Lakshmi-2: Difference between revisions

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|affiliation= [[Consensus]]<br>[[Future War Cult]]

{{Article quote|Readying for the battles to come, Lakshmi of Future War Cult is happy to accept any who would bear their mark.<ref>[https://www.light.gg/db/vendors/2260557667/lakshmi-2/ '''Lakshmi-2 - Destiny 2 Vendor - light.gg''']</ref>}}

Lakshmi was a refugee during the [[Dark Age]] and wandered across the world. During her wanderings she witnessed the rise and fall of thousands of would-be kings and saw hundreds of battles and conflicts including the [[House of Devils]] burning [[London]], an order of knights fighting the [[Darkness]] in [[Mumbai]], the siege of [[Tycho]], and saw the [[Hive]] at a place called Tranquility.<ref name="D1Q">''' Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lakshmi-2]] Quotes''</ref> Caught in these brutal conflicts, Lakshmi was eventually saved by the [[Future War Cult]], who recruited her into their ranks.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lakshmi-2]] Quotes''</ref> After being saved by the Cult, Lakshmi eventually arrived in [[The Last City]], although few knew her origins and found her sudden appearance abrupt. She rose through the ranks of the Future War Cult, eventually becoming one of the leaders of its Inner Circle and being appointed as their representative on the [[Consensus]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Tower_Allies#Future_War_Cult_Faction_Rep|Future War Cult Faction Rep]]''</ref>

While utilizing [[The Device]], Lakshmi experienced a vision of a massive battle in the Last City with Fallen standing amongst the rubble.<ref name="PotSI">'''Bungie (2021/5/11)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Splicer]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Path of the Splicer I]] - [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/interactions/holoprojector-path-of-the-splicer-i Holoprojector Path of the Splicer I]''</ref> Shortly after this vision, the Vex unleashed a simulation upon the City covering in an [[Endless Night]] that drained the City's power. The Vanguard turned to the [[House of Light]]'s [[Kell]] [[Mithrax, Kell of Light|Mithrax]] for aid, as he was among the last [[Sacred Splicer]]s who could potentially use his knowledge to halt the Vex. The Consensus was outraged that Ikora offered House Light permanent shelter in the Last City in exchange for this help. Lakshmi joined [[Osiris]] in visiting the ruins of the [[Botza District]], which had been granted to House Light, and she swiftly recognized Mithrax as one of the Fallen she had seen in her vision. Although the Kell thanked them for their generosity and extended the appreciation of his people, Lakshmi was hostile towards him and warned him to show that appreciation by keeping his people away from the rest of the Last City's residents. Although she acknowledged that his help would aid the City, she doubted everyone else would be so open-minded and prepared to depart. However, she stopped short when Osiris offered further aid to the House of Light in settling in. She scornfully noted he should direct such requests to Ikora since she seemed willing to help the Fallen, but Lakshmi intended to serve as an advocate for the people of the City in the dark days she had seen ahead for them. Before [[Transmat|transmatting]] out of the camp, Lakshmi noted how highly those who lived in the Tower placed themselves and warned the others not to breathe too much of the air up there, as it was quite thin.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/5/11)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Splicer]] - [[Quests (Destiny 2)|Quest]]: [[Beneath the Great Machine]]''</ref>

Lakshmi told Ikora of her vision and that Mithrax and his Fallen had been present, but the Vanguard did not share her concerns. Following the first successful breach of the Vex's [[The Outer Nexus|Outer Nexus]], Lakshmi requested to talk with the Young Wolf. She was displeased with the fact the holo transmitter they used was set up in the Fallen's wing of the [[H.E.L.M.]], but nevertheless offered her assistance to them and declared they desperately needed it. She swiftly explained how the Cult used Vex tech to safely view possible futures and revealed her vision to them. Lakshmi was outraged that Ikora had ignored her and believed that the Vanguard was protecting its image over the people of the Last City. Vowing to handle the situation herself, the cult leader intended to prevent that future from occurring. She suggested to the Guardian that while she helped monitor their progress against the Vex, she would also spy on the Fallen. If she saw signs that they planned to act against the Last City, Lakshmi intended to act to stop them. Recalling how her past warnings about the fall of the City to the Red Legion had been ignored, she swore that would not be the case this time and that her warnings would not be polite or quiet. Lakshmi ended by hoping that her work with the Young Wolf would protect the Last City from all who wished it harm.<ref name="PotSI"/>

