Last Saturday we took a look back into the past comparing what we knew then to what we know now. This week we're going to the Moon to see if we can't take a peek at the mysterious race that's hiding there.

The Facts:

Inspired by the classic undead from fantasy fiction, the Hive are an impossibly ancient race that has kept themselves alive on tomb-like sarcophagus ships. The Hive delve deep into a planetoid, unheeding of the damage they do in the process, crafting linked caverns and gothic-inspired columns. Their underground spaces are like a dungeon that has only recently been pulled up from too long underwater. Destroy them, and their dry, mummy-like flesh ignites in a shower of dust and embers. In keeping with the theme, the Hive have names drawn from fantasy. Thralls attack in a shambling mob, usually unarmored and without weapons. Troopers do the bulk of the combat, but are often assisted by Knights wielding enormous cleavers. Wizards wear long, crumbling robes and fly overhead to unleash their spells, drawing on the power of the Darkness to fuel their powers. Delve deep enough, and eventually you’re likely to find an Ogre, a gigantic mass of muscle and rage that might stomp you to death if it doesn’t catch you with a blast of violet energy from -its -head.

The Hive incursion is a chilling development. Whatever dark purpose drove them to tear apart the Moon now calls them here, to Earth. We can't wait for the Hive's next move. We must track them into the heart of their power, uncover their plans, and stop them.

Like Earth, the ruins of humanity's former glory can be found scattered across the familiar lunar surface. Recent exploration attempts have been repulsed, reporting increased enemy activity, and even strange tectonic phenomenon. The City has since classified the Moon as a "Forbidden Zone,” open only to our most brave and experienced Guardians.

Think space zombies. They’re the most fantasy-inspired race. We’ve imagined them as this ancient alien race that’s kept themselves alive by some magical means for millennia. They just float through the solar system on these big, sarcophagus-looking ships. It’s really playing up the feeling of zombies and fantasy undead. It also plays with the feeling of royalty, like they might have kings or they might have knights.

Their main units are a mixture of organic and inorganic so they’re not clothed like a lot of units. You’re not sure if the armor is organic or if it’s ceremonial armor that they put on a million years ago and it’s sort of grown into their skin. An organic shell that’s sort of grown in a way that almost resembles knights’ armor. You’ll see their dry, mummy-like flesh exposed. And then when you shoot them they’ll burst into dust and embers.

What if the deeper you went the stranger the Moon became?

...where a dark army dreams of conquest and corruption

The Hellmouth is a fortress cored deep into the Moon. This structure was always designed to conjure up imagery associated with a medieval castle. Darren Bacon’s concept for the Gatehouse (left) conveys many appropriate themes for the Hive: including mystery, darkness, evil, strength and militarism.

Hive manipulate the physical world in ways that we can only begin to imagine. The Hive have carved a kingdom deep into the lifeless core of the Moon, and it is there they remain, silent and buried among many dark and terrible secrets, a reminder of the tremendous power that brought forth the Collapse.

The Hive: That shiver you feel up your spine is truth. There are nightmares rising from the shadows, and they hunger for our dying hope. The Hive are an ancient, festering evil. Their antipathy to the Light transcends hatred. To the Hive, the eternal struggle between light and dark is not only a war, it is a crusade-all Light must be devoured so Darkness can reclaim the universe.

Thrall: The shadows have claws. Feral and fearless, Thrall are a plague upon the battlefield. Their swarming, twisted frames are driven by unfettered rage. Of all the terrors born of the Hive's vile will, they are the basest.

Acolyte: Belief is a powerful weapon. But, so is an Arc Rifle. It would be a mistake to view the Hive's Acolytes as foot soldiers, because the Hive is not an army, it is a dark force rising. It is belief and horror, and its Acolytes are the instruments of that horror, hungry to commit the atrocities that will drive their own ascension.

In "The Dark Below," you'll discover an ancient tomb has been unsealed. Beneath the surface of the Moon, a dark god has answered centuries of prayer, and a dark army has risen. Explore the true depths of the Hellmouth. Stop the dark Hive ritual and survive.

