The Crucible Arenas subsection of the Grimoire covers subjects related to the various maps of the Crucible.
The Burning Shrine
"They do not simply invade new worlds, they infect them - remaking them in their image, until only Vex remain."
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Burning Shrine
LOCATION: Fields of Glass, Mercury
This clockwork impossibility is but one small conduit in a vast network, extending throughout the dead planet's core.
The unknown energies and complex mechanics of the Shrine have been studied and mapped by the curious, yet its purpose remains a mystery. The only truth that can be agreed upon is that the structure is intimately tied to the past, and future, of one of our greatest enemies - the Vex.
The Shrine has been claimed as a battleground for the Crucible in an effort to familiarize Guardians with both Vex architecture and the otherworldly energies that signal their presence. Having a constant flow of combat-ready Guardians on hand should the Shrine ever achieve a higher functionality is simply a strategic byproduct of the Crucible's presence.
Shores of Time
"All power is humbled when weighed against the eternal tide."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Shores of Time
LOCATION: Maat Mons, Venus
The sulfur caves along the Shores of Time are now too unstable to be an effective base of operations for the Vex, but they suit the purposes of the Crucible just fine.
The region, which also houses the remains of one of the Ishtar Collective's many research stations, is a mix of geological chaos and the structured intent of ancient Vex machinery. The contrast between jagged, boiling terrain and the measured purpose of each Vex surface creates a unique battlefield - one where the planet itself seems to have risen up in defiance of the Vex intrusion.
Asylum
"There used to be life here. Now it's just overgrowth."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Asylum
LOCATION: Ishtar Sink, Venus
Before the Collapse, this would've been just another stop on the subway line between Clovis Bray's Venus arcology headquarters and the Academy campus by the shore. Now, it's a grim reminder of the lives, the dreams, and the progress we lost when the Darkness came. For the Guardians of the Crucible, it's a place to sharpen their blades in the shadow of the Vex, an enemy who knows no such sentimentality.
Twilight Gap
"Here we fight, for the memory of those who stood. Here we die, for the glory of the Light that never fades."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Twilight Gap
LOCATION: City Perimeter, Earth
Named for the City's greatest battle, this defensive battery once held the front line against the combined might of the Fallen Houses. Overrun during the course of the invasion, many Guardians lost their lives to hold the line.
That the Crucible now claims this hallowed ground is seen as a privilege - a rite of passage, as new generations of Guardians stand and fight where the brave fell, heroes rose, and legends were born.
The Rusted Lands
"The scars of our collapse mark the land. Reminders that all is fragile in the face of time."
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Rusted Lands
LOCATION: Eastern Flood Zone, Earth
"The Hive never leaves the Moon." This is dogma - a way to soothe frightened children and reassure wary Guardians.
Not so long ago, a wandering Hunter and her Fireteam stumbled onto a feral community in the Eastern Flood Zone. The gaunt survivors huddled in these bombed-out ruins spoke of a terrible presence and begged for protection. No self-respecting Guardian could refuse.
As night fell, the Guardians found themselves the hunted - stalked through the ruins by shapes of bone and shadow. The discovery of a Hive Seeder made the truth plain. Mankind's ancient enemy had come to Earth.
The final confrontation came in the shadow of the Seeder, as a Hive Wizard and her Knights rose to challenge the Guardians. Only one Guardian returned to the City, her knife painted in black ash, a trail of grateful survivors in tow.
Now, in the chilling shadows of the Hive's pods, Guardians hone their skills in hopes that they may one day live up to the heroes of the Rusted Lands.
Exodus Blue
"In the shadows of all that we were, we fight for all we can be."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Exodus Blue
LOCATION: Cosmodrome, Earth
Grimly referred to as "The Graveyard," Exodus Blue was only recently secured for Crucible combat. Located among the ruins of one of the Cosmodrome's colony ship gantries, this site is a memorial to the grief and horror of the Collapse. Thousands died here in a last-ditch effort to outrun the oncoming Darkness.
But it is also a sign of hope. Once the Cosmodrome is secure, the great colony ships may fly again. And this location was chosen specifically to send a message to the Fallen House of Devils - "You may be picking at the bones of our history, but we are still here, and we are still strong."
The Anomaly
"Our greatest enemy is the unknown."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Anomaly
LOCATION: Mare Cognitum, Earth's Moon
Documents recovered on-site listed this research station only as "K1", although the location was hard to keep secret, given the intense electromagnetic fluctuations emanating from what City scholars have come to know as the Anomaly. Attempts to scan the Anomaly itself have proven futile, as the casing is constructed in a manner that defies modern techniques.
