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{{Location infobox | {{Location infobox | ||
|image | |image= [[File:Realm.jpg|300px]] | ||
|location | |location= Transdimensional Space | ||
|accessibility | |accessibility= [[Crota's End]] <br> [[King's Fall]] <br> [[Patrol]] [[Dreadnaught]] <br> [[Last Wish]] <br> [[The Shattered Throne]] <br> [[A Hum of Starlight]] <br> [[Patrol]] [[Dreaming City]] <br> [[Target: The Mindbender]] <br> [[The Other Side]] <br> [[Last Rites]] <br>The [[Blind Well]] <br> [[Shattered Realm]] <br> [[Patrol]] [[Court of Savathûn|Throne World]] <br> [[Defiant Battlegrounds]] | ||
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}} | }} | ||
{{quote|Whispered lore and fragmentary theories suggest that Crota represents a distinct class of Hive entities, not resident in our material world. My latest synthesis of this scattered esoterica suggests that Crota's 'home' is a universe created or remade by his power and occupied by Hive organisms of immense age.|[[Ikora Rey]]}}<ref name="Crota">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Exalted Hive#Crota,_Son_of_Oryx|Crota, Son of Oryx]]''</ref> | {{quote|Whispered lore and fragmentary theories suggest that Crota represents a distinct class of Hive entities, not resident in our material world. My latest synthesis of this scattered esoterica suggests that Crota's 'home' is a universe created or remade by his power and occupied by Hive organisms of immense age.|[[Ikora Rey]]}}<ref name="Crota">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Exalted Hive#Crota,_Son_of_Oryx|Crota, Son of Oryx]]''</ref> | ||
The '''Ascendant Realm''' (also known as the '''Ascendant Plane''',<ref name="Gift">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLVI:_The_Gift_Mast|XLVI: The Gift Mast]]''</ref> '''Netherworld''', '''Overworld''',<ref name ="Hellmouth">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Places/Moon#Ghost_Fragment:_The_Hellmouth|Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth]]''</ref> '''Sea of Screams''',<ref name="Carved">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIX:_Carved_in_Ruin|XXIX: Carved in Ruin]]''</ref> or the '''Howling'''<ref name = "Reverie Dawn">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Reverie_Dawn_Armor#Reverie_Dawn_Grasps_/_Gauntlets_/_Gloves|Reverie Dawn Grasps / Gauntlets / Gloves]]''</ref>) is an extradimensional plane of existence related to the [[Darkness]].<ref name="Weak">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XVII:_The_Weakness_Verse|XVII: The Weakness Verse]]''</ref><ref name="Crota"/ | The '''Ascendant Realm''' (also known as the '''Ascendant Plane''',<ref name="Gift">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XLVI:_The_Gift_Mast|XLVI: The Gift Mast]]''</ref> '''Netherworld''', '''Overworld''',<ref name ="Hellmouth">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Places/Moon#Ghost_Fragment:_The_Hellmouth|Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth]]''</ref> '''Sea of Screams''',<ref name="Carved">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXIX:_Carved_in_Ruin|XXIX: Carved in Ruin]]''</ref> or the '''Howling'''<ref name = "Reverie Dawn">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Reverie_Dawn_Armor#Reverie_Dawn_Grasps_/_Gauntlets_/_Gloves|Reverie Dawn Grasps / Gauntlets / Gloves]]''</ref>) is an extradimensional plane of existence related to the [[Darkness]].<ref name="Weak">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XVII:_The_Weakness_Verse|XVII: The Weakness Verse]]''</ref><ref name="Crota"/> | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
{{quote|One day, as the green eye stars set behind the far-away spines left by the | {{quote|One day, as the green eye stars set behind the far-away spines left by the machines' failed injections, a Knight of Oryx met a Knight of Xivu Arath as they passed across a bridge in the Sea of Screams. To their north lay a strata of ossified corpses, tangled bones left by newborn beings who had hatched into this overworld from the weeping blistered souls of living worlds at the end of their sanity, only to become unanchored from the universe of matter and confuse their shapes with each other, until they became one screaming interchange of bodies and died. To their other north was an atoll of scriptures adrift on a sea of interpretations, gnawed at by heresies like white eels. To another north was one end of the bridge, and to the last north, the other end. All directions were north, but it was not at once obvious what lay at the northernmost place.|[[Weblore#Dust|Dust]]}} | ||
