Hunt for Riven's Clutch

"...three words, nine word bursts over and over..."This article is based on canon information, but the article title is conjectural, as there is currently no official name for the subject. See the talk page for more information.

Previous:	Clash of the Hive Gods
Next:	Operation Ahamkara
Hunt for Riven's Clutch
Conflict:	War against the Witness
Fronts:	Dreaming City, The Reef Black Garden European Dead Zone, Earth (briefly)
Outcome:	The Vanguard and the Reef seek out Riven to grant the fifteenth wish Riven agrees to grant the fifteenth wish in exchange for safely securing her clutch Osiris attempts to find a way to replicate the Witness's link to the Veil fail, leaving Riven as their only option to bypass the portal The Sol Divisive capture one of Riven's eggs and transports it to the Black Garden The Guardian retrieves the egg from the Black Garden Taranis's corpse chooses the Guardian as his Wish-Keeper Riven reveals that only one can follow the Witness into the Pale Heart Crow volunteers to go through and use his paracausal connection with Mara to open the way through The Guardian successfully secures all of Riven's Egg The forces of Fikrul's attempt at making a wish prevented Riven grants the wish at the cost of her existence, allowing Crow to go through the Ley Lines into the Pale Heart The Witness sends the Sol Divisive to invade the Dreaming City The Sol Divisive recreated the Black Heart with guidance from the Witness, which threatens to undermine the Veil's connection to the Traveler The Guardian destroys the Black Heart yet again, which allows Crow to fully cross into the Pale Heart, and meets Cayde-6 on the other side Hefnd calls the directionless Taken to the castle and uses their corruption to raise the dead House of Kings members as Scorn Fikrul sends his Knights to claim these newly risen Scorn The Scorn's attempts at harnessing Hefnd's bones thwarted
Belligerents Humanity: Vanguard The Reef Corsairs Techeuns Harbinger Riven: Riven Forces of the Witness: Sol Divisive Xivu Arath's Horde Taken Scorn: Scorn Taken: Taken Forces of Hefnd: Scorn Taken Commanders Vanguard: Osiris Reef: Mara Sov Petra Venj Riven: Riven Sol Divisive: Temporal Progeny Established Mind Inevitable Mind Synchronal Mind Akardon, Pitiless Mind Aspirational Construct Centroidal Mind Xivu Arath's Horde: Roln'gur, Blade-bound to the Terrace Scorn: Fikrul, the Fanatic Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul Elikaa, the Pale Rot Locus of Subjugation Taken: Ungoloth, Wayward Beast Forces of Hefnd: Hefnd Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera Locus of Wailing Grief Strength Thousands of Guardians Hundreds of Corsairs Mara Sov's Techeuns Black Heart Countless Vex platforms Countless Taken Countless Scorn Countless Taken Hundreds of Scorn Hundreds of Taken Casualties Unknown Dozens of Corsairs Unknown number of Techeuns Riven Black Heart Thousands of Vex platforms Thousands of Taken Thousands of Scorn Thousands of Taken Hundreds of Scorn Hundreds of Taken

"All wishes come at a cost"

— Riven

The Hunt for Riven's Clutch was an operation directed by Mara Sov and the Reef to awaken the spirit of Riven so she can grant them the fifteenth wish to pursue the Witness. Upon awakening Riven, she agreed to grant the wish with the condition that the Awoken Queen would secure her remaining eggs hidden within her lair. However, upon reaching the vault, the eggs were missing. It would be discovered that the eggs were cast across the Ascendant Plane. To secure the clutch, the Techeuns would use the Ley Lines to pull the eggs back within Riven's Lair.

Prelude

Warlord's Price

During the Great Ahamkara Hunt, Shaxx would slay the fearsome Ahamkara known as Hefnd. Due to his respect for the beast that killed him fourteen times, Shaxx would place its remains within a Dark Age castle in the European Dead Zone.

