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THE STORM BEARERS CHAPTER OF THE ADEPTUS ASTARTES Born of Man. Die for Man. Greater than Man. Origins Not all that is Man is created equal, and this stands true even for those who came of Man but have become far more than Man. The Emperor’s Angels of Death, transhuman warriors formed into Chapters, are Founded every few centuries. Not all of these Chapters are formed equally. Some are born poor, bereft even of a home world, bound to an existence of vagrancy across the stars. Auspiciously born from the blood of the 18th gene-line, in the 18th Founding, the Storm Bearers were more fortunate. To them were gifted an unconquerable fortress upon the orbiting moon of a world specially selected for suitable recruitment, as well as an immense Star Fort and numerous outer system planetary defenses with which to defend their home. The Aetna System was not only well placed to provide easy access and monitoring of several nearby subsectors, but had also come under a most unconventional siege. No enemy had yet been encountered, but evidence too substantial to ignore suggested a great threat had worked its way in. The Storm Bearers first action as an independent force was to root out and extinguish this threat, thought to be the Polyphemians, an ancient Etnaphemian myth that could potentially be the oldest known record of the foe. The Storm Bearers thought it superstition, and blamed the failure of the locals in locating and eliminating the threat on their superstitious nature. Superstitious though they may be, the threat was real. The enemy was real. The deaths of dozens of Space Marines attested to the power of the enemy, and yet such was its cunning and stealth that only the dead were left as evidence of its existence. Even the Steropes facility, a hub-bastion that coordinated the extensive network of defenses surrounding Aetna’s outermost planet, was susceptible. Analysis of recordings made on recovered Space Marine suits revealed the impossible truth. That the enemy was everywhere and yet the suit’s wearer would simply forget the creature’s existence once it had left the battle-brother’s sight. The recording was disseminated across the Chapter, and soon other recorded encounters were uncovered. Study of the creatures in the recordings commenced, and countermeasures were extrapolated and put in place. The Chapter’s Librarians began to concentrate upon the sensation of a sudden shift in their brothers’ memories; unable themselves to simply fixate and locate the xenos breed. This task fell to the Chapter’s Techmarine corps, who would modify the Chapter’s supply of suits to provide recognition whenever such creatures are witnessed, and log it so that the wearer would be reminded once the creature leaves sight. This advantage allowed the Storm Bearers to finally uncover and bring ruin upon the xenos hiding in their midst. The struggle against the xenos would last nearly two hundred years before the last uncovered nest could be put to the sword, though possible sightings and unsubstantiated reports would continue indefinitely. With the Polyphemian threat neutralized, the Storm Bearers would settle into their role as guardians, the superstitions and weaknesses of mortal man now laid bare. For millennia, the Storm Bearers would be the bulwark and the tempest both, as the Imperium required. Their exploits, particularly those of their long line of Lightning Bearers, would earn them great glory. In time, they would be given the greatest honor of providing the seed through which another Space Marine Chapter would be born. This Chapter would take the name of one who had fallen long, long ago, as the Storm Giants reborn. Home World Brontes was once a more civilized world, well onto its way into becoming a proto-Hive World. This did not suit the Storm Bearers, who wanted their world to inspire a more warrior spirit rather than simple genetic suitability. The Storm Bearers would be far from the only Chapter to affect directly the fate of their home world, but few would go so far as to reverse cultural progress and systematically destroy all evidence of an advanced civilization. The survivors, who were many as the Storm Bearers kept casualties at a minimum, formed smaller, local communities. Retained knowledge of metallurgy and other skills stalled regression in the equivalent of the Bronze Age. This setting has been encouraged and even violently enforced by the Storm Bearers. The planet of Brontes is a volatile one. Its large, harsh seas make for difficult ocean-faring, and traffic between its extensive, rocky island chains and small, isolated continents is light. The erratic orbit of its satellite moon of Mene, upon which the Storm Bearers’ fortress-monastery resides, plays havoc with the planet’s already fluctuating magnetic field. Storms of immense size and ferocity form with frightening regularity out among the tumultuous waters, their titanic fury when they hammer upon the shorelines inspiring the Chapter and giving them their name. Combat Doctrine In contrast to their Nocturnean kin, the Storm Bearers are deliberate and cumbersome, but far from slow. The Chapter maintains a large fleet of Thunderhawk vessels, preferring to arrive upon the enemy like a great storm cloud upon the horizon, though they are far from adverse to orbital deployments, drop pods striking the battlefield like bolts of lightning. Speed of delivery is imperative, their military strength gathered tight to lend the blow as much weight as possible. This preference has made them adept at offensive siege warfare, using their heavy, lightning assaults to shatter defenses, as well as to isolate and eliminate enemy commands no matter how deeply defended or concealed. Organization The Storm Bearers are strong components of the Codex Astartes, finding deviations as distasteful as any conservative Successor of the Ultramarines. Within the Chapter’s auxiliary forces there is, perhaps, a greater deal of communication and interaction than may be commonly found. Ongoing threats faced by the Storm Bearers has seen such internal organs as the Reclusiam, the Forge or the Librarium cooperate and partner for creative means of overcoming these challenges, such as the task to eradicate the Polyphemian xenokind requiring the services of the Librarium and the Forge in equal measure. Though these auxiliary formations remain separate within the Chapter’s chain of command, to an outsider familiar with other Space Marine Chapters the distinction may not be so clear. The Storm Bearers regularly maintain a crusader force tasked far beyond the borders to their realm and protectorates, and as such, the Chapter has been witnessed upon worlds and in battles across the breadth and width of the Imperium. Leadership over these crusades will fall to one commander, overseeing many companies in his command. These commanders are given the role of representing the Chapter well beyond its sphere of influence, and as such are given the rank of Lightning Bearer. This rank comes with exceptional honor and glory attached, as well as promises of future advancement. There have been more Storm Bearer Chapter Masters who had once served as Lightning Bearers than not. Beliefs The Storm Bearers came to the Aetna System bearing copies of the Promethean Creed, the spiritual treatise that continues to shape their Salamander brothers. Over time, the Storm Bearers would make changes and additions, inevitably coming to very different conclusions and the applications of their beliefs. The Cyclopean Creed, as the editions held by the Storm Bearers came to be called, has grown to place less faith in humanity than its parent Creed, finding them inherently weak and susceptible to corruption. Though such an assessment is often born of distaste, the Storm Bearers see this truth as due to their exceptional vulnerability and need for protection. The powerful gifts the Emperor and Vulkan provided the Angels of Death be not for mortal use, though it does instill a strong sense of responsibility. The Adeptus Astartes are gifted with the thunder and lightning of war, so that they can do what mortals cannot and should not. While the Storm Bearers see themselves as superior and above the general populace, their beliefs continue to bind them to humanity in service rather than in rule. Gene-seed The genetic material of the Storm Bearers remain effectively pure, what few mutative deviations exist are of little consequence. The most evident of the Storm Bearers deviations is in the improper function of their melanochrome organ. When operating at peak efficiency, the organ enables the Marine to shift skin tone for absorbing multiple levels of radiation. This organ within a son of the Promethean will malfunction, what should be temporary becoming permanent. The interaction between Brontes and Mene releases regular, periodic bursts of exotic forms of electromagnetic radiation. The Storm Bearers’ genetic legacy is affected, causing hair growth and eyes to pale and whiten, while the skin darkens in color, though far from the extent as seen by their Salamander brothers. These physical changes separate the sons of Vulkan from mortal kind, a divide the Storm Bearers embrace. Battle Cry “Fire and thunder!” http://i.imgur.com/H4zfnWk.jpg Pict-capture of a Storm Bearer survivor Outside the remains of the Steropes facility

Index Sororitas: Order of the Unbroken Crown Origins: Created in the latter days of M.37, the Order of the Unbroken Crown was the result of a prophetic vision dreamed by the infamous Cardinal Sedemio of the Kharidys Sector. The Cardinal declared that he had seen a great danger to the Emperor's realm one day emerging from the nearby Solios Nebula, but also saw a circlet of light that banded the edge of the nebula and protected the Imperium. This crown had a single point that fell on the otherwise unimportant world Viorda Secundus. Sedemio petitioned the Ecclesiarch - who was, incidentally, his half-brother - that the Adeptus Ministorium must take a stand to save the worlds around the Solios Nebula by decreeing the foundation of a new Lesser Order of their militant arm, the Adepta Sororitas. A Mission of more than eight hundred Sisters of Battle hailing from the Order of the Argent Shroud and led by the decorated Canoness Preceptor Felicia Agara was dispatched to Viorda Secundus. A great Convent House was built in the mountain wastelands beyond Viorda's single Hive. The people of the Hive welcomed the Sisterhood with open arms and the noble families of the world eagerly agreed that they would care for the Order's few material needs. Palatine Agnatha Ferrina Palatine Ferrina is the current commander of the Order of the Unbroken Crown. More than a hundred years of thankless duty, combined with the ungrateful spite of the people of Viorda Secundus, have made a once devout warrior into a mordant and waspish old woman. Ferrina has become cold and self-serving, caring more for preserving the sanctity of her quiet cell than for protecting the worlds of the Imperium. Rumours even abound in the lower Hive of Viorda that the Palatine has made pacts with the forces operating out of the Nebula, supplying them with materiel taken from the Order's own stockpiles. Whispers from various sources claim seeing shipments of weapons, bolt ammunition and even power armour components leaving Viorda Secundus, though what possible use simple renegades could have for such high-tech armaments is unclear. Later History: The initial years of the Order's vigil were marked by success as Preceptor Agara led assault after assault into the Solios Nebula, destroying countless fledgling bands of pirates. But as decades and centuries passed, the threat posed by the Nebula seemed to lessen and the fear of the fulfilment of Sedemio's vision waned. Over the next two millennia, as the Order's purpose was gradually marginalised and forgotten, the people of Viorda Secundus began to view the Sisterhood with less and less favour. Their watchfulness and dedication came to be seen as indolence and cowardice. Their requests for supplies, though met in full, were eventually accompanied by thinly veiled insults to the honour of the Order. At the same time, as other battlefronts and worlds required the might of the Adepta Sororitas, the strength of the Order was eaten away as units and Missions were reassigned. Though the millennia-old decree of Cardinal Sedemio could never be entirely undone, the most fervent of the Unbroken Crown became more and more eager for orders that sent them away from the Solios Nebula. Those that remained were inevitably those content in their bitter solitude and needless watchfulness. In the time of the present Imperium, the Order of the Unbroken Crown is poorly named. A shadow of their former glory, the Sisters have no power to fulfil the purpose for which they were created, their numbers eroded to barely more than a half dozen squads. Even though in recent decades the Solios Nebula has once again become the haunt of pirates and renegades, the Order is rumoured to have neither the ability or the inclination to act against them. Combat Doctrine: There is typically little that will rouse the Sisters of the Order to leave the quietude of their Convent House and go to war. However, if forced to act in order to protect their own interests, they are fierce and canny fighters. The Order usually operates as blocks of infantry, some of their number mounted in Rhinos or Immolators. These units are commonly armed, as one would expect, with the Sisterhood's trinity of bolter, melta and flamer. While the Order is famed for its bright, fiery colours, it is not uncommon for squads to hide these beneath obscuring mud, soot or cameoline. The Unbroken Crown uses few of the more complex war machines available to the Adepta Sororitas, such as Exorcists, though this is more likely due to a simple lack of maintenance rather than any idealogical issues. Sisters Repentia - and thereby Penitent Engines - are also very unusual, as the Order's tolerance for impious behaviour appears to be far higher than that found in an average Convent. When Battle Sisters are punished in this way, it is often less a matter of their having failed the God Emperor and more a question of having crossed their immediate superiors. Homeworld: Viorda Secundus is a minor world in the Kharidys Sector. A poor planet when compared with its important sister world, Viorda Prime, it is a barren waste with an atmosphere barely thick enough to support human life. Its people live in countless scattered townships and mining settlements, ruled from the only major conurbation, the Hive where the Planetary Governor holds court. Most have little in a material sense and it is therefore understandable that they have come to resent the tithe required by the Unbroken Crown. Once, three hundred years prior to the present day, the rulers of the noble Houses of Viorda refused the Sisters their 'rightful' tribute. The Order's response was as swift as it was brutal, first quietly bringing the majority of their squads within the Hive's walls and then assaulting the private residence of one of the Noble Houses. The palace and all its occupants, whether highborn or commoner, were torched to death in the fires caused by Flamers and Meltas. In a matter of hours, transports carrying foodstuffs, fuel and other supplies were rolling across the empty plains to the Sororitas Convent House. Battle Cry: The Adepta Sororitas are famous for going into battle singing loud praises and waving great banners proclaiming the glories of Mankind. The Order of the Unbroken Crown is far more pragmatic, slipping quietly into position until they are ready to unleash the thunder of their boltguns.

Order of the Gilded Blade Foundation Sister Poloma Castillion In 236.M41 the Order of the Argent Shroud spearheaded an Imperial reclamation campaign on the agri-world of Oldama Majoris. Whilst the holy sisters made swift progress in their assault on the capital city Iuga, stamping out heresy and inspiring hundreds to take up arms against the Emperor’s enemies, elsewhere the Imperial forces faltered. Disaster struck less than two weeks into the campaign when the 21st Harjinn Ghilmen regiment was massacred by a mob of heretics led by the reviled demagogue known as the Ash Priest. With the battle in Iuga intensifying and the Ash Priest’s force, now numbering close to twenty thousand, closing in from the rear, Canoness Commander Volenta ordered her second-in-command, Palatine Crusixis, to lead a small force of sisters into the dense Oldaman forests and continue the fight in the Emperor’s name. From the depths of the forest Palatine Crusixis launched numerous raids on heretic positions, massacring patrols and destroying supply posts. Nevertheless, as supplies dwindled and casualties mounted, the small force of sisters began to lose morale. The Ash Priest also needed to rekindle the heretical faith of his followers and began to burn the forest to the ground. The sisters retreated further and further, seeking to reach the edge of the fast-approaching wall of flames and loop back to outflank the heretics. It was then that they discovered a long-forgotten shrine to the Emperor. The walls were covered in tangled ivy, but were thick and defensible. The catacombs contained a treasure trove of swords, maces, flails and shields, archaic but usable. But the greatest treasure hung above the altar: a master-crafted power sword that shimmered with golden light. Palatine Crusixis declared that here that the sisters would make their last stand. The inferno washed over the shrine, incinerating the plant life and splintering the marble mosaics covering the outer walls. The sisters sheltered safe in the catacombs, singing hymns of praise to Him on Earth and sharpening their blades. When the flames had passed on the sisters emerged to defend the shrine from those who would despoil it. The battle was hard-fought, with the sisters relying almost entirely on the melee weapons they had uncovered and the heretics lacking heavy artillery to breach the walls of the shrine. After five hours of brutal combat the Ash Priest himself took to the field and was met by Palatine Crusixis. Although the arch-heretic was swollen with daemonic power, he was no match for the faithful sister and Crusixis decapitated him with one swipe of the golden sword. After this glorious victory the few surviving sisters swept across the land, their zeal burning brighter than ever. Those Oldamans who had remained faithful emerged from hiding to join the righteous crusade and, with their prophet slain, the heretics quickly capitulated. When Imperial reinforcements arrived two years later they found a world cleansed of heresy and eager to rejoin the Imperium of Man. Palatine Crusixis successfully petitioned the Covent Prioris to found a new commandery around the shrine they had discovered and two centuries later the Order of the Gilded Blade was formerly recognised as a Lesser Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas. Present Day At the close of the forty-first millennia Oldama Majoris has been transformed from a backwater agri-world to the most popular shrine world in three sectors. Pilgrims touch down at the spaceport outside Iuga and travel into the city along a highway lined with adamantium statues of the primarchs and the saints. In Iuga the pilgrims visit the shrine that marks the spot where Canoness Commander Volenta fell, torn apart by a rapid mob of heretics, and leave a traditional offering of a drop of blood to commemorate the sisters of the Order of the Argent Shroud who sacrificed their lives to free Oldama Majoris. After a tour of the other holy sites and shrines in Iuga the pilgrims remove their shoes and walk barefoot through the forest to the Shrine of the Emperor Saviour, now a sprawling temple complex containing training and living facilities for the Order of the Gilded Blade. The pilgrims take mass at the altar and view the golden sword with which Palatine Crusixis slew the Ash Priest. The pilgrims are then invited to an audience with the Canoness Superior or her representative. They are questioned on their journey and any heretical or xenos activity they witnessed or heard reports of. If the pilgrim is judged to be faithful and reliable their information is acted upon, whether it be a report of an ork invasion of hive world or a rumour of a witch hidden in a cave in the most remote and unimportant world. The sisters of the Order of the Gilded Blade know that all heresy is dangerous if allow to fester, no matter how inconsequential it may appear. “The Imperium is run by men and women who dream of sectors and subsectors, fleets and armies, sieges, pitched battles and orbital strikes. I do not deny the importance of these things. But the people who live in the Imperium have smaller dreams. They dream of their families, their neighbours, their farm or manufactory. They do not comprehend the Black Crusade, the horde of xenos, the world-ending warp rift. Such things do not concern them because they are too vast, too far beyond imagination. The things they fear are smaller: the raider in the night, the mutant in the sewer, the witch in the forest. Some say such things are insignificant, too lowly to demand our attention. To this I say: where do we draw the line between the tolerable heresy and the intolerable? Did the Emperor give his life so the Imperium could be partially saved? How can the smallfolk of the Imperium stay faithful if the Emperor’s representatives abandon them in their hour of need, no matter how small that need may seem in the grand scheme of things? Left unchecked the raider will return emboldened, seeking larger bounties. The mutant will bind together with others of its kind and rise up to overthrow the lawful government and enslave those who rightfully persecuted it. The witch will attract the attentions of those beyond and cause a whole world to be put to the torch. Call our work insignificant if you will. We know that it is not.” - Canoness Tirista Gonrolo Combat Doctrine The Order of the Gilded Blade numbers around six hundred battle sisters, with over four hundred away on active duty at any given time. The Order’s remit means that its forces are often spread thin on over a dozen worlds, many deployments consisting of only one or two squads with little chance of reinforcement during the mission. This means that each sister is highly trained to operate in any combat role and with any weapon in the Order’s arsenal. The Order of the Gilded Blade is unafraid to use stealth and infiltration tactics against the enemies of the Emperor, believing it is unworthy to apply notions like ‘honourable combat’ to such scum. Indeed, with the sisters usually operating at a numerical disadvantage, such tactics are vital. In recent years, following heavy petitioning from pilgrims and planetary authorities, the Order of the Gilded Blade has established small waystations on several worlds along major pilgrimage routes. These serve as rest points for weary pilgrims and as garrisons for up to a hundred sisters. The waystations have proved a resounding success, allowing the sisters to carry out more missions on worlds far from Oldama Majoris. They are swiftly becoming pilgrimage points in their own right for those of poor means who struggle to get offworld. The War for the Soul of Hive Gharne – 892.M41 The sisters of the Order of the Gilded Blade first learned of the heresy growing in Hive Gharne from Quarant Ipsos, an elderly pilgrim who had sold everything he owned to fund his pilgrimage from Terentis VI to Oldama Majoris. He spoke of his grandson, kidnapped and forced to fight to the death in underground arenas. The local Arbites saw it as a way regulate the district’s population, but Quarant had learnt the holy words of the saints all his life and knew that blood-sport was a grave sin against the Emperor, depriving Him of men and women who owed Him their lives. The sisters recognised the need and despatched three squads to Terentis VI. It soon became clear that the arenas were merely a cover for a well-organised gang of blood cultists whose influence spread throughout the underworld of Hive Gharne. The sisters remained in the shadows at first, carrying out raids on minor drug dens, warehouses and blood-pits. Each strike was well planned and initiated with no survivors left to breathe word of their presence. The sisters also reached out to priests of the Adeptus Ministorum, requesting that they stir up their congregations to oppose the arena fights. With their operations under attack from an unknown foe and the faithful rising up against them, the blood cultists overplayed their hand. A tide of gangers, pit-fighters and death-seekers spilled on to the streets, massacring anyone in their path including each other. The Arbites were forced to respond, deploying en masse to fight the cultists. The sisters also revealed themselves, using intelligence extracted during their initial operations to locate and destroy the cult leaders. The heresy was eradicated within a week. Sister Superior Ysobil Romora first came to the Shrine of the Emperor Saviour as an orphan girl, six years old and born on pilgrimage. She told the tale of how the pilgrim ship she was travelling on was attacked by eldar corsairs and how her parents sacrificed their lives to lead the aliens away from her hiding place. Like many of the parentless girl-children who find their way to the Shrine Ysobil was inducted into the Order of the Gilded Blade as a novice. She was trained every day in faith and in battle, excelling in every field. When she finally attained the rank of battle sister on her sixteenth birthday it was widely seen as being several years late. Over the following years Sister Ysobil continued to excel. Her sharp eye and ferocious strength frequently saw her assigned as a Retributor heavy weapons specialist. It was her heavy bolter that cut down the ork mob on the steps of the Temple of the Primarchs on Laodiseah and her multi-melta that destroyed three traitor Leman Russ tanks on Drexus. In a brutal fight on Chennov Ysobil was forced to take command of the Order’s force after heavy casualties. After leading a heroic counter-attack on the rebel position that ended up winning the war, Ysobil was promoted to Sister Superior. Her final battle took place in the dark forests of Kapuchin III where she was torn limb-from-limb by a giant mutated monster. This grisly sight inspired her sisters to greater fury and they fought unceasingly over the next three years until the planet’s mutant infestation was finally cleansed. Sister Superior Ysobil Romora

