Red Legion: Difference between revisions

|Commander(s)= [[Dominus Ghaul]] <br> [[The Consul]] <br> [[Thumos, the Unbroken]] <br> [[Bracus Zahn]] <br> [[Primus Cal'aug]] <br> [[Val Ca'uor]] <br> [[Valus Thuun]] <br> [[Kargen, the Technocrat]] <br> [[Ozletc, the Sky Piercer|The]] [[Tazaroc, the Sun Eater|Psion]] [[Niruul, the Hollow Voice|Flayer]] [[Amtec|Sisters]]<br> [[Empress Caiatl]]

|Keep(s)= [[Firebase Hades]] <br> [[Firebase Airfield]] <br> [[Orobas Vectura]] <br> [[Excavation Site VII]] <br> [[Terrabase Charon]] <br> [[The Almighty]]&dagger;

|deployed= [[European Dead Zone]], [[Earth]] <br> [[Arcadian Valley]], [[Nessus]] <br> [[Echo Mesa]], [[Io]] <br> [[Fields of Glass]], [[Mercury]] <br> [[Hellas Basin]], [[Mars]] <br> [[Tangled Shore]], [[The Reef]] <br> [[Venus]]

|deployed=[[European Dead Zone]], [[Earth]]<br>[[The Last City]], [[Earth]] <br> [[Arcadian Valley]], [[Nessus]] <br> [[The Leviathan]] <small>(briefly)</small> <br> [[Sundial]], [[Mercury]] <br> [[Cosmodrome]], [[Earth]] <br> [[Castalia Macula]], [[Europa]]

{{quote|Rumors mostly. They’re elite. Ruthless. And rumor is, they've never known defeat.|[[Ikora Rey]]}}

The '''Red Legion''' is an elite [[Cabal]] Legion once led by the Cabal Emperor, [[Dominus Ghaul]]. They are the main antagonist for ''[[Destiny 2]]'', who invade [[Earth]] seeking to claim the [[Traveler]] as their own.

In the [[Aftermath of The Red War|aftermath]] of the [[Red War]], the Legion would fracture into various leaderships such as [[Val Ca'uor]], [[Valus Thuun]], [[Ozletc, the Sky Piercer|The]] [[Tazaroc, the Sun Eater|Psion]] [[Niruul, the Hollow Voice|Flayer]] [[Amtec|Sisters]] and also see the return of [[Emperor Calus]], their former emperor who aims to recruit them into his [[Loyalist]] regime along with his daughter, [[Empress Caiatl]] who seeks to see the Legion rise and march once more.

[[File:D2 Ghaul.png|thumb|right|300px|The Ghost Primus, Dominus Ghaul]]

With the Red Legion in control of [[Cabal|The Cabal Empire]], Ghaul titled himself Dominus and declared himself the leader of a new Cabal regime where there would be no more emperors and where everyone could attain greatness if they worked hard for it. Under his direction, the Cabal militarized and became a conquering, expansionist empire, and the Praetorate regained little of the power it had held before Calus, although the Consul remained Ghaul's advisor.<ref name = "Cabal Booklet"/> Ghaul eliminated much of the decadence of the Empire in favor of perfecting the Cabal into what he viewed as an ideal war-driven form.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Sins of the Past]]''</ref> Knowing that Calus remained alive and a potential threat to his rule, Ghaul took steps to hide his movements from the exiled Emperor in an effort to keep his plans secret.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Emperor's_Agent#Boots_of_the_Emperor's_Agent|Boots of the Emperor's Agent]]''</ref>

The conversion of the Empire was not just limited to discarding decadence and the old naval doctrines. Conversion of the Empire to Ghaul and the Red Legion's new regime spread to the [[Athenaeum Worlds]]. Formerly sites where citizens, primarily artisans and thinkers, would travel to be inspired by "alien wonders from across and beyond the Cabal." These worlds were shut and closed off in the Legion and Ghaul's reign. Worlds of the Cabal Empire were radically transformed. Wondrous inventions of old became replaced by grim weaponry and militant architecture. Great gardens and flora of the Cabal's worlds were removed to pave way for industrial expanse. Almost all of the properties that Calus had instilled were being dissolved.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Opulence]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore]]: [[Lore:Confessions#Entry_I|Confessions: Entry I]]''</ref> Emperors to Domini. Opulence to martial grit. Cruisers to swarms of frigates. Gardens to factories.

