Editing Disciples of the Witness

{{about|followers of the [[The Witness|Witness]]|other uses|Disciples}}
{{Faction infobox
|type= [[Darkness#Resonance|Resonant]]-shaped Followers 
|functions= Follow the teachings of the Witness<br>Command the Witness's armies<br>Bringing about the [[Final Shape]]
|conflicts= [[Collapse]]<br>[[Lucent War]] <br> [[Severing of the Nightmares]] <br> [[Invasion of Neptune]]
|leadership= [[The Witness]]
|affiliation=[[Black Fleet]]<br>[[The Dread]]
|ally=[[Scorn]] <br> [[Shadow Legion]] <br> [[Taken]] 
|war= [[The Coalition]]<br>[[Lucent Brood]]
}}
{{Quote|Not kings. Not gods. Disciples. Prophets. Saviors serving existence. An undying purpose. A privilege.|[[Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness]]}}

The '''Disciples of the Witness''' are a powerful group of entities that follow the teachings of the [[The Witness|Witness]] and command its forces of the [[Black Fleet]]. Little is known about these beings, only that they are immensely paracausal wielders of the [[Darkness]] hailing from a variety of species and backgrounds, are completely devoted to their leader's beliefs, and oppose the forces of the [[The Coalition|Coalition]]. One of them, [[Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness|Rhulk]], controlled a [[The Sunken Pyramid|Pyramid]] of the [[Black Fleet]] in the [[Court of Savathûn]], where he built [[Harvest]] to serve as a breeding facility for [[Hive]] [[Worm]] larvae.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Armor|Armor lore]]: [[Resonant Fury Suit (Warlock)#Resonant Fury Cowl|Resonant Fury Cowl]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Armor|Armor lore]]: [[Resonant Fury Suit (Warlock)#Resonant Fury Gloves|Resonant Fury Gloves]]''</ref> However, when [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen|Savathûn]] betrayed the Witness and gained the [[Light]], Rhulk was trapped in his Pyramid and became the effective leader of the [[Scorn]] in the throne world, calling on them to punish Savathûn for her betrayal.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Armor|Armor lore]]: [[Resonant Fury Suit (Warlock)#Resonant Fury Bond|Resonant Fury Bond]]''</ref>

More recently, [[Emperor Calus|Calus]], the former Emperor of the [[Cabal]], was anointed as the newest of the Witness' Disciples. [[Nezarec, Final God of Pain|Nezarec]] was also recently revealed to be a  Disciple, having led the Black Fleet's first invasion of the [[Sol System]] during the [[Collapse]].

==Objectives==
{{Quote|Lightbearer... These meager pawns you allow to lead you... their strength pales in comparison to your own. They hold you back from all that you could become. We judged humanity before you made your greatness known. Your worth. Your might. You deserve power. More than your Traveler would ever grace you with. Join us. Not as part of the Final Shape, but as a god.| The Witness offering the Guardian the chance to become a disciple}}<ref name="Iconoclasm">'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[Iconoclasm]]''</ref>

The Disciples follow the leadership and teachings of the Witness and are dedicated to its goal of bringing about the [[Final Shape]]. However, it appears that each Disciple has their own interpretation of what the Final Shape entails and is permitted to act accordingly by the Witness. An unnamed potential Disciple once privately wondered about this apparent contradiction with the Witness' philosophy, which seems to shun unnecessary proliferation and diversity, before concluding that the Witness' plans would realize all of the Disciples' seemingly disparate visions of the Final Shape.<ref name="The Cave">'''(2023/3/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Lightfall]], [[Lore:Inspiral|Inspiral]] - [[Lore:Inspiral#The_Cave|The Cave]]''</ref>

Prior to their first confrontation with the Witness, it would offer the Guardian to become a Disciple, stating that they would not be a part of the Final Shape if they chose to.<ref name="Iconoclasm"/> Additionally, Calus repeatedly spoke of his desire to be last at the end of the universe following his encounter with the "Black Edge".<ref>'''Bungie (2017/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: [[Weapon]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Turris Shade#Turris_Shade_Mark|Turris Shade Mark]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsuFQKg9Dhg]'''YouTube''' - ''Duality | Fifth Repressed Memory: "I Would Become the Herald of Its Victory" | Season of the Haunted''</ref> As such, it can be presumed that if the Witness successfully achieves the Final Shape, its Disciples would be spared from the fate the rest of the universe would suffer.

==Known Disciples==
*'''[[Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness]]''' — {{C|First Disciple of the Witness}}
*'''[[Nezarec, Final God of Pain]]''' — {{C|Herald of the First Collapse}}
*'''[[Emperor Calus|Calus, the Disciple]]''' — {{c|Herald of the Second Collapse}}

==Potential Disciples==
There are individuals that have been considered by the Witness to be elevated into Discipleship.
*[[Uun]] {{c|formerly}}
*[[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]] {{c|formerly}}
*[[Mara Sov]] {{c|formerly}}<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Weapon|Weapon lore]]: [[Parasite]]''</ref>
*An unnamed potential Disciple whose thoughts are recorded in the [[Lore:Inspiral|Inspiral]] Lore book entry "The Cave"<ref name="The Cave"/>
*[[The Guardian]] {{c|formerly}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[Season of the Haunted]]''
**''[[Season of Plunder]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Lightfall]]''
**''[[Season of Defiance]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Deep]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Witch]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Into the Light]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[The Final Shape]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Breakdown]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Entelechy]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Darkness}}
{{Dread}}

[[Category:Black Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Paracausal entities]]