Lucent Brood

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"Tell me, oh honored guest... how did you do it? How did you find the strength to destroy something so like yourself? To look in a mirror, and kill what looked back?"

— Savathûn, the Witch Queen, to the Guardian

The Lucent Brood or the Lucent Hive is a Hive sect found within the Court of Savathûn. They are distinguishable by their dark blue/alabaster white armor and grey skin, along with the neatly patterned grey/white spikes on their armor.

Uniquely among the Hive, the Lucent Brood have been gifted with the powers of the Light and are capable of raising some of their members from the dead as Hive Lightbearers through the use of their own Ghosts. Even their living members could be imbued with Light by Lucent Moths, increasing their power. They play a prominent role in The Witch Queen, Season of the Risen, and Season of the Witch expansions.

History

Origin

Savathûn's Lucent Brood first appeared in the Throne World of the Hive Witch Queen after she was granted the Light. The members of the Witch Queen’s former brood, who still remained loyal to her after her betrayal to the Witness would rally to her Court. With the help of her Ghost Immaru, Savathûn summoned many Ghosts to her strange Throne World. These Ghosts spread throughout the High Coven and resurrected many Hive as their Lightbearers, which became known as the Lucent Brood. These new risen quickly settled into positions of power, becoming trusted lieutenants of the Witch Queen. Savathûn began to restructure her Throne World using the Light, trapping Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness into his Sunken Pyramid in the process, and placing two Lightbearer Knights at the entrance of Disciple's Bog. The Disciple responded by attracting the Scorn into the High Coven, where they started battling the Lucent Brood for supremacy. According to Osiris, the brood loyal to Nokris was also consolidated into the Lucent Brood through Nokris's bargain with Savathûn before the Witness captured Mars.

War in the Throne World

Savathûn then brought her warship, the Lure, over the skies of the recently reappeared Mars. The Red Legion, on orders from Empress Caiatl, quickly boarded the ship, only to be pushed back by the Hive Lightbearers. When the Guardian infiltrated the ship, the Lucent Brood tried to push them back, to no avail. They would eventually find Savathûn as she left the bridge of the ship via portal. A Lightbearer Knight soon appeared to confront the intruder, but was unable to stop them and had their Ghost crushed. The Guardian would furthermore push into the Throne World, intent on finding out how the Hive gained access to the Light, and they found the Lucent Brood fighting against the Scorn.

Eventually, the Guardian would come across the Witch Queen's plan to move the Traveler from the Last City. The Lucent Brood again tried to stop their advance, first into the Apothecary, and then into the Sanctum of the Brood Queen, helping the Witch Queen's ritual in the process, but the brood's defenses were overcome, and the Guardian managed to ruin the ritual by confronting the Witch Queen with the truth about the origins of the Hive, destabilizing her, and then killing her. However, before they could kill her Ghost, he disappeared in the flash of light as the spell broke, leaving Savathûn's body behind. Although the Brood had lost its Queen, Immaru has now taken the reins of their operations, and continues to direct their efforts in pushing out the Vanguard and the Scorn alike.

Operation Elbrus

Meanwhile, the Lucent Brood also started deploying outside the Throne World. Mor'ak, Lightstealer led attacks in the European Dead Zone with the intent of stealing the Light of Guardians deployed there. The harvested Light would then be sent to the Cosmodrome, to be processed and purified by Uul'nath, Lightcleanser's group. The stockpile of Light was to be used by Korosek, Thronebringer to attack the Scarlet Keep, taking it from the hands of the Hidden Swarm, and manifest the High Coven there. This would've given the Brood a position from which to easily siege the Last City and take the Traveler by force.

