History Characters / XabiarverseEtherealCollective

* DropTheHammer: One of his main weapons.

!!Iudexas, The Battlemaster

!![[spoiler:Iudexas]], The Battlemaster

* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:He is called by his real name (Iudexas) for the first time in chapter 67 by Gabriel.]]

[[folder: Voice of the Sovereign]]

Formerly of the Overminds, the Ravaged One was the second Ethereal to manage the invasion of Earth, taking over after Sicarius' departure. Warped and wounded, the Ravaged One was obsessed with pain and suffering, and greatly intensified attacks against humanity. He would ultimately be killed during an assault on the Citadel, the first Ethereal to be defeated by human forces.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: He is set to make an appearance in the revised edition of ''Hades Contingency''. Prior to this, he had been introduced in the final act of ''Atlas Protocol''.

* HeroKiller: Wipes out almost a third of XCOM, including Bradford and Van Doorn, during the assault on the Citadel.

* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: Actually one of the weakest Ethereals due to his tormented nature, which becomes a sobering moment for XCOM with how much damaged he managed against them.

* AnAxeToGrind: Is seen with two axes on his person in his debut appearance.

* VengefulWidow: The Synthesized killed the Battlemasters of the Imperial Sanctum, of which one was her mate. Her motivation to join the Collective stems from the opportunity to avenge him through the death of all Synthesized.

[[center:[-[[Characters/{{Xabiarverse}} Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseXCOM XCOM]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseEXALT EXALT]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseHumanityAndADVENT Humanity and ADVENT]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseHistoricalHumans Historical Humans]] | '''The Ethereal Collective''' | [[Characters/XabiarverseParadise Paradise]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseSovereignOnes Sovereign Ones]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseSpheres The Spheres]] | [[Characters/XabiarverseOtherCharactersAndRaces Others]]-]]]

* PutOnABus: She hasn't been seen since the Hunter toyed with her in Beijing. [[spoiler:That being said, if the Warlock is any indication, she's likely currently getting an ''upgrade.'']]]]

!Aui'Vitakar

[[folder:The Zar'Chon]]
!!Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

[[folder:Hallian]]
!!Runi'hallian'harasota

!Andromedon Federation and Unions

[[folder:Chernior]]
!!Chief Overseer Chernior

[[folder:V'Zarrah]]
!!V'Zarrah of Union Viarior

!Sectoids and the Greater Hive Commanders
[[folder:Organization and Species Tropes]]

[[folder:Hive Commander 029]]
!!Hive Commander 029
Considered the closest thing to a diplomat among the Sectoids, 029's uncanny familiarity with aliens stems from his expertise in alien psychology and biology, making him the main representative for the Hive Commanders in any negotiation with the wider Collective.

[[folder:Hive Commander 072]]
!!Hive Commander 072
The first Hive Commander encountered by XCOM, found directing a Collective base hidden in the Middle East.

[[folder:Hive Commander 101]]
!!Hive Commander 101

!Human Elements
!!The Harbingers
[[folder:In General]]

[[folder:Avatar of the Imperator (SPOILERS)]]
!!Patricia Trask, Harbinger of the Imperator
During her captivity aboard the Imperator's Temple Ship, the leader of the Collective taught Patricia of the truth behind the Sovereign conflicts that consume the galaxy and the known universe, and revealed his end goal: to grow the Collective into a force capable of matching any Sovereign and win, in order to rid the universe of them. In pursuit of this goal, he saw potential in humanity, and offered Patricia the opportunity to enter the Avatar Project, turning her into the Imperator's own emissary and granting her access to his knowledge of psionics.

[[FaceHeelTurn She accepted the offer.]]

Her tropes can be seen [[Characters/XabiarverseXCOM here]].

[[folder:Yang Shuren]]
!!Yang Shuren, Harbinger of the Battlemaster

[[folder:Ivan Smirnov]]
!!Ivan Smirnov, Harbinger of the Overmind
Formerly a criminal defense lawyer, Ivan Smirnov was handpicked by the Overmind to be his Avatar after being rejected a position within ADVENT's PRIEST Division. This soon proves to be a choice that utterly baffles anyone who meets the man.

* ButtMonkey: You'd be hard-pressed to find '''anyone''' who takes him seriously. [[spoiler:Not even the Overmind paid his death much mind.]]

[[folder:Nico Murillo]]
!!Nico Murillo, Harbinger of Sicarius
A Mexican youth who willingly joined the Collective after ADVENT led to the demise of his family. Currently working alongside the Ethereal Sicarius as her Avatar.

