Great Disaster

|prev= Battle of Burning Lake |conc= Eliksni siege |next= Battle of Twilight Gap |image= |conflict= |date= |place= Mare Imbrium, The Moon |result= Decisive Hive victory |side1= The Last City |side2= Spawn of Crota |side3= |side4= |commanders1=*Eriana-3

• Wei Ning
• Gunnvor
• Cayde-6
• Lord Shaxx

|commanders2= *Crota, Son of Oryx

• Sardon, Fist of Crota
• Swarm Princes
  • Banuk, Ur Prince
  • Dakoor, Yul Prince
  • Garok, Xol Prince
  • Merok, Eir Prince

|commanders3= |commanders4= |forces1= Thousands of Guardians |forces2= *One thousand Knights

• Wizards

|forces3= |forces4= |casual1= Multiple Guardians killed, Wei Ning murdered by Crota |casual2= Numerous assorted Hive |casual3= |casual4= |civilian= }}

"My name is Eriana-3, disciple of the Praxic Warlocks, marked by the Cormorant Seal. Survivor of the great disaster: the day we set out to retake our Moon, united in a host of thousands, and found ourselves outmatched by one Hive champion of unspeakable power."

— Eriana-3

The Great Disaster was a battle fought between thousands of Guardians and the Hive to take control of the Moon.

Overview

Prelude

""What madness is this!
"Lord Shaxx! The Consensus did not—"
"We barely eked out victory at Burning Lake. And now you think we're ready to attack the Moon?"
[...]
"Zavala! You can't think this is wise. We need to examine these swords, train against them—"
"This is a matter for the Consensus to decide, old friend.""

— Grimoire: Raze-Lighter

Shortly after discovering the Hive during the Battle of Burning Lake, the Vanguard ordered a full-scale assault on the Moon to establish a beachhead. Lord Shaxx, however, warned the Consensus that the Ascendant Swords carried by the Hive Knights were unlike any weapon he'd seen before, and that they should delay the attack.

The Battle

"I vividly remember the stories from that night. The sky burning green, the roar of thunder ripping through the darkness, and the Eater of Hope tearing through our ranks. Crota, the merciless Hive prince whose dark campaign to pursue the Traveler led to the slaughter of countless worlds—all in the name of his father, Oryx, the Taken King."

— Eris Morn.

Lord Shaxx's pleas were ignored, and the Guardians who arrived fell by the hundreds, as leading the Hive army was the God-Prince Crota, an invincible Knight who devoured the Light of the Guardians. Mare Imbrium was one of the battlefields, as Crota led one thousand Knights against over five hundred Guardians, easily cutting through them. The legendary Titan Wei Ning was personally killed by Crota here. It was claimed the sky above the region "turned into green fire."

During this campaign, an unknown Titan created the first Thunderlord, along with two other machine guns that came to renown: Nova Mortis and Abbadon. Though the Thunderlord survived, its counterparts were lost.

Aftermath

In the aftermath, the Vanguard classified the Moon as forbidden, and not to be visited unless absolutely necessary. One of the survivors of the battle, Eriana-3, swore revenge against Crota and assembled a team of Guardians to enter the Hellmouth alone. Only Eris Morn survived that venture.