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Darkness: Difference between revisions
Updated formatting for Unveiling, Revelation and Shattered Suns references.
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|othernames= "The Deep" <br> "IT"<ref name="GFR4">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Rasputin#Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_4|Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 4]]''</ref> <br> "The Flower Eater"<ref name="GFR4"/> <br> "The Queen of Final Shapes"<ref name="GFR4"/> <br> "The Black Edge"<ref>https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/47849</ref> <br> "The Formless One" <br> "The Winnower"<ref> | |othernames= "The Deep" <br> "IT"<ref name="GFR4">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Rasputin#Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_4|Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 4]]''</ref> <br> "The Flower Eater"<ref name="GFR4"/> <br> "The Queen of Final Shapes"<ref name="GFR4"/> <br> "The Black Edge"<ref>https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/47849</ref> <br> "The Formless One" <br> "The Winnower"<ref>''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]] - [[Lore:Unveiling#Gardener and Winnower|Gardener and Winnower]]''</ref> <br> "Clarity" <ref>https://imgur.com/a/gRtlPej</ref><br>"Luster"<ref>'''Bungie (2022/2/22)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[The Witch Queen]] - [[Lore]]: [[Lore:Shattered Suns|Shattered Suns]] - [[Lore:Shattered Suns#Lamented|Lamented]]''</ref> | ||
|notable=<br>Confers paracausal abilities to users<br>Seeks the reduction of the universe to a simplified, eternal form <br> Desires to subvert and convince the [[Guardian]]s of its mission | |notable=<br>Confers paracausal abilities to users<br>Seeks the reduction of the universe to a simplified, eternal form <br> Desires to subvert and convince the [[Guardian]]s of its mission | ||
}} | }} | ||
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
[[File:Grimoire The Darkness.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The Darkness as depicted in the Grimoire.]] | [[File:Grimoire The Darkness.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The Darkness as depicted in the Grimoire.]] | ||
{{Quote|It is the nature of life to favor existence over nonexistence, and to prefer the fertile soil to the poisoned wind. Because those who open their mouths to that wind pass from the world and leave no descendant, whether of flesh or of thought. <br>But imagine the abomination of a world where nothing can end and no choice can be preferred to any other. Imagine the things that would suffer and never die. Imagine the lies that would flourish without context or corrective. Imagine a world without me.|The Darkness<ref> | {{Quote|It is the nature of life to favor existence over nonexistence, and to prefer the fertile soil to the poisoned wind. Because those who open their mouths to that wind pass from the world and leave no descendant, whether of flesh or of thought. <br>But imagine the abomination of a world where nothing can end and no choice can be preferred to any other. Imagine the things that would suffer and never die. Imagine the lies that would flourish without context or corrective. Imagine a world without me.|The Darkness<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]] - [[Lore:Unveiling#Pleased to Meet You|Pleased to Meet You]]''</ref>}} | ||
Like the [[Light]], the Darkness is a cosmic paracausal force that has existed since before the beginning of time. Similarly to the Light, it enacts its will in our universe indirectly through various beings whom it empowers with its paracausal gifts, with some of the most powerful being worshiped as [[Worm Gods|deities]] unto [[Oryx, the Taken King|themselves]]. Its foremost servants and wielders are the entity known as the [[Witness]] and its [[Disciples]], who collectively command an armada of [[Pyramids]] known as the [[Black Fleet]]. The [[Hive]], [[Taken]] and [[Scorn]] are also influenced by the Darkness to varying degrees, as are a [[Sol Divisive|subset]] of the [[Vex]]. The Darkness grants paracausal abilities to those who wield it, among them elemental powers such as [[Stasis]]. | Like the [[Light]], the Darkness is a cosmic paracausal force that has existed since before the beginning of time. Similarly to the Light, it enacts its will in our universe indirectly through various beings whom it empowers with its paracausal gifts, with some of the most powerful being worshiped as [[Worm Gods|deities]] unto [[Oryx, the Taken King|themselves]]. Its foremost servants and wielders are the entity known as the [[Witness]] and its [[Disciples]], who collectively command an armada of [[Pyramids]] known as the [[Black Fleet]]. The [[Hive]], [[Taken]] and [[Scorn]] are also influenced by the Darkness to varying degrees, as are a [[Sol Divisive|subset]] of the [[Vex]]. The Darkness grants paracausal abilities to those who wield it, among them elemental powers such as [[Stasis]]. | ||
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===Philosophy and Goals=== | ===Philosophy and Goals=== | ||
{{Quote|Think about it. Do you mourn the uncreated? Do you grieve for those who were never born in a nation that never developed around an ideology no one ever imagined on a continent that never formed? No!<br> <br>And from that self-evident truth, you must raise your eyes to the ultimate revelation: those who cannot sustain their own claim to existence belong to the same moral category as those who have never existed at all.|The Darkness}} | {{Quote|Think about it. Do you mourn the uncreated? Do you grieve for those who were never born in a nation that never developed around an ideology no one ever imagined on a continent that never formed? No!<br> <br>And from that self-evident truth, you must raise your eyes to the ultimate revelation: those who cannot sustain their own claim to existence belong to the same moral category as those who have never existed at all.|The Darkness}} | ||
