Nezarec, Final God of Pain

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Nezarec, Final God of Pain
Main
NezarecInfobox.jpg
Damage
NezarecPhase2Info.jpg
Biographical information

Other name(s):

Nezarec, Disciple of the Witness
The Purest Light
The Darkest Hour
Whispering Nightmare
Prime Tormentor

Faction:

Disciples of the Witness

Rank:

Ultra

Class:

Tormentor (Basis)

Gender:

Male

Combat information

Mission:

Root of Nightmares

Weapon(s):

Void Night Terror

Abilities:

High Durability
Rapid Movement
Summon Cabal
Void Null Paroxysm
Void Suppression
Void Abyssal Cleave
Void Psionic Entropy
Nezarec's Hatred
Overwhelming Energy
Overwhelming Light
Overwhelming Darkness

 
Oh, a shame we can't entertain our one-sided conversations further! Ah, but this... this feels too good. Guardians! Let me devour your fear!

Nezarec, Final God of Pain was a Disciple of the Witness. An ancient being with powerful psychic abilities, he was known for bringing terror to entire worlds and species in order to feed on their collective fear; he was both feared and worshipped by various groups across time, including cults and sects among the pre-Cabal Psions and pre-Golden Age Humanity.

Nezarec led the Black Fleet in its assault on Earth during the Collapse, carrying the Veil aboard his Pyramid. He was betrayed by Savathûn, who killed him and cursed his remains, leaving him entombed in his own Pyramid on the Moon. Nezarec's remains were later discovered by Fallen scavengers, who split his corpse into pieces that were then distributed amongst them as "relics" and talismans, leaving only his head inside the Lunar Pyramid.[1] These pieces would be gathered centuries later by two parties: The Guardians of the Last City and Eramis, Kell of Darkness of the House of Salvation during Season of Plunder. This led to the Witness taking possession of Nezarec's head and encasing it within a sarcophagus aboard its Pyramid.

Having long slumbered on the edge of death as a barely-living psychic presence, Nezarec became active again in the fallout of the Traveler's attack on the Witness's Pyramid, which resulted in his remains becoming infused with Light. As he gathered his strength, he haunted the citizens of Neomuna in the CloudArk, bringing them nightmares as they slept. He would later fully resurrect in a new corporeal form imbued with both Light and Darkness, only to be defeated a final time by the Guardians as they stormed the Witness' Pyramid.

As with Rhulk and possibly other Disciples of the Witness, the Witness used Nezarec as a template for its Dread soldiers, in his case the Tormentors.

Biography[edit]

Origins[edit]

"Rise, Disciple, and bear this gift with pride."
— Rhulk to Nezarec

Hailing from an unknown species gifted with immense psionic abilities, Nezarec was elevated and transformed by the Witness into one of its chosen Disciples. Rhulk also gifted him a glaive as part of his exaltation.[2] Nezarec's own blueprint would later be used by the Witness to create the Tormentors, powerful and hulking brutes within its personal army known as the Dread.[citation needed]

Eris Morn and Micah-10 speculated that Nezarec had the power to command Nightmares, a previously untapped power of the Darkness that he co-opted for himself and wove into the fabric of his Pyramid.[3] These Nightmares would be encountered centuries after Nezarec's death during the Collapse, when his Pyramid was re-discovered on the Moon.[4]

God of the Psions[edit]

"The Psions kneel to you. Their faith is shattered, and they will look to you. For guidance. For truth.
Sow the seeds of discord that will pave the way for our victory.
Preach unto their greatest the truth of the Darkness... so that they may see beyond the Veil.
Go forth, Nezarec... and show them the power of the Veil. The Dark of the Deep. The edge of the knife.
"
— The Witness to Nezarec

Nezarec would go on to become a force of terror across the known universe, with his psychic influence being felt by countless races. Notable among these were the Psions, whom he would sow discord into the society on behalf of the Witness and be revered as a god to them[5] He would show them the power of the Veil, a primordial source of Darkness, and preached onto their greatest minds the "truth" it presents.[3]

A hidden cult of Psions would continue to honor Nezarec in modern times, offering him individuals with particularly powerful psychic abilities as sacrifices. One such unfortunate was Acasia's partner, who was taken from his home and tortured by the cult to feed Nezarec's hunger for pain and fear.[6]

