Ethereals: Dossier
Caelior
"Quisilia wasn't entirely joking when he gave Caelior that little nickname."
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary
Analysis Record: Caelior
Current Role: Collective Military Leader
Current Interference Level: Medium
Threat Level: Low
Usage Level: Low
[RESTRICTED: FOR INTERNAL REFERENCE ONLY]
Brief Assessment: Caelior is another Ethereal that seemed to come out of nowhere, and I wonder if that was for good reason. While Quisilia has never actually revealed it to me, I am under the impression that Caelior is rather young, at least for an Ethereal. His speech, mannerisms, and body language remind me of a juvenile and his outlook is unexpectedly naïve.
I wonder just how much of this is specific to him, or if this is actually how most Ethereals perceive those around them. Caelior is clearly arrogant, and holds himself as superior above everyone except other Ethereals, who treat him almost with a humorous disdain. Quisilia in particular seems to enjoy taunting him with derisive nicknames.
He has very little to no consideration for anything or anyone below him. Were it not for the Battlemaster and Quisilia, I suspect that he might have killed me or my agents for little reason other than they didn't achieve the result he wanted. It is…unexpectedly childish from an Ethereal, which again makes me suspect that Caelior is very young.
His skills in battlefield analysis and tactics appeared to be underdeveloped as well, as he was put in command of the first attack on Japan, and managed to fail spectacularly, which ultimately prompted the Battlemaster to essentially demote him. I do not know if Caelior actually does not have the right mindset for tactical thinking, or if he is just too arrogant to actually make the attempt to learn it.
Either one would not surprise me.
His relationships with the other Ethereals are highly interesting, and provide some insight into their culture themselves. Despite his youth, they are quite clearly attempting to give him more responsibility, or at least preparing him for eventual command. Assuming that the Ethereals are indeed planning to move on the inner galaxy at some point, this would be the appropriate place to train. Let us hope there are significant improvements.
There is clear tension between Caelior and Quisilia, for reasons I do not fully understand. Much of it appears to stem from the fact that Quisilia does not appear to ever take Caelior seriously, and continually refers to him as the "Little Storm" which I have taken to interpreting as an insult, perhaps on his age or ability. Knowing Quisilia, it could also be ironic. He typically does this when the Battlemaster is around, which only incites Caelior even further.
Why Quisilia does this is something I have not asked, but I do wonder if it is Quisilia's odd way of testing his tolerance for factors outside his control. Or Quisilia could simply find it amusing; it is difficult to say for certain one way or another.
Caelior's relationship with the Battlemaster is also of interest. Unlike Quisilia, Caelior actually appears to respect and look up to the Battlemaster, and seems to think this is an opportunity to "prove" himself to the Battlemaster. His first major command being such a failure seemed to deflate him significantly, and yet he did throw himself into improving.
It has been curious to watch Caelior actually become more controlled over the past couple months. He appears to have actually made an attempt to improve himself and learn from his mistakes, which he will hopefully put into effect when Japan is attacked again. I will note that his general attitude towards aliens does not appear to have changed significantly, although I do not believe now he would kill myself or another simply for not accomplishing what he wanted.
The Battlemaster's influence has helped, one way or another.
I also believe a reason for the sudden appearance of this Ethereal is his abilities. While I have not seen the full extent, I have experienced a brief demonstration of his control of telekinesis. As small as it was, it drove home the point that Caelior has power, and enjoys using it. To what scale I can only estimate, and Quisilia has been vague on the nature of Caelior's power.
I can only assume he is a telekine of some sort, likely a master. He mentioned once he came from the Division of the Maelstrom, which if I recall, was an Ethereal psionic unit. If that division still exists is unknown, but from it I can infer that Caelior likely has the capability for mass destruction. Hopefully he will put it to good use.
Still, I feel less comfortable with him around than Sicarius. At least Sicarius let us do our jobs without worrying we might be executed.
