Court of Blades

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Court of Blades
Game:	Destiny 2
Campaign:	Episode: Heresy
Player(s):	1-3
Recommended Power Level:	Activity Power Disabled
Location:	Hall of Souls, The Dreadnaught
Enemy faction(s):	The Dread Dire Taken Lucent Brood Xivu Arath's Horde
Hostile race(s):	Taken Hive
Objective(s):	Take on all challengers to sword logic in Oryx's old court on the Dreadnaught.

Court of Blades is an episodic activity introduced in Episode: Heresy. It follows a Guardian fireteam that return to the old court of Oryx, the Taken King where the Echo of Navigation tasks them with defeating any adversaries that seek to challenge the Young Wolf's claim to the Taken Throne.

Overview

Court of Blades is a boss rush mode inspired by the Court of Oryx activity with a twist. Players can interact with the same Hive console that is found in the beginning of The Nether, where players can select runes that affect the activity. After the initial are cleared in the Hall of Souls, all players must stand on a white circle to open a portal to begin the encounter where a 10 minute timer begins to count once they have stepped through the portal. Depending on the enemy faction that is being fought, there are augments and hazards that players must be aware of. Completing an augment objective within a time limit will allow players to earn an activity-exclusive currency called Runes. Reciprocal Runes will allow players to purchase Tier I upgrades at the Hall of Souls, Stolen Runes will allow players to purchase either Tier I or Tier II upgrades, and Antiquated Runes will allow players to purchase upgrades from any tier including Tier III upgrades. Some upgrades will require players to have a specific rune active for the activity, and a few will require players to be either be on the Path of Resolve or the Ambition at the Shaping Slab. The following augments are known:

• Adapt: Players must match the damage type of the challenger's shield.
• Miasma: Players must avoid standing on the Taken pools or else the boss will be immune to damage.
• Banish: Players must eliminate the Caster Wizards before the time runs out or they will be banished to the Blighted Cyst.
• Bulwark: After destroying the small blights, players must eliminate a Blight Protector and then throw the ball it drops at the large blight.
• Burst: Players must arm the corrupted blight, then retreat to the safety aura nearby.
• Descend: Players must destroy the floating blights that spawn in throughout the area.
• Bound: Players must lure a challenger to the spot marked with an arrow icon, then kill it before it moves towards another challenger.
• Sharpen: Players must destroy a Blight or a Void crystal, then kill an Ascendant Bladebearer to then use the sword it drops on the challenger.
• Ritual: Players must find a plate that matches the rune floating in the center of the area to damage the challenger.
• Swarm: Players must kill the specified number of enemies before the time runs out.
• Wrath: Players must kill a Wrathborn Elect, then acquire a buff that will damage the crystals by entering the pool.
• Might: Players must kill the Display of Might enemies.

While an encounter is active, a challenger will enter the area and sometimes have augment objectives that players can complete within the time limit . After every 2 challengers have been defeated, players will go through a portal where they will return to the Hall of Souls to spend runes and refresh their ammo before returning to the portal. The difficulty of the encounters will escalate after every 2 challengers have been defeated. The activity ends when 13 challengers have been defeated or the 10 minute timer runs out, after which players must defeat the challenger. They will return to the Hall of Souls where a reward chest and a Taken Altar where players could deposit their Metastasized Essentia from the Nether will spawn. If players deposit their Metastasized Essentia, they will be able to earn a scroll from the Mysterium where they will able to take less damage from enemy factions if the Path of Resolve is selected and deal increased damage to enemy factions if the Path of Ambition is selected.

Objectives

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• Neutralize Hostiles

The court demands a display of sword logic to open the way.

• Kneel

Enter a ceremonial ring to open the way.

• Proceed

Face the Champions wandering the depths.

One of the following:

• Augmentation: Adapt
  • Matches:
    • X of 2
  • 1:29

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Bound
  • Defeated
    • X of 1
  • 1:01

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Bulwark
  • Blight:
    • X%
  • 1:29

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Descend
  • Blights:
    • X of 3
  • 1:18

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Miasma
  • Defeated:
    • X of 1
  • 0:59

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Might
  • Defeated
    • X of 2
  • 0:30

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Ritual
  • Matches:
    • X of 1
  • 0:31

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Sharpen
  • Protection:
    • X%
  • 1:00

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Swarm
  • Defeated:
    • X of 45
  • 1:30

Or alternatively

• Augmentation: Wrath
  • Crystals:
    • X of 3
  • 1:01

One of the following:

• Hazard: Gaze of the Deep

Avoid the gaze of that which spreads Suffocating Terror.

