Ethereals: Dossier
Deusian, Reaper of Worlds and Exarch of the Ethereal Collective
"The greater you are, the more your worth is reduced and quantified. The ability to destroy a planet ensures you are only seen as a weapon. Or as a loyal soldier."
- Artur Paz Dutra, Harbinger of the Exarch
REPORT: 101000001011
TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 03 (DEUSIAN)
KNOWN ALIASES: "DEUSIAN" "REAPER" "EXARCH"
CURRENT POSITION: HIGH-VALUE MILITARY ASSET
SPECIES: ETHEREAL
INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY RECLUSIVE
INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONNECTED TO THE RAVAGED ONE
INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONNECTED TO THE AVATAR PROJECT
INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXACT SCOPE OF ABILITIES TO BE DETERMINED
INFORMATION OF NOTE: MULTIPLE CONTRADICTORY PERSONALITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION
PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: DYNAMO
THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): MEDIUM
THREAT LEVEL (ENEMY): OMEGA
The picture on the Ethereals is slowly becoming more coherent the longer the war with Humanity continues. The continued defiance of the Humans and alien defectors has forced the Ethereals to pull more resources than were anticipated, and as a result have worked to bring our information on the Ethereals up to date.
This now includes the long-rumored Ethereal capable of destroying planets.
Her name is Deusian, and there is very little known about her. She is reclusive, though not connected to any projects like the Creator or Revelean. Her personal projects or hobbies are unknown, and to date she has little to no social structure – including Ethereals. The Imperator and Overmind make irregular visits, but few others take the initiative to reach out to her.
This is irregular.
I am unsure why Deusian has been singularly isolated to this degree. It would not be out of the question to suspect that the visits the Imperator conducts are for containment, and not out of concern. This may be warranted by the fact that if estimations are correct, Deusian is second in raw power to the Imperator himself. She is designated as a 'Reaper', a class of Ethereals which were supposedly capable of destroying planets.
We have determined proof of psionics being possible to scale to a degree, and there is no reason to believe that Deusian is incapable of performing these feats. She is arguably the most powerful weapon the Ethereal Collective has outside the Imperator himself. The scale by which she can operate is beyond nearly all conventional technology, and renders defenses irrelevant.
More information on her abilities needs to be collected, and the fact that she has entered the realm of discussion means that the Imperator is likely starting to consider her for usage against Earth.
One aspect that remains a major unknown is the Reaper herself. It has been nearly impossible to learn more about her from a psychological and personality standpoint. None of the Ethereals know her well, and she is cut off from them. Conversations involving her are only from a military and tactical standpoint. She is talked of as if she is a weapon, which is an oddly impersonal perspective to take towards an Ethereal, especially from one of their own.
Deusian resides on a small garden world which lacks any kind of defenses. She appears to live in complete isolation, and on-planet infiltration is being considered to gather additional information. Full planet scans are ongoing, but whatever Deusian is doing on this planet, it likely is not important to anyone but her.
More recently, she had made several departures, one of which was to meet Revelean. A Human has been observed in her company of late, who we believe is a candidate for the Ethereal Avatar Project. We are working to establish a profile for him, but sightings of him have been even more elusive than Deusian herself.
It is confirmed that he is also on the planet with her, likely training. Penetration of the planet is necessary, though considering her capabilities, it should be done with extreme caution.
RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; ESTABLISH OBSERVATION NETWORK AROUND DEUSIAN'S PLANET/RESIDENCE; IDENTIFY SUSPECTED AVATAR CANDIDATE; DETERMINE COMPLETE CAPABILITIES; DETERMINE PERSONALITY PROFILE
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 42; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]
END REPORT
CONTINUE OBSERVATION
CODEX Transcript between Exarch Deusian and the Imperator
[Imperator]: "I have identified several promising candidates for the Avatar Project. They are here for you to review.
[Deusian]: "Appreciated, but unnecessary."
[I]: "Have you reconsidered undergoing the procedure?"
[D]: "No. But I do not want something like this decided by someone who is not me."
[I]: "I know what I am doing. What you and others need, though would not willingly choose themselves. Easy decisions in this case are not necessarily the right decisions. I can do this impartially."
[D]: "Is that why the Overmind picked that fool of a Human to be his?"
