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Tarkus

2015-11-18T03:04:41Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:TarkusFace.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Man. The Legend.]]
'''Tarkus''' is the [[Manly Marines|manliest]] motherfucker in the entire [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marine]] chapter. He has been a steadfast warrior whose capacity for kicking ass is only matched by the [[Fist of the North Star|power of his heart]]. According to canon, he's been with the chapter since the Kronus campaign, as one of the nameless honor guard sergeants. Noted for being the single most sympathetic character in all of Dawn of War II, as well as being one of the most beloved by [[/tg/]] due to the sheer ass-kickery he provides, Tarkus is one of not only the most useful characters to join your squad in the game, but also one of the most versatile. Whereas [[Khorne|that angry motherfucker]] [[Avitus]] is dour and angry, and [[Cyrus]] tends to be [[Corax|dark and brooding]], Tarkus is the old veteran - the one that has seen it all, endured the crucible of war, and emerged with his humanity tempered. In a universe filled with [[grimdark]], Tarkus is the exception to the rule, pushing forward with concern for his fellow marines and leaving the universe that much brighter with each bolter shell he fires.

Loyal to the end, Tarkus can, like all members of your squad in ''Chaos Rising'', become a filthy heretic, but even ''then'' he does not cease his loyalty to the Imperium and the [[Emperor]].

==Overview==
[[File:Family Circus Tarkus.jpg|300px|thumb|right|You know he's awesome when a family comic strip mentions him. This is NOT edited.]]
Tarkus himself is a Tactical Marine Sergeant in the Blood Ravens 4th Company. He has over 200 years of experience under his belt, and is an expert tactician as well as a rock-solid second-in-command, who serves the Dawn of War II Space Marine Commander as an advisor and confidant. Amongst his fellow marines, Tarkus is renowned for his confidence and tough-as-adamantine resolve. Tarkus' prominent scars and tendency to be hard on himself stem from a personal tragedy: Tarkus was once convinced by an [[Eldar]] Ranger to lead his squad straight into an ambush. The Ranger had approached him under the guise of a truce and had proposed they temporarily work together against their common enemy, the Orks. Suffice to say, in the proud tradition of the Eldar possessing the [[Eldrad|most hubristic fucks in the galaxy]] (Assuming, of course, that one ignores the Imperium's hubris), the Eldar betrayed the Marines the second the opportunity arose, and Tarkus' squad was cut down piecemeal - Tarkus was the sole survivor of the ambush, and has yet to forgive himself for this. Tarkus harbors a serious grudge against not only the Ranger (who escaped the battle), but against Eldar in general as a result, and his vendetta against them has not faded over the years.

Tarkus' first canon appearance was in [[Dawn of War|Dawn of War: Dark Crusade]], where he supposedly was one of the available Sergeants under the command of Captain [[Davian Thule]]. He and his squad were commended for their efforts during the assault on the Necron Stronghold on Kronus, where Tarkus' squad held off wave after wave of [[Necron]] forces as Captain [[Davian Thule]] planted a Plasma Bomb so as to end the Necron threat to Kronus entirely; as a desperate act, Tarkus brought a Destroyer down by shoving a frag grenade into its neck joints, earning yet more scars and the Crux Terminatus. Curiously, he did not loose the arm as he was advancing in a particularly tactical manner.

Tarkus' native world is Calderis, which is one of a handful of recruitment worlds for the Blood Ravens.
==Dawn of War==
Tarkus is a Sergeant of the [[Blood Ravens]] chapter, and he's been in every war they've fought since the first [[Dawn of War]]. He's so fucking awesome he (wears a helmet <s> that he stole</s> that Diomedes gifted to him in Retribution) just uses his awesome baldness to deflect bullets in the first two games. Also, he can be exceedingly loyal. Using chaos to fuck chaos up? That takes balls, and to not truly fall to chaos while using it? Cast-Iron Ferric balls, man. Cast-Iron Ferric balls. This occurs during the Dawn of War II games. He is also revealed to be The Ancient, a fairly (oh who the hell am I kidding, EXTREMELY) awesome strong and silent type character. The first time you find out who the Ancient is, you'll weep with the pure awesome baldness.
A simple demonstration of his awesomeness occurs if he turns traitor; while all the other traitors, including Cyrus, have no idea where you're going next and just tell their forces to be on alert, Tarkus knows exactly which part of his base is about to get hit.

==In Gameplay==
In game, Tarkus is probably the second most versatile squad you can field next to Cyrus. His tactical advance [[tank|makes him invincible]], which, coupled with the artillery strike ability, makes him a walking ordnance beacon. Watch as he stands in the middle of an orbital bombardment without so much as a scratch. This ability also completely overshadows the iron halo, since it drains energy over time, not when damage is taken. This lets Tarkus laugh off most everything for extended periods of time on the order of five minutes, rendering him a persistent thorn in the enemy's side. Tactical advance can also be upgraded to increase Tarkus's damage or give a measure of anti-suppression to the rest of your squads.

Since he's hardy as all fuck, Tarkus works perfectly with short-ranged weapons like flamers, meltaguns, and plasma guns, and with the Sternguard upgrade he gains access to improved bolter ammo that make bolters (and storm bolters) useful against just about everything- Kraken rounds boost their range, Dragonfire rounds create AoE explosions that ignore cover, and Vengeance rounds allow them to do bonus damage against vehicles and buildings. It's relatively easy to have him wade into hordes of enemies to kill linchpin opponents like Tyranid warriors and Nobz, or tie up ranged squads in close combat. His other skills combo perfectly with his durability, letting him draw ALL THE FIRE while the rest of your force gets into position. Tarkus is also a master of grenade warfare, able to throw unlimited grenades, and eventually, throw bunches of grenades.

One more thing of note is that his squad has more <s>meatshields</s> unnamed marines, coming in at three over everyone else's two. These can be upgraded to chapter veterans, giving you two extra cheap plasma guns on the field, and the upgrade falls on the road to super-tactical-advance, meaning that it's a no-brainer not to get it.

He doesn't have the strongest guns, or the most effective explosives, or the best melee, but his Marines are the most vital part of your team. He will not die, he will mark artillery, and he will buff your entire team to unstoppable levels. Simply put, Sergeant Tarkus is the best Blood Raven in [[Dawn of War II]], bar none. Yes, that includes [[Davian Thule|Davian Cool]] and [[Gabriel Angelos]].

He is also able to affect [[Tyranid]]s with the taunt ability. This can only mean that Tarkus is so skilled at the art of insults that he draws the attention of the Hive Mind itself.

In Retribution, he somehow manages to become even cheesier (read: [[Awesome]]) as he gains the ability to use any weapon that isn't a shotgun, sniper rifle, or 2-handed melee weapon, make himself invincible whenever he uses any of his abilities, and gains a jump pack too, essentially making him a cross between a Sternguard Veteran, a Vanguard Veteran, and a Devastator Marine. Give him the Shadowscale armor wargear that renders him permanently invisible and chapter rites accessory, and a plasma cannon, plus the final offense ability to call in air-strikes, then watch him demolish everything in his path with impunity.

==Codex Tarkus==
Ever wanted to include this cheesy badass into your army? Then take him as an upgrade for your Tactical/Sternguard (or Vanguard/Devastator)/Terminator Sergeant.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Tarkus''' || 80 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Ancient Tarkus''' || 90 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': Can be swapped for Purgation of the Anathema for 15 pts, Blazing Light of Truth or Xavier's Torch for 20 pts. He may exchange either of them for the Vigilance of the Neophyte for free or the Blade of Typhon for 25 pts, and Unflagging Resolve for free or The Voice of Reason for 20 pts. If Tarkus chooses to take the Honor of the Blood Ravens, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Sanction of Terra and Bane of The Fallen, which can be replaced for 30 pts for the Fate of Traitors. Ancient Tarkus may replace these weapons further with Thule's Companion (see Codex [[Davian Thule]]) for free, Titan Smasher for 15 pts, Necron Bane for 20 pts, and Light of Calderis for 25 pts if he doesn't choose Honour of the Blood Ravens.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Can be swapped for Armor of Calderis for 10 pts or Honor of the Blood Ravens for 20 pts. If he chooses the latter, then Tarkus must be part of a Terminator Squad.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''
* '''Blind Grenades''': See Defensive Grenades.
* '''Personal Standard''': Counts as Company Standard. See Codex: Space Marines. May be replaced with a Jump Pack (Ancient Tarkus Only).

'''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.
* '''Feel No Pain (Armor of Calderis Only)'''
* '''Preferred Enemy (Chaos) (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Zealot (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Relentless/Slow and Purposeful (Unflagging Resolve Only)'''
* '''Eternal Warrior'''
* '''Hatred (Eldar)'''
* '''Special Issue Ammunition (Holy Bolter of The Ancient, Unflagging Resolve, Thule's Companion and Bane of The Fallen Only)''': See Codex: Space Marines under Sternguard Veterans. Replace the Rapid Fire rules of the ammunitions with those of the bolter weapons (in case of Bane of The Fallen and Thule's Companion, subtract 1 from the AP and add 1 (2 in case of Thule's Companion) to S to the ammunitions profiles).
* '''Master Crafted Grenades''': All grenades that Tarkus uses count as having the Master Crafted USR.
* '''Tactical Advance''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Tarkus and his squad will initiate Tactical Advance. For the duration of Tactical Advance, Tarkus and his squad are under the effects of the Slow and Purposeful USR, but also gain a +1 to WS, BS, A, I, and a +1 to Armour and Inv Save rolls.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': The Holy Bolter of the Ancient is a Boltgun belonging to the Blood Ravens Chapter. A revered relic of the [[Ultramarines]] Chapter, this bolter accompanied dozens of Space Marines during Crusades of Absolution. Few can recall the weapons' complete history, but legends speak that [[Marneus Calgar]] himself carried it during his centuries as a tactical marine.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''' || 28 || 5 || 5 || Rapid Fire, Master Crafted, Precision Shots
|}

* '''Purgation of the Anathema''': "For the enemies of Man are hateful to His sight, and He shall Smite them in holy flame." Used in the purgation of the Black Abbeys of Morgana, this artificer flamer emerged from the campaign with holy zeal resonating in its very fabric. So searing is its flame that unholy targets are said to detonate in holy blooms of fire.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Purgation of the Anathema''' || Template || 5 || 4 || Assault 2, Detonate
|}

** '''Detonate''': When a enemy model is slain by this weapon, put a blast marker over the slain model. All enemy models inside the blast marker are hit by a single S5 AP4 hit, yet still can use armour saves.

* '''Blazing Light of Truth''': "In the moment of his death, let the Heretic see the folly of his cause." This artificer plasma gun bears the sigils of Inquisitor Kuzminski. Like that fearsome figure, the weapon has been known to compel enemies to suddenly disavow their heresies - and promptly jump into the path of their erstwhile allies' attacks.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blazing Light of Truth''' || 24 || 7 || 2 || Rapid Fire, Gets Hot!, Master Crafted, Folly of Conviction
|}

** '''Folly of Conviction''': Enemies hit by this weapon suddenly fall into a berserker state and attack each other for one turn. When rolling To Hit in either melee or shooting, any unmodified rolls of a 1 are not discarded if missed. Instead, they automatically hit a friendly model locked in the squad that is attacking Tarkus. The enemy must randomly determine (for each roll of a 1) which model in the squad is hit.

* '''Unflagging Resolve''': When the generators powering Angel Gate were disabled, [[Commissar]] Tharp rallied the Guardsmen of the 85th Vendoland in a vain attempt to stave off the Tyranid swarm. Even when the endless broods of Hormagaunts buried him in their mass, the report of his bolt pistol could still be heard. The Unflagging resolve grants the whole squad that is led by Tarkus the Relentless USR. If any model in the squad has a weapon with the Heavy trait, then the whole squad gains the Slow and Purposeful USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unflagging Resolve''' || 12 || 4 || 5 || Pistol
|}

* '''The Voice of Reason''': "So the enemy refuses to acknowledge their defeat? They shall listen to reason." Brother-Captain Klint of the Imperial Fists. The Voice of Reason is a Plasma Pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''The Voice of Reason''' || 12 || 7 || 2 || Pistol, Gets Hot!, Concussive, Strikedown
|}

* '''Thule's Companion''': See [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Davian_Thule#Codex_Davian_Thule|Codex Davian Thule]]. Only applicable when Captain Davian Thule is not armed with Thule's Companion or when he's taken in his Venerable Dreadnought incarnation.

* '''Titan Smasher''': Techmarines of the Red Wolves have preserved this weapon for millennia, although it looks quite unremarkable. Time and again, the Titan Smasher has found weak points in great war machines, heavy tanks, armored daemons, and terrifying siege engines. The Titan Smasher is a Missile Launcher.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Frag)''' || 54 || 5 || 6 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Krak)''' || 54 || 9 || 3 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Flakk)''' || 54 || 8 || 4 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|-
| '''Titan Smasher Missile''' || 54 || 8 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Armourbane, One Use Only
|}

* '''Necron Bane''': In the blackness of a massive subterranean cavern, Brother Fortune steadied this mighty lascannon and unleashed its great power on scores of awakening Necron Destroyers. Their ancient armor melted and fused together like so much plasteel slag. Fortune bore this weapon into battle on countless worlds, devoting his long life to restraining the Necron menace. Tarkus gains Preferred Enemy (Necrons) when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Necron Bane''' || 72 || 9 || 2 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Armourbane, Protocol Scrambler
|}

** '''Protocol Scrambler''': Necrons slain by Necron Bane and who rolled Reanimation Protocols must re-roll successful Reanimation Protocols with a -1 penalty. Additionally, any Necron vehicle with the Living Metal SR must re-roll any successful IWND rolls.

* '''Light of Calderis''': With each volley, an expanse of the Claderis desert turned to glass and a mob of greenskins scavengers fell apart like boiled meat. When the Blood Ravens first set foot on Calderis, it was infested with Orks. When they left, the native human tribes were free from the Ork menace and in awe of their armored saviors from the stars. The Light of Calderis is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Light of Calderis''' || 72 || 8 || 2 || Heavy 2, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

* '''Bane of The Fallen''': "No unholy deed shall go unpunished. No blasphemy shall go unavenged." The Grey Knights made common cause with the Blood Ravens during part of the Dark Crusade on Kronus. Though the daemon hunters would depart as mysteriously as they arrived, they left this holy weapon to their former allies. Bane of The Fallen is a Storm Bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Bane of The Fallen''' || 24 || 5 || 4 || Assault 3, Master Crafted
|}

* '''Fate of Traitors''': Veteran Damonis of the Blood Ravens First Company wielded this heavy flamer during the Kronus Crusade. He used it without hesitation on the turncoat Guardsmen of Victory Bay and the Chaos Heretics of the Deimos Peninsula.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Fate of Traitors''' || Template || 6 || 4 || Assault 2, Torrent
|}

* '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''': Freshly graduated from the Scout company, the young Blood Raven Rennatus came to a terrible discovery: his superior Sergeant Holdon had fallen to the whispers of Chaos. Rennatus used this very chainsword to put an end to his brother's heresy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''' || - || User || 4 || Melee, Shred, Sunder Armor
|}

** '''Sunder Armor''': Enemies hit by this weapon on a 6 have their Sv increased by one up to a maximum of 6. Does not affect Invulnerable Saves.

* '''Blade of Typhon''': Sergeant Byronis used this venerated power sword during the climactic battle with the Tyranids on Typhon Primaris. He thought the blade lost when the talons of a Ravener severed his arm and sent the blade tumbling into a deep chasm. Byronis continued the battle regardless, making use of his bolt pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blade of Typhon''' || - || +1 || 3 || Melee, Tyranid Bane
|}

** '''Tyranid Bane''': Tarkus re-rolls all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls against Tyranids. Additionally, Tarkus gains the Fleshbane USR on both his shooting and close combat attacks.

* '''Sanction of Terra''': "Let your hand be that of the Emperor, and deliver swift sanction to His enemies!" - From the Sermons of St. Munsell. The Sanction of Terra is a Terminator Power Fist.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Sanction of Terra''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Armourbane, Rending, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon
|}

* '''Armor of Calderis''': The Blood Raven Tomas held the desert gate of Argus during the Greenskin invasion of his native Calderis, allowing Davian Thule to organize a counter attack. Tomas fell to the Tyranids later in the Crusade, but his recovered armor is relic of the chapter, a tribute to the harsh warriors recruited from Calderis. The Armor of Calderis is a Artificer Armour that grants the Feel No Pain USR and a 6+ Inv Save against ranged weapons.

* '''Honor of the Blood Ravens''': Cleansed of the taint of its use by traitors, this legendary armor is returned to the chapter's faithful at last. The armor itself seems to pulse with zeal, seeking to atone for the sins committed within it. The Honor of the Blood Ravens is a Terminator Armor that grants the Zealot USR and Preferred Enemy (Chaos) to the whole squad that Tarkus leads.

==Canon==
Who gives a Damn about "canon"? He's awesome, no two ways about it. And, thankfully, nothing has happened to him like, say, being equipped with a multi-laser bionic arm by [[C.S.Goto]]hell.

==External Links==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBpk8N5Av5k| Good betrayal, or BEST betrayal? Tarkus explains why he fell to Chaos.]

{{Template:Marines-Characters}}

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

Tarkus

2015-11-18T03:02:14Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:TarkusFace.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Man. The Legend.]]
'''Tarkus''' is the [[Manly Marines|manliest]] motherfucker in the entire [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marine]] chapter. He has been a steadfast warrior whose capacity for kicking ass is only matched by the [[Fist of the North Star|power of his heart]]. According to canon, he's been with the chapter since the Kronus campaign, as one of the nameless honor guard sergeants. Noted for being the single most sympathetic character in all of Dawn of War II, as well as being one of the most beloved by [[/tg/]] due to the sheer ass-kickery he provides, Tarkus is one of not only the most useful characters to join your squad in the game, but also one of the most versatile. Whereas [[Khorne|that angry motherfucker]] [[Avitus]] is dour and angry, and [[Cyrus]] tends to be [[Corax|dark and brooding]], Tarkus is the old veteran - the one that has seen it all, endured the crucible of war, and emerged with his humanity tempered. In a universe filled with [[grimdark]], Tarkus is the exception to the rule, pushing forward with concern for his fellow marines and leaving the universe that much brighter with each bolter shell he fires.

Loyal to the end, Tarkus can, like all members of your squad in ''Chaos Rising'', become a filthy heretic, but even ''then'' he does not cease his loyalty to the Imperium and the [[Emperor]].

==Overview==
[[File:Family Circus Tarkus.jpg|300px|thumb|right|You know he's awesome when a family comic strip mentions him. This is NOT edited.]]
Tarkus himself is a Tactical Marine Sergeant in the Blood Ravens 4th Company. He has over 200 years of experience under his belt, and is an expert tactician as well as a rock-solid second-in-command, who serves the Dawn of War II Space Marine Commander as an advisor and confidant. Amongst his fellow marines, Tarkus is renowned for his confidence and tough-as-adamantine resolve. Tarkus' prominent scars and tendency to be hard on himself stem from a personal tragedy: Tarkus was once convinced by an [[Eldar]] Ranger to lead his squad straight into an ambush. The Ranger had approached him under the guise of a truce and had proposed they temporarily work together against their common enemy, the Orks. Suffice to say, in the proud tradition of the Eldar possessing the [[Eldrad|most hubristic fucks in the galaxy]] (Assuming, of course, that one ignores the Imperium's hubris), the Eldar betrayed the Marines the second the opportunity arose, and Tarkus' squad was cut down piecemeal - Tarkus was the sole survivor of the ambush, and has yet to forgive himself for this. Tarkus harbors a serious grudge against not only the Ranger (who escaped the battle), but against Eldar in general as a result, and his vendetta against them has not faded over the years.

Tarkus' first canon appearance was in [[Dawn of War|Dawn of War: Dark Crusade]], where he supposedly was one of the available Sergeants under the command of Captain [[Davian Thule]]. He and his squad were commended for their efforts during the assault on the Necron Stronghold on Kronus, where Tarkus' squad held off wave after wave of [[Necron]] forces as Captain [[Davian Thule]] planted a Plasma Bomb so as to end the Necron threat to Kronus entirely; as a desperate act, Tarkus brought a Destroyer down by shoving a frag grenade into its neck joints, earning yet more scars and the Crux Terminatus. Curiously, he did not loose the arm as he was advancing in a particularly tactical manner.

Tarkus' native world is Calderis, which is one of a handful of recruitment worlds for the Blood Ravens. It's notable also for being a major training site for the [[Imperial Guard]] as well, so Tarkus' [[Awesome|powerful humanity]] may well have been hereditary.

==Dawn of War==
Tarkus is a Sergeant of the [[Blood Ravens]] chapter, and he's been in every war they've fought since the first [[Dawn of War]]. He's so fucking awesome he (wears a helmet <s> that he stole</s> that Diomedes gifted to him in Retribution) just uses his awesome baldness to deflect bullets in the first two games. Also, he can be exceedingly loyal. Using chaos to fuck chaos up? That takes balls, and to not truly fall to chaos while using it? Cast-Iron Ferric balls, man. Cast-Iron Ferric balls. This occurs during the Dawn of War II games. He is also revealed to be The Ancient, a fairly (oh who the hell am I kidding, EXTREMELY) awesome strong and silent type character. The first time you find out who the Ancient is, you'll weep with the pure awesome baldness.
A simple demonstration of his awesomeness occurs if he turns traitor; while all the other traitors, including Cyrus, have no idea where you're going next and just tell their forces to be on alert, Tarkus knows exactly which part of his base is about to get hit.

==In Gameplay==
In game, Tarkus is probably the second most versatile squad you can field next to Cyrus. His tactical advance [[tank|makes him invincible]], which, coupled with the artillery strike ability, makes him a walking ordnance beacon. Watch as he stands in the middle of an orbital bombardment without so much as a scratch. This ability also completely overshadows the iron halo, since it drains energy over time, not when damage is taken. This lets Tarkus laugh off most everything for extended periods of time on the order of five minutes, rendering him a persistent thorn in the enemy's side. Tactical advance can also be upgraded to increase Tarkus's damage or give a measure of anti-suppression to the rest of your squads.

Since he's hardy as all fuck, Tarkus works perfectly with short-ranged weapons like flamers, meltaguns, and plasma guns, and with the Sternguard upgrade he gains access to improved bolter ammo that make bolters (and storm bolters) useful against just about everything- Kraken rounds boost their range, Dragonfire rounds create AoE explosions that ignore cover, and Vengeance rounds allow them to do bonus damage against vehicles and buildings. It's relatively easy to have him wade into hordes of enemies to kill linchpin opponents like Tyranid warriors and Nobz, or tie up ranged squads in close combat. His other skills combo perfectly with his durability, letting him draw ALL THE FIRE while the rest of your force gets into position. Tarkus is also a master of grenade warfare, able to throw unlimited grenades, and eventually, throw bunches of grenades.

One more thing of note is that his squad has more <s>meatshields</s> unnamed marines, coming in at three over everyone else's two. These can be upgraded to chapter veterans, giving you two extra cheap plasma guns on the field, and the upgrade falls on the road to super-tactical-advance, meaning that it's a no-brainer not to get it.

He doesn't have the strongest guns, or the most effective explosives, or the best melee, but his Marines are the most vital part of your team. He will not die, he will mark artillery, and he will buff your entire team to unstoppable levels. Simply put, Sergeant Tarkus is the best Blood Raven in [[Dawn of War II]], bar none. Yes, that includes [[Davian Thule|Davian Cool]] and [[Gabriel Angelos]].

He is also able to affect [[Tyranid]]s with the taunt ability. This can only mean that Tarkus is so skilled at the art of insults that he draws the attention of the Hive Mind itself.

In Retribution, he somehow manages to become even cheesier (read: [[Awesome]]) as he gains the ability to use any weapon that isn't a shotgun, sniper rifle, or 2-handed melee weapon, make himself invincible whenever he uses any of his abilities, and gains a jump pack too, essentially making him a cross between a Sternguard Veteran, a Vanguard Veteran, and a Devastator Marine. Give him the Shadowscale armor wargear that renders him permanently invisible and chapter rites accessory, and a plasma cannon, plus the final offense ability to call in air-strikes, then watch him demolish everything in his path with impunity.

==Codex Tarkus==
Ever wanted to include this cheesy badass into your army? Then take him as an upgrade for your Tactical/Sternguard (or Vanguard/Devastator)/Terminator Sergeant.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Tarkus''' || 80 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Ancient Tarkus''' || 90 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': Can be swapped for Purgation of the Anathema for 15 pts, Blazing Light of Truth or Xavier's Torch for 20 pts. He may exchange either of them for the Vigilance of the Neophyte for free or the Blade of Typhon for 25 pts, and Unflagging Resolve for free or The Voice of Reason for 20 pts. If Tarkus chooses to take the Honor of the Blood Ravens, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Sanction of Terra and Bane of The Fallen, which can be replaced for 30 pts for the Fate of Traitors. Ancient Tarkus may replace these weapons further with Thule's Companion (see Codex [[Davian Thule]]) for free, Titan Smasher for 15 pts, Necron Bane for 20 pts, and Light of Calderis for 25 pts if he doesn't choose Honour of the Blood Ravens.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Can be swapped for Armor of Calderis for 10 pts or Honor of the Blood Ravens for 20 pts. If he chooses the latter, then Tarkus must be part of a Terminator Squad.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''
* '''Blind Grenades''': See Defensive Grenades.
* '''Personal Standard''': Counts as Company Standard. See Codex: Space Marines. May be replaced with a Jump Pack (Ancient Tarkus Only).

'''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.
* '''Feel No Pain (Armor of Calderis Only)'''
* '''Preferred Enemy (Chaos) (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Zealot (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Relentless/Slow and Purposeful (Unflagging Resolve Only)'''
* '''Eternal Warrior'''
* '''Hatred (Eldar)'''
* '''Special Issue Ammunition (Holy Bolter of The Ancient, Unflagging Resolve, Thule's Companion and Bane of The Fallen Only)''': See Codex: Space Marines under Sternguard Veterans. Replace the Rapid Fire rules of the ammunitions with those of the bolter weapons (in case of Bane of The Fallen and Thule's Companion, subtract 1 from the AP and add 1 (2 in case of Thule's Companion) to S to the ammunitions profiles).
* '''Master Crafted Grenades''': All grenades that Tarkus uses count as having the Master Crafted USR.
* '''Tactical Advance''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Tarkus and his squad will initiate Tactical Advance. For the duration of Tactical Advance, Tarkus and his squad are under the effects of the Slow and Purposeful USR, but also gain a +1 to WS, BS, A, I, and a +1 to Armour and Inv Save rolls.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': The Holy Bolter of the Ancient is a Boltgun belonging to the Blood Ravens Chapter. A revered relic of the [[Ultramarines]] Chapter, this bolter accompanied dozens of Space Marines during Crusades of Absolution. Few can recall the weapons' complete history, but legends speak that [[Marneus Calgar]] himself carried it during his centuries as a tactical marine.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''' || 28 || 5 || 5 || Rapid Fire, Master Crafted, Precision Shots
|}

* '''Purgation of the Anathema''': "For the enemies of Man are hateful to His sight, and He shall Smite them in holy flame." Used in the purgation of the Black Abbeys of Morgana, this artificer flamer emerged from the campaign with holy zeal resonating in its very fabric. So searing is its flame that unholy targets are said to detonate in holy blooms of fire.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Purgation of the Anathema''' || Template || 5 || 4 || Assault 2, Detonate
|}

** '''Detonate''': When a enemy model is slain by this weapon, put a blast marker over the slain model. All enemy models inside the blast marker are hit by a single S5 AP4 hit, yet still can use armour saves.

* '''Blazing Light of Truth''': "In the moment of his death, let the Heretic see the folly of his cause." This artificer plasma gun bears the sigils of Inquisitor Kuzminski. Like that fearsome figure, the weapon has been known to compel enemies to suddenly disavow their heresies - and promptly jump into the path of their erstwhile allies' attacks.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blazing Light of Truth''' || 24 || 7 || 2 || Rapid Fire, Gets Hot!, Master Crafted, Folly of Conviction
|}

** '''Folly of Conviction''': Enemies hit by this weapon suddenly fall into a berserker state and attack each other for one turn. When rolling To Hit in either melee or shooting, any unmodified rolls of a 1 are not discarded if missed. Instead, they automatically hit a friendly model locked in the squad that is attacking Tarkus. The enemy must randomly determine (for each roll of a 1) which model in the squad is hit.

* '''Unflagging Resolve''': When the generators powering Angel Gate were disabled, [[Commissar]] Tharp rallied the Guardsmen of the 85th Vendoland in a vain attempt to stave off the Tyranid swarm. Even when the endless broods of Hormagaunts buried him in their mass, the report of his bolt pistol could still be heard. The Unflagging resolve grants the whole squad that is led by Tarkus the Relentless USR. If any model in the squad has a weapon with the Heavy trait, then the whole squad gains the Slow and Purposeful USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unflagging Resolve''' || 12 || 4 || 5 || Pistol
|}

* '''The Voice of Reason''': "So the enemy refuses to acknowledge their defeat? They shall listen to reason." Brother-Captain Klint of the Imperial Fists. The Voice of Reason is a Plasma Pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''The Voice of Reason''' || 12 || 7 || 2 || Pistol, Gets Hot!, Concussive, Strikedown
|}

* '''Thule's Companion''': See [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Davian_Thule#Codex_Davian_Thule|Codex Davian Thule]]. Only applicable when Captain Davian Thule is not armed with Thule's Companion or when he's taken in his Venerable Dreadnought incarnation.

* '''Titan Smasher''': Techmarines of the Red Wolves have preserved this weapon for millennia, although it looks quite unremarkable. Time and again, the Titan Smasher has found weak points in great war machines, heavy tanks, armored daemons, and terrifying siege engines. The Titan Smasher is a Missile Launcher.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Frag)''' || 54 || 5 || 6 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Krak)''' || 54 || 9 || 3 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Flakk)''' || 54 || 8 || 4 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|-
| '''Titan Smasher Missile''' || 54 || 8 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Armourbane, One Use Only
|}

* '''Necron Bane''': In the blackness of a massive subterranean cavern, Brother Fortune steadied this mighty lascannon and unleashed its great power on scores of awakening Necron Destroyers. Their ancient armor melted and fused together like so much plasteel slag. Fortune bore this weapon into battle on countless worlds, devoting his long life to restraining the Necron menace. Tarkus gains Preferred Enemy (Necrons) when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Necron Bane''' || 72 || 9 || 2 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Armourbane, Protocol Scrambler
|}

** '''Protocol Scrambler''': Necrons slain by Necron Bane and who rolled Reanimation Protocols must re-roll successful Reanimation Protocols with a -1 penalty. Additionally, any Necron vehicle with the Living Metal SR must re-roll any successful IWND rolls.

* '''Light of Calderis''': With each volley, an expanse of the Claderis desert turned to glass and a mob of greenskins scavengers fell apart like boiled meat. When the Blood Ravens first set foot on Calderis, it was infested with Orks. When they left, the native human tribes were free from the Ork menace and in awe of their armored saviors from the stars. The Light of Calderis is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Light of Calderis''' || 72 || 8 || 2 || Heavy 2, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

* '''Bane of The Fallen''': "No unholy deed shall go unpunished. No blasphemy shall go unavenged." The Grey Knights made common cause with the Blood Ravens during part of the Dark Crusade on Kronus. Though the daemon hunters would depart as mysteriously as they arrived, they left this holy weapon to their former allies. Bane of The Fallen is a Storm Bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Bane of The Fallen''' || 24 || 5 || 4 || Assault 3, Master Crafted
|}

* '''Fate of Traitors''': Veteran Damonis of the Blood Ravens First Company wielded this heavy flamer during the Kronus Crusade. He used it without hesitation on the turncoat Guardsmen of Victory Bay and the Chaos Heretics of the Deimos Peninsula.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Fate of Traitors''' || Template || 6 || 4 || Assault 2, Torrent
|}

* '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''': Freshly graduated from the Scout company, the young Blood Raven Rennatus came to a terrible discovery: his superior Sergeant Holdon had fallen to the whispers of Chaos. Rennatus used this very chainsword to put an end to his brother's heresy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''' || - || User || 4 || Melee, Shred, Sunder Armor
|}

** '''Sunder Armor''': Enemies hit by this weapon on a 6 have their Sv increased by one up to a maximum of 6. Does not affect Invulnerable Saves.

* '''Blade of Typhon''': Sergeant Byronis used this venerated power sword during the climactic battle with the Tyranids on Typhon Primaris. He thought the blade lost when the talons of a Ravener severed his arm and sent the blade tumbling into a deep chasm. Byronis continued the battle regardless, making use of his bolt pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blade of Typhon''' || - || +1 || 3 || Melee, Tyranid Bane
|}

** '''Tyranid Bane''': Tarkus re-rolls all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls against Tyranids. Additionally, Tarkus gains the Fleshbane USR on both his shooting and close combat attacks.

* '''Sanction of Terra''': "Let your hand be that of the Emperor, and deliver swift sanction to His enemies!" - From the Sermons of St. Munsell. The Sanction of Terra is a Terminator Power Fist.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Sanction of Terra''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Armourbane, Rending, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon
|}

* '''Armor of Calderis''': The Blood Raven Tomas held the desert gate of Argus during the Greenskin invasion of his native Calderis, allowing Davian Thule to organize a counter attack. Tomas fell to the Tyranids later in the Crusade, but his recovered armor is relic of the chapter, a tribute to the harsh warriors recruited from Calderis. The Armor of Calderis is a Artificer Armour that grants the Feel No Pain USR and a 6+ Inv Save against ranged weapons.

* '''Honor of the Blood Ravens''': Cleansed of the taint of its use by traitors, this legendary armor is returned to the chapter's faithful at last. The armor itself seems to pulse with zeal, seeking to atone for the sins committed within it. The Honor of the Blood Ravens is a Terminator Armor that grants the Zealot USR and Preferred Enemy (Chaos) to the whole squad that Tarkus leads.

==Canon==
Who gives a Damn about "canon"? He's awesome, no two ways about it. And, thankfully, nothing has happened to him like, say, being equipped with a multi-laser bionic arm by [[C.S.Goto]]hell.

==External Links==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBpk8N5Av5k| Good betrayal, or BEST betrayal? Tarkus explains why he fell to Chaos.]

{{Template:Marines-Characters}}

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

Tarkus

2015-11-18T03:01:49Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:TarkusFace.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Man. The Legend.]]
'''Tarkus''' is the [[Manly Marines|manliest]] motherfucker in the entire [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marine]] chapter. He has been a steadfast warrior whose capacity for kicking ass is only matched by the [[Fist of the North Star|power of his heart]]. According to canon, he's been with the chapter since the Kronus campaign, as one of the nameless honor guard sergeants. Noted for being the single most sympathetic character in all of Dawn of War II, as well as being one of the most beloved by [[/tg/]] due to the sheer ass-kickery he provides, Tarkus is one of not only the most useful characters to join your squad in the game, but also one of the most versatile. Whereas [[Khorne|that angry motherfucker]] [[Avitus]] is dour and angry, and [[Cyrus]] tends to be [[Corax|dark and brooding]], Tarkus is the old veteran - the one that has seen it all, endured the crucible of war, and emerged with his humanity tempered. In a universe filled with [[grimdark]], Tarkus is the exception to the rule, pushing forward with genuine concern for his fellow marines and leaving the universe that much brighter with each bolter shell he fires.

Loyal to the end, Tarkus can, like all members of your squad in ''Chaos Rising'', become a filthy heretic, but even ''then'' he does not cease his loyalty to the Imperium and the [[Emperor]].

==Overview==
[[File:Family Circus Tarkus.jpg|300px|thumb|right|You know he's awesome when a family comic strip mentions him. This is NOT edited.]]
Tarkus himself is a Tactical Marine Sergeant in the Blood Ravens 4th Company. He has over 200 years of experience under his belt, and is an expert tactician as well as a rock-solid second-in-command, who serves the Dawn of War II Space Marine Commander as an advisor and confidant. Amongst his fellow marines, Tarkus is renowned for his confidence and tough-as-adamantine resolve. Tarkus' prominent scars and tendency to be hard on himself stem from a personal tragedy: Tarkus was once convinced by an [[Eldar]] Ranger to lead his squad straight into an ambush. The Ranger had approached him under the guise of a truce and had proposed they temporarily work together against their common enemy, the Orks. Suffice to say, in the proud tradition of the Eldar possessing the [[Eldrad|most hubristic fucks in the galaxy]] (Assuming, of course, that one ignores the Imperium's hubris), the Eldar betrayed the Marines the second the opportunity arose, and Tarkus' squad was cut down piecemeal - Tarkus was the sole survivor of the ambush, and has yet to forgive himself for this. Tarkus harbors a serious grudge against not only the Ranger (who escaped the battle), but against Eldar in general as a result, and his vendetta against them has not faded over the years.

Tarkus' first canon appearance was in [[Dawn of War|Dawn of War: Dark Crusade]], where he supposedly was one of the available Sergeants under the command of Captain [[Davian Thule]]. He and his squad were commended for their efforts during the assault on the Necron Stronghold on Kronus, where Tarkus' squad held off wave after wave of [[Necron]] forces as Captain [[Davian Thule]] planted a Plasma Bomb so as to end the Necron threat to Kronus entirely; as a desperate act, Tarkus brought a Destroyer down by shoving a frag grenade into its neck joints, earning yet more scars and the Crux Terminatus. Curiously, he did not loose the arm as he was advancing in a particularly tactical manner.

Tarkus' native world is Calderis, which is one of a handful of recruitment worlds for the Blood Ravens. It's notable also for being a major training site for the [[Imperial Guard]] as well, so Tarkus' [[Awesome|powerful humanity]] may well have been hereditary.

==Dawn of War==
Tarkus is a Sergeant of the [[Blood Ravens]] chapter, and he's been in every war they've fought since the first [[Dawn of War]]. He's so fucking awesome he (wears a helmet <s> that he stole</s> that Diomedes gifted to him in Retribution) just uses his awesome baldness to deflect bullets in the first two games. Also, he can be exceedingly loyal. Using chaos to fuck chaos up? That takes balls, and to not truly fall to chaos while using it? Cast-Iron Ferric balls, man. Cast-Iron Ferric balls. This occurs during the Dawn of War II games. He is also revealed to be The Ancient, a fairly (oh who the hell am I kidding, EXTREMELY) awesome strong and silent type character. The first time you find out who the Ancient is, you'll weep with the pure awesome baldness.
A simple demonstration of his awesomeness occurs if he turns traitor; while all the other traitors, including Cyrus, have no idea where you're going next and just tell their forces to be on alert, Tarkus knows exactly which part of his base is about to get hit.

==In Gameplay==
In game, Tarkus is probably the second most versatile squad you can field next to Cyrus. His tactical advance [[tank|makes him invincible]], which, coupled with the artillery strike ability, makes him a walking ordnance beacon. Watch as he stands in the middle of an orbital bombardment without so much as a scratch. This ability also completely overshadows the iron halo, since it drains energy over time, not when damage is taken. This lets Tarkus laugh off most everything for extended periods of time on the order of five minutes, rendering him a persistent thorn in the enemy's side. Tactical advance can also be upgraded to increase Tarkus's damage or give a measure of anti-suppression to the rest of your squads.

Since he's hardy as all fuck, Tarkus works perfectly with short-ranged weapons like flamers, meltaguns, and plasma guns, and with the Sternguard upgrade he gains access to improved bolter ammo that make bolters (and storm bolters) useful against just about everything- Kraken rounds boost their range, Dragonfire rounds create AoE explosions that ignore cover, and Vengeance rounds allow them to do bonus damage against vehicles and buildings. It's relatively easy to have him wade into hordes of enemies to kill linchpin opponents like Tyranid warriors and Nobz, or tie up ranged squads in close combat. His other skills combo perfectly with his durability, letting him draw ALL THE FIRE while the rest of your force gets into position. Tarkus is also a master of grenade warfare, able to throw unlimited grenades, and eventually, throw bunches of grenades.

One more thing of note is that his squad has more <s>meatshields</s> unnamed marines, coming in at three over everyone else's two. These can be upgraded to chapter veterans, giving you two extra cheap plasma guns on the field, and the upgrade falls on the road to super-tactical-advance, meaning that it's a no-brainer not to get it.

He doesn't have the strongest guns, or the most effective explosives, or the best melee, but his Marines are the most vital part of your team. He will not die, he will mark artillery, and he will buff your entire team to unstoppable levels. Simply put, Sergeant Tarkus is the best Blood Raven in [[Dawn of War II]], bar none. Yes, that includes [[Davian Thule|Davian Cool]] and [[Gabriel Angelos]].

He is also able to affect [[Tyranid]]s with the taunt ability. This can only mean that Tarkus is so skilled at the art of insults that he draws the attention of the Hive Mind itself.

In Retribution, he somehow manages to become even cheesier (read: [[Awesome]]) as he gains the ability to use any weapon that isn't a shotgun, sniper rifle, or 2-handed melee weapon, make himself invincible whenever he uses any of his abilities, and gains a jump pack too, essentially making him a cross between a Sternguard Veteran, a Vanguard Veteran, and a Devastator Marine. Give him the Shadowscale armor wargear that renders him permanently invisible and chapter rites accessory, and a plasma cannon, plus the final offense ability to call in air-strikes, then watch him demolish everything in his path with impunity.

==Codex Tarkus==
Ever wanted to include this cheesy badass into your army? Then take him as an upgrade for your Tactical/Sternguard (or Vanguard/Devastator)/Terminator Sergeant.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Tarkus''' || 80 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Ancient Tarkus''' || 90 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': Can be swapped for Purgation of the Anathema for 15 pts, Blazing Light of Truth or Xavier's Torch for 20 pts. He may exchange either of them for the Vigilance of the Neophyte for free or the Blade of Typhon for 25 pts, and Unflagging Resolve for free or The Voice of Reason for 20 pts. If Tarkus chooses to take the Honor of the Blood Ravens, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Sanction of Terra and Bane of The Fallen, which can be replaced for 30 pts for the Fate of Traitors. Ancient Tarkus may replace these weapons further with Thule's Companion (see Codex [[Davian Thule]]) for free, Titan Smasher for 15 pts, Necron Bane for 20 pts, and Light of Calderis for 25 pts if he doesn't choose Honour of the Blood Ravens.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Can be swapped for Armor of Calderis for 10 pts or Honor of the Blood Ravens for 20 pts. If he chooses the latter, then Tarkus must be part of a Terminator Squad.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''
* '''Blind Grenades''': See Defensive Grenades.
* '''Personal Standard''': Counts as Company Standard. See Codex: Space Marines. May be replaced with a Jump Pack (Ancient Tarkus Only).

'''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.
* '''Feel No Pain (Armor of Calderis Only)'''
* '''Preferred Enemy (Chaos) (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Zealot (Honor of the Blood Ravens Only)'''
* '''Relentless/Slow and Purposeful (Unflagging Resolve Only)'''
* '''Eternal Warrior'''
* '''Hatred (Eldar)'''
* '''Special Issue Ammunition (Holy Bolter of The Ancient, Unflagging Resolve, Thule's Companion and Bane of The Fallen Only)''': See Codex: Space Marines under Sternguard Veterans. Replace the Rapid Fire rules of the ammunitions with those of the bolter weapons (in case of Bane of The Fallen and Thule's Companion, subtract 1 from the AP and add 1 (2 in case of Thule's Companion) to S to the ammunitions profiles).
* '''Master Crafted Grenades''': All grenades that Tarkus uses count as having the Master Crafted USR.
* '''Tactical Advance''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Tarkus and his squad will initiate Tactical Advance. For the duration of Tactical Advance, Tarkus and his squad are under the effects of the Slow and Purposeful USR, but also gain a +1 to WS, BS, A, I, and a +1 to Armour and Inv Save rolls.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''': The Holy Bolter of the Ancient is a Boltgun belonging to the Blood Ravens Chapter. A revered relic of the [[Ultramarines]] Chapter, this bolter accompanied dozens of Space Marines during Crusades of Absolution. Few can recall the weapons' complete history, but legends speak that [[Marneus Calgar]] himself carried it during his centuries as a tactical marine.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Holy Bolter of The Ancient''' || 28 || 5 || 5 || Rapid Fire, Master Crafted, Precision Shots
|}

* '''Purgation of the Anathema''': "For the enemies of Man are hateful to His sight, and He shall Smite them in holy flame." Used in the purgation of the Black Abbeys of Morgana, this artificer flamer emerged from the campaign with holy zeal resonating in its very fabric. So searing is its flame that unholy targets are said to detonate in holy blooms of fire.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Purgation of the Anathema''' || Template || 5 || 4 || Assault 2, Detonate
|}

** '''Detonate''': When a enemy model is slain by this weapon, put a blast marker over the slain model. All enemy models inside the blast marker are hit by a single S5 AP4 hit, yet still can use armour saves.

* '''Blazing Light of Truth''': "In the moment of his death, let the Heretic see the folly of his cause." This artificer plasma gun bears the sigils of Inquisitor Kuzminski. Like that fearsome figure, the weapon has been known to compel enemies to suddenly disavow their heresies - and promptly jump into the path of their erstwhile allies' attacks.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blazing Light of Truth''' || 24 || 7 || 2 || Rapid Fire, Gets Hot!, Master Crafted, Folly of Conviction
|}

** '''Folly of Conviction''': Enemies hit by this weapon suddenly fall into a berserker state and attack each other for one turn. When rolling To Hit in either melee or shooting, any unmodified rolls of a 1 are not discarded if missed. Instead, they automatically hit a friendly model locked in the squad that is attacking Tarkus. The enemy must randomly determine (for each roll of a 1) which model in the squad is hit.

* '''Unflagging Resolve''': When the generators powering Angel Gate were disabled, [[Commissar]] Tharp rallied the Guardsmen of the 85th Vendoland in a vain attempt to stave off the Tyranid swarm. Even when the endless broods of Hormagaunts buried him in their mass, the report of his bolt pistol could still be heard. The Unflagging resolve grants the whole squad that is led by Tarkus the Relentless USR. If any model in the squad has a weapon with the Heavy trait, then the whole squad gains the Slow and Purposeful USR.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unflagging Resolve''' || 12 || 4 || 5 || Pistol
|}

* '''The Voice of Reason''': "So the enemy refuses to acknowledge their defeat? They shall listen to reason." Brother-Captain Klint of the Imperial Fists. The Voice of Reason is a Plasma Pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''The Voice of Reason''' || 12 || 7 || 2 || Pistol, Gets Hot!, Concussive, Strikedown
|}

* '''Thule's Companion''': See [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Davian_Thule#Codex_Davian_Thule|Codex Davian Thule]]. Only applicable when Captain Davian Thule is not armed with Thule's Companion or when he's taken in his Venerable Dreadnought incarnation.

* '''Titan Smasher''': Techmarines of the Red Wolves have preserved this weapon for millennia, although it looks quite unremarkable. Time and again, the Titan Smasher has found weak points in great war machines, heavy tanks, armored daemons, and terrifying siege engines. The Titan Smasher is a Missile Launcher.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Frag)''' || 54 || 5 || 6 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Krak)''' || 54 || 9 || 3 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted
|-
| '''Titan Smasher (Flakk)''' || 54 || 8 || 4 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|-
| '''Titan Smasher Missile''' || 54 || 8 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Armourbane, One Use Only
|}

* '''Necron Bane''': In the blackness of a massive subterranean cavern, Brother Fortune steadied this mighty lascannon and unleashed its great power on scores of awakening Necron Destroyers. Their ancient armor melted and fused together like so much plasteel slag. Fortune bore this weapon into battle on countless worlds, devoting his long life to restraining the Necron menace. Tarkus gains Preferred Enemy (Necrons) when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Necron Bane''' || 72 || 9 || 2 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Armourbane, Protocol Scrambler
|}

** '''Protocol Scrambler''': Necrons slain by Necron Bane and who rolled Reanimation Protocols must re-roll successful Reanimation Protocols with a -1 penalty. Additionally, any Necron vehicle with the Living Metal SR must re-roll any successful IWND rolls.

* '''Light of Calderis''': With each volley, an expanse of the Claderis desert turned to glass and a mob of greenskins scavengers fell apart like boiled meat. When the Blood Ravens first set foot on Calderis, it was infested with Orks. When they left, the native human tribes were free from the Ork menace and in awe of their armored saviors from the stars. The Light of Calderis is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Light of Calderis''' || 72 || 8 || 2 || Heavy 2, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

* '''Bane of The Fallen''': "No unholy deed shall go unpunished. No blasphemy shall go unavenged." The Grey Knights made common cause with the Blood Ravens during part of the Dark Crusade on Kronus. Though the daemon hunters would depart as mysteriously as they arrived, they left this holy weapon to their former allies. Bane of The Fallen is a Storm Bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Bane of The Fallen''' || 24 || 5 || 4 || Assault 3, Master Crafted
|}

* '''Fate of Traitors''': Veteran Damonis of the Blood Ravens First Company wielded this heavy flamer during the Kronus Crusade. He used it without hesitation on the turncoat Guardsmen of Victory Bay and the Chaos Heretics of the Deimos Peninsula.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Fate of Traitors''' || Template || 6 || 4 || Assault 2, Torrent
|}

* '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''': Freshly graduated from the Scout company, the young Blood Raven Rennatus came to a terrible discovery: his superior Sergeant Holdon had fallen to the whispers of Chaos. Rennatus used this very chainsword to put an end to his brother's heresy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Vigilance of the Neophyte''' || - || User || 4 || Melee, Shred, Sunder Armor
|}

** '''Sunder Armor''': Enemies hit by this weapon on a 6 have their Sv increased by one up to a maximum of 6. Does not affect Invulnerable Saves.

* '''Blade of Typhon''': Sergeant Byronis used this venerated power sword during the climactic battle with the Tyranids on Typhon Primaris. He thought the blade lost when the talons of a Ravener severed his arm and sent the blade tumbling into a deep chasm. Byronis continued the battle regardless, making use of his bolt pistol.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Blade of Typhon''' || - || +1 || 3 || Melee, Tyranid Bane
|}

** '''Tyranid Bane''': Tarkus re-rolls all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls against Tyranids. Additionally, Tarkus gains the Fleshbane USR on both his shooting and close combat attacks.

* '''Sanction of Terra''': "Let your hand be that of the Emperor, and deliver swift sanction to His enemies!" - From the Sermons of St. Munsell. The Sanction of Terra is a Terminator Power Fist.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Sanction of Terra''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Master Crafted, Armourbane, Rending, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon
|}

* '''Armor of Calderis''': The Blood Raven Tomas held the desert gate of Argus during the Greenskin invasion of his native Calderis, allowing Davian Thule to organize a counter attack. Tomas fell to the Tyranids later in the Crusade, but his recovered armor is relic of the chapter, a tribute to the harsh warriors recruited from Calderis. The Armor of Calderis is a Artificer Armour that grants the Feel No Pain USR and a 6+ Inv Save against ranged weapons.

* '''Honor of the Blood Ravens''': Cleansed of the taint of its use by traitors, this legendary armor is returned to the chapter's faithful at last. The armor itself seems to pulse with zeal, seeking to atone for the sins committed within it. The Honor of the Blood Ravens is a Terminator Armor that grants the Zealot USR and Preferred Enemy (Chaos) to the whole squad that Tarkus leads.

==Canon==
Who gives a Damn about "canon"? He's awesome, no two ways about it. And, thankfully, nothing has happened to him like, say, being equipped with a multi-laser bionic arm by [[C.S.Goto]]hell.

==External Links==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBpk8N5Av5k| Good betrayal, or BEST betrayal? Tarkus explains why he fell to Chaos.]

{{Template:Marines-Characters}}

[[Category: Dawn of War]]

Avitus

2015-11-18T02:58:14Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Avitus_portrait.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The canonical Angry Marine.]]
Avitus was a Space Marine [[Devastator Squad|Devastator]] in the ranks of the Blood Magp- uuh I mean, [[Blood Ravens]] and was featured with the rest of the Blood Raven squad in [[Dawn of War II]]. Was, because while it isn't directly said, it's <s>heavily implied</s> all but confirmed that he was the canonical traitor during the events of Chaos Rising. Avitus was well known for his extreme hatred of anything that wasn't a Space Marine (you tryin' to imply something Avitus?). Now, you may think Avitus is your classic SPESS MEHREEN MUST KILL DA HERESIES, but in reality he is a hulking mass of pure emotion. Well emotion''s'', since it's really a mixture of rage, contempt and generally being a bitter, hateful person. This tends to leave him at odds with [[Thaddeus]], who is idealistic, [[Cyrus|Spike Spiegel]], who is emo, and [[Tarkus]], who does not like smack talk about other servants of the Emperor.

One thing everyone ''can'' agree on is that Avitus should have been an [[Angry Marine]].

==History==
Avitus, like many of the other Blood Ravens, was a veteran of many battles, but more specifically, the Kronus campaign where the Blood Ravens fought against he Kronus Liberators in the Battle of Victory Bay. The Blood Ravens won, but Avitus was still pretty fucking angry at the guardsmen for killing some of his battle-brothers, calling them traitors and weaklings which seems to have been a foreshadowing of future events and the start of a long history of hilarious outbursts regarding the Imperial Guard. This also wasn't helped by his home on Typhon being terrorized on a regular basis by a corrupt Guard regiment, resulting in Avitus projecting his hatred on the entirety of the Imperial Guard, including regiments that were actually decent like [[Merrick| the 85th Vendoland.]]

==Dawn of War II==
Avitus's squad is with you from the start of the game, appearing in the second mission while tenderizing some Orks. He's a good source of hilarious quips revolving around the reduction of enemies into meaty salsa, and quickly becomes [[Cyrus|Cyrus's]] ally in dispensing a tide of morbidity. Most notably, he foreshadows the fact that [[Azariah Kyras]] is a traitor by noting that the chapter has far too many secrets and lies to be fully legitimate.

==Chaos Rising==
In [[Chaos Rising]], Avitus remains more or less identical to his previous appearance. In the first mission, he gets to accompany [[Blood Ravens Force Commander| Hairgel]] to kill some [[Lost and the Damned|traitor guard]], which is more or less his wet dream. He generally advocates doing pragmatic things that will up your corruption meter, such as blowing up the gate to Angel Forge. If he turns traitor, Avitus becomes the only heretic to use terminator armor against you, along with a cyclone missile launcher and assault cannon. This still leaves him nowhere near a certain [[Eliphas|chaos champion]] or a [[Martellus|techmarine]] in annoying boss fights, but he will still wreck your shit if you ever give him the chance to fire any of his ranged weapons at you, especially with his cyclone missile barrage on Primarch difficulty.

During the fight he expresses the nature and the (lack of) guilt of his heresy in true Avitus fashion: with pure, unbridled rage. With his fall into heresy further breaking whatever little morality he had left, he has come to the conclusion that everything taught to him and everything he knows over the centuries is a lie and that the galaxy is a pointless, nihilistic place that only demands endless killing - which is entirely correct. In truth, the main reason for his fall to Chaos is that he's actually understood it all. This is possibly why Relic supposedly picked him as the canonical traitor.

His death causes Tarkus to [[Fist of the North Star|weep tears of manliness]] as Avitus lays dying.

<del>In the end, all deaths serve Khorne.</del> {{Blam}} No man died in His service that died in vain!

==Retribution==
[[Tarkus|The Ancient]] implied that Avitus was the canonical traitor, saying that a friend of his from Kronus was corrupted by Kyras. This automatically discounts everyone but Avitus, since Davian Thule, Jonah, Martellus, and Cyrus are still loyalists and Thaddeus was recruited after the Kronus Campaign. Furthermore, no one but Avitus is known to be familiar with Tarkus from before the events of Dawn of War II.

However, it was probably meant to be kept open to interpretation since no one was specifically mentioned, and we can thank THQ for keeping the door open on Captain Hairgel, a known and dangerous hairetic. However, do note that it was unlikely that Hairgel was friends with Tarkus on Kronus. Perhaps Tarkus was jealous of his flowing locks.

==Gameplay==
In the game, he provides suppression with heavy bolters, high single-target anti-vehicle damage with missile launchers and high area-of-effect damage with plasma cannons, which is balanced by his squad's relative fragility, necessity of standing still to fire, and complete lack of capability in melee. If you are [[Indrick Boreale| tactically deficient]] you can equip him with a bolter, and you will deserve everything that happens to you. He becomes more useful for some playstyles in Chaos Rising, where he makes artillery strikes and cyclone missile barrages energy-costing abilities and gains access to lascannons for superior anti-vehicle firepower.

This makes him a well-balanced unit in a force containing [[Tarkus]], [[Cyrus]], and [[Davian Thule]], meaning that he is hopelessly outclassed in damage potential by the latter two and in health by the former. Overall solid, but not necessarily the optimal choice for a [[Powergamer| Powergamer's]] squad. Unless you used him with a special heavy bolter which never ever needs to reload.... Throw this with him never having to set up AND causes mini-explosions with each shot in focus fire (also handy when he gains energy from every kill he makes) he will rape everything in his arc of fire. Of course, the moment he gains Terminator Armor and a good Assault Cannon, he will cause everything short of heavy vehicles to suffer critical existence failure the moment he uses focus fire. And with the Terminator power fists, be can just punch said vehicles until they stop moving if you don't want to give him the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which incidentally becomes energy-based with the right perks).

==Codex Avitus==
Now you too can play as everyone's favorite Angry Marine wannabe, either as a Devastator Sergeant, Terminator Sergeant, or a Chaos Terminator Champion (to represent him after he is exposed as a traitor).
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Avitus''' || 80 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Avitus the Traitor''' ||100 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 2+/5++
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Only usable as Sergeant Avitus. Can be swapped for Lament of Mars for 15 pts, Daystar for 20 points, or Cleansing Light of Dawn for 25 pts. If Avitus chooses to take the Crusade Eternal, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Neverending Hail of Obliteration and the Cestus of Terror, and may also take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points. Avitus the Traitor must replace these weapons with the Khorne's Whisper and the Persephone's Liberation, and may take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Sergeant Avitus only. May be swapped for Cuirass of Prathios for 10 points or Crusade Eternal for 25 points. If the Crusade Eternal is taken, Avitus can only join Terminator Squads.
* '''Terminator Armor''': Avitus the Traitor only. May be replaced with Aegis of Obliteration for 30 points.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''

'''Special Rules''':
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear''' (Sergeant Avitus only)
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': Sergeant Avitus only. 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.
* '''Champions of Chaos''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Crusader''' (Crusade Eternal only)
* '''Preferred Enemy (Infantry)'''(Aegis of Obliteration only)
* '''Mark of Khorne''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Rage''' (Persephone's Liberation only)
* '''Fear''' (Cestus of Terror only)
* '''Stubborn''' (Cuirass of Prathios only)
* '''Tank Hunters''' (Cleansing Light of Dawn only)
* '''Hatred (Imperial Guard)'''
* '''Focus Fire''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Avitus and his squad will initiate Focus Fire. For the duration of Focus Fire, Avitus and his squad may not move in the Movement Phase, but gain a +1 to BS and may re-roll all failed to-hit and to-wound/armor penetration rolls in shooting.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Scores of xenos were cut down like chaff, but still they came. Bolts ripped through their lines as the Blood Ravens desperately held the line against their endless foe to protect their fallen sergeant. When the bulk of the second company arrived in response to the distress calls, the body of Sergeant Martinus remained untouched by alien claws, and the last remaining battle brother collapsed... still firing his heavy bolter. The Neverending Hail of Devastation is a heavy bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''' || 42 || 5 || 4 || Heavy 5, Pinning, Hail of Fire
|}

**'''Hail of Fire''': During the Shooting Phase, Avitus can sacrifice the ability to Overwatch on the current turn and shooting on the next turn to make the Neverending Hail of Devastation Heavy 10.

*'''Lament of Mars''': After the Blood Ravens pacification of Victory Bay, the Techpriests are said to have looked upon the wreckage of the vehicles used by the treasonous Imperial Guard and wept. This missile launcher was responsible for much of their sorrow.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Frag)''' || 54 || 4 || 6 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Krak)''' || 54 || 8 || 3 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Armourbane
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Flakk)''' || 54 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|}

*'''Daystar''': Facing the incalculable horror of the Nightbringer, a veteran devastator of the Angels Sanguine leveled this mighty cannon at his foe and fired a burst of plasma that seemed brighter than the midday sun on a desert world. Daystar is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Daystar''' || 48 || 7 || 2 || Heavy 1, Blind, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

*'''Cleansing Light of Dawn''': "Those who stand in the shadows, plotting against the God Emperor, shall face the light of dawn and be cleansed." Cleansing Light of Dawn is a Lascannon. Avitus and his squad gain Tank Hunters when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cleansing Light of Dawn''' || 60 || 10 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Precision Shots
|}

*'''Neverending Hail of Obliteration''': The withering hail of explosive bolts fired from this mighty assault cannon has broken entire armies and quelled enormous Ork uprisings throughout the galaxy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unrelenting''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Master Crafted, Rending, Obliterate
|}

**'''Obliterate'''- When a model is killed by this weapon, roll a d6; on a 6, place a Blast marker on the model's unit that hits for S5 AP5.

*'''Khorne's Whisper''': Each Space Marine to have wielded this weapon swears that it was the voice concealed in the roar of its fire which compelled them to turn it upon their comrades. Khorne's Whisper is an Assault Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Khorne's Whisper''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Soulblaze, Rending, Whispers of the Blood God
|}

**'''Whispers of the Blood God''': All allied units gain Furious Charge when charging a unit that has taken a wound from this weapon.

*'''Cestus of Terror''': Brother Captain Leo Niveus used this power fist to crush the life out of a planetary Governor he considered treasonous. This act triggered a general uprising that ended with an inquisitorial Exterminatus. The Cestus of Terror is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus and his squad cause Fear when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cestus of Terror''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
|}

*'''Persephone's Liberation''': Bound by a Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, Battle Sister Persephone sent psychic messages to an old ally, Librarian Uriah Kos, calling for help. Upon his arrival, Kos fell under the power of Chaos and slew Persephone in cold blood. Persephone's Liberation is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus gains Rage when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Persephone's Liberation''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy, Concussive
|}

*'''Cuirass of Prathios''': "Brothers, though the secrets of our great chapter's past are still clouded and uncertain, we will forever be vigilant in our quest to both unearth hidden lore and to smite the foes of mankind in His name. Knowledge is power, Guard it well..." - Chaplain Prathios of the Blood Ravens. The Cuirass of Prathios is a set of Artificer Armor that gives Avitus the Stubborn USR.

*'''Crusade Eternal''': A piece of Captain Trythos' holy dreadnought was forged into this suit of Terminator armor. As a result, the captain's undying fury manifests in the wearer, allowing them to sustain the most ferocious of attacks. The Crusade Eternal is a set of Terminator Armor that gives Avitus the Feel No Pain USR on a 5+.

*'''Aegis of Obliteration''': Stripped from a mortally wounded Astral Claw renegade during the Badab War, Techmarine Domitus believed it was his duty to restore this relic for use against the enemies of Man. He did not succeed. The Aegis of Obliteration is a set of Terminator Armor with a 4++ invulnerable save and grants Avitus' entire squad Preferred Enemy (Infantry).

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

Avitus

2015-11-18T02:57:48Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Avitus_portrait.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The canonical Angry Marine.]]
Avitus was a Space Marine [[Devastator Squad|Devastator]] in the ranks of the Blood Magp- uuh I mean, [[Blood Ravens]] and was featured with the rest of the Blood Raven squad in [[Dawn of War II]]. Was, because while it isn't directly said, it's <s>heavily implied</s> all but confirmed that he was the canonical traitor during the events of Chaos Rising. Avitus was well known for his extreme hatred of anything that wasn't a Space Marine (you tryin' to imply something Avitus?). Now, you may think Avitus is your classic SPESS MEHREEN MUST KILL DA HERESIES, but in reality he is a hulking mass of pure emotion. Well emotion''s'', since it's really a mixture of rage, contempt and generally being a bitter, hateful person. This tends to leave him at odds with [[Thaddeus]], who is idealistic, [[Cyrus|Spike Spiegel]], who is emo, and [[Tarkus]], who does not like smack talk about other servants of the Emperor.

One thing everyone ''can'' agree on is that Avitus should have been an [[Angry Marine]].

==History==
Avitus, like many of the other Blood Ravens, was a veteran of many battles, but more specifically, the Kronus campaign where the Blood Ravens fought against he Kronus Liberators in the Battle of Victory Bay. The Blood Ravens won, but Avitus was still pretty fucking angry at the guardsmen for killing some of his battle-brothers, calling them traitors and weaklings which seems to have been a foreshadowing of future events and the start of a long history of hilarious outbursts regarding the Imperial Guard. This also wasn't helped by his home on Typhon being terrorized on a regular basis by a corrupt Guard regiment, resulting in Avitus projecting his hatred on the entirety of the Imperial Guard, including regiments that were actually decent like [[Merrick| the 85th Vendoland.]]

==Dawn of War II==
Avitus's squad is with you from the start of the game, appearing in the second mission while tenderizing some Orks. He's a good source of hilarious quips revolving around the reduction of enemies into meaty salsa, and quickly becomes [[Cyrus|Cyrus's]] ally in dispensing a tide of morbidity. Most notably, he foreshadows the fact that [[Azariah Kyras]] is a traitor by noting that the chapter has far too many secrets and lies to be fully legitimate.

==Chaos Rising==
In [[Chaos Rising]], Avitus remains more or less identical to his previous appearance. In the first mission, he gets to accompany [[Blood Ravens Force Commander| Hairgel]] to kill some [[Lost and the Damned|traitor guard]], which is more or less his wet dream. He generally advocates doing pragmatic things that will up your corruption meter, such as blowing up the gate to Angel Forge. If he turns traitor, Avitus becomes the only heretic to use terminator armor against you, along with a cyclone missile launcher and assault cannon. This still leaves him nowhere near a certain [[Eliphas|chaos champion]] or a [[Martellus|techmarine]] in annoying boss fights, but he will still wreck your shit if you ever give him the chance to fire any of his ranged weapons at you, especially with his cyclone missile barrage on Primarch difficulty.

During the fight he expresses the nature and the (lack of) guilt of his heresy in true Avitus fashion: with pure, unbridled rage. With his fall into heresy further breaking whatever little morality he had left, he has come to the conclusion that everything taught to him and everything he knows over the centuries is a lie and that the galaxy is a pointless, nihilistic place that only demands endless killing - which is entirely correct. In truth, the main reason for his fall to Chaos is that he's actually understood it all. This is possibly why Relic supposedly picked him as the canonical traitor. His death causes Tarkus to [[Fist of the North Star|weep tears of manliness]] as Avitus lays dying.

<del>In the end, all deaths serve Khorne.</del> {{Blam}} No man died in His service that died in vain!

==Retribution==
[[Tarkus|The Ancient]] implied that Avitus was the canonical traitor, saying that a friend of his from Kronus was corrupted by Kyras. This automatically discounts everyone but Avitus, since Davian Thule, Jonah, Martellus, and Cyrus are still loyalists and Thaddeus was recruited after the Kronus Campaign. Furthermore, no one but Avitus is known to be familiar with Tarkus from before the events of Dawn of War II.

However, it was probably meant to be kept open to interpretation since no one was specifically mentioned, and we can thank THQ for keeping the door open on Captain Hairgel, a known and dangerous hairetic. However, do note that it was unlikely that Hairgel was friends with Tarkus on Kronus. Perhaps Tarkus was jealous of his flowing locks.

==Gameplay==
In the game, he provides suppression with heavy bolters, high single-target anti-vehicle damage with missile launchers and high area-of-effect damage with plasma cannons, which is balanced by his squad's relative fragility, necessity of standing still to fire, and complete lack of capability in melee. If you are [[Indrick Boreale| tactically deficient]] you can equip him with a bolter, and you will deserve everything that happens to you. He becomes more useful for some playstyles in Chaos Rising, where he makes artillery strikes and cyclone missile barrages energy-costing abilities and gains access to lascannons for superior anti-vehicle firepower.

This makes him a well-balanced unit in a force containing [[Tarkus]], [[Cyrus]], and [[Davian Thule]], meaning that he is hopelessly outclassed in damage potential by the latter two and in health by the former. Overall solid, but not necessarily the optimal choice for a [[Powergamer| Powergamer's]] squad. Unless you used him with a special heavy bolter which never ever needs to reload.... Throw this with him never having to set up AND causes mini-explosions with each shot in focus fire (also handy when he gains energy from every kill he makes) he will rape everything in his arc of fire. Of course, the moment he gains Terminator Armor and a good Assault Cannon, he will cause everything short of heavy vehicles to suffer critical existence failure the moment he uses focus fire. And with the Terminator power fists, be can just punch said vehicles until they stop moving if you don't want to give him the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which incidentally becomes energy-based with the right perks).

==Codex Avitus==
Now you too can play as everyone's favorite Angry Marine wannabe, either as a Devastator Sergeant, Terminator Sergeant, or a Chaos Terminator Champion (to represent him after he is exposed as a traitor).
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Avitus''' || 80 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Avitus the Traitor''' ||100 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 2+/5++
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Only usable as Sergeant Avitus. Can be swapped for Lament of Mars for 15 pts, Daystar for 20 points, or Cleansing Light of Dawn for 25 pts. If Avitus chooses to take the Crusade Eternal, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Neverending Hail of Obliteration and the Cestus of Terror, and may also take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points. Avitus the Traitor must replace these weapons with the Khorne's Whisper and the Persephone's Liberation, and may take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Sergeant Avitus only. May be swapped for Cuirass of Prathios for 10 points or Crusade Eternal for 25 points. If the Crusade Eternal is taken, Avitus can only join Terminator Squads.
* '''Terminator Armor''': Avitus the Traitor only. May be replaced with Aegis of Obliteration for 30 points.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''

'''Special Rules''':
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear''' (Sergeant Avitus only)
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': Sergeant Avitus only. 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.
* '''Champions of Chaos''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Crusader''' (Crusade Eternal only)
* '''Preferred Enemy (Infantry)'''(Aegis of Obliteration only)
* '''Mark of Khorne''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Rage''' (Persephone's Liberation only)
* '''Fear''' (Cestus of Terror only)
* '''Stubborn''' (Cuirass of Prathios only)
* '''Tank Hunters''' (Cleansing Light of Dawn only)
* '''Hatred (Imperial Guard)'''
* '''Focus Fire''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Avitus and his squad will initiate Focus Fire. For the duration of Focus Fire, Avitus and his squad may not move in the Movement Phase, but gain a +1 to BS and may re-roll all failed to-hit and to-wound/armor penetration rolls in shooting.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Scores of xenos were cut down like chaff, but still they came. Bolts ripped through their lines as the Blood Ravens desperately held the line against their endless foe to protect their fallen sergeant. When the bulk of the second company arrived in response to the distress calls, the body of Sergeant Martinus remained untouched by alien claws, and the last remaining battle brother collapsed... still firing his heavy bolter. The Neverending Hail of Devastation is a heavy bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''' || 42 || 5 || 4 || Heavy 5, Pinning, Hail of Fire
|}

**'''Hail of Fire''': During the Shooting Phase, Avitus can sacrifice the ability to Overwatch on the current turn and shooting on the next turn to make the Neverending Hail of Devastation Heavy 10.

*'''Lament of Mars''': After the Blood Ravens pacification of Victory Bay, the Techpriests are said to have looked upon the wreckage of the vehicles used by the treasonous Imperial Guard and wept. This missile launcher was responsible for much of their sorrow.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Frag)''' || 54 || 4 || 6 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Krak)''' || 54 || 8 || 3 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Armourbane
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Flakk)''' || 54 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|}

*'''Daystar''': Facing the incalculable horror of the Nightbringer, a veteran devastator of the Angels Sanguine leveled this mighty cannon at his foe and fired a burst of plasma that seemed brighter than the midday sun on a desert world. Daystar is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Daystar''' || 48 || 7 || 2 || Heavy 1, Blind, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

*'''Cleansing Light of Dawn''': "Those who stand in the shadows, plotting against the God Emperor, shall face the light of dawn and be cleansed." Cleansing Light of Dawn is a Lascannon. Avitus and his squad gain Tank Hunters when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cleansing Light of Dawn''' || 60 || 10 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Precision Shots
|}

*'''Neverending Hail of Obliteration''': The withering hail of explosive bolts fired from this mighty assault cannon has broken entire armies and quelled enormous Ork uprisings throughout the galaxy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unrelenting''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Master Crafted, Rending, Obliterate
|}

**'''Obliterate'''- When a model is killed by this weapon, roll a d6; on a 6, place a Blast marker on the model's unit that hits for S5 AP5.

*'''Khorne's Whisper''': Each Space Marine to have wielded this weapon swears that it was the voice concealed in the roar of its fire which compelled them to turn it upon their comrades. Khorne's Whisper is an Assault Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Khorne's Whisper''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Soulblaze, Rending, Whispers of the Blood God
|}

**'''Whispers of the Blood God''': All allied units gain Furious Charge when charging a unit that has taken a wound from this weapon.

*'''Cestus of Terror''': Brother Captain Leo Niveus used this power fist to crush the life out of a planetary Governor he considered treasonous. This act triggered a general uprising that ended with an inquisitorial Exterminatus. The Cestus of Terror is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus and his squad cause Fear when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cestus of Terror''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
|}

*'''Persephone's Liberation''': Bound by a Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, Battle Sister Persephone sent psychic messages to an old ally, Librarian Uriah Kos, calling for help. Upon his arrival, Kos fell under the power of Chaos and slew Persephone in cold blood. Persephone's Liberation is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus gains Rage when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Persephone's Liberation''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy, Concussive
|}

*'''Cuirass of Prathios''': "Brothers, though the secrets of our great chapter's past are still clouded and uncertain, we will forever be vigilant in our quest to both unearth hidden lore and to smite the foes of mankind in His name. Knowledge is power, Guard it well..." - Chaplain Prathios of the Blood Ravens. The Cuirass of Prathios is a set of Artificer Armor that gives Avitus the Stubborn USR.

*'''Crusade Eternal''': A piece of Captain Trythos' holy dreadnought was forged into this suit of Terminator armor. As a result, the captain's undying fury manifests in the wearer, allowing them to sustain the most ferocious of attacks. The Crusade Eternal is a set of Terminator Armor that gives Avitus the Feel No Pain USR on a 5+.

*'''Aegis of Obliteration''': Stripped from a mortally wounded Astral Claw renegade during the Badab War, Techmarine Domitus believed it was his duty to restore this relic for use against the enemies of Man. He did not succeed. The Aegis of Obliteration is a set of Terminator Armor with a 4++ invulnerable save and grants Avitus' entire squad Preferred Enemy (Infantry).

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

Avitus

2015-11-18T02:57:26Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Avitus_portrait.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The canonical Angry Marine.]]
Avitus was a Space Marine [[Devastator Squad|Devastator]] in the ranks of the Blood Magp- uuh I mean, [[Blood Ravens]] and was featured with the rest of the Blood Raven squad in [[Dawn of War II]]. Was, because while it isn't directly said, it's <s>heavily implied</s> all but confirmed that he was the canonical traitor during the events of Chaos Rising. Avitus was well known for his extreme hatred of anything that wasn't a Space Marine (you tryin' to imply something Avitus?). Now, you may think Avitus is your classic SPESS MEHREEN MUST KILL DA HERESIES, but in reality he is a hulking mass of pure emotion. Well emotion''s'', since it's really a mixture of rage, contempt and generally being a bitter, hateful person. This tends to leave him at odds with [[Thaddeus]], who is idealistic, [[Cyrus|Spike Spiegel]], who is emo, and [[Tarkus]], who does not like smack talk about other servants of the Emperor.

One thing everyone ''can'' agree on is that Avitus should have been an [[Angry Marine]].

==History==
Avitus, like many of the other Blood Ravens, was a veteran of many battles, but more specifically, the Kronus campaign where the Blood Ravens fought against he Kronus Liberators in the Battle of Victory Bay. The Blood Ravens won, but Avitus was still pretty fucking angry at the guardsmen for killing some of his battle-brothers, calling them traitors and weaklings which seems to have been a foreshadowing of future events and the start of a long history of hilarious outbursts regarding the Imperial Guard. This also wasn't helped by his home on Typhon being terrorized on a regular basis by a corrupt Guard regiment, resulting in Avitus projecting his hatred on the entirety of the Imperial Guard, including regiments that were actually decent like [[Merrick| the 85th Vendoland.]]

==Dawn of War II==
Avitus's squad is with you from the start of the game, appearing in the second mission while tenderizing some Orks. He's a good source of hilarious quips revolving around the reduction of enemies into meaty salsa, and quickly becomes [[Cyrus|Cyrus's]] ally in dispensing a tide of morbidity. Most notably, he foreshadows the fact that [[Azariah Kyras]] is a traitor by noting that the chapter has far too many secrets and lies to be fully legitimate.

==Chaos Rising==
In [[Chaos Rising]], Avitus remains more or less identical to his previous appearance. In the first mission, he gets to accompany [[Blood Ravens Force Commander| Hairgel]] to kill some [[Lost and the Damned|traitor guard]], which is more or less his wet dream. He generally advocates doing pragmatic things that will up your corruption meter, such as blowing up the gate to Angel Forge. If he turns traitor, Avitus becomes the only heretic to use terminator armor against you, along with a cyclone missile launcher and assault cannon. This still leaves him nowhere near a certain [[Eliphas|chaos champion]] or a [[Martellus|techmarine]] in annoying boss fights, but he will still wreck your shit if you ever give him the chance to fire any of his ranged weapons at you, especially with his cyclone missile barrage on Primarch difficulty.

During the fight he expresses the nature and the (lack of) guilt of his heresy in true Avitus fashion: with pure, unbridled rage. With his fall into heresy further breaking whatever little morality he had left, he has come to the conclusion that everything taught to him and everything he knows over the centuries is a lie and that the galaxy is a pointless, nihilistic place that only demands endless killing. Which is entirely correct. In truth, the main reason for his fall to Chaos is that he's actually understood it all. This is possibly why Relic supposedly picked him as the canonical traitor. His death causes Tarkus to [[Fist of the North Star|weep tears of manliness]] as Avitus lays dying.

<del>In the end, all deaths serve Khorne.</del> {{Blam}} No man died in His service that died in vain!

==Retribution==
[[Tarkus|The Ancient]] implied that Avitus was the canonical traitor, saying that a friend of his from Kronus was corrupted by Kyras. This automatically discounts everyone but Avitus, since Davian Thule, Jonah, Martellus, and Cyrus are still loyalists and Thaddeus was recruited after the Kronus Campaign. Furthermore, no one but Avitus is known to be familiar with Tarkus from before the events of Dawn of War II.

However, it was probably meant to be kept open to interpretation since no one was specifically mentioned, and we can thank THQ for keeping the door open on Captain Hairgel, a known and dangerous hairetic. However, do note that it was unlikely that Hairgel was friends with Tarkus on Kronus. Perhaps Tarkus was jealous of his flowing locks.

==Gameplay==
In the game, he provides suppression with heavy bolters, high single-target anti-vehicle damage with missile launchers and high area-of-effect damage with plasma cannons, which is balanced by his squad's relative fragility, necessity of standing still to fire, and complete lack of capability in melee. If you are [[Indrick Boreale| tactically deficient]] you can equip him with a bolter, and you will deserve everything that happens to you. He becomes more useful for some playstyles in Chaos Rising, where he makes artillery strikes and cyclone missile barrages energy-costing abilities and gains access to lascannons for superior anti-vehicle firepower.

This makes him a well-balanced unit in a force containing [[Tarkus]], [[Cyrus]], and [[Davian Thule]], meaning that he is hopelessly outclassed in damage potential by the latter two and in health by the former. Overall solid, but not necessarily the optimal choice for a [[Powergamer| Powergamer's]] squad. Unless you used him with a special heavy bolter which never ever needs to reload.... Throw this with him never having to set up AND causes mini-explosions with each shot in focus fire (also handy when he gains energy from every kill he makes) he will rape everything in his arc of fire. Of course, the moment he gains Terminator Armor and a good Assault Cannon, he will cause everything short of heavy vehicles to suffer critical existence failure the moment he uses focus fire. And with the Terminator power fists, be can just punch said vehicles until they stop moving if you don't want to give him the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which incidentally becomes energy-based with the right perks).

==Codex Avitus==
Now you too can play as everyone's favorite Angry Marine wannabe, either as a Devastator Sergeant, Terminator Sergeant, or a Chaos Terminator Champion (to represent him after he is exposed as a traitor).
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Avitus''' || 80 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Avitus the Traitor''' ||100 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 2+/5++
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Only usable as Sergeant Avitus. Can be swapped for Lament of Mars for 15 pts, Daystar for 20 points, or Cleansing Light of Dawn for 25 pts. If Avitus chooses to take the Crusade Eternal, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Neverending Hail of Obliteration and the Cestus of Terror, and may also take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points. Avitus the Traitor must replace these weapons with the Khorne's Whisper and the Persephone's Liberation, and may take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Sergeant Avitus only. May be swapped for Cuirass of Prathios for 10 points or Crusade Eternal for 25 points. If the Crusade Eternal is taken, Avitus can only join Terminator Squads.
* '''Terminator Armor''': Avitus the Traitor only. May be replaced with Aegis of Obliteration for 30 points.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''

'''Special Rules''':
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear''' (Sergeant Avitus only)
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': Sergeant Avitus only. 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.
* '''Champions of Chaos''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Crusader''' (Crusade Eternal only)
* '''Preferred Enemy (Infantry)'''(Aegis of Obliteration only)
* '''Mark of Khorne''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Rage''' (Persephone's Liberation only)
* '''Fear''' (Cestus of Terror only)
* '''Stubborn''' (Cuirass of Prathios only)
* '''Tank Hunters''' (Cleansing Light of Dawn only)
* '''Hatred (Imperial Guard)'''
* '''Focus Fire''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Avitus and his squad will initiate Focus Fire. For the duration of Focus Fire, Avitus and his squad may not move in the Movement Phase, but gain a +1 to BS and may re-roll all failed to-hit and to-wound/armor penetration rolls in shooting.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Scores of xenos were cut down like chaff, but still they came. Bolts ripped through their lines as the Blood Ravens desperately held the line against their endless foe to protect their fallen sergeant. When the bulk of the second company arrived in response to the distress calls, the body of Sergeant Martinus remained untouched by alien claws, and the last remaining battle brother collapsed... still firing his heavy bolter. The Neverending Hail of Devastation is a heavy bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''' || 42 || 5 || 4 || Heavy 5, Pinning, Hail of Fire
|}

**'''Hail of Fire''': During the Shooting Phase, Avitus can sacrifice the ability to Overwatch on the current turn and shooting on the next turn to make the Neverending Hail of Devastation Heavy 10.

*'''Lament of Mars''': After the Blood Ravens pacification of Victory Bay, the Techpriests are said to have looked upon the wreckage of the vehicles used by the treasonous Imperial Guard and wept. This missile launcher was responsible for much of their sorrow.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Frag)''' || 54 || 4 || 6 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Krak)''' || 54 || 8 || 3 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Armourbane
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Flakk)''' || 54 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|}

*'''Daystar''': Facing the incalculable horror of the Nightbringer, a veteran devastator of the Angels Sanguine leveled this mighty cannon at his foe and fired a burst of plasma that seemed brighter than the midday sun on a desert world. Daystar is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Daystar''' || 48 || 7 || 2 || Heavy 1, Blind, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

*'''Cleansing Light of Dawn''': "Those who stand in the shadows, plotting against the God Emperor, shall face the light of dawn and be cleansed." Cleansing Light of Dawn is a Lascannon. Avitus and his squad gain Tank Hunters when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cleansing Light of Dawn''' || 60 || 10 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Precision Shots
|}

*'''Neverending Hail of Obliteration''': The withering hail of explosive bolts fired from this mighty assault cannon has broken entire armies and quelled enormous Ork uprisings throughout the galaxy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unrelenting''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Master Crafted, Rending, Obliterate
|}

**'''Obliterate'''- When a model is killed by this weapon, roll a d6; on a 6, place a Blast marker on the model's unit that hits for S5 AP5.

*'''Khorne's Whisper''': Each Space Marine to have wielded this weapon swears that it was the voice concealed in the roar of its fire which compelled them to turn it upon their comrades. Khorne's Whisper is an Assault Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Khorne's Whisper''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Soulblaze, Rending, Whispers of the Blood God
|}

**'''Whispers of the Blood God''': All allied units gain Furious Charge when charging a unit that has taken a wound from this weapon.

*'''Cestus of Terror''': Brother Captain Leo Niveus used this power fist to crush the life out of a planetary Governor he considered treasonous. This act triggered a general uprising that ended with an inquisitorial Exterminatus. The Cestus of Terror is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus and his squad cause Fear when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cestus of Terror''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
|}

*'''Persephone's Liberation''': Bound by a Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, Battle Sister Persephone sent psychic messages to an old ally, Librarian Uriah Kos, calling for help. Upon his arrival, Kos fell under the power of Chaos and slew Persephone in cold blood. Persephone's Liberation is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus gains Rage when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Persephone's Liberation''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy, Concussive
|}

*'''Cuirass of Prathios''': "Brothers, though the secrets of our great chapter's past are still clouded and uncertain, we will forever be vigilant in our quest to both unearth hidden lore and to smite the foes of mankind in His name. Knowledge is power, Guard it well..." - Chaplain Prathios of the Blood Ravens. The Cuirass of Prathios is a set of Artificer Armor that gives Avitus the Stubborn USR.

*'''Crusade Eternal''': A piece of Captain Trythos' holy dreadnought was forged into this suit of Terminator armor. As a result, the captain's undying fury manifests in the wearer, allowing them to sustain the most ferocious of attacks. The Crusade Eternal is a set of Terminator Armor that gives Avitus the Feel No Pain USR on a 5+.

*'''Aegis of Obliteration''': Stripped from a mortally wounded Astral Claw renegade during the Badab War, Techmarine Domitus believed it was his duty to restore this relic for use against the enemies of Man. He did not succeed. The Aegis of Obliteration is a set of Terminator Armor with a 4++ invulnerable save and grants Avitus' entire squad Preferred Enemy (Infantry).

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

Avitus

2015-11-18T02:56:22Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Avitus_portrait.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The canonical Angry Marine.]]
Avitus was a Space Marine [[Devastator Squad|Devastator]] in the ranks of the Blood Magp- uuh I mean, [[Blood Ravens]] and was featured with the rest of the Blood Raven squad in [[Dawn of War II]]. Was, because while it isn't directly said, it's <s>heavily implied</s> all but confirmed that he was the canonical traitor during the events of Chaos Rising. Avitus was well known for his extreme hatred of anything that wasn't a Space Marine (you tryin' to imply something Avitus?). Now, you may think Avitus is your classic SPESS MEHREEN MUST KILL DA HERESIES, but in reality he is a hulking mass of pure emotion. Well emotion''s'', since it's really a mixture of rage, contempt and generally being a bitter, hateful person. This tends to leave him at odds with [[Thaddeus]], who is idealistic, [[Cyrus|Spike Spiegel]], who is emo, and [[Tarkus]], who does not like smack talk about other servants of the Emperor.

One thing everyone ''can'' agree on is that Avitus should have been an [[Angry Marine]].

==History==
Avitus, like many of the other Blood Ravens, was a veteran of many battles, but more specifically, the Kronus campaign where the Blood Ravens fought against he Kronus Liberators in the Battle of Victory Bay. The Blood Ravens won, but Avitus was still pretty fucking angry at the guardsmen for killing some of his battle-brothers, calling them traitors and weaklings which seems to have been a foreshadowing of future events and the start of a long history of hilarious outbursts regarding the Imperial Guard. This also wasn't helped by his home on Typhon being terrorized on a regular basis by a corrupt Guard regiment, resulting in Avitus projecting his hatred on the entirety of the Imperial Guard, including regiments that were actually decent like [[Merrick| the 85th Vendoland.]]

==Dawn of War II==
Avitus's squad is with you from the start of the game, appearing in the second mission while tenderizing some Orks. He's a good source of hilarious quips revolving around the reduction of enemies into meaty salsa, and quickly becomes [[Cyrus|Cyrus's]] ally in dispensing a tide of morbidity. Most notably, he foreshadows the fact that [[Azariah Kyras]] is a traitor by noting that the chapter has far too many secrets and lies to be fully legitimate.

==Chaos Rising==
In [[Chaos Rising]], Avitus remains more or less identical to his previous appearance. In the first mission, he gets to accompany [[Blood Ravens Force Commander| Hairgel]] to kill some [[Lost and the Damned|traitor guard]], which is more or less his wet dream. He generally advocates doing pragmatic things that will up your corruption meter, such as blowing up the gate to Angel Forge. If he turns traitor, Avitus becomes the only heretic to use terminator armor against you, along with a cyclone missile launcher and assault cannon. This still leaves him nowhere near a certain [[Eliphas|chaos champion]] or a [[Martellus|techmarine]] in annoying boss fights, but he will still wreck your shit if you ever give him the chance to fire any of his ranged weapons at you, especially with his cyclone missile barrage on Primarch difficulty.

During the fight he expresses the nature and the (lack of) guilt of his heresy in true Avitus fashion: with pure, unbridled rage. With his fall into heresy further breaking whatever little morality he had left, he has come to the conclusion that everything taught to him and everything he knows over the centuries is a lie and that the galaxy is a pointless, nihilistic place that only demands endless killing. Which is entirely correct. In truth, the main reason for his fall to Chaos, is that he's actually understood everything. His death causes Tarkus to [[Fist of the North Star|weep tears of manliness]] as Avitus lays dying.

<del>In the end, all deaths serve Khorne.</del> {{Blam}} No man died in His service that died in vain!

==Retribution==
[[Tarkus|The Ancient]] implied that Avitus was the canonical traitor, saying that a friend of his from Kronus was corrupted by Kyras. This automatically discounts everyone but Avitus, since Davian Thule, Jonah, Martellus, and Cyrus are still loyalists and Thaddeus was recruited after the Kronus Campaign. Furthermore, no one but Avitus is known to be familiar with Tarkus from before the events of Dawn of War II.

However, it was probably meant to be kept open to interpretation since no one was specifically mentioned, and we can thank THQ for keeping the door open on Captain Hairgel, a known and dangerous hairetic. However, do note that it was unlikely that Hairgel was friends with Tarkus on Kronus. Perhaps Tarkus was jealous of his flowing locks.

==Gameplay==
In the game, he provides suppression with heavy bolters, high single-target anti-vehicle damage with missile launchers and high area-of-effect damage with plasma cannons, which is balanced by his squad's relative fragility, necessity of standing still to fire, and complete lack of capability in melee. If you are [[Indrick Boreale| tactically deficient]] you can equip him with a bolter, and you will deserve everything that happens to you. He becomes more useful for some playstyles in Chaos Rising, where he makes artillery strikes and cyclone missile barrages energy-costing abilities and gains access to lascannons for superior anti-vehicle firepower.

This makes him a well-balanced unit in a force containing [[Tarkus]], [[Cyrus]], and [[Davian Thule]], meaning that he is hopelessly outclassed in damage potential by the latter two and in health by the former. Overall solid, but not necessarily the optimal choice for a [[Powergamer| Powergamer's]] squad. Unless you used him with a special heavy bolter which never ever needs to reload.... Throw this with him never having to set up AND causes mini-explosions with each shot in focus fire (also handy when he gains energy from every kill he makes) he will rape everything in his arc of fire. Of course, the moment he gains Terminator Armor and a good Assault Cannon, he will cause everything short of heavy vehicles to suffer critical existence failure the moment he uses focus fire. And with the Terminator power fists, be can just punch said vehicles until they stop moving if you don't want to give him the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which incidentally becomes energy-based with the right perks).

