Welcome to another Unofficial Weekly Update! While you wait for the real update, here is something for you to enjoy while you wait! The star of the Nightfall this week was Phogoth! Remember him? Good times. This week saw another Destiny character in my chair, The Speaker of the Traveler himself! [b]Glad you could stop in! How's things?[/b] God Max, you know, I can't tell you how flattered I am to be here. Really means a lot to me. [b]Oh? Why is that?[/b] You know, the people of the Tower...the Guardians...the peasants in the ramshackle city below...they need me. I'm kind of like (pause) a father to them. Yes. A Father figure who will take them under his wing and say to them, “This is how you fly my children.” I'll show them a beautiful galaxy, and they will show me love for it. It's a wonderful symbiosis. I love them, they see that, and in turn they love me. [b]That doesn't really explain why you're flattered to be here...[/b] You know, a lot of people come to me and say, “Speaker...how can you find the time to be so caring about everything?” I could answer that, but I won't (laughs). A man once said, “Speaker, never tell them everything, because a great man must always keep something for the mobs to want later.” I live by that. I really do. I try to be mysterious; I mean, that's why I think people love me so much, because I'm honest, but in a mysterious way. Max, the best part of my day is when one of the street rats from the poor city below tries to sneak up to the Tower – they get up there sometimes – and manage to make it to my quarters, just to, for one second...look at me. That's love. To go through what they did just to come and see me, look on the face that speaks for the Traveler himself, speaks worlds to me. Of course we toss them back off - trespassing is a capital offense - but right before I throw them off the ledge, I see those tears of joy. “Thank you, Speaker. It was worth it...” is what those tears say. Gosh...I get teary every time. To be so revered - [b]You pitch people off the Tower for sneaking in?![/b] Certainly. That's the law laid by the Traveler, not mine. But the fact that these starving people know this, and still come up to be in my presence...wow. Max, there is no more honoring feeling, then when someone approaches you, thin as a twig, circles under their eyes and weak – you can see their hearts beating passionately through their chests – because they know. They know that I love them, and they went through Hell itself to get up here, just to be in my presence. Heavy is the head that wears the crown they say, and to be honest, I have to agree. It isn't easy. It just isn't easy. But I do it, because I love them...because they...they love me. [b]You're saying you toss starving and sick people off the Tower to their deaths...because you love them?! You have any idea how backwards that sounds?[/b] Max, I care for those creatures, just as I care for the Guardians, and even the Traveler. I see the hunger and sadness right before I release them off the Tower ledge, and I see a good thing. Ending the suffering of the weak and poor...it's liberating really. For me AND them. As they fall, it's like I've done something wonderful for you, I have granted you peace. No more suffering for you. I care about your suffering that much...to end it. There is no greater love, than to know the troubles of the creatures below you, and still have the courage to do something about it. To make it better for them, to give them solace...The Traveler would want it no other way. [b]I'm literally at a loss for words here...[/b] I know right? Moments like that is why we protect the city. [b]...So uh...yeah.[/b] Can I be honest with you for a second? I mean, truly honest? [b]Yes...? I mean...you've been pretty honest so far...[/b] You see, the city below, is like a big piece of driftwood. Rotting, putrid and disgusting driftwood. I take that piece of wood onto my boat, and with my knife, I cut and shave away the ugliness. The grime, the splinters, and I create a totem pole. [b]WHAT?! That doesn't even make any sense![/b] (laughs) Of course I don't expect you to understand. But the people down there? They do. They really do. In a way, I do the same with new Guardians. You see, they come to me, fresh and new, and they are but a puddle of mud. I see them for the first time, and I see something even they don't. I add my teachings to them, my guidance, and my love. I sculpt them, Max...I sculpt them. So that when I'm finished, they are no longer a puddle of mud, but a mighty oak tree, standing firm against the darkness, ready to fight for the city, and the Traveler. [b]O-Kay. Well. Some people are actually predicting that the Traveler is the bad guy, what's your take?