Hive

Hive
Overview
Other name(s):	Krill (formerly)
Homeworld:	Fundament (formerly)
Focal world(s):	Ascendant Realm Earth Moon Dreadnaught Titan Mars Reef Savathûn's Throne World
Goals:	Serve the Hive pantheon by consuming all Light Live forever by being synonymous with death Extinguish all uses of the Darkness incompatible with the beliefs of The Witness Break free from the Worms's Pact, and the Sword Logic; find another way to acquire sustenance
At war with:	The Last City The Reef Fallen Cabal Vex
Distinctions:	Skeletal appearance No eyes/three glowing eyes Symbiotic relationship with their Worm
Average lifespan:	Indefinite
Notable group(s):	Hidden Swarm Grasp of Nokris Savathûn's Brood Blood of Oryx Spawn of Crota The Silent Brood Xivu Arath's Horde Lucent Brood The Mindbent
Notable individual(s):	Oryx, the Taken King Savathûn, the Witch-Queen Xivu Arath, God of War Crota, Son of Oryx Omnigul, Will of Crota Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return Phogoth, the Untamed Nokris, Herald of Xol In Anânh, Brood Queen Ecthar, Sword of Oryx Alak-Hul, the Darkblade Warpriest Golgoroth Ir Yût, the Deathsinger Hashladûn, Daughter of Crota Zulmak, Instrument of Torment Kelgorath, Risen from Bones

"There are nightmares rising from the shadows, and they hunger for our dying hope."

— Grimoire description

The Hive, formerly known as the Krill, are a macabre, incredibly ancient species of aliens that worship and serve the Witness. Their entire culture is based around a principle known as the Sword Logic, which dictates that they must destroy other civilizations in order to accrue paracausal power and feed the Worms that live within their bodies. Along with the Witness, they are led by a pantheon of dark gods, who derive power and sustenance from the destruction wrought by the Hive.

In Sol, they have a significant presence on the Moon, where they have built the Hellmouth and Scarlet Keep, as well as having a presence on certain regions of Earth, around Saturn, where the massive Dreadnaught orbits, the icy regions of Mars and on Titan, where they infest the ruined arcologies. They also have a strong presence in the Dreaming City and Tangled Shore.

Overview

The Hive are an "impossibly ancient" race born from a pact with the Worm Gods. Hive structures delve deep into wherever they lay claim to, unheeding of the damage done in the process, crafting linked caverns and gothicesque columns; these underground spaces resemble a dungeon recently pulled up after an extended period underwater. They are able to manipulate the physical world in ways humanity can only begin to imagine, and have witnessed the Darkness consume countless worlds in the past.

The Hive are not an enemy military so much as a rising force. They base their entire existence around the extermination of other forms of life, especially those that follow the way of Light and the Traveler, and approach their task with religious fervor. To the Hive, killing and conquest are not merely acts of war, but of worship.

At the time of the first Destiny game, they have burrowed deep into the Moon, staying there for centuries while growing stronger. The Guardian's Ghost states that he believed the Hive to be contained on the Moon for centuries, but the player first encounters them in Old Russia underneath the Skywatch, where the Fallen have attempted to seal them away. The Guardians eventually discover that this is just the beginning; the Hive have been building an army and intend to invade Earth en masse.

History

Origins

The three princesses of the Osmium Court.

"The Fundament is very large. We are the smallest things in it. If you don't understand something, it will probably kill you. My teacher Taox says this is why we have such short lives. So we can breed and adapt quickly."

— Xi Ro

The Hive trace their origins to a gas giant named Fundament. Long ago, the Krill crashed their homeworld into Fundament, ostensibly to hide from something unknown. The shards of this homeworld became a number of continents that floated upon a sea called the Fundament Ocean within a layer of the gas giant's atmosphere, and the Krill eventually built a meager civilization upon them and forgot their old history. In addition to the Krill, Fundament was home to hundreds of other intelligent species, and Fundament's fifty-two moons were inhabited by a space faring species called the Ammonites who were overseen by the Traveler.

Life was quick and harsh for the krill. Their natural lifespan rarely exceeded ten Fundament-years, though females who ate "mother jelly" became able to spawn and live longer. In terms of environmental hazards, Fundament was almost inhospitable. The Fundament Ocean was toxic, the skies were eternally stormy, the rain poisonous and sometimes corrosive, lightning had enough power to vaporize anyone it struck, "living clouds" called Stormjoys would prey on the populace, and the Krill frequently warred with each other.

The progenitors of the contemporary Hive were Xi Ro, Sathona, and Aurash, the three daughters of the Osmium King who ruled the continent called the Osmium Court. When the Osmium King was ten years old, he fell to madness, fearing an event called the Syzygy wherein Fundament's fifty-two moons would align and create a massive tidal wave, the God-Wave, that would destroy Fundament's civilizations. Taox, a sterile mother who served as the teacher to the King's daughters, feared the King's daughters were too weak to succeed the King and invited a rival kingdom, the Helium Drinkers of the Helium Court, to invade the Osmium Court, kill the royal family, and allow Taox to rule the Osmium Court as their regent. The Helium Drinkers invaded and slew the Osmium King, but the three sisters, two years old at the time, escaped on a ship and vowed to take their revenge against the Helium King and Taox.

After a year of traveling the sea, the sisters salvaged an ancient, high-tech ship they called "The Needle" from the Shvubi Maelstrom. Xi Ro wanted to sell it at the Kaharn Atoll, a gathering place of Fundament's many species, in order to raise enough money to hire a mercenary army, but Aurash wanted to take command of the ship. Sathona sided with Aurash, goaded on by a worm that their father had kept; the worm had washed up on the Osmium Court's shores and was seemingly dead, but Sathona could hear it speak. Unbeknownst to Sathona, the voice she was hearing was in fact that of the The Witness, a paracausal entity who sought to claim the Krill away from the Traveler; in truth, there was no imminent danger from a "god-wave" or the syzygy that would supposedly cause it.

The sisters spent the next two years reactivating the ship, until Aurash decided to use it to fulfill its intended purpose: she wanted to dive to Fundament's core in the hopes of learning a secret that would prevent the Syzygy.

As they descended, the sisters encountered a vast creature called the Leviathan, a disciple of the Traveler. The Leviathan warned the sisters against proceeding further, telling them that they faced a choice between the Sky and the Deep, the Light and the Darkness, the way of life and the way of death. The sisters rejected the Leviathan, unable to accept that allowing their people to suffer was the better way, and instead decided to follow the worm Sathona had saved, which urged them to continue diving.

The Pact

"We want to help you, Princes. We offer to each of you a bargain... a symbiosis."

— Yul, the Honest Worm

Auryx faces the Worm God, Akka

Deep within the Fundament Ocean, the sisters encountered the imprisoned Worms, who drew their power from the Darkness itself: Yul, the Honest Worm, Eir, the Keeper of Order, Xol, Will of the Thousands, Ur, the Ever-Hunger, and Akka, the Worm of Secrets. The Worm Gods claimed that they had lived and grown in Fundament's depths for millions of years, trapped by the Leviathan and the Traveler. They had called many species to Fundament, hoping one would be tenacious enough to find them. They offered Xi Ro, Sathona, and Aurash immortality if they would allow themselves to be hosts for the Worms' larvae, with the caveat that if the sisters ceased to obey their natures (Xi Ro's desire to test her strength, Sathona's cunning, Aurash's inquisitiveness), their Worms would consume them. Furthermore, the stronger the sisters became, the greater their Worms' appetites would be.

The sisters accepted the pact. Xi Ro took the knight morph and became Xivu Arath, the God of War; Sathona took the mother morph and became Savathûn, the Witch-Queen; and Aurash took the king morph and became Auryx, the King of the Hive. Over the following years, the siblings returned to their people and spread the Worms among them, creating the Hive and enabling them to liberate the Osmium Court from the Helium Drinkers, then drive Taox and the other species of Fundament to Kaharn Atoll, and finally to build spaceships and break free of Fundament.

Since then they have waged war upon the rest of the universe, having exterminated other races such as the Ammonites, the Ecumene, the Dakaua, the Harmony, the Qugu, and the Taishibethi.

Campaign of Destruction

"We need champions. Crusaders. Help us save the universe. Help us exterminate that which would destroy all hope. You are oathbound to this task, by the covenant of the worm."

— Worm Gods

Oryx, the Taken King

As the newborn Hive forced an ultimatum on the remaining Krill to accept the worms or perish, Auryx turned his attention to Fundament's moons, and the Ammonites there who had allied with the Traveler and gave asylum to Taox. Initially he was willing to negotiate with the Ammonites, his sister Savathûn, under pressure from the Worms, killed Auryx as punishment. Rather than dying, Auryx's soul instead passed to the Ascendant Realm, where his soul resided until he returned to the mortal realm. Rebuked, Auryx purged what sympathy and goodwill he had left, becoming a merciless tyrant. They overwhelmed the Ammonites, slew the Leviathan, and forced Taox and the Traveler to flee.

He and his sisters warred with and killed one another on a regular basis afterward, as part of their worship of the Sword-Logic and their attempt to become the sharpest blades in the universe, heading to their throne worlds when defeated. Their war of revenge against Taox had transformed into a campaign of genocide, when they slew the Qugu and other interstellar civilizations to feed their worms. The lords of the Hive also established their throne worlds within the Ascendant realm, with Auryx naming his the High War. Savathûn was inspired by this, and named her own throne world the High Coven.

During the Hive's war with the Ecumene, Auryx came to realize that the Worm Gods had deceived him and his sisters: their worms appetites were growing past their ability to feed them with death. Meeting with his sisters in his Ascendant realm, surrounded by their servants (some of which despised them for showing weakness) they despaired over their dilemma. When his sisters offered their power to help Auryx find a way to save them, Auryx killed them, then used that power to confront his patron god Akka, the Worm of Secrets. He killed Akka so that he may steal its ability to call upon the Deep and created the Tablets of Ruin, which gave him the power to Take. His transformation complete, Auryx was now Oryx, the Taken King. During the subsequent war with the Ecumene, Oryx revived Xivu Arath in an act of war, and revived Savathûn in an act of cunning. He then decreed the tithe system: each Hive would kill their enemies, take some to feed their own worm and tithe the rest to their superior. Thralls would tithe to Acolytes, Acolytes would tithe to Knights or Wizards, the Knights and Wizards would tithe to the Ascendant Hive, those who commanded legions of warriors and earned the right to enter the Hive gods' respective throne worlds. All of this violence would eventually reach Oryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath, allowing their worms to feed on violence while continuing to invoke their inner natures.

Fearing that he was becoming a nihilist, Oryx eventually decided to sire his own spawn. The results of this was Crota, Son of Oryx, and the Deathsinger twins, Ir Anûk and Ir Halak. One day, the Deathsingers were refining their Deathsongs and came up with the idea of the Oversoul. Intrigued, Oryx commanded Crota to watch his sisters, so that he might learn something. But while Oryx was off studying the Deep, Crota was deceived by Savathûn into using his Cleaver to cut a portal in the High War, allowing the Vex to enter. For one hundred years the children of Oryx waged war with the Vex, who quickly deduced that worshipping the Sword-Logic and the Deep was key to attaining power in the High War. However, while the Hive were able to overpower the Vex, they were unable to push them out, as they lost too much of their power when entering the Vex conflux. The situation become so severe that the Worm God Eir itself demanded that Oryx return and end the war. Quickly returning to the High War, Oryx used his powers to take the Vex and cleanse his throne world. Angered at his son's imperfection, Oryx threw Crota into the Vex gate network, decreeing that he return "victorious or die forgotten". At first, Crota resented his father for his seeming abandonment, but after time came to understand his father and built temples to Oryx and the Deep, eventually becoming a vital link in Oryx's tithe of death and achieving godhood himself. However, Oryx recognized that the threat of the Vex invading his throne world could not happen again, so he moved the High War into a mighty Dreadnaught scrimshawed from the remains of Akka.

During the Hive's campaign against the Harmony and the Vex, Quria, Blade Transform presented Oryx with a simulation of his former self, Aurash. Oryx looked upon the simulation with amusement, while Aurash looked upon Oryx in horror, demanding to know what he had done to her sisters and her people. In the end, Oryx Took Quira, and presented the Vex to Savathûn as a gift. When she asked him what proof they had that what they were doing was right, Oryx simply replied that the Hive's existence was proof enough in their convictions to live eternal by the Sword-Logic. Following the war with the Harmony, Savathûn decided that her fleets would enter the black hole that the Harmony lived around, claiming that they would become stronger for it, while Xivu Arath took her fleets away from Oryx's as she felt he constrained her too much. Oryx continued his crusade alone, and ruminated on the future.

The Wrath of Crota

"We went to the Moon seeking vengeance, but it found us first. Crota, the Son of Oryx. We'd never faced anything like him. In the end, only I was left. Crota and his armies destroyed our Moon. If we don't stop them, I fear Earth will suffer the same fate."

— Eris Morn.

Crota, God-Knight and Hope-Eater

Having conquered many worlds in pursuit of the Traveler, Crota's spawn had arrived at the Sol system long before the Golden Age and his armies, lead by Sardon, Fist of Crota, encroached upon Luna and embedded themselves deep in the crust of the Moon, where they constructed their brooding grounds close to an inactive Pyramid found buried beneath the surface. Their presence was first discovered by humanity sometime during the Collapse, where they had slaughtered the human inhabitants of the First Light Lunar Installation and the K1 Project site. Eventually they completely geoengineered the entire interior of the planetoid from the bottom up into an impregnable fortress called the Hellmouth; laying dormant and silently building their strength for centuries until the threat of their existence faded to myth.

During the early City Age, Rezyl Azzir became the first Guardian to reach the Moon in centuries. Pursuing ancient mysteries regarding the existence of the Hive, Rezyl made first contact with Xyor, the Blessed and her betrothed Knight. Faced off with Xyor's consort and the witch's magic, Rezyl emerged victorious against the Knight and escaped to warn the City of the imposing threat. However, the magic that affected Rezyl during the battle with Xyor and her Knight would slowly corrupt him into the hated killer, Dredgen Yor and create the first Weapon of Sorrow: the infamous Thorn.

As the Hive launched their Seeder Ships across Earth, a fireteam encountered the Hive at the Rusted Lands in the Eastern Flooded Zone; only one surviving Hunter returned to warn the City of the first Hive invasion of Earth. Against overwhelming odds, the Guardians barely succeeded in repelling their offense at the Battle of Burning Lake. Not realizing the true threat the Hive posed, they planned a counterattack on the moon. Lord Shaxx, a veteran of Burning Lake, opposed this, and eventually busted in on a Consensus meeting, calling the idea of a counterattack 'madness' and said that the Guardians needed to learn about the Hive's swords and find a way to defend against them. The Consensus ignored Shaxx's warnings, and the failed attack was later called the Great Disaster. The Sword-Logic proved to be too much for the Guardians, as countless heroes fell before Crota's Blades, rendering the entire battle a slaughter. In particular, the legendary Titan Wei Ning, was slain personally by the God-Knight himself who cracked the Moon with his sword, forcing the Guardians a full retreat from the battle. The Vanguard and Consensus then declared the Moon off-limits, where only the most elite Guardians are allowed to venture to.

Out of revenge for the slain, the Warlock Eriana-3 led five other Guardians in an attempt to kill Crota only for the team to have their Light suppressed in the depths of the Hellmouth, leaving the Hive to pick off the fireteam one by one. Only one of the Guardians, Eris Morn, survived trapped in the Hellmouth for years, only having recently escaped but as a light-less Guardian forever changed, scarred and seeking vengeance upon Crota and the Hive.

Destiny 1

Years later, the discovery of the Hidden Swarm stirring beneath the Skywatch at Old Russia was made by a newly risen Guardian investigating the House of Devils. Pursuing the recent resurgence of Hive activity on Earth, said Guardian was sent to investigate the whereabouts of a missing scout near the Hellmouth on the Moon. What they found confirmed that the Hive within the Temple of Crota was preparing for a second invasion of Earth; this time also attacking the Traveler directly in a ritual to slowly drain its Light using one of its broken shards. Despite the Hive's efforts, the ritual was thwarted, but the threat of the Hive remained; One that would be addressed by the former-Lightbearer, Eris Morn.

The Dark Below

"What we faced on the Moon now looks to take the Earth. And none will survive if they succeed. First Crota's sworn Blades will rise. Then every disciple who haunts these worlds in Crota's name will seek to overrun the Earth. If they raise Crota here, we could lose everything."

— Eris Morn.

Omnigul, leader of Spawn of Crota

Crota's spawn would play a major role when his consort Omnigul left the Hellmouth to lead the Hive in their impending invasion of Earth, with a plot to disable Rasputin's Warsat defenses. In retaliation, Eris Morn called upon allies who heeded her warnings in dismantling Crota's army and to prevent Crota's imminent return. The Guardian slew Crota's disciples, including the Swarm Princes and their commander Sardon, leaving the Hive army in disarray and thwarted Omnigul's attempt to sabotage Rasputin. To ensure Crota does not reenter the material world to lead his army himself, Eris guided the Guardians to the Moon, where the Hive attempt a ritual summoning Crota back from his throne world. The crystal tethering his soul in the Chamber of Night would be sent back to his throne world, banishing him from the physical world and thereby preventing his corporeal return. His general and acting Will, Omnigul, was later slain by Guardians who traced her back to Skywatch.

Crota's end would be met by The Guardian leading a fireteam of six to raid upon the Oversoul Throne, entered from the deepest pit of the Hellmouth. The Guardians would summon Crota from his crystal to engage at his own throne world. When conventional means failed before the Hope-Eater, the Guardians turned Crota's own Sword-Logic against him with the Cleavers of his fallen Blades, permanently killing him. This would mark the Hive's first true defeat, the loss of one of their gods and their race's heir to the Osmium Throne.

The Taken War

"Their leaders belong to you. The rest await extermination."
"No. Gather them. I will take them all..."

— Ecthar and Oryx

The Awoken fleet engaging the Dreadnaught

The exact nature of Oryx was once unknown to the Guardians, but the name Oryx appeared often enough in Hive rituals that it could not be ignored. Shrines dedicated to Oryx, used by the Hive to communicate with Oryx across the universe, were known to exist throughout the Solar System. Osiris studied the Hive extensively and foretold that the Spawn of Crota would one day pave the way for Oryx's coming by "snuffing out the worlds of Light". Members of the Blood of Oryx Hive sect are thought to be the direct servants of Oryx himself, though it is speculated that he is the master of all other Hive sects as well.