==Codex Avitus==
Now you too can play as everyone's favorite Angry Marine wannabe, either as a Devastator Sergeant, Terminator Sergeant, or a Chaos Terminator Champion (to represent him after he is exposed as a traitor).
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Sergeant Avitus''' || 80 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 2 || 4 || 3 || 10 || 2+
|-
| '''Avitus the Traitor''' ||100 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 2+/5++
|} 

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

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

'''Wargear''':
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Only usable as Sergeant Avitus. Can be swapped for Lament of Mars for 15 pts, Daystar for 20 points, or Cleansing Light of Dawn for 25 pts. If Avitus chooses to take the Crusade Eternal, then he automatically swaps any weapons he has for the Neverending Hail of Obliteration and the Cestus of Terror, and may also take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points. Avitus the Traitor must replace these weapons with the Khorne's Whisper and the Persephone's Liberation, and may take a Cyclone Missile Launcher for 25 points.
* '''Artificer Armour''': Sergeant Avitus only. May be swapped for Cuirass of Prathios for 10 points or Crusade Eternal for 25 points. If the Crusade Eternal is taken, Avitus can only join Terminator Squads.
* '''Terminator Armor''': Avitus the Traitor only. May be replaced with Aegis of Obliteration for 30 points.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''

'''Special Rules''':
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear''' (Sergeant Avitus only)
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': Sergeant Avitus only. 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.
* '''Champions of Chaos''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Crusader''' (Crusade Eternal only)
* '''Preferred Enemy (Infantry)'''(Aegis of Obliteration only)
* '''Mark of Khorne''' (Avitus the Traitor only)
* '''Rage''' (Persephone's Liberation only)
* '''Fear''' (Cestus of Terror only)
* '''Stubborn''' (Cuirass of Prathios only)
* '''Tank Hunters''' (Cleansing Light of Dawn only)
* '''Hatred (Imperial Guard)'''
* '''Focus Fire''': Once per battle, for the duration of one turn, declare that Avitus and his squad will initiate Focus Fire. For the duration of Focus Fire, Avitus and his squad may not move in the Movement Phase, but gain a +1 to BS and may re-roll all failed to-hit and to-wound/armor penetration rolls in shooting.
-----------------------------------------------------
* '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''': Scores of xenos were cut down like chaff, but still they came. Bolts ripped through their lines as the Blood Ravens desperately held the line against their endless foe to protect their fallen sergeant. When the bulk of the second company arrived in response to the distress calls, the body of Sergeant Martinus remained untouched by alien claws, and the last remaining battle brother collapsed... still firing his heavy bolter. The Neverending Hail of Devastation is a heavy bolter.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Neverending Hail of Devastation''' || 42 || 5 || 4 || Heavy 5, Pinning, Hail of Fire
|}

**'''Hail of Fire''': During the Shooting Phase, Avitus can sacrifice the ability to Overwatch on the current turn and shooting on the next turn to make the Neverending Hail of Devastation Heavy 10.

*'''Lament of Mars''': After the Blood Ravens pacification of Victory Bay, the Techpriests are said to have looked upon the wreckage of the vehicles used by the treasonous Imperial Guard and wept. This missile launcher was responsible for much of their sorrow.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Frag)''' || 54 || 4 || 6 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Blast
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Krak)''' || 54 || 8 || 3 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Armourbane
|-
| '''Lament of Mars (Flakk)''' || 54 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 2, Master Crafted, Skyfire
|}

*'''Daystar''': Facing the incalculable horror of the Nightbringer, a veteran devastator of the Angels Sanguine leveled this mighty cannon at his foe and fired a burst of plasma that seemed brighter than the midday sun on a desert world. Daystar is a Plasma Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Daystar''' || 48 || 7 || 2 || Heavy 1, Blind, Large Blast, Gets Hot!
|}

*'''Cleansing Light of Dawn''': "Those who stand in the shadows, plotting against the God Emperor, shall face the light of dawn and be cleansed." Cleansing Light of Dawn is a Lascannon. Avitus and his squad gain Tank Hunters when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cleansing Light of Dawn''' || 60 || 10 || 1 || Heavy 1, Master Crafted, Lance, Precision Shots
|}

*'''Neverending Hail of Obliteration''': The withering hail of explosive bolts fired from this mighty assault cannon has broken entire armies and quelled enormous Ork uprisings throughout the galaxy.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Unrelenting''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Master Crafted, Rending, Obliterate
|}

**'''Obliterate'''- When a model is killed by this weapon, roll a d6; on a 6, place a Blast marker on the model's unit that hits for S5 AP5.

*'''Khorne's Whisper''': Each Space Marine to have wielded this weapon swears that it was the voice concealed in the roar of its fire which compelled them to turn it upon their comrades. Khorne's Whisper is an Assault Cannon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Khorne's Whisper''' || 30 || 7 || 4 || Heavy 5, Soulblaze, Rending, Whispers of the Blood God
|}

**'''Whispers of the Blood God''': All allied units gain Furious Charge when charging a unit that has taken a wound from this weapon.

*'''Cestus of Terror''': Brother Captain Leo Niveus used this power fist to crush the life out of a planetary Governor he considered treasonous. This act triggered a general uprising that ended with an inquisitorial Exterminatus. The Cestus of Terror is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus and his squad cause Fear when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Cestus of Terror''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
|}

*'''Persephone's Liberation''': Bound by a Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons, Battle Sister Persephone sent psychic messages to an old ally, Librarian Uriah Kos, calling for help. Upon his arrival, Kos fell under the power of Chaos and slew Persephone in cold blood. Persephone's Liberation is a Terminator Power Fist. Avitus gains Rage when equipped with this weapon.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Persephone's Liberation''' || - || 2x || 2 || Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy, Concussive
|}

*'''Cuirass of Prathios''': "Brothers, though the secrets of our great chapter's past are still clouded and uncertain, we will forever be vigilant in our quest to both unearth hidden lore and to smite the foes of mankind in His name. Knowledge is power, Guard it well..." - Chaplain Prathios of the Blood Ravens. The Cuirass of Prathios is a set of Artificer Armor that gives Avitus the Stubborn USR.

*'''Crusade Eternal''': A piece of Captain Trythos' holy dreadnought was forged into this suit of Terminator armor. As a result, the captain's undying fury manifests in the wearer, allowing them to sustain the most ferocious of attacks. The Crusade Eternal is a set of Terminator Armor that gives Avitus the Feel No Pain USR on a 5+.

*'''Aegis of Obliteration''': Stripped from a mortally wounded Astral Claw renegade during the Badab War, Techmarine Domitus believed it was his duty to restore this relic for use against the enemies of Man. He did not succeed. The Aegis of Obliteration is a set of Terminator Armor with a 4++ invulnerable save and grants Avitus' entire squad Preferred Enemy (Infantry).

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

Jeremy Vetock

2015-11-17T22:47:33Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Xenos.png|thumb|Jeremy Vetock on Tau.]]

[[Image:2013-01-09_18.13.28.jpg|thumb|Hamster Man]]

'''Jeremy Vetock''', also known as '''Buntain Simpson''' or '''the Hamster Man''', is one of Games Workshop's core Codex writers. No one is quite sure when he turned up, as he wrote a bunch of stuff before being noticed. Over time, he's become one of the best-loved designers at GW, mostly because he hasn't had a mess-up as bad as [[Robin Cruddace|Tyranids]], [[Phil Kelly|Chaos Marines, Space Wolves]], or [[Matt Ward|anything by our dear friend Ward]]. In fact, he made the 6th edition [[Tau Empire]] [[Codex]], which many people believe is easily the best Codex of 6th edition, and possibly the best Codex ''ever''. He also loves Orcs & Goblins, as well as big games with lots of awesome scenery. Also of note is that he is American, and in fact pretty much the only one at GW. In stereotypical American fashion, he's a bit... uhm... ''large'', leading to the theory that he is at least 30% hamster (possibly more).

==Authorship==

His CV at GW reads as follows:
*'''Warhammer: General's Compendium:''' Written way back during 6th edition fantasy, this book is THE hobby book for Warhammer Fantasy. 172 pages almost entirely of crunch, by gamers for gamers, with rules for everything from ladder campaigns, map campaigns, variants of tournament play, gamemastered campaigns, to naval combat(!), as well as assorted fluff units like the Night Goblin Brewing Cauldron which could turn other Night Goblins into Fanatics. What happened, GW?
*'''Warhammer: Skaven:''' A book clearly written with knowledge of 8th edition beforehand given how Skaven are still ranked in the top 3 of Fantasy armies. It did require a supplementary codex to be released however, jokingly called an FAQ given its huge length, to fix all the fuzzy rules that a rookie writer like Vetock made.
*'''War of the Ring: ''' The first book with Vetock's name attached to it; unfortumately, it also has [[Matt Ward|a certain other individual's name]] attached as well. No one on /tg/ knows how good it is, since nobody's played LotR since the early 2000s.
*'''Warhammer Fantasy 8th Ed.:''' Vetock (presumably) had a big hand in writing this book to save WFB from our [[Spiritual Liege]]'s rampant cheese-mongering.
*'''Warhammer: Orcs and Goblins: ''' Well received by some players, this army book is a bit boring and lacks of imagination, Vetock is clearly Goblinphile.
*'''Warhammer: Ogre Kingdoms''' - Another great book for fantasy pairing him up with Jervis Johnson. A solid book like the Skaven one that will likely survive for at least half a decade, strong internal balance, initally poor external but that's more likely caused by people actualy having to fight a competent Ogre army not the book being OP. Fate will not recognize his talents yet and put him under the thumb of a most treacherous evil once more...
*''' Warhammer 40K Apocalypse''' - Didn't know that, did you? But yes, Jezza did "contribute" to the game of cataclysmic battles, though no one knows how. It only mentions his name in the "written by" bit. Annoyingly, it also mentions Mat Ward's. This explains the unnecessarily large amounts of Orks and Ultrasmurfs used in the book
*'''Warhammer 40K 6th Ed''' - yet another book that bound Vetock to Ward (and Adam Troke, too); we are unsure as to the level of input Vetock or Troke had in writing this book as it contains a lot Matt Ward's signature dickbaggery.
*'''Codex: Dark Angels''' - Over much vexxing that the codex will be written by Matt Ward, TG breathes a sigh of skeptical relief to find out the actual author. Vetock's first forray into 40K codex writing and a sink-or-swim test of the half-hamster; the fluff is largely forgettable, but the crunch dramatically modernizes the Dark Angels for 6th ed. It also expands upon the Deathwing and Ravenwing and makes generic HQ and non-Death/Ravenwing-only armies worth playing. All things considered, it's a helluva good start!
*'''Codex: Tau Empire''' - Again, there was much gnashing of teeth in the horror that [[Robin Cruddace|Treadhead himself]] might be writing this book, but we are relieved once again by the Vetock. And hot damn - would you just look at what he made? Ethereals that aren't useless (including Aun'va, holy shit Aun'va), a whole new level of giant robot and practically every single fucking thing in the book pretty much has its use! And on top of that, a lot of things in this army was designed to fuck up Wardian cheesy shit, while remaining totally balanced against regular armies, if you're not going to spam Riptides like no tomorrow. New Tau fluff, while being [[noblebright]] and optimistic, is filled with tiny hints of true grimdarkness hiding behind shiny facade of Greater Good, which is awesome. On the other side crunch-wise this codex is very powerful. Some may even say overpowered. Though aside aforementioned new giant robot nothing could be called OP by it's own, everything synegize VERY well with each other.
*'''Warhammer: Lizardmen''' Got a pretty good armybook that wasn't broken one way or another, and, much like your mom's mechanic, gave it a quick inspection and tune-up and left it unbroken,as usual pretty boring....
*'''Warhammer: Dwarfs''' A solid high mid tier update. Optimized it for 8th edition and removed a lot of the cheesey 6th ed magic defence items. All dwarf players breathed a sigh of relief when he not only kept their beloved rune system intact but gave them access to heirlooms as well. They then screamed his name in fury when they saw his work on the weapon runes.
*'''Crimson Slaughter: A Codex Supplement''': The "better" of the two Chaos Space Marine supplements. If it is Vetock, it has also drawn from his previous work with Codex: Dark Angels since there is considerable cross-over with fluff and crunch. Where Dark Angels were the anti-chaos-marine army, Crimson Slaughter work as the Chaos-Marine-Anti-Dark-Angels army.

[[Category:Writers]][[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

==Codices He's Rumored to Write==
*<s>'''Imperial Guard:'''</s> '''"Astra Militarium:"''' Hopefully, Our Lord Vetock will fix some of the issues left over from being a [[Robin Cruddace|Cruddex]]; namely, toning down the OP stuff and making the Elites section viable.

** The new codex is strong, with designs for the new rules released shortly afterward. It would be a safe assumption that Jeremy had a hand in it.
* Due to [[Games Workshop|GeeDubs]] deciding it would be a grand idea to not tell us who the Author of each army book is anymore, we may never know exactly what Mr Vetock is writing in the future with any measure of accuracy. This atrocity bought to you via your [[Matthew Ward|Spiritual Liege]].

Based on wording in the latest White Dwarf, it seems he'll be writing or at least aiding in the writing of the new Chaos Space Marine supplement.

Robin Cruddace

2015-11-17T22:40:28Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{editwar}}

[[Image:Cruddace.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Cruddmeister himself, doing his best (and failing) to not look like an Ogryn with downs.]]

'''Robin Cruddace''' is one of the designers for [[Games Workshop]]. He's nowhere near as good as [[Jeremy Vetock]] or [[Phil Kelly]] and following [[Matt Ward]]'s departure from GW, he's become the new top guy to hate.

Mostly, his Codices are just boring. They're not particularly well-balanced internally (as [[Pyrovore]]s will attest), but they aren't guilty of [[Phil Kelly]]'s monobuild (Aside from 6E Nids). They also aren't very well externally balanced (i.e. against other Codices), but they're nowhere near as bad as Ward's. And his fluff is... well, it really depends on how much of a 'Nids fan you are. In other words, the crunch was crappy bad but still workable with a few good lists, and his fluff can be either go from being tolerable, or straight up to Matt Ward levels of pure undisputed bullshit.

Recently, Cruddace has mostly been trapped in [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], possibly because Games Workshop realized nobody likes him that much, or maybe because he legitimately likes the other game better and chooses to design for it. This seems fairly unlikely, though, as he's a really, really big [[Tank|treadhead]]. This probably explains why his Imperial Guard 'dex (read: army with dozens of tanks) was so much better than his 'Nids 'dex (read: army with absolutely zero tanks). It's kind of hilarious how GW keeps giving him the infantry only armies, and how he gave the Daemons vehicles.

Also, for some reason, a lot of people spell his name "Cruddance." It has yet to be determined whether this is a shitty attempt at a pun ("crud" + "dance") or just people being inconsiderate faggots (see: [[Bretonnia]] v. [[Brettonia]]).

==Ahem==
Robin Cruddace is a codex writer for [[Warhammer 40,000]] and [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], and an utter treadhead. This means, of course, that there is [[Imperial Guard|one army]] he is '''very good at writing''', but not too many others, and there is much wailing and misery over the utter hackjobs he's pulled on the [[Tyranids]], the army he was '''least''' suited for. It's also possible that he's not really a treadhead either - the guy's an Imperial Guard player, just like [[Matt Ward]] is an [[Ultramarines]] player, so like Ward it's easy to see he definitely played a bit of favoritism with his own guys. On the other end of the spectrum, it appears he may have been in the camp of believers that Tyranids were overpowered with overpowered MCs, since that's what he [[Carnifex|nerfed the hardest]], and then he took away all their equipment options so they couldn't even be accidental bargains somehow.

He also filled the Tyranid fluff with page after page of losing battles for Tyranids, rather than the enigmatic analysis on their rapid development and adaptability which they were previously known for (their crunch now makes them among the most rigid armies in the game). In fact, he has one story about how well the [[Tau]] were able to out-adapt the Tyranids by tricking them into disadvantageous evolutionary paths. The Tau won that battle by beating Tyranids at their own game. In the Tyranids' own codex. (And thus, the [[Pyrovore]] was born!) And then the Tau were killed off by [[Necrons]]. Also, he removed all the awesome fluff about Inquisitor Kryptman (aka spehss Alan Grant from Jurassic Park with a hint of Ripley from Alien/s). Fortunately, with the 6th edition Tyranid codex, someone else realized how stupid this was and brought Kryptman back. If only they could've saved the crunch from Cruddace.

We don't know what's wrong with Cruddace, but if he writes your army's codex, you better hope he likes your army. One theory is that if it kills his guardsmen, he'll hate you forever, sorry Tyranids! On that note, the Eldar better hope that Cruddace is never allowed near any of their future codices, but the Dark Eldar have likely already fallen victim to his writing.

No, really, go back and think it through. Now admittedly, sometimes the Tyranids will lose. But a good writer is able to balance a sense of closure with the cosmic horror that there are always more Tyranids out there. When they invaded [[Macragge]] they couldn't win because it would kill the Ultramarines forever, [[Mary Sue|and the Ultramarines are pretty damn important to the game]]. But it was climactic, it was intelligent. It was an epic battle stretching from the dark tunnels of a monastery-fortress to the tundras of the planet surface to the depths of space, both sides fighting tooth-and-nail. It was the entirety of the third biggest group of a theoretically infinite faction, verses the homeworld of one of the most famous and powerful space marine chapters and the heart of [[Ultramar|one of the most important region in the Imperium]]. The Tyranids lost the war as a whole, but they destroyed the entire First Company and decimated the rest of the Chapter, and the Ultramarines could only manage to destroy ''most'' of them. Pretty hardcore.

In the the story Cruddace wrote, meanwhile, the Tyranids, in their own codex, lost a battle of adaptation to a random Tau force nobody knows. Consider that rapid adaptability was the Tyranids' single most important claim to fame. Then afterwards, Cruddace killed off the whole Tau force anyway. With another faction entirely.

The ideal was, as he gave it, "you wouldn't be hearing about Tyranid victories".

In any case, we are not kidding: if Cruddace doesn't like your army, prepare to get fucked.

That being said, he also made a bunch of the 8th edition Fantasy books, which were, for the most part, pretty good, and seem to be bringing Warhammer Fantasy into ''*gasp*'' balance (even if [[Tomb Kings]] are still at the arse end of useful). He was also a co-writer for the 7th edition Lizardmen army book, which was considered a strong, but balanced book until 8th edition changes to magic occurred.

There's also a [[skub]]tastic argument between Kelly's and Cruddace's fans about the mess of random tables that Codex: Chaos Daemon has become. The book's actually decent overall (unless you relied on Fateweaver to win games for you) and balance wise is in line with the other 6th Edition books. Also, the fluff does a good job in portraying the Chaos Daemons. However, if you even try to suggest that one of the two might be behind the nerf of one unit, you'll find yourself in one of the big shitstorm [[:/tg/]] is known for.

He recently wrote the new Space Marine codex, its pretty decent and balanced the Chapters lore pretty well compared to the other previous codices, even if it did leave in a lot of the Ultrmarine wank it was reedited to be more balanced.

It should be noted that "crud" is an often-used euphemism for "crap". Make of this what you will.

==Notable Victims of The Cruddace==

*[[Imperial Guard]] (5th Edition): His first work gave Cruddace the "Treadhead" moniker. Though the internal balancing and fluff are pretty good, the codex really throws a wrench into the metagame; months later, the infamous leaf-blower list will be crafted using this codex flooding tournaments with melta-vets, artillery and various other spams.
*[[Tyranids]] (5th and 6th Edition): This is where everything went wrong and how Cruddace became synonymous with nerfing. Granted, the codex churned out some nifty units ([[Hive Guard]] come to mind), the balancing at the time was wonky as fuck, deleting the much beloved [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]. Also introduces the [[Pyrovore]], arguably the most useless unit in the game. And now, with the new edition, it's getting even worse, with more nerfs meted out than actual buffs. '''***SSSSSS Crud-assssss hassss not the neckbeardssss to be writing fohhhhh usssssss he mussssst be taken to the poolssssss***'''
*[[Tomb Kings]] (8th Edition): Largely forgettable compared to his other works; albeit one of his better quality books (which isn't saying much). Noteworthy in that it clears up a lot of contention from the previous book (like making liches '''actual''' wizards), fleshes out (no pun intended) their lore and gives the Tomb Kings [[Awesome|Sphinxes that they use in battle]].
*[[Sisters of Battle]] (the 5th Edition [[White Dwarf]]-only not-even-[[Codex]]): Continuing on the nerfing trend after [[Matt Ward]] butchered the Sisters in 5th ed. The team-up of Ward and Cruddace heralded a severe Gav Thorpe-esque reduction and tactical blunting of the previously known Witchunters list - gone are any inquisitorial support, leaving the Sisters outgunned and outclassed. Immolators? Can't take them with troops! HQ? Too expensive to be useful! Decent Elites slots? BWAHAHAHAHA - no.
*[[Empire|The Empire]] (8th Edition): Again, not very memorable. Adds some gee-whiz new war machines, but most infantry gets a price hike when other armies are getting their points costs ''lowered''.
*[[Chaos Daemons]] (6th Edition): playing the nerfer-in-chief yet again, but balanced out (somewhat) by Phil Kelly and his random tables of random. Sadly, the victims are manifold - [[FAIL|Juggers have no armour]] and [[Just as planned|Tzeentchian psykers and Flamers buff your opponent]]. It's all not as bad as the internet makes it out to be, especially on 1d4chan, but it is close. Because you can take Screamers and Tzeentch Heralds in the right combo to have a Jetbike unit with a '''re-rollable 2++''', and Warpflame isn't a big deal if you fire your spells on one unit at a time. Just pretend everyone is Necrons! Also, Daemons do have ways to deal with flyers, like a Slaanesh Prince with Lash of Despair and Biomancy. Expensive, but it works, and let's not forget Bloodletters behind a quad gun that can fire at BS5. Oh, and did we mention you have [[Cheese| a Monstrous Creature that has nine attacks on the charge, always hit on 3s with hatred, wounds everything on a 2+, ignoring armour and inflicts Instant Death? And can wreck a Land Raider by smashing it with Armourbane (Skarbrand)?]]
*[[Space Marines]] (6th Edition): There seems to be an uncanny pattern of switching back and forth between Cruddace's Treadhead and Nerfer personas; this one uses the former largely because of the army that he himself plays - no really, he plays [[Howling Griffons]]! It is however an incredibly stable codex with fluff--although derived from the previous edition--is not terrible. There are some casualties (like the deletion of the [[Black Templars]] as their own, separate faction and subsequent amalgamation into the book), but there are some nifty bright spots, specifically the Chapter Tactics. Now you can choose from seven different chapters to play, each with their own unique strategies. Would be seen as a great codex if it wasn't for Heldrakes and Riptides, but technically that's not his fault (c'mon, the non-Space Marine players need some things to even the playing field).
*Due to [[Games Workshop|GeeDubs]] deciding it would be a grand idea not to tell us who the author is any more, we no longer have a way of determining who else might fall victim to the ominous touch of the Cruddace.
*He's confirmed to have written the 6th Edition Tyranids Codex (aka, the book that nerfed an already fairly low tier army into complete uselessness) thanks to White Dwarf. Much Rage abound. Also makes you wonder why censoring the names of the authors was a good idea considering White Dwarf informed us of who wrote the book.
*We also know he's one of the three guys writing [[Warhammer 40,000 7th edition]], getting second billing after [[Jervis Johnson]].
* While unconfirmed, he's the main suspect behind the 7th Edition Dark Eldar codex given the style of writing and changes to the crunch (farewell Flickerfields and most special characters, including Vect).

==And then, Codex: Space Marines==
When Cruddace was revealed as the writer of the new Codex: Space Marines, there was much moaning at how badly they were going to be nerfed. In amongst all the complaining about how stupid the Centurions looked, the doomsayers spoke of an age when Vanilla Marines would be amongst the worst Codices in the game.

And then, it was released, and there was much confusion.

Unlike Cruddace's Imperial Guard, or the Eldar and Tau Empire books that had been released recently, it wasn't overpowered against the others. Unlike Cruddace's Tyranids, or the recently produced Chaos Space Marines, it was neither underpowered nor monobuild. There was shock and confusion. For the first time in a long while, there was a Codex that was neither [[rape]] nor [[fail]]. It was... ''good''.

The Chapter Tactics, whilst having [[White Scars|some]] more powerful than [[Raven Guard|others]], were all valid choices that could have decent army lists written for them. The Black Templars took few casualties during the transfer. The fluff ([[Skub|with]] [[Black Templars|a few]] [[Iron Hands|exceptions]]) was well-written and portrayed every Chapter faithfully (with the obvious exception being Ultra-wank in every non-Ultra Chapter's story). This combined with the continued nerfing of every non Imperium faction written by Robin has given reason to believe that he is now nothing more than Ward's whipping boy and sex slave. Most of the options in each slot could be taken in a good army list. It was ''good''.

What this inidcates regarding Cruddace's writing ability is unknown. There are several views which can be loosely grouped together. The first view is since he has demonstrated bias towards Imperium factions, especially those with tanks (It is very convenient that the Imperial Guard [his favorite army] can now bring a larger allied Space Marine force WITH all their vehicles, and that transports can be taken for free in a certain detachment), this codex is a work of selfish favortism. The second relates, as Space Marines have long been Games Workshop's Creator's Pet/Cash Cow; GW could have been looking over Cruddace's shoulder while he wrote the codex to ensure their pet stayed at the top like they want. The third is a case of Occam's Razor, where Cruddace's talents have been improving over time with practice or he had a flash of brilliance resulting in the codex being better-than-average for him.

As ever, get the facts straight and draw your own conclusions.

[[Category:Writers]][[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Robin Cruddace

2015-11-17T22:37:51Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{editwar}}

[[Image:Cruddace.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Cruddmeister himself, doing his best (and failing) to not look like an Ogryn with downs.]]

'''Robin Cruddace''' is one of the designers for [[Games Workshop]]. He's nowhere near as good as [[Jeremy Vetock]] or [[Phil Kelly]] and following [[Matt Ward]]'s departure from GW, he's become the new top guy to hate.

Mostly, his Codices are just boring. They're not particularly well-balanced internally (as [[Pyrovore]]s will attest), but they aren't guilty of [[Phil Kelly]]'s monobuild (Aside from 6E Nids). They also aren't very well externally balanced (i.e. against other Codices), but they're nowhere near as bad as Ward's. And his fluff is... well, it really depends on how much of a 'Nids fan you are. In other words, the crunch was crappy bad but still workable with a few good lists, and his fluff can be either go from being tolerable, or straight up to Matt Ward levels of pure undisputed bullshit.

Recently, Cruddace has mostly been trapped in [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], possibly because Games Workshop realized nobody likes him that much, or maybe because he legitimately likes the other game better and chooses to design for it. This seems fairly unlikely, though, as he's a really, really big [[Tank|treadhead]]. This probably explains why his Imperial Guard 'dex (read: army with dozens of tanks) was so much better than his 'Nids 'dex (read: army with absolutely zero tanks). It's kind of hilarious how GW keeps giving him the infantry only armies, and how he gave the Daemons vehicles.

Also, for some reason, a lot of people spell his name "Cruddance." It has yet to be determined whether this is a shitty attempt at a pun ("crud" + "dance") or just people being inconsiderate faggots (see: [[Bretonnia]] v. [[Brettonia]]).

==Ahem==
Robin Cruddace is a codex writer for [[Warhammer 40,000]] and [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], and an utter treadhead. This means, of course, that there is [[Imperial Guard|one army]] he is '''very good at writing''', but not too many others, and there is much wailing and misery over the utter hackjobs he's pulled on the [[Tyranids]], the army he was '''least''' suited for. It's also possible that he's not really a treadhead either - the guy's an Imperial Guard player, just like [[Matt Ward]] is an [[Ultramarines]] player, so like Ward it's easy to see he definitely played a bit of favoritism with his own guys. On the other end of the spectrum, it appears he may have been in the camp of believers that Tyranids were overpowered with overpowered MCs, since that's what he [[Carnifex|nerfed the hardest]], and then he took away all their equipment options so they couldn't even be accidental bargains somehow.

He also filled the Tyranid fluff with page after page of losing battles for Tyranids, rather than the enigmatic analysis on their rapid development and adaptability which they were previously known for (their crunch now makes them among the most rigid armies in the game). In fact, he has one story about how well the [[Tau]] were able to out-adapt the Tyranids by tricking them into disadvantageous evolutionary paths. The Tau won that battle by beating Tyranids at their own game. In the Tyranids' own codex. (And thus, the [[Pyrovore]] was born!) And then the Tau were killed off by [[Necrons]]. Also, he removed all the awesome fluff about Inquisitor Kryptman (aka spehss Alan Grant from Jurassic Park with a hint of Ripley from Alien/s). Fortunately, with the 6th edition Tyranid codex, someone else realized how stupid this was and brought Kryptman back. If only they could've saved the crunch from Cruddace.

We don't know what's wrong with Cruddace, but if he writes your army's codex, you better hope he likes your army. One theory is that if it kills his guardsmen, he'll hate you forever, sorry Tyranids! On that note, the Eldar better hope that Cruddace is never allowed near any of their future codices, but the Dark Eldar have likely already fallen victim to his writing.

No, really, go back and think it through. Now admittedly, sometimes the Tyranids will lose. But a good writer is able to balance a sense of closure with the cosmic horror that there are always more Tyranids out there. When they invaded [[Macragge]] they couldn't win because it would kill the Ultramarines forever, [[Mary Sue|and the Ultramarines are pretty damn important to the game]]. But it was climactic, it was intelligent. It was an epic battle stretching from the dark tunnels of a monastery-fortress to the tundras of the planet surface to the depths of space, both sides fighting tooth-and-nail. It was the entirety of the third biggest group of a theoretically infinite faction, verses the homeworld of one of the most famous and powerful space marine chapters and the heart of [[Ultramar|one of the most important region in the Imperium]]. The Tyranids lost the war as a whole, but they destroyed the entire First Company and decimated the rest of the Chapter, and the Ultramarines could only manage to destroy ''most'' of them. Pretty hardcore.

In the the story Cruddace wrote, meanwhile, the Tyranids, in their own codex, lost a battle of adaptation to a random Tau force nobody knows. Consider that rapid adaptability was the Tyranids' single most important claim to fame. Then afterwards, Cruddace killed off the whole Tau force anyway. With another faction entirely. The saddest part is how easy it would be to fix: either make it a major Tau world (with the implication that, if the Tau lose, the Tau Empire is nommed), or make the Tau solution something so [[grimdark]] and [[Apocalypse|apocalyptic]] (read: super virus) that the Tau realize the only way to stop the Tyranids when they all finally arrive is to sacrifice the entirety of the Tau Empire (and possibly all sentient life in the galaxy).

But no, he made the Tau '''better''' than the Tyranids. Apparently the Ultramarines are just chumps... (he was probably making a remark about how well [[Codex Astartes|a certain piece of literature]] from [[Roboute Guilliman|a certain spiritual liege]] would realistically hold up against an enemy as dynamic as 'Nids).

The ideal was, as he gave it, "you wouldn't be hearing about Tyranid victories".

In any case, we are not kidding: if Cruddace doesn't like your army, prepare to get fucked.

That being said, he also made a bunch of the 8th edition Fantasy books, which were, for the most part, pretty good, and seem to be bringing Warhammer Fantasy into ''*gasp*'' balance (even if [[Tomb Kings]] are still at the arse end of useful). He was also a co-writer for the 7th edition Lizardmen army book, which was considered a strong, but balanced book until 8th edition changes to magic occurred.

There's also a [[skub]]tastic argument between Kelly's and Cruddace's fans about the mess of random tables that Codex: Chaos Daemon has become. The book's actually decent overall (unless you relied on Fateweaver to win games for you) and balance wise is in line with the other 6th Edition books. Also, the fluff does a good job in portraying the Chaos Daemons. However, if you even try to suggest that one of the two might be behind the nerf of one unit, you'll find yourself in one of the big shitstorm [[:/tg/]] is known for.

He recently wrote the new Space Marine codex, its pretty decent and balanced the Chapters lore pretty well compared to the other previous codices, even if it did leave in a lot of the Ultrmarine wank it was reedited to be more balanced.

It should be noted that "crud" is an often-used euphemism for "crap". Make of this what you will.

==Notable Victims of The Cruddace==

*[[Imperial Guard]] (5th Edition): His first work gave Cruddace the "Treadhead" moniker. Though the internal balancing and fluff are pretty good, the codex really throws a wrench into the metagame; months later, the infamous leaf-blower list will be crafted using this codex flooding tournaments with melta-vets, artillery and various other spams.
*[[Tyranids]] (5th and 6th Edition): This is where everything went wrong and how Cruddace became synonymous with nerfing. Granted, the codex churned out some nifty units ([[Hive Guard]] come to mind), the balancing at the time was wonky as fuck, deleting the much beloved [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]. Also introduces the [[Pyrovore]], arguably the most useless unit in the game. And now, with the new edition, it's getting even worse, with more nerfs meted out than actual buffs. '''***SSSSSS Crud-assssss hassss not the neckbeardssss to be writing fohhhhh usssssss he mussssst be taken to the poolssssss***'''
*[[Tomb Kings]] (8th Edition): Largely forgettable compared to his other works; albeit one of his better quality books (which isn't saying much). Noteworthy in that it clears up a lot of contention from the previous book (like making liches '''actual''' wizards), fleshes out (no pun intended) their lore and gives the Tomb Kings [[Awesome|Sphinxes that they use in battle]].
*[[Sisters of Battle]] (the 5th Edition [[White Dwarf]]-only not-even-[[Codex]]): Continuing on the nerfing trend after [[Matt Ward]] butchered the Sisters in 5th ed. The team-up of Ward and Cruddace heralded a severe Gav Thorpe-esque reduction and tactical blunting of the previously known Witchunters list - gone are any inquisitorial support, leaving the Sisters outgunned and outclassed. Immolators? Can't take them with troops! HQ? Too expensive to be useful! Decent Elites slots? BWAHAHAHAHA - no.
*[[Empire|The Empire]] (8th Edition): Again, not very memorable. Adds some gee-whiz new war machines, but most infantry gets a price hike when other armies are getting their points costs ''lowered''.
*[[Chaos Daemons]] (6th Edition): playing the nerfer-in-chief yet again, but balanced out (somewhat) by Phil Kelly and his random tables of random. Sadly, the victims are manifold - [[FAIL|Juggers have no armour]] and [[Just as planned|Tzeentchian psykers and Flamers buff your opponent]]. It's all not as bad as the internet makes it out to be, especially on 1d4chan, but it is close. Because you can take Screamers and Tzeentch Heralds in the right combo to have a Jetbike unit with a '''re-rollable 2++''', and Warpflame isn't a big deal if you fire your spells on one unit at a time. Just pretend everyone is Necrons! Also, Daemons do have ways to deal with flyers, like a Slaanesh Prince with Lash of Despair and Biomancy. Expensive, but it works, and let's not forget Bloodletters behind a quad gun that can fire at BS5. Oh, and did we mention you have [[Cheese| a Monstrous Creature that has nine attacks on the charge, always hit on 3s with hatred, wounds everything on a 2+, ignoring armour and inflicts Instant Death? And can wreck a Land Raider by smashing it with Armourbane (Skarbrand)?]]
*[[Space Marines]] (6th Edition): There seems to be an uncanny pattern of switching back and forth between Cruddace's Treadhead and Nerfer personas; this one uses the former largely because of the army that he himself plays - no really, he plays [[Howling Griffons]]! It is however an incredibly stable codex with fluff--although derived from the previous edition--is not terrible. There are some casualties (like the deletion of the [[Black Templars]] as their own, separate faction and subsequent amalgamation into the book), but there are some nifty bright spots, specifically the Chapter Tactics. Now you can choose from seven different chapters to play, each with their own unique strategies. Would be seen as a great codex if it wasn't for Heldrakes and Riptides, but technically that's not his fault (c'mon, the non-Space Marine players need some things to even the playing field).
*Due to [[Games Workshop|GeeDubs]] deciding it would be a grand idea not to tell us who the author is any more, we no longer have a way of determining who else might fall victim to the ominous touch of the Cruddace.
*He's confirmed to have written the 6th Edition Tyranids Codex (aka, the book that nerfed an already fairly low tier army into complete uselessness) thanks to White Dwarf. Much Rage abound. Also makes you wonder why censoring the names of the authors was a good idea considering White Dwarf informed us of who wrote the book.
*We also know he's one of the three guys writing [[Warhammer 40,000 7th edition]], getting second billing after [[Jervis Johnson]].
* While unconfirmed, he's the main suspect behind the 7th Edition Dark Eldar codex given the style of writing and changes to the crunch (farewell Flickerfields and most special characters, including Vect).

==And then, Codex: Space Marines==
When Cruddace was revealed as the writer of the new Codex: Space Marines, there was much moaning at how badly they were going to be nerfed. In amongst all the complaining about how stupid the Centurions looked, the doomsayers spoke of an age when Vanilla Marines would be amongst the worst Codices in the game.

And then, it was released, and there was much confusion.

Unlike Cruddace's Imperial Guard, or the Eldar and Tau Empire books that had been released recently, it wasn't overpowered against the others. Unlike Cruddace's Tyranids, or the recently produced Chaos Space Marines, it was neither underpowered nor monobuild. There was shock and confusion. For the first time in a long while, there was a Codex that was neither [[rape]] nor [[fail]]. It was... ''good''.

The Chapter Tactics, whilst having [[White Scars|some]] more powerful than [[Raven Guard|others]], were all valid choices that could have decent army lists written for them. The Black Templars took few casualties during the transfer. The fluff ([[Skub|with]] [[Black Templars|a few]] [[Iron Hands|exceptions]]) was well-written and portrayed every Chapter faithfully (with the obvious exception being Ultra-wank in every non-Ultra Chapter's story). This combined with the continued nerfing of every non Imperium faction written by Robin has given reason to believe that he is now nothing more than Ward's whipping boy and sex slave. Most of the options in each slot could be taken in a good army list. It was ''good''.

What this inidcates regarding Cruddace's writing ability is unknown. There are several views which can be loosely grouped together. The first view is since he has demonstrated bias towards Imperium factions, especially those with tanks (It is very convenient that the Imperial Guard [his favorite army] can now bring a larger allied Space Marine force WITH all their vehicles, and that transports can be taken for free in a certain detachment), this codex is a work of selfish favortism. The second relates, as Space Marines have long been Games Workshop's Creator's Pet/Cash Cow; GW could have been looking over Cruddace's shoulder while he wrote the codex to ensure their pet stayed at the top like they want. The third is a case of Occam's Razor, where Cruddace's talents have been improving over time with practice or he had a flash of brilliance resulting in the codex being better-than-average for him.

As ever, get the facts straight and draw your own conclusions.

[[Category:Writers]][[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Robin Cruddace

2015-11-17T22:32:58Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{editwar}}

[[Image:Cruddace.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The Cruddmeister himself, doing his best (and failing) to not look like an Ogryn with downs.]]

'''Robin Cruddace''' is one of the designers for [[Games Workshop]]. He's nowhere near as good as [[Jeremy Vetock]] or [[Phil Kelly]] and following [[Matt Ward]]'s departure from GW, he's become the new top guy to hate.

Mostly, his Codices are just boring. They're not particularly well-balanced internally (as [[Pyrovore]]s will attest), but they aren't guilty of [[Phil Kelly]]'s monobuild (Aside from 6E Nids). They also aren't very well externally balanced (i.e. against other Codices), but they're nowhere near as bad as Ward's. And his fluff is... well, it really depends on how much of a 'Nids fan you are. In other words, the crunch was crappy bad but still workable with a few good lists, and his fluff can be either go from being tolerable, or straight up to Matt Ward levels of pure undisputed bullshit.

Recently, Cruddace has mostly been trapped in [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], possibly because Games Workshop realized nobody likes him that much, or maybe because he legitimately likes the other game better and chooses to design for it. This seems fairly unlikely, though, as he's a really, really big [[Tank|treadhead]]. This probably explains why his Imperial Guard 'dex (read: army with dozens of tanks) was so much better than his 'Nids 'dex (read: army with absolutely zero tanks). It's kind of hilarious how GW keeps giving him the infantry only armies, and how he gave the Daemons vehicles.

Also, for some reason, a lot of people spell his name "Cruddance." It has yet to be determined whether this is a shitty attempt at a pun ("crud" + "dance") or just people being inconsiderate faggots (see: [[Bretonnia]] v. [[Brettonia]]).

==Ahem==
Robin Cruddace is a codex writer for [[Warhammer 40,000]] and [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], and an utter treadhead. This means, of course, that there is [[Imperial Guard|one army]] he is '''very good at writing''', but not too many others, and there is much wailing and misery over the utter hackjobs he's pulled on the [[Tyranids]], the army he was '''least''' suited for. It's also possible that he's not really a treadhead either - the guy's an Imperial Guard player, just like [[Matt Ward]] is an [[Ultramarines]] player, so like Ward it's easy to see he definitely played a bit of favoritism with his own guys. On the other end of the spectrum, it appears he may have been in the camp of believers that Tyranids were overpowered with overpowered MCs, since that's what he [[Carnifex|nerfed the hardest]], and then he took away all their equipment options so they couldn't even be accidental bargains somehow.

He also filled the Tyranid fluff with page after page of losing battles for Tyranids, rather than the enigmatic analysis on their rapid development and adaptability which they were previously known for (their crunch now makes them among the most rigid armies in the game). In fact, he has one story about how well the [[Tau]] were able to out-adapt the Tyranids by tricking them into disadvantageous evolutionary paths. The Tau won that battle by beating Tyranids at their own game. In the Tyranids' own codex. (And thus, the [[Pyrovore]] was born!) And then the Tau were killed off by [[Necrons]]. Also, he removed all the awesome fluff about Inquisitor Kryptman (aka spehss Alan Grant from Jurassic Park with a hint of Ripley from Alien/s). Fortunately, with the 6th edition Tyranid codex, someone else realized how stupid this was and brought Kryptman back. If only they could've saved the crunch from Cruddace.

We don't know what's wrong with Cruddace, but if he writes your army's codex, you better hope he likes your army. One theory is that if it kills his guardsmen, he'll hate you forever, sorry Tyranids! On that note, the Eldar better hope that Cruddace is never allowed near any of their future codices, but the Dark Eldar have likely already fallen victim to his writing.

No, really, go back and think it through. Now admittedly, sometimes the Tyranids will lose. But a good writer is able to balance the genuinely happy sense of closure with the cosmic horror that there are always more Tyranids out there. When they invaded [[Macragge]] they couldn't win because it would kill the Ultramarines forever, [[Mary Sue|and the Ultramarines are pretty damn important to the game]]. But it was climactic, it was intelligent. It was an epic battle stretching from the dark tunnels of a monastery-fortress to the tundras of the planet surface to the depths of space, both sides fighting tooth-and-nail. It was the entirety of the third biggest group of a theoretically infinite faction, verses the homeworld of one of the most famous and powerful space marine chapters and the heart of [[Ultramar|one of the most important region in the Imperium]]. The Tyranids lost the war as a whole, but they destroyed the entire First Company and decimated the rest of the Chapter, and the Ultramarines could only manage to destroy ''most'' of them. Pretty hardcore.

In the the story Cruddace wrote, meanwhile, the Tyranids, in their own codex, lost a battle of adaptation to a random Tau force nobody knows. Consider that rapid adaptability was the Tyranids' single most important claim to fame. Then afterwards, Cruddace killed off the whole Tau force anyway. With another faction entirely. The saddest part is how easy it would be to fix: either make it a major Tau world (with the implication that, if the Tau lose, the Tau Empire is nommed), or make the Tau solution something so [[grimdark]] and [[Apocalypse|apocalyptic]] (read: super virus) that the Tau realize the only way to stop the Tyranids when they all finally arrive is to sacrifice the entirety of the Tau Empire (and possibly all sentient life in the galaxy).

But no, he made the Tau '''better''' than the Tyranids. Apparently the Ultramarines are just chumps... (he was probably making a remark about how well [[Codex Astartes|a certain piece of literature]] from [[Roboute Guilliman|a certain spiritual liege]] would realistically hold up against an enemy as dynamic as 'Nids).

The ideal was, as he gave it, "you wouldn't be hearing about Tyranid victories".

In any case, we are not kidding: if Cruddace doesn't like your army, prepare to get fucked.

That being said, he also made a bunch of the 8th edition Fantasy books, which were, for the most part, pretty good, and seem to be bringing Warhammer Fantasy into ''*gasp*'' balance (even if [[Tomb Kings]] are still at the arse end of useful). He was also a co-writer for the 7th edition Lizardmen army book, which was considered a strong, but balanced book until 8th edition changes to magic occurred.

There's also a [[skub]]tastic argument between Kelly's and Cruddace's fans about the mess of random tables that Codex: Chaos Daemon has become. The book's actually decent overall (unless you relied on Fateweaver to win games for you) and balance wise is in line with the other 6th Edition books. Also, the fluff does a good job in portraying the Chaos Daemons. However, if you even try to suggest that one of the two might be behind the nerf of one unit, you'll find yourself in one of the big shitstorm [[:/tg/]] is known for.

He recently wrote the new Space Marine codex, its pretty decent and balanced the Chapters lore pretty well compared to the other previous codices, even if it did leave in a lot of the Ultrmarine wank it was reedited to be more balanced.

It should be noted that "crud" is an often-used euphemism for "crap". Make of this what you will.

==Notable Victims of The Cruddace==

*[[Imperial Guard]] (5th Edition): His first work gave Cruddace the "Treadhead" moniker. Though the internal balancing and fluff are pretty good, the codex really throws a wrench into the metagame; months later, the infamous leaf-blower list will be crafted using this codex flooding tournaments with melta-vets, artillery and various other spams.
*[[Tyranids]] (5th and 6th Edition): This is where everything went wrong and how Cruddace became synonymous with nerfing. Granted, the codex churned out some nifty units ([[Hive Guard]] come to mind), the balancing at the time was wonky as fuck, deleting the much beloved [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]. Also introduces the [[Pyrovore]], arguably the most useless unit in the game. And now, with the new edition, it's getting even worse, with more nerfs meted out than actual buffs. '''***SSSSSS Crud-assssss hassss not the neckbeardssss to be writing fohhhhh usssssss he mussssst be taken to the poolssssss***'''
*[[Tomb Kings]] (8th Edition): Largely forgettable compared to his other works; albeit one of his better quality books (which isn't saying much). Noteworthy in that it clears up a lot of contention from the previous book (like making liches '''actual''' wizards), fleshes out (no pun intended) their lore and gives the Tomb Kings [[Awesome|Sphinxes that they use in battle]].
*[[Sisters of Battle]] (the 5th Edition [[White Dwarf]]-only not-even-[[Codex]]): Continuing on the nerfing trend after [[Matt Ward]] butchered the Sisters in 5th ed. The team-up of Ward and Cruddace heralded a severe Gav Thorpe-esque reduction and tactical blunting of the previously known Witchunters list - gone are any inquisitorial support, leaving the Sisters outgunned and outclassed. Immolators? Can't take them with troops! HQ? Too expensive to be useful! Decent Elites slots? BWAHAHAHAHA - no.
*[[Empire|The Empire]] (8th Edition): Again, not very memorable. Adds some gee-whiz new war machines, but most infantry gets a price hike when other armies are getting their points costs ''lowered''.
*[[Chaos Daemons]] (6th Edition): playing the nerfer-in-chief yet again, but balanced out (somewhat) by Phil Kelly and his random tables of random. Sadly, the victims are manifold - [[FAIL|Juggers have no armour]] and [[Just as planned|Tzeentchian psykers and Flamers buff your opponent]]. It's all not as bad as the internet makes it out to be, especially on 1d4chan, but it is close. Because you can take Screamers and Tzeentch Heralds in the right combo to have a Jetbike unit with a '''re-rollable 2++''', and Warpflame isn't a big deal if you fire your spells on one unit at a time. Just pretend everyone is Necrons! Also, Daemons do have ways to deal with flyers, like a Slaanesh Prince with Lash of Despair and Biomancy. Expensive, but it works, and let's not forget Bloodletters behind a quad gun that can fire at BS5. Oh, and did we mention you have [[Cheese| a Monstrous Creature that has nine attacks on the charge, always hit on 3s with hatred, wounds everything on a 2+, ignoring armour and inflicts Instant Death? And can wreck a Land Raider by smashing it with Armourbane (Skarbrand)?]]
*[[Space Marines]] (6th Edition): There seems to be an uncanny pattern of switching back and forth between Cruddace's Treadhead and Nerfer personas; this one uses the former largely because of the army that he himself plays - no really, he plays [[Howling Griffons]]! It is however an incredibly stable codex with fluff--although derived from the previous edition--is not terrible. There are some casualties (like the deletion of the [[Black Templars]] as their own, separate faction and subsequent amalgamation into the book), but there are some nifty bright spots, specifically the Chapter Tactics. Now you can choose from seven different chapters to play, each with their own unique strategies. Would be seen as a great codex if it wasn't for Heldrakes and Riptides, but technically that's not his fault (c'mon, the non-Space Marine players need some things to even the playing field).
*Due to [[Games Workshop|GeeDubs]] deciding it would be a grand idea not to tell us who the author is any more, we no longer have a way of determining who else might fall victim to the ominous touch of the Cruddace.
*He's confirmed to have written the 6th Edition Tyranids Codex (aka, the book that nerfed an already fairly low tier army into complete uselessness) thanks to White Dwarf. Much Rage abound. Also makes you wonder why censoring the names of the authors was a good idea considering White Dwarf informed us of who wrote the book.
*We also know he's one of the three guys writing [[Warhammer 40,000 7th edition]], getting second billing after [[Jervis Johnson]].
* While unconfirmed, he's the main suspect behind the 7th Edition Dark Eldar codex given the style of writing and changes to the crunch (farewell Flickerfields and most special characters, including Vect).

==And then, Codex: Space Marines==
When Cruddace was revealed as the writer of the new Codex: Space Marines, there was much moaning at how badly they were going to be nerfed. In amongst all the complaining about how stupid the Centurions looked, the doomsayers spoke of an age when Vanilla Marines would be amongst the worst Codices in the game.

And then, it was released, and there was much confusion.

Unlike Cruddace's Imperial Guard, or the Eldar and Tau Empire books that had been released recently, it wasn't overpowered against the others. Unlike Cruddace's Tyranids, or the recently produced Chaos Space Marines, it was neither underpowered nor monobuild. There was shock and confusion. For the first time in a long while, there was a Codex that was neither [[rape]] nor [[fail]]. It was... ''good''.

The Chapter Tactics, whilst having [[White Scars|some]] more powerful than [[Raven Guard|others]], were all valid choices that could have decent army lists written for them. The Black Templars took few casualties during the transfer. The fluff ([[Skub|with]] [[Black Templars|a few]] [[Iron Hands|exceptions]]) was well-written and portrayed every Chapter faithfully (with the obvious exception being Ultra-wank in every non-Ultra Chapter's story). This combined with the continued nerfing of every non Imperium faction written by Robin has given reason to believe that he is now nothing more than Ward's whipping boy and sex slave. Most of the options in each slot could be taken in a good army list. It was ''good''.

What this inidcates regarding Cruddace's writing ability is unknown. There are several views which can be loosely grouped together. The first view is since he has demonstrated bias towards Imperium factions, especially those with tanks (It is very convenient that the Imperial Guard [his favorite army] can now bring a larger allied Space Marine force WITH all their vehicles, and that transports can be taken for free in a certain detachment), this codex is a work of selfish favortism. The second relates, as Space Marines have long been Games Workshop's Creator's Pet/Cash Cow; GW could have been looking over Cruddace's shoulder while he wrote the codex to ensure their pet stayed at the top like they want. The third is a case of Occam's Razor, where Cruddace's talents have been improving over time with practice or he had a flash of brilliance resulting in the codex being better-than-average for him.

As ever, get the facts straight and draw your own conclusions.

[[Category:Writers]][[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/2nd edition

2015-11-17T18:36:20Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the Emperor of Mankind has ruled over ten millennia of peace.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredible [[GRIMDARK|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[Noblebright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

The second edition of Brighthammer was developed as a reconstruction of the underlying pulp sci-fi basics that make up Warhammer40k and were largely lost as the editions advanced.

== Background ==
''In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!''

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Passion Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to guide humanity out of a self-imposed dark age. After a great war with the Lords of Order, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within The Warp and save mankind.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace and the lost knowledge of the Golden Age of mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to seek out the secrets of ascension, found too impure to ascend with their brethren 10,000 years ago. Theirs is a desperate race against time, and a struggle to claim their place among their people as lords in the Warp. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, who leads the Exodite Eldar; those who have turned their back on ascension to seek the power of the ancient and terrible Old Ones, sealed away before the rise of mankind. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for all the people of the galaxy.

Across the galaxy the brutal but noble Orks seek the limit of their own strength, pushing themselves to new limits and beyond, but held back by their own brutal culture.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echos through the worlds of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic Kroot slave-soldiers on all the worlds they invade. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be stopped by means other than open warfare.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, and whisper again the secrets of godhood through technology that almost destroyed mankind once already. And yet wherever they are found, once-dead worlds are renewed and filled with new life.

The Zoanthropes flee into the galaxy followed by a hungry horde of their own creation – the Tyranids. In their pursuit to create the perfect slave race through genetic engineering, they doomed their own galaxy and two others they have fled to before this. The races of the galaxy stand together, united to face the Tyranids and ensure they are not the fourth. But will the Zoanthropes truly turn out to be helpful – or will their inhuman experiments create even more terrible abominations?

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who builds civilizations and yet stifles them under his crushing grip, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and magic, who plays trickster, giving hope and taking it away at a whim, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a merciless warrior god, sitting upon his throne of relics, rewarding the strong and crushing the weak. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of passion, art, and possessed of a capricious and cruel nature.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== History ==
''Main article: [[Timeline of Brighthammer 40,000]]''

In the distant past of Brighthammer, mankind stood on the brink of godhood, with technology powerful enough that man could rival even the lords of order, and could move the stars and thought they could change destiny itself. The ancients of the Dark Age of Technology were flawed, however, and the men and women of their number filled with Hubris. A faction of the ancients, the so-called “Golden Men”, transhumanists all, believed the days of humanity were over – and only those who could step to the next level were worthy of survival. They took the forms of robots, and waged a war to wipe out all of mankind, declaring an "End to Flesh".

One of the great tragedies to define mankind, the “Iron Men”, people who fought against the transhuman Golden Men, eventually proved victorious, but at a great price. Galactic civilization and unity was shattered. Mankind shone like gold no more.

With the breakdown of galactic civilization came the breakdown in technology, and the spread of knowledge. Some worlds – many of the most advanced before the war – were now the most savage, and were slowly forgotten by the galaxy at large. Mankind declined and entered it's next era, it's silver age, as the Eldar ascended to the Warp and the power of the Lords of Order grew immeasurably.

Eventually galactic society broke down entirely – and open warfare became almost common. Mankind's true Iron Age came, and many other races took advantage of this, dominating human worlds as masters of their civilizations. Few great empires remained, and those that did were often beholden to the Lords of Order, who are capricious in their execution of their power, and wrathful. What great works of technology remained were often relics, which few understood or could replicate.

Then the Emperor emerged, the guiding light of mankind, who created his knights – the Space Marines, and great fleets of ships, and with them freed mankind from alien dominion and his godlike powers as a psyker freed people from the tyranny of the Lords of Order. He freed humanity, leading them to a vision of their forgotten past. His sons, the Primarchs, led his armies, and his words changed the face of a million worlds.

The Initiates of Order – devotees of the four great Lords of Order and one of the few elements that had kept the almost totally broken humanity from complete self-destruction - were not pleased with the rise of the Emperor. Many were still devoted to one or all of the four gods, who were jealous of the power the Emperor would usurp, and uncaring of the strife their actions would cause.

The last large scale wars of mankind, The Great Crusades, were fought between the devotees of the Emperor of Mankind and the Initiates of the Lords of Order. Vast power was flung between the stars and worlds were shattered like broken glass.

In the end, the armies of the Emperor proved victorious – but any material battle would be irrelevant. The Lords of Order would be able to rebuild any army, given time. Like the Emperor, they were immortal, but they lived fully in the warp – the death of every mortal follower in the galaxy would have no effect on them, for they could simply whisper in the minds of anyone, anywhere, and create yet more followers. While he might be able to defeat all four individually even from his throne in the Materium, and even defeat all four together if they came to him in the physical universe, he could not defeat all four united on their home ground.

Though prepared to commit himself to a nigh-eternal war against the Lords of Order, the Emperor's favored son, Horus, found a compromise – a means by which endless war would be prevented. He and his brother Primarchs sacrificed themselves and their human forms, becoming Lords of Order in the warp. There, on the Emperor's behalf, they could directly fight the Lords of Order if need be, countering their influence. The second part of Horus's plan, however, was to allow the worship of the Lords of Order for any who chose to do so – thereby preventing any need for them to fight. Many still worship the Primarchs as the Emperor's Demigods.

The Lords of Order were defeated, but spared the inevitable blow to their pride that the admission of defeat would bring. They retained their worshippers, though diminished in number and constrained – and mankind found again the guiding light of the Emperor.

Now, for 10,000 years the Emperor has ruled over mankind, ensuring an endless reign of prosperity and peace. Now, the rifts in the deeply divided factions of mankind are beginning to heal – and light is again showing in the darkest corners of the Imperium. Mankind is rediscovering its lost technologies, and forgotten worlds are being explored yet again. The age of Iron is over. Mankind has entered it's Heroic Age, and it's heroes will shape the face of the future, for good or ill.

== Races ==

'''[[C'tan (Brighthammer 40,000)|C'tan]]''' can occasionally be found feasting on stars. Maybe two dozen still travel through known space in the artificial bodies they were gifted by the ancient Necrontyr, but most of them just want to be left alone.

'''[[Eldar (Brighthammer 40,000)|Bright Eldar]]''' roam the galaxy in the hopes that they might prove themselves worthy of ascension. Their actions and motives are incomprehensible to outside observers.

'''[[Eldar (Brighthammer 40,000)|Exodite Eldar]]''' seek to dominate. To this end, they are searching for artifacts of the Great Old Ones and control of their remaining Warp Horrors.

'''Humans''' are the most widespread race in the galaxy. Most of them live in - or are associated with - the Imperium of Man.

'''Imperial Subject Races''' are Xeno subject races within the Imperium of Man. While they have freedom of travel and settlement, most of them never leave their homeworld.

'''Kroot''' hire themselves out as mercenaries.

'''[[Orks (Brighthammer 40,000)|Orks]]''' are less savage than their [[Warhammer 40,000|mirrorverse]] counterparts; they are just as likely to spend their time playing [[Bloodbowl]] as caving your head in. Most of them roam the galaxy in search of conflict or fun.

'''[[Slaan (Brighthammer 40,000)|Slaan]]''' were designed by the Great Old Ones as their lieutenants and governors. For untold millennia, their only goal has been to return their masters to life.

'''[[Squats]]'''! They live!

'''[[Tau (Brighthammer 40,000)|Tau]]''' are a relatively new species, which has already made a name across its quadrant as ruthless oppressors (the joke is that we just took regular grimdark Tau and ported them into Brighthammer unmodified; just as they look "good-ish" in Warhammer in comparison to everyone else, they look particularly "bad" in Brighthammer).

'''[[Tyranid|Tyranids]]''' want to mindlessly eat the galaxy, just as they have eaten two other galaxies before (it's "bright" because warhammer Tyranids in canon have "consumed a thousand galaxies and at least a million civilizations" whereas these 'nids only ate two galaxies. See? Noblebright).

'''[[Zoanthropes (Brighthammer 40,000)|Zoanthropes]]''' are the original creators of the Tyranids. In their desperate flight from their mad creations, they have traveled between galaxies numerous times, disaster always in their wake.

'''Golden Men''' The undying robotic remnants of humanities failed attempt at achieving a technologically based godhood, now driven into hiding and planning their revenge against the "fleshlings".

== Factions ==
=== The Praetorians ===
The Praetorians are a proud, conservative, and cultured people, who favor gentile and civilized life above all else.

Despite this, they have always been fierce warriors, with indomitable resolve. No gentleman would run from the field of battle like a coward, and the Praetorians are anything but cowards. It is this resolve alone that saved them from the first attack of their savage neighbors, the Kroot.

The war began over a boundary dispute. The Praetorians colonized a harsh, uninhabited world in Tau space by accident, and are technically living outside the Imperium. The Tau claimed their territory; the Praetorians refused annexation. With the only option for the Tau to go to war with the entire military might of the Imperium, they relaxed their claim, yet found a loophole in the peace treaties that would allow them to take Praetoria anyway.

Their allies, the Kroot, are not an official part of the Tau empire, instead acting as mercenaries or slaves.

With the promise of freedom if they were victorious, the Tau setup an elaborate plot to allow a fleet of Kroot slaves to break away from the Tau empire, who would then take Praetoria. Upon their victory, the Tau would put down the rebellious Kroot, and claim the planet. The Imperium as a whole could not respond because the Praetoria was in contested space between the Tau and Imperials, meaning that full scale war would break out if they retaliated. The Praetorians would be on their own.

The initial strike nearly destroyed the Praetorian homeworld, but for the luck of an astropath detecting the entrance of the Kroot fleet.

The Kroot invaded the Praetorian system, and the Praetorian fleet scrambled to respond to the unexpected attack. The endless waves of Kroot ships broke against them like the tide against a rock, and bought the time desperately needed to assemble defenders on the ground.

Though they could not hold in space, their fleet was not destroyed, and hid in the asteroid field, to repair and rebuild, holding against future assaults.

On the ground, the armies of the Praetorians marched, meeting the endless tide of savage Kroot in battle, each man cutting down dozens. The bloodletting was fierce, the field of combat ever changing.

The Praetorians are still on the defense, lead by their Gentleman Commander Sir Robin Fitzgerald, a man of tactical mind and Iron will. His fierce determination in the face of the foe has lead to countless victories for the Praetorians, even against desperate odds.

Only time will tell who will win the war for Praetoria; whether it will be claimed by the savage Kroot or defended successfully by the Praetorians.

=== Peacekeeper Corps of Frieden ===
The world of Frieden was once a paradise planet - the center of culture and civilization for the whole sector, a shining example of Imperial rule.

This, however, was not to last. The governor of the planet rebelled against the Imperium, declaring himself an Autarch and bringing the once bright, peaceful world under his steel-clad boot. Soon, the rebels took over nearly the entire planet - all but the Hive Ferrograd, defended by the brave and noble Colonel Jurten.

His heroism became a tale of legends in the Imperium; one city, and a single regiment of planetary defense forces of a world which very name meant "peace", forces that nobody seriously expected to ever see real battle - they stood against the entire world, valiantly protecting Ferrograd with their lives against Autarch's treasonous forces. Even when confronted with impossible odds, Colonel Jurten and Frieden 83rd never faltered, holding ground until reinforcements could arrive to help liberate the planet.

When the Imperium finally arrived in force, it was Colonel Jurten who led the way to depose the Autarch, his bravery confirming his earlier reputation even further - and it was him who finally struck the treasonous governor down in a culmination of the assault on his fortified palace. Unfortunately, it was all too late.

The Autarch, in his final moment of spite, launched a massive campaign of nuclear purging from his last positions, prepared specifically for this purpose. As the courageous forces of the Imperial Guard prepared to assault the palace, they could not help but watch as enormous thermonuclear missiles streaked through the air. The Autarch, finally overcame with madness, would rather destroy his entire world than let the Imperium have it. Even though the Imperial Navy shot down many of the missiles, they were too numerous and the attack too sudden to prevent the tragedy. Only the heroic action of Lieutenant Tiberius, who rammed his fighter into the final missile, destroying both with barely split-seconds left for him to eject, saved Ferrograd from total obliteration. Others were not so lucky.

Colonel Jurten and the men of Frieden 83rd could only watch in horror as everything that they fought to protect crumbled in thermonuclear fire. The entire biosphere was destroyed, along with countless lives; the once-paradise world now turned into barren, toxic hell, forcing the remaining population underground.

It was then that the Peacekeeper Korps were born; the Colonel, overcame with grief, took an oath that he will not allow such a terrible tragedy to repeat itself ever again. All of his men joined him, as well as many civilians, men and women with no families or homes left, destroyed by Autarch's insane reign.

Even though Jurten long since died in battle, taking a monstrous Tyranid Biotitan into the grave along with himself, his ideal lived on. Frieden now has one of the highest recruitment rates in all of Imperium, its people fighting amongst the stars with relentless determination to ensure that nobody would have to live through the same tragedy as they did.

The troops of Peacekeeper Korps are noble, compassionate and determined in their quest to ensure peace and end war - the Korps take great care to prevent civilians from being harmed during combat operations and have proven to excel at war relief operations, their crippled world teaching them well about the utmost necessity of caring for their fellow man. They, after all, want to protect others from the tragedies of war, not merely kill the Imperium's enemies.

When it comes to battle, the heroic tales of Colonel Jurten and his soldiers are proven right once again - the regiments originating from his 83rd will always stand against enemy odds, no matter how overwhelming; an unwavering shield protecting the innocents from those who would harm them. The men of Frieden are determined to protect and preserve peace all over the galaxy - no matter how much it costs them, never shall the tragedy of Frieden be repeated.

=== The Elysians ===
The Hive world of Elysia sits in the middle of a busy and highly dangerous sector of space, situated between innumerable small nebulae, asteroid fields and small, low gravity worlds.

The world of Elysia itself is small and gravity is light, and is known for its towering spires and endless skies where aircars and more traditional aircraft never cease moving. The world is a center of commerce, and draws in people from all across the Imperium and beyond.

Despite the richness of their world, or perhaps because of it and the conditions of the systems surrounding it, pirates are a relentless problem in the nearby sectors of space.

Countless nearby sectors of space hide pirate strongholds, both human and Eldar. The ever-changing battlefield makes it nearly impossible to find and destroy these vile fiends, and space travel is always dangerous in the space around Elysia.

Moreover, a dread outcast Tau imperial named Ning Mu has moved into the surrounding space, capturing people for his vile experiments, creating hideously mutated monsters and rallying the pirates to new levels of dark depravity.

To combat this threat, the Elysian Sky Corps was born. Equipping their soldiers with the best Carapace armor available and jetpacks, they have become a familiar sight in the skies of a dozen nearby worlds, from the eternal twilight Slaan infested jungles of Zothique, to the towering spires of their sister metropolises and even into the asteroid fields inside the ever changing myriad colored nebulae near their home, the Sky Corps are ready with lasgun in hand to defend their world and their people.

The Sky Corps fights as many battles inside dense asteroid fields in space as on the ground, and the terrain they meet is often exotic and dangerous. Nevertheless, they never hesitate in the face of danger, and always bravely fly on, ready for any challenge.

=== Klendathans ===

The Klendathans are a semi-independent group living on the most distant fringes of the Imperium, and unlike many Imperial worlds are not lead by a hereditary aristocracy, but a democratically elected government, whom anyone who has earned their citizenship can vote in. To earn one's citizenship, they must simply serve the government, be it in the military or in a civil service role.

Despite this requirement, the majority of the work was, for a very long time, mere labor, with the majority of applicants doing nothing more severe than spending two years polishing floors.

All of this changed when rebellion suddenly erupted upon their homeworld, and the city of Aries was wiped out.

In the weeks that followed the eruption of rebellion, it became clear that the populace of Aries had been infected with the gene altering condition caused only by one group in the galaxy - the Zoanthropes.

Even as they cleared their world of the unfortunate mutants in their midst, the Zoanthropes came into their system in massive waves, seeking to steal as many of the Klendathans as possible in a short period of time.

The Klendathans soon learned why; on their tails were the inexhaustible hordes of the Tyranids, the very first contact ever made with those terrible creatures.

Bravely, the Klendathans stood and faced their foes, donning some of the best Carapace and Powered armor seen in the hands of the Imperial Guard anywhere in the Imperium, produced by their sister world, which over the centuries had become a great forgeworld.

Wave after wave of the enemies broke against them, and eventually the Zoanthropes escaped into other sectors of space, taking their ill-gotten genetic information with them. The Tyranids first fleet was shattered, scattering across the nearby systems and spreading for thousands of lightyears, all the while pursued by the Klendathans.

The war is still waged across their sector of space; they stand resolute in defense against their terrible foe, and no matter how hostile the environment, they will fight, and they will win.

Among the guard the Klendathans are famed for their extensive use of powered armor, high quality carapace armor and light walkers such as sentinels. They are light on combat vehicles, as they are often fighting on terrain ill-suited for heavy tanks, but more than make up for it with the power of their mobile infantry.

=== The Adeptus Sororitas ===
The Brides of the Emperor: The Adeptus Sororitas.

In a universe filled with the hubris of powerful psykers and laughing tyrant gods, the emperor's secret service is sometimes not enough. Mankind needs protection against the powerful forces of the warp and the lords of Order, and sometimes, darker things.

The Emperor found a solution in a group of women fanatically devoted to the Imperium – the Adeptus Sororitas. Using his own godlike abilities, he infused them with a small part of his own essence – forever binding them to him, but protecting them from the crushing powers of the warp, and in those who are already psykers, awakening great power within them.

The Adeptus Sororitas are all women for the same reason Space Marines are all men. The process of becoming one will only work for a woman – the genetic enhancements and psychic soul-binding process will kill a man. The Adeptus Sororitas's legendary resistance to the powers of psykers and their influence simply do not transfer over to men – nor, indeed, to all women. Of the trillions of women in the Imperium, only a select few can become the Brides of the Emperor.

The secret behind what women can become Sororitas is in training – a kind which can last a lifetime – and above all else, an unyielding, unshakable faith in mankind, the Imperium, and the Emperor of Man. The Emperor's Binding brings it's great resistance to the powers of psykers because of that faith, but it requires rigid self-discipline, courage, and self-confidence as well as humility. Few can master the mindset necessary – and fewer still can master it sufficiently to become truly able to resist the most powerful psykers.

Those that do master themselves, however, find that they have joined one of the most powerful organizations in the Imperium, responsible for the protection of humanity from the threats of the warp. They are given access to the most rare and powerful forms of rediscovered powered armor, the latest weapons, and powerful space fleets. Alongside the Space Marines, they were the force that first broke the forces of Order during the Great Crusades, in their earliest form as the Sisters of Silence.

The Sisters of Silence still exist today, as a smaller part of the Adeptus Sororitas.

===Necromunda===
A thriving mining world sustained by the harvest of minerals and fossil fuels from the beautiful, multicolored crystal fields thst stretch between the industrial hive cities, and which give the planet it's name, being a literal pile of fossilized orgaisms. Notable hives include Primus, the main hive and center of hive politics, the Temenos Hive, home to numerous universities, libraries, and religious shrines.

=== Commissars ===
Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in Brighthammer 40k, they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They are always the first in the charge, and the last in retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who supposed to keep the unit battle ready (think Ibram Gaunt crossed with how the Valhallans view Ciaphas Cain).

=== The Imperial Secret Service ===
His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service

When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their Warhammer 40k counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused upon more James Bond like secret agent action.

* The Imperial Secret Service is split into four departments. Three are approximately the same size, and tasked with defending the Imperium from one type of threat:
** The Ordo Malleus, Order of the Hammer, works with Master Horus and his ascended Primarch brethren to pacify destructive emotional and psychic energies (Or Emotional Entities, as they are called.) Many of its mightiest secret agents are recruited from the ranks of the Adeptas Sororitas.
** The Ordo Xenos, Order of the Outsider, works to prevent outside threats from threatening all sentient life in the Imperium. Space Marines fight for the chance to join the Black Watch, tasked with fighting outside threats not even the mighty Space Marine chapters can handle.
** The Ordo Res Publica, Order of Public Affairs, works to fight corruption and tyranny in the Emperor's name, so that his promise to protect the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of all mankind is not betrayed.
** Finally, there is one order that reports directly to the Emperor, for they are his eyes and ears- The Ordo Sicarius. The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are usually trained at specialized combat schools from the elite of the elite.

* Callidus School is dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering, and is skilled in innumerable arts of misdirection and disguise.

* Eversor School is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements. WRRRRRYYYYYY-

* Vindicare School is dedicated to long-range support, master of weapons, especially sniper-based ones. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

* Culexus School trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. (The reverse of the Pariah trait) These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisitions best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After the training at their respective schools, they go to a third phase of training where all of them will attend the same school for team building and developing alongside each other to use each others strengths to eliminate all the weaknesses they had as individuals. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of awesomeness.

=== The Catachan ===
They move as swift as the wind, invisible as a shadow, and strike with ruthless precision. The Catachan Jungle Fighters are the subtle knife of the Imperial Guard, whose strike and fade warfare style leaves them feared and respected by friend and foe alike.

Raised from the Deathworld of Catachan, these fearless men are absolute masters of all arboreal terrain. A single squad of Catachans, and it is rare to see more than that in any campaign, can be dropped behind enemy lines, and use their small-unit tactics and improvisation let them punch far above their weight.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the legendary operation on Amoz-7: In a single night, a lone squad from the 24th Catachans eradicated an Eldar pirate base and rescued more than 90 civilians, without losing a single civilian and only suffering a broken arm during the fierce fighting.

=== The White Ships ===
Wherever the Emperor's arm reaches, there the White Ships of His Majesty's Secret Service will go. Palaces of the psychic arts, they provide budding psykers with a fundamental education or a vessel to carry them to more specialized training in the form of the many offices of the Scholastia Psykana. Such advanced training is on a strict volunteer only basis, but those who seek out the highest levels may be inducted into the ranks of the Secret Service or some other great agency and brotherhood of heroes. For others the White Ships provide a haven and a healing rest from the trials of life and service. Sanitariums as well as schools, the abundance of psykers aboard means that the White ships almost invariably take aboard the mentally ill for treatment. Time and telepaths combine to wipe away the stain of almost any trauma, and the wide variety of medicine available to the medicae aboard such a vessel makes them fully able to cure almost any malady.

=== Schola Progenium ===
Far more than reading, writing and arithmetic are taught at the Schola Progenium. These facilities serve as academies for the best and brightest of the Imperium's children. Most are noted for their progressive and exhaustive curriculum, which can lead any graduate directly into a career as any one of a number of high ranked positions within the Imperium's power structure. Commissars are almost universal educated at these facilities, although some private academies do produce young men and women capable of passing the dreaded examinations of the Commissariat.

== Warp Entities ==
=== The Lords of Order ===
''Main article: [[Lords of Order (Brighthammer 40,000)]]''

The entities called the ''Lords of Order'' are the four most powerful Warp Entites known to exist. Nurgle, father of life, Khorne, brother of war, Tzeentch, aide of wisdom, and Slaanesh, bride of compassion have been allied ever since their conception (and, some argue, their premonitions were allied before even that). As representatives of the four most powerful emotions, they are decidedly ''not'' "nice" in a mortal sense, but they are considered benevolent even by their detractors.

In the Immaterium, the four lords help calm the unpredictable currents of the Warp and hold stewardship over at least half of all known Warp Entities. Many local gods or pantheons associates with the Lords to secure their position and for protection.

In the Materium, their Initiates of Order hold sway over many worlds. Worship of the Lords is one of the widest spread religion in the galaxy, second only to the Imperial Truth (which claims to be no religion at all). Their servants are summoned for guidance and during manifold rituals.

Some count the Emperor of Mankind as the fifth Lord of Order, a claim that he himself strongly objects to.

=== Lesser Entities ===
Countless Warp Daemons roam the Immaterium, enticing and repulsing, friendly or fickle. Those daemons not otherwise associated with the Lords of Order (but deemed sufficiently harmless) are grouped under this category.

Among those, Gork and Mork, Isha and Cegorach, all of them Ork and Eldar deities, are the most powerful; wayward souls of the Exodite Eldar are the most common of these "neutral" entities.

=== Warp Horrors ===
''Main article: [[Warp Horrors (Brighthammer40k)]]''

Where the Lords of Order are benevolent and other Lesser Entities are at their very worst only passively malicious, a ''Warp Horror'' is an entity of the Immaterium that actively craves corruption or destruction of mortals.

Those beings range from manifestations of base emotions like greed, lust for conquest, or outright sadism to echoes of the Great Old Ones' corrupt Warp Gods. And, of course, while the Universal Destroyer (the greatest menace of the Warp) has been defeated, its influence lurks behind the veil, ready to assault any psyker that is too full of hubris to consider just ''what'' they are dealing with.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

[[Category:Brighthammer|2nd edition]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/1st edition

2015-11-17T18:23:58Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the God-Emperor of Mankind has an awesome goatee.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredibly [[Grimdark|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[NobleBright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

There's some delightful hypocrisy worthy of Disney in the Tau section.

== Background ==

In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Love Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to ensure the noble rule of humanity as the galaxy began to make a turn for the better. In an act of supreme devotion, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within the Warp.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace, enlightenment, and joy to all mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to ensure the joy and prosperity of other races before the last of them finally ascend, lead valiantly by the Bright Eldar. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, and these the Eldar found too impure to ascend. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for the people of the Imperium of Mankind.

Across the galaxy the noble green-skinned Orks are being brutally oppressed through a volatile combination of misunderstanding and a failure to communicate.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echoes through the lands of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic troops just as the norm. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be redeemed.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, yet wherever they are found, entire worlds spring to life as if into a new genesis.

The Tyranids, the most visible member being the Zoats, parlay with the Squat homeworlds, a civilization of noble miners and proud warriors. Though negotiations take many years, the Squats eventually accept the offer of assimilation and join with the hivemind, and both groups leave the galaxy.

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who loves even the smallest of creatures, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and the magic of wonder, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a warrior without bloodlust, sitting upon his throne of helms. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of love, art and joy.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== The Gods of Order ==

===Nurgle===
Papa Nurgle is the god of compassion; he cares for all creatures, no matter how small. He is still a god of sickness and disease, but he chooses to cure, rather than inflict. Nurgle is a lord of stability, even among the other lords of Order. If he has a weakness, it is that he is unchanged and forever unchanging. He helps to build civilizations, and is a bringer of law, order, and stability. However, he is not adaptive, and some find his embrace stifling. He is not necessarily a good guy; his followers sometimes are highly oppressive.

===Khorne===
He is the noble lord of war. He is still a war god, but a god of honorable combat. He sits upon the Throne of Relics, a throne made of captured artifacts from challengers against him, awaiting war. Khorne favors the strong above all else, and blesses those who are already mighty warriors. He does not, however, have much compassion for the weak, and does not believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. He has little mercy for those he sees as beneath his notice, but those who impress him can gain great power, and perhaps a powerful relic, taken from his throne.

===Tzeentch===
This god is the most changing and adaptive of the Lords of Order, and is a god of powerful warp sorcery and knowledge. His ways are often dangerous, with a "leap before you look" sort of mentality. He is known for his cunning plans and endless schemes. Because he is the most chaotic of the lords of Order, however, he is also one of the weakest. It is his cunning plans that keep him in power.

===Slaanesh===
And finally, the god(dess) of love, created by the Eldar to assist them with their ascendancy to the warp. This does not mean he/she is all pink hearts and kindness, however. Slaanesh is the lord of excess, of passion, and volatile emotion. People fall in and out of favor with Slaanesh on mere whims, and those who get his/her attentions and refuse them do not end well. Like Aphrodite, Slaanesh is not kind to those who stand in his/her way. Slaanesh is vain, ill tempered, and very easily offended. When thinking of Slaanesh, remember the story of Eros and Psyche. Love does not mean good or nice.

== The Imperium ==
The Imperium of ''Brighthammer'' is what the Imperium of 40k ''could'' have been if the emperor had won his war against Chaos. In this setting, that war never happened, and the Warp is calmer and more friendly. It is in a golden age, and many of the primarchs remain to assist in his rule. As one might expect of any empire its size, there are still many problems. Militarily it is held together by the space marine legions and the Imperial Guard. However, there are other problems of a different type and scale, such as corrupt imperial governors, seditious rebels, and rogue psykers. Often these are solved by the secret agents of the emperor, the Inquisition. Other times, these problems are solved by professional adventurers, the ''Brighthammer'' equivalent of rogue traders. Across the Imperium many worlds remain in a feudal state or at varying levels of technology, as unfortunate remnants of the war against the Iron Men at the end of the Dark Age of Technology. The Imperium seeks to bring these worlds into the fold, but many are ruled by tyrants or for many reasons the Imperium will not invade directly. Therefore small groups of agents may go to these worlds and guide them until they are ready to join the Imperium.

=== Space Marines ===
[[File:Lighthammer 40k Marine 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Basic Imperium Space Marine]]
Space Marines are the noble knights of the Imperium, and as such serve as examples of order to the Imperium at large. Far apart from merely being a powerful military faction, they are also instrumental in keeping the Imperium together and functioning.

==== Chapters ====
''For more information on these and other Marine Chapters click [[Setting: Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (1st edition)|here]] and [[Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (2nd Edition)|here]].

'''''[[Angry Marines]]''''' are something special. On some previously corrupted worlds, some people speak in awe about marines of red and yellow that fell from the skies aboard their rhinos, to brutally and noisily destroy the source of the evil on the planet. The Angry Marines Chapter is quite a puzzling one, as their behavior differs so much from what you usually expect from noble knights. They seem to be sent in when the threat to the people of a planet is extremely serious, and no other solution can be found at the moment. Their methods are rude, their temper short, and they allow no innocent civilian loss during their missions. EVER.

'''''Order Marines''''' are a splinter group of Space Marines that were created during the Horus Migration. After communication with the Order Gods, Warmaster Horus and several other Primarchs decided to travel into the Eye of Harmony to better communicate with their new allies. Since then, they have occasionally reappeared in order to help beleaguered worlds. The five largest Marine Legions are sighted across the galaxy, and their assistance has been invaluable to the Imperium. Mortarion's Legion, the Death Guard, are some of the finest battlefield medics that the Imperium has seen, while Angron's World Eaters serve as protectors of the weak and innocent. The Emperor's Children, led by Fulgrim, are often sighted alongside the Iron Warriors, helping to repair and rebuild cities after a battle. Despite being potent sorcerers on the battlefield, the Thousand Sons of Magnus take after their ally Tzeentch and help to coordinate battlefield tactics. Most respected of all is the White Legion, currently led by Abaddon the Rebuilder. This Legion is a coalition of many, and a single detachments have the ability to repel enemy attacks and rebuild cities.

'''''[[Quiet Marines]]''''' an Order Marine Chapter devoted to Slannesh Quiet Marines are an monastic marine order which prefer the quiet solitude of peace, stillness, and silence of the natural universe. The majority of Quiet Marine fortress-chapels are usually located in the remote empty regions of interplanetary space due to their natural lack of any sound. Upon enterimg service into every Quiet Marine takes an absolute vow of lifetime silence in order to hear Slannesh's words of wisdom and lyrical poems of love and passion much easier. However this is to the exaserbation of many a ork warlord due to their inability to quickly communicate and shout orders to troops while on the battlefield.

'''''[[Pretty Marines]]''''' Led by their Chapter Master David Tennant. The Purty Marines as they are also jokingly known by many Orks try to further the Imperium of Man's ideal of aesthetic and physical beauty throughout the galaxy.

'''''[[Reasonable Marines]]''''' A military offshoot of the Ordos Explorates. Just as their name states, the Reasonable Marines are sent to various high in tension but moderate in conflict situations that require a more calm and reasonable solution. They are also sent by the Explorates to various uncharted xeno inhabited planets that at time require a military escort that must negotiate with the planets alien natives in a "reasonable" manner.

'''''[[Female Space Marines]]''''' Because we have the mental maturity of 12-year-olds.

===Imperial Guard===
The Imperial Guard are normal men and women serving in the galactic military of the Imperium. They are expertly trained and the absolute best soldiers of any world they are taken from. They are largely similar to the Imperial Guard of regular ''Warhammer 40k'', but are better trained and equipped; closer to stormtroopers than regular guardsmen. Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in ''Brighthammer 40k'', they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They always lead the charge, and are the last to retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who were supposed to keep the unit battle ready.

===His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service===
When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused on more James Bond-like secret agent action.

The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are drawn from the elite of the elite and trained at specialized combat schools.

'''''Callidus School''''' is still dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering.

'''''Eversor School''''' is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements.

'''''Vindicare School''''' is dedicated to the mastery of long-range, sniper-type weapons. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

'''''Culexus School''''' trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and can increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. AKA, the reverse of the Pariah trait. These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisition's best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After training at their respective schools, they go on to a third phase of training, a cross-disciplinary school for team building and mutual advancement that teaches them to recognize and use each other's strengths, thus eliminating all their individual weaknesses. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of sheer effectiveness.

===Adeptus Telepathica===
Under the command of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Telepathica is an elite corps of the strongest and most trustworthy psykers in the Imperium. Each is first trained by the inquisition, recruited upon the Inquisitions White Ships and learning to fully harness their abilities, channeling the forces of Order for the good of mankind. Each makes a trip to Terra, where they are partially infused with the power of the Emperor, a blessing which strikes many blind. However, despite this loss, the increase in power more than makes up for it. Many are sent to serve in the Imperial Guard or as Navigators on ships that they might traverse the warp. Only the most elite, strongest in power and will are allowed to join the Adeptus Telepathica. They brave the mysteries of the warp and gain great power, using it for the good of mankind. Some psykers still go rogue, desiring to bring about ruin and destruction. It is often the Adeptus Telepathica that is tasked with their removal.

===Ordo Explorates===
Far beyond the inner planets of the Imperium, there lay the far worlds, backwards, some advanced, some not, full of strange xenos, ancient ruins, and forgotten things. It is here the Imperium's Ordo Explorates do their work, cataloging worlds and xenos, bringing them into the fold of the Imperium.

Aided in their Expedition by the Imperial Volunteer Corps and the Witch Repentors they seek to bring order and justice to the universe, guided only by the principles written in the Codex Explorates by the wise hand of Prince Guilliman. Together they march with their solemn vow, "None Shall Know Fear," beating in their hearts.

===Sisters of Rock===
The Adepta Sororitas is an organization composed of the once unruly children found populating Slaaneshi monasteries, where they learn to channel their passion through art. Following graduation, the women who choose to enter the Adepta Sororitas chose to express themselves in the form of ROCK MUSIC.

Traveling between concerts and battlefields, the Sisters of Rock work tirelessly to spread the word of the Emperor and the Gods of Order in spectacular shows. In battle, they use special personal weapons such as bolt-guitars and chainguitars, and have a penchant for using sonic weaponry.

They seek Nfol; the bringer of darkness - spawn of the fallen noble warrior LIVII, former Vindicare Knight, and the dark Wych Taldeer, among the vilest of Eldrad's twisted daughters.

===Agrarium of Mars===
The Agrarium of Mars constantly delves into deep texts and papers on the heritage of galactic flora. They seek, revere and worship the promise of rebirth from within the deep terraformed forests of Mars. Together with the Ordo Explorates they bring life to dead planets, aid archaic populations in agriculture; their sole mission is to bring life in all it's glory to the wake of the High Adventure.

The Servitors of the Agrarium, the most revered and respected of their ranks, are summoned from only the most noble of casts for only the most pure are worthy of the ultimate gift to the Emperor. Initiate Servitors are taken by the Agrarium of Mars and infused the the Life Seed to join them with Botanigod. In their new form Servitors act as fountains of life, following the Agrarium to new worlds colonized by the High Adventure, restoring flora where it was lost and acting as a channel for the Botanigod.

But because the universe is not yet a completely safe place, they have also a military side. The Agrarium of Mars cultivates vast armies of techno-organic soldiers and machines made of flesh, vine and iron for the Imperium. Enormous treant walkers march alongside the Ordo Explorates, their watchful eyes keeping guard against those who would abuse and waste the life essence. The Agrarium ships orbit over dead and hostile planets and release their seed-bombs to spawn immediately into the Agrarium's foot soldiers and release neurotoxic spores, wreaking havoc on those who harm the Empire.

===Medizin Korps of Krieg===
The Medizin Korps of Krieg hail from a planet of doctors, nurses and apothecaries. They go wherever they are needed and are always the first to set foot into plague zones armed with their labs, vaccines and adept physiological perception. A team from the Medizin Korps is always on hand when visiting a xenos world, ready to study and analyze any new species with the least invasive means possible to protect life even from the microscopic enemies that plague it. Together with the Agrarium of Mars they are the life bringers, the architects of societal and ecological health and well being.

== Xenos ==
Most of the races of ''Brighthammer'' are identical to their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts, except that wherever possible they are generally bright, noble, and generally nicer. This does not mean they are pushovers, however; the technological and warfaring capabilities of these races are equal to regular 40k, if less used.

If anything, ironically, the lack of constant warfare and the general prevalence of good sense, reason, and rationality means that the races of ''Brighthammer'' are, if anything, even ''tougher'' than their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts; they know how to make their technology rather than assuming it's some ancient ritual, they've had years of peace in which to build up their forces, and are not being constantly drained of fighting capable soldiers by endless warfare. The only thing normal ''Warhammer 40k'' has on the races of ''Brighthammer 40k'' are the numbers of experienced soldiers and sheer vile ruthlessness- but also unlike ''Warhammer 40k'', these races would be more likely to pull their shit together if threatened, while those of ''Warhammer'' would still be infighting (depending on the threat, of course).
=== Eldar ===

The Eldar are divided into two groups. The Eldar were originally an incredibly advanced society that succeeded in ascending and creating a warp god; the god of love, Slaanesh. Those that wished to remain behind to instruct other races on how to grow, change, and ascend to godhood. These are the Bright Eldar. A second faction consists of those who were too impure to rise to godhood. These chaotic Eldar are lead by Eldrad, and his schemes and machinations are a constant source of strife for everyone.

Watching over the remaining Eldar who stayed behind is the God of Guardians of Peace Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine's spirit resides in his various avatar statues that are scattered across the cosmos on the Craftworld vessels of the remaining Eldar

'''Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine'''

Legend has it that when Slaanesh, the great order God of Love and Compassion was born, Kaela Mensha Khaine was the one who stood guard over the event to keep him safe from harm and to champion his cause throughout the heavens.

When most of the Eldar ascended upon Slaanesh's birth in "The storm of great enlightenment" (Now called "The Eye of Harmony" by the empire due to the peaceful radiance filling this region of space) Khaine chose to scatter his divine essence among those who remained behind and safeguard their existence till they too joined their brothers and sisters in Order.

On each craftworld vessel you will find a room dedicated to the worship of Khaine and his sheltering hand. In each such hall stands a single bright white and gold statue of Kaine, his upraised arm holding "The Song of Hope", a great sword that is said to be the first of the 99 swords of Vaul.

===Slaaneshi Eldar===

While the god of Love and Compassion's influence all of the Eldar, some feel that they are too good for Slaanesh's Love and Compassion, living the city of Carnal Pleasures known as Commoragh, they bring Human and Tau over where wine, exotic Eldar dancers and song were only the tip of the iceberg. Mental carnal fantasies satiated the minds of psykers seeking forbidden knowledge or a good bloody argument or debate or things that the human body cannot imagine. About the only thing that is truly considered taboo among Slaaneshi Eldar is murder; with the punishment being eternal banishment. Few beings have ever left the city and its hedonistic ways of living.

===Exodite Eldar===

To settle the seeds of discontent amongst those who would follow neither Eldrad or the promises of godhood. They have wandered the galaxy to find a race capable of manipulating and dominating over. The Exodite Eldar find themselves affable to the evil Tau as they planted several Ethereal members to control the Tau society to a unified movement of evil. However the most peaceful world of Biel-Tan still wishes to bring them back to the ways of the god of love and peace.

