Hello and welcome to the Giant Reference Document of Doom™! I do love me some worldbuilding and internal consistency. Long ago, tired of having to go back through what I've written to cross-check things, I decided to get all of the basic information written down in a central place. Then, not so long ago, I decided to polish it up a little and post it online because why not? It's not very grammatical and doesn't include every detail, but it's here.
This is only part one of a multi-part document. Just wait until I get into the list of every character I've named, ever. But that comes later. For now, enjoy a general timeline of this verison of Destiny's universe!
I want to note specifically that although I've tried to remain as close to Bungie cannon as possible, you cannot take what I've written here as gospel. Several timeline and character decisions were made with incomplete information. If you want a cannon-compliant timeline, I recommend checking out u/ScoobyDeezy's work on Reddit. It's fantastic. I'll try to explain what these divergences are and why they exist at the bottom.
Also, note currently this timeline does not go past the start of the Red War, mostly for spoiler reasons. I will update it to include the Red War when I'm done with it so I don't have to go back and edit this every chapter update.
General Overview:
Dark Ages:
Significantly reduced human population after the Collapse. Severe environmental impacts. Most humans live in small settlements/villages or directly under the protection of a Warlord. Conditions vary wildly, but are generally impoverished, starving. Constant warfare between Warlords and Fallen raids keep humanity from recovering. Some Warlords subjugate their people, some work directly for their benefit, some ignore the people living in their territory. The Fallen begin showing up a few years after the Collapse. They remain the biggest threat to mortal humans, followed by starvation/disease, followed by warfare between Risen.
The Early Dark Ages are characterized by a very scattered population pulling itself together. Most of humanity is wandering or nomadic. Risen are few and far between, and though often greedy and ruthless, usually haven't entrenched themselves as rulers. Technology is almost stone-age at times, with people scrapping together whatever they can out of the wreckage of the Golden Age.
The Middle Dark Ages start when Warlords begin laying claims. People settle down into semi-permanent residences. This makes them safer from Fallen attacks, but it is far from peaceful. Larger regional societies with trade and communication form. The end of the Middle Dark Ages sees increasing destruction from Risen activity as Warlords cement their holds and upgrade their arsenals. It is also the first time Humanity encounters the Hive as they begin rare seeding attempts.
The Late Dark Ages start with the formation of the Iron Lords. A small group of Risen band together, intent on stopping the needless conflict and uniting for the benefit of Humanity. The first ten 'main' Iron Lords named in cannon are the core group, but many others have claim to the title. A younger generation arises naming themselves the Iron Wolves, usually those who have never been a Warlord or were raised after the Iron Lords were formed. This is when class distinctions (Hunters, Warlocks, Titans) are popularized. The Mid-to-Late Late Dark Ages sees the construction of the City and the fall of the Iron Lords (with the exception of Lord Saladin and Lady Efrideet). Awoken only begin to show up on Earth during the Mid Late Dark Ages (before it had only been Human and Exos). Arcstriders go extinct and Bladedancers emerge as the prominent Arc Hunter subclass.
The City Age:
Officially begins with the Battle of Six Fronts. Emboldened by the fall of the Iron Lords, the Fallen launch an offensive against the newly-made City and were resoundingly repelled. This saw the elevation of a group of Risen known as the Pilgrim Guard into a defense force known as 'Guardians'. The Vanguard is formed, comprised of Vanguard Commander Saint-14, Warlock Vanguard Osiris, and Hunter Vanguard Tallulah Fairwind.
The last few Warlords are brought to heel. Eventually, the vast majority of Risen call themselves Guardians. Concerted efforts are made to expand Humanity's influence beyond the Earth and see Guardians encountering the Cabal and the Vex for the first time.
After violence between the civilians of the Last City, the Faction Accords are drawn up, giving different groups (New Monarchy, Dead Orbit, and the Concordat) say in City governance.
The Great Ahamkara Hunt: The Vanguard declares the Ahamkara a threat to Humanity. This is partially influenced by the untimely death of Hunter Vanguard Tallulah Fairwind and also the Ahamkara beginning some terraforming effort on Venus. Caliban-8 is installed as the Vanguard and directs a massive extermination effort. This is the first time the Awoken and the City cooperate, leading to established diplomatic relations.
