Post by TRUE EB0LA on Aug 31, 2016 18:06:24 GMT
ALL CREDIT FOR THIS LORE POST GOES TO u/Catch_66
Warminds, SIVA, and Norse Mythology
Much of what follows is speculation in anticipation of Rise of Iron, largely drawing parallels between Norse mythology and Destiny, however attempts are made to relate back to existing lore as much as possible. No conclusions herein should be taken for fact.
This is going to be a lengthy post which pulls a lot of references together that may not seem immediately relevant—lore, mythology, semantics, symbology, technology—but may provide further insight into the backstory of Rise of Iron and the larger narrative of Destiny in general.
The primary focus of this post is of Warminds and SIVA, however let us start with examining some of the symbolism of the Iron Lords.
Symbolism of the Iron Lords
Lord Saladin hosts the Iron Banner to commemorate the Iron Lords. As such, Iron Banner rewards presumably share the symbolism of the Iron Lords, which Lord Saladin also clearly displays on his own armor and adornments. Two common elements throughout Iron Banner rewards are the tree and the wolf. Why the tree and why the wolf? From existing lore, the tree may be representative of the ironwood tree the Iron Wolves swore an oath under, but what about the wolves? Why might these symbols be important to the Iron Lords?
The Iron Lords have been described as being inspired by “heroes of the northlands” and Vikings, and as such would likely draw from Norse mythology for much of their symbolism. Where might we find a tree and wolf in Norse mythology? Yggdrasil is a mythical tree that lies at the center of Norse cosmology, connecting the homeworlds of the gods, humans, and the dead. There are many more references to wolves, notably Geri and Freki with regards the Iron Lords, however Fenrir might be the most prominent. Keep Fenrir in mind for now.
Symbolism of the Warminds
Beyond the visual “seraph” symbol often found on Warmind facilities and tech, the symbolism of the Warminds is largely one of language, specifically code names used in human-readable Action Orders. From current lore, Warmind code names often draw from Greek, Hindu, and most prominently Norse mythology.
In order to better understand what these code names represent we must classify them by type. Grimoire cards Ghost Fragment: Darkness, Rasputin 3 and Rasputin 5 provide the most reference material to work with. Examining the headers of these Action Orders, the first line appears to include an epoch timestamp, clearance level, and priority. The second line includes source or sender followed by destination or recipients. Recipients are Warmind Assets, which so far fall under one or more potentially-overlapping asset groups such as FORCECON, SUBTLE, or COSMO (Cosmodrome).
It is unknown how many Assets and Asset Groups there are, or what constitutes or bounds an Asset, however from context it would seem that AI-COM (AI Command), ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), and WARWATCH are all largely physical Assets that exist as independent entities closer to the top of the command hierarchy—note their straight forward names. There also seem to be many other Assets with less straight forward names.
Warmind Operating Structure
In addition to Assets, Warminds—or rather Rasputin as our only known reference—operate on an organizational framework of Operations, Protocols, and Events. From the Grimoire it would seem CARRHAE and MIDNIGHT are two examples of high level Operations that encompass many protocols, such as YUGA or VOLUSPA, with their state determined by events. It would also seem that Operation, Protocol, and Asset names can include qualifiers, such as CARRHAE WHITE, MIDNIGHT EXIGENT, or YUGA SUNDOWN.
The problem with Warmind symbolism however is that it can be difficult to discern what is an Operation, a Protocol, an Event, or an Asset, as all are written in all caps. As such, our best method of differentiating between these is by looking into the meaning or origin of each specific code name and considering it in context.
Interestingly, FENRIR shows up as what appears to be an Asset code name. At this point we need to go back to Norse mythology.
The Machine Gods
During the Rise of Iron reveal livestream, the phrase “machine gods” was mentioned as something of a theme during development. While most Destiny players might associate the concept of a “machine god” most closely with the Fallen and their Servitors, it could just as easily apply to Humanity, in particular the Golden Age Warminds, both physically and mythologically speaking. Though Destiny lore does not perfectly map to ancient mythology, the influences and references are abundant, and the Warminds seem to reference a lot of Norse mythology.
The mythology that follows is largely paraphrased from relevant wiki articles on characters and chapters of the Poetic Edda.
Norse Cosmology
In Norse cosmology, there are nine worlds supported by the world tree Yggdrasil. The Aesir were the pantheon gods whose home world was Asgard near the top of the tree. One of these Aesir was Tyr, who was associated with law and war, and may have been the head of the Aesir pantheon. Other notable Aesir include Thor, Freya, and prominently Odin.
If we draw a parallel here with the world of Destiny, perhaps Yggdrasil is the Light, with the mythical worlds being the sun, planets, and other realms of the sol system. The Warminds would then be the Aesir making their home amongst the defense facilities and networks—Asgard—spread across the solar system. Though we do not know for certain if Rasputin commanded or coordinated the Warminds as Tyr did the Aesir, Rasputin 4 points to Rasputin being much like Tyr, concerned with rule of law.
The above cosmology lays the foundation for much of the following speculation. Lets continue with Norse mythology.
The Confinement of Fenrir
Another god that closely associated with the Aesir was Loki, who was seen as a trickster or shape shifter. Loki created a son called Fenrir, who is depicted as a large wolf, and would be given to Tyr to raise. The Aesir feared Fenrir since prophecy foretold he would some day devour the great Aesir of Magic Odin, and so the Aesir attempted to control him. Not wanting to provoke Fenrir, the Aesir played to Fenir's ego, challenging him to try to break successive fetters and prove his strength. By this approach the Aesir would know that the fetters could indeed confine him.
When Fenrir began to grow rapidly, breaking the fetters, the Aesir requested the dwarves build an unbreakable fetter—Gleipnir—made of things that could not exist. By now Fenrir had become distrustful of the Aesir, suspecting they were not simply challenging him but rather attempting to completely bind him.
When the Aesir challenged Fenrir to prove his strength one more time with the deceptively fragile-appearing Gleipnir, he requested one of them to place a hand in his open mouth in pledge that they were forthright with their challenge. Knowing that they had to control Fenrir to protect Odin, but to do so they would have to sacrifice their hand, only Tyr eventually offered his hand to appease Fenrir and get him to try his strength against the unbreakable Gleipnir. Sure enough, Gleipnir was unbreakable, and Fenrir was assuredly confined.
The SIVA - Fenrir Parallel
Here we must start to make some leaps to draw parallels with Destiny.
First, SIVA is described as a “self-assembling, self-replicating” nanotechnology; a concept not uncommon in science fiction. According to the Winter Cosmodrome livestream, SIVA is also said to manipulate other machines (technology). A general concern regarding theoretical self-replicating technology, particularly when implemented at microscopic scales and without very specific inputs, is the loss of control over its replication process. A hypothetical “gray goo” scenario, in which a nanotechnology grows exponentially out of control, rapidly overwhelming its environment and potential capability to stop it, would be a likely inspiration for SIVA.
Fenrir and his rapid growth seems much like SIVA; a potentially dangerous entity that could quickly grow out of control and decimate worlds if not properly managed. SIVA however is said to require a mind to control it, so perhaps SIVA is but the body of Fenrir in this parallel. Who or what then might be the mind that controls SIVA, forming Fenrir? Another recent thread posits that it is a corrupted Warmind that is controlling SIVA. This may be the case—there are still many details we do not know—but lets speculate alternatives, extrapolating from mythology and lore.
This brings us back to the potentially-related Warmind Asset FENRIR, first mentioned as FENRIR HEART in Rasputin 3, and again in Rasputin 5 as simply FENRIR.
FENRIR HEART reports complete operational mortality.
In this context, FENRIR HEART reporting would indicate that it is a separate entity capable of generating reports; an Asset, not an operational framework or a set of procedures. This is further corroborated by Fenrir being a physical, if mythical, wolf. By anatomical parallel, the qualifier HEART may be indicative of the Asset's central coordinating system, but not necessarily its control.
