Destiny 2 Lore - Nezarec's Gruesome plan, as seen in Mithrax's Nightmares!

[@SpectraVolta]

Me when Byf says, "Greetings, Guardians, MyNameIsByf here.": 😊

[@drplastic27]

Always good to hear Lore Daddies voice :D

[@robertmercuri1160]

Nezarec is probably one of the coolest villains in the world of Destiny. so much potential, so little time

[@garrettviewegh9028]

I can see him being the next “Big Bad” of the upcoming new saga for Destiny 2. He’s hard to kill (unless you use light and darkness combined to “unmake” him), can invade your mind, and could be a major threat for everyone. So much potential. I do hope, whenever we do end him for good, he goes out with a bang.

[@LeoONeill-r2e]

Exactly

[@xiidioiix7782]

Tale as old as time where destiny is concerned

[@likwid_smoke]

​@garrettviewegh9028 how do you kill what is essentially an immortal spirit? That's too big a mystery for me. Time to call the Hardly Boys. Two young whippersnappers with a knack for solving mysteries. 😂

[@feliciascorner9795]

​@@likwid_smoke😂

[@hotsoup1339]

I kinda wish Nezarec got full control for a moment. Like, after the third Kell's Fall run, Nezzy takes over and THEN we have to do a mission/boss fight with Misraaks. You dont even have to kill him this way, you could have the player weaken him and then cut away to Eramis healing a now weakened Misraaks. Say we had to mostly disabled Misraaks to be able to cure him.

[@kodajames6955]

Was just thinking this. Wish the devs would take risks like this. We don't even need to kill him we could have just saved him with the staff.

[@likwid_smoke]

@hotsoup1339 I wish we got to fight nezarec at full strength.. from my understanding he was infinitely more powerful than the verison we fought even though savathun figured out a way to trick & kill him in his original form.

[@rocablade6908]

The thing with Nezarec is that he's the God of the concept of fear and the sensation of pain, 2 things that can't be eliminated, so as long as pain and fear are still in existence, he'll always exist

[@garrettviewegh9028]

Maybe. That may be true. The way I see it, there’s only two ways we permanently end him: using light and dark to “unmake” him. Erasing him from existence without erasing fear and pain. Or, going to whatever plane his consciousness exists in, and ending him. Thereby, erasing the memory of him across time and space. Or the third option: trapping him somewhere, sometime, where he can never escape. If you can’t kill, or erase evil, you can still trap it.

[@vkgamimg8493]

That’s the thing though, he is an avatar of fear and pain, not fear and pain itself. We killed the avatar of deception and lies, we killed the taken king, we banished the avatar of war from their own realm. I believe it is possible to kill or separate Nezarec from his domain

[@RyuRaeArashi]

@@vkgamimg8493 "Technically" Oryx isn't like...fully, truly dead. Ghosts dungeon implies there's still some spark of life able to be accessed in his body, I think Byf did a video on it a ways back. Technically, Oryx isn't necessarily 100% out of the picture. With Nez specifically, I think it would be a lot harder to truly 100% eliminate him, because of what he represents and how he can weave his way into peoples minds. I don't think it's completely inaccurate to talk about him as being in existence as long as pain and fear exist.

[@newtypeshot]

One of my favourite hints at Nezarec's influence is actually in the Heart-Truth entry of the Polyphony lore book from last episode. Misraaks is chatting with Saint and comforting him, and then while Saint isn't looking he doubles over in pain as Nezarec roars "RULE, KELL" from inside him. Really awesome stuff.

[@Weiss1456]

Honestly even if it’s probably impossible, if Nezarec return, I would like him to recover its true form like the statue you see on the witness pyramid ship at the beginning of root of nightmare, for just the sake of a proper return instead of facing its tormentor body again.

[@Grassdia]

Rise guardian and deliver a god it’s final pain with strife (3rd darkness subclass)🤞. Even if Destiny isn’t in a good plaice its fun to speculate

[@garrettviewegh9028]

From what little lore we knew, I imagined a god of pain, fear and nightmares like Nezarec to be a tall, slender figure. Robed and more elegant in his appearance and mannerisms. While his true sadistic and cruel nature lied underneath. So terrifying that everyone except the Witness feared him.

