Darkness: Difference between revisions

|affiliation= [[Hive]] {{C|[[Worm Gods]]}} <br> [[Vex]] {{C|[[Black Heart]], [[Sol Divisive]], [[Sol Progeny]], [[Champion#List of Champions|Vex Champion]]}} <br>[[Taken]] {{C|[[Ascendant Realm]]}}<br>[[Scorn]] {{C|[[Dark Ether]]}} <br> [[Pyramids]] {{C|[[Nightmares]], [[The Witness]]}} <br> [[Fallen]] {{C|[[Splinter of Darkness]],  [[House of Salvation]], [[Champion#List of Champions|Fallen Champion]]}}  <br> [[Cabal]] {{C|[[Loyalists]], [[Red Legion]], [[Corrupted Bonded Psion]], [[Shadow Legion]], [[Champion#List of Champions|Cabal Champion]]}}<ref>https://www.destinypedia.com/Dark_Alliance</ref> <br> [[Humanity]] {{C|[[Stasis]], [[Strand]], [[Clovis Bray (corporation)|Clovis Bray]]}}<ref>https://imgur.com/a/gRtlPej</ref>

[[File:Grimoire The Darkness.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The Darkness as depicted in the Grimoire.]]

For centuries following the Collapse, the Darkness was believed by scholars of the [[Last City]] to be an inherently evil force, with its usage inevitably corrupting the wielder. This is now known to be untrue; just as the Light can be used for constructive and benevolent purposes as well as destructive and self-serving ones, the Darkness has no moral valency of its own and can be used for good or ill. Ancient civilizations such as the [[Ecumene]] and [[Qugu]] used the Darkness for peaceful purposes, such as communing with the memories of their ancestors. In contrast, the being known as [[The Witness|Witness]] and its [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciples]], who collectively lead the armada known as the [[Black Fleet]] and have exterminated countless civilizations uplifted by the [[Traveler]], wield the Darkness as a weapon against their enemies. Most of humanity's experience with the Darkness has come through conflict with those aligned with the Witness and its cause, such as the [[Hive]], [[Taken]], [[Scorn]] and the [[Vex]] of the [[Sol Divisive]], which has in large part led to the one-sided view of Darkness as a destructive force hostile to life and peaceful civilization.  

However, if the Lore Book ''[[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]'' is to be taken at face value, the reality may be more complex. Unveiling is narrated by a being who identifies themselves as the Winnower, one of two primordial entities who predate the universe, the other being the [[Light|Gardener]]. The Winnower is presented as embodying the reduction of complexity, whereas the Gardener embodies the growth and preservation of complexity. In the allegorical story recounted in ''Unveiling'', these two entities struggled with one another in the state which preceded the universe, and upon inadvertently creating the universe as a by-product of this struggle, each became a [[paracausality|paracausal]] force which would serve to further their respective goals within the universe. This story not only appears to provide an origin for the Light and Darkness as they are presently known, but also seems to imply that the Darkness is itself sentient and has its own motivations, namely to reduce the universe to an eternal, maximally simplified form known as the [[Final Shape]]. A conversation between [[Oryx, the Taken King]] and the Darkness itself is also recorded in the [[Books of Sorrow]], in which the Darkness further describes a philosophy of winner-takes-all and survival at the expense of others. In both of these entries, the Darkness exhibits an informal, friendly demeanor, and refers to itself in the first person; both of these seem to indicate that the speaker in these entries is not the Witness, who is less casual in its speech and always refers to itself in the plural. However, it remains unclear to what degree various other statements that have been ascribed to the Darkness itself in fact originate from the Witness, who has also been referred to as the "voice in the Darkness".

Following the discovery of [[Strand]], Osiris hypothesized that the Darkness is associated with thoughts and consciousness, whereas the Light is tied more strongly to the physical universe. The nature of [[Strand]], [[Deepsight]] and [[Nightmares]] all reflect this connection; [[Stasis]] crystals have also been noted to exhibit computational properties, potentially supporting simulation or even cognition within themselves. This may also explain the Darkness' association with the [[Ascendant Realm]], as the latter is a dimension whose nature is heavily influenced by thoughts and beliefs.

