Been a while since I've done one of these. Oh well. Also definitely not the second time i'm writing this up, because i definitely didn't delete the stuff I typed up about half way through fml. Anyways, today we shall be taking a look at the story of the Shadows of Calus. These include: The Shadow of the Cabal: Valus Nohr The Shadow of the Psions: Feltroc, The Skull-Piercer The Shadow of the Eliksni: Sekris, The Baron of Shanks The Shadow of the Clipse: Rull, The Gun of Kaga-Clipse The Shadow of the Sindû: Jarus, The Ace-Defiant The Shadow of the Arkborn: The Fulminator So what makes an individual, a Shadow of Calus? well they have to offer something great, and prove to be worthy; this could be loyalty, strength, power, weapon prowess etc. And all are chosen by Calus himself. So. Lets get started with those who have been there since the beginning. The Shadows of the Cabal and Psions, Nohr and Feltroc. [b]Valus Nohr:[/b] Valus Nohr is a Phalanx ranked Cabal, and has her loyalty pledged to the emperor. She fought in the battle of Kaga-Clipse, and led them to victory. Mask of Nohr lore tab reads: [quote] Valus Nohr wore this last; she who was the greatest Phalanx of her time. On our long journey back from the deep, she fought in the campaign to bring the Clipse into my fold. In the final stretch of that war, the Clipse took her arm. She took their principal city.[/quote] Calus also displays more affection to her loss compared to the other Shadows; Plate of Nohr lore tab reads: [quote]I will miss her, and regret that she did not live to see the coming end. So few of us will.[/quote] [b]Feltroc, The Skull-Piercer:[/b] Feltroc was a psion who followed under Calus's rule. She was a master rifleman, and according to Calus in the Mask of Feltroc lore tab: [quote]A gun in her hands was a guarantee of victory[/quote] She was also present for the Battle of Kaga-Clipse presumably aiding Nohr in her assult on the capital. The flavour text for the Mask of Feltroc reads: [quote]"I can solve this. Give me a weapon." —Feltroc, the Skull-Piercer at the Battle of Kaga-Clipse[/quote] She would also go on to find a mutual respect in Rull, Boots of Feltroc flavour text: [quote]"The Clipse worship guns. That's why Rull and I have an understanding. Even if he's not bright." —Feltroc, the Skull-Piercer[/quote] Feltroc was gifted a second skin, armour to help her in combat. The Boots of Feltroc lore tab reads: [quote]As with the Fulminator after her, I gifted Feltroc with a second skin—a battle harness that allowed her to stride with the physical dimensions of the average bipedal Loyalist. I had intended it to be an asset to her, a means to faster preparation with her armory of weapons, a place to store additional tools, and allow her to enter combat with the ergonomics of a "standard" soldier. She told me she preferred it because it gave her enemies a fair shot at her head. I enjoyed her company immensely. —Calus, Emperor of the Cabal [/quote] She also sought a place within Calus's Psion Council, to which Calus refused. The Vest of Feltroc lore tab reads: [quote]As a Psion, Feltroc possessed the uncanny ability to slow her breathing and steady her motion with a layer of telekinetic manipulation. Before her passing, she had long sought a seat on my Psion Council, to help maintain the nightmare realm I reserve for prisoners and punishing wayward Loyalists. But she proved to be too valuable an asset in the field.[/quote] So now we move on to the first race who hadn't sat aboard the Leviathan. starting with Rull. [b]Rull, The Gun of Kaga-Clipse:[/b] Rull is a member of the Clipse. A race of beings we're yet to encounter in the destiny games. Their race trapped in an endless war with their alien infested biosphere. During his initial reign as Cabal emperor, Calus sought to teach the Clipse of high culture, which didn't please the Clipse. After the events of the Midnight Coup, Ghaul returned to secure their loyalty by sending forces to finish the ancient war. The Cabal detachment realised this action to be impossible, thus leaving after a century of further damaging the planet. When Calus returned he was greeted with war. So he sent Valus Nohr and 6000 troops to do battle with the Clipse. Nohr broke them, causing them to launch a final assult on the Leviathan. Many Clipse were slaughtered, except one. Rull. He stood before an impressed Calus, and a deal was made. Rull would join Calus as his shadow to the Clipse, and Calus would ensure the survival of the Clipse species. Rull agreed. Calus provided archologies to Rull's chosen people, and the guns of Kaga-Clipse