War against the Witness: Difference between revisions

*The Witness sends in its forces to attack the Last City as its final attempt to keep the Vanguard out of the Pale Heart

*Dozens of [[Tormentor]]s

Being the first civilization uplifted by the Traveler's [[Light]] in recorded history, the species that would eventually become the Witness lived in a Golden Age and would prosper under its influence. However, their people demanded purpose, so they discovered the Traveler shared a connection with the Veil, an enigma associated with [[Darkness]]. The species could not agree on how the Final Shape could be carried out, as it was recorded in a conversation between HNW047622 and RS6243199. HNW047622 followed the befilefs of the [[Nihilist]]s: a faction who believed that the Final Shape is the result of the species' self-destruction and that they should leave the universe alone while RS6243199 followed the beliefs of the [[Penitent]]s: a faction who believed that the Final Shape is the result of perfection through the intervention of the universe. Both of these individuals oppose the views of the [[Solipsist]]s: a faction who believed that the Final Shape can be achieved by the will of the species that believe them. These factions were ruled by the Consensus. They eventually learn that the Light affects the physical world and the Darkness affects the mental world. After recovering the Veil from the cosmos, they would link it to the Traveler to enact the Final Shape, but the Traveler refuses the connection and leaves their home planet. The species finally purpose when the Consensus ruled in favor of the Penitent majority, who were undeterred in its pursuit of the Final Shape, so they waged war with the Nihilists and thd Solipsists. Onve the civil war of their species were over, the Consensus would use the power of the Darkness from the Veil to become one singular, unfathomable being. Thus, the Witness was born.

As the Traveler was busy terraforming [[Io]]'s surface, a period of great calamity known as the [[Collapse]] would begin. It would first be seen on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], when the Black Fleet used its weapons to alter Titan's gravity and destroy the structures supporting the [[New Pacific Arcology]] domes. Ahsa, the same proto-Worm that escaped Fundament long ago and sought refuge on Titan's methane seas, was injured by [[Nezarec, Final God of Pain|Nezarec]], another Disciple of the Witness and the instigator of the Collapse who piloted [[The Lunar Pyramid]]. The Traveler would flee to Earth and defend humanity as a result. It would also affect the people aboard the [[Yang Liwei]], where the clash between the Traveler and its ancient enemy resulted in the existence of the [[Distributary]] and subsequently the birth of the [[Awoken]]. It would affect the people on Earth as well.

After finishing Savathûn's experiments with the Light and discovering the secrets contained within the Imbaru engine above the oubliette, Eris is ready for the final tithing ritual. She requests that Ikora bring Savathûn's body out from vault security and deliver it to Savathûn's throne world. She then meets the Guardian at the oubliette for the final tithing ritual. They tithe to her after they defeat the Leviathan-Eater. Eris uses the tithes from the Guardian along with the power from the resurrected Savathûn to sever Xivu Arath's connection to the Black Terrace, which makes Xivu Arath mortal and therefore vulnerable. She gives up her Hive form soon after, and both Ikora and the Guardian help Eris recover. Before they leave the throne world, Savathûn is resurrected again and allows Immaru to fall under Vanguard custody. She also reveals the secret they need to follow the Witness into the portal, but she refuses to elaborate on what it is. The Guardian discovers the riddles on their own as they recover one of Riven's eggs from the Imbaru Engine and uncover the mystery of the 15th wish revealed on her wings.

As the Vanguard and its allies continue its efforts to bypass the portal through Riven, Crow discovers a Scorn presence within the EDZ and reports his findings to the Hidden. The Guardian follows the last known location of a Scorn sighting to a snowy mountain within the EDZ. The Guardian enters a Dark Age castle and confronts a powerful Chieftain partly infused with Taken energy named [[Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul|Rathil]], the leader of the [[Buried Bloodline#Lore|Broken Knights]] sent by Fikrul to bring home the Scorn raised from [[House of Kings]] along with [[Malaris, Second Broken Knight|Malaris]], [[Vrysiks, Third Broken Knight|Vrysiks]], [[Nymeks, Fourth Broken Knight|Nymeks]], and [[Sirloks, Fifth Broken Knight|Sirloks]]. The Guardian defeats Rathil by capturing corrupted Ether Totems and being empowered by the wishes of the former Warlord [[Naeem]]. After Rathil is defeated, the [[Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera|Chimera]] bearing the avatar of another Ahamkara named [[Hefnd]] reveals itself and transorts the Guardian to the castle's jail ceĺls. The Guardian escapes from the jail cells using the stone tablets laying next to the skeletons. They pursue the Chimera throughout the castle and arrive at the ramparts where the [[Locus of Wailing Grief]] awaits them. They would survive the tempest and defeat the Taken Ogre by lighting and then staying within the 4 stone braziers. They would continue their pursuit of the Chimera and finally confront it at the tpp of the castle at the mountain's summit. After a difficult battle, the Guardian finally defeats the Chimera, allowing them to collect the bones of Hefnd. They would uncover more of Hefnd's bones scattered throughout the castle by opening sealed doors. They would discover Hefnd's Cairn and discover that Shaxx was responsible for Hefnd's death, with Crow and Petra discovering the truth behind the castle history. They would conclude the investigation by reporting additional findings to Ikora Rey.

As the Guardian works to recover more of Riven's eggs, the Sol Divisive would respond by creating an Axis Mind to match the capabilities of the Techeuns and also deploy the [[Oracle]]s into the Dreaming City that mimics resonance used by the Witness and its Disciples. The Guardian arrivrs too late to recover the egg as the Sol Divisive was able to steal the egg and place it in the Black Garden, near [[Taranis]]'s corpse. The Guardian explores a new section of the Black Garden that once used as an Ahamkara lair. Riven and Crow assist the Guardian as tactical support. Using the sparks inside a circle of green flowers, the Guardian was able to dispel paracausal locks. They would also use the sparks inside a circle of red flowers to cross a mist that would otherwise be hazardous to them. Riven reveals that her and another Ahamkara left behind the sparks scattered throughout the Black Garden. They are able to combine the sparks to defeat [[Akardon, Pitiless Mind]]. After its defeat, Riven would discover that her mate, Taranis, has died as a result of granting his own wish to scatter the clutch. Riven would reflect on his death, then instructs the Guardian to use [[Wish-Keeper]] to honor Taranis. She would discover that the Taken are attempting to corrupt one of her eggs and instructs the Guardian to stop them. They defeat a Taken Knight once loyal to Xivu Arath and learn that the Taken have succeeded in corrupting the egg. Mara proposes a solution to cleanse the egg, but first they must acquire Taken essentia from completing an [[Ascendant Challenge]], then defeating foes within Riven's lair. After cleansing the egg, Orosis updates Mara on how the Pale can be entered, and Riven would reveal that one individual can enter the Pale Heart through the Ley Lines, per her previous bargains with Savathûn. Mara would threaten Riven for her deception before Osiris stops her using Strand. Mara and Osiris both leave, with thr latter informing the Guardian that his investigations on the Veil's ability to replicate the Witness's actions has concluded.