The Ascendant Realm appears to be an infinite expanse of blackness, suffused with a thick fog or mist that often limits visibility, with occasional pockets of solid geography scattered throughout, typically in the form of throne worlds. The only natural illumination is a harsh, flickering white light from an unknown source. Toland's accounts of the Ascendant Realm describe it as containing green-black "suns";<ref name ="Carved in Ruin">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-the-hellmouth?highlight=green-black Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth]''</ref> when the Guardians later entered the Ascendant Realm themselves, massive [[Taken]] [[Blight]]s could be seen in various locations within it, perhaps the same objects Toland was referring to. | The Ascendant Realm appears to be an infinite expanse of blackness, suffused with a thick fog or mist that often limits visibility, with occasional pockets of solid geography scattered throughout, typically in the form of throne worlds. The only natural illumination is a harsh, flickering white light from an unknown source. Toland's accounts of the Ascendant Realm describe it as containing green-black "suns";<ref name ="Carved in Ruin">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-the-hellmouth?highlight=green-black Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth]''</ref> when the Guardians later entered the Ascendant Realm themselves, massive [[Taken]] [[Blight]]s could be seen in various locations within it, perhaps the same objects Toland was referring to. | ||
Existence in the Ascendant plane is mutable, and maintained by force of will. Well-defended ideas there take physical form,<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: [[Fist of Eight Moons]]''</ref> creating bizarre and twisted landscapes.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/11)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Weblore]]: [[Weblore#Dust|Dust]]''</ref | Existence in the Ascendant plane is mutable, and maintained by force of will. Well-defended ideas there take physical form,<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: [[Fist of Eight Moons]]''</ref> creating bizarre and twisted landscapes.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/11)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Weblore]]: [[Weblore#Dust|Dust]]''</ref> | ||
The Ascendant Realm can also seemingly pull locations within the physical universe into itself, as it did with the [[Dreaming City]].<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/8vwncp/possible_spoilers_dreaming_city/</ref> Asteroid [[128 Nemesis]] within [[The Reef]] also phase shifts between our world and the Ascendant Realm, due to experimentation upon it by [[Hiraks, the Mindbender]].<ref name=GameInformer/> | |||
===Throne Worlds=== | |||
Beings which have obtained sufficient paracausal power have the ability to create pocket universes within the Ascendant Realm known as Throne Worlds. These are personal realms whose forms and laws are defined by their creators, and which serve as a refuge for the creator's consciousness or "soul" in the event of their death in the physical world. | |||
The Ascendant | The most prolific creators and users of Throne Worlds are the Hive, who may become "Ascendant" through practicing the Sword Logic and eventually become powerful enough to create their own Throne Worlds.<ref name="Weak"/> All laws within these realms obey the Sword Logic, even other paracausal forces, such as the [[Light]].<ref>'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXIX:_open_your_eye_:_go_into_it|XXXIX: open your eye : go into it]]''</ref> They are typically formed and can grow in size by the deaths of powerful entities, including the Light-affiliated [[Guardian]]s. Throne Worlds are completely immune to the effects of paracausal weaponry, such as the [[Harbinger]]s of the [[Awoken]], being spiritual worlds created from the mind of their resident Hive god.<ref name="Weak"/> If one of the Hive gods is slain in the material world, or in another god's Throne, their soul will pass to their throne where they will regain their strength until they can re-enter the material world; this can potentially be accelerated by the sacrifice of lesser Hive.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"The soul of a Hive is sleeping inside. The Disciples of Osiris believe Ascendant Hive can be reborn in our realm when the time is right and with the sacrifice of lesser Hive souls. I think this one is marked for sacrifice"'', [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/ghost-scan-sacrificial-stone Ghost Scans]: Sacrificial Stone''</ref> If an Ascendant Hive is killed within their own throne, they will die permanently.<ref name="Weak"/> The lesser Hive may enter the Ascendant Realm at will,<ref name="Crota"/> but only if they are [[Ascendant Hive]], those Hive warriors who command legions of lesser soldiers and can pay a tithe of death and destruction to the Hive god who rules them.<ref name="Carved"/> | ||
