Again Raputin didn't flee It's a war mind it can't flee first of all Rasputin only shut down Gosh people read and think twice before you speak on some lore I'm a lore nut Listen to lore podcasts

You cherry picked quotes from the cards and omitted some others. I'll break this down: First, I'll address the cards you give as evidence that the Guardian stayed and fought. The first Traveler card is speculation. The Narrator is a Guardian, meaning that the Narrator died, then was resurrected after the Collapse. [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin]Ghost Fragment: Rasputin[/url] further states that it is a common belief that the Guardian fought while the Warminds died. But this is obviously not true, because Rasputin survived. Now, this does not make the Guardian staying behind not true, but proves that what the Guardians consider the truth and what actually happened during the Collapse are two different things, therefore the Traveler card narrator is not a reliable source of information. You then cherry picked Ghost Fragment: Traveler 2, picking only one line from 2 and ignoring that all three cards of the series. Even without GF: Traveler 1 and 3, [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler_2]the full text of 2 is:[/url] [quote]This has been such a long chase. This will be the place you will fight. Fight and win. But do you really know why you go where you go, and where this journey is taking you? The chase leads you where you need to be, you believe. Unless...you are being pushed.[/quote] And this further requires context from [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler]Ghost Fragment: The Traveler[/url] and [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler_3]Ghost Fragment: Traveler 3[/url] In short, the three segments are a logically connected monologue presumably directed to the Traveler somehow related to the titular "Dreams of Aplha Lupi (Alpha Wolf)" all three reference. The monologue first states what we know, that the Traveler moves from system to system, cultivates life according to some grand design, then runs when the Darkness catches up to it. But it also suggests that the Traveler itself does not know why it does so. It states that it has no memory of wanting worship or gratitude and that it has become so wary from its journey that it acts on instinct, its memories became a burden it fears. When it says that Sol is where the Traveler will fight, it goes on to suggest that both where it goes and why it leaves is not by its own design. In fact, it outright suggests that the Traveler does not run, but rather is "pushed" by something, either the Darkness or something that drives both. Finally, it describes a knife of million blades that pins the Traveler and strips it of its godhood. It cannot see. It has no senses. Only the "slick heart of its soul" remains, keeping alive what the Guardian feared - its memories. When put together, these Grimoire entries outright confirm that if not for some outside force, the Traveler would have fled again but not done so because it wanted to but rather be "pushed" again. Yes, the Traveler stayed and "fought", but it only did so because it was crippled and all but destroyed, freeing its memories and also possibly whatever influence compelled it to continue the cycle. [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Mysteries]Finally, Ghost Fragment: Mysteries[/url] In here, indeed it seems like the narrator is Rasputin, as it takes the same method of talking as it does in other fragments, but the interpretation is not clear. Rasputin seems to suggest that the only way to defeat IT is to be alone and presumably focus everything on a singular purpose, just like IT forces itself. The Traveler does not do so, in fact, the Traveler uplifts and uses civilizations for that purpose, "weakening" itself in the process. If we interpret that and consider the Alpha Lupi fragments, this seems to suggest that by crippling the Traveler Rasputin would do exactly that, "force" it to focus on IT rather then have it fly to uplift another civilization. Again, on its own, this sentence does indeed suggest the Traveler fought to protect humans. But there is an overwhelming amount of evidence suggesting that is not what it meant, listed both above and bellow. Now, next you move on to [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_5]Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 5[/url] and proceed to misinterpret it. What you did here is made a mistake in the order Rasputin considered its logic as well as some minor descriptive errors. I'll elaborate by lines of Ras 5: Apart from the Neutrino Needle line, the first 4 lines are the usual classification Rasputin uses to categorize/tag its directives and decisions. [quote]This is a SUBTLE ASSETS IMPERATIVE (NO HUMAN REVIEW) (NO AI-COM REVIEW) (secure/ABHOR).