[@Catalyst375]

12:00 - I do not believe that Savathun used the Veil and Strand to curse Nezarec's corpse and prevent his resurrection. Part of the point behind Strand and the appearance it takes is that we were the first to discover it, and so were the ones to shape its appearance. Just as Clovis shaped Stasis, and the Witness shaped the powers that became the Taken and "finalization" (presuming they are one and the same). It was most likely a powerful Hive curse.

[@SplicerOtter]

@@Catalyst375 she used the veil as she was the one who hid it away We only discovered it because of Savâthun taking over Osiris and he used the memory link between them to find secrets Savâthun may not have discovered strand, but she did in fact use and hide the Veil to prevent the Witness from getting it

[@ScreebOnARoomba]

At the end of this episodes storyline Misraaks said that Nezerec's influence still lingered within him even after what Eramis did. To me that says that he isn't truly gone. Side note, I kinda wish we had seen Nez fully take control of Misraaks and fight us or Eramis. It just felt like we we building up to something, Nezarec slowly gaining more and more control over Misraaks as time went on, which we saw with the outbursts Misraaks had this episode. I would have liked to see, in a moment of rage from Misraaks, Nez fully take control of him and we're forced to fight him. Doesn't even have to end in Misraaks dying.

[@gen8901]

The Kell of Kells was delivered like my pizza delivery driver shows up and leaves. Aka very uneventfully.

[@garrettviewegh9028]

I still think Mithrax should’ve become the Kell of Kells by becoming the first Elskni Guardian. Whether that still happens at some point, is up to Bungie.

[@feliciascorner9795]

Yeah it was kinda, "I guess you're the only one left. Huh. Guess you can be Kell of Kells then." The prophecy said it was to be chosen by the Traveler, but alright then.

[@EternalFount]

Im also disappointed that Mithrax is seemingly just cured. However, it isn't a complete happy ending. Eramis unredeemed and unapologetic will get to take full credit for the restoration of Riis. Mithrax will likely never see his homeworld again. All to stay with the Traveler that abandoned the Eliskni and has yet to gift them the Light. There is a lot of potential still there.

[@garrettviewegh9028]

True. If we travel to Riis one day, will Eramis redeem herself? Will she repent after suffering some sort of loss or threat, like the Hive invading? Could Mithrax become the Kell of Kells truly, by becoming the first Elskni Guardian? Or could that be Eramis? One chapter for Eramis has ended. She’s suffered her punishment. By the Withess. Not us. Now all that’s left in the future, is to see her repent and redeem herself. Or, as the new leader of Riis, the planet may stay nuetral. But, I don’t see that lasting long for them if that takes place. Neomuna avoided the Collapse, and thought they could stay safe and hidden from the Witness and the conflict. But no one stays hidden in Destiny. No where is safe from the Witness’ forces ir those that conspire to end peace and prosperity.

[@rCizin]

“Necrotic soup” is diabolical

[@riskrunner4532]

It's such a shame we barely got anything out of Were Nezarec Mithrax. I mean, just look at this 2:32 its so cool!

[@jrockz133t]

Can you explain Skolas's dream of Mars, mentioned by Variks ONCE during only this episode?

[@Jaffamuncher21]

There's a D1 quest called wolves on mars where you're tasked with the stopping the house of wolves from reforming on mars by killing their prime servitor. Pretty sure it's talking about that

[@houseflygames]

If we do have some sort of campaign and raid of ending fear itself, a small detail I think would be cool for the God of Fear/Pain is that it's physical form changes to represent a certain phobia or pain, making the player more confident or triumphant in conquering fears and pain, that the player may have IRL.

[@KingDragonZero]

I always enjoy story time with Byf.

[@kusovia1148]

“Traditional lore video”, insert Gordon Ramsey saying “finally, som good fucking food”.

