Elisabeth Bray: Difference between revisions

At one point during the current loop, Elsie had come across a space station registered to the [[Ishtar Collective]] en-route towards [[Pluto]]. Investigating the dilapidated platform revealed to her signs of new activity since the Collapse; Elise notice the handprint of a large unknown [[Cloud Strider|humanoid]] with traces of rippling silver and bits of a broken but familiar weapon. The Exo Stranger was then greeted to her surprise by the sudden appearance of a wayward [[Ghost]] named [[Tokki]], whom she almost shot with her pulse rifle. Elsie noticed the same silver encompassing Tokki's shell, which the Ghost had recently found thanks to a friend they had made on the station. It would be a young, juvenile [[pouka]] with iridescent fin-like wings and a set of six eyes that fondly greeted the Exo Stranger. Reaching to caress the mysterious creature, Elsie immediately recalled an early childhood memory she had with her sister Ana and remembered offering to help; which was what the little pouka needed from her.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/8/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Plunder]] - Item Description: [[Speed Metal Shell#Lore|Speed Metal Shell]]''</ref>   

Having nicknamed the young then-unknown pouka Fish, Elsie had scanned the silver of Tokki's shell and identified it as weaponized nanites which came from the broken gun barrel she found earlier; something which was unheard of in all her loops in time. Together with Fish and Tokki, the three would track the signs of the mysterious nanites to [[Ganymede]] where they uncovered yet another gun barrel that was empty but intact. Initially Elsie could not figure out how the barrel could propel anything, but Fish would react by touching the barrel, much to Elsie's displeasure. Doing so recalibrated the gun to recognize Elsie as its new user, extracting Tokki's silver nanites (much to their dismay) into the barrel to fabricate its ammunition, creating the [[Quicksilver Storm]]. Tokki was befuddled by the weapon's built-in systems to which they call it [[Golden Age]] tech, only to be rebuffed by Elsie stating that they never had anything like this.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/8/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Plunder]] - Item Description: [[Quicksilver Storm#Lore|Quicksilver Storm]]''</ref>

With the Young Wolf now firmly on Elsie's side and in control of Stasis, Elsie revealed her true identity to them. She explained that in order to fully unlock the secrets of the Darkness so they could teach the rest of humanity to safely use it, they would need to unlock the secrets left behind in her grandfather [[Clovis Bray I]]'s journal. She explained to them that he may have claimed to be attempting to save the world through the Darkness, but in fact cared only for his legacy. Handing them the skeleton key used to lock his journal, Elsie tasked them with gathering Darkness energy to power it.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 1|Born in Darkness Part 1]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-8 Key to the Truth 8]''</ref> As they built up its power, Elsie recommended they finish doing so by eliminating a House Salvation Captain named [[Weniks, Salvation Elite|Weniks]] in the [[Bray Exoscience]] building.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 1|Born in Darkness Part 1]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-6 Key to the Truth 6]''</ref> With Weniks dead, Elsie directed them to meet her in [[Bunker E15]] to unlock the first part of Clovis I's journal.<ref name="BID1P4">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 1|Born in Darkness Part 1]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-7 Key to the Truth 7]''</ref>

Meeting the Young Wolf in the Bunker, Elsie found a picture of herself and Ana as children. She admitted how strange it was that the two of them remained alive, with her wishing she did not remember her past while Ana desperately searched for it and Elsie avoided her. Directing them to unlock the journal, Elsie noted that Clovis was so obsessed with his legacy that he recorded everything, including the darker elements of his actions and the bodies he buried. She derisively accused historians of calling men like her grandfather great while ignoring the atrocities they committed. Admitting that the knowledge of Clovis I being a tyrant was one reason she had kept Ana from learning the truth as Elsie did not believe she was ready to hear it, Elsie claimed that who he was did not matter now and that all they needed was his research. Thanking them for their help, Elsie departed to continue working on finding more entries to the journal.<ref name="BID1P4"/> Returning to her camp, Elsie sent them a message apologizing for her abrupt departure, noting that talking about her family made her uncomfortable and that she hoped to reunite with Ana one day. She discovered that the digital copy of the journal contained far more information than the physical copy she found in her original timeline, and passed along the Darkness research to the Young Wolf.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 1|Born in Darkness Part 1]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-10 Key to the Truth 10]''</ref>

