Editing War against the Witness

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|result='''1ST PHASE'''

*Rhulk is slain inside [[The Sunken Pyramid]]

*Psychic connection between [[The Lunar Pyramid]] and the [[Leviathan (ship)|Leviathan]] is severed

*The relics of Nezarec are safely secured by [[The Guardian]], with assistance from House of Light and House of Spider

**The Witness punishes Eramis for her failure to secure the relics, and begins transforming fallen members of House Salvation into Scorn, including [[Praksis, the Technocrat|some of her dead council members]]

**[[Osiris]] is awoken from a coma after Mithrax distilled the relics into a cure, and discovers a secret Savathûn hid on the planet [[Neptune]]

*Rasputin is temporarily rebuilt

**[[Seraph Bunker]]s and [[Seraph Station]] are secured from the assault of Xivu Arath's forces.

**[[The Traveler]] departs the [[Last City]] as it attempts to confront the Witness and its fleet head on.

***House Salvation assaults Seraph Station in one last bid to stop the Vanguard, with Eramis attempting to use Rasputin's [[Warsat]] network to destroy the Traveler.

**Existence of a [[Neomuna|civilization]] on Neptune along with a paracasual artifact linked to the Traveler known as [[The Veil]] is confirmed

*The Coalition and the allies of humanity prepare themselves to face the Witness and its incoming fleet.

'''2ND PHASE'''

*The Witness and its fleet finally reach [[Earth]]'s orbit and begin their assault.

***Calus, the Witness's latest Disciple, is sent to invade Neomuna with his [[Shadow Legion]] to secure the Veil.

***Neomuna turned into active warzone due to the invasion, as all Neomuni are promoted to active defense roles.

****The Vex of the [[Sol Collective]] restart their invasion of city, taking advantage of the turmoil and chaos caused by the Shadow Legion.

**The Guardian, along with Osiris, reach Neomuna as it becomes under siege from the Shadow Legion's invasion, and ally themselves with the city's Cloud Striders: [[Nimbus]] and [[Rohan]].

**[[Strand]] is discovered, and over time The Guardian is able to wield it, along with discovering what The Veil is.

**The Shadow Legion suffer major losses, first with the [[Radial Mast]] being destroyed, and with Calus being slain by The Guardian.

**The Witness manages to establish a link with The Veil, and it begins the [[Final Shape]] by opening a portal over the Traveler

***The Traveler is left unresponsive, its light becoming harder for [[Ghost]]s to find

***Several attempts are made to enter the portal, all of which end in failure.

**Nezarec is slain shortly afterwards in the Witness's [[Essence|flagship]].

*Captives taken during the [[Invasion of Earth|Shadow Legion's invasion of Earth]] are rescued from Shadow Legion outposts.

**[[Amanda Holliday]] is rescued and later killed in a trap after saving captives from a secret Shadow Legion prison in the EDZ.

***[[Shadow Legion Flagship]] is destroyed as an act of retribution.

*[[Titan (moon)|Titan]] is returned to the Sol System

**[[Sloane]] is rescued, albeit she is now infused partially with Taken energy.

**[[Ahsa]] is discovered and rescued as the Vanguard aids Sloane in strengthening her connection to Ahsa.

***Ahsa manages to provide vital information to the Vanguard on the Witness and the Final Shape, but also reveals that they must resurrect [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]] in order to find a way through the portal inside the Traveler.

***Their [[Barotrauma|attempt to Take Ahsa]] is thwarted.

**[[Lucent Brood]]'s attempts to resurrect [[Oryx, the Taken King]] are stopped.

*The Vanguard reaches an agreement with [[Immaru]] as he decides to help them resurrect Savathûn, but only if the deal with Xivu Arath first.

**[[Eris Morn]] transforms herself into a Hive God of Vengeance, and begins manipulating the [[Sword Logic]] to have the Guardian bring her enough tithes to challenge Xivu Arath.

*'''Ongoing'''

|side1=*[[The Coalition]]

**[[Imperial Cabal]]

***[[Iron War Beast]]s

**[[House of Light]]

**[[House of Spider]]

**[[Awoken]]

***[[Corsair]]s

***[[Techeun]]s

**[[Neomuna]]

***[[Cloud Strider]]s

|side2=*Forces of [[The Witness]]

**[[Disciples of the Witness]]

**[[Xivu Arath's Horde]]

**[[Wrathborn]]

**[[House of Salvation]]

**[[Scorn]]

**[[Taken]]

***[[Loyalists]]

***[[Shadow Legion]]

**[[Sol Divisive]]

**[[Psion Conclave]]

*[[Lord Saladin]]

*[[Xivu Arath, God of War]]

*[[Eramis, Kell of Darkness]]

*Countless Imperial [[Cabal]] Troops

*Countless [[Fallen]]

*Countless Shadow Legion Troops

*Several [[Tormentor]]s

*Several [[Subjugator]]s

|forces3=*Countless Hive

*Thousands of Hive [[Lightbearer]]s

*Countless Vex

|casual1=*The Traveler {{c|dormant}}

|casual2=*Rhulk, Calus, and Nezarec slain

*Conceptual Mind destroyed

*Thousands of Fallen

*Thousands of Taken

*Thousands of Loyalist

*Thousands of Shadow Legion Troops

*Thousands of Vex platforms

*Dozens of Tormentors

|casual3=*Savathûn killed

*Several [[Axis Mind]]s and high-ranking Vex units destroyed

The '''War against the Witness''' is an ongoing conflict being fought all across [[Sol System|Sol]] between [[The Coalition|Humanity and its allies]] and the forces of [[The Witness|the Witness]], with [[Lucent Brood|other]] [[Vex|parties]] being involved as well. After dealing with the threat [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]] and her brood posed on Sol, the [[Vanguard]] began to shift their attention to prepare for the Witness's arrival. The Vanguard and its allies would take on the threat imposed by [[Severing of the Nightmares|Calus's return and plans to become a disciple]], would task The Guardian with [[Search for Nezarec's Relics|securing the relics of Nezarec]], and they would aid [[Ana Bray]] and [[Osiris]] with [[Battle of the War Gods|rebuilding Rasputin]] in order to both have a means of defense against the Witness and also help Osiris confirm his visions were true.

