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Praksis, the Defiled |
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Baron (formerly) |
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Dark Council Member |
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Summon Fallen |
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Summon Scorn |
- "The Eliksni must update our approach if we are ever to rise. Either join us as we march toward progress… Or be swept aside with the vestigialities."
- — Praksis.
Praksis, the Technocrat is a Fallen Baron from the House of Salvation and one of the most trusted lieutenants for Eramis. Born into the House of Wolves, Praksis joined Eramis's quest to start a new world following their escape from the Prison of Elders. He is as lethal as loyal and will stop at nothing to advance Eramis's cause. As chief architect and scientist of the House, Praksis created the technology that helped the House of Salvation wield the power of Stasis. His research on Clovis Bray's Exo program laid the foundations for future Eliksni to harness that power. His fascination for machines developed into a deep admiration for the Vex and to the point that he conducted twisted experiments on them to improve Eliksni technology.[1][2]
Following his death and the events of The Witch Queen, Praksis would be resurrected as a Stasis-infused Scorn monstrosity by the Witness, serving as the final boss of Operation: Seraph's Shield Exotic Mission.
Biography
The Idealistic Wolf
- "I will create new spheres."
- — Praksis to Eramis
Born into the House of Wolves, Praksis found himself captured by the Reef who waged a deadly war against his House. Confined within the Prison of Elders, Praksis shared a neighboring cell with Eramis, a noble Baroness from the House of Devils. At first, Eramis ignored the young Wolf, but Praksis grew greedy for her acknowledgment who reminded her of the Dregs that sought the attention of her old Kell.
Eventually, Praksis gained her intrigue, and each day they would talk through the walls of their cells and dream of a new world. Praksis shared his many ideas to the Baroness and believed his ideas were the first and best ever thought of, however, Eramis suspected that Praksis had never reported to a Kell since these temperamental political leaders had little patience for triviality.[3][4]
He often spoke to Eramis about his fascination with machines, about how he wanted to build and bend them to his will. He once shared a scheme for capturing the Great Machine by binding it with Fallen Arc wires as a means to reclaim its power. He drew his inspiration from listening to the prison stories of Dominus Ghaul who had used a similar device to siphon the Traveler's power.
Eramis grew curious about his mindset and continued to let him talk, probing him with questions to test the young Wolf and make him examine his own ideas more closely. Praksis wished to reclaim the Eliksni's former glory by reclaiming the Great Machine, but Eramis argued that although the Great Machine made the Eliksni strong, when it abandoned them they were left weaker than before it arrived. Eventually, Eramis convinced Praksis that he needed to re-evaluate his entire approach, abandoning the entire concept of reliance on a greater power.[3]
Rise of Salvation
- "Yes, even from this moon of some distance, I can tap into your transmission, Misraaks. Others may call you Forsaken, but I dub you Foolish."
- — Praksis, the Technocrat
As the Red War subsided, Variks initiated a prison break which saw the release all its inmates, most notably Eramis, Siviks, Fikrul and the Scorned Barons.[5][6] Praksis also escaped, but his whereabouts remained elusive. The conversations with Praksis greatly influenced Eramis and following the failed heist of trying to attain the SIVA powered weapon, she aspired to build a new House where the memory of division and petty House politics no longer dictated their fate and build a new world with new ideas.[7]
Praksis, alongside his fellow councilors, Atraks and Variks, greeted the arrival of Eramis' old friends Phylaks and Kridis. He witnessed the assault of Variks by the hands of Phylaks for his past betrayals of the Eliksni. This delighted Praksis who was eager to meet the veterans, however, Eramis intervened and convinced her old comrades to begrudgingly work alongside the House of Judgment scribe for the good of all Eliksni.[8]
On Europa, Praksis witnessed the arrival of the obsidian ship alongside his fellow Council members. He watched his new Kell, Eramis, gain new strength from the powers of Stasis. With a new ancient power at hand, Eramis elevated herself as the Kell of Darkness and forged a new dark empire called the House of Salvation.[9]
Speaking from Riis-Reborn, Praksis broadcasted messages to his Eliksni kind and addressed their growing numbers. The Technocrat also noted how many have yet to accept the invitation of Eramis to partake in a movement that he believed was the progress of their people. Disappointed, he postulated an argument he did not fathom before. Although he anticipated cowardice from his kind from joining at the beginning stages as there was a lack of evidence to support their early endeavors, the maturity of their ambitions meant that they were undeniable and he believed that "Eramiskel" succeeded where others failed. However, the empty spaces of Riis-Reborn and whispers of House of Light cast an air of doubt.
