Emperor Calus: Difference between revisions

One of Calus's pleasures was the coliseum, and one day, an albino gladiator, seemingly bleached from prolonged exposure to solar radiation, named [[Ghaul]] made his first appearance there. Ghaul's patient skill and unusual coloration soon made him a favorite of Calus's, and the Emperor eventually made him [[Primus]] of the [[Red Legion]], where his talents would be put to better use as the head of the most fearsome [[Cabal]] legion ever assembled. Calus grew to love Ghaul like a son, and believed they were kindred spirits who both envisioned a newer, more perfect world.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Ghost Primus]]''</ref> Ghaul's association with [[The Consul]] and members of the Praetorate worried him, but not enough.<ref name="conspirator">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Conspirator]]''</ref>

On the Leviathan, Calus wallowed in despair for an unknown amount of time until a strange event shook him out of his stupor. The Leviathan had come up against an expanse of utter nothingness, shorting out the navigation systems and the course the conspirators had set. Calus looked into the void and came to an understanding, believing that it had chosen him to herald its inevitable victory.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[It Stared Back]]''</ref> He would watch it consume the light of the universe, and all among the last of the living would know his greatness.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Calus' letter]]''</ref>  

With control of the Leviathan back in his hands, Calus set out on a long voyage of his own, ''"[plumbing] the secret places of the cosmos"'', visiting strange realms and old ruins. This cemented both his conviction that his hedonistic philosophy was correct and his intent to retake his empire.<ref name = "Cabal Booklet"/> Along the way, he gathered forces to strengthen his [[Loyalists]]. He created the [[Shadows]] as his elite champions, allied with aliens such as the [[Clipse]]<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_Rull#Gauntlets_of_Rull|Gauntlets of Rull]]''</ref> and the [[Sindu]]<ref name="HotAD">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Ace-Defiant#Helm_of_the_Ace-Defiant|Helm of the Ace-Defiant]]''</ref>, and sent messages promising that whoever slew his conspirators would be given great wealth and glory. Eventually, he set a course for the [[Sol]] system, which the Red Legion was planning to assault. He sent his Shadows to assassinate Ghaul and failed, but he learned of [[Guardian|other warriors]] in the system that might serve his purposes. <ref name="SB">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Fulminator#Shadow.27s_Bond|Shadow's Bond]]''</ref> <ref name="RotF">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Fulminator#Robes_of_the_Fulminator|Robes of the Fulminator]]''</ref>

Calus's personality is defined by four key characteristics: his hedonism, his narcissism, his ruthlessness, and his need to be adored. As a hedonist, he loves opulence, extravagant displays, and pleasures of all kinds.<ref name="Booklet">[[Cabal Booklet]]</ref> As a narcissist, he considers himself godlike in status and power,<ref name="conspirator"/> is incapable of accepting any point of view other than his, and immerses himself in royal scenery that often depicts his own image. When roused or denied, he is fully willing to use force to achieve his goals, throwing the old Praetorate to the mercy of mob justice without remorse and annihilating the [[Sindu]] fleet when they refused to join his loyalists.<ref name="HotAD"/> Fundamentally, however, Calus wants to love and be loved by those he rules. He abolished the Cabal Praetorate as he believed they abused their control of the Cabal Legions for their own benefit at the expense of the people's welfare, attempted to free the indentured Psions but was overthrown before he could complete the act, and considered the Consul and Ghaul turning the Cabal into a warmongering empire to be the ultimate betrayal to their way of life. <ref name = "Booklet"/>

Calus only ever interacts with others using lifelike robotic proxies, possibly out of necessity. It is implied that his robots no longer bear any resemblance to him as he is now, as in his own words, ''"I was not what I appeared to be"'' and ''"...my form and my strength are inextricably linked."'' <ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Robes of Sekris]]''</ref>