Loyalists: Difference between revisions

|Commander(s)= [[Emperor Calus]]<br>[[Valus Nohr]]

|Keep(s)= [[The Leviathan]]

|deployed= [[Nessus]] Orbit <br> [[Watcher's Grave]], [[Nessus]]

The '''Loyalists''' are [[Emperor Calus]]'s loyal followers and guardsmen who serve him aboard [[The Leviathan]].

[[File:Leviathan - Loyalty.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Cabal Loyalists]]

[[File:Leviathan1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Leviathan]]

After Calus' and the Loyalists' encounter with the Black edge, it was found the ship had sprung back to life and the Loyalists toiled to undoing the sabotage made by the Red Legion along with seeking to expand the elements of the Leviathan so that they may thrive. 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]].

[[File:LoyalistMenagerie3.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The ancient throne of Emperor Calus]]

[[File:CalusWine.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Emperor Calus atop his throne]]

Eventually, he set a course for the [[Sol]] system, which the Red Legion was planning to assault. Many celebrations and ceremonies of countless victories were held by the Red Legion. One such ceremony would be interrupted by [[Rull]] and his assassination of [[Iska'al]] and [[Moli Imoli]] with Rull perishing before Ghaul just as he had killed the Everjoy. In the days immediately before the Red Legion set out to the [[Solar System]] to [[Red War|wipe out]] the [[Guardian]]s, Calus deployed his [[Shadows]] to assassinate the various conspirators behind the [[Ghaul's coup|coup]] that deposed him. While the Shadows succeeded in eliminating nearly everyone on Calus's hit list except [[Caiatl]], [[Umun'arath]], [[Otzot]] (additionally referenced during Insight terminus strike), [[The Consul]] and [[Dominus Ghaul]], none of them survived their mission. Although they succeeded in infiltrating Ghaul's [[The Immortal|vessel]], the Shadows perished one-by-one against overwhelming odds. Nohr slaughtered three-hundred of Ghaul's best warriors with her bladed shield before facing off against the Dominus himself. She was the last Shadow standing, and Ghaul killed her, much to the grief of Calus.<ref>[[Armor_of_Nohr#Plate_of_Nohr|Plate of Nohr]]</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/shadows-cloak Shadow's Cloak]''</ref><ref> '''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Fulminator#Robes_of_the_Fulminator|Robes of the Fulminator]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_Feltroc#Grips_of_Feltroc|Grips of Feltroc]]''</ref>  

[[File:LeviathanRaid1.png|300px|thumb|right|The Pleasure Gardens]]

{{Quote| Calus loves these Guardians so. He loves them for their energy, their liveliness, their willingness to do whatever he asks in hope of a reward. He loves it when they dance.| Councilor Match}}

[[File:LeviathanRaid2.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The many robots of Calus]]

Some months later, Emperor Calus called upon the Guardians again when his Leviathan broke off a chunk of Nessus that contained a powerful Axis Mind, [[Argos, Planetary Core]], thus clogging up the massive vessel. After a perilous struggle against the Axis Mind, the Guardians succeed in disabling its shield and destroy the mind. However, with Argos's shield gone, the Guardians were soon to be devoured by the inferno of the Leviathan. Fortunately, Calus saves the Guardians and rewards them for their success and the Cabal Emperor once again offers them more than just the power of the Light, as Calus demonstrated that he can keep them safe. He also cryptically warns them that the "end" is near and therefore must be ready, as he will find them again.

[[File:LoyalistSpire1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The Red Legion besieging the Leviathan]]

Some time later, following the end of the Red War, in the vacancy that was left behind by Ghaul's death, [[Val Ca'uor]] took advantage of the power vacuum and quickly asserted himself as the commander of the Red Legion. Under his direction, he hoped to resupply the [[Red Legion]] by pillaging Vex technology from [[Mercury]] and gather energy from [[Mars]] to regain their strength following the failure to capture the Traveler and defeat the Guardians.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Last of the Legion]]''</ref>

[[File:LoyalistMenagerie2.png|thumb|right|300px|Pathway to the Kingdom of Sorrow]]

His Shadows agents had also lay siege of a lone [[Hive]] [[War moon]] and uncover an [[Ascendant Hive]] artifact called the [[Crown of Sorrow]]. Calus' Councilors concluded that the Crown was a two way seeing device into the [[Ascendant realm]], and he later sought out to use it in order to subjugate the Hive under his rule. This however was a desperate ploy by [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]] in order to take control of Calus. But he however saw through this minor trick and didn't have any intention of putting it on himself as he desired a Shadow to do it for him.  

