Battle of the Forges

"Welcome… to the Black Armory."

- Ada-1.

The Battle of the Forges was a brief but heavily destructive conflict between the Guardians of the Last City and the anarchic Fallen of the Kell's Scourge crime syndicate, led by Siviks, Lost to None.

Prelude
Following a fall out with his brother, The Spider, Siviks was sent to the Prison of Elders but after the Scorn's rampage, Siviks was able to escape and gather followers to form his own crime syndicate. For a time, Siviks remained beneath the radar of the Guardians but after discovering powerful technology and weapons belonging to the secretive Black Armory, Siviks began to make a power grab over all the Fallen in the Solar System. Knowing of the dangers, Ada-1, the last caretaker of the Black Armory, reluctantly sides with the Guardian to combat Siviks and his syndicate to secure the Black Armory's weapons and forges.

The Black Armory
"This right here is a token of the Black Armory's appreciation. Without it, they won't "appreciate" the presence of someone with your… job description. Tread carefully, friend. You won't find hospitality as warm as the Spider's behind their doors."

- The Spider, after giving the Guardian a Black Armory Token.

After the events involving the Scorn and Riven's schemes in the Dreaming City, the Guardian received a pass from the Spider, directing them to a hidden area within the Last City's walls, stating that it requires their attention. The Guardian takes the pass and after returning to the Last City, they find a secret passage within the wall that leads them to a hidden foundry filled with powerful and highly advanced weaponry, the Black Armory. They soon encounter the armory's curator, Ada-1, whom presently refuses them entry or to conduct business but relents after seeing they possess a pass.

However, Ada-1 states that some of their best weapons are unavailable as the forges to create them have gone silent as a result of the Red War. Unable to investigate herself, Ada-1 reluctantly allows the Guardian to investigate on her behalf. Traveling to one of the forges located in the European Dead Zone, the Guardian encounters scores of Fallen belonging to a faction they have not encountered before. Before the Fallen could pilfer the Forge, the Guardian thwarts their efforts and sends them fleeing, allowing them to secure and activate the forge. Ada-1 is grateful and slowly begins to trust the Guardian but worry's that if the forge in the EDZ nearly came under the control of this new faction of Fallen, then the others could be compromised. Thus, despite her reservations, Ada-1 requests the Guardian to investigate and prevent the Fallen from defiling her order's forges.

Hunt for Siviks
"Siviks – 'lost to none.' My… impudent brother. And the Black Armory's assailant. It seems even a stint in the Prison of Elders did little to help my brother understand the concept of consequences."

- The Spider.

Returning to the Spider for information on this new faction of Fallen, the mob boss explains that this faction of Fallen calls themselves the Kell's Scourge, led by the Spider's own brother, Siviks, Lost to None. Originally, the two brothers worked together in running their operations in the Reef but Siviks grew disgusted with the Spider's dealings with the Awoken and Humans, leading to a bitter fallout and Siviks' subsequent imprisonment. Knowing his brother has new and grander ambitions since gaining his freedom, rallying dissenting Fallen and deserting House of Dusk members, the Spider believes that the theft of the Black Armory is just the start and thus gives his consent to put his mad brother down.

After defeating several forces of Fallen in the EDZ on Earth near the Volundr Forge, an intercepted signal revealed that Siviks made a base for himself located on Nessus. The Guardians traveled to the centaur planetoid to catch the Kell's Scourage leader and while they located him at The Conflux alongside Telksis the Pillager, Kell's Scourge, he escapes, leaving Telksis to defend the Black Armory caches alone. Despite the Pillager's efforts, he was killed and the cache was secured. This brush with the Guardians forces Siviks to retreat into hiding but pushes forward with his syndicates' plan to acquiring as much weapons and technology from the Black Armory as possible.

