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Kaelon Asmodae

2020-02-07T21:24:02Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

{{/tg/-Heresy-Head}}

{{topquote|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.

Stories in Pause

2020-02-07T21:23:58Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

(related to the [[What Is Pause?|Pause]] game.)

Before jumping into [[Creating a Character in Pause | character creation]], feel free to read these stories to get a better idea of what '''''Pause''''' is like.

'''Stories'''

* [[Tick...Tock]]
* [[The Unfinished Dissertation]]
* [[A Hot Day in the City]]

'''Navigation'''

* Back to [[Pause | main page]]
* Back to [[What Is Pause?]]
* Proceed to [[Creating a Character in Pause | Character Creation]]

Warhammer Fantasy Gods

2020-02-07T21:23:39Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

{{Whfb-stub}}
{{Topquote|And then the Cataclysm came. King [[Taal]] rose from His Forest, and with Dark [[Morr]] muttering dire portents in His ear, He banished all immortals from the world. But the Cataclysm’s architects refused His order. [[Tzeentch|The Crow]], [[Khorne|the Hound]], [[Slaanesh|the Serpent]], and [[Nurgle|the Vulture]] were jealous of King Taal, and had tried to use the Great Gates to take what was His. They had failed. As the other immortals fled, the Four attacked, bitter and angry with their frustrations. Many died. After countless battles, King Taal was eventually surrounded. There were few still by his side. [[Ulric]] the Wolf. Noble [[Myrmidia|Margileo]]. Just [[Verena]]. [[Sotek]] the Snake. [[Manann]] of the Sea. And Gentle [[Shallya]], tear-stained and afraid. Even Smiling [[Ranald]] had fled, and now hid in the Places Between, fearful for the future. Then, just as the Four and their allies arrived for the Final Battle, [[Asuryan|Flaming Phoenix]], whom all had thought dead, returned from atop His Gleaming Pyramid, and He smote about Him. Thus the rebels were pushed behind the Great Gates, and were sealed there forever. But they were restless in their cage, and soon worked to escape.|Translated from the Obernarn Stone, now held in the Imperial Museum, Altdorf}}

Like any other fantasy setting, Warhammer Fantasy has its own gods.

In early editions of the game, and sporadically throughout, it was stated that there are no gods and only [[Chaos Gods]] exist. This is a typically [[Daemon|Daemonic]] twisting of the truth (although the reveal was enough to make [[Archaon]] go full-[[Star Wars|Anakin Skywalker]]). There is also some discrepancy between fans of [[Warhammer 40000]] who believe that Fantasy magic works in the same way that Psyker energy works in 40k. The final issue is [[The End Times]] and [[Age of Sigmar]] as well as their 8th edition lead-in, which changed quite a bit of existing lore as retcons disguised as "revealing the truth".

=The Nature Of The Divine=
In early Warhammer lore gods simply existed and had their own faiths. Chaos supplements, as mentioned above, suggested there was no gods and that only [[Chaos]] exists with the nature of the Chaos Gods being insane beings who pretend to be other personas in order to fight each other and themselves, like a giant 1000 character game of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] with no DM and only four people wearing blindfolds so nobody knows who is who other than [[Tzeentch|that one asshole with an actual case of multiple personality disorder who's peeking]].

In truth, all non-material plane things are made of magic. Souls are magic, the Winds of Magic are magic, Chaos Gods are magic, Daemons are magic, and so are gods. This is the "truth" that Archaon learned, because the teachings of his faith are that magic is [[Heresy]] and apparently gods were just shitting miracles out of scientific stardust or something.

The End Times event revealed quite a bit, all of which is fairly skubby. The history of Warhammer is that the [[Old Ones]] descended from some unknown place, possibly another dimension, planet, or place in the timeline, on a primitive world full of [[Dinosaurs]], dragons, and neanderthal versions of the classic Fantasy races then created the [[Warp Gates]] to suck magic from the Warp which they used to alter the world and create a race capable of fighting Chaos (which would eventually come regardless) before the Gates collapsed causing Chaos to arrive much sooner on an unfinished world whereupon the Old Ones fucked off to who knows where or died. The new lore is that this isn't the first time this has happened; Warhammer existed in a time loop, with the Old Ones stealing magic from Chaos which causes the Chaos Gods to feel entitled to own the material plane like [[Slaanesh]] to the [[Eldar]] in 40k, where they spend the rest of their history draining magic from the local gods until a cataclysmic event where a handful of Elves survive on a world outside of existence and guide evolution until the Old Ones show up again, rinse and repeat. This cycle was broken finally by [[Be'lakor]] (who's time-travel and alternate universe fuckery is apparently something new to these timelines, despite the "it always existed because there is no time" nature to Chaos because GW writers can't into consistency) who did...''something'' to the new Elf gods in the next world which altered the cycle. The new cycle involves far more than just the Elves, as many characters survived the old setting and became gods in the new one (some didn't become gods, why isn't clear).

Gods exist that aren't part of the cycle as well. Sigmar for example was a mortal man who became trapped in the magic of the Heavens Wind, greatly limiting his power to affect the mortal world but giving him godhood. Gork and Mork ([[Meme|or is it Mork and Gork?]]) have no proper origin, but are somehow able to grant godhood to members of their own pantheon such as through the Spider God who was just an ordinary spider who bit Gork (or possibly Mork). Some of the Elf gods were survivors of the old setting, some have unknown origins and others were just an existing god mistaken as a separate entity. Ranald gambled his way into divinity after tricked some goddess to give him the blessing. Ulric probably became a god after accidentally tempted with one of the old one's warp devices (the one that house the flame of Ulric) as discovered by Archaon in the end times.

=Pantheons=

==Elves==
The Elf pantheon is divided between the Cadai (positive gods) and Cytherai (negative gods). Some of them are shared with 40k, although beyond portfolio and name they are entirely different.
High Elves worship the Cadai light gods and simply try not to piss off the Cytharai by being pansies (which they fail at). Wood Elves worship some, and the others they've modified the mythos of to be more Wood Elf-y (see how they have got Isha and Kurnous bought back to their 'earthy roots). Dark Elves entirely ignore the light side of the pantheon, and worship the darkest aspects of the darker gods (who don't seem to care much about the twisting of the myth since the DEs are the only ones actively worshiping them, and someone getting your myths wrong is better than nobody).
The humans of Albion worship their own version of a few of the Elf gods as well, and it's possible some masquerade as the gods of the Old World. As revealed in the end times, the Lady is Lileath! Shock, horror.

Each name-rune that represents them doubles as a picture of themselves in abstract, as well as a few hidden images (like Lileath being both the devil horned invocation of magic that early High Elf models had, the twin moons, herself seated in an elegant pose, and a few standard High Elf runes mixed throughout). Many of these emblems appear fully on High Elf shields, banners, capes, and any other flat or ripply surface really.

In the [[Black Library]] series [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion]] the Elf gods are portrayed as very real and very powerful, but outside of that series they are described as dying, faded, or outright consumed by Chaos.

===Cadai===
* '''[[Asuryan|Asuryan, the Creator]]''' Father god, survivor of the old setting. Despite always being portrayed as the creator of the Elves he was actually not their literal father and is more the creator of their culture...sort of (thanks to a retcon mess; Wood Elves are the true culture of the Elves, High Elves were what Asuryan created to fight Chaos but the Dark Elves are the result of Khaine and Chaos influence as well as what Asuryan's desired end goal for Elves to be was. Don't think too much about it, its a fucking mess). Zeus expy, although rather than fuck everything he basically [[Tzeentch|sat on his throne and plotted]]. His priesthood were warrior monks with halberds that cared for the Phoenixes of Ulthuan and maintain a chronicle of history including every single event that ever has or will happen. In a very [[Skub|skubby]] part of the lore he possessed [[Malekith]] rather than [[Tyrion]] in End Times, and faded into Malekith's being which possibly made him a nobler and less Darth Vader-like being.

* '''[[Vaul|Vaul, the Maker]]''' Smith god. Saved Isha and Kurnous from Khaine after they saved the mortal Elves, forged the [[Widowmaker]]. Crippled and shackled to his anvil. Status as real unknown.

* '''[[Isha|Isha, the Mother]]''' Mother god, survivor of the old setting. Gave birth to Lileath as well as the first mortal Elves. Lived in Avelorn in Ulthuan until an unknown point in time when she relocated to [[Athel Loren]] then thanks to the draining of Chaos lost much of her divine power and became [[Ariel]]. Due to retcons there's a snarl as to what exactly the [[Everqueen]] connection to her is; previously, she existed as an entity within the Everqueen surrounded by the souls of all other Everqueens and was able to fight Slaanesh as an equal when fully charged up. As of End Times it was revealed that Lileath actually poisoned her with a shard of eternal ice, slowly killing her until the Everqueen could consume her soul while Lileath absorbed her power.

* '''[[Kurnous|Kurnous, the Hunter]]''' Father god, survivor of the old setting. The actual father of the mortal Elves. Lived with Isha in Avelorn until they traveled to Athel Loren. Became [[Orion]] with the weakening of Chaos. Due to retcon fuckery, there's an issue where he apparently also dwells in Ellyrion and selects champions from the Elves there to lead the fight against Dark Elves and Chaos even though he spends most of his time in Athel Loren killing Bretonnians and Beastmen for the lulz in the Wild Hunt.

* '''[[Hoeth|Hoeth, Lord of Wisdom]]''' Scholar god. Conflicting sources tie him as part of the reason magic behaves the way it does, and attribute various things to him. Status as real unknown.

* '''[[Lileath|Lileath, the Maiden]]''' Daughter of Isha and Kurnous, sister to the entire Elf race. Goddess of prophesy to a degree that her father who is omniscient can be surprised by her, somehow. Took on a villainous role in End Times for engineering events that caused massive failures and deaths across the setting while trying to protect the cycle and send her Wood Elf husband [[Araloth]] as the new Asuryan/Kurnous, the High Elf Prince(ss) [[Eldyra]] as the new Isha, and her children with Araloth to be the rest of the pantheon of the new world which was destroyed somehow by Be'lakor making all of her sacrifice and sabotage for nothing. Was also The Lady of Bretonnia and using their entire race as her pawns, and had the persona of Ladrielle as well.

* '''[[Loec|Loec, the Shadow Dancer]]''' Trickster god, created several magical artifacts. Status as real unknown.

* '''[[Mathlann|Mathlann, Lord of the Deeps]]''' God of the sea, confirmed to be a real god in End Times although unknown if he is a survivor of the previous setting or not. Known for saving his champion [[Sea Lord Aislinn]] from death constantly, later revealed to actually be Sea Lord Aislinn. Considered a positive aspect of Ellinill in retconned lore.

===Cytharai===
* '''[[Khaine|Khaine, the Bloody-Handed God]]''' Evil Asuryan. Confirmed to be real, unknown if he is a survivor god or not. [[Khorne]] but with magic, he spent most of his time fighting Asuryan for control of the Elves as well as Isha and Kurnous, and just generally being a prick who fucked everything up. Although not on the side of Chaos, he didn't focus any efforts on fighting them and instead caused Elves to fight each other and lose their ability to fight Chaos effectively. Manifested himself in the bloodline of [[Aenarion]], in a very [[Skub|skubby]] part of the lore he possessed [[Tyrion]] rather than [[Malekith]] in End Times and died when Asuryan/Malekith killed Tyrion (Tyrion got better, Khaine died).

* '''[[Ereth Khial|Ereth Khial, the Pale Queen]]''' Survivor god of the old setting, fate unknown. Goddess of death for the Elves although thanks to Chaos she gets almost no Elf souls (lore contradiction as apparently the Death Wind contains the bulk of the souls of the dead, even though lore also says Slaanesh eats almost every Elf soul and apparently Ereth Khial was gone or faded by the time of End Times despite Elves that should have already been trapped in the Wind or consumed by Slaanesh appearing as ghosts; arguments can be had in any direction). Suffered in the cold darkness of the new world with Isha and chose to remain alone rather than cling together for comfort as Isha wanted until the new world began with the coming of Asuryan, desired to have him as her husband but he rejected her causing her to hate all beings and torture the Elf souls far worse than Chaos (which represents oblivion rather than suffering). Her domain is called Mirai.

* '''[[Nethu|Nethu, Keeper of the Last Door]]''' Son of Ereth Khial, father unknown. Keeper of the gates of the Mirai and comparable to a Grim Reaper figure. Since Morr is described as an Elf god in a [[Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay]] supplement, this may be his true identity. Otherwise his status as real or not is unknown.

* '''[[Anath Raema|Anath Raema, the Savage Huntress]]''' Evil Kurnous, whips around the savage parts of the hearts of the Elves until they go on a Great Hunt but unlike Kurnous she sees all things as game. Given that the lore surrounding Kurnous became fairly evil in regards to his hunts, Anath Raema only represents a lack of concern with preservation and balance rather than outright evil. Status as real or not unknown.

* '''[[Morai-Heg|Morai-Heg, the Crone]]''' An old and wrinkled Elf goddess (yes, apparently they can age) of prophesy who's primary shrine is on an island of Elf amazons who bewitch men to come to the shores that sail too closely then kill them and pave the island with their bones. Status as real or not unknown.

* '''[[Hekarti|Hekarti, Mistress of Magic]]''' Goddess of magic, evil Hoeth. Revealed to be [[Morathi]] in End Times, whether she is a survivor god or not is unknown.

* '''[[Atharti|Atharti, Lady of Desire]]''' Goddess of pleasure, twin sister of Hekarti. Worship of one of them without equal worship of the other causes the less loved one to curse the favoring devotee. Created in 7th edition because Dark Elves worshiping Slaanesh was against [[Gav Thorpe]]'s vision for the race, which is better is the subject of much Skub (although players of the [[Cult Of Slaanesh]] army are strongly against it). Morathi went from being Slaanesh's high priestess and favored mortal to being the biggest worshiper of both Hekarti and Atharti. With the reveal that Morathi IS Hekarti, its left unknown who exactly Atharti is and who punishes you if you prefer Hekarti. Given that in End Times Morathi went quite insane and a little senile after coming under the delusion that first her son Malekith was Aenarion, then the Khaine-possessed Tyrion was Aenarion, Morathi may have been both entities.

* '''[[Ladrielle|Ladrielle, Lady of Mists]]''' A persona of Lileath, a master manipulator. Given that this is a Cytherai and thus one of the less pleasant gods, this may be a better description of Lileath.

* '''[[Ellinill, Lord of Destruction]]''' God of destruction, once a very powerful god with hundreds of children who ran amok throughout the world with him. Drakira tricked Isha into asking Loec to trick him into believing his children were going to revolt, and he went about killing and eating as many as he could. His strength was greatly diminished in his battles. Unknown if real or not. His children are known as the Ellinilli and the only ones that survived are those who hid in the mortal world. Unknow if real or not.

* '''[[Estreuth|Estreuth, Lord of Hunger]]''' God of famine. One of the Ellinilli. Almost no lore given.

* '''[[Addaioth|Addaioth, Bringer of Fire]]''' God of fire. One of the Ellinilli. Decided to fight his father rather than hide, and was almost killed until Ladrielle (AKA Lileath) saved him and hid him in the mortal world with his siblings. Has prepared to kill his father ever since, thinking of himself as Vaul 2.0 but only creating shitty arms and armor. Unknown if real or not.

* '''[[Hukon|Hukon, the Sunderer]]''' God of earthquakes. One of the Ellinilli. Almost no lore given.

* '''[[Drakira|Drakira, Queen of Vengeance]]''' Goddess of revenge, one of the Ellinilli who was picked on by her siblings and neglected by her father. Manipulated Isha's sorrow at the suffering her family caused mortals into becoming hatred, and all beings have been careful not to offend her ever since. Worshiped heavily by Dark Elves, but loves all Elves equally and keeps part of them any time they make a deal with her. Unknown if real or not.

* '''[[Eldrazor|Eldrazor, Lord of Blades]]''' A god of war and duels. Although he doesn't seek war, once it begins there is nothing out of bounds for him. Basically a more reserved and less aggressive Khaine. Unknown if real or not.

==Dwarfs==
The gods of the [[Dwarfs]] are mortal Dwarfs who attained godhood, and as such are referred to as Ancestor Gods. They have only three main ones with lesser ones as their family (plus one guy who’s just kind of there) , but Dwarfs can invoke the names of their own heroes and ancestors religiously as well.

* '''[[Valaya]]''' Goddess of hearth, home, brewing, healing, defending against Chaos, and basically every single other thing the other two don't do. Settled the first and greatest Dwarf Holds, ancestor of the greatest Dwarfs, invented the Dwarf written language and every other aspect of their culture. The least important god because...[[Fail|reasons]]. In End Times she was discovered to be slumbering by [[Queen Neferata]] in a long-forgotten Vault in a ritual to charge up a magic gate and create a new golden age for Dwarfkind. After a battle between Nef, [[Night Goblins]], and [[Thorek Ironbrow]] the Dwarfs were left dead and Valaya's divine power was consumed by [[Nagash]]. She didn't receive an [[Age of Sigmar]] resurrection, because [[Fail|reasons]].

* '''[[Grungni]]''' Dwarf smith god. After Valaya invented runes, he figured out how to smith them into objects to give Dwarfs magic. Fought in End Times, but survived into Age of Sigmar.

* '''[[Grimnir]]''' Dwarf god of war. After Valaya invented [[Book of Grudges|Grudgekeeping]] he became the patron of them. Became the first [[Slayer]], has a fortress inside of the Warp where he endlessly slaughters the forces of Chaos. Gave up his divinity to [[Gotrek & Felix|Gotrek]] in order to die in the final battle after Gotrek died and avenged his own sin, and in the final battle all Grudges were considered resolved. Gotrek/Grimnir survived into Age of Sigmar where he sat on Sigmar's council until he got bored and was sent to kill a giant monster, causing both to explode and spread throughout the Realms whereupon the mortal Dwarfs who are his devotees collect his parts to reassemble him. Judging by Realmslayer, the Grimnir seen in AoS was the original one with Gotrek merely acting as a vessel for his power, although it seems like Grimnir might have had further plans for Gotrek that have yet to be revealed.

* '''[[Gazul]]'''
The Dwarf god of Death. Lived in the time of the trinity, and created the written version of their names as well as the concept of venerating your ancestors. His faith includes the '''Order Of Guardians'', the Dwarf equivalent of Witch Hunters. Every Hold and most settlements, any place that has a place to honorably bury dead Dwarfs in fact, has a shrine or temple to him.

* '''[[Morgrim]]'''
God of Engineering. Oldest child of Valaya with Grimnir, personally invented Bolt Throwers and Dwarf Catapults/Stone Throwers (which later became Grudge Throwers). Was Grimnir's companion on the way to close the Warp Gate, but Grimnir forced him to turn back and return home. All Engineers are basically priests of Morgrim, since his teachings are a code of conduct for the craft. Liberal Engineers are considered heretics (but not the kind you shoot, just the kind you shout at) by conservative Dwarfs for their loose interpretations of scripture.

* '''[[Smednir]]'''
God of smelting and metalworking. Oldest son of Grungni and Valaya. Smednir created the tools that Thungni and Grungni inscribed their rune magic on, and among the greatest creations of the trio of laborers is [[Ghal Maraz]] itself. Smednir's shrines and temples are basically just extensions of those of Grungni's, since the two are inseparable in theme.

* '''[[Thungni]]'''
God of Runesmithing. Youngest son of Grungni and Valaya. During the settling of the first Holds he descended into a mystical realm called "Ankor Byrn (Glittering Realm)" where he discovered the ability to forge his mother's language with magic to create runes, although it was his father who later turned the discovery into a science and art. Only descendants of Grungni like himself were capable of learning Runesmithing. All Runesmiths are basically priests of Thungni, like Morgrim's Engineers. Unlike all the other gods who are friendly with the faiths of the allies of the Dwarf race and enemies of those who are Dwarf enemies, Thungni's cult has an additional enemy; non-Dwarfs who try to learn or succeed at making rune magic. This includes human wizards.

==Humans==
Like in all other things, Humanity is really diverse when it comes to religion, ranging from worshipping the [[Chaos Gods]] to worshipping [[Lady of the Lake|an Elf God pretending to be a goddess of chivalry]]. Although some gods are argued to be the [[Sigmar|God of Mankind]], there is no united Human pantheon, just many many different gods for many many different nations. The Old World Pantheon is the collection of Gods worshipped by humans of Old World (which is the closest thing we can get to Human Pantheon). This pantheon mainly divided into two "families", namely '''Northern Gods''' and '''Southern Gods'''. There is also the Patron Gods of nations that don't fit these two families; Sigmar for [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|the Empire]], Lady of the Lake for [[Bretonnia]] and Ursun for [[Kislev]]. Other than them, there are also some other pantheons like [[Nehekhara|Nehekharan]] Pantheon and thousands of different local gods unrelated to any pantheon. As I said before, Humanity is diverse.
===Empire===
[[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Empire of Man]] has a patron god named [[Sigmar]], the mortal founder of Empire who is believed to be ascended to godhood after he vanished. But unlike [[Imperium of Man|his space faring brother]], the Empire is a polytheistic nation, worship of other gods (except [[Chaos Gods]] and [[Khaine]]) is allowed, although the Cult of Sigmar is the state religion. So most of the Old World Pantheon is also worshipped in Empire or at least respected. The list of the Imperial Gods starting with their Patron God goes as;

* '''[[Sigmar]]''', Warrior-God of Mankind, is the founder of [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|the Empire]], its first Emperor and the most badass human ever lived. His deeds of badassery includes but not limited to; uniting human tribes of Old World, defeating biggest WAAAGH ever happened with said united army, earning the respect of the Dwarfs (by far the hardest one to do), breaking the [[Warriors of Chaos|Norsii]] siege of Middenheim and fighting a fucking [[Bloodthirster]] in there, bashing the skull of [[Nagash]] (doing that by using Nagash's own crown also counts) and destroying his undead army. After establishing a rather stabilized state in Old World, Sigmar left the Empire and never seen again, presumed dead by his people. Years after his departure, some guy named Johann Helsturm proclaimed that he saw the vision of Sigmar being crowned to godhood by [[Ulric]] and joined him among the divinity. Helsturm pretty much created the Cult of Sigmar which gained power among centuries and became the most popular and influental religion in the Empire. Today the Cult of Sigmar holds a major bureaucratic power within the Empire, for example the head of the Sigmarite Church, the Grand Theogonist, is able to cast 3 votes in Emperor's election. Sigmar is worshipped by Imperials as the God of War, Mankind, Heroism, Courage and Empire itsef. He is respected by everyone in the Empire, even the Ulricians of Northern Empire proudly call themselves the sons of Sigmar. His holy symbols are Ghal Maraz (or just a warhammer), the Twin-Tailed Comet and Gryphon. His chants are effective against Daemons and Undead. He is mainly worshipped in Reikland but his worshippers can be found everywhere in the Empire (and probably never found among non-Imperial humans). In the End Times, Sigmar's ascension to godhood is confirmed but [[Tzeentch]] trapped him inside the Winds of Heaven [[Not as planned|which actually supercharged Sigmar with magic]]. In short Sigmar is basicly Conan the Barbarian/Charlemagne/Jesus of Warhammer Fantasy and also Thor to Ulric's Odin.

====Northern Gods====
The '''Northern Gods''' aka the '''Elder Gods''' or the '''Country Gods''' are the gods of pre-Imperial human tribes and during Sigmar's reign. They are quite old, worship of Elder Gods stratches back to several millenia. Although they are losing favor to Sigmar, their worship is still widespread, especially in the countryside. These gods are Ulric, Taal, Rhya and Manann.

* '''[[Ulric]]''', the God of Winter, Wolves and Warfare, younger brother of Taal. He is generally worshipped by non-Chaos [[Vikings]] of Warhammer Fantasy who live in Middenland, Nordland and Ostland. Ulric is the second most popular god of the Empire and was actually the most popular one during the times before Sigmar, being worshiped by all human tribes in one way or another. Actually Sigmar himself was a devout worshipper of him too, all sagas emphasise him being blessed and protected by Ulric. Today, Ulricans are still a powerful group, his worship is quite common and the Viking Pope, Al-Ulric, is able to cast one vote in Emperor's election. When it comes to Sigmar, Ulricians are divided into two. Some of them just don't believe Sigmar is a God and rejects Sigmarites all together and the others believes Sigmar is a God but venerate Ulric more as he is the traditional god of mankind but all of them respect Sigmar all the same. Ulric is a god of martial skill, not unlike [[Khorne|his evil counter part]] (main difference is Ulric cares whose blood being spilled, preferably his enemies') he favors natural strength; gunpowder weapons and crossbows are to be shunned for they don't require any skill to use. His holy symbol is the White Wolf he manifests. In End Times, [[Teclis]] stole the Flame of Ulric in Middenheim and used it to heal [[Tyrion|his brother]] which caused Middenheim's fall and eventually killed Ulric. [[Eldrad|What a dick]]. It is also revealed that his ascension to the godhood may have to do with the old one device hosting his flame (which may or may not belonging to the ancient Elven colonist before the rise of man and the war of beard that forced the elves to abandoned the old world) as discovered by Archaon in the end times.

* '''[[Taal]]''', the God of Wilds, Nature and Beasts, older brother of Ulric and husband of Rhya. Being a Warhammer God, Taal isn't some pesky hippy, he believes in the survival of the fittest. So if you can kill it (in a fair way) all animals are willing to serve you as food and fur. Like Ulric, he favors natural strength and forbids use of gunpowder and adds it the use of metal armor too, only skin and fur of his animals is to be used for clothing. His worshippers are against anything unnatural starting with [[Chaos]] and [[Mutant|Mutants]] to even cities and money in extreme cases. Taal is, like beasts and nature itself, known for being indifferent to morality. His holy symbol is a Stag or just antlers. His worship is almost completely tied with worship of Rhya, which is together called Cult of Taal and Rhya. The two complete eachother as manifestation of Nature; Taal is the animals while Rhya is the plants, Taal is the wrathful natural disasters while Rhya is the generous and fertile soil. He is, like his wife, mainly worshipped in Talabecland. He also has a number of paralells with Kurnous, the Elven god of the hunt.

* '''[[Rhya]]''', the Earth Mother, Goddess of Plants, Farming and Hunting, wife of Taal. She domains over all things that grow, so pretty much Demeter of Warhammer Fantasy. Her worship is a part of Cult of Taal and Rhya which mainly practiced Talabecland. Her holy symbol is a sheaf of wheat and bow and arrow. As said above, worship of Rhya and Taal is tied to eachother though Ryha seems to be less important and [[-4 STR|less powerful]] of the two.

* '''[[Manann]]''', the God of Seas and Tides, son of Taal and Rhya. Worshipped by sailors and fishermen, Manann is not really different than Poseidon of our world. He is quite fickle and dickish, judging his subjects arbitrarily (like Poseidon). Manann's strictures are nothing more than generic sailor superstitions which changes based on sailor, priest and Manann's mood at the time. His holy symbols are wave patterns, albatrosses and his five tinned crown. He is mainly worshipped in Marienburg and other coastal cities although human sailors all around the Old World worship him. Also he is completely identical to [[Mathlann]], the Elven Sea God, and may in fact just be the same deity under a different name.

====Southern Gods====
The '''Southern Gods''' aka the '''Classical Gods''' or the '''Town Gods''' are newer ones among the Old World Pantheon (still older than Sigmar) they are actually not really among the common worship in the Empire (with exception of Morr who is third most popular Imperial God). They are generally worshipped in more civilized and urban areas of South Old World like [[Tilea]] and [[Estalia]]. These gods are Morr, Verena, Myrmidia, Shallya, Ranald and Khaine.

* '''[[Morr]]''', the God of the Dead, Afterlife and Dreams, older brother of [[Khaine]], husband of Verena and father of Myrmidia and Shallya. Similar to Greek Mythology, at the beginning of time the three gods, Ulric, Taal and Morr divided the world between eachother. Ulric and Taal started fighting for the living world while Morr simply settled the realm of the dead. Then the Gods of Mortal Realm and Morr made an agreement to balance things out; Morr and his subjects, the dead, will not tresspass into Mortal Realm and in return, Ulric and Taal will ultimately send all the living to Morr. [[FAIL|Well, when you think about it you can realize this agreement actually gives no benefit to Morr,]] because while Ulric and Taal don't have to do anything for their part (because mortals, naturally, always die), Morr will both have to protect the souls of the dead from being consumed [[Chaos Gods]] and fight the necromancers and undead to do his part of the agreement. Yet again, Morr, being one of the few responsible gods who actively tries to [[gets shit done|do his job,]] maybe took this responsibility willingly. Although he is a less known god among the fans, Morr's worship is the most widespread in the Warhammer world as he is worshipped by all major races and nations even if he is known to them by different names. His symbols are ravens, hourglasses and black roses. His seat of power is in Luccini, Tilea. In End Times, his [[Nehekhara|Nehekharan]] counterpart, Usirian was devoured by [[Nagash]] which killed Morr too.

* '''[[Verena]]''', the Goddess of Knowledge, Science, Law and Justice, wife of [[Morr]], mother of Myrmidia and Shallya. We all know the Old World is a fucking mess; the civil lands are constantly under siege by the [[Orcs & Goblins|barbarians]] and [[Beastmen|anarchists]] while being ruled by zealots, ignorants, tyrants and decadants. Among this madness, Verena and her worshippers shine as a beacon of reason and intellectuality. Despite being literally the goddess of paperwork, Verena isn't some kind of pacifist (that's [[Shallya|her daughter]]'s gimmick), she dictates her followers to take arms in the face of injustice, tyranny and of course Chaos. Her worshippers usually work as judges, lawyers, scholars, bureaucrats and prone to becoming [[Lawful Stupid]]. Her symbols are owls and scales. Verena doesn't have a seat of power but is mainly being worshipped in big bureaucratic capitals like Altdorf. Also she is probably the same god with [[Hoeth]].

* '''[[Myrmidia]]''', the Goddess of War, Strategy and Military, sister of [[Shallya]]. Yet another god of war, which is normal, considering [[Grimdark|how dominant and constant the war is]]. Myrmidia is rivals with other two Gods of War, [[Ulric]] and [[Sigmar]] but the three actually stand for different aspects of war: Ulric is the down-to-earth part of it, the actual combat, martial prowess and [[Khorne|bloodlust]], Myrmidia is the science of war, strategy and tactics are in her domain and Sigmar stands for the reason behind the war; heroism, patriotism, empire-building, zeal and even self-defence as the Empire never actually seeks for more war. Her worship spreads throught the Empire from Estalia and Tilea, there is even one knightly order that worships to her, the Order of the Blazing Sun which converted during the Crusades. She is mainly worshipped by the generals and strategists rather than the soldiers themselves. Her symbol is a spear behind a shield and an eagle. Lastly if you are retarded and haven't noticed yet, Myrmidia is a shameless ripoff of Athena with no difference other than the name.

* '''[[Shallya]]''', the Goddess of Mercy and Healing, sister of [[Myrmidia]]. Shallya is probably the most [[Noblebright]] thing in Warhammer Fantasy. She offers mercy to all the suffering; the sick, the injured, the beggar, the orphan, the whore, the prisoner, the maimed, the unclean, just all of them. They even believe mutants can be cured, Shallyites actually established a secret mutant village to protect them from the witch hunters. They are right to a some extent because actually some of the mutants are normal mutants like in our world and not corrupted by Chaos at all. [[Grimdark|So probably thousands of humans was burnt on stick just because they are sick]]. She is generally worshipped by doctors and healers or more precisely her worshippers and priests became doctors and healers. Her symbols are a white dove and a heart with a single blood drop. Also she is quite similar to the Elven god [[Isha]].

* '''[[Ranald]]''', the God of Fortune, Luck and Mischief. One of the main problems with [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|the Empire]] is, while it is still as oppressive as any feudal kingdom it lacks the organized police force to make it effectively like the [[Nazi|modern dictatorships]] did. So there is incredible amouths of criminal activity going on in the Empire. So much, there is a god of it. Although Ranald is the god that stands for freedom against that oppression, he is mainly worshipped by thieves, gamblers and charlatans. Also you may thought his name is nothing fancy, just a generic medieval name, which makes sense because actually Ranald was a mortal that convinced, or tricked, Shallya to let him drink one of her tear vials which ascended Ranald to godhood. Ranald's symbols are a hand with crossed fingers, an X, a black cat and a crow. He is mainly worshipped in big cosmopolitan cities like Marienburg.

* '''[[Khaine]]''', the God of Murder, Violance and Cruelty, younger brother of [[Morr]]. Khaine is in interesting position in the Old World pantheon, while other Elven gods are at least have different human names, Khaine is simply Khaine, the god that Dark Elves worship. Also the worship of Khaine is one of the few outlawed religions in the Empire (only worshipped secretly by cultists) because most human theologians believe Khaine is none other than [[Khorne|the Blood God]] himself. But Khainites know that there is a distinction between Khaine and Khorne; Khorne is more about senseless slaughter, the mass killings happening in the battlefields are what really pleases him. But Khaine is more about the killing of the individuals, the ritualistic art of murder and torture is what really pleases him, yet again battlefields are sacred for him too as the war is nothing more than industialized murder. Also in the End Times, Khaine and Khorne are confirmed to be separate entities but Khaine is still the god of [[murderhobos]] and it is better to outlaw his worship. Khaine is also worshipped as a God of Death, believed to be forever in conflict with his brother, Morr. Being a secret cult, Khaine don't have an openly displayed symbol but a scorpion stinger and a serpentine dagger are symbols generally associated with him. Khaine is commonly worshipped by sadists and serial killers but a few of his worshippers can be found among the soldiery.

===Bretonnia===
[[Lady of the Lake]] is the patron goddess of the [[Bretonnia|Kingdom of Bretonnia]]. Cult of the Lady is the state-religion and holds major political power within Bretonnia and yet the Lady isn't the most widespread worshipped God in Bretonnia. Being a feudal shitland, everything in Bretonnia is divided between [[Noble|Nobility]] and [[Peasant|Peasantry]] (and almost non-existent middle class consisting scholars and merchants) this of course includes the religion too. Peasants are prohibited from the worship of Lady as they are not seen more than vermin and shouldn't bother the Lady with their petty prayers. The middle class is allowed but have to pay tithe to worship in shrines and temple. In short, the cult of the Lady is only open to the Nobility of Bretonnia. This lead the peasantry to worship the Gods of the Old World Pantheon. Bulk of the peasantry (which is also the bulk of Bretonnia's population) worship [[Shallya]] the Goddess of Mercy and Healing. Unlike the Lady of the Lake, Shallya offers confort for everyone especially to the oppressed, suffering people like the peasants of Bretonnia. This made Shallya very popular among the peasants, some of them even believe Shallya is just another aspect of the Lady (basicly her peasant equilavent) which worshippers of the Lady [[Blam|didn't take tolerantly]]. Other than Shallya, Myrmidia is common among the men-at-arms, Taal and Rhya among the farmers, Verena among the scholars etc. Interestingly, worship of Sigmar is almost non-existent within Bretonnia which is weird as Cult of Sigmar, like Cult of Shallya, is a peoples cult, open to everyone. The reason behind this is probably the Bretonnian nobility's xenophobia towards [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|the Empire]]. Anyway about the Lady of the Lake:

*'''[[Lady of the Lake]]''', the Goddess of Chivalry, Purity and Nobility, the Patron Goddess of [[Bretonnia]]. The Lady of the Lake is basicly the [[Waifu|idealized woman]] that every Bretonnian knight loves. They love her so much many knights are willing to abdicate all their titles and go on a Waifu Quest to find her. Almost all of these Questing Knights die horribly to monsters and other shit they have to fight, before even getting close to her. But most powerful of them find her eventually and when that happens, the Lady of the Lake offers them to drink from the Holy Grail she holds which turns Questing Knights into [[Mary Sue|mary sues]] or Grail Knights as they mostly known as. The Lady of the Lake is only worshipped by the Bretonnian Nobility and her symbols are the Holy Grail and [[Sisters of Battle|Fleur-de-lis]]. In End Times, it was revealed that the Lady of the Lake is none other than the Elven God [[Lileath]], she and the [[Wood Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|Wood Elves]] been using Bretonnians as a bulwark against [[Chaos]] and a cat's paw when they don't feel like to risk elf lives. All that holy Grail Knights and lowly peasantry shit was to eliminate the weak and create the best of humanity, worthy of being used by Elves. [[Just as Planned|So the entire culture, religion and politics of Bretonnia is just part of an Elven eugenics programme.]] Also do I have to mention that she was "inspired" from Arthurian legends, like everything else in Bretonnia?

===Kislev===
[[Kislev]] has his own little pantheon of gods consist of three gods: '''Ursun''', '''Dazh''' and '''Tor'''. It isn't like an established Kislevite Pantheon, more like a group of local gods unique to Kislev. While almost all of the Kislevites only worship these three, some other gods have been worshipped by Kislevites too. Northern Gods of the Old World Pantheon is relatively common, mostly [[Ulric]] and Taal mainly because of Kislev's geographical closeness to [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Northern Empire]]. Like in the Empire, many local gods and spirits are venerated too. Interestingly, Kislev is also the only place in the Old World to worship [[Necoho|Ma]][[Zuvassin|lal]]. The Temple of the Ancient Allies in the Kislevite city of Bolgasgrad is the only known temple dedicated to Necoho and Zuvassin, and the city is home to only known worshippers of them. But, to be clear, it isn't like they are commonly worshipped in Kislev, their worshippers are probably even less than their fans in real life. So about the real gods of Kislev:

*'''[[Ursun]]''', the God of [[Bear Lore|Bears]] and Strength, Patron God of Kislev. Ursun is the most commonly worshipped god in Kislev, like Sigmar he's worsipped by everyone from wealthy cityfolk to nomads of the oblast. But in doctrine, Ursun has more common in [[Ulric]] and Taal than Sigmar. Like Ulric, Ursun is all about strenght, he prefers warriors over priests, acts over prayers. And like Taal, Ursun is more of the God of Bears than a God of man, bears are his sacred beast it is a privilege to hunt them, not a right given to humans. Like Taal dictates, bear hunts should be fair, no traps or hunting dogs allowed. One of the reasons that worship of Ursun is so common in Kislev is that Kislev is full of bears and worshipping the God of Bears makes things smoother between man and the beasts (and angering him gets you [[RIP AND TEAR|ripped apart by bears]]). His worshippers are rivals with Ulric's, but mutual respect exists between them. Ursun is practically worshipped by all of the Kislev and only in Kislev. His holy symbol is a bear or a bear's face.

*'''[[Dazh]]''', the God of Sun, Fire and Hospitality. When you live in a frozen wasteland where winters are 10 months long and full of bears, fire and Sun is just what really matters to survive. So you should worship the God of Sun in the second coldest place of the world after [[Chaos Wastes|literally frosty hell]] itself, not some [[Ulric|God of Winter]]. Actually this is why Dazhinyi (and Kislevites in general) despise Ulricans: they are like middle-class children who want winter to come because of Christmas and to play in snow while Kislevites are like homeless people who don't want to freeze to death during winter. Dazh is, like Ursun, widely worshipped by Kislevites but with a bit of change. In the cold harsh tundras of north, Dazh symbolizes the struggle against the nature and his worship is essential to survive Kislevite winters as every campfire and torch lights brightly because of him. In rather civilized south, he is the God of Hospitality, more about hearths and being kind to guests. Dazh's holy symbol is the Sun or a flame. Judging by the Usirian = Morr logic in the End Times, one could say that Ptra and Dazh are the same person due to being primary god of human. Just don't tell Settra about it or he is going to lit Kislev on fire (might be a good thing actually).

*'''[[Tor]]''', the God of Thunder and Lightning. The least inspired name ever given to a god of lightning. But at least he isn't just same with the [[Viking|Norse]] God Thor: Tor isn't a hammer wielding God of Heroism and War (that's [[Sigmar]]'s job) (also Tor prefers an axe), he is more of a force of nature. He is more about saying "Tor is angry today" during a lightning storm than prayers and systematic worship. Well, also a God of Lightning has nothing to offer to humans other than ''not'' striking them with a thunder bolt. Also his stricture is single, simple but smart: "Never stand under a tree in a thunderstorm." Tor's holy symbols are a thunderbolt and a silver axe.

===Nehekhara===
[[Nehekhara]], being '''THE''' human civilization of the world (meaning they are the original human civilization that was created and established by the [[Old Ones]] themselves) has their own unique and sophisticated take on religion and gods. The Priest Kings of Nehekhara and [[Tomb Kings]] of <s>[[Tomb Kings#Death of an Era|old]]</s> today worshipped the '''Nehekharan Pantheon''' also known as the Desert Gods. Nehekarans believed that in the dawn of time, the world was once dark and cold, it was their gods that enlightened the world and created humanity, which is quite a similar story to how the Old Ones created humanity and other races. Almost all of the gods [[Furry|have animal heads or are outright animals]] much like the Egyptian gods. Long ago, the Nehekharan Pantheon consisted of hundreds of different gods and hundreds of different cults dedicated to them, but after [[Nagash]] necro-nuked all of Nehekhara, killing every living thing and reanimating them as [[Undead]], only a handful of Gods remain (unknown if the other gods are dead too, or weren't real to begin with and were simply forgotten) and only the most widespread cult remains today, the Mortuary Cult, a cult dedicated to Usirian. The cult studied death and the afterlife, and also searched for immortality. First they managed to preserve a dead body with mummification (which they learned from the [[Lizardmen]] of the Southlands) then communicating with the dead souls using the [[Warhammer Magic|Wind of Death]] and lastly summoning the dead and binding them to corporal bodies. All of their study lead to Nagash's creation of Necromancy via mixing Dark Magic with the Wind of Death. Anyway about the pantheon:

*'''Ptra''', the God of Sun, Patron God of Nehekhara, husband of Neru. Although he is the most important god of Nehekharan Pantheon, there isn't much to say about him. Ptra is basicly Ra of our world, he rides his chariot in the sky from dawn till dusk, following his love, Neru the Moon Goddess. Unlike other gods of the pantheon, he doesn't have an animal form, or an animal headed form, only appearing in a human form. He is also the creator of humanity, according to Nehekharans. [[Settra the Imperishable]] is his most known (and of course greatest) worshipper because no God is worthy of being worshipped by Settra, other than the King of Gods himself.
*'''Neru''', the Goddess of [[Mannslieb|Moon]] and Protection, wife of Ptra. Boring ass wife of the boring ass god up there. Again not much to say about her, she is actively running away from her husband (for some reason), creating the day and night cycle of the world.
*'''Sakhmet''', the Goddess of the [[Morrslieb|Green Moon]], concubine of Ptra. Also called the Green Witch, Sakhmet envies Ptra's love of Neru, his wife, and all of humanity. During nights, Neru and Sakhmet fight for the domination of the sky, Neru wins most of the time so only Mannslieb appears in the sky but when Sakhmet wins both Mannslieb and Morrslieb appears in the sky, causing days known as Hexenstag and Geheiminstag to the [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Imperials]]. She is seen as a malevolant god by the Nehekharans because she, as said, envies Ptra's love for humanity. While the name is almost same with the Egyptian God Sekhmet, Sakhmet isn't really similar to her other than this: the duality of Sakhmet and Neru resembles how the bloodthirsty lion-headed Goddess of War Sekhmet and the merciful cow-headed Goddess of Love Hathor is the same goddess with a split personality disorder, even so Sakhmet and Neru are certainly not the same goddess at all. Ironically, she had a beastmen follower called '''Moonclaw''' who referred to the green moon as his own mother. During the End Times, chunks of Morrslieb descend up the world after the Skaven's reckless demolition. With that, is safe to say that Sakhmet is officially about as dead as Usirian. But it's not like the moon was alive like the other gods anyway.
*'''Usirian''', the God of the Underworld. Usirian's worship is as widespread as that of Ptra in Nehekhara, since the rise of the Mortuary Cult. As the lord of the Realm of Souls, Usirian judges souls of the living, particullarly the Priest Kings, upon their death; based on their lives, they may make it to the paradise filled with golden palaces to live in and their subjects to tyrannize (two things Priest Kings love the most) or if they didn't had any virtues in life (or [[Peasant|wasn't a nobleborn]]) they probably end up in the deepest pits of the Underworld, [[Grimdark|where millions of beetles will gnaw their skin and entrails forever]] (This sounds eerily similar to Abrahamic religions). Another privilege nobles get is that if they fuck up, Priests of Usirian will try to bargain with Usirian to mitigate their punishments. Khepra Beetles are said to be Usirians agents in the living realm, he monitors the mortals from the beetles' eyes, seeing all sins of the men and because said beetles are everywhere in Nehekhara, [[1984|every man and woman are being watched by him 7/24]]. On the other hand this also means using a bug sprey lets you trick the God of Dead. Usirian is also never physically represented as that would be [[heresy]] (now it is really similar to one particular Abrahamic religion). His most known worshipper is the Grand Hierophant Khatep who is the High Priest of the Mortuary Cult, Prophet of the Lord of the Tomb, Master of Awakenings but most importantly Settra's advisor during his life. Lastly in the [[End Times]], Usirian was devoured by Nagash which killed [[Morr]] too, this confirms that they were indeed the same god (in fact all Gods of Dead are probably the same god).
*'''Djaf''', the God of Death and War. While he is an important god, he is the god of death of undead egyptians after all and his ushabtis are one of the most common ones, not much is known about him. Considering another similar God, Usirian, is venerated much more than him and that he is also a God of War, Djaf is probably more abouth down-to-earth part of death not its concept or spiritual side. Djaf usually takes form of a jackal headed man or a large black jackal so he is basicly the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis.
*'''Asaph''', the Goddess of Beauty and Asps. When to be seen, Asaph takes the form of a seductive woman or [[Furry|an asp but still looking as seductive as woman]]. Lorewisely, the most important thing she did was saving [[Queen Khalida]] from becoming a [[vampire]] which made her the greatest worshipper of Asaph. Other than that, Asaph is really similar to the Chaos God [[Slaanesh]], both being gods of beauty and has a strong association with snakes. Unknown if there is a connection or not.
*'''Geheb''', the God of Earth and Strenght. As a god worshipped by warriors and soldiers, Geheb takes form of a lion or a big hunting dog in animal form and a musclar man with a thick beard in human form. Again another god with a Chaos God similarity, both [[Khorne]] and Geheb is worshipped by great warriors and has hunting dogs as their sacred animal. Also worship of Geheb involves a blood ritual which the worshippers drink the blood of a newly sacrificed ox.
*'''Tahoth''', the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Tahoth usually takes the form of an ibis headed man, or a silver colored ibis which makes him quite similar to [[Tzeentch]], the other bird headed god of knowledge. But this time this is probably because Tzeentch is inspired by the Egyptian God of Knowledge Thoth while Tahoth is just Thoth with a different name.
*'''Sokth''', the God of Scorpions, Thieves and Assassins. Although he is the protector of thieves, Sokth forbids grave-robbing and his sons (scorpions) guard the royal tombs along with Usirian's beetles. It's believed that the Nehekharan scorpions will never sting a true follower of Sokth but I'm sure nobody dares to test that. Sokth usually appears as a giant black scorpion or a man with pure black eyes.
*'''Phakth''', the God of Sky and Justice. Phakth usually takes the form of a hawk headed man or a blue hawk with golden eyes so he is practically the same god as Horus ([[Horus Lupercal|no, not that one]]).
*'''Basth''', the Goddess of Cats and Love. Usually appears as [[Furry|a cat headed woman]] or as [[Catgirl|a woman with cat-like features]]. She is the Egyptian Goddess of Cats, Bastet, of Warhammer Fantasy.
*'''[[Nagash]]''', the Supreme Lord of Undeath. Before I start let me explain why I decided to add Nagash to the list: Not because Nagash ascended to godhood in [[Age of Sigmar]] but because he has been worshipped as a god before that, since his first defeat, by priest kings to vampires, by crazed cultists to great necromancers. You may argue that Nagash is clearly not a god, as he is trying to become a god, so he has no place in here and I would say half of the gods listed here probably don't even exist or are a [[Chaos God]] in disguise so listen up. While not being a part of the Nehekharan Pantheon, Nagash has been (secretly) worshipped as a God by Nehekharans for millenia. Worship of Nagash, or Nagashism as it's named in [[Total War: WARHAMMER|Total War: Warhammer]], stretchs back to his first defeat. After dying in the desert and resurrecting himself as some sort of [[Lich]], Nagash deceived some mountain tribes into worshipping him as a god. After that, said tribesmen and his undead minions built the great fortress of Nagashizzar under the command of Nagash. Even today, in the highest chamber of the fortress, [[God-Emperor of Mankind|the corpse of Nagash sits on his throne with hundreds of zealous cultists worshipping him as a God]], listening to his whispers, doing his bidding. Since then, thinking being worshipped is quite handy, Nagash disguises himself as a god to manipulate humans. It is known that he has been willingly worshipped by many necromancers and vampires (which is actually rare, as vampires generally don't accept anyone as his/her superior). Nagash may also interfere with the wizards of the Wind of Death, especially Mortuary Priests, presenting himself as Usirian, the Nehekharan God of the Dead or [[Morr]], the Imperial God of the Dead, and use them to further his schemes. But he usually does that when he doesn't have a corporeal form because when he is in the mortal realm there is no need to trick anyone into believing he is a god. As said above, in the End Times he ascended to godhood and became the only [[Tomb King]] that made it to [[Age of Sigmar]].

===Northmen===
''See: [[Chaos Gods]] until [[Warhammer Fantasy Gods#Chaos]] is completed''
===Minor Nations===
Even if they have never seen the light of the day, [[End Times|and never will]], there are human nations other than [[the Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|the Empire]], [[Bretonnia]] and [[Warriors of Chaos|Northmen]]: the myst shrouded island of Albion, the Great Sultanate of Araby, Democratic City-States of [[Tilea]], Ever-warring kingdoms of [[Estalia]], Feudal Kingdom of [[Nippon]], Grand Empire of [[Cathay]], Kingdoms of Ind, the Hinterlands of Khuresh and more. While collective lore on these are less than any playable faction's, some of these factions' religious practices are known and some what interesting.
*'''[[Tilea]]''' worships the Southern Gods of the [[Old World]] Pantheon, mainly [[Myrmidia]], the Goddess of War and Strategy. Tileans are sailors and pirates, so Manann, the God of Seas, is also worshipped by many. Other than them, local gods of city-states are among common worship. Like Luccan and Luccina, the founders of the City-State of Luccini, is the most worshipped God in said city (You know [[Roman Empire|Romulus and Remus]]?). As a cosmopolitan country, Tilea also been influenced by other cultures and even races, like in Tobaro, people living in the underground tunnels of the city commonly worship il Grungnio or Grungni, the Dwarf God of Miners as he known to the [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|Dwarfs]]. Even so, Tileans are said to be "casual" worshippers, not taking the religion so seriously, unlike the Imperials and Bretonnians.
*'''[[Estalia]]''', being same as Tileans but with Spanish names, worships the Southern Gods of the Old World Pantheon, again mainly [[Myrmidia]]. But this didn't have a unifying effect on Estalians and Tileans, they have been fighting for centuries by now. Both sides claim that they are the real sons of Myrmidia.
*'''Araby''' is known to be worshipping a single god, being one of the very few monotheistic nations in the world. He chooses prophets among the people to teach his gospel to the Arabyans. A warrior-cult known as Dervishers is dedicated to that God, fan-named Ohrmazd (which is another name of Ahura Mazda, the God of Zoroastrianism) and said to be "too willing" to die for their god [[FAIL|which is a bit stupid because real life Dervishs (Islamic Monks) while very religious, were also pacifists and humanists]].
*Not much is known about the religion of '''[[Cathay]]''': The Dragon-Emperor of Cathay is said to be an immortal [[dragon]] in human form, always surrounded with servants taking his every word as law and scholars recording his every word as divine will. So it is possible that Cathayans worship him as a god but it isn't expictly stated. What really expictly stated is the worship of [[Tzeentch|Chi'an Chi]] is common among the aristocracy but said to be merely allowed, not commonly practiced.
*Kingdoms of '''Ind''' is also called the Land of a Thousand Gods. Shit goes down in Ind because it is literally the land of a thousand gods and at least most of the gods are real and very active. They are said to be very fickle and quick to anger, judging and punishing their worshippers swiftly. So every part of the Indian life is a ritual: like if you overcook a [[Meatbread|meal]] a bit, you may be struck down by the God of Food or if you don't [[THIN YOUR PAINTS|thin your paints]], the [[Duncan Rhodes|God of Thin Paints]] may visit you at night. Leopold Riogillo, a merchant prince, notes that Indians see the tiger-headed [[beastmen]] of their land as holy spirits, yet again it is known that at least one god, the four-armed Bharmir, despises [[Chaos]].
*'''Amazons''', the warrior tribeswoman of [[Lustria]], worships the same pantheon of gods as the [[Lizardmen]] who are the [[Old Ones]]. Not much is known other than that.

==Lizardmen==
Lizardmen revere the [[Old Ones]] as their gods. Lizardmen are brought fully formed into the world as full fighting units from magical spawning pools, some of these units have somehow been marked by one or more of the Old Ones for some specific purpose these are known as sacred spawnings. Albino Lizardmen are said to have the mark of the Old Ones and are believed to be destined for greatness.

* '''[[Sotek]]''' Unlike the other Old Ones Sotek was not among the original pantheon that created the Lizardmen and uplifted the humans, elves and dwarves. Sotek was brought into the world during the invasion of Lustria by the Skaven clan Pestilence. After numerous blood sacrifices [[Khorne|turning rivers red]] by the Lizardmen, a gargantuan snake appeared and chased the Skaven out of Lustria. Those marked by Sotek have a red stripe on top of their heads and sometimes running down their backs, they are fiercer than other Lizardmen. Sotek is the only Old One known to have sacred spawnings of skinks, fitting as it was these little WS 2 T 2 shits that made rivers run red with rat blood.

* '''Chotec''' God of the sun. Those of Chotec's sacred spawning are marked by the colour orange and are more energetic.

* '''Huanchi''' Jaguar god of stealth & ambush. The blessed spawning of Huanchi have darker coloured scales, possibly black or brown, they are experts at hunting down prey.

* '''Itzl''' God of cold-blooded beasts. Those of Itzl's sacred spawning are marked by bony crests and a distinct smell and are great beastmasters.

* '''Tepok''' Depicted as a feathered serpent, Tepok is the god of mystery. Those of Tepok's sacred spawning have purple scales on their backs and are protected against magic.

* '''Tzunki''' God of water. The blessed spawnings of Tzunki have green scales on their backs and are known to be blessed with gills and flippers.

* '''Tlazcotl''' God of stoicism. The blessed spawning of Tlazcotl have yellow scales along the main of their headcreasts and down along the crests of their back.

* '''Quetzl''' God of protection. The blessed spawning of Quetzl have thick scales.

* '''Minor Deities and Super Blessed Spawnings''' Many more Old Ones are mentioned briefly in fluff but they've had very little impact as they've been dead or gone for ages. Some Lizardmen broods are spawned with the blessing of the old ones, one such figure is Kroq-Gar.

==Greenskins==
The Greenskins have two universal Gods;

*'''[[Gork]]''': He's Cunningly Brutal.
*'''[[Mork]]''': He's Brutally Cunning.

==Chaos==
*'''[[Khorne]]'''
*'''[[Tzeentch]]'''
*'''[[Nurgle]]'''
*'''[[Slaanesh]]'''

[[Category:40k and Fantasy Gods]]

Two Scouts and a Dreadnought

2020-02-07T21:23:35Z

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{{story}}
The neophytes squatted on the ridge, overlooking the ensuing battle, some had rifles and were taking pot shots at fleeing cultists, as per orders from their comm-links, others had not yet been granted these holy weapons, and instead helped to take part in scouting routines and had with them various combat knifes and other such close quarters gear.

None had expected this battle to be long or hard fought, the chapter saw it as an excellent training exercise however and dispatched both a complement of marines to help the imperial forces, and many neophytes to scout and to learn, all it had taken was a devastating jump-pack charge to break the front line of the cultists and start driving them back.

-The cultists have some armor-

The comm crackled to life

-Requesting assistance-

Scout Sergeant Liandies used his scope and soon found the ramshackle machine, cobbled together, it was deflecting shots from the relatively small arms their assault brothers had with them.

"Honored Vördr, will you lend us your fury?" The Sergeant asked, turning to the dreadnought which stood over them, his tremendous form was humbling of the neophytes, but it was for his soul they were with him. Something seemed wrong however, the dreadnought was normally relatively chatty, expelling wisdom and advice, knowledge of the chapter and their rites.

"My lord Throu, are you there?" The Sergeant continued, in a worried manner.

A low, almost painful hum emitted from the hulking machine.

"YES...CANNOT..SEE."

The scouts had stopped to listen and watch the ancient warrior.

"NEED EYES....AIM ME."

Neophyte Makaell appeared from behind one of Throu's great legs, he was Throu's eyes, he spent the most time with the dreadnought, it was quite an honor for the young scout to help Throu, often these helper-scouts go on to become great assets to the chapter, spending time learning from such a revered warrior often saw to that.

Makaell brought up a target finder and aimed it towards the cultist's vehicles, the immortal soul inside the dreadnought had long lost the use of his eyes, he was aided by the sarcophagus itself, and for such a ranged shot, Makaell improved his vision, however this seemed to cause discomfort for old Throu, and a definite grunt of pain was mechanically voiced.

"I SEE" The dreadnought's torso moved, the mighty lascannons attached to his hull twitched and hummed as Throu found his target "MAY YOUR SIN...BE PURGED."

The lascannons spoke with the righteous fury of the Adeptus Astartes, and the shot was clear and pure, illuminating the darkened battlefield, cutting away the fog and pollution of the planet. Many guardsmen who were advancing in the wake of the Marines assault stopped to watch the spectacle. The cultists machine erupted in a mighty explosion, knocking a rather zealous nearby marine over, and sending many cultists flying, this seemed to signal a full rout from the cultists, who took off in all directions, terrified at the ferocity of the marines and their firepower.

The assault marines, almost pre-emptively jumped again, over the hill the wreckage of the tank was sat upon, to carry on their righteous work. This also carried them out of sight of the scouts of Throu, who were now being relayed thanks along with orders to stand down. And orders to begin advancing into the city, to catch up with the imperial forces.

"FIRST BREAK..YOU HAVE DONE....THE CHAPTER PROUD."

The neophytes checked their weapons and gathered around Throu, he was likely to talk about the battle or what was to come, he seemed to like lecturing the scouts.

"SERGEANT...I WILL TEACH...GIVE ME...A BOWL AND YOUR CANTEEN."

Liandies stepped forward, removing his canteen from his side, wanting to see what this was all for, one of his scouts threw a bowl at him, half broken and dusty, probably just found on the floor.

"I have them Vördr Throu."

"GOOD...PLACE BOWL ON FLOOR... GATHER BLIND ONES... WE WILL WATCH... GUESS FLOW OF WATER...GOOD PRACTICE OF MIND."

The scouts murmured between themselves and moved closer, all getting into sight of the bowl and Sergeant Liandies.

"SCOUT ANTOVII... IF YOU SCOFF AGAIN...CHAPLAIN WILL BE INFORMED OF YOUR ARROGANCE...AND DISREGARD...CHAPLAINS DO NOT ENJOY...WASTE OF POTENTIAL"

Liandies cursed to himself; Antovii was always disbelieving of the chapter's abilities, but if he was here, he had to be worthy, he was more surprised he hadn't heard Antovii himself.

"POUR YOUR CANTEEN SERGEANT."

Liandies upturned his canteen, slowly, the eager eyes of the neophytes waiting for the flow of water, waiting to figure out how it would land and form in the bowl, he kept turning, and turning, until the canteen was upside-down.

Antovii piped up from the back of the group "Sir, there is no water in your canteen?" The scouts again murmured to themselves, some had even started to take their own canteens to hand to the Sergeant, until Throu's booming voice broke the relative silence.

"EXACTLY ANTOVII...YOU DID NOT EXPECT NOTHING...SOMETIMES OUR EYES...CURSE US...DO NOT OVERSEE...THINK TOO...SOMETIMES THERE IS NO DEEPER WEB...SOMETIMES IT IS OUR ILLUSION...SOMETIMES WE ARE WRONG."

The scouts were not used to being told they were not the unbeatable fury of the emperor given form. They shifted, somewhat uncomfortably, at the notion. They had all heard the chaplains talk about the glory of death and glory and their gifts, but they had not mentioned they could be wrong.

"NOW YOU TRUST...YOUR BROTHERS...NOW...WHEN THE CANTEEN IS TURNED... YOU WILL THINK... IT MAY BE EMPTY...WHEN YOU GAIN YOUR SIGHT...BLIND ONES...YOU MUST TRUST AND WATCH YOUR BROTHERS...IN THAT WAY...WE ARE STRONGER...TOGETHER...IN OUR GIFT...AND IN OUR CURSE...NOW COME...BLIND ONES...WE STILL HAVE A BATTLE...TO FIGHT."

"Antovii, take point and head down the ridge, we will be behind you shortly, no noise scouts, we don't know what is out there." Liandires barked his orders to the scouts, watching them regain excitement and movement, when they were out of sight, leaving Liandires, Makaell and old Throu stood upon the ridge, Liandries turned to the dreadnought

"Lord Throu, how did you know my canteen was empty?"

"YOU PUSH YOUR SQUAD...AND YOURSELF...THIS PLACE IS ACRID...AND POLLUTED...WATER IS...NECESSARY...YOU THEREFORE...WOULD NOT BRING WATER...IN YOUR THIRST...YOU GAIN STRENGTH..."

Liandires stood in astonishment

"..BUT YOU ARE WRONG...AND DENSE...IF SOMETHING HAPPENED...YOU WOULD NEED WATER...YOU WOULD DIE...WOULD WASTE...POTENTIAL."

"I-I understand Lord, I will correct my mistakes"

"WE COULD HAVE LEVELED...THIS CITY...BUT NOT ALL...ARE LOST...WE MUST...PROTECT...POTENTIAL."

Makaellonce again made himself visible "They say the Vördr have lost their sight, Sir, in truth, they see more than we could possibly hope for" He rested a hand on Throu's leg armor, patting it, before the dreadnought walked off, after the now distant scouts.

"Throu! Watch out for the rock!" Makaell exclaimed, jogging after the dreadnought and coming to pace beside him.

"YOU ARE NOT... A SITTER MAKAELL...NOW WALK BEHIND ME...'LESS YOU WANT TO DIE."

Makaell listened, and moved in-line, as they continued, the cliff edge beside the dreadnought, Makaell's old position, abruptly crumbled away, down the cliffside to the ground, a considerable distance below.

Liandires watched this all happen, smiled to himself and reattached his canteen. Making a note to fill it later, he hoisted his rifle to a comfortable position behind his shoulder and began to run after his squad. According to the comm-chatter the city was not falling without a fight despite their Assault brother's efforts. It would seem his squad would get a chance to use their shotguns and sidearms, and it gave old Throu another chance to teach them all a thing or two, and unleash some of the emperors fury.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Stories/Warhammer 40,000]]
[[category:Stories]]

Ambulance

2020-02-07T21:23:29Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4: Replaced content with "WOAH BLACK BETTY ... {{American Forces in All Quiet on the Martian Front}} Category:Vehicles"

[[File:AMBALANCE.PNG|300px|right|thumb|WOAH BLACK BETTY ...]]

{{American Forces in All Quiet on the Martian Front}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]

Howl of the Devil Tiger

2020-02-07T21:22:59Z

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[[file:Devil Tiger.png|300px|thumb|Trust me...]]
The '''Howl of the Devil Tiger''' is a Dharmic path in the [[Vampire: The Masquerade]] campaign supplement [[Kindred of the East]]. Its adherents believe that through the proper application of pain, both on themselves and on the world around them, that Creation can be made clean. Their chosen Virtue is '''P'o'''.

Devil Tigers are evil bastards on a good day, but the ideal Devil Tiger is ''never'' malicious or petty. Oh no, theirs is a ''directed'' brand of evil, as their choice of prey are the truly depraved and destructive, the type who would bring down society for shits and giggles.

For you see, Devil Tigers see it as their sacred duty to seek out and destroy the most vile, a duty that was long abandoned by the devil servitors of Yomi. They're not devil-worshippers, but they want to ''become'' devils, as they think the ones currently holding the positions are incompetent and they can do a better job at it.

Quite a number of Devil Tigers fall to their P'o, and become ''akuma'' thralls of the Yama Kings, but those who remain loyal to their Dharma are some of the most fervent and dogged opponents of those who seek to become the Demon Emperor. Once the Sixth Age commences, sleeper cells of Devil Tigers will spring into action, becoming organized resistance to the Yama Kings' rule.

The Demon Emperor's rule may be inevitable, but it's not going to be a smooth one, not if the Devil Tigers can help it.

{{OWoD-Dharmas}}
[[Category:World of Darkness]]
[[Category:Kindred of the East]]

Call of Cthulhu

2020-02-07T21:22:54Z

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{{Game Infobox
|name = Call of Cthulhu
|type = [[RPG]]
|picture = [[File:COClogo.gif]]
|publisher = Chaosium
|system = [[Basic Roleplaying System]]
|authors = Sandy Petersen
|year = 1981
}}
'''''Call of Cthulhu''''' is a roleplaying game based on the writings of [[H.P. Lovecraft]], in which the player characters are more or less normal guys who might be able to fire a pistol without killing themselves. They try to find the truth of all existence. In the course of their investigations, the players might find themselves fighting horrors from beyond space, such as [[Cthulhu]], who eats 1d3 investigators per round and is generally cranky after being woken from millennia of slumber.

==System==
''Call of Cthulhu'' uses the [[Basic Roleplaying System]] (BRP), first used in ''[[Runequest]]'' and also for ''[[Stormbringer]]'', ''[[Elfquest]]'', and a variety of other games. It uses an array of D&D-style attributes (STR, DEX, INT, CON, POW, EDU, APP, SIZ) rated on the familiar 3-18 scale, plus around 60 skills rated as percentiles.

===Basics===
To perform any action, roll [[d100]] and try to get under your skill; rolling 1/5 of your skill is a critical success, or an 'impale' on an attack. Used skills are marked and at the end of the adventure may increase by 1-3 points if you succeed in rolling under the inverse of the skill. This leads to very gradual and organic character progression, and encourages players to use as many of their skills as possible at least once per adventure. Attributes are checked in exactly the same way, though are typically multiplied to make the check passable, typically by 5. Another option is comparing them to an opposing score on a resistance table, for every point of difference the check is 5 points easier or harder, and 10 points difference is either an automatic success or failure (for example, someone with 10 STR trying to bust a door in with 12 STR has a 40% chance of doing so). Damage is handled via hit points, which for PCs never advance beyond the region of 10-20, though if they can justify it to the keeper they can get armor.

===Character Generation===
Chargen is a relatively long process due to the number of skills and the percentile values, although the free program [http://sourceforge.net/projects/byakhee/ Byakhee] is available to speed things up. You roll attributes, select a profession, gain a bunch of skill points to spend on your professional skills, (such as archeology or painting) then a bunch more to spend on your hobbies. For instance, firing Tommy-guns (which definitely ISN'T a total waste of points).

===Gameplay===
Investigators are typically unable to go toe-to-toe with the monsters in CoC, so most of the game consists of investigation, exploration and gathering clues, with the investigators typically finding something they can do to either destroy or banish the thing that has been ravaging the area. Imagine Scooby-Doo, except with eldritch, inter-dimensional horrors that will almost certainly kill you or drive you mad (so basically imagine the Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated finale), and who are impervious to most weapons humans can muster outside of a goddamn Howitzer (or a passenger ship, or everyone with a boomerang) to deal with (though, shotguns ''should'' work for anything roughly man-shaped), rather than Old Man Withers dressed up as a ghost to scare away the locals.

If you are lucky your investigations will allow you to reach any sort of confrontation armed with magic (which, you guessed it, drives you insane to use), a list of the creature's weaknesses, or at least a metric fuckton of dynamite. Spot Hidden and Library Use are two of the most commonly used skills and any player that thinks a gun is useful for anything other than intimidation will be having a fun time swimming inside a Shoggoth or using it on him/herself to stop the voices.

===[[Sanity]]===
Sanity or SAN represents your mental stability. It is capped at the inverse of your Cthulhu Mythos skill; that is to say, you ''cannot'' know what is really going on and remain sane. When you experience something terrifying you make a SAN check; if you fail you lose a random amount of SAN, and often a small amount if you succeed as well. If you lose a substantial amount (five or more in one go) you can have a panic attack, flee or any other sort of madness, though you have to roll to repress the memory of the thing you see first. If you lose a very large amount (one fifth in a game hour) you can develop phobias, mental conditions, or go insane for months on end. If you run out entirely you become an NPC, who may go insane and gibber in a corner for the rest of his life, or he may go and join the bad guys. It's not all bad though, as going insane from something mythos-related actually gives you insight into the thing you have seen.

Sanity loss is a source of both frustration and good roleplaying opportunities, as on the one hand playing out multiple personality disorder can be good fun. On the other hand being trapped in a hole with a monster is bad when one character has a darkness phobia and is curled up in the fetal position, one is claustrophobic and has fainted and one with a snake phobia who refuses to use the rope to climb out can be either [[Butthurt|frustrating]] or [[TPK|Fun]] for player and keeper alike.

==Setting==
CoC is set in the world of Lovecraft's [[Cthulhu Mythos]] but incorporates many of the inventions of later writers and the revisions of August Derleth. The historical setting is the 1920s, the era when Lovecraft wrote most of his work, and although modern adventures are possible (and have had a healthy amount of official support over the years), the Jazz/Classic era has several advantages, such as the lack of communications, the fact that parts of the world were still unexplored, and the plausibility of just about any adult male having military experience from the recent World War.

There are also expansions to set adventures in the days of ancient Rome, Dark Ages Europe, Revolutionary France, the Wild West, Victorian Britain, World War II, and the far future, as well as the fantastical Dreamlands and post-apocalyptic settings (just in case your adventurers in the 1920s failed to stop R'lyeh rising from the deep or the forces of Nyarlathotep from opening the Great Gate). However, these settings are much less used.

The premise of Lovecraft's world is that we live in a small circle of firelight and sanity created by human civilization, and beyond that circle, the universe is dark, uncaring, and full of things with tentacles and too many eyes. Our science doesn't properly describe the universe, and to understand the true horror of reality is to go mad. Before the rise of our civilization other, non-human things owned the world, and after we fall they will own it again.

In terms of physical location, the (fortunately) fictional city of Arkham, Massachusetts is a common setting. Arkham is an amalgamation of several New England towns and contains all the massive libraries, decaying colonial houses, faux-gothic estates and inbred lunatics that one could want for an American horror setting. There is also Arkham's Miskatonic University, an organization with a worse safety record than the fucking [[Resident Evil|Umbrella Corporation]]. If your character is a professor, he likely teaches at Miskatonic, and will therefore surely die.

==CoC on /tg/==
[[Image:2004-09-08.png|thumb|right|This joke is older than most of you assholes reading this page.]]
''Call of Cthulhu'' is consistently popular among gamers. "Roll for [[Sanity | SAN]] loss" has inevitably become a [[meme]], used in place of "ARGH, MY EYES" or sometimes "MAN THE HARPOONS".

==See Also==
* ''[[Trail of Cthulhu]]'', an updated version of the game using the [[GUMSHOE]] system.
* [[Delta Green]], a modern-day campaign setting for the game, in which the [[player characters]] are various military or government employees.
* [[Old Man Henderson]], the only man crazy enough to ever defeat the Great Old Ones at their own game.
* [[Gunslinger Rick]], he shot Cthulhu back to R'lyeh. Then left to smoke a cigar. He didn't win, not on the scale of Old Man Henderson, but he did give humanity another couple of million years

==External Links==
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/byakhee/ Byakhee Character Generator (Sourceforge)]
*[http://www.chaosium.com/ Chaosium Inc], publishers of ''Call of Cthulhu''
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Role-Playing Basic Roleplaying]
*[http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=246 Chaosium's page]

==Published Editions==
<center>
<gallery>
Image:CoC1.jpg|First Edition
Image:CoC2.jpg|Second Edition
Image:CoC3.jpg|GW Third Edition
Image:CoC4.jpg|Fourth Edition
Image:CoC5.jpg|Fifth Edition
Image:CoC55.jpg|5.5-5.6 Edition
Image:CoC-7th.jpg|Seventh Edition
Image:CoC20.jpg|D20 Edition
Image:CoCJap.jpg|Japanese D20 Edition
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:Roleplaying]]

Setting:Tabula Gloria/Benalor

2020-02-07T21:22:47Z

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=A Brief History=
[[File:Tabula Gloria Benalor Key.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Locations in the former Empire of Benalor]]It is said that the first King of Benalor was forged in the mighty metals of the mountains in which the Empire called home. While that is certainly not the case, the greatest contribution of the Benaloran people was their mechanical creations. The mountains made for an extremely difficult place for people to live, but they have always were one step ahead throughout their history. They are theorized to be the first people to learn how to make and use tools, as well as learning how to improve upon them. This rich history of ingenuity eventually became ingrained into their very culture. With this tradition, it wouldn’t be too much to assume that they were the first of the Old Empires to form.

The first King of Benalor, '''Copal''', was known to be an ever-busy man, always looking for new ways to solve problems. He came to power as the people had to band together under duress, fell creatures overflowing from the steppe to the east and the forests of the north and south were making their way into their precious mountains. Their rock and bone weapons could not last against the incessant waves of the monstrous horde besieged upon them. It was Copal who figured out how to forge weapons in the metals of the mountain, formerly relegated only as a decorative material. With these new, longer lasting arms, the Benalorans were able to drive the creatures back to the foothills of the mountains.

From there, the advances were rapid. The metals were also used to fortify homes and buildings upon the mountains. Further advances were made into making these metal weapons and constructs more durable. Then there was crude, man-powered machinery, the lever and pulley. Once that happened, the machinery only got more complex and more efficient. By this time, many Benalorans were starting to understand the mysteries of mana and using it to create magical effects. This was unsurprisingly applied to the machinery, advancing it into mind-boggling creations run without man or beast of burden. They soon became a feared power, holding sway over the developing Weylosians to the southwest and becoming a powerhouse in trade, able to retain that position for a while due to their distance from the powerful Vashialian people to the far west.

But things would not go in the Benalorans’ favor. First there was the Weylosian betrayal, in which the former ally sent spies to learn about their higher technologies so they could make them their own. Now at war with the Weylosians, they sought entry into the Central Lands to increase their holdings and to gain a strategic advantage. In due time, this dragged Benalor into the dreaded Three-Way War. After suffering insurmountable losses in the Central Lands, Benalor became the first of the Old Empires to back out of the war, the pride of the Empire in shambles. During this recession of power, there were attempts to bring Benalor back into prominence. The largest of these attempts was the '''World Engine of Bjalfi''', animated by '''Nytherio Siev''' to become a walking mountain. It however went rogue and was eventually reprogrammed to wander in an unpopulated part of the Empire.

In a last ditch effort to rekindle their status as the first and the best Empire, Benalor launched the '''Heavenrider Program''' under '''King Esteg III''' to seek possibly greater gains in the '''Heavens Above'''. They built magnificent technology to accomplish this task, the likes of which never seen or imagined even by the technologically savvy laymen of the Empire. The launch of the Heavenriders towards the sky was successful, that in and of itself sending the Empire into a delirious celebration. Over time though, the gifted Heavenriders would never return, bringing immense political pressure unto the Benaloran government. But then one of them came back, falling to the ground like a shooting star blazing through the night sky. Though it was indeed the body of a Heavenrider, even in its signature uniform, the voice was of a denizen of the Heavens Above foretelling the Empire’s doom for trying to escape their place on the world.

The stories of Benalor’s end vary only in what the creature, the '''Wight''', told the witnesses of his fall to the mountains. Though the words conveyed by the creature could be interpreted differently, the meaning is all the same. A brilliant bolt of light shot down from the Heavens Above, piercing through the Imperial Seat, causing a fireball that shot back towards the Heavens as if in protest. All of this was followed by a deafening boom which rang through the ancient mountains, the sonic blast followed by a maelstrom of debris and fire in every direction.

The only survivors of the catastrophe were those who had evacuated to '''the Gate''', an evacuation shelter they had built during the development of the Heavenrider Program for the slight possibility that something like this would happen. However, the refugees had only locked themselves inside the massive machine, unable to go back out after the dust settled. They too would die, but with a whimper. Dehydration, starvation, and madness gripped those unfortunate enough to have escaped the blast, leaving them inside their massive coffin. And such was the end of the First Empire. First to exist. First to fade away.

=Peoples=
'''''THIS SECTION NEEDS WORK! PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!'''''

=Places of Interest=
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Ebony Tower|The Ebony Tower]]''': The former center of Benaloran knowledge and culture, a place arguably more important to current scholars than the destroyed capital.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The World Engine|The World Engine]]''': An entire mountain range animated by the incredible skills of a Shaper; now roams in the sparsely populated mountains of the north.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Gate|The Gate]]''': A colossal evacuation shelter which was intended to save Benalor's people in a time of crisis, but only became their doom in their time of need.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Scab Pillar|The Scab Pillar]]''': An organic, sentient pillar encountered on the western edge of the mountains, created by unknown means.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Grand Mountain Zeigurr|The Grand Mountain Zeigurr]]''': One of the highest peaks of the mountains seemingly of religious significance; also a hotbed of seismic activity.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Rustwater Delta|The Rustwater Delta]]''': A delta to the southeast of the mountains which empties Benalor's largest river into the Southern and Eastern seas.
*'''[[Tabula Gloria/Benalor/The Lost City of Sri'eire Latib|The Lost City of Sri'eire Latib]]''': A growing port city on the eastern coast of the continent, isolated from the politics of the Empire, enjoying secret trade with Animar.

[[Category: Tabula Gloria]]

A Red and Pleasant Land

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{{Game Infobox
|name = A Red and Pleasant Land
|picture = [[Image:aredandpleasantland.jpg|300px]]
|type = [[Setting]]
|publisher = Self published
|system = Lamentations of the Flame Princess
|authors = Zak S.
|year =
}}
'''A Red and Pleasant Land''' is a setting for [[Lamentations of the Flame Princess]], written by Zak S. The setting describes Voivodja, the Land of Unreason, a chessboard-like country inspired by ''Alice in Wonderland'' torn by a war between four different vampire houses. It's a pretty weird setting, in case you didn't figured it out by now.

==The Land of Unreason==
Voivodja looks like a giant chessboard: ruins and forest neatly divided in squares by rivers. Note that beyond the exotic factor, this fact has a major importance: your main enemies (or allies) are going to be vampires... which cannot cross running water.

Upon the squares of the chessboard the players will mostly find abandonned buildings, weird gardens, or hidden human villages. It is mostly a white canvas for the GM to draw upon really, alongside some interesting random encounters and a fucked-up bestiary

The most important places in Voivodja (and the ones which are actually described in details in the book) are the castles of each of the two main vampire houses, Castle Cachtice and Castle Poenari. Speaking of which...

==The Vampire Houses==
As mentionned before, four different vampire houses are waging war accross Voivodja. At the beginning of the game, only the Red King and the Heart Queen are openly at war. The two other factions are neutral, and will only pick side once the PCs show up and get involved in politics.

The houses are as follow:

* The house of Vlad Vortigen, the Red King.
* The house of Elizabeth Bathyscape, the Heart Queen.
* The house of the Pale King and his Mad Hatter.
* The house of the Colorless Queen of Nephilida, the Half-Drowned Isle.

[[Category:Roleplaying]]
[[Category:Splatbook]]
[[Category: Lamentations of the Flame Princess]]

==The Alice==
The Alice is a new character class for LotFP. The Alice is a variant of the Specialist (though with weaker stats and skills at first level) with some gimmicks.

Their main gimmick is called Exasperation, and allows them to roll once every real-time hour on a random-effect table. It ranges from a secret door conveniently appearing out of nowhere to a sympathetic talking object or animal helping the Alice. Note that every effect is strictly beneficial, despite this being LotFP.

Upon gaining a level, the Alice must roll on a random-bonus table. Some bonus are more powerful than other, but once again everything is strictly beneficial.

Touhou Power Cards/Ranger

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[[Touhou Power Cards]] for [[4e]] [[DnD]] Rangers.

<gallery>
Image:THP Biting Volley.jpg|Biting Volley
Image:THP Blade Cascade.jpg|[[Blade Cascade]]
File:Disruptive Strike.png|Disruptive Strike
Image:THP Evade Ambush.jpg|Evade Ambush
Image:THP_Expeditious_Stride.jpg|Expeditious Stride
File:Fox's Cunning.png|Fox's Cunning
Image:THP Hail of Arrows.jpg|Hail of Arrows
Image:THP hunters teamwork.jpg|Hunter's Teamwork
Image:THP_Nimble_Strike.jpg|Nimble Strike
Image:THP Pinning Strike.jpg|Pinning Strike
Image:THP Pounding Barrage.jpg|Pounding Barrage
Image:THP Shadow Wasp Strike.jpg|Shadow Wasp Strike
Image:THP Shadow Wasp Strike 2.jpg|Shadow Wasp Strike
Image:THP Spitting Cobra Stance.jpg|Spitting Cobra Stance
Image:THP_Splintering_Shot.jpg|Splintering Shot
Image:THP Split the Tree.jpg|Split the Tree
Image:THP_Spray_of_Arrows.jpg|Spray of Arrows
Image:THP_Thundertusk_Boar_Strike.jpg|Thundertusk Boar Strike
Image:Twin Strike.png|Twin Strike
Image:THP_Twin_Strike_New.jpg|Twin Strike
Image:THP_Two_Fanged_Strike.jpg|Two Fanged Strike
Image:THP Weave Through The Fray.jpg|Weave Through the Fray
Image:THP_Yield_Ground.jpg|Yield Ground
</gallery>

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]]

War of Beasts

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''Not to be confused with the [[War of the Beast]] that took place in M32''

[[File:Vigilus_Defiant.jpeg|320px|thumb|right|From backwater to Armageddon 2.0]]

The '''War of Beasts''' (aka Armageddon on steroids, later the '''War of Nightmares''') is the term used to label the ongoing conflict between the forces of the [[Imperium|Imperium of Mankind]] and the various [[Xenos]] and [[Chaos]] forces trying to wrest its control of the strategic planet of [[Vigilus]]. The loss of Vigilus would mean the loss of a vital staging area for the Imperium for any kind of crusade into the Dark Imperium, and as such it is important for it to stay in Imperial hands.

== '''The Opening Phases''' ==
===The Speed Freekz Cometh===

The first major threat to hit the planet in the wake of the Great Rift opening was a massive [[WAAAGH|Waaagh!]] of [[Orks]]. Bursting from the Rift seemingly at random, and led by powerful [[Speed_Freek|Speed Freeks]], the Ork fleet easily broke through the naval cordon and landed its boyz in the deserts between the great hives.

While most of the fleet crashed and burned, the Orks soon used remains of the downed fleet to create ramshackle scrap-cities, and from there '''Speedboss Krooldakka''' roared out at the head of a massive force of bikes, trukks, and battlewagons. Still reeling from the birth of the Rift, the Imperial forces gathered could do nothing to stop it.

At first, the Orks met little success, as the force fields were too strong. Growing bored, they resorted to raiding caravans or battling and racing each other in the massive deserts outside of the hives. This state of affairs didn't last however; the Great Rift continued to grow, and with its expansion Warp Storms washed over Vigilus.

The bastion fields soon flickered, then failed outright, which was what the Orks were waiting for. The green tide rushed to each Hive, and despite the best efforts of the [[Imperial Guard]], the [[Skitarii]] of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the [[Sisters of Battle]], it was all they could do to avoid being overwhelmed.

===They Came From Underneath===

Despite the threat of the Orks, there were threats to the defense of Vigilus much closer to home. Centuries before, a [[Genestealer Cult]] derived from the '''Pauper Princes''' had managed to get a single Purestrain Genestealer onto the world. The Genestealer grew into the [[Genestealer Patriarch]] called the '''Grandsire Wurm''', and its cult refused to let its years of preparation go to waste due to the unexpected greenskin arrivals. Uprisings that were supposed to be triggered decades down the road were forced to do so prematurely, and soon every Hivesprawl was in chaos due to the simultaneous insurrections. Imperial defenders fell to synchronized ambushes across the planet, as the Cult consolidated its hold on the Hives.

The response to the Genestealer Cult-led revolt was slow, as the Imperial Government initially thought it was the work of criminals and malcontents, and instead focused on shoring up its defenses. These uprisings, plus the constant ork raids, essentially forced the industry on the planet to grind to a halt. Things were, to put it mildly, looking grim.

===Tooth and Claw===

[[File:Vigilus_tooth_and_claw.jpg|320px|thumb|right|Bugs vs. Furries.]]

It was at this point that a task force of [[Space Marines]] made of elements from the [[Iron Hands]] and the [[Brazen Claws]], decided to throw their hats into the proceedings. On the way to the Stygies Front, they made a detour to Vigilus once contacted by their Mechanicus allies. Led by [[Kardan Stronos]], the Astartes made a massed [[Steel Rain|drop pod assault]] on the outskirts of each major Hivesprawl, before converging toward Megaborealis. Expecting to find Orks, they found cultists and [[Genestealers]] instead. Battles with these cultists would keep the sons of [[Ferrus Manus]] busy for many months.

Later on, a second task force of Astartes, this time [[Space Wolves]] from the Great Company of [[Ragnar Blackmane]] arrived to do battle with the xenos occupying the Oteck Hivesprawl. There was little coordination between the Wolves and the Iron Hands, and hilariously ''none'' of these Chapters saw fit to inform the Vigilus ruling council of what the heck was going on in their cities.