[[File:GardenofSalvation3.jpg|thumb|right|330px|A veiled figure found in the Black Garden.]]

The [[Guardian]]s' explorations of the [[Pyramid]]s, as well as the [[Black Garden]] and the [[Deep Stone Crypt]] on [[Europa]], have revealed a motif that appears to be representative of, or at least associated with, the Darkness: statues of humanoid, veiled figures. All statues thus far encountered are identical in shape, have seemingly feminine features, and are posed with faces turned upward and arms slightly outspread. The significance of these statues is currently unknown, but they appear to be loci of Darkness-related power. [[Clovis Bray I]] had access to one of these statues in the Golden Age, which he named [[Clarity Control]] and used in the production of Exos.

In the allegorical story recounted in the Lore Book, entities known to have controlled the Light and Dark were 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.

While the story above is laden with metaphor and open to interpretation, it appears to suggest that the universe is the "game" which the Light and Darkness played in the garden, that the rules of the game are the laws of physics as they are commonly understood, and that the "new rules" that the Light and Darkness became are the basis of [[paracausality]]. The narrator of Unveiling is not identified, and thus it is unclear if it merely a story told by the [[Witness]], or if (as the text itself seems to indicate, being told from the first-person perspective) it is narrated by the Darkness itself. The latter would seem to indicate that the Darkness is in fact sentient, and has its own goals and motivations.

At an unknown point in the ancient past, [[The Witness]] obtained the power of the Darkness, and embarked upon its eons-long crusade to destroy the Traveler and bring about the Final Shape.

The civilization known as the [[Ecumene]] were attuned to the Darkness, though they did not seem to share the violent and destructive goals of the [[Witness]] and its [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciples]], and indeed would later come into conflict with the nascent [[Hive]].<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/11ozam5/lightfall_spoilers_root_of_nightmares_full_lore/</ref>

The species known as the [[Qugu]] were attuned to the Darkness, and used it to commune with the memories of their ancestors. Much like the [[Ecumene]], they seemed to be a peaceful civilization, in stark contrast to the Darkness' self-proclaimed tenets.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Darkness known to the Guardians comes from the [[Books of Sorrow]], a collection of records discovered aboard the Dreadnaught of Oryx, the Taken King. The books describe the origin of the Hive on the gas giant [[Fundament]], where three daughters of a deposed king, [[Aurash]], [[Xi Ro]], and [[Sathona]], set out to save their world from a prophesied apocalypse, and in their quest encountered the massive being known as the [[Leviathan (Fundament)|Leviathan]]. The Leviathan warned them against the temptation of "The Deep," a philosophy which held that "existence is the struggle to exist," and which it claimed would lead them only to ruin and calamity. It instead told them to pursue the philosophy of "[[Light|The Sky]]," which encouraged collaboration to build a kinder, more prosperous world, even if it meant that some deaths and misfortunes must be allowed to occur. The sisters rejected the Leviathan's advice, and dove deep into the core of their world to find the five [[Worm Gods|Worms]]: [[Eir, the Keeper of Order]], [[Ur, the Ever-Hunger]], [[Yul, the Honest Worm]], [[Xol, Will of the Thousands]], and [[Akka, the Worm of Secrets]].

Much later, the Hive God Auryx (who was once Aurash) slew the Worm God Akka in order to obtain enough power to learn more about the secrets of the Deep, and he obtained the power to [[Taken|Take]]<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books of Sorrow#XXVIII: King of Shapes|Books of Sorrow - XXVIII: King of Shapes]]''</ref>. He became thereafter known as [[Oryx]], the Taken King. Sometime later, he sought to commune with the Deep directly and prepared an Ogre as a sacrifice, which the Deep inhabited and used to converse with Oryx.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books of Sorrow#XXXI: battle made waves|Books of Sorrow - XXXI: battle made waves]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books of Sorrow#XXXII: Majestic. Majestic.|Books of Sorrow - XXXII: Majestic. Majestic.]]''</ref>

According to Unveiling, 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>

At an unknown time in the past, the Eliksni homeworld of [[Riis]] was visited by the Traveler, who ushered in an era of great prosperity and technological advancement. However, as with so many others before them, the Eliksni's Golden Age was ended when the [[Black Fleet]] and [[The Witness|the Witness]] found their civilization and decimated it, sending the Traveler fleeing and reducing the Eliskni to a race of interstellar nomads. This cataclysmic event became known in Eliksni history as the [[Whirlwind]].