The Disciples of the Covetous Serpent http://i.imgur.com/o76JRNU.jpg Rendering of a typical Disciple in full armour with warband icon. The Disciples of the Covetous Serpent is a warband of Chaos Space marines. They are a successor of the Alpha Legion who sought to capitalize the chaotic aid of a daemon and now act as reluctant agents of its circuitous schemes. The Disciples of the Covetous Serpent are now independent of all ties of allegiance, Chaotic or Imperial, and serve only their own ambition under the patronage of a greater daemon. As a result, they are begrudging servants of Tzeentch. Warband History Disruption of Santioch By the end of M31, the Traitor Legions had been routed away from Holy Terra, pursued and banished to the Eye of Terror. Not all traitors sought refuge in the Warp, however. The Alpha Legion - rather than flee into the Immaterium - splintered into innumerable factions and warbands, spreading throughout the galactic east and beyond. Gone was the central hierarchy of the Legion. Each group of warriors and operatives was now an autonomous unit. Often these groups would coordinate their efforts in joint operations to further unknown goals and objectives. Of particular note to this entry is the particular operational cell known only as Gamma/Rho-17. No confirmed interactions with Gamma/Rho-17 in Imperial space can be confirmed until 073.M33. It was in this year that the warband was apparently tasked with the cultural and political disruption of the Imperial world of Santioch. The disruption of this world would create a chain of events and sector instability that would ultimately see the Bybolos 29th Regiment temporarily withdraw from the adjacent subsector to address the problems. The absence of the 29th would leave a pivotal forgeworld with minimal defenses, and thus render it vulnerable to a raid from an allied contingent of the 54th Grand Battalion of Iron Warriors. Only a small window of time was available to disrupt Santioch and cause the events necessary for the arrival of the 54th Grand Battalion. To those trained in the arts of the Hydra, though, this operation would prove simple. The ten squad leaders of Gamma/Rho-17 convened as a council and deliberated on various courses of action. As they had with all past operations, every idea generated by a council member was presented, evaluated, and ranked by perceived effectiveness. Only unanimous agreement on tactics allowed action. In keeping with the squad’s traditions a primary, secondary, and tertiary plan were thus established and enacted immediately. Yet as the deadline of subsequent phases approached, all efforts of Gamma/Rho-17 had met with failure, or were proceeding too slowly to have any effect. The primary, secondary, and tertiary plans were all failures by Legion standards. Any attempt at nurturing the development of Chaos cults in the rural areas of Santioch met resistance. The few successful attempts saw the cultists quickly degraded by rampant mutations. Sabotage efforts in larger metropolitan areas were plagued with last-minuted failures of technology or the intervention of local authorities. Even the installation of the Legion’s human operatives throughout all elements of government and bureaucracy produced no results. Each political scheme seemed to be anticipated by the local politicians, and every deception begun was unraveled in days, even hours. The entire planets appeared to be actively scheming to thwart all of Gamma/Rho-17’s machinations. Exceedingly frustrated, the council of squad leaders repeatedly met to craft newer and more novel approaches to upheaving the planet, gradually employing more frequent use of unorthodox tactics. These, too, were failures. Sabotage from within the warband was feared, but all investigations found zero evidence to support these fears. Interference from a third party returned even less evidence. By all accounts Gamma/Rho-17 seemed to be plagued with endless back luck. Time was running out, and every member of the warband was growing desperate. Desperate, the squad leaders quickly accepted when asked to entertain the audience of an operative from Santioch’s native population. She called herself Quetz’l Kulk’n, and she was the de facto leader of the only successful Chaos cult instigated on the planet: The Order of the Covetous Serpent. An Audience with Quetz’l Kulk’n The ten Astartes sat in silence as Quetz’l spoke quietly. In her tenure as the leader of her Order, she had come to learn that a much stronger entity had plans for Santioch. Through her commune with the Warp this entity had spoken to her mind and amusingly noted the warband’s efforts to manipulate the planet. The entity had grown fond of the Legion’s attempts but was finding greater amusement in disrupting every action they took, and would not cease. Quetz’l continued to speak, presenting to the squad leaders the daemon’s ultimatum: it would continue to ruin every plan they could conceive, and would follow them as a shadow to hinder their every effort permanently… unless they all swore fealty to the daemon. None of the ten Legionnaires spoke for quite some time, and Quetz’l waited patiently until Argas Piln, leader of Squad Enea, broke the silence. Though rightfully untrusting of the cultist and her proxied ultimatum, Argas was still curious. He wanted to know what benefits would await them all if they forswore their Primarch and kneeled before the daemon’s will. Naturally his brothers quickly spoke up in protest, but they were soon calmed. Argas made it very clear he had no intention of serving a daemon; he only wished to have all of the information. It is only when all information is revealed and accounted for that a rational decision can be made, he noted. Conceding to his logic, the council agreed but concluded the entirety of Gamma/Rho-17 should be present to hear the daemon’s offer and make a decision. With every power armoured warrior gathered together aboard the great hall of the battle barge Plutus, Quetz’l Kulk’n addressed the entire warband. She reiterated that refusing the offer of her patron would see the warband effectively destroyed, as not one of their members would ever see even the simplest of plans meet with success. Acceptance, however, would bring reward. Quetz’l’s patron had watched the Alpha Legion - and Gamma/Rho-17 - specifically due to their penchant for unorthodox planning and strategy. Nothing pleased it more than to see and elaborate scheme unfold, and no agents of humanity could craft and execute an operation as flawless and convoluted as the Alpha Legion.The daemon, she explained, wanted agents of its will in the Materium and had been observing Gamma/Rho-17 since their inception. It had picked them above all others. As servants of the Covetous Serpent, success would rain upon the warband. Rather than its curse, the faction would instead gain its blessing. Through Quetz’l, the daemon promised interference would be limited - the daemon would mainly observe the actions of his servants, only intervening when to amuse itself. But these interactions would never be a hindrance again. Rewards and gifts awaited the individuals with the minds to craft plans overflowing with creativity, ingenuity, and complexity. The greater the mind and plan, the greater the gifts. Murmurs within the crowd rose, but their content of discussion was mixed. Yes, many scorned the idea of swearing themselves to a daemon. To barter and make deals with creatures of the Warp was both foolish and beneath them - leave that to the zealots of Lorgar’s brood. No good could come of it. But for every Legionnaire that rebuked the offer, another one considered the proposal objectively, analyzing it with a longer view. Argas Piln was the loudest amongst this crowd. He agreed, yes, that daemonic forces could never be trusted, but illustrated that refuting this entity would see them in ruin, as abject failures to their Legion. And though slavery held a bitter taste in their mouths, failure was far worse. Time had run out on both the offer and the campaign on Santioch. A discussion began, and then a debate, with more and more individuals joining the ranks of Argas Piln and those who would swear themselves to the Covetous Serpent. Quetz’l demanded the response of Gamma/Rho-17 on behalf of her patron, and they agreed to the terms. Slowly the warriors in cerulean armour began to kneel, one by one, until every last man bowed his head in submission before the frail woman in tattered green robes. The choice was made. Quetz’l’s body was suddenly wracked with seizure as a brilliant aura of blue light overtook her body. Tendrils of that light serpentined out in every direction, striking the Legionnaires and binding them all to the Covetous Serpent. Two days later, the world of Santioch was consumed in civil war, rebellion, anarchy, and chaos. All new estimates placed the arrival of the Bybolos 29th Regiment two weeks ahead of initial timetables. Satisfied, the Disciples of the Covetous Serpent finished preparations and slipped into the Immaterium. Betrayal at Targidae The modest fleet of the Disciples translated out of the Warp three days before the Iron Warriors 54th Grand Battalion had promised to arrive. The disruption of Santioch saw this area of the subsector nearly devoid of any Astra Militarum presence. The forgeworld of Targidae had only its own planetary defenses and a contingent of Skitarii forces to protect it. All initial reconnaissance determined that the planet produced no materials of particular interest and was little more than a resupply station for the subsector. Why the Iron Warriors were adamant about raiding this world was unknown to the Disciples, but it mattered not. Hidden in the gravitational shadow of Targidae’s ninth moon and remaining well out of range of detection, the warband’s fleet held motionless while the warriors developed their strategies for invasion. As this was an operation of the Iron Warriors the plans were very simple and brutish, if effective: lay siege to all defenses, claim territory, and strip the planet of all resources before withdrawing. It was not elegant, but it would get the job done. The 54th Grand Battalion had made it very clear and explicit in their initial agreement with the Alpha Legion that no further complications or aggrandizement were necessary. Quetz’l Kulk’n had approached the Astartes on behalf of her master once again. Not at all surprising for a being that exists beyond and outside the scope of time, the daemon knew of the plans laid out by the Traitor Marines. And the daemon, like its new disciples, was bored with the simplicity the Iron Warriors demanded. In the eyes of the Serpent, this campaign would serve as a proper first trial to all the individuals who now served its ways. Targidae would be the first of many contests to come. The female prophet of the daemon outlined its wishes to the again-assembled marines: the alliance must be broken in secrecy and the Iron Warriors must not be allowed to succeed. They are allowed to make no successful gains on territory nor leave with any resources. The fate of the planet was inconsequential - Targidae can remain in the hands of the Imperium or be reduced to a lifeless rock of rad-wastes. As an additional incentive to inspire creativity, every single operative in the Serpent’s Order will be in competition with the rest. The lone member who’s strategy involves the greatest level of depth, complication, irregularities, deception, and Iron Warrior casualties will be rewarded by the daemon. This development did not sit well with the former Legionnaires. Not initially, at least. Those who were first hesitant to join the daemon were the ones with the strongest reservations. Betray their own allies, all in the name of this game? Could the spoils truly be worth it? In the eyes of the more ambitious Disciples, betrayal was well worth the opportunity. Even when serving the Primarch, the only true loyalty a Legionnaire had was to the Hydra and nothing more. With even that loyalty now shed, betraying a band of Iron Warriors held no meaning. Leaving the antechamber sporadically, every one of the collected operatives withdrew to private quarters to begin their personal preparation. When three days had passed, every Astartes aboard the fleet had crafted a scheme designed to win the favor of the daemon. Some focused on emboldening the planetary defenses. Others chose to disrupt the Grand Battalion from within. Still others worked to incorporate the planet itself, finding an asset in the abundant seismic activities. On and on the plans ranged, each isolating a flaw to be exploited, a resource to plunder and utilize, and every nuanced action and reaction carried the veil of bad luck and misfortune, blurring any chance of discovered betrayal. The Iron Warriors arrived. Terse greetings were exchanged between the traitors as they prepared for invasion. Within hours was the initial landfall of the warriors. Deception’s Aftermath The Tergidae Campaign saw the greatest losses the 54th Grand Battalion would endure for the next four hundred years. Two months of fighting and the Iron Warriors had gained no ground. Many among them wished to blame the Alpha Legion’s influence but could find no cause or evidence to support this. Instead, all defeats were attributed to poor timing, underestimated resistance efforts, and unfortunate circumstances of geography and weather. Supplies and ammunition numbers showed a net loss - and a large one - thus declaring the campaign a failure. After withdrawing from the surface of Tergidae and angrily renouncing all alliances and ties to the Alpha Legion, the 54th Grand Battalion slipped out of realspace and ceased all current and future communication with the Disciples of the Covetous Serpent. Perturabo’s sons were not the only ones who appeared to suffer invisible sabotage, however. Upon completion of the daemon’s contest the various Astartes once again assembled in the great antechamber to await Quetz’l. But as they entered they looked upon each other with a brewing distrust, and for good reason. The Iron Warriors were not the only ones who were betrayed. In the initial weeks of the campaign all plans were operating with optimal success. But as time moved on and the Iron Warriors persevered, many agents of the Serpent’s Order saw their plans losing coherency for seemingly random reasons. Detonations within key structures would still go off, but only after delaying long enough to prevent casualties. Disinformation would be fed through the various channels on the surface only to have the proper information reach the target. Little by little these incidents added up, affecting every single Disciple. The spirit of the daemon’s competition had affected them all, until each operative was serving no one but himself. But that very selfish intent worked. Every double cross and backstab managed to further the united goal of the warband to thwart the Iron Warriors all while advancing the the individual ambition of every Astartes to prove himself better than his brothers. In as little as one campaign they had descended from a united brotherhood intelligently completing a united goal to a band of individuals who work for themselves and achieve a unified objective on accident alone. It was just as the daemon had planned. Quetz’l Kulk’n took her place upon a dais in the antechamber and waited until the assembled warriors had fallen to their knees once again. As always, she spoke on behalf of her Chaotic master. It was greatly impressed with the sabotage of the Iron Warriors and shared praise accordingly. But more than that, their patron daemon was incredibly pleased at their ruthless ambition to win. One by one the schemes and deceptions of every Disciple was laid bare before the group, each backstab and betrayal given light. Every suspicion was given credence, and the room’s atmosphere turned quite sour. At last, the prophetess Quetz’l turn to address Argas Piln and told him to rise. Among the entire warband, it was his efforts that most impressed the daemon. Over the next two hours, Quetz’l spoke endlessly of every action taken by Argas and the subsequent impact it had on every Disciple in the chamber. He could feel the collective spite and hate of his brothers upon him, but he didn’t care. He won. His plans were the most intricate, the most effective, the most deceptive. He was the best. Just as before, Quetz’l’s body was hit with harsh seizures, and the blue aura spread outward from her core. Her mouth opened and she exhaled a plume of cerulean flame, spearing forward and consuming Argas completely. The paint on his armour chipped and peeled, all of it falling away and fading into dust, leaving the ceramite bare. The flames lingered still, melting the armour plate and then reshaping it, brilliant new colors adorning it. Draconic scales textured every inch of his new plate, shining in lustrous hues of [insert color scheme here]. The powerpack was now two coiled serpents whose heads formed the exhaust ports. A cloak of woven, iridescent feathers fell to the floor from his shoulders. And upon the left pauldron was a new sigil: a two-tone green serpent's head, appearing to be carved from stone. With its gift granted, the daemon ended his possession and Quetz’l collapsed to the floor. Argas stood, admiring the details and testing the movements of his new Armour of Avarice, sensing the Chaotic powers built into the mechanics. He was rewarded with little time to gloat, however. Every other Disciple quickly emptied the antechamber, leaving Argas with no audience beyond the unconscious woman. The next campaign of the warband wouldn’t be for another four months, which meant every operative only had sixteen weeks to construct the perfect plan. Notable Campaigns Santioch (073.M33) - an Imperial world that fell to the influence of Gamma/Rho-17 after swearing allegiance to their daemonic patron. By capitalizing on the planet-wide influence of the Order of the Covetous Serpent a long series of rebellions and riots popped up in seemingly random locations for unknown reasons. Operatives of the Disciples ensured that the proper forces were armed and fed the correct intel to further the plans of the warband. The ultimate fall of the planetary government came with the assassination of the provost general in a paramilitary coup. This coup, however, was immediately overturned by a third party separatist movement, all of whom having to fend off the growing civilian rebellion, and eventually seven more growing political factions. This political turmoil led to a planet of complete rebellion requiring the intervention of the Byblos 29th Regiment of the neighboring subsector. Targidae (073.M33) - a joint effort between the Disciples of the Covetous Serpent and the 54th Grand Battalion of the Iron Warriors. The siege of the planet lasted over two months before finally ceasing. This campaign was considered an absolute failure for the Iron Warriors as the Imperial forgeworld successfully defended against all invaders. This defeat was engineered by the Disciples in an effort to please their patron daemon. Plague planet Chaconis (743.M36) - an assassination campaign mounted against the Tainted, successors of the Death Guard stationed on the plague planet Chaconis. The patron daemon wanted all ranking officials amongst the Tainted eliminated to ensure the proper leadership would be in place for another campaign millennia in the future. In keeping with the spirit of the Order, the assassinations were crafted into a competition, all to see which death could be crafted as the most interesting and entertaining. This was naturally compounded by the unnatural resilience and resistance to death that came with all of those who served Nurgle. The winner of this contest was Vavrock Pepsis. Through a mixture of sorcery and subterfuge Vavrock Pepsis convinced Lord Decarius to sacrifice his own life in response to false promises of daemonhood. His sacrifice instead opened a rift and out poured a host of Flamers of Tzeentch, which proceeded to incinerate as many of the Tainted as they could before being banished. Space Hulk Ruinous Culmination (259.M38) - the last recorded appearance of the Disciples of the Covetous Serpent in Imperial space. The Praetors of Orpheus had dispatched their 6th Company to investigate the space hulk drifting through the Pavonis system. The Disciples also saw themselves dispatched to the space hulk, tasked with aiding the Praetors in cleansing the hulk and recovering any artefacts found. Should the casualty rate of the Praetors fall below 15% the daemon would consider all his Disciples to have failed. If the Praetors withdrew from the hulk to destroy it with their fleet, it would be considered a failure. With the rules of the game established, the Disciples began their infiltration of the Praetors and the hulk. A massive Genestealer brood aboard the hulk weighed heavily on the Praetors of Orpheus, but the Disciples worked to aid them from behind the scenes. Nests were eliminated, reconnaissance fed to the Imperials, areas of the hulk opened or closed to control movements, and all entities aboard the hulk puppeted. These efforts were fruitless as the presence of the Disciples was discovered and the Praetors immediately changed objectives to pursue them. The Traitor marines immediately withdrew, accepting their failure and hoping to avoid pointless losses. After a brief skirmish between the fleets the Disciples escaped. Warband Beliefs The Disciples of the Covetous Serpent have come to value material gain and individualism above all else. Any allegiance to the Alpha Legion or any other Chaos Space Marine forces has been effectively dissolved. Indeed, there are seldom alliances within the warband, let alone without. Every course of action is the means by which each Disciple will utilize his skills best to compete against his brothers and earn the patron daemon’s favor. The Disciples now believe that no plan is a successful one unless it defies all odds and logic to reach completion. To succeed is simply not enough; now the warband must succeed in the most complicated and circuitous way possible. Conventional tactics are shunned and looked down up, as plans are far too easy and simply not worth any attention. Notable Members Quetz’l Kulk’n - while not an Astartes, she is the direct link between the Disciples and their patron daemon. She serves as the leader of the Santioch-based Order of the Covetous Serpent.It is unknown if she was in service to the daemon before her indoctrination with the Alpha Legion or after. Quetz’l acts as the messenger and conduit of the Covetous Serpent that is master to the Disciples. Every assignment and campaign is commanded from her lips, and every reward is gifted through her sorcery. When the Serpent blesses a Disciple with a boon or artefact, Quetz’l’s body will erupt in a blue aura that fills the room, with writhing tendrils that deliver the prize. This obviously leaves her physically exhausted and drained, but the daemon ensures it is never enough to consume her. Because of her status and connection to the Serpent she is rewarded with respect and reverence rarely bestowed upon a human from an Astartes. Of all those who serve the daemon, she is perhaps the one who benefits the most. Argas Piln - Sergeant of Enea squad of the former Gamma/Rho-17 cell of the Alpha Legion, and “leader” of the Disciples. No records of his service to the Alpha Legion can be found prior to the events of Santioch. When approached with the offer to serve a daemon and reward from said fealty, Argas was the most outspoken amongst his brothers to accept the offer. It is in large part due to his convicted speech that the warband ultimately agreed. Upon earning the Armour of Avarice, Argas has become a champion among the Disciples, ranking highest in the eyes of the daemon and thus his brothers. With each passing campaign he grows more and more withdrawn, his mind consumed with the complicated webs of deception he is continuously weaving against friend and foe alike. Vavrock Pepsis - Sorcerer primaris of the Disciples of the Covetous Serpent. Prior to the events of Chaconis Vavrock was but one of a handful of fledgling sorcerers developing within the warband. While many of his brothers developed their arts toward outward destruction Vavrock prefered Telepathy, denying the lure of pure power to focus on manipulation. Bored with the constant power struggles and betrayals amongst the psyker brood, he sought to end it all by taking charge. When tasked with assassinations of the Tainted, Vavrock worked with a fervor to outperform all others. Singling out Lord Decarious as his target, Vavrock attacked his mind, whispering to him promises of daemonhood. Slowly he wormed his way into the rotted psyche of the Nurgle champion, convincing the lord that the path to apotheosis was assured. Decarious could not resist the whispers any longer and sacrificed his own life, sparing Vavrock from having to take to the task with his own hands. The sorcerer was quite amused as the betrayed champion gave his life and erupted with warpflame and the daemons that followed, slaughtered countless other Tainted marines until their banishment. At the campaign’s close, the patron daemon gifted Vavrock Pepsis with a spell familiar - a feathered viper of innumerable colors and iridescent hues that continuously coiled and slithered all over his armor. Warband Appearance While the lower half of the armour has remained unchanged from the colors used by the Alpha Legion, the Disciples distinguish themselves with a bright orange on the chest plate, pauldrons, helmet, and backpack. All trim varies between a polished silver and dull gunmetal. Those who have distinguished themselves within the warband are typically awarded with armour that is adorned with scales of various shape and size. The symbol of the warband is a two-tone green head of a serpent, designed to appear as if carved from stone. It is unknown if this is the portrait of their patron daemon or simply a stylized icon for their heraldry.

+++ WELCOME TO DATA TERMINAL ALTAR SIGMA 27 +++ +++ ACCESSING CENTRAL DATA POOL... +++ +++ CONNECTION ESTABLISHED +++ +++ ENTER SEARCH REQUEST +++ brotherhood of iron +++ FOUND 1 RESULT: BROTHERHOOD OF IRON +++ +++ SHOW DATA? +++ [Y]ES - [N]O http://www.40k-fanworld.net/wbb/wcf/images/photos/photo-17658-1f9dee49.gif +++ EXCOMMUNICATE HAERETICUS +++ +++ THIS DATA IS CLASSIFIED +++ +++ APPROPRIATE SECURITY CLEARANCE NEEDED +++ +++ READING BIOMETRIC DATA... +++ +++ ACCESS GRANTED +++ +++ SELECT DESIRED DATA LANGUAGE +++ [H]igh Gothic - [L]ow Gothic - [J]erman +++ DATA LANGUAGE IS NOW LOW GOTHIC +++ +++ STREAMING DATA NOW +++ Timeline M30: Creation of the Primarchs, 1st Founding of the Space Marine Legions and the beginning of the Great Crusade M31: The Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy 007.M31 The Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V 014.M31 End of the Horus Heresy 021:M31 Division of the Legions into autonomous Chapters, called the 2nd Founding 001:M32 Creation of several Chapters to stand against Mankind's foes (3rd Founding), among them the Brotherhood of Iron, the Executioners and the Flesh Eaters M32: Various combat missions against the forces of Chaos together with the Iron Hands late M34: Participation in the arrest of Degio Khamrios, who researched the matter of A.I.s M35: Begin of the fall to Chaos (see below) early M36: Warp storms are increasing and the Imperium is shaken by attacks of the Orks and other races. The warp storm nowadays known as »The Maw« forms around Morra. [/clearfloat] Colour Scheme In the chaotic century after the Horus Heresy the demand for new chapters, that stand against the forces of Chaos, is high. No wonder, that preparations for the third founding were made. As the Iron Hands had some open bills with the traitor legions after the dropsite massacre on Istvaan V, the Iron Council sent a petition to the High Lords of Terra to participate in the training of a new chapter. Since the Adeptus Mechanicus had, inter alia, deemed the gene-seed of the Iron Hands suitable, the High Lords approved this application. Iron Father Kristos, then commander of the Klan Raukaan, claimed the honor to choose suitable candidates from his men for himself. For this puprose, he chose four brothers under his command: Skoll Myrdak, and his three brothers Hati, Managarm and Logdor, each one seargent of his own squad. These four form the Council of Brothers and lead the four War Clans of the Brotherhood of Iron. Symbol' Basic Data Name Brotherhood of Iron Legion Iron Hands Primarch Ferrus Manus Founding 3rd Founding Colours Dark Red with Iron right arm Battle Cry »We are ironborn!« Segmentum Obscurus - Cypra Mundi Segmentum Obsucurus - click for larger version Morra, the homeworld of the Brotherhood of Iron, is located in Segmentum Obscurus, one of the five fleet zones of the Imperium, whose naval base is located at Cypra Mundi. In this Segmentum are three known warp storms, resulting in the greatest danger of this area: The attacks of the forces of Chaos. On the one hand there is the most famours of the three warp storms, the »Eye of Terror«. The second is the »Howling Vortex« in the Calixis sector and the third is only known as »The Maw«, located in the Corroto Sector. In his eye lies the world Morra. The planet Morra is an icy world, whose continents are all interconnected via large ice surfaces. Around the equator spans a several hundred miles wide tundra belt, which is dominated by earth, gray rocks, hot springs and little vegetation. Not long after the Adeptus Mechanicus had taken Degio Khamrios into custody, he was freed by supporters of his research. They took him to the forge world Phobos where he continued his research. As Phobos is the closest forge world to Morra and relations between the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Brotherhood of Iron were close, Skoll Myrdak heard of improved systems. At first he did not know that these improved systems were based on A.I., but even as he realised it, he only told his brothers. 1) During a campaign against the forces of Chaos near the Eye of Terror Logdor found ancient devices, that looked promising for the further research of A.I., but these devices were infected with scrap code. Unknowingly he spread the scrap code to all systems of the chapter. This code opened the machines for daemons to take control .... 2) An Inquisitor of the Ordo Haereticus found out about the A.I. and the Brotherhood of Iron was destroyed but for one forge ship, that escaped the execution. [clearfloat]

"Igor! It is moving! It is ALIVE!" Hey there, at long last I am ready to upload my war band for the Liber Challenge Six - Chaos Space Marines, the Black Hands! First of all, my second post will include everything I made about them. This first post shall be a short introduction of what it is all about. The Black Hands are a war band which separated from the Swords of Haldroth chapter. Who the hell are the Swords of Haldroth? Have a look at the Carmin Blades chapter and you will see. My really first impression was a khornate war band that isn't as mindless as the stereotypical Khorne followers. So I searched the internet and found some quotes about the very first impressions of Khorne as a god of war. That would actually fit. Therefore the Black Hands do worship him as the god of war instead of the typical BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD-thing. They would be disciplined, venerating Khorne by waging war and fighting in his name. But on a tactical, strategic level. Although they do have their own kind of berserkers and possessed, but you will see. I wanted to give them some fanatical behaviors. So I took the bloody culture of the Aztec and used it to create their belief, their organization and their home world, etc. I found this homepage (http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-warriors/aztec-warriors/) which helped me quite a lot. After I put all of these in a mixer, the Black Hands came out. I still have one minor issue with their battle cry. Maybe some of you can help me when you read their fluff. So I hope you enjoy reading like I had writing them. As usual, feedback is welcomed. Kind regards, Kelborn