[/quote] Rasputin was made to learn and to survive, therefore it created a secret imperative for itself. This is hidden from all humans and AIs. It is also aware this is a immoral, everything has gone to shit imperative. [quote]Stand by for CRITERIA:[/quote] These are the 8 conditions required for the imperative to be activated. They are: [quote]Under CARRHAE (WHITE or BLACK) If SECURITY STATE is EGYPTIAN If event rank is TEILHARD: TRAUMATIC CONTEXT or SKYSHOCK: OUTSIDE CONTEXT If VOLUSPA is ACTIVE and in FAILURE [synapse to FENRIR::SURTR] If YUGA is ACTIVE and in SUNDOWN If AI-COM has granted PERMISSIVE POTENTIATION to outboard resilient instances If a CIVILIZATION KILL EVENT is underway [all flexions] If tactical morality is built at MIDNIGHT[/quote] All of these are implied or outright declared in [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness]Ghost Fragment: Darkness[/url] and [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_3] Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 3[/url] and flow in a natural order from detecting a doomsday style event, to checking for contingencies against it (and their failure) and finally for a declaration that a civilization-ending event is taking place and that AI-COM, presumably Rasputin, is seeding itself into outside channels to survive (hence it is on Mars) This is where you made an error in interpretation, as these are all conditions Rasputin needs to activate this imperative. This means that even though it abandoned its other defensive imperatives and is seeding itself to survive, it also is actively running this function. The next line is not a conditional as you interpreted it, but rather active monitoring of a variable and instructions if it triggers: [quote]Stand by for DECISION POINT: If available ISR and WARWATCH indicates imminent [O] departure >then [O] departure compromises human/neohuman survival and epoch strategy Stand by for ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE: Activate LOKI CROWN Perform deniable authorization: full caedometric and noetic release Prevent [O] departure by any means available [/quote] Rasputin deduced at some point that if the Traveler leaves, everyone dies. Probably including itself and at this point, it is oriented purely on survival. It then monitors results: [quote]Stand by for effect assessment criteria: Coerce pseudoaltruistic [O] defensive action. Defer civilization kill.[/quote] Meaning it is trying to force the Traveler to defend itself and survivors and at least defers total anihilation. It is entirely possible that this is done to make sure it has time to guarantee its own survival. Now if we put this together with GF: Traveler 1-3, we can deduce that the Traveler did indeed intend to flee, not even by its own design. Finally you state that there is no confirmation of this, but this is wrong. Behold, [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Old_Russia]Ghost Fragment: Old Russia[/url] In here, we see a ship taking off and making final checks before deploying a caedometric weapon, the same weapon that Rasputin planned to use as part of LOKI CROWN. The flight controlers even mention that this is happening under SECURE ISIS, meaning that Rasputin is keeping is secret from anyone it can, but the controlers both seem to be aware who authorized the order. EDIT: After a conversation in this thread and reading through [url=http://db.destinytracker.com/grimoire/places/earth/ghost-fragment-old-russia-3]Ghost Fragment: Old Russia 3[/url] I have come to the realization that there is also another possible scenario - Rasputin declares humanity screwed and prepares for its MIDNIGHT contingency, thus clearing all 8 conditions in the abhorrent imperative. Since at this point it is very likely it is one of the last Warminds, and regardless, it has control over Earths defenses, it authorizes SABER GREEN to carry a doomsday, antimater "anihilation pumped caedometric" weapon ([url=http://www.latin-dictionary.org/caedo]caedo is latin for a lot of nasty stuff[/url]), programs whatever weapons it needs to watch for sings of the Traveler leaving Sol, then disperses itself and hibernates. SECURE ISIS is no longer maintained, mass panic ensues as humanity realizes its screwed (results in creation of the Reef and the mess at the outskirts of the Cosmodrome), the Traveler feels it needs to move again, but is stopped by the weapons Rasputin planted, but without any active involvement of Rasputin (hence everyone assumed it was destroyed beforehand) /EDIT So yeah no. You made mistakes in assumptions, omitted context and finally did not include Old Russia's log. Nothing here suggests that the Traveler did not intend to run for the hills, in fact it seemed not to have a choice in the matter as at this point it was moving purely by force of habbit. EDIT: Various coding mistakes and tidying up, typos. EDIT2: Added some additional thoughts about GF: Old Russia and its timeline.

