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Forum:High War's Herald
From Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki
| Forums: Index → Fan Fiction → High War's Herald | 
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| High War's Herald | |
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| Biographical information | |
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Other name(s): |
The Favored of Oryx |
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Species: |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Height: |
21 ft |
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Eye color: |
Green |
| Political and military information | |
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Affiliation: |
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Rank: |
Advisor |
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Class: |
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Notable info: |
Defacto leader of Oryx, the Taken King's extra-solar forces |
- "The High War is nothing but a broken grave within a tomb for my god. Yet its champion still cries its name out as he battles! He calls to a god long since extinguished! And who answers him? My queen. My god's queen. Forsaken have I been by the weakness of the very Court I was to champion. Who am I to call myself it? Yet she steels my eyes with wonderful bright lights and visions of truth. I shall no more doubt my king, even in his absence. We are the Final Shape. We are Hive. I am alive. My king is not. I shall serve him and his queen all the same. My king is knowledge, and I shall conjure him back with knowledge. And if I fail, may all the skulls of Sol be my last gift to my king."
- — High War's Herald
The High War's Herald is a champion Hive Knight who was long considered the strongest of Oryx, the Taken King's champions, second only to Crota, Son of Oryx himself. After Oryx departed for Sol to avenge his son's death, the High War's Herald was placed in charge of all of the king's extra-solar forces, say for one. He'd go on to become an advisor of this brood and its master, Kharyx, the Navigator's Lullaby. Once Kharyx gained possession of the Echo of Vengeance, the High War's Herald was the first of her forces to gain access to Prismatic.
History[edit]
Rising Champion[edit]
Upon the Claw of Oryx brood's creation, a champion was to be chosen. Quickly a Knight named Azkolath ruthlessly fought and claimed this title, taking the title of Azkolath, Claw of Oryx. Azkolath would first be deployed against the Ecumene alongside his brood and would ruthlessly extinguish countless lives. His fervor would earn the favor of Oryx, the Taken King, who'd imbue him with potent Soulfire magics and he'd be among the first non-Osmium Dynasty Hive to receive a throne world due to how many lives he had taken.
War's Priest Rises[edit]
- "You have allowed my blood to poison your faith. You have gotten weak in your expectation of greatness. As such I take from you your source of pride, your power, and your place to refuge I shall now forge into a place of worship to me. So that you shall never again forget why you are my favored."
- — Oryx, the Taken King
A few centuries before the war with the Taishibethi began, a nameless Knight of the Blood of Oryx, noted for his massive jaw and teeth, would begin relentlessly defeating the Claw of Oryx and sending Azkolath back to his throne world again and again. Oryx, seeing this failure, would gut Azkolath's throne world, turning it into nothing but a large collection of statues of himself and Azkolath. As further insult, this unnamed Knight would ascend to one of Oryx's champions, becoming the Warpriest.
The Warpriest would then be Oryx's main instrument in his battle against the Taishibethi, while Azkolath was nothing more than a general along the lines of Syrok, Word of Oryx or Nengalish. But would later be placed among Oryx's court after proving himself again.
Conquering the Court[edit]
- "My king, you spared me your blade so that I may once again be your favored, but your court is that of howling chaos. I shall silence this crying. I forever serve you, my king, but your court shall forever serve me."
- — High War's Herald
Azkolath would conquer Oryx's court. One by one he'd slaughter or conquer those within. Krughor, Lokaar, Vorlog, Balwûr, the Däl sisters, Cra'adug and Mengoor, and more were among his subjugated. While many complement and pretenders were slain where they stood. Forsaking his tarnished name and instead taking the title of High War's Herald, he would serve as a filter for the Court. Oryx would pick his court members or aspiring Hive would attempt to muscle in, and the Herald would then filter them and only the strongest or most cunning would survive.
While he'd never reclaim the prestige he had taken from him by the Warpriest, he was now the champion of the High War. With this new power, he'd take the court and bare it down upon the Claw of Oryx's champion, Kharyx. However the witch wasn't Oryx's mate simply for prestige, as she'd would quickly humble the Herald and remind him of his place. Kharyx would then take the High War's Herald as a trophy, becoming not only the Court of Oryx's champion, but the Claw of Oryx's as well. She considered having the Knight Taken, but decided his relentless hunger for power and reclaiming what he lost kept him as strong and devoted as he would be as a Taken.
Kharyx's Advisor[edit]
- "The Warpriest is dead, dear Herald."
"Am I to be celebratory at this news, my Penumbral Queen?"
"One would expect happiness upon the death of one's mortal and immortal enemy who stole everything you once where. A thin line of good in this tragedy for at least you to cling to."
"The Warpriest proved he was weak. Falling to the same Light he has devoured for over five-hundred cycles? He insults me by showing he's my equal, then falling to such weakness. May he be forgotten." - — Kharyx telling the High War's Herald of the Warpriest's death
The High War's Herald would go on to serve Kharyx as he would his king. He'd also serve as her advisor upon Oryx's departure for the Sol system to avenge Crota, Son of Oryx's death. He'd also be placed in charge of all of Oryx's other extra-solar broods, expect for his Claw. However, due to Kharyx's inexperience in leadership, the Herald would still find command within the Claw as her advisor along with the brood's champion.