When Commander Zavala contacted Empress Caiatl to give an explanation about the attack on her forces on Mars, he also requested the Imperial Cabal's help into combating the Lucent Brood's threat. The Guardians deployed in operations against the Lucent Lightbearers, using Psions to enter the Hive's Mindscape and sever its connection with the Light. The Psions would then abduct these Hive and keep them in suspended animation in the Psisorium, in order to probe their minds and understand the Lucent Brood's plans. After several weeks, the alliance would discover the brood's plans for the Scarlet Keep, and intervene, stopping the Thronebringer and the brood's plans. However, the captured Lightbearers, along with the Psion probing their minds, would be killed in an accident by Crow, putting the alliance at risk. Hearing of this, Caiatl demands Crow's life in accordance to the Cabal's customs. Fortunately, Lord Saladin managed to appease Caiatl by offering his own life in Crow's place. The Empress, impressed with the Iron Lord's bravery in the face of death, accepts. She claims that Saladin's life is forfeit, but as a member of her War Council for the rest of his days, saving the Vanguard's alliance with the Cabal.

Though their alliance was saved, any of the Lucent Lieutenants that would be captured would instead be incinerated instead of putting them through a psychic analysis.

Sails of The Shipstealer

After being thwarted from taking over the Scarlet Keep, the Lucent Brood turned their attention to the relics of Nezarec. While unsuccessful in stealing a relic from Alaaks, the Beast Tamer and her crew, a force led by Ei Arat, Trespasser succeeded in taking a relic from Vrisk, the Coward. They were quickly cut down by the Guardian, who needed the same relic.

Later, after the Guardian had been successful in claiming all but one of the relics, the Lucent Hive led by Hiak'ar, Hoardseeker infested the asteroid 16246 Cantor as they searched for the last relic. Eido was there to claim the relic herself, but was rescued by Eramis, Kell of Darkness and the Guardian, who killed Hiak'ar.

The reason why the Lucent Hive were after the relics is currently unknown, but Drifter speculated that they wanted the power of the relics to free them from Savathûn's control.

Ghosts of the Deep

After failing to claim the pieces of Nezarec, the Lucent Brood would remain relatively quiet even as the Witness finally reached inner Sol and the Shadow Legion invaded both Earth and Neptune. Though the Traveler would be claimed by the Witness, the Coalition remained determined to find a way to follow it and prevent it from enacting the Final Shape. However, following Titan's return and reuniting with Deputy Commander Sloane, handling a surge of Xivu Arath's forces in the process, the Vanguard discovered that a Lucent Hive warship had entered Titan's atmosphere and then descended within the depths of the moon's methane seas. The Guardians were tasked to descend into the deep, reach the Hive warship and discover what the Lucent Hive were planning.

After reaching the Lucent Hive Ship, the Guardians discovered that the Lucent Hive had found the corpse of Oryx himself and were attempting to conduct a brute-force approach in resurrecting the Taken King. To defend their ritual, the Lucent forces had deployed various Hive commanders, some of which were former servants of Oryx resurrected with the Light, including Ecthar, Sword of Oryx and Vorlog, along with a servant of Nokris, Šimmumah ur-Nokru, who was leading the ritual. Despite their efforts, the Guardians managed to disrupt the ritual after slaying the head of the ritual and informed Sloane of this development. Alarmed that the Lucent Hive nearly resurrected one of the Guardians' most dangerous foes, the Deputy Commander took this information to Ikora Rey, who ordered her Hidden to secure Oryx's remains for study and have it locked away in a secure Vanguard vault like with the Taken King's sister.

A Tenuous Alliance

The Lucent Brood would soon clash again with the forces of the Vanguard, when Eris Morn sought an alliance with Immaru, following Ahsa's revelations. However, the First Ghost would accept only on the condition that they deal with Xivu Arath first, as Savathûn asked him to. Despite this agreement, the common troops of the Brood would continue their assigned duties, standing in the way of the Guardian as they sought access to Savathûn's Spire. Several Lightbearer Hive would stand in protection of the Court of Thorns, and were thus slain in battle. Several more continue their studies within the Spire, reacting violently to the disruption of Fireteams coming to learn more of the Light.

It would be revealed that a few of her own brood were trapped by Savathûn within an arcane oubliette, a prison where they would be forgotten until the need for them arose. Guardians would use the Altars of Summoning under the Spire to call forth these champions and slay them, alongside other trapped creatures, using their deaths as tithes to strengthen Eris Morn, Hive God of Vengeance.

