I’m nearly 100% sure that guardian abilities don’t come from Ahamkara, this is because SO many characters in the lore use it and there’s no way all of them had contact with the Ahamkara.
And even more proof would be the fact that new guardians can use these abilities almost instantly.
You’re assuming that Guardians couldn’t teach these skills once learned. Which we know they do. So an Ahamkara would only need to teach one Guardian something, and then that Guardian could pass it down. Even other classes and subclasses could’ve come from one original class.
If you think of it like genetics and genes, we know that all dogs we have today came from a species similar to the modern day Wolf. So let’s assume a Warlock was the one to see the Ahamkara and learn the powers ( again I’ll assume Voidwalker), in teaching it to others, each class uses it in their own way. Zavala tells us this regarding the Void. Once we know this power could be had, other Guardians could look to other forms of power and figure out ways to draw upon it. (Think Toland) “If we can use Void Light, why can’t we use Solar Light, and Arc Light, etc.” before you know it we have classes and subclasses wielding different abilities depending on their knowledge and grasp of the Light.
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Also, this is partly just a game mechanic, but I feel it goes well with the lore of us having to learn the abilities. When we start out as Guardians, and when we start each new subclass, we don’t know anything. We can’t use grenades, you can’t use super, you don’t have the ability to wield any of your abilities. You must learn them through playing the game.
The only thing about allegedly learning from the Ahamkara is that the Risen, who lived before we had re-attained common interplanetary travel, would have had little to no contact with them, or any individuals who might have.
In making the quoted point, you’re assuming that all those who learned from the Ahamkara would willingly share their knowledge, or be in a situation or relationship which would provide for the sharing of knowledge.
It’s more likely the power gained from the Ahamkara was unique to the wishmaker or the bearer of the related gear, hence, “oh bearer mine”, and the influx of ethically compromised Guardians with great but costly powers was what caused the great Hunt.
As for the beginnings of Light technique, the warlords, Iron Lords and other unaffiliated Risen almost certainly developed most of the ways of using Light in combat on their own.
We know, for instance, that there’s a strong possibility Shin Malphur and Rezyl Azzir codified the Golden Gun and Fist of Havoc/“Havoc Storm” techniques, respectively. (Rezyl Azzir: A War Without End) and (Ghost Fragment: The Last Word 4)
Later in the Iron Lords’ careers Lord Gheleon came in contact with the bones, at least, of an Ahamkara, but that is all we know of his particular experience. Gehelon wasn’t known for making a deal with an Ahamkara, or having any greater grasp of power or technique than his peers; he was known for being a bit… eccentric.
By the time Osiris and Saint-14 were in the field, “Ahamkara-lore” was a forbidden memory, and it’s study was one of the reasons Osiris was forced into self-exile (Osiris)
Despite the progression of skills in-game, a newborn kinderguardian would have no way to learn their abilities right on the spot, from an Ahamkara or another Guardian. Some measure of our powers must be instinctual.
In past discussions we have deemed game mechanics of dubious admissibility to lore topics, as meta requires certain implementations that do not necessarily fit a strict narrative and should be judged with extreme caution.
I don’t disagree that it’s possible some of the techniques we use (or hypothetically used but were banned and censored because they were dangerous) were taught, influenced, or inspired by the Ahamkara. After all, Bladedancers got their cloaking ability from Rasputin’s stealth tech.
However, our abilities themselves definitely came from the Traveler, and Guardians (or Risen) had some idea of method under their own skill.
Our abilities are, after all, intrinsically tied to our specific relationship with the Traveler as Guardians.
Guardian Abilities:“Only Guardians have the gift of the Traveler’s Light - the ability to channel its energies to project vast power into the world.”
The gift of the Traveler’s Light and the ability to channel it’s energies are one and the same.
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So you’re saying you don’t think there were any Ahamkara on Earth? Cause I do.
I used that as just an example to say “we only needed one” Guardian to share. I’m sure there could’ve been many others that didn’t/wouldn’t share. But just one Guardian teaching another could set it off. Teaching is part of the nature of Warlocks.
Yes, but not until we “gained great power” from them, “powers the city needed”
[quote=“HandsomeDragon, post:13, topic:274”]So you’re saying you don’t think there were any Ahamkara on Earth? Cause I do.
[/quote]
We will have to agree to disagree for now 
You’re very right, yet it’s still a big “but”, and at this point the best we can manage is conjecture.