Alright folks, time for me to throw my hat in the ring in full. Here is the Sisterhood I've been holding onto now for about . . . four years, apparently. Wow, I've been at this for a while. As always with my DIYs, I have a tendency to do some very bare-bones creations, names, colors, and a very short snippet, create a whole host of them (at some point last year I counted just over a couple hundred, with about 2/3s B&C appropriate), and then with aching slowness go about developing them to the point of being worthy of being posted. Often, a huge amount of their character and history are completely unknown to me until I take the time and just try to increase the word count. I always like to think about how the ideas first originated, as it goes to show just how far I've come in this whole business. The Order of the Perpetual Sorrows originated as a Sisterhood based off of an old Facebook group I was a part of, the Green Randoms. I would jokingly create an in-universe clan around it (this was a D&D group), called the Verdant Variables. For some reason that I no longer recall, I took that as the base for a Sisterhood, which was originally called the Viridian Valkyries, had a convent on Fenris itself, and yes, it was that bad, shut up. Their color scheme has been unchanged since then, but as you'll be able to see from here on out, they really don't have anything else left from that time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. I'll continue working on it, but C&C on what I have so far would be appreciated. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OHAehTs9PrQ/UmP3bTH-hvI/AAAAAAAAaP0/Fgf4zLo3r3w/s400/city-saint.jpg “Defilement comes through the sons of Man Born Divine, through Cain refleshed. She will lift the silver veil from her face, and from her eyes shall flow the tears of the silenced into perpetuity, to wash the corrupt in a flood of condemnation.” Order Name The Order of the Perpetual Sorrows Home Planet Bathkol, a temperate shrineworld of Sector Aexynder, Subsector Raphestus Founder Viridiana Serif, Our Weeping Lady. Born 248.M38, Martyred 412.M38 Notable Sisters Yohanna Candidus, Palatine-Commander of the Serifi, Purifier of the Sunderers It is no surprise that the Order of the Perpetual Sorrows would endear themselves to their founder and her ways. As the first Canoness named herself of the Seraphim, and favored their use alongside armour contingents, so too did those who followed her. There is a strong leaning in the Sisterhood towards the Seraphim squads, leading towards an imbalanced organization. It became necessary to subdivide the Seraphim, to single out the exceptional and the experienced. These veteran Seraphim congregate in the Chapel of the Serifi, for which they view Viridiana Serif as its patron saint and from whom they are named. These women can often be seen at the forefront of every major battle of the Sisterhood, their skills and fervor lending them an unrivaled edge. Though the Serifi are considered a Commandery according to the Order's organizational structure, they exist far higher in their hierarchy. The Palatine-Commander often holds a position of honor in the Sisterhood, her voice as heeded and respected as any preceptory mistress. Only when the entire Order is mobilized for war do the Serifi stand united outside of their Chapel, as their Commandery are most often spread across the Order and its various conflicts. History Communion with the God-Emperor, a most sacred practice, has guided the devoted for millennia. Though often difficult to interpret, the lives of millions are turned to the task of extrapolation. One such interpretation called for the founding of one of the Lesser Orders Militant. Viridiana Serif, a Canoness Preceptor of the Order of the Argent Shroud, was granted the honor of separating her convent from the Order. Taking with her the relic tome Luctus Aeternia, and naming the Order after the prophetic glimpse that saw to its creation, Lady Serif, now Canoness Superior of the Order of the Perpetual Sorrows, retained the convent upon the shrineworld Bathkol where the Preceptory was based, expanding it to accommodate the increased potential of a full Order. Within a century, the Sisterhood had gained incredible renown in the local Sector as a fast-acting militant order, striking with overwhelming force at the earliest signs of heresy. The zeal with which they met the secretive cults of Sector Aexynder caught the attention of Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus, and quickly they would take advantage of the fiery Sisters in their own investigations. In time, they were seen by the Inquisition as a powerful tool in this Sector and its surrounding regions, with many Inquisitors even petitioning the Sisterhood for permanent detachments to follow them across the Imperium's greater expanse. With their harsh intolerance for even minor deviations of the Imperial Creed, the Sisters of the Order of the Perpetual Sorrows can be seen participating in wars of faith in every corner of the Imperium. Beliefs The Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow record with careful precision the heretical crimes committed against Him on Earth within the tactical log Luctus Aeternia. To the Sisters, these crimes should never be forgotten, lest they be repeated, and are often invoked during sermons. It is, however, of note that what this Sisterhood condemns as heretical is, perhaps, more conservative than the greater Ecclesiarchy's general approach to the differing faiths in the God-Emperor. To the Sisters of Bathkol, the God-Emperor is the All, born whole from the holiness of Terra's children. To these Sisters, worship of the God-Emperor in any other aspect is condemnable. They see totemic representations of the God-Emperor as debasement before false idols. While they are willing to curb their indignation and bile for otherwise loyal Imperial domains, these beliefs made them willing participants in retributive campaigns based upon ideological conflicts, particularly when involving the contrary beliefs of a Space Marine Chapter. These beliefs have spread beyond the Sisterhood, in no small part because of their charismatic prominence on Bathkol and beyond. On a few worlds, their particular outlook on Space Marines have taken rather well. On Hathmose it is most understandable, the planet's denizens having long memories into their past, when renegade Space Marines would raid their stores with clockwork precision and brutality before being run off by a detachment of Loyalist Space Marines of the Flesh Tearers Chapter. For the embittered Hathmosians, they could not distinguish between savior and ravager. The Sisterhood, however, has not taken kindly to a particular sentiment among those they have so influenced. With the focus the Order has on the Seraphim squads, especially the often more ornate Serifi, there are those among the masses who look up to these women that see them as the God-Emperor's true angels. Indeed, the Order has become increasingly frustrated with what they see as false idolatry, loudly and at times even violently denouncing it. Significant Battle Dragon's Fall – M39: Like many Space Marine Chapters based out of feral death worlds, the Sunderers had a unique, contradictory view of the Emperor. While ostensibly holding to the improper belief system of the Adeptus Astartes, that of the God-Emperor as “just a man,” the further uncivilized beliefs of their own recruitment stock pervaded and corrupted the Chapter. This has occurred among those who would call Him on Earth their grandsire since time immemorial, when the God-Emperor, in an unfathomable act of wisdom and compassion, allowed for the continued existence of the Space Wolves Chapter. The Sunderers, inheritors of the White Scars Chapter, another barbaric lineage not unlike those of the Wolves or the Salamanders, had for several thousand years looked to the feathered, saurian mega-fauna of their home world as symbolically representative of the God-Emperor's power and ferocity. Even before their corruption by the powers beyond, the Sisters of Perpetual Sorrow would have proclaimed them damned in moments. With the Imperium fully seeking to unleash judgment upon the Sunderers, the Order gladly lent the taskforce its entire strength. This proved fortuitous to the forces of the God-Emperor, as it was one of the Order's Commanderies that successfully disrupted a ritual centered upon the Chapter's former High Reclusiarch, a ritual that surely would have turned the tide of battle and necessitated the call for other, more terrible allies. http://i.imgur.com/q9lV8YL.jpg

Index Sororitas: The Order of the Risen Saint Origins: It is perhaps ironic that the beginnings of the Order of the Risen Saint would begin far from the guiding light of Terra on a backwater world on the edge of an area of space known simply as The Drift. In the days before the rise of the Serico Triumvate, a successionist empire that ended up claiming half of the Drift before its ends at the hands of an Imperial Crusade, the small somewhat unremarkable world of Renatus was troubled by an outbreak of a disease that would become known simply as 'The Wasting'. Renatus was a fairly resource poor world, most notable for its vast numbers of population working in squalid work camps. It was in one of these camps that the disease began. Causing a slow painful wasting away of the unfortunate victims muscle mass then it would attack their vital organs, eventually causing the victim to suffocate, starve or simply drop dead as their various organs failed. Efforts to contain the disease failed as quarentines on the planet were breached and soon the Wasting was spreading to every settlement on Renatus. After investigation by agents of the Ordo Hereticus determined that the virus was not malificent in nature but rather a natural pathogen and with efforts to stop or treat the disease simply ineffective the Imperial made the only decision they could. To protect the greater Imperium a blockade was established around the planet by the Imperial Navy. Dictator Class cruisers stood silent sentinel over the planet, mercilessly gunning down any vessels attempting to leave the planet. As the Wasting spread on the planet and supplies began to run out the population of Renatus began to die in great numbers. The Imperial plan was simply to wait out the disease and, when it had claimed all those suceptible to it for Imperial Forces to return to the planet. This would have remained the case if it had not been for a miracle of the Emperor. As the fleets watch grew long a small vessel approached from the greater Imperium. Manned by a small number of Ministorum servants and commanded by a young woman named Avelene. Avelene spoke with the Imperial Navy Admiral and, although she wouldn't say where she came from, she spoke of a vision given to her by the God-Emperor of the suffering of the people of Renatus and gave her the mission to go their and heal their illness. The Admiral, a pious man by nature, begrudginly agreed to let the vessel through. His mandate was, after all, to stop those leaving the planet not stop anyone from entering. And so Avelene was let pass and her crew landed on the planet near a vast cathederal of the Emperor. The cathederal was in ruins, desecrated by those who thought the Emperor had turned against them. Gathering her servants about her she began to travel to those areas effected by the Wasting, offering healing and prayer to those under its grip. It wasn't long before word of her acts of faith began to spread and her group of followers began to swell. People from all across the planet began to journey to help her and even some of the Imperial Navy crews from the fleet above were moved by her pious dedication and made for the planet surface.Hope grew on the planet as it seemed the Emperor had sent someone to save them. Then tragedy struck when Avelene herself contracted the Wasting. Rather then allow herself to be treated she continued to travel around to those whom needed her blessing and healing. When her illness became too great she was laid in a bed in the heart of the Cathederal where she first landed and insisted to see those whom could seek her out even on her death bed. But no matter how strong her faith or how great her devotion the Wasting eventually claimed her and she passed away quietly in her sleep. As news grew of her death despair sunk in and although her followers attempted to continue her work a miasma of grief shrouded the planet. She was laid to rest in the tombs beneath the cathederal and the people of Renatus began to slowly wait for death to claim them. Her followers formed an honour guard to watch over her body from those whom would desecrate it out of either malcontent or misplaced fealty. None were allowed to see her and a vigil was established. It wasn't until the third day when a stranger arrived at the Cathederal. Cloaked in hessian robes and leaing heavily on a crooked staff the stranger asked to see the body of the Preacher Avelene. It was only approapriate that the follower whom stopped her was the former Admiral of the fleet still in blockade around the planet. The man spoke with an accent of those from Renatus but the former Admiral knew something was not ordinary about the stranger. Despite protestations from the other followers on vigil the admiral let the stranger pass. The man payed his respects to the fallen healer before disappearing into the night. The next night when the vigil changed the next watch arrived to find the body of Avelene gone. A search for her remains was stopped when they found her, kneeling in prayer at the feet of the Emperor's Altar, still clad in her black funeral robes, very much alive. She wouldn't tell them of what had happened but what was apparent was that she was fully cured of the Wasting. Whats more when she blessed those whom suffered from the disease within days their health returned and they were cured. Avelene and her followers spread out across the planet and those they blessed in the God Emperor's name were cured within days. It wasn't long before Renatus was disease free. Avelene petitioned for the blockade to be broken and the Renatus' people to be let free but were denied. It wasn't long, however, until word of the miracles of Avelene and her followers spread to the greater Imperium and Ecclisiarch Pious sent a representitive to the planet. The Arch-Confessor Thormis Avolo soon arrived with all the pomp and ceremony as befitting one of his status. He, after investigation, found the claims of the planets cure to be true. When he asked to speak to the young Avelene she was nowhere to be found. While the rest of her followers searched for her the former Admiral knew exactly where she would be. She was found, kneeling in prayer before the altar, a rosarious clasped in her hands and a look of peace on her face. It seemed, her work done, she had returned to the Emperor's side. Declaring Renatus' recovery a miracle the Arch-Confessor returned to report his findings to the Ecclesiarch. Avelene's followers sealed her in stasis where she knelt in repose and many pilgrims began to travel to see her body from all across the Drift and even from the Greater Imperium. A decade after her death Avelene is declared a saint of the Imperium and the number of pilgrims grows. Soon many of the ill or wounded from across the Imperium began to travel to the Shrine on Renatus to look upon the body of St. Avelene. As the numbers of those needing medical treatment on Renatus grew an order of the Sisters Hospitilar were founded to aid those in need of care. Dedicated to the memory of St. Avelene they were named the Order of the Risen Saint. The Order grew rapidly in both numbers and fame, with sisters of the Order serving alongside many of the Imperial forces fighting against the growing unrest in the East of the Drift as well as enemies in the Greater Imperium. Known for both their dedication and faith the order lived by the teachings of St Avelene of dedication to any and all who needed it no matter the risk to themselves. As the threat of the Serico Triumvate rose many sisters of the order stood alongside the Imperial forces against the growing force. Despite not being regarded as a true threat to the Imperium the Triumvate began to grow in power and slowly, world by world, they gained ground against the Imperial Forces. The number of wounded and dying on Renatus soon outnumbered the living and it wasn't long until the Triumvate's forces arrived in orbit over Renatus. The Canonness Athina Veaux, a native born Renatian, assembled her sisters and stired them to action. Their's was a duty to the wounded and dying. A duty given by Avelene and through her the Emperor himself. It was a duty they wouldn't fail. And so the sisters took up arms in defense of their charges. As the Triumvate's forces pushed against the PDF of Renatus the embattle guardsmen wer ejoined by ebon power armour clad warrior women with sacred bolters in hand. The angels of mercy soon became angels of death, repulsing wave after wave of secessionist forces. Even so the loyalists were slowly driven back until soon they stood in the very cathederal Avelene had once stood. As dawn broke on what seemed to be the orders last days a great shout went up from the cathederal, St Avelene's body was gone. But as the sister's marched with grim resolve into the very teeth of death itself they were joined at their forefront by a figure in gleaming emerald robes and ebon black armour, wielding a sword of purest white. St Avelene had returned to lead her children to victory. And indeed victory was achieved that day, the glorious saint leading her sisters against the Triumvate forces and eventually driving them off the planet. When the battle was over St Avelene disappeared and was found in repose in the Cathederal again. The Triumvate forces would never again return to Renatus, having been so effectively crushed in what many spoke of as a miracle. Indeed the planet was avoided completely by the secessionists until the Triumvate's destruction at the hands of an Imperial Crusade. On that last day of Renatus' seige however, as the last Triumvate soldiers lay dying on the soil of the Shrine World's fields, Canonness Athina declared her Order would serve soley as Hospitilar no longer but now would serve in a more militant role as well. Since then the Order of the Risen Saint has serves across the Imperium against any and all foes, serving both to save the wounded, and deal death to those whom have wounded them. Homeworld: Renatus was, before the Wasting, a back water planet regarded only for its cheap and plentiful labour. Since St Avelene's rise and death and the founding of the Order of the Risen Saint the planet has become a beautiful Shrine World. Where muddy fields once baked under a heavy sun and workers toiled now lie carefully tended gardens and forests. Sweaty, dirty and crowded labour camps have been replaced by shrines and contemplation groves. Pilgrims flock to the planet to lay eyes on the in stasis remains of St Avelene. At the heart of this all lies the great Cathederal where St. Avelene kneels in eternal prayer. Hardly touched since Avelene's time the Cathedral is stewarded by the descendants of the Saint's followers. The grounds of the Cathedral have been replaced with a vast hospital where the sick and wounded come hoping for Avelene to heal them. The scars of the Triumvate's invasion can still be found in the quieter corners of the world. Abandoned bunker complexes lay beneath wodded forests and crashed orbital shuttles serve as a base for pilgrim villages. The Triumvate's touch is never forgotten but rather servges as a constant reminded of the saving power of the God Emperor. Notable Members: St Avelene: St Avelene's rise from death served as a beacon for her faithful in their fight against the Wilting and then again when the Triumvate's forces invaded. St Avelene has appeared to her sisters on four seperate occasions since that day. Everytime she appears when times seem most dire for her followers and everytime she leads them to victory before disappearing once battle is concluded. She is regarded as a saint on the Imperium and many credit their lives to her saving grace. Canonness Athina Veaux: Athina Veaux was born to a poor pilgrims family on Renatus and, when her parents died from their illness, she passed into the care of the Order. Her fiery passion and unwavering dedication soon saw her rise throught he ranks of the Order, after serving as command of a mission against the Triumvate, she returned to be raised to Canonness of the Order. Athina served with dedication when Renatus was invaded and was responsible for the order's change to a more militant role. It has been said that her rise to power at this time was a goft from the Emperor himself as none could have been more suited for the changes the Order had to undergo at the time. Athina would continue to lead her Order in victory after victory until she eventually fell in battle against WAAAAGH!!!! Rittagit many years later. Canonness Lucia Kellithan: The current Canonness of the Order of the Risen Saint Lucia was the daughter of an influential General on the planet of Arvenhiem when the planet fell under the scythes of the ancient xeno menance known as the Necrontyr. Like many of the orphans from that conflict she was passed into the care of the Order following the eventual defeat of the xenos on Gerithan VI and was raised to serve in the Order's ranks. Lucia was often found praying at the feet of Avelene's body and her faith was an inspiration to all. Her soft spoken nature hid an iron hard resolve and steel sharp wit. She would eventually be placed in command of the Order follwing the death of the Order's former leader during the Lauss Rift Crusade. Notable Conflicts: The Battle of Renatus: The Serico Triumvate arrives on Renatus and besieges the planet. They are eventually turned aside by the risen Saint Avelene. WAAAAAAGH!!!!! Rittagit: Shortly following the destruction of the Triumvate a vast Waaaaagh! arrives from below the galactic plain and crashes into the Drift. Despite the death of Canonness Athina the xenos are crushed. Winter's Reach: On the planet of Winter's Reach the Order of the Risen Saint fight at the request of Inquisitor Gaelin against a seemingly unending horde of plague zombies led by traitors in white armour. Despite this through faith and fury the Sisters purge the planet of all of the Chaos taint. The Sword in Shadow: The planet of Pious declares itself free of Imperial Rule. The Order of the Risen Saint arrive to subdue the planet but before the first shot is fired the Planetary Governor surrenders unconditionally after black and silver clad warriors kill over half the planets ruling elite in one night. Although unknown at the time it is later revealed to have been the work of the Silver Swords Astartes Chapter, descendants of Corax. The Reaver's Rise: A vast contigent of the Xeno Necrontyr cut a swathe of destruction across the Drift. At the cost of countless lives, both mortals, sisters and indeed even astartes the xenos are eventually defeated on Gerithan VI. The Lauss Rift Crusade: In M.41 a vast Traitor force under the command of the Dread Sorcerer Marou shatters the defences of the Lauss Rift and besige the sectors homeworld. The Order of the Risen Saint commit a mission to the cause that are all but destroyed at the Battle for Transcendece when the planet is flooded with daemons from the Warp. NOTE: Sisters of the Order wear green robes, the colour St. Avelene wore in life and black armour, the colour of the funeral garbs she was laid to rest in.

Last Transmission Received Date:............... 760998.M41 Ref:................LBC//MIC By:.................Inquisitor Elias Storth Re:.................Inquisitor Elias Storth Thought:............Fact is in the eye of the beholder. Having lost my prognosticator to the perils of the Warp and so no longer knowing what is to come, I have taken it upon myself to document the facts of my life should I too be lost. If I have died in the days ahead, know that what I have done, I have done for Mankind. It is difficult to say whether I have lived for centuries or millennia, but I was taken in by the Schola Progenium in 124.M39. My mentor, Abbot Hollen, was a hard man and abusive, which is why I murdered him. I do not regret it. I was subject to his depravities my entire life until Inquisitor Clausyan intervened. Even so, I still remember the lessons I only could have learned from him and the one praise he ever gave me. Apprenticed to Clausyan as his Acolyte, my life was not much improved. Hunting the Daemons took its toll on all of us, but of course, it was Clausyan who bore the responsibility of our actions. And still, I am not sure it was right of them to have him executed, unorthodox as his methods were. I have carried out the mission these centuries past, albeit with a more refined approach than my former master. Even so, I cannot claim any progress in the war on the infernal to this point. For every Daemon cleansed, an infinite number remain in the Warp. More drastic measures must be taken if we are ever to survive this battle. I am a true Imperial, a defender of Mankind. While I may fail my objective, I have no doubt as to the necessity of my next action. The Emperor will forgive me my sins. In defense of the Imperium, Inquisitor Elias Storth Inquisitor Elias Storth INQUISITION CYPHER OMNIS-PRIMA ACCEPTED - GREETINGS, GRAND MASTER FILE ORDER ACCEPTED - SEARCHING FOR -+ELIAS STORTH+- DISPLAYING -+NOTES: ELIAS STORTH+- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- NAME:............................... Inquisitor Elias Storth ORDER:.............................. Ordo Malleus SYSTEM OF ORIGIN:................... Miranda SUSPECTED OPERATIONAL THEATER:...... Hellen Sector KNOWN AFFILIATES:................... Prognosticators, Astartes, Stormtroopers BIO: Elias Storth was apprenticed to Clausyan the deceiver. As a Pariah, Elias was primarily used to track and hunt summoners of the Daemonic. He served Clausyan from before the discovery of [REDACTED] up through the opening of the Obsidian Gate. Elias and the other followers of Clausyan were captured on [REDACTED]. First Meeting - Presiding over the heretic Clausyan's trial. The apostate and his acolytes were sentenced to death, with the exception of Elias. Granted absolution, it was believed Elias could be reeducated - MISTAKEN - and that after some maneuvering he would prove useful. A pupil of the heretic Clausyan, Elias carries many unorthodox beliefs. His master's pursuit of [REDACTED] necessitated his execution, but it was believed that Elias did not know Clausyan's greater purpose - MISTAKEN - and that he could be allowed to take on the Inquisitor's mantle. After being named Inquisitor, Elias appeared to have abandoned his Master's mission operating primarily in the Hellen Sector. He has spent much of his time preventing Daemonic incursion. It is suspected that Elias has traveled into the Maelstrom on at least one occasion. His motives remain unknown. PSYCH PROFILE: Elias' stability is suspect. ABILITIES: An Upsilon-Plus Grade Psyker, Elias is a carrier of the Pariah Gene. Without any Warp presence, Elias is effectively immune to all forms of psychic assault. His thoughts cannot be read and he cannot be communicated with telepathically. With the innate ability to disrupt psychic abilities, Elias causes discomfort to those in close proximity and excruciating pain to psykers. Without a presence in the immaterium, Elias is a perfect weapon to fight the Daemonic. SUSPECTED AFFILIATES: Azariah, Prognostic (Deceased) [Character background] Benedikt, Brother Astartes of the Revelators [Character background] Klemens, Brother Astartes of the Revelators [Character background] NAME, Sergeant of the 2202nd NAME Regiment [Character background] NAME, Specialist of the 2202nd NAME Regiment [Character background] NAME, Specialist of the 2202nd NAME Regiment [Character background] NAME, Specialist of the 2202nd NAME Regiment [Character background] ---- Thoughts on the roughest of drafts?