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary
REPORT: 101000001100
TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 06 (CAELIOR)
KNOWN ALIASES: "CAELIOR" "DESTROYER OF THE IMMORTALS" "WIELDER OF THE MAELSTROM"
CURRENT POSITION: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE MILITARY LEADER (EXACT ROLE UNKNOWN)
SPECIES: ETHEREAL
INFORMATION OF NOTE: ANSWERS TO THE BATTLEMASTER
INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXACT SCOPE OF ABILITIES TO BE DETERMINED
INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPEARS TO BE YOUNGER THAN AVERAGE RECORDED ETHEREALS
INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION
PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEKINETIC
THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): MEDIUM
THREAT LEVEL (ENEMY): OMEGA
ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The emergence of yet another unknown Ethereal was a major step in helping us catalogue the exact number of Ethereals as well as their roles within the Collective. Further analysis on Caelior has not only revealed more about the target in question, but has also revealed more about the species itself, although perhaps unintentionally.
Despite our limited analysis of the species as a whole, we have made the assumption that this was an extremely powerful species, simply based on the Battlemaster. The other identified Ethereals, such as Revelean and Sana'Ligna appeared not to specialize in combat, and the unidentified ones clearly cannot provide an accurate baseline.
Based on the performance by the Ethereal Caelior, they are far more dangerous than we anticipated. Consideration should be made into exploring the possibility of assigning the Omega designation to all Ethereals concerning the Threat Level (Enemy) point of data.
Returning to the Ethereal in question, we have unfortunately been able to learn much less than we hoped, due to him isolating himself in the Mars Observation Station which is currently under heavy guard by the Collective Military, as well as the Battlemaster. Much of his personality we have learned from intercepted documents and limited observation.
Caelior appears to be extremely young by Ethereal standards, though we have little to confirm this beyond speculation from documents and analysis on his behavior. The significance of this still has yet to be determined, but it might be possible that younger Ethereals are naturally stronger psionically, and it would account for some tactical mistakes that were surprising otherwise.
It has been determined that Caelior was responsible for the first failed attack on Japan, and appears to be the catalyst for the Battlemaster actually taking command. This seems to indicate that Caelior is not an experienced tactician and has little knowledge of sophisticated battlefield tactics. Despite presumably being behind the second attack on Japan, we cannot determine how much was Caelior's own plan, or was designed with the guiding hand of the Battlemaster.
Reports also paint an Ethereal that is arrogant, dismissive, and disliked by most who know him. The Battlemaster appears to keep him in line, yet it seems like other alien species do not hold the Ethereal in high regard, at least privately. This is curious, and begs the question of just what the Ethereal attitude to alien species is.
In terms of power, Caelior is a major threat. He has single-handedly destroyed the city of Tokyo, and routed the ADVENT army there, as well as the XCOM squad sent to kill him. His command of telekinesis is such that he negates any and all projectile fire; concrete skyscrapers shatter like glass; Human naval ships that weigh ninety-thousand tons are lifted hundreds of feet into the air and used as weapons. Caelior is arguably more powerful than the Battlemaster when it comes to sheer power, and it might explain why such a tactically inept Ethereal has such authority, and is put in positions of power.
There is some more we can determine from this, thanks to Caelior's short speech before engaging the ADVENT and XCOM forces. He specifically attached two titles to himself: Destroyer of the Immortals, and Wielder of the Maelstrom. This is the first time any identified Ethereal has attached titles to their names, ones which specifically provide additional history or information.
"Destroyer of the Immortals" implies that Caelior actually has had some combat experience before this, which confirms that the Ethereals were involved in some kind of conflict before forming the Ethereal Collective. What this conflict actually entailed only raises speculation, yet I sincerely doubt that the Ethereals would designate something as "Immortal" unless it lived up to its name, and perhaps even posed a threat.
If so, that makes Caelior even more dangerous than we thought. With the Battlemaster guiding him, he could possibly be unstoppable without further information.