Informed Supposition:

- Although the references are somewhat subtle, it almost feels like The Hive are something of the opposite of the heroes of Camelot. They have a strong belief that the way of the Darkness is the one true way. They have Thrall, Acolytes, Knights, and Wizards, a very mediaeval sounding group of units. They also seem to be on a (dark) crusade to snuff out the Light wherever they find it. Based on some of the descriptions above, it doesn't sound like the Moon was their first planetary takeover.

- Based on a little detective work, it seems like we might just know where The Hellmouth is located on the moon! Read further down that thread for some great Apollo camera shots of the crater in question! (Need a 1.2GB image of The Hellmouth? NASA will set you up!)

- Of all our enemies in Destiny, the Hive are the only ones to be directly linked to the Darkness. The Fallen come off as opportunistic space pirates. The Vex have some strange reason to travel through time and combat us, but it feels like maybe they're acting on their own. The Cabal are said to be an organized military force securing positions and feel like they have their own agenda. But The Hive are said to be crusaders for the Darkness. How does an entire race end up working for something called "the Darkness?" Do you just hold an election and vote to be evil?

- The Hive are said to have a dark god in their Hellmouth fortress deep beneath the Moon. What is this dark god? Is it going to provide them with their army or some other power? Why has it waited until now to answer (presumably) the Hive's prayers? It seems a sizable portion of Humanity was vulnerable and scattered about the Earth in the times after the Collapse, why not strike then instead of now? Perhaps The Traveler, or even our Golden Age ancestors gave The Hive a beating they didn't soon forget? Maybe they've been waiting until they think they can take us instead of getting beaten a second time?

- Could the Bridge of Chains be a preview of The Hive assembling their army?

- In a similar fashion to our Guardians being brought back to life from the Golden Age, and the Fallen having some strange connection to death with their souls leaving their bodies when killed, are The Hive also truly undead? Have they been preserved by the Darkness in order to combat us? Traveling in "tomb-like sarcophagus ships" certainly points in that direction.

- Could the Hive's manipulation of the world that we don't understand be the way they built the Hellmouth on our moon? Maybe they formed it through matter manipulation as much as they dug it out via mechanical methods?

- Are there other Hive ships and bases throughout our solar system? Perhaps even completely defeating them and driving them from our Moon would only be step one?

- We've seen Hive Ogres chained up deep beneath the Moon's surface. Why? Their other forces seem to act as an army of sorts. What's different about Ogres that they need to be kept bound up? Why don't they respect the other Hive? Are they perhaps some sort of mutated abominations that are driven mad while being made huge and powerful?

Rampant Speculation:

- Could the Hive be one of the Darkness' main weapons? The Traveler comes and makes worlds habitable. The Hive come and tear into the heart of worlds and make them grim and dark and dangerous.

- Is it possible, despite some hard evidence saying that the Hive believe in the Darkness, that the Hive have actually themselves been enslaved? While it's always a bit dangerous to reach back twenty years, some of the visual similarities to Marathon are striking and notable:

- Are The Hive Destiny's Flood? They fit a few of the criteria: Undead-ish, Zombie-like, an affinity for burrowing in and festering. Do they perhaps have a hive mind? Do they perhaps infect or zombify other races? I don't think they'll be exactly like the Flood since Bungie seems to be purposely avoiding direct Halo crossovers, but the similarities are there.

- Is the Hive even a collection of individuals? It seems pretty clear that The Fallen are, with ranks and positions and punishments and rewards, but what of the Hive? If anything, I'd speculate that Wizards are at least closer to individuals and leaders than the rest of them...

- Why do The Hive hate the Light anyway? Is it a religious hate or a more practical one? Does The Traveler perhaps make it much harder for them to Hiveform worlds? They choose our dead rock of a Moon to make their vast fortress. Perhaps The Traveler's remaking of lifeless worlds into ones that more "standard" races (like Humanity, the Fallen, and the Cabal) can live on has the opposite effect for the Hive, making their expansions significantly harder? Maybe The Traveler even terraformed a world or worlds belonging to The Hive, killing millions or billions, or trillions of them in the process? By accident?