After learning of the death of his son, Crota, Oryx personally traveled to the Solar System aboard his Dreadnaught, accompanied by a Hive fleet and his Taken army. They were met with opposition by Queen Mara Sov and her Reefborn Awoken armadas at the Battle of Saturn, which ended in a pyrrhic victory for the king who wiped out the Queen's forces with his Dreadnaught's superweapon. With his fleet decimated after the battle, Oryx's Taken forces attacked Cabal bases on Phobos and Mars to rebuild his numbers and regain his advantage. Cabal detachments were devastated within hours, with the Sand Eaters suffering a catastrophic 58% casualties, while the Blind Legion and the Dust Giants lost 35% and 39% of their numbers respectively. The Vanguard discovered Oryx's presence after sending a Guardian to Phobos to investigate a Cabal distress signal, by which time Taken covens began appearing on multiple worlds, ushering in the Taken War.

Oryx was nearly beaten when the Guardian breached his sanctum and attacked him, but like all Hive Gods, this was only a temporary setback. Using his Taken powers, he escaped into the Ascendant realm to recuperate from his injuries. Meanwhile, his Taken, led by his Echoes, continued to harass the system. Once the blights had been removed, the Guardians turned their attention on Oryx and his champions. By overthrowing the Court of Oryx and killing his minions, they were able to breach deeper into the Dreadnaught. After his closest allies—the Warpriest and Golgoroth, including his own daughters—were killed, Oryx returns to fight the Guardian once more, this time as a gigantic version of his physical body. Here he attempted to pull the Guardian Raid team into the Darkness multiple times and Take them, but they were able to use Oryx's own captured Light against him. By slaying his Light-Eater Ogres and Knights, and then detonating the Light they left behind to wound him, the Guardians were able to strike at the God-King's Heart directly, slaying Oryx for good.

Pretenders to the Throne

"The Taken King is dead. Yet his armies writhe and claw at our worlds."

— Eris Morn

Malok, Taken Prince

Though the God-King of the Hive was slain, the Taken War did not end with his death. Hive and Taken forces remained at large in the Solar System that the Guardians maintained steadfast vigilance against. A great many Hive and Taken champions were hunted down and destroyed before they could infest the system any further.

Since the Guardians refused to take Oryx's place as the next Taken King, various powerful Hive and Taken entities arose in a bid to claim the Osmium Throne for their own. Chief among the contenders for the throne were Alak-Hul, the Darkblade, a powerful Hive warrior Oryx imprisoned for an earlier usurpation, and Malok, Pride of Oryx, a former scion of Savathûn Taken by Oryx. Before Alak-Hul could break out of his shadowed cell, Eris Morn called upon the Guardians to break into the prison section of the Dreadnaught, not only to remove a potential candidate for the throne but also avenge her fallen comrades who fell to Alak-Hul. Fighting to Alak-Hul's cell at The Hanging Crypts, the Guardians battle with the Darkblade within his own black cell, but after a tense battle they succeed in striking him down.

Sometime later, Malok enacted his own campaign to seize Oryx's throne, using his mastery of the Blights to further his goals and possibly launch an all-out assault on the Last City to prove his claim. However, word of his activities caught the attention of Variks, who relayed his findings to Eris Morn. Calling upon the Guardians once more, they managed to drive Malok out of the Dreadnaught, forcing the Taken-Hive Prince to retreat to the Hellmouth on the Moon. Tracking Malok, the Guardians fight past his Taken forces and persevere against the Blights, before reaching at the Shrine of Oryx, where Malok makes his final stand. Despite his mastery over the Blights, Malok failed against the Guardians.

Alak-Hul and Malok's death would leave the Osmium Throne remaining vacant and mark the official end to the Taken War.

SIVA Crisis

"This is worst-case scenario. The Splicers aren't in a territorial war with the Hive; they're experimenting on them."

— Ghost

Following a year after the Taken War and the death of their God-King, the Hive on Earth still appear to be organized but hunkered down in their nests, and have recently gone into conflict with the SIVA-augmented Fallen Devil Splicers in the Plaguelands. Soon enough, the ambitions of the Splicers, led by Kovik, Splicer Priest, extend to experiment on not only themselves but the Hive as well, whether to control them as a slave army or to weaponize their mysterious biology. Furious, the Hive begin an all-out war with the Splicers. Through the efforts of the Guardians (not out of pity), the Fallen's efforts to control or weaponize the Hive were thwarted and Kovik was killed.

Destiny 2

The Red War

The Song of Savathûn calling out to its Master

The Hive remained active by the events of Dominus Ghaul's invasion. They have somehow managed to infest Saturn's moon Titan, engaging Guardian and Fallen forces on the moon. The Hive found on Titan were noted to have undergone a physical change in regards to their eyes by the time of the war. After the Red Legion succeeded in attacking the Last City and sealed away the Traveler's Light, the Lightless Guardians of the Vanguard led by Commander Zavala took what remained of the Vanguard fleet to Titan to set up a base to plan their counterattack. Unfortunately, Zavala was unaware of the Hive's infestation of Titan and when a force of Lightless Guardians attempted to drive the Hive out, they were defeated. To make matters worse, the Fallen House of Dusk followed the Vanguard. Upon their arrival, the Fallen began to pillage the Golden Age facilities while also engaging the Hive and the Lightless Vanguard. Despite this, a Guardian was able to regain their light and traveled to Titan to aid Zavala, clearing out enough of the Hive and reactivating the facilities for the Vanguard to set up a base. After Zavala moved to The Farm on Earth, the Vanguards forces on Titan were under the command of Sloane. Under her supervision, the Guardians began to make progress in driving the Hive away from their base while also powering the facilities.

Throughout the Red War, even after the Guardians reclaimed the Last City, the Hive broods on Titan have made numerous attempts to sink the New Pacific Arcology where the Guardians and Fallen battle. All their attempts were thwarted by the Guardians and some of their field leaders were slain. Later on, Sloane located the center point of the Hive's rituals, sending numerous teams to investigate but none returned. After Sloane lost contact with the latest team sent, she requested the Guardian to locate the missing teams and finish their mission. After delving deep into Hive territory, the Guardians lost contact with Sloane and Zavala but made radio contact with Taeko-3, a Praxic Order agent and a member of the last team Sloane had sent. She guides the Guardians through Hive defenses and encounters strange crystals emitting Void Light which was disturbingly revealed to be extracted from Guardians. Taeko further reveals that a massive Shrieker, dubbed Savathûn's Song, is using the Void Light for a specific ritual and they won't be able to destroy the Shrieker without Void Light. Resolving to aid the Guardian, Taeko sacrifices herself by allowing her Light to be extracted into a Void Crystal which the Guardians use to breach the Shrieker's defenses. Taeko's sacrifice was not in vain as, despite the Shrieker's power and Hive servants, the Guardians managed to destroy the Shrieker, avenging Taeko and her fallen comrades.

However, despite these accomplishments, like with the resurgent Taken on Io and on Earth, the Guardians question the nature of the new Hive broods, as they have noted the differences between the new brood and those they have faced in the past, wondering what Hive God is leading them. Evidence and entities point to the new Hive Brood's allegiance to Savathûn, the Witch-Queen.

Rise of Xol

"The markings suggest this is a Hive god, but I don't recognize the symbol. Nothing in the World's Grave file either. The name is... Nokris."

— The Ghost

Exiled Hive Prince, Nokris

After the chaos of the Red War and the reawakening of the Traveler, a new, massive Hive army, the Grasp of Nokris, that has lain dormant within the frozen tundra of Hellas Basin on Mars, emerges to bring about the destruction of the Warmind Rasputin. Leading this army is the Worm God Xol and its herald, Nokris, the mysterious disowned son of Oryx.

Many centuries earlier, Nokris, was exiled from kith and kin for violating the Sword Logic via necromancy. Nokris originally hoped to prove himself to his father by communing with the Worm Gods the same way Oryx himself did but was rejected by them save Xol, Will of the Thousands. They forged a pact where Nokris traded his heart for the secrets of necromancy, which Oryx viewed as heresy. Despite being exiled, Nokris and his followers aimed to conquer a world for their god and Mars became their target. However, Rasputin put a halt to their invasion, managing to imprison Nokris, Xol, and their army within the frozen wastes of Hellas Basin. For centuries they remained there until the return of the Light melted their prison. Now free, the forces of Xol aimed to destroy the ancient Warmind and continue their conquest of Mars.

Hoping to avert this disaster and learn more about her past, Ana Bray summons the Guardians to lead the defense of the ancient Warmind and face the Hive head-on. The Guardians face off against Xol's horde but encounter Nokris and the Worm God itself who aim to rule the planet. Despite killing the herald of Xol, the Worm God itself proves too powerful for the Guardian to defeat alone. Against his better judgment and with Ana Bray's guidance, Zavala allows the Guardian to forge a powerful Warmind weapon, the Valkyrie. Reaching the Worm God just outside the ancient Warmind's core, the Warrior of Light battles with the Will of the Thousands for the fate of Rasputin and Mars. Despite its immense power, Xol was killed by the Guardian using the Valkyrie, robbing the Hive of one of their most powerful entities.

The leaderless Grasp of Nokris remained an active threat on Mars that Guardians continue to face while also dealing with remnants of the Red Legion but find that its members are sending messages beyond the system, aimed towards Savathûn, pleading her to arrive and assume control. Xol himself would cheat death and transcend physical form by drawing power from the Sword Logic and using the Taken on Io, taking the shape of former enemies of humanity, for the Guardians to face and kill. Once the Guardian proved themselves worthy of a host to feed upon, Xol invoked the Anthem Anatheme and transformed into the Whisper of the Worm weapon as a conduit to feed off of the Guardian's kills.

The Mindbender

"Two star-crossed lovers have sullied my Shore: our old friend the Mindbender — may he rest in pieces — and In Anânh, a Hive Brood Queen, traitor to her kin. Eliksni have crossed lines with the Hive in the past, but never at this scale."

— The Spider

Hiraks, the Mindbender

After the fall of Nokris and Xol, the Hive enter into a strange situation during the Guardians personal war with the Fallen Scorn within the Reef. One of the Scorn Barons, Hiraks, the Mindbender, who somehow survived the Hellmouth as a Dreg, developed a morbid fascination with the Hive and its powers, and somehow managed to take control of a large Hive brood within the Tangled Shore that were stranded after the Battle of Saturn at the onset of the Taken War. Hiraks was even able to create his own Ascendant Realm from the deaths of his enemies, Cayde-6 in particular. The Mindbender also made experiments upon the Hive with Ether, creating a host of Ether Worms. However, the Mindbender's rise to power within the Hive was put down when the Guardian sought out Hiraks and the Scorn Barons for the murder of the Hunter Vanguard. Battling through a downed Hive Warship, the Guardian breached into Hirak's "Ascendant Plane" and battled with the Mindbender and his mind-controlled Hive. Despite his power and Hive minions, Hiraks was killed which caused his Ascendant Realm to destabilize and collapse. This left the Hive without a powerful leader within the Reef.

Later on, after the Scorn's failure and the death of their Barons, doing a favor for the Fallen mob boss, The Spider, the Guardians return to the disabled Hive warship to clear out the Hive, whose numbers have increased since Hirak's fall. Battling into the ship and deep into a Hive nest, the Guardians encounter Knights with ether-infused Worms which they use to break through Hive defenses. Deeper within the nest, the Guardians encounter the progenitor of the nest, In Anânh, Brood Queen, who was also the consort to Hiraks. Battling with the queen deeper and deeper into the nest, the Guardians succeeds in killing the brood queen, despite her dark powers. Without the Brood Queen, the Hive's numbers will continue to decrease and are now without another leader.

A Thousand Voices

"The Guardians killed Riven and ripped out her heart. But Ahamkara transcend death. They can transform desire into reality… even when they are nothing but bone and dust. I should have known that Riven would grant one last wish… one last curse. Now, the Dreaming City has been Taken. I opened the gates. I ordered the attack. I… should have known."

— Petra Venj.

Taken Ahamkara Riven

Despite these occurrences, the Hive's Witch-Queen, Savathûn, continues to operate in the shadows but assumed near-complete control over the Taken thanks to her possible usage of the Taken Vex Mind, Quria, Blade Transform. With the Taken under her direction, she has plans for the Awoken Dreaming City which was sealed shortly before the Taken War. Within the City, the Ahamkara, Riven of a Thousand Voices, was also Taken and becomes one of Savathûn's most useful allies. Though Riven orchestrated the Scorn's rampage across the Reef, including the murder of Cayde-6, her plan was to open the gateway to the Dreaming City with Uldren Sov as her puppet. Appearing as his sister, Mara Sov, Riven slowly corrupted the Awoken prince's mind, bending him to her will until he would gather what was needed to open the Gateway to the City; a combination of Light and Darkness.

The rogue prince managed to open the way but instead of his sister appearing as he believed it was her in directing his actions, only a grotesque Taken creature of Riven's, the Voice of Riven, appeared in her place. However, once again due to the Guardian's actions, the Taken Chimera was slain and the Hunter Vanguard avenged, but Riven remained a threat to the Reef and the whole Solar System. Nonetheless, finally gaining the Vanguard's support, aided by their Awoken allies and freeing the Techeuns from Taken corruption, the Guardians managed to kill the corrupted Riven and purge her heart of Taken essence.

Unfortunately for the Guardians and the Awoken, Riven's death was planned and it would grant Savathûn a tremendous advantage. In the last moments before her death and her heart being purified of Taken corruption by the Techeuns, Riven granted one last wish: to curse the Dreaming City in between the Ascendant Plane and physical reality, with Taken Blights engulfing parts of the city in a manner of weeks.

With the rules of ascendancy altered by Riven's wish, entities - both Hive and Taken - under the command of Xivu Arath, have appeared in the Dreaming City. These entities pillaged the Dreaming City for relics bearing dangerous knowledge but for what purpose is unknown. The Guardian, however, thwarted this plan by stealing the relics back and killing a Taken Chimera, Xaras, Greed of Xivu Arath. This suggests an appearance of the Hive's God of War in the future.

War of the Throne Worlds

"When you killed Riven, she granted your wish to see the city made safe. But as all wishgranters do, she perverted that wish, opening the Dreaming City to Dûl Incaru. When you defeated Dûl Incaru in turn, I reset the entire Dreaming City to keep her permanently occupied battling you. You must use these loops to find a way to permanently destroy her."

— Medusa.

Dûl Incaru, Daughter of Savathûn

As the Taken curse blighted the Dreaming City, Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return, a daughter of the Witch-Queen, took advantage of the curse to plunder the city of its secrets and more importantly, further her mother's scheme of invading the Distributary and gain godly strength. Using Eleusinia, Mara Sov's desecrated Throne World, as a staging ground and aided with the Taken and Hive sent from her aunt Xivu Arath, Dûl Incaru waged an unending battle against the Awoken led by Petra Venj but Queen Mara called upon her allies in the Guardians to fight back against the Taken curse. After two weeks of fighting the Taken and Hive, a rift to Eleusinia was opened beneath the Blind Well that gave the Guardians an opportunity to battle the Witch-Queen's daughter. Despite the protection of her Fatesmiths, Dûl Incaru was killed by the Guardians.

However, this seeming failure was all part of Savathûn's greater plans for the Dreaming City. After Dûl Incaru's death at the hands of the Guardians, the Dreaming City reverted to the state it had been in upon first being unsealed by the Guardian, progressing again through the same process of becoming corrupted by the Taken and culminating in another battle between Dûl Incaru and the Guardians. This apparent time-loop, spun by Quria, both furthers Savathûn's long-term goal of amassing tribute for herself through her subordinates committing violence within spaces with looped or dilated time, and also presents the Guardians with a dilemma: they can either repeatedly strike down Dûl Incaru and relive the same series of events, or they can refuse to do so and allow Dûl Incaru to complete her mission.

Death of the Weapon Master

"Yours, until the flame is put out and the words have been spoken."

— The Last Word

In the Lost Sector of Methane Flush on Titan, a servant of Xyor, the Unwed was found by a Guardian, sent out by The Drifter, performing a strange ritual. The servant was defeated by the Guardian and dropped a helmet with a strange bullet hole through the front. The Drifter instructed the Guardian to sully their Light and then defeat the weapon master creating new Weapons of Sorrow.

The Guardian tracked Enkaar, the Anointed to Hellrise Canyon and The Broodhold on the Tangled Shore. After three duels against the weapon master, in which Enkaar would use a Proto-Thorn and the Guardian would use The Last Word, Enkaar was soon defeated and his weapon production collapsed.

Terror of the Sorrow-Bearer

"He had but one purpose: bear the Crown of Sorrow and make the Hive mine. Imagine my chagrin when his very personality was annihilated within minutes of exposure. Whatever viral language was etched into the Crown's interior had taken over. Until you ended him, he belonged to a witch."

— Emperor Calus.

Wrath of Sorrow

Though Savathûn continued in her schemes in breaching the Distributary and undermining the Guardians, the Witch-Queen soon found a competitor in the form of the exiled Cabal Emperor Calus. Forming a trap for the emperor, Savathûn created an artifact called the Crown of Sorrow, planting the rumor that the crown could mimic Oryx's ability to Take but in reality, it would drive the wearer mad with voices and bring them under the Witch-Queen's control. Calus soon learned of the artifact's existence and as expected, the emperor desired it to further his goals. Invading one of the Hive's War Moons, Calus acquired the Crown but instead of wearing the crown himself as Savathûn predicted, the emperor granted it to one of his Shadow agents, Gahlran. The emperor specifically bred Gahlran for the purpose of bearing the Crown and its powers, hoping that the artifact would allow Gahlran to command the Hive, thereby furthering Calus's goals. Unfortunately, the Crown, as it was designed, drove Gahlran completely mad, who then brought a large infestation of the Hive upon Calus's personal ship, The Leviathan.

