Thanks for all this! With this and some responses, it makes me feel like that is why we are simply viewing lights within the city. Rasputin gave up enough of humanity to fight back the darkness, so there is not much of a populace to interact with (for all those wanting to go down to the city). One thing that I am curious about though...IT prevented itself from consuming so much light as to kill itself, so Rasputin did not need to pull up his defenses again. What if IT was incapable of such restraint? Would Rasputin have pulled up defenses and fought a different way? Would IT along with Humanity be lost simultaneously? I am willing to bet if IT ever truly did rise again, there would not be enough remaining Light to overcome the darkness. BUT, #Bludapostle brings up a point that can counter my idea :) Going off that idea however, why are we fighting the Vex? If the Vex are part of Rasputin's defense, would he not reach out to the Speaker or any of our Ghosts that we are fighting the wrong enemy? *insert conspiracy theories here* It seems that after the battle between IT and Rasputin, humanity took too long to return to strength. In the time period that we were gone, other life forms needing new worlds came into the picture, and we are trying to reclaim our territories. That perspective can give some truth to those who believe we are the "bad guys" and the other races are being invaded by us. If you were to go buy an abandoned building, find a bunch of items while renovating, then a few years later a previous landowner came back trying to kill you for stealing his stuff because he was run out of town during a war...well...albeit far-fetched, it's kind of what we are experiencing in Destiny... :)