In some of the Legion's earliest campaign's under Ghaul, the Dominus had employed the use of Psions amongst the Legion to mask his fleets from the [[Hive]] in his conquest of their [[War moon]]s on the fringe of Cabal space to ensure a "buffer" against invasion.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''','' [[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore:Confessions]]''</ref>

Sometime following the conversion of the Empire, Ghaul and the Red Legion had constructed a titanic vessel comparable to a moon in length and utter size. This vessel, which would become known as [[The Almighty]], became the centerpiece of all Cabal Fleet's along with the crown jewel of the Red Legion. It was seen as an immense engineering feat to the Cabal and held to an almost zealous or holy stature. The loss of the Almighty would be as impactful if not more impactful than the loss of Ghaul.

The Red Legion would go on to conquer hundreds of worlds at Ghaul's orders, deploying [[The Almighty]] against those who refused to surrender. Though the vast majority of these wars and campaigns are undocumented, it is known one such assault occurred as close as the Trappist system. In most of these campaigns the Red Legion sought any and all information on the [[Traveler]].<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/7)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]:, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Dunemarchers]]''</ref>. They were said to have never once failed.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard''</ref>  

Preluding the Red war, it was discovered that, with the assistance of the [[Skyburners]], the Red Legion had figured out how to drain the [[Light|paracasual properties]] of the Traveler after rugged research and intel taken from the Hive [[Dreadnaught]]. With this information combined with the years Ghaul had already studied of it and "the worlds it had touched", the Red Legion was able to fulfill its goals and construct a [[Traveler Cage|cage device]] that could extract the Light from the Traveler and bestow it upon others. <ref>[[Skyburner's Oath]]</ref> This valuable information, along with the schematics to the Cage would be stored onboard the Almighty.

[[File:Cabal-suppression-device-activated.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Red Legion attacks the Last City]]

{{quote|I command Legions. Conquered worlds. Waged war across the galaxy to prove my worth. I alone am worthy of the [[Traveler]]'s Light.|Dominus Ghaul.}}<ref name="Destiny 2 – Official “Our Darkest Hour” E3 Trailer">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8E7jUjOQi0'''YouTube''' - ''Destiny 2 – Official “Our Darkest Hour” E3 Trailer'']</ref>

Upon receiving a distress call from the [[Skyburners]], the Legion prepared an attack against the [[Last City]] on [[Earth]]. Psion Operatives managed to compromise the city's outer sensors, defenses, and outposts to conceal their presence.<ref>'''[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/ringer Ringer] & [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/the-stacks The Stacks] Lore Info'''</ref> Using this to their advantage, they launched a successful invasion on the Last City while attacking other places like the [[Reef]].<ref>[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/ringer?highlight=legion Ringer]</ref> The Legion would cripple the Last City and devastate the Guardians by using the [[Traveler Cage]] to suppress the Traveler's light. In attacking the City, Ghaul sought to show the Traveler the error of its ways in choosing humanity over the Cabal and establish a new order of Cabal Guardians from within the ranks of his own species.<ref name="Destiny 2 Gameplay Premiere Livestream (US)"/><ref>[https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/19/destiny-2-tackles-the-originals-storytelling-problems/ '''engadget''' - ''‘Destiny 2’ tackles the original’s biggest problem: storytelling'']</ref><ref name="Rally the Troops">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJLAJVmggt0 '''YouTube''' - ''Destiny 2 – “Rally the Troops” Worldwide Reveal Trailer'']</ref>  

Following the attack, the Red Legion began to quickly spread everywhere in the [[Solar System]].<ref>[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/ghost-scan-the-gulch-european-dead-zone-3 Ghost Scan: The Gulch, European Dead Zone #3]</ref> On [[Nessus]], they launched a mining campaign lead by [[Primus Cal'aug]] to harness the Vex technology of the planet. On [[Io]], they attempted to drain Io of its abnormal Light which accidentally summoned the [[Taken]], forcing them to abandon many dig sites as they fought. On [[Mars]] the remaining Legions gathered at [[Meridian Bay]] for one final assault and the Red Legion led the charge. The stalemate was broken, the Vex Virgo Prohibition was destroyed, [[Bastion (Crucible Map)|Bastion]] retaken, and the Gate to the [[Black Garden]] was disabled, even on [[Venus]]. On [[Mercury]] the now-Lightless [[Titan (class)|Titan]] [[The Sunbreakers|Sunbreakers]] were destroyed.<ref>[[Hallowfire Heart]]</ref> They had even assault the [[Reef]] after having imposed the [[Broken Legion]] lead by [[Valus Trau'ug]] as a trojan horse.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''Activision Blizzard'', ''[[Lore]]: [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince|The Forsaken Prince]] - [[Lore:The Forsaken Prince#Fanatic|Fanatic | Part I]]''</ref>