- Could The Hive actually be the Darkness? They certainly seem evil enough. They like to destroy and conquer instead of bring life and prosperity. They've been right on our doorstep since the time of (their defeat?!) our collapse. This doesn't really fit with the theme of the Darkness returning soon, since the Hive are already here... but nothing says our enemies can't hide in plain sight!

- If the Light is represented by The Traveler and Human exploration and colonization and the Darkness is represented by the undead-like Hive and partial planetary destruction, what is the transcendent plan some of the Awoken on the Reef believe in? A balanced eternal struggle with no winners? A universe free of either side? Could the Light and Darkness be nothing more than ancient Giants dominating our universal playground, trying to bend us into following their predispositions towards Order and Chaos? Maybe the correct path is to leave both behind and embrace our own Destiny?

That's all I've got on The Hive, but maybe I've missed something that you know about? Maybe you're screaming at the top of your lungs some obvious fact I've forgotten! Well stop screaming and post. Let the rest of us know what you think.

Next Saturday: The Vex

Robots of hammered bronze traveling from another time to battle us here and now? What's that all about? Join me next Saturday as I once again gather the Facts, makes some Informed Suppositions, and get carried away with a good dose of Rampant Speculation. Until then:

All Speculation Saturdays:
Speculation Saturday #1: The Golden Age
Speculation Saturday #2: The Fall
Speculation Saturday #3: The Fallen
Speculation Saturday #4: The City
Speculation Saturday #5: The Gameplay
Speculation Saturday #6: What's New?
Speculation Saturday #7: The Hive
Speculation Saturday #8: The Vex
Speculation Saturday #9: The Cabal

Hey, I'm searching for a job and would love to be doing something like this! If you can help in any way take a look at my LinkedIn. Thanks!

- Of all our enemies in Destiny, the Hive are the only ones to be directly linked to the Darkness. The Fallen come off as opportunistic space pirates. The Vex have some strange reason to travel through time and combat us, but it feels like maybe they're acting on their own. The Cabal are said to be an organized military force securing positions and feel like they have their own agenda. But The Hive are said to be crusaders for the Darkness. How does an entire race end up working for something called "the Darkness?" Do you just hold an election and vote to be evil?

Looking at Germany in the mid-1930s through mid-1940s, yeah, maybe.

- Are there other Hive ships and bases throughout our solar system? Perhaps even completely defeating them and driving them from our Moon would only be step one?

Well yeah, they're in "Old Russia", so presumably they'll be in other places besides there and the Moon.

- Could the Hive be one of the Darkness' main weapons? The Traveler comes and makes worlds habitable. The Hive come and tear into the heart of worlds and make them grim and dark and dangerous.

I don't know but that sounds interesting and plausible.

- Is it possible, despite some hard evidence saying that the Hive believe in the Darkness, that the Hive have actually themselves been enslaved?

Being slaves and believing in a cause your masters believe in-- or want you to believe in-- is definitely possible.

- Are The Hive Destiny's Flood? They fit a few of the criteria: Undead-ish, Zombie-like, an affinity for burrowing in and festering. Do they perhaps have a hive mind? Do they perhaps infect or zombify other races? I don't think they'll be exactly like the Flood since Bungie seems to be purposely avoiding direct Halo crossovers, but the similarities are there.

I don't know, I just know those barnacle things seem like a bad sign. They look, well, kinda gnarly, they're apparently often found around Hive ships or insertion craft or whatever, and they emit a black... mist? smoke? gas? which I think has also been seen coming from the Hive, and which I can't help but think is maybe (like probably*) tied to the Darkness and/or largely consisting of Hive spores.

* like definitely OMG u guys it has 2 be its so clear zOMFGG u guise *ahem* but seriously, it seems so obviously bad, it's hard to think it'll be ignored or brushed off unless they remove it entirely

- Is the Hive even a collection of individuals? It seems pretty clear that The Fallen are, with ranks and positions and punishments and rewards, but what of the Hive? If anything, I'd speculate that Wizards are at least closer to individuals and leaders than the rest of them...