[I]: "No, that was his decision. Perhaps illustrating why self-selection has downsides. I would prefer mistakes to not be made, especially here. There will be no do-overs."
[D]: "I agree. But my decision remains the same. I will choose my own. And in fact, I already have."
[I]: "Did you. I see. How?"
[D]: "I am the Exarch of the Ethereal Collective, Imperator. The Zararch will do as I command if I give the word. The rumors surrounding me have useful benefits at times."
[I]: "If you wanted to conduct this yourself, that is your wish, but I would also ask that you keep me informed as to such decisions. Else this was a wasted usage of manpower and resources."
[D]: "Likely fewer than you want to admit. If nothing else, you have candidates for others. I will read them regardless. I am curious who you identified who would be suitable in your eyes."
[I]: "Your choice then. Who is he?"
[D]: "A biologist. Found in a group of visiting civilians to the United States."
[I]: "A questionable background."
[D]: "Who better to know how to destroy life than one who knows how it functions?"
[I]: "Conceded. Inform me or Revelean when you wish to undergo the procedure. I assume you will train him first?"
[D]: "Yes. There is much he needs to understand."
CODEX Transcript between Exarch Deusian and the Avatar Candidate Artur Paz Dutra
[Deusian]: "I can sense you where you are. There is no need to come closer."
[Artur Paz Dutra]: "Thank you…Exarch."
[D]: "Ah. You know who I am."
[APD]: "They called you the Exarch and Reaper of Worlds. Some of my Zararch captors talked. There are rumors. Are they true?"
[D]: "Which ones, if I may ask?"
[APD]: "That you can destroy a planet."
[D]: "I have done more than destroy planets, Paz Dutra, I have reduced them to ash and embers. I have rendered species extinct. I have killed more than the population of your entire species. The rumors you hear do not accurately portray who and what I am. Very few do."
Short pause
[D]: "You are afraid."
[APD]: "Why would you tell me that?"
[D]: "So you understand what I have done and can do. Do not mistake my cold recollection for pride in what I have done. Necessary, perhaps, as that which we fought threatened my species, and even still we lost. But I know what I have done, and there is little point in pretending otherwise, justifications or not."
[APD]: "You know I didn't volunteer for any of this, right? Whatever this project is, why would I ever want to help you?"
[D]: "Because now you are weak, useless, and powerless. You see the Ethereal Collective as a unified monolith when it is not. I can tell you why your world was attacked. I can tell you what the Imperator plans. I can give you what you want."
[APD]: "And what if I want the Imperator dead, and aliens gone from my planet?"
[D]: "Avatars will have influence. You would be a fool to think you can kill the Imperator, but perhaps you can assist in ending the invasion of your planet."
[APD]: "Why would the Imperator ever let you propose this?"
[D]: "As I said, we are not a monolith. We have differing opinions, when the Imperator deigns to ask for mine."
[APD]: "And I'd…what? Train?"
[D]: "You have high psionic potential. I can certainly teach you how to use it."
[APD]: "That's nice, but I'm not the extremely destructive type. Destroying a world…I don't even want to imagine it."
[D]: "That is why teaching you such things is safe. Destruction on such a scale should not be undertaken lightly, if at all. And perhaps with guidance, you will not allow yourself to be as used as I have been, or make the same mistakes I did."
[APD]: "I want to think about it."
[D]: "Do so. But do not take too long."
XCOM Profile 162
Authorization Level: Internal Council
Subject: Deusian, Exarch of the Ethereal Collective
Threat Level: Artemis
Assessment Author: Aegis
Approved by: The Commander of XCOM
SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics
Hair color: None (Ethereal)
Eye color: Solid Orange
Skin color: Purple
Height: 9'6"
Weight: 250 lbs. (Estimated)
Distinguishing Features: Is not atypical for Ethereals. Does not bear any distinguishing wounds or marks. Robes are specially treated to resist tearing and damage due to her passive aura. They still require regular replacement, but are notably durable. She does not wear a helmet of any kind, or additional protective clothing.
Physical Condition: Like all Ethereals, she is physically healthy, and her body supports a boosted regeneration system to better cope with the amount of destructive energy she can call upon. She heals at a speed equivalent of a Battlemaster, but she is barely stronger than an Overmind in terms of physical strength and stature. In the unlikely event of her psionics being inaccessible, she could likely be subdued without significant difficulty.