Sometime after the Hunt, Shaxx would speak with the former Warlord Naeem and tell her about the Ahamkara he had slain and how he had placed its remains within a castle. Seeking the power to start anew, Naeem traveled to the castle and greeted Hefnd wishing for his kindness. Hefnd would respond to Naeem by saying there was little left. The former Warlord reminded him that they both used their power for selfish purposes in the hopes of survival and asked him to share his kindness with others so they could both make amends. However, Hefnd would state that wishes without consequences did not satiate his hunger. Naeem would then offer that she take the burdens of these wishes, to which the Ahamkara agrees. Thus, her wish is granted.

Travelling to villages, Naeem would use Hefnd's power to grant wishes to the people of the European Dead Zone. Overtime, a close friendship would form between the two of them. However, the House of Kings would learn of their existence and storm the castle, killing Naeem in the process. In her final breath, the former Warlord would wish that her "vengeance follows them into the grave." Desiring to avenge his fallen friend, Hefnd would wait for hundreds of years for the opportunity to enact her final wish.

Following the Witness

Main article: Clash of the Hive Gods

After learning through Ahsa that Savathûn knew the way to follow the Witness, the Vanguard would reach out to Immaru, requesting he revive the Witch Queen in exchange for the information they desire. Immaru would agree to this, but on the condition that they deal with her sister Xivu Arath first. Despite the setback, Ikora Rey and Eris Morn agree to his bargain. After revealing Savathûn's Spire using an Acolyte's Staff created by Eris and finding a recording from Savathûn that revealed that only a Hive God of equal strength could defeat Xivu Arath, Eris would transform herself into the Hive God of Vengeance and direct the Guardians to collect tithes within Savathûn's Spire and the Altars of Summoning.

Eventually, after weeks of fighting and tithing, the Guardian would slay one of Xivu Arath's greatest champions, the Leviathan-Eater, Bane of the Ammonites. Despite this, Eris still did not have the necessary power to deal with Xivu Arath. And so, the God of Vengeance would have Immaru resurrect Savathûn, which Eris would then slay her, gaining all of her power and becoming the most powerful Hive in existence. However, instead of challenging the God of War directly, Eris would sever Xivu Arath's connection to her throne world, making her mortal. After this, Savathûn would be resurrected again, and Ikora would demand she reveal the way to follow the Witness. To which, Savathûn would reveal she already had before leaving, with Immaru left behind as a peace offering. Following this, Eris would find the Guardidan in the H.E.L.M. working on something. They would reveal a sketch of a pattern on Savathûn's wings for the Wishing Wall, revealing she had given them what she had promised, the wish to pursue the Witness.

While they were tithing to Eris, the Guardians would uncover the Imbaru Engine, a section designed to confuse any that enter it to generate Imbaru, Savathûn's method of gaining tribute through others failing to understand her schemes. Following Xivu's severance from her throne world, the Guardian would discover an uncorrupted Ahamkara egg of Riven. To keep the egg out of the hands of the Witch Queen, Ikora ordered them to retrieve the egg and bring it back to the Athenaeum.

History

Awakening the Dreamer

"Such a long slumber. Such a rude awakening. Grant the Witch Queen's final wish, you say I… refuse."

— Riven

With the Coalition learning that the only way to pursue the Witness is to make a wish, Mara Sov would assemble her Techeuns to awaken Riven's spirit so she can grant the wish. However, the Witness would send the Sol Divisive to invade the Dreaming City. Thus, the Awoken Queen called upon the Guardian to assist the Techeuns in fending off the Vex and waking Riven from her slumber. Arriving at the Keep of Voices, the Guardian fended off the Vex and retrieved one of Riven's teeth. They would deliver it to the Techeuns to conjure Riven's spirit while the Guardian entered the code for the wish at the Wall of Wishes. The Techeuns would succeed in awakening Riven's spirit, but to their astonishment, the Ahamkara refused to grant them the wish.

Upon arriving within the Keep of Voices, Mara Sov ordered the Techeuns to leave while she spoke with Riven, demanding to know why she refused to grant the wish. Riven stated she had no reason to grant it, as she and the rest of her kind are dead, elaborating on how Mara sent the Guardians to slay her and her forces to destroy all of her eggs. The Ahamkara admits she hid some of her eggs within her lair and that she would grant the fifteenth wish if Mara would ensure their safety. Despite knowing the possible consequences of allowing the Ahamkara to terrorize their system once more, yet seeking the way to follow the Witness, Mara Sov agreed to Riven's bargain.