Shortly after [[ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE (mission)|the final assault on Seraph Station]] the Witness would arrive with its fleet, along with its newest disciple: [[Calus]]. Despite their best efforts, the Witness managed to establish a link with [[The Veil]] after hijacking The Guardian's [[Ghost (Little Light)|Ghost]] and thus begun the [[Final Shape]]. While The Guardian aided in [[Invasion of Earth|prison break operations]] across Earth, the Vanguard would repeatedly try to find a way through the portal, all attempts ending in failure. After the reemergence of [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], the Vanguard would discover that Sloane had survived the disappearance, although she was no partially infused with [[Taken]] energy. The Vanguard also discovered that Sloane had befriended [[Ahsa]], a [[Worm God|proto-worm]] that had fled to Titan after the Witness caused her species to slaughter itself in the name of the [[Sword Logic]]. After [[Skirmish of Titan|strengthening their psychic connection]], Ahsa would reveal to Sloane, and the rest of the Vanguard, about the origins of the Witness and the Final Shape, and that the key to getting through the portal was held by none other than Savathûn herself. After some reluctance, The Vanguard reached an agreement with [[Immaru]], Savathûn's [[Ghost]], in which he would help them bring back Savathûn, under one condition: they deal with her sister, [[Xivu Arath]], first.

Being the first civilization uplifted by the Traveler's [[Light]] in recorded history, the species that would eventually become the Witness lived in a Golden Age and would prosper under its influence. However, their people demanded purpose, so they discovered the Traveler shared a connection with the Veil, an enigma associated with [[Darkness]]. They eventually learn that the Light affects the physical world and the Darkness affects the mental world. After recovering the Veil from the cosmos, they would link it to the Traveler to enact the Final Shape, but the Traveler refuses the connection and leaves their home planet. The species was undeterred in its pursuit of the Final Shape and would use the power of the Darkness to become one singular, unfathomable being. Thus, the Witness was born.

Over time, the Witness would use its philosophy of the Final Shape to recruit other species into its fold. It would do this first with the last [[Lubraean]] named Rhulk, who became the first of its Disciples upon destroying his home planet of [[Lubrae]]. The next species to be influenced by the Witness were the proto-[[Worm God]]s living on [[Fundament]]. The proto-Worm Gods would become seduced by the power it offered and accepted it through their invention of the [[Sword Logic]], but one of their kin escaped Fundament through unknown means.

It would trick the Krill into accepting the Darkness once it saw the Traveler's intention to uplift them, so it used the [[Worm]] familiar to drift into the Osmium Court and warn the [[Osmium King]] of an incoming syzygy on the planet. The King then warned his daughter [[Oryx, the Taken King|Aurash]] of the event. Aurash fled with her sisters [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen|Sathona]] and [[Xivu Arath, God of War|Xi Ro]] as the Osmium Court is overthrown by [[Taox]] and the neighboring Helium Court. Sathona recovered the same worm familiar that warned the Osmium King and now her of the God-Wave forming as a result of the syzygy, but it also told her salvation lies within the depths of Fundament's oceans. The sisters would discover the Needle upon landing at Kaharn Atoll and commandeer the vessel after making the necessary repairs to navigate Fundament's depths. The sisters encounter a creature called [[Leviathan (Fundament)|The Leviathan]], who was injured as a result of Rhulk's subjugation of the Worm God [[Xita, the Nurturing Worm|Xita]] and warns them to turn way, lest they get lost in the Deep. The sisters ignore the Leviathan's warning and discover their salvation in the Worm Gods [[Akka, the Worm of Secrets|Akka]], [[Yul, the Honest Worm|Yul]], [[Xol, Will of the Thousands|Xol]], [[Eir, the Keeper of Order|Eir]], and [[Ur, the Ever-Hunger|Ur]]. The sisters accept the bargain with the Worm Gods and transform the Krill into the [[Hive]]. Aurash took on the King morph and transformed into Auryx, who would become Oryx after discovering the secrets of Taking; Sathona took on the [[Wizard]] morph and transformed into Savathûn; and finally, Xi Ro took on the [[Knight]] morph and transformed into Xivu Arath. The Worm Gods would provide the technology needed to escape Fundament and the Hive's crusades begin after defeating the [[Ammonite]]s and causing the Traveler to flee from Fundament's orbit.

As the Traveler was busy terraforming [[Io]]'s surface, a period of great calamity known as the [[Collapse]] would begin. It would first be seen on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], when the Black Fleet used its weapons to alter Titan's gravity and destroy the structures supporting the [[New Pacific Arcology]] domes. Ahsa, the same proto-Worm that escaped Fundament long ago and sought refuge on Titan's methane seas, was injured by Nezarec, another Disciple of the Witness and the instigator of the Collapse who piloted [[The Lunar Pyramid]]. The Traveler would flee to Earth and defend humanity as a result. It would also affect the people aboard the [[Exodus Green]], where the clash between the Traveler and its ancient enemy resulted in the existence of the [[Distributary]] and subsequently the birth of the Awoken. It would affect the people on Earth as well.

At the final moments of the Collapse, Savathûn would betray the Witness by killing Nezarec and hide the Veil on Neptune, and then the Traveler would sacrifice itself to create the [[Ghosts]] and push back the Black Fleet, temporarily stopping the Witness from enacting the Final Shape. Humanity would soon enter the [[Dark Age]] with the arrival of the [[Cabal]], the Eliksni who are now known to the humans as the Fallen, and the existence of tyrannical [[Lightbearer]]s called [[Warlord]]s in the Sol System.

The Dark Age would soon end with the formation of the [[Last City]] and the fall of the Warlords, The Lightbearers defending the Last City became the [[Guardians]] led by different members of the [[Vanguard]]. The Last City faced many challenges before the arrival of [[The Guardian]], from the [[Battle of Twilight Gap|clash]] with the Fallen united under the banners of the [[House of Devils]], [[House of Kings]], and [[House of Winter]] to the attempted reclamation of the [[Moon]] ending in a [[Great Disaster]]. The people of the Last City soon discover that the Traveler's ancient enemy is coming back to finish what it started during the Collapse and that they are unable to survive it this time.