===Peace Children===
Some of the best-looking things to come out of the Human/Eldar alliance besides spacecraft are Half-Eldar or 'Peace Children'. Lynn Mínwen, the daughter of Drazhar and Celestian Miriya, is a particularly famous idol singer (while her mom is the lead guitar in the Sisters of Rock band "Emperor's Goatee"). Her music is so inspiring that it has ended wars throughout the galaxy. Her chief nemesis is Nfol, the vile spawn of the Wych Taldeer and LIVII.

===Orks===
Orks while are brutish-looking aliens with green skin, hulking forms, and a crude, guttural language. This belies their gentle and reclusive nature – like gorillas of Terra, Orks are physically-powerful but gentle, and mainly wish to live in peace. Lacking the sheer numbers of humanity, Orks are scattered across the galaxy on pristine, wild worlds, which they are willing to fiercely defend against unwanted interlopers such as human renegades or Exodite Eldar. This has resulted in occasional clashes with Imperial colonists, though once both sides calm down and start talking a peaceful resolution doesn’t take long.

Best described as “noble savages,” the Orks' society initially appears anachronistic and primitive, as Orks prefer to dwell in small villages rather than the gleaming spires of a human Hive World. However, Orks are capable of constructing crude-looking but deceptively advanced functional technology or “tek” that allows them to thrive on even the harshest of worlds, an ability that is partially suspected to be linked to the Orks’ inherent connection with Order.

However in reality it was later discovered that a smaller subspecies known somewhat affectionately by the Orks as "Snotlings". It is thru these Snotlings that Ork society exists at all. The Snotlings cultivate a rare type of fungus heavy in protein and various alien nutrients that rapidly develop Ork neural capacity at a near alarming rate.

In reality its is the Snotlings who are the primary political force of Ork society, they are the secret guiding hand over all Ork technological, organizational and military structure. And while Orks are the public face of their species in actuality they are only a nobel warrior caste bred for the extremities of war and the occasional harshness of the outer galaxy.

And while the Snotlings produce this fungus primarily for themselves they also realize that times and political and social structures may change, so it also is given to another slightly less advanced subspecies known as "Grotz". Termed by other Orks as "Brainboyz" they essentialy exist as middle management between the Ork and Snotling "culturz" providing services such as civic and social management to more direct command over entire Ork platoons acting as the direct hand/voice of Snotling authority.

Life in an Ork settlement is simple and harmonious, as the burly Orks spend their time hunting or protecting a smaller subspecies, the Grotz or “Brainboyz,” who are physically weak but quite intelligent and run Orkish society as benevolent leaders.

Occasionally, if an Ork settlement grows too large or the population just feels the need for a change of view, a "''Waaagh!''" will be launched, a combination of a militarized mass migration and a journey of self-discovery that sends the Orks out to find a new world to colonize. Typically Orks migrate to planetary regions termed by the Imperium as "Death Systems" places that would be suicidal for any avarage Human colony to go.

However for Orks the more dangerous and rugged the better. These expeditions are as much about the Orks proving their toughness and self worth as they are relocations, and Orks will frequently choose worlds deemed uninhabitable by humans, from icy moons orbiting gas giants to minuscule planetoids with caustic atmospheres to planets rife with the most dangerous sentient and non sentient xenos species imaginable.

These ''Waaaghs'' sometimes lead the Orks into Imperial space and therefore conflict with the Imperial Navy, though a few warning shots are usually enough to cause the Orks to turn around after sending a transmission amounting to “sorry boss, we’s gonna go build fings somewhere else den.”

If a ''Waaagh!'' lands on an inhabited world by accident, the result is more of a blessing than a curse, as the miners of Hephaestus IV found when they were unexpectedly rescued from a cave-in by Orkish workers. The Orks’ protective natures quickly extend to their “’oomie” neighbors and they will treat their new friends as honorary members of the tribe, gladly sharing food or resources and even defending them from external threats.

A planet inhabited by Orks will never lack for militia, mechanics, gourmet chefs or brewers, and indeed Ork fungus-beer and gourmet Juicy Squig with fine Ork sauces is some of the prime exports of some worlds (both xenos and imperial). Also many foodies from quadrants all around the imperium come from parcecs around to sample various forms of delicacies from the finest Gretchin gourmets around.

For their part, the Orks have little they want from humanity besides peace and respect…although the human game of chess has become extremely popular with the aliens, to the extent that the past five galactic champions have been Orks. Additionally, some Orks are fascinated with humanity’s musical instruments, resulting in the birth of “Goff Rock” and several Orkish musical groups currently on tour throughout the Imperium.

=== Tau ===
An automated Imperial survey probe discovered the Tau roughly six thousand years ago, and found a race of plains-dwelling aliens who had just mastered fire and lived in simple, hunter-gatherer societies. An expedition was sent to offer the xenos the Imperium's friendship, but a sudden and unexplained interstellar storm of immense power enveloped the sector, cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy. These storms have recently abated, and a follow-up survey has shocked the Imperium - in only six millennia, the Tau had been transformed from a peaceful but primitive civilization to a fascist, expansionist, star-spanning empire possessing advanced technology and insatiable bloodlust, making them one of the greatest threats facing the galaxy.

Somehow, the Exodite Eldar had come across the young Tau and proceeded to manipulate and mold the Tau into creatures more like themselves. For centuries the Exodites set various petty Tau kingdoms and city-states against each other, plunging their world into chaos which nearly wiped out the race. But then the Exodites capriciously changed their minds, and decided to unite the Tau under one order. Using blasphemous bio-engineering, the Exodites bred a subspecies of Tau that possessed the pheromone glands of an insectoid alien race, granting them absolute control over other Tau. These "Ethereals" became the Exodites' mouthpieces in Tau society, and with the help of Eldar technology quickly built a brutal world government before spreading into nearby star systems.

'''Tau Society'''

Tau society is strictly divided into a caste system, supposedly a society of equals, in reality a strict hierarchy. The '''Earth Caste''' are the lowliest Tau, slaving away in terrible conditions to keep the empire supplied with the wargear and supplies that fuel its aggressive expansion. The luckiest of the Earth Caste get to work on miserable farms and live in hopeless drudgery; the unlucky ones are sent to hellish factories, where maimed workers are thrown out in the streets to die.

The '''Water Caste''' are derided as conniving and untrustworthy schemers, merchants and diplomats who cheat and swindle those they come across. They mostly prey on too-trusting human societies bordering the Tau Empire, selling malfunctioning and downright dangerous equipment for outrageous prices, then laughing when their customers are killed or crippled after their purchases blow up in their faces. Worse, the Water Caste also attempts to convince human worlds to renounce the Emperor’s benevolent rule for the empty promises of Tau society, bringing in new worlds of unwitting slaves for the Tau Empire. For this reason, the Imperium has forbidden its citizens from dealing with the Tau, and dispatched Special Agents to borderworlds in order to protect people from these charlatans.

The Tau’s '''Air Caste''' are haughty and cowardly, preferring to rain destruction from far above their enemies rather than engage in a fair fight. They provide pilots and crews for the Tau’s navies and build the starships that allow the empire to expand, but the rest of the Tau view them with distrust at best. The Air Caste are notorious for launching unprovoked and unannounced orbital bombardments on defenseless worlds, laying waste to entire continents for the perverse glee they find in destroying a helpless foe.

The '''Fire Caste''' are near the top of the Tau’s social hierarchy. These short-tempered and burly creatures are ostensibly the defenders of the empire, but in reality serve as the backbone of the Tau police state. They spend much of their lives training for combat in vicious live-fire exercises that frequently result in deaths, or else spend their free time bullying the other subraces of Tau. In combat they howl with barely-contained bloodlust, and are known for using prisoners-of-war as target practice, if they bother to take prisoners at all.

But all Tau live in constant terror of the '''Ethereal Caste''', so-named because they appear to be both everywhere and nowhere, an intangible and all-encompassing presence in Tau society. These Tau devote their lives to preserving the order of the Tau Empire, by operating extensive surveillance networks that keep every Tau watching what they say, even when they think they’re alone. If an Ethereal suspects a Tau of treason – or is simply feeling bored – they will order that Tau to kill himself, an order that is instantly obeyed. A paranoid and suspicious group, the Ethereals have a grim, dark view of the universe, and believe that the Tau are surrounded by hostile aliens and beset from within by treacherous segments of their population. They hold that there are no good actions possible in such a galaxy, and instead take the “Lesser Evil” needed for survival. This Imperium has noted with considerable alarm that this philosophy has begun to spread through parts of its own population, driving cynics and nihilists to commit atrocities that they claim are justified by the grim(noble), dark(bright) world they live in. (Lulz, contradiction.)

'''Imperial Policy'''

For now, the Imperium has reluctantly steeled itself for war with the Tau, and has prepared its worlds on the Eastern Fringe for wave after wave of frothing Fire Warriors. But the Emperor holds out hope that the Tau can be redeemed – indeed, one Fire Caste commander has seen the Ethereals for the manipulative tyrants they truly are and has revolted, taking a few Tau colonies with him. This commander, named “Farsight” by his adoring troops, has opened diplomatic ties with the Imperium, and has been promised support for the inevitable counter-attack from his misguided kin.

=== Necrontyr ===

The story of the Necrontyr is also that of the terrible Great Old Ones from a time before the rise of Humanity. Once, before the birth of the Gods of Order, the Warp was not the peaceful, structured paradise it is today. Instead, it was the plaything of the Great Old Ones, abominable, xenophobic creatures hell-bent on the destruction of all life apart from themselves. The peaceful Necrontyr, which had been blessed with immortality by the life-giving rays of their sun, were one of the first races to fall afoul of their attention. The first skirmishes between the Necrontyr and the Great Old Ones went poorly for the Necrontyr, unused to war as they were, were quickly pushed back to their home world.

While desperate to find some means of defending themselves against the Great Old Ones, the Necrontyr scientists realized on comparing data with the returning refugees that the calm, unchanging surface of their own star was unusual within the galaxy. On investigating, they discovered that the reason for this was that their system had been chosen as the stewardship of one of the great shepherds of life, the C'tan that would later become known as the Daybringer. Upon explaining to the Daybringer the horrors that were being visited upon the galaxy by the Great Old Ones, the Daybringer quickly rallied its fellows to the aid of the Necrontyr.

Driven into disarray by the counterattack of the C'tan and the resurgent Necrontyr, the desperate Great Old Ones turned from genocide to genetic slavery, engineering warrior slaves from the biospheres of countless worlds, including the ancestors of the Eldar and the Orks, and granted these thralls the ability to use the Warp as weapons against their foes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all of the C'tan over the course of the war. However, despite the attempts of the wicked Great Old Ones tried to twist these races into their image they proved more open to the ideals of peace and brotherhood championed by the Necrontyr, and one by one they turned on their oppressors, and with them, the Warp also began to change, robbing the Great Old Ones of much of their power as the warp entities that would later grow become the Gods of Order and their servants began to refuse to be responsible for the destruction that the Great Old Ones called on them to wreak.

In the end, however, the threat of the Great Old Ones had to be ended permanently, and to spare the other races from having to bear the guilt of this deed, the Necrontyr and C'tan took the burden upon themselves of removing the Great Old Ones from the galaxy. Wracked with remorse at having destroyed another sapient species, regardless of the necessity of the deed to the peace of the galaxy, the Necrontyr and C'tan sealed themselves in meditation within monasteries beneath the surfaces of worlds spread across the galaxy, awaiting a time when they might be able to redeem themselves of the crime they were forced to commit.

=== Tyranids ===
Hailing from a remote world perhaps not even located in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranids were first encountered on the Imperial world of Tyran, thus earning their namesake. The Imperium's initial contact with the Tyranids was relatively peaceful, though Imperial diplomats were somewhat unnerved by the aliens' bizarre appearance and oddly-designed ships, and communication proved difficult even with the aid of a psyker translator. The Tyranids seemed to sense this unease and very politely requested to take DNA samples from the lifeforms of Tyran in order to further their research. After some negotiation, the humans agreed, and the Tyranids promptly left, seeming to disappear from the galaxy without a trace.

Nearly 200 years later, the Tyranids returned in the form of a "Genesis Fleet," a large convoy of living starships that seeded barren worlds with bizarre and beautiful forms of life. Wherever this Genesis Fleet went, dozens of meticulously crafted biospheres were left behind, each largely hospitable to humanoids and full of fascinating wildlife and ecosystems. The Tyranids left a trail of "Eden Worlds" behind it, each more exotic and fascinating than the last, until the Genesis Fleet finally met with Imperial diplomats once again. Taking new human-like forms, the Tyranids' diplomats explained that they were a race of bioengineers and terraformers seeking to study the life-forms of the universe and use their genetic data to create the perfect planet, and that the Eden Worlds were attempts that didn't quite meet their exacting specification. After additional negotiation, the Tyranids were granted the right to populate select desolate worlds on the outskirts of Imperial territory however they saw fit.

While most prefer to travel with the Genesis Fleet, a few Tyranids have settled in the Imperium, taking forms more familiar to humanity by mixing its DNA with their own. These Tyranids find great success in serving as botanists, naturalists, or ecologists, but some make use of their race's mastery of the double helix. These so-called "Gene Merchants" collect genetic data from plants, animals, and citizens, using their bio-wizardry to cure diseases and maintain the balance of local ecosystems, making them natural allies of the Agrarium of Mars. Some Gene Merchants have reportedly ensconced themselves in Space Hulks, cultivating gardens and aviaries while fighting off space pirates and hostile aliens as they try to modify the derelict spaceships to provide aid to stranded or wayward travelers.

Sadly, the time of the Tyranids may be ending. The Genesis Fleet will soon complete its journey across the galaxy, and unless some incredible new life-form is added to their genetic banks, the aliens will likely begin the long, silent voyage to another galaxy as they continue their never-ending quest to build the perfect world. The Tyranids will leave behind hundreds of miraculous Eden Worlds as their legacy and gift to this galaxy, as well as those of their race that have chosen to live among humanity.

==Persons of note==

===Sir Robin Fitzgerald===

[[Image:Chess_champion.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Robin Fitzgerald and his worthy, yet defeated, chess opponents.]]

A Imperial Guardsman, a Captain in the Praetorian 115th Regiment. He is a renown sportsman who enjoys a good game of Chess, along side his Man-Servant, Archibald. His primary chess opponents are the Brutish, but misunderstood, Orks. Often, his Man-Servant will play a game of Chess (or if he must, Checkers! Oh how uncivilized!) with Grots whilst his master and the Orks have a jolly good time at chess.

His other favorite spot of fun, would be in wild life hunting. Specifically, the barbaric Kroot. All his hunting lances and lasguns are set to not kill their prey, so as the hunt may continue another day. Indeed! Life with Robin is a jolly good show.

===Fum'aan Shu'u===
A rogue Tau mad scientist, Fum'aan Shu'u is a menace to everyone in the galaxy, including his own race. With his numerous and loyal henchmen, scattered all across Tau and Imperium Space, he works on diabolical plans to rule the universe.

Some say he could even have opened, in some hidden facility, an artificial warp gate to another dimension, where the Order Gods are evil parodies of themselves...And that he tries to create a bizarre army of corrupted human space marines and demons, all of them the results of "chaos" twisted powers.

===Sister Sinai===
Sister Sinai lives together with her Vindicare husband in a town, after having been granted a honorable discharge after having stopped a corrupted Special Agent from doing the bidding of the Tau Empire. She has been given technology to help her continue on with her life, after the accident which ended up showing why the Vindicare are some of the most valuable servants of humanity and all their allies. While she still spends much of her time thinking about religion, that still doesn't mean that she is as obsessed with it as some religious people tend to be.

At least once a week, the two of them, Sinai and her Vindicare, go out and have a dinner, talking about anything they feel like and generally having a good time.

=== The God-Emperor of Man ===
The guy so awesome the entire galaxy bows to him. Created in the distant past by countless warp shamans coming together to form a single being, that he might be able to guide all mankind to a brighter tomorrow from the shadows. After the disastrous war with the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Emperor lead his newly created force of noble, genetically enhanced knights known as the Space Marines on a crusade to rebuild the galaxy. In battle, he is a warrior without peer, a psyker powerful enough to create supernova, and a tactician beyond measure. In battle he wields a mighty Hammer of Light; which channels his formidable powers as a psyker into pure destructive energy with each blow. He has been known to loan out this hammer to the mightiest adventurers on their direst missions, and it has been at the forefront of many victories at the hands of Mankind. He personally started the tradition of showing rank by wearing giant hats (unwittingly) due to his habit of wearing a giant golden Sombrero. The Sombrero has two life-sized golden eagles that shoot plasma bolts from their eyes, and the weight of it is such that it would instantly snap the neck of any other who tried to wear it. He is largely similar to the ''Warhammer 40k'' Emperor, but never battled Horus, with his son instead peacefully ascending to a higher plane. Instead, he rules the galaxy from the golden throne.
Also, he has a goatee, which makes him the coolest human alive.

=== Macha ===
An Eldar Farseer. Eldrad's daughter, and a brilliant strategist that assures any war that breaks out is quick and resolved immediately with the help of her sister and partner, Taldeer. She is also known to be rather emotional and sleeps with quite literally anything that catches her eye, although her true love is the Emperor, whom she is engaged to, and will marry someday.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

==Artwork==

<gallery>
Image:Lovepeace.png|Boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da...
Image:Desob.jpg|Miriya and Drazhar with their peace children.
Image:LynnminwenCD.jpg|Lynn Minwen: Galactic Superstar
Image:EG_album.jpg|First album of Emperor's Goatee, Celestian Miriya's band : "Sisters in Battle"
Image:commissarhugs.jpg|In Brighthammer, Commissars guide their troops through encouragement, rather than fear. Also, hugs. :3
Image:1234195513474.jpg|Emperor's Goatee performing live in concert.
Image:Ghazkullyarrick4everbyjyr2.jpg
</gallery>
[[Category:Brighthammer|1st edition]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/1st edition

2015-11-17T18:11:06Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the God-Emperor of Mankind has an awesome goatee.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredibly [[Grimdark|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[NobleBright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

There's some delightful hypocrisy worthy of Disney in the Tau section.

== Background ==

In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Love Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to ensure the noble rule of humanity as the galaxy began to make a turn for the better. In an act of supreme devotion, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within the Warp.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace, enlightenment, and joy to all mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to ensure the joy and prosperity of other races before the last of them finally ascend, lead valiantly by the Bright Eldar. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, and these the Eldar found too impure to ascend. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for the people of the Imperium of Mankind.

Across the galaxy the noble green-skinned Orks are being brutally oppressed through a volatile combination of misunderstanding and a failure to communicate.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echoes through the lands of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic troops just as the norm. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be redeemed.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, yet wherever they are found, entire worlds spring to life as if into a new genesis.

The Tyranids, the most visible member being the Zoats, parlay with the Squat homeworlds, a civilization of noble miners and proud warriors. Though negotiations take many years, the Squats eventually accept the offer of assimilation and join with the hivemind, and both groups leave the galaxy.

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who loves even the smallest of creatures, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and the magic of wonder, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a warrior without bloodlust, sitting upon his throne of helms. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of love, art and joy.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== The Gods of Order ==

===Nurgle===
Papa Nurgle is the god of compassion; he cares for all creatures, no matter how small. He is still a god of sickness and disease, but he chooses to cure, rather than inflict. Nurgle is a lord of stability, even among the other lords of Order. If he has a weakness, it is that he is unchanged and forever unchanging. He helps to build civilizations, and is a bringer of law, order, and stability. However, he is not adaptive, and some find his embrace stifling. He is not necessarily a good guy; his followers sometimes are highly oppressive.

===Khorne===
He is the noble lord of war. He is still a war god, but a god of honorable combat. He sits upon the Throne of Relics, a throne made of captured artifacts from challengers against him, awaiting war. Khorne favors the strong above all else, and blesses those who are already mighty warriors. He does not, however, have much compassion for the weak, and does not believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. He has little mercy for those he sees as beneath his notice, but those who impress him can gain great power, and perhaps a powerful relic, taken from his throne.

===Tzeentch===
This god is the most changing and adaptive of the Lords of Order, and is a god of powerful warp sorcery and knowledge. His ways are often dangerous, with a "leap before you look" sort of mentality. He is known for his cunning plans and endless schemes. Because he is the most chaotic of the lords of Order, however, he is also one of the weakest. It is his cunning plans that keep him in power.

===Slaanesh===
And finally, the god(dess) of love, created by the Eldar to assist them with their ascendancy to the warp. This does not mean he/she is all pink hearts and kindness, however. Slaanesh is the lord of excess, of passion, and volatile emotion. People fall in and out of favor with Slaanesh on mere whims, and those who get his/her attentions and refuse them do not end well. Like Aphrodite, Slaanesh is not kind to those who stand in his/her way. Slaanesh is vain, ill tempered, and very easily offended. When thinking of Slaanesh, remember the story of Eros and Psyche. Love does not mean good or nice.

== The Imperium ==
The Imperium of ''Brighthammer'' is what the Imperium of 40k ''could'' have been if the emperor had won his war against Chaos. In this setting, that war never happened, and the Warp is calmer and more friendly. It is in a golden age, and many of the primarchs remain to assist in his rule. As one might expect of any empire its size, there are still many problems. Militarily it is held together by the space marine legions and the Imperial Guard. However, there are other problems of a different type and scale, such as corrupt imperial governors, seditious rebels, and rogue psykers. Often these are solved by the secret agents of the emperor, the Inquisition. Other times, these problems are solved by professional adventurers, the ''Brighthammer'' equivalent of rogue traders. Across the Imperium many worlds remain in a feudal state or at varying levels of technology, as unfortunate remnants of the war against the Iron Men at the end of the Dark Age of Technology. The Imperium seeks to bring these worlds into the fold, but many are ruled by tyrants or for many reasons the Imperium will not invade directly. Therefore small groups of agents may go to these worlds and guide them until they are ready to join the Imperium.

=== Space Marines ===
[[File:Lighthammer 40k Marine 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Basic Imperium Space Marine]]
Space Marines are the noble knights of the Imperium, and as such serve as examples of order to the Imperium at large. Far apart from merely being a powerful military faction, they are also instrumental in keeping the Imperium together and functioning.

==== Chapters ====
''For more information on these and other Marine Chapters click [[Setting: Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (1st edition)|here]] and [[Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (2nd Edition)|here]].

'''''[[Angry Marines]]''''' are something special. On some previously corrupted worlds, some people speak in awe about marines of red and yellow that fell from the skies aboard their rhinos, to brutally and noisily destroy the source of the evil on the planet. The Angry Marines Chapter is quite a puzzling one, as their behavior differs so much from what you usually expect from noble knights. They seem to be sent in when the threat to the people of a planet is extremely serious, and no other solution can be found at the moment. Their methods are rude, their temper short, and they allow no innocent civilian loss during their missions. EVER.

'''''Order Marines''''' are a splinter group of Space Marines that were created during the Horus Migration. After communication with the Order Gods, Warmaster Horus and several other Primarchs decided to travel into the Eye of Harmony to better communicate with their new allies. Since then, they have occasionally reappeared in order to help beleaguered worlds. The five largest Marine Legions are sighted across the galaxy, and their assistance has been invaluable to the Imperium. Mortarion's Legion, the Death Guard, are some of the finest battlefield medics that the Imperium has seen, while Angron's World Eaters serve as protectors of the weak and innocent. The Emperor's Children, led by Fulgrim, are often sighted alongside the Iron Warriors, helping to repair and rebuild cities after a battle. Despite being potent sorcerers on the battlefield, the Thousand Sons of Magnus take after their ally Tzeentch and help to coordinate battlefield tactics. Most respected of all is the White Legion, currently led by Abaddon the Rebuilder. This Legion is a coalition of many, and a single detachments have the ability to repel enemy attacks and rebuild cities.

'''''[[Quiet Marines]]''''' an Order Marine Chapter devoted to Slannesh Quiet Marines are an monastic marine order which prefer the quiet solitude of peace, stillness, and silence of the natural universe. The majority of Quiet Marine fortress-chapels are usually located in the remote empty regions of interplanetary space due to their natural lack of any sound. Upon enterimg service into every Quiet Marine takes an absolute vow of lifetime silence in order to hear Slannesh's words of wisdom and lyrical poems of love and passion much easier. However this is to the exaserbation of many a ork warlord due to their inability to quickly communicate and shout orders to troops while on the battlefield.

'''''[[Pretty Marines]]''''' Led by their Chapter Master David Tennant. The Purty Marines as they are also jokingly known by many Orks try to further the Imperium of Man's ideal of aesthetic and physical beauty throughout the galaxy.

'''''[[Reasonable Marines]]''''' A military offshoot of the Ordos Explorates. Just as their name states, the Reasonable Marines are sent to various high in tension but moderate in conflict situations that require a more calm and reasonable solution. They are also sent by the Explorates to various uncharted xeno inhabited planets that at time require a military escort that must negotiate with the planets alien natives in a "reasonable" manner.

'''''[[Female Space Marines]]''''' Because we have the mental maturity of 12-year-olds.

===Imperial Guard===
The Imperial Guard are normal men and women serving in the galactic military of the Imperium. They are expertly trained and the absolute best soldiers of any world they are taken from. They are largely similar to the Imperial Guard of regular ''Warhammer 40k'', but are better trained and equipped; closer to stormtroopers than regular guardsmen. Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in ''Brighthammer 40k'', they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They always lead the charge, and are the last to retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who were supposed to keep the unit battle ready.

===His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service===
When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused on more James Bond-like secret agent action.

The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are drawn from the elite of the elite and trained at specialized combat schools.

'''''Callidus School''''' is still dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering.

'''''Eversor School''''' is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements.

'''''Vindicare School''''' is dedicated to the mastery of long-range, sniper-type weapons. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

'''''Culexus School''''' trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and can increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. AKA, the reverse of the Pariah trait. These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisition's best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After training at their respective schools, they go on to a third phase of training, a cross-disciplinary school for team building and mutual advancement that teaches them to recognize and use each other's strengths, thus eliminating all their individual weaknesses. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of sheer effectiveness.

===Adeptus Telepathica===
Under the command of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Telepathica is an elite corps of the strongest and most trustworthy psykers in the Imperium. Each is first trained by the inquisition, recruited upon the Inquisitions White Ships and learning to fully harness their abilities, channeling the forces of Order for the good of mankind. Each makes a trip to Terra, where they are partially infused with the power of the Emperor, a blessing which strikes many blind. However, despite this loss, the increase in power more than makes up for it. Many are sent to serve in the Imperial Guard or as Navigators on ships that they might traverse the warp. Only the most elite, strongest in power and will are allowed to join the Adeptus Telepathica. They brave the mysteries of the warp and gain great power, using it for the good of mankind. Some psykers still go rogue, desiring to bring about ruin and destruction. It is often the Adeptus Telepathica that is tasked with their removal.

===Ordo Explorates===
Far beyond the inner planets of the Imperium, there lay the far worlds, backwards, some advanced, some not, full of strange xenos, ancient ruins, and forgotten things. It is here the Imperium's Ordo Explorates do their work, cataloging worlds and xenos, bringing them into the fold of the Imperium.

Aided in their Expedition by the Imperial Volunteer Corps and the Witch Repentors they seek to bring order and justice to the universe, guided only by the principles written in the Codex Explorates by the wise hand of Prince Guilliman. Together they march with their solemn vow, "None Shall Know Fear," beating in their hearts.

===Sisters of Rock===
The Adepta Sororitas is an organization composed of the once unruly children found populating Slaaneshi monasteries, where they learn to channel their passion through art. Following graduation, the women who choose to enter the Adepta Sororitas chose to express themselves in the form of ROCK MUSIC.

Traveling between concerts and battlefields, the Sisters of Rock work tirelessly to spread the word of the Emperor and the Gods of Order in spectacular shows. In battle, they use special personal weapons such as bolt-guitars and chainguitars, and have a penchant for using sonic weaponry.

They seek Nfol; the bringer of darkness - spawn of the fallen noble warrior LIVII, former Vindicare Knight, and the dark Wych Taldeer, among the vilest of Eldrad's twisted daughters.

===Agrarium of Mars===
The Agrarium of Mars constantly delves into deep texts and papers on the heritage of galactic flora. They seek, revere and worship the promise of rebirth from within the deep terraformed forests of Mars. Together with the Ordo Explorates they bring life to dead planets, aid archaic populations in agriculture; their sole mission is to bring life in all it's glory to the wake of the High Adventure.

The Servitors of the Agrarium, the most revered and respected of their ranks, are summoned from only the most noble of casts for only the most pure are worthy of the ultimate gift to the Emperor. Initiate Servitors are taken by the Agrarium of Mars and infused the the Life Seed to join them with Botanigod. In their new form Servitors act as fountains of life, following the Agrarium to new worlds colonized by the High Adventure, restoring flora where it was lost and acting as a channel for the Botanigod.

But because the universe is not yet a completely safe place, they have also a military side. The Agrarium of Mars cultivates vast armies of techno-organic soldiers and machines made of flesh, vine and iron for the Imperium. Enormous treant walkers march alongside the Ordo Explorates, their watchful eyes keeping guard against those who would abuse and waste the life essence. The Agrarium ships orbit over dead and hostile planets and release their seed-bombs to spawn immediately into the Agrarium's foot soldiers and release neurotoxic spores, wreaking havoc on those who harm the Empire.

===Medizin Korps of Krieg===
The Medizin Korps of Krieg hail from a planet of doctors, nurses and apothecaries. They go wherever they are needed and are always the first to set foot into plague zones armed with their labs, vaccines and adept physiological perception. A team from the Medizin Korps is always on hand when visiting a xenos world, ready to study and analyze any new species with the least invasive means possible to protect life even from the microscopic enemies that plague it. Together with the Agrarium of Mars they are the life bringers, the architects of societal and ecological health and well being.

== Xenos ==
Most of the races of ''Brighthammer'' are identical to their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts, except that wherever possible they are generally bright, noble, and generally nicer. This does not mean they are pushovers, however; the technological and warfaring capabilities of these races are equal to regular 40k, if less used.

If anything, ironically, the lack of constant warfare and the general prevalence of good sense, reason, and rationality means that the races of ''Brighthammer'' are, if anything, even ''tougher'' than their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts; they know how to make their technology rather than assuming it's some ancient ritual, they've had years of peace in which to build up their forces, and are not being constantly drained of fighting capable soldiers by endless warfare. The only thing normal ''Warhammer 40k'' has on the races of ''Brighthammer 40k'' are the numbers of experienced soldiers and sheer vile ruthlessness- but also unlike ''Warhammer 40k'', these races would be more likely to pull their shit together if threatened, while those of ''Warhammer'' would still be infighting (depending on the threat, of course).
=== Eldar ===

The Eldar are divided into two groups. The Eldar were originally an incredibly advanced society that succeeded in ascending and creating a warp god; the god of love, Slaanesh. Those that wished to remain behind to instruct other races on how to grow, change, and ascend to godhood. These are the Bright Eldar. A second faction consists of those who were too impure to rise to godhood. These chaotic Eldar are lead by Eldrad, and his schemes and machinations are a constant source of strife for everyone.

Watching over the remaining Eldar who stayed behind is the God of Guardians of Peace Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine's spirit resides in his various avatar statues that are scattered across the cosmos on the Craftworld vessels of the remaining Eldar

'''Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine'''

Legend has it that when Slaanesh, the great order God of Love and Compassion was born, Kaela Mensha Khaine was the one who stood guard over the event to keep him safe from harm and to champion his cause throughout the heavens.

When most of the Eldar ascended upon Slaanesh's birth in "The storm of great enlightenment" (Now called "The Eye of Harmony" by the empire due to the peaceful radiance filling this region of space) Khaine chose to scatter his divine essence among those who remained behind and safeguard their existence till they too joined their brothers and sisters in Order.

On each craftworld vessel you will find a room dedicated to the worship of Khaine and his sheltering hand. In each such hall stands a single bright white and gold statue of Kaine, his upraised arm holding "The Song of Hope", a great sword that is said to be the first of the 99 swords of Vaul.

===Slaaneshi Eldar===

While the god of Love and Compassion's influence all of the Eldar, some feel that they are too good for Slaanesh's Love and Compassion, living the city of Carnal Pleasures known as Commoragh, they bring Human and Tau over where wine, exotic Eldar dancers and song were only the tip of the iceberg. Mental carnal fantasies satiated the minds of psykers seeking forbidden knowledge or a good bloody argument or debate or things that the human body cannot imagine. About the only thing that is truly considered taboo among Slaaneshi Eldar is murder; with the punishment being eternal banishment. Few beings have ever left the city and its hedonistic ways of living.

===Exodite Eldar===

To settle the seeds of discontent amongst those who would follow neither Eldrad or the promises of godhood. They have wandered the galaxy to find a race capable of manipulating and dominating over. The Exodite Eldar find themselves affable to the evil Tau as they planted several Ethereal members to control the Tau society to a unified movement of evil. However the most peaceful world of Biel-Tan still wishes to bring them back to the ways of the god of love and peace.

===Peace Children===
Some of the best-looking things to come out of the Human/Eldar alliance besides spacecraft are Half-Eldar or 'Peace Children'. Lynn Mínwen, the daughter of Drazhar and Celestian Miriya, is a particularly famous idol singer (while her mom is the lead guitar in the Sisters of Rock band "Emperor's Goatee"). Her music is so inspiring that it has ended wars throughout the galaxy. Her chief nemesis is Nfol, the vile spawn of the Wych Taldeer and LIVII.

===Orks===
Orks while are brutish-looking aliens with green skin, hulking forms, and a crude, guttural language. This belies their gentle and reclusive nature – like gorillas of Terra, Orks are physically-powerful but gentle, and mainly wish to live in peace. Lacking the sheer numbers of humanity, Orks are scattered across the galaxy on pristine, wild worlds, which they are willing to fiercely defend against unwanted interlopers such as human renegades or Exodite Eldar. This has resulted in occasional clashes with Imperial colonists, though once both sides calm down and start talking a peaceful resolution doesn’t take long.

Best described as “noble savages,” the Orks' society initially appears anachronistic and primitive, as Orks prefer to dwell in small villages rather than the gleaming spires of a human Hive World. However, Orks are capable of constructing crude-looking but deceptively advanced functional technology or “tek” that allows them to thrive on even the harshest of worlds, an ability that is partially suspected to be linked to the Orks’ inherent connection with Order.

However in reality it was later discovered that a smaller subspecies known somewhat affectionately by the Orks as "Snotlings". It is thru these Snotlings that Ork society exists at all. The Snotlings cultivate a rare type of fungus heavy in protein and various alien nutrients that rapidly develop Ork neural capacity at a near alarming rate.

In reality its is the Snotlings who are the primary political force of Ork society, they are the secret guiding hand over all Ork technological, organizational and military structure. And while Orks are the public face of their species in actuality they are only a nobel warrior caste bred for the extremities of war and the occasional harshness of the outer galaxy.

And while the Snotlings produce this fungus primarily for themselves they also realize that times and political and social structures may change, so it also is given to another slightly less advanced subspecies known as "Grotz". Termed by other Orks as "Brainboyz" they essentialy exist as middle management between the Ork and Snotling "culturz" providing services such as civic and social management to more direct command over entire Ork platoons acting as the direct hand/voice of Snotling authority.

Life in an Ork settlement is simple and harmonious, as the burly Orks spend their time hunting or protecting a smaller subspecies, the Grotz or “Brainboyz,” who are physically weak but quite intelligent and run Orkish society as benevolent leaders.

Occasionally, if an Ork settlement grows too large or the population just feels the need for a change of view, a "''Waaagh!''" will be launched, a combination of a militarized mass migration and a journey of self-discovery that sends the Orks out to find a new world to colonize. Typically Orks migrate to planetary regions termed by the Imperium as "Death Systems" places that would be suicidal for any avarage Human colony to go.

However for Orks the more dangerous and rugged the better. These expeditions are as much about the Orks proving their toughness and self worth as they are relocations, and Orks will frequently choose worlds deemed uninhabitable by humans, from icy moons orbiting gas giants to minuscule planetoids with caustic atmospheres to planets rife with the most dangerous sentient and non sentient xenos species imaginable.

These ''Waaaghs'' sometimes lead the Orks into Imperial space and therefore conflict with the Imperial Navy, though a few warning shots are usually enough to cause the Orks to turn around after sending a transmission amounting to “sorry boss, we’s gonna go build fings somewhere else den.”

If a ''Waaagh!'' lands on an inhabited world by accident, the result is more of a blessing than a curse, as the miners of Hephaestus IV found when they were unexpectedly rescued from a cave-in by Orkish workers. The Orks’ protective natures quickly extend to their “’oomie” neighbors and they will treat their new friends as honorary members of the tribe, gladly sharing food or resources and even defending them from external threats.

A planet inhabited by Orks will never lack for militia, mechanics, gourmet chefs or brewers, and indeed Ork fungus-beer and gourmet Juicy Squig with fine Ork sauces is some of the prime exports of some worlds (both xenos and imperial). Also many foodies from quadrants all around the imperium come from parcecs around to sample various forms of delicacies from the finest Gretchin gourmets around.

For their part, the Orks have little they want from humanity besides peace and respect…although the human game of chess has become extremely popular with the aliens, to the extent that the past five galactic champions have been Orks. Additionally, some Orks are fascinated with humanity’s musical instruments, resulting in the birth of “Goff Rock” and several Orkish musical groups currently on tour throughout the Imperium.

=== Tau ===
An automated Imperial survey probe discovered the Tau roughly six thousand years ago, and found a race of plains-dwelling aliens who had just mastered fire and lived in simple, hunter-gatherer societies. An expedition was sent to offer the xenos the Imperium's friendship, but a sudden and unexplained interstellar storm of immense power enveloped the sector, cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy. These storms have recently abated, and a follow-up survey has shocked the Imperium - in only six millennia, the Tau had been transformed from a peaceful but primitive civilization to a fascist, expansionist, star-spanning empire possessing advanced technology and insatiable bloodlust, making them one of the greatest threats facing the galaxy.

Somehow, the Exodite Eldar had come across the young Tau and proceeded to manipulate and mold the Tau into creatures more like themselves. For centuries the Exodites set various petty Tau kingdoms and city-states against each other, plunging their world into chaos which nearly wiped out the race. But then the Exodites capriciously changed their minds, and decided to unite the Tau under one order. Using blasphemous bio-engineering, the Exodites bred a subspecies of Tau that possessed the pheromone glands of an insectoid alien race, granting them absolute control over other Tau. These "Ethereals" became the Exodites' mouthpieces in Tau society, and with the help of Eldar technology quickly built a brutal world government before spreading into nearby star systems.

'''Tau Society'''

Tau society is strictly divided into a caste system, supposedly a society of equals, in reality a strict hierarchy. The '''Earth Caste''' are the lowliest Tau, slaving away in terrible conditions to keep the empire supplied with the wargear and supplies that fuel its aggressive expansion. The luckiest of the Earth Caste get to work on miserable farms and live in hopeless drudgery; the unlucky ones are sent to hellish factories, where maimed workers are thrown out in the streets to die.

The '''Water Caste''' are derided as conniving and untrustworthy schemers, merchants and diplomats who cheat and swindle those they come across. They mostly prey on too-trusting human societies bordering the Tau Empire, selling malfunctioning and downright dangerous equipment for outrageous prices, then laughing when their customers are killed or crippled after their purchases blow up in their faces. Worse, the Water Caste also attempts to convince human worlds to renounce the Emperor’s benevolent rule for the empty promises of Tau society, bringing in new worlds of unwitting slaves for the Tau Empire. For this reason, the Imperium has forbidden its citizens from dealing with the Tau, and dispatched Special Agents to borderworlds in order to protect people from these charlatans.

The Tau’s '''Air Caste''' are haughty and cowardly, preferring to rain destruction from far above their enemies rather than engage in a fair fight. They provide pilots and crews for the Tau’s navies and build the starships that allow the empire to expand, but the rest of the Tau view them with distrust at best. The Air Caste are notorious for launching unprovoked and unannounced orbital bombardments on defenseless worlds, laying waste to entire continents for the perverse glee they find in destroying a helpless foe.

The '''Fire Caste''' are near the top of the Tau’s social hierarchy. These short-tempered and burly creatures are ostensibly the defenders of the empire, but in reality serve as the backbone of the Tau police state. They spend much of their lives training for combat in vicious live-fire exercises that frequently result in deaths, or else spend their free time bullying the other subraces of Tau. In combat they howl with barely-contained bloodlust, and are known for using prisoners-of-war as target practice, if they bother to take prisoners at all.

But all Tau live in constant terror of the '''Ethereal Caste''', so-named because they appear to be both everywhere and nowhere, an intangible and all-encompassing presence in Tau society. These Tau devote their lives to preserving the order of the Tau Empire, by operating extensive surveillance networks that keep every Tau watching what they say, even when they think they’re alone. If an Ethereal suspects a Tau of treason – or is simply feeling bored – they will order that Tau to kill himself, an order that is instantly obeyed. A paranoid and suspicious group, the Ethereals have a grim, dark view of the universe, and believe that the Tau are surrounded by hostile aliens and beset from within by treacherous segments of their population. They hold that there are no good actions possible in such a galaxy, and instead take the “Lesser Evil” needed for survival. This Imperium has noted with considerable alarm that this philosophy has begun to spread through parts of its own population, driving cynics and nihilists to commit atrocities that they claim are justified by the grim(noble), dark(bright) world they live in. (Lulz, contradiction.)

'''Imperial Policy'''

For now, the Imperium has reluctantly steeled itself for war with the Tau, and has prepared its worlds on the Eastern Fringe for wave after wave of frothing Fire Warriors. But the Emperor holds out hope that the Tau can be redeemed – indeed, one Fire Caste commander has seen the Ethereals for the manipulative tyrants they truly are and has revolted, taking a few Tau colonies with him. This commander, named “Farsight” by his adoring troops, has opened diplomatic ties with the Imperium, and has been promised support for the inevitable counter-attack from his misguided kin.

=== Necrontyr ===

The story of the Necrontyr is also that of the terrible Great Old Ones from a time before the rise of Humanity. Once, before the birth of the Gods of Order, the Warp was not the peaceful, structured paradise it is today. Instead, it was the plaything of the Great Old Ones, abominable, xenophobic creatures hell-bent on the destruction of all life apart from themselves. The peaceful Necrontyr, which had been blessed with immortality by the life-giving rays of their sun, were one of the first races to fall afoul of their attention. The first skirmishes between the Necrontyr and the Great Old Ones went poorly for the Necrontyr, unused to war as they were, were quickly pushed back to their home world.

While desperate to find some means of defending themselves against the Great Old Ones, the Necrontyr scientists realized on comparing data with the returning refugees that the calm, unchanging surface of their own star was unusual within the galaxy. On investigating, they discovered that the reason for this was that their system had been chosen as the stewardship of one of the great shepherds of life, the C'tan that would later become known as the Daybringer. Upon explaining to the Daybringer the horrors that were being visited upon the galaxy by the Great Old Ones, the Daybringer quickly rallied its fellows to the aid of the Necrontyr.

Driven into disarray by the counterattack of the C'tan and the resurgent Necrontyr, the desperate Great Old Ones turned from genocide to genetic slavery, engineering warrior slaves from the biospheres of countless worlds, including the ancestors of the Eldar and the Orks, and granted these thralls the ability to use the Warp as weapons against their foes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all of the C'tan over the course of the war. However, despite the attempts of the wicked Great Old Ones tried to twist these races into their image they proved more open to the ideals of peace and brotherhood championed by the Necrontyr, and one by one they turned on their oppressors, and with them, the Warp also began to change, robbing the Great Old Ones of much of their power as the warp entities that would later grow become the Gods of Order and their servants began to refuse to be responsible for the destruction that the Great Old Ones called on them to wreak.

In the end, however, the threat of the Great Old Ones had to be ended permanently, and to spare the other races from having to bear the guilt of this deed, the Necrontyr and C'tan took the burden upon themselves of removing the Great Old Ones from the galaxy. Wracked with remorse at having destroyed another sapient species, regardless of the necessity of the deed to the peace of the galaxy, the Necrontyr and C'tan sealed themselves in meditation within monasteries beneath the surfaces of worlds spread across the galaxy, awaiting a time when they might be able to redeem themselves of the crime they were forced to commit.

=== Tyranids ===
Hailing from a remote world perhaps not even located in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranids were first encountered on the Imperial world of Tyran, thus earning their namesake. The Imperium's initial contact with the Tyranids was relatively peaceful, though Imperial diplomats were somewhat unnerved by the aliens' bizarre appearance and oddly-designed ships, and communication proved difficult even with the aid of a psyker translator. The Tyranids seemed to sense this unease and very politely requested to take DNA samples from the lifeforms of Tyran in order to further their research. After some negotiation, the humans agreed, and the Tyranids promptly left, seeming to disappear from the galaxy without a trace.

Nearly 200 years later, the Tyranids returned in the form of a "Genesis Fleet," a large convoy of living starships that seeded barren worlds with bizarre and beautiful forms of life. Wherever this Genesis Fleet went, dozens of meticulously crafted biospheres were left behind, each largely hospitable to humanoids and full of fascinating wildlife and ecosystems. The Tyranids left a trail of "Eden Worlds" behind it, each more exotic and fascinating than the last, until the Genesis Fleet finally met with Imperial diplomats once again. Taking new human-like forms, the Tyranids' diplomats explained that they were a race of bioengineers and terraformers seeking to study the life-forms of the universe and use their genetic data to create the perfect planet, and that the Eden Worlds were attempts that didn't quite meet their exacting specification. After additional negotiation, the Tyranids were granted the right to populate select desolate worlds on the outskirts of Imperial territory however they saw fit.

While most prefer to travel with the Genesis Fleet, a few Tyranids have settled in the Imperium, taking forms more familiar to humanity by mixing its DNA with their own. These Tyranids find great success in serving as botanists, naturalists, or ecologists, but some make use of their race's mastery of the double helix. These so-called "Gene Merchants" collect genetic data from plants, animals, and citizens, using their bio-wizardry to cure diseases and maintain the balance of local ecosystems, making them natural allies of the Agrarium of Mars. Some Gene Merchants have reportedly ensconced themselves in Space Hulks, cultivating gardens and aviaries while fighting off space pirates and hostile aliens as they try to modify the derelict spaceships to provide aid to stranded or wayward travelers.

Sadly, the time of the Tyranids may be ending. The Genesis Fleet will soon complete its journey across the galaxy, and unless some incredible new life-form is added to their genetic banks, the aliens will likely begin the long, silent voyage to another galaxy as they continue their never-ending quest to build the perfect world. The Tyranids will leave behind hundreds of miraculous Eden Worlds as their legacy and gift to this galaxy, as well as those of their race that have chosen to live among humanity.

==Persons of note==

===Sir Robin Fitzgerald===

[[Image:Chess_champion.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Robin Fitzgerald and his worthy, yet defeated, chess opponents.]]

A Imperial Guardsman, a Captain in the Praetorian 115th Regiment. He is a renown sportsman who enjoys a good game of Chess, along side his Man-Servant, Archibald. His primary chess opponents are the Brutish, but misunderstood, Orks. Often, his Man-Servant will play a game of Chess (or if he must, Checkers! Oh how uncivilized!) with Grots whilst his master and the Orks have a jolly good time at chess.

His other favorite spot of fun, would be in wild life hunting. Specifically, the barbaric Kroot. All his hunting lances and lasguns are set to not kill their prey, so as the hunt may continue another day. Indeed! Life with Robin is a jolly good show.

===Fum'aan Shu'u===
A rogue Tau mad scientist, Fum'aan Shu'u is a menace to everyone in the galaxy, including his own race. With his numerous and loyal henchmen, scattered all across Tau and Imperium Space, he works on diabolical plans to rule the universe.

Some say he could even have opened, in some hidden facility, an artificial warp gate to another dimension, where the Order Gods are evil parodies of themselves...And that he tries to create a bizarre army of corrupted human space marines and demons, all of them the results of "chaos" twisted powers.

===Sister Sinai===
Sister Sinai lives together with her Vindicare husband in a town, after having been granted a honorable discharge after having stopped a corrupted Special Agent from doing the bidding of the Tau Empire. She has been given technology to help her continue on with her life, after the accident which ended up showing why the Vindicare are some of the most valuable servants of humanity and all their allies. While she still spends much of her time thinking about religion, that still doesn't mean that she is as obsessed with it as some parody works tend to depict religious people.

At least once a week, the two of them, Sinai and her Vindicare, go out and have a dinner, talking about anything they feel like and generally having a good time.

=== The God-Emperor of Man ===
The guy so awesome the entire galaxy bows to him. Created in the distant past by countless warp shamans coming together to form a single being, that he might be able to guide all mankind to a brighter tomorrow from the shadows. After the disastrous war with the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Emperor lead his newly created force of noble, genetically enhanced knights known as the Space Marines on a crusade to rebuild the galaxy. In battle, he is a warrior without peer, a psyker powerful enough to create supernova, and a tactician beyond measure. In battle he wields a mighty Hammer of Light; which channels his formidable powers as a psyker into pure destructive energy with each blow. He has been known to loan out this hammer to the mightiest adventurers on their direst missions, and it has been at the forefront of many victories at the hands of Mankind. He personally started the tradition of showing rank by wearing giant hats (unwittingly) due to his habit of wearing a giant golden Sombrero. The Sombrero has two life-sized golden eagles that shoot plasma bolts from their eyes, and the weight of it is such that it would instantly snap the neck of any other who tried to wear it. He is largely similar to the ''Warhammer 40k'' Emperor, but never battled Horus, with his son instead peacefully ascending to a higher plane. Instead, he rules the galaxy from the golden throne.
Also, he has a goatee, which makes him the coolest human alive.

=== Macha ===
An Eldar Farseer. Eldrad's daughter, and a brilliant strategist that assures any war that breaks out is quick and resolved immediately with the help of her sister and partner, Taldeer. She is also known to be rather emotional and sleeps with quite literally anything that catches her eye, although her true love is the Emperor, whom she is engaged to, and will marry someday.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

==Artwork==

<gallery>
Image:Lovepeace.png|Boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da...
Image:Desob.jpg|Miriya and Drazhar with their peace children.
Image:LynnminwenCD.jpg|Lynn Minwen: Galactic Superstar
Image:EG_album.jpg|First album of Emperor's Goatee, Celestian Miriya's band : "Sisters in Battle"
Image:commissarhugs.jpg|In Brighthammer, Commissars guide their troops through encouragement, rather than fear. Also, hugs. :3
Image:1234195513474.jpg|Emperor's Goatee performing live in concert.
Image:Ghazkullyarrick4everbyjyr2.jpg
</gallery>
[[Category:Brighthammer|1st edition]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/1st edition

2015-11-17T18:08:50Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the God-Emperor of Mankind has an awesome goatee.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredibly [[Grimdark|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[NobleBright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

There's some delightful hypocrisy worthy of Disney in the Tau section.

== Background ==

In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Love Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to ensure the noble rule of humanity as the galaxy began to make a turn for the better. In an act of supreme devotion, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within the Warp.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace, enlightenment, and joy to all mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to ensure the joy and prosperity of other races before the last of them finally ascend, lead valiantly by the Bright Eldar. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, and these the Eldar found too impure to ascend. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for the people of the Imperium of Mankind.

Across the galaxy the noble green-skinned Orks are being brutally oppressed through a volatile combination of misunderstanding and a failure to communicate.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echoes through the lands of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic troops just as the norm. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be redeemed.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, yet wherever they are found, entire worlds spring to life as if into a new genesis.

The Tyranids, the most visible member being the Zoats, parlay with the Squat homeworlds, a civilization of noble miners and proud warriors. Though negotiations take many years, the Squats eventually accept the offer of assimilation and join with the hivemind, and both groups leave the galaxy.

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who loves even the smallest of creatures, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and the magic of wonder, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a warrior without bloodlust, sitting upon his throne of helms. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of love, art and joy.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== The Gods of Order ==

===Nurgle===
Papa Nurgle is the god of compassion; he cares for all creatures, no matter how small. He is still a god of sickness and disease, but he chooses to cure, rather than inflict. Nurgle is a lord of stability, even among the other lords of Order. If he has a weakness, it is that he is unchanged and forever unchanging. He helps to build civilizations, and is a bringer of law, order, and stability. However, he is not adaptive, and some find his embrace stifling. He is not necessarily a good guy; his followers sometimes are highly oppressive.

===Khorne===
He is the noble lord of war. He is still a war god, but a god of honorable combat. He sits upon the Throne of Relics, a throne made of captured artifacts from challengers against him, awaiting war. Khorne favors the strong above all else, and blesses those who are already mighty warriors. He does not, however, have much compassion for the weak, and does not believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. He has little mercy for those he sees as beneath his notice, but those who impress him can gain great power, and perhaps a powerful relic, taken from his throne.

===Tzeentch===
This god is the most changing and adaptive of the Lords of Order, and is a god of powerful warp sorcery and knowledge. His ways are often dangerous, with a "leap before you look" sort of mentality. He is known for his cunning plans and endless schemes. Because he is the most chaotic of the lords of Order, however, he is also one of the weakest. It is his cunning plans that keep him in power.

===Slaanesh===
And finally, the god(dess) of love, created by the Eldar to assist them with their ascendancy to the warp. This does not mean he/she is all pink hearts and kindness, however. Slaanesh is the lord of excess, of passion, and volatile emotion. People fall in and out of favor with Slaanesh on mere whims, and those who get his/her attentions and refuse them do not end well. Like Aphrodite, Slaanesh is not kind to those who stand in his/her way. Slaanesh is vain, ill tempered, and very easily offended. When thinking of Slaanesh, remember the story of Eros and Psyche. Love does not mean good or nice.

== The Imperium ==
The Imperium of ''Brighthammer'' is what the Imperium of 40k ''could'' have been if the emperor had won his war against Chaos. In this setting, that war never happened, and the Warp is calmer and more friendly. It is in a golden age, and many of the primarchs remain to assist in his rule. As one might expect of any empire its size, there are still many problems. Militarily it is held together by the space marine legions and the Imperial Guard. However, there are other problems of a different type and scale, such as corrupt imperial governors, seditious rebels, and rogue psykers. Often these are solved by the secret agents of the emperor, the Inquisition. Other times, these problems are solved by professional adventurers, the ''Brighthammer'' equivalent of rogue traders. Across the Imperium many worlds remain in a feudal state or at varying levels of technology, as unfortunate remnants of the war against the Iron Men at the end of the Dark Age of Technology. The Imperium seeks to bring these worlds into the fold, but many are ruled by tyrants or for many reasons the Imperium will not invade directly. Therefore small groups of agents may go to these worlds and guide them until they are ready to join the Imperium.

=== Space Marines ===
[[File:Lighthammer 40k Marine 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Basic Imperium Space Marine]]
Space Marines are the noble knights of the Imperium, and as such serve as examples of order to the Imperium at large. Far apart from merely being a powerful military faction, they are also instrumental in keeping the Imperium together and functioning.

==== Chapters ====
''For more information on these and other Marine Chapters click [[Setting: Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (1st edition)|here]] and [[Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (2nd Edition)|here]].

'''''[[Angry Marines]]''''' are something special. On some previously corrupted worlds, some people speak in awe about marines of red and yellow that fell from the skies aboard their rhinos, to brutally and noisily destroy the source of the evil on the planet. The Angry Marines Chapter is quite a puzzling one, as their behavior differs so much from what you usually expect from noble knights. They seem to be sent in when the threat to the people of a planet is extremely serious, and no other solution can be found at the moment. Their methods are rude, their temper short, and they allow no innocent civilian loss during their missions. EVER.

'''''Order Marines''''' are a splinter group of Space Marines that were created during the Horus Migration. After communication with the Order Gods, Warmaster Horus and several other Primarchs decided to travel into the Eye of Harmony to better communicate with their new allies. Since then, they have occasionally reappeared in order to help beleaguered worlds. The five largest Marine Legions are sighted across the galaxy, and their assistance has been invaluable to the Imperium. Mortarion's Legion, the Death Guard, are some of the finest battlefield medics that the Imperium has seen, while Angron's World Eaters serve as protectors of the weak and innocent. The Emperor's Children, led by Fulgrim, are often sighted alongside the Iron Warriors, helping to repair and rebuild cities after a battle. Despite being potent sorcerers on the battlefield, the Thousand Sons of Magnus take after their ally Tzeentch and help to coordinate battlefield tactics. Most respected of all is the White Legion, currently led by Abaddon the Rebuilder. This Legion is a coalition of many, and a single detachments have the ability to repel enemy attacks and rebuild cities.

'''''[[Quiet Marines]]''''' an Order Marine Chapter devoted to Slannesh Quiet Marines are an monastic marine order which prefer the quiet solitude of peace, stillness, and silence of the natural universe. The majority of Quiet Marine fortress-chapels are usually located in the remote empty regions of interplanetary space due to their natural lack of any sound. Upon enterimg service into every Quiet Marine takes an absolute vow of lifetime silence in order to hear Slannesh's words of wisdom and lyrical poems of love and passion much easier. However this is to the exaserbation of many a ork warlord due to their inability to quickly communicate and shout orders to troops while on the battlefield.

'''''[[Pretty Marines]]''''' Led by their Chapter Master David Tennant. The Purty Marines as they are also jokingly known by many Orks try to further the Imperium of Man's ideal of aesthetic and physical beauty throughout the galaxy.

'''''[[Reasonable Marines]]''''' A military offshoot of the Ordos Explorates. Just as their name states, the Reasonable Marines are sent to various high in tension but moderate in conflict situations that require a more calm and reasonable solution. They are also sent by the Explorates to various uncharted xeno inhabited planets that at time require a military escort that must negotiate with the planets alien natives in a "reasonable" manner.

'''''[[Female Space Marines]]''''' Because we have the mental maturity of 12-year-olds.

===Imperial Guard===
The Imperial Guard are normal men and women serving in the galactic military of the Imperium. They are expertly trained and the absolute best soldiers of any world they are taken from. They are largely similar to the Imperial Guard of regular ''Warhammer 40k'', but are better trained and equipped; closer to stormtroopers than regular guardsmen. Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in ''Brighthammer 40k'', they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They always lead the charge, and are the last to retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who were supposed to keep the unit battle ready.

===His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service===
When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused on more James Bond-like secret agent action.

The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are drawn from the elite of the elite and trained at specialized combat schools.

'''''Callidus School''''' is still dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering.

'''''Eversor School''''' is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements.

'''''Vindicare School''''' is dedicated to the mastery of long-range, sniper-type weapons. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

'''''Culexus School''''' trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and can increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. AKA, the reverse of the Pariah trait. These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisition's best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After training at their respective schools, they go on to a third phase of training, a cross-disciplinary school for team building and mutual advancement that teaches them to recognize and use each other's strengths, thus eliminating all their individual weaknesses. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of sheer effectiveness.

===Adeptus Telepathica===
Under the command of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Telepathica is an elite corps of the strongest and most trustworthy psykers in the Imperium. Each is first trained by the inquisition, recruited upon the Inquisitions White Ships and learning to fully harness their abilities, channeling the forces of Order for the good of mankind. Each makes a trip to Terra, where they are partially infused with the power of the Emperor, a blessing which strikes many blind. However, despite this loss, the increase in power more than makes up for it. Many are sent to serve in the Imperial Guard or as Navigators on ships that they might traverse the warp. Only the most elite, strongest in power and will are allowed to join the Adeptus Telepathica. They brave the mysteries of the warp and gain great power, using it for the good of mankind. Some psykers still go rogue, desiring to bring about ruin and destruction. It is often the Adeptus Telepathica that is tasked with their removal.

===Ordo Explorates===
Far beyond the inner planets of the Imperium, there lay the far worlds, backwards, some advanced, some not, full of strange xenos, ancient ruins, and forgotten things. It is here the Imperium's Ordo Explorates do their work, cataloging worlds and xenos, bringing them into the fold of the Imperium.

Aided in their Expedition by the Imperial Volunteer Corps and the Witch Repentors they seek to bring order and justice to the universe, guided only by the principles written in the Codex Explorates by the wise hand of Prince Guilliman. Together they march with their solemn vow, "None Shall Know Fear," beating in their hearts.

===Sisters of Rock===
The Adepta Sororitas is an organization composed of the once unruly children found populating Slaaneshi monasteries, where they learn to channel their passion through art. Following graduation, the women who choose to enter the Adepta Sororitas chose to express themselves in the form of ROCK MUSIC.

Traveling between concerts and battlefields, the Sisters of Rock work tirelessly to spread the word of the Emperor and the Gods of Order in spectacular shows. In battle, they use special personal weapons such as bolt-guitars and chainguitars, and have a penchant for using sonic weaponry.

They seek Nfol; the bringer of darkness - spawn of the fallen noble warrior LIVII, former Vindicare Knight, and the dark Wych Taldeer, among the vilest of Eldrad's twisted daughters.

===Agrarium of Mars===
The Agrarium of Mars constantly delves into deep texts and papers on the heritage of galactic flora. They seek, revere and worship the promise of rebirth from within the deep terraformed forests of Mars. Together with the Ordo Explorates they bring life to dead planets, aid archaic populations in agriculture; their sole mission is to bring life in all it's glory to the wake of the High Adventure.

The Servitors of the Agrarium, the most revered and respected of their ranks, are summoned from only the most noble of casts for only the most pure are worthy of the ultimate gift to the Emperor. Initiate Servitors are taken by the Agrarium of Mars and infused the the Life Seed to join them with Botanigod. In their new form Servitors act as fountains of life, following the Agrarium to new worlds colonized by the High Adventure, restoring flora where it was lost and acting as a channel for the Botanigod.

But because the universe is not yet a completely safe place, they have also a military side. The Agrarium of Mars cultivates vast armies of techno-organic soldiers and machines made of flesh, vine and iron for the Imperium. Enormous treant walkers march alongside the Ordo Explorates, their watchful eyes keeping guard against those who would abuse and waste the life essence. The Agrarium ships orbit over dead and hostile planets and release their seed-bombs to spawn immediately into the Agrarium's foot soldiers and release neurotoxic spores, wreaking havoc on those who harm the Empire.

===Medizin Korps of Krieg===
The Medizin Korps of Krieg hail from a planet of doctors, nurses and apothecaries. They go wherever they are needed and are always the first to set foot into plague zones armed with their labs, vaccines and adept physiological perception. A team from the Medizin Korps is always on hand when visiting a xenos world, ready to study and analyze any new species with the least invasive means possible to protect life even from the microscopic enemies that plague it. Together with the Agrarium of Mars they are the life bringers, the architects of societal and ecological health and well being.

== Xenos ==
Most of the races of ''Brighthammer'' are identical to their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts, except that wherever possible they are generally bright, noble, and generally nicer. This does not mean they are pushovers, however; the technological and warfaring capabilities of these races are equal to regular 40k, if less used.

If anything, ironically, the lack of constant warfare and the general prevalence of good sense, reason, and rationality means that the races of ''Brighthammer'' are, if anything, even ''tougher'' than their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts; they know how to make their technology rather than assuming it's some ancient ritual, they've had years of peace in which to build up their forces, and are not being constantly drained of fighting capable soldiers by endless warfare. The only thing normal ''Warhammer 40k'' has on the races of ''Brighthammer 40k'' are the numbers of experienced soldiers and sheer vile ruthlessness- but also unlike ''Warhammer 40k'', these races would be more likely to pull their shit together if threatened, while those of ''Warhammer'' would still be infighting (depending on the threat, of course).
=== Eldar ===

The Eldar are divided into two groups. The Eldar were originally an incredibly advanced society that succeeded in ascending and creating a warp god; the god of love, Slaanesh. Those that wished to remain behind to instruct other races on how to grow, change, and ascend to godhood. These are the Bright Eldar. A second faction consists of those who were too impure to rise to godhood. These chaotic Eldar are lead by Eldrad, and his schemes and machinations are a constant source of strife for everyone.

Watching over the remaining Eldar who stayed behind is the God of Guardians of Peace Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine's spirit resides in his various avatar statues that are scattered across the cosmos on the Craftworld vessels of the remaining Eldar

'''Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine'''

Legend has it that when Slaanesh, the great order God of Love and Compassion was born, Kaela Mensha Khaine was the one who stood guard over the event to keep him safe from harm and to champion his cause throughout the heavens.

When most of the Eldar ascended upon Slaanesh's birth in "The storm of great enlightenment" (Now called "The Eye of Harmony" by the empire due to the peaceful radiance filling this region of space) Khaine chose to scatter his divine essence among those who remained behind and safeguard their existence till they too joined their brothers and sisters in Order.

On each craftworld vessel you will find a room dedicated to the worship of Khaine and his sheltering hand. In each such hall stands a single bright white and gold statue of Kaine, his upraised arm holding "The Song of Hope", a great sword that is said to be the first of the 99 swords of Vaul.

===Slaaneshi Eldar===

While the god of Love and Compassion's influence all of the Eldar, some feel that they are too good for Slaanesh's Love and Compassion, living the city of Carnal Pleasures known as Commoragh, they bring Human and Tau over where wine, exotic Eldar dancers and song were only the tip of the iceberg. Mental carnal fantasies satiated the minds of psykers seeking forbidden knowledge or a good bloody argument or debate or things that the human body cannot imagine. About the only things that are truly considered taboo among Slaaneshi Eldar are rape and murder; with the punishment for either being eternal banishment. Few beings have ever left the city and its hedonistic ways of living.

===Exodite Eldar===

To settle the seeds of discontent amongst those who would follow neither Eldrad or the promises of godhood. They have wandered the galaxy to find a race capable of manipulating and dominating over. The Exodite Eldar find themselves affable to the evil Tau as they planted several Ethereal members to control the Tau society to a unified movement of evil. However the most peaceful world of Biel-Tan still wishes to bring them back to the ways of the god of love and peace.

===Peace Children===
Some of the best-looking things to come out of the Human/Eldar alliance besides spacecraft are Half-Eldar or 'Peace Children'. Lynn Mínwen, the daughter of Drazhar and Celestian Miriya, is a particularly famous idol singer (while her mom is the lead guitar in the Sisters of Rock band "Emperor's Goatee"). Her music is so inspiring that it has ended wars throughout the galaxy. Her chief nemesis is Nfol, the vile spawn of the Wych Taldeer and LIVII.

===Orks===
Orks while are brutish-looking aliens with green skin, hulking forms, and a crude, guttural language. This belies their gentle and reclusive nature – like gorillas of Terra, Orks are physically-powerful but gentle, and mainly wish to live in peace. Lacking the sheer numbers of humanity, Orks are scattered across the galaxy on pristine, wild worlds, which they are willing to fiercely defend against unwanted interlopers such as human renegades or Exodite Eldar. This has resulted in occasional clashes with Imperial colonists, though once both sides calm down and start talking a peaceful resolution doesn’t take long.

Best described as “noble savages,” the Orks' society initially appears anachronistic and primitive, as Orks prefer to dwell in small villages rather than the gleaming spires of a human Hive World. However, Orks are capable of constructing crude-looking but deceptively advanced functional technology or “tek” that allows them to thrive on even the harshest of worlds, an ability that is partially suspected to be linked to the Orks’ inherent connection with Order.

However in reality it was later discovered that a smaller subspecies known somewhat affectionately by the Orks as "Snotlings". It is thru these Snotlings that Ork society exists at all. The Snotlings cultivate a rare type of fungus heavy in protein and various alien nutrients that rapidly develop Ork neural capacity at a near alarming rate.

In reality its is the Snotlings who are the primary political force of Ork society, they are the secret guiding hand over all Ork technological, organizational and military structure. And while Orks are the public face of their species in actuality they are only a nobel warrior caste bred for the extremities of war and the occasional harshness of the outer galaxy.

And while the Snotlings produce this fungus primarily for themselves they also realize that times and political and social structures may change, so it also is given to another slightly less advanced subspecies known as "Grotz". Termed by other Orks as "Brainboyz" they essentialy exist as middle management between the Ork and Snotling "culturz" providing services such as civic and social management to more direct command over entire Ork platoons acting as the direct hand/voice of Snotling authority.

Life in an Ork settlement is simple and harmonious, as the burly Orks spend their time hunting or protecting a smaller subspecies, the Grotz or “Brainboyz,” who are physically weak but quite intelligent and run Orkish society as benevolent leaders.

Occasionally, if an Ork settlement grows too large or the population just feels the need for a change of view, a "''Waaagh!''" will be launched, a combination of a militarized mass migration and a journey of self-discovery that sends the Orks out to find a new world to colonize. Typically Orks migrate to planetary regions termed by the Imperium as "Death Systems" places that would be suicidal for any avarage Human colony to go.

However for Orks the more dangerous and rugged the better. These expeditions are as much about the Orks proving their toughness and self worth as they are relocations, and Orks will frequently choose worlds deemed uninhabitable by humans, from icy moons orbiting gas giants to minuscule planetoids with caustic atmospheres to planets rife with the most dangerous sentient and non sentient xenos species imaginable.

These ''Waaaghs'' sometimes lead the Orks into Imperial space and therefore conflict with the Imperial Navy, though a few warning shots are usually enough to cause the Orks to turn around after sending a transmission amounting to “sorry boss, we’s gonna go build fings somewhere else den.”

If a ''Waaagh!'' lands on an inhabited world by accident, the result is more of a blessing than a curse, as the miners of Hephaestus IV found when they were unexpectedly rescued from a cave-in by Orkish workers. The Orks’ protective natures quickly extend to their “’oomie” neighbors and they will treat their new friends as honorary members of the tribe, gladly sharing food or resources and even defending them from external threats.

A planet inhabited by Orks will never lack for militia, mechanics, gourmet chefs or brewers, and indeed Ork fungus-beer and gourmet Juicy Squig with fine Ork sauces is some of the prime exports of some worlds (both xenos and imperial). Also many foodies from quadrants all around the imperium come from parcecs around to sample various forms of delicacies from the finest Gretchin gourmets around.

For their part, the Orks have little they want from humanity besides peace and respect…although the human game of chess has become extremely popular with the aliens, to the extent that the past five galactic champions have been Orks. Additionally, some Orks are fascinated with humanity’s musical instruments, resulting in the birth of “Goff Rock” and several Orkish musical groups currently on tour throughout the Imperium.

=== Tau ===
An automated Imperial survey probe discovered the Tau roughly six thousand years ago, and found a race of plains-dwelling aliens who had just mastered fire and lived in simple, hunter-gatherer societies. An expedition was sent to offer the xenos the Imperium's friendship, but a sudden and unexplained interstellar storm of immense power enveloped the sector, cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy. These storms have recently abated, and a follow-up survey has shocked the Imperium - in only six millennia, the Tau had been transformed from a peaceful but primitive civilization to a fascist, expansionist, star-spanning empire possessing advanced technology and insatiable bloodlust, making them one of the greatest threats facing the galaxy.

Somehow, the Exodite Eldar had come across the young Tau and proceeded to manipulate and mold the Tau into creatures more like themselves. For centuries the Exodites set various petty Tau kingdoms and city-states against each other, plunging their world into chaos which nearly wiped out the race. But then the Exodites capriciously changed their minds, and decided to unite the Tau under one order. Using blasphemous bio-engineering, the Exodites bred a subspecies of Tau that possessed the pheromone glands of an insectoid alien race, granting them absolute control over other Tau. These "Ethereals" became the Exodites' mouthpieces in Tau society, and with the help of Eldar technology quickly built a brutal world government before spreading into nearby star systems.

'''Tau Society'''

Tau society is strictly divided into a caste system, supposedly a society of equals, in reality a strict hierarchy. The '''Earth Caste''' are the lowliest Tau, slaving away in terrible conditions to keep the empire supplied with the wargear and supplies that fuel its aggressive expansion. The luckiest of the Earth Caste get to work on miserable farms and live in hopeless drudgery; the unlucky ones are sent to hellish factories, where maimed workers are thrown out in the streets to die.

The '''Water Caste''' are derided as conniving and untrustworthy schemers, merchants and diplomats who cheat and swindle those they come across. They mostly prey on too-trusting human societies bordering the Tau Empire, selling malfunctioning and downright dangerous equipment for outrageous prices, then laughing when their customers are killed or crippled after their purchases blow up in their faces. Worse, the Water Caste also attempts to convince human worlds to renounce the Emperor’s benevolent rule for the empty promises of Tau society, bringing in new worlds of unwitting slaves for the Tau Empire. For this reason, the Imperium has forbidden its citizens from dealing with the Tau, and dispatched Special Agents to borderworlds in order to protect people from these charlatans.

The Tau’s '''Air Caste''' are haughty and cowardly, preferring to rain destruction from far above their enemies rather than engage in a fair fight. They provide pilots and crews for the Tau’s navies and build the starships that allow the empire to expand, but the rest of the Tau view them with distrust at best. The Air Caste are notorious for launching unprovoked and unannounced orbital bombardments on defenseless worlds, laying waste to entire continents for the perverse glee they find in destroying a helpless foe.

The '''Fire Caste''' are near the top of the Tau’s social hierarchy. These short-tempered and burly creatures are ostensibly the defenders of the empire, but in reality serve as the backbone of the Tau police state. They spend much of their lives training for combat in vicious live-fire exercises that frequently result in deaths, or else spend their free time bullying the other subraces of Tau. In combat they howl with barely-contained bloodlust, and are known for using prisoners-of-war as target practice, if they bother to take prisoners at all.

But all Tau live in constant terror of the '''Ethereal Caste''', so-named because they appear to be both everywhere and nowhere, an intangible and all-encompassing presence in Tau society. These Tau devote their lives to preserving the order of the Tau Empire, by operating extensive surveillance networks that keep every Tau watching what they say, even when they think they’re alone. If an Ethereal suspects a Tau of treason – or is simply feeling bored – they will order that Tau to kill himself, an order that is instantly obeyed. A paranoid and suspicious group, the Ethereals have a grim, dark view of the universe, and believe that the Tau are surrounded by hostile aliens and beset from within by treacherous segments of their population. They hold that there are no good actions possible in such a galaxy, and instead take the “Lesser Evil” needed for survival. This Imperium has noted with considerable alarm that this philosophy has begun to spread through parts of its own population, driving cynics and nihilists to commit atrocities that they claim are justified by the grim(noble), dark(bright) world they live in. (Lulz, contradiction.)

'''Imperial Policy'''

For now, the Imperium has reluctantly steeled itself for war with the Tau, and has prepared its worlds on the Eastern Fringe for wave after wave of frothing Fire Warriors. But the Emperor holds out hope that the Tau can be redeemed – indeed, one Fire Caste commander has seen the Ethereals for the manipulative tyrants they truly are and has revolted, taking a few Tau colonies with him. This commander, named “Farsight” by his adoring troops, has opened diplomatic ties with the Imperium, and has been promised support for the inevitable counter-attack from his misguided kin.

=== Necrontyr ===

The story of the Necrontyr is also that of the terrible Great Old Ones from a time before the rise of Humanity. Once, before the birth of the Gods of Order, the Warp was not the peaceful, structured paradise it is today. Instead, it was the plaything of the Great Old Ones, abominable, xenophobic creatures hell-bent on the destruction of all life apart from themselves. The peaceful Necrontyr, which had been blessed with immortality by the life-giving rays of their sun, were one of the first races to fall afoul of their attention. The first skirmishes between the Necrontyr and the Great Old Ones went poorly for the Necrontyr, unused to war as they were, were quickly pushed back to their home world.

While desperate to find some means of defending themselves against the Great Old Ones, the Necrontyr scientists realized on comparing data with the returning refugees that the calm, unchanging surface of their own star was unusual within the galaxy. On investigating, they discovered that the reason for this was that their system had been chosen as the stewardship of one of the great shepherds of life, the C'tan that would later become known as the Daybringer. Upon explaining to the Daybringer the horrors that were being visited upon the galaxy by the Great Old Ones, the Daybringer quickly rallied its fellows to the aid of the Necrontyr.

Driven into disarray by the counterattack of the C'tan and the resurgent Necrontyr, the desperate Great Old Ones turned from genocide to genetic slavery, engineering warrior slaves from the biospheres of countless worlds, including the ancestors of the Eldar and the Orks, and granted these thralls the ability to use the Warp as weapons against their foes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all of the C'tan over the course of the war. However, despite the attempts of the wicked Great Old Ones tried to twist these races into their image they proved more open to the ideals of peace and brotherhood championed by the Necrontyr, and one by one they turned on their oppressors, and with them, the Warp also began to change, robbing the Great Old Ones of much of their power as the warp entities that would later grow become the Gods of Order and their servants began to refuse to be responsible for the destruction that the Great Old Ones called on them to wreak.

In the end, however, the threat of the Great Old Ones had to be ended permanently, and to spare the other races from having to bear the guilt of this deed, the Necrontyr and C'tan took the burden upon themselves of removing the Great Old Ones from the galaxy. Wracked with remorse at having destroyed another sapient species, regardless of the necessity of the deed to the peace of the galaxy, the Necrontyr and C'tan sealed themselves in meditation within monasteries beneath the surfaces of worlds spread across the galaxy, awaiting a time when they might be able to redeem themselves of the crime they were forced to commit.

=== Tyranids ===
Hailing from a remote world perhaps not even located in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranids were first encountered on the Imperial world of Tyran, thus earning their namesake. The Imperium's initial contact with the Tyranids was relatively peaceful, though Imperial diplomats were somewhat unnerved by the aliens' bizarre appearance and oddly-designed ships, and communication proved difficult even with the aid of a psyker translator. The Tyranids seemed to sense this unease and very politely requested to take DNA samples from the lifeforms of Tyran in order to further their research. After some negotiation, the humans agreed, and the Tyranids promptly left, seeming to disappear from the galaxy without a trace.

Nearly 200 years later, the Tyranids returned in the form of a "Genesis Fleet," a large convoy of living starships that seeded barren worlds with bizarre and beautiful forms of life. Wherever this Genesis Fleet went, dozens of meticulously crafted biospheres were left behind, each largely hospitable to humanoids and full of fascinating wildlife and ecosystems. The Tyranids left a trail of "Eden Worlds" behind it, each more exotic and fascinating than the last, until the Genesis Fleet finally met with Imperial diplomats once again. Taking new human-like forms, the Tyranids' diplomats explained that they were a race of bioengineers and terraformers seeking to study the life-forms of the universe and use their genetic data to create the perfect planet, and that the Eden Worlds were attempts that didn't quite meet their exacting specification. After additional negotiation, the Tyranids were granted the right to populate select desolate worlds on the outskirts of Imperial territory however they saw fit.

While most prefer to travel with the Genesis Fleet, a few Tyranids have settled in the Imperium, taking forms more familiar to humanity by mixing its DNA with their own. These Tyranids find great success in serving as botanists, naturalists, or ecologists, but some make use of their race's mastery of the double helix. These so-called "Gene Merchants" collect genetic data from plants, animals, and citizens, using their bio-wizardry to cure diseases and maintain the balance of local ecosystems, making them natural allies of the Agrarium of Mars. Some Gene Merchants have reportedly ensconced themselves in Space Hulks, cultivating gardens and aviaries while fighting off space pirates and hostile aliens as they try to modify the derelict spaceships to provide aid to stranded or wayward travelers.

Sadly, the time of the Tyranids may be ending. The Genesis Fleet will soon complete its journey across the galaxy, and unless some incredible new life-form is added to their genetic banks, the aliens will likely begin the long, silent voyage to another galaxy as they continue their never-ending quest to build the perfect world. The Tyranids will leave behind hundreds of miraculous Eden Worlds as their legacy and gift to this galaxy, as well as those of their race that have chosen to live among humanity.

==Persons of note==

===Sir Robin Fitzgerald===

[[Image:Chess_champion.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Robin Fitzgerald and his worthy, yet defeated, chess opponents.]]

A Imperial Guardsman, a Captain in the Praetorian 115th Regiment. He is a renown sportsman who enjoys a good game of Chess, along side his Man-Servant, Archibald. His primary chess opponents are the Brutish, but misunderstood, Orks. Often, his Man-Servant will play a game of Chess (or if he must, Checkers! Oh how uncivilized!) with Grots whilst his master and the Orks have a jolly good time at chess.

His other favorite spot of fun, would be in wild life hunting. Specifically, the barbaric Kroot. All his hunting lances and lasguns are set to not kill their prey, so as the hunt may continue another day. Indeed! Life with Robin is a jolly good show.

===Fum'aan Shu'u===
A rogue Tau mad scientist, Fum'aan Shu'u is a menace to everyone in the galaxy, including his own race. With his numerous and loyal henchmen, scattered all across Tau and Imperium Space, he works on diabolical plans to rule the universe.

Some say he could even have opened, in some hidden facility, an artificial warp gate to another dimension, where the Order Gods are evil parodies of themselves...And that he tries to create a bizarre army of corrupted human space marines and demons, all of them the results of "chaos" twisted powers.

===Sister Sinai===
Sister Sinai lives together with her Vindicare husband in a town, after having been granted a honorable discharge after having stopped a corrupted Special Agent from doing the bidding of the Tau Empire. She has been given technology to help her continue on with her life, after the accident which ended up showing why the Vindicare are some of the most valuable servants of humanity and all their allies. While she still spends much of her time thinking about religion, that still doesn't mean that she is as obsessed with it as some parody works tend to depict religious people.

At least once a week, the two of them, Sinai and her Vindicare, go out and have a dinner, talking about anything they feel like and generally having a good time.

=== The God-Emperor of Man ===
The guy so awesome the entire galaxy bows to him. Created in the distant past by countless warp shamans coming together to form a single being, that he might be able to guide all mankind to a brighter tomorrow from the shadows. After the disastrous war with the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Emperor lead his newly created force of noble, genetically enhanced knights known as the Space Marines on a crusade to rebuild the galaxy. In battle, he is a warrior without peer, a psyker powerful enough to create supernova, and a tactician beyond measure. In battle he wields a mighty Hammer of Light; which channels his formidable powers as a psyker into pure destructive energy with each blow. He has been known to loan out this hammer to the mightiest adventurers on their direst missions, and it has been at the forefront of many victories at the hands of Mankind. He personally started the tradition of showing rank by wearing giant hats (unwittingly) due to his habit of wearing a giant golden Sombrero. The Sombrero has two life-sized golden eagles that shoot plasma bolts from their eyes, and the weight of it is such that it would instantly snap the neck of any other who tried to wear it. He is largely similar to the ''Warhammer 40k'' Emperor, but never battled Horus, with his son instead peacefully ascending to a higher plane. Instead, he rules the galaxy from the golden throne.
Also, he has a goatee, which makes him the coolest human alive.

=== Macha ===
An Eldar Farseer. Eldrad's daughter, and a brilliant strategist that assures any war that breaks out is quick and resolved immediately with the help of her sister and partner, Taldeer. She is also known to be rather emotional and sleeps with quite literally anything that catches her eye, although her true love is the Emperor, whom she is engaged to, and will marry someday.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

==Artwork==

<gallery>
Image:Lovepeace.png|Boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da...
Image:Desob.jpg|Miriya and Drazhar with their peace children.
Image:LynnminwenCD.jpg|Lynn Minwen: Galactic Superstar
Image:EG_album.jpg|First album of Emperor's Goatee, Celestian Miriya's band : "Sisters in Battle"
Image:commissarhugs.jpg|In Brighthammer, Commissars guide their troops through encouragement, rather than fear. Also, hugs. :3
Image:1234195513474.jpg|Emperor's Goatee performing live in concert.
Image:Ghazkullyarrick4everbyjyr2.jpg
</gallery>
[[Category:Brighthammer|1st edition]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/1st edition

2015-11-17T18:08:02Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the God-Emperor of Mankind has an awesome goatee.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredibly [[Grimdark|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[NobleBright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

There's some delightful hypocrisy worthy of Disney in the Tau section.

== Background ==

In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Love Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to ensure the noble rule of humanity as the galaxy began to make a turn for the better. In an act of supreme devotion, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within the Warp.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace, enlightenment, and joy to all mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to ensure the joy and prosperity of other races before the last of them finally ascend, lead valiantly by the Bright Eldar. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, and these the Eldar found too impure to ascend. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for the people of the Imperium of Mankind.

Across the galaxy the noble green-skinned Orks are being brutally oppressed through a volatile combination of misunderstanding and a failure to communicate.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echoes through the lands of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic troops just as the norm. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be redeemed.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, yet wherever they are found, entire worlds spring to life as if into a new genesis.

The Tyranids, the most visible member being the Zoats, parlay with the Squat homeworlds, a civilization of noble miners and proud warriors. Though negotiations take many years, the Squats eventually accept the offer of assimilation and join with the hivemind, and both groups leave the galaxy.

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who loves even the smallest of creatures, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and the magic of wonder, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a warrior without bloodlust, sitting upon his throne of helms. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of love, art and joy.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== The Gods of Order ==

===Nurgle===
Papa Nurgle is the god of compassion; he cares for all creatures, no matter how small. He is still a god of sickness and disease, but he chooses to cure, rather than inflict. Nurgle is a lord of stability, even among the other lords of Order. If he has a weakness, it is that he is unchanged and forever unchanging. He helps to build civilizations, and is a bringer of law, order, and stability. However, he is not adaptive, and some find his embrace stifling. He is not necessarily a good guy; his followers sometimes are highly oppressive.

===Khorne===
He is the noble lord of war. He is still a war god, but a god of honorable combat. He sits upon the Throne of Relics, a throne made of captured artifacts from challengers against him, awaiting war. Khorne favors the strong above all else, and blesses those who are already mighty warriors. He does not, however, have much compassion for the weak, and does not believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. He has little mercy for those he sees as beneath his notice, but those who impress him can gain great power, and perhaps a powerful relic, taken from his throne.

===Tzeentch===
This god is the most changing and adaptive of the Lords of Order, and is a god of powerful warp sorcery and knowledge. His ways are often dangerous, with a "leap before you look" sort of mentality. He is known for his cunning plans and endless schemes. Because he is the most chaotic of the lords of Order, however, he is also one of the weakest. It is his cunning plans that keep him in power.

===Slaanesh===
And finally, the god(dess) of love, created by the Eldar to assist them with their ascendancy to the warp. This does not mean he/she is all pink hearts and kindness, however. Slaanesh is the lord of excess, of passion, and volatile emotion. People fall in and out of favor with Slaanesh on mere whims, and those who get his/her attentions and refuse them do not end well. Like Aphrodite, Slaanesh is not kind to those who stand in his/her way. Slaanesh is vain, ill tempered, and very easily offended. When thinking of Slaanesh, remember the story of Eros and Psyche. Love does not mean good or nice.

== The Imperium ==
The Imperium of ''Brighthammer'' is what the Imperium of 40k ''could'' have been if the emperor had won his war against Chaos. In this setting, that war never happened, and the Warp is calmer and more friendly. It is in a golden age, and many of the primarchs remain to assist in his rule. As one might expect of any empire its size, there are still many problems. Militarily it is held together by the space marine legions and the Imperial Guard. However, there are other problems of a different type and scale, such as corrupt imperial governors, seditious rebels, and rogue psykers. Often these are solved by the secret agents of the emperor, the Inquisition. Other times, these problems are solved by professional adventurers, the ''Brighthammer'' equivalent of rogue traders. Across the Imperium many worlds remain in a feudal state or at varying levels of technology, as unfortunate remnants of the war against the Iron Men at the end of the Dark Age of Technology. The Imperium seeks to bring these worlds into the fold, but many are ruled by tyrants or for many reasons the Imperium will not invade directly. Therefore small groups of agents may go to these worlds and guide them until they are ready to join the Imperium.

=== Space Marines ===
[[File:Lighthammer 40k Marine 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Basic Imperium Space Marine]]
Space Marines are the noble knights of the Imperium, and as such serve as examples of order to the Imperium at large. Far apart from merely being a powerful military faction, they are also instrumental in keeping the Imperium together and functioning.

==== Chapters ====
''For more information on these and other Marine Chapters click [[Setting: Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (1st edition)|here]] and [[Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (2nd Edition)|here]].

'''''[[Angry Marines]]''''' are something special. On some previously corrupted worlds, some people speak in awe about marines of red and yellow that fell from the skies aboard their rhinos, to brutally and noisily destroy the source of the evil on the planet. The Angry Marines Chapter is quite a puzzling one, as their behavior differs so much from what you usually expect from noble knights. They seem to be sent in when the threat to the people of a planet is extremely serious, and no other solution can be found at the moment. Their methods are rude, their temper short, and they allow no innocent civilian loss during their missions. EVER.

'''''Order Marines''''' are a splinter group of Space Marines that were created during the Horus Migration. After communication with the Order Gods, Warmaster Horus and several other Primarchs decided to travel into the Eye of Harmony to better communicate with their new allies. Since then, they have occasionally reappeared in order to help beleaguered worlds. The five largest Marine Legions are sighted across the galaxy, and their assistance has been invaluable to the Imperium. Mortarion's Legion, the Death Guard, are some of the finest battlefield medics that the Imperium has seen, while Angron's World Eaters serve as protectors of the weak and innocent. The Emperor's Children, led by Fulgrim, are often sighted alongside the Iron Warriors, helping to repair and rebuild cities after a battle. Despite being potent sorcerers on the battlefield, the Thousand Sons of Magnus take after their ally Tzeentch and help to coordinate battlefield tactics. Most respected of all is the White Legion, currently led by Abaddon the Rebuilder. This Legion is a coalition of many, and a single detachments have the ability to repel enemy attacks and rebuild cities.

'''''[[Quiet Marines]]''''' an Order Marine Chapter devoted to Slannesh Quiet Marines are an monastic marine order which prefer the quiet solitude of peace, stillness, and silence of the natural universe. The majority of Quiet Marine fortress-chapels are usually located in the remote empty regions of interplanetary space due to their natural lack of any sound. Upon enterimg service into every Quiet Marine takes an absolute vow of lifetime silence in order to hear Slannesh's words of wisdom and lyrical poems of love and passion much easier. However this is to the exaserbation of many a ork warlord due to their inability to quickly communicate and shout orders to troops while on the battlefield.

'''''[[Pretty Marines]]''''' Led by their Chapter Master David Tennant. The Purty Marines as they are also jokingly known by many Orks try to further the Imperium of Man's ideal of aesthetic and physical beauty throughout the galaxy.

'''''[[Reasonable Marines]]''''' A military offshoot of the Ordos Explorates. Just as their name states, the Reasonable Marines are sent to various high in tension but moderate in conflict situations that require a more calm and reasonable solution. They are also sent by the Explorates to various uncharted xeno inhabited planets that at time require a military escort that must negotiate with the planets alien natives in a "reasonable" manner.

'''''[[Female Space Marines]]''''' Because we have the mental maturity of 12-year-olds.

===Imperial Guard===
The Imperial Guard are normal men and women serving in the galactic military of the Imperium. They are expertly trained and the absolute best soldiers of any world they are taken from. They are largely similar to the Imperial Guard of regular ''Warhammer 40k'', but are better trained and equipped; closer to stormtroopers than regular guardsmen. Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in ''Brighthammer 40k'', they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They always lead the charge, and are the last to retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who were supposed to keep the unit battle ready.

===His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service===
When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused on more James Bond-like secret agent action.

The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are drawn from the elite of the elite and trained at specialized combat schools.

'''''Callidus School''''' is still dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering.

'''''Eversor School''''' is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements.

'''''Vindicare School''''' is dedicated to the mastery of long-range, sniper-type weapons. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

'''''Culexus School''''' trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and can increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. AKA, the reverse of the Pariah trait. These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisition's best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After training at their respective schools, they go on to a third phase of training, a cross-disciplinary school for team building and mutual advancement that teaches them to recognize and use each other's strengths, thus eliminating all their individual weaknesses. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of sheer effectiveness.