Though Calus was angered that Gahlran was consumed by the Crown, realizing that Savathûn had tricked him, the emperor called upon his Guardian allies to put the newly named Sorrow-Bearer down before he could do any more damage. Fighting past Hive rituals and traversing deep into Calus's treasure vaults, the Guardians confronted Gahlran. Despite the Crown of Sorrow granting Gahlran great powers, the Guardians succeeded in putting the Sorrow-Bearer out of his madness and cleansing the Leviathan of the Hive. Further, the Guardians managed to cleanse the Crown of Sorrow for their own uses. For their achievements in thwarting the Witch-Queen's scheme against him and cleansing his ship of the Hive, Calus rewards the Guardians and names them one of his Shadows.

Awakening of Hidden Nightmares

The Scarlet Keep rises.

Following the recent dealings with Calus and the Drifter, the Guardians return to Luna after hearing reports of renewed Hive aggression and of a new fortress that was constructed near the Hellmouth, the Scarlet Keep. As the Guardian works with Vanguard forces in establishing a beachhead and driving the Hive back, they soon encounter the Scarlet Keep and strange enemies emanating dark essence. The Guardians manage to enter the keep and proceed further beneath Luna's surface, but near the bottom, they find a massive black Pyramid structure that seems to be affecting the Guardian's Ghosts negatively. Before they could investigate any further, a dark figure forms. One that, to their surprise, bears the image of Crota himself. Though the Guardians put up a fight, they prove unable to actually harm the phantom of Crota. Just when they are about to be overwhelmed as new forms emerge taking the images of Ghaul and Fikrul, Eris Morn saves them with her strange enchantment. Regrouping, Eris guides the Guardians on the nature of the Scarlet Keep and that the Pyramid may be in fact a remnant of the Darkness that brought the Collapse. Further, the "Nightmares" the Guardians faced are extensions of the Pyramid meant to torment and distract the Guardian.

With Eris Morn, finally gaining the Vanguard's full support, the Guardian makes efforts in finding a way to combat the Nightmares and their influence. Believing that the Hive of the resurgent Hidden Swarm have the means, as the Scarlet Keep being near the Pyramid is no coincidence, Eris has the Guardians breach the Keep to look for any answers or Hive knowledge. At the entrance of the keep, the Guardian encounters Hashladûn, Daughter of Crota, the architect of the keep. Originally thought dead after the fall of her father, Hashladûn instead took advantage of the Pyramid's power to exact her revenge against the Guardians for ravaging her lineage. Eris has the Guardians give chase as Hashladûn retreats into the keep, ascending the scarlet tower. The Guardian finally confronts Hashladûn at the tower's peak, but it's revealed that Crota's daughter lured them to her position to fulfill her vengeance. Fortunately, the Guardian overcomes her power and use of the Nightmares, managing to slay Hashladûn. From her death, the Guardian and Eris learn that Hashladûn managed to harness armor able to resist the Nightmare's influence using a forbidden piece of Hive knowledge, the Cryptoglyph, found at the very bottom of the Hellmouth, the Catacombs.

Hashladun, Daughter of Crota

Resolving that the Cryptoglyph is essential in the task of combating the Nightmares and entering the Pyramid, Eris asks the Guardian to venture into the darkness of the Hellmouth once more to acquire the Cryptoglyph. The Guardian enters the Hellmouth but as they venture deeper, they lose contact with Eris. The Guardians finally reach the Catacombs and acquire the Cryptoglyph after slaying its keeper, Besurith, Daughter of Crota (Hashladûn's sister) but with Eris unable to extract them, the Guardian had to race back to the surface with the enraged Hive and Nightmares in hot pursuit. Despite the danger, the Guardians manage to escape back to the surface alive. Bringing the Cryptoglyph to Eris, she further instructs the Guardians in extracting Nightmare essence that has taken form over the system so Eris can create the armor necessary to resist and battle the Nightmares guarding the Pyramid. The Guardians manage to acquire and fuel the essence after slaying the Nightmares of Skolas (who embodied Pride), Taniks (who embodied Isolation), and Phogoth (who embodied Fear). With their essence, Eris is successful in creating the necessary armor.

With the armor acquired and the Vanguard's approval, the Guardian ventures back through the Scarlet Keep and descends towards the Pyramid. As they near, however, their Ghost begins to feel something trying to pierce them, and the Pyramid itself opens and draws them in. With their Ghost seemingly possessed by the Darkness, it taunts the Guardian on the Light's failures and weaknesses, as they battle with Crota, Ghaul, and Fikrul once more. Despite the Darkness's taunts, the Guardian succeeds in defeating the Nightmares of their greatest foes. With the Darkness seemingly welcoming them, the Guardian acquires a strange, unknown artifact from the Pyramid's center and encounters a mirror projection of themselves, that addresses itself as not as their friend or their enemy but their "Salvation".

Though both the Vanguard and Eris regard the Pyramid's message as their "salvation" with great suspicion and doubt, they know they must be prepared for the Darkness's imminent return. In the meantime, the Guardians continue to contain the Hive of the Scarlet Keep and the Nightmares that continue to haunt the system.

The Festering Core

Corrupted Core.

Despite the Luna Hive failing in the Scarlet Keep and the Nightmare's being continually hunted by the Guardians, Savathûn continued on with her schemes in the shadows. The Witch Queen soon discovers a massive Vex computational array on Io, and seeking to use it to her advantage, sends a large Taken Blight in the array to corrupt the machine and bring it under her control. Savathûn's primary motive in this offensive is that since she seeks knowledge to inform her plans and pawns to carry them out, the array offers the desire to fulfill both of these. However, her Taken's infestation spurred the Vex to drive them back which inadvertently caught the notice of the Vanguard. Commander Zavala sends a Strike team to investigate after scans detect large Vex surges in the Pyramidion. The Guardians make their way beneath the Pyramidion and, after battling through both Taken and Vex, they encounter large blights throughout the array. The Guardians notice the blights being remarkably similar to those that infest the Dreaming City, something that the Guardians and Eris Morn suspect that the Witch Queen is involved. Knowing that the Blights require a source to anchor its presence, the Guardians find the anchor and confront the blight's source, Baurisk, Envoy of Savathûn. Despite the Taken Incendinor's power and the Vex interrupting, the Guardians succeed in destroying Baurisk, thereby breaking the Taken infestation. This allows the Vex to be able to drive the rest of the Taken off.

Regardless of this victory, Eris Morn encourages Zavala that the Last City must be prepared for when the Witch Queen may strike next. Though Zavala remains confident that the Guardians will be able to defeat Savathûn as they have with the Taken King before her, Eris counters that the Witch Queen is not as foolish as her brother as she would not risk a direct confrontation. Therefore, Eris states the Guardians must prepare and be wise enough to know when Savathûn will show her hand.

Clash with The Undying

Vex invasion of the Moon

Later, the Vex of the Sol Divisive begin an invasion of Luna to claim the Pyramid for their own plans, likely to restore the Black Heart of their Black Garden. Under the command of a resurrected Undying Mind, Vex portals open all across the moon, primarily near the Scarlet Keep, allowing their forces to invade en mass, causing a conflict to break out. The Hidden Swarm now battles with the Black Garden's disciples for dominance over the Pyramid. The Guardians enter the conflict to prevent either from claiming the structure and its secrets, all the while, maintaining the Nightmare Phantoms with their Nightmare Hunts under Eris Morn's supervision.

Though the Guardians managed to slow the Vex's invasion after breaching into the Black Garden and disrupting the flow of Vex platforms by assaulting the gate network, the Vex continue to appear. Sporadic battles continued to erupt between the Sol Divisive and the Hidden Swarm for control of the moon and the Pyramid.

Pits of Heresy

"Since last we spoke, your fireteam delved into the Moon's depths and disrupted their dark ritual. But there is still much we do not know. On what powers did the Hive seek to call? What does it have to do with the Pyramid? And what do the dread queens Savathûn and Xivu Arath think of this new shade of Darkness? Stay vigilant. If my sight is true, the Hive will attempt this ritual again. You must be there to stop them."

— Eris Morn.

Zulmak, Instrument of Torment

Sometime later, the Guardians return to the Scarlet Keep to investigate reports of strange and disturbing activity surrounding the Hidden Swarm's fortress, rituals that have been dubbed Altars of Sorrow. The Hidden Swarm began sacrificing Nightmares into an Ascendant Crystal to harvest their phantasmal essence. Slowly, the Guardians under Eris Morn's guidance, manage to delay these Hive rituals but notice that the center point of these rituals lies beneath the Scarlet Keep.

Traversing deep into the Keep, the Guardians unlock passages to new forbidden areas, all the while encountering strange yet powerful Hive, Disciples of the Broken Blade. After unlocking each gate and traveling deeper into the Pit, the Guardians encounter products of Hashladûn and her sisters' wicked schemes. Upon further investigation, the Guardians learned that Hashladûn and her sisters used the pits beneath the Scarlet Keep to further their magical experimentation and find a possible solution to use the Pyramid's power to create a Nightmare that assumes the form of Oryx himself. Though such a plot was in direct violation of the Sword-Logic, the Daughters of Crota believed such a breach of the Hive's sacred Logic was necessary, as the Taken King's killers, the Guardians, never assumed his place. However, the Daughters of Crota proved unable to perform such a feat, as the Nightmares could not be conjured by Hive minds. However, Kinox instead proposed to use the Nightmare essence and raise a champion of their own: Zulmak, Instrument of Torment by creating a Nightmare hybrid abomination to serve as their puppet.

Following Hashladûn's death, Zulmak, the product of the daughters' work and their most powerful champion began to stir. Resolving to prevent Zulmak from gaining more power or escaping the Pit, the Guardians descended deeper until they reached Zulmak's lair, the Cradle of Damnation. Though Zulmak proved a powerful foe, the Guardians used his Swords and magic against him, preventing him from using his Ascendant Crystal to full effect. With the Swords and magic in hand, the Guardians managed to destroy the crystal and slay Zulmak, preventing his rise from occurring.

However, Hashladûn's sisters, Voshyr, and Kinox, remain at large. Worse, their use of forbidden necromantic sorcery continuously revives Zulmak, forcing the Guardians to traverse the Pit and slay Zulmak again.

The Almighty Crisis

Following the Guardians' battles with the Nightmares, their struggle in the Pit, and the exhausting campaign with the Vex that led to the final destruction of the Undying Mind, the Guardians were called to Mercury by Osiris to contend with the consequences. As a result of the Undying Mind's demise, the timeways over Mercury had become undone, leaving them susceptible to being controlled by other factions. One such faction, the Cabal of the Red Legion, under the command of a quartet of Psion sisters, sought to assume command over time itself to undo the legion's defeat during the Red War by using a device of Osiris' design, the Sundial. However, the Guardians, under the guidance of Osiris, were able to thwart the sisters in their mission to assume command over time, falling to the Guardians one-by-one, even when they combined into a single powerful Psion Flayer.

Despite this victory, one last Psion Flayer sister, Amtec, seeks vengeance in her sisters' names and sought to achieve it by using the crippled vessel, The Almighty. Destroying its engine couplings and navigation systems, the Red Legion turned the crown jewel of their forces into a kamikaze weapon directed towards the home of the Guardians, the Last City itself. Unable to stop the massive vessel on their own, the Vanguard, with no other choice, are forced to cooperate with the Warmind Rasputin to find a way to halt or divert The Almighty. The Warmind directs the Guardians to activate its Seraph Bunkers across the system to reactive and weaponize its systems. One such bunker on Luna, unfortunately, was discovered to be infested by the Hive. Working alongside Ana Bray, the Guardians are able to clear the bunker of the Hive and connect it to Rasputin's mainframe.

Whispered Interference

"The sky is vast, but shallow. The deep is boundless, but suffocating. There is another way."

— Nokris.

Guardians enter Savathûn's domain.

Following the fall of the Almighty, the Vanguard confirms the Darkness' arrival, with Pyramids touching down on various worlds and even disabling Rasputin. On Io, Eris Morn heeds the call of a Pyramid to learn what she can. Her attempts to hear the Darkness are disrupted by Savathûn, who jams the Pyramid's broadcasts and sends Hive and Taken to intervene. She is slowly overwhelmed but the Guardian, who was following her on Zavala's orders, is able to save Eris from the Witch-Queen's servants. Though injured, Eris manages to overcome the Witch Queen's power as she finds a tree of Silver Wings, with a seed of dark power at its base. After returning to the Last City, the Vanguard Commander pleads with her not to go any further but Eris leaves anyway, determined to figure out what Savathûn and the Darkness want. She returns to Io, only to find it swarmed with Savathûn's forces. Eris calls on the Guardians to take back the tree, and when they succeed, she uses the Seed of Silver Wings to receive and interpret the Pyramid's broadcasts.

During their trek into the Court of Savathûn, the Guardian learns that Oryx's disowned son, Nokris, has returned and is now in service to his aunt and her goals. It is soon discovered that the former Herald of Xol was abandoned by his god after finding more worth in the Worm God's killers and, looking for a new purpose, used trickery to enter the Ascendant Realm, encountering the Witch Queen doing so. Both wishing to be free from the Darkness, Nokris agreed to a bargain with his scheming aunt. In exchange for teaching his aunt the secrets of Necromancy and interfering with the Pyramid's attempts to communicate with the Guardians, Nokris would take part in Savathûn's plans and learn the power to Take from the "Dreaming Mind".

Ultimately, after weeks of fighting Taken and deciphering as much as they can form the Darkness' messages, the Guardians finally manage to confront Nokris himself to put an end to Savathûn's interference. Upon entering into a new area of Savathûn's Court, near a Blight the size of a sun, the Guardian faces off against Oryx's exiled spawn once more. Despite Nokris' sorcery and use of his aunt's forces, the Guardian manages to slay Nokris, this time presumably for good.

Schisms From Within

Navota, Eir Spawn

More than a year come full circle after the Pyramids' first communications with the Guardians of the Last City, the Hive across the system would find themselves fractured and broken apart by infighting and internal power struggles. Savathûn's ploy with the exiled Nokris to interfere with the Pyramid's communications would not go unanswered, as the Witch Queen found herself banished, excommunicated, and set to burn by the Black Fleet as punishment. The arrival of the Pyramids had also forced the Witch Queen into hiding as the same broods who once served her (and her brother prior) defected and attempted to strike out on their own.

Meanwhile, Guardians of new and old Light alike would investigate the appearance of the Hive wizard Navôta, Eir Spawn, who had marshaled the malcontent brood in the Cosmodrome to her sway. After killing Guardians Cas and Maeve, Navôta would attempt to finish their remaining member Shaw Han only to be driven off by a newly-Risen Guardian. With her position threatened by brood rivals suspicious of her weakness, the disgraced Navôta was forced to make a final confrontation with the Guardians at the Terrestrial and Jovian Complexes. Despite attempting to rally the brood in a trap, she was defeated and the Hive in the Cosmodrome were left scattered and deprived of leadership.

The Scarlet Court's Fall

"There it is. Along with the entire Scarlet Court. Crota's remaining children, and their spawn, can be destroyed in one fell swoop."

— Osiris

The remaining two daughters of Crota in their hiding along with the very last of the noble dynasty of the once-great God-King of the Hive, Oryx, were dealt another death blow. Almost a week after the Guardian's investigations and toils on Europa, the legendary warlock Osiris came to Luna after tracking the most potent of the Cryptolith's signals across the Solar System. Beneath the shadow of the Lunar Pyramid, Osiris came across a massive gathering of Hive that featured the remaining entirety of the Scarlet Court, including the daughters, along with the High Celebrant of Xivu Arath. Unknown to Osiris or likely the Swarm, the High Celebrant was sent to Luna to wrest free the Swarm from The Witch Queen's plans and instead reform Luna in Xivu's image. A world where all tithes were tribute to her.

In an audacious and "suicidal" move as described by Sagira, Osiris descended upon the gathering as the mighty Phoenix he was and began to slaughter the gathering. In the year since the events of Shadowkeep, Voshyr and Kinox had both heirs and sons/daughters of their own - more nobles to Oryx's legacy. These same offspring would be with their respective mothers in their final moments. Voshyr and her two daughters Yishra and Ayriax were the first to perish before they could even finish their incantation - incinerated by Osiris' Daybreak. Kinox was soon to be second who attempted fleeing into the crevices of Luna with her son Ulg'Urin and his cohort of Knights raising shields to defend her only to perish from a Nova Bomb but despite his efforts, Kinox also perished in the blast. The remaining lesser nobles were killed in the slaughter which actually strengthened Xivu Arath thanks to the violence committed by the Warlock. Osiris was then stripped of his supers when the visage and will of Xivu Arath emanating from the large Cryptolith taunted him. Osiris was pinned and around him were cleaved Runes in the stone by the High Celebrant. In a stunning and tragic act, Sagira broke through the oppressive force Xivu projected that was slowly killing Osiris and sacrificed herself - destroying the Cryptolith and projection, saving Osiris but leaving him Ghostless. The light in the place of Sagira's sacrifice remained for days.

With Kinox's and Voshyr's deaths confirmed and that of their spawn, the lineage of Oryx would truly meet it's end and without them, Zulmak would be unable to resurrect again. Further, with the end of the Scarlet Court, the remnants of the Hidden Swarm would pledge themselves to Xivu Arath and her Wrathborn.

Birth of the Wrathborn

"The Reef's sky has holes in it… the whole system's in chaos. Of course, Xivu Arath decided now was the right time to corrupt herself an army. We call them Wrathborn."

— Crow.

The High Celebrant

Following the Black Fleet's arrival, Nokris' fall, and various worlds of the Sol System going dark, the Guardians discover a rise of corrupted Hive activity within the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City of the Reef. They soon learn that the Hive's God of War, Xivu Arath, has begun to marshal her influence upon the Sol system in absence of her excommunicated sister. From her Cryptoliths this was achieved. These organic Hive structures burrowed into the material plane while rooting themselves in the Ascendant Realm, calling out to nearby beings to be transformed into Wrathborn. These Cryptoliths started corrupting Eliksni but quickly spread to Hive and Cabal. Commanded and aided in their spread by the High Celebrant, they would be the Wrathborn's command and Xivu Arath's foothold in the system. To combat this threat, the Guardians agree to a partnership with the Spider and to work with a mysterious Lightborn called the Crow, who is really Uldren Sov revived as a Guardian. In the ensuing weeks Wrathborn of House of Spider, House of Dusk, and the broods of the Hive would be hunted down. As for the corrupted Red Legion, none have been encountered which has concerned Crow.

