Mara Sov’s life has been chronicled by the Reef Cryptarchy in a series known as The Maraid.
As a nineteen-year-old, Mara, along with her mother and twin brother Uldwyn, joined Project Amrita, a project whose goal was to “spread far beyond the solar system and to end Human dependence on the Traveler.”1 Mara and her family were traveling on the colony ship Yang Liwei; over the course of the journey, Mara became a symbol of secret knowledge among the other crew members.2
While on their way out of the solar system, the Yang Liwei received a message that, due to an incoming extrasolar threat, the system was under Warmind control.3 The Yang Liwei was ordered to abandon its mission and return to defend Sol. Not long after they received this message, the Yang Liwei was beset by the invading Darkness and cut off from all external communications.4 Captain Alis Li decided to move forward with Project Amrita’s stated mission and leave the system. Li ordered that the Yang Liwei broadcast a statement of neutrality, separating itself from humanity in an attempt to avoid being attacked by the invading extrasolar force.4 While Captain Li was delivering this message, Mara went outside the ship, floating alone on a tether.5 Because she was outside of the ship, she was the first to experience the singularity that was created by the Traveler’s battle against the Darkness.
As the first one within the singularity, Mara was able to dictate the rules of what would become the pocket universe of the Awoken.67 However, she allowed Alis Li to believe that she was the first, and therefore the universe’s creator.6 Alis Li was crowned the first Queen of the Awoken; however, Mara kept secret councils and held her own power.8
Mara had a hand in the creation of the Eccaleists, a group of Awoken who believed that “the Awoken had been made out of a friction between contesting forces and that one day this conflict would need to be resolved.”91011 The Eccaleists were in conflict with the Sanguine, a group that believed that the Awoken had been created by an outside cosmic force and therefore had no responsibility.9 In the midst of this conflict emerged the Diasyrm, an Eccaleist who accused Queen Alis Li of secretly committing deicide; she argued that Li, by fashioning the Awoken into mortals, was responsibility for their suffering and death. In the wake of this accusation, the Theodicy War began.9
Mara helped Alis to end the Theodicy War in exchange for a future boon.12 Mara was the last Awoken known to speak to the Diasyrm before she vanished.12
In the intervening age of peace, Mara turned the new Queen, Nguya Pin, toward Eccaleism and encouraged her to “lead the quest to identify whatever debt the Awoken owed the cosmos” and to discover more about their pocket universe.13
Around this time, Sjur Eido accused Mara of murdering the Diasyrm and vowed to fight her to the death.14 However, when she encountered Mara for the first time, Sjur could not bear to kill her. Instead, she challenged Mara to a duel to the agony, where she would fight a companion of Mara’s to the death.13 Uldren ultimately won the duel, leaving Sjur’s life in Mara’s hands. Instead of killing her, however, Mara asked Sjur to join her mission.15
The Awoken’s quest to learn more about their universe continued for several decades. Mara continued her political machinations, utilizing Sjur’s endorsement to become the face of Eccaleism.16
When enough data had been gathered, Mara presented the Awoken of the Distributary with the knowledge of their world and the universe around them.17 She also announced that the Awoken lived in a singularity; outside the singularity, where time moved much slower, the world of their ancestors still existed. Mara asked the Awoken to join her on a journey back to that world, though in leaving the Distributary the Awoken would become mortal once again.17 Mara was able to convince tens of thousands of Awoken to leave the Distributary.11
On the day of the launch, the departing ships were attacked by Awoken attempting to stop the departure.18
Once the Awoken ships had traveled through the singularity, the Awoken began colonizing “a reef of derelict spacecraft” in the Asteroid Belt.19
Shortly after arriving at the Reef, Mara and the Awoken learned that there were still humans alive on Earth.20 The Queen’s support fractured as some remained loyal to her while others left to help those humans that still survived. Sjur informed Mara that the Fallen had tracked the Awoken that had returned to Earth back to the Reef.21
Tensions rose in the Reef, with Awoken rioting as they attempted to leave the Reef against Mara’s wishes.22 Reluctantly, Mara telepathically informed the Awoken that they could freely leave the Reef, though this would be their only chance to do so. This event led to the second rivening of the Awoken into the Reefborn and the Earthborn.2223
After this event, Mara was officially declared Queen of the Awoken.23 Less than an hour later, the Reef was attacked by the Fallen, though they were repelled. Following the battle, Mara attempted to call the Earthborn Awoken home to the Reef, but she was unsuccessful.24 She also created the Awoken military and appointed Sjur Eido as her Wrath.2425
Seeking a center of new Awoken culture, Mara decided to create a city. She tasked Uldren with finding a “power unknown to all the other powers of this world,” which she would use as the cornerstone of this new city.24 Uldren returned with the Ahamkara Riven. Mara was the only one who held a covenant with the Ahamkara.
