*Note: I own nothing here, Destiny belongs to Bungie and Activision, blah blah blah.
"The wind wiped away our footprints. When the storm had passed, we found something shining beneath the sand..."
Mars. The Red planet which for so long had been inhospitable to mankind... And then The Traveller arrived, making the desert world into a garden of Eden: Forests rose around the renewed dead sea's, and mankind sent an expedition force to the world.
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| Only small parts of the planet still look like this. |
There they discovered the Traveller, and the Golden Age for Mankind began. Once, populating Mars had been but a dream for humanity, but with the arrival of the Traveler a thriving metropolis named Freehold came to dominate the skyline of the world, a bastion of human life in the red dunes. With the coming of the Darkness, nearly all of the city was "swept away" and the sand claimed what remained.The city now lies buried beneath the dunes of Mars, with only the peaks of its once-soaring skyscrapers poking out of the dust as evidence that they ever existed.
This however is almost the entire planet
In the several centuries that passed after this downfall, the Vex and Cabal arrived on the world.
Why the Cabal are here is an enigma. Perhaps they are expanding their empire, perhaps they are fleeing a grand and malicious force. Pehraps both? In either case, Mars is now a scorched desert world, occupied by Cabal forces who control the Exclusion Zone, a heavily industrialized and toxic beachhead for these aliens. An unsettling sign of there effects on the planet is the moon Phobos, which has had its orbit dramatically altered by Cabal planetary engineering and supposedly the strength of their grandest weapons, The Flayers and now fills a significant part of the sky, one day destined to crash into the world. Supposedly this is linked to the discovery of large "planet-cracking" munitions among the Cabal's already devastating arsenal.
The Vex also have a small but powerful presence on the planet, and engage in frequent skirmishes with the Cabal, whom they are at odds with. They're motive for why they are here is seemingly unknown, although they may be vanguarding the entrance to the Black Garden, home to a powerful fragment of the savage Darkness known as the Black Heart, which they revere as sort of God. They will not stop their assaults until the Cabal and any other forces are swept clean from the red world.
At least it's a nice looking hellish alternate universe/dimension
So, the former utopia world Mars is now a contested world between two vicious foes: An unstoppable force versus an immovable object.
And now, due to the mad whims of a powerful deity-like being simply known as 'Portal Master', this world has been snatched away for two grand armies to battle upon it for his own amusement, and then thrust back into the original location to let the faction run free.
In the end, only one will remain and the Solar System will either fall or rise again from the dominating force on Mars when this battle ends.
This should be fun.
Third Party Factions
The Cabal
Don't you just love concept art?
Cabal, sometimes informally called "War Rhinos" or "Space Turtles", are a race of giant bipedal humanoids presently located on Mars. The Cabal empire is a military-industrial complex determined to expand and conquer, and is characterized by size, with everything about the Cabal being massive, from soldiers to equipment and vehicles Cabal are a large, rhinoceros-like, bipedal race with thick grey skin, a flat nose, conical teeth, small eyes, and black blood. Despite being unable to breathe the Martian atmosphere without their armor, the Cabal appear to exhibit an affinity to desert-like terrain. The race expresses a complex understanding of technology, seen with advanced armor, weapons (Comparable to Bolters from Warhammer 40K), vehicles, and the art of space-faring, almost all which contains an unknown black sludge which human laboratories have yet to find a way to synthesize, and is presumably what has it going. They also seemingly have weapons powerful enough to destroy planets (Related fun fact: If a planet or asteroid field gets in the way of a Cabal fleet, they don't go around it. They blow it up!), a weapon they already thinking of using on Mars against the Vex. So yeah, it’s safe to assume the Cabal language doesn't have a word for overkill.
Anyways, the Cabal has the heaviest presence on this world, with various factories and military installations bedazzling the world or half-built into the remaining towers and cities of humanity.