• Hazard: Taken Ignitions

Then

• Return to the Hall of Souls
• Prepare
  • 0:47
• Reap Your Rewards

Transcript

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

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Introduction

Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught, Rings of Saturn

• First Mission
• Week 4
• Echo's Crisis

First Mission

A visage of the Echo of Navigation manifests.

• Echo of Navigation: Welcome to the new High War, Knife of My Slaying. My sister apprised me of your triumphs. [grunts in amusement] Our logic is proved in violence. But many pretenders challenge your sovereignty. Do not disappoint us, heir.
• Sloane: Play his games for now, Guardian. We need the shards of the Willbreaker to reach Eris. Lot of would-be Taken Kings at this Hive gala. Pry the shards from their corpses.

The fireteam eliminates the enemy forces guarding the portal entrance. Each member of the fireteam enters a ceremonial ring to manifest the portal.

• Echo of Navigation: Once levied, a death tithe must be paid. Whether it is your blood that is spilled or not. The Deep is sated all the same. The strongest must assume the Taken throne. Show us the strength you showed me, King!

Week 4

A visage of the Echo of Navigation manifests.

• Echo of Navigation: We are not alone in the Deep. Something I cannot see stands between the Winnower and the Taken. Carve these offerings free from their weakness, King. Before something else does.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: I know the wills of every knife in this realm. I hear them scream as the strong metastasize the weak. And I feel a strength I do not know, carving paths that should belong to the Winnower. But don't.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Taken slain here are not all called back to me. There is another well of want, drawing them in. I shall seek it out.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: A shift has occurred within the Deep. What once offered recognition is now tinged with apathy. Arrest its attention.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: My communion with the Deep left me branded. A mark of knowledge, earned through strife. Seek yours now.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: When I Take a being, they kneel broken, to discover themselves. They stand, flayed of the weakness that clung to their flesh. Bloodied with potential. Soon, the knife will be in your hand, and the bone — scraped by your blade

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Take up the knife. Do you hear it? They yearn for your blade.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Here you will learn to cleave flesh from will. They are lured by a whisper, sunken into their mind.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Your paracausal will has buried entire armies. What if they kneeled instead?

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: These domains are yours to navigate. The beings within them are yours to Take.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Behold the worlds that lay ripe to be Taken.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: A challenger awaits. Only one may take my throne and quell the unrest in the Ascendant Plane.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: You killed me. Sword logic dictates that I love you for it.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: THERE IS A WOUND IN THE DEEP, A FISSURE OF LUST AND HATE AND GREED. ITS SHAPE DEFIES DESCRIPTION LIKE COLOR IN THE DARK, SO I CANNOT FIND IT. CANNOT CRUSH IT. CONSIDER MY BROTHER's THRONE, SKY WARRIOR. FOREVER A BLADE IN THE HANDS OF ANYONE ELSE COULD DESCRIBE A NEW HIGH WAR.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: A FALSE PROPHET LURED THE DARK INTO BRIGHT CORNERS. AND YOU REAPED IT. NOW ANOTHER LURKS WITH THE DEEP. LIKE TRUE LOVE, SWORD LOGIC PERVADES, INVOKED OR NOT. NOW A THOUSAND, THOUSAND MOUTHS YEARN TO BE FED. THEY WILL NOT WAIT FOREVER.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: WARRIOR OF THE SKY, YOUR WILL WAVERS. I FEEL THE TAKEN RECOIL FROM YOUR CLAIM.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: ORYX FORGED THIS COURT WITH THE HAMMER HE STOLE FROM ME. HE INTENDS ITS VICIOUS CYCLE AS A DISTRACTION, MASQUERADING AS FRATERNAL LOVE. IT IS A VERY GOOD DISTRACTION.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: I AWAIT THE DAY WE CROSS BLADES, WARRIOR OF THE SKY. I WILL SLAY YOU UPON MY BROTHER's THRONE. AIAT!

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: THIS COURT IS A CIRCUIT. A DESCRIPTION OF MY SIBLINGS. OF YOU, AND ALL CHILDREN OF LIGHT.

Or alternatively

• Xivu Arath: A CHAMPION TO PLAY VESSEL FOR MY BELOVED BROTHER. BECOME THE FLESH OF MY FLESH.

Echo's Crisis

A visage of the Echo of Navigation manifests.

• Echo of Navigation: My verses are bloated with lies. I long for the stars. The Fundament is my calling. And the Taken throne — yours. Long live the King.

The fireteam step through the portal to arrive to a location where they engage with enemy challengers.

Augmentation

• First Mission
• Echo's Crisis

First Mission

The fireteam defeat the Ascendant Challengers

• Sloane: Something's not sitting right with me. The goal of this entire “High War” is to crown a new Taken sovereign. That means no one's speaking to the Taken. But the one that killed Eris was led by something.

