I'm pretty sure I am wrong, but the pieces fit together, though it might be coincidence. I might be right. Either way I think it's a fun theory. Put on your tin-foil hats because this theory is a conspiracy theory. Before I proceed, it's important to know Hive culture is super-competitive, and death-obsessed. Those who survive thus prove their right to live, and those who die prove that they deserved it. Powerful Hive with throne worlds to respawn to upon death, kill each other out of love, and to gain "sword logic," which power gained from killing (Verse 2:6). They call this the high war, and it's the reason for Oryx's court (Verse 3:2). True to this, Alak-Hul and his mate Verok may have come to the Sol System to recruit Crota for a coup d'etat against Oryx. Toland may have also been recruited by Verok. I will lay out the evidence. [b]The "ASSEMBLING THE PIECES" section of this post will give the full picture[/b]. Queue X-Files music and Eye of Providence: [b]THE EVIDENCE 1) The Tablets of Ruin[/b] Oryx killed the worm god Akka, and from its corpse, he gained the secrets he needed to speak with the Deep, which we know is the Darkness (Verse 5:7), and perform other amazing feats. He wrote the secrets on the Tablets of Ruin. [quote]Auryx the First Navigator set upon his god with his sword and his words, and cut Akka to pieces, and took from those pieces the secret of calling upon the Deep. He wrote this secret on a set of tablets, which he called the Tablets of Ruin. [...] Then Auryx said, “Now I may speak to the Deep, the beautiful final shape. I will be King of Shapes. I will learn all the secrets of our destiny.” (Verse 3:8 — King of Shapes)[/quote] These tablets are sought after by those who wish to overthrow Oryx. [quote]I think that Savathûn and Xivu Arath are trying to steal the tablets from me. (Verse 4:4 — More beautiful to know)[/quote] [b]2) Alak-Hul, and Verok[/b] Alak-Hul was very close to Oryx; he was considered a foster son. This means that he was ascendant, and thus had access to the ruptures leading to the section of the Dreadnaught containing the Tablets of Ruin. He is viewed by Eris Morn as a worthy successor to Oryx. [quote]Alak-Hul, [...] O beloved foster son. (Alak-Hul, the Darkblade)[/quote] [quote]"Move swiftly. With Oryx incapacitated, Alak-Hul is a prime candidate to assume the Taken throne." —Eris Morn. (The Sunless Cell quest)[/quote] The Wizard Verok was Alak-Hul's mate, and she is the reason for his eventual rebellion against Oryx. (sunless Cell strike randomized dialogue) [b]3) The Sol System[/b] Alak-Hul was present in the Sol System when Eris and Toland's fireteam attempted to kill Crota in his throne world (Sunless Cell strike dialogue). Verok, was the one whose thrall overwhelmed Vell Tarlowe. [quote]"We called her Verok; it was her and her Thrall that finally overwhelmed him." - Eris (Mark of the Duskborn) [/quote] [quote]Do not underestimate the thrall as Tarlowe did! (Enemy of My Enemy mission dialogue)[/quote] It is possible that the couple were in the Sol System long before Eris' failed raid. [b]4) Toland and The Darkness[/b] Toland the Shattered is an exiled warlock who studied the Darkness and Hive. Eris Morn recruited Toland to her fireteam to kill Crota. He was chosen for his knowledge of the Hive. Interestingly, Toland has spoken to the Darkness. As I explained in point number 1, knowledge of how to speak to the Darkness is not easily attained. Such knowledge belongs to either the worm gods, or Oryx. [quote]Eris: And how do you know this? [...] Toland: By the Darkness itself. (Might of Crota)[/quote] Hive wizards, have turned a guardian to their side before—Dredgen [b]Yor[/b] is an example. His Thorn weapon was created by Hive magic, and the involved of the wizard X[b]yor[/b]. [quote]The Weapons of Sorrow were born from forbidden use of the Hive's dark power. (A Light in the Dark, the year 1 exotic bounty for Thorn)[/quote] [quote]Kill Xyor, the Unwed. (A Light in the Dark)[/quote] Toland even refers to himself as a wizard, suggesting he uses magic that taps into the Darkness. You can't separate a wizard's magic from Darkness because the Darkness is it's source. [quote]The charming Ir Yût made her introductions, and I was very pleased to meet her. We had a conversation, [...] a couple old wizards exchanging definitions. (Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth)[/quote] [quote]Savathûn’s mothers have listened carefully to our teachings. We will not give you the Deep, King Auryx — that power is for us, your gods. But we will teach you to call upon that force with signs and rituals. Small minds might call it magic. (Verse 2:6 — The Sword Logic)[/quote] *mothers = wizards (Verse 3:0). For Toland to gain knowledge (and magic) from the Darkness, it must be getting something in return. Darkness does not simply give without payment. Toland must have made a deal with the Darkness, and