Killzone 2: Back Story

The tough conditions finally spawn social and economic change. Forced to adapt to a situation so tough that mere humans could never survive it, a charismatic new leader pronounces the birth of the Helghast people: a people no longer human, with a bold drive and vision to succeed.

1. THE RISE OF VISARI (2340-2347)

With the economy in the abyss and Helghan morale below that, a singular and remarkable figure rises to prominence: Scolar Visari I, the eventual self-proclaimed Autarch of Helghan. Visari’s ideology is simple and compelling: the Helghan people had once come here as humans, but they are humans no longer. They are different, changed. Changed cosmetically in their travels, changed physically by their residence on the alien planet of Helghan, changed spiritually by the hardships they’ve endured in every circumstance. The government that has brought them to this end could only give them structure; it could not give them life, could not give them a reason to go on, and could not fully express the magnitude of the transformation. The world has changed us, Visari claims, and now it is our turn to change the world.

Visari’s oratorical skill and magnetic personality draws many of the disaffected public to his cause. It spreads among them like wildfire and galvanizes them in a single recognition: that they are one people, one nation, united against all aggressors. More significantly, perhaps, Visari is the first to give voice to what will later become the keystone of the Helghast agenda: their identity as an entirely new and entirely superior race – the ‘extra-human’ race. He goes on to preach the militaristic, absolutist values that will become the trademark of the Helghast. More importantly, he transforms the value of mask-wearing – once a badge of low station – and makes it integral to the Helghan identity. There is nothing shameful in its history, Visari tells the people. It is testament to their fortitude to wear the mask. And the Helghan rally around him, rich and poor alike.

2. BIRTH OF THE HELGHAST (2347)

Visari coins the term Helghast in a public speech. Its purported origin is from the Old English word, gast, meaning spirit, or ghost, connoting great fear. Visari states that they are no longer what they once were. Where they were once human and spiritless, their generations on Helghan, their sufferings; these have forged them into a new race, the only truly ‘living’ race. Whatever the etymology, the name sticks.

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Feigning an attempt on his life to garner public support, Visari leads a military coup backed by a popular uprising to assume the title of Autarch. He seizes unrestricted power from the Helghan Administration and begs the army for 10 years of unchallenged authority to reforge the Helghast into a true independent power. As part of his plan, Visari begins a major enlargement of the Helghast Military. A secondary aspect of the Helghast revolution is a cultural evolution, led personally by Visari to change the face of Helghan society. Visari bans the use of written English in 2349, devising a new Helghast alphabet to be used in its place. Plans for an entirely new Helghast language are never fully implemented due to the logistical difficulties, but the ideal of this linguistic separation remain dear to Visari. As a final touch, the old Helghan banner is dropped in favor of a simpler, starker and more dynamic logo. The Helghast Triad becomes the official banner of Helghan: three arrows representing Duty, Obedience and Loyalty signal the new values that Helghast society is based upon.

3. THE NEW HELGHAN ECONOMY (2350)

Starting with low level smuggling operations but gradually building up in scale, the Helghast begin breaking the ISA embargo of their world to trade directly to black-market suppliers. At first the trade is exclusively to the Vektan energy market, but slowly Visari encourages off-world agents to source their power from Helghan. The whittled down ISA fleet is powerless to do more than put a dent in the trade, and some factions on Vekta question whether the Helghan blockade is even needed at this point. The Helghast rebuild their transfer station, albeit on a more modest scale than before, and trade really starts to take off. The depression officially ends when the Helghast secure a contract with the ICSA for energy and materials. The deal is mutually beneficial, and both parties gain immensely from it.

The ISA governor does not increase funding to the ISA Navy, making the issue of containment a moot point.

4. THE SECOND DEFENCE PLATFORM BEGINS CONSTRUCTION (2356)

Concerned by the Helghast military build up in progress, the ISA Governor orders the construction of an additional orbital defense platform to complement the 52 year old defense network already in place. ISA General Stuart Adams is appointed the military commander of the network.

Next Page: Second Extrasolar War