Forum:Shadowkeeper

"Crota. Oryx. Ghaul. Eramis. Savathûn. Rank amateurs compared to Kirito and Asuna. Their forces have already claimed the lives of billions. And if we possess the means to stop them, and again do nothing, then their blood is on our hands."

- Ikora Rey.

The Shadowkeepers are a multispecies and multifarious force consisting of all six species – Eliksni, Hive, Vex, Cabal, Human, and Awoken – thus far encountered by the Guardians, Lightbearers, and Lightbound Fallen and Cabal allies of The Last City and the Solar System.

Led by the dyad leadership of Kirito, the Black Swordsman and Asuna, the White Angel, they are a legion of potent enemies who serve The Black Fleet and its dark forces, extremely infamous not only for being notorious time criminals and masterminds responsible for various atrocious acts against the defenders and protectors of humanity, but also for corrupting Mallory Bertha via her newfound powers.

Empowered by the powers of the Darkness, they have led countless sieges against the forces of the Light, seeking to claim complete control over the Solar System and usher in a dark new future by recreating the entire universe in the Darkness's image.

They are the main antagonists of the Paradox expansion.

Overview
(TBA)

The Swordsman's Arrival
"The time has now come for us to take our rightful places as heralds of the Light's destruction! What the Traveler built, what little thing the Guardians have, we will take everything from them and their people until there's nothing left for them to save! With this power, we can overthrow the forces of all that the Guardians call good and usher in the end of their era... and the beginning of ours."

- Kirito rallying his army of Shadowkeepers and forces of Darkness to destroy the Traveler.

Assault on the Empire
"That arrogant ignoramus could never understand the truly grand design of beauty and power, not like I can. Now that I have power at my literal fingertips and an army to call my own, I can now pursue the one true ambition every creature, lowly and mighty, in this godforsaken system pursues. Power. And with it, all will fall to their knees before me, or by my might they'll be damned."

- Tyranaks, the Overlord

Sometime prior to the Second Collapse, Kirito and some of his family would meet with the criminal leadership of Castris's Criminal Empire in the hopes of bolstering their forces and acquiring new, illicit hardware. Castris, with profits in mind, would instead declare neutrality on both sides. However, following the failed negotiations, the actions of defectors Tyranaks, Lilthis and Kamrak would catch the attention of Tatsuyi Kirigaya, the eldest son of Kazuto, who would contact them with the promise of power and individual sovereign over the criminal underground; the trio would accept this deal in a heartbeat. From the powers of the Fusion bestowed to them, the triune would help to pioneer the field of Fusion-wielding weaponry and tech, as well as fashion new tactics from the profane power such as the Marrow combat stimulant, Fusion Warping and particle manipulation. From their new powers and the backing of the Shadowkeepers, the criminal alliance known as the Shadow Collective was formed.

Their first order of business was subverting the crippled Seraphite Cartel into the Shadow Collective, where the trio executed the remaining leadership, Zevaksis included. With the destruction of a long-hated Criminal franchise, many of the remnants would join the ranks of the Shadow Collective, the dens would be turned into firebases and forward-operating bases, and their Ethrite refining machinery would be repurposed by Kamrak to accelerate production of Marrow. Following this, Tyranaks would put his plan against his former crime syndicate into motion. With the help of his close friends and superior, he would conspire against Castris and her crime empire in an effort to rope them into the Shadowkeepers to weaken the enterprise, assassinate its leadership and claim it for himself. During this, he would begin assassinating some of the syndicate's associates to sever the ties between them and the Vanguard, including Hunter Ashe-5, her Ghost, and other imperial emissaries. This would, as according to plan, catch the attention of both the Syndicate and spies from the last city. With the help of Kotrik, they were able to kill Rudolph McAlister; however, syndicate investigators Solviks and Myra Winters narrowly escaped their would-be assassins. While the partners continued their search for answers, spymaster Robert E. O. Speedwagon, assisted by his fellow partners Tattoo and Kempo Master, would conduct his own investigation, where he witnessed the murder of Vibe and confronted his murderer, Tatsuyi, who would leave him paralyzed and rightfully angry at Vibe and Ashe's unjust fates, where he would finally swear vengeance against Castris and her empire, as according to plan.

However, Tyranaks would soon realize that Solviks and Myra survived the attempt on their lives. He would scramble as many of his assets to tie up any loose ends and prevent them from investigating the conspiracy any further. Meanwhile, he would dispatch his lieutenants, Kamrak and Lilthis, to hunt down and capture the Syndicate's arms dealer, Wren Kinsing, and his Ghost. During this, the Gunslinger and Guardian associate would eventually get some answers from one of the Shadow Collective's lackeys and would finally uncover Tyranaks's ploy from a bounty hunter indentured into the Shadow Collective's ranks. Before they could return to Castris with their newfound information, Speedwagon would recover his consciousness and would pick up on the investigation, where he would intercept a distress call from Wren himself. After saving the Syndicate's arms dealer from the disguised Shadow operatives, he would interrogate the Warlock before realizing the syndicate still maintained its neutralist agenda and the sword used to murder Ashe was recently purchased off him. But before he could get more answers, the two would be ambushed by the Fusion-empowered lieutenants and would be swiftly overpowered, leading to Wren's kidnapping and Speedwagon's wounding, where he would first personally meet Tyranaks himself, who threatened his life if he kept searching this far down. After, once again recovering from his wounds and with the help of the syndicate's investigators, he would soon realize this was a conspiracy and would report his findings to the Vanguard while the duo prepared to warn Castris of the war to come. Now realizing his plan was falling apart at the seams, Tyranaks then desperately enacted a new plot to amplify the powers of Fusion within him. A plan that would eventually drive him to the verge of madness from fascination and a road that would lead him to his death.