this is supported by his own teachings about the Darkness making bargains. [quote]"Osiris speaks of Darkness as undisciplined chaos [...] Toland speaks of a bargain [...]" —Eris Morn. (Hunger Pangs quest)[/quote] Toland believed that everything in the universe follows a Darwinian mechanism. Superior and more stable forms of existence will conquer inferior ones in each round, and the winners will populate the universe. The process will repeat until a final round occurs where a final being wins. The Darkness will be the final winner to Toland, just like atoms won against the primordial broth of the early universe. Three metaphors he brought up was a queen of armies, a queen of laws, and a queen of the high tower—the queen of armies wipes out the others. He says the queen of laws loses, and he wishes to taunt the Tower for their laws. He clearly thought the City would lose. [quote]Imagine three great nations under three great queens. [b]The first queen writes a great book of law and her rule is just[/b]. The second queen builds a high tower and her people climb it to see the stars. The third queen raises an army and conquers everything. The future belongs to one of these queens. Her rule is harshest and her people are unhappy. But she rules. And as the universe ticks on towards the close, the great players will face each other. In the next round there will be three queens and all of them will have armies, and now it will be a battle of swords - until one discovers the cannon, or the plague, or the killing word. [...] This is the shape of victory: to rule the universe so absolutely that nothing will ever exist except by your consent. This is the queen at the end of time, whose sovereignty is eternal because no other sovereign can defeat it. (Ghost Fragment: Darkness 3)[/quote] I want to appear in the Tower and taunt them, [...] I want to ask them: if you followed your laws here, to this trembling fearful place, [b]of what use were those laws?[/b] (Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth) Toland never shown interest in killing Crota, and his only motivation he expressed in joining Eris' fireteam was learning the deathsong from Ir-Yut. [quote]A secret song he hungers to learn, and the issue of that song [...] He talks of it with a curious ambition. (Crota's End)[/quote] How does Toland speak to the Darkness when only worm gods, and those who pry the secrets from the corpses, have managed to do this? What was the price of the information he bargained for? [b]ASSEMBLING THE PIECES[/b] - Alak-Hul and his mate Verok plotted against Oryx. To beat and replace Oryx, they would need the power of the Tablets, or something else powerful, and they would know this. Alak-Hul and Verok therefore had motives to steal knowledge from the Tablets of Ruin. - Alak-Hul and Verok were definitely present in the Sol System. They might have even been there decades or more before Eris' fireteam tried to kill Crota. The Hive couple might have come to Crota to enlist his help to kill Oryx. - Before his exile, Toland could have met the wizard Verok. If true, she might have used knowledge stolen from the Tablets to let Toland to speak to the Darkness; this could be what mentally broke, or "shattered," Toland, turning him to the side of the Hive. Toland gained knowledge from the Darkness, making him not just a warlock, but a wizard. - Toland joins Eris' fireteam attempting to kill Crota. Toland reported this to Verok, and the Hive couple came to protect Crota. Toland lead Eris and the fireteam into a trap, but he told Eris how to survive before leaving her to find Ir-Yut because he still has compassion. His soul still lives in the Hive overworld (Ghost Fragment: The Hellmouth). - The fact that Alak-Hul and Verok were helping Crota against Eris' fireteam strongly suggests an alliance with Crota.[i] I find this part highly plausible, even if the parts about Toland's involvement don't hold up.[/i] - Crota was killed before the plan could be enacted. Alak-Hul tried the coup anyway, but failed. It's unclear what happened to Verok, but when asked why Alak-Hul rebelled, Eris mentioned Verok and that Alak-Hul's army was built on hate and pain. Hate and pain may suggest Verok was killed by Oryx, inspiring Alak-Hul to vengeance. She may still live. [i]This is to explain why Toland could speak to the Darkness when Oryx had to kill a god for it. It's likely just a writing oversight, but I prefer lore explanations. There is no other good lore explanation, so as crazy as the theory is, it's currently (at the time of this post) the best theory. The Tablets of Ruin have info on how to speak to Darkness, and Alak-Hul and Verok were the only Hive in the Sol System then we know of that could have seen the Tablets.[/i] [b]For more theories, I refer you to the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/183288968/0/0]Collected Treatises of The Warlock KAGEHOSHI[/url].[/b]