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Long Drift

From Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki

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Whirlwind

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Six Fronts

Long Drift

Outcome:

  • Eliksni society changes from peaceful and gentle "gardeners" to nomadic warriors
  • Numerous pirate crews are formed, with such notably Ketchkillers and Skiffblades
  • The Fallen reach the Solar System and assail the remnants of Humanity
Civilian casualties

Potentially billions of Eliksni

 

The Long Drift is a period within Eliksni history where they began their exodus from their home planet of Riis in pursuit of Great Machine to the Solar System, the star system inhabiting Humans.[1]

History

The Eliksni were once a peaceful race of gardeners graced by the Traveler. The House of Wolves were gentle weavers, while other Houses were builders, caretakers, physicians, negotiators and warriors.[2] However, this changed with the arrival of the Black Fleet which destroyed their society in an event called the Whirlwind.[3]

Notable bodies, such as the Elders and Skaith, perished,[4] while the Eliksni suffered greater casualties when Oryx, the Taken King challenged the House of Stone and its Kell, Chelchis.[5][6] The House of Judgement who once maintained peace as mediators between the Houses also suffered losses and dwindled in size. The Eliksni formed a pact between themselves where House Judgment shall have no Ketch and live among the other Houses to guide their Kells.[7] However, this changed when the surviving Eliksni embroiled themselves in a bloody civil war as the Wolves dueled with the Kings and Scar fought the Winter over the ruins of their civilization.[3]

Forced to abandon their homeworld, the noble Kells of the various Houses ordered a mass exodus and searched for salvation by following the Traveler across space in hopes of returning to their former glory.[8][9] The Kells instructed their respective Prime Servitors to calculate star flight and relayed the information to Pilot Servitors to pilot their Ketches.[10][11]

This period of space flight lasted for centuries and the Eliksni raised many generations of younglings as they traveled the dark expanse.[12] This new generation of Eliksni were deemed unlucky as they never witnessed the glory of Riis and were brought up on the stories and warsongs that celebrated their lost culture.[13] Their Ketches also became sacred homes as they fostered many clans and families who carried remnants of their dying culture such as ceremonial washing bowls, children's musical instruments and ceramic effigies of Servitors.[14]

As the Eliksni raced across the stars they became increasingly desperate and soon developed a dependence upon the machines they created. This deep-rooted reliance turned them to developing weapons for fighting, ships for flying and Servitors for surviving.[citation needed] Their cloaking technology was originally the toys of children but soon developed into a tool of warfare, employed by notable groups such as the Silent Fang.[15] Servitors processed matter and energy into Ether, a substance once found in abundance on Riis, providing sustenance to the Eliksni.[10] When consumed in higher quality, the Eliksni are filled with strength.[citation needed]

Their inherent need turned into the worship of Servitors and a new faith later emerged among the Eliksni society. The status of Archons grew as their roles shifted to the consecration of Servitors and carefully maintaining their plating. The Archons were celebrated as esteemed leaders and looked upon to provide hope to the depressed Eliksni through their words, teachings, and interpretations of their machine gods.[citation needed]

However, as the Long Drift persisted, the Kells neglected their old customs and adopted new means of survival. They established a new social hierarchy among the Eliksni and grew stronger by having the largest access to Ether, followed by their nobility.[16]. Disgraced Eliksni were docked into subservience and Ether rations were reduced among the population as they were starved and malnourished.[17][16] This strengthened the Eliksni as a whole, as they were able to survive the hard flight through space, however, their new faith would start to fracture as some viewed veneration of Servitor as a means of control.[citation needed]

As the Long Drift continued, many Eliksni began abandoning Houses and acting like pirates to survive, with some individuals taking over Ketches of others and incorporating them into their fleets. This earned them the moniker of Ketchkillers.[18]

Eventually, the Fallen reached the Sol System and found the Traveler now protected another species instead of having fled like with them. Enraged, they attacked humanity, beginning the one-hundred-year conflict known as the Eliksni siege.

List of appearances

References

  1. ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Item Description: Salvation's Grip
  2. ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Variks, the Loyal: Eliksni are not all warriors. We are builders, caretakers, negotiators, weavers, physicians...
  3. ^ a b Bungie (2015/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Allies/The Queen, Variks, The Loyal
  4. ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken - Lore:Most Loyal, Where Loyalty Lies
  5. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King - Item Description: Doom of Chelchis
  6. ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King - Item Description: Broken Crown
  7. ^ Bungie (2015/5/16), Destiny: House of Wolves - Item Description: Gone to Ground
  8. ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken - Lore:The Lawless Frontier, An Evolution of Faith
  9. ^ Bungie (2014/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen, Ghost Fragment: Fallen 4
  10. ^ a b Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny - Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen, Servitor
  11. ^ Bungie (2014/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Leadership, Pilot Servitor
  12. ^ Bungie (2014/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen, Ghost Fragment: Fallen 3
  13. ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Beyond Light - Lore:The Once-Shipstealer, XIII. The Wildcard
  14. ^ Bungie (2020/11/10), Destiny 2: Season of the Hunt - Lore:Call of the Cryptolith, II. RATIONS
  15. ^ Bungie (2015/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Item Description: Talk to Petra
  16. ^ a b Bungie (2015/5/19), Destiny: House of Wolves - Item Description: The Elder Cipher
  17. ^ Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny - Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen, Dreg
  18. ^ Bungie (2022/8/23), Destiny 2: Season of Plunder - Item Description: Ketchkiller's Gauntlets / Grips / Gloves