The Other Side of Destiny

[SilentxChaos]

"You are a dead thing, made by a dead power, in the shape of the dead. All you will ever do is kill. You do not belong here." ~ Legends: The Black Garden, Destiny's Grimoire​

Have you head of the Traveler theory? Before Destiny lost it's head writer and designer, it was revealed by a number of sources that a character (removed in the released version) would reveal that the Traveler and its Speaker could not be trusted. That the Traveler was the reason for the Darkness coming, the Collpase occuring, and was not some benevolent, terra-forming being that raised humanity to its Golden Age.

This is the story I would like to write: take Destiny as it was released (but still giving its developers all due credit and respect) on its head and have the Traveler be the source of trouble, and take a darker look into the game itself (has anyone ever considered how messed up Guardians can become? Dying and resurrecting over and over, knowing nothing else but the fight?)


This may be unorthodox, but I encourage anyone interested to watch this: Destiny's Lost Plot. It's a detailed video about the Traveler theory and incredibly useful! Below I'm including relevant world information, mostly from the Grimoire cards (Destiny's lore)- which, I might add, gave me a whole new respect for the game- and links to lore that I found fascinating/intriguing. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THEM. I'm including a bunch of information and those are there only if you're interested (which I hope you will be but trust me, I'm not aiming to overload you all ;) )

So! Please post below if you're interested and if enough people jump in, I'll create an OOC that we can begin plotting in (feel free to post ideas here too!).

Reference links:
Destiny's Lost Plot
Destiny Wiki: Grimoire Cards
Destiny's Tracker: Grimoire

WORLD INFORMATION

Brief History

(Not taken from the Grimoire) On the first human expedition to Mars, we discovered the Traveler. The Traveler is a spherical being, moon-like in size, a celestial being. For one reason or another, the Traveler became a great aid to humanity. It gifted them its Light, terra-forming planets so we could expand across the solar system. Mercury became a garden world. Venus's endless storms ceased and the air became breathable. With Light, humanity's technology was uplifted, their lifespan tripled, and for centuries after humans basked in the Golden Age. Then the Darkness came. A ancient enemy of the Traveler, the Darkness entered the solar system like a galactic hurricane, destroying everything in its path and paving way for creatures like the Hive, Fallen, and Cabal to invade. This is known as the Collapse. The Traveler fought off the Darkness, pushing it out of the solar system, but injuring itself in the process. With its Light, the Traveler settled over the last City on Earth, protecting it to this day, and created Ghosts. These Ghosts were sent to seek out Guardians- last hope for survival as enemies still - and then the Traveler went dormant. But the Darkness is coming back.This is where Destiny begins.

Allies

Guardians- "Legends are carved across history by the brave." Guardians are warriors forged in the Traveler's Light, a final hope in a universe falling into Darkness. Chosen from the dead by the Traveler's Ghosts, Guardians are those rare few able to wield the Light as a weapon. For centuries they have defended the City. But that defense cannot hold forever. Now, with the Darkness rising again, the time has come to retake our lost worlds. The Guardians who lead the way will save humanity - and become legend.

Ghosts- "In its dying breath, the Traveler created the Ghosts...To seek out those who can wield its Light as a weapon. Guardians, to protect us, and do what the Traveler itself no longer can." - The Speaker Built from machinery and the Traveler's Light, Ghosts guide their Guardian companions in the quest to reclaim our solar system. Every Ghost seeks out its Guardian among the ancient dead. The Ghost serves as scout, librarian, and mechanic, waking ancient machinery and cracking alien codes. In the right situations, a Ghost can even save a Guardian from death. But Ghosts are not immortal. As far as Guardians know, every loss is irreplaceable.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Ghosts

Humans- "This was our world, our solar system. We were here first. And no matter what the darkness brings, we will be here at the dawn." Humans are survivors, tough and resilient, descended from those who built a Golden Age only to see it ripped away. Now, after an age of retreat and desperate struggle, they fight to take back their solar system and claim a new future. There are those who believe The Traveler chose Earth for a reason. Now it is humanity's obligation to prove itself worthy of the Traveler's faith.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Human 5

Exo- "Ask yourself: what threatened your Golden Age ancestors so much that they constructed the Exos to defend themselves?" Built for a long-forgotten struggle, Exos are self-aware war machines so advanced that nothing short of a Ghost can understand their inner functions. They remain ciphers, even to themselves: their origins and purpose lost to time. Whoever built the Exos fashioned them in humanity's image, gifting them with diversity of mind and body. Many of The City's Exo citizens live and work alongside their organic brethren. But others fight again, re-forged in the Light of the Traveler to serve as Guardians.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Exo
Ghost Fragment: Exo 2
Ghost Fragment: Exo 3