Praksis claimed that he was still able to tap into the transmissions of the Sacred Splicer, Mithrax, even from Europa. He thought his fellow Wolf-born was foolish for believing in the Traveler and preached an old proverb where a Ketch filled with the unnecessary will never fly. He then addressed those who followed Mithrax's path and challenged them for putting faith at the hands of their enemies as the evidence before their eyes were more clear than the words of a scientist. He encouraged his kind to think of the proofs that highlighted the loyalty of their allies and if they truly benefitted from them such as the sharing of resources. Praksis took a pragmatic approach and claimed that too much time has been wasted to invest in flimsy experiments by trusting their enemies. He believed that the Eliksni had to update their approach if they are to rise to prominence again and asked his kin to join their purist to progress or be swept aside.[10]
The Dark Empire
- "Variks did not trust Praksis. Too young. Too selfish. Every invention for glory, for legacy… not for knowledge."
- — Variks, the Loyal
Elected as a military commander and chief science officer, Praksis was christened the Technocrat.[11] Unlike the Splicers who specialized in cybernetics and bio-engineering, Praksis pioneered as an inventor who most notably created the gauntlets to grant his House the means to harness the powers of Stasis through the use of Splinters. His technology helped shift the balance of power to Eramis's favor who was able to gain more authority by selecting who she gifted the new powers to. Stasis became a political recruitment campaign to enlist other Eliksni to join their movement.[12] Praksis also safeguarded his secrets close and did not allow other council members such as the traitorous Variks to grasp an understanding of how his inventions worked.[13] Variks was also made unaware of their discovery of the Deep Stone Crypt. Praksis had an early involvement with the secret facility and attempted to learn its secrets and was able to foresee problems associated with Eliksni Exo conversions.[14]
Following the betrayal of Variks, the Technocrat halted his experiments and attended a ceremony organized by Eramis to address their newly formed House. Held within the main chambers of Riis-Reborn Approach, Praksis stood alongside other Devil-born council members and listened attentively to Eramis. She spoke out against the chains that slaved the Eliksni race as they became servants to the Great Machine that abandoned them. Eramis then destroyed a Servitor in a symbolic move to usher in their freedom. Its destruction signified that the Eliksni had now updated their approach. Praksis also watched the veteran warrior, Phylaks, wield the ability Stasis by retrieving a Splinter from a Crux and inserting it into the Stasis gauntlets created by him. However, the assembly is interrupted by the Guardians and Praksis left the scene to allow Phylaks to chase them with her newfound powers.[15][16]
Hunt for The Technocrat
- "This is where your Golden Age Kell built you, hmm? Trivial tinkering. I will elevate it..."
- — Praksis, the Technocrat
Though Phylaks was Eramis's fiercest warrior, she had yet to master the powers of Stasis and died at the hands of the Guardians while attempting to gain control of Vex territory.[17] Variks informed them that more powerful Eliksni existed such as Praksis who was the visionary mind behind Salvation's technology and wrung that power from the Darkness itself.[18] Though Variks was never privy to his secret experiments, he did hear Praksis whisper to Eramis about wanting to use the Vex to reassemble into new technology.[2] Variks did not trust Praksis as he was too young and selfish and only cared for glory and legacy through his inventions over the pursuit of the knowledge.[19] He claimed that Praksis's ambitions had no limits and was drawn to the designs and inventions of Humanity and the Vex and urged the Guardians to discover how he created these dark weapons and stop his plans.[18][20]
As the Guardians ventured into the Asterion Abyss, Variks provided intel of Praksis's latest experiment which involved him putting tracking modules into Minotaurs.[1] They were also made aware of the Fallen activity within that region who collected resources for Praksis for an unknown experiment.[20] After defeating the Vex, Ghost was able to locate Praksis's latest experiment on Cadmus Ridge. The Technocrat had constructed an artificial Conflux in a bid to lure and trap the Vex.[21] Variks warned the Guardians that were not only fighting Fallen scavengers, but creators and architects who once made marvels that rivaled Humanity's Golden Age.[21]
Located outside the Bray Exoscience facility, Ghost hacked into Praksis's latest construct and lured the nearby Vex to the Fallen conflux. Praksis then found out that the Guardians were attempting to shut down his conflux and sent a Servitor, Conflux Watch Prime, to protect it. The Prime Servitor was an upgraded model from those utilised by the House of Winter and would teleport them away from the conflux, but the Guardians persisted and destroyed the Servitor.[22] Ghost was then able to find a signal from the downed Servitor who was in communication with Praksis and able to locate the Technocrat deep within the Bray Exoscience facility.[23] The Guardian stormed the depths of the Bray Exoscience, slaying all of his subordinates who attempted to protect him, and reached the Eternity, where they engaged in one final battle with the Technocrat. Despite his stasis abilities and shield technology, he was slain by The Guardian.
