Dryden

"The gates of hell are open night and day; smooth the descent, and easy is the way: but to return, and view the cheerful skies, in this the task and mighty labor lies."

- Lord Dryden

Lord Dryden was an Iron Lord responsible for the massacre of the town of Eaton during the Warlord Conflict.

Biography
While in pursuit of a Warlord known as the Red Man, Dryden and his team discovered the village of Eaton near their target's territory. In violation of the Iron Lords rules against involving civilians in the war when unnecessary, Dryden paid each family in the village enough food and supplies to last for months in exchange for shelter and using the village to draw out the Red Man and his Warlord allies. When the Red Man arrived at Eaton after having captured the village's hunter Judson, Dryden positioned his team in the hills outside the village and waited for an opportune moment to strike even as the Warlords began to execute villagers for their association with the Iron Lords. He ordered the attack to begin when Judson managed to steal a blade and cut down two of the Warlords. The battle soon spiraled out of control and every civilian in Eaton was killed in the crossfire between both sides. Dryden was the only survivor amongst the Iron Lords and in a furious bloodlust he violated the Iron Decree once more by destroying the Ghosts of the Warlords and killing them permanently. As the only survivor of the massacre Dryden covered up his mistakes and violations of the Iron Decree.

Dryden continued to rise in the ranks of the Iron Lords in the decades after the massacre, becoming a renowned and decorated champion of the order. Unbeknownst to Dryden, there was one other survivor of the massacre. The Drifter lived in Eaton under the alias of Germaine and was revived by his Ghost following the battle. The Drifter traveled to Felwinter Peak and revealed Dryden's crimes to Lord Felwinter, who deemed Dryden's crimes serious enough to warrant his own breaking of the Iron Decree and execute Dryden for his crimes.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2: Joker's Wild