Taken
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- "The process is simple: an aperture opens, like a jaw, and swallows a living thing. It passes into — another place. Later, it returns. What returns is... I try to use the word 'shadow' but Eris hisses at me [...] insists that these Taken are more real, somehow. She uses words like inhabited, exalted, rendered final... [...] My Hidden tell me that the Taken shine with seething, negative light. As if the universe is curling up around them. As if they radiate some pathology that decays into our world as nothingness... The Taken serve Oryx. But I think those jaws lead elsewhere."
- — Ikora Rey[1]
The Taken are Darkness-corrupted entities originating from multiple species that have been warped into the Ascendant Plane and paracausally altered to serve their given purpose. The paracausal ability to Take derives from the Witness and its power to move worlds between realities, although they were the personal creation of Oryx as his army after creating the Tablets of Ruin.[2][3] More recently, they have come under the sway of various Darkness-aligned entities in the wake of Oryx's defeat, including Savathûn, Quria, Xivu Arath, Riven, and Disciples of the Witness like Rhulk and Calus. The Drifter, a rogue Lightbearer known for experimenting with the Darkness, has also managed to achieve a level of control over the Taken using Motes of Dark, while the Nine can create their own counterfeit Taken out of dark matter.
Overview
- "IMPERATIVE CORRUPTED. SEEK LIGHT. DESTROY LIGHT. OBEY THE COLLECTIVE MIND, OBEY THE #$422*! ORYX. OBEY ORYX."
- — Recovered from Simulation Core of Corrupted Minotaur[4]
The power to Take is derived from the Darkness, and allows one to move objects or individuals between different planes of reality. The Witness can use this power on a massive scale, moving entire planets out of the "normal" universe and into a self-contained reality under its complete control.[5] On several occasions, it has granted a more limited version of this power to several of its servants, most notably Oryx, the Taken King, who used it with great dexterity to create his own personal army of Taken from members of various species he and his Hive had defeated. Other users have relied on their position in the hierarchy of the Darkness to control and Take. Savathûn made use of Quria, a partially Taken Vex Mind which was gifted to her by her brother, and had learned how to simulate him. Xivu Arath relies on complex, lengthy rituals, sometimes using remnants of Oryx's power, to create new Taken, though most of hers are believed to come from the Witness directly. The Disciples have not been said to create new Taken, and use them more like garrisons for their fortresses.
The process of Taking involves summoning a portal or aperture that rips an individual out of the universe and transports them to the Ascendant Plane[6]. There, the victim is spoken to by an unknown interlocutor, presumably either the Witness or the Darkness itself, who offers them a way to overcome their former weaknesses. The Taken being then returns to their original universe with new paracausal abilities and a compulsion to serve the one that Took them.[1] Other, less immediate methods of Taking involve the use of Blights. Taking has also been used as a form of necromancy, resurrecting long dead creatures in service of the Darkness.
Taken versions of enemies have radically different behaviors from their standard counterparts, including new abilities designed to counter Guardian abilities. Groups of Taken can be allied with members of different species.[7] In Destiny, after their introduction, they appear all over the Solar System as part of the Taken War[8][9]. In Destiny 2, they appear in force in the European Dead Zone, on Io and in the Dreaming City, though they can be found elsewhere too for specific activities.
History
The Ancient Past
- "The Hive entity Oryx/Aurash is deploying a paracausal ontopathogenic weapon that infects and subverts Ecumene forces. The weapon operates on individual targets. Targets are abducted and returned as compliant Hive slaves with inexplicable and physically illegal abilities. All Ecumene clients should IMMEDIATELY devote all economic and cognitive resources to a countermeasure.
Fight hard. We stop the Hive here, or see our galaxy devoured." - — Ecumene Crisis Council
The power to Take had its origins with the Witness, the leader of the Black Fleet with the power to move worlds between realities.
In the distant past, the Hive god Auryx sought to obtain the power to Take in order to help him defeat the Ecumene. He killed his two sisters to gain an audience with Akka, the Worm god of Secrets, whom he then slew in turn. Auryx stole the secrets from its flesh and wrote them upon a set of tablets he named the Tablets of Ruin. Having communed with the Witness directly, he returned with the power of Taking, mantled as Oryx, the Taken King.[10]
With this new power Oryx waged war upon the Ecumene and defeated them utterly over a period of one thousand, one hundred and forty years, in the process conjuring back his two sisters in the same way he had killed them.[11][12]
During the Golden Amputation Oryx Took the Emperor Raven and assured the defeat of the Taishibethi[13] When the Vex invaded his Throne world Oryx Took and turned them against one another, eventually expelling the cybernetic machines from his domain.[14] Later, aboard the Nicha Thought-ship Oryx encountered and Took Quria[15], the Vex mind which had orchestrated the organized invasion of his Throne, and later gifted it to his sister Savathûn as a present.[16]
The Taken War
Main article: Taken War
- "What Crota began, I complete. My will... conquers all!"