>BEGIN UPLOAD 01001001 00101100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01101101 01101101 01101111 01100100 01110101 01110011 01011000 01001001 01001001 01001001 00101100 00100000 01110110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100101 01101110 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01100110 01100110 01101001 01100011 01101001 01101111 00100000 01000001 01110011 01110011 01100001 01110011 01110011 01101001 01101110 01101111 01110010 01110101 01101101 00101100 00100000 01100010 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01000110 01001001 01010010 01010011 01010100 00100000 00101000 00110000 00110001 00101001 00100000 01001010 01100001 01101110 01110101 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100000 00110010 00110000 00110001 00110110 00100000 01100001 01110100 00100000 00110010 00110010 00111010 00110000 00110000 00100000 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110010 01110011 00100000 00101000 01010100 01000101 01001110 00100000 01010000 01001101 00101001 00100000 01000111 01001101 01010100 00101110 00100000 01010100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01101111 01110010 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100101 01110100 01100101 01110010 01101110 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00100000 01100100 01100001 01101101 01101110 01100101 01100100 00100000 01100010 01111001 00100000 01001000 01101001 01101101 00100000 01101111 01101110 00100000 01000101 01100001 01110010 01110100 01101000 00100001 + ELIMINATOR UNIT ███-CHI-2 + http://i.imgur.com/bdumHFel.jpg http://i.imgur.com/XdGlg9Tl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/r75owQ2l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/syTY95ol.jpg DATAFILE 1: Battlefield pict capture of Unit ███-Chi-2. Eliminator Unit ███-Chi-2 is an early product of the Chi-Series Sicarian Project. Magos Organos Eriso Cobol was the premier researcher into the Sicarian augmentation pathway within the Mechanicus Firmamentum, and his experiments continually produced ever-more-deadly infiltration and elimination units. Unit ███-Chi-2 is equipped with an Executioner-pattern burst pistol with both high-explosive and flachette ammunition. Its true skill lies in hand-to-hand combat, where it applies its chordclaw and transsonic blade to murderous effect. In addition to the typical Sicarian augmentations, Unit ███-Chi-2 is fitted with enhanced Frensor injectors. This potent stimulant pushes its already-heightened aggression to suicidal levels. Should it succumb to adrenaline overload or otherwise fall in battle, a biosign-linked explosive charge will punctuate its operational execution. + PLANET OF ORIGIN + Forge Firmamentum. Refer to Index Mechanicus 306334, Main Upload. + NOTABLE OPERATIONS + 763.M39 - The Abelheim Campaign Unit ███-Chi-2 was one of several Eliminator Units activated during the pacification of Abelheim. Whispered fears of "the fleshshredder" quickly spread through the insurgency. This unit proved particularly effective in the densely-packed sub-hive environment, accounting for a number of priority-plus kills and yielding significant data on the combat techniques of the Khornate cult. It is unknown if this unit was successfully recovered when the expeditionary forces of Forge Firmamentum eventually withdrew. + RELATED FILES + http://i.imgur.com/nd0FJr7l.jpg DATAFILE 2: Battlefield pict capture of Units ███-Chi-2 and ███-Chi-█. The research results of the Chi-Series Sicarian Project culminated in the creation of Unit ███-Chi-█, "The Abomination of Cobol". The project ended with the self-termination of Magos Organos Cobol immediately following this event. Units ███-Chi-2 and ███-Chi-█ have since been deployed in tandem during several campaigns with disturbing success. Refer to Index Mechanicus 306334, Supplemental Upload 001. 01001001 00101100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01101101 01101101 01101111 01100100 01110101 01110011 01011000 01001001 01001001 01001001 00101100 00100000 01100011 01100101 01110010 01110100 01101001 01100110 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01101100 01100101 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01110110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 01101111 01110100 01110100 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101001 01101101 01100101 00101101 01110011 01110000 01100001 01101110 00101110 00100000 00100000 01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01101101 01101110 01101001 01110011 01110011 01101001 01100001 01101000 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101111 01110100 01100101 01100011 01110100 01110011 00101110 >END UPLOAD

House Baux Title: The Noble House of Baux, Defenders of Corvallis, Sovereign Liege of Terra, Bearers of The Oath Household Status: Lesser House Fiefdom: Corvallis IV Colors: Orange and Bone Motto: “In peace; loyalty. In war; vengeance.” Armed Forces: Notable detachment of Skitarrii pattern indentured infantry Allied Forces: The Guardian Consuls chapter of the Adeptus Astartes Allegiance: The Imperium of Man History: House archives indicate that Corvallis IV was settled in late M19. Being far to the galactic North East House Baux was tasked with setting up a functional agriworld in order to provide food to neighboring colonies dedicated to manufacturing finished goods. Though records from that early on are spotty at best, all evidence indicates that the Baux family relished the opportunity to serve humanity in the role of steward of the common good. Records dating from the age of strife and on are limited. Most are believed lost in the destruction of the Library of Baux during a daring Xenos raid in M31. The Corvallis system was left isolated from the Imperium at large due to severe warp storms. When the storms abated in M34, Hause Baux rejoined the Imperium of Man as loyal servants of the Emperor of Mankind. Corvallis IV: Corvallis IV is a verdant agriworld with a hive moon in orbit. Evidence suggests that prior to Imperial colonization, the planet had a wide variety of climate zones. Currently, the majority of the planet can be classified as temperate rain forest. The southern continent features less temperate climes, but is mild enough to allow production of fruit and other warm weather crops. The hive moon orbiting Corvallis IV operates several large manufactorums that produce armaments for export to the wider Imperium. As a population control measure, the elderly, infirm, mentally unstable, and any convicted criminal are inducted into the indentured infantry of House Baux. The indentured infantry are augmented with Skitarrii pattern cybernetics and placed into the Skitarrii regiments which House Baux uses to bolster their war tithe to the Imperium. Notable features: House Baux encompasses several family lineages. When a noble child is born they are allowed to stay with their family until they reach the age of 8 years old. Upon their 8th birthday children of both genders are removed from their family and enrolled into the Academy of War. While enrolled there the children are given a classical education in arts and letters alongside their martial training. Not all children enrolled into the Academy become Knight pilots. Indeed, very few in fact pass the required tests in order to earn such an honor. Those that fail become the ruling caste of the labor force, while it can be considered a life of luxury, the high output standards of the Imperium require the nobility to leverage their training from the Academy to meet their quotas. Those that are selected to become a pilot are granted the honored title of either Sir or Dame, and the head of their family line will arrange the marriage to their consort. Notable conflicts: House Baux's most notable conflict was during the First Ghoul War where they lent their aid in the fight against the forces of Chaos. Most of House Baux's combat actions have been associated as an allied force to the Guardian Consuls chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Notable Knights: Sir George: One of the oldest Knights in the service of House Baux. Sir George's first campaign was the First Ghoul War where he gained distinction for rushing to the aid of an Imperial Guard regiment that was pinned down by a large squadron of Chaos armored vehicles. During this daring solo action Sir George destroyed 3 Defilers, and 4 Maulerfiends in close combat. Dame Kestrel: Dame Kestrel is one of the few women to successfully complete the trials to become a Knight pilot. In her time as a pilot she has become noted for her tactical acumen, and as a skilled tank hunter. She comes from a family with very limited land holdings, and as a result has had to become an expert in the field maintenance of Knight armor. Sir Edmund: Sir Edmund is the son of Sir George, and has recently completed his trials and is serving under her father. Eager to gain glory and fame, Sir Edmund has a tendency to allow his hot temper to define his decisions in combat.

Titan Legion Name: Legio Puteulanus pingitur Ones Alternative Name: Painted Ones Forge world: Gryphonne IV Name of its Founder: Legio Gryphonicus Colors: Blue metal with yellow Strength: Presumed dead, MIA Battle Cry: Even the dark, cannot hide you Notable characters: Magos Prime Prefecture Magisterium Drest Vacomagi, Titan Princep Galanan Uuthiol History: Most of the Legios history is hidden or destroyed, blank data stacks and archives where their information used to be, or never was, remains in the deepest darkest archives. Considered by some to be hereteks and blasphemers. What can be gleamed from the recovered data, was kept secret from all except the inner circle of forge world Gryphonne IV, lost forever due to the recent destruction of the world at the hands of the Hive Fleet Leviathan. During the great Crusade, the Fabricator General, whose name has been scrubbed from all records due to being found guilty of the uttermost highest form of tech heresy and blasphemy, founded a small legio. From the great Legio Gryphonicus, it was made made in secret, with the aim of uncovering the heresy and corruption that leaked through the mechanicus Forgeworlds and cohorts. The Fabricator general, thought of by his peers insane and touched at the time, maybe knew a lot more than everyone would know. Drest Vacomagi was a magos prime of the Prefecture Magisterium. He was thought of as cold and calculating. His judgement just and he would pursue any slight whiff of heresy and would chase hereteks to the very edge of imperium space and beyond. Is success rate was nigh untouchable by any of his same stature. He was known to do anything in pursuit of judgement for those who had committed sin and heinous crimes. And so it was Drest, who had been chosen, to lead this legio. A legio of massive investigation into the corruption surround the adeptus mechanicus around Imperium space. Drest was handed this assignment. His first orders were to put together a very small legio force, being able to pick and choose who accompanied him, and who did not. Orders were sent in the uppermost secret by the Fabricator general, anything from squads to entire maniples were recalled to Gryphonne IV. They were remade, and re branded, their colors changed, but not for long. They were instructed to go deep undercover, to remain in their parent legios colors. By the time the legio was made and ready for justice, they were to late. During Drest's remaking, and reconstruction, some scrap code had leaked or a more sinister way, into his processes. Ancient history from terra, had somehow found its way out of the archives and into Drest. It changed him slightly. It began with his legios colors changing to a deep solid blue, that moved to being finger painted on walls and his armor, and eventually code leaked through to his legio. His legio dabbing the blue paint on in circles and intricate patterns, similar to the woad paintings off old. When asked, it was to inspire fear in his enemy. Titan Princep Galanan Uuthiol, was an old friend of Drest. Way back when they Tech-Adepts, they were separated and went to their separate divisions. Drests first and only choice was Galanan. He was the only princep he trusted. To be able to hold his honor but not die in vain glory honor. Galanan was above average in his classes, but certainly no the best. his reaver titan, "Cernunnos" mounted two arm mounted Gatling Blasters, with a twin laster destructor mounted on top of its carapace. Galanan preferred supporting troop assaults. Clearing a massive swathe through enemy front lines and protecting the flanks of advancing allies. The laser destructor was added after being inducted into his new legio being a line of defense against enemy titans. The fabricator general, unbeknownst to anyone but him, had been contacted, by a shady emissary. Who asked him a one and only question, before leaving. Either in paranoia or in his insanity, he knew it must be investigated. There were legios attached the that crusade, that needed investigating. He sent his final order to Drest. Istvaan III had risen up in revolt, and on the way there was the War Master Horus. The Fabricator general had pledged the secret legio disguised as their parents. They were a sent, under uttermost secret to the War Master, but they never made it to the rendezvous point. Either by fate, or by hidden hands, the legios ships had been halted by the warp. Unable to continue, they waited until their path was clear. Some time past, and by the time the warp had steadied, reports flew in of the Isstvan III atrocity, and the Space marine legions that were on their way to deal with the traitors. With no need for investigation into wether the enemy adeptus mechanicus units were hereteks, they needed to be purged. Knowing that the Legio Firebrands were riding alongside the Loyalist Legions, they recolored themselves, to pressed for time for clearances and order to be sent and received. Meeting at the rendezvous point, the extra ships were queried and questioned, but were welcomed. Drest's career had taught him many things, and to be deep undercover and slip past hard questions and be someone he truly wasn't, was a small taste of those things. And so he was in, his sights only set Significant battles joined: The Dropsite Massacre

>BEGIN UPLOAD 01001001 00101100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01101101 01101101 01101111 01100100 01110101 01110011 01011000 01001001 01001001 01001001 00101100 00100000 01110110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01000001 01100100 01100101 01110000 01110100 01110101 01110011 00100000 01001101 01100101 01100011 01101000 01100001 01101110 01101001 01100011 01110101 01110011 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100111 01100101 00100000 01010111 01101111 01110010 01101100 01100100 00101100 00100000 01000011 01110101 01101100 01110100 00100000 01001101 01100101 01100011 01101000 01100001 01101110 01101001 01100011 01110101 01110011 00101100 00100000 01001100 01100101 01100111 01101001 01101111 01101110 01100101 01110011 00100000 01010011 01101011 01101001 01110100 01100001 01110010 01101001 01101001 00101100 00100000 01010100 01101001 01110100 01100001 01101110 00100000 01001100 01100101 01100111 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01001001 01101101 01110000 01100101 01110010 01101001 01100001 01101100 00100000 01001011 01101110 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01001000 01101111 01110101 01110011 01100101 01101000 01101111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01101000 01101111 01101110 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01101101 01101110 01101001 01110011 01110011 01101001 01100001 01101000 00100000 01100010 01111001 00100000 00110110 01110000 01101101 00100000 01000111 01001101 01010100 00100000 00110001 00100000 01101111 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 00110001 00110111 01110100 01101000 00100000 01001101 01100001 01111001 00101110 + FORGE FIRMAMENTUM + The Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World of Firmamentum is found deep in the Cygnus Arm of Segmentum Obscurus. A relatively young Forge World, Firmamentum was colonized in 089.M31 as part of the effort to rebuild the Adeptus Mechanicus in the ashes of the Horus Heresy. It is located in a relatively quiet area of Imperial control and benefited from an unusually long period of peace on its own soil from the Moirae Schism in ███.M35 until the unexpected arrival of an Ork-infested space hulk in 975.M41. http://i.imgur.com/VAtbL45l.jpg DATAFILE 1: Typical skyline on Firmamentum. Firmamentum has maintained a very respectable reputation for its understanding of melta- and plasma-based weaponry, though not nearly to the levels of fanaticism evidenced by Ryza. Monumental cooling towers cluster around its hives and forges, and banks of radioactive storage pools provide a stark contrast to the ashen wastes surrounding them. Firmamentum supplies not only specialist weaponry for nearby Munitorum depots, but also the titanic reactors for much of the sector Battlefleet. Major imports include indentured workers (fully-functioning or to be processed into servitors) and raw materials such as adamantium ore and promethium. http://i.imgur.com/UZwFflx.png DATAFILE 2: The emblem of Forge Firmamentum. The symbol of Forge Firmamentum is the monochrome bisected cog of the Adeptus Mechanicus, overlapped with a Doric column of stone. Together they form the ancient letter Φ, the first in the true name of the Forge World and the representation of the Golden Ratio. Firmamentum’s colors are dark red and grey, in honor of the original Martian colonists. http://i.imgur.com/y2CdKuQl.png DATAFILE 3: The general structure and hierarchy of Forge Firmamentum. + LEGIO FIDELIS + Among the first colonists of Firmamentum were several Titans of Legio Astraman, the Morning Stars, who had been called from the Forge World of Graia in Segmentum Tempestus to aid in the defense of Holy Terra. With them were brought the remnants of House Fraterri, an Imperial Knight Household whose original homeworld had been wiped clean during the Heresy and whose history has since been irretrievably lost. The ranks of the God Machines slowly grew as Firmamentum progressed towards full Forge World status, culminating in the foundation of Legio Fidelis, the Inculcators. Legio Fidelis displays the same cog-and-column emblem as its native Forge Firmamentum and its colors of green and yellow are an homage to its former ties to Legio Astraman. The Legio consists of three Demi-Legios of approximately 6 engines each. It maintains a pair of ancient Reaver-class Battle Titans; however, the majority of its heavy engines are of Warlord-class. Each Demi-Legio also includes several Warhound-class Scout Titans to support and protect their larger brethren. All Titans constructed on Firmamentum follow the designs of the Forge World of Lucius. http://i.imgur.com/R6MmtECl.jpg DATAFILE 4: Lux Aeterna surveys the battlefield. + FRATERRI FIDELIS + House Fraterri has been fully annexed into the larger Legio to become the Fraterri Fidelis. Their original feudal roots have been all but forgotten, and have since been supplanted by the structure and traditions of the Collegia Titanicus. The smaller Knight chassis serve as skirmishers for the larger Titans, operating in closer quarters and against smaller and more agile foes than the main battle engines can effectively engage. The Fraterri are divided into Maniples of three Knights, all of the same pattern. It is expected that multiple Maniples will operate in tandem to complement each others' weaknesses. Service in the Fraterri Fidelis is used as training for prospective Moderati, who will eventually serve on the larger Titans. Many Hastati, or Knight operators, form close bonds with their engines and choose to stay in the Fraterri. The majority, however, are transferred into the Legio and their previous engines are reassigned to new operators. Due to this steady turnover, and relatively higher combat losses, individual Knight engines are not given the same honorifics as the more distinguished Titans – instead of a name, they have only a designation. http://i.imgur.com/oa8jeFkl.jpg DATAFILE 5: Knight engines of the Fraterri Fidelis. + SKITARII FIRMAMENTUM + Due to their origins in different Forge Worlds, the Legio and the local Cult Mechanicus keep a professional but at times strained relationship. Legio Fidelis is fiercely loyal to the Forge Firmamentum; however, they maintain their own separate traditions and reserve a high degree of autonomy. That being said, Fidelis does work as closely with its assigned Skitarii macroclade as most other Legios. The Legiones Skitarii of Forge Firmamentum reflect their homeworld’s status as a relatively young Forge World in their weaponry and tactics. Many of the more ancient and, some would say, bizarre weapons and equipment have been replaced with newer and less-refined technology. Owing to the specialization of their Forge, the Skitarii Firmamentum make frequent use of plasma- and melta-based weaponry. These are supported with a heavy emphasis on fortifications and methods of siege-craft. Man-portable ion shields and defense lines are common, as are Tarantula-pattern autonomous sentry platforms. http://i.imgur.com/6rnJ552l.jpg DATAFILE 6: A garrison unit of Skitarii Firmamentum guards access to the upper levels of an industrial complex. The Skitarii Firmamentum provide the majority of infantry support to Legio Fidelis in the form of Macroclade 633. However, the Legio does maintain its own small corps of soldiers in the form of the Tesserarii Fidelis. In practice, the Tessararii serve more as an honor guard for the Legio’s Principes and Hastati than as a frontline fighting force. However, they are both well-equipped and well-trained for operations in which closer monitoring by the Legio is required. + DRAMATIS PERSONÆ + http://i.imgur.com/HG7SqS7l.jpg DATAFILE 7: Hastatus Seniorus Onesimus Rehor and Fraterrus Primus. Onesimus Rehor is the current Hastatus Maximus of the Fraterri Fidelis. His is Fraterrus Primus, an ancient Paladin-pattern Knight engine. As one of the longest-serving members of the Fraterri, he is in line for ascension into the ranks of the Legio. Rehor is a man driven by ambition, and is laboring towards eventual Princepture of a Battle Titan. In the meantime, he is fiercly loyal to the Hastati under his command and champions the needs of the Fraterri within the greater Legio. http://i.imgur.com/PrP8g4Fl.jpg DATAFILE 8: The amniotic casket of Princeps Paulus Aleksandr. Paulus Aleksandr is the Princeps of Lux Æterna, a Lucius-pattern Warlord Titan in Demi-Legio Secundus. He is a relatively young Princeps and only 87% augmentic, relying on his amniotic casket both for sustenance and for direct interface with the MIU of his engine. He is rarely seen away from Lux Æterna, spending the time in transit between warzones in a chemically-induced coma to ward off the effects of Manifold withdrawal. Princeps Aleksandr has served for 34 operations, spanning 153 years and has developed a reputation of being supremely competent. http://i.imgur.com/QsGX6eCl.jpg DATAFILE 9: Magos Grievious of Mechanicus Firmamentum, with attendants. Magos Grievious is a high-ranking member of the Mechanicus Firmamentum, specializing in archeotech. The Skitarii Firmamentum, who he will not hesitate to sacrifice to his objectives, venerate him as being touched by the Omnissiah while certain members of the Legio Fidelis consider him to be blatantly dangerous and in dire need of cognitive reimaging. SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 001 SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 003 SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - INDEX ASSASSINORUM 316648 SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 004 SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 005 SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 006 + NOTABLE OPERATIONS + 089.M31 - Foundation An expansion expedition, consisting of elements of Legio Astraman and the Martian Cult Mechanicus, founds the Forge World of Firmamentum in the Finial Sector. http://i.imgur.com/Jc3L0mc.png DATAFILE 10: Foundational history of Forge Firmamentum. ███.M35 - The Moirae Scism Though far from Mars, Forge Firmamentum nevertheless becomes entangled in the Moirae Schism. Initial attempts at control are successful until the data-poisoning of Fabricator Abiram sparks complete anarchy. Warring factions of Mechanicus and Skitarii Firmamentum spiral into a vicious campaign for control of the Forge, until Legio Fidelis intervenes. A new Fabricator is installed, the traitors erased and all records sealed to the highest degree. 763.M39 - The Abelheim Campaign A worker revolt on the nearby resource world of Oberon erupts into heresy with the appearance of the foul daemons of Khorne. The Fraterri Fidelis and Skitarii Firmamentum are requested to pacify the insurrection in the foundry city of Abelheim, but fighting quickly spreads to encompass much of the sector. The Ordos Juris and Ordo Malleus spend the next four years vying for control of the operation. 875.M41 - The Defense of Antiphon A demi-Legio of engines of the Legio Fidelis come to the aid of the shrine world of Antiphon, besieged by the pernicious Eldar. This would be the first combat operation of the lauded Warlord Titan Lux Aeterna, and of the eventual Princeps Maximus Paulus Aleksandr. SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 006 976.M41 - The Coming of the Beast A space hulk appears in the Firmamentum System. It is promptly shredded by the orbital defenses; however, wreckage and Ork landing craft fall on the Forge. The xenos immediately seize what technology they can and begin constructing crude war engines. The Titans of Legio Fidelis engage in a lengthy campaign against the Gargants, while the Skitarii Firmamentum clears the Forge sector by sector of any resistance. Battles rage for three years before Firmamentum is declared purged. SUPPLEMENTAL UPLOAD FOUND - 002 976.M41 - Rebuffed at Barnes 595 Years ago the Legions of Discord assaulted Kimball Prime, destroying the primary Imperial manufactorum in the sector. Leaders of the in-sector armies of the Astra Militarum and Adeptus Astartes regrouped in secret. Drawn by the loss of a major manufactorum, the Adeptus Mechanicus joined their strategic auguries. Hungry for revenge, the Astartes proposed to conquer and cleanse the corrupted Chaos temple world of Barnes 595 - an act of symbolism over pure strategy. Although initially hesitant to partake in this emotional response, the Mechanicus was swayed by the promise of archeotech believed lost in the planet’s swamps and dead forests, or buried in the collapsed sub-basements of its byzantine shrines. Two maniples of the Fraterri Fidelis, one maniple of the Skitarii Firmamentum and the venerable Warhound Canis Leto were rerouted to support the invasion. The steadfast troops of the Legions of Discord stood firm against the combined attack on the planet. With their strike forces extinguished or hastily falling back, by the end the Forces of Order had been rebuffed, claiming little more than their initial beachhead. Although not repulsed entirely from the planet, the effort to cleanse the temple world had ground to a halt, its only trace yet more bones rotting among the dead forests and abandoned shrines of Barnes 595. Refer to Operational Log 160103 995-999.M41 - The 13th Black Crusade Firmamentum contributes two Demi-Legios of Legio Fidelis, four Maniples of the Fraterri Fidelis and three Macroclades of the Skitarii Firmamentum to support the defense of the Cadian Gate and surrounding area in the face of the 13th Black Crusade. The forces of Firmamentum were badly mauled in the following four years, but the survivors managed to extricate themselves before the destruction of Cadia. 999.M41 - The Noctis Aeterna The 13th Black Crusade culminates in the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum, a galaxy-spanning warp storm that cuts the Imperium in twain. For a time warp travel becomes impossible, isolating Firmamentum and stranding the surviving elements fleeing the destruction of Cadia. Eventually the eddies calm and intersystem travel resumes, however cautiously. Though on the grand scale the Imperium is deeply divided, on a smaller scale many individual ties are actually strengthened. Firmamentum becomes an even more vital manufacturing and trading hub for the surrounding region and establishes agreements with the Lathe Worlds in the nearby Calixis Sector. 111.M42 - Present Day Over a century after the Noctis Aeterna, Firmamentum has rebuilt its martial strength and is engaged in multiple protracted campaigns in a number of systems within the Finial Sector. Echoes of the distant Plague War poison several population centers. Aeldari strike forces attempt to out-maneuver the vanguard of an awakening Necron Tomb World. Questing tendrils of a new Tyranid hive fleet have begun to strike outlying worlds. In the face of the deepening darkness, the holy engines of Legio Fidelis stand ever-ready to defend the Dark Imperium. 01001001 00101100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01101101 01101101 01101111 01100100 01110101 01110011 01011000 01001001 01001001 01001001 00101100 00100000 01100011 01100101 01110010 01110100 01101001 01100110 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01101100 01100101 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01110110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 01101111 01110100 01110100 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101001 01101101 01100101 00101101 01110011 01110000 01100001 01101110 00101110 00100000 00100000 01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01101101 01101110 01101001 01110011 01110011 01101001 01100001 01101000 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101111 01110100 01100101 01100011 01110100 01110011 00101110 >END UPLOAD

++++Password override - Denied.++++ +++Denied+++ ++Denied++ +Deni...Accepted+ ++++Welcome, Inquisitor. Request?++++ +++Accessing...+++ ++Access denied. Upsilon level security. Security group inbound++ +Access granted - request for data transfer to connected data slate granted+ Fusilis Forgeworld, Proximia Fusilis, Segmentum Pacificus The Cabal of the Molten Flow was originally based on Fusilis, a Forge World known for its production of crystals used in Power armour and Titan weapon systems. The planet is volcanically active, the various land masses covered in a black ash, the skies perpetually dark. The natives are indentured slaves put to work in bringing materials to the surface, many having never seeing the outside world. Fusilis was originally a penal colony, the convicted put to work constructing weapons that would be put to use defending the local systems. When the discover was made, the Adeptus Mechanicus petitioned the High Lords of Terra to administer the world. Permission was granted. Founding The Cabal of the Molten Flow was founded by Magos Hernafso's predecessor, Magos Bovane around 774.M41. A small group of exploratory Mechanicus were diverted to investigate the viability of the planet as a Forgeworld after learning of it's volatile nature. Magos Bovane died due to severe old age, his augmetics finally unable to keep him alive. Hernafso was named his successor. Cabal of the Molten Flow The Cabal takes its name from the perpetual volcanic activity on the planet. The main continent which housed the Mechanicus' fortress was sited next to the largest lava flow. Vast machines designed only to hold and control that flow channelled the heat, turning it into viable energy. Every initiate to the Mechanicus priesthood was required to thrust their right arm into a rivulet of Lava channelled off for the purpose. The ritual was to show their dedication to the Omnnisiah and to the Priesthood itself. The lost limb was replaced with one that was appropriate to their specific task and function. The crystal After centuries, the Forgeworlds ruling Magos, Hernafso had turned away from the Mechanicus' doctrines, although his betrayal went unnoticed for some time. He had discovered a crystal that, despite his best efforts could not be pierced to sample, would not break, it's hardness far tougher than anything else on the Mohs scale and would not yield its secrets to every form of scanning device known to the Mechanicus. It's appearance was that of a yellow diamond, its facets flawless to the naked eye. He became more and more reclusive, often spending weeks at a time alone in its study leaving mundane details such as monitoring the worlds output to menials. After many years, he had finally surfaced from his quarters a changed man. His augmetics had changed drastically, their number increasing sharply to an extent that it was almost impossible to see any flesh left in his form. The crystal he had spent so long studying was never mentioned, never seen by his underlings, who dared not enquire of it. Only his direct subordinate and rumoured successor, a Tech priest named Mirosa suspected anything in his drastically changed demeanour. Mirosa made no attempt to hide her own curiosity, much to Hernafso's amusement, a rare sign of emotive behaviour. Slowly, the magos revealed some of the secrets he was privy to, but everything pertaining to the crystal and some other data Mirosa was desperate to obtain, were kept from her. The Mechanicus of Mars eventually saw the downward spiral of the Forgeworlds annual output and sent a fleet to investigate. Units of Skitarii were sent along with another Magos and agents of the Inquisition to bring Hernafso to account. He was never found, leaving the planet before they arrived. He took some of his trusted subordinates with him , Mirosa included. The others were found disected and worse, their corpses defiled by someone fervently wishing to learn what made them function. The Imperium officially declared them to be Hereteks, every system within the area told to be vigilant for signs under pain of extreme retribution. Rare are the accounts that place them in Imperial space again. Betrayal, and an alliance The Cabal met with disaster when it encountered a small force of Eldar on an unnamed planet it had taken refuge upon to avoid Imperial forces in the area. Much of the Skitarii had been heavily damaged or destroyed, but they had held out long enough for the Xenos to withdraw, their mercurial interests taking them elsewhere. Dissent grew amongst the Tech Priests that remained, Mirosa being the most outspoken. Her own attempts to expand her knowledge was stunted by blocks to the main portion of the Cabals Noosphere and data storage system. By know, she had become powerful in her own right, her knowledge in biomechanical manipulation second only to the Magos. Her ultimate intention was to wrest such knowledge from him, but to do that, she needed a way of deposing him... Arrival of the Bahltimyr Reavers How the Warband of Rai Lurweiss came to form an alliance with the Cabal is a question that few have solid answers to. Some Imperial scholars posit that the Reavers had found the Cabal out through their own raids, slowly recognising their handiwork. Others think that the Cabal had contacted the Warband, a dangerous gambit, especially when it is known that Lurweiss himself has a volatile and duplicitous nature. In any case, a meeting was called to forge and pact to ensure both parties would continue. In reality, the meeting was a double cross, Mirosa having made an agreement with the Lord of Bahltimyr already. With Hernafso deposed, the sum of his work was now hers. Or so she thought. The data cache she had forcibly removed from his corpse was encrypted, the data only becoming available in small portions. It has not stopped her turning her attention to the problem the Reavers have - wild mutations and extreme psychosis. Notable members Magos Hernafso A man of renown in his field of Archaeological Geo-meta physics, he guarded his secrets from everyone in his Cabal. When the Forgeworld he oversaw fell into decline, the Adeptus Mechanicus saw fit to punish him. The crystal he found was reputed to have been lost. It is susected that Mirosa might know of its wherabouts, and of its origin... Mirosa. Was originally loyal to her Magos, but her frustrations grew when she realised that her own work was hampered by the lack of data that Hernafso had access to. She was also intrigued by the changes wrought to her mentors body. Even for a Magos, he had changed drastically. Her frustations eventually led to her betraying him and entering into a pact with Rai Lurweiss to solve his Warbands inclination to mutations and madness. Significant battles joined The battle of Mica Weir The remnants of the Cabal were seen to be supporting the Warband known as the Bahltimyr Reavers. Much of the remaining Skitarii augmented with horrifying augmetics and unnatural organics. They have not been seen since... Feedback most welcome!