The Cabal are similar to the Roman Empire (not only in naming of units), as their military is split into various detachments and sub-units, which shall be discussed shortly. First however, we must discuss what exactly the Cabal has to offer, just to give everyone a good idea of what these guys are like.
Name: Legionary
Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)
Armor Type: Power Armor
Mobility: 3 (5 with the booster pack)
Training: 5
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Frontline Soldier
Propelled by jump packs and wielding powerful slug rifles, Legionaries are the Cabal's line infantry and the backbone of their military power on the ground. Common Legionary tactics center on the bounding advance - some units attack the target while others close the range or find new firing positions.They are well-disciplined, although they seem to only know one tactic: “Slow Advance”... Sadly for any opponent, they’re really good at that.
Name: Phalanx
Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)
Armor Type: Power Armor and ‘Power Shield’
Mobility: 3
Training: 6
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Defensive Frontline Soldier
Phalanx soldiers are nigh identical to a Legionary, but as opposed to a Jetpack to give them mobility they carry massive shields, used for both attack and defense. While this protection is nearly impenetrable, clever opponents can bait the Phalanx into flanking positions, or sneak shots around the shield. The shield itself is built to the same spec as Cabal hull plating, and this tactical shield is nearly indestructible to conventional weapons. It has integrated sensors that relay information not only to the shield bearer but also the Cabal battle network, allowing nearby units to coordinate more effectively.
Name: Centurion
Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)
Armor Type: Power Armor
Mobility: 3 (6 with Jetpack)
Training: 6
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Commanding Officer
Centurions are tactically intelligent, highly skilled field commanders. Their armor boasts a formidable array of combat electronics and deployable munitions, such as small deployable rockets. Centurions serve as the guiding force in any assault, although killing them does little to affect Cabal morale or efficiency.
How big are these guys you ask? Well….
Meep. (And Titans are around 7 feet in height, give or take)
Name: Colossus
Weapon Type: Explosive Gatling Gun (Heavy Slug Thrower) and Rocket Pads from Backpack
Armor Type: Heavy Power Armor
Mobility: 3
Training: 6
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Infantry So Heavy and Destructive it would be a f**kin' Armor unit to some factions
Towering over already enormous Cabal at a staggering 15 feet (give or take), Collossi are equipped with rapid-firing heavy weapons and nearly impenetrable armor, the Colossus is the most devastating heavy infantry unit in the Cabal order of battle. Where a Colossus stands, all others fall.
Name: Psion
Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Projection Rifle)
Armor Type: Light Armor (Higher ranked Psions come with Energy Shields)
Mobility: 5
Training: 5
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Scout, Infantry and Support
Psions are smaller than all other Cabal morphs, and may be an unrelated species. Hyper-intelligent, fast and unpredictable, they possess strong psionic capabilities - including the ability to emit disorienting and deadly psychokinetic Arc blasts.
Type of Aircraft: Gunship
Purpose of Aircraft: Rapid insertion, dropship, Resupply
Classification: Troop Carrier
The blocky, dull exterior of the Cabal Harvester belies the grace and power with which they maneuver. Guardians have described them dropping in aggressively from low orbit with a deafening boom, kicking up dust storms and swooping through the silent skyscrapers of Mars' dead cities. Harvesters often remain on station after deploying Cabal troops, providing support fire with their turrets.
Armor Type: Heavy
Type of Support: Scout and Harassment
Classification: Cabal Mini-tank
What Bonus do they give?: Recon, Defense and Light Cavalry
Though they lack the speed of a Fallen Pike, and their unwieldy shape cannot match the maneuverability of a Guardian's Sparrow, the Cabal Interceptor more than makes up for both shortcomings with firepower - a pair of low-velocity, high-yield anti-personnel/anti-armor cannons on articulated mounts.
Powered by a variant of the same boosters used in infantry jump jets and the massive Goliath tanks, Interceptors skate over the dunes of Mars, keeping close watch on the Cabal Exclusion Zone.
