There is a rather cryptic message in one of the Grimoires about the Darkness, see the spoiler directly below. More or less everyone agrees that it was sent by Rasputin. It is a weird message containing concepts that are important in AI design, data analysis, physics, ancient mythology and military tactics. [spoiler]V113NNI070XMX001 SECRET HADAL INSTANT AI-COM/RSPN: SOLSECCENT//SxISR//DEEPSPACE CONTACT CONTACT CONTACT TRANSIENT. NULLSOURCE. NULLTYPE. This is a SKYSHOCK ALERT. Multiple distributed ISR assets report a TRANSIENT NEAR EXTRASOLAR EVENT. Event duration ZERO POINT THREE SECONDS. Event footprint includes sterile neutrino scattering and gravity waves. Omnibus analysis detects deep structure information content (nine sigma) and internal teleonomy. No hypothesis on event mechanism (FLAG ACAUSAL). Bootstrap simulation suggests event is DIRECTED and INIMICABLE (convergent q-Bayes/Monte Carlo probability approaches 1). No hypothesis on deep structure encoding (TCC/NP-HARD). Source blueshift suggests IMMINENT SOLAR ENTRY. Promote event to SKYSHOCK: OCP: EXTINCTION. Activate VOLUSPA. Activate YUGA. Cauterize public sources to SECURE ISIS and harden for defensive action. I am invoking CARRHAE WHITE and assuming control of solar defenses. STOP STOP STOP V113NNI070XMX091[/spoiler] Based on an initial [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/72372509/0/0/1]forum post[/url] by Tut813275 (read the thread, there is a lot more here on Rasputin and he has a lot of other cool theories about what is going on), I wanted to translate this message into something more readable. I did not provide a full explanation for all my suggested translations, but have provided links (mostly Wiki) to some of the less intuitive concepts. [spoiler]Top Secret Message number V113NNI070XMX091 from Rasputin to Solar Security Center. There has been brief [transient] contact with a thing of an unknown source and type. This is a SKYSHOCK ALERT. Multiple Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence,_surveillance,_target_acquisition,_and_reconnaissance#ISR_.28Intelligence.2C_surveillance_and_reconnaissance.29]ISR[/url]] assets report a short signal indicating the presence of a thing [event] located just beyond the borders of our solar system. The duration of the signal was 0.3 seconds. Evidence suggests that the unknown thing consists of dark matter [[url=http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_neutrino]sterile neutrino[/url] scattering and [url=http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave]gravity waves[/url]]. Based on multiple factors [[url=https://www.biostars.org/p/15339/]omnibus analysis[/url]] I suggest this thing has a structured intelligence [deep structure information content] and has purpose [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleonomyt]internal teleonomy[/url]]. I don’t have an idea about what caused the presence of the thing (I need to look into this when more information is available [FLAG [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticausal_system]ACAUSAL[/url]]). Although we do not have enough data yet [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping_(statistics)]Bootstrap simulation[/url]] it seems extremely likely [convergent q-Bayes/Monte Carlo probability approaches 1] that the thing that was detected is on the move and has unfriendly intentions. I don’t have an idea what the plan [deep structure encoding] of this thing is (finding out will be long and complex [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NP-hard]NP hard[/url]] and has unknown costs [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Cost_of_Consumption]TCC[/url]]). My measurements of its speed and direction [source [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueshift]blueshift[/url]] suggest that it will enter our solar system at any moment. I will act on this [promote event] based on my own interpretation [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open/closed_principle]OCP[/url]] of Skyshock: Extinction protocols. I have started Global Armageddon [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lusp%C3%A1]VOLUSPA[/url]] and will start the next age [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuga]YUGA[/url]]. I am cutting all access of public sources in order to protect those who will wake up the dead [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis]ISIS[/url]] and am preparing for a stand. I am putting a military strategy into operation that focuses on a hit and run tactic [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae]CARRHAE[/url]] in which I will make the first move [[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-move_advantage_in_chess]WHITE[/url]] and therefore am taking control of solar defences. End of message V113NNI070XMX091 [/spoiler] If my suggested translations are correct than this means that: The Darkness [spoiler]is not a metaphor of some kind but consists of dark matter, but still has intelligence[/spoiler] Rasputin [spoiler]initiated the end of the world and the (near) extinction of humanity was not the result of the Darkness[/spoiler] The Ghosts or Traveller himself [spoiler]was protected by Rasputin because they are the ones that will raise the dead, e.g. Guardians. Alternatively (here it gets a bit cooky) this may mean, that, since the Traveller created the Ghosts with its dying breath, he and Rasputin are one and the same[/spoiler]. What do you think? Edit: Killagouge pointed me to the likley meaning of TCC, so I edited that part of the translation Edit 2: I went a bit more into what the Darkness may be in a post below.