Among Kinderguardians, It Is Almost A Right Of Passage To Get Your Own Sticky Grenade Stuck To Your Hand.

Destcember Day 28: Ironborn

I was born three times in my life. Once of flesh, once of iron, and once of Light.

My first birth was of flesh. This is the one that I know least about. I know that I was born a human boy, with parents and a family. I likely had a home. All of that is gone now. I cannot remember anyone or anything from that time, not even the way I looked.

My second birth was of iron. Taken from my human body and turned into and exo. I cannot be sure why I did it or how, but I think it was a choice that I made of my own free will. If I did choose it, it would have been to extend my life or to improve myself. That seems like what I would have done, if I were the same person then as I am now, which I am not entirely sure of.

My last birth was of Light. Revived as a guardian to serve humanity and live my third life. Thankfully, this life at least I can remember. Though my life ends almost daily, it never truly does, thanks to the power of the Light and my ghost. Since it is the one that I live now, it is the one that matters most, but if I were given a choice, I would learn all I could about my other two lives.

So, I was born three times. Born, reborn, reborn. Human, Exo, Guardian. Flesh born, Ironborn, Lightborn.

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Sorry for the brevity and below average quality. I had an extremely busy day today and didn't have much free time to work on this.

Destcember Day 5: Black and White

So many guardians see our fight against our enemies in black and white. We are the heroes, dauntless knights fighting endlessly against the forces of evil, who long only to destroy us solely for the furtherment of evil. But things are never that simple. Every one of our enemies has their own stories and reasons to take up arms against us. The Cabal who so recently destroyed us are merely foot soldiers in a vast empire, knowing not why they attack, just following the orders that were passed down to them from a chain of command that they have no authority to even question. The Vex are fighting against the inevitable, for ever trying to stave of the heat death of the universe, warping time, space, and causality in service to their salvation, their "Pattern". The Fallen are lost nomads, with no home to call their own, their homeworld destroyed by the Darkness that we fight so hard against. Now they chase after their Great Machine, hoping, just like us, for the chance to reclaim their golden age. The Scorn have been corrupted by a force greater than them, using the Darkness in an attempt to free themselves from their dependence on Either and Servitors and to bring back those they lose to the deaths that we so often inflict upon them. The Hive and Taken, servants of the very Darkness itself, have their reasons as well. The Hive are slaves of their own free will, eternally killing and destroying to feed their worms, lest they be consumed themselves. They only chose this path for themselves after being in dire straits, with their choices being to take the worms into themselves and serve the Worm Gods, or have their species wiped out by an approaching disaster. Now they fight to survive, to bring the universe to its "final shape" and live forever by becoming death. The Taken, perhaps most pitiful of all, have no will of their own, being puppets to a will greater than their own, often being forced to fight against their former allies and kill those they once called friend. Even the Darkness may have a reason for their actions, though even I doubt that. To each of them we are the boogeymen, immortal monsters that can slaughter their way through hundreds of valiant warriors, with terrible powers of scorching light and weapons that have been known to kill even gods, before dying, only to return seconds later as if nothing ever happened. So, next time you begin to think in black and white, consider what I have said today and what your enemies think of you.

Destcember Day 1: Guardian and Ghost

I don't know what I'd do without her. Well, I'd die obviously. But it's not just that. Ever since she revived me, she has been my constant companion and friend. When I woke up, terrified and without even a memory to call my own, Yew was there to reassure me and explain what was happening. Every time a well placed shot or an ill timed jump sends me to my death, she is there to bring me back. Whenever the whispers of worms or dragons get too loud, she is there, telling me that they have no power if I don't give it to them. Even as I fight and die to protect those I care for, both in the City and in the Reef, she is the one who protects me. And I will do my best to protect to protect her, for as long as my Light still shines and I still have a single thread of life left in me.

I just read the new lore book, "For Every Rose, A Thorn", and I have to say, everyone needs to read it right now. Also, Shin Malphur gets a slot on the favorite characters list.

Destcember Day 12: Let It Snow

"I love the snow, don't you, Yew?"

"It is a nice change of pace."

"It reminds me of the day that you found me, back in Old Russia."

"Yes, it was in the middle of a blizzard. I had to tunnel down through five feet of snow to reach your body."

"And then, after you revived me, it took me an hour to dig myself out. At least I didn't have to worry about freezing or suffocating, being an exo and all."

"That was quite a relief. I was worried that I would have to revive you several more times before you could reach the surface."

"Then, after I had finally dug myself out, I ran straight into a pack of Eliksni hunters."

"I did have to revive you several times at that point."

"After I managed to fight them off, I had to trek miles to find that broken down ship. It was nice to get to know you, though... That was a long day."

"Indeed."

"Why do I like the snow again?

"I do not know."

I have questionable tastes

joker’s wild is here and penumbra is coming and i’m reminded of the Discomfort

Destcember Day 15: Forged In Battle

The best weapons are forged in battle. Guns are a good example of this principle. The Whisper of the Worm is the remnants of a dead god, left to us to feed it in the manner of the Sword Logic after we were able to kill three enemies of the past, revived to fight us once again. Also exemplary are the weapons offered by the Black Armory. Every weapon they produce is a lethal work of art, all because of their delicate calibrations from data gathered through combat. But the best proof of all is guardians. Sure, you could train a guardian in peacetime, without any practical combat, but something would be lost. Battle forges a guardian, hardening us to the trials that we face while fighting. The pain of bullets ripping into your body. The searing burn of a grenade or rocket hitting just at your feet. The icy grip of death, albeit temporary. Without battle to harden us, when the time comes, we would break.

Having just listened to the allegiance quest audio logs, I have decided two things:

1. The Drifter is too pragmatic for his own good after years of hardship and betrayal

2. The optimal solution to part 1 is some friends who won't die/betray him/try to kill him and a group hug.

So, join us. Side with the Drifter. Hug the Drifter. Prove that it's ok to hope.

Idea For A New Iron Banner Ghost Shell

A wooden looking shell, studded with metal rivets similar to the Iron Banner guns. The top half of the shell has a constant, flickering flame. If the shell was really creative, the color of the fire would change with the shader.

A possibility for the name and flavor text are "Flickering Shell: For Ghosts who keep the spark of hope alive."

Destcember Day 29: Curse

Honestly, I think that humanity is cursed. Not the kind of curse that the Dreaming City is facing, mind you. No, I am referring to something much more subtle and intangible. At least in the Dreaming City, we know its source and can eventually find a solution. The curse that I'm talking about is more of a string of bad luck. A sort of twisting of fate that has landed us all in an almost impossibly bad situation. Just think about it. In only a few centuries, we went from several billion to just a few million people. We went from fully covering our planet and beginning to extend outward to a single city. We are now fighting at least four wars, depending on how you count, and are at war with every single alien species that we have encountered. The only being that has not tried to kill us is the Traveler, and it is currently more or less in a coma and it was the one that attracted most of our problems. In addition to all of the perpetual wars that we are fighting, a new, potentially world ending catastrophe pops up every every few months. One of our enemies suddenly has a new, stronger, more ruthless leader; or gains a new source of power; or one of their previously unknown plans, years in the making, is about to come to fruition. It has happened at least half a dozen times just since I was revived a few years ago and I assume it will keep happening indefinitely. Despite everything, I am still hopeful. I believe that we will break the curse on the Dreaming City, and then we will break the curse on humanity. And if we fail, then at least we can die trying.