Bannerfall: Lysander, leader of the Concordat faction, attempts an uprising against the Consensus. His people were ultimately defeated and he was exiled, but not before causing a large amount of chaos. Future War Cult was elevated to the Consensus in their place.
The Early-Mid-City Age sees Guardians expand influence further out in the system. The Vanguard's focus remains in the inner system- Earth, Luna, Mars, and Venus, but Guardians explore everywhere from Mercury to Outer System objects. Patrol routes are laid out and Humanity starts getting a good view of the system for the first time since the Collapse.
Twilight Gap: The Fallen Houses band together once last time to try and take back the Traveler. House Wolves is intercepted by the Reef, but Houses Winter, Kings, and Devils still coordinate their assault. Fighting lasts for a few weeks. At one point, the Fallen manage to punch through Guardian lines and even breach the wall. A general retreat is called, but Lord Shaxx and his fireteam stay and successfully hold the line. This makes them all famous, Lord Shaxx especially. The Fallen are later pushed back and broken apart. Hundreds of Guardians die their final deaths over the course of the battle. Some Fallen, cast out from their Houses and disillusioned with Eliksni leadership, form House Exile. The Crucible is instated as a training grounds for the Guardians.
The Reef Wars: Happened concurrently to the Battle of Twilight Gap. The Awoken people fight the House of Wolves throughout the Asteroid Belt, imprisoning or killing most of the Wolves nobility. Eventually Variks the Loyal declares Queen Mara to be the new Kell of Wolves, and those Fallen that swore loyalty to her are integrated into Awoken society. The rest are locked away in the Prison of Elders.
The Great Disaster: The Vanguard begins an offensive to re-take the Moon from the Hive. The initial probe at Burning Lake proves the Hive a force to be reckoned with, but the assault on Mare Ibrium goes ahead as planned. The Hive's unique weaponry and the Darkness means that most Guardians who die there stay dead. The assault almost immediately turns into chaos, despite ground-level attempts to rally. The retreat leaves Guardians scattered over half of the moon. When it is all said and done, thousands of Guardians, famously including Wei Ning and Alaia Ruse, are dead. The Vanguard puts an interdiction on Luna and instead focuses their efforts on eradicating the Hive from Earth. They are successful.
The Late City Age begins with the death of Hunter Vanguard Andal Brask (or with the defeat of the Heart of the Black Garden. It's a common point of contention between scholars). This sees an escalation of hostilities across almost every front.
The Vault of Glass: Azra Jax, previously trapped in the Vault, escapes and returns to the City. She eventually recruits (or is recruited by) Fireteam Dauntless to assault the Vault and destroy Atheon, Time's Conflux, before the Vex can do irreparable damage to the timestream. With the help of a tool called the Aegis, Fireteam Dauntless successfully destroys Atheon and whatever powers the Vault provided the Vex.
Crota: The Son of Oryx, Prince of the Hive awakens and sets off increased Hive activity on the Moon. Eris Morn returns from the Hellmouth to advise the City, eventually guiding Fireteam Dauntless to enter Crota's throne world and kill him permanently within. The Vanguard officially reestablishes Guardian presence on the moon.
The Wolf Rebellion: The House of Wolves attempts a coup against Queen Mara Sov, throwing the Reef into Chaos. Guardians are tasked with hunting down many key players in the House of Wolves hierarchy, assisted by Variks the Loyal of House Judgement and Petra Venj, Queens Emissary to the Tower. Skolas declares himself to be Kell of Kells and attempts to use the Vault of Glass to gather reinforcements from the past. He is defeated by Azra Jax and Veera and re-imprisoned in the Prison of Elders.
The Taken War: King Oryx, swearing revenge for his son Crota, enters the system and declares war on Humanity. He is met by the Awoken fleet for the Battle of Saturn, which results in a massive defeat for the Awoken. Queen Mara Sov and Prince Uldren, along with much of the Awoken military, is missing and presumed dead. The Taken begin invading the system. Eventually, Guardian assaults on the Dreadnaught prove successful in opening up a front and the Vanguard begins strike and scouting operations. Fireteam Dauntless kills Oryx and follows him to his throne world, where he is defeated for good. The Sword Logic dictated that one of them should ascend to the Taken Throne and usurp Oryx's power, but none of them do.
