Karn

General Karn was the primary antagonist of the video game Gears of War: Judgement. In the early days of the Locust War, Karn was the commander of the Locust army and was responsible for coordinating the Horde's first assault on the surface of Sera during Emergence Day.

Early History
Karn was born as a malformed Theron Guard and was considered an outcast. Young and feeble, he explored the Hollow and eventually came upon an injured creature he named Shibboleth, which had suffered a broken leg. Karn saw the creature was just as alone and forgotten as he was and decided to fashion it a new leg, forming a relationship with the beast. Karn later began climbing ranks using intelligence instead of physical strength, becoming a master strategist for the Horde who would later plan Emergence Day, the Locust's intial assault against humanity.

Emergence Day
Karn personally led an assault on the Republic of Gorasnaya and in that single campaign, devastated a majority of the Gorasni population. Former Union of Independent Republics Major Garron Paduk and his men fruitlessly fought against the general and, realizing his lethality, dubbed him "Karn".

Destruction of Halvo Bay
Six weeks after Emergence Day, Karn attacked the city of Halvo Bay, located in the leading Coalition of Ordered Governments nation of Tyrus. The city was home to the Halvo Bay Military Academy and several other important military targets that Karn sought to destroy one by one. He targeted the academy first, and personally killed Spc. Alexieff, the last Gear defending the academy. Karn then turned his attention towards the Museum of Military Glory, first destroying a COG convoy heading for the museum. He then led Locust forces in wiping out the Onyx Guard units defending the museum, using Shibboleth to crush several members of Black-Four to death. Karn then targeted the airport, which the COG was using to evacuate civilians. He used Seeders to cut off the COG's communication and quickly overwhelmed the airports defenses, although he lost one Seeder to Omega-Two. Karn then attacked the Endeavor Naval Shipyard, taking the port to prevent evacuation by sea.

Karn then returned to the Museum of Military Glory, where his Seeders had been destroyed by Omega-Two. He wanted to deal with them personally, but also learned that another Gear squad was causing trouble and had landed at the wharf district. Karn sent some of his best forces to the wharf to deal with them while he focused on Omega-Two. While marshaling his soldiers at the Museum, Karn's position was struck by a Lightmass Missile fired by Kilo Squad. Karn and Shibboleth survived, and he sent his elite forces to take out Kilo Squad, who had guided the missile from a nearby rooftop.

Karn led the attack on a courthouse where Col. Ezra Loomis was trying Kilo Squad for disobeying orders. Karn emerged atop Shibboleth and destroyed a King Raven that the five Gears were attempting to board and engaged them in a battle across the Plaza for the Tyran Dead. Karn then personally attacks the squad and the Colonel. After they disabled his chainguns, Karn attacked with an incendiary launcher, but retreated to the top of a nearby roof and called for reinforcements after being injured. During the fight between the squad and the reinforcements, Karn came down off the building and tried to trample the squad as well as launching incendiary bombs from Shibboleth's mechanical leg until it was destroyed, causing him to retreat again and call for more reinforcements. He also launched Nemacysts from Shibboleth. Finally, Karn attacked again with his chainguns and once they are once again disabled, Shibboleth exposes its mouth and Kilo and Loomis focus fire on this weakspot, Karn tried to take them down with his Boltok Pistol as the Shibboleth grew weaker but he wasn't able to aim, the Gears and some King Ravens continued to attack, killing Shibboleth. Karn was thrown from his mount and though he survived the explosion and fall, he was severely injured and unable to stand. As Kilo wondered what to do with him, Loomis executed Karn with a shot to the head from his Boltok Pistol. However the Locust Horde didn't stop their attack over Halvo Bay even with their General's death and ultimately killed Col. Loomis and almost all of the Gears defending the city. Karn's succesor RAAM would lead the Horde's forces in the onslaught of humanity from Emergence Day to 14 A.E. when he perished.

Personality and Traits
Karn was supposedly one of the most powerful members of the Locust hierarchy but was one of the few who didn't focus on personal combat. Instead, he was considered a master planner and a superb commander when it came to leading the charge on the battlefield. This combined with the underestimating attitude of Col. Loomis towards the Locust left Karn with an easy task to destroy Halvo Bay. However, Karn did seem to recognize foes who would prove a nuisance to him, as seen when he personally led the onslaught at the Halvo Bay Military Academy and when he launched a full attack at both Omega Two and Kilo Squad for messing up with his plans. It is unknown if he followed orders from Myrrah or if he acted on his own nor if he had any special connection with the Queen as his successors did. It is also unknown what was his relationship with fellow General RAAM, nor whether they worked together after Emergence Day or if there was a rivalry between the two of them. However it is probable that each of them led the onslaught on different locations but they had the same objective: advancing towards Jacinto plateau, they also seem to have some sort of mastery over a creature or several creatures, Karn had the Shibboleth and RAAM had the Kryll.

Karn developed a symbiotic relationship with the creature Shibboleth some time prior to Emergence Day. The two were always seen together, which made them a formidable force.