Before i get on with the lore for this post, i wanna let you all know i and a few others in the #lore forum have made a discord server for those who use the forum. The server should be a nice place for people to interact and get a wider discussion that isn't as clustered as the forums. For anyone that wants to join here is an invite link, https://discord.gg/bteujk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season of Dawn has given us some damn good lore about the Speaker, and what it meant to be a "Speaker". Constellations has taught us that the "Speaker" has dreams from the Traveler and is usually a non-guardian (although it can be a guardian based on what the Speaker in the entry Searching states in conversation with Efrideet). Another feature seems to be that the Speaker has an unusual link with Ghosts; specifically those who are unpaired. We can also infer from most sources of the lore, such as the lore tabs and early grimoire consensus meetings, that the Speaker acts as a true leader and that they make the rules; these rules can be based on voted opinion such as in the grimoire card Ghost Fragment: The City Age, where the reps of the vanguard and Dead Orbit and New Monarchy vote to give the FWC access to the consensus [quote]"Let's take it to a vote. All in favor of the ascension of the Future War Cult?" "Unanimous? Good. We'll grant the Future War Cult access to the Tower and a seat among us. Ghost, please offer the Speaker this proposal." "Now onto the next order of business...Shaxx is here with another proposal for his Crucible."[/quote] but also on his own as in the Exotic sparrow lore tab for the Curse of Foresight, where he outright states he has chosen to banish Osiris and name Zavala as the new Vanguard Commander, [quote]Consensus Meeting 2891.98 NM: "I note for the record that we are without a Warlock Vanguard or a Vanguard Commander." Andal Brask: "Two birds, one man." Zavala: "Ikora Rey is interim Warlock Vanguard for this meeting." Speaker: "Which brings us to our first order of business. Ikora Rey, the Consensus formally requests you assume the responsibilities of Warlock Vanguard." Ikora Rey: "Considering I've been performing those responsibilities for a while now, I accept." FWC: "Why did you cover for him for so long?" IR: "Someone had to do it." S: "Ahem. Now that we have Consensus, I may inform you I have decided to banish former Warlock Vanguard Osiris from the Last City." [murmurs] S: "Are there any objections?" DO: "None here. Maybe he'll find a better planet for us." [pause] S: "Very well. Next: I name Titan Vanguard Zavala as the new Vanguard Commander. Congratulations."[/quote] So now we must seek to answer a question that has been posed since the end of the Red War; Who should be the next Speaker for the Last Safe City? or should there even be one? When speaking of a successor for the rank of Speaker, a few characters instantly sprint to mine, and majority of people's minds; Saint-14, Osiris, Ikora Rey and for the purpose of this post i shall also include the player. i will also state beforehand that none of the characters fill the whole "followed by ghosts thing". So lets start with Ikora Rey. Now lets assess whether she has the qualities to become Speaker. I would like to suggest that Ikora fills absolutely none of the criteria. She shows no record of having dreams (which will become a running theme) and she also doesn't really possess what i would deem "leadership skills". Whilst yes, she can lead a strike team, a rebellion or a mission to destroy a vex mind over a longer period of time; she doesn't really strike me as the type to lead a city. I'd like to also suggest something that would be her own downfall; her own doubt. Ikora was a crucible champ, apprentice to Osiris, Warlock Vanguard and one of the few people to beat Shaxx. She was, invincible. After the Red Legion blocked off the Light, she went to the Shard of the Traveler, nothing happened. She went to Io, nothing happened. When we arrived, she was beaten. Whilst adamant that she was "more than just my Light", she knew that she was not this badass character. She had been torn down, and she needed to build herself back up. This is why i don't believe Ikora Rey to be a suitable Leader. For a second, lets imagine a second Faction War happens. Larger and more brutal than the first, I personally don't believe She'd be suited for the role; or at least to demonstrate those self made decisions that are made on instinct and without vote. If she was surrounded by colleagues; more than one opinion, i do believe she'd succeed. Taking into account other ideas on how to proceed, I