Hadium weapons, mostly swords able to be attuned to different elements of Light, become very popular in this time. The Dreadnaught, though collapsing into normal space with Oryx's death, is still filled with Hive and difficult to explore, though Vanguard operations continue.
The SIVA Crisis: The House Devils splicers uncover SIVA, a nanobot technology from the Golden Age, and activate it. This causes widespread chaos across the Plaguelands in eastern Europe as SIVA runs rampant. Lord Saladin steps up to guide the counteroffensive and the public finally learns how the Iron Lords died. Eventually the Splicer's control of SIVA is shaken and two Guardians (Vera and Azra Jax) are able to break into the main replication chamber and destroy the source of the nanobots. Lord Saladin announces his intentions of re-forming the Iron Lords and begins recruiting new members (notably Veera and Shiro-4).
The Numbers:
~ 2550: Collapse.
2595: Tevis raised.
2660: Iron Lords formed.
2721: Ironsbane – Iron Lords raid the plagelands in an attempt to gain SIVA, all but Saladin and Efrideet are killed.
2723: Battle of Six Fronts, formation of the Vanguard, begin City Age.
2758:
Tallulah Fairwind dies, Caliban-8 becomes Hunter Vanguard.
The Great Ahamkara Hunt begins.
2763: Cayde-6 and Andal Brask meet.
2769: Caliban-8 dies, Longstreet becomes Hunter Vanguard.
2772: Cayde and Tevis meet.
2775: Longstreet wins their Dare, Cherib-22 becomes Hunter Vanguard.
2789:
March 23: Tevis learns how to use the Dusk Bow during an almost-doomed raid on a Hive nest.
2791: Cherib-22 dies with no Dare.
2792: Ainsel Leagh loses his Dare, becomes Hunter Vanguard.
2839: Saint-14 Leaves the Vanguard. Osiris is promoted to Vanguard Commander, Zavala becomes Hunter Vanguard.
2840:
Ainsel Leagh wins his Dare, Theron-5 becomes Hunter Vanguard.
Shiro-4 raised.
2850: Theron-5 dies, Alaia Ruse becomes Hunter Vanguard.
2868:
July 14: Azra raised.
July 15: Old Portugal raid, Azra separated from the Crew.
July 28: Azra arrives at the City.
September 4: A-Team Strike.
2869:
January 16: Osiris and Azra investigate Arcstriderness, get in fight.
January 17: Andal and Cayde teach Azra to use the Golden Gun.
2871:
April 16-22: The Battle of Twilight Gap.
Apr 19: Kings spearhead repelled.
Apr 21: The turning point of the Battle.
Takanome and Dead River passes cleared during the day.
Miles-4 dies buying time for his fireteam and the Crew to escape back to the City.
The Wall breached around sunset, Azra flees and encounters Jaren Ward.
Lord Shaxx and co. hold the gap until sunrise.
Apr 22:
Azra and Jaren make it back to the City.
Counterattack against the Fallen succeeds.
Apr 30: Fighting mostly over.
May 2: Remembrance Ceremony.
July 23: Crucible formed under Shaxx.
September 08: Azra participates in a search-and-rescue mission on Venus.
2872:
February 04: The Crew (and Azra) go ice-skating on the Saskatchewan.
July 14: Tevis teaches Azra to use the Dusk Bow.
July 20: Shiro and Azra talk on the beach.
September 05: Azra and Jaren hunt Fallen in the Panama Ravine.
September 13: Azra attends an annual Hunter party, meets Puck and Mot Balek.
October 1: Azra and the Crew kill Rilliks, Kell of Kings.
November 2: Azra is inducted into the Crew.
2873:
April 16: Azra meets (and pisses off) Uldren Sov.
2874:
July 03: Jaren and Azra hunt Abidan.
November 01: Azra agrees to whack some Titans with her Arc Staff.
