Scorn: Difference between revisions

The '''Scorn''' are a faction of undead [[Fallen]] spawned by [[Dark Ether|Darkness-tainted Ether]], initially created by the [[Taken]] [[Ahamkara]] [[Riven]] using wish-magic. Under the leadership of [[Fikrul, the Fanatic]] and [[Uldren Sov]], the Scorn orchestrated a massive breakout from the [[Prison of Elders]] and murdered the Hunter Vanguard [[Cayde-6]], and went on to spread across much of the [[Reef]] and the [[Dreaming City]]. More recently, many became enthralled by the [[The Witness|Witness]] and its [[Disciples of the Witness|followers]], who used them as pawns against the [[Guardian]]s and the turncoat [[Hive]] God, [[Savathûn]].

Fikrul and Uldren became allies and worked together to usurp [[Craask, Kell of Kings]], immediately taking over the House of Kings; Fikrul would dock the King Kell of his arms and demoted Craask to Dreg status before slaughtering the entire House in a grand betrayal, as Uldren decided that the Kings were too bothersome to keep around.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince|The Forsaken Prince]]: [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince#Fikrul|Fikrul]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince|The Forsaken Prince]]: [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince#Docking|Docking]]''</ref> With the use of [[Dark Ether]], Fikrul raised the deceased Kings as a new army of undead Fallen to lead, which became known collectively as the Scorn.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince|The Forsaken Prince]]: [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince#Petra|Petra]]''</ref>

A year after the Red War, both Uldren and Fikrul were caught by Petra and Cayde-6, willingly surrendering themselves and taken to the [[Prison of Elders]].<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince|The Forsaken Prince]]: [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince#Free_.7C_Part_I|Free | Part I]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:Most Loyal|Most Loyal]]: [[Lore:Most Loyal#Two Cells|Two Cells]]''</ref> After attempting to interrogate Fikrul on the whereabouts of [[Kaliks Prime]],<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:Most Loyal|Most Loyal]]: [[Lore:Most Loyal#Revolution|Revolution]]''</ref> [[Variks]] began experiments on Fikrul's corrupted Ether in the hopes of curing both him and Uldren, eventually discovering its "life-giving" properties.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:Most Loyal|Most Loyal]]: [[Lore:Most Loyal#Chain of Souls|Chain of Souls]]''</ref><ref name="WLL">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Lore:Most Loyal|Most Loyal]]: [[Lore:Most Loyal#Where Loyalty Lies|Where Loyalty Lies]]''</ref> The former Prince took advantage of Variks' wavering loyalty and tricked him into releasing the prison's inmates,<ref name="WLL"/> causing a massive riot which [[The Guardian]] and Cayde-6 were tasked to contain, unaware of the Scorn raised by Fikrul to aid in releasing the Barons. During their escape, Cayde-6 was confronted by Uldren and the eight Scorned Barons in a tense standoff, which ended with Uldren finishing off the Hunter Vanguard with his own [[Ace of Spades|Hand Cannon]].<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Last Call]]''</ref>

{{quote|Hello, dead thing. Come to slaughter my children? Me, perhaps? You die instead.|Fikrul, the Fanatic}}

Despite the Scorn's falling numbers, leadership finally came back in place, as the Fanatic returned from death for revenge and to raise the other Barons from the dead once more. Fighting through the Scorn, a strike team entered [[The Hollowed Lair]], with Fikrul challenging them. Despite his hatred and Dark Ether powers, the Guardians defeated the Scorn Archon once again but he swears that he will return, no matter how many times they strike him down.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[The Hollowed Lair]]''</ref>

Another Baron, Elykris, the Machinist returned, but this time under the title "Reanimated Machinist" implying that she and the other Barons can be revived just like Fikrul.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Ether Ritual]]''</ref> Despite the return of Elykris and Fikrul, the Scorn's power and numbers appear to be unknown as [[The Drifter]] mentions that Scorn were all over the place and that they must be breeding and have appeared in places like [[Deep Six]] on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] and [[Legion's Folly]] on [[Nessus]].<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Gambit]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[Drifter]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oedz6-Vp_nQ "You’d think we’d have run out of Scorn by now. How are they breeding?"]''</ref>