Awoken- "The others sing this song of Light and Dark. We, together, have transcended such unimaginative limitations." It is said that the Awoken were born in the Collapse, descended from those who tried to flee its wrath. Something happened to them out on the edge of the deep black, and they were forever changed. Today many Awoken live in the distant Reef, aloof and mysterious. But others returned to Earth, where their descendants now fight for The City. Earthborn Awoken who venture out to the Reef, hoping to learn its secrets, find no special welcome from the reclusive Queen.
Lore:Ghost Fragment: Awoken 2
Ghost Fragment: Awoken 3

Enemies

Fallen- "We have butchers at our gates - four-armed and eager for slaughter." The Fallen are ruthless scavengers. Brutal and uncaring, they arrived on their massive Ketches in the wake of the Collapse to loot and pillage our devastated worlds. There are hints of ancient nobility to the Fallen - the scars of lost grandeur. The Kells of their scattered Houses still claim to be royalty. But they leave only grief and wreckage in their wake. Races: Dregs, Shanks, Vandals, Captains, Servitors, Kells
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Fallen

Hive- "There are nightmares rising from the shadows, and they hunger for our dying hope." The Hive are an ancient, festering evil. Their antipathy to the Light transcends hatred. To the Hive, the eternal struggle between Light and Dark is not only a war, it is a crusade - all Light must be devoured so Darkness can reclaim the universe. Races: Thrall, Acolytes, Knights, Ogres, Wizards
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Hive 2

Vex- "Living metal. Incomprehensible intelligence." The Vex are architects of ancient and complex structures thought to be buried within every celestial body. Linked by a network unlike any on Earth, they operate in unison, directed by a single unfathomable purpose. Races: Goblins, Hobgoblins, Harpies, Minotaurs, Hydras
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Vex

Cabal- "I think you could follow a trail of shattered worlds all the way to their home." Tactically efficient, disciplined, and unrelenting, the Cabal are the greatest known military force in the system. Their origins and ultimate objectives are a mystery, but it seems clear they have conquered more worlds than humanity has ever known. Cabal soldiers wear pressurized armor that replicates the environment of their high-gravity home world. Their field tactics depend on ranks of Legionaries supported by air power, elite infantry, and ultra-heavy armor. Races: Legionaries, Centurions, Colossuses, Psions, Phalanxes
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Cabal 2
Ghost Fragment: Cabal 3
Ghost Fragment: Cabal 4

Classes and Light

Classes:
Titan- "Strive for honor. Stand for hope." Titans are warriors - heroic defenders of the Light, channeling the gifts of The Traveler to wage war on The Darkness. Steadfast and sure, Titans face any challenge head-on, blunt force instruments of the Traveler's will.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Titan

Warlock- "We have found new ways to weaponize curiosity. Pathways into the darkness." Warrior-scholars of the Light, Warlocks devote themselves to understanding the Traveler and its power. A Warlock's mind is an arsenal of deadly secrets, balanced between godhood and madness. On the battlefield, those secrets can shatter reality itself.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Warlock
Ghost Fragment: Warlock 2
Hunter- "Our old worlds have grown feral - rabid beasts with teeth of rust and ruin. But such beasts are meant to be tamed. Or broken." Hunters stalk the wilderness beyond the City, harnessing the Light to reclaim the secrets of our lost worlds. They are daring scouts and stealthy killers, expert with knives and precision weapons. Hunters blaze their own trails and write their own laws.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Hunter

Sub-Classes:
Guardian Abilities- "There is a Light in you from which no Darkness can hide." Only Guardians have the gift of the Traveler's Light - the ability to channel its energies to project vast power into the world. Even without a firearm, a Guardian is a radiant engine of destruction. While these abilities rise from within, Guardians master their power in different ways. Titans understand the Light as a force to hone through practice and strict discipline. Hunters roam and explore in order to learn, using dangerous methods to survive the wilds. And Warlocks study the Light and its inner mechanisms, confronting unfathomable mysteries in the search for transcendent might.
Lore: Ghost Fragment: Abilities

Light can be manifested in three different energies: Arc (lightning), Solar (fire), and Void (a form of pure energy, purple in color). Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters can use each type of Light as a subclass, are manifested in different ways. Subclasses are listed below:

Titan Subclasses- Strikers are Titans using Arc Light. They channel lightning through their fists and can create devastating shockwaves or electrical pulses through the ground. They are the tanks in battle, eager to be first to charge into battle.
Sunbreakers wield the infamous Hammer of Sol, a weapon made of pure Solar Light that can be thrown at enemies.Titans who train in this class are consumed by flames when wielding the Hammer, and can channel fire through their melee attacks. Sunbreakers are known for their unshakable honor- even those who still wander the wilds as mercenaries.
Defenders take to the Void to erect impregnable barriers. They protect allies, repel all incoming attacks, and hinder any enemies ignorant enough to enter their ward. They are the shields on the battlefield, rallying allies and providing an escape when retreat is the only option.