The Acolytes of Nezarec[edit]

"He is that which is end. That which covets sin. The final god of pain—the purest light, the darkest hour. And He shall rise again."
— Passage from "Of Hated Nezarec"

Nezarec's influence was also present amongst humanity before the Golden Age, having formed their own cult dedicated to worshipping him. He was the subject of a pre-Golden Age text titled Of Hated Nezarec, a leather-bound tome containing apocrypha of the Disciple which survived in the possession of a human family into the Golden Age and post-Collapse eras.[7][8]

The Collapse[edit]

"The Veil... So, the witch didn't ruin you during her escapade. Good."
— Nezarec's remark towards the Veil

When the Black Fleet chased the Traveler to the Sol System, Nezarec led the first invasion against humanity accompanied by Hive forces led by Savathûn, the Witch Queen.[9][10] On Earth, Nezarec's fleet engulfed the planet in such massive numbers that they turned day into midnight.[11]

Just when victory seemed assured, Nezarec was betrayed by Savathûn, who mortally wounded the Disciple. Nezarec drew upon the Darkness to preserve his consciousness after death, but the Witch Queen cursed his body with her magic and forced his psyche to remain bound to his physical form. She stole the Veil and hid it away on Neptune, leaving Nezarec to die on the floor of his Pyramid.[12] His Pyramid subsequently crashed into the surface of the Moon, entombing his corpse beneath the lunar surface.[9]

The Relics of Nezarec[edit]

Inaaks cuts apart Nezarec's corpse.

Following the Collapse, Nezarec's corpse remained undisturbed within his Pyramid until the Fallen arrived during their Long Drift. Eventually, Inaaks, the then-Kell of the House of Wolves, uncovered his derelict Pyramid during a spelunking expedition, despite the nearby Hive forces picking off her raid party.[13] Inside, Inaaks and her fellow Fallen scavengers discovered Nezarec's corpse and determined that it was a source of great power. They carved his body into pieces which were then distributed as morbid talismans amongst members of the Old Crews, including Inaaks's son Misraaks.[14] Over time, these pieces were stored within super-dense reliquaries to contain their radiating Darkness energies.[15] According to an intercepted transmission from Eramis toVrisk, the Coward, the Darkness contained within the relics would dissolve anyone attempting to use them, with only beings of extraordinary fortitude being able to withstand their power.[16]

This use of Nezarec's remains was not without consequence, however, as echoes of his consciousness continued to live within them, to haunt and torment their bearers. Among these was a Fallen pirate named Koraxis, who pried one of the Disciple's seven eyes from his head and kept it for himself.[17]

By the time Koraxis became a Captain of his own crew,[18] he was in constant pain from an injured leg and paranoia stemming from his possession of the eye. After experiencing a nightmare that caused him to relive his expedition into the Pyramid,[19] Koraxis made the decision to evoke Nezarec's presence with a ritual involving the eye, a pointed crystal, and a book of magic.[20] As Nezarec's voice beckoned for Koraxis to "free him", Koraxis reacted in fear and flung the eye out into the Reef with all the strength he could muster.[21]

Other pieces of the Disciple were enshrined by the Fallen into what became known as the Tombs of Nezarec;[22] one of them being located in Jovian space.[23]

During the Dark Age, Nezarec's influence continued to plague the dreams of Lightbearers and non-Lightbearers alike with nightmares whenever the Moon was at perigee. One of his victims was a Titan named Briar of the Wild Brambles, who was psychically touched by the god of pain after unknowingly killing one of his prior victims out of self-defense.[24][25] Nezarec's psychic tormenting drove Briar to madness and desperation, eventually burning down his own home with his Hammer of Sol out of desperation.[26] Eventually, Briar cut out his own eyes in a futile attempt to keep him from seeing the Disciple's visage, only for his Ghost Firethorn to heal him and restore his vision. At Nezarec's own command, Briar turned on his Ghost and killed him, piercing Firethorn's lens with a knife before blinding himself a final time. [27]

Meanwhile, Mykel and his family continued to worship Nezarec and conduct rituals in his name to keep his legacy alive, with every new generation tested for loyalty and worthiness. On the night of his 18th birthday, Mykel was awakened after a nightmare caused by Nezarec, leading one of his parents to induct him into the cult by torturing a captive Eliksni to "extract its fear".[8] Later in his adulthood, Mykel would lead the Acolytes of Nezarec by directing the god of pain's influence towards his ideal victims. He also reached out to other prior victims of his to recruit into their ranks, including Acasia,[28] Briar,[29] and Koraxis.[21]