Defiled by the Witness
- "His name was Praksis, and you killed him. But the Witness has returned him to us... as it will return all Eliksni slain by the Machine-spawn's hand."
- — Eramis, Kell of Darkness
With the coming of the Black Fleet closer and closer to Earth, the Witness decided to punish Eramis for her previous failures by returning many of her subordinates to life as Scorn, including Praksis. The former Technocrat was sent to the Seraph Station to direct the efforts of the House of Salvation's Splicers in taking over the facility. He once again came face to face with the Guardian, who infiltrated the space station to stop their offensive. Praksis called forth hordes of Scorn and Splicers, and employed both the technology of the station and his own drones and gauntlet, putting up fierce resistance. But in the end, the Guardian prevailed once again.[24]
Gameplay
Empire Hunt: The Technocrat
Praksis will stride around the area while firing on players with his Shrapnel Launcher. He will occasionally teleport across the room in an attempt to get a clear shot or close the distance between him and the player. He has the ability to conjure and throw Stasis Grenades, which either generate a field which slows down and eventually freezes the player, or creates a trail of icicles which travels across the ground, seeking out the nearest player and freezing them on contact. When he loses a certain portion of his health, Praksis will summon shield drones with make him invulnerable to all damage until they have all been destroyed. The drones will stay stationary in different spots around the arena, and their number will increase with the lower Praksis' health is.
In the story version of the fight, Prakis will summon a shield of Stasis upon reaching the final portion of his health, which can only be breached with the player's Stasis subclass. A Crux of Darkness will appear near the entrance, allowing for communion with it and providing its powers.
Operation: Seraph's Shield
The reanimated Praksis initially fights similiarly to his previous incarnation. Though he has lost his offensive teleportation, which he only uses for scripted movement, he will slowly but surely stride towards the area the player is in, bombarding them with his Shrapnel Launcher and disrupting them with his Stasis grenades in an effort to make them easy targets for his Scorn reinforcements. When he loses a third of his health, Praksis will summon an immunity shield, becoming invulerable to damage. The player will have to obtain a Suppressor augment from a Suppressor Splicer that appears in the room, which they will have to use under the three drones around the area protected by Corrupted Chieftains. Once all three BrayTech drones have been activated, three doors will unlock around the room, revealing Praksis' shield drones. Destroying all three will make the boss vulnerable for another third of his health, requiring the player to repeat this process again. For the last third of his health bar, Praksis will call forth even more reinforcements, including Void Tarnished Chieftains that can shield him with their Ether Totems.
Gallery
Empire Hunt: The Technocrat
Praksis in the Beyond Light Trailer
Praksis clearing the area
Praksis using his Stasis powers
Operation: Seraph's Shield
Trivia
- Praksis is voiced by Brian T. Delaney, who also voices Saint-14 and Clovis Bray I's AI.[25]
- "The Technocrat" is also the title for Kargen from The Insight Terminus strike on Nessus.
- Praksis arrives by riding on a Shank in both the Technocrat Empire Hunt and Seraph's Shield mission, making him the second character to use a Shank as a way of transport in Destiny 2, with the first being Cayde-6.
List of appearances
- Destiny 2: Beyond Light (First appearance)
- Season of the Splicer (Mentioned only)
- Season of the Seraph
References
- ^ a b Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Deductive Reasoning
- ^ a b Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Reverse Engineering
- ^ a b Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: II. The Wolf
- ^ YouTube (2020/11/10), Empire Hunt: The Technocrat - Dialogue
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Lore: Where Loyalty Lies
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: The Traitor
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: The Scribe
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: The Council
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: IX. The Kell of Darkness
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Lore: XI. The Technocrat
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Variks - The Technocrat
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Season of the Splicer, Lore: II: Hollowhot
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Under All Conditions
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Mask of Bakris
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, The New Kell
- ^ YouTube, Beyond Light Cutscene - We Will Rise Again
- ^ YouTube, Phylaks Defeat – Timestamp 05:50s
- ^ a b YouTube, Dismantling an Empire – Timestamp 00:15s
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Controlled Experiment
- ^ a b Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Perfect Specimen
- ^ a b Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Scientific Method
- ^ YouTube, Fallen Conflux
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Final Test
- ^ Bungie (2022/12/6), Destiny 2: Season of the Seraph - Operation: Seraph's Shield
- ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light credits