High Celebrant of Xivu Arath

"All tithes to Xivu Arath. War Dominant. Endless."

- The High Celebrant of Xivu Arath. The High Celebrant of Xivu Arath is an Ascendant Hive Knight who serves as the main antagonist of Season of the Hunt.

Tasked by Xivu Arath, God of War with creating an army of Wrathborn, the High Celebrant is responsible for the numerous Cryptoliths of its master found across the system that corrupts Fallen, Cabal, and other Hive broods alike.

History
When Xivu Arath's sister, Savathûn, went into hiding for interfering with the Pyramids messages to the Guardians, the War Goddess took this opportunity to consolidate her power within the Sol System. Seeking to establish a foothold over the power vacuum, the God of War sent her High Celebrant to oversee the creation of the Wrathborn using Cryptoliths bored across the planets, including the Moon, the Tangled Shore, and the Dreaming City. It would also hunt the excommunicated Witch Queen and wrestle the Hive free of her schemes.

Immolant
"Die well, Osiris."

- High Celebrant

The High Celebrant first appeared in the system with the intent to conscript the entire Hidden Swarm of Luna into Xivu Arath's Horde. With the entirety of the Scarlet Court, led by Crota's surviving daughters Voshyr and Kinox, having gathered into one place at the Enduring Abyss, their communion with the Hive God was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Warlock Osiris. Facing an overwhelming onslaught of Light, fifteen noble-brood were incinerated by his Dawnblade, including Voshyr and her kin Yishra and Ayriax, while Kinox fled leaving her son Ulg'Urin to be consumed by a Nova Bomb alongside his Knight guard. The High Celebrant only stood unscathed from the attack as Osiris calls for to face him.

Xivu Arath would only draw strength from the Warlock's violent fervor and the deaths of the noble Hive; her will projected from the Cryptolith dispels his Well of Radiance and attempts to enthrall Osiris into a Wrathborn. Despite the Warlock's resistance, the High Celebrant carves runes into the stone on either side of Osiris as he is offered up as a sacrifice for the War god before leaving. However, its quarry escapes Xivu Arath's grasp with the sacrifice of his Ghost Sagira.

Hunting Season
Out for revenge, Osiris begins hunting for the head of the High Celebrant as he tracked him down to the Shrine of Oryx of the Hellmouth, where Cryptoliths have grown to convert and summon the Wrathborn Hive. The Young Wolf would get word of his mission and races into the Hellmouth to save the now Light-less Warlock, whom the High Celebrant had cornered. Trapping Osiris inside of the Shrine, the Celebrant would sent waves of its Wrathborn reinforcements to stall the Guardian as its made its way to finish the former. The Guardian eventually catches up with the Celebrant, forcing it to flee into the Ascendant realm where it would make its escape.

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Coup de Grâce
Roughly eight weeks following its initial escape, the Crow was able to locate the Celebrant hiding within the Dreaming City thanks to the Guardian's numerous Wrathborn hunts. After upgrading the Cryptolith Lure, The Guardian and Crow made their way to the Cryptolith within Harbinger's Seclude to summon the High Celebrant and end it once and for all.

As the Guardian was able to activate the Cryptolith, the Crow was able to tag it to make sure it wouldn’t escape from them again. The Celebrant would lead them through a wild goose chase throughout the Harbinger's Seclude and the Ascendant Plane while summoning both Fallen and Hive Wrathborn to delay both Guardians. However it would succeed in escaping back into the Ascendant Realm and closing the portal behind it, leaving Crow inside to deal with him.

While the Guardians were seemingly stuck in a hard place, the Guardian used what remained of the Cryptolith to forcefully open up one of the preexisting rifts within the Dreaming City to track down the Celebrant. After having bested the Crow as it broke both his legs before throwing him into the abyss, the Celebrant summons waves of Wrathborn Fallen and Hive to deal with the Guardian. During the battle, it contains the Guardian within a Hive Trap and opens up another rift to make its escape, only for the Crow to intervene by destroying the portal from the other side. While the Knight was staggered from the destruction of its only exit, the Guardian finishes the Celebrant off and ends its reign of terror once and for all.}}

Trivia

 * The High Celebrant bears a strong resemblance to the Bok Litur, Hunger of Xol from the Grasp of Nokris, and by extension, the Warpriest.

List of Appearances

 * Destiny 2:
 * Beyond Light
 * Season of the Hunt