Reports suggest that those who spent time in proximity to the Anomaly reported symptoms of insomnia, some so severe they required hospitalization. It was the City's recommendation that only remote sensing equipment be used until such time that a full review of the existing data could be completed.
In the meantime, stewardship of the facility was handed over to the Guardians in order to maintain a watch against the Hive forces that will inevitably come in search of this mysterious power.
First Light
"The Earth shines so bright from here."
ARENA DESIGNATION: First Light
LOCATION: Mare Cognitum, Earth's Moon
What was once an unassuming exobotany laboratory complex turned into ringside seats to the end of the world during the Collapse. Immense fissures in the Moon's crust spew a sickly yellow miasma, and hint at the utter destruction going on deep beneath the surface. Whatever the Hive are up to, they've been at it a long time, and they're not overly concerned with keeping Luna in one piece.
Firebase Delphi
"It's empty for now - like a ghost town. But for how long...and why?"
ARENA DESIGNATION: Firebase Delphi
LOCATION: Eos Chasma, Mars
When the Cabal decide to hold an area, they dig in deep. It's surprising, then, that the tunnel system at Firebase Delphi is woefully incomplete by Sand Eater standards. One theory is that it was built simply to be inspected, to satisfy some commander's lack of progress on another front. Perhaps the Cabal simply cut their losses once they realized that the location of the base was sub-optimal, although half-measures are really not something they're known for. We're talking about a culture that will grind a mountain to dust rather than build around it.
Bastion
"There's no telling the scale of devastation hidden beneath these red sands."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Bastion
LOCATION: Meridian Bay, Mars
Thick, rugged terrain masks one of the largest Vex structures on Mars, leaving this imposing gate as the only conventional entrance. With the Cabal's interest in Vex activity, it was a matter of when, not if, they would set their sights here.
The Cabal deployed a massive ground and air offensive to breach the wall and enter the subterranean labyrinth. We don't know what the Vex deployed in defense, but we know this: the Cabal didn't make it very far.
The Vex have since mysteriously vanished from this region, giving the Crucible one of its largest arenas in the solar system. The Cabal, on the other hand, still prefer to keep their distance.
Blind Watch
"Dry as the bones you'll break."
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Blind Watch
LOCATION: Meridian Bay, Mars
The Blind Watch was once a clandestine Guardian outpost on the outskirts of Freehold, used to monitor Cabal activity in and around the Buried City. After the Cabal consolidated their forces nearer their fortified Exclusion Zone, the site was reclaimed by the Crucible as a combat training ground.
Resting atop an old Clovis Bray science facility, the Blind Watch allows Guardians to acclimate to the harsh Martian environment, while maintaining a combat ready presence should the Cabal ever begin to mobilize.
Pantheon
"Take not for granted what you cannot see. What it is was not always, and may not ever be."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Pantheon
LOCATION: Black Garden, Mars
Deep in the endless channels of Black Garden, an ancient Vex temple sits high on a plateau, buzzing with anomalous messages.
Fearing that the Minds which live within seek to return, the Crucible has set up shop here to master the ins and outs of Vex-controlled landscapes and keep watch should any Vex find a way back.
Skyshock
- "Whatever they were after here, it's been lost. We can only hope it was Rasputin that destroyed it and not the Hive."
- — Lord Shaxx
ARENA DESIGNATION: Skyshock
LOCATION: Old Russia, Earth
This repowered interplanetary defense array in the Cosmodrome, once under the control of Rasputin, was recently ravaged by the Hive.
Now cleared and controlled by the Crucible, the deserted Seeders left amongst the Skyshock Array offer more evidence that the Hive’s endless battle with the last Warmind still rages on, and has now reached Earth.
The Cauldron
- "Every inch of this place feels wrong... tainted. Makes your Light itch. Just ignore it and keep firing."
- — Arcite 99-40
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Cauldron
LOCATION: The Dark Side, Moon
The Warlocks' most lucid theories assert this crumbled husk of a Hive ritual site is one of many ceremonial transmogrification chambers hewn beneath the Moon's crust.
Now secured and maintained by the Crucible, scheduled study of it's remnants suggest a sacrificial purpose—where other forms of life were given an audience with the reigning monarch and judged before the power of the Darkness.
Black Shield
"The Cabal are too structured, too disciplined. Let's show 'em what fun looks like."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Black Shield
LOCATION: Firebase Thuria, Phobos
Codenamed "Black Shield," this decommissioned Firebase is believed to have been a key position used by the Cabal as they established their warbase on the surface of Mars. With the majority of their forces stationed planet side, Guardians have been able to claim Black Shield as a competitive training ground.