===Adeptus Telepathica===
Under the command of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Telepathica is an elite corps of the strongest and most trustworthy psykers in the Imperium. Each is first trained by the inquisition, recruited upon the Inquisitions White Ships and learning to fully harness their abilities, channeling the forces of Order for the good of mankind. Each makes a trip to Terra, where they are partially infused with the power of the Emperor, a blessing which strikes many blind. However, despite this loss, the increase in power more than makes up for it. Many are sent to serve in the Imperial Guard or as Navigators on ships that they might traverse the warp. Only the most elite, strongest in power and will are allowed to join the Adeptus Telepathica. They brave the mysteries of the warp and gain great power, using it for the good of mankind. Some psykers still go rogue, desiring to bring about ruin and destruction. It is often the Adeptus Telepathica that is tasked with their removal.

===Ordo Explorates===
Far beyond the inner planets of the Imperium, there lay the far worlds, backwards, some advanced, some not, full of strange xenos, ancient ruins, and forgotten things. It is here the Imperium's Ordo Explorates do their work, cataloging worlds and xenos, bringing them into the fold of the Imperium.

Aided in their Expedition by the Imperial Volunteer Corps and the Witch Repentors they seek to bring order and justice to the universe, guided only by the principles written in the Codex Explorates by the wise hand of Prince Guilliman. Together they march with their solemn vow, "None Shall Know Fear," beating in their hearts.

===Sisters of Rock===
The Adepta Sororitas is an organization composed of the once unruly children found populating Slaaneshi monasteries, where they learn to channel their passion through art. Following graduation, the women who choose to enter the Adepta Sororitas chose to express themselves in the form of ROCK MUSIC.

Traveling between concerts and battlefields, the Sisters of Rock work tirelessly to spread the word of the Emperor and the Gods of Order in spectacular shows. In battle, they use special personal weapons such as bolt-guitars and chainguitars, and have a penchant for using sonic weaponry.

They seek Nfol; the bringer of darkness - spawn of the fallen noble warrior LIVII, former Vindicare Knight, and the dark Wych Taldeer, among the vilest of Eldrad's twisted daughters.

===Agrarium of Mars===
The Agrarium of Mars constantly delves into deep texts and papers on the heritage of galactic flora. They seek, revere and worship the promise of rebirth from within the deep terraformed forests of Mars. Together with the Ordo Explorates they bring life to dead planets, aid archaic populations in agriculture; their sole mission is to bring life in all it's glory to the wake of the High Adventure.

The Servitors of the Agrarium, the most revered and respected of their ranks, are summoned from only the most noble of casts for only the most pure are worthy of the ultimate gift to the Emperor. Initiate Servitors are taken by the Agrarium of Mars and infused the the Life Seed to join them with Botanigod. In their new form Servitors act as fountains of life, following the Agrarium to new worlds colonized by the High Adventure, restoring flora where it was lost and acting as a channel for the Botanigod.

But because the universe is not yet a completely safe place, they have also a military side. The Agrarium of Mars cultivates vast armies of techno-organic soldiers and machines made of flesh, vine and iron for the Imperium. Enormous treant walkers march alongside the Ordo Explorates, their watchful eyes keeping guard against those who would abuse and waste the life essence. The Agrarium ships orbit over dead and hostile planets and release their seed-bombs to spawn immediately into the Agrarium's foot soldiers and release neurotoxic spores, wreaking havoc on those who harm the Empire.

===Medizin Korps of Krieg===
The Medizin Korps of Krieg hail from a planet of doctors, nurses and apothecaries. They go wherever they are needed and are always the first to set foot into plague zones armed with their labs, vaccines and adept physiological perception. A team from the Medizin Korps is always on hand when visiting a xenos world, ready to study and analyze any new species with the least invasive means possible to protect life even from the microscopic enemies that plague it. Together with the Agrarium of Mars they are the life bringers, the architects of societal and ecological health and well being.

== Xenos ==
Most of the races of ''Brighthammer'' are identical to their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts, except that wherever possible they are generally bright, noble, and generally nicer. This does not mean they are pushovers, however; the technological and warfaring capabilities of these races are equal to regular 40k, if less used.

If anything, ironically, the lack of constant warfare and the general prevalence of good sense, reason, and rationality means that the races of ''Brighthammer'' are, if anything, even ''tougher'' than their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts; they know how to make their technology rather than assuming it's some ancient ritual, they've had years of peace in which to build up their forces, and are not being constantly drained of fighting capable soldiers by endless warfare. The only thing normal ''Warhammer 40k'' has on the races of ''Brighthammer 40k'' are the numbers of experienced soldiers and sheer vile ruthlessness- but also unlike ''Warhammer 40k'', these races could and would pull their shit together if threatened, while those of ''Warhammer'' would still be infighting (depending on the threat, of course).
=== Eldar ===

The Eldar are divided into two groups. The Eldar were originally an incredibly advanced society that succeeded in ascending and creating a warp god; the god of love, Slaanesh. Those that wished to remain behind to instruct other races on how to grow, change, and ascend to godhood. These are the Bright Eldar. A second faction consists of those who were too impure to rise to godhood. These chaotic Eldar are lead by Eldrad, and his schemes and machinations are a constant source of strife for everyone.

Watching over the remaining Eldar who stayed behind is the God of Guardians of Peace Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine's spirit resides in his various avatar statues that are scattered across the cosmos on the Craftworld vessels of the remaining Eldar

'''Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine'''

Legend has it that when Slaanesh, the great order God of Love and Compassion was born, Kaela Mensha Khaine was the one who stood guard over the event to keep him safe from harm and to champion his cause throughout the heavens.

When most of the Eldar ascended upon Slaanesh's birth in "The storm of great enlightenment" (Now called "The Eye of Harmony" by the empire due to the peaceful radiance filling this region of space) Khaine chose to scatter his divine essence among those who remained behind and safeguard their existence till they too joined their brothers and sisters in Order.

On each craftworld vessel you will find a room dedicated to the worship of Khaine and his sheltering hand. In each such hall stands a single bright white and gold statue of Kaine, his upraised arm holding "The Song of Hope", a great sword that is said to be the first of the 99 swords of Vaul.

===Slaaneshi Eldar===

While the god of Love and Compassion's influence all of the Eldar, some feel that they are too good for Slaanesh's Love and Compassion, living the city of Carnal Pleasures known as Commoragh, they bring Human and Tau over where wine, exotic Eldar dancers and song were only the tip of the iceberg. Mental carnal fantasies satiated the minds of psykers seeking forbidden knowledge or a good bloody argument or debate or things that the human body cannot imagine. About the only things that are truly considered taboo among Slaaneshi Eldar are rape and murder; with the punishment for either being eternal banishment. Few beings have ever left the city and its hedonistic ways of living.

===Exodite Eldar===

To settle the seeds of discontent amongst those who would follow neither Eldrad or the promises of godhood. They have wandered the galaxy to find a race capable of manipulating and dominating over. The Exodite Eldar find themselves affable to the evil Tau as they planted several Ethereal members to control the Tau society to a unified movement of evil. However the most peaceful world of Biel-Tan still wishes to bring them back to the ways of the god of love and peace.

===Peace Children===
Some of the best-looking things to come out of the Human/Eldar alliance besides spacecraft are Half-Eldar or 'Peace Children'. Lynn Mínwen, the daughter of Drazhar and Celestian Miriya, is a particularly famous idol singer (while her mom is the lead guitar in the Sisters of Rock band "Emperor's Goatee"). Her music is so inspiring that it has ended wars throughout the galaxy. Her chief nemesis is Nfol, the vile spawn of the Wych Taldeer and LIVII.

===Orks===
Orks while are brutish-looking aliens with green skin, hulking forms, and a crude, guttural language. This belies their gentle and reclusive nature – like gorillas of Terra, Orks are physically-powerful but gentle, and mainly wish to live in peace. Lacking the sheer numbers of humanity, Orks are scattered across the galaxy on pristine, wild worlds, which they are willing to fiercely defend against unwanted interlopers such as human renegades or Exodite Eldar. This has resulted in occasional clashes with Imperial colonists, though once both sides calm down and start talking a peaceful resolution doesn’t take long.

Best described as “noble savages,” the Orks' society initially appears anachronistic and primitive, as Orks prefer to dwell in small villages rather than the gleaming spires of a human Hive World. However, Orks are capable of constructing crude-looking but deceptively advanced functional technology or “tek” that allows them to thrive on even the harshest of worlds, an ability that is partially suspected to be linked to the Orks’ inherent connection with Order.

However in reality it was later discovered that a smaller subspecies known somewhat affectionately by the Orks as "Snotlings". It is thru these Snotlings that Ork society exists at all. The Snotlings cultivate a rare type of fungus heavy in protein and various alien nutrients that rapidly develop Ork neural capacity at a near alarming rate.

In reality its is the Snotlings who are the primary political force of Ork society, they are the secret guiding hand over all Ork technological, organizational and military structure. And while Orks are the public face of their species in actuality they are only a nobel warrior caste bred for the extremities of war and the occasional harshness of the outer galaxy.

And while the Snotlings produce this fungus primarily for themselves they also realize that times and political and social structures may change, so it also is given to another slightly less advanced subspecies known as "Grotz". Termed by other Orks as "Brainboyz" they essentialy exist as middle management between the Ork and Snotling "culturz" providing services such as civic and social management to more direct command over entire Ork platoons acting as the direct hand/voice of Snotling authority.

Life in an Ork settlement is simple and harmonious, as the burly Orks spend their time hunting or protecting a smaller subspecies, the Grotz or “Brainboyz,” who are physically weak but quite intelligent and run Orkish society as benevolent leaders.

Occasionally, if an Ork settlement grows too large or the population just feels the need for a change of view, a "''Waaagh!''" will be launched, a combination of a militarized mass migration and a journey of self-discovery that sends the Orks out to find a new world to colonize. Typically Orks migrate to planetary regions termed by the Imperium as "Death Systems" places that would be suicidal for any avarage Human colony to go.

However for Orks the more dangerous and rugged the better. These expeditions are as much about the Orks proving their toughness and self worth as they are relocations, and Orks will frequently choose worlds deemed uninhabitable by humans, from icy moons orbiting gas giants to minuscule planetoids with caustic atmospheres to planets rife with the most dangerous sentient and non sentient xenos species imaginable.

These ''Waaaghs'' sometimes lead the Orks into Imperial space and therefore conflict with the Imperial Navy, though a few warning shots are usually enough to cause the Orks to turn around after sending a transmission amounting to “sorry boss, we’s gonna go build fings somewhere else den.”

If a ''Waaagh!'' lands on an inhabited world by accident, the result is more of a blessing than a curse, as the miners of Hephaestus IV found when they were unexpectedly rescued from a cave-in by Orkish workers. The Orks’ protective natures quickly extend to their “’oomie” neighbors and they will treat their new friends as honorary members of the tribe, gladly sharing food or resources and even defending them from external threats.

A planet inhabited by Orks will never lack for militia, mechanics, gourmet chefs or brewers, and indeed Ork fungus-beer and gourmet Juicy Squig with fine Ork sauces is some of the prime exports of some worlds (both xenos and imperial). Also many foodies from quadrants all around the imperium come from parcecs around to sample various forms of delicacies from the finest Gretchin gourmets around.

For their part, the Orks have little they want from humanity besides peace and respect…although the human game of chess has become extremely popular with the aliens, to the extent that the past five galactic champions have been Orks. Additionally, some Orks are fascinated with humanity’s musical instruments, resulting in the birth of “Goff Rock” and several Orkish musical groups currently on tour throughout the Imperium.

=== Tau ===
An automated Imperial survey probe discovered the Tau roughly six thousand years ago, and found a race of plains-dwelling aliens who had just mastered fire and lived in simple, hunter-gatherer societies. An expedition was sent to offer the xenos the Imperium's friendship, but a sudden and unexplained interstellar storm of immense power enveloped the sector, cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy. These storms have recently abated, and a follow-up survey has shocked the Imperium - in only six millennia, the Tau had been transformed from a peaceful but primitive civilization to a fascist, expansionist, star-spanning empire possessing advanced technology and insatiable bloodlust, making them one of the greatest threats facing the galaxy.

Somehow, the Exodite Eldar had come across the young Tau and proceeded to manipulate and mold the Tau into creatures more like themselves. For centuries the Exodites set various petty Tau kingdoms and city-states against each other, plunging their world into chaos which nearly wiped out the race. But then the Exodites capriciously changed their minds, and decided to unite the Tau under one order. Using blasphemous bio-engineering, the Exodites bred a subspecies of Tau that possessed the pheromone glands of an insectoid alien race, granting them absolute control over other Tau. These "Ethereals" became the Exodites' mouthpieces in Tau society, and with the help of Eldar technology quickly built a brutal world government before spreading into nearby star systems.

'''Tau Society'''

Tau society is strictly divided into a caste system, supposedly a society of equals, in reality a strict hierarchy. The '''Earth Caste''' are the lowliest Tau, slaving away in terrible conditions to keep the empire supplied with the wargear and supplies that fuel its aggressive expansion. The luckiest of the Earth Caste get to work on miserable farms and live in hopeless drudgery; the unlucky ones are sent to hellish factories, where maimed workers are thrown out in the streets to die.

The '''Water Caste''' are derided as conniving and untrustworthy schemers, merchants and diplomats who cheat and swindle those they come across. They mostly prey on too-trusting human societies bordering the Tau Empire, selling malfunctioning and downright dangerous equipment for outrageous prices, then laughing when their customers are killed or crippled after their purchases blow up in their faces. Worse, the Water Caste also attempts to convince human worlds to renounce the Emperor’s benevolent rule for the empty promises of Tau society, bringing in new worlds of unwitting slaves for the Tau Empire. For this reason, the Imperium has forbidden its citizens from dealing with the Tau, and dispatched Special Agents to borderworlds in order to protect people from these charlatans.

The Tau’s '''Air Caste''' are haughty and cowardly, preferring to rain destruction from far above their enemies rather than engage in a fair fight. They provide pilots and crews for the Tau’s navies and build the starships that allow the empire to expand, but the rest of the Tau view them with distrust at best. The Air Caste are notorious for launching unprovoked and unannounced orbital bombardments on defenseless worlds, laying waste to entire continents for the perverse glee they find in destroying a helpless foe.

The '''Fire Caste''' are near the top of the Tau’s social hierarchy. These short-tempered and burly creatures are ostensibly the defenders of the empire, but in reality serve as the backbone of the Tau police state. They spend much of their lives training for combat in vicious live-fire exercises that frequently result in deaths, or else spend their free time bullying the other subraces of Tau. In combat they howl with barely-contained bloodlust, and are known for using prisoners-of-war as target practice, if they bother to take prisoners at all.

But all Tau live in constant terror of the '''Ethereal Caste''', so-named because they appear to be both everywhere and nowhere, an intangible and all-encompassing presence in Tau society. These Tau devote their lives to preserving the order of the Tau Empire, by operating extensive surveillance networks that keep every Tau watching what they say, even when they think they’re alone. If an Ethereal suspects a Tau of treason – or is simply feeling bored – they will order that Tau to kill himself, an order that is instantly obeyed. A paranoid and suspicious group, the Ethereals have a grim, dark view of the universe, and believe that the Tau are surrounded by hostile aliens and beset from within by treacherous segments of their population. They hold that there are no good actions possible in such a galaxy, and instead take the “Lesser Evil” needed for survival. This Imperium has noted with considerable alarm that this philosophy has begun to spread through parts of its own population, driving cynics and nihilists to commit atrocities that they claim are justified by the grim(noble), dark(bright) world they live in. (Lulz, contradiction.)

'''Imperial Policy'''

For now, the Imperium has reluctantly steeled itself for war with the Tau, and has prepared its worlds on the Eastern Fringe for wave after wave of frothing Fire Warriors. But the Emperor holds out hope that the Tau can be redeemed – indeed, one Fire Caste commander has seen the Ethereals for the manipulative tyrants they truly are and has revolted, taking a few Tau colonies with him. This commander, named “Farsight” by his adoring troops, has opened diplomatic ties with the Imperium, and has been promised support for the inevitable counter-attack from his misguided kin.

=== Necrontyr ===

The story of the Necrontyr is also that of the terrible Great Old Ones from a time before the rise of Humanity. Once, before the birth of the Gods of Order, the Warp was not the peaceful, structured paradise it is today. Instead, it was the plaything of the Great Old Ones, abominable, xenophobic creatures hell-bent on the destruction of all life apart from themselves. The peaceful Necrontyr, which had been blessed with immortality by the life-giving rays of their sun, were one of the first races to fall afoul of their attention. The first skirmishes between the Necrontyr and the Great Old Ones went poorly for the Necrontyr, unused to war as they were, were quickly pushed back to their home world.

While desperate to find some means of defending themselves against the Great Old Ones, the Necrontyr scientists realized on comparing data with the returning refugees that the calm, unchanging surface of their own star was unusual within the galaxy. On investigating, they discovered that the reason for this was that their system had been chosen as the stewardship of one of the great shepherds of life, the C'tan that would later become known as the Daybringer. Upon explaining to the Daybringer the horrors that were being visited upon the galaxy by the Great Old Ones, the Daybringer quickly rallied its fellows to the aid of the Necrontyr.

Driven into disarray by the counterattack of the C'tan and the resurgent Necrontyr, the desperate Great Old Ones turned from genocide to genetic slavery, engineering warrior slaves from the biospheres of countless worlds, including the ancestors of the Eldar and the Orks, and granted these thralls the ability to use the Warp as weapons against their foes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all of the C'tan over the course of the war. However, despite the attempts of the wicked Great Old Ones tried to twist these races into their image they proved more open to the ideals of peace and brotherhood championed by the Necrontyr, and one by one they turned on their oppressors, and with them, the Warp also began to change, robbing the Great Old Ones of much of their power as the warp entities that would later grow become the Gods of Order and their servants began to refuse to be responsible for the destruction that the Great Old Ones called on them to wreak.

In the end, however, the threat of the Great Old Ones had to be ended permanently, and to spare the other races from having to bear the guilt of this deed, the Necrontyr and C'tan took the burden upon themselves of removing the Great Old Ones from the galaxy. Wracked with remorse at having destroyed another sapient species, regardless of the necessity of the deed to the peace of the galaxy, the Necrontyr and C'tan sealed themselves in meditation within monasteries beneath the surfaces of worlds spread across the galaxy, awaiting a time when they might be able to redeem themselves of the crime they were forced to commit.

=== Tyranids ===
Hailing from a remote world perhaps not even located in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranids were first encountered on the Imperial world of Tyran, thus earning their namesake. The Imperium's initial contact with the Tyranids was relatively peaceful, though Imperial diplomats were somewhat unnerved by the aliens' bizarre appearance and oddly-designed ships, and communication proved difficult even with the aid of a psyker translator. The Tyranids seemed to sense this unease and very politely requested to take DNA samples from the lifeforms of Tyran in order to further their research. After some negotiation, the humans agreed, and the Tyranids promptly left, seeming to disappear from the galaxy without a trace.

Nearly 200 years later, the Tyranids returned in the form of a "Genesis Fleet," a large convoy of living starships that seeded barren worlds with bizarre and beautiful forms of life. Wherever this Genesis Fleet went, dozens of meticulously crafted biospheres were left behind, each largely hospitable to humanoids and full of fascinating wildlife and ecosystems. The Tyranids left a trail of "Eden Worlds" behind it, each more exotic and fascinating than the last, until the Genesis Fleet finally met with Imperial diplomats once again. Taking new human-like forms, the Tyranids' diplomats explained that they were a race of bioengineers and terraformers seeking to study the life-forms of the universe and use their genetic data to create the perfect planet, and that the Eden Worlds were attempts that didn't quite meet their exacting specification. After additional negotiation, the Tyranids were granted the right to populate select desolate worlds on the outskirts of Imperial territory however they saw fit.

While most prefer to travel with the Genesis Fleet, a few Tyranids have settled in the Imperium, taking forms more familiar to humanity by mixing its DNA with their own. These Tyranids find great success in serving as botanists, naturalists, or ecologists, but some make use of their race's mastery of the double helix. These so-called "Gene Merchants" collect genetic data from plants, animals, and citizens, using their bio-wizardry to cure diseases and maintain the balance of local ecosystems, making them natural allies of the Agrarium of Mars. Some Gene Merchants have reportedly ensconced themselves in Space Hulks, cultivating gardens and aviaries while fighting off space pirates and hostile aliens as they try to modify the derelict spaceships to provide aid to stranded or wayward travelers.

Sadly, the time of the Tyranids may be ending. The Genesis Fleet will soon complete its journey across the galaxy, and unless some incredible new life-form is added to their genetic banks, the aliens will likely begin the long, silent voyage to another galaxy as they continue their never-ending quest to build the perfect world. The Tyranids will leave behind hundreds of miraculous Eden Worlds as their legacy and gift to this galaxy, as well as those of their race that have chosen to live among humanity.

==Persons of note==

===Sir Robin Fitzgerald===

[[Image:Chess_champion.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Robin Fitzgerald and his worthy, yet defeated, chess opponents.]]

A Imperial Guardsman, a Captain in the Praetorian 115th Regiment. He is a renown sportsman who enjoys a good game of Chess, along side his Man-Servant, Archibald. His primary chess opponents are the Brutish, but misunderstood, Orks. Often, his Man-Servant will play a game of Chess (or if he must, Checkers! Oh how uncivilized!) with Grots whilst his master and the Orks have a jolly good time at chess.

His other favorite spot of fun, would be in wild life hunting. Specifically, the barbaric Kroot. All his hunting lances and lasguns are set to not kill their prey, so as the hunt may continue another day. Indeed! Life with Robin is a jolly good show.

===Fum'aan Shu'u===
A rogue Tau mad scientist, Fum'aan Shu'u is a menace to everyone in the galaxy, including his own race. With his numerous and loyal henchmen, scattered all across Tau and Imperium Space, he works on diabolical plans to rule the universe.

Some say he could even have opened, in some hidden facility, an artificial warp gate to another dimension, where the Order Gods are evil parodies of themselves...And that he tries to create a bizarre army of corrupted human space marines and demons, all of them the results of "chaos" twisted powers.

===Sister Sinai===
Sister Sinai lives together with her Vindicare husband in a town, after having been granted a honorable discharge after having stopped a corrupted Special Agent from doing the bidding of the Tau Empire. She has been given technology to help her continue on with her life, after the accident which ended up showing why the Vindicare are some of the most valuable servants of humanity and all their allies. While she still spends much of her time thinking about religion, that still doesn't mean that she is as obsessed with it as some parody works tend to depict religious people.

At least once a week, the two of them, Sinai and her Vindicare, go out and have a dinner, talking about anything they feel like and generally having a good time.

=== The God-Emperor of Man ===
The guy so awesome the entire galaxy bows to him. Created in the distant past by countless warp shamans coming together to form a single being, that he might be able to guide all mankind to a brighter tomorrow from the shadows. After the disastrous war with the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Emperor lead his newly created force of noble, genetically enhanced knights known as the Space Marines on a crusade to rebuild the galaxy. In battle, he is a warrior without peer, a psyker powerful enough to create supernova, and a tactician beyond measure. In battle he wields a mighty Hammer of Light; which channels his formidable powers as a psyker into pure destructive energy with each blow. He has been known to loan out this hammer to the mightiest adventurers on their direst missions, and it has been at the forefront of many victories at the hands of Mankind. He personally started the tradition of showing rank by wearing giant hats (unwittingly) due to his habit of wearing a giant golden Sombrero. The Sombrero has two life-sized golden eagles that shoot plasma bolts from their eyes, and the weight of it is such that it would instantly snap the neck of any other who tried to wear it. He is largely similar to the ''Warhammer 40k'' Emperor, but never battled Horus, with his son instead peacefully ascending to a higher plane. Instead, he rules the galaxy from the golden throne.
Also, he has a goatee, which makes him the coolest human alive.

=== Macha ===
An Eldar Farseer. Eldrad's daughter, and a brilliant strategist that assures any war that breaks out is quick and resolved immediately with the help of her sister and partner, Taldeer. She is also known to be rather emotional and sleeps with quite literally anything that catches her eye, although her true love is the Emperor, whom she is engaged to, and will marry someday.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

==Artwork==

<gallery>
Image:Lovepeace.png|Boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da...
Image:Desob.jpg|Miriya and Drazhar with their peace children.
Image:LynnminwenCD.jpg|Lynn Minwen: Galactic Superstar
Image:EG_album.jpg|First album of Emperor's Goatee, Celestian Miriya's band : "Sisters in Battle"
Image:commissarhugs.jpg|In Brighthammer, Commissars guide their troops through encouragement, rather than fear. Also, hugs. :3
Image:1234195513474.jpg|Emperor's Goatee performing live in concert.
Image:Ghazkullyarrick4everbyjyr2.jpg
</gallery>
[[Category:Brighthammer|1st edition]]

Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/1st edition

2015-11-17T18:05:42Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Mirror_emperor.jpg|thumb|right|In the Noble Brightness of the 40th millennium, the God-Emperor of Mankind has an awesome goatee.]]

[[Image:BRIGHTHAMMER40K.jpg|center|]]

''Brighthammer 40k'' is a mirror universe of ''[[Warhammer 40k]]''. In this setting, the incredibly [[Grimdark|GRIMDARKness]] of regular 40k is replaced by [[NobleBright|NOBLEBRIGHTness]] and instead of war, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

There's some delightful hypocrisy worthy of Disney in the Tau section.

== Background ==

In the Noble Brightness of the 41st millennium, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!

Beginning after the ascension of the Eldar that created the Order God of Love Slaanesh some 10,000 years ago, the Emperor of Mankind appeared to ensure the noble rule of humanity as the galaxy began to make a turn for the better. In an act of supreme devotion, his most favored son Horus and several of the Emperor's noble princes, or primarchs, sacrificed their mortal form to become princes of Order within the Warp.

Since then the Emperor has ruled for 10,000 years from the Golden Throne on Terra, bringing peace, enlightenment, and joy to all mankind. There is clearly no better time to be alive.

Now the last vestiges of the Eldar go forth to ensure the joy and prosperity of other races before the last of them finally ascend, lead valiantly by the Bright Eldar. Opposing them are the dark forces of Eldrad, and these the Eldar found too impure to ascend. To this day Eldrad's convoluted schemes are a constant source of pain and discontent for the people of the Imperium of Mankind.

Across the galaxy the noble green-skinned Orks are being brutally oppressed through a volatile combination of misunderstanding and a failure to communicate.

In the distance the battle cry "For the Lesser Evil!" echoes through the lands of the eastern galaxy. The dark and chaotic empire called the Tau have formed a brutal fascist empire utilizing mind control, genocide, and cannibalistic troops just as the norm. Despite the amoral and often savage methods used to expand their domain, the Emperor believes they can be redeemed.

Hidden beneath the surface of countless worlds, the immortal Necrontyr awaken to spread the knowledge of ancient technologies to man. They spread the unheard of message that prosperity is possible without the Lords of Order, yet wherever they are found, entire worlds spring to life as if into a new genesis.

The Tyranids, the most visible member being the Zoats, parlay with the Squat homeworlds, a civilization of noble miners and proud warriors. Though negotiations take many years, the Squats eventually accept the offer of assimilation and join with the hivemind, and both groups leave the galaxy.

In the Warp, the Lords of Order are the god of hope and compassion, Nurgle, who loves even the smallest of creatures, Tzeentch, god of knowledge and the magic of wonder, Khorne, the noble warrior king, who is the newest form of the former god of the Eldar, the savage Khaine. He is a warrior without bloodlust, sitting upon his throne of helms. Finally, the newest and for now most powerful of the gods, Slaanesh, god of love, art and joy.

Across the Imperium not all is well, however. It is a vast empire, and planets fall out of the sight of the Emperor. Corrupt politicians seek to subvert the Democratic order and ways of the Imperium. Dark tyrants seek to rise up and rebel, oppressing their people brutally. Though the Lords and Princes of Order work with the Emperor to bring civilization to all mankind, the universe remains a strange and beautiful place, filled with HIGH ADVENTURE!

== The Gods of Order ==

===Nurgle===
Papa Nurgle is the god of compassion; he cares for all creatures, no matter how small. He is still a god of sickness and disease, but he chooses to cure, rather than inflict. Nurgle is a lord of stability, even among the other lords of Order. If he has a weakness, it is that he is unchanged and forever unchanging. He helps to build civilizations, and is a bringer of law, order, and stability. However, he is not adaptive, and some find his embrace stifling. He is not necessarily a good guy; his followers sometimes are highly oppressive.

===Khorne===
He is the noble lord of war. He is still a war god, but a god of honorable combat. He sits upon the Throne of Relics, a throne made of captured artifacts from challengers against him, awaiting war. Khorne favors the strong above all else, and blesses those who are already mighty warriors. He does not, however, have much compassion for the weak, and does not believe in helping those who cannot help themselves. He has little mercy for those he sees as beneath his notice, but those who impress him can gain great power, and perhaps a powerful relic, taken from his throne.

===Tzeentch===
This god is the most changing and adaptive of the Lords of Order, and is a god of powerful warp sorcery and knowledge. His ways are often dangerous, with a "leap before you look" sort of mentality. He is known for his cunning plans and endless schemes. Because he is the most chaotic of the lords of Order, however, he is also one of the weakest. It is his cunning plans that keep him in power.

===Slaanesh===
And finally, the god(dess) of love, created by the Eldar to assist them with their ascendancy to the warp. This does not mean he/she is all pink hearts and kindness, however. Slaanesh is the lord of excess, of passion, and volatile emotion. People fall in and out of favor with Slaanesh on mere whims, and those who get his/her attentions and refuse them do not end well. Like Aphrodite, Slaanesh is not kind to those who stand in his/her way. Slaanesh is vain, ill tempered, and very easily offended. When thinking of Slaanesh, remember the story of Eros and Psyche. Love does not mean good or nice.

== The Imperium ==
The Imperium of ''Brighthammer'' is what the Imperium of 40k ''could'' have been if the emperor had won his war against Chaos. In this setting, that war never happened, and the Warp is calmer and more friendly. It is in a golden age, and many of the primarchs remain to assist in his rule. As one might expect of any empire its size, there are still many problems. Militarily it is held together by the space marine legions and the Imperial Guard. However, there are other problems of a different type and scale, such as corrupt imperial governors, seditious rebels, and rogue psykers. Often these are solved by the secret agents of the emperor, the Inquisition. Other times, these problems are solved by professional adventurers, the ''Brighthammer'' equivalent of rogue traders. Across the Imperium many worlds remain in a feudal state or at varying levels of technology, as unfortunate remnants of the war against the Iron Men at the end of the Dark Age of Technology. The Imperium seeks to bring these worlds into the fold, but many are ruled by tyrants or for many reasons the Imperium will not invade directly. Therefore small groups of agents may go to these worlds and guide them until they are ready to join the Imperium.

=== Space Marines ===
[[File:Lighthammer 40k Marine 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Basic Imperium Space Marine]]
Space Marines are the noble knights of the Imperium, and as such serve as examples of order to the Imperium at large. Far apart from merely being a powerful military faction, they are also instrumental in keeping the Imperium together and functioning.

==== Chapters ====
''For more information on these and other Marine Chapters click [[Setting: Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (1st edition)|here]] and [[Setting:Brighthammer 40,000/Space Marines (2nd Edition)|here]].

'''''[[Angry Marines]]''''' are something special. On some previously corrupted worlds, some people speak in awe about marines of red and yellow that fell from the skies aboard their rhinos, to brutally and noisily destroy the source of the evil on the planet. The Angry Marines Chapter is quite a puzzling one, as their behavior differs so much from what you usually expect from noble knights. They seem to be sent in when the threat to the people of a planet is extremely serious, and no other solution can be found at the moment. Their methods are rude, their temper short, and they allow no innocent civilian loss during their missions. EVER.

'''''Order Marines''''' are a splinter group of Space Marines that were created during the Horus Migration. After communication with the Order Gods, Warmaster Horus and several other Primarchs decided to travel into the Eye of Harmony to better communicate with their new allies. Since then, they have occasionally reappeared in order to help beleaguered worlds. The five largest Marine Legions are sighted across the galaxy, and their assistance has been invaluable to the Imperium. Mortarion's Legion, the Death Guard, are some of the finest battlefield medics that the Imperium has seen, while Angron's World Eaters serve as protectors of the weak and innocent. The Emperor's Children, led by Fulgrim, are often sighted alongside the Iron Warriors, helping to repair and rebuild cities after a battle. Despite being potent sorcerers on the battlefield, the Thousand Sons of Magnus take after their ally Tzeentch and help to coordinate battlefield tactics. Most respected of all is the White Legion, currently led by Abaddon the Rebuilder. This Legion is a coalition of many, and a single detachments have the ability to repel enemy attacks and rebuild cities.

'''''[[Quiet Marines]]''''' an Order Marine Chapter devoted to Slannesh Quiet Marines are an monastic marine order which prefer the quiet solitude of peace, stillness, and silence of the natural universe. The majority of Quiet Marine fortress-chapels are usually located in the remote empty regions of interplanetary space due to their natural lack of any sound. Upon enterimg service into every Quiet Marine takes an absolute vow of lifetime silence in order to hear Slannesh's words of wisdom and lyrical poems of love and passion much easier. However this is to the exaserbation of many a ork warlord due to their inability to quickly communicate and shout orders to troops while on the battlefield.

'''''[[Pretty Marines]]''''' Led by their Chapter Master David Tennant. The Purty Marines as they are also jokingly known by many Orks try to further the Imperium of Man's ideal of aesthetic and physical beauty throughout the galaxy.

'''''[[Reasonable Marines]]''''' A military offshoot of the Ordos Explorates. Just as their name states, the Reasonable Marines are sent to various high in tension but moderate in conflict situations that require a more calm and reasonable solution. They are also sent by the Explorates to various uncharted xeno inhabited planets that at time require a military escort that must negotiate with the planets alien natives in a "reasonable" manner.

'''''[[Female Space Marines]]''''' Because we have the mental maturity of 12-year-olds.

===Imperial Guard===
The Imperial Guard are normal men and women serving in the galactic military of the Imperium. They are expertly trained and the absolute best soldiers of any world they are taken from. They are largely similar to the Imperial Guard of regular ''Warhammer 40k'', but are better trained and equipped; closer to stormtroopers than regular guardsmen. Commissars are carefully trained in the arts of war and serve to keep up morale and advise officers in its arts. Because war is relatively rare in ''Brighthammer 40k'', they serve to keep the Guard in good working order. They always lead the charge, and are the last to retreat. In times where their units fail, Commissars have been known to take their own lives rather than face the shame of defeat, knowing it was they who were supposed to keep the unit battle ready.

===His Imperial Majesty's Secret Service===
When dark forces rise, the Secret Service is there to cut them out, quietly and stealthily. They are the secret agents of the Emperor, acting on his authority when all peaceful measures fail. When mad psykers arise, they are there to take them out. When corrupt governors starve their people, the Special Agents are ready to remove them. Notably, they are not as extreme as their ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts (the Inquisition) and are mostly focused on more James Bond-like secret agent action.

The Secret Service makes use of several different specially trained operatives, apart from general Special Agents. These individuals are drawn from the elite of the elite and trained at specialized combat schools.

'''''Callidus School''''' is still dedicated to infiltration tactics, scouting, information gathering.

'''''Eversor School''''' is for assault, designed to take on even the strongest foes in single combat, and receive a number of physical, mental, and cybernetic enhancements.

'''''Vindicare School''''' is dedicated to the mastery of long-range, sniper-type weapons. The noble fallen knight LIVII belonged to this organization.

'''''Culexus School''''' trains specialized individuals who are capable of uplifting morale to immense levels and can increase the performance and natural healing abilities of their companions, despite lacking psyker capabilities. AKA, the reverse of the Pariah trait. These individuals are incredibly rare, but make highly effective team leaders.

All are recruited from existing special forces and receive the Inquisition's best training in general operations before proceeding on to their permanent combat school, in which they receive training in their specialized area.

After training at their respective schools, they go on to a third phase of training, a cross-disciplinary school for team building and mutual advancement that teaches them to recognize and use each other's strengths, thus eliminating all their individual weaknesses. After graduation, they are known as Imperial Special Forces, second only to the Astartes in terms of sheer effectiveness.

===Adeptus Telepathica===
Under the command of the Grey Knights, the Adeptus Telepathica is an elite corps of the strongest and most trustworthy psykers in the Imperium. Each is first trained by the inquisition, recruited upon the Inquisitions White Ships and learning to fully harness their abilities, channeling the forces of Order for the good of mankind. Each makes a trip to Terra, where they are partially infused with the power of the Emperor, a blessing which strikes many blind. However, despite this loss, the increase in power more than makes up for it. Many are sent to serve in the Imperial Guard or as Navigators on ships that they might traverse the warp. Only the most elite, strongest in power and will are allowed to join the Adeptus Telepathica. They brave the mysteries of the warp and gain great power, using it for the good of mankind. Some psykers still go rogue, desiring to bring about ruin and destruction. It is often the Adeptus Telepathica that is tasked with their removal.

===Ordo Explorates===
Far beyond the inner planets of the Imperium, there lay the far worlds, backwards, some advanced, some not, full of strange xenos, ancient ruins, and forgotten things. It is here the Imperium's Ordo Explorates do their work, cataloging worlds and xenos, bringing them into the fold of the Imperium.

Aided in their Expedition by the Imperial Volunteer Corps and the Witch Repentors they seek to bring order and justice to the universe, guided only by the principles written in the Codex Explorates by the wise hand of Prince Guilliman. Together they march with their solemn vow, "None Shall Know Fear," beating in their hearts.

===Sisters of Rock===
The Adepta Sororitas is an organization composed of the once unruly children found populating Slaaneshi monasteries, where they learn to channel their passion through art. Following graduation, the women who choose to enter the Adepta Sororitas chose to express themselves in the form of ROCK MUSIC.

Traveling between concerts and battlefields, the Sisters of Rock work tirelessly to spread the word of the Emperor and the Gods of Order in spectacular shows. In battle, they use special personal weapons such as bolt-guitars and chainguitars, and have a penchant for using sonic weaponry.

They seek Nfol; the bringer of darkness - spawn of the fallen noble warrior LIVII, former Vindicare Knight, and the dark Wych Taldeer, among the vilest of Eldrad's twisted daughters.

===Agrarium of Mars===
The Agrarium of Mars constantly delves into deep texts and papers on the heritage of galactic flora. They seek, revere and worship the promise of rebirth from within the deep terraformed forests of Mars. Together with the Ordo Explorates they bring life to dead planets, aid archaic populations in agriculture; their sole mission is to bring life in all it's glory to the wake of the High Adventure.

The Servitors of the Agrarium, the most revered and respected of their ranks, are summoned from only the most noble of casts for only the most pure are worthy of the ultimate gift to the Emperor. Initiate Servitors are taken by the Agrarium of Mars and infused the the Life Seed to join them with Botanigod. In their new form Servitors act as fountains of life, following the Agrarium to new worlds colonized by the High Adventure, restoring flora where it was lost and acting as a channel for the Botanigod.

But because the universe is not yet a completely safe place, they have also a military side. The Agrarium of Mars cultivates vast armies of techno-organic soldiers and machines made of flesh, vine and iron for the Imperium. Enormous treant walkers march alongside the Ordo Explorates, their watchful eyes keeping guard against those who would abuse and waste the life essence. The Agrarium ships orbit over dead and hostile planets and release their seed-bombs to spawn immediately into the Agrarium's foot soldiers and release neurotoxic spores, wreaking havoc on those who harm the Empire.

===Medizin Korps of Krieg===
The Medizin Korps of Krieg hail from a planet of doctors, nurses and apothecaries. They go wherever they are needed and are always the first to set foot into plague zones armed with their labs, vaccines and adept physiological perception. A team from the Medizin Korps is always on hand when visiting a xenos world, ready to study and analyze any new species with the least invasive means possible to protect life even from the microscopic enemies that plague it. Together with the Agrarium of Mars they are the life bringers, the architects of societal and ecological health and well being.

== Xenos ==
Most of the races of ''Brighthammer'' are identical to their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts, except that wherever possible they are generally bright, noble, and generally nicer. This does not mean they are pushovers, however; the technological and warfaring capabilities of these races are equal to regular 40k, if less used.

If anything, ironically, the lack of constant warfare and the general prevalence of good sense, reason, and rationality means that the races of ''Brighthammer'' are, if anything, even ''tougher'' than their normal ''Warhammer 40k'' counterparts; they know how to make their technology rather than assuming it's some ancient ritual, they've had years of peace in which to build up their forces, and are not being constantly drained of fighting capable soldiers by endless warfare. The only thing normal ''Warhammer 40k'' has on the races of ''Brighthammer 40k'' are the numbers of experienced soldiers and sheer vile ruthlessness- but also unlike ''Warhammer 40k'', these races could and would pull their shit together if threatened, while those of ''Warhammer'' would still be infighting (depending on the threat, of course). One of the ironies is that, while ''Brighthammer'' is a ''hell'' of a lot nicer than ''Warhammer'', ''Brighthammer'' could probably kick ''Warhammer'''s ass.

=== Eldar ===

The Eldar are divided into two groups. The Eldar were originally an incredibly advanced society that succeeded in ascending and creating a warp god; the god of love, Slaanesh. Those that wished to remain behind to instruct other races on how to grow, change, and ascend to godhood. These are the Bright Eldar. A second faction consists of those who were too impure to rise to godhood. These chaotic Eldar are lead by Eldrad, and his schemes and machinations are a constant source of strife for everyone.

Watching over the remaining Eldar who stayed behind is the God of Guardians of Peace Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine's spirit resides in his various avatar statues that are scattered across the cosmos on the Craftworld vessels of the remaining Eldar

'''Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine'''

Legend has it that when Slaanesh, the great order God of Love and Compassion was born, Kaela Mensha Khaine was the one who stood guard over the event to keep him safe from harm and to champion his cause throughout the heavens.

When most of the Eldar ascended upon Slaanesh's birth in "The storm of great enlightenment" (Now called "The Eye of Harmony" by the empire due to the peaceful radiance filling this region of space) Khaine chose to scatter his divine essence among those who remained behind and safeguard their existence till they too joined their brothers and sisters in Order.

On each craftworld vessel you will find a room dedicated to the worship of Khaine and his sheltering hand. In each such hall stands a single bright white and gold statue of Kaine, his upraised arm holding "The Song of Hope", a great sword that is said to be the first of the 99 swords of Vaul.

===Slaaneshi Eldar===

While the god of Love and Compassion's influence all of the Eldar, some feel that they are too good for Slaanesh's Love and Compassion, living the city of Carnal Pleasures known as Commoragh, they bring Human and Tau over where wine, exotic Eldar dancers and song were only the tip of the iceberg. Mental carnal fantasies satiated the minds of psykers seeking forbidden knowledge or a good bloody argument or debate or things that the human body cannot imagine. About the only things that are truly considered taboo among Slaaneshi Eldar are rape and murder; with the punishment for either being eternal banishment. Few beings have ever left the city and its hedonistic ways of living.

===Exodite Eldar===

To settle the seeds of discontent amongst those who would follow neither Eldrad or the promises of godhood. They have wandered the galaxy to find a race capable of manipulating and dominating over. The Exodite Eldar find themselves affable to the evil Tau as they planted several Ethereal members to control the Tau society to a unified movement of evil. However the most peaceful world of Biel-Tan still wishes to bring them back to the ways of the god of love and peace.

===Peace Children===
Some of the best-looking things to come out of the Human/Eldar alliance besides spacecraft are Half-Eldar or 'Peace Children'. Lynn Mínwen, the daughter of Drazhar and Celestian Miriya, is a particularly famous idol singer (while her mom is the lead guitar in the Sisters of Rock band "Emperor's Goatee"). Her music is so inspiring that it has ended wars throughout the galaxy. Her chief nemesis is Nfol, the vile spawn of the Wych Taldeer and LIVII.

===Orks===
Orks while are brutish-looking aliens with green skin, hulking forms, and a crude, guttural language. This belies their gentle and reclusive nature – like gorillas of Terra, Orks are physically-powerful but gentle, and mainly wish to live in peace. Lacking the sheer numbers of humanity, Orks are scattered across the galaxy on pristine, wild worlds, which they are willing to fiercely defend against unwanted interlopers such as human renegades or Exodite Eldar. This has resulted in occasional clashes with Imperial colonists, though once both sides calm down and start talking a peaceful resolution doesn’t take long.

Best described as “noble savages,” the Orks' society initially appears anachronistic and primitive, as Orks prefer to dwell in small villages rather than the gleaming spires of a human Hive World. However, Orks are capable of constructing crude-looking but deceptively advanced functional technology or “tek” that allows them to thrive on even the harshest of worlds, an ability that is partially suspected to be linked to the Orks’ inherent connection with Order.

However in reality it was later discovered that a smaller subspecies known somewhat affectionately by the Orks as "Snotlings". It is thru these Snotlings that Ork society exists at all. The Snotlings cultivate a rare type of fungus heavy in protein and various alien nutrients that rapidly develop Ork neural capacity at a near alarming rate.

In reality its is the Snotlings who are the primary political force of Ork society, they are the secret guiding hand over all Ork technological, organizational and military structure. And while Orks are the public face of their species in actuality they are only a nobel warrior caste bred for the extremities of war and the occasional harshness of the outer galaxy.

And while the Snotlings produce this fungus primarily for themselves they also realize that times and political and social structures may change, so it also is given to another slightly less advanced subspecies known as "Grotz". Termed by other Orks as "Brainboyz" they essentialy exist as middle management between the Ork and Snotling "culturz" providing services such as civic and social management to more direct command over entire Ork platoons acting as the direct hand/voice of Snotling authority.

Life in an Ork settlement is simple and harmonious, as the burly Orks spend their time hunting or protecting a smaller subspecies, the Grotz or “Brainboyz,” who are physically weak but quite intelligent and run Orkish society as benevolent leaders.

Occasionally, if an Ork settlement grows too large or the population just feels the need for a change of view, a "''Waaagh!''" will be launched, a combination of a militarized mass migration and a journey of self-discovery that sends the Orks out to find a new world to colonize. Typically Orks migrate to planetary regions termed by the Imperium as "Death Systems" places that would be suicidal for any avarage Human colony to go.

However for Orks the more dangerous and rugged the better. These expeditions are as much about the Orks proving their toughness and self worth as they are relocations, and Orks will frequently choose worlds deemed uninhabitable by humans, from icy moons orbiting gas giants to minuscule planetoids with caustic atmospheres to planets rife with the most dangerous sentient and non sentient xenos species imaginable.

These ''Waaaghs'' sometimes lead the Orks into Imperial space and therefore conflict with the Imperial Navy, though a few warning shots are usually enough to cause the Orks to turn around after sending a transmission amounting to “sorry boss, we’s gonna go build fings somewhere else den.”

If a ''Waaagh!'' lands on an inhabited world by accident, the result is more of a blessing than a curse, as the miners of Hephaestus IV found when they were unexpectedly rescued from a cave-in by Orkish workers. The Orks’ protective natures quickly extend to their “’oomie” neighbors and they will treat their new friends as honorary members of the tribe, gladly sharing food or resources and even defending them from external threats.

A planet inhabited by Orks will never lack for militia, mechanics, gourmet chefs or brewers, and indeed Ork fungus-beer and gourmet Juicy Squig with fine Ork sauces is some of the prime exports of some worlds (both xenos and imperial). Also many foodies from quadrants all around the imperium come from parcecs around to sample various forms of delicacies from the finest Gretchin gourmets around.

For their part, the Orks have little they want from humanity besides peace and respect…although the human game of chess has become extremely popular with the aliens, to the extent that the past five galactic champions have been Orks. Additionally, some Orks are fascinated with humanity’s musical instruments, resulting in the birth of “Goff Rock” and several Orkish musical groups currently on tour throughout the Imperium.

=== Tau ===
An automated Imperial survey probe discovered the Tau roughly six thousand years ago, and found a race of plains-dwelling aliens who had just mastered fire and lived in simple, hunter-gatherer societies. An expedition was sent to offer the xenos the Imperium's friendship, but a sudden and unexplained interstellar storm of immense power enveloped the sector, cutting it off from the rest of the galaxy. These storms have recently abated, and a follow-up survey has shocked the Imperium - in only six millennia, the Tau had been transformed from a peaceful but primitive civilization to a fascist, expansionist, star-spanning empire possessing advanced technology and insatiable bloodlust, making them one of the greatest threats facing the galaxy.

Somehow, the Exodite Eldar had come across the young Tau and proceeded to manipulate and mold the Tau into creatures more like themselves. For centuries the Exodites set various petty Tau kingdoms and city-states against each other, plunging their world into chaos which nearly wiped out the race. But then the Exodites capriciously changed their minds, and decided to unite the Tau under one order. Using blasphemous bio-engineering, the Exodites bred a subspecies of Tau that possessed the pheromone glands of an insectoid alien race, granting them absolute control over other Tau. These "Ethereals" became the Exodites' mouthpieces in Tau society, and with the help of Eldar technology quickly built a brutal world government before spreading into nearby star systems.

'''Tau Society'''

Tau society is strictly divided into a caste system, supposedly a society of equals, in reality a strict hierarchy. The '''Earth Caste''' are the lowliest Tau, slaving away in terrible conditions to keep the empire supplied with the wargear and supplies that fuel its aggressive expansion. The luckiest of the Earth Caste get to work on miserable farms and live in hopeless drudgery; the unlucky ones are sent to hellish factories, where maimed workers are thrown out in the streets to die.

The '''Water Caste''' are derided as conniving and untrustworthy schemers, merchants and diplomats who cheat and swindle those they come across. They mostly prey on too-trusting human societies bordering the Tau Empire, selling malfunctioning and downright dangerous equipment for outrageous prices, then laughing when their customers are killed or crippled after their purchases blow up in their faces. Worse, the Water Caste also attempts to convince human worlds to renounce the Emperor’s benevolent rule for the empty promises of Tau society, bringing in new worlds of unwitting slaves for the Tau Empire. For this reason, the Imperium has forbidden its citizens from dealing with the Tau, and dispatched Special Agents to borderworlds in order to protect people from these charlatans.

The Tau’s '''Air Caste''' are haughty and cowardly, preferring to rain destruction from far above their enemies rather than engage in a fair fight. They provide pilots and crews for the Tau’s navies and build the starships that allow the empire to expand, but the rest of the Tau view them with distrust at best. The Air Caste are notorious for launching unprovoked and unannounced orbital bombardments on defenseless worlds, laying waste to entire continents for the perverse glee they find in destroying a helpless foe.

The '''Fire Caste''' are near the top of the Tau’s social hierarchy. These short-tempered and burly creatures are ostensibly the defenders of the empire, but in reality serve as the backbone of the Tau police state. They spend much of their lives training for combat in vicious live-fire exercises that frequently result in deaths, or else spend their free time bullying the other subraces of Tau. In combat they howl with barely-contained bloodlust, and are known for using prisoners-of-war as target practice, if they bother to take prisoners at all.

But all Tau live in constant terror of the '''Ethereal Caste''', so-named because they appear to be both everywhere and nowhere, an intangible and all-encompassing presence in Tau society. These Tau devote their lives to preserving the order of the Tau Empire, by operating extensive surveillance networks that keep every Tau watching what they say, even when they think they’re alone. If an Ethereal suspects a Tau of treason – or is simply feeling bored – they will order that Tau to kill himself, an order that is instantly obeyed. A paranoid and suspicious group, the Ethereals have a grim, dark view of the universe, and believe that the Tau are surrounded by hostile aliens and beset from within by treacherous segments of their population. They hold that there are no good actions possible in such a galaxy, and instead take the “Lesser Evil” needed for survival. This Imperium has noted with considerable alarm that this philosophy has begun to spread through parts of its own population, driving cynics and nihilists to commit atrocities that they claim are justified by the grim(noble), dark(bright) world they live in. (Lulz, contradiction.)

'''Imperial Policy'''

For now, the Imperium has reluctantly steeled itself for war with the Tau, and has prepared its worlds on the Eastern Fringe for wave after wave of frothing Fire Warriors. But the Emperor holds out hope that the Tau can be redeemed – indeed, one Fire Caste commander has seen the Ethereals for the manipulative tyrants they truly are and has revolted, taking a few Tau colonies with him. This commander, named “Farsight” by his adoring troops, has opened diplomatic ties with the Imperium, and has been promised support for the inevitable counter-attack from his misguided kin.

=== Necrontyr ===

The story of the Necrontyr is also that of the terrible Great Old Ones from a time before the rise of Humanity. Once, before the birth of the Gods of Order, the Warp was not the peaceful, structured paradise it is today. Instead, it was the plaything of the Great Old Ones, abominable, xenophobic creatures hell-bent on the destruction of all life apart from themselves. The peaceful Necrontyr, which had been blessed with immortality by the life-giving rays of their sun, were one of the first races to fall afoul of their attention. The first skirmishes between the Necrontyr and the Great Old Ones went poorly for the Necrontyr, unused to war as they were, were quickly pushed back to their home world.

While desperate to find some means of defending themselves against the Great Old Ones, the Necrontyr scientists realized on comparing data with the returning refugees that the calm, unchanging surface of their own star was unusual within the galaxy. On investigating, they discovered that the reason for this was that their system had been chosen as the stewardship of one of the great shepherds of life, the C'tan that would later become known as the Daybringer. Upon explaining to the Daybringer the horrors that were being visited upon the galaxy by the Great Old Ones, the Daybringer quickly rallied its fellows to the aid of the Necrontyr.

Driven into disarray by the counterattack of the C'tan and the resurgent Necrontyr, the desperate Great Old Ones turned from genocide to genetic slavery, engineering warrior slaves from the biospheres of countless worlds, including the ancestors of the Eldar and the Orks, and granted these thralls the ability to use the Warp as weapons against their foes, resulting in the deaths of nearly all of the C'tan over the course of the war. However, despite the attempts of the wicked Great Old Ones tried to twist these races into their image they proved more open to the ideals of peace and brotherhood championed by the Necrontyr, and one by one they turned on their oppressors, and with them, the Warp also began to change, robbing the Great Old Ones of much of their power as the warp entities that would later grow become the Gods of Order and their servants began to refuse to be responsible for the destruction that the Great Old Ones called on them to wreak.

In the end, however, the threat of the Great Old Ones had to be ended permanently, and to spare the other races from having to bear the guilt of this deed, the Necrontyr and C'tan took the burden upon themselves of removing the Great Old Ones from the galaxy. Wracked with remorse at having destroyed another sapient species, regardless of the necessity of the deed to the peace of the galaxy, the Necrontyr and C'tan sealed themselves in meditation within monasteries beneath the surfaces of worlds spread across the galaxy, awaiting a time when they might be able to redeem themselves of the crime they were forced to commit.

=== Tyranids ===
Hailing from a remote world perhaps not even located in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranids were first encountered on the Imperial world of Tyran, thus earning their namesake. The Imperium's initial contact with the Tyranids was relatively peaceful, though Imperial diplomats were somewhat unnerved by the aliens' bizarre appearance and oddly-designed ships, and communication proved difficult even with the aid of a psyker translator. The Tyranids seemed to sense this unease and very politely requested to take DNA samples from the lifeforms of Tyran in order to further their research. After some negotiation, the humans agreed, and the Tyranids promptly left, seeming to disappear from the galaxy without a trace.

Nearly 200 years later, the Tyranids returned in the form of a "Genesis Fleet," a large convoy of living starships that seeded barren worlds with bizarre and beautiful forms of life. Wherever this Genesis Fleet went, dozens of meticulously crafted biospheres were left behind, each largely hospitable to humanoids and full of fascinating wildlife and ecosystems. The Tyranids left a trail of "Eden Worlds" behind it, each more exotic and fascinating than the last, until the Genesis Fleet finally met with Imperial diplomats once again. Taking new human-like forms, the Tyranids' diplomats explained that they were a race of bioengineers and terraformers seeking to study the life-forms of the universe and use their genetic data to create the perfect planet, and that the Eden Worlds were attempts that didn't quite meet their exacting specification. After additional negotiation, the Tyranids were granted the right to populate select desolate worlds on the outskirts of Imperial territory however they saw fit.

While most prefer to travel with the Genesis Fleet, a few Tyranids have settled in the Imperium, taking forms more familiar to humanity by mixing its DNA with their own. These Tyranids find great success in serving as botanists, naturalists, or ecologists, but some make use of their race's mastery of the double helix. These so-called "Gene Merchants" collect genetic data from plants, animals, and citizens, using their bio-wizardry to cure diseases and maintain the balance of local ecosystems, making them natural allies of the Agrarium of Mars. Some Gene Merchants have reportedly ensconced themselves in Space Hulks, cultivating gardens and aviaries while fighting off space pirates and hostile aliens as they try to modify the derelict spaceships to provide aid to stranded or wayward travelers.

Sadly, the time of the Tyranids may be ending. The Genesis Fleet will soon complete its journey across the galaxy, and unless some incredible new life-form is added to their genetic banks, the aliens will likely begin the long, silent voyage to another galaxy as they continue their never-ending quest to build the perfect world. The Tyranids will leave behind hundreds of miraculous Eden Worlds as their legacy and gift to this galaxy, as well as those of their race that have chosen to live among humanity.

==Persons of note==

===Sir Robin Fitzgerald===

[[Image:Chess_champion.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Robin Fitzgerald and his worthy, yet defeated, chess opponents.]]

A Imperial Guardsman, a Captain in the Praetorian 115th Regiment. He is a renown sportsman who enjoys a good game of Chess, along side his Man-Servant, Archibald. His primary chess opponents are the Brutish, but misunderstood, Orks. Often, his Man-Servant will play a game of Chess (or if he must, Checkers! Oh how uncivilized!) with Grots whilst his master and the Orks have a jolly good time at chess.

His other favorite spot of fun, would be in wild life hunting. Specifically, the barbaric Kroot. All his hunting lances and lasguns are set to not kill their prey, so as the hunt may continue another day. Indeed! Life with Robin is a jolly good show.

===Fum'aan Shu'u===
A rogue Tau mad scientist, Fum'aan Shu'u is a menace to everyone in the galaxy, including his own race. With his numerous and loyal henchmen, scattered all across Tau and Imperium Space, he works on diabolical plans to rule the universe.

Some say he could even have opened, in some hidden facility, an artificial warp gate to another dimension, where the Order Gods are evil parodies of themselves...And that he tries to create a bizarre army of corrupted human space marines and demons, all of them the results of "chaos" twisted powers.

===Sister Sinai===
Sister Sinai lives together with her Vindicare husband in a town, after having been granted a honorable discharge after having stopped a corrupted Special Agent from doing the bidding of the Tau Empire. She has been given technology to help her continue on with her life, after the accident which ended up showing why the Vindicare are some of the most valuable servants of humanity and all their allies. While she still spends much of her time thinking about religion, that still doesn't mean that she is as obsessed with it as some parody works tend to depict religious people.

At least once a week, the two of them, Sinai and her Vindicare, go out and have a dinner, talking about anything they feel like and generally having a good time.

=== The God-Emperor of Man ===
The guy so awesome the entire galaxy bows to him. Created in the distant past by countless warp shamans coming together to form a single being, that he might be able to guide all mankind to a brighter tomorrow from the shadows. After the disastrous war with the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Emperor lead his newly created force of noble, genetically enhanced knights known as the Space Marines on a crusade to rebuild the galaxy. In battle, he is a warrior without peer, a psyker powerful enough to create supernova, and a tactician beyond measure. In battle he wields a mighty Hammer of Light; which channels his formidable powers as a psyker into pure destructive energy with each blow. He has been known to loan out this hammer to the mightiest adventurers on their direst missions, and it has been at the forefront of many victories at the hands of Mankind. He personally started the tradition of showing rank by wearing giant hats (unwittingly) due to his habit of wearing a giant golden Sombrero. The Sombrero has two life-sized golden eagles that shoot plasma bolts from their eyes, and the weight of it is such that it would instantly snap the neck of any other who tried to wear it. He is largely similar to the ''Warhammer 40k'' Emperor, but never battled Horus, with his son instead peacefully ascending to a higher plane. Instead, he rules the galaxy from the golden throne.
Also, he has a goatee, which makes him the coolest human alive.

=== Macha ===
An Eldar Farseer. Eldrad's daughter, and a brilliant strategist that assures any war that breaks out is quick and resolved immediately with the help of her sister and partner, Taldeer. She is also known to be rather emotional and sleeps with quite literally anything that catches her eye, although her true love is the Emperor, whom she is engaged to, and will marry someday.

== Gameplay ==
This is a setting best adapted for ''Dark Heresy'' games and for Kill-Team scenarios in regular tabletop 40k, due to its emphasis on adventure and heroics.

==Artwork==

<gallery>
Image:Lovepeace.png|Boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da boom-de-a-da...
Image:Desob.jpg|Miriya and Drazhar with their peace children.
Image:LynnminwenCD.jpg|Lynn Minwen: Galactic Superstar
Image:EG_album.jpg|First album of Emperor's Goatee, Celestian Miriya's band : "Sisters in Battle"
Image:commissarhugs.jpg|In Brighthammer, Commissars guide their troops through encouragement, rather than fear. Also, hugs. :3
Image:1234195513474.jpg|Emperor's Goatee performing live in concert.
Image:Ghazkullyarrick4everbyjyr2.jpg
</gallery>
[[Category:Brighthammer|1st edition]]

The God-Emperor of Mankind

2015-11-17T07:24:19Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{awesome}}

<div style="text-align:center;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's the bane of Man, warped in superstition, ignorance and fear!"- One of the ironic memoirs of the Emperor. Needless to say it all went a complete 180 after a certain particular Heresy'''</div>

[[File:Lord of Mankind.jpg|400px|center|thumb|Liberating the galaxy is one thing, but he was so powerful he never once stopped looking ''fabulous'' while doing it.]]

<blockquote>
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 the from Terra,
who with Humanity and upon Terra is worshipped 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 [[Creed]] of the Mankind's Council of Nicene of Holy Terra</blockquote>

''"A leader is a dealer in hope."''

-Napoleon Bonaparte

The '''God-Emperor of Mankind''', also known as '''Tha Emprah''', '''Emps''', '''The Big E''', '''E-Money''', '''Master of Mankind''', '''Space Jesus''', and also sometimes called '''The Great and Glorious Big Mac Daddy King Emprah of all things Epic and Awesome''' (ahem, ahem), or '''The Anathema''', '''The Carrion Lord''', '''The False Emperor''' and '''Corpse on the Throne''' if you're not a fan of Him<s>, which is totally understandable</s>{{BLAM}} is the figurehead ruler of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the [[Warhammer 40k]] universe and is the only sustaining Hope for Humanity as Faster than Light Travel is [[Astronomican|entirely dependent on him]]. The [[Administratum]] he established continues to govern the [[Imperium]] in his name, but it is generally accepted that the absence of the Emperor's proper guidance is what has turned the Imperium into the [[/b/|hellish mess]] that it is. In the [[Imperium]], questioning whatever your superior tells (yells at) you the Emperor's word happens to be that day, is treason and [[heresy]], typically punished by [[blam|death]]. Were The Emperor up and about in the 41st millennium, it goes without saying that he would be disappoint. Most fa/tg/uys expect him to [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/bio speak in a generic deep, stentorian voice].

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.

==The Entire History of the Emprah==
[[File:Majestica.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Big E gets all the bitches.]]

According to older (read: 1st & 2nd edition) [[fluff]], the being that would eventually become known as the Emperor was born in 8000 BC in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Allegedly, this 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. That being said, nothing has explicitly contradicted this story, and the only other theory is that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]], meaning an immortal ''-but ultimately human-'' psyker with countless lifetimes' worth of knowledge and power and the ambition to use it. However, this theory seems unlikely, especially given the Chaos Gods apparently view the Emperor as an equal/rival, an honor they give to none of the other known Perpetuals, and the ''Horus Heresy'' novels have dropped hints that the Emperor is actually a "we."

The 1st & 2nd edition fluff also mentions that he guided humanity throughout history under a number of guises, such as Jesus, Mohammed, the Buddha, etc. (and, it has to be assumed, [[Conan the Barbarian]]).

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]] (somehow...), 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 -- but given how [[Awesome]] it sounds, we're going to say it did.

Apparently, he mostly stayed out of the way during the next 30,000 years of human history, including the [[Dark Age of Technology]], though hot off the press fluff indicates he might have been travelling outer space in old-style NASA rockets with the other Perpetuals. 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 the gods powers from them, and when he emerged he was one of the most invincible beings in the universe at the expense of ensuring that Chaos would stop at nothing to get revenge on him (and humanity by extension). <s>(Nice work Big "E"diot!)</s> {{BLAM| '''*BLAM!* HERESY!'''}}

He returns to Terra at the closing of the [[Age of Strife]]. With Terra cut off from the rest of humanity's former empire and the Terra itself ruled by warring "techno-barbarians" in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the Emperor decided to reveal himself, using his mastery of genetic engineering to create the [[Thunder Warriors]], the predecessors to the Space Marines. Using "join-me-or-die" tactics, he managed to conquer the entirety of Terra during the Unification Wars. Then, he made contact with the Mechanicus on Mars and, calling himself the [[Omnissiah]], convinced them to build him weapons and ships. Around this time, he also created the [[Imperial Truth]], which says that religion, faith, and superstition were all banned; apparently, it took him this long to realize the whole "Peace, Love, and Religion" thing wasn't working.

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 to serve as his generals using himself as the template; though with his new-found powers ''apparently'' stolen from the Gods at Molech, they would inevitably be pissed at him cloning THEIR energies. So the Chaos Gods snatched them away (via time-travel-as-a-vision shenanigans) from their incubators in a secret lab underneath the Himalayas and scattered them across the galaxy. Luckily for the Emperor, some genetic code was left over, and so from that he created 20 Legions to serve as the elites of his army: The [[Space Marine|SPEHSS MEHREENS]]. So, with his armies complete (minus the Primarchs, which he hoped to find), he embarked on the [[Great Crusade]] to once again allow humanity to control the stars.

As he found each Primarch, he assigned them to command each of their respective Legions to retake humanity in the [[Great Crusade]] (although, at some point, two of them disappeared or were executed, leaving only 18 Primarchs and Legions at the end of the Great Crusade). A military campaign of a grand scale, this is also when the SPESS MEHREENS were the most awesome and at their peak. [[just as planned|Just when things seem to be going well]], the [[Horus Heresy]] erupts where 9 of the Primarchs and their legions rebel against the Emprah. In the end, the Emperor fought and slew [[Horus]] (who was daddy's favorite) 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]] (and he humiliated himself in the middle of the fight when he cried).

Subsequently, without the Emperor's leadership, the Imperium eventually degraded into the theocratic [[Grimdark]] empire we all know and love today, in the 41st millennium.

While interred on the Golden Throne, the Emperor's psy-essence prevents [[daemon|daemonkind]] from directly assailing [[Terra]], and also sustains the psychic-beacon known as the [[Astronomicon]]. Without the Emperor, warp travel would not be possible, and everyone on Terra would be raped, both sexually and non-sexually.

It is established that the Emperor is pretty much the most powerful psyker alive, humbling even the [[Eldar]]. He is tens of thousands of years old and has been secretly guiding humanity from behind the scenes for much of his lifetime. Theories variously suggest that he was also Sigmar of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] fame, Julius Caesar, [[Conan the Barbarian]], [[meme|Chuck Norris]], Christopher Lee, and Jesus. It is uncertain as to whether or not his internment on the Golden Throne is a good thing; some believe that if he were to die, the [[Imperium]] would be truly plunged into darkness, whereas others believe that if allowed to finally die he would reincarnate and return to unify the galaxy once more. Whatever the truth of the matter, [[Games Workshop]] are never going to advance the story, so it is mostly irrelevant. Unless you take WHFB as a example, where things end. Badly. Or he may be Archaon, because "Lord of Chaos" labels him as a chaos hater willing to sell his soul to steal their powers/gifts to kill them and stop their worship, ultimately killing them. And he has rock-bones (think "space marine ceramite bones", GW loves rehashing old ideas).

==The Emprah Himself==
:''"The Emperor was a brilliant scientist, a powerful warrior, and great psyker, but he was a terrible [[Venus' Burn|father...]]"
:-[[Roboute Guilliman]], giving the most short yet accurate biography of the Emperor.

[[File:Climax.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A typical father and son chat between Empy and Horus.]]
After he shaved his goatee, his chin radiated a brilliant light through the [[Warp]]. The [[Imperial Navy]] uses this light, the Astronomicon, as a beacon to guide them through that 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.

The Emperor is said to be so powerful that he could [[Awesome|destroy suns with ease]], though he has never actually done so. The [[Chaos]] Gods are scared as fuck of the guy, and hope he dies so they can take over the universe. ''If'' the God Emperor were to arise again [[Chaos]] would be '''FUCKED'''. The [[Eldar]] fear that if the Emperor were to die a new [[Eye of Terror]] would be opened and Chaos would take over everything. Whether this is true is unknown, but the Imperium is not too keen on finding out.

After he was nearly killed by his son, he was placed on the Golden Throne and hasn't been able to move for the past few millennia. Most of the fluff maintains that his existence on a day-to-day basis since then is a 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 continues. Why? He may be the universe's most powerful vegetable, but that doesn't mean that he can just sit down and die. Oh no, it's exactly the opposite. It gives him a fuckton of work to do, and along with being the lighthouse of the warp guiding the Imperial Navy, he also needs to make the aforementioned astropaths, as well as keeping all the nasties of the warp where they're supposed to be and not spilling over into reality and make the lives of all human beings miserable. He also does it for the good of man. (sounds kinda familiar, don't it?) In the last year of M41 techpriests discovered that the Golden Throne is failing and the Emperor is dying. There is a 50/50 chance of the Emperor returning to life or dying forever and everyone in the Imperium becoming a Chaos sex toy/punching bag/plague vector/science experiment. Note that if the Empreror recovers he'd be several hundred times more powerful. Emps was born because of tens of thousands Psykers combining their souls. Since Empy has probably gained about 110365 souls since he got put on that throne.

:''"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

For all his desire to guide and protect humanity, there is a lot of proof, particularly from the Horus Heresy books and some short stories, that the Emperor was not Space Jesus, but Space Caesar. He [[Nazi| declared humanity the superiors of xenos]], setting the basis for humanity's genocidal xenophobia (and the hatred of nearly every xenos race in turn); planned to reunite humanity under his rule no matter what anyone else wanted/thought, by force of arms if needed; cared little for the primarchs as his actual sons, thinking of them as generals and tools rather than his children, screwing over several in his efforts to recruit them (hence causing their later betrayals), carried out many unethical and morally questionable experiments and so on. He helped Corvus turn his homeworld (and moon) into a great place to live, but for some reason didn't bother doing this for Olympia or Nostromo- in both cases this contributed to the Primarchs turning traitor. Plus, while he kept the already moral-as-fuck Vulkan at his side for decades, risking the Salamanders' existence in the process, he totally neglected his least stable sons, i.e. the ones who really needed some guidance. And that whole sorcery issue which divided the Primarchs, kept Mortarion estranged from him and led to the Wolves destroying Prospero? Could probably have been avoided if he'd listened to Jaghatai Khan and a) told his sons the truth about the Warp and his plans (we don't even know what the lost Primarchs are called, isn't that enough proof that they can all keep a secret?) and b) explained that they all had psychic potential and c) showed them all how to use it responsibly.

His reign killed more humans than the entire rest of humanities dictators in history up to that point ''combined'', and that's assuming you don't count all the other sapient organisms that might or might not have deserved it. Even during the Unification Wars several Terran cultures were wiped out wholesale (Orcia on Antarctica, for example, was razed to the ground for being religious, after its forces were defeated and its people were ready to surrender, just to make a point), and Imperial culture was pretty bad at incorporating non-Terran elements. For example, there's basically no trace left of the Interex, Auretian Technocracy and Diasporex.

It can be said that the Emperor was such an asshole due to the state of the universe he founded himself in and that he acted as he did believing small (small as in billions versus trillions, though the death toll of the Imperium's wars are probably in the trillions by now) sacrifices were all for the greater good ([[Tau|Now where have we heard that before?]]) but that doesn't change the fact he began a crusade that would have culled billions and destroy entire xenos species even if the campaign had gone well and not ended in the Horus Heresy (assuming that the Emperor would have allowed it to end at all).

Plus, he really didn't think the post-Ullanor phase through at all, except for appointing Horus as Warmaster and Dorn as Praetorian. At the very least he should've had Guilliman take over administrative duties to avoid taxes being imposed prematurely on newly compliant worlds, seeing as the civilian administrators helped to alienate a lot of his soldiers.

To be fair, the whole reason humanity (and the Emperor) hates aliens is because during the Age of Strife, numerous xenos races exploited humanity's weakness by raiding, looting, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Then the Emperor comes along and decides that the best way to stop it from happening again is to wipe out all xenos that might 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, possessed a planet, influenced human culture at all, or were intelligent at all, in which case the results were predictable). Ever since his ascension, the Imperium forgot about the part where harmless aliens are tolerated and just thinks they should all be killed. But on the other hand, [[Orks|the]] [[Necrons|most]] [[Tyranids|common]] [[Eldar|xenos]] [[Dark Eldar|are]] [[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 is wrong on every level to the Imperium (hence the whole mess with the Interex/Diasporex).

Ironically, the whole hatred-of-all-xenos thing helped to tip the Word Bearers into Chaos worship, as Chaos' emissaries presented themselves as mankind's only protection against aliens.

==Worship of the Emperor==
[[File:646545.jpg|thumb|300px|What the Emperor looked like before Horus decided to bitchslap him. Notice the giant skull. How did that skull get so big? Is it a plastic faux-skull, or is it an alien skull? (What he doesn't want you to know is that the E is actually a midgit, the armour is a mechanic and that's a regular skull) Anyway, back on topic. You don't get to see the Emperor out of armor very often.]]
Humans worship the Emperor as the one true god. Now, the only reason the Imperium worships the Emperor is that after his fight with Horus and his internment into the Golden Throne, they pretty much forgot what the Emperor taught them and began to worship him. Ol' Empy did not actually tell anyone of the Chaos Gods as part of his plan to starve them, withholding the information even from the Primarchs in hopes of protecting them from corruption on account of ignorance being bliss. Unfortunately this became part of why the Horus Heresy happened in the first place, as while not knowing the existance of the chaos gods could have prevented his servants from falling to the temptation of worshipping some very REAL gods, it also left them without the knowledge of what to do when faced with the influence of said deities. 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 do understand that Chaos existed but treated it secularly and scientifically, rendering them more proficient with dealing with Chaos than the Imperium.

The Emperor was actually AGAINST any kind of religion as part of his [[Imperial Truth]] and plan for mankind to be [[Star Trek|a utopia of science and reason]], even if the object of worship would be himself like when he told [[Lorgar]] to fuck off with the God-Emperor worship. The Emperor was only half-right about this because he didn't realize that Chaos runs off emotion rather than worship, thus his plan to weaken them wouldn't have been ultimately successful in the long run. While Chaos does draw more power from direct worship to them, even if worship of them is stopped at large, they can still draw from the everyday emotions. Without cultists, there would be no summoning of demons. Without uncontrolled psykers, few possessions would occur. Thus, without religion and warp travel, the Chaos Gods and their minions wouldn't be able to access the Materium (for the most part). Hence why the Emperor tried to access the Webway where Mankind can be able to travel through space while minimizing exposure to Chaos. Who gives a shit about the Ruinous Powers if they're stuck in the Warp?

However, he made a critical mistake in disregarding the human need to believe in something greater than oneself, and despite his best efforts with the Imperial Truth reason and logic simply weren't enough to fill the place of religion. Ironically, his solution was not to suppress faith but to redirect it towards something else, intended to be the idea of the Imperium, but because of his own unmatched psychic powers and enigmatic nature that "something else" ended up being the Emperor himself. After he went off being the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe, and lost direct control of the Imperium of man, belief in him sort of helped the Imperium stand together, even if it basically dropped 99.9% of humanity's IQ in the process- 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 is stuck in its current state of near-death. 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 lizards who exist only to feed and grow]]...
*[[Necron|Aeons-old zombie-terminator robots from space set on culling all life from the galaxy]]...
*[[C'Tan|Diabolical celestial beings literally as old as the stars themselves whose single concern is harvesting souls for consumption]]...
*[[Orks|Green-hued xeno-barbarians whose pastimes, ambitions, job skills, and dreams can basically be summed-up as bludgeoning]]...
*[[Tau|Technologically advanced space communists wanting to assimilate everyone in their quasi Hindu-Communist empire and who take after Billy Mays]]...
*[[Eldar|Snooty and uncaring space elves that can read minds and who eat, sleep, and live 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 and evil]]...
*[[daemon|Nightmare horrors made real who will rape and/or eat 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.]]
*[[Rak'gol|Homicidal alien, lizard, insect, cyborg type monster-pirates that horribly kill you for fun]]...
*[[Games Workshop|Malignant, omnipotent intelligences 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 and themselves again like in the pre-Great Crusade days and subsequently devolved into what they were before the Emperor liberated them.

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. 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, 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 [[Ultramarines|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]].

==The possible death of the Emperor==
[[File:Emperor of mankind flaming sword armor.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Badass and glorious.]]
With the Golden Throne being constantly damaged and the Techpriests are too power-armor-on-head rebooted to do anything about it, it is certainly possible that the Emperor may die one day, which will obviously result in all of the Imperial worlds and factions to cry tears of disappointment and subsequently devolve into chaos (maybe even with a capital "C"). There are however, 3 possible outcomes of what will happen if the Emperor should ever die:

===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, plunging Holy Terra and all nearby planets 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 occur on Terra which the Emperor has had to spend every second for the last 10,000 years concentrating on to keep it from getting any bigger (the [[Adeptus Custodes]] has spent the same amount of time chopping up daemons that jump through). If he were to die or his attention were to waver for too long it would grow and rip the Imperium apart.

Additionally, a new Chaos God could be created, which will most certainly be a God of all the Grimdarkness in the galaxy, ensuring that it would eclipse all of the powers of the other Gods as the Emperor would finally be the God of all, this is especially true since nearly everything that is grimdark comes from Chaos and the entire WH40K setting is itself a massive pile of it... that or Malal would burst back into existence.
Some also fear that a fifth Chaos God's presence would just crush reality as-is reverting everything back into the immaterium.

===Regeneration===
No, not the [[Doctor Who]] kind. The Horus Heresy novel 'Vulkan Lives' heavily implies that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]] like John Grammaticus, Vulkan, Oll Persson and [[Anval Thawn]], all of who were able to survive things which should have completely obliterated them. So all he simply needs to do is die and wait a couple of hours/days and he'll be reborn again (in the "get up off the ground and dust himself off" sense). In theory, at least. Vulkan, for instance, was driven mad by the torturous experiences he had endured under the Night Haunter, and they were child's play compared to sitting in unthinkable agony unable to move or speak for ten thousand years rotting alive. However, a more commonly held belief is that he will get up, re-establish the [[Imperial Truth]], and just be a cool guy.

In fact, a whole faction of the [[Inquisition]]: '''Thorianism''' exists to investigate this possibility, looking for possible signs that the Emperor's consciousness can be transferred elsewhere, allowing him to walk amongst men 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.)

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 conditioned by the Ecclesiarchy over thousands of years, which would cause [[Horus Heresy|another major civil war]].

Not only that, but having him stand up to stretch his legs before the hole in reality caused inadvertently caused by Magnus is fixed or have someone powerful enough to replace him would potentially cause the same result as a new Eye of Terror (see above). As towards the end of the Horus Heresy, he only moved from the seat in the final battle when [[Malcador the Sigillite]] ''(the third most powerful "known" human psyker - after [[Magnus]])'' took his place temporarily, which was still enough to crumble him to dust.

===The Star Child===
Although years of GW's 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 Emprasoul fragment is the Star Child, another god waiting to be reborn - or perhaps be reincarnated into human flesh. (anyone call for one scout mcvenner) 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, and according to [[fluff|prophecy]], stalemate the four Chaos Gods while the races of the galaxy were left to battle it out in one last great Ragnarok scenario.

This theory is tied closely to the <s>[[Sensei]]</s> Illuminati, a group of either supremely enlightened individuals or dangerous mutant heretic xenos-fuckers, depending on which side of the [[Inquisition]] you're on. The Illuminati plan to catch all of the Sensei and sacrifice them in the golden throne at the moment of Empra's death and <s>he will become the Sensei-Emprah(Numen). Yay!</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}

The fluff revealed that the Illuminati were a minor Tzeench cult and the sensei were effectively brainwashed soon-to-be sacrifices in an attempt to bring Tzeench to the materium. Needless to say, they have been purged by the Inquisition. The fluff in the <s>Bronislaw Czevaka</s> Jac Draco books revealed that the Ordo Hydra (a small splinter faction of the Illuminati who seek to turn humanity into a psychic hivemind) 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 freely permitted to access the Black Library along with Harlequin Solitaires. Except that is a bizarre fusion of new and old fluff. The Inquisition Trilogy was retconned away. It is like the nuance of the Squats being eaten by Tyranids versus never have existed in the first place.

== Gallery ==
<center><gallery>
File:Golden Throne-Imperial Webway.jpg|The Big E upon the Golden Throne (before the decay set in)
File:Emperor of Mankind Classic Portrait face.jpg|The guiding light in the Imperium of Man shines forever bright
Image:1220179589932.jpg|The Emperor protects man from all.
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!"
Image:Horus and the Emperor.jpg|Son, I am disappoint.
Image:Wh40k-emperor.jpg| Yearbook photo.
Image:When you ruin his groove by Lutherniel.jpg| His groove, do not ruin it.
File: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!
File:Emperor of Mankind model action figure.jpg|He makes for one helluva action figure
Image:8.jpg|<s>The Em-purr-or of all Catkind!Nyuh!</s> <s>{{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}}</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}} THE EMPERAOR WAS ALWAYS A CAT
Image:1271118030729.jpg|Just imagine if the Chaos Gods didn't scatter the primarchs through out the galaxy... Wait where's that little scamp Omegon? (just off picture, sneaking up behind Guilliman)
Image:God-Emperor_Goldlich.jpg|Death is no excuse to stop bein' pimp.
File:God_Emperor_Interred_On_Golden_Throne.jpg|Thinking to himself, "I really, REALLY hate Horus!"
Image:Emperor blackwhite.jpg|He might be the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe but the Custodes can't give him a decent hygiene program.
Image:The Immortal Emprah.jpg|<s>Not so divine now, is he?</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}
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|The Carrion Lord with his two left arms.
File: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: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.
Image:Femprah_by_Mr-Culexus.jpg|Oh, give it a fucking rest...
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 fairly amicable when he meets an elf/eldar who isn't a complete failure.
Image:First_Founding_Problems.jpg|Perhaps with a better armor design, Emps might not have been late for [[Horus]]'s after school soccer games and things might have turned out differently.
File:Rainbow Emperor.gif| The Emperor in Rainbow Form
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 acient (1600BC) Hittite Empire from Anatolia, which, unknown to many, is Emperor's first try at conquering the world. CONNECTION, BITCHES!
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* The [[Imperium]], for the empire he founded.
* [[Sigmar]] Unberogen, his [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]] counterpart.
* [[Emperor's To-Do List]]
* [http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/25959559/ This thread] which makes the Emperor even cooler.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2nM1GEllg/ A series on Youtube, it shows what would happen if the Emperor had a Text to Speech device.]
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device]] article in 1d4chan.

{{Imperium}}
[[Category:Gods]]

The God-Emperor of Mankind

2015-11-17T07:09:38Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{awesome}}

<div style="text-align:center;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's the bane of Man, warped in superstition, ignorance and fear!"- One of the ironic memoirs of the Emperor. Needless to say it all went a complete 180 after a certain particular Heresy'''</div>

[[File:Lord of Mankind.jpg|400px|center|thumb|Liberating the galaxy is one thing, but he was so powerful he never once stopped looking ''fabulous'' while doing it.]]

<blockquote>
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 the from Terra,
who with Humanity and upon Terra is worshipped 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 [[Creed]] of the Mankind's Council of Nicene of Holy Terra</blockquote>

''"A leader is a dealer in hope."''

-Napoleon Bonaparte

The '''God-Emperor of Mankind''', also known as '''Tha Emprah''', '''Emps''', '''The Big E''', '''E-Money''', '''Master of Mankind''', '''Space Jesus''', and also sometimes called '''The Great and Glorious Big Mac Daddy King Emprah of all things Epic and Awesome''' (ahem, ahem), or '''The Anathema''', '''The Carrion Lord''', '''The False Emperor''' and '''Corpse on the Throne''' if you're not a fan of Him<s>, which is totally understandable</s>{{BLAM}} is the figurehead ruler of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the [[Warhammer 40k]] universe and is the only sustaining Hope for Humanity as Faster than Light Travel is [[Astronomican|entirely dependent on him]]. The [[Administratum]] he established continues to govern the [[Imperium]] in his name, but it is generally accepted that the absence of the Emperor's proper guidance is what has turned the Imperium into the [[/b/|hellish mess]] that it is. In the [[Imperium]], questioning whatever your superior tells (yells at) you the Emperor's word happens to be that day, is treason and [[heresy]], typically punished by [[blam|death]]. Were The Emperor up and about in the 41st millennium, it goes without saying that he would be disappoint. Most fa/tg/uys expect him to [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/bio speak in a generic deep, stentorian voice].

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.

==The Entire History of the Emprah==
[[File:Majestica.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Big E gets all the bitches.]]

According to older (read: 1st & 2nd edition) [[fluff]], the being that would eventually become known as the Emperor was born in 8000 BC in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Allegedly, this 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. That being said, nothing has explicitly contradicted this story, and the only other theory is that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]], meaning an immortal ''-but ultimately human-'' psyker with countless lifetimes' worth of knowledge and power and the ambition to use it. However, this theory seems unlikely, especially given the Chaos Gods apparently view the Emperor as an equal/rival, an honor they give to none of the other known Perpetuals, and the ''Horus Heresy'' novels have dropped hints that the Emperor is actually a "we."

The 1st & 2nd edition fluff also mentions that he guided humanity throughout history under a number of guises, such as Jesus, Mohammed, the Buddha, etc. (and, it has to be assumed, [[Conan the Barbarian]]).

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]] (somehow...), 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 -- but given how [[Awesome]] it sounds, we're going to say it did.

Apparently, he mostly stayed out of the way during the next 30,000 years of human history, including the [[Dark Age of Technology]], though hot off the press fluff indicates he might have been travelling outer space in old-style NASA rockets with the other Perpetuals. 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 the gods powers from them, and when he emerged he was one of the most invincible beings in the universe at the expense of ensuring that Chaos would stop at nothing to get revenge on him (and humanity by extension). <s>(Nice work Big "E"diot!)</s> {{BLAM| '''*BLAM!* HERESY!'''}}

He returns to Terra at the closing of the [[Age of Strife]]. With Terra cut off from the rest of humanity's former empire and the Terra itself ruled by warring "techno-barbarians" in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the Emperor decided to reveal himself, using his mastery of genetic engineering to create the [[Thunder Warriors]], the predecessors to the Space Marines. Using "join-me-or-die" tactics, he managed to conquer the entirety of Terra during the Unification Wars. Then, he made contact with the Mechanicus on Mars and, calling himself the [[Omnissiah]], convinced them to build him weapons and ships. Around this time, he also created the [[Imperial Truth]], which says that religion, faith, and superstition were all banned; apparently, it took him this long to realize the whole "Peace, Love, and Religion" thing wasn't working.

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 to serve as his generals using himself as the template; though with his new-found powers ''apparently'' stolen from the Gods at Molech, they would inevitably be pissed at him cloning THEIR energies. So the Chaos Gods snatched them away (via time-travel-as-a-vision shenanigans) from their incubators in a secret lab underneath the Himalayas and scattered them across the galaxy. Luckily for the Emperor, some genetic code was left over, and so from that he created 20 Legions to serve as the elites of his army: The [[Space Marine|SPEHSS MEHREENS]]. So, with his armies complete (minus the Primarchs, which he hoped to find), he embarked on the [[Great Crusade]] to once again allow humanity to control the stars.

As he found each Primarch, he assigned them to command each of their respective Legions to retake humanity in the [[Great Crusade]] (although, at some point, two of them disappeared or were executed, leaving only 18 Primarchs and Legions at the end of the Great Crusade). A military campaign of a grand scale, this is also when the SPESS MEHREENS were the most awesome and at their peak. [[just as planned|Just when things seem to be going well]], the [[Horus Heresy]] erupts where 9 of the Primarchs and their legions rebel against the Emprah. In the end, the Emperor fought and slew [[Horus]] (who was daddy's favorite) 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]] (and he humiliated himself in the middle of the fight when he cried).

Subsequently, without the Emperor's leadership, the Imperium eventually degraded into the theocratic [[Grimdark]] empire we all know and love today, in the 41st millennium.

While interred on the Golden Throne, the Emperor's psy-essence prevents [[daemon|daemonkind]] from directly assailing [[Terra]], and also sustains the psychic-beacon known as the [[Astronomicon]]. Without the Emperor, warp travel would not be possible, and everyone on Terra would be raped, both sexually and non-sexually.

It is established that the Emperor is pretty much the most powerful psyker alive, humbling even the [[Eldar]]. He is tens of thousands of years old and has been secretly guiding humanity from behind the scenes for much of his lifetime. Theories variously suggest that he was also Sigmar of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] fame, Julius Caesar, [[Conan the Barbarian]], [[meme|Chuck Norris]], Christopher Lee, and Jesus. It is uncertain as to whether or not his internment on the Golden Throne is a good thing; some believe that if he were to die, the [[Imperium]] would be truly plunged into darkness, whereas others believe that if allowed to finally die he would reincarnate and return to unify the galaxy once more. Whatever the truth of the matter, [[Games Workshop]] are never going to advance the story, so it is mostly irrelevant. Unless you take WHFB as a example, where things end. Badly. Or he may be Archaon, because "Lord of Chaos" labels him as a chaos hater willing to sell his soul to steal their powers/gifts to kill them and stop their worship, ultimately killing them. And he has rock-bones (think "space marine ceramite bones", GW loves rehashing old ideas).

==The Emprah Himself==
:''"The Emperor was a brilliant scientist, a powerful warrior, and great psyker, but he was a terrible [[Venus' Burn|father...]]"
:-[[Roboute Guilliman]], giving the most short yet accurate biography of the Emperor.

[[File:Climax.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A typical father and son chat between Empy and Horus.]]
After he shaved his goatee, his chin radiated a brilliant light through the [[Warp]]. The [[Imperial Navy]] uses this light, the Astronomicon, as a beacon to guide them through that 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.

The Emperor is said to be so powerful that he could [[Awesome|destroy suns with ease]], though he has never actually done so. The [[Chaos]] Gods are scared as fuck of the guy, and hope he dies so they can take over the universe. ''If'' the God Emperor were to arise again [[Chaos]] would be '''FUCKED'''. The [[Eldar]] fear that if the Emperor were to die a new [[Eye of Terror]] would be opened and Chaos would take over everything. Whether this is true is unknown, but the Imperium is not too keen on finding out.

After he was nearly killed by his son, he was placed on the Golden Throne and hasn't been able to move for the past few millennia. Most of the fluff maintains that his existence on a day-to-day basis since then is a 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 continues. Why? He may be the universe's most powerful vegetable, but that doesn't mean that he can just sit down and die. Oh no, it's exactly the opposite. It gives him a fuckton of work to do, and along with being the lighthouse of the warp guiding the Imperial Navy, he also needs to make the aforementioned astropaths, as well as keeping all the nasties of the warp where they're supposed to be and not spilling over into reality and make the lives of all human beings miserable. He also does it for the good of man. (sounds kinda familiar, don't it?) In the last year of M41 techpriests discovered that the Golden Throne is failing and the Emperor is dying. There is a 50/50 chance of the Emperor returning to life or dying forever and everyone in the Imperium becoming a Chaos sex toy/punching bag/plague vector/science experiment. Note that if the Empreror recovers he'd be several hundred times more powerful. Emps was born because of tens of thousands Psykers combining their souls. Since Empy has probably gained about 110365 souls since he got put on that throne.