SECTION 2: The Reapers of the Ethereal Empire
I will begin this by first providing some additional information on the Reapers of the Ethereal Empire. As you already know, they were the result of research into Imperators; a crucial first step for creating a template leagues more powerful than any previously deployed. There was intense debate on if all resources should go towards focusing on a stronger template, or deploying the Reapers as they were.
Given the ever-declining state of the Empire, the decision was made to begin production of the Reaper template. Thousands of Reapers were immediately put into production, and were soon deployed against the Synthesized. By the time of their deployment, plans had already been established detailing how they were to be used. They were theoretically capable of destruction on a scale previously unable to be properly comprehended.
There was significant pressure to actually produce a unit that lived up to the potential. Many Battlemasters were relying on it. Fortunately, the Creators did their jobs expertly, and the Reapers were more than capable of performing how they had been promised. This deployment radically altered the war, and was the first surge of optimism in years.
With the power of the Reapers, the Empire now had an answer to the hordes of Synthesized. Planets turned into Synthesized strongholds were suddenly annihilated by Reapers destroying planets. Stations and defenses were reduced to atoms. Strategically crucial planets were subjected to Reapers sinking continents and flooding worlds by targeting oceans.
The Synthesized attempted to capitalize by moving underground, but this didn't stop the Reapers who merely vaporized the whole planet, or concentrated on purging deeper. The first months with the Reapers greatly turned the tide, if left significant trails of destruction in their wake. A necessary price in the context of an Empire.
The Synthesized eventually adapted and began exploiting the weaknesses and drawbacks of the Reapers that were becoming more apparent. Reapers needed flawless concentration to perform their most impressive feats, and even slight disruptions would turn a display that took minutes into a sloppy attempt taking an hour. Reapers were also almost never used on planets where Ethereal and Synthesized forces were present due to collateral damage. Sometimes planets were purged regardless, especially if defeat was inevitable, but this was exceedingly rare.
Nonetheless, the Reapers continued to be an important asset until the very end of the war, and the Imperators afterwards leveraged them to their full potential.
SECTION 3: Assessment
Deusian, I will confess, is an Ethereal I know less about than I wish. She was in the first batch of Reapers deployed in the War, and if there are Reapers who develop a reputation, she has one. She was personally responsible for the destruction of dozens of planets, a number high even for a Reaper. Her unofficial title of "Reaper of Worlds" was a well-earned one.
I suspect that this reputation may have led to the Imperator learning of her and later recruiting her. She and him did work together at times, and to my knowledge they were effective – as much as they could be, given the circumstances.
However, her most notable relationship was not with the Imperator, but with the Ravaged One who worked very closely with her during the War. I am not privy as to the specifics, but she knew him very well, as well as the events that ultimately turned him into the shell you witnessed. I do not believe their relationship was romantic, but there was a bond there. A strong one.
Upon the establishment of the Collective, Deusian has taken an isolationist and highly passive role. She does no management or governing. Most aliens do not even know she exists, though rumors of her power persist, likely perpetuated by the Zararch to ensure a healthy fear of the Ethereals remains. This is perhaps for the best, as she is not inclined to anything except destruction.
She is a weapon, she knows she is a weapon, and will deploy on the Imperator's command. I doubt she holds significant opinions on the conflict, or even the Collective in general. Reapers were not designed to handle intense long-term political and social ramifications and planning. An oversight by the Creators perhaps, but it appears to have manifested in this way.
Her isolation makes her a slightly unknown variable, but she is loyal to the Imperator and arguably his most dangerous weapon. If Sicarius is his dagger in the back, Deusian is a weapon of mass destruction.
SECTION 4: Psychological Profile
Difficult to ascertain.
I do not know her well. I don't think anyone knows her well outside of the Ravaged One and the Imperator, the former of whom is now dead. I suspect the Ravaged One's death has affected her, though to what extent is unknown. I would not be surprised if the Imperator has used this to solidify her loyalty to him.
Yet I do not know if she will seek revenge. Reapers, despite their power, possess less emotion than others of our kind. They do not feel as intensely, and so I am uncertain if they will understand or feel the concept of revenge, much less carry it out. I suspect this was intentional by the Creators, making them more subservient and less likely to question orders.
