This is a comprehensive explanation for the lore surrounding the Crown of Sorrows armor sets. Titan: •helm: Calus proposes the idea of a titan one day bearing the crown of sorrow. The day will come when he will ask us for a favor. •gauntlets: simple background for the crown. The hive are not as connected with the dark as Calus, or so he believes. The crown is a seeing device used by something in the ascendant plane. •plate: the ceremonial bathers in the ritual baths are actually genetic clones of the same template made from the genetic patterns of several cabal martial artists. Gahlran was one of them, and even he was overtaken by the “viral language” etched into the crown. •greaves: the crown was meant to imitate Oryx’s abilities to compel wills, but in an opposite manner. It’s a mind control device designed by Savathun as a trap for Calus. Calus ain’t too happy about this and plans on confronting Savathun. “they are not true beings of the dark” “not compared to me”. •Mark: Aunor’s back and she doesn’t like guardian shadows. We’ll be seeing more of her. Hunter: •mask: a hunter, of the red war cohort, helped Calus find the crown. Calus speaks of his Athenaeum library world’s, and how one day we shall help him recover the ones he has lost •grips: We get insight into how the crown of sorrow works in terms of hive logic. Unlike hive armor we’ve worn in the past, which gave us nothing that we didn’t first take from it’s predecessors, the crown gives a lot, but that is because the crown gives an infection. This infection is what drove Gahlran mad, and it is transferred through language. •vest: Guardians often pursue pretenders and charlatans like the drifter and Shin Malfur. This gives a disturbing insight into how much Calus knows about guardian history. He then tells us to stick to the light, and that the hive are hypocrites for not killing themselves upon seeing you. It would appear that Calus does not actually completely understand the hive, as a core tenant calls for the challenging of power. •strides: Calus wants to see Eris •cloak: the drifter speaks with Calus. The drifter says that he needs the guardians, but Calus says that his shadows are his. Considering those guardians who are willing to dance with the dark are probably the same ones willing to serve an alien emperor, it’s clear these two will be in conflict. "You come after what's mine, and I've got friends in low places who'll tear your house down,’ he called back to me. I glimpsed his smile, and it was full of teeth.” “His friends were mine first.” ^^Side note : I highly recommend reading this one as it’s longer than the other ones I can only barely do it justice. Warlock •mind: Calus tried to get Toland to decipher the glyphs on the crown, but Toland never came out of hiding. The trinket he used to try to lure him out is now up for the taking. Hint hint bad juju. •gloves: the hive are annoying and they resist Calus. A shadow never lasts among their ranks. •robes: here’s the important part: “The witch who crafted [Savathun’s Song], that ritual, was behind the Crown of Sorrow. She has infected this plane of existence with a viral language. Perhaps you've encountered her already. Do not heed her words. She shall only lead you astray. When she speaks to you, consider simply… reading another text. There are so many to choose from in this system.” And just like that Truth to Power get even more complex. •boots: the hive are lowly hypocrites and pretenders. The true darkness will destroy them just as it will destroy us. •bond: Calus can sense Savathun’s intent and presence, though he believes she doesn’t know he can. Calus says the crown was meant to undermine him through the crown. Calus knows this, and so is trying to change the crown so that he can use it to control the hive. Calus wants a warlock to help him in this endeavor. ^^side note: the crown is by all intents and purposes a rather minor hive artifact that is a death sentence for anyone who puts it on. Calus knows this and is trying to pull a switch-a-roo and control the hive with the crown. It would appear that Savathun’s plan has actually worked since the hive will now go on living as Calus tries to control them as apposed to just destroying them outright like he probably should. He’s not looking into Savathun or the hive as deeply as he should. Tarrabah: I have not the slightest idea what the message is in here. I did find a loose translation for ترابه, meaning Earth... so that’s something. Athenaeum worlds: Calus makes many reference to these worlds. Apparently they hold great and powerful secrets. It is unclear if these worlds were once part of the cabal empire. On Calus and the hive: the ideologies of Calus and the hive are very similar. Both have communed with the darkness somehow (Oryx and the deep = Calus and the dark edge/void/darkness/nothing). Both sides believe in being the last thing alive (The hive with the final shape = Calus with the right to be last). Both sides approach this goal differently. The hive make war with everything in order to prove their right to be part of the final shape. Calus see this as a waste of time yet he does the same with planets that do not join his empire. Calus believes he will be destroyed along with everything else when the end comes, while the hive wish to go on forever. Calus asks for help, something the Hive shame greatly, yet both provide challenges to guardians in order for said guardians to prove their worth. Both hate each other, and both serve the darkness. Calus, Herald of the Darkness has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I made this at 2 in the morning so please forgive me for the jagged sentence fluency.