Roughly eight weeks following its initial escape, the Crow was able to locate the Celebrant hiding within the Dreaming City thanks to the Guardian's numerous Wrathborn hunts. After upgrading the Cryptolith Lure, The Guardian and Crow made their way to the Cryptolith within Harbinger's Seclude to summon the High Celebrant and end it once and for all. As the Guardian was able to activate the Cryptolith, the Crow was able to tag it to make sure it wouldn't escape from them again. The Celebrant would lead them through a wild goose chase throughout the Harbinger's Seclude and the Ascendant Plane while summoning both Fallen and Hive Wrathborn to delay both Guardians. However, it would succeed in escaping back into the Ascendant Realm and closing the portal behind it, leaving Crow inside to deal with him. While the Guardians were seemingly stuck in a hard place, the Guardian used what remained of the Cryptolith to forcefully open up one of the preexisting rifts within the Dreaming City to track down the Celebrant. During the battle, the Celebrant contains the Guardian within a Hive Trap and opens up another rift to make its escape, only for the Crow to intervene by destroying the portal from the other side. While the Knight was staggered from the destruction of its only exit, kneeling to the floor, the Guardian finishes the Celebrant off and ends its reign of terror once and for all.

Fall of the Cabal

Sometime before the Black Fleet's appearance in the Solar System, the Hive would lay waste to the Cabal after Savathûn managed to corrupt one of their high profile leaders, Umun'arath, into worshiping the Hive. As a "gift" to her sister Xivu Arath, Savathûn had Umun'arath perform a ritual that in the event of her death, a portal would open, allowing the Hive to directly invade the Cabal homeworld of Torobatl. The plan came to fruition when Uman'arath was killed by her former student, Empress Caiatl, allowing the full force of Xivu Arath's armies to invade. Despite the Cabal's best efforts, the Hive of Xivu Arath slaughtered their people and destroyed much of their homeworld, forcing Empress Caiatl to order an evacuation of their homeworld and regroup to the Solar System, the home of those who have slain Hive gods before: the Guardians of the Last City.

Arriving in the Sol System and explaining her people's plight to Zavala and Osiris, Empress Caiatl beseeches that humanity must unite with her empire to combat the Darkness and the Hive but on the condition that the Guardians kneel before her. Expectedly, the Guardians are quick to refuse and instead partake in a combat rite to prove their strength to the Cabal. Months of battle wear down Caiatl's chosen forces, leading to the two groups to forge an armistice.

Quria's Masterpiece

Quria, the Dreaming Mind.

Following the conflicts with the Wrathborn, the Fallen House of Salvation and the Cabal, the Guardians discover their home of the Last City plagued by an Endless Night which the Vanguard surmise to be the Vex's doing. Requiring aid from the one being who could pierce into the Vex's domain, the Guardians locate Mithrax of the House of Light. The Light Kell agrees to aid the Guardians in combating the Endless Night after they helped him save his people from the Vex. To further ensure the safety of Mithrax's people, Ikora Rey offers Mithrax and his House of Light sanctuary within the Last City as they work together, who gratefully accepts but the decision to bring Eliksni into the Last City sparks tension within some of the citizens and the Factions. Regardless of this tension, the Guardians work well with Mithrax in combating the Vex but after gaining enough data, the Sacred Splicer discovers the source of the Endless Night: Quria, the Dreaming Mind and servant of Savathûn. With Savathûn's role in the Endless Night revealed, the Vanguard goes through all knowledge regarding her, hoping to find a clue through her layers of lies, while the Guardians work on pinpointing Quria's position.

After many months of combating the Vex, gathering data, and handling the tense situation between the Factions and the House of Light, the Guardians are successful in locating Quria, allowing them to launch a direct assault on the Dreaming Mind. Entering into the Vex domain once more, only this time they discover it plagued with Taken corruption, the Guardians confront Quria. Despite the Dreaming Mind's simulation and Taken powers, the Guardians are successful in destroying Quria, robing the Witch Queen of one of her most powerful and useful servants. Quria's destruction slowly lifts the Endless Night over the Last City but the situation with the House of Light comes to a head when Lakshmi-2 heads a conspiracy with the other Factions to oust the Vanguard leadership and forcibly expel the Eliksni from the Last City using a Vex portal, apparently aided by Osiris himself. However, to her shock, the Vex portal she utilizes, breaks from her control, killing Lakshmi and allowing Vex to enter into the Last City. With the Last City and House of Light threatened, the Guardians managed to undo Lakshmi's portal and destroy the Vex, saving the House of Light but during the chaos, Osiris had vanished, leading many to suspect he was involved as Lakshmi spoke. Refusing to believe her mentor was responsible, Ikora Rey has the Guardian conduct a search for Osiris.

A Bargain between Queens

As the Guardians search for Osiris, they find a lead that takes them to the Dreaming City within the Reef. They are joined by Saint-14 and Crow who are looking for Osiris and want answers from him as well. They managed to traverse the Ascendant Realm-wracked Dreaming City and find Osiris conversing with Mara Sov herself. However, to the three Lightbearer's shock and horror, the "Osiris" they have been conversing with for a while had not been Osiris at all but Savathûn, the Witch Queen herself but Mara Sov encases her within a strange violet crystal prison. The Hive goddess revealed that she had taken Osiris's form not long after Osiris had become Lightless, saving him from Xivu Arath, but also used his form to hide from her sister, who now hunts Savathûn at the behest of another. From there, she struck a bargain with the Awoken Queen: in exchange for releasing Osiris and ending the Taken Curse over the Dreaming City, Mara Sov would excise her worm. Despite not trusting the notorious Queen of Lies, the Guardians agree with Mara Sov.

To excise Savathûn's worm, Mara Sov requires her Techeun Coven, who had become lost in the Ascendant Plane as they traveled the realm before being cornered by Xivu Arath. To find and liberate them from Taken corruption, Mara Sov sends in the Guardians to complete the task, fully allying the Reefborn Awoken with Humanity of the Last City. Mara Sov reveals that she went through with her bargain with Savathûn as she knows without her Worm, she will be unable to return to her Throne World, leaving her vulnerable but the Guardian remains suspicious that this may be part of the Witch Queen's plan.

Hive under the command of Xivu Arath would infest the Ruins of Wrath in the Shattered Realm and would seek to disrupt the Guardian from rescuing a lost Techeun, but would be defeated. Kelgorath, Risen from Bones would also seek to claim an awoken relic for Xivu Arath but would be slain by the Guardian. The Hive, Taken and Scorn would continue to cooperate to poison the Ley Lines, however, leading the Guardians to suspect some sort of alliance.

Ultimately, after many long months of locating the last of the Queen's Techeun's, restoring the Ley Lines and holding the line against Xivu Arath's Horde, Mara Sov informed the Guardian that she now had what she needed to complete her preparations for the ritual. Gathering her Corsairs, anticipating that the God of War will stop at nothing to stop the ritual, and having the Guardian and Saint-14 to provide further protection, Mara Sov begins the ritual to excise Savathûn's worm. Just as expected, Xivu Arath's Hive and Taken forces assault the ritual, but despite their tenacity, they failed to breach the Guardian's defenses. Growing desperate, Xivu Arath summons her champion, Kelgorath, once more but despite his power and use of the Taken, the God of War failed in her attempt, allowing Mara Sov to finish the ritual. Now without her worm, Mara began to release the Witch Queen from her crystal prison to finally achieve justice for her part in Uldren's corruption and death. However, to the Awoken Queen's dismay, Savathûn was already one step ahead. In one of her hidden contingencies, she planted a spell within her prison as it originally formed around her, where upon it's shattering, she would be able to spirit away to safety. Nonetheless, Savathûn kept her end of the bargain, safely returning the real Osiris to the Guardian. Realizing that they had been outmaneuvered, the Vanguard knows they can only wait until the Witch Queen reveals herself once again and makes her next move.

The Witch Queen

"Tell me oh honored guest... How did you do it? How did you find the strength to destroy something so like yourself? To look in a mirror and kill what looks back..."

— Savathûn.

Sometime later, Mars suddenly reappeared, albeit exhibiting temporal distortions, which has the Vanguard have Guardian fireteams deployed to survey the planet. They discovered several Darkness-related structures, including the Enclave, and a forge-like device called the Relic within. Research teams led by the Hidden began studying both the structures and the temporal anomalies and documenting their findings. In addition, Cabal forces began deploying across the planet, reclaiming old territory and setting up anti-air defenses. This was in response to Savathûn's flagship decloaking over the Martian Cradle and began engaging with Cabal forces. A Guardian, however, managed to board the flagship and reported a terrifying finding; Hive soldiers wielding the Light and with some even having their own Ghosts. These Light-imbued Hive would become known as the Lucent Brood. Horrified to see the Hive, one of humanity's greatest enemies, wielding the Light, the Guardians managed to reenter Savathûn's Throne World to search how the Witch Queen managed to steal the Light but encounter a renegade Hive Ghost named Fynch, who explains that Savathûn tricked several guardian-less ghosts to raise her Hive as Lightbearers, claiming they were more deserving of the Light than humanity. Fynch, however, began to have doubts about Savathûn's intentions, leading him to hide out and ultimately refuse to revive the Hive Knight he originally raised.

Despite being suspicious, the Guardians listen to Fynch, who directs them to a temple Savathûn had made in honor of her sister, Xivu Arath, the Temple of the Wrathful, and what they found inside was, to their surprise, Sagira's shell, collected by Savathûn after her light was taken by Xivu Arath. Traversing the dark temple and battling organized Scorn forces, the Guardians were able to retrieve Sagira but, in doing so, they hear Savathûn's voice telling them of a being called "the Witness". Uncertain of what the Witness is, the Guardians learn they heard was a memory of Savathûn and to fully see the memory, they delve deeper into the Throne World, passing various Darkness-related illusions, before entering a portal that leads them to a strange area called the Altar of Reflection. There, placing Sagira's shell at the altar, the Guardian see Savathûn's memory where she impersonated Osiris and from his friends, learned secrets of the Light. Believing that those secrets involve how the Witch Queen stole the Light, Ikora has the Guardian continue working with Fynch in discerning more from Savathûn's memory. However, to fully do so, Ikora allowed the Guardian to enter the Pyramid on Europa to directly commune with the Darkness, heightening their Deepsight abilities to see through the illusions in Savathûn's Throne World.

Savathûn, the Witch Queen reborn.

Returning to Fynch, the Hive Ghost informs them of another temple that Savathûn had made in honor of her brother, Oryx, the Temple of the Navigator, claiming there is a secret within. The Guardians enter the Temple and battle with to their surprise, Alak-Hul, now raised as a Lightbearer called the Lightblade. Though the Guardian managed to slay Alak-Hul, his Ghost managed to escape before they could destroy it. Nonetheless, at the center of the Temple, the Guardian found a piece of the Tablets of Ruin, the artifact that taught Oryx how to Take. Bringing the tablet piece to the Altar of Reflection, they see Savathûn's memory where she refused to become the Taken Queen but learn to their shock, that Savathûn intends to bring the Traveler to her Throne World and seal it away, as a way to "protect" it from the Witness. However, such an act would cut the Guardians off from the Light and leave the Last City vulnerable.

Admitting that she anticipated this and needing every advantage they can get before the Witch Queen enacts her plan, Ikora has the Guardian follow another tip from Fynch, believing that there is another important artifact hidden within Savathûn's Throne World. Fynch informs the Guardian that deep beneath the tunnels of the Quagmire lies a temple dedicated to Sathona, the Witch Queen's former identity before becoming a Hive God, and within lies an artifact next to a statue of Sathona. Despite heavily entrenched Scorn forces and many illusionary securities impeding them, the Guardian manages to locate the Temple of the Cunning and enter it. There, they find the statue of Sathona and after slaying the Scorn Warden and moving past Savathûn's illusionary tricks, they collect a separate piece of the statue: a calcified Worm Familiar, the same one Sathona had kept by her side that whispered to her about Fundament's end. However, taking the familiar activates a powerful illusion of an Ahamkara and a suffocating haze that nearly kills the Guardian. Despite this, the Guardian manages to escape with the Worm Familiar and attempts to take the familiar to the Altar of Reflection but the portal entrance rejects them, forcing Ikora to call upon Eris Morn for guidance. Eris tells them that from a trusted source, Mara Sov, a memento from Savathûn before her conversion to the Light is located deep in her fortress, a possible answer to how the Witch Queen gained of the Light. Guiding them to the Apothecary Wing of the Fortress, Eris claims that the item is a crystal that was once a part of Savathûn's prison during her time with the Awoken. Using their gift to pierce through illusions, the Guardian is able to traverse Savathûn's fortress and breach the Apothecary, the grounds from which the Lucent Brood conduct their wretched experiments with the Light.

Within the Apothecary, the Guardian search for the Crystal but encounter the keeper of the Apothecary, Savathûn's Right Hand, a Lightbearer Wizard. Chasing the wizard throughout the Apothecary, the Guardian manages to corner the wizard at the crystal's location and slay her. Grabbing the crystal allows the Guardian to hear a piece of Savathûn's memory but to fully see the memory, they return to the Altar of Reflection. Bringing the crystal to the altar, the Guardians witness that after Savathûn escaped from her crystal prison in the Reef, she came to Earth, to a mountain range overlooking the Traveler and the Last City. There, she came to the Traveler as a "supplicant" but at that point, the wounds from her escape became too much and died. However, to their shock and horror, the Traveler willingly has a Ghost, Immaru, revive Savathûn as a Lightbearer the same way as a Guardian. At the memory's end, Savathûn herself enters and "thanks" the Guardian for helping her remember her memories, proving that the Witch Queen never stole the Light but was granted it. Before Savathûn could attack the Guardian, they managed to escape and report back to the Last City, telling the Vanguard of the awful truth they had witnessed.

Guardians clash with Hive Lightbearers.

The Vanguard is left completely shocked and rattled to the core that the Traveler would raise Savathûn, one of humanity's most devious adversaries, and grant her the Light. Zavala himself is left incredulous and in near denial but Eris Morn points out the Traveler's behavior of uplifting countless civilizations and then abandoning them in the Books of Sorrow. Zavala attempts to denounce this as mere Hive propaganda but Eris further details that the Fallen themselves tell a similar story, the moment the Witness and its Black Fleet arrived, the Traveler left, leaving them to the Whirlwind, and eventually making it's way to the Sol System. However, Zavala angrily reminds everyone present that when the Black Fleet arrived in the Sol System, the Traveler sacrificed itself to save humanity. Yet, the Vanguard Commander cannot comprehend that after everything the Hive had done, the Traveler would give Savathûn the Light. Ikora merely states that it doesn't matter, regardless of the Traveler's reasons, only concerned that if the Witch Queen takes the Traveler and seals it away, humanity would lose any hope of surviving the Witness.

Theorizing that the calcified Worm Familiar found in Savathûn's temple may hold the key to stopping the Witch Queen, Ikora takes the Worm to the Enclave, believing that the Relic within may be able to slice into its past. With Eris helping her prepare, Ikora, after a struggle, can see into a memory of the Worm Familiar and discovers a shocking revelation: the Worm Familiar whispered that a cataclysm would come and destroy their home of Fundament but in truth, it was the Witness who spoke and it lied to Sathona. There was no cataclysm coming. The Hive were lied to. The Witness was aware that the Krill would soon encounter the Traveler and so, to claim them first, the Witness deceived Sathona into guiding her siblings into the Deep, thereby leading them to release the Worm Gods and forge the pact that would create the Hive species and rebirthing Sathona and her siblings into the Hive Gods, Oryx, Xivu Arath and Savathûn.

Armed with this knowledge and with Savathûn's ritual already beginning, Ikora has the Guardian take the familiar so when they confront the Witch Queen, the truth would destabilize the Hive God of Lies, breaking her hold over the ritual. With no time to lose, the Guardian enters Savathûn's Throne World but finds that the Traveler is already within her domain, forcing the Guardian to fight through Hive and Scorn forces to reach the portal to the ritual's location. Fortunately, Ikora herself arrives to help open the way after the Guardian held off Hive reinforcements, allowing the Guardian to enter the Court of Thorns and fight their way up to the top of Savathûn's fortress. Despite Lightbearer Hive barring the way and the Witch Queen's taunts, the Guardian was able to reach Savathûn's inner chamber and the ritual's location, the Sanctum of the Brood Queen. Confronting Savathûn, the Guardian battles her and her Lightbearer Hive and managed to defeat her, but before they could destroy her ghost, she traps them in a thread-bound spell, allowing herself the time to revive and retreat to her ritual's center point. Pursuing, the Guardian battles with Savathûn once more but proves too powerful for them.

Knowing the truth won't likely stop her but aware they need to try, the Guardian gains access to a portal that leads them to a memory altar but also see that Savathûn is casting a spell that is weaving a web around the Traveler. Heading to two of the towers, the Guardian can slay the spell's Threadweavers, undoing the spell before showing Savathûn the memory of the Witness' lie. At first, the memory surprises and confuses Savathûn, she ultimately becomes infuriated that the Guardian is using her own tricks against her, sending the Witch Queen into a fury, as they disrupt her ritual and undo her spell. With the last of the Threadweavers slain and her spell broken, the enraged Savathûn forces the Guardian back to her Sanctum and battles them. Despite the full force of her light and the support of her Lucent Brood, the Guardian nonetheless defeats the Witch Queen. Before dying, Savathûn admits she miscalculated and gives the warning to the Guardian that the Witness is coming and the "game" is theirs to play now. However, before the Guardian is able to destroy her ghost, the Traveler returns to the Last City in a flash of light, allowing Immaru to flee. Taking it nonetheless as a victory, Ikora sends her Hidden to collect Savathûn's remains with the Guardian believing that their next plan is to prepare for the Witness' return and prevent another Collapse.

Despite the loss of their queen, the Lucent Brood continued to operate under Immaru, plotting his return as the Hive and Scorn struggled for supremacy over Savathûn's Throne World. This forces the Vanguard to conduct operations within the Throne World to prevent either faction from gaining any ground.