Sometime following the Guardians recent battles with the [[Kell's Scourge]] and dealings with the [[The Drifter (character)|Drifter]], Emperor Calus was able to create what he believed to be the perfect candidate to utilize the power of the Crown of Sorrow through [[Gahlran, the Sorrow-Bearer]]. Though Gahlran was bred to control the artifact to further Calus's goals, he was ultimately consumed by it as Savathûn's influence was too strong for the Shadow, which allowed her Hive to infest the deep treasure vaults of the Leviathan.<ref name="Am I to Cast a Shadow?">'''Bungie (2019/6/3)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Opulence]], [[Weblore]]: [[Weblore#"Am I to Cast a Shadow?"|"Am I to Cast a Shadow?"]]''</ref>

[[File:LoyalistsCoS1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Calus enlisting the help of his new Shadows]]

Calus called up the Guardians to form a Raid team to purge his space craft of Gahlran and his Hive. The Guardians traversed the treasure vaults and encounter many dangerous Hive rituals but manage to persevere and reach Galhran himself. Despite the Crown granting Gahlran great dark Hive powers, the Guardians managed to slay the Sorrow-bearer, completely purging the Hive from the Leviathan. Calus, pleased with their continued successes, rewards the Guardians with great riches and officially names them one of his Shadows.

However, Gahlran usage of the Crown of Sorrow had caused even worse side effects as its power had unexpectedly tore open rifts into the Ascendant realm centered around the upper decks of the Leviathan. Calus sent his Loyalists to investigate and located the framework of an [[Bad Juju|old weapon]] of [[Toland]] himself. Following the creation of the Guardian's [[Tribute Hall]] in commemoration of the Guardian's feats, Calus informed him that an [[Ahamkara|unknown power]] began to dwell within the Ascendant portions of the Leviathan and tasked them to find the corporeal essence. <ref>'''Bungie (2019/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/interactions/visage-of-calus-pest-control?highlight=Pest+Control|"Pest Control"]''</ref> After a vigorous battle between the Taken and Cabal within the Ascendant Realm, they would meet with Toland who had asked the Guardian to feed the essence through killing, thus locking the essence back into his creation and claiming the weapon for themselves.   

The Guardians accession to Shadow became sour news towards some in the Last City, particularly the Warlock [[Aunor Mahal]], who believed that Calus is subverting the Guardians's priorities, brought her concerns and findings to the Vanguard. She proposed that the Last City should storm the Leviathan and take Calus out before his plans come to fruition. Unfortunately for the Praxic Warlock, while the Vanguard acknowledged that Calus was no ally, he kept the Red Legion in check and supplied the Guardians, nor did they wish to start a war with him. They reasoned that in time, Calus's influence over the Guardians will fall and if the Cabal Emperor does make a wrong move, they will not hesitate to send a strike team. Calus and his Loyalists in the meantime employ the use of Guardians to acquire old relics from Red Legion deserters.

After The Undying Mind's final destruction, the timeways over Mercury have been undone and a council of Red Legion Psion Flayers aimed to take advantage of the Vex's disorganization to assume control over time itself and undo their defeat during the Red War. Their meddling with Osiris's time-altering Sundial resulted in Mercury fracturing into three different eras, each with their own timelines dictated by the Psion Flayers. The Guardians team up with Osiris to ensure the safety of time, preserve the present and to save a legend, Saint-14. During this, there were accounts of the Red Legion offering bulk of tribute in the form of Light and Vex technology to other Legions and Calus and his Loyalists themselves. It is uncertain, however, if these offerings extended from the confines of the Sundial or not. Judging from the Red Legion's following play in Season of the Worthy, it can be inferred they did not.