With their security being lax, and Ghaul being preoccupied with wanting to understand the Traveler, their greatest weapon, ''[[The Almighty]]'', was disabled by [[The Guardian|a Guardian]]. This led to a full-on attack on the Red Legion-occupied City by more Guardians, spearheaded by the Vanguard. With pressure mounting and his temper boiling over, Ghaul murdered [[the Consul]], who criticized his obsession, and went to take the Light to become a Lightbearer himself. For a short while, after he fought the Guardian, Ghaul ascended into a massive figure of pure Light just as the Traveler awoke, who smited the Dominus once and for all. Even in its aftermath, Red Legion weapons are used in [[Shaxx]]’s [[Crucible]] to help train new Guardians.

[[File:Bracus Zahn.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Red Legion fighting alongside Bracus Zahn]]

The Guardians had also targeted [[Bracus Zahn]], an infamous Cabal weaponsmith and arms dealer employed by the Legion. Wanted for arming the Legion with his illicit weaponry that killed dozens of refugees, [[Suraya Hawthorne]] and [[Cayde-6]] instructs the fireteam to infiltrate Firebase Hades and trace the Bracus' whereabouts to [[Echion Vae]]. Having occupied the carrier after Thumos' death, Zahn rallies the Legion along with his lieutenants to engage the fireteam as he tactically retreats to the roof of the warship. He called down air support for aid in his final confrontation, but meets his end.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/12)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]'', ''Activision Blizzard'', ''[[The Arms Dealer]]''</ref>

On [[Nessus]], the Red Legion had been excavating the surface for Vex technology to weaponize. Their efforts unearthed the ancient Vex Mind [[Protheon, Modular Mind]] deep within the [[The Inverted Spire (location)|Inverted Spire]], with which they could harness its unique shielding technology. However, a fireteam of Guardians manage to breach into the Legion's dig sites and destroy Protheon before they had a chance to capture it.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], Activision Blizzard, Playstation 4, [[The Inverted Spire]]''</ref>

After Ghaul's death, the Red Legion received transmissions from the desposed [[Emperor Calus]], offering them the chance to join his [[Loyalists|Loyalist]] regime aboard the [[Leviathan]]. Several elements of the Legion were sent on missions to collect geological data on the planet itself, with which the Guardians had intercepted and killed.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/12)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]'', ''Activision Blizzard'', ''[[Invitation from the Emperor]]''</ref>

[[File:KargenTerminusDominus.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Kargen and Red Legion engaging a Guardian]]

Commander [[Valus Thuun]] lead a Cabal excursion into the vast alternate realities of the [[Infinite Forest]], in hopes to find a reality where they won the [[Red War]]. Coming close to the map of the Forest, Thuun and his forces would become trapped in an endless combat loop by the [[Vex]] and killed by [[Guardians]] on repeat.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]], Activision Blizzard, Item Description: [[D.F.A#Lore|D.F.A.]]''</ref> A glitch in the loop had also duplicate copies of the Red Legion which threaten to escape the forest, forcing the Guardians to push back against them.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]], Activision Blizzard, Transcript: [[Tree of Probabilities]]''</ref>

While the polar caps having recently been thawed by the Traveler's reawakening, the Red Legion made a push to establish a foothold over [[Hellas Basin]] despite the [[Hive]] presence of the [[Grasp of Nokris]]. Cabal forces lead by [[Bracus Talurn]] attempt to occupy [[BrayTech Futurescape]] but were immediately dispatched by [[The Guardian]] and [[Ana Bray]]. <ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Activision Blizzard, [[Pilgrimage]]''</ref>

The Red Legion would attempt several operations against Rasputin and the Bray facility. It includes a raid orchestrated by [[Val Palusk]] to steal power from [[BrayTech Futurescape]] into batteries to smuggle. Their efforts would only incur the [[Guardians]] to strike back with an ambush to kill Palusk and disrupt their supply chain. <ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Activision Blizzard, Transcript: [https://www.ishtar-collective.net/transcripts/adventure-incursion Incursion]''</ref> Meanwhile, a group of Psions would make a failed attempt to evolve into Flayers by stealing power from [[Rasputin]]'s nodes, to which their efforts were thwarted by Guardians as well. All of these attempts at stealing from Mars and Rasputin came to a head under the command of [[Commander Truvul]] who lead a heist to steal data fragments that could grant the Red Legion Rasputin's Omnikey. The operation along with Truvul himself and his two subordinate Val's was decimated and vanquished.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Activision Blizzard, Transcript: [[Psionic Potential]]''</ref>

