Forum:Black Knife
From Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki
| Black Knife | |
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| Production overview | |
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Manufacturer: |
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Style: |
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Rarity class: |
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Weapon type: |
Great Sword |
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Impact: |
High |
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Magazine: |
Varies (maximum 65) |
| Specifications | |
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Ammunition type: |
Heavy ammo |
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Damage: |
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Range: |
Melee |
| Service history | |
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In service: |
Xûl Ashran, Imminence Prince |
- "Welcome to the Middle."
- — Item Description
The Black Knife is an exotic reforged Hive cleaver wielded by the rising Prince of the Hive Indominus, Xûl Ashran, the Plaguefather.
Gameplay[edit]
Black Knife cannot gain ammo through pickups or any other normal means such as Rally Banners. Rather, it gains ammo when the user gets ability kills or kills with a Darkness element such as Stasis, Strand, and Prismatic, with the rank of the enemy determining the ammo generated.
While at zero ammo, Black Knife is a mass of broken obsidian pieces floating above the hilt in a vague cleaver-like shape. Once fueled, the cleaver is strung together by Soulfire and returns to power. It functions identically to other cleavers Guardians have wielded before, but also has an alternate form. By holding down reload, the user kneels down before rising the sword into the air as it ignites with soulfire burning off of it and the user. In this 'Revanous' mode, the sword swings slower akin to Crown-Splitter, but deals double damage and its heavy attack is now a powerful energy wave akin to the cleavers dropped by an Accursed Swordbearer. Kills in this mode generate heavy ammo and build up a perk called 'Heinous Right' which when it reaches a stack of ten, allows the user to stab the sword into the ground and fling forward a wave of soulfire that explodes when it hits a wall or target. If the explosion kills a target, it leaves a damaging soulfire flame where it hit for five seconds.
Ravenous mode rapidly consumes four ammo per second and each swing also deducts ammo. Ravenous mode can be deactivated at any time by simply holding down reload again, in which the user sweeps the sword to their side and extinguishes the soulfire.
Black Knife also does not have a guard.
Perks[edit]
- Intrinsic Perk: By My Right
- Holding reload activates Ravenous Mode, changing swings to be far heavier and deal higher damage but at the cost of rapidly depleting ammo. This mode allows for firing of Soulfire waves with the heavy attack.
| Intrinsic Trait | Intrinsic Frame | Barrel | Bowstring | Blade | Haft | Sight | Magazine | Arrow | Guard | Perk 1 | Perk 2 | Stock | Grip | Origin | Catalyst
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| Honed Edge | Tireless Blade | Vorpal Weapon | |||||||||||||
| Jagged Edge | Relentless Strikes | Whirlwind Blade | |||||||||||||
| Tempered Edge | Flash Counter | Surrounded | |||||||||||||
| Hungry Edge | Thresh | Counterattack | |||||||||||||
| Enduring Blade |
Catalyst[edit]
The quest to obtain the catalyst requires the completion of the Deicide raid after finding and killing all Ravenous Offspring to obtain the Pulsating Right. Then the holder of this right must defeat Xûl Ashran, the Plaguefather on the Master difficulty from the start of the activity without returning to orbit. The catalyst must then require two hundred twenty two kills to unlock.
Once completed, the catalyst unlocks a new perk:
- Ever-Hungry: Ravenous mode no longer has a swing speed penalty.
Biography[edit]
Naïve Determination[edit]
- "To take such a rotten thing as a Prince's cleaver and attempt to purify its edge that's been honed to a singularity point of hatred. Not many years ago you would have been exiled as Toland was, and what Zavala wished would happen to me as well. But, you. You seem to have a talent for facing the darkest tools our foes use against us, and making them yours. You saved Thorn, forged your own uncorrupt copy of it, wielded Worm Gods, used Oryx's own vile heart, transformed pieces of Crota's Oversoul into your own weapon. And even weaponized the Deathsong. If any of us can wield this blade for the Light, it is you. You and Drifter forged Malfeasance before. Go to him. I will assist where I'm able to as well."
