Sword Logic: Difference between revisions

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As the antithesis to [[Light]], the Sword Logic is best described as the totality and pinnacle of existence<ref name="Ascendant Sword"/> and as a "queen of armies".<ref name="Darkness 3">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Darkness#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness_3|Ghost Fragment: Darkness 3]]''</ref> It dictates both the destruction of everything which cannot protect itself against and the establishment of a systematic, self-proving civilizational structure which can withstand annihilation,<ref name="Weakness Verse">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XVII:_The_Weakness_Verse|XVII: The Weakness Verse]]''</ref><ref name="General Battuta">'''reddit''', ''[https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/5ag9ne/the_sword_logic_and_its_implications/d9gfxnb/ The Sword Logic and its implications - General Battuta, Books of Sorrow Grimoire writer]''</ref> often refered to as the "Last True Shape" of the universe.<ref name="Darkness 3"/><ref name="amputation">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXX:_a_golden_amputation|XXX: a golden amputation]]''</ref>  In short, it can be described as a survival-of-the-fittest ideology taken to an incredible extreme. It is not enough to merely defeat enemies, but also to consume their power.<ref name="Ascendant Sword"/> All power must be taken by force, not received as a gift.<ref name="King of Shapes">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXVIII:_King_of_Shapes|XXVIII: King of Shapes]]''</ref> This is why it is a mistake to categorize it as a morality system; the Sword Logic is amoral and self-serving,<ref name="General Battuta"/> a meritorious system which dictates the rise and fall of its user by the right of force.<ref name="Carved in Ruin">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIX:_Carved_in_Ruin|XXIX: Carved in Ruin]]''</ref>
As the antithesis to [[Light]], the Sword Logic is best described as the totality and pinnacle of existence<ref name="Ascendant Sword"/> and as a "queen of armies".<ref name="Darkness 3">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Darkness#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness_3|Ghost Fragment: Darkness 3]]''</ref> It dictates both the destruction of everything which cannot protect itself against and the establishment of a systematic, self-proving civilizational structure which can withstand annihilation,<ref name="Weakness Verse">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XVII:_The_Weakness_Verse|XVII: The Weakness Verse]]''</ref><ref name="General Battuta">'''reddit''', ''[https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/5ag9ne/the_sword_logic_and_its_implications/d9gfxnb/ The Sword Logic and its implications - General Battuta, Books of Sorrow Grimoire writer]''</ref> often refered to as the "Last True Shape" of the universe.<ref name="Darkness 3"/><ref name="amputation">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXX:_a_golden_amputation|XXX: a golden amputation]]''</ref>  In short, it can be described as a survival-of-the-fittest ideology taken to an incredible extreme. It is not enough to merely defeat enemies, but also to consume their power.<ref name="Ascendant Sword"/> All power must be taken by force, not received as a gift.<ref name="King of Shapes">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXVIII:_King_of_Shapes|XXVIII: King of Shapes]]''</ref> This is why it is a mistake to categorize it as a morality system; the Sword Logic is amoral and self-serving,<ref name="General Battuta"/> a meritorious system which dictates the rise and fall of its user by the right of force.<ref name="Carved in Ruin">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIX:_Carved_in_Ruin|XXIX: Carved in Ruin]]''</ref>


