Venus

Venus
Astrographical
Star, position:	Sol, II
Satellites(s):	None
Physical
Diameter:	12,100 kilometers
Gravity:	.904 g
Length of day:	2,802 hours
Orbital period:	225 days
Societal
Population:	Vex ; Fallen ; Taken

There is more information available on this subject at Venus on the English Wikipedia.

“

The jungles of Venus conceal great treasures - and terrible power.

”

Venus is the second planet in the Sol System, and the largest terrestrial planet apart from Earth.

Overview

With the coming of the Traveler, Venus' toxic air was 'cleansed'^[1] and the world was swiftly colonized by humanity during the Golden Age,^[2] becoming known as a "paradise".^[3] Venus is now a hostile world.^[4] Sulfuric gasses are vented from the surface of the planet, ^[5] and crackling lightning flashes through the sulfuric yellow sky. All the while, jungle and overgrowth has claimed the remnants of the scientific research settlement once held here by humanity.

The ruins of Venus feature energy relays used by the Vex, which are powered by a heavily protected Nexus far below the surface and are believed to be part of an ancient network that, if fully reawakened, could turn the planet itself into a system the Vex could control.^[6] Both the ancient Vex ruins, and the more recent human structures are now choked in vegetation,^[7] although humanity has managed to regain a presence there.^[2] But despite this, the forgotten cities are slowly being swallowed up by the Venusian ocean and in their place; the towering Vex Citadel now draws the eye—a hulking, obelisk Jenga tower of bizarre geometric shapes. Its purpose remains unknown, but the robotic Vex unceasingly defend it.^[8]

The Fallen House of Winter also has their Lair on Venus, adding to the number of hostile forces already present on the planet.^[9]

History

The Ancient Past

Long before the evolution of humanity, Venus and the other planets of the Sol System served as gravitational foci for interstellar streams of dark matter particles. When life evolved elsewhere in the System, the movements of lifeforms created perturbations in these looping streams, which caused the dark matter loops to "awaken" into consciousness. These nascent consciousnesses would one day become known to Humanity as the Nine.

Golden Age

When the Traveler came to the Sol System, it terraformed Venus, transforming its surface from a corrosive and superheated wasteland into a lush jungle, filled with life.

During the initial exploration of Venus, ancient ruins predating humanity's existence were discovered, leading to a colonization rush by some of Earth's brightest minds.^[10] It has been acknowledged that the ruins came from another Venus in a different reality.^[11] Following the Collapse, the Vex lay claim to those ruins and began protecting them for unknown reasons.^[6]

City Age

The Ahamkara had a strong presence on Venus during the City Age, and appeared to be engaged in terraforming the planet for unknown purposes. The nature of the changes wrought by the Ahamkara are unclear; according to Eris Morn, eyewitnesses disagreed over what they saw, or the order in which events had occurred. During the Great Ahamkara Hunt, a "paracausal phenomenon" appeared over the Ishtar Academy which prompted at least one Guardian who witnessed it to apparently attempt permanent suicide. Ultimately, the Ahamkara were exterminated on Venus by the Guardians, although their skeletal remains continued to telepathically influence those who encountered them.

Sometime at the start to the Red War, the Red Legion came to Venus. This can be found out by scanning a small radar dish in the gulch of the EDZ. Why they came and the status of their occupation is unknown, but it can be presumed that it was a further effort of combating and stealing from the Vex like on Nessus and the forces sent to the Black Garden's gate on Mars.

Locations

Ishtar Sink (Destination)
- Ishtar Academy
  - Ishtar Commons (Public location)
  - Hall of Whispers
    - The Archive
  - N/Gen Branch
    - Dig Site 4
    - The Nexus
- Ember Caves (Public location)
  - Winter's Lair
- The Citadel (Public location)
  - The Juncture
  - The Terminus
- The Shattered Coast (Public location)
  - Headlands (Public location)
  - Ishtar Cliffs (Public location)
- Waking Ruins (Public location)
- Asylum (Crucible map)
- Thieves' Den (Crucible map)
- The Last Exit (Crucible map)
Maat Mons
- Infinite Descent (Sparrow Racing League map)
- Shores of Time (Crucible map)
Pomona Mons
- Floating Gardens (Crucible map)

Trivia

The Ishtar Sink is placed somewhere along the southeastern coast of the Ishtar Terra, one of four highland continents of Venus and just south of the north pole.^[12]