The Story Behind the House of Wolves: Part 3, The Hunt for Skolas

Submitted this yesterday at a weird time, and it didn't get much traction, so let's try it again. To get things started, for Part 3, I basically interspersed the Grimoire fragments with text of my own, which details what occurs during the story missions you play through in the HoW quest line. All text which is mine is in italics, and I tried to write it in the best way I could that would explain things, while still being concise. Hope you enjoy it!

Link to Part 1, The Reef Wars: http://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/37jyt4/the_story_behind_the_house_of_wolves_part_1_the/

Link to Part 2, Skolas' Rise: http://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/37l64v/the_story_behind_the_house_of_wolves_part_2/

Part 3, The Hunt for Skolas

The Queen, Petra, and Variks need confirmation that it is truly Skolas himself who has been unleashed again. To get this proof, Petra sends you to Venus, with the mission to stop the one who calls himself Skolas from taking over the House of Winter. She mentions that if it is him, he will kill their leaders (besides the Kell, who you already assassinated), and seize control of the house. Petra can see what your ghost sees using Ghost Telemetry, so she remains on the comm with you and provides guidance as you explore Venus. When you get there, you encounter a Fallen Walker from the House of Winter, but the House of Wolves has taken control of it. After taking out the Walker, you continue deeper into Venus.

Petra tells you that all the other Fallen houses hate Skolas, as they think that he betrayed them at the Battle of Twilight Gap. Your Ghost detects traces of a stasis pod, and Petra remarks that Skolas was in one for years, so it might actually be him that you are tracking. Petra then states that it’s odd that the House of Winter isn’t fighting, and that could mean that they already kneel to Skolas. Sure enough, as we come to the Cinders, we see Skolas rallying his troops, and calling himself the Kell of Kells. Variks comes on the comm to translate for us, and Skolas teleports away, leaving us to fight through even more of his troops, both House of Winter and Wolves. Finishing off his rear guard, including two members of the Silent Fang, enables you to breach Winter’s Lair, where Skolas is again waiting. As soon as you appear, he teleports into a Skiff which then breaks orbit, and calls upon a massive force of Wolves who are hiding in the lair. As you eliminate the Fallen, Petra mentions picking up Vex energy all around.

……….

Queen: So it is no lie, it is Skolas?

Petra Venj: Yes, my lady. A Guardian got eyes on him in the Ishtar Sink, I used Ghost telemetry to confirm. Same pelt. Same awful voice. We drove him from Winter’s Lair. How did he—

Queen: And you would have me consider this a success? What of Winter itself? Your report is unclear...

Petra: You are correct, my lady. I would not call our mission a success. Skolas managed to win over—well, a substantial number of Winter soldiers have taken up the Wolf banner. He calls himself Kell of Kells now.

[Silence]

Petra: We found him once, we can do it again. I have a plan in place. As soon as the Guardian returns—

Queen: Then go. Continue the hunt. Petra, you must not fail.

Petra: I will not, my lady.

……….

Petra paces back and forth before the console. At the controls, Variks efficiently moves through a decryption sequence. Four arms interweave as his claws dance across the interface. She shakes her head. His cybernetic arms whine—almost imperceptibly, tiny high pitched noises as the servos manipulate the limbs.

Petra: Well?

Variks: No sign of Skolas, but the Silent Fang. He has unleashed the Fang. They hunt the Devils. On Earth.

Petra: The Fang on Earth. Devils. And Kings? Nice work, Variks.

Variks: Pleasure is all mine.

……….

The Silent Fang are a group of assassins associated with Skolas, and he has unleashed them on Earth in an attempt to seize control of the Fallen House of Devils. He plans to use them to kill the House of Devils commanders. When you get to Earth, the House of Wolves are known to be gathering at the wall, but they are thought to have not yet breached into the Cosmodrome. As soon as you get into the wall, and take out a small group of Devils, you come to several Stealth Wolves, who are now attempting to push through the wall. After killing the Vandals, you come to a bridge, where several Wolves, including a Captain, are meeting with two Vandals from the House of Kings. You eliminate them and move on, but the interior of the wall is littered with mines and traps. Petra questions Variks as to why the Devils have laid so many traps, and he says that they can tell as well as the Awoken that Skolas wants to take over their house. However, due to the fact that a number of Wolves have already gotten past the traps, and that some of them were meeting with members of the House of Kings, I believe the Kings are purposely leading the Wolves into the Cosmodrome, in the hopes of possibly allowing the Devils and Wolves to confront each other, thus weakening both houses.