- — Oryx, the Taken King
The Taken War was a major, system-wide conflict fought between the Hive, led by Oryx, and all other races in the system. The war began as a direct result of the Guardians slaying Oryx's son Crota, to stop an attempted invasion of Earth. Oryx brought his fleet to Saturn and made free use of the power to Take in his assault on the Solar System. He Took Fallen, Vex, and Cabal in enormous numbers, besides his own Hive, and began blighting the system with his Taken forces. When he unleashed his Dreadnaught's superweapon against Queen Mara Sov's fleet, he also Took the Techeuns Sedia, Kalli, and Shuro Chi, and through them was able to spread his Taken forces into the Dreaming City. There, he encountered the Ahamkara Riven, who tricked him into wishing she was Taken rather than using his own power, thus retaining a modicum of free will.[17][18]
The Taken Prince
- "Malok! Listen — I took you from your mother, my sister / Your shape is new / This shape is poison — the shape of secrets / I name you Malok, which means My Poison / A prize to taunt sister Savathûn / Steal now for me."
- — Oryx, the Taken King
With Oryx's defeat, his surviving Taken were released from his control and rendered independent but directionless.[19] Oryx was assumed to be the only known entity to date to have possessed the power to Take, but following the Taken War, others such as Malok, Pride of Oryx developed the ability to manipulate Taken and their blights. In particular, with assistance from the Techeuns and Variks, the Reef was able to capture a large number of Taken within their Prison of Elders and developed a reliable method for infusing Taken energy into their arms and armor.[20]
Resurgence
- "The Taken King is dead. Yet his armies writhe and claw at our worlds."
- — Eris Morn[21]
Two years later, during the events of the Red War, the Taken were found in the European Dead Zone, having corrupted a forest outside of the Traveler's shard. Initially considered just wandering monsters attracted to the shard's Light, the Vanguard's opinion changed when a Red Legion commander was also somehow converted into a Taken, even though Oryx had been defeated prior to the invasion.[22]
At some point, Red Legion Psions used their psionic powers to successfully harness and infuse Taken energy into themselves and their superiors, empowering them with Taken-powered weapons and shielding. However, this effort was stopped by the Guardian.[23]
On Io, it was discovered by Ikora and Asher Mir, that the Taken had established a foothold on Echo Mesa after being drawn there by remnants of the Traveler's Light.[24] They had even attempted to open a portal into the Ascendant realm, but the Guardian intervened and closed said portal.[25]
The Taken began to appear in greater numbers and were noted to have "interacted" with the Vex. The Guardians discovered that Taken affiliated with Quria had been kidnapping local Vex in Blights to corrupt them as Taken and form a new army after their many losses in the Taken War. Quria would employ Ir Arok, Tongue of Quria to accomplish this plan, but would be foiled by the Guardian, who killed Elatiox and Erosus, Ir Arok's lieutenants, and dismantled the Taken's plans of corrupting the Vex. Ir Arok would then lead one final assault into the Pyramidion with the intent to capture the Vex collective like Oryx before, but would be intercepted and destroyed by the Guardian, and though a large number of Vex had become corrupted, their efforts prevented the Taken from corrupting the Vex collective once more.[26]
Through this, it became apparent that Savathûn had assumed control of the Taken, due to Quria being under her control according to the Books of Sorrow.[27]
After his defeat on Mars, the spirit of the Worm God Xol, Will of the Thousands found asylum among the Taken of Io, who began to stir. Following the trail left by these, Guardians ventured into the depths of the moon to find where they came from, and after defeating hordes of Taken led by resurrected foes from their past, Xol gave himself to them as a weapon, the Whisper of the Worm.[28]
The Curse of the Dreaming City
- "The [King] despaired in his final moments. Rightly so. His vengeance denied."
- — Riven
In the years following the Taken War, the Dreaming City was infested by leftover Taken and their blights undisturbed until Oryx's sister reached out towards the Taken Riven and gave her a new purpose. Now able to exert her influence from beyond her prison, Riven manipulated the partially Taken Uldren Sov into unleashing an agent of hers from the City, which the Guardian quickly killed. Petra Venj, investigating the source of Uldren's corruption and the Taken within the city, surmised Riven as the cause after having made contact with Queen Mara Sov at the Oracle Engine. At the Queen's behest, Petra enlisted the support from the Vanguard to have Riven killed and her heart cleansed of her Taken essence.
A Guardian Raid team was quickly formed and breached their way into the corrupted Keep of Voices, where they freed the Techeuns Kalli and Shuro Chi from their Taken corruption. While the Taken Riven baited the Guardians into killing her, they inadvertently made a single collective wish, allowing Riven to alter the rules of ascendancy within the Dreaming City. In ending the Ahamkara, Riven's wish cursed the realm; warping it in-between physical reality and the Ascendant Plane, with Taken energies saturating and engulfing huge portions of the city.
As the curse continued to blight the Dreaming City for three weeks, Petra was able to identify the true source of the city's Taken curse: Dûl Incaru, a daughter of the Witch-Queen and the mastermind behind her mother's scheme to access the Distributary using the Awoken secrets found within the City, commanding the curse from Mara's desecrated throne-world of Eleusinia. Upon the third week of the curse, the Guardians charged the dimensional rift generator of the Blind Well and opened a rift into Eleusinia, where they could confront the Witch and her Fatesmith bodyguards.