Ultimately, Eris Morn would gain the strength she needed not only from the Guardians' tithes but also from killing a revived Savathûn, who hadn't been killed by a Hive since the day her worm was severed from her being. In that act, Eris gained a millennia's worth of power, enough to surpass Xivu Arath herself. Instead of confronting the Hive God of War, Eris Morn weaved a spell that severed Xivu Arath from her own Throne World, rendering her mortal and vulnerable. With their bargain fulfilled to an extent, Savathûn kept her end by giving the Vanguard the secret they needed to pass through the portal on the Traveler before escaping. However, as part of a peace-offering and to "keep up appearances", Savathûn offered the Vanguard custody of Immaru. In this, the Vanguard agreed, as keeping Immaru would allow them to sever Savathûn's connection to the Light should she do anything to endanger Humanity.

The Guardians would continue to partake in the Altars of Summoning to prevent the Witch Queen from gaining tithes to aid her research on the Light within her Spire, clashing with the imprisoned Lucent Hive in the process. Savathûn would likewise continue to observe, comment and taunt the Guardians efforts as they battled with her Lucent Hive, whom she referred to as the Guardians' "cousins".

Structure

The organization of the Lucent Brood appears to be largely unchanged from the standards set down by Oryx, the Taken King in the Books of Sorrow, with a hierarchy of powerful Knights and Wizards leading groups of Acolytes and Thralls, and their patron god, in this case Savathûn, the Witch Queen, holding absolute authority. Even the Worms and the tithe system remain in place, at least for the regular Hive. However, the presence of Lightbearers in the hierarchy has had unexpected effects on these. Light exerts a "negative pressure" on the tithe system, moving down the hierarchy of its own accord such that even living Thralls may be infused with traces of Light. Furthermore, the worms of such infused Hive appear to be sated indefinitely and make no further demands for bloodshed or violence, as one affected Thrall claimed. The presence of Light within non-Lightbearers was initially mistaken for theft, leading to several summary executions. Whether or not Lightbearer Hive still have their worms has not been stated.

Despite the key role Ghosts play in the strength of the Lucent Brood, they generally receive little respect from their Lightbearers, in contrast as to how Guardians generally treat their Ghosts as friends and confidants. The Lightbearer Ubartu-ana treated his Ghost with contempt and suspicion, and named them Krill as an insulting comparison to the "small and useless" proto-Hive species. Krill's discovery of Lucent Moths was later credited to Ubartu-ana. The Hive Ghost Specter felt that "Hive prefer talking to their own and don't respond to things—even things that bring them back from the dead," and assumed their partner, Nabenki, had fallen ill when they began behaving more respectfully towards them.

This attitude is not without exceptions, as seen most notably with Savathûn and her Ghost Immaru, who considered each other friends and equals. Furthermore, Immaru's status as First Ghost gives him command authority over the Lucent Hive, even after Savathûn's death, and he can frequently be heard giving orders to Hive soldiers during patrols in Savathûn's Throne World. However, Immaru's orders are not entirely absolute as the Lucent Hive will carry out any order the Witch Queen had previously given them even if it means going against any current command Immaru attempts to give, such as standing down during his tenuous alliance with the Guardians.

Another notable distinction of the Lucent Brood is their willingness to use methods and techniques that the rest of the contemporary Hive species views as heretical, unsurprising given how they already wield the Light. This includes necromancy that they had learned from members of the Grasp of Nokris who joined the Witch Queen.

Notable members

Leadership

• Savathûn, the Witch Queen
  • Immaru
• Savathûn's Right Hand

Hive Lightbearers Aulith, Oblative Postulant Auloc, Oblative Postulant Alak-Hul, the Lightblade Dûl Alai, Warden of the Spire Ecthar, the Shield of Savathûn Ei Arat, Trespasser Ei Irulac, Last of Her Coven Elikan, Last of His Coven Elūnash, Oblative Adherent Hastokk, Oblative Aspirant Hathrek, the Glasweard Hiak'ar, Hoardseeker Ken Kish-Agesor, the Bright Burn Korosek, Thronebringer Luzaku Mor'ak, Lightstealer Nabenki Šimmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer Sok'tol, Fifth of the Light Thul-Ar, Acolyte of Nokris Ubartu-ana Ur-Hiruk, Warden of the Spire Urukthalyn Uul'nath, Lightcleanser Xavol Zirah, Warden of the Spire Hive Ghosts Euloch Grutuk Jynx Krill Specter