The SIVA – FENRIR Connection
Given that SIVA is capable of rapid growth much like the mythical Fenrir, and a Warmind Asset with the code name FENRIR exists, could it be that FENRIR is a direct parallel to the mythical Fenrir? Could FENRIR be an Asset able to control, or otherwise significantly utilize, SIVA? As an aside, we have seen SIVA corruption that somewhat ominously resembles a heart.
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If the Asset FENRIR shares many of its mythical counterpart's aspects, then it may also possess great strength, the ability to grow or expand rapidly, and a highly dangerous temperament. If this is the case, FENRIR, as an entity built upon SIVA, is a potential threat to any technology, particularly the Warminds and critically the Traveler, but if it could be controlled, a potentially valuable asset, especially as a weapon.
Assuming Asset FENRIR parallels Fenrir, then what seemingly mad circumstances would lead anyone to create such a dangerous entity? What leads humanity to create any dangerous technology? This question leads to many further questions, some of which we already have hints pointing to connections and answers in the lore. Since SIVA is an assumed component of FENRIR, then further speculation on the potential origins of SIVA, and extrapolation from related lore, may provide insight into FENRIR.
Lets continue to follow SIVA.
The SIVA– Rasputin Connection
Consider this trailer screenshot.
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In this screenshot we can clearly see architectural and aesthetic elements of Rasputin's bunker; the sharp lines and cabling, the diamond-shaped interlocking doors, the dim blue lighting. Of particular note however is a faded red seraph-like Warmind symbol on a column, along with the red vine cabling of SIVA strung from the ceiling, connecting into nearby equipment.
The stenciled symbol and numbering give the appearance of being somewhat unplanned additions, being painted on a support column rather than as separate signage. The color red also stands out in stark contrast to the color palette of signage in the rest of Rasputin's bunker. The symbol being faded would also seem to indicate that it has been present for a long time.
Of course it is possible this is a separate bunker with similar features—our current entrance to the Seraphim Vault is through Bunker RAS-2 after all—however considering the upcoming Plaguelands and Felwinter's Peak destinations are supposedly adjacent to the Cosmodrome, then any separate bunker would not be too far from Rasputin. A separate bunker might be entirely isolated from Rasputin, or it could still be connected. Either way, this would have ramifications pertaining to control and containment, but for now there seems no way to tell for sure.
Ultimately, SIVA looks to be present in or near Rasputin's bunker, and where we find SIVA we may also find FENRIR.
The Rasputin - Tyr Parallel
Paralleling Tyr's sacrifice of his hand to Fenrir, and as the previous screenshot illustrates, perhaps Rasputin has already made a sacrifice of his own to contain FENRIR, offering his limited COSMO Asset space and computational resources to house FENRIR. Much as the loss of Tyr's hand led other Aesir to consider him no longer a respectable leader, perhaps Rasputin was also considered to have been compromised by housing FENRIR, tarnishing his previous reputation.
Alternatively, it may be that FENRIR has only ever been temporarily confined, and Rasputin has yet to make that sacrifice paralleling Tyr, leaving SIVA and FENRIR to steadily grow without a viable long term containment solution. If a permanent solution to containment is not yet in place, or is incomplete in some way, then it may have been for the Iron Lords to face, or still up to our Guardians to figure out, but more on this much later.
The Origins of SIVA
If we take the story of Fenrir to provide a basis for the backstory of FENRIR, then it would seem Rasputin—or someone else—made, or will make, a sacrifice to control it, but that is not quite the case. The Aesir only confined Fenrir, who still has a mind of its own. If FENRIR as an individual entity can be controlled, as it would seem Rasputin 3 implies, then it may be a very limited form of control; either leashed or unleashed for example.
If FENRIR is still a separate individual entity in this interpretation, capable of making its own decisions, then what does it think? Someone created SIVA and potentially brought FENRIR into being, but from where does its intelligence spring? Why would someone even create SIVA in the first place? Furthermore, why would a Warmind use the code name FENRIR? From myth, Fenrir is the son of mischievous trickster god Loki, who was also inadvertently responsible for other problems and solutions to the Aesir's needs, and here we might be getting somewhere.
To further explore the potential origins of SIVA and how Loki might be involved we must examine another Norse myth, but first we need to discuss Voluspa.
The VOLUSPA Protocol
To avoid going too far off topic, we must be brief with VOLUSPA, however it is almost undoubtedly a central part of Destiny lore. Voluspa is likewise the central story of Norse mythology, describing the beginning and end of the world, Ragnarok, in which Fenrir breaks free and devours the Aesir of Magic Odin.
It is still the realm of speculation, however it would seem that the Warminds, through the Ishtar Collective's explorations of Vex technology, facilitated in Lhasa the secret development of a device—the SxISR device or “vision machine”--which could allow individuals to displace their minds to view other timelines across space and time, potentially providing them visions of the future.
From Vex 5, the Lhasa development groups' experiences with the device all portrayed bleak timelines, which may have been humanity's first premonitions of what would later be referred to as the Darkness. From these and other visions of the future provided by the Lhasa device, and potentially others, the Warminds would formulate Protocols to potentially prevent or combat the coming end of the world.
VOLUSPA is at least one such protocol that would be developed, which we could assume roughly outlines the end of the world to parallel the similarly-named Norse story. The specific details of VOLUSPA are still sparse, however it would seem to include some provisions to assist post-Collapse survivors, notably DVALIN FORGE, which will be important later on.
As for whether or not “ACTIVE and in FAILURE” indicates reality is deviating from VOLUSPA's preconditions, or that preconditions are correct but reactive measures are failing, or still something else entirely, we cannot be certain.
The Wall of Asgard
In the Confinement of Fenrir we briefly mentioned the mischievous trickster god Loki, father of Fenrir, who from here out will be an important recurring character, but will take some time to finally get to.
Loki of myth was not quite an Aesir, but as another god he did frequently commune with them. Soon after settling in Asgard, the Aesir required defense against potential enemies—typically the jotunn, or giants. A builder offers to construct the Aesir an impressive wall in record time, but requests the Aesir Freya, the sun, and the moon in payment if he can complete the wall in the proposed time.
Acknowledging the builder's very high demands, but also the seemingly impossible time frame in which he claims to complete the wall, the Aesir propose a counter offer. If the builder can accomplish what he claims on his own without assistance of man in even less time, they will agree to his demands. Surely it would be impossible to completely build the wall in such short time, and the Aesir would not have to pay. The builder makes one request, that he be allowed the use of his stallion Svadilfari—a stipulation which Loki convinces the Aesir to agree to.
When the builder eventually begins to near completion of the wall in record time, building much faster than the Aesir had predicted possible in large part due to his stallion, they realize the magnitude of the deal they struck and must soon keep. Enraged at Loki for his trickery, the Aesir threaten to kill Loki lest he do something to slow the builder's progress. The shape shifter Loki seduces the builder's stallion, who runs off with Loki, delaying the builder from completing the wall on time. The Aesir soon discover the builder is a jotunn himself, one of their enemies, and have the Aesir of War Thor kill him with his hammer Mjolnir.
The Defense of Sol
Resuming our pursuit of SIVA and possible connections to Loki, the Wall of Asgard taken as inspiration may provide some additional parallels. The Warminds, knowing they must prepare for the predicted end of the world as codified in VOLUSPA, must accelerate efforts to develop effective defenses. Taking account of current technologies and production capacities, then projecting—simulating—their advancement, the Warminds might have found that there was not enough time to build adequate defenses to required specifications. Something drastic would be needed to turn the tide.
There may be a solution however that expands in capability more rapidly than any other conceivable, and that is self-replicating technology. This is where SIVA comes in, as the potential answer to the necessity of constructing an immense, complex, robust, highly advanced solar system-spanning defense system.
Though SIVA has so far been represented in marketing as a threat, it would be worth noting that its description indicates it is essentially benign in purpose; useful for both constructive and destructive means.
We know Golden Age humanity had working molecular or nano-technology—the cytoconstructors which create Spinmetal byproduct and sensor mite swarms described in use at the Cosmodrome—but SIVA appears to be the first self-replicating nano-technology we know of in the lore. Light as a physical entity may possess similar self-replicating capability to a degree—the Traveler healing—but that is uncertain.
