[b]Hey guys, this is just a filler chapter for those who are hungry for more. It's not necessary that you read this, but if you happen to read Chapter 16 (which yes, I am working on) then this will help fill in the gaps for the character, Prelik (pronounced: preh-lik, not pree-lick) between Chapters 5 and 16, but it also tells some of his backstory. Anyways, Guardians, enjoy, and stay tuned for Chapter 16. As per usual, the Chapter Index is [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/128755126/0/0]here[/url] for those who have no idea what is going on. [/b] [u]Character Chronicle: [i]Prelik[/i]:[/u] His name is Prelik. He is a Captain of the House of Ash, and works alongside Baroness Ventryx. Like all other Eliksni, he was born a Dreg, lowly and repulsive. He remembers little about his birth, which was unusual given that he was an Eliksni, belonging to House Rain of all the nobility. Looking down at his arms, he noticed two were docked and that caps were placed over the stumps. He tried to remember how he got them, but his mind grasped at nothing. He raises his head to the sky, seeing a pure white orb hung above him, and his people worked under it, analyzing and prophesying. He was sent to work in the militaristic force of the Eliksni, under a great hierarchy of leaders, Captains, Commanders, and ultimately, the Kell. Though he was only but a Dreg, he was taken seriously, for he was raised strong and merciless. He soon became familiar with the inner workings of a Skiff and the components of a Servitor: a large, sphere that produced Ether, modeled after the Great Machine. Prelik was always a fighter, any Eliksni that knew him could tell you that much. He defended the honor that was passed down from his ancestors, and was worthy of being in Rain. Though it wasn't long before a confident Vandal tried to pick a fight, to show his power. It was during those few moments that the lowly Dreg earned himself a name: Prelik the Wrathful, Prelik the Murderer. He was honored for showing strength against an adversary, but he no longer boasts about that fight, for it brings up the memories of the Whirlwind, and how it utterly destroyed his House, and crippled his people. But remembers the event, he does. No matter how hard he tries, it always haunts him. The day the Darkness and it's minions attacked their noble race, it was a day of malice and sorrow. How vividly he sees it now: the day started off like any other. He rose out of the barracks with his fellow Vandals, as they had just been promoted a mere 3 days prior. He had not yet gone beyond the Ether filled sky of his home planet, but he had traversed its surface well enough. Today was the day he would see the stars, and realize what horrors came from the blackness of space. And so he continued that day, and just when he and the others were getting ready to go hunting, a large boom filled the air, shattering windows, and alarming everyone. The sky soon grew dark, a great shadow passing over the system's sun, engulfing the civilization below. The Vandal watched as great tentacles writhed their way through the territory that House Rain controlled, corrupting and unleashing the horrors of the Darkness. Great bursts of energy were unleashed, consuming all life in its way, and towering monsters born of Shadow and Hate rose from the decay.. The call to arms beckoned all Houses, Ash, Winter, Kings, Wolves, Devils, and many others. They all came to Rain's aid, but it was too late, the losses were too great, and the damage was irreversible. He does not remember the details, only that he witnessed the Great Machine flee amidst chaos, out to the stars. The Eliksni also realized this, and declared their defeat, opting to save their people and follow the Machine. Hundreds of thousands of Ketches rose, their engines erupting with the roar of a thousand Kells. The retreat wasn't enough, and many Eliksni were lost to the Night. Prelik watched his home world below him. He saw the Darkness engulf it, Shadow covering every corner. It had taken everything: his house, his home, and his people. His mind was in turmoil as he looked on helplessly, the screams of the Fallen ringing in his ears. Looking beyond his lost world, he saw the Great Machine, fleeing away from them, away from the system. It was a race against time as the Eliksni tried to catch up to their savior, with the Shadows following them relentlessly. They were near the Machine, when all of a sudden, it disappeared, a flash of light tore through space and time, leaving nothing but empty souls, lost to the impending onslaught. But as the Great Machine left, and as the hope drained from his soul like Ether on a scalding day, the Darkness behind them faded. It seemed as if it was sparing