Warlock Subclasses- Stormcallers are fearsome conduits of lightning, channeling it through their bodies so they glide across the battlefield and release chains of lightning through their palms. They easily rip through enemy ranks and even other Guardians are wary when facing them in the Crucible.
Sunsingers are phoenixes personified, as fire cloaks them in the visage of phoenix wings. Using Solar Light, they replenish their attacks swiftly and can even heal themselves. If they fall, they resurrect themselves at a faster rate and without the need of their Ghosts.
Voidwalkers, masters of the arcane, use the Void light to create Nova bombs-- massive bolts of energy that hurdle through the air and disintegrate any enemies caught in its blast radius.

Hunter Sublasses- Bladedancers channel Arc Light through body and blade. Their speed and agility increase, movements untraceable to the eye, and can even gain invisibility for short periods. They can kill groups of enemies without receiving a scratch, and can be full of surprises.
Gunslingers own the Golden Gun, a legendary hand cannon infused with Solar Light. Limited in rounds, they are nevertheless brutal with one shot, instant kills, and their enemies turning to ash.
Nightstalkers are the equivalent of the Defender Titan-- with a few extra perks. They are the best at laying traps, using smoke bombs to cloak allies and disable enemies, and their Gravity Bow channels the Void into a concentrated vortex that ensnares any nearby enemies and siphons their energy.

Character Sketch

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Appearance:
Power:
Skills: (what are they good at? List 2-6)
Flaws: (what are they bad at? List 2-6)
Personality traits: (Minimum of 3 positive traits, 2 negative)
Brief History:
Other: (anything else should we know? What their desires are? Goals? Likes/Dislikes? Anything can be added here but please limit to only what would be relevant in the RP)

 

[The Philosoraptor]

Thanks for the corrections, I knew I'd probably gotten some things wrong, haha. On the topic of next DLC, I believe the current speculation is the next April Update is going to bring forward old raids to Y3 (Unlikely, I think), and after that it's Destiny 2. As much as I want a Cabal DLC it looks like Bungie doesn't really like them.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Cross some fingers but I honestly don't hold out much hope either XD the Grimoire is what made me respect the game...and whoever wrote them should be made head writer of Destiny 2, if s/he isn't already.

As far as the story goes, unless everyone is of different opinion I don't think we should use too much of Destiny's storyline in our own. Like it sounds good to start somewhere equivalent to the game- like @The Philosoraptor and @Oryx suggested- but I wouldn't want to lean on the game's plot too much and we need to consider what has and has not happened in the universe at that point and stay true to it.

So, I guess with timeline we should consider who/what we want accessible. In my mind, Skolas, Crota, the Dreadnaught and Oryx, the Awoken Queen and her brother, and SIVA all vary in accessibility based on where our personal timeline begins and may have potential importance to our plot. The Plaguelands, though not playable till Rise of Iron, is still part of Old Russia and therefore our characters can technically go there whenever. I honestly don't see SIVA being very useful to us, or Skolas unless he becomes an obstacle our cast's objective(s). The Dreadnaught and Oryx have potential to be a wealth of perspective to our cast and Crota maaay too? Though I think Crota is much more of a mind of war, I doubt he'd stop to talk >.>

Going off of pure lore, what about Crota's sisters? They were twin wizards (if I remember correctly) much more of analytical and knowledge than their brother, though not to the extent of their father Oryx or Savathun. Could they be potential figures to interact with? Did they ever come into the game?

 

[Spectre of the Fade]

@The Philosoraptor Quick question, what is Sword-Logic? I haven't heard the phrase before.

