Editing Reef Wars

|prev= [[Theodicy War]]

|next= [[Rise of the Young Wolf]]

|image=

|place= [[Reef|Asteroid belt]]

|result= *Decisive Reef victory  

*Virixas killed

**House of Wolves leadership weakened

**Wolf nobility imprisoned at the Prison of Elders

**Remaining House of Wolves Fallen become vassals of the Reef

**Last City saved

:*[[Petra Venj]]

|commanders2=  

*[[Virixas, Kell of Wolves]]

|commanders3=  

*[[Skolas, Wolf Kell]]

:*[[Yavek, Wolf Baron|Yavek]]

|forces1=*Hundreds of [[Corsair]]s

*Royal Awoken Fleet

**Dozens of assorted salvage Golden Age vessels

:*Hundreds of [[Ceres Galliot]]

*Dozens of [[Harbinger]]s

|forces2=  

House of Wolves:

*Hundreds of [[Ketch]]s

|forces3=  

Skolas's rebels

*Thousands of Fallen

*Dozens of Ketches

|casual1= *Hundreds of Awoken soldiers

|casual2=  

*Half of House of Wolves soldiers and civilians

|casual3= Thousands of Fallen

|civilian= *Hundreds of Awoken civilians on [[Amethyst]], [[10 Hygiea]], [[Pallas]] and other settlements on the Reef

*Thousands of Eliksni civilians inside Ketches

{{Quote|I am Lord of Wolves. You are an empty thing with two dead souls. This is my House. These are my terms. Surrender and I will only take your ships." <br> "I am noble too, oh Lord of Wolves." <br> "You have no line. You have no power." <br> "Starlight was my mother, and my father was the Dark." <br> "Call on them, then, and see what help they offer.|[[Virixas, Kell of Wolves]] and [[Mara Sov]], Queen of the Reef, moments before the Scatter.<ref name="Fallen 4">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen#Ghost Fragment: Fallen 4|Ghost Fragment: Fallen 4]]''</ref>}}

The '''Reef Wars''' were a series of conflicts that took place in the [[Sol System]]'s [[wikipedia:Asteroid Belt|asteroid belt]], waged between the [[Awoken]] of the [[Reef]] and the [[Fallen]] [[House of Wolves]]. They ended with [[Skolas]]' confinement in the [[Prison of Elders]] and [[Mara Sov|Queen Mara]] assuming the Kellship over the Wolves, bringing the defeated Fallen into her realm.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/The Queen#The Queen|The Queen]]''</ref><ref name="HoW">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]]''</ref>

The seeds of the conflict were sown when the [[House of Kings]]<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Leadership#Paskin.2C King Baron|Paskin, King Baron]]''</ref> and their enigmatic, secretive [[Craask, Kell of Kings|Kell]] organized a [[Battle of the Twilight Gap|massive attack]] against the [[Last City]] on [[Earth]] so that they might shatter [[Human|humanity's]] final bastion and claim the "[[Great Machine]]", a limitless supplier of ether, for themselves. Mustering the might of the [[House of Devils]] from Earth and the [[House of Winter]] from [[Venus]], the Kings also sent their summons beyond the asteroid belt to the House of Wolves.<ref name="Fallen 4"/>

[[Virixas]], the Kell of Wolves, heeded the call and amassed his fleet from the [[Jovians]] intending to combine his House's strength, which ranged between the hundreds of thousands to millions, with the Fallen coalition gathering for the assault. Pushing through the asteroid belt toward Earth, the Wolves' presence stirred the [[Awoken]] who knew of the coming attack through their [[Techeun]]s and [[Crow (title)|Crows]] but lacked any means of warning the City. Whether [[Mara Sov]], the Queen of the Reef, sought to save potential allies from the coming onslaught, or desired to bring the Wolves under her rule, is unclear, as the Fallen and Awoken share different views on this; but regardless of the Queen's motives, she acted.<ref name="Skolas">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Skolas.2C Kell of Kells|WANTED: Skolas, Kell of Kells]]''</ref><ref name="Fallen 4"/>

At some point, the Reef allied with the [[Nine]].<ref name="Defeated">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Leadership#Skolas: Defeated|Skolas: Defeated]]''</ref> What role they played or what motivation they had is unknown at this time, though it is possible that the Wolves were a common enemy, as they were originally occupying the outer system.

