Red Legion

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Red Legion
RedLegionSymbolBanner.png
Overview

Objectives:

Elite Special Forces
World Destroyers

Deployed:

European Dead Zone, Earth
Arcadian Valley, Nessus
Echo Mesa, Io
Fields of Glass, Mercury
Hellas Basin, Mars

 

"Rumors mostly. They’re elite. Ruthless. And rumor is, they've never known defeat."
— Ikora Rey

The Red Legion is an elite Cabal Legion once led by the Cabal Emperor, Dominus Ghaul. They are the main antagonist for Destiny 2, who invade Earth seeking to claim the Traveler as their own.

In the aftermath of the Red War, the Legion would fracture into various leaderships such as Val Ca'uor, Valus Thuun, The Psion Flayer Sisters and also see the return of Emperor Calus, their former emperor who aims to recruit them into his Loyalist regime.

History

The Ghost Primus

The Ghost Primus, Dominus Ghaul

"The Ghost Primus was strong because of his disfigurement, not in spite of it. He alone had the vision to share my dream of a new, perfect world. Ghaul was a creature of singular beauty, and I loved him."
— Emperor Calus [1]

Emperor Calus impressed by a young gladiator Ghaul, would appoint him to Primus of the Red Legion to better use his talents. Due to his albinism, Ghaul quickly became known as the Ghost Primus.[1] Ghaul quickly became indispensable to the Emperor not only for his skill in battle but also his wisdom. Ghaul soon found himself as the right hand of Calus, who would often discuss his plans and ideas with Ghaul to refine them and temper the Emperor's passion with discipline.[2]

As his command over the Red Legion grew, the Legion became more loyal to Ghaul over their emperor. This growing support enabled Ghaul to launch a successful coup against Emperor Calus, with the Red Legion accompanying him to arrest Calus and sending him and his supporters into exile inside The Leviathan.[3]

With the a fall of Calus, the Red Legion conquered hundreds of worlds at Ghaul's orders, deploying The Almighty against those who refused to surrender. They were said to have never once failed.[4]

The Red War

Red Legion attacks the Last City

"I command Legions. Conquered worlds. Waged war across the galaxy to prove my worth. I alone am worthy of the Traveler's Light."
— Dominus Ghaul.[5]

Upon receiving a distress call from the Skyburners, the Legion prepared an attack against the Last City on Earth. Psion Operatives managed to compromise the cities outer sensors, defenses, and outposts to conceal their presence.[6] Using this to their advantage, they launched a successful invasion on the Last City while attacking other places like the Reef.[7] The Legion would cripple the Last City and devastate the Guardians by using the Traveler Cage to suppress the Traveler's light. In attacking the City, Ghaul sought to show the Traveler the error of its ways in choosing humanity over the Cabal and establish a new order of Cabal Guardians from within the ranks of his own species.[8][9][10]

Following the attack, the Red Legion began to quickly spread everywhere in the Solar System.[11] On Nessus the legion attempt to excavate ancient Vex ruins and unearth the ancient Vex Mind Protheon, Modular Mind to capture. On Io, they attempted to drain Io of its abnormal Light which accidentally summoned the Taken, forcing them to leave their many dig sites. On Mars the remaining Legions gathered at Meridian Bay for one final assault and the Red Legion led the charge. The stalemate was broken, the Vex Virgo Prohibition was destroyed, Bastion retaken, and the Gate to the Black Garden was disabled, even on Venus. On Mercury the now-Lightless Titan Sunbreakers were destroyed.[12]

At some point, the former Emperor Calus has received news of Ghaul’s forces in the Sol System, believing it was the right time, he sent his Shadows to eliminate the Dominus once and for all, however, despite their best efforts, all of them have died horribly.[13][14][15][16]

With their security being lax, and Ghaul being preoccupied by wanting to understand the Traveler, their greatest weapon, The Almighty, was disabled by a Guardian. This led to a full on attack on the Red Legion-occupied City by more Guardians, spearheaded by the Vanguard. With pressure mounting and his temper boiling over, Ghaul murdered the Consul, who criticized his obsession, and went to take the Light to become a Lightbearer himself. For a short while he fought the Guardian, Ghaul ascended into a massive figure of pure Light just as the Traveler would awaken, who smited the Dominus once and for all. Even in it’s aftermath, Red Legion weapons are used in Shaxx’s Crucible to help train new Guardians.

Ghaul's death and the Legion's defeat at the City did not substantially hinder their war machine.

War's End

Val Ca’uor invades the Leviathan.