===The Megaborealis Throwdown===

A Mechanicus stronghold, Megaborealis was thought unassailable by '''Ipluvius XIV''', the [[Tech_Priest_Dominus|Magus Dominus]] in command of the Skitarii forces there, enough that he let himself get distracted by his studies. However, a squad of Ork [[Ork_Kommando|Kommandos]] begged to disagree, and brought down the hive's forcefield. The massive speed freekz attack that followed, coupled with a [[Just As Planned|simultaneous attack by genestealer cultists]], caused the magos' cogitators to freeze up due to the stress, leaving the defenders without coordination. It was bad enough that the cultists were able to steal [[Warp_Weapons#Imperial_Variants|Vortex Missiles]] and detonate it in the middle of the Hivesprawl, destroying countless Imperial war assets (including the [[Warlord Titan]] '''Dominus Rex''').

In a decisive move, Archmagos '''Nesium Caldrike''' took control of the remaining defenders, and coordinating with elements of the [[Iron Hands]] Clan Kaargul put a stop to the Genestealer shenanigans, for now at least.

While all of '''this''' was happening, the [[Imperial Guard]] was making a large-scale counterattack, with the aim of reinforcing Megaborealis. The armored convoys of [[Leman_Russ_Battle_Tank|Leman Russes]] and [[Chimera#In_Warhammer_40000|Chimeras]] took a heavy toll on the greenskins, but all this just seemed to draw more and more mobs of speed freekz to the convoys.

===Chaos Crashes The Party (Literally)===

At Hivesprawl Dontoria, already under pressure from mysterious attackers (who turned out to be [[Dark Eldar]] opportunists), an unknown spacecraft decided to crash into the hive's center, despite the best efforts from the anti-air emplacements surrounding it. From its ruined depths came the mutants of the '''Gellerpox Infected''', but the worse was to come, as in their wake came the Heretic Astartes of the '''[[Death Guard]]'''.

While the [[Tempestus Scions]] there were able to repel the Infected's assault, the sons of [[Mortarion]] soon overwhelmed the defenses. In desperation the Hive's lower levels were firebombed in a two-mile radius, but this was not enough to contain Nurgle's followers, and soon the Gellerpox spread through Dontoria. Despite the warnings of Rogue Trader '''Delarique du Languille''', the Aquilarian Council was slow to react to the threat. Acting on a warning from her psyker servant that the Gellerpox would threaten Terra if left unchecked, she took matters into her own hands. The Rogue Trader was able to halt shipping offworld and intercept and destroy what was thought to be the only Gellerpox-infected vessel departing Vigilus- but it was later found that two other infected ships had escaped and were now headed directly to [[Terra]].

===Here Come Guilliman's Boys===

After receiving a vision from [[Varro_Tigurius|Tigurius]], as well as a message from [[Roboute Guilliman]] to not allow Vigilus to fall, [[Chapter Master]] '''[[Marneus Calgar]]''' rushed as many of the [[Ultramarines]] that he could spare to the planet's defense. The going was difficult, and even with Tigurius' guidance many [[Librarian#Ranks|Epistolaries]] die to get the Chapter to the world on time.

Once there, he swiftly had those in the Aquilarian Council he determined to be Genestealer Cult infiltrators executed, and had the Vigilus Senate set up in its place.

===Wolf Bites Bug===

[[File:Tooth_And_Claw_Oteck_Rumble_2.jpg|320px|thumb|right|Rumble in the Hive Sumps, take 2!]]

The [[Space Wolves]] of course, were not idle. At Oteck Hivesprawl they tried to reclaim the all-important water supply back from the cultists. Things turned nasty very quickly when the Wolves' artillery support in the Imperial Guard turned out to have been controlled by the Cultists, and a whole lot of Hive City was suddenly dropped on the Wolves' heads. Many died, but enough Battle Brothers remained to continue the hunt for the xenos. The cultists were finally cornered and annihilated, but in their wake they left the water supply mostly tainted.

'''Haldor Icepelt''', the commander of the Space Wolves there, ordered whatever explosives the cultists stockpiled found, and then used these to bury the polluted water source under tons of rubble, preventing its spread to other hives.

== '''The Conflict Escalates even MORE''' ==
===Wake the Dead===

[[File:Wake-the-Dead.jpg|320px|thumb|right|AKA, I got Angry so I'll do Chaos' work for it!]]

It was at this point that one '''[[Farseer]] Keltoc''' from [[Craftworld]] [[Saim-Hann]] had a vision suggesting that it was important for its forces to intervene in the conflict, as ''something'' there would influence the future of the [[Eldar]] race. Apparently a home-grown [[Tzeentch|Tzeentchian]] cult led by one Vannadan planned to trigger a magma explosion that would eventually wipe out the leaders of Vigilus' defense, which would lead to the loss of the planet to Chaos, so they can't have that now, can they? Amazingly, one of the times the Eldar had genuinely good intentions (for themselves like usual, but in a way that honestly benefits someone else).

Using an underground [[Webway]] gate to avoid their dark kin, the Saim-Hann task force, led by [[Autarch]] '''Rhyloor''' and [[Spiritseer]] '''Quelanaris''', swiftly isolated the Chaos cultists and slaughtered them to a man. Word of their arrival spread to the [[Imperial Guard]] stormtroopers stationed nearby however, and the Imperials rushed to the location, fully convinced that these were the same Eldar who had been gleefully raiding the Hivesprawls during the past few months (and the Imperium does not distinguish between types of Eldar because all xenos are equally deserving of annihilation).

Quelanaris and Rhyloor tried desperately to explain to the arriving Stormtroopers that, no, they looked nothing like the [[Dark Eldar]] dicks who ''were'' the cause of all the trouble and that they had just eliminated a major threat to the planet (keep in mind the Imperials had no idea that the humans they had just killed were Chaos Cultists or indeed even knew there was a Chaos cult in the planet). The Tempestor Prime in charge, however, did not know or care about the difference between the Craftworlders and Dark Eldar let alone believe their story, and so the Imperials opened fire.

Many Eldar were cut down, including Rhyloor, but Quelanaris managed to escape with his fallen comrades' spirit stones. Vowing vengeance, he had the spirit stones installed into waiting Wraith Constructs and led a second strike Force back to Vigilus to avenge the Autarch.

Some time later, this strike force attempted a direct attack on the Imperial leadership council as revenge for their recent losses. Primaris Lieutenant '''Eothrus''' of the Ultramarines attempted to talk down the Spiritseer, having heard about Saim-Hann assisting the Space Wolves on Stygius from Haldor Ice-Pelt, but Quelanaris refused to listen to

===The Carnival of Pain===

While the Imperial Guard wasted their time with the Craftworlders, the ''actual'' Dark Eldar continued their merry time harassing and generally making the residents of Hivesprawls Hyperia and Oteck ''wish'' for the swift release of death. Led primarily by the [[Haemonculi]] coven of '''The Altered''', [[Kabalite_Warriors|Kabalite]] troops joined with Wych cults and Haemonculi constructs in raids that were both spectacular and deadly. The Altered in particular had a specific beef with the [[Ultramarines]], as Guilliman had kicked their ass in during the [[Indomitus Crusade]], and took particular amusement in hauling entire ''squads'' of Ultramarines back to [[Commorragh]] for "entertainment".

===Holding Back The Foul Tide===

Back in Dontoria Hive, the newly-arrived Primaris Chapter [[Necropolis Hawks]] fought to hold back the Gellerpox Infected, while the [[Crimson Fists]] and the [[Iron Hands]] worked to create a barrier with the assistance of du Languille to hold back the Chaos-spawned plague. Using the PDF's [[Hellhound#Warhammer_40.2C000|hellhound tanks]], the Fists set fire to the hive's promethium pipelines, creating a literal firewall around the infected zone.

===The Mortwald Defense===

With the destruction of the waterworks at Oteck Hivesprawl, water was getting harder to come by at Vigilus. Dontoria's own water source was also in danger of contamination, due to everyone forgetting that the [[Death Guard]] had already made landfall.

Mortwald, the source of most of the planet's food and medicine, was also under threat. Defending it were regiments of '''Ventrillian Nobles''', '''Vostroyan Firstborn''', and '''Cadian Shock Troopers''', all under the command of '''Deinos''', the [[Awesome|surprisingly-competent]] brother of the Imperial governor.

When the Greenskins came, the trench network Deinos had prepared showed its worth, and slowed down the advance of the Orks for Weeks. Within the walls of the Hivesprawl, the Guard proved themselves equally adept at putting down Genestealer Cult uprisings. Lord Deinos was adamant -- '''Mortwald will not fall''' -- and his mantra became the rallying cry of the defenders there. This stalwart defense was only improved by the arrival of the [[Imperial Fists]] 5th Company under '''Brother-Captain Dravatis Fane''', though his forces would be tested as Ork [[Stompa|Stompas]] emerged by the hundreds. Although his forces had to retreat to higher ground, Fane would counter-attack. With him were loyalists [[Imperial Knight|Knights]] from '''House Terryn''', as well as Freeblades formerly from the traitorous House Mandrakor.

In a charge that was the stuff of legends, the knights attacked the Stompa horde. Supported by the [[Reaver_Battle_Titan|Reaver Titan]] '''Heresium's Bane''', the Knights actually forced the Orks to break. Rather than running them down, the Imperials halted (notwithstanding the Freeblades who wanted to pursue them), as they insisted that the [[Noblebright|defending the people of Mortwald came first]]. This decision would soon bite them in the arse however, as a few days later the Orks attacked. While it was driven off easily enough, these attacks increased in strength week after work, until the Imperials were facing machines the size of ''reavers''.

Fane had enough. He ordered an expedition into the wastelands to find the factories churning these machines out, and put them out of commission. Permanently.

The Imperial forces found a large scrap city east of Mortwald and, under the cover of a dust storm, attacked. With [[Warhound_Scout_Titan|Warhounds]] as support, the Knights identified, then destroyed the major factories. With the mission completed, Fane ordered a withdrawal, but the Freeblades in their zeal to redeem themselves ignored this, and [[RAGE|charged straight into the ''next'' scrap city]]. Much facepalming ensued, as while the Knights killed countless orks in their reckless attack, they soon found themselves surrounded.

Fane led an airborne rescue force alongside elements of the [[White Scars]] Brotherhood led by '''Olujin Khan''' and [[Dark Angels]] Ravenwing commanded by '''Meneraeus''' to aid the beleaguered Knights. The [[Stormtalon|Stormtalons]] of the White Scars destroyed the anti-air and artillery emplacements, and without these the [[Bike_Squad|Bike Squads]] of the two Chapters cut a path through the Orks.

Without warning, the Ravenwing [[Fallen|suddenly abandoned the attack, and thundered into the dusty wilderness of the Vhulian Swirl]]. The White Scars, now bereft of support, found themselves on the verge of being swamped by Greenskins, so Olujin was forced to call a fighting withdrawal.

===Water War===

Back at Megaborealis the Mechanicus and Iron Hands was getting their Genestealer problem somewhat under control. The Sons of Manus would lead the attacks, then the Mechanicus would handle clean-up. Using xenos-detection tech, the Genestealer nests were found and destroyed, which forced the Pauper Princes to slink back into the shadows and resort to guerilla warfare to strike back.

The same could ''not'' be said of the Stygian Spires region, which controlled the asteroid water mining operations of Megaborealis. Led by the Grandsire Wurm itself, the Cultists overwhelmed the Skitarii defenders. Before long, the top levels of the water plant were taken over by the Patriarch and its kin.

=='''Bad Portents, Bad People'''==

Despite all of this, the general consensus of the population was that things had stabilized enough that the Imperium just ''might'' eke a win out of all this. This, despite Calgar being forced to have Dirkden's civilian population evacuated.

===Raptor Rampage===

[[File:Urban_Conquest_Vigilus.jpg|320px|thumb|right|From Bad, to the Worst]]

Then things really started to go tits up. Reports of disappearances and horrible monsters in the upper spires started to spread, with everyone trying to investigate vanishing without a trace. The Great Rift seemed to darken in the sky, and readings of the Emperor's Tarot all produced the same ominous reading.

By the time the [[Ordo Malleus]] had deciphered the mumbling of comatose Imperial Psykers as a warning about a "Dark King", the monsters had been identified as a scouting force of [[Black Legion]] [[Chaos Raptor|Raptors]], [[Heldrake]]s, and [[Warp Talons]].

Soon afterward, every vox network on the planet received a message from '''[[Haarken Worldclaimer]]''', the Chaos Raptor Lord leading the Black Legion forces and Herald of the Apocalypse: Vigilus now belonged to '''[[Abaddon]]''' and the Despoiler would soon arrive to oversee its conquest personally.

As the Vigilus Senate convened to discuss the alarming turn of events, they were [[Awesome|attacked by a]] [[Heldrake]] [[Awesome|that smashed through the Senate spire's ceiling.]] The Victrix Guard were able to prevent it from harming Calgar, but now they had to deal with the impending arrival of the Warmaster himself.

Meanwhile, [[Thousand Sons]] [[Rubric Marines]] were burning their way through Oteck Hivesprawl, a new Gellerpox outbreak in Mortwald led the nobles to hoard food and water for themselves and inadvertently inspire even ''more'' Chaos and Genestealer Cult uprisings, and the defenses of the planet were being stretched thinner and thinner. And the bulk of the Black Legion's forces hadn't even shown up yet.

Haarken had boasted that Vigilus would fall within 80 days of his arrival. Sure enough, after 80 days a massive number of Warp signatures was detected in the Nachmund Gauntlet.

The War of Nightmares had begun.

===Shadowspear At Nemendghast===

During all of this madness, at the outskirts of the Vigilus System a taskforce of Vanguard Primaris are covertly inserted into the planet '''Nemendghast''' after receiving a distress call from there. To their horror, they find that the world had already been taken over the Dark Powers, and its forges used to churn out Daemon Engines for the [[Black Legion]]. As it turns out, it had been trapped within the Great Rift for a time and Abaddon had taken the opportunity to capture it as a staging area for his planned invasion force.

Although heavily outnumbered by the [[Possessed|Daemonkin]] there, the task force, led by Ultramarines Librarian '''Maltis''', try to sabotage the forges ruled over by Master of Possession '''Vorash Soulflayer'''. It succeeded, but at great cost, with only Maltis escaping to bring word to Calgar of the Black Legion fleet's imminent arrival.

===Clash in the Void===
Having learned of the approaching fleet from Maltis, Calgar called for a double cordon to intercept the Chaos armada. In spite of a torpedo barrage meant to box in the fleet, the Imperials were pushed back after the Chaos forces began summoning daemons onto the Imperial ships. Even Calgar's own flagship ''Laurels of Victory'' was not spared, and he was wounded by the [[Keeper of Secrets]] that manifested onboard. Yeah, normal daemon incursions the Imperials can handle, greater daemons on ships not so much.

Following his return, Calgar had no choice but to abandon Dirkden Hivesprawl and Kaelac's Bane in favor of shoring up the defenses of Mortwald, Megaborealis, Oteck, and Dontoria.

===Vannadan's Legacy===
While Vannadan's plan had been thwarted by the Eldar intervention, the pyroclastic cults of Storvhal soon rallied around Haarken Worldclaimer. After defeating the local Skitarii defenders, they were able to open a Warp portal to summon an army of daemons of Tzeentch; soon even the volcanoes were erupting with warpfire.

The quick thinking of '''Fabricator Vosch''' was able to stop the continent from being swallowed by Chaos by using [[Tectonic Fragdrill]]s to trigger a massive but more conventional eruption that wiped out both Chaos forces and whatever AdMech couldn't get out of the way. Even then, Storvhal remained in Chaos hands, with Worldclaimer's Raptor packs using the ash to conceal their movements.

===Stormclaw Revisited===
Around this time, another detachment of Space Wolves led by '''[[Krom Dragongaze]]''' arrived to reinforce Vigilus. Showing his well-known disregard for little things like "waiting for orders", he immediately led an assault on the Ork-held Space Hulk ''Worldsmasha''. Following the destruction of several smaller hulks by the Wolves' Battle-Barges, Krom's forces were able to teleport directly to the ''Worldsmasha'' and kill its Big Mek commander before sending the Space Hulk on a crash course with an Ork settlement.

Marneus Calgar was less than impressed with Krom's recklessness, but news of a renewed greenskin threat in Hyperia prevented them from coming to blows over the matter.

===Creepy Crawlies===
The arrival of Abaddon's fleet had demoralized the population even further. Looting and rioting were widespread, and many of the despairing populace had turned to the Genestealer Cults or Chaos if they had not simply become Zealots for the Imperial Cult.

However, Abaddon had underestimated the strength of the xenos on Vigilus. Initial attempts at capturing the spires were stymied by Orks and the Pauper Princes, forcing Haarken to change his initial plans. An attack on Dirkden by the [[Night Lords]] and [[The Scourged]] killed millions of the cultists, but ultimately failed under a massive assault by Metamorphs and Aberrants.

===Sisters of Battle: Not Jobbing This Time===
The Genestealer Cultists had also started to tunnel underneath Dirkden into Oteck in the hopes of spreading their uprising further, but the Sisters of Battle from the Order of the Argent Shroud and the Order of the Last Prioress were able to keep them contained. Exploration of the tunnels revealed that they had already begun infiltrating Hyperia, though, and the Sisters' plans to counter-attack through the tunnels had to be put on hold.

The Orders Dialogus had also kept busy by mapping the Ork Speedwaaagh! races, allowing Imperial convoys to be ready for the greenskins' raids. This frustrated the Orks enough to get them to go out of their way to hunt down convoys protected by the Sisters.

===Retaking the Hoist===
To deal with their water problem, the Imperials set out to recapture the Omnissian Hoist from the Genestealers. The cults had already been weakened by a prior skirmish with the Magma Hounds warband, allowing a combined force of Iron Hands and Skitarii to push through the alien hordes.

The Grandsire Wurm itself was forced to lead the counter-attack, eventually sealing itself into the hoist's main control center in a final effort to deny it to the AdMech. But it hadn't counted on the Onager Dunecrawlers that had crawled up the structure, and it was forced to retreat after being wounded. After that, the Dunecrawlers were able to mop up the remaining Purestrains without difficulty.

===Vigilus Ablaze===
Hyperia Hivesprawl had at this point come under heavy attack by the [[Iron Warriors]] and the [[Word Bearers]], the latter of which had taken the time to build Noctilith Crowns to summon even more daemons. After receiving news that the Black Legion had led a major assault into a critical water purification plant on top of another Gellerpox outbreak, Calgar had no choice but to take desperate measures.

On the advice of the Planetary Governor, massive fires were started in each of the major Hivesprawls to prevent their corruption from spreading further. "Calgar's Fires" did manage to eliminate considerable parts of the xenos and Chaos forces, but only at a terrible cost. Even worse, the ''[[Vengeful Spirit]]'' had arrived on Vigilus and was effortlessly destroying every Imperial vessel sent to repel it.

===The Fallen Angels are Assholes===
Abaddon's first course of action was to pay a visit to the center of the Vhulian Swirl. The great storms were in fact artificial, and intended to conceal the location of a fortress called the Citadel Vigilant that had been occupied by a group of [[Fallen Angels]] that had forged a blood pact with Abaddon during the Pandorax campaign. Their leader, the former Librarian '''Osandus''', had come into possession of a gravitic weapon dating from the Dark Age of Technology, dubbed the Voidclaw.

Osandus had originally planned to lure the Dark Angels to Vigilus using hints from Fallen that let themselves be captured as bait; they would bring the Rock with them, and the Voidclaw would then be used to destroy it and wipe out the Dark Angels in the process. Abaddon sought to use it on the space between Vigilus and its moon Neo-Vellum, altering the planet's orbit in a way that would reshape the Nachmund Gauntlet if not close it completely, thus ensuring that the Imperium Nihilus was lost for good.

The Fallen Librarian was pleased to help with such a major blow against the Imperium, and the Voidclaw was fired. Needless to say, this royally fucked over just about '''''everybody''''' on Vigilus. Mercifully, the Dark Angels were later able to find the Citadel Vigilant, destroy the Voidclaw before it could close the Gauntlet, and deal with the Fallen in their usual manner.

=='''All Downhill From Here'''==
As you would probably expect, the Imperials were left badly reeling from the Voidclaw's activation. Calgar managed to salvage things somewhat by manipulating Chaos forces into clashes with the Speedwaaagh!, but even then the Imperials were struggling and countless hives had been badly damaged if not outright destroyed.

===Mortwald Falls===
At Mortwald, the Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors had been engaged in a long trench war, but when they and Deinos' elite forces were forced to redeploy against other threats the Hivesprawl fell to the forces of Chaos. The nobles that had been hoarding food all this time unsurprisingly fell to Slaanesh, a situation that the [[Flawless Host]] used to their advantage by overwhelming the defenders with Daemonettes as they shut down the automated defenses. By the time the Imperial Fists could respond, the rioters opposing the corrupt nobles had devolved into cultists of Khorne.

===Purge-ing Dontoria===
At the peak of the Death Guard invasion of Dontoria Hivesprawl, the Gellerpox-infected freighters that had departed near the beginning of the war came back, now full of mutants eager to claim Dontoria for Nurgle.

[[The Purge]] were insulted by the Death Guard's sudden influx of corrupted life, and sought to deal with it in their traditional manner: with lots of chemical weaponry. Citizens and mutants alike were thrown into manufactorums, producing a foul miasma that suffocated everything it came into contact with. As you might expect, the Death Guard and the Gellerpox Infected did not appreciate the interference and the two Nurglite armies quickly turned on each other.

Marneus Calgar decided that breaking their stalemate would not be worth it; even if the Nurglites could be driven off, Dontoria was now a hopelessly corrupted shithole too far gone to be saved.

===Blizzard Battles===
The Dark Eldar and the Thousand Sons spent most of the later parts of the war fighting over the Webway Gate at Kaelac's Bane. The Dark Eldar seemingly triumphed after unleashing stolen terraforming devices that froze the Rubric Marines solid, but before retreating to the Webway their sorcerers left them a "parting gift": a Keeper of Secrets. This particular Keeper of Secrets, known as "The Pale Stalker", was able to blend in perfectly with the blizzards, and within three weeks it had slain nearly a third of the Dark Eldar forces. The survivors were left so petrified of the daemon that they abandoned Vigilus outright. After one last slave raid, of course.

===Like Primarch, Like Chapter Master===
The Imperial forces were increasingly confronted with the possibility that they were going to lose. Chaos kept gaining ground, and the remaining relay stations on Neo-Vellum were warning that the Great Rift was expanding closer to Vigilus. Left unchecked, the world would be lost to the Warp and the entirety of the Imperium Nihilus with it.

Some among the Vigilus Senate brought up the prospect of Exterminatus, but Marneus Calgar reminded them that Guilliman told them not to abandon the planet under any circumstances. More importantly, the Chaos forces were still being weakened by the xenos and Imperial forces were still eking out victories here and there.

While seeking the aid of the Orks was out of the question, Calgar decided that an alliance with the Eldar of Saim-Hann would work to their mutual advantage. During a lull in the fighting, Calgar was able to call for a parley and meet with Farseer Keltoc. While Keltoc was still upset with the death of Autarch Rhyloor, the Farseer agreed that the Eldar could not afford for Vigilus to fall.

The exact details of the pact Calgar made with Keltoc are uncertain, but given that the Farseer and his senior chieftains were allowed into the Governor's Palace and that the Planetary Governor and the other members of the former Aquilarian Council who had a role in Rhyloor's death were never heard from again, it isn't difficult to figure out the terms. In exchange, the Eldar agreed to allow the Imperials the use of the stealth ship ''Vaul's Ghost'', which Calgar needed to carry out his plan to force the Black Legion's withdrawal.

The Eldar soon began to create a diversion for the Imperials, leading Orks into Chaos Space Marines strongpoints across Vigilus. While countless battles continued to rage, only Calgar, Keltoc, and a handful of Ultramarines commanders knew that only one- the battle for New Vitae Docks- mattered. Countless bulk freighters were sent into low orbit despite the Iron Warriors' best efforts to shoot them down. Most were decoys, but one of them was carrying a payload of six Deathstrike Missiles- including two Vortex Missiles. Meanwhile, the Imperial fleet had been hastily reassembled to engage the Black Legion's fleet, in the hopes that it would buy enough time for the ''Vaul's Ghost'' to pick up the missiles.

===The Main Event===
To ensure that the Warmaster couldn't catch onto what the Imperial fleet was planning, Marneus Calgar challenged Abaddon to a duel at Saint's Haven. The Despoiler was eager to humiliate the Chapter Master, and promptly teleported there with a retinue of Terminators and Possessed.

As their bodyguards fought, Calgar and Abaddon exchanged volleys of bolter fire before a loose flagstone left the Chapter Master off-balance long enough for the Warmaster to damage one of the Gauntlets of Ultramar. Calgar countered with a punch strong enough to knock Abaddon off his feet, but a slash from Drach'nyen cut off two of Calgar's fingers, badly damaged his armor, and destroyed his secondary heart.

As Abaddon prepared to finish off Calgar, he received an urgent warning from Worldclaimer: the ''Vaul's Ghost'' had crashed into the ''Vengeful Spirit'', detonating the Deathstrike Missiles in its hold and blowing a massive hole in the Black Legion's flagship. The critically damaged battleship would soon make an emergency Warp jump out of the Vigilus system, and Abaddon would have no choice but to teleport back to attend to the ship.

The Despoiler chose to leave his Possessed retinue behind to make sure Calgar didn't have the chance to learn his plan worked, but his Belisarian Furnace kicked in just in time to help him fight them off. By the time the Victrix Guard arrived, Calgar was on death's door (again) but was saved by his Apothecaries. However, he hasn't taken the field personally since then and is likely still recovering.

=='''The Aftermath'''==
The war didn't immediately end with Abaddon's departure, but without him to hold them together the forces of Chaos have splintered and begun fighting among themselves. The Despoiler has not allowed his setback to stop his plans to close the Gauntlet, though. In fact, he has already planned an attack on Vigilus' sister world of Sangua Terra, to be spearheaded by the [[Planet Killer]] itself. Craftworld Altansar has moved to counteract the threat with its own armada.

Megaborealis was retaken by the combined forces of the AdMech and the Iron Hands, and while the Black Legion was able to destroy much of the Blackstone deposits that kept the Nachmund Gauntlet open with a cyclonic torpedo bombardment the cogboys kept enough of the stuff hidden away for the Gauntlet to stay stable. Hyperia is still contested, but Oteck and Dirkden are considered lost.

Speedboss Krooldakka was slain during the Black Legion's bombardment of Megaborealis, and while the Orks are a spent force in Vigilus' cities they still hold a considerable amount of territory in the wastelands. Two-thirds of their scrap cities are estimated to be intact, and word of Vigilus being a fun fight has attracted Orks to the world, just like on Armageddon.

With the Black Legion repelled and their honor avenged, the Eldar of Saim-Hann left without much fanfare from anyone.

The Pauper Princes still infest the entirety of Dirkden Hivesprawl, but their plans have suffered a blow that they may not be able to recover from. They now look to the stars for salvation, hoping their [[Tyranids|Star Saviors]] come to their aid. Grandsire Wurm was slain by a trio of Callidus Assassins disguised as Neophyte Hybrids, but the cult had spread far enough for multiple Patriarchs to arise, with one of them becoming the new Grandsire Wurm. In the meantime, they have managed to spread to Vigilus' moon, Neo-Vellum.

Vigilus itself is about as badly fucked over as you would think, but with the threats to Vigilus now being at relatively manageable levels the Imperium can now consider the planet to be safely in their hands. For now, anyway.

{{40k-Timeline}}

Pacification of the Chwiorydd Hardd

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{{/tg/-Heresy-Battle}}

The Pacification of the Chwiorydd Hardd was the first campaign of the [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]] led by the Primarch [[Gaspard Lumey]]. His nascent [[Void Angels|Fifth Legion]], accompanied by auxiliary troops from their new homeworld, [[Ciban IV]], confronted an alien race of slavers.

==Preparations==

{{Infobox 40k Campaign
|title=Pacification of the Chwiorydd Hardd
|image=[[File:Moving into solar system.jpg|300px]]
|attacker=[[Void Angels|Fifth Legion]]
|defender=Amatteir (Xenos)
|commander1=[[Gaspard Lumey]] [[Fabrice Diallo]] Jean-Davide d'Orléans
|commander2=Prelate Laamis
|date=853.M30
|scale=system-wide
|theatre=Chwiorydd Hardd System
|strength1=150 Astartes 36,000 Auxilia
|strength2=estimated at 60,000 to 100,000 troops, concentrated on CH-3
|casualties1=3 Astartes injured 178 Auxilia KIA 921 Auxilia WIA
|casualties2=wiped out
|status=Decisive Imperial Victory
|outcome=slaves on CH-3 and CH-4 repatriated to Ciban IV
}}

''Today we embark on our first effort in the Emperor's Great Crusade. Our intelligence indicates that the forces you will engage are members of a species that has raided and enslaved human worlds throughout the sector for centuries. Historical literature suggests that even Ciban IV was not exempt from their depravations. Harden your hearts against this alien menace. They are enemies of civilization and parasites on the human body.''

- Excerpt from Gaspard Lumey's address to his troops

After two years spent assembling their forces, and training and re-equipping auxilia, the [[Void Angels|Fifth Legion]] were champing at the bit. However, they faced serious material deficiencies. The need for experienced warriors to train the new recruits had required demobilising all but one reinforced squadron, now led by [[Fabrice Diallo]] as [[Gaspard Lumey]]'s field commander. Furthermore, the Fifth's Auxilia were far from perfect. If the proud people of [[Ciban IV]] were flocking to the colours, they came from a black-powder culture and struggled with technical tasks. Men and women of [[the Markian Pact]] were more advanced - but also more complacent. A relative handful of volunteers from these peaceful worlds had enlisted, really too few to meet their tithe obligations. Rather than risk an incident by attempting to discipline his new vassals - or complain to his new country, depending on your perspective - Lumey chose to created mixed formations largely staffed by Cibanese but augmented by Markian drivers, gunners, mechanics, and tank commanders. It was far from perfect, but the Primarch felt ready to begin his conquest of new worlds with the forces in hand.

Though the [[Al-Sherar Sector]] had many primitive and feudal human worlds that might have been pacified with ease, the officers of the Fifth first set their sights on a significant threat. Rogue traders had identified the twin worlds of the Chwiorydd Hardd system as an outpost of the Amatteir. These foul xenos slavers raided nearby systems for booty and captives and would greatly complicate the stabilisation of the sector. Negotiation was not even considered.

==The attack==

The Strike Cruisers ''Détermination'', ''Endurance'', and ''Ténacité'' warped into the system with their escorts. The few slave-ships they found in system would have been no match for even one of the cruisers, and were swiftly disabled and boarded. No prisoners were taken from the Xenos crews, but the liberated human captives were taken aboard the Fifth's medical vessels for genetic screening and rehabilitation. Gaspard Lumey and Fabrice Diallo led drop pod assaults against their designated landing sites on CH-3 and CH-4, quickly securing their objectives. Meanwhile, the transports bearing the nascent [[Ciban Chasseurs]] entered the Chwiorydd Hardd system. The efficiency of Lumey's Space Marines meant that the auxilia had an easy way down, and the Marshal d'Orléans' charges were soon disembarking on the surface of the planets CH-3 and CH-4, ready to begin the ground campaign.

On CH-4, Diallo's forces found minimal resistance and swiftly liquidated the Amatteir found there. The planet had been arranged as a pleasure park and the slaves, if mistreated, had been kept in fairly sanitary conditions. CH-3 was a work camp and Lumey's group faced much stiffer resistance, led by a skilled commander. However, the Amatteir garrison lacked heavy weaponry and their determination was no match for the Fifth's firepower and the Power Armour of the Adeptus Astartes. Gaspard Lumey's men overwhelmed their foes and put the Xenos to the sword.

With the whole Amatteir garrison eliminated, the Fifth Legion declared victory. Casualties had been light and the slaver plague that infested the Al-Sherar sector had been weakened.

==Aftermath==
''It was not their physical deprivations that struck me so. I have seen men and women lost in the wilds of my homeworld and returned to civilisation sick and starved before. It was their eyes. Our poor kinsmen, brutalised and degraded, looked at me with the mute ignorance of beasts. Foul aliens have taken human beings and made into them animals! How many more worlds is this happening on?''

- Excerpt from Boucher, Verrell (854.M30) ''Humanity in agony: the slave pens of Chwiorydd Hardd''. St. Mina, Karmia: Government Print.

Many of the Auxilia who served in the Pacification of the Chwiorydd Hardd would resign from service due to the unexpected trauma. Despite the warnings of the Fifth Legion command staff, the state of the human inhabitants of the system came as a terrible shock to Markian recruits who cherished the dignity of the mankind. However, the circulation of reports such as Boucher's would help to steel the Markians against such future shocks. Indeed, the accounts stirred the fighting spirit of the subsector. New volunteers flocked to the colours of the [[Ciban Chasseurs]] and [[the Markian Corps]], determined to end the suffering of Old Night.

The Fifth Legion resettled the slaves of Chwiorydd Hardd on Ciban IV. CH-3 and CH-4 would lie fallow for the next decade, before being colonised by settlers from across the Markian subsector. A handful of the freed slaves became aspirant Space Marines. Among these hopefuls was Jeffrey Dinola, the future Chief Librarian of the Legion.

Although the Amatteir in the Chwiorydd Hardd system were wiped out, other members of their species would gradually piece together what had happened. Their response would severely test Gaspard Lumey's new Legion in the [[Al-Sherar Sector War]].

HYBRID

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{{Fail}}
'''HYBRID''' is what you get when you combine the charts of [[FATAL]], the pointless offensiveness of [[Racial Holy War]], and <s>the autism of [[VTNL]]</s> schizophasia (the babble passing for speech in an untreated schizophrenic). The entire RPG is a mass of incomprehensible nonsense, with the needlessly complicated rules going off on bizarre tangents that have nothing to do with anything.

== Example rule ==
"RULE # 0" is the first rule of the system, and instructs one on how to derive the current version/edition number of the system.
* 1st version # naming rule: Rules or/and equations grow @ rate of 1 per month; but, Version # = [((year) – 2000) / 10], Version V, for the web-page version. So, in 2002, the Version # is @ V 0.2 by [(2002 – 2000) / 10] = 2/10 = Version V 0.2. So, % complete = (100*V), where % @ V 0.2 = 20% complete, < currently > for the web-page version. Then, in 1999, V = -.1.
* Then, 2nd version # naming rule: based on the value of the sun, where V 0.3025 would place the sun @ 55 C1 DP or Default Psyche.
* And, the 3rd version # naming rule: combination of the 1st & 2nd version # naming rule, where by the 1st digit “3” in 0.3 such as in 0.3025 after the decimal point would signify the sun @ 55 C1 DP, the 2nd digit “3” in 0.33 for the year 2033, and the last digit or 4th digit such as in such as “in 0.339, the month of the year, such as in start of autumn of 2033. But, V.34 should be done in 2034.
* What follows these instructions is an enormous rant that makes even less sense than the above.

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030213163300/http://perso.wanadoo.fr/philippe.tromeur/hybrid.htm Archive of the rules]
* [https://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=4345 A review of the system at RPG.net]
* [http://www.insolitology.com/other/hybrid.htm Another review that goes into more depth]
* [https://hybrid-rpg.blogspot.com/ The self-proclaimed location of the rules]

[[Category:Roleplaying]]
[[Category:FAIL]]

Template:Awesome

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<center><table><tr><td><div style="border:1px solid #888888"><div style="border:1px solid #CCCCCC"><div style="background: #CCCCCC">[[Image:AIAaward.gif|40px]] This article is [[awesome]]. Do not fuck it up.</div></div></div></td></tr></table></center><includeonly>[[Category:Awesome]]</includeonly>

The God-Emperor of Mankind

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{{awesome}}
<div style="text-align:left;font-size:1.10em;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-family:serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em"> I have come to eradicate Religion as it is the bane of Man, warped in superstition, ignorance and fear!
- The Emperor before the Treason of Horus''' </div>
[[File:Lord of Mankind.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Conquering the galaxy is one thing, but He was so powerful He never once stopped looking ''fabulous'' while doing it. At least until the whole 'Horus' thing, anyway.]]
{{Topquote|Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.|Niccoló Machiavelli}}
{{Topquote|The Emperor loves no one man. He cannot afford affection - that is the honest practical for the impossible task that faces the Master of Mankind. He did not love His sons, He does not love men, but He does love mankind.|[[Roboute Guilliman]]}}
{{Topquote|I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.|Isaiah 14:14-15}}
{{Topquote|I had a dream when I was young A dream of sweet illusion A glimpse of hope and unity And visions of one sweet union But a cold wind blows and a dark rain falls And in my heart, it shows Look what they've done to my dream!|Freddie Mercury, Queen, One Vision}}
{{Topquote|Well, ze Emperor's just zis guy, you know?|Gag Halfrunt}}

'''{{Blam|ALL HAIL THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND!!!}}'''

The '''God-Emperor of Mankind''', also known as '''The Emprah''', '''Emps''', '''Big Daddy Emps''', '''The Motherfucking Emperor''', '''Big E''', '''Mr. Xeno Destroyer''', '''Chaos Fister''', '''E-Money''', '''Augustus Imperator''', '''Deus-Imperator''', '''Primogenitor''', '''[[Salamanders|The Outlander]]''', '''[[Imperial Fists|Him on Earth]]''', '''[[Space Wolves|All-Father]]''', '''[[Space Sharks|Rangu]]''', '''Master of Mankind''', '''The Immortal Emperor''', '''The Golden King''', '''[[Adeptus Mechanicus|The Omnissiah]]''', '''The Cartomancer''', '''The Empinator''', '''The Fresh Emperor of Sacred Terra''','''That guy with the bigger gun than you''', '''Space Jesus''', [[TTS|'''The Man-Emperor of Mankind''']], '''Glorious Overlord''', '''Lord of Bling''', [[TTS|'''My Manly Man-peror''']], '''Lord Sovereign of the Imperium''', [[TTS|'''Starman''']], ''' The King of Terra''' or if you are of [[Heresy|different inclinations]], called '''The Anathema''', '''The Carrion Lord''', '''The False Emperor''', '''The Corpse Emperor''', '''That Twat with the Chair''', '''[[If The Emperor Had a Text-To-Speech Device|That Loony Shaman-Chassis]]''', '''[[Tyranid|giant crunchy psychic sandwich]]''', or '''The Corpse on the Throne''' is the almost-but-not-entirely-figurehead ruler of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the [[Warhammer 40k]] universe. He has been enthroned on (or rather in) a life-sustaining device known as the Golden Throne for the last ten millenia and is nigh-on unable to communicate or influence things directly, so day-to-day ruling is done without (and too often in spite of) Him. But on the other hand He is the only sustaining [[Tzeentch|hope]] for Humanity as faith in him is the only [[fluff]]-wise way humans can counter the insidious whispers of [[Chaos Gods|Ruin]], and the treacherous ways of the [[Xenos]]. Besides that, Faster than Light Travel is [[Astronomican|entirely dependent on Him]] (and on the [[Navigator|Paternova]]).

The [[Administratum]] He ordered to be established, continues to govern the [[Imperium]] in His name, but it is generally accepted that the absence of the Emperor's [[Malcador|proper guidance]] is what has turned the Imperium into the [[/b/|hellish mess]] that it is. In the [[Imperium]], questioning whatever your superior [[Commissar|yells]] at you, is treason and [[heresy]], typically punished by [[Blam|euthanasia]] (at least in the material realm). He created the 20 [[Primarchs]], who viewed him as their "father". However, thanks to a lot of retcons he saw them more as tools, and instead of names, referred to them by numbers. It goes without saying that would The Emperor be up and about in the 41st millennium, He would be very disappointed. Most fa/tg/uys expect Him to [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/bio speak in a generic deep],[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGZ97TiFGGg stentorian voice]. Though [[/v/|many]] also would expect him to speak more like another [[Kane|immortal who wishes to guide humanity to the path of Ascension, who may as well be one of his past guises.]] Clearly the cult of the extragalactic alien self replicating space rock thing didn't work out in the end so he had to try [[Grimdark|another approach]]. It would explain why he's so fond of impractically large tanks, walkers, mecha, incredibly unaerodynamic VTOLs and bling though.

==The Entire History of the Emprah==

===Early life===
[[File:Majestica.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Big E gets all the bitches.]]
The Emperor is a powerful [[psyker]] and <strike>(heavily implied to be)</strike> (Confirmed by GW) a [[Perpetual]]; an immortal with countless lifetimes' worth of knowledge and power and the ambition to use it. According to the fluff, the being that would eventually become known as The Emperor was born in 8000 BC in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) on the banks of the Sakarya river to a tribe, possibly in [[wikipedia:Göbekli Tepe|Göbekli Tepe]]. From his own account, his path towards greatness was spurred on when his uncle murdered his father; so kid-Emps did the responsible thing and gave his uncle a myocardial infarction, or as it's known on the street, a "fucking heart attack". Kid-Emps then realised that humans needed laws, and good laws needed to be given by good leaders (which he defined to [[Slaanesh|refer to himself specifically]]): setting him on the (xeno/geno)cidal path of self-righteousness and conquest that would continue for the next 38,000 years. Considering that the Imperium's two-headed symbol was used by Hittites, Games Workshop, for all its flaws and pricing policies, can be given credit for doing his history homework. After that, he headed to the first cities of mankind in Sumeria to guide the start of human civilization.

''According to 1st & 2nd edition fluff'', his birth was the result of hundreds of human shamans committing ritual suicide to be reborn as a single individual capable of protecting humanity from the [[Chaos Gods]]. However, [[Skub|the validity of this fluff is frequently questioned]], given it hasn't been "official" since second edition. However, this theory seems unlikely, especially given that other Perpetuals are known to exist, [[Ollanius Pius|some of which]] may be even older than the Emperor, and they don't have godlike powers. On the other hand, they also wouldn't have had the memories and soul-stuff of all those shamans telling them what to do. (This theory would go a long way to explaining the seemingly contradictory behaviors of the Emperor - all those shamans have disagreements and Big E has to listen to it all.) The Chaos Gods apparently view the Emperor as an equal/rival due to his acquisition of powers at a later point ''(see below)'' and name him Anathema. Yet other fluff tidbits (including a C'Tan who dismissively described him as a "weapon" rather than a God) imply that he is some sort of flesh-construct from the Dark Age of Technology run amok and aping human affectation.

Lore also mentions that He guided humanity throughout history under a number of guises, and many of the probable identities of the Emperor in World History may include but are not limited to Hammurabi (the first man to invent the concept of Written Law), Alexander the Great (the most fabulous conqueror in all of History, with the philosopher Aristotle as his teacher), Julius Caesar (guess why the Imperium spoke Latin), Jesus (as demonstration of his supernatural God-like status and abilities and that He will sacrifice Himself for the progress of Humanity; which is a symbolic idea, [[Skub|as pre-retcon the lore leaned towards the Emperor being one of Jesus' disciples]]), Napoleon Bonaparte (to dismantle the old stagnating monarchies of Europe and replace them with Revolutionary ideals). And, it ''has'' to be assumed, [[Conan the Barbarian]] ([[If The Emperor Had a Text-To-Speech Device|Yup, he used to be an asshole. A handsome, musclebound asshole.]] At least before he got wiser) and HE-MAN.

Sometime around the 11th or 12th century, He battled a shard of the [[Void Dragon]] in modern-day Libya. He eventually defeated it and locked it on [[Mars]], allowing the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to control machines... eventually. Of course, it's not entirely clear whether this is true or not -- it's entirely possible that ALL of the Emperor's history is a lazily-crafted lie He throws around because no one can debunk it. Although given how [[Awesome]] it sounds, we're going to say it is. Either that, or it's just another example of how [[Games Workshop|Geedubs]] can't be bothered to keep their stories consistent even about the most important parts of the setting. Just remember to take stuff with a grain of salt, since, [[Retcon|you know]].

Whatever his actual origins might have been, for the most part He more or less stayed out of the way of humanity's progress during the next 30,000 years of history, including the [[Dark Age of Technology]], though hot-off-the-press fluff indicates He might have been traversing outer space in old-style NASA rockets with the other Perpetuals, to eventually coming to find the planet [[Molech]], where he passed through a gateway that led ''directly'' to the fortresses of the four [[Chaos Gods]]. Here, he either challenged, bargained, or stole portions of power from a source claimed by the gods as their own. This would earn him the ire of the duped/defeated Ruinous Powers, who consider him as some sort of usurper or that he reneged on some kind of undisclosed deal we haven't been made aware of yet.

===Unification Wars===
He returned to Terra at the closing years of the [[Age of Strife]]. With Terra cut off from the rest of the Human empire and Terra itself ruled by warring "techno-barbarians", in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, E-money decided to reveal Himself, using His mastery of genetic engineering to create the [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodians]] and cheaper, easier to make [[Thunder Warriors]] ''(the predecessors of the Space Marines)''. Using the classic "join-me-or-die" strategy, he managed to conquer the entirety of Terra during the event called Unification Wars. Then, He made contact with Luna and the Mechanicum of Mars. When dealing with Mars, He called Himself the [[Omnissiah]], and convinced them to build Him weapons and space-ships. Around this time, He also created a useful lie, the [[Imperial Truth]], which states that religion, faith, and superstition must be all banned, because they have never succeeded in unifying the human race during all of Emp's lifetime. Simply put: the whole "Peace, Love, and Religion" mumbo-jumbo has never worked and now must be eradicated, ignoring or forgetting what happened to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union| real]-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_Pot| life] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_North_Korea| societies] that tried to throw faith and religion under the bus without molding the society towards abandoning religion willingly.

Exception where's He's not a perfect badass? [[The Last Church]]. It is permissible to substitute the voice of whatever angry militant atheist appeals to you most/least for the duration of this one (short) story. Also, according to that same story, this asshole wiped out Scandinavia, [[Viking|right when Scandinavia was getting fun again]]. According to the Horus Heresy books that mention the Unification Wars, He burned down a lot of things on a partially recovering Terra.

===Great Crusade===
Now that he was in control the Emperor had a relatively short to-do list, he wanted to: Lead and shape Mankind into a psychic race and surpass the Eldar by learning from their mistakes, unite Humanity under one aegis and allow for instant communication and travel across all human inhabited worlds, and most importantly, prevent another calamity like the [[Age of Strife]] or [[Fall of the Eldar]].

In order to achieve this He had to shelter and protect humanity from the fell hand of [[Chaos]], reclaim every single human inhabited world, spacecraft or station, and eliminate anyone who threatened his vision of humanity in any way.

But, before He set out to conquer the stars with the newly-formed Imperial Army (which contained both [[Imperial Guard|ground forces]] and [[Imperial Navy|space-borne fleets]]), He decided to create the twenty [[Primarch]]s, using Himself as the genetic template, while splitting the additional power He supposedly ''acquired'' from the Chaos Gods (or so the treacherous space cancers claim) into 20 portions, infusing each piece with a fragment of His own personality, to allow them, in turn, to congeal and gestate [[Heresy|(just like how daemons are born!)]] into the indomitable souls of His future Primarchs. Then, He bound each such vessel/soul to their godlike bodies/shells as they formed in their gestation capsules. Let this sink in: each primarch is basically a unique quasi-daemonic (angelic?) soul, bound to a super awesomely tough material body.

Each of these Primarchs were to have their place: Lorgar was to be the Emperor's Herald and shelter mankind from superstition through enlightenment so that if ever they heard whispers in the dark, they knew it was not natural and to be feared by it, thus denying its embrace. Magnus was to assist the Emperor in sitting on the Golden Throne of earth, thus powering the human Webway shield (somehow), becoming a key figure in Humanity's ascension. Horus was to protect Mankind from [[Tyranids|external]] [[Necrons|physical]] [[Orks|threats]] throughout the Galaxy as Humanity's general. Konrad was to be the enforcer of the Emperor's Laws. Mortarion, His watchguard of wayward deviancy etc.

It was a good plan for building an intergalactic empire, But the Imperium was only one half of the Plan. The other was the Webway, allowing nigh-instantaneous travel and communication, limiting Mankind's reliance on the warp to almost nothing in the form of Warp travel and thus protecting them against the influence of Chaos. Therefore allowing Mankind to evolve in relative safety and security under the direct guidance and control of the Emperor. When Mankind would be ready, we'd be protected from the warp naturally. That was the final crowning achievement that would bring all the Emperor's plans to fruition and pull all the wayward goals into one singular perfect Great Work. All the sacrifice, all the death, all the heartache, the glory, the battles, the trials and tribulation, 48,000 years of history culminating into that one Plan. And it all would've been worth it because Mankind would've been saved for all time. Worth any price, where the ends justified the means, or so he claimed.

Unfortunately things went off to a rocky start before he even began: since the Primarch's power was ''apparently'' stolen, The Big Four would inevitably and continually be pissed at Him for using their power for His own ends, so they snatched the Primarchs away (via time-travel-as-a-vision shenanigans, don't even try to explain it here, just read ''The First Heretic''), inside their incubator pods and all, from the secret lab underneath the Himalayas, to scatter them away across the galaxy. Luckily for the Emperor, some genetic samples were left over from each primarch, so from that He created 20 Legions to serve as the elites of His army: The [[Space Marine|SPEHSS MEHREENS]].

So, with His armies and space-ships complete (minus the Primarchs, which He hoped to find), He embarked upon the [[Great Crusade]], to restore mankind to its [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|rightful place as rulers of the galaxy.]]

As He found each Primarch, He assigned them command of their respective Legions and to act as His generals, warlords and pantheon of heroes that humanity were meant to emulate, in the quest to unify humanity in the Great Crusade ''(although, at some point, one of them may have been executed and the other disappeared, leaving only 18 Primarchs and Legions after 100 years of the Great Crusade).''

A military campaign of a grand scale, this is also when the SPESS MEHREENS were most awesome and at their peak. [[just as planned|Just when things seemed to be going well]], the [[Horus Heresy]] took place, where 8.5 of the Primarchs and their respective legions rebelled against the Emprah. In the end, the Emperor fought and slew [[Horus]] (who was daddy's favourite) but at a great cost. The Emperor was mortally wounded to the point that He had to be put permanently on a life support system known as the Golden Throne. On that day, an untold amount of manly tears was shed. Something seems to have gone wrong though, as the Golden Throne didn't manage to do its job and the Emperor managed to die sometime between the Horus Heresy and M41, although whatever's left of him still sticks around his corpse.

==="Modern" Day===
Subsequently, 10 thousand years later, without the Emperor's leadership, the Imperium eventually degraded into the theocratic, [[grimdark]] empire we all know and love today, in the 41st millennium. In the 500th year of the 41st Millennium (the exact middle of the millennium), which is a few centuries before the Time of Ending began, visions and signs reach out to all walks of life and social status to the Imperium of the Emperor crying, whether it's to lowly denizens of an underhive having dreams about it, to respected sanctioned psykers reading it from the Imperial Tarot, to shamans on feral planets instinctively knowing that the extra rain pouring down lately are tears of sadness from their "sky god".

In the last year of M41, tech-priests discovered that the Golden Throne is failing and if nothing was done... presumably the Emperor would be deader? In any case nobody wants to find out, as the Golden Throne is breaking apart the Mechanicus and certain elements at the top of the Imperium tries to contact the Dark Eldar for knowledge on how to repair the thing. ''The Carrion Throne'' reveals that a [[Haemonculus]] did make it to Terra, he is hunted down by the Inquisitor and the Custodes. The cheeky psycho doctor had absolutely no intention of repairing the thing but wanted to instead marvel upon the largest and greatest psychic pain machine ever constructed that made even a [[Haemonculus]] stand in utter awe, and look the cadaver buried within right in the eye sockets before both it and the machine ultimately died.

==The Emprah Himself==
[[File:Climax.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A typical father-and-son chat between Empy and Horus.]]
{{Topquote|1=The Emperor was a brilliant scientist, a powerful warrior, and great psyker, but he was a terrible [[Venus' Burn|father...]]|2=[[Roboute Guilliman]], giving a short, yet accurate biography of the Emperor. <s>Interestingly, no leader, or warlord</s> HERESY!!!}}

After He shaved his goatee, His chin radiated [[Astronomican|a brilliant light]] through the [[Warp]]. The [[Imperial Navy]] uses this light as a beacon to guide them through that beautifully terrible place. He is sometimes referred to as the Emprah, a joke derived from the voice acting in the ''[[Dawn of War]]'' game, ''[[Dawn of War: Soulstorm|Soulstorm]]'', specifically [[Indrick Boreale]]'s final speeches.

It is common knowledge, that the Emperor is the most powerful psyker <s>alive</s> around, humbling even the [[Eldar]]. The Emperor is said to be so powerful that He could [[C'tan|destroy suns with ease]], though He has never actually done so (he however, ''made'' a golden sun which he put in the middle of his broken [[Webway]] gate to prevent daemons from spilling through, albeit needing to concentrate on powering it for the next ten thousand years. This would indicate that the Emperor does indeed have the power to destroy stars). The [[Chaos Gods]] are scared as fuck of the guy, calling him respectively "The Anathema", as in the polar opposite to [[Chaos]]. Their fear of him cannot be overstated: during a discussion between Ku'Gath and Mortarion, you'd think Ku'Gath was referencing Morgoth. The idea his gathering strength terrified Ku'Gath to the point he feels they're dead if he's active and won't even say his name; whatever Emps is, Chaos is THAT scared of him. The [[Eldar]] fear that if the Emperor were to die, a new [[Eye of Terror]] would pop out with Terra at its center and possibly a new Chaos God would be born (though seeing as how he's been dead for quite a while and that hasn't happened, their fears are likely unfounded).

He was also capable of summoning what can only be called an army of human souls (including every soldier who had died for him, [[Ferrus Manus]] included) to fight for him; an ability utterly unseen in the 40k universe and suggesting that he has some fundamental connection to human souls in the afterlife - a comforting thought compared to dissolving into the Warp to be eaten by daemons and giving some credence to the 40k era theory that when the Time of Ending ...ends... the Emperor and all loyal human souls will join in one final battle against Chaos.

It is also suggested that He has guided humanity in a guise of people like Julius Caesar, [[Conan the Barbarian]], [[meme|Chuck Norris]], Christopher Lee, Tommy Wiseau, Keanu Reeves, and Jesus.

Overall the Emperor has always had a strong desire to protect and shepherd humanity, even if his methods are a bit... [[Blam|unorthodox]]. His desire to guide and protect humanity, in addition to his power and foresight made the Emperor as close to a Farseer as humanity was ever going to get. He declared humanity to be superior to all Xenos which was fair enough considering the collapse of the Eldar, planned to destroy every shard of religion by force of arms if needed in order to protect them from the whispers of Chaos (though at the time he got the whole thing backwards, since said religions were starving the Chaos gods), planned to reunite humanity under His rule no matter what anyone else wanted/thought of that (again by force of arms if needed), originally loved the Primarchs as his sons (and then retconned into caring little for the Primarchs being His actual sons. But tools to be disposed of like in a game of Chess.. In "The Outcast dead" he even sort of says outright that he sacrificed Ferrus Manus because he knew he could not win the war and that the most he could hope for was a stalemate, i.e. prevent Chaos from winning), carried out many unorthodox, morally questionable experiments and much much more... all because this was the only way He could foresee humanity surviving the threats to come. Also known as the "Golden Path".

His reign eventually [[Inquisition|killed more humans]] (not even counting those who were innocent) than the entire total of all of humanity's dictators in history (ironically that may have been [[A Game of Pretend|past personas]] of the Emperor). Even during the Unification Wars, several Terran cultures were wiped out completely (Orioc on Antarctica, for example, was razed to the ground for being religious, just to make a point, even after its forces were defeated and its people ready to surrender), while simultaneously being pretty terrible at incorporating non-Terran elements. Because THAT is just how damn important and dire the circumstances were. An entire galaxy spanning empire needed to be constructed in little under two centuries when the cataclysm was foreseen to occur and ain't no one got time to fart about with treating people the way they deserve if the species won't survive.

Contrary to popular belief, he really did think the post-Ullanor phase through to some degree, Horus was the right choice as Warmaster for no other could command the respect of nearly all his brothers better than Lupercal the First, and Dorn as Praetorian was as correct a decision as was possible to make considering that his talents were put to good use throughout the Heresy that followed. There was no need to put a Primarch in charge of the Council of Terra for the Primarchs were not made to rule, but to serve as generals in retaking the galaxy since his goal was for humanity to be governed by humanity (as he clearly said to Lorgar in "The First Heretic". "This is not my Imperium, it is humanitys". Primarchs like say, Guilliman, though perfect as an administrator, were better suited and needed as generals for the Great Crusade. Stil the whole theory that the Emperor wanted to dispose of the Primarchs once they ceased being useful is utter horseshit, for why would he have created living rooms for all of his sons in the Emperor's palace. And why create 20, functionally immortal tools if he had no plans for them following the crusade. Either way, it's bewildering that no one in the military saw the need for human administration, having godlike Primarchs in charge at the top only serves to increase superstition in a secular galaxy when the idea was to rid humanity of religion and superstition in order to better protect it from warp predation (no matter how bad that idea played out in practice).

After Big E was nearly killed by his favourite son / tool, He was placed upon the Golden Throne and hasn't moved for the past 10 millennia, presumably because he later died. Most of the fluff maintains that His mere existence since then has been living hell (by comparison, the torture astropaths go through when becoming one would be like a trip to the dentist). It's the mother/father/uncle/2nd Cousin of all mindfucks, so bad that even an Inquisitor would likely go insane as a result (or anybody else for that matter).... and yet He carries on. Why? He may be the universe's most powerful vegetable, but that doesn't mean that he will just sit there and remain dead. Oh no, it's exactly the opposite and death's not the handicap it used to be, because it gives Him a fuckton of work to do. Along with being THE lighthouse in the Warp, guiding the Imperial Navy, he also needs to make the aforementioned astropaths, as well as keeping all the [[daemon|nasties]] of the Warp where they're supposed to be (i.e. not invading realspace to make the lives of all living things miserable). He also does it for the good of humanity (sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it?).

That being said, his love of humanity doesn't exactly extend to his sons. In older lore it did, however, in the retconned lore the Emperor himself states to [[Arkhan Land]] ''(the guy who discovered '''Land's''' Speeders/Raiders)'' that he never considered the Primarchs to be his literal sons and saw them as well-crafted tools so he could get his work done. Likening himself to Geppetto ''(from 'Pinocchio')'' in that it is only natural for 20 wooden boys to think of their creator as "Father". Whether He felt any kinship between all of them or only some of them is not entirely known. But it seems like He was all like, "Yall think I'm a bad dad, but look, shit I just made these kids in a lab! I'm not really their dad!". Then again He puts on personas for every occasion (during the meeting, Land saw him as not as a gold armoured god, but as an utterly logical scientist and the Emperor had the whole shtick of people interpreting his words in the manner that made the most sense to them personally) who really knows when He's being genuine or not or how He feels. There must have been a reason why he prevented Vulkan from going completely batshit insane when he was killed over and over by his brother Konrad Kurze after all... but to say it in Guillimans own words (from memory) "our father never loved us, but he certainly does love humanity". Also Guilliman reflects that Big E could not have afforded deep affection for any of his sons, so lets see how the final confrontation between Horus on roid rage and Big E will play out in the end - as in older fluff Big E held back because he couldn't bring it upon himself to snuff out his most favoured son (and it did not read like in "my most favoured screw driver" kind of way). But in the end, despite being the most powerful psyker to have ever lived he may still have been "human" after all, and every living being has emotions. So maybe his biggest "flaw" (if you want to call it such) may have been that he might not have been able to separate himself from his sons (err I mean toolbox) as he would have hoped for.

*On that note, Aaron Demski-Bowden has insisted that nothing the Emperor says in Master of Mankind should be taken at face value. Moreover, the Emperor is inconsistent in how He describes the Primarchs. While He uses numbers and "it" when talking to Ra and Land, at the end of a book He's referring to Horus by name and as a "he", not an "it". AD-B has doggedly refused to clarify, because he enjoys watching the arguments he's kicked off.
*However, in [[Laurie Goulding]]'s audiobook: Malcador First Lord of the Imperium; Malcador pretty much spells out exactly the same thing, saying that the primarchs were designed to be ''"conqueror's tools and nothing more"'', and had been manipulated into conflict with each other from the very start so that they would eventually destroy each other and pave the way for a "human" civilisation, rather than a "transhuman" one and that the Horus Heresy was always [[Just as Planned|part of the plan]]. He does later have a minor breakdown and admit that he was forced to lie though, but is not clear on what elements. As a result, it is entirely possible (and in fact more likely) that there was no such plan to have the Primarchs destroy each other and that Malcador was merely trying to hide the fact that things had gone off the rails. This is confirmed in ''The Board Is Set'' short story by [[Gav Thorpe]], which seemingly reconfirms Malcador's admission as the the Big E and His bestie play a game of cards with each Primarch represented (heavily implied). In such a game, Mal takes the role of "Warmaster" ''(symbolically representing [[Chaos]])'' whilst Big E plays the played the position of the "Emperor". The two play out the entire events of the Horus Heresy and even hypothetical scenarios had they played each Primarch differently against the others, though they still get caught off guard from time to time as the rules change unexpectedly. Though Malcador only belated understands that considering this was a symbolic game of "what if?" rather than simply a means of devising strategy. So, while Emps and Mal were partly responsible for the current state of everything; if Malcador's "lie" was that it was all planned and that everything was under control, then the truth would be an acknowledgement that their opponents ''(the Chaos Gods)'' actually existed which was something they had been denying for centuries. Now they were backed into a corner and desperately scrambling to find a solution that didn't fuck everything.

While interred on the Golden Throne, the Emperor's psychic-essence prevents [[daemon|daemon kind]] from directly assailing [[Terra]] through the broken remains of the Imperial Webway (in the form of a golden sun), while additionally sustaining and managing the psychic-beacon known as the [[Astronomican]], that makes warp travel within 50,000 light years around Terra possible.

An interesting theory is that if Emps was born of a group of psykers combining their might and souls in one ritual act then maybe Empy has gained all human souls since he got put on that Throne {see: leveling in Dark Souls), as he ''is'' the afterlife now, provided one excludes the veritable Hell that is the Warp (and all that [[Infinity Circuit|stuff]] the Eldar get up to).

A question that remained unanswered for a long time is that, is the above thing the only thing he is capable of doing these days? Or can he communicate with others? In the past few supplicants were allowed an audience with the Emperor though the fluff's always been iffy on whether or not they talked, or if it was more a spiritual visit to a shrine. The recent advance in the timeline revealed that the newly revived Guilliman had an audience with him for a whole day in which they did talk (and he still seems to have some sort of connection to the Custodes), so yes, he can. But then, what is he [[Black_Crusade| waiting for]] [[Emperor%27s_To-Do_List| before]] waking the [[Lion_El%27Jonson| sleepy beauty ]] up? It could be that he literally couldn't talk to anyone before that, considering that even Guilliman shuddered at the thought of the mental sand blasting that was speaking with the Emperor. It's possible the same communion might destroy a mortal, or kill the comatose Lion by accident. Perhaps the only thing stopping the Emperor from direct governance of the Imperium is his psychic voice delivering the equivalent of an Ordinatus blast every time he uses it, so he cannot chastise the incompetence of the High Lords for fear of killing them outright.

Speaking of talking to him, when Roboute was revived from stasis and finally got to Terra to talk to dad, Roboute noted the Emperor regarded him with the interest one would regard a tool. He also reflects on how he feels that the Emperor's psychic might has grown since his death, but that his humanity has gone as well, to the point that Guilliman thinks that even if he is a god he doesn't deserve to be worshiped. However, following the Plague Wars Guilliman has considered the possibility that his ascension may have been a plan B for humanity following the failure of the Imperial Truth, and both [[Mortarion]] and [[Ku'Gath]] believe the Emperor is gathering energy to create what they call an "Unliving Legion".

{{Topquote|He's been up to all sorts of things, our beloved father. Consorting with Xenos, resurrecting ancient technology. Don't believe that he is blameless in this...|Magnus the Red}}

In contrast to the above quote, the Emperor (and the Imperium as a byproduct) fucking hates aliens, though not without reason. During the Age of Strife numerous Xenos races exploited humanity's trust and either raided, lollygagged, [[loot]]ed or all of the above and were generally a nuisance the entire time. Then the Emperor comes along and decides that the best way to stop all that from happening again is to wipe out all Xenos that might even think to pose a threat to the fledgling Imperium. However, those few Xenos species that did not pose an immediate threat to humanity were usually made protectorates similar to the Tau government (unless they resisted, were in the way, or <s>possessed a planet</s>, influenced human culture at all. Ever since His ascension, the Imperium mostly forgot about the part where harmless aliens could be tolerated, but on the other hand, [[Orks|the]] [[Necron|most]] [[Tyranids|common]] [[Tau|xenos]] [[Dark Eldar|are]] [[Asdrubael Vect|massive]] [[Eldrad|dicks]] and aren't exactly willing to buddy up with the Imperium themselves. Plus, at least according to ''Horus Rising'', the idea of letting Xenos exist and then eventually grow stronger is wrong on every level to the Imperium (hence the whole mess with the [[Interex|Interex/Diasporex]]).

To be even more fair (and meta), the triumvirate of Horus Heresy authors tend to have their own interpretation of the Big E. [[Graham McNeill]] generally portrays Him as competent and benevolent (if flawed), [[Dan Abnett]] portrays Him as competent but bloodthirsty, while [[Aaron Dembski-Bowden]] portrays Him as a vicious, needlessly cruel imbecile (and even this is counterbalanced by his portrayal in Master of Mankind, where he's interestingly a mixture of all the previous portrayals at once - which is kinda of appropriate really). Chris Wraight, as far as he has portrayed Him, has done so through the eyes of Jaghatai Khan, showing Him as deeply flawed and distant from His own sons, but also countering that He was working towards goals even the Primarchs couldn't fully grasp. Even in Path of Heaven, where the Khan gets close to learning the secrets of the Webway project, he's shown to not have all the cards (the Emperor's knowledge that humanity is evolving into a psychic race, for example).

On another note, [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|long before the Horus Heresy novel series]], there were hidden gems Noobs are not aware of, such as a text describing the fight between Horus and the Emperor (although it wasn't written especially well), or Conspiracy Theories. One of them was actually the possibility that the Emperor was already dead when Rogal Dorn managed to reach him; however, in the aforementioned text, [[Luther|Horus had realised that he had been wronged and deceived]] by the [[Assholetep|Chaos Gods]], who immediately ceased to possessed the Warmaster and fled before the Emperor's final Force attack [[FATAL|bring woe to both of them]]. What if the Emperor had spared him or if the Warmaster survived somehow? In Olden Fluff, all Primarchs were Psykers and originally supposed to be [[Grey Knight|shining examplars of Human free from the taint of the Empyrean]] which they failed to bear true potential due to their early contact with the Warp, via the Dark Gods abducting them pedobear style.

This in turn was what caused their mutations and unique characteristics and diversity which was more of a metaphor that each Primarch was an image of humanity themselves; in fact, much of the powers of the Primarchs, like the Emperor, would have come from their psychic abilities. It is known that [[Sensei]]'s powers include health, regeneration, greater athletic prowess and [[God Stat|overpowering their Strength stat]] when they try to attack something, thus it would not be surprising if it was also the case for Primarchs (baby Sanguinius was super healthy and immune to Baal's radiations, Curze crawled out of his molten drop-pod and crater while screaming in pain and fled immediately, instinctively, into the darkness, and later his body was fully healed) prior to the new fluff messing everything up, 'cause BL writers have trouble getting their shit together.

But back to where we are; the notion that the Emperor was dead forebodes a terrible possibility, in which [[Pretend|the corpse that Rogal Dorn took back on Terra's Imperial Palace was not Big E but of Horus being passed as the Emperor... and was worshipped as such for Ten Thousand Years]]. While [[Retcon|this has become highly unlikely]], it would both be a great and GRIMDARK [[Just As Planned|plot twist]] and an immense source of [[Lulz]] especially when you mix in the events of Gathering Storm 3 with [[Roboute Guilliman]].

===On His Pragmatism and Flaws===
The Emperor was a firm believer that the ends justified the means and was pragmatic in the extreme, and yet at the same time, it was this very same pragmatism that ultimately led to his downfall:

*Though his pragmatism made him a superb ruler in wartime, the ultra-militarized society He had [[First Founding|created]] was entirely dependent on the Imperium being constantly at war. Even if the Great Crusade had [[Just as Planned|proceeded exactly as the Emperor expected]], it still would have run out of enemies eventually. And when you have a few trillion newly unemployed soldiers with no other skills beyond killing on your hands and no other purpose in life beyond said killing...well, they tend to get rowdy. He should have realized this already when he had to mop up the surviving [[Thunder Warriors]]. It remains unknown how the Imperium would have continued to look after the Great Crusade was completed and how the large military would be scaled down- or if such a feat could even be possible with a civilization he designed to work only in the presence of a steady stream of conquests. Sure, some of the primarchs and legions had other skills like Guilliman's political organization, but the rank-and-file? Or the likes of the [[World Eaters]]? There are hints that he might have planned to fix that by arranging the Primarchs to come to blows with each other, [[Horus Heresy|but we all know exactly how well ''that'' turned out]]- which if anything makes him look even more foolish as a result.
*The Emperor's concern for humanity as a whole belied his refusal to acknowledge that humanity was not just a species, but also a group of individuals with infinite variety and whose goals did not necessarily support His own. The fact that other human civilizations such as the Interex had already found ways to fight against Chaos on their own (granted what they did makes them partially responsible for the setting being so fucked) and were just as advanced as the Imperium (if not more so) meant nothing to him/his plan. In his mind, he alone knew what was good for humanity and anything short of total submission to the Imperium was grounds for destruction even (or ''especially'') if they were doing a better job than he was. In effect, all his efforts were performed in the name of an abstraction that arguably '''never existed in the first place'''.
*He made a critical mistake in that trying to erase religion without replacing it with secular ideals that had the same degree of universal appeal. Lacking the immortality and inhumanly grand perspective of the Emperor, it's a basic part of human nature to look for meaning and purpose in a cause greater than oneself, especially in the harsh and grimdark universe that was the [[Age of Strife|Old Night]]. The Imperial Truth tried to do this, but it didn't take into account that "reason", "logic", and "humanism" were by definition too mundane to be suited for the replacement of the old religions, as they were poor substitutes for finding individual meaning. The fact that the Imperial Cult took off so quickly after the Emperor's internment on the Golden Throne (and is arguably the only thing keeping the Imperium a remotely unified entity in the present) is proof that the Emperor was once again either too stubborn for his own good or too divorced from the "normal" human condition to understand the value of belief. Most likely the latter, the Khan recounts scrambling to even converse with the Emperor, Custodes have an internal study schools to try figure out out what ''exactly'' he meant in his orders and how it applies to the modern day. Yes, his Companions have what are basically rabbis Talmudically mulling over every syllable the Emperor ever uttered. In either case, all it accomplished was giving all four of the Ruinous Powers a reason to get rid of him, while also giving them an invaluable tool to do so in the form of Lorgar. And all while he was telling the Primarchs that daemons were just another Xenos race in an ill-advised attempt to dispense with their mythological appearance and obvious possession of supernatural powers. This attempt left them vulnerable for Chaotic corruption among themselves or their Legions. Yes, He gave them incredibly vague warnings, but those were not even close to the amount of information He needed to give them. Or, for those of us who think this sounds just a little bit religious for our tastes and don't want to get into a philosophical debate over the importance of belief, imagine the trillions of citizens who had gone their whole lives worshiping a belief only to have ol' Emps turn up and just say "No" without a word of explanation.
*For a guy who says he's trying to avoid the same mistakes the Eldar made, his obsession with human supremacy and the supposed "purity" of the human form (as defined by what, his own opinion?) are almost indistinguishable from the pre-Fall Eldar's certainty that they were the rightful rulers of the galaxy. Even if humanity did become a purely psychic race, nothing would stop it from making ''another'' Chaos God by accident. It's not a stretch to hypothesize that this was itself a ploy for him to use the collective psychic power of humanity to elevate himself to the status of godhood, where he could truly rule with infinite power.
**The only beings who knew how to create new parts of the Webway were the [[Old Ones]], and they're all dead. At best, the Webway project would've delayed the inevitable before the fact that nobody can figure out how to keep it working became obvious. And since the Warp already bleeds into the Webway at the best of times...well, the whole thing would've been rendered pointless if or when the Warp completely breaks through into the Webway.
**The so-called mistakes and subsequent "Fall" of the Eldar [[Lileath|may have been foreseen]] and [[Morai-Heg|apparently planned for]]. By the close of the 41st Millennium, the psychic gestalt of the conscious-dead Eldar have formed the new god [[Ynnead]], quite probably proving that willpower eventually counters [[Slaanesh|desire]] and completing the Eldar's psychic ascension as a species. The Emperor may not have been aware of this and humanity's own psychic awakening may not have been as tragic, but to give him credit, his own endgame is somewhat similar in wanting to nurture mankind's psychic ascension but without the catastrophe. He is possibly positioning himself to become the focus for humanity's willpower rather than needing enough souls to die before they gestalt together, becoming a guiding will rather than a collective one.
*Most damningly of all, his total disregard for the possibility that the Primarchs might actually have their own thoughts and feelings ended up being one of the key reasons why so many of the Legions ended up falling to Chaos in the first place:
**The humiliation of Lorgar was the ultimate catalyst for the Horus Heresy, and is probably the most colossal failure the Emperor has ever produced. This event is what showed the future "heretics" (and us) who the Emperor truly is behind his charisma and lofty dreams. Lorgar was so enthralled with his father that he not only worshipped him as a god but made it his life's goal to convince others to do so as well. He built gleaming monuments and cities in His name. He trained an entire legion to glorify their perfect and benevolent father. That father knew of this, of Lorgar and his goals, and all seemed well for a hundred years. Suddenly, the Ultramarines descend and obliterate the greatest of Lorgar's cities and the Emperor himself forces Lorgar's entire legion to kneel before the invaders. The Emperor tells his most admiring son that he, alone of all his brothers, has failed. Reread this paragraph, then reread it again. This happened with no warning of any kind - Lorgar had not been disobedient or rebellious. It would be as if God set Vatican City on fire, kicked the pope over, put out the fire by covering him in dog shit, and then told him to quit being such a fucking pussy. The main thing this incident says about Lorgar is that he's such a tough motherfucker that he didn't break down completely forever or kill himself upon the revelation that the most powerful and perfect being he can even imagine hates him, personally. The Emperor took the leader of the most powerful religious organization in the galaxy and kicked him straight into the claws of evil gods powered by belief. However, the biggest irony, considering that religion is the only power that can counterattack and fend off Chaos, and Ecclesiarchy is doing just that for several millenia using very book that Lorgar wrote, Emperor basically threw out the smartest and safest option to counter Chaos due to his stupidity and narrow-mindness. (Unless it really WAS a test as [[Traitor_Legion_Loyalists#Known_Loyalist_Members_of_the_Traitor_Legions|the Anchorite]] believe).
**Angron's case is self-explanatory; honestly, if it weren't for Emps sending him into battle so often he would have rebelled sooner. Sure, he couldn't just let one of his Primarchs get himself killed in a slave revolt, but you'd think he'd send down some of the War Hounds or something instead of warping him away and earning Angron's undying hatred. Instead he could have earned Angron's undying love, furious loyalty and the worst case, a martyr Primarch who'd die from the nails and gotten rid of: was one fucked up dusty planet's short term compliance worth the whole shit roller coaster, we will never know. Why a <s>man</s> <s>superman</s> Primarch (god damn it!) who knew only killing (not even war, just murdering people with MURDER NAILS JAMMED IN HIS BRAIN), and is traumatized to ETERNALLY HATE HIS LORD should be controlling 100,000+ Space Marines is something only the Emperor and his divine ass can fathom.
**[[Fulgrim]]'s road to damnation started because he decided to loot a Slaaneshi-possessed sword. Knowing nothing about Chaos, Fulgrim had no idea he was using an incredibly dangerous warp artifact that that would lead to untold consequences. It didn't help that his strict xenophobic teachings prevented Fulgrim from taking [[Eldrad]]'s advice about the Laer Blade into account.
**Even with the Webway fuck-up (which itself could have been prevented had the Emperor not kept it a secret from the most important people in his plans) Magnus might have remained a loyalist if the Emperor had brought Magnus to the Great Work earlier, or had him stationed on Terra along with Dorn, or even just listened to his warning that Horus had turned traitor. Instead, he totally disregarded Magnus's entirely correct warning in favor of allowing Russ (the one Primarch who most wanted Magnus dead) to arrest him because he didn't like the way said warning was delivered. And with the door already broken, he could have simply psy-phoned Magnus to clear it all up instead of jumping to conclusions. Then again, Magnus wouldn't even comply to his demand to stop practising sorcery...
**Similarly to Angron, [[Mortarion]] always resented the Emperor for not letting him get to kill his adoptive father, and when the Emperor refused to give him an answer about the obvious piece of Warp-tech that was the Golden Throne he concluded that the Emperor was a hypocrite and the Imperial Truth was bullshit.
**The Emperor, being the wisest and most powerful human psyker in the galaxy of all people, should have been able to see that [[Konrad Curze]] was an unstable psyker who was on the fast road to devolving into insanity due to his uncontrolled talents. And if he already was aware of it, then at best he was being incredibly careless. And what with the whole Night Lords comprise of criminals, one must really question his divine quality control. Or maybe he is just totally rely on his <s>large</s> huge brain capacity to manage things, and simply dismiss things that can't fit in.
**Completely ignoring that [[Perturabo]] needlessly had one in ten men in his legion killed by decimation under flimsy pretenses. Coupled with the fact that Perturabo was originally a peaceful, diplomatic soul; these two should have triggered some alarm bells about his mental stability. While it was said that the Emperor considers the Primarchs more of tools and less of his children, in retrospect it was obvious that there was plenty of [[Rogal Dorn|favoritism]] going on. Seriously, why can't the Big E act like a spiritual psychiatrist for ONE FUCKING MOMENT?
**Horus himself was only pushed to fall because the Chaos Gods played on his worries that he wasn't fit to be Warmaster combined with the unrealized, greater fear that the Emperor never cared for him as a person and that he, the other Primarchs, and the Astartes as a whole would have no place in the Imperium after the Great Crusade's conclusion. (Horus likely being aware of what happened to the [[Thunder Warriors]] when they outlived their usefulness at the end of the Unification Wars probably stoked that particular fire nicely.) You'd have thought the Emperor's most beloved 'son' would at least have been shown the special rooms in the Imperial Palace the Emperor made specifically for the Primarchs to live in after the Great Crusade ended, or at least discussed what he had planned for them when they weren't needed as generals any longer, but no.
**Perhaps the biggest kicker to this is that if we're going to take all of Black Library into account, the Emperor never truly cared for the Primarchs at all (loyalist and traitor included), viewing them as nothing more than powerful but ultimately expendable tools to further the ambitions of Humanity's survival and ascendancy. As determined by the Emperor, of course.
***Although one can always argue that the remaining Primarchs stayed loyal either because they believed in his vision for humanity or were too loyal to be turned, there's no telling exactly how long that might have gone on after the Great Crusade's end - some of them showed signs of disloyalty to the Emperor even during the Heresy, only staying on his side either out of loyalty to Mankind as a whole (Guilliman and his [[Imperium Secundus]] come to mind here), by recognizing the other side as an even greater evil (like Jaghatai), or only because the Imperium is on the winning side (if Curze's trolling was true; The Lion, which probably isn't true considering he stabbed him in the next paragraph and told Curze that he didn't care and that he was balls-to-the-wall loyal).
***To clarify the above point, after Guilliman's meeting with the Emperor following the Primarch's revival, he noted that while he loved humanity as a whole, the Emperor was practically incapable of caring about individual people, even the Primarchs. Everything and everyone was just a tool to him. While some might interpret this as the Emperor simply being a dick, you have to understand his situation; he's an immortal superhuman with a plan to uplift humanity. The fact he's immortal means he would be unable to form any meaningful relationships with mortals, because he'll always outlast them in one way or another. His plan also involved tons of sacrifices for the <s>greater good</s> {{Blam|'''*BLAM!* HERESY!'''}}, common good, when you're forced to sacrifice anything to continue your plans; you can't afford to be too attached to someone you might have to throw into the fire in a split second. The Emprah is cursed to always looking forward to the endless road of the future, so he can never live in nor understand the concept of the present. As a result, his plans failed to account for the fact others might not just meekly go along with his plans without question and became further detached from the real human condition.
*Overall, and quite ironically, the main reason why the Emperor's plan was doomed to fail in time was because while the Emperor understood the path on what humanity must take for a brighter future, he himself was either unable or unwilling to understand humanity. Instead, he chose to remain distant from them and act like he was above their understanding, and that they should just simply follow him because he's the Emperor and he alone knows what's best for humanity, because shut up or be on the receiving end of a boltgun. (Even more ironically, this was how the majority of the gods that humanity originally believed in acted as well, and at least they had the excuse that they really were divine. For all his efforts to remove religion, the Emperor played the part of a god hilariously well.) Lastly, maybe the Emperor understood that his Primarchs were unstable and unreliable. Given the issues with the Thunder Warrior's he had to know all of this was coming eventually just from past experience. But it's possible he just didn't expect it to be in the form of a team death match. He could see Kurze being unstable enough eventually that he and his Legion would need to be removed but expected it to be individual Legions and Primarchs that would need censure but couldn't foresee his own flaws causing enough gulfs with each of his Primarchs that they would have a reason to band together. If that was the case, he was a poor father and a poor leader not to see his own arrogance as a flaw in his design. If it is true that he had always intended the Primarchs' rivalries to grow to the point that they would begin fighting each other, all of the above is even more damning since it means he had made them flawed on purpose and yet failed to see how Chaos would gladly exploit said flaws at the first opportunity it got.

On another note, the fact his ossified self has managed to shed tears and there was an incident where everyone across the Imperium saw statues of the Emperor weeping tears of blood due the incoming disasters of the End Times may mean that he has finally started to realize how horribly he fucked up on every possible level. Or maybe it's hurting even more than ever to stay sit at the Golden Throne.

The latter is far more likely; according to Roboute Guilliman, when he met with the Emperor after his revival, He treated Guilliman as a mere tool without showing even the faintest display of affection or care for him as a person. One can only assume that 10,000 years on the Golden Throne has done absolutely nothing to make the Emperor be less of an asshole; in fact, he's described as being human in name alone, and Guilliman believes that [[HERESY|even if he is a god he doesn't deserve to be worshipped.]]

tl;dr He was a horribly flawed but still well-meaning OCD workaholic with a "The needs of the many" outlook on life meaning he couldn't afford to show trust, love or compassion to anything but mankind as a whole, not even his "sons". Ultimately however even though his complete separation from the human condition helped him make the hard decisions, it was a decision he paid the ultimate price for and a large contributor to the Horus Heresy being as terrible as it was. If you have experience in pedagogy, he is your typical working dad who can't spare time to raise sons and makes *very* bad, fatigue influenced decisions, and after they grow up, wonders why they grow to hate him/be distant. Add the lack of a loving mother figure for the kids, and [[Horus Heresy|well...]]

====Planning for the Horus Heresy====

To throw a spanner into the works when considering whatever the Emperor's "goals" might have been: A very interesting claim was made by Malcador himself to his dying confidante Sibel Niasta that the Heresy was all [[Just as planned|part of the plan]], that the Primarchs were designed as "conquering tools and nothing more", set on course to fight for dominance and eventually turn on each other and challenge the Emperor directly. This is corroborated by what we already "knew" from ''Master of Mankind'' and the Emperor's own attitudes towards the Primarchs ''(which admittedly has constantly been shown to be shifting. As has been frequently pointed out the final confrontation between Horus and the Emperor - as we currently know it - would not make any sense if he merely considered them to be disposable tools anyway. Why "hold back" then to start out with?)''. The Primarchs were manipulated against each other with [[Rogal Dorn|unequal]] [[Perturabo|favour]], jealousies stoked in order to achieve this, and he also claims that those who [[Magnus|would not be manipulated]] [[Primarch#Two Missing Primarchs|never reach the end game.]] What is not certain is whether he was speaking the ''whole'' truth since he does later admit privately just after the conversation that he had to lie to mortals to spare their sorrow, so what parts he "lied" about are uncertain ''(he could've made the whole "just as planned" story up, it could've all been true and he was regretting manipulating the Primarchs and their legions, it could even refer to a single sentence where he implies that the Emperor will save her soul after death)''; he also admits that the outcome had been altered by the [[Chaos Gods|great enemy]] who had emboldened their champions and started the battle early so he did not know with absolute certainty how it was going to turn out.

However, as shown from ''"The Board is Set"'' or the novel "The Outcast dead" Malcador and the Emperor were certainly shown to have considerable amounts of foreknowledge regarding the Horus Heresy and certainly ''did'' play the Primarchs against each other in order to attempt to counter the manipulations of Chaos. However in the Board is Set, Malcador is shown that the Primarch's destinies were not necessarily fixed and could have been played in different ways; some [[Ferrus Manus|Primarchs]] were [[Sanguinius|sacrificed]] for greater goals like you would remove a figure from the board to give you a better edge. Whilst the Emperor had the knowledge that certain [[Roboute Guilliman|others]] were crucial to final victory. Malcador is also shown to not have been aware of the full plan or the flow of destinies; he is unaware of how certain seeming "winning" strategies are left unplayed because they have unexpected knock-on effects, or that certain moves played early or late could have had disastrous consequences.
*Such as why the [[Rogal Dorn|"Invincible Bastion"]] is not used to take the [[Horus|"Lord of Hearts"]] [[Battle of Phall|early on in the war]], since it would force both of the [[Alpharius|"Twin"]] pieces to switch sides to the Warmaster and be able move on the Emperor's home space and cause the game to be lost. This is also significant because it shows that whichever side the Primarch had joined could have been variable, and did not automatically mean that it was working towards the same goal as its leaders.
*Malcador was also surprised to find out that the game could be changed by factors they might be unaware of, such as the "Corruption" of the [[Mortarion|Lord of Clouds]] in the mid-game when they had expected him to resist like he had in their previous playthroughs. The Emperor appeared genuinely saddened by this change, hinting that he either still cared about them even when they had already turned against him, or that some Primarchs could have potentially been recovered and returned to the fold after the conflict had ended. Malcador was also shocked to think that the Emperor could be blind-sided by such an alteration; with Malcador only beginning to see the game for what it truly might have been, rather than simply a means of testing strategy.
*It is important to note that from the beginning of the game, the "Primarch" pieces were essentially blank slates, and only gained their unique shapes and identities as part of their first activations after the Scattering, possibly indicating that the Primarchs could have potentially switched roles with one another depending on the first few moves. ''(Perhaps Sanguinius could have become the Lord of Hearts? or Perturabo become the Invincible Bastion?)''
*Before the first move takes place, the pieces were arranged ten per side, which was more than available Primarchs at the time. The Emperor had his own golden piece but the "Lord of Hearts" began the game in blue and became switched in the first move ''(giving the Warmaster eleven pieces after the first move)'' while the "Twins" would not be divided until the second move, providing twenty-one pieces on the board. Ignoring the additional piece ''"the Fool"'' that Malcador had never seen before, means that there must have been one other significant player somewhere that we are not aware about. That and the division of units under the control of the "Emperor" and [[Chaos|"Warmaster"]] in the game would have been very different from the apparent division of Loyalist/Traitor Primarchs in the actual conflict, meaning that the roles they played and were expected to play '''did''' change drastically as the game progressed.

