Editing Asher Mir

|species= [[Human]]<br>[[Vex]] {{C|partially}}

|race= [[Awoken]]

'''Asher Mir''' was a grumpy [[Awoken]] [[Warlock]] of the [[Last City]], and a researcher with the [[Gensym Scribes]] who specialized in the [[Vex]]. During the [[Red War]] Asher established a research outpost on [[Io]] to study the Vex and discover a cure for the Vex virus that was slowly transforming his body. In addition, he aided his friend [[Eris Morn]] in studying the [[Hive]], [[Taken]], and the [[Darkness]].

When Asher's friend [[Eris Morn]] emerged wounded and changed from the [[Hellmouth]] on [[Moon|Luna]] following a failed mission to assassinate the [[Hive]] Prince [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]], he took care of her and helped in her recovery. Thanks to Asher's aid and compassion, Eris regained some hope and found some sense of her old self.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Lore:Regarding Stasis|Regarding Stasis]]: [[Lore:Regarding Stasis#To Asher Mir|To Asher Mir]]''</ref>

While researching the [[Vex]], Asher hired two [[Hunter]]s to accompany him on a mission. They worked well together and continued to function as a fireteam. They eventually attempted to explore the [[Pyramidion]] on [[Io]], where they encountered a constantly changing landscape of impossible geometries. Facing stiff resistance, Asher and his team were resurrected by their [[Ghost]]s dozens of times before they discovered [[Brakion, Genesis Mind]] by the shores of a radiolarian lake in its depths. The Vex Mind experimented on the Guardians by attempting to inject radiolaria and graft Vex technology onto them.<ref name="TP">'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[The Pyramidion]]''</ref> They attempted to flee, but as they fought he witnessed a [[Fanatic]] explode and rip his [[Exo]] Hunter companion in half. Horrified, he frantically reloaded his [[Fusion Rifle]] and looked around for his other friend, who then saved Asher by using her [[Nightstalker]] bow to destroy ten Vex approaching him. However, four Vex then appeared behind her, and Asher could not bear to watch as they killed her as well. As he searched for a way to escape, a tentacle grabbed his Ghost and he felt a blinding pain in his right arm before passing out.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]], [[Silicon Neuroma]]''</ref> Somehow, Asher, his fireteam and his Ghost survived and escaped the Vex, with Asher's right arm replaced by a Vex's and his Ghost heavily augmented,<ref name="TP"/> now possessing an unblinking red eye like a [[Goblin]]'s.<ref name="GFEM">'''Bungie (2017/3/28)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[Age of Triumph]], [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries#Ghost Fragment: Eris Morn|Ghost Fragment: Eris Morn]]''</ref>

With the Red War won, Asher and Ikora turned to confronting the other threats that remained on Io. They monitored the Guardian's investigation of reports that the Taken were capturing Vex, and Asher dismissed Ikora's theory that they were attempting to take them, arguing that without a King like [[Oryx, the Taken King|Oryx]] to guide them the Taken had no power to do that.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Dynasty]]: [[Premeditation]]''</ref> He quickly changed his mind after the Guardian fought [[Ir Arok, Tongue of Quria]], which escaped into a Cabal warbase. Asher informed the others that he could feel something happening to the Vex through his arm, describing it as a presence that wished to rip his essence out of his body, and implored them to stop the Taken quickly. When the Guardian discovered the Vex in Taken prisons, Asher joked that perhaps the Taken had invented law and order, but quickly became serious when the cells converted the Vex into Taken. Asher believed this to be suicidal, as the Vex infected whatever they came in contact with and that their self-replication protocols would consume the Taken. He wondered if the Taken simply did not realize the dangers of Taking the Vex, but Ikora believed they were building an army.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Dynasty]]: [[Calculated Action]]''</ref>

