Lakshmi-2

"The War Cult has always been an open secret in the Tower, arming and advising those who represent them in the Crucible."

- In-game description

Director Lakshmi-2 is an Exo who serves as the representative of Future War Cult on the Consensus. She sells a variety of FWC-branded armor, weapons, and emblems intended for use in the Crucible by Guardians who represent the Cult.

Early Life and Master of the War Cult
"I walked during the dark times. A thousand kings rose and fell then."

- Lakshmi-2

Lakshmi was a refugee during the Dark Age and wandered across the world. During her wanderings she witnessed the rise and fall of thousands of would-be kings and saw hundreds of battles and conflicts including the House of Devils burning London, an order of knights fighting the Darkness in Mumbai, the siege of Tycho, and saw the Hive at a place called Tranquility. Caught in these brutal conflicts, Lakshmi was eventually saved by the Future War Cult, who recruited her into their ranks. After being saved by the Cult, Lakshmi eventually arrived at The Last City, although few knew her origins and found her sudden appearance abrupt. She rose through the ranks of the Future War Cult, eventually becoming one of the leaders of its Inner Circle and being appointed as their representative on the Consensus.

After a mysterious weapon known as the MIDA Multi-Tool was discovered, Lakshmi aided Lord Shaxx in investigating its origins due to Commander Zavala's desire to ban it. She concluded that it came from an alternate timeline, and was perhaps brought into their timestream by Golden Age experiments.

Investigating Praedyth
"A Guardian I've never heard of leaves behind a Ghost I've never seen carrying files stamped with Cult headers, files I would have had to authorize to be stamped that way. This kind of thing is why I wake up in the morning."

- Lakshmi-2, upon the Guardian bringing her Praedyth's Ghost

Following an operation against the Taken on Venus, Lakshmi was visited by The Guardian, who brought her the remains of a Ghost belonging to an unknown Warlock named Praedyth that had been recovered deep within the Vault of Glass. She was fascinated by the fact that the Ghost carried files within its corrupted memory that were stamped with Cult headers that she would have had to authorize but had no memory of doing so. Lakshmi explained to the Guardian that while the Hive sought to eat them, the Fallen sought to steal from them, and the Cabal sought their planet, only the Vex had the power to take their past from them. In order to unravel the mystery behind Praedyth and his Ghost, they would need more context and requested that they find and kill a powerful Taken Minotaur to retrieve a simulation core from its remains and shatter it. When the Guardian did so, their Ghost sent data from the core toe Lakshmi and the cult for analysis. When the Guardian returned, Lakshmi revealed that their next task would be the most difficult yet: the must confront Atheon, Time's Conflux within the Vault of Glass, take its eye and shatter it like they did the core to recover the data within.

The Guardian succeeded in this task as well, sending the data to Lakshmi. Meeting with the Guardian once more, she informed them that she and her people were still analyzing the data from Atheon, but that the simulation core had revealed their next step. Lakshmi requested that they travel to Twilight Gap, where a "snag" in the timeline was sending out ripples that Praedyth's Ghost had witnessed. When the Guardian returned, Lakshmi was astonished that they brought back a bracelet with the symbol of House Bray upon it. She identified it as belonging to the Hunter Anastasia Bray, who had supposedly perished at the Battle of the Twilight Gap. Thanking the Guardian for recovering such an artifact and noting that the Inner Circle of the Cult would be interested in examining it, Lakshmi then revealed that the data from Atheon's core revealed yet another ripple in time, this time pointing to the Black Garden. The ripple flowed out from a Vex known as The Groundskeeper within the heart of the Garden that needed to be destroyed to unlock the source of the disturbance.

When the Guardian returned from the Black Garden, they presented a ring to Lakshmi. She identified the symbol upon as belonging to the Warlock Pujari, yet another Guardian who had been reported to have died their final death. Curious about why these artifacts had been pulled through time, Lakshmi reassured the Guardian that she and the Future War Cult would study them to find answers. However, she noted that their work together had finished for the moment as their actions had caused the data within Praedyth's Ghost to become unscrambled. Before them the rifle No Time To Explain appeared, transmatted through space and time specifically for the Guardian. Lakshmi was fascinated by this development and speculated that someone had taken notice of their actions and hoped to one day discover their identity and ask what this all meant.

