Excision

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Excision
Game:	Destiny 2
Campaign:	The Final Shape
Player(s):	1-12
Location:	The Pale Heart, The Traveler
Enemy faction(s):	Sol Divisive Shadow Legion House of Salvation (Grandmaster) The Dread
Hostile race(s):	Vex Cabal Fallen (Grandmaster) Taken
Objective(s):	Join your fellow Guardians to unmake the Witness once and for all.
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Excision is the eighth and final Story Mission of the Final Shape expansion, and the overall finale of the Light and Darkness Saga.

Objectives

• Reach the Witness
  • Territory claimed
    • X of 4
  • Fight through the Witness's forces and claim territory to banish its influence.
• Reach the Witness
  • Move forward through whatever resistance there may be. You must reach the Witness.
• Slay the Witness's Cornerstones; Let the Light Pour Forth
  • Cornerstones slain
    • X of 2
  • Destroy the Witness'es Cornerstones to free the Traveler's Light. Channel it to enter the Darkness.
• Gather Light to Become One with Darkness Once More
  • Light gathered
    • X of 16
  • Collect Light from the rifts in the Traveler to empower your fireteam and become one with the Darkness.
• Commune with Darkness
  • Commune with the Effigy of the Witness to become one with Darkness.
• Unravel the Witness's from Within
  • Voices severed
    • X%
  • Destroy the Veiled Statues to sever their voices from the Witness's collective.
• Destroy the Glyphs
  • Glyphs destroyed
    • X of 6
  • Shoot the Glyphs protecting the Witness and expose its weaknesses.
• Strike Against the Witness
  • Now is the moment. Strike the Witness with all of your might!
• Unmake the Witness
  • Ghost knows what to do. Finish it.

Transcript

(Mission Begins)

Zavala: We need to get eyes on the Witness. First fireteam in there, don't hesitate to engage!

Queen Mara Sov: Fly, Guardian! The Witch Queen and I will prevent its escape.

Caiatl: And your allies will fight at your side!

Alongside with their Coalition allies and the Lucent Brood, a fireteam consisting of twelve Guardians led by the Young Wolf engage with the forces of the Witness. As the way to the Witness is blocked by a Pyramidal wall, with its entrance unassailable due to a barrier. The Guardians begin to slay the Cornerstones of the Witness, and cleanse the territory under its influence.

Ghost: This is what we were made for. I'm with you, until the end.

Mithrax: My House and I will aid you. We fight as one, Guardian.

Or alternatively...

Savathûn: One of my strongest stand with you. Mind your fire, and they mind theirs.

Or alternatively...

Savathûn: Time to face the monsters you made Witness. Sathona comes for you.

Or alternatively...

Caiatl: We eat the mountains! We drink the seas! We fight beside you!

Or alternatively...

Mithrax: For Riis!

Or alternatively...

Savathûn: There's my Luzaku now. Have fun together, won't you?

As the Guardian succeeds in capturing three pieces of territory, Savathûn appears and comes to their aid.

Savathûn: This is a change of pace, isn't it? Never let it be said that I wasn't here when it counted!

Despite the overwhelming amount of enemies, the Guardians alongside their allies succeed in cleansing all the areas under the Witness's influence.

Zavala: Guardian, keep your focus on the Witness.

Zavala: Empress, Mithrax, Savathûn, Witness forces are closing in, help me stop them!

To assist Zavala, Caiatl, Mithrax, and Savathûn leave the battlefield to assist the Commander, as the barrier blocking the way to the Witness is lowered.

Ghost: Vanguard Command, we’re closing in on the Witness now! This is it!

With the barrier lowered, the Guardians enter the wall to arrive on the other side, where the Witness floats on the edge of the abyss.

The Witness: We are the first knife! We are the edge that carved purpose into being.

The Witness: Your resistance will be remembered, within the shadow of the Black Fleet.

Or alternatively…

The Witness: Die here if you wish! You will all be reshaped the same.

Or alternatively…

The Witness: This delay, brief as a life. Finality, yet approaches.