Hey all! This is my attempt at creating a scouring era group of Alpha Legionnaires for the current Liber Challenge. Any comments or suggestions or proclamations of heresy are greatly appreciated. The Lernaean Brotherhood An Alpha Legion Cataphractii Terminator, demonstrating the color scheme maintained by the Brotherhood. Origins: According to official records, as the Ultramarines legion surrounded the planet of Eskrador during the period known as the Scouring, the entrenched Alpha legion prepared to meet them in open battle. In either a stroke of genius or a foolish mistake, Roboute Guilliman rushed the Alpha Legion stronghold with his most elite troops, attempting to assassinate Alpharius and disorganize the traitor legion. Although Guilliman did kill who was thought to be Alpharius, the legion did not break as expected. Estoc Inferus, and the other members of Alpharius's honor guard and Alpha Legion reinforcements engaged the now fleeing Ultramarines with unexpected determination, inflicting near total losses before Guilliman and what remained of his forces escaped into orbit and began preparations to annihilate the planet from orbit. A significant number of Alpha Legion escaped however, scattering themselves throughout the stars aboard numerous ships of every size. The battle barge Omicron used its powerful teleporters to bring Inferus, along with seven other members of the honor guard and a significant number of Terminator Veterans on board before fleeing the system. Command Structure: Estoc Inferus and the six remaining members of Alpharius's honor guard make up the Brotherhood's commanding body, which has been dubbed the Serpent's Council and it's members referred to as Serpent Lords. The ranking between the seven members of the Serpent's Council is both complex and fluid. Each member holds a different rank among the group in numerous facets of operation. For example, Inferus currently holds the highest rank in military actions utilizing purely Terminators, is ranked third in military actions involving the use of companies of human soldiers, fifth in fleet actions and first in combined arms warfare. Each available Serpent Lord is given full authority over the use of his particular skill set, unless vetoed by no less than three other council members or his two immediate subordinates. In matters of which the Serpent's Council does not have sufficient knowledge, a senior officer from outside the council is given the first rank. For example, the Master of the Forge is ranked first in both matters of maintenance of the fleet elements, as well as the production of new weapons and armor, despite not being a Serpent Lord proper. Even in this case, the decisions of the first ranked marine are subject to the veto of the Serpent Lords. These ranks even extend beyond the Serpent's Council all the way down to the human elements of the Brotherhood, although only the Serpent Lords know the full extent of the chain of command. Bases of Operation: Immediately prior to the battle of Eskrador, the Battle Barge Omicron served as the sole seat of power for the Lernaean Brotherhood. It was unanimously agreed by the Serpent's Council however that such a position was too precarious and moved immediately to establish a network of hidden bases capable of sustaining the Brotherhood. Over the next few months the Brotherhood established numerous small installations hidden away in asteroid belts or on the surfaces of death worlds across all corners of the galaxy, although with the highest concentration being in the galactic south and east. Most of these installations are equipped to arm and train the human operatives of the Brotherhood, while most Marine activity is handled aboard the Omicron or one of the several captured cruisers under Lernaean control. Composition: The flagship of the Lernaean Brotherhood remains the Gloriana Class Battle Barge Omicron, although pirate raiding actions against other ships has substantially increased the size of the Lernaean fleet. In particular, the Brotherhood has captured three Exorcist Class Cruisers, which have been equipped to produce, train and equip new Space Marines for the Lernaens, while also serving as fringe raiding vessels. The largest contributors to the fleet however are numerous civilian cargo craft, meticulously modified with hidden weapons, flight bays, or even teleporters to catch targets by surprise. The elite of the Brotherhood have little use for slow, armored ground vehicles, although the armory does maintain a single Fellblade and a few Sicarian, Predator and Rhino pattern tanks. Human and combined arms battle companies however make use of nearly every standard pattern vehicle used by the Imperial Guard, with a focus on the numerous variants of the Valkyrie dropship due to the platform's speed, adaptability and ease of maintenance. Storm Eagle, Fire Raptor and Thunderhawk pattern craft are used as well, although only by more elite forces comprised entirely of Space Marines. The pinnacle of the military might of the Lernaean Brotherhood lies in it's Terminator armor equipped Space Marines. Over one hundred veteran brothers strong, each clad in near impregnable Cataphractii Terminator armor and equipped with the finest weapons available. These warriors form the vanguard of the most key battles undertaken by the Brotherhood, often teleporting directly into the heart of the enemy ranks to shatter their chain of command, allowing their power armored brothers and human soldiers to easily finish the fighting against a now disorganized foe. The number of power armored Space Marines in the service of the Brotherhood is in constant fluctuation, however most estimates put the general number to be in the vicinity of only a few hundred, but steadily increasing. This is not only due to the rather small amount of power armored Alpha Legionnaires that were aboard the Omicron when the vessel was forced to flee Eskrador, but also due to the incredibly selective nature of the recruitment process. Before the Lernean Brotherhood will invest it's limited resources to create a new battle brother, the prospective marine must first prove his worth in the service of the Brotherhood as a human, usually on the battlefield as a member of a human battle company. After being deemed worthy, the subject is tested for compatibility with the Alpha Legion geneseed. If compatible, the trainee is then placed in a squad with four others and rigorously tested over the period of a year. Prospects pass or fail at the squad level, reinforcing the sense of unity over individuality throughout the Brotherhood. Only after this are the prospects allowed to undergo the augmentations to make them full battle brothers. Despite the strength and skill of the Lernaean Brotherhood's Space Marines, the most powerful military force of the Brotherhood is comprised of unaugmented humans. Numbering in the millions, these humans make up the vast majority of the Brotherhood's spy network, serve as crew for the fleet, conduct supply raids as well as serving as line troops on the open battlefield. The Lernaean human soldiers are trained by Space Marine veterans of the Great Crusade, making them generally more skilled and disciplined than their Imperial Guard counterparts, if not as well equipped. Order of Operations: The Lernaean Brotherhood focuses on creating masterful ambushes and misdirection using both information gathered by their massive spy network and diversionary battlefield tactics. All elements of a Lernaean task force are usually exceptionally mobile or deployed via mass teleportation to maintain strategic initiative. In a typical planetary raid situation, human elements, lead by a handful of Space Marines, engage a high priority location such as a prominent city, either directly or though terror attacks, to act as a diversion and draw defenses away from the primary target, whatever that may be. The real goal is then accomplished by a massive teleportation deployment of Space Marines and Terminators, catching the defenders off-guard and surrounded. Recent History: In late M36, Brotherhood spies learned of the Stormborn, a fledgling Space Marine Chapter created during the 21st founding. Just large enough to operate independently from their parent Chapter, the entirety of the Stormborn Chapter was contained on a single Battle Barge. Plans were immediately set in motion to track the movements of this young chapter and the entirety of the Marine forces of the Brotherhood were gathered for an ambush in the void. When the trap was sprung, the young Stormborn suddenly found themselves vastly out experienced, out equipped and out numbered. With communications jammed and escape impossible, the Stormborn fought with fury that surprised even the veteran Lernaeans, but it was ultimately futile. The young chapter was killed to a man, its Marines and serfs all replaced by members of the Brotherhood. The Stormborn, later renamed to the Stormborn Brotherhood, has grown to full size and is highly active in Imperial Space as of late M41. Using slave stock to grow enough Raven Guard geneseed to pay their tithe to the Adeptus Mechanicus and sizable contributions to local campaigns has kept the Lernaeans undetected by the Imperium. The shadow war against the Ultramarines and their successors continues, fought by the Brotherhood's human soldiers and lead by a handful of veteran Astartes. For security, communication between the two Brotherhoods is rare, with each acting independently from the other. Notable Characters: Estoc Inferus: The most senior surviving member of Alpharius's honor guard, Inferus is currently the highest ranking Serpent Lord in regards to most military matters and is generally regarded as the first among equals within the Serpent's Council. The lost Honor Guard: When Inferus and the remaining Honor Guard were teleported from the surface of Eskrador, he had seven brothers with him. However, after materializing aboard the Omicron, only six remained in his company. Records show that the seventh brother was teleported to another location, although there is no indication as to where.

I've not intended to be too tasteless, but this is a warband of Slaaneshi daemons. If you don't want to read about a Slaaneshi warband whose USP revolves around anorexia and bulimia then don't read this article. _____________________________ “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” – attributed to the Moss Kat, a figure of pre-Unification mythohistory I first heard of the Maceran Fellowship in the reports of Chaplain Turak in 990.M30. My brother, eager to explore the hidden empires of the Ruinous Powers, had been summoning as many varieties of neverborn as he could and carefully documented them for dissemination to the legion. On this occasion he summoned what we now know as a daemonette, who introduced herself as Skariethexx, Herald of Bulistiannea, Eldest of the Maceran Fellowship. The following is quoted from Turak’s reports: “She, for despite her alien, non-Euclidean, form she was undoubtedly feminine in design, was clearly of the caste of she-daemons that served the Prince of Pleasure. Her figure was unsettling emaciated: her limbs appearing to be little more than sticks, her abdomen alarmingly concave. Her visage was pulled tight, revealing sharp cheekbones that were both like and unlike that of an eldar. Despite this appearance she lacked nothing of the finesse, agility and unexpected strength belonging to all members of her kind.” I do not know if the Maceran Fellowship was summoned during Horus’ war but I find it unlikely that they were summoned intentionally for their favoured method of preying on mortals requires an extended period of patience rather than a quick strike to the jugular. The Maceran Fellowship delight in the sensations that arise from starving the mortal body of its necessary sustenance. The despair and lack of self-worth that drives a mortal to deliberate starve himself is but the first course of a long and protracted feast for the daemons of the Fellowship. The pain of the hunger pangs are like sweetmeats and the stubborn delusion required to disobey the instructions of the body and conspire to bring about one’s own end is sweeter still. Other daemons of the Fellowship pursue the twin sensations of the bulimia sufferer. The gluttony of the consumption is paired with the self-disgust of the regurgitation. A mortal that falls under the sway of the Fellowship in this way will be driven to ever higher heights and ever lower lows until every waking moment is spent eating or vomiting. Such is the desire for further sensation that many will consume their own vomit, every piece of food passing dozens of times between the stomach and the basin. I have made use of the Maceran Fellowship on four occasions and twice succeeded in summoning Bulistiannea itself. The Eldest is a greater daemon of Slaanesh: a bovine-headed Keeper of Secrets. Like its servants its appearance is emaciated, with its ever-shifting bone structure clearly discernible beneath almost transparent skin. A still-living human girl-child was visible within Bulistiannea’s stomach both times I encountered the greater daemon. The Eldest’s speech was slow and hesitant, as if it barely possessed the energy to vocalise and thus had to choose each word with great precision. Despite this I was under no illusion that Bulistiannea was any less physically deadly than any other greater daemon. My most notable usage of the Maceran Fellowship was on Leucan Secundus. Mortal agents possessed by daemons of the Fellowship infiltrated the large monastery of the Corpse-God in the mountains outside the capital city. Over several years they were able to subvert the numerous fasting rituals so they served the desires of the Pleasure God. The resulting suicide by starvation of over ten thousand faithful servants of the Corpse-God was enough to rip open a warp rift, which I then amplified using profane rituals until the entire world was drawn into the Realm of Chaos. – extracted from the records of Kanan Raam, Dark Apostle of the 46th Host

This is for the Liber Guard/Traitor/Cult Challenge. Name: Cult of Inverted Rebirth Home Planet: According to imperial records, it was founded on Cyclus near the Eye of Terror. According to Cult Interrogations it will be founded upon the green pastures of Everbless a perfect world deep within they eye of the Eye, where it is surrounded by tumult but untouched by it. Currently cells of the cult can be found on many planets around and within the Eye, as well as on many vessels heading in the direction of the Eye. Founder Name: Bnyamin the Last (Cult claims Bnyamin the First) Notable Characters (From here on out, all information comes to us from interrogation of cult members and as such is quite suspect information was often given in bursts, so notes are quick and incomplete in some sections.) Bnyamin the First: The future prophet whose soul travels back in time to teach the cult’s doctrine. Bnyamin the Prophet: The current body inhabited by Bnyamin the First’s soul. Bnyamin the Last: The final resting place of Bnyamin the First’s soul. After which, like many souls, it will cease to exist or merge with others as population decreases restrict available bodies. Crusa the Pyromancer: First to suggest burning the leaders alive in order to divine the future The first burnt in order to so divine it. The one whose divination said that future such divinations would save them. Hoshka the Ruthless Lead the militarization of the cult in the attempt to quicken the arrival at Everbless via fighting their way there. The Speakers: those chosen by Bnyamin the Prophet to spread the faith. History Bnyamin the First knew in body what the prior histories would bring so he scarred notes upon his soul. His soul then continued its journey back through time in order to bring the truth through history. Once he reached the time noted for the arrival of Bnyamin the Last(Several millenia before Bnyamin the First) he spent many years collecting and informing a great parish upon his teachings. Though by necessity it had to be a secret cult, as it revealed the falsehoods made bare in the time of ending, he did not care. As the final moments of Bnyamin the Last’s physical life were coming, he self immolated revealing the path which was to be followed back for the cult to return to Bnyamin’s paradise Everbless. Beliefs: Souls move backward through time, preincarnations following incarnations following reincarnations as far as the corporeal form is concerned. The memories of the soul are not the memories of the body, and only through death are these memories revealed. The longer one stays dying the further forward in time their soul will remember and be able to speak to you. Practices: Burning their own leaders alive before battle to learn of the battle to come. Ritual self defilement in order to send messages back through past selves. Known significant battles joined The Cleansing of The Memoria System: The Memoria System was a system entirely composed of graveyard and shrine worlds, many one and the same. Heroes of the Imperium were buried in particularly high numbers on Memoria Prime. Many in the population of maintenance slaves slowly adopted the cult in the hopes that they might see these heroes in their next lives. The Sisters Midnight of the Adepta Sororitas were sent to eradicate the infestation of heresy. This is the first known sighting of this cult and since it was so widespread within the system, the Sisters Midnight were forced to cleanse the entire system of everyone outside the ruling families. They left a small contingent to prevent further uprisings. Hoshka’s Vengeance: Militant members of the cult under Hoshka the Ruthless manage to disrupt the cryomaintenance machines of Memoria Prime and in doing so sends the planet into meltdown. The few Sisters Midnight who remained after the 50 years since the cleansing of the system are all slain in the initial explosions. Hoshka tears a bloody hole through nearby planets before the cult is once again stamped down by the combined forces of the Sisters Midnight and the Imperial Guard. How survivors escaped this second censure is still unclear. The Cadian Uprising: A splinter of the cult attempted to shortcircuit the prophecy by opening the Cadian Gate. They were betrayed from within and burnt for heresy. It was later revealed the betrayal was intentional in order to set up inside agents for the 13th Black Crusade. 13th Black Crusade, fighting for both sides in an attempt to find a way to enter into the Eye itself more fully. They fought on whichever side got them closer to the Eye of Terror by the end of it. Verdict: Destroy every instance of this with medium priority, they pose less military danger than some other cults, but the notion of salvation outside the Emperor alone would be enough to warrant their extermination, let alone their other blasphemies and heresies.