them, or perhaps waiting for them. Chaos broke out, the different Houses and their leaders fighting for dominance and control. The Wars following the Whirlwind decimated the race even further and it soon dawned on everyone that they were no longer noble, that they were no longer Eliksni...they were Fallen. Prelik remembers the days after the Whirlwind. They were filled with pain as he soon found himself as the sole survivor of Rain, the last drop in the inferno. The very last thing he remembers during the Wars, is the fading light of blazing Ketch, falling to a planet below and another picking his near lifeless form up from the debris. If it were not for his respirator feeding Ether into his body, he would have died. But it seemed that Death was far from taking this Vandal. Years passed before the Vandal woke again. He found himself in a medical facility aboard a Ketch, but it was different. It's colors were black with a dull gray, the color of Ash. It wasn't long before he was greeted and taken into the ranks of the old house, and he quickly yet painfully joined them. Honored for being a part of Rain, his Ether ration was doubled. Now a Captain, he was tasked with serving alongside Ventryx, a reckless Baroness who could use an advisor. It was the 19th Earth Century, an innovative and expansive time for the human race. But for the Fallen, it was the time that they would find their Great Machine, in a place known as the Sol System. It had been many years for the Fallen since their Wars during the Whirlwind, and now after searching for so long, they had found it. More time passed, and Centuries later, Humanity had come into contact with the Great Machine. Now accusing these unfamiliar life forms of theft, the Fallen grew angry, but it would not be for many years until they reached the Sol System to take back what was theirs. They had unknowingly given the Darkness which destroyed their civilization the information to destroy another one. Humanity's Collapse was considered a victory for the Fallen, but the Battle for the Great Machine was not yet over. Prelik, with many years under his belt, participated in fighting against the Humans, but once again the Fallen had unknowingly helped their ancestral foe. Now in the years following the Collapse, the fight for Venus was being fought by Winter and Ash, an old dispute that had never been settled rose up again, and War broke out. [i]"Fight me Demon!"[/i] The words he roared in outrage at the Guardian who had outright murdered his comrade walked towards him now. Defending a Dreg, Rorschach they called him, he growled maliciously, ready to end this feeble human's life. But the Light-Wielder had escaped, and his victory was swept out from under him. Soon, he made his way back to Ventryx and her crew. He was tired and angry, but the warmth that came from the embrace of the little Dreg he had saved made him...happy. It had been a long time since he had felt the small bit of pride he felt now, as he stood looked on by his crew. Despite the warmth he had felt, Prelik was still hellbent on killing the Guardian that he had encountered, but his rage was once again reigned in when he was called to the Kell's aid. The Kell, had finally recognized the sheer amount of pain and loss, courage and strength, that was within Prelik's mortal body, and he had wanted him to be on his Guard. The promotion was welcome by Prelik, but it cost some of his stability, as his thirst for violence was not quenched. He was on a Skiff, flying down to Earth, where the Kell's flagship hovered ominously in the sky above dense jungles. Once there, he greeted the Kell, and was put in charge of the main operations on Venus. As the days, which turned into weeks, passed, Prelik longed to be on the front lines of the War. He wished to be fighting beside Ventryx, Rorschach, Greevis and his crew, and he feared their demise would meet them shortly, but they still survived. Now monitoring a console in the throne room, Prelik watched as the numbers of surviving Ash fell lower and lower. They were losing the war on Venus, despite the Ash's renowned strength. He urged the Kell to send reinforcements, but the Kell spoke of the Prime, Sphyxis, which was failing to send new supplies of Ether. Rumors of the Prime's destruction circulated the Flagship, but Prelik would find out for himself if it was true. Suddenly, alarms blared in the ship, an intruder was making their way to the throne room, leaving death in their wake. Prelik turned to his Kell, awaiting an answer. The Kell's growl rumbled low, echoing off the walls, "Go, Prelik, unleash your fury," [b]Anticipating what I'd to come, well then here's chapter 16 [/b] https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/159630999