[spoiler]Welcome to LFD! This series is meant to be an easily digestible, simplified, short, and somewhat entertaining lore ‘crash course’ for those who want to learn more without wading through grimoire.[/spoiler]
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No! Don’t cry! Please! The Books of Sorrow are only sad to the people who READ all [u][b]fifty-two[/b][/u] of them! Except me, because I’m insane.
Realize these books are very thick with info. I’ll summarize them as best I can and only leave the most important information. Many of you will have extensive knowledge of the Books and will point out things I missed; this is expected, and I probably left them out intentionally. Read the spoiler above to remember my purpose for Lore for Dummies.
[b]What the Heck these are[/b]
The [b]Books of Sorrow[/b], *sniff*, are a compilation of fifty-two ‘verses’ made by a lot of different people. [b]Oryx[/b], the king of the Hive, wrote some of them, and put all the verses together.
Because a few names change over the course of my summary, I’ve made a handy-dandy guide of characters. Bon appetit!
[b]Aurash[/b] (aka Auryx, Oryx):
The oldest of three sisters, Aurash eventually becomes Oryx, the scary Hive death guy who would like your soul. Delights in curiosity. ‘King’ morph.
[b]Sathona[/b] (aka [b]Savathûn[/b]):
The middle sister. Delights in cunning. ‘Mother’ morph. Would not recommend ‘yo mamma’ jokes.
[b]Xi Ro[/b] (aka [b]Xivu Arath[/b]):
The youngest sister. Delights in strength and bloodshed. Knight morph.
[b]Akka[/b], [b]Eir[/b], [b]Xol[/b], [b]Ur[/b], [b]Yul[/b] (the [b]Worm Gods[/b]):
Ancient beings of immense power. Made the sisters a bargain to get the Hive to their current form, at a price.
[b]The Summary (of Doom)[/b]
There are 51 Books, but the first is just an introduction. Let’s jump into it!
[b]Chapters 1-3:[/b]
On their home world of [b]Fundament[/b], the Hive ancestors (or [b]proto-Hive[/b]) live on the planet Fundament. In a struggle to [b]not get eaten by the bajillion predator species present[/b], the P-Hive are divided into several factions. Aurash, Sathona, and Xi Ro are daughters of the king of one such faction. When a traitor topples their faction, the sisters build a ship, forged in (gross, black, Hive-y) blood to seek revenge.
[b]Chapters 4-8[/b]
After a long, dangerous voyage (including lightning; don’t ask), the sisters encounter a massive creature known as the Leviathan. Seriously, you can make a TON of Hive burgers out of this thing. The Leviathan warns of darkness and possible homicidal creatures below. Honestly, why is everything in Destiny lore homicidal?!?
[b]Chapters 9-12[/b]
The sisters continue, and find the five Worm Gods. They strike a bargain: the Gods’ larvae will empower the sisters and their Hive broods, but if they don’t continually follow their natures, the larvae will eat them alive. For example, the curious Aurash cannot stop inquiring about the world or she will be consumed. Remind you of the educational system? Aurash also becomes King of the Hive.
Additionally, the sisters choose their ‘grown up names’: Auryx, Savathûn, and Xivu Arath, respectively. Auryx also becomes male, because [b]why not[/b]?
[b]Chapters 13-19[/b]
After exacting revenge on opposing factions back home, the newly empowered Hive Justice League (HJL) band together to overwhelm the Ammonites, a race that lives in the same system as Fundament. Although the Traveler empowered the Ammonites, and the Leviathan rose to oppose the Hive, the HJL is victorious. Leviathan burgers for everyone!
[b]Chapters 20-23[/b]
The HJL practices killing each other for a while, and exterminate tens of races to feed their worms’ strength. Hey, if you’re practically immortal, why not? Afterwards, they annihilate another race, the Qugu.
[b]Chapters 24-33[/b]
The HJL freaks out! They can’t seem to feed their worms enough to stay alive. Auryx kills Savathûn and Xivu Arath in the throne world, taking their strength. With this power, Auryx kills a Worm God, Akka. Doing this, he learns how to Take and create the shadowy creatures we know as the [b]Taken[/b]. Now known as Oryx, the Taken King, he obliterates the Ecumene race with his newfound power. Somehow, Savathûn and Xivu Arath are resurrected, and they carve their way across space. So, yeah.
[b]Chapters 34-41[/b]
Oryx is kinda lonely. The Hive version of ‘love’ is weird; you attempt to kill those you love to make them stronger. Remember your siblings? Oryx ends up having children: Crota, a son, and twin daughters: Ir Halak and Ir Anûk.
Later, Savathûn tricks Crota into opening a space-time rift (without parental supervision!), letting a certain homicidal robot group to enter Oryx’s throne world. Irritated by Savathûn’s loving attack, Oryx manages to fuse his throne world with a ship, the Dreadnaught, and obliterates the certain homicidal robot threat.
[b]Chapters 42-50[/b]
Almost there, guys! Almost there!
The Hive Justice League obliterates another race: the Harmony. Getting sick of one another, the HJL separates (now is appropriate to put a sad song on).
Oryx, now alone, is alone with his thoughts. He reasons a race must prove its own existence by killing all others and gaining their strength. This is known as the [b]Sword Logic[/b]. He claims Taking enemies makes them more perfect by enhancing their strengths.
Although he doubts he will die, Oryx makes sort of a ‘last will’. He collects the Books of Sorrow to the one who kills him, expecting the killer to take his strength and become the next Taken King. Perhaps to finish his legacy.
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*shakes your shoulders* EYES OPEN, GUARDIAN! You made it! Yes, the Books of Sorrow can suck, and you might be very confused right now; this is fine. Ask questions below, and I’ll do the best I can to answer them!
[b]Knowledge is power. Kill stuff with it.[/b]
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[i]Additional resources, if you’re still interested[/i]:
[url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/categories/the-fundament]The Fundament[/url]-the Hive home world
[url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/categories/books-of-sorrow]The Books of Sorrow[/url]-may Oryx have mercy on your soul
[url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/the-taken]The Taken[/url]
[url=https://www.ishtar-collective.net/search/The%20Taken%20/page/1?document_type_id=3]Taken Individuals[/url]-a list of individual Taken individuals
[spoiler]I hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a comment on how I did. Remember my goals are to be [b]concise[/b], [b]accurate[/b], and [b]entertaining[/b]. If I failed, or went overboard, on any of these, let me know![/spoiler]
[b]Want more? LFD tag[/b] ⤵️
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Have we even killed Savathün, Xivu Arath, or Oryx in their Acendant Planes?