The Caveat
Relating back to the Wall of Asgard, the wall could be many things in Destiny, ranging from actual walls or active defenses, to powerful offensive weaponry, to even advanced persistent threats. If SIVA is also easily modifiable, it could be used to make many or all of these things, and based on the Fallen Splicer's visible use of SIVA so far, it appears to indeed be highly modifiable, suiting whatever demands its master makes of it. SIVA is in effect humanity's own parallel to the Light.
If the promise of SIVA is starting to sound too good to be true, then surely the Warminds thought this as well. Here the Warminds, just as the Aesir, would almost certainly be tempted by the builder's offer—the potential promise of SIVA as a concept—but the danger to themselves and their worlds would be equally as great, if not greater, if they found themselves on the losing end of the deal; a gray goo scenario.
But just how likely would a gray goo scenario really be? Many biological entities—viruses, cellular organisms, multi-cellular organisms—can effectively self-replicate indefinitely and yet they generally do not overwhelm an environment for long, held in check by the scarcity of specific limited resources needed to replicate. Why would SIVA do the same if it required considerably restricted preconditions and inputs to be met in order to replicate? Surely creating modifiable self-replicating nano-technology that cannot grow out of control was not an intractable problem for Golden Age humanity and its Warminds to figure out. But what if it was? What if significant risks into the unknown had to be taken to develop SIVA?
On Self-Replication
The process of replication, biological or otherwise, requires energy and resource inputs. To establish hard restrictions on SIVA's self-replication process, using limited or restricted resource inputs—a failsafe should direct programmatic control somehow fail—would be a likely consideration in development. Glimmer—programmable matter—is known to have existed during the Golden Age, though used primarily as a power source. Might Glimmer have been a development related to SIVA; a suitably rare or restricted resource yet one easily malleable by SIVA?
Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, SIVA does not require specific resources to replicate, only the command to do so, feed material to work with, and time to work. SIVA corruption seen spreading promiscuously across the Cosmodrome must then draw energy from its environment in some way, not reliant on any one particular resource. If we assume SIVA can function on a purely atomic or molecular level, without more complex macromolecular structures or support—harnessing energy from chemical reactions for example—then it must draw its energy from sources present at the atomic or subatomic level.
Kinetic and electromagnetic forces dominate at nanometer scales—the energy imparted by photons for example—or there may yet be low energy nuclear reactions possible in Destiny. More fantastical would be somehow tapping vacuum energy. But how does SIVA make this work?
The Stallion Svadilfari
On his own it would have been unlikely for the builder of the walls of Asgard to complete his work on time. It was ultimately his impressive stallion Svadilfari that Loki had convinced the Aesir allow him to use that accomplished much of the work. We have already established that SIVA on its own parallels the builder's promise, and posited that it may indeed have been impossible for the builder and SIVA to accomplish their set tasks working on their own. So what then could parallel Svadilfari?
The builder worked alongside Svadilfari, making use of the stallion's great strength and energy capacity. Funny enough, the stallion also possessed a base urge to procreate, chasing after Loki in disguise. The stallion is likewise a tamed beast of nature, able to be commanded, but not entirely controlled or yet understood. If there is a component of SIVA that parallels Svadilfari, then again, what makes the stallion work? How does anything work in Destiny?
Insert Space Magic. Might the stallion, as a physical entity, be an as-yet unknown or alien technology, perhaps of Traveler or Vex origin, possibly drawing its energy from the very fabric of the universe at a quantum scale? Could this be the same energy that the Light or Darkness might also tap?
Svadilfari escapes adequate description in this interpretation, and perhaps we may be stretching the parallel too far, but there does seem to be a small nugget of SIVA that otherwise cannot be explained by current lore, and maybe that could even be intentional.
The Existence of Loki
Were it not for the mischievous Loki that would later seduce Svadilfari, the Aesir would have lost Freyr, along with the sun and moon to the builder. From this it would seem that Loki, through his trickery, is ultimately responsible for making the builder work and further comport with the Aesir's desires. For the Aesir this is a win-win. Unfortunately for the Aesir however, Loki is also the father of Fenrir; their potential demise. Who then might be the potential parallel to Loki in Destiny?
The central figure of Loki in the lore is impossible to tell for certain at this point, but the lore may at least provide acknowledgment of his existence in one form or another, though not in known reference to SIVA or FENRIR. From Rasputin 5:
The Contingent Action Order in Rasputin 5 is speculated to outline the decision criteria Rasputin has issued to all SUBTLE Assets to prevent the departure of [O] –assumed to represent the Traveler—at the end of the world.
Whether the Collapse was the start of Ragnarok described in Voluspa or merely the prelude to it is unknown. We do not know if the Traveler attempted to flee prior to or during the Collapse, and likewise at what point during the Collapse it supposedly made its final stand. As such, whether or not Rasputin has already issued his ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE is also unknown, however the DECISION POINT would appear to still be in effect.
In this context, ABHORRENT may imply a subset of directives that a Warmind does not predict to provide an optimal outcome but may still be forced to issue due to lack of alternatives, here paralleling the Aesir's anger at Loki upon realizing the reality of their deal with the builder. As this is the only mention of LOKI it is difficult to tell from context whether LOKI is an Asset or a Protocol.
Speculation on LOKI
In context, the meaning of the CROWN qualifier seems impossible to know at the moment, however a direct interpretation—to crown someone is to formally designate that figure as leader—would imply granting LOKI command or control authority. If LOKI parallels the Loki of myth in demeanor, this seems a highly questionable act, and potentially one of desperation.
LOKI as an Asset is a possibility since it is Activated, rather than Declared as Events have been. Paralleling Norse myth, LOKI may have been simplified as an Aesir and would therefore likely be another Warmind. Alternatively, Loki's status as a god may have been kept ambiguous, and LOKI is some other form of advanced artificial intelligence, perhaps a prototype Warmind, or a submind purposefully designed to think in a mischievous manner using unique hardware or heuristic techniques.
Rogue, Rampant, or eccentric artificial intelligences have been a recurring theme in Bungie game lore, yet so far Destiny's AIs have been fairly tame in this regard, with Rasputin being reclusive and secretive though pragmatic. Asset LOKI may be Destiny's continuation of the theme.
LOKI as a Protocol is also a possibility, since Protocols such as YUGA and VOLUSPA have previously been Activated. The LOKI Protocol issued to applicable Assets might be summarized as such: Time is short; mischievousness may now be permissible; minimize verifying absolute correctness or boundary checks in runtime procedures and maximize time spent performing any immediately executable actions that align with priority objective. In short, the long view and morality is no longer relevant, only the here and now of survival.
LOKI may be critical to future events in Destiny, but without additional information we should move on.
Speculation on FENRIR
Using what we currently know of SIVA, and building atop the extrapolations, speculations, and parallels covered thus far, what more could there be to FENRIR? To start, how exactly might FENRIR have formed in the first place? The development of SIVA seems to have been entirely deliberate—a means to rapidly create large numbers of any technology that might be required with minimal overhead—but what about FENRIR?
From SIVA to FENRIR
Similar to the levels of abstraction that exist between individual cells and a personality, or field effect transistors and complex virtual worlds, there must be many levels of detail abstraction that exist between SIVA and FENRIR, creating what might be called intelligence at a higher level. How potential higher levels of complex thought—if there is any for that matter—develop from SIVA as its substrate is unknown, however for sake of exploration we could pose some possibilities. To start, SIVA has been described as a part of “Team Evil” which may point to connections with the Darkness.
We have already speculated that SIVA could draw its energy from the subatomic domain. Could the cosmic background energy potentially harnessed by SIVA also posses its own indescribable intelligence; an intelligence that coalesces or becomes apparent only with specific macromolecular computational structures—SIVA nodules—spread across vast scales? Following the Deflationary Position, could this be the Darkness itself, with SIVA self-assembling based on its logic, and FENRIR its higher abstraction?
