Destiny 2’s showcase gave fans a ton of information to go through. While the greater story of the Witch Queen expansion won’t arrive until 2022, there is already a lot of content leading up to it. The new season of Destiny 2 has already started with major implications, and it has been the ultimate confirmation for any Guardians still holding onto hope for the Warlock, Osiris.
While many fans have enjoyed Osiris' story and background throughout Destiny, he's become hard to trust as of late. The past few seasons have had worrying interactions and voice lines for the once highly respected Guardian. Season of the Splicer ended with the confirmation that at the very least, Osiris was leading people in the Last City astray. At the worst, he was actively working against the Last City, the Vanguard, and everyone he swore to care for and protect, including Saint-14.
Osiris
The silver lining in Osiris not being who he once was is that the one committing these traitorous acts was not him. Instead, the opening mission to Season of the Lost shows that it was instead Savathun, the Witch Queen. The Hive Goddess is known for her cunning and deceit. She thrives off of it and generates power for her Worm through it. She has lied to the most notable characters in Destiny from Oryx, The Taken King to the player’s own Guardian.
Discovering that Savathun had taken Osiris, and likely Sagira, is something that probably hasn’t surprised everyone. Since the Warlock’s Ghost was killed off-screen a few seasons ago, many players have been suspicious about whether or not he was the real Osiris. Even though it turns out he was an imposte,r there is hope that the legendary Warlock will still make his return.
Savathun has struck a deal with the Awoken Queen, Mara Sov as well as the Guardian and the Vanguard in Season 15 of Destiny 2. In exchange for help exercising her Worm, she will deliver Osiris back to them. This is likely a major ploy by her and generates quite a few questions.
The Hive Goddess has long sought immortality through any means necessary. She has deceived her own gods and the Witch Queen showcase confirmed that she has gotten a hold of the Light. With Savathun creating her Hive Ghosts as well as a new species of Guardian,it’s likely that she can’t be trusted in the current arrangement. Even more concerning is the likelihood that she may have already taken more Guardians than just Osiris.
As the Witch Queen, Savathun seems to have known that the answer to her questions about immortality and power have revolved around the Light for some time. She mentions it while in Osiris’ persona and the Hive have made several plays at prominent Guardians. Two of the most notable are Eris Morn and the Exo Stranger, Elsie Bray. Both have vague periods in their backstories as well as questionable familiarities with the Darkness.
Eris Morn
Eris Morn spent years among the Hive, hiding in the Hellmouth on the Moon. She became an expert in them and continues to be the primary point of interest and vendor for armor and weapons on the Moon to this day. She seems to have positioned herself rather well so that her expertise can be seen as a blessing. After all, before the player’s Guardian and fireteam defeats Crota in the Crota’s End raid from the first Destiny, the Hive Prince was believed to be almost unstoppable.
The aftershock of many of Eris’ actions have directly worked against humanity, though. While Crota was defeated, his fall brought the attention of Oryx, the Taken King. The Hive God was a ruthless foe who bent the wills of those around them. He enslaved and murdered in the name of his Worm with little thought of those he affected. He was the leader of the Hive and a despicable one.
While Eris helped with the fall of Oryx, his defeat was again relegated to the Guardian. In truth, he may not have even been defeated. Becoming a living weapon in the Touch of Malice exotic scout rifle was his end goal. An immortal device of death wielded by some of the strongest warriors in the universe. Similarly, his Worm does the same when it becomes the Whisper of the Worm sniper rifle.
Facilitating the violent immortality of two notably evil beings, whether it was intentional or not, is something that brings a lot of questions. While they aren’t present in the way they were before, they aren’t truly dead. This type of action fits in well with deep conspiracies, the kind that Savathun specializes in. Given the inclusion of Hive gods, Eris’ missing Ghost, and her questionable actions, the Guardian players know may just be another extension of the Witch Queen herself.
Elsie Bray, the Exo Stranger
Elsie Bray has also been a mysterious person since her introduction in the first Destiny game. While she was originally the Exo Stranger, the Beyond Light expansion gave her more backstory and made her an active part of the player’s experience in Destiny 2. She has been a strong voice against the ideas, ambitions, and teachings of Clovis Bray the First, and worked hard to tear his legacy down.
While Clovis did experiment with the Darkness, it is worth noting that Elsie not only helped him, but that she has experimented with it as well. She instructs Guardians in the use of Stasis in Destiny 2 and sees it as a necessary evil. While this in itself is concerning, the mysterious and odd nature of her Ghost is also cause for alarm.
Savathun has clearly been trying to get her hands on the Light for a while, and her Ghosts look remarkably different than the ones that players are used to. On top of this, Elsie’s Ghost looks even more different than the Hive's. While it might not be a lie that she is stuck in a time-loop or from the future, she and her companion still might not have the intention of helping the Guardians. This could make the Exo Stranger an anti-hero or worse.
While the showcase for the Witch Queen expansion gave players a clear view of Savathun and her Hive Ghosts, it also lets players hear the Hive Goddess’ voice. In her lengthy monologue about truth, she directs a very specific question with equally defined language at not the player, but their Ghost. “Tell me, Little Light. What is your truth now?” seems to be a deliberate phrase which tracks with the calculating being the Savathun is.
The question is alarming, as she unleashes her Ghosts to revive Hive Guardians, but its words are what should truly worry players. The term Little Light is one that Elsie has used to refer to Ghosts several times throughout the game. She specifically says it in dialogue before the Glassway Strike on Europa. For Savathun to use the same words in the recent Witch Queen trailer might suggest that the Elsie players have come to know is no more legitimate than the Osiris that Crow knows.
This all might seem like a lot to unpack, but it’s important to keep in mind when considering where the future of Destiny 2’s story may be headed. The new season has started with a bang, and it will likely only get crazier from here. Savathun thrives on deceit and confusion, so anything Guardians think they know could turn out to be a lie. With the next few expansions rapidly approaching, normalcy and trust is something that Destiny 2’s story probably won’t have any time soon.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen releases on February 22nd, 2022