At one point, Drifter was contracted to retrieve a relic of the Disciple at the Fourth Tomb of Nezarec.[23] Though he was accosted by both an unknown Acolyte (implied to be Nessa) and Nezarec's own powers, he escaped unharmed with the artifact in hand.[30]

Around the time of the Leviathan's Haunt, Eris would delve further into Nezarec's derelict Pyramid and found the chamber that housed Nezarec's ancient glaive.[2]

The Hunt for the Relics[edit]

"As I've gathered, there was barely anything left of me for the Witness to collect. Hmm... has anyone suffered from the pieces they took? I wonder if I could track them down. Do you happen to know who took them. Consider the information reparations for my untimely death."
— Nezarec comments on his scattered remains[31]
All eight relics of Nezarec.

After being released from her Stasis prison, Eramis, the Kell of Darkness, was tasked by the Witness with collecting the scattered pieces of Nezarec's corpse for an unknown purpose.[32] Having rallied the Old Crews of the Themis Cluster to her side, she tasked the Pirate Lords with recovering the relics of the ancient Disciple. When one of them attempts to extort Eramis with their possession of a relic, she immediately rebukes his threats.[33] In retaliation, Mithrax along with his daughter Eido, the Drifter, the Spider, and the Guardian, would form their own pirate crew composed of Guardians and Eliksni alike as they took on the Pirate Lords in possession of the relics.[34] Meanwhile, the Hive of the Lucent Brood began their own plundering of the Disciple's remains for reasons unclear, overwhelming Eramis's forces in the process.[35]

During a parlay with Mithrax, Eido and the Guardian, Eramis revealed the true nature of the relics and the connection they share with Nezarec, Inaaks, and Mithrax's own bloodied past.[14] The Drifter would also recall his past encounter with the relic he claimed back at the Disciple's Fourth Tomb a long time ago, which he tried gifting to Eris earlier as a sign of affection and was instead given an idea for Mithrax on the best usage of the relics for good.[36][37]

Ultimately, Mithrax and the Guardians had successfully gathered the majority of the relics of Nezarec before Eramis and the Lucent Brood. Through her extensive research on the relics, however, Eido discovered a reference to the "Curse of Nezarec" in an ancient dirge as a potent side effect of the relics' usage. The curse is alleged to drain the life of the user, though to what purpose is unknown.[38] Mithrax took time to study the secrets of Nezarec's relics as they were connected by threads only he could perceive and whisper to him. He then performed a conversion that distilled a mass of primal Darkness from them to create something useful: a mentally revivifying elixir which was given to a comatose Osiris in the hopes that it would rouse him from his state. The brew worked as hoped, leading Osiris to finally awaken from his slumber.[39] Though in distilling Nezarec's essence, Mithrax had siphoned all its corruptive elements into himself and slowly became afflicted with the curse.[citation needed]

Nightmarish Revival[edit]

"This prison in-between... it will shatter. But I need power... I am pain. I am terror. I am Nezarec!"
— Nezarec's words echoed in the Vex Network
Nezarec's psychic hold on Neomuna.

During the initial battle between the Traveler and the Witness in Earth's orbit, it was revealed the Traveler struck the Witness' Pyramid with a Light-infused terraforming beam. Its attack deformed the surface of the Pyramid, sprouting a massive, budding root with ostensibly benign paracausal flora growing wildly within the structure of the ship.[40] One such root would pierce a large crystalline sarcophagus containing the disembodied head of Nezarec: the only remaining piece of the Disciple Eramis acquired for the Witness after the rest were taken by the Guardians.[citation needed] Nezarec, having been revived unintentionally by the Traveler's terraforming power, sought to use his newfound paracausal power for his own morbid curiosities.[41] Meanwhile, the God of Pain would also terrorize the Shadow Legion aboard the Pyramid, with Zo'aurc, Explicator of Planets detailing his own nightmares and more reports of night terrors and violent incidents among his forces.[42]