@SilentxChaos Thank you. c: Didn't get the chance to look at the gameplay today, as one of my roommates was being an ass and I had to get out of the house, but I'll get a start on it tomorrow. I'm too into this idea to let a little lack of knowledge deter me, so I'll fix it.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Nice! And, in regards to sword-logic it is, in essence, becoming stronger and gaining knowledge from those you kill. In Book of Sorrow grimoire, Oryx uses sword logic by killing his sisters Xivu Arath and Savathun to gain their knowledge of war and cunning, respectively, in order to have the power to confront their Worm god, Akka. In an earlier verse- I forget which- he is persuaded into sword logic by killing hundreds of Hive in order to strengthen his blade.

There is also killing logic, which is simply proving you are superior from what you kill. E.g. again with Oryx and his sisters: in killing Xivu Arath, Oryx proves he is more mighty for she was the embodiment of war, and in killing Savathun Oryx proves he is more cunning, for she embodies wit and knowledge.

 

[The Philosoraptor]

Cross some fingers but I honestly don't hold out much hope either XD the Grimoire is what made me respect the game...and whoever wrote them should be made head writer of Destiny 2, if s/he isn't already.

As far as the story goes, unless everyone is of different opinion I don't think we should use too much of Destiny's storyline in our own. Like it sounds good to start somewhere equivalent to the game- like @The Philosoraptor and @Oryx suggested- but I wouldn't want to lean on the game's plot too much and we need to consider what has and has not happened in the universe at that point and stay true to it.

So, I guess with timeline we should consider who/what we want accessible. In my mind, Skolas, Crota, the Dreadnaught and Oryx, the Awoken Queen and her brother, and SIVA all vary in accessibility based on where our personal timeline begins and may have potential importance to our plot. The Plaguelands, though not playable till Rise of Iron, is still part of Old Russia and therefore our characters can technically go there whenever. I honestly don't see SIVA being very useful to us, or Skolas unless he becomes an obstacle our cast's objective(s). The Dreadnaught and Oryx have potential to be a wealth of perspective to our cast and Crota maaay too? Though I think Crota is much more of a mind of war, I doubt he'd stop to talk >.>

Going off of pure lore, what about Crota's sisters? They were twin wizards (if I remember correctly) much more of analytical and knowledge than their brother, though not to the extent of their father Oryx or Savathun. Could they be potential figures to interact with? Did they ever come into the game?

Lol, I don't think the idea was ever to stop for a chat with them. I figured it would go more along the lines of infiltrating certain strongholds, holding the square button, and letting the Ghost do exposition.

 

[Antiheld]

Cross some fingers but I honestly don't hold out much hope either XD the Grimoire is what made me respect the game...and whoever wrote them should be made head writer of Destiny 2, if s/he isn't already.

As far as the story goes, unless everyone is of different opinion I don't think we should use too much of Destiny's storyline in our own. Like it sounds good to start somewhere equivalent to the game- like @The Philosoraptor and @Oryx suggested- but I wouldn't want to lean on the game's plot too much and we need to consider what has and has not happened in the universe at that point and stay true to it.

So, I guess with timeline we should consider who/what we want accessible. In my mind, Skolas, Crota, the Dreadnaught and Oryx, the Awoken Queen and her brother, and SIVA all vary in accessibility based on where our personal timeline begins and may have potential importance to our plot. The Plaguelands, though not playable till Rise of Iron, is still part of Old Russia and therefore our characters can technically go there whenever. I honestly don't see SIVA being very useful to us, or Skolas unless he becomes an obstacle our cast's objective(s). The Dreadnaught and Oryx have potential to be a wealth of perspective to our cast and Crota maaay too? Though I think Crota is much more of a mind of war, I doubt he'd stop to talk >.>

Going off of pure lore, what about Crota's sisters? They were twin wizards (if I remember correctly) much more of analytical and knowledge than their brother, though not to the extent of their father Oryx or Savathun. Could they be potential figures to interact with? Did they ever come into the game?

Crota's sisters were Ir Halak and Ir Anuk, they are killed during the King's Fall raid. Halak and Anuk are both Deathsingers, like Ir Yut, but unlike Yut they use something called weaving and unravelling. They are killed by stealing the "Brand of Unravelling" doing so allowed the Guardians to damage them and survive the "Hymn of Weaving". Ir Yut is killed simply by damaging her fast than she can complete the "Liturgy of Ruin"

 

[Spectre of the Fade]

Making some headway on the research, finally, and I have a thing. One of the videos about the Speaker I watched brought up the interesting point that the Speaker could be really really old and really really powerful, due to his sheer control over Light since he is directly connected to the Traveler, and able to collect the Motes of Light and feed them back into the Traveler. He has the potential to be one fuck of a boss. I just figured I would point that out.

Skolas looks like a giant rage-inducing crapfest.

