Ketch
FallenKetchInfobox.jpg
Production information

Manufacturer:

Fallen

Model:

Frigate

Technical specifications

Mass:

Unknown, possibly hundreds of tons

Armament:

Energy Cannons
Warp Drive

Crew:

Fallen

Complement:

Skiffs
Walkers

Usage

Role(s):

Starship

Affiliation:

Fallen

 

Ketches are massive starships used by the Fallen for interstellar travel and housing. The Fallen arrived on these ships in the wake of the Collapse, disembarking to pillage the remnants of human civilization.[1] They are of vital importance in Eliksni culture where they serve not only as modes of transport but as homes, often generations of families will live and die within a single Ketch.

The Awoken of the Reef also employ Ketches captured from the Reef Wars, as a number of Ketches in Reef livery participate in the battle against Oryx's Hive fleet over Saturn.[2]

Overview and layout

"Ketch is Kin, Kin are All."
— Eliksni proverb.[3]

The overall design of the Ketch falls in line with the organic nature of most of the architecture seen within Fallen culture, featuring sweeping lines and bulbous curves. Given the current status of the Fallen as a species, they are often dirty and held together with the scraps of metal their crews scavenge.

Despite their condition, they still serve as warships for the Fallen with their power and resilience held in high regard. Pilot Servitors hardwired into the ship's mainframe to aid their navigation.

The affiliation of a Ketch can often be distinguished by the color of the line painted around its main engine. The Awoken repainted their captured Ketches with purple lines, many of which were present during the Battle of Saturn.[2] On Europa, the House of Salvation Ketches bear a grey hull with the House insignia emblazoned in blue on the underbelly. During the Season of Plunder, Spider offered the use of one of his ketches to the Guardian with a bombastic, blue, green and pink striped livery.[4]

Among the Eliksni is a saying, "Ketch is Kin, Kin are All", emphasizing the fact that a Ketch is a family home that fostered clans.[3] Indeed, the word for Ketch is synonymous with family.[5] A wrecked King Ketch once contained a ceremonial washing bowl, a child's musical instrument, and the cracked ceramic effigy of a Servitor.[3] Ketches are also given honorary titles by naming them after their Prime Servitors, such as Wintership Simiks-Fel and Wolfship Orbiks-Fel. To the Eliksni, Ketches and other Fallen spacecraft are far more than just means of traversing the stars, they are a family member that the Eliksni would defend to the bitter end.

Ketch Variants

Known Ketches

 
A Ketch near the Morning Star orbital station
House of Devils
House of Winter
House of Wolves
The Reef
House of Rain
House of Dusk
House of Salvation
House of Light
House of Spider
Other Affiliations

Notable Ketch Commanders

House of Winter
House of Wolves
The Reef
House of Dusk
House of Salvation
House of Spider
Scorn
Unknown

Gallery

Ketch Interior

Concept Art

Trivia

  • A "ketch" is a sailing craft with two masts, specifically a "main-mast" and a smaller "mizzen-mast".
  • Pilot Servitors are usually responsible for piloting Fallen Ketches.[6]
  • The Vestian Outpost social space is made from the hull of a captured Ketch.[citation needed]
  • Ketches that are attached to a major Fallen House have the "-Fel" suffix, while other Ketches belonging to Freelance fallen have the "-Syn" suffix. It's possible these are meant to differentiate whether a ship owes its allegiance to a Kell, or is commanded by a freelance Baron.
  • It is likely that the Wolfship Orbiks-Fel once belonged to Virixas, Kell of Wolves, until they met their demise facing the Awoken Queen's Harbinger attack. This victory is celebrated in the item description of Chain of Orbiks-Fel.[7]
  • The Drifter is an abandoned Reef Ketch belonging to the House of Winter. It is possible that this Ketch was used to free Aksor, Archon Priest due to the yellow markings within the other areas of the ship, with the Priest sporting yellow armor.[citation needed]
  • The House of Dusk have been seen to pilot 5 Ketches on various locations.
  • An idle Ketch can be spotted near the Tangled Shore, however, it is unknown whether it belongs to the Spider's Crime Syndicate.
  • In the crucible map Memento, an unknown Ketch can be seen hovering above the European Dead Zone.
  • In Season of the Lost, it is revealed that the door to Mithrax's workshop was repurposed from a Ketch.[8]
  • Powerful Scorn, such as Fikrul, are capable of using Ketches. However, they do still need regular Eliksni to pilot it.[9]
  • In the Crucible map Eventide Labs, a Ketch belonging to Eramis reuses the designs from Spider's Ketch.

List of appearances

References

  1. ^ Bungie (2014/6/12), Destiny: Alpha, Grimoire: The Fallen
  2. ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King - The Coming War
  3. ^ a b c Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Call of the Cryptolith: II. RATIONS
  4. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Salvage and Salvation
  5. ^ Bungie (2021/5/11), Destiny 2: Season of the Splicer - Lore: Farewell
  6. ^ Bungie (2015/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire: Pilot Servitor
  7. ^ Bungie (2015/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Item Description, Chain of Orbiks-Fel
  8. ^ Bungie (2021/08/24), Destiny 2: Season of the Lost - Ripples: II - The Pigeon and the Splicer
  9. ^ Bungie (2023/11/28), Destiny 2: Season of the Wish - Buried Bloodline