Escharum: Difference between revisions

Around [[2558#April|April 2558]], [[Atriox]] and [[Decimus]] departed for the [[Installation 00|Ark]] aboard the ''[[Enduring Conviction]]'', leaving Escharum in charge of all the Banished forces that remained in the [[Milky Way|galaxy]]. Shortly after Atriox left, Escharum assigned [[Blademaster]] [[Inslaan 'Gadogai]] to [[Castor]] as an advisor so that the [[dokab]] could thrive amongst the other [[Chieftain]]s; Castor's faction, the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]], had joined the Banished just before the [[warmaster]] left for his [[Attack on Installation 00|mission]] to the Ark. The [[Sangheili]] consultant would also serve two other purposes: to act as a representative for Escharum and to punish Castor if he ever attempted to betray him.{{Ref/Reuse|SOR3}}

In the summer of [[2559]], Escharum received a transmission from Atriox informing the War Chief of his [[Raid on Anodyne Spirit|posession]] of [[Menachite Forerunner crystal|a]] [[Forerunner]] [[slipspace]] [[slipspace flake|flake]] and his intention of using it to return to the galaxy via a [[slipspace portal]] [[Menachite portal complex|facility]] hidden on [[Reach]]. He instructed Escharum to find and activate this portal as soon as possible. Escharum sent the Keepers to Reach, along with the [[Legion of the Corpse-Moon]] and the [[Ravaged Tusks]]—two Jiralhanae [[clan]]s that had been absorbed into the Banished and reorganized into [[legion#Banished|legion]]s under the direction of [[Legionmaster]]s [[Deukalion]] and [[Ballas]], respectively. Their mission was locate the portal facility and report its location back to Escharum before activating it so that they all might be there together to witness the return of Atriox.{{Ref/Reuse|SOR3}}

On [[2559#October|October 12, 2559]], Escharum arrived at Reach aboard his personal [[intrusion corvette]] to visit Castor and scold him in person for his inability to locate the portal. It had been roughly three months since the Keepers and the other legions had been assigned to the task, and none of them had anything to show for it other than some [[human]] towns and hardware that they had managed to capture. While Escharum approved of the dokab's plan to follow the recently-arrived [[Blue Team|team]] of [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartans]] to the hidden portal, he was dissatisfied with the lack of results. Landing at [[Figyelő Point]], he confronted Castor and 'Gadogai, expressing his frustrations about both the still-missing portal and the fact that the UNSC was starting to gain a hold on Reach once again, putting pressure on their mission. However, the blademaster presented a plan—acting as if it had been the dokab's all along—that would buy them more time. If the Spartans did not lead them to the portal soon, they would use the human prisoners they had captured from the [[Viery Militia]] as hostages and force the rest off-world. This plan satiated the war chief's concerns until they were no longer relevant just moments later. The Keepers had detected a squadron of UNSC [[F-41 Broadsword|craft]]  

escorting a [[Pelican|dropship]] into the [[Highland Mountains]]. Inspecting their path, Castor deduced that their destination was the [[Menachite Mountain|"Missing Mountain"]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=SOR17|HSoR|Chapter=17}}

Aboard his corvette, Escharum accompanied the Keepers as they converged on the basin that was once the mountain that sat atop [[CASTLE Base]] before it forcibly removed by the [[Covenant]] during their [[Fall of Reach|invasion]] of the planet.{{Ref/Novel|Id=SOR19|HSoR|Chapter=19}} This base was the Spartan team's actual destination. Ironically, CASTLE Base was built on top of the Forerunner portal facility that the Banished sought. After excavating the entrance to the facility, Escharum gathered there with 'Gadogai, Castor, the Keepers, and other Banished forces to witness Atriox's return. The dokab had [[Ferret|one]] of his human followers activate the portal and soon a [[Banished Lich|Lich]] descended out of the stormy sky. Atriox and some of his most loyal warriors disembarked the vessel and greeted Escharum. As they prepared to be evacuated by the war chief's corvette before one of the [[Cortana|Apparition]]'s [[Guardian Custode|Guardians]] noticed the portal and arrived to investigate, Castor made his move. He had his men board the Lich while he announced to Atriox and Escharum his plan to travel to the Ark and begin the [[Covenant religion|Great Journey]]. Realizing that they couldn't waste time and lives in a firefight, Atriox had Escharum direct his soldiers out of the facility instead of having them deal with the betrayers. Atriox did, however, order 'Gadogai to kill Castor and bring him his head. Escharum warned the dokab that even if he survived, he would personally slaughter him if they were to ever meet again. Leaving the blademaster to his task, Atriox, Escharum, and the loyal Banished forces boarded the corvette and fled the planet. Ultimately, 'Gadogai would instead join the Keepers and they all travelled to the Ark aboard the Lich knowing that they would encounter more Banished when they reached the installation.{{Ref/Novel|Id=SOR21|HSoR|Chapter=21}}

In [[2559#December|December 2559]], Escharum led the Banished to victory against the UNSC in a [[Battle for Installation 07|battle]] for [[Installation 07]]. The conflict resulted in extensive damage to the installation as well as heavy UNSC casualties, especially among personnel attached to the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}. Escharum maintained control over the installation in the months that followed, leading the Banished once again in a resurgent [[Installation 07 conflict|conflict]] spearheaded by [[John-117]].{{Ref/Reuse|HIDemo}}

Although Atriox permits humans to join and serve in the Banished, Escharum maintains a fierce dislike for them - considering them vermin. As such, many of Escharum's forces such as the Leigon of the Corpse-Moon and the Clan of the Ravaged Tusks similarly never-permitted humans to serve in their ranks - and this fact caused some considerable friction with the Keepers of the One Freedom.{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW6|HDW|Chapter=6}}