"Wielder of the Maelstrom" is a curious title, as it appears to perhaps be a designation? Perhaps it is a rank within the internal Ethereal military? Maelstrom is also an odd word, as every Ethereal has simply referred to psionics by its name, or simply as the "Gift". At no point has "Maelstrom" ever been used to refer to psionics. However, the title does appear to be referencing his command of psionics.
What this actually means, however, we are unable to determine. But what is certain is that Caelior is extremely dangerous, and this demonstration indicates that the Ethereals are much stronger than even we could have anticipated
RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; REASSIGN ALL ETHEREAL ENEMY THREAT LEVELS TO OMEGA UNTIL DATA EVIDENCE INDICATING OTHERWISE; DOUBLE OBSERVATION UNITS ON ALL IDENTIFIED ETHEREALS
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 77; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]
END REPORT
CONTINUE OBSERVATION
In the waning days of the Empire, prodigies were few and far between, yet those who existed were needed, and when the conflict with the Synthesized began, all were required to become elevated to defend our species from extinction. All did, all fought, and many died. And from those that persisted, becoming veterans of the war, they became legends in their own right.
The young Ethereal Caelior was one such prodigy, one of the few who was born naturally, and from the beginning he was told he was destined for greatness. While that is simply something many parents say to their children, it is not a saying that is unearned. But in the case of Caelior, he was indeed destined for greatness.
As he grew in power through decades of training, his confidence grew and he had the ability to match his grandiose claims, and rose quickly in the Division of the Maelstrom, even going so far as to assign the first title to himself: "Wielder of the Maelstrom", a decision that made many in the Empire question his fitness for the rank.
His boasts were put to the test when the Synthesized began attacking, which Caelior initially dismissed as mere border fights, and not something for him to become concerned over. That soon changed and he resolved to go and destroy the invaders himself, confident of his skills to do just that. At the first Battle of the Glistening Nebula, he destroyed the majority of a Synthesized fleet, composed of small swarms of fighters and medium armored transports.
It is said that Caelior took much pleasure in the destruction of the Synthesized fleet, as he turned their warped ships into scraps, and condemned their abominations of soldiers to eternal deaths in the void of space. To this day remains of the Synthesized fleets still linger, mere floating scraps, but it had once been entire fleets, and the planets below are littered with the remains.
Yet this feat was not a mere isolated event, and this was simply a small fleet of Synthesized ships. He was far from the only Ethereal who could perform such a feat, but that was never something that entered his mind. Caelior's confidence and pride grew exponentially from his victory, and his own legend to himself grew.
The Ethereals above him were not oblivious to his pride, and instead of gently bringing some semblance of perspective to him, they instead decided to utilize him, as he had the capability to play an instrumental role in the war. So they sent him to destroy medium fleets of Synthesized, taking care to ensure that it was clearly within his power to stop.
His string of victories became a rallying cry for the Empire, and his very presence was enough to raise the morale of those who were fighting, even if the truth was known to those in command. The Division of Shadows, and the Division of Aegis' were instrumental in emphasizing the legend of Caelior, while the ones below him in the Division of the Maelstrom looked up to him as a figure to aspire to.
Very few saw through the facade, but the ones who did were the Battlemasters, who simply ignored his staged antics, and focused on the battles that mattered. They had no need for propaganda, and did not take part in it. At best they saw Caelior as a tool, at worst, a distraction from the true threats the Empire faced.
And one day, Caelior faced his first true test. To this day it has yet to be determined if this was a mistake on the intelligence gathered by the Division of Shadows, or a deliberate situation devised by them, but instead of the medium-sized fleets Caelior was used to, he found himself facing a fleet twice the size of his own, led by a Director Flagship.
Caelior's own confidence and pride in the false legend surrounding him played a part in his unshakable command at the Battle of the Crystal Seas. Many Ethereals died in that battle, but the Synthesized suffered far worse losses. The stars lit up with plasma and psionic energy as the Imperial Fleet valiantly fought against the hordes of abominations closing in on them.
