*******UPDATE******** This is now a work in progress post. This topic got WAY more attention than I could have ever hoped, and I am planning on adding my new ideas to this post as I can. I will put large chunks in spoiler tags to avoid a huge main post. Some of my ideas are built on and/or modified using other people's ideas. Thank you to those people. *****CONCEPT ART IS HERE!!!***** The first concept art for The Rose has been submitted by a fellow Guardian! Another Guardian is also planning to submit their own too! Anybody that wants their own art added, please send me a link and I will gladly add it to this post! Please enjoy this beautiful drawing by [b]Ohh Haro Der[/b]! [url]http://goo.gl/HosfLE[/url] [b]Oh Haro Der's[/b] drawing had been colored by [b]Trando[/b] http://m.imgur.com/cice0k4 ***If someone could tell me what code to use to embed this directly on the thread, I would appreciate it. I can't get it to work.*** My Original Post and Edits: [spoiler]I, like many people here, love my Thorn. It is a great gun. I also love the story behind it. For those who haven't read the card(do it now), Thorn used to be called "The Rose" before the Guardian that owned it was corrupted. After his corruption, he realized his "Rose" was nothing but a Thorn. I would absolutely love it if an update, expansion, or dlc added a way to upgrade the Thorn back to its original Rose form. It could be another exotic bounty! There are a lot of "evil" guns in this game. It would be cool to see a few light ones too. What do you think? **EDIT 1** Thanks for the input so far! There are some great ideas here. As for the effects and look of the gun, a couple people have pointed out that the DoT could heal you/your team instead of poison the enemy. The sharp edges of the gun could be rounded out to be more petal like, and the gun could be red with a brown or green grip. A REALLY cool idea is that petals could fall from the gun when fired, similar to Bad Juju's smoke effect(thanks Feanauro!). ** **EDIT 2** I made a post below about the Thorn/Last Word/Rose connections. I still don't think TLW and Thorn are the same, but it's possible the Rose never actually existed, and was actually always the Thorn but Yor didn't realize it. ** **EDIT 3!** After reading the cards more, I think it is indeed likely that The Rose was always just Thorn, but Yor never realized it until he'd been corrupted. If that's the case, I STILL propose a quest/bounty to change the Thorn into The Rose, under the idea that the Vanguard doesn't want such an evil weapon to exist, but has a way to purify it. ** Thanks so much everyone for reading and discussing![/spoiler] *****The Basic Idea Behind Turning Thorn Into "The Rose"***** I originally thought that The Rose was a separate weapon that turned into Thorn after the Guardian who wielded it became the corrupt Dredgen Yor. After some discussion and rereading the Grimoire, I have concluded that Thorn was always Thorn, but Yor couldn't see that until he was fully transformed into what he became. I would like an exotic bounty that would change Thorn into the weapon Yor wanted to believe it was, The Rose. Doing this mission to get The Rose would be very similar to upgrading an exotic with Xur. You would lose the original, and any progress would be reset. I think this would best with with the current mechanics and with the lore, as compared to being able to switch back and forth from Thorn to The Rose. *****The Story Behind the Change***** [spoiler]The Vanguard has become aware that you have found and re-awoken Thorn. Like many of the dark weapons, they believe that it should be destroyed. This belief is enforced by the fact that the previously thought dead Xyor, the Unwed has returned. Since Xyor is tied to the weapon, it is believed that she may once again be able to corrupt the Guardian who wields Thorn, like Yor. After some examination, The Speaker decides that the weapon may possibly be purified of its darkness, allowing the weapon to continue existing by infusing light into it. Because the idea is to bring light into the weapon, the owner must complete a set of tasks that do good for the universe and fellow Guardians, versus the darkness that was used to re-awaken Thorn. This culminates in the rematch against Xyor, who is stronger than ever. Once all of the tasks are completed, a ritual is performed to infuse the light into the weapon. This results in Thorn losing some of its sharp edges and developing a more beautiful, light appearance. The Rose.[/spoiler] *****The Questline/Bounty***** [spoiler]Like all other exotic bounties, this has multiple parts. It would be structured a bit more like the newer "Urn of Sacrifice" from the Dark Below in the fact that it would consist of multiple bounties, but end with an actual mission. Step One: Talk to The Speaker. He will provide backstory on the Guardian who became Dredgen Yor. This will outline the other steps as well. Step Two: Find Yor's Journal. Unlike Toland's Journal, Yor's can be found in its entirety in one place. There would be a small new area to explore off the corners of an existing map, similar to some strikes. The Journal would provide a new Grimoire card. Step 3: Eliminate the Hive with Thorn. This could be a simple "Kill x number of enemies". It might have specific types like the Urn bounty, or maybe it would be "Kill Hive using Mark of the Devourer". Step 4: Get Assists and Overwatch Medals in the Crucible using Thorn. We all know there pretty much has to be a Crucible part. We don't necessarily want it to be "Kill with Thorn" so the focus would be on teamwork and assisting others. Reviving in modes that allow it may also count. There is NO penalty for dying. Step 5: Defeat Xyor, the Reborn using Thorn. Xyor is no longer a sub boss for Phogoth. She has been reborn and is stronger than ever. Track her down under the surface of the moon and use Thorn to destroy her permanently. This would be a mini mission similar to the final one for the Urn of Sacrifice. Step 6: Go to The Speaker for the Purification Ritual. While you were busy, The Speaker has gather many infusions of light. The good deeds you have completed allow the infusions to properly cleanse the weapon, transforming it into the weapon Yor dreamed of, The Rose.[/spoiler] *****The Appearance of The Rose***** [spoiler]I may eventually attempt to draw this, but I am no artist. The jagged edges on the front portion of the gun would become more rounded and petal shaped. If held straight up and down, the basic shape of a more closed rose could be seen. It wouldn't look like a wide open bloom or a carnation. The area near the action would still have a slight thorny look to it, with hints of leaves. The trigger guard would now be whole, and the grip would look basically the same. The coloring I haven't decided on. I think red might be a bit too much, so I was thinking white, which also fits in the idea of it being a "light" weapon. The front half of the gun would be white, with the back half and action being green. The grip would be brown with some green wrap. The Rose would have a constant visual effect, similar to Bad Juju. Small petals would constantly float down from the gun, and a few extra might shake free when the gun is fired. (original idea for this comes from [b]Feanauro[/b]) I've drawn up a VERY rough sketch, which another Guardian has graciously offered to turn into something wonderful. For now, behold my shameful drawing skills!! [url]http://i.imgur.com/vo5fXSA.jpg?1[/url] [/spoiler] *****The Shooting Mechanics and Perks***** [spoiler]Overall, this gun would handle and perform similarly to Thorn. Basic stats would be comparable, with maybe slightly less impact but a faster reload and fire rate. The base perks would be similar as well, allowing for a more up close approach or a longer distance one. The Rose will still fire thorns, but they will be smoother and a little bit smaller. The unique perk is the one that really matters. I feel it should still be very similar to Mark of the Devourer, but not as "evil". "In Your Side" - Enemies shot with The Rose cannot use any abilities, are slowed, and cannot regenerate their health for a short time. or "Leech Blossom" - Enemies shot with The Rose are dealt damage over time. The lost health is given to the user and/or nearby teammates. or "Petals in the Wind" - Enemies shot with The Rose are dealt minor damage over time. They can also be easily tracked by petals that blow from them as they flee. If killed with precision damage by The Rose, enemies will explode into petals.[/spoiler] *****Shameless Plug***** My clan, Tower Survey Corps, is recruiting! Visit our page for details! Xbox One. That's all I've got for now. Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, and especially to those who've submitted their own ideas.