Hive Champions Alak'nar, Retainer of Savathûn Atan Maht, Margrave of Erasure Balhoth, Keeper of Memory Bar-Zel, Tutelary of Savathûn Bor'gong, Warden of the Spring Ei Haaruz, Retainer of Savathûn Gee'yom, Resonant Saboteur Golmag, Warden of the Spring Gaze of Savathûn Hadragal, Keeper of Memory Ir Akraht, Light Harvester Ir Olena, Moth Keeper Ir Valoch, Lucent Stalker Ishaya, High Slayer Naaruz, Third Seeker of Silence Phry'zhia, the Insatiable Uun'kar, Retainer of Savathûn Vorlog, Risen in Heresy Witch's Eye, Keeper of Memory Xirash, Keeper of Memory Other Members POI-7 Former Members Fynch

Unique forces

Lightbearer variants Lightbearer Acolyte Adherent of Mor'ak Lucent Archivist Lucent Solar Hoarder Secret of Severed Flesh Solar Votarist Lightbearer Knight Adherent of Ecthar Lightblade's Warrior Lucent Archivist Lucent Void Hoarder Secret of Severed Flesh Lightbearer Wizard Adherent of Šimmumah Aspect of Savathûn Arc Votarist Lightkeeper Lucent Arc Hoarder Lucent Archivist Lucent Portalguard Projection of Savathûn Secret of Severed Flesh

Hive variants Lucent Moth Thrall variants Revenant Thrall Cursed Thrall variants Revenant Cursed Thrall Acolyte variants Blistered Acolyte Revenant Acolyte Runebound Visage Knight variants Barrier Guard Barrier Knight Blistered Knight Lightblade's Disciple Lighthoarder Lucent Reliquist Lucent Swordbearer Resonant Thief Revenant Knight Runebound Visage Tribute Bearer Wellkeeper Knight

Wizard variants Blistered Wizard Butcher of the Spring Lighthoarder Lucent Conduit Patron of the Spring Resonant Keeper Resonant Thief Revenant Wizard Runebound Visage Soulfire Binder Threadweaver Tribute Bearer Veilweaver Wizard Ogre variants Blighted Gravekeeper Blistered Ogre Brilliant Sentry Keeper of the Deep Light-Burned Ogre Lucent Gatekeeper Revenant Ogre Soulfire Binder Tribute Bearer Unstoppable Ogre Shrieker variants Luminous Eye Reclaimant of Savathûn Revenant Shrieker

Technology

Weapons Acolyte Grenade Boomer Cleaver Hive Axe Shredder Soulfire Rifle Splinter

Vehicles Hive warship The Lure Tombship

Structures Hive Trap

Gallery

Hive Lightbearers

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Lucent Brood

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  Symbol of the Lucent Brood

Lucent Forces

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  Lucent Thrall

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  Lucent Cursed Thrall

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  Lucent Acolyte

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  Lucent Knight

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  Lucent Wizard

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  Lucent Ogre

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  Lucent Shrieker

Trivia

• The pervasive presence of churches, shrines, and praying statues in the architecture of the Throne World, along with the use of water as a resurrection-related element, may indicate the existence of a more complex religious system than those typically encountered in other Hive.
• Members of the Brood appear to resemble the previous Broods of Sol rather than their ancestral counterparts.
• The three main examples of Lightbearing Hive (Knight, Wizard, and Acolyte) are analogues of the three guardian classes (Titan, Warlock, and Hunter, respectively).
  • It is likely for this similarity that Savathûn amusingly called her Lucent Hive Lightbearers the Guardians' "cousins".

List of appearances

• Destiny 2
  • The Witch Queen (First appearance)
  • Season of the Risen
  • Season of the Haunted (Mentioned only)
  • Season of Plunder
  • Season of the Deep
  • Season of the Witch
• Breakdown (Mentioned only)