Other beings are also capable of creating Throne Worlds. [[Hiraks, the Mindbender]] is an unprecedented Ascendant [[Fallen]], as he fell into the [[Hellmouth]] as a [[Dreg]] and somehow gained Ascendant status, forging his own Throne within the Ascendant Realm by means of [[Cayde-6|Cayde's]] death.<ref name=GameInformer>[https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/07/05/these-are-the-eight-barons-who-helped-kill-cayde-6-in-destiny-2-forsaken '''Game Informer''': ''These Are The Eight Barons Who Helped Kill Cayde-6 In Destiny 2: Forsaken'']</ref> | |||
Prior to the [[Taken War]], [[Mara Sov]] also developed a Throne World known as [[Eleusinia]] using [[Eris Morn]]'s knowledge of the [[Sword Logic]] along with [[Riven]]'s wish-magic <ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: [[Reverie_Dawn_Armor#Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots|Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots]]''</ref>. However, it was corrupted by [[Oryx]] following Mara's death in the [[Taken War]], and became the lair for [[Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return]], who perpetuates the [[Taken]] curse of the [[Dreaming City]]. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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{{quote|For you are not the first hero—nor even Oryx the first villain—to meet upon this plane.|Sins of Kharad-Tan}} | {{quote|For you are not the first hero—nor even Oryx the first villain—to meet upon this plane.|Sins of Kharad-Tan}} | ||
The origins and true nature of the Ascendant Realm remain unknown. The description of the Warlock artifact known as the [[Sins of Kharad-Tan]] indicates that others walked the Ascendant Realm long before [[Oryx, the Taken King]] and the [[Guardian]]s, but no records have yet been discovered documenting these events. | The origins and true nature of the Ascendant Realm remain unknown. The description of the Warlock artifact known as the [[Sins of Kharad-Tan]] indicates that others walked the Ascendant Realm long before [[Oryx, the Taken King]] and the [[Guardian]]s, but no records have yet been discovered documenting these events. | ||
According to [[Mara Sov]], ancient [[Warlocks]] believed the Ascendant Plane was once home to creatures of great power, a belief also expressed in [[Fallen|Eliksni]] legend according to [[Mithrax]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQhbCLOmp8</ref> | |||
===The Ancient Past=== | ===The Ancient Past=== | ||
Line 36: | Line 41: | ||
===City Age=== | ===City Age=== | ||
After [[Toland, the Shattered]] was killed by [[Ir Yût]] with her [[Deathsong]], his consciousness persisted within the Ascendant Realm. At some point before or after leaving his corporeal form behind, he forged a small throne world for himself within the Realm. | |||
Some time after the [[Black Heart]] was destroyed by the [[Guardian]], Crota's [[Oversoul Throne]] was [[Crota's End|breached]] and the God-Prince killed.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/12)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzrd, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Activities/Raids#Crota.27s_End|Crota's End]]''</ref> [[Mara Sov]] also created a throne world, [[Eleusinia]], with the aid of her [[Techeun]]s, the [[Ahamkara]] [[Riven]] and [[Eris Morn]]. | |||
Oryx's throne world was subsequently invaded twice by Guardians, who first [[Regicide|destroyed]] his material form and later [[King's Fall|faced]] his true form, once again vanquishing him, save for his heart, in which he continued to exist.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Activities/Raids#King.27s_Fall|King's Fall]]''</ref> Guardians also breached the Oversoul Throne a second time to [[Last Rites|steal a piece of Crota's soul]]. | |||