Taking several factors into account, it is absolutely certain that Malcador and the Emperor had enough foreknowledge to know that the Horus Heresy was going to happen from the point of the '''Scattering''' onward. To say that it was all part of his "Grand Plan" would be a stretch, that many of the Primarchs had municipal gifts ''(Perturabo's architectural mastery, Fulgrim's artistry etc)'', came with purposes suited to the Emperor's grand plan for a post-human society ''(Magnus' and the Webway, Mortarion as a witchseeker)'' and he definitely [[Vulkan|created one of them]] [[Perpetual|"different"]] from the rest with the explicit purpose of teaching the others how to settle down after a lifetime of war shows that the Emperor probably did have a plan for his Primarchs that didn't involve losing half of them and then chaining himself to the Golden Throne. Otherwise why make twenty Primarchs with gifts related to your post-battle plans in the first place if you knew you were going to lose half of them? People who claim that this outcome was all part of the Emperor's plan have either missed or forgotten the fact that his opponent in the "game" was Chaos, and not Malcador ''(Malcador and Emps switched places several times in their playthroughs which Malcador thought was just a means of testing strategy until it finally dawned on him that there was more to it)'' and that the Chaos Gods had their own plans for the Primarchs too and were fully capable of changing the rules whenever it suited them. Not to mention the [[Cabal]]s of alien psykers manipulating humanity for their own outcome, [[Perpetual|Immortal humans]] that interfere with predictions of the future, and [[Watchers in the Dark|extradimensional beings]] trying to stop the primordial annihilator from manifesting all by making their own moves and causing more complications.

If anything; ''The Board is Set'' goes a long way in explaining why the Emperor couldn't do any more with his advanced notice of impending conflict as any wrong move he made could have immediately spelled disaster for humanity. Plus the Emperor's foresight was not perfect and it did not necessarily marry up with his practical knowledge; even though the game he played with Malcador showed the "[[Lion El'Jonson|Double Edged Sword]], [[Roboute Guilliman|The Uncrowned Monarch]] and [[Sanguinius|The Angel]] spending most of the game off to the side, the Emperor had no idea [[Imperium Secundus|what they were actually doing]] until Malcador relayed the message from [[Leman Russ]]. His psychic foresight seems to have been shrouded in allegory and symbolism, rather than concrete certainty.

Also note that "destiny" is different from what the Primarchs were "designed" for ''(case in point: Magnus being designed to operate the Golden Throne, but also being destined to damage it)''. While Emperor had designed all of his Primarchs for specific tasks, he would not have been able to identify the destined role that each Primarch was meant to play until events had already been set into motion and pulled them onto certain paths. He might been able to guess that Magnus was "the Library" or that Dorn was the "Invincible Bastion" but could not have been certain until the first moves of the game had been made. So until then he could only treat the Primarchs according to their gifts; hailing them as heroes, building them statues and trying to steer them away from obvious sources of corruption such as [[Magnus|sorcery]] or [[Lorgar|religion]]. Even if the Emperor ''had'' suspected which ones would turn against him and tried to eliminate them before they became problems, their destinies could have unfolded in a completely different way, potentially causing a similar conflict to happen albeit with a different combination of playing pieces on the board, or alternatively sacrificing any control he might have actually had over the Primarchs and still have ended up with a disaster on his hands. Also bearing in mind that he still needed to complete the Great Crusade and his Webway project; to put those plans on hold until the issue with Primarchs had sorted themselves out would probably have done him no good either because like the Emperor himself, [[Chaos]] is capable of playing the long game.

[[Lorgar]] is an interesting issue: Malcador once claimed that if he could have saved just one of the traitor Primarchs, it should have been Lorgar. However, from the Board is Set, the Emperor points out that game doesn't start with any piece other than the "Chosen", strongly hinted to represent Lorgar with his initial swaying of Horus and thus beginning the Heresy. This implies that no matter what moves are planned for, or what Primarchs ended up on either side; Chaos will '''always''' have a "Chosen" piece to start the game with. If Horus had been protected, Lorgar might have simply started the conflict with someone else, making Chosen/Lorgar perhaps the more crucial piece. Though keep in mind that Malcador speaks with the benefit of hindsight, and as mentioned previously, the Emperor was not omniscient, it is possible that neither of them were to fully realise that Lorgar was the Chosen until the first move of the game had already been made. What is most tragic is that Lorgar ''really'' wanted the love and approval of his father and was probably the most fanatically loyal to him in the early days, so turning him into Chaos most pivotal piece is a cruel irony. If it were possible to have actually saved Lorgar before the conflict started, it would have probably unbalanced the game as Chaos would have been forced to find a different Primarch to fill the role of "Chosen", potentially upending the game altogether.

Until the end of the Heresy, Malcador was not actually aware of how the final conflict actually played out; having seen himself only as an advisor, he was ignorant of his own role. The Emperor showed him in the final days that his piece, "The Fool", would switch places with the Emperor to snatch victory and allow the [[Roboute Guilliman|"Uncrowned Monarch"]] to play his "Salvation" strategy and win the game against chaos by tearing the throat out of the serpent. Malcador's "lie" to his servant was most likely to provide the illusion of control; when in fact the Emperor and Malcador were desperately seeking to find an alternate solution that would not doom everyone. But pretty much like the Emperor stated in "The Outcast dead": "Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep [[Chaos|your opponent]] from winning.".

===But what does all that mean for The Duel?===
Yeah...about that. Regarding the Emperor's duel with Horus, we're all reasonably sure we know the old story. The Emperor faces down Horus, and had the power to roflstomp him, but his love for his favorite son prevented him from going all out, and Emps gets his ass kicked. It takes an extraordinarily callous killing by Horus to finally convince the Emperor that Horus is completely beyond saving, and Emps blasts him full power to put an end to the Horus Heresy. The rising problem here is that this version of events heavily relies on the Emperor's compassion (particularly towards his sons), compassion that the Horus Heresy books and Dark Imperium repeatedly assert that he ''never had'', either then or in the 41st millennium. For example, the Emperor put down his Thunder Warriors as soon as they served their purpose, and he didn't even pretend to care about Angron and his Butchers nails, asserting that he would keep him as long as he had a use for him, and so on. Anyway, without compassion, the duel scene in its current form simply does not work. After all Horus had done in the years before, in a room with the maimed corpse of Sanguinius, a loyal and beloved (as far as it goes with Big E, at least) son of his, there is really no way he would have gone all fatherly love on Horus and not just blasted him, or at least tried to. (Maybe the current form is Imperial propaganda trying to conceal the fact that Horus simply kicked his shiny golden ass for some reason?) So what the hell actually happened? A very good question, at this point. [[Laurie Goulding]] has implied that when the Heresy books finally get to it, the final duel may play out ''very'' differently from how we think we know it. It certainly wouldn't be the [[Ollanius Pius|first time it's been retconned]].

One possible explanation for why Emps' couldn't immediately obliterate Horus is perhaps due to divided attention and strength. During the fight, Malcador was being taxed to the core and maybe the Emps was lending his power to buy Malcador some more time and thus was not able to actually unleash his full strength on Horus. However, Malcador had already received the same speech about being used as a disposable pawn by the Emperor for the sake of the overall goal, and knew he was going to die anyway as the Throne-switcharoo had been planned before the traitors had even arrived at Terra, so the Emperor would have no reason to stall just to save one man, even if they were genuinely friends. The Emperor also knew in advance that the outcome would be his entombment on the Throne; when he found out about this he claimed that it was more than he expected but went so far as to tell his Custodians that his dream for the future of humanity was pretty much dead. Without the support of Magnus ''(who was always intended to sit on the Throne)'' unless someone came around with the knowledge to fix the Throne he would be trapped there until it it failed but according to his discussions with Malcador there was room for "[[Roboute Guilliman|Salvation]]" to come later. One other possible suggestion for why the Emperor might have stalled is perhaps his prescience glimpsed some preferable alternative to simply pasting Horus then and there, but until that gets resolved it can only be speculation.

On a rather related note, one can assume E-Money knew the tragic cases of Magnus, Curze & Angron and all of his sons through premonitions. Given that the future can be changed (as in the case of the Lion who feared the future of Curze) though not necessarily changed for the better or come without consequences ''(such as knowing that Rogal Dorn could have defeated Horus early in the war, but Alpharius would have assaulted Terra and resulted in a Chaos win anyway)'' the only options available to E-Money were to salvage the best he could from a shit situation.

Anyway, he is now stuck on the Throne guiding his subjects in the few ways available to him in his current state as an all-powerful vegetable.

Perhaps, or perhaps not, to have hesitated out of love for a son, the final weakness during the last test to save mankind, that would have shown why the Emperor couldn't afford to love anyone, not even his own sons, and turned him into what he is now. Though more recent fluff shows him to have always been more pragmatic than that. While he did seemingly care for his "sons", his foresight had shown him that half of them would turn to Chaos and move against him ''(whether or not you believe Malcador's statement that it was planned from the start)''. Perhaps he even saw that there would always be half the Primarchs turning to Chaos and all the Emperor could do was choose which ones and try to plan for them. Maybe the two missing Primarchs were dealt with just to try and reduce the number of Primarchs and Legions involved without crippling the Great Crusade. Though even with this foreknowledge, the Emperor was on the back foot and many of the actions of the Horus Heresy involved playing the Primarchs against each other to prevent an overall Chaos victory rather than achieving an Imperial win.

== ADB on the Emperor in Master of Mankind ==
TL;DR: Everyone whom has the chance to be in the Emperor's presence perceives something different, based on their own experiences and expectations. Nothing He ever says should be taken at face value, since it is 'warped' by the narrator's interpretation.

In response to criticisms on his portrayal of the Emperor, ADB posted this detailed answer:

''That's true, and I definitely wanted to bring out a better understanding of his vision and what he was up against, but that's also lore I'd wager anyone with a deep knowledge of the setting already had a handle on to some degree, whether explicitly or not. What I wanted to avoid was too much "new" stuff. You have to put in something new, and thankfully what little newness I do introduce in my work is seemingly well-regarded, but I've always said our job (as I see it) is to illustrate the setting and show what it's like to live there, not to set it in stone. As much as the fandom adores "advancing the storyline", it's not something that interests me, by and large. I try my best to show things from the perspectives of characters on the ground level, bring a few perceptions of the setting through the lens of my own imagination and the insight I'm lucky enough to get endlessly talking about the setting with its creators and inheritors, and then get out. Most of my books are, to some extent, not definitive. They're about Some Guy, not the entire faction.

''Grimaldus in Helsreach has no bond to the wider war on Armageddon and hates that he's been left behind by the Black Templars, but he's (hopefully) a good example of what it feels like to be a Black Templar, and to think like one, and - crucially - what it feels like to be a human around them. Talos and the other characters of First Claw spend a trilogy unable to decide what the Night Lords Legion really was, and each of them remembers their glory days differently. I didn't want to speak for the whole Legion. Hyperion in The Emperor's Gift is a largely generic Grey Knight present in dire circumstances. HH-wise, I didn't want to show all of the Word Bearers and base a book around the expectations of Kor Phaeron, Lorgar, and Erebus, so I focused on the Serrated Sun in the middle of the changes taking place across the galaxy. Savage Weapons is largely about Corswain, not about Curze and the Lion. The Master of Mankind is about Ra, Zephon, Jaya, and Land in the heart of the Emperor's plans for the species, not about the Emperor himself. As much as I wrote about Angron and Lorgar, they get significantly less in-their-heads screen time than most other primarchs in most other books.''

''It's harder to do that with the Heresy, but - again - I do my best to present individual experiences and mindsets in characters like Khârn, Argel Tal, and Ra, rather than definitive looks at the entire Chapter/Legion/faction and setting its events in stone. I try to present a feel for how it is to live inside that culture and be part of the experiences they go through; it's about immersion into the Chapter or Legion, presenting them as believable and real, not definitively saying "All of Chapter X are like Y."
''
''So: I'm reluctant to talk about TMoM and the Emperor's perception in that book in any real detail, partly because the book is still new and there's a lot individual readers would do better discovering for themselves without my thoughts in public, and partly because everything I'd say is ultimately in the book. Anything I say will be taken out of context or weaponised one way or another somewhere, and used in a way that makes me sigh, cringe, or a dramatic melange of both that shall hereafter be called the sigh-cringe.
''
''(Plus, most of all, I have faith in readers. They don't need me defining anything, even if it might be interesting for a few peeps.)''

''So, I'll just say this. The Master of Mankind is entirely from the perspectives of people that meet the Emperor in pretty specific circumstances. There are, obviously, other circumstances to come. Nothing in it is definitive, even less so than my usual work. Any definitive statement you can make about how the Emperor sees something or does something is almost always contradicted in the book itself. That's not an escape clause or an excuse. It's the point. Writing him definitively would've been the easiest and most disappointing thing in the world.
''
''(And on that note, remember, everyone views 40K differently. What Person X is absolutely certain is the truth of the Emperor and the best way to present him would be laughed off by Persons A, B, and C. The flip side to that is that not every perspective is founded in fact or understanding. The earliest "I've not read this yet, but..." criticisms and misunderstandings of TMoM in, ah, certain reddit/chan-style locations was regarded by GW IP folks as, I quote: "These angry people seem to be beholden to a version of 40K that has never existed...")
''
''But in all seriousness, I don't want to delve too deeply into explaining the ways the Emperor's contradictions matter or don't matter. They're there, and they're definitely formative - totally agree - if not exactly definitive. With the Emperor, a lot of interaction is about getting out what you put in. You get what you give. Your perceptions and expectations are reflected back on you because that's how the human brain perceives everything (a fact that cannot be overstated; the science behind it is fascinating and all-important), especially when you're talking about someone who exists on that plane of power. At one point the Emperor makes mention of the notion that he's not even speaking, that being near to him allows the conveyance of meaning through psychic osmosis, and communication telepathically. He's not even talking. It's raw understanding filtering through a mind, or just the way the mortal mind comprehends the aura of what the Emperor intends, or, or, or...
''
''That's what I mean. TMoM is littered with that stuff. Does he only address the primarchs by number instead of name? Some characters will swear he does that, and doesn't that just perfectly match their perspectives of the primarchs as either emotionally-compromised "too-human" things that think they're sons (Ra), or genetic masterworks that have become galaxy-damning screw-ups that have literally let the galaxy burn and brought the Imperium to its knees, leading people to be exiled from their homeworlds (Land). Do you think Sanguinius will agree? Or care that's what mortals think? The Emperor's portrayal on that isn't even consistent between Ra and Diocletian, two of his Custodians - and on PAGE ONE, the only time he interacts with a primarch himself, and the one and only thing he says to Magnus the Red is...?
''
"''Magnus''."

''Like... that's a pretty strong indication that the interactions which follow are playing by different rules. Ra sees the Warlord of Humanity, just a man, but a great mean, weary and defiant, burdened by responsibility. Daemons see their annihilation, and go insane in his presence. One of the Knights, as they're marching through the Throne Room, is caught in religious rapture, unable to do anything but stare at the glorious halo of the Emperor of Mankind on the Golden Throne. One of the Sisters of Silence, in the same room, literally just sees a man in a chair. Another character, not Imperial, asks a Custodian if the Emperor even breathes. She believes he's a weapon left out of its box from the Dark Age of Technology. (With thanks to Alan Bligh for that one, he adores that theory.)
''
''So I don't think it's exactly a spoiler to say that if and when I get to write a character like Sanguinius in the Emperor's presence, or Malcador, they'd have entirely different experiences than Ra and Land. I'd loved to have had that in TMoM, but as much as it would've given wider context, these aren't rulebooks and essays; it would've been self-indulgent for the sake of 'hoping people get it', and cheapened the story being told, which was ultimately in a very narrow and confined set of circumstances. Breaking out of that narrative would be offering a sense of scope and freedom I was specifically trying to avoid in a claustrophobic siege story. Because theme and atmosphere is a thing.''
''

==Worship of the Emperor==
[[File:646545.jpg|thumb|300px|What the Emperor looked like before Horus decided to [[Rip and tear|bitchslap]] Him so hard he ended up spending the next 10,000 years on the Golden Throne as a rotting corpse. Notice the giant skull. How did that skull get so big? Is it a plastic faux-skull, or is it an mutant or even an alien skull? <s>(What He doesn't want you to know is that The E is actually a midget, the armor is a mech and that that's a regular-sized skull)</s> [[Blam| '''*BLAM!*''']] Anyway, back to the topic at hand. You don't get to see the Emperor out of armor very often. But he still looks ''fabulous'' without his armor.]]

{{Topquote|We believe in one Lord, the Emperor, the Almighty, ruler of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Emperor of Mankind, the only Lord of creation, eternally begotten of Humanity, Human from Human, Light from Light, true Lord from true Lord, begotten, not made, of one Being with Humanity; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and came among us. For our sake he has faced down Chaos; he withstood death and was enthroned. To this day he lives on in accordance with the Scriptures; he resides upon Mother Terra and is seated upon the throne of Humanity. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Emperor, the giver of life, who proceeds from Humanity and from Terra, who with Humanity and upon Terra is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy true and divinely guided Ecclesiarchy. We acknowledge one path for the defense against Chaos. We look for the justice for our dead, and the life of the worlds to come.
 ++ Ayhmen ++|the [[Imperial Cult|Creed]] of the Mankind's Council of Nicene of Holy Terra (Most Christian elegan/tg/entlemen will recognize it as a bastardized version of The Apostle's [[Creed]])}}

{{Topquote|Did Horus not say that you sought godhood? He built a [[Horus Heresy|rebellion]] upon that claim. How he would gloat, to see the Imperium now|[[Roboute Guilliman]]}}

The Imperium advocates worship the Emperor as the one true God through the [[Imperial Creed]]. This creed is propagated and its adherence is enforced by the [[Ecclesiarchy|Adeptus Ministorum]] and the [[Inquisition]]. All citizens and fighters of the Imperium have little-to-no say about their choice in faith (or lack thereof); they ''must'' worship the Emperor through the various Ministorum-approved faiths throughout the galaxy (due to varying cultures, many planets have their own way of worshiping the Emperor. Although these are heavily regulated by the Ministorum to weed out any heretical influences.), there is no middle road or compromise that doesn't involve the apostate being on the receiving end of a state-sponsored public lynching. Anyone who defies or deviates from the teachings of the Imperial Creed (or even is just perceived to defy it), whether willingly or unwillingly (after all, incompetence is inexcusable in the eyes of the Emperor), is condemned as a heretic and is executed (whether its going to be fast or excruciatingly slow is dependent on the person judging the condemned). Even if someone hasn't disobeyed the Imperial Creed but is deemed to have will be treated as if they broke the Creed. Forgiveness for one's sins is possible, although these cases are exorbitantly rare (at least the ones that doesn't end with the accused being condemned to a glorious death, and it usually is extremely painful.). It doesn't help that some of the members of the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition are so batshit insane that they are killing countless innocent followers of the Imperial Creed for no reason.

Now, the only reason the Imperium worships the Emperor is that after His fight with Horus and His internment into the Golden Throne, they realized what he taught them when he preached the Imperial Truth was complete bullshit. Ol' Empy did not actually tell anyone of the Chaos Gods, withholding the information even from the Primarchs in hopes of protecting them from corruption by hoping that ignorance is bliss, unfortunately, this became part of why the Horus Heresy happened in the first place. Some saw that the Emperor [[Mortarion|lied to them by holding the truth hidden]], some did [[Magnus|not know how to handle the temptation]] the Gods conveyed, some did [[Fulgrim|not even know that they were manipulated]] all this time and by whom, some would [[Lorgar|try to seek out something to place their faith upon]], not realizing what would needed to be done to become chosen in the eyes of the Gods. Plus, it's pretty damn hard to fight against something if you don't know that it exists. The Horus Heresy novels also mentioned the [[Interex]], another atheist empire who understood that threat of Chaos, but treated that information secularly and scientifically: they told every citizen everything that was known about "Kaos", and thus resisted the taint altogether (which basically shows how ineffective the Imperial Truth really was and how much the Emperor has screwed up). Unfortunately this still made them targets and the Imperium was used by Chaos as a cats-paw to wipe them out.

In the Emperor's long game, he knew that humanity was evolving into a psychic species with even more potential than the Eldar, and look what happened to them? E-money wanted mankind to be [[Star Trek|a utopia of science and reason]], by eliminating religion (and thus preventing the temptations of daemons), controlling psykers (and thus preventing random daemonic possessions), and eliminating warp travel by creating the Human Webway (and thus eliminating all human contact with Chaos when traveling through the Warp). He wanted to isolate humanity from the Chaos Gods, cause who gives a shit about the Ruinous Powers if they're stuck in the Warp with no way of getting out?

However, He made a critical mistake in disregarding the human need to believe in something greater than oneself, and despite His best efforts, nothing was enough to fill the place of religion in human society. Ironically, the best solution would be not to suppress faith but to redirect it towards something else, but because of his natural awesomeness, unmatched psychic powers and enigmatic nature, that "something else" ended up being the Emperor himself. After He went off being the most powerful psychic cucumber in the universe, and lost direct control of the Imperium, belief in Him sort of helped the Imperium stand together against all odds. With the Warp being what it is, the act of worshiping the Emperor supercharged His power in the Immaterium to the point of being truly godlike, even while His body shut down and died. The Imperium's faith in the Emperor is basically their biggest anchor of bravery and perseverance in a universe where humanity is constantly beset by:

*[[Tyranids|Unimaginably massive swarms of voracious space locust who exist only to feed and multiply their biomass]]...
*[[Necron|Older-than-Chaos-itself zombie-terminator robots set on culling all life from the galaxy]]...
*[[C'Tan|Diabolical celestial beings literally as old as the stars, whose single desire is harvesting all living souls]]...
*[[Orks|A race of nigh-unkillable barbarians, genetically engineered to have pastimes, ambitions, job skills, and dreams only be about rip and tear]]...
*[[Tau|Technologically superior space communists wanting to assimilate everyone in their quasi heirarchical-Communist empire and who take after Billy Mays]]...
*[[Kroot|Humanoid wingless bird men cannibals who absorb traits from what they eat]]
*[[Vespid|Humanoid insects with claws capable of ripping through the toughest armour]]
*[[Eldar|Snooty and uncaring space elves that can read minds and who eat, sleep, and to have Heterosexual Sex in the Missionary Position in planet-sized battle cruisers]]...
*[[Dark Eldar|Psychotic, hedonistic space elves who routinely torture others to the point of death for sheer amusement before grinding their remains into refined cocaine]]...
*[[Chaos|Fanatical zealots that knowingly devote themselves to all that is insane]]...
*[[Daemon|Nightmare horrors made real who will rape and eat, usually simultaneously, any sentient being they get their goat-hooves on]]...
*[[Chaos Space Marines|Deformed, demented traitors clad in power armor and aided by the evilest forms of weaponry and sorcery ever conceived]]...
*[[Lost and the Damned|Traitors who turn their backs on the Imperium and try to destroy it]]...
*[[Rak'gol|Homicidal alien, lizard, insect, cyborg type monster-pirates that horribly kill you for fun (and who may be the puppets of an older and even more malignant civilization)]]...
*[[Slaugth|Giant Swarms of Worms in cloaks who might be older than The Old Ones who are more sadistic that the Dark Eldar and More Manipulative than regular Eldar and Feed on Humans in the Most Disgusting and Painful way imaginable (Hint it Involves Maggots.)]]...
*[[Q'Orl|Massive insectoid hive mind filled to the brim with heavy firepower and has a slow but growing empire that is one of the largest in the galaxy, dwarfing the Tau several hundred times over and is seen as the next successor of galactic domination after humanity's potential fall]]...
*[[Hrud|Humanoid Rats that cause anything, living or not, to rapidly decay through touch]]...
*[[Games Workshop|Malignant, omnipotent intelligence from beyond the cosmos, exerting all the power at their disposal to prevent any faction from breaking the stalemate or upsetting the dreadful status quo]]...
*[[Sly Marbo|And fuck knows who the guy in the cardboard box is]]...

Without their faith in the Emperor after His internment into the Golden Throne, the fragments of the Imperium would have fought against each other again like in the pre-Great Crusade days and subsequently devolved into what they were before the Emperor revealed Himself. So yes, much like IRL religion, it gives them hope and courage to fight on and survive in a universe that leaves the [[grimdark]] faucet running everyday and night.

It's worth noting that good ol' Empy wouldn't have had nearly as much of a problem with all this unwanted worship if He hadn't, just as a quick example, insisted on wearing horrifyingly ornate solid gold armour and a big glowy halo at all times. Or on carrying a flaming sword of righteousness. Or on building continent-sized monuments to His vanity. Or on decking all His personal troops and favored genetic experiments in as much bling as they could possibly carry. Or on being eleven fucking feet tall. Or on creating a functional pantheon of genetically engineered demigods, one of whom looked like and was referred to as a literal Angel. If you look like space-Jesus and act like space-Jesus, people are going to take those observations to their extreme conclusions, like what Lorgar did when he wrote the ''Lectitio Divinitatus'', which can be summarized as "Ordinary men can't blow up suns and carry big glowy halos at all times, only a God can, therefore the Emprah is God." This is made even more relevant given that the fluff very strongly implies that the Emperor '''was''' Jesus.

That said, to Games Workshop's credit His being buttfucked by His own hubris and disregard for the humanity He claimed to be guiding in this manner was probably [[Grimdark|intentional as a classic tale of Greek Tragedy]].

==On the Death of the Emperor==
[[File:Emperor of mankind flaming sword armor.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Son, I am disappoint.]]
With the Golden Throne being consistently worn out, and the Tech-priests too power-armor-on-head rebooted to do anything about it (at least until they finish studying Malcador's staff, provided GW doesn't forget that plot point), it is certainly possible that the Golden Throne may stop working entirely, though what this might do is up for debate, since the Emperor has been dead for a very long time now.

Yes, yes, you read that right, the Emperor is dead. Now quit your shrieking and take a fecking chill pill, there's more to it than that. Being the single most powerful psyker in the history of the human race, the death of his physical body isn't the same "GAME OVER, MAN!" it would be for the rest of us mortals. The Emperor's mummified corpse is still inhabited by his spirit much the same way as [[Lord Kroak]], except he's powering the Astronomican (and possibly keeping the warp from swallowing Terra) instead of being hauled around on a golden anti-gravity palanquin to smite the enemies of the Imperium with golden fire.

Back to the matter at hand, with how arcane and ill-understood the Golden Throne's workings are all we have to go on are theories. It might be somehow enhancing his psychic abilities through its connection to his corpse and this would be lost when it gives out, or (rather more likely seeing as how parts keep failing and yet nothing changes) it might be something the AdMech keeps running since they think it's doing something that it isn't. No one knows, and no one really wants to find out.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:800px">In any case, a lot of fa/tg/uys don't seem to know that the Emperor's dead, and so a lot of theories arise as to what might happen if something that already happened ends up happening. Click expand to view these theories and keep in mind, these are all kept with their fa/tg/uys speculation intact.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===The new Eye of Terror===
Conventional wisdom and the [[Eldar]] says that in the event that the Emperor dies, a new Eye of Terror will be created with Terra at its center, plunging Holy Terra and all nearby planets/systems(?) into the Warp. Even the [[Ecclesiarchy]] agrees that if the Emperor were ever to die, humanity would be FUCKED at the barest minimum.

This is supported by the fact that the '''Golden Throne''' ''(itself a portal to the Webway)'' was broken by [[Magnus]], causing a warp tear to open on Terra, which the Emperor has had to spend every second for the last 10,000 years concentrating on to keep from getting any bigger. Now the Throne is ''also'' beginning to show signs of irreversible breakdown, but what happens if(/when?) Big E dies is actually which of the two fails first.

According to the Old Earth novel, the Golden Throne has a Vulkan-forged device called Talisman of Seven Hammers that acts as a dead man's switch: it supposedly will destroy all of Terra if the Throne finally kicks it. The Talisman has never been referred to in previous fluff, though the fullest implications of the Throne failing have never been explored either.

In any event, the death of the Emperor's physical body is theorized by some fans (and the Eldar in-universe) to have the potential to create a new Chaos God and a new Eye of Terror, assuming that the warp rift the Emperor was keeping closed doesn't create a new Eye of Terror first. The effect of Vulkan's talisman is a wildcard, as it was shown to have the capability to annihilate ''(not merely banish)'' a Greater Daemon even '''before''' it was connected to the Throne, and earlier in the same section the ''residual'' energy left over in the Emperor's fulgurite was sufficient to make an army of Bloodletters simply not be there any more. Connecting the talisman to the Throne magnifies its power to the point that the Emperor believes it would not merely deny Chaos their victory on Terra, but can strike a blow against them "the likes of which they will never recover from". Chaos may still get their warp rift, but may be burned badly by the Emperor's final "fuck you".

===Regeneration===
No, not the [[Doctor Who]] kind. Various Horus Heresy novels present the Emperor as a [[Perpetual]], just like John Grammaticus, Vulkan, Oll Persson, [[Alivia Sureka]] and [[Anval Thawn]], all of who were able to survive multiple deaths that completely obliterated their bodies in the process. So all He simply needs to do is for his current material body to die normally, and wait a couple of hours/days and He'd be reborn again (in the "get up off the ground and dust Himself off" sense. As for the question of why he simply didn't wait to resurrect into a spanking new body before being interred in the Throne, refer to that giant warp tear in the webway project and the *urgent* need to keep it sealed at all times.

All of this is still speculation (duh). Vulkan, for instance, was driven mad by the torturous experiences he had endured thanks to Night Haunter, and they were child's play, compared to sitting in unthinkable agony, unable to move or speak for ten thousand years while feeling Himself rotting away. And don't you forget [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|that nose itch]]. However, a more commonly held belief is that He will get up, re-establish the [[Imperial Truth]], and [[Great Crusade|just be]] [[Commissar|a cool guy]]. Too bad the Warp rift and the Astronomican don't have time to wait for him to do so.

A whole faction of the [[Inquisition]], '''Thorianism''', exists to investigate the possibility of regeneration; looking for possible signs that the Emperor's consciousness can be transferred elsewhere, allowing Him to walk among his children once more. (That said, they don't know about the existence of Perpetuals and would rather look for a new body to place the Emperor's soul into.) That being said: This may be the best option if they can keep the Emperor powering the [[Astronomican]] with one body while having his mind in a different body wandering around.

Opponents to Thorianism generally see that encouraging this is a terrible idea, as having the Emperor rise in a physical form would only cause a schism in the Imperium, as many people would not believe it to be true, having been ruled and brainwashed by the Ecclesiarchy over thousands of years, which would lead to another major [[Horus Heresy|civil war]].

But think about it: when Malcador took up the Throne so that the Emperor could fight Horus, the device consumed his vitality; and Malcador was not as blessed as the Emps with regen abilities to recover. Now imagine a weakened, crippled being, whose top priority immediately after killing His son is to stop the Webway gate from spilling forth. You don't have time (and nor does the galaxy) to recover from your wounds. So you sit upon the Throne and it consumes you slowly from that point onwards. The chair is stopping any sort of healing factor.

This is supported by Path Of Heaven, when Jaghatai Khan and the White Scars use the Dark Glass device to boogie woogie back to Terra. Much like Malcador, the one who uses the Dark Glass device is reduced to ashes just using it for a couple of moments, and the Dark Glass also has a Throne unit to control it, though it is described as the Golden Throne’s lesser cousin. The Golden Throne is described by the Chief Librarian using Dark Glass as “far greater, immensely more powerful, ''older, fouler, set deeper in the fabric of both reality and unreality.''”So just what ''is'' the Golden Throne? From way above, we know it’s a pain engine powerful enough to make a Haemonculus blush, those using it need to be powerful Psykers to actually control it, it consumes the souls of those who use it, unless that person also has innate regenerative capabilities (which, oh, let’s see, leaves us with basically Emps or Magnus), and it exists both in reality and in the Warp. The Emperor himself in Master of Mankind is evasive on where he found the “core” of the Throne. Now imagine you’re Rogal Dorn on the Vengeful Spirit and you’ve just found the bodies of Sanguinius and Horus and a dying Emprah. You race back to the Palace because surely Malcador, the only person to even come close to knowing the Emperor should be able to help, only to find him strapped to a machine that is literally turning him to dust. You have no idea what the hell this thing is (because you’re a good kid and keep out of dad’s basement) but your Father tells you to strap him into the thing. You do it, even though Pops is weak and it just Gammorah’d the last guy to sit in it. Not a great situation but you do what dad says. Now he’s stuck there, unable to regenerate but also unable to get up lest demons invade/that sun dad left in the Webway blows up. Fast forward 10,000+ years, you’re dead, and everyone is too stupid to realize it’s a fucking PAIN ENGINE and not a life support system. The Emperor was literally slapped into the equivalent of an infinite soul shriver while at his absolute weakest. If he could just stop sealing the Webway gate while someone else (Magnus) took a pew, he could possibly stretch his legs out and be right as rain. So maybe, just maybe, the Golden Throne breaking down isn’t a bad thing? (fuck, Age of the Emprah here we come)

Or someone could slap a good-ol' Gellar Field over the Webway portal, completely solving the problem. Doh! I forgot! That wouldn't be Grimdark! Shit.

===The Star Child===
Although years of GW-marketing and [[retcon|fluff "upgrades"]] have made the third claim rather dubious, many fa/tg/uys and optimists still hold out on the theory stating that when the Emperor screwed Horus's soul to the wall, part of the Emperor's soul was also cast into the Warp. This Soul Fragment is called the Star Child, a god waiting to be reborn, or perhaps be reincarnated back into a human body (anyone call for one scout Mkvenner). If the remains of the Emperor were ever to die, the tiny spark of soul left in his body would re-unite with the greater whole within the Warp, and according to [[fluff|prophecy]], force the four Chaos Gods into stalemate, while the races of the galaxy would be left to battle it out in one last great Ragnarök scenario (called the End Times).

This theory is tied closely to the Illuminati, a group of either supremely enlightened individuals or dangerous mutant heretics (depending on which side of the [[Inquisition]] you're on). The Illuminati plan to catch all of the Sensei and sacrifice them upon the Golden Throne at the moment of Emperor's death.

In a bizarre fusion of new and old fluff, it has been revealed that the Illuminati were a minor Tzeentch cult and the Sensei were effectively brainwashed soon-to-be sacrifices in an attempt to bring Tzeentch to the materium. Needless to say, they have been purged by the Inquisition. The fluff in the Jac Draco books revealed that the Ordo Hydra (a small splinter faction of the Illuminati who seek to turn humanity into a psychic hive-mind) is a Tzeentch cult, but that the general Illuminati population - including many Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and the Exorcists [[Chapter]] (as well as their unknown successor chapters) are genuinely incorruptible by Chaos and are freely permitted to access the Black Library along with Harlequin Solitaires. Ultimately, all this would be rendered irrelevant as the Inquisition Trilogy was retconned away. It's just like that frustrating moment you experience when you don't know if the Squats have been nommed by Tyranids or have never existed in the first place. Kinda like Schrödinger's Cat. Schrödinger's Space Dorf.
</div>
</div>

===Beyond the Emperor===
As stated in ''The Master of Mankind'', the Emperor himself considers he already lost the game to save Mankind's from consuming itself into the Warp while attempting to give the evolutionary jump, with the loss of the Webway he seems to have concluded the only thing that remains is a long decline and there is nothing else to do but to wage an ever losing war. Or is it? The Emperor himself recognized He isn't omniscient, His foresight can't reach all. When Guilliman shows up, the Emperor is amazed that humanity has still managed to survive and the Imperium is still alive.

During recent years the writers of Games Workshop have been hinting at a few facts, let us consider the following:
* The future is not absolutely written, and this comes from Chaos itself; even [[Tzeentch]] can't predict everything perfectly, requiring him to ask his [[Kairos Fateweaver|insane bird-oracle to clarify on these events]].
* The fall of the Imperium may be inevitable, but mankind may live on. Given the sheer scope of the human exodus, it's not outside the realm of possibility that some remnant of the Dark Age of Technology has continued unchanged from its original height, though it's very unlikely. For this to be the case it would somehow have to avoid nearly all xenos, chaos influence/worshipers, have its own way of dealing with latent psykers so that they don't be used be Daemons [[Enslavers|or worse]] and never have met any of the other traders, explorators and travelers in general that make up how the current Imperium discovers new planets.
* The [[Cadian Pylons]], while destroyed, were developed by beings that still exist. The fact the [[Necrons]] are still around opens the possibility that they may yet be capable of building replacements, and thanks to [[Trazyn the Infinite|Trazyn]] we know they are capable of closing of warp storms. Oh, and it seems like [[Belisarius_Cawl|Uncle Cawl]] is working on that.
* The Akashic Records truly exist and are somehow linked to [[STC|Ark Mechanicus ships such as Speranza]], this simple fact means all already existing knowledge is never lost forever, but merely incredibly hard to acquire.
* Creating humans immune to Chaos is a reality, both the [[Exorcists]] and the [[Grey Knights]] are evidence to this, and while the process is excruciatingly slow, highly prone to failure and prohibitive in resources it means Mankind can achieve through artificial means a sort of new evolutionary step.
* Not all Eldar died during the Fall, even if we are talking about 1 percent of the race it's still a great deal of individuals, and the fact they have managed to kick-start [[Ynnead|an anti-Chaos god]] is something no one, not even the Emperor managed to foresee (assuming he did not know that is what the Infinity Circuits were for, which he no doubt did considering how old he is). [[Eldrad]] has ultimately demonstrated there are other ways to fight Chaos (by being a dick).
** And thanks to Eldrad waking Ynnead up early (if only barely), Roboute Guilliman was awakened from stasis. Now he is preparing a [[Primaris Marines|new generation of Super Space Marines]] along with some awesome new gear to help take down Chaos. Plus some of the other loyalist Primarchs are still out there, and there is a possibility that they could return to help lead the Imperium fight it's many enemies.
** And for that matter, Eldrad declared by the end of The [[War of The Beast]] that the futures of Mankind and the Eldar are irrevocably interlinked. But, he did nothing to build on that, the dumbass. Add to that the fact the necrons too have given the Imperium a hand a few times and you suddenly notice there are more parties than the Emperor interested in not letting the human race fall. Despite the Imperium's completely justified hatred of xenos, they may be mankind's best chance of survival. That said, we still do have to remember that both the Eldar and Necrons want the Imperium and each other out of the way eventually in order to rebuild their empires, and the Imperium isn't keen on relying too heavily on the entities who will turn on them in a tip of the hat. On the other hand, desperate times call for desperate measures and who knows what the future could bring? Well, at least the Eldar to have more or less accepted their empire will never return and that sticking with the Imperium is their best bet for survival and power in the universe from now on. Which broke the balance and caused plot progression.
*Nobody saw the Tyranids coming because they hadn't even noticed the Galaxy was inhabited until the whole mess with the Pharos device. Not the Chaos Gods, not the Emperor, not the Eldar (though [[Orikan the Diviner|Orikan]] saw them coming), and the Tyranids are both an outside context issue for the galaxy (being the only faction with galactic pull that is completely and unambiguously disconnected from the War in Heaven or the Horus Heresy that serves as everyone else's origin stories) ties and a wild card in the fate of the Galaxy.
* If the Emperor wasn't a god to begin with, millennia of worship and countless psyker souls empowering him means that he's almost certainly a god now- and he knows it. Even when wielded by a "mere" Primarch his sword alone is capable of permanently destroying Greater Daemons (keep in mind that during Great Crusade and before he seems not to be able to do that), and given enough time his power might eclipse that of Chaos itself. (Though one could argue that Chaos powers up much faster than the Emperor due to having more sources to feed one and possibly having more worshippers)
* Finally, there is humanity itself. While He failed to take into account the fact that humanity is a mass of individuals rather than an abstraction, He also underestimated how this could work for good as well as evil. For every traitor and heretic, there is an equally devoted believer in the inherent goodness of mankind willing to stand against the Ruinous Powers, and it is on the individual level that the struggle between the Ruinous Powers and humanity is ultimately fought and decided upon.

Yes, the Emperor failed to avoid mankind's inherent flaws to hinder His Great Work (ironically, because He was guilty of several of them as well), but He also failed to see a lot of the good things mankind can bring in. In yet another twist of irony, his incapability to predict us may even thwart his own prediction of humanity's doom. At the very least, humanity accomplished more and survived longer than anyone expected, even the Emperor.

Indeed, this is [[Warhammer 40,000]], a cautionary tale about the End of Empires, but so was Warhammer Fantasy Battle, and, although we may not like the AoS-ification of the setting, there may still be more than [[Abaddon|just a complete failure]] for the future of Mankind and the Emperor.

'''Thought for the day:''' "The man who has nothing can still have faith."

== Gallery ==
{{SectionalPromotions}}
<center><gallery>
File:Emperor-Church windows.jpg|Put this everywhere to praise him, on your windows, the neighbours, just all your hive city.
Image:Horus and the Emperor.jpg|<s>Son, I am disappoint.</s> Empy's disappointment occurred well before this moment.
Image:E-Money_LowRes.gif|Now in animated ultra HD for your heresy needs.
Image:Golden Throne-Imperial Webway.jpg|The Big E upon the Golden Throne (before the decay set in)
Image:Emperor of Mankind Classic Portrait face.jpg|The guiding light in the Imperium of Man shines forever bright. He's also Arnold Schwarzenegger. Try unseeing that now bitches.
Image:1220179589932.jpg|The Emperor protects man from all.
Image:Wh40k-emperor.jpg| Yearbook photo.
Image:When you ruin his groove by Lutherniel.jpg| His groove, do not ruin it. Or you'll get schooled.
Image:Emperor_Decree.jpg| Emps laying down some rules, mid combat from the looks of it
Image:Go Ahead Make My day Emperor.jpg|That is EXACTLY the same look that's on Batman's face when he's about to put the beatdown on someone!
Image:Emperor of Mankind model action figure.jpg|He makes for one helluva action figure
Image:8.jpg|The Em-purr-or of all Catkind! Nyah!
Image:God-Emperor_Goldlich.jpg|Death is no excuse to stop bein' pimp.
Image:God_Emperor_Interred_On_Golden_Throne.jpg|Thinking to himself, "I really, REALLY hate Horus!" Then again he never liked Horus in the first place.
Image:The Immortal Emprah.jpg|The Emperor isn't looking good here.
Image:Emperor_miniature.jpg|Roll d6; stays on the field on seven or less
Image:emperor_old.jpg|A real man never dies, even when he's killed.
Image:emperor.png|Down but not out.
Image:Emperormini.jpg|In all His miniature glory
Image:Carrionlord.jpg|<strike>The Carrion Lord with his two left arms.</strike> {{BLAM}} how the fuck did that heretic get past the custodes?
Image:Painting.jpg|This painting sold for $900, that lucky ca/tg/url...
Image:Emperor_model.jpg|Probably the best model of him yet
Image:slowemperor.jpg|Oh God-emperor, how did this get here? I am not good with computers.
Image:Emperor_Sagan.jpg|Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
Image:EmpsVSigmar.jpg| You all know you wanna see how this pans out!
Image:Emps&SigmarGenderBendBy Flick The Thief.jpg| The same situation, but improved! {{BLAM}} {{Blam|'''Silence Heretic!'''}}
Image:Emprasque3.jpg|How do you kill what can not die?
Image:Slavegirl Emperor.jpg|Emperor [[Rule 63]]! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Image:Femprah.jpg|Not actually the God-Emperor; besides it is Heresy to believe that The Immortal God Emperor looks like Cher. {{BLAM}} {{Blam|'''HERESY!'''}}, no make that [[Extra Heresy|extra Hersey]]
Image:Femprah_by_Mr-Culexus.jpg|Oh, give it a fucking rest...
Image:GodEmpress.jpg|On second though... this [[lovedagger|one]] is... nice. - {{BLAM}} {{Blam|'''Heresy!'''}}
File:Cultist-chan creating a distraction by flick.jpg
Image:Emperor_upon_his_other_throne.jpg|Yeah. We get it. The Emperor sits upon the Golden 'Throne'.
Image:1377291976783.jpg|Unbeknownst to many 40k fans, ol'Emps is actually fairly amicable when he meets an elf/eldar who isn't a complete and utter failure.
Image:Rainbow Emperor.gif| The Emperor in Rainbow Form, and his theme tone!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDZoyNzuWbQ&t=10s
Image:Konya.jpg|The symbol of the town Konya in Turkey. In Central Anatolia. Emprah's birthplace. CONNECTION, BITCHES!
Image:Hittite eagle large.jpg|The symbol of ancient (1600BC) Hittite Empire from Anatolia, which, unknown to many, is Emperor's first try at conquering the world.
Image:Emperor mao.jpg|In alternate universe 32-B, Mao Zedong rules the People's Republic of Mankind
Image:NotSureIfWant.jpg|The Emperor has just discovered [[Rule 34]].
Image:1393390057238.png|The Emperor is a man of simple tastes.
Image:Emperuh.jpg|The Emprah is watching you Masturbate!
Image:Emperor blackwhite.jpg|The very first image of the Emperor, dating back to Rogue Trader.
Image:God_Emperor_Numen_Kawai_Onii-chan.jpg|[[Drawfags|Kawaii]] [[End Times (Warhammer 40,000|Emprah teaching]] us about the evils of [[Heresy|heretics]], while displaying his mighty [[Pauldrons]].
Image:First_Founding_Problems.jpg|Perhaps with a better armor design (or if he actually cared about him), The Big E might not have been late for all of [[Horus]]'s after school soccer games and things might have turned out a lot differently.
Image:1271118030729.jpg|Just imagine what would had happened if the Chaos Gods didn't scatter the primarchs through out the galaxy and The Emperor didn't have to go and look for them... Wait a minute, where is that little scamp Omegon? (he's just off picture, sneaking up behind Guilliman)
File:Emperor of Mankind Contemplation.jpg|"Why IS IT that hot dogs come in packs of 8, and hot dog buns come in packs of 12? So people will have to buy 3 packs of hot dogs and 2 of hot dogs buns, hereby promoting imperial production of course! Ketchup sold separately!"
File:Strolling Emperor.jpeg|Having him look at you like this is a reliable indicator of how soon people are going to start referring to you in past-tense.
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* The [[Imperium]], for the empire he founded.
* [[Malcador the Sigillite]], the Emperors best bro.
* The [[Primarch|Primarchs]], the Emperors "sons".
* [[Sigmar]], his [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]] and [[Age of Sigmar]] counterpart (especially in the latter).
* [[Emperor's To-Do List]]
[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/25959559/ This thread] which makes the Emperor even cooler.
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device]]
* [[Heresy from the Emprah’s point of view]]
{{Imperium}}

[[Category:40k and Fantasy Gods]][[Category:Awesome]]

Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins

2020-02-07T21:07:28Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[Image:The Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A sketch of the Twins. Gennifer in the background, Laurie with her trusty pistol in the fore.]]
'''Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove''' and '''Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove''' are heroic NPCs from the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Ravenloft]]. Identical twins, the two are the self-established heirs to Dr. [[Van Richten]] as the foremost monster hunters within the [[Demiplane of Dread]], with their particular focus being on publishing the [[Van Richten's Guide]]s that assist others in battling the creatures of the night.

==Meta-History==
When Dr. [[Van Richten]] was functionally killed off at the end of the [[Ravenloft]] adventure "[[The Bleak House]]", [[TSR]] needed somebody to replace him as their in-universe author of choice. The Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins, nieces of Van Richten's close friend George Weathermay, were created to fill that role. They made their narrative debut in the Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendiums; a trio of collective editions of the original [[Van Richten's Guide]]s, including the never-before-printed Van Richten's Guide to [[Witch]]es.

Come 3rd edition, and the twins stepped out of their predecessor's shadows more. They wrote three entirely new Van Richten's Guides, covering the [[Walking Dead]], the [[Shadow Fey]], and the Mists of Ravenloft (although that last one was never printed, instead being released to the internet after [[White Wolf]] lost the rights to Ravenloft). They also wrote Van Richten's Arsenal, a sort of beginner's guide/how-to book for monster hunting in general. It was here that their backstories and game stats were revealed.

==The Characters==
Laurie and Gennifer were born to a minor Mordentish nobleman named Daniel Foxgrove and his wife Alice, the only daughter of Mordent's unofficial leader, Lord Jules Weathermay. Sadly, their mother died in childbirth, leaving them to be brought up by the grieving young widower. As children, they idolized their monster-hunting uncle George Weathermay, and likewise his close friend; Dr. Van Richten, growing up determined to follow in their footsteps and battle the creatures of the night.

Not even early tragedies, such as Gennifer being bitten by a female werewolf named Natalia who had seduced George as a patsy to try and assassinate Van Richten, nor George's subsequent withdrawal from the twins, nor Van Richten's own mysterious disappearance, dissuaded them from their goals. At the "present" of the books being written, the two have moved into Van Richten's former shop and been promoting themselves as monster hunters for a period of about five years, although their reputation as amateurs is proving somewhat slow to dissipate. Well aware of their individual inexperience and weakness, they have actively cultivated allies amongst like-minded individuals throughout the Core, and they have memorized Van Richten's principles that research, patience and planning are the keys to triumphing over monsters.

Laurie is the more boisterous sister, always eager for action and a skilled duelist. Gennifer is more reserved and insightful, having instead focused on studying Van Richten's library and honing a talent for arcane magic. In 3e, Laurie is an [[Expert]] 2/[[Fighter]] 3, whilst Gennifer is an [[Expert]] 3/[[Wizard]] 2.

==Dark Secrets==
Unbeknownst to either twin, they have not gone as untouched by the darkness of the [[Demiplane of Dread]] as they believe.

Firstly, George Weathermay has distanced himself because he is convinced that Gennifer is a latent infected [[werewolf]], as a result of Natalia's bite; he has no idea what will trigger her transformations, but knows that Natalia both knows this ''and'' can force her infected progeny to transform whenever she wishes. As such, he has dedicated himself to finding Natalia, forcing her to reveal this information, and then killing her. Whether or not George is actually correct in this belief is presented as a "Dread Possibility" - a bit of flexible canon that may or may not be true as the DM prefers. This may stem from the opening fiction to [[Books of S|The Book of Sorrows netbook]], in which George uses a rare flower (and Gennifer's reaction to it) to confirm her infected state.

Secondly, they are unaware of the existence of Lord Wilfred Godefroy, the [[ghost]]ly [[Darklord]] of Mordent - and, more importantly, they are unaware that he has their mother's soul amongst his legion of ghostly minions, which he is using to force their father to serve him to protect his wife's ghost.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Ravenloft]]

Black Ships

2020-02-07T21:00:10Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[File:Black_ship.jpg|center|500px]]

The [[Imperium of Man]] has two fleets of '''Black Ships'''. They are both separate from the [[Imperial Navy]], and they are both bad news to [[heretics]] and [[mutant]]s, but they operate under separate jurisdictions.

== Adeptus Astra Telepathica ==
The "League of Black Ships" is the second-largest armed fleet in the galaxy, after the [[Imperial Navy]]. They fall under the purview of the [[Adeptus Astra Telepathica]], and its function is to gather [[psykers]] for [[Soul bound|processing]] on [[Terra]]. They stop at a planet and tell the governor to hand over all the psykers he has as part of the [[Imperial Tithe]]. {{Blam|'''OR ELSE.'''}} [[File:Psyker Towers.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Your lovely accommodations on your free pilgrimage to Holy Terra. This particular example is fused with a Space Hulk infested with [[Genestealers]]. [[Dwarf Fortress|Enjoy your stay.]]]]

Because of the extreme volatility of their cargo, every cell is heavily shielded and warded; even then, sanity-blasting horror awaits those who enter, and the fates of those gathered is almost inevitably painful death of one form or another. Crews of Black Ships are stringently tested and monitored for any possible spark of psychic potential and are routinely mind-scrubbed to limit any corrupting exposure from the tainted cargo that the ships carry.

It transpires that a significant portion of the defunct [[Sisters of Silence]] found employ in the Black Fleet after their dissolution following the [[Horus Heresy]], considering it was always part of their function prior to the civil war, it makes sense that enough of them would remain to continue the role, even after the organisation was disbanded. The fact that they never received a mention up until the return of [[Roboute Guilliman]] could be attributed to the level of secrecy afforded to the Black Fleets in general; virtually no-one outside of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica knows how large the fleet is, or the route of planets that they take. Additionally, very few outside individuals are ever accommodated passage on a Black Ship, only the Inquisition or other high ranking individuals such as Space Marines or Sisters of Battle may ever be allowed to board, and only at the discretion of the captain.

Their journeys can be long, but there are so many in service, and so many being brought into service all the time, that there is a constant stream of thousands of psykers arriving at Terra every day.

While they are only ever a background organization in the fluff, their importance to the Imperium is paramount, not least due to the fact that they harvest potentially dangerous and untrained psykers from across the galaxy. But if the flow of psykers to Terra was to ever stop or slow down, the [[Astronomican]] would eventually fade out due to its constant need for replenishment. Additionally, the Golden Throne itself would cease functioning, as its own separate need for psychic sacrifices need to be met. In fact, since M36 the number of psykers required has increased four-fold since the Emperor's entombment. Combine that with the Great Rift splitting the Imperium in half, thus leaving only half an Imperium's worth of psykers to reliably harvest and transport back to Terra, and the Black Fleet is more busy now than ever before to keep the Astronomican supplied. Although considering the fleet only visits a planet about once every hundred years, it is pretty safe to say that the amount of unsanctioned psykers produced by planets is not the limiting factor on how many psykers arrive on Terra for sanctioning.

Not all psykers "acquired" in this manner are [[Golden Throne|sacrificed]], mind you. Those who don't go insane on the ride to Terra, or those who are exceptionally powerful, are often sanctioned and sent to fight amongst the Imperial Guard or alongside the Inquisition in one of its many arms. Those that are not the very cream of the crop but still good enough to serve end up as [[Astropath]]s. Many of these psykers are collected as children, too, because if they are powerful or stable enough, they will be more impressionable and easier to indoctrinate and unlike older ones, the strongest of youngsters can be handed over to a Space Marine Chapter to undergo the trials to become a [[Librarian]] (Or for the really exceptional ones, part of the [[Grey Knights]]).

[[Navigator]]s are not collected on Black Ships: Despite being psykers of a sort, their lineage is carefully cultivated by the Navigator Houses, which are tightly bound to the service of the various institutions of the Imperium. Since their genes are recessive and vanish after one generation of interbreeding with baseline humans means that Navigators simply do not arise on worlds where they do not already hold sway, and ''never'' as random mutations. Rogue Navigators ''do'' happen, both as individuals and as entire houses running renegade, but in those cases they are just as likely to get {{BLAM}} for forsaking their mandated duties. This all means that the worlds where the Black Ships visit are not likely to even have any Navigators to hand over for processing.

== Inquisition ==
[[Inquisitor]]s usually get around by seizing other peoples' ships, but the [[Inquisition]] does maintain a fleet of its own special ships. These Black Ships are rather like the archetypal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_helicopter Black Helicopters] of conspiracy theory fame: though rarer than their military cousins, they are specially-built to be faster, quieter, and deadlier, and employed for sinister purposes.

In battle, most of these ships have their running lights turned off and go to minimal power emissions, contrary to Imperial Navy warships which turn on all their lights and have their weapon systems clearly swiveling and powering up to be more intimidating. Though few have actually witnessed a Black Ship in battle, conflicting reports say they are usually of a class of vessel mimicking the oldest designs (horizontally oriented instead of vertical, and without the distinctive armored prow of 41st millennium Imperial Navy ships, basically the kind Chaos fleets use most of the times), and painted as black as the space they sail through. They state that at one moment a Black Ship will appear to be completely defenseless, then quick as blink, suddenly bristle with weapon and lance batteries, as well as types of weapons not conventionally employed by Navy ships.

Most of the time they are parked over a planet where an Inquisitor is performing a high-profile and important investigation, both to intimidate the local population and to perform [[Exterminatus]] when push comes to shove. Inquisitors tend to tag along on the other sort of Black Ships as well, even though they are legally under the control of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. This lets them keep an eye on the tremendously-dangerous cargo and inspect any worlds tithed along the way.

== Other uses of the term ==
Black Ship was a term used that the Japanese to refer to western ships between the 16th to 19th centuries, in particular it was used to describe steamships which began to appear in the 19th century, including those of Commodore Perry's fleet in 1854.
The Black Fleet is the assumed name of the ancient Greek warfleet from the legendary Trojan War in Homer's recounting of it, the Illiad.

{{Imperium}}

Korobokuru

2020-02-07T20:58:44Z

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The '''korobokuru''' are a race of savage, wilderness-dwelling [[dwarf]]-like humanoids from the ''[[Oriental Adventures]]'' splatbook for [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. They have only appeared in that specific sourcebook, in both its 1st edition original release for [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 1e and in its 3e re-release.

Mythologically, the korobokuru are probably based on an alternative spelling for the Koro-pok-guru, a race of small, benevolent, wilderness-dwelling yokai from the mythology of Japan's native Ainu people.

In D&D, the korobokuru is literally a Japanese dwarf, standing in company to the [[Spirit Folk]], who fill the role of "Japanese [[Elf]]". Although one could argue they are more of a reskinning of [[gnome]]s or [[halflings]]. In fact, they're outright stated as being "Oriental Dwarves" in the 1e ''Oriental Adventures''.

Korobokuru stand about 4 feet tall, although their propensity to being bowlegged can make them look shorter, even though their arms and legs are notedly longer in proportion than human's would be. Leaner than dwarves, they have small, pointed ears, round noses with flattened nostrils, wide, full lips, big bright eyes that are typically blue, green or brown, and thick hair on their heads and limbs. They aren't very good at growing beards, though, for some reason. Korobokuru tend to look wild and unkempt, favoring simple and rustic outfits in dull, earthen tones; such garb is usually well-worn, but always kept clean.

Culturally, korobokuru are essentially very rustic peasantfolk. They mostly live in simple villages or camps in the wilderness, anywhere from lakes to mountainsides to valleys and forests, where they make a living by farming and hunting. Stereotyped as rude, belligerent, boastful and somewhat comical, korobokuru resent this, but don't do much to disprove it. Most are quite content to live a humble life, attending to their daily tasks, making simple artwork (painting and cut, carved or otherwise sculpted wood and stone), telling wildly fanciful stories, and collecting treasure.

==1e==
::+1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
::Maximum Ability Scores: Strength 19, Dexterity 18, Constitution 19, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 17, Charisma 16
::Minimum Ability Scores: Strength 8, Dexterity 6, Constitution 12, Intelligence 3, Wisdom 3, Charisma 3
::Racial Class & Level Limits: [[Samurai]] 6, [[Barbarian]] 10, Bushi Unlimited, [[Wu jen]] 7, [[Rogue|Yakuza]] 10
::Racial saving throw bonus to saves vs. Rod/Staff/Wand/Spells equal to +1 for every 4.5 points of Constitution.
::+1 to hit bakemono, goblins, goblin rats, and hobgoblins.
::Giants, oni, ogres, ogre magi and titans suffer a -4 penalty to hit a korobokuru.
::Infravision 120 feet
::66% chance to recognize and identify any normal plant or animal

==3e==
::+2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
::Small
::Base land speed 20 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. poison.
::+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. spells and spell-like effects.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[goblin]]oids (including bakemono and goblin rats).
::+4 dodge bonus against [[giant]]s.
::+2 racial bonus on Wilderness Lore checks.
::Favored Class: [[Barbarian]]

==See Also==
*[[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition races]]

{{D&D2e-Races}}

[[Category: Monsters]]

St. Angelica's Boarding School for the Strange: Student and Teacher List

2020-02-07T20:58:24Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

==Fa/tg/uys==

===Students===

'''Annabelle Tomie:''' A loli, fast friends with Ivan. Later his lover and flagpole of freedom.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49069408

Finkin Joe/Kintaro Oe

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49076221

'''Urist McDorf''': Dwarf student, Subbed the Dueling 101 class, Attacked other students with dummies, created the spaghetti that killed all. Main Antagonist.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49070764

Nokzam Gostanglibash/CHIKN404

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49091144

Ray/Cheza492

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49101170

'''Squirgzl Thrblthorpe''': Ilithid Straight Man. His head asplode.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49101259

'''Thanatia Drewid Myrhan''': Snarky Necromancer that is closeted Lesbian. Died after being shot, dueling a Lich, then allowing herself to be sucked into The Bag.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49101550

Yuhiko Moonsilver/TheImmortalYuna

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49101778

McKenna Swiftrip/DollarTheif

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49102859

Lehannan Sithe/MachinaMaxima

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49102659

'''Urist Mchammerer:''' A kindly dorf. Later died via being exploded by violent anal pasta rape.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49103894

'''Unknown''': TOO EDGY TO BE NAMED. Possible romantic inclination towards brown elves.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=20#p49109449

'''Ivan Dmitri Strelnikov:''' GLORIOUS PROTAGONIST. Is Slavic to the point of insanity. Had sex with a loli and survived the pastapocalypse.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=20#p49112425

Hienrich Klutz/mugenkira

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=120#p49129925

'''Coda Columna''' Old brown elf, likes Catullus. Wants 'Unknown Drow" dick.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=190#p49143261

'''Grozzbit''': A Grot Squig-Herder, fond of explosions. Died with his friend Harold.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=190#p49143475

'''Mag Krakskal "Harold" Graghuk Ezkwire:''' The Jay to Grozzbit's (not so) Silent Bob. Died in his attempt to escape the pasta death.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=190#p49143352

Balrick/Uber

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=210#p49144423

'''Vyra:''' A Trap Cat-Girl, died doing what he loved: raping nine-year-olds.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=210#p49144607

Jon Darkflame/kilbert

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=220#p49145310

===Teachers===
'''Minora Anya''': The elegant and mostly out of character English, Art, Fantastic Beats and Races; the study of, and Herbology teacher. She can speak to animals and poatatoes and help plants grow. She hates dwarves with a passion and always talks about her life in the Elf Kingdom. Played by forum insider and OP.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&p=49068236#p49070080

'''Cornelius "The Commissar Noblebright''': The Cooking and World Religion teacher, Ex-Gourmet Chef and paladin.
Has a deep resent for reading, Dark Elves and French people, Heretics and French Heretics. In that order. Owns a cat called Creed.

==Natives==

===Students===

Jaylon, Ahadi/ΣΘ+RS

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49102103

'''Hikome Mio/photos-are-memories NATIVE ***''' - Was raped by Trapcat

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=40#p49117309

That Fucking Hobbit

===Teachers===

'''Mr. Slate''': Roy Fucking Mustang. Is likely not a real teacher. Spends time "teaching" jacking off in bathroom. Was shot to death by Ivan and his corpse reanimated by Thanatia, before being assumably violated and ripped apart by spaghetti.

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1618949&start=10#p49103864

==NPCs==

'''Potatoes''' - They are Potatoes

'''Potacidor''' - A Golem made out of Potatoes and Acid. Eventual fate unknown.

==Endgame==
Endgame was the final phase of the game. There was spaghetti.
The thread was then locked, and all users were banned.
http://www.mediafire.com/?fpb1szalhrzc4b6 contains the archive.

Jina

2020-02-07T20:58:04Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

A '''Jina''' is the rank a Wan Kuei attains after spending some time as a disciple. Normally this happens at the end of one's ''koa'', where a disciple finally experiences the state of ''ling'' after living the tenets of their chosen Dharma.

When this happens, their minds and body open to a greater degree of power and magic. This flash of enlightment, the first understanding of their potential and the ways to control it, is a major accomplishment for a disciple.

Becoming a jina is a profound event among the Wan Kuei, as this brings additional social status and responsibilities. At this point many are assigned their own disciples to train, to ensure the future of the Court and its ideals.

==Meta==

Jina are Kuei-jin who managed to attain ranks 4 to 5 in their Dharma. This is normally the point where characters gradually cease becoming wandering troubleshooters for a Court, and will ''have'' to play the political game, if only to avoid having the local [[Mandarin]] on your case for insubordination.

[[Category:White Wolf]]
[[Category:Kindred of the East]]
[[Category:World of Darkness]]
[[Category:Vampire: The Masquerade]]

Dragon Ball PNP RPG

2020-02-07T20:57:25Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

{{WTF}}
{{Stub}}

[[File:DBZ RPG.jpg‎|200px|thumb|left|This is real. This actually exists.]]
[[File:DBZ Ki Attacks.png|200px|thumb|right|It's not as stupid as it could be.]]

There are times when something can [[FAIL|completely fail utterly]], and yet still, somehow, manage to be [[Awesome]].

'''''Dragon Ball Z: The Anime Adventure Game''''' is one such thing.

Essentially a PNP RPG that allows the players to rampage through the DBZ universe, the hilariously robust DBZ RPG features rulesets for everything from making your own beam attacks to making a wish on the titular Dragon Balls. The amount of attention given to basically everything in it shows a level of dedication (and possible autism) that would only be possible from a group of insane fa/tg/uys who ate too much meatbread and then binged on the entire first three seasons of the anime. It's actually notable for being one of the first western works to get a ''ton'' of [[Fluff|fluff]] about the series right, from how the series handles time travel to how the Androids worked.

The main game covers from the original Dragon Ball up through the Saiyan invasion plot from Dragon Ball Z. Splatbooks exist covering the sagas to follow, with one book covering the Frieza Saga on Namek, and another the Android/Cell Saga. As a whole the thing doesn't take itself too seriously and just focuses on being stupid fun. Because of this, it's beloved by some fa/tg/uys and ca/tg/irls, if only for the same reason that [[Grimdark Songwriting|Sayla Ork]] was a thing.

The game itself is notorious for a number of hilarious rules mostly for the sake of amusing your friends, including a rule where someone making a special attack gets a small bonus (for good RPing) if they have the balls to actually make the ridiculous poses and yells of the attack during the session. Several have argued that this makes it the perfect RPG to play with drunk friends.

{{RTG-RPGS}}

[[Category:Weeaboo]]

The Brotherhood of Nod

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{{/vg/}}

Brotherhood of Nod is a Terrorist Organization/Freedom Fighter Group that appears in the series of PC games of Command and Conquer franchise. They begun as numerous terrorist groups, private corporations, religious sects, and mercenaries that have combined to form a para-military power rivaling the global superpowers. Initially, Nod capitalized heavily on the Tiberium research and technology, using their capability to use it for resource harvesting to quickly gain financial advantage over opposing forces. Through bribery, weapon dealing, and plain old fanaticism/reaching out to the poor, needy, and downtrodden of the world, Nod have created a power-base that allowed their leader, [[Kane]], to begin a war to bring down the governmental structures all across the globe in the mad dash for power/freedom and respite from the tyranny of the corrupt and militarized western government. Despite the Nod's constant failure to bring down [[GDI]]'s control of the world (no thanks to their leader's constant love of giving Ion Cannon blasts a good hug), Nod holds a sizable presence on the outskirts of GDI's territories, festering within the nations that the GDI is incapable to assist due to lack of resources/gathering the faithful for the final strike against the entrenched, stagnant evil of the GDI's oppression of the world.

Technologically, Nod is a lot like Cobra from G.I. Joe. Except, you can actually take them seriously - and you probably should. Nod's ranks are filled with fanatical meat for the grinder/loyal servants as well as dangerous, deranged, and cruel individuals/those who are capable of using any resources in their reach to further the Kane's cause. In addition to their covert and espionage capabilities, Nod holds control over such technologies as Visual Stealth, Tiberium and Laser Weaponry, as well as direct access to otherworldly technology rumored to be originating from the alien race of Scrin (a half-confirmed assumption, really). Also Cyborgs and AI, which have ended up going all Terminator on collective human asses, before they have been [[Space Station 13|eMagged]] through correct use of explosives. Unfortunately their vehicle designs are more based around looking than functionality, probably another part of why GDI keeps beating them, they practicality over theatricality.

Tend to wear cool uniforms. Even GDI will agree to that.

Aristocrat

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{{dnd-stub}}

The '''Aristocrat''' was one of several NPC Classes introduced in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] 3rd edition. They have an unusual combination of decent (4+int) skills and proficiency with everything but exotic weapons but with only medium BAB which oddly enough makes the class fit minor [[Samurai]], who trained in martial skill as a matter of class, better than European nobles (for whom swordplay was a popular but not universal hobby). [[Noble|Nobles]] tend to belong to this NPC class, but could also serve as an officer to a group of [[Warrior]]s.

Unsurprisingly, they also have the highest starting gold of any 3.5e class.
==See Also==
[[Noble]]
{{D&D3-Classes}}

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Game Mechanics]]

Myrmidia

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A goddess in [[Warhammer Fantasy]] worshiped by the men of [[Tilea]] and [[Estalia]], as well as the [[Empire]] in a reduced capacity. She's an outright knockoff of Athena, being a goddess of strategy and the chain of command. Her followers are usually rivals of the main gods of the setting ([[Ulric]] and [[Sigmar]] respectively), who are mainly about going on human WAAAGH!s against [[Chaos]] worshipers and the Undead. She is the daughter of [[Morr]], the human god of the dead, and [[Verena]], the goddess of justice and scholars. Her sister is [[Shallya]], goddess of mercy and healing. She has no 40k analogue.

{{Empire-Gods}}

Warkoptas

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[[File:IA_Warkopta.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Warkopta unloading its cargo of Boyz.]]
The Warkoptas also known as the Chinorks are large troop-carrying rotary aircraft used by Ork Warbands and is the [[Deffkoptas]] bigger brother. Warkoptas are geared less towards raining destruction down upon the enemy and more towards delivering as many Boyz to the battlefield as possible. It is a combination gunship, aerial transport, heavy lift and long range reconnaissance vehicle. So think of it as a Space Marine [[Thunderhawk]] or a Imperial [[Valkyrie]].

These intricate and more than slightly crazed flying machines are favoured by Ork Kommandos in order to get behind enemy lines with the added bonus of being able to shout insults at the footsloggers down below as they fly over their heads. They are also popular with Goffs who use them to deal with those tricky-to-kill fliers. Unfortunately like its smaller cousin the Warkopta suffers from an [[Fail|open cockpit meaning that it is highly easy for the pilot to get sniped out of the air and killing every single Orkboy housed in its compartment]] [[FATAL|or the pilot may accidentally raise his head too high and the rotary blade will cleanly lob his head off.]]

Ork Big Meks consider Warkoptas as a more prestigious accomplishment due to their large size and complexity for Orks. They feature two huge rotor blades at either end of a long open fuselage, with a cluster of rokkit jets on one side and a steering system on another. Though they are primarily designed around troop transportation, they none the less pack a heavy armament of twin-linked Deffguns, a nose-mounted Big Shoota. Some of them may feature a Skorcha, Rokkit Launcha or Kustom Mega-Blasta instead of Big Shoota or even powerful twin-linked Rattler Kannon instead of the Deffguns. Some Meks equip Warkoptas with Big Bombs. Warkoptas are usually deployed in squadrons up to three vehicles, sometimes with support of Deffkoptas.

{{Template:Orks-Forces}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]

Thaddeus

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[[File:Thaddeus.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sergeant Thaddeus showing off hairesy to rival any marine.]]

==Overview==
A [[Blood Ravens| Blood Raven]] [[Assault Squad| assault marine sergeant]], Thaddeus is a confirmed hairetic, almost to the level of [[Blood Ravens Force Commander| Commander Hairgel]]. He is the first recruit from the hive world Meridian in centuries, having been drawn from the underhive gangs; this may in fact explain his ridiculous hairdo.

Serving in the commander's strike force, he is notably the youngest member, being only 80 or so when the events of [[Dawn of War II]] occur. (And as you can see, "young" is relative given he's old enough for a bus pass in ''our'' world.) This means that he spends a lot of time discussing what it's like to become one with the chapter, and acts as the naive new guy, in contrast to the cynicism of [[Cyrus]] and [[Avitus]]. Opinions vary on the quality of his speeches, given that they lack the [[Grimdark|grimdark]] of Avitus or the [[Manly Marines|manliness]] of Tarkus.

==Dawn of War II Story==
Thaddeus first appears in DOW II, joining your commander early on, although not in the first mission, as Avitus, Tarkus, and Cyrus do. He's notable for butting heads with Avitus over the latter's disdain for civilians and [[Imperial Guard| guardsmen]], and to some extent annoying Cyrus by ruining the scout sergeant's cynicism. Tarkus does his best to mentor him in the ways of being an Astartes.

Thaddeus remains much the same in [[Chaos Rising]], showing his love for the common man by gaining corruption if not deployed on a mission to save the hab-spires of Meridian. If he ends up betraying your squad, he reveals that he made a bargain with [[Ulkair]] to allow the Litany of Fury to triumph against the hive mind, and attempts to "save" you by jumping on top of your heads and inserting a chainsword into your orifices. The former portion of this is almost certainly bullshit, as [[Jonah Orion]], who actually defeated the hive mind, noted that he felt no daemonic presence there. Which means that Chaos duped him into thinking his bargain was what led you to victory and took advantage of how he was too naive to realize he had been tricked.

He does not reappear in [[Dawn of War II#Retribution| Retribution]]. The common assumption is that he was sent alongside Hairgel into exile, or on a crusade of penitence into the Eye of Terror. Alternatively they may just be working with Angelos directly and thus out of sight.

==Gameplay==
Thaddeus is relatively good at melee, and with the right build can be made invulnerable for a while while assault jumping on everything. This naturally becomes even more effective when he is given a good suit of terminator armor and a thunder hammer/storm shield combo, which also aids his staying power. Because Primarch difficulty turns marines into guardsmen, given how everyone in your squad dies the moment an enemy bops them on the head, making melee combat very ill-advised, it is viable to spec Thaddeus for short-ranged combat. By equipping him with grenades or satchel charges and flamers, having him funnel enemy troops into a single area by using his assault jump, and then throwing explosives at them while they're still reeling then cut down the survivors en masse with your flamer (And you gain another one by getting his veteran upgrade); Thaddeus can be an effective 1-shot ambush unit.

Thaddeus's main drawback is that he is incredibly fragile for a melee unit, and higher difficulties will lead to him getting murdered by just about everything, since he can't tank worth a damn. In addition, he doesn't get the ability to use items for energy in [[Chaos Rising]], which gimps him even more. On the whole, Cyrus, Hairgel, and [[Davian Thule]] are far better at dealing with enemies in cover, and the latter two are far more capable in melee as well. Like Avitus, a perfectly adequate unit that is outclassed by cheese.

Another point of view: In Terminator armor and with his melee tree upgraded in Chaos Rising, his strike becomes a short range teleport explosion that gibs and kills everything including building and tanks. With his berserker trait he can spam this attack out four times in a row and the only thing that barely survives that is a end-level boss. If you don't want to mess around with Cyrus unmanly cloak-and-proximity-mines bullshit. Take Thaddeus for shock and awe.

Yet another point of view: Chapter's Fury allows Thaddeus to repeatedly pull off abilities within a span of seconds in a short burst. With the proper upgrades to Assault Jump, he can essentially leapfrog from foe to foe after tanking damage. All this while he and his squad heals up, and send their foes down helplessly on landfall. This makes him a burst damage and stun machine.

In Chaos Rising he can upgrade his squad to Vanguard Veterans, improving their stats and equipment. By default, one of his squadmates gets a Power Fist and Plasma Pistol and the other gets a Lightning Claw and Bolt Pistol. If Thaddeus uses a ranged weapon (Bolter, Flamer, Plasma Gun) one uses a Plasma Gun and the other a Flamer.

==Codex Thaddeus==
Now you too can include this fella into your Blood Ravens army for either Assault Marines, Vanguard Veterans or Assault Terminators.

{| class=wikitable
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Thaddeus''' || 100 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 5 || 4 || 10 || 3+
|}

'''Unit Type''':
* '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''Unit Composition''':
* '''1 Unique'''

'''Wargear''':
* '''Sword of Absolution''': Can be swapped for the Emperor's Light or Vengeful Edge of the Fallen for 10 pts, Gauntlet of Ferrus Manus or the Talons of Faith for 15 pts. If Thaddeus chooses to take Daeus' Tomb, then any of these weapons are replaced with the Talons of Lebes-Nerais, which can be further replaced with The Shield and Thunder of Lyonis.
* '''Ancient Bolt Pistol''': Can be swapped for Pistol of Idaeus for 15 pts. If Thaddeus takes the Talons of Faith, then he can swap the Ancient Bolt Pistol for either Sinister for free, or the Traitor's Sidearm for 15 pts. Alternatively Thaddeus can additionally take a Combat Shield for 5 pts, or a Storm Shield for 10 pts (thus removing any ranged weapons he has). If the Talons of Faith are equipped, then Thaddeus may replace his ranged weapon (along with the Combat Shield if it was taken)/Storm Shield for the Gauntlet of Ferrus Manus.
* '''Power Armour''': Can be swapped for The Barding of Jordanos for 10 pts or Daedus' Tomb for 20 pts. If he chooses the latter, then Thaddeus must be part of a Assault Terminator Squad.
* '''Inspiring Oath of Loyalty'''
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''
* '''Blind Grenades''': See Defensive Grenades.
* '''Jump Pack'''

'''Special Rules''':
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear'''
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': As per the rules for all Chapters who do not know their primogenitor Chapter, the Blood Ravens do not have a unique Chapter Tactic. Instead, the player can elect to use any existing Chapter Tactics from Codex: Space Marines and any Forge World supplements.
* '''Counter Attack (Sword of Absolution and Talons of Lebes-Nerais only)'''
* '''Crusader (The Barding of Jordanos Only)'''
* '''Preferred Enemy (Chaos) and Hatred (Slaanesh) (Gauntlet of Ferrus Manus Only)'''
* '''Eternal Warrior (Daedus' Tomb Only)'''
* '''It Will Not Die (Daedus' Tomb Only)'''
* '''Assault Superiority''': Despite being young for Space Marine standards, Thaddeus is a master of assault tactics and always uses his skills to the fullest. When Deep Striking while being part of an Assault Marine or Vanguard Veteran squad, Thaddeus and the squad he leads never disperse and automatically succeed when rolling on the Deep Strike table. Additionally due to his skills in the use of his Jump Pack, Thaddeus and his squad have Move Through Cover USR, as well the ability to either move or assault the same turn they arrive via Deep Strike. If he takes Daeus' Tomb and becomes part of a Assault Terminator Squad, then he loses the Move Through Cover USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Sword of Absolution''' || - || +1 || 5 || Melee
|}
* '''Sword of Absolution''': Space Marines wield this mighty chainsword in acts of penance. With each killing blow, the sword is said to judge its wielder against his fallen enemy. The Sword of Absolution is a Chainsword with the profile listed below. Additionally it grants the Counter Attack USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Vengeful Edge of the Fallen''' || - || +1 || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Precision Strikes, Traitor's Death
|}
* '''Vengeful Edge of the Fallen''': Many Blood Ravens were lost when the Warp storms struck Aurelia. Among the frozen dead littering its surface, one disfigured marine held a still thrumming power sword. Never having struck its mark, it is with great honor that its new bearer would avenge that fallen brother with the blood of renegades.
** '''Traitor's Death''': Thaddeus re-rolls all failed To Hit and To Wound against Chaos Space Marines. Additionally Thaddeus's To Wound rolls on a 6 cause Instant Death.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Emperor's Light''' || - || +3 || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Rending, Unwieldy
|}
* '''Emperor's Light''': Fragmentary records of the Great Crusade record the great procession after the victory at the Joshua Octavis. It is said the [[Emperor]] Himself led the march and then extended his blessing upon the weapons of his assembled Space Marines. This ancient axe was there and still resonates with His power, turning back the blows of the Enemies of Man.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Gauntlet of Ferrus Manus''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Armourbane, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon
|}
* '''Gauntlet of Ferrus Manus''': The forge masters of the Iron Hands chapter created this great power fist in reverence for their [[Primarch]] [[Ferrus Manus]]. Legend has it that a fragment of the slain Primarch's metallic flesh is ensconced in this mighty fist, and that it yearns for vengeance upon Ferrus Manus's killer, the Daemon Prince [[Fulgrim]]. Additionally it grants the Preferred Enemy (Chaos), and Hatred (Slaanesh) USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Talons of Faith''' || - || User || 3 || Melee, Master Crafted, Shred, Specialist Weapon, Purifying Presence
|}
* '''Talons of Faith''': "Let mine claws pierce the flesh of the unbeliever as my faith shall pierce his soul." Bearing seals and icons of the Ecclesiarchy and the Adepta Sororitas, this gauntlet delivers holy fury to the enemies of Man.
** '''Purifying Presence''': Grants a purifying aura strong enough to wield either Sinister or the Traitor's Sidearm without being corrupted.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Talons of Lebes-Nerais''' || - || User || 3 || Melee, Shred, Rending, Specialist Weapon
|}
* '''Talons of Lebes-Nerais''': These revered weapons were used in the purging of a [[Genestealer]] cult in the Lebes-Nerais outpost. After felling thousands of xenos, the claws were returned to an artificer of the Imperial Fists, who repaired and sanctified the weapons. The Talons of Lebes-Neais are a pair of Terminator Lightning Claws with the profile below. Additionally they grant a +2 to I and the Counterattack USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''The Thunder of Lyonis''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Shred, Concussive, Unwieldy
|}
* '''The Shield and Thunder of Lyonis''': Veteran Lyonis held the Sirohi Pass alone against hordes of [[Tyranids]], allowing dozens of Space Marines and thousands of civilians to escape. These weapons were recovered from the pass after orbital cleansing. The Thunder of Lyonis is a Thunderhammer with the profile below. The Shield of Lyonis is a Storm Shield that grants a +1 to A on the charge.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Ancient Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || 4 || 5 || Pistol, Master-Crafted
|}
* '''Ancient Bolt Pistol''': Astartes Mk III. This sidearm allows Space Marines armed with a close combat weapon to deal damage while closing into melee.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Pistol of Idaeus''' || 12" || 7 || 2 || Pistol, Master Crafted, Gets Hot!
|}
* '''Pistol of Idaeus''': The Techpriests of Konor forged this plasma pistol in honor of the Ultramarine hero Idaeus, once commander of that chapter's Fourth Company.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Sinister''' || 12" || 4 || 4 || Pistol, Fleshbane
|}
* '''Sinister ''': Used in every Black Crusade launched by [[Abaddon the Despoiler]], this ancient bolt pistol has traded hands between Traitors and Loyalists numerous times. The Inquisition would see it destroyed, but somehow the weapon always finds its way back into use. Can only be used when the Talons of Faith are taken.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Traitor's Sidearm''' || 12" || 8 || 1 || Pistol, Melta, Soulblaze
|}
* '''Traitor's Sidearm''': This fearsome melta pistol was looted from the body of a Chaos champion. A deadly weapon when paired with a blade or axe, it nevertheless bears the taint of its original user. Can only be used when the Talons of Faith are taken.

* '''The Barding of Jordanos''': The finest achievement of Techmarine Isak Jordanos, this artificer armor is lighter and more maneuverable than most power armor, but surrenders none of the protective qualities. The Barding of Jordanos is a Artificer Armour that grants the Crusader USR.

* '''Daedus' Tomb''': One of the Blood Ravens tasked with engaging the Tyranid swarm during the climatic mission on Typhon, Daedus fought for hours before falling to a mighty Carnifex, buying his comrades enough time to achieve victory. Daedus' Tomb is a Terminator Armor that grants the Eternal Warrior and It Will Not Die USR.

* '''Inspiring Oath of Loyalty''': "I am the Emperor's might made manifest. I am his will and fury. Let all those who oppose the Imperium tremble before me." The Inspiring Oath of Loyalty is a Purity Seal that allows models in 12" of Thaddeus to use his Ld value when passing Morale, Fear and Pinning tests. Additionally enemy models in range have to take Ld based tests on a -1.

{{Marines-Characters}}
[[Category: Dawn of War]]

Ironweld Arsenal

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{{AoS-Stub}}
{{topquote|Your foe is well equipped, well-trained, battle-hardened. He believes his gods are on his side. Let him believe what he will. We have the tanks on ours.|Colonel Joachim Pfeiff, Krieg 14th Armoured Regiment}}

==What is the Ironweld Arsenal?==
With [[Age of Sigmar]] going more for a high fantasy vive than the original [[Warhammer Fantasy]], the attention of the forces of Order has moved from great engines of war to [[Stormcast Eternals|mystical golden warriors]]. However, that doesn't mean there is no place to good old gunpowder and steampunk weaponry. The '''Ironweld Arsenal''' aglutinate the forces of the Imperial Engineers School of Altdorf and the dwarven craftmaen that didn't go full [[Kharadron Overlords]]. This means that pretty much all old models that consisted of fantasy gunpoder weapons and some dwarf crafts are put here, probably because [[GW]] didn't think they would match well with the more magical tone of the series. Apparently they are dedicated to fortify the realms conquered by Sigmar once the Sigmarines leave the lands, alongside the dispossessed and the Free Peoples.