[[folder:Sonoda Ikuko]]
!!Sonoda Ikuko, Harbinger of Isomnum
A disgraced Japanese psychologist who was caught experimenting on her patients without their consent. Her outlook and methodology proved themselves a natural fit for an Avatar of Isomnum.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Mori Twins]]
!!Sabrina and Micaiah Mori, Harbingers of Quisilia
Twin sisters recruited by Quisilia to act in his stead as Avatars, Sabrina and Micaiah are a remarkable contrast from virtually every other Avatar, sharing their Ethereal overseer's tendency to indulge in social media and internet memes.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: They're introduced roping the Zar'Chon into acting out a scene from a Star Wars movie, before going off on a slang-laden speech about memes being the future of war and propaganda. There could not be a more effective way of introducing an Avatar for Quisilia, let alone two.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: They can give Ivan a run for his money in this regard: the Zar'Chon hates them enough that he feels tempted to have them killed off mid-mission, Yang goes the same way after hearing their takes on the Battle of Beijing, and Patricia ends up having to discipline them by force to get them to act properly. The only one who appears to like them is Quisilia himself.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Their slang-heavy tirade mentioned above? It's an act. They deliberately prefer cultivating an image of internet-addicted dimwits to throw everyone else off.
* OhCrap: They have a ''massive'' one upon realizing that [[spoiler:the Chronicler has entered Seoul to fend off the Collective.]]
* TooDumbToLive: The two of them are certainly prone to this. [[spoiler:Choosing to fight off a Chronicler decked in Seraphim armor did not end well for Micaiah in particular.]]
* TooKinkyToTorture: Not exactly "torture", but Patricia telekinetically chokes the two of them when they interact, for not paying attention to her briefing of [[spoiler:their upcoming operation in Seoul]]. Micaiah is... not quite ''displeased''. It's never stated whether or not that was an act on her part.
* {{Troll}}: They're ''Quisilia's'' Avatars. It would be more surprising if they weren't this.

[[folder:Artur Paz Dutra]]
!!Artuz Paz Dutra, Harbinger of the Exarch
A biologist selected by Deusian to be her Avatar.

----
* TheGhost: Besides a short appearance in Deusian's ''XCOM Files'' chapter, there has been no word on his activities. Chapter 35 of ''New Blood'' puts an end to this, revealing he's active in Africa.
* PunchClockVillain: It's implied he may not necessarily bear ADVENT any ill will, unlike the rest of the Avatars.

!!Tyres Skoglund, Harbinger of Macula
Ex-Swedish special forces and boxing instructor, Tyres switched sides after ADVENT's annexation of his country, eventually finding himself among the ranks of the Collective. There, he was assigned to Macula, who trained him in ways more akin to the Battlemasters than his own.

* AffablyEvil: An incredibly well-spoken and conversational man. Be it towards Betos or XCOM/ADVENT soldiers.
* AnAxeToGrind: Is seen with two axes on his person in his debut appearance.
* TheBrute: He is this among the Harbingers, in virtue of both his hulking shape and his Harbinger training. DumbMuscle, however, is unambiguously averted.
* CombatPragmatist: When discussing a way to eliminate Admiral Grady with Betos, the first idea he brings is to just aim the Reinarm Cannon at his ship; even if Grady and his crew were to somehow escape the blast, they'd be disoriented enough that he could lead a strike against their ship and take them off the board.
* DropTheHammer: One of his main weapons.
* MindOverMatter: His main observed psionic specialty appears to be telekinesis.
* VillainousRescue: Pulls one on the Collective-aligned Turkish president in Chapter 71, from [[spoiler:ADVENT and the Lion.]]

!!Sovereign African States and allies
[[folder:Helsa Betos]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pratal Mox]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tyres Skoglund]]
See his entry above for details.
[[/folder]]
!!The Reapers
[[folder:Konstantine "Volk" Volikov]]
!!Konstantine Volikov
An anti-authoritarian assassin, Volk opposed ADVENT since the day of its formation, seeing it as a greater evil than the Ethereal Collective. He soon allied himself with them when offered the chance.

----
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:Ends up making one with the Entity to break out of XCOM's holding cells.]]
[[/folder]]

* PutOnABus: She hasn't been seen since the Hunter toyed with her in Beijing.

!Greater Hive Commanders

[[folder:Hive Commander 029]]
!!Hive Commander 029
Considered the closest thing to a diplomat among the Sectoids, 029's uncanny familiarity with aliens stems from his expertise in alien psychology and biology, making him the main representative for the Hive Commanders in any negotiation with the wider Collective.

