Children of Armok

Summary of Legion VIII

Tzeentch, manipulation, espionage, and politically focused AlphaLegion meets WordBearers with Cold War spy games and politics thrown in.

The Children of Armok are the Original Traitor legion. They discovered the Chaos Gods, and realised after some discussions with the God who they would later know as Tzeentch, they discovered a great tool for their agenda. They kept their corruption a secret, an easy thing to do in a Legion who are naturally suited to deceit and espionage, but they did begin to plot. The Children started the whole Heresy by corrupting the Eternal Zealots to be used as their legion-sized deniable asset. They did this to have a controllable asset that would corrupt Hektor while keeping their own hands clean. They saw Hektor as their route to greater power and knowledge, especially access to Mars, which is one of the many things the Children seek. Abnormal for a space marine legion, the Children make extensive use of espionage networks, and diplomacy/politics, preferring to force an enemy into a friend, or turn an enemy on itself. Both sides think the Children dragged their feet, but ultimately sided with them. This left the Children in their desired position - between two hostile forces they could play against each other for their own personal gain.

Legion Tactics

Nothing is ever what it seems with the Children. Duplicity and deceit are their strongest suits, and they have grown in skill and power to become one of the most dangerous threats to the Imperium, having their supporters and sleeper agents embedded into all the major infrastructure of the Imperium. Why they do not use their full power is a mystery only Tzeentch and Uriel know. Maybe they love the 'great game' too much, that in their insane web of lies, they are starting to actively perpetuate it for its own sake. Of course nobody knows all of this, and to the outside eye, the Children look like a rather uninspiring legion, with no great victories or defeats to speak of. But that's exactly how the Children like it.

They are motivated by acquiring secrets, and plotting and scheming to further their own and Tzeentch's agenda's. They have no time, save passing respect for the other gods; their relationship with Tzeentch is wary at best - which is partly why Tzeentch favors them as he does: he finds them so much fun to deal with... They make use of Psykers, but no more than any other Legion would, seeing Psykers as just another tool to use despite Tzeentch's love of magic, they leave that aspect up to other Legions. They also prefer to eschew any mutations, any that become mutated are sent to join the Childrens Fallen Chapters to keep them hidden, but for the most part, mutations are extremely rare, and often concealable anyway. Uriel Starikov's greatest, most secret obsession is to gain access to the Black Library, and through the Black Augurs, has managed to broker some deals with the Dark Eldar, mostly by informing them of good places to raid for their slaves. In return they give the Children of Armok access to the webway. This clandestine invasion of the webway is why the Eldar are the Children's greatest foe - both the Eldar and the Children are engaged in a galaxy spanning clandestine war, usually fighting via proxies and the manipulation of unwitting pawns in their 'great game'.

You can bet that now matter what is happening in the galaxy, the Children of Armok will either know about it, be the first to find out about it, or more likely, be directly involved. Their espionage networks run so far and so deep, that there are entire sectors where nearly all of the officials are under their control, often without knowing about it. There are even rumours that claim that some among the members of the Council of the High Lords of Terra themselves are under the sway of the Children. They don't seem to have any plan to use their network to do any great damage, maybe it's just a back up plan, maybe it's part of a milennia spanning plot, or maybe Tzeentch and their predisposition fir intrigue and espionage has made them borderline insane, unable to stop themselves from continuing their addictive plotting by finally taking control.

Legion Equipment

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Legion Doctrine

The other legions like the Children as they always say the right thing, and seem to be on everyone's side in personal/legion disputes. They are also liked for their prankster and jovial nature. In fact, the prank is the oldest tradition in the Children, but since the fall the once innocent prank has become something far more sinister, with often lethal tricks played on unsuspecting rival legions and imperial forces in a never ending game of espionage one-upsmanship. But Uriel doesn't have friends among the other Primarchs, to him they are just powerful assets. But that doesn't stop him, or his legion from enjoying themselves with the other Primarchs and Legions. Most don't trust the Children entirely, but their constant ability to be useful, and their knack for politics and persuasion means even the Primarchs can't help but enjoy their company. Only Nicholai Galilei, Chapter Master of the Knights Draconian, a War Scribes successor, through an intense study of various reports and data, saw part of the way through Uriel's facade, knowing him to be false, even if he had no concrete proof, and openly hated him, much to the bewilderment of the other Primarch's and Chapter Masters who saw Uriel as a great conversationalist, helpful advisor and an entertaining prankster. Uriel was particularly close with Arelex, for Arelex had his own vast libraries and hoards of knowledge and tech that Uriel wanted access to, but also because both had a burning passion for more knowledge. Uriel also used Arelex to get his agents secretly embedded into the Imperial Government set up by Arelex after the Heresy; Uriel would provide 'suitable candidates' for various positions, after having carefully doctored and backed up the agents stories to make them the best candidates. Despite how much Uriel used Arelex, he did like the Primarch, finding a kindred spirit with the same thirst for knowledge he had. It upset Uriel when he had to manipulate the Mechanicum into making Arelex 'disappear'. in the Traitor Legions, Uriel is close Aubrey of the Black Augurs, Inferox of the Sons of Fire, and Krainos of the Horns of Ruins, who work well as aggressors for the Childrens schemes, and love a good chance to test their mettle against the Loyalists.

Uriel Starikov, Primarch of The Children of Armok

Appearance

The first things people will notice about Uriel is his easy going smile, and his large, knowing eyes - both alight with mischief and predatory glee. He often has his right eyebrow raised questioningly. His chin is well defined on his square jaw, and his cheeks are gaunt. His hair is dark brown, and kept short, high and tight, the top combed over neatly to the back (think like Ralph Fiennes in Schindlers List), and his face is clean shaven. Uriel has light, but not pale skin.

