Editing Emperor Calus

|species= Cabal

'''Emperor Calus''' is the former [[Cabal Emperor|Emperor]] of the [[Cabal]]. He ruled the Cabal Empire for over a thousand years, until he was overthrown in a coup led by [[Dominus Ghaul]] and exiled to aimlessly wander the galaxy aboard the [[Leviathan (ship)|Leviathan]]. Following Ghaul’s death in the [[Red War]], Calus traveled to the [[Sol System]] to scout [[The Guardian|the Young Wolf]] and their fellow [[Guardians]] as his [[Shadows of Calus|Shadow]]s to have by his side as he prepared for the coming of the [[Black Fleet]] and what he believed to be the [[Final Shape|end of all things]].

Many years prior to the invasion of the Solar system, Calus led a populist revolution to remove the Praetorate and restore the Emperor's power. By his side during the revolution stood his long-time friend and protector [[Shayotet]], who stopped numerous attempts to kill Calus. Under his rule, the Cabal Empire became a seat of all-encompassing hedonism and revelry. His accomplishments during that time included redistributing Praetorate wealth to the people, granting citizenship to the Imperial Legions, and putting down various alien threats such as the [[Sindu]], the [[Clipse]], and the [[Psion]]s' [[OXA Machine]]. However, when the OXA machine was rebuilt by the savant [[Otzot]], Calus was impressed enough by her genius to order the machine preserved and hold a festival in her honor, elevating Otzot to his court as Imperial Dreamer.<ref name = "Cabal Booklet">[[Cabal Booklet]]</ref>

His reign was not without personal troubles. Calus was wary of [[Umun'arath]], his Evocate-General, for her paranoia and obsessive fixation on war. His own daughter and heir, [[Caiatl]], grew up similarly despite his efforts. <ref name = "Cabal Booklet"/> In truth, his efforts are probably part of the reason that Caiatl came to trust Umun'arath over him, as while he sincerely cared for her, he was emotionally abusive towards her, even killing her pet [[War Beast]], [[Milos]], out of jealousy, leading to Caiatl's deep resentment of him and what she came to view as his fundamental cowardice and desire to be loved without working towards becoming respected. <ref>'''Bungie (2022/5/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Haunted]] - [[Weapon|Weapon Lore]]: [[Unforgiven]]''</ref>

At some point, Calus came into possession of an [[Ahamkara]] bone, originating from the extinct civilization known as the [[Harmony]].

One of Calus' pleasures was the Coliseum, and one day, an albino gladiator, bleached from prolonged exposure to solar radiation due to being cast out as an infant, named [[Ghaul]] made his first appearance there. Ghaul's patient skill and unusual coloration soon made him a favorite of Calus', and the Emperor eventually made him [[Primus]] of the [[Red Legion]], where he believed his talents would be put to better use as the head of the most fearsome [[Cabal]] legion ever assembled. Calus grew to love Ghaul like a son, and believed they were kindred spirits who both envisioned a newer, more perfect world.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Ghost Primus]]''</ref> Ghaul's association with [[The Consul]] and members of the Praetorate worried him, but not enough to cause him to take any action, with the former having great animosity for the Emperor, for he was stripped of rank and title, humiliated and castrated by Calus during the Emperor's coronation, and told him to run into the paved wasteland.<ref name="conspirator">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Conspirator]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/inaugural-address?highlight=run Inaugural Address]</ref>

Behind his back, Ghaul was in fact organizing a [[Ghaul's coup|coup]] with the Consul and some of Calus's closest friends, family and advisors: [[Umun'arath]], [[Shayotet]], [[Otzot]], [[Moli Imoli]], [[Iska'al]], and [[Caiatl]].<ref name = "Cabal Booklet"/>

While Calus and his Loyalist Cabal were engaged in pompous revelry, Ghaul launched his coup in the dead of night. With the Red Legion storming into Calus' palace, seizing and/or killing political members, the emperor immediately ran to his throne to retrieve an [[Ahamkara]] bone he meant to save him from this fate. Caiatl, however, was waiting for him sitting upon it with the bone in hand. Despite his pleas for help, his daughter crushed the bone in hand, and declared she would not be weak.<ref name="CBCaiatl">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Cabal Booklet]] - [[Cabal_Booklet#My_Daughter:_Caiatl.2C_the_Princess-Imperial|My Daughter: Caiatl, the Princess-Imperia]]''</ref> With the Emperor too popular to simply execute, Ghaul, his Red Legion, and the Consul arrested Calus and an unknown number of supporters in his own court and exiled them aboard [[The Leviathan]], imprisoned within the [[Menagerie]] and taken far from the Empire along a pre-programmed course, far into the cosmos.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Midnight Coup]]''</ref>

On the Leviathan, Calus wallowed in despair for an unknown amount of time until a strange event shook him out of his stupor. The Leviathan had come up against what seemed to be an expanse of utter nothingness, and was seized by an unknown force that shorted out the navigation systems and the course the conspirators had set.<ref>[[Lore:The Chronicon|The Chronicon]], "DLXXVIII"</ref> Against the recommendations of his advisors, Calus donned a pressure suit and went outside the Leviathan to behold the void. Staring out into the nothingness, he heard whispers in an unknown language, and witnessed the nothingness disperse to reveal an [[Black Fleet|armada of ships]]. He then experienced a vision of the impending destruction of many worlds and beings, including himself, and was told by the whispering voice that he had been chosen as the herald of the coming end.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[It Stared Back]]''</ref> Awed by this revelation, Calus resolved that he would watch this force consume the light of the universe, and that all among the last of the living would know his greatness.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Calus' letter]]''</ref> After twelve hours outside the Leviathan, Calus returned to his Loyalists, who had feared him dead.