Riksis is the first boss? Damn, I did not know that.

Also, I don't really have much to go on in regards to timing, so...I trust you guys to determine the best period to start the role-play. Same with other stuff. c:

 

[The Philosoraptor]

To be frank, pretty much everyone important in the Solar System short of the Nine are dead, and the Nine don't seem to be exerting any overt pressure on the City.

We've killed Oryx, Crota, the Deathsinger Twins, the lesser Deathsinger, the Court of Oryx, and several other assorted Hive.

We've assassinated two Devil Archons, one of whom was a machine god; a Winter Kell; a Wolf Kell who claimed to be Kell of Kells; and innumerable lesser Fallen.

The Cabal are essentially broken after Oryx's arrival, and really didn't have too great a presence in the Solar System to begin with.

The Vex are really the only threat left, but only because they seem to come from any-when. However, we've killed Atheon and taken the Vault of Glass, as well as destroyed the Black Heart of the Black Garden, and put down several attempts to either reclaim the former for the Darkness or revive the latter to empower the Darkness.

However, all that is stopping the factions from receiving reinforcements is time. The Cabal Empire is on its way thanks to Primus Tau'un, the Fallen House of Kings is still active and powerful (the other Houses ripe for conquest or incorporation), and it's only a matter of time before Xivu Arath and Savathun arrive in the Solar System to claim Oryx's power and throne.

If I were to make a humble suggestion, why not make this RP a few decades after the events of Destiny, expansions included? Humanity has survived the Darkness's first assault, and now must weather the full brunt of the siege while dealing with a crisis of faith that threatens to sunder the bond of the Guardians with the Traveler.

 

[SilentxChaos]

That sounds like the best solution. That way we don't have to confine ourselves to the events of the game, as they already happened. I guess my question is, do we want anything important to happen within those decades? Like is humanity winning, losing, or at a stalemate? Has the Darkness truly returned, or yet to appear? Has any change occurred with the Traveler? What's causing the rift in faith between the Guardians and Traveler?

That was more than one question and I apologize XD I am trying to formulate my own thoughts, but I keep running into other questions. I'll post if something comes to mind and meanwhile what are you're guys thoughts as well??

 

[Antiheld]

I'd wager that having humanity in a form of stalemate would be a good idea. It's been ten years, the speaker claimed that the Traveler would be healing when we stop to ritual in the Chamber of Night, yet nothing's happened. The Fallen Houses are in ruin after multiple strikes at their hierarchy, though the House of Kings has been quite elusive. Hive spawns have almost completely stopped on Earth, though they continue to swarm the moon. We've made so much progress, yet it feels like we've made none. Why isn't the Speaker communicating with us? Why hasn't the Traveler healed? Why are we still unable push back the final dregs of the Darkness? Then it happens, Cabal invasion. After receiving the distress call sent from the Cerberus Vae III, the Cabal Empire arrives. Stationed outside our grip of the solar system, they begin to strike back at our outposts set up on the various worlds beyond Earth. Our focus changes, and while we're struggling to keep the Cabal from reaching Earth, the House of Kings makes a move. The Hive send their Seeders once again, and their swarms begin anew on Earth. The Speaker has gone into hiding, and the Consensus is looking for answers...


That's just what came to mind, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on it!

 

[The Philosoraptor]

I'd wager that having humanity in a form of stalemate would be a good idea. It's been ten years, the speaker claimed that the Traveler would be healing when we stop to ritual in the Chamber of Night, yet nothing's happened. The Fallen Houses are in ruin after multiple strikes at their hierarchy, though the House of Kings has been quite elusive. Hive spawns have almost completely stopped on Earth, though they continue to swarm the moon. We've made so much progress, yet it feels like we've made none. Why isn't the Speaker communicating with us? Why hasn't the Traveler healed? Why are we still unable push back the final dregs of the Darkness? Then it happens, Cabal invasion. After receiving the distress call sent from the Cerberus Vae III, the Cabal Empire arrives. Stationed outside our grip of the solar system, they begin to strike back at our outposts set up on the various worlds beyond Earth. Our focus changes, and while we're struggling to keep the Cabal from reaching Earth, the House of Kings makes a move. The Hive send their Seeders once again, and their swarms begin anew on Earth. The Speaker has gone into hiding, and the Consensus is looking for answers...


That's just what came to mind, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on it!

I'd wager that the missions about returning light to the Traveler weren't lies, especially since Ghost confirmed it when we freed the piece of the Traveler from the Hive and destroyed the Black Heart. If anything, what would add a sense of urgency to our search for truth upon learning a rumor about the Traveler would be the idea that the Traveler is awakening. If it's not a truly benevolent force, what would happen when it woke up?

