#also getting the feeling that the vex are taking a crack at paracausality | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thefirstknife · 5 months

Text

Speaking of weird things in the season already, I'm back with the obsession with names of things in the seasonal activity.

So in Riven's Lair, you get randomly assigned "missions" that change with each run. I believe there's five of them as I've played a lot of Riven's Lair so far and only got these five to rotate. Maybe there will be more in weeks to come!

Anyway, if you look in the top left corner when you start the activity, it will tell you the name of the mission you're on. The names that I've seen so far are:

Polysemy

Apophasis

Synchysis

Enthymeme

Tautology

Long post under:

These aren't random words! They're all related to language and rhetoric, which makes sense with the Ahamkara theme as Ahamkara are very dependent on the way language is used around them.

Polysemy is when words or symbols are capable of having multiple meanings. Apophasis is when you speak about something by denying it or mentioning it by saying it's not required to be mentioned (def check examples on wikipedia if this is confusing). Synchysis is also a way of speaking in a way that deliberately messes up the order of words to confuse or surprise the person you're speaking to. Enthymeme is a type of an argument where you construct a sentence which tells some sort of a fact by omitting the way you came to that conclusion because the fact should be obvious on its own (again, check wiki for examples, it will be easier to understand). And tautology has a meaning in both language and logic; in language, a tautology is a statement that repeats something, adding redundant information and in logic, a tautology is a logical formula in which a sentence is constructed in a way that every interpretation of the sentence is true.

I doubt these words were chosen randomly and there might be more or perhaps more will cycle in during weeks to come. But even with just this, there's a pattern. I'm not sure which meaning of tautology is being used here; possibly the language one because it fits the rest, but the logic interpretation could also be possible.

The first week's mission was also specifically Polysemy:

I assume next weeks we'll probably do other specific ones in some order, which would also mean there should be at least 2 more. I'm wondering if there's some sort of a reason why these specific words were chosen. Obviously they all relate to forms of speaking and language which is the primary way that Ahamkara use to affect reality; speaking in specific terminology and using particular phrases and language forms is important to them and when speaking to them.

But given the involvement of the Vex, it also reminded me of the lore book Aspect in which every chapter is named after grammatical, linguistic and logic terms. Aspect is also specifically related to the Black Garden and Sol Divisive. Not only that, but Aspect deals with, among other things, the fate of the Ishtar scientists and their copies in the Vex Network, and primarily uses Chioma as their main viewpoint, and the whole situation with Neomuna and Veil Logs has returned my interest in this lore book.

I feel like it isn't a coincidence that we've spent essentially the entire year reacquainting ourselves with Chioma and Maya and Ishtar as a whole only to bring back Sol Divisive and the Black Garden back in the final season in this way. As the Veil Logs told us, one of Maya's copies interfered with one of the logs, sending signals, and Chioma, at the end of her life, contacted the Vex presumably to be consumed by the network so she could possibly reunite with one of the copies of Maya in there.

This brought me also to the mysterious signal from Scatter Signal lore tab in which Osiris tracks down some sort of a signal that seems to be talking about the Vex, but spoken in a strange way. So I began thinking that this signal might be coming from Chioma, consumed by the Vex, from the Vex Network, reaching out to the man who's been studying her, living in Neomuna and researching the Veil for months. Specifically, the final Veil Log mentioned a few similar words and phrases being repeated. Specifically, when Osiris mentions that Chioma was researching "the entaglement of Light and Dark" and when Nimbus and Osiris discuss "parallel connections and parallel energy fields;" then in the Scatter Signal message there's mention of how, presumably, the Vex are trying to "move from parallel to entanglement." The Veil Log also talks about how the Witness can communicate through our Ghosts and how that connection might be going both ways; Scatter Signal also mentions "bridging communion with a Voice."