During the Shadow Legion's siege of Neomuna, the Guardian was sent on a Strike mission into the Vex Network to halt their sabotage of the city's CloudArk systems. When they first entered the network, Nimbus reported that the Neomuni had been having nightmares and hearing voices. Eventually, the voice within the network spoke to the Guardian and their Ghost, commenting on the abundance of fear and pain within the Darkness surrounding the CloudArk. Caiatl compared the phenomenon to the Nightmares they had previously encountered on the Leviathan. After the Strike team defeated Parthenios, Drifting Mind and stopped the Taken corrupting the network, the voice identified itself as Nezarec, who vowed to break free of his confinement within the network.[43]

Jisu Calerondo of Neomuna Civil News reported on the ongoing psychic attacks inflicted by Nezarec on the Neomuni in the CloudArk as they continued to experience widespread nightmares,[44] including city archivist Quinn Laghari,[45] maintenance chief Viragni "Sid" D'Sydney,[46] rapid responder Sam Moleyn,[47] and city administrator Tse Jingye.[48] Scientists from the city's Civil Defense Ministry determined Nezarec's CloudArk-disrupting signal to be a psychic carrier wave similar to the suspended energy matrix which maintains the CloudArk.[49] Authorities also speculated on the possible connection between Nezarec and the Psion race, with ethnographers noting recurring motifs in Psion art and ritual, as well as the potent psychic abilities exhibited by both parties.[50] The ongoing disruptions and nightmares would also contribute to the city's first case of cryogenic murder, with Bhur Zhimri being suspected of homicide following the death of his wife from cryo-tank malfunctions.[51] Nezarec would later remark that if he had a modicum of his original power, he would kill one or even three other citizens to expedite the Guardians.[52]

Additionally, multiple parties began speculating a possible connection between Nezarec and the Tormentors under the Witness's command, as multiple Imprints named after the titular Disciple are fought by Guardians. When first encountered, Osiris claimed that Tormentors are "the fruits of an unholy alliance between the Witness and Calus."[53] Quinn Laghari also speculated if they are the same species as Nezarec or clones made by the Witness of its generals.[54]

In addition, whispers from the Disciple could also occasionally be heard by the Guardian while patrolling Neomuna, particularly in Maya's Retreat and in the Thrilladrome Lost Sector. These whispers were ordinarily unintelligible, but whilst either Nezarec's Whisper or Nezarec's Sin was equipped they could be understood, and Nezarec would taunt them further during the Terminal Overload public event and within the Vex Network during Partition activities.

Nezarec's sarcophagus, pierced with the root from the Traveler’s terraforming.

Root of Nightmares[edit]

"My memory will never extinguish. In your calmest moments, your deepest slumber... you will remember me, Guardians"
— Nezarec's final words after his defeat

Seeking to find the source of the mysterious provocateur haunting Neomuna, the Guardian led a fireteam of six to investigate the now-derelict ship. Upon exploration of the interior, Nezarec greeted the intrepid fireteam upon their arrival. After hoping that his messages had reached them, the disciple had considered they would leave him to rot in his crystalline sarcophagus but remarked that Guardians cannot resist unanswered questions or a challenge. Upon reaching his tomb, Nezarec began channeling his hatred into massive waves of overwhelming paracausal energies which threatened to wipe out the team in addition to the Shadow Legion reinforcements. The fireteam was forced into a relay race where they linked nodes of Light together and supplied paracausal energy into the root connected to the Disciple's sarcophagus. Cavum Tormentors were also called forth at the beckoning of their progenitor but were dispatched to keep his hatred momentarily delayed. Upon completing the encounter, Nezarec was invigorated by how familiar and yet different his new power felt.[55]

The fireteam traveled throughout the shattered interior of Essence, fighting the Shadow Legion while they overcharged the Tree's root with Light and Darkness energies, growing even bigger across the Pyramid's architecture. Its energy fed into Nezarec's tomb, the Disciple could hear its shifting and even taste the paracausality on his tongue. When enough energy was fed into the coffin, large contractions of Resonant energy began to pulse from it, threatening the fireteam with extermination if they failed to attune with it. Along the way, Nezarec recalled his past encounter with the Witch Queen, having killed him and cursed his remains before whisking the Veil away to Neptune. Despite his loathing, he applauds her efforts. Nezarec would also remark about the current state of his remains, asking the Guardians if anyone had suffered from the pieces they took and if they knew who currently possessed them.[55]

Once the team reached Zo'aurc's location at Macrocosm, Nezarec tells them to tear the Cabal apart as he had not accomplished as the Guardians in their short time there. After killing the Incendior and overcharging even more paracausal energies into the root, the Disciple remarks how fascinated he is by the lengths they went to reach their goals, labeling them as "emissaries of pain and death". As they approach back to his now terraformed tomb, he tells them to free him so he may experience the world again with his new perspective.[55]

Nezarec, fully revived with powers of Light and Darkness.

