Editing Tree of Silver Wings

{{image|Tree within Essence and the Pale Heart}}
[[File:Silver Wings - Pure 1.png|300px|thumb|The tree of silver wings in the [[Cradle]].]]
{{quote|In the Garden grows a tree of silver wings. The leaves are ruin, the bark disaster. Of the [[Seed of Silver Wings|seeds]] we do not speak.|[[Ruin Wings]] flavor text}}<ref>'''Bungie (2014/12/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Dark Below]] - Item Description: [[Ruin Wings]]''</ref>

The '''Tree of Silver Wings''' is a mysterious entity referred to by multiple sources, typically in association with either the [[Black Garden]] or the metaphorical "[[Garden]]" allegorically used to describe the state of reality predating the universe.<ref name="Seed">'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Arrivals]] - Item Description: [[Seed of Silver Wings#Lore|Seed of Silver Wings]]''</ref>

==The Garden Before Time==
{{Quote|The day was longer than all of time, and the night was swifter than a glint of light on a falling sugar crystal. ''[…]'' A tree of silver wings bloomed yielded fruit shed feathers bloomed again.|[[Lore:Unveiling#Gardener and Winnower|Unveiling: Gardener and Winnower]]}}<ref name = 'Gardener and Winnower'>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]] - [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiiling]]: [[Lore:Unveiling#Gardener and Winnower|Gardener and Winnower]]''</ref>

According to several Lore entries, a "tree of silver wings" once existed in the primordial "garden" which predated the universe, alongside the entities known as the [[Light|Gardener]] and the [[Darkness|Winnower]]. The tree is described as being associated with ruin, disaster, and violence, with its "entelechy" being realized by the deaths of sentient beings, the fall of civilizations, and every ''"leaf forged into instruments of ruin"''. It is said that nothing grew in its shadow, and that it ''"[scintillated] faintly at dusk".''<ref>'''Bungie (2017/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]] - Item Description: [[Mk. 44 Stand Asides#Lore|Mk. 44 Stand Asides]]''</ref> The tree was later brought down by the Gardener and Winnower as they fought with each other, and was ''"left to smoke amid the meadows"''<ref name = 'Gardener and Winnower2'>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]] - [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]: [[Lore:Unveiling#T = 0|T=0]]''</ref>.

The tree is also described as producing "seeds." These seeds are described as "malleable and hungering," and it is said in several places that they are ''"not to be spoken of"'', nor is that which they become. Eris stated that the Tree and its seeds are "fluid" in nature, acting as "engines of integration" that feed upon Light and Darkness, which are in contest with one another within its structure.<ref name="Seed"/>

==Discovery within the Black Garden==
When the Guardians [[Garden of Salvation|raided]] the [[Black Garden]] to follow the signal of the [[Unknown Artifact]], they discovered a felled Tree of Silver Wings. Inside what remained of the severed trunk, after defeating the [[Sanctified Mind, Sol Inherent|Sanctified Mind]] that protected it, the Guardians would discover a [[Black Fleet#Veiled Figures|Precursor statue]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]] - [[Garden of Salvation]]''</ref>

==Discovery on Io==
{{Main|Tree of Silver Wings (Io)}}

Another "Tree of Silver Wings" would be discovered by the [[The Guardian|Guardian]] and [[Eris Morn]] in the heart of the [[The Cradle|Cradle]] on [[Io]]. Eris claimed that the Tree in the Cradle was the offspring of the Tree which had been felled in the Black Garden.<ref name="Seed"/> However, it would be revealed that  [[Osiris]] had in fact used a Seed from the [[Black Fleet]], which [[Mara Sov]] subsequently instructed him to plant.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/3/10)''', ''[[Weblore:Season of the Worthy]] - [[Weblore:Season of the Worthy#What Gives Me Pause|What Gives Me Pause]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2020/3/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Worthy]] - [[Lore:Trials and Tribulations|Trials and Tribulations]]: [[Lore:Trials and_Tribulations#Chapter 8 - Idolatry|Chapter 8 - Idolatry]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2023/12/27)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Wish]], [https://youtu.be/uUZmo5bwtT4?si=_4T7pnhpP3lweaSf Ahamkara Tales: Osiris and Mara]''</ref>

==Discovery within the Heart==
{{expand-section}}
Upon first entering the [[The Pale Heart|Pale Heart]], the Guardian and their Ghost experienced a vision of an "orchard" of Trees of Silver Wings, which resembled the Tree found in the Cradle on Io in overall form, but were composed of more natural-looking wood. These trees were depicted as being overtaken by a tide of black liquid, alluding to the Witness' corruption of the Pale Heart.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[Transmigration]]''</ref>

A tree resembling the overall form of the mature Tree of Silver Wings on Io was also found within the [[The Blooming|Blooming]]; however, instead of the silver-white metallic substance of the Tree on Io, this tree seemed to be made out of normal wood, and contained three sculpted representations of [[Oryx, the Taken King|Aurash]], [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen|Sathona]] and [[Xivu Arath, God of War|Xiro]] among its branches.<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]]''</ref>

A smaller "sapling" strongly resembling an immature version of the Tree of Silver Wings discovered on Io was found within the [[The Blooming Deep|Blooming Deep]] [[Lost Sector]], where it was guarded from the Witness' forces by the [[Lucent Brood]] [[Wizard]] [[Luzaku]].<ref>'''Bungie (2024/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Final Shape]] - [[The Blooming Deep]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*A Ghost projection in [[Eververse Trading Company|Eververse]] refers to the tree as the '''Sterling Arbor''', a synonym for "Silver Tree".
*Despite it being referred to as a root within the [[Root of Nightmares]] [[Root of Nightmares#Objectives|Objectives]], the massive tree-like structure within [[Essence]] heavily resembles a Tree of Silver Wings along with its ability to feed off of paracausal powers.
**Adding to this, the Tree within the Pale Heart is also referred to as a root in dialogue, suggesting that root may be another term for a Tree of Silver Wings.
*The Tree of Silver Wings bears some parallels to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_the_knowledge_of_good_and_evil tree of the knowledge of good and evil] featured in the Biblical creation story, being a tree located in a primordial garden at the beginning of time; the duality influences of Light and Darkness seen in the Seeds of Silver Wings, as well as in the Tree found on Io, also echo the Biblical tree's description as containing the knowledge of both good and evil.

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny]]: [[The Dark Below]]'' {{Fm}}
**''[[The Taken King]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Shadowkeep]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of Arrivals]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[Season of the Hunt]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Lightfall]]''
**''[[The Final Shape]]''

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Paracausal entities]]
[[Category:Plants]]