The Emissary, an agent of the nine who oversees the Trials. The Emissary is an ominous Awoken female located in a Unknown Space. We might have a clue to her identity though. Is it possible the Emissary is someone introduced in lore? The D2 lore of the Nine is located in a series of bizarre entries on trials gear and guns.
Props to Qwerty who made the first connection in this post to get me thinking:
https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/231762963/0/0
Tl;dr
[spoiler]
The Emissary may be former guardian, Orin, introduced in D2 lore, who pursued the Nine in the deep black and was re-purposed as an agent of the Nine.
[/spoiler]
Let’s start here.
[b]Long walk[/b]
[spoiler]
[Eight sparks. A ninth, dim in the corner. And Orin in the middle.]
ORIN: Are we all here? Come into the light, please.
G-9: I like where I am.
ORIN: They said you all went to the deep without a ship. How?
G-7: Our charges are gone, but we’re still creatures of Light. No different from the one you carry in your pocket.
ORIN: You’re all either very brave or very foolish.
G-6: You sound like Shaxx
G-5: She does. I’m glad my charge is gone.
G-4: Don’t say that.
G-5: It’s true
G-4: Don’t say it out loud. Some of us go our whole lives without finding one. Show some respect.
G-5: Don’t talk like you’re better than me. You’re in here too.
ORIN: Please, I’m sorry to call you all here, but –
G-2: You’re not sorry.
ORIN: I need to know what you found out there.
G-9: Nothing
ORIN: At least give me the coordinates
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/the-long-walk
[/spoiler]
From this conversation, we see a previously unknown female guardian named Orin conversing with nine ghosts, who as noted in Qwerty’s post, strongly correlates back to an item in a Nine grimoire card from vanilla D1, Ghost Fragment: Legends 2:
[spoiler]
The Nine are Ghosts who pierced the Deep Black without a ship and meditated on the hissing silence of the heliopause
[/spoiler]
Nine ghosts. Check. Without a ship. Check. Pierced the Deep. Check.
What started my theory was another card, from Trial gear entry for the Adjudicator. I was led to this card because it seemed to be connected to the Legends 2 card (hissing silence) and the nine ghosts.
[spoiler]
You sought us out in the deep black.
Meditation wasn’t enough for you
GO AND TOUCH THE HISSING SILENCE
Do not fear being submerged
Not many ships go that far these days
You went through hell to get one, and then again to get out there
YOU FOUND A DEVIL HIMSELF
A GOLDEN SNAKE A DEVIL WHO POSES AS GOD
No more a god than you
YOU DIDN’T FIGHT HIM
YOU TURNED AROUND SMART
Others did
While we watched
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/adjudicator
[/spoiler]
First off, let me say I think these entries suck. So vague, but I’m trying to make sense of it. At first I read this card as if You, was my character, my guardian. But that makes no sense because I haven’t done any of that. And then I thought it might be about the nine ghosts, but that is wrong too. This entry specifically says “not many ships go that far these days”, so whoever you is, they required a ship to do it. Remember, the ghosts pierced the deep without a ship.
Well, the last line of Orins dialogue with the nine ghosts: “At least give me the coordinates” might be the clue.
Since Orin wanted coordinates, it seems reasonable Orin went to wherever the Ghosts had been. She touched the hissing silence like the ghosts did. And more.
Where ever the ghosts had been, Orin would need a ship. So let’s redo the Adjucator card with Orin’s name instead of “You”. I’ve added my changes/additional opinions in ( ).
[spoiler]
(Orin )sought (the nine) out in the deep black.
Meditation wasn’t enough for (Orin)
GO AND TOUCH THE HISSING SILENCE
Do not fear being submerged
Not many ships go that far these days
(Orin) went through hell to get one, and then again to get out there (Orin followed the steps of the Nine ghosts)
(ORIN) FOUND A DEVIL HIMSELF
A GOLDEN SNAKE A DEVIL WHO POSES AS GOD (I believe this being Orin found Calus and his Leviathan)
No more a god than (Orin) (no more a god than a guardian)
(ORIN) DIDN’T FIGHT HIM
(ORIN)TURNED AROUND SMART
Others did (could be a reference to our Guardian, who did fight “Calus” in the raid.
While (the nine) watched
[/spoiler]
At this point, I decided to continue this approach with as much of the other very bizarre trials gear as I could. It started to piece together somewhat, and established some sequence (at least by my interpretation).
So here is some evaluation I did:
[b]A Swift Verdict[/b]
[spoiler]
(The nine) were young once
(ORIN) WENT MAD TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
(THE NINE) WENT MAD TRYING TO SPEAK
This doesn’t matter when (Orin is) ready (the nine) will take it from (Orin)
AND (ORIN) WILL BE GLAD OF IT
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/a-swift-verdict
[/spoiler]
I believe this is trying to explain that when Orin is ready, the nine will take the Light, from Orin and Orin will be glad for it. Much like how going back to the long walk entry above that one of the nine ghost liked that they lost their guardian. Or that first ghost who liked being outside the light. It is as if with the Light out of the way, the nine can use things, ie: agents, Xur the shadow puppet, and they seem glad for it.
[b]Judgment[/b]
[spoiler]
(Orin) sought (the Nine) out.
IN SOME SMALL WAY, (Orin) FOUND (the Nine).