Explaining more of the Bray family's past to the Young Wolf, Elsie speculated that Clovis I's journal was encrypted to hide its contents from her. Determined to extract some good from all the suffering he caused she directed her friend to charge up the key once more using Vex [[Radiolaria|radiolarian fluid]] and Darkness energy to unlock the next portion of the journal.<ref name="BID2P1">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 2|Born in Darkness Part 2]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-15 Key to the Truth 15]''</ref> Once it was charged, Elsie requested the Young Wolf meet her in [[Perdition]] to unlock the next entry, and upon their arrival she directed them to a nearby console. With the next entry unlocked she made another confession to the Young Wolf, explaining Ana's history with the Bray family and her fall to Darkness in the original timeline. The Guardian and their Ghost were shocked that Elsie had killed her own sister, whom they had befriended a few years prior. Distraught, Elsie admitted to missing her sister and that she did not know she was alive in this timeline in the belief that it would prevent her from falling to the Darkness by never learning her past. However, she now realized that obsession drove people to the Darkness, as it had done to Eris and Eramis, and that she did not want Ana to fall to the Darkness due to her obsession with learning her past and thus must reveal the truth to her. The decryption then finished and Elsie was pleased with the new research that they unlocked while noting there was much left to decipher. She intended that Ana would be with them next time and departed with a promise to contact the Young Wolf when she figured out what to do next.<ref name="BID2P4"/>

Upon returning to camp, Elsie sent a message to Ana explaining everything and hoped that her sister would join them and understand.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 2|Born in Darkness Part 2]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-11 Key to the Truth 11]''</ref> Going through the new data, Elsie learned of sickening experiments done by her grandfather and that he had discovered that traces of the Darkness resided in all life. However, he also found ways to enhance Stasis, even though he could not use it. Seeking to find this information, Elsie asked the Young Wolf to charge the key once more.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 3|Born in Darkness Part 3]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth Key to the Truth]''</ref>  

After they finished, Elsie invited them and Ana to meet her in a [[Concealed Void|lab]] buried beneath the [[Asterion Abyss]]. Reunited with Ana, she explained much of their history and their grandfather's crimes, shocking her sister. Ana was upset that Elsie had avoided her for so long and was confused by the Young Wolf's presence. Elsie explained that they were part of why she had brought her there and had them unlock the next set of journal entries. After it decrypted, Elsie noted it was exactly the information on Stasis they needed, but Ana was disturbed by their use of Darkness despite Elsie's attempt to explain it was just a tool that could be controlled. She tried to explain that it did not end well before, but this slip was noted by Ana and Elsie explained the truth of the other timeline to her. Apologizing for hiding so much from her, Elsie told Ana she now believed that the best thing she could do for her was be in her life now. Ana admitted that she was happy Elsie was alive, but that everything else was too much to handle at the moment and transmatted away as Elsie tried to stop her. The Ghost reassured her that honesty had been the right choice, but Elsie was unsure and departed to look into the new research.<ref name="BID3P4">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 3|Born in Darkness Part 3]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-4 Key to the Truth 4]''</ref>

Elsie was soon visited once more by the Young Wolf. Confiding in them that she was concerned she had told Ana too much too quickly, Elsie also realized that they did not have the luxury of time to ease her into these revelations. Worried that this was to be another failed timeline if Ana did not come around, she shook off those doubts by noting all that was now different, including the Young Wolf, and passed along her newest discoveries about Stasis.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 3|Born in Darkness Part 3]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-5 Key to the Truth 5]''</ref> Seeking to unlock the rest of the journal, Elsie noted that Clovis I had no idea how to use any of the research he generated on Stasis. The last of the data was hidden with Clovis I himself in the giant Exo head A.I. that she and [[Banshee-44]] had deactivated in the Golden Age. She requested that the Young Wolf charge up the key once more and hoped that Ana would join them for a confrontation with their grandfather.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 4|Born in Darkness Part 4]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-18 Key to the Truth 18]''</ref>