However, upon the death of Dûl Incaru, the Dreaming city reverted back to the state it was in when the curse was first unleashed. The curse then spread in the same manner it had previously, with it being revealed that the curse trapped the Dreaming City within a time loop that resets whenever Dûl Incaru is killed. Through messages left by an unknown sender, it is revealed that the loop was made possible through the wish Riven granted upon her "death", and modeled upon Vex simulations overseen by Quria, Blade Transform.
In the closing acts of the Battle of the Forges, a small contingent of Taken would attempt to stop the Guardian from recovering Ada-1's memories, but would be slain in the process.
A Dangerous Gambit
- "Primevals are the oldest Taken my banks can find. How'd I pull this off? If you knew, you'd be running this thing instead o' me."
- — The Drifter
Around the same time, a rogue Lightbearer with a modicum of control over the Taken emerged. This Drifter had managed to jury-rig his Ghost with parts salvaged from the Ghosts of his former crew, allowing it access to paracausal spectra beyond that of the Light, including the Darkness-aligned powers of the Taken. With it, the Drifter is able to create Motes of Darkness and employed them as part of a game called "Gambit", pitting Guardians against foes he attracts from all over the system, as well as each other, in a bid to harvest these Motes for himself. Gambit would even give Guardians the experience of being Taken as "Invaders" through portals infused with sterile neutrinos. He is eventually gifted a subsection of Unknown Space from the Nine, which he dubbed The Haul, where he caged the leftover Taken from Oryx's army whilst building his own. Among these Taken summoned during these Gambit matches are exceptionally powerful and ancient Taken known as Primevals, which he can summon using Motes of Darkness.
The Drifter would continue perfecting his methods, eventually unveiling Gambit Prime and The Reckoning to the Guardians. The Praxic Warlock Aunor Mahal, who had been studying him for some time, determined that he had obtained the ability to create "counterfeit" Taken and Primevals by coupling his banks to the Haul gifted to him by the Nine. These entities were modeled after what he feared the most, which the most powerful being a Likeness of Oryx.
The Core of Io
Undeterred by the fall of the Hidden Swarm and the Guardians hunting Nightmares on Luna, Savathûn unleashed a Taken army upon a massive Vex computational array on Io, with the goal of corrupting and assuming control over the supercomputer. However, the Vanguard detected a power surge beneath the Pyramidion, where the array is located, and sent in a fireteam to investigate. The Guardians soon discovered the feud between the Vex and Taken as they fought for control over the array, and promptly made it their mission to prevent the Taken from assuming command over the machine, refusing to give the Witch Queen another advantage. Fighting past the array's Vex defenders and the invading Taken, the Guardians made it the center, where the Taken infestation was anchored, in order to remove the blight. There, the Guardians confronted Baurisk, Envoy of Savathûn, slaying the Taken Incendior and clearing the array of blights, leaving to allow the Vex to finish off any lingering Taken.
Witch Queen's Interference
- "Not all the Taken we encounter are the same. Many still hold allegiance to some distant Hive incantation, though it is no longer connected to Oryx."
- — Eris Morn.
Following the destruction of the Almighty, the Vanguard would confirm the arrival of the Black Fleet itself, with the Pyramids touching down on worlds all around the Solar System, even disabling Rasputin in the process. With their arrival, Eris Morn would attempt to meet the Pyramids on Io to learn of their intent. However, Nokris, Supplicant to Savathûn ambushed Eris with the Taken and one of Savathûn's Witness Shriekers to shroud the Cradle with the Witch-Queen's influence. The Guardian, who was ordered to follow her by Zavala, would attempt to save Eris only to be pulled into Savathûn's court, where they would be overwhelmed by Witness Shriekers until Eris rescued them from the Ascendant Plane. After pulling through her injuries, Eris and the Guardian would discover a Tree of Silver Wings and harness the seed within its roots.
After a heated meeting with Zavala, Eris enacts a plan to harvest the darkness from the Pyramid Scales for the seed with the help of the Drifter and help to clear up the messages with the destruction of the Witnesses corrupting them. Detecting the ploy, Savathûn would deploy her Taken to sabotage these Darkness harvesting operations to prevent the Guardians from learning of the Black Fleet' messages to them.
Meanwhile, the Drifter would devise a plan to delve into the Nine's realm and meet with them once again to ask the question, "what is the Darkness?" The Guardian would venture into the Haul, which was rearranged to answer the question, and battle an army of counterfeit Taken led by the Kell Echo. After braving thes encounters, they would find themselves learning that the Darkness isn't that different from the Light, and should be utilized as a means to survival as the Guardian did with the Motes throughout the inscrutable corners of the realm.
The Crow and the Hawk
Following Savathûn's failed attempts to interfere with the Black Fleet's messages to the Guardians, the Witch Queen was forced to go into hiding to avoid its retaliation. In addition, Uldren Sov emerged, now risen as a Lightbearer named Crow. While working with Guardians to hold back the invasion of Xivu Arath, they would find that Taken had begun stirring in the EDZ again. The Guardian would travel to the region's dam, where they found Taken aligned with Savathûn. Guided by an etheral hawk, the Guardian would defeat the Taken and head into a portal, which led them to the Hallowed Rift, where a shard of the Traveler lay. The Guardian would defeat the Lightdrinker siphoning energy off of the shard, and find Hawkmoon, now rebirthed in the Light. The Lighbearers would return over the weeks to protect the Shard from more Taken incursions.