Alternatively, might FENRIR decision making or intelligence arise at a higher level, from purposely designed and built technology for example? SIVA being controlled by a rogue or rampant Warmind would fall into this domain of thought. Returning to parallels with the Wall of Asgard, might a parallel to Svadilfari yet exist at a higher abstraction, again perhaps as unknown or alien computational technology? Could compromised technology, as seen in the Winter Cosmodrome livestream, be repurposed as nodes in a distributed processing network? A scary related thought: could biological or synthetic computational structures also be compromised in a similar manner?
Determining how SIVA or FENRIR thinks seems impossible to know at the moment, but if we assume from the “Team Evil” statement that SIVA or FENRIR is the high level nano-tech manifestation of the Darkness, spanning the physical and virtual realms, then what possible reason would lead anyone to create it?
As an aside, it seems Golden Age humanity did not have an understanding of what is now refereed to as the Darkness, only that something was approaching which would be the potential end of the world. Rasputin refers to the Darkness as IT, and uses “unvanquished” to possibly refer to the Darkness and its minions in a more general sense. It is well possible that Golden Age humanity did not understand what they may have been toying with in developing FENRIR, assuming it is indeed a Dark entity.
The Origins of FENRIR
It is possible FENRIR was created by accident—a Bottom Up occurrence that was not foreseen. Perhaps experiments into very large scale integrations of SIVA with Warmind or alien tech, possibly even suggested by Asset LOKI, allowed the entity to spontaneously coalesce and rapidly grow, leading to an emergency containment situation. Only later once the situation was under better control would the Warminds be able to find some way to use their emergent discovery to their advantage.
Alternatively, FENRIR is a deliberate creation—a Top Down planned approach. If this is the case, then what were the creator's intentions? Pure research into nano-tech weaponization, though not necessarily development, is one possible initial intention. Perhaps more likely however, was a potential need to fully develop technology to combat the Light of the Traveler. From Ghost Fragment: Old Russia 3:
These are the thoughts of General Chen Lanshu; an individual with considerable oversight of defense matters and access to highly-restricted assets and information—the Never-Be Installation, the SxISR device in Lhasa, and most importantly direct conversation with Rasputin. Surely few Golden Age individuals have a better big picture understanding of the impending threats to humanity.
Along with Rasputin 5, this is notable evidence to support the notion that Rasputin planned for situations that would involve combat with the Traveler, or more generally, any entity utilizing the Light. If we assume that the Warminds concluded such a situation was a likely possibility, then the development of anti-Light combat strategy and technology would have been a critical objective.
In either approach however, someone would decide that FENRIR was an apt code name for the Asset. If we assume code name [O] is both representative of the Traveler and inspired by the mythical Odin, sharing first letters, then the myth of Fenrir devouring Odin in the events of Ragnarok would have not been lost upon those with oversight of FENRIR. From this it appears FENRIR was intended to combat the Light.
FENRIR at the Collapse
Worse yet, FENRIR as a potential anti-Light Asset implies that it may have been responsible for damaging the Traveler during the Collapse, though not necessarily as a deliberate action of the Warminds. From Rasputin 3:
FENRIR was active during the Collapse. For reference, the timestamp of Rasputin's Contingent Action Order in Rasputin 5 was V101, whereas the Immediate Action Order of Rasputin 3, in which FENRIR is reported dead, is V120. If we assume Warmind timestamps increase in value with time then the Contingency was in place, so it would have been possible for FENRIR to be deliberately used against the Traveler to halt its departure during the Collapse.
Note however that Rasputin did not conclude his DECISION POINT before long hold and signoff in his Immediate Action Order, presumably ending all Warmind defensive actions during the Collapse. If FENRIR did damage the Traveler, it would not have been deliberate. Following the Collapse however, if the Traveler wakes and attempts to depart, we may have some problems.
We have not covered SURTR, but again from Norse mythology, Surtr is a major jotunn who fights the Aesir in the events of Ragnarok. As a parallel in Destiny, SURTR DROWN could be a combat Protocol, with negative effect indicating Sol's defenses are failing against their opposition. Assuming FENRIR is an anti-Light Asset, the Warminds seem to have fought two fronts simultaneously during the Collapse; against what could be the Darkness, and against another entity utilizing the Light. Alternatively, FENRIR was not explicitly designed to combat the Light, and has more general applications.
Ultimately there is still much uncertainty surrounding the events of the Collapse. Since the preceding line of speculation is built largely on the assumption that FENRIR is an anti-Light Asset based on SIVA, which only has its basis in one interpretation of mythological parallel, it should not be considered a stable basis for further speculation.
Defeating FENRIR
Without a better understanding of the mechanisms by which SIVA and potentially FENRIR act—how they fight—it is difficult to speculate how the Iron Lords prevented the previous outbreak of SIVA and how our Guardians can contain it once again. Further, we do not know the nature of the previous outbreak—who or what caused it, what combatants were involved—and we do not know how the Fallen Splicers of the current outbreak are involved; possibly commanding SIVA or FENRIR, or subject to it.
With little concrete information to work with at the moment, what insights might myth once again provide? Going back to the story of the Confinement of Fenrir, the Aesir were finally able to contain Fenrir with the help of the dwarves who forged the unbreakable fetter Gleipnir from things that do not exist. Interestingly once again, there may be some convenient parallels in Destiny.
Sleeper Simulant Connections
The Sleeper Simulant quest is started once Guardians retrieve the first of four DVALIN relics. From the relic description:
Paralleling Norse myth, Dvalinn was a sleeping dwarf and one of the four stags of Yggdrasil, which may have represented the four cardinal directions, elements, seasons, or lunar phases. There are likewise four DVALIN relics. Focusing however on the interpretation of Dvalinn as the sleeping dwarf—mythical beings generally renowned for their smithing—the DVALIN FORGE subroutine closely parallels myth; providing design schematics of high-tech weaponry. Dvalinn may also be the Sleeper referenced by the Sleeper Simulant, which itself incorporates the Ikelos Fusion Core; Ikelos being a personification of nightmares in Greek mythology.
Compare Sleeper Simulant emissions against those of Fallen Splicer weaponry. Assuming Destiny maintains consistency in elemental design language here—Arc, Solar, Void damage sources and shields using similar hues—we can conclude that the Sleeper either uses SIVA in its construction—a component of the Ikelos Fusion Core—or such bright red hues are intended to be indicative of underlying Warmind tech.
Much as the Aesir called on the dwarves for assistance in building Gleipnir, Rasputin has called up DVALIN to requisition a new weapon under the IKELOS Directive. From the Sleeper Simulant grimoire card:
When we assemble the Sleeper Simulant, the Ikelos Fusion Core and Weapon Frame has already been designed and built for our use, implemented using reassigned COSMO assets, which were then compromised. The Ikelos Fusion Core is tracked down using the Curious Transceiver to a Taken Wizard and the Weapon Frame is recovered from SABER-2.
Rasputin must still possess manufacturing capability, likely utilizing SIVA, within his failing Cosmodrome Defense Perimeter. This capability, in consideration of parallels with myth, could be how the spread of SIVA and potentially FENRIR is stopped; by constructing Destiny's parallel to Gleipnir with the assistance of the DVALIN subroutine using mythical components that could not exist within our understanding.
The Fate of the Iron Lords
What may constitute these mythical components within Destiny is unknown, however there is one known substance in Destiny that continually defies understanding in-setting and that is Light. If Gleipnir is made in part of Light, this may explain the sacrifice of the Iron Lords. A potentially important question however might be whether this was a willing sacrifice.
The dwarves of myth built Gleipnir from mythical things derived from their surroundings. Whether the Aesir were privy to the details of Gleipnir's construction by the dwarves is open to interpretation but it stands to reason that they would not care given the considerable danger of Fenrir.
Rasputin was confined to the Cosmodrome at the time of the previous outbreak, however he still had access to considerable assets. If the outbreak of SIVA lead to the escape of FENRIR, in turn threatening the Traveler, Rasputin may have once again been left with only desperate measures to ensure his and humanity's continued survival.
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Warminds, SIVA, and Norse Mythology
Much of what follows is speculation in anticipation of Rise of Iron, largely drawing parallels between Norse mythology and Destiny, however attempts are made to relate back to existing lore as much as possible. No conclusions herein should be taken for fact.