"The Dominus was a strong leader, but the Red Legion had more to offer than simply overwhelming force... They think us weak and insipid. I will show them the might of the Red Legion, and they shall not forget."
— Val Ca'uor[17]

Following the events of the Red War, leadership began to fracture with the death of Ghaul and a number of senior Primus and Valus personnal having been hunted and killed by Guardians in the ensuing aftermath. The line of succession eventually fell to Val Ca'uor, who quickly established himself as the new leader of the Red Legion. Rather than return to Torobatl in disgrace, the newly appointed leader arranged to have the Legion's arsenal restocked and their strength rebuilt. To capitalize on the limited Guardian presence at the time, Ca'uor deployed Red Legion forces to Mercury to harness Vex technology and Mars to siphon ample energy.[18]

In hopes to find a reality where they won the Red War, Valus Thuun lead an invasion of survivors from the Almighty into the vast alternate realities of the Infinite Forest on Mercury. Coming close to the map of the Forest, Thuun and his forces would become trapped in an endless combat loop by the Vex and killed by Guardians on repeat. [19]

On Nessus, Red Legion forces lead by Kargen, the Technocrat launched an incursion into the Insight Terminus, a Vex installation of great interest to the Psion Flayer. Kargen's attempt to steal Vex data with an OXA Machine prototype would only be thwarted by a Guardian fireteam that killed the Psion in cold blood.[20]

At the Hellas Basin on Mars, the Red Legion under Val Palusk instigated a raid on BrayTech Futurescape to steal power from the facility. Their efforts would only incure the Guardians to strike back with an ambush to kill Palusk and disrupt their supply chain. [21] Meanwhile, a group of Psions would make a failed attempt to evolve into Flayers by stealing power from Rasputin's nodes, to which their efforts were thwarted by Guardians as well. [22]

Faced with countless setbacks by the Guardians, Ca'uor would lead the Red Legion in a final push aimed to commandeer The Leviathan from Calus, to whom he loathed for being envious of Ghaul.[23] Ca'uor launched a massive Red Legion fleet against the Emperor and his Loyalists, where his forces pushed into the Spire of Stars at the top of the Leviathan itself.

Following Val Ca'uor's invasion, Emperor Calus ordered an unsanctioned Guardian Raid team to repel the Red Legion, offering further riches and rewards upon their success. The Guardians heeded the exiled emperor's call and ascended the Leviathan's spire, just as the acting commander destroyed one of Calus's robotic proxies. Upon confronting Ca'uor, the Guardians engaged the Red Legion's elite forces to prevent them from taking control of the Leviathan. Using the Leviathan's own formidable weapons, the Guardians managed to decimate the Red Legion fleet blockading the Spire and killed the Val in a climatic battle. In the wake of losing the majority of their fleet, their ground forces and leader, the Red Legion was forced to withdrawal in disgrace. Ca'uor's death would officially mark the effective end of the Red War.[24]

A Scattered Legion

Ghalak the Forge Warden battling the Guardians

However, this was not the end of the Red Legion, the Guardians started attacking the Legion more and more aggressively, instigating a skirmish with the House of Dusk Fallen, shutting down their anti-air defenses at Firebase Hades, allowing air bombing runs and raids to take place on the facility, directing the Taken assault on the EDZ toward the Legion, taking their fuel and supplies, and with the discovery of lost sectors, their leaders to came out of hiding, allowing multiple assassinations to take place. On Nessus, their commander in The Conflux, Primus Cal'aug, was killed by The Young Wolf, stopping the Legion from undergoing any further operations on Nessus. On top of that, Firebase Hades was disabled, most of their supplies were stolen and they had to deal with heavy losses due to failed offensives against the City and The Fallen.

Meanwhile on Mars, things were supposedly going well for the Legion and was a sign the Legion was still a major force with it being the only place the Legion still had power over. With the Ice melting after impacts from the surface, a new threat emerged, The Grasp Of Nokris and with that they were now seeing there progress on Mars quickly being undone in Hellas Basin they now fought a war with an enemy that they didn't understand, it is unknown if they were fighting the Grasp of Nokris all over Mars or it was isolated to Hellas Basin.

In addition to their disheveled state, the Red Legion began suffering from multiple desertions such as those following Garut Gra'am who rooted themselves in Trappers Cave. The most prominent of these groups, the Unbowed Legion, made their debut in the EAZ during the Solstice of Heroes event in an attempt to take over the EAZ as a base of operations. Despite the group being led by three large Cabal commanders similar to Ghalak the Colossus, Forge Warden, they were quickly put to an end by the Guardians partaking in the event.

