A Drifter’s Gambit – pt. 2

We all knew, or at least should have known, that a character like this was coming. We have been so blindly obedient to the Light, with only a handful of Guardians warning us against such strict, unquestioning faith. What we didn’t know was that this character was going to come in the form of some Pirate Radio DJ whose fan base includes The Nine. 

The Lore Book, A Drifter’s Gambit, follows the life of the man we know only as, “Drifter”, and how he convinced a very staunch critic why he should be allowed to carry out his Gambit, and why it may be our best hope against the Darkness. 

In part one, we are introduced to this Drifter, and just a little bit about his background. Only the parts he wants us to know about, and even then we can’t be sure if he’s telling the truth. But the best lies are always rooted in truth.

In part 2, we learn more about how his Gambit will be played, and ultimately what his, and his Gambit’s, true purpose is. Or at least, what he claims it to be.

This is Videogame Crosstalk, and I hope you enjoy this Destiny Lore video.

We’ll begin this video picking up halfway through the lore book with the entry, Bright Side of a Bad Idea, just in case you were wondering which direction this story was going. This entry serves as a bit of a turning point in explaining what Drifter and his Gambit is all about. We go from laying out the reasons why we can’t trust him to reasons why he may just be our best chance at survival. 

He’s been been watching us Guardians. Watching us hunt Taken and dancing around Ascendant realms…

the Drifter’s been playing Warlock—which he ain’t, if it wasn’t clear. Not by common understanding, anyway. In drawing strength from curiosity and using knowledge to bend understanding to his will, this wily bastard has long since shed any pretensions of class or the limitations therein.

You see, Drifter was around during the Dark Ages. He was one of the earliest humans to become Risen, well before the Iron Lords, Before the Tower, before the Vanguard and “classes” of Guardians. He turned his back on much of what the Vanguard now stands for and did some experimenting of his own. 

“He’s secured a pocket of the Ascendant plane. Not a throne world, nothing that grand, but a big enough chunk to matter—and he’s gone and caged an army. A Taken army. Leftovers from Oryx’s reign? Something new? Something old? Something… Hers? 

So ya. Just so you know where those Taken come from during Gambit Matches, and why during the Contact Events during the Season of Arrivals, you’ll hear Drifter call out, “Those Taken aren’t mine!”

In the following entry, The Price of a Double-Sided Coin, Drifter lays out the foundation for his plan. 

“You have places. Cleared zones. Not necessarily the safest spots, but not wholly untamed. I say we… you… allow the Drifter to run his game. And let’s you and me watch.

“We watch the action. We watch him. We watch who plays and who doesn’t. On top of that, we watch their aggression—who’s diving too deep, too fast, who’s less keen to grow their knowledge, their strength. And who’s simply lookin’ to unleash themselves.

This will be the “bait” for their trap. Gambit will be simply a method for Guardians to experiment some darker activity. Give them just that little bit of taste and see what happens. Additionally, part of it’s allure will be the fact that it’s a bit of an illicit activity. Because breaking the rules is always more fun than staying in line, am I right? That aspect will also help attract potential candidates…

“‘Cuz the other side of that jade coin is the trap being set—this long con—the final bend after a long haul. If Drifter plays his part—and I believe he will—then those who test the edges of the Light will hear tell and come a’callin’. The Shadows brought to Light.

That’s right, he’s looking to bring out those who would be drawn too close to the Darkness and follow that hated path. And Put. Them. Down.

The next entry, Checking the Chamber, is fairly short. It’s essentially the calm before the storm. It’s a quick conversation between Drifter and the Renegade as they stand in the freshly cleared combat zone. The RedJacks have cleared the area fairly well, and the plan is to pick up the participant Guardians and bring them out to play. Of course, the Jacks will be ready to engage in case things get out of hand. Just in case.

The Renegade still has some concerns. But at this point, he feels that it is safer to let him operate under his watchful eye, rather than allowing this operation to proceed completely underground. Also, The Renegade has additional concerns…

“Still get the sense this whole shindig is something he’s cookin’ up to face down some big, bad news—some problem he’s making ours. But that’s his nature.”

