Taniks, the Scarred
From Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki
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House of Scar (speculated) |
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Mercenary |
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Notorious Fallen Mercenary |
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House of Wolves (mercenary) |
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Summon Fallen |
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Summon Splicers |
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House of Salvation (mercenary) |
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Summon Fallen |
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House of Salvation (mercenary) |
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Summon Fallen |
- "Taniks has no House. He kneels before no banner, owes allegiance to no Kell."
- — Variks, The Loyal[1]
Taniks, the Scarred is an infamous Fallen mercenary unaffiliated with any House, loyal only to those who pay him. He gained notoriety within the Last City for murdering Guardians, including the Hunter Vanguard Andal Brask, and became infamous for cheating death on numerous occasions, due in part to his cyborg physiology.
Taniks has been fought and defeated by the Guardian no less than three times during the present day. He was first seen working with the House of Wolves during the Wolf Rebellion before being killed by a Guardian Strike team, only to be resurrected using SIVA as Taniks Perfected by the Devil Splicers during the SIVA Crisis. After being defeated a second time, his body was retrieved and rebuilt by the House of Salvation inside the Deep Stone Crypt on Europa, where he was revived and set loose by Atraks-1, Fallen Exo. He followed the Guardians aboard the Morning Star space station orbiting Europa. He survived its subsequent crash into the surface by grafting his torso onto a Heavy Shank and becoming Taniks, the Abomination.
Biography[edit]
Early history[edit]
- "A Kell cut off his arms. He built himself new ones. Then he killed the Kell with them."
- — Does Not Bow[2]
Taniks was once loyal to an unknown House but docked into subservience by his Kell. He then built himself new prosthetic arms and killed his former Kell out of revenge.[2] Taniks later renounced his pledge to any House and refused to adhere to their arbitrary customs and traditions.[3]
Inspired by Sekris, Baron of Shanks, who prolonged his lifespan through cybernetics, Taniks was among a new generation of Fallen mercenaries who modelled their brutality and cybernetics after Sekris.[4] Becoming a cyborg, he built a reputation among the Eliksni as an undying huntsman and infused his physical body with mixtures of technologies pilfered from legendary treasure troves. This continued to the extent where he was considered more machine than Fallen.[5][6]
Battles with the City[edit]
- "Taniks didn't announce himself. Didn't say a word. Just laughed a few times and tried like hell to kill us all…
Which meant the boogeyman had a face—the boogeyman was REAL." - — Cayde-6[7]
During the early City Age and at least before Twilight Gap, the Fallen Houses placed large bounties of Glimmer and Ether on an infamous crew of Hunters, which included Andal Brask, Shiro-4, and Cayde-6.[8] At the time, Taniks was widely regarded as a boogeyman amongst the Guardians who heard stories of the bannerless, Fallen mercenary killing off Lightbearers but were widely regarded as tall tales. Taniks, having sought to claim their bounties on the crew, would ambush Cayde, Shiro, Nian Ruo, and Lush during a cache run on the outskirts of the City. In a split second, he quickly murdered Nian and destroyed Lush's Ghost before the outgunned Hunters could escape him and his Fallen crew. Andal was later informed of the incident by Cayde and Shiro and sought to kill Taniks out of revenge.[8] Since then, Taniks would ambush the crew on several other occasions, arriving unannounced and laughing a few times before he tried to kill them. However, his attempts would backfire as the Hunters had fully prepared for him. One night, Andal and Cayde stayed up late drinking and decided to make a Vanguard Dare. They joked that whoever failed to kill Taniks would become the new Hunter Vanguard, while the winner lived the life of a free Hunter.[7]
Cayde had the good luck of finding and killing Taniks first, forcing Andal to keep his word. However, Taniks would not stay dead for long as his return prompted Cayde to seek out the mercenary yet again. The Exo Hunter would successfully kill Taniks a second time, unleashing lead into his chest, neck, gut and head. However, his crew would instead intervene and haul him off before Cayde could finish the job.[9]
At that point, Taniks' continued presence became a pain to the Last City, where Osiris and the Speaker appointed Saint-14, who was infamous amongst the Fallen, to find and kill the mercenary himself. Despite Andal becoming the new Hunter Vanguard, Cayde tried talking him out of his new position as the Dare was made in a compromised state but to no avail.[9]
At the Battle of the Twilight Gap, Taniks became involved in the united front of Fallen Houses of Devils, Kings and Winter against the forces of the Last City. His presence was met with ridicule by Draksis the Kell of House Winter, whom called him self-serving scum and spat at his banner-less armor.[3] However, he would become acquainted with the infamous Devil Baroness, Eramis, the Shipstealer, and formed a crew featuring them alongside Kridis and Phylaks as they followed her assault against the Guardians. Taniks fired thunderous blasts from his Scorch Cannon and created explosions of blood around him while laughing maniacally.[10] However, the alliance ultimately failed their "Final Attempt" attack and retreated in defeat. Taniks had also took part in the Reef Wars, which Variks remembered many Awoken murdered at the mercenary's hands.[1]
Taniks would eventually claim Andal's bounty by murdering the Hunter Vanguard in cold blood, forcing Cayde to replace his old friend in memory of him.[11] Cayde would also kill Taniks a third time, avenging Andal in commemoration of his new position as Hunter Vanguard.[12]
Prison breakout[edit]
- "And still you wonder why I refuse my house-pledge. You could conquer the system, but you'd rather adhere to these arbitrary customs. Aksor belongs to Winter, and Eramis does not."
- — Taniks, the Scarred[3]
At some point, Draksis, Winter Kell would reluctantly hire Taniks to break Aksor, Archon Priest free from the Prison of Elders, who was captured during the Reef Wars.[13] Taniks at first recollected how the Winter Kell once scoffed at him but had to refrain himself from ripping out his arms and legs as he believed Draksis would seek his services later on.
While Taniks held payment above pride, he also sought payment in blood and battle worthy of his time. He took the job, but charged twice his usual price out of anger that he would miss the opportunity to free the fiercest of the Eliksni warriors such as Eramis, Pirsis and Calzar. He criticized Draksis for wanting to free the impotent Archon and insulted his Winter troops for being pathetic. He would clarify his reasons for remaining Houseless as he despised the Fallen Houses that were guided by arbitrary customs and argued that they could conquer the entire Solar System if they were to organize themselves with the greatest of Fallen generals.[3]
The Shadow Thief[edit]
- "I remember Taniks from the Reef Wars. Many Awoken dead. Clever, clever creature."
- — Variks, the Loyal[1]
Hired by the House of Wolves to steal from the Hive, Taniks would lead the Wolf Fallen to plunder the Hellmouth. Variks, having tracked Taniks' movements during the Wolf Rebellion, would enlist the Guardian and his fireteam to kill him. Variks also warned them of the threat that Taniks posed as he did not see them as an enemy, but rather as "trophies" to collect their spoils from.[1]
Taniks, relishing at the challenge of the Lightbearers, would briefly engage them at Dusk Warren before retreating via the lift field into his Ketch. He then issued a challenge to them in the ways of the old and called the fireteam out. Once aboard his Ketch in pursuit, the fireteam would find that Taniks had jammed their comms and called upon the Wolves aboard the Ketch in a frenzy to eliminate them. The Fallen could only impede the fireteam as they gave chase to the fleeing mercenary, pursuing him through mobs of enemies including a Walker in the hanger bay.[1]
With tremendous effort, the Guardians destroyed the Fallen Walker and cornered Taniks as he insulted them in his Eliksni language. He is killed much to Variks' delight and rewards the team treasures from the Queen.[1]
SIVA Perfected[edit]
- "He talks. How is that possible?"