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>

[[File:Chris Bjerre Destiny 2 Vision Cinematic Concept Art Pyramid.jpg |thumb|right|330px|The Darkness closes in upon the [[Traveler]].]]

The Collapse was once believed by the [[Vanguard]] and the people of the [[Last City]] to have been caused by the Darkness itself. In reality, it was brought about by the [[Black Fleet]], led by the [[The Witness|Witness]] and its [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciples]], who wielded the Darkness against humanity and the [[Traveler]].

 

An ISR report from immediately before the Collapse recorded the Black Fleet's appearance just beyond the edge of the [[Solar System]] in what was termed as a "''TRANSIENT NEAR EXTRASOLAR EVENT''", detected as a 0.3 second displacement of gravity waves, as well as anomalous interactions in the local Higgs field traced to [[Wikipedia:Sterile_neutrino|sterile neutrino]] scattering.<ref name = "Journey"/> The [[Warmind]] [[Rasputin]] conducted an "Omnibus analysis" of the event's effects on local spacetime, measuring a wide range of data points including direction, distance, range, speed, and size as well as a comprehensive pattern analysis of the event itself. This last set of data showed, to a certainty of "9 Sigma", a definite and measurable pattern that had a complex, almost linguistic, structure that demonstrated both intelligence and intent.

 

In an attempt to better understand the phenomenon by recreating all of its known variables (also known as a "bootstrap simulation"), Rasputin reran the data through a series of iterations which included a number of randomized inputs, in a process known as a Monte Carlo analysis. Despite this, it was unable to derive any definitive information about the event or its source; however, it was able to determine that whatever was behind the event was clearly a complex structure, acting with clear purpose. Rasputin concluded that the source of the event not only failed to conform to any known phenomena in the [[Wikipedia:Standard_Model|Standard Model]] of particle physics (thus labeling it "[[wikipedia:Anticausal_system|acausal]]"), it was also directed, acting with anger, and almost certain to reach the solar system in a short amount of time. As a result, the previously issued Skyshock alert was upgraded to OCP:EXTINCTION, and a number of defensive protocols were added.<ref name = "GrimoireDarkness">'''Bungie (2014/6/12)''', ''[[Destiny]]: Alpha PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Ghost Fragment: Darkness|Ghost Fragment: Darkness]]''</ref>

 

The Black Fleet nonetheless swept through the Solar System, devastating [[human]] civilization in an event called the [[Collapse]]. Very little is known about the Collapse, with those few recollections that are ever shown implying the presence of terrible creatures and a uniform sensation of being smothered in darkness, despite being able to perceive the carnage around them. The Black Fleet intentionally created a gravitational disturbance that caused the ocean of Titan to experience massive waves, rendering the planet unfit for human habitation even in their advanced arcologies.  Only due to the Traveler's intervention did humanity survive, with a large fragment of the Traveler being left in what would be the European Dead Zone.<ref name = "Journey"/> Seven centuries later,<ref name="ign 11272012">[http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/28/destiny-story-details-concept-art-leaked '''IGN''': ''Bungie's Destiny Story Details, Concept Art Leaked'']</ref> the Black Fleet was set to return.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIxxsw7TNd4&feature=youtu.be '''YouTube''' - ''Destiny: Official E3 Gameplay Experience Trailer'']</ref>

Centuries after the Collapse, a lone [[The Guardian|Guardian]] encountered the [[Exo Stranger]] on [[Venus]], and was subsequently sent on a quest to find the [[Black Garden]]. After battling through the [[Sol Divisive]] [[Vex]] and reaching the center of the Garden, the Guardian discovered an entity, the [[Black Heart]], that the Vex seemed to revere as an object of worship. The entity could not attack the Guardian directly but attempted to defend itself by taking control of the [[Sol Progeny]], three enormous Vex Minotaurs. After a protracted battle, the Black Heart was apparently destroyed along with its three Sol Progeny vessels. Upon the defeat of the Black Heart, the Black Garden was relocated to [[Mars]] from its prior location, and Light began to return to the dormant and damaged Traveler.