Meeting with the Guardian, Asher explained to them that he believed the Taken were going to use the Pyramidion to Take the entire Vex Collective at once using the warp gates within. He noted that he had lost his arm within the Pyramidion, and feared what they would lose if they followed the Taken inside. <ref name="Dynasty">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Dynasty]]''</ref> The Guardian departed for the Pyramidion, which the Taken had already begun infiltrating, and Ikora worried about the devastation that the Taken would unleash should Ir Arok Take the entire collective. Asher responded that losing the Guardian to the Pyramidion would also be a blow to the Last City and implored his assistant not to venture further into the Pyramidion than required before also asking them not to die. Soon, Asher and Ikora were contacted by the Guardian and learned that Ir Arok was slain, but that some Taken had entered the Pyramidion through a warp gate before it was destroyed. Ikora thanked the Guardian, but Asher stated that he had something that he wished to tell them only in person.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Dynasty]]: [[The Long Play]]''</ref> When the Guardian arrived at his camp, Asher admitted that when they first met, he assumed the Guardian was useless and that they doubtlessly understood why. However, he admitted to being wrong and noted that they had survived entering the Pyramidion, although not to the lake where he and his fireteam ventured. Disconcerted, Asher noted the Vex never failed to leave a mark, a fact he was sure the Taken would learn in time, and informed the Guardian that they warranted his further observation.<ref name="Dynasty"/>

At some point during the [[Red War]], the [[Vanguard]] organized a [[Strike]] mission to infiltrate the [[Pyramidion]] and destroy [[Brakion, Genesis Mind]]. Asher was a correspondent on this mission and expressed great enthusiasm at the opportunity to see his Vex nemesis defeated. During the expedition Asher would repeatedly express fascination, yet also frustration at the ever-changing Pyramidion's structure, much to [[Ikora Rey]]'s amusement. Once Brakion was destroyed, Asher would request its arm be brought to him as a trophy.

Despite the Vanguard's victories on Io and gaining vengeance against the Genesis Mind, Asher was still no closer to finding a cure for his condition. One day while examining the spreading infection in a mirror within his dwelling on Io, he worried what would happen when it reached his lungs and noted that coughing was already becoming painful. He was startled when Ikora arrived and suggested he go to the [[Reef]]. Angry at the unexpected intrusion and that someone had seen how bad his condition was, Asher quickly put on a shirt and berated her for not announcing her visit ahead of time. Ikora ignored his outburst and noted that [[Tyra Karn]] believed that [[Ives]] and the Reef Cryptarchs could assist Asher. He dismissed this idea, writing off the Cryptarchs as focusing on theory, and adamantly declared that only the Vex held the answer. She then suggested that he should have visited [[Osiris]] with her then, but he also dismissed the former Vanguard Commander as a useless and self-obsessed wretch. Ikora remained silent, and Asher realized she was implying the same description applied to him. Annoyed, he conceded her point but refused to acknowledge it any further. When she then tried to suggest that her [[Hidden]] believed the [[Techeun]]s could also have answers, Asher snapped and yelled that neither group knew anything about his condition and despaired that no one could stop it and he was coming to believe there was no point trying.<ref name=GS>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], [[Lore]]: [[Lore:The Awoken of the Reef#Gensym Scribe|Gensym Scribe]]''</ref>

A year after the Red War, Cayde-6 was murdered by Prince [[Uldren Sov]] of the Reef while on a mission to the [[Prison of Elders]] with the Young Wolf. Asher heard of his death, and when the Young Wolf next visited him, Asher noted that his fireteam's expedition into the Pyramidion had been motivated by greed and self-interest and had exacted a heavy and continuing price. Asher suggested that Cayde's pride had led him to pay a similar price within the Prison of Elders, and cautioned the Young Wolf about letting their desire for vengeance making them pay another price of their own.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukhD47sd9kk Pay the Price]''</ref>

Days after the destruction of ''[[the Almighty]]'' at the hands of [[Rasputin]], Asher bore witness to a [[The Ionian Pyramid|Pyramid]] entering Io's atmosphere, holding position above the [[Cradle]] at the foot of Echo Mesa. His first reaction was to build a makeshift railgun and fire it at the Pyramid, which he expected to result in the projectile being deflected by a shield, or, in the best case, cause almost negligible damage to the Pyramid. Instead, the projectile ceased to exist, intriguing Asher and goading him into experimenting with the defensive mechanism by firing another projectile detectable via radiation and a radio signal. After launching a projectile equipped as a relay station after it, he discovered that the projectiles still physically existed, but were otherwise invisible. This left him with the question of what the Pyramid was doing to the projectiles, and why.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Arrivals]], [[Lore:Duress and Egress|Duress and Egress]]: [[Lore:Duress and Egress#Asher: Observation|Asher: Observation]]''</ref>