Copies of Chioma and the other scientists (with the help of Praedyth) once tried to use the Black Garden to send a message out of the Vex Network, detailed in Aspect. We don't know if they succeeded (at least in our current timeline). The Black Garden has been a big focus in Lightfall almost out of nowhere in such an immensely world-changing way (with the explanation of the Black Heart), and it will still be important this season with the exotic mission. It's a very pleasing loop of the story; everything started with the Black Garden in D1 and everything just before TFS might end with it. I'm also incredibly intrigued by the fact that the returning weapons from Undying (a season about the Sol Divisive and the Black Garden) have returned with a new perk called nano-munitions: very Neomuna-sounding name. Perhaps certain Ishtar scientists are influencing the Vex or extending a helping hand to us.

The questions that remain: how does this tie back to the Ahamkara? Why are the Vex interested in the Ahamkara? What do the Ahamkara have to do with the Black Garden? What's with all the strange language terminology that deals with double meanings and ways to confuse? Is it just regular Ahamkara shenanigans to trick us? To trick the Vex? Maybe both?

The point is, I don't think this is as simple as Riven just being sad that all the Ahamkara are dead and wanting to secure her clutch. Nothing is ever simple with the Ahamkara and nothing is ever simple with the Vex; and now we're dealing with both. And somewhere in all of this, there is also a concerning involvement of the Black Garden that connects to both of these elements. At the end of it all, there's us, who rely on this specific combination of elements to get through the portal, pursue the Witness and save the universe.

Spreading the brain worms to the rest of y'all to think about. If you spot any other mission names, feel free to share, though I think that if they happen, they might happen in the coming weeks. Also as I mentioned before, I know there's been leaks and lore tabs unlocking early on Ishtar: I've not seen any leaks or cutscenes and have not read any lore tabs that aren't explicitly visible in-game so if there's a really simple answer in that leaked material, I don't know about it and don't want to know about it so please don't spoil to me or to others!

#destiny 2 #destiny 2 spoilers #season of the wish #season of the wish spoilers #ahamkara #vex #black garden #lore vibing #long post #it took me a few runs to notice the names in riven's lair ngl. i was not paying attention to that at all #it was a few runs in when i realised there's weird words as 'missions' and then remembered polysemy being the first separate one #and whenever there's words like this they're there for a reason. they weren't picked randomly #it's so interesting to try and decipher why the writers chose those in particular #if anyone has any other ideas for them feel free to speculate!#also getting the feeling that the vex are taking a crack at paracausality #therefore their interest in the ahamkara. perhaps even taking a crack at also following through the portal #whatever they're doing it can't be good. i'm going insane #if anything. it's setup for them being a big threat post-TFS

89 notes · View notes

scarletrebel · 6 years

Text

[wip] shattered

no one asked for these amount of feels, weeks before the dlc, for a character who we havent even seen yet, concerning a series of events about my clan and a certain shitty warlock that hasnt even been written

and yet here we are

sorry friends aha @mrpinstripesuit @nattiebug14

Avia only just, just, manages to make it out of the Lighthouse without threatening another cult member. She’s proud of herself really, those books the fanatics were flicking through did look pretty heavy. If one just… Fell off of the shelf, perhaps caused a nasty bruise or a dint in an exo-skull, no one would point the finger at her.

Well. Actually, they’d all point the finger at her.

She storms through the portal and onto the sandy dunes underneath the tower. What could pass for night bathes the caloris sink in a swathe of magenta. As she kicks up dirt, readying her hand cannon, getting ready for a fight; for something to take the edge off, she steps on a Cabal rifle.

“Beat you to it, I’m afraid,” Osiris’s voice chuckles behind her. “In another timeline, one of those cultists is dangling from the top of the tower, begging you not to let them go.”

“Well, aren’t you glad you’re in this one then,” Avia snaps back. “Can you find one where your little acolytes don’t annoy the ever-loving Light out of me?”

He grunts. “Such a reality doesn’t exist.”

It’s enough to make her laugh. She kicks the massive gun at her feet out of her way, walking over to where he’s leaning against the Mercury rock.

“What do you want, old man?”

His blue eyes squint. He looks down, stiffens, and pushes off of the pillar.

“Why do you return?”

His walk is slow, agile, and Avia can’t help but stiffen herself.

“You mean,” she points at the lighthouse, “here?”