Following the battle in the Black Garden, Ikora Rey hypothesized that the Black Heart had been an aspect of the Darkness itself.

 

[[File:The Darkness.jpg|thumb|right|330px|A mysterious fleet awakes outside the Milky Way]]

After the death of [[Dominus Ghaul]] and the restoration of the [[Light]], a fleet of [[Black Fleet|pyramid-shaped ships]] activated in response and started moving ''en masse'' toward the Milky Way. The shape of these ships bore a resemblance to the black tetrahedrons featured in the vision the Guardian experienced upon losing their Light, as well as the triangular shadow used to represent the Darkness in the opening cinematic.

 

In the [[Simulant Future]], [[Osiris]] encountered a massive shadow-like entity on [[Mercury]].<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/7jde4k/spoiler_osiris_is_fighting_something_darker/</ref>

[[File:Ikorapyramid.gif||thumb|right|330px|Ikora looking at the Luna Pyramid]]

Eris Morn, after going missing prior to the Red War, stumbles upon a derelict alien vessel in the shape of a [[The Lunar Pyramid|Pyramid]] beneath the surface of the Moon. She discovered that the Darkness originating from the Pyramid was triggered into unleashing phantasmal [[Nightmare]]s and that the [[Hidden Swarm]] are harnessing them in a crimson citadel built above the ancient structure, near the [[Hellmouth]], dubbed the [[Scarlet Keep]]. With Eris Morn as their guide and having the Vanguard's approval on handling the situation, the Guardians made efforts in combating the Hive and the Darkness-powered Nightmares. Using the Hive's knowledge and the essence of the most powerful of Nightmares, Eris was able to forge armor that was capable of resisting the Nightmares.

Now prepared and with the Nightmares pushed back, the Guardian descends beneath the Scarlet Keep to the Pyramid. There, the Witness manages to possess the Guardian's Ghost and opens the Pyramid, drawing in the Guardian. Inside, the Guardian faces off against [[Nightmares]] of their most dangerous foes: [[Ghaul]], [[Crota]] and [[Fikrul]]. As they combat against the powerful Nightmares, the Witness lectures the Guardians, through their Ghost, on the Light's failures and weaknesses. Despite this, the Guardian manages to overcome the Nightmares and reaches the center of the Pyramid.

The Guardian is presented with an [[Unknown Artifact]] and is subjected to a vision from within the [[Black Garden]], where they encounter the Witness as taking the form of themselves. The Witness addresses the Guardian having heard humanity's cries for help and that they would soon answer, claiming that they are neither the Guardian's friend nor enemy, but instead their "salvation".

The Guardian brings the artifact to Eris and reports what they encountered in the Pyramid to the Vanguard. Utterly suspicious of what the Witness speaks as their salvation, they take it as a confirmation that the Darkness is preparing to return. At the same time, Eris identifies a signal emitting from the artifact that leads deep within the Black Garden, to which a fireteam of Guardians was sent to [[Garden of Salvation|investigate]]. What they found were remnants of the Pyramids that the Vex were attempting to harness with Vex Minds, which the fireteam destroyed and triggered the artifact to unlock. Eris began receiving messages directly from the Darkness which she dismissed as attempts of manipulation, but nonetheless provided potentially valuable information into the origin of the Light, the Darkness, the [[Vex]], and the Universe itself.

