Editors note: This is the first in a new series of features we will be adding to the website exploring the storylines and lore of Mythic Legions as it has been presented so far. These articles will strive to bring together the threads of storyline that currently exist, while also giving fans insights into some of their favorite factions and characters in the Realm of Mythoss. To get this started, I will first focus on my personal favorite faction – the Sons of the Red Star.
While most of Mythoss falls under the strict allegiances of the faction system, there are two “splinter factions” whose members fall outside of those heroic and evil groups. One of these splinter factions is the assembly of assassins-for-hire, cutthroats, and mercenaries who make up the Sons of the Red Star.
Led by the skeletal Skapular the Cryptbreaker, the Sons of the Red Star are a faction made up of a wide variety of races. The desire for material wealth, power, and influence is a driving factor for many characters, and as such the Sons’ ranks boast skeletons, humans, and other morally-flexible individuals respresenting many races and backgrounds. In fact, in the comic that accompanied the “Mythic Legions Art Book”, an attack from the Sons of the Red Star on Artymss Silverchord’s court is shown. Fighting alongside Skapular are an assembly of orcs and even a bog goblin who rides a giant lizard. None of those characters have been formally aligned with this faction from the perspective of the toys themselves (the bog goblin and all the orcs released thus far have been aligned with the Legion of Areythr), but these art panels show that the Sons of the Red Star are indeed more numerous in numbers and variety than we have thus far seen in the official toy line release.
The Formation of the Sons of the Red Star
According to Skapular’s biography, the former member of the Congregation of Necronominus turned away from the faction he was born into to form the group of killers he called the Sons of the Red Star. A master of all weaponry, Skapular actually uses his power and influence as the deadliest of the tools he wields as his new faction allows him to pursue his “opulent life of greed and depravity.”
Of course, a faction of killers-for-hire is only as effective as the members it contains, and Skapular has recruited wisely over the years, bringing some of the deadliest warriors in Mythoss into the Sons of the Red Star. Perhaps not surprisingly, Skapular has looked to his own skeletal race for some of his fellow Sons, with Pixxus and Keltuss being two of the first members of the Sons we have seen revealed in the lin. Interestingly, both of these warriors have ties to the Army of Leodysseus and the Mercurian Army. Pixxus was once a soldier in that army, fighting alongside the legendary warrior Vitus. Saving his brother in arms and losing his life in the final battle that the Mercurian Army fought, he was resurrected by the Congregation of Necronominus, but like Skapular he turned his back on this faction, eventually finding an outlet for his hatred in the Sons of the Red Star.
Keltuss’ time in Mercurios was different than Pixxus’, for he did not fight in the Mercurian Army, but rather as one of the combatants in the bloody Coliseum. In truth, it was the renown that this fighter found in those gladiatorial battles that brought him to the attention of Skapular and allowed him to be recruited into the ranks of the Sons of the Red Star. In this faction, Keltuss' fame would allow him to amass an even greater legacy, riches, and influence.
Mysterious Warriors of the Sons
As stated previously, the Sons of the Red Star have attracted a variety of members from the races of Mythoss, including warriors whose background, and even their race, remain a mystery. Arguably the most mysterious of these killers-for-hire is the enigma known as Gryshaa the Slytherer.
A high-ranking member of the Sons of the Red Star, many do not even believe Gryshaa exists, assuming the assassin is merely a tall tale meant to further the mystique surrounding this already notorious faction. Unfortunately for those souls who Gryshaa has been contracted to find and eliminate, the tales of this assassin’s prowess are all too true.
What race hides underneath the red helmet Gryshaa wears? Where did this assassin come from, and what drives this killer? These are all mysteries that are still yet to be revealed.
Many of the contracts taken by the Sons of the Red Star require the stealth and precision of assasssins like Gryshaa or even Skapular himself, but the deeds of the Sons of the Red Star and the promises made by its leader do also sometimes require a more direct assault and a stronger show of force. In those instances, the legion of killers known as the Dark Templars are called into service. A mockery of the heroic warriors who fight under the banner of the Order of Eathyron, the Dark Templars are a force made up of many races, their identities hidden by the uniforms they wear.
Never Trust a Mercenary
As you can imagine, a faction comprised of greedy, power-hungry killers with incredibly flexible morals does not make for loyal friends or followers, and Skapular the Cryptbreaker knows that there are many in the ranks of the Sons who would gladly stab him in the back if it would further their own self interests. The most prominent of these would-be usurpers is the “richest murderer in Mythoss” – Lord Veteris.
While more of a loose affiliate of the Sons of the Red Star as opposed to a full-fledged member, Lord Veteris maintains this relationship to fuel his thirst for bloodmoney, and to further his ultimate plans to take the Sons of the Red Star under his own deadly wing. What remains to be seen is whether or not Skapular knows of the plans of his potential rival. Is the leader of the Sons keeping Veteris close to him to keep an eye on him, or is he unaware of the treacherous plans of this wealthy murderer? Whatever the case, you can be sure that whomever wins this struggle for power will find a way to profit from it and make the Sons of the Red Star an even deadlier force to be reckoned with.
In Closing
The Sons of the Red Star are a fascinating faction for a few reasons. As one of the “splinter” factions, and one that clearly welcomes all races into its folds, the possibilities for this group’s membership (and the toys we will see from it) are endless, as are the impact they could make on the war of Mythoss. Additionally, because we have seen so few members from this faction in the line (as of this writing, they are the faction with the second fewest figures revealed), it feels like there is so much yet to discover from this group of mercenaries and murderers.
Published on 07.20.21