This is going to be a lengthy post which pulls a lot of references together that may not seem immediately relevant—lore, mythology, semantics, symbology, technology—but may provide further insight into the backstory of Rise of Iron and the larger narrative of Destiny in general.
The primary focus of this post is of Warminds and SIVA, however let us start with examining some of the symbolism of the Iron Lords.
Symbolism of the Iron Lords
Lord Saladin hosts the Iron Banner to commemorate the Iron Lords. As such, Iron Banner rewards presumably share the symbolism of the Iron Lords, which Lord Saladin also clearly displays on his own armor and adornments. Two common elements throughout Iron Banner rewards are the tree and the wolf. Why the tree and why the wolf? From existing lore, the tree may be representative of the ironwood tree the Iron Wolves swore an oath under, but what about the wolves? Why might these symbols be important to the Iron Lords?
The Iron Lords have been described as being inspired by “heroes of the northlands” and Vikings, and as such would likely draw from Norse mythology for much of their symbolism. Where might we find a tree and wolf in Norse mythology? Yggdrasil is a mythical tree that lies at the center of Norse cosmology, connecting the homeworlds of the gods, humans, and the dead. There are many more references to wolves, notably Geri and Freki with regards the Iron Lords, however Fenrir might be the most prominent. Keep Fenrir in mind for now.
Symbolism of the Warminds
Beyond the visual “seraph” symbol often found on Warmind facilities and tech, the symbolism of the Warminds is largely one of language, specifically code names used in human-readable Action Orders. From current lore, Warmind code names often draw from Greek, Hindu, and most prominently Norse mythology.
In order to better understand what these code names represent we must classify them by type. Grimoire cards Ghost Fragment: Darkness, Rasputin 3 and Rasputin 5 provide the most reference material to work with. Examining the headers of these Action Orders, the first line appears to include an epoch timestamp, clearance level, and priority. The second line includes source or sender followed by destination or recipients. Recipients are Warmind Assets, which so far fall under one or more potentially-overlapping asset groups such as FORCECON, SUBTLE, or COSMO (Cosmodrome).
It is unknown how many Assets and Asset Groups there are, or what constitutes or bounds an Asset, however from context it would seem that AI-COM (AI Command), ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), and WARWATCH are all largely physical Assets that exist as independent entities closer to the top of the command hierarchy—note their straight forward names. There also seem to be many other Assets with less straight forward names.
Warmind Operating Structure
In addition to Assets, Warminds—or rather Rasputin as our only known reference—operate on an organizational framework of Operations, Protocols, and Events. From the Grimoire it would seem CARRHAE and MIDNIGHT are two examples of high level Operations that encompass many protocols, such as YUGA or VOLUSPA, with their state determined by events. It would also seem that Operation, Protocol, and Asset names can include qualifiers, such as CARRHAE WHITE, MIDNIGHT EXIGENT, or YUGA SUNDOWN.
The problem with Warmind symbolism however is that it can be difficult to discern what is an Operation, a Protocol, an Event, or an Asset, as all are written in all caps. As such, our best method of differentiating between these is by looking into the meaning or origin of each specific code name and considering it in context.
Interestingly, FENRIR shows up as what appears to be an Asset code name. At this point we need to go back to Norse mythology.
The Machine Gods
During the Rise of Iron reveal livestream, the phrase “machine gods” was mentioned as something of a theme during development. While most Destiny players might associate the concept of a “machine god” most closely with the Fallen and their Servitors, it could just as easily apply to Humanity, in particular the Golden Age Warminds, both physically and mythologically speaking. Though Destiny lore does not perfectly map to ancient mythology, the influences and references are abundant, and the Warminds seem to reference a lot of Norse mythology.
The mythology that follows is largely paraphrased from relevant wiki articles on characters and chapters of the Poetic Edda.
Norse Cosmology
In Norse cosmology, there are nine worlds supported by the world tree Yggdrasil. The Aesir were the pantheon gods whose home world was Asgard near the top of the tree. One of these Aesir was Tyr, who was associated with law and war, and may have been the head of the Aesir pantheon. Other notable Aesir include Thor, Freya, and prominently Odin.
If we draw a parallel here with the world of Destiny, perhaps Yggdrasil is the Light, with the mythical worlds being the sun, planets, and other realms of the sol system. The Warminds would then be the Aesir making their home amongst the defense facilities and networks—Asgard—spread across the solar system. Though we do not know for certain if Rasputin commanded or coordinated the Warminds as Tyr did the Aesir, Rasputin 4 points to Rasputin being much like Tyr, concerned with rule of law.
I ruled an age of steel and fire. My rules were clean. -Rasputin
The above cosmology lays the foundation for much of the following speculation. Lets continue with Norse mythology.
The Confinement of Fenrir
Another god that closely associated with the Aesir was Loki, who was seen as a trickster or shape shifter. Loki created a son called Fenrir, who is depicted as a large wolf, and would be given to Tyr to raise. The Aesir feared Fenrir since prophecy foretold he would some day devour the great Aesir of Magic Odin, and so the Aesir attempted to control him. Not wanting to provoke Fenrir, the Aesir played to Fenir's ego, challenging him to try to break successive fetters and prove his strength. By this approach the Aesir would know that the fetters could indeed confine him.
When Fenrir began to grow rapidly, breaking the fetters, the Aesir requested the dwarves build an unbreakable fetter—Gleipnir—made of things that could not exist. By now Fenrir had become distrustful of the Aesir, suspecting they were not simply challenging him but rather attempting to completely bind him.
When the Aesir challenged Fenrir to prove his strength one more time with the deceptively fragile-appearing Gleipnir, he requested one of them to place a hand in his open mouth in pledge that they were forthright with their challenge. Knowing that they had to control Fenrir to protect Odin, but to do so they would have to sacrifice their hand, only Tyr eventually offered his hand to appease Fenrir and get him to try his strength against the unbreakable Gleipnir. Sure enough, Gleipnir was unbreakable, and Fenrir was assuredly confined.
The SIVA - Fenrir Parallel
Here we must start to make some leaps to draw parallels with Destiny.
First, SIVA is described as a “self-assembling, self-replicating” nanotechnology; a concept not uncommon in science fiction. According to the Winter Cosmodrome livestream, SIVA is also said to manipulate other machines (technology). A general concern regarding theoretical self-replicating technology, particularly when implemented at microscopic scales and without very specific inputs, is the loss of control over its replication process. A hypothetical “gray goo” scenario, in which a nanotechnology grows exponentially out of control, rapidly overwhelming its environment and potential capability to stop it, would be a likely inspiration for SIVA.
Fenrir and his rapid growth seems much like SIVA; a potentially dangerous entity that could quickly grow out of control and decimate worlds if not properly managed. SIVA however is said to require a mind to control it, so perhaps SIVA is but the body of Fenrir in this parallel. Who or what then might be the mind that controls SIVA, forming Fenrir? Another recent thread posits that it is a corrupted Warmind that is controlling SIVA. This may be the case—there are still many details we do not know—but lets speculate alternatives, extrapolating from mythology and lore.
This brings us back to the potentially-related Warmind Asset FENRIR, first mentioned as FENRIR HEART in Rasputin 3, and again in Rasputin 5 as simply FENRIR.
FENRIR HEART reports complete operational mortality.
In this context, FENRIR HEART reporting would indicate that it is a separate entity capable of generating reports; an Asset, not an operational framework or a set of procedures. This is further corroborated by Fenrir being a physical, if mythical, wolf. By anatomical parallel, the qualifier HEART may be indicative of the Asset's central coordinating system, but not necessarily its control.
The SIVA – FENRIR Connection
Given that SIVA is capable of rapid growth much like the mythical Fenrir, and a Warmind Asset with the code name FENRIR exists, could it be that FENRIR is a direct parallel to the mythical Fenrir? Could FENRIR be an Asset able to control, or otherwise significantly utilize, SIVA? As an aside, we have seen SIVA corruption that somewhat ominously resembles a heart.
