Editing Xivu Arath, God of War

The Guardians succeeded in locating Sloane and learned of her predicament.<ref name="Descent"/> The Deputy Commander was partially Taken after Titan was claimed by the Witness which allowed her to "tune into the enemy's radio" but was afflicted by demanding whispers which almost led her to be claimed by Xivu Arath but thanks to the creature [[Ahsa]], Sloane was saved and established a connection with her.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Beneath the Waves#Step 2|Beneath the Waves: Step 2]]''</ref> Understanding that they share a foe in the Witness, the Guardians would work with Sloane to help strengthen her connection to Ahsa, thereby allowing her to decipher her messages.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Beneath the Waves#Step 3|Beneath the Waves: Step 3]]''</ref> As the Guardians worked on this, they clashed with Xivu Arath's Wrathborn, with the War God taunting them.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Salvage (activity)|Salvage]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Deep Dive]]''</ref> However, as the Guardians learned about a Lucent Hive attempting to conduct a ritual to resurrect Oryx with the Light, they found Calcified fragments that recorded Xivu Arath's personal thoughts regarding the Hive's purpose in enacting the Final Shape and her potent grief at the loss of her brother.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Ghosts of the Deep]]: [[Ghosts of the Deep#Calcified Fragments|Calcified Fragments]]''</ref>

Despite the efforts of her Hive and Taken, including Kelgorath and those who once served the Witch Queen, the Guardians managed to gain enough egregore coral to help Sloane interpret Ahsa's messages, including one where she spoke of the Witness's origins.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Into the Depths#Step 33|Into the Depths: Step 33]]''</ref> However, during one of the Guardian's deep dive missions, Xivu Arath sensed an opportunity to strike at Ahsa while the Guardian was distracted, conducting a ritual that struck Ahsa, forcing the worm to leave the safety of the Arcologies to the ritual site in a vain attempt to disrupt the ritual but ended up captured.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Into the Depths#Step 36|Into the Depths: Step 36]]''</ref> Xivu Arath ordered the orchestrators of the ritual, three Screams of Xivu Arath, to begin the ritual where she would Take Ahsa. The Coalition caught wind of this, and the combined efforts of Sloane, Saint-14, Saladin and Zavala occupied her forces enough to allow the Guardian to reach the ritual site. Taking out each wizard and using the Drifter's machine to purify the egregore coral, the Guardian disrupted the ritual, wounding Xivu Arath herself. Though the Hive War God would laugh following each wounding, the ritual failed, allowing Ahsa to return to safety and deliver the last piece of her message while her forces initiated a full retreat. The worm attempted to speak through Sloane, but the Deputy Commander nearly became possessed by the Hive War God, who taunted her again. But thanks to Zavala, Sloane was able to regain control over herself. With her connection clear, Ahsa spoke through Sloane and informed the Vanguard that while the path to the Witness was obscured, one individual may know a way to follow. One Ahsa speaks as "she who hides truth in deception", Savathûn herself. If the Vanguard wished to follow and stop the Witness, they would have no choice but to allow the Witch Queen to be revived.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Barotrauma]]''</ref>