Hive

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Hive
Grimoire Disciples of Crota.jpg
Overview

Homeworld:

Fundament (formerly)

Focal world(s):

Ascendant realm
Earth
Moon
Dreadnaught
Titan
Mars
Reef

Goals:

Serve the Hive pantheon by consuming all Light
Live forever by being synonymous with death

At war with:

The Last City
The Reef
Fallen (allied with Hiraks, the Mindbender and Scorn)[1]
Cabal
Vex

Distinctions:

Skeletal appearance
No eyes/three glowing eyes
Symbiotic relationship with their Worm

Average lifespan:

Indefinite

Notable group(s):

Cult of Megor
Cult of the Worm
Blood of Oryx
Hidden Swarm
Savathûn's Hive
Spawn of Crota
The Silent Brood
Grasp of Nokris

Notable individual(s):

Crota, Son of Oryx †
Omnigul, Will of Crota †
Oryx, the Taken King †
Savathûn, the Witch-Queen
Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return
Phogoth, the Untamed †
Xivu Arath, God of War
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 †

 

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

The Hive are a race of macabre aliens that worship and serve the Darkness. They also follow the teachings of the Deep, specifically a principle known as The Sword Logic. In Sol, they have a presence on the Moon, where they have built the Hellmouth and contest the area with Fallen, certain regions on Earth,[2] around Saturn, where the massive Dreadnaught orbits, the icy regions of Mars and on Titan, where they infest the ruined arcologies.[3]

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.[4] They are able to manipulate the physical world in ways humanity can only begin to imagine,[5] and have witnessed the Darkness consume countless worlds in the past.[6]

The Hive are not an enemy military so much as rising force.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] The Guardians eventually discover that this is just the beginning; the Hive have been building an army and intend to invade Earth en masse.[10]

History

Fundament

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[11]

The Hive trace their origins to a gas giant named Fundament. Long ago, the proto-Hive 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 proto-Hive eventually built a meager civilization upon them and forgot their old history. In addition to the proto-Hive, 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.[12][13][14]

Life was quick and harsh for the proto-Hive. 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 proto-Hive frequently warred with each other.[12][11]

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.[11] 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.[13] 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.[15] 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.[16]

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.[17] 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.[18]

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.[19][20]

The Pact

"We want to help you, Princes. We offer to each of you a bargain... a symbiosis."
— Yul, the Honest Worm[21]
Auryx faces the Worm God, Akka

Deep within the Fundament Ocean, the sisters encountered the 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.[21]

The sisters accepted the pact.[22] Xi Ro took the knight morph and became Xivu Arath;[23] Sathona took the mother morph and became Savathûn;[24] and Aurash took the king morph and became Auryx, the King of the Hive.[22] 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, then drive Taox and the other species of Fundament to Kaharn Atoll, and finally to build spaceships and break free of Fundament.[23][24]

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[25]
Oryx, the Taken King

As the newborn Hive forced an ultimatum on the remaining proto-Hive 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.[26] Initially he was willing to negotiate with the Ammonites, his sister Savathûn, under pressure from the Worms, killed Auryx as punishment.[27] Rather than dying, Auryx's soul instead passed to the Ascendant realm, where his soul resided until he returned to the mortal realm.[28] 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.[25]

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.[29][30][31][32] 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.[33] 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.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36]

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.[37] 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.[38] 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.[39] 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.[40]

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.[41][42] 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.[43] 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.[44] Oryx continued his crusade alone,[45] and ruminated on the future.[46]

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 pursued the Traveler into the Sol System shortly after the Collapse, Crota's armies, lead by his commander Sardon, [47] encroached upon Luna and hollowed out its mantle into a war moon; laying dormant and silently building their strength for centuries until the threat of their existence faded to myth.[48]

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. [49] 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.[50] However, the magic that affected Rezyl during the battle with Xyor and her Knight would slowly corrupt him into the hated killer, Dredgen Yor.

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.[citation needed] 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, 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.[51][52] 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.

Years later, 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 drained 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.

