First, [b][u]POTENTIAL SPOILERS[/u][/b] about the Ahamkara and Destiny's plot! We believe the Ahamkara to be wish-fulfilling dragons. I mean, we wear their bones and other body parts as armor to grant us unbelievable power after all. However, what does an Ahamkara mean? I ask this question because Destiny 2’s Skull of Fire Ahamkara lore raises that same question: [u]“Ahamkara: the illusion that one’s ego depends on an object, or an idea, or a body. Some people say you should have no ahamkara. Some people say you need to have the right ahamkara. All I know is that YOU are not an illusion.”[/u] Now what could this possibly mean? [u]We know that the Ahamkara, or that its body parts, seek to amplify our own pride/greed. They tempt us to become full of ourselves, to become our own ascension and be on a higher plane than the reality we’re currently residing in.[/u] This is demonstrated in one of the Warlock Ghost Fragments where the Warlock is overconfident that not even a Hunter could overcome an Ahamkara, but the Hunter proceeded anyway to prove herself (and succeeded). But why ask what an Ahamkara mean? Think about when we ask, “what does it mean to be human?” Or when we say, “we’re only human.” Clearly, humans are a categorization of a mammal species, but we also define “human” as a quality/trait that encompasses imperfection. Thus, I believe that the myth of the Ahamkara transformed into a quality, such as someone becoming “like” an Ahamkara. It’s like when we say “you’re becoming a pig” in response to someone’s greed or lust – hence, the idea of “becoming an Ahamkara” could be in this context. For its description, the concept of the Ahamkara can still pertain to dragons. [u]Dragons in most mythologies tend to hoard treasure, their pride and ego equating to their hoard. In short, they identify with their treasure. [/u]“…the illusion that one’s ego depends on an object, or an idea, or a body.” This is strikingly similar to how dragons are depicted in our mythologies. Also, based on the basic conceptualization of the Darkness and its relation to immoral values/sin/survival of the fittest, I think the Ahamkara are probably the root of the Darkness's origin. Now I know you’re now wondering about the Worm Gods because they hold VERY similar qualities to the Ahamkara. [u][b]I believe that the Worm Gods/Ahamkara were possibly the first wielders of the Light, or at least the first ones to pervert it, and then imprisoned beneath the depths of Fundament by the Traveler as a means to prevent their perversion from reaching the other corners of the galaxy/universe.[/b][/u] It’s highly likely that the Traveler was going to wipe out Fundament’s indigenous species in order to prevent the Worm Gods from recruiting them (the Leviathan [NOT THE RAID ONE] implies that the proto-Hive’s fate via the Traveler was kinder because they wouldn’t have to endure the constant suffering placed on them from the Darkness, aka feeding their worms). If you want to read how I think how Ghaul links to the Darkness in Destiny 2, access this thread: [url]https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/230751525[/url] Unfortunately, I don’t have the Young Ahamkara’s Spine so I don’t know what its lore says about the Ahamkara. Thus, the Ahamkara are still wish-fulfilling dragons, but perhaps they are also described as a quality/state of being. Perhaps, maybe giving into the Ahamkara’s influence (while simultaneously being granted their power which is their perversion of the Light) translates into becoming part of the Darkness. But that’s just the overall conclusion I’ve come to so far. Comment and discuss what you think! The reality is, we can only speculate and make connections with what’s given to us. We hunger for answers, but all we can do is wait for them to be revealed. After all, isn't reality cruel, oh reader mine?