Chapter 21: Grimoires III
Baez
"When darkness fell upon us, our Light shone that much stronger."
When green fire fell upon the amassed host of Guardians at Mare Imbrium, the survivors of that great disaster were forever changed. Some were broken by the experience, their Light diminished and traumatized. Some, like Eriana-3, became obsessed with vengeance for their slain brethren. And others were hardened and merely became that much more fearsome on the plains of battle. Baez falls into this last category.
After centuries exploring the wilds and securing the safety of mankind's settlements, Baez earned himself the reputation as "the Eternal Warrior," protecting settlers and villages against Fallen attacks, and distinguishing himself in the Battles of Six Fronts and the Twilight Gap. When the threat of the Hive emerged on Luna, he was one of the Guardian Host that marched to meet the army of Crota, and one of the few people to emerge alive from that great disaster. Stories tell that he was the Titan who created the first Thunderlord, though Baez has denied these claims, merely stating, "I didn't write the song, but I will see it gets sung until my Light goes out."
Since then, Baez has continued to stand steadfast in defense of the City against the threats of the Fallen and Hive, and the stern visage of the Eternal Warrior is known to send foes fleeing before it.
Nemak, Archon of Pain
"Ours is a house of strength. Our resolve has been sharpened by pain."
Nemak once served Kell Semakis as the Archon for House Gears, acting as the caretaker of Gresiks Prime and liaison with the splicer faction within the House. Initially opposed to Semakis' peace talks with the City, Nemak threw her support behind his plan, but this was later revealed to have been a ruse. The Archon secretly defected to Morsik's break-away faction and joined his new House.
Her strategic skill and personnel management capabilities meant she oversaw the integration of the House of Pain's recruits into their forces. She also commands the loyalty of the spies and saboteurs known as the Pain Infiltrators, and devised the scheme to preoccupy the Reef with their attack on the Vestian Outpost. The intent was to tie up the Reef's resources with responding to the chaos of the attack and dealing with the casualties there, rather than lend aid to the City.
However, Nemak may have underestimated the Reef's resilience and in particular the tenacity of Variks, who anticipated the deception and was able to quickly muster the Reef Guard to their defense.
Fare Thee Well
With a kiss of the Arc, I bid you goodbye.
Baron Lakonis of the Fallen House of Gears personally modified this Wire Rifle, and these modifications have only added to his renown as one of the greatest snipers in the history of the Eliksni. With over twice the effective range of a standard Fallen Wire Rifle, a standard shot from Lakonis' rifle can rip through standard energy shielding as if it weren't there. But it is when he switches it to burst-fire that it becomes especially dangerous.
Firing three wire-shards in quick succession, the Fare Thee Well links these in a field of Arc energy. After impacting with their target, the shards' charge erupts in an electrical explosion, tearing through armor and flesh alike. The Quiet Baron has used this weapon to bid goodbye to many an enemy of the House of Gears.
Crucible Arena: Monument Mall
"Bask in the glory of ages old, that one day we might bask in the glory of your deeds."
ARENA DESIGNATION: Monument Mall
LOCATION: Old Columbian Ruins, Earth
Once, this city was the center of democracy, and this open plain was ringed with memorials and museums, paying tribute to heroes and histories past. In the wake of the Collapse, it was occupied and plundered by the Fallen House of Gears, though under the leadership of Kell Semakis, much of the artifacts in the old museums were left alone, believing there was little to be scavenged from them, and having a respect for the people of Earth despite his race's animosity toward them.
That all changed in Morsik's uprising. His new House has taken over the ruins of this city and has set them to plunder it anew, while constructing fortifications to further entrench their position. His hatred of humanity has driven him to eradicate their past as well, and City archivists have wept to hear of the loss of such priceless knowledge.
Morsik's break-aways continue to battle with Gears loyalists elsewhere in the ruins, but already this plain and the structures around it have been claimed for the Crucible by City forces backed up by the Redjacks.
Skarris, the Deathless
The tech-priests once asked if Skarris felt anything when he shot the defenseless. And he replied, "Recoil."
One of the most feared House of Scars mercenaries, and an escapee of the Prison of Elders, no one knows how many times Skarris has cheated death. Rumors and stories surround his remarkable resiliency. That he survived the destruction of Ceres. That he walked out of the Twilight Gap. That he was burned in the fall of London. That he has cheated death so many times because there is no soul left inside of him.
Regardless of how much of that is true, Skarris had taken payment from Skolas during the Reef Wars and carried out attacks on civilian locations, and showed no remorse at his sentencing by House Judgment. He was sentenced to the Prison of Elders, but when the Awoken leadership mobilized to respond to the threat of Oryx, Skarris and his band of Scars mercenaries managed to escape and return to their ketch. When the Reef Guard tried to stop them, Skarris aimed his cannons at civilian targets, forcing the Guard to withdraw and enabling him to get away.
It is this cold, heartless nature that has driven him to accept payment from Morsik. The mad Kell wants to burn the world. And only someone as soulless as Skarris would agree to that.
Ghost Fragment: The Fallen Kell
TYPE: Transcript.
DESCRIPTION: Conversation.
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Awoken-type, Regent [u.1]; One [1] Fallen-type, Scribe [u.2]
ASSOCIATIONS: Vestian Outpost [Reef]; Aulus Medical [Reef]; Reef; Fallen; Eliksni; House Judgment; House Gears; Break-aways; House of Pain; Venj, Petra; Variks; Nemak; Semakis, Morsik
/AUDIO UNAVAILABLE/
/TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS/
[u.1:0.1] Has she spoken yet?
[u.2:0.1] Nothing of worth.
[u.1:0.2] What of her spies?
[u.2:0.2] All killed or captured. Captives for Prison of Elders?
[u.1:0.3] For now. When His Excellency returns, he'll probably order their execution. Hers, too.
[pause]
[u.2:0.3] She should go into Prison of Elders.
[u.1:0.4] Not much point. For everything she's done, she deserves execution.
[u.2:0.4] I am not disagreeing, but I captured her trying to start prison break.
[muffled curse]
[u.2:0.5] Yesss.
[u.1:0.5] We're still cleaning up the mess after the last one. There's worse than Skarris still locked up in there.
[u.2:0.6] Yes, yes. And there are other reasons to keep her alive.
[u.1:0.6] Such as?
[u.2:0.7] Feniks.
[pause]
[u.1:0.7] You make a solid point. She did murder her Kell.
[u.2:0.8] ...yes.
[pause]
[u.1:0.8] Where is the body?
[u.2:0.9] My people are caring for it. He was not our Kell, but his people will come to collect it.
[u.1:0.9] Have you sent word to her or the rest of House Gears?
[u.2:1.0] Cannot raise House Gears. Sent word to City Vanguard. They will notify her.
[u.1:1.0] If I don't see her when she comes for him, offer her my condolences.