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>

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 [[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".

The precise relationship between the Light and Darkness likewise remains somewhat ambiguous. The Witness and its followers clearly believe the Darkness to be superior to the Light and oppose all who would use it, and the Darkness itself is presented in ''Unveiling'' as having opposed the Light since before the beginning of time. However, in the Lore Book ''[[Lore:Inspiral|Inspiral]]'', a slightly more nuanced picture is given in the entry "Winnowing", where the Darkness is presented as playing a necessary and complementary role to that of the Light in helping to maintain the stability of life and civilization. After having gained insights into the Darkness from his studies of [[Strand]], Osiris likewise came to believe that the Light and Darkness are not truly antagonistic forces, but merely different.

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.

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.

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.

===Birth of the Worm Gods===

[[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>

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.

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

As of recently, many Guardians have come to wield the Darkness in the form of [[Stasis]] and [[Strand]].

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

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.

*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.