On the eve of the Darkness's return to the Sol System, a lone Ghost discovers his Guardian's corpse in the outskirts of the [[Cosmodrome]] whilst avoiding the Fallen House of Devils. They soon acquire their first jumpship after dealing with the Fallen and make their way to the Last City to meet the various individuals there: the [[Titan]] Vanguard Commander [[Zavala]], the [[Warlock]] Vanguard [[Ikora Rey]], the [[Hunter]] Vanguard [[Cayde-6]], the [[Crucible]] handler [[Lord Shaxx]], the Gunsmith [[Banshee-44]], and [[The Speaker]], a disciple who speaks for the Traveler. After meeting the people of the Last City, they return to the Cosmodrome to acquire a warp drive, eliminating a Devil [[Archon]] named [[Riksis, Devil Archon|Riksis]] in the process. They soon discover their purpose as a Guardian from the Speaker and he tasks them with investigating what is stopping the Traveler from healing after its conflict with the Darkness during the Collapse. They begin begin solving the mystery upon discovering the Hive's presence in the Cosmodrome. They travel to the Moon to stop the Hive from commencing an invasion on Earth.

They first investigate leads from another Guardian who went missing and eventually died near the entrance to the [[Temple of Crota]], then enter a Hive fortress called the [[Hellmouth]] to seek out [[The World's Grave]], a compendium of Hive knowledge and their plans to invade Earth. They learn of the Hive's plans to conduct a ritual to drain the Traveler's Light and warn the Speaker about the revelation. He organizes the forces of the Last City to stop the ritual. As the Guardian lands near the ritual site, the [[Elisabeth Bray|Exo Stranger]] issues a challenge to them: if they stop the Hive ritual and return alive, she can meet them face to face and discuss a threat more troubling. Ghost tracks the coordinates of the message to [[Venus]]. They discover the ritual in the [[Chamber of Night]] involved the Hive using a piece of the Traveler but were successful in stopping it. They then meet the Stranger in the ruins of [[Ishtar Academy]], who informs them of the [[Black Heart]], a failed replica of the Veil created by the [[Vex]] of the [[Sol Divisive]]. She instructs them to find a way into the [[Black Garden]] and destroy its heart in order for the Traveler to heal. They would seek counsel from the Awoken of the [[Reef]]. They reveal that in order to gain the coordinates to the Black Garden gate, they must first confront a [[Gate Lord]] and retrieve its eye. They return to Venus to lure out and defeat [[Zydron, Gate Lord]]. They present the eye and learn the coordinates to the Black Garden gate lies on [[Meridian Bay]], but they must get past the [[Exclusion Zone]] set up by the Cabal scout legions including the [[Sand Eaters]], [[Dust Giants]], [[Siege Dancers]], and [[Blind Legion]]. They enter the Black Garden after charging the Gate Lord's eye and destroy the Black Heart by defeating 3 frames comprising the [[Sol Progeny]]: the [[Primeval Mind]], the [[Imminent Mind]], and the [[Eschaton Mind]].

The Red War begins as the Cabal [[Red Legion]] under the command of [[Dominus Ghaul]] would activate the [[Traveler Cage]], strip all Guardians of their Light, and invade the Last City. The Dominus aspired to claim the Light for his own, under the mad belief the he is more worthy of it. The Guardian leaves the Last City and reclaims their Light powers from the [[Shard of the Traveler]] after dealing with the Fallen from the [[House of Dusk]], a conglomerate of the Fallen as their continued losses against the Guardians forced the Houses to unite in desperation. After reclaiming their Light, they help the civilians of the [[Farm]] and [[European Dead Zone|EDZ]] before they discover a message from Zavala instructing them to travel to Titan. They do so and and discover a Hive presence as they work along with Zavala, Deputy Commander [[Sloane]], and [[Amanda Holliday]] to restore power to the New Pacific Arcology rig. They do and retrieve the Arcology CPU to decrypt Red Legion transmissions. The decryption reveals that the Red Legion has placed [[The Almighty]], Ghaul's prized warship, near Sol's to destabilize it and destroy the entire system, using [[Mercury]] as its fuel, leading Zavala to task the Guardian with reassembling the Vanguard since they are the only one with the Light. They retrieve Cayde-6 from the planetoid [[Nessus]] and Ikora Rey from Io, disrupting Vex and Red Legion operations in the former and encountering a Taken resurgence in the latter. The Vanguard and [[Suraya Hawthorne]] would formulate a plan to take back the Last City: the Guardian would board the Almighty and disable its star-killing weapon, but first they must break into the Red Legion base and defeat [[Thumos, the Unbroken]]. After the Almighty is disabled, the counterattack begins, but the Vanguard are unable to continue the assault, forcing the Guardian to confront Ghaul themselves inside his flagship, [[The Immortal]]. They are able to defeat him despite his forced acquisition of the Light and reawaken the Traveler from its long-dormant slumber as it sends out a wave of Light across the Milky Way Galaxy. The wave would cause the Black Fleet to mobilize and begin making its way back to the Sol System.

