Emperor Calus’ backstory is explored in a new video from Destiny 2 YouTuber My Name is Byf, as the Leviathan raid left players with many question about who the raid boss really is. Taking lore from the raid and its weapons, Byf’s video explains that Calus was once in charge of the Cabal Empire and that he saw himself as its “father.” Calus even described himself as “the perfect loving god” to his subjects.
To get to his place atop of Empire, Calus used rail guns to take the Cabal leadership out, wresting power from their cold, dead clutches. The rest of the aristocracy (a high class in the Cabal) were made to suffer too, as Calus wanted to humiliate the corrupt in front of the people who they exploited for so long. He even “threw their riches to the crowd,” stripping them of their wealth as well as their dignity.
But Calus and his anti-corruption crusade didn’t last long. After discovering Dominus Ghaul as a talented gladiator, who stood out because of his pale skin, he appointed him as the Primus (commander) of the Red Legion. Emperor Calus’ wanted to unleash Ghaul on his enemies, but Ghaul had other plans. Ghaul worked with the Consul (who had been humiliated and castrated by Calus) to launch a coup that resulted in the Emperor being exiled on the Leviathan. The Leviathan raid is Calus’ attempt at fighting back against the Red Legion and getting revenge.
The story of Ghaul’s rise to power and how Calus was overthrown is fascinating, with Bungie having taken inspiration from the Roman Empire. But some will be disappointed that this isn’t detailed more within the game itself. Destiny 2 ditches Grimoire cards, but fans are still having to put together the pieces from bits of lore from weapons, instead of it being explained within missions.
But some may argue that Bungie is at least sticking to its promise to make Destiny 2 more focused on story. Fans asked for a more coherently written narrative, and that’s what they’ve been given for the most part, even if they have to look a little harder for it.
Destiny 2 is available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and will launch on October 24, 2017 for PC.
Source: My name is Byf - YouTube