Quria's End
Some time later, the Vanguard would find itself having the Last City plunged into an Endless Night. At first believing it to be entirely a Vex plot, the Guardians would make an alliance with the Eliksni Splicer, Mithrax, Kell of Light and his House of Light to combat the threat. Agreeing to the alliance and the Vanguard's offer to shelter his people within the Last City, Mithrax trains the Guardians in the ways of the Sacred Splicers to pierce into the Vex Network and battle with numerous Subjugated and Oppressive Minds, collecting their data and analyzing it. After weeks of breaching into the Vex realm and collecting data, Mithrax is able to discover that Quria, the Dreaming Mind, is the one codifying the Endless Night, thereby realizing that Savathûn is truly behind the threat.
News of Savathûn's role in the Endless Night is brought to the public, due to Lakshmi-2 and the Factions, inciting paranoia towards the Eliksni, creating unrest within the Last City. Despite this instability, the Guardians continue to work with Mithrax in combating Quria, fighting through Vex Domains infested with Taken, trying to pinpoint the Dreaming Mind's location and corner it. In time, Mithrax is successful in locating Quria, allowing the Guardians to enter into the Nexus once more and confront the Dreaming Mind. Within the Nexus, the Guardians find it littered with Taken corruption but are ultimately able to face Quria. The Dreaming Mind uses its simulation powers and Taken abilities to combat the Guardians but is ultimately destroyed by the Guardians.
With the Endless Night's architect destroyed, daylight slowly returns to the Last City, but the situation between the Factions and the Vanguard reaches a boiling point. The Factions wish to expel the Eliksni from the Last City despite their aid in ending the Endless Night, even trying to influence new leadership in the Vanguard but the Guardians rebuff Lakshmi's entreaties. Aided by "Osiris", who Savathûn had taken the form of after he lost his Light, Lakshmi utilizes a Vex portal in an attempt to forcefully remove the House of Light but loses control, killing the Future War Cult's leader, many of her followers, and allowing the Vex to attack the Last City. Rushing to aid Mithrax and his people, the Guardians are able to seal the portal and destroy the Vex and Taken attacking the Eliksni Quarters.
Xivu Arath's Return
Following the destruction of Quria, Savathûn would lose control over the Taken.[29] Now under the presumed control of their original master, they began working alongside both the Hive forces of Xivu Arath and the Scorn to corrupt the Ley Lines, hunt down Mara Sov's Techeuns, and ultimately capture Savathûn.[30] Xivu Arath made use of the Taken as shock troops in her attempts to gain access to the Blind Well, yet these attempts were thwarted by Guardian forces. Additionally, Taken forces led by one of the Techeuns, now Corrupted, would occupy the Forest of Echos in The Shattered Realm of the Ascendant Plane.
Service of the Disciples
Following Xivu Arath's failure to prevent the exorcism of Savathûn's Worm, the Taken would retreat and wouldn't be sighted outside of the Reef for some time. However, as the Guardian worked in investigating Savathûn's return to Mars and more importantly, her claiming of the Light, they would discover a Sunken Pyramid within the outskirts of the Witch Queen's Throne World. Mara Sov, aiding the Guardians in their investigation, would inform them that the Pyramid belongs to a powerful servant of The Witness, the supposed leader of the Black Fleet. This disciple, Rhulk, was the one that had the Scorn worm their way into the Throne World, and protected his Pyramid with a garrison of Taken.
The Guardians, forming a Raid team to prevent Rhulk from escaping his prison or using his superweapon, The Upended, infiltrate the Sunken Pyramid to eliminate Rhulk. As they traversed the Pyramid, Rhulk would send legions of his Scorn and Taken minions to stop them, but despite their efforts, the Guardians reached the center of the Pyramid and confront the Witness's Disciple. After a grueling battle against Rhulk, despite being aided by his Taken and Scorn forces, the Guardians prevailed, leaving the Taken without a master, though the Scorn would continue in making raids on their master's ruptured Pyramid to claim the secrets within but would be thwarted by the Guardians.
Following Rhulk's demise, the Taken would serve Xivu Arath in attacking Rasputin's Submind vaults. Afterwards, they would be found alongside the forces of Calus, the Witness's newest Disciple, and his Shadow Legion. They would protect the Typhon Imperator, landed in the Neptunian city of Neomuna, when the Guardian attempted to destroy the Radial Mast, a device that could be used to establish a connection between the Veil and the Traveler. The Shadow Legion would also attempt to employ Taken to invade the Vex Network, and from there gain access to the CloudArk that powers the city's defenses and life support. Fortunately, with the aid of Neomuna's Cloud Striders, the Guardian was able to clear out the Taken before they could take root within the Network, but would discover that a malignant force not just driving the Taken into attacking, but also attempting to infest the minds of the Neomuni. The entity would soon be revealed to be the dead Disciple, Nezarec, Final God of Pain.