Breaching Riven's Lair

With the bargain being struck, the Guardian would be sent to infiltrate Riven's Lair and retrieve the eggs from the vault within. Upon entering the lair, they fought through Sol Divisive Vex, as well as Taken and Scorn left leaderless with the Witness's entry into the Pale Heart and Xivu Arath's banishment. However, upon reaching the vault, they discover it is empty. Riven would accuse Mara of stealing her clutch, to which the Awoken Queen quickly stated this was not her doing before ordering Petra to assemble the Techeuns to discover what happened.

Through the Techeuns' examinations, Petra revealed that Riven's eggs were scattered across the Ley Lines of the Ascendant Plane. They also detected a tremendous surge of paracausal energy across the transit system. Despite the challenge ahead of them, Petra believed that they could use the Ley Lines to catch Riven's Clutch, similar to when the Techeuns were lost within the Ascendant Plane.

Using the Ley Lines, the Techeuns would successfully pull one of Riven's eggs back within her lair, sending the Guardian to retrieve it. They would destroy hordes of Vex and a Taken Ogre imprisoned by the Divisive to arrive at the Pavilian to confront the Aspirational Construct, a Hydra that contained a dark core and served as the eyes and ears of the Witness. Despite its power, the Guardian destroys the Construct and acquires the egg.

Shortly after retrieving the first egg, the Guardian met with Mara Sov, who expressed her dissatisfaction with working with Riven. Osiris then arrived and revealed his studies to recreate the Witness's link through the Guardian's Ghost.

Blighted Vengeance

With the Taken left masterless with Xivu Arath's banishment, Hefnd begins to direct Taken to his castle through his formidable will and uses their corruption to raise the dead House of Kings members as Scorn. With the Scorn emergence in the European Dead Zone, Fikrul, the Fanatic who was leading his own gang of Scorn independent from the Witness sends his Knights to claim them.

Upon discovering the Scorn presence on Earth, Petra Venj and Crow would send a fireteam led by the Guardian to investigate. Upon arriving at the mountain, they defeat Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul; however, a Chimera serving as Hefnd's avatar would transport them into a prison cell, which they would manage to escape. The fireteam then fought through swarms of Taken and Scorn to arrive at the castle Bailey and defeat the Locus of Wailing Grief. Traverses the mountain to arrive at the summit, the fireteam slays the Ahamkara's avatar, Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera. Continuing their exploration of the castle, they learn more about the relationship between Naeem and Hefnd, eventually putting the Ahamkara's spirit to rest.

Retrieving the Lodestone

When the next egg was located by the Techeuns, the Guardian would return to the lair to recover it. Across the lair, they would defeat swarms of Taken while Riven taunted Petra Venj about the Corsairs suffering from the Curse of the Dreaming City. Upon the Guardian defeating Ungoloth, Wayward Beast and retrieving the egg, Mara would express her anger at Riven for making them secure her clutch to which the last Ahamkara would remind the Awoken Queen of the terms of their bargain and how she would not grant the wish if they didn't secure her clutch.

As the egg was successfully secured, the Guardian would speak to Petra through a holoprojector. The Queen's Wrath would state that the remainder of the eggs would not reach them if they remained on their current trajectory. Thus, she ordered the Guardian to retrieve a Starlight Lodestone to use as a signal to Mara's personal Harbinger so it can travel the Ley Lines and traverse the clutch back within Riven's Lair. The Guardian would acquire the lodestone and bring it back to Petra.

Within the H.E.L.M., Crow expressed his frustration at working with Riven and blaming himself for the curse. Petra would confront him, and they would both agree that pursuing the Witness was the top priority. Shortly after this conversation, Osiris would speak with the Guardian and tell them about the natural paracausal link between the Traveler and the Veil that the Witness accessed. He would tell them that his attempt to recreate this link was unsuccessful and order the Guardian to continue to aid the Awoken Queen.

Signalling the Harbinger

With the Lodestone now secured, the Guardian would be tasked with calibrating it by collecting Wishing Glass within the lair. Afterwards, they would retake the Oracle Engine and attune the Lodestone to the Confluence.

