Editing Forum:Taniks, the Scorned

{{Forumheader|Fan Fiction}}
{{about|the [[Scorn]] servant of [[Forum:Kuldax|Kuldax]]|the Houseless mercenary|Taniks, the Scarred}}
{{Tabbed infobox
|title1= Main
|content1= {{Character infobox
|variant= Hive
|nameBG=#000048
|BG=#000048
|sectionBG=#000000
|lineBG=#000000
|name= Taniks, the Scorned
|othernames= Taniks, the Scarred <br> Taniks Perfected <br> Taniks, Reborn <br> Taniks, the Abomination
|species= [[Fallen]] {{C|formerly}} <br> [[Scorn]]
|gender= Male
|affiliation= [[House of Scar]] {{c|formerly}} <br> [[Taniks' Crew]] {{C|formerly}} <br> [[House of Winter]] {{c|formerly}} <br> [[House of Wolves]] {{c|formerly}} <br> [[Devil Splicers]] {{C|formerly}} <br> [[House of Salvation]] {{C|formerly}} 
|rank= Mercenary {{C|formerly}} <br> Servant of [[Forum:Kuldax|Kuldax]]
|class= [[Captain]]
}}
|title2= Boss
|content2=  {{Boss infobox
|variant= Fallen
|nameBG=#000048
|BG=#000048
|sectionBG=#000000
|lineBG=#000000
|name= Taniks, the Scorned
|species= [[Scorn]]
|faction= [[Forum:Weavers of Sorrow|Weavers of Sorrow]]
|rank= [[Ultra]]
|class= [[Captain]]
|gender= Male
|mission= [[Forum:Subjugated Vault|Subjugated Vault]] <br> {{C|TBA}}
|weapon = {{icon|Solar}} [[Molten Welder]] <br> {{icon|Stasis}} [[Duskfield Grenade]]s
|ability = High Durability <br> Immunity Shield <br> Rapid Movement <br> Summon Fallen <br> Summon [[Forum:Adherent of Taniks|Adherent of Taniks]] <br> Teleportation <br> {{icon|Kinetic}} Ultra Smash <br> {{icon|Stasis}} Crystal Wave <br> {{icon|Stasis}} Stasis Blast
}}
}}
{{Article quote|There is evidence of Fallen giving themselves to technology... The mercenary Taniks is one example—more machine than Fallen now, an abomination in the eyes of traditional Fallen belief.}}

'''Taniks, the Scorned''' (formerly '''[[Taniks, the Scarred]]''') is an infamous [[Fallen]] mercenary unaffiliated with any House, loyal only to those who pay him. He gained notoriety within the [[Last City]] for murdering [[Guardians]], including the [[Hunter]] [[Vanguard]] [[Andal Brask]], and became infamous for cheating death on numerous occasions, due in part to his cyborg physiology.

Taniks has been fought and defeated by [[the Guardian]] no less than three times during present day. He was first seen working with the [[House of Wolves]] during the [[Wolf Rebellion]] before being killed by a Guardian Strike team, only to be resurrected using [[SIVA]] as '''Taniks Perfected''' by the [[Devil Splicers]] during the [[SIVA Crisis]]. After being defeated a second time, his body was retrieved and rebuilt by the [[House of Salvation]] inside the [[Deep Stone Crypt]] on [[Europa]], where he was revived as '''Taniks, Reborn''' and set loose by [[Atraks-1]]. He followed the Guardians aboard the [[Morning Star]] space station orbiting Europa, and survived its subsequent crash into the surface by grafting his torso onto a [[Heavy Shank]] and becoming '''Taniks, the Abomination'''.