Despite the death of Dominus Ghaul, the Red War would still carry on until the death of [[Val Ca'uor]]. Before they can confront Val Ca'uor, they first had to help an exiled Warlock named Osiris and his Ghost [[Sagira]] stop the Vex from taking advantage of the Traveler's reawakening, then confront Xol and his herald [[Nokris, Herald of Xol|Nokris]] near [[Hellas Basin]]. The death of Val Ca'uor would mark the end of the Red War, but another tragedy soon strikes. While containing the prison break in the [[Prison of Elders]], the Guardian discovers that Cayde-6 has been murdered by [[Uldren Sov]] and the [[Scorn]], a race of Fallen brought back to life through Dark Ether. The Guardian would seek vengeance for the death of Cayde-6 by traveling to the most lawless frontier within the Reef: the [[Tangled Shore]]. They would accept a deal with a shady Fallen mob boss named [[The Spider]] to remove the Scorn's influence on the Tangled Shore and isolate Uldren. After defeating the Scorn [[Baron]]s, they would confront Uldren Sov at the Watchtower, a gateway into the [[Dreaming City]]. It is soon revealed that Uldren was corrupted by [[Riven of a Thousand Voices]], the last living [[Ahamkara]] who was Taken by Oryx shortly before his defeat and now serves Savathûn, but the Guardian would kill him anyways. Petra eventually opens the Dreaming City to them and made contact with Mara, who orders them to slay Riven. Unbeknownst to the Guardian, Riven would grant one last wish before her death: the curse on the Dreaming City. They soon enter the throne world of Mara Sov, [[Eleusinia]] and confront [[Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return|Dûl Incaru]], the daughter of Savathûn, but they discover that Dûl Incaru's death caused the curse to reset itself every 3 weeks. The Guardian would face more threats in the Sol System. They would first help a mysterious Exo named [[Ada-1]] recovery [[Black Armory]] technology stolen by the [[Kell's Scourge]] and its leader [[Siviks, Lost to None|Siviks]], then investigate [[Drifter]], the [[Gambit]] handler with a mysterious connection to the [[The Nine|IX]], and finally accept an invitation sent by former Cabal Emperor Calus to participate for glory through the Menagerie. They soon learn from an apparition of [[Toland, the Shattered|Toland]] that a dark secret is hiding under the Lunar surface and the Vanguard would soon return to the Moon.

The Hive would soon re-emerge, this time under the Daughters of Crota: [[Hashladûn, Daughter of Crota|Hashladun]], [[Besurith, Daughter of Crota|Besurith]], [[Kinox]], and [[Voshyr]]. They would build the [[Scarlet Keep]] above the Lunar Pyramid uncovered by Eris Morn. After it is uncovered, the Nightmares are unleashed all across the Lunar surface, leading the Vanguard to push back the Hive resurgence and discover the existence the Lunar Pyramid. Eris Morn tasks the Guardian with collecting enough Nightmare Essence to craft the Dreambane Armor and bypass the Lunar Pyramid's warding. While exploring the derelict Pyramid, a Voice in the Darkness contacts the Guardian through their Ghost and inform them of the Light's failures. Undeterred, the Guardian recovers an [[Unknown Artifact]] and receives a vision in the Black Garden. At the same time, the Sol Divisive begins their invasion on the Moon led by [[The Undying Mind]], whose purpose is to keep the Black Garden locked out of space and time and also to recreate the Black Heart. Ikora Rey and the Guardian worked together to lure out the Undying Mind across different timeline and slay it. With the final copy of the Undying Mind dead, Osiris discovers a future where the Black Fleet hovers over the skies of the Last City and makes his way back to Mercury's surface, but he learns that the [[Psion Flayer]]s have found the Sundial and they plan to use it to undo the Vanguard's victory in the Red War, so he tasks the Guardian with stopping the Psion Flayers' plot and rescuing a legendary Titan named [[Saint-14]]. They accomplish both objectives by defeating [[Inotam, Oblivion's Triune]] and changing Saint-14's fate. They would open the [[Trials of Osiris]] for the first time since the Red War through the billions of Fractalline donated to them as part of the Empyrean Foundation along with [[The Lantern of Osiris]]. However, the Psions have one last plan: they would cause the Almighty to move in the direction of the Last City, so Zavala and Ana Bray would convince Rasputin to arm the [[Warsat]]s on the Almighty before it could reach the Last City.

As the Vanguard was busy dealing with the [[Almighty Crisis]], Rasputin reveals to Zavala and the Guardian that the Black Fleet's arrival in the Sol System is imminent as it begins to enter its outer edges. Zavala puts aside his suspicions of the Warmind and declares that they will work together to prepare for the arrival of the Black Fleet. As Rasputin begins arming his Warsats on the Almighty, he would also keep watch on the Black Fleet's movement as it begins to enter the Sol System through a 2D map displayed in each [[Seraph Bunker]] the Guardian powers up. As the Black Fleet approaches Saturn's orbital path, Rasputin was finally able to use the Warsats on the Almighty with success as it blows up in the Last City's skies. However, the Black Fleet would soon disable him and then make landfall above the [[The Cradle|Cradle]] on Io, ushering in the [[Arrival of the Black Fleet]] proper. They would also make landfall on Titan, Mercury, and [[Mars]] as the Guardian works with Eris to decrypt messages from [[The Ionian Pyramid]] by first clearing Hive interference, then meeting her under the [[Tree of Silver Wings]] at the Cradle to receive the messages. The Guardian defeats Nokris and teleports to the Ionian Pyramid. The Voice instructs them to go to [[Europa]] to seek out an ancient power waiting for them there.

The Guardian follows the Voice's instructions after the Traveler healed from its wounds during the Red War and then Io, Titan, Mercury, and Mars disappeared. They would also intercept a distress signal sent by [[Variks, the Loyal]]. He reveals that [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness|Eramis]] is the [[Kell]] of the Fallen House of Salvation and the first Fallen member known to use [[Stasis]], and instructs the Guardian to infiltrate [[Riis-Reborn]], a Fallen city built in honor of their home planet Riis. They witness a sermon and escape from there. After they help Variks reactivate the communications array, the Voice contacts them again via a [[Crux of Darkness]] and invites them to follow it into the icy flats of [[Beyond (location)|Beyond]]. [[The Europan Pyramid]] projects a [[Ziggurat]] in anticipation of the Guardian's arrival and the Guardian reunites with the Exo Stranger, who is on Europa teach them how to use the power of Stasis for good. The Guardian works to defeat Eramis by understanding the power of Stasis and using intel provided by Variks to track down the Barons of House Salvation, then eliminating them. They would defeat Eramis as they remember the Stranger's advice to "look within, focus your power" and finish their understanding of Stasis. After the defeat of House Salvation, the Guardian works to stop the next problem they must face: the rise of the [[Wrathborn]], mindless soldiers who are forced to serve Xivu Arath, the Hive God of War via the [[Cryptolith]]s. They world work alongside Uldren Sov, who is now reborn as Crow, to track down and slay Xivu Arath's [[High Celebrant of Xivu Arath|High Celebrant]]. They eventually slay the High Celebrant within the Ascendant Plane and grant Crow freedom from Spider's service as a reward.