Some time after this, Mara had a dream where the Sword Logic was revealed to her; she also dreamed that the Awoken were soon to be a target.26 After this dream, she began devising ways of defeating this logic with a logic of her own.27
During a conversation with Sjur, Mara confessed that she was the first Awoken to be born within the Distributary and that, because she did not make them immortal, she was responsible for all the suffering they had experienced.7
As Queen, Mara forbade anyone from entering the Black Garden.28 Despite this, several Awoken, including Uldren, sought after the Garden, some never to return.29
Mara began the Reef Wars after realizing that the House of Wolves intended to join the Battle of Twilight Gap.30 Sov communicated directly with Virixas, Kell of Wolves, at Ceres just before the Scatter, where the House of Wolves’ base was destroyed by the Harbingers.31 At Ceres, Virixas was killed; the remaining Wolves descended into civil war over the Kellship.32 One of the first battles of the Reef Wars was the Eos Clash, in which Skolas killed one of his rivals, Irxis; after this battle, Skolas began using the Reef’s forces as a way to kill his remaining enemies as opposed to fighting them directly.33 Some time later, Drevis, Skolas’ ally, razed Amethyst and killed everyone onboard the station. She then baited the Awoken into capturing Parixas, Skolas’ last remaining rival.34 Skolas and Drevis remained in-system, participating in battles such as the Siege of Pallas.3536
After the Raze of Amethyst, Mara promoted Petra Venj to Corsair.37 After accidentally killing three strike teams of Guardians, Venj was demoted and sent to the Tower to serve as the Queen’s Emissary.38
Some time during the Reef Wars, Sjur was killed.39 Mara asked the Awoken Guardian Orin to investigate if Sjur was murdered and, if so, by whom.40
A Fallen called Variks, The Loyal, who was opposed to Skolas’ cruelty, contacted the Queen and told her of Skolas’ plan to attack the military fortress of Cybele. Skolas was captured at Cybele, ending the Reef Wars.41 Variks declared Sov Kell of Wolves, advising the Fallen captured at Cybele to pledge their loyalty to her.42
Mara and Uldren were instrumental in helping the Guardian find the Black Garden.4344 However, Mara told the Guardian that the Reef would look to the Tower if it was in need of assistance.44 When the House of Wolves rebelled, Mara opened the Vestian Outpost to the Guardians and asked for their help in hunting down the remaining Wolves. She also ended Petra Venj’s exile, gave her the title Queen’s Wrath, and reappointed her to the Vestian Outpost to act as a liaison between the Reef and the Guardians.4546
At some point, Eris Morn arrived at the Vestian Outpost.47 Through Eris, Mara learned of Oryx, the Taken King, and began devising a plan to defeat him. The Awoken began to build a throne world underneath what would become the Blind Well. Riven helped to construct this throne world, which was called Eleusinia.47 After the work in the Dreaming City was complete, Mara wished Riven into a cage within it.48
Following the capture of Skolas, Mara Sov invited two people to the Reef to discuss the arrival of Oryx and their plans to end him.49 Based on their descriptions it is possible that they were Eris Morn and Osiris, although this is not confirmed.