This is what has built the entire Hive civilization<ref name="Weakness Verse"/> and its very hierarchy.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XX:_Hive|XX: Hive]]''</ref> Each lesser Hive must prove itself to become greater,<ref name="Carved in Ruin"/><ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/The_Taken#The_Taken:_Acolyte|The Taken: Acolyte]]''</ref> or risk annihilation.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/The_Taken#The_Taken:_Knight|The Taken: Knight]]''</ref><ref name="SCREAM">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIV:_THE_SCREAM|XXIV: THE SCREAM]]''</ref> This holds true for every Hive, from the tiny [[Thrall]] to the [[Ascendant Hive]] god-kings, including [[Oryx]] and [[Xivu Arath|his]] [[ Savathûn|sisters]]. Even the Worm Gods are not exempt, as evidenced by Oryx slaying [[Akka]] to gain an audience with the [[Darkness]] itself.<ref name="King of Shapes"/> As a byproduct of the pact made with the Worm Gods, as a Hive grows stronger from the killing of lesser life-forms (referred to as "cellular automata") and those which follow the dictates of the Light and the Darkness, so does its internal worm's lust for killing, meaning that unless it is fed enough the worm will eventually consume its host.<ref name="SCREAM"/>
This is what has built the entire Hive civilization<ref name="Weakness Verse"/> and its very hierarchy.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XX:_Hive|XX: Hive]]''</ref> Each lesser Hive must prove itself to become greater,<ref name="Carved in Ruin"/><ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/The_Taken#The_Taken:_Acolyte|The Taken: Acolyte]]''</ref> or risk annihilation.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/The_Taken#The_Taken:_Knight|The Taken: Knight]]''</ref><ref name="SCREAM">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIV:_THE_SCREAM|XXIV: THE SCREAM]]''</ref> This holds true for every Hive, from the tiny [[Thrall]] to the [[Ascendant Hive]] god-kings, including [[Oryx]] and [[Xivu Arath|his]] [[ Savathûn|sisters]]. Even the Worm Gods are not exempt, as evidenced by Oryx slaying [[Akka]] to gain an audience with the [[Darkness]] itself.<ref name="King of Shapes"/> As a byproduct of the pact made with the Worm Gods, when a Hive grows stronger from the killing of lesser life-forms (referred to as "cellular automata") and those which follow the dictates of the Light and the Darkness, so does its internal worm's lust for killing, meaning that unless it is fed enough the worm will eventually consume its host.<ref name="SCREAM"/>


The [[Leviathan]] knew of the Sword Logic and claimed that it led to ruin and damnation for all who followed its path;<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#VIII:_Leviathan|VIII: Leviathan]]''</ref> in contrast the Darkness (and Toland<ref name="Darkness 3"/>) claimed that it was a beautiful thing,<ref name="Majestic">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXII:_Majestic._Majestic.|XXXII: Majestic. Majestic]]''</ref> majestic and noble, and that all life should abide by this self-proving law for this was the natural way of the universe.<ref name="Majestic"/> However there are implications that it destroys the soul and integrity of the practitioner,<ref name="Dreams">''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXIII:_When_do_monsters_have_dreams|XXXIII: When do monsters have dreams]]''</ref> rendering them into an entirely different creature that would horrify themselves if they could view it objectively.<ref name="Failed Timeline">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLIII:_End_of_Failed_Timeline|XLIII: End of Failed Timeline]]''</ref> Indeed, even Savathûn, who convinced Aurash originally to find the Worms, expresses doubt as to the validity of their crusade.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLIV:_strict_proof_eternal|XLIV: strict proof eternal]]''</ref>
The [[Leviathan]] knew of the Sword Logic and claimed that it led to ruin and damnation for all who followed its path;<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#VIII:_Leviathan|VIII: Leviathan]]''</ref> in contrast the Darkness (and Toland<ref name="Darkness 3"/>) claimed that it was a beautiful thing,<ref name="Majestic">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXII:_Majestic._Majestic.|XXXII: Majestic. Majestic]]''</ref> majestic and noble, and that all life should abide by this self-proving law for this was the natural way of the universe.<ref name="Majestic"/> However there are implications that it destroys the soul and integrity of the practitioner,<ref name="Dreams">''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXIII:_When_do_monsters_have_dreams|XXXIII: When do monsters have dreams]]''</ref> rendering them into an entirely different creature that would horrify themselves if they could view it objectively.<ref name="Failed Timeline">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLIII:_End_of_Failed_Timeline|XLIII: End of Failed Timeline]]''</ref> Indeed, even Savathûn, who convinced Aurash originally to find the Worms, expresses doubt as to the validity of their crusade.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire/Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLIV:_strict_proof_eternal|XLIV: strict proof eternal]]''</ref>

Revision as of 00:59, December 24, 2016

File:Grimoire Ascendant Sword.jpg
The Hive Cleaver, signature weapon and illustration of the Sword-Logic