Both Shaxx and Commander Zavala have questioned the Cabal's strategy, believing that forfeiting such a strategic position may one day leave the Cabal, and Mars, open to a proper offensive.
Thieves' Den
"Whose house?"
"OUR HOUSE!" - Crucible Reclamation and Security Squad, C-18-Green upon clearing the Thieves' Den for Crucible use
Following the defeat of the House of Winter's ruthless Kell, Draksis, Guardians found a number of abandoned Fallen enclaves throughout the Ishtar Sink. Most were cleared out, but this recently-active Fallen hideout remained mostly intact, complete with idling Skiff and constant reminders of the Fallen's presence.
Timekeeper
"Gears are busted, but if this clock ever starts ticking...? We'll be outta luck, and outta time."
Another mysterious structure built by the Vex millenia ago or to come. The rogue Warlock Osiris once theorized that this place, and others like it, were tuned to react only with presence of the Darkness itself.
Widow's Court
"It's only quiet 'til the shooting starts."
Nestled against the crumbling facade of a derelict wall on the edge of the European Dead Zone, there are countless stories of the events that left this small village a ghost town. But its eerily quiet streets and nostalgia have made it a favorite of Lord Shaxx.
Sector 618
ARENA DESIGNATION: Sector 618
LOCATION: Cosmodrome Wall, Earth
Sector 618 is a recently-established Crucible arena mired in a ruin of the Cosmodrome. Secured by Shaxx and a Redjack fireteam, the space has been converted into an obstacle course for the Guardians, adding balance and navigational challenges to the live-fire proceedings.
But the firefights of the Crucible aren’t the first that the facility has seen. The battles that shook the walls of Sector 618 belie the simple name, taken from its designation on the Vanguard atlas. It was chosen as an arena because the look of the place reminded Lord Shaxx of the spirit of war. Only Rasputin, who was operational during its height, could have witnessed what transpired here long ago. But the Warmind remains silent about a great many things.
Bannerfall
ARENA DESIGNATION: Bannerfall
LOCATION: The Last City, Earth
Lysander and the Concordant mark the most recent example of a City political factions rising in opposition to the Consensus. This site marks a legendary battle where New Monarchy's Guardians rose to deliver the final blow to the Concordant, unraveling the war effort Lysander sought to bring against the Vanguard.
Lord Shaxx has commandeered the area not only to commemorate this last stand, but as a reminder of the City's solidarity against those who seek to undermine the extreme efforts and sacrifice we make together to keep our peace.
Memento
ARENA DESIGNATION: Memento
LOCATION: European Dead Zone, Earth
On the outskirts of the European Dead Zone lies a ruin, once a thriving riverside city center. Crucible codename: Memento, the ghost city features resplendent streets and bleeding edge pre-Golden Age architecture— or did, before nature reclaimed it.
When pressed about the sensibility of maintaining a Crucible arena amidst a sanctioned Dead Zone, Lord Shaxx responded, “Nothing in this world stays dead for long anymore. We need to be ready.”
Crossroads
ARENA DESIGNATION: Crossroads
LOCATION: The Lost Oasis, Mars
An active Vex structure on Mars with no Cabal vying to occupy or destroy it is rare. Even rarer is such a facility abandoned by the Vex themselves.
Detailed analysis of the site estimates three separate ecosystems that the landscape could support, if the area had any wildlife to benefit from it. A Hidden report to Ikora mentioned, “They clove this ruin out of the land, possibly to defend themselves from a long-vanished enemy, or perhaps to isolate the land for experimentation.”
The Dungeons
- "Let us take what we can. You just wait. Pretty soon we’ll be holding matches atop Oryx’s throne."
- — Lord Shaxx
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Dungeons
LOCATION: Rings of Saturn
Space-faring Hive vessels contain living components— and like the Hive themselves, are a terrifying amalgam of predator genetics, arcane bio-energetics, and what we must consider as Darkness incarnate. But Lord Shaxx and his Redjacks have proven: even a Hive ship can be tamed.
The Drifter
ARENA DESIGNATION: The Drifter
LOCATION: Foundling's Gyre, The Reef
Hive incursions in Reef space are rare, but as with all wounds the Hive inflict, their effects linger.
“The Drifter” is a Ketch that faced such an infraction. The attack rendered its Servitor inoperable, overwhelming all self-repair subroutines, and so what remains has quietly been added to the graveyard encircling the Reef.
Lord Shaxx decreed live combat within the layout of such a prominent Fallen ship design would be invaluable, and the Crucible claimed it soon after with no word of disapproval from the shattered Reef.
