Thorn

"To rend one's enemies is to see them not as equals, but objects—hollow of spirit and meaning."

- 13th Understanding, 7th Book of Sorrow

Thorn is an Exotic hand cannon and one of the Weapons of Sorrow. It is most likely named after the thorn-like spikes on it. The weapon is sleek, dark black, with many spikes or "thorns" adorning the sides, facing the front of the weapon. It was acquired via the Exotic bounty, A Light in the Dark. Thorn also appears in Rise of Iron and can be acquired through a Quest.

Overview
Thorn was once called Rose, and belonged to the Guardian Dredgen Yor. Once a noble hero, Yor eventually fell to Darkness, and rebuilt Thorn using the dark sorcery he learned from the Hive. Ever since, it has been hungry for the Light of other Guardians. Whether before or after it was built, Thorn became bound to Xyor, the Unwed; killing her removes the link and enables Guardians to safely use Thorn without risk of corruption.

Gameplay
Thorn's special ability is called "Mark of the Devourer", which allows rounds to pierce the target and cause lingering damage over time, which, in PvP, could potentially prevent a fleeing Guardian's shield from regenerating quickly enough for a kill-shot to be delivered. This perk has been nerfed from its Year 1 incarnation.

Trivia

 * The Thorn has been labeled as the "yin" of the Destiny universe (as opposed to the Last Word, which is the "yang").
 * Thorn was originally described as being one of the loot in Charlemagne's Vault, a chamber in the Dust Palace that does not appear in the final version of the game.

List of appearances

 * Destiny