First things first, these subclasses focus on the concept of the 'Darkness', though more specifically enemy factions. The Darkness' something that I'm still confused about, whether they retconned it, its omnipresence/omnipotence whilst making a designated faction (the evil triangles/pyramids?) which is implied to be the Darkness? Secondly, won't look too much into mechanics/actual abilities this time around. Those are currently WIPS in a stray that I'm working on, if this catches folks interest then I may divulge my half-baked ideas, because it is hard to think, mechanically, how abilities would work and how to give a fresh feeling. Anyway onto the actual Subclass stuff, warnings for a lot of nonsense, and story/worldbuilding type ideas. It may not be everyone's cup o' tea. --- So the Fall of the City goes the same, I personally don't like how it goes, we've killed a Hive God but sorry, surprise attack and apparently we rolled garbage with initiative, so... I digress, we end up before Ghaul, many feet of solid albino rhino-alien whose master plan is working, we're feeling the Light slip from us with every moment. 3 key things happens here, not everyone gets that giant foot pushing us off a very high point, mostly because the first time I saw that I lost all immersion, because I'm no expert, but saying immediately afterwards that the Ghost can NOT revive us after that, and knowing that landing a little too hard on our feet kills us...yeah...we're dead from that fall. I digressed here again. OK: 1) the Hunter subclass does get pushed off and pulls the 'miraculous survival' proceeds throughout the normal campaign line to 'regain' our Light, with some divergence. That being in the encounter in the Spook Forest, running through suspicious evil gateways isn't lucky and we kinda end up in one of the ascendant realms, lightless, ready to be truly messed up. But a whisper reaches you, before this you would have thought it a menace but its tone is dulcet, it speaks to you like it is a secret, like it's a part of you. The soul of something you've stolen, it tells you:[i] Kingslayer, Hivesbane, have you forgot your obligation to the throne? Are you not Ascendant as Crota was, as Savathun seeks to fill the power void. The traveller has left you weak, docile. Come, take upon true strength, and let me whisper truths beyond the Light’s touch oh listener mine[/i]. (the Hunter route starts with you wandering through another portal/rift/whatever-those-dang-taken-puddles-are-called into a Hive location with only that whisper soothing you with the ambience of chattering thrall and the ancient gnash of hive language echoing - A deeper location on Titan, perhaps within the Hive Pod/Structure thing that's there.) [spoiler] I use this prose because the Worms seem to speak similarly to the Ahamkara, and the Savathun thing is pure speculation/ theory on my part, but it seems to make sense and also for narrative flavour, also 4th wall meta nonsense because why not[/spoiler] 2) The titans tactically choose to retreat, call their ship and get out, knowing another dead guardian is not helpful for the survival of the City, the Vanguard etc. You jump of and start flying, perhaps a cool cinematic of dodging cabal ships, but you're growing tired and you reach beyond the atmosphere and keep going. You find your ghost muttering something about an old signal, very old. Golden Age. You think Rasputin, because that's what you know (or for new players, the Ghost is able to suggest Rasputin, more ally than foe and worth a shot because you're not picking any other signals up). You end up on Nessus, it's beautiful and hostile and you learn quickly is mostly a Vex infested husk, though seeing as you're the foreign body, you're the infestation, and the Vex quickly subdue a Lightless foe. They do as they did to Asher, see if they can enhance you, and you're taken into the machine-planet of Nessus. (The Titan's route starts in the midst of Vex architecture, nauseous on a flat bed, though it's more a table, you are deep within the planet of Nessus, your goal to figure out what they've done to you and to find that Golden Age signal) 3) The Warlock is chided by Ghaul, who mocks you, your wanderlust for the arcane, 'space-magic', a joke, a gift from a dying god rather than the power embodied within (referencing to the capabilities of the Psions which as far as I know is a natural psychic/telekinetic power that's just enhanced? forgive me if I'm wrong, but also the Emperor met like a giant space cloud of pure energy that he allied(?) with so there is definitely natural 'space magic' out there). You are taken prisoner, perhaps you will have some knowledge of the traveller as a supposed scholar? If not you'll make for good entertainment as the make you fight for your life. The ship you're transported on is ambushed, crashes in the EDZ. Your hope that it is a rag-tag group of survivors diminishes as the doors are opened up and the cabal are shot