In addition to being a fundamental paracausal force, The Darkness is intelligent and capable of communicating with sentient beings. In the Books of Sorrow, [[Oryx]] is described as directly communing with the Deep through an unborn Ogre<ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/xxxi-battle-made-waves#books-of-sorrow</ref><ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/xxxii-majestic-majestic#books-of-sorrow</ref>. The Lore Book [[Unveiling]] is unambiguously written from the Darkness' perspective, and clearly indicates that the Darkness possesses sentience and motives of its own<ref> | In addition to being a fundamental paracausal force, The Darkness is intelligent and capable of communicating with sentient beings. In the Books of Sorrow, [[Oryx]] is described as directly communing with the Deep through an unborn Ogre<ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/xxxi-battle-made-waves#books-of-sorrow</ref><ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/xxxii-majestic-majestic#books-of-sorrow</ref>. The Lore Book [[Unveiling]] is unambiguously written from the Darkness' perspective, and clearly indicates that the Darkness possesses sentience and motives of its own<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]''</ref>. Whereas the Light rarely communicates with its followers, the Darkness has shown itself to be all too willing to speak directly to sentient beings in their own languages. In such communications, it has typically demonstrated an informal, friendly tone, and will expound at length on its philosophy. It is utterly convinced of the incontrovertible truth of its convictions, and expresses disdain for anyone or anything that objects to its worldview. | ||
The Darkness is fundamentally driven to reduce complexity and diversity within the universe, and to eliminate any entity which cannot survive in the face of adversity; its philosophy is tied to that of the [[Sword Logic]], though not necessarily identical to it. From the Darkness' perspective, only beings which exist have any moral value, and any being that is unable to prevent its own destruction has the same moral worth as a being that never existed to begin with- that is to say, none whatsoever. For this reason, the Darkness seems especially willing to grant its favor to those who commit acts of genocide, such as [[Oryx, the Taken King]] or [[Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness]], both of whom are among the most powerful Darkness-wielders yet encountered (with the possible exception of [[the Witness]] itself). | The Darkness is fundamentally driven to reduce complexity and diversity within the universe, and to eliminate any entity which cannot survive in the face of adversity; its philosophy is tied to that of the [[Sword Logic]], though not necessarily identical to it. From the Darkness' perspective, only beings which exist have any moral value, and any being that is unable to prevent its own destruction has the same moral worth as a being that never existed to begin with- that is to say, none whatsoever. For this reason, the Darkness seems especially willing to grant its favor to those who commit acts of genocide, such as [[Oryx, the Taken King]] or [[Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness]], both of whom are among the most powerful Darkness-wielders yet encountered (with the possible exception of [[the Witness]] itself). | ||
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[[File:DarknessSeasonofArrivals.jpg|thumb|right|330px|A Pyramid]] | [[File:DarknessSeasonofArrivals.jpg|thumb|right|330px|A Pyramid]] | ||
According to the Lore Book "[[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]," which is seemingly narrated by the Darkness itself, both the [[Light]] and the Darkness have existed since before the beginning of time, and thus before the universe came into existence. Being unbound by the laws of causality, neither the Light nor Darkness can be said to have a beginning. Rather, they are emergent properties of even more fundamental "mathematical structures" that in turn underlay reality itself. <ref> | According to the Lore Book "[[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]," which is seemingly narrated by the Darkness itself, both the [[Light]] and the Darkness have existed since before the beginning of time, and thus before the universe came into existence. Being unbound by the laws of causality, neither the Light nor Darkness can be said to have a beginning. Rather, they are emergent properties of even more fundamental "mathematical structures" that in turn underlay reality itself.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]] - [[Lore:Unveiling#Gardener and Winnower|Gardener and Winnower]]''</ref> | ||