At some point, [[Hiraks, the Mindbender|Hiraks]] fell into the [[Hellmouth]], surviving and learning to harness the power of the realm for his own purposes. He later used the power to pull Asteroid [[128 Nemesis]] between our world and the Ascendant Realm.<ref name=GameInformer/> | |||
A number of worrying reports during the [[Red War]] indicated that [[Savathûn]] was trying to communicate from the Ascendant Realm to the scattered Taken forces on [[Io]].<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"I think these blights are like transmitters. They're either calling out to something, or... letting something whisper to the Taken here on Io"'', [[Ghost Scans]]: IO-WM-3''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"Ascendant Realm readings in spades here. Down the line this could be another one of those weird portals. The Taken are so strange"'', [[Ghost Scans]]: IO-EXS-1''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"Listen. It sounds like... It sounds like someone's whispering in there. Over and over". Eugh'', [[Ghost Scans]]: IO-EXS-2''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"I'm detecting… I think this is sending a message back to the Ascendant Realm. But who's listening?"'', [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/ghost-scan-excavation-site-ii-io-3 Ghost Scan: Excavation Site II, Io, #3]: IO-EXS-3''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, ''"This is sending out some kind of resonant signal. The same syllables, over and over: Sa... Va... Thun..."'', [[Ghost Scans]]: IO-TBC-3''</ref> | |||
Due to the effects of the Ahamkara [[Riven]]'s [[Last Wish|last wish]], the [[Dreaming City]] was pulled into the Ascendant Realm, trapping it between the Ascendant Realm and our universe. | |||
===Season of Defiance=== | |||
With the aid of [[Mara Sov]], the Guardians would use the Ascendant Realm to bypass the defenses of [[Shadow Legion Prison]] structures located all across the [[Earth]] and its orbit, freeing prisoners captured by the [[Shadow Legion]]. | |||
==Known Throne Worlds & locales== | ==Known Throne Worlds & locales== | ||
*[[Dreadnaught|High War]]—realm of Oryx; converted into the Dreadnaught.<ref name="Weak"/><ref name="High">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXII:_The_High_War|XXII: The High War]]''</ref><ref name="Dread"/> | *[[Dreadnaught|High War]]—realm of Oryx; converted into the Dreadnaught.<ref name="Weak"/><ref name="High">'''Bungie (2015/15/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXII:_The_High_War|XXII: The High War]]''</ref><ref name="Dread"/> | ||
*[[High Coven]]—[[Savathûn]]'s realm.<ref name="Weak"/> | *[[Court of Savathûn|High Coven]]—[[Savathûn]]'s realm.<ref name="Weak"/> | ||
*[[Xivu Arath]]'s realm.<ref name="Weak"/> | *[[Black Terrace]]—[[Xivu Arath]]'s realm.<ref name="Weak"/> | ||
*[[Ascendant Plane (location)]]—the space between throne worlds, also realm of [[Hiraks, the Mindbender|Hiraks]]. | *[[Ascendant Plane (location)]]—the space between throne worlds, also realm of [[Hiraks, the Mindbender|Hiraks]]. | ||
*[[Oversoul Throne]]—realm of Crota.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Story Mission [[Last Rites]]''</ref> | *[[Oversoul Throne]]—realm of Crota.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Story Mission [[Last Rites]]''</ref> | ||
*[[Eleusinia]]—[[Mara Sov]]'s artificial throne world made using [[Riven of a Thousand Voices|Riven's]] [[Anthem Anatheme|wish-magic]] and knowledge of the [[Sword Logic]] provided by [[Eris Morn]]<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: [[Lore:The_Dreaming_City#Throne|Throne]]''</ref> | *[[Eleusinia]]—[[Mara Sov]]'s artificial throne world made using [[Riven of a Thousand Voices|Riven's]] [[Anthem Anatheme|wish-magic]] and knowledge of the [[Sword Logic]] provided by [[Eris Morn]]<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: [[Lore:The_Dreaming_City#Throne|Throne]]''</ref>, developed shortly before the [[Taken War]] and later desecrated by [[Oryx, the Taken King]].<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: [[Reverie_Dawn_Armor#Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots|Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots]]''</ref> | ||
* Toland's realm—a "scrap of a world", described by Mara Sov as a place of "swords and madness and all-consuming curiosity."<ref name = "Reverie Dawn"/> | *Toland's realm—a "scrap of a world", described by Mara Sov as a place of "swords and madness and all-consuming curiosity."<ref name = "Reverie Dawn"/> | ||