Index Daemonica: The Antecruorian Daemonkin of Tivan Chaos is unstable. It fluctuates incessantly, its very flow counter to the rational mind, to order. As the domain, so are its denizens. Though the Chaos Gods are forever, they are not eternal. Though they have existed since time immemorial, they came into being well into their pre-existence. Once born, always existed. Though the daemons never truly die, their lives can be but the brief flickers of candlelight lost in the wind. These entities are forever changing, forever different, never uniform. The Antecruorian, the Born Unborn, are valuable examples of this reality. These daemonic creatures embodied certain aspects of Khorne since stripped, and perpetuated those aspects upon the galaxy. They were the blood-embrace, the first angels of death. They were the anger that raged quietly in the dark. It was they who lent killers their formidable charisma, who enticed and beguiled the innocent and the young to give the blood of life that their master so craved. To forsake the mundane life of virtue for an eternity of power and thirst. None encompassed the devil's blood-thirst like these monstrosities. Since before the beginnings of human history, these beasts, beautiful of form but terrible of spirit, plagued reality. Mankind was no stranger to their penetrating stare, the Antecruorian featuring in many legends, their nightmare following them from the darkness that surrounded their small fires to the empty black about their star. But the flows of the Warp change, and the waters of madness swelled with the pregnancy of a new god, born of the passions and addictions of an ancient race. Not all of its vast power was new, owned solely by this newborn deity. None either was borrowed, but drained or snatched whole, forever, from its equals. To be so diminished, to find oneself sharing the power of all between four where there was once only three, was not well received by the older gods. None raged at the birth of Slaanesh more ferociously than Khorne. For the birth of Slaanesh had erased, with sudden finality, one of his infernal Hosts, the Antecruorian. Once born, always existed. Slaanesh’s birth erased time and wrote it anew, giving this god an eternity of life before birth, just as it had done for those gods before Slaanesh, and as it will for those gods after Slaanesh. With time and existence making room for Slaanesh, the Antecruorian were erased from it. Time undone, atrocities, and afflictions visited upon the galaxy by the never-existed would fade away as a shattered timeline. Who could know what was lost, that which had never happened? Yet, not all was lost. Some memory of the Antecruorian remained, yet anchored by their daemon king, who by blood and ritual managed barely to survive the oncoming wave of unreality. Though known by many names of many tongues, the name given by the ancient Rumanii of Old Earth has remained with them past their nonexistence. Other names, distant legends, erased or subverted, become something else, such as the wamphyr, the strigoi. Perhaps it is because of their dark lord, protector of their gates, whose mortal name is long forgotten. When he rose to become Prince of the Antecruorians, he was known first as the Dracruor, the Blood Dragon. Some say he was the first Prince of this breed. Some say he was the last. Both true, both false, both irrelevant. In this now, he is the only. The Last Immortal, he has been seen across many other cultures of Old Earth, as well as other domains of humanity and beyond, and been known by as many names. When the shattered lands that once linked Nord and Sud Merica together were still enveloped with hot life, he was the War Serpent, Kukulkan. To the Lunar Chirurtechs, he was the Silent Scream. To the Eldarkin, before the rise of another would erase all memory, He Who Thirsts. Upon the distant colony of Moyscax, where he and his children reigned as Blood Gods in the outer night, where they would entomb themselves within protective earth from the galaxy-shattering cry of a new power, imprisoning their black souls within black stone, he was Tivan. For a thousand years, these blood gods survived on this world, Reigning supreme, but bound still. By replacing mortal hearts with these onyx coffins, Tivan and his children could possess and dominate. But never could they reach beyond, extend their infernal souls to be replenished in the winds of Chaos, for they yet remain anathema to its present design. To release themselves fully from their self-imprisonment in this time would be more than simple folly, it would unwrite their very existence from all of time. Only by being remade in the image of Khorne in the Blood God's current incarnation could they ever burst free from the chains they have bound themselves. Carnage, mayhem and massacres, the unthinking ferocity of murder and mindless fratricide. These are what the Blood God favor, what must be enacted a million times over for there to be metamorphosis. Though, there are some who say that this is not intended to receive once more their blood-father’s favor, but that the ritualized letting of Antecruorian blood is of altogether different symbolic relevance, a shifting of their daemonic essences to make them unaligned and free. Either possibility is irrelevant. The population of Moyscax would never be enough. But if bound to the XII Legion echelon in orbit, sent by the will of a false god in spite of a destiny writ in the blood of true divinity, the Antecruorian may yet live again . . . The story of the Antecruorian continues, as the Eyes of Tivan. =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= Roen screamed. His rifle lay inches away, but forgotten. The titan who towered above him encompassed the whole of his vision, and of his breaking mind. The beast, shaped like an angel of the Emperor yet so corrupted, so different, bellowed back, spittle spraying from the grille upon his helm that sizzled and burned wherever it touched, including Roen. Screaming still, in fear and agony, the guardsman weakly tried to pull himself away from the monster, across the rubble-strewn stone bridge. The titan’s head jerked back and to the side, shards of armor splintering away, the instant before the loud crack of a heavy-caliber rifle reached Roen’s ears. Roen paused in his scrabble, staring at the giant, his screams whimpering down to childlike moans and grunts of pain and exertion as he waited to see if the marksman, likely Lieben, had hit true. The traitor marine slowly rotated his head back, his whole frame visibly shaking as if containing an uncontrollable rage. Roen was struck by the vision he beheld, the fragmented helm revealing what was underneath to the light of the sun. Skin, white as marble and threaded by thick ropes of dark veins, framed an eye of all the madness of fury. As Roen stared, tiny flickers of flame appeared upon the exposed skin, the eye shriveling from the growing heat. The titan bellowed and contorted, stumbling towards the guardsman as it shed armor and skin alike. Any further screams were choked from Roen’s throat by the sight of the beast that had hidden within the World Eater. Almost Ork-like in appearance, yet devoid of its overdeveloped musculature, the tusks more finely pointed like fangs. Long and thin of limb, distended of belly, and aflame. Roen’s stomach lurched at the sight and his vision swam. The daemon pounded across the bridge, every footfall, and swipe of its claws tearing the bridge apart faster than a baneblade. Roen gagged, blood tears streamed his face, unable to flee. Distantly, the sniper Lieben lay twitching, his ears bleeding, as his mind tried, and failed, to comprehend the destruction that was being rewritten and undone as he witnessed it be wrought. The immense, burning hand closed about Roen’s torso, slamming downward with enough force to break through the bridge floor. The two forms plummeted between the towering hive spires amidst the rain of pulverized stone. The creature held fast his grip, pulling the rapidly dying guardsman to blackened lips. As the lifeblood left Roen, leaving him cold and dead, the last sight before unseeing eyes was of the diminishing bridge above, shifting back and forth between whole and pair of broken stubs. Fed upon blood, source of all power, did not save the daemon, as the consuming flames reached a fevered intensity. The creature shrieked, its cry shrill and terrible, and then detonated with nuclear fire. The expanding sphere of pure, unbound, yet flickering light was immediately visible to vessels in low orbit, and within seconds enveloped them. The planet splintered, cracked under the pressure, pieces of the world began moving independent of each other as . . . Trembling fingers found the trigger. Another resounding crack, and Roen’s rifle kicked against his shoulder. The beam burned through exposed flesh and into the brain behind the fiery eye. The World Eater ceased its contortions, and slowly collapsed, causing the stone bridge to tremble under the dead weight. Deep in the titan’s chest, a heart of black stone burns cold, empty. Daemon cage, it sat empty, void of unlife. What might have happened, in another reality, had it been filled? What destruction might such a creature have wrought when freed? Irrelevant. The battle continues. =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= TIVAN War Serpent of shattered sons, Blood Dragon of darkened skies The earliest recorded mention of the daemon now known as Tivan can be found deep in the central radwastes of Urazi, within the Ruslav Spires. There, kept under lock and key by the Inquisition, is a treasure trove of ancient, mythological information pertaining to the local region. These records are incomplete, and suffer greatly from countless generations of scholarly rewrites and biases, leaving only old recorded analyses of older analyses. These antiquated strictures detail a period of great turmoil for the Rumanii, as barbaric, eastern peoples waged terrible war upon them. Salvation came to the Rumanii in the form of one of their princes, whose prayers to the Sole Divine did not go unanswered. A legend speaks of this prince, visited in the night by a winged shadow, granting him angelic blood. This prince grew powerful, crushing those who had gathered before his gates, toppling all rivals to his domain, and inflicting a reign of terror upon his own. The name given to this prince upon his birth is long lost, all that remains is what, in frightened whispers, his people would call him long after his passing. Dracruor, the dragon of blood. This change of man into demon is far from thoroughly recorded, but accounts attributed to this Dracruor continue centuries after a would-be natural, mortal demise. Though somehow deposed from his position of political power, this entity would become a well-known terror within the darkness of night, preying upon humanity with rarely opposed abandon. The records state that this Dracruor had the capability of creating others like him and that many such children were made. However, no evidence has ever been found of these beasts crawling forth from his den. It was as if, in the process of transformation, they simply ceased to exist. Often throughout history, the Dracruor would fade from mortal memory, as if possessed of some demon trait to cause forgetfulness in all who consider him. Tracing his path upon Old Earth will lead one to the shattered islands of Meztli that link the Merican landmasses together. While even less reliable than the information found within the Ruslav Spires, there is some evidence of a feral god, the Kukulkan. This foul deity, popularly depicted as a great serpent, demanded blood sacrifices in his name, and molded the local tribes to his will. Though much in the myth of the War Serpent points to it and the Dracruor being the same entity, the matter is left unsettled due to the often-conflicting time periods, with some records of the Kukulkan pre-dating Dracruor. However, it is possible that the Kukulkan deity predates the creature known as Dracruor, and that in Dracruor’s travels he would come upon its worshipers who would mistake them for their terrible god. It is impossible to tell how long Dracruor took on the Kukulkan persona, as the march of central pre-civilization would eventually reach this western expanse, and with its coming bury these feral tribes beneath concrete and steel. In this age of ignorance and savagery, those dark times before Humanity would rise into the stars as a truly civilized race, the Dracruor was a figure of legendary malice. War-perpetrator, this vulture of the dead instigated conflicts of theretofore unheard of levels of bloodshed, every drop shed upon dry earth as refreshing to it as the drops that would pour down its inhuman throat. His myth also featured great amounts of guile and charisma. While when caught in the savagery of war this monster would be death for millions, it would also stalk the darkened alleys and shadowed recesses of Mankind’s villages, singling out individual victims and alluring them into its embrace. Often this latter persona of Dracruor’s was connected to the rise and fall of Luna, which perhaps makes it unsurprising what one can find in the recorded histories of the Selenekh Hallowdomes. The populace of Luna has long been a fey lot, easily given over to superstitions, but in this, they may not have been far from the truth. How or why the Dracruor traveled to Luna is not understood, but it quickly began making its mark once it set foot upon the grey dust. In time, the dusty plains surrounding the Selenekh Hallowdomes were littered with the desiccated corpses of the enchanted and the enticed. The chirurgeons of Luna were distressed by the bodies, their faces pulled tight and mouths frozen wide, caught in an eternal silent scream of horror in their final, tortured moments. The Dracruor would plague Luna for centuries, yet could never be cornered or brought to task. In fact, there is little to confirm that this creature of the moon is the Dracruor, but for its identifying behavior and what few reputable eyewitness accounts one can uncover. While potential incidents may have occurred that prove the Dracruor’s continued presence within the Sol System, it appears as though the beast took refuge within the great Hibernatships of Mankind’s initial diasporas into the greater black. Little reliable sources can be found on the creature from this point, though all told points to it perpetuating an age of darkness and blood upon many a world. During the Age of Strife, when the warpstorms isolated and swallowed the domains of humanity, all mention of the Dracruor ceases. Ancient cartographical data originating from the Great Crusade reveal the potential home of the Dracruor during this period. Labeled Moyscax, it was given a peripheral scan and superficial planetside exploration. What was found was a planet enveloped in dark jungles and hot waters, populated by warlike native humans who had truly gone feral upon the fall of civilization millennia prior. A false faith was prominently catalogued, as was the habit of Imperials of this age. The tribes of Moyscax worshiped a pantheon of dark gods who thirsted for blood, and who walked among them as if of them. Though their highest god, the most devoted one by the name of Tivan, matches all prior descriptions of the Dracruor, there are oddities to be found. For one, this Tivan is described as a god contained within the heart of stoneblood, and who walks and massacres among its faithful by means of a devoted taking this stone device within him or herself, replacing their mortal heart. Secondly, this account holds the only reliable source on the so-called children of the Dracruor, often hinted in older legends but never given weight due to severe lack of evidence. Matching in behavior and description, though in varying degrees sorely lacking in strength of will and physical prowess, these lesser deities are likewise encased within small, eye-scoured blocks of stone. Whatever the case may have been, the planet was tagged for immolation at the hands of the XII Legion, a task undertaken in the opening days of betrayal that would bring the Great Crusade to an end. Decades later, when Imperial vengeance entered Moyscax space, they found a planet still in a slow blaze, with the few survivors taken into Imperial possession raving of their need to attract their gods back to them with acts of bloodshed. They were in short order put down. In the process of confirming classification of Moyscax as a Dead World, no material evidence of their false faith was found, beyond the ruined remains of ossified temples splattered with boiled blood. Whatever was on Moyscax, if it was the Dracruor, left with the World Eaters. =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= BLOOD OF STONE Blood Nonetheless Rodon found the talisman archaic, rudimentary, and foul to his senses, as any trueborn son of Magnus would the blunt work of the Blood God. Yet, he could not help but admire the effectiveness to be found within its simplicity. The stone was warm to the touch, lightly pulsating in the semblance of beating life. Everything about it spoke to its nature. A rock of black glass, forged from the fiery blood found deep within the heart of a world. Its shape smooth and smoky, yet contoured to fit perfectly within the cavity of a full-grown man’s chest. An indentation upon the stone, that of a small circle, gave it the impression of an eye. It was the ritual importance of the eye that lent it its power and integrity, and yet the carving upon the stone predates the power of the eye as a ritual device. The Eye of Terra, not yet raised, not yet corrupted. The Eye of Terror, symbol of the Warp upon the material plane, not yet named. Eye of Horus, of Abaddon. The Eye of the Warmaster not yet born. The eye stared outward from the stone, and by looking out prevented all sight of within. It was basic, lacking in subtlety or complexity, yet Rodon found the blood-washed stone alluring. How this Tivan had the knowledge or wherewithal to even conceive of these black hearts, constructs that would house beings existing outside time that was, is and will be, was completely beyond him. Both the device and the daemon were decidedly unlike anything the Thousand Son had ever encountered among the Khorne-sworn. But then, he supposed that may be the point. =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= =][= To Become a God If Able Krune tore the twelfth heart from a screaming savage. It was a sacred number to his brothers, for it was their Legion numeral in the ancient past. It meant nothing to Krune, as this Legion many of his older brothers were once a part of meant nothing to him. Nevertheless, he tightened his grip on the young boy thrown flat upon the stone as it went into spasms. Krune passed the heart to a brother, who held it aloft with a roar before devouring it, and gestured for one of the gods to be handed over. Dutifully, an attendant serf, one of the Blood-touched, heavily scarred from the lash and the pit-duels, passed him the obsidian stone with reverence, his hands and forearmed heavily threaded with black lines from the contact. It was one of hundreds kept in the possession of Krune and his brothers, who each bore one within them as well. All had been upon a stone slab such as this one, their hearts ripped free and replaced. Gripping the small form of this lesser god in his armored palm, Krune once again marveled at the ease with which he could simply crush it, grind it into dust. Though such acts of deicide were not uncommon among his uncontrollable brothers, it was well known that all god-slayers are hunted down, slain and their skulls and obsidian hearts ground to powder, lest their perfidy taint the warband further. As always, Krune dismissed the thought and plunged the hand gripping the stone of liquid black into the boy’s chest cavity, holding it in place where the heart once was. Instantly, the body arched its back upwards, veins becoming visible as something darker than the space between stars threaded through. The screams sputtered and became choking, the spasms grew in strength. One of the serfs reached over with some gear taken from the corpse of a medicae, and stapled the boy’s chest closed. The boy’s head snapped around as the noises escaping his tortured throat became filled with anger. Eyes of the deepest black stared at Krune with pure hatred. Then the flesh around the eyes browned and blackened, and small embers formed in the eyes. The roars of anger degenerated back into screams of pain, as blackening spots appeared across the body. With a snarl of disgust, Krune tossed the boy off the altar with a swipe of an arm. It came to rest at the base of the temple of skulls among blackened skeletons just as flames began to flicker across the skin. Krune looked across at the other half dozen altars built upon the smoldering plains of this feral world. One of his distant brothers roared in triumph, holding high his sacrificial victim by the throat. Even across this considerable distance, Krune’s enhanced sight bore witness to the changes beginning to come upon the boy. He let out a deep growl as he gestured impatiently for the Blood-touched to drag forth another of the crying masses below. Krune tore the thirteenth heart from a screaming savage.

<<INCOMING TRANSMISSION>> <<SIGNAL ORIGIN: INQUISITOR ANJANETTE IBRIC//ORDO MALLEUS>> <<CONFIDENTIAL//RESTRICTED ACCESS>> <<BEGIN TRANSMISSION>> Salutation Chapter Master, I have included in this transmission the information you requested but I must again repeat my concern on your desire for this information. The same request from any other in my organisation would bring about at best censure, at worse excommunication. Know that whilst I owe your Chapter much at the slightest hint of Heresy I will bring your Chapter to heel. I will, for now, trust your judgment on this matter but never forget that a moment laxity forms a lifetime of heresy. In Trust, Anjanette Ibric Ordo Malleus <<BEGIN ATTATCHMENT>> REF: ALETHEIA (AKA:Binder of Truths/The Perfect Truth/Veritas/Ma’at) For a power, or “God” as her followers would have you believe, dedicated to the pursuit of truth much of the history and truths regarding Aletheia are hidden in secrets and half truths. Perhaps it is seen as a test for those truly dedicated to the pursuit of truth that to find her they must see through all the smoke and mirrors that hide her from the casual citizen of the Imperium. References to this daemonic entity range as far back as ancient Terra, long before the rise of the Emperor and the Unification Wars. Known as Aletheia or Vertitas in the area known as Europa, Ma’at in Gyptus or even Forseti in the area of Nordyc. Although worship of her was stamped out early in the rise of the Emperor it is believed her worship continued on many other worlds outside of the immediate reach of Terra. Although a entity in her own right it is believed at some time between her worships destruction on Holy Terra and later encounters with her during the Great Crusade that she became sworn to the growing power of the greater Chaos deity known as Slaanesh, the power of excess and obsession. Whether this was due to her shrinking area of influence as more and more worlds were brought into the “Imperial Truth”, a philosophy that encourages a good narrow minded approach or if her followers natural almost overwhelming dedication to find the truth behind any secrets naturally led her followers to follow the power of obsession. Aletheia’s presence in the real world would come to an end when, by chance, it is believed She and the God Emperor himself faced off both on the material plain as well as in the Immaterium during the Great Crusade. Unable to destroy her entirely, her being still a fairly powerful warp entity, instead he bound her inside one of his ships and cast the ship far into the Warp, beyond the reach of mortal and immortal alike. And so Aletheia was all but forgotten as she lay adrift deep in the Warp. If it was the Emperor’s hope that Aletheia would never again return to the mortal world he would have been sorely disappointed. In M41 in the area of space know as the Omas Drift the vessel containing the essence of Aletheia, known as the Talon, would be vomited forth from the Warp. So long bereft of worship and contact with mortals Aletheia was greatly weakened, although she was strong enough to send out a faint call to those nearby. It would be a Captain of the Space Marines, Captain Raziel of the Lion Warriors Chapter whom would be the first to find the vessel. A Chapter known to collect and salvage items of dubious origin Raziel took command of the vessel to help save his forces from the Ork forces that arrived shortly thereafter. Despite the efforts of the Lion Warriors Chaplain to influence Raziel away the taint of the Warp he could sense in the ship Raziel was touched by the faintest whisper of Aletheia. And in that barest flicker of a moment Aletheia knew the time for her return had come. The exact events regarding the fall of Raziel and his subsequent taking command of the vessel and fleeing into the Warp are covered in great detail elsewhere so I wont rehash them here. Needless to say that with approximately three hundred Space Marines, many highly decorated veterans, sworn to her service the return of Aletheia had begun. As an entity herself Aletheia has not often been seen outside of her prison since the time of her encounter with the Emperor, at least not to those outside of her sworn service. Bound almost completely to the vessel, now known as the Talon of Aletheia, as her influence grows and with the Emperor now bound to the Golden Throne the chains on her binding are growing weaker. When she does appear to her followers it is often as a human maiden, either cloaked in a pure white gown of entirely naked. Those daemons sworn to her service have been twisted and corrupted by her servitude to Slaanesh, once appearing as pure maidens as well they now have started to shift and warp into fiends more resembling the Daemonette servants of her master. Some of the more notable members of her followers and servants are listed as follows: Raziel Nuriah, The White Talon, Chosen of Aletheia, Truth’s Consort Raziel was a former Captain of the Space Marine Chapter, the Lion Warriors, First Company. Raziel was touched by the taint of Aletheia when he and his marines boarded the vessel, the Talon of Aletheia, and has ever since acted as her Chosen Champion. Raziel leads his band of renegades and traitors in her service from deep within the Athollo Anomaly. There are many whom whisper over the sanity of Raziel, whether he has lost his grip on reality and truth due to his closeness to a “God”. The truth is, as ever, far more worrying. For as Aletheia’s bindings weaken she has been able to project herself further into the world. One way of doing this is she has taken partial residence in the fallen Captain. Raziel is known to swing from moments of melancholy and driven ambition as he is in control, to bursts of obsessive drive and zeal as Aletheia asserts her influence. Hienrich Commard The Black General Like many people of the now dominant Imperium Hienrich was raised to follow the Imperial Truth; to never question the Ecclisiarchy, to never question those put above. Taught the truism that an open mind is like fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded. Despite this going against his naturally curious mind it was philosophy he stuck to. Raised to the rank of Regimental Commander in his regiment he was highly regarded for his no questions asked attitude when given order from higher up the chain of command. An attitude that would one day see him and his his entire regiment deployed as cannon fodder against the forces of Chaos. Nothing more then something to force the traitor forces to slow down allowing the planets government to escape. And it was in this moment that Aletheia reached out and opened his eyes to the ‘Truth”. When the traitor forces arrived at his position Hienrich simply turned his forces and fell in beside them. The planets government never escaped that day and Hienrich’s pact was sworn in blood. Since then he has commanded the mortal followers of Aletheia and is one her most devout mortal followers. Sharingarilithar The Keeper of Truths, The Watcher Sharingarilithar is a powerful Keeper of Secrets sent by Slaanesh to watch over Aletheia and to ensure her allegiance. Appearing in a form typical of her kind she has long haunted the minds of those with hidden secrets, lavishing in the fear and paranoia that she can create in her new role as watcher of the Binder of Truths Laurithani The Unmasked, Prophet of Truths Chief of the daemon servants of Aletheia The Unmasked is often at the forefront of those forces sent for Aletheia’s causes. Originally formed purely from the essence of truth even The Unmasked has began to become tainted towards She Who Thirsts. ADDITIONAL NOTE Recent investigations into the actions of both the White Talons Renegades as well as other followers of Aletheia have revealed they often for search for something they know only as “The Perfect Truth”. Fragments of this “Truth” seem to mostly take the form of random snippets and fragments of various texts, knowledge, secretes or even songs. There seems to be no single unifying factor between these fragments and as such no pattern can be established and thus effectively countered. Once they have determined the location of one of these fragments of the “Truth” are found nothing stands between Aletheia’s forces and their objective. Followers often decorate their armour or banners with transcripts of these fragments. What ever the purpose behind this lore gathering is unknown, or if there is even a purpose beyond the obsessive madness of Chaos, but what few clues I have found seem to hint that should the Perfect Truth ever be complete then Aletheia will finally be restored to her former power and be finally free of Slaanesh’s rule. Whatever the truth of the matter if is not in the Imperium’s interest to let it continue. <<END TRANSMISSION>>

