Cabal Lore

Cabal Legions: Summary By now I'm sure you've all noticed that the Cabal are separated into numerous "Legions" and that each of these Legions fills a particular role. Here, I will divulge how they seem to operate (tactics, colouration, any thing of note etc...) and how each Legion interacts with the others. Sand Eaters: The bulk of Cabal infantry are the Sand Eaters. They are the workhorse of the Empire; performing everything from the early offences seen during the Collapse and the rugged defending they've been tasked with ever since. This over-utility has marked them, however, as Sand Eaters are noticeably weaker in both moral and actual firepower; they are suffering the consequences of extended deployment with little or no R&R. This tells us that the Cabal are either unable to spare their troops (suggesting that they are running out and receiving no new soldiers) or that the Cabal military is extremely elitist (with only soldiers from the more prestigious Legions receiving a rest). It seems that new officers (case in point: Valus Ta'arc's lieutenants) are placed in charge of the Sand Eaters until proving themselves capable of more important employments, suggesting a veritable meritocracy in the official structure of the Cabal military. The Sand Eaters are primarily white, with green markings and orange undergarments. Their emblem resembles a Cabal helmet. The Dust Giants: Likely named for how they tower and stand over (and on) the Sand Eaters, the Dust Giants are recruited from the ranks of the Sand Eaters that have proven themselves on missions. This implies that the other Cabal Legions similarly recruit from the Dust Giants; with Giants that succeed within a particular role being promoted into the appropriate Legion. Unlike their inferiors who are always defending, the Giants are only deployed in dire circumstances, to break an enemy assault or to stop major Vex operations. The Dust Giants are identifiable by their primarily orange armour with green highlights and white markings. They share their emblem with the Sand Eaters. The Dust Giants and Sand Eaters are both led by Bracus Tha'aurn and Tho'ourg. Interestingly, Valus Ta'arc commanded the Giants before being promoted to Fleet Commander and still wears Giant equipment. Siege Dancers: One of the specialised Cabal Legions, the Siege Dancers are singularly dedicated to attack; they are stormtroopers used to push into enemy territory and rapidly establish command posts. They were likely heavily relied-upon during the Cabal's assault during the Collapse but have since been relegated due to the Blind Legion's authority on Vex conflicts. Recent engagements with Guardians have given them new purpose, however. The Siege Dancers wear bright blue and yellow, highlighting them on any battleground, but have not yet been portrayed with an emblem. Ice Reapers: A relatively small detachment, the Ice Reaper's name suggests some action either on Mars' polar icecaps or on some other frozen battleground (possibly the moons of Jupiter and Saturn or on comets). Regardless of this supposed specialisation, Ice Reapers have been seen in the company of both the Psion Flayers and Valus Ta'arc. In the case of the former, this could suggest the Flayers have recently been redeployed to Mars from the Jovians or (the more likely option, in my opinion) that they have retreated from their previous locals, suggesting that the Cabal are losing a battle there. There has been no uniform colouration seen as of yet amongst the Reapers. Sky Burners: The Sky Burners are both Valus Ta'arc's personal guard and in charge of the defence of Phobos, Mars' largest moon. This suggests that the Sky Burners are an elite Legion specialised for aerial and space combat. Their protection of the Fleet Commander shows that they are seen (at least in his eyes) as the most elite of the Cabal Legions in the Solar System. The Sky Burners wear blue and red armour and have the most ornate armour among the Cabal, possessing a Roman-style headpiece. Blind Legion: Tasked with defeating the Vex on Mars and obtaining their relics, the Blind Legion is a specialised group dealing only with Vex incursions. This suggests some history of conflict between the Vex and the Cabal, as this Legion is already established as a separate entity to the Cabal's main Legions. Led by the infamous Primus Sha'aull, the Blind Legion has established itself as a fearsome opponent, as even Vex react to their presence with hesitation. Cloaked in black and white armour, the Blind Legion's emblem is a skull. Bone Crushers: A yet undisclosed group, there is no information as of yet pertaining to the Bone Crushers (but their name and the Cabal's role in the Taken King suggests they might be an specialised anti-Hive Legion). Broken Legion: The summary term describing the Cabal Legion remnants in the Prison of Elders, this Legion betrayed the Cabal in pursuit of a Reef campaign led by Valus Tra'aug. How the Awoken captured them is yet unknown, but the group wear the rag-tag colours of various Legions (visible in the case of Val Aru'un, who wears Blind Legion armour).