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 destroyed, 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. When conventional means failed before the Hope-Eater at his throne world, the Guardians turned Crota's own Sword-Logic against him with the Cleavers of his fallen Blades, permanently killing him.[53] 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".[54] 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.[55][56]

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.[57][56] 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.[58]

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.[59]

Pretenders to the Throne

"The Taken King is dead. Yet his armies writhe and claw at our worlds."
— Eris Morn[60]

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.

Malok fighting the Guardians.

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.

Some time 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.[61] 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.[62]

The Red War

The Song of Savathûn calling out to its Master

The Hive remain 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. [63] 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 reactivate 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 encounter 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 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[64]
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 judgement 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.

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 Mindbenders 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.

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 Axis Mind, Quria, Blade Transform. With the Taken under her direction, she has plans for the Awoken Dreaming City when it was partially warped in between the Ascendant Plane after Oryx attacked the Reef. 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 clear out most of the Taken within the Dreaming City and even purged Riven of her Taken essence.[65][66]

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 with Taken energies.[66]

In addition and making things more complicated, 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.
Shattered Throne

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 artifacts 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 anymore 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 which seems to be affecting the Guardians Ghosts negatively. Before they could investigate any further, a dark figure forms and 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 Pyramids 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 its 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 have 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 encounter 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 Witch's Reach

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 being 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

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 battle 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 disrupt 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.
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's 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, only managing to create the Nightmare phantoms.

Following Hashladûn's death, the products of the daughters's work, led by Hashladûn's remaining sisters and their most powerful champion and puppet, Zulmak, Instrument of Torment, began to stir. Resolving to prevent Zulmak from gaining more power or escape 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 affect. 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.

Seraph Bunker

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 devise 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.

Sociology

Biology

Alak-Hul, the Darkblade

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

Female proto-Hive consumed a substance called "mother jelly", similar to Earth bees, in order to reproduce, between the age of four and five Fundament years.[11][18] Additionally, female Proto-Hive 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.[67]

Hive originate as eggs or cocoons[68] laid by a special caste of Wizard known as a Brood Queen. Upon hatching, newborn Hive swallow a Worm larva whole, becoming symbiotic with the Worm inside them.[69] 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.[67]

Hive are capable of sequential hermaphroditism; Oryx, born the female Aurash, became the male Auryx after assuming the unique "king morph",[70] while Knights are capable of either sex as evidenced by Xivu Arath remaining female despite being a Knight.[71] Ogres, meanwhile, appear to be not a stage of growth in the Hive life cycle, but a mutation brought upon Thrall by Wizard rituals.[72]

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 and some Wizards appear to be eyeless (though many have glowing facial patterns that resemble eyes). The ancient armor many of them wear has fused with their skin, becoming part of it.[73] When they are killed, they ignite in a shower of dust and embers.[4] The Light is both a food source to the Hive and a cause of pain.[68][74]

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 adapt and evolve, generating new mutations as effortless as breathing and possess a significant bioenergetics. [75]

Culture

"Crota's spawn will snuff out the worlds of Light, and Oryx's coming shall be unfettered."
— Osiris[76]
Hive runes.

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.[52] 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.[76] Oryx is Crota's father and the central figure of their religion as well as the God-King of the Hive;[77] through his shrines he maintains contact with his force spread across the universe.[6] 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.[78] A fifth god, named Akka, is recorded in the Books of Sorrow and it is from his remains that the Dreadnaught is built.[40] Apart from a glyph-based writing system,[79] the Hive 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.[40]

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.[80] 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.[6]

The Hive use a unique glyph system of runes which they describe as a "viral language" for their forbidden Hive magics, including the use of Shadowrifts and the Weapons of Sorrow. 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.

