You're forgetting one additional powerful female presence in the Reef that could likely be a canidtate. 8. A Harbinger, the names of the witches under Mara's command, could be the raid boss. Powerful, female, securely in place of power, and could be infiltrated. A taken Harbinger. Let me talk it through. -- I feel like this narrative would be very well conceived, however, it feels like this would be a bit of a throw away of Mara Sov in and of itself. Yes, we're all very concerned about Savathun NOT being the raid boss because she has so much build up right now to not have a unmidigated DLC story arch. However, I feel like the Queen also has a lot of build up... especially considering that everything is revolving around 'where is the Queen?'. In TTK, we hear Eris talking to the Queen in the transmissions. In the end cinematic, Eris vows to not fail to the Queen. Even now, speculation for the Queen is all the Awoken really has in terms of interesting plot development. So... to make the Queen the victim of a dark plot line DOES sound likely, however, IMO I think that would be a throw away (also, we're already having a famous character die, so it seems like a bit much to also have the Queen effectively be 'dead but alive' in a sense). My proposal is that it is not Mara Sov… but rather... a Harbinger of Mara. One of the witches, taken by the Hive, and exploring a side of Darkness that somehow coexists with the Light. The Harbingers are female, and I suppose you could call them pretty in the sense of the Awoken in general. A harbinger would also be powerful enough, powered by Hive magics, to propose the problems happening in the Reef without comprising the character of Mara Sov as a character knocked off the rails. The Harbingers are also a secluded group of Awoken. A place called the 'Dreaming City' sounds like a perfect place for a bunch of foresight and deeply magic driven people. Not to mention, the Dreaming City also sounds a big secluded. A harbinger would likely have access to such a place, if not reside in them inherently. To me, this makes the most sense. We already have a lot, and I mean a lot, of rapid character finishes. I don't think Mara is one of them, and I don't think they'll waste her story arch considering how much they pushed Eris to reveal her connection to the Queen to such a large extent. No, I think it'll be Mara vs. Savathun in the Hive DLC if they follow what I think is going to happen. It makes sense. The harbingers have been infiltrated (still holding true to Savathun's strengths), Eris has gone off to help the Queen, the Queen (after this story arch) is poised to reveal or discover some power or vital information for Savathun's arrival. It also correlates how the Awoken have seemingly taken a vow against the Taken in the first place. Perhaps... rather... it is Mara Sov who is ALREADY fighting Savathun in a way we don't realize. The Harbinger being taken is a sign of her weakness, the reason Eris left, and why Uldron has gone to such lengths to perhaps free or take away Mara from this fate. Perhaps... Uldren wants to eliminate the Guardians because Savathun wants the Light. If the Light is gone, the Hive might leave (or at least not care about luke warm Awoken in the terms of light and dark), and Mara will no longer be threatened by something way more powerful than the guardians. Just a thought.