With control of the Leviathan back in his hands, Calus set out on a long voyage of his own, ''"[plumbing] the secret places of the cosmos"'', visiting strange realms and old ruins. This cemented both his conviction that his hedonistic philosophy was correct and his intent to retake his empire.<ref name = "Cabal Booklet"/> Along the way, he gathered forces to strengthen his [[Loyalists]]. He created the [[Shadows]] as his elite champions, allied with aliens such as the [[Clipse]]<ref>'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_Rull#Gauntlets_of_Rull|Gauntlets of Rull]]''</ref> and the [[Sindu]]<ref name="HotAD">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Ace-Defiant#Helm_of_the_Ace-Defiant|Helm of the Ace-Defiant]]''</ref>, and sent messages promising that whoever slew his conspirators would be given great wealth and glory. Eventually, he set a course for the [[Sol]] system, which the Red Legion was planning to assault. He sent his Shadows on a mission to assassinate Ghaul which failed, but he learned of [[Guardian|other warriors]] in the system that might serve his purposes. <ref name="SB">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Fulminator#Shadow.27s_Bond|Shadow's Bond]]''</ref> <ref name="RotF">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Armor_of_the_Fulminator#Robes_of_the_Fulminator|Robes of the Fulminator]]''</ref>

At some point months later, the Leviathan consumed a chunk of Nessus that contained a powerful [[Vex]] Mind, [[Argos, Planetary Core]], the entity responsible for converting Nessus into a perfect Vex world, which then caused the world-eater to clog up and malfunction. Emperor Calus immediately called upon the aid of the Guardians to destroy the Vex intrusion, where they succeeded and repaired the Leviathan. However, as they destroyed the [[Axis Mind]], the barrier protecting itself was removed, thereby threatening the Guardians to be consumed by the fiery inferno of the Leviathan. Calus then saved the Guardians from being sucked into the Leviathan afterward, where he rewarded and congratulated them for their efforts. The Cabal Emperor once again offers them more than just the power of the Light, as Calus demonstrated that he can keep them safe. He also warns them that the "end" is near and therefore must be ready, as he will find them again.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/12/5)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]], Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, [[Leviathan, Eater of Worlds]]''</ref>

At one point, Calus contacts the Guardian via [[Werner 99-40]] and gifts them the Chalice of Opulence, a symbol of their nomination as a [[Shadows of Calus|Shadow of Calus]]. He also invites them to the [[Menagerie|Menagerie]] to compete for pleasure and glory.  

Around the time, Calus bred [[Gahlran]] as a Shadow of the [[Hive]] in order to wear the [[Crown of Sorrow]]. This plan goes awry as Gahlran is corrupted by the Crown's powers and goes insane, much to the emperor's chagrin - though it was ultimately fortunate that he chose another to bear its power, as the Crown was in reality an attempt by [[Savathûn, the Witch-Queen]] to put him under her control. Nonetheless, with Gahlran under the control of the Witch-Queen, the mad Shadow rallied the imprisoned Hive within the depths of the Leviathan's Menagerie. Wanting his former Shadow put down, Calus calls upon his Guardian allies once again, offering more riches and rewards upon their success. After a perilous struggle against the Sorrow-bearer and the Hive's wicked rituals, the Guardians succeeded in putting Gahlran down and retrieving the crown, thereby saving the Leviathan from the threat of a Hive incursion.

Later on, still wanting a Shadow to command the Hive, Calus sends an invitation to [[Eris Morn]], a former Guardian Hunter who has a deep history with the Hive. Knowing of such history, the exiled emperor aims to have Eris Morn become the Shadow of the Hive in place of Gahlran.

Following the disappearance of [[Mercury]], [[Mars]], [[Titan]], and [[Io]], Calus attempted to communicate with [[The Witness|the Witness]]. In conjunction with a small crew of Loyalists and a Guardian confidant named [[Katabasis]], Calus used [[Scorn]] and the [[Crown of Sorrow]], aboard a ship called the ''[[Glykon Volatus]]'', to demand an explanation for the fleet's actions, which Calus had seen as underwhelming. Further investigation would reveal that Calus also desired to obtain power from the Darkness using the same manner as the aforementioned communion and share it with the crew he had sent. By this point, Calus' physical form had become decrepit, and he spent much of this time within a containment frame which constantly supplied him with [[Royal Wine]].<ref>https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/entry-1-charons-silhouette?highlight=royal+wine</ref>

When the [[Black Fleet]] finally moved on the Traveler following [[Rasputin]]'s sacrifice, Calus and his Shadow Legion fleet rode alongside and engaged the forces of the Coalition. Upon receiving a vision from the Traveler revealing the location of the Veil on Neptune, the Witness commanded Calus to go to Neptune and secure [[the Veil]]. Calus obeyed, traveling to Neptune aboard his new flagship, the ''[[Typhon Imperator]]'', and led an invasion of the formerly-hidden Neptunian city of [[Neomuna]].