 

[SilentxChaos]

@The Philosoraptor @Oryx i really like your ideas of bringing the Cabal and you raise a good point with the Traveler. If the lore is accurate though, it would most likely just flee, leaving the solar system to be destroyed in order to find a new civilization raise up (like it did with the Fallen and hinted with another species in the Book of Sorrow). We could break this cycle though, by establishing something different in this moment in which the Traveler doesn't flee, and there's multiple ideas that could support it.

I do have a proposition: since we have a lot of really good ideas right now, but also a lot of questions, why not start at the end instead of the beginning? As in, how do we want the outcome to be? A happy ending where the Traveler is defeated, and the Darkness, and humanity can flourish on its own? Something ambiguous like the truth of the Traveler is revealed and it's destroyed but the Darkness is still coming? Or all efforts fail and the Traveler escapes and everything goes to shit? Or none of these! XD

Point being, if we know where we want to end up it'll be easier then to decide what paths to take and how we want to structure everything??

 

[Spectre of the Fade]

I am a sucker for the happy ending, personally, but I'm not sure if that fits this role-play or the universe. The Darkness is wicked powerful, whatever form it takes. Powerful enough that the Traveler can't beat it or is too afraid to face it, thus the cycle of running from planet to planet, sentient race to sentient race. It's hard to imagine a weapon to destroy or even damage such a thing, regardless of the form it takes. The Traveler is also wicked powerful, and destroying it would be...interesting. That said. There could be a thing that without the Traveler there is no Darkness. Also could be a thing where the Darkness decides to go back wherever it came from if/when the Traveler is destroyed, leaving whatever remains of the races that followed in its tracks.

Um. Dunno what I'm trying to get at, here. I like happy endings, personally, but the "shit solved one problem now what do we do with the Darkness" sounds more realistic considering the universe. Or just the Bad Ending, where everything sucks and everyone dies.

 

[SilentxChaos]

You said exactly what I meant to say about the Traveler and the Darkness- except I forgot XD so thank you for bringing that up

You're also right, I don't believe a total happy ending would work but I am one for closure. So, if our cast ultimately decides to "kill" the Traveler, then they should succeed in some capacity even if it wasn't in the way they expected (which is always good lil plot twist lol) and perhaps there's this other bad crap that's left unresolved.

One thought, though I'm kind of "meh" about it is how the first version of Destiny was supposed to end: prevention of the Traveler's resurrection. It's a temporary fix that could last a few centuries-which would make any sacrifices more bitter because nothing permanent was accomplished- but resolved any immediate problems: keep a traitorous godly being from returning and escaping, while keeping the powers of Light to fight and maybe even win against the Darkness, if they figured out a way to steal what Light that had returned to the Traveler.

Briefly digressing to my question of whether the Darkness itself comes into the story... I don't think that should happen unless the Traveler remains in its "dead" state. Because as @Spectre of the Fade mentioned, they're powerful. They're essentially gods. It isn't very realiistic to have them both present because it's too much opposition at once right? I mean, consider the effort of just beating Oryx

 

[TerribleName]

I'm super interested!

Although I do think that the idea of the Traveler being bad - at least on purpose - is totally accurate.

Like, I'm sure the Traveler would be super happy if we won against the Darkness. Then nothing would threaten its existence or be chasing after it. It didn't come to Earth intent on dooming us; it came with the intent to beef us up in order to take on a great evil. It may have very well doomed us in the process, but it's not trying to merely sacrifice us to the Darkness. If it is at all sentient - which it must be, based on its actions - then I'm positive its clear drive for self-preservation means it hopes the Darkness will be destroyed.

There's also not really any proof at all that says that the Light cannot exist without the Dark. Sure, good can't exist without evil, but who says the Light and the Darkness are inherently either? You can certainly wield Light for evil; just look at the War Lords from the age of the Iron Banner. And agents of the Darkness aren't doing their evil deeds necessarily out of malevolence. It's just the way they think; that the natural order of the universe is the struggle to survive.

So as for a totally happy ending, I would say that we defeat the Darkness and keep the Traveler, who helps us rebuild our society and culture.

And also, I feel like we could utilize characters from the Lore that exist during the same time as our player characters. Characters like Osiris or even Toland. Maybe while we're investigating Vex stuff on Mercury, we "stumble" upon Osiris. In scouring the miles of Hive tunnel carved out of the Moon, maybe we could communicate with Toland somehow.