==Some of the models included here==

*Cogsmith
*Gunsmith
*Gyrobomber
*Gyrocopter
*Helblaster
*Helstorm
*[[Steam Tank]]

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

Arianka

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[[File:Arianka.jpg|350px|thumb|right|A modern representation of Warhammer's personification of pure laziness before being hit with a strong dose of magic sleeping drugs; art done by Ruoxin Zhang.]]
'''SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRREEEE'nd SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZE! - Arianka doing absolutely nothing worthwhile in her life''

==Introduction==
Arianka is the Goddess of discipline either militarily or maternal and is thus followed by her legion of fanboys and warriors. This would make her an enemy of Tzeentch and potentially Malal and a potential would-be girlfriend of Khorne, unfortunately for her, Khorne has already chosen [[Valkia the Bloody]] as his waifu.

==The Tzeentch Incident==
She is also Warhammer's Sleeping Beauty, this lazy bitch has been dozing off ever since [[Tzeentch]] found her to be a threat to his grand designs of lulz; he lured her and then trapped her inside of a coffin made of Laihtero, the rarest form of [[Gromril]] which resembles a crystal that constantly emits soft light (How the Goddess of Discipline fell ''for that'', we have [[Derp|no fucking clue).]] Tzeentch then threw away the keys into the mortal planes and is now hidden somewhere like a really dickish game of Where's Waldo. The coffin itself was hidden beneath the [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Empire]] city of [[Praag]], capital of [[Kislev]]. Her sword Laihtendrung was also made of Laihtero.

Essentially, being the embodiment of all Discipline everywhere, she spends an ''awful'' lot of time lying around doing nothing disciplinary in nature thanks to Tzeentch's machinations. Which pretty much explains why the world is in such a fucked up state and why the redshirts can't even be trusted to [[Mordheim|skip a step]] or [[Blood Bowl|pass by someone]] without [[Fail|breaking their neck or running screaming when a cloud covers the sun]].

[[Kaleb Daark]], [[Malal|Malal's]] Champion, was tasked with killing her to prove his worth. He was lead to her coffin (which [[Skaven]] had previously tried to destroy via flamethrowers) and endeavored to find the keys to kill her although this was chapter three of a four chapter series (the fourth was never released) so he likely didn't succeed. This plot was never brought up again because of legal issues involving Malal although it makes Arianka the last of the Chaos Gods of Law to be mentioned and thus the most canon of the three.

How the [[End Times]] might have effected Arianka can only be speculated at. Did she die when the old world got nommed by Chaos? Is her coffin and keys now floating around in space, or have fallen into the nine realms? Who knows, though since there hasn't been so much as a peep out of ''any'' of the Gods of Law in Age of Sigmar so far, odds aren't looking good.

<gallery>
Image:Arianka Old Art.jpg|Waiting for true love's WAAAGH.
Image:Arianka Vision.jpg|Arianka revealed to [[Kaleb Daark]] in a vision.
Image:Arianka Skaven.jpg|Skaven encountering Arianka (she survives, the sarcophagus is strong enough to contain a fucking Chaos God after all).
</gallery>

{{Template:ChaosGods}}

Support Troop

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[[File:TB114.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Stat Card]]
==In Team Yankee==
The Recce Platoons of the 3rd Division are represented by the Queen's Dragoon Guards, albeit renamed to Support Troops. Composed of 3 or 4 infantry fireteams, the Recce Platoon's task was to serve as the sneaky-beaky eyes of the cavalry. While Scimitar and Scorpion troops would probe enemy lines for weakness in open ground, the Recce Platoon would do the same albeit in forests and other terrain features poorly suited for vehicles. This idea is only halfway represented; with the Recce Platoon lacking Scout or Spearhead but having historically correct armament (SLRs and a LAW or two). Recce Platoons would not need to be represented, as mechanized and airmobile units would have vehicular recon.

Costing a measly 4 points, Recce Platoons are exclusive to the Recce Squadron and can only be brought in once per squadron. More lightly equipped than the mechanized and airmobile platoons, the Recce platoon has two possible tasks: holding objectives (being too small and useless for offensives) or probing lightly defended forests. The task of engaging infantry can be handed over to the Spartans, whose GMPG fire can reliably pin small (<12 bases) units of infantry.

==In Real Life==
[[File:sasl.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Recce Team from the Falklands Conflict, possibly Royal Marines or SAS.]]
As with most armies, Recon (or "Recce" because they're British) Platoons were found in most light infantry battalions, with mechanized, air assault and armored infantry battalions having their own form of vehicular recon. Typically composed of the fittest men in the company, the task of the Recon Platoon was to scout ahead of the main force and observe enemy movement while remaining undetected. Most would also be given specialized training in SERE and survival, depending on their area of deployment. However, the British preferred the use of vehicles to conduct reconnaissance missions; relying on the Royal Armored Corps' cavalry regiments to deliver.

Different armies have interpreted the concept differently, with the Singapore Army giving its Recon platoons ATVs and motorcycles while the US Marines established Force Reconnaissance; infantry companies acting at the level of special operations forces. In true Soviet fashion, the 'Razvedka' or Recon soldiers were underequipped troops given a pair of binoculars and told to 'walk in that direction until you find the Capitalists'.

{{British Forces in Team Yankee}}

Clan Vrash

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Verminus '''Clan Vrash''' are a bragging lot, known for brandishing trophies of fallen foes on their backs and are currently fighting Clan Fang for supremacy over the Clans Verminus. That’s about all we know.

{{Skaven-Clans}}

Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Ynnari(7E)

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==Why Play Ynnari?==
'''Pros:'''
*You can finally field one big mega-detachment of Craftworld Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Harlequins - show these Imperials they do not have the exclusivity on mega-detachments!
*You are gonna dominate the field quite easily. No for real dude, do not go overboard with this faction since you can do a ton of OP combos.
*Finally DE can have a decent comeback and we can all forget about their ''codex''.
*If you want to go for a fluffy army, the Ynnari can be easily made to represent a ''reborn'' Aeldari Empire of sort that unifies forces from all of the old Eldar factions - in other words, go nuts with customization of units, colors etc; you could go overboard by representing all your units as provening from a different Craftworld/Kabal, and still be extremely fluffy.
'''Cons:'''
*People might simply not want to play you given the fact you are ''uber-cheesing'' an army by many considered OP (CE). I've seen people refuse to play against Ynnari at TOURNAMENTS. The player came in 3rd without rolling a die with 4 "incomplete's" on his sheet.
*TO might limit Ynnari at tourneys in the future, given the potentially gamebreaking combos you can make.
*People used to play CE will find that the Ynnari underperform when you try to play them similarly to CE - they are an infantry-heavy faction that plays extremely aggressively to make use of their unique rule Soulburst. This may (and will) make you radically change your playstyle.
*Remember that FAQ that said we couldn't put our units in allied transports before game start? Yeah, thanks to GW apparently units taken in a Ynnari force retain their original factions, which prevents you to (for example) deploy a unit of Wraithguard in a Raider. Of course if you want to play a long game you can still load them in turn 1.

==Special Rules==
===Factions of the Ynnari===
According to both the new Gathering Storm II FAQ and the book itself, the Ynnari are not a unified faction, so much as a union of the different Aeldari factions (Craftworld Eldar, Dark Eldar and Harlequins) that maintain their original faction, while at the same time getting a new one (the Ynnari one) and being allied at the level of Battle Brothers with each other.

What this means is that all the limitations put in place by the various FAQs released by GW apply - with special regard toward units embarking on Battle Brothers transports before deployment, which you still cannot do. The big exceptions to this rule are Yvraine, the Visarch and the Yncarne, all of which have only the Ynnari faction and can thus start the game embarked on any transport vehicle you can take in the Reborn Warhost/Ynnari formations. Note that this applies only to Ynnari tranports, and that they cannot start, for example, in a Raider taken as part of a Dark Eldar CAD (since in that case they would be Battle Brothers with the DE and not part of the same faction).

Moreover, note that you can take the three aforementioned units in any Aeldari faction detachment as if they were respectively a HQ or LoW of that faction (yup, this means Harlequins can take CAD/Allied detachments).

===Strength from Death===
Your units lose ''Ancient Doom'', ''Battle Focus'', and ''Power from Pain'', but gain this (note: they gain it whether or not they lost anything, so you get it on e.g. a Sslyth or Ur-Ghul). The new rule confers no direct special benefit on its own; your units are just as squishy as they were before. However, things get extremely interesting when people start dying.

Every time a unit. ''friend '''or''' foe'', '''is completely destroyed''' while within 7" of a non-vehicle unit that has this rule, then one of those units may ''immediately'' "Soulburst", which is a Move action, Shoot action, or Charge move as if it were the relevant phase, though a unit may only "Soulburst" once per turn.

This allows you to create some incredible chain reactions where units topple with spectacular effect. It is also not limited to your own turn, so your opponent may feel the sting when he destroys one of your squads, only to be [[Rape|charged by Howling Banshees, or fired at by Dark Reapers]], maybe also get destroyed and trigger another nearby unit to Soulburst, potentially causing an avalanche of destruction to his own army [[What|in his own turn]].

It can allow you to double tap units in the shooting phase. Say Fire Dragons destroy a transport within 7" of them? Not an uncommon occurrence. Well since they've legitimately destroyed a unit within range they may now immediately Soulburst and fire at the unlucky sods who just crawled out of the wreckage. [[Rape|Let's not get started on Wraithguard.]] Note that according to the new FAQ you cannot pick a unit that has one or more models in
base contact with an enemy model, that is Falling Back or that has Gone to Ground - just something to remember next time you make your squad Go to Ground to get a better cover save (not that this will happen often with this faction).

This of course encourages you to play infantry heavy armies, since vehicles cannot use the rule. It also encourages you to play your units close together to ensure you actually benefit when your own squads go down, where a savvy opponent might try and isolate and destroy your units piecemeal, lest the destruction of one unit spark a shitstorm of retribution on his ass.

Be warned against charging into pre-existing melee combats, as although your "Soulburst" charge move might have been out of sequence, the initiative order continues to resolve as before, '''"including for models in the charging unit"''', which if you ask most people means continuing to descend towards zero from whatever position it was before you charged. This means if you charge into combat after your initiative step is over, you will never get to swing, so you may be walking into a power fist with nothing to defend yourself with. This ''particularly'' includes ''Hammer of Wrath'' attacks, as most combat deaths occur at initiative 9 or lower. Note that if you charge in a combat using Soulburst, you cannot issue challenges.

[[Link title]]===Warlord Traits===

# '''Lord of Rebirth:''' Warlord has IWND. Meh. A decent way to make an Autarch or Farseer a bit more survivable, but frankly it is the worst WT of the bunch due the presence of the Visarch and Yvraine.
# '''Warden of Forgotten Wisdom:''' If your Warlord is a Psyker, [[Awesome|you may select your powers instead of rolling for them]]. So much potential in this. For example, get this on a Farseer dipping into Telepathy for Invisibility, every time. Or he/she can take Invisibility, Fortune and Forewarding to suddenly make any unilt look like a deathstar. Or just take Word of Phoenix and provide additional soulburst every turn. If your warlord isn't a psyker you re-roll this trait.
# '''Walker of Many Paths:''' Warlord can choose a USR that lasts until the next movement phase: Furious Charge, Hit & Run, or Move Through Cover. A good pick - it adds flexibility to your force, which is always a good thing.
# '''Master of Death:''' Roll a 6 to wound for any of your warlord's attacks and it gains the Instant-Death special rule.
# '''Ruthless Commander:''' Warlord and all Ynnari units within 7" have Fearless.
# '''Favoured of Ynnead:''' Warlord and their unit can make a Soulburst action within 14" instead of 7". Yvraine starts with this. A good WT all in all since it allows you to make use of Soulburst more often.

===Artefacts of Ynnead===
*'''Morag-Hai's Locket:''' If the model holding this slays one or more enemy models in close combat, regenerate a wound on a roll of 4+. Make your Eldar Lord into a Vampire Count.
**Solitaires become borderline broken with this. They have a tendency to burn bright and fast given their low Toughness, but the ability to heal wounds by killing things in close combat effectively plugs this weakness.
*'''Hungering Blade:''' Very situational. It is a ''Fleshbane'' weapon with no AP value. If the bearer kills an Aeldari model with this weapon then they recover '''all''' lost wounds. Meh.
**Alternately, giving this to a Harlequin Character (Read: Troupemaster) could be good. Same cost as a powersword, giving 5 WS6 Fleshbane attacks on the charge. Not something to sneeze at.
*'''The Lost Shroud:''' Turns your Eldar character into a tank. You get ''Eternal Warrior'', ''Feel No Pain'', and ''It Will Not Die''. However, like the Mantle of the Laughing God in 6th edition, it removes the Independent Character rule from the model, so they can only ever go it alone. Best used by models with a Jetbike or lone units like a Solitaire.
**Troupe Masters can also take this and have no Independent Character rule to lose, if you're keen on that sort of thing.
**Note that Farseers in the Seer Council formation cannot take this relic due to the new FAQ.
**This is perfect wargear for a Shadowseer from the Hero's Path Harlequin formation. It means the Shadowseer no longer cares so much if it gets hit by a S6 flamer template, or Vector Struck by a pissed-off Heldrake, and given that a Shadowseer from this formation can't join units anyway, losing the Independent Character special rule has no effect.
*'''Mirrorgaze:''' The wearer of this special helmet gets the ''Blind, Counter Attack'', and ''Night Vision'' rules.
*'''Song of Ynnead:''' 18" range S1 AP5 pistol that fires poisoned shurikens giving it the ''Poisoned (2+)'' and ''Bladestorm'' USR's. But also causes enemies to have hallucinations of vengeful spirits when victims are killed by it. Granting it the Death-Jestery special rule: ''Deathsong'': If a model is killed by this weapon, then its unit must take a morale check at the end of the shooting phase even if it's a Guard blob squad of fifty and you only kill 2% of the unit. Fun? '''''Fun.'''''
**Putting this on a Solitaire is a good way to finally use his BS9, as you can swap his haywire grenades (a ranged weapon according to the Harlequin codex) for the gun.
*'''Soulsnare:''' A one use psychic grenade. Can be thrown 8" and has a small blast. While it is only S3, it has AP2 and the ''Instant Death'' rule.

===Revenant Discipline Psychic Powers===
Any Psykers with the Aeldari/Ynnari faction can opt to roll on this power chart in addition to any disciplines they know. ''(Note: despite it being present in the leaked appendix from the enhanced edition, no unit actually has the "Terrors of the Warp" rule, so Ynnari Psykers use the Revenant discipline as normal.)''
*'''Primaris - Spirit Hook''' - WC1. 18" Focussed Witchfire that doesn't have a weapon profile. If your Leadership value is higher than the target then they suffer a single S6 hit. Otherwise they are struck at S3. No Armour or Cover saves are permitted ''(Invulnerable saves are though)'' and the power has no effect on vehicles.
#'''Shield of Ynnead''' - WC1. Blessing that targets the psyker - all friendly units within 7" get a 6+ invulnerable save if they do not already have an invuln save (new FAQ). Better than nothing; the doubt now is whether it can stack with Sanctic Daemonology's "Sanctuary" power for a 5+ due to the new wording.
#'''Storm of Whispers''' - WC1. A 9" S3 AP2 nova that shoots 2D6 times with ignores cover and pinning. Although it is hampered by short range and low strength, the potential for a high number ''(average = 7, noticing a theme?)'' of armour and cover ignoring shots is not to be sniffed at.
#'''Word of the Phoenix''' - WC2. Pick a friendly unit with ''Strength from Death'' within 24". That unit may immediately make a Soulburst action.
#*Consider this your uber form of "Vanhel's Dance Macabre" where you can rapidly get your units where they need to be. You've just moved, so move again... Or just get a free round of shooting if you're already close enough. No real point in getting a unit to charge during the psychic phase.
#'''Ancestor's Grace''' - WC2. A better form of the "Enhance" runes of battle power combined with "Will of Asuryan" from the runes of fate. It gives a friendly unit +1 on WS, BS, I, A & Ld, as well as ''Adamantium Will''.
#'''Unbind Souls''' - WC2. Another witchfire, this time 12" range with S4 and no AP value. Though you do fire a number of shots equal to the number of models in the target unit and if you cause ''any'' casualties then nearby units are eligible for a Soulburst, even if you didn't destroy the unit completely. See that skyblight swarm over there camping like a little bitch and laughing at you with its objective secured and respawn ability? Yeah now all those gargoyles are dust. Use against a Green tide formation if you want to lose Ork playing friends.
#'''Gaze of Ynnead:''' - WC3. 12" S10 AP1 Assault 1, Ignores Cover, and [[awesome|no Invulnerable saves can be taken against this power.]] While this pretty much a guaranteed wound, just bear in mind that it is WC3 for a single shot that can still miss or just cause 1 wound on T6+/Eternal Warrior model. Good power to have, but somehow situational due to many, many ways to deal with tough models already available to this army.

==Unit Analysis==
The gist of the Faction is that you get to use Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Harlequins units together. Since it would take a lot of effort to list all the units on here (as well as figure out which ones are better at which rolls), they are not yet added. In the meantime you can refer to their own articles to see what they're good at. We'll get to it where any new tactics for old units begin to stand out.

'''Eldar''' - [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Eldar(7E)]]
*'''Note:''' sadly you cannot use the Avatar of Khaine
'''Dark Eldar''' - [[Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Dark Eldar]]
*'''Note:''' you cannot take Mandrakes, Drazhar, or any unit from the Haemonculi Covens ''(Haemonculi, Wracks, Talos, Chronos, Grotesques)'' Also note that while you are losing PfP on all your units, you are getting Soulburst on '''all''' your units (even ones that did not have/lose PfP); while you hit harder as a result of the new special rules you are more fragile as a general rule.
'''Harlequin''' - [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Eldar Harlequins(7E)]]
*'''Note:''' You can finally play Harlequins in a CAD if you want, since you can include the Ynnari HQs in all Eldar factions.

===HQ===
*'''[[Yvraine|Yvraine, Herald of Ynnead]] FoBt:''' WS/BS/I8 with Eternal Warrior, Stubborn, and is a ML2 Psyker who gets D3 extra warpcharges only she can use thanks to her Gyrinx Familiar. She can dip into Daemonology (Sanctic) and Revenant powers. She has a 4++ invulnerable save to mitigate her shitty 6+ armor save. Wargear-wise, she has the '''Kha-vir, Sword of Sorrows''', which is a S+1 Huskblade. Better make use of this rule below...
**Herald of Ynnead: IWND on steroids. Every time an Aeldari model dies within 7" of her, roll a die and on a 4+ she regains a lost wound. In addition, if it was a Psyker then she gets +1 to her Mastery level, to a maximum of Level 4, and generates an additional Psychic power immediately.
*'''The Visarch, Sword of Ynnead FoBt:''' WS/BS/I7 with a 3+ Armor Save, and can auto-LoS for Yvraine if she's in the same unit, and always passes Glorious Interventions for her (take note that while he does not have to be the closest model to Yvraine to use his special rule, one model from the unit must be within 6" of Yvraine). Rules-wise he has Stubborn, Eternal Warrior, Rampage, and Precision Strikes in addition to the usual rules. His relic sword Asu-Var is an S+2 AP2 two-handed melee weapon with '''Silence''', where every enemy unit within 3" must use their lowest Ld value instead of their highest Ld. Side note: he always gets a Warlord trait, even if he isn't the Warlord.
**Champion of Ynnead: His nifty rule which allows him to regenerate a wound whenever an Aeldari model dies within 7" of him on a 4+. In addition, if the model was a character then the Visarch gains an extra attack ''(to a maximum of 7)''
**He's similar to [[Vargard Obyron]]: a bodyguard unit that could be taken alone, but you really want him along with Yvraine. On his own he's like an inferior phoenix lord, capable of blitzing his way through combat or challenges with a high number of high initiative S5 AP2 attacks, but he really needs to get momentum going to build up more power. However, he's fragile and has no invulnerable save, only a 3+ Armour save and only three wounds, so you have to cross your fingers and hope he kills his opponent before they start swinging back. Take him with Yvraine and keep them together as a pair. Technically she is the superior combatant anyway, so the Visarch can tag in when things get too hairy and let her recover.
**Consider taking the Visarch with a group of Dire Avengers while equipping their Exarch with a Shimmer Shield. Since the Shimmer Shield confers a 5++ to the entire squad the Visarch also gets it when joining said squad. Hide the Exarch from challenges and incoming fire and enjoy your new invuln save on the Visarch. While there are other units that synergize better with the Visarch's melee prowess, the Dire Avengers can hose an enemy target down to a few units with the Visarch & Exarch finishing them off in assault.
*'''Eldrad Ulthran CE:''' Basically a Farseer on steroids - Eldrad has all options available to a normal Farseer plus some more, but cannot take a jetbike (big minus, but more than compensated by his other tricks tho, among which giving D3 units the USR Scout due to his Warlord trait). 3W, T4, an improved invuln save of 3++, Mastery lv.4 (on top of all the normal wargear of a Farseer) ensure that Eldrad may be a boon to any Ynnari army. He can roll for powers off Divination, Demonology Sanctic, Telepathy, Revenant and Runes of Fate tables. Of note is his Staff of Ulthamar, which is essentially a staff with AP3, Force, Fleshbane and the added chance of regaining a warp charge every time he casts a power on a 5+ - note that this extra warp charge does not have to be spent by him, but can be used by other psykers too unlike Yvraine. Note that he carries a Witchblade s well as the Staff, thus giving him +1A due to neither of them being Specialist Weapon/Requiring Two hands. In other words, even in melee he can dish out the hurt - activate Force for ID, and go to town with 3 attacks on the charge that wound the enemy on a 2+, striking at I5 with AP3 and ID! Do not put him in melee since he does not belong there, but alas do not be too scared of letting him go toe to toe with unnamed, minor squad Sergeants. In a Ynnari army Eldrad's main purpose if to dish out the hurt in the psykik phase, thus allowing other units to reposition/make shooting attacks out of phase via Soulburst.
*'''Prince Yriel CE:''' A front-line HQ, Yriel is noteworthy in that he is not a CQC beast in the same way as some of the Phoenix Lords, but he can still pull his own weight. He comes with WS6, I7 and W4; a 3+ armor save and a 4++ ensure his survival until he can deliver the pain in CQC (note that he has not ranged capacity - disregard his BS6) with his Spear - the Armourbane, Fleshbane, AP3 more than make up for Yriel low native strength -. Note that the Spear makes him re-roll successful saves of 6 due to the Cursed special rule. His other Remnant of Glory is the ''Eye of Wraith'', which allows him to throw down a S6 AP3 pie plate that delivers a number of hits equal to how many models are under said pieplate marker to each unit, friend or foe - this can be done once in melee instead of his normal attacks, but note that only wounds caused to enemy units count toward combat resolution. For kickers, he has got the Ambush of Blades warlord trait (which allows him and all Eldar/Ynnari units within 12" to re-roll 1s To Wound for a phase) and the Path of Command rule.
*'''Illic Nightspear CE:''' A versatile HQ choice that can buff a unit of Rangers to the point of actually making them worthwhile. The gist of Illic is that he is a HQ choice that possesses both individual power - a great BS9 coupled with a Warlord trait that gives him split-fire (on a weapon that has the Sniper rule and that causes ID/automatic pen regardless of AV on any roll of 6 to wound), in addition to Hatred, PE Necrons, and a special rule that makes so that all shots fired by Illic are Precision Shots - and buffs to the squad he is attached to - Shrouded USR, capacity to Infiltrate anywhere on the map outside of impassable terrain, while bringing along a unit of Rangers if he starts in one (as well as giving said unit the Sharpshooter USR) -. All in all an excellent support HQ that you will find a valid use for in almost any Ynnari army due to his ability to literally remove any character/model from play with his special abilities, thus causing Soulbursts.
*'''Asurmen CE:''' A good Special Characters in terms of survivability with his Shield of Grace (4++, upped to 3++ in a challenge), Asurmen possesses both Counter-attack and the Defense Tactics ability (which allows him to choose between Overwatch at BS2 - with re-rolls due to his Twin-Linked Avenger Shuriken Catapult - or get Counter Attack + Stubborn when charged) in addition to the USR Counter-Attack and Fearless. On the offense, he has the aforementioned Twin-linked Avenger Shuriken Catapult and an AP2 Master-Crafted +1S diresword (which causes any model which has suffered a wound to take a separate Ld test for '''each''' wound suffered and be straight-up removed from play if said test is not passed - did I mention Asurmen is a beast in a challenge?). All in all an expensive unit but pretty good for its points, which finds use both in challenges to remove Characters (thus causing Soulburst) and in Avengers squads to buff them up. Not ethat he gets D3 Warlord traits from CE codex table, re-rolling duplicates.
*'''Jain Zar CE:''' Jain is pure pain for your opponent and she comes with simple instructions: direct toward opponent units, apply pain as necessary, rinse and repeat. Apart from jokes she is more than capable of dishing out the hurt with her weapons - her triskele is a 12" assault 4 S4 AP2 weapon, and her CQC weapon is S user AP2 with Shred. Add to this that units cannot fire Overwatch against her/the unit she joins due to her Mask (while also causing every enemy unit within 6" to be debuffed with a -5WS and -5I) and that enemy units locked in combat with her get a further -2Ld debuff. In CQC she has 4A natively (5 on the charge) and strips an enemy character she is in a challenge with of one weapon with her special Disarming Strike rule (at the cost of one of her own attacks). The only thing that can describe her is ''challenge monster'' - every aspect of Jain is designed with the single purpose of getting her in CQC (from her fixed warlord trait -Falcon's Swiftness- to her Acrobatic rule, her and any Banshees she joins will be running d6+6" and charging 2d6+3..while having Fleet) and start the blending time. Keep her away from MC and GC since her save will be negated by Smash and she does not have an invuln save (but has got EW). She is by far one of the best Phoenix Lords for a Ynnari army, with her focus on CQC in an army that plays as an aggressive faction focused on short-range fighting.
** You can even try to combo her with some scorpion-claw-wielding exarch. Just give those guys +1A\I and engage the same combat with Jin Gray and Exarch, then watch the filthy green crab throw 11 attacks at anyone who has I lower than 7 in a challenge.
*'''Karandras CE:''' Karandras possesses all the rules of Striking Scorpions natively with the added bonus of Night Vision and a better mandiblaster (his Scorpions Bite, which automatically hits a target at initiative 10 and wounding him on 2+ - 4+ if GC - and ignoring armour saves). Speaking about CQC, his melee options are a strength boosting sword (which gives him +1 attack for wielding 2 non-specialist weapon) and the Scorpions Claw (a power fist that strikes at initiative which is not a Specialist Weapon). Of note the fact that he lacks Monster Hunter and that he strangely can't gain an extra attack for each step of initiative he has over an enemy. But on the plus side, if he Infiltrates he gets Shrouded until he shoots or fights. In addition to all of this, if you so choose he can automatically arrive (with a full squad of Scorpions) from reserves on turn 2, while choosing from which table edge you want him to enter from - including your opponent's. All in all not the worst Phoenix Lord - while surely not as effective as Jain in CQC or Fuegan in the shooting phase, he comes nonetheless with some tricks up his sleeve, thus ensuring his versatility on the battlefiels; a very solid choice for a Ynnari army, primarily due to his ability to quickly dispatch enemy units to allow other units to make use of Soulburst (or allow his own unit to do so).
*'''Fuegan CE:'''Fuegan comes with a basic S5, T4 and W3, making him pretty resilient for a space elf; in melee his CQC is a S User AP1 Armourbane weapon which allows him to make short work of enemy models (5 attacks on the charge). For the ranged department he comes with a standard Firepike; he can moreover re-roll one failed To Hit, To Wound or armour penetration roll per turn and adds +1 to the result on the Vehicle Damage Chart. And there is more! He get FNP for free, and each time he suffers an unsaved wound he gains +1 to his Strength and Attacks for the rest of the game! Jesus - add a warlock with Renewer to his squad to just heal him up (even in combat) and he gets even more OP. All in all an expensive HQ unit, but an excellent one that is perfectly suited for a Ynnari army..scratch that - he is '''the''' Phoenix Lord you want in such an army, with his overwhelming close-range and CQC hitting power, which allows him to melt away (puns ftw!) his enemies, just to turn around and kill even more of them due to Soulburst.
*'''Baharroth CE:''' An underwhelming Phoenix Lord, Baharroth is relatively weak in CQC for its cost and lacks weapons capable of dealing with TEQ - the gun he uses is basically the regular lasblaster with an higher strength, while for CQW he has a power sword with Blind. But what he has in spades is speed. Thanks to his Special Rule, when he enters from Deep Strike (no scatter due to his Warlord trait) any enemy unit within 6 must take a I test or get blinded. Combining this with a 18" regular move and 1d6+3 run move, Baharroth and any Hawk squad he joins can move anywhere they may be needed in a relatively short time, dealing with weaker enemy units (or even dealing with Vehicles thanks to Haywire Grenades). He has Hit & Run natively, but unlike his aspect he strangely doesn't have Intercept. All in all a relatively cheap-ish unit, yet not worth it in a Ynnari army due to the sheer number of better HQ options that you have available.
*'''Maugan Ra CE:''' Relatively more dakka-oriented that his Apsect, Maugan Ra's weapon has 2 different shooting profiles from which you can choose - both are S6 AP5, but one is rending assault4, the other is Assault 1 Poisoned (2+) Pinning that causes Bio-Cataclysm (If a non-vehicle model dies to this gun, place a Large Blast template where said model used to stand. Everyone under that takes an S5 AP4 hit that ignores cover). Rules-wise he comes with Night Vision, Hatred (Chaos Daemons) and Whirlwind of Death (he gets to fire the Maugetar twice using either of these ammo types, even at two different targets). Also don't forget his Warlord Trait which gives him Split Fire and the fact that he can dish out pain the melee too due to the melee profile of Maugetar, basically a power scythe with +2S and AP3, making him not bad against anything but TEQ. All in all, whi;e there are better HQ options for a Ynnari force, he can still earn his points back if used properly.
**Opinion the 2nd: With soulburst, he can fire 16 S6 AP5 Rending shots, that's approaching Pask-nisher levels of dakka. Ok you can say he has less accuracy (BS7 rerolls 1s on 5+), but can you send Pask into the middle of the enemy, firing at 4 different targets while having 2+ armor and a relic blade to charge whoever is left over? His 36" range allows him to be useful from the start and even as you roll up the field, the range is never wasted. That Manticore you have in the backfield? It can't fire now cos I '''rendingly''' penetrated your front armor. Now watch me mulch your MEQ in melee
**Bonus points for equipping your model with two shotguns and screaming "[http://overwatch.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper DIE DIE DIE]" as you shoot in every possible direction.
*'''Autarch CE:''' The autarch is the generic commander that can be customized to suit different battlefield roles while still buffing the army with its special rule The Path of Command (you can modify each Reserve rolls by +1 or -1). As said its real value lies in the fact that the unit can make use of virtually all of the Eldar's best gadgets. For 70 points base you get a unit that comes stock with haywire and Plasma grenades, a pistol, 3+ armor and a 4++ inv save. As previously said, they are one of the most versatile units available to CE; the new wargear rules means that a kitted out Autarch can benefit whatever squad he gets attached to - for example, a single Banshee mask will allow his entire unit to ignore overwatch, wings means he can now skyleap (or just move 18") around the battlefield bringing fusion gun/pistols wherever he likes; a Jetbikes and Relentless reaper launcher or Uldanorethi Long Rifle means business - the combos are endless. Autarchs can also equip Remnants of Glory and the new Ynnari relics to be even more customisable. It is always advised to equip him with a Jetbike for that +1T, Relentless, Twin-linked Shuriken Catapult, 12" move, 36" Turbo-boost or 2D6 Assault jump and Jinking cover save, since all of this will help the Autarch survive S6 much easier. Note, this lets you take a Laser Lance, which is strictly better than a Power Sword - even if you never shoot it or charge, you still have what amounts to a Power Sword at a 5 point discount. All in all a decent HQ option for a Ynnari army, suited to cover any role that the other HQ choice cannot cover.
**Note 1: You will always choose the Skyrunner upgrade unless you want to put the Autarch in a transport. at 15 points it's the same price as the Swooping Hawk Wings and 5 points more than the Warp Spider thingy. You get a ton of special rules and access to the Laser Lance which is just amazing. Your default choice will be the skyrunner and you may on rare occasion pick on of the other two options but only for certain specific situations.
**Note 2: Take with a Banshee mask and have him join up with a Skyrunner Seer council for deathstar goodness. One of the few situations where you may want to take either the Warp Spider or Swooping Hawk Movement options. Why? Because Eldrad is a Badass for a foot council and shadowseers in your deathstar are pretty fantastic. If you do decide to go for a foot-star your movement choices are as such. Swooping Hawk Wings give Hammer of Wrath, Warp Spiders give Relentless. Take the Swooping Hawk if you want to focus on assaults, take the Warp Spider if you want to take a Heavy weapon. Both are Bulky so you aren't going to put them into a transport. Last option is to take no movement upgrade in which case you are putting him into a transport.
*'''Farseer CE:''' An extremely versatile character, which can be tailored to different roles depending on the enemy. It is the army main source of psychic support with its mastery lv.3, a plethora of items to help said versatility (see down) and the ability to roll on 5 different disciplines (Divination, Telepathy, Demonology Sanctic, Runes of Fate and Revenant). All of these factors ensure that this HQ will always be able to support your army (or deal its fair share of damage to the enemy) and that taking 1 or 2 will never disappoint. He can be tailored by taking relics from either the Ynnari and the CE lists; another thing to note is that you can give him a jetbike and a singing spear (you should always do both).
*'''Warlock Conclave CE:''' The Runes of Battle is a useful yet relatively inoffensive discipline that has buffs that applied to its own unit, and had some situational debuffs to enemy units. By and large the Runes were better suited to Warlocks who lead Guardian squads than a squad of warlocks itself. The new Revenant Powers are either much more directly killy or provide exceptional buffs to nearby units, both traits that the Runes could never hope to match, so the Warlock Conclave makes for a great unit to follow your own units around and support your army. There is still no reason to ever take the Warlock Conclave as its own HQ choice as several of the formations require them.
**Alternative opinion: in very particular situations it might be a decent cheap HQ if you want to generate (relatively) cheap warp charges for the main psykers of the army (aka farseers) and mix-max a detachment. Yvraine in particular appears to be the best candidate to take advantage of the Seer Council, as she can tank a few hits before taking advantage of their deaths to replenish her health and improve her own Mastery Level.
*'''Spiritseer CE:''' WIth a Mastery lv.2 and the ability to roll on 3 different charts (Runes of Battle, Telepathy and Daemonology Sanctic) the spiritseer is - when taken in a ''normal'' army - a much weaker HQ choice than the Farseer; this changes in case you make use of many Wraith units due to its ability ''Spirit Mark'', which allows them to re-roll To Hit rolls of 1 against enemies within 12" of the spiritseer. In an Ynnari army, the spiritseer can find its place primarily in the formations, but it might be a decent ''cheap'' HQ choice in case you needed to round up your psychic support.
*'''Archon DE:''' A very close combat oriented warrior that can carry the favoured gun of Kabalite Trueborn. Just over a third of the cost of the Visarch, an Archon comes with the same statline and a 5+ save - this can be upped to a 2++,a 4++ or a 4+/6++ for comparitively little expense by making use of the optional wargear he can take. There is the option to take the Dark Eldar's Phantasm Grenade Launcher (take only if you plan to use a Freakshow list), and to replace his CCW (he comes equipped with both a Pistol and this) with a Power Sword, Agoniser or a Huskblade (depending on the role you want to give him, slap the Huskblade and a Shadow Field on him AP3 ID on a 2++ tank). He can also delve into the Artefacts of Cruelty. The really interesting, and thoroughly exploitable piece of wargear the Archon can bring is a Webway Portal. This gives them and whatever unit they are attached to a no-scatter Deep-Strike; this is conferred to the transport he/the unit he joins is in. Take note tho that while a Transport containing the Archon will not scatter, any AOE abilities (such as the Ld debuffs available in various forms in the army) will not have effect until the unit disembark from said transport.
**Take note that the Grenade Launcher comes with the Soulfright special rule - if you <s>wounded</s> (Nope, it's on a successful hit which is way better given the lack of poison and the S1 AP- nature of the launcher) an enemy with the Launcher, that unit has to take a Ld test at the end of the Shooting phase and if they fail they suffer as many wounds as points the test was failed by (with no armour/cover saves allowed). This could be awesome in a Freakshow army where you cumulate debuffs to the enemy's Ld, but given that it does nothing to enemies that are Fearless/have ATSKNF (and that said armies constitute a good 50%+ of all the armies nowadays..) you might find its use limited in scope. Still worth a shot given its low cost, but do not expect too much. --Or, you can stack leadership debuffs (Armor of Misery and a character with the Harlequin leadership debuffing artefact) and use this to silly effect--provided, of course, the unit you're targeting isn't Fearless/ATSKNF.
*'''Court of the Archon DE:''' An odd assortment of units that could be your toolbox, your tanky bodyguard or the cheapest HQ in the game. Everything but the Sslyth hits at I5. You can take up to ten of the following in any combination.
**'''Lhamaen:''' ''10 points'' for an ablative wound with a Pistol, a Poison(2+) AP- sword and a 5+ save. Not useless. Not overly useful. You will see elsewhere on the page suggestions to take this as a way of almost completely dodging the HQ tax when building a Reborn Warhost detachment. Or 100pts for 30 attacks on the charge wounding on 2s due to their unique poisoned swords.
**'''Ur Ghul:''' ''15 points'' for another ablative wound. This one has S4, Feel No Pain and Furious Charge and no save.
**'''Medusae:''' ''25 points'' for an ablative wound that you probably don't want to ablate. The stats and 5+ save are nothing special, but the S4 AP3 Template can be very useful against charges and Cover-Hugging scrubs.
**'''Sslyth:''' ''25 points'' for the '''BEST''' bodyguard models in the unit. S/T 5 really makes it stand out, especially with its 2 Wounds, though it is let down by it's 5+ save. In Combat, Sslyth don't slouch either; 5 Attacks on the charge with Feel No Pain. Dakka wise, the Sslyth carry both a Splinter Pistol and Shardcarbine.
*'''Succubus DE:''' WS and Initiative 8, BS6, Eldar Strength and Toughness with 4 Attacks base and a 4++ save in the Assault Phase, these deadly ladies are more than happy to mess with the best in Close Quarters. Options for kit come with the obligatory Deldar character choice to take a Blast Pistol and an array of Close Combat Weapons. Power Sword and Agoniser are standard fare, but the Archite Glaive makes for some fun. With two options of attack, either Two-Handed S+1 AP2 or Single Handed AP3. Wych Cult Weapons are also available and can help with Horde Munching, but aren't really worth taking over the other options. Access to the Artefacts of Cruelty is granted.
**Note: the Succubus can also take a WWP for surprise rape shenanigans. Take this with the armour of misery and a shadowseer with mask of secrets who has psychic shriek and/or mirror of minds to drink your opponents tears and annihilate whatever the hell you want (tip: you could go all the way and ally in a formation from the DE Coven supplement for that delicious -1Ld debuff that comes with their formations, thus upping the Ld debuff to -5).
*'''Lelith Hesperax DE:''' Lelith is true definition of a CQC-optimized character: WS9, the ability to re-roll failed to-hit and to-wound rolls, a 4++ save (upped to 3++ in CQC) and the op-esque rule that denies the enemy his armor save in CQC, all of this makes so that any enemy unit she comes in contact with is as good as dead. The only exceptions to this rule are units that she cannot really hurt (S3 is not the best game in town after all) and/or enemy characters that come with bs saves such as a re-rollable 2++ and such (and even against such opponents she might have a chance due to sheer number of attacks - 5 base + 1 for dual wielding + 1 on the charge, before taking into account that she comes natively with Rampage). All in all, a CQC blender like many others in this army, which will find herself at home in a Ynnari force due to the faction focus on CQ shooting and CQC - having said this, take note of the fact that there are better CQC options available to you (Fuegan spring to mind, or an Archon with Shadowfield and Huskblade).
**Note: her focus is on hurting tarpits, not challenging characters armed with 2++/similar invuln saves. While her abilities make so that any unnamed character will simply die once in a challenge with Lelith, take on any properly kitted-out SM Chaptain/Chaos Lord/etc and she will die. Note that she is effectively WS10 due to her WT Blood Dancer (+1 WS).

===Troops===
*'''Guardian Defenders CE:''' The basic infantry unit of Craftworld Eldar, priced at 9 pts a model. They come with a 5+ armor save and a shuriken catapult (12 range, assault 2 Ap5 Bladestorm) that they can shoot at BS4. While this might seem underwhelming, remember that Bladestorm allows you to hit at AP2 and thus threaten both MEW and TEQ due to the sheer number of shots you will put out. You can take a heavy weapon mount for every 10 Guardians up to 2 (remember that our platforms are new, individual models added to the squad and that you can equip them with a variety of heavy weaponry), as well as a warlock (lvl 1 psyker). While the Guardians may be a semi-worthy unit in a CE army due to their cheap cost and potential AP2 shots, in a Ynnari army they are outclassed by the other choices since Ynnari play much more aggressively than CE via the Soulburst rule. Of note is that they come with plasma grenades.
*'''Storm Guardians CE:''' Basically the standard Guardians but with a more aggressive nuance. Armed with sword and Shuriken pistol, the Storm Guardians are much more suited for the role of basic Ynnari Troops, if one really wishes to go for a CE-majority force (hint: harlequins troops are better suited for this role, but more expensive). They come with a 5+ armor save, I5 and an extra melee attack due to the sword+pistol. They can equip up to 2 special weapons per squad (thus leading to even more MSU, the right way to go in a Ynnari army) and come with plasma grenades like their standard counterparts. So far so good - they would be a decent if cheap melee/close range unit if not for their S3 which basically neuters them in said capacity. They have the USR fleet, but not much else to go on. The unit on its own is not horrible, but the problem is that there are much better melee units (just to go with CE, Striking Scorpions, Shining Spears, Howling Banshees, Wraithblades, etc), and much better ways to deliver meltas (e.g. Fire Dragons). Of note is that while the the Guardian Stormhost makes these guys somewhat decent, giving them special weapons for free, they are still inferior to the other choices available to a Ynnari player - tl;dr pass.
*'''Windriders CE:''' With 3+ armor, T4 and BS4, the Windriders are the MEQ of the Ynnari forces - just better. The great maneuverability offered by the jetbike allows them to hide to deny LoS (remember that 2D6 move in the assault phase) to enemies whose weapons would ignore their 3+ - and if a 3+ does not cut it, a 4+ cover save just might. The jetbike comes with a twin-linked shuriken catapult (for what is essentially 90% accuracy for a weapon that strikes at AP2 on every 6 you roll) but can swap it for a shuriken cannon or a scatter laser (former for general-purpose fire, latter for light armor wrecking).
**Note 1: Take note that you can take a Warlock with them. Doing this is a '''very''' good idea for 2 main reasons: free Conceal for everybody for a sweet sweet 2+ cover save in the open when jinking, and a Singing Spear for S9 that can threaten even AV13/14.
**Note 2: Quick math from the CE article - max squad is 270 points, and they can put out 40 S6 shots with scatter laser or 30 S6 shots with Bladestorm (for an average 5 AP2 shots). This is gonna put a dent in any squad you target.
*'''Rangers CE:''' Essentially a BS4 platform for a Heavy 1 rifle (48' range) at AP6 with the Sniper USR. The unit itself comes with Infiltrate, Fleet, Stealth and Move Through Cover - theoretically their focus should be on moving in, unleashing a massed targeted fire, and then get the out of dodge; practically, they are sitting ducks since they fire snapshots with the rifle if they move (and the only reason to bring them is their rifle). On a more positive note, this unit might actually be worth it in an Ynnari force; why? Because Battle Focus does not work with heavy weapons on non-relentless models, but Soulburst does! Usage of a maxed out unit of 10 would work something like this: place them in cover/infiltrate close to the enemy, unleash massed fire (10 shots at BS4 results in 66% hitting; of these 1/2 wound due to Sniper USR for a rough 50% chance to damage MEQ counting the AP2 chance) and then Soulburst the hell out of there. Tl;dr do not expect exceptional things from them, but do not underestimate them either.
**While knife-fighting with your rangers remains an option you may want to bring 2 stock units to sit on objectives in cover and snipe. While you may not get a Soulburst on the rangers themselves they can help mop up an enemy unit that somehow survived to allow another unit to Soulburst instead. Meanwhile they can do this at the low price of 60 points for a very effective unit. When used in this way you're basically using them to minimize your troop tax to spend on other toys.
*'''Dire Avengers CE:''' What is there not to like about Dire Avengers? To start with, they are the only Troops level aspect warriors and swing around with BS/WS4, I4 and Ld9 (10 with Exarch, which you should '''always''' take). As a general rule, they are a decent basic infantry with some extra tricks to survive the battle - their shuriken weapons have a range of 18'' compared to usual 12'', which when combined with Bladestorm (every 6 is AP2) and Battle Focus ensure the Dire Avengers have a pretty good chance of avoiding the enemy charges while retaining a decent level of firepower (They lose Battle Focus here). Compared to average Guardians, they rock +1Ld, 4+ save and the special rule Defensive Tactics, which gives you the choice between Overwatching at BS2 or gaining Counter-Attack and Stubborn once charged (but if you choose the latter, no Overwatch for you). A decent and fluffy option, yet inferior in many ways to the other options available to the Ynnari forces - in other words, take them only in their formation.
*'''Kabalite Warriors DE:''' You know them, you love them. They're your cheap scoring, your anti-tank, and your source of Raiders and Venoms. The big question is whether to take them in 5-man Venom or 10-man Raider squads - the 5 man squad puts out 17 poison shots (and 22 in rapid fire range) and costs 110 points, while the 10 man puts out an effective 13 to 27 poison shots at 160 points thanks to Splinter Racks. Either squad can take a blaster, but the presence of the Raider's Dark Lance and their ability to take another Dark Lance makes the 10 man squad better at early game and emergency tank-hunting. Once you get within Splinter Rifle range it's wasteful to shoot at tanks. Venoms are better at Alpha striking infantry from far away, so keeping them hidden behind Ravagers or stationary cover for much of the game is a good idea.
** tl;dr If you want somewhat (we're talking relative to the DE here) more durability and objective-camping ability in exchange for less initial fire power, take a pair of kitted-out raider squads. If you want more initial firepower take Venoms instead. 2 Raider Squads costs approximately 3 Venom Squads.
** Running 10-man squads disembarked and in area terrain also helps troop survivability. This way when the raider goes boom, you don't lose half the squad due to S4 hits and bad rolls. Give them a splinter cannon, and let them pour out shots. If you get turn 1, you can move up with the raider, disembark into some cover around midfield, and get even more done with them than you ever could in the raider.
** Strictly speaking,there isn't really much point to the shredder. Even though it is S6, it has no AP, meaning even Ork boys can take saves against the thing. Just buy a splinter cannon instead. Much better and no finicky blast templates to mess with.
** At 40pts, Kaballite mobs on foot will reliably make their points back against all infantry and MCs. They're expendable and your opponent will always over or underestimate them to your benefit.
*'''Wych Squad DE:''' Combined with a lucky Combat Drug roll will still mean these Wyches mulch through Hordes with a bunch of high initiative attacks. Give them a Raider to improve their mobility as always, and consider deepstriking them to avoid their useless first turn.
**Wyches best function now seems to be as delivery vectors for your independent characters, since they can hold high value units such as Terminators in place while Lilith/Succubus steadily dismantles them. As mentioned above they also function against low value Hordes by striking first with massed attacks, but other Dark Eldar units such as Beastmasters can do that better.
** All three Wych weapon choices are AP5, S-, and 5 points each. It should be noted that ALL weapons mentioned are taken on both hands, meaning that they'll always get another attack for having a second melee weapon. Each grants a particular type of rerolls.
*** Shardnet and Impaler: Reroll 1s both To-Hit and To-Wound
*** Razorflails: Reroll failed To Hit
*** Hydra Gauntlets: Reroll failed To Wound
** At first glance, these three choices seem roughly identical. However, Weapon Skill 4 means that Wyches will only hit on 5s against WS9 and up. To be honest, if Wyches are against something with WS9, they're there as a tarpit, not to do damage. Razorflails, thus, are mostly trash. The Shardnet and Impaler, condoning rerolls of all 1s in close combat, seems useful. However, it quickly pales in comparison to the last weapon. Hydra Gauntlets, thanks to the Shred rule, re-roll ALL to-wound rolls. This is a much bigger boon than any of the competition. Wyches are Strength 3, meaning they'll wound Space Marines on 5s. Re-rolling this is much more important than rerolling the 3s to hit, since there are simply more chances to fail. The benefits against Toughness 3 units are also notable; most Toughness 3 models are also WS3, meaning the Wyches already hit them on 3s, rendering razorflails relatively redundant.
*'''Harlequin Troupe H:''' The basic troop for the Harlequins and a great addition to the Ynnari forces. Essentially a band of giggling murderclowns that come in squads of 5-12 complete with a Troupe Master (who is a character and that could serve as the army Warlord like it does for the Harlequins - even though there are much better options in the Ynnari roster). The squad comes with the USR Hit and Run, Fleet, Fear and Furious Charge - all USR that make them an excellent assault choice for a Ynnari army, especially given their equipment (plasma grenades, flip belts make getting a charge off with them a joke) and the fact that each member of the Troupe can be customized individually, with any model being able to take any harlequin items combination, thus allowing you to fit in some anti vehicle weapons in your squad alongside anti-infantry. All in all a very valid unit option for their price and what they bring to the table (all their USR, and a 5++ save natively). Remember to buy Haywire Grenades to help you deal with vehicles - for the rest, take note that your troupe master can buy Harlequins and Ynnari relics.
**Note: Even though you can in fact customize every single squad member, resist the temptation to do so (indicatively, include 1 generic model per every model with specialized weaponry - your clowns will die as soon as a competent unit does so much as sneeze at them; they are a glass cannon, always remember that if you want to use them properly.
**Note II: You can take the names Troupe from the Death Masque set instead of one of your generic Troupes according to the FAQ: The Company of the Threefold Stranger and Death's Companions. Two pre-upgraded troupes, with a unique character in each, one with run and shoot and one with run and charge (respectively). Despite being cheaper, both are pretty terrible; the Death's Companions leader, Dusk, is a normal player with 2W (which means he only gets 2A, compared to the 3A of the normal Troupe Master); he's also equipped with the default (and terrible) CCW. The Company of the Threefold Stranger's leader, the Lambent Prince, is a Troupe Master with a Power Sword, Haywire Grenades, and Shuriken Pistol.

===Elites===
*'''Black Guardians FoBt:''' The first of the new units, it is essentially a fusion of the standard Guardian Defenders and Storm Guardians. The Black Guardians have the same base statline as the other 2 variants of the Guardians, with the possibility of swapping out the squad Shuriken Catapults for the combo Pistol/CCW if you wanted them to have a little more punch in melee; if they do said swap, up to 2 of them can exchange their CCQ for power sword and up to other 2 can exchange the Pistol and the CCQ for a fusion gun or a flamer. If you do not swap their weapons, for every 10 Black Guardians you can take a Weapon Platform instead. Unfortunately this is where the good news end - they lack access to Warlock squad leaders (and thus Conceal/other useful blessings) and from a statistical viewpoint there is little to no difference from taking normal guardians. Their saving grace lies in their USR Webway Assault, which let's you keep them in reserve and deploy via Deep Strike without scattering (as long as they are placed more than 9" from enemy units).
**Note: The Black Guardians might just be a good CQC tarpit when taken in Ulthwe Strike Force for to their cost - for 220 points you get a maxed out squad that can deal 60A on the charge. While S3 is nothing to write home about, they might just kill something (or die horribly and thus give you Soulburst). Sadly tarpitting is not the purpose of a Ynnari army: you want to close in, kill and get killed so that you may make use of Soulburst to wreck your enemy.
*'''Black Guardian Windriders FoBt:''' Same statline, special rules and weapons swap options as the normal Eldar jetbikes (with a few points of tax - 20 points per bike base), but they lack access to Warlock squad leaders like the Black Guardians. They have access to the ''Webway Assault'' special rule, making them a bit more mobile than their normal CE equivalent. An '''excellent''' unit in a Ynnari army in the same way that normal Windriders are, but you pay extra for the added deployment choice; all in all a very good pick, but maybe not the most competitive - in other words go nuts with them in a Ynnari army if you want to play friendly games, otherwise put them in the Ulthwe Strike Force and ally them in.
*'''Black Guardian Vypers FoBt:''' Like the Black Guardian Windriders, the Vypers are exactly the same as their normal CE equivalent, but got a 5pts/model increase due to the Webway Assault special rule. You can take up to 6 in a squadron (don't do it), but they still pale in comparison with the more competitive choices you can take in a Ynnari detachment/army.
*'''Black Guardian War Walkers FoBt:''' A normal CE War Walker with the added special rule Webway Assault and a bump in price up to 65-point-base; may be taken in sqaudron of up to 3 models, but you got no reason to do so. A decent unit on its own, they suffer from the same problem that the other ''Black Guardian'' units have - while they are decent choices, there is simply little-to-no reason to take them due to the presence of better units in the Ynnari roster.
*'''Howling Banshees CE:''' Aside from the fact that the daughters of [[Morai-Heg]] & [[Ynnead|Kaelis Vara'Lanthian]] are probably one of the fluffier units you can take in the army, Howling Banshees are your CQC specialized Aspect Warrior. They are specifically designed to counter MEQs in CQC with their native AP3 weaponry and the Banshee mask (item which confers the USR Fear and that shuts down Overwatch from the unit you are charging - note that you can still be overwatched by other enemy units if you are charging Tau for example); they are aided in their role by the special rule Acrobatics (3" extra when Running or Charging). In a Ynnari army they play much differently from how they are played in a CE army - whereas in a CE army their main purpose would be to destroy specific units and to screen your gunline, in a Ynnari force HB can truly shine due to Ynnari focus on close-range firefights and disregard for death (oh your opponent killed one of your units? That's cute - now 2 more units can charge his army/fire away in his turn), especially when you attach Jain to them for the bonus to Run actions/added CQC power. Howling Banshees might very well be one of the biggest psychological weapons you got as a Ynnari player, since the extra 3" on charge moves and the fact that they ignore Overwatch might very well make your opponent wary of killing units close to them, least the Banshees benefit from the free charge caused by Soulburst and attack him on his own turn. As always avoid bumping into terminators, also avoid charging into currently ongoing combat ''(combat that has yet to be resolved is just fine)''
** Note: you can Run when you get a SoulBurst action. That's basycally a 6-7" move, unless you take Jain Air, in which case that can be even transformed in 9-10 inches.
*'''Striking Scorpions CE:''' Coming with WS4 and BS4, the ability to Infiltrate (and gain Shrouded for the turn), a 3+ armour save, very threatening weaponry (+1S chainswords, plasma grenades and Mandiblasters - 50% chance of a savable auto-wound at Init 10 that hits automatically -) and a plethora of USR (Stealth, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Fleet), Striking Scorpions are a flexible unit perfectly capable of filling the harasser role in a Ynnari army. They come with 4 base attacks on the charge (2 base, +1 charge and mandiblaster hits) and native S4 thanks to their chainsword, making them a decent CQC unit to slow down enemies/destroy hordes. Note that even in a Ynnari army they continue to be unable to get through 2+ armor saves, so target prioritization is key to make the most of them; apart from this, go nuts with them - while they might not be the unit that benefits the most from Soulburst (given that they will often be deep in your opponent's deployment zone and thus far from other units), they remain a great unit to add to your army. They also don't always struggle with 2+ as much as you might think they would (particularly ones with invuln saves) because of wounding power, but it's up to luck whether they slaughter them or tickle them.
*'''Fire Dragons CE:''' A unit dedicated to deal with vehicles (adding +1 to all vehicle damage rolls), TEQ and buildings thanks to their weaponry, Fire Dragons are the natural choice if Wraithguard seems overkill to you due to their lower cost (while dealing pretty well with the same targets you would use your Wraithguard against). With their fusion guns (aka renamed melta-guns) and melta-bombs, they are your get-go unit for MC/GC too (though Wraithguard are better choice in this specific case) with a surprisingly good volume of fire for AP1. Falcon or Wave Serpent transports are near-obligatory to ensure their delivery (depending on the size of the squad). As previously said, Fire Dragons and Wraithguard are quite similar in the type of enemy units they counter; the basic question of which one to take depends primarily on what you normally play against (indicatively, Wraithguard for MC/GC and TEQ while Fire Dragons for Vehicles and Fortification). However, take note of the fact that a min Fire Dragons squad can fit in Falcons and can become BS5 thanks to the Aspect Host Formation (hint: always take them in the formation). In a Ynnari army they become even more rapetastic due to Soulburst - while their weapon range is low and you'll want them up close to the front lines anyway, Soulburst lets them unleash a second volley of destruction directly in the face of your enemy (first wreck their transport, then wreck the unit that just disembarked). Keep them close to your own units and they can become a potent countering tool - example, have them hover CQCs and they'll get a free shot if the enemy slays your unit. On a side-note, consider choosing a move action if you don't have any super big AV threats in front of you, even tho it might very well be useless since your fire dragons are very likely to die the turn after you make use of them.
**Note: Kill a unit using Fire Dragons, Soulburst their transport (a Wave Serpent works better for its toughness) to deny LoS to your enemies; rinse and repeat.
*'''Wraithguard CE:''' Wraithguard in an Ynnari army have 3 main purposes: area denial, surgical strike, and giant distraction.
**'''Area Denial''': Simply place them in an area and start shooting enemies; they '''will''' clear the area after your first volley of D-strength guns/flamers - having said this, expect the Wraithguard to die the next shooting phase your enemy gets - not that this is a bad thing mind you, since an inexperienced player will use overkill vs them in fear they might survive, and a more experienced player will drown them in small-arms fire (thus wasting a turn of shooting for another unit). If you want them to stick around, either buy them a transport (that they can re-enter using Soulburst!) or attach a farseer/warlock to give them some cover (Conceal/Invisibility/etc).
**'''Surgical Strike''': Place them in a Ynnari Wave Serpent or with an Ynnari Archon with a webway portal. Deep Strike within range of two units. Wipe out the first one and proceed to wipe out the second one with the free Soulburst action from killing the first unit (and then proceed to die - either make sure to have a psyker with Invisibility attached to the unit, or an Archon with a Shadow Field on whom you have cast Fortune for that juicy 2++ re-rollable tank). Also works on popping a transport and then murdering the occupants.
**'''Distraction''': A unit of models with a semi-MC statline, armed with D-strength guns? Yup you will catch attention. If this is a good or bad thing...
***'''Point About Raiders''': Although the FAQ states that you still cannot start the game with Wraithguard inside of your Raiders you may still start them next to the Raider on turn one and have them hop in. Obviously shooting off the side of your Raiders will be advantageous for your Wraithguard but also destroying the Raiders will be troublesome for your opponent. If they "explodes result" your raider then they are in the clear but the odds are greater that they merely wreck it which means your Wraithguard may emergency disembark any direction and then continue to perform a soulburst. So placing your Raiders in the middle of your opponents forces instead of hiding them can have it's own tactical prowess.
***'''Harlequin IC Buffs''': Shadowseers and Death Jesters both have IC and the very useful Hit and Run. Even though Wraithguard with D-Scythes sound scary to assault into the truth is it's pretty easy to just send in a throw away unit first to soak up the wall of death and then proceed in with a strong melee unit to take them out or lock them up thus removing the D threat from the game. Now it has become quite easy to jam a Shadowseer into the squad and then leave the combat to then return fire on potentially two more units. This can also allow the Wraithguard who are devoid of Battle Focus to make 3D6 inch moves to line up more shots.
*'''Wraithblades CE:''' A CQC unit with T6, 3+ save and 4 attacks on the charge with the standard kitout (1 base + 1 for dual-wielding + 1 extra on the charge from Rage), with S5 AP3 built-in? Yup, what you charge will die..'''if''' you reach them. If you are worried about them getting mowed down before reaching the intended victim/target, arm them with the Axe and Forceshield for a slower but tougher unit (AP2 with a 4++? Oh boy!). Note that taking axes means you'll strike last, which might just come in handy for once given you can Soulburst to place them in a new combat and avoid the next shooting phase from your opponent. Now cheaper than Wraithguard by 10 pts.
**You can and should stick a unit of 5 Wraithblades into a Wave Serpent. This will give the Wraithblades a way to get into combat relatively quickly, which at least a LITTLE protection. Just hope you get turn 1 so you can fly those babies into your opponent's face and watch him panic.
*'''Incubi DE:''' Coming stock with S4 (thanks to their CQW that gives them +1S) and striking at I5 with AP2, Incubi might very well be one of the best assault troops the Ynnari have. They are essentially a MEQ unit with their S4 and 3+ armor save, acting like an odd mix of Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions in their role. In a Ynnari army they can really do well for themselves by using the Soulburst rule - high number of attacks (2 base, 3 on the charge) and AP2 at initiative goes very well with free movement and out of turn charges; having said this take note that they are still flimsy space elves after all - they lack assult or defensive grenades (thus making assaults through difficult terrain a no-go for them) and rely a lot on striking first since they cannot take very well punishment (T3, with only a 3+ save, in a meta dominated by AP3/AP2? Come on). All in all a decent MEQ unit for when you want to dance with other MEQ units in CQC where the Incubi can easily get the upper hand with their high I and low AP, but not great for much else. Unless of course you go all the way and include both Jain Zar and a Farseer rolling on Sanctic/Runes in a large Incubi unit, in which case you can just disregard what I just wrote and go toe-to-toe with dedicated CQC enemy units (and still have a very good chance at winning).
*'''Death jester H:''' BS5, Ld10 and W2 - in one word, a decent shot. The Death Jester comes with the USR Fear,Fleet, Furious Charge (and he has A3 natively, for 4 attacks on the charge + Furious Charge), Hit & Run, Independent Character and Precision Shots. All of these rules packaged together ensure that the Jester will not be stuck in melee unless it wants to be (let's be honest - S3, T3 and a measly 5++ save won't save him, even with the bonuses from charge/Furious Charge). Having said that the main reason to take the unit is its special rule ''Death Is Not Enough'', which makes any unit which suffered casualties from the shrieker cannon take a Morale test at -2Ld; the kicker? If they fail the test, you get to make them fall back in whichever direction you want - examples? Got a CQC blender? Make the enemy fall back next to it; got the enemy unit close to the border? Make them go off the board! The Jester can take Enigmas of the Black Library and haywire grenades.
**Note: For a measly ten points extra, Inriam's Spectre gains Shrouded. At that price, the included Haywire grenades are basically free. Attach him to a troupe or a Cast of Players and watch them somersault effortlessly through ruins while enjoying a 2++ cover save. Add a Farseer for a chance of rolling Fortune, or even a Jetseer to let the unit benefit from a rerollable 2++ Jink and beat the Ravenwing at its own game.
*'''Shadowseer H:''' A psyker lv.1 natively with the same USR as the Death Jester (Fear,Fleet, Furious Charge, Hit & Run, Independent Character plus Psyker) whose mastery can be upgraded to lvl.2 and that can take powers from Telephaty, Phantasmancy and Demonology Sanctic, the Shadowseer is a versatile unit that can cover many roles in a Ynnari army - it can form the core of a Freakshow Seer Council deathstar as well as using the Phantasmancy powers to buff/debuff units that it is attached to. The unit can take haywire grenades to deal with vehicles, and well as exchanging the pistol for a neurodisruptor (always do it). All in all one of the best units that came out of the Harlequins codex, usually saddled with taxes due to the harley formations, in a Reborn Warhost it can truly shine due to being able to take it in its proper FOC without the need to pay formation taxes.
**Note: Within the Reborn Warhost, the Shadowseer is free from the Harlequin formation requirement and can now make use of his/her Independent Character rule. It is an amazing addition to a Seer Council deathstar, giving them the USR Hit and Run and Fearless from the Mask of Secrets. Moreover, if you stick a Succubus/Archon with Armour of Misery and a WWP you basically get a unit with a -4Ld aura able to DeepStrike without scatter wherever you need it. This can be played either as a debuff unit, or a proper DeathStar of the Freakshow flavor - if by Cegorach's grace you managed to roll Mirror of Minds on Phantasmancy (or more simply go for Psychic shriek from Telephaty), expect anything with Ld9 that doesn't manage to deny you to be destroyed within a very short time (Riptides? Greater Daemons? bye bye). Add to the mix some powers such as Ancestors' Grace or a Hemlock and anything that doesn't manage to DtW is [[Rape|ANNIHILATED]]. To combo, keep a Death Jester close to make them run off the board after they fail their Morale Check at the end of the shooting phase. Ow yea - and after their Wraithknight/Greater Daemon shatters from psychic powers you get Soulburst to make your warlocks hurl S9 spears at whatever hapless victim is nearby during the psychik phase. And after '''that''' continue with the psychic onslaught. Then throw more S9 spears in their own shooting phase.
*'''Solitaire H:''' The Solitarie is a very CQC oriented unit with its statline ofWS9, I10, A6, 3++, the special rule Eternal Warrior and the Kiss & Caress. Moreover, he can (once per game) make use of his special rule "Blitz", aka rolling a number of D6s equal to the turn number and moving that distance instead of his normal 12" (note that he moves over other models and terrainwhen he does this); the boost for doing this is that his attack value gets upped to 10 in the following assault phase (for a base 12 CQC attacks once you add +1 for the charge and +1 for the 2CCW bonus). Note that even with his 3++/EW, the unit is only T3 (and must always go solo) - in other words, keep him out of rage/LoS of small arms fire or he will be brought down in a very short time (from the Harlequins article, some mathammer - on average it will only take 6.75 bolter shots at BS4, 12 lasgun shots at BS3, or 7.2 pulse rifle shots at BS3 to knock off each of his wounds). All in all a very fragile unit that can actually be used, but that will require a bit of finesse to do so.
**Note I: In a Ynnari army the Solitaire fragility is lessened since it can now become very tanky with the new Ynnari relics. Taken with a Cegorach’s Revenge formation (which grants Consummate Performance, allowing you to re-roll invun saves of 1) and the Lost Shroud relic (which gives Eternal Warrior, FNP and IWND), he becomes a nightmare to take down. Note that the Shroud usually fucks over character units since it removes the Independent Character rule, but this is totally ignored in this specific case since the Solitaire can’t join anybody anyway.
**Note II - Alternative Opinion: The Lost Shroud costs 35pts, which is pretty hefty for the bonuses it gives (the Solitaire has Eternal Warrior anyway, on top of it being only T3, which means its FNP will be ignored by str 6). However, Corag Hai’s Locket (at less than half the Shroud price, 15pts) allows him to get stuck in and recover lost wounds after killing a model '''every''' fight sub-phase on a 4+. This is more statistically likely than IWND’s 5+ every controlling player's turn and could be a lot better than the Shroud in a high strength shooting meta.
**Note III: The Mirrorgaze can also be a decent relic for the Solitaire, granting him Blind (very nice), Counter-attack (very nice) and Night-Vision (meh) for a rather expensive 30pts, making him even more of a reliable killing machine in combat.
**Note IV: Make use of his BS9 by taking girst haywire grenades, and then swapping them (since according to the Rule Book grenades are a shooting attack and thus can be swapped) for the Song of Ynnead.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Wave Serpent CE:''' What the ubiquitous Rhino is for a SM player, the Wave Serpent is for a CE player, insofar as standard transport for your troops (and other units) is concerned. But the similarities end here - whereas the Rhino is a throwaway transport, the Wave Serpent is a much more reliable (and expensive) Tank that in previous editions caused untold rage to CE enemies. Coming with standard AV12, 3 HP, a reliable BS4 (compared with the basic Astra Militarum BS3 for the Russ tank we cannot complain) and a transport capacity of 12, the Wave Serpent is an excellent transport that will ensure your troops safety while at the same time damaging your opponent's army. As far as weaponry is concerned, the tank comes with a TL catapult and shuriken cannon (with the cannon being tradeable for a twin-linked starcannon, brightlance or scatter laser), the ability to get a EML (with flakk missiles) and the option to switch out the catapult for another shuriken cannon (extra 12" range? Take it.). Apart from the weaponry, the Wave Serpent equipment is great - you get the ability to buy vehicle upgrades (such as holofields and star engines, both excellent options) from the CE list, as well as the Serpent Shield (a magnificent piece of CE dickery, which transforms all pens done on the FA or the SA to glances on a D6 roll of a 2+, and that can be 'dissipated' to unleash a S6 2D6 cover-ignoring attack at 23" range - note that if you do so, you lose the aforementioned 2+ ability). All in all a very good (if expensive) transport for units that must survive to get back their points (cough Wraithguard cough), with the added bonus that it is able to dish out the pain on its own after delivering its cargo. As a general rule you will never take it in a FA slot, given you can take it as a Dedicated Transport; note that the Wave Serpent might be inferior to the Raider if you plan to play a FreakShow list that deals with Ld debuff/Ld based attacks.
**Note I: If you are actually buying this expensive transport, make use of the Serpent Shield! Deliver the Wraithguard/other unit, fire and then either deny LoS to the unit, or simply make the unit itself retreat behind or even get back inside the Wave Serpent with Soulburst.
**Note II: As far as weaponry goes, given the various options you get, consider starcannons or brightlances to deal with armor/TEQs, and the shuriken cannons to deal with infantry/transports.
**Note III: The Wave serpent is pretty useless for a Ynnari army - the only situation where it might be recommended is when you take it as a Dedicated transport for a squad of Wraithguard. Having said this, if you prefer a '''much''' faster moving unit (at the cost of having as much AV as a wet cardbox), goes by itself that you should just deploy an empty Raider next to your Wraithgaurd unit, thus allowing them to board on the first turn.
**Note IV: With the FAQ stating that exploded vehicles DO NOT trigger SoD, the far sturdier wave serpent with 2+ pen ignoring shield can give you a bit more reliability in that respect. Still can't charge out of your explosion and look cool though.
*'''Swooping Hawks CE:''' As if Swooping Hawks weren't already great enough. I can only imagine chain-killing two flyers due to their vector-striking haywire attacks. Move over a flyer, kill it via haywire, soulburst and move another 18" to do it again to another flyer.
**'''Note:''' The most pressing question though is whether Intercept can be used during a Soulburst move, and if so whether Intercept can be used in any phase rather than just the Movement Phase (as currently stated in the RAW for Intercept). Depending on the answers to this, Swooping Hawks can get a lot of mileage from Soulburst. That said, even if Intercept is restricted in its usage, Hawks still remain an excellent unit to take advantage of and trigger Soulburst, especially if you take them with an Aspect Host: Herald of Victory gives them no-scatter Deep Strike that doesn't have the distance limitations of Webway Assault, while the anti-infantry firepower (don't forget the Skyburst and Plasma Grenade!) can easily whittle down or wipe out a weaker unit. Just remember to be careful versus AOEs since you don't have Battle Focus anymore.
*'''Warp Spiders CE:''' The Craftworlder have long loved the Warp Spider for it annoying flicker jumps and overall power. It is the true side grade for Ynnari. Losing Battle Focus for Move, shoot, move shenanigans does hurt but you get the possibility of Soulburst. Honestly a good unit and while the seasoned Craftworld player may need to adjust how they use them to get the most out of them they can be just as much of a terror as they always have been.
*'''Shining Spears CE:''' Shining Spears are more viable with Soulburst, if they manage to destroy vehicle or other unit on charge (which they should be able to) they can trigger Soul-turbo-burst 36" somewhere out of LoS instead of standing in the middle of the open ground being shot at by everything and their uncle, or being counter charged.
**Being mounted on jetbikes, these are the fastest melee (well, competent melee) units you have. Move them 12" to within 7" of a soulburst fodder unit, shoot that to death with other stuff first and soulburst another 12" (save the 6" laser lance for your true target, you would'nt want to invalidate your charge now would you?). This can slingshot you over the enemy straight into their backline units like devestators, retributors and other assorted heavy weaponry. Throw on an Autarch with a Banshee mask, jetseer and never stop laughing.
*'''Crimson Hunters CE:'''The Crimson Hunter is an amazing air-denial unit since it has the fighter role which allows it to have skyfire (given its ''relative'' rarity in the post-DfTS meta, this fact alone makes the CH a worthwhile unit) on a ''turn-by-turn basis'', thus allowing it to double as a decent air-to-ground support plane. Just remeber to bring them using the formation since it gives them a flat 4+ cover save without jink (or a re-rollable jink save).
**Note 1: remember that fighter planes get -1BS when shooting at ground targets; if you plan to take a single CH to have air superiority (or to deny it to your opponent), always upgrade the CH to exarch for that sweet sweet +1BS (thus becoming BS5 vs air targets and BS4 vs ground targets)
**Note 2: Remember that air targets are not just flyers and FMC, but also FGC, Skimmers, and Jetbikes - do not let that guy claim his jetbikes are ground targets.
*'''Vyper Squadron CE:'''
*'''Hemlock Wraithfighter CE:''' What is there not to love about a flyer that is Mastery lv.2, shoots 2 D-strength AP2 blasts per turn '''and''' forces enemy units to take Fear/Morale/Pinning tests at -2Ld? The Hemlock can now take powers from Telepathy, Demonology Sanctic, Runes of Battle and Revenant Powers. This has become the hate-machine it was always meant to be! Shriek an enemy unit, blast to death any survivor and then repeat the D-blast on another unit!
**Note I - Powers: If you are using a Freakshow themed force, pick powers from Telephaty; otherwise I would advise to pick all from the Revenant discipline, just for their absurd killing power (even tho Shriek continues to be one of the best - if not the best - offensive powers of the game).
**Note II: You think the Wraithknight is OP? Think again! I decided to become That Guy for an afternoon by bringing 3 maxed out Air Wings of Hemlocks in a Air Superiority Detachment in a 3000 points game - while the rest of the army pulled its punches, let me tell you that 18 D-strength AP2 blasts in the turn they arrived (afterward some had to jink to avoid death, and thus could not use the blast weapon) preceded by 6-7 Shrieks vaporized 1/3 of the enemy army in a single shooting phase.
**Note III: Remember, the Hemlock is a vehicle, so it does NOT benefit from "Soulburst".
*'''Beastmasters DE:'''
**'''Beastmaster DE:'''
**'''Khymera DE:'''
**'''Razorwing Flock DE:'''
**'''Clawed Fiend DE:'''
*'''Raider DE:''' Before the FAQ this was amazingly stupid. Buy one, put your D-scythes in there and proceed to D everything was such bullshit that they nerfed it. Now if you want your D-scythes in here you'll have to deploy both next to each other and climb in. This is still an amazing unit for your army, but just keep that FAQ in mind when using it.
*'''Venom DE:''' Raider-lite. Fewer passengers and less option make this a cheaper but less valued unit. Still useful in certain situations but more limited than the Raider.
*'''Reavers DE:''' Switch-hitting Spiky Jetbikes. You've got Poison on your main weapons. One can upgrade to special. A good charge, but lacking in comparison to Windriders.
*'''Hellions DE:'''
*'''Razorwing Jetfighter DE:'''
*'''Scourges DE:'''
*'''Skyweavers H:'''
*'''Starweaver H:'''

===Heavy Support===
*'''Dark Reapers CE:''' With their long range and decent Str/AP attacks, the Dark Reapers are a great method for triggering Soulburst for allied units that are already close to the enemy, all while remaining safe themselves. For better results give the Exarch his Tempest launcher and barrage-blast down a group of enemy MEQ's or Troops.
*'''Vault's Wrath Support Battery CE:'''
*'''Falcons CE:'''
*'''Fire Prisms CE:'''
*'''Night Spinners CE:'''
*'''War Walkers CE:'''
*'''Wraithlord CE:''' This poor sod is in a very awkward design space. Apart from grav weaponry, it is no small task to kill one of these due to the need to use anti tank or massed poison shots. Having said that grav does exist in droves. His other issue is that while being aggressively priced he is still less efficient than windriders in the dakka department, and giving him brightlances seems much less efficient than taking some of the vehicle options that are much more maneuverable. Having said that in a Reborn Warhost he can make slightly more sense because SfD is no respecter of vehicles and so his double activation potential can be the tie breaker.
*''''''Ravager''' DE:Its a paper pirate ship very fast lots of dakka distie cannons are savage against armies like grey knights and dark lances are good anti-tank but they're not as efficient as other weapons in this army.
*'''Voidraven Bomber DE:'''
*'''Voidweaver H:''' Just don't... one of the obligatory tax units for Harlies, this detachment gives you the option to avoid it, do so! There are so many better choices available like the Fire Prism, Ravager or even a Venom.

===Lord of War===
*'''Yncarne, Avatar of Ynnead FoBt:''' Oh, fuck yes. Has an equally Greater Daemon-esque statline like the Avatar of Khaine (WS9, S/T6, I10). She has a 3+ Armor Save and a 5++ for being a Daemon, and she carries Villith-Zhar, an AP2 melee weapon with Fleshbane, Armorbane, and Soulblaze. Rules-wise, she has Eternal Warrior (which is a big step up from the Avatar of Khaine, sorry bud!), Strength From Death, Fleet, Deep Strike, and Preferred Enemy: Daemons of Slaanesh. She's also a Mastery Level 3 Psyker and can dip into either Sanctic Daemonology or Revenant psychic disciplines. She and all Ynnari units within 12" have the Fearless and Feel No Pain USR, and if an Aeldari model dies within 7" of her, she regains a lost wound on a 3+. She can easily take on any opponent in melee and have a near-guaranteed chance of coming out on top. Except the Avatar of Khaine, since his immunity to Soulblaze will mess her up in a mirror-match.
**'''Inevitable Death:''' When a unit of any kind dies during either your or your opponent's turn, the Yncarne may be immediately picked up and placed as close as possible to that unit's position, provided that is at least 1" away from enemy units. Yes, this includes both arriving from Deep Strike Reserve and picking her up when she's already arrived, so it can be used zip out of a bad situation, or to Deep Strike safely on Turn 1 - note that she can in fact use this rule when locked in combat (moreover, if you use Inevitable Death during your opponent turn, you can then charge back in combat during your turn). Speaking of Deep Strike, the Yncarne ''must'' always be deployed in Deep Strike Reserve.
*'''Wraithknight CE:''' Everybody's favourite undercosted GC, now with even '''more''' OP-ness. Basic rundown of the guy: Jump GC (12' move/turn, re-roll charge and Hammer of Wrath at AP2 with Smash), FNP, resistance to Poison, Sniper (need 6s to wound in both cases) and remove from play/instant-death (it does D3 wounds instead). Now add on top of that Soulburst which allows you a free action and make sure to have your mug to drink those delicious tears from your opponent. Especially hilarious if, as your Warlord, it gets the Favoured of Ynnead warlord trait for double Soulburst range - its massive movement range as a JGC gives it plenty of opportunities to abuse that. Regarding the optimal loadout (refer to the CE tactics page at the top of this section for the details):
**'''Heavy Wraithcannons''': Using strength D to kill/smash open a transport to allow other units to make use of Soulburst is a very good tactic, but note that, differently from CE, this army focuses even more on synergy - if you were looking for pure firepower, even with strength D this configuration generates relatively little.
**'''Ghostglaive & Scattershield''': Jokingly called the rape-train configuration for the Wraithknight, it gets even better (for you, not your opponent) in an Ynnari army! Charge some poor sods and obliterate the unit, just before charging ''another'' unit and killing that, too...and allowing yet another one of your units to charge/fire/move again. While a CQC wraithknight is a damn good distraction in a normal Eldar army, it becomes a great synergistic unit in an Ynnari army, since it allows other units to make use of Soulburst after it charges and kills its target(s) - and do not doubt, it ''will'' kill its target. Because Soulburst's melee attacks are generated in normal Initiative order, Wraithknights can charge and kill a unit at initiative step 5, then use its soulburst trigger to charge another unit that is in difficult terrain, using its lack of assault grenades to its benefit by attacking again at initiative step 1. Then, of course, it can follow up with stomps.
**'''Suncannon & Scattershield''': 3 small blasts with 48" range at strength 6 AP2, and an invuln save slapped on top of it. Cast Guide on the knight, point at stuff and watch TEQ vanish, while your other units Soulbust into action.
**Note: you ''can'' spam this bad boy if you ''really'' want - as said in the Detachment section, you only need around 90 points as tax for a new Reborn Warhost.

==Formations==
===Reborn Warhost===
An interesting combo of Combined Arms Detachment and Formations. You get your regular HQ and 2 Troops tax, but you may take any number of formations available to the Ynnari ''(yes the leaked table says "one of the following" but the restrictions say "any number")''. This is considerably more cost effective than the '''Craftworld Warhost''' since you are not compelled to buy as many Guardian units. So once your taxes are filled, you can go directly to the formations and stack up on special rules from things like Aspect Hosts and Seer Councils and save your more traditional FOC slots for units you want to squeeze in that can't find a formation.

Everything in the detachment gets ''Stubborn'' and can ignore morale checks caused by model loss to shooting if they are within 7" of a friendly unit in this detachment.

Also, if the detachment includes 7 or more units (at the beginning of the battle, not necessarily during said battle), then [[Rape|two units may initiate a Soulburst]] rather than just one when a unit gets destroyed (note that both of them need to be within 7" of the destroyed unit anyway).

*Now the flip side: players who used to spam Wraithknights can no longer do so and remain "Battle-Forged" as the "Wraith Construct" option is not available to you. You only get one Lord of War slot on your FOC. You can still take one and the Yncarne though, since the Avatar of Ynnead can be taken as part of the Triumvirate formation.
**Or can you? You can still fit 4 Wraithknights in an 1850 point match compared to the 5 Wraithknights possible in a Craftworld Warhost. You do have to keep your other choices quite barebones, using Courts of the Archon from the DE faction to fill some of the HQ choices frees up for more choices in the Troops department.
*Similarly, there are no tank formations so you have to take your Fire Prisms and Falcons out of your Heavy Support slots.
*Realistically, you shouldn't need to use the FOC to take aspect warriors ever, since you can always use the '''Aspect Host''' formation as part of your Reborn Warhost, taking them in groups of three and adding extra more special rules to the mix. You could say the same thing about Harlequins as you have unlimited access to their formations. What this leaves you with is the freedom to take Dark Eldar units in your FOC because the '''Kabalite Raiding Party''' sucks.
**Don't shy away from bringing Harlequins in FOC slots though. We finally have a way to bring them without paying for Voidweavers! '''<s>AB</s>USE IT!'''