With the fireteam returning to the sarcophagus, Nezarec's rebirth completed as he burst forth from the crystalline encasement of the tomb; now with a fully grown body fed on the Light and Darkness of the root thanks to the Guardians. Reveling in his newfound powers, the resurrected Disciple demanded to devour their fears as they engaged in battle. Armed with a massive Scythe and his Void-powered attacks, Nezarec unleashed both overwhelming energies of Light and Resonance at the Guardians only for them to survive by attuning to his attacks with Light and Dark nodes surrounding the battlefield. By linking both sets of paracausal nodes, they could channel the radiating power of the overgrown root into the Disciple's sarcophagus and unleash a massive beam of terraforming and resonant energies directly at Nezarec: dropping his impervious defenses and leaving him briefly vulnerable to the fireteam to damage. After much effort, the Guardians successfully defeated Nezarec as he was preparing to unleash a final wave of overwhelming energy; destroying his physical form in much the same fashion as Rhulk, Calus, and the Dread had met their ends. In his final whispers to the fireteam that killed him, Nezarec reminded them that he would always be present in their memories and nightmares, being an inescapable impression upon the universe.[55]

Legacy of Terror[edit]

"Is Nezarec truly dead? Can something that exists as an idea ever be destroyed?"
Micah-10

Upon his latest death, Nezarec's psychic hold on the citizens of Neomuna was lifted.[41] Jisu Calerondo issued a report on Neomuna Civil News detailing the demise of the Final God of Pain aboard the Witness's derelict Pyramid.[56]

Sometime later, an unpartnered Ghost named Balthazar would attempt to enter the lunar Pyramid seeking information on the Witness. Out of concern, Micah-10 had the Guardian venture back into the Pyramid to find the lost Ghost. Their own Ghost remarked that they thought the Nightmares would disappear after killing Nezarec, to which Micah responded by wondering whether or not something that exists as an idea could ever be destroyed. After entering the Pyramid and facing the Nightmares within, the Guardian found an artifact which contained a recording of an interaction between the Witness and Nezarec, instructing the Disciple to share the Veil's secrets with the Psions.[3]

Although Nezarec remains dead, his psychic influence nevertheless continues to torment Mithrax. Having previously taken on the corruption of the relics from their search, Mithrax now suffers from episodes where he hears the Disciple's voice in his mind.[57] The Disciple's influence can be heard in Mithrax's voice at moments when he is gripped by strong emotion, causing the Kell's thoughts and words to verge even deeper into bitterness, rage and despair.

Gameplay[edit]

For an in-depth description of the battle against Nezarec in the Root of Nightmares Raid, see Nezarec

Nezarec appears as the central figure and final boss of the Root of Nightmares raid, where he greets and subsequently attacks the Guardians. He shares most of the abilities of Tormentors (aside from the Dark Harvest grab attack); these abilities include the crescent-shaped Abyssal Cleave attack, a spinning disk of Void energy that sends out a barrage of Abyssal Cleaves, and the Tormentor's signature suppressing leap and slam attacks. In addition, Nezarec can channel his Hatred to conjure Psionic Blasts underneath the Guardians, and will eventually erupt in an explosion of Overwhelming Energy, Light, or Darkness that the Guardians will have to seek Refuge from. While made temporarily vulnerable by a combination of Light and Darkness, Nezarec will gain the ability to teleport for a suppressing slam attack, as well as a slower slam attack that sends out spinning Void blades along the ground.

Like Tormentors, Nezarec has two weak points on his shoulders and one weak point on his chest, though these serve different functions from those of Tormentors as they are tied to raid mechanics. While he is vulnerable, these weak points will take extra damage (though his whole body can take damage at this time).