Petra goes on to say that she believes the Silent Fang helped Skolas escape, but wonders how they got him past the Nine. She is unaware, at this point, that the Nine themselves released him. As you reach the outside of the wall, you encounter a large force of Silent Fang troops gathering there. You proceed to decimate the entire expeditionary force, including a commander. This effectively ends Skolas’ plans to take out the leadership of the House of Devils, as he has lost a number of his Silent Fang, and no longer has the element of surprise on his side. Petra tells you that now that he has failed to capture the Devils, he will probably turn his attention to the House of Kings. The House of Kings is a mysterious, rarely seen House, though they have a presence in Old Russia. Whoever their Kell is is unknown, but they seem to control the House of Devils through a series of back channels, almost like a puppet master pulling on strings. They are extremely dangerous, and very clever. Skolas sends one of his Barons, Yavek, (a minor lieutenant of Skolas' during the Reef Wars who evaded capture after the Cybele Uprising, and, after Skolas returned to the House of Wolves, was named a Baron to reward his loyalty) to Earth to be his negotiator with the Houses of Kings and Devils.

……….

Queen: Ha! I had not thought it would be so easy, my brother. The Silent Fang brought low.

Uldren: I do not see why this is funny. This Guardian may have dealt with them on Earth, but my Crows say we still have much to fear. More of the Fang survive, nearly every one of them made it out alive.

Queen: I find no humor in any of this, brother.

The Queen rises and descends to the bottom of the stair, turning in place to take in the chamber.

Queen: So empty, now. No Wolves to sit at my feet. My guards—

[Silence]

Queen: Talk to Petra. Set more bounties, hunt down any of the Fang your Crows can track. They may have escaped the Prison of Elders, but they will not escape my Wrath.

……….

Prince Uldren: Look at it from the House of Kings' perspective. Their power is matched only by their cleverness. They rule the Devils from the shadows and came too close to toppling the City not once, but twice. We don't know much about them, but we know this: the Kings want the Traveler.

So why would they give it all up just because some out-system Wolf runs in calling himself Kell of Kells?

The answer is: they wouldn't.

Petra Venj: But what if Skolas could somehow prove to them that he's the prophesied leader? Some artifact, or trick?

Yasmin Eld: Perhaps a new power, even.

Prince Uldren: No. Short of the Traveler itself calling Skolas by name, the Kings would not just roll over for anyone, no matter what. They're too ambitious.

Petra Venj: You sound like you admire them.

Prince Uldren: Power cleverly deployed is always worth admiring.

Yasmin Eld: So why send the King Barons?

……….

Petra tells you that the House of Kings is secretive and dangerous, and that they hide in the shadows and plot. She insists that Skolas cannot be allowed to take them. When you first get to Earth, Petra realizes that Skolas is attempting to block all comms, and she will not be able to talk to you. Variks on the other hand, is not fooled by Skolas tricks, and volunteers to keep you company over the channels. He tells you to eliminate a pair of High Servitors that Skolas is using the halt communications, and you find his troops already engaged in skirmishes with the Hive. Variks talks about being the House Judgment scribe to the Wolves, and he says that Skolas was vicious, even for a Kell. He couldn’t stomach his hatred, so he betrayed him. It now becomes apparent that, while the Kings were planning to kill Skolas should he show up to the Cosmodrome, Skolas was also planning on killing whichever leaders were sent to meet him, hence the large number of his forces moving towards the King’s lair.

After killing both High Servitors, comms are restored, and it enables to House of Kings to see the fact that Skolas’ forces are approaching as well. Petra tells you that the Devils, Kings, and Winter all attacked at Twilight Gap, and the Wolves would have turned the tide of battle in favor of the Fallen, but the Queen interfered. The other houses see choosing to engage the Queen’s forces, as opposed to coming to assist them in their own battle, as a tremendous betrayal, and they despise the House of Wolves for it. Variks reminds you that although you and the House of Kings have a common enemy in Skolas, they will not care, and they will not hesitate to kill you. You push forward into the King’s lair, finding small concentrations of Wolves troops already inside. When you make it to the command center, you see Yavek, Baron of Wolves, meeting with two King Barons Veksis, and Paskin. You eliminate them all, killing Skolas entire envoy to the Kings, as well as both King Barons. With this mission down, you have greatly weakened all three of Skolas’ attempts to seize the other house, outright preventing the Devils and Kings from falling, and grievously wounding the forces he got from the House of Winter on Venus.

……….

Petra: So— any other Fallen houses hiding he'll try to convert?

