This is a very large topic to cover, and I will try to make it as easily digestible as possible (and I really don't feel like writing a whole -blam!-ing book). There will be a lot of paraphrasing and "trust me"'s as well as a lot of technical plagiarism. Most of my ideas are taken from these following sources (so feel free to peruse them at your own leisure): [url]http://marathon.bungie.org/story/jjaro.html[/url] [url]http://marathon.bungie.org/story/_files/Pathways_Manual.pdf[/url] [url]http://marathon.bungie.org/story/wrkncacnter.html[/url] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_Infinity[/url] and any other google search connecting Pathways into Darkness and the Marathon series. And while Bungie did come out saying that Destiny does not occur in the same universe as any of their previous games, they seem especially interested in basing stories off of criss-crossing timelines and alien gods with the ability to travel to different universes. For them to say it does not occur in the same universe is simple semantics (they're trying to be cute). Edit: also check out the attached posts below for added visual materials [u]The Darkness:[/u] The Darkness is not actually one single entity, but rather an ancient race of alien, also known as the W'rkncacnter. Our first encounter with the W'rkncacnter is in Bungie's 1993 fps [i]Pathways into Darkness[/i] where a player takes the role of a special forces officer who has to fight his way through an ancient pyramid of unknown origin to detonate a nuclear bomb and prevent an ancient alien god from awakening. While not named within the game specificall as W'rkncacnter, the manual gives this discription: [quote]This particular being, whose name no human throat will ever learn to pronounce, was part of the cataclysmic battle that formed Magellanic Clouds, billions of years ago. It died there, or it came as close to dying as these things can, and drifted aimlessly for millions of light years before striking the Earth.[/quote] It is also already widely believed in the PiD/Marathon lore community that this being is in fact a W'rkncacnter, and I'm not here to argue that, but this is still just backstory. Edit: this also falls in line with theories involving the images of the fifth race. The pyramid shaped ships seen in this early destiny artwork have been speculated to be the darkness. Similar to a mysterious pyramid found in the yucatan... [u]Crota[/u] One special aspect of this particular chaos being is that it is able to manifest its dreams into monstrous undead creations and a pension for labrynthian complexes that spiral deep underneath the earth. There is also a similar story line in that the protagonist (special forces commando/guardian) must battle through an underground complex through hordes of nightmarish creatures. Many of the Hive forces mimic creatures you encounter in Pathways. The darkness is practically named in the the Title "Pathways into Darkness". We could even rename the Dark Below expansion "Pathways into THE Darkness" For example (and youll just have to google these images if you want, I'm not linking them) the Thrall take the place of the Ghouls in Pathways, the Acolytes are similar to the headdress wearing Zombies. The phantasms are floating, cloaked creatures that can envelope you in darkness very similar to Wizards. Also the ability of Omnigul to spawn manifestations of herself is similar to the manifestations of the dreaming god. All of this leads me to believe that the Darkness is the W'rkncacnter race as a whole, and Crota is simply an individual W'rkncacnter. [u]The Hive [/u] In Marathon Infinity, the players is jumping between timelines trying to prevent a race of hostile aliens known as the Pfhor from releasing the W'rkncacnter that are trapped in a Supernova, presumably the W'rkncacnter that were cast into the sun by Yrro. The Pfhor are characterized most notably by their three eyes and their "hive like" societal structure. If we look at the creatures the W'rkncacnter was manifesting in Pathways (undead abominations the species it was coming in contact with, humans), this may just be the same group of Phfor that were trying to release the W'rkncacnter in Marathon Infinity. And given the liberal use of Timelines and Universes in that game, Destiny could simply be placed in one of the timelines where the Pfhor are successful in releasing the W'rkncacnter. The Hive are simply undead manifestations of the Phfor. Which would explain the appearance