Personality and traits[edit]

A known sadist who relishes in sowing fear and pain, Nezarec has a malevolent demeanor and a desire to feed off the terror of sentient beings to satiate his hunger. Even in his deceased state, however, the final god of pain uses his terrifying psionic powers to affect every being whether ally or enemy; showing no regard for who suffers under his influence. He also has a personal preference for screams which are "echoes that reverberate through eternity", especially when wrenched directly from his victims' throats before death. In battle, Nezarec expresses immense hatred and wrath as he immediately demands to devour the Guardians' fear following his resurrection.

Nezarec is also a devoted follower of the Witness and its goal of the Final Shape, which he believed would offer it "the fullest gamut of existence" based on his own interpretation. However, he would have a poor outlook on the Shadow Legion Cabal as their "new recruits" and the Vex, whom he calls the Sol Divisive the best of their kind. This is in contrast to his enemies such as the Guardians (especially Warlords), whom he labels as "emissaries of pain and death" inflicting terror with their own chaos, and even Savathûn, the Witch Queen, whom he applauds for her efforts despite his loathing of her.

Upon his initial resurrection with both paracausal powers of Light and Darkness, the Disciple was driven by morbid curiosity to experiment with his newfound power. After meeting his death a second time, however, he curses his killers to remember him in fear during their most peaceful moments.

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Nezarec's true nature as a Disciple remained largely mysterious until Season of Plunder, with most information coming from the lore entry for the Exotic Warlock helmet Nezarec's Sin and the Glaive Nezarec's Whisper.[2] It is also implied that Nezarec is the one speaking in the description of the Delicate Tomb Exotic Fusion Rifle.[58]
  • The revelation that Psions once worshipped Nezarec may explain the design of the Exotic helmet Nezarec's Sin, which strongly resembles the helmets worn by many Psions. The helmet itself is similar to Nezarec's actual head and facial structure, with his horns being more vertically aligned in contrast.
  • The Nightmare Harvester seasonal artifact from Season of the Haunted can summon a scythe, alluding to the connection between the Nightmares and Nezarec, who also wields a scythe.
  • Nezarec has seven eyes, perhaps a nod to Bungie's recurring use of the number seven in their games.
  • According to lead Bungie concept artist Tobias Kwan, Nezarec's heterochromia is caused by him being a "chimeric fusion"; it is unknown to what degree this description applies to in-game canon. [59]
  • According to intel gathered by the Vanguard, Nezarec was transformed into a Disciple through the blueprint of Rhulk.[60]

