Editing Midnight Coup (event)

{{Outdated|[[Season of Opulence]], [[Season of the Haunted]] and [[Beloved (lore)|Beloved]]}}
{{about|the military coup d'état|the Hand Cannon|Midnight Coup}}
[[File:Midnight Coup event.png|thumb|350px|Caiatl retelling the events of the Midnight Coup]]

The '''Midnight Coup''' (also known as '''Ghaul's coup''') was a military-led coup d'état against the former [[Cabal Emperor]], [[Emperor Calus|Calus]]. Occurring thousands of years before the [[Red War]], it resulted in [[Dominus Ghaul|Ghaul]]'s ascension to [[Dominus]] of the [[Cabal|Cabal Empire]], as well as the militarization of [[Cabal]] culture. Most members of the coup were assassinated by Calus's shadows, except for the Consul and Ghaul, Ghaul killed the Consul, and the Guardians killed Ghaul. The only confirmed survivor is [[Empress Caiatl|Caiatl]], as [[Freeborn Otzot|Otzot]]'s whereabouts are currently unknown.

==Overview==
===Prelude===
Long before the coup, [[Emperor Calus|Calus]] was crowned [[Cabal Emperor|Emperor]] of the [[Cabal]]. Early on in his reign, Calus instigated a purge of the [[Praetorate]], the military aristocracy that controlled the Cabal Legions. Calus viewed the Praetorate as corrupt, abusing its power for its own enrichment at the expense of both the Empire's citizens and the Legions.<ref name="Umun'arath">'''[[Cabal Booklet]]''', "[[Cabal Booklet#The General: Evocate-General Umun'arath, Primus of All Legions|The General: Evocate-General Umun'arath, Primus of All Legions]]"</ref>

Although Calus's purge was by and large successful, some members of the Praetorate survived. One member in particular, the [[Consul]], began to plot his revenge and found what he believed was the perfect vessel for it: an orphan named [[Dominus Ghaul|Ghaul]]. The Consul raised Ghaul into a powerful warlord, hoping to use him as a figurehead in the overthrow of Calus.<ref name="Consul">'''[[Cabal Booklet]]''', "[[Cabal Booklet#The Consul|The Consul]]"</ref> At the same time, many of Calus's own allies became disenchanted with their Emperor, equating his decadence with folly and weakness.{{Citation needed}}

===The Coup===
Calus had a contingency plan in place against just such a crisis, consisting of a small bone that could be used to deliver a certain signal. Besides him, only his daughter Caiatl knew of his plan, but she was part of the conspiracy against him. Thus, when the coup began and Calus raced to his throne to call in his secret arrangement, he found Caiatl there first. Calus begged his daughter for help, but Caiatl crushed the bone and ensured the coup's uninterrupted success.<ref name="Caiatl">'''[[Cabal Booklet]]''', "[[Cabal Booklet#My Daughter: Caiatl, the Princess-Imperial|My Daughter: Caiatl, the Princess-Imperial]]"</ref>

Throughout the uprising, Calus's own bodyguard, [[Shayotet]], led a contingent of soldiers to plunder Calus's palace on [[Torobatl]] and kill his supporters.<ref name="Shayotet">'''[[Cabal Booklet]]''', "[[Cabal Booklet#The Bodyguard: Lictor Shayotet, the Emperor's Protector|The Bodyguard: Lictor Shayotet, the Emperor's Protector]]"</ref> With The Consul instructing him, Dominus Ghaul seized control of the Empire's government, and his actions were legitimized by the support of key Cabal leaders such as Evocate-General [[Umun'arath]], the [[Primus]] of All Legions, [[Freeborn Otzot]], a [[Psion]] savant, Aedile [[Moli Imoli]], the Chief of Festivals, and Caiatl, the Princess-Imperial. Those among the Cabal who were loyal to Calus were either cowed or eliminated.{{Citation needed}}

===Conclusion===
Unceremoniously dethroned after a reign that had lasted centuries, Calus was exiled to the [[Leviathan (ship)|Leviathan]] and left to wander the cosmos.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]] - Item Description: [[Midnight Coup#Lore|Midnight Coup]]''</ref> Meanwhile, the new regime began its transformation of the Cabal Empire into a nation of conquest. Eschewing the title of Emperor, Dominus Ghaul soon solidified his grip on power, surprising the Praetorate who had hoped to use him as a puppet. Ghaul proved far more strong-willed than they had realized, and the Praetorate learned to fear and obey him.<ref name="Dominus">'''[[Cabal Booklet]]''', "[[Cabal Booklet#Ghaul, the Dominus|Ghaul, the Dominus]]"</ref>

Over the years during his exile, Calus longed for revenge against those who betrayed him. After encountering the [[The Witness|Witness]] at the edge of the universe, Calus believed that the end was near and resolved to be the last being left before the end claims him as well.{{Citation needed}} But first, he desired retribution against Ghaul and his collaborators. Regaining control over The Leviathan, Calus traveled throughout the Cosmos, encountering a multitude of civilizations that intrigued him, including the [[Arkborn]], [[Clipse]] and [[Sindû]]. From these civilizations, Calus gathered a single member from each, the greatest of their species, and formed the [[Shadows of Calus]], his elite assassins who would eliminate his betrayers. By the time the Red War had begun, the Shadows of Calus had eliminated the majority of the conspirators but they all perished in the attempt to kill Ghaul himself.{{Citation needed}}

==Known members==
*[[Dominus Ghaul]]
*[[Consul]]
*[[Empress Caiatl|Caiatl, Princess-Imperial]]
*[[Umun'arath|Evocate-General Umun'arath, Primus of All Legions]]
*[[Freeborn Otzot]]
*[[Shayotet|Lictor Shayotet]]
*[[Moli Imoli|Aedile Moli Imoli]]
*[[Tha'uul|Statesman Tha'uul]]
*[[Bahr'Toran]]'s father<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:Captain's Log|Captain's Log]], [[Lore:Captain's Log#ENTRY 4 - Well of Absence|ENTRY 4 - Well of Absence]]''</ref>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Cabal Booklet]]'' {{Fm}}
*''[[Destiny 2]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of Opulence]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Chosen]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Splicer]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Haunted]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Lightfall]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Wish]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Beloved (lore)|Beloved]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Destiny Grimoire Anthology, Volume V]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Conflicts]]