At the time, these Ethereals were far more advanced than those who already existed. It is equivalent to the gulf between a Human and Ethereal, or a Sectoid Vanguard and Hive Commander. A power disparity every sane individual was wary of. The Reapers could have easily done as they wished, and the Empire would not have had the power to stop them. Luckily the Creators accounted for this by making them passive.
Thus, it is difficult to extrapolate her potential psychological state since she is not like an ordinary Ethereal. I cannot even say for certain if she cares as much as we do, or if she is merely along because that is what she has been ordered to carry out. She, like most Reapers, rarely speaks, or when she does, it is short and to the point.
She does not desire companionship or socialization, even by Ethereal standards this level of self-imposed isolation is atypical. I know the Imperator and Overmind make efforts to speak to her, but this is likely nothing more than maintaining loyalty, something the Imperator does as a formality now.
Ultimately, this makes it difficult to make concrete assessments and judgements. Yet this assumes that Deusian is capable of those things in the way we are. What can be said for certain is that she is loyal to the Imperator, and will follow his orders without question.
SECTION 5: Concerns and Abilities
Reapers can destroy planets.
This is not an exaggeration.
Deusian has the capability to turn Earth to atoms within an hour. I do not say this because it is a possibility, but to illustrate a point that when ADVENT advances beyond Earth, every single planet, moon, and space station is at risk. Ironically, continuing to be confined to Earth will ensure that Deusian's threat is reduced.
The Imperator will easily sanction the destruction of planets and colonies outside of Earth. Only one bastion of Humanity will be permitted so long as they challenge him. I have seen Reapers at work, and they can work fast if there are no distractions. It is difficult to explain without witnessing it. The ease of which they can destroy something most cannot fully comprehend and is an important lesson to learn.
I suspect as the war progresses, the Imperator will consider deploying Deusian in a limited capacity. Her power is such that using her for low-scale operations would be a waste, but she may be used to raze cities, countries, and even continents off of the map. The sheer devastation she would cause on Earth is enough that the Imperator may refrain.
Though if the war continues, this will be less of a reservation.
Facing Deusian personally is not recommended at all. I may be able to protect myself and a small team, but even I am not confident of being able to hold out forever. Anyone who attacks her will be completely on the defensive, and her aura is strong enough that it will tear the Psionosphere around her the longer conflict persists, and even when she is alone it will continue to do so.
Deusian is the embodiment of the power the Empire brought to bear against the Synthesized. Be prepared to have it be turned against us. Her largest weakness is her lack of defensive psionics, and strong enough telepaths may be enough to distract her. Then if both of these are achieved, overwhelming numbers are necessary to kill her.
I regret that she will have to die, but I do not see this conflict ending without either Deusian dying – or everyone else.
Entry by Exarch Deusian stored on local CODEX network
Many of my kind were created for specific purposes. Many of those were benign and expected. There was a lack of choice, but we had an Empire, presumably, that would be supportive of us. Warriors trained for conflicts that would never arise. Shadows watched and waited for phantom threats that didn't materialize. All preparation for a reason to show our might to the galaxy fully.
Though I, and those like me, were something radically focused and born out of fear. I was created to destroy worlds. Nothing more or less. To turn fleets to scrap and cinders. To be a weapon of destruction on a scale that most never have or will be able to comprehend.
But the Reapers were ultimately a useful step on the path to the Imperators. A decision I do not begrudge, but a reality that most overlook, especially our own. We never grew up in the Empire we were born to fight for. Very few of us had reason or inclination to learn why, though it ultimately did not matter when our future was at stake.
I'm curious if this ever affected the Imperators when they awoke.
Imperators tasked with saving an Empire they only had the most academic of connections to.
A different topic for a different time.
Ultimately, the Reapers never gathered the respect and fervor the Imperators did. The rest of the Empire merely saw our power, the only thing we were ever trained for. Resentment from the Maelstrom never faded as we effectively supplemented them in some cases, and the Battlemasters, Overminds, and Shadows utilized us primarily as weapons.
Communication…it was not something elaborated on to us. We could speak, understand, accept and follow orders. But articulation…it was not something I, or any Reaper, is good at. We appeared silent, and it was not simply because we had nothing to say, only that we didn't know how to say it. None in the Empire thought to ask us either.
