[b][u]Lysander and "The Faction Wars," Destiny Lore Speculation:[/u][/b] In the following post below, I will offer some insightful speculation into the History of Destiny, specifically to the "Faction Wars," and to the history and legacy of the mysterious figure, "Lysander." This in large part, speculation, theory and hypothesis, and is open to interpretation by the community. I invite you all to join me in discussion and speculation below in the comments, as I offer my own interpretation and insight into this segment of Destiny Lore, and I will also offer some additional speculation to the "Real-Life Parallels" that may or may not offer some insightful connection and validity to my theories. I hope those of you who love the Lore of Destiny will enjoy the post and speculation that follow. [u][b]Destiny; The Concordat:[/b][/u] The Concordat was a Guardian faction and member of the Consensus, led by an individual named Lysander. While the Concordat's central ideology is unknown, at some point the faction unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the Consensus and the Speaker in a coup. The Concordat made its last stand at Bannerfall, where it was defeated by New Monarchy Guardians and ejected from the Last City. It was believed that Lysander would refuse the call to disband his faction and continue his "crusade". In order to avoid banishing those Guardians who had pledged to the Concordat and provide them a chance to realign, as well as assuage the Speaker's anxiety to reclaim ground lost in the Battle of Twilight Gap, the Consensus decided to grant Future War Cult access to the Tower and a seat among them. According to Hidden intelligence, and rumours of in-Tower sympathizers, Lysander is currently plotting his return and reorganizing his faction. Bearing this in mind, there are several questions I'll be asking, and attempting to answer to the best of my ability. 1. Why was Lysander opposed Osiris's appointment to the Vangaurd? 2. Why did Lysander feel it was necessary to use Conflict and War to overthrow the Consensus? 3. Why didn't the New Monarchy join with the Concordat to overthrow the Speaker and Consensus? 4. Was the Concordat more important/significant than the other two factions of the Consensus? 5. What is the significance of New Monarchy dealing the "Final Blow" to the Concordat? [u][b]Destiny; The New Monarchy:[/b][/u] New Monarchy is one of the three factions of The City, dedicated to maintaining the haven and bringing back the Golden Age. Dissatisfied with the fragmentation within the City, New Monarchy advocates abolishing the Consensus and transferring governmental power from the Speaker to an elected Monarch. Despite being wary of the Consensus, New Monarchy and the Guardians who pledged themselves to the faction are credited for laying the killing blow to the traitor, Lysander and his Concordat, who sought to overthrow the Consensus and the Speaker, at Bannerfall. The New Monarchy adheres strictly to the Seven Tenants of it group, which are: 1. To secure our walls from the enemies without. 2. To secure the rights and liberties of every upstanding citizen. 3. To sponsor the sciences of the City, and salvage the ruins beyond, so that our Golden Age might be reborn. 4. To support the Guardian Orders by leading the City in technological innovations. 5. To support the natural harmony of the City, and to actively dissuade any group or individual that might disrupt that harmony. 6. To hold all individuals, compacts, and alliances to the highest standards of productivity and right behavior. 7. To, by vote of the Consensus, abolish the Consensus, and transfer ultimate power, in order that the rights and liberties of all citizens be secured, to a single sovereign of unimpeachable character. In the "Present," The Vanguard seems to be the most closely-related group to the Speaker, with Zavala as their defacto-leader and apparent "Right-Hand" of the Speaker; they are essentially the military-force that enforces order in the City, for the Speaker, and provides direction for the Guardians. But in the past, when the City was in its infancy, and the Speaker was seeking to establish the Vanguard and himself as the City's significant, prominent leader, is it possible that the Concordat was not only one of the first Factions of the Consensus, but may it have been the First Faction to join the Speakers Consensus? ⦁ Could the Speaker have reached out to the Concordat to help solidify himself and the Vanguard as an established and un-contended force? ⦁ If this is the case, then why? More specifically, why reach out to the Concordat? Why not to one of the other Factions? The New Monarchy, Dead Orbit, or some other faction formed in the City? ⦁ Is it because the Concordat, at the time was the largest and most-powerful Faction in the City? One that the Speaker knew he would need the support of, if he was going to achieve his goal of unifying The Last City under the Vanguard's control? ⦁ What would the Speaker have had to offer the Concordat, and specifically Lysander, their leader, in order to gain their support? And what caused them to ultimately divide and come to war? Let us assume, going forward in this discussion, that the Concordat was the first faction, and the largest faction present in the City at the time. If this is the case, it's likely that the Speaker would have put a significantly larger amount of value to what the Concordat's opinions on City matters were, knowing that he needed their support to help keep unity in the City, even after the New Monarchy and Dead Orbit (presumably the next-two-largest factions) joined the City's Consensus. Now, let's look at Question 1: "Why was Lysander opposed Osiris's appointment to the Vanguard?" We know through the Grimoire that after the Battle of the Twilight Gap, the legendary Titan known as "Saint-14," who was as good as a "Son" to the Speaker, urged for the Warlock, Osiris, to be appointed to the City's Vanguard, an idea that Lysander was vehemently opposed to. But why was Lysander opposed to this idea? Lysander believed, as others apparently did as well, that Osiris was mis-incarnated by a Faulty-Ghost, and that he was untrustworthy, despite his prowess in battle at the Twilight Gap, largely due to his infatuation and interest in studying the Darkness and the Vex. Yet, in spite of this outspoken opposition form Lysander, the Speaker eventually accepted the proposal of Saint-14, and appointed Osiris to the Warlock Vanguard Order, and this, I believe, was where everything began. Now for question 2: "Why did Lysander feel it was necessary to use Conflict and War to overthrow the Consensus?" It's not difficult to believe that Lysander became offended by the fact that the Speaker ignored his outspoken opposition of Osiris' appointment, especially under the premise that he and the Concordat were used to feeling as if they were essentially "Equal" to the political voice of the Speaker and the Vanguard. For him to then to be outright subverted by the Speakers decision, as the Speaker has "final-say" in such matters, I believe was the instigating factor that lead to Lysander's rebellion, but I don't believe that it happened right away. Lysander strikes me as someone more politically and personally intelligent; "savvy," if you will. Too smart to immediately resort to the use of violent, disruptive force. I believe it's likely that after this incident was when Lysander first decided that he wanted to see the Speaker and possibly the entire Consensus removed from power, and I believe it's likely that in this time-period, Lysander first adopted this ideal from the New Monarchy. (We'll revisit this question to answer it, as it's answer will ultimately stem from the answer to Question 3, when we continue in Faction Lore, Part 2.)