Calling a vast swath of them "Thralls" could certainly be telling... or it could just be a cool name... not really any way to know at this point. :/

- Why do The Hive hate the Light anyway? Is it a religious hate or a more practical one? Does The Traveler perhaps make it much harder for them to Hiveform worlds? They choose our dead rock of a Moon to make their vast fortress. Perhaps The Traveler's remaking of lifeless worlds into ones that more "standard" races (like Humanity, the Fallen, and the Cabal) can live on has the opposite effect for the Hive, making their expansions significantly harder? Maybe The Traveler even terraformed a world or worlds belonging to The Hive, killing millions or billions, or trillions of them in the process? By accident?

I'd be for some quote-unquote legitimate reason for the Hive's hate, characterization is good and all that.
As for whether it's religious or practical, perhaps both? That would play into allusions to the Crusades that you picked up on, two forces battling over both land and faith.

- Could The Hive actually be the Darkness? They certainly seem evil enough. They like to destroy and conquer instead of bring life and prosperity. They've been right on our doorstep since the time of (their defeat?!) our collapse. This doesn't really fit with the theme of the Darkness returning soon, since the Hive are already here... but nothing says our enemies can't hide in plain sight!

I don't think that's the case and I don't want it to be the case. I could maybe buy them being a manifestation of the Darkness-- or a creation of the Darkness, that could really be something. That would explain things pretty neatly and demonstrate the power of what's against us, but then it leaves out a lot of potential interesting-ness with motives and backstory.

- If the Light is represented by The Traveler and Human exploration and colonization and the Darkness is represented by the undead-like Hive and partial planetary destruction, what is the transcendent plan some of the Awoken on the Reef believe in? A balanced eternal struggle with no winners? A universe free of either side? Could the Light and Darkness be nothing more than ancient Giants dominating our universal playground, trying to bend us into following their predispositions towards Order and Chaos? Maybe the correct path is to leave both behind and embrace our own Destiny?

I don't know, but I have a feeling whatever their philosophy is, I'll either really agree with it or really disagree with it. (It's weird how a third option can be as polarizing as two polar opposites.)

Next Saturday: The Vex

Robots of hammered bronze traveling from another time to battle us here and now? What's that all about? Join me next Saturday as I once again gather the Facts, makes some Informed Suppositions, and get carried away with a good dose of Rampant Speculation.

I just want to point out they seem to have been moving away from the time travel thing lately, describing them as seeming like they might be from another time, and not outright stating anything about time travel. I'd have to go find the video (or someone else would), but we may have been chasing a shadow this whole time-- how was the time travel initially brought up? I'm pretty sure it was Joe Staten and someone from the art team giving a presentation, I think it was at GDC last year. I seem to remember that part was something about characterization and aesthetics, where details don't really matter (there might have even been an "as if" or "as though" or "looks like" or "seems like" in there in the first place). They might just be making it more clear now, and not changing their nature, but either way it does seem like they're moving away from time travel as a fact. (Which I like; even if they clearly would have been accounting for it from the beginning, I feel like time travel wouldn't work with Destiny's story and setting, or at least it wouldn't work for me.)

(Which I like; even if they clearly would have been accounting for it from the beginning, I feel like time travel wouldn't work with Destiny's story and setting, or at least it wouldn't work for me.)

It's certainly different, but go back and watch last years GDC panel. Destiny ended up being a combination of mythic and science fiction themes precisely so Bungie could make a wide variety of ideas fit within this new universe.

But The Hive are said to be crusaders for the Darkness. How does an entire race end up working for something called "the Darkness?" Do you just hold an election and vote to be evil?

(Which I like; even if they clearly would have been accounting for it from the beginning, I feel like time travel wouldn't work with Destiny's story and setting, or at least it wouldn't work for me.)

It's certainly different, but go back and watch last years GDC panel. Destiny ended up being a combination of mythic and science fiction themes precisely so Bungie could make a wide variety of ideas fit within this new universe.

I didn't mean I don't think it would fit, thematically or otherwise, I meant I don't think it'll make for a good story, or at least my idea of a good story; or least my idea of a story that's any better than just good.