Variks: He may seek to gather the Exiles, but they will not follow. They follow none, no Kell, no Archon.

Petra: What about this House of Rain, the Prophecy you keep quoting?

Variks: House Rain lost in Whirlwind. No survivors, but I keep their prophecies. You think many claim to be Kell of Kells, but none have. House Judgment closest thing to peace the Fallen ever know.

Petra: Heh. Maybe you are the Kell of Kells.

Variks (distracted by screen): Looks like Skolas returns to Venus.

Petra: I'll find the Guardian.

………

Variks stares up through the shielding surrounding the Vestian Outpost. The thin filament of energy almost imperceptible, keeping in the heat and atmosphere within the confines of the hollowed out ketch hull. His mandibles idly opened and closed as he contemplated the view.

Variks (to himself): Goes after Winter. Devils, Kings. Seeks power. Kings deny him. Kell of Kings hides well. Perhaps he will take back the Great Machine. Perhaps I chose the wrong side. It is not too late—

Petra (over comm): Variks, Crows are reporting Skolas is back in the Ishtar Sink. They're all over the Vex networks.

Variks: Yes. Right away.

……….

In this mission, you must return to Venus, only to find that the Wolves have broken into the Vault of Glass in an attempt to steal the Vex technology contained within. You descend into the Vault, to the Templar’s well, where Skolas has figured out how to control the Oracles. You destroy the Oracles and the Wolves Captains who are guarding them, and return to Petra. She mentions that this isn’t just a hunt anymore, as a Fallen house with Vex technology could be a real threat to the whole system.

……….

Uldren: Nearly the whole fleet, your Grace. Back in the Ishtar Sink.

Queen: He fails at his little prophecy, so he'll look to rule from Simiks-fel, now that Draksis is gone—

Uldren: I thought the same thing, but my Crows say he's not there. We've found more of his Guard leading parties into the Vault of Glass.

Queen: Interesting.

[Silence]

Queen: Tell Petra I have changed my mind. Skolas is to be brought in alive.

……….

Petra starts this mission by telling you that Skolas is now to be taken alive, so all we have to do is pin him down, and Prince Uldren and the Crows, with Petra in tow, can capture him. Petra tells you that Skolas failed to conquer the other houses, so now he seeks advanced weapons from the Vex. You have to make your way into the Terminus, at the top of the Citadel on Venus. You clear out a small group of Fallen guarding the base of the lift, and climb over a massive pile of vex wreckage to ascend. At the top, in Terminus, you have to jump from platform to platform, while they fade in and out of our timelines, much like those in the Vault of Glass.

When you get to the other side, Skolas begins attempting to pull all of the House of Wolves through time, using the Vex technology. Given enough time, he will be able to assemble a massive army of Past, Future, and Present Wolves, so it is crucial that he be captured as quickly as possible when he appears. When we weaken him enough, Petra and Prince Uldren come in to recapture him, and the Queen offers you her thanks. Petra states that she feels almost bad for Skolas, as interrogations with the Queen can be, as she puts it, unpleasant.

……….

A bellow erupts from the barred grate at her feet. Bony fingers claw at the bars, their sharp points just inches from her toes.

Prince Uldren chuckles. At the edge of the room the Techeuns circle, their implants glowing faintly blue in the shadows.

"He's been... amusing... since Petra bring him," Variks injects, practically purring with glee. "He say 'Kell of Kells,' over and over. And other such nonsense."

Skolas bellows again. Variks strikes Skolas' grasping fingers with his staff.

The Queen's expression remains mild. She looks down her nose at the glowing eyes burning in the shadows beneath the grate.

Skolas falls abruptly silent. Then a low, soft growl—almost like a whine—echoes from the cell below. Variks' mechanical hands click as he snaps them together in surprise.

"What's he—" begins Uldren.

Variks interrupts with a burst of guttural clicks directed at the grate.

The Queen does not react. "What did he say?"

"He says..." Variks hisses under his breath. "He makes no sense, my Queen. He speaks of...Light-Snuffer. Dark-binder."

The Queen aims her eyes at Skolas, her expression unchanged. "I see."

"He will not say more—"

"He does not need to." She turns toward the door.

"My Queen—what of this one?" says Uldren. "He awaits your sentence."

"You would not sentence a rabid dog, or a Hive Thrall, or a bomb. The Queen's justice is wasted on one such as it." She paused. "Variks."

"Yes, Your Grace..."

"Skolas is yours. Let the children of Light have their play with him."

"Ahhh...you are might and justice, my Queen, my Kell."