So I am working on the Liber Challenge for Daemon Warbands, and this is what I have so far. Notable Members of Warband True name:Ea’Kirffu’Uagz Other names:Alst’Amhirz, The Tip Tongue Daemon, The Misplaced Name, Thoughtcanker Herald of Nurgle, and Leader of the Thoughtstealer Plague Warband Thoughtcanker’s existence began with the fear of forgetfulness that is brought on during old age. In ancient times as Terran humans grew old and weak so did the fetid mushroom destined to become Thoughtcanker grow strong and filthy with the memories they lost. The final memories were often the sweetest, and those who lived despaired the most at their loss. So were Thoughtcanker and its eventual kin born. Thoughtcanker was bound to the despairs which lead to its creation, seeking ever more to steal the memories of mortal souls, yet always leaving behind the memories pointing to that whole so that they may know what they are truly missing. Only when their last memory remained, whether a childhood joy, or a cruel twist of fate, or even just their name, did Thoughtcanker offer them release from their cruel fate. Those who took its deal soon found themselves turned to Nurgle’s servants in turn, cruel sprites and faeries who even after Thoughtcanker returned their memories were none the happier. For in their new forms the memories no longer were theirs, but just those of some dead mortal who had forgotten all and was to be forgotten in turn. However, Thoughtcanker grew dissatisfied with merely taking those who fell to dementia and injury. So it soon began to offer bargains with mortals, the memory of a first kiss in return for the stamina to win a race, all the recognition of a best friend for a pile of gold, rule of a kingdom for a last name. With each deal mortals made, they had less to lose, but often no less to gain, as the gifts of daemons are fickle indeed. For with each part of their memory, these mortals gave up a bit of themselves, a portion of their very soul. Thoughtcanker was never gone for long, as the one memory it almost never took was the knowledge of how to summon it back. Mortals would bargain away their lives piece by piece, until nothing remained to them but a body without meaning or desires and their souls were forfeit to Thoughtcanker, destined to become servants of Nurgle when their emptied bodies finally expired. Woetide Bloodplague the Enslaved: once Bloodthirster of Khorne Woetide Bloodplague was once Woetide Bloodrend, one of Khorne’s Bloodthirsters. A being of rage and hate quite similar to Khorne’s other servants, Woetide did not fear any threat until dispatched from the mortal plane by a member of the Grey Knights on one particularly humiliating excursion into realspace. Unable to take out his rage on the mortal realm, Woetide grew bitter at his banishment. When Thoughtcanker offered to let Woetide lead his force against the mortal realms versus a servant of She Who Thirsts, Woetide leapt at the chance. When Thoughtcanker promised to prevent Woetide from any such debilitating harm as he had once received for a price, Woetide gladly paid it, one forgotten piece of name for each wound displaced. For a time Woetide grew great in strength, his new allies supporting greater and longer forays into the material realm with each assault. And each time he would be dispatched, the wound was transferred from Woetide to one of Thoughtcanker’s minions through powers Woetide found distasteful, but which he also quickly forgot under the harvest of bloodshed he reaped. The Battles of Holuster Hive raged and fifty five times did Woetide return from wounds which should have easily banished him, and fifty five times did the deals of Thoughtcanker work their powers as promised till all that Woetide remembered of his true name was the Hl of his first syllable. But when Woetide was struck well the fifty sixth time, he finally noticed what was wrong. Chains that had once bound his weapons to his arms now bound his will to that of Thoughtcanker. Where once bloodshed filled him with rage and glory, it now only served to lessen a bitter pain eating away at his insides. The battle over, returned to the Immaterium, Woetide found himself trapped in Nurgle’s garden, surrounded by cackling nurglings and craning up from the ground he was chained to at Thoughtcanker’s rare smile. Thoughtcanker spoke his name, but it was different than it once was, the pauses and breaks were all wrong, where it had been eight by seven it was now seven by eight. Where he had been Hle’Eshp’Pioppdeao he was now Hleeshp’Piop’Pde. Where he had been Bloodrend he was now Bloodplague. Now Woetide serves the Thoughtstealers, bound to Thoughtcanker and remade as a servant of Nurgle. Although he still bears much of the power he once did, the joyful glory of hatred is denied to him, and as such his bitterness grows, only binding him ever tighter to Thoughtcanker’s will and his cruel slavery. However, it appears that Khorne has not forgiven this theft of his power, and the Thoughtstealers have more than once heard the braying of fleshhounds whilst nearby his armies and domains. Warband Structure The Thoughtstealer Plague is organized under seven powerful daemons of Nurgle and their attendants and servants. Each herald preferably draws power from the loss of a specific type of memory: sensory, working, episodic, semantic, procedural, prospective, and spatial memory. First amongst them is working memory, Thoughtcanker itself, because that is the first memory loss noticed and feared as a sign of what losses are to come; the repeated failure “at the tip of the tongue” only signals further forgetfulness. The daemonic attendants of each herald take on forms suitable to the forms of the memories they steal, many often start as small creatures formed of but a single thought. These grow as more similar thoughts are stolen and added to them. Such beings often take on forms indicative of the memories they are created from, though onlookers will rarely be able to to describe or classify them.and instead will be overcome by a crippling feeling of presque vu. Each being, though it may be made by any of the seven Nurgle lords who rule the Thoughtstealer Plague, will find itself attracted to the retinue of that specific lord who identifies with the form of memory from which it was made. This means that the Plague grows in a haphazard way, and any particular lord and its retinue may be stronger than another in pure daemonic might at any given point. However, in general, each lord is responsible for controlling their own minions and for leading when their field of expertise is at the fore, with Thoughtcanker responsible for making sure everyone works together as smoothly as possible. Warband Origin Thoughtcanker was the first daemon borne to the Thoughtstealer Plague, but its long untended incubation in the Garden of Nurgle feeding on the sorrow of lost memories was not quite the same as that which spawned the remainder of the warband. At first Thoughtcanker found that feasting on the sorrow of memories, its favorite the mix of rage and bitter stubbornness when a thought was lost just at the tip of the tongue, was quite enough to satisfy. Yet as the timeless ages stretched, Thoughtcanker grew bored in its lonesome duties. Thoughtcanker wished to spread its influence, but had only limited reach as a single entity. It began to plant the memories it stole, organizing and codifying them in the process. In Thoughtcanker’s small plot in the vastness of Nurgle’s estate, six withered weeds took root, one for each form of memory save Thoughtcanker’s favorite, working memories. These plants grew in proportion to the sorrows and related emotions which fed them. The loss of emotional memories and personal anecdotes is often the most jarring and bitter of all lost memories and therefore the weed associated with episodic memory grew fastest and fattest on the loss of mortals. Its baleful fruit was the second daemon amongst the Thoughtstealer plague. Next came the loss of function found in procedural memory, each thought of “I used to know how to do this” feeding its greedy roots. Third came the aggravation of forgetting to remember, for it was so often in its occurrence and occasionally devastating, even if not quite so frequently as the first two. Now that they were four, the Thoughstealer Plague began to steal memory even more greedily and the remaining three members grew faster than ever before. Fourth sprouted the loss of spatial memory from the sorrow of being lost in once familiar places. Fifth came the loss of semantic memory as forgetfulness of general information took its frustrating toll even without direct emotional links to such information. Last came sensory memory, for its loss was so fleeting only the devastation of failed senses was left to feed it. When the seven lords of this host stood together, they understood, even through all their differences, the powers they might wield together, if only they had the numbers. Where once there was one daemon, now there were seven, where once there was one plot, now it was sevenfold grown. Memories became both harvest and seed, and the Thoughtstealer Plague continued to build. Warband Goals Primarily the Thoughtstealer Plague exists to feed upon the sorrow and despair of mortals, not unlike most of Nurgle’s servants. Generally, this is accomplished via the removal of various memories from mortals and in so doing reminding both that particular being and those around them of their own mortality. The more specific goals of the warband as a whole are usually decided by Thoughtcanker itself, although it often consults the lords of emotional memory and prospective memory in its plans so as to ensure collaboration from the former and gain insight from the latter. Each lord has its own preferences and peculiar desires which are a result of both its creation and its history not unlike many other daemons and as such these lords will direct their personal subsets of the Plague as they see fit. In particular importance are the designs of the lords of emotional and prospective memory, as both seek to usurp Thoughtcanker’s control. So far the fierce loyalty of the procedural memory daemons to Thoughtcanker have made any military conquest impossible, but any plans laid by the far subtler actions of the lord of prospection are yet to reach fulfillment, and may yet spell out a far different chapter in the warband’s history. The recent, as much as such a word has any meaning within the immaterium, acquisition of Woetide has prompted a whole new direction for the warband, as they turn their sights to the theft of memory from not just mortals but from rival hosts. Where such endeavors will lead, perhaps none can guess, and any who once knew have now likely forgotten. Warband Tactics Though Thoughtcanker prefers subtler actions, the Thoughtstealer Plague is not averse to war, often stealing memories from the foe as they fight. Enemies often find themselves forgetting how to load firearms or operate the heavy machines of war even as the fighting is thickest. The various functions of war of the Thoughtstealer Plague are roughly parceled out to those daemons whose nature are most suited to such tasks. Since the forms of the different subsets of daemons often vary wildly from each other, many enemies don’t realize the full unity of the Thoughtstealer Plague until it is far too late, a fact Thoughtcanker has often put to good use. The daemons formed of stolen sensory memories form the first group and are tasked with reconnaissance and the discovery of new targets for the Plague’s more militant attentions. Many of them consist of not much more than bitterness and half formed representations of the senses, and as such are uniquely skilled in such endeavors. The second group, daemons formed of semantic memories are walking catalogues. They keep track of the facts and figures of all the Thoughtstealer Plague’s enemies and allies and are responsible for integrating the data given to them by those daemons of the first group. In the third group are those daemons formed of episodic memory, who form the heavy hitting arm of the warband’s military might. The bloated forms of these large daemons are due to the vast sorrow caused by the loss of such emotionally strong memories. Horrifying flashbulb memories are often weaponized in great psychoreactive explosions that tear the heart out of the foe’s willingness to fight. Additionally, since these daemons are the most in tune with human emotions of all the Thoughtstealer Plague, their ranks include several more diplomatic heralds who are in charge of solidifying alliances with other daemonic warbands and with corrupting and turning mortals to Thoughtcanker’s cause. The fourth group of daemons is comprised of those who were formed of procedural memory, and contains some of the most efficient memory thieves from the ranks of the Thoughtstealer Plague. They form the main foot soldiers of the warband. They are also partially responsible for carrying out and helping to plan battlefield tactics, alongside those of the fifth group lead by Thoughtcanker. They are reliable troopers when circumstances are as planned, but have little initiative and will often fail if confronted with scenarios too far outside their experience. This is why the fifth group, lead by Thoughtcanker itself and created from working memories is so important. They are masters of coordinating the seven groups and are primarily responsible for strategy, taking on command roles throughout the warhost. Though they often present with limited foresight, their comprehension of the here and now is of vital importance in a warband otherwise dominated by daemons who focus primarily on the past or the future. The sixth group is formed of spatial memory daemons. These, often winged or long legged, creatures work tightly with the first and fifth groups and contain some of the warband’s strongest telepaths. They are responsible for intra-warhost communication and for keeping track of battlefield terrain developments. Swift and surefooted, they can often be found relaying messages between different heralds of the Thoughtstealer Plague when psychic communications are impossible or break down. They are also often employed alongside sensory daemons of the first group to track down and eliminate enemy scouts or act as scouts themselves. The seventh group of daemons is formed of prospective memories. These are the memories of remembering to remember and as such, these are the most forward thinking of the daemons of the Thoughtstealer Plague. They have a large role in determining long term strategy and developing sets of contingency plans for the occasions when circumstances turn against the Plague. Additionally, they have the largest quantity of psychic and sorcerous might in the warband and are frequently employed before battle to strip the enemy of preparation, with ammunition often going unloaded and war materiel unmaintenanced before the warband’s arrival. Notable Battles The Battles of Holuster Hive: Slaanesh cultists led by a sisterhood of three Slaaneshi heralds overthrow the government of the hive planet Holuster over six nights of bright noises and loud colours. Over the next several weeks, the cults grow in strength as their debaucheries expand across the hive blocks. Seeing the strength these excess fueled memories, Thoughtcanker decides to feed off of the efforts made by the Sisters Kaleidoscope. Additionally, it makes a pact with the Khornate host of Woetide Bloodrend in order to minimize damage to the Thoughstealer Plague itself and to test the new binding methods devised by the prospective memory daemons. The Thoughtstealer Plague, particularly the sensory memory daemons, feast upon the glut of vivid memories found in the Holuster cults and those who have been forced to witness such acts. As these cultists lost their memories the Sisters Kaleidoscope begin to lose control of their subjects, and with dwindling resources left to them, even war as a means of stimulation becomes more difficult. However, when Woetide’s host slams into the capital city of Holuster hive heading straight for the Sisters’ pleasure palace. War creating a brand new theatre for delicious experience the Sisters’ lead their forces in a meat grinder against Woetide’s blood spattered host. Meanwhile, the Thoughtstealer daemons continue to feast upon the memories of the Slaanesh cultists, weakening the Kaleidoscope forces. This farming of emotions invested by the powers of the Sisters continues for several weeks before becoming unsustainable. In the fighting, Woetide iss struck down and enslaved to Thoughtcanker’s will, but not before shattering the defences of Holuster’s capital. When the Thoughtstealer plague finally descends, glutted upon the powerful memories of the fighting forces, it easily wipes aside the remnants of both other armies and proceeds to suck the rest of the planet dry. The Fading of Nunivok: A fleet is sent to ascertain why Nunivok has stopped sending its imperial tithe abruptly, particularly since the civilized world had never even sent a reduced tithe at any point in recent records. Inquisitor Jarvis arrives to discover a planet filled with blank faced people milling about aimlessly. None of them can remember anything about what happened or about anything else for that matter; none even remember their own names. Jarvis removes from the planet in fear of a pox of some kind and has it biocleansed as a precaution while he and his retinue are examined for contamination. Jarvis reports that the planet had total population loss but that replacement colonists should be able to quickly bring the planet back to full functioning, as the infrastructure seems undamaged.

INDEX OMNISSIAN: THE DRESARIAN MECHANICUS http://imgur.com/T22xkq7.png FORGE WORLD DRESARI IV FOUNDATION The Dresari System was uncovered early in the 32nd Millennium in Sector Solaris March, in the extreme galactic north-east of Segmentum Solar. The system's fourth world's habitable atmosphere and mineral wealth, and the system's strategic location near the Sector's secondary Warp-conduit, made it a ready candidate for expansion by the Mechanicus, who quickly laid claim to the world as a sister forge to Kulvos. Kulvos had been reforged during the Great Crusade from a muster world to a major fleet station and shipyard, with many of its forges turned to the fabrication of war material. The Sector needed something more than what Kulvos provided. Though war was all in the Imperium, still needed were the more mundane technological marvels utilized by agri-worlds or hives. Though the Sector had its fair share of Mechanicus holdings beyond these two forge worlds, even the fledgling manufactories of Dresari far outweighed the output of these other, minor holdings. This pairing of dominant forge worlds was short-lived, as in mere centuries the Ork hordes that rampaged across the breadth of the Imperium under the Beast saw their Sector hit hard. Among the Imperial losses was the forge world Kulvos, which withstood the Ork onslaught for seven decades before the beasts finally broke into the Omnitemplum, and the Magos-Dominans overloaded hundreds of Kulvos' plasmic reactor cores. Following the death of Kulvos and the eventual calming of the Ork menace, Dresari was named inheritor of Kulvos' remaining wealth. Expeditions mined and explored the greater planetoid pieces of what was once Kulvos, recovering but a fraction of the information contained within its extensive data-vaults. Among the debris fields was an extensive network of machinery and designs of xenos origin of zero apparent relation to the Ork breed. Analysis of this wreckage was inconclusive, leading many to wonder if the Kulvosi Mechanicus harbored a xenobaric tendency or if the planet of Kulvos hid an internal corruption. Those macroclades of the Kulvosi Skitarii Legion that were offworld, saved from their forge world's destruction, were relocated and subsumed into the Dresarian Skitarii Legion. The Magos-Dominans of Kulvos would have been remiss to allow Legio Corvix to fall alongside the forge world. The Legio had fought a fighting withdrawal in the final hours of Kulvos, though many of the god-engines were struck down in the attempt. It is a testament to the power and divinity of these holy works that, during the exploration of the Kulvos debris field, the Warmonger-class Titan Hugin's Spear was found not only whole, but operational. Within three decades, it would walk once more. Dresari, absent its own Titan Legio due to its relative youth as a forge world, would become Legio Corvix's new home and protectorate. Included in the Kulvosi inheritance was its extensive network of alliances and partnerships. Most notable of these were trade agreements with a few prominent Rogue Trader dynasties and a partnership with an Adeptus Astartes Chapter. Patriarchs of the Knight Houses of Dalriada came to Dresari with great ceremony, swearing oaths of alliance previously sworn to Kulvos. Of Kulvos' holdings, only one was not given to Dresari, its extensive shipyards, shattered whole by the apocalyptic death of the forge world. Some of the minor Mechanicus holdings contained some capability of ship-forging, or had a network capable of providing refit and resupply. These were consolidated and brought to Dresari, forming an immense spherical structure reminiscent of a skeletal moon, filling the void in the Dresarian night sky. With the salvaged riches and relocated networks of Kulvos at Dresari's disposal, the forge world became one of the most depended upon world in nearby Imperial space. However, despite the wealth at their fingertips, the young forge world was still without the necessary infrastructure in place. Four theta-class forges had been thus far completed on the planet's surface, and while they burned hot day and night, regularly surpassing typically expected quotas of these standard constructs, they were far from enough. For centuries following the death of Kulvos, Sector Solaris March was woefully under-supplied and ill-equipped, with the inability for Dresari to meet all demands having a domino effect. The ill-fated Drakefire Crusade, named for Chapter Master Vyrn'il, Salamanders Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and instigator of the war effort, was given top priority to these young Dresarian forges. However, a decades-long famine on the hive world of Cristovan, later known as the Emperor's Crucible, prevented the raising of nearly 47 million soldiers to be sent to the front lines. The famine can be traced to Ardenthome, the agri-world tasked with providing the majority of foodstuffs available to the Cristovanians, whose macroharvest drone reparations were delayed when the Dresari forges were re-tasked to equip the Drakefire Crusade. With the strain on the forge world threatening to collapse the local sector, the Dresarian Tech-Priests looked to the extensive network of contacts passed down to them from Kulvos as a means to make ends meet. Quickly, the Dresarian technocracy proved itself adept at the handling of resources and production capabilities beyond just their own, often juggling thousands of complex, simultaneous contracts and transactions directly related to each other and for the purpose of more singular goals the forge world itself can not meet. Slowly, the Solaris March Sector stabilized and began to once more flourish. Before the end of the 32nd Millennium, Dresari could be classified as a phi//beta majoris-grade forge world, its output rivaling peak Kulvosi production, and yet still clear signs for improvement and expansion were noted and acted upon during the 33rd Millennium. Never forgetting the skills that had brought them so far in even those most trying of times, the Dresarian Mechanicus continued to manipulate and enhance their inherited network and connections, swiftly expanding it into a veritable trade empire, with Dresari IV at its head. DRESARIAN SKITARII CORPS http://imgur.com/7ZvnrLL.png Dresarian Tech-Priests overseeing a Skitarii engagement. Of particular note beyond the identifiably dark robes and blue-steel iron is the marked uniformity of form and augmentation typical of the Dresarian technocracy, including the Dresarian Skitarii Corps. ORGANIZATION The Dresarian Skitarii Corps is of no unusual size even with the formerly Kolvosi macroclades that would be reassigned to Dresari, as the pre-existing Dresarian Skitarii forces were already of relatively small size. This conglomeration of two Skitarii Legions shows more in its make-up, as the Kolvosi Skitarii survivors were dominantly Rangers. The Dresarian Skitarii Corps would organize these greater numbers of Rangers into unique formations known as Huntclades, effectively turning these Rangers into army cohorts of their own. These formations proved remarkably adept in handling xenos forces, a common enemy to the Dresari, and as such the Huntclades were retained as a permanent structural integration. With the typical role of the Skitarii Vanguard usurped by the Dresarian Huntclades, these units are given a more refined role, reserved for when the Dresarian technocracy desires only the utter extinction of a foe or world. COMBAT DOCTRINE The Dresarian Huntclades are typically under meme-sets to surround and slowly constrict upon the enemy, with varying waves to ensure total enclosure and prevention of escape. In this manner the kill-moment can be delayed to the maximum extent, the trapped enemy's reaction of immense informational value. Where the physical attributes and capabilities of the enemy are desired, the Ruststalker Killclades will provide the end-strokes. These data-harvests are funneled to the likes of the Ballistarii and Dragoons, utilizing the information at their command to extreme advantage in the persecution of the foe and its command elements. KNIGHT HOUSES OF DALRIADA http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/nevscorner/Connknight_zpsum0ie5gm.png Unlike other Houses of Dalriada, the Mikrimmons place equal importance of each of the colors of House conWels, their knight-engines therefore particularly colorful and vibrant, much like the Mikrimmons themselves. Pictured is Tormod Mikrimmon, current Patriarch. NOTABLE GATEWAR INCIDENTS c.M28 – Before ships of the Imperium darkened the skies of Dalriada during the Great Crusade, the Knights were in full-out war with the xenos race known as the Eldar, though various later assaults included members of this race that were unrecognizably related to each other. This alien race had arrived in force from the forests of Dalriada by unknown means, and it was the Knight Houses only who could stand against them. However, they were ill-prepared for the sudden onslaught. Most of the Houses of Dalriada fell, never to rise again. It was the Savior King who first began to turn the tide of battle. Iosua conWels, 3rd born son of the conWels patriarch, and now one of this House's last few remaining Knightsmen. One of the last few remaining Knightsmen of any House of Dalriada. It was Iosua's counter-charge that saw the xenos assault finally falter. The surviving Dalriadan chassis rallied behind Iosua, and after months of continued bloodshed, drove the Eldar forces back into the forests. Though these forests were scoured for years after the conflict, the surviving Eldar forces were never found. An Eldar structure was uncovered, and summarily destroyed, but no other evidence was found. Dalriada was rebuilt under Iosua's command, the remaining Houses bound to him now through marriage instead of war-born loyalty. House conWels would die with Iosua, with no native-born conWels mother left to pass on the name to her children. All of his sons would bear the names of the Houses of their mothers, and would rise as their patriarchs. Though the House of the Savior King would not continue, it would live on forever through the Houses that survived this first Gatewar, as they would come to be known. There would be another before the age of the Emperor. 78.M30 – Decades after the Imperium of Man swept past Dalriada, readily bringing the Knights into the Imperial fold with the arrival of a Martian presence on the rejuvenated Kulvos, the Eldar menace returned. Flashing across the world like razer-edged speed daemons, they caught Dalriada once more unprepared, with many of their Knights offworld fighting in the Emperor's Great Crusade. However, this Gatewar would prove by far to be the least destructive in Dalriada's history, due to the timely arrival of the Legiones Astartes and a son of the Emperor. Their Expedition Fleet anchored above Kulvos for refit and supply, these Space Marines struck immediately for Dalriada when word of the attack reached them. Though knight-engines are devastating in war, striding across battlefields like gods taken mortal form, and had proven quite able in defending Dalriada on their own, a Legion is something else entirely. Within hours, the Legion had broken the back of the Eldar warhost, shattering its ability to cause concentrated damage, what appeared to be their leader cut down by a sword of fire. The horrors to come will erase many memories of this time, not the least of which the designation of this Legion and identity of its Primarch. There is a ceramite armor, of the Legiones Astartes mkIII, displayed prominently in the Tropaion of this victory. It is unpainted and unmarked, plain of all features but the stylized aquila upon its chest. 257.M34 – Conchur mikLur uncovers another gate in the mountains while hunting down retreating Eldar, the second gate this aged lord has found in his prodigious life. As the mikLur scion turns the Ravenson's hellspear on the structure, a hidden weapons platform fires a blazing shot that pierces the head-carapace. A jagged, blackened hole is torn open, Conchur mikLur's engine going suddenly limp. Other platforms opened fire on the hunting party. Their command line silent, fire coming in from unknown vectors and two engines already going down in flames, the other Knights began a fighting retreat that led directly into other unseen weapon systems. The Knights break out of the fire zones, in no small part to the reactivated Ravenson and mikLur's inspiring words over the vox. Upon returning to the mikLur citadels, the Sacristans inspected the immense wound and found that its pilot, Conchur mikLur, was in pieces. His voice could still be heard emitting from the war machine's casters, and would for thousands of more years. The Ravenson would accept no other pilot.