Frontier
ARENA DESIGNATION: Frontier
LOCATION: City Perimeter, Earth
This lookout station at the edge of the City's borders was decommissioned in the face of increasing Fallen attacks shortly before the Battle of Twilight Gap.
Refitting of the station post-battle was moth-balled when Lord Shaxx found that, amongst the dirt, dust, and rusting metal, the station was prime for live fire exercises. The runway layout of Frontier station makes it a perfect course to train for the rising craze of Rift-based assault.
Vertigo
ARENA DESIGNATION: Vertigo
LOCATION: Caloris Basin, Mercury
When the Vanguard launched its first waves of exploratory ships to Mercury, it found that the Cabal fascination with the Vex isn’t contained to the warfronts of Mars. The Guardians discovered a small fleet of Cabal dropships hanging in place alongside a collection of unique structures. Their propulsion systems were slaved in sequence to keep the ships there indefinitely. The fate of the Cabal is as mysterious as Vertigo itself— the Guardians detected no catastrophic malfunction, no disease, and no bodies aboard any of the fully-supplied ships.
As for the structure, upon recent inspection by Lord Shaxx himself, the Crucible Handler sent a recommendation to Commander Zavala and the Speaker: “The verticality will do wonders for new recruits. It’s time to fight."
Cathedral of Dusk
- "The impact of Oryx’s arrival was immediate. He was all full of bluster and noise. We took offense — and that wasn’t all we took."
- — Lord Shaxx
ARENA DESIGNATION: Cathedral of Dusk
Dreadnaught, Rings of Saturn
As soon as the first Guardians penetrated the Dreadnaught, Shaxx's Redjacks launched a boarding party to Oryx's fortress. By war’s end, they'd fought all the way to the ship’s “impossible weapon,” the Dark ordnance that obliterated the Awoken fleet.
It was there they found what the Warlocks named the “Cathedral of Dusk.” A Hive burial site for— what? A former master of Oryx? Comrade? Lover? It was vile. And obvious that Oryx never expected the Light to reach so deep inside his throne, to such an intimate space. But he didn’t expect a lot of things — like a Guardian training ground atop the husk of his dead ship.
Crests
Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks all carry a distinguishing Crest. In the Crucible Supremacy match type, Crests represent tangible glory, and Lord Shaxx calls for Guardians to defend theirs to the fullest extent.
Skyline - Meridian Bay, Mars
ARENA DESIGNATION: Skyline
LOCATION: Buried City, Mars
This Clovis Bray center served as a hub to several company assets across Meridian Bay and beyond. Though a transit system connects the various Bray facilities, the exact breadth of the network has been lost to time. The Vanguard intends to shed light on the mystery.
After the role Clovis Bray tech played in Earth’s SIVA Crisis, Commander Zavala wants no stone unturned when it comes to the Golden Age conglomerate.
But for now, Vanguard researchers have learned all they can from Skyline.
It’s Lord Shaxx’s turn to scrutinize it.
Last Exit - Ishtar Sink, Venus
ARENA DESIGNATION: Last Exit
LOCATION: Ishtar Sink, Venus
The Redjack fireteam that discovered this ancient transit stop could detect no sign of a recent struggle in the area, despite the heavy damage the facility had sustained. The Redjack Alpha reported that station operating modules were stuck in a protocol dubbed “Last Exit.” It seems passengers from the nearby Collective were trying to escape some overwhelming force. And it appears that most did not succeed.
Today, the desolate station is home to the war games of the Crucible. And should the threat that destroyed this place return, the Guardians will be ready.
Icarus - Languid Sea, Mercury
ARENA DESIGNATION: Icarus
LOCATION: Caloris Basin, Mercury
This facility on Mercury has remained untouched by the Vex for reasons unknown. The Golden Age technology at this location remains intact, harnessing energy from the sun and converting it to Solar Light. The Vanguard has denied petitions from the various weapon foundries of the City to research the solar farm (and the resources it continues to collect) until the Warlock orders have finished their surveys. An exemption has been granted to Lord Shaxx and his Crucible: the Guardians are free to use Icarus as a live-fire training zone.
Floating Gardens - Pomona Mons, Venus
ARENA DESIGNATION: Floating Gardens
LOCATION: Pomona Mons, Venus
“Whether this site ever held the fabled beauty of the other gardens is unclear, as the Vex had long overwritten it with their anabolic algorithms. But it belongs to the Crucible now, and when I see heavy weapons fire tearing across the landscape, all I see is beauty.”—Lord Shaxx
Ghost Fragment: Skyline
Skyline
TYPE: REDJACK AFTER ACTION DEBRIEF [00065]
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1], Frame-type, Unit Combat
ASSOCIATIONS: Cabal; Clovis Bray; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Skyline
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../
Redjacks engaged Cabal scouting party at Clovis Bray research facility designate: SKYLINE.