After the Vanguard signed an armistice with Empress Caiatl, they discovered a Vex simulation threatening the Last City where Sol wouldn't rise. The people dubbed this Vex simulation the [[Endless Night]]. With no way to dispel the Endless Night on their own, Ikora asks the Guardian to seek out [[Mithrax, Kell of Light|Mithrax]], Kell of the Fallen [[House of Light]] and the last Sacred Splicer who was last seen helping Variks evacuate defectors of the House of Salvation on Europa. They clear the Skiff's crash site of the Vex and finally meet him in [[Asterion Abyss]]. He teaches the Guardian how to explore the [[Vex Network|Vex Domain]] through splicing and instructs them to slay the [[Subjugated Curator|curator]] of the domain and claim the the [[Paradrome Cube|living code]] from its corpse. They do so and return to him. Ikora propose the integration of the House of Light into the Last City, with Mithrax agreeing to the proposal. After settling the House of Light into the Last City, the Guardian begins their mastery of splicing after retrieving a [[Splicer Gauntlet]] from the [[Splicer Servitor (House Light)|Splicer Servitor]]. As they continue their mastery of splicing, [[Lakshmi-2]] of the [[Future War Cult]] would begin spreading anti-Eliksni propaganda throughout the Last City, and they gain the ability to penetrate the deeper enclaves of the Vex Domain and defeat the Oppressive Minds occupying them. Mithrax discovers that [[Quria, Blade Transform]] is the Vex Mind responsible for the Endless Night, so they work together to pinpoint its location within the Vex Domain. After the Guardian finishes their mastery of splicing, they infiltrate Quria's lair within the domain and destroy it, finally dispelling the Endless Night. The House of Light celebrate their first [[Solstice]] as a reward for dispelling the Endless Night and enter an official with the Vanguard. Despite the Endless Night ending, Lakshmi-2 continues spreading her propaganda and would attempt a coup, but the coup backfires on her as Vex gunfire kills her, forcing the people to defend the Last City. As the skirmish ends, Savathûn, who used the body of Osiris to divide the Vanguard from within and learn the secrets of the Light, flees to the Dreaming City.

The Guardian, along with Crow and Saint-14, pursues Savathûn throughout the Dreaming City, battling the forces of Xivu Arath along the way. They ambush her as she is conversing with Mara Sov, who has returned to the Dreaming City. Savathûn finally reveals her true form, but Mara contains her in a crystalline prison. After the Guardian acquires the [[Wayfinder's Compass]], Mara and Petra explain the plan: in order to conduct a ritual to remove Savathûn's worm, they must use the Wayfinder's Compass to navigate the [[Ley Line]]s, which are bridges between the material plane and the Ascendant Plane, and rescue the [[Techeun]]s lost within the Ley Lines from Xivu Arath's forces. The Guardian would also help Mara foil [[Kelgorath, Risen from Bones|Kelgorath]]'s plan to steal [[Ager's Scepter]]. Once enough Techeuns are rescued from the Ley Lines, Mara forbids all access to Savathûn until the ritual is ready for alignment. Months later, the ritual is ready, but it is under assault from Xivu Arath's forces who are desperate to stop the ritual separating Savathûn from her worm, so Mara requests the Guardian's assistance. They arrive to the ritual site along with Saint-14 and defend Mara, [[Ylaia]], [[Austyn]], and [[Sjari]] as they perform the exorcism ritual from Xivu Arath's forces led by Kelgorath. The ritual succeeds; however, Savathûn transports herself near the Traveler and eventually becomes the first Hive resurrected in the Traveler's Light. Meanwhile, [[The Coalition]] forms as result of signing an armistice with Empress Caiatl, integrating the House of Light into the Last City, and helping the Awoken rescue their lost Techeuns.

After Mars suddenly reappears in the Sol System, [[The Hidden]] immediately investigates the presence of the [[Relic (Mars)|Relic]], a structure of Pyramid origin and witness Catatl's Cabal set up a cannon to use to aim at Savathûn's ship, [[The Lure]], as it lands above the Cradle on Mars. The Guardian arrives to the scene and comes under fire from Cabal troops loyal to the Empress despite the armistice. They would use themselves to launch into the Lure. Upon landing on the Lure, they follow traces of Void Light on the ship and manage to recover an artifact of the Black Fleet. Before they can follow Savathûn into [[Court of Savathûn|her throne world]], they are forced to defeat a [[Lightbearer Knight]] and crush its Ghost. They follow her and defeat her illusion before she ejects them from the throne world. They land at [[The Enclave]], a camp used by Hidden agents to investigate the Relic. With the artifact they recovered earlier used to interact with the Relic, they discover [[Deepsight]], an aspect of Darkness used to reveal echoes of past events and enables weapon crafting, by using the Relic to create their first weapon: [[The Enigma]]. After creating their first weapon, Kora instructs them to return to the throne world to gain more clues on how Savathûn was able to acquire the Light. While exploring the throne world, they discover a Scorn presence and a mysterious Ghost named [[Fynch]] contacts them. After dealing with the Scorn and a [[Lightbearer Wizard]], they finally meet him, but they would first need to attend a meeting with Empress Caiatl. She arranges a meeting with Saladin Forge, Zavala, Crow, and the same Guardian responsible for killing her people on Mars in the Tower Hangar. As the argument continues, Zavala defuses the situation and asks for Caiatl's help in stopping the Lucent Hive on Earth. She agrees and in return, she supplies Light-suppressing tech in the form of a [[Synaptic Spear]].

