Necromancy

Necromancy is a practice involving the use of paracausal abilities to resurrect the dead. It is considered by Oryx's Hive to be a violation of The Sword Logic, and therefore forbidden; however, it has been employed by the heretical Hive Prince Nokris, who was taught the secrets of necromancy by the Worm God Xol. Xol himself used necromancy to resurrect several individuals of various races who had been slain by the Guardians, including Valus Ta'aurc, Drevis, Wolf Baroness, and Urzok, the Hated, before Taking them and converting them into Ta'aurc, Aspect of War, Drevis, Aspect of Darkness, and Urzok, Aspect of Hate respectively. Many of Savathûn's Hive have the title "Revenant" attached to their names, suggesting that Savathûn and her subordinates also employ necromancy.

History

"You seek power? I will give you power beyond measure. The power of life renewed"

— Xol to Nokris

The origins of Necromancy are not known, however it is known to involve the use of paracausal abilities. When Nokris sought to impress his father Oryx, the Taken King, he would commune with the Worm Gods. All of them would reject the disfavoured son, except Xol, Will of the Thousands the weakest of his kind who would offer Nokris a bargain. Nokris would trade Xol his heart, in exchange for learning the power of Necromancy. Nokris would accept pledging his alligence to the Worm God, becoming his High Priest. However Oryx found out and was enraged, as he considered Necromancy a violation of the Sword Logic. Nokris and his brood were exiled and would depart alongside Xol.

The Collapse

During the Collapse, Xol, Nokris, and their followers would attempt to conquer Mars, they would engage with the Warmind Rasputin, and would become trapped and frozen in ice beneath the Hellas Basin on Mars.

Warmind

Xol along with his worshipers would reawaken hundreds of years later due to the impact of the Warsats and the reawakening of the Traveler. They would seek to gain control of Mars by destroying Rasputin. Upon their reawakening, Anastasia Bray would request for assistance from the Vanguard, later gaining the help of the Guardian. Zavala was against using the Warmind and instead formed a plan of using a shard of the Traveler to lure and kill Xol. The Guardian would retrieve the shard and would infiltrate the lair of Xol. They would kill the High Priest Nokris, Herald of Xol and would place the shard. Xol, Will of the Thousands would not go after the shard, and would instead make the Guardian go unconscious, making his way to the Hellas Basin to destroy Rasputin. However the Worm God's plan would fail as he would be killed by the Guardian using the Valkyrie. However this was not his end. Drawing power from the Sword Logic, he would take control of Taken on Io, resurrecting three former enemies of humanity as his champions to test the Guardian. After the Guardian proved themselves worthy by slaying his champions, he would transform himself into the Whisper of the Worm so he could feed off the death they caused.

Arrival of the Black Fleet

"You are the mechanism by which we sever their chain. Teach me your necromancies, usurper of the ordered way, so that together we may circumvent the anchored logic that drags us into the depths. Serve as foil to scatter the pieces of their grand game across the cosmos."

— Savathûn to Nokris

The former high priest of Xol, Nokris had survived his encounter with the Guardian. He had now been abandoned by his God and would enter the Ascendant Plane. This would catch the attention of Savathûn, the Witch Queen who would offer him a bargain. The Witch Queen would grant him a spot on her court and teach him how to Take using Quria, Blade Transform and in exchange he would teach her Necromancy. He would accept now pledging his loyalty to his aunt, becoming her supplicant. Nokris would intervene with the Witness's messages to the Guardian by order of Savathûn. Despite the Hive Heretics best efforts he was killed.

Return of Titan

With the return of Titan, forces of the Lucent Brood would arrive on the moon led by Šimmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer, previously a member of the Grasp of Nokris now resurrected as a Lightbearer Wizard. They would arrive in the depths of Titan where the remains of Oryx, the Taken King lie, and would begin a ritual using Light and Necromancy in an attempt to resurrect the God King of the Hive. Deputy Commander Sloane would send the Guardian to discover their plan. The Guardian would kill the recently resurrected Ecthar, Shield of Savathûn, a previous member of Oryx's court now resurrected as a Lightbearer Knight, and discover the ritual site. Šimmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer would summon reinforcements and resurrect Vorlog, Risen in Hersey previously a champion of Oryx, to defeat the Guardian. However the Guardian would prevail, killing the Lucent Necromancer and stopping the ritual. The Hidden would secure Oryx's remains for study.

Trivia

• Other than Nokris' necromancy, other acts of defying death could be seen in the adventure Deathless on Titan, with the resurrecting Takul-Dar, the Unbreakable and the blasphemous story of Hashladûn and her sisters trying to bring back Oryx.

List of appearances

• Destiny 2:
  • Warmind (First appearance)
  • Season of Arrivals
  • Season of the Lost (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Deep