The Drifter was first revived in the Dark Age.1 After his resurrection, he did not pick a new name, unlike most Guardians.2
Some time after his resurrection, the Drifter took the name of Germaine.3 He lived among other refugees in a small settlement called Eaton, where he hid his identity as a Guardian.45 Some time after Germaine had begun living there, the Iron Lords, led by Lord Dryden, arrived and made camp there, looking for a Warlord known as the Red Man.4 However, the Warlords soon found Eaton; a battle between the Warlords and the Iron Lords ensued, and the settlement was wiped out.63
At some point during the Dark Age, the Drifter began going by the name Eli; he also met the Guardian Orin for the first time.7 For some time, he was also a member of the Pilgrim Guard.
Later, the Drifter took the name of Wu Ming and began running a bar at the base of Felwinter Peak, again under the guise that he was mortal.8 However, Ming did reveal his true nature to Lord Felwinter; he also asked Felwinter to kill Lord Dryden for his actions at the battle at Eaton.9
Some time after the beginning of the City Age, Wu Ming again encountered Orin at Bamberga. The two quickly developed a close relationship.10 However, once Orin discovered that Ming was actually a Shadow of Yor, she ended their friendship.11 Soon after, Ghaul caged the Traveler and stripped the Guardians of their Light, and Orin left the system in search of the Nine.12
There are conflicting reports of the Drifter’s past and whereabouts during the City Age. According to the Drifter, he and a group of others left the system around the start of the City Age. Some centuries later, the group found a planet beyond the system, one that “repulsed Light” similar to the gun Thorn.13 There, the group found a series of alien monoliths, each containing a captured creature; these creatures were similar to the Hive, but had a natural Light-suppression field.14
Motivated by the potential of a new weapon, the Drifter claimed that the group began looking for a way to capture and transport the creatures off of their planet. However, tensions grew as crew members began dying randomly, unable to resurrect due to their suppressed Light.15 A year into the expedition, the crew was down to four members. At this point, the four became Lightless as a result of the Traveler being contained by Ghaul. The four drew on each other, and only the Drifter survived to leave the planet.16
The Drifter told the Renegade, also known as Shin Malphur, that he left the system almost immediately after being Risen and that he retrieved the Haul from the Lightless planet.17 Shin believed that many of Drifter’s stories regarding his past were false. He was tracking the Drifter for some time, but lost track of him around the time the Red War began.18 Malphur thought that Drifter was associated with the Shadows of Yor at some point, something the Drifter says himself; the Drifter is sometimes referred to as Dredgen Hope.192010
Prior to the Drifter’s first encounter with the Guardian, Osiris asked him to assist with the creation of the Sundial.21
According to Malphur, the Drifter moved Cityside at the beginning of Forsaken, coming back into civilization from beyond the Reef.22 The two eventually met, and the Drifter gave Malphur the location of Callum, a Shadow of Yor.20 Later, the Guardian discovered Callum’s grave within the Ascendant Plane.23
As the Drifter began attempting to bring Gambit to the City, Malphur encouraged the idea, convincing Lord Shaxx to permit Gambit.24 Malphur claimed he wanted to use Gambit as a way to drive the remaining Shadows of Yor out of hiding, a plan the Drifter seemed to agree to.25 However, the Drifter may have his own plan to kill Malphur.26 Later, it was revealed that Shin was Dredgen Vale and that he was the one who orchestrated the creation of Malfeasance in order to track down those drawn too close to the Dark; it is implied that Drifter did not know about Shin’s secret identity.2728
Following the death of Prince Uldren Sov, the Praxic Order was asked by the Vanguard to “handle” the Drifter. One of Ikora’s Hidden, the Warlock Aunor, took the mission.29 In her communications with the Guardian, she indicated that she was unsure whether the Drifter was at odds with the Shadows of Yor or in league with them.30 She and the Guardian then discovered that the object he was hauling originated from the Nine.3132 At the end of her investigation, Aunor determined that the Drifter posed no direct threat to the City and that he may be a useful tool in bringing back Orin.3334
At some point, the Drifter began having visions of the Pyramids.3536 After the Guardian became aware of these visions, the Drifter warned them that the Light alone would not be enough to fight the Darkness, and that Gambit was the key to defeating it.37
The Drifter worked with the Spider on several occasions.3839
With the arrival of the Pyramids, Eris Morn and the Drifter worked together in order to learn more about the Darkness.40
The Drifter joined the Exo Stranger and Morn as they traveled to Europa. There, they met with the Guardian, who began learning how to wield Stasis in order to defeat Eramis, Kell of Darkness.41
According to Eris, the Drifter had concerns about the allegiance he’d formed with her and the Stranger.42 She also believed he trusted no one but himself, a sentiment he echoed.4344
After the Guardian defeated Eramis, the Drifter returned to the Tower.45
The Drifter aided the Guardian in stealing a prototype Stasis weapon from the Fallen.45
Before he left for Europa, the Drifter began leaving secret tapes for Guardians to find.46 Within these tapes, the Drifter alluded to a secret plan coming to fruition.47