After his presumed final death at the Crypt, he would be resurrected as a [[Scorn]] by [[Forum:Kuldax|Kuldax]] and be infused with the powers of [[Stasis]], serving as the [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciple's]] Scorn general. 
==Biography==
===Early history===
{{Quote|A Kell cut off his arms. He built himself new ones. Then he killed the Kell with them.|[[Does Not Bow]]}}

Taniks was once loyal to an unknown House, but docked into subservience by his [[Kell]]. He then built himself new prosthetic arms and killed his former Kell out of revenge.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/05/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]]'', ''Item Description: [[Does Not Bow]]''</ref> Taniks later renounced his pledge to any House and refused to adhere to their arbitrary customs and traditions.<ref name="Scarred">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]]'', ''[[Lore]]:[[Lore:The Once-Shipstealer|The Once-Shipstealer]] - [[Lore:The Once-Shipstealer#XIV. The Scarred|XIV. The Scarred]]''</ref>

Inspired by [[Sekris, Baron of Shanks]], who prolonged his lifespan through cybernetics, Taniks was among a new generation of Fallen mercenaries who modelled their brutality and cybernetics after Sekris.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/5/12)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Curse of Osiris]], [[Armor_of_Sekris#Mask_of_Sekris|Mask of Sekris]]''</ref> Becoming a cyborg, he built a reputation among the Eliksni as an undying huntsman and infused his physical body with mixtures of technologies pilfered from legendary treasure troves. This continued to the extent where he was considered more machine than Fallen.<ref name="Grimoire">'''Bungie (2015/5/19)''', ''Destiny: House of Wolves, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies#Taniks, the Scarred|Taniks, the Scarred]]''</ref><ref name="A Blind Eye">'''Bungie (2018/08/29)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''[[Lore]]: [[Lore:The Lawless Frontier|The Lawless Frontier]] - [[Lore:The Lawless Frontier#A Blind Eye Towards Tomorrow|A Blind Eye Towards Tomorrow]]''</ref> 

===Battles with the City===
[[File:TaniksCity.jpg|thumb|300px|Taniks standing on top of the body of Andal Brask.]]
{{Quote|Taniks didn't announce himself. Didn't say a word. Just laughed a few times and tried like hell to kill us all...<br>Which meant the boogeyman had a face—the boogeyman was REAL.|[[Cayde-6]].}}<ref name="Turn">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''[[Lore]]:[[Lore:The_Man_They_Call_Cayde|The Man They Call Cayde]] - [[Lore:The_Man_They_Call_Cayde#Turn|Turn]]''</ref>

During the early [[City Age]] and at least before Twilight Gap, the Fallen Houses placed large bounties of [[Glimmer]] and [[Ether]] on an infamous crew of [[Hunters]], which included [[Andal Brask]], [[Shiro-4]], and [[Cayde-6]].<ref name="Raise">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]], [[Lore]]: [[Lore:The_Man_They_Call_Cayde#Raise|Raise]]''</ref> At the time, Taniks was widely regarded as a boogeyman amongst the Guardians who heard stories of the bannerless, Fallen mercenary killing off Lightbearers but were widely regarded as tall tales. Taniks, having sought to claim their bounties on the crew, would ambush Cayde, Shiro, [[Nian Ruo]], and [[Lush]] during a cache run on the outskirts of the City. In a split second he quickly murdered Nian and destroyed Lush's Ghost before the outgunned Hunters could escape him and his Fallen crew. Andal was later informed of the incident by Cayde and Shiro and sought to kill Taniks out of revenge.<ref name="Raise"/> Since then, Taniks would ambush the crew on several other occasions, arriving unannounced and laughed a few times before he tried to kill them. However, his attempts would backfire as the Hunters had fully prepared for him. One night, Andal and Cayde stayed up late drinking and decided to make a Vanguard Dare. They joked that whoever failed to kill Taniks would become the new Hunter Vanguard, while the winner lived the life of a free Hunter.<ref name="Turn"/>

Cayde had the good luck of finding and killing Taniks first, forcing Andal kept his word. However, Taniks would not stay dead for long as his return prompted Cayde to seek out the mercenary yet again. The Exo Hunter would successfully kill Taniks a second time, unleashing lead into his chest, neck, gut and head. However, his [[Taniks' Crew|crew]] would instead intervene and hauled him off before Cayde could finish the job.<ref name="Winner Take All">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Forsaken]]'', ''[[Lore]]:[[Lore:The_Man_They_Call_Cayde|The Man They Call Cayde]] - [[Lore:The_Man_They_Call_Cayde#Winner Take All|Winner Take All]]''</ref> 