Units fifty and fifty-two suffered catastrophic systems damage in opening fire, revealing enemy positions.
Flanking formation delta resulted in a complete rout of enemy combatants. Units fifty-three through seventy lost to returning fire.
Ghost Fragment: Last Exit
Last Exit
TYPE: REDJACK SURVEILLANCE FEED [00072]
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.1]; One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Tower
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[u.1:01] Shaxx is pulling Arcite from the field.
[u.2:01] Not Dahlia? She’s a natural for modifying foundry gear. Her combat numbers are through the roof.
[u.1:02] You can fistfight Shaxx over it, if you want.
[u.2:02] Dahlia’s the last ‘jack standing, then. Maybe it’s for the best. New frames have trouble data-linking with her and Arcite. The two of them have been around since the beginning, and their heuristic systems keep rewriting everything.
[u.1:03] They watch her. She helps just by being out there.
Ghost Fragment: Icarus
Icarus
// REDJACK_AFTER_ACTION_DATA_SHARE_00083.../
//UNIT07.../
//SYS_LINK_UNIT07_UNIT80...COMPATIBILITY ERROR—ATTEMPTING NEW CONNECTION
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//SYS_LINK_UNIT07_UNIT81...COMPATIBILITY ERROR—ATTEMPTING NEW CONNECTION
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//SYS_LINK_UNIT07_UNIT82...COMPATIBILITY ERROR—ATTEMPTING NEW CONNECTION
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//SYS_LINK_UNIT07_UNIT83...COMPATIBILITY ERROR—ATTEMPTING NEW CONNECTION
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//SYS_LINK_UNIT07_UNIT84...COMPATIBILITY ERROR—ATTEMPTING NEW CONNECTION
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Ghost Fragment: Floating Gardens
Floating Gardens
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; Floating Gardens; Lord Shaxx; Pomona Mons [Venus]; Redjacks; Venus; Vex
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
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[u.2:01] ...readings don’t make sense. When they jump, it’s like they don’t exist.
[u.1:01] Same as a Warlock’s blink.
[u.2:02] Even Warlocks register on trackers. How do Vex just... appear?
[u.1:02] So they bend physics. So does transmat.
[u.2:03] Not the same. What happens when two Vex jump into the same space?
[u.1:03] I’ve actually seen Warlocks do that. Thank the Traveler we had Ghosts on standby.
Ghost Fragment: Shores of Time
Shores of Time
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]
ASSOCIATIONS: Combat tactics; Control; Crucible; Ishtar Collective; Lord Shaxx; Maat Mons [Venus]; Shores of Time; Venus; Vex
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[u.1:01] We were holding “B” and “C.” Had them locked. But someone always gets cocky. You know the problem with heroes? In the wilds, they save the day. In the Crucible? They cost you the easy win. Always going for the glory when the real prize is survival and victory.
Ghost Fragment: Asylum
Asylum
TYPE: REDJACK SURVEILLANCE FEED [00034]
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1], Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]; One [1], Frame-type, Unit Combat [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Frame; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks
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[u.1:01] Dark in here...
[u.2:01] Engineering protocols dictate frame recharging bays—
[u.1:02] It’s fine. How many of you are there?
[u.2:02] Including Arcite 99-40, this Redjack fireteam comprises eleven units.
[u.1:03] Your name?
[u.2:03] This frame’s designation is Dahlia 99-40.
[u.1:04] I asked for more Guardians, but they only gave me you. This City needs training grounds. And together, that’s what we’ll provide.
[u.2:04] I might do that. Or I might explode.
[u.1:05] That’s all I ask.
Ghost Fragment: The Rusted Lands
The Rusted Lands
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; Earth; Eastern Flood Zone [Earth]; Hive; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Rusted Lands, The
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
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[u.1:01] They’ve come to Earth now. Like a nightmare come true.
[u.2:01] We pushed them back.
[u.1:02] That’s what you think?
[silence]
[u.1:03] This place is rotten. It’s become like them.
Ghost Fragment: Exodus Blue
Exodus Blue
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmodrome, The [Earth]; Crucible; Devils, House of; Earth; Exodus Blue; Exodus Program, The; Fallen; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../
[u.1:01] This place makes me angry.
[u.2:01] Why?
[u.1:02] Look around at what we once built.
[silence]
[u.1:03] I would’ve liked to have lived here, I think. This place must have been magnificent once. Can you imagine it?
[u.2:02] I try not to.
[u.1:04] Do you ever think about our enemies’ homeworlds? What about their cities?