In the allegorical story recounted in the Lore Book, the Darkness and Light are referred to as the "Winnower" and "Gardener" respectively. The Winnower and Gardener occupied themselves by engaging one another in a game, analogous to a vastly more complex version of the "Game of Life" devised by Earth mathematician John Conway. This game would consistently arrive at an end-state dominated by a single, self-perpetuating pattern, which subsumed all others in the game. The Winnower found this to be a pleasing outcome, but the Gardener felt the pattern to be boring and desired that the game endlessly produce novel patterns instead. In order to promote this novelty, the Gardener transformed itself into a new "rule" within the game; the Winnower did the same, to counteract the Gardener’s efforts. These new rules were "set aside" from the other rules of the game, so that they could not be limited or influenced by them, but could manipulate the other rules to bring about their intended outcomes. | In the allegorical story recounted in the Lore Book, the Darkness and Light are referred to as the "Winnower" and "Gardener" respectively. The Winnower and Gardener occupied themselves by engaging one another in a game, analogous to a vastly more complex version of the "Game of Life" devised by Earth mathematician John Conway. This game would consistently arrive at an end-state dominated by a single, self-perpetuating pattern, which subsumed all others in the game. The Winnower found this to be a pleasing outcome, but the Gardener felt the pattern to be boring and desired that the game endlessly produce novel patterns instead. In order to promote this novelty, the Gardener transformed itself into a new "rule" within the game; the Winnower did the same, to counteract the Gardener’s efforts. These new rules were "set aside" from the other rules of the game, so that they could not be limited or influenced by them, but could manipulate the other rules to bring about their intended outcomes. | ||
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===The Cambrian Explosion=== | ===The Cambrian Explosion=== | ||
{{Quote|And then—one day—the fall occurred. So much earlier and so much more necessary than your myths remember. (...) This was the Cambrian Explosion, the great birth of complex life on your world. I caused it. I, the defector, the destroyer, the one who takes.|The Darkness}} | {{Quote|And then—one day—the fall occurred. So much earlier and so much more necessary than your myths remember. (...) This was the Cambrian Explosion, the great birth of complex life on your world. I caused it. I, the defector, the destroyer, the one who takes.|The Darkness}} | ||
According to the Darkness itself, the Cambrian Explosion (i.e. the rapid appearance and diversification of complex life on Earth) was one of innumerable examples across the history of the universe where the Darkness played a role in bringing about complex life, by virtue of curtailing the existence of weaker organisms and thereby driving biological evolution<ref> | According to the Darkness itself, the Cambrian Explosion (i.e. the rapid appearance and diversification of complex life on Earth) was one of innumerable examples across the history of the universe where the Darkness played a role in bringing about complex life, by virtue of curtailing the existence of weaker organisms and thereby driving biological evolution.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]] - [[Lore:Unveiling#The Cambrian Explosion|The Cambrian Explosion]]''</ref> | ||
===The Whirlwind=== | ===The Whirlwind=== | ||
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{{Quote|Heaven is invaded and its territories are afire and all its mountains have been shattered into thrones. This is the inevitable and perfect shape of the truth.<br>It is magnificent. Majestic. Majestic.|Thoughts of a K1 researcher meditating in the presence of the Anomaly}} | {{Quote|Heaven is invaded and its territories are afire and all its mountains have been shattered into thrones. This is the inevitable and perfect shape of the truth.<br>It is magnificent. Majestic. Majestic.|Thoughts of a K1 researcher meditating in the presence of the Anomaly}} | ||
Prior to the Collapse, a Human mining expedition on Luna was commissioned by [[Clovis Bray]] to discover the source of a mysterious wavelength buried beneath the Moon's crust. They discovered nearly twelve hundred meters deep a [[Anomaly (artifact)|black sphere]], emitting neurochemical cascades which caused intrusive thoughts, insomnia, narcolepsy, nightmares, and auditory and visual hallucinations. The sphere was studied due to an outbound signal that was believed to be connected to a second Traveler, or even the origins of the Traveler. However, the expedition team, despite their best efforts, were eventually driven to madness without being fully aware of it and perished.<ref> | Prior to the Collapse, a Human mining expedition on Luna was commissioned by [[Clovis Bray]] to discover the source of a mysterious wavelength buried beneath the Moon's crust. They discovered nearly twelve hundred meters deep a [[Anomaly (artifact)|black sphere]], emitting neurochemical cascades which caused intrusive thoughts, insomnia, narcolepsy, nightmares, and auditory and visual hallucinations. The sphere was studied due to an outbound signal that was believed to be connected to a second Traveler, or even the origins of the Traveler. However, the expedition team, despite their best efforts, were eventually driven to madness without being fully aware of it and perished.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Revelation|Revelation]]''</ref><ref>https://imgur.com/gallery/Rz8qc4t</ref> | ||
[[Clovis Bray I]] later communed with the artifact, which urged him to go to [[Europa]] to seek the secret of immortality. He mounted a personal expedition to the icy moon, where he discovered the source of the paracausal power he called "Clarity": an entity he named "[[Clarity Control]]". | [[Clovis Bray I]] later communed with the artifact, which urged him to go to [[Europa]] to seek the secret of immortality. He mounted a personal expedition to the icy moon, where he discovered the source of the paracausal power he called "Clarity": an entity he named "[[Clarity Control]]". | ||