Caelior saw the chance to prove himself and establish his legend forever, and made the bold choice to move forward, and directly challenge the Director Flagship. With nothing but his fellow soldiers in the Division of the Maelstrom, and the Ethereal Temple Ships at his command, they fought and destroyed the Flagship in a pitched duel that cost Caelior nearly his entire fleet, yet served to drive the surviving Synthesized rampant, which he soon destroyed.
Emerging from the battle with such a feat, he bestowed upon himself the title of "Destroyer of the Immortals" another title permitted because it solidified his legend to the Empire, and the feat was enough to even impress the Battlemasters, who immediately wanted to put him into larger conflicts. For better or worse, that was not permitted, although Caelior was strategically used in larger conflicts, and his confidence and power grew further.
I suspect these abilities were what caught the Imperator's attention. He saw through the illusion created around Caelior, but realized that underneath that, there was a being of true power. Caelior was not entirely without reason. However, I suspect he believed the war was being lost not because of the Synthesized being more powerful or numerous, but because there weren't enough Ethereals like him – Despite the introduction of the Reapers and Imperators later in the war.
The legend of Caelior, and his many titles, brought hope to the Empire. With it gone, it is now time to see if he can forge a new, truer legend than before, and this time, the illusions placed on him will not last.
- The Legend of Caelior, authored by Ethereal Cogitian [Excerpt]
[Addendum: Quisilia]: I'm really tempted to show him this so he knows just how much of a tool he was. Arrogant Little Storm. I'm impressed you actually wrote this, since everyone knows Caelior is much too important for reading old historical documents. Hilarious.
Still, even he would probably be slightly irritated if he read it. I'd not mention it to him if I were you.
That being said, be sure to have the CODEX recording if you do. I would enjoy observing the meltdown.
XCOM Profile 0690
Authorization Level: Internal Council
Subject: Caelior
Threat Level: Artemis
Assessment Author: Aegis
Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask
SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics
Hair: None (Ethereal)
Eye color: Solid orange
Skin color: Dark purple
Height: 9'4"
Weight: 266 lbs.
Age: 152 Years (Not including cryogenic suspension)
Scars or markings: None visibly observed
Physical condition: As Caelior was one of the last to be born and raised to maturity before the Synthesized, as well as being a natural birth, he is one of the most physically adept Ethereals in the Collective. While not quite comparable to the Battlemaster in terms of strength and stamina, only the Imperator and myself would be above him in areas of physical fitness.
SECTION 2: Assessment
Caelior is…different…compared to other Ethereals in the Collective. This is partially due to his age, and how he was utilized in the War against the Synthesized. While most of us are well aware of the true danger they pose, Caelior is brazenly unafraid of their threat, and is fully confident in our ability to defeat them. I consider such blind confidence dangerous, but no one appears to have yet decided to inform Caelior of the true reality of the situation.
He is one of the only Ethereals to have never truly lost a battle. What he does not know, or blinds himself to, is that the majority of his victories were staged or set up by the Division of Shadows and my own division. He was utilized as a propaganda tool, and it was effective enough that he believed it himself. His one true test nearly killed him, yet he managed to emerge victorious.
Yet even his victory against the Director Flagship was not of his own power, or even with the help of the Ethereals around him. This battle happened shortly after the first deployment of the Imperators, and while I cannot prove it, I suspect the Imperator himself observed the battle and perhaps assisted. He described the battle once to me in enough detail that he either took the memories from another Ethereal…or was there himself.
I suspect that the Imperator brought him along because he sees the potential in Caelior to be extremely powerful. Unlike many of us, he is a natural birth, and by definition such Ethereals are stronger than those of us who were grown. With that said, he is not a significant danger to those who know how to exploit him. He is no tactician or mastermind, and I believe the reason he had become involved in this conflict at all is because the Battlemaster needs to prepare him for the actual war. Such tactics that you saw during the Second Battle of Japan had the hallmark of the Battlemaster, not Caelior.