When [[Osiris]] confronted [[Rasputin]] regarding his allegiance to the Light or the Darkness, the Warmind directed him to an anomalous signal located in the Kuiper Belt. Upon arriving at the coordinates, [[Sagira]] reported feeling strange (in a manner similar to the Guardian's Ghost when approaching the [[Pyramid]]). Osiris then entered "an anomalous Maw" and returned with a "cold metal seed" before setting his ship on a course to return to the inner Solar System.

[[File:ZavalaRasputin1.gif|330px|thumb|right|Rasputin showing Zavala the incoming threat]]

Later in ''Season of the Worthy'', Rasputin shows the Guardian and Zavala a holographic image of the solar system, only to show them that the fleet of Pyramid ships seem to be surrounding the system from all directions. From there on, Zavala, convinced that the Warmind knows the stakes, exclaims that the Vanguard and Rasputin will stand together to face these pyramids head-on. Further, maps of the Solar System within Rasputin's bunkers all reveal a disturbing discovery - the Pyramids have finally arrived near our system and are on final approach towards Earth and the Traveler. By the final reset of the Season of the Worthy, the number of Pyramids displayed on Rasputin's bunkers had increased to fifty-four in number.

[[File:Rasputinshutdown.gif|thumb|right|330px|Rasputin shuts down.]]

Several days after the Almighty's destruction, the Darkness would assert its fleet of mysterious [[Black Fleet|Pyramid Ships]] and [[Arrival of the Black Fleet|push into the solar system]], with one ship accompanied by [[Pyramid Scale|Pyramid Scales]] going to [[Io]]. Detecting the oncoming threat, Rasputin uses his Warsat network around the moon of Jupiter in an effort to shoot down the vessel. Sadly, his countermeasures have no effect, and the Pyramid responds by completely disabling the Warmind and his systems, leaving the Guardians to fend for themselves.

The Pyramids would be drawn to Io as it is the last place to be touched by the Traveler and station itself over a [[Tree of Silver Wings (Io)|strange tree]] that has grown in the center of the collection of raised rocks. Both [[Eris Morn]] and the [[Young Wolf]] are also attracted to the moon, with Eris arriving in an attempt to commune with the Pyramids once again and the Young Wolf being sent by [[Commander Zavala]] to retrieve the lightless Hunter.

[[File:Majesticdarkness.png|thumb|330px|right|A Pyramid stationed on Mercury]]

Upon arrival, the Guardian is drawn to a small disturbance on the edge of the cliff overlooking the largest of the Pyramids, where they are once again ensnared by the vessel, with it communicating through their Ghost. However, before the Pyramid could do anything else, they are saved by an intervention from [[Savathûn]] who transports them to the Ascendant Realm where they are forced to fight both Taken and Hive. They fight the Witch Queen's forces back and forth through realities until Eris brings them to the [[Tree of Silver Wings]] directly under the Pyramid. Here, after another bout with the Taken, the Guardian retrieves an artifact called the [[Seed of Silver Wings]] that, once charged, will allow Eris to listen to the Darkness' messages without the Witch Queen's interference.

Soon, the Pyramid ships would spread further beyond Io, with three more ships now above [[Saturn|Saturn's]] [[Titan (moon)|moon of Titan]] overseeing the [[New Pacific Arcology]], near the [[BrayTech Futurescape]] on [[Mars]], and above the [[Fields of Glass|Caloris Basin]] in [[Mercury]]. The Pyramid on Io also began rapidly deploying Pyramid Scales, which could be seen flying to and from the vessel, in order to presumably prepare the moon for terraforming. It is unknown where the rest of the fleet was at the time. In response, Zavala had deployed the [[Young Wolf]] to their allies on the four planets and moons with the presence of the Pyramids to begin preparations for a mass exodus and retreat back to [[The Last City]]. However, after completing a series of tasks Commander Sloane, Brother Vance, and Asher Mir would opt to stay with Ana Bray being the only V.I.P to return to the City but not after saving what remains of Rasputin with the help of the Young Wolf.