Despite Calus's death at the hands of the Guardian, the Witness nonetheless succeeded in establishing a connection between the Traveler and the Veil, allowing it to form a gateway upon the Traveler. Nonetheless, the Taken would continue to serve the Witness's bidding. They first were ordered to destroy the Conceptual Mind within the Black Garden, as it was the original creator of the Black Heart, which was discovered to be a Vex attempt to create a replica of the Veil. The Sol Divisive had refused to destroy the Conceptual Mind themselves, thereby leaving the task the Taken and leading them to invade the Black Garden. The Guardian, Osiris and Nimbus learned of the Conceptual Mind and believed it's data core would help them in understanding the Veil and hopefully aid them in entering the gateway the Witness created upon the Traveler. Though the Taken complicated the Guardian's efforts, they nonetheless succeeded in destroying the Conceptual Mind and acquire its data core.
The Guardians would face against the Taken once more as they aided the Shadow Legion's Invasion of Earth. Many of them were positioned in the Ascendant Realm in defense of Shadow Legion Prisons on Earth, holding captives within, making them virtually impenetrable. Fortunately, Mara Sov would lend some of her powers to the Guardians, combining it with their Light in making a path into the outpost through the Ascendant Plane. Though swarms of Taken would try to prevent the Guardian from entering, their use of Balefire allowed them to clear through the Taken, allowing them entry within the Outpost and rescue the prisoners. The Shadow Legion would also lead Taken into the EDZ's water supply again, placing Blights and powerful specimen in key locations to spread sickness all over the area.
Confrontations with War
With the re-emergence of Titan, the Vanguard deployed to the moon following a distress call from Sloane. The Taken serving Xivu Arath, alongside her Hive forces, would engage in combat with the group. Despite this the Taken are defeated and the Guardian, Zavala and the Drifter locate Sloane, who was had been partially Taken after almost being bent to Xivu Arath's will, but was saved by Ahsa, an ancient enemy of the Witness. The Vanguard sought to strengthen Sloane's connection with Ahsa using Egregore coral so they could learn about the Witness's origins.
The Vanguard would order a six Guardian fireteam to rid the New Pacific Arcology of Xivu Arath's forces. The Guardians would enter the depths of Kraken Mare, and kill Uorgotha, Scourge of the Deep, and Val Ca'our, Bladebound to Xivu Arath. Taken would later be ordered by Xivu Arath to assist Hive forces led by Kudazad, Bound to Xivu Arath to stop the Guardian from retrieving egregore coral, but despite there best efforts they were defeated. Kelgorath, Taken from Bones would lead his forces in an attempt to corrupt the egregore coral. However they would once again be confronted by the Guardian, who would kill them and successfully retrieve the coral.
Xivu Arath's forces would manage to capture Ahsa and begin a ritual to Take her. The Guardian would be sent to save the ancient creature while the rest of the Vanguard leaders, including Zavala, Saint-14, Saladin Forge and his Iron War Beasts provided distraction and support. The Guardian succeeds in defeating the Taken, and stopping the Screams of Xivu Arath from completing their ritual. Later Xivu Arath would allow the Guardian into her temple for a test of might. The Warrior of the Sky would defeat the hordes of Taken within, including their champion Khull, Executioner Knight and the Tormentor Omen, Blade of the Black Terrace. After tithing the death of the paracausal entity to Xivu Arath, she deemed them worthy of wielding the Wicked Implement.
While the Guardians used the Altars of Summoning in Savathûn's Throne World to empower Eris Morn into the God of Vengeance to confront Xivu Arath, they would come to face a Taken invasion led by the Tormentor Axsaeniia, Reverent of the Witness. Despite the surprise attack, Axsaeniia and its followers did nothing more than add more tribute to to Eris's tithes.
The Hunt for Riven's Clutch
With Xivu Arath's banishment from her throne world, many Taken would become scattered and purposeless. However, despite her waning power, Xivu Arath would still maintain control and influence over some Taken. Despite lacking a commanding will, the Taken would invade and occupy parts of Riven's Lair. Due to their rabid search for purpose, the Sol Divisive that were also invading the Dreaming City tried to contain them within the lair.
Upon catching one of Riven's eggs using the Ley Lines, the Guardian is sent to retrieve it. They fight their way through the lair, defeating Taken forces led by Ungoloth, Wayward Beast and successfully retrieving the egg. Later, the Guardian is sent to secure the Observatory so they can commune with Mara's Harbinger. The Guardians fight their way through Taken forces and confront the two soulkeepers. Despite their efforts, they were defeated by the Guardian, failing to stop their communion with the Harbinger.
When one of Riven's eggs is captured by the Sol Divisive, the Guardian returns to the Black Garden to retrieve it. In the Garden, the Taken attempt to defend Taranis's lair from the Guardian. However, they fail, allowing another egg to fall into the Lightbearers' hands.
When another Ahamkara egg was caught by the Techeuns, the Taken would invade the lair attempting to corrupt the egg. The Guardian would arrive at the lair, defeating Taken, and their champion, Roln'gur, Blade-bound to the Terrace. However, the Taken would succeed in corrupting the egg. Despite this setback, Mara Sov came up with a solution: they would acquire a Taken Essentia from completing an Ascendant Challenge, and then allow the whim to feed on their desires. Ultimately, the Guardian and their allies would succeed in cleansing the egg of its corruption.