2875:
December 02: The Crew participates in a raid against a Hive nest, leaving two Guardians dead but ultimately routing the Hive.
2876:
April 03: Azra almost dies scouting with the Crew underneath Old Chicago.
August 24: Azra meets Sjur Eido and negotiates a map of the Asteroid Belt (and maybe friendship).
2878:
January 05: The Crew kills Elyksul, Kell of Winter, and almost don't escape.
March 13: Andal, Azra and Tevis are kidnapped from their Camp by House Winter splicers and tortured.
March 14: Cayde and Shiro mount a rescue mission to recover the rest of the Crew (and succeed). The Crew destroy the entire House Winter nest.
2880:
September 02: The Battle of Burning Lake.
September 28: The Great Disaster.
Wei Ning dies.
Alaia Ruse dies during rescue operations.
September 30: The Crew has a fight. Azra and Cayde leave.
October 04:
Azra destroys Vosiks, Prime Servitor of House Winter.
Azra returns and makes up with The Crew.
October 07: Kauko Swiftriver installed as Hunter Vanguard.
2881:
January 09-11: Cayde returns and makes up with The Crew.
March 18: First Crota Fireteam enters the Hellmouth.
Eris Morn goes into hiding.
Toland 'dies'.
Erebody else croaks.
2884:
April 04:
The Crew rescues three Kinderguardians while investigating hostilities between House Winter and House Devils and have to split up to escape.
Young Warlock Jove is struck by lightning and (somewhat traumatically) becomes a Stormcaller.
April 05:
The Crew reunites.
Jove is introduced to Wen Jie.
2885:
February 19: Azra encounters Redrix-3 on a Fallen hunt and brings him back to the City.
2887: Kauko Swiftriver goes MIA.
2889:
December 21: Taniks crashes Cayde and Shiro's operation. Nian Ruo dies. Lush's Ghost is destroyed.
December 22: Andal and Azra return. Dare issued between Cayde and Andal.
2890:
January 11: Cayde (Azra as witness) kills Taniks.
January 13: Andal Brask installed as Hunter Vanguard.
2891:
April 6: Osiris Banished, Zavala elevated to Vanguard Commander, Ikora Rey installed as Warlock Vanguard.
2892:
December 02: Skander talks shit and gets hit. Shaxx gives a very inspiring speech.
2893:
March 28: Doomed raid on the Vault of Glass.
Azra trapped, Praedyth captured, Kabr makes the Aegis.
Pahanin escapes and returns to the City.
March 30: After a vote, Andal officially forbids future raids on the Vault of Glass.
April 02: Cayde investigates the Vault of Glass, accepts Azra's death.
April 14: Azra's funeral.
2901: Pahanin killed by Dredgen Yor.
2903: Jaren Ward killed by Dredgen Yor.
2907: Showdown at Dwilder's Ridge, Shin Malphur kills Dredgen Yor.
2938:
October 11: Andal Brask hunts and is killed by Taniks.
October 31: Cayde-6 is installed as the Hunter Vanguard.
2950:
April 20:
Black Garden Heart defeated.
Azra escapes from VOG.
May 10: Azra returns to the City, meets Veera.
May 11: Azra reunites with Tevis and Shiro-4.
May 13: Azra agrees to help Fireteam Dauntless raid the Vault of Glass.
May 19:
Azra and Shin Malphur meet. Shin delivers Azra her gun back.
Azra returns to the City. She and Cayde make a very, very convoluted bet vis a vis her return from the Vault of Glass.
May 24: Fireteam Dauntless defeats a House of Devils Servitor.
May 29: Fireteam Dauntless kills Primus Pro'ourg.
June 02: The Crew gifts Azra a new cloak.
June 03: Fireteam Dauntless successfully raids the Vault of Glass and destroys Atheon.
June 05: Celebration party. Azra takes position of Second to Cayde's leadership of the Crew.
September 14: Azra hunts Valus Ta'aurc.
September 22: Azra attends her first Solstice Remembrance since her return from the Vault.
October 19: Azra 'kills' Taniks after he attacks her and her fireteam of Kinderguardians.