Weapon Type: Energy Cannons (2), Machine Guns/Slug Rifle Turrets (3) and Energy Grenades/Mines
Armor Type: Heavy Armor plating
Classification: Heavy Tank
Basic Description: With a few blood-curdling exceptions, the Goliath is the single largest piece of ground-based ordnance the Cabal has deployed in the solar system. These huge armored vehicles sport an incredible arsenal of weapons, tailor-made for massive area denial. The Goliath's main gun is almost certainly capable of engaging spacecraft.
Four massive boosters keep the Goliath mobile. This locomotion system makes the Goliath surprisingly agile, but it is also a weakness. Targeting the boosters should allow a quick mobility kill, rendering the Goliath vulnerable to follow-up attack.
Alright, now that you know what the Cabal have to offer, let’s discuss the various factions of the Cabal!
Sand Eaters
The Cabal formation first and most frequently encountered by Guardians, the Sand Eaters represent the numerical bulk of the Cabal presence on Mars. Their equipment, tactics, and morale all show the weight of a long deployment - but they continue to pursue their objectives with dogged, weary determination.
Dust Eaters
Highly trained and heavily conditioned, Dust Giant soldiers seem to be recruited from veteran Sand Eater infantry. The Cabal order of battle positions them as a mobile reserve and shock force, rolled in to blunt major Vex offensives and reinforce crumbling lines.
Siege Dancers
The Cabal's elite forward unit, the Siege Dancers are deployed into unsecured areas to take control and set up fortifications. Their tactical doctrine allows more freedom to unit commanders - perhaps because their missions face much greater unknowns. Siege Dancer engineers have been observed to compete in demolition challenges. Whether this represents training or a form of recreation is unknown.
Blind Legion
The Cabal presence on Mars is locked in an endless war with the Vex - and at the heart of this war is the Blind Legion. Deployed to defend vital artifacts seized from the Vex, the Legion holds its ground with fanatic zeal. Blind Legion soldiers brave one of the most thankless, grueling assignments in the Cabal order of battle: descending into buried ruins and black catacombs to sweep for Vex presence.
Somewhere among their forces, the Cabal hide one of their most powerful weapons, the Psion Flayers, the most powerful of all Psions in the Cabal army, although thankfully they are limited to three individuals: Kolar, Numoc and Vatch. The extent of their ability is still uncharted, but Cryptarch studies and Warlock fears have led the Vanguard to classify them as a serious threat.
Many among the Warlock orders believe the Flayers pulled Phobos from its natural orbit, holding it in place, and are waiting for the order to release as a weapon and play the galaxies largest game of Whack-a-Mole, with the Vex being the Mole and Phobos being the Hammer.
And now to discuss their fiercest enemy on the planet Mars:
The Vex
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This is the sound of you dying, over and over and over and over.....
The Vex are architects of ancient and complex structures thought to be buried within every celestial body within the Solar System and possibly beyond. They also seem to have a much finer grasp on the concepts of space and time, capable of teleportation anywhere and anywhen. Linked by a network unlike any on Earth and infinitely more advanced than anything known to humanity, they operate in unison, directed by a single unfathomable purpose although it seems that they wish to exist in every single point in time and space- become an algorithm of the universe, and essentially Gods. The 'why' is the unfathomable part of this.
The Vex have a rather small, but still quite powerful, presence on the Red planet and is mainly in subterranean catacombs with mind-bendingly complex Vex installations, or exploring the sand-covered and now-partially submerged cities of Mars.
They are a fierce and cunning foe, with the most advanced technology in the Solar System. They are also rarely surprised, as even the lowliest Vex unit can process simulations of any force through minimal contact, and be completely right... Unless it comes to a fully sapient A.I (best comparison would be Cortana Durandal, of Marathon fame), which are a more tricky thing for them to process on how those would work. But with an organic foe, they will know their every move, personality and actions. Suffice to say, the Vex are the ultimate psychiatrists. To fight them is to fight an opponent that will know your every move and be able to fill in all of gaps through watching and hearing you. To beat them you need either overwhelming fire power or be unpredictable in combat... Thankfully, the Cabal has both, but even that has lead to (at best) a stalemate.
