After scouring the internet for days I have come to the conclusion that a prompt list for Destcember 2024 does not exist, so I made my own! I don't want to co-opt the whole thing or anything like that, so rather than claiming it as 'Destcember 2024,' I'm labeling this one as my personal list. Feel free to use it if you'd like! And obviously you don't need my permission, but if you'd like some empowerment, make your own list if you want to! I tried to make this one a blend of things relevant to the latest expansion and to the current season, with a few that looked back to previous prompts that I really liked from the past, all without being too on the nose. I had no idea how much of a challenge it would be so props to the previous makers! And thanks to some of my discord pals for suppling me with a few prompts as well!
If you aren't familiar with Destcember, Destcember is a Destiny themed art challenge that takes place in December with one prompt per day, where artists and writers create one work per day responding to the prompt, but the rules really aren't that strict. Feel free to respond to prompts out of order, to combine prompts, skip prompts, go off prompt, whatever you want to do!
I'm probably going to be tagging my entries as both #destcember2024 and #Demiclar's Destcember 2024, if you decide to use this list, feel free to use those if you'd like, too! I always love to see what people come up with for this challenge.
Our journeys this year have taken us from destroyed pyramids ships to the depths of Titan’s oceans to the far reaches of Savathûn’s throne world- and they promise to take us beyond reality itself. As the year comes to a close, let’s take a look back on everywhere we’ve been, and everywhere we have yet to go. Our chronicle is a long one, but there are blank pages still, and stories yet to be written.
Destcember is a drawing and writing challenge based on the Destiny universe. This year our recollections have revealed 31 prompts (one for each day of December) but remember: we make our own stories. Take inspiration wherever you find it- and at whatever pace you see fit. Write about original or cannon characters, do prompts out of order, skip them where you don’t see that spark- just be sure to have fun!
Please use the #destcember2023 tag and leave a prompt number.
Savathûn laughed. She laughed so brightly and truly, her voice thundering like the sound of an avalanche approaching, rippling across space like magma rushing out of a volcano. Outside, the world was ending. The Deep had arrived to state its claim--oh, what a boring development, what a dull and wholly expected turn of events, and what a sorry display of ineptitude the Final God of Pain was making of himself, spluttering and wheezing at her feet. She kicked him in the face for good measure. He grasped weakly at her ankle, gargling out curses through a ruined throat, and tried dragging himself after her when she turned to leave, but the lack of two limbs and several vital organs prevented him from getting very far.
A small, exhilarated, and no doubt owed to growing up alongside Xivu part of her almost regretted the lack of an additional challenge. All of this had been so laughably easy so far, she'd truly expected more of them--Nezarec in particular, I mean really, any measure of deeply-buried respect she'd still had for the man vanished along with the majority of the blood in his system. She shook her head dramatically. And now she was free to go and fetch her prize like a fox in a chicken pen, entirely unhindered? Such a disappointment.
The prize was very badly hidden, at that. Savathûn tutted to herself. Ah, these Human habits, she hadn't quite shaken them yet, but some of them she even liked. They were such a curious species, Humanity, with their soft faces malleable like wet clay and the skin over their teeth so pliant and expressive; they got by well enough for how dull and static their eyes were, she had to admit. Overall she'd enjoyed her little sally to this backwater system. It had been a nice change of pace, the lull before a dramatic climax.
The Veil just sat there, out in plain sight at the back of the pyramid. She could've picked it up and walked with it out the front door, and a part of her--the exhilarated one--was tempted to do so, if only to see the expression it would've contorted the Witness' sullen face in. But this would've been foolish, and she had caused enough of a scene here already. She'd made sure Nezarec wouldn't be much use to anyone in the nearest century or two, but she was under no delusion that he'd been done for for good. She needed to do this quickly and cleanly. The rift between dimensions roared open for barely a second, and when it closed, the Veil was already sinking into the gaseous depths of the furthest suitable hideout in this system.