Blighted Vengeance
During the Dark Age, a castle belonging to the Warlord Naeem was raided by the House of Kings. Naeem was killed during the attack and would make one last wish of vengeance on the slain Ahamkara Hefnd. Many years later, Hefnd would take advantage of the Taken's desire for purpose, calling them to the ruined castle and using their corruption to raise the dead House of Kings members as Scorn, as vengeance for the fallen Warlord. Later Fikrul, leading his own group of Scorn independent from the Witness, sends his Broken Knights led by Rathil to claim the Scorn at the castle.
Searching for more evidence of the Scorn presence and Riven claiming the region is claimed by another Ahamkara, Guardians are sent by Crow and Petra to investigate. Upon arriving further up the mountain, the Guardians defeat Rathil. However, they are teleported into prison by a Blighted Chimera serving as Hefnd's avatar. Breaking free from the prison, they traverse further through the fortress and defeat the Locus of Wailing Grief. Arriving at the summit, the Guardians slay the Blighted Chimera, Hefnd's Vengeance. Exploring further through the castle and collecting the Ahamkara's bones, they learn about the relationship between Naeem and Hefnd.
Sociology
Biology
- "There are no adequate words to describe the experience of being Taken. We would need a sensorium."
- — Techeun Shuro Chi
The nature of the Taken was once described by the Ecumene as a "ontopathogenic weapon", designed to infect and subvert Oryx's enemies into his paracausal slaves with inexplicable and physically illegal abilities.[31] According to Oryx, the Taken serve as his ultimate embodiment of the Hive’s sword logic philosophy; the desired final shape that is free to exist without the need to insulate itself from reality.[32]
Taken are composed of sterile neutrinos and resemble their former selves for the most part, but are ghost-like, shadowed and eerily glowing, with a blindingly bright orb typically obscuring their facial features. Many Taken are seen to shiver or twitch in a disturbing manner, and their vocalizations are warped into shrieks and howls. Over time, exceptionally powerful Taken have been seen to grow pairs of black, curving spikes from their bodies, pustules over their skin, and gaining silver, golden and red colorations.
It has been shown that in extraordinary circumstances that Taken corruption can be reversed, as its own hunger-based ontology will devour itself in turn. This was revealed in the Dreaming City after Guardians used Taken essentia in their battles to free Kalli, Shuro Chi and Sedia from their corruption and even purge an Ahamkara egg of Riven's own clutch of Taken influence.
It is possible, though rare, for entities of paracausal nature to be partially Taken. In the case of Deputy Commander Sloane, with the corruption crawling upwards from her limbs. While her Light and her connection to Ahsa can hold it back, she can still hear the whispers of the Darkness, as well as being susceptible to control from Xivu Arath.
Blights
- "I think these blights are like transmitters. They're either calling out to something, or… letting something whisper to the Taken here on Io."
- — Ghost
The Taken constantly exude a substance called Blight, which resembles a black shadowy liquid or vapor, usually crackling with energy and exhibiting the same eerie luminescence as the Taken themselves. It can flow across the ground like a viscous fluid that smells of ozone, seeping into the soil and presenting a contamination hazard when it comes into contact with water supplies.
Wherever Taken have become entrenched, spherical aggregations of Blight are commonly seen; these seem to serve a variety of purposes, including shield generators, area-denial, and interdimensional communication nodes.
Loyalty
- "I am Taken. My guiding shadow has become formless, my directive is gone. I know I have one; I cannot remember what it was."
- — Keksis, the Betrayed
Taken are unwaveringly loyal to their master, and will turn on former allies without hesitation. Even strong-willed enemies such as Vex Axis Minds or Cabal commanders are incapable of resisting this change. Although new Taken can only be created through the Taking of new victims, existing Taken will remain (albeit aimless and disorganized) indefinitely if their master is killed. A sufficiently powerful being with the ability to Take can assume control of Taken previously generated by a different individual.
While all Taken are enslaved to their master's will, more powerful Taken retain a degree of independent thought and initiative, mostly at the discretion of the master themselves, to "keep them interesting." After Oryx's defeat, the Taken Knight Malok, Pride of Oryx, attempted to seize the vacant throne for himself. Other Taken had been allowed or managed to keep a modicum of free will, such as Quria, Blade Transform and Riven, they were still subservient to the cause of the Darkness. Other Taken, such as Noru'usk, Servant of Oryx, have aspirations to ascend while many, like Keksis, the Betrayed, are lost and leaderless.
Taken Echoes
- "The echoes of Oryx go forth to ask a question: are you the truth?"
- — Toland, the Shattered
By using the power of the Darkness, Oryx, the Taken King is able to create a Taken projection of himself in the form of the Echo of Oryx. These Echoes allow him to enact his will remotely where he can summon and command Taken troops. Oryx's power in an area fades once an Echo is vanquished and any Taken he summoned are recalled.
Other Taken can also create artificial projections in the form of shadows, which are imitations of lesser enemies such as Shadow Thralls and Shadowbeasts.
Counterfeit Taken
- "These (Taken) differ in their literal elemental composition: low SNC, high ambient ΛCDM."