Asher was later visited by the Young Wolf to discuss what the Gensym Scribe could contribute to the Vanguard's defense of the solar system. Upon seeing his assistant, Asher informed them that he had noticed their enemies on Io were responding oddly to the presence of the Pyramid. He ordered them to hunt down their foes and record their findings. He then glanced over at the Pyramid hanging above the Cradle and noted that time was obviously of the essence in this task. When the Young Wolf returned with the data, Asher quickly analyzed it in his terminal. He observed from the data that the interference from both the Taken and Pyramid, combined with [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]]'s recent attempt to assault the Pyramidion through [[the Festering Core]], indicated that something was studying the Vex closely. Looking once more towards the Pyramid, Asher deduced that a "chess game" between two powers was being played and that something did not want the Vanguard to know who won. He ordered the Young Wolf to continue their patrols on Io and that if he needed further assistance and had time to mentor them further he would send for them.<ref name="Exodus">'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Arrivals]], [[Exodus (Quest)]]''</ref>

While working to continue his studies, Asher regularly hiked through dangerous Taken-infested territories into the Cradle to provide supplies for Eris Morn, who had camped at its center next to the [[Tree of Silver Wings (Io)|Tree of Silver Wings]]. During one of his visits, he listened as Eris described the messages she was receiving from the Darkness and how she experienced a secret thrill in tangling with and seeking to uncover the secrets of the Darkness. Asher reflected that he knew that thrill well from his encounters with the Vex and settled into the camp to spend time with his old friend. After some time he brought out a bottle of alcohol and two glasses as he prepared to leave and asked if Eris had everything taken care of, suspecting that his final death might soon be approaching. Eris, intent on the swirling vortex of Light beneath the Tree, stated that she did. Realizing that she did not understand his meaning, Asher rephrased his question and told her that he needed to know if things would be taken care of. Understanding at last, Eris turned to him and after a brief consideration reassured him that she would take care of everything to the best of her ability. Satisfied with her answer, Asher began the long trek back to his own camp to continue his study of the Pyramids and the Vex.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Arrivals]], [[Lore:Duress and Egress|Duress and Egress]]: [[Lore:Duress and Egress#Asher: Prediction|Asher: Prediction]]''</ref>

Commander Zavala contacted Asher a few weeks later to order him back to the City, but he insisted that the data he was gathering was too important to abandon, even if it cost him his life. When the Young Wolf returned to reiterate Zavala's wishes in person, he dismissed the message without a second thought. Instead, he tasked the Young Wolf with helping him to finish his data gathering, by investigating and collecting samples from unusual Taken activity, as well as by searching the Pyramidion for evidence that it is being scanned to confirm his theory that something was studying the Vex. When they returned, Asher looked over the data gathered, and concluded that the Darkness must be the entity studying the Vex and that it would attempt to discern the secrets of the Vex. He declared that he would prepare to fight any agent of the Darkness seeking to claim the Pyramidion at the shores of the radiolarian lake where he lost his arm.<ref name="Exodus"/>

When the Young Wolf left Io for the last time, Asher realized that he never truly expressed his high opinion of some of their work. He contemplated leaving a letter, but believed it would have been relegated to a backlog of tasks he would never be able to complete. Asher entered the Pyramidion, destroying any Vex security in his way. As he continued through the corridors of the Pyramidion, he found that it seemingly began to welcome him, with security laser grids bending to avoid touching him and gravitational anomalies leaving him unaffected by shifting ground under his feet, while the Vex simply observed. Asher found himself next to a pit under the radiolarian lake hidden in unusual geometry. He reached up with both his arms and pulled the lake down to himself.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Arrivals]], [[Lore:Duress and Egress|Duress and Egress]]: [[Lore:Duress and Egress#Asher: Conclusion|Asher: Conclusion]]''</ref>

The instant after Asher brought the lake down upon himself, he encountered a Vex terminal. Ordering it to register him into the Vex Collective and halt his transformation, Asher then escaped into the [[Vex Network|Nexus]] just as Io vanished.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/28)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Defiance]] - [[Vexcalibur#Lore|Vexcalibur]]''</ref> He would not be seen again for years, the Vanguard declaring him MIA with Sloane in the meantime.

