With the Dark Below just a day away I've been thinking about it a good amount. So supposedly the team Eris went into the Hellmouth with long ago was thought to have all been killed, and she managed to barely make it out alive herself. [b][u]To her knowledge[/u][/b] her entire team died. The thought came to mind that perhaps she was wrong and someone survived, afterall we don't know who was on her team... Is it possible Xur was a member of her team and had survived and simply made it out before Eris did? Perhaps The Nine orchestrated the original mission, working to prevent the Hive from becoming a force they couldn't handle, and things went south. Xur survived and made it out, with who knows what kind of knowledge....or power. The Nine are wise, powerful, and secretive. Perhaps Xur found out more than he should have, and at risk of him sharing what he knew The Nine instead took control of his mind, using him no longer as a warrior but as a merchant, their puppet, their eyes wherever they wish to see... Whenever Xur is in the tower, his speech is very limited. He makes clear that he doesn't control the vessel he's in, he can feel himself decaying, and he appears wherever The Nine wish. Other than that, it's like he's trapped inside of his mind while his body moves against his will, everything he does and says being under their supervision and control. Further supporting this theory is the appearance of Xur himself. Eris lost her vision and bleeds from her eyes from the horrors she witnessed on her mission and covers herself with a veil and dark armor. Xur clearly has been deformed as well, so badly that his face is consumed by tentacles with glowing orbs for eyes, shrouded in darkness, much like Eris', hiding his figure underneath tattered, mangled robes.... What if Xur was once a powerful warlock trained by the Nine like Eris was, and whatever he witnessed on their mission not only nearly killed him, but corrupted him so badly that The Darkness forever became a part of him, and to stop the news of what happened from spreading and to contain Xur himself, not knowing what's kind of powers that level of corruption could have done to him, The Nine directly took control of him and concealed his identity in fear of all of them being hunted down if anyone were to find out what they'd done and what horrors they sent their warriors into... Just something to think about.