The Techeuns gather at the door as the Queen approaches it. Prince Uldren holds it open with a small bow, and the Queen touches his shoulder as she passes. "Send a Crow to Mercury. And another to our new friend in the Tower."

……….

Variks keeps a ragged piece of armor in his pod. It's human tech, Golden Age. Shattered in some ancient battle, pre-Collapse, and left to drift. He found it and he brought it to his quarters so he could sit on it. It's nothing like a throne. Variks doesn't want a throne.

He sits on his ancient shrapnel, unmasked, and whittles at an amethyst with the dead edge of a shock dagger. Music plays (something ancient, pre-Whirlwind, beautiful). The ether in the air is rich and it fills him up with strength. Skolas has been captured, mad Skolas who would have ruined everything. Variks should be happy. He's not. With his little knife and his two arms and his stolen shining thing he feels like a Dreg. He feels ashamed.

He betrayed Skolas twice. At Cybele, and again, now. He will betray Skolas' dream ten times more. Variks will never be strong like Skolas, big like Skolas, a leader like Skolas. Variks will work for the Queen, oversee the Prisons, watch his fellow Fallen (they are Fallen, it's a good name now) fight and die as gladiators who want nothing except a chance to hurt Guardians. Even Skolas.

He tried to use the Vex, word has it. He tried to use their machines. Has that ever worked for anyone? Maybe one. Maybe a few: the Osiris cultists are Variks' favorite people. Maybe that's how you survive this alien star where dead gods slumber and dead heroes walk. You cozy up to powers you barely understand and make yourself useful, or at least inoffensive. You become a parasite, a scavenger, a servant.

That's dreg strength. That's the strength that keeps Variks alive. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

……….

Skolas is dead.

Variks sits carving at his piece of amethyst. His undocked arms are weaker, less precise, but it is a comfort to feel the crystal press hard into his palm. The knife slips. He cuts himself. "Ai," he says, and of course right then the door opens, Variks has no privacy, Variks wants no privacy, Variks lives to serve the Queen.

It's Petra Venj. She's masked against the ether air. "The Prince wants to speak," she says, and then, seeing him unmasked and bleeding, she chuckles. Petra depends on Variks for intelligence and Variks, frustrated with her insane risk-taking and bravado, sometimes gives her tips meant to get her killed. Petra has figured this out. Petra and Variks know each other's agendas and each other's strengths and to Variks that's as close as any two people can get. Petra is smart: she sends Guardians now, people who can die as much as they like.

"You slipped," she says.

Variks holds up the amethyst in his bleeding hand. It's a Reef gem. "I wound myself," he says, "to make this more beautiful."

She stares into the gem with a distant Awoken eye. What does she see? Variks knows she has visions and he knows those visions haunt her, drive her. The Awoken are twinned to powers that terrify Variks. He'd dock himself again before he'd let the Queen's witches near him, the witches who raised Petra.

The unfairness of it makes him want to roar. Why does everyone else have this patronage? Why do the Hive have gods and the Vex have sprawling time-bent minds and the Cabal have reinforcements? Why do the Awoken whisper to the stars and listen for the whisper back, the voices from the Jovians, the song in the dark? Why do the Guardians get the Great Machine's blessing, was it like that before the Whirlwind, were there Fallen heroes crowned in Ghosts who strode the battlefield fearless and full of Light? Why do they tell stories about reclaiming the lost glory of humanity, and no stories about the lost glory of Variks' people, the House of Judgment that once kept codes of dignity and law?

Why can't the Fallen have that strength? But no, that strength is not for them, not for Variks. Just this bleeding, sad pragmatism. Just dreg strength. Hanging on.

The alternative is Skolas' strength, fighting together, raging against extinction. Look where that's gotten the species. The House of Devils' Prime is dead. The House of Winter's leadership devastated. The poor Exiles trying to claw out some security against the Hive. In the last few years the Fallen have lost so much—and everything is escalating around them. There are gods and powers converging on this system, old machines waking up, old bones whispering flatteries. They need a new way.

"Put your mask on," Petra says. "The Prince gets sullen if he's kept waiting."

"Not like us," Variks says, oh so mild. The wound on his hand will heal. His work in the Prison of Elders, setting up trial by combat, building an audience and a relationship with the Reef's scavengers and armories, will bring him a little closer towards rebuilding the House of Judgment. Skolas' fury has guttered out. The Fallen may yet accept peaceful, lawful rule. They may yet survive. They'll hang on. "We're very patient, yes?"

Petra looks down on him with pity and contempt and a strange fondness.

He puts on his mask.

End Part 3