Due to the Harbinger redirecting the egg's course back to the lair, the next of Riven's Clutch would arrive. Throughout the lair, the Guardian would defeat mobs of Scorn while Crow was taunted by Riven in his role in the Scorn's creation. Strangely, the Scorn appeared to be receiving new orders despite the Witness's absence. Shortly later, the Guardian defeats their commander, the Locus of Subjugation, and obtains the egg.

When the egg was secured, the Guardian would witness a conversation between Mara and Crow. The Awoken Queen apologized for Riven's taunts while Crow spoke about their extraordinary connection and how he could feel her heartbeat even when she was lost within the Ascendant Plane, and that was how Riven was able to manipulate him. Despite feeling extreme remorse for his poor choices, he will never apologize for why he made them and that nothing can break their bond as siblings.

Osiris continued to speak to the Guardian about his process and explained that the Veil and the Ascendant Plane are like opposites. However, even with his extensive paracausal knowledge, he believed he would not be able to recreate the link.

Sacrifice in the Garden

With another egg arriving at the lair, Riven spoke with the Guardian and wondered who scattered her clutch. She originally believed Mara herself was responsible, but the evidence did not line up, and it appeared that the one responsible was another Ahamkara. When the Guardian returned to the lair, they quickly found it overwhelmed with Vex from the Sol Divisive. Shortly after defeating a Taken Ogre imprisoned by the Divisive, they discovered Oracles deployed from the Vault of Glass mimicking Resonance. Upon defeating the Deceptor Mind with ease, the Guardian goes to retrieve the egg. However, the egg was stolen by the Vex, who would transport it away and send the Centroidal Mind to slow the Guardian down. After the Centroidal Mind was defeated by the Guardian, the Coalition discovered the egg was transported into the Black Garden.

Using an entrance belonging to Riven, the Guardian entered the Black Garden to secure the egg, hearing whispers from another Ahamkara. They fought through Sol Divisive Vex and Taken to enter a former Ahamkara lair, harnessing paracausal sparks left behind by Riven and this unknown Ahamkara to traverse further. Combining the paracausal sparks, they defeat Akardon, Pitiless Mind, which learned how to simulate the Techeuns and their ability to track the eggs. After which, they enter a room where they discover Riven's egg and an Ahamkara's remains. Crow revealed that the voices were asking to use him as a vessel while Riven recognizes this Ahamkara as Taranis. Taranis briefly possessed Crow and revealed he scattered the clutch by making his own wish before he relinquished his control over Crow and faded away.

Riven revealed Taranis was her mate and explained their story. Back when the Ahamkara were allowed to freely explore the Dreaming City, she met Taranis, who, unlike the rest of his kind, never twisted his wishes and the bargains he made were safe. Eventually, he invited her to his lair within the Black Garden, where they produce their clutch. When the Great Hunt was enacted, they were both separated but continued to whisper to each other. However, when Riven was Taken by Oryx, Taranis made his own wish to scatter their clutch until someone could protect them, resulting in his death. To honor her mate, Riven allowed the Guardian to keep the Wish-Keeper, which they had recovered from his corpse.

The Complete Truth

As the next egg was about to arrive, Riven discovered that the Taken desired to corrupt her egg, and their corruption was spreading into the Confluence through Eleusinia.v The Guardian arrived at the lair to stop them and defeated a Taken Knight of Xivu Arath, Roln'gur, Blade-bound to the Terrace, revealing the God of War still maintained influence over some Taken despite her diminishing power. However, the Taken ultimately succeeded in corrupting the egg. Despite this setback, Mara Sov came up with a solution to cleanse the egg's corruption: they acquire a Taken Essentia from completing an Ascendant Challenge, then allow the whim to feed on their desires. Following the Queen's guidance, the Guardian successfully cleanses the egg.

Shortly after the egg was cleansed, Osiris updated Mara and shared that the Veil alone cannot safely reconstruct the pathway created by the Witness. Riven reminded them that she could grant them the wish, but revealed that it only allowed one to enter the Pale Heart. Enraged by this deception, the Awoken Queen threatened the Ahamkara, but Osiris held her back using Strand, reminding her that the wish was the only way to pursue the Witness. Remembering what was at stake, Mara relinquished her rage and left.