While the Guardian was deployed on Luna, Crow attempts to shut down the Psisorium out of concern that the experiments on the Lucent Hive were unethical, but he inadvertently kills the [[Psisorium Optus|Psion]] running it. The Guardian and Saladin discover the destruction upon the Guardian returning from Luna. Saladin would inform Caiatl of Crow's actions there and they, along with Zavala, would meet back in the Tower Hangar to discuss Crow's life debt per Cabal tradition of a life for a life. Saladin repays the life debt on Crow's behalf by becoming a member on her War Council. Caiatl would name him "Bracus Forge" and they both depart from the Tower, although she would allow him permission to continue to run the Iron Banner in the Tower albeit with some new ideas of her own. Three days after this meeting, Caiatl gives Saladin a promotion to "Valus Forge" after he defeats another member of her War Council: Valus [[Guhrn Or'ohk]].

After finishing the operations across Earth and Luna, the Guardian return to Savathûn's throne world to work alongside the Hidden and Fynch. He points them to the first object of interest: Sagira's Ghost shell, located inside the [[Temple of the Wrathful]], a temple dedicated to Xivu Arath. Fynch explains the Scorn are sent in by a powerful wielder of Darkness as counter to Savathûn's Light. They recover Sagira's shell and it plays a memory of Savathûn revealing the identity of the Voice in the Darkness, which is now known as the Witness, but they are unable to decipher the memory further, so Eris and Ikora asks them to return to the Europan Pyramid to enhance their Deepsight abilities. They deal with the Cabal forces invading the Pyramid and commune with the statue. They then return to the throne world to find the [[Altar of Reflection]], a location of overwhelming psychic energy. They take Sagira's shell there and it replays the memory they heard earlier, but also plays the the memory of Savathûn planning to use Osiris's body to learn the secrets of the Light. They return to Fynch, who points them to the next object of interest: the Tablets of Ruin, located in the [[Temple of the Navigator]], a temple dedicated to Oryx. They recover and then take it to the Altar of Reflection, where it plays the memory of Savathûn's plans to conduct a ritual to place the Traveler into her throne world using the powers she borrowed from the Witness.

They warn Ikora of Savathûn's plan before they report to Fynch, who instructs to recover the next object of interest: a calcified Worm familiar, located in the [[Temple of the Cunning]], a temple dedicated to Savathûn's younger self Sathona. After they get past the security measures set by Savathûn and the Scorn invading the temple, they are forced to fight the illusion of an Ahamkara and escape upon recovering the Worm familiar. They are unable to take the Worm familiar into the Altar of Reflection, forcing Ikora to take a temporary leave before Eris reveals the final object of interest the Guardian must recover: a shard of the crystalline prison used to trap Savathûn, located in the [[Apothecary]], the site of Savathûn's experiments with the Light. They take the shard to the Altar of Reflection, where it plays the memory of Savathûn's final moments before her resurrection in the Traveler's Light. They inform the Vanguard of the terrifying revelation, questoining Zavala's faith in the Traveler, before Ikora rallies them. She and the Guardian leaves the Last City to stop Savathûn's plans from coming to pass, but first she uses the Relic to unlock the memory of the Worm familiar. The memory records the Witness's plan to trick the Krill into accepting the Darkness and stop them from being uplifted by the Traveler. She relays the memory recorded in the Worm familiar to the Guardian before they arrive at the throne world. The ritual to move the Traveler into Savathûn's throne world begins upon their arrival. To stop the ritual, they are forced to confront the Witch Queen by showing her the memory recorded in the Worm familiar. They defeat her, but she gives them one last warning before she faints: the Witness is coming.

{{Quote|The Witness sees you. Grants you opportunity. And you squander it!|Rhulk's taunt to the Guardians.}} <ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cbpEj1MkWk "The Witness Sees You"]''</ref>

After Savathûn's death at the hands of the Guardian, the Witness finally reveals itself and informs the Traveler that it has run out of pieces left to place and nowhere left to escape, beginning the first phase of the war. It reveals that the key to the Final Shape lies within the Traveler's Pale Heart. The Guardian convinces the Coalition to begin making preparations for the Witness's arrival in the Sol System. They meet Mara Sov at the Enclave. She forms a plan to gain information regarding the end of the Collapse from Savathûn's Worm she obtained after performing the exorcism ritual on Savathûn. They infiltrate [[Harvest]], a Worm distribution facility, to recover an incubator. Mara reveals that the Witness tried to recruit her as one of its Disciples, but she refused and allied with the Coalition forces instead. They finally get the information from Savathûn's Worm after Mara binds the Worm to a grenade launcher through a ritual. She instructs the Guardian to keep [[Parasite]] handy in the future as she parts ways with the Worm.

 

 

The Guardians would first approach [[Acquisition]], a vast repository of artifacts from Rhulk's past conquests, including a rib he took from the Leviathan of Fundament. The Disciple would then explain that the Witness would see the Light fall and glimpsed of the potential Guardians would possess freed of its chains.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-c2uX0E0zk "The Witness... Sees Light Fall"]''</ref> Despite opposition by both Scorn and Taken forces, the Guardians journeyed deeper into the Pyramid. They then looked upon [[The Upended]] in the distance, which Rhulk described as a "triumvirate" of the three core tenets of the Witness: opportunity, preservation, and salvation.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLuH1Tt_ic "Opportunity. Preservation. Salvation."]''</ref> 

After the Guardians killed [[The Caretaker]], Rhulk remarked that those "defiant" of the Witness’ campaign would be subjugated in service of the Final Shape, which he described as an "ailing, endless, void".<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_rkt8YXbaI "In Service of an Ailing, Endless Void."]''</ref> As they approached the Upended, Rhulk further compliments the Guardians as resilient yet credulous. In blindly killing scores of Scorn and Taken, however, the fireteam had aided Rhulk by powering the Upended with their bloodshed. With the machine reaching full power, Rhulk was prepared to seal the throne world permanently off from the Light, leaving both the Guardians and the Lucent Hive to suffer. As a final rebuke, the disciple told the Guardians they were not fit to serve the Witness nor its goals, instead deserving to drown in Darkness.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HsNx_IwT8U "This World Will Be Sealed From the Light"]''</ref>      