I feel like we could use Rasputin, too. The events of Rise of Iron make one wonder even more as to what the hell is going on with him. According to Saladin, he hasn't been a Warmind for a long time. Presumably ever since the time of the Iron Lords' trek to the SIVA Replication Complex, maybe even before. What were the things that Saladin had neither seen before nor since? But yet Rasputin obviously still has connections to his bunkers, somehow, because that's where we encounter him.

As for beginning with a major strike on the Fallen, why not a straight-up Raid? If we don't do the thing where we timeskip decades into the future - I personally think that'd be harder to do, because we would need to figure out the long-term repercussions of our actions in-game - why not make a major move on the Fallen Devils where we destroy their leadership? Maybe we could fight the Archon Priest first, but at the last second he escapes and is healed by the Prime Servitor, and while that's happening we kill the Kell. And then, so that we can kill the Priest, we go after the Prime Servitor, and then finally the Archon Priest. Or just do some other variation of Prime Servitor, Archon Priest, and Kill.

Or, if we skip, maybe the House of Kings might actually HELP us fight off the Cabal invasion? They could reach out to us for a temporary alliance, because it's in the humans' and the Fallen's best interest to protect the Traveler. And perhaps in our collaboration with the House of Kings, they tell us stuff that leads us to doubt the Traveler. And then once the Cabal are repelled we go back to fighting the Fallen.

I also feel like we should at least keep things like SIVA in the back of our minds. There's some speculation that there's something more than Aksis controlling SIVA, for example, and we could try and answer the question of what could that be. It seems weird that Aksis would specifically want to use SIVA to control three random dead Guardians as we saw in the last story mission, after all. Maybe that command filtered down from somewhere higher? And people aside from the House of Devils might stumble upon SIVA or, if we timeskip, might even repair the Replication Chamber. Hell, maybe even a Guardian or a group of Guardians could fix it.

The last thing is that peaceful colony of Guardians that Efrideet mentioned, which has GOT to be hella old, since warriors of the Light weren't even called Guardians when they went after the Replication Chamber (as far as I remember), which happened after she left them.

 

[The Philosoraptor]

I figure that the most solid ending we can have is the preservation of the status quo: Denying the Traveler its resurrection and holding the Darkness back.

However, in the process of uncovering the truth about the Traveler and exploring the realities of the eternal conflict of Light and Dark, I assumed that we, as Guardians, would either forsake the Light to walk their own path, or embrace the Darkness. By following in the footsteps of Toland the Shattered and Osiris, who both delved too deep into the mysteries of the Hive and Vex and fell as a result. Osiris left the City and pursued his own agenda to fight the Darkness, while Toland himself embraced the way of the Hive and became Ascendant.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Welcome aboard @TerribleName ! I agree with you that I'd like to bring Rasputin in somehow, and it sounds like both you and @The Philosoraptor agree that Osris and Toland will be prevalent to how our cast react and/or act with the information they come to.

As far as the ending goes, I have to admit @The Philosoraptor's idea sounds the most realistic, and if we went with that the RP would be a more journey-style story... @Oryx what are your thoughts about the ending?

Also something I just realized is that if we went with this ending, we could customize it our own characters so depending on how the story goes, some can get what they consider a happy ending, others a bad ending, etc

 

[TerribleName]

There's also the fact that the version of the universe our player characters are in may be in a Vex simulation. Maybe we could play around with that idea if we go after the Vex. Make our characters have a bit of an existential crisis. Somewhere in the Grimoire it talks about Clovis Bray and a group of scientists scattering themselves - and clones of themselves - throughout the Vex network.

Also, I got a bit of an idea for a character after reading this. A Striker Titan by the name of Kaitlyn has been disillusioned for the past few centuries after the death of her lover, Magdylene, at the hands of Crota. Her dying Ghost gave Kaitlyn a miniscule fraction of Maggie's Light, so tiny that the Ghost couldn't use it to revive her. It's about the size of a grain of sand, and is kept in a capsule-shaped mechanism that pretty much never opens. I was thinking it could be an Artifact called Maggie's Last Light or something. She talks to her Artifact quite often.

And she would also be particularly susceptible to the Darkness because of her screwed-up mind. Rather than learning about the Darkness to counteract it, like Toland and Osiris, she would use the Darkness as a means to an end which the Light can't bring her to.