Savathûn descended along with it. It dropped a long way down, long enough for this to feel a little too familiar for her liking, and finally settled at one of the layers, hovering among dark-azure mists. The parasite curled in her gut in contentment. This scheme would feed it sumptuously, and that thought both relieved and irked her--but at least she would have some respite from its constant whining, and in all honesty she was already looking forward to it.
She did not linger for longer than a fleeting glance. If all came together according to the plan, the Veil would stay hidden well enough to buy her the time she needed, and once it was inevitably discovered... well. That was when the true fun would begin.
She knew the Witness currently had its eyes on a wholly different prize, and the fact it had no reason to be paying her any attention at this particular moment was undoubtedly a good thing -- but as she rose through the blue mists and the frantic scream of the Sky grew louder in her ears, the small part of her wanted so badly to make it see her.
Mattathias stopped dead in his tracks. “Holy shit!”
Reyha just raised an eyebrow and cast a glance around. There wasn’t anything around she could see that should elicit that response. The Tower Concourse held just its usual crowd of Guardians and civilian workers- it wasn’t even busy.
“Get down,” her Hunter friend hissed, pulling her, protesting, behind a row of bushes. “That’s Andal Brask!”
The name didn’t ring a bell. The Titan sighed and crossed her arms. “I’ve no time for celebrities, Mathy.”
Mattathias was barely paying attention, peaking over the low hedges. “That’s not a celebrity, Reyha, that’s the leader of one of the most legendary packs of Hunters around. They’re called the Crew.”
Reyha rolled her eyes and sat. There was no stopping him when he got like this. “The Crew of what? That’s dumb.”
Mattathias seemed to be deep in the mystery. “You don’t need any other words. Someone tells you the Crew blew up a House of Devils nest in the Cosmodrome and made off with all of their stuff, you know it’s them.” He turned back, eyes shining in excitement.
Reyha sighed. “This is important?”
Mathy nodded vigorously. “You have to know your coworkers, Reyha.”
“Alright,” the young Titan relented. “Let’s at it, then.”
The Hunter immediately hunkered down, listing off facts like he was a Crucible commentator giving a pre-match report. “Like I said, that’s Andal Brask. Man’s an old protégé of Tallulah Fairwind.” He paused for a second. “You have heard of Tallulah Fairwind, haven’t you?”
“The first Hunter Vanguard,” Reyha listed automatically. “I’ve heard of her.”
“Well, she was a genius. Crafty. And she taught Brask everything she knew. He’s led more successful hunts and heists over the years than Dead End Cure, with a fraction of the people.”
“Sounds like someone whose bad side you don’t want to get on,” Reyha commented.
“He’s actually really nice,” Mathy‘s Ghost said. “Don’t start a prank war, though. He’ll win.”
Mathy himself gestured impatiently. “The point is, man’s got a keen eye for strategy and keener one for what makes people tick. And he’s got some real heavy hitters behind him.”
Reyha took her turn to peer over the bushes. “They just look like normal Hunters to me.” A motley crew, to be sure, with mismatched cloaks. They appeared to be arguing about something.
“Looks can be deceiving,” her Ghost replied. He was always spouting off philosophical sayings like that.
Mattathias pointed out a horned Exo in a beige cloak. The man walked with a certain amount of swagger. “So you got Cayde-6. Real flashy fellow, but he knows his stuff. Word is he’s got a winning record against Shaxx in the Crucible. He’s that good. One of the best Gunslingers alive. Nice guy. He can talk you into anything.”
Next- a tall Human with a curly head of hair and what seemed like a perpetual scowl. He had his arms crossed, watching Cayde-6 with an air of skepticism. “Tevis Larsen. Dude’s old. Like, older than Zavala old. I’m not sure anyone really knows where he comes from. He’s the Nightstalker. Like THE Nightstalker.” Mathy hesitated. “…But he bites. I’d keep your distance if I were you.”
His finger moved to the next in line, an Exo wearing a golden cloak. “Shiro-4.”
“He’s short,” Reyha judged.