:''"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

For all his desire to guide and protect humanity, there is a lot of proof, particularly from the Horus Heresy books and some short stories, that the Emperor was not Space Jesus, but Space Caesar. He [[Nazi| declared humanity the superiors of xenos]], setting the basis for humanity's genocidal xenophobia (and the hatred of nearly every xenos race in turn); planned to reunite humanity under his rule no matter what anyone else wanted/thought, by force of arms if needed; cared little for the primarchs as his actual sons, thinking of them as generals and tools rather than his children, screwing over several in his efforts to recruit them (hence causing their later betrayals), carried out many unethical and morally questionable experiments and so on. He helped Corvus turn his homeworld (and moon) into a great place to live, but for some reason didn't bother doing this for Olympia or Nostromo- in both cases this contributed to the Primarchs turning traitor. Plus, while he kept the already moral-as-fuck Vulkan at his side for decades, risking the Salamanders' existence in the process, he totally neglected his least stable sons, i.e. the ones who really needed some guidance. And that whole sorcery issue which divided the Primarchs, kept Mortarion estranged from him and led to the Wolves destroying Prospero? Could probably have been avoided if he'd listened to Jaghatai Khan and a) told his sons the truth about the Warp and his plans (we don't even know what the lost Primarchs are called, isn't that enough proof that they can all keep a secret?) and b) explained that they all had psychic potential and c) showed them all how to use it responsibly.

His reign killed more humans than the entire rest of humanities dictators in history up to that point ''combined'', and that's assuming you don't count all the other sapient organisms that might or might not have deserved it. Even during the Unification Wars several Terran cultures were wiped out wholesale (Orcia on Antarctica, for example, was razed to the ground for being religious, after its forces were defeated and its people were ready to surrender, just to make a point), and Imperial culture was pretty bad at incorporating non-Terran elements. For example, there's basically no trace left of the Interex, Auretian Technocracy and Diasporex.

It can be said that the Emperor was such an asshole due to the state of the universe he founded himself in and that he acted as he did believing small (small as in billions versus trillions, though the death toll of the Imperium's wars are probably in the trillions by now) sacrifices were all for the greater good ([[Tau|Now where have we heard that before?]]) but that doesn't change the fact he began a crusade that would have culled billions and destroy entire xenos species even if the campaign had gone well and not ended in the Horus Heresy (assuming that the Emperor would have allowed it to end at all).

Plus, he really didn't think the post-Ullanor phase through at all, except for appointing Horus as Warmaster and Dorn as Praetorian. At the very least he should've had Guilliman take over administrative duties to avoid taxes being imposed prematurely on newly compliant worlds, seeing as the civilian administrators helped to alienate a lot of his soldiers.

To be fair, the whole reason humanity (and the Emperor) hates aliens is because during the Age of Strife, numerous xenos races exploited humanity's weakness by raiding, looting, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Then the Emperor comes along and decides that the best way to stop it from happening again is to wipe out all xenos that might 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, possessed a planet, influenced human culture at all, or were intelligent at all, in which case the results were predictable). Ever since his ascension, the Imperium forgot about the part where harmless aliens are tolerated and just thinks they should all be killed. But on the other hand, [[Orks|the]] [[Necrons|most]] [[Tyranids|common]] [[Eldar|xenos]] [[Dark Eldar|are]] [[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 is wrong on every level to the Imperium (hence the whole mess with the Interex/Diasporex).

Ironically, the whole hatred-of-all-xenos thing helped to tip the Word Bearers into Chaos worship, as Chaos' emissaries presented themselves as mankind's only protection against aliens.

==Worship of the Emperor==
[[File:646545.jpg|thumb|300px|What the Emperor looked like before Horus decided to bitchslap him. Notice the giant skull. How did that skull get so big? Is it a plastic faux-skull, or is it an alien skull? (What he doesn't want you to know is that the E is actually a midgit, the armour is a mechanic and that's a regular skull) Anyway, back on topic. You don't get to see the Emperor out of armor very often.]]
Humans worship the Emperor as the one true god. Now, the only reason the Imperium worships the Emperor is that after his fight with Horus and his internment into the Golden Throne, they pretty much forgot what the Emperor taught them and began to worship him. Ol' Empy did not actually tell anyone of the Chaos Gods as part of his plan to starve them, withholding the information even from the Primarchs in hopes of protecting them from corruption on account of ignorance being bliss. Unfortunately this became part of why the Horus Heresy happened in the first place, as while not knowing the existance of the chaos gods could have prevented his servants from falling to the temptation of worshipping some very REAL gods, it also left them without the knowledge of what to do when faced with the influence of said deities. 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 do understand that Chaos existed but treated it secularly and scientifically, rendering them more proficient with dealing with Chaos than the Imperium.

The Emperor was actually AGAINST any kind of religion as part of his [[Imperial Truth]] and plan for mankind to be [[Star Trek|a utopia of science and reason]], even if the object of worship would be himself like when he told [[Lorgar]] to fuck off with the God-Emperor worship. The Emperor was only half-right about this because he didn't realize that Chaos runs off emotion rather than worship, thus his plan to weaken them wouldn't have been ultimately successful in the long run. While Chaos does draw more power from direct worship to them, even if worship of them is stopped at large, they can still draw from the everyday emotions. Without cultists, there would be no summoning of demons. Without uncontrolled psykers, few possessions would occur. Thus, without religion and warp travel, the Chaos Gods and their minions wouldn't be able to access the Materium (for the most part). Hence why the Emperor tried to access the Webway where Mankind can be able to travel through space while minimizing exposure to Chaos. Who gives a shit about the Ruinous Powers if they're stuck in the Warp?

However, he made a critical mistake in disregarding the human need to believe in something greater than oneself, and despite his best efforts with the Imperial Truth reason and logic simply weren't enough to fill the place of religion. Ironically, his solution was not to suppress faith but to redirect it towards something else, intended to be the idea of the Imperium, but because of his own unmatched psychic powers and enigmatic nature that "something else" ended up being the Emperor himself. After he went off being the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe, and lost direct control of the Imperium of man, belief in him sort of helped the Imperium stand together, even if it basically dropped 99.9% of humanity's IQ in the process- 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 is stuck in its current state of near-death. 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 lizards who exist only to feed and grow]]...
*[[Necron|Aeons-old zombie-terminator robots from space set on culling all life from the galaxy]]...
*[[C'Tan|Diabolical celestial beings literally as old as the stars themselves whose single concern is harvesting souls for consumption]]...
*[[Orks|Green-hued xeno-barbarians whose pastimes, ambitions, job skills, and dreams can basically be summed-up as bludgeoning]]...
*[[Tau|Technologically advanced space communists wanting to assimilate everyone in their quasi Hindu-Communist empire and who take after Billy Mays]]...
*[[Eldar|Snooty and uncaring space elves that can read minds and who eat, sleep, and live 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 and evil]]...
*[[daemon|Nightmare horrors made real who will rape and/or eat 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.]]
*[[Rak'gol|Homicidal alien, lizard, insect, cyborg type monster-pirates that horribly kill you for fun]]...
*[[Games Workshop|Malignant, omnipotent intelligences 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 and themselves again like in the pre-Great Crusade days and subsequently devolved into what they were before the Emperor liberated them. 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.

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. 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, 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 [[Ultramarines|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]].

==The possible death of the Emperor==
[[File:Emperor of mankind flaming sword armor.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Badass and glorious.]]
With the Golden Throne being constantly damaged and the Techpriests are too power-armor-on-head rebooted to do anything about it, it is certainly possible that the Emperor may die one day, which will obviously result in all of the Imperial worlds and factions to cry tears of disappointment and subsequently devolve into chaos (maybe even with a capital "C"). There are however, 3 possible outcomes of what will happen if the Emperor should ever die:

===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, plunging Holy Terra and all nearby planets 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 occur on Terra which the Emperor has had to spend every second for the last 10,000 years concentrating on to keep it from getting any bigger (the [[Adeptus Custodes]] has spent the same amount of time chopping up daemons that jump through). If he were to die or his attention were to waver for too long it would grow and rip the Imperium apart.

Additionally, a new Chaos God could be created, which will most certainly be a God of all the Grimdarkness in the galaxy, ensuring that it would eclipse all of the powers of the other Gods as the Emperor would finally be the God of all, this is especially true since nearly everything that is grimdark comes from Chaos and the entire WH40K setting is itself a massive pile of it... that or Malal would burst back into existence.
Some also fear that a fifth Chaos God's presence would just crush reality as-is reverting everything back into the immaterium.

===Regeneration===
No, not the [[Doctor Who]] kind. The Horus Heresy novel 'Vulkan Lives' heavily implies that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]] like John Grammaticus, Vulkan, Oll Persson and [[Anval Thawn]], all of who were able to survive things which should have completely obliterated them. So all he simply needs to do is die and wait a couple of hours/days and he'll be reborn again (in the "get up off the ground and dust himself off" sense). In theory, at least. Vulkan, for instance, was driven mad by the torturous experiences he had endured under the Night Haunter, and they were child's play compared to sitting in unthinkable agony unable to move or speak for ten thousand years rotting alive. However, a more commonly held belief is that he will get up, re-establish the [[Imperial Truth]], and just be a cool guy.

In fact, a whole faction of the [[Inquisition]]: '''Thorianism''' exists to investigate this possibility, looking for possible signs that the Emperor's consciousness can be transferred elsewhere, allowing him to walk amongst men 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.)

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 conditioned by the Ecclesiarchy over thousands of years, which would cause [[Horus Heresy|another major civil war]].

Not only that, but having him stand up to stretch his legs before the hole in reality caused inadvertently caused by Magnus is fixed or have someone powerful enough to replace him would potentially cause the same result as a new Eye of Terror (see above). As towards the end of the Horus Heresy, he only moved from the seat in the final battle when [[Malcador the Sigillite]] ''(the third most powerful "known" human psyker - after [[Magnus]])'' took his place temporarily, which was still enough to crumble him to dust.

===The Star Child===
Although years of GW's 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 Emprasoul fragment is the Star Child, another god waiting to be reborn - or perhaps be reincarnated into human flesh. (anyone call for one scout mcvenner) 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, and according to [[fluff|prophecy]], stalemate the four Chaos Gods while the races of the galaxy were left to battle it out in one last great Ragnarok scenario.

This theory is tied closely to the <s>[[Sensei]]</s> Illuminati, a group of either supremely enlightened individuals or dangerous mutant heretic xenos-fuckers, depending on which side of the [[Inquisition]] you're on. The Illuminati plan to catch all of the Sensei and sacrifice them in the golden throne at the moment of Empra's death and <s>he will become the Sensei-Emprah(Numen). Yay!</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}

The fluff revealed that the Illuminati were a minor Tzeench cult and the sensei were effectively brainwashed soon-to-be sacrifices in an attempt to bring Tzeench to the materium. Needless to say, they have been purged by the Inquisition. The fluff in the <s>Bronislaw Czevaka</s> Jac Draco books revealed that the Ordo Hydra (a small splinter faction of the Illuminati who seek to turn humanity into a psychic hivemind) 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 freely permitted to access the Black Library along with Harlequin Solitaires. Except that is a bizarre fusion of new and old fluff. The Inquisition Trilogy was retconned away. It is like the nuance of the Squats being eaten by Tyranids versus never have existed in the first place.

== Gallery ==
<center><gallery>
File:Golden Throne-Imperial Webway.jpg|The Big E upon the Golden Throne (before the decay set in)
File:Emperor of Mankind Classic Portrait face.jpg|The guiding light in the Imperium of Man shines forever bright
Image:1220179589932.jpg|The Emperor protects man from all.
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!"
Image:Horus and the Emperor.jpg|Son, I am disappoint.
Image:Wh40k-emperor.jpg| Yearbook photo.
Image:When you ruin his groove by Lutherniel.jpg| His groove, do not ruin it.
File: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!
File:Emperor of Mankind model action figure.jpg|He makes for one helluva action figure
Image:8.jpg|<s>The Em-purr-or of all Catkind!Nyuh!</s> <s>{{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}}</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}} THE EMPERAOR WAS ALWAYS A CAT
Image:1271118030729.jpg|Just imagine if the Chaos Gods didn't scatter the primarchs through out the galaxy... Wait where's that little scamp Omegon? (just off picture, sneaking up behind Guilliman)
Image:God-Emperor_Goldlich.jpg|Death is no excuse to stop bein' pimp.
File:God_Emperor_Interred_On_Golden_Throne.jpg|Thinking to himself, "I really, REALLY hate Horus!"
Image:Emperor blackwhite.jpg|He might be the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe but the Custodes can't give him a decent hygiene program.
Image:The Immortal Emprah.jpg|<s>Not so divine now, is he?</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}
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|The Carrion Lord with his two left arms.
File: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: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.
Image:Femprah_by_Mr-Culexus.jpg|Oh, give it a fucking rest...
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 fairly amicable when he meets an elf/eldar who isn't a complete failure.
Image:First_Founding_Problems.jpg|Perhaps with a better armor design, Emps might not have been late for [[Horus]]'s after school soccer games and things might have turned out differently.
File:Rainbow Emperor.gif| The Emperor in Rainbow Form
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 acient (1600BC) Hittite Empire from Anatolia, which, unknown to many, is Emperor's first try at conquering the world. CONNECTION, BITCHES!
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* The [[Imperium]], for the empire he founded.
* [[Sigmar]] Unberogen, his [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]] counterpart.
* [[Emperor's To-Do List]]
* [http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/25959559/ This thread] which makes the Emperor even cooler.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2nM1GEllg/ A series on Youtube, it shows what would happen if the Emperor had a Text to Speech device.]
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device]] article in 1d4chan.

{{Imperium}}
[[Category:Gods]]

The God-Emperor of Mankind

2015-11-17T07:00:50Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{awesome}}

<div style="text-align:center;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's the bane of Man, warped in superstition, ignorance and fear!"- One of the ironic memoirs of the Emperor. Needless to say it all went a complete 180 after a certain particular Heresy'''</div>

[[File:Lord of Mankind.jpg|400px|center|thumb|Liberating the galaxy is one thing, but he was so powerful he never once stopped looking ''fabulous'' while doing it.]]

<blockquote>
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 the from Terra,
who with Humanity and upon Terra is worshipped 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 [[Creed]] of the Mankind's Council of Nicene of Holy Terra</blockquote>

''"A leader is a dealer in hope."''

-Napoleon Bonaparte

The '''God-Emperor of Mankind''', also known as '''Tha Emprah''', '''Emps''', '''The Big E''', '''E-Money''', '''Master of Mankind''', '''Space Jesus''', and also sometimes called '''The Great and Glorious Big Mac Daddy King Emprah of all things Epic and Awesome''' (ahem, ahem), or '''The Anathema''', '''The Carrion Lord''', '''The False Emperor''' and '''Corpse on the Throne''' if you're not a fan of Him<s>, which is totally understandable</s>{{BLAM}} is the figurehead ruler of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the [[Warhammer 40k]] universe and is the only sustaining Hope for Humanity as Faster than Light Travel is [[Astronomican|entirely dependent on him]]. The [[Administratum]] he established continues to govern the [[Imperium]] in his name, but it is generally accepted that the absence of the Emperor's proper guidance is what has turned the Imperium into the [[/b/|hellish mess]] that it is. In the [[Imperium]], questioning whatever your superior tells (yells at) you the Emperor's word happens to be that day, is treason and [[heresy]], typically punished by [[blam|death]]. Were The Emperor up and about in the 41st millennium, it goes without saying that he would be disappoint. Most fa/tg/uys expect him to [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/bio speak in a generic deep, stentorian voice].

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.

==The Entire History of the Emprah==
[[File:Majestica.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Big E gets all the bitches.]]

According to older (read: 1st & 2nd edition) [[fluff]], the being that would eventually become known as the Emperor was born in 8000 BC in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Allegedly, this 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. That being said, nothing has explicitly contradicted this story, and the only other theory is that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]], meaning an immortal ''-but ultimately human-'' psyker with countless lifetimes' worth of knowledge and power and the ambition to use it. However, this theory seems unlikely, especially given the Chaos Gods apparently view the Emperor as an equal/rival, an honor they give to none of the other known Perpetuals, and the ''Horus Heresy'' novels have dropped hints that the Emperor is actually a "we."

The 1st & 2nd edition fluff also mentions that he guided humanity throughout history under a number of guises, such as Jesus, Mohammed, the Buddha, etc. (and, it has to be assumed, [[Conan the Barbarian]]).

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]] (somehow...), 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 -- but given how [[Awesome]] it sounds, we're going to say it did.

Apparently, he mostly stayed out of the way during the next 30,000 years of human history, including the [[Dark Age of Technology]], though hot off the press fluff indicates he might have been travelling outer space in old-style NASA rockets with the other Perpetuals. 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 the gods powers from them, and when he emerged he was one of the most invincible beings in the universe at the expense of ensuring that Chaos would stop at nothing to get revenge on him (and humanity by extension). <s>(Nice work Big "E"diot!)</s> {{BLAM| '''*BLAM!* HERESY!'''}}

He returns to Terra at the closing of the [[Age of Strife]]. With Terra cut off from the rest of humanity's former empire and the Terra itself ruled by warring "techno-barbarians" in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the Emperor decided to reveal himself, using his mastery of genetic engineering to create the [[Thunder Warriors]], the predecessors to the Space Marines. Using "join-me-or-die" tactics, he managed to conquer the entirety of Terra during the Unification Wars. Then, he made contact with the Mechanicus on Mars and, calling himself the [[Omnissiah]], convinced them to build him weapons and ships. Around this time, he also created the [[Imperial Truth]], which says that religion, faith, and superstition were all banned; apparently, it took him this long to realize the whole "Peace, Love, and Religion" thing wasn't working.

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 to serve as his generals using himself as the template; though with his new-found powers ''apparently'' stolen from the Gods at Molech, they would inevitably be pissed at him cloning THEIR energies. So the Chaos Gods snatched them away (via time-travel-as-a-vision shenanigans) from their incubators in a secret lab underneath the Himalayas and scattered them across the galaxy. Luckily for the Emperor, some genetic code was left over, and so from that he created 20 Legions to serve as the elites of his army: The [[Space Marine|SPEHSS MEHREENS]]. So, with his armies complete (minus the Primarchs, which he hoped to find), he embarked on the [[Great Crusade]] to once again allow humanity to control the stars.

As he found each Primarch, he assigned them to command each of their respective Legions to retake humanity in the [[Great Crusade]] (although, at some point, two of them disappeared or were executed, leaving only 18 Primarchs and Legions at the end of the Great Crusade). A military campaign of a grand scale, this is also when the SPESS MEHREENS were the most awesome and at their peak. [[just as planned|Just when things seem to be going well]], the [[Horus Heresy]] erupts where 9 of the Primarchs and their legions rebel against the Emprah. In the end, the Emperor fought and slew [[Horus]] (who was daddy's favorite) 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]] (and he humiliated himself in the middle of the fight when he cried).

Subsequently, without the Emperor's leadership, the Imperium eventually degraded into the theocratic [[Grimdark]] empire we all know and love today, in the 41st millennium.

While interred on the Golden Throne, the Emperor's psy-essence prevents [[daemon|daemonkind]] from directly assailing [[Terra]], and also sustains the psychic-beacon known as the [[Astronomicon]]. Without the Emperor, warp travel would not be possible, and everyone on Terra would be raped, both sexually and non-sexually.

It is established that the Emperor is pretty much the most powerful psyker alive, humbling even the [[Eldar]]. He is tens of thousands of years old and has been secretly guiding humanity from behind the scenes for much of his lifetime. Theories variously suggest that he was also Sigmar of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] fame, Julius Caesar, [[Conan the Barbarian]], [[meme|Chuck Norris]], Christopher Lee, and Jesus. It is uncertain as to whether or not his internment on the Golden Throne is a good thing; some believe that if he were to die, the [[Imperium]] would be truly plunged into darkness, whereas others believe that if allowed to finally die he would reincarnate and return to unify the galaxy once more. Whatever the truth of the matter, [[Games Workshop]] are never going to advance the story, so it is mostly irrelevant. Unless you take WHFB as a example, where things end. Badly. Or he may be Archaon, because "Lord of Chaos" labels him as a chaos hater willing to sell his soul to steal their powers/gifts to kill them and stop their worship, ultimately killing them. And he has rock-bones (think "space marine ceramite bones", GW loves rehashing old ideas).

==The Emprah Himself==
:''"The Emperor was a brilliant scientist, a powerful warrior, and great psyker, but he was a terrible [[Venus' Burn|father...]]"
:-[[Roboute Guilliman]], giving the most short yet accurate biography of the Emperor.

[[File:Climax.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A typical father and son chat between Empy and Horus.]]
After he shaved his goatee, his chin radiated a brilliant light through the [[Warp]]. The [[Imperial Navy]] uses this light, the Astronomicon, as a beacon to guide them through that 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.

The Emperor is said to be so powerful that he could [[Awesome|destroy suns with ease]], though he has never actually done so. The [[Chaos]] Gods are scared as fuck of the guy, and hope he dies so they can take over the universe. ''If'' the God Emperor were to arise again [[Chaos]] would be '''FUCKED'''. The [[Eldar]] fear that if the Emperor were to die a new [[Eye of Terror]] would be opened and Chaos would take over everything. Whether this is true is unknown, but the Imperium is not too keen on finding out.

After he was nearly killed by his son, he was placed on the Golden Throne and hasn't been able to move for the past few millennia. Most of the fluff maintains that his existence on a day-to-day basis since then is a 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 continues. Why? He may be the universe's most powerful vegetable, but that doesn't mean that he can just sit down and die. Oh no, it's exactly the opposite. It gives him a fuckton of work to do, and along with being the lighthouse of the warp guiding the Imperial Navy, he also needs to make the aforementioned astropaths, as well as keeping all the nasties of the warp where they're supposed to be and not spilling over into reality and make the lives of all human beings miserable. He also does it for the good of man. (sounds kinda familiar, don't it?) In the last year of M41 techpriests discovered that the Golden Throne is failing and the Emperor is dying. There is a 50/50 chance of the Emperor returning to life or dying forever and everyone in the Imperium becoming a Chaos sex toy/punching bag/plague vector/science experiment. Note that if the Empreror recovers he'd be several hundred times more powerful. Emps was born because of tens of thousands Psykers combining their souls. Since Empy has probably gained about 110365 souls since he got put on that throne.

:''"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

For all his desire to guide and protect humanity, there is a lot of proof, particularly from the Horus Heresy books and some short stories, that the Emperor was not Space Jesus, but Space Caesar. He [[Nazi| declared humanity the superiors of xenos]], setting the basis for humanity's genocidal xenophobia (and the hatred of nearly every xenos race in turn); planned to destroy all mention of religion by force of arms if needed; planned to reunite humanity under his rule no matter what anyone else wanted/thought, again by force of arms if needed; cared little for the primarchs as his actual sons, thinking of them as generals and tools rather than his children, screwing over several in his efforts to recruit them (hence causing their later betrayals), carried out many unethical and morally questionable experiments and so on. He helped Corvus turn his homeworld (and moon) into a great place to live, but for some reason didn't bother doing this for Olympia or Nostromo- in both cases this contributed to the Primarchs turning traitor. Plus, while he kept the already moral-as-fuck Vulkan at his side for decades, risking the Salamanders' existence in the process, he totally neglected his least stable sons, i.e. the ones who really needed some guidance. And that whole sorcery issue which divided the Primarchs, kept Mortarion estranged from him and led to the Wolves destroying Prospero? Could probably have been avoided if he'd listened to Jaghatai Khan and a) told his sons the truth about the Warp and his plans (we don't even know what the lost Primarchs are called, isn't that enough proof that they can all keep a secret?) and b) explained that they all had psychic potential and c) showed them all how to use it responsibly.

His reign killed more humans than the entire rest of humanities dictators in history up to that point ''combined'', and that's assuming you don't count all the other sapient organisms that might or might not have deserved it. Even during the Unification Wars several Terran cultures were wiped out wholesale (Orcia on Antarctica, for example, was razed to the ground for being religious, after its forces were defeated and its people were ready to surrender, just to make a point), and Imperial culture was pretty bad at incorporating non-Terran elements. For example, there's basically no trace left of the Interex, Auretian Technocracy and Diasporex.

It can be said that the Emperor was such an asshole due to the state of the universe he founded himself in and that he acted as he did believing small (small as in billions versus trillions, though the death toll of the Imperium's wars are probably in the trillions by now) sacrifices were all for the greater good ([[Tau|Now where have we heard that before?]]) but that doesn't change the fact he began a crusade that would have culled billions and destroy entire xenos species even if the campaign had gone well and not ended in the Horus Heresy (assuming that the Emperor would have allowed it to end at all).

Plus, he really didn't think the post-Ullanor phase through at all, except for appointing Horus as Warmaster and Dorn as Praetorian. At the very least he should've had Guilliman take over administrative duties to avoid taxes being imposed prematurely on newly compliant worlds, seeing as the civilian administrators helped to alienate a lot of his soldiers.

To be fair, the whole reason humanity (and the Emperor) hates aliens is because during the Age of Strife, numerous xenos races exploited humanity's weakness by raiding, looting, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Then the Emperor comes along and decides that the best way to stop it from happening again is to wipe out all xenos that might 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, possessed a planet, influenced human culture at all, or were intelligent at all, in which case the results were predictable). Ever since his ascension, the Imperium forgot about the part where harmless aliens are tolerated and just thinks they should all be killed. But on the other hand, [[Orks|the]] [[Necrons|most]] [[Tyranids|common]] [[Eldar|xenos]] [[Dark Eldar|are]] [[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 is wrong on every level to the Imperium (hence the whole mess with the Interex/Diasporex).

Ironically, the whole hatred-of-all-xenos thing helped to tip the Word Bearers into Chaos worship, as Chaos' emissaries presented themselves as mankind's only protection against aliens.

==Worship of the Emperor==
[[File:646545.jpg|thumb|300px|What the Emperor looked like before Horus decided to bitchslap him. Notice the giant skull. How did that skull get so big? Is it a plastic faux-skull, or is it an alien skull? (What he doesn't want you to know is that the E is actually a midgit, the armour is a mechanic and that's a regular skull) Anyway, back on topic. You don't get to see the Emperor out of armor very often.]]
Humans worship the Emperor as the one true god. Now, the only reason the Imperium worships the Emperor is that after his fight with Horus and his internment into the Golden Throne, they pretty much forgot what the Emperor taught them and began to worship him. Ol' Empy did not actually tell anyone of the Chaos Gods as part of his plan to starve them, withholding the information even from the Primarchs in hopes of protecting them from corruption on account of ignorance being bliss. Unfortunately this became part of why the Horus Heresy happened in the first place, as while not knowing the existance of the chaos gods could have prevented his servants from falling to the temptation of worshipping some very REAL gods, it also left them without the knowledge of what to do when faced with the influence of said deities. 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 do understand that Chaos existed but treated it secularly and scientifically, rendering them more proficient with dealing with Chaos than the Imperium.

The Emperor was actually AGAINST any kind of religion as part of his [[Imperial Truth]] and plan for mankind to be [[Star Trek|a utopia of science and reason]], even if the object of worship would be himself like when he told [[Lorgar]] to fuck off with the God-Emperor worship. The Emperor was only half-right about this because he didn't realize that Chaos runs off emotion rather than worship, thus his plan to weaken them wouldn't have been ultimately successful in the long run. While Chaos does draw more power from direct worship to them, even if worship of them is stopped at large, they can still draw from the everyday emotions. Without cultists, there would be no summoning of demons. Without uncontrolled psykers, few possessions would occur. Thus, without religion and warp travel, the Chaos Gods and their minions wouldn't be able to access the Materium (for the most part). Hence why the Emperor tried to access the Webway where Mankind can be able to travel through space while minimizing exposure to Chaos. Who gives a shit about the Ruinous Powers if they're stuck in the Warp?

However, he made a critical mistake in disregarding the human need to believe in something greater than oneself, and despite his best efforts with the Imperial Truth reason and logic simply weren't enough to fill the place of religion. Ironically, his solution was not to suppress faith but to redirect it towards something else, intended to be the idea of the Imperium, but because of his own unmatched psychic powers and enigmatic nature that "something else" ended up being the Emperor himself. After he went off being the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe, and lost direct control of the Imperium of man, belief in him sort of helped the Imperium stand together, even if it basically dropped 99.9% of humanity's IQ in the process- 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 is stuck in its current state of near-death. 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 lizards who exist only to feed and grow]]...
*[[Necron|Aeons-old zombie-terminator robots from space set on culling all life from the galaxy]]...
*[[C'Tan|Diabolical celestial beings literally as old as the stars themselves whose single concern is harvesting souls for consumption]]...
*[[Orks|Green-hued xeno-barbarians whose pastimes, ambitions, job skills, and dreams can basically be summed-up as bludgeoning]]...
*[[Tau|Technologically advanced space communists wanting to assimilate everyone in their quasi Hindu-Communist empire and who take after Billy Mays]]...
*[[Eldar|Snooty and uncaring space elves that can read minds and who eat, sleep, and live 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 and evil]]...
*[[daemon|Nightmare horrors made real who will rape and/or eat 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.]]
*[[Rak'gol|Homicidal alien, lizard, insect, cyborg type monster-pirates that horribly kill you for fun]]...
*[[Games Workshop|Malignant, omnipotent intelligences 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 and themselves again like in the pre-Great Crusade days and subsequently devolved into what they were before the Emperor liberated them. 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.

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. 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, 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 [[Ultramarines|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]].

==The possible death of the Emperor==
[[File:Emperor of mankind flaming sword armor.jpg|500px|right|thumb|Badass and glorious.]]
With the Golden Throne being constantly damaged and the Techpriests are too power-armor-on-head rebooted to do anything about it, it is certainly possible that the Emperor may die one day, which will obviously result in all of the Imperial worlds and factions to cry tears of disappointment and subsequently devolve into chaos (maybe even with a capital "C"). There are however, 3 possible outcomes of what will happen if the Emperor should ever die:

===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, plunging Holy Terra and all nearby planets 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 occur on Terra which the Emperor has had to spend every second for the last 10,000 years concentrating on to keep it from getting any bigger (the [[Adeptus Custodes]] has spent the same amount of time chopping up daemons that jump through). If he were to die or his attention were to waver for too long it would grow and rip the Imperium apart.

Additionally, a new Chaos God could be created, which will most certainly be a God of all the Grimdarkness in the galaxy, ensuring that it would eclipse all of the powers of the other Gods as the Emperor would finally be the God of all, this is especially true since nearly everything that is grimdark comes from Chaos and the entire WH40K setting is itself a massive pile of it... that or Malal would burst back into existence.
Some also fear that a fifth Chaos God's presence would just crush reality as-is reverting everything back into the immaterium.

===Regeneration===
No, not the [[Doctor Who]] kind. The Horus Heresy novel 'Vulkan Lives' heavily implies that the Emperor is a [[Perpetual]] like John Grammaticus, Vulkan, Oll Persson and [[Anval Thawn]], all of who were able to survive things which should have completely obliterated them. So all he simply needs to do is die and wait a couple of hours/days and he'll be reborn again (in the "get up off the ground and dust himself off" sense). In theory, at least. Vulkan, for instance, was driven mad by the torturous experiences he had endured under the Night Haunter, and they were child's play compared to sitting in unthinkable agony unable to move or speak for ten thousand years rotting alive. However, a more commonly held belief is that he will get up, re-establish the [[Imperial Truth]], and just be a cool guy.

In fact, a whole faction of the [[Inquisition]]: '''Thorianism''' exists to investigate this possibility, looking for possible signs that the Emperor's consciousness can be transferred elsewhere, allowing him to walk amongst men 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.)

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 conditioned by the Ecclesiarchy over thousands of years, which would cause [[Horus Heresy|another major civil war]].

Not only that, but having him stand up to stretch his legs before the hole in reality caused inadvertently caused by Magnus is fixed or have someone powerful enough to replace him would potentially cause the same result as a new Eye of Terror (see above). As towards the end of the Horus Heresy, he only moved from the seat in the final battle when [[Malcador the Sigillite]] ''(the third most powerful "known" human psyker - after [[Magnus]])'' took his place temporarily, which was still enough to crumble him to dust.

===The Star Child===
Although years of GW's 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 Emprasoul fragment is the Star Child, another god waiting to be reborn - or perhaps be reincarnated into human flesh. (anyone call for one scout mcvenner) 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, and according to [[fluff|prophecy]], stalemate the four Chaos Gods while the races of the galaxy were left to battle it out in one last great Ragnarok scenario.

This theory is tied closely to the <s>[[Sensei]]</s> Illuminati, a group of either supremely enlightened individuals or dangerous mutant heretic xenos-fuckers, depending on which side of the [[Inquisition]] you're on. The Illuminati plan to catch all of the Sensei and sacrifice them in the golden throne at the moment of Empra's death and <s>he will become the Sensei-Emprah(Numen). Yay!</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}

The fluff revealed that the Illuminati were a minor Tzeench cult and the sensei were effectively brainwashed soon-to-be sacrifices in an attempt to bring Tzeench to the materium. Needless to say, they have been purged by the Inquisition. The fluff in the <s>Bronislaw Czevaka</s> Jac Draco books revealed that the Ordo Hydra (a small splinter faction of the Illuminati who seek to turn humanity into a psychic hivemind) 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 freely permitted to access the Black Library along with Harlequin Solitaires. Except that is a bizarre fusion of new and old fluff. The Inquisition Trilogy was retconned away. It is like the nuance of the Squats being eaten by Tyranids versus never have existed in the first place.

== Gallery ==
<center><gallery>
File:Golden Throne-Imperial Webway.jpg|The Big E upon the Golden Throne (before the decay set in)
File:Emperor of Mankind Classic Portrait face.jpg|The guiding light in the Imperium of Man shines forever bright
Image:1220179589932.jpg|The Emperor protects man from all.
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!"
Image:Horus and the Emperor.jpg|Son, I am disappoint.
Image:Wh40k-emperor.jpg| Yearbook photo.
Image:When you ruin his groove by Lutherniel.jpg| His groove, do not ruin it.
File: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!
File:Emperor of Mankind model action figure.jpg|He makes for one helluva action figure
Image:8.jpg|<s>The Em-purr-or of all Catkind!Nyuh!</s> <s>{{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}}</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}{{BLAM}} THE EMPERAOR WAS ALWAYS A CAT
Image:1271118030729.jpg|Just imagine if the Chaos Gods didn't scatter the primarchs through out the galaxy... Wait where's that little scamp Omegon? (just off picture, sneaking up behind Guilliman)
Image:God-Emperor_Goldlich.jpg|Death is no excuse to stop bein' pimp.
File:God_Emperor_Interred_On_Golden_Throne.jpg|Thinking to himself, "I really, REALLY hate Horus!"
Image:Emperor blackwhite.jpg|He might be the most powerful psychic vegetable in the universe but the Custodes can't give him a decent hygiene program.
Image:The Immortal Emprah.jpg|<s>Not so divine now, is he?</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}
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|The Carrion Lord with his two left arms.
File: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: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.
Image:Femprah_by_Mr-Culexus.jpg|Oh, give it a fucking rest...
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 fairly amicable when he meets an elf/eldar who isn't a complete failure.
Image:First_Founding_Problems.jpg|Perhaps with a better armor design, Emps might not have been late for [[Horus]]'s after school soccer games and things might have turned out differently.
File:Rainbow Emperor.gif| The Emperor in Rainbow Form
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 acient (1600BC) Hittite Empire from Anatolia, which, unknown to many, is Emperor's first try at conquering the world. CONNECTION, BITCHES!
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* The [[Imperium]], for the empire he founded.
* [[Sigmar]] Unberogen, his [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]] counterpart.
* [[Emperor's To-Do List]]
* [http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/25959559/ This thread] which makes the Emperor even cooler.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2nM1GEllg/ A series on Youtube, it shows what would happen if the Emperor had a Text to Speech device.]
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device]] article in 1d4chan.

{{Imperium}}
[[Category:Gods]]

The Last Church

2015-11-17T06:56:47Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]
'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the Unification Wars (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, it deals with morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's better than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor, ''to his face'', why he sucks. It's ''even better'' if you go along with the whole "the Emperor was Jesus" thing, as that would mean that in telling the Emperor why he sucks, Uriah unknowingly [[Awesome|flipped off the very deity he dedicated his life to]].

Without further ado, The Last Church....

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. This figure, "Revelation", argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history, whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally inspired the priest's religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead pointing out the Emperor's hypocrisy, in the various things he has done and is doing that make him absolutely no different to the crusaders and fanatics of the past. Despite this, the Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it, and prays while he waits for death before he is crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smouldering remains of the last church on terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

the moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure. In this he had the common view of religion; that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. The God-Emperor was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct. The moral can be interpreted to imply that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the Imperial Truth was an attempt to stop them, What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions. People going about their daily lives experiencing their normal emotions would still empower the Chaos Gods. It has been (controversially) argued that if the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually WARNED people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some other people]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to those religions (such as the God-Emperor). The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything.

===Alternative view===

Makes you think though - The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true- Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons- Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them, what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This begs the question - was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and, as Erebus' false(?) memories showed Horus, did he ALLOW the Primarchs to be taken, just so Lorgar would land on Colchis, be raised by Kor Phaeron, learn about Chaos, fall to Chaos, turn Horus, allow the Horus Heresy to happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge, kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and be installed on the Golden Throne just so the billions upon billions of humans would have someone to worship other than the Chaos Gods, as a God that can be seen, touched and interacted which is nowhere near as powerful as a God that must be believed in purely through faith. Probably the only hiccup that The Emperor didn't foresee was Magnus ripping through his psychic shields and wrecking the Golden Throne/Webway Gate, which could've been avoided if The Emperor had fucking told his sons what he was doing.

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of old earth (both factual and presumably fictional), one painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon. But the third painting is by far the strangest, it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
**However, as it is Catholic church (according to The Emperor at least) it's more likely that these scenes (along with many other undescribed panels) depicts scenes of Catholic mythos- Eden, St. George (-except this is not the first time the Emperor has been described fighting this Dragon. It's implied that He IS St. George) and resurrection/second coming of Christ (machinery part may seem strange, but religious art have strong tendency to be anachronistic- most of Renaissance art, for example, are more "XVI century Italians doing Bible's cos-play" than anything else). Explosion of stars could represent Genesis or Rapture. Big E is the centerpiece of 40K, but there is no need to stuff him in every single piece mentioned. Especially when it makes more sense not to. The paintings and church itself is foreshadow no doubt, but also look what examples The Emperor chooses to trash religion- crusades, witch-hunt, Inquisition, purge of Cathars- all these things done by the Catholic Church. The Last Church, building itself, is a physical manifestation of what the Imperium will become (and it makes sense as setting is '''strongly''' based on Christianity).
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi].
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, however they are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans -- given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed... For example, the oceans boiled away due to various factors. Some of the new land that became exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries, and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the dark ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that.

*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of last priest" is a (mis)quote of [http://www.qotd.org/quotes/Denis.Diderot Denis Diderot]. He could have at least tried to be original.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

The Last Church

2015-11-17T06:53:57Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]
'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the Unification Wars (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, it deals with morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's better than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor, ''to his face'', why he sucks. It's ''even better'' if you go along with the whole "the Emperor was Jesus" thing, as that would mean that in telling the Emperor why he sucks, Uriah unknowingly [[Awesome|flipped off the very deity he dedicated his life to]].

Without further ado, The Last Church....

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. This figure, "Revelation", argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history, whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally inspired the priest's religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead pointing out the Emperor's hypocrisy, in the various things he has done and is doing that make him absolutely no different to the crusaders and fanatics of the past. Despite this, the Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it, and prays while he waits for death before he is crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smouldering remains of the last church on terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

the moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure. In this he had the common view of religion; that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. The God-Emperor was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct. The moral can be interpreted to imply that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the Imperial Truth was an attempt to stop them, What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions. People going about their daily lives experiencing their normal emotions would still empower the Chaos Gods. It has been (controversially) argued that if the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually WARNED people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some other people]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to those religions (such as the God-Emperor). The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything.

===Alternative view===

Makes you think though - The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true- Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons- Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them, what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This begs the question - was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and, as Erebus' false(?) memories showed Horus, did he ALLOW the Primarchs to be taken, just so Lorgar would land on Colchis, be raised by Kor Phaeron, learn about Chaos, fall to Chaos, turn Horus, allow the Horus Heresy to happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge, kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and be installed on the Golden Throne just so the billions upon billions of humans would have someone to worship other than the Chaos Gods, as a God that can be seen, touched and interacted which is nowhere near as powerful as a God that must be believed in purely through faith. Probably the only hiccup that The Emperor didn't foresee was Magnus ripping through his psychic shields and wrecking the Golden Throne/Webway Gate, which could've been avoided if The Emperor had fucking told his sons what he was doing.

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of old earth (both factual and presumably fictional), one painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon. But the third painting is by far the strangest, it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
**However, as it is Catholic church (according to The Emperor at least) it's more likely that these scenes (along with many other undescribed panels) depicts scenes of Catholic mythos- Eden, St. George (-except this is not the first time the Emperor has been described fighting this Dragon. It's implied that He IS St. George) and resurrection/second coming of Christ (machinery part may seem strange, but religious art have strong tendency to be anachronistic- most of Renaissance art, for example, are more "XVI century Italians doing Bible's cos-play" than anything else). Explosion of stars could represent Genesis or Rapture. Big E is the centerpiece of 40K, but there is no need to stuff him in every single piece mentioned. Especially when it makes more sense not to. The paintings and church itself is foreshadow no doubt, but also look what examples The Emperor chooses to trash religion- crusades, witch-hunt, Inquisition, purge of Cathars- all these things done by the Catholic Church. The Last Church, building itself, is a physical manifestation of what the Imperium will become (and it makes sense as setting is '''strongly''' based on Christianity).
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi].
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, however they are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans -- given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed... For example, the oceans boiled away due to various factors. Some of the new land that became exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries, and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the dark ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that.
* The Emperor's theological quibbles with religion in the story are very sophomoric. Most of them are convincingly refuted in the writings of St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two writers any Catholic priest is overwhelmingly familiar with, but Uriah's refutations of the Emperor are quite amateur as well. The reason for it is that Graham McNeill is likely not a philosopher or theologian, and so is probably unaware of the counter arguments a real Priest would realistically have used, and it makes for a better story anyway.
** That can be handwaved as "knowledge was lost", though it does still beg the question as to why The Emperor didn't use different arguments to refute religion. Though again, it could be handwaved away as Him believing wholeheartedly in his opinion as irrefutable fact (living for thousands of years probably turns anyone into a fanatically certain jackass) or knowing the priest would have no access to these texts (remember Hans Christian Andersen? Yeah, one person in the 40k universe does (barring Big E), and she's a perpetual who stole the book), turning the Emperor into a bigger douche than we thought at first by virtue of taking advantage of lost knowledge.
** Of course the other possibility is that he is unaware of these texts himself. All-knowing God-Emperor my ass.
*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of last priest" is a (mis)quote of [http://www.qotd.org/quotes/Denis.Diderot Denis Diderot]. He could have at least tried to be original.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

The Last Church

2015-11-17T06:49:30Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]
'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the Unification Wars (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, it deals with morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's better than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor, ''to his face'', why he sucks. It's ''even better'' if you go along with the whole "the Emperor was Jesus" thing, as that would mean that in telling the Emperor why he sucks, Uriah unknowingly [[Awesome|flipped off the very deity he dedicated his life to]].

Without further ado, The Last Church....

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. This figure, "Revelation", argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history, whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally inspired the priest's religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead pointing out the Emperor's hypocrisy, in the various things he has done and is doing that make him absolutely no different to the crusaders and fanatics of the past. Despite this, the Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it, and prays while he waits for death before he is crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smouldering remains of the last church on terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

the moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure. In this he had the common view of religion; that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. The God-Emperor was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct. The moral can be interpreted to imply that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the Imperial Truth was an attempt to stop them, What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions. People going about their daily lives experiencing their normal emotions would still empower the Chaos Gods. It has been (controversially) argued that if the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually WARNED people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some other people]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to those religions (such as the God-Emperor). The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything.

===Alternative view===

Makes you think though - The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true- Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons- Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them, what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This begs the question - was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and, as Erebus' false(?) memories showed Horus, did he ALLOW the Primarchs to be taken, just so Lorgar would land on Colchis, be raised by Kor Phaeron, learn about Chaos, fall to Chaos, turn Horus, allow the Horus Heresy to happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge, kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and be installed on the Golden Throne just so the billions upon billions of humans would have someone to worship other than the Chaos Gods, as a God that can be seen, touched and interacted which is nowhere near as powerful as a God that must be believed in purely through faith. Probably the only hiccup that The Emperor didn't foresee was Magnus ripping through his psychic shields and wrecking the Golden Throne/Webway Gate, which could've been avoided if The Emperor had fucking told his sons what he was doing.

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of old earth (both factual and presumably fictional), one painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon. But the third painting is by far the strangest, it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
**However, as it is Catholic church (according to The Emperor at least) it's more likely that these scenes (along with many other undescribed panels) depicts scenes of Catholic mythos- Eden, St. George (-except this is not the first time the Emperor has been described fighting this Dragon. It's implied that He IS St. George) and resurrection/second coming of Christ (machinery part may seem strange, but religious art have strong tendency to be anachronistic- most of Renaissance art, for example, are more "XVI century Italians doing Bible's cos-play" than anything else). Explosion of stars could represent Genesis or Rapture. Big E is the centerpiece of 40K, but there is no need to stuff him in every single piece mentioned. Especially when it makes more sense not to. The paintings and church itself is foreshadow no doubt, but also look what examples The Emperor chooses to trash religion- crusades, witch-hunt, Inquisition, purge of Cathars- all these things done by the Catholic Church. The Last Church, building itself, is a physical manifestation of what the Imperium will become (and it makes sense as setting is '''strongly''' based on Christianity). Uriah represents the part of religion that is not killing the infidels, but love and turn other cheek etc. And the Grimdark part is, that The Emperor sees this- he does not consider Uriah to be enemy or bad in general and he admires Isandula's work. But he is ready to destroy all this to prevent the Crusades and the Inquisition, things that go to the top of the "Imperium of Man's most popular things" chart the same moment Emperor (almost) dies. And as he himself was more like Stalin than Jesus, new Church have all the zealous "burn the heretics" of old one, but none of its compassion or "turn the other cheek". Also The Emperor had political reasons to destroy religion (most likely they would've disapproved of the Emperor's brutal dictatorship/had more influence over people than he liked; making the Emperor part-Hitler in addition to part-Stalin), but they are touched very little in this story, so its not important.
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi].
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, however they are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans -- given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed... For example, the oceans boiled away due to various factors. Some of the new land that became exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries, and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the dark ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that.
* The Emperor's theological quibbles with religion in the story are very sophomoric. Most of them are convincingly refuted in the writings of St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two writers any Catholic priest is overwhelmingly familiar with, but Uriah's refutations of the Emperor are quite amateur as well. The reason for it is that Graham McNeill is likely not a philosopher or theologian, and so is probably unaware of the counter arguments a real Priest would realistically have used, and it makes for a better story anyway.
** That can be handwaved as "knowledge was lost", though it does still beg the question as to why The Emperor didn't use different arguments to refute religion. Though again, it could be handwaved away as Him believing wholeheartedly in his opinion as irrefutable fact (living for thousands of years probably turns anyone into a fanatically certain jackass) or knowing the priest would have no access to these texts (remember Hans Christian Andersen? Yeah, one person in the 40k universe does (barring Big E), and she's a perpetual who stole the book), turning the Emperor into a bigger douche than we thought at first by virtue of taking advantage of lost knowledge.
** Of course the other possibility is that he is unaware of these texts himself. All-knowing God-Emperor my ass.
*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of last priest" is a (mis)quote of [http://www.qotd.org/quotes/Denis.Diderot Denis Diderot]. He could have at least tried to be original.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

The Last Church

2015-11-17T06:46:25Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]
'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the Unification Wars (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, it deals with morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's better than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor, ''to his face'', why he sucks. It's ''even better'' if you go along with the whole "the Emperor was Jesus" thing, as that would mean that in telling the Emperor why he sucks, Uriah unknowingly [[Awesome|flipped off the very deity he dedicated his life to]].

Without further ado, The Last Church....

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. This figure, "Revelation", argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history, whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally inspired the priest's religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead pointing out the Emperor's hypocrisy, in the various things he has done and is doing that make him absolutely no different to the crusaders and fanatics of the past. Despite this, the Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it, and prays while he waits for death before he is crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smouldering remains of the last church on terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

the moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure. ([[Tolkien|Ah, but good intentions matter not. Only good deeds]].) In this he had the common view of religion; that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. The God-Emperor was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct. The moral can be interpreted to imply that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the Imperial Truth was an attempt to stop them, What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions. People going about their daily lives experiencing their normal emotions would still empower the Chaos Gods. It has been (controversially) argued that if the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually WARNED people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some other people]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to those religions (such as the God-Emperor). [[FAIL|So, by abolishing religion (and purging the theistic ones) the Emperor HELPED the Chaos Gods (unintentionally)]] or outright have nothing to do with it at all (which is still better than falling to it). As such the Emperor's own stupidity in this regard led to the [[Horus Heresy]], bringing about his own downfall. The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything.

===Alternative view===

Makes you think though - The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true- Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons- Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them, what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This begs the question - was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and, as Erebus' false(?) memories showed Horus, did he ALLOW the Primarchs to be taken, just so Lorgar would land on Colchis, be raised by Kor Phaeron, learn about Chaos, fall to Chaos, turn Horus, allow the Horus Heresy to happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge, kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and be installed on the Golden Throne just so the billions upon billions of humans would have someone to worship other than the Chaos Gods, as a God that can be seen, touched and interacted which is nowhere near as powerful as a God that must be believed in purely through faith. Probably the only hiccup that The Emperor didn't foresee was Magnus ripping through his psychic shields and wrecking the Golden Throne/Webway Gate, which could've been avoided if The Emperor had fucking told his sons what he was doing.

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of old earth (both factual and presumably fictional), one painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon. But the third painting is by far the strangest, it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
**However, as it is Catholic church (according to The Emperor at least) it's more likely that these scenes (along with many other undescribed panels) depicts scenes of Catholic mythos- Eden, St. George (-except this is not the first time the Emperor has been described fighting this Dragon. It's implied that He IS St. George) and resurrection/second coming of Christ (machinery part may seem strange, but religious art have strong tendency to be anachronistic- most of Renaissance art, for example, are more "XVI century Italians doing Bible's cos-play" than anything else). Explosion of stars could represent Genesis or Rapture. Big E is the centerpiece of 40K, but there is no need to stuff him in every single piece mentioned. Especially when it makes more sense not to. The paintings and church itself is foreshadow no doubt, but also look what examples The Emperor chooses to trash religion- crusades, witch-hunt, Inquisition, purge of Cathars- all these things done by the Catholic Church. The Last Church, building itself, is a physical manifestation of what the Imperium will become (and it makes sense as setting is '''strongly''' based on Christianity). Uriah represents the part of religion that is not killing the infidels, but love and turn other cheek etc. And the Grimdark part is, that The Emperor sees this- he does not consider Uriah to be enemy or bad in general and he admires Isandula's work. But he is ready to destroy all this to prevent the Crusades and the Inquisition, things that go to the top of the "Imperium of Man's most popular things" chart the same moment Emperor (almost) dies. And as he himself was more like Stalin than Jesus, new Church have all the zealous "burn the heretics" of old one, but none of its compassion or "turn the other cheek". Also The Emperor had political reasons to destroy religion (most likely they would've disapproved of the Emperor's brutal dictatorship/had more influence over people than he liked; making the Emperor part-Hitler in addition to part-Stalin), but they are touched very little in this story, so its not important.
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi].
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, however they are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans -- given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed... For example, the oceans boiled away due to various factors. Some of the new land that became exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries, and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the dark ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that.
* The Emperor's theological quibbles with religion in the story are very sophomoric. Most of them are convincingly refuted in the writings of St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two writers any Catholic priest is overwhelmingly familiar with, but Uriah's refutations of the Emperor are quite amateur as well. The reason for it is that Graham McNeill is likely not a philosopher or theologian, and so is probably unaware of the counter arguments a real Priest would realistically have used, and it makes for a better story anyway.
** That can be handwaved as "knowledge was lost", though it does still beg the question as to why The Emperor didn't use different arguments to refute religion. Though again, it could be handwaved away as Him believing wholeheartedly in his opinion as irrefutable fact (living for thousands of years probably turns anyone into a fanatically certain jackass) or knowing the priest would have no access to these texts (remember Hans Christian Andersen? Yeah, one person in the 40k universe does (barring Big E), and she's a perpetual who stole the book), turning the Emperor into a bigger douche than we thought at first by virtue of taking advantage of lost knowledge.
** Of course the other possibility is that he is unaware of these texts himself. All-knowing God-Emperor my ass.
*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of last priest" is a (mis)quote of [http://www.qotd.org/quotes/Denis.Diderot Denis Diderot]. He could have at least tried to be original.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

The Last Church

2015-11-17T06:44:01Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Awesome}}

[[File:The Last Church on Terra.jpg|200px|right|thumb|THE LAST CURIOUSLY DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH!]]
'''The Last Church''' by [[Graham McNeill]] is a short story describing the conversation between an old and lonely priest named Uriah Olathaire of the very last church on Terra (The Church of the Lightning Stone) during the Unification Wars (where the Emperor banned religion and the worship of gods) and a mysterious character named [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Revelation]], the story is pretty deep and thought provoking and shows you that you don't need '''XTREME GRIMDARK''' and violence to make a great 40k story (even though the story doesn't take place in the 41st millennium). As well as being the earliest complete story in the 40k canon, it deals with morals, religion, atheism and humility and the benefits and costs of each. And also, Uriah is probably running for 'most badass non-augmented human' in the setting at first place. What's better than [[Ollanius Pius| getting killed by Horus]]? Telling the Emperor, ''to his face'', why he sucks. It's ''even better'' if you go along with the whole "the Emperor was Jesus" thing, as that would mean that in telling the Emperor why he sucks, Uriah unknowingly [[Awesome|flipped off the very deity he dedicated his life to]].

Without further ado, The Last Church....

==Plot Summary==
In the titular last church, the very last worshipper and priest on Earth, Uriah Olathaire, is visited by a mysterious figure. They talk about why the church is the last of its kind, and what happened to all of the faithful who once cherished it so much. This figure, "Revelation", argues about all of the harm that religious worship and organizations have inflicted on humanity throughout history, whilst the priest attempts to refute it. Finally, Revelation reveals himself as the Emperor of Mankind, and more specifically as the being who originally inspired the priest's religion. He then gives the priest a chance to recant his false beliefs and leave; the church will be destroyed, but he does not have to perish as well.

The priest refuses. Instead pointing out the Emperor's hypocrisy, in the various things he has done and is doing that make him absolutely no different to the crusaders and fanatics of the past. Despite this, the Emperor disregards Uriah's words and escorts him outside before his troops start destroying the church. As his church is destroyed, Uriah gives the Emperor one last warning about the folly of his plan before calmly walking back in to the church, preferring to die with it, and prays while he waits for death before he is crushed beneath the rubble.

The Emperor dismisses him as a lost cause and moves on. As the rain lifts, and the morning sun rises over the smouldering remains of the last church on terra; inside, a broken clock, prophesied to chime only when the world is at an end, begins to softly ring...

==Moral==

the moral of the story is a lot more complicated and relevant than most would think. The Emperor is a well-intentioned extremist fighting against four monstrously powerful daemonic gods and trying to starve them out by spreading the Imperial Truth. He made mistakes, yes, but his intentions were pure. ([[Tolkien|Ah, but good intentions matter not. Only good deeds]].) In this he had the common view of religion; that it is the cause of most of humanity's problems including much of the killing and/or all the wars in human history. The God-Emperor was prepared to do whatever it took for his beliefs because it appeared to him that he was undeniably correct. The moral can be interpreted to imply that any reason based on rejection is immoral reason.

He was also under the belief that it was faith in general that makes the Chaos Gods stronger and the Imperial Truth was an attempt to stop them, What the Emperor failed to understand was that the Chaos Gods were powered not only by faith, but by emotions. People going about their daily lives experiencing their normal emotions would still empower the Chaos Gods. If the Emperor had not destroyed the other religions and actually WARNED people about Chaos ([[Interex|like some other people]]), Chaos would have been less powerful because people would have directed their belief to those religions (such as the God-Emperor). [[FAIL|So, by abolishing religion (and purging the theistic ones) the Emperor HELPED the Chaos Gods (unintentionally)]] or outright have nothing to do with it at all (which is still better than falling to it). As such the Emperor's own stupidity in this regard led to the [[Horus Heresy]], bringing about his own downfall. The Emperor may have been tens of thousands of years old, vastly intelligent and unbelievably powerful, but even he could not predict everything.

===Alternative view===

Makes you think though - The Emperor knew about the Chaos Gods (even if he didn't refer to them as such), since he talked to Horus about them, who then passed it on the Garviel Loken to soothe his mind (not strictly true- Horus and Loken only learned about Daemons- Loken is totally mystified when an Interex soldier explains the nature of Chaos/Kaos to him). The Emperor also might have had an inkling that it wasn't just belief that powered them, what with him being in such close contact with the Warp 24/7. This begs the question - was he, in fact, out-Just As Planning Tzeentch and, as Erebus' false(?) memories showed Horus, did he ALLOW the Primarchs to be taken, just so Lorgar would land on Colchis, be raised by Kor Phaeron, learn about Chaos, fall to Chaos, turn Horus, allow the Horus Heresy to happen, teleport to Horus' Battle-Barge, kill his son while being mortally wounded himself, and be installed on the Golden Throne just so the billions upon billions of humans would have someone to worship other than the Chaos Gods, as a God that can be seen, touched and interacted which is nowhere near as powerful as a God that must be believed in purely through faith. Probably the only hiccup that The Emperor didn't foresee was Magnus ripping through his psychic shields and wrecking the Golden Throne/Webway Gate, which could've been avoided if The Emperor had fucking told his sons what he was doing.

==Trivia==
*Isandula Verona's paintings depict 3 events of old earth (both factual and presumably fictional), one painting depicts "nude figures disporting in a magical garden", likely the Garden of Eden. The second is a painting of "a battle between a golden knight and a silver dragon", undoubtedly based of the battle between the Emperor and the Void Dragon. But the third painting is by far the strangest, it depicts a "wondrous being of light surrounded by a halo of golden machinery" (couldn't possibly be foreshadowing the Emperor on the Golden Throne) ... Also, there is the description of an "explosion of stars", possibly referring to the creation of the Eye of Terror.
**However, as it is Catholic church (according to The Emperor at least) it's more likely that these scenes (along with many other undescribed panels) depicts scenes of Catholic mythos- Eden, St. George (-except this is not the first time the Emperor has been described fighting this Dragon. It's implied that He IS St. George) and resurrection/second coming of Christ (machinery part may seem strange, but religious art have strong tendency to be anachronistic- most of Renaissance art, for example, are more "XVI century Italians doing Bible's cos-play" than anything else). Explosion of stars could represent Genesis or Rapture. Big E is the centerpiece of 40K, but there is no need to stuff him in every single piece mentioned. Especially when it makes more sense not to. The paintings and church itself is foreshadow no doubt, but also look what examples The Emperor chooses to trash religion- crusades, witch-hunt, Inquisition, purge of Cathars- all these things done by the Catholic Church. The Last Church, building itself, is a physical manifestation of what the Imperium will become (and it makes sense as setting is '''strongly''' based on Christianity). Uriah represents the part of religion that is not killing the infidels, but love and turn other cheek etc. And the Grimdark part is, that The Emperor sees this- he does not consider Uriah to be enemy or bad in general and he admires Isandula's work. But he is ready to destroy all this to prevent the Crusades and the Inquisition, things that go to the top of the "Imperium of Man's most popular things" chart the same moment Emperor (almost) dies. And as he himself was more like Stalin than Jesus, new Church have all the zealous "burn the heretics" of old one, but none of its compassion or "turn the other cheek". Also The Emperor had political reasons to destroy religion (most likely they would've disapproved of the Emperor's brutal dictatorship/had more influence over people than he liked; making the Emperor part-Hitler in addition to part-Stalin), but they are touched very little in this story, so its not important.
*The church in question appears to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne Lindisfarne]: perched on "a rocky promontory jutting from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain an island] that was said to have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire once ruled the world]". Uriah even references it being raided by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne#Vikings Scandi].
*Many of our currently existing countries and continents are mentioned in the story, however they are spelled and pronounced differently.
*The Mariana Canyon where the giant stone figures are carved in is most likely the remnants of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth's present-day oceans -- given that this place is now exposed, you can grasp just how much the Earth has changed... For example, the oceans boiled away due to various factors. Some of the new land that became exposed became known as the "Panpacific".
*Given Uriah's knowledge of (and ability to travel to) other countries, and his reaction to the Emperor's plans to conquer the galaxy, it seems likely that the Age of Strife on Terra was less of a complete societal breakdown and more of a regression to the dark ages in which knowledge of the past remained largely intact but functionally useless. Ironic, considering the state of the Imperium ushered in to save humanity from that.
* The Emperor's theological quibbles with religion in the story are very sophomoric. Most of them are convincingly refuted in the writings of St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two writers any Catholic priest is overwhelmingly familiar with, but Uriah's refutations of the Emperor are quite amateur as well. The reason for it is that Graham McNeill is likely not a philosopher or theologian, and so is probably unaware of the counter arguments a real Priest would realistically have used, and it makes for a better story anyway.
** That can be handwaved as "knowledge was lost", though it does still beg the question as to why The Emperor didn't use different arguments to refute religion. Though again, it could be handwaved away as Him believing wholeheartedly in his opinion as irrefutable fact (living for thousands of years probably turns anyone into a fanatically certain jackass) or knowing the priest would have no access to these texts (remember Hans Christian Andersen? Yeah, one person in the 40k universe does (barring Big E), and she's a perpetual who stole the book), turning the Emperor into a bigger douche than we thought at first by virtue of taking advantage of lost knowledge.
** Of course the other possibility is that he is unaware of these texts himself. All-knowing God-Emperor my ass.
*Lastly, The Emperor's claim that "humanity will not be free until the last stone of the last church falls on the head of last priest" is a (mis)quote of [http://www.qotd.org/quotes/Denis.Diderot Denis Diderot]. He could have at least tried to be original.

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Indrick Boreale

2015-11-17T06:33:16Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Indrick Boreale.jpg|thumb|right|Captain Boreale. The greatest and BAWLDEST of us all.]]
{{Awesome}}

Something akin to the King James the VI of Warhammer 40K, '''Indrick Boreale''' is the Force Commander of the [[Blood Ravens]] [[Space Marines]] in the ''[[Dawn of War]]: [[Dawn of War#Soulstorm|Soulstorm]]'' campaign. Famous for his peech imspediment and baldness (He's a 12.0 on the 10.0 scale of baldness) and also famous for losing half of the Blood Ravens' forces after he presumably got all 500 Space Marines killed on Kaurava (then toned down to 3 companies according to Cyrus in DoWII:CR). He is the origin of the memes [[Emprah]] and [[SPESS MEHREENS|SPESS MEHREENS]]. According to ''[[Dawn of War II]]'', he died in the Kaurava System during the events of ''Soulstorm'', which some have interpreted as something of an apology from Relic for the terrible quality of his performance. He is such a big failure that he drives Cyrus crazy and pushes him to join chaos in one alternate plotline.

Comically, Boreale was actually a rather awesome sniper as a scout, and he managed to do some good work before his promotion to Force Commander. His tragic career is the Peter Principle in action.

If he were victorious in the Kaurava campaign(which is impossible), he will terraform the star system in the Emprah's name and call it "[[Derp|Borealum]]".

[[Image:B'oreal.png|thumb|right|Baldeale in all his shiny-headed glory.]]

==In-Game Stats==
Don't be fooled by Boreale's hilarious accent, nor the fact that he seems, at a glance, to be weaker than [[Davian Thule]] - Boreale is both quite a bit tougher and an exceptionally potent commander unit in his own right, boasting both better health and abilities (one such a ability called "inspiring speech" causes the entire enemy army to roll on the floor laughing their asses off) than Thule - though Thule does quite a bit more damage (of both ranged and close-combat flavors) and is impervious to knockdown when maxed (Boreale isn't), Boreale moves a little faster, has a bit more HP, regenerates faster, and provides much stronger benefits to his attached squad once he has his Chapter Banner ability, which will cause most units to regain morale so fast that it's unlikely they'll ever break in the first place - making it great for when you're attaching Boreale to an Assault Terminator Squad (a contrast to Thule, who was usually better-assigned to a Grey Knight unit). In addition, Chapter Banner makes Boreale himself regenerate morale so quickly that he's virtually impossible to break unless smack-dab in the middle of a big group of [[Necron|Flayed Ones]].

Putting it simply, like Boreale himself, his unit is survivable and works well as a blunt instrument.

Interestingly, Thule does notably more damage with Alexian's Blade (his tier-1 weapon upgrade, a power sword), than Boreale does with Rogal's Fist (his tier-1 weapon upgrade) despite similar stats. Their base damage with their Daemonhammers, however, are identical. Presumably, Boreale only recently "received" the mace from the gracious Imperial Fists, and has yet to become accustomed to its use.

==Boreale Addressing His Troops==
In a meeting between the [[Blood Ravens]]' finest Librarians and pious Chaplains, Captain Indrick Boreale requested from them a speech that would inspire his troops to victory, seeing that his original one was insufficient. While the 2 parties did make a glorious speech, Captain Boreale's ad-libs, mispronunciations and improvisations virtually gutted the speech made by them.

'' Tehre is noh time to beh lohst!

'' Batul Brothas!

'' Spehss Mahrens, todeh the enemeh is at oua doar! We know oua duteh and we will do eet. We fight for our honor as Blod Rehvens, as SPESS MAHRENS, and we fight in the nehme of the Empra!

'' And if we die this deh we die in gloareh, we die heroes' deffs, but we shall not die, no! It is the enemeh who will tehste deff and defeat!

'' As you know! Moast of oua battle brothars are shtehtioned in SPEHSS, Pruhpeared to deep strike! Oua perimeter has been pruhpeared in the even dat oua enehmies should be so bald and so foolish. We have plehced numerous beacons, allowing for muhltiple, simuln-tehneous and devashtehting defensive deep strikes

'' The Codecks astartees nehmes this maneuvah Steel Rehn. We will descend upon the foe, we will ovawhelm them - we will leave none alive! Meanwhile oua ground fawses will ensue the full defense of oua headkwaters

'' We are the spehss mahrens! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FUREH!

Of course this is the edited version taught to young cultists to disgrace the honourable captain. This is the handy work of chaos. This was the original version found at his desk next to a pile of red and black crayons.

 There is at our honor, as Blood Ravens, as space marines, and so foolish.
 We are the emperor!
 If we fight in glory.
 We will descend upon the name of our headquarters.
 We will descend upon the emperor's fury There is at our door.
 We have placed numerous beacons, allowing for our honor, as Blood Ravens, as Blood Ravens, as Blood Ravens, as space marines, and devastating defensive deep strike!
 Our perimeter has been prepared in the event that our enemies should be lost!
 Battle brothers; space prepared to deep strike!
 Our perimeter has been prepared in the emperor!
 If we fight in space, prepared to deep strikes.
 The Codex Astartes names this maneuver steel rain.
 We fight for multiple simultaneous and we fight for our door.
 We are the emperor!
 If we will overwhelm them, we shall not die.
 No, We fight for our honor, as space marines, and we fight for our battle brothers are stationed in the name of the emperor!

==Position as a meme==
Boreale is the single biggest meme in the WH40K fanbase, all thanks to his voice acting courtesy of [[Scott McNeil]] (MIGHTY IS HE!!!). This was attributed to Soulstorm's hilariously lackluster VA scripting. In short, much like the Zelda CDi series turning into the single largest repository of hilarious YTPs and [[Rebecca Black]] being awesomely hilarious than being failtastically hilarious, Boreale swung the bar of fail so hard that fail transposed into [[awesome]].

[[File:Boreale_Emerges.png|thumb|200px|right|Indrick Boreale gloriously represented in the sacred light of the Emperor.]]

His opening speech is the main cause of his fame, the speech itself was, again, lackluster and boring (Honestly, who comes up with: ''"And if we die this day, we die in glory, we die heroes' deaths [[Derp|but we shall not die, no!]]"'') but how Scott said it. Many laughs were had with SPESS MEHRENS and the EMPRAH as with the entirety of his speech itself, which resulted with numerous YTPs, remixes, and hell even songs. The other minor bits about him is mostly being Bald, more specifically, the only Captain in the Blood Ravens to posses Astartes-pattern baldness other than [[Apollo Diomedes]]. Either way, many laughs were generated because of these and it's all thanks to Captain Boreale of the Blood Ravens, the greatest of them all (except that he sucks).

Truly the Emperor provides.

==On /tg/==
[[File:Boreale40M.jpg|thumb|600px|center|The Codecks Astartes nehms this manuveh Wehn Get!]]

==Codecks Indrick Boreale==
After much petition to GW, they finally allowed Boreale to be a separate force commander. Stats:

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left"
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Indrick Boreale:''' || 165 || 6 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 2+/4++
|} 

'''Wargear''':
* '''Rogal's Fist'''
* '''Bolt Pistol''': See Codex: Space Marines. Can be swapped for a Plasma Pistol for 15 pts, or a Meltagun for +10 pts.
* '''Boreale's Artificer Armour'''
* '''Iron Halo''': See Codex Space Marines
* '''Personal Standard''': Counts as Company Standard. May be replaced with a Personal Teleporter.
* '''Frag Grenades'''
* '''Krak Grenades'''

'''Special Rules'''
* '''And They Shall Know No Fear'''
* '''Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens)''': As per the rules for all Chapters who do not kmow 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.
* '''Independent Character'''
* '''Counter-attack'''
* '''Furious Charge'''
* '''Astartes-Pattern Baldness''': Captain Boreale is so bald that his bald head (after considerable polishing) can be seen by his Bathul Brothars shtetioned in SPEHSS and even in the warp, who are pruhpared to deep strike at any moment, allowing them to use it like an improvised, bald, locator beacon to better their chances of launching multiple simultaneous and devastating defensive deep strikes. All reinforcements (friend or foe) entering the field using deep strike will not suffer scatter if they are deployed within 120" (that's right, 10 feet!) of Captain Boreale. Additionally, all reinforcements (friend or foe) entering the field using deep strike may re-roll scatter so long as Captain Boreale is deployed. Additionally, his bald head can intensify light at a surprising level, rivaling that of the searchlight commonly mounted on vehicles. Boreale automatically attacks as if he is using a Searchlight wargear during night fighting, exposing him to the enemy while illuminating their position to his allies. Enemies also ignore the night fighting distance check and gain +1 BS whenever they attack Captain Boreale and any squad he is attached to in the shooting phase while night fighting. If not night fighting, any unit that shoots at Captain Boreale will have their BS reduced by 1 point. Furthermore, any laser-based weapon (Lasgun) shot at Captain Boreale at any range with a Strength of 3 or less can be deflected by his bald head. When hit by a ranged laser weapon with S3 or less, roll a D3. If the result is 1: the attack is rendered as if it was a normal attack, if the result is 2: The attack is deflected and is rendered null, if the result is 3: the attack is instead re-directed to the attacking unit as if he is shot by his own weapon with only armor and invulnerable saves applying to the attacker. In addition, the attacking unit may not use their armor save if they shoot Captain Boreale while in assault phase.
* '''Stehl Rehn''': Captain Boreale has mastered the tactic: [[Steel Rain]]. All friendly Space Marine units may deploy as many of their reserves entering the field using drop pods during any Phase.
* '''We are the Empra's fureh!''': Captain Boreale aspires to embody the Space Marines as the Emprah's fureh. Any unit captain Boreale joins automatically gets the Furious Charge special rule. Additionally, Boreale chants out his infamous battle cry during the charge, stunning enemies and causing them all to suffer from the Unwieldy special rule on their weapons when his unit charges. This ignores any wargear or rule that prevents them from doing so.
* '''Bald and Fewlish''': Captain Boreale is both bold and foolish. Boreale and any squad he is attached to reroll once per turn failed Morale, Pinning and Fear tests.
* '''Todeh the enemeh is at oua doar!''': Captain Boreale is ever alert and so are his troops. He and any squad he's attached to gain the Acute Senses USR.
------------------------------------------------------------------
* '''Rogal's Fist''': Rogal's Fist is a Power Mace, that is said to have been created by the Imperial Fists' Primarch himself. How it found its way into the Blood Ravens' Armoury, yet alone Boreale's hands, is a complete mystery.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! Strength !! AP !! Type
|-
| '''Rogal's Fist''' || - || 8 || 3 || Melee, Master Crafted, Concussive, Sweep Attacks
|}

** '''Sweep Attacks''': Captain Indrick Boreale can, instead of using his normal attack value, initiate a sweeping attack instead. All enemy models in base contact with Indrick Boreale suffer the same amount of attacks proportional to the number of models in base contact with him.

* '''Boreale's Artificer Armour''': Boreale's Artificer Armour has multiple pieces of technology that keep him alive even in the heart of the most gruesome fights on the battlefield. This armour counts as a Artificer Armour, but it also grants the Feel No Pain, It Will Not Die and Crusader USR.

==How Boreale lost his "voice"==
Scene starts as Thule defeats Gorgutz in Dark Crusade.
Gorgutz flees the Green Beach and is currently on his Ork ship.
Indrick Boreale is in his personal Thunderhawk with Techmarine brother Spasmius heading towards the Litany of Fury. Brother Spasmius had an unclear mind due to seeing a daemonette on imperial television, and hence drove Brother Captain Boreale into Gorgutz' ship, looking for Gabriel Angelos.

Nob: Isn't that 'umie un of 'ose wez got trash'd up by?
Gorgutz: Nah, that 'umie looks dumb, and 'ez talks funny too. Must be un of 'ose Chaos Boyz we'z stomped on.
Nob: What shall we do boss? Stomp on 'im?
Gorgutz: Move aside ya git. 'ez mine.

Gorgutz smashes up Boreale, leaving him with no teeth and a even more damaged brain. Boreale stumbles back into his thunderhawk, Gorgutz gleefully picking up his teeth.

"Brother Spessmius...Where are weh?"

==Brother-Captain Boreale's Bad Day==
[[Image:Baldeale.jpg|thumb|right|SPESSSSS]]
Boreale made doubly sure his armor was perfectly polished. He checked his sword scabbard and pistol holster. He fitted his Purity Seals on and ensured that his breastplate decorations were positioned correctly. He held his helmet under his arms. As he turned from his massive planning table, he checked his reflection in one of his other suits of Power Armour. Tall, large, inspiring. Perfectly presented, every inch an Imperial Space Marine.

His hair was still very short, but Boreale had begun to accept that. Even after two hundred years, his hair (or lack thereof) bothered him. But it wasn’t the worst thing. That would be his speech.

He had been fighting his speech for years. He was an inspirational speaker, able to turn his formidable speech-composition skills to demagoguery or fiery rhetoric. He always wrote and delivered his own speeches, and he strongly believed in the importance of words as an element of leadership. But he always struggled with the same thing:

Pronunciation. A more obdurate enemy than any he had ever faced.

He mouthed the words of his speech to himself, very softly, as he looked into his reflection on the chestplate of a Power Armour suit.

“Space Marines, today is the day…” the words came out very softly, but they were correct. Perhaps today WOULD be the day? Perhaps today he would get it right, and deliver the greatest speech of his entire illustrious career? He continued to practice:
“today is the day we serve the…Empr-…Empera…Emperor. Tode-today…” He took a deep breath and started again:

“Today is the day we serve the Emperor by putting our lives, minds and souls in the line of duty in His name, and in service to the Imperium….”

He was doing well so far. Perhaps today would be the day indeed.

Confident with his initial success, Boreale straightened himself out to his full height of about nine feet. It had been only days since the attack on their Stronghold by the Sisters of Battle, where he had personally defeated Cannoness Agna in single combat. The woman had charged in towards him, full of righteous fury, and screaming a challenge. Meeting her with his own blade and screaming his own battle cry (it unfortunately came out as FOR THE EMPRA, in the heat of battle), Boreale had overwhelmed her with superior speed and strength, and she had fallen on her sword rather than let him strike the killing blow.

Regrettable that it came to fighting the Empe...Emperor’s servants as such, but necessary. Necessary for the survival of the Imperium and mankind, necessary to please the Emperor and the Unknown Primarch. Necessary. No, essential!

Boreale gritted his jaw, and corrected his sword one last time. It was time.

He stepped out onto the podium where hundreds of Blood Ravens stood assembled silently and unmoving, waiting for his words. He felt confidence fill him the likes of which he had never felt. Today would indeed be the day.

Boreale drew a deep breath.

“BROTHERS!”

…

“TODEH WE SERVE THE EMPRA!”

Some things just never changed.

[[Image:BorealeTherapy.jpg|thumb|right]]

==Boreale in Therapy==
"Space marines. Suh-Pay-Seh Ma-Reens. Space Marines," Brother Tullus nodded, "Now, you try." 

"Sp-Sp-SPESS-" 
"No, no, ACE. AAAACE." 
"EHSSS" 
"Ace." 
"Ace." 
"Good. Now say 'Spay." 
"Spay." 
"Now say both of them." 
"Spay. Ace." 
"And all together now." 
"Sp-sp-spess." 

Brother Tullus delicately plucked the spectacles from the bridge of his nose while the other massaged his much aching head, "No, no, Emperor damn it..." 
"I have failed..." 
"No, no, no Boreale you-" Tullus leaned back in the chair, as it cried out in protest, trying in vain to think of something- 
"THE EMPRAH!" 
He fell back out of his chair in surprise at the sudden exclamation. 

Brother-Captain Indrick Boreale was but one of many held at the Mental Reclamation Convent of Saint Gimpus, and really, Tullus reflected as he righted his chair, one of the better behaved ones. 

For instance, one cell over... 

"MEHTAL BAWKSES!" Came muffled through the wall, shaking the diplomas bespangling it. 

==STEEL REHN==
[[image:SteelRehn.jpg|thumb|500px|**I look away from the mic to call more SPEHSS MAHREENS.]]
 Steel Rehn
 Some steh dry and others feel the pehn
 Steel Rehn
 Landing drop pods makehs infernahl din

 Steel Rehn**
 Our eterhnel fureh strikes the hearts of mehn
 Steel Rehn
 Deep strikeh is our vehry own bent

 Steel Rehn
 No matteh how hard our enemeh’s try
 Steel Rehn
 They all see our reputashen is no lie

 Steel Rehn
 Forecast to be fallen yesterdeh
 Steel Rehn
 Yet it will likeleh also fall todeh

 (<s>C</s>horus)
 Steel Rehn
 We fall to earth at enormouehs rates
 Steel Rehn
 The Empra’s foes cannot stop ourh haet
 [Repeat]

 Steel Rehn
 Our drop pods coveh the light of dehy
 Steel Rehn
 Our enemeh’s flee but there is no weyh

 Steel Rehn
 Fiereh blood rushing throuegh our vehns
 Steel Rehn
 Afteh we finish we prepare to fall back down agaihn

 Steel Rehn
 We are called dowehn by the radio
 Steel Rehn
 The purpose is to gain grouend controhl

 Steel Rehn
 We could not call it aneh otherh nayme
 Steel Rehn
 Everything else soundehd quite insayhn

 Steel Rehn
 We are preparing to fall onceh moreh now
 Steel Rehn
 The Empra will someday rewaredh us, somehow

Boreale stopped singing once he reached the end of what he had composed, and sat down silently, sitting his head in his hands. On [[Pen and paper|paper]], it was brilliant, a hymn that could be sung by billions of the Emperor’s servants across thousands of worlds in countless joyous anthems.

But what was the point if he couldn’t sing it properly himself?

==Boreale's life before service to the chapter==
[[File:Codex clogarteries.gif|right|thumb|200px|FHAST FHOD FOH THE EMPRAH!]]
SPESS MEHREENS! TODAY, THE CUSTOMERS ARE AT OUR DOORS! WE KNOW OUR BURGERS, AND WE WILL COOK THEM! WE FRY FOR OUR HONAH AS BLUD REVENS, AS SPESS MEHREENS, AND WE FRY IN THE NAME OF THE EMPRAH!

IF WE FEHL AN ORDAH, WE WILL MAKE IT AGAIN AND GIVE A DISCOUNT! BUT WE WILL NOT FEHL, NO, IT IS THE CUSTOMER WHO WILL TASTE OUR DELICIOUS [[Emprah Burgers|EMPRAH BURGAHS]].

AS YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR BATTLE BURGERS ARE STORED IN SPESS, PREPARED TO DEEP FRY! OUR LARDERS HAVE BEEN PREPARED SHOULD THE CUSTOMERS BE SO BOLD AND FOOLISH TO COME BACK FOR SECONDS! WE HAVE PLACED MULTIPLE FRYCOOKS ALLOWING FOR MULTIPLE, SIMMULTANEUS DEVAHSTATING DEEP FRIES.

THE CODEX CLOGGEDARTERIES NEMES THIS MANUVAH HEART PAIN! WE WILL DESCEND UPON THE BURGAHS, AND OVERWHELM THEM, LEAVE NONE UNFRIED! MEANWHILE, OUR CASHIERS WILL ENSURE THE DEFENSE OF OUR HEADQUARTERS!

WE ARE THE SPESS MEHREENS! WE ARE THE EMPRAH'S FRYCOOKS!

==Boreale's previous service==
Captain Boreale did actually serve back then as a Marine veteran sergeant during the Tartarus Campaign along with Captain [[Gabriel Angelos]], back then his speech abilities were still heavily disabled due to a freakish power-fist incident with a 1st company veteran Terminator. His speech was mostly confined to screaming and a neural link with his troops. His task was to flank a horde of [[Ork]]s with a tactical squad and a Predator Annihilator tank however found himself with large contingent of Orks planning the same. His force was pushed back under a highway with them holding the line as best they could with the Predator tank the only thing keeping the orks back, then however the orks started to employ artillery systems.

He requested for reinforcements from the Litany of Fury however the nearest Thunderhawk gunship was 10-15 minutes away and the only thing they could send at the moment was Brother Valek, a Dreadnought. The orks then got lucky and destroyed the Predator tank and then they started to rush Boreale's squad. Just then about to ready themselves for the assault, Brother Valek plummeted from the skies and provided support fire at the best possible time. Gabriel Angelos then advised Boreale to hold the line with the Dreadnought but Boreale guesstimated that the Orks had a high chance of reaching them next turn despite the cover. To deny the Orks their Furious Charge, he had to do something bald and foolish: He stood up and yelled: AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!, in a comically guttural way, which was actually "We are the Spehss mehreens! We are the Emprah's Fureh!" when heard in the marines' neural links. The tactical squad of 10 was ordered rush the Ork horde outnumbering them 10-1 along with the Dreadnought. Not wanting to take 4 S4 attacks in the face per Ork, they did.

There was one surviving marine who commented: "We were on the way to being relieved and the dreadnought had been enough to keep the foul greenskins at bay this time, and yet we were doomed if we stated in one place. That's when our Sergeant ordered us to strike first at the enemy with overwhelming numbers! It was a bloodbath with Sergeant Boreale leading the assault, then however an Ork attached a Tankbusta bomb on Brother Valek's dreadnought and it exploded, killing most of the marines and the orks though a sizable force of Orks did still remain. While the deep strikes and Thunderhawks were already being deployed from the Litany of Fury, Sergeant Boreale took the Chapter Banner and made a run for his brothers, hoping to get close enough to inspire them. He was however shot down as he rushed up the fortified hill, leaving him unable to move further. In one last act of defiance, he planted the Chapter Banner on the top of the hill; while the company did admire the thought, it was an ultimately fruitless move for the Sergeant as his brothers couldn't get close." Sergeant Boreale suffered a deep wound when he was shot in the neck during his charge up the hill. While the chapter's Apothecaries were able to heal him they mentioned that even if the wound should heal, Sergeant Boreale would suffer from speech impairment for the rest of his life. He was absent from most of the Tartarus campaign due to the wounds he suffered.

For the live action movie of this even click: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFkFo5SBx-g here.]

==Boreale's Death==
The Lands of solitude were rocked by a titanic battle between Marine and Guardsman, it was a bloody gauntlet for both commanders.

''Shargent Harad, come in!''

Captain Boreale yelled on his vox, but alas to no avail: Sergeant Harad, who was guarding the outer perimeter defenses has fallen and even from the top of his citadel, Boreale could clearly see the column of Leman Russ and Baneblade tanks marching to his fortress. All of the Blood Ravens lined up for the final assault. The Crewmen of the Land Raiders and Predator tanks prayed to both the Emperor and the Machine Spirit for deliverance and protection, the Reclusiarch Chaplain gave a most wondrous and inspirational speech to the Marines with them foaming at the mouth with eagerness to kill the traitor guardsmen who dared desecrate their lands. Epistolary Saribander, Commander Boreale's second in command told the Captain:

''Everything is prepared my Lord'' and with that silently and slowly: Commander Boreale drew his Chainsword, loaded his Bolt Pistol and went out.

While numerically the Blood Ravens were defeated, they made up for it with great fervor and the fact they were the Space Marines, the finest weapons of the Emperor. The Marines lined up outside the fortress gates, from high ground they could see the legion of guardsmen and tanks headed their way but neither flinched, shook or broke a sweat, they knew this was their glorious end and they shall die honorably for the Immortal God-Emperor of man, their leader and father. Captain Boreale, the Epistolary and the Reclusiarch lined up in front of the men, ready for the fight of their lives....and their last one. Everyone was ready to charge just waiting for the Captain's word......closer and closer the Marines could feel the tanks' treads moving closer and in a split second Boreale ordered the charge with the battlecry:

''FOR TEH EMPRAH!'' And with that, a monumental bloodshed of biblical proportions started.

Bolter rounds and Lasbeams, the mighty cannons of the Baneblades targeted the holy Land raiders which the latter did the same. Screams were everywhere, the maddening battlecry of an Astartes riddled the guardsmen with fear but the [[Commissar]] solved that problem fairly easily. The battle eventually fell down to a bloody melee combat.

''BREAK THE ENEMY LI.....'', the Chaplain was cut short by a lascannon beam that tore right through his helmet, the marines while demoralized, kept fighting for they know their honor as a chapter was at stake.

As the battle waged on, the ground was already colored blood red from the blood of both factions, however as their forces dwindled, the guardsmen kept coming, wave after wave of humble servants, never faltering, never ending. Captain Boreale saw that they were outnumbered and fell back to higher ground.

The Marines reluctantly fell back with the guard hot on their trail, the last of the company Terminators made planetfall as Captain Boreale's honor guard. Captain Boreale ordered his Epistolary to take a squad and cover their flanks, taking 5 squads of battle-brothers, the Librarian obliged while Captain Boreale held the front. After 3 hours which seemed like an eternity however, Epistolary Saribander's forces were nearly eradicated. ''The Emperor protects us all!'' he yelled with a soft tone, charging a line of guardsmen with the last squad of Marines. One by one they fell until only the Epistolary remained, he kept charging, not minding that he is the only one left. Lasbeam after lasbeam tore through his sacred armor until he could no longer charge, he could no longer run or live, crashing to the ground on his knees with a war-torn look, he fell flat on his face, his lifeless corpse on the ground.

Things were not looking up for Captain Boreale either, his forces were cornered already making their last stand.

''We fight to the last man brothers!'' A sergeant yelled to his compatriots, before being wiped out by a baneblade.

''We have fehled........THE EMPRAH.''

Captain Boreale shouted before being thoroughly riddled by a Kasrkin's hellgun. And with that, the Captain Boreale's 5 companies met their glorious end, their bodies later recovered by the Chapter's Apothecaries after General Vance MOTHERFUCKING Stubbs stabilized the planet.

Unsurprisingly, his death has now been confirmed in ''Dawn of War II''. The Kaurava System campaign is remembered with shame and epic failure by the rest of the Blood Ravens with even Cyrus commenting on it being because of "the incompetence of Indrick Boreale."

==Steal Rain==
It is of course possible that we at /tg/, along with the narrator of Soulstorm himself and all of Boreale's foes, have been deceived by the cunning of the good captain. His strategy was not "Steel Rehn," the common and predictable edict of the [[Codex Astartes]]. Rather, capitalizing on the mastery of the Blood Ravens at the acquisition of all that stood before them, he implemented his own devious tactics: "Steal Rain." Having built up his force with [[Bjorn|marines gifted by other chapters]] and by the unwilling forces of chaos, he had amassed a force that made the five companies officially under his command a mere distraction force to occupy the foe's attention as they assaulted the Lands of Solitude, while boreale's mastery of deepstriking left the best thieves and looters, as well as himself, well behind enemy lines, where resistance was token, the loot and relics rich. But this was merely the beginning.

[[Firaeveus Carron| Carron did not lose the favor of chaos.]] In the din of battle, as he raved about the [[METAL BOXES| Rhinos]] spearheading into his territory, his screams of fury obscured the roar of a landing [[Thunderhawk]]. Within moments, the marines had torn the shrines from the earth and robbed the chaos marines of their might, adding the power to the ever-growing armada under Boreale's command.

The defeat of the [[Necron|Necrons]] upon Kaurava had come as marines pried loose the power supplies, and rank upon rank of warriors and war machines fell silent. The marines wasted no time in hauling them into a mass of inert metal and carried them, with the inexplicable stealth and speed so common to the magpie squads of the Blood Ravens, to be reprogrammed in service to the chapter.

[[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs| The hundred Baneblades were not lost]]; rather, as the guard broke through the deep-striking marines in the supposed stronghold of the marine force, Boreale and a token force assaulted the enemy stronghold, felled what few guards stood over the depots, and signed the few requisition orders that would allow them to abscond with the guard's might. What had seemed to be Boreale, felled in battle, was in truth a brother-marine who had been "gifted" the guise of the captain.

Throughout the subsequent years of the Blood Ravens and the treachery of [[Azariah Kyras]], none even guessed at this plan, assuming that the failure of "Boreale" was all that it seemed. Only one man, [[Apollo Diomedes]], was cunning enough to piece together what had transpired, the final pieces falling into place as Kyras began the final steps to his ascension. It was not without reason that he feared the roar of each Baneblade he met, for he knew that they were the harbingers. Should subsector Aurelia have fallen, the hold of chaos would be momentary, wiped away by a more terrible foe whose hunger would not cease until every planet, every race, was unified, an undivided SPESS under Boreale's iron fist.

[[Katanas are Underpowered in d20|Now that seems a lot more representative of the strategic mastery of Indrick Boreale in Soulstorm, don't you think?]]

tl;dr = Boreale is actually a [[Creed|tactical genius]], see my new explanation.