====Ynnari Formations====
*'''Triumvirate of Ynnead:''' each of the new special characters. They each add +1 to their Herald/Champion/Avatar rolls when all three are on the tabletop, meaning the Yncarne can regenerate lost wounds on a 2+ when Aeldari units go down and the other two regenerate on 3+. The other bonus is that Ynnari within 12" of two of these characters gain the ''Fearless'' rule. ''(The Yncarne already has this though.)''. But if all three are on the tabletop then ALL friendly Ynnari become Fearless, so this is awesome.
**Reminder note: this formation gets you the Yncarne without using your Lord of War slot in your Reborn Warhost detachment, your only other option is the Wraithknight.
**In regards to the Fearless bubble: It appears, at least to this player, that the designers intended for the Visarch and Yvraine to stick close together and enter the board during first turn, granting a not-quite 12" Fearless Bubble (Due to units having to be in overlapping 12" bubbles from the Visarch and Yvraine to benefit.) The Yncarne would then Deep-Strike in upon either '''A:''' Via Inevitable Death upon a Unit being completely wiped, or '''B:''' Coming onto the board as reserves or Deep-Strike from turn 2 onwards. At which point the entire army gains fearless. Fluffy.
**This can be a great formation, but keep in mind that you are spending 625 points on three models that are all pretty fragile. Sure, you can restore lost wounds, but like IWND, if you just get destroyed before you can use it, there's not much point. Make no mistake, these three are pretty squishy, being Eldar. For Apocalypse these might be great but for anything else they're a little pricey for what they can do.
*'''Aeldari Bladehost:''' 2 units of Wyches, 2 units of Troupes, and 2 units of Storm Guardians or Black Guardians.
**If 2 units are fighting the same enemy in close combat, they gain Hatred. If 3 or more are in the same close combat they all get Preferred Enemy on top of that.
**Furthermore, if no unit in the formation has Soulbursted yet this turn, the entire formation can Soulburst when any unit in it would Soulburst.
***Storm Guardians are not a particularly strong close combat unit. Wyches are only slightly better and losing Power From Pain debatably makes them not even that. Meaning that this is essentially a 244 point tax on bringing 2 Troupes of Harlequins with ''Preferred Enemy''.
****Though if you really wanted to, you could max out both Units of Wyches with no upgrades, have them tie something up in combat with their 4++'s, granting Hatred whilst they're at it. The Storm Guardians could then either act in a similar capacity to less effect, or act as cover and ablative wounds for the Harlequins.
****Nothing says the Black Guardians have to switch to melee, you can just have them keep their rifles and ignore melee.
*'''Soulbound Vanguard:''' 2 units of Dire Avengers, 1 unit of Incubi, 1 unit of Wyches. If the Visarch or Yvraine is in any squad of the formation, the squad but not the (named) characters get +1 BS & WS. If two units from the formation are within 7" of each other they get ''Furious Charge'', which doesn't really help the Avengers but is good for the Incubi/Wyches. The best part of the formation is that its units can soulburst if within 14" instead of 7" of a destroyed unit. The doubling of range makes a huge difference as it will really allow these units to come to full effect much earlier.
**Stick the Incubi with the Visarch for a frightening melee unit and let the Wyches act as ablative wounds for Yvraine. The Dire Avengers can then tail these two Units around providing fire support, Furious Charge and either benefitting from or granting Soulburst.
*'''Ynnead's Net:''' The Biker Gang formation you've been waiting for: 1 Warlock Conclave upgraded to Skyrunners, 1 unit of Windriders, 1 unit of Reavers, and 1 unit of Skyweavers. This formation has two main draws: All units from the formation have to start in reserve. Roll reserves for all units in formation as a single rerollable roll. When they come in, each unit comes in, although no two units may come in from the same table edge. Furthermore, when a unit from the formation kills a unit or is destroyed, your Warlock Conclave generates an additional Warp Charge in its subsequent turn.
**'''Summary:''' This formation is dangerous but surprisingly tricky to use, and you pay a premium to trick it out, compared to massing Scatbikes or Reavers in a conventional manner. Generally, you want to deploy the Windriders from your table edge, for they lack melee prowess. That said, if you can get a good firing angle with the Windriders, its worth deploying the Conclave on your edge then turboing them to set up a zone of control. It's worth taking short-ranged options: Singing Spears, Heat Lances, and Zephyrglaives. Since you will be rocking spare Warp Charge from the destruction you wreck, the Conclave is probably best off using the Revenant Discipline instead of Runes of Battle. This is a really good formation, though it remains a fragile one. Beware of units that can beta-strike you, swarms, Genestealer Cults, etc.
*'''Whispering Ghost Hall:''' 1 Farseer, 1 Spiritseer, 1 Shadowseer, 2 Wraithlords, 3 units of Wraithguard or Wraithblade (any combination). All units in the formation gain Fear. Non-character models re-roll to-hit rolls of 1 that target an enemy unit within 12 inches of a character from the formation (note: this does not specify shooting, so close combat is a green light as well). Enemy units locked in combat with any units from this formation suffer a -2 leadership roll when making Fear tests. The issues with the Whispering Ghost Hall are the same issues that "Fear" has. Too many of your opponents are Fearless/Atsknf/synapse/mob rule/stubborn etc. Making it so that any models your "Fear" works against are models you were already going to beat up in melee. Also many people feel the tax unit of the Wraith Host is the Wraithlord. Well this formation has two of them. So the real question becomes "Do I take this formation because of the re roll ones?". Obviously it depends but the Wraith Host may still be better in that regard and Wraithblades may push you closer to a yes than Wraithguard in this formation but without an assault vehicle that you may start the game in the whole thing feels disappointing.
**Opinion the 2nd: In this formation, wraithlords turn into pseudo-spirit seers in guiding all the units, extending the reroll bubble and preventing its premature termination when a Vindicare BLAMS your spiritseer. The formation also allows you to take the 3 types of seers without crowding out your HQ and elite FOC slots. Fear is just a bonus against those who aren't immune to it that miiiight just allow your wraithguard to last long enough in the event they got caught in melee. Also, RAW, the Wave Serpent dedicated transport of the wraithguard/blades reroll 1s within 12" of characters (that only really helps the underslung shuriken cannon, but hey its something no)

====Other Permitted Formations====
*'''Guardian Battlehost''' - A Farseer takes 3 Guardian Defender squads, a squad of Vypers, War Walkers, and a Vaul’s Wrath support Battery with an optional Warlock Conclave. The Vypers, Warwalkers and Vaul’s Wrath get preferred enemy against an enemy within 12″ of the Defenders. Guardians can also purchase a Platform for free.
**If you take this you've practically got yourself the core of an army. Which is unnecessary since your Reborn FOC has compulsory Troops choices instead of "Core formations" so you can save your points for something else. This might have been a good way to get War Walkers and Weapon Batteries in your army without using Heavy Support slots, but taking lots of Guardians in an Ynnari force is not strictly the best option as you want units that hit ''really'' hard; otherwise, they make good fodder to mark close to your unit and transfer souls for more power.
*'''Guardian Storm Host''' - Same as the Guardian Battlehost, but replacing the Guardian Defenders with Storm Guardians. The Storm Guardians can now take their weapons AND power weapons for free and the non-infantry units get their Preferred Enemy.
**Suffers worse than the Battlehost because Storm Guardians using Soulburst is about effective as a one legged man in an arse kicking competition. Extra shots of pistols aren't going to do a whole lot, and getting a free charge with Guardians of any type will '''always''' pale in comparison to what dedicated Aspect Warriors could do.
*'''Windrider Host:''' A Farseer and a Warlock Conclave take bikes to join 3 gangs of Windriders and a Vyper Squadron. Once per game all models in this formation get Shred when firing shuriken weapons.
**This formation actually has some bite. Heavier weapons and increased speed means that Soulburst actually makes jetbikes really agressive with a very long reach across the table.
*'''Seer Council:''' No need to waste those compulsory HQ slots on Farseers and Warlock Conclaves if you don't have to. Get them here and save your slots for things like Phoenix Lords and Succubi.
**With no actual restriction on the amount you can take, after fulfilling your compulsory Troops choices on the FOC you could literally spam these as your whole army and still be Battle-Forged.
**Give the Warlocks the new Revenant powers and let the Farseers use their traditional powers and you've got a support squad unlike any other, dishing out buffs to your army and deadly necromantic rape to the enemy.
**This is the basis for a Deathstar. Take either the Skyrunners or Eldrad with everyone on foot. Other options may alter how you want to deploy your SeerStar
***If you're taking the Triumvirate you're probably going to want to put the Visarch and Yvraine in this unit in which case the Jetbikes provide only +1T, Jink, and Hammer of Wrath. While you could break off your seer council to grab objectives, if you're playing a deathstar you're probably not playing heavily to the objectives in the first place. Ultimately, most of your durability will come from Powers and good positioning, and not from T4 warlocks with Jink. Now take an ML2 Shadowseer in the elite slot and toss her into this deathstar for the great harlequin powers and Hit and Run. Last but not least your HQ choices. An Autarch with Banshee Mask is a must for one slot while a Succubus or Archon with webway portal is the other slot. Archon is more tanky which is good for this unit but Succubus is more killy.
****The largest weakness for this deathstar is a lack of ablative wounds. If you position things right your Archon can take a fair amount of punishment otherwise you either lose cast power in the form of your 1W Warlocks or something way more important. When grabbing powers Try everything to get Invisibility, as you might expect, as such your order should be as such; Eldrad should roll on telepathy attempting to get invisibility. If you fail to get it then roll telepathy on your other Farseer if Eldrad got invisiblity then roll on Revenant or Santic. Your first shadowseer should now roll on Phantasmancy looking for Dance of Shadows and potentially Mirror of Minds if your Archon/Succubus takes the Armor of misery and one of your shadowseers takes the Mask of Secrets. Dance of Shadows grants an effective +3 to your cover save which can provide enough extra durability in case you don't get off Invisibility. Now your second Shadowseer if you chose to bring two either more Phantasmancy, Revenant or Santic. Lastly your Warlocks should roll of either runes of Battle or Revenant. If you lose warlocks you don't want to lose something important. While rolling on sanctics you're looking mostly for Gate of infinity to handle your relative lack of mobility. Farseer is probably the best option thanks to ghosthelm.
*'''Aspect Host:''' This is where it's at. Ynnari are all about taking advantage of kills to sping into action once more via Soulburst. Aspect Warriors are rightly known for being very good at moving quickly up the board to cause havoc on the enemy army and kill units; giving them either +1 WS or BS is simply logical since it means you are ensuring you get the most out of them when the time comes.
*'''Dire Avenger Shrine:''' These Aspect Warriors are obviously better than Guardians, but are out of their league against MEQs when compared to Dragons, Reapers, and Banshees, who can really benefit from Soulburst. Lots of mid-ranged shuriken shots might easily clear out GEQs far better, but because you can instead take Avengers as part of the Soulbound Vanguard formation which brings in other units as well and extends the reach of Soulburst there isn't as much need to use this formation.
**I respectfully disagree. I've tried this and I had some luck with it. The +1 BS is helpful, and the ability to up your shots to Assault 3 for the phase (meaning you can use it twice if you soulburst in that same phase, shouldn't be hard) isn't bad at all. Getting them up close to soulburst isn't hard if you bring Wave Serpents (sadly cannot use Raiders due to the new FAQ).
*'''Crimson Death:''' If you bring this formation - congrats, you own the air. More objectively, this formation gives the Crimson Hunter (an amazing unit on its own to start with) Preferred Enemy against other flyers/flying MC and a flat 4+ cover save in the open without jinking (if you DO jink, you get a re-rollable 4+ for that delicious 75% chanche of saving the wound...mind you, this is necessary given you are only AV 10 which means strength 4 can glance you to death). This might very well be the best way to bring air support for the Ynnari.
**Note that the formation is from the pre-DFtS period and it specifies 3 CHs, not 3 CHs units - aka no sweet flying pattern bonuses for this formation.
*'''Wraith Host:''' The Wraith host is as nasty as ever, though due to the fact the new FAQ denies its main benefit (to give Battle Focus to your Ynnari Wraithguard) it becomes much less appealing. In any way, since the Wraith Host can be taken as part of a Reborn Warhost, this is a great way to cram three squads of Wraithguard into Wave Serpents (a nasty unit on its own) and cram your proverbial fist down your opponent's throat.
*'''Kabalite Raiding Party:''' An Archon, a court of the Archon, 6 Units of Kabalite Warriors that can be made Trueborn, 1 unit of Incubi, 1 unit of Scourges, 1 unit of Hellions, a Ravager and everything except the Archon had to take a Venom or Raider as Dedicated Transport. No. Just no. Expensive and inneffective. Hellions and Ravagers do not belong here, the Scourges are good, but Incubi can get better buffs and less tax with Ynnari Formations, the Court is flat out unnecessary, the Archon may be functional and the potential for six Blaster/Splinter Born Venoms flying around ''sounds'' fun until you realise this is more than two thirds of an 1850 point list that gives you one close combat unit, one anti vehicle unit, 2 HQ's, six Venoms and '''Hellions'''.
*'''Cegorach's Revenge:''' Three Troupes, three Shadowseers, three Deathjesters, 1 Solitaire, two Skyweaver squads, one Voidweaver. This grants the ability to reroll failed invulnerable saves of a ''1'', allows Running ''and'' Charging consecutively from Turn 2 onwards, and lets one of the Troupe Masters reroll their Warlord Trait from the Harlequins tables if they are the Warlord. This can function either as the core of an army or an entire army depending on upgrades. The formation is expensive, so only really viable in large games if you want a cadre of Close Combat Beasts and moderate Psychic support.
*'''The Serpent's Brood:''' Three Troupes take Starweavers as dedicated Transports, two groups of Skyweavers join in on the fun and a Voidweaver hangs awkwardly in the background. The unique trick you get for this is the ability to re-embark the Starweavers off of a Hit and Run movement. If done correctly this can result in the Troupe leaping from the Starweaver, shooting whilst the Starweaver finds a hiding spot. Then charging the enemy, holding them in Combat right through to their assault phase where the Troupe Hits and Runs, embarking in the transport during the opponents turn before flying off and repeating the process on some other poor sod.
**More likely though: everything goes perfectly up until your oponents shooting phase at which ooint the Starweaver explodes due to a light gust of wind and it's nature as an AV10 vehicle.
*'''Cast of Players:''' A Troupe takes a Shadowseer and Deathjester hostage. As such they cant' split up and effectively lose Independent Character until their Captos die. As a bonus, the unit gets Crusader and give non-Harlequin Aeldari models within 6" Crusader as well. Neat.
*'''Cegorach's Jest:''' A Troupe, a unit of Skyweavers and the dreaded Voidweaver tax. Everyone worthwhile can Run and Charge consecutively from Turn 2 onwards.
*'''The Heroes’ Path:''' A Shadowseer and Deathjester decide to support a Solitaire by being loners together. Models in this formation may not join, or be joined by, other units. In return for this descent into solitude, the three models gain Infiltrate, Shrouded and Stealth for a 3+ cover save in the open. Haywire Grenades on everyone won't hurt. You'll have a fun time if you give the Solitaire the Lost Shroud relic, welcome to uber-stealthy-tank mode. The Shadowseer could take the Mask of Secrets and jump on the Psychic Shriek Train for fun, or take no relics and make glorious use of the new Revenant Discipline.
*'''Faolchú's Blade:''' 2 units of Skyweavers and a Voidweaver. The entire formation may re-roll jink-saves.

==Ally Synergies==
'''Haemonculus Coven'''
*The Covens can work really well alongside a Reborn Warhost mostly due to formations and the freakish spectacle rule. All the formations have it and they can provide some additional -Ld aura to cause your enemies to flee. Typically you want something ship and durable to provide that bonus. However you should keep your Covens and Yannari separate to get as much Soulburst from your Ynnari as possible.
''Formations''
*'''Grotesquerie''' - A Haem/Urien joins 2 Grotesque squads.
** A cheap team that gives a new variant of Combat Drugs. Now the hulks get either: +1S, +1T, Fleet, Shred, Rage, 4+ FNP. All of them have their days, but that FNP and Fleet sound DELICIOUS.
**Excellent for Yannari Allies. You have a tough pair of units that have some reasonable mobility.
*'''Scarlet Epicureans''' - Haemy, Cronos, and 2 Wrack squads all teamed up.
** A shocking unit, this gives all Wracks within 12" of the Haem Precision Strike AND +1 on PFP (Before factoring the Master of Pain, so attaching gives you IWND by Turn 2), meaning immediate Fearless. In addition, if the Haemy is Warlord, then he automatically gets the WT giving suicidal victory lols. Pretty clear what you're supposed to be doing with everything.
**Not the greatest for Yannari allys being more expensive and less durable than other options.
*'''Scalpel Squadron''' - 2 Wrack Squads in Venoms. Wait, that sounds way too easy...
** Its simplicity belies its goal as alpha strikers. If they win First Blood, they win d3 VP. The issue is that they DS on turn 1, meaning that they need to make sure that the thing they kill is not going to take too long to steal the kill.
***"Alpha strikers" doesn't quite cover it. Because these automatically arrive at the beginning of your first turn, it's entirely possible to leave the rest of your army in reserve and give the opponent the first turn, thereby forcing them to waste a turn shooting at precisely jack shit.
*** This is basically the DE version of Drop Pod Assault, except you aren't forced to hold half of them back for a full turn in exchange for no deepstrike insurance.
*** This isn't the worst but also isn't great for Ynnari. It has some good potential with a Yncarne to get it out quickly but You aren't likely to get much in the way of soulburst from a turn 1 alpha strike with a Ynnari army.
*'''Corpsethief Claw''' - 5 Talos in a single squad.
** One of the bonuses is that they get Scout. 6" of additional movement after deployment helps alleviate their mediocre mobility. The other bonus is that for every non-vehicle unit they destroy in Assault they gain a VP. So, what do we get? A Dark Eldar '''deathstar'''. 15 T7 3+ wounds with FnP and the ability to redeploy that advance toward the enemy like a giant wall of fleshy doom. With 5 TL Haywire Blasters (fairly expensive but recommended upgrade) they own Vehicles (particularly transports) and [[rip and tear]] everyone who gets in their way with S7 AP2 attacks at WS5 and Init 4. Have to fight a Walker? TL Haywire Overwatch and 5 S10 AP2 attacks with re-rolls to pen. The only things that the Corpsethief Claw is vulnerable to is massed Poison fire (so, other DE), Grav-guns and Instant Death. Other than that, feel free to advance across the board and wipe the enemy out.
**This isn't great for a Yannari Ally. You have better Deathstar options in your warhost.
*'''Dark Artisan''' - Haemonculus makes a unit with a Talos and Cronos.
** Yeah, they become a unit the Haem can't ever ditch. However, doing this gives the engines +1 WS/I. If he's Warlord, he also gains the FNP re-rolls '''OF 1''', which becomes useful for the retinue. Give the Cronos the Soul Probe and the Haemonculus the Nightmare Doll, stick the Haemonculus up front and watch him eat all those hits at T7, then take his saves at 3+ Feel No Pain. Oh someone fired a lascannon at it? Look Out Sir, clownbucket!
** Tired of slogging across the board? That Haemonculus can still take a Webway Portal for some precision deep striking hilarity...
**I good choice for Yannari Ally. Durable enough to provide that -Ld bubble without needing to worry too much about being shot at. And a reasonable price.
*'''Covenite Fleshcorps''' - Haem joins 3 Wracks with Raiders, but doesn't NEED to join a Raider.
** A basic formation that has a main goal of protecting the Wrack with the Haem's PFP boost spreading to all members within 12". This also gives him and the Wracks he joins the 4+ FNP WT if he is Warlord, which is a good bonus.
**Nope. It's too much for an allied formation. If you like the idea the Scalpel Squadron does everything and more this formation does at a lower price.
*'''Carnival of Pain''' - Every formation in the book slapped together. All of them.
** Aside from everything coming at once, Urien (or his Formation's replacement) spreads his PFP boost to the ENTIRE FORMATION. Everyone out of a vehicle also gets to re-roll 1's to-wound in combat.
**Just no. This is an army in itself.
==Composition and Tactics==

It is very hard for you to mess up with the variety you have on hand here. Just as the note at the beginning says, don't overdo the cheese for anything less than ultracompetitves tourneys. You will probably need to pull your punches more often than desperately [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Dawn_of_War_II#Multiplayer humping objectives for the win]

That being said, same advice as whatever codex you're from, you are still squishy elves who dislike high strength, high volume, cover ignoring fire. Never leave your anti tank at home, they come best in the form of haywire and lance, distinguishing yourselves as the superior race rather than relying on high strength and volume of fire(that being said, you are not lacking in that department either)

How you choose to play the reborn Eldar race is really up to you, whether you just want to tack on some [[Harlequins|choppa]], [[Eldar|dakka]] or be a [[Dark Eldar|special snowflake]] with your usual army. Or you can go all out on the fluff and making [[your dudes|your guys]] work together better than the rotting Imperium. For example, Dark Reapers providing Incubi with covering fire while Death jesters pull the enemy in (edgelords gotta stick together).

Bring out all your shelf decorators and see what you can make of them. Be creative and have a laugh as your hodgepodge army goes ham and moves models back to deployment table as quick as you and your opponent can deploy them.

====Strength from Death====

''"No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy" -Admiral of Albion in the 2nd Millenium''

This is your special sauce, death and destruction is your meat and wine. The term overkill doesn't apply to your army; oops I wasted my wraithknight's 2 D strength shots on a rhino. Oh well, I'll just shoot that land raider across the board and charge the occupants of the rhino at its feet. On the contrary, you never want to half ass something, leaving bits and pieces behind, SoD untriggered, and you with a rather severe case of blue balls.

Now, to get this thinggamajig going, you need to be close to the enemy. That means you have to abandon your usual pansy tactics of staying out of charge range. So melee becomes a very real, very necessary part of your life. Well done GW.

=====Triggering SoD=====

=====SoD actions=====

Movement

Shooting

Assault

I would argue that this rule itself is a counter to MSU style gameplay, like many Gladius detachments that have min squad of tacs and rhinos and drop pods and annoying little things. Where previously they would feed you a unit or 2 at a time to roadblock you, now your deathstars have the ability to ride the rape train near endlessly. Still, your deathstars will never be excessively durable without massive psychic support, which can be a finnicky thing what with rolling powers, DtW and perils. Oh wait this codex has a warlord trait that lets your choose your powers. Oh wait your farseers can negate peril wounds with 1 wc. Oh wait you can drown your enemy in warp charges and cast on 3+ with seer councils. Hmmm. The psychic phase, if you get enough killy powers can get the deathstar rolling early, or at least soften them up for the first shooting phase.

===Ulthwe Strike Force Detachment===
You may take 1-4 units from the Black Guardian selection. They gain ''Stubborn'' and ''Preferred Enemy'' if the opposing any contains any Chaos Daemons, Chaos Space Marines, Khorne Daemonkin or Renegade Knights.

Note that Black Guardian units are not available to normal Craftworld Eldar armies. So other than the Ynnari Reborn detachment this is the only way to take them. But if you take them this way, they aren't actually Ynnari and so still have ''Ancient Doom'' and ''Battle Focus'' instead of ''Strength from Death''.

*'''Whether they belong in a Strike Force or a Reborn Warhost depends entirely on what you intend to do with them.''' The Strike Force offers some nifty benefits against Chaos, doesn't take up slots in another detachment, and has the potential to unleash a nasty deep strike assault on Turn 1. If you don't need Soulburst for your Black Guardian units and have enough to fill the four slots, this is the way to go. That said, Windriders and Guardians will benefit from Soulburst if they join a Reborn Warhost and they'll still be able to deep strike starting on Turn 2. If you want to deep-strike huge Guardian mobs in hopes of triggering a Soulburst-powered double volley, keep them in the Reborn Warhost. The same can be said for large squads of Scatter Laser bikes, which stand a solid chance of getting a Soulburst double kill on some light vehicles before boosting to cover in the Assault Phase.

[[Category:Warhammer 40000 Tactics(7E)]]
[[Category: Eldar]]

Lunitari

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{{dnd-stub}}
{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Lunitari
|Symbol = [[File:Lunitari Symbol.jpg|200px]] Red Circle/Sphere
|Alignment = True Neutral
|Divine Rank = Intermediate Deity
|Pantheon = Krynn (Gods of Balance, Gods of Magic)
|Portfolio = Magic, Arcane Knowledge
|Domains = None
|Home Plane = '''2E:''' ''The Lost Citadel of Magic'' ([[Ethereal Plane]]) '''3E:''' The Hidden Vale
|Worshippers = [[Wizard]]s, [[Illusionist]]s, [[Transmuter]]s
|Favoured Weapon = None
}}
'''Lunitari''' is the Goddess of Red Magic in the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Dragonlance]]. This makes her part of the small "Gods of Magic" sub-pantheon, alongside [[Solinari]] and [[Nuitari]].

Sprung without the need of a mother from the god [[Gilean]], Lunitari is a vivacious young trickster who relishes using her magic to amuse and entertain. Her Red Robes make up the largest of the three Orders of High Sorcery, and she strives constantly to balance out the ambitions of her cousins and to oppose any deity who threatens magic's continued existence on Krynn.

==Dogma==
Devote yourself to magic. Enhance and expand the use of magic in the world. Work to maintain the balance between good and evil magic, and promote the use of neutral magic. Bring other worthy candidates to the study of the art.

{{D&D-Dragonlance-Deities}}

Jurgen

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'''Gunner Ferik Jurgen''' – [[Ciaphas Cain]]'s personal aide and former guardsman of the [[Valhallan Ice Warriors]]. Noticeable for his powerful body odor and chronic psoriasis (which discourage others from getting too close to him), Jurgen is also a "blank", or a psychic null; this trait saved them both on more than one occasion. Jurgen is completely loyal to the Commissar, and his unwavering dedication to him has helped both of them through many dangerous situations. In order to protect him from the wider Inquisition and overzealous members of the Imperium, however, Cain actively kept Jurgen's status as a blank a closely guarded secret.

In addition to his lasgun (with which he is an excellent shot) Jurgen usually carries a meltagun when he thinks they're heading into trouble. He tries to stay prepared for every situation, and is always wearing assault webbing heavy with various pouches full of any number of useful sundries, a collection of [[NSFW|porno-slates]] among them which Jurgen reads when he is on break. He has a talent for scrounging up goods, though no one is sure how he does it (At one point Cain saw him stuff a half eaten sandwich into one of his webbing pouches when no-one was looking, and made a mental note to not eat any food he offered for a while). Cain finds Jurgen an excellent aide, as Jurgen has a 'singular lack of imagination' he made up in doggedly following Cain's orders, as he always thinks of them as for the good of the Imperium, something which Cain finds extremely useful. Jurgen is also noted for his fear of flying and his exceptionally aggressive driving style; he routinely drives Cain's personal scout Salamander in a manner generously described as "insane" and, coupled with his literal-mindedness and loyalty, he will often crash through walls or drive straight up shuttle boarding ramps without hesitation--it's notable, though, that Jurgen never crashes into something he doesn't intend to hit. Jurgen also makes an excellent secretary, as very few people are able to get past him to see Cain unless it is VERY important (reducing the amount of office work done by Cain and allowing him to take "breaks" without his absence being noticed). Despite his otherwise dogged adherence to authority, Jurgen's appearance has often been remarked as being extremely shabby for a soldier. He has never been able to find a uniform that fits him properly, maintains a shabby beard (which he has medical dispensation for due to his skin diseases) and has often been remarked to think hygiene is something that happens to other people.

It's possible that, given his status as a blank, his nauseating stench and other assorted unpleasant attributes are actively cultivated because he figured that because blanks are supernaturally dislikeable no matter what they do to look better, he might as well give people a logical excuse to ignore him and not like him. It is also possible that the stank is at least partially just in everyone else's mind, as how they perceive his unpleasant aura, a sort of "uncanny valley" effect manifesting in the material plane. Cain never gives any of this any thought and just thinks Jurgen smells bad.

''The Smallest Detail'' is a standalone short (9 pages) story starring Jurgen, rather than Cain himself.

==See Also==

* [[Jurgen Chronicles]]; a few stories from Jurgen's point of view.

{{IG-Characters}}

Umberlee

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{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Umberlee
|Symbol = [[File:Umberlee symbol.jpg|150px]]
|Alignment = Chaotic Evil
|Divine Rank = Intermediate Goddess
|Pantheon = Faerûn
|Portfolio = Currents, ocean, sea winds, waves
|Domains = '''3E:''' Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Ocean, Storm, Water '''4E:''' Sea, Storm '''5E:''' Tempest
|Home Plane ='''[[Great Wheel]]:''' ''Blood Tor'' ([[Abyss]]) '''[[World Tree]]:''' Fury's Heart '''[[World Axis]]:''' ''Blood Sea'' (Deep Wilds)
|Worshippers = Coastal dwellers, sailors, [[kraken]]s, [[Therianthrope|weresharks]]
|Favoured Weapon = ''Drowning Death'' (Trident)
}}
{{dnd-stub}}
'''Umberlee, the Bitch Queen, and Queen of the Depths''', is the [[Forgotten Realms]] goddess of the ocean, currents, sea wind, and waves.

Unusually for an evil deity, especially a chaotic evil one, is that Umberlee has a shtick beyond death cults and conspiracies to take over the world. As goddess of the ocean, she runs temples in civilized port towns that shake down sailors for offerings in exchange for safe passage. And yes, "Bitch Queen" is one of her actual titles.

==Dogma==
The sea is a savage place, and those that travel it had best be willing to pay the price of challenging Umberlee's domain. Fair offereings bring fair winds to sea travelers, but those that do not pay their respects will find that the sea is as cold as Umberlee's heart. Spread the word of the might of Umberlee, and let no service be done in her name without a price. Make folk fear the wind and wave unless a [[cleric]] of Umberlee is there to protect them. Slay those who ascribe sea and shore storms to [[Talos]].

{{D&D5e-FR-Deities}}

The Seven Steel Thanes

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{{stub}}
<blockquote>Led by the mysterious Sheoldred, Whispering One, the black-aligned faction has one goal: enslave. Believers will serve. Unbelievers will be made to serve. All will bow to Phyrexia. Geth, the undead lord of the Vault of Whispers, had embraced Phyrexia long before the rest of Mirrodin knew the threat. Now, he controls a vast army of undead in service of their goals.</blockquote>

The Seven Steel Thanes is the New Phyrexian faction associated with black mana. The seven thanes dominate control of the forces of black mana in New Phyrexia. They are not united. Each thane is a warlord vying for the position of Father/Mother of Machines. [[Sheoldred]] used to be top dog in this competition, but Elesh Norn swooped in and laid waste to her domain. It is unknown how this (and possibly other offscreen) events altered the political landscape of the forces of The Seven Steel Thanes.

==External Links==
* http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/138

{{Template:Phyrexia}}
{{Thane}}

Aventi

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The '''Aventi''' are an obscure [[Dungeons & Dragons]] playable race race introduced in ''Stormwrack'', the oceanic & underwater adventures splatbook for third edition.

In a nutshell, aventi are essentially D&D Atlanteans: the descendants of an ancient and mighty human empire that, when sunk into the ocean, magically adapted and survived by turning into amphibious but otherwise near-perfectly human (pale-blue skin and tiny fins on the forearms and calves aside) creatures, essentially being more humanoid and amphibious [[merfolk]]. Season with elf-style arrogance and a conviction of their own superiority despite usually coming from a place nobody has heard about, and you have them in a nutshell.

If you want to play an aventi in 5th edition, it's really easier to just grab a [[triton]]: the triton's stats do pretty much everything you want out of the aventi, and they even match up in terms of fluff and, mostly, experience.

::Medium
::Humanoid (Aquatic)
::Amphibious (Ex): Can breath air and water with equal ease.
::Base land speed: 30 feet
::Swim speed: 30 feet
::+8 racial bonus on Swim checks to perform a special action or avoid a hazard, can always take 10 on a Swim check, can use the Run action whilst swimming in a straight line.
::Water Spell Power (Ex): +1 caster level when casting spells with the Water descriptor.
::Human Blood: For all effects related to race, treat an aventi as a human.
::Favored Class: Any

==Gillmen==
The basic idea of the aventi was, of course, re-used in [[Pathfinder]] with the oh-so-imaginatively named Gillmen. These guys are almost identical to Aventi in every way that matters, bar being somewhat more cosmopolitan, having more interaction with surfacers, and being unwitting sleeper agents for the [[aboleth]]s.

...Actually, in many ways, the Gillmen are worse, because not only do they have this annoying railroading "plot hook" built into every single character, but they miss the point of Aventi by having the Water Dependent racial weakness, which is one of the reasons why [[merfolk]] and [[triton]]s have traditionally been ignored.

::+2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom
::Medium
::Humanoid (Aquatic)
::Base Land Speed: 30 feet
::Swim Speed 30 feet
::Can move in water without needing to attempt a Swim check, Swim is always a class skill.
::Amphibious: Can breathe air and water equally well.
::Enchantment Resistance: +2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. Enchantment spells and effects.
::Servitor: All gillmen are unwitting slaves of the aboleths, and so even a gillman PC has some orders they are unconsciously compelled to follow. Additionally, their Enchantment Resistance is changed to a -2 penalty against Enchantment spells and effects used by aboleths.
::Water Dependent: Must completely submerse in fresh or salt water once per day. If they fail to do so, they have 4d6 hours to to get submersed or they will die from dehydration.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Races]] [[Category: Pathfinder]] [[Category: Monsters]]

The Times and Trials of Klightus

2020-02-07T20:51:00Z

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{{story}}
{{awesome}}

Otherwise known as The Shy Guardsman on sup/tg/. The story of the Guardsman Klightus and Sister Bethany.

==Storytime==
===First Story===
There are a few reasons why a noble family sent one of their number to join the guard. Most frequently it was so that they could come back a hero, raising the family's status.

Sadly, in Klightus' case, it was the exact opposite.

He'd never been good at the political game. He'd been captured by scum twice by the age of ten, and according to his father, he just didn't "get" it. After the third time, his father threatened to not pay the ransom next time. That was enough to keep him at home from then on. No, he was sent to the guard in hopes that he'd die. Maybe a glorious death, maybe one that would leave his family proud. But they just hoped he died quietly. That would be enough.

So far, he'd failed them in that, too. He'd been accident prone as a child -- he'd grown tall, and that height had left him awkward for many years. He'd spent a lot of time with the family's chirugen, and had picked up a lot. Now, he served the Medicae. While, true, he served in the field, so far he'd been spared front-line combat for the most part.

Most of the time. This wasn't one of those times.

"Klightus! Where in the Emperor's name are you?"

"On m-my way!" He fell into a sprint, shrapnel kicking up dust that stung the eyes. He paused behind the cover of a tree, firing off a couple of shots at the traitor scum. Needed to clear his path. Needed to get to the wounded. He needed... A glance revealed a traitor Russ drawing bead on his location. Klightus wasn't sure if he should be honored or insulted that they felt to use that much overkill on him. Either way, he needed to move. It didn't take much to convince him to sprint again.

The tree exploded, throwing him off his feet. For a long time, there was only a high-pitched whine and a throbbing inside Klightus' head. Distantly, he became aware of a pain in his bicep. A shard of wood. Without thinking, he pulled it out. That's when he really noticed the pain. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Klightus, if you don't get your ass over here RIGHT NOW, I swear I'll send you to the Emperor myself!"

Finally, he found the two soldiers in question. Their cover wasn't good, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that one of them was lying on the ground. Klightus fell to his knees next to the conscript. He'd taken shrapnel to the face -- the man could be saved, but the eye couldn't. Better to take it out and get the guy shooting again than grant him the Emperor's Benediction.

He'd just worked the biggest shard of shrapnel free when the cover started to get peppered. Klightus snatched up his lasrifle and glanced. A group of them were making a charge. Damn traitors. With the sudden odd high-pitched whine in the air, he could barely think. Gritting his teeth, he took aim and fired...

Only for the traitor to explode. Klightus blinked and looked down at his lasrifle. That... shouldn't have caused that...

It was then that SHE landed. Right next to him. If his sphincter hadn't of been the size of purely theoretical particles before, it was now. She looked down at him, one of her ice blue eyes hidden behind her white hair. A quick look to the injured conscript, and she returned her attention to the advancing traitors, her bolter blazing into life again.

Klightus didn't need any more of an order. He spared one more shot downrange, only scoring a glancing blow, before returning his attention to getting the soldier back up and firing.

It was an hour later before the battle was done. Klightus limped back across the battlefield, clutching his arm. Every step sent fire up his leg and into his back. He'd twisted his ankle at some point -- at least, he hoped that he'd twisted it. He was afraid to check. He shouldered his rifle and bent down to pick up his helmet. He wasn't going to get flogged for losing it. Again. It wasn't until he pushed himself back up, grimacing the entire way, that he realized that one of the Sisters was standing in front of him.

He pushed his eyes slowly up to her face. Ice blue eyes. White hair. Now he could see the fleur-de-lis on her cheek. He tried not to grimace as he made the sign of the aquila over his chest -- his arm might have been bandaged, but it still hurt like hell. "Th-thank you, s-s-sister, for your assistance in ensuring the Emperor's will... be done this day." There was a long moment before she nodded once, letting him drop his arms.

"You are bleeding," she said softly.

"Oh?" Was he? It took a moment before he remembered his arm. "Oh, this? I-I-I... It's nothing. It shouldn't be... um... infected or anything. I've t-treated it and said the litanies to-"

"Not that," she said, sounding a touch amused. A gauntlet pointed down at his leg.

And the piece of steel jutting out of it. That made him wonder -- was it the ankle that was causing him all the pain, or the shrapnel. His face began to feel as if a thousand pins were prickling it. "Oh, fiddle-dee-dee," he said, his voice breaking. "That will require a Tetanus shot."

With that, his world went black.

----

In retrospect, it was kind of funny that pain wasn't the first thing he noticed. Not that there wasn't a lot of it. Instead, it was the incense. But his eyes didn't want to open. The cot was warm. His body felt like lead. Lead and pain, but lead none the less. Nothing wanted to move. Nothing wanted to work.

But the incense made him force his eyes open. Medicae didn't burn incense. Nor did Medicae tents have that kind of roof, really. He forced his eyes down only to see... a statue. Saint... he couldn't remember her name offhand. A warrior hospitaller. Yes, he knew her. That, as well as sheets finer than anything he'd ever had as a Guardsman, told him that he wasn't with Medicae right now.

Klightus pushed aside the sheets, looking down at himself. Bruising, yes. To be expected. But it had already started healing nicely. His leg and arm were bandaged, as well as his ankle. From the looks of it, even the minor lacerations had been attended to. He... wasn't going to argue. With a wince, he quietly made his way out of the cot, kneeling before the statue. If this saint had watched over him while he was unconscious, then the least that he could do was give her proper thanks. Even if the fact that he was only in his undergarments made his skin stand.

"You are awake."

The voice made him jump, turning quickly to look at the source. Bad idea -- it made him woozy, seeing double. No, not double. There was only one of everything in the room, save for the two sisters before him. Two pairs of ice eyes stared down at him. Almost completely identical, save for a small scar on one's cheek.

"Careful," said the one. "You have been unconscious for some time. You lost quite a bit of blood. We feared that we might have to send you to His loving embrace."

Well, it looked like he'd failed his family again. Shame tinged his cheeks, even as he tried to deny that small point of pride deep inside.

The one who spoke turned to the other. "Tell Sister Superior." The other nodded and left the grand tent. It all felt so surreal.

But there were things that needed addressed. Looking up from his position on the ground, he forced words to his lips. "H-h-how b-bad was it?"

"Three days. Sister Bethany was forced to hand feed you. When the fever came, she tended to that as well. We would like to keep you for a few more days." The air was heavy with unsaid words. She looked away from him, back to the statue. "Your commander has demanded we return you to him as soon as you awoke. He was not pleased when I brought you here, but there was little that he could do. Keeping you here, however..."

Klightus found himself blushing as he looked away. "I th-thank you for your divine kindness, as well as your d-divine wrath against the enemies of the Emperor."

"You may regret those words." He looked back up to her. Her face was hard. "Sister Bethany will escort you back to your regiment. I believe your commander seeks to put you directly back into harm's way." She must have seen his wince. "This, most certainly, will kill you. However, Sister Superior has informed me that all of the transports are either in use or in need of repairs. I'm afraid that it will be a long trip."

Klightus was never good at politics, but even he could see what was going on. The commander had found a way to force their hand. Who knew how, but they were were disobeying by complying. By following the letter of the orders, they had bought him time to help recuperate. His ears felt warm.

Which left when the tent opened, letting in another blast of cool air. The other sister, Bethany he supposed, had returned, carrying his gear. His pack looked so very empty. With even, graceful movements, she placed it on his cot. A moment later, she made her exit again. To don her armor, he supposed.

"I expect to see my sister returned after she presents you," the more talkative sister declared.

That threat was read loud and clear. From his kneeling position, he made the sign of the aquila to her. "The Emperor's will b-be done."

The two of them stayed there for several long moments, neither moving. She expected him to stand. There was no way that he was going to do that with her there. Perhaps she sensed his discomfort, perhaps she grew tired of waiting, but regardless, she bowed her head to him and left him to change.

Not for the first time in his life, and he doubted it would be the last, Klightus silently cursed his body.

He took his time getting changed, out of stiffness rather than... anything else. By the time he left the tent, the sister was standing outside awaiting him in her armor, her bolter carried at ease. "S-Sister Bethany?" She nodded to him, her eyes closing slightly. Okay, this was kind of awkward. "I was t-told that you would... You would be escorting me?"

As if to answer, she retrieved a crutch, offering it to him. Great. They were walking. To Emperor only knew where. This might take a while...

----

The going was both boring and entertaining. His escort wasn't the talkative type, but... He had to admit, there was something about the cut of her armor... It also didn't help with her height. He was the tallest purestrain human in the regiment, but she... Perhaps it was the armor, but she came very close to looking him in the eye. That alone was enough to keep him somewhat distracted from the pain.

For every two hours they marched, they rested for fifteen minutes. She would come and look him over critically -- probably ensuring that he wasn't about to fall over. Each time, she presented him with a little bit of food, water, and painkillers. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing. By the fourth stop, Klightus wasn't feeling any pain, but he was also feeling rather woozy.

Perhaps she sensed this. Her ice blue eyes narrowed this time as she watched him, a slight frown on her face. Wordlessly, she wrapped an arm around him and guided him over to a tree. She didn't speak, but it didn't take much urging to get him to sit and rest against it. He smiled up at her to thank her, but already Sister Bethany was walking away, collecting twigs.

His eyes opened to find a fire going, the only thing keeping darkness from invading their small makeshift camp. He found a blanket wrapped around him. Honestly, he didn't remember falling asleep. He blinked twice, looking around. Her silver hair was the main thing that gave Bethany's position away next to the fire. With a smile, she brought him a bowl of some sort of stew. He tried to thank her again, but his throat felt thick and dry.

A few mouthfuls to ease the gnawing of his stomach gave him a little courage. "Sister B-Bethany? I..." She tilted her head curiously, the light from the fire playing on her face. "I don't... know what I did to deserve you treating me like this, but..." He swallowed hard. "I just wanted... to say thank you. I feel like I don't... deserve hospitality such as this. I'm just-"

She crossed the short distance between them. Somehow, Klightus found himself extremely aware of just exactly how close she was to him. An even expression on her face, she took both his hands, forcing one to take a spoonful of stew and putting it into his mouth. That... pretty much said it all. Shut up and eat. Blushing, he swallowed and looked back down to the simple silver bowl. With a nod, she settled next to him against the tree, taking up her bolter and pointing it into the darkness.

He didn't remember falling asleep again, but he did awaken briefly during the night. His neck hurt, and his cheek felt pierced. Opening his eye, Klightus found out why -- in his sleep, his head had found its way onto her shoulder. His eyes closed again, thinking that he should move.

Thinking was as far as he got.

It was subtle motion that woke Klightus up. The slight movement of the head caused by what it was resting on moving. He forced his eyes open, only to be greeted by a pair of ice blue.

Oh. Right.

He jerked his head away and found himself blushing all the way up to his ears. "Sorry, I-I..." He glanced at her and found her to be smirking ever so slightly at him. Somehow, he didn't feel insulted by it. She made her way to her feet, stretching, before she brought herself down to a kneel. Ah, right. Morning prayers. He should have known. Heck, she'd probably been holding off on them to let him sleep. That was... awfully nice of her. Almost...

He quickly pushed the thought out of his head as he forced his own body to move. Nothing more than the after effects of drugs, he told himself. And, no matter how much he wanted to believe it might be otherwise, he couldn't. She wasn't...

Right, stop that line of thought right there. Now that his neck simply hurt instead of feeling like it was going to snap off, he settled down himself for prayer. A prayer to the Emperor's grace, for seeing Klightus to safety and continued life, for gifting him with one of His blessed daughters, for His continued protection against danger both without and within.

It felt odd to pray in silence, but somehow he felt that it was better this way -- it didn't feel right to say them out loud if she was praying so quietly.

After an eternity of the only sound belonging to the forest around them, him singing all the mental praises and recanting every appropriate litany that he could think of in his head, she finally moved. He didn't feel right ending his prayers before she did. With this reprieve, he pulled himself up to his feet to wander off to the bushes.

The privacy wasn't just to relieve himself. Though the tear in his pants granted him the ability to see the bandage on his leg, he couldn't check the wound. Now, however, he could. They'd done a good job of taking care of him, but they'd stitched it up fairly soon. Frowning, he pushed at the sides, watching the opaque liquid seep out between the stitches. He would have preferred to keep it open a couple of days to keep infection from setting in. Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

With a sigh, he washed it off with water from his canteen before re-bandaging his leg. His ankle hurt, but that was a secondary concern now. His arm, however, looked like they'd had to dig in it. That wasn't surprising, considering that wood shrapnel had caused the wound. Had to get all the pieces out. After a moment's pause, he re-bandaged it. Best not to dwell, right?

----

Back at "camp," Sister Bethany had gotten the fire restarted. He had to wonder, did she sneak off to relieve herself... Yes, best not to think. Not while his neck was still stiff and the side of his face still hurt from resting on her. She looked up at him as he approached, a hint of a smile on her lips. Enough to make a man's chest feel tight.

"I j-just wanted to thank you again for..." She stood in one fluid motion, holding the bowl out to him again. Right. Klightus could figure out the total meaning. Quit thanking me, she was saying. Fair enough. He could focus on food for a bit. Leftovers from the previous night's meal, but he could live with that. Especially since he was finding that they had much better rations than the Guard did.

The star this planet orbited was threatening to set. Klightus' leg felt like it was on fire. He wasn't sure which hurt more, the ankle or the wound. Soon, though, they'd camp. He'd put his leg up and maybe sleep some more. That was always what he prescribed when a patient had a wound like his. Elevation and sleep. He kept going over facts like this in his head, more to take his mind off the pain than the woman leading the way.

Which only made it that more abrupt when she suddenly stopped. Her posture changed from purposeful to guarded -- that told him everything. His free hand gripped his lasrifle. He'd let go of the crutch if they came under attack, but for now he wanted to see what she saw.

He wished he hadn't. The scene of carnage in front of him was something that nobody truly wished to see. It looked like a camp of Guardsmen had been attacked. Probably a checkpoint in the supply route. It wasn't until he noticed one of the banners that he truly came to regret the sight.

As quickly as his leg would allow he moved to the first Guardsman he could find, rolling the body over. It had already become stiff and had started to rot. But the laurels were what Klightus was looking for.

"Thank the Emperor," he sighed under his breath. He looked up to Sister Bethany. "This is the Fifth. I was w-worried that it was the Third for a moment. I..."

"KILL THE SERVANTS OF THE IMPERIUM!"

There it was. That brief moment of panic whenever he was suddenly presented with combat. His head snapped up to the source of the voice; a group of the traitors were running out from the cover of a tipped cargo transport. They had lasrifles. They'd looted the bodies for their lasrifles. His mind was still reeling from that revelation when there was the sound of an explosion next to Klightus. Almost immediately, one of the renegades exploded.

Seems that Sister Bethany didn't have that moment of panic. Which was enough to break him out of his reprieve. He lifted his rifle, shouting the Litany of the Lasgun and firing. Almost immediately, however, Sister Bethany occupied half of his field of vision as she stepped in front of him. She was protecting him, putting herself between him and harm's way.

Well, bugger to that. Klightus might have been Medicae, but he was a Guardsman, and every Guardsman was a rifleman. Dammit, he was not going to let anybody die for him. The Litany of War poured from his lips as he took aim again. The Oath of Vengeance was screamed as the enemy charged. The Death Incantation spat out of his mouth, leaving his throat raw. He might die today, but by the Throne, he was not going to let go without a fight.

He was halfway through the Litany of Accuracy (surprise attacks never left one with time to prepare the litanies properly) when he noticed something landing nearby. It wasn't thought which propelled him, but instead instinct which slammed his body into Sister Bethany's hard armor, bringing them both to the ground a hair before the grenade went off.

The world was eerily silent for a moment, though that faded to a persistent ringing in the ears. As much as Klightus wanted to contemplate how long that ringing might last, they were still being shot at. Virtually being thrown off of the Sister didn't help matters any.

Klightus glanced around and saw two things. The first was a chimera that had somehow been destroyed. (If this group needed to scavenge weapons, how did they do that?) The second was the corpse next to it. It didn't take long for a plan to form.

Sister Bethany had already raised to a crouching position, her bolter firing. For as loud as it was, she was oddly silent, a look a pure wrath on her face. Good enough for him. He forced himself to his feet, slapping her shoulder and pointing at the Chimera. "Cover," he yelled before running towards it as best he could. His leg did not want to work at all.

Moments later, Bethany made a controlled retreat behind the Chimera. She used the cover well, at least, peeking out to fire controlled shots, each one hitting their mark. How many of these guys were there?

Klightus, though, had other concerns. Namely, the corpse in front of him. Long dead, no sense in even checking, but that wasn't his concern. It was the Guardsman's weapon. Since Bethany had her side covered, he moved to the other. Unlike her, though, he didn't fire.

Though the Chimera offered good protection against the lasrifles, it would limit one person's cover, making it easy for them to be flanked. Sure enough, within moments a traitor poked his head around to fire.

Unfortunately for him, Klightus pulled the trigger on the melta. Unarmored as he was, the traitor had no chance at all. Without waiting to make sure that he was dead (what was the point?) Klightus pushed around the corner, firing into the cluster of traitors quickly trying to backpedal from the heat. Those that dove out of the way met a grisly fate from Bethany, who had decided to leave cover.

Bethany's bolter fired one more time, with one last fleeing traitor meeting a messy fate. Gasping for air, Klightus leaned against the ruined Chimera. His throat felt raw, as if it might be bleeding. The entire battle he'd been screaming litanies and oaths in rage. Now, however, he was beginning to wear down.

Slowly, the high that he'd been riding ebbed out of his body, leaving him to actually be able to see his surroundings. To see Bethany march from corpse to corpse with a flamer, setting the defeated ablaze. Where she got it from, he didn't know. But he appreciated her zeal right now.

Or at least he would have. His body was beginning to communicate with him again. "Although my b-body is broken... Al... Although my blood p-pours away... Although my time may... GAH! End. The Immortal Emperor will greet me, and embrace m-m-me with His holy aura..." Klightus felt his body slumping to the ground, his leg no longer able to support any weight at all. "If only I r-remain... constant to Him... Through this time of..."

His hand went to the tear in his pants, gripping his wound. Bad idea. Glancing down, he saw red in the bandages. Plenty of red. "Of torment..."

Pain speckled his vision. Had he pushed himself too far? Would his family get what they had prayed for? The world began a slow, jerking spin as he slumped to his side on the cold ground.

Boots approached. He forced his eyes open again, looking up to Bethany. How weak he must look to her. How pitiful. She barely looked like she'd worked up a sweat, and here he was, fighting to remain conscious. Some hero of the Imperium he turned out to be. As her gauntlet reached out to gently touch his face, he let his eyes close.

----

Consciousness came and went. He was briefly aware of being alone. Then came the dim knowledge of being carried. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not, but he could have sworn that Sister Bethany forced him to drink something. Then warmth. Comforting warmth. The kind that made you think that you might have been released from your torment and taken into the Emperor's embrace.

Finally, his eyes opened. Somehow, he was in a tent. Somebody had made a pallet of blankets for him to sleep on, and had tucked him in tight. It was warm. Nice. Somehow, finer than the sheets he had back home, even if he was comfortably numb. Funny how situations like this could make creature comforts seem drastically different.

He rolled his head to the side. His eyes didn't want to focus. After a moment, he recognized what was lying next to him. His clothes. Including his personals. That made the brain come out of its fog a little more. He looked over to his other side...

...to see Sister Bethany curled up under a blanket. Not the same one as him, but they were sharing the pallet. That brought his brain as close to fully operational as it could get. His head turned sharply to stare at the roof of the tent, his eyes wide as saucers. His breathing came in sharp, shallow pants. He became aware of the fact that, despite his personals lying right next to him, he was wearing undergarments. Somehow, that was even more terrifying.

Curiosity, however dangerous a thing it might be, is hard to ignore. Klightus took a deep breath and looked back to Sister Bethany... right into those pale eyes. Immediately, his head snapped back to bore holes through the roof. Despite how out of it he felt, he still could feel his cheeks burning.

Sister Bethany, however, didn't say anything. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't said a single word since he'd met her. Odd. She rose and moved across the spacious tent to a stove, turning it on.

He couldn't help but look again. For once, she wasn't in her armor. She was in robes. Rather nice ones, somehow looking both comfortable and official at the same time. He watched her work, idly noting the small scars on her legs and arms. What little he could see that weren't covered by the robes. As she turned, holding a cup, his eyes couldn't help but wander to her neckline, noting a scar that ran across her shoulder, and further down...

But just as he was staring at her, she was staring at him. He blushed again, looking away -- he hadn't felt this embarrassed since he was thirteen and his sister caught him staring at one of the servitors. Though now the part of his mind that delighted in tormenting him wondered why he had never stared at any of the Sisters Famulous.

But then she was kneeling at his side, helping to lift his head. He let her give him the pill and took the [[recaf]] eagerly. The warm liquid spread through his chest pleasantly -- a sure sign of dehydration. It made sense. They said he'd lost a lot of blood, and with how hard they'd been pushing... and the further bleeding...

As if reading his mind, Sister Bethany moved the blankets, causing a moment of... Panic? Fear? It wasn't a happy emotion that shot through him, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. It dissipated, however, when she started to unwrap the stained bandages on his leg.

He'd popped a stitch. Several, from the looks of it. A part of him knew that's what had happened, but that didn't make it any more pleasant to see. Somehow, wounds on other soldiers were easier to swallow than his own. "Um... Could... Could you get me m-my-my pack?"

She nodded once and stood. He'd briefly forgotten just how tall she was, and the angle... was enough to make his eyes firmly on a mark on the tent's ceiling. She returned a moment later, laying it down to give him easy access to the contents. What little there were left -- he hadn't restocked after the battle. Still, there was enough.

The needle and thread, both sterilized, were produced. He said a soft prayer, followed by three litanies -- it never hurt to beg the Emperor for a little bit of extra help. Especially when his hands felt so numb. That, though, was a good thing -- he only felt pressure when the needle pierced the flesh of his leg.

After the third time, however, shaking hands clumsily set the tools of his trade aside. Bethany, again, lifted his head to feed him some recaf. It turned out to be a bad idea, but to his credit, he managed to roll enough to keep from hitting the pallet. Sadly, rolling onto his bad leg was enough to make him actually feel it again. It and his arm.

His stomach emptied and shaking, he tried to find a position that was comfortable. Tried and failed. If Bethany thought any less of him, she didn't let it show. She pulled the blanket back around him and set about to cleaning up the mess.

He wanted to apologize, but his body just wasn't up for it.

When Klightus awoke later in the day, Bethany was already in armor. She sat on a stool, his lasrifle across her lap, anointing it. Yes, the Machine Spirit deserved appeasement. Twice now it had been in combat. He wouldn't blame it for needing a little attention.

He was content to watch her work, the white hair framing her face. The guided movements of her hands. The small nick on her jawline. The tattoo on her cheek, almost like a beauty mark.

She rose, carefully setting the lasrifle aside, and moved to the tin cup on the stove. She turned to him and moved slowly to his side again. When did she notice he was awake? She held the cup questioningly until he tried to lift his head. Once again, she helped him, holding the cup to his lips. Short, careful sips. No more than a single swallow at a time. Finally he let go, falling back...

----

The sun was setting. This time his head was clearer.

"Um, Sis... Sister Bethany?" She turned to face him, smiling faintly. "If you... If you don't mind me asking, uh, but are we... You know, s-s-safe here?"

That question seemed to amuse her enough that she left the tent for a few minutes. When she returned, she had an object in her hand. It's purpose was immediately obvious.

"M-mines. I see." He fidgeted a little, debating. "Did you put them, um, close to the camp?" A shake of her head. A wide perimeter. Right. "O-Okay. Then could you... get me my crutch?"

She looked at him quizzically for a moment until realization dawned. There was laughter of sorts -- quiet, more jerking breathing through her nose and a smile that reached up to her eyes than anything. But she had the decency to get him his crutch and grant him the privacy to go outside in peace.

They were still in the camp. She'd taken down the Commander's tent and set it up in a more secure location. The smell of burnt flesh was on the air still. Considering that he couldn't see any bodies... Well. Somehow, that told him to stay that much closer to the tent.

By morning he was feeling much better. Human, in fact. His leg still ached, but he'd refused one of her painkillers for it. Later, when he needed it. Besides, he wasn't sure how many she had. He did notice his pack was heavier -- she must have repacked it for him.

They paused at the edge of camp long enough for him to say a prayer for those who died. While he'd gotten dressed, she'd removed the mines. Though it would have been a pleasant surprise to any future scavengers, eventually somebody would come to reclaim the equipment here for the Guard. They didn't want to accidentally take them out on accident.

At least, he hoped they didn't.

For three days, they travelled. Each day, Klightus got a little bit faster. Each day, his leg hurt a little bit less. And each day, he found himself becoming more and more fidgety.

It wasn't necessarily because she didn't talk to him. Truth be told, he didn't really talk to very many people. He'd always end up stuttering, and then they'd laugh at him, even worse if they knew he was nobility. Fighting the urge to try and talk to people was always the hardest part. But there had always been people talking around him. Three days of walking, and he had no idea what to do with himself, to occupy himself.

Even with Sister Bethany, Klightus was lonely. And somehow, now that he was recognizing landmarks, it seemed to get worse. Simply knowing that they were going to be at the sight of the battle soon made him feel... dull. Hollow inside.

Sister Bethany must have recognized it. As they sat for what he was sure would be their last lunch together, she prepared what must have been the most extravagant meal thus far, giving him an extra large potion. It wasn't until he saw how small of one she herself received that he was finally stirred to words.

"Sister B-Bethany, you don-don't have to that. Here, t-take some. You need to keep your strength up as much as-" The glare that she shot him could both melt ice and freeze oxygen at the same time. Quickly, he drew back. "Then again, I'm n-not the type to insult a p-proper lady like yourself b-by refusing such a wonderful gift. That would be like s-saying that the Commissar had terrible taste in r-rotgut. ...Which he does, b-but you d-don't say that if you like your limbs. Um, I mean, thank you? ...And sorry?"

Judging by her smile and the way her shoulders were shaking, he was guessing that she was amused. That sent a small thrill up his spine. He'd done good, that time! His own smile was eager and earnest.

"Um... when... When I was young, there was a member of Orders Famulous... S-Sister Kandra. She ended up t-taking care of me. A lot, I guess. But, um, when I was six, I... sort of fell off a balcony. ...and through some glass. Um, you probably, you know, saw the scars. But anyway, while she was helping me recuperate, she told me... She told me two things.

"The first was that I should a-always trust in the Emperor's guidance, that H-He gave of Himself f-for humanity, and that through Him, I would find all that I n-needed, so long as I remained f-faithful and p-pure. And I have! But, uh, that isn't the important part." He drew a breath. "She also told me that... If I w-was ever in trouble, hurt, l-lost, or in n-need of guidance... or whatever... She said to always find an Adepta Sororita. That she w-would help me."

Klightus bit his lip. It stung a little -- he must have gnawed a hole in it at some point. "What... I'm trying t-to say that... I... Thank you, Sister Bethany. I... You and your Order came at the right time. For us, I mean. You s-saved a lot of Guardsmen, and... me. And you went out of your way to help... me." He looked down at his food, hard. "I... I don't know w-why, but... Thank you."

He never saw her reaction. He was too embarrassed. He'd started out so encouraged by her mirth that he just started blubbering, and now... Klightus focused on his meal until it was done, then kept his distance until they were ready to leave.

----

It was getting close to dark as they crested the hill, giving them a clear view of the battlefield. Klightus stopped, leaning on his crutch as he surveyed the area.

Nothing.

An entire regiment leaves a huge mark on the land. The scars were there, but there weren't any of the people. He did up the math in his head, and the numbers didn't quite add up. The only way that they could have been gone like this is if they started packing up within a day of the battle. Tops. For the first time in hours, he looked to Sister Bethany directly, but her hard gaze on the horizon gave him no sense of satisfaction.

Until her hand shot out, pointing into the distance. He followed her gaze, squinting. For several moments, he found nothing... and then, it looked like a Rhino transport, but... No, an Immolator.

Klightus opened his mouth to ask, but Bethany was already on a direct march. Well, at least she answered the question in her own way. Grunting, he walked, mentally repeating the words of his commissar -- move as if you have a purpose. He had a purpose, all right. Like finding out where in the Emperor's grace his regiment was.

As they approached, the Sisters took note. One in particular stood forward. "Sister Bethany." Her gaze turned to him. "Guardsman Klightus Gramon." He blushed at the use of his House name. "We expected you yesterday. Was there a problem?"

Bethany turned to look at him. It took a moment before he realized that she expected him to explain the situation. "W-we, uh, we found the remains of the Jignur Fifth Regiment. They... had been destroyed, I'm afraid. S-slaughtered to a m-man, as far as I could tell." He paused. The Sister's expression didn't make him want to continue at all. "We were also attacked b-by the traitors."

"I see," the black-haired Sister said evenly. "Sister Bethany, do you have anything to add?"

Bethany thrust out her hand. Klightus couldn't see what was in it, but gauging by the way the other snarled, he wasn't sure he wanted to. "It is as I expected. We've already had confirmation elsewhere." The Sister paused. "As you can see, the Jignur Third Regiment has already been called away to another location. Shall we transport you?"

Bethany shook her head. That seemed to surprise the dark-haired one. "I see. Interesting. Might I suggest that you camp here for the evening? If the two of you have been under fire, then you may wish time to rest and pray in peace."

Bethany nodded, and Klightus made the sign of the aquila over his chest. He was more than willing to defer to their judgement.

The chatter of the Sisters, even if most of it was prayer, was somewhat of a comfort to Klightus. It was something to focus on, to think about. A welcome distraction from his own mind.

Not so much when the dark haired one approached him. He stopped his work on the lasrifle to make the sign of the aquila. "I realized that introductions had not been made. I am Sister Intias. May I sit?"

"Um..." Klightus looked around. She shouldn't have to ask. It was well within her right to do whatever. "Okay? Is there s-something that you need?"

She eyed him evenly as she sat. "Perhaps. You seem nervous, Klightus. Is there something the matter?"

"No. N-no, nothing at all. No. I... I just... I'm not..." He felt himself blushing. "I'm not good. With people, I mean. I mean, I don't... I... should probably just shut up now." He felt like burying himself in his hands. Or under a large rock.

Intias didn't seem amused, at least. He wasn't sure if this was good or bad. "I see. Interesting." Bad. This was bad. "The battle that occurred here. I'm told that you were part of it."

"Yes, I was. I... I'm a M-Medicae. In the field. I... I participated, yes."

"I'm told that you fought, too."

He hoped she wasn't putting him on trial. "I d-did. There were times where shooting back was more important than treating w-wounds. You c-can't keep Guardsmen on their f-feet if your position is... overrun."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you know why we took you with us?"

He glanced around, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Even more eerie by the fact that they were sitting outside. "...Because I was wounded?" His voice was high pitched. He felt like he was a teenager again.

"Hardly." She leaned forward, her stare boring into him. "You fought bravely. You fought, and treated your fellow Guardsmen, despite multiple wounds. Many sisters noted the speed and skill you displayed. But you've not a single medal to your name. Only your laurels. Tell me, why is this?"

Klightus shrugged, honestly confused.

"To be truthful, either your skill is exemplary, and thus worthy of notice, or your comrades were not showing proper devotion to the Emperor's work. We wanted to know which was which."

He paused, taking in a breath. Things were starting to make sense. "Y-you suspect me of being a h-heretic?"

One of Intias' eyebrows raised. "That is one possibility, yes. Does this make you nervous?"

"No." His shoulders slumped. "No, it makes me... kind of guilty." His eyes found a spot on the ground that was apparently very interesting, even though he wasn't actually seeing it. "I.. You're w-wasting t-time on me."

"Are you saying you are innocent?"

He drew a breath. Why did part of him feel like crying? "No. I... I g-get afraid on the battlefield a lot. S-sometimes, I feel the urge to run away. So I charge. When I can. When I can't, there's a-always shooting."

He didn't dare look at Intias. Even now, fear was crippling him. "An interesting response. A confession to cowardice, yet an attempt to overcome it. I believe I understand why Sister Amalia and Sister Bethany chose the route that they did." He looked up at her. "To judge one man is a simple affair. To judge and purge an entire regiment, however, can be time consuming. Especially if they resist judgement."

She stood sharply. "I suggest that you be truthful in all matters, Guardsman Klightus Gramon. Be truthful, and guard yourself. If you are untainted, there is no guarantee that the taint of Chaos may not work its way into your soul."

As she took her leave, Klightus realized that he would get no sleep tonight.

----

They left the next morning as soon as prayer was done. It was nice to be able to hear it for a change; Klightus committed as much as he could to memory. Their prayers were more intensive than what he heard in the Guard and, honestly, they gave him more peace. Especially after the previous night. He needed whatever peace he could get.

Sister Bethany could tell that something was wrong. Maybe it was his yawning, or the fact that he couldn't bring himself to keep his head up, constantly looking at the ground in front of him as they walked. Her curious, concerned looks earned a half-hearted smile in return before putting his head down and continuing on.

Lunch, needless to say, was a miserable affair. Before, he'd watched in marvel as she turn rations into something that was not only hot but also fairly tasty. Instead, he just thought. Even after she gave him his tin dish, he spent more time thinking than pretending to eat. At least, until she knelt in front of him, her hand on his shoulder, her ice blue eyes looking at him worriedly.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, taking a bite to prove it. She didn't move. The only thing that changed was her expression. She wasn't buying it at all. With a sigh, he had to give in.

"Sister Intias t-told me," he muttered, doing anything he could from looking at Bethany. "She... told me why you're escorting me. B-because either I'm tainted or..." Klightus sucked in a deep breath. "Or my regiment is. And I... I've never been anything but loyal, Sister Bethany. Even in the tower, I said my p-p-prayers and followed the cult. I've never turned m-my back on the Emperor, not for one moment. I can't. But..."

He looked up at her, his throat feeling tight. "You have to believe. When you s-see everything that you've helped do, you have t-to believe in your orders. That what the c-commander or commissar tell you t-to do are the right thing. That they're p-pure. When you s-see a child that isn't a mutant who's been... You have to b-believe that they're right. That they do the Emperor's w-work unquestioningly. If you don't..."

He closed his eyes. "I've seen what happens if you don't. I won't be like that, a h-h-h-heretic. So you p-put your head down and you t-trust in them. And if they're t-tainted..." He clenched his eyes shut, focusing on what he needed to say, words that seemed to be caught in the back of his throat.

"I hope it's me," he blurted out finally. Now the words "I h-hope that I'm the one t-tainted! I hope that they're all pure, and that I'm j-just... I'm going to die, and I'm f-fine with that. I'm going to go to the Emperor's embrace. But... I've just been trying to keep all of them alive this entire time, and if they... aren't... If they're no better than the traitors, heretics in disguise, then I've... Then I've been..."

Adepta Sororitas power armor was not designed to give anybody but the wearer any form of physical comfort. Some might argue that it was designed for the opposite. But Klightus felt no pain as Bethany hugged him. The armor was somehow warm to the touch, comforting. For once her silence was welcome.

And, in time, he returned the embrace.

But the only good things that could last forever were the God Emperor and the Imperium. They eventually released each other. Klightus wiped at his face before looking up to her. Bethany had a serene expression. Sister Kandra had been right, it seemed.

"I'm fine," he forced out. A cough, and more firmly, "I'm better. Honestly. You... still have your judgement to make, and I have to live by it. I... For what it's worth, Bethany, thank you. I... This has been... We should finish our meal. We're behind schedule, yes?"

He gave her the best smile he could. Hers was small, but encouraging. As he ate, however, he couldn't help but still feel the memory of her hand stroking his hair.

Superstition is a powerful thing. Klightus firmly believed in the idea that if something happened a few times in a row, there was a good chance of it happening again. As the sun began to fall, a sense of dread came over him. Since he'd left the Adepta Sororitas camp with Sister Bethany, nothing good had ever happened at dusk.

He wasn't disappointed.

The sound of a truck made the two of them glance at each other for a moment before moving off the road they were walking, hiding behind trees for cover. The truck stopped short, the headlights blinding them. After a moment, the engine shut down and people started to get out. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sounded local. The headlights shut off.

As Klightus' eyes adjusted, he could make out one important fact: they were bleeding. He glanced to Bethany, her face hard as stone. She must have seen something that he'd missed, because her lip curled up in a sneer. He decided that he never wanted her to look at him that way. Already he was glad that he'd gone into the bushes just half an hour ago.

She flashed him one finger. He began to whisper the Oath of Allegiance quickly. He was halfway through the Litany of War when she flashed him the second finger. he finished the Litany of the Lasgun as she flashed the third.

As one, the two of them pushed their weapons out from cover, barely taking a heartbeat to sight the enemy before firing. Immediately, two of the figures fell, one instantly blown into his component parts. The other six turned and began to charge. "FOR CHAOS!"

Oh. By the Throne, no. Klightus sneered as he sighted another, the three providing defence from their wild shots. "Smite the foe," he bellowed as he fired, this time only scoring a glancing blow. "Smash the enemy!" This time, he hit the heretic in the chest, but the man kept coming. "For the Emperor we bring death!" True to his word, he man's face sizzled, causing him to fall. And then there were two.

Or three. Klightus caught a glimpse of movement from the back of the truck. He didn't know what it was, but the fact that Sister Bethany's next shot wasn't aimed at the cultists told him enough. For now, however, he ignored the monstrosity with the pick and took aim at the closest cultist. Keep them from tying the both of them up, from having to watch their backs. Basic tactics; don't let yourself be flanked.

By the time that he finished the last cultist, the warp spawn was upon them, charging for Bethany. Its great pick-like weapon made an evil should as it swiped through the air. Unfortunately, the very thing that had protected them from the cultists fire now was working against Klightus. Every time he tried to draw a bead on the hulking beast, the forest worked against him. He would have lost the two of them had it not been for Bethany's bolt pistol firing.

He moved quickly, trying not to be awestruck. Not by the warp spawn, but by Bethany herself. The glimpses he caught of her evading the beast's attacks despite her armor... No, they were too close to get a shot off, damn it. Klightus charged, his rifle held at the ready, his bayonet pointed firmly at the enemy. It struck home in the creature's shoulder, missing the mark of the head.

That, at least, got the creature's attention. It swung its massive arm, only clipping Klightus. From a creature that powerful, however, a glancing blow was still something. Klightus hit the ground, his lasrifle being flung from his grasp. His world spun, even as he heard the firing of Bethany's great weapon. As he lifted his head, he realized why; he'd landed on, and destroyed, the crutch he'd been using. Now wasn't the time. He pushed himself onto his hands and knees, glancing at the monster...

To see the evil weapon strike home on Bethany, impaling her.

The sound of the impact hit Klightus like a gunshot.

----

There was no thought. There was no sanity. Klightus was only dimly aware of his actions, of what was going on. Rage had enveloped him. It roared at her. There was something in his hand. It shook its weapon, sending her sprawling to the ground. Klightus jumped. His armor protected him from the protrusions on its back. It startled, surprised by the action. Klightus reached around and put the weapon under its chin. It reached back to grab him. He pulled the trigger.

Heat enveloped his world as the melta sprung to life, causing his hair to singe. It started to topple.

The two of them hit the ground hard. It was still moving. Not much, trying to grip its throat, but somehow the accursed warp-spawn continued to live. That was enough to keep Klightus' rage alive. He found himself on his feet, rushing over to it, and firing his weapon. He screamed the Litany of Penetration, the Prayer of Smiting, the Death Incantation, the Incantation of Battle. He even made a disparaging remark about the creatures heritage. And he continued to scream, until the fuel ran out and the melta went silent.

The thing moved no more.

His hand was blistering already. His face felt hot. But as he drew in shaking breaths, Klightus had other concerns. He moved quickly to Bethany's prone form, falling to his knees. She'd been hit in the gut, good. That was potentially better than the chest, at least. Far better than the head. But her armor... His hands worked frantically.

"Machine spirits, please. I don't know how to help you, but..." He pulled to no avail. "If you don't let me remove you, I can't help the one you protect. Now get. Off! Please, release your hold on her! Please..."

Her hand moved. Weakly, but it moved to a clasp. Before she fumbled it free, he'd already gotten another. His hands worked faster than they had ever before. He pulled, discovering that he'd missed a clasp. Finally, though, the breastplate came free, tossed unceremoniously to the side.

He wouldn't say that the wound was good. There was no such thing as a good wound. But he'd treated worse. If she was untainted, she'd be fine. He'd treated, and saved, people with worse wounds... with a fully stocked Medicae tent to take them to. He cursed himself silently. Klightus had no idea how far away they were from the regiment. Bethany knew, serving as his guide, so he hadn't considered it important to know. Now he cursed himself. There was no way that he could drag her anywhere in time to safely...

All thought stopped as realization set in. Assuming the cultists hadn't corrupted it, they had access to a truck. Given how fast they'd moved, he could get her back to the remains of the Fifth. There, at least, might be the supplies he'd need. And if not, it wasn't too much farther to the Sororitas camp. He set to work on treating her as best he could, sweating heavily.

For once, there was no "good enough" for him. She had to be as stable as he could possibly get her before he moved her. All of his meatball skills were put to the test. He prayed that the Emperor would find his effort fulfilling, that He would grant her the ability to make it.

Finally satisfied, Klightus picked her up as gently as he could. Her blue eyes looked up to him questioningly. "It's going to be alright," he muttered half to himself. For the first time since she'd been hurt, she winced as he put her in the back seat of the truck, taking a sharp breath between her teeth. He leaned down to gently stroke her face, giving her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. I'm going to fix you up. You're going to be alright. You're going to do fine. We're just... We're going to go for a little drive is all. Alright?" He nodded before pulling away, closing the door.

"Don't make me a liar," he begged the Emperor under his breath before getting into the driver's side. The thing was... he'd never actually driven before. He knew the incantation to start the vehicle from having seen it done, but actually driving?

But the incantation worked. In his mind, he followed the route, figuring up which way to go. Oh, he hoped that they cleaned up all the claymores. As the machine spirit protested somebody who didn't know how to work a clutch, he pulled out, more determined than ever.

The truck literally skidded to a stop. Yes, he'd run over some corpses, but right now he didn't care. The machine spirit was still grumbling about the drive as he bailed out, sprinting into the half-collapsed field tent. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be too ruined, and the supplies weren't badly ransacked. Good. Things were... They weren't looking bright, but he could do this. He turned on torches to illuminate the tent and rushed back out to the truck.

The sight of Bethany made his heart catch in his throat. She was... so pale. Her chest was barely moving at all. His triage work was stained red, and...

No. His jaw set hard, making his teeth ache. No. He was a field Medicae. And he could... No. He would save her. No matter what. With shaking hands, he carried her into the tent, placing her on the chirugeons table. Dropping his jacket, he paused only to wash his hands and begin the litanies. The prayers. Anything he could think of to draw the Emperor's mercy upon him.

Every single trick Klightus knew, he used. Tubes fed blood into her. His undershirt was wet with sweat. He sung hymns as he carefully made incisions, gave her injections, and irrigated the wound. But he had to leave it open. As much as the wound sucked into his own heart, he had to leave it open. Stare at it. Infection thrived in warm, moist places. He had to make sure that it didn't set in before he closed her up.

When he could do no more for her body, he found a stool. Sitting next to her, he began to pray. His voice was raw, but... He had to do something. He had to. Clutching her cool hand in his own, he placed his forehead on the chirugeon's table, and prayed through the night. What else could he do?

Klightus didn't know when he fell asleep. To be true, he hadn't planned on sleeping. Hadn't planned on much of anything. But at some point during the wee hours of the morning, his exhaustion overcame his willpower. His forehead was aching from being the only thing supporting his head all night, and his pants were... wet. He'd been drooling in his sleep. His angry bladder told him that much.

His eyes moved to the vitals auspex wearily. By the Emperor, they were stable. Heartbeat, blood pressure... The were stable. It didn't mean that they were out of the danger zone yet, but... It was a start. "You're tough," he whispered, his throat horse. "And strong. That... couldn't have killed you. Couldn't have..." He'd seen what could happen, blood loss could weaken the soul, and simple wounds could...

"I'll be right back." He paused, though. He found that he didn't want to let go of her hand. Every fibre of his being wanted to be here, right now. He moved, ever so slightly, shaking. Every moment, he shook worse as his hands moved, raising hers. He hesitated, glancing up to her face. But she was unconscious, she... It was safe enough. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand, rubbed it against his cheek. Finally, however, he gently set it down.

The sun was shining outside. It was almost noon as he relieved himself. He should eat. He should... do something, he told himself. As he looked back at the tent, however, he knew that there wasn't much that he was going to be doing.

Inside, there was no change. That felt like a band had been released from around his chest. A part of him, the part that tormented him so, feared that he would come back to find her dead. His eyes fell to his pack. He reminded himself that he should eat... in a moment. He crossed over to her again, once again taking up her hand.

"Sister Bethany," he whispered softly. "I... know you can't hear me, but I just wanted to say... I know your job is to judge me, but this has been the best time of my life. Even with everything. You've kept me company. You've worried about me. At least, I like to think so. You helped me with my wounds, and watched over me when I slept. You kept me safe. You... No matter what happens, I have no regrets. I'm... happy. But I want you to live so badly... so very badly that I can taste it. Seeing you like this isn't right. You just... Live. Please, no matter what, live. I... I think I..."

But the words wouldn't come. Instead, he put his head back on the table and began his prayers anew.

----

The ration didn't really have any flavor, but Klightus had learned long ago that you didn't expect flavor from a ration. He tossed the tin away, wiping at his face. Four days now. Four days now, he'd been here. He'd kept her sedated the last two, mostly for her benefit. Yesterday, he'd closed her up. As far as he could tell, she was untainted by the weapon, but he was far from an expert in these matters.

And this was only his third time eating.

He settled into the stool next to her once more. There was a visible mark where he'd been resting his head all this time, be it for prayer or sleep. Once again, he took her hand in his and began to pray again. His prayers had become mere whispers. Half the time, he wasn't even sure what to say. Any words just came out. Half prayer for her well-being, half confessional.

The cool fingers against the back of his head startled him. His head snapped up to find her looking down with heavy eyes. At him. His heart nearly skipped a beat as a smile came to his face. "I... S-see, what d-did I tell you? We... You got through it just fine. Just fine indeed. I-I..."

He bit his lip as words failed him again. But she smiled. That was enough for him. It was a lazy, tired smile, but there it was all the same. That was enough to give him more encouragement than anything.

"You're... P-probably hungry. I should... I want to warn you that I'm not a very good cook. I d-don't... Um." He stood up, looking around. "Right, um... Stay right there. I'll go... you know."

Bethany allowed him to pull away, but seemed content to watch him work. If nothing else, that made his heart fly.

"Alright, so w-we're here." He pointed on the map. "And here's where they are n-now... So..." He thought about it a tick. "Okay, this road should be the fastest route, assuming it hasn't been taken out by the f-fighting. At least, if they haven't moved..."

She looked at him curiously. It hurt her, he knew, but she'd taken to sitting up on her own. They'd moved her to a cot last night. Her recovery was going superbly, but that could have just been sheer stubbornness on her part.

"Oh, when I was a kid, I liked to explore. I got pretty good at navigating. But it, uh, it got me into trouble a c-couple of times. So... yeah. I don't get to touch the maps, b-but whenever we move out, I p-pay attention. I l-like to think about alternate routes and stuff. Takes my m-mind off the upcoming fighting."

They shared a comfortable moment of silence, each smiling a little at the other. Funny that. A few days ago, he hated the silence. Now he he actually enjoyed it. A part of him wanted it to last forever.

...But he knew, deep down, that it couldn't. They had to go back. And then they had to part, one way or another. Maybe he was just being a fatalist, but it was still the truth.

"Sister Bethany, I... C-can you make me a promise?" The sudden shift in mood made her brow furrow. "I... I know what's coming, and... No m-matter what happens, can you... Can you let my parents know? What happened? I... They're still my family, and despite it all, I s-still owe them the same s-sense of duty that I d-do the guard."

Her confusion was plain as day. Her lips parted and she slowly shook her head. Quickly, Klightus took her hand in his. "Please. It's not much. Just a message. Just... s-something. Let them know. I c-can't send one myself, the c-commander has never l-let me. He s-says I'm just a spoiled noble. B-but... Could you do this... one thing for me? Please?"

Slowly, her face softened. Pity and concern enveloped it. Her free hand reached out to stroke his cheek, oddly smooth against his rough stubble. But she nodded, smiling sadly.

He sighed, feeling another weight off of him. He was almost completely free of all the chains holding him down. Just one last one... He closed his eyes and leaned against her hand. "Thank you..."

----

"Oh, please, Machine Spirit, please..." Klightus performed the incantation again, but the machine spirit simply grumbled at him. There was enough fuel, so why did the truck just stop? In rage, he balled up a fist... and stopped. No. The machine spirit was injured. It had performed well, all things considered, and had decided that it was time to rest. He shouldn't take out his frustration on it.

A gentle hand on his shoulder drew his attention. Bethany was back in her armor, though he hated the sight of her in it. With the hole, he could see the bandages, and that... He didn't like that. Her robes were better. More graceful, too. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, tilting her head.

"Are you o-okay to w-walk?" She nodded. "C-can you, uh, get transport back to the Sororitas once we get there." There was a momentary pause before she nodded again.

That settled it, then. "I guess we're w-walking, then. It hopefully w-won't take more than a day." It might have just been an optimistic opinion, but it also might have been the pessimism talking.

She had "volunteered" to make lunch for them. At least, when he pulled out the rations, she grabbed his hand and got out her own. He... wasn't going to argue. Besides, she was better not only at cooking but at making a fire, too. He suspected that just came with being a Sororita, though.

While stretching, he saw a color that didn't quite belong this time of year. Winter was coming, but he could spy yellow flowers. He glanced back to her, then to the flowers as an idea began to form in his head. "Um, I'm going to... the bushes. Okay?" Bethany rolled her eyes and waved him off. Good, that would give him time.

His plan, however, didn't turn out to be so well thought out as he'd of liked. Apparently, he had absolutely no skill. First, they wouldn't weave. "By the Throne." Then, once he got them to start weaving, where he started would become unwoven. "Oh, Emperor protect me!" Then, as if to mock him, the stems began to break. "Oh, come on now!"

Motion caught him. Bethany was leaning against a tree, an amused expression on her face. She was still clutching her side, but at least he didn't see any blood. He took a breath before shaking his head. "I was t-trying to make this..." He made circular motions with his hands, fighting to try and find the right word. "It was on s-some of the murals at home, this-this thing of flowers that you wear on your head. Well, girls do. Or so I g-got from the mural. And I saw these and thought that maybe I'd... I d-don't know, maybe make one? For you? To put in your hair? ...Does that make sense to you?"

Her shoulders were shaking. She was smiling. That was good enough for him. He grabbed the largest flower and pushed himself to his feet. He felt like... he felt like he should just run away, like the weight of the entire planet was on him. But still, he held the flower out to her tentatively, trying not to look too stupid. When she took it, he let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. Which left him completely defenceless for what happened next.

The feeling of her lips on his made him jerk, but her hand was already on the back of his neck, holding his head in place. His entire body stiffened, every muscle suddenly going taunt until it felt like his calves were going to have cramps. But he did relax, his hands moving to gently frame her face.

After what seemed to be such a blissful eternity that didn't last for nearly long enough, she broke the kiss, moving just inches away. Klightus' heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and she... was blushing. She honestly looked bashful over what she had just done. As he fought for something, anything to say, there was a sound behind them.

His hand went to his lasrifle, and hers to her bolt pistol. But instead of finding somebody trying to kill them, instead they found the pot boiling over. "Lunch," he said with a nervous laugh. Bethany, at least, smiled and threw her arm around her shoulders. In return, he wrapped his around her waist and helped her back to the fire.

Klightus heard the camp long before they saw it. There was no way that such a large number of Guardsmen could keep themselves quiet for long. But this was it. He kept his pace even, going through the marching drills in his head. Focus on anything other than having to say goodbye. One foot in front of the other, slow enough that Bethany could keep up. He had to present himself to the commander.

One foot in front of the other. Happiness was earned. One foot in front of the other. Happiness was spent in moments that one could reflect upon later. One foot in front of the other. Happiness was gained through devotion and sacrifice. And he had earned it well. And, in his opinion, he'd spent it well. The Emperor had seen his devotion and had aptly rewarded him. But, as with all things, it had to come to an end.

What a sight the two of them must have been. Her, wounded and limping along. Him, covered in blood, singed, his lasrifle slung and a melta in his hand. Guardsmen stared, but he didn't mind. Let them. Let them stare, make jokes. They didn't know. For once in his life, he didn't care what a damn one of them thought.

"Klightus," the Commander growled. "You were due to return to the regiment a week ago. They said that you had set off."

"Yes, s-s-sir," Klightus replied, forming the aquila. "They w-w-were unable t-t-to p-provide-"

"What kept you?" the Commander asked, looking at Bethany.

"S-sir!" Klightus swallowed. His entire body was shaking. "We found the remains of the Jignur F-F-Fifth Regiment, sir, where w-we were attacked by the insurrectionists. It c-complicated my injuries, requiring time to rest."

"You seem to be getting along just fine," Commissar Dariel responded evenly.

"Yes, s-sir." Klightus made the aquila again. "The stitches have h-h-held now." His throat felt like it was full of razor blades. "We then m-made our way back to where the Third w-was camped at. W-we were informed that y-you had moved to this location. A-after, we were attacked by cultists. Sister B-B-Bethany was injured in the f-fray, requiring we r-r-rest further. It h-has only been within the l-l-last day that we were a-able to finish the j-journey."

"Do you have anything to add, Sister Bethany?" The Commander sounded rather cross.

Out of the corner of her eye, he watched as she gestured to the hole in her armor, touched the bandages underneath, then smiled at Klightus with a nod.

"I see."

"Guardsman Klightus," Commissar Dariel cut in with a bark. "Where did you get that melta?"

"F-found it, s-sir. W-with the Fifth." He paused to take in a dry breath, staring the Commissar directly in the eyes. "It's empty, s-s-sir. I... I used all of it on a-a-a single c-c-cultist."

The Commander and the Commissar shared a glance. The Commander nodded. Commissar Dariel's hand moved to his side. Klightus squared his shoulders back, bringing himself up to his full height, and closed his eyes.

''"Can't you do anything right?"''

His brother's words stung his ears.

''"You spoiled noble brats are all the same! Trying to get something for nothing. You can send a message to your family when you've earned it, but
I don't see that happening."''

The Commander never liked him, simply out of birth.

''"You are nothing but a disgrace to this House! When are you going to contribute something to it?"''

His mother's love...

''"Looks like you got the good recaf. Hope you don't mind if I have some, do you? Heh. Of course you don't."''

Why would the other men respect him?

''"One more time, Klightus. One more time, and I'm not paying the ransom. You aren't worth it!"''

How his father's words cut deep...

''"Do us a favor and have the decency to do something right for once in your life and die quietly."''

Yes. Finally. He would do what his family had always wanted. They wouldn't have to worry about him being a burden any more. For days he'd been worried about this plan, but now... Now he found it strangely liberating. He was free. He was happy, happier than he'd been in his entire life. He'd done his duty, but he could understand why none would see it. None except Bethany, and who would she tell? Who could she tell? No, a Guardsman doesn't seek out glory. He seeks only his duty, right?

He couldn't complain. In a short week, he'd found love, peace, and a place in the universe. The Emperor had seen his devotion and rewarded him. And now, by the simple guilt of telling the truth, he would be sent to His embrace at peace and happy, completing his duty to his family. Who could ask for anything more?

Klightus opened his eyes to look down the barrel of the gun and found himself smiling.

A gun which veered wildly off course when Bethany's gauntleted fist connected with the Commissar's face. The shot went wide, missing Klightus completely, forcing his smile to fade into confusion. Even more so when Bethany stepped forward, pointing her bolt pistol firmly at the Commissar's head. Klightus' mouth opened, but nothing came out save for a small squeak. The only movement from the Commissar was his breathing.