Also, I feel like we could go beyond the whole three subclass per class thing. Guardians can surely shape their Light in unique ways; why not a Warlock that spews Solar energy from his palms, like the Stromtrance but with flames? Or a Hunter who uses Arc energy to make a gauss cannon-like construct. It seems like the limit of what you can create with the Light is limited by your mind, hence why the Intellect stat charges your Super faster.

 

[Antiheld]

Welcome aboard @TerribleName ! I agree with you that I'd like to bring Rasputin in somehow, and it sounds like both you and @The Philosoraptor agree that Osris and Toland will be prevalent to how our cast react and/or act with the information they come to.

As far as the ending goes, I have to admit @The Philosoraptor's idea sounds the most realistic, and if we went with that the RP would be a more journey-style story... @Oryx what are your thoughts about the ending?

Also something I just realized is that if we went with this ending, we could customize it our own characters so depending on how the story goes, some can get what they consider a happy ending, others a bad ending, etc

I like the idea that @The Philosoraptor wrote, and I think it's the most lore friendly way to end things while still giving closure to the characters. It also give us a lot of wiggle room to add and modify our own plot points!

 

[SilentxChaos]

There's also the fact that the version of the universe our player characters are in may be in a Vex simulation. Maybe we could play around with that idea if we go after the Vex. Make our characters have a bit of an existential crisis. Somewhere in the Grimoire it talks about Clovis Bray and a group of scientists scattering themselves - and clones of themselves - throughout the Vex network.

Also, I got a bit of an idea for a character after reading this. A Striker Titan by the name of Kaitlyn has been disillusioned for the past few centuries after the death of her lover, Magdylene, at the hands of Crota. Her dying Ghost gave Kaitlyn a miniscule fraction of Maggie's Light, so tiny that the Ghost couldn't use it to revive her. It's about the size of a grain of sand, and is kept in a capsule-shaped mechanism that pretty much never opens. I was thinking it could be an Artifact called Maggie's Last Light or something. She talks to her Artifact quite often.

And she would also be particularly susceptible to the Darkness because of her screwed-up mind. Rather than learning about the Darkness to counteract it, like Toland and Osiris, she would use the Darkness as a means to an end which the Light can't bring her to.

Also, I feel like we could go beyond the whole three subclass per class thing. Guardians can surely shape their Light in unique ways; why not a Warlock that spews Solar energy from his palms, like the Stromtrance but with flames? Or a Hunter who uses Arc energy to make a gauss cannon-like construct. It seems like the limit of what you can create with the Light is limited by your mind, hence why the Intellect stat charges your Super faster.

I was thinking about that with the Vex too, though I do worry it could over complicate the plot (I know reading the Ghost Fragments on that hurt my brain lol) it's definitely something we can consider once we get to deciding how/when/where the Vex would come into the RP.

I also was thinking we could take some...creative liberties in regards to the subclasses but we should be careful with them just because we don't want any god-moding to occur (Guardians are over-powered as is). We should definitely stick to one subclass for each character...which by the way, if any of you have started on constructing characters why not share what their Class and subclass could be? Would be helpful so we can keep a diverse cast. @TerribleName I like what you have so far with Kaitlyn. I myself am considering doing a female Awoken Nightstalker hunter.

Back on to the ending: all are in accord with it? It would allow all of us to add our own personal touch to the ending through our characters, but my question is then, universally, what changes from the beginning to the end? Like in Destiny, despite it's absence of genuine decent plotting, there's still destruction of the Heart of the Black Garden. Oryx's arrival. Return of Siva. Each of these changed a some part of the world, even though the status quo (states of the Traveler and the Darkness) didn't really change. Our characters are discovering the truth behind the Traveler, which changes them, but something in the world should also change. What should that be? How would we link that event to our ending? I did have one thought:

Going to back something @Oryx said about how, in Destiny, you and your fireteam are the main characters. What if, even though our RP takes place a few decades later, our cast was said fireteam? Like they lived through Destiny and all its DLC's and because of that they're considered heroes in the City and even among the other Guardians. They are looked up to maybe revered even. It would also mean two things: the significance of them falling from the Traveler would be greater and there'd be more public attention to what happens to them. They could have a public voice. They could get more people to listen than a regular Guardian, and it'd be harder to get rid of them if Traveler-loyalist, like the Vanguard, decided to silence their heresy. Let's say we involve the City Factions, and the revelation of the Traveler-truth sets them against each other, could potentially start a civil war within the City. It could change its infrastructure not to mention how many people are going to be fine living under a god-husk of a traitor? That could be a possible change to the world.

I want to hear other ideas too, this is just the first one that came to me so it can definitely be scraped.