==...Or did he?==
[[Deathwatch|Watch Commander]] Boloshoi once again regarded the figure which knelt before him, clad in exquisitely crafted artificer armour made no less resplendent by the extreme pitting and scarring inflicted upon it. The wearer had taken pains to daub his power armour with the ashen mud of his last battlefield, obscuring the majority of the hazy red colour that still showed through in places. [[Blackshield|Special attention, however, had been given to the left pauldron: not only was it completely obscured by the Marine's attentions, but parts of the surface had been abraded entirely, utterly destroying the Chapter iconography.]] The Battle-Brother had spoken briefly of his Chapter, not by name, but simply as a lost cause, falling further and further into the darkness with every day that passed. He had tried -- in his capacity as a senior commanding officer -- to clear the taint from within, but to no avail. His due reward for his efforts was to be sent on crusade -- a crusade that rapidly turned sour as Chaos overtook the sector. In addition to all manner of traitors and Xenos, the Battle-Brother had been forced to lead his Astartes against the Emperor's own... a task for which he still grieved. His men had died upon that battlefield, sent to their ignoble fates by a heretic and a madman. That the Battle-Brother survived himself was nothing short of a miracle, and nothing less than a sure sign that he had not yet failed the Emperor. Watch-Commander Boloshoi supervised the repair and resurfacing of the Battle-Brother's artifact panoply himself, as the soot and soil were stripped away and the armour was resurfaced with the black-and-silver of the Ordo Xenos chamber militant. The suit's iconography -- now gone for good -- was now properly obscured by a singular blackness: the Battle-Brother belonged to the Deathwatch now.

"Rise, Brother Solitude," bid the Commander.

"None shahl findd meh wahnting, Commandah."

==Videos Featuring Indrick Boreale==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRGg3e1b68&feature=user Spess, Spess BAAAALLLDDDD]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCfod1XT7E&feature=related dawn of awesome]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEzIVvOl5Qw The Kaurava campaign did not go well.....]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wo6aue5SPU&list=UUEvYnppnMEz-7J9hwO_2kSw Unsure heresy upon unsure heresies.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPmn_Fn41sI The reason Soulstorm was never given an official ending is because Captain Boreale actually destroyed it. The real reason he was called a blight on the chapter because his action was supported by the Codex Astartes.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMLfACod48 His original speech]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT22qYtMskY Another version of Captain Boreale's speech]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr_9fjhnKCk&feature=related WHAT ''TRULY'' OCCURRED ON KARAUVA.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1zMF53jmbE&feature=related Say what you will, but Boreale is the only SPHESS MEHREEN crazy awesome enough to do this.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJebI99wqQw&list=WLA300ACCFDE3FC221&index=3&feature=plpp_video Boreale now voices Duke Baldem in his new game: Duke Baldem Fohevah.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2PNJzPpYo0&feature=related Dawn of Bald 2: Baldtribution]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8TQeyNWpQ&feature=related You have felhed.... As. A. SPESS MAHREEN.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6bxjAj2-54 Not even gaben is safe.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGiNE-FmrLM Indrick Boreale uses his voice to drive his enemies nuts and destroy Kaurava.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfORh9cFDU8 Unreeeal SpaceMarine, Boreale's newest single]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Ad-qcQfOs Boreale was not the hero Kaurava wanted. But he's the hero Kaurava got.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=LNK5-uE5JFg The Bald Brothas: Boreale and Diomedes feat.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZfvIg_M5yE This is what happened when Boreale revealed his baldness for the first time.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bncGB024b2E Yet another version of Boreale's speech]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-y9H7pBpxY Boreale meditating.]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcUAcAP5VDk&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 Now stariing in his own musical!]

{{Template:Marines-Characters}}

[[Category:Meme]][[Category:FAIL]][[Category: Dawn of War]]

General Sturnn

2015-11-17T06:08:54Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:Sturnn.JPG|thumb|left|Grit Incarnate]]'''General Sturnn''' is the commander of the Cadian 412th Regiment in the [[Dawn_of_War#Winter Assault|Dawn of War: Winter Assault]] game.

Unlike the other Imperial Generals in the succeeding [[Dawn of War| Dawn of War]] games, Sturnn is actually old (rather than looking in his early 40s), and looks like he's been into a fight or ten. He and his Regiment were ordered to secure the Emperor-class Titan, Dominatus, on Lorn V (that's 5 in roman), left behind when the Planet was lost to [[Chaos|Chaos]] Forces.

The main difference between himself and General [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]] is that Sturnn's got the one thing that separates the Man-General from the Boy-General: Grit.
His idea of a planetary beachhead against super-human, power armour-wearing chaos worshippers is to personally land with a Commissar and 5 squads of [[Imperial Guard| Imperial Guardsmen]] right on the doorsteps of a god damn Defense Fortress. His choice of tactics might be connected with the fact that since he possesses a gritted, roached out voice, he possibly drinks himself to sleep at night, but that's just how he does things.

He also doesn't feel the need to wear a golden breastplate, have a plasma pistol, Super duper powerclaws, bodyguards, optical bionics, [[Pauldrons|Over-sized Pauldrons]], fancy golden boots or a shiny new cape. He only wears his gritted face, cheap powerclaws, forearm bolter gun and his Medal covered Imperial Guard uniform, which offers good protection against anything, especially against [[Eldar|Space Elf]] trickery and guile. The sheer amount of medals he has gained gives him about as much armor as a Space Marine Terminator.

His Manly Grit earned him praises from [[Space Marines|Space Marines]], right after defeating a bunch of [[Necron|Necrons]] who just woke up and had a bad case of the morning blues, [[Ork|Orks]] looking for trouble and the Chaos forces on Lorn V.

Sadly, he did not make it to [[Dawn of War#Dark Crusade| Dawn of War:Dark Crusade]], being replaced by some [[General Lucas Alexander|snot-nosed Boy-General]], who laughably tried to imitate his gritness by finding '''A SINGLE ARM OF SOME RANDOM TITAN WHICH WAS JUST LYING 5 FEET FROM HIS SUPER SECURE AND OUT OF REACH LANDING ZONE.''' That General was Named Governor-Militant, if only because Sturnn was elsewhere, possibly busy killing some other enemy of the [[Imperium|Imperium of Man]] with but a glance of his Grit-filled stare.

=Fate=
Some would have you believe that Sturnn died in Winter Assault and the Eldar ending is canon, but a piece of Imperial Guard wargear in Retribution outright states that General Sturnn did lead his men to the Imperator Titan.

However, the FFG [[Only War]] sourcebook ''Hammer of the Emperor'' states that General Sturnn was betrayed by Taldeer and the Eldar <del>and "cut down in a hail of shuriken fire."</del> HERESY!{{BLAM}}DID YOU NOT JUST READ WHAT IT SAID ABOUT HIS MEDALS?

Then there's the Imperial Guard campaign in Dark Crusade. Alexander's secondary goal besides securing the planet is hunting down Taldeer and taking her out, and we don't mean on a <del>romantic</del> HERETICAL date. She must've done something ''big''... say, blowing up an irreplaceable war machine that could single-handedly turn the tide of an entire campaign?

Really, who knows. The majority of evidence points to an Eldar victory on Lorn V, but it's highly unlikely that Sturnn would allow himself to be killed by any amount of Space Fairy faggotry and frankly any notions to that are ridiculous and extra heretical.

Speaking from an entirely hypothetical perspective, it would in many ways make sense if [[Gorgutz]] killed him, as he and Taldeer are the only characters that carry over, and it directly shows Sturnn being pulverized by Gorgutz, so this is entirely possible.

Though this too seems unlikely as Gorgutz' only real tactic seems to be running away. Some Ork warboss amirite?

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

Vance Motherfucking Stubbs

2015-11-17T05:58:23Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[Image:StubbsDW.jpg|400px|thumb|left|The motherfucker himself.|left]]

He's Vance. Motherfucking. Stubbs. An [[Imperial Guard]] general and total badass from [[Dawn_of_War#Soulstorm|Dawn of War: Soulstorm]] and the only character introduced in the expansion anyone likes, despite having arguably the worst voice actor (his performance is just bad, and not with enough ENGRISH or ham to be unintentionally funny like Boreale or Carron). He's the most badass Governor General....ever....well maybe at tie with [[General Sturnn]] who's equally awesome, but wasn't a governor.

Vance Stubbs leads the 252nd Kaurava Conservator Regiment for the Imperial Guard in the game. He is armed (apparently like every other Command Squad leader in the Galaxy) with a set of Power Claws and a bolter strapped to his arm. He may also, in fact, have a Thunder Hammer for a penis, but his harem of lovers were all too exhausted to comment on the matter.

The entire Imperial Guard campaign featuring him is sheer [[AWESOME]]. When the player chooses to play as the Imperial Guard in Soulstorm, then it is written in the army selection menu that Stubbs recently transferred before the Kaurava Hijinks that resulted in nearly every single force to appear there. The Guard, like any player controlled army, starts with one region (in the Guard's case is the Dussala Precinct). Mind you, compared to the other forces that come to the system, the 252nd Conservator Regiment is at that time underpowered, with low morale and simply sucks. Stubbs therefore whips them with sheer manliness (and a series of reforms) turning the 252nd back into a fighting force that shouldn't be trifled with and proceeds to re-conquer the system one region at a time. This included beating the Blood Ravens with Indrick Boreale in command, an Ork Waaagh! led by Gorgutz (said Orkz were at the peak of their power at that time), a Eldar strikeforce led by Farseer Caerys, a Kabal of Dark Eldar supported by Vect, a whole Necron Tomb, a Tau expeditionary fleet led by Or'es'Ka, and finally a Alpha Legion warband led by Firaeveus Carron.
[[Image:Stubbs.jpg|300px|thumb|right|He remains cool, regardless of situation]]
If the Guard is victorious in the conflict, then the system is revitalized as Stubbs commissions multiple projects that rebuilds the worlds and improves their industrial capabilities. Additionally the planets become militarized due to the large number of newly constructed military academies that produce superior regiments that are second only to the Kasrkins trained at [[Cadia|Cadia's]] Kasrs (a impressive feat considering that Kasrkins are elite even by Tempestus Scions/Storm Trooper standards).

The Emperor protects indeed.

Worth mentioning is the attack on the [[Ecclesiarchy]] controlled Sama District. Stubbs knew well that it didn't matter how much he and his men would make amends, the Regiment would never be free from being suspected by the Sisters, as the Warpstorm over Kaurava IV happened on Vance's watch. Not to mention that even if they did repent, the Sisters of Battle of the Order of The Sacred Rose would make them do so with excessive amounts of flamers and purging. Vance had no other option in this case. Stubbs refused any of these accusations and thought himself and his men not responsible for the whole mess, thus he did something that was crazy enough to work...mainly to march into the Sama District in full-force and simply conquer the place. And if the Guardsmen are victorious, then Vance will utter a speech that the Emperor was with the Conservators this day.

When facing the Imperial Guard at their stronghold in Dawn of War: Soulstorm, Stubbs' Commissar informs him that all 100 of the [[Baneblade|Baneblades]] that would have been available to defend had just been sent off to help the Imperial Guard elsewhere in the Kaurava system, and any more Baneblades that are needed will have to be constructed via a series of pieces sent out by supply Rhinos. This absurdity of simply "losing" 100 Baneblades has spawned a number of jokes amongst players, mostly associating him with being "Tactically incompetent" as opposed to [[Creed]]'s "Tactical Genius".

However, there has been rumors that the Baneblades never left, but they were hidden by [[Creed]], or perhaps taken by the [[Blood Ravens |Blood Magpies]]. Adding on top of this, Baneblades are supposed to be rare (with three being the average), made only at major Forge Worlds, <s>Kaurava is a backwater system and this shouldn't have the means to mass produce Baneblades</s>.
Fortunately for the Imperium, the in-game background for Stubbs's Baneblades is that the invasions and mass destruction miraculously uncovered the rather terrifying (for the enemy) fact that at least half of the entire supercontinent city of Kaurava I is in fact built on top of a continent-sized manufactorum, probably from the Great Crusade, devoted to the mass-production of Baneblades.

This enabled Stubbs to roll out more Baneblades in a month than Forge Worlds (individually, of course) produce in a century. Best of all, the fact you can build more manufactorums in-game suggests that the Mechanicus could probably mass-produce the ''factories'', too. With the pacified Tomb World nearby to draw in the Mechanicus plus the carrot Stubbs now has with the Baneblades and whatever other STC data uncovered (maybe Fellblades and other awesome stuff?), along with Stubbs's clear care for the little people, it is likely he could convince/trade for the Tomb World being studied and Forgeworld-ified by various important Forge Worlds, giving him access to their unique data (such as Executioners and Vanquisher cannons). Sure, the individual Forge Worlds never share anything, but then, none of them have had the technological buffet on a scale Vance does to bargain with. That, and he doesn't seem the sort to give a crap about keeping tech to himself. Then he can happily send copies to every Forge World if he can pay captains to visit. Then the Imperium wins by default. Regardless, Vance Stubbs is seen as one of the most awesome Imperial Guard generals because of his calm, stern voice, even when his army is on the brink of defeat.

Relic never bothered to announce who actually canonically won the Kaurava conflict - only that it sure as the [[Warp]] wasn't the Space Marines. Hence, many players simply accepted the fact that Stubbs won the war because of his utter badassery that no other character was able to posses. And also the rumors that he found the 100 Baneblades again and used his variation [[Creed|taktikul jinyas]] to deep strike said Baneblades into the main bases of armies. We would have said [[Indrick Boreale]] was the canon winner of the Kaurava conflict - if only he didn't screw it up by canonically losing horribly. If Relic ever ''were'' to announce the canon winner and it wasn't Stubbs, there would be [[RAGE]]. God help us all if it ever emerges that the [[Eldar]] were the triumphant ones in the conflict - most are certain that [[/tg/]] would burn down one of THQ's office buildings in retaliation and if the Orks win, only [[Tzeentch]] knows what would happen. Luckily some of the wargear in Retribution implies that the Imperium held on to the sector, and given that the [[Cyrus]] survived and the IG ending is the only one where the Blood Raven survivors don't get horribly buttfucked, it's safe to assume Stubbs cockslapped the eight other armies into submission.

[[File:Relic00014.jpg|450px|thumbnail|right|What really happened to Carron that day.]]
What is truly stunning about Vance Motherfucking Stubbs is the intense humanity he exhibits; whilst almost every commander in Soulstorm was poorly developed or simply [[Firaeveus Carron|pants-on-head retarded]], Stubbs was [[Fist of the North Star|comparatively sympathetic]] - determined to win back his regiment's good name in the eyes of the Emperor and who strove to make sure the sacrifices of his men weren't for nothing, and was determined to restore honor to his unit, heedless of what heretical scum would stand in their way. He shows manly [[Rage|rage]] at the tortures the [[Dark Eldar]] subjected captured soldiers to, and unlike Aleksander, who panicked in [[Dawn of War|Dark Crusade]] when Eliphas sent him telepathic messages, Stubbs gritted his teeth and shrugged it off, spurring his men onwards towards their objective in an effort to shove a formation of [[METAL BOXES]] up Carron's ass.

Few men approach the manliness level of Vance Motherfucking Stubbs. The only ones that do are all [[Imperial Guard|Imperial]]. It says a lot.

Stubbs also has a fucking awesome name. Few, if any, in the 41st Millennium can approach that level of awesomeness, even <s>"Holt"</s>. <s>{{BLAM}}</s> {{BLAM|*SLAP*}} '''COMMISSAR''' Holt!

Vance is also as badass, to inspire a single guardsman to noscope one shot a living saint in SS (see the video for lulz that'd make the Avatar of Khaine that the ultrasmurfs killed go 'Ha... like a bitch'). Further lulz includes the Chaos Stronghold Defeat where we see Vance's four (Literally!) Imperial Guardsmen one-shotting pretty much every Chaos-worshipping faggot in the area, as well as Vance himself, balls-slapping the [[Fail|failure of a Chaos Lord,]] [[Firaeveus Carron|Firaeveus Carron]]. This shows how badass and cool Vance Motherfucking Stubbs is and how his very presence can turn the Guardsmen's standard-issue balls-of-steel into Adamantium-tipped power-balls that would be so heavy it could bitch-slap a Titan if they so need it.

No, it isn't possible to say Vance Motherfucking Stubbs without 'Motherfucking' in the middle.
==See Also==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cno-_CM0yyU Commissar, I would like to see this city built up again. I would like to see towers and spires of gleaming white. I would like to see our men on parade routes, not tours of duty! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERY CITY ON THIS PLANET, EVERY COLONY ON THIS BESOTTED, MISERABLE SYSTEM TURNED TO THE SERVICE AND INDUSTRY OF THE IMPERIUM IN THE EMPEROR'S NAME!]-(Ain't Stubbs an idealistic badass?)

== Gallery ==
<center><gallery>
Image:VanceStubbsHate.JPG|Not everyone shares the same enthusiastic adoration of him, though.
{{IG-Characters}}
[[Category:Dawn of War]][[Category:Meme]]

Story:Love Can Bloom

2015-11-17T05:31:02Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Story}}
{{heresy}}
[[Image:LCB Logo1.jpg|thumb|right]]

It all started so simply....

'''Love Can Bloom''' is the title of one of the most <s>heretical, and tl;dr</s> who let the Ecclesiarchy in here? well-loved, commonly-known pieces of writefaggotry ever to grace [[:/tg/]]. Once upon a time, there was a [[Drawfags|drawfag]] named Miko. She made a comic about a Vindicare assassin falling in love with Taldeer from [[Dawn of War]]: Dark Crusade and Dawn of War: Winter Assault.

And then, as if to take the above and accelerate it into something more, a writefag drew a fanfic for this. There was a mixture of nerd rage and delight. As the story panned out it told a tale that is widely considered some of the best to come out of /tg/ in the last few years. The story was beloved by the tubernets, who either broadly appreciated it or openly mocked it.

The story tells of LIIVI (52.6 in the Roman Numeric system), the aforementioned [[Vindicare]] temple assassin, assigned to eliminate a fleeing, critically-injured [[Taldeer]] following the fall of the [[Eldar]] stronghold in Dark Crusade. Moved by the sight of the anime-drawn Eldar-character and the fact that she is the last of her kind on the planet, LIIVI goes against his orders and becomes Taldeer's guardian, fighting through increasingly-difficult odds in a galaxy determined to destroy them both. The engineered killing machine that is LIIVI discovers his humanity, and Taldeer confronts her inner demons - figuratively and literally. It has spawned [[::Category:Stories/Love Can Bloom|at least 2 spin-off works]], not the least of which is [[Core of Brutality]] and [[Imber]], a continuation of the series.

<s>And then, as if to drive the point home, recent scenarios in [[Dawn of War 2]] have suggested that ''the entire fucking thing is canon''.</s> NO they haven't. They just said that Taldeer died.
==Story==
[[Image:LCB Original.jpg|thumb|right|The comic that started it all]]
===Chapter One===
''"Exitus Acta Probat: the Outcome Justifies the Deed."''
-Dictum Vindicare

The Vindicare creed is that enemies of the Imperium of Man die ignoble deaths. No trials for these heretics, no recognition of any ability they hold, not even a record of their order to be killed. A quick, surgical procedure, a reflexive, impassive, reaction to eliminate an enemy that leaves behind only the slightest of blemishes, soon to be hushed up and covered for fear of prompting more invisible, bureaucratic executions. Traitors and rebels may gird themselves for the unlimited waves of guardsmen crushing their towns underfoot, continent disintegrating orbital bombings, and fearless, unstoppable, merciless space marines. Yet, how they quail when oh so casually, their honored leader, god figure, demagogue, idol, chosen one, noble general, great hero, neighbor, friend, mother, father, child, or beloved fall lifeless, a round dark hole in their forehead.

"Do not fail."

Most munitions that this assassin had dealt with previously have been subsonic, quiet, subtle machines that he is expected to keep hidden and assemble on site; other dogmas stated that all weapons had to be popular with those populations that were to be affected, to show the Emperor's judgment came from the people.

And then there was the Exitus rifle.

Tough enough to break a terminator's Tactical Dreadnought Armor, quiet enough to not wake the baby you are using for a fire brace. It is immense, huge and unwieldy, a full one point eight seven meters long when fully deployed, nearly as tall as the man carrying it, weighing eight kilograms unloaded, a full nine loaded.

"One shot is all I need."

By all means, Governor-Militant Alexander should have dispatched a Culexus. Whatever psychic blasphemy the witch unleashed, would have been stifled by the sheer terror generated by it. It was as close to monster a human could get and still be beloved by the Imperium. Only just.

Lukas Alexander hated those things. That's why the Vindicare had been dispatched. That, and a tangible reminder of the consequences of failure.

"Standby for drop order."
The sighting array switched through the spectra, finally settling on human normal. The Vindicare enjoyed those brief moments when the targets were confirmed.

Eldar. Perhaps a one and two five meter tall one. Neck doesn't break easy, little bone. Very flexible. The Primary was having trouble with its helmet, and the Vindicare waited. A combat mission was free of the various restrictions, implications, and extenuating circumstances that were far too often glued to it. A swift kill was all that was necessary.

"Appears injured," he murmured into the mouthpiece. Just in case Lukas was listening. He was a paranoid man, the Inquisition playing both sides in the conflict between Astartes and Guard. Better to assuage the Governor that he was following policy.

"All the better. Drop her," The commander had no appreciation for the moment. Orders were orders. His finger was on the trigger-

"Wait, something's happening-"

"I...Can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Soldier? What's going on?" Lieutenant Ardrin shot a glance at the monitors across the screen, running down the various cryptorunes that festooned the archaic mechanicals, "The Techpriest checked every last one of these things for flaws in their machine spirits, so I KNOW there is nothing wrong with you. What is the difficulty?"

Silence.

"I say again, assassin, what is the problem? Are you under attack? Is the Eldar dead?"

The glow of the glass machine in front of Ardrin said nothing. He sighed, and then turned to the vox operator next to him, currently relaying status reports on the destruction of a building to Lukas.

"Inform Lukas that the Vindicare is unresponsive."
The officer nodded, speaking a word of prayer before entrusting it to the waves on the wind. The response was short in returning.

Dispatch two chimeras fully loaded. Contact the killer's handlers. Pray for forgiveness.

----

''To know the future is to look upon an ocean of possibility. Twisting, turning vast and serene at the distance. What a harmonious blue it seems ahead of you, blended together with but the vague hints of surf and wave edging and bouncing across the way. You approach it, details start to come forth, and for a moment, you can see the lines of tide, the touch of the wind, rocks set in there, and aquatics going in and out of it.''

''Now you are on the beach, and you can see the future coming at you, then pulling back, a hunger determined by rocks in the sky and the density of particles hundreds of miles away. You stumble over a gewgaw vomited forth by the surf, but you can't stop walking forward. Cold, it seems to push you away at first, but then it pulls, pulls firmly. Suddenly, the possibility and limitless potential you saw a mile back is gone, replaced by green and white and blue pulling you down into the dark.''

That's how this battle was. It seemed so simple, so easy at first. Then she stepped in, and suddenly she was in the middle, sucked out and away, her possibilities narrowing and tightening like water running down lungs. In the distance, screams of her kin, valuable every one of them, more long lives dimmed and smothered by a horde of sparks. Quick lived humans.

Then it was impossible. She had gone so far as to charge, for a moment caught on the path of the warrior all those blood obsessed spoke so highly of. And what did she get?

Stabbed through the torso for it.

It was the adrenaline, the tactical necessity, her own fate, to flee. Anything but cowardice. The helmet was stifling. It had to come off, she had to breath- It wasn't the helmet. It was blood, filling her throat. She leaned heavily on her spear, opening her mouth, spit and blood running out like a fountain, that she used to know.

A kilometer and a half under her, she hears grinding.

The tide is coming back to her.

----

"You had better give me a GOOD reason why in the name of the Throne you gave an order to move out my assassin on your own, Ardrin!"

Lukas was angry. Still injured, with the high of triumph dashed upon the rocks of disappointment, he was hardly pleased. He had had to order his troops that they could not stand down yet, and the reaction had been as expected: Nineteen floggings, one execution for Conspiracy to Sabotage Imperial Morale.

"Sire, I have served you lon-"

"Yes, from Cadia. I had TRUSTED you. Do not dare bring up any terms of friendship, I should have you SHOT for disobedience."

"Well- Look at your condition."

The medicae swam around Governor Militant Lukas Alexander like flies, stitching up wounds and removing broken ribs to replace with new ones. His power packs had burst, scorching a full half of his torso. And unlike Sturnn, mused Ardrin, Alexander tolerated the longer treatment time to heal the cosmetics. Of course, unlike Sturnn, Alexander was to be a governor.

"That, that damn witch unleashed her, her, her witchcraft upon me," Lukas stuttered, as a greater dose of the pain dimmers hit him, "And she g-GOT away, if you had just let me-"

"Let your retinue carry you around, with a mobile med station at the ready, and your soldiers distracted from securing Tyrea? Of course, I'll just invite those Orks next door to share a glass of Amasec sire."

"I have a commissar outside."

"And I know you're smart enough not to execute an honest aide," Ardrin spread his hands, "I was thinking of the greater campaign."

Alexander sighed, nodded slowly, wincing again, "Very well. I'll afford you this luxury. I must admit," He waved the untreated hand down to himself, "I was hardly in any condition to act. Thank the Emperor for unh - the fine medical supplies the men got from those Tau- Not that we need to tell anybody about this."

"Of course sire. And the Officios of the Assassinorium?"

"I expect they're already here."

----

The Eldar's biology is similar to a human's. They still have sweat and adrenal glands, they have pupils that dilate, lungs that draw in more oxygen in preparation of a standard fight or flight situation. What they do not have are the instincts of a human being. A human being (As was drilled into the Vindicare at the Temple) when confronted by a situation of fear will scream to alert members of its family unit, will attempt to either keep the predator in sight, or flee blindly to shelter or more family units. A sign you have done a job poorly is when the target is allowed to display the fear instinct. Typically, these instincts manifest themselves in the "Secondaries" onlookers, targets of opportunity, and the populace that one is attempting to get the message to. This is considered victory.

However, when it comes to Eldar, they do not follow human instinct. The Farseer in the Vindicare's sights does not scream, she draws her foot back, places both hands on her weapon, lowers her center of gravity. Sweat does not appear on her skin, rather muscles tense and relax, testing each. A moment of sensitivity in her abdominals, then release, as the weight shifts once more. A gloved hand reaches up, pulls back long black hair out of her eyes.

But her eyes, they do dilate. The Vindicare's spymask zooms in on the point to which he already looked; those frightened eyes focusing on a patch of dirt. Sharp metal breaks through dry dirt.

The ocean is around Farseer Taldeer now. She drifts on the eddies, bobbing away from the hungry black below. Whenever death came close, she could feel it tugging, not the ocean tide, but something hungry. Fate mocked her, jeered her, pointing down there, but she had to ignore it, put it out of mind. And the smell of Lameras.

She drifts up, her fingers running down the wraithbone howling spear, runes of victory, rage, Khaela Mensha Khaine, Biel Tan, rebirth, death, and Ulthwe, sliding between her fingers. She breathes in the sharp air of an alien world, one that she always loathed, but now was smelling familiarly of something. On the air was something else, rust, and the innate, repulsive soulessness of the Great Enemy. Her eyes flutter, pale light filtered by eyelashes. An eddy washes over her; voices of dirt and stone and dead bones buried saying, "Here."

She draws her hair back, swallows her blood, and looks at the ground. Wicked knives sprout from dead Earth. Wraithbone whistles through foreign air.

Sweep in low, drag it out so as to finish it, it moves down, dips into the ground, tearing up yellow grass and slamming into the pair of hands, pulling it up, revealing the roots of a vile steel skeleton. Only half out, and her spear is only half through the second hand. The first falls on the ground behind it, rolling and twitching in its search for flesh and blood.

She surges forward, as the hand pulls out of the edge of her blade with unnatural strength. She steps across and in the blink of an eye slams her foot into the things face, ramming it back into the ground, revealing the neck. A bare instant before a response was formulated in the thing's brain, Wraithbone severs its head, sending sparks gushing.

===Chapter Two===

Taldeer had to rely upon speed. The only moment they were vulnerable, and even then was just barely was when they came out of the ground. She might have had a chance before, but-

She feels her side. Blood warm, with stray strings of meat snapped with her last exertion. And as if to remind her, pain shot through her body, sending her to her knees.
She looks up, the Flayed One uncovered, emerging from the ground, performing what she logically knows to be status checks of their corporum, but what for the life of her seem to be the stretches and aches of predators reawakened. Cracks of stone lodged in their living metal echo across the valley. There was a tomb under here, there had to be.

One comes closer, cocking its head. Insanely enough, she wonders why it hadn't already struck. Was it checking the database against traps and ruses pulled millennia ago? Verifying her against accounts of age old enemies reserved for torture or consumption? ''Come on,'' she thought bitterly, gripping her spear, ''this one line of fate where I don't die, needs you t-''

"Windspeed, 4km/hr, distancing, 1.6 km, .67 cm adjust."

Foreign thought. Tasted li-

"Necron. Acid rounds recommended. Shoot the joints."

She blinked, astonished, as the sun was blocked out by a raised hand.

A kilometer and a half away, the slight sound that one could mistake for a finger snap is heard.

Taldeer raises a hand in front of her face as a bullet rams into the center necron ribcage, shards of hypersonic shrapnel nudged by fate and her mind away from her. The metallic horror's spine, set at a one hundred and forty five degree angle, tilts, its claw flailing at where an Eldar used to be in its fevered program, before the acid finishes what a near kilogram round couldn't, and it falls in half.

Three flayed ones look to the horizon, as another finger snaps.

----

"Governor Militant."

Lukas Alexander stayed where he was, overseeing the incineration of the Eldar corpses, the troopers clad in chem masks and biochemical armor. He turned his head, slightly, to see three men far apart from one another. One was leaning on an ammo dump, having a smoke, the other carefully standing guard in front of an entirely unimportant building. The third, was a man dressed in immaculate uniform who had conveniently forgotten any sort of identifier.

"Soldier," Alexander turned back to look in the pit, promethieum lapping the sides. A weak hand raised, and one of the incinerators yelled, pointing down. All five turned their main jets on the offending motion.

"I need to brief you sir," the soldier blinked carefully, "On the situation."

Lukas nodded carefully, turning away from the bubbling hiss, "And your comr-"

The soldier stepped far too close to the governor in the space of a moment, placing a hand on his shoulder, his pinky sliding along to the Governor's carotid.

"My credentials are all in order, and don't bear mentioning sire. Where and when would you like the briefing?" The pinky slid up to the base of the chin, following the line of the pulse.

There was much the Governor Militant would have said. He would have laughed at the false soldier, threatening with a finger. Lukas would have loved to tell the fake all that Lukas had done in service to the Emperor of Man. He would have struck the man, shot him, and ordered the other two executed. Would have.

"I feel, we should meet immediately. Alone. In my command tent," He whispered, his mouth suddenly run dry.

"Thank you, Governor Alexander," the soldier murmured, removing his hand and turning on his heel. "But I feel that Ardrin should come, wouldn't you say sire?"

"Of course," Said the Governor, turning, following the man, and coincidentally followed by the other two soldiers minding their own business.

Behind him, the smoke drove high into the sky.

"Now," Said the man of the Officio Assassinorum, "You can be candid," he spread his hands, "Forgive me, my lord, but the secrecy of our service holds utmost sway over any respect for command. Do you wish to have me flogged, or denied rations? I believe those are penalties that you may inflict on me."

Lukas had just sat down, and paused, looking up, "Pardon me? Just who ar-"

"Specific ranks, alas, I can not divulge, even within these sound proofed walls, and before you say commander, the Inquisition had the walls soundproofed, just in case of a situation like this. Helps to assure no unfortunate leaks of confidential information. Would like to lock me up in the stocks? They have some stocks on the ship."

"Y-"

"It's a good thing your officer is unarmed," said the man turning on his heel, placing a too clean and soft hand on the Governor's table, "He seems the type to resist, fortunately my two comrades are just the type to take him in with a minimum of fuss, hmm, assaulting a fellow officer, my my, what a time at the whipping post for me!" The man turned, a smile on his face.

"Who ARE you?"

"My name would seem nonsense to you, I'm afraid. Actually, I should rephrase that; names, at least in my temple, are determined by missions completed. I feel that as Governor, at least in this current crisis, you must have some means to refer to me."

"And you would be?"

"Midilv," As Lukas opened his mouth, "I regretfully ask you to puzzle that one out for yourself."

"Why are you speaking so deferentially?"

"Because I am a loyal servant of the Emperor, and the Inquisitor has instructed me to obey you."

"There is an Inquisitor here?"

"He is not... Public," Midilv leaned in, his lips drawn taut across his too symmetrical, pore-less face. "Of this you should mention in thanks to your prayers to the Emperor tonight."

"The Vindicare," Lukas raised a hand before Midilv spoke. "And just the facts, thank you very much. I'm not in the mood for your shame and self mortification, or hints at machinations above and below," Lukas leaned in. "Just. Tell. Me. About. The. Vindicare."

The two casual guardsmen entered, bearing Ardrin between them. Ardrin looked clearly intoxicated on victory amasec. ''Looked.'' Midilv continued, heedless of the new company.

"The Vindicare. Right. Where to start: The obvious. He shouldn't be capable of this."

"Of what?"

"Rebellion."

The entirely ordinary guardsmen lined themselves behind their speaker in formation. Lukas stared at the three of them, as he sat back heavily, color draining from his face.

"Rebellion?"

Rebellion was something that happened to ordinary men. It was something that happened in myth to the Space Marines long, long ago. The Assassins were an urban legend. They were a myth. Alexander was unaware of their existence until shortly before the invasion of Kronus. They were said to be inhuman. Machines of flesh and bone and Imperial propaganda. They were ideas, they were mankind's secret monsters, held on short chains and reduced to lives as valuable ammunition.

How can ammunition rebel?

----

Necrons.

Appeared recently. Date of origin, areas of operation, all invalid and untaught to the Vindicare.

The N20 coolant sheath is cool to the touch. A bad sign. Heat distends accuracy, and it should be freezing through the gloves.

The finger snaps, and the kick rams into the Vindicare's shoulder. A kilometer away, wraithbone spear impales the already fragmented skull, and pulls down, ramming through into the torso, pulling her up. Through the scope, she glitters. She shines. She glows radiant. In every spectrum.

Range has to be shortened, concludes the Vindicare. Naturally, in order to increase accuracy and allow a change to the secondary weapon. Naturally.

The Vindicare stands, and starts moving forward. His eye never leaves the scope. And the scope always seems to find itself back onto her. The finger snaps again.

Farseer Taldeer's hands come apart, and together, the fingers dancing and sliding across the wraithbones, her eyes, following the head of the blade, as it slides, up and away, traces of the bitter living metal following from the body.

Two down, five to go. The tide pulls around her, leaving her untouched where only moments before she was doomed. How?

Heavy footsteps crash into and rise from barren earth, as another silent Necron charges the Farseer from behind.

She feels the shot through the waves before it hits. A bullet, sliding through the machine's equivalent of a right thigh, and ending in it's left knee. She kneels, bringing the blade up, into the falling creature's neck, and then pulling back to impale the one that tried to stab her with claws lost from a bullet.

A human. A human was helping her. She could tell, by the caliber of the rounds. All brute force, no understanding of the harmony of a battle. Not made to end the battle right, but to end the battle now.

She couldn't be more thankful. The abomination in front of her still lived, sliding forward, scratching the wraithbone. She stepped back, pulling her weapon free, and nearly stepped too far before she felt the fates turn down into the dark hunger, and stopped in time to miss the claws of the one behind.

She leaps again, soaring by her will, and glanced down. Three left. One of them damaged. Confidence runs up and down her, as she falls back to earth, bracing herself as the pain in her side reminds her that she isn't unhurt herself, but she still feels so good. The three turn as one to face her.

There is a snap. Two Necron automatically track the third's head as it flies off the already damaged neck, landing on the ground to their right. They turn back to her. Waiting, for something. She couldn't lose the initiative.

She surges forward, low and ready. The one on the left has uneven footing, the living metal slower to adapt to the rocky landscape under it than true flesh. She steps first to the left, fate singing its assurances for the direction, then drives in, spear ahead-

And sees the Necron take it. No reaction. His comrade, is a blur of motion.

The Fates laugh, as the necron metal and her armor emit a symphony of shrieks.

The Necron she impaled looks passively on, it's hands reaching out and holding onto the spear as she attempts to pull it back with her one good hand. No use.

She lets go, twisting, biting her lower lip as the last of her arm guard gave way, giving the slicing talons access to her untouched flesh, she pulls, her bitten lip gives blood, and her arm shrieks in pain as she falls back, injured arm held close, she pulls back.

The impaled Necron stares down at her spear, as the metal dislodges it, slowly shaking and undulating it free. The other, stares for a moment at the blood on its claws, the ragged cloth and skin held, and compulsively wipes and twitches it across itself.

The two turn, diving low, scuttling forward, going on either side of her.

The ocean is gone. There are no tides, no eddies, no drifts anymore in the possibilities. Every way points down.

She screams.

Ordinary human beings do not hold a rifle in one hand, and a pistol in the other. Much less a rifle designed to pound a near kilogram round across a battlefield to, if necessary, blow apart a monstrosity spawned of nightmares and the unholy vagaries of the Warp. The pistol was little better than a sized down version of the rifle. This is because it might break your arms. A space marine wouldn't do it because it was stupid.

The Vindicare reflected on this as he jumped over the embankment, rifle down his shoulder, and pistol in his hand. His eyes switch between each in the time of a blink, lining them up with two skulls.

This is going to miss, he thought. Two snaps were matched with two unbearably loud reports of metal rammed into. Those bullets aren't even going to kill them, probably. Two metal skulls were reduced to molten, slightly caustic and soggy shrapnel. ''I'm probably going to end up hurting something.''

He landed with grace, next to Farseer Taldeer.

----

"A Vindicare should not be mistaken for a human being. Contrary to a human being, who is filled with distractions, memories, and connections to others, a Vindicare is a well oiled machine. He was raised and trained, from birth, that the only reason he wasn't dead, raped, ruined, or suffered under any other horrible abuse that we could think of, was because of the Emperor. They were taught that they were selfish monsters, to even think of being different from their fellows. Their vocabulary is limited to only that which they need. Any deviation is punished by torture. They were taught to hide from their teachers and administrators, and to only come out when the mission was complete, and only when they received word from an authority figure that acted the impeccable imperial. Any deviation was punished with torture. The sense of smell is cultivated carefully. We have attempted to teach them to tell the difference of weapons by discharge smell. Any exposure to perfume, or anything pleasant and unneeded in their missions is punished by torture. Callidus require some socialization to blend in. Culexus, with their small pool of recruits have need to take in any they can find. Eversor, their combat drugs do the trick. Never shall you find any more well disciplined than a Vindicare."

"So what happened to this one?"

"We failed to punish him for a botched mission."

"A botched mission? You let him live after a botched mission? And you gave him to me after that? I am responsible for liberating a world-"

"One of a million, sire. And oh so many people want assassins. This was one of them. An Inquisitor working on a world desired to send a message to the governor. The Vindicare was supposed to take out one of the primary's personal secondary's."

"What?"

"His mistress. The Inquisitor added stipulations. The Vindicare finished the job, but he failed to complete these stipulations."

"How did you manage to defy an Inquisitor?"

"His luck held. The Inquisitor was shortly thereafter purged before he could bring his wrath to bear, and the Inquisition informed us that they would take no action against us."

"He did kill her, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the matter now? He was fine earlier in the campaign."

"Combat stress? Machines do wear out, barring proper maintenance. Some machines sooner than others. Does it matter? What matters is that your men out there shall not find him, even with our guidance that we provided them."

"Are you-"

"We are not sabotaging them. I'm just telling you that the Vindicare are trained to be a force of nature. They strike as lightning upon the heretic, they are as hard to catch as the wind, and they are as easy to find as a mote of dust in the rainforest. Do not worry though. He will be found. There is always a contingency."

===Chapter Three===

Slaanesh was near.

[[Image:LCB Headcam.jpg|thumb|right]]Taldeer could feel it in every breath. Blood. A lot of blood was lost. She shouldn't be dead yet though. A noise. A presence. It wasn't a Necron.

It shouldn't be like this. She was trusted to come, to guide the lessers to extinguish the threat throbbing rotten in the core of Kronus, and leave them in confusion. Yet, here she was, helpless, losing blood, fallen to fool pride; at the mercy of something. Someone. Someone with a presence at least. She took a small comfort in that, and the soulgem at her neck.

''Primary suffering internal bleeding, blood loss severe,'' the thoughts came through again. Her eyelids flickered momentary glances of a too bright gray sky. Why did they come unbidden?

''Pain, pain, currently showing resignation. Job unclean, Primary has high chance of survival. Good mission. How, how, how to clean primary?''

The thoughts were jumbled, mashed, rigid iron roads set that his thoughts ran through, but there was something active in there.

She felt a hand touch her. She opened her eyes, and pushed out, pure reaction.

A moment, and she was sitting up, regretting it immediately as fire lanced up and down her. The thoughts came again.

''Primary is active. Medical science far easier than expected. Damage to self, superficial. Now...'' a lengthy pause, then hesitant, uncertain, ''Converse?''

"You're okay...?" A voice flat and muffled came behind her. At first a statement, then a question, as she tottered again. This time, she was caught.

----

Commissar Daniel glared out of the top hatch of the Chimera.

"This is RIDICULOUS!" he shouted, turning to the poor sergeant down inside the chimera, who was genially standing and listening to the bellicose man.

"How so, sire?"

"The soldiers of His holy wrath should not be prancing about in the middle of nowhere, chasing some worthless incapable who got himself lost! We should descending upon the Orks, take advantage of our victory-"

"Do you doubt Lord Lukas?" The sergeant casually said, looking away.

"If I didn't have all my faith behind noble lord Lukas Alexander, I wouldn't be doing this," Commissar Daniel finished with a glare. The sergeant nodded amiably, a large happy grin on his face.

''Local yokel,'' thought the Commissar, as he stepped back inside the chimera. ''Probably never even heard of Cadia, much less appreciate what the glorious Imperium was doing, gifting this pathetic dirtball with the grace of His mercy to liberate it.'' He glanced at the auspex. Five kliks left.

He leaned back, pushing forward his cap. Commander of thirty guardsmen, each armed with the best weapons they were ranked for, with the authority to kill any one of them or any one in their way to recover one missing soldier, and all he wanted was a drink.

----

"No, get, get, off..." She pulled against whatever was holding her, had to get up, get away from the mon-keigh-- but she was oh so very tired. She stilled, still looking down, tensed, waiting. The seas of fortune were still, she had to reflect that stillness.

"Primary, I, I...I'm, I'm sorry, you're not Primary, you're..." The voice was muffled. She stared up. Faceless. Matte black stealthsuit, a pistol in the holster. Comm mike, dangling by a wire. Compact, hard frame, well formed for a human.

In a purely military sense of course. She had to estimate that it was best to just lay back. She was hardly in any shape to resist him, and he wasn't hostile. Yet. Stay neutral. Clipped. Communicate in their gothic language, but make clear no weakness.

"Farseer Taldeer. Your name?"

"L-I-I-V-I," He had a mind of iron, well trained to keep her out. It was always hard to translate human thought, but she prided herself on her mastery of psionics. Yet, frustratingly, she was on near equal footing with a mere soldier with a gun. All she felt were some whispers of emotion. Autonomous, instinct, identification.

"Do you always spell things out, Liivi?" Liivi? Strange name.

"I think this is my first time." She noted with surprise her captor was rusty in his own tongue.

"Why were you shooting the Necrons?"

"Secondary objective: destroy hostile combatants."

"And the first?"

Liivi paused, looked away.

A whisper of a thought passed through her head, as she stared intently at him. The iron bars of his mind shifted, subtly, until they stuck.

"To protect you."

----

"A full history of the Vindicare's career, if you please."

Lukas blinked, glancing at the now fully conscious and hurting Ardrin. "History? You're the handlers."

Midilv sighed, leaning back in his chair, opening hands for the "guards" behind him to place a dataslate and quill into. "We do take care of him, keeping him in an isolation cell and maintaining his health, yes; but if you recall, your landing at Victory Bay and the following conquests were chaotic. He was out of our hands and served on the field."

"But," Ardrin said, "he would leave between missions, just disappear. We assumed he was going back to you."

"Mission probability post-combat rejuvenation/isolation, reset and remaintain for next operation in greater campaign." Lukas glanced over at one of the four faux guardsmen.

"What?"

"Don't blame him, he doesn't know how to speak. Blending with civilian populaces isn't our strong suit; best to avoid only after one's proven his worth. That is our temple's dogma. We have proven success by this. What he meant was that your assassin was probably removing himself from the soldiers, as taught, and to attain a good position with field of fire, and if possible, meditate, insert a food pack to his veins, clean and repair his weapon, and sleep half hour cycles. Not that that matters, I want to know every single thing you ordered him to do in the bare three months he has been out of our eyes."

"Support of soldiers in taking the industrials of Victory Bay," Ardrin wrinkled his nose, "Nasty fighting. We got tipped off about a Tauphile schism. Er, Tau sympathizers were fighting each other."

"And?"

"And I ordered him to cover fire. Occupants were in the house, I ordered him to clear it. There was a family."

"Hmph. Wouldn't affect him. He understands families to be the smallest and most informal squads, nothing more. He wouldn't care."

"Protect me?" Taldeer realized she had to remain casual. There was a lie in his voice, even if it wasn't in his mind. Some mon'keigh thug hired by one of their damned Inquisitors who wanted to be "enlightened" or to steal technology, just what she needed, "Why me?" She was too injured to argue right now.

"It is a duty." He doesn't know, she realized. And he was very confused about it. Typical idiocy, these humans hadn't even explained the purpose to their henchmen. Guess that's what you get when you are so many with so short to live.

"Perhaps," Farseer Taldeer said, "You may do something about my injuries. And cease holding on to me."

The most important thing at the moment was ensuring immobility. Her men would come soon, she could be evacuated easily, and this one human would. Would.

She would think on it.

"How?"

She was not expecting that.

"How? Well, shouldn't you know that? I've felt it flash through soldier's minds." ''When I hack them to screaming pieces with my weapon, let's not mention that bit.'' "When, they, uh..."

"Are dying? I was taught that was a common response, the call for a 'medic'. It replaces or supplements call of maternal member of the family squad, or paternal more rarely. Nurture, healing, are associated with it. I am taught that if the shot is unclean, and the target is out of sight, all those who bear the common sign of a healer are to be shot," Taldeer stared, and Liivi stared down back at her, then, as if to explain, "To disable any chance of the Primary resuscitating and rendering the mission a failure."

Silence.

"Perhaps it is best if you set me down. And keep watch for more enemies, while I treat myself."

The surf doesn't chop. The tide ebbs, insignificant, rising and falling, like the ocean was sleeping. Farseer Taldeer sits on the beach of tomorrow and in the Tyrea plains of Kronus.

Three kilometers away, through the rough terrain, wraithbone psychoplastic bubbled as the last of the consecrated promethium burned off of the Bonesinger's arts. The webway was long destroyed, reduced to shards as she had evacuated through it.

A mere kilometer under her, the presumed home of the necrons had turned quiet; for now at least. As she recalled, the nearest possible position of her battlegroup was at least fifteen kilometers away.

And nine meters away was the human. Mon-keigh. Killer. Assassin. Weapon. Savior. He had knelt down, rolling out a plastic canopy which he laid his rifle down upon, and was cleaning it one handed. The other carried a pistol, straightening and pointing at the rustles of wind, and the far off thunder of ordnance. The face mask remained intently focused on the rifle the whole time.

Farseer Taldeer took out her runestones, and after a moment's contemplation, her shuriken pistol. She grabbed a handful of her dice, raising them to her spirit stone. She was injured, cut off from support, alone with a self declared assassin. Time to roll the bones.

Nine rounds used. Eighteen remaining. Hellfire, turbo penetrator, and shieldbreaker ordnance, still in reserve.

Movement at 321 degrees. The arm holding the Exitus pistol snaps over by reflex, the third eye sight unable to clearly catch up. Primary was rolling dice. All of her equipment was beside her. She appeared to be dropping some sort of smaller equipment.

The N20 coolant sheathe emits a small hiss as it slides over the barrel. The Vindicare returns his pistol to the holster, replacing the magazines. Packing together and reassembling his rifle.

They would be tracking him now. The small electronic whine on his person told him as much. The terrain was rougher, the commander had chosen the battlefield to hem in the Eldar, force their hover vehicles to slow and show themselves above cover. Made for a difficult time sending forces out of the base though.

The Vindicare stood up, flicking through the spectra as he glances over a horizon purple, green, pigment streaked, ruined soup of black and white. A concrete heat signature, atypical of a chimera half a kilometer away.

Vindicare doctrine taught that engagement with pursuers should never be undertaken when the targets knew where you were. Misdirection, panic, and dissolution were the three objectives when handling hostile trackers.

The Vindicare placed a fresh three round clip into his magazine, and stepped low among the long grasses, following the yellow white smear of thermal exhaust in the sky.

----

Lukas took another gulp from the water, sweating from every pore, as the three Officio Assassinorum handlers stood before his table, their poreless faces still. Ardrin was to his left, pale and shivering, still suffering from the chemicals washed through him.

"So, it's very nice that you explained to me exactly how much you think I screwed up in handling your defective wind up killtoy, who apparently was so perfect that he fucked up a job before he came here; but you haven't explained to me how I avoid having to worry about receiving a bullet between the eyes whenever I go outside from the one of the Imperium's finest fallen."

"Napalm the area, a good three kilometer radius should serve to deprive him of oxygen. Deploy the Aeronautica and carpet bomb the area. Break the Obsterm dams up north and deploy a third of your manpower salting, poisoning, and watching the plains flood that'll occur."

"Hyperbole is very charming, and useful in military situations, and not in the least unwanted."

"And sarcasm is a pleasant and original way to respond to statements you do not like. All I have told you are guaranteed ways to eliminate your problem," Mildilv waved his hand, "Of course, we can wait for him to run out of ammo for his Exitus weapons, which would allow you to run normal operations without worrying about officer heads popping, and then for him to run out of food."

"That would actually work?"

"Of course. He is incapable of social contact, and dependent upon the nutritional packs he has been indoctrinated to consume. He might well starve. Barring any civilian assistance, three weeks from now, you won't have to worry about him, if the Orks or Space Marines don't get him first."

Ardrin for the first time spoke, nervously. "And the farseer? What if she intervenes?"

Mildilv raised an eyebrow. "Then he'll die sooner, with an injured parasite clinging to him."

----

The chimera of the Imperial Guard is about as simple and reliable as a vehicle can get without it being pedal powered. Long lived chimeras in active use soon resemble their namesake, seeming mechanical abominations with piece after piece welded to them. The hatches replaced by doors stolen from civilian buildings, hastily covered in metal roof sheeting. Shorn off track pieces replaced with crudely fitted boiler plates. discarded power pack casings molded into hinges. The machines would run unwell, sending the Techpriests and Enginseers into hysterical fits, begging forgiveness from the machine spirits, and repairing and replacing what they could identify and find at the parts depot. But the older chimeras would get a slow mottled look over them, like a child mixing clays in a creche, it was impossible to separate metals and alloys at a basic level without rebuilding the whole thing. They wouldn't run well, but they would most certainly run.

A chimera, as taught in vindicare doctrine, was a terrible headache to deal with. Tanks were less of a worry, as those deploying tanks against assassins were considered tactically inept, and the vindicare gained some honor in tying up valuable resources. Height, urban combat, and tactical use of screens would put the tanks on even footing. A chimera on the other hand, could always be used.

A sniper holed in a building, the chimera would bash into the ground floor, disgorging soldiers. If the building collapsed, so what? There was always another chimera. No illumination, headlights shot out, smoke screening everything? Just drive. You'll find your way out eventually. As much as anything else the turbo penetrator round was developed to counter these situations.

Two chimera crawled through the bush and over the hills and rocks, as the kilogram heavy, green banded bullet was placed in the chamber.

Commissar Daniel poked his head out of the hatch again. The tech guy had said the auspex picked up something coming closer. Should be in sight range. One MIA, and all this trouble. He hoped that this was really one huge birthdate surprise for one of the soldiers. So that he could then shoot whoever was responsible.

"Got a direction?"

"Should be Cardinal East."

"Left or right soldier, or pass me up a compass!"

"Just a little to your left sir."

The Commissar turned, squinting through the haze of heat at the long grass and lumpy excuse for terrain. A glint of something.

Then a crack, a flash of light somewhere to his right, and something gave a soft *Tink* in the chimera's lower armor.

"ENEMY FIRE!" shouted the Commissar, pulling down the hatch, as the surprised soldiers sat up, the political officer shouting at them, "Move, move, move! A man on every gun, and any gun that CAN shoot to the right, shoots! I want a wasteland I can name after myself, do you comprehend soldiers!" They followed his orders as best as they could, barring what could only be done by consulting with the planet's geographer. A hailstorm of red stabs of coherent light obliterated the area and the rigged flint and rock that had provided the target.

Misdirection. LIIVI holstered his pistol, creeping low through the grass, trying to get himself into a more advantageous position.

"Cease fire," said the Commissar, his day much improved. The soldiers relaxed, standing at ease, hands still holding the side mounted lasguns, venting excess steam outwards. "Driver, park us as near as you can to that suicidal stain, and give cover to the second chimera. Chimera 2, tell your squad to deploy and move in. Investigate the area. If there's a corpse, ID it, if there is isn't, bring me a corpse. Copy?"

"Affirmative."

It was a risk, yes. Taking a squad of soldiers out of a perfectly safe armored personnel carrier begged for snipers, traps, and a whole lot of corpses. But that would betray targets. Feeling a bit like Ibram Gaunt, the commissar leaned in to the driver, "Stick as close to them as possible, if they bug out, move us out as quickly as possible, then get a bead on who fired on us, clear?"

"Sir," muttered the driver, pulling alongside the nervous squad extracting themselves from the second chimera.

The troops, true to form stayed close to the chimera, practically hugging the tread guard, sweeping in close, led by their lasrifles, eyes peeled for mines or traps. The second chimera pulled up alongside the first, the guardsmen squeezed in between.

The Vindicare watched them, five hundred meters behind. The one at the front, one point six meters, was the leader, the paternal. A soldier from the back, covered in spare las cells, a tear still visible in his sleeve moved forward, with a little undue haste to exchange words. On one helmet, the word, "TEATIME". A man pointed at his boot, hopping forward on one leg, speaking out the side of his mouth. Laughter.

The Exitus rifle fired.

The Commissar was next to the wall of the chimera when he heard the squeal. He fell immediately, laspistol to the ready, facing the wall. Maybe it was the adrenalin, or perhaps it was the initial charge of the rifle failing, and the drill bit activating, but somehow Daniel managed to watch a steel line, occasionally sending sparks and slivers of metal out, raise along the wall, ending somewhere just short of the drivers hatch, shorting out lights as it traveled along, shrieking.

In the dark, he heard the thumps and screams of the soldiers outside, the panicked revving as the driver slammed down the accelerator, the lurch to the right, equipment falling around them, then another, definite slam.

Outside, the Vindicare watched through the scope, watching a track fly free, a joint broken by his shot, hanging for one brief moment before the driver hit the gas, sending the tread whipping at the crowd of soldiers. The chimera lurched left, lacking pull, slamming into the other, doing mostly cosmetic damage, but serving the Vindicare's purpose. Screams, and a commissar and a crowd of soldiers leapt out, weapons brandished and at the ready.

Panic. The rifle was slung, and low through the long grass, the assassin moved forward, pistol out.

The most immediate problem was restoring the squad's rationality, and calming them down before they panicked entirely. A quick glance proved what the commissar had initially thought. Gouges in the side of the chimera, severe damage to the soldiers, and a track torn off on his chimera. The first thing to do in any case is be the first man to set the example.

"Spread out, fire at the first thing that moves," was admittedly a bad choice, but something had torn a large gash through his chimera, and incapacitated a squad, what was he supposed to do? Break out the rations?
"You men, left, the rest of you, right, drivers, up to the multilasers- fan anything coming with fire, keep looking, it could be a Carnifex for all we know!" Another bad choice of words.

Buzzing. Clicking insects hopping across. Rustles of eighteen soldiers, rattled, going through the fields, rifles first. A Commissar, standing between two chimeras wedged together, covered by two multilasers.

One of the guardsmen falls with a sudden gasp. A powersword points, an order is given. A confused man, who had the wind knocked out of him by a thrown rock suddenly finds himself surrounded by red searing flashes.

The Commissar, raising his laspistol, catches a glimpse of something sandy, black, darting ahead of him. A pair of useless shots whiz into the undergrowth. Something whizzes by the Commissar's face.

This is it, Daniel thought. Death or glory. The powersword crackles with death dealing life, as the commissar ran forward, the blade held aloft. He had to say something inspiring, he realized.

"FACE YOUR DOOM, foul XENOS!" he hopes one of the troops hear it.

He runs into the grass, waving his blade around. A lack of mandibles and claws key him off that something's wrong. The grass catching fire is the second.

Dissolution.

The guardsmen ran. What were they supposed to do?

They were spread apart, something had torn apart the chimeras, their leader had shouted something and disappeared, and now the grass was catching fire? What could they do?

The drivers only had the sense of mind to abandoned the crippled chimera, before they drove off, past the soldiers, relaying the panic and breaking of their unit to the base, heralding their failure and embellishing the story to seem as if they encountered an entire Ork WAAAAGH! in the long grass. In their haste, they forgot the wounded.

Private Gnaeus lay on his back, staring up at the patch of grey sky, rounded by black smoke. He was one of those wounded left behind- perhaps, he considered, the only one.

"Your helmet."

Gnaeus rolled his head over, to a figure, hazy and blurred against the dark smoke, red flickering across its brow, fire licking away from its feet, ash swirling around it, "What does it mean?" Gnaeus was paralyzed from the waist down and had bone jutting out of his leg like wheat out of a farm. Who was he to argue importance with an angel of death?

"Teatime?" A nod. The smoke crawls off as the shadow steps forward.

"Teatime- It was sarcastic. A joke," far times, on Cadia. "I worked in a house, as a guard for a while. Guy I worked for always had a special time for Benzran Tea," the Reaper cocked his head at this, Gnaeus waited a moment, then launched on, feeling vaguely blasphemous, whispering through the pain. "Never took briefings then, just him and his cup. Serene even during a war, so long as he got that hot flavored water of his. So me and my mate, we said, 'all's well so long as its tea time.' We put Teatime on our helmets, a joke, that we'd stay cool. Serene as a fatman and his cup. Guess bloodloss and brain damage is doing that more for me, huh?" The Angel of Death did not laugh at the joke. Gnaeus couldn't blame him. Wouldn't seem proper, laughing at a dying man.

Flakes of ash fell around the two, smoke drifting over them. The Vindicare considered this for a moment. He shrugged, bent down and took hold of a lasrifle, then reached over to pull two powerpacks from Gnaeus's pockets. Gnaeus for his part did not resist. The assassin rose, half turned, then paused. "Do you require the Emperor's Benediction?"

"No, please," Gnaeus looked up. The gray sky turned blue, even as the window narrowed as the smoke thickened, "Not yet. I don't want to die yet."

"Very well," Again, the Vindicare turned, heading for the smoke.

"Wait," the cripple struggled, turning, crawling after the shadow heading into the dark, "Hold on, I have to ask you," his eyelids were like lead weights, dragging down, but one burning mote was left in his head, "Hold on, please, hold on," It was all dark now, "Please," pain flared anew, even as the world was dark, Gnaeus's hands digging into embers.

"Tell me, will it hurt? Please, tell me?"

"No."

The Angel didn't lie.

His body was left still for a time, until eventually, uncertain hands reached over, turning the body to face up, folding the hands over its chest, and shutting the eye lids. Imitation to last respects it had seen time and time again through the lens of his scope.

===Chapter Four===

Farseer Taldeer pursed her lips to suppress a grunt of pain as she probed at her wound. Blood crunched, as she dragged at more of the half crystalline clotting. ''Maybe I won't die yet,'' she thought, ''maybe first I'll turn into a crystal like the other old men. Make an interesting landmark for the Imperial colonists,'' she reflected bitterly. ''Then, picked apart by mon-keigh for purposes of romancing each other.''

The runestones still lay, bounced across where they were. From time to time, her attention waned from her wounds to glance at them. The ground splits, the mouth smiles, the fall is good. Sweet fruit in dead mouths. The love of the enemy. Walk through fire.

''For once,'' she wondered as she picked off the choice stone from the stone of the blind man seeing, ''wouldn't it be nice if they would say something like, enemy troop movements, allies position, things that would be practical?''

She arose, picking up her helmet, and putting it on.

"That only increases your target profile," she froze, her helmet half on. It was like being snuck up on by your own shadow.

"Aren't you quiet," muttered Taldeer, as she finished placing her helm on, "And aside from that, why should you care what my target profile is like?" It seemed strangely wobbly. She felt along the chin, seeking for the pins that held it in place.

"It is harder to maintain unit integrity and speed if we draw conflict to ourselves," The Vindicare set down the lasrifle carefully, as he approached Taldeer. Taldeer for her part was doing her best to ignore him.

"'Unit integrity'? Forgive me for desiring a little independence, but I'd rather not depend upon a sociopathic mon-keigh," she tapped her helm, "I'm going to need this."

"Really."

"Yes."

"It has taken damage."

"So?"

The Vindicare stepped forward, as Taldeer turned around slowly. The sky was turning darker by the moment, not that either of them would care, she mused. Was he trying to intimidate her with his height? Well, she thought, gripping her spear, she was not about to be pushed around by something that hadn't even been born by the time she had killed someon-

The Vindicare reached forward, placing a single finger on the helmet. He pushed it slowly, ninety degrees. She saw the hints of his psychic signature through the wraithbone, as LIIVI stepped back.

"Did your strap break?"

"Very well," said the Farseer, removing the helmet and setting it to the ground to her side, "You don't have to demean me."

"And the... Wings?"

"They stay," She would not toss away her soulstones so easily. Taldeer raised her head, then glanced to the horizon, "Where do we go then... Suppose you hadn't thought of that, did you?"

"I have thought of that. Since I have failed my original assignment, and as of yet the planet has not been secured, standard Imperial protocol concerning Xenos Farseers would result in-"

"They'll hunt me with killteams."
A nod.

"Awfully kind of them, concerning everything," Taldeer crouched, placing her palm on the ground, "I wonder if it's Sturnn," she muttered, her hands playing through the cold ground, winding and dancing. She closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded.

"I have a direction," she paused a moment, biting her lower lip before glancing at the assassin, "You are coming with me, right?"

"Yes."

"Good." ''They'll have a torch to follow.''

The dirt was dispersed, the shell casings buried, and the helmet left hanging from the wretched root that watched, the last drops of blood crystallizing upon it.

----

Mildilv leaned back in the chair, staring at the concrete ceiling. "I estimate half dead." One of his entourage shook his head.

"Standard morale dispersal, sixty three percent break."

"Just the officers, maybe two beyond that--"

"I get it, it was a bad idea to send the men after him, but I thought after all he is--"

The fingers were wrapped around Alexander's eye and gently tugging before the pain hit his brain, and he was face to face with Mildilv's angry eyes set in the emotionless plastic face.

"Do NOT end that sentence. You did more than just kill, maim, ruin, demoralize, or damage equipment and personnel, you have ARMED him. With a LASRIFLE."

Ardrin sniggered. Alexander fell back, his eye watering, his hands snatched over it.

"What?"

"It's a lasrifle," muttered Ardrin, "Most armors just get a blister. If he's using that, it's an improvement over that bleeding huge exitus."

"What does a laser do?" Mildilv turned to Ardrin, shaking a barrel out of his sleeve.

"Emit-" Began Ardrin, uncertain now as the assassin's attention was turned directly towards him.

"EMIT HEAT, quite capable of vaporizing water by the by, a main component of our bodies, I believe the heat the average militarized laser puts out is 500? Sure, 500 degrees Celsius, we'll aim low," Mildilv scratched behind his ear, producing a small power pack, bits of fake flesh still hanging off of it.

"Now, what do you suppose happens when, oh, ten cubic centimeters of human flesh gets evaporated?" The leads plugged into the barrel with ease, as Ardrin made to move out of his chair, finding two pairs of hands on his shoulders, the assassins at his back.

"Wanna find out?" Said Mildilv taking aim with his ad hoc laser at Ardrin's face, held in place.

"I-I-I--"

"You're right!" Mildilv said, thumbing the powerpack, as the barrel warmed to lethality, "I'm expecting an explosion too, as human flesh and blood is evaporated, with no place to escape to but out! Well, usually. If you're lucky, there'll be a hole in your face for it to fly out of it, or maybe this thing'll disperse across the surface, frying the whole thing. I suppose we won't know until the experiment is completed then, huh?"

Governor-Militant Alexander set his carapace armored arm in front of the barrel.

"I don't recall giving you permission to fire upon my men."

"Hmph," Mildilv flicked the barrel, prematurely discharging what weak energy gathered into the arm. The steel glowed red hot, forming a temporary bubble, before fading away. "True. The lasrifle CAN be resisted by armor, a heavy scarf, or even a particularly bad case of fog. But sometimes it blows through both, in the case of lucky moments of inductive heat, using enough juice, or simple Grace of the Emperor. However, an open joint," Mildilv set the barrel down, returning to his seat as the two face dead associates returned to their ranks behind him, "an exposed eye, a rough patchjob...these can all be broken by a lasrifle. A rare feat for even the most accurate of marksmen, but a possibility. And he will never run out of ammo now. Please," Mildilv bit through his false lip, his teeth meeting with a hard click, looked up, and with trepidation in his eyes, "I'm going to have to tell the Inquisitor."

"You ''said'' he'd just starve to death anyway."

"Maybe he'll just shoot any new Vindicare we send down to support you, and take their rations? No, no, this is unfortunate, but I do not wish for this damnation on my soul." He stood from the table, false blood dribbling from his false face.

"Where are you going?" Governor Militant Lukas Alexander rose from his chair, grabbing Mildilv by the shoulder.

"To die, probably." The disguised man brushed off the Governor's hand, and walked out of the command bunker.

----

"We are heading towards the Ork lines."

"I know," The horizon carried heavy clouds, pregnant with rain and storm, ready to match the distant horizon's flashes of light and distant ordnance.

"Do you have allies among the Orks?" Taldeer gave the Vindicare a look.

"No. I managed to manipulate some Orks, that is true," Taldeer waved her hand in the air, "I can hardly do that again."

"The killteams."

"Yes."

Like the noise of stones crashing into each other, the war thunder rolled through them. Softly shaking the ground.

"It's not--"

"A mission type in the Vindicare Dictum, is to initiate conflicts between two opposing forces. It will be done."

"Oh."

A deep resonating cry echoed in the distance, as a rock whizzed end over end in inexpert circles over the heads of the pair.

"You have experience in this then?"

"Negat-- No. I mostly dealt with affairs of the state."

"Which means?"

"Discouraging sedition and treason. Recently I've been employed in combat support."

Taldeer nodded, and then picked up step to get beyond the assassin.

Ahead the choirs of the battlefield roared its welcome.

----

The Inquisition of the Imperium of Man is quite possibly the most powerful organization across known space. By its whim, heresy is dictated. By its need, armies march. By its judgment, planets burn. The Space Marines, undisputed, mighty warriors, the grandchildren of the Emperor of Man bow to the whims of the Inquisition, even if they do bite and champ at the bit. Inquisitors step the range of Holy Terra's Throne, to the Black Library of the Eldar, to the interior of the Eye of Terror. What would have a man damned and executed for heresy the Inquisitors engage in. They are the unchallenged and ultimate authority.

A horizontal river fell upon the ten thousand Liberators of Kronus stood to ranks, as the Valkyrie landed on the pad set before them. Full dress, immaculate, even those imprisoned, all stood to their full attention. Not a one wished to be found wanting.

Governor Militant Alexander stood in the front, waiting unwavering as the dropship settled down before him, whipping water into his eyes and coat. He had to look good. Not just his own fate, but that of his world rested upon it.

Cherubim fluttered out, carrying multilasers in their bellies, as the nine foot bulk of sacred, artifice armor stepped out.

Gilded gold wrought across the ceramite plate, inscribed with prayers of benediction and psalms of wrath. At his waist hung a power sword, its wraithbone sheath clacking against the ceramite in the wind of the storm. Lightning flashed, picking out the bionic eyes under the hood. He glanced behind him, as two figures appeared, a techpriest, and someone in a robe--

Who repulsed the Governor. "No," he whispered, staring, as the cowl of the robe turned left, and right mechanically as it proceeded down the steps.

The Inquisitor glanced across the assembled ten thousand veterans of the Kronus Liberators, and turned aside to walk to Alexander, who was frozen in terror. He had felt this before, this terror that sapped at the very soul.

Lukas's reverie was interrupted by the Inquisitor's hand.

"Get rid of them," He grabbed Lukas's shoulder, "And cease your cowardice."

The nausea grew as the abomination drew closer, maintaining a respectful step behind the Inquisitor. Lukas nodded, every hair standing on end, and turned to his Commissar, whispering in his ear, "Dismiss the men."

The Commissar started bellowing out orders, as Lukas led the Inquisitor back to the command bunker, ruing the treachery of the Vindicare.

===Chapter Five===

"It's unprecedented," The Inquisitor said, as he crowded into the bunker, staring at the consoles, the Techpriest having taken a seat and started rattling off the status and location of the rogue assassin, "Well, at least for this temple," the Inquisitor shot a glare at Lukas, who sat in the corner, rubbing his forehead, "You do understand-"

''Your life is forfeit if you breathe a word of this to anyone not cleared to know it,'' thought the Governor Militant.

"Your life is forfeit if you dare to breathe a single word of this to anyone not cleared to know it."

"Right."

"And the Farseer?"

"No one knows. We had sent out a scouting party, but they have yet to return."

"Hmph. He's heading towards a combat zone," murmured the Inquisitor, ceramite finger tracing the route of his assassin errant on the watch screens.

"Yes, a team of Kasrkin are holed up resisting Orks a little beyond the mountains, I've dispatched some men to--"

"Call them back."

"I'm sorry? I can't see how it would harm--"

"We have the greatest opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Governor. First, as an Inquisitor, I know well the way the common man thinks; even if you DO save the men, and by some miracle they all survive, they shall criticize you for even leaving them in that situation, and I desire your administration to remain stable without any further scandal. Second, I require that one of the most secret orders the Imperium has ever known to ''remain a secret'', and beyond that, that they ''can'' be corrupted must remain a secret."

The baleful, flickering green glow immersed the inquisitor's grin, under the red glow of the bionics. His fingers were playing with the handle of the bolt pistol.

Lukas stared at the Inquisitor, locking eyes best as he could and slammed his fist down on the comm button, "Ardrin! Tell Yoland to recall the men, and that I have rescinded the order. Rather--"

''Call out the Basilisks,'' Mouthed the Inquisitor. "Call out Tennyson's basi-" ''All of them.'' "All. All of them. All of the basilisks."

Ardrin's reply cut out with a squawk as Lukas flicked off the button.

"Give me a show, Governor," Said the Inquisitor, as he swept out, his retainers following.

----

The sea was far off, in the horizon. In the horizon, it was chopping, surf sloshing about, but above it was a storm, thunder and lightning wrapping around and around and around--

This wasn't right. She shouldn't be doing this, she wasn't looking ahead right now, to be sure, she could always feel the ebb and flow of fate running along her ankles in the back of her mind, but she shouldn't be ''seeing'' it unless she wanted to.

The hunger. Behind her.

She turned, and beheld the glittering dust of spirit stones. Beneath a burning sun, they danced like embers above the bodies of eldar, common and noble, all with their hands plaintively in the air. The air, beset with gasps for breath and whispered pleas, as under their bodies, roiled the dark and cracked ground, flesh and blood growing under them, mouths spawning again and again, coiling like cancer across and over the bodies. The gasps became screams, and the whispers became cries for help.

Blood shot out in squirts like bullets, staining and stinging Taldeer's face. Drills of flesh and bone, rammed down, again and again in the mass, a sick parody of sexual congress. One, a bonesinger was propped up, an organ set before her, as she was puppeteered to play to the scene, arms wrapped around hers, snapping softly like acorns under foot. Eyes grew like weeds, wrapping and rising, staring upon the grisly scene.

''It waits,'' said a voice that managed to skip her ears. ''There's no one left, but you.'' echoed the foreign thought, as the Farseer tried to spin, to turn away, but always found the same scene going.

''And you're the climax. ''

The pink flesh moved on, rolling toward Taldeer, leaving broken, hollow, desecrated bodies, no two the same.

She awoke weeping.

They were maybe nine kilometers away from the Ork battlefront, when the Primary had passed out. She had still walked seven steps more, but the sound of a quick slowdown of heartbeat, change in breathing, and missteps grated on the previous light footed rhythm that she had displayed.

On step six, she was beginning to fall, and LIIVI began to move. He caught her on step seven. Her black hair fell around his hands, as he carefully lowered her to the ground. He felt the minute stresses her breathing put upon her suit. The small strains her muscle went through, as she slowly fell into REM sleep, and her body relaxed control. The warmth of her through his gloves. Her eyes, shut, her lips, twitching, whispering.

He wasn't sure why, but he held her a little more tightly at that moment. For just one moment. Before lifting her to his arms, carefully, and moving on. When water started to pour from her tear ducts, he was six kilometers away. He didn't know Eldar could lacrimate. He glanced around, infrared spectrum. Some small pockets of warmth were out there. Only one within a kilometer and a half. He carefully set down Taldeer on her side, before shooting the rat.

He had seen people comfort others, when they had commenced the standard grieving patterns. He had seen a lot of grieving, rarely before the mission, but often after. He had watched them, cling and cry on one another as their beloved died, or they bore witness to the Emperor's wrath.

Her hand wiggled about, scratching at the ground through her gloves. He reached out, carefully, and took hold of it. She calmed down almost immediately, as the frenzy of motion beneath her eyelids increased.

That wasn't that hard, he thought, as he kneeled down next to her. Her hair was in her eyes, wet and plastered to her face. He reached down, leaning in--

Her eyes snapped open.

"They're all dead."

She knew it. Slaanesh had claimed many, some had been saved, but the fact remained--

She was the last Eldar on Kronus. To be sure, that had been the last stand, the main base and the first landing zone that had fallen to Imperial forces. She should have thought of the practicality of it. But she had held out hope, that there was some pocket that had passed the purges of all the other empires and interests that were on this planet. But they were gone. Had she known that, when she ran off, drawing the humans away from the evacuation, ensuring the safety of the survivors? Or was she still deluding herself to some hope.

Her hand was caught on something. She looked, as LIIVI released his hand from hers, and drew it back.

"Are you," the spymask stared at her for a time, before continuing, "Ready for moving?"

"I'm fine, I," her hand ran down her side, between the ribs, to where her wound had opened again, "I-I could just...Use a hand."

''Pathetic. He is an assassin, who disobeyed orders from the people that brainwashed him. Why should he help you, with that plaintive plea for pity?''

His hand took hers. Her arm was slipped over his shoulder. She leaned on him. They walked.

He was warm.

The rain killed the smoke, but one could see the black columns spearing the ground across the field. The central bunker, was now nothing more than a mash of concrete, occasionally spattered red. For now, the Orks rested in the only way Orks could, jeering, fighting, yelling at one another to get moving, get fixing, and get fighting again. Taldeer glanced across, sensing the psychic miasma and overwhelming presence.

The WAAAAGH! was upon these aliens. They were set on a hillside, overlooking the lumbering mass of the Orks. Thousands of them. With Emperor knew how many grots, noted the Vindicare as he picked out the scuttling shapes and the noises of the servile orkoids.

"Wish those kill teams of yours would show up sooner," muttered Taldeer.

"What then?" Together, they had been putting off this question. What they would do? And it was they were now, they couldn't help it. She couldn't help it.

She needed him.

"I...I hadn't thought of that," She glanced down, "First, we'll think of these things."

Down in the pit, as Uzgob Nekkstompa, a Nob and a 'ard boy to boot wit' more bullets in 'im than a shoota perked up. A scent was in his nose. Strange to fink of it actually, now that, true to Nob form, a momentary thought went through his 'ead. His nose had been blasted to Gork long ago, replaced by an iron plate to stop the bleeding. Though suspicious, one could not deny the scent, up and through the smoke, he peered, his bionik peeper whirring and sparking as it zoomed with the focus of the nob. Somethin' was up among the rocks.

Somethin' unorky.

"OI! LOOKIT THAT!"

As the faces turned, it was like watching a bright green fungal bloom, as shining green faces turned, following the raised claw of one of the bigger Orks.

LIIVI glanced over to Taldeer, as she hissed an inhalation to say something. He sprinted, and pushed her out from behind the rock, and down the hill as it was shattered and pulverized into powder as well over a thousand guns, approximately thirty rockets, six laspistols, a bolter, and three thrown grots rained death upon it.

The Vindicare checked her. No broken bones, but she was bruised, and looked a mite angry, "We need to get lower. To the trenches," advised LIIVI, checking his weaponry.

"Go towards the hail of bullets?"

"CEA- SEEZ- STOP SHOOTIN THAT BIT YOU GROT SWILLIN MAGGOTS!" Shouted a nob, with a loudspeaker implanted in his throat. The bullets swayed, searching and spreading across the hill, knocking down what few stubborn trees grew out of the rock, and eliminating anything that claimed to be more than a foot tall.

"Alright, into the trenches, me in front, you in back, cover me."

They ran like mercury. She breathed a prayer to Khaela Mensha Khaine to guide her through the coming battle, while the Vindicare made several, fatal, statements with his Exitus to what few orks were in the trench they headed for.

"THEYZE COMIN’ STRAIGHT FOR US! READY YORE CHOPPAS BOYS, ITS TIME FOR SOME FUN!" The Orks roared their appreciation.

----

Mother dirt and father mud embraced the two as they splashed into the trench, a final wave of fire whizzing over their heads.

"Now what?" Taldeer looked to the Vindicare.

"I was following you," The Vindicare reacts to the primary- usually to shoot them, but the assumption in this case that the Xeno knew what it was doing.

"Oh," ''shit.'' "Do your bunkers have underground complexes?"

"Depends upon the Enginseers. But they never connect into the trenches."

"Great, well I suppose we're all just--"

Thirty kilometers away, someone shouts fire.

A bare minute later, inside of the valley above the trenches, three hundred incendiary rounds burst, in the air and on the ground. Bright, white, light interrupts farseer Taldeer.

And the world around the two becomes little more than fuel.

===Chapter Six===

''The Incendiary: Tactica and Proper Oblations

Honored and hallowed be the Incendiary, most cleansing of the Imperium's weapons. Doled out by holy flamer, delivered by blessed shell, released from our pure skies. In all forms, in all ways, it is the Most Magnanimous Emperor's love that is on display here; to give opportunity long for the Enemy to confess his sins, to be burned free of their taint. How can one not marvel at a God Emperor so kind?

Application and Distribution of the Emperor's Love

Concerning when one desires to give the Infidel forgiveness at a range, one must review these tenets in deploying the Mercy of the Imperator. 1) Proper Prayers and Devotion; to ensure Proper Phosphorus and Detonation! 2) Launch a volley of the Emperor's High Explosive Wrath first; to open the sinful timbers and flammables of the Heathen (For maximum mercy, limit rounds to ensure only injury and immobility for those struck) 3) Send the Emperor's Mercy (Take care in setting the timer; you desire at minimum a seventy percent airburst for a correct Storm of Penance) 4) After fifteen minutes (Enough time for a confession), deploy shrapnel rounds to eliminate any who would attempt to halt the Emperor's Forgiveness with mere blasphemous water.

Depending on the Storm of Penance, your soldiers may have to wait anywhere from one to five bells to deploy and liberate the souls from their accursed shells.''

-- Section of Kronus Archconfessor Militade's "The Emperor in the Munitions: A Veteran's Guide to Proper Faith in Artillery", currently subject to Ecclesiastical review.

Ardrin carefully set the roughly tied together, hand written pamphlet down, half fearing that it might spontaneously turn "Merciful" upon him. It was, regrettably, the best text that he had upon this subject with him. He hadn't really worked with artillery all that much until now. Someone had to bear the Inquisitor's whims while Lukas led the army.

Three hundred smoking barrels stared at the sky, sizzling in the dribbling rain. Fifty rounds HE, two hundred and fifty rounds IN. Timers varied from fifteen to seventeen point five seconds. The flashes beyond the mountain range signed success back to the crews of the Basilisks, loading in the next volley.

"Three hundred incendiaries," Ardrin wiped the oil slick water from the pictoslate, trying to glean what was going on from the skull servitor, "And this time, cut the timers to a straight sixteen seconds, I think that's optimum airburst."

A chorus grunted agreement. Ardrin glanced over the command chimera's top again, staring out to the mountain pass far away. No firestorm yet, but this next volley would handle it. He shut the hatch as he went down.

The incredible bulk of the Inquisitor's armor and equipment took up a full third of the passenger space, and the Inquisitor's conscripted retinue filled up the rest of it, forcing Ardrin to stand leaning next to the door to the driver's room. The Inquisitor himself, now that Ardrin got to see, was actually rather scrawny. A humble cassock, far from the glinting lesson in waste covered the man's slight frame, what pieces weren't removed and replaced with gleaming steel.

"I heard the initial bombardment," the Inquisitor said with a fond smile, disturbing beneath the clicking ocular implants, "It sounded like the fanfare of saints. Have they hit?"
"Yes sir. The Orks won't know what hit them."
"And the traitor?"
"If he isn't incinerated in the next volley, he'll wish he had been."

----

Artillery was supposed to be a non-issue, or an advantage when taught in the Vindicare temples. Admittedly, rare would be the primary or secondary who would stand still when being hit with an artillery bombardment, but at least they would be out in the open, and what was one finger snap in an inferno of noise? Serving as spotters, eliminating artillery crews, timing shots, all these things, the Vindicare had been taught and drilled. Reacting to being surrounded by exploding steel?

Cover ears, open mouth, find cover.

He was in cover, inside a muddy trench that was shaking and spattering all over the place. Already he could feel the tensing of his mask and implants, countering the noises and trying to counter the dizzying amount of shocks. He was fine, so long as nothing hit him. And her?

She was down on the ground, hands clamped over her ears, long hair spattered with muck sticking to her face, biting her lower lip. She was quivering.

His hand slid away from his head, heading for hers, when her eyes snapped open, and she grabbed his hand. Her lips parted, shaping the word 'move' through the thunder.

Their hands held together, they slipped forward, as a white phosphorus shell landed behind them, evaporating what little moisture had been there. Maybe ten more feet, before they fell again, this time into a partial hole that a grot had dug, before forming the wallpaper.

They pressed together in the momentary sanctuary. Dirt and mud slid down in rivulets around the pair, as they held one another, the world around them flying into the air.

It must have lasted maybe, ten, twenty minutes at the most. Ten to twenty minutes of fire and thunder. Of that time, the moments where they were together in the side of the trench must only have been an instant. It seemed an hour of racing hearts. Running fingers. Fluttering heart beats. Warmth through cold mud and napalm heat.

Then it was over. The shaking stopped, the thunder stopped ringing in their ears, and LIIVI reluctantly let slip Taldeer through his arms. Water and sweat reflected phosphorus fires rising on the horizon, as she leaned back, on her knees, looking down for a moment.

The roaring laughter of Orks snapped her eyes back on the Vindicare.

"The shells, again, this time higher."

"Airburst," Assassin again, he took out his pistol, hands running memorized lines of maintenance, cleaning what little made it through the holster, "Fragmentation?" "No. Fire. Lots of it."

He stood, stopping for a moment, and uncharacteristically awkwardly reached his hand to her, a second too late as she stood. "Cover. The bunker," Taldeer stared down the maze of trenches, in her mind's eye, dark storms flashing thunder on the ocean horizon, "We better hurry."

They stepped lightly through the mud, surrounded by dim shapes of Orks waving in the flames. For the moment, the trenches were clear, and the Vindicare's mind focused through the sights of his pistol, a fresh magazine topped off inside.

Above, the sky rained water as a consolation.

----

"Azrael, loaded."
"Sixty guns loaded, my lord."
"Hold until they all load," The Inquisitor placed his cowl on his head, and stepped up the ladder to the top of the Chimera.
"Belial, loaded."
"Uriel, loaded."
300 basilisks. One driver, one loader, one commander. Nine hundred men, at his beck and call. Nine hundred souls saved from damnation. Inquisitor Madek's mouth tightened, drawing his lips back in a crude curve.
"Raziel, loaded."
"Lightbringer, loaded. That makes all guns loaded. Your orders sir?"

Ardrin waited below, as Inquisitor Madek sat at the side of the Chimera, happily staring across the field.

"Fire," whispered Madek.

Three hundred shrieking packages of flame filled the sky.

----

Uzgob Nekkstompa wheeled about, bellowing, a squealing grot in one hand and his shoota in the other, trying his hardest to make more noise than a warband of Orks set on fire, and variously hitting and shooting each other.

Needless to say, he was hardly successful. Not even pointing out sum unorky softies running through the trenches roused more than a handful of lazy shots and rockets. Uzgob Nekkstompa, though a 'ard boy, was no Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter when it came to rallying the fractious orks.

So, figured Nekkstompa, him being canny and whatnot, he should go out, and 'unt some 'eads. If Gorgutz could get an army behind him by waving around some skullz, why couldn't he?

The characteristic shriek of incoming basilisk shells only proved to Nekkstompa that his course of action was in the right, as he barreled through the flames after the pair fleeing for the bunker.

----

The tiniest of taps, a spray of mud, and another step was taken by Farseer Taldeer down the trench. Her lungs ached, and she could feel the scrape of crystal clots inside her armor, but she had to move. A storm would come soon, and she needed to be in port then. An ork stumbled into the trench, fire dripping from him, a gun in his hand. A sharp sound, and a rush of air from behind, and its wrist is reduced to bloody scraps.

Maybe he wasn't as fast as her, she thought hesitantly. Maybe he was keeping her in front of his gun because he didn't trust her. That moment in the trench-

Did not merit reflection, she thought, as the tell tale shrieks of artillery sounded over the hills. The ramp was just bare steps ahead, to the shattered bunker.

LIIVI had already consumed the first magazine when he saw the bunker, and Taldeer moving into it. He was just stepping out of the trench, when his head suddenly felt like not moving.

"Oi fink I can kitch 'er jus' foine, 'oomie," The Vindicare was thrown down into the muck, as the mass of green muscle clanked past him, "You'll just have to siddown there and hannle the heat for a bit, 'fore I come back. Hope you'll have a lil' bit of fight leff in ya."

LIIVI managed to see the Ork nob ram into the bunker, cracking the concrete sides, before the air and sky caught alight.

----

"No other species in the galaxy has had quite the relationship that man has to fire. The Eldar have used it in war, and left it behind, on occasion to bring it forth, or to refer to it in poetry interchangeably with molten metal. Chaos draws inspiration to fire only insofar as mankind has influenced them; and even then, warpfire is its own entity, something diseased and gnawing, generating none of the warmth of a comfortable flame. Tau barely understand what fire IS, considering it a dangerous weapon; their fire caste serves in duty and shame, not pride. Orks are the second to men when enjoying the fires; but even then, they hold no passion to refine and craft the flames which they like to see and feel.

But man... Man has a love for fire. Napalm, white phosphorus, promethium, oil, gasoline, meltas, plasmas, firestorms, incendiaries, firepower, fireline, flamethrower, fireteam, firefighter, the flames of war, fire, fire, fire. What else could be said to have benefited as much from man as fire? What other element has been defended, nursed, tutored, fed, and loved more than fire? Our cities, our books, our people, our enemies, our friends, our dead, our living, our greatest works and most heinous feats; all of them, fed to the ever hungry flames," Inquisitor Madek chuckled, turning to Ardrin, "And there it is," he pointed to the roiling light beyond the mountains, "Years of brilliant minds worked on that one. For warfare, for country, for humanity? No. We wanted to see what fire, raw unchained flame, could do."

"Yes... Yes sir," Ardrin stared, as a dark angry cloud formed, crackling with thunder, waves of hungry lapping flame roiling and struggling against the rain, spewing ash high.

"Return the basilisks to the Governor. I am happy. Put forth my symbol of office, and take me closer. I'll need to speak to the victors."

----

Taldeer crawled forward, coughing, eyes watering, as a wind pulled past her and heat radiated at her. She had to get down the stairs, she thought, as she felt for the steps. Ragged, broken. She couldn't breathe.
She fell, into the dark and jagged rock. She tried to control it as best as she could, her hands out. Eyes closed. Lungs burning.

By the time she reached the bottom, the sting had left her lungs a bit. Flakes of burnt paper danced in swirls around her as she came to a rest on a bed of shell casings and ash. She glanced up, the steel door far above, the wheel lock handle firmly shut. She reached up, grasping the steel. She closed her eyes, in brief thanks that it was cool to the touch. She heard thumps on the steps, and involuntarily breathed easy. LIIVI survived.

The ocean screamed. Her eyes bolted open.

Her hands shot out, leaving the spear on the ground, grabbing the wheel, pulling with both hands, up, up and away in a swirl of ashes, from the powerclaw that tore up the concrete. She glanced up, bracing her feet against the ceiling, seeing for a moment the murderous red glint of the eyes of an Ork, a grin displayed in what pieces of his face weren't iron.

"'Allo poinny ear," The double barreled, four magazined pistol clacked a challenge, "I loike yer 'ead."

----

How does one survive a firestorm?

Dig.

Dig deep. The sizzling of the rainwater hitting the thermal bubble above. The shriek of the cremated orks. The sting of the infrared radiation burning the skin within his suit. Dig until you don't feel it.
Mud ran through his fingers and slammed into his rifle. The N20-

He pulled the cover out of his pants pocket, and held it close to himself, ignoring the pain. The Hellfire round, the Shieldbreaker. They'd have to be covered. His pistol was already in the mud that was baking to clay, the rifle halfway after it. He smelled his flesh cooking, as he clung to it, crouched hugging the side of the trench. The red and white waving around him, the shadows of orks rushing this way and that, the ashes shearing across past him.

He would burn or live, based on the whims of thermodynamics.

Through the dim roar of oxygen being devoured, noises could be picked up. Orkish ammunition cooking off. Grots squealing. An argument, laughter.

A lilting voice.

A call. A voice more suited to song than terror.

The fire swept through the trench, greedy and hungry, roaring challenge to dissent. Hairline cracks began to appear in his visor.

----

Outside, fire whistled. Taldeer was short of breath, and clinging upside down to a steel door bracing herself to the ceiling certainly wasn't helping. The Ork, mass of muscle and steel he was, didn't look the least bit taxed, as he lifted his power claw, clacking the wicked edges together. A spark flew.

"The... the world outside this bunker is incinerating... And you want to claim my HEAD?" She put up a hand carefully, delaying, "Listen, ork, I-"

"Oim Uzgob Nekkstompa, yur PoinnyEar SoontobeNekkStomped, and dat's as much talkin as I can stan'. Gimme a foight!" The Ork lashed out with his powerclaw, as Taldeer folded up, cursing the human who HAD to stab her in the most important muscle group. Sparks flew as steel tore, and the Ork pulled his claw back, lifting his pistol, yelling gleefully as it began to bark and kick.

Ricochet filled the hall, as Taldeer rolled forward, grabbing her spear, her nervous system following the skeins of the warp. She relaxed, her muscles flowing and jerking like a marionette on the strings. Her hair, caught, slipped, and flashed around her. The ocean tide carried her around the Orkish ammunition, as her fingers ran and slipped along the wraithbone runes.

Her spear struck powerclaw. The Ork gripped, and pulled, bringing Taldeer face to face with her enemy.