[@BaDNeWsPaNdA1]

Glad to see you having fun in other ventures recently, even Happier to see this video. Love you Byf

[@josephnaqvi7748]

it’s funny how the lore is ten times more interesting than anything they’ve done in many many seasons and it’s always been like that

[@jh77sly]

Nezarec is Freddy Krueger.

[@markricheard1870]

This Episode ending with an evil person (Eramis) getting unfettered power and control, never paying for her many crimes, and anyone who could stop her just going “Eh, I guess she will be fine.” Is a surprisingly Topical and Relevant way to end this Episode.

[@garrettviewegh9028]

On one hand, I think she’s suffered enough already. Her sentence/punishment was already carried out. Not by us, as she would blame us for recent events and her own suffering. But by the Witness. On the other hand, I feel Bungie is saving her for when we travel to Old Riis one day. In a storyline where she does redeem herself. We haven’t seen real redemption, real repentance, for what she’s done to humanity, Sol, and other Elksni. But we have seen her punished for her crimes: the Witness and how it tormented her. We may yet see her repent and redeem herself, truly, in the future. But, then again, having this chapter of her story end on “neutral to humanity and Sol, as well as other enemies” could be more interesting. There’s so many ways her character could go from here. Ally, foe, nuetral calling for Coalition aid as a last resort. So many possibilities with her. It’s anyone’s guess where this new chapter of her life will lead. To me, the Echo is a new start for her. Including whether she’ll allow us to help in the future if Riis needs it. After all, Neomua thought they could hide from this war. And they were dragged into it near the end of the conflict.

[@Grassdia]

They foresaw 2025 before it happened.

[@DioStandProud]

Be aware that even Mithrax himself all the way back when he moved into the tower even said that just because he's joining the Guardians in their home, does not mean other Eliksni will be quick to forgive. Eramis is not quick to forgive. And she's valid in that.

[@emerald6597]

honestly sending her back to the dead husk of riis to chill out and make a new society away from humanity is the best ending she could have gotten without becoming a guardian or whatever crow-style. we never have to deal with her again, she never has to deal with us again, and that is the sentiment expressed by both crow and spider at the end of the episode

[@feliciascorner9795]

​@@garrettviewegh9028 the way she spit at us on the way out, blaming everything on humanity? I am not helping you. You want to go rebuild your home, fine. But don't come begging us to help you if you encounter a problem. Deal with it yourself.

[@elitemichael350]

so refreshing to have an old school D2 lore vid

[@agentjtravel_walkthru4205]

Keep it coming Byf 😊!!!!

[@dustinmillar120]

Byf, your skill as an orator is amazing. Even if destiny died tomorrow, I'd still tune in to listen to lore reads haha

[@ShadowC14]

I really wanna see Nez make a return, either as this shade within the Darkness to haunt us similar to how Savathun played in the background for so long, or for him to make a special strike or dungeon boss with his original design

[@Spider-Cop99]

Wish Nezarec will still return 😢

[@mememan1552]

Maybe in frontiers cus I have a theory that he's waiting for the right moment to make his move and become a problem again. (But who knows 🤷‍♂️)

[@S3Cs4uN8]

He more than likely will, Nezarec is virtually impossible to kill permanently.

[@thomaschitham3487]

I thought what happened with Eramis using the Echo on Mithrax was related to what we did to Fikrul. It was mentioned earlier in the Episode by Eramis that she believes the Echo can manipulate Ether, just like Maya's Echo could manipulate Radiolaria. She believes Fikrul was using it to change the polarity of the Ether from Light to Dark, and she's heard tales in Riis Alchemy of a tonic that could do something similar. Eido, afterwards, mentions that through study of Nezarec's curse in Mithrax that the curse has some similarities to Dark Ether, and so the tonic that could change Ether's polarity might be able to heal Mithrax. Said tonic is also what we used on Fikrul to kill him for good and allow Eramis to claim the Echo. She originally planned for it to cut him off from the Dark Ether and make him Eliksni temporarily, long enough for us to kill him for good, but it seems like the tonic was enough to do the job on its own without us needing to do anything more. What I thought Eramis did was use the Echo to reverse the polarity of the Ether in Mithrax back to Light, removing the Dark infecting him from the curse of Nezarec's corpse.