Speaking with the Guardian at the holoprojector, Osiris stated that the Witness likely found a point of weakness that it used to penetrate the Traveler's defences. When the Traveler attempted to attack the Witness, it would counter back by using the Veil. Thus, if Riven could imprint the Ley Lines into the Veil and then dispatch one of them into the Pale Heart, they could open the way for the entirety of the Coalition to enter. After this discussion, Riven spoke with the Guardian, claiming that her telling Mara sooner was a gift. She admitted that even an Ahamkara's power is limited and that she was unable to alter the path opened by the Witness, which was why Savathûn forged her wish to make use of the Ley Lines. Riven remarked that the Witness's Final Shape would erase the difference between desire and reality, and ordered the Guardian to continue to retrieve the rest of her eggs as the wish cannot be granted, even if she herself desires it.

Forging the Pathway

As the Techeuns have learned the trajectory of Riven's final egg, the Guardian spoke with the Ahamkara to learn more. She disclosed that the Techeuns were aware of when the egg would arrive, however, its arrival would take some time. Shortly after finishing their discussion with Riven, the Guardian met with Crow in the H.E.L.M. to talk with him about his plan. Crow decided he should be the one to enter the Pale Heart, and by using his and Mara's connection, they can open the way inside.

Before making an offering to the Oracle Engine to access the final egg, the Guardian destroyed the Oracles placed in the Confluence by the Sol Divisive to reactivate the Oracle Engine and defeat opponents in the Blind Well to receive an offering to the Oracle. With the offering secured, the Guardian used it to enter Mara Sov's throne room, where the Awoken Queen spoke about how she and Crow have both changed. Returning to the H.E.L.M., the Guardian witnessed Crow telling Osiris and Mara about his plan. Originally, Mara was against the idea, fearing she might lose him again, but Osiris believed that by aligning Crow's connection with the Veil-entangled on either side of the Traveler that he could form a bridge between them. Realizing she can't control his fate, Mara agreed and ordered the Guardian to make sure he is safe once the path is formed.

The Final Wish

"This one, you shall cherish, O Guardian mine."

— Riven

With the final egg making its arrival, Riven would tell the Guardian it would enter the heart of the Confluence and that she would grant the wish once it was secured. She divulged that when the wish was granted, the Techeuns would no longer be able to maintain her conjured spirit, before thanking the Guardian for setting her free by murdering her and ensuring the future of her and Taranis' progeny, realizing she may be more like Taranis than he had always believed.

As the Confluence has arrived, the final egg arrived within Mara Sov's court, where it was hidden by Taranis. Reaching the Astral Cloister, the Guardian defeats Scorn, who had invaded the Awoken Queen's court. Mara Sov realized that even though most of these Scorn were raised by the Witness, some of them were agents of Fikrul, likely trying to make a wish using the egg. Upon arriving at the Caliginous Expanse, they confront Scorn, led by Fikrul's champion Elikaa, the Pale Rot, attempting to make a wish using the egg. Despite its power, the Guardian killed Elikaa and retrieved the final egg. With the final egg secured, Riven agreed to grant the wish.

Before entering the code at the Wishing Wall, the Guardian spoke with Crow, who thanked them for everything as he prepared to make the journey. Travelling to the Keep of Voices, the Guardian entered the code for the Fifteenth Wish. With the code ejected, Riven created the portal for Crow to enter. Promising Mara they would find each other again, Crow entered the portal. As her essence was now spent, Riven bid farewell to Mara, who had now taken responsibility for watching over her clutch before fading away and facing the same fate as her mate before her. Shortly after the wish was granted, Mara informed the Guardian that while Crow and Osiris form the bridge, they must continue to expunge enemy forces from the Confluence.

Closer to the Heart

Sometime later after Crow's entrance, the Guardian arrived at the holoprojector to speak with Osiris. He revealed that an anomaly was casting a shadow across the Veil and resonating with it; by doing so, it was withdrawing the Traveler's connection and taking the Veil's place in the entanglement. Isolating the anomaly's signal, Osiris disclosed that the signal was familiar and was located within the Black Garden. Realizing that the Sol Divisive were attempting one final attempt to stop their efforts, Osiris orders the Guardian to enter the Black Garden and halt the Vex's interference. If this obstacle were not dealt with, they would be unable to follow Crow into the Pale Heart.

