Destiny 2's Season of the Drifter adds some significant new quests for players to chase. The first is the allegiance quest that asks players to choose to throw their loyalty behind either the Drifter or the Vanguard--with some special rewards depending on the choice. The other is a big Exotic weapon quest for players to chase. Following last season's mission to gain The Last Word Exotic hand cannon, the Jokers Wild expansion brings another legendary Destiny 1 gun to Destiny 2: Thorn.

　　There's a ton of story surrounding Thorn, The Last Word, and the Drifter, the central character of the new expansion. The trouble with getting Thorn, though, is the start of it isn't especially clear. Finding the beginning of the Thorn quest requires heading to a specific location that's explained in the lore that's slowly developing as part of the expansion--but you can start it immediately if you know where to go. The spot is hidden in the EDZ near Trostland. You might also want to check out our full Thorn guide that can help you earn the gun as quickly as possible.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - Loadout

　　Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter

　　Now Playing: Destiny 2: Forsaken - Here's How To Start The Secret Thorn Exotic Handcannon Quest (SPOILER WARNING)

　　Warning: Probable spoilers beyond, so read on (and start the quest) at your own risk.

　　To start the Thorn quest, you need to find the camp of Shin Malphur, the Man With The Golden Gun. He's the former owner of The Last Word, and if you completed that quest last season, you read some correspondence with him that illuminated his quest to stop former associates of the Drifter called the Shadows of Yor. During the allegiance quest, the Drifter notes that Shin is in the EDZ, and a datamined piece of lore describes a meeting between Shin and Aunor, a Vanguard Warlock who's also hunting the Shadows. The lore item says that Shin's confrontation with a few Shadows happens in the EDZ's Salt Mines area, and if you head there, you can find the location where it all went down.

　　The video above can show you how to get there. Spawn in at the Trostland location on the map and head north to the tunnel at the end of the area to reach the Salt Mines. Continue forward until you hit the elevator that was part of the early story mission here to reach the top of the mines and meet up with Hawthorne. There's a small teleporter beside the elevator that will take you to the top of the mountain, back outside.

　　Once there, continue up the path until you see a Fallen forcefield to your right. Look up at the cliff wall ahead to spot a small cave with a light inside. Climb up and through to find Shin's camp on the far side, complete with the dead body of a Guardian. Head to the camp fire and you'll be prompted to "Sift through the ashes."

　　That'll uncover "A Melted Hunk of Metal," a twisted piece of Thorn. Take it to Banshee-44 in the Tower to start the Thorn quest.

　　Keep in mind that we don't know if this breaks the end of the allegiance quest line, so cheat your way to Thorn at your own risk. And speaking of possible bugs with the allegiance quest, apparently if you try to pick up the start of the quest with your Pursuits inventory full, it might disappear. Bungie says it's investigating the issue, but be sure to check your inventory before you start it--and before you go track down the Melted Hunk of Metal.

　　The rest of the steps are chronicled in our Thorn guide, which can help you get through the Exotic quest as quickly and efficiently as possible.