- — Potential
The Taken enemies that appear in the Nine Realms are not actual Taken. Instead of being living creatures corrupted through Darkness, they are artificial constructs of dark matter, created from by the Nine themselves, who are sentient beings of dark matter. Vanguard intelligence notes that these counterfeit Taken have low counts of sterile neutrinos, typically associated with Taken, but instead have high ambient cold dark matter. This is the reason many Taken forces encountered in Nine space are all-powerful echoes in imitation of Oryx and his son, in addition to a Cabal Phalanx and a Fallen Kell.
In addition, the Drifter learned to create his own counterfeit "Primeval-like" Taken from the Nine's use of pure potential; utilizing the dark matter of the Haul and through sheer force of will. These Taken were used by him in Gambit Prime, replacing the Taken he attracted for regular Gambit.[33]
Primevals
- "Those weren't normal Taken possessed and set to rage. They were born of that shadow realm and they were… angry. Worse. They were hungry for the Light."
- — Shin Malphur
Primevals are a class of Taken born from the depths of the Ascendant Plane rather than altered from physical reality. They are among the oldest and most powerful Taken, hence their name.[34] Because of their age, Primevals are extremely powerful and are capable of mowing down an army of Cabal from the Red Legion.[35] Even rarer are Ascendant Primevals; including one whose heart was used to craft the Blight-infused Hand Cannon, Malfeasance.[36][37]
They first came into prominence in Gambit, where Guardians compete in fireteams against each other to summon and kill their respective Primeval first. By the introduction of the activity, the Drifter had the power to summon Primevals from the Ascendant plane using Motes of Dark but with no means of taming them until he was gifted a pocket of the Nine Realms from the Nine.[38] With the Haul in his possession, the Drifter could cage his poached Primevals in Nine space.[39]
Taken enemies
Awoken
- Corrupted Techeun—unique for their powerful array of disruptive Hexes, they are highly durable and capable of summoning Taken.
Fallen
- Taken Vandal—summons a spherical shield similar to Ward of Dawn. They are armed with Solar Wire Rifles and Arc Shrapnel Launchers.
- Taken Captain—sends out moving balls of Darkness to blind Guardians and armed with Arc-damage Shrapnel Launcher or Arc Shock Blades. Solar-shielded.
- Chimera—Taken Servitors that fire blasts of Void energy and occasionally bursts of massive seekers. Can often summon Blights that grant them immunity until they are destroyed.
Hive
- Taken Thrall— can teleport short distances in an instant, and do Solar-damage with their melee.
- Shadow Thrall—a shadowy imitation of a Thrall summoned by Taken Wizards, and do Solar-damage with their melee.
- Taken Acolyte—deploys Acolyte's Eye turrets and are armed with Arc Shredders, which fire projectiles in an arc that can attack from over short cover, or Stasis Boomers, which leave behind Stasis fields on impact that will freeze you in short time.
- Taken Wizard—can summon Shadow Thralls. They are Void-shielded, and can use "Necromantic Gaze", firing Solar projectiles with variable speeds.
- Taken Knight—spews a stream of lingering Solar flames from its eye in a wave for area denial, and teleports short distances to evade attacks. They are armed with Void Boomers, which fire bolts with higher velocity and do not suffer gravitational drop, or Stasis Boomers, which leave behind Stasis fields on impact that will freeze you in short time.
- Taken Ogre—does Arc damage with its Rotten Surge eye blast, which also knocks opponents back, along with a ground slam if an enemy comes too close. Rotten Surge ramps up in speed after the first attack.
Vex
- Taken Goblin—when in close proximity to an ally, they can generate an invincible shield for it. Armed with either a Void Slap Rifle or a Solar Torch Hammer.
- Taken Hobgoblin—fires a fast-moving, Shrieker-like projectile when struck in self-defense. Equipped with a Void Line Rifle or Slap Rifle.
- Taken Minotaur—always cloaked unless shot at enough. Equipped with a Solar Torch Hammer or Void Slap Rifle.
- Taken Hydra—unique abilities depending on individual Hydra, highly durable and capable of summoning Taken.
Cabal
- Taken Psion—has the ability to multiply itself by splitting and creating another Taken Psion with full health. They wield Arc Slug Rifle that can fire very rapidly.
- Taken Phalanx—can fire Arc blasts from their shield that can push Guardians, much like the physical shields themselves, and are armed with an Arc Slug Rifle.
- Taken Centurion—has an Arc-shield, can teleport short distances, and is armed with a Void Projection Rifle or an Arc Slug Rifle. Fires slower-moving Axion Darts, much like the Voidwalker's Axion bolt, that tracks targets and deals Void damage —these can reach enemies around corners easily and can be shot and detonated to avoid damage.
- Shadowbeast—a shadowy imitation of a War Beast.
- Taken Colossus—has a Heavy Slug Thrower and can go berserk mode similar to an Ogre.
- Taken Incendior—wields an Orphic Flame Tank and can fire explosive fireballs at enemies.
Unique
- Taken Blight—a sphere of Darkness that can appear procedurally in the world. The Blight can summon Taken ambushes.