“Yeah, so? Guy speaks better Fallen then the scholars back at the Reef. You want any intel, go to him. Unlike Larsen, he’s happy to answer questions. Has a rap sheet probably a mile long at this point. Dude’s spilled more Ether than Saint-14. Not to mention he’s a hobbyist mechanic and a top-tier gunsmith.”
He moved on to a middling woman with pale skin and a green cloak. She seemed a bit restless. “Azra Jax. She’s young, but Andal has a real eye for the talent. You heard tell about an Arcstrider?” Reyha nodded. She’d dismissed it as just a rumor. “That’s her. Only one around, but damn does she make a show of it. There ain’t a map in the Archives doesn’t have her fingerprints on it. She’s got more than what’s in the archives.”
“There are plenty of maps she hasn’t touched,” a voice said from behind them. “Don’t you know it’s rude to talk about people behind their backs?”
Both Guardians nearly jumped out of their skins. Looming behind them, arms crossed and scowl still affixed on his face, was Tevis Larsen. Reyha hadn’t even noticed him leave his group.
Beside her, Mattathias stammered. Tevis glared. Reyha’s heart pounded in her chest-
Then, like a ray of sunlight through the clouds: salvation. “Oh. My God. Tevis, what did I tell you about intimidating the general public?”
“They were talking about us,” Tevis reported.
Azra had jogged over. “You’ve already scared them half to death. Look at them.”
“Maybe next time they should think before turning people into their own personal TV drama.”
“It’s called people-watching,” Reyha said.
Tevis just raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not doing yourself any favors.”
“Cayde’s nearly convinced Andal to take his side in the dinner debate,” Azra complained. “The Burrito Position is becoming untenable. We already did Ramen this week.”
“Fine,” Tevis huffed. The two walked away, Azra confidently, Tevis turning to fix Reyha and Mattathias with one last stern glance.
The two Guardians sat in silence for a minute, too stunned to speak.
“I guess even legends have to decide what to eat for dinner,” Reyha mused.
The world only seems to get more complicated these days. As Darkness looms on our horizon, we find ourselves asking questions: What do we fight for? Who is our real enemy here? What does this all mean?
One thing remains clear, even as the paradigms shift before our eyes: our fate lies among the stars.
Destcember is a drawing and writing challenge based on the Destiny universe. This year the stars have revealed 31 prompts (one for each day of December) but remember: we write our own maps. Take inspiration wherever you find it- and at whatever pace you see fit. Write about original or cannon characters, do prompts out of order, skip them where you don’t see that spark- just be sure to have fun!
Please use the #destcember2022 tag and leave a prompt number.
Times are changing. The hands of fate turn. Allies rise from unexpected sources, while enemies are revealed from within our own ranks. Plots thicken, intrigue abounds, and deep beneath the surface of Venus, something stirs…
Destcember is a drawing and writing challenge based on the Destiny universe. This year fortune has laid before you 31 prompts (one for each day of December), but remember: Guardians make their own fate. Take inspiration wherever you find it- and at whatever pace you see fit. Write about original or cannon characters, do prompts out of order, even skip them- just be sure to have fun!
Please keep your entries Safe For Work, use the #destcember2021 tag, and leave a prompt number.
Be Brave!
Destcember 2021 prompt list:
1) Ghost Stories
2) Trials
3) O Captain, My Captain
4) As The Crow Flies
5) Wrath
6) Bending and Breaking
7) Trajectory
8) On the Road
9) Mess with the Best
10) I of the Storm
11) Lost and Found
12) Which Witch?
13) Pyramid Scheme
14) Formal Attire
15) Titan Fall
16) Worthy
17) Did You Hear That?
18) Cracked Glass
19) Run!
20) Sleepless
21) Do Not Touch
22) The Masks We Wear
23) Caught
24) Two Birds, One Stone
25) Daydreams
26) Pacifist
27) What If?
28) Gilded Cage
29) Antique Hardware
30) Quarantine Zone
31) Snow Day