The fireteam challenges further challengers at another location.

• Echo of Navigation: What speaks to you in the hollowness of silence? Is it a figment of your own terror, or something else entirely? Listen with intent, heir. Listen closely, and you may hear it. The Taken and the Dread… both yearning for a voice to follow.

The fireteam defeats the Ascendant Challengers.

• Sloane: Good work, Guardian. But there's more of 'em. You'll have to prove yourself in this ritual to get the shards. The Hive have their traditions.

The fireteam engages with a final challenger.

• Echo of Navigation: I see your strength, Sovereign-Presumptive. But I sense the hesitance in your heart. To Take is a burden. You will become the voice of billions. Every shred of their will shall be directed by your word.

Echo's Crisis

The fireteam confronts challengers.

• Xivu Arath: BROTHER. SAVATHÛN SPEAKS OF YOUR RASH INTENTIONS. YOU WOULD ABANDON US ONCE MORE?
• Echo of Navigation: You know that I must know the truth.
• Xivu Arath: COWARDICE! TO FLEE THE THRONE, THE BLADE, IS COWARDICE.
• Echo of Navigation: It is cowardice to stay.

The fireteam defeats challengers.

• Xivu Arath: IF YOU INTEND TO DEPART, THEN I SHALL COME AND KEEP YOU IN DEATH. I SHALL BEAR DOWN UPON YOUR ROTTED WORM AND KILL YOU IF THAT IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE MY BROTHER STAY.

The fireteam confronts additional challengers.

• Echo of Navigation: When I depart, the High War will be your inheritance. This court is my love of you, sister.
• Xivu Arath: I SPIT ON YOU EVEN AS I SWEAR I WOULD NOT TRADE YOU FOR A THOUSAND COURTS. WE CAME FROM THE HELLISH DEPTHS OF THE FUNDAMENT TOGETHER. WE CONQUERED MOONS AND WORLDS TOGETHER.
• Echo of Navigation: And yet I've learned nothing since then. So I must go. This is my nature, little sister. I cannot change it.

The fireteam defeats challengers.

• Xivu Arath: THE WARRIOR OF THE SKY KNOWS VIOLENCE. TO SEE IT IN MOTION ONCE MORE…
• Echo of Navigation: Yes. They are the sovereign-presumptive. You see, King? Presiding over the High War is your natural state.
• Xivu Arath: MY BROTHER DOES NOT LOVE EASILY, SKY WARRIOR. BUT YOU ARE HIS KILLER.

The fireteam engages with challengers.

• Echo of Navigation: Witnessing your glory furthers my compulsion to leave. The Taken throne is sharp and sleek… under you. I think you lust for it.

The fireteam defeats the challengers and returns to the Hall of Souls.

Prepare

When the fireteam acquires Runes from the Hall of Souls.

• Echo of Navigation: Power belongs to those who take it.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Grow in strength and knowledge.

Or alternatively

• Echo of Navigation: Blood begets blood.

When the Guardian acquires a rune:

Runes consumed

When an ally acquires a rune:

X has acquired X

The fireteam steps in the ceremonial rings to reopen the portal.

Hostile forces grow in power!

Completion

The fireteam eliminates the final challenger and returns to the Hall of Souls.

• First Mission
• Echo's Crisis

First Mission

The fireteam collects their rewards.

• Sloane: The Echo wants you to take the mantle because you slew the Taken King. I'm sure there's a small part of you that entertains the notion. Don't get any ideas, Guardian. Remember: Taken energy is a weapon. If you let it become more than that… bad things happen.

Echo's Crisis

The fireteam collects their rewards.

• Echo of Navigation: I designed this court for Xivu's love. When I'm gone, it will belong to her. As an endless cycle of sword logic.

Unique Enemies

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• Ascendant Bladebearer
• Blight Protector
• Conclave Husk
• Display of Might
• Knight-at-Arms
• Runekeeper Knight
• Shade of Hesrak
• Summoned Taken Wizard
• Wrathborn Elect

Bosses

Blood of Oryx

• Baiish, Taken Sibling-Errant
• Jas Kar, Unrelenting
• Pry Ell, Taken Sibling-Errant
• Shade of Keit'ehr
• Uta Resk, General of Dread
• Zuu Sep, Elusive Shadow

Lucent Brood

• Achar, Undying Wizard
• Prill, Undying Knight
• Tresk, Undying Trooper
• Uss Uik, Bound

Wrathborn

• Braak, Furious Shadow
• Hesrak, Triumphant
• Kaag, Bone Breaker
• Krissik, Bound
• Malak-Teut, Wrath-bringer
• Pritk, Deathsinger Trio
• Soume, Deathsinger Trio
• Tuis, Deathsinger Trio

Appearance

• Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy