Editing Zulmak, Instrument of Torment

{{Boss infobox
|nameBG=olive
|BG=olive
|sectionBG=olive
|lineBG=olive
|name= Zulmak, Instrument of Torment
|othernames= Zulmak, the Unwavering<br>Zulmak, the Impaled<br>Zulmak, the Unfelled<br>Zulmak, the Destroyer
|image= [[File:Zulmak Instrument of Torment.jpg|300px]]
|species= [[Hive]]/[[Nightmare]] {{c|Hybrid}}
|faction= [[Hidden Swarm]]
|rank= [[Ultra]]
|class= [[Knight]]
|gender= Male
|mission= [[Pit of Heresy]]
|weapon= {{icon|Solar}} Flame [[Cleaver]]
|ability= Temporary Immunity <br> High Durability <br> Rapid Movement <br> Summon Hive <br> Summon [[Accursed Swordbearer]]s <br> {{icon|Kinetic}} Ground Slam <br> {{icon|Solar}} Fire Blast <br> {{icon|Solar}} Slashed Flame Wall <br> {{icon|Solar}} Burn <br> Crystal Wipe  
}}
{{Quote|And when the '[[Guardians|heroes]]' come to condemn your proclamation of sovereignty and conquest, I offer this gift—the essence of your fallen champion ... birth a ravager to protect all you hope to build.|[[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]]}}

'''Zulmak, Instrument of Torment''' is a very powerful [[Hive]] [[Knight]] and a former contender for the Osmium Throne, having been reanimated into a [[Nightmare]] hybrid by the Daughters of [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]] to serve as their puppet champion. He is encountered as the final boss of [[Pit of Heresy]] [[dungeon]].

==Biography==
===Seeking the Throne===
{{Quote|In the Pit, Zulmak unleashes a battle cry. He is ready to be done with it all. He is ready to claim his crown. Hashladûn considers him with disgust—he will never be a King, only ever a tool, blunt and brutal. Should he be anointed as a champion of the Pit… Should he be crowned… the Daughters' plots will be threatened before they ever truly begin.|[[Lore:Inquisition of the Damned#X: Faith in Bone|X: Faith in Bone]]}}

Zulmak became a rising champion within the Pit beneath what would become the [[Scarlet Keep]], aspiring to take the Osmium Throne through his own [[Sword Logic]]. Zulmak's quest to [[Ascendant Hive|ascend]] as the newest Hive [[Prince]] pitted him against multiple other Hive combatants in the Pit; many that challenged him in gladiator-style combat and were met with overwhelming slaughter.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Lore: [[Lore:Inquisition of the Damned#III: Ritualistic Circle Pit|III: Ritualistic Circle Pit]]''</ref> His triumphs were only met with disappointment from the daughters of the [[Crota]], who saw him as a threat to their [[Oryx, the Taken King|grandfather's]] legacy.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Lore: [[Lore:Inquisition of the Damned#X: Faith in Bone|X: Faith in Bone]]''</ref>
 
After winning his third streak within the Pits, he was bifurcated and killed by the [[Deathsinger]] [[Ir Airâm, Deathsinger|Azavath]], whose body became possessed by her enraged [[Knight]] brother [[Akrazul]] in desecration of the Sword-Logic itself.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Lore: [[Lore:Inquisition of the Damned#XI: The Anti-Logic|XI: The Anti-Logic]]''</ref> With his body in its final grasps, Zulmak was met with  whispers of the [[Savathûn, the Witch-Queen|Witch-Queen]] herself, who proceeded to take his dying essence from his broken body and gifted it to her grand-nieces to be raised as a champion bound to their will.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/29)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Lore: [[Lore:Inquisition of the Damned#XI.X: Apocrypha|XI.X: Apocrypha]]''</ref>

===The Pit of Heresy===
{{Quote|It was Kinox who urged her sisters to act. It was Hashladûn who offered the primordial essence of terror as their guide. And it was Besurith and Voshyr who gathered the husk of a shattered champion—a ravager to stand against all who would oppose their rule. A new breed of destroyer.|Lore text from [[Heretic]].}}<ref name= Heretic>'''Bungie (2019/10/1)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], Lore: [[Heretic]]''</ref>

When the [[Lunar Pyramid]] became active and the [[Nightmares]] unleashed, [[Kinox]] urged her sisters to rally the leaderless [[Hidden Swarm]] by reanimating the essence of Zulmak with forbidden magic as their puppet champion. His corpse was recovered by [[Besurith]] and [[Voshyr]], with [[Hashladûn]] offering the phantasmal essence of the [[Nightmare]]s as a catalyst to infuse into it, creating the first hybrid of a Hive infused with the power of the Nightmares.<ref name= Heretic></ref>

With the deaths of Hashladûn and Besurith at the hands of the [[Guardian]]s, the remaining daughters went into hiding in the Pit beneath the Scarlet Keep. Out of fear and desperation, the Hive began [[Altars of Sorrow|sacrificing]] Nightmares en masse and harvesting their dark energy into crystals for a ritual to commune with [[The Witness]]. Their actions created seismic activity, however, which drew Eris Morn's attention towards the Pit, prompting her to send a fireteam to investigate.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/29)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hev8IF4neTw The Deepening Wake]''</ref>

At the [[Cradle of Damnation]] deep in the Pit, the Guardians confronted the reanimating Zulmak, strengthened and protected by the [[Darkness]] within the nearby crystal. Zulmak and his champions, the [[Accursed Swordbearer]]s and the [[Oracle of the Broken Blade|Disciples of]] [[Omen of the Broken Blade|the Broken]] [[Might of the Broken Blade|Blade]], would clash with the Guardians alongside hordes of the Swarm, but would eventually perish at the hands of the fireteam, who killed him and thwarted the Hive's ritual.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/29)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], [[Dungeon]]: [[Pit of Heresy]]''</ref> Eris Morn, however, would remain wary that the Hive would attempt the same ritual again in the future.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/10/29)''',''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Shadowkeep]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=genP9gQOaL0 Lingering Torment]''</ref>

==Gameplay==
[[File:Zulmak Pit of Heresy.jpg|300px|thumb|Zulmak, Instrument of Torment]]

Upon entering Zulmak's lair, the encounter will start if the player damages Zulmak or any enemy near him. After this point, Zulmak will be immune to all damage. Throughout the whole encounter, the Instrument of Torment will never leave the plate in the middle of the stage. However, he will circumnavigate the crystal and try to attack the players with a [[Solar]] fireball attack(which has extremely high range) or strike any that come too close with his [[Cleaver]]. Zulmak will also spawn Accursed Swordbearers on the outer rim of his plate, which must be killed in order to acquire their Cleavers and deal damage to the Disciples of the Broken Blade. Looking from the where you begin the encounter, the [[Vanquisher]] will be to the left, the [[Wizard]] will be to the right, and the [[Shrieker]] will be straight ahead. Killing a Disciple will drop a [[Void]] Orb that can be deposited near Zulmak's center plate, to an extinguish station on each side respectively. It does not matter which station an orb is deposited as long as all three stations are extinguished.

Doing this will grant all players the "''Heinous Rite''" buff, which allows them to damage Zulmak, but only by players that are standing on the plate with him. Zulmak will continue to attack the players, showcasing more of his sword moves, such as slashing the ground to create a wall of flame that lingers for several seconds, burning and dealing great damage over time. It is highly discouraged to get close to Zulmak, as he can easily launch the players off the stage. After 30 seconds, Zulmak will skewer his sword into the ground and the plate will begin to radiate. Any player left on the plate after a few seconds will be instantly killed by a Fire Blast. This process is repeated until either Zulmak or the fireteam is killed.

==Trivia==
*Zulmak bears a striking appearance to that of [[Urrox, Flame Prince]] and [[Kandorak]] as well as the [[Swordbearer]]s in [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota's]] [[Oversoul Throne]].
**This could mean that Zulmak may be a Swordbearer who grew in size and might to how he is right now through [[The Sword Logic]].
***Due to the fact that many of his servants bear the title of "...of the Broken Blade," it could be inferred that he is also a [[Blade of Crota]].
****The connection between all of these may prove the true role of Flame Princes within the ranks of Hive.
*Both Zulmak and [[Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return]] use an unknown crystal during both of their boss encounters. There is also another crystal on Titan that is similar in size and also possesses [[paracausality|paracausal]] abilities comparable to the former two. It is unknown whether these crystals bear any canon importance.
*Zulmak is the fourth Hive character to possess his own sword that is unique from the Cleavers most Hive are found wielding. [[Crota]] being the first, [[Oryx]] being the second, [[Ecthar, Sword of Oryx]] being the third.
*Zulmak is the fifth Hive being shown clearly speaking their native tongue instead of roaring unintelligibly. The previous four were [[Ir Anûk, Deathsinger]], [[Ir Halak, Deathsinger]], and two unnamed deathsingers, all collectively singing the Deathsinger's Dirge in the mission [[Last Rites]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Zulmak.jpg|Model of Zulmak.
File:Zulmak Close-up.jpg|Close up of Zulmak's face.
File:Zulmakbattle.png|Zulmak battling a fireteam of three Guardians.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny 2]]''
**''[[Shadowkeep]]'' {{1st}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Bosses|D2}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Enemies]]
[[Category:Hive]]