Grasp of Nokris

"The Hive who follow Nokris are fanatically loyal. Stupid, too. But really loyal. You've gotta give them at least a little credit."

- Ana Bray

The Grasp of Nokris was a Hive brood centered in the Hellas Basin in the polar ice caps of Mars. Dormant for centuries after the Collapse, they were awoken and acted in the name of their leader, Nokris, Herald of Xol and their Worm God Xol, Will of the Thousands. After Xol's death and defection to their killers, they began making desperate attempts to summon Savathûn's Brood to their aid. Eventually, Nokris pledged his allegiance to the Witch-Queen as her Supplicant, allying his revenant brood with hers.

History
After Oryx excommunicated his son Nokris for making a heretical bargain with Xol, Nokris took his followers, the Grasp of Nokris, and set out to conquer a new world in the name of his patron Worm God. Nokris chose to invade Mars and arrived at some point shortly before or during the Collapse.



In defense, the Warmind Rasputin executed the SIBERIAN ENTROPY protocol, flash-freezing the entire Hive army along with Nokris and Xol. They would remain entombed within the ice of Hellas Basin for centuries, until the pulse of Light emitted by the Traveler at the conclusion of the Red War caused the ice caps to thaw. With the thawing of the Ice caps, the Grasp emerged with the goal of continuing their reason for arriving on Mars which would be to claim it - Rasputin on top of that. Over a period of weeks as the Grasp engaged Guardians as they would cut down, eventually slaying both their leadership and their Worm God. Despite the loss of their leaders, the Grasp would continue to be of nuisance to Hellas Basin with many champions and bosses in Escalation Protocol frequently returning.

With Xol having abandoned them for the Guardians and Nokris left Mars for Savathûn's court, the brood of undead Hive had quieted their activity with the Pyramid's arrival.

Structure
"I've never seen Hive like this before."

- Ghost

The Grasp of Nokris were the only known brood composed entirely of reanimated Hive with their leaders possessing the heretical secret of necromancy, giving them the power to continuously raise their deceased in endless cycles of death and rebirth. The majority of these undead Hive all had ice and rime fused to their chitin after centuries of being frozen cryogenically, which caused them to shatter upon being killed rather than combust into flames or disintegrate like the other Hive broods. They were found exclusively at the polar icecaps of Mars, specifically having their breeding grounds located in the Penumbral Depths buried beneath Hellas Basin.

It is unknown if any of the Grasp of Nokris are left after Mars was taken by The Witness, and then later returned by Savathûn as a means to further her plans. However, due to Nokris supposedly suffering his final death in the ending events of Season of Arrivals and Savathûn, the Witch Queen abandoning the Darkness, it is likely the brood was either wiped out when Mars was stolen, withered away without any leadership, or fully consolidated into Savathûn's Brood after allying with them.

Hive Pantheon

 * Xol, Will of the Thousands
 * Nokris, Herald of Xol

Major Hive Champions

 * Bok Litur, Hunger of Xol
 * Damkath, the Mask
 * Kathok, Roar of Xol
 * Naksud, the Famine
 * Nur Abath, Crest of Xol

Minor Hive Champions

 * Al-Gul, Eater of Light
 * Asbel, Far from Home
 * Devoted of Nokris
 * Dultur Xolborne
 * Ekdala Xolborne
 * Eye in the Dark
 * Golgoth, Ichor of Xol
 * Golur the Plagued
 * Hadak the Devoted
 * Ilheru Xolborne
 * Kamus Vanquisher Aethdaakel
 * Kamus Vanquisher Guuldur
 * Kamus Vanquisher Vakeldu
 * Keresh, Champion of Xol
 * Kvada ur-Nokru
 * Šimmumah ur-Nokru
 * Sulhava, Vassal to Xol
 * Supplicant of Xol
 * Thanatologist Ir'Handi
 * Thanatologist Merga
 * Thaltos, the Deathless
 * Thûl, the Monstrous
 * Ukdor, the Flayed
 * Uroc Tor
 * Ultorg, Breath of Xol
 * Urrot, Hammer of Nokris
 * Yer'ot the Forgotten

Unique forces

 * Thrall variants
 * Unhallowed Thrall
 * Cursed Thrall—A unique variant that inflicts a "Chilled" debuff on all targets within range.
 * Unhallowed Cursed Thrall
 * The Wormcursed—A variant unique to the WANTED: Eye in the Dark Adventure.
 * Acolyte variants
 * Adherent—A sniper Acolyte variant that is exclusively armed with Soulfire Rifles.
 * Unhallowed Adherent
 * Dread Unhallowed Adherent
 * Battery Acolyte
 * Kamus Acolyte
 * Namuš Acolyte
 * Unhallowed Acolyte
 * Dread Unhallowed Acolyte
 * Wizard variants
 * Kamus Wizard
 * Namuš Wizard
 * Renewal Wizard
 * Soaring Keen
 * Ugul Gar Wizard
 * Unhallowed Wizard
 * Dread Unhallowed Wizard
 * Visage of Xol
 * Knight variants
 * Deafening Blast
 * Kamus Knight
 * Namuš Knight
 * Šuluh Knight
 * Šuluh-teth Knight
 * Ugul Gar Knight
 * Unhallowed Knight
 * Dread Unhallowed Knight
 * Vanquisher variants—A guardsman Knight variant armed exclusively with a Cleaver and a Hive Shield.
 * Choking Blade
 * Kamus Vanquisher
 * Namuš Vanquisher
 * Severing Knight
 * Unhallowed Vanquisher
 * Dread Unhallowed Vanquisher
 * Ogre variants
 * Kamus Ogre
 * Shambling Torrent
 * Unhallowed Ogre
 * Dread Unhallowed Ogre

Weapons

 * Acolyte Grenade
 * Boomer
 * Cleaver
 * Hive Shield
 * Shredder
 * Soulfire Rifle
 * Splinter

Vehicles

 * Tombship

Structures

 * Shrieker
 * Shadowrift

Trivia

 * The Grasp of Nokris had a unique faction insignia distinct from the general Hive in-game. The symbol resembled the central "eye" of Xol, Will of the Thousands. Another symbol of this faction bore the head shape and eyes of Nokris.
 * Many of the Hive within the Grasp of Nokris had distinctive titles in what is implied to be a Hive dialect; these titles have been identified by fans as originating from several ancient real-world languages.
 * The units of the Grasp of Nokris had slightly different sounds than Hive from other sects, sounding far more guttural.
 * Due to Mars' disappearance and Nokris abandoning the Grasp of Nokris for Savathûn, the Grasp of Nokris may be the first enemy faction introduced in Destiny 2 to go extinct.
 * The Grasp of Nokris is the only faction so far to have Vanquishers.
 * The Grasp of Nokris has never been mentioned by name in-game. They have only been referred to as such once on Bungie.net when Warmind had initially released.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2: Warmind