Dead Orbit

Dead Orbit

"The Traveler is not our only salvation. Another future lies out among the light of other stars."

— Grimoire description

Dead Orbit is one of the factions of the Guardians of the City. Dead Orbit grudgingly maintains a presence in the Tower to equip their champions in the Crucible. "Superb" technicians and specialists work for the group. The leaders of Dead Orbit are called Arachs.

Overview

Members of Dead Orbit intend to escape an already dying Earth before the Darkness's return, as they've given up on the Traveler and put little faith in the City's ability to hold out against a major attack. While they recognize that such a move could be very costly in terms of lives, they see no other alternative for survival, and instead put their faith in finding enough Golden Age technology in vaults and abandoned shipyards to allow them to escape and find a new homeworld. They are even willing to cross New Monarchy's legal authority to achieve this end, but they also recognize they will need to bring Guardians to their cause in order to fight against any future threats.

It is unknown how much of a fleet Dead Orbit has developed, although they reluctantly allow the Consensus and Vanguard make use of it for defensive purposes despite it's arsenal and firepower, however, they had little influence at the time, as they could have met the Red Legion fleet head on.

Following the onset of the Red War, Dead Orbit began to use the Cabal Red Legion's invasion of the Last City as an example that the enemies of the Light will always be drawn to the Traveler and that Earth is no longer safe. Now setting up a recruiting stand in the Hangar of the new Tower, Dead Orbit hopes to recruit enough Guardians to impress the Consensus so they can provide the resources to refit the Dead Orbit fleet and leave to find a new home.

Beliefs

Members of Dead Orbit and its Arachs follow a grim, fatalistic even nihilistic code where the only hope for civilization is to leave Earth and find a new home. Such beliefs are recorded in a tome called The Book of Departure.

The Book of Departure

• The role of Arach is not a gift, not an honor, but a curse and a pledge of service. Many seek it nevertheless. — Canto I
• Our fundamental principle, to which all the Arachs must swear, is emigration. — Canto I
• To be selected as an Arach, one must have a clear vision of the future and its horrors. — Canto I
• At the point of decision, the Arach must lead us to safety in the midst of the unknown. — Canto II
• One day an Arach, triumphant, will oversee a mass departure. The Arach's purpose thus turns from persuasion to selection. Our future home must be chosen with care. — Canto II
• In choosing the site of a new home, consider not only natural resources and environmental dangers, but also the fuel levels of your ships. — Canto II
• Isolation is not good for the Arach. Our Enemies often accuse us of madness, and we cannot give them grounds. One must trust others. — Canto III
• Let us describe the art of mapping a dream. First, all former dreams must be crushed. This makes the ink with which we draw. — Canto III
• Friends and families must be cast aside if they do not perceive the truth. Such ties bind us more tightly than gravity. — Canto III
• The possibility of return is slender but present. That, however, is a decision for the future. — Canto VII
• The instinct to migrate comes to many at once, without warning. Unlike birds, we must make preparations—we must make our own wings. — Canto VII
• As birds are touched by a sudden and invisible instinct to fly to safer ground, so are we. — Canto VII
• We are not a faction but a movement. At heart, we desire survival for all. This point is poorly understood. — Canto XII
• Even for the faithless Arach, there is hope. While there is space on the ships, none shall be turned away. — Canto XII
• Some Arachs turn from their path and embrace the Earth as home. One and all, they are bitterly disappointed. — Canto XII

Known Members

• Arach Henri
• Arach Jalaal
• Arach Linde
• Arach Modesta
• Arach Parnell
• Ghislaine
• Howe
• Unnamed Arach of the Sophia

Gear

Players earn reputation with Dead Orbit by completing reputation missions (Patrol missions, Bounties, Strikes, etc) while wearing Dead Orbit class items or the Dead Orbit badge. The following items are available:

• Rank 0: Nothing.
• Rank 1: Legendary Dead Orbit Class Items, Dead Orbit Leg armor, Dead Orbit Gauntlets.
• Rank 2: Legendary Dead Orbit Chest armor, Legendary Dead Orbit Helmet. Armor and Class Items provide bonuses to discipline and strength.
• Rank 3: Legendary Dead Orbit weapons.
• Rank 25: Dead Orbit Exotic Class Item.

Quotes

"If only darkness lies beyond the heliopause, we have already lost"

— Class Armor description.

"It will not be easy. New battles await us among the stars, but we would rather fight on our terms than stay crouched in this coffin as the Darkness closes in. We possess the hope the Traveler gave us with its dying breath. We will not allow this hope to wither on a dead Earth. We will seed it amongst the stars."

— Allegiance recruitment speech

"Travel the wilderness and master it. This is our salvation."

— helmet description

"The enemy stands between us and salvation. Open the way."

— helmet description

"We must make our own safety without the City."

— gauntlet description

"Humanity has been caged. We will break the bars."

— chest armor description

"It will be cold and harrowing and we will not all survive. But it must be done."

— leg armor description

"The stars are calling."

— cloak description

"Find the way."

— cloak description

"Our fate is not sealed. With the proper will, and enough force, it can be rewritten."

— bond description

"...'til even the stars heed our calling."

— bond description

"The stars are calling."

— mark description

"Our will is such that we find strength in the gaze of Death itself."

— mark description

Trivia

• The name and logo of Dead Orbit may refer to the Traveler hovering above Earth.
• It has quickly become a meme on Bungie.net to say: "Dead Orbit is the best orbit."
• In 2013, the faction was called Dead Orbit foundries.

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
• Destiny 2