The Parasite

Following Savathûn's death, Ikora knows that the Witness is likely returning to finish what it started and understanding they need the support, she summons the Guardian to the Enclave on Mars to meet with Mara Sov who requested them for a special task. At the Relic, the Guardian finds the Witch's Queen's dying worm, brought by Mara Sov who believes the worm holds secrets that they could learn from involving humanity's collapse. The Awoken Queen states she plans to give the worm strength and host to keep it alive, thereby allowing them to glean the secrets they require. Though the Guardian believes this to be a death sentence, Mara believes for her, it will be worth the risk.

Knowing where they can find the means to breathe life into the worm, Mara Sov guides the Guardian to a city shrouded in Darkness near the caverns of Savathûn's Throne World. Taking the worm with them, the Guardian can locate the doorway to the Dark City, finding it to be similar to what they found inside a Pyramid. Mara Sov explains that a disciple of the Witness created the Dark City with the purpose to grow and facilitate beings similar to the worm itself and what they are looking for is akin to a Cryptoglyph, a Darkness incubator that will provide life for the worm. The Guardian locates the Dark City but finds only a resonance of a Cryptglyph that the Scorn gave their lives to protect. Mara Sov suspects that the resonance is but a trick and advises the Guardian to clear it, doing so opens a portal that allows the Guardian to traverse deeper into the Dark City and locate the Cryptoglyph, claiming it from the Scorn thieves. Traversing further, the Guardian can locate the Incubation Chamber they need, forcing them to confront the Scorn leader, Heimiks, Warden of the Harvest. Despite the Scorn's strength, the Guardian can clear them out, allowing them to access the incubator. Placing Savathûn's Worm at the altar, the Darkness energy breaths life into it, allowing it to speak for only a moment but its vitals remain low. Mara Sov believes this to be a partial success and knowing that there are more incubators hidden in the Throne World, she tasks the Guardian to keep the worm safe and refill the Cryptoglyph with energy, while she locates more incubators.

To refill the Cryptoglyph with energy, the Guardian meets with Fynch, who believes to know what they need; a Cryptoglyph rune and they are located within the Temple of the Cunning. Returning to the Temple, the Guardian can find the rune but had to slay a large number of Scorn forces to energize it. Fynch then directs them to a Lost Sector called the Sepulcher, a hive tomb and after slaying its keepers, they find another incubator that allows the worm to regain some it its strength and speak again. The Awoken then strikes a bargain with the worm, offering a new host in exchange for secrets regarding humanity's collapse. Savathûn's Worm grudgingly accepts to keep itself alive. Despite their concerns that she is offering herself as the host, Mara Sov has the Guardian continue onward in finding more incubators within the Lost Sectors of the Throne World as well as keeping a location called the Wellspring secure from the Hive and Scorn. During this time, Savathûn's Worm repeatedly attempts to sow distrust between Mara and the Guardian but despite its words, they continue with Fynch aiding them in locating more runes and incubators.

After finding enough incubators for Savathûn's Worm to regain its strength, Mara Sov demands the information they seek first before gaining its host. Just when it was about to speak of Savathûn's part in the Collapse, the Worm begins to writhe in pain, as a dormant curse the Witch Queen placed on it activated in the event Savathûn's Worm attempted to speak her secrets. Unsure of what to do, Mara Sov leaves but the Guardian quickly takes to the only other being they know who has information on Hive worms: Fynch. The renegade Hive ghost gives them a casing that temporarily prevents the worm from dying and now have to carry the Worm through springs of Hive energy to give it strength again. Despite Lucent Brood's forces attempting to stop them, the Guardian reaches through enough springs for the worm to stop dying. Mara Sov returns after this, apologizing, and directs the Guardian to fill the Cryptoglyph with Hive Light for the Worms ritual. Returning to the Apothecary, the Guardian manages to steal the Hive Light they need and reach the Temple of the Wrathful, where Mara Sov lays the groundwork for the ritual. Though the Guardian and their Ghost believe the Awoken Queen is about to become the Worm's new host, she instead turns the Worm into a weapon called Parasite, much to the Worm's shock and dismay. Mara clarifies that she fulfilled her end of the bargain by providing a vessel for the worm, thereby allowing it to continue living, but its new host is now more like a prison, to which the Worm objects. The Scorn react to the Worm's presence in the ritual and, to prevent the worm from escaping, Mara Sov has the Guardian hold them off with their new weapon as she completes the ritual.

The weapon proves useful against the Scorn as Mara Sov finishes the ritual and now demands Savathûn's Worm deliver its end of the deal. Though angered at being deceived, it nonetheless agrees. Savathûn's Worm tells them in the wake of Humanity's Collapse, Savathûn rode along in the apocalypse but deceived the Witness when it turned a violent gaze upon the Traveler, weaving tricks and lies that ultimately turned the tides and forced the Witness to return to the stars. Though this information leads Mara and the Guardian to believe that Savathûn tricked the Witness to save humanity, Savathûn's Worm corrects them stating that she did so to protect the Traveler. With his part of the deal complete, Savathûn's Worm refuses to speak anymore but Mara Sov is nonetheless satisfied with the information they now have. The Awoken Queen then gives the Guardian another task: to keep the weapon so the information the Worm has does not fall into the wrong hands and hopefully it will speak more of its secrets.

Lucent Campaign

"If the Hive have taken our Light, let us take their ferocity. Let us force them into the Mindscape and smother their false Light. Let us tear their schemes from their minds. Return to the battle, Guardian. Show them they've done nothing but teach use how to destroy them."

— Lord Saladin.

Though Savathûn had been defeated, the Guardians still had to deal with her Lucent Brood and more importantly, the ramifications of killing Red Legion Cabal on Mars during their early missions against the Hive, which is a breach in the Last City's armistice with the Cabal Empire. Ikora informed the Guardian that Zavala managed to set up a meeting with Empress Caiatl, to discuss the situation and avoid making another conflict with the Cabal, giving them a Synaptic Spear, a weapon of cabal origin, before they head to the meeting.

Guardian and Cabal forces capture a Hive Lightbearer.

At the Tower Hanger where the meeting was taking place, the Guardian arrived as Empress Caiatl expressed her anger that the Vanguard's Guardians opened fire on her troops, who were responding to an unexpected threat, towards Zavala, Lord Saladin and Crow. After offering their condolences, Zavala suggests they put that act behind them and work together to combat the threat of the Lightbearer Hive, which pose a threat to both humanity and the Cabal. Caiatl, despite her anger, agrees to form an alliance against the Lucent Brood, as she is pleased that the Vanguard needs them to hit the Hive hard. Thus, operations in the Vanguard H.E.L.M. are set up and Lord Saladin works with Caiatl in combating the Lucent Hive. Caiatl explains that the Synaptic Spear is a weapon made from Light-suppressing technology, refined and weaponized. The Cabal Empress then instructs the Guardian to locate a Hive Lieutenant brimming with Savathûn's influence, then her Psions will force it into their mindscape, connect the Guardian's Light with the weakened Hive's. Doing so will force the Guardian to face the embodiment of the Hive's belief in their god, an Aspect of Savathûn. At that point, the Guardian will use the Spear to destroy the aspect, rendering the Hive Lightless. Without a worm or the Light, the Hive will die but Caiatl informs the Guardian that with her Psions keeping them alive, they can bring it to the Vanguard's H.E.L.M. and have Caiatl's Psion shift through the Hive's mind to discover any secrets.

Though Lord Saladin was reluctant to work with the Cabal, the Iron Lord finds the Lightbearer Hive sickening and agrees to oversee operations. As Ikora focuses on Savathûn's Throne World, Lord Saladin directs the Guardian to locate Lucent Hive that breached into the EDZ, catching guardians unprepared, killing them and stealing their Light. After heading to the EDZ, the Guardian succeeded in battling the Lightbearer Hive, using the Spear to sever their connection to the Light and bring it to the H.E.L.M. research site, the Psisorium for the Psions to gaze into the Lucent Hive's strategy. The Mindscans already brought results that the Hive are hunting Guardians and collecting their Light, though for what purpose, they do not know yet. Despite the method in which the psions put the Hive in a painless state of being neither alive nor dead unnerves Zavala, Saladin and Crow, they nonetheless forge ahead in capturing more Lightbearer Hive and stopping Lucent Hive operations in the EDZ and Cosmodrome.

The Guardians and Cabals unified efforts in capturing Lightbearing Hive Lieutenants would force the Lucent Brood to redouble their efforts, increasing their hostilities on all fronts, leading Lord Saladin to believe that they are getting close to whatever it is they are hiding. Ultimately, the Guardians' efforts led to the Hive falling into disarray. Lord Saladin then spoke to Empress Caiatl's most trusted Psion, who runs the Psisorium, telling the Iron Lord that within the minds of the Lucent Hive, he saw "flashes of grey and red", leading Saladin to believe they will soon know where to strike next. Saladin's suspicions would be confirmed after the Psion was able to deduce the Hive ritual's location: the Scarlet Keep on the Moon. Further, the Lucent Brood intends to claim the Keep for their own, seizing it from Xivu Arath's forces and, using the Light they stole from the Guardians, they plan on manifesting Savathûn's Throne World. With this, the Lucent Brood would be able to launch an invasion of Earth.

Gathering her fleet, Empress Caiatl supports the assault on the Scarlet Keep, sending a Bracus to support the Guardian as they thwart the ritual and capture the lead Lightbearer Wizard. Though the ritual was disrupted and the Lucent Brood in disarray, Zavala believes they will likely attempt another invasion again, furthering the need for the Vanguard to cement their alliance with the Cabal.

Immaru's Scheme

As the Hidden continued in their investigation on Savathûn's Throne World and the Lucent Brood, Ikora Rey discovered that the Relic the Guardian found in Savathûn's fortress, the same one that allowed them to forge the Glaive, was meant to lure the Guardians further into the Witch Queen's domain. Beyond that, however, Savathûn didn't have other plans for it. Her Ghost, Immaru, however, had further ambitions for it, planning on creating new, more powerful, weapons for the Lucent Brood. Wanting to prevent the Hive from having enhanced Glaive weapons and likely have a chance to take out Immaru himself, Ikora organizes the Guardians to use Osmic Fragments to lure Immaru out of hiding and take out the Hive Ghost's supplier in one fell swoop.

Taking the fragment they had found in their investigation, the Guardians set up their trap in the Queen's Bailey of the Throne World, where Immaru is conducting the shaping ritual. Though the plan worked in drawing Immaru out, the Ghost got away but the Guardians nonetheless prevented the Lucent Brood from receiving any advanced weapons, ending Immaru's scheme for good.

Seeking a Disciple

Despite the loss of many of their Lightbearers and Immaru's failure, the Lucent Brood remained active but operated under the Vanguard's radar as they contended with the resurgence of Nightmares, the return of Calus and of his intention to become the newest Disciple of the Witness. However, following the Nightmare Containment and preparing for when Calus would make his next move, the Guardians would have to contend with another servant of the Witness: Eramis, the Shipstealer and Kell of House Salvation, freed from her Stasis prison. The Dark Kell was given the order to find relics containing pieces of the fallen Disciple Nezarec, which were once used by the Fallen of the Old Crews.

As the Guardian tracked one specific relic, held in the possession of Alaaks, the Beast Tamer, they found her lair already ransacked and most of Alaaks's crew killed. The Guardian and Mithrax wondered who was also seeking the relics but nonetheless finished the job by slaying Alaaks and claiming the relic. It wouldn't be until the mission to claim the relic held by Vrisk, the Coward, that the Guardian discovered the Lucent Brood attacking the Old Crews, revealing themselves to be also seeking the relics, but for what purpose is unknown. Regardless, the Guardian prevented the Lucent Hive and their raid leader, the Hive Lightbearer, Ei Arat, Trespasser, from claiming the relic.

With the third party revealed to be the Lucent Brood, the Guardians worked in haste to search for the last relic and they found it within an asteroid lair already besieged by the Lucent Hive. In her haste and naivety, Eido secretly went ahead to collect the relic nonviolently and though she acquired the relic, the Hive spotted her and gave chase, forcing the Guardian and Mithrax to battle through the lair with all speed to save Eido, forcing them to slay another Hive Lightbearer, Hiak'ar, Hoardseeker. Unfortunately, Eido found herself cornered by the Lucent Hive but, to everyone's surprise, Eramis herself protected Eido as she safeguarded the relic. The Lucent Hive ultimately failed to collect the last relic as the last of their raid party was killed by Eramis.

Corrupting the Network

Following both Eramis's and the Lucent Brood's failure to secure the relics of Nezarec, the Hive War God would re-emerge once more to consolidate her power over the system and prepare for the Witness's invasion. To do so, Xivu Arath amassed her Wrathborn forces to seize control over the Warsat Network in the wake of Rasputin's continued incapacitation. In addition, Xivu Arath assumed control over most of what was left of the House of Salvation, corrupting its members or resurrecting them as Scorn, serving as a punishment for Eramis. Though Xivu Arath gained control over some of Rasputin's defense systems, the whole network remained out of reach, forcing the War God to target one of the Warmind's creators, Clovis Bray himself, trapped as a stationary AI within the Creation Labs on Europa. The Guardians, under the direction of Ana Bray and a newly awakened Osiris, also go searching for Clovis Bray as he was needed to restore Rasputin's central core systems. Though the Guardians were delayed due to some of the Warmind's defenses being used against them, they were nonetheless successful in rescuing Clovis from being subjugated by Xivu Arath's forces.

With his main AI being transferred to a prototype Exo Frame on the H.E.L.M., Clovis reluctantly agreed to aid Ana and the Guardians in restoring Rasputin. He first directs the Guardians to an underground Seraph Bunker on Luna, containing the main data of the submind Malahayati. Despite the heavy Wrathborn presence, the Guardians were successful in retrieving Malahayati. Next, with further aid from Mara Sov, the Guardians head to Earth to another bunker containing the data and warsat launch location. Despite Empress Caiatl's earlier efforts, the bunker's warmind defenses forces the Guardians to infiltrate the facility and gain the data they need. However, they could not hold the facility as they lack all the data they need to launch them to the central hub of the Warsat network, the Seraph Station, a space station hovering in orbit over the Last City.

In time, Clovis decrypted the next submind needed, Charlemagne, deep within a vault on Mars. However, as they need Charlemagne intact, the Guardians make use of the "time wounds" found on the planet, windows into the Golden Age, which allows them access to Charlemagne's data in pristine condition. However, during this mission, the Exo Stranger, Elsie Bray, arrives to aid her sister but immensely objects to Clovis Bray's involvement in the mission. Despite the argument, Elsie nonetheless agrees to aid in the mission but continues to hold their grandfather under a watchful and suspicious eye. The Guardians meanwhile infiltrate the Mars facility, heavily infested with Hive and Taken forces alike. Despite the warmind defenses impeding them, the Guardians manage to reach the vault with Ana's and Elsie's aid but would be forced to face an old and determined foe: Kelgorath, risen to serve Xivu Arath once more and made into a Darkblade. Yet, despite his strength and power, the Guardians slay Kelgorath again, allowing them to gain Charlemagne's data.

Guardians battling Kelgorath within a Seraph Vault.

In addition to gaining Charlemagne and Malahayati's data, the Guardians were advised by Ana and Clovis to seek out a vault hidden within the Bray Patriarch's facility on Europa, beneath the Exoscience labs, the Yggdrasil Stack, to help them understand the Submind frameworks and to merge it with their mainframe. As the Guardians infiltrated the labs, they encountered Warwatcher, Eye of Xivu Arath, a powerful Hive Shrieker and commander within Xivu Arath's Horde. Despite the Shrieker's power, the Guardians destroyed it, allowing them to gain access to the vault and in the process, temporarily blinding Xivu Arath on Europa.

Eventually, the Guardians made preparations for when Rasputin would be ready to assume control over the Network again, first by preparing the Seraph Station to be more accessible for the Warmind. Elisabeth and Ana Bray developed a means that would make it easier for the Guardian to board the station once Rasputin is ready, by uploading a virus into the station's security mainframe, they would be able to infiltrate the station and upload the data of Malahayati and Charlemagne, making it easier for when Rasputin is ready to assume control over the station. Using a system reboot, the Guardian was able to board the station without setting off any alarms or defenses but find Salvation Fallen Splicers working under the direction of Xivu Arath's Hive, led by Haroktha, Scourge of the Helium Drinkers. Elsie surmises that the splicers have been tasked to hack into the station's mainframe to make easier for the Hive to corrupt and control the Warsat Network. Bypassing the station's heightened security, slaying the splicers and eventually Haroktha himself, the Guardians reached Nexus Control, the main hub of the station. There, they battle with, to their surprise, another old foe risen again, Praksis, the Technocrat, now under the moniker of "The Defiled" and a Scorn in service to the Witness. Despite Praksis's stasis powers, the Guardians managed to slay the former lieutenant of Eramis's, allowing them to upload the virus and escape before reinforcements arrive.

Ultimately, after Rasputin was repaired enough for him to speak to the Guardians directly and reveal Clovis's true intentions in aiding them, causing the Bray Patriarch to be casted out by his granddaughters, Mara Sov would suspect Xivu Arath's true strategy in corrupting the Network: the War God was counting on the Guardians in restoring the Warmind's Warsat Network and use it against her Wrathborn in retaliation, thereby feeding her worm from all the destruction and conflict. Further, the conflict would also serve as a fuel source for a ritual, one large enough to open a portal over Earth and send her endless legions to overwhelm humanity, just as she had done to the Cabal on Torobatl. The Awoken Queen would bring these findings to the Guardian, Osiris, Rasputin and the Vanguard, causing them to debate on their next move. Rasputin is uncertain as being humanity's protector is his purpose and not being a weapon is unknown to him yet he cannot allow Eramis and her splicers to hack into the network and use it against the Last City, thus having the Guardians continue in infiltrating the vaults and collecting submind data. In a meeting with Zavala, Mithrax and Empress Caiatl, informing them of Xivu Arath's true plan, Mara Sov reasons that they cannot restore the Warmind. Ana, however, interrupts and voices her objections, stating that humanity needs Rasputin and that he is more than a weapon. Mara then suggests a compromise: instead of having Rasputin smite the Wrathborn, they restore him as Ana wants but he refrain from using his arsenal, creating a stalemate with the Hive God of War, denying Xivu Arath the requirements she needs for her ritual. Zavala and the other coalition members agree to the plan, leading the Guardian to continue in their infiltrations of the submind vaults and keeping Seraph Station secure.