The aftermath of that first Gambit match is discussed in the following entry, A Matter Of Trust. 

“Well. That didn’t go as planned, but your Guardians rallied and saw it through, and the Drifter did his best to fill them in on the sudden… change-state he dropped on ’em.

You see, ol’ Drifter let The Renegade know how it was all going to play out…mostly. It wasn’t that what Drifter told The Renegade was false, just that, what’s the term? “Lying Through Omission?” You see, what Drifter did NOT tell the Renegade about was the Primeval battle at the end.

Those weren’t normal Taken possessed and set to rage. They were born of that shadow realm and they were… angry. Worse. They were hungry for the Light. You could feel it. 

If you’ve played even a single match of Gambit, you know what we’re talking about! Those really are horrific beasts, and I am yet to take one in a single damage phase. Hell, I don’t even bother using my heavy ammo until the third dps cycle in Gambit Prime! 

The most troubling thing about this relates back to the title of this entry, in that the Renegade is not happy with the fact that Drifter kept this information away from him. But i mean, really, for as much as we’ve learned about Drifter already, are we really surprised? Not to blame the victim, but he really should have expected something.

Drifter’s reason for the deception? Because OBVIOUSLY the Renegade would have never let him run his operation if we knew. But now, it’s just too late. We proceed forward, knowing the full scope of what to expect.

But here’s the thing: the Drifter isn’t the only one keeping secrets in this story. The Renegade hasn’t revealed his true name in this book either. The Renegade has his own reasons for deception as well. He reminds us of this in the last lines of this entry: 

“Oh. Before I forget—and at the risk of repeatin’ myself—keep my real name off your lips. He don’t know my face, but he sure as hell knows my name. This all goes sideways otherwise.”

This lore book wraps up with the entry, The Long Con. Here, the Renegade and Drifter have a conversation of what the endgame is for Gambit. The whole idea, the grand plan. At least for now. There’s a lot of emotion in this entry, so let’s read it in it’s entirety:

“Can you do it, Drifter? Can you make the Man with the Golden Gun the villain in the eyes of those who would tempt the Dark? It’s the final piece. Can you make them fear him?

“Cuz if you can…

“Any Guardian who truly embraces the nature of your Gambit will find themselves a real connection to the mantle of that dead legend. They will take bear that vile title. They will wear his vile colors. They will challenge and even remake the infamy of his vile deeds.

“Through these temptations, they will grow strong, but the hatred must be true—driven by the power they find in your wicked game, sealed in the fear you’ll seed in the name of the Man with the Golden Gun. I wish there was another way, but your old brothers and sisters in shadow are too far gone. You’ve seen it. You know as well as me—better than me—the path they walk offers only ruin.

“They must be stopped.

“So, spread your unholy word, brother. Give new life to old myths. And when that hateful name Dredgen spreads throughout the system… his real disciples will have no choice but to confront their sins.

“And you and me? We’ll be the ones hearing their confessions.

“Oh, one more thing. Let me know who has the gall to change their names. I might want to… give ’em a word or two.”

—A Renegade’s Final Words to a Drifter Before Resuming the Hunt

There you have it. The Drifter’s Gambit is a ploy to draw out the members of his old crew, the Shadows of Yor. Additionally, it’s to draw out Guardians who are able to fight with the powers of the Darkness, but not succumb to them. It’s a very fine line, which is why The Renegade and Drifter watch each Guardian’s progress, so very carefully.

And if you STILL haven’t figured out the real name of the Renegade, take a read of the book For Every Rose, a Thorn. The lore book that is unlocked as you progress through obtaining a remake of that wicked, hateful weapon of the most notorious Guardian of all: Dredgen Yor. Huh. Maybe i’ll make that my next lore book summary. Just know this: that the Renegade, the Man with the Golden Gun, will always have the Last Word.

And THAT concludes the video! If you enjoyed this video, please let me know and drop a like. If you would like to support this channel but can’t think of anything to leave as a comment, write the word, “Gambit”, for both the name of the Drifter’s game mode and for the game that the Drifter is playing within the context of Destiny’s universe..

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