Anyways, let's discuss what these goddamn tin cans have, shall we?
Name: Goblin
Armor Type: Light metal plating
Mobility: 4 (9 with their 'Blink' ability)
Training: 4
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Mass-Produced Infantry
The Goblin is the basic unit in the vast computational network that is the Vex. Shattering the large, fan-shaped head does not seem to cause lasting damage but sends the Goblin into a crackling frenzy. They also have the ability to teleport short distances, beaming in and out in a bright flash of light. They do this mainly as a defensive move, as they are not quite good at close range attacks.
Name: Hobgoblin
Armor Type: Light metal plating
Mobility: 5
Training: 6
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range: Sniper
Classification: Mass-Produced Infantry
Specialized for sniping, this lean, tough Vex model is fitted with improved optics and acute sensors in its horns. Like the Goblin, the Hobgoblin contains a milky radiolarian fluid that seemingly powers it.
Attacking a Hobgoblin often triggers a defensive reflex, although it is not the teleportation reflex it's Goblin kin hold. Instead, when it is damaged the Hobgoblin seals itself in a stasis mode (an invincible but temporary energy shield), and waits for help.
Name: Minotaur
Armor Type: Heavy metal plating
Mobility: 5 (9 with the Blink ability)
Training: 6
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Heavy Vex infantry and... Architect!?
Minotaurs pack brutal heat, but most of their processing power is devoted to the physics of building massive Vex complexes, suspected to extend through multiple dimensions. Minotaur models are thicker and harder to crack than any other bipedal Vex, and they use their teleportation capability aggressively.
Name: Harpy
Weapon Type: Bolts of energy
Armor Type: Light metal plating
Mobility: 9
Training: 4
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Vex aerial unit and harassment
The fastest and most mobile Vex, the Harpy is an airborne unit often deployed in flocks on patrols and scouting missions. They must stop and stabilize before attacking, and also fire from the red eye piece, meaning they must stop and open their shell to use their weapon, and is their prime weakness.
Name: Hydra
Armor Type: Heavy metal plating and indestructible energy shield (Only protects the front of the Hydra, sides and back are unshielded)
Mobility: 9 (Although is very slow)
Training: 8
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Assault
Classification: Vex command unit, rarely seen
The Hydra is a miniature fortress. Despite its physical slowness, it is a rapid processor of the data fed to it by other Vex, and what it lacks in mobility it makes up for in impregnable defenses and rock-melting firepower.
Name of Defense: Cyclops
Type: Anti-infantry primarily
Type: Anti-infantry primarily
The Cyclops is a huge, stationary Vex construct with a powerful Void weapon. Guardians think of Cyclops as gun platforms - batteries installed to protect key points with devastating mortar fire. But some evidence suggests that the Cyclops is in fact an enormous sensor or beacon, and that its weapons capabilities are secondary. What the Cyclops senses remains unknown, although its mind core is vast. It may play a role in the Vex networked intelligence, or in navigation across space and time.
A damaged Cyclops can be forced into a state of punch-drunk confusion, its inputs overwhelmed by hostile fire. This can result in fratricidal kills on other Vex units.
And now to speak of the factions of Vex on Mars: Only three here, two of which lie in the transdimensional Black Garden.
Virgo Prohibition
Mars is wracked by an ongoing theater-level conflict between the Cabal and a Vex subtype known as the Virgo Prohibition. These aggressive, relentless Vex constantly test the Cabal exclusion zone, apparently heedless of losses. In spite of the Vex onslaught, the Cabal have managed to expand its beachhead and maintain a hold on several mysterious Vex structures, and the Prohibition's tactics seem to be failing in the short run.