"The sword binds wielder to victim. It binds life to death."
— Toland, the Shattered[1][2]

The Sword Logic is the guiding religious principle of the Hive. Most of our information comes from the Hive religious text known as the Books of Sorrow[3] and scattered pieces of arcana from Toland's journal.[1]

Overview

As the antithesis to Light, the Sword Logic is best described as the totality and pinnacle of existence[1] and as a "queen of armies".[4] It dictates both the destruction of everything which cannot protect itself against and the establishment of a systematic, self-proving civilizational structure which can withstand annihilation,[5][6] often refered to as the "Last True Shape" of the universe.[4][7] In short, it can be described as a survival-of-the-fittest ideology taken to an incredible extreme. It is not enough to merely defeat enemies, but also to consume their power.[1] All power must be taken by force, not received as a gift.[8] This is why it is a mistake to categorize it as a morality system; the Sword Logic is amoral and self-serving,[6] a meritorious system which dictates the rise and fall of its user by the right of force.[9]

This is what has built the entire Hive civilization[5] and its very hierarchy.[10] Each lesser Hive must prove itself to become greater,[9][11] or risk annihilation.[12][13] This holds true for every Hive, from the tiny Thrall to the Ascendant Hive god-kings, including Oryx and his sisters. Even the Worm Gods are not exempt, as evidenced by Oryx slaying Akka to gain an audience with the Darkness itself.[8] As a byproduct of the pact made with the Worm Gods, when a Hive grows stronger from the killing of lesser life-forms (referred to as "cellular automata") and those which follow the dictates of the Light and the Darkness, so does its internal worm's lust for killing, meaning that unless it is fed enough the worm will eventually consume its host.[13]

The Leviathan knew of the Sword Logic and claimed that it led to ruin and damnation for all who followed its path;[14] in contrast the Darkness (and Toland[4]) claimed that it was a beautiful thing,[15] majestic and noble, and that all life should abide by this self-proving law for this was the natural way of the universe.[15] However there are implications that it destroys the soul and integrity of the practitioner,[16] rendering them into an entirely different creature that would horrify themselves if they could view it objectively.[17] Indeed, even Savathûn, who convinced Aurash originally to find the Worms, expresses doubt as to the validity of their crusade.[18]

The Sword Logic can, in rare cases, resurrect a Hive god which has been killed in the Ascendant plane, as long as the one which killed them kills according to their geas, that is their inherent nature which binds them to the worm.[19][9]

Relations to other races

Vex

The Vex first learned of the Sword Logic when Crota accidentally cut open a portal into one of their sealed dimensions.[20] At first they were confused, their models and projections clashing horribly with the physics[1] of Oryx's throneworld, until they manifested Quria, Blade Transform who quickly discovered the source of the Hive's power.[21] Realizing the paracausal nature of the Hive could be the key to Vex survival[22] Quria organized a series of test invasion and began learning the Sword Logic from Crota and his sisters, the Deathsinger twins,[21] while keeping the greater Vex collective updated and aware of the process.[17]

Oryx eventually returned home and defeated the Vex, closing off Crota's portal after throwing his son through it,[22] but not before acknowledging the Vex as a worthy foe.[22] The Vex may have been exposed to the Sword Logic earlier than Crota's mishap, for Savathûn had known of them and had been the one behind Crota's "accident".[21]

Cabal

The Cabal have little to no experience with the Sword Logic, having never engaged with the Hive in protracted combat except once on the Moon[23] and also knew that the Hive had weapons or tactics which effectively neutralize Guardian resurrection.[24] Once the Skyburners Legion set foot upon the Dreadnaught they became beholden to the Sword Logic[1] but failed to understand how to work it. Nonetheless with the defeat of Oryx, the Cabal contingent aboard the dreadnaught have continued to hold out despite overwhelming losses.[25]

Fallen

The Fallen have not been observed to adapt the Sword Logic to their tactics until the SIVA Crisis[26], when the Devil Splicers began experimenting with SIVA and transcended flesh[27][28][29] entirely. Though not wholly like the Hive and the Worm Gods, the Fallen's behavior is similar enough to the precepts of the Final Shape that they have comprehended a form of the Sword Logic.[4]