List of appearances[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bungie (2023/3/10), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Vest of Trepidation
  2. ^ a b c Bungie (2022/5/24), Destiny 2: Season of the Haunted - Item Description: Nezarec's Whisper
  3. ^ a b c Bungie (2023/06/04), Destiny 2: The Final Shape - The Visitation
  4. ^ Bungie (2019/10/1), Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
  5. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Nezarec: "Psions. Do You Still Adore Me? Worship me?"
  6. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Boots of Detestation
  7. ^ Bungie (2017/9/6), Destiny 2 - Item Description: Nezarec's Sin
  8. ^ a b Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Dream Demon
  9. ^ a b Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eido: "...second-hand accounts is that Nezarec led the Witness's first assault on Earth, or, as Humans call it, "the Collapse"."
  10. ^ Bungie (2022/2/22), Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - Parasitic Pilgrimage
  11. ^ Bungie (2024/6/4), Destiny 2: Episode: Echoes - Lore:Polyphony: IV. MSUND12/Personal
  12. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Conditional Finality
  13. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Lore:Above All Else: II. The Whispering Dark
  14. ^ a b Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Nezarec
  15. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eido: "Spectral analysis indicates trace amounts of Darkness energies radiating from within the vessel. However, the reliquary is made of a super-dense substance, like a lead barrier around uranium. This leads me to deduce that the relic itself is likely quite powerful, and potentially harmful if handled directly."
  16. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eramis: "The Darkness inside would dissolve you before you could ever wield it against the Hive."
  17. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Vest of Trepidation
  18. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Mask of Trepidation
  19. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Grips of Trepidation
  20. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Boots of Trepidation
  21. ^ a b Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Cloak of Trepidation
  22. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eido: "The many tombs of Nezarec are well known, though the being itself is less thoroughly documented."
  23. ^ a b Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, A Drifter's Gambit: Artifacts and Old Friends
  24. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Helm of Agony
  25. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Gauntlets of Agony
  26. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Plate of Agony
  27. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Greaves of Agony
  28. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Bond of Detestation
  29. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Iem Description: Mark of Agony
  30. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Item Description: Gift of Cruelty
  31. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Nezarec: "There Was Barely Anything Left of Me for the Witness"
  32. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Lore:Between Stolen Stars: I. Thaw
  33. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eramis, Kell of Darkness: "Deliver the relic as agreed, and I will overlook your attempts to extort me. Do it, or face the wrath of a power you cannot imagine."
  34. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Pirate Hideouts
  35. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Pirate Hideout: The Coward
  36. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - The Drifter: "...long time back, I found myself at the Fourth Tomb of Nezarec. Recognized these relics the first time I saw one. That's why I needed you involved. Ain't nobody I trust with that kind of power more'n you. Well... after Eris. She gave me some ideas that might help Mithrax use these things for good. Whatever he does will show us just what kind of person he is... if we can stop Eramis from finding the last few relics and killing us all. So, uh... get on that, heh."
  37. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Semephore Signals - Drifter messages Eris
  38. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Eido: "Now that we've collected all the relics, Misraakskel and I believe that we could harness their power. To what end... we're still uncertain. While I believe in our abilities, I am concerned about the potential side effects such a process could have. An ancient dirge I discovered describes something called "the Curse of Nezarec", which is rumored to drain the life of the user. Of course, I don’t give credence to such superstition. Dark Age Humans were comically ignorant. Still, I would rather not take the risk."
  39. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Awake
  40. ^ Bungie (2023/2/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Witness Arrival
  41. ^ a b Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Root of Nightmares Post-Raid Cinematic
  42. ^ This Week In Destiny – 05/02/2024
  43. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - HyperNet Current
  44. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Jisu Calerondo: "Cloud Strider Nimbus reports that recent CloudArk fluctuations are the result of new security measures to guard against intrusions. The Cloud Strider credits the Earth's Guardians for contributing personnel toward the dangerous operation. Despite this, more citizens have experienced nightmares. One name common to all? "Nezarec."
  45. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Quinn Laghari: "I searched my whole library, but can't figure out what a "Nezarec" is."
  46. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Viragni "Sid" D'Sydney: "We all did regrettable things thanks to Nezarec."
  47. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Sam Moleyn: "CloudArk's been a bit weird the last couple of days."
  48. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Tse Jingye: "When I close my eyes, I see everything burning. Even the CloudArk, consuming us all."
  49. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Jisu Calerondo:"Scientists with the Civil Defense Ministry report that the mysterious signal causing CloudArk disruptions appears to be a psychic carrier wave. The most common use of this technology, of course, is the suspended energy matrix which maintains our own CloudArk."
  50. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Jisu Calerondo: "Authorities have questioned the connection between the entity Nezarec and the Psion people, a client species of the Cabal Empire. Ethnographers note recurring motifs in Psion art and ritual, as well as the psychic potent abilities exhibited by both parties."
  51. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Jisu Calerondo: "Formal homicide charges have been filed in the case of Bhur Zhimri. Listeners may recall Zhimri was suspected in his wife’s death following cryo-tank malfunctions earlier this week. Prosecutors are describing it as Neomuna’s first case of cryogenic murder."
  52. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Nezarec: "If I had a modicum of my original power, I'd have killed one — or three — of those citizens to expedite your arrival."
  53. ^ Bungie (2023/2/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - First Contact
  54. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Quinn Laghari: "So, those Tormentor things are... what? The same species as Nezarec? Or does the Witness make, like, clones of its biggest, baddest generals?"
  55. ^ a b c d Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Root of Nightmares
  56. ^ Bungie (2023/02/28), Destiny 2: Lightfall - Jisu Calerondo: "Vanguard forces recently engaged an independent provocateur identified as "Nezarec" within a derelict Black Fleet vessel."
  57. ^ Bungie (2024/6/4), Destiny 2: Episode: Echoes - Lore:Polyphony: III. Heart-Truth
  58. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Item Description: Delicate Tomb
  59. ^ https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/060/357/384/large/tobias-kwan-tk-nezarec-02.jpg?1678378292
  60. ^ This Week In Destiny - 05/23/2024