But it seems unlikely that an organization with the sheer computational scope of the Vex could be dragged into a losing war of attrition. Is it possible that the Vex are trying to draw out the Cabal strength? Or that their surface losses are a distraction from a deeper strategic ploy? The most likely explanation is a chilling one: The Virgo Prohibition isn't just trying to fight off the Cabal- they're also trying to hold off the Sol Divisive, Vex ensnared by The Darkness and worship it as a God, a trait that was/is/will once more widespread throughout the Vex until Atheon was/is/will be born, and viewed the Darkness as inferior and it's followers incorrect.
Thus, to combat the madness of Sol Divisive, the Virgo Prohibition arrived and also began to fight off the Cabal.
Thus, to combat the madness of Sol Divisive, the Virgo Prohibition arrived and also began to fight off the Cabal.
Ikora Rey, psionic and 'leader' of the 'Warlocks' subfaction of the Guardians, has proposed that the Vex units can best be understood as algorithms - each a unique mapping of inputs to behavioral responses. The Virgo Prohibition is simply the wrong algorithm for its environment and largest foe, and its failure will drive the greater Vex network to adapt and improve.
Sol Divisive
Beyond the towering Meridian Bay gate lies the Black Garden, adrift in time and space. And within the Garden dwell the Vex of the Sol Divisive, frozen in rapture. We have precious little insight into the Divisive's behavior. They seem central to Vex actions in the solar system: the Garden is clearly a place of enormous power.
Legends and scant field reports all indicate that the Divisive Vex behave religiously. Why would a hyper-intelligent and time-spanning thought mesh exhibit religious behavior? The answer seems as obvious as it is chilling: if the Vex found worship and devotion more effective than any other behavior, they would adopt worship. Whatever the Vex found in the Garden, it transcends even their power.
And the Vex as a whole are more then a bit annoyed that some Vex have went to this arguably higher power.
The Sol Divisive are also special in their fanaticism: Whereas most Vex slowly trudge to the enemy followed by a Blink jump, the warriors of Sol Divisive charge into the fray, cutting down their enemies. Hell, an significant portion of their Goblins are decapitated, putting them in an endless frenzy, and these special Goblins (called Fanatics) literally ooze with Darkness, eating away at the soul and body of their foes, and can't be cured except by the most purest ways ('Good Magic'/Light). Otherwise, dead.
There's a damn good reason the Virgo Prohibition is quarantining these monsters.
And the Vex as a whole are more then a bit annoyed that some Vex have went to this arguably higher power.
The Sol Divisive are also special in their fanaticism: Whereas most Vex slowly trudge to the enemy followed by a Blink jump, the warriors of Sol Divisive charge into the fray, cutting down their enemies. Hell, an significant portion of their Goblins are decapitated, putting them in an endless frenzy, and these special Goblins (called Fanatics) literally ooze with Darkness, eating away at the soul and body of their foes, and can't be cured except by the most purest ways ('Good Magic'/Light). Otherwise, dead.
There's a damn good reason the Virgo Prohibition is quarantining these monsters.
Sol Progeny
"To Commander Zavala - My Thoughts on Recent Events
Zavala -
How like you to ask me for the bad news, even in this moment of triumph. I've finished going over that Ghost's report.
It is my hypothesis - a hypothesis at best - that the Vex saw the abominable presence at the heart of the Garden as a divine power. I can hear your protest already: how can machines have a god?
The answer is simple. The Vex, for all their voracious intelligence, could not understand or decipher what they found. They searched through all available reactions, and they settled on the course with the greatest payoff...to worship this power, and to remake themselves in its image.
I believe the three Axis Minds found in proximity to the abomination were Vex machines built to serve as vessels for this power: a way to extend its reach across space and time, binding it to the Vex, and the Vex to it. If they had succeeded, I cannot begin to guess what horrors they would have unleashed.
Attend carefully. There is cause for hope. When endangered, the abomination activated these vessels and defended itself. This tells us that it was threatened. Whatever it was, Guardians could harm it.