"HIT ME!" Roared the Ork. He was granted his wish, her foot whipping up into his face, aided by the leverage of her caught spear, her whole body behind the blow, knocking the ork back into the steel door.

The Ork grinned, spat a tooth. Barely phased by her full force. His pistol raised, with a slurred, "Juss' the right distinse," dribbling around its teeth.

Just the right distance to spray her with automatic fire, which she couldn't dodge in the narrow end of the hall. She gave a sad grin. The ocean was calm.

Her singing spear batted aside the blood spray, as the Ork was struck clean in the shoulder untouched by bioniks. The Ork glanced to his right shoulder, as with a crack, his clavicle snapped, sending the arm to the ground.

"Well thass jus’ queer," muttered the Ork.

For a moment, some of the ashes floating in the air were illuminated with a red line of light. A sizzle, as the ork's exposed left knee cap was bathed in photons. Then it exploded.

The Ork fell over, shrieking, as the Vindicare let loose the empty power pack, slapping a new one into the muddy mess of a lasrifle.

"You were expecting me?" LIIVI stepped into the room, lasrifle at the hip, covering the obscenity slinging nob.
"I am a farseer. Surely you'd've been briefed on my capabilities," she glanced over, keeping her face still and an eye on the ork. LIIVI looked unharmed. But there was something... "Mmm," The Vindicare stepped forward carefully. The suit, was designed to be fireproof. This did not help the skin underneath it that much. "Are you-"
"The door's open," The Vindicare tabbed the lasrifle to ‘Full discharge’, and shot another blast at the Ork's other arm, "You can take sanctuary in there. I'll be along soon, I have to recover my equipment."

The door was a mangled mess, nearly torn off its hinges. But it was insulated, and would serve better than nothing.

"It's still on fire out there." "Most of the fuel in the area has been extinguished, the storm has ended. I should still be capable of being predictable when you're in trouble."

LIIVI crept out, heading for his supplies, when he turned towards the sky. Streaking meteors dropped in the distance. Meteors with atmospheric brakes.

===Chapter Seven===

Taldeer stepped for the dark, rubbing her side. At least this time, the blood wasn't clotting crystal. Or maybe that was a bad thing. And LIIVI's comment-

Was he, it upset? It was hard to tell. And more than that, it was hard to tell if she should even care or not.

"I'll be predictable," she mumbled, stepping through the hatch. She received a vicious kick to the shins.

Hopping back, grabbing her leg, she stared down at the ork, who had managed to prop himself up against the door with stumps and a leg, who was giving her the glaring of a life time.

"C'mon poinny ear! See if'n yoo kin take me wivout yer pet 'oomie!"

The wraithbone spear communicated the displeasure with the ork's inability to suffer from bloodloss. The leg flew free, and Taldeer kicked the still yammering torso to the side, and sealed the door shut behind her.

Well, she thought bitterly, soon he'll be gone anyway. And she won't care. Her people's fate depended upon her. Who could care about one mon-keigh when the potential lives of thousands of Eldar, and possibly the galaxy depended upon her being alive?

She sat heavily against the wall, and slid down it. Just keep telling yourself that, taunted a little voice in her head, that you can get another chance to make up for the hundreds lost in this useless mission.
Keep lying to yourself.

----

From his vantage on the hillside, Captain Diocletian could see the Orks were shattered by the Guard's bombardment, mostly, true to the Inquisitor's predictions. No Guardsmen were in sight too, a relief (at least to Captain Diocletian), just as the Inquisitor promised. And the Grey Knights were marching alongside their fellow marines... Just as the Inquisitor promised.

One could ask what they were doing, marching upon mere xenos, but Captain Diocletian already knew the answer that would not be given: they were there to watch for heresy among the Blood Ravens.
"For the Emperor," he whispered, before stepping down, to join his fellows in securing the pass. His eyes lingered on the ringing grey armored soldiers, nemesis halberds at the ready.

LIIVI stepped back from the trench, his visor clicking unhealthily as it zoomed back in and reverted to standard. He gathered his things, and sprinted back to the bunker, as Astartes and Ork met in battle.

Brother Onus, of the Grey Knights, cocked his head. The xenos before him fell back on the point of his halberd, spasming and shrieking, before turning into ash. Contemptibly, he flicked the sparking instrument of the Emperor’s wrath. A waste, for this precious blade to be used on contemptuous xenos.

Something… A purity seal rustled on his arm. A rune gently creaked. Through the smoke and vaporized mud, he smelled the foul stench of the warp on the air for a moment. The bunker.

Through the flame and the bullets, Brother Onus starts forward, stalking his prey. A prayer of thanks on his lips.

----

Light from the fires drifts through what flecks of ash remained disturbed as LIIVI stepped down to the shelter. The Vindicare reaches for the door, then hesitates. Through the gash, illuminated by a single dim bulb above her was the primary. Staring into space, head leaning against her shoulder. A black lock of her hair straying over her eye, down her lips, over her pulsing jugular, the adrenaline crash had struck her, he wouldn't even have to use a bullet, just quick and painless. If he had to kill her.

He shouldn't be thinking this. Some part of him knew. He opened the door.

"LIIVI," she started looking up, "Listen, I have something-"
"No time," The Vindicare shut the door behind him, shoving the lock into place,
"Evacuation necessary, conflict is starting anew. Space marines are far more thorough than orks," LIIVI took his rifle from the shoulder, and rammed a clip home into the internal magazine. It was still dirty. He had to hope it wouldn't jam.

"At least they'll be distracted by the orks."
"Tunnels usually lead to Imperial outposts. Judging by the directions the marines came from, we probably won't come into hostile contacts. Marines don't have the forces necessary to mount garrisons in this province yet."
"That's, that's great, LIIVI," smiled Taldeer.

"Come?" LIIVI looked at her, sitting. He reached out his hand, after a moment's hesitation.

She took it, regret filling her mind. The ocean current was pulling her, no matter what she wished..

----

Captain Diocletian was disappointed. This was a cleanup operation, little else.

"Engage at will, there's no challenge here," the order carried across the combeads, as the marines separated, many putting aside their bolters in favor of monomolecular knives. No need to waste good ammunition on undesirable scum.

Craters, fires still raggedly burning. Little else remained. He had to hand it to the Guardsman, give them artillery, and they can-

His shoulder pauldron shattered. Captain Diocletian frowned, and glanced over. Across the way, he saw a grot duck into a trench. He sighed, and took out his bolt pistol.
A tink, and a bullet ricocheted off his arm. And he heard a strange call.

"Mo' dakka." Another voice picked it up, and it became a chant. "Modakka, modakka, modakka, modakka," By this time, Captain Diocletian had eased back, and marines across the field picked up their heads, staring, the voices seeming to come from everywhere and melting together. "ModakkamodakkamodakkamodakkamoDAKKAMODAKKADAKKADAKKDAKKADAKKA"

Across the trench, green heads popped up, one or more guns accompanying each.

Captain Diocletian gave a grim grin. No atonement for idle waste today. “Engage them, meet your foe,” he started forward, pounding across the cracked and dried mud, chainsword lifted, “And sing praise to the Emperor, for letting the enemy wet your blade today!”

Brother Onus stopped in the trench, cocking his head. Orders to charge. He saw several of his brothers obediently marching back, to fight xenos. He did not care. He had come to hunt the Enemy. Not to waste sacred relics on enemies material.

He stood in front of the ruined bunker. The Enemy had been here.

He stepped down the stairs, as the war started anew behind him, and the guns drowned out the thunder of the storm above.

----

The rain was pouring down the steps like a waterfall when the Assassin and the Witch came to the end of the hall. The door was knocked off its hinges, a guardsman broken on it. They carefully stepped over him, avoiding signs of passing by.

The outpost had been manned by two men, both now dead. The dead ork in the center of the floor, strangled by a wire spoke of their courage.

The rain outside had rallied against the fire, attempting to drown and smother it for defying the weather, even as treacherous lightning aided and abetted the enemy.

This is it, thought Taldeer, sparing a glance for LIIVI. Just a while more.

"Let's head out," she said, "Quickly, come on, we can get moving," She reaches for him when he raises his hand, and freezes.

"Wait. I heard something."

Clang.

"Back there, in the tunnel."

Clang. Clang. Clang. It picked up speed. Clang.

Like an iron gavel pronouncing judgment. The pair, stepped back and out of the outpost, the Vindicare raising his rifle. The rain and wind swept along, spattering the two in cold, as the outpost glowed with inner light.

Clang. There was a scraping, cracking sound, as something moved against the ceiling. Clang. The light grew closer, and there was a faint hum. Clang. Then it was there.

The Grey Knight stood in the doorway, as LIIVI and Taldeer stared up from the bottom of the hill, blazing and glowing with the light of his manifest wrath.

----
[[Image:LCB Pursued.jpg|thumb|right]]
"FOUL ONE," the voice resonated, deep, echoing through the armor, "THE STINK OF THE WARP IS UPON YOU," The Grey Knight stepped forward, and out of the outpost, setting his halberd behind him. It crackled in anticipation.

This is it.

To her left, the Vindicare, the mon-keigh tensed. She could see it all. His finger touching the trigger, the weapon jam.

A ton of blessed ceramite artificer steel pounded down, one leg slamming into Kronus's flesh after another, tearing great gouts of soil up.

This is it. The Mon-Keigh, he'll reach for his pisto-

"Taldeer!" An unexpected hand shoved her away, a note of panic in his voice, now for this moment bizarrely familiar, "Get away from he-"

The Grey Knight's back hand slash, the halberd, tugging into his flesh, lifting him up into the air.

A disposed toy. Mon-Keigh. "SCUM!" The mon-keigh, it's usefulness expended. Living the moment it was fated. The mon-keigh... falling. The mon-keigh's blood. On her face. The mon-keigh-
"M-Mon-Keigh..." She shouldn't care.

"THIS IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE RIGHTEOUS!" The Grey Knight, stood over his corpse. LIIVI's corpse. Raising his halberd.

She shouldn't care. She shouldn't be hurt. She shouldn't look in his vainly struggling form.

"KNOW REDEMPTION IN- *HRNNK*?"

The light blazed, and a keening noise could be heard, as runes of warding, protection, and holiness brightened.

"W-W-WHAT WITCHCRAFT- IS THIS?"

His arm, his arm, it was bending, bending the wrong way. He stumbled back, struggling, to execute the traitor. Something cracked. His middle finger waved, popped out and broken.

"EL-ELDAR?!" His felt lost touch of the ground, and he felt the armor dragging at him. His left arm waved around, as he pulled on the bolter trigger, firing, uselessly somewhere behind him.

He heard his seals cracking. The sacred runes breaking. His arm, broken, in three places. His neck, pulling, pulling. He spun, slowly in the air, and then suddenly fell. Crack, headfirst into the ground. Again. Again, again-

Snap.

The invisible grip loosed, and he fell, sliding down the hill. A rather heavy, well accoutered mon-keigh ragdoll.

Taldeer stood, stumbling, slackening staring, breathing in and out evenly. The cacophony, the snickering peals of the warp faded away from her mind. She had risked so much, and for what-

"Liivi!" She rushed forward, running over to the fallen assassin, "Please, please, Liivi, get up human, get up!" The blade had entered the small intestine, and worked its way up, searing and tearing as it went. She drew her hand away, and found blood and ashes.

"No... Please?"

Above, the atmosphere eddied, wrapping and softening the rain, sending snow down as paltry recompense, as the assassin took stuttering gasps.

----

The rain from the night before had reduced the battlefield to a muddy ditch. The burning Ork corpses left a black smear of smoke across the horizon, as Ardrin sat next to the pilot of the command chimera, waiting. He couldn't stand to be in the same room as the Inquisitor, as his pet Culexus just gave him the heebie-jeebies. If the heebie-jeebies came in nightmare form of endless oblivion.

One of the Grey Knights had gone missing; no sign of any corpses matching the Adepta Orthodontia molar records. The Inquisitor was rather pleasant about it.

A bunker had been discovered, with a tunnel. The marines were too busy, setting up a base in preparation to launch assault against the guardsmen over the hill. The Inquisitor hadn't wanted to go through the tunnel on foot. So, they drove out to the outpost.

The pilot nearly ran over the Chosen of the Emperor.

The APC was pulled over. Faceless gasmasked elite glamour boys stepped out, putting up their hellguns like it would mean a damn to a space marine. The Inquisitor stepped out, flanked by his Adeptus Mechanicus, and Culexus.

Ardrin stayed inside, staring through the viewport. The Inquisitor approaches, pushes over the Grey Knight with his foot. Nothing. Everyone relaxes.

Then they jump, a momentary flash illuminating the armored figure. The Inquisitor leans in. Beckons for the Techpriest. The helmet is pried off. The face... A glance, Ardrin got, but he saw it was flattened, bludgeoned. Whispers. The Inquisitor nods, stands, and waves one of the stormtroopers over. He speaks on the radio. Everyone gets back in the Chimera. Except for the Inquisitor. He stops, and tosses a word over his shoulder to the marine.

The marine's face turns stony. Seizes up. Asks a question. The Inquisitor shakes his head. Steps into the chimera.

"Well," announced matter of factly, "This is interesting." "What did you say to him," it isn't exactly a question. It's an accusation. That face. It was of a man doomed.

Inquisitor Madek glances up, "Did I speak to you?" "No, no, but what," Ardrin gulps, "What did you say to him?" "The truth," the optic units stared, emotionless, "That he was damned, for his failure to apprehend the enemies of the Imperium. When he dies," The Inquisitor looked down, for a moment admiring his boltpistol with a distant smile, "He will be denied the Emperor's Grace."

The chimera goes silent, as the soldiers stop their breathing. Shock, all around, save for the Culexus and the Techpriest, who stare downwards.

"And also, Ardrin? Don't speak back to me," The Inquisitor settled back, staring at the ceiling, the ghostly smile still on his face, "That's a sin."

"Make for the spaceport. There've been interesting developments, and I believe they'll head there eventually. Felix? Contact my barge. Tell them, Psalm, 144:1. Make all necessary arrangements. Now I," whispered the Inquisitor, "To sleep, pure of heart and worry..."

----

Inquisitor Madek's personal barge is in a little bubble of calm, in an orbit at constant war. Imperial Naval stand off with the Blood Raven fleet, all the while fighting Orks, Tau, errant eldar raids, the Chaos fleets and the occasional, mysterious necron vessel. Their fortunes turn and twist, but always the same: Inquisitor Madek's vessel is guarded, and never touched.

''Psalm 144:1, of the Litany of Hate.''

The Barge is devoid of human life. But it is filled with abhuman life. Servitors scuttle around, Tau shriek and cry in cages, and the cargo-

Currently, it lies empty. Save for one reinforced casket. No glass faces outside to allow a viewer to look in, for it would be too weak.

''Blessed the Emperor, my strength, be.''

A grasping metal arm swings out, wraps around it, and drags it, emitting sparks the whole way, shrieks of metal falling on deaf durasteel. The odyssey across the vast and lonely cargo bay does not quiet the hunk of steel. At the end, it is placed before the doors, set on a steel bar.

With loud, shrieking claxons, the doors part, and the Tau prisoners gasp for air again. The doors part a bare ten feet, before with a sliding snap, the bar sends the casket flying with what air pressure couldn't do.

It spins, end over end, as around it thousands of navy men fight and war to hold a place above a planet.

The casket falls towards it.

''That teaches my hands to war...''

Molten layers of durasteel dribble off as it falls. It was not specifically designed for orbital entry, but it serves. End over end, it falls and falls, and the outer layer slips off. It has a rough aim of where it needs to go. A rough idea, and a rough mission enters the skull.

Vindicare. Farseer. Dead.

A bare ten miles above ground, the outside of it detonates, bits at a time. The fall hiccups, again and again, as layer after layer is blown off.

Ten meters above ground, it seemingly detonates. It manages to arrest its speed, to only half of terminal velocity.

It is driven three meters into the ground, and kills an unfortunate Odewillin that strayed too close.

It hisses, and pops, as the last powder of explosives detonates. The slag runs off, leaving behind a mere steel plate blocking it and the world.

''...And my fingers to fight.''

A clawed hand pierces through, and tugs off the steel like paper.

''Fear me, for I am your apocalypse.''
-Dictum Eversor

"And call up Governor Alexander, your friend," Inquisitor Madek sways with the bumps, optics still closed, unsmiling.
"I want him to explain to me how my asset managed to get tainted by Chaos."

===Chapter Eight===

''I should have left him there. He had served his purpose.

He owed me nothing - yet he gave himself to me willingly.

Why? I know not.

He is nothing more than a pathetic human.

An inferior race.

A mon-keigh.

But still I broke off my wings so that I might carry him easier.

I took him from that place, into the snowstorm where our tracks will not be found.

He is heavy. And he is dying. And he is slowing me down.

But I will save him.

Why? I know not.

He is still warm. I can feel his blood ebbing across me. For every beat of his heart, another, slight spill of heat. The heat blows away on the winter wind. His blood is still warm. But fading. And I have spilled scarlet myself.

The snow laps greedily at our footsteps and our lifeblood, covering them without a trace as we fade away.''

----

Battle still raged behind them. Far off, in walls of steel and concrete, trenches of dirt and burning promethium, space marine and ork reveled in fire and bolter. Taldeer stopped a moment, breathing in and out, her lungs burning. She held the human over her shoulder, his feet still dragging in the snow. His rifle sheath, with frost covering it. She looked around. Disputed territory. Ork banners held up, some burnt, some empty, some shattered and buried under the snow. Exhortations of war broken and buried under the white blanket. The Vindicare beside her coughed, tensing for a moment, his hand digging into her own- then he slackened again. The blood warmth washed over her side again. She had no need to watch the skein of fate to see that survival was improbable. She was needed elsewhere. She shouldn't die, freezing, clinging to a weaponized man. She shifted his weight again, and pulled forward with her spear, panting again as she passed under twenty meter high declarations of war, pulling through the winter.

----

"Inquisitor." Inquisitor Madek snorted sharply, blinking away the sleep. He frowned. He was cold. He should have packed more clothes than just a cassock. An idiotic desire to empathize with the guardsmen perhaps. "I've heard tell that cleanliness is one of the signs of divinity,"

Madek roused, sitting up, slipping on an ill fitting gentle smile, "I don't think I have to fear any usurpation here. What is it, Felix?"

"The storm," Felix pointed out to the wall, where some diodes sputtered, "The corpus mechanica would be better served if I-"

"I can barely give a damn, we're on the road to the spaceport, we can get it fixed there."

"That's another thing," Lieutenant Ardrin, resembling nothing more than a big black fly came into the room, holding a buzzing comm, "The city, currently our forces command it and will be reinforced, but, the agents of Chaos are attacking it. They hold the entrance to the city we're heading for." Veteran soldiers. No courage, no faithful bone in their body they. Merely the survivors, benefit of the brave souls of the Emperor's truest servants. A fine degree of cowardice uncaught by commissar, that's all that experience breeds. They that survive are just rewarded for their base desire of living. Disgusting.

"I believe we'll be fine," Inquisitor Madek gave a serene grin, "The Emperor protects."

----

Sponge Weeds seemed to be an architect's dream come true. Plentiful, verdant, and tough, to early colonists of Kronus, they seemed to be a nightmare, great wide fields of sticky, dark, meter high reeds, choking swamps and rivers, ensuring most of the southern continent was a morass of stagnant water and painful to clear reeds. Chop them down, more would grow from the inevitable chunks that rushed out of the thing when it was cut, the water held within flooding out. They would gum up the irrigation, showing up in every single farm. "Spongeweeds," became synonymous with unwanted guests, and even became momentarily popular as a term for rapists before use of this term was purged and suppressed by the Ecclesiarchy. Until one ambitious young pioneer decided to attempt to use it to make a house.

Foolish idea, was the universal thought at first. The soaking, stinking reeds would make for a great big mess everyone was convinced. At least until lacquer was applied to it. Cyanide, bacteria, toxins, as soon as the living reed felt under threat, it would stiffen up and hold, sometimes for years at a time if the rudimentary immune system sensed the poison was still there.

Furthermore, reeds cut together would eventually mold together, sealing the area with a near vacuum grip. The house would generate warmth in the winters and hold off the heat in the summers, as the still living yet paralyzed plants reacted to the climates. This architectural fad and art material lasted fifty years before a pysker wandered too close and felt pain. Other pyskers had entered houses, but registered no complaints, and the people protested, but to the Imperial Church this was evidence enough to burn the lot of the suspicious, ugly living buildings. They said the fires were responsible for the harsh winter and cold summer that followed. Standard imperial architecture was followed from then on, but on occasion, out in the wilderness, you found the occasional hut. Like this one.

----

Taldeer stopped, falling to one knee, the weight of the assassin driving her down. Her muscles were stiff cracking against one another, wishing only to lay down and die. She wheezed, staring down at the snow. Little red spatters filled it. Hers and his. She couldn't tell them apart, they were both bright hued and crimson.

Maybe if she stared long enough, she would see one shrivel and crust and the other crystallize and powder. She slapped the ground with her hand, fighting the welcome hands of a sleeping death.

She looked up. A small house. Wooden. Some shelter from the biting wind. Just a few more steps. She bit her lip as she rose to her feet, carrying her savior, blood spilling from her side as the wound broke once again. She dragged forward, heading for the leathery wood flap of a door. Her hand reached for the door knob. She hesitated. A slight scuff of a noise in side. The pistol is steady in her hand as she pushes open the flap with the barrel. The noises getting louder the whole time.

----

The door turned, squeaking and crackling on frozen hinges, the unfrozen edge flapping in the blizzard wind. Didn't look like there was anything. A gas tank stood in the center of the room, a line running into the cast iron stove, radiating welcome heat. Two doors, one ajar to a chair with the bottom cut out over a bucket, and the other firmly shut.

Taldeer shrugged off the assassin, leaning in to whisper, "You'll be warm in a moment Liivi." She slipped inside, sweeping the room with her shuriken pistol, the singing spear unslung and behind her. The noise was coming from above. She was moving, her gun pointed at the ceiling, when she felt something catch her other hand from behind. Her hand- She whirled around, pistol raising to free her spear hand- The assassin's glove was wrapped around her own, slackening, as it fell down in the door way, shivering. The door opened as the Vindicare was dragged in, a slight trickle of blood running across the absorbent floor. Taldeer leaned next to him, leaning in close. His heart had slowed since last time. An occasional shiver would wrack a part of him. The gash- She gulped down the bile as she something shift and slither through the mess of blood and ribs. He shouldn't die. The door creaked.

----

"X-X-Xeno!"

Taldeer spun on her heels, spreading her hands and kneeling before the Vindicare, her shuriken pistol and Singing Spear out. Someone stood, stark naked but for a sheet over his shoulder, in the door way, a primitive slug thrower at his shoulder. Underweight, hairy, and yellowed by liver failure. A shivering blue eye held between the bead, pointed at her head.

"I-I-I never thought they would send another, to me, to my nightmares!" The gun rattled, parts scraping and clacking together, "I, I've killed before! I'm a veteran. A veteran of a secret war of soul and damnation. You won't have! Have! Have me! That's not yours to take, I never let you!"

A madman. Dribbling in whatever local dialect that the humans paid courtesy too. She could barely glean the words meaning, much less the order. In all probability, she could move and slice him from jaw to groin before he could fire his pathetic gun in the wrong direction. But- Her brows furrowed together, she whispered in low gothic, "We only seek shelter from the storm, we are but mere travelers," couching her words in a recognized story, she tried to manipulate his mind. The discharge practically deafened her, and the human brought the black smoking barrel up to her eye.

"Manipulations! Orienteering, on basic desires?! Fuck you bitch! No more," He leaned in, eyes furious, "No more. I used to be a good man, before you showed me! Emperor..." He whispered, "Emperor protect, are you my daughter? I can't tell. I thought, I thought I ate you earlier. I can't tell," he stared down, squeezing his eyes shut, yellowed tears leaking out of his eyes. The gun rose, the man inarticulately sobbing into a hand, it wavered above.

"I," am your daughter of course father, don't shoot me, and your son, you had a son didn't you, followed by a shot through the throat. Eminently survivable, reasonable action. "I am not going to play along with your delusion, mad one," Taldeer brought her shuriken pistol up, and into the watery blue eyes. One shot that would be it. "Leave us be. I do not wish infecting his wound with your blood. And for the sake of your family, get a hold of yourself." Stupid. The old man turned, the slugthrower up. She could get off two shots in the time it took him to get aiming.

"Deat-"

Whizz. The first nicked his hairline.

"-h is the"

The second cut through his thigh born artery.

"path to redempARRRRRGGH"

The bullet fired, hitting wide, thumping into the ceiling, sending filthy half frozen water across the room. Taldeer moved back, and snapped her spear at his hands. The blunt end of the wraithbone snapped his hands like a carrot, the broken bones held within a sack of meat. The gun fell to the floor, discharging into the wall. The wraithbone blade was held against his neck. "Surrender."

He opened his mouth to speak, and all that came out was blood. The shriveled old corpse fell back. Bullet had entered by way of the esophagus, tumbled through thalamus, hypothalamus, medulla oblongata and cerebellum, then, by his estimates, got lodged in the occipital lobe. His Exitus pistol lowered, the Vindicare let his head drop back to the floor. His mask was full of blood. He panted through it. His eyes closed. He was superficially aware of a presence standing above him. Through the numbness, a cold drop prickled his right arm.

"He was hardly a threat." Primary. Taldeer.

"It was necessary."

"Well," her voice came closer, as hand fell on his chest, "I'm not about to berate the man nearly disemboweled, but somebody's going to have to clean that up if we're going to be staying here more than an hour. "Is there plumbing?" He heard the gentle sloshing of water. "I don't know about your species, or even about you yourself, but amongst my people," Splash. A fire ran down the numb line that the Grey Knight had cut into him, "Cold or no, the wounds need to be sterilized," the assassin, for his part only twitched.

He stared at the pistol in his hand. He had never gotten around to reloading it.

----

The blade had started at the base of his bottom, leftmost rib, and worked up, ending at the right clavicle. It was a surface cut, the first rib was cut and the second broken, but after that no other bone damage. The muscle had been shorn off, and it looked like that where it had gone, the flesh had fried. The heart was barely visible, thumping and pulsating.

Fortunately, she reflected, humans had a whole lot of space in their body as opposed to eldar. The blood loss was the most important thing. And sterilizing the room. The alcohol would help a little. And the corpse. Of course, the man had to be eating. Why did he shoot him? The damn silenced pistol, it could have been any time during that fight, and she wouldn't have known. But. It was only after she had told him to surrender. His mouth opened. The blood splattered. She shook her head, as she wrapped the body in the sheet it had been wearing, and dragged it out into the snow. He shoots a lunatic who was waving a gun at you. Most people would firmly place that under the pro column. It just means-

She let go of the sheet on the corpse. As if on cue, the man splayed out, a shiver running down his veins and arteries.

Teeth. Teeth on his tongue. And two noses in his hair.

Her eyes widened, and she turned back to the cottage, as the door slammed shut.

----

Her feet barely touch the snow.

To Eldar, all mankind move clumsily, and slowly, kittens staring about in the dark, their arms blindly reaching to the sky like teetering towers, waving back and forth, unsure nerve and tendon spasming.

Men looking upon Eldar see disquieting grace. Deliberate steps. The care of a surgeon in the movement of a runner. Even the enhanced assassins, and those among the Space Marines unimpeded by their armor seem to have no instinct about them, their speed the speed of a pneumatic press, or an out of control piston. All forcing through the air, no cutting.

But the Vindicare had seemed different. It wasn't speed, as much as being in the right place at the right time. She should've known damn it. She rammed into the door, the half frozen bark, far from its native swamp, dully creaking. She pounded into it again, pulling at the door. It warped and stuttered, held shut by something.

More foolish than a human, she thought bitterly. Her spear was still inside too.

She glanced around, running around the house, as she felt the pull of the sea.

----

Back, a bare hour maybe, that's when she should have seen. (shortly after the Grey Knight fight)

"Come on!" by instinct, her hand reached up, flicking away the blood on her face. She felt more warm blood smear on. The rain was turning to snow, and his breath had started to turn irregular. Shock? He had to live. From stem to stern it had cut, running more shallow along the way. His bottom two ribs, one was cut clean, the other hanging by a sliver of bone. The metal plating had done little good, still bubbling where the marine's glaive had touched. Fried nerves, cooked skin- Human. Mon-keigh.

There were more of them than the stars. Why should she care. A hand slipped under his head, and another one ran across his back.

She shouldn't be caring.

His body shuddered, as he hacked. The mask. Blood was catching under it. Flooding it. He couldn't breath. Her hands ran up the synskin collar, reaching under it, pulling it up as it went along. The mask fell into the snow, taking a lot of blood with it. It dribbled across the snow, and she gently tipped him over, as he hacked, bloody froth coming clear.

"Liivi," she whispered. His eyes were squeezed shut, as he fell back, breathing, coughing occasionally. Dark hair. Short cropped. His cheekbones stood out. What wasn't a smear of blood was- No. Nothing to think about. The snow was falling quick and fast now. She had to go.

She grabbed the mask, and pulled it back onto the Vindicare as gently as she could, but in the middle, he leaned in. Lips brushed. And maybe. Just maybe. They might have held together, a little longer than was appropriate for a bleeding man's comfort.

He fell back into the snow, immediately, as if by some miracle, calmed. She stared. Through the blood, she could taste something else. Lemara. He tasted like lemara.

She carefully pushed the mask back on his face. Around them, the storm begin to howl. She lifted him to her shoulders, and then fell back. There was a cracking noise. The wraithbone had had enough, evidently. How carelessly then she tore off the other spirit stone mounts. Leaving her with just one refuge, in case of death. She had reasoned, she could come back for them. Isolated place. Wouldn't be that hard. They were just getting in the way anyway.

She hefted his arm onto her shoulder, and he had just barely enough life to push with his legs. She stood.

’"WHY-"’ The hollow roar of the Grey Knight's audio must have been malfunctioning, she heard something else whispered. She probably should have been listening.

"He saved my life."

’"YOU-"’ more hollow whispers ’"YOUR GREAT ENEMY?"’

"No more words," She turned, dragging the Vindicare off into the snow storm with her, "You should die soon out here."

----

The Grey Knight had sounded confused. She had chalked it up to his ego's breaking at defeat. He had been beaten severely. And his attempt to kill the enemy of the Imperium he had seen had been foiled by another agent of the Imperium. The Grey Knights are the greatest weapon mankind has against Daemons.

In all their years, they have never had one fall to chaos. They are the few to be entrusted with the full secrets of what the Imperium knew of daemonology, chaos, and the warp. Their very presence pains demons, makes them sluggish, ineffective. They hunt daemons, first and foremost, and in this task, they must be expected to be the best warriors that humanity can dredge up.

Taldeer ran around the hut, looking for any entrance, as the wood boards creaked at her presence. Why would he engage a farseer alone? Her fingers ran across boards merged together, one flesh over another, warm and twitching to the touch. Why would he try to finish off the Vindicare, if there was another opponent in the field? The Great Enemy.

"Wake up Vindie," the Assassin blinked the sleep from his eyes. Taldeer entered the door, shaking the dripping snow from her spear, smiling serenely at Liivi.

She Who Thirsts.

----

"Wake up." Liivi started, sitting up, as a flustered Taldeer approached, with a smile, shaking the wet off of her spear. "How are you?"

"I'm-" the Vindicare tested himself, and set himself back, "I'm going to need a moment. The nerve endings are still broken."

"Good... We'll have to pass the time then, won't we?"

"The inhabitant. I don't smell him."

"I took him out," Taldeer shrugged, setting her arms straight and jamming her hands between her feet as she sat in a position of mock meditation, "Figured we wouldn't like any dead guy laying around here."

"The defecation," the Vindicare turned his eyes towards Taldeer, "The blood."

"Shh, I was just lucky to find a mop and soap in this hick's place," Taldeer placed her ungloved hand on Liivi's shoulder, pushing him gently back down, "Just go to sleep, hmm?" The wood groaned under the Vindicare, as he lay back. A fresh magazine was struck home into the pistol. A nervous system of wires and thrice blessed metals kicked in, as the pistol rose to Taldeer's face. She grinned.

"Do you get off on this?" The pistol made six very good points in reply, while the Vindicare kicked himself back.

Taldeer started, as she felt the ocean kick, before stepping back. Two large, holes burst through the wood, the rubbery sacks burst and making a squealing, squelching noise. The problem with the architecture of Kronus, that caused the Ecclesiastical purge was the pysker's report. The pain he felt was purely sympathetic, a crude intelligence, but an intelligence en masse was inside the homes. The local Arch Cardinal had wanted any reason he could find to burn the homes, as disgusted as he was at the concept of living houses, and he had found it. They were aliens, possibly intelligent aliens. As the homes burned into the night sky, and the reeds, already depopulated by the rapacious desires of the colonists, were uprooted wherever the crusaders could find them, they were nearly driven into extinction. Whether they had gone on this path for centuries and they had somehow managed to keep it in secret, or it was started in response, no one can ever be sure.

But the plaintive, stupid, mewling minds of plants turned their thoughts to Chaos. The shaking reeds vomited forth the filthy, turgid water into the snowstorm, as Taldeer leapt back. They rustled and undulated, swearing and cursing in ways only the grass and wind could respect. They called upon a goddess that had long grown bored of them. The weeds shriveled and shrunk desperate to hold onto what water they could. Taldeer reached with her hands, and broke and tore the twisted remnants of an empire that never was, and broke through.

----

"Hah... Haha..." The pseudo Taldeer fell back against one of the walls, as it twisted in vegetative joy, she spread her hands, "You wound me."

"That was the intent," an empty mag thudded across the floor, as the Vindicare reached for another.

"Do you like it?" The Taldeer fell forward, her eyes watering, her delicate, pale hands reaching for the hole in her throat, she stared upwards, mouth running blood, at the Vindicare, "Is it better, when you can just kill those that you make the object of your affections? Simplifies the fun parts, I bet?"

"Quiet," The pistol coughed, ramming a bullet through the forehead, blood spattering against his visor. Small lasers immediately evaporated it. The Vindicare stood, hand at his side. He switched through the spectrums. All of them showing the same thing.

"Something wrong?" whispered the heap from the floor, "Would it have been better if I didn't talk?" The visor was in error. The sounds weren't matching up right. The gun was too loud. There wasn't that much blood. He didn't smell death.

"Witch."

"Close," Thermal signatures rose in the shape of a smiling woman, covered barely by black stained leather, "It-"

The pistol coughed too loud again as a round black hole appeared in the forehead.

----

The house shouldn't be this big. Taldeer stepped forward, her shuriken pistol drawn. A small comfort. The wood walls seemed to pulse and breath, as water passed down the reeds. They pressed in, weak, minds drawn together by some human that wanted a place for the summers. Her ocean was dark. She was in the waves. She was strong here.

The Great Enemy. She had been a fool.

No one falls in love outside of their species. Not without some manipulation.

"So, why are you going back?" Mused a voice. Taldeer held, her pistol raised, her hand squeezing, crackling with energy.

"I have no reason to explain to you, or your ilk."

"She was bored, you know," Something stepped out of the shadows, something that was a color and a smell and a industrial accident, "She has been waiting soooo long, to finish what you started. You can't tease a girl forever," A hand touched Taldeer's shoulder. She shot up. Something hissed and shrieked, and for a blink of a moment, Taldeer was standing in a kitchen, strange, viscous blood dripping across her. Then, she was somewhere else.

"I know you are impatient beast. Your kind always are. When you come back, I will kill you."

"Oh, I will be entertained," The voice had changed pitches, almost recognizable, on surrounding on all sides, "I will be entertained by your other. Your savior, as we jerk him by the chains we gave him and he shoots you full of holes!"

As if on cue, a buzzing noise of a hundred bullets whizzed at Taldeer. She held still, and waited for the thing to get bored.

----

General Governor Militant Lukas Alexander rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Inquisitor Madek, I do not know anything more than what my trusted officer Ardrin has told you. If you will pardon me, I have a war against those beloved space marines you invited into the pass my men softened to run."

"There is something more, Governor. There must be."

"Your Grey Knight declared somebody reeked of the warp, he was next to an Eldar, he could have sniffed the warp enchantments she used on him."

"It is not the same, neophyte. Tell me again, where you deployed him."

"Initial clearing of Victory Bay, deployment along with Operation Hammerfall as a spotter-"

"Details."

"He cleared a house, used it as a firing position, dropped hundreds of rioters before they surrendered."

"Inhabitants of the house."

"A family, family of six."

"Hm. Last of the reports on the kill roster for him-"

"Oh good, that makes me ecstatic. I'm so glad you found that out. Beautiful. I'm going to get back to my war, that you helped my enemies with now."

"The weight will be upon your soul if you do not hel-"

"What else can I do? I'm not going to recite records that Ardrin has already told you about all day. Governor Militant, out."

"If you-" Inquisitor Madek stared, stunned as the vox buzzed silent. Then frowned. That would require retaliation. He turned to the Enginseer, "Brother Felix, if I could have a word with you about the newly deployed unit..."

----

Lukas switched off the comm, panting a bit. That was unwise. He closed his eyes, and sighed, before crawling back into the tank. He stood, taking the third door down the corridor, where the technicians saluted, pointing him to his seat. He gave a nod, before sitting down in the command chair. "This thing is checked right? I don't feel like going through a long checklist of what works and what doesn't."

"All eleven weapons, check, fuel check, tracks check out, everything is good to go my lord."

"Good," Lukas Alexander shifted uneasily in his command chair, glancing across the technicians. He had been a bit rude. He licked his lips, loosening the bolt pistol at his side, "No one in here leaves, no one in here enters, until this battle is over, you read?" A wave of nods, "Good. Set course for the space port." A deafening crunch of ice on steel, as the many engines in the Baneblade roared to life, pulling the tracks forward across the snowing landscape. Eleven guns waved over the horizon, searching for targets, seeing only the flanking forces of the Imperial guard, rolling behind. Greasy black smoke sailed up into the sky joining their brethren above the Kronus spaceport. Strangely, the assurances of Midilv seemed even less comforting, at the end of a tank column.

----

"It's not going to be of any use," The Daemon stood, shaking her head, blood and brains dripping from two dark red holes.

"True," The Vindicare lowered his weapon, his hand pressing against his side, the adrenaline was fading now, and he could feel something drifting in his body, "Leave me then, or kill me abomination. I shall not be diverted from my duties."

"No, of course not. You have the Farseer for 'diversions' from your duty, don't you?" The daemonette spread her hands, approaching the assassin, "You didn't- You didn't think these feelings were genuine, did you?"

Snap.

"If we're going to have a conversation, you REALLY must stop shooting me."

===Chapter Nine===
The contents of Chapter Nine were deleted by the writer; supposedly, nothing relating to the story was lost.😈

===Chapter Ten===

"Of course, you would have known that... If you had looked inside of his head," the abomination's clawed feet tacked on the floor, annoying, precise, like a metronome by five, "Which I assume, you didn't?" Taldeer stayed, kneeled, still. The thing was confusing her, trying to make her distrust, lose focus, but... The soft noise, like leather being drawn taut heralded the monster's smile. "You DID."

"I delved into his mind while he slept. His memories...they horrified me. The things they did to him as a child and even worse - as a man. They twisted his mind and body endlessly. Till there was nothing left. Nothing but a weapon. A tool for the Imperium. Barely a soul in a body, this man, LIIVI, was utterly alone in this world. Even more so than I. He has nothing and nobody to go back to. I broke free from his mind. And after a moment to collect my thoughts, I laid beside him and slept," Taldeer turned, her head tilting up slightly.

Amusement, rippled on the tide in her head. "You were horrified?" Laughter, mirth traveled along the waves, "Horrified? You soft bitch, you delve into his skull while he sleeps, while he TRUSTS you," The voice paused a moment, and for a moment, the utter dark that blocked Taldeer's senses lifted, her, lying on the kitchen floor, the wall above filled with holes, before it returned, "And you dive into his skull?" The daemonette was behind Taldeer. She could feel it. Rasping along her soul, crying out that all that was wrong behind her- Yet she listened to the daemon's words.

"I MASTURBATED to those thoughts, you little innocent bitch," Taldeer's eyes made the lie that the daemonette strutted ahead of her, glittering multifaceted eyes reflecting her a thousand times being tortured, "How couldn't it arouse you?" The daemonette spread her arms, a viscous substance dribbling from her fingers, strands still leading back to her person, "A man, reduced to a machine, single minded, devoted to destruction and eradication, and you, you have him as your servant. Your patsy. The one who adores you,"

The Slaaneshi leaned in, smile playing across her lips, "Without even fucking with his head, or at least doing a damn fine subtle job of it, tell me you don't get a little wet at things you could make him do, wrapped around your little finger."

"I mean, at that as well, with just a single glance, A SINGLE GODDAMN GLANCE, you had him?" The Daemonette shook her head as she walked back, "Lucky, lucky little whore..." The illusion stopped, turned on her heel, staring at Taldeer. "Well? Say something? Anything Juliet?"

"No," Taldeer said, serenely, "I think you've told me everything I wanted to know already." The daemonette narrowed her eyes, snorted, then rounded on her heel. Imaginary tortures sprang anew across her, as Taldeer grinned, fearless now.

----

In the Temple of the Vindicare, all times were measured by the times of Earth. It took three days, nineteen hours and twelve seconds for the disobedient, alien sun to set. Eighteen hours and three seconds for the blasphemous second star to rise. Eighteen hours of tyranny before it fell. So on. So forth. All attempts to form an unofficial, logical time, were broken by the lash.

Yet, in those first few free months, the assassin kept a new time than the one he had once on his home world. It had been driven out of him. With burning rod and crackling leather, it had been erased. Expunged. With the rest of him, pulled out by the roots, taking great big bloody clots with it.

It was noon, on Holy Terra. The sun was high above Holy Terra. The Inquisitor had always told them that the clock was right. Checked by [[TWINS THEY WERE|twins, they were]]. What light could make through the atmosphere, would be glinting off of the palace right now. The moon looked beautiful, this noon of Holy Terra.

"If you're done ruminating...The mission you fucked." The Vindicare looked down from the moon, to the longlas in his hands. He stood in a field where nothing grew but weeds, tall as his thighs. A flower was growing at his feet.

"Do not fail," intoned, from a year away.

----

"You're an awful good sport about this," whispered the daemonette across the road. She smiled, sadly, in the lips of Taldeer, sad eyes of Taldeer peering from under the sad brow of Taldeer, in the garments of Taldeer, "If, if you want this to stop-"

Taldeer's long lashes cast downward, covering aged eyes, wet and ashamed- "Yes."

A ground car trundled by, its primitive combustion engine hacking and coughing as it went. When the ton of motored steel passed by, the warp spawned abomination shrugged off the skin of Taldeer, a frown cracking its face. "Guess it ain't vulnerability then," muttered the deviant, dispelling the illusion.

"The target is going to Nightmarket," 12:34, on the minute in Pier delle Vigne, the streets blossomed. Under noon in Holy Terra, under moon of their world. No spymask. Stealthsuit and hood were under his coat and trousers, but he wasn't expected to have to use them. Inquisitor Uberti wanted to send a message. Already elements of the 5th Hastati were moving, securing spots for the Vindicare to fire, securing avenues of escape, securing the proper delivery of the message. A year ago, the Vindicare's hands moved, disassembling the weapon, placing the pieces in his coat. A year ago, he moved off, heading for the night market in full bloom. The red flower, fairer by any other name, a relic from twenty thousand years ago, a genetic miracle, a year ago crushed under his foot.

"Stepped on something," the voice from across the road lilted over. The world had no technology to speak of. The governor enacted dictums and creeds long ago, that forbade the populace from dealing with Imperial traders, "To preserve the culture and lifestyle of the honest folk of Florent." Currently on his two hundred and eleventh year by virtue of Imperial immortality drugs, rumor stated that the governor had gone into seclusion more as a concession to good taste not to flaunt hypocrisy than any sort of secret to hide.

Generations had the same portrait of the governor, smug, a little jowl, the Imperial regalia suiting him. Rogue traders freely tracked back and forth, even as lasgun bearing Adeptus Arbites patrolled the streets, keeping an eye out for citizens bearing too much technology. "You ever felt guilty?" Asked the voice, now on the other side of a building, as the Vindicare stepped along the sidewalk. The longlas disassembled, held in pockets on his person. The assassin did not answer. Night Market was a festive time, a relic of happier days. Night time used to be times of fear to those of Pier delle Vigne, long ago.

But how the city celebrated with gas lighting. They revered it to this day, elevating the hero of the city, Vigne the Gaslighter, with sainthood in their local Ecclesiarchical branch, and with his name upon the town. In celebration of their newfound safety, and liberation from criminals, the Night Market was opened. In recent years, it had become considered practically a form of open welfare for the criminal element, but, a reverence for tradition drove the Florents on to the market, nearly every night they could afford to.

Including one unfortunate young woman.

Third floor. Brick building.

"So nice to be able to see you fuck up something once. Well, this and falling for something that isn't even your species."

The long barrel spins, clicks in place on the main body of the lasrifle. A powerpack is shoved home. A whine, subsonic, pierces the Vindicare's ears.

"Always shooting chicks too, alright, the last lil' scene we played through, she wasn't that good, but this one," The daemonette was leaning on some boxes. Some sort of warehouse, she leaned over the edge, peering out the window, "She's something I'd like to spend a bit of time on, if ya- Oh by the way, good peripheral vision there, that all natural?"

The scope slid down the hollowed line, as the Vindicare stood at the window, his target coming along in peripheral vision. She was a courtesan. She was smiling, her parents had been mixed, one of them belonging to the dominant darker ethnicity with the silver highlight genetic tampering, and the other a plainer, more yellow woman who gained his attention by being an heiress. Somehow, they managed to produce a beauty enough to capture the attention of the planet. And the governor.

"Too high," muttered the Vindicare, words that were in his memory.

"Oh good. After that bad ass, click clang assembling bit, you go down a floor?" The daemonette rolled her eyes, "Real professional."

Vindicare walked by, his longlas fully assembled at his side. "Playin' hard to get," she mumbled. She hated being direct. But bit by bit, it seemed the only way. Canvas flaps crisscrossed the streets, like the product of a manic spider. Within the folds and turns and twists of the Night Markets tent city, merchants established their benches, displaying their wares for all to see. Behind the canvas, the Vindicare waited.

Leather and patchwork cloth didn't hide her from the IR on the scope. It was good enough. He really had no need to reach through, and pull apart a seam on one of the flaps, to see with his own eyes. She stepped lightly, a bag at her waist, over her arm, holding it like the farmgirl she once was distributing seed. Gift from the governor. No stitches. Molded together. Doubtless bought off world.

"X-L-I-I-I, do you have the target in sight yet?" The bored tones of Inquisitor Uberti crackled over his subdermal. For a moment, his skin twitched, set abuzz by the faulty installation just behind his temple. The next module performed much better.

"Yes."

"Good, good, my men will need a moment to get into position, just hold on." She twisted, the shotgun of genetic fate on full display. Coconut skin like her father, mother's fair hair, save for what silver patterned across her, flashing in the gaslight. "We're good, look to your right." The Vindicare glanced out of the corner of his eye. Inquisitor Uberti stood, a good nine blocks away on one of the sprawling balconies of the governor's equally opulent and space wasting manor. The Inquisitor's arm over the shoulder of a quivering, frightened man stuffed with great care into an officer's regalia. "Fire at will."

The cotton skirt blew in the wind, as she turned, the grin at the common folk faded, as she looked down the street, in curiosity at the waving man in the golden armor. Her head, flapped in the breeze, as she spun a last pirouette, a lazy circle falling down. The Night Market, within a moment, emptied, stepping and fighting each other to get away from the signature lasblast. Some of them trod upon their former maiden idol.

"That was it?"

"You're the one picking through my memory."

"And you remembered this as a botched job becau-"

"Pick back through the briefing witch," said the Vindicare, turning and pointing the lasrifle at the daemonette, "I am not in a verbose mood."

"You're going to try to shoot me again?" The Daemonette stepped forward, as Liivi felt her hot breath on the back of his neck, "You do know- I control everything you see. Slaanesh is the god of pleasure, sensation, excess- I, I control everything you can possibly see, hear, smell, touch, and taste, waving a pretend gun at a pretend me and pretend to pull the pretend trigger is not going to do a thing."

The memory faded, pushing LIIVI back into the dark. The gun, dripped and melted away with cinematic abandon. "Just sit tight there miboyo. I'll be back later." The daemonette opened her eyes again. Back to reality. The assassin in front of her had flailed about like a puppet with the way she had to manipulate his every sense before she had gone ahead and tied him up with a belt. The Eldar was at least still, but, at this the abomination felt her side, the wound still raw, "Bitch is tricky," the Slaaneshi murmured. She felt it again. The weak wash of a primitive intellect. The house called again. Noiselessly tunelessly. Begging for feeling once more.

"Barely a step above Tau," the daemonette murmured as she turned from the room with the tied sniper, standing at the precipice to the kitchen. The farseer was still there. Kneeling in the standing water. Fuck she hated that bitch.

"Still caught?" Asked Taldeer. "Well, I would go but-"

The daemonette drudged up a quick dream, a flash of her the head of the assassin in her hand, him naked kneeling in front of her, bound and gagged, "We haven't even gotten into anal yet, so I'm not about to leave this nice coz-"

"Cozy house of an abomination that had an intellect that you could barely sustain yourself off of and you reduced your last guest to a gibbering wreck, leaving you stranded in the middle of a blizzard, left alone-"

"Chaos is on this planet," The Slaaneshi sniffed, "I could just hop into the warp and back out on a battlefield somewhere, enjoying myself."

"I've never seen any of Eliphas's men deploy a single daemonette."

"Oh, so suddenly you're the expert on Daemonology."

Silence.

"He'll turn," The daemonette turned away, heading back to the assassin, "We have all the world and all the time in it." The claws tacked away, angry. Taldeer waited, the ocean drift in her head whispering. Then, with some care, she crept forward another inch. A bare three inches away from the gun she remembered the mon-keigh had dropped.

==About the Ending==

''This is just one oldfag's recollection, but I figure it's better than nothing.

''The ending exists- or it did for about half a day. It was posted in an obscure way, I want to say a troll-ridden LCB discussion thread that was nearing autosage. No one saved it, apparently.

''This is all secondhand, mind you. But it fits my impression of Bloom Writer- he'd always struck me as very shy and self-effacing, possibly to the point of having genuine self-esteem issues. I also recall that he was struggling to keep going; the "final chapter" may not have been very good or actually reached the end. (Or maybe the dude just had a shitty net connection, it's way too easy to read into these things.)

''Either way, the anon who did see it gave us the gist of it a day later, and the plot points he passed on are worth sharing.''

-The inquisitor was heretical and had been making knockoff assassins, including LIIVI (whose defects were limited to things like love blooming- he could snipe as well as the genuine article).

-LIIVI managed to cover Taldeer's escape but was captured as a consequence.

-Taldeer makes it back to her ship but winds up joining some rogue traders rather than returning to the craftworld. The implication is that she intends to find and rescue LIIVI.

''So if you ever hear people talk about Space Pirate Taldeer, just remember: it's totally canon.

(That being said, there is no way to prove that any of the above is true. In the absence of any undeniable evidence to the contrary, the vast majority of /tg/ acts on the assumption that Taldeer and LIVII escaped back to Ulthwé, where they eventually have [[Lofn|a daughter]].)

==See Also==
*Love Can Bloom Epub Edition: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnf2kgvlr8n3e4c/Love%20can%20Bloom%20-%20_tg.epub
''Compilation of above writefaggotry''
*[[Love Bloomed In Her Mouth]]
*[[Bedroom Infiltration]]
*[[Meet the Ulthran]], in which Eldrad Ulthran meets LIIVI and decides he approves.
*[[Sister Sinai]], in which we see LIIVI in action before he meets [[Taldeer]].
*[[Imber]]

==Gallery==

<center>
<gallery>
Image:Lovecanbloom_by_co_drawfag.jpg|Even /co/ draws these two
Image:Mon Keigh Fucker.jpg|Macha gives her opinion
Image:LCB.jpg|"Don't worry, honey. I'm sure IG will be in the expansion."
Image:LCB Abortion.jpg|FOR THE EMPEROR
Image:LCB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.gif|Hormonal Taldeer is hormonal.
Image:LCB DOOOOOOOOM RIDERRRRRRR.png|Love Can-DOOMRIDER NA NA NA NA
Image:1271836100524.jpg|Scout Sergeant Cyrus is less sympathetic.
Image:LCB Eversor badend.jpg|<strike>Bad</strike>Good End.
Image:Tyranid Notions.png|They're gonna get blamed
Image:LCB Genetics.png|Bad end. {{BLAM| You know, besides being [[Heresy]], the [[Emprah]] was also thinking practical.}}
Image:LCB canon.jpg|Guess who's canon?
Image:Taldeer and vindy.jpg|I tried using this line with my girlfriend. She laughed at me. ;_;
Image:LCB IknowIforgotsomething.png|DRAMA
Image:LCB Infidelity.jpg|Daemonette hookers + prescient spouse = D:
Image:LCB Kissu.jpg|"Look into my perfect eyes, you filthy mon'keigh."
Image:LCB LIIVI sketch.jpg|"I want you to draw me, like one of your Craftworld boys."
Image:LCB LIIVI techpriests.jpg|AH A CHALLENGE WORTHY OF MAH SKILLS
Image:LCB LIIVI unmasked.jpg|"This is my grimdark face. It makes me grim and dark."
Image:LCB Logo2.jpg|IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE, THERE IS ONLY oh what the fuck is this shit
Image:LCB NerdRage.jpg|FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Image:LCB RipperHunting.jpg|R-ripper-chan ;_;
Image:LCB Smile.jpg|^_^ SO KAWAII :3
Image:LCB TerraChannel.png|A rare scene of the happy couple in something other than Blam!-o-vision
Image:ANGRY-LCB.jpg|Angry Marine haet LCB
Image:1232455221928.jpg|Idranel gives her opinion
Image:LCB comic.jpg
Image:CodecLoveBloom.jpg|[[Metal Gear Vindicare|Apparently.]]
</gallery>
</center>
{{Template:Promotions}}
<center>
<gallery>
Image:LCB Visual Novel.jpg|I'd let my love bloom in her, if you know what I mean
Image:LCB Visual Novel Uncensored.jpg|Now with additional [[heresy]]!
Image:LCBVisualNovelPayoff_by_eccm417.jpg|Extra extra [[heresy]]!
Image:LCB_Promotions.jpg|I JUST ADVANCED IN RANK
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Stories]][[Category:Stories/Love Can Bloom]][[Category:Stories/Warhammer 40,000]]

Story:Love Can Bloom

2015-11-17T05:30:14Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

{{Story}}
{{heresy}}
[[Image:LCB Logo1.jpg|thumb|right]]

It all started so simply....

'''Love Can Bloom''' is the title of one of the most <s>heretical, and tl;dr</s> who let the Ecclesiarchy in here? well-loved, commonly-known pieces of writefaggotry ever to grace [[:/tg/]]. Once upon a time, there was a [[Drawfags|drawfag]] named Miko. She made a comic about a Vindicare assassin falling in love with Taldeer from [[Dawn of War]]: Dark Crusade and Dawn of War: Winter Assault.

And then, as if to take the above and accelerate it into something more, a writefag drew a fanfic for this. There was a mixture of nerd rage and delight. As the story panned out it told a tale that is widely considered some of the best to come out of /tg/ in the last few years. The story was beloved by the tubernets, who either broadly appreciated it or openly mocked it.

The story tells of LIIVI (52.6 in the Roman Numeric system), the aforementioned [[Vindicare]] temple assassin, assigned to eliminate a fleeing, critically-injured [[Taldeer]] following the fall of the [[Eldar]] stronghold in Dark Crusade. Moved by the sight of the anime-drawn Eldar-character and the fact that she is the last of her kind on the planet, LIIVI goes against his orders and becomes Taldeer's guardian, fighting through increasingly-difficult odds in a galaxy determined to destroy them both. The engineered killing machine that is LIIVI discovers his humanity, and Taldeer confronts her inner demons - figuratively and literally. It has spawned [[::Category:Stories/Love Can Bloom|at least 2 spin-off works]], not the least of which is [[Core of Brutality]] and [[Imber]], a continuation of the series.

<s>And then, as if to drive the point home, recent scenarios in [[Dawn of War 2]] have suggested that ''the entire fucking thing is canon''.</s> <s>NO they haven't. They just said that Taldeer died.
==Story==
[[Image:LCB Original.jpg|thumb|right|The comic that started it all]]
===Chapter One===
''"Exitus Acta Probat: the Outcome Justifies the Deed."''
-Dictum Vindicare

The Vindicare creed is that enemies of the Imperium of Man die ignoble deaths. No trials for these heretics, no recognition of any ability they hold, not even a record of their order to be killed. A quick, surgical procedure, a reflexive, impassive, reaction to eliminate an enemy that leaves behind only the slightest of blemishes, soon to be hushed up and covered for fear of prompting more invisible, bureaucratic executions. Traitors and rebels may gird themselves for the unlimited waves of guardsmen crushing their towns underfoot, continent disintegrating orbital bombings, and fearless, unstoppable, merciless space marines. Yet, how they quail when oh so casually, their honored leader, god figure, demagogue, idol, chosen one, noble general, great hero, neighbor, friend, mother, father, child, or beloved fall lifeless, a round dark hole in their forehead.

"Do not fail."

Most munitions that this assassin had dealt with previously have been subsonic, quiet, subtle machines that he is expected to keep hidden and assemble on site; other dogmas stated that all weapons had to be popular with those populations that were to be affected, to show the Emperor's judgment came from the people.

And then there was the Exitus rifle.

Tough enough to break a terminator's Tactical Dreadnought Armor, quiet enough to not wake the baby you are using for a fire brace. It is immense, huge and unwieldy, a full one point eight seven meters long when fully deployed, nearly as tall as the man carrying it, weighing eight kilograms unloaded, a full nine loaded.

"One shot is all I need."

By all means, Governor-Militant Alexander should have dispatched a Culexus. Whatever psychic blasphemy the witch unleashed, would have been stifled by the sheer terror generated by it. It was as close to monster a human could get and still be beloved by the Imperium. Only just.

Lukas Alexander hated those things. That's why the Vindicare had been dispatched. That, and a tangible reminder of the consequences of failure.

"Standby for drop order."
The sighting array switched through the spectra, finally settling on human normal. The Vindicare enjoyed those brief moments when the targets were confirmed.

Eldar. Perhaps a one and two five meter tall one. Neck doesn't break easy, little bone. Very flexible. The Primary was having trouble with its helmet, and the Vindicare waited. A combat mission was free of the various restrictions, implications, and extenuating circumstances that were far too often glued to it. A swift kill was all that was necessary.

"Appears injured," he murmured into the mouthpiece. Just in case Lukas was listening. He was a paranoid man, the Inquisition playing both sides in the conflict between Astartes and Guard. Better to assuage the Governor that he was following policy.

"All the better. Drop her," The commander had no appreciation for the moment. Orders were orders. His finger was on the trigger-

"Wait, something's happening-"

"I...Can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Soldier? What's going on?" Lieutenant Ardrin shot a glance at the monitors across the screen, running down the various cryptorunes that festooned the archaic mechanicals, "The Techpriest checked every last one of these things for flaws in their machine spirits, so I KNOW there is nothing wrong with you. What is the difficulty?"

Silence.

"I say again, assassin, what is the problem? Are you under attack? Is the Eldar dead?"

The glow of the glass machine in front of Ardrin said nothing. He sighed, and then turned to the vox operator next to him, currently relaying status reports on the destruction of a building to Lukas.

"Inform Lukas that the Vindicare is unresponsive."
The officer nodded, speaking a word of prayer before entrusting it to the waves on the wind. The response was short in returning.

Dispatch two chimeras fully loaded. Contact the killer's handlers. Pray for forgiveness.

----

''To know the future is to look upon an ocean of possibility. Twisting, turning vast and serene at the distance. What a harmonious blue it seems ahead of you, blended together with but the vague hints of surf and wave edging and bouncing across the way. You approach it, details start to come forth, and for a moment, you can see the lines of tide, the touch of the wind, rocks set in there, and aquatics going in and out of it.''

''Now you are on the beach, and you can see the future coming at you, then pulling back, a hunger determined by rocks in the sky and the density of particles hundreds of miles away. You stumble over a gewgaw vomited forth by the surf, but you can't stop walking forward. Cold, it seems to push you away at first, but then it pulls, pulls firmly. Suddenly, the possibility and limitless potential you saw a mile back is gone, replaced by green and white and blue pulling you down into the dark.''

That's how this battle was. It seemed so simple, so easy at first. Then she stepped in, and suddenly she was in the middle, sucked out and away, her possibilities narrowing and tightening like water running down lungs. In the distance, screams of her kin, valuable every one of them, more long lives dimmed and smothered by a horde of sparks. Quick lived humans.

Then it was impossible. She had gone so far as to charge, for a moment caught on the path of the warrior all those blood obsessed spoke so highly of. And what did she get?

Stabbed through the torso for it.

It was the adrenaline, the tactical necessity, her own fate, to flee. Anything but cowardice. The helmet was stifling. It had to come off, she had to breath- It wasn't the helmet. It was blood, filling her throat. She leaned heavily on her spear, opening her mouth, spit and blood running out like a fountain, that she used to know.

A kilometer and a half under her, she hears grinding.

The tide is coming back to her.

----

"You had better give me a GOOD reason why in the name of the Throne you gave an order to move out my assassin on your own, Ardrin!"

Lukas was angry. Still injured, with the high of triumph dashed upon the rocks of disappointment, he was hardly pleased. He had had to order his troops that they could not stand down yet, and the reaction had been as expected: Nineteen floggings, one execution for Conspiracy to Sabotage Imperial Morale.

"Sire, I have served you lon-"

"Yes, from Cadia. I had TRUSTED you. Do not dare bring up any terms of friendship, I should have you SHOT for disobedience."

"Well- Look at your condition."

The medicae swam around Governor Militant Lukas Alexander like flies, stitching up wounds and removing broken ribs to replace with new ones. His power packs had burst, scorching a full half of his torso. And unlike Sturnn, mused Ardrin, Alexander tolerated the longer treatment time to heal the cosmetics. Of course, unlike Sturnn, Alexander was to be a governor.

"That, that damn witch unleashed her, her, her witchcraft upon me," Lukas stuttered, as a greater dose of the pain dimmers hit him, "And she g-GOT away, if you had just let me-"

"Let your retinue carry you around, with a mobile med station at the ready, and your soldiers distracted from securing Tyrea? Of course, I'll just invite those Orks next door to share a glass of Amasec sire."

"I have a commissar outside."

"And I know you're smart enough not to execute an honest aide," Ardrin spread his hands, "I was thinking of the greater campaign."

Alexander sighed, nodded slowly, wincing again, "Very well. I'll afford you this luxury. I must admit," He waved the untreated hand down to himself, "I was hardly in any condition to act. Thank the Emperor for unh - the fine medical supplies the men got from those Tau- Not that we need to tell anybody about this."

"Of course sire. And the Officios of the Assassinorium?"

"I expect they're already here."

----

The Eldar's biology is similar to a human's. They still have sweat and adrenal glands, they have pupils that dilate, lungs that draw in more oxygen in preparation of a standard fight or flight situation. What they do not have are the instincts of a human being. A human being (As was drilled into the Vindicare at the Temple) when confronted by a situation of fear will scream to alert members of its family unit, will attempt to either keep the predator in sight, or flee blindly to shelter or more family units. A sign you have done a job poorly is when the target is allowed to display the fear instinct. Typically, these instincts manifest themselves in the "Secondaries" onlookers, targets of opportunity, and the populace that one is attempting to get the message to. This is considered victory.

However, when it comes to Eldar, they do not follow human instinct. The Farseer in the Vindicare's sights does not scream, she draws her foot back, places both hands on her weapon, lowers her center of gravity. Sweat does not appear on her skin, rather muscles tense and relax, testing each. A moment of sensitivity in her abdominals, then release, as the weight shifts once more. A gloved hand reaches up, pulls back long black hair out of her eyes.

But her eyes, they do dilate. The Vindicare's spymask zooms in on the point to which he already looked; those frightened eyes focusing on a patch of dirt. Sharp metal breaks through dry dirt.

The ocean is around Farseer Taldeer now. She drifts on the eddies, bobbing away from the hungry black below. Whenever death came close, she could feel it tugging, not the ocean tide, but something hungry. Fate mocked her, jeered her, pointing down there, but she had to ignore it, put it out of mind. And the smell of Lameras.

She drifts up, her fingers running down the wraithbone howling spear, runes of victory, rage, Khaela Mensha Khaine, Biel Tan, rebirth, death, and Ulthwe, sliding between her fingers. She breathes in the sharp air of an alien world, one that she always loathed, but now was smelling familiarly of something. On the air was something else, rust, and the innate, repulsive soulessness of the Great Enemy. Her eyes flutter, pale light filtered by eyelashes. An eddy washes over her; voices of dirt and stone and dead bones buried saying, "Here."

She draws her hair back, swallows her blood, and looks at the ground. Wicked knives sprout from dead Earth. Wraithbone whistles through foreign air.

Sweep in low, drag it out so as to finish it, it moves down, dips into the ground, tearing up yellow grass and slamming into the pair of hands, pulling it up, revealing the roots of a vile steel skeleton. Only half out, and her spear is only half through the second hand. The first falls on the ground behind it, rolling and twitching in its search for flesh and blood.

She surges forward, as the hand pulls out of the edge of her blade with unnatural strength. She steps across and in the blink of an eye slams her foot into the things face, ramming it back into the ground, revealing the neck. A bare instant before a response was formulated in the thing's brain, Wraithbone severs its head, sending sparks gushing.

===Chapter Two===

Taldeer had to rely upon speed. The only moment they were vulnerable, and even then was just barely was when they came out of the ground. She might have had a chance before, but-

She feels her side. Blood warm, with stray strings of meat snapped with her last exertion. And as if to remind her, pain shot through her body, sending her to her knees.
She looks up, the Flayed One uncovered, emerging from the ground, performing what she logically knows to be status checks of their corporum, but what for the life of her seem to be the stretches and aches of predators reawakened. Cracks of stone lodged in their living metal echo across the valley. There was a tomb under here, there had to be.

One comes closer, cocking its head. Insanely enough, she wonders why it hadn't already struck. Was it checking the database against traps and ruses pulled millennia ago? Verifying her against accounts of age old enemies reserved for torture or consumption? ''Come on,'' she thought bitterly, gripping her spear, ''this one line of fate where I don't die, needs you t-''

"Windspeed, 4km/hr, distancing, 1.6 km, .67 cm adjust."

Foreign thought. Tasted li-

"Necron. Acid rounds recommended. Shoot the joints."

She blinked, astonished, as the sun was blocked out by a raised hand.

A kilometer and a half away, the slight sound that one could mistake for a finger snap is heard.

Taldeer raises a hand in front of her face as a bullet rams into the center necron ribcage, shards of hypersonic shrapnel nudged by fate and her mind away from her. The metallic horror's spine, set at a one hundred and forty five degree angle, tilts, its claw flailing at where an Eldar used to be in its fevered program, before the acid finishes what a near kilogram round couldn't, and it falls in half.

Three flayed ones look to the horizon, as another finger snaps.

----

"Governor Militant."

Lukas Alexander stayed where he was, overseeing the incineration of the Eldar corpses, the troopers clad in chem masks and biochemical armor. He turned his head, slightly, to see three men far apart from one another. One was leaning on an ammo dump, having a smoke, the other carefully standing guard in front of an entirely unimportant building. The third, was a man dressed in immaculate uniform who had conveniently forgotten any sort of identifier.

"Soldier," Alexander turned back to look in the pit, promethieum lapping the sides. A weak hand raised, and one of the incinerators yelled, pointing down. All five turned their main jets on the offending motion.

"I need to brief you sir," the soldier blinked carefully, "On the situation."

Lukas nodded carefully, turning away from the bubbling hiss, "And your comr-"

The soldier stepped far too close to the governor in the space of a moment, placing a hand on his shoulder, his pinky sliding along to the Governor's carotid.

"My credentials are all in order, and don't bear mentioning sire. Where and when would you like the briefing?" The pinky slid up to the base of the chin, following the line of the pulse.

There was much the Governor Militant would have said. He would have laughed at the false soldier, threatening with a finger. Lukas would have loved to tell the fake all that Lukas had done in service to the Emperor of Man. He would have struck the man, shot him, and ordered the other two executed. Would have.

"I feel, we should meet immediately. Alone. In my command tent," He whispered, his mouth suddenly run dry.

"Thank you, Governor Alexander," the soldier murmured, removing his hand and turning on his heel. "But I feel that Ardrin should come, wouldn't you say sire?"

"Of course," Said the Governor, turning, following the man, and coincidentally followed by the other two soldiers minding their own business.

Behind him, the smoke drove high into the sky.

"Now," Said the man of the Officio Assassinorum, "You can be candid," he spread his hands, "Forgive me, my lord, but the secrecy of our service holds utmost sway over any respect for command. Do you wish to have me flogged, or denied rations? I believe those are penalties that you may inflict on me."

Lukas had just sat down, and paused, looking up, "Pardon me? Just who ar-"

"Specific ranks, alas, I can not divulge, even within these sound proofed walls, and before you say commander, the Inquisition had the walls soundproofed, just in case of a situation like this. Helps to assure no unfortunate leaks of confidential information. Would like to lock me up in the stocks? They have some stocks on the ship."

"Y-"

"It's a good thing your officer is unarmed," said the man turning on his heel, placing a too clean and soft hand on the Governor's table, "He seems the type to resist, fortunately my two comrades are just the type to take him in with a minimum of fuss, hmm, assaulting a fellow officer, my my, what a time at the whipping post for me!" The man turned, a smile on his face.

"Who ARE you?"

"My name would seem nonsense to you, I'm afraid. Actually, I should rephrase that; names, at least in my temple, are determined by missions completed. I feel that as Governor, at least in this current crisis, you must have some means to refer to me."

"And you would be?"

"Midilv," As Lukas opened his mouth, "I regretfully ask you to puzzle that one out for yourself."

"Why are you speaking so deferentially?"

"Because I am a loyal servant of the Emperor, and the Inquisitor has instructed me to obey you."

"There is an Inquisitor here?"

"He is not... Public," Midilv leaned in, his lips drawn taut across his too symmetrical, pore-less face. "Of this you should mention in thanks to your prayers to the Emperor tonight."

"The Vindicare," Lukas raised a hand before Midilv spoke. "And just the facts, thank you very much. I'm not in the mood for your shame and self mortification, or hints at machinations above and below," Lukas leaned in. "Just. Tell. Me. About. The. Vindicare."

The two casual guardsmen entered, bearing Ardrin between them. Ardrin looked clearly intoxicated on victory amasec. ''Looked.'' Midilv continued, heedless of the new company.

"The Vindicare. Right. Where to start: The obvious. He shouldn't be capable of this."

"Of what?"

"Rebellion."

The entirely ordinary guardsmen lined themselves behind their speaker in formation. Lukas stared at the three of them, as he sat back heavily, color draining from his face.

"Rebellion?"

Rebellion was something that happened to ordinary men. It was something that happened in myth to the Space Marines long, long ago. The Assassins were an urban legend. They were a myth. Alexander was unaware of their existence until shortly before the invasion of Kronus. They were said to be inhuman. Machines of flesh and bone and Imperial propaganda. They were ideas, they were mankind's secret monsters, held on short chains and reduced to lives as valuable ammunition.

How can ammunition rebel?

----

Necrons.

Appeared recently. Date of origin, areas of operation, all invalid and untaught to the Vindicare.

The N20 coolant sheath is cool to the touch. A bad sign. Heat distends accuracy, and it should be freezing through the gloves.

The finger snaps, and the kick rams into the Vindicare's shoulder. A kilometer away, wraithbone spear impales the already fragmented skull, and pulls down, ramming through into the torso, pulling her up. Through the scope, she glitters. She shines. She glows radiant. In every spectrum.

Range has to be shortened, concludes the Vindicare. Naturally, in order to increase accuracy and allow a change to the secondary weapon. Naturally.

The Vindicare stands, and starts moving forward. His eye never leaves the scope. And the scope always seems to find itself back onto her. The finger snaps again.

Farseer Taldeer's hands come apart, and together, the fingers dancing and sliding across the wraithbones, her eyes, following the head of the blade, as it slides, up and away, traces of the bitter living metal following from the body.

Two down, five to go. The tide pulls around her, leaving her untouched where only moments before she was doomed. How?

Heavy footsteps crash into and rise from barren earth, as another silent Necron charges the Farseer from behind.

She feels the shot through the waves before it hits. A bullet, sliding through the machine's equivalent of a right thigh, and ending in it's left knee. She kneels, bringing the blade up, into the falling creature's neck, and then pulling back to impale the one that tried to stab her with claws lost from a bullet.

A human. A human was helping her. She could tell, by the caliber of the rounds. All brute force, no understanding of the harmony of a battle. Not made to end the battle right, but to end the battle now.

She couldn't be more thankful. The abomination in front of her still lived, sliding forward, scratching the wraithbone. She stepped back, pulling her weapon free, and nearly stepped too far before she felt the fates turn down into the dark hunger, and stopped in time to miss the claws of the one behind.

She leaps again, soaring by her will, and glanced down. Three left. One of them damaged. Confidence runs up and down her, as she falls back to earth, bracing herself as the pain in her side reminds her that she isn't unhurt herself, but she still feels so good. The three turn as one to face her.

There is a snap. Two Necron automatically track the third's head as it flies off the already damaged neck, landing on the ground to their right. They turn back to her. Waiting, for something. She couldn't lose the initiative.

She surges forward, low and ready. The one on the left has uneven footing, the living metal slower to adapt to the rocky landscape under it than true flesh. She steps first to the left, fate singing its assurances for the direction, then drives in, spear ahead-

And sees the Necron take it. No reaction. His comrade, is a blur of motion.

The Fates laugh, as the necron metal and her armor emit a symphony of shrieks.

The Necron she impaled looks passively on, it's hands reaching out and holding onto the spear as she attempts to pull it back with her one good hand. No use.

She lets go, twisting, biting her lower lip as the last of her arm guard gave way, giving the slicing talons access to her untouched flesh, she pulls, her bitten lip gives blood, and her arm shrieks in pain as she falls back, injured arm held close, she pulls back.

The impaled Necron stares down at her spear, as the metal dislodges it, slowly shaking and undulating it free. The other, stares for a moment at the blood on its claws, the ragged cloth and skin held, and compulsively wipes and twitches it across itself.

The two turn, diving low, scuttling forward, going on either side of her.

The ocean is gone. There are no tides, no eddies, no drifts anymore in the possibilities. Every way points down.

She screams.

Ordinary human beings do not hold a rifle in one hand, and a pistol in the other. Much less a rifle designed to pound a near kilogram round across a battlefield to, if necessary, blow apart a monstrosity spawned of nightmares and the unholy vagaries of the Warp. The pistol was little better than a sized down version of the rifle. This is because it might break your arms. A space marine wouldn't do it because it was stupid.

The Vindicare reflected on this as he jumped over the embankment, rifle down his shoulder, and pistol in his hand. His eyes switch between each in the time of a blink, lining them up with two skulls.

This is going to miss, he thought. Two snaps were matched with two unbearably loud reports of metal rammed into. Those bullets aren't even going to kill them, probably. Two metal skulls were reduced to molten, slightly caustic and soggy shrapnel. ''I'm probably going to end up hurting something.''

He landed with grace, next to Farseer Taldeer.

----

"A Vindicare should not be mistaken for a human being. Contrary to a human being, who is filled with distractions, memories, and connections to others, a Vindicare is a well oiled machine. He was raised and trained, from birth, that the only reason he wasn't dead, raped, ruined, or suffered under any other horrible abuse that we could think of, was because of the Emperor. They were taught that they were selfish monsters, to even think of being different from their fellows. Their vocabulary is limited to only that which they need. Any deviation is punished by torture. They were taught to hide from their teachers and administrators, and to only come out when the mission was complete, and only when they received word from an authority figure that acted the impeccable imperial. Any deviation was punished with torture. The sense of smell is cultivated carefully. We have attempted to teach them to tell the difference of weapons by discharge smell. Any exposure to perfume, or anything pleasant and unneeded in their missions is punished by torture. Callidus require some socialization to blend in. Culexus, with their small pool of recruits have need to take in any they can find. Eversor, their combat drugs do the trick. Never shall you find any more well disciplined than a Vindicare."

"So what happened to this one?"

"We failed to punish him for a botched mission."

"A botched mission? You let him live after a botched mission? And you gave him to me after that? I am responsible for liberating a world-"

"One of a million, sire. And oh so many people want assassins. This was one of them. An Inquisitor working on a world desired to send a message to the governor. The Vindicare was supposed to take out one of the primary's personal secondary's."

"What?"

"His mistress. The Inquisitor added stipulations. The Vindicare finished the job, but he failed to complete these stipulations."

"How did you manage to defy an Inquisitor?"

"His luck held. The Inquisitor was shortly thereafter purged before he could bring his wrath to bear, and the Inquisition informed us that they would take no action against us."

"He did kill her, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the matter now? He was fine earlier in the campaign."

"Combat stress? Machines do wear out, barring proper maintenance. Some machines sooner than others. Does it matter? What matters is that your men out there shall not find him, even with our guidance that we provided them."

"Are you-"

"We are not sabotaging them. I'm just telling you that the Vindicare are trained to be a force of nature. They strike as lightning upon the heretic, they are as hard to catch as the wind, and they are as easy to find as a mote of dust in the rainforest. Do not worry though. He will be found. There is always a contingency."

===Chapter Three===

Slaanesh was near.

[[Image:LCB Headcam.jpg|thumb|right]]Taldeer could feel it in every breath. Blood. A lot of blood was lost. She shouldn't be dead yet though. A noise. A presence. It wasn't a Necron.

It shouldn't be like this. She was trusted to come, to guide the lessers to extinguish the threat throbbing rotten in the core of Kronus, and leave them in confusion. Yet, here she was, helpless, losing blood, fallen to fool pride; at the mercy of something. Someone. Someone with a presence at least. She took a small comfort in that, and the soulgem at her neck.

''Primary suffering internal bleeding, blood loss severe,'' the thoughts came through again. Her eyelids flickered momentary glances of a too bright gray sky. Why did they come unbidden?

''Pain, pain, currently showing resignation. Job unclean, Primary has high chance of survival. Good mission. How, how, how to clean primary?''

The thoughts were jumbled, mashed, rigid iron roads set that his thoughts ran through, but there was something active in there.

She felt a hand touch her. She opened her eyes, and pushed out, pure reaction.

A moment, and she was sitting up, regretting it immediately as fire lanced up and down her. The thoughts came again.

''Primary is active. Medical science far easier than expected. Damage to self, superficial. Now...'' a lengthy pause, then hesitant, uncertain, ''Converse?''

"You're okay...?" A voice flat and muffled came behind her. At first a statement, then a question, as she tottered again. This time, she was caught.

----

Commissar Daniel glared out of the top hatch of the Chimera.

"This is RIDICULOUS!" he shouted, turning to the poor sergeant down inside the chimera, who was genially standing and listening to the bellicose man.

"How so, sire?"

"The soldiers of His holy wrath should not be prancing about in the middle of nowhere, chasing some worthless incapable who got himself lost! We should descending upon the Orks, take advantage of our victory-"

"Do you doubt Lord Lukas?" The sergeant casually said, looking away.

"If I didn't have all my faith behind noble lord Lukas Alexander, I wouldn't be doing this," Commissar Daniel finished with a glare. The sergeant nodded amiably, a large happy grin on his face.

''Local yokel,'' thought the Commissar, as he stepped back inside the chimera. ''Probably never even heard of Cadia, much less appreciate what the glorious Imperium was doing, gifting this pathetic dirtball with the grace of His mercy to liberate it.'' He glanced at the auspex. Five kliks left.

He leaned back, pushing forward his cap. Commander of thirty guardsmen, each armed with the best weapons they were ranked for, with the authority to kill any one of them or any one in their way to recover one missing soldier, and all he wanted was a drink.

----

"No, get, get, off..." She pulled against whatever was holding her, had to get up, get away from the mon-keigh-- but she was oh so very tired. She stilled, still looking down, tensed, waiting. The seas of fortune were still, she had to reflect that stillness.

"Primary, I, I...I'm, I'm sorry, you're not Primary, you're..." The voice was muffled. She stared up. Faceless. Matte black stealthsuit, a pistol in the holster. Comm mike, dangling by a wire. Compact, hard frame, well formed for a human.

In a purely military sense of course. She had to estimate that it was best to just lay back. She was hardly in any shape to resist him, and he wasn't hostile. Yet. Stay neutral. Clipped. Communicate in their gothic language, but make clear no weakness.

"Farseer Taldeer. Your name?"

"L-I-I-V-I," He had a mind of iron, well trained to keep her out. It was always hard to translate human thought, but she prided herself on her mastery of psionics. Yet, frustratingly, she was on near equal footing with a mere soldier with a gun. All she felt were some whispers of emotion. Autonomous, instinct, identification.

"Do you always spell things out, Liivi?" Liivi? Strange name.

"I think this is my first time." She noted with surprise her captor was rusty in his own tongue.

"Why were you shooting the Necrons?"

"Secondary objective: destroy hostile combatants."

"And the first?"

Liivi paused, looked away.

A whisper of a thought passed through her head, as she stared intently at him. The iron bars of his mind shifted, subtly, until they stuck.

"To protect you."

----

"A full history of the Vindicare's career, if you please."

Lukas blinked, glancing at the now fully conscious and hurting Ardrin. "History? You're the handlers."

Midilv sighed, leaning back in his chair, opening hands for the "guards" behind him to place a dataslate and quill into. "We do take care of him, keeping him in an isolation cell and maintaining his health, yes; but if you recall, your landing at Victory Bay and the following conquests were chaotic. He was out of our hands and served on the field."

"But," Ardrin said, "he would leave between missions, just disappear. We assumed he was going back to you."

"Mission probability post-combat rejuvenation/isolation, reset and remaintain for next operation in greater campaign." Lukas glanced over at one of the four faux guardsmen.

"What?"

"Don't blame him, he doesn't know how to speak. Blending with civilian populaces isn't our strong suit; best to avoid only after one's proven his worth. That is our temple's dogma. We have proven success by this. What he meant was that your assassin was probably removing himself from the soldiers, as taught, and to attain a good position with field of fire, and if possible, meditate, insert a food pack to his veins, clean and repair his weapon, and sleep half hour cycles. Not that that matters, I want to know every single thing you ordered him to do in the bare three months he has been out of our eyes."

"Support of soldiers in taking the industrials of Victory Bay," Ardrin wrinkled his nose, "Nasty fighting. We got tipped off about a Tauphile schism. Er, Tau sympathizers were fighting each other."

"And?"

"And I ordered him to cover fire. Occupants were in the house, I ordered him to clear it. There was a family."

"Hmph. Wouldn't affect him. He understands families to be the smallest and most informal squads, nothing more. He wouldn't care."

"Protect me?" Taldeer realized she had to remain casual. There was a lie in his voice, even if it wasn't in his mind. Some mon'keigh thug hired by one of their damned Inquisitors who wanted to be "enlightened" or to steal technology, just what she needed, "Why me?" She was too injured to argue right now.

"It is a duty." He doesn't know, she realized. And he was very confused about it. Typical idiocy, these humans hadn't even explained the purpose to their henchmen. Guess that's what you get when you are so many with so short to live.

"Perhaps," Farseer Taldeer said, "You may do something about my injuries. And cease holding on to me."

The most important thing at the moment was ensuring immobility. Her men would come soon, she could be evacuated easily, and this one human would. Would.

She would think on it.

"How?"

She was not expecting that.

"How? Well, shouldn't you know that? I've felt it flash through soldier's minds." ''When I hack them to screaming pieces with my weapon, let's not mention that bit.'' "When, they, uh..."

"Are dying? I was taught that was a common response, the call for a 'medic'. It replaces or supplements call of maternal member of the family squad, or paternal more rarely. Nurture, healing, are associated with it. I am taught that if the shot is unclean, and the target is out of sight, all those who bear the common sign of a healer are to be shot," Taldeer stared, and Liivi stared down back at her, then, as if to explain, "To disable any chance of the Primary resuscitating and rendering the mission a failure."

Silence.

"Perhaps it is best if you set me down. And keep watch for more enemies, while I treat myself."

The surf doesn't chop. The tide ebbs, insignificant, rising and falling, like the ocean was sleeping. Farseer Taldeer sits on the beach of tomorrow and in the Tyrea plains of Kronus.

Three kilometers away, through the rough terrain, wraithbone psychoplastic bubbled as the last of the consecrated promethium burned off of the Bonesinger's arts. The webway was long destroyed, reduced to shards as she had evacuated through it.

A mere kilometer under her, the presumed home of the necrons had turned quiet; for now at least. As she recalled, the nearest possible position of her battlegroup was at least fifteen kilometers away.

And nine meters away was the human. Mon-keigh. Killer. Assassin. Weapon. Savior. He had knelt down, rolling out a plastic canopy which he laid his rifle down upon, and was cleaning it one handed. The other carried a pistol, straightening and pointing at the rustles of wind, and the far off thunder of ordnance. The face mask remained intently focused on the rifle the whole time.

Farseer Taldeer took out her runestones, and after a moment's contemplation, her shuriken pistol. She grabbed a handful of her dice, raising them to her spirit stone. She was injured, cut off from support, alone with a self declared assassin. Time to roll the bones.

Nine rounds used. Eighteen remaining. Hellfire, turbo penetrator, and shieldbreaker ordnance, still in reserve.

Movement at 321 degrees. The arm holding the Exitus pistol snaps over by reflex, the third eye sight unable to clearly catch up. Primary was rolling dice. All of her equipment was beside her. She appeared to be dropping some sort of smaller equipment.

The N20 coolant sheathe emits a small hiss as it slides over the barrel. The Vindicare returns his pistol to the holster, replacing the magazines. Packing together and reassembling his rifle.

They would be tracking him now. The small electronic whine on his person told him as much. The terrain was rougher, the commander had chosen the battlefield to hem in the Eldar, force their hover vehicles to slow and show themselves above cover. Made for a difficult time sending forces out of the base though.

The Vindicare stood up, flicking through the spectra as he glances over a horizon purple, green, pigment streaked, ruined soup of black and white. A concrete heat signature, atypical of a chimera half a kilometer away.

Vindicare doctrine taught that engagement with pursuers should never be undertaken when the targets knew where you were. Misdirection, panic, and dissolution were the three objectives when handling hostile trackers.

The Vindicare placed a fresh three round clip into his magazine, and stepped low among the long grasses, following the yellow white smear of thermal exhaust in the sky.

----

Lukas took another gulp from the water, sweating from every pore, as the three Officio Assassinorum handlers stood before his table, their poreless faces still. Ardrin was to his left, pale and shivering, still suffering from the chemicals washed through him.

"So, it's very nice that you explained to me exactly how much you think I screwed up in handling your defective wind up killtoy, who apparently was so perfect that he fucked up a job before he came here; but you haven't explained to me how I avoid having to worry about receiving a bullet between the eyes whenever I go outside from the one of the Imperium's finest fallen."

"Napalm the area, a good three kilometer radius should serve to deprive him of oxygen. Deploy the Aeronautica and carpet bomb the area. Break the Obsterm dams up north and deploy a third of your manpower salting, poisoning, and watching the plains flood that'll occur."

"Hyperbole is very charming, and useful in military situations, and not in the least unwanted."

"And sarcasm is a pleasant and original way to respond to statements you do not like. All I have told you are guaranteed ways to eliminate your problem," Mildilv waved his hand, "Of course, we can wait for him to run out of ammo for his Exitus weapons, which would allow you to run normal operations without worrying about officer heads popping, and then for him to run out of food."

"That would actually work?"

"Of course. He is incapable of social contact, and dependent upon the nutritional packs he has been indoctrinated to consume. He might well starve. Barring any civilian assistance, three weeks from now, you won't have to worry about him, if the Orks or Space Marines don't get him first."

Ardrin for the first time spoke, nervously. "And the farseer? What if she intervenes?"

Mildilv raised an eyebrow. "Then he'll die sooner, with an injured parasite clinging to him."

----

The chimera of the Imperial Guard is about as simple and reliable as a vehicle can get without it being pedal powered. Long lived chimeras in active use soon resemble their namesake, seeming mechanical abominations with piece after piece welded to them. The hatches replaced by doors stolen from civilian buildings, hastily covered in metal roof sheeting. Shorn off track pieces replaced with crudely fitted boiler plates. discarded power pack casings molded into hinges. The machines would run unwell, sending the Techpriests and Enginseers into hysterical fits, begging forgiveness from the machine spirits, and repairing and replacing what they could identify and find at the parts depot. But the older chimeras would get a slow mottled look over them, like a child mixing clays in a creche, it was impossible to separate metals and alloys at a basic level without rebuilding the whole thing. They wouldn't run well, but they would most certainly run.

A chimera, as taught in vindicare doctrine, was a terrible headache to deal with. Tanks were less of a worry, as those deploying tanks against assassins were considered tactically inept, and the vindicare gained some honor in tying up valuable resources. Height, urban combat, and tactical use of screens would put the tanks on even footing. A chimera on the other hand, could always be used.

A sniper holed in a building, the chimera would bash into the ground floor, disgorging soldiers. If the building collapsed, so what? There was always another chimera. No illumination, headlights shot out, smoke screening everything? Just drive. You'll find your way out eventually. As much as anything else the turbo penetrator round was developed to counter these situations.

Two chimera crawled through the bush and over the hills and rocks, as the kilogram heavy, green banded bullet was placed in the chamber.

Commissar Daniel poked his head out of the hatch again. The tech guy had said the auspex picked up something coming closer. Should be in sight range. One MIA, and all this trouble. He hoped that this was really one huge birthdate surprise for one of the soldiers. So that he could then shoot whoever was responsible.

"Got a direction?"

"Should be Cardinal East."

"Left or right soldier, or pass me up a compass!"

"Just a little to your left sir."

The Commissar turned, squinting through the haze of heat at the long grass and lumpy excuse for terrain. A glint of something.

Then a crack, a flash of light somewhere to his right, and something gave a soft *Tink* in the chimera's lower armor.

"ENEMY FIRE!" shouted the Commissar, pulling down the hatch, as the surprised soldiers sat up, the political officer shouting at them, "Move, move, move! A man on every gun, and any gun that CAN shoot to the right, shoots! I want a wasteland I can name after myself, do you comprehend soldiers!" They followed his orders as best as they could, barring what could only be done by consulting with the planet's geographer. A hailstorm of red stabs of coherent light obliterated the area and the rigged flint and rock that had provided the target.

Misdirection. LIIVI holstered his pistol, creeping low through the grass, trying to get himself into a more advantageous position.

"Cease fire," said the Commissar, his day much improved. The soldiers relaxed, standing at ease, hands still holding the side mounted lasguns, venting excess steam outwards. "Driver, park us as near as you can to that suicidal stain, and give cover to the second chimera. Chimera 2, tell your squad to deploy and move in. Investigate the area. If there's a corpse, ID it, if there is isn't, bring me a corpse. Copy?"

"Affirmative."

It was a risk, yes. Taking a squad of soldiers out of a perfectly safe armored personnel carrier begged for snipers, traps, and a whole lot of corpses. But that would betray targets. Feeling a bit like Ibram Gaunt, the commissar leaned in to the driver, "Stick as close to them as possible, if they bug out, move us out as quickly as possible, then get a bead on who fired on us, clear?"

