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Lore:Tales of the Forgotten — Vol. 2: Difference between revisions

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Lore:Tales of the Forgotten — Vol. 2 (view source)

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==Legion Lost - 10==
==Legion Lost - 10==
Listen! Here is the story of the [[Legion-Lost]],<br>
Who saw a final dishonor at the hands of an enemy.<br>
War-hardened, tusk-proud, bonded-in-battle,<br>
Broken at last in their deathless death,<br>
Felled by Light-eaters, fated to be [[Taken]].<br>
Many times this story has been told: we tell it again.<br>
The Legion-Lost, warden to this teeming place,<br>
Ruin-scattered [[Earth]] for a shame-destined foe.<br>
Few could stand their might, so great was it.<br>
They scoured the Earth with ship and steel,<br>
Gilded and gleaming, heaped in glory.<br>
They took what was there to be taken, lives and loss.
==Legion Lost - 11==
==Legion Lost - 11==
"And these 'Headless Ones,'" [[Empress Caiatl|Caiatl]] began, tilting down her tusks in contemplation, "they are warriors?"
"Oh yes," Eido said, looking up at the Cabal empress. "In fact, they may be Cabal in origin. I am investigating the stories now. Your retainers mentioned a similar tale, and I understand your people have a strong oral tradition. Surely there are accounts of flaming heads? Swords of unusual size?"
Caiatl considered this.
"There have been Cabal who have eaten fire, walked through fire, and belched fire. But that is all."
"I see," said Eido, crestfallen. Caiatl put one massive hand on Eido's shoulder.
"There WERE many warriors with their heads on fire," she offered in consolation. "But not continuously."
==Legion Lost - 12==
==Legion Lost - 12==
"After the Drowned Captain disappeared," Eido said to the gathered hatchlings, "the Cabal claimed the cavern as their own."
The hatchlings muttered darkly, mimicking their elders' prejudices against the Cabal.
"But the very first night of their occupation, a figure appeared in the mouth of the cave," Eido said. "It had a big round head, and flames poured from its giant mouth. It was… a Headless One!"
"Did they get… eaten?" a tiny hatchling squeaked.
"Even worse," she said. "The creature ripped off their heads, and left their bodies roaming around the cavern, bumping into the walls." She stuck out all four arms and moaned dully.
"And that's where they remain… to this very day," she concluded.
==Legion Lost - 13==
==Legion Lost - 13==
Earth was war-wounded, [[Light]]-devoured.<br>
The Legion-Lost grasped victories where they could;<br>
Ungoverned, burned in spirit, borne bitterly,<br>
They fought with honor until honor fled them.<br>
Here was how they found first-death, where<br>
The Legion-Lost moved forward to their curse:<br>
They found an enemy too fierce for them to fell.<br>
Cornered, cowed, the Legion-Lost made<br>
To take to great caves and hidden places.<br>
A final stand made to hoard their honor.<br>
Life-given, broken, made to suffer,<br>
They saw their end before them.<br>
Like a wild war beast the Light-eater descended,<br>
The Legion-Lost dealt defeat by their hands.
==Legion Lost - 14==
==Legion Lost - 14==
"Thank you for speaking with me," Eido said cheerfully. The [[Psion]] bowed its head, and Eido did the same.
"I've conducted an interview with Empress Caiatl already. But I am hoping that you could further illuminate the subject."
Eido felt a soft, blooming sensation in the forefront of her mind. Gracious acquiescence.
"I am searching for information about the Headless Ones, and—"
The thought of a creature without a head sent up a spike of adrenaline, a flash of sickening terror that burst in Eido's mind so violently that she jumped. The Psion's own thoughts only compounded its fear. Eido's eyes widened.
"Oh, I'm—"
Screaming. Purple flames pouring from empty eyes.
"I'm so sorry, I—"
Screaming. A burst of confetti.
"I didn't mean to—"
Screaming. Candy. Candy everywhere.
"To upset you."
==Legion Lost - 15==
==Legion Lost - 15==
"About… 13.2 kilograms," [[Cryptarch]] [[Yareli]] read from the scales.
Eido wrung both sets of hands uncomfortably. The laboratory walls were lined with hundreds of canopic jars, filled with preserved organs and appendages. She recognized many of them as Eliksni.
"Is that… heavy?" Eido inquired.
The Cryptarch arched an eyebrow at her. "Quite heavy for confetti. You say the Headless Ones emit a shower of this material upon death?"
"They do," Eido replied, "along with an edible the Guardians call 'candy.'" She tried unsuccessfully to keep the disgust from her tone.
The Cryptarch shook his head in disbelief. "Aside from its density, which is incredible, this confetti is identical to the stuff [[Human]]s used during pre-[[Dark Age]] celebrations."
