"Unlike normal revenants, RBs have developed external actors, and those are the things that will attack the Mithraeum. We've nicknamed this the hive, and inside the hive are the Heralds."[1]
Heralds are an extension of the Resurrection Beast, hive-minded fragments of the Beasts instantiate form that precede the main bulk of the Beast. The Heralds appear in a hive of hundreds to thousands of creatures and create massive, insensible fear in those that behold them.
History[]
Part of the Resurrection Beast, one of nine large and deadly revenants created after the resurrection of the Nine Houses, Heralds are an evolved ability of the larger corpus. Described by Cassiopeia as "periscoping,"[1] the Resurrection Beasts travel space by extending their consciousness into the River. The Herald is the advanced-guard feelers of this consciousness, likened to a spider-web or fingers.
"Goddamn it. I told you to lift weights."[2] Gideon (in Harrow's body) faces a Herald on the Mithraeum, illustrated by cbrcbbr.
Harrow the Ninth[]
After an expedited chase through the universe, Resurrection Beast Number Seven closes in on the Mithraeum. Once the corpus completely substantiates, the Heralds begin their attack on the space station. They fight their way through the protective asteroid field, then throw themselves against the hull. While the Lyctors project themselves into the River to engage the RB, the horde of Heralds smothers the Mithraeum, raising the internal temperature and eventually breaching the walls. The Heralds infiltrate every part of the station, attacking the Lyctors’ vacant bodies and Gideon Nav, who has unintentionally inhabited Harrow’s body. One by one, the Lyctors return to their bodies, fighting through the intense fear that the Heralds project onto them and fighting off the remaining creatures. Gideon the First remains in the River until he is killed by Number Seven, who subsequently retreats.
Nona the Ninth[]
After positioning itself above New Rho for several months, Varun the Eater (the Seventh Resurrection Beast) sends the first wave of Heralds down to attack the planet. Pods fall on the city, and from the pods, the Heralds emerge. The irregular winged creatures begin to wreak havoc on the city and its inhabitants, some of whom take refuge in the underground tunnels. After Nona convinces Varun to stop attacking the planet, the falling pods thin out,[3] but the Heralds already on the planet remain alive and dangerous. Blood of Eden and the local militia attempt to pick them off with long range projectiles.[4]
Characteristics[]
Physical Appearance[]
"Nondescript? [...] I can't describe them, sis. [...] Some Lyctors have seen them as insectoid. They're monstrous, and deadly..."[1]
As most things to do with the River, Heralds do not have one set form or physical appearance. The Heralds appearance depends on the Lyctor viewing them, but always includes a level of psychological fear causing the Lyctors to scream or even vomit. Gideon describes the Seventh's Heralds as "a nightmarish nonsense of wasp, and bone, and meat." with a "human-like" frame but "pulsing, greenish, comb-chambered flesh."[5] The Heralds had beetle-like jaws, a stinger, acid-spit, and functioning wings.
On New Rho, the Heralds fall to the planet in teardrop-shaped pods that are transparent and wreathed with smoke. The pods splatter on surfaces—the street, building, the ocean—with an eruption of thick grey mucus. They are seething with Heralds, which use their wings to push through the cocoon-like structure of the pods. Nona describes them as “irregular and shivering shapes.”[3]
Abilities[]
Though terrifying and composed of a number of deadly appendages and acid-spit capable of killing and eating a Lyctor, Heralds are largely the lesser problem of the Resurrection Beast attack. Despite the challenges in battling Herald, Lyctors self-healing capabilities and cavalier training make them more than a match for the solo Herald. The only true danger of the Herald, to a ready and healthy Lyctor, is an overwhelming swarm or as a distraction from the main corpus of the Beast.
Weaponry[]
Under Commander Wake’s leadership, Blood of Eden seeks out a Resurrection Beast and separates a Herald from the pack. Though they lose half their ships in the endeavor, they manage to kill the solitary Herald. After thoroughly dissecting and examining the Herald’s corpse, Blood of Eden uses it to create weapons of all kinds: knives, axes, armour, bullets, darts, etc.[6] Since even a dead Herald can drive a necromancer insane, these enhanced weapons are extremely effective when used against House forces.
Herald weapons also remain the most effective way to incapacitate a Lyctor, short of necromancy. Though Lyctors are able to survive a direct hit from a Herald weapon, it does render them senseless for a time. Ianthe’s reaction to being shot with a Herald bullet is to drop into a spasmodic fit, frothing and screaming.[7] Despite the weapons’ efficacy, they are incredibly rare and only used in dire circumstances.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Harrow the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 16
- ↑ Harrow the Ninth Act V, Ch. 44
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nona the Ninth Day 5, Ch. 27
- ↑ Nona the Ninth Day 5, Ch. 28
- ↑ "Harrow the Ninth," Act V, Ch. 44
- ↑ Harrow the Ninth Act III, Ch. 30
- ↑ Nona the Ninth Day 5, Ch. 32