After what seemed to be an eternity, she turned to Klightus, fixing those ice blue eyes on him. Tears ran down her face, a face twisted into a visage of fury. That same gauntlet raised to slap him in the face, right across the cheek still tender from the flamer. Klightus staggered, fighting just to stay upright, tears misting his vision. He'd much rather of been shot than suffer that.

He righted himself slowly, his hand cradling the stinging cheek. He barely got his eyes opened when Bethany grabbed his shoulder and swung him around so he was facing away from the Commander. Placing an arm around his shoulders, she looked at him, her face full of concern. That look, those tears... Klightus decided that he hated that sight on her. Bethany nodded once to him. That was all the communication he needed. Wrapping an arm around her waist, the two of them began to limp out of the encampment.

----

====Epilogue====

"Klightus. It is good to have you home."

His face split into a wide smile. "Sister K-Kandra," he said warmly, forming the aquila.

"There is no need for that."

"We are all s-servants to the Emperor, Sister Kandra." The two of them spent a long moment smiling to each other before he stepped through the door. "I take it that they are w-waiting for m-me?"

"No," she said flatly. "Please, allow an old woman a few surprises." Was she old? There were wrinkles in her face, but at the same time...

"Then have they been derelict in their duties?" That took her by surprise. Yes, he had been learning. He opened his mouth to explain... No. No matter. This all worked out surprisingly well. "Then please, stay here a moment. There is one m-more surprise that I believe you will be able to appreciate. I c-can find my way."

It felt good to walk through the halls. To look at the murals. Especially in his uniform. It was a little hot in his greatcoat, but... Well, he didn't mind. Not at all. He made his way through Gramon Tower, easily finding the sitting room.

Both Mother and Father were there. They looked well, of course. You couldn't not, with their status. Mother had that look about her that said she'd just been through a rejuvenation treatment. Good. He was glad to see that she was keeping up appearances.

"Klightus," his father said flatly. "You live."

They both rose to get a closer look at him. "Y-yes father. I still l-live."

"And the Guard has let you come home between signings?" his mother asked. He could feel the venom in her words.

"No, Mother. I am n-n-not going on another tour with the-"

He'd forgotten about his mother's left cross. But he didn't stagger. He didn't dare. Now wasn't the time. He slowly righted his head, glaring down at his mother. "Feel better?"

"How dare you," she seethed. "You were to be a hero of the Imperium. You were to-"

"I hope we're not interrupting anything." The looks on his parents faces were priceless.

Klightus turned slowly to look behind him. Despite being twins, he could instantly tell them apart. "Mother, Father. I would like you t-to m-meet Sister Amaia." She bowed her head only the slightest touch, her ice blue eyes glaring daggers. "Sister Bethany." Bethany didn't bother with even the barest hints of politeness. There was a flash of white behind her. "And Katla Gramon. Come h-here, Katla..."

The little girl peeked out from behind Bethany, hesitated, then ran to Klightus' embrace. He looked at his parents. Oh, yes. This would be interesting...

===Second Story===
Klightus forced himself to his feet slowly, folding his hands over his chest to form the aquila to the statue one last time. His leg still hurt, but it wasn't enough to bother him now. A week, maybe a little more, and he'd be right as rain. The past fortnight had been good to him in that respect. In others...

His return to the Sororitas camp hadn't exactly been met with fanfare. Indeed, many of them now openly treated him with suspicion. Sister Bethany's silent testimony didn't seem to be enough to satisfy them; for a while, he was subject to constant interrogation. It was getting better, though. Yesterday, he'd only had to spend an hour being questioned by a Sister Superior. Apparently, they were starting to honestly believe that he wasn't tainted.

When he wasn't being questioned, he spent his time any number of ways. Technically, he was free to move about the encampment as he wished, but he tried to stay out of people's way and keep his head down. Much of his time was spent in prayer or learning this Order's history and practices. A good deal was also spent in physical therapy -- his arm was healed to the point where he only felt pain when he pushed it too hard. He had to admit, as much as he knew about being a field Medicae, he could learn a great deal from the Chirugens here.

A gentle hand on his back reminded him of the other way that he spent his free time.

He turned to find Sister Bethany smiling shyly at him. She was in armor, which meant that she was going to go out on a mission. He didn't like that. She still wasn't doing the greatest; her limp was still blatantly obvious. But he wasn't the one to give the orders, and he would never doubt the will of the Canoness. "How are you d-doing?"

Bethany touched her armor where she'd been wounded -- either she'd received a replacement, or they'd patched her up well. She smiled a little at him and raised her eyebrows. Good, she was alright. Either that, or it was her stubbornness talking. Her face screwed up in concern as she reached out, her hand hovering just over his leg.

"I'm f-fine," he said warmly, taking her hands. The two of them spent a long moment staring at each other in silence before he spoke again. "You have a mission." She nodded, glancing down at her armor. It had their standard pack on, but it looked more like the first time he'd seen her. "How long b-before you leave?" Her slight frown spoke volumes. Very soon.

He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "May the Emperor g-guide your blows, and smite your f-foes. May He grant you His b-blessing, granting trials and hardships that you m-might overcome, and His supreme blessing upon their completion. May He... M-May He bring you back to me safe and whole. Ave Imperator."

Klightus' eyes opened, to find hers staring back at him. The blush on her cheeks made his feel hot. He began to pull his head away, only for her to press them together again. This time, her eyes closed, her lips silently moving. He couldn't make out what she was mouthing, but it didn't matter. To receive a blessing from a member of the Sororitas, or even just a prayer... That was more than enough of an honor for Klightus. Bethany just made it sweeter.

"Ave Imperator," he whispered softly. That made her smile again. They squeezed each others hands, a sign of support, of... Well. Bethany glanced behind her, and Klightus didn't like the look on her face. It meant that she had to leave now. She looked back to him apologetically for a moment, one lip caught between her teeth.

And then she kissed him. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough to make his breath catch in his chest, to make his head swim. He wasn't even aware that his hands had come up to frame her face gently. He only realized it when she broke the kiss. His eyes opened slowly to look at her. She smiled and brushed her thumbs across his cheeks. He couldn't help but smile at her demand.

"Go," he said weakly. "B-before I want you t-to stay any more than I already do."

Nodding, she released him, taking a step back. Oh, that was painful. It felt... good to have her so close, and now... She paused to look back at him, giving him a tender smile before leaving the tent.

Alone.

Klightus sighed to himself, running his hands through his hair. Getting longer than regulation length again. No matter. Nothing that he could do about it right now; he didn't want to bother the Sisters for something so inconsequential as that. He sighed again, wishing he'd asked for a lock of her hair or something. Or had given her one of his. Something to keep her close even when she was away.

But his thoughts were ripped away as the tent opened again. He looked up to see her moving quickly towards him, his breath catching in his chest. His mouth opened to speak.

Words weren't coming, though, when she rather quite angrily grabbed him by his uniform shirt and pulled him close. "What did you do to my sister?" she growled.

No, not Bethany. They may have looked alike, the scar the only difference in their faces. This was Sister Amaia. And... not quite the greeting that he wanted, either. "N-nothing," he stammered. "She w-wanted to see h-how I was doing! She... w-wanted to let me know that she was leaving!"

Amaia pulled him closer, staring into his eyes until he flinched away. "Is. That. All?"

If he wasn't sweating before, he was now. But he also wouldn't lie. "She k-k-kissed me?" Instinctively, he flinched, prepared for the strike. When it didn't come, he held it for several seconds, he opened one eye.

She was staring at him evenly, her head pulled back a little bit. "She kissed you?" He nodded, not even trying to get the words out this time. "Is this the first time?"

His throat felt horribly dry as he swallowed. His tongue felt several sizes too large. "N-no." His voice was cracking in fear. "She k-kissed me once before. When she was p-p-presenting m-me to the regiment."

Amaia seemed to consider this for several long moments. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on in her head. Sadly, the few things that he could imagine almost universally ended with him on the wrong side of a bolter. Or a flamer. Or a melta.

Instead, in a sudden flurry of movement, he found himself rather violently thrown to the floor. Amaia's arm was pressed against his throat, those ice-blue eyes boring into him. "Guardsman Klightus," she said in an oddly even tone. "She's been virtually dancing since she returned from that little... excursion. So, I swear to you, should you hurt my sister, even one little bit, I will make you wish that we had decided you worth purging the moment we first laid eyes upon you."

Klightus nodded his acceptance, unable to form words right now. Or, to be honest, breathe. Frankly, he was thankful that he'd already used the facilities. But Amaia seemed to accept this answer. She stood slowly, staring down at him. "The Canoness wishes to speak with you."

With that, she turned, stalking out. Somehow, Klightus thought to himself, this day was only going to get worse.

----

"And you must be Klightus."

He stood at attention, his hands folded over his chest to form the Aquila. Though the Canoness spoke with a kind tone, she was the equivalent, or better, to his Commander. She'd survived countless battles, and the fact that she wasn't barking at him was itself a testament to her grace. "Guardsman Klightus, Field Medicae of the Jignur Third Regiment, r-reporting as ordered ma'am!"

The woman's lips quirked as her eye looked him over. "At ease, Guardsman." He quickly found himself standing at parade rest, his eyes still focused straight ahead. "You're caused quite a stir, you know."

"Yes m-ma'am. I'm sorry ma'am."

"I'm used to being called other titles." She seemed entirely amused by his behavior. "Tell me, Guardsman, do you fear me?"

"No ma'am. You d-do the Emperor's work. You act of His w-will. If you find me lacking, I will be purified so I do not offend H-His eye." Though his back was sweating...

"A proper attitude," the Canoness said. He would never get used to augmetic eyes. Or, at least, somebody with only one of them. "Or at least, the proper words. But that is neither here nor there. I have need of you."

"I am b-but a humble servant of the Emperor," Klightus professed, bowing his head.

"But aren't we all?" She smirked. Somehow, that didn't help. "There is a regiment that is about to move so that they might retake Litmore City. Are you familiar with it?"

"No ma'am."

"They say that within the end of the millennium it will become a hive, much like two other cities here. From what I have learned, it is a worthless place, more likely to breed the sin of taint than faithfulness. However, if the planet is to be purged from the Chaos within, we must cleanse these cities. As such, for the initial assault, I am assigning a squad of Sisters to assist the Guardsmen. However, your cant is slightly different from our own. I would appreciate somebody who can be dedicated to assisting in the communications between the two of us. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Oh, did he understand, and it sent shivers down his spine. He wasn't stupid -- there were times where it took minutes for him to give a simple message. The fact that they were expecting him to do this on the battlefield...

"Good. I've taken the liberty to notify your Commander of this already." Oh, this was so not going good. "As well, I believe that you are familiar with one of the Sisters you will be traveling with." That made him perk slightly. The possibility of working with Bethany... "Sister Amaia." ...or the woman who had just threatened to make the end of a flamer seem like a vacation. "I suggest you prepare your gear and make haste, by the grace of the Emperor."

"His will be done," Klightus replied quickly, giving her the aquila again before turning to leave.

It took a while for Klightus to get to the Rhino. If there was one thing that he'd learned, it was that the Sisters put symbols of the Emperor everywhere. He'd been trained well, too -- salute every one of them. Still, it was strange. He'd always thought that the Sisters would attack as one whole group, but there seemed to be plenty of groups heading out for one location or another. Scouting, perhaps? Trying to find the largest concentration to assault?

Either way, he decided it was above his pay grade.

The flash of blue staring at him told him he'd reached the right Rhino at last. He gave Amaia the sign of the aquila, and she motioned for him to get in. Moving to the back, he paused to once again salute each of the Sisters already inside individually. Only then did he quickly stow his lasrifle and found his way into a seat. At least he was only sitting next to Amaia, with only armor on the other side.

"Glad you could join us," one of the Sisters said as the hatch closed. He found himself blushing a little. "You'll be serving as liaison between us and the Hygar Ninth Regiment. Do you know what Celestines are?" He shook his head. "You'll find out." That didn't help his nerves any.

"I'm Cordelia, Sister Superior of the squad." That explained the authoritative nature to her voice. "You know Sister Amaia already, I'm told. She vouches for your combat abilities."

Klightus looked at her, met by an even stare. Swallowing hard, he decided to try a risk. "N-no doubt she w-wishes to verify for herself that I am t-t-t..." He winced, focusing. "Taintless."

"I told you he had a stutter," Amaia said plainly.

"You didn't say that he had a brain," another sister cut in. A quick glance revealed she was... a Hospitaller? They were the inspiration for Jingur to make the Field Medicae. There was something about her voice...

"He should have some," said Amaia, looking at another Sister. "Or the taint of corruption. He is a noble, after all."

That got the Sister's attention. Leaning forward, she examined him in a new light. Her brows were pushed together, making her face look even more weathered. "What House? What planet?"

"Gramon," he said, feeling himself blush under the new scrutiny. "Of Jingur IV."

"Ah," she said, settling back. "I am Julianne. My father was Kleber Gundersen of Globus."

That said a lot. She was either the sole survivor of her family or a bastard child. From Klightus' guess, it was the latter. He'd long since discovered that everybody in this Order was either from a shrine world or an orphan -- given that her father was a noble on Globus, that was out of the question. So, bastard child, mother died. Right. In his mind, he pegged her as the oldest here.

"I am Quintilla," said the next sister. "Across from me is Sister Ephrael." The other sister nodded, her features hidden behind her helmet. "She doesn't talk much, but given you were with Sister Bethany, that shouldn't be too bad. She's a chatterbox by comparison." She paused for half a breath, her finger tapping against her kneeguard. "Now."

The Rhino lurched into into motion, forcing Klightus to put his hand against the armor. Quintilla grinned and continued. "Stay behind her unless you like being set on fire."

Right. That told him everything that he needed to know about Sister Ephrael.

Klightus' head was whirling, trying to process everything. Amaia didn't give him the chance. "You can't see her from here, but up front is Sister Nyze. She actually trained with Bethany." That got Klightus' interest. "She didn't quite make the cut, but she picked up the preference for two boltpistols. She doesn't trust the machine spirit to drive. She's a little... odd."

"That is hardly fair, Sister Amaia." Klightus looked back to the Hospitaller. "She is a true warrior, and I dare any of you to keep up with her once the combat starts." Her eyes turned to Klightus. "I am Sister Plath. It is a pleasure to meet you, Guardsman Klightus."

Now Klightus recognized what was odd about her voice. It was almost as if she were... singing every word. Still, he bowed his head in reverence. "It is an h-h-honor to meet you, Sister Plath. I hope to l-learn by your example."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment. "Truly? ...Ah, yes, that's right. You are a... combat medicae, I believe it was called? Tell me, how did you end up in such a position?"

He felt uneasy under the scrutiny. "I l-learned a bit about medicae procedures as a ch-child. C-combined with my c-combat skills, I was deemed worthy for this p-position, and given f-further training."

"They speak of your skills, but where did you earn them?" Sister Julianne asked quietly.

Klightus shifted slightly in his seat. He didn't like being the focus of attention. "I w-was trained b-by Sister Kandra, of the Orders Famulous. When she l-learned of m-my destiny to serve with the Guard, she began a strict regime. After morning p-prayer, I would descend the tower and then ascend it again as fast as possible. Then breakfast. Then came f-fencing training, followed by a physical training regime. Training with pistols and the las came after lunch, interspersed with p-pain resistance t-training. After dinner, she would have m-me drilled on protocol b-by a former Sergeant."

"That sounds fairly strict for a noble," Sister Cordelia mused to herself.

He found his eyes closing as old scripture studies came to the forefront. "And thus, the Light shown b-by His Majesty is reflected upon the s-souls of all humans. It is this Light that b-brings Joy upon the Hearts of Man, much as a mirror c-casts an image. Yet this mirror can become w-worn and tarnished. It is only through Hardship, Struggle, and Pain that can cleanse the Soul. Only He brings Joy, and through the Struggle of Man, guided by Faith in His vision, can one hope to receive His g-gifts, and to be Welcomed into the God Emperor of Mankind's Embrace. Ave Imperator."

"I'm unfamiliar with that particular scripture." Sister Julianne frowned a little, thinking.

"Ostagarian," Sister Ephrael's voice filtered through her helmet.

Klightus nodded. "C-correct. Ostagarianism is a-an offshoot of the Thorian belief. W-we believe that happiness is granted through duty, d-dedication, sacrifice, and the righteous adherence to the Emperor's will. Through faithful adherence to His will, He will allow a person true h-h-happiness, in this life and the hereafter. Decadence, and turning away f-from His will only give the illusion of h-happiness, but allow damnation to g-grow within."

"An odd view for a noble to have," Amaia mused to herself.

Klightus was about to answer when the Rhino had a sudden burst of speed, making him quick to brace himself. After a moment, a voice came over the speakers. "Forgive me, Sisters, but I just got a vox from the guard." The going became a lot more bumpy. "They're trying to gain purchase within the city for our arrival, but they are encountering resistance. Cultists are sending meat to the grinder. I am taking a shortcut. Hold on!"

"Harnesses," Sister Cordelia barked. Everybody reached up for their harness, puling it into place. He barely got his snapped into place when there was a sudden lurch and a sense of weightlessness. Moments later, the Rhino came crashing back to earth, slamming him back into his pack painfully. It didn't seem to slow the vehicle down any, though. Still, he had the feeling that by the time they got there, he'd be covered in bruises. Again.

"Here," Amaia said, offering a hand to Klightus. He took it, and she withdrew, revealing two vox beads. "One for our channel, one for the Guard. You'll tie into our vox network, boosting your range so long as you're with us." He nodded, working them into his ears. Better not to question. "Also, I left a little something in the bottom of your pack in case you need it."

That earned a surprised blink out of him, but he didn't have time. The sisters were already putting their hands together, bowing their heads in prayer. He actually enjoyed praying with them a great deal -- their prayers felt more comfortable than the simple Litany of War.

"Get us into a good flanking position," Cordelia barked.

"How many do you want me to run down?" came Nyze's cool response.

"Just get us into position and allow the machine spirit to do its duty."

"By His grace, I see them in the distance."

Amaia nudged Klightus. "That's your cue."

The moment of truth. He took a deep breath. "How l-long until we get there?"

There was a heartbeat's span of time before Quintilla responded. "With how fast we're going, I'd say seven minutes."

"Vector?"

"What?"

Great. He unhooked the metal harness and slammed it up until it locked, using it to pull him to his feet. The Rhino hit a bump (or maybe a hill, at this speed he couldn't tell) causing him to almost fall into Sister Plath, had she not moved to catch him. Quickly, though, he righted himself, using what handholds he could to move to the front of the vehicle, opening the door to look out. At least that gave him a visual, no matter how bad.

Klightus nodded, touching one hand to his ear. "Kirol N-Ninth, do you c-copy? Over."

There was a pause before the machine spirit whispered the reply into his ear. "This is Kirol Fifth. Identify yourself. This channel is dedicated for communications with the Adepta Sororitas, over."

He swallowed, closing his eyes. "Kirol Ninth, this is Guardsman K-Klightus Gramon, of the Jignur Third Regiment, acting l-liaison between the Adepta S-Sororitas and the Guard." He paused a beat to think. "Code Sororitas One. We a-are on approach, over."

"Confirmed, Sororitas One. What's your ETA? Over." At least he sounded more agreeable now.

"K-Kirol Ninth, ETA in five minutes. We are approaching on your seven in a-armored transport with intent to perform flanking maneuvers. Upon disembark, w-we will allow the Machine Spirit to assume control. Repeat, on fast approach in a Rhino on your seven with intent to f-flank. Upon disembark, the Machine Spirit will provide s-support. Over."

"Sororitas One, roger that. We are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Kirol Ninth out."

"Ave Imperator." Braced as he was, it probably wasn't the best bet to try and look back to yell at Cordelia, so instead he hit his vox bead with his shoulder. "It's done, S-Sister Superior. They are awaiting our a-arrival."

He spared a quick glance down to Sister Nyze and almost said hi, but thought better of it. She was focused on driving. Instead, he focused on their path... and kind of wished he didn't. He didn't even want to think about how hard she was pushing the machine spirit. That worry only became worse when she didn't slow down.

For a brief moment he thought she might plow through the very guardsmen they were here to help, but to her credit, she found an opening. Instead of plowing through guardsmen, she began to move through heretics and traitors, trying to find a good position to deploy.

Only there wasn't a good place, just places that weren't as bad as others. He heard the two weapons on top firing madly. From the sound of it, two storm bolters. Good. Finally, however, Quintilla stopped hard, sliding sideways and slamming him into the hull.

"Everybody out! For the Emperor!" Klightus was only vaguely aware of Cordelia's command, but nobody else seemed to be. As he was still righting himself, they were grabbing their weapons and hauling out. He didn't need to have his wits about him to follow suit -- he'd been through enough hot deployments.

He came out behind Julianne. She had... some sort of large spear, and a bolt pistol. Behind him was Sister Nyze, already sprinting for the front with her twin pistols firing, and Cordelia taking the rear. No matter. He sighted a heretic as he finished the Litany of the Lasrifle and fired. That was the one good thing about being as surrounded as they were -- no lack of targets. Just point and keep firing, saying as many litanies and oaths as can while you go.

But the Rhino was moving, and with it his cover. Klightus kept close to it, almost shooting from the hip.

"Nice to have you with us, Sororitas One." The voice in his ear was grim, but manageable. "You're going to want to move to our position ASAP. They've been setting off blasts in your area, and we're worried about the upper levels."

"R-roger." Klightus paused in his firing to put his hand to the vox bead. "Sisters, they advise that we push towards them q-quickly. This area could c-collapse any minute."

"Thank you, Klightus." Surprisingly, that came from Amaia. He was surprised by how little chatter there was. Oh, they were yelling. Curses and oaths of fury and righteous vengeance. But there wasn't much in the way of direction. Apparently, they all knew what to do already.

But something felt... off. They were making good progress towards the Guard, but... He glanced around for a moment, pausing to shoot at another traitor who had come into view. Everybody was focusing on the Rhino or the Sisters and not him. ...Sisters.

He looked around frantically, shooting again when a shot grazed his armor. Finally, he saw what he was looking for, or rather, didn't see it. That great spear with the box. He stopped dead in his tracks to look, ignoring cover. There was a throng of them not charging, and even facing away. There.

There wasn't any thought, just that sense of duty. He fired from the hip as he charged towards them, ignoring everything else. If somebody came too close, they got a healthy dose of bayonet, but otherwise he kept the las focused on the throng. There was a soldier on the field who needed his help, and he wasn't about to abandon her.

"Klightus," Cordelia barked. "Where are you going?"

"Juliana!" He fired again. "Juliana, do you copy? Over!"

A flash from inside the throng was his only reply. He lifted his las, only for his target to explode. The one next to him did the same. Cordelia was offering cover. Good enough for him. Lowering his weapon, he began to sprint. Just how many of the residents had taken up with the heretics? Did the entire city participate in the rebellion or something?

As he flung himself into the crowd, he fell into a simple yet effective pattern. Stab, strike with the butt of his las. Stab, strike. Stab, strike. A flash of movement, she was still in there. Stab and strike. Scream the Emperor's wrath. Stab, strike. They were pressing in too deep, overwhelming her in sheer numbers. They weren't doing much damage, but they were preventing her from fighting back through the weight of their bodies. Stab and strike. The twists amongst them were the worst, offensive not only to the Human form, but also to his own efforts.

A meter away from her, he felt the rumble. The kind of rumble that tells you that everything isn't going to be okay and no matter how much you were thinking that this was going to be a bad day, you were wrong. It was worse. Behind him there was a scream of metal snapping, the groan of stone collapsing. The ceiling came tumbling down. It gave a pause to the fighting, killing plenty of the traitors to the Imperium, but the way back to the other Sisters was now blocked. If they weren't crushed.

"Sister Julianne," Klightus screamed. He had to help clear enough out to give her room to fight back. One thing at a time, and right now it was killing as many as possible. Ignore the ringing in the ears and fight. Ignore the dust in the air and fight. Even as the traitors began to drop around him, he kept pushing himself. He was faintly aware of the fact that his upper lip felt strangely wet, of the pounding between his ears, of the blurring of his vision.

There were... cultists in the distance. He could barely make them out, just standing there. "Julianne!" He thought he heard her give a reply, but he wasn't sure. He could barely hear anything. He forced sluggish arms to move, trying to draw a bead. The first shot went wild. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. The second shot was closer. His legs felt as if they might break under their own weight. His third shot hit. He didn't know why he was focusing on them and not the throngs, but it was important.

Klightus fell to one knee, laboring to draw breath. His head felt like it was going to explode. He looked over to Julianne. She was a blur, her silver armor a dark blur as she was fighting freely now. His head drooped, and he became aware of little red dots on olive drab. Dots that seemed to grow.

And then he became aware of the ground rushing towards his face.

----

Returning to consciousness was something that Klightus almost didn't want to do. The throbbing of his head was enough to make him wish he'd stayed out. As he tried to keep it from exploding, he realized something rather important, important enough to make him push the pain aside.

He wasn't wearing his helmet.

In fact, his armor and his gear was all gone. He sat up, looking around in brief glances, as much as he could with the throbbing. He seemed to be in some sort of cell. No, that couldn't be right. The last thing he remembered...

The cultists. His hand went to his face, wiping at it. Dried blood under his nose, on his cheeks, his ears. Whatever they'd done had worked a number on him. He let himself fall back, trying to figure something, anything out.

Unfortunately, though, the more that his head cleared the more that panic gripped him. He'd been captured.
>I won't pay your ransom again.
Captured by the enemy. Cultists. His breathing was shallow and fast as his eyes darted about.
>Why don't we have some fun before the Thrones show up?
He looked down to see that he was scratching at his arm hard enough to draw blood. Blood. Under his fingernails.

Klightus curled into a ball, shaking. He gripped his hands so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt himself further. No. No, this couldn't be happening. He didn't want to die like this. Not for some twisted cultist's pleasure. Not as a blood sacrifice to their foul gods.

Terror gripped his heart as he heard the cell door open, forcing him to curl up even tighter. Hands roughly grabbed his arms, eliciting a squeak of fear as the hauled him to his feet, dragging him down the halls. Down stairs. And finally, through a door.

What he saw there turned his blood to ice.

There were four of them, counting the ones who held him in place. The entire room was lit up brightly, the signs of some foul false god adorning the room. A long table was set up, adorned with candles and far too much dark red liquid. Beyond it was the one that he guessed was the leader, who smiled evilly. But it was behind him was a sight that knocked the wind right out of Klightus.

White hair.

Her head was lowered down against her chest, and thick blood stained her armor. She'd been strung up for all to see, her arms spread wide. He could take in every scratch, every dent in her armor, the knife strapped to her leg, but he couldn't see the wound that felled her. Horror crossed his face, and his entire body began to shake.

Amaia. Bethany. Amaia. Bethany. Bethany... Bethany...

"Good," the leader said warmly. "You are awake! I must apologize for the accommodations we left you in. Inhospitable, I know, but we were afraid that you'd run. I must say, we've been waiting for you for quite some time. Ever since the Adepta Sororitas landed on the planet, as a matter of fact. It's good to finally meet you in person... Klightus, isn't it? A right name, one that rolls off the tongue. It inspires courage, strength, and nobility. In fact, I'm even told that you are a noble! A very fitting name for a fine man such as yourself, hmm?

"Now, I'm sure that you're wondering why I'm taking the time to speak to you instead of strapping you to that table, yes? Of course you are. You see, as I said, we were expecting you. After we liberated this planet, the great God of Secrets spoke to us, oh yes. He sent us visions personally. He told of the one who would walk with the Sisters, and how we would... teach him. Uplift him from the lowly chains that drug him down, the oppression of the narrow-minded Imperium. We were told that he would bring this world into the very annals of history, and lead us to another world to turn into a perfect utopia... for us, the faithful. We weren't told how he would play a role in this, just that he would. For the faithful, that is enough. And you, my dear Klightus, are that man."

Klightus's eyes burned, and his head swam.

The cultist paused, looking at Klightus for a long moment before following his gaze. "Oh. Her." He laughed softly, then took a sympathetic tone to his voice. "I know, I know. It must be a shock to you. But you must remember, they are only human. Such closed minded fools. They know not the glory of our work. Ah, but you will. You will. In fact, I dare say, I was saving her for you, so that you might spill her blood yourself. Sadly, she just would not. Shut. Up!" He took a breath to calm himself. "Ah, but she did have something else that you will enjoy. Yes. The woman carried with her the bones of... Oh, I don't know. Some old saint of some sort or another. While we may not be able to allow you the gift of rending her from this life, we at least left you those to desecrate. We don't want to be anything less than gracious hosts, after all."

The leader turned to face... her... spreading his arms wide. He had a certain glibness in his voice as he spoke. "I know that you may resist at first, but some day, you will look back and see this as-"

Klightus' knee raised, and his foot came down as hard as it could on the instep of the man holding his arm. The grip loosened, allowing him to wrench it free in one firm tug, the same tug that brought his fist into the throat of the other guard. Quickly he jerked his arm back, bringing the sharp point of his elbow into the nose of the first with a satisfying crunch. The leader was just turning around as he took a step forward, lashing out with his foot to upend the table into the leader's gullet. "The Emperor is our guiding light, a beacon of hope for humanity in a galaxy of darkness!"

He pivoted, beginning a short mad dash. His shoulder fell, meeting the third cultist in the solar plexus as he plowed ahead. "As we serve Him, He is our greatest servant!" The cultist fell, and Klightus changed his direction again, shouldering the leader out of his way. "As we pray to Him..."

"Get him!" somebody yelled.

"His thoughts are only for us!" There wasn't a plan, per se. Just righteous rage. But the body knew better than he did, how to apply that rage which had built up. He made it to... her... and drew the knife from her boot. Spinning around, he barely noticed the cultist reaching for him before the knife sunk home, just under the armpit, deep into the chest, into the lung.

Another was upon him almost immediately. The blade lashed out, this time higher, both hands on it to drive it home into the eye socket with all his might. But still the fools came, rushing to their own doom. Klightus lashed out with a quick slash, only for his arm to be blocked. The blade spun in his hand to a new grip, his arms moved of their own accord as he struggled. It was a brief struggle, though, until he drove the knife upwards underneath the cultist's chin.

"And in the Dark when the Shadows threaten, the Emperor is with us, in Spirit and in Fact!" He shoved the gurgling body away, looking around frantically. Only one left, if he didn't escape. The leader. No, the cultist was still there, but he was retrieving a sword. Sword against combat knife. Not good.

The two spent a moment staring at each other before charging in unison. There were no word, just screams of rage. The sword raised, and Klightus dropped into a slide, impacting hard with the cultist's legs. Somehow, the knife came free from his hand, scraping across the floor. The cultist didn't lose his grip, though.

Klightus latched on and the two began to struggle. Rolling on the floor, the cultist had a marked advantage -- his strength was superior, granted to him by his foul god. But Klightus had the Emperor's wrath within him... and better flexibility. A childhood of his brothers picking on him helped as well.

He rolled the cultist onto his back, hands on wrists, and slammed his head into the cultist's nose. That lessened the unholy strength. And it felt... good. "Burn the Heretic!" He slammed his head home again. "Kill the Mutant!" His head came down again. "Purge the Unclean!" Again and again, his head impacted with the cultist's face. Each time, he pulled back a little farther, putting more force into the strike. Finally, the fight had fled from the heretic completely.

Unfortunately, the divine wrath and adrenaline were waning in Klightus as well. He rolled off the prone form, sprawling onto the floor. His arm reached blindly, searching. A slight pain in his finger told him he'd found what he was looking for. Grasping it, he forced himself back onto his knees, plunging the knife deep into the cultist's chest. Panting heavily, he crawled back to the other cultist still breathing. Half-breathing, gasping for air from a punctured lung. It wasn't mercy that granted the killing blow, but hate.

Only then, with his enemies dead, did Klightus allow himself a few minutes of respite. To catch his breath. To allow his mind to return to him.

He became aware of a stinging pain in his collar. Looking, he realized that the sword must have hit him, just enough to make him bleed. He pressed his hand against it, letting his head drop, but there was nothing he could do at the moment.

At least, for himself.

His strength returning, his eyes fell upon her. The blasphemers had killed her. He pushed himself off his knees and onto his feet. "I'm sorry," he said weakly. "I'm s-so sorry I f-failed you." Gently, tenderly he pushed her head up to look into her face, her open brown eyes... Julianne's eyes.

He let out a puff of breath, his eyes watering. He didn't know why, but somehow he'd gotten it into his head that this was Sister Bethany. Or Sister Amaia. A guilty joy flooded through him. He was happy that he had not lost Bethany, or that she had not lost her twin, but at the same time... He was feeling joy over the death of a Sister. Emperor preserve him from taint.

Klightus worked at the binding holding her body against the wall. Several times he cut his hands, but ignored it. A punishment from the Emperor for what he had felt. When the last of them gave free, she fell to the ground, his own strength unable to support both her and her armor.

On her back, the sword was still there.

The saber, and the sheath, had once been sealed closed and affixed to her armor. No wonder they had left them to her -- they couldn't get it off. But now that seal had cracked free. Klightus pulled once, his arms screaming at the resistance, but it came free. The seal holding the blade in the sheath crumbled beneath his hands. A sign from the Emperor, if any.

He pulled the blade free. Etched along it were the tales of a noble house, and of one noble in particular. This man, he guessed, was her father. The one who had not claimed her. If Klightus had to guess, the man had left her his power saber when he died for some unknown reason. There were questions that begged answers, but now wasn't the time.

Sheathing the sword, Klightus rolled Sister Julianne back over, looking down into her sightless eyes. She looked weathered, yes, but not the kind that comes with age. He could see that now. It was the kind of weathering that a veteran wears. Truth be told, once you looked past the weathering, she didn't seem that old at all. Perhaps as old as Bethany or Amaia.

"Sleep," Klightus said softly, closing her eyes. "Know that you have g-given m-me the power to do what m-must be done. I will s-see you back safely to the S-Sisters. This I swear."

In the corner of the room was a greatcoat that must have belonged to a Guardsman, stained in blood. The symbols of the Guard and the Holy Emperor were still upon it, undefiled. Klightus drew the blade again, taking the coat into his left hand and holding it high to his side. His eyes closed as he remembered his lessons, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet and assuming a proper stance. A few practice swings, parry, riposte, lunge.

His eyes opened, the skills not lost, and he made his way out of the room, searching.

Three cultists showed that Klightus was rusty, but he was managing. Skills came back quickly when it was do or die time. But now he was paused by a door. The opaque window was marked with the symbol of the Arbites, the word "Evidence" printed underneath. That explained where he was. He opened the door.

Inside, the gear of countless Guardsmen was stashed haphazardly. Packs thrown in, lying on the floor. His eyes spied his and one other thing that caught his interest. A wooden box with a clear glass front. Inside rested skeletal remains.

This had belonged to Sister Julianne.

Klightus moved in quickly, searching through the gear. It took him a few minutes, but he found his own pack and webbing. With shaking hands he opened the pack, dumping the contents on the floor. It was there that another sight amazed him.

A melta pistol, emblazoned with the fluer de lys. His mind worked back, remembering what Amaia had said to him. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but it still brought a smile to his face. He wasn't going to bother with the greatcoat any more. Now he had a ranged weapon, too. And the opportunity to quickly tend to his shoulder.

With delicate care, he placed the box containing the saint's remains (Saint Valmir Vincencius according to the box, though the name was lost to him) inside before donning his gear. There were no weapons, but still...

Feeling stronger and infinitely more confident with the saint's remains and a ranged weapon to compliment the blade, Klightus continued on.

Soon, a stairwell greeted him. His ears pricked at the sounds below -- angry voices. Creeping silently, he made his way down, hugging the wall as best he could.

The sight below him was of another holding area. Unlike the one he had been in, these cells were full. Full of Guardsmen. Klightus could only count five cultists in the area, including two guarding the stairwell, their backs to him. Good enough. He waited until he was close enough to hear their breathing before activating the power saber, two quick slashes ending their miserable lives.

"What the-"

He didn't wait for the cultist to finish her curse. With a scream, he charged, the melta lifted up to fire. The battle was a quick one -- the cultists were only armed with stun batons -- but the entire time the Guardsmen yelled and cheered their encouragement.

As the last cultist fell, a cheer rose from the cells. Klightus turned to look at them, panting. Immediately, one voice rang out above the others. "You there! You're not with them, and that's good enough for me! Let us out!"

Klightus approached the cell slowly, eying the man. "Who a-are you?"

"I could ask the same thing." The man was scarred, and held a stony look on his face. "Sergeant Henroth Draken, Kirol Ninth. The bastards dropped a level of the city and trapped us. Used some sort of sorcery to knock us all out. When we woke up, they... They've been sacrificing us, I think. A few at a time."

"Klightus G-Gramon, Guardsman, Field Medicae. Jingur Third Regiment. I'm the l-liaison with the Adepta Sororitas."

"That explains the melta." Somehow, that made Klightus more self-conscious. "Let us out. We'd like some payback. You found our gear?"

Klightus pressed the button to open the cell door. "N-no weapons, but I found the rest. P-probably gave out the weapons." He paused for a moment. "I'll show y-you where, but then I need your help in t-transporting a tier-one asset to the Adepta S-Sororitas."

It didn't take long for them to get back to the sacrificial chamber. The men were obviously eying him, especially his sword and melta. Klightus tried not to think about it too much, lest his chest seize up. He was shaking from their scrutiny enough already. As they collected Sister Julianne's body, he noticed something in her ear. A vox bead. With great care he took it from her ear, putting it in his own.

"This is K-Klightus of the Jignur Third t-to Sororitas One. D-do you copy, over." Nothing but static was his response. He stepped closer to Julianne and tried again. "This is K-Klightus of the Jignur Third t-to Sororitas One. D-do you copy? Please r-r-respond, over."

"Klightus?" Sister Superior Cordelia's voice crackled, carried by the vox bead's machine spirit. "I can barely hear you. Where are you?"

That's right, they didn't use proper communication protocols. "Arbites holding area. I've g-g-got some of the Kirol N-Ninth with me."

"And Sister Julianne?"

He was silent for a long moment. "We've s-secured her r-remains," he said sadly, looking at her face as four Guardsmen lifted her body.

"And the Simulacrum Imperialis?"

"S-secured. It h-hasn't been defiled." He paused a beat. "Where are you?"

"The Courtyard of the Emperor's Light."

He looked to Sergeant Henroth. "C-Courtyard of the Emperor's Light?"

The Sergeant nodded. "That was one of our primary objectives. I know where it is."

He nodded, putting his hand to the bead again. "We are s-securing transport and will meet you there."

"May the Emperor grant you speed, Klightus. We're looking at some heavy fighting."

"Ave Imperator." May the Emperor's light shine upon them all.

The Courtyard of the Emperor's Light was a courtyard, true. But it ran straight up, granting a clear view of the sky high above. As the truck pulled to a stop, Klightus' tailbone tingled. He didn't even want to think about falling from the top. Scaffolding stood on the sides, apparently for workers to carve out symbols to the intricate stylization out of the stone.

Even more worrying was what was on the opposite expanse of the giant courtyard. He could see the dots that were the collective forces of the heretics. They were probably amassing for a final push to try and destroy the loyalist forces.

As he jumped out of the back of the truck, Sister Quintilla approached. "Klightus! Praise the Emperor, you're still alive."

He gave her the sign of the aquila. "H-how long was I gone?"

"One day, four hours, eight minutes, forty-seven seconds since we lost contact with you until your boots hit the ground." He blinked at her, and she grinned impishly. "I keep track of time. You'd be surprised how often it comes in handy." She paused, her smile fading. "Sister Julianne?"

He moved to the back of the now-evacuated truck, opening it. Sister Quintilla began to say a soft prayer as she collected her Sister's remains. Even with her power armor, she was straining. As much as Klightus wanted to help, somehow, he found himself hovering next to her, wringing his hands uselessly.

At least, until they approached Sister Superior Cordelia. Immediately he found himself on one knee, his hands folding the aquila over his chest. "Thank you for returning Sister Julianne's remains to us, Klightus." She sounded... depressed, saddened over the loss. "And the Simulacrum Imperialis?"

He removed his pack, opening it to present the saint's remains to her. She removed the box containing them slowly, smiling when she saw that it was still without taint. "Thank you, Klightus. Though others may doubt, I will defend your honor and your purity. Truly, you are one of the faithful." She nodded to him. "Now, I must prepare."

As she turned away, Klightus made his way to his feet, putting his pack back on. It didn't feel right to be without it. When he turned, he found Sister Amaia staring at him. Immediately, he saluted her with the aquila... and then hugged her. "Thank y-y-you."

There was a long awkward moment before she pulled herself away, staring at him in confusion. "For what?"

Klightus felt himself blushing as he found something interesting on his boot to stare at. "F-for a moment, I thought... I thought that you had died. I know that y-you and Sister Bethany... I knew that if you had d-died, it would have wounded her g-greatly. The thought of h-her being wounded so... It scared me. I can't..."

"And what about you?" she asked angrily. "If you'd died it would have hurt her, too! If she feels about you the way that... Why did you do something so stupid?"

That was a good question, wasn't it? Her anger made him recoil a little, but she did deserve an answer. "B-because I love the Emperor, too. He p-protects our spirits and guides us. Above all else, even l-l-love, I m-must perform my duties t-to Him and the Imperium of Man first and f-foremost."

There was a long moment of silence that chewed Klightus apart on the inside. Finally, Sister Amaia turned and stalked away. He let out a long breath, his head hanging.

A hand on his shoulder startled him. "Relax," Sister Nyze said. "You're only mostly screwed."

How comforting. "Is there anything I-I should know?"

"Hmm." She crossed her arms, looking across the courtyard. "Things aren't looking the best. We're best up close and personal, but you guardsmen aren't. They heretics are looking to make a charge, we think. So we're going to have to either meet them halfway, where they can flank us easily, or wait for them to reach our line. That won't be any better, because it will reduce the effectiveness of the Guardsmen. Reinforcements are on the way, but the only ones who might get here before the fighting starts are the two Seraphim squads.

"The Rhino's still operational, but that can only help so much against those number. By the Throne, they should have sent two regiments. Still, with the Simulacrum Imperialis, that relieves a lot from our minds."

Klightus bit his lip, his mind whirling. But Sister Nyze patted his shoulder ruefully. "I'd better get back up front."

He watched in silence as he could see the mass of heretics across the wide expanse growing. He didn't even register Sister Plath tending to his shoulder with care. They'd hit critical mass soon. As soon as the enemy would hit critical mass, they'd charge. By the Throne, he didn't like that. Something. There had to be something they could do...

"Choke point," he muttered to himself.

"Pardon?" Sister Plath asked.

He looked to her for a moment before brushing away her hands. "I'm g-going to create a choke point," he said quickly as he put his pack back on. "Or at least s-something to slow them down. That way, the S-Sisters can move closer, and still keep the Guardsmen at range." He made sure that the sword was secure against him, nodded to Sister Plath, then sprinted for the front lines. And then past them.

"Klightus!" Sister Amaia's voice was carried by the machine spirit in his ear. "What are you doing?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he ran straight for the scaffolding. A quick glance revealed that the assembly as mounted to the wall, probably to keep it from toppling. Fair enough. He had an easy fix for that -- namely, a quick pull of the trigger on the melta that reduced the mounting to slag. Five per level, with mountings every other level. Six sets of mountings in all. Quick work, really.

As he began to climb to the second, and then the third level of the scaffolding, the heretics began taking shots at him. From that rage, they were wide, but enough to encourage faster movement. Oh, how he wished that he'd been able to find his armor...

Two mountings down of the third set, and the scaffolding shook. He turned quickly, the melta brought to bear, revealing a pair of ice blue eyes and a concerned face staring at him. He took a sharp breath as Bethany stepped towards him, a look of confusion on her face.

No time to explain. Verbally, at least. He pointed at the mounting, then shot it until it melted free. He held his hand vertically, then slowly tipped it horizontally. Bethany seemed to get that, drawing her weapon. Quickly, Klightus shook his head, pointing to the other set of scaffolding across the courtyard. She nodded, understanding his intentions perfectly. She turned, activated her pack, and shot across the courtyard to leave Klightus to his work.

As he worked, he could hear her weapons firing. Excellent. The third set freed, the fourth, the fifth... He was working on the last set of mountings when he heard the whine of Bethany's jump pack. Glancing back, he saw the other scaffolding toppling over... By the Emperor's grace, it stayed together as it landed on the ground. Between the two of them, the final mountings were freed from the wall. At this height, all it took was one push to make it wobble, and a little more to make it slowly tip.

As gravity began to do its job, Klightus remembered the downside to this plan -- he was on top. He looked to Bethany, fear filling his face. She, in turn, grabbed his pack straps and fired her pack. There was a moment of near weightlessness as they dropped, but her pack wasn't designed to carry two people. They landed, hard, sending them both sprawling onto the ground. But despite the scrape on his arm, they were alive. The choke point might not have been very tight, but it was still something.

As they ran back towards the line, he saw the squad of Celestians loading up into the Rhino. Klightus found himself smiling. There was the possibility of winning this now...

----

Tiny white flakes fell from the sky. The temperature was dropping now, forcing Klightus to huddle into his greatcoat. Here, on top of the hill, the wind cut to the bone, chilling a man through and through. But he wouldn't move. Not now. Not with what was ahead of him.

The snow wasn't bad yet, but it was going to be. Oddly fitting, he thought to himself. His eyes were focused on the field below, watching as another squad marched out upon it. Next to him, Bethany reached out to put her hand on his knee, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from his responsibility.

He didn't know how long they'd been sitting there like this. Sister Quintilla could tell him, but she wasn't here. He wasn't even sure if he could find the words right now.

"Bethany?" Amaia's voice was soft, somewhere to his right. "May I speak to Klightus alone for a moment? Just a moment. I..."

Bethany's hand left his leg reluctantly. He could hear her stepping away, and Amaia approaching. Just like he could hear another squad march out onto that field.

"Klightus," Amaia said as she settled down. "We've received word back from Departmento Munitorum. They've approved your position with our Order as Liaison. Officially, you're still a Guardsman, but you will move with us." She paused for a moment. "It's also earned you promotions. Congratulations, you're an officer." She sounded like she expected him to respond.

Sadly, he was forced to disappoint.

"I... am not sure how to say this. I'm sorry. I allowed my judgment to be... clouded." She paused for a moment, sitting next to him. "For as long as I can remember, Bethany and I have been equal in everything. Though I a Celestian and she a Seraphim, we have always been equal. The biggest difference was her vision, after which she said nothing. But..."

Another squad marched onto the field.

"When she returned with you, she was different. She had found a happiness that I... I suppose I was jealous. So I hung to the belief that you weren't pure, that you had bewitched her somehow. When that failed, I held to the belief that you would put her before duty, or the other way around. That the Emperor would not be first in her eyes. Now I see the truth. The both of you put your duty to the Emperor before your own... happiness."

There was silence for a long moment before she spoke again. "I suppose that the only thing which I might be able to say is that you have my blessing. Though, admittedly, I have not yet been able to rid myself of the jealousy."

The silence seemed to stretch to infinity. Soon, though, Bethany's arm was around his shoulders as she sat with him, Amaia on the other side. Together they watched the field in silence.

Happiness comes at a cost. You must perform your duty, endure pain and hardship, and sacrifice. Klightus knew this. And, as the Sisters activated their flamers and purified another squad of the Jignur Third Regiment, he knew exactly the weight that his happiness would bear upon his shoulders for the rest of his life.

And yet, as he gently rested his head against Bethany's, he still wouldn't give up that happiness to be rid of this weight.

===Third Story===

Klightus moved quickly off the transport, getting out of the way. He was one of the last ones on, and he knew the routine. Last on, first off. Unfortunately, as the Sisters moved about their business, he had no idea what to do. As the Sisters moved with purpose on the Emperor's Wrathful Mercy, he was left looking around blindly.

Move like you have a purpose ran through his head, old words from many a Sergeant. Now those words seemed hollow. Moving like you had a purpose meant that either you had a purpose, or had a way to pretend that you did. All that he could do as he watched the Sisters move with practiced ease was adjust his pack, desperately hoping that somebody would help him.

"Lieutenant?" a voice called out. He turned, as a slightly portly cleric approached. "Lieutenant Klightus Gramon?"

Klightus gave the man the sign of the Aquila, which the cleric dutifully returned.

"It's good to finally meet you. I'm brother Giselbertus. They told me that you might need some assistance getting to your quarters." Giselbertus seemed amused by this.

"I thank you for being polite," Klightus mused, mostly to himself. "I p-probably would have stayed here until I s-starved to death."

That earned a laugh out of Giselbertus and a clap on the shoulder hard enough to rattle teeth. "You will do well, I think. Come, let us be off."

The going was slow. Klightus had never been aboard a ship of the Adeptus Ministorum before, had never observed the sheer concentration of symbols of the Emperor that the Ecclesiarchy had bestowed upon it. It took a great deal of time to stop, face each one, and form the aquila. What should have taken an hour took almost three.

But at last Giselbertus stood in front of one door. "The, ah... Deparmento Munitorum has reportedly sent everything that you will need for your duties. If anything is found to be lacking, you're supposed to send an official request and it will be handled with the utmost expediency."

A chill went down Klightus' spine. This meant nothing good. But Giselbertus was pushing on. "Your quarters, sadly, serve as your office as well. The Canoness wished for you to have something more befitting of your station, however this was the best that could be spared on such short notice. I attached a document explaining the peculiarities of our ship to the back of your door, including a map. You may need them for some time."

"What is g-graced to me, I accept w-with humility." Klightus wasn't sure what else to say. Just from what little Giselbertus said, his head was swimming.

Then, with a smirk, the cleric opened the door. The sight within made his eyes bug and his heart threaten to stop.

By size alone, it was large enough to house an entire squad comfortably. Perhaps two, though three would cause infighting. Golden symbols of the Emperor adorned the walls... where he could see them.

Unfortunately, most of the room was blocked from his field of vision. Numerous tomes were stacked in front of him. Countless data slates piled into a mountain, threatening to collapse at the merest jostle. Flags strewn nearly haphazardly. And even those were hidden by massive stacks of paper, nearly as tall as he was. Some taller.

"Throne of Holy Terra..."

"Language," Giselbertus cautioned. "Remember, you're on an Ecclesiarchy vessel."

His tone softened as he looked into the room. "But I understand. Much of this is paperwork that you must fill out with as much expediency as possible, to be turned in when we arrive to resupply. I don't know what all is in it, but it apparently deals with your new status. I would offer up one of our Adepts, but I doubt that they would understand much of it." He paused a breath. "I made sure that there was a clear path to your bed, if you hug that bulkhead. I also made sure that nobody put anything on it. Somewhere in here is everything of yours from the Pious Bolt."

"Th-thank you," Klightus whispered softly. He felt like running away. Or crying. Or... something. Without entire control over himself, he took a step forward, his fingers working the buckles on his pack.

"Emperor grace you." There was sympathy in Giselbertus' voice.

"Emperor g-grace us all." Klightus was barely aware of the door closing behind him.

A rapping at his door made Klightus look up from his work. The only way that this would be anything less than a blessed distraction is if it was more paperwork. His hand had begun to cramp an hour ago and wasn't getting any better. "J-just a m-minute!" Setting form P-IG-S/ORM-SS/DLP-OSG/LT-320DM to the side (why he had to fill out his own promotion paperwork was beyond him) he rose from the bed, shimmied his way along the mountains of paperwork, and finally opened the door.

A red-haired woman grinned up at him, crossing her hands over her chest in the aquila. "Klightus! How's it going?"

"Um, g-good." He returned the aquila, that familiar sensation of inferiority creeping over him badly. "And y-y-yourself?"

"Can't complain," she said cheerfully. There was a pause as she eyed him. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Forgive m-me," he said quickly, lowering his head and pressing his palms tighter against his chest...only to be rewarded with a hard slap to the shoulder and a laugh. "Sister Ephrael, silly. Remember me?"

He looked back up to her with amazement. Of course he remembered Sister Ephrael, but the last time that he saw her she was in armor, her helmet in place, wielding a flamer. And not saying more than one word responses to anything. "Of course! Er... C-c-can I h-help you?"

"I was thinking more that I could help you." She looked past him and let out a low whistle. "Somebody really doesn't like you, do they?"

The thought had occurred to him, actually. Three hours ago.

Reaching down, she picked up a bundle and pushed it into Klightus' hands. "Here, get changed. We don't have a lot of time." With that, she nearly closed the door on his face.

As he began to unwrap the bundle, she continued speaking through the door. "Sister Cordelia heard that you were getting buried under paperwork. While we understand the necessity of such things-" Her tone said the opposite of her words. "-We know that you're supposed to be serving on the battlefield. You need to keep up with your training. Plus, we thought a break might help clear your mind a bit, especially since we didn't see you at lunch."

Had he missed lunch? There wasn't a chrono in here to tell. Or at least if there was, it was too far hidden to tell. Klightus shook the heavy robes out, blinking as a black jumpsuit fell to the floor. After a moment's hesitation, he began to disrobe. Already a sinking sensation was developing in his gut.

"So since it's almost time for close quarters training, she told me to come and fetch you." She paused a moment. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"N-not normally," he confessed. "I'm... surprised, actually. That you, you know, are t-talking as much as you are."

"Oh?" She paused for a moment, then laughed. "Oh, right. Sorry. When I'm in armor... It's hard to explain, actually. It's like... There's a barrier between me and the world. Everything is filtered. It lets me focus more. Separates me from everything, so I can see the battlefield more clearly, make better decisions. When I suit up, I feel like the Emperor lets me be apart from the heretics around me. From everything but my appointed duties."

Sister Ephrael laughed a little again. "Kind of like now. I mean, we're talking, but not really. Only instead, I feel like I could say anything, you know? And you might respond, but... It's silly, isn't it?"

Klightus zipped up the bodysuit, working the seam closed. "Not really. I m-mean... We aren't talking to each other. We're talking to a door. And the door is responding. W-we can say things that we normally wouldn't to another person, because it isn't another person. It's a door."

He opened the door, biting his lip apprehensively. Ephrael looked him over for a moment before reaching out to adjust his robes. "We don't have anybody as tall as you aboard the ship, I'm afraid. These were the biggest that we could find that wouldn't risk falling off of you. Some of the other sisters are working on making you a more proper set, all three layers. They're also talking about dying them green to make you feel more at home, but I think red looks good on you." He felt himself blushing and looked away. "Aww, like now!"

A quick change of subject would hopefully knock her out of the teasing. "W-where d-did you find the bodyglove?"

"We didn't. We found out by accident that the Kirol Ninth had some when we were fighting alongside them." She smiled at him oddly. "We thought that if you were going to be staying with us, you would be training with us. So some of the other Sisters and myself gathered tokens and performed various blessings in exchange for a suit. It took them a while to get one that would fit you, actually. But the Commander's assistant has a good eye for measurements, or so we're told. How does it fit?"

They were making robes for him, and had worked to trade for something on his behalf. He found himself looking down with renewed appreciation. He expected to be a burden, but instead they seemed to be welcoming him.

"A little s-snug," he admitted. "B-but like a pair of boots, it should become used to me in time." He smiled softly, giving her the aquila once again. "Thank you, Sister Ephrael. This is... Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she said with a grin. "I still get to beat on you with a practice sword."

The two of them hurried into the training hall, or at least one of many according to Sister Ephrael. Already, the sisters were practicing, with several Sister Superiors wandering amongst them, correcting them or offering input. It didn't take long for them to retrieve swords, despite several dour glances from both Sisters and Sister Superiors.

That did nothing to make Klightus feel at ease.

Despite Sister Ephrael's use of a flamer, she seemed just as comfortable with a sword. Try as he might, Klightus couldn't score a single touch. His left hand moved uselessly, the robes weighed him down.

"One moment," he muttered, working at the clasps. Finally, the outermost layer of the robes was free, taken in his hand. That was more comfortable. Now he felt better on the balls of his feet. He might be rusty, but as he pointed the practice sword at Sister Ephrael, his confidence was slowly rising.

Now he was able to more accurately deflect her attacks, and began to score his own tags. Within half an hour, he had surpassed her score. He might have forgotten, but even after years, the body still knew. It just needed reminders. If he kept up at this rate, by the end of the month he would return to his prime.

"Sisters!" Sister Superior Cordelia barked out. "Attend to your places for a lesson."

Sister Ephrael didn't even give Klightus a glance. Almost mid-swing she moved away, quickly assuming her position amongst countless other sisters, kneeling before the Sister Superiors. Which left Klightus standing awkwardly in the back.

"Lieutenant Gramon, come here." That's just what he wanted, to be trapped in front of all these Sisters under the scrutiny of the Sisters Superior. But there was no denying the request.

A Sister Superior he didn't recognize addressed the crowd. "As some of you may know, Lieutenant Gramon is to serve as a liaison between the Adeptus Sororitas and the Imperial Guard. He is well versed in the ways of the Guard, and will be studying our methods in order to better facilitate future efforts. Today, he will be helping us in a demonstration and a lesson."

The Sister kept talking, but Sister Cordelia approached, whispering harshly. "Stand firm, do as you're asked. Though none would doubt the Canoness, not everybody is welcoming you aboard with open arms. This is a chance to put them at ease." By making him all but tremble with fear. How fair. "Move through the demonstration aptly, put all your effort into it, but don't get too flashy. Focus on martial prowess."

With that, she stepped away, leaving Klightus to look upon the sea of faces looking towards him. Well, they were looking at the Sister Superior who was talking, but they might as well have been facing him. He kind of wished that he would have gone to the bathroom earlier.

"Lieutenant Gramon, would you be so kind as to show us your fencing stance?"

No time to think about his bladder. Instead, he rose his arms and rolled onto the balls of his feet, as if preparing to face an enemy.

"It looks a little ridiculous, doesn't it?" There was a room-wide murmur of agreement. "This is the fencing stance of a noble, ladies. Remember, no matter how foolish their stance may be, some nobles are considered the most fearsome opponents you can face with a blade inside the Imperium. Let us take a closer look to see why.

"First, notice his feet. He stands on them to be prepared for movement. Lunging, disengaging, dodging... These and more are aided by the wide stance and how little of the foot touches the ground. Observe how they face the opponent, not shying away. Higher, see how he points the blade at his enemy. He does not hold it to cleave an enemy. He holds it to parry an attack or to deliver a quick, precision strike. This is not the stance of a chain blade, but of a much more elegant weapon. Now, for the last, and most peculiar aspect of this stance, Novice Lenora will assist by attempting to strike him. Novice! To your position!"

Immediately, one of the younger girls bounced to her feet and took a position opposite Klightus. He took the time to tuck his sword and the outer layer of the robes under his arms to give her the aquila. Only when she returned it did he resume his stance. If he was supposed to put on a show for them, he may as well make a show of honor.

When she moved, she charged. A simple swing made his body react automatically. The robe against her blade, pushing it deeper in as he moved to the side, past her. He spun quickly, tagging her side from behind. A quick flick of the wrist made the practice blade touch her shoulder.

"As you can see," one of the Sisters Superior called out, "had he so desired, Novice Lenora's head would be removed from her shoulders. A most inconvenient wound indeed. Quick strikes, but with a power blade, still most efficient for their task. Remember, Sisters, should you have to face a noble you will face a foe who relies on physical grace more than power."

"Sister Solla, may I face him?" Klightus couldn't identify the source of the voice. "As a matter of honor between our duties?"

"Of course, Sister Plath." As Sister Plath rose, Sister Solla continued speaking. "Lieutenant Klightus was trained as a Combat Medicae, a somewhat lesser version of our own Hospitallers utilized by his home planet's Guardsmen. They are expected to perform all the duties of another Guardsman, including carrying the same amount of gear, while still providing the role of a chirugen... and carrying their gear as well."

Sister Solla continued speaking, but Sister Plath was in position. They gave each other a salute before taking up their stances. Though, Sister Plath took up a different stance from either Ephrael or Lenora, perhaps due to being a Sister Hospitaller instead of the Orders Militant.

What surprised him, though, was when she started singing.

"Beyond eternity,
Enduring always,
Are you, the leader of the choir,
God Emperor of all Mankind!"

She lunged forward, but stayed out of perfect striking range, making probing strikes. Even still, Klightus' childhood called back to him, of Sister Kandra singing hymns. The Hymn of Marching War, if he remembered correctly.

"For you Emperor,
We defend the holy cause,
Bright Father, gloried in Immortality!"

Klightus found his voice joining in with hers; though not the singer that she was, they two of them found an easy harmony as well as a balance between their movements, as if the hymn were guiding them.

"For you Emperor,
We defend the holy cause,
Bright Father, gloried upon that day,
The earth is shadowed,
An evil place,
Those who are wicked shall perish,
Who do not take what our Master has put forth!"

Finally, he moved as though to deflect her blow with the robes, only to stab through them. With her vision blocked from his movements, the stab struck true. Sister Plath accepted her defeat in good grace, exchanging the sign of the aquila with him before departing... only for one of the Sister Superiors to motion to another Sister.

And so the great cycle began. Sister after Sister approached to duel with him. The faces and names became a blur, lost to the sheer weight of numbers. Time and time again, he scored a tag. Fourteen, by his count, earned one on him. The number wasn't due to a lack of skill, either; truth be told, most of them had the edge of skill, but less in the way of fighting somebody who didn't focus on a direct path.

Of those who tagged him, Sister Nyze was the most memorable. She'd deflected his blade and pushed forward, smacking him in the cheek with a closed fist. It earned her a harsh word from a Sister Superior, but Klightus didn't mind. It kept his ego in check. With how well he was doing, it was almost necessary.

As the last one stepped away (a gentle touch of his blade to her cheek) Sister Solla addressed the assembled. "There are many reasons why so many of you have failed today. Lieutenant Gramon, what is your opinion?"

His arms ached. His entire body ached, and the robes felt like they were made of lead. And they wanted him to speak? He drew in a breath, trying to get his heart to still enough.

"You all are used to opponents w-w-who strike without thought, b-blinded by the light the Emperor shines through y-you. You are unfamiliar with opponents who rely on treachery and d-deceit." Another breath as he tried to think of something else to say. "Y-you all did well, however... You have a radius of attack that you easily c-cross, adapting accordingly. M-my radius is larger, but I compensate with my other hand. If it held a weapon, I w-would have used it many times. This y-you can expect from some n-nobles in combat."

"Aptly put," Sister Cordelia said to the crowd. "I encourage you all, if given the opportunity, please ask Lieutenant Gramon for the chance to train against him. As you learn to combat against his style of swordplay, he learns more of our Order. Thusly, we all prosper under the Emperor's watchful eye."

"You are all dismissed," Sister Solla said. "Bathe and prepare for service."
Klightus stood at attention, giving them all the sign of the aquila until they left. Only then did he let the exhaustion get the better of him, leaning against the wall, his hands on his thighs. His legs wanted to cramp so badly, and hunger gnawed at him... but he couldn't eat yet. Even if food was being served, he needed time to rest or else it would all come back up later.

A gentle hand under his chin brought him back to reality. Sister Plath smiled down at him, applying a salve to his swollen cheek from the blow he'd taken. "She struck you well," Plath observed.

"I'm g-glad," he said as strongly as he could manage. "They needed to see another w-way to defeat me."

"I pray that they do not utilize such methods regularly during practice," Sister Solla mused. "I am surprised by you, Lieutenant Gramon. You've earned a great deal of respect this day, and not just from those you fought."

"I simply d-did my duty," Klightus said, forming the aquila over his chest as best he could with dead arms.

"A duty you could have refused," she chided him.

He shook his head, earning a glare from Sister Plath. "If I am to act as... liaison, they m-must trust me. And that m-must be earned, not bestowed. Though, I f-fear that I am not as physically capable as you."

"That much is obvious," chimed in Cordelia. She sounded amused. "You will have to miss this service. It is not as grave an insult to not appear due to recuperation than to fall asleep during it. If you wish, we will have it voxed to your quarters."

"That would b-be appreciated." What he wanted was a pot of recaf, a meal, a week-long nap, and to set mountains of paperwork on fire. Sadly, only one or two were viable, and not the two he wished the most.
[With the understanding that these files may very well see themselves within the hands of Lord General Militant Prospero Wusterburger, please fill out the following information accurately and succinctly without error.]

[Please take the final numbers provided by form IG-DM/DLG-LV/KJ4-8391/TRB (hereafter 8391/TRB) and apply them to the first blank. Then retrieve the final totals from IG-DM/DLG-FM/5OR-5576/TRB (hereafter 5576/TRB) and apply them to the second blank. Compare the final numbers from IG-DM/DLD-PP/SOQ-4877/TRB (hereafter 4877/TRB) and IG-DM/DLD-WD/SOQ-1376/TRB (hereafter 1376/TRB). Subtract the final numbers of 1376/TRB from the final numbers of 4877/TRB. Should this result in a negative number, please fill out form IG-DM/DLG-87/SOQ-9001/TRE in order to proceed. Once this is done, put the total in the third blank. Divide the numbers gained by filling out form.]

A knock at the door broke him of his concentration. "Just a m-moment!" Anything was welcome at this point. Perhaps it was due to how tired he was, but all the numbers and letters were beginning to blur together. Quickly to his feet, he shimmied across the room to the door, tentatively opening it so he didn't hit the person on the other side.

A woman with augmetic eyes in robes (not the red ones of the Sisters, he noted) greeted him, a covered tray in her hands. "Lieutenant Gramon?" she asked hesitantly. "The Canoness noticed that you have missed two meals now, and thought it wise to have one delivered."

Had he missed another meal? "Thank you," he said graciously, taking the tray. "I d-don't have a chrono, and I... uh..." He glanced back at the paperwork, then back to the woman with an apologetic smile. "Thank y-you."

"She also suggested that I might be of service to you," to woman said, glancing to the paperwork. "I am Clare Friemann, an Adept for the Ecclesiarchy. Though I am not versed the the ways of the Imperial Guard, I may be able to expediate some of your work load."

"Oh?" He blinked in surprise. "Thank you! B-by the mercy of the Emperor, thank you! Um..." He glanced around and spied a chair by the desk, buried under paperwork. "R-right, give me a moment..."

Klightus shimmied carefully with the tray (pausing in horror when he bumped a stack of data slates in fear that they might tip over) to the bed. Once his hands were clear, the two of them worked in concert to clear the chair, careful not to disrupt the order of the papers.

He gave her the ones that he had been working on. "Here. This appears to be m-mostly m-math. When y-you finish that, w-we can find something else for you t-t-to do."

"There is one more thing," Clare added. That made Klightus pause -- temporary additional duties were never a good thing. "The Canoness would appreciate your company for a private breakfast."

That made him wince. He'd have to get a chrono and soon. As it stood, he'd have to skip on sleep tonight to make sure he made it. "V-very well. It would b-be an h-h-h... An honor."

She smiled and began looking over the papers. At least he had a meal.

The sight that greeted him underneath the tray cover was an appealing one. Reconstituted and cooked grox meat, some sort of thick starch wafer covered with nuts that he couldn't identify, a bowl of some sort of bacterial porridge, two digestive biscuits, and a large sealed cup of what appeared to be tea. Had he gotten this in the Guard, he wouldn't have eaten it -- an obvious precursor to some elaborate prank. As it was, though, he wasn't going to turn down a meal this large from the Sisters.

The two of them fell into silence as they worked, he content to read a bundle of papers as he ate, her silently working the numbers. He was halfway through the porridge and the starch wafer (which proved to be an excellent scoop which softened nicely thanks to the porridge) when Claire piped up.

"Lieutenant Gramon?"

"Klightus," he said absently, absorbed in instructions on how to properly file promotions paperwork. "Just call me Klightus."

"Yes, Klightus. I believe that I have your annual budget figured up."

"Hmm?" He hadn't exactly heard her, trying to figure out who his direct superior was supposed to be, exactly.

"Your annual budget for requisitioning gear from the Departmento Munitorum."

That broke him from his reprieve. "I h-have a b-budget?" He put the papers aside and rose from the bed. He had to lean on the table to look over her shoulder.

"Here."

As his eyes moved to where she pointed, they threatened to bulge out of his skull and his chest felt as if it were compressed to the size of his cup of tea. "Emperor's teeth!"

Clare recoiled slightly, looking at him as if he might strike her. "Is that not enough? I may be able to find a way to increase it..."

"N-no!" He looked up to her and put up a hand. "N-no, that's not it at a-all! This... This is... m-more than I've m-m-made since joining the G-Guard. In total." He swallowed, running a hand over his face. "H-h-how?"

"Lieutenant Gramon... Klightus, wake up. Klightus..."

He became slowly aware of his surroundings. Clare standing above him. A half-eaten digestive biscuit in his hand. A cold tray next to him. A stack of papers on his other side. And a rather uncomfortable amount of pain wracking his body.

"I... I f-fell asleep?" He was having trouble pushing through the fog in his brain.

"Yes," Clare said. She looked worried. "You were exhausted. I thought you needed it." She paused for a moment, concerned. "It's almost time for your breakfast with the Canoness."

Now the fog was gone. He sat upright, blinking the sleep away. "M-my kit. I n-need to shower..."

She took a step back as he forced himself to his feet. His muscles didn't want to work. "I took the liberty of writing a list of directions to the men's showers. There's baths, but I didn't think you had the time. I also wrote some morning prayers for you that you could say in the shower. They're not quite the same, but they'll work. Also, your robes! Shield robes are waterproof and stain resistant. Just get it a little damp, wipe it off, and it should be dry by the time you get there. Don't forget to shave!"

He'd found his pack was fishing out his kit. Pausing, he turned to her, giving her the aquila. "You have b-been a tremendous help, Clare. You should h-have left and slept y-yourself."

That earned a smile out of her. "It's not a problem. I work second rotation anyway. Oh! You had three visitors, Brother Giselbertus, Sister Bethany, and Sister Amaia. They left when they found you were sleeping. None left any messages. I also left you a list of everything that I did while you were sleeping. It was most educational!"

He finally got a hold on his kit, though his grip felt weak. "Th-thank you. You can do whatever task you normally would. I have t-to-"

"Of course," she said, lowering her head and giving him the aquila. "Emperor bless you."

"And you," he said thankfully before hurrying out the door.

The shower hadn't lasted as long as he'd of liked, not nearly enough to loosen tight muscles. But he was clean, and so were his robes now. That, at least, saved him some time. Freshly shaven (only one cut, a surprise considering how quickly he'd worked) and good to go, he'd only stopped back at his room to drop off his kit before hurrying to where the directions indicated.

"You're late," the Canoness mused more to herself than anything.

"F-f-forgive me," he muttered quickly, falling to one knee and folding his hands over his chest. "There are m-many symbols of the Holy God Emperor of Mankind a-a-a-"

"And you had to salute each one." She sounded amused. "I will forgive you for showing proper reverence where it is due." She paused a beat. "And what of Adept Friemann? Should I be upset that she did not leave your room all night?"

That made him pale, to say the least. "N-no! I-I fell asleep and she... she just kept working as b-best she could! I..."

"Relax, Guardsman Gramon... Or, rather, Lieutenant now, isn't it?" She seemed most pleased with herself. "Arise. I am familiar with Clare. She served as an assistant to one of my own Adepts for two years. She finds more joy in her work than any pleasures of the flesh could compare to. And I have no doubt your motives are pure. Please, sit. Share a meal with me."

His legs didn't want to let him up, but soon enough he found himself in a surprisingly elegant chair.

"I usually eat with the other Sisters, however there are occasions where I must dine privately with others. The captain of the ship, for example, occasionally requests my presence. There are other times as well... But I get ahead of myself. How do you find your quarters? Are they acceptable?"

Klightus decided honesty was the better part of valor. "I would n-not know. I... There is s-so much paperwork to be done that I c-cannot even begin to view it fully."

"Ah, yes. I'd heard about that. A pity. You should have time to finish it all, though, before we reach our next destination. I am told that the... navigator says that it will be about three months before we arrive." She didn't sound like she was fond of the navigator. But then again, Klightus always thought of them virtually being mutants himself. "I also heard of your little... demonstration yesterday. For you to delve into such actions your first day on the ship is surprising."

Something about her put Klightus at ease. She had an elegant grace about her, one that almost defied her undoubted proficiency in carrying out the Emperor's wrath. "It w-wasn't my idea in the s-slightest. S-Sister Ephrael brought m-me."

"Oho! You must have made a good impression on her, then." She paused as a servitor poured a breakfast tea for the both of them. "You made quite the impression all around, I'm told."

"At a c-cost." He paused, then smiled sheepishly. "I m-missed service."

That earned a chuckle out of her. "And a meal! I was almost afraid you'd died! Two meals in one day... We can't have that. You've lost weight since the first time that I saw you." That made him blush. Apparently, she had a good memory. "Tell me, did the vox carry the sermon well?"

He found himself shaking his head. "I am afraid n-not, Canoness. It was... hard to make everything out. P-perhaps the m-machine spirit is displeased?"

"I will have it looked into. Ah."

Servitors appeared carrying the meal to be laid out before them. It made Klightus think that his head would never recover from the confusion. Poached egg, some sort of toasted starch wafer, a steaming meat that most definitely wasn't grox, juja fruit, some sort of fruit spread for the starch wafer, a sauteed tuber, some sort of pudding he couldn't identify, and a starch cake. Some sort of juice was served with it, the blue coloring lost on him.

"Um..."

"Ah, yes. Confused, are we?" She laughed a little. "You, my dear boy, are of noble birth, yes? But you have spent much of your adult life serving the Guard. No doubt, you are far from familiar with eating a proper Noble Breakfast these days. This is understandable, perhaps even commended.

"However, it does me little good. Frequently, when we arrive to a world the Planetary Governor will wish to speak with me. Perhaps even dine with me. I find that accepting these invitations, though completely unnecessary, only aid the Sisterhood in the long run. We are the Daughters of the Emperor, followers of His Divine will. Yet governors are a strange lot, sometimes balking unless placated. Though I will not stop in my mission for any reason, I fighting my way to simply perform it only slows all of us down. Two hours may save us days of drudgery."

She paused to sip her tea. "Sometimes, there are members of the Guard there. A commander, perhaps, joining us at dinner. Often, they say things which I can barely comprehend. I have gotten better at understanding the shorthand that the Guard utilizes, however having someone there who can assist me would have advantages. In order for you to do that effectively, you will have to relearn how to eat like a proper noble, and to adjust your body to their meals. So..."

She indicated the meal before him. "Twice a week we will dine."

Klightus found he couldn't argue with her reasoning. She'd learned how to play the game of the nobles to her advantage, and expected him to participate. Great. The last thing that he needed was more talking. But for now, he merely bowed his head and began eating with as much grace as he could remember.

By the time that he was done, he'd remembered which fork was which and that he needed to take smaller bites. He wasn't in the mess. He could savor the meal, and try to enjoy the finer points of it. The Canoness seemed content to simply eat in silence, watching him eat. Somehow, he had no doubt that eventually she would begin to point out any mistakes he'd made.

"How was it?" she asked.
"Good. Though I m-may need a digestive." He smiled a little. Like this, it was easy to forget who she was.

"I'll see that you have one." She paused for a moment, tilting her head. "Those robes suit you well."

That got him blushing a little. "They s-say that they're dying a set g-green."

"Pity." She set her napkin on her plate, and the servitor moved to retrieve it. "Before you go, there is one more thing that I'd like to ask of you. Is there anything that you wish?"

That made Klightus think for a moment. But the most pressing issue came to mind faster than he'd thought. "A chrono w-would be m-most appreciated."

She threw her head back, a laugh escaping her. "Let it be known that Lieutenant Klightus Gramon, of noble birth, was asked on this day for that which he wished, and did respond that his greatest desire was that of a chrono! Oh, I don't know if that speaks more of your strength of character or your fears of sleeping in!" She smiled softly, nodding. "But I approve. I will see that one is delivered to you."

With that, Klightus rose, forming crossing his hands over his chest. "M-may the Emperor grace you."

"May He grace you as well."

By lunch, breakfast had already evacuated him. The Canoness had a point -- his body was no longer used to such rich food. Not even the digestive helped. But true to her word, a young cleric had delivered a chrono. For once, he was bound and determined not to miss a meal.

Clare had spent the night to good use, it turned out. A great help indeed. She'd organized a great deal for him, arranging stacks by their apparent order and need. She'd also discovered, much to his surprise, that a great many of them were forms that were only to be used as-needed. Many of which were either requisition forms or forms for after-battle reports. That was something that he was going to need to get used to.

He'd have to see if he could arrange some sort of storage for those, keeping only a number on-hand. But that could come after lunch, a meal that would hopefully not pass straight through him.

The ship's version of a mess was familiar enough, but also far different at the same time. He wouldn't go so far as to say it was any less organized, but it was less optimized. Prayers and blessings were played over vox, helping to keep his mind off of how agonizingly slow the line moved.

But eventually he reached the front of the line, received his meal, and moved off to a table. The lessons he'd learned with the Canoness were promptly forgotten.

"Klightus!" A nudge to his shoulder greeted him as much as Sister Ephrael's voice. "Glad you could join us for a change," she teased good naturedly. A pause followed as she looked down at his tray. "Or not. Are you in a rush to get back to your spires of paper?"

He realized that almost three quarters of his food were already gone. Eat it now, taste it later. "N-no," he said sheepishly. "Old habits d-die hard."

"Well, relax." She sat down next to him. "Save for the time before lights out, meals are our best time to talk amongst ourselves." With that, she bowed her head and began a quiet prayer to the Emperor. The irony was not lost on Klightus. As soon as she was done, she grinned at him. "Heard you had a helper last night."

"C-Clare, yes." He found himself smiling. "She's s-saved me a lot of work."

"Good. Gonna finish it all this millennium?"

"Hopefully," he said with a smile. "P-perhaps even by t-tomorrow."

"That's my boy," Ephrael said, nudging him with her elbow.

He found himself blushing faintly at that. "W... Why do you care?"

"Because she adopts people," Sister Amaia said, sitting down across from them. A moment later, Bethany sat down on his other side. "Normally, it's just novices, but she seems to have taken an interest in you." She blew on her porridge. "You'd better watch out."

"It's nothing like that," Ephrael grumbled.

"Truly?" Amaia raised a slow eyebrow. "It has nothing to do with your brother?"

"No!" She shifted indignantly. "It's just... He's going to be serving beside us, training with us, and acting in our interests. I have to know that somebody's watching his back." She looked to Klightus. "Until some of the others actually see you in combat, they'll think you're trying to take advantage of our hospitality. To further your own career of something. I saw you charge after Sister Julianne. I watched you return her to us, with the Simularcrum Imperialis intact. If you were trying to do something like that, you wouldn't try to get yourself killed the way you do."

"And what makes you think he's trying to get himself killed?"

"He's an Ostagarian!" She rolled her eyes. "You need to read more on cults of the Emperor, Sister." Klightus finished his meal and put his hands in his lap. He was content to watch the two talk. "Ostagarians think that all those who remain pure will strengthen the Emperor when they die, and in return, He will grant them true happiness when they join His embrace."

Amaia looked at Klightus evenly. "No offense, but if you were just trying to die, you're doing a miserable job of it."

Klightus felt himself shrinking on the bench. "N-no, I..."

"See, now you're embarassing him! Besides, that's not the way it works. They have to die striving to complete their duty. See, to them, duty is as important as prayer. Your duty strengthens the Imperium, His holy task, and what He sacrificed Himself for. Humanity." Ephrael paused a beat. "I'm not explaining this properly. If I remember it correctly, and correct me if I get anything wrong Klightus, it's like this..."

But her words were lost to Klightus at that point. He felt a touch on his leg. His eyes darted to the side, to Sister Bethany smiling at him ever so softly. Her pinky finger intertwined with his under the table. The two of them could debate the finer points of his religious practices all day. He was more than content.

The afternoon service, dinner, and the evening service seemed to go by as a blur. A chance encounter with Giselbertus lead to almost all the excess paperwork being packed into boxes marked PROPERTY OF THE DEPARTMENTO MUNITORUM and loaded into a storage area. He also put in a request with the captain (apparently neither an official title nor a rank, since the man wasn't with the Imperial Navy) that a "small but respectable" storage area be set aside for him.

Giselbertus said that the chances were about equal if the request would be granted or denied.

After evening service, with so much spare room left to him, he decided to take stock of things other than paperwork. The data slates and tomes... he could get to tomorrow. For now, however, he was focused on everything else. The symbology of his new office that had been delivered. (As well as the realization that he'd had a chrono all this time, buried beneath everything else.)

The thing that drew the most of his attention was his duffel. All of his personals were inside. A book of hymns. A holo pict of Sister Kandra she'd smuggled him as he'd left; Mother and Father had forcibly forbade him from having anything beyond his name that would link him back to his House. A glow-globe that he'd had since he was a child. A proper writing kit, far better than the one the Deparmento Munitorum had provided. The cilice undershirt that a sergeant had forbade him from wearing. An eikon of Saint Kristof Heiligener, who had been raised on Jingur. A book on medicae procedures.

With a smile, he turned on the glow-globe, setting it on his desk. An old scratch on the surface from when Claus broke his nose cast an odd appearance on the wall. He chuckled at the memory before turning out the lights, the room illuminated only by the glow-globe. It had been an extremely productive day, and tomorrow was only going to look better. He might even be able to get some more fencing in. With that warm thought, he stripped to his shorts and climbed into bed. Time to appreciate his own room the way that a person was supposed to.

He was just starting to fade off to sleep when the sound of the door opening forced his eyes open. Old habits made him pull the covers up around his chin, an extra layer of protection against a potential bar of soap.

No bar of soap was thrown. Instead, the glow-globe dimly showed a form in robes creep in, gently closing the door behind them. They moved across the room carefully to the bed. Leaning down to look at him, he finally got a clear look.

"B-Bethany!" He relaxed, sitting up. "It's p-past lights out for f-first rotation. What are-"

Her lips on his prevented him from finishing that thought. That was... a good way of telling him exactly why she was here. It didn't last long, though; breaking the kiss, she sat on the edge of the bed, running a gentle hand over the side of his face.

"Bethany," he murmured quietly, only to be shut up once again. This time, though, she put a hand on his chest and rather forcefully thrust him down on the bed. With a mischievous smile, Bethany moved over him and across him, sliding underneath the covers. She pulled his arm out and moved against him, her head resting on his chest. After a moment, one of her legs intertwined with his, and her arm reached around his bare stomach. After a moment, she let out a contented sigh.

Not that it helped make Klightus any less uncomfortable. Soon, though, her breathing changed and her grip on him went slack. Slowly but surely, he found himself becoming more comfortable. Slowly, he found himself relishing this experience

"Bethany..." He gently shook her shoulder. The fact that the glow-globe had burned out hours ago didn't seem to be helping her any. "Bethany... It's an hour b-before..."

That seemed to make her lift her head. She looked over at the chrono, blinking. In an hour, the Sisters would be waking. Better to get her back before then so that he didn't meet the business end of a bolter. A hand found itself on his stubble.

"I, uh..." He took a break, his thumb stroking her neck in the darkness. "I c-could see your face. Until the g-glow-globe went out. As you slept, I m-mean. You l-looked so peaceful and h-happy that... I j-just couldn't sleep." He felt so foolish and stupid saying it out loud.

But a kiss to his chest, then his chin, and finally his lips told him that his sentimentality wasn't entirely viewed as stupid. They remained like that for several long moments before she slowly, reluctantly made her way over him and out of the bed. Her hand trailed across his chest, his arm, and their hands caught.

"Don't w-worry," he said softly. "I'll b-be at breakfast. M-maybe also at sword practice."

That thought seemed to please both of them.

The next two days seemed to fall into a comfortable pattern. He worked on familiarizing himself with the layout of the ship, some training with the Sisters (as much as his body would let him), and his nights with Bethany curled around him. One dinner was spent with the Canoness. Though his memories were returning, his body was still having the same problems with the food. Oddly, this continued to amuse the Canoness more than anything.

It was the fifth day, however, that introduced two more changes to Klightus' life. The first came as he was changing into his robes for afternoon service in the form of a knock on his door.

"J-just a m-moment." He looked in the mirror to make sure that the robes hung properly on him. He was glad for having two sets now, though he alternated between them. Partially because he didn't want to offend anybody, but partially because everybody said that the red looked better on him. Assured of his appearance, he hurried to the door and opened it.

"Lieutenant Gra... Ah, I mean, Klightus. Hello." Clare smiled up at him cheerfully... or at least as cheerfully as she could, considering how tired she looked.

"Clare. It's a p-pleasure to s-see you. Is there... something that I can, ah, do for you?"

"Um, no." She glanced behind her to a servitor. "It's more... I'm afraid that I have some good news and some bad news." That made his heart sink. "The bad news is that since you've gotten your Guard paperwork squared away, or at least most of it, I'm not sure really which it is, but I'm rambling. Since you have that at least mostly taken care of, there's some paperwork for the Ecclesiarchy that needs taken care of."

Indeed, the servitor seemed to be carrying a large crate of it. The Administratum was trying to kill him, one page at a time.

"The good news is that I've been assigned as your assistant in all matters concerning paperwork!" That brought her bright smile back, as much as the bags under her eyes would allow. "It means I'm on first rotation, sure, but it also means that I can learn the war cant of the Guard a bit, and maybe eventually help you out with that!"

Klightus blinked, her words slowly sinking in. He looked back into his room for a moment before shaking his head. "I c-can't. No." He looked back to her -- she seemed absolutely devastated. "I can't d-do that to you. I'd n-need another desk, another ch... Another chair. I m-mean we can't b-both play the part of officials if one of us is sitting on m-my bed..."

That brought a smile back to Clare. "We can see if we can get one easily enough. You need it for your duties, after all!" She looked inside, nodding. "Then I'll see if we can get a tapestry to hang there, and then put that flag up there. That way, it would create a division between your bedroom and your office in a way that makes sense. Plus it would give you more of a sense of privacy."

He blinked, looking around. So far, he hadn't thought about that at all. But it made sense. Already she was trying to make things easier, trying to prove her worth. He couldn't help but smile a little. How often had he tried to do that himself? Wasn't he still trying to do that?

"Alright. B-bring in the p-paperwork, and if you have time before service starts, f-find a desk and chair for yourself. Then w-we can go through everything after service and g-get started."