Attack on the House
"It's showtime!"

- The Dark Jester challenging Tyrakus and the House of Eclipse.

At the same time, the Niles brothers would lead a terrifying assault against the House of Eclipse. While many Eclipse followers were able to safely evacuate from their outpost with the help of Mithrax and Eido and the backing of the House of Light, those who stayed behind weren't so fortunate as they were subverted into the Shadow Collective's ranks.

The Retrieval
"Mallory, what have you done done done?"

- Kreeks, the Ticking Templar after hearing that she succeeded in prying the Corrupted Heart of Poseidon out of The Kraken.

Some time after hearing from Kreeks about the existence of the Corrupted Heart of Poseidon, the Shadowkeepers had Mallory break into the Five Waves of Wonders in the hopes of unlocking the ultimate power of Darkness. Along the way, she came face-to-face with the Omega Kraken, a powerful Hive-like squid who possessed the ability to shape-shift into various figures, including Uma, Audrey, Evie, Ben, and Maleficent, all of whom taunted her, claiming that the world should've been better off without her and that it was her fault that goodness had lost to the sheer might of evil. Expecting to vanquish Mallory, the Omega Kraken would instead be crippled by the growing influence of Darkness emerging from within her heart, giving Mallory an unfair advantage over the kraken, forcefully tearing the Heart out of the creature. Emerging victorious, Mallory would bestow upon Kirito the Corrupted Heart, giving him the ultimate power of the Darkness; however, unbeknownst to them, Kreeks had been watching her, lamenting about the effects of what she had done in stealing the Corrupted Heart.

Fall of the Leviathan
"My allies aboard that decrepit derelict, hear me and rejoice! Your old master, the pompous and flamboyant fool that was Calus, thought he could comprehend the Darkness, bend it to his will, become one with it, and reign over the universe like a child ambitiously pursuing an impossible future. And in that pursuit, he vanished- nay, he was vanquished by the Darkness. He could never control its will and so he was consumed, lost forever in the dark world of un-being. But, I say, good riddance! Now, BEHOLD! Your true savior! Kirito! He gazed the abyss and the abyss didn't simply glance him like the pathetic chaff of the wheat, nay, it chose him! He now leads us to a new golden age, one where we will all prosper, not in the shadow of war, but in the shadow in its purest form. So, if you do wish to witness this magnificent tomorrow, reject your hedonistic ways and your incessant vanity and join us. As for those who refuse, fear not, salvation shall come to you too, but not in apotheosis, but in the bittersweet embrace of death. Either way, the Leviathan shall belong to us, to its right and true owners."

- Gha'arn rallying his followers to capture the Leviathan.

Before the Second Collapse, Gha'arn would begin a full scale assault on The Leviathan in the hopes of capturing it for the Legion in the hopes of adding a flagship to their fleet. With the help of loyal saboteurs and spies aboard the ship, the primary force, led by Gha'arn, would rapidly seize a foothold aboard the ship, first establishing a base of operations within the Castellum. From there, they managed to slowly advance throughout the vessel, facing off against the Loyalists rather advanced and psionically empowered defenses, as well as Emperor Calus's mechanical proxies. Stretched thin, however, the clashing forces would enter a stalemate, gaining no ground and taking equal casualties each skirmish. That was until the reserve force, led by the combined forces of Shua'aud and Nu'uorc, arrived and quickly sabotaged the ship's planet-eating engine and captured the ship's core and advanced to the Celestial Observatory, with the combined might of the forces, the army easily penetrated the reinforced defenses of the remnant Loyalists and finally took the astral spire and marched onto the Power Conduit beneath. Here, the two massive forces clashed as Threshers and Harvesters engaged in dogfights, Goliath Tanks exchanged barrages of Planet Cracking rounds and their armies collided and, despite the fierce opposition the Loyalists demonstrated, they would be driven back to their last and most impregnable stronghold, the Menagerie, losing a massive chunk of their forces, many of their armor columns and their entire air regiment of Gunships. Despite the disheveled state of the true Loyalists, the remnant faction, now led by de-facto commander, Roudak, would manage to drive off their invaders with minimal casualties thanks to the commanders brilliant and careful use of the Menagerie's inhabitants. That would be until the arrival of the Shadow Enclave, where its leader, Aethrox, would unleash his beloved champion, Korvam, against the impregnable stronghold. Within hours, thanks to Korvam's immense psionic arsenal and cohorts, the last hope of Calus's true loyalists would fall and, despite an admirable last stand made by Roudak and the last proxy of his Emperor, their last leader would be captured and, humiliatingly, imprisoned within the corridors he once called his stronghold.