The Witness launches its attacks and summons fourth its Cornerstones and other forces. Saint-14 then arrives to the battlefield to assist the Guardians, summoning fourth a Ward of Dawn for protection.

Saint-14: Guardian! I will hold this shield, no matter what.

Or alternatively…

Saint-14 : The Witness's forces will not breakthrough this. Guardian, to me!

Or alternatively…

Cayde-6: Wait… is that Saint-14? He's alive? And none of you mentioned it? Hey, he's headed your way, Guardian!

Or alternatively

Zavala: Saint-14 is en route to your location! Watch for the Ward of Dawn!

Upon defeating the cornerstones, the Guardians begin to draw from the Traveler's Light and bring it to a Pyramid shrine.

Osiris: Nimbus is above-they're dropping aid!

The Crow: Misraasks has some weapons headed your way, Guardian.

Upon drawing enough Light, the Guardians give themselves to Darkness and enter the Witness's collective consciousness.

The Witness: Do not interfere.

The Guardians enter the Witness's consciousness and retrieve a Sword of Light to destroy the Veiled Statues.

Ghost: Just like the last time, Guardian. Destroy these statues!

With the blade in their hand, the Guardians begin to destroy the statues, unraveling the voices within the Witness

A Dissenter: Free us… free us! Free us!

The Witness: We are ONE.

A Dissenter: It will end soon.

A Dissenter: We won't suffer one more day with you!

The Witness cuts the Guardians out of its collective, returning them to the battlefield. Stepping on the floating island, the fireteam destroys its Glyphs thus revealing its week spot and then open fire on the first knife. However the Witness's glyphs return as it becomes invulnerable once again. After slaying the Cornerstones, the Guardians collect Light once more and deposit it at the shrine.

Ikora: Nimbus, you're clear to drop. In and out. Guardian, watch for their move.

Ikora: Scorch cannons will be available shortly, courtesy of Shaxx. Make good use of them.

After depositing enough Light, the fireteam return to the Witness's consciousness, using the Ergo Sum to destroy the Veiled Statues before being cut out by the Witness.

The Witness: We carve you out!

Ghost: It's vulnerable! Give it all you've got, Guardian!

Returning to the island as it floats back up, the fireteam destroy the glyphs and begin to damage the Witness once more.

The Witness: You are nothing.

The island lowers as the Witness's immunity returns.

Zavala: We can't stop it now!

As the Guardians slay the Cornerstones, pockets of the Traveler's Light manifest across the battlefield.

Lord Saladin: The empress is sending a Synaptic Spear!

A Synaptic Spear arrives on the battlefield.

Savathûn: My assistance comes to you soon. Don't cut yourself, now.

Savathûn appears and gives the Guardians a Cleaver before flying away. The Guardians then re-enter the Witness's consciousness after depositing enough Light.

The Witness: So many have fallen… Join them.

The Guardians destroy many statues before being cut out.

The Witness: Your pain is poison!

Zavala: That's our opening. I want all our firepower on the Witness-now!

With this opening, the fireteam destroy the glyphs, allowing them to wound the Witness.

The Witness: [roars in fury]

The Witness becomes immune once more and creates a glass shield

Zavala: Here and now, Guardians!

Cayde-6: All right, we've got it on the ropes! You show that shape it ain't final!

Ghost: What was made can be unmade.

Ghost: I know what to do.

Ghost: Guardian, channel the Traveler's Light through me. I'm ready.

Using their Ghosts, the Guardians channel the power of the Traveler's Light to attack the Witness.

Ghost: [screams in pain]

Thanks to their Ghosts selfless act, the Guardians shatter the Witness's shield. Despite its universal power, the fireteam use the Traveler's Light to unmake the Voice in the Darkness, sending it into the abyss of the Pale Heart, ending its endeavour to enact the Final Shape, avenging the countless civilians devastated by its unfathomable cruelty, and bringing an end to the ancient, War of Light and Darkness.

The Witness: We-I-I don't understand.

Ghost: That's it [breaths heavily] We did it… we… we did it…

The Guardians look in the distance as the Witness is vanquished.

(Cutscene)

The Guardian holds their Ghost in the palm of their hand, before he begins to rise in the air.

