Forum:Zagreus, the Cleaved

"The one you call 'The Pioneer' holds a brooding evil inside of him, similar to your spatial torrent. He will be a formidable foe, capable of leading the Hive with only the sharpest blade, and an even sharper will."

- Eir to Oryx after Zagreas' birth

Zagreas, the Cleaved, otherwise known as "The Pioneer", was a powerful hive prince and the latest son of Oryx, the Taken King. Zagreas imfamously led the century long crusade against the native species of the Triangulum Galaxy, returning to Oryx after being confronted by a mysterious anomaly. Zagreas takes the form of a Hive knight and a Taken knight, having two bodies that hold the same consciousness. Zagreas was killed by a fireteam of guardians in the Envy of Zagreas strike.

Birth
"You instill discipline with your gaze. You hold totality in your grasp. Nothing can escape your might. You crush those beneath you with the pressure of your diligence. I name you Zagreas, King of the Underworld."

- Oryx upon Zagreas' birth

Following the creation of Golgoroth, Oryx gave birth to a new child. Zagreas was born with a blight of taken energy inside of him. Due to this factor, Eir claimed him to be the one best fit for the new ruler of the Hive. Oryx gave Zagreas his name from a suggestion by Savathun, who suggested his name be Thanatos. Oryx took the concept of death and gave the new aspect of the underworld, birthing him Zagreas. Xivu Arath asked Oryx to hand over Zagreas to her brood once he became older, but Oryx refused.

Life on the Dreadnaught
Zagreas was studied by high-ranking wizards due to his blight. Oryx conducted these studies after Eir mentioned his immense potential. The studies concluded that the blight may be controlled through one's emotions, and can be fueled to shape it into the user's will. Several tests to harness the blight's powers came up unproductive, but Zagreas would gain a grasp on this power as life continued.

Zagreas often battled with his brother Crota to become more powerful, but Crota beat him each and every time. Zagreas would go on to complain to Oryx about his failure to beat Crota, but Oryx would give him insight on his failure. "You may feel that your failure has brought dishonor to me, but I encourage failure. Through repetition of failure, one learns, similar to a blade. Battle after battle, swing after swing, the blade becomes scarred. Those are not scars of damage, they are scars of knowledge. So hone your capabilities Zagreas. Hone them until not even the winds of death can bring you to your knees." Zagreas became encouraged by these words as he continued to battle Crota.

Zagreas would battle lower ranking Hive in the Court of Oryx as he climbed his way to the top, becoming a fearsome fighter. Zagreas challenged the Warpriest to a battle, but would lose tremendously, almost being killed in the process. Zagreas confronted his aunt Xivu Arath about the art of the blade. She told him that becoming one with the blade was the key to becoming indestructible.

Vex Invasion
Zagreas was present when Crota was ordered to watch his sisters. Zagreas was attempting to harness the power of his blight, but to no avail. He witnessed Savathun coerce Crota into opening a wound in the universe, and witnessed the first vex enter the High War. Zagreas and the Crota desperately fought off the vex for years as he began to become accustomed to their abnormal style of battle. Zagreas' quick adaptation to the vex was described by Ir Halak as "abnormal" and "pre-meditated".

The battle with the vex would come to an end when Eir demanded Oryx return and put a stop to it. As the battle ended, Zagreas witnessed Oryx send Crota away into the vex realm, telling him to return with glory. Zagreas was intrigued by this method as he asked Oryx why he did so. Oryx responded that Crota must earn his way through trial and error if he wishes to become the worldbreaker. Zagreas would become interested in the exploration of worlds, asking the Warpriest about the Golden Amputation. The Warpriest described the feeling as "A shower of blood that fills your mind." Wanting to conquer worlds and become like him, Zagreas honed his abilities in preparation for Crota's return.

Creation of the Black Sun
When Crota emerged from the vex gate, Zagreas would challenge him to a battle with his new blade, crafted by Oryx himself. Zagreas would barely win the battle, with Crota congratulating him for his dedication. After his win, Zagreas would ask his father if he could command his own fleet, but he replied that the time will come soon. Zagreas would overhear Crota's explanation on how to create an Oversoul and was eager to attempt it. When Zagreas attempted the method, seemingly nothing happened. When he met with Xivu Arath the following day, she mentioned that something was different about him. When Zagreas rested up before a training session, he seemed to be in the form of a Taken knight. He didn't know if he was dreaming, or if he had gone insane, but it was certainly abnormal. The following day, he told his father about what happened. Oryx mentioned that he must have created his own throne world, similar to the High War. Zagreas named this realm "The Black Sun".

With this throne world in order, Oryx gave Zagreas his own flagship and a small armada of hive and Taken. Zagreas would set off to the Triangulum Galaxy on his quest to conquer and destroy many worlds.