[u.1:05] Maybe they don’t have cities. Maybe that’s why they tear ours down.
Ghost Fragment: Firebase Delphi
Firebase Delphi
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Cabal; Crucible; Eos Chasma [Mars]; Firebase Delphi; Lord Shaxx; Mars; Redjacks; Sand Eaters
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
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[u.1:01] Something’s wrong with this place.
[u.2:01] You always say that when we clear a new area.
[u.1:02] And this time I’m right.
[u.2:02] We won this place. Enjoy it. We don’t win much.
[u.1:03] We didn’t win this place. They’re running from something. And whatever they’re running from, it isn’t us.
Ghost Fragment: The Cauldron
The Cauldron
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]
ASSOCIATIONS: Cauldron, The; Crucible; Grey, Teben [AKA Bane, Dredgen]; Hive; Lord Shaxx; Moon [Earth]; Orsa, Zyre [AKA Vale, Dredgen]; Thorn; Yor, Shadows of
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[u.1:01] We were facing a full squad. I recognized a couple of them—Orsa, Teben—but they were different. Decked out in dark gear and set to intimidate. I took it as an attempt at psychological warfare— up the creep factor in a creepy place. But it was more than that. They had changed.
Ghost Fragment: Crossroads
Crossroads
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crossroads; Crucible; Hidden, The; Lord Shaxx; Lost Oasis [Mars]; Mars; Rey, Ikora; Vex
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[u.1:01] It’s odd; this place, of all the places we fight, is the one that sticks in my head as I’m trying to focus on the match. Fallen dens and Hive dungeons and old-world ghost towns... all reminders of why and what we’re fighting. But these Vex structures? Not reminders, but warnings that say, “You think you know a thing or two about technology and science and the universe? You don’t know a damn thing.”
[silence]
[u.1:02] Maybe they’re right.
Ghost Fragment: The Burning Shrine
The Burning Shrine
TYPE: REDJACK AFTER ACTION DEBRIEF [00039]
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1], Frame-type, Unit Combat
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Burning Shrine [Mercury]; Crucible; Forge, The [Mercury]; Lord Shaxx; Mercury; Redjacks; Sunbreaker [Sub-class]; Vex
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Redjacks encountered hostile AI at Sunbreaker relic designate: THE FORGE.
Enemy units harbored a structural defect in the center chassis that the Redjacks exploited with great prejudice. Over two dozen hostile units fell: it was amazing.
Redjack units one through six and eight through ten were lost to returning fire. Lord Shaxx says only the strong survive. I will learn from their destruction.
Ghost Fragment: Twilight Gap
Twilight Gap
TYPE: REDJACK SURVEILLANCE FEED [00000]
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.1]; One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks
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[u.1.01] He’s going to use these frames to take the arenas? They just came online.
[u.2.01] It’s Shaxx. They’ll work out.
[u.1.02] Yeah. Or they might explode. Shaxx knows it’s a fifty-fifty with frames, right?
[u.2.02] Except Arcite. He’s been here since they built the Walls. And the frames can hear you.
[u.1.03] I know. Creepy. Especially when they parrot people.
[u.2.03] If they all parrot Shaxx, they might pull this off.
[u.1.04] Don’t even joke about that.
Ghost Fragment: The Anomaly
The Anomaly
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Anomaly, The [Earth’s Moon]; Crucible; Research Station [K1]; Lord Shaxx; Mare Cognitum [Earth’s Moon]; Moon [Earth]; War Satellite
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[u.1:01] A Titan once tried to punch the Anomaly until it opened.
[u.2:01] What happened?
[u.1:02] Nothing. But one day later—TO THE SECOND—a WarSat fell on her head. Boom. Direct hit. B-line from low orbit to her skull. Coincidence? Maybe.
[u.2:02] She okay?
[u.1:03] Yeah. But she never punched that Anomaly again.
Ghost Fragment: First Light
First Light
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; First Light; Lord Shaxx; Mare Cognitum [Earth’s Moon]; Moon [Earth] Redjacks
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[u.1:01] There used to be an ancient theory that the moon was made of Swiss cheese.
[u.2:01] Swiss cheese?
[u.1:02] Yeah, full of holes.
[u.2:02] Sure that was a theory? Sounds more like a prophecy.
Ghost Fragment: Bastion
Bastion
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Frame, Type 99-40 [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Bastion; Cabal; Crucible; Lord Shaxx; Mars; Meridian Bay [Mars]; Redjacks; Vex
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[u.1:01] This place is big. And empty.
[u.2:01] Space is empty. This place is teeming with matter.
