View source for Kelgorath, Risen from Bones

==Biography==
===Warring Allegiances===
A Knight from the [[Hidden Swarm]], Kelgorath built an esteemed reputation as the champion of death and was led by the surviving bloodlines of [[Crota]]. When the Hive suffered the losses of [[Oryx]] and Crota, many turned to [[Savathûn, the Witch Queen]] for aid. This changed with the arrival of the [[Black Fleet]] as Savathûn's interference forced her into hiding. In her absence, [[Xivu Arath]] sent her [[High Celebrant of Xivu Arath|High Celebrant]] to the [[Moon]] to unify and consolidate the Scarlet Court into her image. However, the [[Warlock]] [[Osiris]] intercepted and slew the surviving descendants of Crota.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/11/16)''', ''[[Destiny 2]], [[Weblore:Season of the Hunt]]: [[Weblore:Season of the Hunt#Immolant Pt 2|Immolant Pt. 2]]''</ref>

When Kelgorath learned the news of their deaths, he became disenchanted with the Witch Queen and one night renounced her as a heretic. He felt she was weak for allowing their deaths and his loyalty to his brood wavered. Kelgorath traveled to the depths of the [[Hellmouth]] to remove the scarlet coloring off his chitin and ground his flesh against the jagged serration beds. He found a new purpose by devoting himself to Xivu Arath after the Hive God and her Celebrant trapped Osiris with Hive runes and avenged their deaths by killing [[Sagira]] and stripping the Warlock's [[Light]]. This fueled Kelgorath with an insatiable drive for vengeance and his new path for war sought to eliminate all traces of the heretic Witch Queen.<ref name="Risen">'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [[Lore:Ripples|Ripples]]: [[Lore:Ripples#III - Risen from Bones|III - Risen From Bones]]''</ref>

He began a new life as a [[Wrathborn]] and relentlessly pursued the many enemies of Xivu Arath. In one instance, he battled a [[Guardian]] who managed to kill him numerous times. However, death was unable to end the Knight as he rose again through battle and was reborn. Nothing was able to escape his grasp, and Kelgorath finally slew the Guardian and gifted its empty [[Ghost]] core to defecting Scarlet [[Wizard]]s.<ref name="Risen"/>

In another tale, Kelgorath hunted an [[Awoken]] [[Techeun]] through the [[Ley Lines]] for three days. The fearful Techeun radiated a stench of fear that allowed the Knight to track her down and corner her. In desperation, the Techeun collapsed the [[Ascendant Plane]] onto him through her magic which resulted in his death. Kelgorath re-emerged in his next life with newfound determination to not be fooled again by her trick. When he confronted the Techeun a final time, the Awoken Witch mocked the Knight by saying he still bore the scarlet flecks on his chitin flesh and belittled him for abandoning his Witch Queen so quickly. Kelgorath, angered by her words, ripped off the crystal implanted on the Techeun's forehead and added it to his collection of war trophies.<ref name="Risen"/> 

He then gathered these ornaments of conquests and built a shrine; deep within the Ascendant Plane, from the bones of his foes to direct his tribute and worship to Xivu Arath. As [[Soulfire]] vanished from the ground, Kelgorath placed his head against his shrine and smudged a bloodied sigil of his new Hive God to show his devotion to war. The sky around him began to churn as Kelgorath inhaled the first breath of his new life. As he prepared to face his adversary, he glanced at the trinkets of his conquests and recollected his journey from killing the Guardian and Techeun to renouncing the Witch Queen. Still determined to eliminate any traces of the heretic sister, Kelgorath wanted to make an example of his adversary, [[Hurdru]], as they still showed loyalty towards Savathûn. Through battle, he would confirm his allegiance to Xivu Arath and through blood, he would don her image of war and be one step closer to erasing Savathûn, raising himself from the corpse of his adversary as the '''Risen from Bones'''.<ref name="Risen"/>

===Hunting the Witch Queen===
[[File:Kelgorath1.jpg|300px|thumb|Kelgorath's first battle against the Guardian.]]
After pledging his loyalty as a servant of the God of War, Kelgorath led a raid on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] after it had been absorbed by the Witness' power. Commanding a legion of Acolytes and Thrall, he slaughtered the remaining forces of [[Savathûn's Brood]] on the moon. Afterwards, he would offer the new conquest to Xivu Arath, using a ritual in which several Acolytes sacrifice themselves to invoke the God of War. She would accept her new servant and, as a reward, brought back to life [[Kudazad, Binder of Savathûn]], a Wizard of Savathûn whose skull had been left adrift in the waves of Titan and used in the ritual.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]], [[A Distant Pull]]''</ref>

When the Hive learned of Savathûn's ambition to remove her [[Worm]], Xivu Arath ordered Kelgorath to pursue her heretic sister through the [[Dreaming City]]. [[The Guardian]] was also in pursuit of Savathûn for other reasons and entered the Ascendant Plane to bypass the Hive barricades, however, [[Uldren Sov|Crow]] informed them a Wrathborn was nearby. Kelgorath emerged from an [[Ascendant Portal]] and dueled against his new adversary with his Hive [[Cleaver]]. As the Guardian inflicted damage against Kelgorath, he gained an immunity shield thanks to [[Taken Shield Weaver]]s. The Guardian turned the tide by defeating the Wizards and Kelgorath.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [[Mission]]: [[Cocoon]]''</ref>

Later, Kelgorath rose again and undid his death. Xivu Arath commanded the Knight to steal [[Ager's Scepter]] from the [[Dozmary Vault]]. [[Mara Sov]] sensed that Xivu's minions would want the weapon for themselves and ordered the Guardian to secure it.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [https://youtu.be/JWHYml9aGik Tracing with the Stars IV]''</ref> As the Guardian was about to make their exit, Kelgorath re-emerged to confront them alongside Hive pillagers. Learning from the mistake of his past battle, Kelgorath armed himself with a [[Splinter]] and engaged the Guardian from afar. He also recruited more Hive reinforcements to outnumber the Guardian. However, this was not enough and Kelgorath was once again slain in battle.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [[Mission]]: [[A Hollow Coronation]]''</ref>

===Exorcism===
[[File:Kelgorath18.jpg|300px|thumb|Kelgorath's assault against the ritual spire.]]
{{Quote|Xivu Arath is desparate. She's sending her new champion as a last resort.|[[Petra Venj]]}}

Months after this, on the day of the ritual to exorcise Savathûn's Worm, Xivu Arath deployed Kelgorath, who had once again risen from death, to the Dreaming City alongside her brood in a final effort to capture her sister. Mara, who had anticipated an attack, called upon the Guardians to fend off the God of War's forces.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojmPzD2-jos The Queen's Summons]''</ref> After [[Kruutiks, Reefbane|Kruutiks]] and [[Kholks, Taken of Xivu Arath|Kholks]] had been laid low, Xivu Arath, in an act of desperation, ordered her Wrathborn champion to attack the Ritual Spire and prevent the exorcism at all costs. Now donning new armor and wielding a [[Boomer]], Kelgorath entered the Spire through the Ascendant Plane and battled the Guardians, alongside hordes of Hive reinforcements. He would even summon large masses of [[Taken]] energy in order to wipe out his enemies. However, this would all be in vain as he could not match the power of the Lightbearers and would be once again defeated.<ref>'''Bungie (2021/8/24)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Lost]] - [[Mission]]: [[Exorcism]]''</ref>