As the Shadow Legion began invading and ravaging the city, Calus would stay aboard his ship to enjoy himself. He would later emerge from a dark sarcophagus in his new disciple armored form, boasting about how his semblance matched his inner beauty and how powerful The Witness had made him. After grabbing a crystalline object from a pedestal, Calus use his powers to transform it into a golden chalice. Grateful for his newfound powers, and noticing that the chalice was empty, Calus called for a toast to one of his [[Tormentor]] guards, only for it to not respond as it moved to stand guard at the Emperor's new throne, much to Calus' disappointment. [[The Witness]] would then manifest itself before Calus to check on his progress in finding the Veil. Calus would reassure The Witness that his forces were actively searching for the Veil and that the Neptunians, even with their advanced technology, wouldn't pose much of a threat. The Witness, then asked Calus if he had all that he ever wanted, to which Calus responded, that thanks to the Witness's power, he had become glorious. After The Witness left, Calus would turn to rest on his throne, ordering his troops to find the Veil as fast as possible so that he may move on to a life of luxury.

Later, Calus's forces would discover the location of the Veil. The Guardian could do nothing as The Shadow Legion began setting up heavy fortifications around The Veil's containment area. The Witness would later contact Emperor Calus to check up on his progress again, but this time, the Guardian's [[Ghost]] was able to intercept it, but ultimately became possessed by The Witness. Calus would inform the Witness that he had successfully captured the area around the Veil, but it would take some time to break through, in addition to dealing with interference from both the Guardian and the Neptunians. The Witness acknowledged this and reassured Calus that they could not stop fate before instructing Calus to link the [[Radial Mast]] and make sure that the Veil was destroyed. Calus agreed as the Witness released the Guardian's ghost.  

With the situation clear, the Guardian was tasked by both [[Osiris]] and the Cloud Strider [[Rohan]] to storm The Typhon Imperator and destroy the Radial Mast before Calus has a chance to link it up with the Veil. However, Calus anticipated this and used the Radial Mast as a trap. Upon arriving in the arena where the Radial Mast was kept, Calus appeared before the guardian in his psionic form to mock them, excited that they were going to be "tonight's entertainment" in a final test of strength and also gloated that he had no riches to give them this time. Calus then unleashed a horde of [[Taken]] and a few of his [[Garaask, Undying Inferno|Shadow Legion]] [[Kar'uul, Indomitable Champion|champions]] on the Guardian while trying to convince the Guardian to join him all the while. The Gaurdian, however, ignored Calus's banter and was able to expose the Radial Mast, only for a Cabal shield to surround it before they had a chance to destroy it. As Calus sent more Taken and Shadow Legion into the arena, the Guardian was forced to use a [[Strand]] Anomaly to fend them off but would render them vulnerable and exhausted. Recognizing that the Guardian wouldn't be accepting his offer to join him, Calus sent in one of his commanders, [[Val Bho'kaurl]], to finish off the weakened guardian, telling the Guardian that they could not escape oblivion and that they should embrace their end. However, the Guardian would manage to escape the ship with the surprise assistance of Empress Caiatl, which angered Calus. Regardless, after the Guardian escaped, Calus soon began making preparations to link the Radial Mast to the Veil.

However, when the time came, Calus' attempt to establish a link using the Radial Mast and the Veil ended up failing due to the Guardian's efforts in clearing out the Shadow Legion fortifications around the Veil, killing Val' Bor'kaurl, and destroying the Radial mast at the cost of Rohan's life. After which, Calus would inform the Witness of this setback while in a state of sleep. The Witness then explained that Calus feared loss and that fear was the cause of his failure. Angered by this, Calus began to scold The Witness on how he had led this invasion with vicious subjugation, broke through their enemy's defenses, and claimed the Veil, all because he wanted it while the Witness held the power of the universe within its grasp, yet never decided to do anything with it. Furious, the Witness interrupted Calus' rant by shouting "ENOUGH!" at him, cracking reality around him. The Witness then ordered the Emperor to secure the Veil and that It would create the link between The Veil and The Traveler when the time came. Utterly terrified as he looked upon the Witness, Calus begged for its forgiveness as he began bleeding from his head. He complied with his master's wishes and ensured that The Witness's will shall be done, after which he awoke from his nightmare. Looking at his chalice for a moment, he angrily crushed it in his hand and then tossed it away, feeling humiliated and knowing that he must take matters into his own hands.

===End Of The Emperor===

[[Category:Cabal]]