Weapons and tools, as I said.
Exceptions exist, but they were few and far between. I continue to not know if Imperator Viatorian engaged me because he was curious as to my diagnosis of the Empire, or as a pretext to ensure he had a Reaper survive the war. Perhaps my survival is due to luck and being in the right place, at the right time, before the right Imperator.
The fall of the Empire and all that has happened since, has crystalized something every Reaper knows the first time they raze a world.
Life is fragile.
Much can be done to prevent death, but one can never account for everything. Nor does that always apply. The greatest of Battlemasters eventually succumbed to a thousand small and irrelevant wounds. The most potent genetic manipulation meant nothing against psionic fire. Freak accidents and stray projectiles can kill just as easily as prolonged battles. Our species is not immune from death, much as we may foolishly believe it.
Life is fragile.
It is reflected in the species that make up the Collective. The advances the Vitakara made ultimately showcased their vulnerabilities, and without our intervention, the planet would be a teeming grave. A mystery to the galaxy until another stumbles upon the ruins millennia later. A showcase in how physical and genetic diversity does not offer protection from mistakes and vulnerabilities.
Life is flawed.
Sectoids and Mutons are so different in every way, yet there are similarities in how death surrounds them. Millions of Sectoid drones are terminated every single day, either as iterations for a later template, those whose usefulness expired, and those that simply injured themselves and were put down. The War Camps of the Mutons have a rate of mortality so high it becomes a statistic. Engineered mortality in the flawed notion that hardship increases survivability and hardiness. The hundreds of thousands who have died on Earth should raise questions as to the effectiveness of such an approach.
Life is disposable.
In the days of the Union Wars, the Andromedons fought and hunted each other to oblivion in genocidal crusades against those who they knew were their ideological rivals. And all those along the way were tools for them, or other victims of their war. Species were executed without mercy by the Andromedons, just as the Synthesized have likely accomplished the very same. Cultures, peoples, and histories obliterated, and for ultimately nothing.
Life is vulnerable.
All of this is something any Reaper knows. Not at first, but it becomes apparent the more time one exercises their powers by the command of others. It will take time before their realizations and feelings can be summarized so succinctly, but it will happen. No other Ethereal aside from Imperators can understand, because they cannot know what it is like to wield such power or claim life at such a scale.
No Reaper has ever reveled in their power, and the reason for it is simple. We understand what we do. To destroy a planet, you much anchor yourself to it in some way. Undirected power is wasted power. It may accomplish what you wish, but it will be messy and haphazard. It will prolong the destruction. The simplest solution is to focus the mind on life below.
Not necessarily invasive, but to understand what and where your power should be directed.
The first wave of death that hits us etches the position in our minds. From there we can effectively do the rest.
The first wave is always the worst part. Most do not feel pain, but they are extinguished on such a scale it would break most if they could feel it. Fortunate that the Creators ensured our minds could handle such effects. It is not merely intelligent life either. Animals, plants, insects, all of these are similarly extinguished.
I understand no one who can look at a garden world and see it turned brown and grey and feel pride. Perhaps necessity, but never pride. We were intended to only be utilized as a last resort when everyone else had failed. Never as a preemptive weapon, though that is what we ultimately became by the end. Worlds were destroyed merely to deny an asset that could be used against us.
Three hundred and seventy-four worlds have been razed or destroyed by my hand. I remember them all, and for what reasons. No Reaper forgets, nor would I suspect anyone who has killed on such a scale would.
It is tiring to consider, though I know my power will be needed once more. The Imperator continues to distract himself with these Sovereigns and species like the Humans. A proxy war that means little to us, but no doubt he believes he is on a great crusade against the true powers of this galaxy. Perhaps he is, and should be supported.
The Battlemaster is right that things are beginning to go too far. Paradise station is one place that I would destroy with no guilt or regret. As the war continues, I continually grow concerned that the day approaches where the Imperator comes to order me to destroy Earth. The Sovereign residing on it will not allow it to fall. This war will not achieve what he wishes.
I wonder what he will say when I refuse.
I hope the Battlemaster succeeds on his mission, because failure would ensure my fate, one way or another.