===Darkblade of War===
[[File:S19-kelgorath-guardians.jpg|300px|thumb|Kelgorath's attempt to lay siege to Mars]]
{{Quote|CLAIM MARS; POSSESS THE WARMIND|Xivu Arath.}}
After his failings at the [[Dreaming City]], Kelgorath would face judgment from Xivu Arath's soulfire projection at an invocation ceremony on [[Mars]]. An ornately adorned [[Wizard]] presided over the communal ceremony as they offered up his broken blade upon a ritual altar having failed the Knight multiple times. Despite his failure to prevent the exorcism or the Witch Queen's escape, Xivu Arath still found Kelgorath of use to her; enough to have his Cleaver reforged into a giant [[Hive Axe]] and giving him the title of '''[[Darkblade]]'''. For his first task given his new position, Xivu orders the Darkblade Knight to claim Mars and possess the [[Warmind]]'s network.<ref name="JoK">'''Bungie (2022/12/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Seraph]] - [[Judgement of Kelgorath]]''</ref>

The Darkblade would lead the Hive God's forces to [[Hellas Basin]] which was trapped in the past via a time slip, where they staked their claim over [[BrayTech Futurescape]] and the [[Mindlab: Charlemagne|Mindlab]] containing the [[submind]] of [[Charlemagne]]. Though Kelgorath guarded the vault dutifully with his minions tithing to him, he would be forced to fight a [[fireteam]] of Guardians seeking access to the vault's data; the very same Guardians who defeated him in the Dreaming City. Despite his newly acquired power, Kelgorath fell to the Guardians one more; allowing them access to the vault before reinforcements could arrive.<ref>'''Bungie (2022/12/6)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Seraph]] - [[Heist Battlegrounds|Heist Battleground]]: [[Heist Battleground: Mars|Mars]]''</ref> After the battle, the Guardians recovered what remained of Kelgorath's weapon: a Darkblade core that the [[Häkke]] [[Weapon Foundry]] would craft into a newly forged [[Glaive]].<ref name="JoK"/>

===Taken by War===
[[File:Kelgorath22.png|300px|thumb|Taken from Bones stalks his victims on Titan.]]
{{Quote|KELGORATH! TAKEN FROM BONES, CHISELED BY LOSS... RISE... A TEST OF METTLE!|Xivu Arath.}}
Following another humiliation at the hands of the Guardians, Kelgorath brought himself to a broken court of the High Celebrant where he would be taunted by the wizard, [[Rakthrin, War-Council]], a member of Xivu Arath's War-Council. Remembering how he once served the Witch Queen, Rakthrin mocked him on how he could've found greatness had he still served the Witch Queen even as she turned over to the Light which angered Kelgorath who refused, wishing to continue his service to Xivu Arath with renewed vigor. Pleased with this, Rakthrin used her magic to crack the court's altar, revealing an emerald sliver of a blade, a piece of the Taken King's very own sword [[Cleaver#Willbreaker|Willbreaker]]. Transfixed on the blade shard, Kelgorath agreed to Rakthrin's union, thereby allowing himself to be Taken, earning the new title '''Taken from Bones'''.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]], [[Thin Precipice]]''</ref>

With his new form and power, Kelgorath would be sent by Xivu Arath to corrupt the [[Egregore]] coral the Guardians are seeking to collect for their ongoing mission in helping Deputy Commander [[Sloane]] in strengthening her connection to the proto-[[worm]] [[Ahsa]]. During Operation Fulgurite, the Taken Kelgorath would stalk Sloane as the fireteam worked to collect the coral, but she fought him off; leading him to eventually confront the Guardians once more. Despite Kelgorath's persistence, power and being encouraged by Xivu Arath herself, the Guardians prevailed, slaying the Taken Knight once more and allowing them to collect the egregore coral.<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/23)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Deep]], [[Operation Fulgurite (Abyss)]]''</ref>

===Vestige of Failure===
Kelgorath would rise once again in service to the forces of the Taken as '''Kelgorath, Vestige of Failure''' in the [[The Pale Heart|Pale Heart]] of the [[The Traveler|Traveler]]. He would be encountered by Guardians who were seeking to purge the corruption brought upon by the [[The Witness|Witness]] within the [[The Impasse|Impasse]]. Even with this forces and shielded [[Taken Thrall]], Kelgorath would fall once again to the Guardians.