However, perhaps he was shaken enough by his first defeat to seek to improve his own tactical skills.
SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment
One thing that should be understood is that Caelior sees himself as innately superior to all other species (With the exception of his own), to a degree that is beyond even that of the Overmind or Revelean. All lesser species are nearly worthless to him, or completely expendable. Titles, positions, and even support from other Ethereals does not elevate aliens in his eyes. At best he may grudgingly concede that they have their uses, but otherwise they are simply pawns in his grand game of war.
I do not know how much this has changed, but I do not see Caelior ever respecting alien races beyond their usefulness as soldiers. He was told his entire life that he was superior, and that is not something that can be undone easily.
His time as a piece of propaganda in the Empire has resulted in him being arrogant and often seen as childish by most of the Ethereals in the Collective. As a result many do not take him seriously, and some humor him more for their own amusement, which he foolishly falls for. The only ones who do not ironically feed his ego one way or another are the Battlemaster and Sicarius. Most Ethereals like the Imperator and the Overmind usually ignore him.
The Battlemasters were the only ones during the war that didn't give him any respect for the illusion of his legend, and to date he does not understand why. He has a need to prove himself to the Battlemaster, a desire to show that he is indeed worthy of respect as due his abilities. The Battlemaster has likely taken advantage of this to try and turn Caelior into someone who is more dangerous than he actually is. If enough effort is exerted, I do believe the Battlemaster could turn him into an Ethereal that is useful beyond meaningless propaganda.
The only other relationship worth noting is with Sicarius, who he has openly stated should not have been brought along, as she is too weak to be truly useful in the war. This was said despite knowing her past and abilities, and that is one of the few times I have ever seen the Imperator truly angry. I believe he ejected Caelior down to some desolate planet for several months and picked him up later and never spoke of it again.
Caelior of course believed the move was purely a political one, as Quisilia initially suggested condemning him to the Dead World, which got a surprising amount of support, even if it was ultimately rejected in favor of a temporary exile. So oddly enough, Caelior does not hold it against the Imperator for doing that, and survived the planet well enough. It did have the result of him absolutely despising Sicarius even more, and his relationship with Quisilia is strained to say the least, something I believe Quisilia has some pride in.
I believe that some of you Humans would consider Caelior 'special'. Given his lack of comprehension at times, I feel it is an accurate label.
SECTION 4: Concerns and abilities
Questionable intelligence aside, Caelior is without a doubt one of the largest threats to you in the entire Collective. His telekinetic abilities are far more expansive and powerful than any you can currently wield. The majority of the ADVENT military is extremely poorly equipped to handle him, as the majority of their weapons are projectile-based, which can be physically slowed, caught, and blocked.
Missiles and other rocket-based projectiles are similarly useless against him, as they can be caught and turned against their wielders. Aircraft of all kinds are also extremely vulnerable around him, as he can telekinetically catch them and discard them like toys. His range is only as limited as his line of sight, and he could theoretically destroy anything he sees.
While this does not currently relate to the current situation, space combat is one area where he has quite a bit of experience, and without any means of negation, he can render entire fleets destroyed with a gesture. His telepathic abilities are thankfully not extensive, but he is more than capable of withstanding Patricia at her current state, even if he cannot use it offensively.
Despite his power, he is by no means invincible, and his largest weakness is his inability to block beam or plasma weaponry. His skin is not hardened, and he does not wear full battle armor like the Battlemaster. Due to his arrogance and overconfidence, he might be easily lured into a trap and killed with enough laser weaponry.
That being said, I am certain the Battlemaster has appraised him of his vulnerabilities, and if Caelior is truly invested in improving himself, he might take steps to negate this weakness. His blind spots must be exploited as well, and he should be fought at a range where he cannot quickly respond. As devastating as he is on the battlefield, I do believe he is one that can be defeated with a proper application of intelligence and knowledge.
But do not underestimate him, lest you fall into the same trap of arrogance he does.