2951:
May 24: Eris Morn returns to the City, recruits Fireteam Dauntless to find and kill Crota.
July 29: Fireteam Dauntless raids the Hellmouth and kills Crota.
August 1: Azra and Veera go back to the Vault of Glass to search for Praedyth.
August 21: the Crew kidnaps Cayde and raids a House Devils hub as a birthday celebration.
2952:
May 20: Azra (reluctantly) agrees to become interim ambassador to the Reef.
May 21: Azra takes up the ambassador post, meeting the Sovs and having some minor drama with Corsair Leona Bryl.
May 22-June 04: Azra and Leona Bryl become friends and maybe date some.
June 04: Azra leaves the Reef.
2953:
February: House of Wolves. Azra hunts Skolas and prevents him from using the Vault of Glass.
July 20: Veera learns Radiance.
2954:
May 31: The Battle of Saturn.
June 06:
Tevis dies stopping and investigating an incursion of Sol Divisive Vex on Venus.
Azra destroys the Undying Mind.
June 30: Veera and Azra establish a transmat zone on the Dreadnaught.
July 08: Fireteam Dauntless raids the Dreadnaught and kills Oryx.
September 04: Shaxx and Azra test out some Hadium blades.
December 25: Cayde gifts Azra a newly-refurbished sidearm.
December 28: Reports of SIVA activity in the plaguelands.
December 29: Veera defends the Iron Temple from Sepiks Perfected.
2955:
January: House of Devils and Guardians clash over SIVA.
January 30: Veera and Azra raid the SIVA replication chamber, defeat the Golems of the Iron Lords, and destroy the source of SIVA.
February 04: Azra rejects the title of Iron Lord but pledges (and accepts) support.
February 06: Fireteam Dauntless raids the Plaguelands and wipes out the last of the Devils Splicers (and Taniks the Scarred).
2957:
May 07: The Red Legion attacks the City. The Red War begins.
What's different?
The big key difference revolves around Dredgen Yor and the Crucible. The four critical pieces of information were 1) Dredgen Yor killed Pahanin at least a few years after the first attempt to raid the Vault of Glass (Pahanin had to get paranoid and make a few guns first), 2) Dredgen Yor (then Rezyl Azzir) was initially corrupted as he was one of the first wave of Guardians exploring the Moon, 3) Dredgen Yor became somewhat infamous in the Crucible, and 4) The Crucible was formed after the Battle of Twilight Gap.
#4 has changed since I began writing this story. We were initially led to believe Shaxx founded the Crucible as a training ground, but it is now implied that it has existed since sometime during the Dark Ages, and Shaxx co-oped it and reshaped it into a training program. This means that Dredgen Yor could have participated in the Crucible before the Battle of Twilight Gap and Twilight Gap can be moved significantly later in the timeline than it is here. The actual timeline shows the Great Disaster happening before Twilight Gap, where in this timeline it happens after.
Note: Dredgen Yor's story, despite being told in some "Dark Ages" Ghost Fragments, must happen at least partially during the City Age, since the City is mentioned explicitly in Shin's recollections (the residents of Palamon were on a pilgrimage there before settling down in the Rockies).
There is also conflict in the lore about when the Iron Lords all died (event known as the 'Ironsbane'). Most sources place it now somewhere after the Faction Wars, but there is also lore saying they died before. Recently more lore has doubled down in confirming the Iron Lords were around during and after the Battle of Six fronts, but at the time of writing this it could be more reasonably interpreted as them dying before.
The general dates are also off. I based the date of the Collapse off of an idea of the Traveler arriving in the not-so-far future, and 'human lifespan tripling', which would require the Golden Age to last at least a few centuries to prove. We had no idea of any exact dates until the Season of the Dawn, where one of Osiris and Saint's message log is timestamped year 294, presumably 294 years after the Collapse. Here it happens 341 years after the collapse, so I wasn't that far off, but still.
I don't consider anything before the start of the Red War as a spoiler, so if there's any specific questions or you want me to cite any sources, feel free to leave a review or comment and I'll get back to you! Despite the wishy-washiness of the previous paragraphs, most of this is well-supported, or at least has some reason behind it.