[[File:ValCauor.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Val Ca’uor invades the Leviathan]]

Following Val Ca'uor's invasion, Emperor Calus ordered an unsanctioned Guardian [[Raid]] team to repel the Red Legion, offering further riches and rewards upon their success. The Guardians heeded the exiled emperor's call and ascended the Leviathan's spire, just as the acting commander destroyed one of Calus's robotic proxies. Upon confronting Ca'uor, the Guardians engaged the Red Legion's elite forces to prevent them from taking control of the Leviathan. Using the Leviathan's own formidable weapons, the Guardians managed to decimate the Red Legion fleet blockading the Spire and killed the Val in a climactic battle. In the wake of losing the majority of their fleet, their ground forces, and their leader, the Red Legion was forced to withdraw in disgrace. Ca'uor's death would officially mark the effective end of the Red War.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]], Activision Blizzard, [[Spire of Stars]]''</ref> It would later be found out this [[Raid]] was unauthorized by the [[Vanguard]] and solely Guardians heeding Calus and Calus alone.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of Opulence]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Lore]]: [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Passivity|Confessions: Passivity]]''</ref>

It would appear despite the Guardians' intervention, a vast amount of Loyalists had been killed as every proceeding encounter on the Leviathan with the Loyalists afterward would show far fewer Cabal members.

[[File:Forgewardencabal.png|thumb|right|300px|Ghalak the Forge Warden battling the Guardians]]

With all their major operations thwarted and the death of Ca'uor, the Red Legion was left without any centralized leadership. Their forces became disjointed and scatter across the corners of the system, including the Reef. Awoken forces had even captured several remnants and imprisoned them within the [[Prison of Elders]], until [[Variks, the Loyal]] inadvertently released them in a massive breakout.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''Activision Blizzard'', ''[[Warden of Nothing]]''</ref>  Red Legion forces having previously occupied Reef territory could also be found in the [[Tangled Shore]], where [[Kaniks, the Mad Bomber]] would play them against a vengeance-seeking [[The Guardian|Guardian]] during their hunt.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''Activision Blizzard'', ''[[The Mad Bomber]]''</ref>

Despite their losses, several holdouts of Cabal still had possessed spoils of war from their initial conquest of the City. This includes a [[Volundr Forge|Forge]]  scavenged from the [[Black Armory]] that they stashed away at [[Smidur's Cavern]] in the EDZ. Their attempts to weaponize their Cabal arsenal with its experimental phase radiance technology were met with [[Guardians]] looking to reclaim the forge for [[Ada-1]], killing [[Ghalak the Colossus, Forge Warden]] in the process.         

[[File:RedLegionSundial.png|thumb|right|300px|Ozletc battling the Guardians]]

[[File:D2 SoW Almighty.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Almighty crashing into the Last City]]

With little to no choice, the Vanguard decide to cooperate with the Warmind Rasputin, with Guardians rearming his [[Seraph Bunker|arsenal]], to save their home from destruction. This would kickstart [[The Almighty Crisis]] as the Guardians had only weeks to prepare before the calamity arrives.<ref>[https://www.bungie.net/7/en/Seasons/SeasonOfTheWorthy Bungie.net Season Of The Worthy Announcement Trailer]</ref> Meanwhile, remnants of the Red Legion took the opportunity to raid upon the newly active Seraph Bunker in the EDZ for weeks, plundering it of its Golden Age tech to stash in secret [[Lost Sector]] caches despite the Guardians' attempts to thwart them. The Cabal were also drawn to the Seraph Towers during their activity in attempts to steal its polarity charges.   