[@CaydesChicken]

Always a good day when lore drops❤

[@heyj64]

Hypothesis: If Nezarec lives off our fear and pain, then all we have to do is laugh him out of existence.

[@gnarlyjo]

i love the channel so much you have no idea!!!

[@awesomeguy9513]

Nezerac could definitely be a DLC final boss you have the leaderless dread and scattered taken at his disposal so there’s enemy factions to use and he’s definitely a threat that’s still hovering around us. Episode 2 seems to be a set back for nezerac but not a defeat as there is chunks of him still around, he’s still around in a mental physic state, various cults, and he’s just to cool and mysterious of an entity to just cast aside after the events with Getting a dlc where we investigate nezeracs cult and get to see him in his original state would be extremely cool

[@Grassdia]

We return to Riis as Eramis has noticed horrific nightmares have started appearing out of nowhere of the old fallen houses. We are sent on a mission to harness these nightmares and create strife. Using a new darknesssubclass and it’s abilities, we will use them to hunt down Nez before he is able to take hold of the echo and release pain upon the universe.

[@79bigcat]

I'd like to think Mithrax is still open to his influence even though he's no longer possessed. Like he can sense Nezarec's presence in the Vex network or is somehow vital in tracking him down the next time he crops up. Sort of like Eris is with Hive rituals. Actually, her studying the nightmares may mean they team up. Imagine that dynamic.

[@tysonkrunek8557]

Nezarecs glaive is named “Night Terror” which is a description of fear dreams

[@ssyxji659]

Just did Root of Nightmares for the first time a couple days ago and thought this Nezarec guy seemed interesting as hell (only been playing for a month)

[@GloverGaming3]

I think that Nezarec can't truly die in our time. The only way to get rid of him permanently seems to be to first root out and exterminate any Nezarec cultists you can find, and then destroy any documents that he ever existed. However, even that wouldn't be a guaranteed solution to the problem, and if it didn't work, it would get rid of all the knowledge we had on how to defeat him. It's kind of a double-edged sword

[@smilinrylan3169]

Nezarec accomplished the goal that Oryx's whole lifes work, was building towards. Being a literal axiom. Its what all 3 Hive Gods were aiming for. Oryx to death, Savathuun to lies, Xivi Arath to war. I wonder if somehow due to the universal consciousness that Destiny has, if that is how Nezarec and his possible Psion heritage/connection, is able to do this. There would literally be no way to permanently kill him. But maybe we could restrain or trap him? Theoretically, Nezarec is stronger/powerful/more durable than The Witness ever could have been. Thats wild.

[@vkgamimg8493]

Nezerec, god of roaches, disciple of Tankis the undying. Disciple alongside Kelgoroth, the punted

[@yorha42s]

With the way Destiny is, I almost always expect the intro to be replaced with the TSLAYP one.

[@squinji1385]

Byfs back

[@DeusExAngelo]

For as much flak as Root of Nightmares gets (IMHO, some still very much deserved...especially for not really giving us origins on it's final boss) it did give us hints into events in The Final Shape. Besides Guardians linking the powers of Light & Darkness together, Nezarec himself wielded an unstable, proto-versiom of Prismatic. Not only that, but it required both the power of Light and Darkness in tandem to defeat him...which a more focused, specific form of this was needed to defeat his master, The Witness. The way The Witness's was defeated may also be the way Nezarec himself might be ultimately slain. Using the Darkness to enter a mindscape, spirit world where much of his essence resigns, then using the Light to "rebirth" that essence with new physical form, disconnected to who he once was.

[@igraviks7899]

Biggest disappointment for this episodes ending for me was definitely the fact that Nezarec never fully took over Mithrax. The build up to that supposed breaking point was phenomenal, but in the end his influence just gets burnt away by the echo. We were so close to getting something other than the typical happy ending we get with the majority of seasonal destiny stories.

[@EYErisGames]

Fikrul should have scorned Mithrax.