down with the electric crackle of wire-rifles and shock pistols. You see Fallen, but their colours are different and you feel you've exchanged one captor to another as you are dragged off by them. (The Warlock route starts as you awaken in a fallen camp, EDZ, surprised you are not dead, and the Fallen being...amiable, talking around a campfire, though your Eliksni is not great, you know enough from Cayde's complaints and time with Variks, or for new players the ghost acts as translator). So with convoluted Narrative all setup I can divulge in the obvious. The Hunter's new Subclass focuses on Taken/Hive abilities (a veteran may start with a focus in Taken variance and unlock Hive nodes, whilst a new player switches that formula and become worthy of ascending as part of the campaign). You find yourself bound to a Hunger, you remember the concept of Sword Logic. You Hunt as it is in your name. Your first targets are minute but important, you gather strength from each Thrall you crush with your bare hands, each Acolyte skull you crush. The whisper grows loud but the Ghost you cradle is a reminder of purpose given to you, to friends, or at the least, allies who still fight for your home. You will take the power you stole before, and you will make it your own. The story leads into Savathun-related-territory that I'm not sure how it would be covered, b/c I need to give more thought on it- eventually though you reach where Sloane and Zavala are setup and help hold the fort there before going elsewhere. The Titan gets a little Vex-ified, unoriginal but a limb's gonna have been converted, a forearm, a good chunk of leg perhaps. They realise they can make sense of the Vex talk, it all sounds like nonsense audio-wise but perhaps some garbled subtitles clear that up, or some super-warped voice overs with a couple of words being understood. The Titan travels through their teleporters, modifies and blocks their navigation, starts to disrupt the Machine from the inside - they understand they can not destroy or prevent this planet's conversion single-handedly, but maybe they can be a nuisance whilst they get help. This leads them to Cayde and Failsafe (eventually) and you are able to help him with the Vex teleporter and he suggests helping unify the Vanguard. The Warlock is allowed to glimpse at Fallen culture, they are not mindless invaders, mere cannon-fodder you thought them to be (Variks is proof of that tbh). They sympathise ([i]you too are without the Great Machine, they abandoned us long before as they have been taken from you now. We fell apart but now we unify without its gift. We hear you are slayer of Kell of Kells, you amputate the weak in us and make us stronger. We will teach you how to be strong without Their passivity, makes you prey, come Slayer of Kells, we will show you the kinship of Dusk[/i]). Whilst you are not 'welcomed' per se the Fallen understand 'the Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend'. They undoubtedly still want the Traveller but they know that the Cabal in with forces more powerful of their own, even if unified under the Banner of Dusk. You become imbued with Ether, understand how it empowers the Fallen beyond just their life forces, how it makes them stronger, how a Servitor can tap into its rich lifeblood. All 3 characters are set to converge on Io, for Warlocks it's their 'holy place' (can't think of a good phrase) and you think of 'pilgrimage' to reflect on what you've achieved without the Light. The Hunter goes because of the Taken calling there, how its presence is strong, almost compelling you. The Titan, for rumours of a guardian who befell a similar fate to you. Perhaps their experiences can help you understand, and why the Vex in you whispers the name of the Pyramidion. We're sent back to the Earth, to the Shard of the Traveller to recover our Light, giving the player access to 1 of their 2 Light Subclasses, and 1 'Darkness' Subclass. You'd unlock the secondary Light Subclass as you would in game, through natural grind/level progression. With this it follows the same story of destroying the Almighty and the final conflict with Ghaul. The Conflict ends differently. He sticks to his code, refusing to take the Light, he will prove his is worthy. The fight is probably still 3 stages, just 3 stages of Ghaul's, rage and commitment, his wholehearted belief that he is right and is worth of the Light. It ends with us defeating him, we're tired, the fight was hard even for us, it reflects how strong mortality is, how we still are reliant on 'borrowed' powers from dying gods or those who have done without. We think that battle is over, we are able to de-activate the cage around the Traveller. Light returns. But not just to us, Ghaul slowly gets up, not as some aspect, but like we would. Only then does the Traveller intervene... And I'm done for now, sorry that it's long but I hope like 1 person enjoys my ramblings and possible interpretations for new subclasses!