Despite the huge loss surmounted over the years, including losing the Almighty, remains of the Legion still operate. Several groups of Cabal are seen interfering with the Guardians Contact events of Io to secure motes and blooms with Champions seen securing blooms for extraction. As for their current fate, the remaining Cabal in the system will either turn to Calus’ Loyalists or to [[Caiatl, the Princess-Imperial]]’s regime, with the latter seeking to raise the Legion once more.<ref>[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/contact?highlight=Cabal CONTACT]</ref><ref>[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/heir-apparent?highlight=Heir]</ref>

[[File:WarFleet3.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Imperial Command Carriers over [[Europa]]]]

[[File:ConclavePsionsDominus.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Psions fleeing with Ixel's information]]

In the shadows of the broken Red Legion, a conclave of independent Psions and Cabal would form in [[Amtec]]'s name seeking retribution. These conspirators would meddle in secrecy before acting in the cover of [[Empress Caiatl]]'s advent to the system. Yirix, the leader of the conclave of conspirators, gained the aid of [[Ixel, the Far-Reaching]], who sought to earn a place on Caiatl's [[War Council]] and used [[Vex]] prediction engines on Nessus to find potential futures they could utilize. Although Ixel was slain by interfering Guardians, several Psions escaped with stolen Vex data that suggested several futures where the leader of the [[Vanguard]], Commander [[Zavala]], could be assassinated.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Battlegrounds|Battleground]]: [[Oracle (Battleground)|Oracle]]''</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/xncRFNU8L9A</ref> Acting on Ixel's foretellings of the future, three Psions snuck into the Last City and stole remnants of the [[Traveler Cage]] from a [[Häkke]] facility.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Salvager's Salvo]]''</ref> Understanding the inability to destroy [[The Last City]], the conspirators would instead seek crippling of its leadership in Amtec's name. After amassing the information they had sought the conspirators aimed to destabilize the [[Guardians]] and their leadership, using the refined Light-Extraction and Detainment tech derived from [[Dominus Ghaul]] to achieve so after having tested it repeatedly in the field.<ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/the-palindrome?highlight=palindrome</ref><ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/interactions/the-crow-challengers-proving-iv</ref> The conspirators first sent a lone assassin into the Last City to slay Zavala in a garden while he was distracted, but he was warned of the assailant by [[Uldren Sov|Crow]] and killed the Psion.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/2/9)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Chosen]] - [[Haunted]]''</ref>

[[File:RedLegionTroops.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Blood Guard]]

{{Col-2}}

 

==Command Structure==

**7th Company War Beast

***[[Unstable War Beast]]

***[[Corrupted Bonded Psion]]

**7th Company Legionary

***[[Blood Guard Security]]

**[[C-Block Legionary]]

**7th Company Incendior

**7th Company Legionary (Although named as a Legionary, it has the body archetype of an Incendior)

**Blood Guard Centurion (Although named as a Centurion, it has the body archetype of an Incendior)

***[[Shieldbearer Incendior]]

***[[Unstable Incendior]]

**[[C-Block Incendior]]

**[[Blood Guard Gladiator]]

**7th Company Centurion

***[[Blood Guard Exemplar]]

***[[Blood Guard Security]]

***[[Shieldbearer Centurion]]

**[[C-Block Centurion]]

*[[Colossus]] — elite heavy infantry units that lead the battle with their own ferocious size and strength. Armed with a [[Heavy Slug Thrower]] or a [[Cabal Slug Launcher]], and have the ability to fire homing missiles from pods on the back of their armor. Can also unleash a three-hundred-sixty degree melee attack to inflict tremendous knockback and serious damage.

**[[Bloodguard Colossus]]

**Brawl Gladiator (Although named as a Gladiator, it has the body archetype of a Colossus)

**[[C-Block Colossus]]

* The Red Legion have been known to deploy via drop pods launched from their carriers, rather than mainly using the [[Harvester]] drop ship like their predecessors.

* The Red Legion is by far the biggest [[Cabal]] force the [[Guardians]] have ever faced.

* The Red Legion is the first Cabal force to use [[Thresher]]s, [[War Beast]]s, [[Incendior]]s, and [[Gladiator]]s.

* Upon closer inspection of Red Legion Cadavers, it can be seen that soldiers belonging to the Red Legion seem to undergo cybernetic augmentation, with the fingers of Phalanxes being replaced with metal claws and Psion's having their helmets literally fused to their skull.

* The Red Legion return in ''[[Season of Dawn]]'' and ''[[Season of the Worthy]]'' as the main enemy Faction against the [[Guardian]]s.

*The design and artstyle of Red Legion has striking similarities to the design and artstyle of ''[[Halopedia:Banished|The Banished]]'' from ''Halo'' universe.<ref>https://www.gamerant.com/halo-infinite-vs-destiny-2/amp/</ref>

***''[[Black Armory (expansion)|Black Armory]]''

{{Enemy Factions}}

[[Category:Cabal Detachments]]

[[Category:Enemies]]