A New Golden Age
"The only thing you need to know about me is that my predictions were correct. War came. We were vindicated."

- Lakshmi-2

After the liberation of the Last City from the hands of the Red Legion, the Future War Cult was vindicated in its beliefs. However, half of the Inner Circle disappeared during the Red War. Lakshmi was uncertain of their fate, but assumed that as their deaths had not been predicted they must still be alive somewhere. Lakshmi returned to the City and attended a meeting of the Consensus, which was now leaderless following the death of the Speaker. Lakshmi asked if there were any bylaws that governed how to choose a new Speaker, but was informed by Zavala that no guidelines existed. Laskshmi and the other Consensus members agreed to work on creating a process to choose a new Speaker while working together in governing the city.

During another meeting of the Consensus, the Guardian Ariadne Gris was summoned before them to answer charges of Ahamkara worship due to painting a dragon onto her Sparrow. When Ikora Rey declared that it was obvious that Ariadne did not have contact with the Ahamkara, Lakshmi inquired as to how she was so sure, and the Warlock Vanguard stated that if she did commune with the wish dragons, her win/loss record in the Sparrow Racing League would be better. At another meeting of the Consensus, Lakshmi joined in on thanking the Titan Callisto Yin for saving the Fire Victorious from the Last City when it fell to the Red Legion, although Yin told the Consensus that the Fire Victorious would not be returning to the Firebreak Plaza. Lakshmi inquired as to what the Firebreak Order would do with it instead, and was told that they would each carry a piece of the flame within their Ghosts to carry the light of the City across the solar system.

Darkness Arrives
"We were prepared by every conflict that befell the City. This war has been written in the stars. Let it come."

- Lakshmi-2

Lakshmi was questioned by Ikora after Maier, a member of the Last City's investigative service and a spy for the Future War Cult, was arrested by the Vanguard while on the way to inform her of a discovery he made. She denied any knowledge of Maier working for the Cult and Ikora was unable to press her further due to a lack of evidence connecting the Cult to Maier's activities.

Personality and Traits
Lakshmi-2 is talkative enough about war stories and the accomplishments of Future War Cult, but is otherwise tight-lipped about the inner workings of her faction. She views the coming of the Darkness as an inevitable conflict, one that cannot be simply avoided, as Dead Orbit wishes. She is always pondering aloud about the nature of time, fate, and the existence of alternate timelines, particularly ones without war. Lakshmi is also obsessed with finding the Exo Stranger, believing her to be the key to humanity's victory.

In Season of the Splicer, a darker side of Lakshmi-2 slowly appeared. Although she appeared optimistic of the alliance between the Vanguard and the Fallen House of Light, even allowing them to live within the Last City's walls, she began to grow more and more paranoid about them. This is compounded by her constant use of the Device her faction venerates, to peer into the future which leads her to believe the House of Light eliksni are no different to the rest of the Fallen and that humanity can achieve victory over the Vex without them. As a result, Lakshmi-2 became a fearmonger, making broadcasts denouncing the alliance Ikora had forged with Mithrax while stoking the citizens of the Last City towards the Fallen. Her recent demeanor has even caused members of the FWC to resign, disillusioned with the direction that Lakshmi-2 is leading the faction. Worst of all, it is heavily hinted that Lakshmi-2 intends to stage a coup against the Vanguard and the other City factions to assume full control over the city as its savior and prophet.

