Riven of a Thousand Voices: Difference between revisions

Years after Riven's corporeal death, which freed her from her Taken curse, the Guardians and the Vanguard Coalition, following various conflicts and unnerving revelations, would be forced to raise the Last Ahamkara's spirit so she can perform the 15th wish, the "one we would cherish" as she once spoke, which turned out to be the Witch Queen's wish before her demise and being made a Lightbearer. Using the Wall of Wishes once more and Queen Mara's Techuens performing a spell to awaken Riven's spirit with her heart, the Guardians and Mara ask for the Wish for a new pathway. Riven's spirit, though diminished yet still strong enough to perform one more wish, awakens as planned but to the Awoken Queen's surprise and frustration, the Ahamkara refuses to grant them their wish. In a private conversation with Mara, Riven states she has no reason to grant it as she is dead along with the rest of her kind. Riven recounts how it wasn't enough for the Awoken Queen to send the Guardians to slay her, but also have her forces destroy her eggs. Or so Mara thought, as one was found within [[Savathûn's Spire]]. Riven admits that she hid some of her eggs within the bowels of her lair to protect them from Mara's wrath and if she were to ensure their safety, then the Ahamkara would perform the final wish. Despite the risk of allowing the Ahamkara species to thrive and terrorize the Sol System once again yet desperate for the means to follow [[The Witness]], the Awoken Queen agrees to Riven's bargain.

Though the bargain angers many, [[Petra Venj]] and Crow among them, Mara believes there is little choice and thus instructs the Guardians to descend into [[Riven's Lair]] to find her clutch of eggs, slaying [[Sol Divisive]] Vex and rampant Taken throughout the way. However, after reaching the end and opening the vault, they find it empty, angering Riven. Mara voices her innocence before ordering Petra and her Techuens to find out what happened. In time, Petra uncovers that somehow, Riven's eggs were cast into the Ascendant Plane, leaving them to orbit the material plane like comets to a sun. However, Petra believes that they can employ the same strategy of using the Ley Lines in the Dreaming City to "catch" them, similar to how the Queen's Techuens were lost in the Ascendant Plane. The plan succeeds in catching one egg, bringing it to a secure location before the Vex could capture or destroy it themselves. During the whole mission, Riven continually taunts the group alongside thinly veiled threats to them should her clutch of eggs come to harm, promising they will get nothing from her if such an event occurs.

Later, Riven would target her taunts and mocking towards Crow as he works with Petra, Mara and the Guardian in modifying the Oracle Engine within the Dreaming City to help them guide Riven's clutch towards them. Crow tries to ignore Riven as much as possible but her words but he nonetheless becomes angered by the fact that they have to work with the Ahamkara that played a large part in his fall from grace and eventual death. Fortunately, Mara and Petra convince Crow to stay the course as the Guardian succeeds in acquiring another egg. Riven would later actually confide with the Guardian on the natures of humans and Ahamkara, wondering about the possibility that more of the Ahamkara could have survived the Great Hunt had they acted more "human" but sadly concluded that such a bargain was simply not part of their nature.

As the Guardians make progress in gathering the eggs, Riven wonders how her clutch was even set adrift in the Ascendant Plane before concluding that only a wish could have made such a thing possible. During a mission to gain an egg before the [[Sol Divisive]] do, the Guardians arrive too late just as the Vex teleport it to the Black Garden, enraging Riven. Desperate to save her egg, Riven reveals a secret path into the Black Garden, giving them a chance to save the egg. After battling scores of Vex, the Guardians succeed in rescuing the egg but further investigation in the area reveals Wish energy that doesn't belong to Riven before finding the fossilized remains of an Ahamkara. Riven reveals, in sadness, that they belong to her mate: [[Taranis]]. Begging Crow to allow Taranis to speak through him, to which he reluctantly agrees, letting Riven have one last moment with her mate. With this, Riven and the others figure out that it was Taranis who sent their brood into the Ascendant Plane, fearing for their safety following Riven's bargain with Oryx as they were beginning to show signs of being corrupted. However, making such a wish on their own is detrimental for an Ahamkara, as it requires their own energy to complete it. In the end, Taranis sacrificed himself to preserve his and Riven's children. Riven is despondent at the loss of her mate but understands his reasons as it was his nature to be humble and stay true to the intent of the wishes he granted, a peculiar trait that originally drew her to him. To honor her mate, Riven allows the Guardian to wield the [[Wish-Keeper]] Bow that was found in Taranis's remains, so it can aid them in rescuing their clutch.

Nearing the end of collecting the rest of the eggs, Riven reveals a final detail in Savathûn's Wish to the Guardian, Mara and Osiris: Riven would be able to adjust the Ley Lines to open a path in the Gateway on the Traveler but allow only ''one'' individual to pass. This revelation infuriates the Awoken Queen, enough to nearly strike at Riven's spiritual form but is restrained by Osiris using [[Strand]]. The former Warlock states that despite this unfortunate new detail, it was still their only chance to follow the Witness and stop its plans to enact the Final Shape. Further, Osiris, after having an epiphany regarding this new information with his knowledge of the Veil, one person getting past the gateway would be all that they would need to "open the door" for the rest. With this knowledge, Crow volunteers to be the one to pass through the gateway in the Guardian's place, as his unique connection with Mara would allow them to know that Crow had made it through and could guide the rest.

Despite the hurdles Riven's revelation had made, the Guardians continued gathering the last of the eggs but the second to last of them was on the verge of being claimed by the Taken. Racing through Riven's Lair, the Guardians managed to slay the Taken leading the assault, revealing their connection to Xivu Arath, but discover too late that the egg had already been corrupted by Taken energies. Wailing in sadness at the fate one of her clutch will have to endure, Riven threatened to go back on their bargain but Mara managed to quell Riven's fury, stating they have a method to reverse the corruption. Skeptical, Riven nonetheless allows them a chance to save her egg. The Guardian and Mara ultimately come through in saving the corrupted egg by using a manner similar to how they saved her Techuen Coven from Taken Corruption, bringing relief to Riven.

After the Guardian collected the last egg before the Scorn could claim it, Mara, Petra, Crow and the Guardian made the final preparations for the 15th Wish. Returning to the Wall of Wishes once again, the Guardian enacts the final wish for Riven to grant, creating a portal for Crow to pass through. With the wish complete, Riven's spent essence, she bids farewell to Mara who has taken responsibility for the Great Hunt by deciding to look after Riven's Clutch as they grow, fades away. However, when Crow finally arrived within the Pale Heart, Riven's last wish had one final twist. As Crow took the plunge through the portal, he thought about [[Cayde-6]] staring up at him without a Ghost or Light, fearlessly aiming his gun at him. As a result, Riven's wish brought Cayde back to life as a construct of pure Light energy.