[b]Greetings guardians! Today we are going to look at the lore of the two warlock-exclusive weapons, Tlaloc and Susanoo. These are the weapons of sea and storm. -MrMach[/b] [u]Tlaloc[/u] [b]First, let's look at the shared quest line for the class-exclusive weapons:[/b] The quest starts by mentioning a warlock named Gallida Tuyet who was a leading weapons scholar with a focus on Vex technology: [spoiler]"City records indicate that, before you, the last time Banshee-44 designed a custom weapon was for a Warlock named Gallida Tuyet." —Ghost[/spoiler] If this name sounds vaguely familiar it is likely because you hunted down a ghost memory fragment from Fireteam Tuyet in year one. From the Pocket Infinity quest line: [spoiler]"One of our Venus patrols found a memory fragment on the remains of a destroyed Vex. This fragment concerns the final mission of Fireteam Tuyet, lost long ago on Venus' Shattered Coast. Perhaps one of their Ghosts can be recovered."[/spoiler] The last step in the class-exclusive quests leaves you with this line: [spoiler]"All the scouts ever found of Fireteam Tuyet were some dead Ghosts, a pile of inscrutable Vex tech, and plans for what City Warlocks turned into the Pocket Infinity. Oh, and Banshee's custom-designed Sidearm, broken in half. Just in case you were interested." —Ghost[/spoiler] Here we can see that the last time Banshee-44 designed a custom weapon was a sidearm for Gallida Tuyet. The symbolic destruction of Banshee's custom sidearm is particularly poignant here; the last weapon he designed was unable to protect Fireteam Tuyet and they were tragically slaughtered by the Vex. Banshee is an exo with a haunted past and we are starting to see some of his mental scars. [b]Let's take a look at Tlaloc:[/b] Tlaloc is a warlock-exclusive modified silver Omolon Tuonela SR4 scout rifle frame with 2 focusing lenses that direct a beam of energy into the center of the weapon. The beams have a blue glow and are exposed to the elements. [b]From the grimoire:[/b] [spoiler] Release the storm. Hold nothing back. “Master Rey.” “Gunsmith... What brings you here?” “Workin' on a custom piece.” “Are you?” “Yep. For a Warlock.” “Mm. And how are you finding the work?” “You know. It goes and comes. Memory ain't what it was.” “Yes.” “Good to be back in the shop, though.” “I'm glad of it. Well, then, I suspect you'll find some of my recent research quite interesting.” “S'why I'm here.”[/spoiler] We can see from the grimoire that Banshee approached Ikora Rey to design a weapon using her unique research into warlock abilities. Given the exposed focusing lenses and the unique perk "Overflow" it is evident that Banshee designed this weapon to channel the energy of a warlock into its internal mechanisms to improve handling, rate of fire and stability when the super ability is charged. But what is the significance of the name Tlaloc? [b]Tlaloc, He Who Makes Things Sprout[/b] [spoiler]Tlaloc is a pan-Mesoamerican deity of rain, lightning and thunder. As both a fertility god and a wrathful deity, many sacrifices were made to Tlaloc (including children) to prevent both floods and droughts. Tlaloc is often [url=https://userscontent2.emaze.com/images/8cfad022-7781-41be-92ac-da46e8d0aa67/3bd79f75-2770-4cd4-b3db-be2b70710345.jpg]depicted[/url] as a large-eyed blue being with jaguar fangs often wearing clouds, a crown of heron feathers, and foam sandals. He is also often depicted holding [url=https://mrpsmythopedia.wikispaces.com/file/view/Tlaloc.jpg/508172580/Tlaloc.jpg]snake-shaped rattles[/url] to produce thunder. Tlaloc also had four manifestations as the four colors and four cardinal directions. Of note, Tlaloc is the protector of the seventh day and the seventh trecena (which is rain.) He is also the deity for all days with a number 8 and is the ninth and last Lord of the Light. He has various rain spirits, called the Tlaloque, which serve him and tend to Tlalocan. Tlalocan is "the fourth heaven," a paradise of eternal spring. When a death is related to water or storms (drowning, lightning, water-borne illnesses, newborn children, and women who die during childbirth) the individual is sent to Tlalocan for their afterlife. In addition, Tlaloc also ruled over the third sun (Quiahuitl) which was a world destroyed by a heavy deluge of water.[/spoiler] [b]Back to Destiny:[/b] 1. Naming the new warlock exclusive scout rifle after the deity of water and lightning fits perfectly with the new warlock Stormcaller class. 2. Tlaloc as the protector of the 7th day and 7th trecena fits well with Bungie's love for the number seven. 