[@Harbinger1able]

You forgot to mention the other god that can keep coming back, taniks

[@arunjadunandan2303]

Final God of pain probably means he wasn't the only god of pain in existence... He became the "final" god of pain meaning nezarec wasn't a god at some point... My point is that this"god of pain" is a title or promotion to transfer and it is a force that latches on to a physical being (nezarec) until it finds a better host.

[@fireballloadout]

Honestly I find him fascinating because there's a good potential that he can't be killed truly as long as his memory exists that also means every Guardian and everyone in the city would have to die just to make it to where no one remembered him. Memories act like a anchor but nightmares are his will stemming from memories

[@adamherrick6077]

Now, hear me out, because we were revived in the light May be why we have no memories. Light isn’t a power of consciousness and couldn’t bring those back. Maybe that’ll be the key to defeating Nezarec as a concept, some kind of mass memory wipe save for a few who can keep tabs in case he tries to return.

[@fireballloadout]

@adamherrick6077 story wise I think that would work however the problem is his name and reputation has gone very very far and there's one particular person that we know we can't do that with, the witch Queen herself because Throne world.

[@Sharkrapt0r]

I’d say the fallen becoming the scorn is more like the flood infection in halo

[@garrettviewegh9028]

Crazy to think there’s gods in Destiny 2 that could beat most characters in fiction. Specially anime, cartoons, comics. Paracusality bends rules and subverts what foundational laws exist.

[@trashpanda5764]

U know who deserves a title of being a god Taniks seeing as he just wants to keep on coming back again and again and I love it as a laugh bungie should of had him return as a scorn even tho he is heavy on the robotic augmentation.

[@feliciascorner9795]

I was definitely expecting a scorn Taniks to appear. Bungie loves beating that particular dead horse.

[@digunder14]

anyone else notice when nezarec was either influencing him or was still present in his body, mithrax's normally blueish purple cybernetics would turn orangeish red?

[@gavinhazan1415]

If this is the last we see of Nezzy I’ll be extremely disappointed. He’s got so much eldritch horror potential and I’d absolutely love to see what they can do with him. Please bungie bring him back (but don’t make him look like a turkey again ffs)

[@S1erra107]

I’ve missed some good old storytelling Byf

[@emile04]

So Nezarec is basically Freddy Krueger

[@markricheard1870]

Very let down by the finale. Mithrax should have grabbed the Echo, allowing Nezarec to grow out of Mithrax, we have a boss fight with him (maybe even alongside Eramis helping us) Nezarec/Mithrax dies, and a Ghost resurrects Mithrax. Also i don’t care what y’all say, Nezarec has been 10 times more impactful in lore and in the community than Rhulk. Rhulk may have been the First Disciple, but all he did was help create the Hive, ruin some planet, Babysit Savathun and be Ghosted by the Witness. Nezarec lead the First Collapse, found the Veil, used both Light and Dark at some point in the past, is immortal beyond death, has his own Cult stretching back as far as Ancient Earth cultures, his body was recovered by the Witness and Witness had statues of him on his very own Pyramid Ship…none of Rhulk. Witness tried to get Eramis to recover Nezarec’s missing pieces…Witness genuinely acted like he cared more about Nezarec than Rhulk. All of this is more reason why Nezarec deserved more than being a Shadow in a Cutscene. Rhulk: Completely Red body Community: So cool! Nezarec: Completely Red Body Community: DiSGUSTANG!!

[@skeletor8951]

Why are people so obsessed with Mithrax becoming a Guardian when that'd mean he'd be a totally new character

[@topkek3927]

So, we gave away an artifact, that can strip the concept of immortality from gods and conceptual beings like Nezerac (3:27)? And that to basically the equivalent of Destinys Hitler? An Artifact so powerful it could potentially make Guardians mortal? Wouldn't this artifact allow us to fight beings like Oryx and others without proving ourselves first, in order to be able to kill them? Man, i hope i am super wrong on this, cuz else we stupid af for letting Eramis just take it.