At that point, Taniks' continued presence became a pain to the [[Last City]], where [[Osiris]] and the [[Speaker]] appointed [[Saint-14]], who was infamous amongst the Fallen, to find and kill the mercenary himself. Despite Andal becoming the new Hunter Vanguard, Cayde tried talking him out of his new position as the Dare was made in a compromised state but to no avail.<ref name="Winner Take All"/>

At the [[Battle of the Twilight Gap]], Taniks became involved in the united front of Fallen Houses of [[House of Devils|Devils]], [[House of Kings|Kings]] and [[House of Winter| Winter]] against the forces of the [[Last City]]. His presence was met with ridicule by [[Draksis]] the [[Kell]] of House Winter, whom called him self-serving scum and spat at his banner-less armor.<ref name="Scarred"/> However, he would become acquainted with the infamous Devil [[Baroness]], [[Eramis, the Shipstealer]], and formed a crew featuring them alongside [[Kridis, Dark Priestess|Kridis]] and [[Phylaks, the Warrior|Phylaks]] as they followed her assault against the Guardians. Taniks fired thunderous blasts from his [[Scorch Cannon]] and created explosions of blood around him while laughing maniacally.<ref name="The Nightmare">'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]]'', ''[[Lore]]:[[Lore:The Once-Shipstealer|The Once-Shipstealer]] - [[Lore:The Once-Shipstealer#V. The Nightmare|XIV. The Nightmare]]''</ref> However, the alliance ultimately failed their "Final Attempt" attack and retreated in defeat. Taniks had also took part in the [[Reef Wars]], which [[Variks]] remembered many [[Awoken]] murdered at the mercenary's hands.

Taniks would eventually claim Andal's bounty by murdering the Hunter Vanguard in cold blood, forcing Cayde to replace his old friend in memory of him.<ref name="Hunter">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Tower_Allies#Hunter_Vanguard|Hunter Vanguard]]''</ref> Cayde would also kill Taniks a third time, avenging Andal in commemoration of his new position as Hunter Vanguard.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]], Playstation 4, [[Lore]]: [[Lore:The Dark Future|The Dark Future]] - [[Lore:The Dark Future#Chapter 9: The Return|Chapter 9: The Return]]''</ref>

===Prison breakout===
{{quote|And still you wonder why I refuse my house-pledge. You could conquer the system, but you'd rather adhere to these arbitrary customs. Aksor belongs to Winter, and Eramis does not.|Taniks, the Scarred.}}<ref name="Scarred"/>

At some point, [[Draksis, Winter Kell]] would reluctantly hire Taniks to break [[Aksor, Archon Priest]] free from the [[Prison of Elders]], who was captured during the [[Reef Wars]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]], [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen_Leadership#Aksor, Archon Priest|Aksor, Archon Priest]]''</ref> Taniks at first recollected how the Winter Kell once scoffed at him but had to refrain himself from ripping out his arms and legs as he believed Draksis would seek his services later on. 

While Taniks held payment above pride, he also sought payment in blood and battle that was worthy of his time. He took the job, but charged twice his usual price out of anger that he will miss the opportunity to free the fiercest of the Eliksni warriors such as [[Eramis]], [[Pirsis, Pallas-Bane|Pirsis]] and [[Calzar, Scarred Captain|Calzar]]. He criticized Draksis for wanting to free the impotent Archon and insulted his Winter troops for being pathetic. He would clarify his reasons for remaining Houseless as he despised the Fallen Houses that were guided by arbitrary customs and argued that they could conquer the entire Solar System if they were to organize itself with the greatest of Fallen generals.
<ref name="Scarred"/>

===The Shadow Thief===
[[File:Taniks.jpg|thumb|300px|Taniks, the Scarred]]
{{quote|I remember Taniks from the [[Reef Wars]]. Many [[Awoken]] dead. Clever, clever creature.|Variks, the Loyal}}

Hired by the [[House of Wolves]] to steal from the [[Hive]], Taniks would lead the Wolf Fallen to plunder the [[Hellmouth]]. [[Variks]], having tracked Taniks' movements during the [[Wolf Rebellion]], would enlist the [[Guardian]] and his fireteam to kill him. Variks also warned them of the threat that Taniks posed as he did not see them as an enemy, but rather as “trophies” to collect their spoils from.

