So with beyond light Bungie introduced a new mini campaign/extended tutorial called new light. Honestly it's pretty cool, and I kinda wish this is how Destiny 1 originally started. Regardless it got me thinking and eventually I realized Bungie has unwittingly created 3 versions of the main character
So let's dive into this? Three seperate yet very similar timelines, with three seperate yet very similar main character, all held together by... We'll get to that
So first off we have the [b][i][u]Prime timeline[/u][/i][/b]. In this timeline the Guardian is this demi god ultra powerful warrior who single handily killed the black heart, faught back Crota, captured and killed Skolas, killed Oryx, became an iron lord, became hero of the red war, befriended Osiris, killed a worm god, avenged Cayde six, silenced the moon, and killed the kell of house salvation. You should've realized pretty quickly I'm taking about a D1 vet, someone who's played since the game first launched.
However, starting in shadowkeep a new timeline is created. A sub line that I've decided to call [b][i][u]The beta timeline[/u][/i][/b]. In it, the Guardian is a powerfull revived light bearer that got rez'd in this strange rendition of the cosmodrome. Where the house of dusk has formed yet the signs of Siva are no longer present, including the massive chunk bitten out of the wall. The Guardian in this timeline isn't as legendary as his/her/it's [b][i][u]Prime timeline[/u][/i][/b] counter part, however they do go on to become the hero of the red war just the same and proceed to accomplish identical feats from here onwards. All prior accomplishments achieved by the [b][i][u] Prime timeline[/u][/i][/b] Guardian have now been accomplished by multiple different fire-teams of Guardians. We know this is the case because the [b][i][u]beta timeline[/u][/i][/b] Guardian is informed by his/her/it's Ghost about enemy races the prime Guardian would've already been informed about, as well as guardian achievements that the prime Guardian would've been there for
Now here's where... The [b][i][u] new light timeline[/u][/i][/b] begins. Here the Guardian is an above average light bearer who was awakened in a similar fashion to the [b][u][u]beta timeline[/u][/u][/b] Guardian, with a paradoxical cosmodrome. However the timeline splits off from one another when the [b][i][u]new light[/u][/i][/b] Guardian meets the spacial anomaly known as Shaw Hawn. Here the Guardian is taught the ropes and sent to the last city, where they get put on a mission with hunter vanguard Cayde six and later on go off to Luna to combat a hive threat.
Now I can already hear what you're saying, and yes these are a new pair of shoes. However you're probably also thinking "well this isn't true, canonically the Guardian completed all these achievements regardless of when the player starts the game". And you'd be right! From a canon perspective, however from a campaign perspective each timeline is given vastly different dialogue regarding past information. In one the Guardian killed the black heart, yet in two others multiple guardians banded together to take it down. In one timeline the Guardian met Eris mourn and led a crusade against the Hive, yet in two others they never met before
And yet... All are tied together, by one all powerfull force. Something so vastly incomprehensible that I shutter to even think about it. And that thing is...
[spoiler]you just never quit do you? Took down Ghaul, woke up the traveler
And now half of what I hear down in the city is about how much you and your clan are making a difference
People are still waiting on the vanguard to lead the way, and Guardians like you are making it happen! No pressure[/spoiler]
Hawthorne... A time altering Eldritch god that KNOWS the timelines have split, and has decided that for a brief moment every week she'll transcend time and space to remind you THE PLAYER that she's well aware of our exploits. Is she responsible for this?! DOES SHE ENJOY TOYING WITH US!? [b]ARE WE NOTHING BUT HER PLAYTHING THROUGHOUT THE EONS!!!!???[/b]
Who knows honestly, peace
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1 ReplyEdited by PhNx Hellfire: 11/26/2020 10:33:14 PM[quote]However, starting in shadowkeep a new timeline is created. A sub line that I've decided to call The beta timeline.[/quote] Actually, this is incorrect. Each expansion only follows the storyline so far and in those moments is the start of another powerful guardian (your guardian) which has no bearing on the current timeline. For example, my current guardians are original D1 guardians who following the chain of events are simply leading their lives respectively. IF my guardian did a new expansion set in a previous setting like the current cosmodrome? Then it is a flashback of a memory long gone. You can explain the lore differences by simple enough acts made by platoons and armies of darkness actions as well as NPC's like Shaw by the current patrol standard (which is to say we saw shaw and remembered our campaign missions which occurred previously and thus allowing us to play out what we would have done this time with our new classes/weapons) It's essentially adding to the current guardian background. Like how not every guardian killed Oryx (never did the raid for example), but knows Shaw. Each NPC timeline is not set necessarily in a straightforward timeline of events. We have a lot of unresolved questions about what we did and flashbacks are not just for cutscenes. Establishing guardian actions as we would is the cumulative effort any developer would ideally do so guardians can say what they would have done in the scenarios. It's also important to note we do not know how the VoG impacted things. There is a reason why one timeline of events might not be completely accurate. Like multiple timelines playing out to fulfill eventual expansions, Witch Queen and Lightfall will entail. Maybe we are taking actions now, because of the impact of VoG or otherwise, and it's merely a timeloop to redirect us back to the path the vex want us on. Just some food for thought.