In Destiny 2, new information reveals that players should not go flawless in the Trials – at least according to the lore. It also explains why Guardians had to wait so long for the return of the heavy PvP mode.
Anyone who achieves 7 consecutive wins in the Trials of Osiris has achieved a flawless run and is rewarded by being able to enter the mysterious Lighthouse on Mercury. This has been one of the toughest tasks since Destiny 1 and the chance to finally visit the Lighthouse lures thousands of Guardians into the Trials every week.
But new information suggests: the Trials have a dark secret. Guardians are said to be unwitting lab rats, and their deaths in the Trials feed something that will bring about our doom.
Where does the information come from? The information for this article is accessible in-game in the lore books for all players. There is only a small catch, as the lore “Trials and Tribulations” is currently not fully available. The first Trials win each week unlocks a new entry.
Thanks to data miners, all 9 entries are already viewable. On Reddit, BC1096 has extensively dealt with the dark secret of the Trials. The Redditor describes his detective work: “It’s very long, but we’re all in quarantine, so enjoy reading!” We summarize the most interesting points for you here.
“The Lighthouse is not what it seems”
This is what the lore says: The lore begins in Destiny 1 and explains how the Trials overseer and “Osiris fanboy,” Brother Vance, makes a chilling discovery in the competitions. The more intense the matches become, the crazier the Guardians get. With each death of a player, the Lighthouse “sings” faintly and radiates a dark presence.
Brother Vance calls the sound “the music of death” and soon becomes obsessed with the melody, relishing each death of a Guardian. He seeks out the Queen of the Awoken, Mara Sov, and reports his findings to her.
Mara seems to already be aware of the strange occurrences on Mercury and advises Vance to cancel the Trials and destroy all records, as “You [Vance] have stumbled upon something that is too great for your understanding.”
Of course, Vance does not heed the Queen’s advice and wants to be as close to the death of the Guardians as possible to miss nothing. Guardians are nearly immortal, and their death is not permanent—unless their little companion, the Ghost, is destroyed. As unfortunately happened with Cayde-6.
This is why the Trials are canceled in Destiny 2: When the Red War begins the story of Destiny 2, the Trials of Osiris come to an end. The Cabal suppress the power of the Traveler and thus the Ghosts. Osiris himself orders the Trials to be put on hold and instructs Brother Vance to cease his research.
Therefore, according to the lore in Destiny 2, it was not the Trials of Osiris that started, but the Trials of the Nine, which did not go down well with the players. The exiled disciple again does not listen to the voice of reason and continues his research in secret.
Why are the Trials taking place again now? With the rescue of Saint-14, Osiris has regained his oldest ally. The “greatest Titan who ever lived” is the only one Osiris trusts and is therefore supposed to oversee the new Trials.
Osiris himself embarks on a mission to fend off the impending darkness, warning Saint-14 with two cautions:
- The Lighthouses are not what they seem
- Beware of Brother Vance
Why Osiris originally set up the Trials in the first place or why they must continue now is not clarified. In the journal entries of Brother Vance, it can be inferred that Osiris lures players into his experiment with rewards and even knowingly allows them to pay for their death. Because Guardians have to purchase access passes for the Trials.
What do you think of the latest insights into the Trials of Osiris and their mysterious connection to the Darkness? Is it still your goal to achieve a flawless run? Let us know in the comments.
You can read about my experience on my first outing in the new Trials in this impression report.
