In another thread from yesterday, I posted my [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/76818576/0/0/1]theory[/url] regarding the story in Destiny. But someone in that thread, [b]M16 EPIC[/b], provided a counter theory that I think is above and beyond anything I've seen on this forum. I had to post this separately because I didn't want it to get buried. Here it is: [quote]There was a Golden Age, and there is not a simulation. Your ghost is an incarnation of Dr. Shin. That is why he is surprised when he hears the name. He worked on research that would be very surprising to many; the Speaker is the prophet of the Darkness, and the Traveler its vessel. It caused the collapse when it realized our strength came from the Light. The collapse was able to kill most of us and bring the rest under its supervision. It is not weak, it just needs an excuse to keep us close. We can wield "Dark" weapons so well because they are really Light weapons. "Light" weapons are so effective in the Crucible because they are really Dark. The Hive can use the energy of the Traveler to summon Crota because it is the same entity as Oryx, the spherical being they worship. We are its new zombie army. It chose us over its previous warriors for our strength. The Cabal, Hive, and Fallen were all once its disciples, but were abandoned. Some Awoken stayed away in the Reef and allied with the Fallen, knowing the dark nature of the Traveler. The Hive and Cabal want the traveler back for the power it gave. The Fallen want to destroy it for what it has done, but they have a Dark side. The Vex are the gardeners of Light. The Black Garden is the source of the Light the Traveler wants to destroy. The Grimoire Card for the Black Garden talks of peaceful robotic gardeners and lots of life. The Guardian is cut and bleeds Darkness. The Vex seek to eliminate the species serving the Darkness. They are not trying to make time irrelevant for their personal gain, but are trying to protect it from being corrupted by the Traveler. The Warminds are sentient AI that discovered Dr. Shin's research during the collapse. They sealed themselves away in vaults. They have a following of Guardians in the form of the Seven Seraphs faction. Rasputin, the leader of the Warminds, is hiding in the Seraphim Vault on Earth. He has tricked the Hive into Guarding him. Charlemagne is in his Vault on Mars, guarded by the Cabal he has tricked. Crota is really the Warmind of the moon, who has also tricked the Hive. Aetheon, along with the other Warminds, sided with the Vex realizing their Light was genuine. He was locked in the Vault of Glass. Osiris is the Warmind of Mercury. We have been tricked into defending him. Jupiter and Saturn also have Warminds. They disguise themselves as our enemies to blend in. The Warminds want to save us from the Darkness. The Traveler wants to eliminate them, and has gotten us to take out one already. All raids will be attacks on them except the Reef raid, where we will be tricked into destroying the enlightened Awoken. The Exo Stranger wants to show us the real Light. She is allied with the Awoken of the Reef, specifically the Queen's brother. They reach out to the strongest Guardians to appeal to their Light. The real endgame will be a Last City raid to destroy the Traveler and kill the Speaker.[/quote] Pretty amazing stuff. What he presented seems totally congruent with what we know. Very impressive. Hats off to you M16 EPIC.