Embarking on the "Of Queens and Worms" quest in Destiny 2 is the essential step towards acquiring the unique and powerful Parasite Exotic Grenade Launcher. This journey unfolds after the climactic conclusion of The Witch Queen campaign, delving deeper into the intricate relationship between the Hive, their Worm Gods, and the Awoken Queen, Mara Sov. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of each step, offering strategies, locations, and insights to help Guardians successfully navigate this multi-stage quest and claim their worm-launching prize.
Preparing for the Quest: Prerequisites and Initiation
Before the quest "Of Queens and Worms" becomes available, Guardians must first complete the entirety of The Witch Queen main story campaign. The difficulty level chosen for the campaign does not impact quest availability, although completing it on Legendary difficulty is advantageous, granting a full set of 1520 Power Level gear which helps meet the recommended Power levels for later quest steps.
Once Savathûn is defeated and the campaign concludes, the journey begins:
- Speak with Ikora Rey: Locate Ikora at the Enclave on Mars. Her dialogue will initiate the "Of Queens and Worms" quest line.
- Meet Mara Sov: Ikora directs you to meet Queen Mara Sov. She awaits within the Enclave, specifically in the weapon testing range situated behind the Relic used for weapon crafting. Interacting with Savathûn's Dying Worm near Mara triggers a cutscene where she explains the situation and enlists your aid in preserving the worm – and the secrets it holds. This interaction formally starts the multi-step quest.
The placement of this quest immediately after the campaign signifies its importance as a narrative bridge, dealing with the direct aftermath of Savathûn's defeat and setting up future plot threads involving the Witness.
Quest Overview: A Roadmap Through the Throne World
The "Of Queens and Worms" quest spans 17 distinct steps, taking players across various locations within Savathûn's Throne World. Given its length, estimated to take roughly two to three hours, having a clear overview is invaluable. The structure involves cycles of locating key items (Cryptoglyph Runes), clearing specific activities (Strikes, Lost Sectors), and interacting with unique quest objects (Incubators), culminating in a unique final mission.
The following table provides a quick reference for the entire quest chain, outlining the objective and location for each major step:
| Step # | Objective | Location | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meet Mara Sov | Enclave (Mars) | Interact with Dying Worm |
| 2 | Complete Strike | Birthplace of the Vile | Place worm on incubator post-boss |
| 3 | Visit Fynch | Throne World (Quagmire) | Receive next instructions |
| 4 | Locate Cryptoglyph Rune | Temple of the Cunning | Defeat Fanatic's Chosen Scorn |
| 5 | Charge Rune | Throne World | Defeat 100 Scorn |
| 6 | Find Lost Sector Entrance | Sepulcher (Florescent Canal) | Locate entrance under platform arches |
| 7 | Complete Lost Sector & Incubator | Sepulcher (Florescent Canal) | Use Deepsight, find incubator in hidden passage |
| 8 | Complete Patrols | Florescent Canal | Complete 3 patrols |
| 9 | Locate Cryptoglyph Rune | Queen's Bailey | Defeat Lightbearer Acolyte & Hive |
| 10 | Find Lost Sector Entrance | Metamorphosis (Miasma) | Locate cave entrance near large tree |
| 11 | Complete Lost Sector & Incubator | Metamorphosis (Miasma) | Use Deepsight, find incubator in hidden room |
| 12 | Locate Cryptoglyph Rune | Alluring Curtain | Defeat Lightbearer Knight & Hive |
| 13 | Find Deepsight Cache | Alluring Curtain | Activate Deepsight, shoot 3 torches, loot chest |
| 14 | Find Lost Sector Entrance | Extraction (Quagmire) | Use Deepsight near cliff to find entrance |
| 15 | Complete Lost Sector & Incubator | Extraction (Quagmire) | Use Deepsight, find incubator behind statue |
| 16 | Visit Fynch | Throne World (Quagmire) | Obtain Hive Casing, start final mission |
| 17 | Complete Mission | Parasitic Pilgrimage | Multi-phase mission culminating in reward |
This table serves as a high-level checklist, allowing players to quickly track their progress through this extensive quest.