He nods.

“What, you don’t want help controlling the Vex?”

“I’ve never asked,” he points out, and Avia shrugs, her lilac face contorting into confusion.

“Uh, well – I mean, for Grier, mostly. And Carver. They can’t get enough of your little fan club, considering they’re the only ones willing to share the information they’re after.” He stops in front of her, and she folds her arms. “Information that, I’m sure, you have in tenfold.”

Osiris chuckles. “It’s not information your friends are after, it’s knowledge. For someone who acts like they’d rather be bathing in radiolaria than spending another minute on Mercury, you keep close company with many a Warlock.”

“Well, you could spare me the pain of listening to Vance go on about your ‘formidable legacy’ and tell one of my ‘many Warlocks’ what they want to know.”

He laughs again, and it begins to grate on Avia, like an itch under the skin.

“Surely you know, their quest for knowledge will never truly be over.”

“I was afraid you’d say something like that. There a point to all this, Warlock?”

Avia wonders if the Osiris in the timeline where he stayed amongst the Guardians infuriates her as much as this one does.

“Oh, please,” a Ghost appears at the older man’s shoulder, whirling her decorative shell with all the frustration Avia feels. “Would you get to the point?”

Sagira blinks over to Avia, stage whispering; “I am so sorry about him. I’m sure you know what he’s like.”

Avia chuckles. “Oh, I know far too well.”

Sagira turns to her Guardian, and prompts him with a motion that would mimic a head tilt.

Osiris sighs, looks down. His eyes steel over and when he looks at Avia, she gets the feeling that they both know that she won’t like where this is going.

“Your friends return to garner knowledge. You return because you feel the need to protect them.”

“That’s what fireteams–”

He cuts her off with a swish of a hand. “I’m not talking about the duty of a Guardian. I’m talking about the camaraderie of a friend.” A pause. “Of a family member.”

Oh, she definitely doesn’t like where this is going.

“Grier has knowledge that I need, and so do you. Your clan, in fact. The ones who took down Oryx did so with the help of someone whose been looking for me for a long, long time.”

She can’t tell if it’s rage or dread that boils up inside of her.

“Avia,” Sagira says, softly, noticing the clench in the Hunters jaw. “We know what Toland put you through–”

“It wasn’t me he–” She spits, and then grunts. Taking a breath, she starts again. “He used Grier. He used all of us to try and preserve the Hive’s hierarchy. He fed Grier lies, he nearly drove a wedge between him and all of us in his twisted pursuit, some backwards attempt at learning more about the Hive. He didn’t care who he hurt.”

Sagira shares a look with her Guardian. Osiris pulls the scarf over his mouth down, but before he speaks Avia rambles.

“I mean, I guess I don’t – I’m not their keeper,” she laughs bitterly. “Grier would still happily tell you all about Oryx, the Raid, Toland. If you want to ask them go ahead, but just don’t expect–”

“I expect nothing from you,” Osiris says, soft, less imposing without the scarf. “You want to protect them. Yes?”

She nods, strong.

“I only desire to make sure that I stay hidden from that lunatic,” Osiris says, and Avia can’t help but crack a smile. “No knowledge, just information. I am asking for help – this is what that looks like, by the way.”

The smile stretches along her face and she mutters, cursing Warlocks in general.

“Does that mean…” She starts, her arms coming down to her hips. “That you could protect Grier from Toland, too?”

Sagira and Osiris share a look.

“I mean, what are you even planning on doing? You can jump through different realities and he’s trapped in the Hive wherever-the-hell, he’s no danger to you.”

“Overworld,” Ghost and Guardian correct her. Avia huffs.

“Whatever.”

“When the Traveler woke,” Osiris begins. “The Light spread to the far reaches of the galaxy. In doing so, the Vex began to understand it’s paracausal nature; our nature. The Hive are our foils, able to wield the Darkness as we do the Light; this Toland understood. But there is something Dark in the Vex that mirrors them, also.”

“You’re saying the Vex and the Hive are connected?”

Sagira whirls her shell. “Ooh, quick. For a Hunter.”