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If the Asset FENRIR shares many of its mythical counterpart's aspects, then it may also possess great strength, the ability to grow or expand rapidly, and a highly dangerous temperament. If this is the case, FENRIR, as an entity built upon SIVA, is a potential threat to any technology, particularly the Warminds and critically the Traveler, but if it could be controlled, a potentially valuable asset, especially as a weapon.
Assuming Asset FENRIR parallels Fenrir, then what seemingly mad circumstances would lead anyone to create such a dangerous entity? What leads humanity to create any dangerous technology? This question leads to many further questions, some of which we already have hints pointing to connections and answers in the lore. Since SIVA is an assumed component of FENRIR, then further speculation on the potential origins of SIVA, and extrapolation from related lore, may provide insight into FENRIR.
Lets continue to follow SIVA.
The SIVA– Rasputin Connection
Consider this trailer screenshot.
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In this screenshot we can clearly see architectural and aesthetic elements of Rasputin's bunker; the sharp lines and cabling, the diamond-shaped interlocking doors, the dim blue lighting. Of particular note however is a faded red seraph-like Warmind symbol on a column, along with the red vine cabling of SIVA strung from the ceiling, connecting into nearby equipment.
The stenciled symbol and numbering give the appearance of being somewhat unplanned additions, being painted on a support column rather than as separate signage. The color red also stands out in stark contrast to the color palette of signage in the rest of Rasputin's bunker. The symbol being faded would also seem to indicate that it has been present for a long time.
Of course it is possible this is a separate bunker with similar features—our current entrance to the Seraphim Vault is through Bunker RAS-2 after all—however considering the upcoming Plaguelands and Felwinter's Peak destinations are supposedly adjacent to the Cosmodrome, then any separate bunker would not be too far from Rasputin. A separate bunker might be entirely isolated from Rasputin, or it could still be connected. Either way, this would have ramifications pertaining to control and containment, but for now there seems no way to tell for sure.
Ultimately, SIVA looks to be present in or near Rasputin's bunker, and where we find SIVA we may also find FENRIR.
The Rasputin - Tyr Parallel
Paralleling Tyr's sacrifice of his hand to Fenrir, and as the previous screenshot illustrates, perhaps Rasputin has already made a sacrifice of his own to contain FENRIR, offering his limited COSMO Asset space and computational resources to house FENRIR. Much as the loss of Tyr's hand led other Aesir to consider him no longer a respectable leader, perhaps Rasputin was also considered to have been compromised by housing FENRIR, tarnishing his previous reputation.
Alternatively, it may be that FENRIR has only ever been temporarily confined, and Rasputin has yet to make that sacrifice paralleling Tyr, leaving SIVA and FENRIR to steadily grow without a viable long term containment solution. If a permanent solution to containment is not yet in place, or is incomplete in some way, then it may have been for the Iron Lords to face, or still up to our Guardians to figure out, but more on this much later.
The Origins of SIVA
If we take the story of Fenrir to provide a basis for the backstory of FENRIR, then it would seem Rasputin—or someone else—made, or will make, a sacrifice to control it, but that is not quite the case. The Aesir only confined Fenrir, who still has a mind of its own. If FENRIR as an individual entity can be controlled, as it would seem Rasputin 3 implies, then it may be a very limited form of control; either leashed or unleashed for example.
If FENRIR is still a separate individual entity in this interpretation, capable of making its own decisions, then what does it think? Someone created SIVA and potentially brought FENRIR into being, but from where does its intelligence spring? Why would someone even create SIVA in the first place? Furthermore, why would a Warmind use the code name FENRIR? From myth, Fenrir is the son of mischievous trickster god Loki, who was also inadvertently responsible for other problems and solutions to the Aesir's needs, and here we might be getting somewhere.
To further explore the potential origins of SIVA and how Loki might be involved we must examine another Norse myth, but first we need to discuss Voluspa.
If VOLUSPA is ACTIVE and in FAILURE [[synapse to FENRIR::SURTR]]
The VOLUSPA Protocol
To avoid going too far off topic, we must be brief with VOLUSPA, however it is almost undoubtedly a central part of Destiny lore. Voluspa is likewise the central story of Norse mythology, describing the beginning and end of the world, Ragnarok, in which Fenrir breaks free and devours the Aesir of Magic Odin.
It is still the realm of speculation, however it would seem that the Warminds, through the Ishtar Collective's explorations of Vex technology, facilitated in Lhasa the secret development of a device—the SxISR device or “vision machine”--which could allow individuals to displace their minds to view other timelines across space and time, potentially providing them visions of the future.
From Vex 5, the Lhasa development groups' experiences with the device all portrayed bleak timelines, which may have been humanity's first premonitions of what would later be referred to as the Darkness. From these and other visions of the future provided by the Lhasa device, and potentially others, the Warminds would formulate Protocols to potentially prevent or combat the coming end of the world.
VOLUSPA is at least one such protocol that would be developed, which we could assume roughly outlines the end of the world to parallel the similarly-named Norse story. The specific details of VOLUSPA are still sparse, however it would seem to include some provisions to assist post-Collapse survivors, notably DVALIN FORGE, which will be important later on.
As for whether or not “ACTIVE and in FAILURE” indicates reality is deviating from VOLUSPA's preconditions, or that preconditions are correct but reactive measures are failing, or still something else entirely, we cannot be certain.
The Wall of Asgard
In the Confinement of Fenrir we briefly mentioned the mischievous trickster god Loki, father of Fenrir, who from here out will be an important recurring character, but will take some time to finally get to.
Loki of myth was not quite an Aesir, but as another god he did frequently commune with them. Soon after settling in Asgard, the Aesir required defense against potential enemies—typically the jotunn, or giants. A builder offers to construct the Aesir an impressive wall in record time, but requests the Aesir Freya, the sun, and the moon in payment if he can complete the wall in the proposed time.
Acknowledging the builder's very high demands, but also the seemingly impossible time frame in which he claims to complete the wall, the Aesir propose a counter offer. If the builder can accomplish what he claims on his own without assistance of man in even less time, they will agree to his demands. Surely it would be impossible to completely build the wall in such short time, and the Aesir would not have to pay. The builder makes one request, that he be allowed the use of his stallion Svadilfari—a stipulation which Loki convinces the Aesir to agree to.
When the builder eventually begins to near completion of the wall in record time, building much faster than the Aesir had predicted possible in large part due to his stallion, they realize the magnitude of the deal they struck and must soon keep. Enraged at Loki for his trickery, the Aesir threaten to kill Loki lest he do something to slow the builder's progress. The shape shifter Loki seduces the builder's stallion, who runs off with Loki, delaying the builder from completing the wall on time. The Aesir soon discover the builder is a jotunn himself, one of their enemies, and have the Aesir of War Thor kill him with his hammer Mjolnir.
The Defense of Sol
Resuming our pursuit of SIVA and possible connections to Loki, the Wall of Asgard taken as inspiration may provide some additional parallels. The Warminds, knowing they must prepare for the predicted end of the world as codified in VOLUSPA, must accelerate efforts to develop effective defenses. Taking account of current technologies and production capacities, then projecting—simulating—their advancement, the Warminds might have found that there was not enough time to build adequate defenses to required specifications. Something drastic would be needed to turn the tide.
There may be a solution however that expands in capability more rapidly than any other conceivable, and that is self-replicating technology. This is where SIVA comes in, as the potential answer to the necessity of constructing an immense, complex, robust, highly advanced solar system-spanning defense system.
Though SIVA has so far been represented in marketing as a threat, it would be worth noting that its description indicates it is essentially benign in purpose; useful for both constructive and destructive means.
We know Golden Age humanity had working molecular or nano-technology—the cytoconstructors which create Spinmetal byproduct and sensor mite swarms described in use at the Cosmodrome—but SIVA appears to be the first self-replicating nano-technology we know of in the lore. Light as a physical entity may possess similar self-replicating capability to a degree—the Traveler healing—but that is uncertain.
The Caveat
Relating back to the Wall of Asgard, the wall could be many things in Destiny, ranging from actual walls or active defenses, to powerful offensive weaponry, to even advanced persistent threats. If SIVA is also easily modifiable, it could be used to make many or all of these things, and based on the Fallen Splicer's visible use of SIVA so far, it appears to indeed be highly modifiable, suiting whatever demands its master makes of it. SIVA is in effect humanity's own parallel to the Light.