Detailed Quest Walkthrough: Steps 1-17
With the overview established, let's delve into the specifics of each step.
Step 1: Audience with the Queen
As detailed previously, the quest begins by meeting Mara Sov in the Enclave on Mars and interacting with the Dying Worm.
Steps 1-2: Birthplace of the Vile
Objective: Complete the "Birthplace of the Vile" Strike.
Location: This specific version of the strike is launched via a dedicated node on the Throne World map, typically found in the northwest corner. The recommended Power Level is 1510. Matchmaking is enabled if you don't have a full fireteam.
Walkthrough: The strike guides players through tunnels into the Witch's Echo area, facing Scorn including Lillix, Lightscourge. Progress involves entering a Pyramid structure, clearing a large cavern of Scorn (including a Lacerated Abomination), traversing more halls, and emerging outside near a barrier. After dialogue, the barrier drops, leading into a room requiring Scorn clearance and Corruption removal from a receptacle, opening a portal. The subsequent section involves careful platforming across columns while fighting Scorn, notably Screebs. A key mechanic involves disabling two Resonance Slabs while defending against enemies.
Following this, players ascend, defeat a Corrupted Chieftain, cross floating platforms, and enter a room to acquire the Cryptoglyph by clearing Corruption after defeating Scorn guards. More platforming leads to a Portal Warden; defeating it opens another portal to the Harvest area. After clearing another room and heading back outside, players face more Scorn at the base of stairs, including Cadori, Lightscourge, before the final encounter. The boss is Heimiks, Warden of the Harvester.
Quest Specifics: This version features unique dialogue between Ghost and Mara Sov. Some interactions might take longer to accommodate this dialogue. Crucially, after activating the resonant slabs, players must collect a Cryptoglyph from a basin before proceeding. After defeating Heimiks, a Deepsight cloud appears.
Final Action: Activate the Deepsight cloud revealed post-boss. This materializes an incubator or altar. Interact with it to place the worm, completing this step.
The Heimiks fight involves being teleported to a different area upon reaching health thresholds (e.g., one-third health depleted). Players must fight through Scorn (including Screebs) in this secondary area and defeat a Portal Warden to return to the main boss arena.
Effective add control is crucial throughout the strike, especially in the boss room; using abilities like Vortex Grenades (Warlock), blinding effects, or area denial weapons (Witherhoard) to manage enemy spawns is highly recommended. Prioritize killing Chieftain totems quickly to prevent immune enemies.
Step 3: Visit Fynch
Objective: Speak with Fynch.
Location: Find Fynch in his usual location within the Quagmire area of the Throne World.
Dialogue: Fynch explains that the Cryptoglyph obtained from the strike holds the key but must first be re-energized.
Steps 4-5: Temple of Cunning Rune & Scorn Cleansing
Objective 1 (Step 4): Locate a Cryptoglyph rune within the Temple of the Cunning.
Location: Access the Temple of the Cunning from the Quagmire region. The path follows routes similar to those taken during "The Ghost" campaign mission. Using the map marker or placing a personal waypoint is advised for navigation. Players will traverse underground caverns; after passing through the first area with Hive Membranes and emerging into a familiar chamber, proceed to the back (instead of turning left as in the campaign) and use the golden portal. The journey is primarily traversal-focused; engaging every enemy along the path isn't necessary to reach the objective.
Encounter: Upon reaching the designated entrance/final chamber within the Temple, a large wave of Scorn enemies will spawn, led by a powerful Fanatic's Chosen. Defeating all these enemies, including the Fanatic's Chosen, is required to complete the step and acquire the Cryptoglyph rune.
Objective 2 (Step 5): Defeat 100 Scorn enemies anywhere in the Throne World destination to charge the depleted rune.