After many more weeks of collecting submind data and keeping the Hive at bay, Eramis would succeed in gaining access to one of Rasputin's most dangerous protocol, the ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE, an order that has all the Warsats target the Traveler directly, in the event the Traveler ever intended to leave Humanity. Desperate and with little time, Rasputin has the Guardians take his Pillory Engram to upload himself into Seraph Station and activate his AURORA SACRIFICE protocol, which will cause the Warsats to self-destruct but it also sacrifice himself in the process. As the Guardians battled with Eramis's House of Salvation, they made their way to the Bridge where they encountered more of Xivu Arath's Hive, before ultimately clashing with Ir Garza, Scourge of Earth as Rasputin uploaded himself into the station and as Eramis slowly gained access to the Warsats. Though the Guardians slayed Ir Garza, Eramis succeeded in gaining access to the Warsats, having them target the Traveler as it began to leave the Last City. However, Rasputin succeeded in getting the Warsats to self-destruct, saving the Traveler and thwarting Eramis's efforts. Yet, instead of leaving, the Traveler stays within Earth's outer orbit, with the Witness stating that it simply had no other place to run to.

With the Warsat network and the Warmind itself no more, rendering her ritual useless, Xivu Arath began to have her hive pull back but would still maintain a grip on Europa, causing the Guardians to continue operations to prevent the Hive from claiming the moon and corrupt what's left of Clovis Bray.

In Titan's Depths

Following the Witness's arrival and the Guardians combatting Calus and his Shadow Legion forces on both Earth and Neptune, the Traveler would be claimed by the use of a paracasual entity called The Veil to create a gateway upon it. After months of fighting the Shadow Legion and failed attempts to follow the Witness, the Vanguard received a distress call from Titan from Deputy Commander Sloane, who had been missing since the moon's disappearance following the Pyramid's arrival. With haste, Zavala gathers Saint-14, Lord Saladin and the Guardian to head to Titan and bring Sloane home.

Arriving at Sloane's last known position at the New Pacific Arcology, the team finds the area eerily quiet but as the Guardian headed toward the Communications Array to pinpoint Sloane's location, they come under assault from the Taken and Hive. During this, The Drifter makes a surprise appearance after taking notice in Titan's return, also looking for Sloane's whereabouts. As they fight off their attackers, they hear the thundering voice of Xivu Arath herself, taunting them. As the Guardian attempts to silence the Hive War God's Battlesong, they encounter another Celebrant of Xivu Arath, Azshradat, but it escapes, leaving the Guardian to finish their task in realigning the Communications Array. However, they discover that Sloane's location is pinpointed one kilometer down in the methane ocean, where the pressure would likely kill anyone. With Zavala's insistence, Drifter lends the Guardian some aquatic devices that will allow them to survive the pressure for a brief period. The devices worked as hope and find Sloane, though partially corrupted with Taken energies, along with a massive creature the Deputy Commander claimed is named Ahsa and who the distress signal was actually for. Sloane states that Ahsa saved her life when Titan was taken by the Witness, almost being possessed by Xivu Arath when her Taken affliction began, and claims she is an old enemy of the Witness. Further, her Taken affliction not only allows her to be "tuned into the enemy's radio" but also communicate with Ahsa, albeit very briefly, and Ahsa has some very important information to share with the Guardians.

The rogue worm Ahsa and Sloane.

With the Drifter's expertise, his use of Gambit Tech and of a underwater coral plant that bares the same physic properties as egregore, the Vanguard believes they can strengthen Sloane's connection to Ahsa for her to interpret her messages. Their first mission involved finding more of the coral plant within the Methane seas and locating a Fallen Servitor, J4W-S, Wrath-Hunter Servitor, that Xivu Arath's Wrathborn had taken control over. Delving deep into the methane seas with a golden age version of the gear the Drifter gave them, the Guardians are able to locate the servitor, after using Sloane herself as bait, destroy it and gain the egregore coral they need, allowing Sloane to interpret Ahsa's first message. Said message involved "an oasis in the desert", of travelers and wanderers and the "first of those claimed by the Deep", the first "victims of the Witness".

In addition to helping Sloane, the Guardians conducted Salvage operations in the methane seas on both the Vanguard's and Drifter's behalf. During one such salvage operation, they encounter Azshradat once more. Despite Azshradat's power and the Hive supporting him, the Guardians slayed the latest of Xivu Arath's Celebrants. The Guardians would also face old foes that Xivu Arath had risen and made Taken, such as Val Ca'uor but were not enough to stop the Guardians' efforts.

After gathering more salvage for the Drifter to tune his Gambit device, Sloane directs the Guardians back into the depths to find more coral egregore with Saint-14 providing tactical. As the Guardians worked their way down, they were swarmed by Xivu Arath's Taken forces but despite their efforts, the Guardians preserved, Sloane resisting the War God's taunts and managed to reach the sea floor, where they confront Kudazad, Binder of Savathûn, a former field leader of the Witch Queen, now twisted to serve Xivu Arath. Despite the Wizard's power the Guardians managed to slay Kudazad and gather the coral they need. Using it, Sloane is able to interpret Ahsa's the second part of her message, speaking about a "city of light" and a "Silent God withholding a deeper truth". However, the experience of the message takes a toll on the deputy commander, to the concern of both Zavala and Saint-14.

In time, the Vanguard had located a new area of Titan's depths that possessed untouched egregore coral but their movements were noticed by Xivu Arath's forces, leading them to move in and try to claim the coral themselves. Racing towards the depths, the Guardians encounter Taken under Xivu Arath and found they were corrupting the coral before the Guardians could reach them. However, using the Drifter's tech, the Guardians were able to purify the coral as they take out the Taken. During this, Sloane noticed she was being pursued by a Taken Knight which she briefly fought off before it disappeared. The Guardians themselves would confront this Taken Knight, revealed to be Kelgorath, who allowed himself to be Taken to continue his devoted service to the Hive God of War. Yet, despite Kelgorath's persistence and Taken powers, the Guardians prevailed, slaying Kelgorath and collecting the coral. With the coral, Sloane was able to better her connection with Ahsa, taking less of a toll on her, and interprets her next message. Said message spoke of "A promise of something more... Two halves of a whole... long divided."

Guardians battling Taken Kelgorath in Titan's depths.

Later on, The Drifter would inform the Guardian that he salvage they collected from Titan's depths have been put to good use but to complete it he needs a different piece of technology, Pyramid tech. He directs them to travel to Savathûn's Throne World and secure pieces of Pyramid tech that the Scorn have been acquiring from the Rhulk's Sunken Pyramid. With it, he can modify his extraction equipment to work in the deepest trenches of the Kraken Mare. Traveling to the Quagmire of the Witch Queen's realm, the Guardian succeeds in gathering Amorphous Alloys from the Scorn. After another Deepdive Mission and gathering egregore coral, Sloane interprets the next part of Ahsa's message which spoke of "calamity" and "A wordless denial. A fleeing god. Betrayal... and escape. The pursuit... for the final shape...".

The Drifter would continue to tune his machine to strengthen Sloane's connection to Ahsa. However, to make it work better, he asks the Guardians to gain more Pyramid Salvage but most importantly, he has the Guardians hunt for something of the Light, specifically components of a Hive Ghost. Traveling to the Witch Queen's Throne world once more, pillaging the Sunken Pyramid and hunting for a Hive Lightbearer, the Guardians return to the Drifter who uses the new components to his device to enhance Sloane's connection. This time, Sloane and Ahsa's minds become one, allowing Ahsa to speak with Sloane's voice for only a few moments to speak of the most important segment of her message: The Witness's origins. In the very distant past, the first victims of The Witness were as Ahsa described, a people not unlike humanity, struggling on a hostile world that would ultimately find the Traveler, giving it the name of "the Gardener", turning their world into a paradise and begin a golden age that would last eons. However, the Traveler never spoke to them or offer guidance as the people began to crave meaning in their lives, a purpose. In time, as they studied the Light, they encountered an entity that was connected to the Traveler, the Veil, and their study on it led them to commune with the Darkness, the power of thought and consciousness, for the first time, concluding that the Light was a force of chaos. However, they believed that by using the Veil and the Traveler together, they could bring order to the chaos, a "perfect" reality that they would call the Final Shape. The Traveler however, refused to let this happen and thus fled but the people remained determined to enact their goal. Using the power of the Darkness, the people merged their entire civilization's consciousness into a single unfathomable being, The Witness. Said being would embark on its crusade to find the Traveler and the Veil to fulfill its ambitions in enacting the Final Shape and after billions of years, it is now close to reaching its goal.

Sloane is left reeling at not just the strain of the message but at the knowledge of The Witness's origins, the desire for a purpose, to find meaning in a meaningless universe. Nonetheless, Ahsa's message gives the Guardians the knowledge on their foe few possess and hope that Ahsa may also have some intel on how to follow the Witness through the portal, thus resolving to continue the mission on Titan.

However, following a recent Dive, Saladin took immediate notice that as the Guardians did their salvage missions, Xivu Arath had struck, conducting a ritual against Ahsa, leading her to leave the safety of Kraken Mare to disrupt their ritual but ended up being captured. Gathering Zavala, Drifter, Sloane, Saint-14 and the Guardian, the group mount a rescue mission, Saladin manages to track Ahsa's location and organize the group to divert Xivu Arath's forces to create an opening for the Guardian to breach through and reach Ahsa. Gathering his Iron War Beasts as backup, Saladin launches the mission but as the Guardian delves deeper and closer to Ahsa's position, Sloane feels Ahsa's pain as a result of their link, discovering that ritual Xivu Arath is conducting is meant to Take Ahsa. Racing to the ritual site, the Guardian confronts the ritual's handlers, three wizards, each bearing the title Scream of Xivu Arath, who were using corrupted egregore coral to the catalysts of their ritual. Despite the Hive and Taken's efforts, the Guardian slays the Screams and using Drifter's machine, purifies the coral, actually wounding Xivu Arath in the process. With the Iron War Beasts support, the Guardian managed to disrupt the ritual and save Ahsa from being Taken, leading the group to clear their zones before Drifter had Ahsa, Sloane, Zavala and the Guardian transmat back to base.

Back at the safety of the Arcologies and Xivu Arath's forces in full retreat, Sloane "finishes the mission" by interpreting the last part of Ahsa's message but is nearly possessed and Taken by Xivu Arath. Fortunately, Zavala is able to reach Sloane, getting the Deputy Commander to regain herself and interpret the message: the way to The Witness may be blocked but one may know of a way to reach it, "she who hides truth in deception", Savathûn, the Witch Queen, leaving the Guardian and Zavala shaken. The finished messaged straining her and wounded from the ritual attempt, leads Ahsa to enter hibernation. However, the knowledge that the only method for the Vanguard to follow the Witness through the portal is to rely on the Witch Queen, which means they have to allow her to be revived. This plan leaves both Saladin and Saint-14 incredulous, believing that bringing Savathûn back is a huge mistake. Zavala however, believes there is no other way and claims that Eris and Ikora have a method to ensure the Witch Queen will remain captive even when revived but this does little to ease his fellow Titans or even the Guardian, citing that Immaru will not be fooled into a trap. Zavala however, states that it won't be a trap but a bargain. He gets his Lightbearer back while they get the answers they need to enter the portal to follow the Witness. Still heavily wary, Saladin departs to inform Empress Caiatl of this development while Saint-14 promises that if the Witch Queen strays for even a moment, he will strike, something which Zavala understands and accepts.

Lucent Scheme

As the Guardians combatted Xivu Arath's forces within the depths of Titan's oceans, they received word from Hawthorne that there has been a development on Titan; a Lucent Hive ship had delved deep into the waters beneath the New Pacific Arcology, though for what purpose remains a mystery. Gathering a team, the Guardians brave the depths to reach the sea floor and the Lucent Ship but lose contact with Sloane as it appeared a mass ritual was being conducted at the site, disrupting communications. As they delved deeper into the methane sea to reach the hive ship, the Guardians also collected calcified fragments that held the voice of Xivu Arath, who appeared to be journaling her tribulations since Oryx's death towards her conquest of Torabatl and even Savathûn's conversion to the Light.

After reaching the Lucent ship and locating the ritual's center point, the Guardians discovered the calcified remains of Oryx himself and the Lucent Hive were attempting a brute force approach to resurrecting him with the Light. The ritual was led by a former member of the Grasp of Nokris, Šimmumah ur-Nokru, now a Lightbearer necromancer for the Lucent Brood, along with other former members of Oryx's court. Despite the Lucent Hive's efforts, the Guardians slay Šimmumah ur-Nokru and disrupted the ritual, preventing the attempted resurrection but the revelation of such an attempt worried Sloane. Taking this news to Ikora, the Warlock Vanguard agrees to set up patrols and fortifications to prevent such an attempt again but the situation rattled Ikora greatly. She took further measures by placing Oryx's corpse within a secured Vanguard vault, much like with the Witch Queen's remains.

Hive Gods Clash

"So go ahead, sport. Make a mess. Enjoy yourself. Welcome to the Hive."

— Immaru.

Understanding that there was no other choice if they wished to stop the Witness, the Vanguard reached out to Immaru and offered him Savathûn‘s body, if she were to agree to help them pass through the portal at the Traveler. Immaru counters with a bargain of his own, citing that Savathûn anticipated that the Guardians would need her; they would need to deal with the Witch Queen's sister, Xivu Arath, before he would revive Savathûn. In this task, he would provide his aid in combating the Hive God of War. Despite the terms, Ikora and Eris Morn agreed, with the latter granting the Guardian a relic she forged with Hive magic to help them, the Acolyte's Staff. Immaru directed the Guardians to a special location within Savathûn's Throne World that held the information they needed, Savathûn's Spire, found at the top of the Sanctum of the Brood Queen. Fighting past legions of Lucent Hive ordered by the Witch Queen to protect the Spire, regardless of Immaru's current orders, the Guardian's use of the Acolyte's Staff allowed them to uncover the Spire and traverse its labyrinthine interior while disrupting Scorn and Hive rituals impeding them.

Guardians entering Savathûn's Spire.

Despite the Lucent Hive and their Scorn prisoners hampering their efforts, the Guardians managed to clear the Spire, slaying its wardens, Dûl Alai, Ur-Hiruk and Zirah, reconfiguring the Light coursing through it using crystals the Witch Queen had made, and locate a ritual site beneath it. During this, the Guardians were given recordings of the Witch Queen by Immaru, messages she left behind in the event the Guardians ever required her aid after killing her. In one message, Savathûn states that they cannot defeat Xivu Arath conventionally, for her sister feeds off all conflict and grows stronger from it. Therefore, to defeat Xivu Arath, they must use the logic that the Hive God of War believes to be absolute: their Sword Logic. Specifically, Eris Morn must become a Hive God, gathering power through the tithe system, until she is strong enough to challenge Xivu Arath, for only a Hive of equal strength can do so. Ikora immediately objects to this, believing they cannot utilize Hive magic in such a way, or play by the Sword Logic's rules, without unfavorable consequences. Eris Morn states that there is no other way to challenge Xivu Arath, as simply maintaining their current stalemate with her or outright confronting her are not feasible, for in either case they would eventually lose. Despite fearing what will happen to Eris, Ikora reluctantly agrees to allow Eris to proceed with her ritual. Using Hive magic, Eris's body transforms with new Hive biology, capable of feeding off of the battles the Guardians partake in, allowing her to grow in strength. With the ritual complete, Eris Morn had emerged as the new Hive God of Vengeance and make a base for herself within the Throne World she would call the Athenaeum which the H.E.L.M. was connected to via a portal.

To begin in the quest to make Eris stronger, the Guardians located a prison called the oubliette beneath Savathûn's Spire, which also housed various ritual sites, the Altars of Summoning, and acting as her acolyte, they battled with prisoners and retainers of the Witch Queen during her earlier studies with the Light, which included Vex, the Ternary Minds, and forgotten Lucent Hive, such as Alak'nar and Ei Haaruz, both Retainers of Savathûn. Defeating them allowed Eris to gain strength from the tithe system, as planned. However, Ikora remained deeply disturbed by the circumstances, seeing Eris and the Guardian revel in the slaughtering, but admits she can't deny the results.

Eris would later clarify the nature of her transformation to the Guardian, stating that her transformation didn't empower her as she expected but instead "refined" her, making Eris more herself which concerned Ikora but Eris remains resolute. She would further inform the Guardian on the nature of the Hive's Sword Logic and of Xivu Arath's devotion to it. To the Hive, the Sword Logic is the only way to prove one's right to exist while the rest die in terror but Eris state the Hive's logic is flawed as she had used it to acquire the power needed to claim her vengeance just as she did when Crota, Oryx and Savathûn were felled. Eris was able to see past Xivu Arath's devotion to the Sword Logic as a desperate, childish cry to prove it right and by using it against her would deny her it's vindication. Further, Eris states that while she may use the Sword Logic, she is using it not out of desperation as the Hive do but out of desire. Immaru, offers insight of his own but scoffs that "philosophy" will defeat Xivu Arath. He offers a recording of an argument Xivu Arath had with Savathûn not long after Oryx had been slain years ago, where Xivu Arath desired to avenge their brother just as he attempted to avenge his son but the Witch Queen mocked her desire for revenge, stating that by the Guardians killing Crota and Oryx, then both have deserved death. Further, Savathûn states that Oryx's attempts to avenge his son of his death only proved himself a hypocrite, mocking Xivu Arath for being the same. The Hive God of War however, refused to accept this believing that Eris, she who orchestrated Oryx's demise, will take up his mantle, take her "true shape" and eventually face her. The Witch Queen, however, remained unimpressed, citing her sister as "vain child" that Oryx "spoiled rotten" before stating that she will not always get her way. With the recording finished, Immaru theorizes that Xivu Arath sees Eris as Oryx's heir and that this was part of Savathûn's plan which makes the Hive Ghost wonder what the former Lightbearer is doing.

Eris Morn, Hive God of Vengeance.

With all this new insight, the Guardian continues on in their mission in gathering tithes for Eris, whether it be in Shaxx's Crucible or within the Altars of Summoning, growing stronger with each kill. In addition, Eris provides attunements for the Guardian in strengthening her powers and of their abilities in using Hive Magic. The Guardian would receive one more message from Immaru, again taunting them regarding his dislike of their alliance but goes through with the plan because his Lightbearer had ordered it, along with him to give the Guardians whatever they need, giving them another recording of Savathûn's as proof. Of course, Immaru does so in his usual brutal, matter-a-fact style, encouraging the Guardians to help Eris grow stronger with tithes, mocking them once again in being part of the Witch Queen's plan.