Virixas had the Wolf fleet regroup at [[Ceres]], a dwarf planet in the belt, still seemingly oblivious of the Awoken's presence until the light from their ship engines appeared. The Awoken fleet consisted of starfighters, destroyers, frigates, and other ships salvaged from the Reef, led personally by Queen Mara. Unworried by this seemingly meager force, Virixas warned the Queen to surrender. The Awoken responded by cutting their engines and drifting; at this point, Mara and Virixas engaged in banter, with the latter hoping it would give his ships time to draw the coming battle away from Ceres. This would not be the case, however, as the Queen would summon her [[Harbinger]]s.<ref name="Skolas"/><ref name="Fallen 4"/>

Massive superweapons of unclear origin, the Harbingers first disrupted Fallen ships and Servitors so severely that they were left barely operable, then unleashed such destructive force that Ceres and over half of the House of Wolves were wiped out; among those killed in the massacre was Virixas, the Kell of Wolves himself.<ref name="Fallen 4"/> Before they could be annihilated, the remaining Wolves—under half the original House—scattered into the asteroid belt, never to see battle at the Twilight Gap.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-hunt-for-skolas-2 The Hunt for Skolas 2]''</ref> Although the Queen managed to save the City from their attack three new claimants to the Kellship rose to threaten her people: [[Irxis]], Wolf Baroness; [[Parixas]], the Howling; and [[Skolas]], the Rabid.<ref name="Skolas"/>

The three claimants to the throne instigated a civil war within the House of Wolves. In the early part of the war, Irxis had the upper hand; while the other claimants tried to gather as many Kaliks [[Servitor]]s for themselves, Irxis controlled the Orbiks Servitors, who had permissions on the Kaliks Servitors, giving her a tactical advantage over her enemies.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Mecher Orbiks-11|WANTED: Mecher Orbiks-11]]''</ref>

Skolas sought to eliminate Irxis first, in a devastating battle known as the Eos Clash. Leading Skolas' fleet was [[Peekis]]; his determination brought victory, and Irxis' death, but at a terrible cost to his own side. Skolas had Peekis demoted to [[Dreg]] for his recklessness.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] -, [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Peekis.2C the Disavowed|WANTED: Peekis, the Disavowed]]''</ref> Wolfship Orbiks-Fel was destroyed at this time.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/chain-of-orbiks-fel?highlight=Reef+Wars Chain of Orbiks-Fel]''</ref>

In the meantime, Skolas decided to use the Awoken to his advantage by pitting them against his remaining enemies.<ref name="Elder Prison">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Places/The Asteroid Belt#Prison of Elders.2C The Reef|Prison of Elders]]''</ref><ref name="Grayor">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Grayor.2C Wolf Assassin|WANTED: Grayor, Wolf Assassin]]''</ref>

The [[Silent Fang]], Skolas' elite assassin unit led by [[Drevis]], attacked an Awoken space station called [[Amethyst]]; slaughtering all aboard.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground-5 Gone to Ground 5]''</ref> Paladin [[Abra Zire]] gave chase to the Silent Fang to [[Iris]], where they engaged a Wolf [[Ketch]]. To their surprise, however, it was not Drevis' ship, but Parixas'. [[Grayor]], another vassal of Skolas and the Fang, had tricked the Awoken into defeating Skolas' last rival.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground Gone to Ground]''</ref> With Skolas as sole claimant to the throne, he declared himself the Kell of Wolves.<ref name="Grayor"/><ref name="Elder Prison"/><ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground-7 Gone to Ground 7]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground-3 Gone to Ground 3]''</ref>