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[81]

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 of the living. 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.[82] All such power must necessarily be taken by force, not received as a gift.[35] This is why the Hive's 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.[83][84] 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.[85]

The Ascendant Realm is ruled in totality by the Sword-Logic; when Crota accidentally allowed the Vex into his father's realm,[86] they learned the Sword-Logic from him and adapted it to their own functions,[87] learning to worship and bootstrap themselves into divinity, striving to become the most powerful beings in the universe.[88] 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,[89] 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.[90]

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.[91][92] It should be noted, however, that not all forms of resurrection are heretical: when Ascendant Hive are killed in the "normal" universe, they are banished to their Throne World and can return after a time. Additionally, Oryx is recorded in the Books of Sorrow as having resurrected both of his sisters during the early history of the Hive, after both had undergone true deaths within a Throne World.[36][93] Furthermore, a Hive ritual on Titan was observed in which a Knight was repeatedly killed and apparently resurrected. Also Omnigul was able to somehow undo her death and return to continue her schemes. It may therefore be the case that resurrection is forbidden only to non-Ascendant Hive, or that the rule only applied during Oryx's reign as King, becoming moot upon his death. In addition, Oryx killed his sisters in his own Throne World instead of their own respective Throne Worlds and revived them through specific acts relating to their inner natures, rather through the use of forbidden sorcery like Nokris.

Pantheon

Malok, Taken Prince

Gods like Oryx and Crota are capable of being killed in physical reality without truly dying; even under certain circumstances, Hive gods can be reborn even if killed in the Ascendant plane. So long as their souls are preserved, they can reemerge in the corporeal form at a later time. If they are killed in their respective Throne world, however, their death will be permanent.[36] According to the Spider, two other methods of permanently killing Hive gods exist.[citation needed]

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

The Deep,[94][95] the power behind the Hive Gods

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

Sects and Broods

Named Individuals and Mini-bosses

Leadership

Major Characters

Minor Characters

Mentioned Characters

Command Structure

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.

Weaponry

Vehicles

Structures

Trivia

  • Prior to their name being officially announced at the 2013 GDC, they were referred to as "evil space zombies".[97]
  • The Hive and the Taken are the first races to work together within the Destiny series.[98]
  • The official Destiny guide mentioned an additional Hive sect, The Scarlet Brood, but this sect never appeared in the game.[96]
  • 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.[99] These enemies do not appear in the game.
    • Gnath, the Diviner—RaidHiveship0Major0[99]
    • Cryth, the Siphon—RaidHiveship0Major1[99]
    • Noctu, the Lightslayer—RaidHiveship0Major2[99]
    • The Wall—RaidHiveship0Major3[99]
    • Voldor, the Willkeeper—RaidHiveship0Major4[99]
    • Divined Vision—RaidHiveship0Major5[99]
    • Storgor, the Shatterer—RaidHiveship0Ultra0[99]
    • The Veil—RaidHiveship0Ultra12[99]
  • 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[99]
    • Dredge Exploder—RaidHiveship0Major6[99]
    • The Oversoul—RaidHiveship0Ultra2[99]
  • The Hive are the second faction of undead beings seen in the Destiny series, the first being Guardians, and the third being Scorn.
  • Artwork showing the proto-Hive 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

  • Concept art for Thrall

    Concept art for Thrall

  • Closeup of an old Hive face.

    Closeup of an old Hive face.

  • Concept art of Hive Thrall and Acolyte.

    Concept art of Hive Thrall and Acolyte.

  • Hive Thrall.

    Hive Thrall.

  • A Thrall in the dark

    A Thrall in the dark

  • A high-poly render of a Thrall

    A high-poly render of a Thrall

  • HiveKnight.jpg

    Screenshot of a Hive Acolyte.

  • The Omnigul variant model of the Wizard.

    The Omnigul variant model of the Wizard.

  • The bottom half of the Witch model

    The bottom half of the Witch model

  • Hive Ogre.

    Hive Ogre.

  • The Shrine of Oryx.

    The Shrine of Oryx.

  • Hive Tombships.

    Hive Tombships.

Destiny-symbol-black.png Browse more images on this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

References

Template:Reflist

v • d • e
 
Hive
Infantry
Hive sects
Arsenal
Technology
Spaceships
Strongholds
Religious
Consumables
Materials
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