3. The fact that Tlaloc is the "ninth and last Lord of Light" is very intriguing given the mysterious nature of the Nine in Destiny lore. The mention of Lords of Light also ties in beautifully with the overall destiny narrative. Teasing out any possible meaning here will require further research and this is likely an awesome, but unintended, coincidence. 4. This is likely unrelated, but the Third Sun being destroyed by a deluge of water bears a striking similarity to the existential threat to the proto-Hive continent posed by the Fundament sea rising during a syzygy created by the Traveler (per the Books of Sorrow.) Now that we have a good handle on Tlaloc, let's examine Susanoo. [u]Susanoo[/u] [url=http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6BvohVo1Y8k/maxresdefault.jpg]Susanoo[/url] is a legendary fusion rifle attained halfway through the Tlaloc quest line. It is an Omolon Thesan FR4 frame with a unique perk called "Elemental Transfusion" which allows the rifle to change element type temporarily after a warlock uses their abilities. [b]The weapon description reads:[/b] [i]The fearsome storms of today become the healing waters of tomorrow.[/i] [b]Susanoo-no-Mikoto[/b] Susanoo is named after [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Dragon_Susanoo_no_mikoto_and_the_water_dragon.jpg/200px-Dragon_Susanoo_no_mikoto_and_the_water_dragon.jpg]Susanoo-no-mikoto[/url] the Shinto god of seas and storms (and also the god of summer.) [spoiler]Susanoo was ordered to leave heaven by Izanagi and went to bid farewell to his sister, Amaterasu. She was suspicious of his sincerity so Susanoo proposed a challenge to prove his sincerity. They each took a powerful item from the other and used them to birth gods and goddesses. From Susanoo's sword, Totsutka-no-tsuguri, Amaterasu created three goddesses. From Amaterasu's necklace, Susanoo created five gods. Susanoo proclaimed that he won the challenge because his magical item was able to give birth to three women.[/spoiler] Banished from heaven: [spoiler]After awhile Susanoo became restless and destroyed Amaterasu's rice fields, hurled a flayed pony at her loom for some reason, and killed one of her attendants. This led to his banishment from heaven. He left for the province of Izumo where he encountered an elderly couple who told him that 7 of their 8 daughters had been eaten by the eight-headed dragon Yamata-no-Orochi. One daughter had been eaten every year and now it was nearing the time for their last daughter, Kushinada-hime, to be eaten by the dragon. Facing the certain demise of their daughter they agreed to give her to Susanoo-no-mikoto who promptly turned her into a fine comb which he placed in his hair. He then instructed the couple to fill eight tubs with sake in eight cupboards and leave them out as they waited for Yamata-no-Orochi. [/spoiler] Yamata-no-Orochi [spoiler]When Yamata-no-Orochi approached the house each of the eight heads noticed the sake and drank a full tub and gradually fell asleep. Susanoo drew his Totsutka-no-tsuguri (a "ten-span sword") and cut the dragon into pieces. However when he came to the tail he found that it was notched and he split it open to find another legendary sword Kusanagi-no-tsuguri. Susanoo presented the sword to Amaterasu as a form of reconciliation. [/spoiler] [b]Back to Destiny:[/b] 1. Susanoo being banished from heaven parallels the story of Toland who was banished from the tower for engaging with the Darkness. 2. Yamata-no-Orochi could easily represent an Ahamkara and since the warlocks are largely credited with slaying the Ahamkara it is fitting that their exclusive legendary weapon would have a story of dragon-slaying in its name. 3. The use of a heavenly sword to give Yamata-no-Orochi a true death and the act of reaching reconciliation with heaven by presenting his sister with a sword carved from the tail fits well with Hive Sword Logic, although this is a bit of a stretch. [b]In conclusion[/b] Tlaloc and Susanoo are deities of sea and storm whose myths and legends tie in well to the mythos and lore of warlocks. Perhaps warlocks are the next Tlaloc or Susanoo, channelling the raging storm with the might and fury of a god. [i]See you starside, guardians! -MrMach[/i] [b]Interested in more weapon lore?[/b] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/163992136/0/0]Jade Rabbit[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/164248139/0/0]Ace of Spades[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/164993483/0/0]Fabian Strategy[/url] [b]Interested in an epic lore clan?[/b] Check out The Ashen Conflux! Sources: Largely based on Wikipedia, bungie.net, and some archaeology websites. This post has reached the character limit so I can't post urls, see my response in the comments for them.