The rest of the day had been spent getting his room up to speed. He had to admit, it had needed a certain feminine eye to make it from purely utilitarian into something that was truly presentable. Clare was even ever so pleased when she found bookshelves that were only in a little need of refurbishing. When asked if they could take them, they Adept in charge seemed more than glad to give them up.

Now, however, wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that. Now was the time to nuzzle his head into Bethany's hair. They'd become increasingly comfortable like this. Every night she sneaked into his room, curling around him before falling asleep.

Until he heard the door open. Old habits, again, die hard, though this time he pulled the covers over Bethany's head. Footsteps padded to the opening between the tapestry and the flag. The light of the glow-globe illuminated a fairly irritated face.

Amaia marched calmly to the bed, throwing back the blanket. Klightus was frozen in mortal terror. He couldn't even look down to see how Bethany was responding to this. All that he knew was that he was in bed with Amaia's sister, which must have obviously looked far worse than it really was. He hoped. The fact that she just stared at the two of them for a long moment didn't make matters any better.

"Are you two just sleeping?" she asked harshly. He gave her his braves squeak of fear, but felt Bethany's head nod. "Nothing that I should feel particularly wrathful about?" Another squeak, but this time Bethany shook her head.

"Fine." She stepped back out. Klightus thought she was leaving, but a moment later she returned with a pillow, tossing it onto the far side of the bed. "It's not like a campaign. I haven't been able to sleep well for three days now, thanks to you sneaking out." With that, she climbed over the two of them and laid down.

This didn't help Klightus relax any, even after both Amaia and Bethany had fallen asleep. Partially because there was a stranger in his bed that could quite easily turn hostile. Partially because he could feel her back on the arm wrapped around Bethany. But also partially because now one of his legs was completely uncovered.

Emperor, he prayed silently, please let Sister Amaia get used to sleeping alone. Or get me more blankets.

====Epilogue====

Klightus slammed his shoulder into the door, helped by three others. The first impact nearly sent them all sprawling, but a Sister joined them. "Novice!" he bellowed loudly. "Get." He paused from an impact that rattled him. "The." The door shuddered with another impact, a howl of fury on the other side. "Block!"

What the novice lacked in initiative, she made up for in speed. Within moments, the block was in place, allowing them at least a few moments of respite from the savage horde. Klightus looked to the one who helped them, only to find Sister Ephrael moving off.

Almost immediately, Sister Amaia was upon him, grabbing for his hands. In recent years she'd taken to counting his fingers -- a small ritual to assure herself that he wasn't trying to perform his various duties while injured. Again. He waved her off, though. "Cordelia."

Amaia put her hand to his chest to stop him, but he pushed on. Everybody was too quiet. He moved quickly to the rest of the squad surrounding the prone form, pushing his way through. The sight that greeted him...

The Sister Superior hated losing members of her squad. She was willing to sacrifice them in the name of the Emperor, but she'd always hated any loss. She'd provided covering fire for everybody from the first time he'd been in battle with her. When she'd given the order to fall back to the church, the only building with the fortifications to allow them to regroup, she'd once again taken the rear, ensuring that everybody else could get inside. She was the last one through the door...

...and had received a round to the face for her loyalty.

Klightus stepped back, taking a deep breath. He shouldn't let this shake him as much as it was. He couldn't do anything to help her now; she had earned her place with the Emperor. But he could do something for the rest of them. When in doubt, make yourself useful. His hand went to his right ear. "Namah Six-Seven, this is S-Sigma One. Do you copy? Over." He paused a beat, biting his lip.

"Namah Six-Seven to Sigma One. We read you. What's your status? Over."

He let go of a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Sigma One to Namah Six-Seven. We found the bulk of the xenos f-forces in sector t-twelve, just outside the city of Ayin. We have fallen back to a church inside the city p-proper and are under attack. Can you assist? Over."

"Sigma One, confirm sector? Over."

"Namah Six-Seven, sector twelve. Over."

There was a long pause before there was an answer. The voxman sounded worried. "Sigma One, we have no assets in your area that we can commit to engagement, over."

Oh, no. No, the Commander was trying to let them rot, to let the liaison unit die so that he could have more freedom to act as he wished. Klightus' jaw tightened. "Namah Six-Seven. N-need I remind you that I am in direct contact with Inquisitor W-Wiprecht Eigen and speak under his authority. Please inform your commanding officer that I n-need conformation on what assets you can provide, over."

Each tick of the chrono that went by only fueled his anger that much more. He was putting a lot on a simple hunch. There was the possibility that there were no local assets that could assist. But with each tick, the chances of that being the case drew more and more slim.

"Sigma One," the voxman said at last. "We can have our Leman Russ', six Chimeras of troops, and two Hellhounds in your sector within an hour. Over."

"Namah Six-Seven, may you m-move with the Emperor's guidance. Sigma One out."

Klightus took a deep breath before touching his left vox-bead. "Klightus Gramon to Inquisitor Wiprecht Eigen."

"Lieutenant!" The Inquisitor sounded pleased to hear from him. "Have you found the heretics?"

Klightus had to remind himself once again not to use the Guard war cant. "No, sir. I'm afraid that we have f-failed to find any sign of them. However, we're trapped in a church in Ayin. It does not appear defiled." He looked back towards the door. At least the Guardsmen in his retinue were working on fortifying it. No telling how long it would last, though. "We found the b-bulk of the xenos horde."

"Show me Ayin on the map," the Inquisitor barked to somebody. Then, back to Klightus. "And the townspeople?"

"Sent to the Emperor." He heard a noise of displeasure on the other end. "S-S-Sister Superior C-Cordelia has been sent to His Embrace as well." It hurt more to say that out loud than he cared to admit.

"Gah!" Now the Inquisitor was getting upset. "Can the Guard help you?"

"I h-had to invoke your name, but they are sending armor. An hour, they say."

"I'm sending forces your way. The Seraphim squads should get there before the rest of us." His voice said that it would take time.

"The dome is shattered, s-sir. That will be their best entry point into the church."

"May the Emperor preserve you and grant us speed."

"Ave Imperator."

Klightus lowered his hand and took a deep breath. All that they had to do was hold their position until reinforcements arrived. They were, in essence, the bait for a pincer attack. That would work, at least. As he looked around the church, though, he realized it would be harder than just the fighting.

The Sisters, as well as the two novices, were clustered around Cordelia's body. None of them were saying anything. It didn't take much to figure out what was wrong -- their morale was broken. Cordelia had lead the squad for years before he'd even encountered them. She was loved. And now she was gone. Their loss was echoed in the few Guardsmen with them.

And if they were to have any chance of surviving, of destroying these foul xenos, they needed to pull back together. His mind went back to the Jingur Third. What would the Commissar do? They weren't fleeing or showing cowardice.

A speech. But that wasn't exactly Klightus' specialty. His brain worked furiously, trying to come up with something, anything that might pull them through this. He reached farther back, to his childhood. What would Sister Kandra do when he lost his will?

In that, he found his answer. He closed his eyes, and let his voice do the work.

"Praise, Mankind, the Throne of Terra;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Fortified by his dominion;
Evermore His praises sing:
Ave Imperator! Ave Imperator!
Praise to the Immortal Emperor!

"Praise Him for His grace and favor
To Humanity in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
His sacrifice, we do bless.
Ave Imperator! Ave Imperator!
Glorious in His faithfulness!"

Voices joined him now, resonating within the church as if joined not only by the sisters, but some invisible choir as well.

"Fatherlike He tends and protects us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Ave Imperator! Ave Imperator!
Widely yet His wrath flows.

"Frail as breath on the air we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our Emperor lives unchanging on!
Praise Him, Praise Him, Ave Imperator
Praise the Immortal God Emperor!

"Mankind, help us to adore Him;
Yet behold Him face to face;
Stars and Void, bow down before Him;
Dwellers all in time and space.
Ave Imperator! Ave Imperator!
Praise with us the Emperor of grace."

Klightus looked amongst the assembled. The Guardsmen had their hands folded in the aquila, still seemingly lost in the hymn. The Sisters, though, had all joined in. Even Sister Ephrael. Their resolve had returned. Now they stood with purpose.

"Sister Ephrael," Amaia barked. "Move Sister Cordelia's remains to the alter! Nyze, Quintilla, move these pews. When they come through the door, they'll move down the hall. Use those to slow them down."

Klightus, meanwhile, was removing his pack to rummage through it. "Guardsmen!" They hurried over. "Sister Quintilla is a master of timing. Prepare your grenades. She will order one through f-four at specific intervals. When she does, cease fire and throw a frag at the door. Get it as c-close as you can. That's our choke point. Remain in cover, but affix b-bayonets just in case." He looked over his shoulder. "Sister Quintilla! Thirty second delay between grenades!"

Two bolt pistols, but only three spare magazines. He could have sworn he packed four. "Novices!" They moved, apparently happy for any guidance. He offered each one a bolt pistol and a spare magazine. "Make each shot count. The one with the m-most kills gets the spare mag. When you're out, switch t-to your las." He shoved the spare mag in his pocket and double-checked to make sure his melta pistol was at his hip. That confirmed, he pulled the Hellpistol from his pack and donned it again.

There was the sound of wood splintering. "To cover," Amaia shouted. Sister Nyze and Quintilla stopped carrying pews (only four, Klightus noted) to run back. Two Guardsmen took the closest positions to the door, only for one to be roughly yanked away by Sister Ephrael.

"You, you! B-behind those pillars!" The two Guardsmen moved quickly, not having to be told twice. Having Ephrael closest to the door made sense: it was hard to charge through a column of flame.

"Nice to see that you aren't planning on dying," Amaia mused, joining Klightus behind a pillar.

"C-can't let you die," he said with a smile as he drew the power saber. "Bethany would have my hide."

As the heavy door began to fall under savage xenos blows, all of them took up aim. "Funny," Amaia mused to herself. "I was going to say the same thing."

===Fourth Story===

Klightus ran his hand over the stitching, lost for a moment. This one had come from... This one had come from a piece of bark. Yes, a piece of bark lodged itself in his arm from when a tank had tried to kill him. His eyes went to the trousers, searching the fatigues over. There. The same tank had taken offense to him for the second time. Or maybe somebody nearby. That blast had sent a piece of metal into his leg. Somehow, he hadn't noticed it until Amaia pointed it out.

The memory brought a smile to his face. That had been worlds away, a lifetime ago. Funny how time changed so much. He'd been so scared then, utterly terrified of his own shadow. Perhaps if he'd known then what he knew now...

No matter, he told himself. He pulled the trousers on, followed by the shirt. They didn't fit him right any more. A better diet had done him a world of good, it seemed. Problematic. He looked through the closet until he came up with his first greatcoat, the one he hardly ever wore even when he was with the Jingur Third. A long history of disuse indeed.

"There you are!"

Klightus spun around, startled. Almost immediately, his face broke into a wide gring. "Wiprecht! What are you doing here?"

"Just arrived, actually." The other man stepped into the room, closing the thin door behind him. "You know, I'll never quite understand why you separated your room so that Sister Amaia's room was the first door."

"Her preference," Klightus admitted. "She claims it in case of assassins, though we both know the chances of one of them making it this far. Is... Is it t-time to-"

"Relax, old friend." Wiprecht sat on the edge of the bed, smiling. "I haven't seen you in many months. I'll keep the hounds at bay, but only if you grant me the small favor of your company."

There were two faces to Wiprecht Eigen. There was the one that he wore when performing his duty, the one that everybody saw. A face of harsh devotion to duty. To a select few, however, there was another side to the man. A face that edged on childlike zeal, excitability, and a lust for life. He'd long since decided Klightus worthy of that face, and was already relaxing into it.

Which was in stark contrast to his appearance. A truly massive man to begin with, made all the more massive by the armor he wore under his outer layer of clothing. The back of his head must have been removed at some point, replaced with a metal dome. An old burn scar ran along the side of his face to the dome from some old battle, making the cheerful expression on his face seem that much more out of place.

"I suppose I can." Klightus settled into the sole chair in the room. "Tell me, how did your one adventure without me go?"

Wiprecht laughed. "Throne of Terra, I wish they all could be that easy. Imagine... Imagine a stream, teaming with fish. Now imagine those fish all jumping out at you, begging to be caught. Any easier and I wouldn't of even needed to step on that mudball. A nice change of pace." He leaned forward, grinning. "And what of you? I haven't seen you since you were hollowed by the hulk."

They'd stumbled across a space hulk and had risked a hasty exploration. The conscript assigned to Klightus had fallen and gotten lost. When he'd gone to rescue the man, he'd gotten separated from the rest himself. A harrowing experience, if any, but he'd gotten the job done... and then some, though the experience had left him drained for some time.

"We dropped him off, much a hero to his people. I hear that he's being elevated to nobility for what we brought back. Picked up a new one, got into a bit of a tussle against some cultists. He's still getting used to his augmetic arm."

"You know that's not what I'm asking about! Speak man! Speak! I will find the confessor, drag him here and wrench it from your lips if I must!" Despite the harshness of his words, his tone was jovial and his eyes smiling. That was the quality that Klightus felt honored to see.

"Relax." He rose to his feet, retrieving a pict viewer. A brief glance at the image brought a smile to his face before he offered it to his companion. "I made a copy, just for you. So you can view it at your leisure. Thank Sister Ephrael."

"When I see her next, I will." Wiprecht smiled down at it, nearly unable to sit still from his giddiness. "There are many, my dear Klightus, who would be envious of your position alone. This, this is what they should be truly envious of!"

"And those men have no sense of duty."

"And a lagging faith," Wiprecht admitted. "Tell me that it isn't the greatest perk, though. I dare you."

That earned a laugh out of Klightus. "Only a fool would lie to you. Though I have been accused of many things, I would never be quite so foolish."

The other man leaned forward, barely able to contain himself. The smile on his face threatened to split it in two. "Then, for your honesty, I wish to give you a gift! I've made arrangements for your inner circle to all receive rejuvenations! Save for the rotational positions, of course. They haven't earned it."

Klightus' mouth fell open. "But I..."

"I see a wrinkle!" Wiprecht pointed with glee, almost launching himself off the bed. "The whole four of you!"

"You just want us to remain as you remember us." He shook his head. They were still a little young for the procedure, rather young. "Your sentimentality will be the death of you. ...What about Sisters Nyze and Quintilla?"

"I'll even throw in Sister Plath, if it makes you say yes." He laughed and pointed. "Besides, you still owe me! You lost the bet fair and square!"

Klightus grinned. He could negate that bet with one of the four favors he was still owed... but you didn't pull that kind of thing on Wiprecht. "Fine! I concede! Rejuvenation treatments for all, then!"

"Ha! That's the spirit! Now you're sounding like a right and proper noble!" By his expression, Wiprecht instantly regretted his words. Quickly, though, he pushed on. "Anyway, when this particular venture is over, we'll be stopping off at Beingun. I've heard a nasty rumor that you're switching to a chain blade."

That earned an eye roll out of Klightus. "I've been using Sister Julianne's blade for far too long. From my understanding, it's all that's left of the House that spawned her."

"Illegitimately," Wiprecht reminded.

"Even so, her true father had it sent to her in the Progenium. No, it deserves to be laid to rest with her remains, not used by..."

"Then we shall lay it to rest after this! I chose Beingun for a reason, Klightus. I'm told that House Mercer creates some of the finest power sabers in the sector, so I'm arranging for one to be created specifically for your hand. I figure this will lower me to... What? Two? Three bets I owe you?" The older man paused, grinning from ear to ear. "Unless you'd like to try and keep the score more in your favor, of course."

Klightus found himself smiling as he put his elbows on his knees. "And what did you have in mind, good sir? That my little inner circle, as you so eloquently put it, will kill more mutants than yours again? You always accuse me of cheating..."

"Which is why I suggest something else! There will be more than thinning the mutant herds down there. I have no evidence, but the Emperor has put this feeling in my bones."

"Which means you're sure the bet will be in your favor." He thought for a moment, debating. "If there are only mutants, neither of us win. If there's heretics aplenty, you win. But if we stumble across archeotech that would be of notice to the Priests of Mars, no matter how trivial, even if heresy does abound, I win. Does that sound fair?"

"You're stroking my ego with an easy bet," Wiprecht said, standing. "I like it. I'll take that bet, and if you win, it will be two favors in your name. One if I win. Now, as much as I would like to stay and chat, if I'm going to perform my end of this bargain of ours, I must speak to the Canoness. Am I the only one who finds her creepy? Yes? Ah, well."

Klightus rose to his feet, but Wiprecht was already walking out the door. You got used to that with him -- it wasn't until he put on his serious face that he seemed able to focus on anything. Strange man, at times. A valuable reminder that not everybody fit a preconceived mold; a lesson he'd been told applied to himself as well.

With a private laugh to himself, he pulled the greatcoat on and turned out the lights. There, in the darkness, he allowed himself a moment to shudder with fear.

Amaia met him near the transport, frowning. "I don't like this," she groused quietly.

A quiet protest could only mean one thing. "She's asleep?" Klihtus whispered.

"I doubt that she'll wake up the entire trip. I'll wake her when it's time." She frowned, her ice blue eyes narrowed into slits. "You're avoiding the topic."

Klightus tugged nervously at his greatcoat. "I n-need to do this."

It was then that her arms wrapped around him in a comforting hug. Amaia's attitude had changed over the years. She'd long since fully accepted him as her brother; no small part of that was the loss of Sister Cordelia. Though all Sisters were prepared for death in battle, they were still human.

Klightus had learned after the fact that almost all viewed Sister Cordelia as family. Within the squad, she'd been the oldest by far, her age kept in check through rejuvenation treatments. Amaia especially had looked up to her Sister Superior. Though the rest had survived the battle against the loathsome greenskins, everyone knew the squad had been broken.

Apparently, this had caused some harsh words between Amaia and the Canoness. Klightus had heard about it only second-hand, but entering the wrong door unannounced had revealed to him the red welts on Amaia's back. Though she never spoke of it again, his own retinue had changed. Bethany, Amaia, and Ephrael had been assigned permanently to him, with the understanding that one novice and one conscript would also serve alongside him.

"You may not always stand tall, but your back doesn't bend, does it?" Amaia pulled away, taking a moment to brush a lock of hair away from his face. "We should have cut your hair like a conscript's."

Klightus let out a laugh, more releasing stress than anything. "It's better this way. More b-befitting my birth."

"I'll never understand nobles," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Come, let us be off then to see this madness of yours through to the end." She made her way up the steps. "Though I reserve the right to purge if I see the necessity."

Somehow, that thought frightened him more than anything else.

"Klightus. It is good to have you home."

His face split into a wide smile. "Sister K-Kandra," he said warmly, forming the aquila.

"There is no need for that," his old tutor said warmly, taking him by the shoulders.

"We are all s-servants to the Emperor, Sister Kandra." The two of them spent a long moment smiling to each other before he stepped through the great door. "I take it that they are w-waiting for m-me?"

"No," she said flatly. "Please, allow an old woman a few surprises." Was she old? There were wrinkles in her face, but at the same time...

"Then have they been derelict in their duties?" That took her by surprise. Yes, he had been learning. He opened his mouth to explain... No. No matter. This all worked out surprisingly well, despite the ever-increasing knot in his chest. "Then please, stay here a moment. There is one m-more surprise that I believe you will be able to appreciate. I c-can find my way." He paused, then smiled childishly down at her. "I still r-remember."

"Of course, Klightus." There was more, he could tell. It was in her eyes that she wanted to speak to him more. But he was no longer her protege, and she could no more command him than she could the governor. Which was good -- he wasn't about to bend on this.

It felt good to walk through the halls. To look at the murals. To remember his youth, a lifetime ago. Especially in his uniform. It was a little hot in his greatcoat, but... Well, he didn't mind. Not at all. He made his way through Gramon Tower, easily finding the sitting room.

Both Mother and Father were there. They looked well, of course. You couldn't not, with their status. Mother had that look about her that said she'd just been through a rejuvenation treatment. Good. He was glad to see that she was keeping up appearances. It was only proper.

"Klightus," his father said flatly. Klightus expected to hear more surprise. "You live."

They both rose to get a closer look at him. "Y-yes, Father. I still l-live."

"And I had thought that with the Fifth all but decimated, you had fallen with them." He could feel the venom in his mother's words. "Your name does not appear with those serving, but no matter. I suppose that the Guard has let you come home between signings, yes?"

"No, Mother. I am n-n-not going on another tour with the-"

He'd forgotten about his mother's left cross. But he didn't stagger. He didn't dare. Now wasn't the time. He slowly righted his head, glaring down at his mother. He could taste the blood in his mouth. "Does this make you feel b-better, Mother?"

"How dare you?" she seethed. He felt her grip his collar, pulling his head down to eye level. "You were to be a hero of the Imperium. A monument to everything the Imperial guard is. You were to-"

"I hope we're not interrupting anything." He could see both his parents startle at the harsh voice behind him. Maybe he'd spent too long lost in memories on his way up.

Klightus turned slowly to look behind him. Despite being twins, he could instantly tell them apart. "Mother, Father. I would like you t-to m-meet Sister Amaia." She bowed her head only the slightest touch, her ice blue eyes glaring daggers. "Sister Bethany." Bethany didn't bother with even the barest hints of politeness. There was a flash of white behind her. "And Katla Gramon. Come h-here, Katla..."

The little girl peeked out from behind Bethany, hesitated, then ran to Klightus' embrace. He dared a glance to his parents as he hefted her up into his arms. "Your best b-behavior," he whispered into the girl's ear. She nodded and buried her face in his greatcoat. The poor dear must have been exhausted.

His father was the first to regain his composure. "It is a privilege to meet the three of you. I apologize for the lack of a proper-"

"I'm sure," Amaia interrupted, dryly looking about the grand sitting room in the same way she would a heretic's hovel. "Please forgive me, but we have traveled a long ways this day and have prayers that simply must be attended to. Might we inconvenience you for quarters to which we may attend these things?"

"Of course," his mother said, bowing graciously. "Sister Kandra? Could you please see to it that our son and his entourage are given proper quarters?"

Kandra stepped out of the shadows, her face even an unreadable as ever. "It is already done, m'lady." She turned to the sisters. "Please, if all of you could join me?"

"Klightus," his mother continued. "Your father and I would greatly wish to speak to you before you retire for the evening."

That caused the knot to tighten even further. "F-forgive me, Mother, but I must s-see Katla and B-Bethany to bed. P-perhaps afterwords." Much more polite than an outright no.

With that, the group made their exit, following close on the heels of Kandra. As soon as the doors to the sitting room closed behind them, Klightus moved closer to the Sister Famulous. "You should n-not have done that. They now know th-that your services are not entirely theirs."

"This is true," she muttered, sounding faintly pleased with herself. "But they should have already known this. Though, you surprise me. You've learned the game far more than before you left. Tell me, who taught you these skills."

"Perhaps I w-will introduce you before we leave." In a way, he hoped he wouldn't.

A half-muffled voice from his shoulder shook him from the banter. "Daddy, why are you stuttering so much?"

"Darling Katla," Kandra said, her voice soothing. "When your father was your age, he had a horrible stutter! One could hardly understand anything he said at all. Why, your grandparents would not be able to recognize him if he did not."

"That's silly," she muttered before burying her face back into his greatcoat.

A lie, but one that was acceptable for her.

Kandra lead them up one set of winding stairs and another, taking the back route, if he remembered correctly. Finally, she paused in front of a rather familiar door, one with familiar scars. His free hand reached out to touch one particular scar, from when Gislerus decided that he wanted to play Guardsmen and Xenos without warning Klightus he was the xenos.

"I prepared your quarters when I received your missive," Kandra informed him. "And you will be staying in the next room over."

But that was Dogmar's... Klightus' head snapped to Kandra, but she was already moving to show the twins the other room. "Your bags have already been stowed. Please join us after she has been tended to."

Five minutes to settle Katla down and say a prayer with her was far too long for Klightus, but there were orders to things. As he stormed into Dogmar's room, he was presented with another delay -- the girls were changing out of their armor. Quickly, he moved behind Amaia, his hands working.

"Machine spirit, please forgive my work so that you might be granted time to rest." His fingers worked the catch and he lifted the power back free from his sister's back, powering the armor down. Setting it to the side, he worked the first few clasps free before turning away.

"Kandra, would you p-please explain to me what is going on?" He moved behind Bethany and repeated the prayer.

"Forgive me," she said, lowering her head. "You have been gone for so long, it is hard to remember what all you have missed. Both Claus and Dogmar are dead, I am afraid." Klightus nearly dropped the power backpack in his hands. His blood felt like ice.

But Kandra was continuing. "Claus died quite by accident. You remember how fond he was of dueling, yes? He participated in a duel to first blood, however the first blood proved to be quite fatal indeed. Perhaps his own fault for not being armored. There was quite a scandal involved when it happened." He hoped that the scandal had ended in appropriate blood.

But Sister Kanda was pushing on. "Dogmar's death was slightly more... concerning. I saw him the night before his death. Were there ever one I expected to live to morning, it would be he. Rosy of cheek, moving with purpose and direction. He was quite pleased over something. In the morning, he did not come for breakfast. When I checked upon him, I found him... bereft of life, his spirit passed to the Emperor's Holy embrace."

"What did he look like?" Klightus asked as he continued working on Bethany's armor, careful to keep his back to Amaia. From how Kandra was speaking, it sounded as if it troubled her.

"It was odd. His veins were blackened, and though he must have died early in the evening, his body was still rather warm. Limp as well. His veins had blackened unnaturally, and his face was gripped as if with terror."

"Eyes. What did h-his eyes l-look like?"

"Clear, but pricked with red." Klightus could think of but two or three things in all his years which could cause such a condition. "But it is of little consequence, I'm afraid. The chirugen said that a vein in his head had given way, caused by too much spirits. He was entombed with Claus."

It would take some work to retrieve whatever remained of the body. Wiprecht moved with people who were far more familiar in such foul things than Klightus was. If he could somehow gain access to the body without earning the wrath of his parents...

"But I am afraid that the ill news does not stop there." For the first time in his life, he wished Kandra would shut up. "Less than one Holy Terran month ago, your sister Femke went missing." He pressed his forehead against Bethany's shoulder, clenching his eyes shut. "Your father has gone to speak with various members of the Arbites privately to no avail."

Bethany's hand was covering his, but he could barely feel it. "Pessolt? J-Johanna?"

"Alive and well, m'lord, though Pessolt has little to do with me these days. If I were to hazard a guess, I would think that he feels no further use of me until he has children of his own. As for Johanna, she married into Leichlin House four years ago. It was a political arrangement, one that was very prosperous for both Houses." She paused a breath. "Pessolt has moved his quarters upstars, with your parents. Your father seems to have plans for your younger brother which he has not divulged with me."

Klightus could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Deeper inside, a wall that he had built up through decades of absence weakened and finally broke.

The next thing that he knew, Bethany was dragging him away from the wall, Amaia holding his arms. He could barely hear her patient voice over his own snarls. "Klightus, brother. Calm yourself. The wall is stronger than your hand, and we will need your hand unbroken for tomorrow." Through blurred, hateful eyes he watched as she pulled his fingers free from the fist they'd made one by one, counting them.

Somehow, that one act of kindness made the fight flee from him, along with his strength. In their wake, they only left the grief and... something else. Something he couldn't identify. It was enough to make his knees give and his body shake with sobs.

This was not how he'd planned it. This was not how he hoped it would be at all.

Bethany maneuvered him to a chair, sitting him down. She seemed content to kneel before him, gently stroking his face, wiping away the tears. Even now, he couldn't look directly at her.

Amaia, however, was not so content. "Sister Kandra, might I ask you a question?" She paused. Klightus couldn't see what was going on. He couldn't see much of anything. "My brother has never spoken much of his family, though some we have been able to guess."

"What you observed might have been an indication, yes."

"Why does he hold such ferocity over their loss?"

That earned a bitter laugh out of Sister Kandra. "My dear. We are children of the Schola Progenium. Our parents are but distant memories, replaced by His Holy Light. You have not walked amongst nobles the way that I have. You cannot see. To them, their honor, their House, and their status is everything. Blood, no matter how soured through experience, is important to some of them. Though Klightus... Though he may not have been much to them, to him, they are family. No more simply put than that.

"Tell me, Sister Amaia, has he ever been like this before?"

That earned a bark of dark laughter from Amaia, no mirth present at all. "Hardly. He saves any wrath he might have for the enemy, the mutant, the heretic, the xenos. I have seen the Emperor guide him in combat, but I have never once seen him felled by emotions such as this."

"I see." Kandra seemed to think this over for a long moment. "Perhaps we should give him time to recover in peace? I would like to speak with you in private."

The night's sleep was fitful at best, and all too soon it was morning. Out of the four of them, Katla seemed the most awake and aware, asking constant questions. Kligthus was hard-pressed to keep up.

Some time during the night, Sister Kandra had gotten new clothing for both himself and Katla. Clothing befit of a noble for breakfast, to say the least. It was a matter of irony and pride that Katla was able to get herself dressed before him. The pride, however, was mostly on her part, ignoring the fact that her mother helped her. For his part, it had been so long since he'd worn anything but a uniform that he had problems figuring out how to get the sleeves to ruffle properly.

Finally, however, he and his daughter dressed per their lineage, his wife and her sister dressed in their robes, all made their way to the dining hall under his careful guidance. As soon as they passed those grand doors, Klightus regretted it.

"Ah, so the prodigal brother truly has returned!" Pessolt had lost weight since the last time Klightus had seen him, but had made up for it by wearing more layers. His hawkish eyes played over them fondly, though he didn't bother to rise from his seat. "Klightus, won't you please introduce me to your guests?"

He could feel Mother and Father's eyes boring into him expectantly. "P-Pessolt, this is Katla Gramon, my daughter." She made a proper show of a curtsy. "My b-bride, Sister Bethany." A slight movement of the head. "And h-her s-sister, Sister Amaia." A full nod from Amaia. "Everyone, th-this is my younger b-brother, Pessolt Gramon."

"It is a pleasure to meet the three of you," he said, rising at last. "Especially you, little one." Katla smiled bashfully as she stepped behind her father. That only made Pessolt smile brighter. "Please, sit, sit. I must admit, I am most surprised, but no less honored, by the company we dine with today."

A show, for their sake. Last night, he'd might have been surprised. By now, he had time to prepare how he would present himself to the Sisters. No matter. The four took their places. Oddly, Amaia positioned herself closest to Klightus' mother, with Katla wedged between Bethany and Klightus.

"Kandra has informed me of what the Orders Militant usually have for meals," Father said proudly. "I have instructed the cooks to prepare breakfast accordingly."

"Thank you," Amaia said gregariously. "It will be a pleasure to dine with you this morning."

"And what of you, Sister Bethany?" Mother's eyes were sharp as ever. Klightus found the odd realization that he'd missed them. "I cannot help but notice that you have not spoken. Is everything all right?"

Klightus opened his mouth, but Amaia spoke up before he could. "Shortly after we joined our Order as Novices, my sister was blessed with a Holy Vision by the Emperor himself. I am myself aware of her speaking only three times hence."

"Three times?" Pessolt seemed horribly fascinated by this. "Forgive my rudeness, but might I inquire as to what those might be?"

"Two of those times were in dire circumstances in our fight against corruption within the Holy Imperium. She called out, demanding that the heretics pay for turning against the Emperor's guiding light. In both cases, despite outstanding odds, we won the fight with fewer than expected casualties." She looked to Klightus, a benevolent smile on her face. "The third time was within the Chapel of Saint Thomel Knoedel where she, before the eyes of two assembled Orders, three representatives of the Inquisition, a Cardinal, and the eyes of the Our Father, the God Emperor of Mankind, took the hand of Klightus in Holy Matrimony."

Klightus looked away, his cheeks burning. A pleasant memory, to say the least.

"It must be difficult to perform your duties if you are unable to speak," Mother said thoughtfully. Bethany just smiled and shook her head. "How do you manage?"

"She c-can write just fine," Klightus said quickly. "And often, th-that is unnecessary itself. One can understand h-her intentions j-just fine, if they p-pay attention."

Mother looked as if she were about to ask another question, but the servants entered with trays. Praise the Emperor for small favors. As the trays were set before them, Father smiled and scooted his chair in a little closer. "Would one of you care to lead us in prayer?"

As one, the four of them put their hands together. As one, three voices spoke aloud with reverence. "Oh Immortal Emperor of Mankind, have mercy upon us. Emperor, please cleanse us from our sins. Master, bless this food to give us strength to purify Humanity of their transgressions."

Klightus was aware of a fifth voice speaking with them. Naturally, Kandra would know it by heart as well. "Glory to the Emperor, Defender of Humanity, whose Blessed Vision keeps us whole. Glory to the Emperor, whose Holy Light guides Humanity in its endeavors. Glory to the Emperor, whose Divine Wrath sweeps away our enemies. Glory to the Emperor, Immortal and Forever. Ave Imperator."

"Ave Imperator," his family repeated. He would have preferred it if they'd said it at the same time as everybody else.

Breakfast itself was rather simple, as far as nobility went. Some sort of egg which had been scrambled; thinly sliced strips of meat, which appeared to have been taken from the belly of a grox and fried; some sort of cut and fried tuber; and a pudding. All served with zhaza juice and some sort of milk to wash them down. Truth be told, he was still worried about Katla's digestive tract...

But Mother was eager to talk. "Tell me, Klightus, how exactly did you end up in the company of the Orders Militant?"

That was a conversation and a half. Klightus spared a moment to sip his juice before answering. "It w-was at the battle of Hentamar IV. The F-Fifth were fighting a p-particularly nasty group of h-heretics, and the Sisters c-came to our aid. I w-was injured, and they n-nursed me back to health."

Amaia chimed in. "Even as he was still recovering, he proved his purity, bravery, combat abilities, and skills as a chirugen several times. The Canoness saw these and decided to have him translate the war cant of the various regiments for us. He not only recovered several artifacts but was instrumental in winning several battles. It was then decided that he remain with us."

"Both the Third and the Fifth regiments were decimated in that fight," Father mused. "I'd heard that the remnants were absorbed by the Berith Seventh regiment, but heard no news about you. We had assumed that you had died."

"Not for lack of trying." Amaia seemed amused by the memory. "No less than three times did I personally see him charge into the enemy without thought for himself. You should be proud over his sense of duty."

"Indeed." Father spoke with a pleasant tone, but the undercurrent hinted at the truth. Klightus had failed the one duty they'd set before him.

"So now you serve as a translator?" Pessolt asked. He seemed genuinely curious about all of this.

"Officially I-I am the l-liaison between their Order and either the Imperial G-Guard or the l-local PDF for the Deparmento Munitorum. I keep b-both sides updated t-to the other's t-troop deployments, offer t-tactical advise, supervise j-joint operations, ensure compatible armaments, f-file after-action reports, and act as a-a Departmento Munitorum representative on the f-field."

"Daddy kills heretics, too!" Katla exclaimed proudly.

That earned a smile out of Amaia. "Indeed. He seems to fulfill his role mostly from the front line. Usually he just relays tactical information between the Canoness and the Guard over vox while fighting. Occasionally, however, he has been known to put both in their place."

That made Klightus' cheeks glow, but she didn't stop there. "He understands more than most give him credit for, and is wise in how he applies that knowledge. It would do no good to have our Celestines charge into artillery fire, for example. Even if he himself tends to ignore it." That earned a small chuckle from Mother. "But he does far more than that.

"Though not officially a member of the Ministorum, he does a great deal for us as well. He assists in training, teaching us about the Guard not only so that we might fight alongside them better, but so that we might more easily identify corruption within their ranks. His retinue includes both one conscript Guardsman and one novice Sister so that both might learn the value of the other. Between deployments, he stays with us, not only continuing his official duties, but also serving as a chirugen."

"Impressive indeed," Father said, nodding. "To wield such power is impressive. Tell me, what does your commanding officer think?"

Both Amaia and Bethany laughed at this, though Bethany's was seen and not heard.

Unfortunately, this did nothing to soothe Klightus at all. "T-truly, that is up to some debate. Um, officially, I technically am my superior officer, w-with only the Lord Solar or high c-command above me. I'm apparently the o-only one with such a job."

"It's an odd position," admitted Amaia. Apparently, she didn't like to hear him try to force words out. "Officially, he is the head of his department. Where his reports go is beyond me, as one can hardly expect the Lord Solar to read them, let alone his high command. It actually causes him some great difficulty. The first time he attempted to secure a new uniform along with other sundries, he was arrested. Because he isn't attached to a regiment and the paperwork lists no superior officer, they assumed he was a thief. Occasionally, we still have issues with this."

"It's n-not that bad, really. I j-just-"

Klightus' words were cut off by an audible commotion. The servants sounded upset, yelling over something. Klightus turned in his seat just in time for the heavy doors to slam open... Revealing Sister Ephrael, her leg still raised from kicking the door. Her hands were occupied with a storage crate, no doubt containing the gear of his office.

The young conscript, still little more than a whiteshield, moved around her quickly, giving a sharp salute. "Major Gramon," he barked nervously. "Inquisitor Eigen apologizes for the interruption at this early hour, but the operation cannot wait any longer."

"Inquisitor?" Father was on his feet instantly, followed by Mother and Pessolt in quick succession. His tone was surprised.

Amaia and Bethany were on their feet instantly, hurrying back to Amaia's quarters to don their armor and retrieve their weapons. Klightus, for the first time since coming to this world, felt himself calm. This was easy. Fighting was easy, you either won or died. Leading was easy, you found a hole and you plugged it. Preparing for battle was easy -- you just did it. Dinner conversation? With family? That was hard.

"Sister Kandra," he said, calmly wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Could you please take Katla to the spaceport and ensure that she is taken safely aboard the transport?"

"You trust me with much," she muttered as she made her way to her feet.

"Should anything happen to us, I trust you to care for her as you would me." A simple fact, nothing more. Now he turned to his daughter. "Darling, I expect you to listen to Sister Kandra like you would any other Sister while Mommy and Daddy are away, alright?"

His daughter's face lit up brilliantly. "Daddy always comes back. The Emperor wills it so." She wasn't stupid, she knew what fighting meant the possibility of death. But her encouragement was infectious, as was her faith. He couldn't help but give her a kiss before rising to his feet.

"M-Mother, Father, P-Pessolt, if you will excuse me, I must attend to m-my duties." With that, he turned to the assembled. "Sister Ephrael, Conscript Mekel, Novice Bess, with me please."

They made no hesitation in following him. He liked to think that they were as happy to get out from under the bewildered gaze of his family as he was.

The fact that Conscript Mekel helped him gear up only served to give Klightus more time to think. Even more so as they traveled to the entrance to the underhive. The more that his mind worked, the more uneasy he became. The more conflicted. In the past twenty-four hours, his life had been turned upside down, with a great deal of bad news heaped upon him.

There simply wasn't enough time.

Despite how he wished he wouldn't have had time to think, all too soon, he found them approaching the Inquisitor. Wiprecht pulled away from the assembled, his face stern as he approached Klightus. "Forgive me pulling you away from breakfast, but the Canoness saw no need to wait. She had late dinner with the Governor last night, paving the way for our work. I could only stall for so long without earning her ire."

"Understandable," Klightus said, his mind only half there. He debated for a moment before grabbing Wiprecht's arm, pulling him further away.

"I need to use a favor," he whispered quickly.

"Speak fast, Klightus, and I will see if I may grant it."

Now or never, then. He drew in a deep breath, not feeling comfortable with this at all. "We aren't using the PDF or any Guard f-for this purge. You don't actually need me here. I have m-matters which I must attend. Personal matters." He paused a beat. "I need to see a cleric, talk to some people. Attend to my family's crypt." He drew in a slow breath. "Please."

Weibrecht frowned for a long moment in some great internal debate. The servo skull connected to a socket in the back of his skull scanned the assembled Sisters. At last, he spoke in a hushed tone. "Will you need your retinue?"

Klightus shook his head. "Personal matter, l-like I said." Wiprecht's glare forced more information out of him. "Plausible d-deniability on their part. I shouldn't have to resort to violence, but if I must, I don't want Bethany or Amaia dragged into it. They're already on edge after meeting my f-family."

The other man sucked in a deep breath. He wasn't happy, that much was plainly visible. But he gave a nod, a firm hand clutching Klightus' armored shoulder. "Be careful. I can't pull you out of any trouble you pull yourself into."

Of course not. That would make him look weak. "Thank you, sir. Please, move s-safely, and may the Emperor guide your weapon."

"And yours, too." Klightus hoped he wouldn't need that blessing. "Clare, your adept, is here. I was hoping to have her fill out some real-time reports of your activities. It can wait for later, though. For now, I'll put Amaia in charge of your squad. Good hunting."

The temple wasn't much, but it was one that Klightus had always been fond of. It was the closest to his tower, though little more than a well-fortified hole in the wall, trussed up to look its role. He wasn't sure where to start, but as a general rule he found that if he was in doubt, a place of faith was always a good choice.

As he stepped inside, though, he couldn't help but find himself smiling. In all these years, it hadn't changed at all. How many times had he hidden here as a child? How many times did Sister Kandra bring him here?

One of the clerics disengaged from a quiet discussion they were having to approach. "Greetings, my child. I welcome you to the Temple of the Reflected Light. I am-"

"Brother Tobias," Klightus said, half of his face twisting up into a grin as recognition dawned.

Tobias blinked for a moment before laughing. "Emperor bless you, Klightus! Klightus Gramon! I didn't recognize you at first. Not in armor and... It's been years!"

"It has indeed," he said with a faint smile, looking around. "But it feels like just a year ago, you were trying to coax me out from under the pews."

"Indeed! Indeed it has! Now look at you... carapace armor, weapons..." He sobered up a little, nodding. "You've come far, lord Gramon. Farther than any of us could have imagined. Tell me, have you come to confess, or..." His words trailed off as Klightus' smile faded.

"I wished t-to speak to you a-a-about Dogmar."

Tobias winced, motioning Klightus to follow. He didn't speak until both were seated in a pew. "Of course you would wish to speak of him. A tragedy, what happened to him. Truly a tragedy. Though your parents worship at another temple, they insisted that his service be held here. So many nobles were packed in here, so many women sobbing. More came for that one service than I have ever seen here before, or I am likely to see again. We ourselves felt his loss terribly. There was a time when he was considering becoming a cleric himself, you know."

"Truly?" That was a detail that Kandra had neglected to tell him. "What happened?"

"Ah, Claus." The brother shook his head. "With his accidental death, so much pressure was put on Dogmar to be ready to assume the mantle of heir. He knew that he could not devote his life to the Ministorum and properly care for your House at the same time. He was so sad when he told us the news. In just one misguided stab of a blade, he went from being here every day, almost all day, to only appearing twice a week for service. At least..."

Tobias seemed hesitant to continue. That said at lot. Klightus put his hand on the brother's shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze. "Brother Tobias. Y-you have always been my guide when I have needed it. You sheltered me, and taught me the t-true meaning of being an Ostagarian. Please. Do n-not hold anything back. I know of the... unusual circumstances behind his death."

Tobias relaxed somewhat, nodding. "It was most odd, wasn't it? However, you only know the half of it, I suspect. He... had grown concerned before his death. He started visiting us again, seeking guidance from the Emperor. He would speak little, but he said that your parents had become... withdrawn after the death of Claus. He began to worry. A week... Maybe two weeks before his death, he came to me and asked if I knew of a Priest of Mars familiar with the underhive. I... I think that he suspected that one of the other Houses was moving against yours."

"Brother Tobias." Klightus looked in the other man's eyes, his own burning with need. "You h-have always been there in my times of need. Understand. M-my b-brother is d-d-dead, my s-sister is missing... If these are c-connected... If my brother was s-stripped of life by murder most foul, and my family torn asunder by the p-plotting of others, then he m-m-m... I must avenge him. I beg of you, help me. Help me shine the l-light of His righteous wrath against those w-who would harm the well-being of our Hive."

Tobias said nothing for a long moment. Indeed, he thought that he might have broken the man. But when his mouth opened next, he began to give directions...

Klightus was thankful for his uniform, for his ability to march when everything inside screamed at him to run away. People scurried out of his way. Though he still wore a heavy pack, he was dressed in armor and cape befitting of a Major. Who knew what his purpose was, with the purging going on?

The cusp of where the middle hive gave way fully to the underhive was barely fit for human habitation in Klightus' mind. Why anybody would live here, or lower, was beyond him. Better to give themselves to the clergy, the Guard, anything better than this. Still, despite his dislike, this was the next stop on his hunt.

The presence of the servo skulls was the first announcement that he'd reached the right place. He couldn't even count all of them, zipping around. But they seemed focused around one hovel, a hovel that bore the skull and cog next to the door. With the utmost hesitation, he stepped through the door.

The inner lair of a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus were rarely a comforting sight. All sorts of machinery laid bare, seemingly in disarray, greeted Klightus. In the middle of it all, a red-robed figure stood, holding a servo skull.

"A member of the esteemed Imperial Guard stands before me. One who bears weapons which hold the markings of the Ecclesiarchy. A rare trait indeed. He comes at a peaceful stance, obviously seeking knowledge. Perhaps the kind of wisdom that only I can afford." He stood fully upright, lowering one of his hands. Instantly, one of the three mechadendrites moved to stroke the servo skull. "I am Meinhart. Who are you?"

He took a deep breath, squaring his own shoulders back. "I am Major Klightus Gramon o-of the Departmento Munitorum, and a liaison to the Adepta Sororitas. I was hoping that you might have some information for me."

"I have a great deal of information. But what I have to offer depends on what you seek. Do you seek the knowings of the Machine Spirit? Information of my time as an Enginseer? My knowledge of flesh, servitors, maybe the use of one of my lovelies? Or perhaps you seek my theories? Maybe you just wish a primer of the Lingua-technis? Come, my boy, speak!"

Klightus removed the pict from his belt, holding it out. "H-have you ever met this man?"

The techpriest leaned forward to peek at it with his augmetic eyes. "Hmm. Yes, I have. And you are not the first to ask of him, but the first to ask and not be followed. Oh, yes. Two women, both followed from the shadows asked about him. They paid good money to learn what he did. One of them... did not fare well, but I could spare no time to watch."

"Who were they?" Klightus took a step forward, but a mechadendrites came up, warding him to keep his distance.

"I know not for sure. They spoke in currency, not names. Beyond my concern. They wanted what he sought, just as you do now." He shook his head ruefully. "None armed enough to do what I wish. But your machine spirits sing for battle! Perhaps we could make a bargain?"

The idea of dealing with this... man did little to sooth Klightus' stomach, but he had few options. "It would depend on what you want. Otherwise, I do have coin."

"Feh. Coin. Coin coin coin. Everybody thinks that coin is my driving goal. No! It is... Bah, wasted on you anyway. I will tell you, and then you will pay or do as I ask, yes?" Klightus nodded. "Good. Good. You see, my loves move about the tunnels of the underhive. Once the middlehive, if you would believe it! They are mapping, you see, finding the changes the hivequakes make, seeking out the patterns. Trying to find the entrances to what lie beneath the underhive.

"And believe me, there is more beneath it, if you can find it." He seemed pleased by revealing that tidbit. "But, you see, there is one area that troubles me. Guarded well, by those that reject the Omnissiah's favorite pets. They shoot my loves! Destroy them! Unacceptable! Unacceptable!"

Meinhart lifted the servo skull in his hand, looking into its face. It seemed to calm the priest down significantly. "Unacceptable." He resumed petting it with his free hand. "He sought this place, your man did. The women just wanted to know. None did anything about it." He looked at Klightus now. "You will want to go there, I am sure. I will provide you with a map, yes. But! I want you to take revenge. Glorious revenge, not for your Ecclesiarchy, but for the Omnissiah! Let none survive the wrath!

"Do we have a deal?"

The air was foul, to say the least. Choking would have been a better term. The smell of rot and ash clung to the air, invading the senses. A strange damp humidity made it even worse, leaving Klightus to wonder what exactly it was that he was breathing. He had the feeling that by the time he walked out, he might as well have spent a lifetime chain smoking lho sticks.

Klightus had been forced to put on his mask well before Meinhart had warned that the air would become "bad." That was worrisome indeed.

But anywhere that the air wasn't fogged with ammonia, there was light. Not necessarily because there was power, either. Some sort of fungus grew on the walls, emitting a red glow when the ammonia wasn't misting. Occasionally, pipes would lead down, some of which glowed a hot red. Even more worrisome, great pits sometimes appeared almost randomly, with a disturbingly frequent number of glowing toxic pools at the bottom.

Klightus was presented with traversing one pit that sank straight down through the tunnel he traversed. Though somebody had lashed a bridge in place, he didn't trust it in the slightest. It wobbled from the immense heat rising from the molten waste at the bottom of the shaft. No, instead somebody had carved out a ledge that ran around the edge, large enough for a human to pass. Not safely, but he trusted it slightly more than the bridge.

He didn't want to think too much about it as he moved -- the metal seemed slightly soft, as if it had not set properly. He kept his eyes on his footing, moving as quickly and surely as he could until he made it.

This was it. Close to the location that the techpriest had told him of. Whomever had taken control of this portion of the underhive had enough weaponry to destroy the servo skulls, and enough want to continue to do so. That alone was telling. They wanted their privacy, and if Dogmar had shown interest in it mere days before his death, that was enough for Klightus.

Meinhart had assured him that this was the least heavily defended area, and Klightus was inclined to agree. Only the foolish, the insane, or the desperate should trust that bridge. Drawing his blade and the melta pistol at his hip, he paused briefly. "Sister Julianne, thank you for allowing me to use your family's blade in the pursuit of Righteousness once again. May you rejoice in the Emperor's embrace. God Emperor of Mankind, please give me the strength of purpose to see this through, steady my resolve no matter the cost, and should I encounter your enemies, the power to smite them in your name. Ave Imperator."

With that, he began a slow, purposeful march into the passage ahead. No enemies would sneak upon him, no powers but the Emperor could stop him. This he told himself with every step.

Shortly, he came to a door, and behind it a different light ahead than the fungus. Some powered illumination, some from fire. Voices as well. Good. Now he would discover what his brother had died trying to learn. Now he would discover who moved against his family's name.

As he rounded the corner, however, the sights revealed the words he somehow couldn't make out. The pointed star that hung on the wall. The stained alter. The statues. The wretches chanting in front of an elegantly robed figure. "Chaos," he seethed.

Immediately the chanting stopped, all turning to cast their eyes upon him. The leader sneered to himself. "So the commander of the PDF deems himself worthy of investigating our little abode during our sermon. How fitting you should join us on this day. You will be much better than our planned sacrifice."

Klightus raised his blade, ready to lunge forward at the first one who moved. The leader, though, just raised a finger, smirking. "Tut-tut. How impolite. Elgast! Bring this one to me alive!"

It was then that one of the statues moved, rotating its head. A hulking form, far too tall and massive to be normal. The height of an Ogryn, clad in metal armor, bristling with spikes, claws, and mutation, both within the armor and without. It threw its head back and laughed. "For Chaos!"

There was something off here. Even for a Chaos Space Marine, this creature didn't look right. However, Klightus had not time to think -- already, it was charging. Klightus wasted no time coming up with a plan to defeat this monstrosity.

He turned and ran.

No thought, no time. The hulk didn't move as fast as Klightus did, giving him the edge of speed. But if Klightus chose to keep running, he would inevitably become lost, giving the creature the edge. Which was fine; he didn't have any intention of running any farther than necessary.

He sprinted across the bridge so quickly he wasn't even aware of the wobble, the shake barely slowing him down. The tunnel ahead of him branched many, many times. There was no telling how easy it would be to get lost, or how easily the cultists could move to cut him off. Perhaps it was foolishness not to bring Bethany, Amaia and Ephrael.

He glanced over his shoulder, stopping dead in his tracks. The corrupted traitor was already within sight. It charged relentlessly, advancing with a howling madness. The armor didn't look right, at all. Klightus had seen enough Adeptus Astartes to know that much just by looking at it in this light. Somehow, that only served to make it that much more fearsome.

One of its feet hit the bridge. Time seemed to slow as Klightus turned slightly. A second footfall, heavy. His hand moved. It crouched, ready for the pounce.

And Klightus pulled the trigger on the melta pistol.

Immediately, the bridge gave way, sending a shower of sparks out. As it toppled, the creature leaped... but it wasn't enough. Too late to make it to the other side, it fell out of sight. A moment later, he heard a screeching impact against metal. Steeling himself, he approached the edge, already knowing what he'd see.

The claws of the beast had imbedded themselves into the wall of the pit, keeping it from falling any further. It stared up at him, howling in fury. Naturally. Nothing was ever that easy. Klightus sighed softly as he fell to one knee at the pit's ledge. He watched as it ripped one clawed appendage free, striking higher, pulling itself up. It paused as he leaned over, his melta pistol pointed down, and pulled the trigger.

A few moments later, it began to laugh and continued its ascent. "Fear me, pitiful one! Your weapon does nothing!" Klightus said nothing, but didn't stop. "It doesn't even tickle! Soon, you shall be offered up on the spear, not the alter! Soon, all of the underhive will sing as one as we destroy your precious city!"

The melta finally stopped humming, but not by Klightus' will. The fuel was spent. Calmly, he re-holstered it and opened a pouch on his pack. "Great God-Emperor, Watch over Your servant, And bestow upon him the skill and patience..."

"Pray all you want! Nothing can save you now!" Its howls of laughter, though, suddenly came short. A clawed hand dug into the metal and pulled to haul itself higher, only to tear free a fistful of softened metal. It looked up with surprise as Klightus' intent became apparent.

"To time the moment, And make the kill." The grenade fell from Klightus' fingers, falling a depressingly short way before exploding in the face of the mutant. The force of the explosion ripped its claws free from the wall, sending chunks of its armor flying as it fell. Fell a long ways, as a matter of fact, directly into the pool below. Klightus could barely even hear the impact, but he could see it. A small sizzle, and then nothing more.

Klightus made his way around the edge of the pit much more quickly this time. He was expected, after all. A short sprint down the hall, and he rounded the corner. "The mutant you dressed up as a Marine is dead," he proclaimed loudly, drawing his hellpistol from its shoulder holster and firing at the nearest cultist.

Instantly, all of the wretches charged. Just as expected. As he shot the next one, they all became focused on the pistol, trying to overpower him so that he might not be able to get another shot off. They never saw the blade until it began to rend flesh.

A slash, a stab. Quickly, they fell to his blade, their flesh rent apart by the powerful energy field. Two, three, four. They seemed mindless in their assault, mindless in their quick deaths. All who charged died, by blade or by pistol, until finally only the priest remained, pressed back against the wall.

"You aren't with the PDF," the cultist cried in fear. "Who are you? What are-"

His words were silenced by a blade pushed into his throat a moment before Klightus activated the energy field, freeing the head from the body. A wave of relief washed over him. The battle, at least the worst of it, was over. There might be more, but not in a flurry like that. It never ceased to amaze him just how stupid cultists could be.

Stupid... The word resonated in his mind until he kicked himself silently. He should have interrogated their leader, not killed him immediately. Now, he was left with nothing. Unless...

His hand went to his helmet. "Klightus to Inquisitor Eigen, do you read?"

There was a pause before he got a staticy reply. "Klightus, this is Sister Reikhilda. I can barely hear you. I'll see if I can link you through."

Leave it to Reikhilda. After a moment, the vox crackled to life again. "Klightus, this is Wiprecht. What's going on?"

"You won the bet, sir." Klightus looked around, frowning to himself. "You may wish to come to my location with your retinue. I think I'm in the middle of their stronghold."

There was a long pause before he received another response. "Give me a vague idea as to where you are. I'll have my techpriest discern your location from there."

Within ten minutes, they'd finally got to the point where Wiprecht could at least draw near. Ten agonizing minutes of trying to explain levels, landmarks, and points of easy reference that could be used in the underhive. Unlike the rest of the hive, it was a labyrinth of disuse. By Klightus' best guess, assuming that nobody got lost and they all made it with best speed, it would be at least an hour.

An hour. He looked around the room again, bile churning in his throat. Seeing heresy in your home hive was a more bitter pill than anywhere else. But he could either stay in the sacrificial chamber, awaiting more heretics to arrive, or he could explore. Exploration brought the possibility of not only bumping into more of them, but also meant the possibility of exposing himself to artifacts of the Ruinous Powers. Staying meant remaining here, restless, staring at twisted statues and a sacrificial alter.

Though he knew it was foolish, Klightus chose a door at random, opened it, and began to walk through twisted, corrupted hallways. Whatever foul sorcery they had worked here had left its mark, indeed. The Sisters had brought meltas, he was sure. They'd have to put them to good use.

The original purpose of this area was lost to time. The walls were thick, meters thick in most places. Everything still seemed to vibrate slightly, though if that was due to the sorcery or some unseen mechanics was beyond him. He simply kept walking, peeking randomly into rooms, trying to distract himself from feeling the fool.

Opening a door just enough to peek inside, he was presented with someone's back. That made him call back upon previous experiences. People usually stood like that for one reason -- to keep somebody from crossing. Which meant that they were guarding it from somebody. Probably an entrance. Taking it out would clear up resistance for the Inquisitor.

Taking a page from Sister Ephrael's book, he kicked the door as hard as he could, sending the guard sprawling and revealing another on the opposite side of what appeared to be a long hallway. Klightus raised his pistol quickly, firing a shot at the far target. At that range it was a hard hit, forcing him to hold down the trigger for a moment to correct his aim. A much faster follow-up shot ended the one on the floor.

Two, on opposite ends of a hall. That could only mean one thing. Slowly, hesitantly, he made his way inside. Makeshift cells lined the walls of the hall. The first two were empty. The third held a man who seemed more than happy to drool on himself. Best not to let him out -- who knew what they had done to him. Klightus crept further down the hall.

"Who are you?" a woman demanded from one of the cells. He didn't lower his weapon as he turned to face her. Better safe than stabbed in the back. He couldn't quite make her out from the back of her cell. "I suppose that I should be grateful that you killed those bastards, but you can't be too sure down here with the vermin. Though you are rather well equipped for vermin..."

She took a step closer, but not enough for him to make her out clearly. "Let me out, please. Give me a gun. I can make it up on my own if you'll just give me a chance. Please! They... They tried to turn me from the Emperor's light. They said things... did... things. Please, either let me out or just kill me!" She stepped forward, grabbing the bars to her cell. "I won't become a pawn in their games!"

Klightus' brain wasn't entirely working any more. Slowly, he holstered his pistol. His hand moved up to his mask, unclasping the seals, pulling it down. The rancid air hit him hard in the face once more. But he wasn't able to close his eyes. He was absently aware of his mask hitting the ground as he pulled off his helmet, letting it fall as well.

"Is that... Klightus?" Femke took a step back, her hand going to her mouth. "No, no..." She took a step back as Klightus took one forward. "No... No, my brother's dead. This is a-another one of your tricks! It won't work! You're dead!" She fell back against the far wall, sliding to the floor. He could barely make out the words amongst her sobs. "You're dead... You can't be you... They told me you died... They said..."

He had to say something. Anything. Something to prove to her his identity. "Your porcelain doll was so strange, b-but kind of p-pretty." His voice sounded so weak in his own ears. "I... I just wanted to l-look at it. I d-didin't mean to break it. It... slipped. From my hands. And you g-got so mad. I wouldn't go down the main stairs f-for a year after without S-Sister Kandra there. Because you would always push me down them."

"And you always told Mother you slipped." Her eyes were the size of saucers as she stared up at him. "Are you... What are you going to do?"

Calmly, he activated his blade and struck once. He spent a moment staring at his handiwork before sheathing it. Yes, he decided, that would do nicely.

Almost immediately, Femke was against him, hugging him tight. To him, it was all so surreal. To have a member of his family truly happy to see him, beyond the curiosity, beyond the pleasantries, beyond even history. Honestly and eagerly happy to see him. He didn't know how to react to the sobbing woman clinging to him. All that he could do was wrap his arms around her, holding her tight.

"They tried to break me," she sobbed into his chest. "They... It doesn't matter any more, does it? They're dead. And of anybody who would rescue me, it'd be you. Tall, gangly, useless Klightus..."

For the first time, oddly enough, he felt at peace with her calling him that.

The peace was short lived, though. A loud clang of metal against metal somewhere caused them both to jump. "What the damnation was that?!" Femke cried, hugging him tighter.

"H-hide in the cell," Klightus said quickly. "D-don't worry. I'll take care of it."

"So you discovered a techpriest who has been mapping the underhive and a cabal of cultists, and managed to kill their false traitor marine whilst removing the head of their leader." Wiprecht frowned and nodded in appreciation. "Truly, you should engage in personal matters more often, Klightus. It would probably save the Imperium years of work."

Klightus wasn't stupid. He knew what Wiprecht was trying to do. Even with Clare making records of everything that was said, Wiprecht was trying to take Klightus' mind off of the other room. The Inquisitor's personal confessor had gone in there three hours ago. An hour ago, the screaming had stopped.

"It wasn't my intention, believe me." Klightus pulled his knees up under his chin, a feat in his armor. "W-would you please just... J-just tell m-me if she's s-still alive at least!" Bethany wrapped an arm around his shoulders, a welcomed bit of comfort.

"I would not believe it," Wiprecht said softly. "Here is a man who can stare death in the face. A man I have worked with on many levels throughout the years. Who handles everything thrown at him with the kind of strength and determination that even an Adeptus Astartes could appreciate. And yet, here before me, he is turned into a wreck of a man."

Klightus shook his head. Wiprecht, for all his good points, could never understand. Even if he were to try for another century, he couldn't understand why this shook Klightus to his very core. All that he could do was bury his head in his knees and try not to cry.

When the door finally opened, he jumped to his feet.

Hals closed the door behind him and walked right past Klightus, not even sparing him a glance. Instead, he walked to Wiprecht and nodded once.

"She is alive," Wiprecht said, heading for the door. "And is in a condition to speak with us. Please." He opened the door, looking at Klightus evenly. "After you."

Klightus ran past him, into the room. The ruinous symbols had been removed, but somehow it still seemed foreboding. Femke looked exhausted, worn. Covered in sweat, though she shivered as if cold. Her pupils were slow in reacting, but they were better than expected. He took her hand, and she gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to avoid looking at the servo skull that hovered above her.

"Hals is very thorough," Wiprecht said calmly, waiting until the three Sisters and Clare had all entered before closing the door behind him. "And she was in no condition to resist to start with. Starvation does that to a person. That said... I suppose I will let her live. Though I'll probably regret it."

"Thank you," Klightus said softly.

Femke licked her lips to speak. Klightus went to get his canteen, but she refused to let go of his hand. Instead, Sister Ephrael let her have a drink from hers. Finally, she could form words again. "I thank you for your generosity, Inquisitor Eigen. Though, I must ask... You seem less than... fond of me."

"Hmph." Wiprecht crossed his arms over his chest, not looking directly at any of the assembled. "Klightus, did I ever tell you about when I became an acolyte?"

He shook his head slowly. Wiprecht didn't really talk about himself much if he could help it.

"I was young, then. Only thirteen years old. But I somehow earned the interest of three different Inquisitors. Three, at the same time. So they all came to me at once, to interview me. To figure out which of them would add me to their retinue. They were all marveled by my actions, my abilities. And yet, the moment that I opened my mouth, two of them decided they wanted nothing to do with me.

"Why? Because I had a stutter that would put yours to shame. The third, Inquisitor Otmar Guilliman, stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. He tried some methods, but they didn't work. So he took me to a forge world for one purpose." He tapped the metal dome on the back of his head. "A surgical procedure. Not the prettiest, but it worked, and left room for an upgrade or two."

Wiprecht looked over to Klightus. "So, when I met Klightus here... Well, he responded to the non-surgical treatments better than I did, at least. We've gotten him to the point where he can often go an entire conversation without a stutter." His eyes turned to look at Femke directly. "Until you even skirt the subject of his family. Then it comes back in full force. Tell me, why is that?"

Klightus looked away. He didn't like it when Wiprecht got quiet with his anger.

Neither did Femke, apparently. But she began to talk slowly. "Klightus was... He was the little one. Taller than the rest of us, sure, but still. He always acted before thinking. Leading with his heart. Always getting hurt, always tripping over himself, always getting into trouble. He always had the stutter, though. Always. But..."

She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "The boys picked on him, and he never fought back. We started picking on him, and he still didn't fight back. The only time I saw him fight back was... It was right after the second time that he got kidnapped. Dogmar took one of his toys... I don't even remember what it was. I was right there..."

"Baneblade," Klightus whispered. If he could shrink into nothingness, he would have been a happy man.

Femke laughed softly. "That's right... Eleven barels of fury. Anyway, Dogmar was taunting him with it, keeping it out of reach. Klightus accidentally... Well, bumped him below the belt. Not enough to hurt, but it was enough to make Dogmar mad. So he hit Klightus with the baneblade. In the face. And it broke. Klightus... just laid there on the ground for a minute, staring at the pieces. Johanna was laughing, but I realized he wasn't crying. Just... staring. Then..."

She shook her head, lost in the memory. "I didn't even see him move. Just one moment he was on the ground, and the next moment he kept punching Dogmar in the face. Dogmar pushed him hard enough to send him sliding across the room, but that didn't stop him. He just got up and ran. Tackled Dagmar right through the observation window, and they fell into the sitting room. I remember laughing, like it was the most entertaining thing I'd ever seen. It wasn't so funny, later. Dogmar got lucky and hit the couch right, but Klightus broke his collar bone."

She looked back up at Wiprecht, her voice regretful. "But it was always like that. The only time we ever cut him some slack was after his third kidnapping. But that was more because he settled into that harsh regime under Sister Kandra more than anything. But he still got plenty of it. Like... When Claus convinced you it was Dress Like Your Sister Day. Or when we had a Janus Simulacra. She was exceptionally well built. I made a big deal of it when I caught Klightus staring at, uh..."

She made a frustrated noise, looking up at Klightus. "By the Throne, it was so stupid! We treated you like dirt, and you were our brother!" Tears began to fill her eyes. "We were horrible to you, even Mother and Father. Yes, you weren't like the rest of us, but you honestly tried in your own way. You worked harder than all of us. And we were all so glad you were gone. No more accidents, no more passing out at dinner. No more trying to be patient to hear what you were trying to say."

Her hand covered his, gripping it as tight as she could manage in her state. "No wonder you survived. After what we did to you, there's no way you could have died. And after everything... Everything I've done to you, you still... You're the one who saved me. You're the one the Emperor lead to me. And then you..."

Klightus smiled down at her, shaking his head. "You're still f-family. How could I not help you? I m-mean... In the Guard, yeah, they picked on me, too. B-but... They still fought alongside me, and I s-still fought to keep them alive. I c-couldn't just abandon you. I swore that I w-would kill whomever was responsible for k-kidnapping you and killing Dogmar. And..."

But she wasn't looking at him anymore. He'd said something that made her look away like he'd struck her. He glanced up at Wiprecht, but he was making an avid point of not looking at Klightus either. Even the servo skull flew off so Klightus couldn't look at it.

"Emperor have mercy," Ephrael said from beneath her helmet, her voice tinged with disgust. Out of everybody in the room, even Clare, he seemed to be the only one who suddenly wasn't uneasy.

"What did I say?"

The door opened readily with his cognomen, accepting his identity readily. The spire was oddly silent, the footsteps on the marble floor echoing. Yet somehow, despite all of this, it only served to make him feel oddly claustrophobic. It did absolutely nothing for the trembling in his hands. Even the servants seemed to still and quiet when they saw the silent march.

The doors squeaked when they opened. Mother and Father were sitting, sipping a cup of tea. They looked... worn. Tired. Father set his book to the side, peering at him. "Klightus. How goes the underhive purge?"

"W-we're done for the day, F-Father. How are the f-forges?"

"Your purge seems to have increased the work rate. Your coming was better than we could have guessed. Everything is better than expected."

A voice rang out behind him. "And I suppose the news of my death only aided in this." Femke stepped out, walking into the room to stand beside her brother.

"Inquisitor Eigen sent you that l-little message," Klightus added, his face as hard as steel. "He found so much p-p-paperwork. So much correspondence that even I h-had to belive it."

Mother, for all her faults, seemed so dignified. There was no cowering, no fear. She knew what was going on, and knew better than to fight. "So you know everything, then."

"No." Klightus' throat felt dry, swollen. "There's o-one thing that I s-still don't understand. Why? Why do all of this?"

The two glanced at each other for a long moment. Finally, Father spoke. "Claus. You don't know what it's like to lose a child. You-"

"So you kill another a-and offer a third up for s-s-sacrifice?" He couldn't keep the fury out of his voice. His own vision danced and bobbed due to the tremors that wracked his body.

"They promised us," Mother said firmly. "Dogmar? Inherit the House? He spoke of increased wages, lesser hours, actually paying the mutants to haul away the waste. He spoke of education programs. Him? Lead the House? He'd destroy it. Even Pessolt, that little deviant... He'd waste it away everything that had been built here for his own perverse pleasures!"

"We needed a true heir," Father said calmly. "And we were unable to produce one on our own."

"And then the priest came. I don't know how he knew, but he spoke with us a great deal about it. He told us that he could bring Pessolt into his flock, to give him a focus, to keep him from allowing the House to crumble underneath his feet. He showed us rituals, that would allow me to carry a child again. It would work! He just needed help setting it up."

Father found his way to his feet, squaring his shoulders back. "We weren't stupid. We had a plan. Once the ritual was complete, mercenaries would come. While they were engaging in their dark rituals, the mercenaries would kill them to a man, and-"

"You t-turned your back from the Emperor f-for this?!" Spittle flew from Klightus' lips, his face turning red.

"And what did the Emperor do for us?" Mother countered. "We served him faithfully, and he only gave us one child worthy of inheritance, then allowed him to die! We both know what happens if the House falls! The forges close until another House can refit them for the designs they're permitted to use, and that will take years! Millions, perhaps billions will die of starvation! What then?"

There was silence. Klightus' face had grown almost purple in color from his rage. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, almost so much so that he could not hear Sister Ephrael approach. Calmly, he took her flamer, still connected to her backpack.

Femke spoke quietly. "In retaliation for the attack on their stronghold, lead by the heir of House Gramon, cultists sneaked into the tower through unknown means. Though forces of the Inquisition were quick to the scene, their path of bloodshed was quick. Though they did not escape, the damage was done."

Klightus spoke, but his words seemed to come from elsewhere. They didn't feel like they came from him at all. "Herdeinus Gramon. Melicent Gluckshalt-Gramon. By the power invested in me by Wiprecht Eigen, Holy Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus, I do hereby deliver the verdict that he has passed down upon you. For the crimes of turning your back against the Emperor, he finds̶—

====Epilogue====

Wiprecht lifted his hand from the page, staring down at what he'd written. Even if he hadn't of been there, lurking in the background, even he he hadn't of had his servo skull recording the entire procedure, Clare had been there. Under his orders, she took careful records of everything involving Klightus. Every word, every story, every action.

Somehow, though, it still felt impossible to write now.

He set the quill to the side, looking over this small room. Some might call it a shrine, and they might be right. His hand passed over the helmet of Sister Ephrael, carefully avoiding the bolter hole on the far side. How many nights had they spent together? How badly he wished to have her back?

Forcing himself away, he found his eyes drawn to the pict slate. The sound was off, but the images repeated over and over. Katla, enjoying a very pleasant birthday. She was six... No, seven then. Sitting on Bethany's lap as she opened a present. At the edge of the screen, he could see a profile of Klightus, gnawing on his lips with nervous excitement. Wiprecht found himself lost in a sad smile as the girl received a small token from the shrine world of Solovei.

He found his eyes looking over other picts. The wedding of Klightus and Bethany. Them showing off Oldric. Their squad after the battle of Bantencamp Hadi, attending to prayers. It was enough to make a man's eyes mist.

Wiprecht retrieved a single page of paper, setting it in front of him. This took more courage than he cared to admit.

''Otmar Guilliman, Ordo Hereticus

''I know that it has been many decades since we last spoke. We have always been of differing mindsets about a great many things, and I fear that has soured our relationship. And yet, oddly, I still think of you as more of a father than the one who reared me. In times like these, I feel I should reach out to you for guidance or help.

''You once said that of all of my faults, there would be only one which would kill me. My desire for contact with other humans on a personal level. My desire for friendship. I always scoffed at you, and continued as I saw fit. I know that it was a disappointment in your eyes that I would do this. However, in times like these, I fear that your concern may not have entirely been unfounded.''

''When I have a friend, I tend to keep a close eye on them. Partially out of professional curiosity, to see if they would betray me. You taught me that much. But also to ensure their safety as best I can, as well as to live their life vicariously. Many of them have moments of happiness which I know I will never have on my own.''

''One such friend, the closest of them all, is Klightus Gramon, the head of House Gramon on Nujema, centered within the hive of Yenbar. You may have heard of him once or twice; his illustrious career within the Departmento Munitorum acting as a liaison for the Order of the Wounded Hand proceeds him.
''
''In recent years, as a method of stepping down from his position with the intent of proper retirement, he has taken to training in the Schola Progenium on Ockohr Prime. He taught battlefield communication, and often assisted with fencing lessons. I am told that he was regarded highly by both his fellow faculty and the students there, becoming one of the favored teachers. He was accompanied by his wife, one Sister Bethany of the Order of the Wounded Hand, and his second son, Rudiger, who continued to serve as part of his retinue.''

''My sources tell me that all communication with Ockohr Prime was recently lost. The cause of this is currently unknown; truly it could range from a simple warp storm, to the accidental death of the astropath, to causes which I would prefer not to think of. I cannot interfere myself, of course, but I am told that one ship of the Imperial Navy has been dispatched to investigate. At the time of this writing, there is still an estimated four weeks before it arrives.''

''In these times, I attempt to console myself by writing a biography of sorts. Perhaps the word novelization would be better. Regardless, I do this not to fictionalize the events which propelled him to greatness, but for a more noble purpose.''

''You have spoken many times about how the Imperium needs heroes. Indeed, it was one of the few subject matters on which we both agreed completely. Heroes inspire the people, keep them faithful, and pacify them. Be they military heroes or saints, they are perhaps the first line of defense in the war for the purity of Humanity.''

''Should Klightus be declared dead, I wish to ask of your help. I wish to see him elevated to the position of Saint. I do this not for his House -- his daughter Katla is a more than competent leader. I do this for his status. Within these writings, I believe that you will find him to be a noble spirit. Though Ostagarian (I know of your opinion on them) in belief, he has shown the utmost humility and grace throughout his life, no matter the position he has taken, no matter what he has been forced to deal with. This, as an icon to the masses, will be most beneficial.''

''Please, Otmar. I beg of you. You have been instrumental in raising one other to the position of Saint. Read through my writings, and tell me that you find him worthy of your support in this endeavor. And should I never get to see my friend again, perhaps my final friend, please take up this crusade along side me.''''

Sincerely,''

'''''Wiprecht Eigen, Ordo Hereticus'''
''

===Gallery===
<gallery>
File:Robes.jpg
File:Bitchslap.png
</gallery>

==[[/tg/]] Threads Archive==
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13153384/ First Thread]
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13331994/ Second Thread]
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13444943/ Third Thread]
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13541792/ Fourth Thread]
*[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13904170/ Flashback]

[[Category:stories]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[category:Under Development]]

Nork Deddog

2020-02-07T20:50:34Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[File:99120105053 NorkDeddog360.jpg|300xpx|thumb|Nork's [[skub|new]] model]]Nork Deddog is an [[Ogryn]] and slab o' sweaty meat par excellence in the [[Imperial Guard]] who has enhanced brain and muscles and the loyalty of a [[Commissar]] (read: if he just BLAM!s Nork's officer, Nork immediately reduces the Commissar to paste). He can: write his own signature ("N is fer Nork"), count up to four, and even talk in full sentences. Considering most other [[Ogryn|Ogryns]] have an IQ rivalling that of a wet puddle, that's a real feat. He was taken out of combat to have his brain enhanced MOAR and trained with a special unit. He now works for Colonel Greiss of the 2nd Catachan as his bodyguard. Nork has saved Greiss's ass many times and has earned a LOT of shiny medals... A bling truly not undeserved, as this freak will literally throw himself on an enemy grenade (and on the poor soul who threw it) to save the life of Greiss -without even noticing his wounds afterward. Fluffwise, this guy is the absolute, perfect meatshield. What else, except that he can Instant Kill an [[Ork]] Big Boss [[Fist of the North Star|WITH A SINGLE HEADBUTT]]!

==On the Tabletop==
Nork Deddog is the ultimate meatshield. He autopasses Look out Sir! attempts (a godsend against the new Assassins dataslate since Assassins no longer ignore LOS), has Hammer of Wrath, grants the Command Squad Stubborn, comes with the typical Ripper Gun, Carapace Armor, and Feel No Pain combined with T5. The only downside to all of this is that he's pretty pricey, he costs more than a barebones Command Squad. Take Nork if survival for your Commander is a top priority. His Rippergun and Hammer of Wrath hits are very nice, but his primary purpose is a meatshield. Which, fluffwise, he doesn't mind!
If you're feeling ballsy/expensive take him with Straken. Yeowch.

==Quotations==
*"Da Sergeant Major asked me what my job was an' [[Chris-Chan|I said it was to, uh,]] do what I was told. He said I was a [[Creed|genius]] and gave me another medal. I likes da Imperial Guard!"
*"Da medikit was in da carrier, surr." - Nork, explaining why he hauled a wrecked Chimera out of a ravine and all the way across a battlefield to his wounded sarge.

==Writefaggotry!==
{{story}}

'''Why having a high leadership is important for Imperial Guard Orders'''

Jarran Kell rolled in order to hide beneath the covers of the bushes, outside of the measured range of the traitors' multilaser. The traitorous fleeing captain's chimera was trying to gun him down with his men, so as to free the way just long enough so that they could escape the ambush. On the other side of the path, 30m or so, the best Ogryn in the galaxy had started his progression to join his commanding officer, hidden behind a tree near Kell. Ursakar E. Creed, the Castellan of Cadia, was overlooking the situation with a superhuman focus. Screaming, the deserting captain was ordering the pilot of his chimera to go backward... he was desperate to escape the encounter. Luckily enough, the number of special characters on the loyalist side was granting the traitors some chances to escape better than if they had brought a shitload of squads with lascanon and melta bombs; but even so, he was too affraid to actually try to take Creed's head. The documents he was escaping with, after all, were his top priority.

"Kell!" The Castellan called, "Deddog. Tree. Uproot. Now!"

"Sir, yes Sir!" answered before shouting to Nork the Castellan's orders. "NORK! OPERATION UPROOTING: POINT TWO FOUR GOLF ALPHA XRAY HEIGHT YANKEE TWO !! GO!GO!GO!!!"

That Ogryn was smart, and he knew his job well: to obey orders. And as such, he renounce joining Creed and Kell, and instead ran with all his might to tackle the big tree, bigger than a Space Marine's neck; and weighting on it with all his strength; and faster than how much time you need to write it, Deddog broke it in twain, causing the tree to fall before the chimera had time to pass and causing the ground to tremble even more so than with the Ogryn's race.

After the embush had ended, the Cadian officer was rallying his troops.

"You did good job there, Nork, buddy. You accomplished your job with zeal & selflesness," praised Jarran Kell with patience and benevolence. "But, the next time... try to make the tree fall on the right side: the one where the road is."

The Ogryn frowned, puzzled.

"On the right side...?"

Indeed, that was because he made the tree fall on the RIGHT side, not on the LEFT one. Nork was not dumb enough to not know the difference between his right and left sides; and so, he was suspiscious, thinking that maybe his friend was trying to pull a joke.

"Yep, the right side; the good side. The one where the ennemy's vehicle is trying to go in order to flee.

"... Where they are trying to flee...? Ah!" Everything was becoming clearer.

"Yes!" He nodded, seeing the bright flash of understanding in the Ogryn's eyes. "They were deserters, and we didn't want them to desert."

And indeed, both the cigar comping mouth and the gunslinging fist of Creed, the taciturn general, were clenched strongly; his bust was slightly leaning forward; and his face was reddened by the fast palpitations and circulation of his blood into his whole body, while the nerves on his face # appeared clearly on his skin.

"Ah... Oky, Kell, surr."

"You understood everything?"

"Surr, yeahss surr."

"Smart one," Kell praised him while giving a friendly accolade on his massive shoulder. Nork gave him a wide and bright smile.

Kell turned to face Creed.

"Sir, is there any need to be angry? Did you not Tacical Geniused a reaver titan o'er there...?"

Yes... it was the back up plan. But Creed didn't want to use it in the first place.

"Even if these are important data on eldar biology, can't we just have some magos cut up some space elf corpse and remake it or something...?"

Of course not. Those were highly confidential, rare type of Slaaneshi fap materials. Without invulnerable save or anything like that, it was impossible for the data to survive super-heavy fire power.

{{IG-Characters}}

Blibdoolpoolp

2020-02-07T20:50:30Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Blibdoolpoolp
|Symbol = Lobster's head, or a black pearl
|Alignment = '''2E:''' Neutral Evil '''3E+''' Chaotic Evil
|Divine Rank = Intermediate God / Demon Lord
|Pantheon = Core
|Portfolio = Kuo-toas, Drowning
|Domains = '''2E:''' Dark, Insanity, Revenge '''3E:''' Destruction, Evil, Water '''5E:''' Death
|Home Plane = '''2E:''' Elemental Plane of Water '''3E:''' Fated Depths'' ([[Abyss]])
|Worshippers = Kuo-toas, undersea creatures
|Favoured Weapon = Pincer Staff
}}
{{dnd-stub}}
'''Blibdoolpoolp''', aside from sounding like one of the stupidest onomatopoeiae you've ever heard, is most recognizable for being one of the most minor racial deities in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. She is the Chaotic Evil patron goddess of the [[Kuo-toa]], a race of insane fish-men who can basically be described as the [[H.P. Lovecraft|Deep Ones]]' slightly retarded redneck cousins from the [[Underdark]]. She is best known for appearing as a beautiful naked woman with the head of a giant lobster and lobster claws instead of hands.

==History==
In early editions, she was said to have been a bright, beautiful patron of an ascended species and only became a warped and twisted entity as the Kuo-Toa waned in power. Though this might simply be the ramblings of a mad god and her fanatically stupid followers as Blibdoolpoolp refuses to acknowledge that the Kuo-toa were anything less than they already are; claiming that they have always been mighty. Despite her claims of supremacy, Blibdoolpoolp is secretly terrified of competition from the [[Drow]] Pantheon, and [[Sekolah]], and the [[Illithid]]s, who she believes are all out to devour her ''(which is true)'' but she is also fantastically afraid of them discovering the ancient secrets of her race ''(whatever they may be)''.

It may be that Blibdoolpoolp is actually an aspect of the Demon Lord '''Dagon''', who has existed and been worshipped by Kuo-toas since long before Blibdoolpoolp ever came along. Dagon is also at war with Sekolah, marking some points of similarity between Demon Lord and Kuo-toa Deity. Furthermore, Dagon cultists are ''also'' attempting to wipe out worship of Blibdoolpoolp; a fight that Blibdoolpoolp appears to be losing, so it may be that her religion is simply a heretical branch of a demon-cult that he wants back. In any case, whether she is a mad-goddess or an independent aspect of another entity, her lack of victories against anyone, whether Dagon, Sekolah, or others puts her at risk of just getting absorbed by one of the other powers.

In 5th edition, it's been suggested that Blibdoolpoolp was probably first created by a mad Kuo-toa finding a statue of a woman with the head and arms broken off, replacing them with the appropriate parts from a giant lobster, and madly believing its creation was a god, which spread like wildfire through the race. This is because making up fictitious gods as a result of their insanity is one of the defining "quirks" of the kuo-toa in 5e.

==Worshippers==
Kuo-Toa as a society are ''really'' freakin' religious and pretty darned xenophobic too [[Imperium|just like another civilisation we know]]. Their priests get all the significant power in their communities and deviation from established religious doctrine or acknowledgement of any god ''other than'' the god the rest of the community worships is considered abominable [[Heresy]] which is liable to get one killed.

Blibdoolpoolp demands constant veneration and regular sacrifices, and isn't particularly choosy about where the sacrifices come from, so Kuo-Toa who become lax in their devotions are at risk of getting sacrificed themselves. Therefore Kuo-Toa worship Blibdoolpoolp because they often have no other choice.

Those rare cases where Kuo-Toa ''don't'' worship Blibdoolpoolp is because their community simply hasn't even heard of her. But that doesn't change the group propensity to mob together and worship only one god, while executing heretics and offering sacrifices. These other groups tend to gravitate towards '''Dagon''' whose doctrine is almost identical to Blibdoolpoolp.

===Inquisitors of the Drowning Goddess===
As mentioned, communities which venerate Blibdoolpoolp are constantly on the lookout for heretics within their own midst. This prestige class represents individuals who make it their business to find those deviants and bring them to "justice".

Typically starting as [[Monk]]s, these individuals are always Lawful for some reason, which is at odds with worship of a chaotic deity. But in any case, they don't cast spells, so it doesn't really matter.

They gain a Fear Aura along with an increasing bonus to their intimidate and sense motive skills; they also gain the ability to create adhesives which improve grapple checks to subdue opponents, making them true [[Inquisitors]]. At later levels, they gain a resistance to mind influencing effects and illusions.

Their final ability is hilarious: they can cover themselves with glue which causes them to stick fast to anything they touch, allowing them to dogpile opponents into submission. The strange thing is that the glue only works one time before it needs to be renewed, so it can be easily rendered irrelevant by throwing a penny at them such that it gets used up!

===Sea Mother Whip===

==Realm==
Originally, Blibdoolpoolp made her realm in the Elemental Plane of Water in a region called the '''Murky Depths''', which was one of the few places on the infinite expanse of water that had a sandy sea bed.

In the transition between editions she seems to have hopped around for a bit:
In the [[Forgotten Realms]], she resides in the '''Fated Depths''', which she shares with the deity [[Sekolah]] where the two are at constant war with one another. Blibdoolpoolp is believed to be losing the conflict and is at risk of declining into irrelevance. Sekolah's own part of the realm is accessed from the frozen layer of Stygia in [[Baator]], implying that the realm of the Fated Depths is a direct link between the Abyss and the Nine Hells. What's more complicated is that the Fated Depths are considered an end point for the '''River of Blood''' which is analogous to the '''River Styx''', which otherwise normally ends ''(or begins)'' in [[Acheron]].

