Exo

Revision as of 19:53, October 21, 2020 by Northern Epsilon (talk | contribs) (Moved a paragraph from history to overview, noted that there are exceptions to Exos having previously been human)
Exo
Grimoire Exo.jpg
Overview

Other name(s):

"MINE" [1]

Homeworld:

Europa [2][3]
Earth

Focal world(s):

Earth

Goals:

Revive the Traveler
Reclaim the Solar System
Rebuild civilization

At war with:

Cabal
Fallen
Hive
Taken
Vex

Distinctions:

Self-aware war machines

Average lifespan:

Indefinite

Notable group(s):

Clovis Bray
Guardians
Iron Lords
Ishtar Collective

Notable individual(s):

Cayde-6
Saint-14
Lord Felwinter
Ada-1
Shiro-4

 

"Ask yourself: what threatened your Golden Age ancestors so much that they constructed the Exos to defend themselves?"
Grimoire card blurb

Exominds [4] (or simply Exos as they are more commonly known) are self-aware war machines built by humanity in the Golden Age[5]. Unlike mass-produced robotic frames, Exos are human minds uploaded in artificial bodies; with the notable exception of Felwinter, each and every Exo was a human before. The uploading technology was developed by Clovis Bray corporation during the Golden Age; many Exos come from the mysterious Deep Stone Crypt on Europa. Exo names typically include the number of memory-wiping "reboots" of their brain, e.g. Cayde-6 or Saint-14. While not being biologically "alive", Exos retain many human qualities and habits; just like any living being, they have Light of their own, can die and be revived by a Ghost.

Overview

The Exos were the brainchildren of Clovis Bray, [4] though the motive for their creation remains a mystery. During the Collapse, the Exos' memories were shattered [6] and nigh-all knowledge of their origins lost as well. In the Dark Age that followed, the Exos helped build the Last City alongside their organic brethren, with many going on to become Guardians. [5]

Exos appear unyielding and tireless, to the point that appearing exhausted is often considered impressive for an Exo.[7] Mechanically, they are so advanced that only a Ghost can comprehend their inner workings. In many ways, Exos like to think of themselves as human, or having human minds in machine bodies. Exos can also confuse armor they wear for part of their own body, which leads to a feeling of being naked.[8]

History

The Exos were built during humanity's Golden Age for a long forgotten struggle, possibly against the Vex, with the purpose of protecting their creators. Rasputin was once involved in their command, a fact that some Exos dimly remember. The conflict itself has long been forgotten and the Exo remain ciphers, even to themselves, for their purpose has been forgotten as well. But there is one clue to their origins; many Exos experience a dream they call Deep Stone Crypt, or the "place where they were born." It is described as "the infamous subroutine which seeded the first Exo consciousness." Cayde-6's memories stretch further, where he recalls being a human before travelling to Europa to become an Exo, as he "came there in flesh and bone. Gave everything to the ice. Started over. Rebooted."[2][3]

The Exo is a robotic body with an uploaded human consciousness. The technology to encode the latter into the former was developed by Clovis Bray. This existence is not naturally sustainable; early Exos suffered from a condition known as Dissociative Exomind Rejection (DER), a serious and ultimately fatal cognitive disorder caused by the human mind rejecting its new body.

Clovis Bray discovered that DER could be staved off by two particular methods. The first was the "reboot", erasing the mind's memories post-transfer so that it would not remember its old body and so better accept the new one. While effective, it was not a cure, and the reboot procedure would often be repeated several times over the Exo's life. It would also be used for functional purposes, such as restoring Exos whose minds had become "compromised". Successive reboots cumulatively eroded an Exo's mind and their ability to retain any memories at all, with excessive numbers of reboots causing insanity.[9] Clovis Bray estimated that the maximum number of times an Exo could be safely rebooted was around 20. Not all reboots completely remove past memories, though, especially for Guardians and some can gain access to these buried memories by purposefully dying or killing themselves. Every Exo has a number appended to their name that signifies the number of reboots they have experienced.

The second method Clovis Bray used to prevent DER was to introduce familiar organic conceits into the Exo's mechanical body, such as the drive to eat or reproduce. While these "humanisms" were not functionally necessary, they nevertheless reduced the chances of DER developing. The "humanisms" may extend to certain sensations of discomfort, such as nausea or physical exertion, as Cayde-6 has demonstrated on occasion, though he is not a reliable source.[10][11][12] It is not possible for an Exo to become intoxicated by alcohol, however.[13]

Known Exos

Trivia

  • During their presentation at the 2013 Game Developers Conference, Joseph Staten and Christopher Barrett revealed the Exos as a playable race and described them as being "sinister, powerful, and tireless war machines".[15]
  • Exos were stated to be emotionless in a preview.[16] Game interactions appear to contradict this.[17]
    • In fact, some lore material released around Season of the Worthy implies that it is uncommon for an Exo to even have very little emotion.[18][19]
  • Exos are able to eat and drink despite being machines - and not having stomachs.[20]
  • Some options for Exo player customization lack visible eyes.

Gallery

List of appearances

References

  1. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 4
  2. ^ a b Cayde's Treasure Island Book
  3. ^ a b YouTube: Destiny 2 Reveal - 6/9 @ 9am Pacific
  4. ^ a b Bungie (2018/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Scan: Core Terminus, Mars
  5. ^ a b Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Exo
  6. ^ Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: The Dark Age
  7. ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, The Sixth Coyote
  8. ^ Bungie (2017/9/8), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: Primal Siege Type 1 Gauntlets
  9. ^ a b Bungie (2020/3/10), Destiny 2: Season of the Worthy, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Weblore: Legacy Pt 2
  10. ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Looped
  11. ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Exodus Crash
  12. ^ Bungie (2019/10/1), Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Never Live It Down
  13. ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: The Man They Call Cayde
  14. ^ Bungie (2014/12/9), Destiny: The Dark Below Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description, Tomyris-E2
  15. ^ YouTube: "Destiny" - News GDC Panel
  16. ^ Gamelynch: Destiny Preview
  17. ^ Bungie (2014-6-12), Destiny: Alpha PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard.
  18. ^ Bungie (2020/3/10), Destiny 2: Season of the Worthy Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: The Liar
  19. ^ Bungie, (3/10/2020), Weblore: Remembrance
  20. ^ Polygon - Watch the first teaser for Destiny 2