Following the reformation of the Traveler, Zavala began to daydream of those lost on the disappeared planets, Asher included, while preparing a speech to the people of the City. He imagined Asher contacting him over comms requesting approval to develop a machine to disable the Pyramids, which he granted. After hanging up, the hallucinated Asher momentarily reconnected to give his thanks.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]] - [[Lore]]: [[Phobos Warden Armor#Lore 3|Phobos Warden Chest Armor]]''</ref>

Unbeknownst to the Vanguard, Asher continued to explore the Vex network as a digital entity where he looked for information regarding the Darkness and the Black Fleet. He would only ever reveal his presence to the material world if the Nexus itself bled into reality by either sending a Harpy or creating projections of his original body, and [[Mithrax, Kell of Light|Mithrax]] implies from his transmissions through radiolaria that his ventures are extremely painful to his consciousness.

Half a year later during the [[Endless Night]], Asher began to appear in Vex predictions regarding [[Lakshmi-2]], seemingly accompanying an invasion of the City.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/5/11)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Splicer]] - [[Lore]]: [[Stochastic Variable#Lore|Stochastic Variable]]''</ref> On the [[Override: Last City|Last City version of the Override]] activity, the aforementioned Harpy overlooks the events near an array of computers; while it does not interact with a Guardian, it emits beeps that can be translated via Morse code to read "ASSISTANT", the term that Asher had given to the Guardian frequently on his missions.

 

===Avalon===

A week after [[The Witness]] communed with [[The Veil]] and vanished into the resulting portal made on the Traveler, Asher would use the Nexus to contact Mithrax and the Guardian from the [[European Dead Zone]], using a Harpy as he had previously done during Lakshmi's coup. Following his guidance, the two discovered a rebuilt Brakion pursuing him for tampering with the Nexus's data. After Brakion was stopped, Asher rewarded them with [[Vexcalibur|a specialized glaive]] designed to break the Vex's security protocol and weaponize the barrier technology that Brakion had previously employed to fight him and the Vanguard. Repeated excursions would later reveal that to manually perform the simulations and downloads required to obtain the data he needed, Asher was forced to resume his integration into the Vex network. This ultimately culminated in a full simulation of the Veil, much to Mithrax's shock, but at the cost of Asher's transformation becoming completely unstoppable.

Following the full extraction of the Vex's data on the Witness and the Veil, Asher pushed further into the center of the Vex Network, discovering billions of simulations that all end in the [[Final Shape]] being invoked. He was then unspooled into pure data and disintegrated into the rest of the Vex Network.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/28)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Defiance]] - [[Scribetrace Shell#Lore|Scribetrace Shell]]''</ref> This initially appeared to be fatal until the arrival of the [[Echo (object)|Echo of Command]] on [[Nessus]] a year later, where he attempted to use the strands of his current form to grasp the Echo despite his initial admonition of its call.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/7/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Episode: Echoes]] - [[Lore:Polyphony#V. As a Stranger Give It Welcome|Lore: Polyphony: V. As a Stranger Give It Welcome]]''</ref>

{{Quote|no=three|1=Ikora Tey|q1=Asher can't figure out where you are. If he drops out, it's because he's thrown a tantrum and broken his microphone.|2=Asher Mir|q2=I heard that, you wretch!|3=Ikora Rey|q3=Mmm. He feels safe saying such things because he is on Io and I am not.|4=Ikora and Asher.}}

Asher Mir's personality is prickly, as [[Ikora Rey]] was noted to have been exasperated with him, while [[Eris Morn]] regards him as a kindred spirit and a friend.<ref name="GFEM"/> They related to each other on being changed by alien enemies. He tried to help her with her research on [[Nokris]], but unfortunately found nothing. <ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Gensym Knight Armor#Lore|Gensym Knight Armor lore]]''</ref> He is a very whimsical, narcissistic and eccentric individual, not particularly caring for the safety of the subjects that he sends out for research duties. He strongly values evidence and careful planning and has little regard for people who act impulsively or rely on faith. He has particular disdain for [[Titan (class)|Titan]]s, thanks to their "punch first, study later" habits. Though Asher prefers to remain in solitude with his research, he does allow some people to "assist" him and when he is forced to interact with people, he prefers the company of fellow Warlocks. Ghost even wonders how his original fireteam was able to work well with him, given his behavior. However, it is worth noting that since his own mission into the Pyramidion, Asher has not spoken to his old Fireteam.