[[folder:Hive Commander 072]]
!!Hive Commander 072
The first Hive Commander encountered by XCOM, found directing a Collective base hidden in the Middle East.

[[folder:Hive Commander 101]]
!!Hive Commander 101

!Aui'Vitakar
[[folder:Organization and Species Tropes]]

[[folder:The Zar'Chon]]
!!Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

[[folder:Hallian]]
!!Runi'hallian'harasota

!Andromedon Federation and Unions
[[folder:Organization and Species Tropes]]

[[folder:Chernior]]
!!Chief Overseer Chernior

[[folder:V'Zarrah]]
!!V'Zarrah of Union Viarior

* {{BFS}}: His main weapon, which he masterfully uses either regularly or with the aid of telekinesis.

* ImmuneToMindControl: Due to the psychic scars created by the Trial of the Battlemaster, he can neither use mental psionics nor be affected by them. This also prevents him from having a BattleAura like other ethereals.

* WouldntHurtAChild: Many ethereals hold to this principle due to their low birth rate, but the Battlemaster in particular enforces it zealously. He finds the human treatment of orphans repulsively cruel, bars Collective forces from targeting children, and decides to execute the Creator largely on her use of children in experimentation.

An Ethereal with a remarkably unusual sense of humor, and the Collective's chief spymaster.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Yes, he is an Ethereal with a tendency to post memes on Twitter and other social media, but he is still one of the Imperator's most trusted Ethereals, he oversees the Collective's intelligence efforts via the Zararch, he's powerful enough to beat a Sovereign One avatar in battle, ''and'' he's one of the few Ethereals who's successfully fought his way inside a Synthesized ship, destroying it in the process. '''Underestimate him at your peril.'''

* PerceptionFilter: Quisilia is capable of erasing the perception of himself from the people he encounters, effectively making himself invisible. This ability doesn't work on recording devices such as cameras; however, he is most likely aware of it and taking precautions to avoid being spotted anyway.

Macula was once one of the most highly-placed individuals within the Division of Shadows, one who pioneered research into new psionic techniques during the war against the Synthesized. Now, he serves as a monitor for species both within the Collective and through the inner galaxy, while commanding a personal army of his own.

The events on Earth end up requiring his presence, where he promptly made contact with Marshal Betos's nascent separatist coalition known as the Sovereign African States, providing them with assistance on behalf of the Collective while simultaneously using them as a means to establish a stronger Collective presence on Earth itself.

The foremost engineer among the Ethereals of the Collective, Fectorian is the mind behind some of their greatest war machines and mechanical units, from Archons to Spectres. However, he is also a controversial figure among the Ethereals, which has led to him being mostly ignored in favor of Revelean.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: As a result of residing so close to the [[EldritchLocation Dead World]] (and, by extension, the [[EldritchAbomination Bringer]], she went from a relatively pleasant (if arrogant) Ethereal scientist to a madwoman who has performed horrifying experiments of all kinds in service to a psionic abomination with a god-complex.

* RedBaron: "Destroyer of the Prime". Considering he is the only Imperator (let alone Ethereal) to have destroyed a Prime Flagship, it is very much deserved.

* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Subverted, since the Imperator eventually adopts the same objectives as him, but his prime focus is in the extinction of all the Sovereign Ones.]]

* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He is this to all the Ethereals of the Milky Way, and by extension, the Imperators and the Ethereal Collective.]]

* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:He is called by his real name (Iudexas) for the first time in chapter 67 by Gabriel/Gaunter O'Dimm.]]

* TheAce: Taken UpToEleven: as one of the Ten, he was this even amongst the Imperators themselves.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: He is set to make an appearance in the revised edition of ''Hades Contingency'', as the Ethereal who first makes contact with the Commander in ''Pressure Points''. Prior to this, he had been introduced in ''Atlas Protocol''.

[[folder:Hive Commander 001]]
!!Hive Commander 001
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hive Commander 666]]
!!Hive Commander 666
[[/folder]]

!!Runi'hallian'harasota]]

[[folder:The Battlemaster]]
!![[spoiler:Iudexas]], The Battlemaster
The military leader of the Collective, the last of the Battlemasters takes command of the invasion of Earth following the death of the Ravaged One. Nearly invincible in battle and committed to a code of honor, his methods both challenge ADVENT and provide humanity with opportunities for continued resistance.

[[folder:The Ravaged One]]
!!The Ravaged One
Formerly of the Overminds, the Ravaged One was the second Ethereal to manage the invasion of Earth, taking over after Sicarius' departure. Warped and wounded, the Ravaged One was obsessed with pain and suffering, and greatly intensified attacks against humanity. He would ultimately be killed during an assault on the Citadel, the first Ethereal to be defeated by human forces.