With the Guardians having reached the Upended, Rhulk emerged from a sarcophagus to personally greet them. Stating that he had no use in them anymore, the Disciple commenced a climactic battle with his interlopers by dropping his [[Lubrae's Ruin|glaive]] and unleashing a massive resonant barrier of Darkness to push them back.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-CIVBDKevk "All That Awaits You Now is the Gift of Death"]''</ref> The fireteam retaliated in turn by exploiting the resonance from his attacks to push back the barrier, all while Rhulk taunts the fireteam as they fight Scorn and Taken reinforcements. With the barrier having pushed inward and reached the disciple, Rhulk disables it before inviting the Guardians to the inner sanctum of the Upended. There Rhulk would challenge his opponents in person, to which he toys with the fireteam and even kick them to death on occasion. His composure was only short-lived as they found and then took advantage of four chinks in Rhulk's impervious defense, enraging the disciple as he became vulnerable to their attacks. In his final moments, Rhulk cried out to the Witness for forgiveness as his body was warped by his own out-of-control powers, transforming him into what appeared to be a petrified, lifeless tree with gnarled vein-like roots of Darkness growing from it.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Vow of the Disciple]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftOWxGbDj98 "Witness... Forgive Me!"]''</ref> With the death of Rhulk, the Scorn within the throne falls under the control of the Witness and would attempt to take control of the Sunken Pyramid. Mara tasks them with stopping them and learning more about Rhulk's origins.

Following the events of Operation Elbrus, Caiatl discovers that a sect of Psions are using Psionic propaganda to force her Psions to defect to the forces of the Witness. She asks the Guardian to return to Mars, this time near the city of [[Freehold]] to stop the Psions responsible. The Guardian deploys to the abandoned Cabal bunker near Freehold with Caiatl and Zavala monitoring their activity and Amanda Holliday providing support for the assault on the bunker. The Guardian discover that [[Qabix, Insurgent|Qabix]] was the Psion Flayer spreading Psionic propaganda, and Caiatl orders them to eliminate the Psion Flayer. They all learn that [[Yirix]] and her conclave has allied with her father Calus and to a certain extent the Witness. They would learn more of the Psionic propaganda on subsequent incursions, including the history of the Psions prior to Cabal enslavement, the supposed resurrection of Eramis, the Traveler's Light tainted with Darkness, the fall of Neomuna and the return of the [[Leviathan (ship)|Leviathan]]. Caiatl declares that the existing alliances in [[The Last City]] must grow stronger if the possible futures are to be prevented from coming to pass and to fight against the forces of the Witness.

The Psion's prediction would come true as the Leviathan suddenly returns in the Sol System, but derelict, heavily infested with [[Egregore]], and in Luna's orbit. They receive intelligence from Eris Morn that Emperor Calus has begun communing with the Lunar Pyramid and unleashed the [[Nightmare]]s once intended as the Lunar Pyramid's security mechanism. They investigate the Derelict Leviathan and would eventually come under assault from [[Loyalist]] forces after the [[Nightmare of Safiyah]] leads them to a broken effigy of Calus. Upon their return from from their investigation into the Derelict Leviathan, they participate in a seance with Zavala, Crow, and Eris, who is using the [[Nightmare Harvester]] to bind the Nightmares to the [[Crown of Sorrow]]. After the seance is complete, she and the Guardian work together to sever Calus's connection to the Lunar Pyramid by helping various allies confront their worst traumas made manifest through the Nightmares haunting them. They begin with Crow, who is facing up against the [[Nightmare of Uldren]], his pre-Guardian self. He fails the first severance when refuses to accept his past. They attempt the ritual, but this time they were successful when Crow turns his Nightmare into a Memory and learns from the Memory to not ignore his past as Uldren Sov. At the same time, Eris tasks the Guardian to enter Calus's mindscape and find his worst fear inside. It is revealed that the [[Nightmare of Caiatl, Princess-Imperial]] is his Nightmare and by recovering the broken [[Bell of Conquests|Bells of Conquests]], they learn more about Calus's plan to become another Disciple of the Witness.

===[[Battle of the War Gods|Rasputin vs. the Wrathborn]]===

The forces of the Coalition would rally together as the threat of the Witness and its Disciples loom in the Solar System. After assisting the Bray family and Osiris in bringing [[Rasputin]] back online, Mara Sov informs the leaders of the Coalition that the usage of the [[Warsat]]s would allow Xivu Arath's forces to invade Earth. In response, Rasputin is forced to sacrifice himself to not only destroy all of the Warsats but also prevent Eramis from successfully completing ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE and allowing Xivu Arath a foothold to commence her invasion on Earth. The Traveler departs from Earth to confront the [[Black Fleet]]. In its absence, the Vanguard declares that the Guardians, the Awoken, the House of Light, and the Imperial Cabal will unite to stop the Witness and its Disciples together. Evidence of this union can be seen in the [[Tower (Destiny 2)|Tower]]'s skies as the ships from each member of the Coalition occupy it, including Awoken [[Ceres Galliot|Galliot]]s, Eliksni [[Ketch]]es controlled by the House of Light, and [[Cabal Carrier]]s under Empress Caiatl's command.

The Witness and its forces finally arrive at Earth's orbit to confront the Traveler. The forces of the Coalition respond to defend it, but the defense fails as the pilots go down in the fight and the Witness soon learns the location of [[The Veil]]. The Guardian and Osiris follow the [[Shadow Legion]] fleet heading for [[Neptune]]. Upon landing on Neptune, the Coalition begins an alliance with the people of Neomuna by assisting the Cloud Striders in the fight against the Shadow Legion led by the newly-risen Disciple of the Witness, Emperor Calus. Mara informs the Guardian that she is responding to the Vanguard's aid and they are fighting a two-front war with the Shadow Legion, with one front on Neptune, and the other front on Earth. With the information in mind, the Guardian works to prevent Calus and the Witness from establishing a link with the Veil alongside Osiris, Nimbus, Rohan, and Caiatl. Rohan is forced to sacrifice himself to destroy the [[Radial Mast]] and prevent it from establishing a link with the Veil, leaving Nimbus as the sole Cloud Strider to defend Neomuna. They would work to make their final assault on Calus by having Caiatl rally the [[Cabal]] to fight alongside the Guardian, Nimbus reactivate the remaining [[CloudArk]] defenses throughout Neomuna, and Osiris assist the Guardian in their mastery of Strand. Once the mastery of Strand is complete, the Guardian eventually confronts Calus at the [[Veil Containment]] site underneath the Veil. They defeat him, but the victory is short-lived as the Witness possesses Ghost to establish a link with the Veil and open the portal using its energy so it can subsequently begin the [[Final Shape]]. Despite the setback, the Guardian work to assist Nimbus in tracking down Rohan's notes leading into the [[Black Garden]], repair Cloud Strider monuments damaged by the Vex, and end Nezarec's influence on the people by confronting him inside the [[Essence|terraformed Pyramid]] once inhabited by the Witness. [[Soteria]] informs the Guardian that an [[Ahsa|enemy of the Witness]] is hiding somewhere on Titan and urges them to not waste time.