Following the [[Season of Arrivals|Arrival of the Pyramids]], many Scorn in the Tangled Shore would find themselves captured by [[Loyalist]] [[Cabal]] of former [[Emperor Calus]],<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Hunt]] - Item Description: [[Wild Hunt Suit (Hunter)#Wild Hunt Grasps|Wild Hunt Grasps]]''</ref> and sent to the Cabal Carrier, [[Glykon Volatus]]. There, the Scorn would be subjected to experiments to satisfy Calus' understanding of the Darkness.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Lore:Captain's Log|Captain's Log]]: [[Lore:Captain's Log#ENTRY 4 - Well of Absence|ENTRY 4 - Well of Absence]]''</ref> The experimentations would further develop after the Loyalists brought the Hive artifact, the [[Crown of Sorrow]], aboard. Utilizing the Crown, Calus had a means of observing how the Darkness interfered with the Scorn's corrupted consciousness.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Lore:Captain's Log|Captain's Log]]: [[Lore:Captain's Log#ENTRY 6 - Excess of Avarice|ENTRY 6 - Excess of Avarice]]''</ref> Many test subjects would perish from "continuous neuron death" except for one who "spoke with many dead voices". This Scorn would become known as the [[Locus of Communion]].<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Presage#Transcript|Presage: Week 1]]''</ref>

Though many of the Emperor's communions failed, he eventually succeeded when [[Egregore]] began to manifest among the Scorn. The Glykon was plunged into the Anomaly of [[Mars]] from its anchoring point of [[Phobos]]. The Scorn were freed and hunted down all the other passengers.<ref name="Blood Barrel">'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Lore:Captain's Log|Captain's Log]]: [[Lore:Captain's Log#ENTRY 8 - Acheron's Wall|ENTRY 8 - Acheron's Wall]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Lore:Captain's Log|Captain's Log]]: [[Lore:Captain's Log#ENTRY 10 - Blood in the Barrel|ENTRY 10 - Blood in the Barrel]]''</ref> Eventually, the ship returned, and an [[Presage|exploration]] by The Guardian would find the derelict Glykon after intercepting its distress signal. After boarding the vessel, the Guardian defeated the Scorn and the Locus leading them and discovered the secrets of the experiments conducted upon them, supported by [[Osiris]] and [[Caiatl]].<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Presage]]''</ref>

Sometime following the battles in the Witch Queen's realm, the factions of the Sol System would be surprised by the return of Calus's personal pleasure craft, the Leviathan, hanging derelict over the Moon. [[Eris Morn]] would discover that the massive vessel is emitting a signal towards the [[Lunar Pyramid]] beneath the moon's surface, as per Calus's wishes, which causes the [[Nightmare]] phantoms to return and torment anyone who gets too close. The Scorn themselves would be drawn to the Leviathan, though it is unknown if they now serve the former Cabal Emperor or not, but they have begun to claim territory deep within the ship and have begun to conduct rituals involving the Nightmares.<ref name="Haunted">'''Bungie (2022/5/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Haunted]]''</ref>

As the Guardians investigate the Leviathan and conduct Nightmare Harvests to contain the Nightmares, they occasionally clash with the Scorn, attempting to thwart the Lightbearers' efforts. Despite the Scorn's attempts, the Guardians would make progress in severing Calus's connections to the Lunar Pyramid and discovering any clues as to what Calus was looking to accomplish, which was to merge with the Lunar Pyramid, gain its power and become a Disciple of The Witness. Though the Guardians would succeed in severing Calus's connections to the Pyramid, the Emperor nonetheless succeeded in beginning the transformation, leading the Guardians to make one last desperate severance ritual to prevent Calus from gaining the Pyramid's power. The Scorn would aid the new Disciple but despite their efforts, the Guardians can push Calus back, preventing him from gaining the Pyramid's power. However, Calus nonetheless accomplished what he intended, the former Emperor had become a Disciple of the Witness and thereby became the herald of the Second Collapse.<ref name="Haunted"/>