[[folder:The Overmind]]
!!Overmind
The last surviving Ethereal to bear the title of the Overminds, and one of the oldest living Ethereals prior to the Synthesized conflict, this enigmatic figure is the right hand of the Imperator.

* TheDragon: He is the Imperator's most trusted advisor.
* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Subverted, since the Imperator eventually adopts the same objectives as him, but his prime focus is in the extinction of all the Sovereign Ones.]]
* LongGame: [[spoiler:Ever since he learned the truth about the Sovereign Ones, he's conducted a galaxies-wide scheme to rid the universe of them, alongside the rest of the One Hundred.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He is this to all the Ethereals of the Milky Way, and by extension, the Imperators and the Ethereal Collective.]]
* TimeAbyss: This guy is old even compared to other Ethereals; he was alive ''before'' they discovered the key to immortality. [[spoiler:And as it turns out, he's literally the ''first'' Ethereal, period.]]
* WalkingSpoiler

[[folder:Quisilia]]
!!Quisilia
An Ethereal with a remarkably unusual sense of humor, and the Collective's chief spymaster.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Yes, he is an Ethereal with a tendency to post memes on Twitter and other social media, but he is still one of the Imperator's most trusted Ethereals, he oversees the Collective's intelligence efforts via the Zararch, he's powerful enough to beat a Sovereign One avatar in battle, ''and'' he's one of the few Ethereals who's successfully fought his way inside a Synthesized ship, destroying it in the process. '''Underestimate him at your peril.'''
* TheNicknamer: Is responsible for a respectable number of titles and nicknames among the Ethereals, such as "Dread Lord" for Isomnum and "Little Storm" for Caelior.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: His shitposting sprees across social media deliberatly invoke this, as he reveals to the Zar'Chon.
* PerceptionFilter: Quisilia is capable of erasing the perception of himself from the people he encounters, effectively making himself invisible. This ability doesn't work on recording devices such as cameras; however, he is most likely aware of it and taking precautions to avoid being spotted anyway.

[[folder:First Guardian]]
!!The First Guardian of the Collective
Once the First Guardian to the Grandmaster of the Empire's Battlemasters, the First Guardian is a warrior first and foremost, only surpassed by the Battlemaster himself. Having been numbed by the horrors of the Synthesized, he accepted the Imperator's offer solely for the sake of revenge against the mechanized fleets.

[[folder:Second Guardian]]
!!The Second Guardian of the Collective
During the days of the Empire, the Ethereal known as the Second Guardian was known as the Twelfth Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum, and a mate to one of the Sanctum's Battlemasters. The Synthesized took everything from her, leading her to fight against the machine fleets in every possible front until the day when she was offered a chance to rebuild. With nothing left, she joined the Collective, serving directly under the Imperator.

----
* VengefulWidow: The Synthesized killed the Battlemasters of the Imperial Sanctum, of which one was her mate. Her motivation to join the Collective stems from the opportunity to avenge him through the death of all Synthesized.

[[folder:Caelior]]
!!Caelior, Destroyer of the Immortals
An abnormally talented telekine with an ego, Caelior was one of the Ethereal Empire's most renowned heroes of the war against the Synthesized; however, his victories conceal a secret even he is unaware of: most of his victories were arranged by the Empire itself, which helped feed his ego by sending him against forces that they knew were well within his capability to put down, in order to build up his legend.

----
* BadassOnPaper: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]; while most of his well-known exploits were arranged by the Empire behind his back, when he ended up facing a Synthesized fleet twice the size of his own, he scored a genuine victory. His potential is even acknowledged by the Imperator, who recruited him for that exact reason.
* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler:Having the truth of his legend revealed to him after being captured by XCOM took him down several notches. It also led to his HeelFaceTurn.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After the aforementioned humbling under BreakTheHaughty, XCOM offered him the opportunity to grow and learn from his previous mistakes, in exchange for cooperation. He accepted, and is now a member of XCOM through and through.]]

[[folder:Sicarius]]
!!Sicarius

[[folder:Revelean]]
!!Revelean

[[folder:Fectorian]]
!!Fectorian

[[folder:Cogitian]]
!!Cogitian

[[folder:Nebulan]]
!!Nebulan

[[folder:Macula]]
!!Macula
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sana'Ligna]]
!!Sana'Ligna, the Healer
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mortis'Ligna]]
!!Mortis'Ligna, the Dead Ethereal
[[/folder]]