With the Wolves divided no longer, and gaining the upper hand, attacking [[10 Hygiea]],<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground-2 Gone to Ground 2]''</ref> the Reef Crows finally cracked their encryption<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/gone-to-ground-6 Gone to Ground 6]''</ref> and discovered the Wolves had miscalculated the eccentricity of the asteroid [[Bamberga]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-kell-of-kells-2 The Kell of Kells 2]''</ref> Using this knowledge, Paladin [[Imogen Rife]] tricked Drevis into flying in Bamerga's path, destroying her Ketch and leading to her and her [[Kaliks-4|High Servitor]]'s capture.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-kell-of-kells-5 The Kell of Kells 5]''</ref> Rife took the prisoners to Vesta but was ambushed at [[Pallas]] by [[Pirsis]].<ref name="Drevis">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Drevis.2C Wolf Baroness|WANTED: Drevis, Wolf Baroness]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-kell-of-kells-3 The Kell of Kells 3]''</ref>

To rescue Drevis, Pirsis attacked Pallas with the largest Wolf fleet gathered since the beginning of the Wars.<ref name="Drevis"/> She was met with near equal force, as the Queen reinforced Pallas with Armada Paladins [[Abra Zire]] and [[Kamala Rior]], but the battle stalemated: neither side could use their full strength without risking collateral damage.<ref name="Weksis">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Weksis.2C the Meek|WANTED: Weksis, the Meek]]''</ref> Skolas diverted some of the Reef fleet into the [[Hildian Asteroids]] with help of [[Beltrik]], the Veiled, to lessen the pressure on Pirsis.<ref name="Weksis"/>

The several-year-long siege was eventually broken by an unsanctioned attack led by [[Weksis]], a lone Dreg and a group of fanatics. They managed to breach a section but were captured by Commander [[Hallam Fen]], Rife's protégé. Pirsis decided to attack in his footsteps to take advantage of the confusion and reached Kaliks-4's cell. However, she was delayed by Imogen Rife who destroyed the Servitor rather than it be freed. In revenge, Pirsis killed Rife and fled.<ref name="Weksis"/>

Commander Fen was able to link up with the Reef and orchestrated a plan with the Crows and Techeuns to devise a mass illusion of the Queen's Harbingers.<ref name="Pirsis">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Pirsis.2C Pallas-Bane|WANTED: Pirsis, Ballas-Bane]]''</ref> The Wolves broke ranks immediately, allowing Fen and Paladins [[Leona Bryl]] and Kamala Rior to finish them off. Fen was promoted to one of the Queen's Paladins in his mentor's place for bringing Drevis alive to Vesta.<ref name="Pirsis"/>

To try and break the siege at Pallas, the Queen ordered Paladins Abra Zire and Kamala Rior to hunt for Skolas. However, this eventually proved fruitless after he disappeared into the Hildian Asteroids, and it became known as the Battle of False Tidings.<ref name="Weksis"/> Beltrik, Skolas' vassal, eventually left the Hildians to gather [[Ether]] from the asteroid [[19 Fortuna]], positioning the bulk of his forces above the resupply area to form a defensive screen against any potential attack from the Armada Paladins. Unbeknownst to Beltrik however, following Bamberga's Wrath, the Reef had constructed a powerful gravity weapon known as "Charybdis", and Zire planned to utilize it together with her experience.<ref name="Beltrik">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Beltrik.2C the Veiled|WANTED: Beltrik, the Veiled]]''</ref><ref name="Reef 3">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Places/The Asteroid Belt#Ghost Fragment: The Reef 3|Ghost Fragment: The Reef 3]]''</ref>

After the battle, the Crows made contact with [[Variks]], a former scribe of [[House Judgment]].<ref name="Beltrik"/> Variks was displeased with Skolas, as he was too vicious and hateful<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Leadership#Pilot Servitor|Pilot Servitor]]''</ref>—it is rumored that it was Skolas who docked Variks' arms<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Variks, The Loyal]]: [[Variks, The Loyal#Vestian Outpost Quotes|Quotes]]''</ref>—and the scribe was willing to side with the Reef to stop him.<ref name="Variks">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/The Queen#Variks.2C The Loyal|Variks, The Loyal]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[The Ruling House]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description, [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/talk-to-petra-5?highlight=Reef+Wars Talk to Petra]''</ref>