 

Almost half a year after the Pyramids returned, the worlds of Mercury, Mars, Io, and Titan had all disappeared from the system, presumably being consumed by the Darkness. The status of the Pyramid Fleet is unknown, but it is presumed that they are holding position along the outer reaches of the system after being driven back by the Traveler healing itself.

[[File:EuropaPyramid.jpg|thumb|right|330px|The Europa Pyramid silently hovering above the Europan ice fields.]]

Sometime during or after the Arrival, a [[Pyramid (Europa)|sixth Pyramid]] touched down on the icy moon of Europa. It remained unknown to the rest of the system for a time, until [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness]] and her newly formed [[House of Salvation]] touched down on Europa and discovered the Pyramid. There, she attempted to harness the Pyramid's dark energy to rebuild the Eliksni Empire and finally destroy the Traveler.  

Later on, [[Variks, the Loyal|Variks]] broke off his loyalty to Eramis and sent a distress signal before being captured, leading to the Guardian's conflict with the House of Salvation.

Because so few survived the Collapse, the exact nature of the Darkness has long been a mystery to most living within the [[Last City]]. Several theories as to what the Darkness actually is have been proposed by various scholars among the Guardians and other people of the City. The most well-known of these are listed below:

[[File:RaputinGif1.gif|thumb|right|330px|Rasputin monitoring the Pyramid Fleet.]]

Rasputin was the one to first discover the coming of the Darkness which he termed ''"IT"''.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]] PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness|Ghost Fragment: Darkness]]''</ref> At the time, Rasputin's original core programming was to protect humanity. To be allowed to be this, he was designed to be stronger than the enemies of Earth and to survive anything that was thrown at him.

When Rasputin detected a faint signal on the outskirts of our Solar System, he jumped into action. Unable to identify the source or type, he believed there was evidence to suggest there were traces of dark matter. Upon further analysis of multiple findings, he postulated that ''"IT"'' had a structured intelligence and purpose and flagged it as not operating by the laws of cause and effect. Using the minimal data that he had, he concluded that ''"IT"'' was hostile and capable of an interplanetary extinction event. He activated the correct protocols and sent messages to the other Warminds to prepare for defensive actions.

As ''"IT"'' entered our Solar System, he commanded the Warminds to stop the Darkness and protect all humans. The Warminds fought against the Darkness and one by one, began to fall. Realising he could do nothing to stop it, Rasputin had to make a choice: to fight against the Darkness or survive. Once it became clear that no conceivable action could be taken to fulfill his core programming, he implemented a protocol known as MIDNIGHT EXIGENT and reconfigured his core programming to that of long term survival, abandoning his previous function and going dark, while simultaneously ordering all remaining forces at his disposal to do the same.

===Dreams of Alpha Lupi===

The ''[[Dreams of Alpha Lupi]]'' poem contains a verse related to the Darkness and possibly representative of the Darkness's own perspective. The verse explains that the universe, despite its vastness, is beholden to simple, enduring laws that shape it and give one the impression that it is inexhaustible and eternal. Life is an affront to the universe because it refuses to accept the limitations imposed on it by the natural order.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness_2|Ghost Fragment: Darkness 2]]''</ref>

===According to the Darkness Itself===

[[Grimoire:Enemies#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness_4|Ghost Fragment: Darkness 4]] contains an excerpt of unknown origin, addressing an unknown recipient. Its opening line: "[[Lakshmi-2#quotes|''This war is all there is for you.'']]" is also a line of dialog, spoken by [[Future War Cult]] representative [[Lakshmi-2]], in which she asks the player what they would do if, "on some dreadful night, the Darkness were to come creeping up" and whisper the aforementioned statement to them. This would suggest that the excerpt in ''Ghost Fragment: Darkness 4'' is the full text of that opening statement, indicating that the Darkness is addressing a Guardian, attempting to entice them into turning away from the [[Light]], or at least plant the seeds of doubt. <ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness_4|Ghost Fragment: Darkness 4]]''</ref>

The Darkness has also communicated directly with the [[Young Wolf]] via the Lore Book "[[Lore:Unveiling|Unveiling]]" which contains a series of stories and discussions on the Darkness' role in cosmological events and its personal philosophy. This account reveals that the Darkness is a paracausal force that has existed since "before" time, space and the universe (to the extent that such a statement has any meaning), as is the [[Light]], and that its overriding objective is to reduce the universe to a maximally simplified form that will exist for eternity.