do believe that she'd be a good leader; but no speaker. Now lets move onto Osiris. First thing i have to once again point out is that we have no knowledge that he's had dreams. Once again. But i also don't deem him to be a good leader also. During his time as Warlock Vanguard, he authorised many actions against the Vex and other enemies of humanity. He initiated the strike into the Vault of Glass (as implied by the Osiris grimiore card). He split guardian ideologies and he was hated by many. He is also too focused on the future. His research has been primarily fixed on preparing humanity for the future, that he loses focus on the present. This is quite possibly a reason for his reaction to be being banished. In the lore tab for the Sails of Osiris the following conversation takes place: [quote]"Thousands of Vex simulations can help us understand the Darkness, Ikora!" Osiris said. "This could be the key to—" "Osiris," Ikora interrupted. "I wish you well on your mission, but I fear that your obsession will be your undoing." "Obsession?!" "We have each made a choice. I choose to stay and fight what is real."[/quote] Ikora calls his mission to understand the darkness and vex an obsession. We know for a fact he has a tendancy to choose to look into the future, and understand how it plays out; but most of the time, he lacks an understanding of how it happened, as with the campaign for Curse of Osiris. I fear that if Osiris was made the legit leader of the city, his biggest downfall would be to confront problems in the moment. He may be good at preparing for the future, but as we know, the consensus deals with the present, whilst he is more of a future fixated person. Also he probably wouldn't lead by choice and due to the whole exile thing, but still; he wouldn't work as a speaker. Saint-14. No dreams. However a good leader. Appointed Titan Vanguard by the Speaker. A fighter during both Six Fronts and Twilight Gap. He led a crusade against the fallen, and was viewed as a hero, to both guardian and civilian alike. He knows what is best for the City and it's people due to his down to earth view. However he may be too fixated with his Guardian saviour (us). He may be too focused on them and what they will do. Although i also have my thoughts that he may do the opposite. He may use this "prophecy" to better the guardians and make them a better force. He may drive them to be more like us and this may be our rising. Expand our reach across the system. But his confidence may be his detriment. We may be presented with another Great disaster situation under his leadership. But out of the three we've discussed so far, he poses the best chance at being successful as a "speaker esk leader". Now i wanted to say how the player stands a chance at being a "Speaker". But this is for the opposite for whilst we have no leadership skills (given we are a player, not a character with much autonomous choice in what we do; our options are shoot things, occasionally have ghost open locked doors); but we have lucidly dreamed, trice in fact. Once when we went to get our first subclass from D1 (voidwalker, striker, gunslinger) and again when we went to get the D2 versions of our Taken King subclasses (Sunbreaker, Stormcaller, Nightstalker). Our third dream was when we went to receive our first Forsaken subclass. The Traveler spoke to us. And only us. The burst of Light that goes out over the resting place of the Traveler on Io, only seen by us as explained by Ikora in that mission. We have dreamed. Whilst it was all dialogue that wasn't directly spoken by the Traveler, it was relayed to us by it. We hear from dead Guardians; Wei Ning, Skorri, etc. I'd like to argue we are a potential dreamer. Now i want to talk about the opposite. The City no longer needs a Speaker. Let's assess the good a Speaker has done opposed to what harm it has caused. Good: led the city throughout it's creation. Appointed a Consensus that brought about the end of the Faction War. Aided the people in ease of their grief by providing some clarity and ease as to what they should do next. Bad: has tried to eradicate "heretical" viewpoints that could ultimately aid in the very way the city functions. Seen that Osiris was removed from council, tethering a great resource. Approved the assaults on Mara Ibrium which caused the Great Disaster. In my opinion; either the position of Speaker should remain unfulfilled as all likely candidates are not really likely to succeed; OR the abilities of the Speaker should be changed, becoming more priest like rather than powerful. But i would like to hear what others wish to say on this matter.