Efficient farming can be done in areas with high Scorn density:
- The Miasma region is a good patrol space
- The Extraction Lost Sector in Quagmire also features Scorn
- Re-running the Birthplace of the Vile strike
- Participating in the Wellspring activity (if Scorn are the featured enemy)
Steps 6-7: Secrets of the Sepulcher
Objective 1 (Step 6): Find the entrance to the Sepulcher Lost Sector.
Location: This Lost Sector is located within the Florescent Canal area. The map marker will indicate the general vicinity. Lost Sector entrances are marked by a specific symbol, often painted near the opening, resembling a semi-circle or tunnel. For Sepulcher, look for a raised platform area indicated by the marker; jump down on the curved side of this platform and look back towards the wall you came from. The entrance is located under one of the arches in this curved wall.
Objective 2 (Step 7): Complete the Sepulcher Lost Sector and locate the larvae incubator.
Walkthrough: Clear the Lost Sector of all enemies, which typically include Hive and potentially Hive Guardians. After defeating the final boss and clearing the room, a Deepsight orb or cloud will appear, usually in the center of the final room. Interact with this Deepsight node. Doing so will reveal a previously hidden passage or platform. This passage is often located in the back of the room or sometimes involves jumping up to an opening in the ceiling. Navigate this passage to find a room containing the larvae incubator. Interact with the incubator and listen to the ensuing dialogue to complete the step.
Step 8: Canal Recon
Objective: Complete three patrol missions in the Florescent Canal area.
Patrols can be located by pulling out your Ghost and looking for the corresponding icons (small grey diamonds with white symbols). This step can be completed quickly by repeating the same patrol type three times. Focus on faster patrol objectives, such as:
- Kill patrols (icon: diamond surrounded by four triangles)
- Resource collection/scavenge patrols (icon: pyramid shape)
Step 9: Queen's Bailey Rune
Objective: Locate another Cryptoglyph Rune, this time in the Queen's Bailey.
Location: The Queen's Bailey is situated north of the Florescent Canal. Tracking the quest will place a marker on the map to guide you.
Encounter: Proceed to the marked location, which is towards the opposite side of the Bailey area. Upon arrival, waves of Hive enemies will spawn. The final wave includes a challenging Lightbearer Acolyte. Defeat all enemies, including the Lightbearer, to make the Cryptoglyph Rune appear for collection.
Steps 10-11: Metamorphosis Mysteries
Objective 1 (Step 10): Find the entrance to the Metamorphosis Lost Sector.
Location: This Lost Sector is found within the Miasma region of the Throne World. The quest marker on the map will show the general area. To find the entrance, especially if approaching from the Quagmire, head towards the very large tree in the Miasma. Drive past the area indicated by the marker, then turn around and look back; the entrance is a cave marked with the Lost Sector symbol.
Objective 2 (Step 11): Complete the Metamorphosis Lost Sector and find the next incubator.
Walkthrough: Clear the Lost Sector of Hive enemies, potentially including Hive Guardians. After defeating all enemies, locate the Deepsight orb/cloud, which appears in the chest room. Interacting with the Deepsight node reveals a hidden passage or doorway, often by making a large rock disappear. Enter the newly opened area to find the incubator. Interact with it and listen to the dialogue to finish the step.
Steps 12-13: Alluring Curtain Cache
Objective 1 (Step 12): Locate the Cryptoglyph rune hidden in the Alluring Curtain.
Location: The Alluring Curtain area is south of the Florescent Canal. Track the quest marker for guidance. As you travel towards the objective, expect additional dialogue between Ghost and Mara Sov. The path involves platforming sections and may require using Deepsight to reveal pathways.
Encounter: Progress until you reach the end area, often described as a balcony outside Savathûn's palace. Here, you will face waves of Hive enemies, culminating in a battle against a Lightbearer Knight. Defeat all enemies.
Objective 2 (Step 13): Find the nearby Deepsight cache containing the rune.
After the combat encounter, you learn the rune was stolen and hidden. Turn around from the combat area and locate a Deepsight orb. Interact with it. This action reveals a series of floating platforms above you. Three of these platforms will have unlit torches suspended over them. Shoot these three torches to ignite them. Successfully lighting all three torches causes a chest to materialize near the Deepsight orb. Loot this chest to retrieve the Cryptoglyph rune.