During this time some of the Crows went to [[Jupiter]],<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/the-kell-of-kells The Kell of Kells]''</ref> perhaps to investigate the Wolves' origins or to meet with the Nine; in either case the Nine took offense.<ref name="The Queen"/>

With most of his lieutenants dead or captured, Skolas planned an attack on the Awoken fortress of Cybele to change the tide of the war.<ref name="Variks"/> Thanks to Variks' betrayal, however, the Reef knew of this, and so when he arrived all four Armada Paladins were waiting with a large fleet. Defeated in a decisive battle, surrounded on all sides, Skolas was captured and locked away in the [[Prison of Elders]].<ref name="Kaliks">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Kaliks-12|WANTED: Kaliks-12]]''</ref><ref name="Elder Prison"/> Most of the Silent Fang were killed, and the rest captured.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[The Silent Fang]]''</ref>

With most of the Wolf nobility incarcerated in the [[Prison of Elders]],<ref name="Elder Prison"/> Variks declared Mara Sov the new Kell of Wolves and advised other captives to swear their allegiance to her. The first amongst them to do so was [[Saviks]], who became chief of the [[Queenbreakers|Wolf contingent]] of [[Royal Awoken Guard|her guard]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Saviks.2C Queenbreaker|WANTED: Saviks, Queenbreaker]]''</ref> A small few attempted to continue their fight against the Awoken, such as [[Veliniks]], the Ravenous. This would-be Kell rallied a group of Wolves to fight with him, but before he could strike he was captured by [[Corsair]] [[Petra Venj]], who fought during the Hildian Campaign.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen Hunted#WANTED: Veliniks.2C the Ravenous|WANTED: Veliniks, the Ravenous]]''</ref>

Tracking Veliniks to Earth, inside a valley, Petra ordered an airstrike that resulted in [[Guardian]] casualties; this led to increased tensions between the Reef and the City, and Petra was demoted and sent away from the Reef, to be recalled years later during the Wolf rebellion.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/The Queen#Petra Venj.2C Queen.27s Wrath|Petra Venj, Queen's Wrath]]''</ref>

Sometime after the Wars' end, Queen Mara gifted an imprisoned Skolas to the Nine to commemorate their victory against the Fallen and as a "prisoner" exchange,<ref name="The Queen">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/The Queen#Ghost Fragment: The Queen|Ghost Fragment: The Queen]]''</ref> but in the act of apparent subterfuge, Skolas was freed by one of [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine|their agents]] and given a ship.<ref name="Fate">'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends %26 Mysteries#Mystery: The Fate of Skolas|Mystery: The Fate of Skolas]]''</ref> Declaring himself Kell of Kells, Skolas found renewed purpose and led a new uprising to unite the Fallen and claim the Great Machine.<ref name="Fate"/><ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Enemies/Fallen#Ghost Fragment: Fallen 3|Ghost Fragment: Fallen 3]]''</ref> Saviks and his Fallen heard of Skolas' return, and were the first to rise against the Queen, attempting to assassinate her.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - Item Description: [http://www.ishtar-collective.net/items/wanted-saviks-queenbreaker-3?highlight=Saviks Wanted: Saviks, Queenbreaker]''</ref> Though many so-called of these "Queenbreakers" fell, their [[Queenbreakers' Bow|weapons]] claimed as trophies,<ref>'''Bungie (2014/5/19)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Grimoire]]: [[Grimoire:Inventory/Special Weapons#Queenbreaker.27s Bow|Queenbreaker's Bow]]''</ref> and Saviks sent to the Prison of Elders, he and many other Wolf nobles would escape soon after. In response, the Queen placed bounties on these enemies and called to the [[Guardian]]s of the City to quell the rebellion.

*''[[Destiny]]'' {{Im}}