[/b] You know, I've heard that theory before, some people a few years back made a case for it. We value all opinions here at the Tower and the city that's beneath us. One of the great things that the Traveler saw in humanity, I told these people, was free will, and a willingness to do the right thing. That's why he gave us the gifts that he did. Would he give the power he did if he thought us monsters? Bad guys? [b]What did the people who said the Traveler was bad have to say against that?[/b] Not much really, we slathered them in slow burning oil and burnt them at the stake. But they understood. We're not monsters. They were thankful to be purified. [b]Thankful to be purified? You know that how...?[/b] Their screams of joy as the darkness left their hearts with the flames. It was a very honorable ceremony. They died with all the dignity a child of the Light can expect. To this day I remember the tears of their families. Tears of joy. Tears of thankfulness. It all goes back to the fact that my love for them is matched only by their love for me. I'm a leader. My job is to inspire those who are lost to the correct path. [b]Yeah...well, thanks for stopping in and talking to me for a bit. I've gotta go do something important somewhere because...reasons...[/b] May the Light go with you. And always feel free to come and talk to me, I do love all of those that the Traveler protects. The uh...Speaker...ladies and gentleman... According to our poll last week, you picked Randall the Vandal to be the winner in a fight to the death with Urzok the Hated. I won't go into many details, but it turns out that Hive have a deadly allergic reaction to Rhinoceros Testosterone. Xur brought with him the fearsome Red Death last week. The gun is considered by many to be the pinnacle of pulse rifles with good stability, high impact and fast reloading. Oh and it heals you every time you kill something! The gun is one of the heavy hitters in PvE, but really shines in PvP, so hopefully you got one! Also included is the highly sought after Heart of Praxic Fire, an exotic chest piece that turns Warlocks into fireball chucking death machines, the Crest of Alpha Lupi (Hunter) because reviving fast is incredible in Prison of Elders and Trials, and the Peregrine Greaves...because Xur hated Titans this week. Iron Banner is in full swing this week. Notable gets are of course the Etheric Light, but also Skorri's Revenge, a re-rollable pulse rifle that appears to perform similarly to Praedeth's Time Piece and Oversoul Edict. Lag issues and RFG issues are plaguing the banner this week as well prompting some people to be very frustrated. One forumite was quoted as saying, “Fix your stupid lag Bungie!” Another player called it “Lag Banner.” Bungie has said they are looking into the issues. Thorn continues to be the most popular weapon for a lot of people, with many posts popping up on the forums about it's overuse. The gun is so prevalent, that many people have affectionately renamed the Iron Banner “Thorn Banner.” One poster continued a trend with his post, “Jesus Bungie, could you nerf Thorn already?!” Many players feel that a simpler fix would be to buff other weapons to bring them in line, namely auto rifles. You remember those right? Yeah the shooty ones... The dash for Red Bull began this week. On specially marked cans of Red Bull, there is a special code that you can enter to get early access (after The Taken King drops) to a special mission that if you play it first, you will be cooler than everyone else who didn't. The mission is a timed exclusive, so even if you don't drink Red Bull, you'll get to play it anyway eventually. Codes have been popping up all over the forums as rewards for things, so, in an effort to not be left out, here's something for the first to get it: [b]47X7 VR74[/b]. Don't say I never gave you anything! It's been a relatively quiet week as far as news goes, but Deej did tease in his update last week that he would have more information about The Taken King in this week's update, so let's see what he has to say...or say without saying. You know how he is! For this week's poll, I wanted to know how many of you would like to see an interview once a month with a player of the month. While Bungie spotlights a Community Focus (which is really awesome, don't get me wrong), they all seem to be very visible, popular and well known players. We here at #UnofficialWeeklyUpdate are about random appreciation. The idea is that I would pick one person that comments on an UnofficialWeeklyUpdate and will ask them wacky questions, and instead of an interview with a Destiny character, one week will have the interview with a real person! IRL!!!! That's all we have time for this week! As always, thank you all for reading, and I love the comments, you guys rule! And be sure to keep those guns piping hot and those Strange Coins handy for Xur this Friday! I'll see you all in the wild!