- — Eris Morn
Eris calls the Guardian to the Plaguelands on a mission not sanctioned by the Vanguard. She speaks of a rising presence within the Plaguelands, a Hive Prince of the Hive Indominus sect and his plans to use soulfire to transform SIVA into a powerful Darkness-infused techno-plague that will cripple the Last City's defenses and cut everyone on Earth off from the Traveler's Light. Along with trapping them on Earth, no one coming in or leaving.
The Guardian kills several Ever-Hunger champions of the prince, eventually recovering a tablet that reveals the location of his holdout. The Guardian breaches the nest and kills Xûl Ashran, the Plaguefather and takes the shards and hilt of his cleaver, intent on using it for their own. Eris, apprehensive, yet trusting of their potential, directs them to Drifter so the three can attempt to cleanse the blade. The Guardian heads to the Pale Heart to cleanse the blade and eventually arrives at the top of the Witness's monolith where the Sword of Light was gifted. The Sword once again appears as Black Knife forcefully drags itself from the Guardian's hands and begins gathering energy from the residual Darkness in the air. Once the Guardian grabs the sword of light, Black Knife uses the darkness it's gathered to forge a body made out of pure darkness, sterile neutrino scatter, and resonance, and then challenges the Guardian.
After being defeated, the cleaver's body shatters, as does the blade once more. It calls out again, beckoning the Guardian, before seemingly falling silent.
Shuttered Acceptance[edit]
- "So, not even the Traveler could truly cleanse this blade? I suppose it makes sense, now that we know of its origin. For such a powerful being to isolate itself into a form like this, I cannot begin to fathom the hatred that coursed and may still course through the soul of this "Altuperare." Regardless, he may be silent now, but do not for a second think he is dead or has given up. Thorn took its time corrupting Dredgen Yor, never falter for even a moment."
- — Eris Morn
Uncleansed, but tamed, Black Knife would allow itself to be wielded by the Guardian. Upon being picked up, it'd imprint a memory into the Guardian's mind, one of a Precursor, supposedly a leader of their kind or something as close to a leader as one could be. Black Knife called him Altuperare, the Black Knife and he was renowned for his expertise in the use of darkness for his own vile desires. He'd be imprisoned but later released as only he knew the path to the ritual that'd go on to create the Witness. Altuperare's evil and willpower was so all-consuming that in Its initial moments existing, the Witness shattered its homeworld in a mental battle against Altuperare taking total control and melding all other Precursors into himself so only he remained within the Witness. Eventually he'd be expunged and sealed away in a veiled statue within Essence. During the Witness' attack on Earth the Traveler would damage Essence with an attack. This attack would shatter Altuperare's statue and send its fragments across the stars, with at least once plummeting to Earth and embedding within the Plaguelands. Eventually Xûl Ashran would find the shard and infuse it into his cleaver. The-now-Black Knife would begin whispering to Xûl Ashran and giving him the plot to use SIVA and soulfire to encase Earth in an unpenetrable barrier, then rain soulfire down from the SIVA cocoon, burning away all life and Light from Earth.
After relaying this memory to the Guardian, the voice within the Black Knife would chuckle and ask the Guardian if they really know what they're doing or what pieces on the board they're moving, or if they're just blindly pursuing power until it kills them. It chuckles once more before deciding to never mind that and have some fun.
The Guardian would return with the Black Knife in tow, now silent and willing to be used. Eris would voice her discontent that the blade couldn't be cleansed and to be warry of this "Altuperare", comparing it to Thorn.
Lore[edit]
"WELCOME TO THE MIDDLE."
Destiny is such a strange thing, is it not?
Most things that happen I find fascinating. From quanta to isonic retro-blitz states. From the humble nematode to something at big as the things you face.
Tell you what, I have a nice fun little fact for you, my beloved.
If you took the smallest thing and the largest thing and found their average their direct middle point, it'd be you.
Now I don't mean what you think I mean, when I say you're in the middle, I do mean you. You right there. You're the center. Look at me trying to get your attention or blow your mind you're smarter than that.
How about one more?
Do the same thing with the smallest and largest living things, and the answer doesn't change.
I don't change.
Oh please don't take that as some admission to what I am such things will just rot your brain and make discourse rough. Just a fact, nothing more.
Regardless, my little neophyte, I hope you like how it feels being in the middle.
Chat again, sometime?