Against the deprivation the legion currently faces they have been seen to continue some operations such as an attempt to take over the EAZ lead by two Bond Sisters.

At some point during Forsaken, Red Legion could be found in the Tangled Shore as well as a group of Cabal have found their way into the Cathedral of Scars in the Dreaming City during Gambit matches.

Later during Shadowkeep, there is a small contingent force in the depths of the Moon that work for the Nightmare of Dominus Ghaul as well as some Nightmare Cabal created by the Pyramid there..[25]

Meddling with Time

Ozletc battling the Guardians

"The past and future are at our fingertips, sisters. Let us see what prospects they hold."
— Ozletc, the Sky Piercer

More recently a family group of Psion Flayers, having commandeered Osiris' time-traveling Sundial, split Mercury into three alternate timelines that threaten to span beyond the planet and into the system. It is their intention to undo Ghaul's defeat, or, failing that, gather enough Light from the future to buy their way back into Calus' favor. Though the Psion Flayer sisters, Niruul, the Hollow Voice, Ozletc, the Sky Piercer and Tazaroc, the Sun Eater, managed to create a border realm for themselves, the Guardians would ruin their plans. One by one, the Psion sisters would face the Guardians and be defeated. After weeks of their forces being eliminated, the three sisters, driven to desperation, used their vast psionic powers to merge into a single being, Inotam, Oblivion's Triune. Despite Inotam's vast powers, the Guardians would nonetheless prevail against her, thwarting the sisters efforts to subvert time. However, one sister remains, Amtec, who was informed by her sisters of their possible demise and now schemes to avenge them.

Almighty Collision

The Almighty crashing into the Last City

"The Red Legion has one last play. They've boarded their superweapon the Almighty. And it's on the move."
— Commander Zavala

After their crippling defeat at the Sundial, the Red Legion, headed by the escaped Psion Flayer, Amtec, decide to use the Almighty to crash into the Last City itself. With little to no choice, the Vanguard decide to cooperate with the Warmind Rasputin, with Guardians arming his arsenal, in order to save their home from destruction[26].

Despite Amtec's efforts, however, the Almighty was destroyed by Rasputin, with the help of the Guardians, before it could collide with Earth, resulting in Amtec's plot ending in a total failure for the Red Legion. Amtec's final fate is unknown, but she was possibly onboard when the Almighty was annihilated and perished in the explosion.

With the Almighty's crash site no longer in flame and its debris no longer falling from the sky, the Red Legion were reduced to a barren few after countless losses. Despite this, the Legion still operates. Several groups of Cabal interfere with the Contact public event in hopes of harnessing the phantasmal energy seen utilised in many Champions brought to the forefront. It is unknown if the Red Legion in their desperation have managed to use the energy to create Champions, or if the champions are derived from another way. It is also unknown whether or not Amtec still leads the remains of the Legion due to her possible death on the Almighty unconfirmed.

Heir Apparent

"The Red Legion will march again."
— Caiatl

Despite the huge loss surmounted over the years, including losing the Almighty, remains of the Legion still operate. Several groups of Cabal are seen interfering with the Guardians Contact events of Io to secure motes and blooms with Champions seen securing blooms for extraction. As for their current fate, the remaining Cabal in the system will either turn to Calus’ Loyalists or to Caiatl, the Princess-Imperial’s regime, with the latter seeking to raise the Legion once more.[27][28]

Structure

Red Legion troops can be primarily identified by their signature gunmetal and red color scheme, with some troops having gold, silver, or orange highlights depending upon their rank. They are also more heavily armored than other Cabal Legions, wearing metal plates over a bodysuit of War Beast scales. [29] The command structure and tactics of the Red Legion are more aggressive and agile than any Cabal Legion observed before, with deadlier weapons, advanced technology, and battle techniques. The Red Legion also has a handful of new units that operate in the field. Majors will typically wear silver armor, whereas Ultras wear gold armor.