Steps 14-15: Extraction Excavation
Objective 1 (Step 14): Find the entrance to the Extraction Lost Sector.
Location: This Lost Sector is in the Quagmire area, near Fynch's location. The map marker indicates the general vicinity. Look for a cliff face; the Lost Sector symbol might be on a small rock nearby. A Deepsight orb is located right next to this area. Activate the Deepsight node. This will reveal platforms or ledges. Jump down onto these revealed surfaces and head to the right (facing the edge) to find the actual Lost Sector entrance.
Objective 2 (Step 15): Complete the Extraction Lost Sector and find the final incubator.
Walkthrough: Clear the Lost Sector of its inhabitants (Hive, possibly Hive Guardians). After defeating the enemies, proceed towards the exit. In the hallway or end area, locate another Deepsight orb/cloud. Activate it. This will reveal a hidden room or passage, often concealed behind a large statue. Enter this secret area to find the last incubator. Interact with it and listen to the dialogue.
Step 16: Final Check-in with Fynch
Objective: Return to Fynch and speak with him.
Dialogue: Fynch provides the player with a "Hive Casing". He also delivers urgent news: Savathûn's dormant curse is now actively killing her worm, necessitating immediate action. This conversation serves as the trigger for the final mission.
Step 17: Parasitic Pilgrimage
Objective: Complete the unique mission "Parasitic Pilgrimage".
Location: This mission is launched from the Throne World map, potentially indicated near the Florescent Canal. It carries a recommended Power Level of 1520.
Phase 1: Carrying the Worm: The mission starts with the task of keeping Savathûn's worm alive by carrying it. You must move through the environment, collecting charges by running through pools of green Hive energy on the ground. A countdown timer tracks how long you have until the worm detonates. While carrying the worm, weapon use is restricted, but you can perform a risky melee attack with the worm itself that causes nearby enemies to explode. Focus on navigating hazards (like instant-death traps near the Court of Thorns) and collecting energy from the wells (sources mention needing to collect from 5, then more, up to 16 wells total). Avoid combat where possible.
Phase 2: Stealing Hive Light: Once the worm is satiated (all wells collected), a Deepsight orb appears. Use it to reveal a secret passage. Follow the corridor to an area where you must steal three sources of Concentrated Hive Light. Each light source is initially protected by a green Hive barrier or energy cage. To lower the barrier, you must defeat all surrounding Hive enemies. As enemies are defeated, floating Hive crystals appear in the air. Shoot all the crystals (usually three per light source) to disable the barrier, allowing you to interact with the trap/light source and steal the energy. Repeat this process three times, likely involving moving between different rooms or floors within a larger chamber.
Phase 3: The Ritual: After stealing the third light source, escape the pursuing Hive. Find another Deepsight orb near some Acolytes, use it to open a gated doorway, and enter the portal beyond. This transports you to the ritual site, possibly the Temple of the Wrathful. Approach the large green orb/well in the center, deposit the worm, and stand on the plate to begin the ritual. You must defend this location against waves of attacking Scorn enemies.
Phase 4: Delivering to Mara & Final Stand: Once the defense phase is complete, pick up the worm again. You need to transport it deeper into the temple to Mara Sov. Be aware that another timer becomes active during this transport section. Reach Mara and interact with her. At this point, she entrusts you with the newly formed Parasite Exotic Grenade Launcher. The final task is to use Parasite to defend Mara from more waves of Scorn while she finishes the ritual. Conveniently, pools of green Hive energy appear around the area; standing in these will replenish your Heavy ammo, allowing continuous use of Parasite. Successfully defending Mara concludes the mission and the entire quest line.
While the quest, including the final mission, can be completed solo, the worm-carrying phase can be easier with teammates drawing enemy fire. Be aware of potential bugs:
- The detonation timer sometimes continues even after placing the worm with Mara if it was dropped beforehand.
- Another reported issue involves getting stuck before the ritual phase; a potential fix involves going back through the portal you used to arrive at the ritual site and returning.
The structure of "Of Queens and Worms" showcases a deliberate design choice to blend familiar gameplay loops with unique experiences. The core cycle of finding runes and clearing Lost Sectors provides a steady rhythm, preventing the player from feeling completely lost in the multi-step process. However, objectives like the Scorn kill requirement and the patrol step serve as minor breaks in this pattern. The introduction of Deepsight puzzles for cache retrieval adds another layer. This varied approach culminates in the "Parasitic Pilgrimage" mission, which introduces entirely novel mechanics—carrying the volatile worm, stealing light via environmental interaction, and a climactic defense—that stand apart from the rest of the quest. This variety is key to maintaining player engagement throughout the significant time investment required.
Reward Analysis: Understanding Your Parasite
Completing "Of Queens and Worms" grants the Guardian the Parasite Exotic Grenade Launcher. This weapon occupies the Heavy slot and deals Solar damage. Its most striking feature is its ammunition – instead of traditional grenades, it fires live, explosive Hive worms.
Parasite is a unique Solar Heavy Grenade Launcher that fires live Hive worms as projectiles. Its damage potential scales dramatically based on kills made with other weapons before firing, making it ideal for massive burst damage in high-stakes situations.
Intrinsic Trait: Worm's Hunger
Mechanic: The fundamental trait of Parasite dictates that firing the weapon launches a Hive worm projectile which explodes on impact. The crucial element is that both the physical size of the explosion and the damage it inflicts scale directly with the number of "Worm's Hunger" stacks accumulated before firing.
Stacking: Guardians can accumulate up to a maximum of 20 stacks of Worm's Hunger. These stacks are generated by securing kills with other equipped weapons (Primary or Special) or abilities while Parasite is held or stowed. It is essential to land the final blow for the kill to count towards a stack. Defeating more powerful enemies, such as Majors (orange bar), Ultras, Champions, or bosses, grants multiple stacks per kill, accelerating the process. A significant advantage is that Worm's Hunger stacks do not decay over time, allowing players to build them up in anticipation of a damage opportunity. However, dying will reset all accumulated stacks to zero.
Damage Scaling: The damage increase is substantial. Each stack of Worm's Hunger provides an additive 10% damage bonus to the worm's explosion, culminating in a massive 200% damage increase (effectively triple damage) at the maximum 20 stacks. This turns Parasite's single shot into an incredibly potent burst damage tool. Damage figures observed in testing include over 300,000 damage against a Wizard and approximately 264,000 total damage (211k explosion + 53k impact) against a Lost Sector Ogre at x20 stacks.
Exotic Perk: Worm Byproduct
Mechanic: This perk introduces a unique risk-reward element. If the Guardian takes damage from the explosion of their own Parasite projectile, their other equipped weapons gain a temporary damage buff.
Buff Details: The "Worm Byproduct" buff provides a universal damage increase to all other weapons. Sources vary slightly on the percentage, citing either 10% or 15%. It's safe to assume a 10-15% increase. This buff lasts for 10 seconds. It does not stack with itself if triggered multiple times in succession, but importantly, it does stack with other common damage buffs like Well of Radiance, Radiant, or weapon surge mods. The game mitigates the risk somewhat by reducing the self-damage inflicted by Parasite compared to typical grenade launchers.
Activation: To trigger Worm Byproduct, the player must be positioned close enough to their own Parasite explosion to incur splash damage.
Stats and Other Perks
Parasite features fixed stats and perks. Notable base stats include a maximum Blast Radius of 100, a single-round Magazine, and a base Rounds Per Minute of 120. Its fixed weapon perks are Volatile Launch (increases blast radius, decreases handling/projectile speed), High-Explosive Ordnance (increases blast radius/projectile speed, decreases magazine size - redundant here but part of the archetype), and Composite Stock (slightly increases stability and handling). As of now, Parasite does not have an Exotic Catalyst.
The interplay between Worm's Hunger and Worm Byproduct defines Parasite's unique gameplay loop. It actively discourages simply firing the weapon repeatedly. Instead, it incentivizes a cycle:
- Use primary/special weapons and abilities to eliminate rank-and-file enemies, building Worm's Hunger stacks.
- Identify a high-value target or a brief damage window.
- Unleash the single, high-damage Parasite shot.
- Optionally, position aggressively to trigger Worm Byproduct from the self-inflicted splash damage.
- Utilize the Worm Byproduct buff to enhance damage output with other weapons during its 10-second duration.
This calculated approach, focusing on setup and burst, contrasts sharply with weapons designed for sustained damage output, carving out a specific, powerful niche for Parasite.
Using Your Parasite: Strategy & Synergies
Understanding Parasite's mechanics is the first step; optimizing its use requires specific strategies and build considerations.
Optimal Usage Strategy
The core strategy revolves around maximizing Worm's Hunger before each shot. Prioritize reaching the x20 stack cap by defeating weaker enemies with your other weapons or abilities. Once charged, Parasite becomes an exceptional tool for instantly deleting high-priority targets like Champions (often capable of one-shotting them even without a stun), powerful minibosses, or delivering a massive opening blow during very short boss damage phases.
A crucial quality-of-life improvement comes from using Grenade Launcher Holster mods on leg armor. Despite having only one round in the magazine, Parasite uniquely benefits from these mods, automatically reloading itself after a short duration while stowed. This allows for a much smoother gameplay loop: fire Parasite, switch to other weapons to deal damage or rebuild stacks, and find Parasite reloaded when needed again, bypassing its manual reload entirely.
Pairing Parasite with weapons featuring perks like Harmony (bonus damage after kills with other weapons) or Sympathetic Arsenal (reloads stowed weapons on reload after final blow) can further enhance this synergy.
Worm Byproduct Activation
Activating Worm Byproduct requires intentionally taking splash damage from Parasite's explosion. This is a high-risk maneuver, best employed when you can mitigate the health loss through healing effects like Restoration, Cure, or standing in a Well of Radiance. When successful, the 10-15% damage buff applies to your other weapons for 10 seconds, making it valuable for enhancing follow-up damage with Special or Primary weapons immediately after firing Parasite.
Build Synergies
The Path of Burning Steps Exotic legs provide stacking Solar weapon damage buffs (Firewalker) on Solar final blows, which synergizes directly with Parasite and Solar abilities. Heart of Inmost Light enhances ability regeneration, helping build stacks faster. Builds focusing on survivability (healing from hammers, Well of Life mods) can help manage Worm Byproduct risk.
Combining Parasite's burst with high-damage Supers like Blade Barrage (boosted by Star-Eater Scales) or Golden Gun (with Celestial Nighthawk) creates potent damage combos. Prismatic Hunters using Sealed Ahamkara Grasps can leverage powered melee/finisher kills to gain a significant weapon damage buff (Nightmare Fuel) and automatically reload stowed weapons, enabling rapid swaps and sustained damage phases involving Parasite.
Builds focused on rapid ability regeneration (e.g., using Void grenades for Weaken) help generate stacks quickly. Well of Radiance provides both damage buffs and healing to mitigate self-damage when activating Worm Byproduct.
General Synergies: Stacking external buffs like Well of Radiance or Ward of Dawn, applying debuffs like Tether or Tractor Cannon, and using weapon surge mods matching Parasite's Solar element dramatically increase its damage potential.
Weapon Comparisons
Parasite occupies a specific niche. Compared to sustained DPS kings like Gjallarhorn, Sleeper Simulant, or Whisper of the Worm, Parasite generally falls short in total damage over extended boss phases. However, its single-shot burst damage at x20 stacks is often unparalleled. It can out-damage a single Gjallarhorn shot significantly and hits harder per shot than Explosive Light rockets, though rockets can be fired more rapidly. Its primary advantage lies in encounters demanding massive damage within extremely short windows (like the Atraks-1 encounter in the Deep Stone Crypt raid) or for deleting powerful single targets instantly.
