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Discuss all things Destiny 2.
Edited by ShadeofArcana: 6/18/2023 11:00:03 PM
5

The truth behind "the helmet stayed on."

I have been wanting to discuss this for awhile, the truth behind the infamous "the helmet stayed on" joke. To truly get the full picture here, we have to consult two different pieces of lore: [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/mark-of-the-great-hunt]The Mark of the Great Hunt[/url] and a note from Shaxx to Ikora in the [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UDF2gZFAVhn6vXjVdgWXO5P1Fdb6VFSMRTyx88Im0es/edit?usp=drivesdk]Witchqueen CE Transcript[/url] If you scroll down and read Shaxx's note he explains to Ikora that after he recited Shakespeare's Tempest, Mara and him talked about Sjur. The friendship Shaxx had with her, while Mara spoke of the time her and Sjur spent in the Distributary. Its there Shaxx catches Mara in a lie, and points out some inconsistencies in her story: [quote]"...the sjur eido I knew, dragon slayer whose arrows pierced illusion, would never have hesitated to kill, no matter how beautiful her target! and how could sjur, who shrugged off talk of gods as nothing of her concern, have also been a fanatical servant of this diasyrm, who cared only for lost divinity? inconsistent! and therefore a lie! mara was delighted by my disbelief, she told me that she would tell me the truth about sjur if i would only take off my helmet, so she could look into the eyes that had gazed so often on her beloved."[/quote] From here we know how this story ends courtesy of the Mark of the Great Hunt, "the helmet stayed on." However with previous context, Shaxx's actions are more bittersweet. That the Master of thr Crucible would cherish his memories of his friend enough that he wouldn't accept whatever truth Mara had to offer. So yeah, they just talked. If you want a little on how Sjur and Shaxx became friends check out the lore entry on the [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/the-recluse]Recluse SMG[/url]. Interestingly Shaxx's memory of Sjur is more consistent with the miscellaneous bits of lore on Sjur than what we see in the [i]Marasenna[/i]. A piece which is very stylized, when we consider that within the Destiny Universe Mara is the author of the Marasenna. Therefore one must consider the purpose of her writings as well as the audience she intended it for. The book even basically warns its readers to not look too deeply into it, and that not all is as simple as it seems. So to [i]some[/i] extent we can consider the Sjur depicted in the Marasenna a lie. However we do get a small glimpse of Mara's true memory of Sjur, in the [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/tech-witch-shell]Tech Witch shell[/url] from Season of Defiance; [quote]"Mara smiled wistfully behind her cup, remembering Sjur's poignant irreverence, always unannounced, candid yet cheerful."[/quote] Which does fall in line with the person Shaxx knew, as well as the Sjur we've read about in various scattered lore entries. Although the best entries we have featuring Sjur Eido in a significant capacity are [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/sleepless#sjur-eido]Sleepless[/url], [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/tyrannocide-iii#sjur-eido]Tyrannocide III[/url], and [url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/misraaks#sjur-eido]Misraaks[/url]. Furthermore, the Dawning lore entry [url=https://www.example.com/]Say It with a Dawning Gift[/url], seems to imply Shaxx has feelings for Mara. Or at least feelings that have grown since their last encounter. Part of me wonders if Shaxx's infatuation with Mara is genuine or if its a byproduct of Mara's wish, given how Ahamkara magic works. However it's not 100% certain if Shaxx is truly referring to Mara. Or if this entry happened a long time ago and he's actually shopping for Sjur, which would mean Shaxx coincidently also destroyed a book belonging to Sjur. But given the Sleepless lore tab, this entry seems to imply he's getting a gift for Mara. BONUS: Hilariously Shaxx has some random idle dialogue in-game regarding his visit with the Queen. I have linked a video for those who want to hear it, cutos to the guy that recorded it. Now, given that scrap of dialogue, I also want people to know, it takes about two hours to perform Shakespeare's Tempest from beginning to end. Two and half with the customary intermission. Now imagine how that entire sequence played out and you'll find yourself laughing at how awkward the whole scene must have been. Especially with a punctual character like Mara, who while seemingly a patron of the arts also dislikes wasting time.

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  • The love scene was originally ambiguously canon, but was sort of retconned later. Shaax does have intense feelings for Mara as revealed in some Dawning lore, so it's plausible something more happened that night.

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