Ascendant Scepter

Ascendant Scepter
Attributes
Season	20
Type	Artifact
Rarity	Legendary
Description	An empowered symbol of Awoken royalty.
Vendor	Nimbus

Ascendant Scepter is the Seasonal Artifact from the Season of Defiance.

This item is given to the player by Nimbus in Neomuna after completing the free introductory Story Mission First Contact, part of the Lightfall campaign. Claiming the Scepter will also start the Awaken, Queensguard quest.

Lore

Commander,

After careful study of the Scepters given to Guardians aiding in the rescue operations on Earth, the Cryptarchy offers the following preliminary analysis:

The Ascendant Scepter is an object attuned to the powers of the Awoken, and the Awoken Queen Mara Sov in particular. Using volatile Ley Lines similar to those that allow Queen Mara to telepathically communicate (to various degrees) with other Awoken, the Scepter allows its wielder to benefit from bursts of paracausal energy sent by the queen herself.

This type of energy transference was previously thought impossible, even among the Awoken Paladins and the rumored specialist sect known as the Queensguard. To make matters more complicated, Awoken tradition dictates that all Guardians capable of this feat immediately be granted the rank of Paladin (which is preposterous, as only seven can serve at one time).

Interestingly, Queen Mara has seen fit to distribute Scepters to each active Guardian rather than just the Awoken, and bestow Royal Army titles to all. Even, in an honorary capacity, to the Lightless. Awoken Techeuns and Corsairs now fight alongside allied Human, Exo, Eliksni, and Cabal individuals, and all beneath the queen's royal banner.

Had this development been revealed to me a scant few years ago, I wouldn't have believed it... but this old Cryptarch has seen Guardians fighting with bows and glaives, wielding Stasis and Strand, and is not too stodgy to admit that times have changed—quite possibly for the better.

—Master Rahool

Perks

The Seasonal Artifact has been changed as of this Season. Instead of unlocking seasonal mods that can be equipped to armor, the Artifact now has Artifact Perks that will always apply without needing to equip them. However, the maximum number of perks has been reduced to 12. Resetting the Artifact Perk selection is free.^[1]

Tier 1

Tier 1 perks are available to unlock by default.

Name	Image	Description
Anti-Barrier Pulse Rifle		Your equipped Pulse Rifles fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Piercing Sidearms		Your equipped Sidearms fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Sidearms are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Overload Bow		Damage by fully drawn arrows from your equipped Bows causes disruption, stunning the target, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Bows are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Unstoppable Scout Rifle		Aiming down the sights of a Scout Rifle for a short time loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Scout Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Overloaded Auto/SMG		Sustained fire from Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns are always overcharged when that modifier is active.

Tier 2

Tier 2 perks become available to unlock after unlocking 3 perks from the previous tier.

Name	Image	Description
Authorized Mods: Solar		The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Solar weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Strand		The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Strand weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Void		The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Void weapons are significantly discounted.
Authorized Mods: Grenades		The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your grenades are significantly discounted.
Multi-Siphon Mods		Grants access to armor mods in your helmet that combine the effects of the Strand Siphon mod with the Solar Siphon and Void Siphon mods.

Tier 3

Tier 3 perks become available to unlock after unlocking 5 perks from the previous tiers.

Name	Image	Description
Shatter Orbs		The first time you break a combatant's shield, you create an Orb of Power if you break the shield with the matching damage type.
Defiant Armory		Greatly improves the benefits provided by the Noble Deeds, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits.
Untangler		Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon suspends targets damaged by the explosion.
Solar Surge		Collecting a Firesprite gives you Armor Charge.
Volatile Flow		Picking up an Orb of Power grants your Void weapons Volatile rounds.

Tier 4

Tier 4 perks become available to unlock after unlocking 7 perks from the previous tiers.

Name	Image	Description
Bricks from Beyond		Defeating a powerful combatant with a Void weapon has a chance to generate Heavy ammo for you and your teammates.
Flare Up		Firebolt Grenades apply more Scorch stacks. Damaging a combatant with a Firebolt Grenade spawns a Firesprite near them.
Origin Hones		Weapons with the Noble Deeds, Nanotracing Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Allied Unraveling		Rapid final blows with a Strand weapon grant your weapon Unraveling Rounds, with a longer duration near allies.
Counterweave		When you or a member of your fireteam stuns or defeats a Champion, you gain energy for your least-charged Strand ability.

Tier 5

Tier 5 perks become available to unlock after unlocking 10 perks from the previous tiers.

Name	Image	Description
Threaded Blast		Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon creates a larger and more damaging explosion.
Rain of Firebolts		When you have Firebolt Grenades equipped, gain a second grenade charge.
Void Weapon Channeling		You gain a temporary bonus to Void weapon damage after you defeat a target with a Void weapon while at least one of your Void abilities is fully charged. This damage bonus increases based on the number of fully charged Void abilities you have.
Medieval Champion		Glaives you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Glaives are always overcharged when that modifier is active. Landing consecutive hits with a Sword you are wielding disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Swords are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
Prismatic Transfer		When you cast your Super, each member of your fireteam with a subclass damage type different than yours gains a bonus to weapon damage.