Hello, Paradox here. Today, I have with me, a theory post. This theory revolves around the legendary sword, [armory]Dreadfang[/armory], and its hidden power. The sword, Dreadfang was found in the possession of Variks the Loyal, but how the Eliksni came to acquire the weapon is unknown. A close look at the weapon shows that it is/was once a [url=http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/cleaver?highlight=Hive+Cleaver]Hive cleaver[/url]. If Dreadfang is a cleaver, then two factors lean toward toward the fact that this may be a very dangerous tool of destruction. First off, the sword is named Dreadfang-- now, whether it was named that by its old owner, or just dubbed that after it was found is uncertain. There are two other named, Hive weapons known by Guardians: the Light-eater, Crota's sword; and Will-breaker, Oryx's sword. It is possible that all knights name their swords, but I believe they must kill enough to earn the right to name their weapons. Since Dreadfang is named, then the knight that wielded it must have been an infamous warrior. Secondly, most Hive cleavers are large, bulky weapons, built for crushing foes. Will-breaker is an exception-- it has been worn down and sharpened by thousands of years of slaughter. Because of this, Oryx has acquired an immense amount of power through sword logic. However, Dreadfang is far more worn away and sharper than Will-breaker, meaning that the sword and its wielder possess way more power than even Oryx, the Taken King does. Now, since it is clear that Dreadfang is a powerful tool of the Hive, a new question arises. Who once owned it? There is no evidence of a previous owner, other than Variks and The Guardian. But, common understanding of Hive religion, and the twisted sibling rivalry of the gods might leave a clue. The in-game description sounds like a sister of Oryx speaking on behalf of the king and his failed assault on the Solar System.[quote]Kingly brother, I thank you for the gift of your failure. The sword logic demands a pinnacle. ~In-game description[/quote] [b]This is entirely speculation. I couldn't find any evidence of any previous owners of Dreadfang, but honestly, the following could fit with what little lore I have to work with.[/b] In the earliest ages of the Hive, the three daughters of the Osmium King; Aurash, Xi Ro, and Sathona were offered larvae of worm gods. They were given the king's morph, knight's morph, and mother's morph, turning the Krill into the Hive gods Oryx, Xivu Arath, and Savathûn respectively. The siblings quickly learned that dying, and killing each other helped them grow stronger. This was their earliest lessons of sword logic. It is highly likely that Dreadfang was subject to this ritual. I do not believe Dreadfang belonged to any of the gods, because it is unlikely that it would have ended up in the Solar System. However, it may have belonged to a powerful disciple of one of the gods. A knight that has slaughtered so many with a sword would most likely have belonged to a brood of Xivu Arath, the god of knights. Savathûn mainly focused on trickery and magics, similar to wizards, so the mastery of the sword would not fit the criteria of her brood. So, if the Dreadfang [u][i]most likely[/i][/u] belonged to a descendant of Xivu Arath, why was it-- and/or its wielder-- Taken? It is already known that the Hive gods have an interesting relationship. For example, Balwûr was given to Oryx's court as a gift from Savathûn. Malok was also given to Oryx, but to steal tithe from him and give it to Savathûn. However, Oryx found the thrall and Took him. Something very similar may have happened with the one that wielded Dreadfang, possibly the latter. Here is a very brief summary of what I believe might of happened.[spoiler]As a loyal servant of Xivu Arath, __________ was tasked to infiltrate Oryx's court, but was Taken by the king instead. As a slave to the Taken King, __________ fought at his side in Sol at the Battle of Saturn. However, when Oryx used his secret weapon against the Awoken Fleet, __________ was killed by the blast, letting his weapon drift in space. Eventually found by Variks as he scavenged the battlefield after Oryx's defeat.[/spoiler] [b]Tl;dr[/b] Dreadfang was once owned by a powerful Hive knight, possibly from the brood of Xivu Arath. The fact that the weapon is so worn away shows that it holds an incredible amount of power due to sword logic, more power than the Taken King. However, the mysterious knight found its way into Oryx's court, where it was Taken by the Hive god. The knight fought with Oryx at the Battle of Saturn, where it died by the blast of Oryx's weapon. Now, the powerful weapon gathers more Light and power as a random Guardian swings the blade through innumerable foes. [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/206388637/0/0]Master Lore Post[/url] [i]Keep fighting, Guardians[/i]