The Guardians

In order to fully defeat the Hive god-kings on their own ground the Guardians tapped into the power of the Sword Logic[1][30] and utilized it to topple divinity. However, unlike other species who encountered the Sword Logic, the Guardians did not carry through and claim their enemy's power. This infuriated Toland as he saw the raid team which killed Oryx and his Court leave without taking anything, meaning all that he had worked for was for naught.[30] But this showed that the Sword Logic was a flawed philosophy, that it can be utilized partially without ill-effect, and thus Toland's analogy of three queens uniting together in a "gentle place ringed [with] spears" is indeed the correct one, and not the queen of armies.[4]

The Taken

"I am Oryx, the Taken King. And I have the power to take life and make it my own."
— Oryx declaring his power after his first audience with the Darkness.[8]

The Taken are corrupted members of various species the Hive have encountered and destroyed. First demonstrated against the Ecumene[31] after Oryx communed with the Darkness,[8] the Taken as a whole are described as a "paracausal ontopathogenic weapon" which infects the physical existence of an enemy and transforms them into compliant slaves, bound to the will of Oryx.

The Taken are essentially the direct arm of Oryx, killing to feed his worm, bypassing the Hive hierarchy and tribute system entirely.[9] This method allows him to kill en mass, far more than his armies could do alone, even when outmatched.[31] Nothing has shown resistance to being Taken[3] except the Guardians, possibly because their Light-based origin is antithetical to reality-warping abilities gifted by the Darkness,[3] and Ascendant Hive.[3]

Trivia

  • The Sword Logic is very similar to the "might makes right" aphorism with several meanings. One is that a ruling elite determines what society views as right and wrong. Another is that whomever "labels what they think is good for [themselves] as right, only those who are able to defeat their enemies can push their idea of what is right into fruition".[32]
  • According to William Montague,[33] Kraterocracy (Gr. κρατερός, or krateros, meaning "strong") is a form of government ruled by those strong enough to have seized the reins of power through might or cunning.[34] This is similar to how the Worms introduce Sword Logic to Auryx.[5]

List of appearances

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bungie (2014/12/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ascendant Sword
  2. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: Dreadfang
  3. ^ a b c d Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard
  4. ^ a b c d e Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: Darkness 3
  5. ^ a b c Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XVII: The Weakness Verse
  6. ^ a b reddit, The Sword Logic and its implications - General Battuta, Books of Sorrow Grimoire writer
  7. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXX: a golden amputation
  8. ^ a b c d Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXVIII: King of Shapes
  9. ^ a b c d Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXIX: Carved in Ruin
  10. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XX: Hive
  11. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: The Taken: Acolyte
  12. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: The Taken: Knight
  13. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXIV: THE SCREAM
  14. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: VIII: Leviathan
  15. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXII: Majestic. Majestic
  16. '^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXIII: When do monsters have dreams
  17. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XLIII: End of Failed Timeline
  18. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XLIV: strict proof eternal
  19. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXV: This Love Is War
  20. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXVIII: The partition of death
  21. ^ a b c Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXIX: open your eye : go into it
  22. ^ a b c Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XL: An Emperor For All Outcomes
  23. ^ Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, First Light
  24. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: Cabal 4
  25. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Outbound Signal
  26. ^ Bungie (2016/9/20), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Dormant SIVA: Fallen 3.4
  27. ^ Bungie (2016/9/20), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Dormant SIVA: Fallen 3.0
  28. ^ Bungie (2016/9/20), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Dormant SIVA: Fallen 3.5
  29. ^ Bungie (2016/9/20), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Dormant SIVA: Fallen 3.6
  30. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: King's Fall
  31. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXVII: Eat the Sky
  32. ^ Wikipedia, Might makes right
  33. ^ Wikipedia, William Pepperell Montague
  34. ^ Dictionary of Philosophy, Kratocracy

v • d • e
 
Hive
Infantry
Hive sects
Arsenal
Technology
Spaceships
Strongholds
Religious
Consumables
Materials
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