In later "Core" editions Blibdoolpoolp is occasionally referred to as a demon lord instead of a deity (not that these are mutually exclusive terms) therefore her realm must have been located somewhere in the Abyss; though which layer exactly is a bit of a mystery because it is never actually provided and any information found between campaign settings is incompatible with each other.

{{D&D-Nonhuman-Deities}}

Tokay

2020-02-07T20:50:24Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[File:Geckonid.png|thumb|right|300px|They look like this, but pink-gray.]]

'''Tokay''' are one of several variant [[lizardfolk]] races created for [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] in issue #268 of [[Dragon Magazine]]. In fact, they're a variant of a variant; tokay are essentially a malevolent subrace of the [[geckonid]] species introduced in the same sourcebook.

Tokay effectively resemble their geckonid kinsfolk, being humanoid geckos, but are larger in size, averaging closer to 6ft than their 5ft tall relatives. They are readily distinguished by their coloration, a strange medley of pink scales offset by gray patterns or splotches. Their main difference is in their attitudes; these lizardfolk are notably ill-tempered, with a love of causing trouble and a rude, cruel bent that colors the normal playful and mischievous attitude of the gecko-folk. Thus, whilst the typical geckonid is Neutral Good, a tokay is more likely to be True Neutral or even Neutral Evil.

==PC Stats==
::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 12/21, Constitution 8/18, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 2/16, Charisma 2/16
::Ability Score Adjustments: +3 Dexterity, -1 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
::Class & Level Limits: [[Fighter]] 12, [[Mage]] 7, [[Thief]] 12
::Hit Dice: As class
::Thieving Skill Adjustments: Pick Pockets +15%, Open Locks -10%, Find/Remove Traps -10%, Move Silently +5%, Hide in Shadows +5%, Detect Noise -5%, Read Language -20%
::Size: Medium
::Movement: 12, Climb 12
::Natural Armor Class: 10, but gain a -2 AC bonus when unarmored and fighting in an area where they can use their wall-crawling abilities to aid in dodging (indoors, heavy forest, etc)
::Natural Attacks: A tokay has a Bite attack that inflicts 1d4 damage.
::A tokay warrior starts with 2 weapon proficiencies, whilst a tokay of any other class only starts with 1.
::A tokay cannot wear armor heavier than studded leather, and a tokay rogue doubles its armor penalties for thief abilities.
::Regardless of class, a tokay has a base Climb Walls ability of 95%.
::From 5th level, a tokay has the innate ability to see the invisible.
::Cold Blooded: A geckonid takes +1 point of damage per die from cold-based attacks, and if exposed to a low temperature for a prolonged period, it becomes sluggish, halving its movement rate and suffering a -2 attack penalty.
::A tokay doubles the cost of armor prices, due to requiring custom-fitted gear.
::Weapon Proficiencies: By Class
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Danger Sense, Direction Sense, Fishing, Herbalism, Hiding, Hunting, Natural Fighting, Survival (Tropical, Subtropical, Urban)

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Races]] [[Category: Monsters]]

Karanak

2020-02-07T20:50:20Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[File:Karanak.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Khorne's goodest boy]]

{{Topquote|I'm the dog, the big bad dog. I'm the dog, the bounty hunter.|Ozzy Osbourne, making a surprisingly accurate description of Karanak}}

'''Karanak''' is a [[Flesh Hound]] in the service of [[Khorne]]. Unlike normal Flesh Hounds, he has three heads which apparently allow him to track his prey's trails in space and time, as well as their thoughts. Basically, if for some reason this super-Cerberus decides to come after you, you're pretty boned. Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows, only that it flows, but he is still a god of honor. Offer him a skull from an unworthy kill in tribute, and he will send his favorite dog after you.

==On the Tabletop==
Karanak acts as Khorne's other named Herald. Karanak gets to reroll all to-hit rolls and to-wound rolls against a character selected at the start of the game, grants his entire unit rage (hilarious on Bloodcrushers if they can make it in) and causes any psykers within 12" of him to peril whenever they roll doubles. He has Scout, like every Flesh Hound.

Bizarrely, he isn'tnot part of the Khorne Daemonkin codex, despite his buddy [[Skulltaker]] making it in. It's anyone's guess as to why.

{{Template:Daemons-Characters}}

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category: Blades of Khorne]]

Legio Maleficarum

2020-02-07T20:48:52Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

The Imperium faces many foes in its eternal war: xenos, perfidious rebels, heretics that spread corruption and discontent. But greatest among Mankind's enemies are undoubtedly the magics of Chaos and the Immaterium. Its presence serves only to infect and corrupt, and its tendrils seep deep into the souls of those who embrace it. It births from the nothingness of the Warp countless monsters, subhuman daemons that thirst for blood of innocents and desire destruction above all else. The legions of Chaos come like a storm, sweeping across worlds in a hurricane that destroys cities and armies. To fight it with tanks and lasguns is futile, as daemons are beings of a different existence, and their very presence curses the minds of lesser men with fear and infidelity. But among the great hosts of the Imperium there are warriors who possess the tools to remove the blight of the Warp; Among them are the Sisters of Battle, the Ordo Malleus who devote their resources to fighting the forces of ruin, the Grey Knights who stand above all the Adeptus Astartes. But there is one force among these who bring the might of the God-machines to bear against false deities: the dread psi-titans of '''Legio Maleficarum''', the Hammer of the Witches.

==Hammer of the Witches==
In the centuries preceding Hektor's betrayal the Emperor had devoted humanity to a crusade of unprecedented scale, in an effort to change Mankind into a singular people of reason and deprive the Chaos Gods of the anarchy they so desired. The Imperium of Man mercilessly stamped out falsehoods and superstition, destroying millennia-old religions without so much as a whisper as to why the Emperor would take such lengths. He even hid the existence of Chaos, the Imperium's truest and greatest enemy, from his most trusted Primarchs. Even with their ignorance - or perhaps because of it - the Primarchs fell to the ruinous powers one by one, until Hektor began his great rebellion against the Emperor and showed the galaxy the might of Chaos.

The traitors unleashed upon the Imperium the nightmares of the Warp. Legions of daemons spilled into real space, spreading Chaos and confusion among the worlds. As the Emperor's vision fell apart, Malcador the Sigillite pursued the future of the Imperium. He began many organizations to safeguard the Imperium against Chaos, including what would become Legio Maleficarum. He sought Kalkas Tygian, the stalwart Fabricator-General of the Mechanicum, and pleaded with him to assist in the creation of a powerful new weapon. The two collaborated, and mixed their respective institutions' darkest secrets in Malcador's cauldron. The Sigillite provided countless volumes' worth of information on Chaos, and instructions for advanced sigils and rites; the Fabricator-General gave the secrets of titan construction, the most sacred ritual of all the Mechanicum. A dedicated team of the greatest techpriests and adepts worked to fuse magic with metal, and designed the first psi-titans that would form the fighting arm of Legio Maleficarum.

The adepts were loathe that the construction of the first titan would take centuries to build, and the legion would not be ready for battle for a thousand years; this Malcador knew, and approved the project nonetheless. To house the legion Malcador selected a location so remote and obscured that nobody could stumble upon it by accident for a million years: the largest moon of the lost world Tyche, a ninth planet hidden in the Oort Cloud of the Sol System. Techpriests and servitors erected the gantries and shrines in a crater on that moon, named Malleus Obscurus, and by the end of the Great Scouring began construction on the first psi-titan. It would not be until mid-M32 when the legion was up to strength, but that time had been well-spent, as the end-product exceeded any other force in the Imperium in its ability to fight the daemonic hordes of Chaos.

==The Moon of Tyche==
Far beyond the light of Sol, in the Oort Cloud, there is a lonesome world of ice and blackness. Around the gas supergiant Tyche orbits Malleus Obscurus, the secret bastion of the Adeptus Mechanicus's most illusive legion, so remote that only a few privileged souls, such as those in the High Lords of Terra and the upper echelons of the Machine Cult, even know such a place exists. It is a large but barren moon, with only one fortress-factory upon its pocked face, sitting in a massive crater left by an ancient impact. The Hekate Arsenal is as empty as the world is sits on: No commoners walk the streets or inhabit crowded hab-blocks, for only the extraordinary are allowed on Malleus Obscurus.

==Birth of a Psi-Titan==
Servitors and techpriests work the gantries and manufactorums in silence; skitarii and privileged adepts of the Imperium patrol the Arsenal and man the massive anti-orbital defenses. So strangely well-defended is such a remote world, even though the legion of Malleus Obscurus numbers less than twenty machines. Such technology and craftsmanship go into the psi-titans that it takes thrice the time of normal god-machines. Decades are spent blessing just one titan, etching holy scriptures into its massive armour plates and purifying each part down to the nut with a dozen different rituals. Cables are carefully threaded up and down the massive frame from components to the cockpit, tying the entire machine together. After years of construction, sanctification, and purification, a single divine weapon of the Omnissiah is /mostly/ complete. But even though it seems whole it lacks one vital component: the crew.

Every year a veteran princeps of Legio Maleficarum visit the Scholastica Psykana to inspect the newest graduates for viability as crewmen, before even the space marines get their pick. Judging by their stability, willingness to submit, and psychic grade, they choose the legion's new proteges. All other things equal, the students chosen are the most powerful among their peers; a Delta-level psyker is typically sufficient, but only a Beta-level psyker may become a princeps, as the will of the titan may only be matched by a psyker of such power. Candidates are taken to Tyche where they are trained in the ways of the Machine Cult and given a full education in the craft of crewmanship. The intense program is difficult and failure rate is high, but there are no dropouts: by the end of their first year candidates know too much to leave, and they must remain in training until they either meet the standard or die from old age. Such extreme standards exceed even the most elite titan formations in the Collegia Titanica, and are accompanied with lessons from the Adeptus Ministorum and the Inquisition on fighting daemons and the horrors of the warp. The end product takes nearly as much effort as a psi-titan, but it is necessary for the completion of the most powerful psychic weapon system.

==The Few and the Proud==
A psi-titan is not only the Machine God given form, but also the Emperor's psychic might made manifest. It is a fusion of invincible steel and psychic power; the immovable object and the irresistible force. A single psi-titan wields the combined power of its psychic crew to power warp weapons that render entire throngs of daemons immaterial in the blink of an eye. With their force weapons, the psi-titans can meet any greater daemon in close combat, and with each step they purify the earth of the Warp's taint. As the titan burns the world clean of corruption, they also unleash storms of magic from their massive foci, calling down lightning bolts and imperishable infernos on the hordes of Chaos.

However, such power is rare in the Imperium, and Legio Maleficarum is to titans what Grey Knights are to space marines. There may have been a point, sometime in late M37, when the legion number twenty-three titans, but in the forty-first millennium there are only thirteen. With such few machines, it is easy for the workers of the Hekate Arsenal to remember all their names, as well as all their deeds throughout the centuries.

{|align=center border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|colspan=8 align=center style=background:#FFFFF align=center|'''Psi-Titans of Legio Maleficarum'''
|-
|style=background:#FFFFF align=center|'''Name'''
|style=background:#FFFFF align=center|'''Completed'''
|style=background:#FFFFF align=center|'''Summary'''
|-
|''King of Witches''
|486.M31
|The oldest of the Titans, the ''King of Witches'' is the only surviving psi-titan of the first generation. It is the same machine that felled the Daemon Prince Septicus in M32.
|-
|''Shepherd of Fire''
|752.M32
|The ''Shepherd of Fire'' is a very particular titan, a notorious pyromaniac to the adepts of the Hekate Arsenal for demanding a fiery and headstrong princeps to match its burning machine spirit.
|-
|''Imperator Eternal''
| 000.M35
|''Imperator Eternal'' is not counted among the thirteen active psi-titans, as it is a stubborn machine. Not since its princeps died in M37 has ''Imperator Eternal'' accepted even the most powerful and willful psykers as its new princeps, and so is left to gather dust in its gantry.
|-
|''Cleaver of Sinai''
|285.M36
|
|-
|''Summaton Phobos''
|404.M37
|
|-
|''Nunitus Armageddon''
|936.M38
|
|-
|''Alemphidus Pax''
|238.M38
|
|-
|''Metatron Primarus''
|557.M39
|
|-
|''Ferrus Harkorriad''
|031.M39
|
|-
|''Charlemagne Adamantine''
|471.M39
|
|-
|''Righteous Retort''
|666.M40
|
|-
|''Architect of Faith''
|014.M41
|
|-
|''Magnanimity Incarnate ''
|486.M41
|''Magnanimity Incarnate'' was completed in time for the 10,000th Anniversary of the ''King of Witches'' and was thus blessed in a eucharist of oil alongside the most venerable titan.
|-
|''Majestor Salem''
|999.M41
|
|}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:The /tg/ Heresy]]
[[Category:Imperial]]

Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy

2020-02-07T20:48:47Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

[[File:Squigbuggy-6iv.jpg|350px|right|thumb|When you want to weaponize a hot dog stand, accept no excuses!]]
{{Awesome}}

By [[Mork|Mork's]] grace it has been done. The [[Squig Catapult]] has been reborn.

A new Ork vehicle from the 2018 Orktober event, as a [[Speed Freek]] vehicle, it is designed for '''''XTREME SPEED!''''' The '''Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy''' is a [[Lulz|weaponized Ork food truck]], originally intended to feed Speed Freeks on the move but repurposed after a rabid attack squig was fired into an Ork's face. [[Awesome|Yes, it is as awesome as you would expect.]] As such, this vehicle contains a diverse abundance of different type of [[Squig|Squigs]] for all your Squiggly needs. Eagle-eyed Ork players will notice the huge variety of different Squig breeds on the model, including: Bitey Squigs, which latch on to the first thing they hit and don’t stop chewing until they are bludgeoned to death; Bile Squigs which squirt, spray or vomit a variety of [[Lulz|hilariously harmful fluids in every direction]]; and Boom Squigs that explode violently at the first sign of provocation, ostensibly to ‘warn off predators’. Other forms of Squig that have been identified includes a Squig Hound, a Squig Mine and even a pot full of Buzzer Squigs. Occasionally, they may deploy far more exotic squigs, such as the bellow-lunged screech squig or the revolting yet hilarious bowel-torrent squigs.

The Squigbuggy is a flatbed truck; the flatbed itself contains a squig pen overflowing with all manner of bitey, bile and boom squigs, overseen by a Grot (who, honestly, is having a pretty hard time keeping the squigs under control). Below the flatbed are 2 fuel tanks – not especially well protected from impact – and a set of saw blades either side, perfect for shredding tires and enemies.

Because of its unique nature, the Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy acts as both a fast attack vehicle and a mine layer at the same time. It is armed with both a Heavy Squig Launcha and a slightly smaller Squig Launcha, both of which fire one of several unpleasant varieties of Squigs at enemies up to 36" away. For closer-in work the vehicle's crew can employ Stikksquig grenades and, for some reason, a shotgun. Once per game, the buggy can also release a Squig Mine that can explode with hilarious results if a model approaches too closely. [[Awesome|There is also a]] [[Snotling]] [[Awesome|standing on one of the Ork's shoulders like an Orky parrot.]] Truly, Gork and Mork has blessed us for our patience.

{{Orks-Forces}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]

Belief Function

2020-02-07T20:48:42Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

What is [[Magic]]? Well one way it's framed is being the opposite of Science. A [[wizard]] casting a levitation spell or a [[Dragon|20 meter long armored reptile flying about shooting fire from it's mouth without burning it's jaws off]] or a [[Golem|animated clay statue]] is something which operates outside the laws of physics as we know them. But here's the thing, in another world where things are different magic could be just another set of natural laws which can be observed, experimented on and repeatable results and predictions can be made to expand one's understanding of the nature of Magic. In that case, the study of Magic eventually becomes just another school of scientific thought. Probabily one with a lot of rituals and fancy ornaments (ranging from really important to the work to "we like to make a big show of things"), but Scientific none-the-less. Many fantasy worlds have made very good use of this outlook of things one way or another, but there are those which want to avoid it.

One of the most popular ways to get around this is the idea of '''Belief Function'''. If you drop an object on Earth in a vacuum it will accelerate at 9.8 meters per second per second towards it's center until it hits ground. You can rant and rave about how Issac Newton was an idiot and his ideas are hogwash all you want, believe that this is not the case in the depths of your soul and plead and pray for this not to be the case with all your heart, the rock will still fall in accordance to the laws of gravity. The Universe does not care what you believe, it simply is. In a world with Belief Function, things are different. Reality is shaped to some degree or another by what people believe, especially in aggregate. In those worlds enough belief can disrupt that constant, or create someone who intervenes to do so.

A related concept with a lot of crossover to Belief Function is Emotion Function, in which magic is dependent on the Emotional State of the person wielding it and emotions can have an impact on reality.
== Examples of Belief Function ==
* [[Discworld]]: Belief is a powerful force. The Gods exist due to belief and wither away once belief in them fails.
* White Wolf's Technocracy is built around Belief Function
* [[Warhammer]] (Both Fantasy and 40k)

{{stub}}

Codex - Adepta Sororitas Angry Initiative Edition

2020-02-07T20:47:00Z

2600:1700:19C0:2760:8CA8:7BD8:AFBA:F7B4:

==INTRODUCTION==
'''Gather your army from the orders of the Adepta Sororitas, an elite sisterhood of warriors raised from infancy to adore the Emperor of Mankind. With sanctioned boltgun, holy flame blessed meltagun the Adepta Sororitas stand as a bulwark against corruption, heresy and alien attack. Lead their fanatical devotion to the enemies of the Emperor and see your enemies utterly crushed Adepta Sororitas Warlord!'''

'''DISCLAIMER'''

Games Workshop in no way endorses any of the Angry Codices. No infringement is intended with the Angry Codices. The intent of the Angry Initiative is NOT to make Games Workshop go out of business, but rather to bring the game part of the hobby up to speed with the most detailed setting of any game and arguably also the best miniatures of any miniature wargame.

'''THE ANGRY INITIATIVE'''

The Angry Initiative is about making more fair and fun codices. The core principle of the Angry Initiative is letting you play with the miniatures you own and love and punishing people as little as possible for making the "wrong" modelling and purchasing strategies. All fluff and pictures are left out, this makes room for all Forgeworld units and supplemental rules in the main codex, meaning you only need one book for each faction you play.

'''BALANCING'''

The balancing system is based on 10 Space Marines with a Sergeant, the Objective Secured, 6+ Feel No Pain special rules and a single Tactical Doctrines available, as being worth 130 pts, a plasma gun for said Squad being worth 15 pts, a lascannon for said squad being worth 20 pts and a Rhino for said Squad being worth an additional 35 pts. Worth meaning that the amount of situations in which one taking the option is better is not overwhelming compared to the amount of situations in which the options is worse. For example. 130 full Tactical Squads in Rhinos should be good in as many situations as 165 full Tactical Squads without Rhinos.

Units and options are put into a points range between a point value where they counter all the things they should counter (light armoured anti-armour units should counter heavy armoured anti-armour units and medium armoured anti-armour units) and get countered by all the things they should be countered by (light armoured anti-armour units should get countered by light armoured anti-light units). They are moved around within this range based on results from playtesting and debates on the discussion pages of codices. Note that while calculations have been made for the proper point range for many units and options, others have been placed based on the notions of what units are being played by competitive players in 40k at the moment.

The intent is not for the costs shown to be the final costs, but rather the start of a discussion which will eventually lead to the most balanced codices possible within the framework of a game where units are meant to counter and be countered by other units. The PDF codices are updated at most once each month to allow you to get a better feel for how good units are before they are changed. Clarification and errors in grammar and wording is changed as they are found on 1d4chan.

'''ABOUT'''

This codex was made by the 1d4chan community and managed by the Angry Pirate. This codex was published by adding ?action=render at the end of the name of the codex' web page on 1d4chan and copy pasting the whole thing into Microsoft Word. Margins are at 0,5", the Georgia font is used for everything, except the front page which is Stencil. The logo was made in paint by writing on a coloured background and then using the "fill with colour" tool on the background. After some final minor revisions, the Word document was saved as a PDF.

'''FEEDBACK'''

Battle reports can be posted and read [[The Angry Initiative|here]]. General feedback of the Angry Codices can be made [[Talk:The Angry Initiative|here]]. Feedback on this codex can be made [[Talk:Codex - Adepta Sororitas Angry Initiative Edition|here]].

==THE ARMY OF THE ECCLESIARCHY==
===ADEPTA SORORITAS WARGEAR===
'''These lists detail the points values of various items of wargear, upgrades and Ecclesiarchy Relics available to units in your army. Many entries in the army list that follows may include the option to take items from one or more of these lists – in each instance, the army list entry will tell you (in bold) exactly which of these lists you can use.'''
====MELEE WEAPONS====
A model can replace one weapon with one of the following:
:: - Close combat weapon...''free''
:: - Eviscerator*1...''7*A pts''
:: - Power axe...''6+2*A pts''
:: - Power mace...''6+3*A pts''
:: - Power sword...''5+2*A pts''
====RANGED WEAPONS====
A model can replace one weapon with one of the following:
:: - Combi-flamer...''5 pts''
:: - Combi-melta...''13 pts''
:: - Combi-plasma...''10 pts''
:: - Condemnor boltgun...''2 pts''
:: - Inferno pistol*3...''10 pts''
:: - Plasma pistol...''5 pts''
:: - Storm bolter...''3 pts''
:: - Twin-linked shotgun*2...''3 pts''
====SPECIAL WEAPONS====
A model can replace its boltgun with one of the following:
:: - Flamer...''5 pts''
:: - Meltagun...''15 pts''
:: - Storm bolter...''3 pts''
====HEAVY WEAPONS====
A model can replace its boltgun with one of the following:
:: - Heavy bolter...''10 pts''
:: - Heavy flamer...''9 pts''
:: - Multi-melta...''2 pts''
====ADEPTA SORORITAS VEHICLE EQUIPMENT====
A model can take up to one of each of the following:
:: - Storm bolter...''5 pts''
:: - Dozer blade...''5 pts''
:: - Extra armour...''5 pts''
:: - Hunter-killer missile...''8 pts''
:: - Laud hailer...''10 pts''
====ECCLESIARCHY RELICS====
Only one of each Ecclesiarchy Relic can be taken per army. A model can take one of the following:
:: - The Book of Saint Lucius...''40 pts''
:: - The Litanies of Faith...''20 pts''
:: - The Cloak of Saint Aspira...''35 pts''
:: - The Mace of Valaan*2...''30 pts''
:: - The Blade of Admonition*3,4...''45 pts''

* *1 Canoness and Ministorum Priest only
* *2 Ministorum Priest only
* *3 Canoness only
* *4 Replaces one weapon carried by the wielder.
* *A Multiply the pts cost by the model's Attacks characteristic

===HQ===
====SAINT CELESTINE====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Saint Celestine
| 7
| 7
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 7
| 5
| 10
| 2+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Jump Infantry (Character)'''...''135 pts''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 (Unique)'''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''
*'''The Ardent Blade'''
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Template
| 5
| 4
| Assault 1
|-
| -
| +2
| 3
| Melee, Master Crafted
|-
|} 
*'''Armour of Saint Katherine'''
The armour of Saint Katherine confers a 4+ invulnerable save.

'''WARLORD TRAIT:'''
*'''Beacon of Faith:''' All friendly models that are within 12" of the Warlord use the Warlord’s Leadership value when taking Act of Faith or War Hymns Leadership tests, unless their own is higher.

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Fearless'''
*'''Hit & Run'''
*'''Independent Character'''
*'''Martyrdom'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Patron Saint of the Adepta Sororitas:''' You may not include both Saint Celestine from the Triumvirate of the Imperium faction and Saint Celestine from the Adepta Sororitas faction in the same army.

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Miraculous Intervention:''' Once per game before removing Saint Celestine from play, take a Leadership test. If succesful, place a marker where Saint Celestine was removed. At the start of your next turn, place Saint Celestine back on the battlefield, all her Wounds restored, within 1" of the counter. if Saint Celestine would be placed within 1"of another model, move her by the minimum possible distance so that she is no longer within 1”. Saint Celestine can act normally in a turn in which she ‘resurrects’. If the test is failed Saint Celestine is removed as normal. If Saint Celestine is your Warlord, her Martyrdom special rule will only take effect, and she will only award Victory Points for objectives such as ‘Slay the Warlord’, if she fails her Act of Faith test or if she has been removed as a casualty for the second time.

====URIAH JACOBUS====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Uriah Jacobus
| 4
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 9
| 5+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 (Unique)'''...''80 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Close combat weapon'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''
*'''Rosarius'''
*'''The Banner of Sanctity:'''
Models in your army with the Armies of the Imperium super faction within 12" of the bearer have the Fearless and Counter-attack special rule whilst he is alive.
*'''The Redeemer'''
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| 24"
| 4
| 4
| Assault 2
|-
|} 

'''WARLORD TRAIT:'''
*'''Indomitable Belief:''' The Warlord, and all models in the Warlord’s unit that have the Shield of Faith special rule, have a 5+ Invulnerable save.

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Independent Character'''
*'''Martyrdom'''
*'''Protector of the Faith:''' Once per game, Uriah Jacobus’ unit can attempt to use a bonus Act of Faith, even if his unit has already used all its Acts of Faith. The Leadership test for this bonus Act of Faith is automatically passed and the unit’s Act of Faith resolves as per its bestiary entry. Only the unit’s Act of Faith can be used in this way, not that of any Independent Characters that have joined the unit. Uriah Jacobus can use this bonus Act of Faith even if his unit contained a model with a Simulacrum Imperialis that has been removed as a casualty. Using Uriah Jacobus’ bonus Act of Faith does not prevent his unit from attempting to use any remaining Acts of Faith it has in subsequent phases.
*'''The Emperor Protects:''' All models in the same unit as a model with this special rule gain a 6+ Invulnerable save.

====CANONESS====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Canoness
| 6
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 10
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 Canoness'''...''50 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Close combat weapon'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Independent Character'''
*'''Martyrdom'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn'''

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''The Passion:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in either player’s Assault phase. If successful, all models in the Canoness’ unit gain the Hatred special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May replace bolt pistol with a boltgun
*May take a rosarius
*May take melta bombs
*May take one of the following Warlord Traits:
:: - '''Executioner of Heretics'''
The Warlord has the Fear special rule. Enemy units taking Fear tests caused by the Warlord must use the unit's lowest Leadership value instead of the highest.
:: - '''Righteous Rage'''
The Warlord has the Rage and Zealot special rules.
:: - '''Master of Fate'''
Whilst your Warlord is alive, you can re-roll the dice when determining how many Victory Points are awarded for Tactical Objectives that award a random number of Victory Points when scored.
:: - '''Strategic Genius'''
You add +1 to any Seize the Initiative roll. In addition, whilst your Warlord is alive, you can re-roll any Reserve Rolls (failed or successful).
:: - '''Target Priority'''
In the Shooting phase, your Warlord and all friendly units within 12" of her reroll To Hit rolls of 1.
*May take items from the '''Melee Weapons''', '''Ranged Weapons''' and/or '''Ecclesiarchy Relics''' lists.

====SORORITAS COMMAND SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Celestian
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Dialogus
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Hospitaller
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Dialogus and Hospitaller are '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''5 Celestians'''...''65 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Boltgun''' (Celestians only)
*'''Chirurgeon’s tools''' (Hospitaller only)
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''
*'''Laud hailer''' (Dialogus only)

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn'''

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Endless Crusade:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in your Assault phase. If successful, all models in the Sororitas Command Squad’s unit gain the Fleet, Crusader and Move Through Cover special rules until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*One Celestian may be upgraded to a Hospitaller...''15 pts''
*One Celestian may be upgraded to a Dialogus...''8 pts''
*the Dialogus may take items from the '''Ecclesiarchy Relics''' list.
*The unit may take melta bombs...''13 pts''
*One Celestian may take one of the following:
:: - Blessed standard...''15 pts''
:: - Sacred Banner of the Order Militant...''40 pts''
'One other Celestian may take a simulacrum imperialis...''10 pts''
*Any other Celestian may takes from the '''Melee Weapons''', '''Ranged Weapons''', '''Special Weapons''' and/or '''Heavy Weapons''' lists.
*The unit may select a Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

====MINISTORUM PRIEST====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Arco-flagellant
| 5
| 1
| 5
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 3
| 8
| -
|-
| Crusader
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 8
| 5+
|-
| Death Cult Assasin
| 5
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 1
| 6
| 2
| 8
| 5+
|-
| Ministorum Priest
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 5
| 5+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''
*'''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''
*'''1 Ministorum Priest'''...''35 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''

''Arco-flagellant''
*'''Two arco-flails'''

''Crusader''
*'''Power sword'''
*'''Storm shield'''

''Death Cult Assasin''
*'''Two power swords'''

''Ministorum Priest''
*'''Las Pistol'''
*'''Close Combat Weapon'''
*'''Frag Grenades'''
*'''Rosarius'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''

''Arco-flagellant''
*'''Feel No Pain'''

''Death Cult Assasin''
*'''Uncanny Reflexes:''' a model with this special rule has a 5+ invulnerable save.

''Ministorum Priest''
*'''Independent Character'''
*'''Zealot'''
*'''The Emperor Protects:''' All models in the same unit as a model with this special rule gain a 6+ Invulnerable save.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May take one of the following:
:: - Lasgun...''1 pt''
:: - Plasma pistol...''5 pts''
*The Ministorum Priest may replace the Independent Character special rule wtih 3-10 Arco-flagellants...''8 pts/model''
*May replace any Arco-flaggelant with one of the following:
:: - Crusader...''4 pts/model''
:: - Death Cult Assasins...''2 pts/model''
*May take a Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

===TROOPS===
====BATTLE SISTER SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Battle Sister
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 8
| 3+
|-
| Sister Superior
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Veteran Sister Superior
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Sister Superior and Veteran Sister Superior are '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Battle Sisters, 1 Sister Superior'''...''45 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Boltgun'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn''' (Veteran Sister Superior only)

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Light of the Emperor:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used either in your Shooting phase or in either player’s Assault phase. If successful, all models in the Battle Sisters’ unit gain the Preferred Enemy special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to fifteen additional Battle Sisters...''9 pts/model''
*One Battle Sister may take a simulacrum imperialis...''10 pts''
*One other Battle Sister may take items from the '''Special Weapons''' list.
*One other Battle Sister may take items from the '''Special Weapons''' or '''Heavy Weapons''' list.
*May upgrade the Sister Superior to a Veteran Sister Superior...''10 pts''
*The Sister Superior or Veteran Sister Superior may take melta bombs...''5 pts''
*The Sister Superior or Veteran Sister Superior may take items from the '''Melee Weapons''' and/or '''Ranged Weapons''' lists.
*The unit may select a Sororitas Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

===ELITES===
====CELESTIAN SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Celestian
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Celestian Superior
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Celestian Superior is '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Celestians, 1 Celestian Superior'''...''60 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Boltgun'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn'''

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Hand of the Emperor:''' One use only. This Act of Faith is used in a friendly Assault phase. If successful, the Celestian Squad may Assault even if it disembarked from a non-Assault vehicle this turn. In addition, all models in the Celestian Squad's unit gain the Furious Charge special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to five additional Celestians...''12 pts/model''
*One Celestian may take a simulacrum imperialis
*One other Celestian may take items from the '''Special Weapons''' list.
*One other Celestian may take items from the '''Special Weapons''' or '''Heavy Weapons''' list.
*The Celestian Superior may take melta bombs
*The Celestian Superior may take items from the '''Melee Weapons''' and/or '''Ranged Weapons''' lists.
*The unit may select a Sororitas Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

====REPENTIA SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Sister Repentia
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 8
| -
|-
| Mistress of Repentance
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Mistress of Repentance is '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Sisters Repentia, 1 Mistress of Repentance'''...''55 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''

''Mistress of Repentance''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''
*'''Two neural whips'''

''Sister Repentia''
*'''Eviscerator'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Fearless'''
*'''Fleet'''
*'''Rage'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Spirit of the Martyr:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in either player’s Assault phase. If successful, all models in the Sisters Repentia unit gain the Feel No Pain (3+) special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to five additional Sisters Repentia...''9 pts/model''
*The Mistress of Repentance may take melta bombs...''5 pts''
*The unit may select a Sororitas Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

===FAST ATTACK===
====DOMINION SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Dominion
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 8
| 3+
|-
| Dominion Superior
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Veteran Dominion Superior
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Dominion Superior and Veteran Dominion Superior are '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Dominions, 1 Dominion Superior'''...''45 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Boltgun'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Scout'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn''' (Veteran Dominion Superior only)

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Holy Fusillade:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in the Shooting phase. If successful, all weapons in the Dominions unit have the Ignores Cover special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to five additional Dominions...''9 pts/model''
*One Dominion may take a simulacrum imperialis...''10 pts''
*Four other Dominions may take items from the '''Special Weapons''' list.
*May upgrade the Dominion Superior to a Veteran Dominion Superior...''10 pts''
*The Dominion Superior or Veteran Dominion Superior may take melta bombs...''5 pts''
*The Dominion Superior or Veteran Dominion Superior may take items from the '''Melee Weapons''' and/or '''Ranged Weapons''' lists.
*The unit may select a Sororitas Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

====SERAPHIM SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Seraphim
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Seraphim Superior
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Celestian Superior is '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Seraphim, 1 Seraphim Superior'''...''70 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol''' (Seraphim Superior only)
*'''Close combat weapon''' (Seraphim Superior only)
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''
*'''Two bolt pistols''' (Seraphim only)

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Angelic Visage:''' Models with this special rule re-roll failed invulnerable saves granted by the Shield of Faith special rule.
*'''Hit & Run'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''The Emperor’s Deliverance:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in the Shooting phase. If successful, all weapons in the Seraphim unit gain the Shred special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to five additional Seraphim...''13 pts/model''
*Up to two Seraphim may replace their two bolt pistols with one of the following:
:: - Two hand flamers...''5 pts''
:: - Two inferno pistols...''12 pts''
*May upgrade one Seraphim to a Seraphim Superior
*The Seraphim Superior may replace her close combat weapon with one of the following:
:: - Two bolt pistols...''1 pt''
:: - Power sword...''9 pts''
*The Seraphim Superior may replace her bolt pistol with a plasma pistol...''5 pts''
*The Seraphim Superior may take melta bombs...''8 pts''

====SORORITAS RHINO====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! BS
! FA
! SA
! RA
! HP
|-
| Sororitas Rhino
| 4
| 11
| 11
| 10
| 3
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Vehicle (Tank, Transport)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 Sororitas Rhino'''...''40 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Storm bolter'''
*'''Searchlight'''
*'''Smoke launchers'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Repair:''' If a Rhino is Immobilised, then in subsequent turns, it may attempt to repair itself instead of shooting. To make the attempt, roll a D6 in the Shooting phase; on the roll of a 6, the vehicle is no longer Immobilised. Note that a successful Repair does not restore a Hull Point.
*'''Shield of Faith'''

'''TRANSPORT:'''
*'''Transport Capacity:''' Ten models. It cannot carry models with the '''Bulky''', '''Very Bulky''' or '''Extremely Bulky''' special rules.
*'''Fire Points:''' Two models can fire from the Sororitas Rhino´s top hatch.
*'''Access Points:''' The Sororitas Rhino has one Access Point on each side of the hull and one at the rear.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May take items from the '''Adepta Sororitas Vehicle Equipment''' list.

====IMMOLATOR====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! BS
! FA
! SA
! RA
! HP
|-
| Immolator
| 4
| 11
| 11
| 10
| 3
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Vehicle (Tank, Transport)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 Immolator'''...''50 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Twin-linked heavy flamer'''
*'''Searchlight'''
*'''Smoke launchers'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''

'''TRANSPORT:'''
*'''Transport Capacity:''' Six models. It cannot carry models with the '''Bulky''', '''Very Bulky''' or '''Extremely Bulky''' special rules.
*'''Access Points:''' The Immolator has one Access Point on each side of the hull and one at the rear.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May take items from the '''Adepta Sororitas Vehicle Equipment''' list.
*May replace its twin-linked heavy flamer with one of the following:
:: - Twin-linked heavy bolter...''3 pts''
:: - Twin-linked multi-melta...''8 pts''

===HEAVY SUPPORT===
====EXORCIST====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! BS
! FA
! SA
! RA
! HP
|-
| Exorcist
| 4
| 13
| 11
| 10
| 3
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Vehicle (Tank)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 Exorcist'''...''125 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Exorcist missile launcher'''
*'''Searchlight'''
*'''Smoke launchers'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May take items from the '''Adepta Sororitas Vehicle Equipment''' list.

====PENITENT ENGINE====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! FA
! SA
! RA
! I
! A
! HP
|-
| Penitent Engine
| 4
| 2
| 5
| 11
| 11
| 10
| 3
| 3
| 3
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Vehicle (Walker, Open-topped)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''1 Penitent Engine'''...''70 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Two powerfists with built-in heavy flamers'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Rage'''
*'''Scout'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Unstoppable:''' Penitent Engines ignore the effects of any Crew Shaken and Crew Stunned results on the Vehicle Damage table (but will still lose a Hull Point for each glancing or penetrating hit inflicted).

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to two additional Penitent Engines...''70 pts/model''

====RETRIBUTOR SQUAD====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! WS
! BS
! S
! T
! W
! I
! A
! Ld
! Sv
|-
| Retributor
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 8
| 3+
|-
| Retributor Superior
| 3
| 4
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 9
| 3+
|-
| Veteran Retributor Superior
| 4
| 5
| 3
| 3
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 9
| 3+
|-
|}
 
'''UNIT TYPE:'''

'''Infantry'''. Sister Superior and Veteran Sister Superior are '''Infantry (Character)'''

'''UNIT COMPOSITION:'''

'''4 Retributors, 1 Retributor Superior'''...''45 pts''

'''WARGEAR:'''
*'''Bolt pistol'''
*'''Boltgun'''
*'''Frag grenades'''
*'''Krak grenades'''

'''SPECIAL RULES:'''
*'''Act of Faith'''
*'''Shield of Faith'''
*'''Stubborn''' (Veteran Retributor Superior only)

'''ACT OF FAITH:'''

'''Divine Guidance:''' One use only. This Act of Faith can be used in the Shooting phase. If successful, all weapons in the Retributors unit gain the Rending special rule until the end of the current phase.

'''OPTIONS:'''
*May include up to five additional Retributors...''9 pts/model''
*One Retributor may take a simulacrum imperialis...''10 pts''
*Up to four other Retributors may take items from the '''Heavy Weapons''' list.
*May upgrade the Retributor Superior to a Veteran Retributor Superior...''10 pts''
*The Retributor Superior or Veteran Retributor Superior may take melta bombs...''5 pts''
*The Retributor Superior or Veteran Retributor Superior may take items from the '''Melee Weapons''' and/or '''Ranged Weapons''' lists.
*The unit may select a Sororitas Rhino or Immolator as a Dedicated Transport.

==APPENDIX==
===ARMY SPECIAL RULES===
An Adepta Sororitas army uses a number of special rules that are common to several of its units, which are collected here for your convenience. Special rules that are unique to particular units are presented in the relevant unit entry instead. Other, more common rules are simply listed by name – these are all described in full in the Special Rules section of ''Warhammer 40,000: The Rules''.

====ACT OF FAITH====
Some units are noted as having the Act of Faith special rule in their entry. Different units have different Acts of Faith, each of which is named in the unit’s entry along with the specific rules it bestows when used, but all Acts of Faith use the rules listed here.

A unit with the Act of Faith special rule can attempt to use its Act of Faith immediately before it acts during a phase; i.e. immediately before the unit moves in the Movement phase, shoots (or runs) in the Shooting phase, or before any blows are stuck (either by friend or foe) in the Assault phase. To do so the unit must take a Leadership test.

If the test is failed, nothing happens and that unit cannot attempt to use that Act of Faith again for the rest of the battle. If the test is passed, the Act of Faith is successful; unless stated otherwise, all models in the unit will immediately gain a special rule until the end of the current phase. The special rule gained will be listed in that unit’s Act of Faith entry, along with which phase(s) the Act of Faith can be attempted in.

Unless stated otherwise, a unit can only attempt to use an Act of Faith once per game and a unit cannot attempt to use more than one Act of Faith in the same phase.
====MARTYRDOM====
If a model with the Martyrdom special rule is your Warlord, and that model is removed as a casualty during the battle, all friendly units wholly comprised of models with the Act of Faith special rule automatically pass all Leadership tests until the end of your next turn.
===MELEE WEAPONS===
====ARCO-FLAIL====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| User
| -
| Melee, Specialist Weapon
|-
|} 
====CLOSE COMBAT WEAPON====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| User
| -
| Melee
|-
|} 
====EVISCERATOR====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| x2
| 2
| Melee, Armourbane, Two-handed
|-
|} 
====NEURAL WHIP====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| User
| 3
| Melee, Neural Shock, Specialist Weapon
|-
|} 
::'''Neural Shock:''' Against non-vehicle units with a Leadership of 8 or less, a Neural Whip has the Shred special rule. If there are different Leadership values in the target unit, use the majority value.
====POWER WEAPONS====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Power axe
| -
| +1
| 2
| Melee, Unwieldy
|-
| Power fist
| -
| x2
| 2
| Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
|-
| Power lance
| -
| +1/User
| 3/4
| Melee, Lance
|-
| Power maul
| -
| +2
| 4
| Melee
|-
| Power sword
| -
| User
| 3
| Melee
|-
|} 
===RANGED WEAPONS===
====AUTOGUN====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| 24"
| 3
| -
| Rapid Fire
|-
|} 
====BOLT WEAPONS====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Bolt pistol
| 12"
| 4
| 5
| Pistol
|-
| Boltgun
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Rapid Fire
|-
| Condemnor boltgun
|
|
|
|
|-
|
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Rapid Fire
|-
|
| 24"
| 5
| -
| Assault 1, Psi-shock, One Use Only
|-
| Combi-flamer
|
|
|
|
|-
|
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Rapid Fire
|-
|
| Template
| 4
| 5
| Assault 1, Flamer Weapon
|-
| Combi-melta
|
|
|
|
|-
|
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Rapid Fire
|-
|
| 12"
| 8
| 1
| Assault 1, Melta
|-
| Combi-plasma
|
|
|
|
|-
|
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Rapid Fire
|-
|
| 24"
| 7
| 2
| Rapid Fire, Gets Hot, One Use Only
|-
| Heavy bolter
| 36"
| 5
| 4
| Heavy 3
|-
| Storm bolter
| 24"
| 4
| 5
| Assault 2
|-
|} 
::'''Psi-shock:''' Any Psyker that takes an unsaved Wound from a weapon with this special rule suffers the Perils of the Warp in addition to any other effects.

====EXORCIST MISSILE LAUNCHER====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| 48"
| 8
| 1
| Heavy D6
|-
|} 
====FLAMER WEAPONS====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Flamer
| Template
| 4
| 5
| Assault 1, Flamer Weapon
|-
| Heavy flamer
| Template
| 5
| 4
| Assault 1, Flamer Weapon
|-
|} 
====LASPISTOL====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| 12"
| 3
| -
| Pistol
|-
|} 
====MELTA WEAPONS====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Inferno pistol
| 6"
| 8
| 1
| Pistol, Melta
|-
| Meltagun
| 12"
| 8
| 1
| Assault 1, Melta
|-
| Multi-melta
| 24"
| 8
| 1
| Heavy 1, Melta
|-
|} 
====PLASMA WEAPONS====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
!
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| Plasma gun
| 24"
| 7
| 2
| Rapid Fire, Gets Hot
|-
| Plasma pistol
| 12"
| 7
| 2
| Pistol, Gets Hot
|-
|} 
====SHOTGUN====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| 12"
| 3
| -
| Assault 2
|-
|} 
===SPECIAL ISSUE WARGEAR===
====BLESSED STANDARD====
Friendly units within 12" of the bearer re-roll failed Morale, Fear and Pinning tests.

====CHIRURGEON'S TOOLS====
As long as the Hospitaller is alive, all models in her unit have the Feel No Pain special rule.

====LAUD HAILER====
All friendly units within 12" of a model with a laud hailer re-roll failed Leadership tests when attempting an Act of Faith.

====ROSARIUS====
A rosarius confers a 4+ invulnerable save.

====SIMULACRUM IMPERIALIS====
A unit with a Simulacrum Imperialis can attempt to use its Act of Faith twice during a battle instead of just once, regardless of whether or not the
first attempt resulted in a passed or failed Leadership test. Note, however, that a unit can
still only attempt to use one Act of Faith in the same phase. Also note that only the unit’s Act of Faith can be attempted twice, not that of any Independent Characters that have joined the unit.

If a model with the Simulacrum Imperialis is removed as a casualty, its unit cannot attempt to use their Act of Faith for the rest of the battle (but any Independent Characters that have joined the unit that can use an Act of Faith can still attempt to do so).

====STORM SHIELD====
A storm shield confers a 3+ invulnerable save. In addition, a model equipped with a storm shield can never claim the +1 Attack gained for being armed with two Melee weapons in an assault.

===ADEPTA SORORITAS VEHICLE EQUIPMENT===
====LAUD HAILER====
All friendly units within 12" of a model with a laud hailer re-roll failed Leadership tests when attempting an Act of Faith.

===ECCLESIARCHY RELICS===
'''Only one each of the following relics can be chosen per army.'''
====BOOK OF SAINT LUCIUS====
All friendly units within 12" of the bearer with the Adepta Sororitas faction automatically pass any Fear or Regroup tests they are required to take.

The bearer has the It Will Not Die special rule but pass these rolls on a 3+ instead of a 5+.
====BLADE OF ADMONITION====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| +2
| 2
| Melee, Traitor's Bane, Master-crafted, Honour or Death, Mirror's Edge
|-
|} 
::'''Honour or Death:''' A model with this special rule or the bearer of a weapon with this speccial rule must issue and accept a challenge whenever possible. If there is more than one friendly model in a combat with this rule, you may select which model issues or accepts the challenge.
::'''Mirror's Edge:''' The bearer may re-roll failed Leadership tests. When the bearer fails a re-rolled Leadership test the bearer is removed from the game as a casualty.
::'''Traitor's Bane:''' To Wound rolls of 6 made with this weapon against models with the Armies of the Imperium super faction or the Chaos Space Marines or Mutants and Heretics faction have the Instant Death special rule.

====CLOAK OF SAINT ASPIRA====
The wearer of the Cloak of Saint Aspira re-rolls all failed armour saving throws and invulnerable saving throws.
====MACE OF VALAAN====
::{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! Range
! S
! AP
! Type
|-
| -
| +5
| 4
| Melee, Chaos Bane, Concussive, Master-crafted
|-
|} 
::'''Chaos Bane:''' This weapon gains the Fleshbane and Armourbane special rules when the bearer is within 6" of a model with the Daemon special rule.
====MANTLE OF OPHELIA====
The bearer has the Eternal Warrior special rule until the Mantle of Ophelia is activated. Once per game the Mantle of Ophelia may be activated to restore all Wounds the bearer lost in the battle and grant the bearer the Zealot special rule.
====LITANIES OF FAITH====
The bearer, the bearer’s unit and any Independent Character that has joined the bearer’s unit automatically pass any Leadership test they are required to make for their Acts of Faith. In addition, the bearer has the Fear special rule.
====SACRED BANNER OF THE ORDER MILITANT====
All friendly units with the Adepta Sororitas faction within 12" of the bearer have +1 Attack and re-roll failed Morale, Fear and Pinning tests.

[[category: Angry Codices]]

Malcador the Sigillite

2020-02-07T20:46:47Z

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[[File:The Sigillite clean.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Administratum]] of the 41st millennium wishes it could be half as competent as Malcador. On second thought, [[Grimdark|no they don't]]. [[Primarch#Two_Missing_Primarchs_.7C_The_Forgotten_.26_The_Purged|Interesting armrests...]]]]
{{topquote|No one records something they wish to forget.|Anonymous, though often quoted by Malcador the Sigillite, ''The Last Council}}
{{topquote|I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.|''The Lord of the Rings'', [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]}}
{{topquote|I am here because when all else fails, when all the other [[Primarchs|mighty gods]] have [[Horus Heresy|gone off to war]], I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian.|Hestia, to Percy Jackson, in ''The Last Olympian''}}

'''Malcador the Sigillite''' (also known as Malcador the Hero or Malcador the Laundryman Of Teh Emprah or Malcador the Mammy) was Regent of Terra, Master of the [[Administratum]], first Grand Master of the [[Officio Assassinorum]], the founder of the [[Inquisition]], and all around bestest bud of the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor of Mankind]] during the [[Great Crusade]] and the [[Horus Heresy]]. The real life equivalent of Malcador's position in the Imperium is that of Prime Minister/Chancellor, who acted as de facto head of government in the name of the sovereign (the Emperor). He was also originally known as Brahm al-Khadour (Brah, Malkhadour '''WUT?'''), last of the Sigillites, the cursed wanderer, the perpetual.

In some respects, Malcador represents something of the Emprah's final dream for mankind as well as something of the nightmare that the Imperium became. In every sense he is just a man. Not a super augmented warrior monk, just a clever old bugger. Like Big E, he understood that the Imperium needed taxes and administration as well as generals and he entrusted those duties to other normal humans. Perhaps because of his belief that humanity would not outgrow the Emperor's influence, many of the organisations he created lacked adequate oversight, and descended into corruption in the wake of the Horus Heresy. Even so, this was at least humans being [[dick]]s to each other not [[Primarch|demigods]] lording it over the rest.

==History==
Having served the Emprah during the Unification of [[Terra]] ''(by his own reckoning he was 6718 years old by the close of the Heresy)'', he was present during the creation of the [[Primarchs]] and advised the Emperor during the early stages of the [[Great Crusade]]. Interestingly, the very first Space Marines (as in pre-legion Dark Angels) were noted to have fought with the Emperor against a psychic group called the '''Sigillites''' (even being mentally shielded against psychic assault by the Emperor himself for the campaign; warriors from said campaign had a base d+10 on psychic defense rolls), implying that Malcador may have been one of their number. ''The Last Council'' confirms this, in addition to revealing that he is a [[Perpetual]]. According to at least one source, it was Malcador that convinced the Emperor to call Himself "The Emperor"; when they met, the "emperor" was just the greatest of Terran warlords and little else.

Malcador himself explains that he is the last of the Sigillite order, and further goes on to explain that they were a group which existed to preserve the memories of the past; it was Malcador's duty to remind the Emperor of the lessons of the past and to guide Him in the future. One can surmise that Emps discovered his Perpetual nature and figured he may as well put him to use in studying Terra's history and using it as a foundation for the further expansion of what would become the Imperium. That said, the Emperor killed the rest of the Sigillites and used their base as the core of the Imperial Palace. It has been implies that the Sigillites were also violent warlords that did their fair share of oppressing.

When the Primarchs started getting collected and the new Imperium spread outwards, Malcador served as the Regent of Terra, acting as a prime minister who kept the day-to-day activities of the [[Imperium of Man]] running, sponsoring various agencies (like the [[Remembrancer|Remembrancer Order]]), appointing the [[High Lords of Terra|Council of Terra]] and building the [[Administratum]] from the ground up. He also was behind the creation of the [[Officio Assassinorum]], because he realised that not all problems could be solved with either [[Iterator|diplomacy]] or a [[Space Marines|public power boot]] to the arse. He also established the Conservator Order to preserve history and the Order Elucidatum to burn any historical texts deemed religious or inconvenient, so the "modern" Inquisitorial infighting is nothing new.

After the Emperor returned to Terra and set up the Council of Terra, the Emperor appointed Malcador to the position of First Lord of the Council (essentially the Prime Minister of the Imperium at that point, where the [[Horus|Warmaster]] was the overall military commander), while the Emperor descended into the Imperial palace and set to work on gaining access to the [[Webway]]. Though he tried to be some kind of cool uncle/granddad to the Primarchs, most of them seem to have gotten jealous of his closeness to the Emperor; all of them made threatening displays of physical oomph in front of him, and at least two of them straight-up assaulted him (with Mortarion strangling him and Lorgar backhanding him around like a ragdoll). At the time, Mortarion was the most recent Primarch to be discovered, so we don't know if [[Jaghatai Khan]], [[Alpharius]] and the rest decided to lay the smackdown on grandpa. Suffice to say, the Emperor only had to deal with the Primarchs at their best on the weekend whereas Malcador had to deal with the behemoth brats for the rest of the week, meaning he got the shit end of the stick. Weirdly, the Primarch that had the best relationship with 'ol Malcy was shown to be [[Leman Russ]], who actually did treat him like a beloved old grandad that he could chill and play hrafnkel with.

His reputation with the Primarchs, especially Horus and [[Alpharius#But_Wait.21|"Alpharius"]], was not helped by the fact that it was him who ultimately made the decision to commit damnatio memoriae on the [[Primarch#Two_Missing_Primarchs_.7C_The_Forgotten_.26_The_Purged|2nd and 11th]], this prompted Horus to confronte Malcador about this, then proceeded to throw a pre-heresy [[Butthurt|hissyfit]] so Malcador made sure to force choke him until he calmed his demihuman tits meanwhile [[Jaghatai Khan]] & [[Alpharius]] watched like children while their drunk dad beat their older brother. Which may have played a part in forming Horus' opinions on humans and not only their ability to, but what right they had, to self-govern.

When the [[Horus Heresy]] broke out, Malcador worked closely but-not-always-that-closely with [[Rogal Dorn]] (there were [[skub|some divergences of opinions]] between the loyal-to-the-point-of-naivety Dorn and the pragmatic-to-the-point-of-cynicism Malcador) in preparing the defenses of Terra and coordinating the logistics of the war effort, as well as overseeing a formation of special projects such as the [[Astronomican|Adeptus Astronomican]] and, towards the end of the Horus Heresy, the [[Grey Knights]].

While he globally did a pretty decent job of keeping the Imperium running, there was one decision that in hindsight came to bite them in the ass spectacularly. With the worlds directly around Terra exsanguinated by the demands of the [[Great Crusade]], Malcador and the Council decided to implement supplementary taxes on top of the already existing [[Imperial Tithe]] to pay for support for the now-widespread and far-flung Expeditionary Fleets. While this was a good idea in theory, in practice it proved to be a source of discontent and rebellion. Where those worlds that had been visited by the [[Salamanders]] or [[Raven Guard]] (whose ''modus operandi'' was to limit casualties) or the [[Ultramarines]] (who wrecked things but rebuilt afterwards) could and did contribute relatively easily, those that had gotten rekt by the likes of the [[Death Guard]] or [[Iron Hands]] '''really''' weren't inclined to pay even more to the Imperium that devastated their planet.

==Malcador's Fate==
Malcador is dead. Very, very dead. During the Siege of Terra, the only chance that the Emperor could get to join the battle would be if someone took his place sitting on the Golden Throne, since [[Magnus]]'s interference broke it and threatened Terra with a new [[Eye of Terror]]. Malcador's psychic power meant he was the only potential candidate to do so while the Emperor fought off the [[Chaos Space Marines]]. However, since he was really not on the same psychic level as Big E, the process of painfully shutting the door in the daemon's faces each time they tried to open it burned him out (literally) in a matter of hours. He crumbled to dust after the Emperor was returned to the seat by Rogal Dorn and Jaghatai Khan. Keeping in mind that Malcador is a [[perpetual]], that's some pretty hardcore currents flowing through and goes even further to show how ridiculously OP the Emperor is. With his last ounce of strength, he allowed the Emperor to communicate with his mortal servants one last time. Truly, Malcador was an all around awesome bureaucrat and manipulator to the very end.

Though, the fact he disintegrated after being taken off of the golden throne sort of defies the claim made in ''The Last Council'' that he's a perpetual. One could argue that he sacrificed his perpetual power to marginally restore the Emperor back to consciousness, what can't be waived away is the fact that unlike any other perpetual, he's a decrepit old man by the time of the Horus Heresy, and it's known he used his psyker powers to mask his age whenever it suited him and he's been subject to rejuvenation treatments to extend his life; both are things that shouldn't be necessary for a perpetual, impossible in the former's case ([[derp|unless it happens he was faking being old this whole time]]). The idea that he self-immolated on the atomic level just so the Emperor could speak without having to use his own psyker powers is also monumentally stupid considering how much more good he could've done had he not, unless it happened there was no chance he couldn't regenerate anyway and was just making some last ditch effort to save the Imperium before the inevitable.

It might be that he was doing more than just sacrificing his perpetual status so the Emperor could open his eyes slightly and slur out some orders like an alcoholic on a binge struggling to stay awake. The going fan-theory is that the Emperor might himself be a perpetual, but the message being sent by this revelation is that while the Emperor is indeed a perpetual himself as of the time he was interred to the Golden Throne, he wasn't always, and it took Malcador giving it to him at the expense of his own life to make it happen, which would make better sense considering that while ordinarily being turned into a rotting corpse means you're not a perpetual as they heal like [[fail|Wolverine in X-Men 3]].

==Malcador's Insights==
There was much more to Malcador than meets the eye. He was the last of the Sigillites, a secret order of chroniclers and history-keepers that guided humanity from the very beginning through their knowledge of the past, and that the '''=][=''' symbol often associated with the later [[Inquisition]] was actually the symbol of his order, therefore he was probably one of the old-school [[Illuminati (40k)|Illuminati]].

As a former enemy of the Emperor, he still acted as a devil's advocate to some degree, disagreeing with the Emperor on some very fundamental points:

*Malcador worried about the Emperor being so far above humanity, [[The Last Church|so inspirational in his efforts to squeeze out superstition and false religion]] that it would eventually cause [[Imperial Cult|religious cults]] to form around himself and his sons instead, which is [[Derp|exactly what happened.]]
*He also warned that humanity would be so invested in the Emperor that if he were to ever leave or die, humanity would not be able to handle the shock and would be left paralysed and without direction. The Emperor himself dismissed this as nonsense, since his intention was to raise humanity and allow it to think for itself, but again it is exactly what happened in the end - another [[Not as Planned|miscalculation]] on his part. To be fair, the Emperor’s plan for human independence was not completed by the time things went to hell.
**When looked at from a different point of view: the Emperor's plan to invade and conquer the Webway ''(which Magnus was supposed to assist with if he had not broken it)'', then lead humanity into enlightenment away from the dangers of unrestrained psychic potential ''(which Mortarion was supposed to be the poster boy for if he hadn't switched sides)'' was so utterly dependent on the Emperor being the center of it all that he was was practically setting himself up for failure. While the Emperor was betting the future of the species on the outcome of his own plan, Malcador was thankfully setting up contingencies just in case everything went tits up.

Therefore it could be said that all of Malcador's efforts to create the agencies that the Imperium would need later were all part of an insurance policy that humanity could deploy if it ever turned out that the Emperor and his Primarchs could [[Horus Heresy|not be relied upon]] to carry humanity on their [[Pauldron|shoulders]]. Needless to say, if Malcador were the Emperor, [[noblebright|things might have turned out better for the Imperium]].

One of his more amusing requests was that [[Fabius Bile|the Primarchs be made female instead of male, or at the very least, add female Primarchs into the mix.]] His primary reasoning was that it would largely deter conflicts within his children, as boys tended to have a competitive "dick-measuring attitude" towards each other, preventing them all from cohesively working with each other. The apparent idea was that girls are generally more level-headed than boys and act more as the voice of reason in a family ([[Derp|according to people who don't have more than one daughter or sister]]), which would probably have eased some of the tensions that led to the Primarchs despising each other. The Emperor eventually dismissed this, both as a joke and as an impossibility, since the Space Marine gene-seed was keyed towards male subjects. He'd apparently tried to create [[female Space Marines]] at one point but it didn't work out; [[Skub|his refusal makes sense]] as the changes to physiology would effectively change supplicants into hyper-competitive dick-measurers anyway in terms of muscle mass, endurance, stamina, and aggression, what with the sheer amounts of testosterone needed for the rapid growth process. So, males it was; it's worth taking this in particular, with a ''healthy dose'' of salt, considering previous paragraphs.

The Emperor expected his sons to be of one mind as he planned to train them under his [[Imperial Truth|unified guidance]], ensuring they would work [[Krieg|utterly objectively with no personal feelings to get in the way]] (much like him). This expectation went to shit when the Chaos Gods spirited the Primarchs away from Terra and they landed on different planets and being raised with different backgrounds and beliefs, causing friction between those whose home culture did not really mesh with each other. To make matters worse, they tended to have complete faith in their own rectitude, [[Thunder Warriors|with utter intolerance of anyone who got in the way]] (much like him). This undiluted brotherly rivalry wasn't helped by the Emperor not bothering to ease the tensions between his sons, which as mentioned above may or may not have been intentional on His part, and it would all eventually royally bite him back in his golden buttplate when the Horus Heresy erupted. As previously indicated, it also caused Malcador quite a lot of physical pain.

==Credits==
He was the second or third most powerful human [[psyker]] of his time (after Big E and possibly [[Magnus the Red]]), being able to do things such as plunging the entire moon of [[Solar System#Saturn|Titan]] in the Warp to protect what would become the Grey Knights from the attacking Traitor Legions. He was also able to prevent a volkite gun from firing even while [[What|surrounded by a squad]] of [[Sisters of Silence]], who were there to keep the psyker [[Knights-Errant|Sevarian]]'s powers in check, without showing any sort of discomfort or loss of concentration.

His powers were strong enough to casually FORCECHOKE (well, he kinda prepped himself up for the confrontation, even went to pickup his power staff to help focus his powers) [[Horus]] almost to death, when the latter grew angry about one of the missing Primarch's legacies being erased and tries to say their name. Malcador says he can "unmake" Horus there and then, but relents when the Khan begs. Hard to tell if this was a bluff or not. This is before Horus gets blessed by Chaos, but it is still an incredible feat (especially considering that [[Forge World]] gave Horus ''Adamantium Will'' and a terminator armour that makes him near invulnerable to psychic powers regardless of the psykers' might), though Horus could resist to the point that it tired out the old man quite a lot. Also led to Horus being obsessed with Malcadors private history for a few decades, which he shared with the Khan before the Heresy.

Though it has never been seen, he must have been one badass warrior too, since he was the Grand Master of the Assassins. Says something that he took a bone-crunching backhand from Lorgar on the chin. This, in addition to his above-mentioned prodigious psychic power, shows what sort of man Malcador was. With his power - and considering only a few Primarchs are psychic or have psychic defenses (actually they all had psychic potential but most didn't realise, or at least understand, their full potential) - he probably could've put Lorgar on a time out. On the moon. With his mind. Because Lorgar's powers hadn't come into their own yet, Malcador could've put him down for the count quite easily back then. It's also worth mentioning that he was more or less able to withstand the strain of the Golden Throne [[Awesome|''all by himself'']] (and even managed to save some psychic strength for the Emperor) before he died, a feat which in the current era requires the strength of over a thousand trained psykers and the dead Emperor himself to pull off effectively. What a hero.

He proposed the [[Chaplain]] edict, ironically taking the idea from [[Lorgar]] and [[Sanguinius]] though back then they were more like [[Commissar]]s, keeping order and looking for <s>[[heresy]]</s> non-compliance, instead of the modern day warrior-priests.

There is also [[Malcador Heavy Tank|a tank named after him]], though nowadays another tank named after [[Leman Russ|an important hero and leader]] of the Imperium is used more often, the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ]], passing over yet another [[Macharius Heavy Tank|perfectly servicable vehicle]]. Russ is a [[Galactic Partridges|glory hog]] like that.

He was also potentially the busiest man in existence, having founded the [[Adeptus Terra|administration]] of pretty much the ENTIRE Imperium single-handedly. The organizations he founded - the [[Administratum]], the [[Officio Assassinorum]], the [[Astronomican|Adeptus Astronomica]] and the [[Inquisition]] - have been borderline fucking up everything else (and each other) ever since without his guidance. So far, however, humans still exist; a testament to Malcador's administrative foresight. After all, a stable government gets the job done even with the worst sort.

His force staff was originally thought to have passed to the [[Matt Ward|Ultramarines]], but it turned out it was lost instead and was later found by the AdMech.

What's the best part? He is just a normal dude. A race of potential Malcador's doesn't sound too bad, does it?

== See also ==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdAN0o3oqB8 Malcador's opinion on Grimdark.]

{{Imperium}}

Dhampir

2020-02-07T20:46:33Z

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[[File:Alucard1.png|250px|thumb|right|Alucard from [[Castlevania]] is a Dhampir, sort of. Here's a hot take: Did you know Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards?]]

Although the idea of [[vampire]]s being sexy is generally associated with lore from the Gothic Horror novels of the late 1800s to today, even before that, in the Balkan region of Europe, it was believed that some vampires would come back from the dead and have sex with their wives - sex that could lead to the birth of half human, half vampire offspring. Known variously as '''Dhampyres''', '''Dhampirs''', '''Dhamphirs''' or '''Dhampyrs''', these mythological beings were believed to have certain vampiric strengths, which made them excellent vampire hunters, but none of their vampiric weaknesses, such as an aversion to sunlight or need to feed on blood.

In /tg/, dhampyres are a comparatively rare sight; they're considered too much the natural fit for "edgelords" - the kinds of players who usually migrate to [[drow]] or [[tiefling]] PCs because they think the "dark, brooding, angsty character" is [[awesome]] - or else they're seen as too rooted in Gothic Horror. Others even think they're ''too'' fantastical to believe in their existence, even by the standards of your typical fantasy world. Or they may simply defy the fundamental rules of a given setting's vampires. But they do survive here and there.

==Dungeons & Dragons==
[[Dungeons & Dragons]] has had a couple of attempts at a dhampyre race, but none have really taken off officially; there was a "Katane" race in [[Dragon Magazine]] #313, and assorted "Half-Vampire" templates, most notably the Dhampir and [[Vorlog]] templates in [[Ravenloft]] 3rd edition. Ironically, the closest time D&D got to it was in 4th edition; the Dhampyr as a feat-based "pseudo-template" was one of their earliest racial experiments in Dragon Magazine, whilst the [[Vryloka]] of ''Heroes of Shadow'' was essentially a Dhampyr with its name taken from another kind of vampire.

The unofficial [[Ravenloft]] 5e corebook from the Fraternity of Shadows fansite features a dhampyre race as one of the options.

[[Pathfinder]] is the only "D&D edition" thus far to feature a fully supported dhampyre player race, with four sub-variants to reflect the four specific kinds of vampire present in [[Golarion]]. Svetochers are descended from classic movie vampires, ru-shi are the children of [[Jiangshi|jiang-shi]] (Chinese hopping corpses that suck chi), ajibachana are the progeny of vetala (Indian thought vampires), and ancient-born come from [[nosferatu]].

Normally, dhampir have two major weaknesses: they're dazzled in sunlight, like a [[drow]], and, while they are living creatures, they are treated as undead for the purposes of positive and negative energy. This means [[wat|cure spells fry them and inflict spells heal them]]. While the various sub-races offer replacement penalties for the former, and it can be removed entirely at the cost of one's racial spell-like abilities, the latter you're pretty much stuck with. A feat can half-fix it: you'll still take damage from stuff that specifically hurts undead, but you can get half-healing from cure-spells and such.

===D&D Stats===
====Ravenloft Dhampir Template====
::Available Creatures: Humanoid or Monstrous Humanoid.
::Type changes to Monstrous Humanoid.
::Hit Dice: Increase by one die type, to a maximum of D12.
::Speed: Unchanged
::Armor Class: +4 natural armor.
::Attack: Gain a Slam attack.
::Full Attack: An unarmed dhampir can fight with its slam attack or its natural weapons (if any). An armed dhampir typically uses its weapon as its primary attack and follows up with a slam/natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
::Damage: A dhampir's slam attack uses either the damage values for a vampire or the base creature's own, whichever is higher.
::Special Attacks: Gain the following, all of which have a Save DC of 10 + 1/2 dhampir's Hit Dice + dhampir's Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.
:::Domination (Su): A dhampir that meets the gaze of a creature within 30 feet (treat as gaze attack, except dhampir must take a standard action and it does not affect those looking at the dhampir) can afflict them with a Dominate Person (caster level 12).
:::Blood Drain (Ex): By successfully grappling and pinning a foe, a dhampir can inflict 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round they maintain the grapple.
:::Children of the Night (Su): Once per day, a dhampir can call forth either a pack of 4d8 [[Giant Rat|Dire Rats]], a swarm of 10d10 Bats, or a pack of 3d6 Wolves. The summoned animals arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the dhampir for up to 1 hour.
::Special Qualities: Gain the following bonus SQs.
:::[[Damage Reduction]] (Su): 10/Magic
:::Resistance (Su): Cold 10, Electricity 10.
:::Spider Climb (Ex): A dhampir can scale sheer surfaces as if under a Spider Climb (caster level 12th) spell.
:::Fast Healing (Ex): A dhampir regains 1 hit point per round so long as it has not been reduced to -10 hit points.
:::Blood Requirement (Ex): A dhampir must consume humanoid blood at least once per week or it cannot use its supernatural special attacks or special qualities until it does.
:::Vulnerability to Sunlight (Su): A dhampir in natural sunlight cannot its supernatural special attacks or special qualities.
:::Restless (Su): Unless its body is destroyed as per vampire methodology, a dhampir will rise from its grave 1d4 days later as either a vampire spawn (if Hit Dice were less than 5) or a vampire.
::Saves: As base creature plus character class.
::Abilities: +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
::Skills: +6 racial bonus on BLuff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot.
::Feats: If it meets the prerequisites, a dhampir gains Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes.
::Environment: Any land.
::Organization: Solitary
::Treasure: Double standard
::Alignment: Any
::Advancement: By character class

====Katane Template====
Cursed with a thirst for living blood and possessed of awful powers befitting creatures of the night, katanes are some of the more common half-undead. The human-like appearance and social behavior of vampires and their spawn result in ample opportunities for half-breed creation, and some vampires retain enough human sentiment to care for the child, improving the katane's chances of survival.

Katanes are pale and slender, with jet-black hair and red, black, green, or yellow eyes. They have pronounced canines that extend for feeding and slightly pointed ears. Some of the less fortunate (those with a Charisma score of 7 or below) have batlike features.

A katane has certain qualities it shares with all of its fellow "Half-Undead"; the [[Fetch]], [[Ghul]] and [[Ghedan]]. These traits are listed as the Half-Undead Super Template, meaning these special qualities are common to all four racial templates.

::Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma
::Skills: +4 racial bonus to BLuff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot.
::Feats: Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
::Challenge Rating: +1
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1
::Environment: Same as Base Creature
::Alignment: Often Chaotic Evil
::Organiation: Solitary, Gang (2-4 base creatures or vampires + 1 katane) or Party (2-8 base creatures or vampires + 2-4 katanes)
::Special Attacks:
:::Blood Drain (Ex): By making a successful Grapple check and pinning its target, a katane can inflict 1d4 Constitution drain on its target each round it sustains the pin.
:::Charm Person (Sp): A katane can cast Charm Person by locking gaze with a humanoid creature. This Charm spell has a caster level equal to the katane's Hit Dice and a Save DC of 10 + Katane's Hit Dice + Katane's Charisma modifier. A katane can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
::Special Qualities:
:::Blood Hunger (Ex): A katane must use its Blood Drain at least once every three days. If it does not feed, it must make a DC 15 Will save (DC + 1 cumulative with each extra day it goes without feeding). On a failure, the katane suffers a cumulative -1 morale penalty to its attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks and saving throws until it finally uses its Blood Drain.
:::Damage Reduction (Su): 5/Silver
:::Vampire Kin (Ex): Katane have none of the weaknesses of the Vampire template, and are immune to the Domination power of vampires.
:::Light Sensitivity (Ex): A katane is Dazzled when exposed to bright sunlight or the Daylight spell.
:::Resistances (Ex): Cold Resist 5 and Electricity Resist 5.
:::Sense Vampires (Su): A katane can automatically determine if there is a vampire, katane or any other undead that feeds on blood within 200 feet. This ability only warns the katane that such creatures are there; it does not inform them of their numbers nor their power, and is not accurate enough to aid in blindfighting or otherwise pinpointing a target.
:::Spider Climb (Ex): A katane can climb any surface, as if under a permanent spider climb spell.

Half-Undead Super-Template:
::Call of Undeath (Ex): A half-undead has a 3% chance per Hit Dice that it will rise as a full undead of its progenitor type upon its death.
::Darkvision (Ex): A half-undead gains Darkvision 60 feet, unless it already has a better range of darkvision.
::Detection (Ex): A half-undead registers as an Undead creature of half its actual Hit Dice for spells/abilities that detect the undead.
::Fortification (Ex): A half-undead has a 50% chance to negate critical hits and sneak attacks. If granted Fortification from a suit of magic armor, use the superior change.
::Immunity to Energy Drain (Ex)
::Necrotic Life: When attacked by a spell or effect that deals hit point damage with negative energy, a half-undead takes half-damage on a failed save and no damage on a successful save.
::Slow Aging (Ex): Upon reaching maturity, a half-undead ages at one quarter (1/4th) the normal rate for its living race.
::Turn Kind (Ex): A half-undead [[Cleric]] gains a +2 bonus on checks made to turn, rebuke, command or bolster undead of its progenitor type.
::Vulnerability to Holy Water (Ex): A half-undead takes 1d4 damage per flask of holy water it is hit with.
::Vulnerability to Turning (Ex): Clerics can attempt to turn or rebuke the half-undead as if it were truly undead. If the attempt would be powerful enough to affect an undead of equivalent Hit Dice, the half-undead suffers a -4 penalty to all attacks, saves, skill checks and ability checks for 10 rounds or until the cleric who turned/rebuked it attacks the half-undead. If the attempt would be powerful enough to command or destroy an undead of equivalent Hit Dice, the half-undead is Stunned for 2d4 rounds instead.
::Saves: +2 racial bonus on all saves against fear, poison, disease, paralysis and necromancy spells.

====4e Dhampyr Feat Chain====
Core Feat: Vampiric Heritage (Vampire Bloodline)
::Prerequisite: Living Humanoid Race
::Benefit: You gain Blood Drain as a Racial Encounter Power, as well as a +2 bonus to Perception and Insight checks made to sense & recognize dhampyrs and the undead.
::Special: You are considered a vampire for the purpose of effects that relate to vampires.

'''Heroic Tier Feats:'''
* Vampire Alacrity: +1 feat bonus to Speed.
* Mist Form: Swap one 10th level or higher utility power for the Mist Form utility power. You must be at least 10th level to take this feat.
* Night's Sight: You gain Low-Light Vision.

'''Paragon Tier Feats:'''
* Blooded Regeneration: Swap one 10th level or higher ultility power for the Bloodied Regeneration utility power.
* Dominating Gaze: Swap one 15th level or higher daily attack power for the Dominating Gaze attack power. You must be at least 15th level to select this feat.
* Savage Bite: You can use Blood Drain on targets that grant you Combat Advantage as well as one targets you have grabbed.

'''Epic Tier Feats:'''
* Scent of Blood: You have Combat Advantage against living enemies that are Bloodied.

'''Dhampyr Racial Powers:'''
'''Blood Drain:''' ''Vigor rushes through your body as you drain life energy from your victim.''
::Encounter, Healing, Standard Action, Melee (Touch), Targets 1 living creature you have grabbed. Attack is Ability + 2 vs. Fortitude and on a hit you inflict 1d4 + Con modifier damage and can spend a healing surge. Increase the bonus by +2 and damage by +1d4 at each tier shift (+4/2d4 damage at level 11, +6/3d4 damage at level 21). You choose whether this attack keys off of Strength, Constitution or Dexterity when you first select Vampiric Heritage.

'''Mist Form:''' ''Your form dissolves into an eerie, billowing mist.''
::Daily, Polymorph, Standard Action, Personal. You become Insubstantial and gain a Fly speed of 8 (Hover), but cannot make any attacks. This lasts until the end of your next turn, but can be sustained as a Minor Action.

'''Bloodied Regeneration:''' ''Your wounds call to your immortal blood, which surges to repair your body.''
::Daily, Healing, Minor Action, Personal. Only available if you are Bloodied. You gain Regeneration 5 until the end of the encounter or until you are no longer Bloodied, whichever comes first.

'''Dominating Gaze:''' ''The authority in your piercing gaze demands utter submission.''
::Daily, Charm, Minor Action, Ranged 5, Targets 1 creature, Attack is Ability + 4 vs. Will (bonus increases to +6 at 21st level). On a hit, the target is Dominated (save ends) and as an aftereffect the target is Dazed (save ends). On a miss, the target is Dazed (save ends). When you take the Dominating Gaze feat, you determine if this attack keys off of Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma.

====Pathfinder Dhampir====
'''Generic Dhampir Stats:'''
::+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
::Humanoid (Dhampir)
::MEdium
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision.
::Manipulative: +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Perception checks.
::Undead Resistance: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
::Light Sensitivity: Dazzled when exposed to bright sunlight or a Daylight spell.
::Negative Energy Affinity: A dhampir is harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy.
::Spell-Like Ability: Detect Undead 3/day with caster level equal to the dhampir's character level.
::Resist Level Drain (Ex): A dhampir suffers no penalties from negative levels (although they can still kill it) and all negative levels are automatically removed 24 hours later without the need for an additional saving throw.

'''Svetocher (Moroi Dhampir):'''
::Change Ability Modifiers to: +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Con
::Replace Manipulative skill bonuses with: +2 Diplomacy, +2 Knowledge (Nobility)
::Change Spell-Like Ability (Detect Undead) to: Obscuring Mist
::Replace Light Sensitivity With: -1 penalty on saves against effects that deal positive energy damage.
::Gain the following new traits:
* Mind Trapper: +2 trait bonus on Charisma checks made to convince enchanted allies to do what you want.
* Sensual Grace: +2 trait bonus on BLuff checks made against creatures attracted to you.

'''Ancient-Born ([[Nosferatu]] Dhampir):'''
::Change Ability Modifiers to: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Con
::Replace Manipulative skill bonuses with: +2 Climb, +2 Survival
::Change Spell-Like Ability (Detect Undead) to: Doom
::Replace Light Sensitivity With: -1 penalty on saving throws against effects that damage/drain/reduce Physical Ability Scores.
::Gain the following new traits:
* Old Before Your Time: Creatures trying to discern your true age must make a Perception or Sense Motive check, which you oppose with a Bluff check with a +5 trait bonus. You also gain a +2 trait bonus on Disguise checks made to make yourself look older, ignoring the check penalty for disguising yourself as a different age category whilst doing so.
* Thrall Spotter: +5 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks made to determine if a creature is under a Charm or Compulsion effect.

'''Ru-shi ([[Jiangshi]] Dhampir):'''
::Change Ability Modifiers to: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis
::Replace Manipulative skill bonuses with: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Knowledge (Engineering)
::Change Spell-Like Ability (Detect Undead) to: Erase
::Replace Light Sensitivity With: -1 penalty on saves against sonic effects and spells.
::Gain the following new traits:
* Linguistic Genius: +1 trait bonus on Linguistics checks, Linquistics is always a class skill for you, gain +1 bonus language at character creation.
* Numerological Gift: At character reaction, roll 3d6; the number you roll becomes your Number Totem, which can never change. Once per day, when you roll your totem number on a D20, you may treat that roll as if you had rolled a natural 20.

'''Ajibachana (Vetala Dhampir):'''
::Change Ability Modifiers to: +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int
::Replace Manipulative skill bonuses with: +2 Escape Artist, +2 Use Magic Device
::Change Spell-Like Ability (Detect Undead) to: Comprehend Languages
::Replace Light Sensitivity With: -1 penalty to Caster levle when in sanctified ground, such as that created by Consecrate or Hallow.
::Gain the following new traits:
* Half-Forgotten Secrets: Choose one Knowledge skill; you gain a +1 trait bonus to this skill and always treat it as a class skill. Then choose a second Knowledge skill; you gain a +1 trait bonus to this skill.
* Unidentifiable Appeal: +1 trait bonus to Disguise, +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence those who would be attracted to you.

{{Pathfinder-Races}}

==Chronicles of Darkness==
Dhampir in the original [[World of Darkness]] were introduced in the ''Time of Thin Blood'' sourcebook. Full-on kindred couldn't have kids at all. But "thin bloods," fourteenth or fifteenth generation vampires whose connection to Cain is extremely tenuous can, though the pregnancy is long and difficult because undead bodies aren't well suited to carrying kids.

The result is a dhampir, a creature mechanically all-but-identical to a revenant, or hereditary ghoul that produces its own vitae. Dhampir are living creatures, and have a pool of vitae separate from their normal blood, though they do get tired if they exhaust it. They suffer frenzy like a vampire, but can resist it much more easily, and like ghouls can go out in the day light and so on. Because thin-bloods have only started showing up in the last twenty or so years, no one knows what happens to an old dhampir.

Dhampyres were introduced to the New [[World of Darkness]] in the [[Vampire: The Requiem]] sourcebook ''Night Horrors: The Wicked Dead''. Born of either blasphemous occult rituals or deep, sincere, obsessive love between a vampire and a mortal, dhampyres are cursed creatures who are hypnotically alluring to vampires, but whose blood is not only devoid of nutritional value for them, but exposes the vampire to a powerful curse if they share the same clan.

They're also mildly infamous for the fact that, because they're born of unnatural magical origins, they don't adhere to the standard rules of baby-making. So, you can get a dhampyre from a homosexual coupling, a female vampire could impregnate her male human lover, and a male vampire could fall pregnant by a female human lover, depending on what rituals are used to make the dhampyre in the first place.

2e revised them significantly, making them technically human but tainted by their vampiric parent's Vitae. They retain their ability to do strange things to the vampires who drink from their blood, but they also possess a unique connection to the workings of fate and a curse based on their vampiric parent's clan. As most dhampir are treated only slightly better than ghouls by their vampiric parents (if the vampire doesn't simply abandon them and leave them ignorant of their half-damned heritage), it is unsurprising that some of them end up becoming vampire hunters.

==Monstergirls==
{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:MGE Dhampir.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The MGE Dhampir, ready to lay some vampires and save some cute guys! No, that's not a typo.]]

Ironically, despite the sexual appeal of vampires, the dhampir rarely gets the same treatment. Whilst this may be partially due to the dhampir's relative obscurity, another issue may be that they don't really have anything going for them that the standard vampire-as-monstergirl doesn't (aside from not having to worry about that "lack of bloodflow" joke). After all, in most depictions, the dhampir is basically a "tamed" vampire, with less raw vampiric power and without the pesky problems of sunlight or needing to worry you'll be eaten alive by one. But most monstergirl depictions of vampires tone down the need for blood and make their vampires "safe", meaning that without any real fear of dying from your vampire lover, a dhampir just looks like a poor man's imitation. Still, in more honest [[Dark Fantasy]]-leaning settings, dhampirs may get the credit they deserve.

And there is one montergirl setting where dhampirs are embraced: in the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], dhampirs are born on those rare occasions when a vampire gets pregnant without having come to truly love/respect the father of her child. This results in the offspring being a "half-vampire", with her own entirely unique set of powers. MGE Dhampirs are basically non-arrogant, non-tsundere vampires in terms of sex. In fact, they think that true vampires are stuck up bitches who need to be taken down a few pegs. Thusly, they like to roam the world and fight vampires, breaking their arrogance by basically dom-sexing them until their mind breaks and they become more submissive. They especially like going after vampires who have a guy they're being all tsundere-bitch to and simultaneously breaking the vampire down and building the guy up, with lots and lots of vamp-subbing threesomes. Sometimes the dhampir will stay with the couple if she really likes the guy, other times she'll move on and leave them to what, in her eyes, is a happier relationship.

[[Category:World of Darkness]][[Category:Monsters]][[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]][[Category: Ravenloft]][[Category: Undead]][[Category: Pathfinder]][[Category: Races]]

Carrion Crawler

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'''Carrion Crawlers''' are an iconic species of [[monster]] in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], dating all the way back to the earliest editions of the game. Their artwork has changed over the editions, but the fundamental idea remains the same; carrion crawlers resemble a giant beetle-grub or caterpillar, with the business end consisting of long, octopus-like tentacles around a flesh-eating maw. These beasts are, as their name implies, predatory scavengers, scouring caves, [[dungeon]]s or even the [[Underdark]] in pursuit of dead meat to devour. If presented with a dearth of carrion, they are well-equipped to make their own kills, as their tentacles posses a paralyzing touch not unlike that of a [[ghoul]].

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]]

Help:Template

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Eagle Warriors

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{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = Eagle Warriors
|Heraldry = [[File:EagleWarriorsLivery.jpg|200px]]
|Battle Cry = Unknown
|Founding = [[Second Founding]]
|Successors of = [[Ultramarines]]
|Successor Chapters = [[Marines Errant]]
|Chapter Master = Gaius Aegius
|Primarch = [[Roboute Guilliman]]
|Homeworld = Fleet Based
|Specialty = Unknown
|Strength = Unknown
|Allegiance = [[Imperium]]
|Colours = Blue and white
}}
Oh look, another Ultramarine successor chapter. [[Meme|Suprised? you shouldn't be]], [[Matt Ward|at this rate]]. They are notable for [[Games Workshop|HAVING THE SAME SCHEME AS THE]] [[Angels Porphyr|ANGELS PORPHYR]]!

==Campaigns==
* '''Baran War''' - 914.M40-224.M41
* ''' "Balur Secundus Strike Force"''' - 7th Co. only smash-party.
* '''The Defence of Hyth (994.M41)''' - [[Mary Sue|Stopped a Hive Fleet]]. Alone.
* '''Fall of Medusa V (999.M41)''' - 4th Co. got honors and fought eight other races in the conflict.
* '''Zeist Campaign''' - Tau Vs. Space Marines. Matt Ward wrote it so you can guess how it went. Considering how much the Tau are wanked, it’s probably for the best that Ward wrote this one.
* '''The Indomitus Crusade''' - Can't have the Ultramarine Crusade without its successors right?

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:EagleWarriorsMarine.png|I've seen this guy before, somewhere.
</gallery>

{{Marines-Official}}