Taniks, relishing at the challenge of the Lightbearers, would briefly engage them at [[Dusk Warren]] before retreating via lift field into his [[Traitor's Ketch|Ketch]]. He then issued a challenge to them in the ways of the old and calls the fireteam out. Once aboard his Ketch in pursuit, the fireteam would find that Taniks had jammed their comms and called upon the Wolves aboard the Ketch in a frenzy to eliminate them. The Fallen could only impede the fireteam as they gave chase to the fleeing mercenary, pursuing him through mobs of enemies  including a [[Walker]] in the hanger bay.

With tremendous effort, the Guardians destroyed the Fallen Walker and cornered Taniks as he insults them in his Eliksni language. He is killed much to [[Variks]]' delight and rewards the team treasures from the [[Mara Sov|Queen]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]], [[The Shadow Thief]]''</ref>

===SIVA Perfected===
[[File:Taniksp.jpg|thumb|300px|Taniks Perfected]]
{{Quote|He talks. How is that possible?" <br> "Maybe Taniks was more machine than we thought. He's not alive: perhaps he never was.|[[Commander Zavala]] and [[Ikora Rey]]}}

During the aftermath of the [[SIVA Crisis]], the leaderless [[Devil Splicers]] allied with [[Taniks' Crew]] and rebuilt the Fallen mercenary. Enhanced with SIVA, Taniks becomes [[Taniks Perfected]] and leads the Splicers and his crew with the attention to reclaim his old territory from the Hive.<ref>'''Bungie (2016/20/9)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[Rise of Iron]], [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Activities/Strikes#The_Shadow_Thief:_Revisited|The Shadow Thief: Revisited]]''</ref> Variks quickly informs [[Ikora]] and [[Zavala]] of his return and the Vanguard enlist the Guardians who fought with [[Saladin]] to hunt him down. 

On arrival, Zavala notes how the Splicers are experimenting on nearby [[Hive]] and asks the Guardians to end this quickly before another SIVA outbreak occurs. As they approach the Dusk Warrens, Taniks encounters them near the lift to his Ketch but is forced to retreat. Zavala is shocked that Taniks can talk since they believed the Splicers were only reanimating his body with SIVA. Ikora comments how Taniks may be more machine than Fallen and perhaps he was never alive to begin with. With his Ketch still intact, a jamming field disrupts the Vanguard communications.

After fighting through the Splicers, Hive and a [[Perfected Walker]], the Guardians manage to corner Taniks by his command bridge. Taniks is armed with his signature [[Scorch Cannon]] which is modified to allow [[Shock Cannon|Shock]] and [[Null Cannon|Void]] blasts. His SIVA abilities also generate an immunity shield where nearby SIVA crystals need to be destroyed to disable the shield. The Guardians prevent SIVA from restarting Taniks' mercenary operations and slew him.

===Nightmare of Taniks===
[[File:TaniksNightmare.jpg|thumb|300px|Nightmare of Taniks, the Scarred]]
{{quote|Years ago, Taniks tore the [[Vanguard]] apart over a mere bounty. [[Andal Brask]] was murdered in cold blood, and the [[Hunter]] Vanguard was left without a leader. Taniks would ultimately die on the orders of [[Cayde-6]].|[[Eris Morn]]}}

Taniks would continue to haunt the Guardians as a [[Nightmare]] recreated by the [[Pyramid (Luna)|Pyramids]]. [[Eris Morn]] would send the Guardians to hunt down the [[Nightmare of Taniks, the Scarred|Nightmare of Taniks]] as its Essence of Isolation was essential to forge armor to suppress the Nightmares and breach the Pyramid. The Nightmare would be defeated by the Dusk Warrens after the Guardians breached into the [[Temple of Crota]]. However, his Nightmare would continue to plague the Guardians as it reappears in the [[Altars of Sorrow]] and [[Nightmare Hunt]]s.