Destiny

 * "What if there were a single timeline untouched by war, would you have any idea how to live in it?"
 * "What if there were a better timeline somewhere? What have you done to earn it?"
 * "A single light in an infinity of darkness. Like the last signal flare before the walls are overrun."
 * "You think I'd let you into the Inner Circle if you stand there long enough? Hahahaha... I might."
 * "Even the stars struggle! From the black holes of their bodies, new timelines are born. Born into strife. "
 * "So; I can tell by the way you stare at me you've seen her. Haven't you."
 * "We keep our mysteries close. Take them from us if you can."
 * "Another war story? I could tell you about Tranquility, and the Hive?"
 * "Oh I never run out of war stories friends. Have you heard of the Dust Devils?"
 * "Don't think I'll give up our secrets just because you stare at me."
 * "The Inner Circle has its secrets. Maybe in time."
 * "A trillion timelines, and all at war. Like a thousand red flowers growing in a black garden."
 * "What if you could learn to love your fate?"
 * "Dead Orbit can run to the ends of the universe, but a war will be there waiting for them."
 * "War is our fate. Can you learn to love it?"
 * "She will find it, Guardian. And when she does, we'll be there."
 * "Another war story? Well, I could tell you about the knights that Darkness overrun in Mumbai."
 * "You think the Guardians can carry the fight alone? You think you have the right to be weak?"
 * "Know the only truth is war Guardian. You'll always be needed."
 * "I could tell you another. I could tell you about the siege of Tycho."
 * "Paradox is just a word that stupid people use to hide from the truth."
 * "An infinity of timelines. If one timeline in a trillion knows peace, how could you ever hope to find it?"
 * "Dead Orbit just misdiagnosed the problem. It's not a matter of distance, but of time."
 * "And in each new world, a new birth of time. And as always the seas of war will be there too."
 * "Another war story? I was there when the House of Devils burned London."
 * "What if on some dreadful night, the Darkness were to come creeping up to you and whisper 'This war, is all there is for you.' "
 * "This war has no end, Guardian."
 * "What do I think of the New Monarchy? Hahahahahaha... I don't, really."
 * "I have the highest respect for the Warlocks."

Destiny 2

 * "Future War Cult is selective in recruiting. But you, you will make the cut."
 * "Subtle, very subtle."
 * "War is a place for you, Titan."
 * "May you triumph in all your wars, Titan."
 * "Titan, how does the prospect of infinite war sound to you?"
 * "May all your timelines be bright, Hunter."
 * "Hunter, have you learned to use secrets like knives? Did you want to learn?"
 * "I have seen Hunters cut through braided timelines to a single gleaming future. I don't know how you do it."
 * "You don't need to do this alone, Hunter. The War Cult is here."
 * "I see battle in your future, Warlock. Go bravely."
 * "I await your information."
 * "Refugees, refugees, refugees. Of course we'll serve them, convert them, bring them into the mysteries, but only the worthy ones."
 * "I understand them better than you might think. Long ago, I, too was flotsam in a brutal war. Future War Cult found me. Now I can do the same for others."
 * "We pay well for data."
 * "The Tower may fall, the City may fall. Future War Cult shall endure."
 * "Anything of note?"
 * "And so you return to war. Be well."
 * "Do tell."
 * "Do you have a story to tell me?"
 * "Will you be our sword?"
 * "Great things can come out of the competitive spirit. Once, we competed to design the most accurate simulations of the local multiverse. I foresaw a bloody battle which came to pass in one. That was the beginning."
 * "The Consensus believes we can steal a march on our enemies by stealing their supplies. This is true, but it also lacks ambition."
 * "They speak of ancient treasures, recently unearthed by a landslide and weathering, waiting for claimants. Of course the Consensus wants a cut. But they have promised a share to the finders as well."
 * "She has been silent for so long. No one has seen her in years. But I have faith."
 * "What do you think you will learn about Future War Cult by standing there?"
 * "Loitering won't get you into the Inner Circle, Guardian."
 * "You stare and say nothing, Guardian. Are you foolish, I wonder, or truly wise?"
 * "In a million other timelines, the city is destroyed by Vex, or Fallen, or Taken, or Hive. What's constant, is the struggle."
 * "Half the Inner Circle vanished during the Red War. We did not predict their deaths, so they must still be alive... somewhere."
 * "When I foresaw the Red War, they laughed... until Ghaul bound the Traveler. This time, I will not whisper my warnings. I will not be polite."

Trivia

 * Lakshmi-2 is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo.
 * Her name is the same as that of a Hindu goddess.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * The Taken King
 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Warmind
 * Joker's Wild
 * Season of Arrivals
 * Beyond Light
 * Season of the Chosen
 * Season of the Splicer