===From The Books of Sorrow===

[[File:Oryx Battles Akka.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Auryx faces the Worm God, Akka]]

{{Quote|Out in the world we ask a simple, true question. A question like, can I kill you, can I rip your world apart? Tell me the truth. For if I don't ask, someone will ask it of me. <br>And they call us evil. Evil! <br>Evil means 'socially maladaptive.' We are adaptiveness itself.|The Darkness}}

Following the arrival of [[Oryx, the Taken King]] in the Sol System, records were discovered aboard Oryx's [[Dreadnaught]] that provide new insight into the Darkness' history and nature. These records suggest that the Darkness is a manifestation or embodiment of the universal struggle for existence: whereas the Traveler seeks to nurture civilization by encouraging peace and mutual cooperation, the Darkness is dedicated to the annihilation of all beings and civilizations who do not possess the strength to survive in the face of conquest. Its eventual goal is to bring about a universe inhabited solely by those entities who have survived by defeating all opposition. To this end, it has destroyed countless planets and civilizations, either through direct action or through its disciples, such as the [[Hive]].<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books of Sorrow|Books of Sorrow]]''</ref>

On one occasion, Oryx went deep into the [[Ascendant Realm]] using the Tablets of Ruin and prepared an unborn [[Ogre]], which he used as a vessel to summon and communicate with the Darkness, saying "I can see you in the sky. You are the waves, which are battles, and the battles are the waves. Come into this vessel I have prepared for you." It is here that the Darkness explained to Oryx how it viewed existence and how the universe functioned.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Books_of_Sorrow#XXXI:_Battle_Made_Waves|XXXI: Battle Made Waves]]''</ref>

Many artifacts of the [[Black Fleet]] emit an energy labeled as "[[Resonance]]", characterized by an orange glow, often in association with solid-seeming, spiraling black shapes. This force is also wielded by the [[Disciples of the Witness]]. Its nature is unclear, but it appears to be a form of Darkness energy.

{{Quote| Taking involves reforming matter in a self-contained reality, where the creator defines past, present, and future; imagine how a more insightful being could expand these definitions, to different ends. Overcoming a target's will must consume a large portion of energy. What if you used that energy for larger shifts in reality? You could teleport an army into a Hive mothership… move a fleet outside time and space… perhaps even alter a moon's orbit, devastating the planet below. The military applications could be far graver than simply creating an army.|[[Ophiuchus]]}}

[[Deepsight]] is a form of clairvoyance that allows one to see through illusions and perceive echoes of past events.

Based upon matching descriptions from [[Emperor Calus]], the [[Hive]], [[Cayde-6]], and [[Awoken]] records, certain Darkness-related entities seem to have the ability to project a field that gives the impression of complete darkness surrounding an individual. Calus wrote that upon encountering the Darkness, it appeared as a complete void to him, while the Awoken reported being surrounded by a force that "made the stars go out." Cayde-6 similarly described being enveloped by a smothering, paralyzing black cloud during the Collapse; however, in this case, it left his senses intact so that he could witness the destruction of his surroundings. Similar smothering miasmas of Darkness have been encountered by [[Guardians]] in areas where the Darkness is entrenched, such as the [[Disciple's Bog]] in [[Savathûn's Throne World]].