Securing the Forges
As the Kell's Scourge labored to find as much Black Armory tech as they can, Ada-1 continues to gain the Guardian's support in thwarting their efforts. She gives the Guardians coordinates to other Forges located on Nessus to ensure the Kell's Scourge or other factions do not acquire it and use it's weapon making capabilities. After a struggle, the Guardians managed to secure the Gofannon Forge and the Izanami Forge, after defeating its occupying overseers, Zevious-3, Forge Warden and Sublimating Mind, Forge Warden respectively.

While each of the Forges became secure, Ada-1 worries that Siviks and his syndicate had gained enough of her order's technology to cause additional problems and may be after a bigger prize: the central Black Armory vault, located within the outskirts of the Last City itself.

Insurrection's Wrath
"Siviks was after much more than simply stealing and abusing our forge. His gaze has turned to our most prized possession: a vault, filled with the finest wares the Black Armory has to offer. Our very soul resides in that vault. It must be secured."

- Ada-1.

Siviks grew furious over the Guardians' intervention and securing the forges but the Kell's Scourage's leader had located the main vault of the Black Armory and sought to take it and claim the secrets and technology within. Gathering all of his forces and the technology they have stolen, Siviks launches an all-out attack on the Last City's outskirts, becoming the largest Fallen attack since the Twilight Gap, the Scourge of the Past Raid. Not taking any chances, Siviks unleashed his most devastating weapon: Insurrection Prime, Kell's Scourge, a massive mech-augmented Prime Servitor with enough destructive power to breach the Vault. Insurrection Prime would become one of the most powerful Prime Servitors ever encountered by the Guardians, rivaling Aksis, Archon Prime himself in sheer power. Despite the power of Sivik's army, the Guardians form a raid team and utilize the City's forces to combat the might of the Kell's Scourge head on.

After an immense, chaotic battle that reduces the area to a complete ruin, the forces of the City succeed in destroying Sivik's army and his Prime Servitor monstrosity, saving the Black Armory Vault from falling into the wrong hands. Gathering the Vault's secrets and weapons, the Guardians return them to Ada-1 who expresses her gratitude but cautions them that with Siviks still on the loose, the battle is far from over.

Niobe Labs Clash
"It would appear that Project Niobe's purpose was to develop and produce enhanced prototypes. There are even sketchings. They appear to be some sort of… advanced weapon. One of the pages provides instructions for a vessel! Perhaps we should start there. It's time we discover for ourselves what Siviks is after."

- Ada-1.

Seeking to bring an end to the conflict and to Siviks's ambitions, the Guardians pursue the Spider's mad brother but Ada-1 believes she knows where he might be going. The curator believes Siviks is heading to a secret Forge more valuable than the other, the Bergusia Forge, located within the Niobe Labs. Following a trail left behind by the Black Armory's founders, the Guardians manage to find the labs but unfortunately, so does the Kell's Scourge.

Guardians finally confront Siviks himself in the Niobe Labs where the mad leader of the Kell's Scourge aimed to use its secrets to continue his war. Despite Siviks using the labs defense protocols to his advantage and utilizing The Black Recluse, Forge Warden, the Guardians were able to best his defenses and Fallen reinforcements, putting an end to the Spider's mad brother. Thus, were the Guardians able to break the Kell's Scourge's power base, reclaim the Black Armory's secrets and technology for Ada-1 and the City and bring the conflict to an end.

Aftermath
The Kell's Scourge was left scattered with the failure of their attack on the Last City and with the loss of their leader, the anarchic Fallen faction was completely broken. Further, the House of Dusk also suffered as a result of the conflict, for many of their members deserted to join Siviks at the height of his power, but with the Kell's Scourge dismantled, many continue to desert. In addition, with Siviks's failure, other groups of Fallen abandon the old ways in favor of forming their own syndicates to survive.

The Spider and his syndicate, however, managed to be rid of a competitor and were able to maintain his "partnership" with the Guardians and the Last City. Ada-1 in the meantime, was able to secure the secrets, works and legacy of her order thanks to the Guardians support, and to honor their alliance, she grants them the Izanagi's Burden, one of her finest works. Further, she allows the Guardians to continue business with her and use her order's wares in defense of humanity.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2: ''Black Armory