Once the key was charged, Elsie asked the Young Wolf to meet her in [[Creation]], noting she was not looking forward to seeing the giant Exo A.I. of Clovis I again. She was surprised and pleased when Ana joined them, who stated that she felt that after all Elsie had gone through to protect her, she must really care. Elsie confirmed that she did and admitted that she was scared of losing her again. Ana reassured her that all she needed to do was be her sister and that they would face whatever truths the future brought together. Elsie decided that Clovis I would be the first truth they faced and had the Young Wolf activate him. Clovis I was pleased to see two of his granddaughters before him and assumed they were there for his research on Stasis. She confirmed they were and that they intended to spread its use to save humanity. Their grandfather was horrified, claiming it was for their legacy only, and Elsie sarcastically noted she was not surprised by this reaction. This infuriated him further, reminding her that she had volunteered to become an Exo before mocking her sisters, father, and mother as ungrateful and weak. Dismissing him as a bastard, Elsie vowed to use his research to save the universe from evil like him, but Clovis I mocked her naivete and reminded her that she would always be a Bray. As Clovis I shut down, Elsie despairingly noted that he used to have some humanity but lost it all to the Darkness. Ana told her to forget him and that they would prove him wrong by saving humanity together. Agreeing with her, Elsie directed the Young Wolf to return to the Ziggurat with what they learned before departing alongside her sister.<ref name="BID4P4">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 4|Born in Darkness Part 4]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-19 Key to the Truth 19]''</ref>

After returning to Beyond, Elsie was joined by the Young Wolf. She thanked them for all their aid and helping her reunite with Ana. Vowing that her sister could count on her and that she would guide her on the path to using Stasis safely when she was ready, Elsie also promised to guide any Guardian who wanted aid on that path. Noting the Vanguard only recognized the Light, Elsie decided she would have to do so for the Darkness, in order to ensure Guardians did not fall prey to its sinister influence and that they could save the universe together.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Born in Darkness#Born in Darkness Part 4|Born in Darkness Part 4]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/key-to-the-truth-16 Key to the Truth 16]''</ref>

Elsie continued to research the Darkness and learned of more secrets that Clovis I had hidden away. Informing the Young Wolf that they needed to charge the skeleton key with more energy, she directed them to the [[Infinite Well]] and a pocket of Darkness energy that she had recently detected there. The Young Wolf prevented the Vex from claiming the energy for themselves and Elsie told them that the data they sought could be accessed by undergoing one of Clovis I's most difficult Exo training simulations. Once that was completed, Elsie congratulated the Young Wolf and sent them to the Ziggurat to commune with the Darkness and unlock more aspects of their Stasis powers.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Aspect of Influence]]''</ref>

The mission takes the Guardians to the [[BrayTech Futurescape]] facility on Mars, where they aimed to recover the data of the submind Charlemagne. During the whole mission, Elsie would repeatedly get into arguments with Clovis and insult him, denouncing his priority on protecting his "company property". Even so, the Guardians were successful in retrieving the data and uploaded it to the Seraph Bunker on Earth, in preparation for reaching the heart of the Warsat Network, Seraph Station, hovering in Earth's orbit. However, Elsie would remain frustrated by her sister's stubbornness in the mission, venting herself in her correspondence with Queen Mara Sov, who shares her experiences with troubled siblings, offering her counsel on what she can do for her sister.

Elsie would later have a conversation with Ana over the radio, telling her that she was heading back to Europa in order to keep an eye on [[Variks]] and Clovis. Ana tells Elsie that it was nice working together with her, especially at the end. Elsie reciprocates her sister's words, telling her that she's a broadcast away, and vowing to never abandon her. Ana then thanks Elsie for trusting her despite her stubbornness and even when she wasn't listening, knowing deep down that all she wanted to do was keep her safe. Elsie tells Ana that she held on tight because she was afraid of losing her, letting her down, and reliving the same nightmare in her time loops of seeing her sister get corrupted by the Darkness and having to kill her. Elsie then profusely apologizes to Ana for all of the times she had failed to save her, but Ana interrupts her in the middle of her apologies by saying that they have each other now. She tells Elsie that while she doesn't know what the future will hold, she knows that they will face it together. Elsie responds to her that she doesn't know what the future holds anymore, and her honest thought of not having the foresight terrifies her.