Eido's eye's twinkled with inspiration. "Celebrations like… the [[Hall Between]]!"
==Legion Lost - 16==
==Legion Lost - 16==
But less than death the Legion-Lost became.<br>
In their great shame at the end of their battle,<br>
Great weapons fell from their grasp.<br>
But whispered were they into new wandering,<br>
Dark-forged and Taken into shameful embrace,<br>
The Legion-Lost gained their name in death.<br>
Curse-charged, terror-torn,<br>
They raised eyes darkened, then lit with flame,<br>
Sword-screaming, rising from purple pyres.<br>
Heads aflame, their end was found in endlessness.<br>
No more wandering or warring in these lands.<br>
The Legion-Lost live as shame and story.
==Legion Lost - 17==
==Legion Lost - 17==
"And these monsters exist?" [[Saladin Forge|Lord Saladin]] asked, his voice grave.
Eido nodded nervously.
"I have ample evidence for their existence. I know that they have flaming pumpkin heads, and that they're filled with candy," Eido said stiffly. "And loot. They are also filled with loot."
Lord Saladin considered this. Eido could not discern what he might be thinking.
"But I question Glint's conclusions about their origins," she added.
The [[Iron Lord]] stared her down.
"You heard about this from Glint?"
"Yes, I—"
"I don't have time for this," Saladin said, and walked away.
==Findings of Eido - 18==
==Findings of Eido - 18==
"Would you like… some tea?"
The trip to [[Moon|Luna]] had been a short one, but now Eido sat uncomfortably in a folding chair in [[Eris Morn]]'s dwelling. Her host poured steaming liquid from a vessel into a small ceramic cup. The Scribe took it politely, trying to keep the contents from spilling over the rim.
"So you believe the Headless Ones are connected to this 'Hall Between,'" Eris said.
"Yes," Eido answered. "I do not believe they are of [[Hive]] origin."
"I see."
"Oh! You do? I was wondering…" Eido trailed off under Eris's stare.
The Scribe looked down at her tea. Humans tended to drink such things communally, but Eris had not poured a cup for herself. Letting her eyes wander, Eido realized the room was oddly bare but for the teapot and a tattered mat at the door's threshold. The lettering on it was illegible.
There was a long silence.
"I was asked to make this place more hospitable," Eris said. Eido wasn't sure if that was an explanation or an apology.
==Findings of Eido - 19==
==Findings of Eido - 19==
"During that time, children would run amok," Cryptarch [[Matsuo]] explained. "They would extort foodstuffs from the citizenry under threat of vandalism."
"Hence the participants' eagerness to disguise their identities," Eido mused. "But how does this spirit of lawlessness relate to communion with the dead?" she continued, puzzled.
Matsuo shrugged. "Maybe the Hall Between was a celebration of transgression in general. A period when people disguised themselves to act out of character."
"…When docile hatchlings acted as bandits," Eido supplied, "and the dead returned to speak with the living."
"Exactly," the Cryptarch nodded. "And those without heads were granted replacements… for a time."
==Findings of Eido - 20==
==Findings of Eido - 20==
"I believe you're due for congratulations," Eido continued, "and several apologies. Your work revealing the Headless Ones was a feat of rare scholarship."
"Well thank you for saying so," Glint chirped. He seemed to double in size as his shell swelled with pride. "When I started my investigation, everyone laughed at me, but who's laughing now?"
"I… I'm not sure," Eido admitted. "Is it Drifter? He sometimes snickers at my expense."
"No," Glint explained patiently. "It's me. I'm the one who's laughing."
"Oh!" Eido exclaimed. "You're laughing as an expression of vindication! I understand."
"Yup! I'm the only paranormal expert in the [[Tower (Destiny 2)|Tower]] who's also a [[Ghost]]!" Glint preened.
"Fascinating," Eido agreed. "However, I do have a few questions about your conclusions…"
==Findings of Eido - 21==
==Findings of Eido - 21==
The Findings of Eido, Scribe of [[House Light]], Regarding the Beings Known as the Headless Ones (Cont'd)
"…from which I can conclude that the pumpkin was a type of sentient gourd that contained eyes and a mouth. Sometimes a single eye, and sometimes the less unsettling four eyes.
Whether these gourds were killed, cooked, and eaten is a… point of debate. Perhaps after a time, they were angered at being hunted for food and eventually turned on their predators.
But then, if I am reading this pre-[[Golden Age]] primary source correctly, certain religious festivals were devoted to rearing the heaviest pumpkin. Perhaps these pumpkins were instead used as guides to traverse the Hall Between? Though I still do not understand how a gourd could attain locomotion."