- Acolyte's Eye—a stationary unit deployed by Taken Acolytes. It is an orb of Darkness energy that fires Arc energy at enemies, and detonates in an Arc blast when destroyed. They survive the death of their summoner.
- Echo of Oryx—a Taken projection of Oryx, the Taken King, it is used to oversee the Taken in far distances, and spread Taken corruption.
- Defensive Ward—a proximity-trigged Taken mine that causes minimal damage and shakes the player's screen to shake when it explodes
Named Taken
Taken Commanders
Technology
Taken Technology comes from all units that are taken but are more or less reskins of the weapons, some however do a different damage in their taken form.
Weaponry
- Hive Weapons
- Fallen Weapons
- Vex Weapons
- Cabal Weapons
Trivia
- Based on Grimoire analysis it can be assumed that the victim willingly chooses to be enslaved. Whether any victims have ever rejected the Darkness is unknown.
- Some concept art of the Taken shows them being able to Take other enemies although this is never seen in-game.
- Some concept art of the Taken show a Taken Dreg, but they are never seen in-game.
- This power is described by the Ecumene as an "ontopathogenic" weapon, infecting and subverting soldiers and giving them "physically illegal" abilities.
- According to Asher Mir, there appears to be risks for Taking certain races such as the Vex as the they infect and convert everything that they touch, including the Taken.[40]
- According to the Drifter, the Taken have an aversion to methane, which makes it particularly difficult for them to operate on Titan.
- The Taken are the first new faction type not to attack another faction. This was originally just the Hive from the Taken King onward but has expanded to other servant forces of the Witness, such as the Scorn in the Vow of the Disciple raid and the Shadow Legion in Lightfall and Season of Defiance.
- It may be possible for a Ghost to be Taken, as alluded to by the Kingslayer's Shell from the King's Fall Raid. However, this has never been confirmed.
- The texture on the Gorgons' armor looks very similar to Neutrino Scatter pattern created by Taken. It's unknown whether there's a reason or just a coincidence.
- In Destiny 2, the pattern on the Gorgons was updated to look much similar to the Taken, however their relation, if any, has yet to be confirmed.
Gallery
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Browse more images on this article's gallery page. |
- Promotional and Renders
Oryx holding the power to Take.
"Dark Patrol"; concept art of the Taken from Destiny's Pre-Alpha phase.
Concept art of a Taken Knight transforming a Cabal into Taken.
A Taken Knight shown to have the ability to take multiple units at once.
Taken army.
- Taken Units
The Echo of Oryx.
List of appearances
- Destiny
- The Taken King (First appearance)
- Rise of Iron
- Destiny 2
- Entelechy (Mentioned only)
See also
References
- ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: The Taken
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: Books of Sorrow #XXVIII: King of Shapes Verse 3:8
- ^ Bungie (2021/8/24), Destiny 2: Season of the Lost, Shattered Realm: [Oryx did not invent the Taken]
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Mission Description: Not Forged in Light
- ^ Bungie (2022/2/22), Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Item Description: Osmiomancy Gloves
- ^ Destiny 2 adventure: Unexpected Guests
- ^ Planet Destiny: The Taken King Trailer Analysis
- ^ Eurogamer: The Taken King is the Expansion Destiny has been waiting for
- ^ Planet Destiny: Sleeper Stimulant Gameplay & Perks
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XXVI: star by star by star
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XXIX: Carved in Ruin
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XXVII: Eat the Sky
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XXX: a golden amputation
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XL: An Emperor For All Outcomes
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XLIII: End of Failed Timeline
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: XLIV: strict proof eternal
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Hood of the Great Hunt
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken Medusa
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: Keksis, the Betrayed
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: Report: Taken Power
- ^ Bungie (2015-9-15), Destiny: The Taken King, Blighted Chalice
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Lake of Shadows
- ^ Bungie (2017/9/6), Destiny 2, Dark Alliance
- ^ Bungie (2017/9/6), Destiny 2, Sacrilege
- ^ Bungie (2017/9/6), Destiny 2, Unexpected Guests
- ^ Bungie (2017/9/6), Destiny 2, Dynasty
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Toland: Quria is the key. The mind simulates Oryx, and thereby masters the power to Take. But of course, Quria is no power unto itself.
- ^ Bungie (2018/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, The Whisper
- ^ Bungie (2021/8/24), Destiny 2, [1]
- ^ Bungie (2021/8/24), Destiny 2, [2]
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: Books of Sorrow, XXVII: Eat the Sky
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King, Grimoire: Books of Sorrow, XLVIII: aiat, aiat, aiat, aiat, aiat
- ^ Bungie (2019/3/5), Destiny 2, Lore: Stolen Intelligence: Potential
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Lore:A Drifter's Gambit; A Matter of Trust
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Item Description: Ancient Apocalypse Armor
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/14), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Transcript: Darkness in the Light, City of Secrets
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/14), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Transcript: Darkness in the Light, Dark Weapon Core
- ^ Bungie (2019/3/15), Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter, Transcript: Invitations of the Nine, Mystery and Potential
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Lore:A Drifter's Gambit; Bright Side of a Bad Idea
- ^ Bungie (2017/9/8), Destiny 2, Calculated Action: Premeditation
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