Now with the planet eating ship within his grasp, Gha'arn would repurpose, modify and reshape the ship to the Shadow Legion's image. The throne room became his personal chambers and mock court, the Gauntlet, Hunting grounds and Menagerie became research facilities for weapons and tactics, the lattermost chamber also becoming a base for the Legion's Psion Enclave, the Celestial Observatory a bridge, the Power Conduit a makeshift city, named Katharsis, and weapons factory and the maw a shipyard for his expansive fleet. Its hull would be reinforced with more enhanced and durable armor, shield projectors and retrofitted with more advanced and factory condition weaponry fresh from the Shadow's prestigious engineers and repainted in the image of the Shadow Legion. The Leviathan was renamed The Abaddon and, as according to plan, became a flagship and dreadnaught for the Shadowkeeper army. With the newly named Abaddon in hand, the ship and its battle fleet quickly encroached upon Caiatl and her fleet of scattered Imperial Cabal in preparation for the Second Collapse.

The Party Crasher
Some time after the Collapse, the Shadowkeepers celebrated their latest victory over the Guardians and the rebirth of Aincrad, but their jubilee was interrupted by Exo 404, who vowed to undo the success they achieved with the Second Collapse so that he could kill the Guardians himself. However, Steve rushed up against him, teleporting both himself and the intruder into another dimension where they fought it out. Unfortunately for Steve, Exo 404 delivered a fatal blow against him, killing the Jester with a glitch; however, Steve retaliated, stabbing the Exo through the heart. While Chase was able to revive his brother, Exo 404’s corpse would be teleported to a parallel universe, where the remnants of the Overtakers would resurrect him, turning him into a weaponized virus for [[Forum:Clash of the Kingdom|an upcoming invasion.

Shadowkeeper Pantheon

 * Kirito, the Black Swordsman – Shadow Emperor
 * Asuna, the White Angel – Shadow Empress

Shadowkeeper Descendants

 * Yui Narusaka, Daughter of Shadows – Daughter of Kirito and Asuna
 * Konno Yuuki, Daughter of Shadows – Daughter of Kirito and Asuna
 * Tatsuyi Kirigaya, Vibebreaker of Shadows – Scion of the Shadowkeepers and Son of Kirito and Asuna
 * Yuji Kirigaya, Son of Darkness – Son of Kirito and Asuna

Shadowkeeper Champions
"Entities recruited by The Black Fleet from across uncounted time periods and dimensions in service to the Darkness and its notorious legions, the Shadowkeeper champions command powers and abilities beyond many Guardians' understandings, seeking to eradicate all traces of the Light itself and reshape the entire Solar System in the Darkness's image."


 * Totomaru, Scorchbreaker of Kirito
 * Eobard Thawne, Speedbreacher of Kirito
 * Malcolm Merlyn, Crystalline of Kirito
 * Damien Darhk, Warkeeper of Kirito
 * Tobias Whale, Ragefuser of Kirito
 * Reign, Willbreaker of Kirito
 * Leopold Fitz, Bloodhacker of Kirito
 * Anton Ivanov, Supremacy of Kirito
 * Hiram Lodge, Hornkeeper of Kirito
 * Morgana le Fay, Bladestriker of Kirito
 * Zevon, Pride of Kirito
 * Fikrul, Shardwalker of Kirito
 * Uldren Sov, Duskkiller of Kirito
 * Djin, Mightkeeper of Kirito
 * Sasuke Uchiha, Vengeance of Kirito
 * Phoenixaro Uchihamaki, Bladelord of Kirito
 * Ruby Hale, Deathbreaker of Kirito

Shadowkeeper Army Elites
"The Black Swordsman and The White Angel’s lieutenants -- Kotrik, Zharves, Hydrax, Gha'arn, Thu'urg, and Vayeriks. The highest-ranking and most trusted subjects of the Shadowkeepers. Skilled wielders of Dark powers and stolen technology, they are as lethal as they are loyal; potent foes who will stop at nothing to advance Kirito and Asuna's cause."


 * Kotrik, Bloodcrafter of Kirito
 * Zharves, Shadowcaster of Kirito
 * Hydrax, Mindkiller of Kirito
 * Gha'arn, Crownforger of Kirito
 * Thu'urg, Blightmaker of Kirito
 * Vayeriks, Fatesmith of Kirito

Commanders

 * Kabrenok, Blood of Shadows
 * Naxeviks, Wrath of the Shadows
 * Vahkyr, Last of the Shadows
 * Tremoria, Flame of the Dragon Queen
 * Tyranaks, the Overlord
 * Xavyskaa, Heiress of the Shadow Collective
 * Lilthis, the Daemon
 * Kamrak, the Titan
 * Aethrox, Shadow's Hunger
 * Commander Gaoros

Advisors

 * Steve Niles, the Dark Jester
 * Chase Niles, the Magician

Former Members

 * Mal, Emissary of Kirito

Trivia

 * (TBA)

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2:
 * Paradox
 * Season of the Inferno
 * Season of Loyalty
 * Shadows' Legacy Update
 * Season of the City