<Well, here we are. Making little things so that [they] understand. Reiterating points made long ago so that [they] understand. Anyway, I'm here to talk about the portals to the Ascendant Realm, what's in it, and the connection to the Darkness. [b]What's the Ascendant Plane?:[/b] The Ascendant Realm is an alternate dimension. The dimension itself is fragmented by various users of the Deep strong enough to hold its power. The fragments are called Throne Worlds by the Hive. From then on, Ascendant Hive can die however many times they like in the physical realm, but can only die permanently from the Ascendant Realm. Each Throne World is managed by the god of them. Whether it be Crota, Oryx, or whatever Hive or Worm God happens to be there. As such, they can be customized. They are also resistant to any damage that isn't inside the Realm itself. Throne Worlds are tied together through the Ascendant Plane but can also be attached to material objects. Oryx's Throne World was tied to the Dreadnaught, so the entire place can be both material and Ascendant. This is why some areas were locked off but others could be easily accessed. Despite the Ascendant Plane being locked off to non-Ascendant users, they can be forced open. The Harmony did this to battle the Hive Goddess of War, Xivu Arath. Crota (the dumbass) accidentally led the Vex into Oryx's realm, to which the Vex forced the breach to stay open. Also, Crota's Throne World was breached by us during the Crota Conflict. One of the few exceptions to foreign entities being "allowed" into the Ascendant Plane was Toland, the Shattered... who was quite literally sung to death and his soul was ripped from his body. [b]Portals:[/b] The Hive were able to build structures that could open gateways to the Ascendant Plane. They occasionally use these rifts to summon powerful entities. Such entities include the Abyssal Sorcerer and the Abyssal Champion. Others were used in the Court of Oryx to summon members of... well... Oryx's Court. Such as Lokaar, the unofficial Stalker of Crota that Oryx made a part of his Court to -blam!- with Crota. All it takes to activate these portals are power sources, which during rituals usually mean Wizards waving their hands wildly while some magic shit comes out. But the portals we see on the Dreadnaught and other Hive infested areas are not the only gateways. [b]The Blight:[/b] Take a look at Fleetbase Korus on Phobos. Between the ruined Cabal architecture and distress signals, there are strange patches of starstuff. You've seen it before. You see it all the time. The black orbs that swirl and wave with a greenish-blue energy. It's the Blight. The Blight is a substance the Taken leave behind wherever they go. Whether it blankets a patch of who-gives-a--blam!- or hovers above the ground in an orb shape, the Taken produce it. Kinda like the slime that Xenomorphs leave behind that comes from their mouths and covers their bodies. The Blight is ALSO A PORTAL TO ANOTHER DIMENSION. [quote]"This membrane is attempting to form a bridge between dimensions, but I think it requires a living host."[/quote] The Ghost is referencing a patch of Blight in the Cabal fleetbase. But what dimension? Well... the Ascendant Realm. See, the Hive and the Worm Gods aren't the only ones who use the Ascendant Plane, hell, they don't even own it. The Darkness itself rules the Ascendant Realm from a place Deeper in. It's why the Worm Gods and Hive call IT the Deep. Also, here's a fun tidbit, the Blight is what every little Taken has fallen into... or straight up yoinked out of existence from. Those poor Centurions trying to run away only to get sucked up into oblivion? Blight. The Vex on Io being absorbed by Darkness? Blight. Blight is the closest thing to staring the Darkness in the face. It is a way into the deep Ascendant Plane. Want more proof of the Blight being another portal to the AP? Take a look at the scannables on Io. [quote]"Ascendant Realm readings in spades here. Down the line this could be another one of those weird portals. The Taken are so strange."[/quote] Quote by the Ghost referencing a Blight ball. The "Dark Dimension" in King's Fall is accessed through a massive Blight ball produced by Oryx. We are being sent into the deeper Ascendant Realm. With that being said, the Blight has been used for... other purposes. In the Lake of Shadows strike, the water supply for the entire EDZ and the surrounding region was being polluted by the Blight. It's not known what the effects actually are besides intense sickness. Whether this takes an individual, exposes them to extradimensional energies that are harmful, or just doesn't sit well in the stomach is unknown when it comes to exact causes of ill effects. Anyone know what happens when you drink a portal? Anyway, there's a post to keep myself in the state of mind for my next post, which is just a fanfic of what the first mission of D3 is gonna be.>