Upon Oryx's death and the successful destruction of the Gravity Shadow species, the High War's Herald would accompany Kharyx and her brood, now named the Spite of the King. He like all of her brood would fall into despair upon the news of The Witness' death. However unlike many Hive in her keep, he would stay loyal to the God-Mother and lead her loyalists during the intense civil wars occurring within. Once Kharyx received the Echo of vengeance, she'd reward the Herald's loyalty and he'd be the first she'd bestow the power of Pristmatic. This gift would also transform his Soulfire into a new type, one that was a gaseous flame but could become heavily viscous and sticky if subjected to Light. Refueled by this new Echo, the High War's Herald would be a Hive god's spear once more and lead the Spite of the King's charge on Sol.
Sonder and Sorrow[edit]
- "I had never felt hopeless in my countless eons of life. Outmatched, confused, lost, but never hopeless. Our time of languish was still held together by the hope of something, and something came. That gift lodged within your heart. But this...this "Guardian" is undefeatable, my Queen. I cannot kill them. I am a failure of a champion. I would ask you kill me here so you gain my power by right of the Sword Logic. Maybe then my might can be used for something in this war."
- — The High War's Herald to Kharyx after repeated defeats
The High War's Herald would first appear in the mission Omen of Vengeance where he is leading Kharyx's initial forces upon the Court of Savathûn. Upon spotting The Guardian battling his troops, he'd break off and use Hive magic to seal the two in a small arena within the Florescent Canal for a duel. However he'd fail and be slain an intervening Savathûn, breaking the spell and successfully forcing the Spite of the King to rout back to their beachhead within the Witch's Echo where they'd continue to be ambushed by Scorn.
The Herald would appear again two missions later in the mission War's Outbreak where he'd serve as a checkpoint boss, again being felled, but now by The Guardian themselves. Again and again the High War's Herald would be sent out to fight The Guardian during the activity Vengeful Clash. Eventually he'd fall to Kharyx's knees and beg to be slain by her rather than a Lightbearer so at least he power can go to someone he wishes as the Sword Logic decrees. Equally as desperate as her weakness had been found out, Kharyx instead took the Herald to an active Gambit match and siege Drifter's ship, The Derelict. As powerful as Drifter's counterfeit Taken and the eight guardians assisting him were; Kharyx, the Herald, her newly recruited son, Nokris, Broken Son of Vengeance, and the Might of Kharyx proved too much and the Drifter had to flee with the only surviving guardian. The Derelict's Haul would be stolen, along with much of Drifter's tech and even his Drifter's Ghost. With all these, Kharyx would discover how to Take to some regard, but she was flawed in her process as she'd discover the Drifter never truly knew how to Take, merely make counterfeit Taken. As such the High War's Herald would become corrupted with Taken energy, rather than truly Taken. Kharyx would attempt to use Prismatic to cleanse the Knight, but all it did was cause him to endlessly form Shades and counterfeit Taken of himself in a panicked state, babbling panicked in Hive tongues.
A Fate Worse Than Death[edit]
- "I am/was/will be the High War's Herald/Azkolath/Kharyx's Trusted. I will be/was/am now something new/old/the same. What will I be/was I/ am I? Too quiet/loud/moderate/quiet! I didn't/cannot/will not think! I was/be/am Kharyx's Trusted/the High War's Herald/Azkolath? Why didn't/can't/won't I think straight!"
- — Last thoughts of the High War's Herald, Counterfeit Prince
The High War's Herald, Counterfeit Prince would rampage across The Navigator's Rest, drawing attention of the Guardian and Savathûn. Together along side Arksa-Thul, a Lightbearer Acolyte Savathûn sent, the Guardian would finally put down the High War's Herald for good, with Savathûn casting a spell to forever seal away him and his throne world. Forever until the end of time and beyond, the Counterfeit Prince would rot in his throne world, only accompanied by his scattered thoughts and the endless counterfeit versions of himself he creates.
The last he'd be mentioned is when Kharyx calls out to him with his true name of Azkolath in despair upon his sealing, then swearing giving such an end to her most loyal subject would be repaid tenfold.
Ongoing Cries[edit]
Despite their originator being banished, Counterfeit Heralds still plague the system and cause havoc. They often are protected by the Spite of the King as they can be used as some kind of super Ogre, mindlessly rampaging and destroying all Light they see. Whenever one is found a team of guardians is deployed to destroy it and the Hive and Taken protecting it.
Personality and Traits[edit]
The High War's Herald is loyal in every sense of the word. He follows every order to the letter and never doubts his queen's orders. However he also is extremely cautious and paranoid with a fragile sense of pride. Due to his loss at the hands of the Warpriest, the Herald cannot stand losing and doing such causes mental strain. This as a Hive has caused him to become untrusted and form a negative cycle of due to his fragile pride, he loses the trust of his Hive, and with that trust lost, his pride is damaged again. However with Kharyx to bolster him with her magic and Echo, the Herald becomes unshakable in his faith.
The Herald despises the Lightbearers above anything else. Every guardian he kills he takes something from as a trophy to line his throne world, every Lightbearer Hive he kills he takes a horn from their Ghost. The banners he has across his armor is like that of Kharyx's as an expression of loyalty.
Appearance[edit]
- Destiny 2: Veil of Vengeance (First appearance)