Members

Leadership

Major Figures

Primus

Valus

Val

Bracus

Psion Flayers

Minor Named Leaders and Bosses

Command Structure

Trivia

  • The Red Legion is the first Cabal force to travel to Earth and succeed in attacking the Last City. They use more advanced technology in stark contrast to the Cabal scouts who were originally deployed to the Solar System in Destiny, evidence of the Cabal Empire's advancements after the original scouting party had been deployed.
  • The Red Legion have been known to deploy via drop pods launched from their carriers, rather than mainly using the Harvester drop ship like their predecessors.
  • The Red Legion is by far the biggest Cabal force the Guardians have ever faced.
  • The Red Legion is the first Cabal force to use Threshers, War Beasts, Incendiors, and Gladiators.
  • Upon closer inspection of Red Legion Cadavers it can be seen that soldiers belonging to the Red Legion seem to undergo cybernetic augmentation, with the fingers of Phalanxes being replaced with metal claws and Psion's having their helmets literally fused to their skull.
  • The Red Legion return in Season of Dawn and in Season of the Worthy as the main enemy Faction against the Guardians.
  • The design and artstyle of Red Legion has striking similarities to the design and artstyle of Banished from Halo universe.[30]

Gallery

  • A reference sheet for a Red Legion Legionnaire, Centurion, and a new Cabal enemy that would later become a Gladiator.

    A reference sheet for a Red Legion Legionnaire, Centurion, and a new Cabal enemy that would later become a Gladiator.

  • Concept art of a Red Legion Legionnaire.

    Concept art of a Red Legion Legionnaire.

  • A Red Legion Phalanx.

    A Red Legion Phalanx.

  • Concept art of a Red Legion Centurion.

    Concept art of a Red Legion Centurion.

  • A Red Legion Colossus patrolling in the wake of the destroyed city.

    A Red Legion Colossus patrolling in the wake of the destroyed city.

  • Red Legion troops battle the Vanguard.

    Red Legion troops battle the Vanguard.

  • Red Legion soldiers on the battlefield.

    Red Legion soldiers on the battlefield.

  • Red Legion soldiers under the command of Bracus Zahn.

    Red Legion soldiers under the command of Bracus Zahn.

  • Ghaul's Red Legion warship along with smaller Red Legion Threshers looming over the Last City.

    Ghaul's Red Legion warship along with smaller Red Legion Threshers looming over the Last City.

  • Red Legion carrier ships.

    Red Legion carrier ships.

  • The symbol of the Red Legion.

    The symbol of the Red Legion.

  • A Red Legion Legionnaire.

    A Red Legion Legionnaire.

  • A Red Legion Phalanx.

    A Red Legion Phalanx.

  • A Red Legion Centurion.

    A Red Legion Centurion.

  • A Red Legion Colossus.

    A Red Legion Colossus.

  • A Red Legion Psion.

    A Red Legion Psion.

List of appearances

References

  1. ^ a b Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Ghost Primus
  2. ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard, Bond of the Emperor's Minister
  3. ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Midnight Coup
  4. ^ Bungie (2017/8/9), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard
  5. ^ YouTube - Destiny 2 – Official “Our Darkest Hour” E3 Trailer
  6. ^ Ringer & The Stacks Lore Info
  7. ^ Ringer
  8. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Destiny 2 Gameplay Premiere Livestream (US)
  9. ^ engadget - ‘Destiny 2’ tackles the original’s biggest problem: storytelling
  10. ^ a b YouTube - Destiny 2 – “Rally the Troops” Worldwide Reveal Trailer
  11. ^ Ghost Scan: The Gulch, European Dead Zone #3
  12. ^ Hallowfire Heart
  13. ^ [[Armor_of_Nohr#Plate_of_Nohr|Plate of Nohr]
  14. ^ Bungie (2017/9/8), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Shadow's Cloak
  15. ^ Bungie (2017/9/8), Destiny 2: Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Robes of the Fulminator
  16. ^ Bungie (2017/12/5), Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Grips of Feltroc
  17. ^ Bungie (2018/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Last of the Legion
  18. ^ Bungie (2018/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Playstation 4, Activision Blizzard, Last of the Legion
  19. ^ Bungie (2018/12/5), Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris, Activision Blizzard, Transcript: Tree of Probabilities
  20. ^ Bungie (2017/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Activision Blizzard, Playstation 4, The Insight Terminus
  21. ^ Bungie (2017/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Activision Blizzard, Transcript: Incursion
  22. ^ Bungie (2017/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Activision Blizzard, Transcript: Psionic Potential
  23. ^ Bungie (2017/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Activision Blizzard, Item Description: The Emperor's Envy
  24. ^ Bungie (2017/5/8), Destiny 2: Warmind, Activision Blizzard, Spire of Stars
  25. ^ Nightmare Hunt: Rage
  26. ^ Bungie.net Season Of The Worthy Announcement Trailer
  27. ^ CONTACT
  28. ^ [1]
  29. ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/73up53/til_the_red_legion_burns_their_insignia_into_the/dntnlgc/
  30. ^ https://www.gamerant.com/halo-infinite-vs-destiny-2/amp/

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