Sylus Marx

> *"Keep your chin up, Arx. Remember, you're a Titan. They're afraid of you more than you're afraid of them..."*-Sylus' last words
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**Sylus Marx** was an Awoken Titan, and mentor to Arxus Essal. When the time came, Zavala chose him to take charge Fireteam Black and lead the assault on the House of Veils, which is remembered as the Battle of Old Seattle. Sylus was killed by Ernaz, the then Archon of Veils.

## Biography

### Post-Collapse

In the mass exodus that followed the Collapse, Sylus was among the humans who desperately tried to escape Earth. Boarding a colony ship bound for parts unknown, he was yet another victim of the deep space cataclysm that spawned the Awoken. His colony ship crash-landed one of Jupiter's moons, and Sylus was the only survivor. Sylus was forced to wander these strange, uninhabited lands for days until he was found by a curious little creature called a Ghost. The Ghost told him of what had happened since the exodus, and how beings called the Guardians took on the Traveler's power. Sylus wished to see this for himself, hoping to better understand the exact nature of his transformation and the transformation of his home. Although not Earth born, Sylus had lived on Earth most of his life.

Sylus and his Ghost ventured across the barren vistas of the moon he had been stranded upon, and as luck would have it, they were able to discover an old research outpost. Sylus was able to scavenge what he needed to survive, but not without dealing with his first encounter of the Cabal. No more than just a scouting party, Sylus was able to defeat the warmongering titans and secure a jumpship off the moon. First stop had been Earth, and with it would bring answers of what had become of all that he once knew.

### Induction into the Titan Order

Upon arriving at this Last City, Sylus was curious about what the commotion had been. Although it felt like only several days since he first left Earth, it had been much longer than that; 57 years, in fact. He discovered that with his pale skin and vibrant eyes, he aged much more slowly. Perhaps even a form of pseudo-immortality, he thought. As with all Guardians who first arrived in the City, they were presented with what order best represented their qualities. For Sylus, he had been inducted into the Titan Order; brave warriors with fists of steels, and walls against which the Darkness broke. The Ghost told him of this, of their plight, what had taken Earth and their entire solar system. It was a force without form, intangible yet very real. Guardians had fought and died for their beliefs, and forged a place where they could be safe, beneath the Traveler.

At the time, the Guardians were leaded by the Vanguard, composed of Zavala, Osiris and Andal Brask. All personally headed training for their respective orders. Zavala mentored Sylus for a time, teaching him in the ways of a Defender Titan, one who would bring forth a great wall and stop all opposition. With years of rigorous training, Sylus discovered his purpose and grew because of it. Long gone was his former, naïve self. He was a soldier, a warrior of light and he would not fall. For this came a price, a dark day in the history of the City. Another time when the Darkness fought back.

### Twilight Gap

Sylus participated in the Battle of Twilight Gap, when Fallen forces rallied underneath a seized gun position outside City limits. Sylus was not the man he had been before. Many Fallen were killed by his hand, and with allies at his side, the line was held strong. Many Guardians fought there, alike the numbers of Sylus, Reina and Avgust. The causalities were immense, and not everyone came out of it as they had entered it. Ultimately, it was a final push led by Lord Saladin that granted them victory over the Fallen, forcing the remainders of their forces to retreat back into hiding. With the day won, the Guardians mourned their dead and abandoned much of the outer City.

As a way of honoring the dead, the inventor and gunsmith Feizel Crux crafted weapons from the armor of deceased Guardians. This gave rise to the Gjallarhorn, and Sylus was one of the recipients of this weapon. A powerful rocket launcher as it was, it became a symbol of the heroism of Guardians, and the trials they faced daily in defense of the City. It became a tool that he held with honor, never to allow it to leave his sight.

### The Newcomer

Sometime after Twilight Gap, another Guardian arrived in the City. Freshly revived from the ruins of Old Chicago, Arxus Essal was just as confused and alone as Sylus had been when he first resurrected. Now at the rank of Lieutenant, Sylus was immensely respected among his allies. He must have held some sense of empathy with Arxus, for he decided to be the one that mentored him. The change was gradual and eventual, and Arxus showed much of the same change that Sylus first did. Suffice to say, Sylus had made a new friend and saw great potential in the young man. Although he needed much more time to learn, Sylus believed that he was catching on faster than any that he had seen before.

Years seemed to past and their bond grew, with Arxus becoming a Striker Titan, calling forth great lightning to devour his enemies. They took on missions together, even meeting some other friendly faces along the way. Though, nothing could prepare Arxus for what was going to happen next. After one of their missions had recently ended, Sylus was called to the Tower. Zavala had a personal mission for him, one that if failed, could cause great disaster.

### Battle of Old Seattle

Zavala personally tasked Sylus with a secret mission that would led him deep into the heart of a ruined Seattle. Reports had stated that a previously unknown Fallen house had gotten too nosy, and began unearthing Golden Age technology. Zavala did not specify what the technology was, but it was obvious that the situation was rather dire. So with that, Sylus was charged with forming a fireteam of six, and to lead a strike deep into the heart of Seattle. He was to ascertain the House's motives, and stop them at any cost. Sylus formed Fireteam Black because of this, composed of his recent apprentice, plus some fellow Guardians they had met along their travels: Providence-47, Vandyn Cruz, Emperor-19 and Brian Banks.