Avia saves the Ghost a scowl. “What does that mean for Toland?”

“We don’t want to wait to find out,” Sagira says. “We’ve seen some reports from Titan – Sloane seems quite adamant that the Hive are bringing something powerful to the planet.”

“They’ve tried summoning rituals, more than once,” Avia sighs. “A lot of Guardians have died on Titan to the Hive.”

“Make no mistake,” Osiris says, taking a step closer to her. “Toland is not dead, I very much doubt he can die. I dread to think what he might do, what he might facilitate should another God come to our system.”

Avia wonders once again what this man was like as part of the Vanguard; what he could have been as the Speaker. It’s enough to spark a thought, and she takes it before it disappears.

“You said he’s been looking for you.”

Osiris stills.

“How do you know?” Avia asks. When the Warlock goes to answer, she stops him; “Don’t tell me what a Guardian wants to hear. Tell me what a family member wants to hear.”

Sagira whistles quietly. Osiris shoots daggers at her, and Avia smiles slyly.

He releases a breath, long, drawn out.

“He calls me.”

Avia’s eyebrows furrow.

“He taunts me. Reaches out from the darkest edges of the Overworld and – laughs. That’s how I know that the Vex and the Hive are connected. And that’s why I want to know as much I can about his – corruption. I want it to stop.”

There’s a quiet that reaches over them. Like the nanosecond before waking up; when your eyes are open but your brain hasn’t followed, the blissful ignorance, the warmth on the skin. Then it shatters.

“Grier…” Avia starts, but the memories bite. Painful, dull, like the blade that’s been forgotten. So much has happened and yet they still cut, sharp. “Grier heard messages, on the Dreadnaught. When Oryx first came to the system. I don’t know how he did it, but he traced the messages back to Toland, got him a new corporeal form and. Well. The rest, you can probably imagine.”

Osiris scrunches his face up, looks away in thought.

“You can ask Grier more about it. And they didn’t stop, Grier still heard him from time to time. It’s probably similar. Carver tried to figure out how Toland was doing it, but he only got so far, I’m sure he’d love to talk to you about it too. Like I said; I’m not their keeper.”

“I never said you were,” Osiris says.

“Then why are you basically asking me for permission?” Avia replies, exasperated.

“Because,” Osiris smiles. “I didn’t want to take the opportunity to protect them out of your hands. You’re family, after all.”

“Also,” Sagira cuts in. “He didn’t want to have to face your wrath if he went straight to the Warlocks.”

“Sagira–”

“We’ve seen you take down Oryx, Fallen Devils, Ghaul. He’s really just scared of you.”

Avia laughs, pushes a stray lock of hair back into place.

“If you know so much about me, you should really stop inflating my ego.” She thins her lips, takes the hand cannon off of her hip again. “Just do me one favour, with Grier. Don’t baby him. He’s a lot smarter than he looks, he’s just – excitable. If he seems happy about the idea of Toland still being alive, trust me, he’s not, he’s probably latched onto something you said half a second ago that proves a theory of his. He’s–”

“Like any Warlock?” Sagira provides, shooting her own a look.

“Ha, yeah. Like any Warlock.”

“And you?” Osiris asks.

“Me?” Avia replies, checking the magazine of her gun.

“Toland. Did he–”

“All he did was make me want to figure out how to get into the Overworld and kill him for good.”

She snaps the mag back into place.

“I know what corruption feels like. And I know what it looks like when someone falls into the trap of doing anything for someone who thinks their own ends justify the means.”

Osiris nods his head, and pulls his scarf back over his mouth. Before he turns, Sagira makes a coughing sound. The Warlock looks at her inquisitively, she motions towards Avia, and the Warlock rolls his eyes.

“Thank you.” He says, and then Sagira dematerialises.

Avia chuckles. “You’re welcome, old man.”

#im planning two other 'sections'#osiris talking to both grier and carver #and maybe a flashback or smth #but i probably wont expand this until we see more of osiris #i want him to be a good #please bungie let him be a good #jadeisadork.txt #wip

13 notes · View notes