===[[Invasion of Earth]]===

The Guardian returns to Earth and meets with Mara, Devrim, and Mithrax at the [[Farm]]. They follow Amanda's distress signal into the EDZ and breach the Pyramid outpost's warding with the [[Ascendant Scepter]]. They kill the [[Warden Vincu'us, Shadow Legion|warden]] in charge and rescue the prisoners captured by the Shadow Legion including Amanda. They go and rescue more prisoners in the [[Cosmodrome]] by killing the [[Zatocc, Devoted to the Witness|warden]] in charge there and overcoming its Psionic powers. Next, they infiltrate a Shadow Legion prison ship to kill the [[Bracus Kravaum, Shadow Legion|warden]] there and rescue more prisoners. Amanda and Mithrax intercept a distress signal inside the EDZ Tunnels and requests the Guardian's assistance. After defeating a [[Tormentor]] named [[Vereziia, Reverent of the Witness]], they assist in getting the prisoners out. Tragically however, Amanda is killed in the prison facility's explosion. The Coalition holds a vigil for Amanda in the Farm as Crow forms a plan to avenge Amanda. He soon does so and tells the Guardian of the plan: they would infiltrate the Shadow Legion flagship while he, Devrim, and Mithrax would assist them in eliminating the forces occupying it. After dispelling the Pyramid beacons, Crow detonates the charges set up in the hangar. The Guardian then makes their way to the engine room and use the powers sent by Mara Sov to destroy the cooling fans, then the engine. They finally scuttle the flagship and see it blow up from the sky. The forces of the Coalition celebrate their victory and honor Amanda's memory. The Coalition soon turn their attention to a Cabal warbase in the EDZ. Empress Caiatl dispatches her Psions to secure the warbase, but they are soon captured by Shadow Legion forces led by a new [[Bracus Zahn]]. The Empress, with the assistance from Devrim, tasks the Guardian with freeing her forces so her [[Ascendant Guard]]s can fight alongside them in their assault on the warbase. They follow the new Bracus Zahn to the top of the warbase and together with their Cabal allies, finally put an end to Bracus Zahn's legacy.

The Coalition led by the Vanguard would be forced to follow Soteria's lead as their attempts to follow the Witness have failed with the death of [[Joxer]]. As [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] reappears in the Sol System, they discover Deputy Commander Sloane's distress signal. Zavala organizes a rescue team including himself, Saladin, Saint-14, and the Guardian. As the rescue team explore the derelict rig, Xivu Arath announces her presence on Titan by sending in Hive and Taken forces to hamper the rescue team's efforts to find Sloane. After pushing back her forces, the Drifter arrives in the Derelict to assist the rescue team. Zavala discovers the origin of the distress signal lies in the depths of [[Kraken Mare]] at 1 kilometer. The Guardian, Drifter, and Zavala reunite with Sloane. She reveals the Taken corruption inhabiting her body and introduces them to a large sea creature named Ahsa. Sloane informs them that Ahsa has vital information regarding the Witness, but in order to do so, she will need Egregore coral and technology salvaged from the New Pacific Arcology so she can form a psychic connection with Ahsa and get the message delivered to the Coalition. After enough Egregore is used to strengthen Sloane's connection with Ahsa, Ahsa is able to tell the Coalition of a huge revelation: the Witness is a gestalt of the first civilization uplifted by the Traveler made manifest through the power of Darkness they learned from the Veil. Ahsa also reveals more information about the Final Shape, a plan to reshape the universe to the Witness's desire by connecting the Veil and the Traveler together. However, the connection is lost before Ahsa is able to explain the next step that will allow the Vanguard to follow the Witness. The Coalition discovers that Xivu Arath is using her [[Scream of Xivu Arath|Wizards]] to conduct a ritual to Take Ahsa and responds to stop the ritual. The Guardian and the [[Iron War Beast]]s led by Saladin work together to stop the ritual. After escorting Ahsa to safety, she finally reveals the next step: resurrect Savathûn. Meanwhile, Osiris and Nimbus work together to gain more information about the Veil through various logs left behind by Dr. [[Chioma Esi]].

===[[Clash of the Hive Gods]]===

The '''Clash of the Hive Gods''' is an ongoing confrontation between the [[Vanguard]], the forces loyal to Xivu Arath, and the [[Lucent Brood|Lucent Hive]]. After [[Ahsa]] revealed [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen|Savathûn]] was needed to find a way through the portal inside [[The Traveler]] created by [[The Witness]], the Vanguard hesitated, worried that Savathûn might find a way to use them and trick them again, much like she did years prior when she disguised herself as [[Osiris]]. After sometime, an agreement was made with [[Immaru]], the [[ghost]] of Savathûn, that they would aid the Vanguard in finding a way through the portal, on one condition: they deal with Savathûn’s sister Xivu Arath. To challenge Xivu Arath, Eris Morn would transform herself into the Hive God of Vengeance and have the Guardian manipulate the [[Sword Logic]] to bring her tithes.

{{expand-section}}

===Forces of the Coalition===

*[[Neomuna]]

*[[Disciples of the Witness]]

*[[Xivu Arath's Horde]]

*[[Wrathborn]]

*[[Psion Conclave]]

*Post-[[The Lucent War|Operation Elbrus]]

*[[Invasion of Neptune|Siege of Neomuna]]

**[[Invasion of Earth]] {{c|concurrent}}