The universe of Destiny is rich with compelling characters and cosmic forces, none more enigmatic and central than the Traveler. This colossal, spherical entity, often referred to as the Great Machine, hangs silently above the Last City, a beacon of hope and a source of immense power. But what is the Destiny Traveler? Why is it here, and what is its true purpose? This article delves into the lore of the Traveler, exploring its history, its influence, and the mysteries that still surround this pivotal figure in the Destiny universe.
D1 Traveler
Overview: Source of Light and Guardian of Humanity
The Destiny Traveler is a paracausal entity of immense power, intrinsically linked to the Light, a fundamental force in the Destiny universe. It is the wellspring of Ghosts and the Light-based abilities wielded by Guardians, humanity’s protectors. While not the sole source of Light, the Traveler is undeniably a major one, its very presence shaping civilizations and worlds.
Its physical composition is as mysterious as its origins. The Traveler’s outer shell is described as being constructed from lead, neutronium, and “electroweak matter,” the latter hinting at forces from the universe’s earliest moments. The internal workings remain largely unknown, though legends speak of a “Womb” within, a cosmos-in-miniature where Ghosts are said to originate. While the veracity of entering the Traveler physically is debated, the Pale Heart serves as a domain reflecting the Traveler’s consciousness, a space that can be molded by those who enter.
Historically, the Destiny Traveler’s motivations appear rooted in altruism. It has uplifted countless civilizations, offering technological advancements and terraforming planets to foster life. It has never sought worship or exerted undue influence, often departing quietly once its work was complete. Its prolonged presence above Earth, and its active defense of humanity against the Darkness, mark it as a unique and perhaps desperate act.
A History Spanning Millennia: From Ancient Civilizations to the Last City
The Traveler’s history stretches back billions of years, its true origins shrouded in mystery. Ancient messages hint at a connection to the Veil, another paracausal entity, suggesting they may have once been “two halves of a whole.”
Billions of years ago, the Traveler was discovered on a desolate world by a precursor species. Awakening, it terraformed their planet and gifted them paracausal powers, ushering in a golden age. This civilization revered the Traveler as “The Gardener.” However, the Traveler offered no guidance, leading the civilization to seek deeper meaning and purpose. They discovered the Veil, a source of Darkness, and believed uniting it with the Traveler would unlock the “Final Shape,” a perfect, eternal state for the universe. When the Traveler resisted this forced union and fled, this precursor race merged into the Witness, embarking on a crusade to capture the Traveler and achieve their vision of the Final Shape.
The Traveler continued its journey, visiting civilizations like the Lubraeans and the Ammonite. On Fundament, the Traveler encountered the Krill, a primitive species. Fearing the Traveler would uplift them, the Witness manipulated the Krill, leading them to become the Hive, monstrous beings dedicated to the Darkness. The Traveler fled, leaving the Ammonite to be destroyed by the Hive. Harmony, another civilization touched by the Traveler, also fell to the Hive.
Before arriving in the Sol System, the Traveler visited Riis, homeworld of the Eliksni (Fallen). It uplifted their civilization, but as on other worlds, the Black Fleet, servants of the Darkness, attacked. The Traveler fled again, leaving the Eliksni to face the cataclysm known as the Whirlwind.
Earth’s Golden Age and the Devastating Collapse
The Traveler’s arrival in our solar system marked the beginning of humanity’s Golden Age. Initially detected near Jupiter and dubbed “Moon X,” it terraformed moons and planets across the Sol System, captivating humanity. A mission, Ares One, was launched to meet this enigmatic visitor as it approached Mars. Physicist Evie Calumet named it “The Traveler,” recognizing its purposeful movements. The Traveler transformed Mars, bringing rain to the red planet, and then guided humanity to unprecedented technological and societal advancement, ushering in a Golden Age of expansion across the solar system.
This era of prosperity ended abruptly with the Collapse. The Black Fleet arrived, unleashing devastation. For the first time, the Traveler chose to stand and fight, abandoning its work on Io to protect humanity. The battle was catastrophic. The Traveler, though damaged, managed to project a beam of Light, saving the Exodus ship Yang Liwei, albeit tragically. Savathûn’s intervention caused the Black Fleet to withdraw, but the Traveler was left crippled, dormant above Earth. In its final act before slumber, the Traveler created Ghosts, small, sentient machines tasked with finding and resurrecting worthy individuals as Lightbearers, humanity’s last hope.
The Dark Age, City Age, and the Red War
Humanity struggled to survive in the ensuing Dark Age. Lightbearers emerged, some becoming benevolent protectors, others ruthless Warlords. Eventually, the Last City was built in the Traveler’s shadow, a haven for humanity’s remnants. Factions formed, leading to conflict, but a new generation of Lightbearers, the Guardians, rose to defend the City and face external threats.
A Guardian’s actions against Hive rituals and the Black Heart in the Black Garden subtly aided the Traveler’s recovery, though it remained largely inactive. Then came the Red War. The Cabal Red Legion, under Dominus Ghaul, launched a devastating attack, capturing the Traveler in a cage to steal its Light. Despite being imprisoned, the Traveler guided Lightless Guardians to regain their powers. Ghaul, failing to earn the Traveler’s favor, forcibly took the Light, but the Traveler, in a surge of power, broke free of its cage, destroyed Ghaul, and began a slow process of self-repair.