In time, Eris calls upon the Guardian in her Hive form once more within her Athenaum. She informs them that ever since she assumed her new form, a whisper from the Deep called to her, goading her to give in to her vengeance but Eris refused and promises to destroy her Hive form along with the rest once Xivu Arath is dealt with. However, Eris warns the Guardians that the Hive God of War will not fall to might alone for she has feed off of conflict since the first war-song. Nonetheless, Eris states that each tithe strengthens her as well as thrills her but informs the Guardians that her cards speak of change, "a great shadow rises from the sea of blood", as she explains. In essence, something is coming.

That something turned out to be Xivu Arath herself, as her brood managed to breach into Savathûn's Spire, looking to turn her sister's court into her battlefield. After taking out Molok, Edge of Xivu Arath, the Guardians work to clear out the rest of the spire of Xivu Arath's forces even as the War God taunted them and issued her challenge towards Eris Morn. As the Guardians ascended the Spire, slaying any Scorn before Xivu Arath's brood could, the War God continued to taunt Eris, goading her to accept the Sword Logic as truth and face her as Hive, but Eris Morn refuses to give into Xivu Arath's words before threatening her that once their clash is over, she will flee, leaving the Xivu Arath's Worm to gnaw at her before she starves. Ikora claims that they must rethink their plan but Eris Morn states that they can't for Xivu Arath's presence only proves its efficacy and that while they cannot directly fight the Hive God of War, they can still hold the line against her until a way forward is found. As such, Eris Morn instructs the Guardians to return to the oubliette to claim the tithes she needs before Xivu Arath claims them as spoils for her eternal war. Ikora once again voices her discomfort in their plan but Eris Morn merely states she doesn't have to. Immaru quickly makes contact with the Guardian to make haste in reaching his Lightbearer's oubliette, citing that Xivu Arath breaching into Savathûn's Throne World wasn't part of the plan.

Returning to the Witch Queen's oubliette, entering into the Altars of Summoning, the Guardians already hear the voice of Xivu Arath herself, taunting them on how that even Warriors of the Light honor the Sword Logic, claiming that her sister's spire and the Altars as proof. At the Altar of Devotion, the Guardians managed to slay Ir Dollox and Ir Kaza, Talons of Xivu Arath before they could claim tithes for Xivu Arath. Fortunately, their deaths serve as more tithes for Eris just the same which only leaves Xivu Arath incensed. As the Guardians neared the next Altar, Xivu Arath summons her best general, Leviathan-Eater, Bane of the Ammonites, to face them. However, before their battle could proceed any further, the Leviathan-Eater withdraws, leading Ikora to believe that he was testing the Guardians' capabilities but he be back with reinforcements once Xivu’s brood has been assembled.

Ikora continues to have deep reservation about the plan and how it affects Eris, especially after learning of her newly forged bond with Ahsa. From her and Sloane, Ikora and the Guardian learn that Ahsa helps contain the energy of the tithes they collect for Eris but if the ritual goes on for too long then Eris will remain trapped as a Hive while Ahsa will become twisted into something horrible. With this knowledge, Ikora consults with Eris once more, who while remaining resolute, she is troubled that her covenant with Ahsa has led her to suffer pain and Eris gains power from it. Nonetheless, Eris refuses to let the ritual change her into something she is not. Further, Eris states to Ikora that, however regrettable, when she first invoked the Worm Gods in her ritual, Ahsa was the one who answered. As such, Eris states that the risk of the ritual is theirs to make.

In time, Ikora's reports regarding Eris's transformation and covenant with Ahsa doesn't sit well with those in the Tower, herself included. Nonetheless, despite the doubts, Ikora still has faith in Eris as despite what happened to Eris in Elsie's timeline, who succumbed to despair and became corrupted by Darkness, Eris now remains resolute and has friends who support her. Within the Throne World, Eris discovered a hidden location above Savathûn's oubliette, where the Imbaru Engine is housed, the method where Savathûn attempted to reinterpret her brother's logic. Much to Immaru's protests, the Guardians enter and partake in the Imbaru Engine, yet despite the confusion the engine attempted to inflict, the Guardians managed to clear the trials. This leads Eris to hope that more of the the Witch Queen's secrets will be open to them.

After handling more of Ikora's unease with the plan and conquering another trial of the Witch Queen's Imbaru Engine, the Guardian answers Eris Morn's summons, taking her Hive form once more. Proclaiming that this will be their final tithe, Eris Morn states that she has Ikora prepare something from the Vanguard vaults for transmat when the time it is right, for when she will remind Savathûn and Xivu Arath were once "born as prey". Returning to the oubliette, Immaru voices his fears that Xivu Arath began to summon the Leviathan-Eater, proclaiming his intent to flee but Eris Morn forces the Hive Ghost to stay as the Guardian opens the way to the Altar of the Sword, where they challenge Xivu Arath's champion. Despite the Leviathan-Eater's power and streams of Hive support, the Guardian manages to hold their own against him, forcing Xivu Arath to prepare a bombardment of the area. Using her Hive Magic, Eris was able to create a barrier strong enough to withstand the bombardment, forcing the Leviathan-Eater to charge, breaching the barrier. In one last clash, the Guardian manages to slay the Leviathan-Eater, empowering Eris and preparing her for the last part of her plan. At the Altar's center, Eris has Ikora transmat the item she requested, Savathûn's body for Immaru to resurrect. Immaru protests, citing that Xivu Arath is still a threat but Eris Morn orders him to proceed as he will not get another chance. Agreeing, Immaru raises Savathûn back from death with the Witch Queen commenting on Eris's Hive form, claiming that she had "come out of her shell" but the Hive God of Vengeance merely replied that she would be the Witch Queen's ruin, slicing her throat, surprising all present. In that act, Eris gained power from Savathûn's death, gaining all the power she had accumulated since the last time she had died before being separated from her worm, which was over a millennia ago. Combining that with the tithes the Guardians had gathered, Eris had now become the most powerful Hive God, surpassing even Xivu Arath. Using her power, Eris Morn cast a spell that banished the Hive God of War from her own Throne World, rendering her mortal and unable to draw strength from tithes before fainting.

Not long after completing her plan, Eris Morn, back in hunman form, informs the Guardians following the ritual. Savathûn had kept her end of the bargain by informing Ikora the secret the Vanguard needs to pass through the portal upon the Traveler. Further, as part of a peace offering, the Witch Queen was allowed to return to her Throne World but the Vanguard would not only be allowed to have the Guardians continue to venture into her domain but also take custody of Immaru, thereby allowing the Guardians to destroy her connection to the Light should they believe Savathûn is endangering humanity. Ikora and Eris agreed to the terms, citing that while keeping both Hive Gods alive would be a risk, the Warlock Vanguard believed that the Witness must be their priority. In addition, Ikora believes that at least with Savathûn, they have her connection to the Light in their hands and with Xivu Arath, she is now rendered vulnerable after being banished from her Throne World, thereby making her more open to being confronted

Sociology

Biology

Alak-Hul, the Darkblade

The Hive are a eusocialspecies, similar to Earth colonial insects. Several castes or "morphs" of Hive exist, each representing different stages of growth.

Female Krill consumed a substance called "mother jelly", similar to Earth bees, in order to reproduce, between the age of four and five Fundament years. Additionally, female Krill who consumed mother jelly were capable of flight. Hive Wizards are the only fertile females, and are capable of either self-fertilization or being with a mate.

Hive originate as eggs or cocoons laid by a special caste of Wizard known as a Brood Queen. Upon hatching, newborn Hive swallows a Worm larva whole, becoming symbiotic with the Worm inside them. These newborn Hive grow into Thrall, and Thrall that survive into maturity become Acolytes. Acolytes who have proven themselves can become Knights, who in turn may become Princes leading their own broods.

Hive are capable of sequential hermaphroditism; Oryx, born the female Aurash, became the male Auryx after assuming the unique "king morph", while Knights are capable of either sex as evidenced by Xivu Arath remaining female despite being a Knight. Ogres, meanwhile, appear to be not a stage of growth in the Hive life cycle, but a mutation brought upon Thrall by Wizard rituals.

Grown members of the Hive are pale, sinewy, and vaguely humanoid, with varying levels of musculature and armor. Acolytes and Knights have three eyes, whereas Thrall appear to be eyeless, with the exception of the Thralls encountered at the beginning of the Crota's End raid who all have three glowing eyes. Wizards would seem to be eyeless as well, but their eyes are really concealed behind the helmets they wear. The ancient armor many of them wear has fused with their skin, becoming part of it. When most Hive are killed by a body shot from a typical weapon, they disintegrate into ash, while suffering a headshot causes them to burst into green flames and embers before disintegrating into nothing, in both cases leaving parts of their armor behind. When killed by a fusion rifle, trace rifle or similar disintegrating weapon or ability, most Hive will be disintegrated completely without leaving any ash or armor fragments behind.

The Light is both a food source to the Hive and a cause of pain.

The Hive may also differ in appearance and form according to the individuals that spawned them; the Hive Sect belonging to Savathûn, the Witch-Queen appear different from the broods of both Oryx, the Taken King, and Crota, Son of Oryx, sporting a more muscular, bulkier and organic appearance.

The Hive are known to constantly adapt and evolve, generating new mutations as effortless as breathing, which is considered of great interest to the Vex. They also described to be rather like their own living-component-containing Warships; a terrifying amalgam of predator genetics, arcane bio-energetics, and what is considered as Darkness incarnate

Hive fangs grow in rows, with grooves on their roots, and are continually shed, much like those of Earth sharks; when one fang is lost, another moves forward to replace it.

Culture

Hive runes.

"Crota's spawn will snuff out the worlds of Light, and Oryx's coming shall be unfettered."

— Osiris

The Hive have a complex religious system based around profane rituals and the worship of a pantheon of Ascendant Hive gods in the style of an absolute monarchy. These Hive Gods exist in the Ascendant Realm, described as a "higher plane of misery" associated with the Darkness (known to the Hive as the Deep) locked outside of physical reality, not unlike the Vex realms locked out of time. Dwelling within are "cyst universes" known as throne worlds of their own creation. Each world houses its respective god's Oversoul, which protects them from permanent death should their corporeal bodies be destroyed.

The Hive Prince Crota is introduced as one of the youngest Hive deities. Known as the God-Knight and the Hope-Eater, he and his broods precede the coming of Oryx when they invade worlds touched by the Traveler and its Light. Oryx is Crota's father and the central figure of their religion as well as the God-King of the Hive; through his shrines he maintains contact with his force spread across the universe. Other deities include Oryx's own sisters Savathûn and Xivu Arath, and the greater Worm Gods Eir, Ur, Xol, and Yul. Like Crota and Oryx, they have disciples named after them. A fifth god, named Akka, is recorded in the Books of Sorrow and it is from his remains that the Dreadnaught is built.

All of Oryx's broods hold a special holiday called Eversion Day, which celebrates the creation of The Taken King's Dreadnaught by turning things inside-out in the same way Oryx merged his throne world with his ship.

The Hive use a unique writing system, based on runes and glyphs which they describe as a "viral language". Hive runes draw their power from a different dimension, where there's no difference between a word and its meaning. When the Hive erode the barrier between our dimension and theirs, the rune for 'death' brings literal death. They also employ it for their forbidden Hive rituals, including the use of Shadowrifts and the Weapons of Sorrow. The same glyphs are also found on sealings used to lock doors and contain their monsters

The Hive have great hatred for the Light, and to them, the eternal struggle between light and dark is not only a war, it is a crusade; all Light must be devoured so Darkness can reclaim the universe. They have even attempted to attack the Traveler directly, through a ritual in which they drained its light through a fragment that they captured in the Chamber of Night.

Sword-Logic

Swordbearer

Main article: The Sword Logic

"Ah, Oryx, how do we explain it to them? The world is not built on the laws they love [...] but in the cold hard self-verifying truth of that one ultimate arbiter, the only judge, the power that is its own metric and its own source—existence, at any cost. Strip away the lies and truces and delaying tactics they call 'civilization' and this is what remains, this beautiful shape."

— The Darkness

The Hive religion is not based on any sort of conventional morality; in fact, they see morality and the "false hope of comfort" as an abomination. Instead, a metaphysical principle known as the "Sword-Logic" forms the basis of the Hive's belief system. According to the Sword-Logic, it is the ultimate goal of intelligent beings to challenge one another for the right to continue existing, and a being may acquire paracausal power by defeating another being. All such power must necessarily be taken by force, not received as a gift. This is why Hive swords are so deadly to Guardians; they create a bridge in which the wielder saps the power of the victim.

This also extends to sacrifice, as Hive become Ascendant by consuming the souls of lesser Hive. The Hive's lust for power is a direct reflection of their Worm Gods' insatiable hunger for Light, and that the Hive must always be powerful, or else they themselves will be consumed. Even if they wanted to, the Hive can't stop killing or else they will perish. The Sword-Logic determines the right to rule, as anyone who can depose the current King is rightfully the new King of the Hive. Anyone who cannot defend themselves, whether it be a person or a civilization, does not deserve to live and is fit to be obliterated. This is how the Hive intend to "liberate" the universe from its false hope, and the existence of the Hive themselves is proof enough in their belief.

The Ascendant Realm is ruled in totality by the Sword-Logic; when Crota accidentally allowed the Vex into his father's realm, they learned the Sword-Logic from him and adapted it to their own functions, learning to worship and bootstrap themselves into divinity, striving to become the most powerful beings in the universe. At the time however, they were unable to fully comprehend the role that the worms and the acausal Darkness played. While the Sword-Logic helped the Guardians in defeating Crota when they stole his sword and used it against him, they broke the Sword-Logic when they recovered and uncorrupted the Light found in the Dreadnaught's cellar, and used it against Oryx, then refusing to take up the mantle as the new Taken King.

Death and resurrection

"Death is only and forever an ending. All else is sacrilege."

— Kuldax

Resurrection, in general, is seen as heretical by the Hive who follow the Sword Logic. To the Hive, death is the principle of the Sword Logic to attaining apotheosis; to take and grow stronger after defeating an opponent. If the slain were resurrected, it would be contradicting the logic it violated. As such, Nokris, who learned the secrets of necromancy from Xol, was branded a heretic, exiled from his kind and condemned to obscurity as his father removed nearly all traces of his name.

The rules of death are somewhat different to the Hive than what they are to humans. This is most notably exemplified by the concept of Ascendance: those Hive individuals who have grown powerful enough through the Sword Logic can move between the physical dimension and the Ascendant Plane and carve a "throne world" there so that when they are killed in the real world, they retreat to their throne world and can return after a time. Only death occurring in their own throne world is a true, final death in terms of the Hive. It appears that dying in another's throne world is reversible, as illustrated in the Books of Sorrow, where Oryx resurrects his sisters having killed them both within his throne world. It is likely this was possible because the sisters had already established their own throne worlds. Furthermore, the manner in which Oryx brings his sisters back is very particular - he does it by defining their nature through acts of war and cunning. At another point Xivu Arath calls him back from the Deep (where she and Savathûn have trapped him) in a similar manner, through describing him, and millennia later Savathûn summons Xivu Arath to Torobatl through an act of "war and blood". Another example of a Hive dying in another's throne world and then coming back is Ir Yût, the Deathsinger; being one of the bosses of the raid Crota's End, she dies in his throne world but can be later seen attending Crota's ritual of passing in the mission Last Rites. Crota's mate Omnigul is also notable for returning after having been killed by Guardians, but it can be a hint towards her being an Ascendant Hive.

Though most of the Hive pantheon seem to be Ascendant, it is hard to define the exact rules of achieving this status. Inquisition of the Damned notes that the Daughters of Crota have not reached it, maybe due to the miserable state the Hidden Swarm had been in ever since Crota's death; Hiraks, the Mindbender managed to carve out a small throne world thanks to the power murdering Cayde-6 provided him, but his mate In Anânh is yet to be seen coming back from beyond the grave. Savathûn's daughters Balwûr and Dûl Incaru are noted having some protection from dying (with Balwûr's death being "hidden well", according to Oryx), but there is no information whether her other child Malok or Oryx's twin daughters Ir Anûk and Ir Halak, the inventors of death-hiding technique in the first place, had some sort of a throne world or an Oversoul too.

There are other ways of protecting oneself from death besides having a throne world - the aforementioned Oversoul is one of them. Ir Anûk and Ir Halak invented a way of hiding one's death within this construct so that one can die only after the Oversoul have been destroyed. The Oversouls are often kept within throne worlds, as it was in the case of both Oryx and Crota. Members of the Court of Oryx are described as having their deaths hidden in various other ways: Kagoor hid hers within her skill of creating and commanding Ogres, Krughor in Cursed Thrall he would send forth into battle and the sisters Zyrok Däl, Alzok Däl and Gornuk Däl in each other.

Other than Nokris' necromancy, other blasphemous acts of defying death could be seen in the adventure Deathless on Titan, where Savathûn's Brood repeatedly killed and resurrected Takul-Dar, the Unbreakable, and the story of Hashladûn and her sisters trying to bring back Oryx.

Pantheon

"I am Yul, the Honest Worm. [...] Behold Eir, and Xol, and Ur and Akka. The Virtuous Worms. Look upon us, and know that We are go[o]d."

— Yul, the Honest Worm

Gods like Oryx and Crota are capable of being killed in physical reality without truly dying; even under certain circumstances, Ascendant Hive gods can be reborn even if killed in the Ascendant Plane. So long as their souls are preserved, they can reemerge in corporeal form at a later time. If they are killed in their respective throne world, however, their death will be permanent. According to the Spider, two other methods of permanently killing Hive gods exist.