Though the Scorn failed in aiding Calus in seizing control over the Lunar Pyramid, the Scorn would in time serve a new master in preparing for the Witness's return, the Hive God of War, Xivu Arath. To supplement her forces, Xivu Arath consolidated her Wrathborn forces in seizing control over the Warsat Network as [[Rasputin]] remained incapacitated since its failed effort to stop the Black Fleet's initial arrival. To aid her efforts, Xivu Arath assumed control over most of what was left of the [[House of Salvation]], after their leader, [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness|Eramis]], failed in her mission to claim the relics containing the pieces of the dead Disciple, [[Nezarec, Final God of Pain|Nezarec]] before the Guardians. To further punish Eramis for her failure, Xivu Arath killed many Salvation Fallen and resurrected them as Scorn, some of whom Eramis had known personally.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/12/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Seraph]] - Item Description: [[Path of Least Resistance#Lore|Path of Least Resistance]]''</ref>

The news of these Scorn on Earth would eventually catch the attention of Fikrul, who has been leading a crew of his own Scorn independent from the Witness after fleeing the Tangled Shore. Aboard a stolen Ketch, he tasked [[Rathil, First Broken Knight of Fikrul|five]] [[Malaris, Second Broken Knight|powe]][[Vrysiks, Third Broken Knight|rful]] [[Nymeks, Fourth Broken Knight|Chief]][[Sirloks, Fifth Broken Knight|tains]] dubbed Knights to bring the Scorn to them before the Witness could claim them.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/11/28)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Wish]] - Item Description: [[Buried Bloodline#Lore|Buried Bloodline]]''</ref> However, the Knights would be broken and fall under the control of Hefnd. They would fight alongside the Dragon's Scorn and the Taken, only to be cut down by a Guardian fireteam sent to investigate the ruins.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/11/28)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Wish]] - [[Warlord's Ruin]]''</ref>

As The Witness neared completing its Final Shape upon reality, the desperate Vanguard initiated Operation Ahamkara to stop the entity, with the Guardian, Ikora Rey and Zavala passing through the portal on the Traveler to search for Crow and establish an investigation on the means to located and destroy the Witness. As the group became separated upon entering the [[Pale Heart]], the Guardian would encounter large numbers of Scorn serving to protect the Witness's efforts alongside that of [[The Dread]]. Despite their efforts, the Guardian slayed them and reunited with the Vanguard, Crow and a miraculously revived Cayde-6.<ref name="Final Shape">'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]]''</ref>

Though the Vanguard's efforts to find a way to stop the Witness came at great cost, they learned much in discovering the entity's weakness: dissenters within its collective consciousness' left clues that ultimately revealed that by targeting the minds within the collective using the Light, then the Witness can be unmade. This method proved successful in wounding the Witness but the Vanguard was forced to retreat as the Witness grew enraged at their defiance. Nonetheless, the Coalition arrived to save the group and with the knowledge they had, they had the means to destroy the Witness.<ref name="Final Shape"/>

Before the final battle, both Crow and Cayde began investigating the Scorn's operations within the Pale Heart, learning that the morbid Fallen were seeking to poison the Pale Heart using Dark Ether, spreading the Witness's corruption. With the Guardian's aid, the two succeeded in disrupting the Scorn's operations and slaying the Abomination spreading the Dark Ether, [[Lii'liks, Harvester of the Witness]]. With their mission a success, Cayde officially names Crow his successor as Hunter Vanguard, undoing the damage the Scorn had inflicted upon the Vanguard years prior.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[Wild Card]]''</ref>

The loss of their master sent shockwaves through the Witness's servants, with the Scorn and Taken in particular languishing or lashing out. However, Fikrul remained at large to possibly lead what is left of the Scorn which partly motivated Crow to track his whereabouts.<ref name="Final Shape ending cutscenes">[https://youtu.be/Q-14MWExkKE?t=330'''Youtube''' - Destiny 2 The Final Shape (Ending Cutscenes)]</ref>

 

After their exile, they no longer affiliated themselves with any House and chose to follow [[Uldren Sov]]. He is given honorary titles such as "King Sov" and "Father" and the Barons will do anything to help pursue his goals.{{Citation needed}} Beneath Uldren are eight Barons, led by the former [[House of Wolves|Wolf]] [[Archon]], [[Fikrul, the Fanatic]]. His most ardent follower is [[Elykris, the Machinist]] who serves the group as his second in command.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]] - [[The Machinist]]''</ref> The Barons challenged the sovereignty held by [[the Spider]] and set their base of operations by the [[Tangled Shore]]. Each one has a unique set of skills and combat specialities.