Traveler Cage

Traveler Cage
Production information
Manufacturer:	Cabal
Technical specifications
Length:	3620 meters
Hull:	Cabal Hull Plating
Armament:	Force Field
Usage
Year introduced:	Red War
Role(s):	Countermeasure; Light Suppresion Device
Affiliation:	Red Legion

The Traveler Cage is a Cabal armature designed to capture the Traveler. It was key to Dominus Ghaul's assault on the City.^[1]

Overview

The Traveler Cage is an enormous countermeasure device designed to capture the Traveler and siphon its emissions of Light for Cabal use. This is a five-step process:

The Traveler Cage unfolds six prongs and attaches itself to the Traveler.^[2]
The tips of the prongs detach and encircle the Traveler in long bands of machinery.^[3]
Initial activation. The Cage generates a force field across the bands, enclosing the Traveler and cutting off its emissions of Light. This incidentally strips Guardians of their powers and debilitates Ghosts. ^[4]
Repeating panels of black metal begin to spread over the surface of the force field, from the center of the Traveler Cage outward. The process takes several days to complete.
The Traveler is fully caged. Light can now be extracted without issue.

Despite cutting off its emissions of Light, the Traveler Cage does not necessarily restrain the Traveler itself, as even after being caged, the Traveler eventually gathered the strength to break free in a burst of Light.^[5] However, the process of harvesting Light from the Traveler may be physically traumatic: concept art depicts the Cage burning or blistering the Traveler's surface, and its reawakened form presents with even greater damage than before.

History

The Traveler Cage may have been developed using information the Skyburners gathered from the Dreadnaught regarding Darkness Zones and the Hive's ability to create them.^[6]^[7]

The Traveler Cage was at the center of the Red Legion fleet that attacked the City. Encountering no meaningful resistance from City defenses, the Traveler Cage docked with the Traveler unimpeded.

As The Guardian invaded Ghaul's flagship, The Immortal, the Traveler Cage carried out the second step of its deployment. The Guardian emerged onto the hull of the Immortal to see the Traveler wrapped in bands of black metal. When Ghaul confronted the Guardian on the deck of his ship, the Traveler Cage commenced step three, stripping the Guardian of their Light and leaving them helpless before Ghaul.^[8]

The Traveler Cage slowly carried out step four over the next week, as the Red Legion consolidated their control of the City.

By the time the re-empowered Guardian returned to liberate the City, step five had been completed. Though Ghaul was initially hesitant to seize the Light, he acquiesced in time to battle the Guardian atop the Immortal, Light against Light. The Immortal served as a conduit for the Light extracted by the Traveler Cage, infusing Ghaul with its power, though this also replenished the Guardian's own. Eventually, the Guardian slew Ghaul. However, Ghaul resurrected himself seconds later, transforming into a mountainous, ethereal figure of molten Light. Pleased by the vast degree of his new power, Ghaul turned towards the Traveler, asking if it would recognize him now. In response, the Traveler cracked open the Cage and unleashed a blinding burst of Light that annihilated Ghaul while also disintegrating the cage.^[9]

Three years after the Red War, the weapons foundry Häkke had secretly obtained salvage from the Traveler Cage. This fact was discovered by a conspiracy of Psions seeking to avenge the Flayer sisters Niruul, Ozletc, and Tazaroc. Three of the conspirators infiltrated the Last City and raided the Häkke armory, successfully making off with part of the salvage. The Future War Cult attempted to take possession of what remained, in collusion with Forces of the City detective Maier, who had been investigating the theft, but was blocked by Ikora Rey, whose Hidden confiscated it instead.^[10] The material recovered by the Psions allowed them to reverse-engineer the Traveler Cage, creating a miniaturized version capable of being fired from a Cabal Headhunter to latch onto and disable individual Ghosts. These devices were used to kill at least one Guardian in the European Dead Zone,^[11]^[12] and another was used in the conspiracy's second attempt to kill Commander Zavala, during an armistice meeting with Empress Caiatl.^[13]

Caiatl's own Imperial Cabal would later develop the Synaptic Spear based on the technology of the Traveler Cage, in time to combat the Light-wielding Lucent Brood.^[14]

Gallery

Concept art, showing steps 1 and 2.
Concept art, showing steps 3, 4, and 5.
Concept art of the inner surface of the Cage, damaging the Traveler.
High-poly render of the Traveler Cage in delivery mode. Note the thrusters on its tips.
The size of the activated Traveler Cage compared to the cage not activated and The Immortal.
The Traveler Cage on its approach to the Traveler, flanked by Cabal warships.
The cage attached to the Traveler.
The Traveler Cage activating.
The Traveler Cage completed around the Traveler.
The Consul approaches Ghaul, with the active Traveler Cage in the background. Note panels under construction.
Close up of the Traveler Cage.