*[[Shattered Realm]]—[[Shattered Realm: Forest of Echoes|Several]] [[Shattered Realm: Debris of Dreams|broken]] [[Shattered Realm: Ruins of Wrath|sections]] of the Ascendant Plane where [[Techeun]]s hid from the forces of Xivu Arath. | |||
*[[Shadow Legion Territory]]—Sections of the Ascendant Plane adjacent to forts of the [[Shadow Legion]], used for infiltration by [[Guardian]]s through the power of Queen Mara. | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
Destiny TK Threshold.jpg|Threshold, High War | Destiny TK Threshold.jpg|Threshold, The High War | ||
Shattered-throne.jpg|The Shattered Throne, Eleusinia | Shattered-throne.jpg|The Shattered Throne, Eleusinia | ||
CrotasEnd1.jpg|Oversoul Throne | CrotasEnd1.jpg|Oversoul Throne | ||
The Mindbender (Mission).PNG|Gateway into a Ascendant Realm | The Mindbender (Mission).PNG|Gateway into a Ascendant Realm | ||
NokrisOversoul.jpg|Savathûn | NokrisOversoul.jpg|Court of Savathûn, The High Coven | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
Line 75: | Line 89: | ||
*''[[Destiny 2]]'' | *''[[Destiny 2]]'' | ||
**''[[Forsaken]]'' | **''[[Forsaken]]'' | ||
**''[[ | ***''[[Season of the Drifter]]'' {{Mo}} | ||
***''[[Season of Opulence]]'' | |||
**''[[Shadowkeep]]'' | **''[[Shadowkeep]]'' | ||
**''[[Season of Arrivals]]'' | ***''[[Season of Arrivals]]'' | ||
**''[[Season of the Lost]]'' | ***''[[Season of the Lost]]'' | ||
**''[[The Witch Queen]]'' | |||
***''[[Season of Defiance]]'' | |||
***''[[Season of the Deep]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
==References== | ==References== |
Latest revision as of 09:45, October 27, 2023
Ascendant Realm | |
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Location: |
Transdimensional Space |
Accessibility: |
Crota's End |
- "Whispered lore and fragmentary theories suggest that Crota represents a distinct class of Hive entities, not resident in our material world. My latest synthesis of this scattered esoterica suggests that Crota's 'home' is a universe created or remade by his power and occupied by Hive organisms of immense age."
- — Ikora Rey[1]
The Ascendant Realm (also known as the Ascendant Plane,[2] Netherworld, Overworld,[3] Sea of Screams,[4] or the Howling[5]) is an extradimensional plane of existence related to the Darkness.[6][1]
Overview
- "One day, as the green eye stars set behind the far-away spines left by the machines' failed injections, a Knight of Oryx met a Knight of Xivu Arath as they passed across a bridge in the Sea of Screams. To their north lay a strata of ossified corpses, tangled bones left by newborn beings who had hatched into this overworld from the weeping blistered souls of living worlds at the end of their sanity, only to become unanchored from the universe of matter and confuse their shapes with each other, until they became one screaming interchange of bodies and died. To their other north was an atoll of scriptures adrift on a sea of interpretations, gnawed at by heresies like white eels. To another north was one end of the bridge, and to the last north, the other end. All directions were north, but it was not at once obvious what lay at the northernmost place."
- — Dust
The Ascendant Realm appears to be an infinite expanse of blackness, suffused with a thick fog or mist that often limits visibility, with occasional pockets of solid geography scattered throughout, typically in the form of throne worlds. The only natural illumination is a harsh, flickering white light from an unknown source. Toland's accounts of the Ascendant Realm describe it as containing green-black "suns";[7] when the Guardians later entered the Ascendant Realm themselves, massive Taken Blights could be seen in various locations within it, perhaps the same objects Toland was referring to.
Existence in the Ascendant plane is mutable, and maintained by force of will. Well-defended ideas there take physical form,[8] creating bizarre and twisted landscapes.[9]
The Ascendant Realm can also seemingly pull locations within the physical universe into itself, as it did with the Dreaming City.[10] Asteroid 128 Nemesis within The Reef also phase shifts between our world and the Ascendant Realm, due to experimentation upon it by Hiraks, the Mindbender.[11]
Throne Worlds
Beings which have obtained sufficient paracausal power have the ability to create pocket universes within the Ascendant Realm known as Throne Worlds. These are personal realms whose forms and laws are defined by their creators, and which serve as a refuge for the creator's consciousness or "soul" in the event of their death in the physical world.