And it activated only a single vessel at a time. Its strength was limited. Whatever it intended, it was not ready yet.
We must assume the abomination was part of something greater. And we cannot flinch from the terrible, obvious comparison: just as the Traveler acts through us, this power was able to act through its own servants.
Let us be wary. There may be other abominations, and other vessels.
Ikora"
The Sol Progeny is a very small subfaction, three rather extravagantly designed and larger Minotaurs (20 feet, give or take). They are fierce and deadly foes and are the absolute finest the Vex has to offer, augmented by the shadowy powers of The Darkness. If let loose, the Sol Progeny would be quite easily destroyers of armies. Thankfully though, they are only seen protecting the Black Heart in the Black Garden, and the Black Heart can only activate them in sequence.
Also, of small note, is the presence of the Fallen on Mars. Based in Olympus Mons is a detachment of Fallen from the House of Exile, or Shattered House: A selection of exiled and shamed Fallen from the numerous Houses, like the barbaric House of Devils, the arrogant House of Kings, the reclusive and deadly House of Winter or the near extinct House of Wolves.
They don't hold a powerful presence on the world though, and seem to stay mainly at Olympus Mons, which they clutch onto eagerly. Why they're here and why they stay there is anybody's guess...
Also of note, the House of Exile is the most alliance-eager House of the Fallen, and the most savage. Not surprising, as they're based on Earth's Moon, which holds the darkest and deadliest forces in the galaxy...
Also, of small note, is the presence of the Fallen on Mars. Based in Olympus Mons is a detachment of Fallen from the House of Exile, or Shattered House: A selection of exiled and shamed Fallen from the numerous Houses, like the barbaric House of Devils, the arrogant House of Kings, the reclusive and deadly House of Winter or the near extinct House of Wolves.
They don't hold a powerful presence on the world though, and seem to stay mainly at Olympus Mons, which they clutch onto eagerly. Why they're here and why they stay there is anybody's guess...
Also of note, the House of Exile is the most alliance-eager House of the Fallen, and the most savage. Not surprising, as they're based on Earth's Moon, which holds the darkest and deadliest forces in the galaxy...
But that's a tale for a different world.
And now, finally, let us discuss the people present on this world.
Important Individuals
Valus Ta'aurc
From his armored seat of power upon the Grand Imperial Battle Tank, essentially a fortress on tank treads, Valus Ta'aurc has claimed more ground on Mars then any other known Cabal commander. His name is feared throughout Meridian Bay (The Vex stronghold on Mars), and the tread-marks left by his tank have come to signify the expansion of the Cabal's ever-widening Exclusion Zone. He's a Titan of a Colossus (20 feet), and is the most powerful one there is.
Primus Sha'aull
No one knows what fascination the Vex hold for the leader of the Blind Legion, but Primus Sha'aull has put his command at great risk by pushing into lands occupied by the machines, specifically Meridian Bay and the dangerous Gate that lies there. If he and his Legion were able to fully stamp out the Vex guarding the gate, and it's powerful gate lord, they would be able to strike the Black Heart directly, and halt Vex production on Mars permanently...
Bracus Tha'aurn
Bracus Tha'aurn appears remarkable among Cabal Commanders for his interest in the glories of humanities Golden Age, with a good deal of his time not fighting the Vex (On the front lines), but instead diving deep into the abandoned cities of mankind and searching for technology, be it merely aesthetic or something more... Like a Warmind A.I... Given the fact he has also only ever been seen in the company of Psions, the Vanguard (Leading faction of the Guardians) believe he maintains some sort of control over their deployment.
Bracus Tho'ourg
Reports of the one they call Bracus Tho'ourg began in the earliest days of contact with the Cabal, some time in the 24th century. The first Guardians who faced him are long lost, but the legends speak of a powerful commander who secured the Buried City, the then Vex stronghold, with merely a fraction of the Cabal's forces on Mars. If these reports are accurate, they provide clues not only to Tho'ourg's tactical prowess but to the Cabal lifespan.
