Black Heart

The Black Heart
D1 D2
Biographical information
Rank:	Ultra (Season of the Wish)
Combat information
Mission:	The Black Garden Closer to the Heart
Abilities:	Summon Sol Progeny Summon Temporal Progeny

"Nothing left but to face the Darkness at the heart of the Garden."

— Ghost

The Black Heart was a Darkness-affiliated entity that functioned as the centerpiece of the Black Garden cultivated and worshipped by the Vex of the Sol Divisive. It was initially grown from a seed planted by the Witness to grow and function as a failed replacement for the Veil which had been stolen by Savathûn from its possession.

Overview

The nature and purpose of the Black Heart remain shrouded in mystery. According to Rohan, a Cloud Strider of Neomuna who once infiltrated the Black Garden, the Heart was created by the Conceptual Mind of the Sol Divisive to replicate the Veil, a powerful Darkness-affiliated entity linked to the Traveler. However, they were ultimately unsuccessful, with the Black Heart being a failed copy that lacked the full powers of the Veil.

The Black Heart is of central importance to the Sol Divisive, who worship it as a deity, even remaking themselves in its image. It resembles a massive, floating globule of chaotic fluid, with crackling energy emanating from it. When in danger, the Heart summons its vessels, the Sol Progeny, to defend itself.

In a conversation with Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey hypothesized that the Black Heart was a being so beyond comprehension that even the Vex saw no logical option other than worship it. However, the abomination was too weak to summon all three Sol Progeny at once, and the fact that it needed to summon them in the first place meant that it was vulnerable. Nonetheless, she asserted it must have been a mere portion of a greater power, probably even a fragment.

The Awoken of the Reef have long been aware that the Black Garden had a heart, although they weren't certain what it actually was. Uldren Sov speculated it was "a seed left behind to grow", or a baited "tripwire" existing solely to be destroyed, alerting its creator that the Traveler had reached some critical stage in its recovery.

History

Origin

"archive data retrieved. Zero = infinite|witness == (a seed was planted here.) Recorded referent: "Black|Heart""

— Fragment of a Vex record recounting an event within the Black Garden

The origin and nature of the Black Heart have long been a mystery to the Vanguard and the scholars of the Tower, even seven years after its destruction. However, following the discovery of Neomuna by Osiris and the Guardians, it was revealed that the Cloud Strider Rohan had entered the Black Garden and determined that the Black Heart was in fact an attempt by the Sol Divisive to replicate the Veil, a paracausal entity hidden beneath Neomuna. However, the Sol Divisive were unsuccessful in their attempt. A Vex record originating from the Black Garden mentions the term "Black Heart" in association with the Witness, along with the phrase "a seed was planted here"; this may suggest a connection between the Witness and the origin of the Black Heart.

City Age

"So... Think you can kill a god?"
"Don't think I have a choice."

— Ghost and the Guardian

Several years before the events of Destiny, the Cloud Strider Rohan inadvertently found himself within the Black Garden while patrolling the border between the CloudArk and the Vex Network, and discovered the Black Heart as it was being created by the Conceptual Mind. He managed to escape the Garden and told the Neomuna city council about his experience, but the council chose not to take any action against the potential threat, a decision which Rohan later came to accept.

The Black Heart was subsequently destroyed when the three Sol Progeny were defeated by the Guardian. Its destruction helped Light to return to the Traveler, allowing it to finally begin healing.

Some time after the Heart's destruction, the Undying Mind attempted to restore it by reverting the Garden back to the Darkness, but the Guardians were able to stop it before the Mind could complete its task.

During the Taken War, Oryx and his Taken also attempted to reawaken the Black Heart but were foiled when the Guardian intervened.

Recreation

"I've isolated the anomaly's signal. It's a familiar one, emanating directly from the Black Garden. The Sol Divisive must be enacting one final effort to halt our advance."

— Osiris

Many years after the destruction of the first black heart, as the Coalition prepared to follow Crow into the Pale Heart of the Traveler, the Sol Divisive were able to create another Black Heart through the guidance of the Witness to disrupt and weaken the Veil and preventing anyone from following the Witness. Osiris would call upon The Guardian once more to stop the Sol Divisive's plans, knowing that the Guardian would get it done fast. After fighting through the Sol Divisive's defenses and destroying a few of their gateways, the Guardian would arrive where they destroyed the original Black Heart. Upon seeing this new Black Heart, Osiris ordered the Guardian to destroy it again. As the Guardian annihilated the Vex forces, just like before, the Heart would summon forth new vessels to defend itself. However, they would be destroyed, destroying the Black Heart again and the end to the Sol Divisive's interference.

Gallery

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  Concept art of the Black Heart.

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  Concept art of the Guardian facing the Heart.

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  Render of the Heart

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  In game of the Black Heart

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List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
  • The Dark Below (Mentioned only)
  • The Taken King (Mentioned only)
• Destiny 2 (Mentioned only)
  • Forsaken (Mentioned only)
  • Shadowkeep (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Undying (Mentioned only)
  • Beyond Light (Mentioned only)
  • Lightfall (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Witch (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Wish
• Destiny Grimoire Anthology, Volume VII (Mentioned only)