of the three eyed Phfor Thrall vs. the two eyed human Ghouls (same goes for acolytes/zombies, and phantasms/wizards). Knights could easily be compared to the heavily armored Pfhor Hunters. Again, you'll have to google images of all of these. [b]Edit: [/b]Furthermore, there has been much speculation and jokes on the inner decor of Hive locations. Why all the chains with hooks? who does all the tile work and masonry? Doesn't it then make more sense that this is a nightmarish dreamscape made manifest by a dreaming god? The same way the Pyramid in Pathways into Darkness was created. [u]The Traveler[/u] Your homework for this section is to read: [url]http://marathon.bungie.org/story/jjaro.html[/url] After reading this, you may be able to follow my rantings. The Traveler is a member of the Jjaro race named Yrro. A brief summary goes that after a huge war with the W'rkncacnter, the surviving Jjaro, Yrro and Pthia flee the remaining W'rkncacnter. Afterwhich: [quote]When the W'rkncacnter came, Pthia was killed, and Yrro in anger, flung the W'rkncacnter into the sun. The sun burned them, but they swam on its surface.[/quote] So the W'rkncacnter are defeated but not dead, trapped in a sun. Afterwhich Yrro is grief stricken over the loss of Pthia and leaves Lh'owon, presumably to never be seen again. Except for his arrival on Earth, which sparks the Golden Age. Evidence for this can be seen both in appearance and actions of the traveler: JJaro technology could terraform worlds: [quote]Fleeing all W'rkncacnter, Yrro and Pthia settled upon Lh'owon. They brought the S'pht, servants who began to [b]shape the deserts of Lh'owon into marsh and sea, rivers and forests. They made sisters for Lh'owon to protect and maintain the paradise[/b].[/quote] This explains the habitation of Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Jjaro could fly planets, explaining the planetary appearance of the traveler: [quote] Jjaro had the technology to move planets it is possible that they folded Lh'owon's three sisters into orbit around Lh'owon. On "For Carnage, Apply Within" Tycho tells us: In an earlier accident, the Pfhor learned that the Jjaro had the ability to warp entire planets between solar systems, and it was this reference that started Durandal on his ridiculous journey to Lh'owon.[/quote] And not to mention the grudge between the W'rkncacnter and Yrro, its no wonder the Darkness is so bent on tracking down this one Jjarro. [u]The Ghosts[/u] This a slightly more of a stretch but i believe them to be similar to the S'pht of the Marathon series. They are cybernetic helpers that Yrro created after leaving his previous helpers on Lh'owon. [u]The Vex[/u] The time travelling, single minded, mechi-organic creatures most likely stem from the S'pht which were first abandoned, then enslaved, then freed by the actions of Durandal and the PC in the Marathon series. The S'pht are also mostly cybernetic creatures which all react like one huge connected mind. During the events of Marathon infinity, the ancient S'pht AI known as Thoth, which was created by the Jjaro to command the S'pht. Although this AI is more or less a neutral agent in Marathon Infinity, it or a similar ancient Jjaro AI may hold a grudge against the Traveler for abandoning it on Lh'owon, and would not be allies or enemies of the Hive (as it may not fully recongnize them as the Pfhor). There are again visual similarities between the S'pht and the Vex, most notably in the glowing ball in the center of their chest. Also there are closer similarities between the S'pht Kr (the lost clan of S'pht) and the Vex Hydra/Undying Mind, specifically the fact that each are a floating weapons platform typically surrounded by a shield. They also had the uncanny ability to teleport at will. Edit: I'm currently working on a more in depth connection between the Vex and traveler. But the short of it is the Vex are most likely an ancient (or future) client race of the traveler (jjaro). Vex physiology seems to suggest that the liquid inside of them (Vex milk if you will) is actually a soup of microscopic organisms that act like millions of little brains. The jjaro have in the past used their technology to give sentience to otherwise non sentient organisms to create client races (helpers). Jjaro also had time travel technology, which could be how the Vex are capable of such things. In closing I at least hope this adds some more insight into the Destiny universe and its place within the Bungie-verse as a whole.