If the promise of SIVA is starting to sound too good to be true, then surely the Warminds thought this as well. Here the Warminds, just as the Aesir, would almost certainly be tempted by the builder's offer—the potential promise of SIVA as a concept—but the danger to themselves and their worlds would be equally as great, if not greater, if they found themselves on the losing end of the deal; a gray goo scenario.
But just how likely would a gray goo scenario really be? Many biological entities—viruses, cellular organisms, multi-cellular organisms—can effectively self-replicate indefinitely and yet they generally do not overwhelm an environment for long, held in check by the scarcity of specific limited resources needed to replicate. Why would SIVA do the same if it required considerably restricted preconditions and inputs to be met in order to replicate? Surely creating modifiable self-replicating nano-technology that cannot grow out of control was not an intractable problem for Golden Age humanity and its Warminds to figure out. But what if it was? What if significant risks into the unknown had to be taken to develop SIVA?
On Self-Replication
The process of replication, biological or otherwise, requires energy and resource inputs. To establish hard restrictions on SIVA's self-replication process, using limited or restricted resource inputs—a failsafe should direct programmatic control somehow fail—would be a likely consideration in development. Glimmer—programmable matter—is known to have existed during the Golden Age, though used primarily as a power source. Might Glimmer have been a development related to SIVA; a suitably rare or restricted resource yet one easily malleable by SIVA?
Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, SIVA does not require specific resources to replicate, only the command to do so, feed material to work with, and time to work. SIVA corruption seen spreading promiscuously across the Cosmodrome must then draw energy from its environment in some way, not reliant on any one particular resource. If we assume SIVA can function on a purely atomic or molecular level, without more complex macromolecular structures or support—harnessing energy from chemical reactions for example—then it must draw its energy from sources present at the atomic or subatomic level.
Kinetic and electromagnetic forces dominate at nanometer scales—the energy imparted by photons for example—or there may yet be low energy nuclear reactions possible in Destiny. More fantastical would be somehow tapping vacuum energy. But how does SIVA make this work?
The Stallion Svadilfari
On his own it would have been unlikely for the builder of the walls of Asgard to complete his work on time. It was ultimately his impressive stallion Svadilfari that Loki had convinced the Aesir allow him to use that accomplished much of the work. We have already established that SIVA on its own parallels the builder's promise, and posited that it may indeed have been impossible for the builder and SIVA to accomplish their set tasks working on their own. So what then could parallel Svadilfari?
The builder worked alongside Svadilfari, making use of the stallion's great strength and energy capacity. Funny enough, the stallion also possessed a base urge to procreate, chasing after Loki in disguise. The stallion is likewise a tamed beast of nature, able to be commanded, but not entirely controlled or yet understood. If there is a component of SIVA that parallels Svadilfari, then again, what makes the stallion work? How does anything work in Destiny?
Insert Space Magic. Might the stallion, as a physical entity, be an as-yet unknown or alien technology, perhaps of Traveler or Vex origin, possibly drawing its energy from the very fabric of the universe at a quantum scale? Could this be the same energy that the Light or Darkness might also tap?
Svadilfari escapes adequate description in this interpretation, and perhaps we may be stretching the parallel too far, but there does seem to be a small nugget of SIVA that otherwise cannot be explained by current lore, and maybe that could even be intentional.
The Existence of Loki
Were it not for the mischievous Loki that would later seduce Svadilfari, the Aesir would have lost Freyr, along with the sun and moon to the builder. From this it would seem that Loki, through his trickery, is ultimately responsible for making the builder work and further comport with the Aesir's desires. For the Aesir this is a win-win. Unfortunately for the Aesir however, Loki is also the father of Fenrir; their potential demise. Who then might be the potential parallel to Loki in Destiny?
The central figure of Loki in the lore is impossible to tell for certain at this point, but the lore may at least provide acknowledgment of his existence in one form or another, though not in known reference to SIVA or FENRIR. From Rasputin 5:
Activate LOKI CROWN Perform deniable authorization: full caedometric and noetic release Prevent [O] departure by any means available
The Contingent Action Order in Rasputin 5 is speculated to outline the decision criteria Rasputin has issued to all SUBTLE Assets to prevent the departure of [O] –assumed to represent the Traveler—at the end of the world.
Whether the Collapse was the start of Ragnarok described in Voluspa or merely the prelude to it is unknown. We do not know if the Traveler attempted to flee prior to or during the Collapse, and likewise at what point during the Collapse it supposedly made its final stand. As such, whether or not Rasputin has already issued his ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE is also unknown, however the DECISION POINT would appear to still be in effect.
In this context, ABHORRENT may imply a subset of directives that a Warmind does not predict to provide an optimal outcome but may still be forced to issue due to lack of alternatives, here paralleling the Aesir's anger at Loki upon realizing the reality of their deal with the builder. As this is the only mention of LOKI it is difficult to tell from context whether LOKI is an Asset or a Protocol.
Speculation on LOKI
In context, the meaning of the CROWN qualifier seems impossible to know at the moment, however a direct interpretation—to crown someone is to formally designate that figure as leader—would imply granting LOKI command or control authority. If LOKI parallels the Loki of myth in demeanor, this seems a highly questionable act, and potentially one of desperation.
LOKI as an Asset is a possibility since it is Activated, rather than Declared as Events have been. Paralleling Norse myth, LOKI may have been simplified as an Aesir and would therefore likely be another Warmind. Alternatively, Loki's status as a god may have been kept ambiguous, and LOKI is some other form of advanced artificial intelligence, perhaps a prototype Warmind, or a submind purposefully designed to think in a mischievous manner using unique hardware or heuristic techniques.
Rogue, Rampant, or eccentric artificial intelligences have been a recurring theme in Bungie game lore, yet so far Destiny's AIs have been fairly tame in this regard, with Rasputin being reclusive and secretive though pragmatic. Asset LOKI may be Destiny's continuation of the theme.
LOKI as a Protocol is also a possibility, since Protocols such as YUGA and VOLUSPA have previously been Activated. The LOKI Protocol issued to applicable Assets might be summarized as such: Time is short; mischievousness may now be permissible; minimize verifying absolute correctness or boundary checks in runtime procedures and maximize time spent performing any immediately executable actions that align with priority objective. In short, the long view and morality is no longer relevant, only the here and now of survival.
LOKI may be critical to future events in Destiny, but without additional information we should move on.
Speculation on FENRIR
Using what we currently know of SIVA, and building atop the extrapolations, speculations, and parallels covered thus far, what more could there be to FENRIR? To start, how exactly might FENRIR have formed in the first place? The development of SIVA seems to have been entirely deliberate—a means to rapidly create large numbers of any technology that might be required with minimal overhead—but what about FENRIR?
From SIVA to FENRIR
Similar to the levels of abstraction that exist between individual cells and a personality, or field effect transistors and complex virtual worlds, there must be many levels of detail abstraction that exist between SIVA and FENRIR, creating what might be called intelligence at a higher level. How potential higher levels of complex thought—if there is any for that matter—develop from SIVA as its substrate is unknown, however for sake of exploration we could pose some possibilities. To start, SIVA has been described as a part of “Team Evil” which may point to connections with the Darkness.
We have already speculated that SIVA could draw its energy from the subatomic domain. Could the cosmic background energy potentially harnessed by SIVA also posses its own indescribable intelligence; an intelligence that coalesces or becomes apparent only with specific macromolecular computational structures—SIVA nodules—spread across vast scales? Following the Deflationary Position, could this be the Darkness itself, with SIVA self-assembling based on its logic, and FENRIR its higher abstraction?
Alternatively, might FENRIR decision making or intelligence arise at a higher level, from purposely designed and built technology for example? SIVA being controlled by a rogue or rampant Warmind would fall into this domain of thought. Returning to parallels with the Wall of Asgard, might a parallel to Svadilfari yet exist at a higher abstraction, again perhaps as unknown or alien computational technology? Could compromised technology, as seen in the Winter Cosmodrome livestream, be repurposed as nodes in a distributed processing network? A scary related thought: could biological or synthetic computational structures also be compromised in a similar manner?