The most prolific creators and users of Throne Worlds are the Hive, who may become "Ascendant" through practicing the Sword Logic and eventually become powerful enough to create their own Throne Worlds.[6] All laws within these realms obey the Sword Logic, even other paracausal forces, such as the Light.[12] They are typically formed and can grow in size by the deaths of powerful entities, including the Light-affiliated Guardians. Throne Worlds are completely immune to the effects of paracausal weaponry, such as the Harbingers of the Awoken, being spiritual worlds created from the mind of their resident Hive god.[6] If one of the Hive gods is slain in the material world, or in another god's Throne, their soul will pass to their throne where they will regain their strength until they can re-enter the material world; this can potentially be accelerated by the sacrifice of lesser Hive.[13] If an Ascendant Hive is killed within their own throne, they will die permanently.[6] The lesser Hive may enter the Ascendant Realm at will,[1] but only if they are Ascendant Hive, those Hive warriors who command legions of lesser soldiers and can pay a tithe of death and destruction to the Hive god who rules them.[4]
Other beings are also capable of creating Throne Worlds. Hiraks, the Mindbender is an unprecedented Ascendant Fallen, as he fell into the Hellmouth as a Dreg and somehow gained Ascendant status, forging his own Throne within the Ascendant Realm by means of Cayde's death.[11]
Prior to the Taken War, Mara Sov also developed a Throne World known as Eleusinia using Eris Morn's knowledge of the Sword Logic along with Riven's wish-magic [14]. However, it was corrupted by Oryx following Mara's death in the Taken War, and became the lair for Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return, who perpetuates the Taken curse of the Dreaming City.
History
Origins
- "For you are not the first hero—nor even Oryx the first villain—to meet upon this plane."
- — Sins of Kharad-Tan
The origins and true nature of the Ascendant Realm remain unknown. The description of the Warlock artifact known as the Sins of Kharad-Tan indicates that others walked the Ascendant Realm long before Oryx, the Taken King and the Guardians, but no records have yet been discovered documenting these events.
According to Mara Sov, ancient Warlocks believed the Ascendant Plane was once home to creatures of great power, a belief also expressed in Eliksni legend according to Mithrax.[15]
The Ancient Past
Auryx was the first among the Hive to discover the Ascendant plane when Savathûn killed him for negotiating with the Ammonites, and the first to realize the innate power it held when the Worm Gods told him to slay his Hive and observe how his relationship to baseline reality began to change.[6] These realms would prove to be a boon in the Hive's quest for immortality as they warred amongst themselves to deepen their power and understanding[16] and during the war with the Ecumene, these realms gave them a place in which to recover.[4]
During the war with the Ecumene, Auryx and his sisters were on the verge of defeat, and so met in his throne world to find a solution; Auryx then killed them after in order to gain the necessary strength.[17] He then traveled the Ascendant plane in search of the Worm God Akka, to take the power needed to save himself and the Hive. Oryx would later return to explore the Ascendant plane more, trying to unlock the secrets of The Deep.[18][19] He would later move his throne world out of the Ascendant Realm when he built his Dreadnaught, turning it inside out and pouring it into the material plane.[20]
City Age
After Toland, the Shattered was killed by Ir Yût with her Deathsong, his consciousness persisted within the Ascendant Realm. At some point before or after leaving his corporeal form behind, he forged a small throne world for himself within the Realm.
Some time after the Black Heart was destroyed by the Guardian, Crota's Oversoul Throne was breached and the God-Prince killed.[21] Mara Sov also created a throne world, Eleusinia, with the aid of her Techeuns, the Ahamkara Riven and Eris Morn.
Oryx's throne world was subsequently invaded twice by Guardians, who first destroyed his material form and later faced his true form, once again vanquishing him, save for his heart, in which he continued to exist.[22] Guardians also breached the Oversoul Throne a second time to steal a piece of Crota's soul.
At some point, Hiraks fell into the Hellmouth, surviving and learning to harness the power of the realm for his own purposes. He later used the power to pull Asteroid 128 Nemesis between our world and the Ascendant Realm.[11]
A number of worrying reports during the Red War indicated that Savathûn was trying to communicate from the Ascendant Realm to the scattered Taken forces on Io.[23][24][25][26][27]
Due to the effects of the Ahamkara Riven's last wish, the Dreaming City was pulled into the Ascendant Realm, trapping it between the Ascendant Realm and our universe.
Season of Defiance
With the aid of Mara Sov, the Guardians would use the Ascendant Realm to bypass the defenses of Shadow Legion Prison structures located all across the Earth and its orbit, freeing prisoners captured by the Shadow Legion.
Known Throne Worlds & locales
- High War—realm of Oryx; converted into the Dreadnaught.[6][28][20]
- High Coven—Savathûn's realm.[6]
- Black Terrace—Xivu Arath's realm.[6]
- Ascendant Plane (location)—the space between throne worlds, also realm of Hiraks.