Ghost: [pants weakly]

Ghost's sacrifice to channel the Traveler comes at a cost. As he floats into the air, his shell shattered from this journey, Ghost dies, falling from the air towards the ground as the Guardian loses their connection to the Light.

The Guardian: No!

Devastated, the Guardian runs over, goes on their knees and picks up Ghost's shell.

The Guardian: Ghost?

The Guardian then suddenly finds themselves within a strange place of Light. Getting up on their feet, they hold out their Ghost and plead the Traveler to bring him back.

The Guardian: Please… bring him back!

The Guardian: He's just a Ghost. You raised an army! You can bring back one Ghost!

Cayde then appears behind the Guardian before walking over to stand beside them.

Cayde-6: He sure shined bright back there, huh?

Cayde walks further and stands in front of the Guardian.

The Guardian: Cayde…

Cayde-6: "What comes from the Light, returns to the Light." My gal Sundance told me that.

Cayde-6: She also said that we're all connected. Guardians, Ghosts, the Traveler…

Cayde looks towards his right to see Sundance before looking straight back at the Guardian.

Cayde-6: Now you tell the others this was my choice. My Light. Nobody makes my fate but me.

Cayde puts his hands on the Guardian's Ghost.

Cayde-6: You're my favourite. Don't ever forget that.

Using his Light, Cayde resurrects the Guardian's Ghost while he vanishes away, returning to the Light of the Traveler as the Guardian is sent back to the Pale Heart with Ghost. When the Guardian looks down at Ghost, his eye flashes back on, returning to life.

Ghost: [gasps to life]

Ghost: Guardian… there you are. [sighs]

The Guardian: [takes shaky breath]

Overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude, the Guardian embraces Ghost. The war against the Witness is now over.

(Cutscene Ends)

{End Mission:Excision}

Enemies

Vex - Sol Divisive

• Quantum Goblin
• Harpy
• Malignant Minotaur
• Malignant Wyvern

Cabal - Shadow Legion

• Honored Psion
• Honored Phalanx
• Esteemed Incendior
• Esteemed Centurion
• Esteemed Colossus

Taken

• Ravenous Taken Knight
• Devoured Ogre
• Ravenous Taken Phalanx
• Servile Centurion
• Servile Captain
• Ravenous Taken Goblin
• Yateth, Taken Stain

The Dread

• Bound Attendant
• Tangling Weaver
• Carnage Husk
• Bound Husk
• Omen of the Witness
• Harbinger of the Witness
• Tormentor

Champions (Grandmaster Difficulty)

• Barrier Colossus
• Barrier Hobgoblin
• Barrier Knight
• Barrier Servitor
• Overload Captain
• Overload Minotaur
• Overload Taken Hobgoblin
• Unstoppable Taken Phalanx

Bosses

• Cornerstones of the Witness
• The Witness

Allies

• House of Light and House of Spider
  • Mithrax, Kell of Light
  • Halsiks
  • SCUR-V
• Imperial Cabal
  • Empress Caiatl
  • Empress's Thresher
  • Imperial Thresher
  • Valus Forge
• Lucent Brood
  • Savathûn, the Witch Queen
  • Luzaku
  • Lightbearer Knight
  • Lightbearer Acolyte
• Neomuna
  • Nimbus
• Vanguard
  • Saint-14
  • Lord Shaxx

Rewards (Grandmaster)

• Ergo Sum - Exotic // Sword
  • Ergo Sum Catalyst
• Ascendant Shard
• Exotic Engram
• Spoils of Conquest

Trivia

• Excision received a Grandmaster difficulty option included in Update 8.0.0.4 on June 18, 2024. This makes it the first non-Nightfall activity to have a Grandmaster difficulty.
• An excision is an act or procedure of removing by cutting out.
• Excision is the first intentional 12-player PvE activity, following an infamous glitch during Season of the Chosen in early 2021.
• Excision features the most characters with dialogue, with thirteen speaking characters.
  • Fourteen, if you include the Guardian's dialogue during the following cutscenes.

Appearance

• Destiny 2: The Final Shape (First appearance)