Though awakened, the Traveler remained silent, hovering above the Last City. Ikora Rey later revealed that the Traveler communicated through visions, guiding Guardians to Io and new abilities. However, the ancient enemy, the Witness, was returning.
The Witness Returns and the Traveler’s Stand
As Guardians faced escalating threats – Hive fortresses, Vex invasions, and the looming superweapon, the Almighty – the Black Fleet approached. Pyramid ships arrived, heralding the Witness’s return. The Traveler remained seemingly passive, even as Pyramids landed on various planets.
As the Pyramids consumed Io, Mars, Mercury, and Titan, the Traveler gathered Light to repair itself, an event witnessed by all Guardians. It reached out to Crow, sending visions and leading to the discovery of a Traveler shard and the Hawkmoon hand cannon.
Disturbing revelations emerged during the Witch Queen campaign. The Traveler had seemingly intentionally granted Light to Savathûn and her Lucent Brood. Rhulk, a Disciple of the Witness, was rebuked by the Traveler when he attempted to study a Ghost, the Traveler directly intervening and destroying the Ghost rather than allowing Rhulk to study it.
Despite these unsettling events, the Traveler remained above the Last City as the Witness drew closer. Eramis, seeking revenge, activated Rasputin’s protocol to attack the Traveler if it attempted to flee. When the Traveler began to drift away, Eramis ordered the attack, but Rasputin sacrificed himself to save the Traveler, preventing its departure. The Witness declared the Traveler had nowhere left to run, having arrived in the Sol System with the Black Fleet. Zavala, however, believed the Traveler was choosing to stand its ground.
The Pale Heart and the Final Battle
The Traveler and Vanguard fleet engaged the Black Fleet. The Traveler fired a beam of Light, but it did not deter the Witness. Eight Pyramids formed around the Traveler, and the Witness opened a portal into the Pale Heart, inscribing a triangle on the Traveler’s surface and entering with several Pyramids.
The Guardians followed, venturing into the Pale Heart. They learned to wield both Light and Darkness, Prismatic power, and ultimately confronted the Witness. In a final, desperate battle, Guardians channeled the Traveler’s Light through their Ghosts, unmaking the Witness and ending its reign of terror. The victory came at a cost, the Guardians’ Ghosts being destroyed by the Light surge, though the Traveler, through Cayde-6, revived the Guardian’s Ghost.
Echoes of the Traveler
Despite the victory, the Traveler’s Pale Heart remained open, emitting a mysterious aurora, the Valence. Echoes of the Witness, imbued with paracausal energy, began appearing, hinting at lingering threats.
Visions of the Traveler: Glimpses into the Great Machine’s Mind
Visions experienced within the Pale Heart offer fragmented insights into the Traveler’s experiences and emotions. These visions reveal:
- Ancient Memory: A sense of loss, severance, and a tether remaining between Light and Shadow.
- Civilizations Uplifted: The Traveler observing flourishing civilizations, but also sensing their shift from discovery to demanding worship.
- Confusion and Dread: The Traveler experiencing frustration, pain, and fear, lacking answers and burdened by memory.
- The Collapse: A vision of shedding infection and storms of recollection, possibly representing the devastating Collapse.
- Creation of Ghosts: The Traveler sacrificing pieces of itself to create Ghosts, a “martyrdom” of hope.
- Afterlife within the Traveler?: A vision of peace and unity within the Traveler, a potential afterlife for Guardians.
- Guardians as Part of Something Greater: Guardians as waves crashing on distant shores, part of a larger, still unknown tapestry.
- Transformation: The Traveler undergoing a chaotic transformation, a mingling of Light and Darkness, changing in profound ways.
- The Gardener: A vision of a barren desert, cloaked figures finding salvation in the “Gardener.”
- Silence and Demands: Civilizations questioning and demanding, met with the Traveler’s silence.
- The Witness’s Rise: The shift from seeking answers from the Traveler to seeking them from the Darkness, leading to the Witness.
- Unseen Civilizations: The Traveler observing civilizations without truly knowing them, their lives unfolding independently.
- The Hive’s Corruption and Savathûn’s Defiance: The Hive falling to the lies of the deep, but one rising up, met with the Traveler’s love.
- The Ammonite’s Fall: A world of harmony and joy turning to silence and loss, the fall of the Ammonite.
- Saving Ten Trillion: The Traveler saving a civilization from a dying star, but their fate remaining unknown.
- Riis and the Whirlwind: A painful vision of Riis, the Eliksni homeworld, and the Traveler’s flight during the Whirlwind.
- Earth, the Last Stand: The Traveler choosing to remain on Earth, facing the Darkness rather than fleeing.
- Ghosts and the Cycle of Light: Ghosts as pieces of the Traveler returning to the whole upon their demise, completing a cycle.
Traveler Status Variations: A Living Entity
The Tower regularly announces fluctuations in the Traveler’s Light emissions, suggesting it is not a static object but a dynamic entity undergoing cycles and phases. These announcements, while cryptic, reinforce the idea of the Traveler as a living, evolving force in the Destiny universe.
Conclusion: An Enduring Mystery
The Destiny Traveler remains one of the most compelling and mysterious elements of the Destiny universe. From its ancient origins and its role in uplifting civilizations, to its desperate stand against the Darkness and its ongoing transformation, the Traveler’s story is interwoven with the fate of humanity and the ongoing cosmic struggle between Light and Darkness. Even with the Witness defeated, the Traveler’s true nature and ultimate purpose continue to inspire questions and fuel the ongoing saga of Destiny.
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