This is my topic for my Liber Challenger IV entry - Inquisitor Selene Antonis. I will be updating it over the next month. http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngName - Inquisitor Selene Antonis of the Ordo Xenoshttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png Origins and Early Life Selene Antonis, Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos and Count Exemplar of Ghast's Reach, was born in 685.M40, on the Celestine Fort. The Celestine Fort is a Star-Fort in orbit around the Fortress World of Diamellòn, and is the main port of the Sarment Fleet. Her parents were two high officers of the Fleet, but she grew up alongside the children of the crew of the Fort, learning the ways of petty crime and dissimulation. She soon learned that she would win more money by spying on various officers of the Fleet and the Guard. Unfortunately, both her parents were killed during the Ashen Crusade, and she was sent to the Schola Progeniam on Universitat. Her grades there were exceptional in every domain, and she was admitted into Commissariat and Tacticae training. She had just graduated as a Junior Commissar in 703.40, when Universitat was visited by the young Inquisitor Silas Ketch, searching for acolytes to join his retinue. Antonis suddenly felt that this could be her chance to be someone important, and returned to her old ways of her life on the Star-Fort : she decided to spy on the inquisitor so that she could find the qualities he was looking for. Unsurprisingly, a couple of days later, Ketch announced that he had picked the young lady as his new acolyte, though, she would discover much later, not for the qualities she had shown in the testing procedures, but precisely because she had decided to spy (even inexpertly) on him. Becoming an Inquisitor and Forging a Retinue She rose through the ranks over the next years, and was an interrogator by the time that Ketch confronted the Daemon Engine possessed by the Greater Daemon Xazabal-Zuavor in the Underhives of Anster on Nosterdam, his own homeworld. Because of pivotal role during this investigation, which had lasted twelve long years, Ketch awarded Antonis her own Inquisitorial Rosette in 728.M40. Ketch did not only make her an Inquisitor, he also gave her the first and most loyal member of her retinue, the Crusader Dariel. During her Interrogatorship, it was also discovered that Antonis was a relatively powerful psyker (delta level). This skill would be very important to her in the years to come. Her psychic potential was only upgraded when Lord Inquisitor Gimhoek of the Sarment Conclave psy-bonded the cherubim Abbàn to her. Antonis soon went on to lead her own investigations for the Ordo Xenos, exterminating genestealer cults, warding off corsair and dark eldar attacks and plotting against the Phryx to recapture Xirus and the other lost planets of Ghast's Reach. During these years, she started forming a band of mercenaries who fought for her and the Ordo Xenos, the Ghastly Yeomen. To command them, she recruited one of her old class-mates of Universitat, Corporal Nate Simms, who had fought for many years with the Upsilic Specters, Universitat's regiments of the Militarum Tempestus ; and to keep a tally on the logistics of this "Personal Guard", she demanded a Lexmechanic from the Forge-World of Salvia-10, and was eventually granted Marcel Standarmbrust and his two heavy-weapons servitors. Finally, the more she found that her Yeomen's standard weapons were ineffective against most alien threats, the more she wished to trade in contraband to bring the mercenaries up to a higher fighting standard. This led her to meet Silara Calys, an eldar corsair merchant, with whom she agreed upon a a trade of the corsair's favoured weapon, the lasblaster, for natural resources difficult to find in the void. To seal the pact, Calys became a hostage of Antonis, whilst she lent a full company of Ghastly Yeomen to the Wyrd Vulture corsairs. New Phryx War The New Phryx War happened nearly a century after the Seventh Phryx War, in which Inquisitor Natheel Dolchschild of the Boromeanites had taken part. Over these years, a tentative peace had settled and, though there was officially no trade between the two Nations, there were definitely resources passed from hand to hand. This all came to an end when Archmagos Krummschwert became the Fabricator General of Salvia-10. Fabricators of this Forge World often modelled themselves as reincarnations (if such a word can be used in the case of the Techpriests of the Mechanicum) of the legendary Archmagos Salvia, who long ago led his own Expiditionnary Fleet during the Great Crusade. In this sense, Fabricators of Salvia-10 would pretend to lead their own Mech-Crusades, but these never gathered much power thanks to the iron gauntlet of the Governor Sectoris Sarment, who never failed to put the Techpriests back in their place. Krummschwert however arrived in power merely three months after the coronation of a new Governor Sectoris, who was then five years old. With no one to stop him, Fabricator Krummschwert declared a new Mech-crusade against the vile xenos, in an aim to reclaim the worlds of Karthagan and Xirrus, two important strongholds of the Adeptus Mechanicus. With him were the combined might of more than fifty Skitarii Cohort, six Knight Houses - including the venerable House Barcca, and the Freeblade Uther - the reforged Explorator Fleet RB-491.D of Birdget Danànn, a full Titan Legion and, especially, the Ordinatus Lenticle. Interestingly, this Grand Army of Krummschwert would only see itself be joined by forces of the Ordos Machinum and Xenos, including many Kill-Teams of Lithuan's Deathwatch and Dolchschild's Frakkers; though these units were powerful in their own right, the Fabricator General would have preferred to sway the young head of the Sector into joining his War. The New Phryx War would end up being the first conflict that Antonis took part in as an independent inquisitor. Though many would consider her contribution small compared to some of the bigger names taking part in the Bloodshed, the true value of her hand in it was more inquisitive in nature, for she was the first to capture and dissect two of the species of Mastodon commonly used by the Phryx - the Ankylodon and the Tuskran - and was able to uncover some of their weak points, which no doubt saved many thousands of Imperial Lives. During this Phryx War, the Yeomen also had their first blooding, and they would be the first - and only - humans to mount Mastodon in battle against the Xenos. They were then able to test Antonis's discoveries, and were even able to recapture three Imperial Knights of Houses Barcca and Maher, that had been taken by the Phryx during the Seventh Phryx War. The Mech-Crusade would end in disaster for the Adeptus Mechanicus : not only were they not able to take hold of the main planetary objectives, but also vast amounts of resources were expended to fight the Xenos. Krummschwert, dishonoured, would later claim that the Sons of Hashût had parleyed with the Phryx and had helped the Aliens against the forces of the Imperium by surprising them on their flank, but historians, tacticians and scholars alike do not believe such allegations. Defense of Carmelost Probably one of the most important battles of the New Phryx War, yet one of its most secret, took place on the relic-world of Carmelost. But to understand it, one must know of another battle that happened on the same planet, millenia before. Ten thousand years ago, during the Great Crusade, Carmelost had already been the site of an immense battle against the ancient Xenos race that had held sway in that region before the arrival of the 314th Expeditionary Fleet. Little is known about it, except that more than one hundred and sixty thousand Imperial Soldiers lost their lives, and that the battle was only won thanks to the heroic actions of Commander Roland Janvier of the Imperial Army. After holding a major strategic pass for several days against the Xenos, he was finally killed by them, yet he had already bought enough time for the Iron Warriors Astartes contingent of the force to exterminate the last aliens. Through his previous acts of Valour, Janvier had already earned the right to be the Count of the Sub-sector they were fighting for. Posthumously, he was further honoured by certain select members of the High Command of the Expeditionary Fleet, including the Lord Commander Thierry Celestin and the Warsmith Setal Berdax: they decreed that any person that could brandish Calandan, Janvier's Power sword - which he had planted at his feet at the moment of his death in the rock of the very pass he had defended - would be considered his spiritual successor and would be granted the title of Count Exemplar. In the years after this declaration, Janvier would become one of the focus points of the worship of the followers of the Lectitio Divinitatus, and would eventually become an Imperial Saint; and later still, Carmelost would become a cardinal-world of the Adeptus Ministorum, and the capital of the sub-sector. However, all knowledge of the Xenos beings that were fought in this sub-sector was lost. All except for the name, that was transmitted through the unofficial name of the region: Ghasts' Reach. During the New Phryx War, one of the Phryx Armies, led by a certain Malaand - or General - Ralban, managed to reach Carmelost, notably with his innovative use of certain technologies from Xirrus. Upon Carmelost, they lay siege to the Imperials. Boromeanite Conflict http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngPlanet of Origin - Celestine Fort (Star-Fort), Diamellònhttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png Lord Commander Thierry Celestin was the general of the 314th Expeditionary Fleet - the so-called Pioneers - one of the two expeditionary fleets that conquered the Sarment Sector during the Great Crusade. The Celestine Fort, his flagship, was a Syracuse-class Starfort, and had been under his family's command for many generations. Once the Sarment Sector had been bought into compliance, Celestin was granted settlement rights one of its sub-sectors, henceforth known as the Celestor Sub-sector. When the Horus Heresy broke out, the Celestine Fort became and important bastion for the Imperial Navy, and it has ever since been Battlefleet Sarment's main port of call, staying in orbit around the Fortress World Diamellòn, which provides the majority of the fleet's mariners and arms-men. http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngInquisitorial Faction - Boromeaniteshttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png Inquisitor Antonis was a member of the radical faction known as the Boromeanites, as Inquisitor Ketch was, and his mentor - Inquisitor Dolchschild - before him. The creator of this faction was an Inquisitorial Scholar, an acolyte in the Ordo Militum who lived around M33. His line of thinking was that all Inquisitors should have easy access to a Militant Chamber, in a similar manner to the Deathwatch of the Ordo Xenos and the Grey Knights of the Ordo Malleus. He believed that such an influence could be of great help when dealing with powerful opponents. This rhetoric is said to have influenced Sebastian Thor when he called the Convocation of Nephilim when the Adepta Sororitas became the Militant Arm of the new Ordo Hereticus. Over the Millenia, this philosophy has developed, meaning that Inquisitors of this faction often created their own personal armies when they believed that they did not have enough access to any official Militant Chamber. Though perceived as dangerous by some, these armies often did prove effective, and so were tolerated by higher organisations. Ghastly Yeomen The Yeomen are mercenaries recruited from all over the Ghast Reach, and sometimes beyond... Unbeknownst to the Imperium at large, they are equipped with Xenos weaponry, like Eldar Las-blasters. Eventually, this was discovered by agents working for Inquisitrix Ilse Rosenkrantz of the Ordo Hereticus, and was one of the triggers of the Boromeanites conflict. At their peak, more than fifteen hundred men made up the Yeomen, including a few rare Xenos members, but their numbers were whittled down to a mere 300 during the Defence of Carmelost. Officially disbanded following the Boromeanite conflict, the Yeomen are still at large in the Sector, sometimes acting as Pirates, or defenders of Imperial Worlds, but generally offering their services to the highest bider. http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngRetinuehttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png Champion Dariel - Crusader Dariel was a Crusader from the House of Spades of Cardinal World of Sarment Prime who was sworn to Inquisitor Ketch. When Antonis was given the Seal, Ketch transferred his oath to her. He has since that time saved her life more times than Standarmbrust can count. Unfortunately, he was killed during the events of the Defense of Carmelost. Silara Calys- Eldar Outcast Silara Calys was a descendent of the founder of the Wyrd Vultures, Casta Calys, who was the eldar lover of the Viscount of the Livonias Sub-sector. Most of the original Vultures were Eldar Exodites who had been pushed out of their Maiden World - Lilithuan - by the Viscount, when he was being examined by the Ordo Xenos. Silara is a great diplomat, and is the one who brokered the trade of weapons from the Corsairs to the Yeomen. She has fought alongside Antonis with her voidsaber for the past twenty years, and a certain fondness has grown between the two. Corporal Nate Simms - ex-NCO of the Upsilic Spectres and later Captain of the Ghastly Yeomen Nate Simms studied at the Schola Progeniam on Universitat at the same time as Selene Antonis, but whereas she was given over to the commissariat, he continued the training of the Storm Troopers of the regiments called the Upsilic Specters. It was their old friendship that bought Antonis to solicit his help in creating the Ghastly Yeomen when he retired from the Upsilic Spectres. He has since become their commander in chief since Antonis was promoted to Count Exemplar of Ghast's Reach. Lexmechanic Marcel Standarmbrust - Lexmechanic, accompanied by his two heavy-weapons servitors On first glance, Standarmbrust does little more than a cogitator, counting, calculating and chattering in binary. Yet he is a genius in his own right, his organic brain's natural capacities augmented heavily by his augmetics, allowing him to predict the outcomes of different choices through the analysis of causalities, statistics and parameters chosen by Antonis. Though he has a body that seems feeble, the titanium-ceramite alloys that make up his structure and the hydraulic pistons that replace his muscles make him incredibly resilient and strong, if a little slow. He has been known to destroy an opponent's weapon using one "hand", or to crush an enemy in a bear hug. Yet his main combat potential comes from his servitors, TS95-ZO9 and KL34/8/74-4, whose plasma cannon and multi-melta have extraordinary precision. Abbàn - Cherubim A familiar, psy-bonded to Antonis by Lord Inquisitor Gimhoek when she received the Holy Seal of the Inquisition. http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngEquipmenthttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.pngNotable Characters engaged withhttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/inquis10.png Inquisitors Boromeanites Inquisitor Natheel Dolchschild (Ordo Machinum) Inquisitor Silas Ketch (Ordo Malleus) Opponents Inquisitrice Ilse Rosenkrantz (Ordo Hereticus) Lord Inquisitor Gimhoek (Ordo Malleus) Astartes Dread Lords Chief Librarian Gal'Harion Chapter Master Livio Aita Deathwatch Watch Commander Aron Starek Kill-Brother Henrik Fuchs Astra Militarum Carmelostan Knights Earl Marshal Zachary Marlow Lord Baron Yvain Hendry United Guard of Sarment Lord General Esquire Ealer Mac Alistar (Lord General Militant) Tactician-Commissar Ludovica Gentile Xenos Aduamar Craftworld King Karthar Aduan Farseer Aerin Taur-Sen Phryx Malaand Ralban Hestath Corthdàin

Order name and History The Imperial Guard regiment formerly known as Gehnum's 87th "The Boomers" was a unit that was primarily an armoured division. The remnants of the Gehnum's 75th "Walkers" regiment, an infantry regiment was added to bolster troop numbers after a disastrous attack on a world invaded by the Xenos race known as the Dark Eldar. Discipline was a problem within the ranks to begin with, many troopers disturbed by what they witnessed during that campaign. When the High Command made Colonel Buryon J. Mason the unit leader, morale increased to such a point, that they made significant head way in retaking the planet from the enemy. It was on that planet, known as New Ground, that the Boomers first encountered the Order of Machaeram. Links with the Order, were tenuous to begin with, the Sisters initially believing that the Guard were contaminated by their exposure to the Xenos. The Guard wanted nothing to do with the Sisters, believing them to be over zealous and too willing to sacrifice those Loyal to the Emperor over "trivial" matters. It was not an easy relationship, but trust was eventually gained over the following years, as the regiment was officially ordered to support the Sisters in their undertakings, mainly to rid the sector of the Dark Eldar. The regiment was known for favouring heavy bombardment tactics, before sending the infantry portion to take the enemy in close quarters. Having to support the Sisters, their tactics changed slightly, insofar as their Basilisks now added their firepower to the immolators and Exorcists. The infantry would advance before the Battle Sister groups, acting as snipers and scouts, advising their allies on the best targets to attack. The Betrayal It was upon the return to their homeworld that Mason's turn to Chaos became evident. At the height of the last campaign, an artefact of unknown origin was discovered. The Sisters' Canoness, Irene Chang had ordered the despicable object turned over to the Inquisition to be dealt with. The Colonel was willing to comply, as he had no intention of allowing it to be used against the Imperium. His ship was to be the one to take it to a World near to Gehnum, where an Inquisitor would ensure that it would be destroyed. The voyage was a long one, the Empyrean was in turmoil, to such an extent, that the ship had to leave the Warp and became stranded between systems, even the sub light engines unwilling to function. It was during this time that the betrayal occurred. Details have never been established, but it is assumed that for reasons known only to him, that Mason decided to make the artefact his. Sending a cryptic message to the Canoness he had fought besides for over two decades, he made haste to leave his home forever. The Canoness was enraged at his betrayal, vowing to find him and take his head personally. Spending the next fourteen years, they both fought upon a mountain top, the advantage seemingly belonging to her. His body was flung over the edge, but never recovered. Canoness Chang still pursues any hint of his activity within the Imperium, knowing that he survived the descent. Home planet Gehnum was a world known for commerce, light manufacturing and had a small Mechanicus presence to the south pole. A hardy people due to the harsh winters and hot summers, the natives were surprised when told of the Imperial decree that they would be tithed men and women for the Guard. After Mason's betrayal, the world was put under Inquisitorial review, to establish whether the world was fallen to Chaos. The review is still under way... Regiment Founder Colonel Leon Dally was responsible for the initial raising of the regiments, a veteran of thirty years in other Guard formations. Whilst not of Gehnum, his demeanour made him popular with the Gehnumites. A loud, brash man, his apparent inability to speak at less than a shout, was the inspiration for the nickname for the regiment. He was killed in action, when his custom shotgun misfired as he was trying to take down a Tyranid Broodlord. His loss was greatly lamented. Notable Guardsmen Buryon J Mason (Laterly known as Buryon the Trecherous) Formerly a loyal and circumspect man, Mason's betrayal of the Imperium was a genuine shock to those who had fought at his side. The careful and diligent Colonel was replaced by a slavering maniac, who welcomed mutants, heretics and malcontents to his warband. The specific details of his fall are still unknown. Lieutenant F.T Huw was Mason's second and was one who had doubts about the direction his commander was taking the regiment. Mason forced Huw to endure possession by a Daemon of Slaanesh. The rite nearly killed the Lieutenant, but both man and Daemon have accommodated each other, their tempting whispers in Mason's ear of possible futures all the more difficult to resist. Sergeant Lita L Sommers was also possessed by a Daemon, a Lesser Daemon of Khorne known only by a word physically impossible to utter with a human throat. Unlike Huw, Sommers was more than willing to share her body with a Daemon. Her strength, already formidable was enhanced beyond mortal comprehension. Gunner first class Wallace "Wally" King was another who was possessed by a Daemon. A Tzeentch Lord of Change. However, as King was still inside his Chimera at the time, the fusion of man, machine and Daemon has resulted in a gestalt that is extremely disturbing. Significant battles joined The sacking Mons Hak'te The planet was assaulted by Dark Eldar, their desperation to gather slaves leaving them open to attack. With the help of the Order of Machaeram, the Xenos were routed. The battle of Gehnum The supposed final battle of "the Boomers". The Canoness of the Order of Machaeram had finally cornered Mason atop a mountain and after a furious duel, had forced his body over the mountain edge. Canoness Chang knows that that was not his end, his handiwork appearing in other parts of the sector. There will be another reckoning...

This topic is to present my Liber Challenge III Imperial Guard Regiment, the 14th Mezlan Engineers. I consider it complete for the moment, but I may update this post and adding content in the future. In the mean time, feel free to comment 14th Mezlan Engineers Name of Regiment - 14th Mezlan Engineers The Mezlan Engineers are regiments of sappers specialised in digging and consolidating tunnels for any Imperial allies to reach enemy forces on the opposite side of fortifications, or in unexpected locations. However, Mezlan Engineers are still a force to be reckoned with in combat, wielding their las-carbines and flamers at range, or their sharpened spades in close combat. Mezlan Engineers often employ special tunnelling vehicles, and the Hades Breaching Drill is a staple of their arsenals. Because of the close confines in which Mezlan Engineers are forced to work in - sometimes for months at a time - their ranks only present soldiers of the same sex. The 14th is one of the rare female Engineer regiments, and as such are often disregarded by the more misogynistic generals and fellow soldiers of the Imperial Guard, yet this only fuels their zeal for their work, and often outstrip their male counterparts. Emblem Home planet - Mezla Mezla is an Oceanic Mining World in the Ultima Segmentum. There are in fact no natural land masses on this planet. All its population is concentrated on immense Abyss-class mining platforms, and the great majority of their inhabitants ride industrial lifts down to the tunnels under the waters each morning, extract relevant minerals and ore, and take the lifts back up to the surface each evening. Every Mezlan man and woman is required to serve in the mines between their 15th an 19th birthdays. After that, most will continue as normal miners after that until they retire, but some are promoted to team leader; others become patrollers, who ply the waves around the platforms or the tunnels under the seas, searching for possible victims falling into the water or of tunnel collapse, and who act as the PDF of Mezla. Mezla's main tithes are in the form of the precious minerals and ores extracted from the mines and men for the guard : the planet forms a few regiments of Engineers from the miners, and of Scouts from the patrollers, though these are few in number. Names of its Founders Colonel Rachel Sudworth General Edgar Verne Notable characters Colonel Rosaline Blackwood Major Cassandra Perry First de facto commander of the 14th Mezlan Engineers after the death of colonel Sudworth. Led them to glory on Ostara during their first engagement. It was under her supervision that they were able to take down an ork Stompa, thus ensuring imperial victory. She was summarily executed by a commissar of the 14th once it was determined she had disobeyed orders. Captain-Major Ros Jameson Forces - 1200 soldiers Five companies (Four infantry companies, each squad being accompanied by a Hades Breaching drill; and one mechanized infantry company, mounted generally in Termites) The first company has five platoons of six squads. It is currently commanded by Colonel Blackwood. The second, third and fourth companies have four platoons of six squads. They are commanded by Majors. The fifth, mechanized company, has three squadrons of three Termites, each carrying two squads. It is currently commanded by Major-captain Jameson. Equipment Each infantry woman is equipped (amongst others) with a uniform, heavy flakk armour with integrated luminator, a lascarbine, a sharpened spade and a bayonet as close combat weapons, a vox-bead and a 9-70 entrenching tool. Each squad is equipped with a flamer, and either a Hades Breaching Drill or a Termite. Since heavy weapons are generally useful for their long range, Mezlan regiments don't use such wargear. Melta and Plasma special weapons are too dangerous to be used in tunnels, whereas flamers -though dangerous - are absolutely deadly to the enemy in these confined environments. History The 14th Mezlan Engineers were part of the third Mezlan Guard Founding, which happened in the 39th Millenium. This Founding was prompted by the ambitious Commander Edgar Verne of the Mezlan Patrol PDF, who wished to be remembered as a Hero of the Imperium. This Founding gave him a promotion to a coveted position in the general office of the Imperial Guard. Meanwhile, the 14th was given to Colonel Rachel Sudworth, who held the office for three months - the time for the regiment to reach the world of Ostara, be put in the front line, and be decimated by enemy fire within three hours of deployment. Once Sudworth was deceased, Major Cassandra Perry of the second company was the next in command, and led the surviving women of the 14th to victory against the Orks, destroying the sole Ork Stompa by tunnelling under its path, immobilising the walker and allowing three companies to assault the innards of the vehicle. Since their founding, they have taken part in many battles and campaigns, but the most important war in their history was the defense against the so-called Ashen Crusade. Significant battles joined Ashen Crusade A Daemonic entity known as Baêl'Ashorn, created in the name of the obscure Chaos God Hashût, launched the campaign known as the Ashen Crusade in 692.M40, leading a great chaos warband - the Sons of Hashût - composed of renegade Iron Hands and Iron Warriors, as well as traitorous Skitarii of Explorator Fleet RB-491.D, chaos cultists, and the foul Xenos called the Phryx. In the early stages of the war, imperial defence was led nominally by the Lord General Militant İskender Avcı of Byzant Secundus, but in reality, Inquisitor Natheel Dolchschild dictated some of the more important parts of the campaign. Under his directives, several Imperial Guard regiments were drafted in to fight in the Sarment Sector, and the 14th Mezlan Engineers were part of this group. Battle of Dagah A Sons of Hashût division, comprising several tens of thousands of cultists and two hundred Iron Warriors, invaded the world of Dagah in 698.M40. Inside information nonetheless allowed Dolchschild and Avcı to get ten regiments of the Imperial Guard and a full Adeptus Astartes company of the Dread Lords to the planet before any fortifications could be erected, and these managed to secure the resources that were to be used by the chaotic warriors. Nonetheless, the Sons of Hashût carried on attacking imperial lines for a gruelling year and a half, the prolonged battle turning into a war of attrition. For the Imperial Guardsmen, the only salute was the relative safety the hastily dug trenches offered them. These trenches were dug by the 14th the very same day as the Imperial landing on Dagah, and were continually extended by them over the whole battle of Dagah. During this time, the 14th were caught up in many skirmishes, their losses amounting to more than 300 women, but destroying more than 1800 enemy cultists. During one of these skirmishes, they were even able to hold off several squads of Iron Warriors, succeeding in killing five traitor marines. Eventually, the Sons of Hashût decided that Dagah's resources were not worth the continued siege of the Imperial's, and the Iron Warriors succeeded in breaking the blockade around the planet. Any surviving chaos cultists were left to be slaughtered by the Imperial Guard. Leto's Fief Landing Inquisitor Dolchschild locates the Daemon Baêl'Ashorn on the feudal world of Leto's Fief. The Sons of Hashût unfortunately have heavily fortified the planet, meaning the Inquisitor can't reach the Daemon. A full scale invasion is launched, more than a hundred imperial guard regiments and six companies of the Adeptus Astartes are mobilised to retake Leto's Fief. The Mezlan Engineers are split by Inquisitor Dolchschild : the Hades Breaching Drills of the infantry companies are used to attack the walls of the fortress housing Baêl'Ashorn, along with the rest of the Imperial Guard and the Astartes; this is in fact a diversion, for the Mechanised infantry company are actually tunnelling under the walls, embarked upon a squadron of Hellbore tunnelling devices, along with three Commanderies of the Order of the Ardent Sword, and Inquisitor Dolchschild: these supplementary forces were meant to banish the daemonic hordes of Hashût. Unfortunately, disaster looms, for a gunnery bunker had trains its cannon upon the inquisitorial troops. Captain-Major Jameson averts catastrophe by ramming the building with her vehicle, thus annihilating the threat. Sister-Superior Darshana and Dolchschild's interrogator Silas Ketch banish the Daemon, while Dolchschild himself destroyed his nemesis, Ferromancer Talahk, Baêl'Ashorns lieutenant. The battle of Leto's Fief is an Imperial success, but the Sons of Hashût find a new commander in Warsmith Setal Berdax, an undoubtedly more experienced general, meaning that the Ashen Crusade suddenly takes a turn for the worst for the Imperium of Man. Nonetheless, with the success of his mission, Dolchschild and Avci lose their authority to keep Imperial Guard Regiments from neighbouring states, and the Lord Commander Ultima moves the 14th to a new warfront. Battle of Ostara First engagement of the 14th. During it, they were badly deployed by the Tacticae and were decimated by enemy fire from an ork Stompa three hours into the battle, including their commanding officer. The second in command then lead the regiment in building a set of tunnels meant to immobilise the Stompa; they then assaulted the Stompa from under its feet, and defeated its operators.

Lepers of Barbarus Origins This individual tentatively identified as Haron Kaend As the unity and enlightenment of the Great Crusade was torn down by the rebellion of Horus every member of the Legiones Astartes had to decide where his loyalty lay. The 4th Battalion, 3rd Great Company, XIV Legion, known as the Mortals’ Shield, was bitterly divided. More than half their number were betrayed on the death-ridden soil of Isstvan III. Those who followed their Primarch were viewed with suspicion and scorn by their brothers. The 4th Battalion had long been set apart. Their early actions had seen them fight long campaigns away from the rest of the legion, with only the mortal men of the Imperial Army as support. They did not develop the contempt for mortals that many of their brothers held. The commanders of the 4th specifically requested assignments out on the fringes where they were free to operate as they saw fit. During the Heresy the remainder of the 4th fought alongside traitor Army regiments on a series of backwater supply worlds along the southern galactic rim. It was only when Mortarion gathered the XIV for the voyage to Terra that the 4th rejoined their legion. They fell to the Destroyer Plague like the rest of the Death Guard. Even after that the 4th shunned and were shunned by their brothers. During the Siege of Terra they were assigned to the XVII Legion, acting as the anvil on which the Chapter of the Radiant Star sought to drive the White Scars during the battles outside Lion’s Gate spaceport. During the chaos after Horus’ death the 4th fled with the rest of the traitors. The Long War Begins As the traitor legions alternately licked their wounds and settled grudges with their former allies the astartes of the 4th chose Sarendis Kranh, an unusually charismatic figure, as their new Commander. Kranh delved into the mysteries of Chaos and discovered the true nature of the Plague God, that of a creator of life and father to all. This brought great comfort to the men of the 4th, who had never been close to their father Mortarion and regarded his abandonment of them following his ascension to daemonhood with little more than resigned acceptance. Despite having no allies amongst the traitor legions the 4th gathered a large complement of mortal soldiers; survivors of the Heresy, cultists from the Eye and more recent turncloaks from the resurgent Imperium. Kranh taught them all of the majesty of Nurgle and they in turn saw him as a great prophet, calling him Kranh the Blessed. During the first of Abaddon’s black crusades Kranh the Blessed led his forces to the fortress world of Harjinn. With the blessing of Nurgle Kranh’s magic and daemonic allies were unstoppable. The world was on the verge of collapse when the Imperial forces suddenly rallied behind a mere mortal woman, Captain Agathe of the 5th Harjinn Mamelukes. The favour of Nurgle was inexplicably withdrawn, throwing Kranh and his forces into turmoil. Kranh ignored the pleas of his senior officers to withdraw, deluding himself into thinking Nurgle’s blessing would soon return. This fantasy lasted until his dying moments, engulfed in flames by a vengeful Captain Agathe. For the surviving astartes of the 4th Battalion this was a seminal moment. Abandoned by first one father and then a second, friendless and alone. They left their mortal allies to die and fled into blackness of space. They were the 4th, the Mortals’ Shield, no longer. Now they were truly outcasts, worthless plague victims marked with despair and ill fortune. Now they were the Lepers of Barbarus. Penitence The Lepers of Barbarus believed they had failed their father Nurgle and sought to earn his forgiveness. With their prophet Kranh the Blessed dead the Lepers were leaderless. With no guidance they went wherever the warp would take them, blindly washing up on the shores of Imperial worlds every century or so, as time is measured in the realm of mortals. For the Lepers their voyages lasted anything from a day to a decade. On arrival in system the Lepers would attack lonely outposts and rural hamlets, inflicting minimal casualties but utterly destroying any buildings, infrastructure, livestock or crops. Within days of their attacks vast numbers of refugees would flee from the countryside to the cities, carrying with them plague and fear. By the time a planet’s military might could be gathered or offworld reinforcements could arrive it would already be too late. The disease-ridden cities would be plague houses, any survivors doomed to a slow death from starvation with the food supplies infected or destroyed. The Lepers would return to their ships and set sail into the unknown. Death The Lepers of Barbarus met their end on the world of Narayan in 290.M36. They had been planetside for less than a day when a strike force of the Sanctors of Terror was spat from the fickle tides of the warp, months before it had even set sail. The ships of the Lepers turned to meet the Imperial fleet but were too slow. The battle was short, vicious, and ended with the Lepers’ flagship crash landing into the planets largest mountain range, obliterating an entire nation. The Sanctors made landfall soon after. The Lepers were scattered across the surface of Narayan, attacking a score of defenceless targets. They resisted with the tenacity and fearlessness that characterises all sons of the XIV legion. Their death was prolonged and exacted a high price, but it was inevitable. And so the Lepers of Barbarus died as they had lived: despised, outcast and fatherless.