"Maybe Taniks was more machine than we thought. He's not alive: perhaps he never was." - — Commander Zavala and Ikora Rey[14]
During the aftermath of the SIVA Crisis, the leaderless Devil Splicers allied with Taniks' Crew and rebuilt the Fallen mercenary. Enhanced with SIVA, Taniks becomes Taniks Perfected and leads the Splicers and his crew with the attention to reclaim his old territory from the Hive. Variks would quickly inform Ikora Rey and Commander Zavala of his return and the Vanguard enlist the Guardians who fought with Lord Saladin to hunt him down.[14]
On arrival, Zavala notes how the Splicers are experimenting on nearby Hive and asks the Guardians to end this quickly before another SIVA outbreak occurs. As they approach the Dusk Warrens, Taniks encounters them near the lift to his Ketch but is forced to retreat. Zavala is shocked that Taniks can talk since they believe the Splicers were only reanimating his body with SIVA. Ikora comments how Taniks may be more machine than Fallen and perhaps he was never alive to begin with. With his Ketch still intact, a jamming field disrupts the Vanguard communications.[14]
After fighting through the Splicers, Hive and a Perfected Walker, the Guardians manage to corner Taniks by his command bridge. Taniks is armed with his signature Scorch Cannon which is modified to allow Shock and Void blasts. His SIVA abilities also generate an immunity shield where nearby SIVA crystals need to be destroyed to disable the shield. The Guardians prevent SIVA from restarting Taniks' mercenary operations and slew him.[14]
Nightmare of Taniks[edit]
- "Years ago, Taniks tore the Vanguard apart over a mere bounty. Andal Brask was murdered in cold blood, and the Hunter Vanguard was left without a leader. Taniks would ultimately die on the orders of Cayde-6. But the scars he left among all Guardians would never fully heal. Once again, the Pyramid takes advantage of our collective pain. We will not succumb."
- — Eris Morn[15]
Taniks would continue to haunt the Guardians as a Nightmare recreated by the Pyramids. Eris Morn would send the Guardians to hunt down the Nightmare of Taniks as its Essence of Isolation was essential to forge armor to suppress the Nightmares and breach the Pyramid. The Nightmare would be defeated by the Dusk Warrens after the Guardians breached the Temple of Crota. However, his Nightmare would continue to plague the Guardians as it reappears in the Altars of Sorrow and Nightmare Hunts.[15][16]
The Abomination[edit]
- "There is evidence of Fallen giving themselves to technology… The mercenary Taniks is one example—more machine than Fallen now, an abomination in the eyes of traditional Fallen belief."
- — A Blind Eye Towards Tomorrow[6]
Following the failed heist to steal the SIVA-infused Outbreak Perfected, Eramis would relive a dream of the Twilight Gap. She remembered how Taniks aided her crusade against the City but awakened when she saw her fellow allies evaporate into ash.[10] She later formed the House of Salvation and, at some point, they recovered and rebuilt Taniks' body.
Her House established a stronghold on Europa and they secretly rebuilt Taniks in the Deep Stone Crypt, the secret birthplace of the Exo. Weeks after the defeat of Eramis, the Exo Stranger enlisted a fireteam of Guardians to secure the Crypt from her followers before they could unleash a new army of Darkness-powered Fallen. After bypassing the Crypt Security, the Crypt AI noted that Clarity Control was breached by a single unregistered Exo and a single life form of unknown biology and were detected by the Crypt laboratory. There Atraks-1, Fallen Exo reawakened Taniks from his cryo suspension, who was immediately enraged at the sight of the Guardians. He began bashing at the laboratory glass to no avail, so he crawled up the glass and left the lab.[17]
Following the destruction of Atraks-1, the Crypt AI initiated its nuclear descent protocol to confine both parties aboard the Morning Star platform and deorbit it in an attempt to destroy the Crypt. Taniks, now known as Taniks, Reborn, was found hacking control of the Nuclear Contingency Chamber where the Guardians would do battle, which became further complicated by Taniks causing the nuclear cores to charge prema