Aiming Tips (Controller Focus)
Parasite's projectiles have a noticeable arc and relatively low velocity, requiring some practice to master. For controller players aiming grenade launchers:
- Find a comfortable sensitivity setting. Start low (look sensitivity 3-5, ADS multiplier 0.8-1.0) and adjust gradually.
- Utilize left-stick movement (strafing) for fine-tuning aim adjustments, letting aim assist handle the initial target acquisition.
- Prioritize crosshair placement and centering; keep your reticle at anticipated enemy height.
- Pre-aim corners and engagement points.
- Consider adjusting Field of View (FoV) between 85-100, but be aware this impacts how sensitivity feels.
Troubleshooting and Final Tips
Even well-trodden quests can present obstacles. Here are some common issues and tips for the "Of Queens and Worms" quest:
Common Bugs & Fixes
Mara Sov Missing: If Mara Sov isn't present in the Enclave after completing the campaign, it might be because the quest has already been completed on another character on the same account. Exotic quests like this are typically account-wide unlocks.
Quest Abandoned: If the quest is accidentally deleted from your inventory, check the Quest Archive kiosk located in the Tower Courtyard (to the left of the Postmaster) or potentially at the Enclave. Abandoned quests can usually be reacquired there.
Parasitic Pilgrimage Issues:
- Persistent Timer: A bug has been reported where the worm detonation timer continues counting down and kills the player even after successfully placing the worm with Mara, particularly if the worm was dropped just before placement. Avoid dropping the worm right at the final moment.
- Stuck Before Ritual: Some players have reported getting stuck after entering the portal to the ritual area, with the objective marker pointing to an inaccessible location. A potential workaround is to go back through the portal you just used, then return to the ritual site; this may reset the objective trigger.
Quest Efficiency Tips
- Legendary Campaign Start: As mentioned, finishing the campaign on Legendary provides 1520 Power gear, easing the 1510/1520 recommended Power for the strike and final mission.
- Finding Lost Sectors: Remember the visual cues: map markers give the general area, look for the painted Lost Sector symbol near entrances, and follow specific environmental descriptions (arches for Sepulcher, cave near tree for Metamorphosis, Deepsight ledges for Extraction).
- Scorn/Patrol Farming: Utilize efficient locations like Miasma, Extraction LS, or Wellspring for Scorn kills. Complete quick patrol types (kill/scavenge) repeatedly in Florescent Canal.
Parasite's Other Uses
Beyond its combat role, obtaining Parasite is necessary for certain activities and Triumphs within the Throne World ecosystem. Its unique worm projectile is required to destroy the Darkness Rifts scattered across the destination. Furthermore, acquiring Parasite is a mandatory step for completing the Throne World Collector badge and the associated Gumshoe Title. This adds long-term value and utility to the weapon beyond its direct damage output.
Conclusion: Wielding the Worm
The "Of Queens and Worms" quest represents a significant undertaking, guiding Guardians from the aftermath of Savathûn's defeat through a series of challenges across her Throne World. By following Mara Sov's cryptic instructions, navigating strikes and Lost Sectors, hunting runes, and ultimately surviving the perilous "Parasitic Pilgrimage," players forge a unique bond with Savathûn's worm, culminating in the acquisition of the Parasite Exotic Grenade Launcher.
Congratulations on obtaining this fascinating and potent weapon. Parasite is more than just a tool of destruction; it's a piece of living lore, intrinsically tied to the complex narrative of Destiny 2. Its unique mechanics—Worm's Hunger and Worm Byproduct—encourage a distinct, high-impact playstyle centered around calculated burst damage. Experiment with its synergies, integrate it into powerful builds, and discover its devastating potential in specific scenarios, particularly against high-value targets and during brief damage windows. May your worm find its mark.
"This weapon doesn't simply fire ammunition. It launches a living creature — hungry and eager to feed on your enemies."