With the assistance of Eris, Osiris, and others, Mara developed a plan to defeat Oryx.2650 When Oryx approached the solar system, the Awoken intercepted him just beyond Saturn.51 The Awoken fleet was destroyed by the Dreadnaught’s weapon and Mara was killed.52 This death allowed Mara access to Oryx’s throne world, where she waited for Eris and the Guardians to kill Oryx; during this time, Oryx also destroyed much of Eleusinia.53 After Oryx’s defeat, Mara was able to regain her physical form. 5455
Following the destruction of the Awoken fleet at Saturn, Mara Sov was presumed dead.56 Despite this, both Uldren Sov and Petra Venj continued to search for her.575859 Petra, under instructions from Mara, kept watch over the Watchtower, which was an entrance to the Dreaming City.60
Following the encounter at Saturn, Uldren crash landed on Mars.61 There he encountered Riven, who was posing as Mara. Misguided by Riven, Uldren attempted to breach the Watchtower and enter the Dreaming City, as he believed that Mara was trapped within it.6263 After opening the gate to the Dreaming City, Uldren was defeated by Petra Venj and the Guardian.63
After Uldren had been killed, Petra and the Guardian ventured into the Dreaming City, where Petra used the Oracle Engine to contact Mara.64 Mara instructed Petra to let Guardians into the Dreaming City and to assemble a team of Guardians capable of killing Riven.64 With Petra’s guidance, six Guardians were able to destroy Riven. However, Riven’s death unleashed a curse on the Dreaming City, trapping it in a three-week time loop.6566
On the first loop, the Guardian contacted Mara, who told them that the curse would continue its three-week cycle.67 Each cycle, the Guardian continued to report to Mara.68 In the third loop, the Guardian encountered Mara speaking to the Emissary of the Nine, a figure who used to be the Guardian Orin.69 On the fifth loop, Mara had a vision of Uldren being resurrected as a Guardian.70 On the seventh loop, Mara informed the Guardian that she was leaving and did not know when she would return. However, she also told the Guardian that they would meet again one day.71
Some time after Eris Morn left the Last City, she went to the Dreaming City, where she presented Mara with a Golden Age artifact.72 She believed that there were others hidden among Sol and that they could be used to decipher Savathûn’s riddles. Sov joined Morn in an expedition across the system, where they uncovered more information about the Pyramids.72
While away from the Reef, Mara attempted to destroy the incoming Black Fleet.73 In a wide-range transmission, she announced that she would be returning to the Dreaming City to confront Savathûn, the Witch Queen.73
In order to help her return to the Dreaming City, Petra ordered a newly-trained coven of Techeuns to venture into the Ascendant Realm to retrieve Mara.74 During the ritual, the Techeuns and Mara were attacked by Xivu Arath. The Techeuns were able to safely transport Mara to the Dreaming City, but in doing so scattered themselves across the Ascendant Plane.75
Around this time, Savathûn infiltrated the City in the guise of Osiris.76 After the Vex attack at Botza, Savathûn left the Last City and traveled to the Dreaming City, where she encountered Mara. The two came to an agreement: if Mara exorcised Savathûn’s worm, then Savathûn would release the captured Osiris and help the City defeat the Black Fleet.7677 Mara asked the Guardians to help find the lost Techeuns, as they were necessary to rid Savathûn of her worm.77 Despite this, she made it clear to the Guardian that, after the deal was complete, she would try to destroy Savathûn.7879
Savathûn’s arrival in the Dreaming City led to Mara’s first encounter with The Crow.76 Mara, fearing Crow’s susceptibility to Savathûn’s lies, forbade him from speaking with Savathûn.8081 Crow managed to gain an audience with Savathûn; during this meeting, Savathûn restored Crow’s memories of his life as Uldren Sov, an event that deeply troubled him.82 Following this, Mara forbade anyone from speaking with Savathûn, though she did allow the Guardian one final meeting.79
After the Guardian retrieved all the Techeuns from the Ascendant Plane, Mara and the Techeuns completed the exorcism.83 While she was able to excise the worm, Mara was unable to prevent Savathûn’s escape.84
After a Lightbearing Savathûn was defeated by the Guardian, Mara arrived on Mars to help the Guardians prepare for the Witness’ invasion.85 There, Mara presented the Guardian with Savathûn’s worm.86 Mara thought that the worm held information regarding the Collapse. However, without a host, the worm would soon die. As a result, Mara developed a new plan to source a new host for the parasite.86
Mara asked the Guardian to take Savathûn’s dying worm into Savathûn’s throne world and to locate an incubator for it.8788 Working with the Guardian, Mara provided the worm with a “host,” placing it into a gun.89
Following these events, Mara wrote to the Guardian and discussed a vision she had seen wherein she was a Disciple of the Witness. She also informed the Guardian that she was seeking out ways to defeat the Black Fleet and that she and the Guardian would work again together in the future.90