However it went, it's crazy to think: every other civilization the traveler leaves, with the darkness catching up an destroying that civilization. The traveler keeps doing this in the hopes it can help some sort of beings out so that they can defeat the darkness, and now at our planet it has done that. Just a crazy thought.

Reading lore discussion is a thousand times better than reading nerf posts from trials fanatics

I just had an idea. There's no direct statement saying that Rasputin actually shot the Traveler, only had a plan to in case, right? What if the reason the bottom of the Traveler looks all broken is because each Ghost is made from parts of the Traveler? Notice how our Ghost is made up of several pieces held together by light. What if the Traveler's outer layer is made up of those pieces?

I don't believe that Rasputin's shot was against the Traveller. I don't think that would have worked - the Traveller could stand up against much more than just a really big bomb. The Traveller had to be coerced. The Traveller's morality had to be utilised and triggered in a certain way to prevent it from leaving. What did Rasputin do? He abandoned his own morality and took an action that he knew to be morally abhorrent. He deployed a weapon that killed most of humanity. Those that were spared were either exceedingly lucky or already under the protection of the Traveller. In the case of an Outside Context Problem (nice Iain M Banks reference there) where a Civilisation Kill event was already underway Rasputin decided to ash the planet in order to convince the Traveller to stay. Humanity had a chance. It had fleets, it had colonies, it had stations, it had advanced propulsion systems *presumably* FTL, if not NLS. The Dead Orbit strategy could have been enacted. This would leave humanity like the Fallen, homeless, wanderers hopelessly chasing the Traveller and falling to Darkness as hope sped away from them. But alive. Rasputin killed that chance. Rasputin left the last main remnants of humanity those that were directly shielded by the Traveller. If it left it would be directly responsible for the eradication of humanity. Rasputin knew that the Traveller would not be able to take that decision morally, and so would be forced to stand and shield, even at the risk of loss of self. So yes, Rasputin prevented the Traveller from leaving, but don't think that he should be hailed as a hero, his methods were by his own admission abhorrent.

I wonder how many more people are going to buy into your crap interpretations. You should make a video lore series like VaatiVidya and steal ideas from others.

The only (and very minor) nitpick I have with this obviously well researched account is the association of "midnight" with RSPN hibernation. This goes to the YUGA condition. In Hindu tradition the Yugas are four cyclical ages of the world. RSPN uses the designation YUGA SUNDOWN, making it seem like the cycle of Yugas is tied to the day/night cycle in the context of his coded logic. I would assume therefore that YUGA MIDNIGHT refers to a dark age period. MIDNIGHT EXIGENT is probably a prearranged response to YUGA MIDNIGHT, but whether or not that refers to hibernation is up for debate. It seems unlikely that the original plan was to go into hiding, and more likely that RSPN abandoned his planned response in the face of overwhelming odds.

Instead of reading that wall of text so large you could defend westeros with it, I'm just going I state what happened. The Traveler grew tired of running and seeing it's children die. It decided that running was no longer worth it and humanity was its last and best hope for the Light. As a result is decided to stay and fight with us. Rasputin didn't know this, and though she was going to run anyway, so he shot ungodly amounts of firepower at her. The result explosion created a wave of light that radiated across the system. This wave of light pushed back the Darkness temporarily. Where the wave of light and Darkness first encountered and clashed was in the asteroid belt. The two powers clashing killed most humans and changed the survivors into Awoken.

I like how the traveler was suppose to be evil

Good read - love the lore of this game, and love reading everyone's interpretations and thoughts. I agree completely.

Read the Book of Sorrows. It will explain her habits.

Props to OP and Silencer.....very good read. I rushed through the game like most and know nothing about the Lore. Good stuff.

Rasputin was programmed to protect Humanity. He fired upon the Traveler to stop it from abandoning Earth as a contingency plan; if the Traveler wanted to live, it had to protect Humanity.