{{Quote|You are the gardener's final argument. It would mean everything if I could convince you that I am the right and only way.<br>I truly value you. To the gardener, you are a means to an end. To me, you are majestic. Majestic. You are full of the only thing worth anything at all.<br>I am, by the only standard that matters or will ever matter, the winning team. Existence is a test that most will fail. Would you not count yourself among the victorious few?<br>Don't hurry to deliver your answer. I'll come over and hear it myself.|The Witness to the Guardian}}

[[File:StasisGuardians.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Guardians wielding the Dark powers of Stasis]]

There are a handful of Guardians who have been corrupted by the Darkness, the most infamous being [[Dredgen Yor]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Inventory#Thorn|Thorn]]''</ref> Yor came to desire taking innocent lives and sowing despair, claiming he had developed a hunger for it. [[Toland, the Shattered]] claimed to be able to communicate with the Darkness,<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Might_of_Crota|Might of Crota]]''</ref> whereas [[Eris Morn]] was able to survive and escape the [[Hellmouth]] wielding the very power she fought against.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], Activision Blizzard, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies#Crota's_Bane|Crota's Bane]]''</ref> Eris had one time even used the power of Darkness to rescue the Guardian from being trapped in the [[Oversoul Throne]].  

[[File:FikrulNothingLeft.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The resurrecting Fikrul the Fanatic]]

The [[Scorn]] are a horde of undead [[Fallen]] created through the use of [[Dark Ether|Ether infused with Darkness]].

[[File:ZavalaCabal.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Zavala, Osiris, and Cabal talking about the Darkness]]

During his exile, the former emperor [[Calus]] sought the means to defeat his usurper [[Ghaul]] by exploring the secret places of the galaxy and pushing the limits of reason once he regains control of the Leviathan. He eventually crossed paths with a perfect void at the edge of the universe, being the Witness and the [[Black Fleet]], and resolved to become its herald.<ref>[[It Stared Back]] Lore</ref> He would watch them consume the light of the universe, and all among the last of the living would know his greatness.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Calus' letter]]''</ref> Calus also knows of the pact that [[Oryx]] made with the [[Worms]], comparing it to Ghaul's takeover of the legions.<ref>[[Cabal Booklet]]</ref> Calus' strange powers and his claims of "''knowing the truth''" about the galaxy and his mockery of the Guardians' "''feeble light''" implies that he may have some knowledge of the Darkness.

At some point, [[Red Legion]] [[Psion]]s used their psionic powers to successfully harness and infuse Taken energy into themselves and their superiors, empowering them with Taken-ehanced shielding. However, this effort was stopped by [[The Guardian]].<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Dark Alliance]]''</ref>  

[[File:DarknessHiveFallenCabal.png|thumb|right|300px|Darkness calling out the Hive, Fallen, and Cabal]]

The Hive revere the Darkness and serve the [[the Witness|Witness]]. The progenitors of the Hive made a pact with their highest gods, the [[Worms]], who grant the powers of Darkness to the Hive. the Hive god [[Oryx, the Taken King]] stole the power of the Darkness from his patron deity, [[Akka, the Worm of Secrets]], which allowed him to wield the Darkness and create [[Taken]]. The Hive religion, based around the 'Sword-Logic', is based upon the Darkness' philosophy of survival-of-the-fittest and power through conquest.

[[File:SanctifiedMindDarkness.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sanctified Mind defending a Pyramid Scale.]]

{{Quote|In all their transformations, they retained that kernel of ultimate self-sufficiency that had made them victors in the flower game.<br>But they are not incontrovertibly destined to rule this cosmos. They were made before Light and Darkness, but the rules are different now, and even this pattern must adapt.<br>They are not all mine, not in the way that admirers such as my man Oryx are mine: utterly devoted to the practice of my principle. But some of them have, nonetheless, found their way home.|The Witness}}

[[File:TheNinePyramids.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Emissary showing the Drifter the Darkness fleet]]

[[File:Oryx.gif|thumb|right|300px|Oryx demonstrating the power to Take]]

*The tetrahedral shapes often seen in association with the Darkness allude to the philosophy of the the Witness; tetrahedrons are the simplest possible three-dimensional shape, and the Witness seeks to reduce the universe into a maximally simplified, eternal form. Notably, the Pyramid ships are themselves tetrahedrons, with each face being either a right, isosceles or regular triangle. In contrast, the Traveler is a sphere, which can be described as having infinitely many faces; this may allude to the philosophy of the Light, which encourages complexity and diversity.