Asher has an overall bad habit of explaining situations and certain topics using advanced scientific definitions, leaving many confused and forcing him to simplify his answers, annoying him considerably. Additionally, when faced with a conundrum he can't fathom or figure out, Asher tends to act childishly, throwing temper tantrums or refusing to acknowledge that he can't figure it out, as noted by Ikora. Despite this, Asher will, albeit grudgingly, admit when his analyses are incorrect.

His surliness may be in part driven by a deep-seated anxiety regarding his gradual assimilation by the Vex, and his frustration that all his efforts to halt it have failed.<ref name=GS/> Similarly, Asher possesses a great deal of guilt for what happened to his Ghost during his original mission in the Pyramidion. He attempted to cure its condition, but failed. He also considered ending his Ghost to spare it from the Vex modifications it received, though he couldn't bring himself to do it. Asher therefore considers himself a coward for that.

With his presence returning in ''[[Season of Defiance]]'', Asher has revealed an affinity for Arthurian legends. Despite being in a dire situation, possibly permanently disembodied in the Vex Network, he still relishes in his ability to interfere with Vex operations, extracting as much fun as he can by likening his and the Guardian's activities to legends of the old world. Further, despite the experience of being digitized into the Vex's world, Asher's main characteristics remained largely unchanged as he sent messages through a Harpy calling for the Guardian's "assistance" and Mithrax noted in similar messages to stop bothering him. He also kept his grudge against Brakion and took great satisfaction in seeing him destroyed by the Guardian within the Vex Network. However, his bitter, spiteful nature also remained underneath his bravado, worsened by his findings on the totality of the Final Shape. Despite his outward glee at watching the Guardian extract his resources, Asher's dying thoughts were of resignation and anger towards the universe for allowing his apocalyptic foresight to come to pass.

*''"If only I had more time…"''

*''"…Ever-spiraling complexity… Yes, their simulations are potentially limitless!"''

*''"I have not been reborn since the accident. In truth, I do not know what would happen. Is my Ghost even capable of such a thing anymore?"''

*''"Cabal Again!? With their blasted rock shaking concentration shattering Machinery!"''

*''"These calculations would astonish even the most hardened of Cryptarchs!"''

*''"Every iteration of the Collective nets me more data; I need more information!"''

*''"Perhaps if I just… no! I will NOT suffer ambiguity with this work!"''

*''"I see your point Sloane. But I fail to see is how resistance problems on Titan affect me out here."''

*''"What could you possibly want?"''

* "Dead Orbit's philosophy is the one true way; I'm convinced now. Our future lies beyond these stars… somewhere."

* "I'm so close… if I can just--Gah!"

* "If you are staring at my arm, leave… NOW!"

* "Are you seriously telling me that you have access to a Golden Age AI… and you're letting it just SIT THERE!? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"

* "I have considered ending my Ghost. None of my research indicates a way to extricate the Vex technology from its shell. This is how I know I'm a coward; because I cannot bring myself to…"

* "Despite how it may seem, I regret what happened to my Ghost. I chose to enter the Pyramidion. He just… had my back."

* "I will spare you the torture of vague and repetitive praise. It does terrible things to the mind… but uh… thank you."

* "I uh… really should show my appreciation to Ikora more often. She has been very supportive since the incident. Moreover given my… disposition."

* "Your lackluster attitude reminds me of… eugh, nevermind. I can concentrate again."

* "PATHETIC OLD FOOL! Can't even solve the Radioloria origin question in order to… quite literally, SAVE YOUR OWN DAMN LIFE!"

* "Ahhh… just because I'm Awoken. I have never been to the Reef, Ser fen."

* "After the accident, my fireteam did all they could to help. But everything they did reminded me of that day. I wonder… I wonder if they survived the attack on the City?"

* "It strikes me, not for the first time, that Guardians are uniquely ill equipped for grief. We spend much of our formative years thinking we are impervious to it. But… well look at us."

* "The Vex are beautiful. The simplicity of even the basis Goblin, the purposeful design. I still admire them… in a way."

*Eris Morn was the first to refer to Asher as "Gensym Scribe", hinting at his affiliation with the research collective. Several other characters, including Ikora and Zavala, also address him by this title.

*''[[Destiny]]: [[Age of Triumph]]'' {{Fm}}

**''[[Season of the Forge]]''

**''[[Season of the Drifter]]''

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

**''[[Season of Dawn]]''

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

**''[[Season of Arrivals]]''

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

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

**''[[Season of Defiance]]''

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

*''[[The Hidden Dossier]]'' {{Mo}}