But discovery always has a price. With curiosity comes consequence.
(ORIN) IS NOT READY (not the original text says “She”, same gender as Orin…triggered!)
SEEK JUDGMENT. GROW.
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/judgment
[/spoiler]
It seems Orin is not quite ready for the Nine’s use yet. And if the previous entry is correct, Orin will be ready when her Light is gone. Leading to this:
[b]The End[/b]
[spoiler]
THE RED SHIPS ENTER
THE AIR IS HEAVY
Now, when (Orin) moves, (Orin) can actually FEEL the weight of the world.
The weight is a gift.
(Orin) finally (has the nine’s) attention
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/the-end
[/spoiler]
The Red ships are obvious references to the Red Legion. And the heavy air? Orin lost her ghost like we all did when Ghaul arrived and attacked the traveler. She no longer had her Light, and the Nine consider that a gift. And now Orin has the attention of the Nine. Now they have a purpose for her. One they give her in the next entry
[b]Relentless[/b]
[spoiler]
Do you hear (the nine)
(ORIN) WANTED POWER
It is not for (Orin).
(THE NINE) HAVE A TASK FOR (ORIN)
FIND THE WORTHY. BRING (the Guardians, those that complete the Trials of Nine)
three keys
THREE ARE REQUIRED.
Show (the Guardians).
EMPHASIZE IT
EVERYTHING DIES. (Guardians) ARE NO EXCEPTION.
(guardians) are immortals, (guardians will) say
CORRECT.
And yet, who dies more than (guardians) do?
NONE
only when (guardians) accept this can (guardians) be born anew
BE RELENTLESS
http://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/relentless
[/spoiler]
This would appear to be the Nine putting Orin in charge as an agent for the Trials, the Emissary. The task is a the oversight of the test to find the worthy. Three keys? The Emissary states three things to satisfy the Trials: Judgment, Death, Perfection. You satisfy these three requirements, you pass the Trials, you access the Third Spire.
I believe this to be the piece that could connect Orin during her journey, and once her light is lost, she is purposed by the nine and put in position over the Trials of the Nine as the Emissary.
This exercise of replacing “you” in the trials lore with “Orin” can be done with all the weapon
entries. I think there is even more to this story than this theory, as I selected only the weapons that were most pertinent. Going back through the lore, I think there are even more ties back to the original Legends 2 card to be found.
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I don’t think that the “Golden Snake” is referring to Calus. I believe that references Osiris. Osiris is clearly aware of what his name means seeing the Egyptian imagery in his Trials.
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Good post! These kinds of posts are much more enjoyable than the; "That's it! I quit Destiny because (whaaaaaaaa!)"
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Awesome. Just a awesome Theory. I love collecting the lore myself and I really wanted to find out more about the nine but I couldn’t find a trial team. Thanks you really should post more theories now. The constant complaining is boring. Also for some reason this sort of reminds me of the beginning of ghost fragment ghost (though it is probably most likely not related) here is the first lines “[i]beyond It’s a place of casting shadows and emotion It’s a real place, I know[/i]” I don’t know why your nine lore reminds me of this grimoire card but it does. Just wondering does it ever mention what class Orin is?
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This is for everyone in the comments, destiny started as game who's story was replaced last second, they then added on layers using grimlore in destiny 1 and they are trying better in destiny 2. They made a game with a community that is so use to finding the lore in their own way that they kept lore hidden through favor text much like dark souls has done with there games. The community is what drives the story.
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由Drk編輯: 10/3/2017 7:44:34 PMCould the nine be pulling strings with the cabal? After analyzing this extensive study (wonderful job btw), it seems like the nine have purposefully began to take Orin's light to make her worthy. When we complete the trials, we prove our worth to the nine. Could they be trying to take all of our light? They mentioned that it would be a gift to do so for Orin. If so, then what better way to take our light than pull strings to have the cabal attack the traveler? Furthermore, ghosts would have been the perfect beings to teach the cabal how to extract and block the travelers light. Even more so if those same ghosts had learned to separate themselves from the light. The nine may be trying to teach humanity to truly fight, instead of relying on the light. They set up the trials after the cabal attacked to see who was worthy, even without their light.
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Honestly, this proves that there is a great degree of substance in the Destiny games; in aesthetics, content/lore and theory crafting. I have good faith that Bungie understands lore and aesthetics very well as evidenced by their work. It's posters like you that reinvigorate my interest in the game and keep me satisfied and curious for more.
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I want the emissary to shoot me in the head with Mida multi tool, killing me instantly
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They needed a NPC and a new Trials shader. The shader was already coloured, soooo ... Just make a new npc, apply shader and then - and that's the genius - zoom in to show the shader to all !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Great post, but what if the "Golden Snake" is referring to Osiris? If you look at the Destiny 1 Trials of Osiris gear, it is all golden. Maybe the Nine witnessed our guardians fighting in the Trials of Osiris, and then realized our potential. If this happened, then it would make sense why the Nine made the Trials of the Nine. Maybe they realized that having perfect guardians, who passed through their trials unscathed, could defeat the darkness forever. Though I'm not a scholar of the lore, an I don't know if this could make any sense or not.
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Thing is we'll probably never know. Bungue hasn't been to keen on telling us lore the last few years. They'll just stop talking about shit in D3
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