Uriel Starikov stands at a middling height among his Primarch brothers, neither tall, nor short. He has an incredible command of social interaction and a beguiling way with words - able to put someone completely at ease in one moment, and get them spoiling for a fight in the next, only to put them in hysterics.

His beguiling, friendly manner plays well into his mischievous facade. He loves pranks, and tricks, having learnt sleight of hand magic tricks and illusions in the courts on Perfidiae V as a young boy as a way to impress and beguile the lords and ladies with whom he spent most of his time. One of the smartest of the Primarchs, where most of his brothers intellects took them into the fields of medicine, technology, architecture, science, and the occult, Uriels intellectual pursuits brought him into the world of Politics and Espionage. Despite being a Primarch, and a skilled politician, Uriel is comfortable being in the background. He doesn't need fame, he courts it for political purposes, and political purposes alone.

His battle armour is no different from any other marine from his legion, apart from being crafted to a higher standard as befitting a Primarch, and larger to reflect his stature over his fellow marines. He wields a Power Warhammer, wrought from Silver, and a Automatic Power Crossbow.

Youth

Uriel was only a baby when Fyodor Zhilov found him in the forest located on the grounds of Fyodor's mansion. As a general, and spymaster of the formidable, and world-renowned KSB-13 intelligence agency, Zhilov didn't have much time for babies, but despite the cunning, ruthless, patience he was known for, Zhilov took the baby in anyway, putting the boy into the care of his many servants. Once he was of age, Uriel began to play games with the staff and children, occasionally getting into trouble by entering rooms Zhilov was using to hold meetings with government officials and his officers under his control. Uriel was an inquisitive child, always eager to learn, and this thirst for knowledge would be what saved Uriel. Uriel still very young, had walked in on Zhilov and his right hand man, Reinhardt Gerhlen. They were talking worriedly about the fact one of their spies had been caught by MIA, an enemy intelligence agency.

Gerhlen was insistent on killing the spy before he could spill any secrets, when Uriel asked a simple question "Why?" At first, Zhilov was furious, and was about to beat Uriel, but as he raised his fist, the question sunk in - why indeed? Zhilov laughed, confusing both Uriel who thought he was about to be beaten, and Gerhlen for the sudden change of mood.

Zhilov explained that the spy only knew so much, so he was worth more to the MIA as an active asset - thus Gerhlen could feed the spy new lies to tell along with the real lies he did know - sure the KSB13 would lose a bunch of established but still minor assets they had painstakingly developed over the years, but they had gained a much more valuable thing: a way to control the MIA's moves. Gerhlen caught on, so Zhilov explained to Uriel, that if the MIA thought that the KSB13 didn't know they had captured the agent, they would 'turn' him, or make him work for them instead, but continue to pretend to work for the KSB13. This way, MIA would believe the intelligence and secrets the captured agent would give them. But because the KSB13 *know* that the agent is working for the MIA, they can tell him lies, and mislead the MIA, or make them do things they wouldn't do otherwise.

Zhilov noted that Uriel seemed to understand, and decided to educate the boy as if he were his own son. As his education progressed, Uriel's thirst for knowledge, and aptitude for learning did not diminish, and his love for games and play lead him to Regicide. At first he didn't quite get how to think a few moves ahead, but due to the demanding standards Zhilov had Uriels mentors keep him under, Uriel prevailed, learning in the process that patience is a virtue, and that things fall into place over time, just like learning. As he grew into his teens, Uriel was able to beat almost everyone at Regicide, anyone except Zhilov, who was always 10 moves ahead of him, and sometimes Gerhlen who was actually a good match, despite the huge age difference.

Zhilov, a former world champion Regicide grand-master, decided to shape Uriel into a grand-master too. It took some time to get Uriel to see so many moves ahead, but as Uriel grew up, the concept stuck, and Uriel became very good at predicting people's behaviour to stimuli. There was however, an unforseen circumstance of teaching Uriel this; Uriel began pulling elaborate pranks on people, predicting how they would act, and laying his prank accordingly. At first Zhilov was frustrated by Uriel's apparent change of character, but Gerhlen would point out that to him that it's because Uriel was reading people and playing them against themselves - exactly what any good spy would do. With this new perspective, Zhilov ordered Gerhlen to take Uriel on as a trainee, and teach him the ropes.

And so once he had come of age, Uriel entered the world of espionage. Gerhlen placed Uriel in the field, under the direct supervision of an Ambassador, and would periodically check up on Uriel to see how he was getting on. Life under the Ambassador, Valentin Hesse, was not what Uriel had expected, or indeed trained for; He spent most of his time talking with dignitaries and accompanying Hesse on diplomatic trips to rival states leadership. But his thirst for knowledge still drove Uriel, and so he studied up on everyone he met, learned their likes and dislikes, and crucially, how best to play to them as an audience. Under Hesse, Uriel's verbal abilities increased to impressive levels, and as Uriel's accelerated growth kicked in, Uriel gained a commanding presence in whatever room he walked into - and it didn't take Uriel long to learn how to use that as a tool for his aims too. Despite his still rather minor role with the KSB13, Uriel had gained considerable political clout, having demonstrated his aptitude for understanding the positions and importance of the conflicting nations of Perfidiae V.

One day in his early 20's, Uriel was called back urgently to see Zhilov, and left the Ambassador's side to return to his adoptive father.