Operation Ahamkara: Difference between revisions

*An Aurora of Light and Darkness seeps out of the Traveler after the Witness's defeat

**Multiple Echoes depart out of the Traveler as a result of the memories from the Witness

'''Psion Conclave & Cabal Deserters:'''

*Hundreds of Shadow Legion and Red Legion Deserter Cabal

*Dozens of Guardians

*Hundreds of Shadow Legion and Red Legion Deserter Cabal

Attempting to prevent Crow's entry into the Pale Heart, the Sol Divisive would recreate the [[Black Heart]] with the guidance of the Witness, taking the place of the Veil in the entanglement. To bring an end to their intervention, the Guardian enters into the Black Garden, destroying its Heart once more by defeating its new vessels known as the Temporal Progeny. With the interference halted, Crow enters into the Pale Heart before being vested in a dual by the now resurrected [[Cayde-6]]. However upon noticing Crow's [[Glint|Ghost]], Cayde lowers his weapon and helps Crow to his feet as they glance in the distance to see pulses of Light emerging from the Witness's Monolith.

When Ghost questions whether they can truly trust the statues, he is interrupted by Ikora who decided to join the mission and would ask if they have spotted Zavala. Cayde tells Ikora that they have not located Zavala yet, while Targe remarks that Zavala's belief that the statues were trying to assist them was correct. Traversing further into the storm, the Guardian enters into another Pyramidal structure to uncover an additional statue. As Targe attempts at reaching out to Zavala fail, the Guardian communes with the next statue as Ghost comes to realize that the statues likely still share a connection with the Witness. Targe responds by stating that an entity composed of billions of people is guaranteed to have dissenters among its collective. A Dissenter speaks through the statue and discloses that the Witness viewed them as shameful, and thus they were cut out by the first knife until they could be deemed worthy, or be integrated into the final shape. Pushing further into the storm and arriving into another structure, they question another dissenter on how to defeat the Witness which states that giving themselves to Darkness is the only way to defeat it. Astonished at this regulation, Ghost questions why the Witness would imprison its own kind. Ikora would state that the Witness imprisoned them due to desiring to control what it can't change, making Targe realize that the Witness was afraid. Finally, the Guardian enters into a large temple, guarded by Scorn. After briefly communing with a dissenter consumed by hopelessness, they continue further into the temple to defeat three [[Devoted Acolyte|Wizard]]s and a [[Devoted Commander|Tormentor]] to open the trapdoor into the lower temple. Eventually the Guardian after traversing across the lower temple, the Guardian is confronted by the [[Pillar of Devotion]]. Utilizing the [[Aegis]], the Guardian pierces its shield and slays the Pillar before escaping the temple as it begins to collapse around them. Emerging from the temple, the Guardian finds Zavala outside as he stands before a pool of Darkness leading into a shrine.  

At their new camp, Zavala is comforted by his allies for the death of Targe, with the Commander remarking that he had thrown away his Light just for a riddle and a memory. However Ikora and Cayde realize that Targe's death was not in vain as the dissenters gave them the knowledge they needed to unmake the Witness at the memory of the ritual site where it was created. Zavala tells his companions that he can guide them to the ritual site‘S location with their assistance. Before travelling to the ritual site, the Guardian speaks with Ghost about Targe's sacrifice and how the Traveler still holds its faith in them.

Exiting the cave to return outside and setting forth in another glass entrance, the Guardian enters another cavern where the Witness coaxes them to ascend to their potential as an admired hero of the Last City by showing them dioramas. Eventually the Guardian emerges from this cave and arrives at a large Pyramidal structure leading to the ritual site. The Guardian is then confronted by [[Dolgith, Blade of Reasoning]], who bears an Immunity Shield and summons Taken forces to its aid. Destroying the Blights, the Guardian then enters into a portal to take them to a room where two Darkblades reside. Defeating the Darkblades, they enter another portal to return to the entrance and dispel the Glyphs to retrieve the Aegis and pierce Dolgith's shield. Despite its formidable strength, the Guardian succeeds in vanquishing the Taken Ogre. With Dolgith's defeat, the Witness speaks with the Guardian over the Sword Logic's belief that the strongest being in the universe will ascend to become the Final Shape through endless slaughter. The Witness states that the Hive's Sword Logic was a childish game of brutality, remarking that they were too fascinated by the first knife's violence to never realize what it desired for the Final Shape, comparing this to the Guardian's endless battles. As the Guardian travels to the ritual site, they are greeted by Mara who succeeded in entering the Pale Heart alongside their allies.

