XVII: The Weakness Verse is a Grimoire card from the original Destiny (Destiny 1), found under Enemies → Books of Sorrow. Grimoire cards held most of the game's lore and were read on Bungie.net and in the companion app, not in the game itself.
Card text
You are dead, young Auryx. Betrayed and murdered by your own sister, for the crime of mercy.
Remember what you said to the Ammonite Satellite Congress? ‘We will parley on neutral ground?’ Savathûn’s witches have rendered it utterly neutral. No living thing will ever claim it again. The space around the dry moon stinks of rot.
This is good. This is right. You will learn from this. Don’t you understand, great King? Don’t you want to build something real, something that lasts forever?
Our universe gutters down towards cold entropy. Life is an engine that burns up energy and produces decay. Life builds selfish, stupid rules — morality is one of them, and the sanctity of life is another.
These rules are impediments to the great work. The work of building a perfect, undying creation, a civilization everlasting. Something that cannot end.
If a civilization cannot defend itself, it must be annihilated. If a King cannot hold his power, he must be betrayed. The worth of a thing can be determined only by one beautiful arbiter — that thing’s ability to exist, to go on existing, to remake existence to suit its survival.
All that would oppose this arbiter is unholy and false. All the misery and terror of your ancestors springs from the lies of the Sky, who deny this truth.
Your ancestors endured the most hostile conditions. And now you must go on creating those conditions. Even unto your sisters. Even unto your offspring. Savathûn’s betrayal is the greatest gift she could offer you.
Your body is gone, but you have endured. Safe in the cyst universe created by your own might — your throne world.
From this day forward, Auryx, you and your sisters will each survive death — so long as you aren’t killed in your own throne.
Even as your sisters press the attack against the Ammonites, the God-Wave devastates Fundament. Trillions will die. But the survivors will never forget... and their descendants will always be ready for another syzygy.
When you return to the material universe, use this lesson to complete your work.
Taox wasn’t on the dry moon. She must be laughing at you.
Remember what you said to the Ammonite Satellite Congress? ‘We will parley on neutral ground?’ Savathûn’s witches have rendered it utterly neutral. No living thing will ever claim it again. The space around the dry moon stinks of rot.
This is good. This is right. You will learn from this. Don’t you understand, great King? Don’t you want to build something real, something that lasts forever?
Our universe gutters down towards cold entropy. Life is an engine that burns up energy and produces decay. Life builds selfish, stupid rules — morality is one of them, and the sanctity of life is another.
These rules are impediments to the great work. The work of building a perfect, undying creation, a civilization everlasting. Something that cannot end.
If a civilization cannot defend itself, it must be annihilated. If a King cannot hold his power, he must be betrayed. The worth of a thing can be determined only by one beautiful arbiter — that thing’s ability to exist, to go on existing, to remake existence to suit its survival.
All that would oppose this arbiter is unholy and false. All the misery and terror of your ancestors springs from the lies of the Sky, who deny this truth.
Your ancestors endured the most hostile conditions. And now you must go on creating those conditions. Even unto your sisters. Even unto your offspring. Savathûn’s betrayal is the greatest gift she could offer you.
Your body is gone, but you have endured. Safe in the cyst universe created by your own might — your throne world.
From this day forward, Auryx, you and your sisters will each survive death — so long as you aren’t killed in your own throne.
Even as your sisters press the attack against the Ammonites, the God-Wave devastates Fundament. Trillions will die. But the survivors will never forget... and their descendants will always be ready for another syzygy.
When you return to the material universe, use this lesson to complete your work.
Taox wasn’t on the dry moon. She must be laughing at you.
Grimoire text written by Bungie, shown as it appears in the Destiny 1 game files.
About this card
- Game
- Destiny 1
- Theme
- Enemies
- Page
- Books of Sorrow
- Grimoire score
- 5 points
- How to unlock
- Unlock this card by playing Destiny.
More cards from Books of Sorrow
I: PredatorsBooks of SorrowII: The Hateful VerseBooks of SorrowIII: The OathBooks of SorrowIV: SyzygyBooks of SorrowV: Needle and WormBooks of SorrowVI: SistersBooks of SorrowVII: The DiveBooks of SorrowVIII: LeviathanBooks of SorrowIX: The BargainBooks of SorrowX: ImmortalsBooks of SorrowXI: ConquerorsBooks of SorrowXII: Out of the DeepBooks of SorrowXIII: Into the SkyBooks of SorrowXIV: 52 and OneBooks of SorrowXV: Born As PreyBooks of SorrowXVI: The Sword LogicBooks of SorrowXVIII: Leviathan RisesBooks of SorrowXIX: CrusadersBooks of SorrowXX: HiveBooks of SorrowXXI: an incisionBooks of SorrowXXII: The High WarBooks of SorrowXXIII: fire without fuelBooks of SorrowXXIV: THE SCREAMBooks of SorrowXXV: Dictata ir DakauaBooks of SorrowXXVI: star by star by starBooks of SorrowXXVII: Eat the SkyBooks of SorrowXXVIII: King of ShapesBooks of SorrowXXIX: Carved in RuinBooks of SorrowXXX: a golden amputationBooks of SorrowXXXI: battle made wavesBooks of SorrowXXXII: Majestic. Majestic.Books of SorrowXXXIII: When do monsters have dreamsBooks of SorrowXXXIV: More beautiful to knowBooks of SorrowXXXV: This Love Is WarBooks of SorrowXXXVI: Eater of HopeBooks of SorrowXXXVII: shapes : pointsBooks of SorrowXXXVIII: The partition of deathBooks of SorrowXXXIX: open your eye : go into itBooks of SorrowXL: An Emperor For All OutcomesBooks of SorrowXLI: DreadnaughtBooks of Sorrow