==Findings of Eido - 22==
==Findings of Eido - 22==
"After seeing Glint's evidence, I combed our archives for any mentions of headless bodies," Cryptarch Matsuo began.
"And I uncovered what I consider to be the oldest-known documentation of the Headless Ones!" He slid a vacuum-sealed piece of parchment across the desktop to Eido, who chittered in anticipation.
"As you can see," Matsuo continued with a self-satisfied smirk, "this report was written by a Golden Age scholar who describes himself a 'fourth grade' researcher."
"He calls this document a 'book report,'" Eido noticed. "There must have been a larger body of inquiry into the subject than we ever imagined!"
"Absolutely," Matsuo affirmed. "And this report identifies the individual who I believe discovered the very first Headless One…"
"A scientist named… [[Ichabod Crane]]!" Eido exclaimed with delight.
==Findings of Eido - 23==
==Findings of Eido - 23==
"So, if the Headless Ones were created by [[Nokris, Supplicant to Savathûn|Nokris]] as you claim," Eido concluded, "how could they come to populate a cavern on Earth?"
"Maybe some Headless Ones hitched a ride from the Moon," Glint posited. "Like stowaways of cosmic evil!"
"Perhaps," Eido replied, unconvinced. "Or perhaps they are not of Hive origin after all. We may not have enough data yet to draw any conclusions."
"But one thing we can clarify right now," she continued, "is why the Headless Ones are so poorly named. Obviously, they have heads."
Glint's digital iris narrowed. He vibrated in a low whir, which Eido misinterpreted as thoughtful consideration.
==Findings of Eido - 24==
==Findings of Eido - 24==
The Findings of Eido, Scribe of House Light, Regarding the Beings Known as the Headless Ones (Cont'd)
"Here's what we know about the strange pre-Golden Age ritual of the Hall Between:
During the rite, common Humans wore monstrous masks for cosmetic and spiritual purposes—a custom that survives via the Festival of the Lost.
Masked Humans were allowed, if not encouraged, to participate in banditry and extortion of their neighbors. This seemed especially prevalent among juveniles.
Humans used a long-extinct variety of pumpkin familiars to breach the veil between life and death. It's unclear what role these sentient fruits played in the ritual, but the psycho-spiritual power of the legendary gourds merits further research."
==Findings of Eido - 25==
==Findings of Eido - 25==
"If pre-Golden Age Humans knew of the Headless Ones," Eido said, "then they cannot be of Hive origin."
"A reasonable deduction," Cryptarch Matsuo affirmed. "Humanity's first contact with the Hive didn't occur until sometime during the [[Collapse]]."
"Glint will be… disappointed by this conclusion," Eido said reluctantly.
"I suspect so," Matsuo replied. "Speaking of Glint… if you could omit my contribution to your research, I would appreciate it." He tapped his forefingers together carefully. "I was rather dismissive of Glint's early expeditions, and I have no desire to eat crow now."
"None of us desire that," Eido chittered, aghast. "I suspect he would taste… bitter."
==Findings of Eido - 26==
==Findings of Eido - 26==
"You really think that Humans created the Headless Ones?" Glint tilted his shell flaps obstinately.
"Yes. I hypothesize that they were created as part of an ancient Human ritual," Eido replied, oblivious to the Ghost's indignation. "…called the Hall Between."
Glint tilted incredulously. "A hall between… what?"
"The realms of the living and dead," Eido reasoned. "To which the ancient 'pumpkins' were key."
Glint's shell flaps went slack in confusion.
"So, while I appreciate your discovery of the Headless Ones," Eido continued, "I cannot support your conclusions regarding their origins."
"Or their clearly inaccurate names," Eido added.
"But, but I like—" Glint sputtered.
"I must reiterate that they do, in fact, have heads," Eido insisted in exasperation. "It's their defining feature."
==Findings of Eido - 27==
==Findings of Eido - 27==
The Findings of Eido, Scribe of House Light, Regarding the Beings Known as the Headless Ones (Cont'd)
"It seems that the overarching theme of The Hall Between was 'transgression.' It was a time when social strictures were lifted, and Humans were permitted to cross the boundaries of nature and society.
It appears that most Humans used this license to contact their ancestors, similar to the [[Vanguard]]'s severance rituals aboard the [[Leviathan (ship)|Leviathan]]. However, it is entirely possible that more adventurous practitioners used the power of the pumpkins to create entirely new beings: the Headless Ones.
I'm grateful to Glint for conclusively proving the existence of these reclusive creatures. However, my subsequent research with the Guardian leads me to challenge his conclusions regarding their origins. This debate is likely to continue as long as Lightbearers retain their ghoulish taste for the Headless Ones' loot, and their visceral 'candy' innards."


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