approve). What if Savathun’s machinations are pushing Eris to the brink?There’s extra even simply from this 12 months (I’m nonetheless enthusiastic about what the Traveler wished with Crow again within the Harbinger mission), however we’ll wrap it up there. Suffice to say that the story of Destiny 2 remains to be very broad, very dense, and really filled with potentialities as we strategy December and past. Let us know what bizarre lore tidbits and story beats are nagging in the back of your thoughts within the feedback.