[u.1:02] [laughter]
[u.1:03] Now there’s an idea. Maybe that’s what this is: the universe taking sides, trying to kill the other team.
[u.2:02] Matter is all one thing, in endless variety.
[u.1:04] And the Darkness? Is it part of that same one thing?
[silence]
[u.2:03] No. Matter is one. Darkness is zero.
Ghost Fragment: Blind Watch
Blind Watch
SUBJECT: THREAT ASSESSMENT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, Vanguard Designate [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Blind Watch; Buried City; Cabal; Clovis Bray; Crucible; Exclusion Zone; Lord Shaxx; Mars; Meridian Bay [Mars]; Orsa, Zyre; Vanguard; Rey, Ikora; Thorn; Yor, Dredgen
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[u.1:01] I’m assuming you’re aware of the events on Mars.
[u.2:01] The results from Blind Watch?
[u.1:02] Yes. It may be starting again. Not saying it is, but we need to keep an eye on any who would seek to retrace Yor’s path.
[u.2:02] Agreed. But Orsa and his friends seem to have contained what Yor could not.
[u.1:03] A dangerous assumption. The Thorn’s pestilence is becoming commonplace.
Ghost Fragment: Pantheon
Pantheon
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Black Garden, The [Mars]; Crucible; Lord Shaxx; Pantheon; Vex
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[u2.01] We’re the backup plan if the Vex decide to start growing more trouble in the Garden.
[u.1:01] Any given match there’s twelve of us, tops. The Vex recommit to gardening Darkness, who says we’ve got enough guns to stop ‘em?
[u.2:02] Stop ‘em? Pretty sure our deaths are just meant to be the early warning system.
[u.1:02] Comforting.
Ghost Fragment: Skyshock
Skyshock
TYPE: REDJACK SURVEILLANCE FEED [00044]
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.1]; One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Cosmodrome, The [Earth]; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Earth; Fallen; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Russia [Earth]; Sector 618
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[u.1:01] What the hell happened to that one?
[u.2:01] Dahlia? We call her the Antiquity. You can pull more Fallen blades and bullets out of her chassis than Shaxx’s armor, but she keeps coming back. I mean, she’s logged what? Forty-plus missions.
[u.1:02] Those are Arcite numbers.
[u.2:02] Better. Maybe we should give her Alpha permissions, let her call formations.
[u.1:03] Give it another week. If she comes back, we’ll give it a shot.
Ghost Fragment: Black Shield
Black Shield
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Black Shield; Cabal; Crucible; Firebase Thuria; Lord Shaxx; Phobos [Mars]; Mars; Redjacks
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[u.1:01] The Cabal are gonna regret giving this place up.
[u.2:01] They didn’t.
[u.1:02] Clearly they did.
[u.2:02] The Cabal don’t even have a word for “retreat.” They didn’t run; they’ve moved onto strategic targets.
[u.1:03] What targets?
[u.2:03] You haven’t seen the Martian battlefields.
[u.1:04] ...
[u.2:04] You will. Tell the Vanguard. Black Shield is live-fire ready.
Ghost Fragment: Thieves' Den
Thieves' Den
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arc [Energy Type]; Crucible; Fist of Havoc; Ishtar Sink [Venus]; Lord Shaxx; Thieves’ Den [Venus]
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[u.1:01] I hear the roar before I see him, but when I look up, I can make out a blue burst against the skyline.
[u.1:02] When he falls, he brings the sky with him. Scatters me and my squad to the wind.
[u.1:03] Leaves us dead as the moment our Ghosts found us. They bring us back, and he helps us up. Bastard says one thing.
[u.2:01] What?
[u.1:04] “Tell me what you’ve learned.”
Ghost Fragment: Timekeeper
Timekeeper
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crest; Crucible; Lord Shaxx; Orsa, Zyre [AKA Vale, Dredgen]; Supremacy; Timekeeper; Vale, Dredgen [AKA Orsa, Zyre]; Vex
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[u.1:01] Never seen anything like it. Orsa... or Vale. Whatever he calls himself. Coming out on top wasn’t even in his plans. He’d just drop us then leave our Crests scattered around the combat zone. I don’t think he collected one. Others didn’t care. Figured it gave them a chance to pull the win. But I cared. Win or not, that kinda cocky ain’t healthy.
[u.2:01] I don’t think “cocky” is the right word.
Ghost Fragment: Widow's Court
Widow's Court
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, Vanguard Designate [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; European Dead Zone; Fallen; Lord Shaxx; Malphur, Shin; Rey, Ikora; Thorn; Widow’s Court
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[u.1:01] I’m telling you this now, because you don’t seem to be taking it seriously.