Upon Season of the Worthy, Calus employed a Shadow agent to steal [[The Fourth Horseman]], an infamous Cabal-killing weapon, to eliminate multiple key Red Legionnaires across the system. This Shadow, however, was caught and killed by [[Caiatl's Emissaries|emissaries]] of her daughter [[Empress Caiatl]], and the shotgun cached away by the Red Legion (which was recovered by the Guardians once more).<ref>''' Bungie (2020/3/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Worthy]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[In Rides A Pale Horse]]''</ref>

In contrast to the [[Red Legion]], their armor is predominantly purple and gold, and leaves their arms and feet bare. The Loyalists exiled with Calus were all soldiers,<ref>'''Bungie (2018/8/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]] Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Insigne_Shade_Armor#Insigne_Shade_Cover|Insigne Shade Cover]]''</ref> and their ranks have since been grown by deserters from the [[Red Legion]].

After the death of [[Dominus Ghaul]], Calus immediately set to work on reclaiming the empire. He gave the now leaderless [[Red Legion]] the chance to "join the loyalist regime," sending them on missions to collect geological data on [[Nessus]]. These transmissions are intercepted in the [[Adventure]] ''[[Invitation from the Emperor]].'' Calus intended to convert the soil of the planetoid into "Royal Wine".

Calus extended an invitation to [[The Guardian]] to board his vessel for slaying Ghaul. The Guardians accept Calus' challenge and following a long journey through Calus' palace and defeating his loyalist army, the Guardians seemingly meet Calus in person in his throne room. Facing off against the exiled Cabal Emperor, the Guardians witness his strange powers and after dealing critical damage, they find that the Calus they are facing is really a robotic duplicate. Regardless, the Guardians succeed in destroying the robot. Before the machines destruction, Calus boasts about his power and claims to know the "real truth" about the galaxy. Nonetheless, he rewards the Guardians for completing his challenge and offers them a place by his side should they seek him out.

 

One of the Loyalists's feats in technology would be the development of the Ceremonial Bathers. These trained Gladiators are created through the embryonic pools within the Royal Pools of the Leviathan. One of the most well known Bathers would be known as [[Gahlran, the Sorrow-Bearer|Gahlran]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Penumbra]], PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Shadow's Plate]] [https://www.light.gg/db/items/1862963733/shadows-plate/ ''Shadow's Plate - Destiny 2 Legendary Chest Armor'']</ref>

The '''Shadows of Calus''' are an elite group of Loyalist champions in the service of [[Emperor Calus]], composed of individuals from various civilizations who were personally recruited by Calus during his exile. In the days immediately before the [[Red Legion]] set out to the [[Solar System]] to [[Red War|wipe out]] the [[Guardian]]s, Calus deployed his Shadows to assassinate the various conspirators behind the [[Ghaul's coup|coup]] that deposed him. While the Shadows succeeded in eliminating nearly everyone on Calus's hit list except [[Caiatl]], [[Umun'arath]], [[Otzot]] (additionally referenced during Insight terminus strike), [[The Consul]] and [[Dominus Ghaul]], none of them survived their mission.  

In the aftermath of the [[Red War]], Calus had since started auditioning [[Guardians]] to replace them as the newest generation of Shadows, starting with a [[Leviathan (raid)|trial]] through [[The Leviathan]]. They would later aid the emperor in clearing his ship of incursions from the [[Leviathan, Eater of Worlds|Vex]], [[Leviathan, Spire of Stars|Red Legion]] and [[Crown of Sorrow (raid)|Hive]] in addition to proving their mettle in the [[Menagerie]]; to which the Guardians that succeeded were given the title of Shadow of Earth much to the concerns of the [[Vanguard]] and the suspicions of [[Aunor Mahal]].

*[[The Guardian]] – Shadow of [[Earth]] chosen by Calus

*[[Brighus|Chef Brighus]]

*[[Tor Trakal|Actor Tor Trakal]]

*'''[[Scorpius]]''' variants

**[[Watchers]]

*'''[[War Beast]]''' variants

***[[Royal Beasts]]

*'''[[Psion]]''' variants

*'''[[Legionary]]''' variants

***[[Standard Liberator]]

*'''[[Phalanx]]''' variants

*'''[[Incendior]]''' variants

***[[Imperial Incendior]]

***[[Loyalist Torcher]]

*'''[[Gladiator]]''' variants

***[[Ceremonial Bather]]

****[[Oiled Ceremonial Bather]]

***[[Loyalist Bruiser]]

*'''[[Colossus]]''' variants

Crimson Shadow (Phalanx).jpg|The [[Phalanx]] variant of the Crimson Shadow.

 

{{Enemy Factions}}

[[Category:Cabal Detachments]]