As Ghost would reveal that he had obtained Bean's signal, he would discover that Kargen was attempting to access Vex data on the [[OXA Machine]] once again. When Micah remarked on the OXA's similarities to the [[Future War Cult]]'s [[The Device|Device]], Ghost would state that both machines appeared to either be the same thing or share the same design. Furthermore, Ghost would also discover that Kargen was attempting to access the Sol Divisive's research on the Veil and that this Cabal detachment was sent by [[Otzot]], a leader of the [[Psion Conclave]] and co-conspirator of the [[Midnight Coup (event)|Midnight Coup]]. This revelation would lead to them believing that there are defector branches within the Shadow a legion, not loyal to the Witness. When Micah would ask Ghost who had stopped Kargen from accessing the data, he would reveal it was [[Maya Sundaresh]] according to this log. Finding Bean at the [[Pools of Luminance]], the Guardian would return to the Pale Heart to discuss these new findings with Micah. Ultimately, the Hunter would conclude that the Conclave's loyalty to the Witness was dubious in nature as a means to cover their own operations.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[The Oracle]]''</ref>

Micah would discover the general location of [[Heilung]], another member of the Watchful Eye who had been sent on a long-term recon mission into the [[Court of Savathûn]], but had been unresponsive for a year. Returning to the Witch Queen's bewildering realm, the Guardian returns to the [[Temple of Cunning]] and defeats hordes of Scorn to make their way to the main part of the temple. Defeating the [[Ahamkara Illusion]], which served as an alarm for the Lucent Hive, Ghost would realize that Heilung had been watching them. To escape the Lucent Hive that would converge on their position, the Guardian briefly scanned another calcified statue before escaping the temple. Finding Heilung at the [[Sanctum of the Brood Queen]], the Guardian accompanies her to the Pale Heart. With the intel that Heilung had collected, Micah would learn that although Savathûn had aligned her brood against the Witness, the Witch Queen intended to pursue something after it was defeated.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[The Illusion]]''</ref>

To uproot the Witness's hold over the Traveler, a six Guardian fireteam led by the Young Wolf is sent to infiltrate the Monolith and end the Witness's ambitions to bring upon the final shape. Upon arriving at the Monolith, the fireteam are greeted by the Witness, who once again attempts to sway them to its side. Arriving at the Substratum, they would fight their way through the Sol Divisive and open doorways to continue further into the structure. They would also power a machine by feeding the conductor a pyramidal resonance, a spherical resonance, or a hexahedral resonance while transferring power from one plate to another and back. As the fireteam progress to the Dissipation, the Witness advises them to accept the stillness of the final shape but to no avail. Remaining persistent through these challenges, the Guardians slay the formidable, [[Herald of Finality]] before traversing up the structure. As the fireteam travel across floating platforms, the Witness reveals it is not the perplexing Winnower, but rather the First Knife wielded in its hands. Furthermore, the Witness speaks of how they and the Guardians were forged by gods, but ultimately proclaims that the Winnower can not choose what the Witness enacts for the final shape. Reaching the summit of the Monolith, the Guardians confront the Witness which now possesses a new form. Using its immense paracausal power, the Witness attempts to both destroy the Guardians and enact the final shape. However despite its unimaginable power, the Witness is wounded even further, resulting in its connection to the Traveler and the Light being severed. With its strength now greatly diminished, the Witness retreats from its Monolith to another location within the Pale Heart to recover its strength.

With the Witness's connection to the Traveler now severed, Zavala rallies the forces of the Coalition and the Lucent Brood to launch one final assault against their ancient enemy. The Vanguard Commander would speak of how they now had an opportunity to defeat the Witness thanks to the efforts of the fireteam. Furthermore, Zavala would declare that while the Guardians and their Ghosts confront the Witness, the rest of them would engage with its forces. Looking at his allies, Zavala would call upon all the species that the standing against it. As hordes of Scorn prepare to engage, Zavala would proclaim that they would end this ancient conflict once and for all before assaulting the enemy forces with the power of Stasis. Arriving to the large wall blocking the way to the Witness, the Guardian leading a fireteam of twelve fights through the forces of the Dread, Taken, Shadow Legion, and Sol Divisive alongside Caiatl, Mithrax, Savathûn, Luzaku, and others. The fireteam successfully lowers the barrier blocking the way to their fireteam while their allies retreat to assist Zavala. Confronting the Witness once more, the Guardians would not fight alone as Saint-14 would arrive to the battlefield and summon forth a Ward of Dawn for defensive support. Furthermore, their comrades would also deliver powerful weapons for them to wield. To wound the Witness, the fireteam retrieve Light, deposit it into a relic, and give themselves to Darkness. Entering into the Witness's consciousness, they use swords to destroy the many statues containing the Precursors. As the Witness cuts them from its collective, the Guardians destroy its Glyphs and strike against its weak point within its chest. Losing its battle against the Guardians, the Witness summons an glass barrier for defence. Understanding what must be done, Ghost orders the Guardian to channel the Traveler's Light through him. Utilizing their Ghosts, the Guardians channel the Traveler's Light directly into the Witness to unmake the eldritch entity and bring an end to its obsessive ambitions once and for all. With its final words, the Witness referred to itself as "I" as it expressed its confusion at how the people of Sol would find meaning 8n this chaotic existence.

Due to the Darkness entering into the Pale Heart, the Traveler would begin to transform while an Aurora of Light and Darkness known as the [[Valence]] would begin to pour over Earth. To ensure no casualties occur, the Coalition would designate a no-fly zone within 100 kilometres. Furthermore, [[Echo (object)|Echoes]], paracausal objects of Light and Dark created from the Witness's memories would exit the portal on the Traveler and the Valence. The [[Echo of Command]], comprised of memories of a forgotten race extinguished by the Witness and which possessed the ability to control would arrive into the depths of [[Nessus]]. It would be retrieved by the Conductor, [[Maya Sundaresh]], who would utilize the artifact to transform the Nessian Vex into a new [[Compelled Collective|subtype]] under her command.