Hive-Ecumene war

"...three words, nine word bursts over and over..."This article is based on canon information, but the article title is conjectural, as there is currently no official name for the subject. See the talk page for more information.

Previous:	Hive-Qugu war
Next:	Golden Amputation
Hive-Ecumene war
Fronts:	Ecumene-controlled galaxy
Outcome:	The Ecumene is annihilated to the point that almost all client species are driven extinct; the survivors flee into the intergalactic void The Hive, for the first time, are driven close to extinction by the Ecumene Akka, the Worm of Secrets is killed by Auryx who becomes Oryx, the Taken King, and obtains the power to Take The very first Taken are created from Ecumene military forces Taox flees from the galaxy and the Hive lose track of her
Belligerents The Ecumene Dakaua The Hive Blood of Oryx Savathûn's Brood Xivu Arath's Horde Commanders The Ecumene Ecumene Crisis Council Taox The Hive Oryx, the Taken King Savathûn, the Witch-Queen Xivu Arath, God of War Ir Hanal, Scourge of the Dakaua Strength Ecumene Status Army War angels Sentinels Caedometric weaponry Blood of Oryx War moons Savathûn's Brood Xivu Arath's Horde Taken Casualties Nearly all client species of the Ecumene All military assets once possessed Massive Civilian casualties Ecumene non-combatants

"As of Radial 990 groove 0 the Hive has launched a staggering counterattack across the spinward frontier. Perimeter, militia, and shock fleets report total casualties. We anticipate total Ecumene disintegration/extinction within two hundred twenty years."

— Ecumene Crisis Council

The Hive-Ecumene war was one of countless ancient conflicts between the Hive and other species of the universe.

Prelude

Twenty-four thousand years after the eradication of the Ammonite and the whole system of Fundament, members of the Dakaua Nest found a ship that dated to around the same time. Mercenary explorers would find Taox frozen in stasis. The Eccumene would debrief her, where she revealed records of the Ammonite's fall and intelligence on the motivation, biology and leadership of the species that brought it: the Hive.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Hive; Auryx, Savathûn and Xivu Arath, were dealing with the consequences of the bargain they made with the Worms. Having exterminated the specieses of three hundred and six worlds, the hunger of their Worms had grown more than they could keep up.

Events

In the initial century of the war with the Hive, the Eccumene were unable to stop the Hive on seventeen different worlds. As a result, they began to target the three Hive siblings with maximum theatre overkill, believing that the Hive as a whole would crumble as a result. Utilising War Angels in particular killed Auryx so many times that he dared not step out of his throne world without his full might to protect himself. Despite their overwhelming force, Auryx was able to escape exploding worlds from what he had learned from fighting his sister, Xivu Arath.

Eventually, the three Hive siblings would meet to discuss how they could overcome. Xivu wanted to retire from the fight to regain their strength, and Savathûn suggested they beg the Worm Gods to tell them what to do. Auryx instead insisted they must do whatever they do by killing, seeing this as a challenge by the Worm Gods. Auryx knew a way they could feed their worms and beat the Ecumene, but they needed more power than any one of them could muster without killing the Ecumene by the billions. As such, Auryx killed his sisters, claiming the power of their true deaths, and then went to see Akka, the Worm of Secrets. With their strength, Auryx killed Akka and stole the secret of calling upon the Deep itself from the Worm's carved pieces. After writing them down on a set of tablets that he called the Tablets of Ruin, Auryx went to speak to the Deep and later returned as Oryx, the Taken King.

With the power to Take now in hand, Oryx led the Hive on a counterattack against the Eccumene for a hundred years, turning many of the Eccumene's forces into Taken. After killing the Eccumene's council on the Fractal Wreath, Oryx was able to resurrect Xivu Arath by remembering her as war and the two waged war on the Ecumene for another forty years. Oryx then went to the Dakaua Nest and asked them to help him kill Xivu Arath, telling him that he was jealous of her. The Dakaua agreed out of desperation, but they were led into a trap and wiped out, allowing Oryx to resurrect Savathûn by remembering her as trickery. The remains of the Eccumene fled into the void, but the Hive followed them and waged war on them for a thousand years.

Aftermath

By the end of the war, the Eccumene were exterminated so thoroughly that few records of them remained, aside from the Books of Sorrow, the memory of the fleeng Taox and a data fragment found on the Witness' Pyramid.

Following this, Oryx would establish the tithing system to ensure the Worms' hunger would be sated.

List of appearances

• Destiny: The Taken King (First mentioned)
• Destiny 2: Season of the Deep (Mentioned only)