Upon entering the Black Garden, the Guardian fought their way through Vex units being summoned from gateways, and swarms of Taken emerging from rifts. Arriving at the Overland and defeating the Taken within, Vex units begin to arrive through gateways. Destroying the gateways and the remaining Vex, the Guardian entered a portal which took them to the Gateway Crossroads. Upon defeating the Withdrawn Mind and destroying the nodes, the shield blocking the way further vanishes.

Reaching the source of the interference, the Guardian opens the door to the Garden's Heart and discovers that a new Black Heart had been created by the Sol Divisive. Shocked about this unfeasible occurrence, Osiris quickly orders the Guardian to destroy it. Upon destroying the Vex kneeling before their restored deity, the Black Heart responds by bringing forth its vessels, the Temporal Progeny: consisting of the Established Mind, Inevitable Mind, and the Synchronal Mind. Despite the power of this paracausal entity, the Guardian defeats the Temporal Progeny, destroying the Black Heart once again and the end of the Sol Divisive's interference. Osiris then states to the Guardian that this was a simulation of their previous effort. He realizes that they must have been using it to bond themselves with the Darkness, broadcast that connection, and harmonized its frequency with the Veil to prevent them from entering the portal. Realizing that they had succeeded due to guidance from the Witness, Osiris states to the Guardian that thanks to them, the Sol Divisive will not intervene with their attempts to enter the Pale Heart. With their mission complete, the Guardian leaves the Black Garden and returns to the H.E.L.M.

Shortly after the Black Heart's destruction, Crow successfully entered the Pale. Looking into the distance to see the monolith of the Witness, Crow was then shot at by an Exo, forcing him to take cover. Engaging in a brief shootout in the open, Crow took cover under a rock before dodging away. Upon being in the open once again with the Exo sprinting towards, Crow quickly recognized that this was Cayde-6. Taking advantage of Crow's confusion, Cayde knocked Crow onto the ground, with both of them aiming their guns at each other. As Cayde prepared to shoot, Glint appeared, causing him to look at the Ghost. Crow, in a panicked tone, uttered to Cayde that he had died, to which Cayde responded that he had too, causing them both to release their triggers and lower their weapons. As they both looked in the distance as an outburst of Light was sent out from the Witness's monologue, Cayde then helped Crow to his feet, with the former Hunter Vanguard asking him if he no longer had to call him Prince. As another outburst of Light is expelled, Cayde and Crow stand together looking into the distance..

Returning to the holoprojector to speak with Osiris, who stated that with the interference over, they must now begin their preparations to enter the Pale Heart. Osiris spoke about what the Witness desires for the Final Shape as well as how Ahsa revealed to them that the Witness merged with its entire species to reshape itself, and it was still unfulfilled. Recalling the calcified remains within the Pyramids that are alive, but not living. Osiris reminded the Guardian that the "salvation" the Witness seeks is a prison and questioned what shape it will render the universe into and how it will affect those within. The former Warlock declared that chaos cannot be contained, remarking on all the time he had spent studying to find a way to enter the portal, understanding that the time was well spent and proclaimed they would fend off the Collapse for good. Osiris divulged that Mara felt Crow enter the Pale Heart and told the Guardian that he had woven the Veil's resonance into their connection. Finally, Osiris told the Guardian to prepare themselves for when Mara opens the way.

Aftermath

Despite their failure to retrieve the egg, forces of the Sol Divisive, Taken, and Scorn would continue their invasion of the Confluence. Through their knowledge of the Darkness, the Sol Divisive would begin their attempts at merging with the consciousness of the Witness, but all of their efforts would be futile. Meanwhile, Fikrul would continue to send his agents to misdirect the Witness's Scorn. Concerned by the possible threat of an Ahamkara resurgence, Empress Caiatl and her council begin preparations for another Great Hunt if one is to occur.

Appearance

• Destiny 2: Season of the Wish (First appearance)
  • Episode: Echoes (Mentioned only)