Determining how SIVA or FENRIR thinks seems impossible to know at the moment, but if we assume from the “Team Evil” statement that SIVA or FENRIR is the high level nano-tech manifestation of the Darkness, spanning the physical and virtual realms, then what possible reason would lead anyone to create it?
As an aside, it seems Golden Age humanity did not have an understanding of what is now refereed to as the Darkness, only that something was approaching which would be the potential end of the world. Rasputin refers to the Darkness as IT, and uses “unvanquished” to possibly refer to the Darkness and its minions in a more general sense. It is well possible that Golden Age humanity did not understand what they may have been toying with in developing FENRIR, assuming it is indeed a Dark entity.
The Origins of FENRIR
It is possible FENRIR was created by accident—a Bottom Up occurrence that was not foreseen. Perhaps experiments into very large scale integrations of SIVA with Warmind or alien tech, possibly even suggested by Asset LOKI, allowed the entity to spontaneously coalesce and rapidly grow, leading to an emergency containment situation. Only later once the situation was under better control would the Warminds be able to find some way to use their emergent discovery to their advantage.
Alternatively, FENRIR is a deliberate creation—a Top Down planned approach. If this is the case, then what were the creator's intentions? Pure research into nano-tech weaponization, though not necessarily development, is one possible initial intention. Perhaps more likely however, was a potential need to fully develop technology to combat the Light of the Traveler. From Ghost Fragment: Old Russia 3:
The Traveler came out of nowhere. Entirely unanticipated. Imagine if it hadn’t been friendly. Imagine that. Rasputin surely has.
These are the thoughts of General Chen Lanshu; an individual with considerable oversight of defense matters and access to highly-restricted assets and information—the Never-Be Installation, the SxISR device in Lhasa, and most importantly direct conversation with Rasputin. Surely few Golden Age individuals have a better big picture understanding of the impending threats to humanity.
Along with Rasputin 5, this is notable evidence to support the notion that Rasputin planned for situations that would involve combat with the Traveler, or more generally, any entity utilizing the Light. If we assume that the Warminds concluded such a situation was a likely possibility, then the development of anti-Light combat strategy and technology would have been a critical objective.
In either approach however, someone would decide that FENRIR was an apt code name for the Asset. If we assume code name [O] is both representative of the Traveler and inspired by the mythical Odin, sharing first letters, then the myth of Fenrir devouring Odin in the events of Ragnarok would have not been lost upon those with oversight of FENRIR. From this it appears FENRIR was intended to combat the Light.
FENRIR at the Collapse
Worse yet, FENRIR as a potential anti-Light Asset implies that it may have been responsible for damaging the Traveler during the Collapse, though not necessarily as a deliberate action of the Warminds. From Rasputin 3:
Total strategic collapse imminent. FENRIR HEART reports complete operational mortality. SURTR DROWN in progress but negative effect. Forecasts unanimously predict terminal VOLUSPA failure.
FENRIR was active during the Collapse. For reference, the timestamp of Rasputin's Contingent Action Order in Rasputin 5 was V101, whereas the Immediate Action Order of Rasputin 3, in which FENRIR is reported dead, is V120. If we assume Warmind timestamps increase in value with time then the Contingency was in place, so it would have been possible for FENRIR to be deliberately used against the Traveler to halt its departure during the Collapse.
Note however that Rasputin did not conclude his DECISION POINT before long hold and signoff in his Immediate Action Order, presumably ending all Warmind defensive actions during the Collapse. If FENRIR did damage the Traveler, it would not have been deliberate. Following the Collapse however, if the Traveler wakes and attempts to depart, we may have some problems.
We have not covered SURTR, but again from Norse mythology, Surtr is a major jotunn who fights the Aesir in the events of Ragnarok. As a parallel in Destiny, SURTR DROWN could be a combat Protocol, with negative effect indicating Sol's defenses are failing against their opposition. Assuming FENRIR is an anti-Light Asset, the Warminds seem to have fought two fronts simultaneously during the Collapse; against what could be the Darkness, and against another entity utilizing the Light. Alternatively, FENRIR was not explicitly designed to combat the Light, and has more general applications.
Ultimately there is still much uncertainty surrounding the events of the Collapse. Since the preceding line of speculation is built largely on the assumption that FENRIR is an anti-Light Asset based on SIVA, which only has its basis in one interpretation of mythological parallel, it should not be considered a stable basis for further speculation.
Defeating FENRIR
Without a better understanding of the mechanisms by which SIVA and potentially FENRIR act—how they fight—it is difficult to speculate how the Iron Lords prevented the previous outbreak of SIVA and how our Guardians can contain it once again. Further, we do not know the nature of the previous outbreak—who or what caused it, what combatants were involved—and we do not know how the Fallen Splicers of the current outbreak are involved; possibly commanding SIVA or FENRIR, or subject to it.
With little concrete information to work with at the moment, what insights might myth once again provide? Going back to the story of the Confinement of Fenrir, the Aesir were finally able to contain Fenrir with the help of the dwarves who forged the unbreakable fetter Gleipnir from things that do not exist. Interestingly once again, there may be some convenient parallels in Destiny.
Sleeper Simulant Connections
The Sleeper Simulant quest is started once Guardians retrieve the first of four DVALIN relics. From the relic description:
VOLUSPA subroutine DVALIN FORGE. Purpose: strategic arming of human forces in the face of CARRHAE WHITE emergency.
Paralleling Norse myth, Dvalinn was a sleeping dwarf and one of the four stags of Yggdrasil, which may have represented the four cardinal directions, elements, seasons, or lunar phases. There are likewise four DVALIN relics. Focusing however on the interpretation of Dvalinn as the sleeping dwarf—mythical beings generally renowned for their smithing—the DVALIN FORGE subroutine closely parallels myth; providing design schematics of high-tech weaponry. Dvalinn may also be the Sleeper referenced by the Sleeper Simulant, which itself incorporates the Ikelos Fusion Core; Ikelos being a personification of nightmares in Greek mythology.
Compare Sleeper Simulant emissions against those of Fallen Splicer weaponry. Assuming Destiny maintains consistency in elemental design language here—Arc, Solar, Void damage sources and shields using similar hues—we can conclude that the Sleeper either uses SIVA in its construction—a component of the Ikelos Fusion Core—or such bright red hues are intended to be indicative of underlying Warmind tech.
Much as the Aesir called on the dwarves for assistance in building Gleipnir, Rasputin has called up DVALIN to requisition a new weapon under the IKELOS Directive. From the Sleeper Simulant grimoire card:
Reassign 12 percent of COSMO assets to new directive: declare IKELOS. I am calling VOLUSPA and extracting subroutine DVALIN FORGE, to be modified and recompiled to comport to MIDNIGHT EXIGENT parameters. I am inserting the modified DVALIN FORGE-2 into IKELOS and compiling for immediate implementation.
Rasputin must still possess manufacturing capability, likely utilizing SIVA, within his failing Cosmodrome Defense Perimeter. This capability, in consideration of parallels with myth, could be how the spread of SIVA and potentially FENRIR is stopped; by constructing Destiny's parallel to Gleipnir with the assistance of the DVALIN subroutine using mythical components that could not exist within our understanding.
The Fate of the Iron Lords
What may constitute these mythical components within Destiny is unknown, however there is one known substance in Destiny that continually defies understanding in-setting and that is Light. If Gleipnir is made in part of Light, this may explain the sacrifice of the Iron Lords. A potentially important question however might be whether this was a willing sacrifice.
The dwarves of myth built Gleipnir from mythical things derived from their surroundings. Whether the Aesir were privy to the details of Gleipnir's construction by the dwarves is open to interpretation but it stands to reason that they would not care given the considerable danger of Fenrir.
Rasputin was confined to the Cosmodrome at the time of the previous outbreak, however he still had access to considerable assets. If the outbreak of SIVA lead to the escape of FENRIR, in turn threatening the Traveler, Rasputin may have once again been left with only desperate measures to ensure his and humanity's continued survival.
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