Prohibitive Mind
Vex Axis Minds are individual Vex hulls that contain local instances of superordinate Vex goal sets. This cryptic phrase means something reasonably simple - the Axis Mind contains a copy of all the information required to pursue a particular objective.
This allows other nearby Vex to focus on their local tasks, leaving global planning to the Axis Mind. Of course, this also introduces a centralized weakness for enemies to target. But the Vex seem to consider the tradeoff worthwhile.
The Prohibitive Mind seems to coordinate Vex action against Cabal positions in Meridian Bay. The current Vex operational plan - to the extent that one can assume the Vex have operational plans - appears to involve an attritional campaign on the surface, supplemented by disruptive use of gates to bypass Cabal hardpoints.
Zydron, Gate Lord
The intelligence we call Zydron seems to exist in a liminal state, stretched between gates in the Vex network. It manifests as a physical being only when called. Moments before Mars was snatched away by the Portal Master, the Vex Network was able to call in the Gate Lord to protect the gate that led to the Black Garden, with the Gate only able to be unlocked by the head of Zydron. And thus it shall stand there vigilantly, and repel any foe foolish enough to try and breach The Gate.
And within the Garden exists foul and treacherous Vex...
Undying Mind
"We are starting to believe that time is home to the Vex, and somewhere in those unmappable voids dwell their undying minds." - Maya Sundaresh, Fragmented Entry 10938, Ishtar Collective Archive
Commander Zavala: And you believe it's different than the others.
Ikora: I know it is.
Cayde-6: Let me guess... Chasing more Vex "minds"?
Ikora: The readings from nearby surges hold no time function. It could quite possibly be resealing the Black Garden back into whatever void it once hid.
Cayde-6: Any more Hidden intel?
Zavala: Negative. Just some old Osiris riddles.
Cayde-6: They are starting to feel like the same thing.
Ikora: We cannot just ignore it. We have to keep the Garden here, among the Light. We are just beginning to match its pathways to this fractured data from the Archive.
Cayde-6: Interesting, undying, huh? What do you suppose they meant by that.
Zavala: I'll alert the Speaker. Let's find out.
Undying Mind is the Axis Mind of the Sol Divisive, and in the original timeline where the Guardians were able to defeat the Black Heart and take control of The Garden (so they could have a more challenging area to perform Crucible, a live-fire training exercise where Guardians fight to the Death and are subsequently revived by their Ghost), and would engage the remaining forces of Sol Divisive against the Guardians in a war of overwhelming numbers: A war that has yet to end. It is a powerful and destructive Hydra, and oozes with the deadly powers of The Darkness, and in the absence of The Black Heart controls the Black Garden completely.
And speaking of the Black Heart,...
And speaking of the Black Heart,...
The Black Heart
The Black Heart is a fragment of the Darkness that unifies all Vex minds under it's control as one. It is located deep within the Black Garden, a realm outside of normal Time and Space, that the Vex (specifically Sol Divisive) use to manufacture their grand armies, and is fiercely guarded by the Sol Divisive, a very religious programming of Vex who worship the Black Heart as a God.
Near the Black Heart are three massive Vex who collectively make up a programming called the Sol Progeny: The Eschaton Mind, who represents the future and end of the world; the Imminent Mind, who represents the present at any moment; and the Primeval Mind, who represents the past and the beginning of time.
These three defenders appear in some type of stasis until struck by the powers of the Black Heart, allowing them to reincarnate as normal Vex and fight off any intruders. The destruction of all three Sol Progenies will result in the destruction of the Black Heart.
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And there we go, the profile of the Red Planet Mars and the Black Garden: A former city world now struck with fierce sandstorms, enormous dunes, an overly militarized and corrupt race of Rhinoceros aliens, and a Lovecraftian dimension filled with calculative/insane robots that worship a being that is best described as Destruction incarnate, being repelled by calculative robots that defy a literal god, since it's too weak.
Have fun.