Upon arriving in Seattle, it became immediately apparent that whoever this Fallen house was, they were extremely secretive. Sneaky, perhaps; never at any point was there an obvious trail to pick up on, until it was too late. Their journey led them into an old and abandoned library, where they had been ambushed with their first encounter. They called themselves the Unseen; a squad of stealth soldiers within the House. Given that they were cloaked in stealth fields and darkness, it was impossible to tell of their house colors. They struck fast and from the shadows, managing to wound Brian Banks by stabbing him in the shoulder. Sylus immediately retaliated by decapitating the Vandal with a shotgun blast. Death caused the stealth field to deactivate, and the rest of the Unseen quickly fled. Upon inspecting the corpse, they discovered that the house color was purple; definitely nothing of any known house.

The operation continued from there, with Vandyn providing medical support for Brian. Having better learned of the House's tactics, Sylus and his fireteam were better prepared for whenever the Unseen would attack next. And they did, many times; the Unseen constantly launched ambushes and sneak attacks, but Fireteam Black managed to slowly lower their numbers until it was no longer smart to keep on with it. Whatever Kell that was leading them decided it was enough, and wanted to personally meet with them. Broadcasting his voice across loudspeakers all over the city, he revealed himself to be Arkanz, Kell of Veils, and that Fireteam Black was welcome to come to him, if they could make it. The Kell of Veils revealed his position to be the old landmark called the Space Needle.

Their journey to the Space Needle forced them to fight their way through an old bank, which was protected by a duo of High Servitors. Pumping an unusual amount of ether from their synthetic bodies, they were able to keep both each other alive and their many allies, a body composed mostly of Dregs and Vandals. Conventional weaponry seemed to have no effect on them, until Fireteam Black's sniper had an idea. Rather than using weapons on the Servitors, Providence used the environment and shot the supports to a chandelier above them. The chandelier skewered and crushed both Servitors, leaving the rest of Fireteam Black to mop up the remaining forces. Now that the Servitors had been destroyed, there was nothing left between them and the Kell of Veils.

The entire operation was about to end now. Fireteam Black scaled the Space Needle and sure enough, the Kell was waiting. He revealed his plan, believing that despite the Guardians' ability to fight across Seattle and survive, it was too late. His House had managed to unearth an old railgun turret from beneath Seattle, once used in the defense of Earth. With it, he promised to obliterate the Traveler and wipe out humanity like the vermin they were. Sylus vowed that he would never allow it, and thus Fireteam Black entered a final battle with the Kell of Veils. Although the Kell proved that he was superior in physical combat, even boasting weapons never before seen, he discovered that he was alone. His Archon, Ernaz, had been the one in charge of deploying troops. Yet, there were none.

Arkanz was defeated after a long and grueling fight, succumbing to wounds that were numerous. Emperor-19 disabled the railgun turret by stuffing a Fusion Grenade in the control panel. As it was, it seemed like the day had finally been won. Without their Kell, the House of Veils would undoubtedly fall into retreat. Unbeknownst to Sylus, not everyone was content with the outcome. The Veil Archon, Ernaz, had managed to ambush Fireteam Black, and skewered Sylus with a Hive Knight's cleaver.

### Death and Legacy

Fireteam Black fought back against Ernaz, successfully shoving him off the ledge of the Space Needle. Most certainly, he would have died when he fell to the ground, but there had been a Skiff just below. He laughed maniacally, and disappeared into the Skiff which flew off shortly after. Arxus was deeply upset now, as Sylus succumbed to his wounds. The whole of Fireteam Black expressed their sorrows, but none more than Arxus. Vandyn tried to fix Sylus up, but it was a futile gesture. Even Providence, who had been considered a roguish asshole, showed some kind of emotion at that point. Sylus shared his disappointment that he wouldn't be able to come back to the City. He entrusted Arxus with his Gjallarhorn, telling them that many Guardians had died once, and he was going to join them now. He made Arxus promise that he would not use the weapon as a tool of revenge, but rather to honor his fallen comrades. Arxus vowed that he would. With that, Sylus passed away.

There was no fanfare when Fireteam Black returned. The City had lost a great leader and a great friend, but most would never know about. Arxus, unable to fully cope with the loss of his mentor, promptly left Fireteam Black to go lone wolf. Brian Banks disappeared, assumed to be running top-secret missions for Cayde-6. Emperor-19 continued to serve the Warlock Order, offering his scholarly advice up until he vanished years afterward. Vandyn Cruz took on a mission that took him into the outer planets, and he was never heard from again. Providence... well, Providence continued to be a roguish asshole.

For the survivors of the Battle of Old Seattle, they would always hold Sylus Marx in their heart. He would always be remembered as a defender of the City, who, even in his death, still continued to defend it.