Kaelon Asmodae
This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.
"Kaelon Asmodae is certainly the heart of this Empire, who else could move so much blood so quickly."
- – Ralis Sinderion, to the Void King at the fall of Turin
Kaelon Asmodae is an imposing figure in the thick, grey plate of his station, his natural height and size are exemplified by its design. Unlike other Incubi his helmet has three horns, with the extra one acting as a symbol of his office. Below the helmet, one can just barely make out his scarred, milk-white eyes and near-permanent snarl. The Ur-Hierach is completely blind, but he is unparalleled in the art of melee combat. His demiklaives are shorter and thicker than most, their unique design and weighting allows for more swifter and more penetrating blows. Students of Asmodae, as well as those privileged to have seen him fight, have noted his uncanny ability to parry and defend through a whirlwind of blades. In his long history as the leader of the Khainite priesthood he has deflected bullets and cut lesser blades in half, never allowing harm to come to himself.
Asmodae was a liutennant under Silys Vath before the formation of the Khainite priesthood. He was a skilled close combatant, and many within the division had high hopes for him. He was among those who were sent for the initial strike on the planet then known as Temperance, a primitive world with little in the way of population. The jungles of the planet were filled with the draconic beasts known to the eldar since time immortal, and the landing party quickly realized that they stood upon a long-abandoned imperial maiden world. Vath was gleeful on hearing the news, without any real defense the planet seemed to be a marvelous gift just ready to be taken. The 2nd division quickly began converting portions of the globe-spanning forests into arable land. After a few months of this, the planet itself seemed to stir.
Slowly, like an army of ants, their blackened carapaces drew forth from the deep. Seeing the faces of their race's most hated and enduring enemy, the men of the 2nd division felt something they had not truly felt since the fall, true fear. There was no doubt, the enemy they faced were none other than the Necrons. Vath did not hesitate, he began screaming at his commanders to switch out the poisoned splinter ammunition for its electromagnetic variant. He descended to the planet and met with the forward team, these automatons were a threat to the entire empire and they needed to be stopped now. He spoke to his men grimly, telling them that the enemy must be stopped here, even if the planet and the 2nd division had to die with them.
Asmodae and the forward guard were attached to Vath's Sky-Scythe division, their intelligence was the most up to date and they were ready to move. Little was said as they prepared, the captain simply pointed forward and the charge began. Kaelon had never been a jetbiker and, as soon as the foe was met, he dropped from the air and entered the fray. He landed near the center of the mass of metal men and began cutting them down. When one was felled, Asmodae turned to another foe, only to confront the one he had just killed moments later. His compatriots fared much worse, and flayed eldar bodies began to collect beneath him. For what it was worth, Kaelon had not met a foe so worthy of his hatred and all of his skill in years. He doubled his futile efforts and, as hope began to leave him, the sky seemed to be cut open by a massive flame. This would be the last thing that Kaelon Asmodae would ever see.
The massive sword of flame in the sky was ignored by their soulless foe, but only for a moment. As it lingered, the enemy seemed to falter and fail. Within a few minutes, the entirety of the enemy forces lay inert on the ground. It seemed as though the massive solar flare they had all witnessed had shut down the Necron technology in a massive electromagnetic pulse. Cautiously, the eldar began to collect their dead and inspect the fallen enemy. Asmodae was pulled from underneath a pile of his foes, and taken for medical treatment. As the shock began to wane, the surviving soldiers began to cheer and shout. Kaelon only said one thing the whole time, that this was a miracle.
He was not alone in his assertion, many who witnessed the spectacular event had taken to calling it a blessing of Khaine. In the nights following his blinding, Asmodae began to experience powerful revelatory dreams. The voice of Khaine was calling him, he would say to his men, calling him to spread his words and truth. Though some decried the lieutenant as a charlatan, many more respected his mission and in time he had a significant following. The 2nd Commander himself could not deny that the events on Temperance were profound, and gave Asmodae a position of governance on the planet. In the century that followed, Asmodae founded the priesthood and trained its Incubi. The name he gave the planet, Khainash or Place of Khaine, became its official title as the fame of the priesthood grew. Soon, the Khainites were a force in their own right, their klaivex evangelists founding shrines across the empire's many worlds. Incubi of the priesthood are a valued, if often feared, commodity within the imperial fleet and at least one squad can be found on any given ship.
The now Ur-Hierach Asmodae is a feared commander, though he never works alone. When he is not on the front-lines of one of the empire's many wars, Kaelon trains himself and his chosen klaivex hierachs constantly. His skill with a blade is only rivaled by that of 1st Captain Kieries, though the pair are close friends and frequent sparring partners. The blind swordsman is a devout and proud servant of his god, his sole joy is combat and those that follow him know that to walk with the Ur-Hierach is to face death. Those who have stood by his side for long are hardened by constant warfare and, though they are few, are among the best combatants in the empire.
Though many whisper that he could defeat the Void King himself in combat, none know the truth. Asmodae has lashed out fiercely at any who mention this to him, the Ur-Hierarch is supremely loyal to his sovereign and his empire and has never challenged the Void King. Asmodae truly believes that the sovereign is anointed by Khaine, and that his purpose is to rule. The Ur-Hierach has no ambition toward anything other than the perfection of his skill in combat. He spends all of his time off the battlefield, sharpening his skill in the most extreme conditions, with no aspiration toward anything beyond the next fight.