In descending order of importance, the Gods of the Hive are:

The Witness, the entity controlling the Hive Gods through Rhulk

• The Worm Gods, those who gave the Hive their immortality in exchange for a tithe of Light

• Akka, the Worm of Secrets

• Oryx, the Taken King, God-King of the Hive
  • Crota, Son of Oryx, crown prince to the Osmium Throne; son of Oryx
• Xivu Arath, God of War

• Eir, the Keeper of Order
• Ur, the Ever-Hunger

• Savathûn, the Witch-Queen
  • Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return, Ascendant Witch to the High Coven; daughter of Savathûn

• Yul, the Honest Worm
• Xol, Will of the Thousands

• Nokris, Supplicant to Savathûn, former High Priest of Xol; estranged son of Oryx

• Xita, the Nurturing Worm

Command structure

• Thrall—berserker pawns that rush into battles in groups and tear their targets apart with a pair of claws.
• Acolyte—commonly encountered foot soldiers that utilize cover and distance to defeat their enemies and are armed with either a Shredder (common) or Boomer (very rare).
• Wizard—the source of all Hive birth and can support them with dark magic. Equipped with a Solar shield.
• Knight—elite forward heavy infantry of the Hive. Most commonly armed with a Boomer, but can also be seen with either a Cleaver or Shredder.
• Ogre—mutated Thrall turned into mobile siege engines of the Hive; have devastating ranged and melee attacks.

Sects and broods

	Xivu Arath's Horde	The servants of Xivu Arath, God of War and one of the major Hive broods. Primarily found in the Dreaming City.
	Lucent Brood	The servants of Savathûn and gifted with the Light. Primarily found in the Court of Savathûn.
	Savathûn's Brood	The servants of Savathûn, the Witch Queen and Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return and one of the major Hive broods. They either joined the ranks of the Lucent Brood or of Xivu Arath's Horde following Savathun's betrayal of the Witness.
	Hidden Swarm	Formerly the vanguard for Crota's invasion of Earth, now the sect de facto in control of the Moon and allied with Xivu Arath's Horde.
	Blood of Oryx	The servants of Oryx, the Taken King, and one of the major Hive broods. They were once encountered on the Dreadnaught.
	The Silent Brood	Wardens of the Dreadnaught's dungeons and overseers of Alak-Hul, the Darkblade.
	Venom of Oryx	A taskforce sent by Oryx to subvert or destroy Rasputin. They only appear during the quest mission The First Firewall.
	Spawn of Crota	The servants of Crota, Son of Oryx. They were once encountered on the Moon before they joined the ranks of the Hidden Swarm.
	Grasp of Nokris	The servants of Nokris and the Worm God Xol. They were once encountered on Mars before they joined the ranks of the Lucent Brood.
	The Mindbent	A small sect spawned under In Anânh and mind controlled by the Scorned Baron Hiraks, the Mindbender. They were once encountered on the Tangled Shore.

Named individuals and mini-bosses

Hive Pantheon

• Oryx, the Taken King – God-King and Hive God of Navigation
  • Crota, Son of Oryx – Hive Prince and Son of Oryx
    • Omnigul, Will of Crota – Consort of Crota
    • Hashladûn – Daughter of Crota
    • Besurith – Daughter of Crota
    • Voshyr – Daughter of Crota
    • Kinox – Daughter of Crota
  • Nokris, Son of Oryx – Former Hive Prince and Son of Oryx
  • Ir Halak, Deathsinger – Daughter of Oryx
  • Ir Anûk, Deathsinger – Daughter of Oryx
  • Alak-Hul, the Darkblade – Foster Son
• Xivu Arath, God of War – Hive God of War
  • Scoroboth, Son of Xivu Arath – Undying Emissary and Son of Xivu Arath
• Savathûn, the Witch-Queen – Hive God of Cunning
  • Balwûr – Daughter of Savathûn
  • Malok, Pride of Oryx – Son of Savathûn and Taken Prince
  • Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return – Daughter of Savathûn
• Eris Morn – Hive God of Vengeance

Major characters Enkaar, the Anointed Golgoroth High Celebrant of Xivu Arath In Anânh, Brood Queen Ir Yût, the Deathsinger Kelgorath, Risen from Bones Navôta, Eir Spawn Phogoth, the Untamed Sardon, Fist of Crota Savathûn's Song Swarm Princes Banuk, Ur Prince Dakoor, Yul Prince Garok, Xol Prince Merok, Eir Prince Warpriest Xyor, the Unwed Zulmak, Instrument of Torment Blood of Oryx Alzok Däl Blahgrish Celebrant of Oryx Ecthar, Sword of Oryx Gornuk Däl Hagrist, Blade's Edge Krughor Lokaar Mengoor Nengalish Protector of the Will Sardok, Eye of Oryx Thalnok, Fanatic of Crota The Infantine Warden's Knight Adleg, Warden of Oryx Heolstor, Warden of Oryx Thracu, Warden of Oryx Ultra Knight Vorlog Yathbor Zyrok Däl Spawn of Crota Eyes of Crota Gulrot, Unclean Hand of Crota Heart of Crota Might of Crota Malgor, the Forsaken Thogar, the Forsaken Urzok, the Hated Hidden Swarm Apocalyptic Blade Blade of the Monarch Devoted of Ir Yût Ehrath'ur, Eternal Blade Eye of the Swarm Gothrax, Protector of the Swarm Gotra, Eir Spawn Ir Absuul, First Aria Ir Airâm, Deathsinger Ir Nagash, Second Aria Ir Sûfra, Third Aria Kranox, the Graven Malura, the Fated Mormu, Xol Spawn Räkta, the Mournful Servant of the Betrothed Shun'gath, the Excised Siphon Witch Sullied Ogre Sulmâkta, High Conductor Telthor, Unborn Umra, Xol Spawn Velnith, Wealthkeeper Volmâr, the Tempted Vurok, Eir Spawn Wrath of the Swarm Venom of Oryx Kandorak

Savathûn's Brood Alak-Tor, Fatesmith of Incaru Ba-Kuur, Fatesmith of Incaru Azyrax, Exalted Conjurer Arunak, Beloved by Calus Belhor, Herald of the Plague Cragur, Plague of the Well Drachna, Favored by Incaru Exhara, Ambassador of Savathûn Gaurog, Fatesmith of Incaru Dek-thra, Who Sows and Tills Golthor, the Subtle Garmurg Golmuut Hadaa, Arbiter Karugul Kefonres, Rapacity of Savathûn Kudazad, Binder of Savathûn Mholoch, Herald of the Plague Naktal, Fury of Savathûn Nalcthor, the Crystaline Nydor, Arbiter Posthüm of the Deep Pryn-rid, Treasurer of Savathûn Sardav, Arbiter Shrieker, Bound to Sedia Takul-Dar, the Unbreakable Telesh, Arbiter Teraph, Herald of the Plague Thaan'Hul Ubara, Hive Prince Ul-Heru, Envoy of Savathûn Vanbaluk, Trusted of Savathûn Yächaar, Bound to Sedia Yulog of the Deep Zhum'boh, Voracity of Savathûn Grasp of Nokris Al-Gul, Eater of Light Asbel, Far from Home Bok Litur, Hunger of Xol Damkath, the Mask Devoted of Nokris Dultur Xolborne Ekdala Xolborne Eye in the Dark Golgoth, Ichor of Xol Golur the Plagued Ilheru Xolborne Hadak the Devoted Kamus Vanquisher Aethdaakel Kamus Vanquisher Guuldur Kamus Vanquisher Vakeldu Kathok, Roar of Xol Keresh, Champion of Xol Kvada ur-Nokru Naksud, the Famine Nur Abath, Crest of Xol Šimmumah ur-Nokru Sulhava, Vassal to Xol Supplicant of Xol Thûl, the Monstrous Thaltos, the Deathless Thanatologist Ir'Handi Thanatologist Merga Ukdor, the Flayed Ultorg, Breath of Xol Uroc Tor Urrot, Hammer of Nokris Vengulhur Xolborne Yer'ot the Forgotten Xivu Arath's Horde An Ragaar, Son of Xivu Arath An Xohol, Jaws of Xivu Arath Azshradat, Celebrant of Xivu Arath Haroktha, Scourge of the Helium Drinkers Hasaak, Venom of Xivu Arath Ir Yun, Cult of Megor Kelgorath, Risen from Bones Megor, Spawn of Xivu Ruithe, Sworn to Xivu Arath Scoroboth, Son of Xivu Arath Sugroth, Shield of Xivu Arath Tir Balok, Daughter of Xivu Arath Tulkor, Ferocity of Xivu Arath Warwatcher, Eye of Xivu Arath Xavan, Daughter of Xivu Arath

Lucent Brood Atan Maht, Margrave of Erasure Balhoth, Keeper of Memory Bar-Zel, Tutelary of Savathûn Bor'gong, Warden of the Spring Ei Arat, Trespasser Gee'yom, Resonant Saboteur Golmag, Warden of the Spring Hadragal, Keeper of Memory Hathrek, the Glasweard Hiak'ar, Hoardseeker Ir Akraht, Light Harvester Ir Olena, Moth Keeper Ir Valoch, Lucent Stalker Ishaya, High Slayer Ken Kish-Agesor, the Bright Burn Korosek, Thronebringer Mor'ak, Lightstealer Naaruz, Third Seeker of Silence Phry'zhia, the Insatiable Savathûn's Right Hand Ubartu-ana Uul'nath, Lightcleanser Witch's Eye, Keeper of Memory Xirash, Keeper of Memory Unknown affiliations Ak-Baral, Rival of Navôta Eight of Swords Gravetide Summoner Hiraks's Familiar Ir Abassin, Broodlost Korgath Osmium Traitor Oxiith, Abandoned Spawn Prince of Yul Segrex, the Tainted Son of In Anânh Two of Swords Urrox, Flame Prince Mentioned characters Akrazul, the Severed Alak-Tal Ayriax Ganaroth Hurdru In-Atôth Kuldax Luzaku Malkanth, the Deceiver Moluk, Wormwaker Nabenki Nycor, Reborn Rakthrin, War-Council Sok'tol, Fifth of the Light Ulg'Urin Ur-Danak Urukthalyn Verok Xavol Yishra

Technology

Hive technology is esoteric and often bio-mechanical, constructed or grown from organic materials like bone or chitin. Through signs and incantations, the Hive are able to channel the Darkness, and through this magic, they are able to contend with the conventional technology of other species on equal or greater footing. According to Fynch, old Hive structures decay into literal skeletons; everything the Hive use, from their weapons, ships and buildings, were all once things the Hive enslaved and twisted into a useful shape. This fact is also supported by Eris, who mentions that Oryx has prisoners tortured and then renders them down into chitin for his Dreadnaught, as well as by Toland, who theorised that the giant creatures, whose bones can be found on the Moon, were used by the Hive to burrow into the lunar rock to create the Hellmouth.

Hive tend to use physical chains with Runes in order to lock doors, and recently energy barriers powered by Soulfire crystals. Hive Runes have various meanings that the Hive can use to tap into different dimensions either as a doorway to another location or as a source of power. These dimensions hold no distinction between a word and its meaning, and in cases where the Hive erode the barrier between these dimensions and our own, the Hive rune for "death" can bring literal death to others. Chains with these Runes cannot be broken physically. Runes can be "hacked" and cause the chains to disintegrate, though it is considered incredibly difficult to do so; a triptych of Runes is said to be "uncrackable". Ghosts are able to hack Hive Runes, but it takes them time. Some Rune-locked doors, however, can only be broken using a Hive item known as a Tomb Husk. Hive crystals are structures powered by, or made of, Soulfire, an energy implied to be emitted by souls themselves. Hive crystals are used as power sources either for rituals or, more commonly, for maintaining barriers, whether to guard entrances or to shield a particular Hive from attack. Although the exact mechanism behind the barriers and crystals is unknown, a cutoff comment by Clovis Bray I has him believe that the barriers are some form of emitted Casimir field, though Ana mutes his communications link before he can bloviate further.

Hive have access to several forms of teleportation, from simple materialising and de-materialising from seemingly dust, to climbing out of shallow pools of water. The most iconic of them are "Ruptures"; dimensional portals to different parts of space, or even new "spaces" in other dimensions such as the Ascendant Realm or the Vex Network, caused by cutting a wound into the flesh of space itself, which they use for interstellar travel. These wounds can be performed either by use of the Sword Logic, through Soulfire rifts, whatever method is employed by Tombships, or through Hive statues that are used to both activate and navigate through Ruptures. According to Eris Morn, however, only an Ascendant is able will a Rupture to open, and only Ascendant Hive can move through them; a Rupture can sense if a being holds an Ascendant's soul and will repulse any who do not possess one. There exists another method: a turbine known as a "Dimensional Lock", which allows Oryx to move between dimensions. Crota also appears to have one in his Throne World. According to scans, the place the lock is kept along with everything in said place only exists in one realm as long as the turbine is stationary.

Some known Hive materials include Hadium, which is a reactive crystal that stores any energy it is exposed to, Wormspore, a concentrated transmutation catalyst that reacts to both the Light and the Darkness, and Moldering Shards. Osmium holds a certain significance to the Hive due to their early years on Fundament, seemingly a precious component for certain rituals, and a variant found scattered within Savathun's Throne World known as Fundemental Osmium is described as a super-dense transition metal with paracausal traces made from supernovae and dead stars that was taken from Fundament. There also exists a filament that's said by Fynch to be a metamaterial capable of soaking up everything from vibration to EM radiation; an "all in one" passive scanner. Other examples of Hive inventions mentioned by Fynch include a Hive torch that may be used to broadcast signals by pulsing exotic radiation in a cycle, a "boson impactor" that can be used as a bomb, and a difficult-to-make adhesive mixed with a "morta-toxin" - an exotic poison that affects Hive. An unknown type of stone is used in the construction of Hive Tombships, along with their structures like their combat arenas; Toland questions if the stones have a strengthening function or are merely used as a legacy of a forgotten time.

The Hive have taken an interest in fusing their own dark understanding with humanity's mastery of war. The most well-known of these are the Weapons of Sorrow, created by either the Hive themselves or Humans who studied Hive science.

Weaponry

• Acolyte Grenade
• Boomer
• Cleaver
  • Sword of Crota
  • Willbreaker
• Hive Shield
• Shredder
• Soulfire Rifle
• Splinter
• Hive Axe

Vehicles

• Dreadnaught
• The Lure
• War Moon
• Tomb Carrier
• Hive warship
• Tombship
• Seeder Ship
• Karve Scoutship

Structures

• Cryptolith
• Hive Trap
• Oversoul
• Scarlet Keep
• Shadowrift
• Shrieker
  • Ascendant Shrieker
  • Chosen Shrieker
  • Unhallowed Shrieker
• Vestige

Trivia

• Prior to their name being officially announced at the 2013 GDC, they were referred to as "evil space zombies".
• The Hive and the Taken are the first races to work together within the Destiny series.
• The official Destiny guide mentioned an additional Hive sect, The Scarlet Brood, but this sect never appeared in the game.
• A number of additional named Hive enemies were datamined from Bungie's files as possible bosses for the original The Dark Below Raid, which was believed to have taken place on a Hive warship at the time. These enemies do not appear in the game.
  • Gnath, the Diviner—RaidHiveship0Major0
  • Cryth, the Siphon—RaidHiveship0Major1
  • Noctu, the Lightslayer—RaidHiveship0Major2
  • The Wall—RaidHiveship0Major3
  • Voldor, the Willkeeper—RaidHiveship0Major4
  • Divined Vision—RaidHiveship0Major5
  • Storgor, the Shatterer—RaidHiveship0Ultra0
  • The Veil—RaidHiveship0Ultra12
• The below are individuals who were also datamined from The Dark Below but appear in-game; Omnigul was renamed as "Will of Crota".
  • Omnigul, the Adjunct—StrikeCosmo1Major0
  • Dredge Exploder—RaidHiveship0Major6
  • The Oversoul—RaidHiveship0Ultra2
• Artwork showing the Krill sisters depict them as having four fingers, while all current Hive possess only three. This could be the result of mutations performed across millions of years of evolution, or potentially due to the corruption of the Darkness alongside their pact with the worms.

Gallery

Browse more images on this article's gallery page.

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  Oryx, the Taken King

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  Oryx's ability to Take

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  King's Fall

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  Crota, Son of Oryx

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  The Nightmare of Crota

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  Crota's End

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  Nokris, Herald of Xol

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  Grasp of Nokris

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  Vanquisher, a unique Knight variant

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  Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return

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  Xol, Will of the Thousands

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  Swarm Princes

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  Malok, Pride of Oryx

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  The Warpriest

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  Golgoroth

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  Omnigul, Will of Crota

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  Phogoth, the Untamed

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  Ecthar, Sword of Oryx

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  Ir Anûk, Deathsinger and Ir Halak, Deathsinger

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  Crota summoning his army

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  Enkaar, the Anointed

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  Hashladûn, Daughter of Crota

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  HiveDarkblade

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  Savathûn's Song

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  In Anânh, Brood Queen

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  Hive Thrall

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  Hive Ogre

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  Hive Knight

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  Hive Acolyte

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  Hive Wizard

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  Oryx in the mission Regicide

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  Oryx watching the Awoken attack

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  Nightmare of Crota in the mission Beyond

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  The Dreadnaught

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  Dreadnaught firing its Death Impulse

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  Hive Tombships

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  The Altar of Oryx

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  The Shrine of Oryx

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  The Court of Oryx

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  Oversoul Throne

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  Crota's Chamber and Oversoul

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  A Hive Swordbearer

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  Pit of Heresy

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  The Cradle of Damnation

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  The Harrow

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  The Scarlet Keep

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  A Hive Crystal

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  The Tower of Woe

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  Dul Incaru and her Fatesmith guard.

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  The Court of Savathûn

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  Savathûn's Witness

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  The Cauldron

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  The Summoning Pits

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  The Hanging Crypts

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  Wizards performing a ritual in the Chamber of Night

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  Crota's soul in the mission The Wakening

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  A closeup of Crota's Soul

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
  • The Dark Below
  • The Taken King
  • Rise of Iron
• Destiny 2
  • Curse of Osiris
  • Warmind
  • Forsaken
    • Season of the Drifter
    • Season of Opulence
  • Shadowkeep
    • Season of the Worthy
    • Season of Arrivals
  • Beyond Light
    • Season of the Hunt
    • Season of the Chosen
    • Season of the Lost
  • The Witch Queen
    • Season of the Risen
    • Season of Plunder
    • Season of the Seraph
  • Lightfall (Mentioned only)
    • Season of the Deep
• Cabal Booklet (Mentioned only)