Hey there! Who wants to join me in examing the names in Destiny, to see if we can determine what the heck is going on? Obviously the names were chosen by the developers to coincide with what they do (Harpies fly around, Ogres are big monsters), but I'm sure they also intend to evoke things based on these names. Let's do a deep dive and see what we can turn up! [b]The Fallen[/b] [i]Having dropped or come down from a higher place, from an upright position, or from a higher level, degree, amount, quality, value, number, etc.[/i] This one seems fairly straightforward, from what I remember the lore thus far states several times that The Fallen could potentially have been a more well-off, noble race. They are depicted as pirates/scavengers, but this behaviour could be out of desparation. In the cards they are stated to be looking for things under the cosmodrome, and in the ruins of the academy in Venus. My initial thought is that there's more to this - if you look at it from a Bungie campaign perspective, they could be looking for the MacGuffin that could win their own struggle. They seem worse-off than Humanity, and apart from the one push against the city in the history, not particularly interested in attacking them. My bet? The Fallen are most likely to do an elite-style Face Turn, especially if some of them are willing to work with the Awoken in the reef. The enemy names back this ramshackle, scrabbling-for-existence background up: [b]Dreg[/b] [i]Usually, dregs. The least valuable part of anything.[/i] Cruddy, two-armed losers. [b]Shank[/b] [i]An improvised stabbing weapon.[/i] [b]Vandal[/b] [i]A person who willfully or ignorantly destroys or mars something beautiful or valuable. [/i] Named from "our" perspective, obviously. How many old alien ruins have we raided in games trying to find our own salvation, though? [b]Captain[/b] [i]A person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader. [/i] [b]Servitor[/b] [i]A person who is in or at the service of another; attendant.[/i] The interesting part there is that the Servitor. Why is "a person who is in or at the service of another" at the head of their command chain? Why are they strange orbs? [b]The Vex[/b] [i]To irritate; annoy; provoke:[/i] "The Vex" seems somewhat strange with that definition, when you consider they're imposing time-travelling hive-mind robots. However, several of the cards seem to point out that the Vex are fighting seemingly-losing battles with no real heed for their losses or tactics, potentially to test capabilities or run simulations. [b]Goblin[/b] [i]A grotesque sprite or elf that is mischievous or malicious toward people. [/i] [b]Hobgoblin[/b] [i]A mischievous goblin. [/i] [b]Harpy[/b] [i]Classical Mythology. a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body. [/i] [b]Minotaur[/b] [i]Classical Mythology. a monster, the offspring of Pasiphaë and the Cretan bull, that had the head of a bull on the body of a man: housed in the Cretan Labyrinth, it was fed on human flesh until Theseus, helped by Ariadne, killed it. [/i] [b]Hydra[/b] [i]Classical Mythology. a water or marsh serpent with nine heads, each of which, if cut off, grew back as two; Hercules killed this serpent by cauterizing the necks as he cut off the heads. [/i] Apart from Goblins and Hobgoblins, the rest of the names are from Greek mythology. Could their enmity with the Cabal be related in some way? Also, Goblins and Hobgoblins are generally more mischevious than outright evil/violent. Could this also be related to the irritate/annoy/provoke testing The Vex is doing? [b]The Hive[/b] [i]A place swarming with busy occupants, a swarming or teeming multitude.[/i] Again, fairly straightforward so far. They are a teeming multitude, up to stuff in the bowels of the moon. [b]Thrall[/b] [i]A person who is in bondage; slave, a person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power, influence, or the like.[/i] [b]Acolyte[/b] [i]An altar attendant in public worship, any attendant, assistant, or follower.[/i] [b]Knight[/b] [i]A mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages, (in Europe in the Middle Ages) a man, usually of noble birth, who after an apprenticeship as page and squire was raised to honorable military rank and bound to chivalrous conduct. [/i] [b]Ogre[/b] [i]A monster in fairy tales and popular legend, usually represented as a hideous giant who feeds on human flesh. [/i] [b]Wizard[/b] [i]A person who practices magic; magician or sorcerer. [/i] Barring Thrall and Acolyte (although they could technically be included), these are more medieval/fantasy terms, and barring Thrall/Ogre, they're generally more "positive". Why is the evil "undead" faction the group that includes "Knights" and "Wizards", while the good (but also technically undead) faction contains classes with more negative connotations ("Titans" and "Warlocks"). Also, this faction seems to show a lack of self-determination. Thralls by definition are under someone else's control, acolytes are followers, knights serve under their lord. Only Ogres and Wizards are really above that. Also, these guys seem to be the most overtly "evil". Why are humans, the ones who seem to have given everything else names with negative connotations, giving these guys traditionally-heroic names? [b]Cabal[/b] [i]A small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority. [/i] This is a weird one. The Cabal is stated as being a huge force being run by an emperor. Why would their name suggest something smaller and more rebellious? Could they be rebelling against the Darkness? Another face turn, perhaps? [b]Legionary[/b] [i]Of, pertaining to, or belonging to a legion. [/i] [b]Centurion[/b] [i](in the ancient Roman army) the commander of a century. [/i] [b]Psion[/b] [i]No real definition. MIND POWARS~![/i] [b]Phalanx[/b] [i](in ancient Greece) a group of heavily armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep, with shields joined and long spears overlapping, any body of troops in close array.[/i] Not much to really go into here. "They are army guys" is the basic gist of it. It is interesting that they seem to be constantly fighting the forces named after Greek myths, though. [b]Guardian[/b] [i]A person who guards, protects, or preserves. [/i] [b]Titan[/b] [i]Classical Mythology. Any of the sons of Uranus and Gaea, including Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus. (usually lowercase) a person or thing of enormous size, strength, power, influence, etc. [/i]Most likely named because they are the "largest' class, with their armour and whatnot, but still weird, vaguely-negative connotations to the Titans of greek mythology (and we know how Bungie loves their Greek stuff). [b]Hunter[/b] [i]A person who hunts game or other wild animals for food or in sport.[/i] Again, not inherently "bad", but it's odd that they didn't go with something more "fantasy", like Ranger or Strider or whatever. [b]Warlock[/b] [i]A man who professes or is supposed to practice magic or sorcery; a male witch; sorcerer.[/i] This one has the most overt "negative" overtones. Warlocks are generally more perceived as practitioners of dark magic than wizards. Join me, won't you?