Grimoire:Enemies/The Taken: Difference between revisions

I have been talking to Eris about the Taken.

She agrees that what we observe — the apertures, the starlight, and of course the Taken entities — is not Hive magic. If Hive arcana is a metaphor, this is the meaning; if they make appeals, then this is the judge.

Oryx abuses this power. But Oryx did not make it. We face the same flower we met in the Black Garden.

I try to use the word ‘shadow’ but Eris hisses at me. A shadow is a flat projection cast by a light and an object. Less real. Eris insists that these Taken are more real, somehow. She uses words like inhabited, exalted, rendered final...

My Hidden tell me that the Taken shine with seething, negative light. As if the universe is curling up around them. As if they radiate some pathology that decays into our world as nothingness...

The Taken serve Oryx. But I think those jaws lead elsewhere.

What would I see, if I leapt inside? What would happen to a Guardian? Is that how we end this — all of us leaping into the dark, to fill it up with light?

Eris thinks there’s a poetry to how the Taken change. She thinks we can chart the difference, and understand the will behind it.

You are a Thrall. Numberless spawn of the Hive. Shrieking and expendable: one pebble in an avalanche.

There is a knife for you. It’s shaped like [sideways].

You betray the sword logic. You compromise the totality of your violence. Why protect your ground when you could take the enemy’s?  

The unit depends on you. You guide them with your sensors. With your weapons you crack the enemy’s strength and leave them in disarray. But you cannot control everything. The enemy can see your command. The enemy can claim the strong ground, move forward from cover, and kill you first.

You are Ta’aun. Primus of the Skyburners. Veteran of star-shaking campaigns. Bond brother to Tlu’urn and Mau’ual: your beloved comrades. Your faithful friends. For a while you were the mightiest Cabal soldier in the system.

Your Emperor told you to get aboard the Dreadnaught at any cost. I will go with you, Tlu’urn said, and you said no, no, this is my duty. I will fight with you, Mau’ual said, and you said, turn back, I will do this alone.

You loved them, so you left them, after you crashed your command into the target and you did your very damnedest. For the Emperor, for your duty, all against the howling horde. But it wasn’t enough, was it? That code is not enough.

The strength of Horu’usk was the knight strength<br/>

His might was the lord’s might, a leader's might<br/>

Sterile Mengoor! Simple Cra’adug!<br/>

This was selfish — a father’s rage in place of a king’s measured hand.

A son’s failure brought about the father’s fall.

But Noru’usk has no lineage to consider.

Noru’usk has no flaw.

If not Noru’usk, another.

==Keksis the Betrayed==

''Mindscan of Subject 667, known as “Sylok the Defiled”''

>>It’ll work this time. I’ve mapped every synapse.<br>

>>Petra said she needs this data. Don’t ask me why.<br>

''...I know you’re here. Your Light is dim, but there are other things to feed the worm that hungers...''<br>

>>You’re reading that, right?<br>

''...You’re being too gentle...''<br>

>>He’s playing with us.<br>

''...You’ll learn nothing this way!''<br>

>He’s in stasis. He doesn’t even know we’re here.<br>

>He doesn’t. I’ll prove it.<br>

>Finally. Let’s see what we’ve... wh— what is that?<br>

>>It’s too much! It’s overloading!<br>

>>It’ll work this time. I’ve mapped every synapse.<br>

Per the instructions from House Judgment, we have moved forward with the plan to integrate the Techeuns into the R&D process. It’s been challenging. Without the influence of Shuro Chi, their natural mistrust of the Reef’s new leadership has led to personality clashes. The Techeuns were very used to their relationship with the Throne. While the Queen's Wrath is trying to monitor hotspot issues, she is being met with challenges at every turn.

Below find remaining pertinent notations. We have received approval from the Queen’s Wrath to move forward, and thus future reports will detail production output and any changes to the process.

- Transferred Taken power has a throughput rate of ''[redacted]'' which is obviously lower than we want. Transfer still results in incredibly potent arms and armor, so for the moment this ‘noise’ is acceptable. Future improvements to the process will attempt to up the throughput rate.<br>

- The Queen’s Wrath has already stated she will handle the diplomatic side of this discussion. Legwork during initial trials raised the possibility the Vanguard would have concerns about the moral aspect of this technology, but the Wrath has stated it will not be an issue.<br>