===The Abomination===
[[File:Taniks.gif|thumb|300px|Atraks-1 reawakens Taniks]]
{{Quote|There is evidence of Fallen giving themselves to technology... The mercenary Taniks is one example—more machine than Fallen now, an abomination in the eyes of traditional Fallen belief.|[[Lore:The Lawless Frontier#A Blind Eye Towards Tomorrow|A Blind Eye Towards Tomorrow]].}}<ref name="A Blind Eye"/>

Following the failed heist to steal the [[SIVA]]-infused [[Outbreak Perfected]], [[Eramis]] would relive a dream of the Twilight Gap. She remembered how Taniks aided her crusade against the City but awakens when she sees her fellow allies evaporate into ash.<ref name="The Nightmare"/> She later forms the [[House of Salvation]] and at some point, they recover and rebuilt Taniks' body. 

Her House established a stronghold on [[Europa]] and they secretly rebuilt Taniks in the [[Deep Stone Crypt]], the secret birthplace of the [[Exo]]. Weeks after the defeat of Eramis, the [[Exo Stranger]] enlists a fireteam of Guardians to [[Deep Stone Crypt (raid)|secure]] the Crypt from her followers before they could unleash a new army of [[Darkness]]-powered Fallen. After bypassing the Crypt Security, the Crypt AI notes that [[Clarity Control]] was breached by a single unregistered Exo and a single life form of unknown biology and were detected by the Crypt laboratory. There [[Atraks-1, Fallen Exo]] reawakens Taniks from his cryo suspension, who is immediately enraged at the sight of the Guardians. He begins bashing at the laboratory glass to no avail, so he crawls up the glass and leaves the lab. 

Following the destruction of Atraks-1, the Crypt AI initiates its nuclear descent protocol to confine both parties aboard the [[Morning Star]] platform and deorbit it in an attempt to destroy the Crypt. Taniks (now known as '''Taniks, Reborn''') is found hacking control of the Nuclear Contingency Chamber where they would commence a battle, which became further complicated by Taniks causing the nuclear cores to charge prematurely. As the station descended towards the Crypt, the Fallen engaged the Guardians as they attempted to dispose the charging cores and deactivate the nuclear protocol threatening to destroy Europa. Taniks himself would also fight the fireteam during the descent, to which he found himself temporarily stun locked by a Braytech augment on more than one occasion.

[[File:DestinyTaniks1.jpg|thumb|300px|Taniks, the Abomination]]

Having deactivated the nuclear protocol merely moments before orbital re-entry, the Guardians quickly retreated to shelter in the lower deck of the station. Taniks mercilessly pursues them while firing his Molten Welder only to be locked out of the blast doors seconds before collusion. He seemingly perished when the station collided onto the surface, but was found to have survived the impact near the [[Restricted|entrance]] of the Crypt.

He re-emerges as '''Taniks, the Abomination'''; having grafted his lower body onto a [[Heavy Shank]] built out of the station's debris and nuclear cores. Facing the Guardians once more, Taniks goes on the offensive with his newfound [[Void]] abilities as well as raining down station debris from the atmosphere like meteors. However, the fireteam staggers the abominable Taniks long enough for them to collect and disarm his cores piece by piece to prevent his nuclear-powered armaments from wiping them in an instant. Enraged, the mercenary creates a massive [[Arc]]-fueled barrier to protect himself in, forcing the Guardians to enter as he was now vulnerable to their attacks. In his last moments, Taniks teleports around the crash site as he prepares for a final attack to wipe the fireteam, but would finally perish instead as he dies in a fiery nuclear blast, ending him seemingly for good.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/10)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Beyond Light]], [[Deep Stone Crypt (raid)|Deep Stone Crypt]]''</ref>

===The Scorned===
{{Quote|Taniks is no more a general than he is Scorn now. He now defies the lawlessness that made him the notorious mercenary. A stone cold killer in a dead husk.|Variks}}

Several years following his demise on Europa, his body would be exhumed by the Hive [[Disciples of the Witness|Disciple]] of [[The Witness|the Witness]], [[Forum:Kuldax|Kuldax]]. Resurrected as a Scorn Captain under the [[Forum:Boreal Sect|Boreal Sect]], he serves as Kuldax's [[Scorn]] general.

==Gameplay==

==Trivia==

==Gallery==

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny 2]]'': ''[[Into the Light (update)|Into the Light]]'' {{1st}}