turned the Clipse homeworld into a global firestorm. And with that, Calus left, with his newly found Shadow. (This basic summary of the events was based on Entry VI of the confessions lore book linked here ----> https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/entry-vi?) Rull was tasked with a mission which is detailed in the armour of Rull you collect in the first Leviathan raid: the Chassis and boots of Rull and the Shadow's Mark together read: [quote]Rull gathered his cloak around him tightly as he pushed his way through the teeming marketplace. All around him, Cabal stumbled and pushed their way towards the celebration. No one seemed to question his identity as a foreign merchant, but his heart still raced. Rull thought about the mission that Emperor Calus had given him. "I'm sending you to the Cabal homeworld, Rull. There's a celebration, and you are to be a bearer of my gifts—the finest wines and spirits the universe has to offer." Rull was disappointed. He wanted to bring down great beasts, not assassinate old Cabal aristocrats. "Oh, Rull. Don't fret. I promised you a warrior's paradise and you shall have it. The gifts will buy you access to some of my former friends. I haven't spoken to them in some time, and well, I'd like them to know I haven't forgotten." He arrived at the estate of Iska'al, former friend and confidante of the exiled Emperor Calus. It took surprisingly little to convince the guards to grant him entrance. The Cabal must truly be crazy for the wine he offered up as a gift. It was a day of celebration, after all. Who knows how deep into their cups these guards were? Once inside, he spotted his mark. Rull wasted no time. He removed the sheath from the end of his staff to reveal a spear-tip. Iska'al fell backwards and attempted to crawl away as his guards were skewered. Rull grabbed a cask of wine and pounced on the terrified old creature, pouring the wine down his throat. Iska'al choked and sputtered and flailed helplessly. Rull delivered his message as promised. "Emperor Calus has not forgotten you." Rull didn't stop pouring until he felt Iska'al go limp. Rull was covered in the sticky black and violet of Cabal blood and wine. He dropped Iska'al's body to the floor with a soft thud. Just then, Moli the Celebrant entered the courtyard. When Rull realized that his second target had carelessly walked alone into a secluded space in the midst of a massive celebration on the Cabal homeworld, he thought, "Perhaps this is the warrior's paradise that Emperor Calus promised." Rull activated his staff's secondary configuration and fired a harpoon into Moli's exposed flank. The barbs pierced deep, and the giant beast of a Cabal let out a monstrous howl. Blind with pain, he began to run, dragging Rull behind like a harpooned whale dragging a ship. The honored Celebrant Moli ran through the streets of the Cabal homeworld on celebration day, howling in agony and dragging Rull behind. It was such a spectacle that no one was sure what exactly was happening or what to do about it. Moli ran all the way to Dominus Ghaul's ceremony and right up the steps before collapsing at his lord's feet. Rull realized that he now faced a choice—try to escape, or finish the job. Rull yanked out the harpoon before shoving it through Moli's neck. He had just enough time to pull off his helmet and smile in Ghaul's face before he was killed. Truly, Emperor Calus had delivered a warrior's paradise.[/quote] Rull had slain two of Calus's conspirators, Moli'i'Moli and Iska'al before being slain by Ghaul himself. [b]Jarus, The Ace-Defiant:[/b] Jarus is a member of the Sindû race, and a part of the elite group of pilots the race has. How Jarus met Calus is detailed in the Helm of the Ace-Defiant flavour text and lore tab: [quote]“The Sindu inhabited gas giants in the spinward marches. They refused my invitation at first. As with all things, they came to see things my way.” —Emperor Calus When his eyes finally opened, Jarus was staring at a fuzzy silhouette of something giant. The giant spoke. “Welcome home,” it rumbled. Jarus blinked rapidly. The room began to come into focus, shining like a temple. The giant spoke again. “My child, there is nothing to fear. I have rescued you. Welcome to my empire.” The feeling returned to Jarus' limbs. He was restrained. And this creature now towered over him. He was staring into the face of death. “Fear not, my warrior-to-be.” Jarus blinked slowly. What about the other pilots? His battalion? Did they escape? “You, the last star-pilot of the Sindû, will be my Ace-Defiant.” It was not a choice.[/quote]