- Oversoul Throne—realm of Crota.[29]
- Eleusinia—Mara Sov's artificial throne world made using Riven's wish-magic and knowledge of the Sword Logic provided by Eris Morn[30], developed shortly before the Taken War and later desecrated by Oryx, the Taken King.[31]
- Toland's realm—a "scrap of a world", described by Mara Sov as a place of "swords and madness and all-consuming curiosity."[5]
- Shattered Realm—Several broken sections of the Ascendant Plane where Techeuns hid from the forces of Xivu Arath.
- Shadow Legion Territory—Sections of the Ascendant Plane adjacent to forts of the Shadow Legion, used for infiltration by Guardians through the power of Queen Mara.
Gallery
Trivia
- The capitalization of terms used for the Ascendant Plane is highly variable. The Ascendant Plane may be written as the Ascendant plane or ascendant plane, for example.
- The Asteroid 128 Nemesis was the experimental grounds used by Hiraks, the Mindbender to pull the asteroid between the Ascendant Realm and our dimension.[11]
- Throne World creators seem to be able to change the size of themselves within the plane, such as Oryx or Hiraks.
- Since both Hiraks and Oryx appear bigger within their respective throne worlds, it might be that they are in their true size, and that they are in fact making themselves smaller when entering the material world.
- The concept of using negative matter/energy to create "pockets" of space vastly larger inside than it appears (possibly as large as a dwarf world, but externally nanometers in size) exists in (purely theoretical) physics; because of the nature of the Hive and Worms, this could explain the bizarre nature of Ascendant Realms since exotic particles are mentioned repeatedly in descriptions of both Light and Darkness.
List of appearances
- Destiny
- The Dark Below (First appearance)
- The Taken King
- Destiny 2
- Forsaken
- Season of the Drifter (Mentioned only)
- Season of Opulence
- Shadowkeep
- The Witch Queen
- Season of Defiance
- Season of the Deep (Mentioned only)
- Forsaken
References
- ^ a b c Bungie (2014/9/9), Destiny, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Crota, Son of Oryx
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XLVI: The Gift Mast
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth
- ^ a b c Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXIX: Carved in Ruin
- ^ a b Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Reverie Dawn Grasps / Gauntlets / Gloves
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XVII: The Weakness Verse
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: Fist of Eight Moons
- ^ Bungie (2019/10/11), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Weblore: Dust
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/8vwncp/possible_spoilers_dreaming_city/
- ^ a b c d Game Informer: These Are The Eight Barons Who Helped Kill Cayde-6 In Destiny 2: Forsaken
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXIX: open your eye : go into it
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "The soul of a Hive is sleeping inside. The Disciples of Osiris believe Ascendant Hive can be reborn in our realm when the time is right and with the sacrifice of lesser Hive souls. I think this one is marked for sacrifice", Ghost Scans: Sacrificial Stone
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQhbCLOmp8
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXI: an incision
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXVI: star by star by star
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXVIII: The partition of death
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXXIV: More beautiful to know
- ^ a b Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny: The Taken King Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XLI: Dreadnaught
- ^ Bungie (2014/9/12), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzrd, Grimoire: Crota's End
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: King's Fall
- ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "I think these blights are like transmitters. They're either calling out to something, or... letting something whisper to the Taken here on Io", Ghost Scans: IO-WM-3
- ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "Ascendant Realm readings in spades here. Down the line this could be another one of those weird portals. The Taken are so strange", Ghost Scans: IO-EXS-1
- ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "Listen. It sounds like... It sounds like someone's whispering in there. Over and over". Eugh, Ghost Scans: IO-EXS-2
- ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "I'm detecting… I think this is sending a message back to the Ascendant Realm. But who's listening?", Ghost Scan: Excavation Site II, Io, #3: IO-EXS-3
- ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, "This is sending out some kind of resonant signal. The same syllables, over and over: Sa... Va... Thun...", Ghost Scans: IO-TBC-3
- ^ Bungie (2015/15/9), Destiny: The Taken King, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grimoire: XXII: The High War
- ^ Bungie (2015/9/15), Destiny, PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Story Mission Last Rites
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: Throne
- ^ Bungie (2018/9/4), Destiny 2: Forsaken, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Lore: Reverie Dawn Strides / Greaves / Boots
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