Shibboleth

Shibboleth
Biographical information
Homeland	The Hollow
Date of birth	Before Emergence Day
Date of death	Thaw, 0 A.E.
Physical description and appearance
Body color	Grey/White skin
Eye color	Red
Cybernetics	Protesthic Leg
Chronological and personal information
Rank(s)	Personal Mount Walking Tank
Era(s)	Pendulum Wars Locust War
Notable Facts	General Karn's Personal Mount Mechanical Prosthetic Leg
Weapons	Claws Digger Launcher Incendiary Grenade Launcher Mass Mounted Troikas Nemacyst Teeth Fire Imulsion Bolts
Equipment	Protesthic Leg
Mounts	One rider
Affiliation	Locust Horde

"What the hell is that!?"
"That's the end of Halvo Bay..."

—Damon Baird and Garron Paduk upon seeing Shibboleth

The Shibboleth was a mutated Corpser. A large land-based monster under the control of the Locust Horde, it served as the personal mount of General Karn. Resembling a monstrously-huge spider-like creature, Shibboleth participated in the Horde's campaign against humanity, most notably the destruction of the Republic of Gorasnaya and the attack on Halvo Bay.

History

Early History

Sometime before the Locust War, Shibboleth damaged its leg and was found by a wandering Karn. Karn saw himself within the beast, alone and forgotten, and decided to construct it a new leg in order for it to walk again. Shibboleth bonded to Karn and became his ever-faithful mount. He was also modified by Ukkon for Karn's use which Ukkon reported to Uzil RAAM shortly after he gained power.

Locust War

Fall of Gorasnaya

Karn rode Shibboleth when he destroyed Gorasnaya.

Shibboleth killing the remaining Onyx Guards at the Museum of Military Glory.

Destruction of Halvo Bay

When General Karn led the Destruction of Halvo Bay, he rode Shibboleth through the city. Kilo Squad spotted Karn and Shibboleth outside the Museum of Military Glory and Private Garron Paduk identified the two as the ones who were responsible for the destruction of Gorasnaya. Knowing they need to take them down, Cadet Sofia Hendrik suggested using the Lightmass Missile to kill Shibboleth and Karn, but Colonel Ezra Loomis refused. Kilo went against orders and fired the missile at them, having sacrificed Troy to get a target lock. The Lightmass Missile destroyed the museum and killed hundreds of Locust and presumably, Karn and Shibboleth, who were pinning down Omega-Two.

Shibboleth advancing on Kilo at the Plaza for the Tyran Dead.

Last Stand and Death

"Your Boogeyman? Doesn't look so tough."

— Col. Loomis after seeing the Shibboleth for the first time.

Later, during the Locust attack on the Courthouse where Kilo was on trial for using the Lightmass Missile, Karn and Shibboleth revealed themselves to have somehow survived the explosion and destroyed the King Raven helicopter that was about to extract Kilo and Colonel Loomis. Shibboleth and Karn retreated by digging under the ground and making their way to the Plaza for the Tyran Dead just outside the Courthouse. There, under Karn's control, Shibboleth fired its machine guns at the group, but they were disabled. When that failed, Karn tried to take them out with an Incendiary Grenade launcher and retreated when Kilo and Loomis disabled that. After the squad briefly battled Locust reinforcements, Karn and Shibboleth returned and tried to trample the humans as well as launch Digger beasts from Shibboleth's mechanical leg. In response, Kilo destroyed the mechanical leg, forcing Shibboleth to retreat once again. Shibboleth released Nemacysts to attack the humans and after more reinforcements arrive, attacked again with its machine guns. Kilo and Loomis once again disabled the guns and Shibboleth exposed its mouth in a scream from the injury, allowing Kilo and Loomis to concentrate their fire on its mouth and head with the help of nearby King Ravens, despite trying to take them out with fire bolts from its mouth and Karn shooting them with his Boltok Pistol, the combined forces of the COG manage to destroy its mouth, killing Shibboleth. His master just lived a few seconds more than his pet, just as Col. Loomis put a bullet through Karn's dying body.

Shibboleth with its face plate off.

Overview

Shibboleth was a unique creature employed by Locust General Karn as his personal mount in battle. Shibboleth was unique in that it had claws very close to that of an infant Corpser (one of which is a mechanical prosthetic) and with the ability to launch Nemacysts.  Unlike a Corpser, Shibboleth has no appendages on its caterpillar-like thorax, which hangs loosely. Shibboleth was extremely unique in that it appeared to serve the Locust (or at least Karn) of its own free will, rather than being broken and forced into servitude like some other animals. It is unknown if the Shibboleth was unique, or if there were others of its kind.

Behind the Scenes

• Despite the Shibboleth being a deformed Corpser, its appearance and abilities are more similar to a Seeder by its mandibles, legs, and anus that is able to launch Nemacysts.
• You can purchase a Shibboleth Pet avatar item on the Xbox Live marketplace for 240 Microsoft points.
• Shibboleth is the final boss of Gears of War: Judgment, succeeding General RAAM, the Lambent Brumak and the Tempest from Gears of War, Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 respectively.
• Its role as a personal mount to a high-ranking member of the Locust Horde is similar to that of the Hydra and the Tempest who served Ukkon, Skorge and Myrrah respectively.