Power that was “great” and “needed”, yes. It is not definite the nature or span of this power, nor what exactly it was. Again, conjecture is the best we have on the Ahamkara, and there is not much information in the lore to substantiate anything but what’s based on the Ahamkara gear.
While researched and cited, my long posts on this topic are just as much theory as the ideas you’ve suggested here, and just as subject to personal opinion. While we should try to keep bias out of our citation - Meta: Research Bias - it’s true we interpret evidence favorably for our own point of view.
My opinions aren’t fact, and I’m aware of that. If you disagree, we’re simply bringing diversity to the topic.
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I agree 100% on the conjecture. There’s very little if any evidence to my theory right now. It’s all about what it doesnt say at this point for me ha. Since I can’t reall find anything that directly says our powers come from the Traveler itself or we create it from our own will, it still gives me hope!
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It could be a bit of each. We have our own Light: We wield the Travelers Light: We manipulate Light from other sources.
I mean, we don’t know anything for certain in regards the Ahamkara but maybe that’s where we got Void from. Void is often spoke of differently than Arc or Solar - “Those who stare into the Void are not bound by time and space” (Voidwalker); “Drawn from the Void. Light the way.” (Nightstalkers); “Its fitting, then, that we have weaponised the unknown” (Void). Then there’s The Nightstalkers Trail, etc.
Many cards talk of walking some thin line between Light and Dark: the Void we are warned of too. Maybe they are one and the same thing, and its that that makes me think Ahamkara were so dangerous. If they’re teaching others to use some power (ie how to wield the Void) it would explain why the Fallen, Hive and Warlords could wield it (Chitin in the Felwinter card) - and explain why the Vanguard were worried.
My thoughts that the Queen Mara Sov is in some way Ahamkara will remain just an idea though. 
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Spinfoil hats on gents but: Mara is Taox?
Hahaha probably not.
The idea that other species came in contact with the Ahamkara is interesting, but we’ll need more of a basis to get to the bottom of it. You have to remember that our enemies use attacks and shields made with varying elemental effects, some of which they came about their own way.
However the Void does seem the most likely candidate for nefarious Light manipulation. I hope its sort of grey area gets more lore.
That’s actually how my theory began! I made a post about it on here, but the more I looked, the more I felt all forms of Light had a somewhat ominous feeling, although Void is definitely at a tier above the others. The Void has a “feeding nature” that is very similar in my mind to the Worm Gods and which also connects with a lot of Ahamkara flavor text
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I agree with this 100% 
Well then that would go against the logic of the Ahamkara because they give power in exchange for a heavy debt.
Furthermore, no one taught US any abilities; we just evolved on our own.
Anyways @HandsomeDragon, thank you for your opinion!
I strongly believe otherwise but this is what lore forums are for: discussion!
There’s no reason that the debt couldn’t be the Ahamkara feeding off you or something similar.
In any case, the Ahamkara are unreliable and their “logic” is difficult to discern. The best we can offer is, again, conjecture.
If you disagree with the opposite opinion, please refer to the community guidelines and supply information to back it up.
Moved my reply to a new topic, since it’s more about forum business than lore. Don’t pay any mysterious edits any mind; I’m still learning how to bandy about with post locations
If anyone wants to continue this line of discussion please enter the new topic. If you have more thoughts about Light theory, please post those here.
I feel very attacked right now. 
Can’t I have my opinions plus facts without citing a source?
This is a community forum not a court of law or something!
¯_(ツ)_/¯
@The_Darkness @RedRenegade: I have a couple thoughts on this. First, if you owed a great debt to someone (thing) what might be a solution (in your mind) to that problem? Possibly complete annihilation of that thing?
Also, take these two quotes (there are others but I’m on my phone and multi tasking is hard ha -credit to @BlueCrew86 for the pic 
)
Especially the bladedancer, to me, has a weird ominous feeling to me. Each kill with the blade brings a new lease on life…
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Spinfoily, but interesting. I suppose we’ll find out if that was just meant to sound cool and formidable, or there’s actually something malevolent involved.
Wait…Ahamkara feeding off you. A debt repaid with…what…your own Light? Which would explain maybe its influence over some with regards to twisting, etc.
Feeding…siphoning…passing on to something else perhaps? The same way the lesser Hive pay a tithe to those above perhaps? Did say somewhere that Oryx didn’t create it, only used it.
Please correct me if I’m wrong anywhere, I’m still very new to the Lore and I’m going to bugger up at some point lol
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Yep! Rollllllling back to my original post: