Savathûn, the Witch Queen: Difference between revisions

|othernames=Sathona<br>God of Cunning and Lies<br>Archentrope<br>Queen of All Encrypts<br/>The Black Needle<br>The Deceitful Sister<br>The Scheme-Mother<br>The Witch, Insidious<br>Emancipator of Worms<br>Deepest in the High Coven <br> Deepest in the Hive Coven <br> The Missing Piece of All Puzzles <br> The Whisper Queen <br> Sister of Shapes <br> Subjugant to None <br> Sword-Breaker <br> Queen to the Taken Throne<br>The Taken Queen {{c|[[Nokris]]}}<br>Queen of Lies<br>Krill Hag {{c|[[Eris Morn]]}}<br>VIP#7282 <br>Goddess of Whispers<br>She Who Hides Truth in Deception

|notable=

Savathûn was present alongside the [[The Witness|Witness]] and its [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciples]] as the [[Black Fleet]] ravaged [[Earth]] during [[The Collapse]]. When [[Nezarec]] secured the paracausal object known as the [[The Veil|Veil]] for the Witness' plans, Savathûn betrayed Nezarec, killing him and cursing his remains while hiding the Veil away on [[Neptune]]. The Witness was apparently deceived by Savathûn into thinking the Veil had been lost, causing it to withdraw its forces and retreat to the depths of intergalactic space.

Two years after the apparent death of Oryx in the [[Taken War]], a previously unknown [[Savathûn's Hive|Hive brood]] infested the abandoned [[Golden Age]] [[New Pacific Arcology|arcologies]] on the moon of [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], led by powerful Hive such as [[Naktal, Fury of Savathûn]], [[Kudazad, Binder of Savathûn]], and [[Vanbaluk, Trusted of Savathûn]]. [[Ghost]] scans of various Hive artifacts further linked the new brood to Savathûn. Most disturbing of all, a fireteam of Guardians was lost during an incursion into the New Pacific Arcology, Operation Caliban, and were discovered to have been converted by the Hive into crystals containing [[Void]] [[Light]]. These crystals were intended to feed a summoning ritual for her, the centerpiece of which was a massive [[Shrieker]] titled "[[Savathûn's Song]]". With the aid of the [[Praxic Warlocks|Praxic]] [[Warlock]] [[Taeko-3]], the Guardian fought through the depths of the Arcology and destroyed the crystals and the Song, disrupting the summoning ritual.

Evidence from elsewhere in the solar system indicates that Savathûn has taken control of the remnants of the [[Taken]] through Quria; having learned the power to Take through its perfected simulations of Oryx.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard'', [[Toland]]: [[Toland#Quotes|Quria is the key. The mind simulates Oryx, and thereby masters the power to Take. But of course, Quria is no power unto itself.]]</ref>.

After the awakening and fall of [[Nokris]] and the Worm God, [[Xol]], Guardians found the [[Grasp of Nokris]] broods on [[Mars]] sending messages to Savathûn, pleading their fealty to her.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/adventure-deathly-tremors Deathly Tremors]''</ref> Envoys of Savathûn's brood have also been seen emerging from Ascendant portals in Hellas Basin.

However, this seeming failure was all part of Savathûn's greater plans for the Dreaming City. After Dûl Incaru's death at the hands of the Guardians, the Dreaming City reverted to the state it had been in upon first being unsealed by the Guardian, progressing again through the same process of becoming corrupted by the Taken and culminating in another battle between Dûl Incaru and the Guardians. This apparent time-loop, spun by the Taken Vex mind Quria and realized by Riven's wish, both furthers Savathûn's long-term goal of amassing tribute for herself through her subordinates committing violence within spaces with looped or dilated time, and also presents the Guardians with a dilemma: they can either repeatedly strike down Dûl Incaru and relive the same series of events, or they can refuse to do so and allow Dûl Incaru to complete her mission to find the Distributary.

Savathûn would later face a contender in her attempts to undermine the [[Guardian]]s: the former [[Cabal]] [[Emperor]] [[Calus]]. During one of the Shadows' conquests of the Hive's war moons, Savathun laid a trap out for them to find the [[Crown of Sorrow]], an ancient [[Ascendant Hive]] relic believed to imitate Oryx's power to compel wills. In reality, it was a surveillance device meant for the Witch-Queen to spy on Calus from the Ascendant Realm, in the hopes of putting him under her control when worn.  

When three sibling Hive heretics of the [[Spawn of Crota]], Malkanth, Akrazul, and Azavath, sought to rebel against the daughters of Savathûn's nephew, [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]], who had taken over the leadership of the [[Hidden Swarm]], Savathûn was revealed to be the master behind their situation. As the Wizard Malkanth performed a ritual to put the essence of Akrazul, a crippled Knight, into the body of her fellow Wizard Azavath, the plan backfired. Akrazul's rage was so great that it became unbridled within Azavath's body, leading him to slay Malkanth and assault the Swarm. As Malkanth's essence had left her body in her death, Savathûn whispered to Azavath's essence and instructed her to take up the mantle of [[Deathsinger]]. Placing her essence into Malkanth's body, Azavath would become [[Ir Airâm, Deathsinger]], killing both Akrazul and the Swarm's champion [[Zulmak, Instrument of Torment|Zulmak]] with her [[Deathsong]]. Savathûn captured Zulmak's essence as he died for her own purposes, and discussed with Malkanth's essence, without a body, before she died. The Witch-Queen told Malkanth of her dismissal of gods and "absolutes" such as time, space, and death, when they are all [[Vex|so]] [[Ascendant realm|easily]] [[Guardians|broken]]. Believing that when the final absolute falls reality will face a [[Darkness|final and complete ending]], Savathûn said she wished to ensure that end would not come to pass as Malkanth's essence faded away into nothing.

The Witch-Queen would then make contact with the Daughters of Crota. As part of her greater schemes, she made a deal with the four offering two boons: the essence of [[Zulmak, Instrument of Torment|Zulmak]], to be reanimated as a puppet champion for the Daughters' nefarious purposes, and the reformation of the Choir, a legendary group of Deathsingers to be lead by [[Ir Airâm, Deathsinger|Ir Airâm]]. In turn, the Daughters would invest in the construction of the [[Scarlet Keep]] to draw the Guardians to the [[Moon]] and set the [[Shadowkeep|events]] that would come to pass. However, the Daughters failed to realize that this deal was another deceit of Savathûn's; the Witch-Queen was aware that even with the Choir and Zulmak the Guardians would decimate the Hidden Swarm. In truth, The Witch-Queen wanted the Scarlet Keep built as bait to lure in Guardians so that Oryx's bloodline would go extinct, believing it had run its course.

Shortly prior to the Pyramids' arrival, [[Nokris]] attempted to enter the Ascendant Realm by way of trickery, instead of the Sword-Logic. This attracted the attention of his aunt. Savathûn drew her nephew into a [[Court of Savathûn (Io)|simulated]] version of her [[Court of Savathûn|throne world]] and struck a bargain: in her plans to defy the Pyramids, she had taken notice of his necromantic power. Knowing that the Pyramids would soon converge on Sol, she instructed Nokris to interfere in any of their attempts to communicate with the Guardian.

To aid her nephew, she ordered the Taken under her command to attack [[Io]]. The moon had been chosen by the first [[Pyramid (Io)|Pyramid]] to make contact, and the vessel had taken position above the [[Cradle]], where a [[Tree of Silver Wings (Io)|Tree of Silver Wings]] had grown in the wake of the Traveler's departure. Savathûn's forces invaded the site in order to interfere in any communication attempts. As the Pyramids invaded [[Mercury]], [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] and [[Mars]] as well, multiple Eyes of Savathûn appeared in these locations; Eris Morn believed they were a way the Witch Queen spied on the assailed planets and could only be destroyed by the [[Ruinous Effigy]] - a rifle gifted by the [[Darkness]] from the Tree's branch.

Though Nokris was able to delay the Guardians' attempts to communicate with the Darkness for weeks, he was ultimately slain, ending Savathûn's interference.

The Witch Queen's efforts to subvert the Pyramids would not go unanswered. The Hive broods that had previously sworn to Savathûn would brand her a heretic for having conspired against the Darkness with the exiled [[Nokris]] and defected from her ranks as the Black Fleet invaded Sol, sending the former into hiding. Due to this, her own court was left in the dark about her whereabouts.  

This granted her sister, [[Xivu Arath]], the opportunity to consolidate the Hive in the Solar System into her power and release her [[Wrathborn]] corruption with the [[Cryptolith]]s. Xivu would also send her champion, the [[High Celebrant of Xivu Arath|High Celebrant]], to hunt the excommunicated Witch Queen and wrestle control of the [[Hidden Swarm]] free from her schemes.

Reaching out to Immaru, the Hive Ghost counters with a bargain of his own: Savathûn anticipated that the Guardians would need her help in following the Witness and is willing to help but only if they deal with Xivu Arath. Thus, Immaru will only bring the Witch Queen back if they defeat the Hive God of War once and for all. Doing so would require Eris Morn to embrace the Sword Logic and become a Hive God herself, as only an equal can defeat the Hive God of War. Despite the terms, the Guardians agreed to the bargain, with Immaru cooperating in guiding them to [[Savathûn's Spire]] but he couldn't order the Lucent Brood to stand down as Savathûn's previous order in protecting the Spire supersedes his own authority. Following a ritual that turns Eris into a Hive, Immaru would play his part in aiding the Guardians, though that doesn't stop him from mocking them, and provides recordings the Witch Queen had left behind for them, offering insight on her sister and her point of view regarding the Light.

*When Savathûn casts her Blade Barrage ability, the sound que matches that of a Dawnblade activation.

***''[[Season of the Hunt]]'' {{1st}} {{c|Disguised as Osiris}}

***''[[Season of the Chosen]]'' {{c|Disguised as Osiris}}

***''[[Season of the Splicer]]'' {{c|Disguised as Osiris}}

***''[[Season of the Lost]]'' {{1st}} {{C|As the Witch Queen}}

*** ''[[Season of the Witch]]'' {{Mo}}