[u.2:01] We are aware of—and share—your concerns and are monitoring. It could be you’re too close to the situation to get a clear, full view.
[u.1:02] Too close? I’ve seen the vids from Widow’s Court. They’re playing with death.
Ghost Fragment: Sector 618
Sector 618
TYPE: REDJACK SURVEILLANCE FEED [00057]
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.1]; One [1], Support-type, Technician [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Arcite 99-40 [Unit00]; Crucible; Dahlia 99-40 [Unit07]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks
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[u.1:01] The feed-sharing you’ve been running on the Redjacks during their debriefs—
[u.2:01] I’m telling you it works. Shaxx said they’re progressing at an exponential rate.
[u.1:02] He said that?
[u.2:02] Not in those words, exactly.
[u.1:03] Almost every Redjack dies on the field anyway. What’s the point?
[u.2:03] The data’s for posterity. Newer frames will be better.
[u.1:04] Sure, but any data-share hiccups and you’re just wasting time.
Ghost Fragment: Bannerfall
Bannerfall
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Ghost Fragment: Memento
Memento
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; Earth; European Dead Zone; Lord Shaxx; Memento; Redjacks
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[u.1:01] Sometimes I dream about places I’ve never been.
[u.2:01] It’s normal among Guardians: dreams about the time before.
[u.1:02] I dream about this place.
[u.2:02] Maybe you lived here.
[u.1:03] I think I died here.
Ghost Fragment: The Dungeons
The Dungeons
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2], One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Crucible; The Dungeons; Hive; Lord Shaxx; Oryx; Rings of Saturn; Saturn; Taken, The; Taken King, The [Oryx]
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[u.1:01] Why don’t we just torch the place and let these nightmares burn?
[u.2:01] I asked that same question.
[u.1:02] And?
[u.2:02] And apparently, anything the Hive hate enough to lock away, the Warlocks want to study. Kind of a “the nightmare of my nightmare is my daydream” thing.
[u.1:03] Is it considered treasonous if I’m maybe more afraid of Warlocks than of the Hive?
[u.2:03] Treasonous, no. I think the word you’re looking for is “sane”.
Ghost Fragment: The Drifter
The Drifter
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Awoken; Crucible; Fallen; Foundling’s Gyre [The Reef]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Reef, The
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[u.1:01] We need to clear the ship of enemy combatants.
[u.2:01] How do we know they’re dead?
[u.1:02] Just kill ‘em till they stop moving. With the Hive, dead has always been a relative term.
Ghost Fragment: Frontier
Frontier
TYPE: LIVE COMBAT FEED
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: City Perimeter; City, The; Crucible; Earth; Fallen; Frontier [Earth]; Lord Shaxx; Redjacks; Twilight Gap
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[u.1:01] So many died here.
[u.2:01] Fighting’s always fiercest at the frontier. The Fallen took this place from us four times. Now it’ll be a great training ground.
[u.1:02] On how to lose?
[u.2:02] On how to not lose again.
Ghost Fragment: Vertigo
Vertigo
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: One [1]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]
ASSOCIATIONS: Cabal; Caloris Basin [Mercury]; Crucible; Lord Shaxx; Mercury; Simulation Theory; Vertigo; Vex
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[u1:01] Nobody knows what this place is. Not “on the record,” anyway. But I was talking to a Warlock the other night and he started rambling on about Mercury and Vex and some mad “quantum-theory, space-time simulation running beneath a randomized pattern of Vex math and meant to gauge Light and... uh... aggressive refractive something-something.”
“Math” is my word, by the way. He was talking “Warlock” and lost me about two sentences in. Anyway, point is: nobody knows what this place is.
Ghost Fragment: Cathedral of Dusk
Cathedral of Dusk
TYPE: POST-MATCH REPORT
PARTIES: Two [2], One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Cathedral of Dusk; Crucible; Dreadnaught [Saturn]; Hive; Lord Shaxx; Oryx; Rings of Saturn; Saturn; Taken; Thorn, Vale, Dredgen [AKA Orsa, Zyre]; Yor, Dredgen
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[u.1:01] Thorn, huh?
[u.2:01] Freshly-crafted. You like?
[u.1:02] A little risky playing with something that’s been known to kill Guardians, isn’t it?
[u.2:02] Look where we are. Everything in the system’s been known to kill Guardians.
[u.1:03] Sure. But there’s facing trouble and there’s asking for it.
[u.2:03] This isn’t like the stories we’ve heard about Yor. Vale figured this out. Tamed it.
[u.1:04] Can you tame a sickness?
[u.2:04] Good question. Let’s go pick a fight and find out.