Ultimately, Lakshmi began to make public broadcasts, warning the citizens of the Last City that the Eliksni House of Light are not to be trusted, despite allying with the Vanguard to stop the Endless Night. Her proclamations ultimately cause members of her own faction to denounce her and resign but only after her speeches stoke the fears in a number of citizens leading to a mob to ransack the Eliksni Quarters. Angered by the War Cult leader's attempts to spread fear, Ikora Rey intended to speak with Lakshmi but she refused to be swayed from her belief that the House of Light will be part of a tragedy that the Last City will face, continuing her broadcasts against the Vanguard's conduct and the alliance with the House of Light. One broadcasts enraged Ikora enough to interrupt her speech, denouncing Lakshmi's attempts to spread fear and distrust. Lakshmi attempted to twist this to her advantage, claiming she was "silenced" by the Vanguard and further revealed that the Endless Night was the work of [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]], using her servant [[Quria, the Dreaming Mind]] to accomplish it.

Despite her broadcasts and messages to the Guardians, the Lightbearers refused to be swayed to her point of view, causing the War Cult leader to collude with the other Faction leaders. Lakshmi and her counterparts in New Monarchy and Dead Orbit attempted to convince both Saladin Forge and Saint-14 to become the new leader of the Vanguard, believing that their experience would bring them more in line to their views. However, Saladin rebuffed their offer, as the Iron Lord trusts the judgement of Zavala and Ikora  while Saint-14 had come to an understanding with Mithrax and his people, rejecting their offer. Finding the Guardians' judgement compromised, Lakshmi makes plans to assume control over the Consensus and forcibly expel the House of Light even as the Guardians make progress in locating Quria.

With her role in conspiring against the Vanguard and House of Light exposed, the Future War Cult was disbanded and it is learned that the other Factions fled the Last City during the chaos of the Vex's attack, bringing an end to the age of Factions. Lakshmi's efforts ultimately nearly brought catastrophe to the Last City, nearly being overwhelmed by a Vex invasion and almost murdering the innocent Eliksni of the House of Light but despite this tragedy, the Vanguard and House of Light reaffirm their alliance in making a better tomorrow, undoing Lakshmi's efforts in spreading fear towards the House of Light. However, in her broadcast before her death, Lakshmi claimed she was aided by Osiris, leading the Vanguard to launch an investigation on the Warlock as he disappeared after the chaos.

Later in the Reef, the Guardians would locate Osiris but to their shock and horror, the "Osiris" that aided Lakshmi was actually Savathûn herself. The Witch Queen claimed that she had been "aiding" the Guardians for some time and her part in helping Lakshmi was a ploy to expose the War Cult leader's conspiracy, thereby removing traitors within the Last City, ultimately making Lakshmi nothing more than a pawn in Savathûn's schemes.

In Season of the Splicer, a darker side of Lakshmi-2 slowly appeared. Although she appeared optimistic about the alliance between the Vanguard and the Fallen [[House of Light]], she began to grow more and more paranoid about them after they were allowed to live within the Last City's walls. This was compounded by her constant use of the Vex Device her faction venerates to peer into the future, leading her to believe the House of Light Eliksni were no different from the rest of the Fallen and that humanity can achieve victory over the Vex without them. As a result, Lakshmi-2 became a fearmonger, making broadcasts denouncing the alliance Ikora had forged with Mithrax while inciting the citizens of the Last City against the newer House. Her recent demeanor even caused members of the FWC to resign, disillusioned with the direction Lakshmi-2 was leading the faction in. Worst of all, it is heavily hinted that she intended to stage a coup against the Vanguard and the other City factions to assume full control over the city as its savior and prophet.

Ironically, Lakshmi-2's obsession with her prophecy would be her undoing. Believing that the Vanguard has lost its way, that the Guardians have failed, and the Eliksni would bring tragedy to the Last City, Lakshmi colluded with other factions to oust the Vanguard and cast the House of Light out of the City. However, in her zeal, Lakshmi would actually threaten the Last City with an invasion from the Vex. She was arrogant enough to believe that she could control the Vex portal to destroy the Eliksni by sending them to space but ultimately was killed by the Vex using the portal to enter the City, realizing too late that her prophecy had come true but not in a manner she expected. As Ikora Rey put it, she foresaw the coming tragedy but failed to see it was of her own making.