[@djungelskog9581]

I wish they committed to this plot point, they just played it way too safe with this ending

[@bigboybeni3798]

Really hope he comes back somehow

[@Gojjoe]

Nezarec and Skolas returning hmmm

[@glacialWind]

really disappointed that nezarec didnt assume direct control and mithrax died. the devs are kinda cowardice

[@SplicerOtter]

I prefer Misraaks staying alive It’s not cowardice, but my heart couldn’t take a dead Misraaks

[@dougschultz2680]

​@@SplicerOtter Same

[@jackmack4181]

@@SplicerOtterI couldn’t handle mithrax falling not darkness

[@glacialWind]

@@jackmack4181 a compelling story that raises the stakes is what destiny needs now more than ever. How can we look forward to anything of ever season/episode ends off on an unsatisfying note

[@CyberZero232]

Idk, I think if they are trying to not focus on Eliksni stories for a bit, I think it makes more sense to tie it off rather then letting it be a lingering story thread. Get all the old stuff sorted so they can tell a new story without the baggage of those old stories​@@glacialWind

[@ClammyHorrorShow]

Mannnn I feel like there would have been such a good opportunity for bungie to shake up the fallen story a bit more, as I felt like Eramis being granted the echo was just a lazy way to get her out of the story… because everyone hated her lmao 🤣 Like I would have liked it a lot more if Mithrax was fully taken over by Nezarec, you gotta take him down, and Eido would have been chosen by the echo. It just makes a lot more sense to me narratively. Eido has grown so much as a character, I mean Eramis could have even helped us defeat Mithrax. She dies or lives I don’t really care. Mithrax not done anything besides waste time trying to make a tonic that probably wouldn’t have worked. I feel like there isn’t anything else interesting to explore within the fallen storylines. All the characters have essentially completed their character arcs. Which is a very dissatisfying taste in my mouth. Hopefully bungie can cook in the future, but rn I’m not so sure what the future of the fallen storylines will bring.

[@not_parker]

13:08 does this make taniks a god? 😅

[@GunfireFWC]

Yes

[@stop_this_train8772]

Absolutely wish we wouldve lost mithrax to nezzy. This ending did not do it for me.

[@ToastyBits]

Comment for the algorithm!

[@reaper8664]

So is my goat nezarec dead for good?

[@punchline1729]

fortunately Nope

[@reaper8664]

@ oh ok I haven’t played in like 6 months but I still like the characters

[@gabrielpineirogarcia2078]

​@@punchline1729 not sure if fortunately is tbe word. It means he can be brought back but this is 2/2 times he's made out to a menace and folds over before drawing first blood. As a shadowy essence before RoN he couldn't kill a single Neomuni. We domed him in the raid. In the season he mostly tortures Mithrax and got him to speak horrible stuff but he never really did *anything* consequential. When he does (lunge for the Echo) he gets blasted inmediately. How ar they going to sell us Nezarec being dangerous next time he shows up? And how little impact will his presence have on the long run?

[@trennax7542]

Dang my first time being this early

[@OliviaPerez-j7o]

Your videos are a shining example of how to make quality and interesting content. Thank you for your talent and effort!🌹⌛️‍♂️

[@zeldaluna6800]

Hype

[@SophiaGreen-g7z]

I really appreciate your approach to content creation. Your videos are always top notch!🔔🍌🚴

[@digitizedmemories]

This comment section has alot of good takes over disappointment of Nezarac not taking over Misraaks at the end of the story. Everything is there for a broader branching story, a leader leading his people to the promised land only for himself to not make it there, living on through the hope they passed on, as the shadows consumed their soul and taking over their body. Leaving it to their allies, kin, and alignment uncertain nemesis to have to eventually unite together to finally banish this ever returning evil once and for all. But instead Bungie chose the cope out decision. LAME

[@LeoONeill-r2e]

I mean I would be surprised if that Beam of light didn't actually kill him since you can't really kill fear so long as you have followers for once I just want Nezerec to win Bungie needs to use this villain's final arc for something better than Just getting stomped on like a bug every time I mean come on Bungie we don't get enough screen time with nez

[@billyhightower405]

Second

[@MichaelEverettDrumz]

first