"Sir," muttered the driver, pulling alongside the nervous squad extracting themselves from the second chimera.

The troops, true to form stayed close to the chimera, practically hugging the tread guard, sweeping in close, led by their lasrifles, eyes peeled for mines or traps. The second chimera pulled up alongside the first, the guardsmen squeezed in between.

The Vindicare watched them, five hundred meters behind. The one at the front, one point six meters, was the leader, the paternal. A soldier from the back, covered in spare las cells, a tear still visible in his sleeve moved forward, with a little undue haste to exchange words. On one helmet, the word, "TEATIME". A man pointed at his boot, hopping forward on one leg, speaking out the side of his mouth. Laughter.

The Exitus rifle fired.

The Commissar was next to the wall of the chimera when he heard the squeal. He fell immediately, laspistol to the ready, facing the wall. Maybe it was the adrenalin, or perhaps it was the initial charge of the rifle failing, and the drill bit activating, but somehow Daniel managed to watch a steel line, occasionally sending sparks and slivers of metal out, raise along the wall, ending somewhere just short of the drivers hatch, shorting out lights as it traveled along, shrieking.

In the dark, he heard the thumps and screams of the soldiers outside, the panicked revving as the driver slammed down the accelerator, the lurch to the right, equipment falling around them, then another, definite slam.

Outside, the Vindicare watched through the scope, watching a track fly free, a joint broken by his shot, hanging for one brief moment before the driver hit the gas, sending the tread whipping at the crowd of soldiers. The chimera lurched left, lacking pull, slamming into the other, doing mostly cosmetic damage, but serving the Vindicare's purpose. Screams, and a commissar and a crowd of soldiers leapt out, weapons brandished and at the ready.

Panic. The rifle was slung, and low through the long grass, the assassin moved forward, pistol out.

The most immediate problem was restoring the squad's rationality, and calming them down before they panicked entirely. A quick glance proved what the commissar had initially thought. Gouges in the side of the chimera, severe damage to the soldiers, and a track torn off on his chimera. The first thing to do in any case is be the first man to set the example.

"Spread out, fire at the first thing that moves," was admittedly a bad choice, but something had torn a large gash through his chimera, and incapacitated a squad, what was he supposed to do? Break out the rations?
"You men, left, the rest of you, right, drivers, up to the multilasers- fan anything coming with fire, keep looking, it could be a Carnifex for all we know!" Another bad choice of words.

Buzzing. Clicking insects hopping across. Rustles of eighteen soldiers, rattled, going through the fields, rifles first. A Commissar, standing between two chimeras wedged together, covered by two multilasers.

One of the guardsmen falls with a sudden gasp. A powersword points, an order is given. A confused man, who had the wind knocked out of him by a thrown rock suddenly finds himself surrounded by red searing flashes.

The Commissar, raising his laspistol, catches a glimpse of something sandy, black, darting ahead of him. A pair of useless shots whiz into the undergrowth. Something whizzes by the Commissar's face.

This is it, Daniel thought. Death or glory. The powersword crackles with death dealing life, as the commissar ran forward, the blade held aloft. He had to say something inspiring, he realized.

"FACE YOUR DOOM, foul XENOS!" he hopes one of the troops hear it.

He runs into the grass, waving his blade around. A lack of mandibles and claws key him off that something's wrong. The grass catching fire is the second.

Dissolution.

The guardsmen ran. What were they supposed to do?

They were spread apart, something had torn apart the chimeras, their leader had shouted something and disappeared, and now the grass was catching fire? What could they do?

The drivers only had the sense of mind to abandoned the crippled chimera, before they drove off, past the soldiers, relaying the panic and breaking of their unit to the base, heralding their failure and embellishing the story to seem as if they encountered an entire Ork WAAAAGH! in the long grass. In their haste, they forgot the wounded.

Private Gnaeus lay on his back, staring up at the patch of grey sky, rounded by black smoke. He was one of those wounded left behind- perhaps, he considered, the only one.

"Your helmet."

Gnaeus rolled his head over, to a figure, hazy and blurred against the dark smoke, red flickering across its brow, fire licking away from its feet, ash swirling around it, "What does it mean?" Gnaeus was paralyzed from the waist down and had bone jutting out of his leg like wheat out of a farm. Who was he to argue importance with an angel of death?

"Teatime?" A nod. The smoke crawls off as the shadow steps forward.

"Teatime- It was sarcastic. A joke," far times, on Cadia. "I worked in a house, as a guard for a while. Guy I worked for always had a special time for Benzran Tea," the Reaper cocked his head at this, Gnaeus waited a moment, then launched on, feeling vaguely blasphemous, whispering through the pain. "Never took briefings then, just him and his cup. Serene even during a war, so long as he got that hot flavored water of his. So me and my mate, we said, 'all's well so long as its tea time.' We put Teatime on our helmets, a joke, that we'd stay cool. Serene as a fatman and his cup. Guess bloodloss and brain damage is doing that more for me, huh?" The Angel of Death did not laugh at the joke. Gnaeus couldn't blame him. Wouldn't seem proper, laughing at a dying man.

Flakes of ash fell around the two, smoke drifting over them. The Vindicare considered this for a moment. He shrugged, bent down and took hold of a lasrifle, then reached over to pull two powerpacks from Gnaeus's pockets. Gnaeus for his part did not resist. The assassin rose, half turned, then paused. "Do you require the Emperor's Benediction?"

"No, please," Gnaeus looked up. The gray sky turned blue, even as the window narrowed as the smoke thickened, "Not yet. I don't want to die yet."

"Very well," Again, the Vindicare turned, heading for the smoke.

"Wait," the cripple struggled, turning, crawling after the shadow heading into the dark, "Hold on, I have to ask you," his eyelids were like lead weights, dragging down, but one burning mote was left in his head, "Hold on, please, hold on," It was all dark now, "Please," pain flared anew, even as the world was dark, Gnaeus's hands digging into embers.

"Tell me, will it hurt? Please, tell me?"

"No."

The Angel didn't lie.

His body was left still for a time, until eventually, uncertain hands reached over, turning the body to face up, folding the hands over its chest, and shutting the eye lids. Imitation to last respects it had seen time and time again through the lens of his scope.

===Chapter Four===

Farseer Taldeer pursed her lips to suppress a grunt of pain as she probed at her wound. Blood crunched, as she dragged at more of the half crystalline clotting. ''Maybe I won't die yet,'' she thought, ''maybe first I'll turn into a crystal like the other old men. Make an interesting landmark for the Imperial colonists,'' she reflected bitterly. ''Then, picked apart by mon-keigh for purposes of romancing each other.''

The runestones still lay, bounced across where they were. From time to time, her attention waned from her wounds to glance at them. The ground splits, the mouth smiles, the fall is good. Sweet fruit in dead mouths. The love of the enemy. Walk through fire.

''For once,'' she wondered as she picked off the choice stone from the stone of the blind man seeing, ''wouldn't it be nice if they would say something like, enemy troop movements, allies position, things that would be practical?''

She arose, picking up her helmet, and putting it on.

"That only increases your target profile," she froze, her helmet half on. It was like being snuck up on by your own shadow.

"Aren't you quiet," muttered Taldeer, as she finished placing her helm on, "And aside from that, why should you care what my target profile is like?" It seemed strangely wobbly. She felt along the chin, seeking for the pins that held it in place.

"It is harder to maintain unit integrity and speed if we draw conflict to ourselves," The Vindicare set down the lasrifle carefully, as he approached Taldeer. Taldeer for her part was doing her best to ignore him.

"'Unit integrity'? Forgive me for desiring a little independence, but I'd rather not depend upon a sociopathic mon-keigh," she tapped her helm, "I'm going to need this."

"Really."

"Yes."

"It has taken damage."

"So?"

The Vindicare stepped forward, as Taldeer turned around slowly. The sky was turning darker by the moment, not that either of them would care, she mused. Was he trying to intimidate her with his height? Well, she thought, gripping her spear, she was not about to be pushed around by something that hadn't even been born by the time she had killed someon-

The Vindicare reached forward, placing a single finger on the helmet. He pushed it slowly, ninety degrees. She saw the hints of his psychic signature through the wraithbone, as LIIVI stepped back.

"Did your strap break?"

"Very well," said the Farseer, removing the helmet and setting it to the ground to her side, "You don't have to demean me."

"And the... Wings?"

"They stay," She would not toss away her soulstones so easily. Taldeer raised her head, then glanced to the horizon, "Where do we go then... Suppose you hadn't thought of that, did you?"

"I have thought of that. Since I have failed my original assignment, and as of yet the planet has not been secured, standard Imperial protocol concerning Xenos Farseers would result in-"

"They'll hunt me with killteams."
A nod.

"Awfully kind of them, concerning everything," Taldeer crouched, placing her palm on the ground, "I wonder if it's Sturnn," she muttered, her hands playing through the cold ground, winding and dancing. She closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded.

"I have a direction," she paused a moment, biting her lower lip before glancing at the assassin, "You are coming with me, right?"

"Yes."

"Good." ''They'll have a torch to follow.''

The dirt was dispersed, the shell casings buried, and the helmet left hanging from the wretched root that watched, the last drops of blood crystallizing upon it.

----

Mildilv leaned back in the chair, staring at the concrete ceiling. "I estimate half dead." One of his entourage shook his head.

"Standard morale dispersal, sixty three percent break."

"Just the officers, maybe two beyond that--"

"I get it, it was a bad idea to send the men after him, but I thought after all he is--"

The fingers were wrapped around Alexander's eye and gently tugging before the pain hit his brain, and he was face to face with Mildilv's angry eyes set in the emotionless plastic face.

"Do NOT end that sentence. You did more than just kill, maim, ruin, demoralize, or damage equipment and personnel, you have ARMED him. With a LASRIFLE."

Ardrin sniggered. Alexander fell back, his eye watering, his hands snatched over it.

"What?"

"It's a lasrifle," muttered Ardrin, "Most armors just get a blister. If he's using that, it's an improvement over that bleeding huge exitus."

"What does a laser do?" Mildilv turned to Ardrin, shaking a barrel out of his sleeve.

"Emit-" Began Ardrin, uncertain now as the assassin's attention was turned directly towards him.

"EMIT HEAT, quite capable of vaporizing water by the by, a main component of our bodies, I believe the heat the average militarized laser puts out is 500? Sure, 500 degrees Celsius, we'll aim low," Mildilv scratched behind his ear, producing a small power pack, bits of fake flesh still hanging off of it.

"Now, what do you suppose happens when, oh, ten cubic centimeters of human flesh gets evaporated?" The leads plugged into the barrel with ease, as Ardrin made to move out of his chair, finding two pairs of hands on his shoulders, the assassins at his back.

"Wanna find out?" Said Mildilv taking aim with his ad hoc laser at Ardrin's face, held in place.

"I-I-I--"

"You're right!" Mildilv said, thumbing the powerpack, as the barrel warmed to lethality, "I'm expecting an explosion too, as human flesh and blood is evaporated, with no place to escape to but out! Well, usually. If you're lucky, there'll be a hole in your face for it to fly out of it, or maybe this thing'll disperse across the surface, frying the whole thing. I suppose we won't know until the experiment is completed then, huh?"

Governor-Militant Alexander set his carapace armored arm in front of the barrel.

"I don't recall giving you permission to fire upon my men."

"Hmph," Mildilv flicked the barrel, prematurely discharging what weak energy gathered into the arm. The steel glowed red hot, forming a temporary bubble, before fading away. "True. The lasrifle CAN be resisted by armor, a heavy scarf, or even a particularly bad case of fog. But sometimes it blows through both, in the case of lucky moments of inductive heat, using enough juice, or simple Grace of the Emperor. However, an open joint," Mildilv set the barrel down, returning to his seat as the two face dead associates returned to their ranks behind him, "an exposed eye, a rough patchjob...these can all be broken by a lasrifle. A rare feat for even the most accurate of marksmen, but a possibility. And he will never run out of ammo now. Please," Mildilv bit through his false lip, his teeth meeting with a hard click, looked up, and with trepidation in his eyes, "I'm going to have to tell the Inquisitor."

"You ''said'' he'd just starve to death anyway."

"Maybe he'll just shoot any new Vindicare we send down to support you, and take their rations? No, no, this is unfortunate, but I do not wish for this damnation on my soul." He stood from the table, false blood dribbling from his false face.

"Where are you going?" Governor Militant Lukas Alexander rose from his chair, grabbing Mildilv by the shoulder.

"To die, probably." The disguised man brushed off the Governor's hand, and walked out of the command bunker.

----

"We are heading towards the Ork lines."

"I know," The horizon carried heavy clouds, pregnant with rain and storm, ready to match the distant horizon's flashes of light and distant ordnance.

"Do you have allies among the Orks?" Taldeer gave the Vindicare a look.

"No. I managed to manipulate some Orks, that is true," Taldeer waved her hand in the air, "I can hardly do that again."

"The killteams."

"Yes."

Like the noise of stones crashing into each other, the war thunder rolled through them. Softly shaking the ground.

"It's not--"

"A mission type in the Vindicare Dictum, is to initiate conflicts between two opposing forces. It will be done."

"Oh."

A deep resonating cry echoed in the distance, as a rock whizzed end over end in inexpert circles over the heads of the pair.

"You have experience in this then?"

"Negat-- No. I mostly dealt with affairs of the state."

"Which means?"

"Discouraging sedition and treason. Recently I've been employed in combat support."

Taldeer nodded, and then picked up step to get beyond the assassin.

Ahead the choirs of the battlefield roared its welcome.

----

The Inquisition of the Imperium of Man is quite possibly the most powerful organization across known space. By its whim, heresy is dictated. By its need, armies march. By its judgment, planets burn. The Space Marines, undisputed, mighty warriors, the grandchildren of the Emperor of Man bow to the whims of the Inquisition, even if they do bite and champ at the bit. Inquisitors step the range of Holy Terra's Throne, to the Black Library of the Eldar, to the interior of the Eye of Terror. What would have a man damned and executed for heresy the Inquisitors engage in. They are the unchallenged and ultimate authority.

A horizontal river fell upon the ten thousand Liberators of Kronus stood to ranks, as the Valkyrie landed on the pad set before them. Full dress, immaculate, even those imprisoned, all stood to their full attention. Not a one wished to be found wanting.

Governor Militant Alexander stood in the front, waiting unwavering as the dropship settled down before him, whipping water into his eyes and coat. He had to look good. Not just his own fate, but that of his world rested upon it.

Cherubim fluttered out, carrying multilasers in their bellies, as the nine foot bulk of sacred, artifice armor stepped out.

Gilded gold wrought across the ceramite plate, inscribed with prayers of benediction and psalms of wrath. At his waist hung a power sword, its wraithbone sheath clacking against the ceramite in the wind of the storm. Lightning flashed, picking out the bionic eyes under the hood. He glanced behind him, as two figures appeared, a techpriest, and someone in a robe--

Who repulsed the Governor. "No," he whispered, staring, as the cowl of the robe turned left, and right mechanically as it proceeded down the steps.

The Inquisitor glanced across the assembled ten thousand veterans of the Kronus Liberators, and turned aside to walk to Alexander, who was frozen in terror. He had felt this before, this terror that sapped at the very soul.

Lukas's reverie was interrupted by the Inquisitor's hand.

"Get rid of them," He grabbed Lukas's shoulder, "And cease your cowardice."

The nausea grew as the abomination drew closer, maintaining a respectful step behind the Inquisitor. Lukas nodded, every hair standing on end, and turned to his Commissar, whispering in his ear, "Dismiss the men."

The Commissar started bellowing out orders, as Lukas led the Inquisitor back to the command bunker, ruing the treachery of the Vindicare.

===Chapter Five===

"It's unprecedented," The Inquisitor said, as he crowded into the bunker, staring at the consoles, the Techpriest having taken a seat and started rattling off the status and location of the rogue assassin, "Well, at least for this temple," the Inquisitor shot a glare at Lukas, who sat in the corner, rubbing his forehead, "You do understand-"

''Your life is forfeit if you breathe a word of this to anyone not cleared to know it,'' thought the Governor Militant.

"Your life is forfeit if you dare to breathe a single word of this to anyone not cleared to know it."

"Right."

"And the Farseer?"

"No one knows. We had sent out a scouting party, but they have yet to return."

"Hmph. He's heading towards a combat zone," murmured the Inquisitor, ceramite finger tracing the route of his assassin errant on the watch screens.

"Yes, a team of Kasrkin are holed up resisting Orks a little beyond the mountains, I've dispatched some men to--"

"Call them back."

"I'm sorry? I can't see how it would harm--"

"We have the greatest opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Governor. First, as an Inquisitor, I know well the way the common man thinks; even if you DO save the men, and by some miracle they all survive, they shall criticize you for even leaving them in that situation, and I desire your administration to remain stable without any further scandal. Second, I require that one of the most secret orders the Imperium has ever known to ''remain a secret'', and beyond that, that they ''can'' be corrupted must remain a secret."

The baleful, flickering green glow immersed the inquisitor's grin, under the red glow of the bionics. His fingers were playing with the handle of the bolt pistol.

Lukas stared at the Inquisitor, locking eyes best as he could and slammed his fist down on the comm button, "Ardrin! Tell Yoland to recall the men, and that I have rescinded the order. Rather--"

''Call out the Basilisks,'' Mouthed the Inquisitor. "Call out Tennyson's basi-" ''All of them.'' "All. All of them. All of the basilisks."

Ardrin's reply cut out with a squawk as Lukas flicked off the button.

"Give me a show, Governor," Said the Inquisitor, as he swept out, his retainers following.

----

The sea was far off, in the horizon. In the horizon, it was chopping, surf sloshing about, but above it was a storm, thunder and lightning wrapping around and around and around--

This wasn't right. She shouldn't be doing this, she wasn't looking ahead right now, to be sure, she could always feel the ebb and flow of fate running along her ankles in the back of her mind, but she shouldn't be ''seeing'' it unless she wanted to.

The hunger. Behind her.

She turned, and beheld the glittering dust of spirit stones. Beneath a burning sun, they danced like embers above the bodies of eldar, common and noble, all with their hands plaintively in the air. The air, beset with gasps for breath and whispered pleas, as under their bodies, roiled the dark and cracked ground, flesh and blood growing under them, mouths spawning again and again, coiling like cancer across and over the bodies. The gasps became screams, and the whispers became cries for help.

Blood shot out in squirts like bullets, staining and stinging Taldeer's face. Drills of flesh and bone, rammed down, again and again in the mass, a sick parody of sexual congress. One, a bonesinger was propped up, an organ set before her, as she was puppeteered to play to the scene, arms wrapped around hers, snapping softly like acorns under foot. Eyes grew like weeds, wrapping and rising, staring upon the grisly scene.

''It waits,'' said a voice that managed to skip her ears. ''There's no one left, but you.'' echoed the foreign thought, as the Farseer tried to spin, to turn away, but always found the same scene going.

''And you're the climax. ''

The pink flesh moved on, rolling toward Taldeer, leaving broken, hollow, desecrated bodies, no two the same.

She awoke weeping.

They were maybe nine kilometers away from the Ork battlefront, when the Primary had passed out. She had still walked seven steps more, but the sound of a quick slowdown of heartbeat, change in breathing, and missteps grated on the previous light footed rhythm that she had displayed.

On step six, she was beginning to fall, and LIIVI began to move. He caught her on step seven. Her black hair fell around his hands, as he carefully lowered her to the ground. He felt the minute stresses her breathing put upon her suit. The small strains her muscle went through, as she slowly fell into REM sleep, and her body relaxed control. The warmth of her through his gloves. Her eyes, shut, her lips, twitching, whispering.

He wasn't sure why, but he held her a little more tightly at that moment. For just one moment. Before lifting her to his arms, carefully, and moving on. When water started to pour from her tear ducts, he was six kilometers away. He didn't know Eldar could lacrimate. He glanced around, infrared spectrum. Some small pockets of warmth were out there. Only one within a kilometer and a half. He carefully set down Taldeer on her side, before shooting the rat.

He had seen people comfort others, when they had commenced the standard grieving patterns. He had seen a lot of grieving, rarely before the mission, but often after. He had watched them, cling and cry on one another as their beloved died, or they bore witness to the Emperor's wrath.

Her hand wiggled about, scratching at the ground through her gloves. He reached out, carefully, and took hold of it. She calmed down almost immediately, as the frenzy of motion beneath her eyelids increased.

That wasn't that hard, he thought, as he kneeled down next to her. Her hair was in her eyes, wet and plastered to her face. He reached down, leaning in--

Her eyes snapped open.

"They're all dead."

She knew it. Slaanesh had claimed many, some had been saved, but the fact remained--

She was the last Eldar on Kronus. To be sure, that had been the last stand, the main base and the first landing zone that had fallen to Imperial forces. She should have thought of the practicality of it. But she had held out hope, that there was some pocket that had passed the purges of all the other empires and interests that were on this planet. But they were gone. Had she known that, when she ran off, drawing the humans away from the evacuation, ensuring the safety of the survivors? Or was she still deluding herself to some hope.

Her hand was caught on something. She looked, as LIIVI released his hand from hers, and drew it back.

"Are you," the spymask stared at her for a time, before continuing, "Ready for moving?"

"I'm fine, I," her hand ran down her side, between the ribs, to where her wound had opened again, "I-I could just...Use a hand."

''Pathetic. He is an assassin, who disobeyed orders from the people that brainwashed him. Why should he help you, with that plaintive plea for pity?''

His hand took hers. Her arm was slipped over his shoulder. She leaned on him. They walked.

He was warm.

The rain killed the smoke, but one could see the black columns spearing the ground across the field. The central bunker, was now nothing more than a mash of concrete, occasionally spattered red. For now, the Orks rested in the only way Orks could, jeering, fighting, yelling at one another to get moving, get fixing, and get fighting again. Taldeer glanced across, sensing the psychic miasma and overwhelming presence.

The WAAAAGH! was upon these aliens. They were set on a hillside, overlooking the lumbering mass of the Orks. Thousands of them. With Emperor knew how many grots, noted the Vindicare as he picked out the scuttling shapes and the noises of the servile orkoids.

"Wish those kill teams of yours would show up sooner," muttered Taldeer.

"What then?" Together, they had been putting off this question. What they would do? And it was they were now, they couldn't help it. She couldn't help it.

She needed him.

"I...I hadn't thought of that," She glanced down, "First, we'll think of these things."

Down in the pit, as Uzgob Nekkstompa, a Nob and a 'ard boy to boot wit' more bullets in 'im than a shoota perked up. A scent was in his nose. Strange to fink of it actually, now that, true to Nob form, a momentary thought went through his 'ead. His nose had been blasted to Gork long ago, replaced by an iron plate to stop the bleeding. Though suspicious, one could not deny the scent, up and through the smoke, he peered, his bionik peeper whirring and sparking as it zoomed with the focus of the nob. Somethin' was up among the rocks.

Somethin' unorky.

"OI! LOOKIT THAT!"

As the faces turned, it was like watching a bright green fungal bloom, as shining green faces turned, following the raised claw of one of the bigger Orks.

LIIVI glanced over to Taldeer, as she hissed an inhalation to say something. He sprinted, and pushed her out from behind the rock, and down the hill as it was shattered and pulverized into powder as well over a thousand guns, approximately thirty rockets, six laspistols, a bolter, and three thrown grots rained death upon it.

The Vindicare checked her. No broken bones, but she was bruised, and looked a mite angry, "We need to get lower. To the trenches," advised LIIVI, checking his weaponry.

"Go towards the hail of bullets?"

"CEA- SEEZ- STOP SHOOTIN THAT BIT YOU GROT SWILLIN MAGGOTS!" Shouted a nob, with a loudspeaker implanted in his throat. The bullets swayed, searching and spreading across the hill, knocking down what few stubborn trees grew out of the rock, and eliminating anything that claimed to be more than a foot tall.

"Alright, into the trenches, me in front, you in back, cover me."

They ran like mercury. She breathed a prayer to Khaela Mensha Khaine to guide her through the coming battle, while the Vindicare made several, fatal, statements with his Exitus to what few orks were in the trench they headed for.

"THEYZE COMIN’ STRAIGHT FOR US! READY YORE CHOPPAS BOYS, ITS TIME FOR SOME FUN!" The Orks roared their appreciation.

----

Mother dirt and father mud embraced the two as they splashed into the trench, a final wave of fire whizzing over their heads.

"Now what?" Taldeer looked to the Vindicare.

"I was following you," The Vindicare reacts to the primary- usually to shoot them, but the assumption in this case that the Xeno knew what it was doing.

"Oh," ''shit.'' "Do your bunkers have underground complexes?"

"Depends upon the Enginseers. But they never connect into the trenches."

"Great, well I suppose we're all just--"

Thirty kilometers away, someone shouts fire.

A bare minute later, inside of the valley above the trenches, three hundred incendiary rounds burst, in the air and on the ground. Bright, white, light interrupts farseer Taldeer.

And the world around the two becomes little more than fuel.

===Chapter Six===

''The Incendiary: Tactica and Proper Oblations

Honored and hallowed be the Incendiary, most cleansing of the Imperium's weapons. Doled out by holy flamer, delivered by blessed shell, released from our pure skies. In all forms, in all ways, it is the Most Magnanimous Emperor's love that is on display here; to give opportunity long for the Enemy to confess his sins, to be burned free of their taint. How can one not marvel at a God Emperor so kind?

Application and Distribution of the Emperor's Love

Concerning when one desires to give the Infidel forgiveness at a range, one must review these tenets in deploying the Mercy of the Imperator. 1) Proper Prayers and Devotion; to ensure Proper Phosphorus and Detonation! 2) Launch a volley of the Emperor's High Explosive Wrath first; to open the sinful timbers and flammables of the Heathen (For maximum mercy, limit rounds to ensure only injury and immobility for those struck) 3) Send the Emperor's Mercy (Take care in setting the timer; you desire at minimum a seventy percent airburst for a correct Storm of Penance) 4) After fifteen minutes (Enough time for a confession), deploy shrapnel rounds to eliminate any who would attempt to halt the Emperor's Forgiveness with mere blasphemous water.

Depending on the Storm of Penance, your soldiers may have to wait anywhere from one to five bells to deploy and liberate the souls from their accursed shells.''

-- Section of Kronus Archconfessor Militade's "The Emperor in the Munitions: A Veteran's Guide to Proper Faith in Artillery", currently subject to Ecclesiastical review.

Ardrin carefully set the roughly tied together, hand written pamphlet down, half fearing that it might spontaneously turn "Merciful" upon him. It was, regrettably, the best text that he had upon this subject with him. He hadn't really worked with artillery all that much until now. Someone had to bear the Inquisitor's whims while Lukas led the army.

Three hundred smoking barrels stared at the sky, sizzling in the dribbling rain. Fifty rounds HE, two hundred and fifty rounds IN. Timers varied from fifteen to seventeen point five seconds. The flashes beyond the mountain range signed success back to the crews of the Basilisks, loading in the next volley.

"Three hundred incendiaries," Ardrin wiped the oil slick water from the pictoslate, trying to glean what was going on from the skull servitor, "And this time, cut the timers to a straight sixteen seconds, I think that's optimum airburst."

A chorus grunted agreement. Ardrin glanced over the command chimera's top again, staring out to the mountain pass far away. No firestorm yet, but this next volley would handle it. He shut the hatch as he went down.

The incredible bulk of the Inquisitor's armor and equipment took up a full third of the passenger space, and the Inquisitor's conscripted retinue filled up the rest of it, forcing Ardrin to stand leaning next to the door to the driver's room. The Inquisitor himself, now that Ardrin got to see, was actually rather scrawny. A humble cassock, far from the glinting lesson in waste covered the man's slight frame, what pieces weren't removed and replaced with gleaming steel.

"I heard the initial bombardment," the Inquisitor said with a fond smile, disturbing beneath the clicking ocular implants, "It sounded like the fanfare of saints. Have they hit?"
"Yes sir. The Orks won't know what hit them."
"And the traitor?"
"If he isn't incinerated in the next volley, he'll wish he had been."

----

Artillery was supposed to be a non-issue, or an advantage when taught in the Vindicare temples. Admittedly, rare would be the primary or secondary who would stand still when being hit with an artillery bombardment, but at least they would be out in the open, and what was one finger snap in an inferno of noise? Serving as spotters, eliminating artillery crews, timing shots, all these things, the Vindicare had been taught and drilled. Reacting to being surrounded by exploding steel?

Cover ears, open mouth, find cover.

He was in cover, inside a muddy trench that was shaking and spattering all over the place. Already he could feel the tensing of his mask and implants, countering the noises and trying to counter the dizzying amount of shocks. He was fine, so long as nothing hit him. And her?

She was down on the ground, hands clamped over her ears, long hair spattered with muck sticking to her face, biting her lower lip. She was quivering.

His hand slid away from his head, heading for hers, when her eyes snapped open, and she grabbed his hand. Her lips parted, shaping the word 'move' through the thunder.

Their hands held together, they slipped forward, as a white phosphorus shell landed behind them, evaporating what little moisture had been there. Maybe ten more feet, before they fell again, this time into a partial hole that a grot had dug, before forming the wallpaper.

They pressed together in the momentary sanctuary. Dirt and mud slid down in rivulets around the pair, as they held one another, the world around them flying into the air.

It must have lasted maybe, ten, twenty minutes at the most. Ten to twenty minutes of fire and thunder. Of that time, the moments where they were together in the side of the trench must only have been an instant. It seemed an hour of racing hearts. Running fingers. Fluttering heart beats. Warmth through cold mud and napalm heat.

Then it was over. The shaking stopped, the thunder stopped ringing in their ears, and LIIVI reluctantly let slip Taldeer through his arms. Water and sweat reflected phosphorus fires rising on the horizon, as she leaned back, on her knees, looking down for a moment.

The roaring laughter of Orks snapped her eyes back on the Vindicare.

"The shells, again, this time higher."

"Airburst," Assassin again, he took out his pistol, hands running memorized lines of maintenance, cleaning what little made it through the holster, "Fragmentation?" "No. Fire. Lots of it."

He stood, stopping for a moment, and uncharacteristically awkwardly reached his hand to her, a second too late as she stood. "Cover. The bunker," Taldeer stared down the maze of trenches, in her mind's eye, dark storms flashing thunder on the ocean horizon, "We better hurry."

They stepped lightly through the mud, surrounded by dim shapes of Orks waving in the flames. For the moment, the trenches were clear, and the Vindicare's mind focused through the sights of his pistol, a fresh magazine topped off inside.

Above, the sky rained water as a consolation.

----

"Azrael, loaded."
"Sixty guns loaded, my lord."
"Hold until they all load," The Inquisitor placed his cowl on his head, and stepped up the ladder to the top of the Chimera.
"Belial, loaded."
"Uriel, loaded."
300 basilisks. One driver, one loader, one commander. Nine hundred men, at his beck and call. Nine hundred souls saved from damnation. Inquisitor Madek's mouth tightened, drawing his lips back in a crude curve.
"Raziel, loaded."
"Lightbringer, loaded. That makes all guns loaded. Your orders sir?"

Ardrin waited below, as Inquisitor Madek sat at the side of the Chimera, happily staring across the field.

"Fire," whispered Madek.

Three hundred shrieking packages of flame filled the sky.

----

Uzgob Nekkstompa wheeled about, bellowing, a squealing grot in one hand and his shoota in the other, trying his hardest to make more noise than a warband of Orks set on fire, and variously hitting and shooting each other.

Needless to say, he was hardly successful. Not even pointing out sum unorky softies running through the trenches roused more than a handful of lazy shots and rockets. Uzgob Nekkstompa, though a 'ard boy, was no Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter when it came to rallying the fractious orks.

So, figured Nekkstompa, him being canny and whatnot, he should go out, and 'unt some 'eads. If Gorgutz could get an army behind him by waving around some skullz, why couldn't he?

The characteristic shriek of incoming basilisk shells only proved to Nekkstompa that his course of action was in the right, as he barreled through the flames after the pair fleeing for the bunker.

----

The tiniest of taps, a spray of mud, and another step was taken by Farseer Taldeer down the trench. Her lungs ached, and she could feel the scrape of crystal clots inside her armor, but she had to move. A storm would come soon, and she needed to be in port then. An ork stumbled into the trench, fire dripping from him, a gun in his hand. A sharp sound, and a rush of air from behind, and its wrist is reduced to bloody scraps.

Maybe he wasn't as fast as her, she thought hesitantly. Maybe he was keeping her in front of his gun because he didn't trust her. That moment in the trench-

Did not merit reflection, she thought, as the tell tale shrieks of artillery sounded over the hills. The ramp was just bare steps ahead, to the shattered bunker.

LIIVI had already consumed the first magazine when he saw the bunker, and Taldeer moving into it. He was just stepping out of the trench, when his head suddenly felt like not moving.

"Oi fink I can kitch 'er jus' foine, 'oomie," The Vindicare was thrown down into the muck, as the mass of green muscle clanked past him, "You'll just have to siddown there and hannle the heat for a bit, 'fore I come back. Hope you'll have a lil' bit of fight leff in ya."

LIIVI managed to see the Ork nob ram into the bunker, cracking the concrete sides, before the air and sky caught alight.

----

"No other species in the galaxy has had quite the relationship that man has to fire. The Eldar have used it in war, and left it behind, on occasion to bring it forth, or to refer to it in poetry interchangeably with molten metal. Chaos draws inspiration to fire only insofar as mankind has influenced them; and even then, warpfire is its own entity, something diseased and gnawing, generating none of the warmth of a comfortable flame. Tau barely understand what fire IS, considering it a dangerous weapon; their fire caste serves in duty and shame, not pride. Orks are the second to men when enjoying the fires; but even then, they hold no passion to refine and craft the flames which they like to see and feel.

But man... Man has a love for fire. Napalm, white phosphorus, promethium, oil, gasoline, meltas, plasmas, firestorms, incendiaries, firepower, fireline, flamethrower, fireteam, firefighter, the flames of war, fire, fire, fire. What else could be said to have benefited as much from man as fire? What other element has been defended, nursed, tutored, fed, and loved more than fire? Our cities, our books, our people, our enemies, our friends, our dead, our living, our greatest works and most heinous feats; all of them, fed to the ever hungry flames," Inquisitor Madek chuckled, turning to Ardrin, "And there it is," he pointed to the roiling light beyond the mountains, "Years of brilliant minds worked on that one. For warfare, for country, for humanity? No. We wanted to see what fire, raw unchained flame, could do."

"Yes... Yes sir," Ardrin stared, as a dark angry cloud formed, crackling with thunder, waves of hungry lapping flame roiling and struggling against the rain, spewing ash high.

"Return the basilisks to the Governor. I am happy. Put forth my symbol of office, and take me closer. I'll need to speak to the victors."

----

Taldeer crawled forward, coughing, eyes watering, as a wind pulled past her and heat radiated at her. She had to get down the stairs, she thought, as she felt for the steps. Ragged, broken. She couldn't breathe.
She fell, into the dark and jagged rock. She tried to control it as best as she could, her hands out. Eyes closed. Lungs burning.

By the time she reached the bottom, the sting had left her lungs a bit. Flakes of burnt paper danced in swirls around her as she came to a rest on a bed of shell casings and ash. She glanced up, the steel door far above, the wheel lock handle firmly shut. She reached up, grasping the steel. She closed her eyes, in brief thanks that it was cool to the touch. She heard thumps on the steps, and involuntarily breathed easy. LIIVI survived.

The ocean screamed. Her eyes bolted open.

Her hands shot out, leaving the spear on the ground, grabbing the wheel, pulling with both hands, up, up and away in a swirl of ashes, from the powerclaw that tore up the concrete. She glanced up, bracing her feet against the ceiling, seeing for a moment the murderous red glint of the eyes of an Ork, a grin displayed in what pieces of his face weren't iron.

"'Allo poinny ear," The double barreled, four magazined pistol clacked a challenge, "I loike yer 'ead."

----

How does one survive a firestorm?

Dig.

Dig deep. The sizzling of the rainwater hitting the thermal bubble above. The shriek of the cremated orks. The sting of the infrared radiation burning the skin within his suit. Dig until you don't feel it.
Mud ran through his fingers and slammed into his rifle. The N20-

He pulled the cover out of his pants pocket, and held it close to himself, ignoring the pain. The Hellfire round, the Shieldbreaker. They'd have to be covered. His pistol was already in the mud that was baking to clay, the rifle halfway after it. He smelled his flesh cooking, as he clung to it, crouched hugging the side of the trench. The red and white waving around him, the shadows of orks rushing this way and that, the ashes shearing across past him.

He would burn or live, based on the whims of thermodynamics.

Through the dim roar of oxygen being devoured, noises could be picked up. Orkish ammunition cooking off. Grots squealing. An argument, laughter.

A lilting voice.

A call. A voice more suited to song than terror.

The fire swept through the trench, greedy and hungry, roaring challenge to dissent. Hairline cracks began to appear in his visor.

----

Outside, fire whistled. Taldeer was short of breath, and clinging upside down to a steel door bracing herself to the ceiling certainly wasn't helping. The Ork, mass of muscle and steel he was, didn't look the least bit taxed, as he lifted his power claw, clacking the wicked edges together. A spark flew.

"The... the world outside this bunker is incinerating... And you want to claim my HEAD?" She put up a hand carefully, delaying, "Listen, ork, I-"

"Oim Uzgob Nekkstompa, yur PoinnyEar SoontobeNekkStomped, and dat's as much talkin as I can stan'. Gimme a foight!" The Ork lashed out with his powerclaw, as Taldeer folded up, cursing the human who HAD to stab her in the most important muscle group. Sparks flew as steel tore, and the Ork pulled his claw back, lifting his pistol, yelling gleefully as it began to bark and kick.

Ricochet filled the hall, as Taldeer rolled forward, grabbing her spear, her nervous system following the skeins of the warp. She relaxed, her muscles flowing and jerking like a marionette on the strings. Her hair, caught, slipped, and flashed around her. The ocean tide carried her around the Orkish ammunition, as her fingers ran and slipped along the wraithbone runes.

Her spear struck powerclaw. The Ork gripped, and pulled, bringing Taldeer face to face with her enemy.

"HIT ME!" Roared the Ork. He was granted his wish, her foot whipping up into his face, aided by the leverage of her caught spear, her whole body behind the blow, knocking the ork back into the steel door.

The Ork grinned, spat a tooth. Barely phased by her full force. His pistol raised, with a slurred, "Juss' the right distinse," dribbling around its teeth.

Just the right distance to spray her with automatic fire, which she couldn't dodge in the narrow end of the hall. She gave a sad grin. The ocean was calm.

Her singing spear batted aside the blood spray, as the Ork was struck clean in the shoulder untouched by bioniks. The Ork glanced to his right shoulder, as with a crack, his clavicle snapped, sending the arm to the ground.

"Well thass jus’ queer," muttered the Ork.

For a moment, some of the ashes floating in the air were illuminated with a red line of light. A sizzle, as the ork's exposed left knee cap was bathed in photons. Then it exploded.

The Ork fell over, shrieking, as the Vindicare let loose the empty power pack, slapping a new one into the muddy mess of a lasrifle.

"You were expecting me?" LIIVI stepped into the room, lasrifle at the hip, covering the obscenity slinging nob.
"I am a farseer. Surely you'd've been briefed on my capabilities," she glanced over, keeping her face still and an eye on the ork. LIIVI looked unharmed. But there was something... "Mmm," The Vindicare stepped forward carefully. The suit, was designed to be fireproof. This did not help the skin underneath it that much. "Are you-"
"The door's open," The Vindicare tabbed the lasrifle to ‘Full discharge’, and shot another blast at the Ork's other arm, "You can take sanctuary in there. I'll be along soon, I have to recover my equipment."

The door was a mangled mess, nearly torn off its hinges. But it was insulated, and would serve better than nothing.

"It's still on fire out there." "Most of the fuel in the area has been extinguished, the storm has ended. I should still be capable of being predictable when you're in trouble."

LIIVI crept out, heading for his supplies, when he turned towards the sky. Streaking meteors dropped in the distance. Meteors with atmospheric brakes.

===Chapter Seven===

Taldeer stepped for the dark, rubbing her side. At least this time, the blood wasn't clotting crystal. Or maybe that was a bad thing. And LIIVI's comment-

Was he, it upset? It was hard to tell. And more than that, it was hard to tell if she should even care or not.

"I'll be predictable," she mumbled, stepping through the hatch. She received a vicious kick to the shins.

Hopping back, grabbing her leg, she stared down at the ork, who had managed to prop himself up against the door with stumps and a leg, who was giving her the glaring of a life time.

"C'mon poinny ear! See if'n yoo kin take me wivout yer pet 'oomie!"

The wraithbone spear communicated the displeasure with the ork's inability to suffer from bloodloss. The leg flew free, and Taldeer kicked the still yammering torso to the side, and sealed the door shut behind her.

Well, she thought bitterly, soon he'll be gone anyway. And she won't care. Her people's fate depended upon her. Who could care about one mon-keigh when the potential lives of thousands of Eldar, and possibly the galaxy depended upon her being alive?

She sat heavily against the wall, and slid down it. Just keep telling yourself that, taunted a little voice in her head, that you can get another chance to make up for the hundreds lost in this useless mission.
Keep lying to yourself.

----

From his vantage on the hillside, Captain Diocletian could see the Orks were shattered by the Guard's bombardment, mostly, true to the Inquisitor's predictions. No Guardsmen were in sight too, a relief (at least to Captain Diocletian), just as the Inquisitor promised. And the Grey Knights were marching alongside their fellow marines... Just as the Inquisitor promised.

One could ask what they were doing, marching upon mere xenos, but Captain Diocletian already knew the answer that would not be given: they were there to watch for heresy among the Blood Ravens.
"For the Emperor," he whispered, before stepping down, to join his fellows in securing the pass. His eyes lingered on the ringing grey armored soldiers, nemesis halberds at the ready.

LIIVI stepped back from the trench, his visor clicking unhealthily as it zoomed back in and reverted to standard. He gathered his things, and sprinted back to the bunker, as Astartes and Ork met in battle.

Brother Onus, of the Grey Knights, cocked his head. The xenos before him fell back on the point of his halberd, spasming and shrieking, before turning into ash. Contemptibly, he flicked the sparking instrument of the Emperor’s wrath. A waste, for this precious blade to be used on contemptuous xenos.

Something… A purity seal rustled on his arm. A rune gently creaked. Through the smoke and vaporized mud, he smelled the foul stench of the warp on the air for a moment. The bunker.

Through the flame and the bullets, Brother Onus starts forward, stalking his prey. A prayer of thanks on his lips.

----

Light from the fires drifts through what flecks of ash remained disturbed as LIIVI stepped down to the shelter. The Vindicare reaches for the door, then hesitates. Through the gash, illuminated by a single dim bulb above her was the primary. Staring into space, head leaning against her shoulder. A black lock of her hair straying over her eye, down her lips, over her pulsing jugular, the adrenaline crash had struck her, he wouldn't even have to use a bullet, just quick and painless. If he had to kill her.

He shouldn't be thinking this. Some part of him knew. He opened the door.

"LIIVI," she started looking up, "Listen, I have something-"
"No time," The Vindicare shut the door behind him, shoving the lock into place,
"Evacuation necessary, conflict is starting anew. Space marines are far more thorough than orks," LIIVI took his rifle from the shoulder, and rammed a clip home into the internal magazine. It was still dirty. He had to hope it wouldn't jam.

"At least they'll be distracted by the orks."
"Tunnels usually lead to Imperial outposts. Judging by the directions the marines came from, we probably won't come into hostile contacts. Marines don't have the forces necessary to mount garrisons in this province yet."
"That's, that's great, LIIVI," smiled Taldeer.

"Come?" LIIVI looked at her, sitting. He reached out his hand, after a moment's hesitation.

She took it, regret filling her mind. The ocean current was pulling her, no matter what she wished..

----

Captain Diocletian was disappointed. This was a cleanup operation, little else.

"Engage at will, there's no challenge here," the order carried across the combeads, as the marines separated, many putting aside their bolters in favor of monomolecular knives. No need to waste good ammunition on undesirable scum.

Craters, fires still raggedly burning. Little else remained. He had to hand it to the Guardsman, give them artillery, and they can-

His shoulder pauldron shattered. Captain Diocletian frowned, and glanced over. Across the way, he saw a grot duck into a trench. He sighed, and took out his bolt pistol.
A tink, and a bullet ricocheted off his arm. And he heard a strange call.

"Mo' dakka." Another voice picked it up, and it became a chant. "Modakka, modakka, modakka, modakka," By this time, Captain Diocletian had eased back, and marines across the field picked up their heads, staring, the voices seeming to come from everywhere and melting together. "ModakkamodakkamodakkamodakkamoDAKKAMODAKKADAKKADAKKDAKKADAKKA"

Across the trench, green heads popped up, one or more guns accompanying each.

Captain Diocletian gave a grim grin. No atonement for idle waste today. “Engage them, meet your foe,” he started forward, pounding across the cracked and dried mud, chainsword lifted, “And sing praise to the Emperor, for letting the enemy wet your blade today!”

Brother Onus stopped in the trench, cocking his head. Orders to charge. He saw several of his brothers obediently marching back, to fight xenos. He did not care. He had come to hunt the Enemy. Not to waste sacred relics on enemies material.

He stood in front of the ruined bunker. The Enemy had been here.

He stepped down the stairs, as the war started anew behind him, and the guns drowned out the thunder of the storm above.

----

The rain was pouring down the steps like a waterfall when the Assassin and the Witch came to the end of the hall. The door was knocked off its hinges, a guardsman broken on it. They carefully stepped over him, avoiding signs of passing by.

The outpost had been manned by two men, both now dead. The dead ork in the center of the floor, strangled by a wire spoke of their courage.

The rain outside had rallied against the fire, attempting to drown and smother it for defying the weather, even as treacherous lightning aided and abetted the enemy.

This is it, thought Taldeer, sparing a glance for LIIVI. Just a while more.

"Let's head out," she said, "Quickly, come on, we can get moving," She reaches for him when he raises his hand, and freezes.

"Wait. I heard something."

Clang.

"Back there, in the tunnel."

Clang. Clang. Clang. It picked up speed. Clang.

Like an iron gavel pronouncing judgment. The pair, stepped back and out of the outpost, the Vindicare raising his rifle. The rain and wind swept along, spattering the two in cold, as the outpost glowed with inner light.

Clang. There was a scraping, cracking sound, as something moved against the ceiling. Clang. The light grew closer, and there was a faint hum. Clang. Then it was there.

The Grey Knight stood in the doorway, as LIIVI and Taldeer stared up from the bottom of the hill, blazing and glowing with the light of his manifest wrath.

----
[[Image:LCB Pursued.jpg|thumb|right]]
"FOUL ONE," the voice resonated, deep, echoing through the armor, "THE STINK OF THE WARP IS UPON YOU," The Grey Knight stepped forward, and out of the outpost, setting his halberd behind him. It crackled in anticipation.

This is it.

To her left, the Vindicare, the mon-keigh tensed. She could see it all. His finger touching the trigger, the weapon jam.

A ton of blessed ceramite artificer steel pounded down, one leg slamming into Kronus's flesh after another, tearing great gouts of soil up.

This is it. The Mon-Keigh, he'll reach for his pisto-

"Taldeer!" An unexpected hand shoved her away, a note of panic in his voice, now for this moment bizarrely familiar, "Get away from he-"

The Grey Knight's back hand slash, the halberd, tugging into his flesh, lifting him up into the air.

A disposed toy. Mon-Keigh. "SCUM!" The mon-keigh, it's usefulness expended. Living the moment it was fated. The mon-keigh... falling. The mon-keigh's blood. On her face. The mon-keigh-
"M-Mon-Keigh..." She shouldn't care.

"THIS IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE RIGHTEOUS!" The Grey Knight, stood over his corpse. LIIVI's corpse. Raising his halberd.

She shouldn't care. She shouldn't be hurt. She shouldn't look in his vainly struggling form.

"KNOW REDEMPTION IN- *HRNNK*?"

The light blazed, and a keening noise could be heard, as runes of warding, protection, and holiness brightened.

"W-W-WHAT WITCHCRAFT- IS THIS?"

His arm, his arm, it was bending, bending the wrong way. He stumbled back, struggling, to execute the traitor. Something cracked. His middle finger waved, popped out and broken.

"EL-ELDAR?!" His felt lost touch of the ground, and he felt the armor dragging at him. His left arm waved around, as he pulled on the bolter trigger, firing, uselessly somewhere behind him.

He heard his seals cracking. The sacred runes breaking. His arm, broken, in three places. His neck, pulling, pulling. He spun, slowly in the air, and then suddenly fell. Crack, headfirst into the ground. Again. Again, again-

Snap.

The invisible grip loosed, and he fell, sliding down the hill. A rather heavy, well accoutered mon-keigh ragdoll.

Taldeer stood, stumbling, slackening staring, breathing in and out evenly. The cacophony, the snickering peals of the warp faded away from her mind. She had risked so much, and for what-

"Liivi!" She rushed forward, running over to the fallen assassin, "Please, please, Liivi, get up human, get up!" The blade had entered the small intestine, and worked its way up, searing and tearing as it went. She drew her hand away, and found blood and ashes.

"No... Please?"

Above, the atmosphere eddied, wrapping and softening the rain, sending snow down as paltry recompense, as the assassin took stuttering gasps.

----

The rain from the night before had reduced the battlefield to a muddy ditch. The burning Ork corpses left a black smear of smoke across the horizon, as Ardrin sat next to the pilot of the command chimera, waiting. He couldn't stand to be in the same room as the Inquisitor, as his pet Culexus just gave him the heebie-jeebies. If the heebie-jeebies came in nightmare form of endless oblivion.

One of the Grey Knights had gone missing; no sign of any corpses matching the Adepta Orthodontia molar records. The Inquisitor was rather pleasant about it.

A bunker had been discovered, with a tunnel. The marines were too busy, setting up a base in preparation to launch assault against the guardsmen over the hill. The Inquisitor hadn't wanted to go through the tunnel on foot. So, they drove out to the outpost.

The pilot nearly ran over the Chosen of the Emperor.

The APC was pulled over. Faceless gasmasked elite glamour boys stepped out, putting up their hellguns like it would mean a damn to a space marine. The Inquisitor stepped out, flanked by his Adeptus Mechanicus, and Culexus.

Ardrin stayed inside, staring through the viewport. The Inquisitor approaches, pushes over the Grey Knight with his foot. Nothing. Everyone relaxes.

Then they jump, a momentary flash illuminating the armored figure. The Inquisitor leans in. Beckons for the Techpriest. The helmet is pried off. The face... A glance, Ardrin got, but he saw it was flattened, bludgeoned. Whispers. The Inquisitor nods, stands, and waves one of the stormtroopers over. He speaks on the radio. Everyone gets back in the Chimera. Except for the Inquisitor. He stops, and tosses a word over his shoulder to the marine.

The marine's face turns stony. Seizes up. Asks a question. The Inquisitor shakes his head. Steps into the chimera.

"Well," announced matter of factly, "This is interesting." "What did you say to him," it isn't exactly a question. It's an accusation. That face. It was of a man doomed.

Inquisitor Madek glances up, "Did I speak to you?" "No, no, but what," Ardrin gulps, "What did you say to him?" "The truth," the optic units stared, emotionless, "That he was damned, for his failure to apprehend the enemies of the Imperium. When he dies," The Inquisitor looked down, for a moment admiring his boltpistol with a distant smile, "He will be denied the Emperor's Grace."

The chimera goes silent, as the soldiers stop their breathing. Shock, all around, save for the Culexus and the Techpriest, who stare downwards.

"And also, Ardrin? Don't speak back to me," The Inquisitor settled back, staring at the ceiling, the ghostly smile still on his face, "That's a sin."

"Make for the spaceport. There've been interesting developments, and I believe they'll head there eventually. Felix? Contact my barge. Tell them, Psalm, 144:1. Make all necessary arrangements. Now I," whispered the Inquisitor, "To sleep, pure of heart and worry..."

----

Inquisitor Madek's personal barge is in a little bubble of calm, in an orbit at constant war. Imperial Naval stand off with the Blood Raven fleet, all the while fighting Orks, Tau, errant eldar raids, the Chaos fleets and the occasional, mysterious necron vessel. Their fortunes turn and twist, but always the same: Inquisitor Madek's vessel is guarded, and never touched.

''Psalm 144:1, of the Litany of Hate.''

The Barge is devoid of human life. But it is filled with abhuman life. Servitors scuttle around, Tau shriek and cry in cages, and the cargo-

Currently, it lies empty. Save for one reinforced casket. No glass faces outside to allow a viewer to look in, for it would be too weak.

''Blessed the Emperor, my strength, be.''

A grasping metal arm swings out, wraps around it, and drags it, emitting sparks the whole way, shrieks of metal falling on deaf durasteel. The odyssey across the vast and lonely cargo bay does not quiet the hunk of steel. At the end, it is placed before the doors, set on a steel bar.

With loud, shrieking claxons, the doors part, and the Tau prisoners gasp for air again. The doors part a bare ten feet, before with a sliding snap, the bar sends the casket flying with what air pressure couldn't do.

It spins, end over end, as around it thousands of navy men fight and war to hold a place above a planet.

The casket falls towards it.

''That teaches my hands to war...''

Molten layers of durasteel dribble off as it falls. It was not specifically designed for orbital entry, but it serves. End over end, it falls and falls, and the outer layer slips off. It has a rough aim of where it needs to go. A rough idea, and a rough mission enters the skull.

Vindicare. Farseer. Dead.

A bare ten miles above ground, the outside of it detonates, bits at a time. The fall hiccups, again and again, as layer after layer is blown off.

Ten meters above ground, it seemingly detonates. It manages to arrest its speed, to only half of terminal velocity.

It is driven three meters into the ground, and kills an unfortunate Odewillin that strayed too close.

It hisses, and pops, as the last powder of explosives detonates. The slag runs off, leaving behind a mere steel plate blocking it and the world.

''...And my fingers to fight.''

A clawed hand pierces through, and tugs off the steel like paper.

''Fear me, for I am your apocalypse.''
-Dictum Eversor

"And call up Governor Alexander, your friend," Inquisitor Madek sways with the bumps, optics still closed, unsmiling.
"I want him to explain to me how my asset managed to get tainted by Chaos."

===Chapter Eight===

''I should have left him there. He had served his purpose.

He owed me nothing - yet he gave himself to me willingly.

Why? I know not.

He is nothing more than a pathetic human.

An inferior race.

A mon-keigh.

But still I broke off my wings so that I might carry him easier.

I took him from that place, into the snowstorm where our tracks will not be found.

He is heavy. And he is dying. And he is slowing me down.

But I will save him.

Why? I know not.

He is still warm. I can feel his blood ebbing across me. For every beat of his heart, another, slight spill of heat. The heat blows away on the winter wind. His blood is still warm. But fading. And I have spilled scarlet myself.

The snow laps greedily at our footsteps and our lifeblood, covering them without a trace as we fade away.''

----

Battle still raged behind them. Far off, in walls of steel and concrete, trenches of dirt and burning promethium, space marine and ork reveled in fire and bolter. Taldeer stopped a moment, breathing in and out, her lungs burning. She held the human over her shoulder, his feet still dragging in the snow. His rifle sheath, with frost covering it. She looked around. Disputed territory. Ork banners held up, some burnt, some empty, some shattered and buried under the snow. Exhortations of war broken and buried under the white blanket. The Vindicare beside her coughed, tensing for a moment, his hand digging into her own- then he slackened again. The blood warmth washed over her side again. She had no need to watch the skein of fate to see that survival was improbable. She was needed elsewhere. She shouldn't die, freezing, clinging to a weaponized man. She shifted his weight again, and pulled forward with her spear, panting again as she passed under twenty meter high declarations of war, pulling through the winter.

----

"Inquisitor." Inquisitor Madek snorted sharply, blinking away the sleep. He frowned. He was cold. He should have packed more clothes than just a cassock. An idiotic desire to empathize with the guardsmen perhaps. "I've heard tell that cleanliness is one of the signs of divinity,"

Madek roused, sitting up, slipping on an ill fitting gentle smile, "I don't think I have to fear any usurpation here. What is it, Felix?"

"The storm," Felix pointed out to the wall, where some diodes sputtered, "The corpus mechanica would be better served if I-"

"I can barely give a damn, we're on the road to the spaceport, we can get it fixed there."

"That's another thing," Lieutenant Ardrin, resembling nothing more than a big black fly came into the room, holding a buzzing comm, "The city, currently our forces command it and will be reinforced, but, the agents of Chaos are attacking it. They hold the entrance to the city we're heading for." Veteran soldiers. No courage, no faithful bone in their body they. Merely the survivors, benefit of the brave souls of the Emperor's truest servants. A fine degree of cowardice uncaught by commissar, that's all that experience breeds. They that survive are just rewarded for their base desire of living. Disgusting.

"I believe we'll be fine," Inquisitor Madek gave a serene grin, "The Emperor protects."

----

Sponge Weeds seemed to be an architect's dream come true. Plentiful, verdant, and tough, to early colonists of Kronus, they seemed to be a nightmare, great wide fields of sticky, dark, meter high reeds, choking swamps and rivers, ensuring most of the southern continent was a morass of stagnant water and painful to clear reeds. Chop them down, more would grow from the inevitable chunks that rushed out of the thing when it was cut, the water held within flooding out. They would gum up the irrigation, showing up in every single farm. "Spongeweeds," became synonymous with unwanted guests, and even became momentarily popular as a term for rapists before use of this term was purged and suppressed by the Ecclesiarchy. Until one ambitious young pioneer decided to attempt to use it to make a house.

Foolish idea, was the universal thought at first. The soaking, stinking reeds would make for a great big mess everyone was convinced. At least until lacquer was applied to it. Cyanide, bacteria, toxins, as soon as the living reed felt under threat, it would stiffen up and hold, sometimes for years at a time if the rudimentary immune system sensed the poison was still there.

Furthermore, reeds cut together would eventually mold together, sealing the area with a near vacuum grip. The house would generate warmth in the winters and hold off the heat in the summers, as the still living yet paralyzed plants reacted to the climates. This architectural fad and art material lasted fifty years before a pysker wandered too close and felt pain. Other pyskers had entered houses, but registered no complaints, and the people protested, but to the Imperial Church this was evidence enough to burn the lot of the suspicious, ugly living buildings. They said the fires were responsible for the harsh winter and cold summer that followed. Standard imperial architecture was followed from then on, but on occasion, out in the wilderness, you found the occasional hut. Like this one.

----

Taldeer stopped, falling to one knee, the weight of the assassin driving her down. Her muscles were stiff cracking against one another, wishing only to lay down and die. She wheezed, staring down at the snow. Little red spatters filled it. Hers and his. She couldn't tell them apart, they were both bright hued and crimson.

Maybe if she stared long enough, she would see one shrivel and crust and the other crystallize and powder. She slapped the ground with her hand, fighting the welcome hands of a sleeping death.

She looked up. A small house. Wooden. Some shelter from the biting wind. Just a few more steps. She bit her lip as she rose to her feet, carrying her savior, blood spilling from her side as the wound broke once again. She dragged forward, heading for the leathery wood flap of a door. Her hand reached for the door knob. She hesitated. A slight scuff of a noise in side. The pistol is steady in her hand as she pushes open the flap with the barrel. The noises getting louder the whole time.

----

The door turned, squeaking and crackling on frozen hinges, the unfrozen edge flapping in the blizzard wind. Didn't look like there was anything. A gas tank stood in the center of the room, a line running into the cast iron stove, radiating welcome heat. Two doors, one ajar to a chair with the bottom cut out over a bucket, and the other firmly shut.

Taldeer shrugged off the assassin, leaning in to whisper, "You'll be warm in a moment Liivi." She slipped inside, sweeping the room with her shuriken pistol, the singing spear unslung and behind her. The noise was coming from above. She was moving, her gun pointed at the ceiling, when she felt something catch her other hand from behind. Her hand- She whirled around, pistol raising to free her spear hand- The assassin's glove was wrapped around her own, slackening, as it fell down in the door way, shivering. The door opened as the Vindicare was dragged in, a slight trickle of blood running across the absorbent floor. Taldeer leaned next to him, leaning in close. His heart had slowed since last time. An occasional shiver would wrack a part of him. The gash- She gulped down the bile as she something shift and slither through the mess of blood and ribs. He shouldn't die. The door creaked.

----

"X-X-Xeno!"

Taldeer spun on her heels, spreading her hands and kneeling before the Vindicare, her shuriken pistol and Singing Spear out. Someone stood, stark naked but for a sheet over his shoulder, in the door way, a primitive slug thrower at his shoulder. Underweight, hairy, and yellowed by liver failure. A shivering blue eye held between the bead, pointed at her head.

"I-I-I never thought they would send another, to me, to my nightmares!" The gun rattled, parts scraping and clacking together, "I, I've killed before! I'm a veteran. A veteran of a secret war of soul and damnation. You won't have! Have! Have me! That's not yours to take, I never let you!"

A madman. Dribbling in whatever local dialect that the humans paid courtesy too. She could barely glean the words meaning, much less the order. In all probability, she could move and slice him from jaw to groin before he could fire his pathetic gun in the wrong direction. But- Her brows furrowed together, she whispered in low gothic, "We only seek shelter from the storm, we are but mere travelers," couching her words in a recognized story, she tried to manipulate his mind. The discharge practically deafened her, and the human brought the black smoking barrel up to her eye.

"Manipulations! Orienteering, on basic desires?! Fuck you bitch! No more," He leaned in, eyes furious, "No more. I used to be a good man, before you showed me! Emperor..." He whispered, "Emperor protect, are you my daughter? I can't tell. I thought, I thought I ate you earlier. I can't tell," he stared down, squeezing his eyes shut, yellowed tears leaking out of his eyes. The gun rose, the man inarticulately sobbing into a hand, it wavered above.

"I," am your daughter of course father, don't shoot me, and your son, you had a son didn't you, followed by a shot through the throat. Eminently survivable, reasonable action. "I am not going to play along with your delusion, mad one," Taldeer brought her shuriken pistol up, and into the watery blue eyes. One shot that would be it. "Leave us be. I do not wish infecting his wound with your blood. And for the sake of your family, get a hold of yourself." Stupid. The old man turned, the slugthrower up. She could get off two shots in the time it took him to get aiming.

"Deat-"

Whizz. The first nicked his hairline.

"-h is the"

The second cut through his thigh born artery.

"path to redempARRRRRGGH"

The bullet fired, hitting wide, thumping into the ceiling, sending filthy half frozen water across the room. Taldeer moved back, and snapped her spear at his hands. The blunt end of the wraithbone snapped his hands like a carrot, the broken bones held within a sack of meat. The gun fell to the floor, discharging into the wall. The wraithbone blade was held against his neck. "Surrender."

He opened his mouth to speak, and all that came out was blood. The shriveled old corpse fell back. Bullet had entered by way of the esophagus, tumbled through thalamus, hypothalamus, medulla oblongata and cerebellum, then, by his estimates, got lodged in the occipital lobe. His Exitus pistol lowered, the Vindicare let his head drop back to the floor. His mask was full of blood. He panted through it. His eyes closed. He was superficially aware of a presence standing above him. Through the numbness, a cold drop prickled his right arm.

"He was hardly a threat." Primary. Taldeer.

"It was necessary."

"Well," her voice came closer, as hand fell on his chest, "I'm not about to berate the man nearly disemboweled, but somebody's going to have to clean that up if we're going to be staying here more than an hour. "Is there plumbing?" He heard the gentle sloshing of water. "I don't know about your species, or even about you yourself, but amongst my people," Splash. A fire ran down the numb line that the Grey Knight had cut into him, "Cold or no, the wounds need to be sterilized," the assassin, for his part only twitched.

He stared at the pistol in his hand. He had never gotten around to reloading it.

----

The blade had started at the base of his bottom, leftmost rib, and worked up, ending at the right clavicle. It was a surface cut, the first rib was cut and the second broken, but after that no other bone damage. The muscle had been shorn off, and it looked like that where it had gone, the flesh had fried. The heart was barely visible, thumping and pulsating.

Fortunately, she reflected, humans had a whole lot of space in their body as opposed to eldar. The blood loss was the most important thing. And sterilizing the room. The alcohol would help a little. And the corpse. Of course, the man had to be eating. Why did he shoot him? The damn silenced pistol, it could have been any time during that fight, and she wouldn't have known. But. It was only after she had told him to surrender. His mouth opened. The blood splattered. She shook her head, as she wrapped the body in the sheet it had been wearing, and dragged it out into the snow. He shoots a lunatic who was waving a gun at you. Most people would firmly place that under the pro column. It just means-

She let go of the sheet on the corpse. As if on cue, the man splayed out, a shiver running down his veins and arteries.

Teeth. Teeth on his tongue. And two noses in his hair.

Her eyes widened, and she turned back to the cottage, as the door slammed shut.

----

Her feet barely touch the snow.

To Eldar, all mankind move clumsily, and slowly, kittens staring about in the dark, their arms blindly reaching to the sky like teetering towers, waving back and forth, unsure nerve and tendon spasming.

Men looking upon Eldar see disquieting grace. Deliberate steps. The care of a surgeon in the movement of a runner. Even the enhanced assassins, and those among the Space Marines unimpeded by their armor seem to have no instinct about them, their speed the speed of a pneumatic press, or an out of control piston. All forcing through the air, no cutting.

But the Vindicare had seemed different. It wasn't speed, as much as being in the right place at the right time. She should've known damn it. She rammed into the door, the half frozen bark, far from its native swamp, dully creaking. She pounded into it again, pulling at the door. It warped and stuttered, held shut by something.

More foolish than a human, she thought bitterly. Her spear was still inside too.

She glanced around, running around the house, as she felt the pull of the sea.

----

Back, a bare hour maybe, that's when she should have seen. (shortly after the Grey Knight fight)

"Come on!" by instinct, her hand reached up, flicking away the blood on her face. She felt more warm blood smear on. The rain was turning to snow, and his breath had started to turn irregular. Shock? He had to live. From stem to stern it had cut, running more shallow along the way. His bottom two ribs, one was cut clean, the other hanging by a sliver of bone. The metal plating had done little good, still bubbling where the marine's glaive had touched. Fried nerves, cooked skin- Human. Mon-keigh.

There were more of them than the stars. Why should she care. A hand slipped under his head, and another one ran across his back.

She shouldn't be caring.

His body shuddered, as he hacked. The mask. Blood was catching under it. Flooding it. He couldn't breath. Her hands ran up the synskin collar, reaching under it, pulling it up as it went along. The mask fell into the snow, taking a lot of blood with it. It dribbled across the snow, and she gently tipped him over, as he hacked, bloody froth coming clear.

"Liivi," she whispered. His eyes were squeezed shut, as he fell back, breathing, coughing occasionally. Dark hair. Short cropped. His cheekbones stood out. What wasn't a smear of blood was- No. Nothing to think about. The snow was falling quick and fast now. She had to go.

She grabbed the mask, and pulled it back onto the Vindicare as gently as she could, but in the middle, he leaned in. Lips brushed. And maybe. Just maybe. They might have held together, a little longer than was appropriate for a bleeding man's comfort.

He fell back into the snow, immediately, as if by some miracle, calmed. She stared. Through the blood, she could taste something else. Lemara. He tasted like lemara.

She carefully pushed the mask back on his face. Around them, the storm begin to howl. She lifted him to her shoulders, and then fell back. There was a cracking noise. The wraithbone had had enough, evidently. How carelessly then she tore off the other spirit stone mounts. Leaving her with just one refuge, in case of death. She had reasoned, she could come back for them. Isolated place. Wouldn't be that hard. They were just getting in the way anyway.

She hefted his arm onto her shoulder, and he had just barely enough life to push with his legs. She stood.

’"WHY-"’ The hollow roar of the Grey Knight's audio must have been malfunctioning, she heard something else whispered. She probably should have been listening.

"He saved my life."

’"YOU-"’ more hollow whispers ’"YOUR GREAT ENEMY?"’

"No more words," She turned, dragging the Vindicare off into the snow storm with her, "You should die soon out here."

----

The Grey Knight had sounded confused. She had chalked it up to his ego's breaking at defeat. He had been beaten severely. And his attempt to kill the enemy of the Imperium he had seen had been foiled by another agent of the Imperium. The Grey Knights are the greatest weapon mankind has against Daemons.

In all their years, they have never had one fall to chaos. They are the few to be entrusted with the full secrets of what the Imperium knew of daemonology, chaos, and the warp. Their very presence pains demons, makes them sluggish, ineffective. They hunt daemons, first and foremost, and in this task, they must be expected to be the best warriors that humanity can dredge up.

Taldeer ran around the hut, looking for any entrance, as the wood boards creaked at her presence. Why would he engage a farseer alone? Her fingers ran across boards merged together, one flesh over another, warm and twitching to the touch. Why would he try to finish off the Vindicare, if there was another opponent in the field? The Great Enemy.

"Wake up Vindie," the Assassin blinked the sleep from his eyes. Taldeer entered the door, shaking the dripping snow from her spear, smiling serenely at Liivi.

She Who Thirsts.

----

"Wake up." Liivi started, sitting up, as a flustered Taldeer approached, with a smile, shaking the wet off of her spear. "How are you?"

"I'm-" the Vindicare tested himself, and set himself back, "I'm going to need a moment. The nerve endings are still broken."

"Good... We'll have to pass the time then, won't we?"

"The inhabitant. I don't smell him."

"I took him out," Taldeer shrugged, setting her arms straight and jamming her hands between her feet as she sat in a position of mock meditation, "Figured we wouldn't like any dead guy laying around here."

"The defecation," the Vindicare turned his eyes towards Taldeer, "The blood."

"Shh, I was just lucky to find a mop and soap in this hick's place," Taldeer placed her ungloved hand on Liivi's shoulder, pushing him gently back down, "Just go to sleep, hmm?" The wood groaned under the Vindicare, as he lay back. A fresh magazine was struck home into the pistol. A nervous system of wires and thrice blessed metals kicked in, as the pistol rose to Taldeer's face. She grinned.

"Do you get off on this?" The pistol made six very good points in reply, while the Vindicare kicked himself back.

Taldeer started, as she felt the ocean kick, before stepping back. Two large, holes burst through the wood, the rubbery sacks burst and making a squealing, squelching noise. The problem with the architecture of Kronus, that caused the Ecclesiastical purge was the pysker's report. The pain he felt was purely sympathetic, a crude intelligence, but an intelligence en masse was inside the homes. The local Arch Cardinal had wanted any reason he could find to burn the homes, as disgusted as he was at the concept of living houses, and he had found it. They were aliens, possibly intelligent aliens. As the homes burned into the night sky, and the reeds, already depopulated by the rapacious desires of the colonists, were uprooted wherever the crusaders could find them, they were nearly driven into extinction. Whether they had gone on this path for centuries and they had somehow managed to keep it in secret, or it was started in response, no one can ever be sure.

But the plaintive, stupid, mewling minds of plants turned their thoughts to Chaos. The shaking reeds vomited forth the filthy, turgid water into the snowstorm, as Taldeer leapt back. They rustled and undulated, swearing and cursing in ways only the grass and wind could respect. They called upon a goddess that had long grown bored of them. The weeds shriveled and shrunk desperate to hold onto what water they could. Taldeer reached with her hands, and broke and tore the twisted remnants of an empire that never was, and broke through.

----

"Hah... Haha..." The pseudo Taldeer fell back against one of the walls, as it twisted in vegetative joy, she spread her hands, "You wound me."

"That was the intent," an empty mag thudded across the floor, as the Vindicare reached for another.

"Do you like it?" The Taldeer fell forward, her eyes watering, her delicate, pale hands reaching for the hole in her throat, she stared upwards, mouth running blood, at the Vindicare, "Is it better, when you can just kill those that you make the object of your affections? Simplifies the fun parts, I bet?"

"Quiet," The pistol coughed, ramming a bullet through the forehead, blood spattering against his visor. Small lasers immediately evaporated it. The Vindicare stood, hand at his side. He switched through the spectrums. All of them showing the same thing.

"Something wrong?" whispered the heap from the floor, "Would it have been better if I didn't talk?" The visor was in error. The sounds weren't matching up right. The gun was too loud. There wasn't that much blood. He didn't smell death.

"Witch."

"Close," Thermal signatures rose in the shape of a smiling woman, covered barely by black stained leather, "It-"

The pistol coughed too loud again as a round black hole appeared in the forehead.

----

The house shouldn't be this big. Taldeer stepped forward, her shuriken pistol drawn. A small comfort. The wood walls seemed to pulse and breath, as water passed down the reeds. They pressed in, weak, minds drawn together by some human that wanted a place for the summers. Her ocean was dark. She was in the waves. She was strong here.

The Great Enemy. She had been a fool.

No one falls in love outside of their species. Not without some manipulation.

"So, why are you going back?" Mused a voice. Taldeer held, her pistol raised, her hand squeezing, crackling with energy.

"I have no reason to explain to you, or your ilk."

"She was bored, you know," Something stepped out of the shadows, something that was a color and a smell and a industrial accident, "She has been waiting soooo long, to finish what you started. You can't tease a girl forever," A hand touched Taldeer's shoulder. She shot up. Something hissed and shrieked, and for a blink of a moment, Taldeer was standing in a kitchen, strange, viscous blood dripping across her. Then, she was somewhere else.

"I know you are impatient beast. Your kind always are. When you come back, I will kill you."

"Oh, I will be entertained," The voice had changed pitches, almost recognizable, on surrounding on all sides, "I will be entertained by your other. Your savior, as we jerk him by the chains we gave him and he shoots you full of holes!"

As if on cue, a buzzing noise of a hundred bullets whizzed at Taldeer. She held still, and waited for the thing to get bored.

----

General Governor Militant Lukas Alexander rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Inquisitor Madek, I do not know anything more than what my trusted officer Ardrin has told you. If you will pardon me, I have a war against those beloved space marines you invited into the pass my men softened to run."

"There is something more, Governor. There must be."

"Your Grey Knight declared somebody reeked of the warp, he was next to an Eldar, he could have sniffed the warp enchantments she used on him."

"It is not the same, neophyte. Tell me again, where you deployed him."

"Initial clearing of Victory Bay, deployment along with Operation Hammerfall as a spotter-"

"Details."

"He cleared a house, used it as a firing position, dropped hundreds of rioters before they surrendered."

"Inhabitants of the house."

"A family, family of six."

"Hm. Last of the reports on the kill roster for him-"

"Oh good, that makes me ecstatic. I'm so glad you found that out. Beautiful. I'm going to get back to my war, that you helped my enemies with now."

"The weight will be upon your soul if you do not hel-"

"What else can I do? I'm not going to recite records that Ardrin has already told you about all day. Governor Militant, out."

"If you-" Inquisitor Madek stared, stunned as the vox buzzed silent. Then frowned. That would require retaliation. He turned to the Enginseer, "Brother Felix, if I could have a word with you about the newly deployed unit..."

----

Lukas switched off the comm, panting a bit. That was unwise. He closed his eyes, and sighed, before crawling back into the tank. He stood, taking the third door down the corridor, where the technicians saluted, pointing him to his seat. He gave a nod, before sitting down in the command chair. "This thing is checked right? I don't feel like going through a long checklist of what works and what doesn't."

"All eleven weapons, check, fuel check, tracks check out, everything is good to go my lord."

"Good," Lukas Alexander shifted uneasily in his command chair, glancing across the technicians. He had been a bit rude. He licked his lips, loosening the bolt pistol at his side, "No one in here leaves, no one in here enters, until this battle is over, you read?" A wave of nods, "Good. Set course for the space port." A deafening crunch of ice on steel, as the many engines in the Baneblade roared to life, pulling the tracks forward across the snowing landscape. Eleven guns waved over the horizon, searching for targets, seeing only the flanking forces of the Imperial guard, rolling behind. Greasy black smoke sailed up into the sky joining their brethren above the Kronus spaceport. Strangely, the assurances of Midilv seemed even less comforting, at the end of a tank column.

----

"It's not going to be of any use," The Daemon stood, shaking her head, blood and brains dripping from two dark red holes.

"True," The Vindicare lowered his weapon, his hand pressing against his side, the adrenaline was fading now, and he could feel something drifting in his body, "Leave me then, or kill me abomination. I shall not be diverted from my duties."

"No, of course not. You have the Farseer for 'diversions' from your duty, don't you?" The daemonette spread her hands, approaching the assassin, "You didn't- You didn't think these feelings were genuine, did you?"

Snap.

"If we're going to have a conversation, you REALLY must stop shooting me."

===Chapter Nine===
The contents of Chapter Nine were deleted by the writer; supposedly, nothing relating to the story was lost.😈

===Chapter Ten===

"Of course, you would have known that... If you had looked inside of his head," the abomination's clawed feet tacked on the floor, annoying, precise, like a metronome by five, "Which I assume, you didn't?" Taldeer stayed, kneeled, still. The thing was confusing her, trying to make her distrust, lose focus, but... The soft noise, like leather being drawn taut heralded the monster's smile. "You DID."

"I delved into his mind while he slept. His memories...they horrified me. The things they did to him as a child and even worse - as a man. They twisted his mind and body endlessly. Till there was nothing left. Nothing but a weapon. A tool for the Imperium. Barely a soul in a body, this man, LIIVI, was utterly alone in this world. Even more so than I. He has nothing and nobody to go back to. I broke free from his mind. And after a moment to collect my thoughts, I laid beside him and slept," Taldeer turned, her head tilting up slightly.

Amusement, rippled on the tide in her head. "You were horrified?" Laughter, mirth traveled along the waves, "Horrified? You soft bitch, you delve into his skull while he sleeps, while he TRUSTS you," The voice paused a moment, and for a moment, the utter dark that blocked Taldeer's senses lifted, her, lying on the kitchen floor, the wall above filled with holes, before it returned, "And you dive into his skull?" The daemonette was behind Taldeer. She could feel it. Rasping along her soul, crying out that all that was wrong behind her- Yet she listened to the daemon's words.

"I MASTURBATED to those thoughts, you little innocent bitch," Taldeer's eyes made the lie that the daemonette strutted ahead of her, glittering multifaceted eyes reflecting her a thousand times being tortured, "How couldn't it arouse you?" The daemonette spread her arms, a viscous substance dribbling from her fingers, strands still leading back to her person, "A man, reduced to a machine, single minded, devoted to destruction and eradication, and you, you have him as your servant. Your patsy. The one who adores you,"

The Slaaneshi leaned in, smile playing across her lips, "Without even fucking with his head, or at least doing a damn fine subtle job of it, tell me you don't get a little wet at things you could make him do, wrapped around your little finger."

"I mean, at that as well, with just a single glance, A SINGLE GODDAMN GLANCE, you had him?" The Daemonette shook her head as she walked back, "Lucky, lucky little whore..." The illusion stopped, turned on her heel, staring at Taldeer. "Well? Say something? Anything Juliet?"

"No," Taldeer said, serenely, "I think you've told me everything I wanted to know already." The daemonette narrowed her eyes, snorted, then rounded on her heel. Imaginary tortures sprang anew across her, as Taldeer grinned, fearless now.

----

In the Temple of the Vindicare, all times were measured by the times of Earth. It took three days, nineteen hours and twelve seconds for the disobedient, alien sun to set. Eighteen hours and three seconds for the blasphemous second star to rise. Eighteen hours of tyranny before it fell. So on. So forth. All attempts to form an unofficial, logical time, were broken by the lash.

Yet, in those first few free months, the assassin kept a new time than the one he had once on his home world. It had been driven out of him. With burning rod and crackling leather, it had been erased. Expunged. With the rest of him, pulled out by the roots, taking great big bloody clots with it.

It was noon, on Holy Terra. The sun was high above Holy Terra. The Inquisitor had always told them that the clock was right. Checked by [[TWINS THEY WERE|twins, they were]]. What light could make through the atmosphere, would be glinting off of the palace right now. The moon looked beautiful, this noon of Holy Terra.

"If you're done ruminating...The mission you fucked." The Vindicare looked down from the moon, to the longlas in his hands. He stood in a field where nothing grew but weeds, tall as his thighs. A flower was growing at his feet.

"Do not fail," intoned, from a year away.

----

"You're an awful good sport about this," whispered the daemonette across the road. She smiled, sadly, in the lips of Taldeer, sad eyes of Taldeer peering from under the sad brow of Taldeer, in the garments of Taldeer, "If, if you want this to stop-"

Taldeer's long lashes cast downward, covering aged eyes, wet and ashamed- "Yes."

A ground car trundled by, its primitive combustion engine hacking and coughing as it went. When the ton of motored steel passed by, the warp spawned abomination shrugged off the skin of Taldeer, a frown cracking its face. "Guess it ain't vulnerability then," muttered the deviant, dispelling the illusion.

"The target is going to Nightmarket," 12:34, on the minute in Pier delle Vigne, the streets blossomed. Under noon in Holy Terra, under moon of their world. No spymask. Stealthsuit and hood were under his coat and trousers, but he wasn't expected to have to use them. Inquisitor Uberti wanted to send a message. Already elements of the 5th Hastati were moving, securing spots for the Vindicare to fire, securing avenues of escape, securing the proper delivery of the message. A year ago, the Vindicare's hands moved, disassembling the weapon, placing the pieces in his coat. A year ago, he moved off, heading for the night market in full bloom. The red flower, fairer by any other name, a relic from twenty thousand years ago, a genetic miracle, a year ago crushed under his foot.

"Stepped on something," the voice from across the road lilted over. The world had no technology to speak of. The governor enacted dictums and creeds long ago, that forbade the populace from dealing with Imperial traders, "To preserve the culture and lifestyle of the honest folk of Florent." Currently on his two hundred and eleventh year by virtue of Imperial immortality drugs, rumor stated that the governor had gone into seclusion more as a concession to good taste not to flaunt hypocrisy than any sort of secret to hide.

Generations had the same portrait of the governor, smug, a little jowl, the Imperial regalia suiting him. Rogue traders freely tracked back and forth, even as lasgun bearing Adeptus Arbites patrolled the streets, keeping an eye out for citizens bearing too much technology. "You ever felt guilty?" Asked the voice, now on the other side of a building, as the Vindicare stepped along the sidewalk. The longlas disassembled, held in pockets on his person. The assassin did not answer. Night Market was a festive time, a relic of happier days. Night time used to be times of fear to those of Pier delle Vigne, long ago.

But how the city celebrated with gas lighting. They revered it to this day, elevating the hero of the city, Vigne the Gaslighter, with sainthood in their local Ecclesiarchical branch, and with his name upon the town. In celebration of their newfound safety, and liberation from criminals, the Night Market was opened. In recent years, it had become considered practically a form of open welfare for the criminal element, but, a reverence for tradition drove the Florents on to the market, nearly every night they could afford to.

Including one unfortunate young woman.

Third floor. Brick building.

"So nice to be able to see you fuck up something once. Well, this and falling for something that isn't even your species."

The long barrel spins, clicks in place on the main body of the lasrifle. A powerpack is shoved home. A whine, subsonic, pierces the Vindicare's ears.

"Always shooting chicks too, alright, the last lil' scene we played through, she wasn't that good, but this one," The daemonette was leaning on some boxes. Some sort of warehouse, she leaned over the edge, peering out the window, "She's something I'd like to spend a bit of time on, if ya- Oh by the way, good peripheral vision there, that all natural?"

The scope slid down the hollowed line, as the Vindicare stood at the window, his target coming along in peripheral vision. She was a courtesan. She was smiling, her parents had been mixed, one of them belonging to the dominant darker ethnicity with the silver highlight genetic tampering, and the other a plainer, more yellow woman who gained his attention by being an heiress. Somehow, they managed to produce a beauty enough to capture the attention of the planet. And the governor.

"Too high," muttered the Vindicare, words that were in his memory.

"Oh good. After that bad ass, click clang assembling bit, you go down a floor?" The daemonette rolled her eyes, "Real professional."

Vindicare walked by, his longlas fully assembled at his side. "Playin' hard to get," she mumbled. She hated being direct. But bit by bit, it seemed the only way. Canvas flaps crisscrossed the streets, like the product of a manic spider. Within the folds and turns and twists of the Night Markets tent city, merchants established their benches, displaying their wares for all to see. Behind the canvas, the Vindicare waited.

Leather and patchwork cloth didn't hide her from the IR on the scope. It was good enough. He really had no need to reach through, and pull apart a seam on one of the flaps, to see with his own eyes. She stepped lightly, a bag at her waist, over her arm, holding it like the farmgirl she once was distributing seed. Gift from the governor. No stitches. Molded together. Doubtless bought off world.

"X-L-I-I-I, do you have the target in sight yet?" The bored tones of Inquisitor Uberti crackled over his subdermal. For a moment, his skin twitched, set abuzz by the faulty installation just behind his temple. The next module performed much better.

"Yes."

"Good, good, my men will need a moment to get into position, just hold on." She twisted, the shotgun of genetic fate on full display. Coconut skin like her father, mother's fair hair, save for what silver patterned across her, flashing in the gaslight. "We're good, look to your right." The Vindicare glanced out of the corner of his eye. Inquisitor Uberti stood, a good nine blocks away on one of the sprawling balconies of the governor's equally opulent and space wasting manor. The Inquisitor's arm over the shoulder of a quivering, frightened man stuffed with great care into an officer's regalia. "Fire at will."

The cotton skirt blew in the wind, as she turned, the grin at the common folk faded, as she looked down the street, in curiosity at the waving man in the golden armor. Her head, flapped in the breeze, as she spun a last pirouette, a lazy circle falling down. The Night Market, within a moment, emptied, stepping and fighting each other to get away from the signature lasblast. Some of them trod upon their former maiden idol.

"That was it?"

"You're the one picking through my memory."

"And you remembered this as a botched job becau-"

"Pick back through the briefing witch," said the Vindicare, turning and pointing the lasrifle at the daemonette, "I am not in a verbose mood."

"You're going to try to shoot me again?" The Daemonette stepped forward, as Liivi felt her hot breath on the back of his neck, "You do know- I control everything you see. Slaanesh is the god of pleasure, sensation, excess- I, I control everything you can possibly see, hear, smell, touch, and taste, waving a pretend gun at a pretend me and pretend to pull the pretend trigger is not going to do a thing."

The memory faded, pushing LIIVI back into the dark. The gun, dripped and melted away with cinematic abandon. "Just sit tight there miboyo. I'll be back later." The daemonette opened her eyes again. Back to reality. The assassin in front of her had flailed about like a puppet with the way she had to manipulate his every sense before she had gone ahead and tied him up with a belt. The Eldar was at least still, but, at this the abomination felt her side, the wound still raw, "Bitch is tricky," the Slaaneshi murmured. She felt it again. The weak wash of a primitive intellect. The house called again. Noiselessly tunelessly. Begging for feeling once more.

"Barely a step above Tau," the daemonette murmured as she turned from the room with the tied sniper, standing at the precipice to the kitchen. The farseer was still there. Kneeling in the standing water. Fuck she hated that bitch.

"Still caught?" Asked Taldeer. "Well, I would go but-"

The daemonette drudged up a quick dream, a flash of her the head of the assassin in her hand, him naked kneeling in front of her, bound and gagged, "We haven't even gotten into anal yet, so I'm not about to leave this nice coz-"

"Cozy house of an abomination that had an intellect that you could barely sustain yourself off of and you reduced your last guest to a gibbering wreck, leaving you stranded in the middle of a blizzard, left alone-"

"Chaos is on this planet," The Slaaneshi sniffed, "I could just hop into the warp and back out on a battlefield somewhere, enjoying myself."

"I've never seen any of Eliphas's men deploy a single daemonette."

"Oh, so suddenly you're the expert on Daemonology."

Silence.

"He'll turn," The daemonette turned away, heading back to the assassin, "We have all the world and all the time in it." The claws tacked away, angry. Taldeer waited, the ocean drift in her head whispering. Then, with some care, she crept forward another inch. A bare three inches away from the gun she remembered the mon-keigh had dropped.

==About the Ending==

''This is just one oldfag's recollection, but I figure it's better than nothing.

''The ending exists- or it did for about half a day. It was posted in an obscure way, I want to say a troll-ridden LCB discussion thread that was nearing autosage. No one saved it, apparently.

''This is all secondhand, mind you. But it fits my impression of Bloom Writer- he'd always struck me as very shy and self-effacing, possibly to the point of having genuine self-esteem issues. I also recall that he was struggling to keep going; the "final chapter" may not have been very good or actually reached the end. (Or maybe the dude just had a shitty net connection, it's way too easy to read into these things.)

''Either way, the anon who did see it gave us the gist of it a day later, and the plot points he passed on are worth sharing.''

-The inquisitor was heretical and had been making knockoff assassins, including LIIVI (whose defects were limited to things like love blooming- he could snipe as well as the genuine article).

-LIIVI managed to cover Taldeer's escape but was captured as a consequence.

-Taldeer makes it back to her ship but winds up joining some rogue traders rather than returning to the craftworld. The implication is that she intends to find and rescue LIIVI.

''So if you ever hear people talk about Space Pirate Taldeer, just remember: it's totally canon.

(That being said, there is no way to prove that any of the above is true. In the absence of any undeniable evidence to the contrary, the vast majority of /tg/ acts on the assumption that Taldeer and LIVII escaped back to Ulthwé, where they eventually have [[Lofn|a daughter]].)

==See Also==
*Love Can Bloom Epub Edition: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnf2kgvlr8n3e4c/Love%20can%20Bloom%20-%20_tg.epub
''Compilation of above writefaggotry''
*[[Love Bloomed In Her Mouth]]
*[[Bedroom Infiltration]]
*[[Meet the Ulthran]], in which Eldrad Ulthran meets LIIVI and decides he approves.
*[[Sister Sinai]], in which we see LIIVI in action before he meets [[Taldeer]].
*[[Imber]]

==Gallery==

<center>
<gallery>
Image:Lovecanbloom_by_co_drawfag.jpg|Even /co/ draws these two
Image:Mon Keigh Fucker.jpg|Macha gives her opinion
Image:LCB.jpg|"Don't worry, honey. I'm sure IG will be in the expansion."
Image:LCB Abortion.jpg|FOR THE EMPEROR
Image:LCB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.gif|Hormonal Taldeer is hormonal.
Image:LCB DOOOOOOOOM RIDERRRRRRR.png|Love Can-DOOMRIDER NA NA NA NA
Image:1271836100524.jpg|Scout Sergeant Cyrus is less sympathetic.
Image:LCB Eversor badend.jpg|<strike>Bad</strike>Good End.
Image:Tyranid Notions.png|They're gonna get blamed
Image:LCB Genetics.png|Bad end. {{BLAM| You know, besides being [[Heresy]], the [[Emprah]] was also thinking practical.}}
Image:LCB canon.jpg|Guess who's canon?
Image:Taldeer and vindy.jpg|I tried using this line with my girlfriend. She laughed at me. ;_;
Image:LCB IknowIforgotsomething.png|DRAMA
Image:LCB Infidelity.jpg|Daemonette hookers + prescient spouse = D:
Image:LCB Kissu.jpg|"Look into my perfect eyes, you filthy mon'keigh."
Image:LCB LIIVI sketch.jpg|"I want you to draw me, like one of your Craftworld boys."
Image:LCB LIIVI techpriests.jpg|AH A CHALLENGE WORTHY OF MAH SKILLS
Image:LCB LIIVI unmasked.jpg|"This is my grimdark face. It makes me grim and dark."
Image:LCB Logo2.jpg|IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE, THERE IS ONLY oh what the fuck is this shit
Image:LCB NerdRage.jpg|FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Image:LCB RipperHunting.jpg|R-ripper-chan ;_;
Image:LCB Smile.jpg|^_^ SO KAWAII :3
Image:LCB TerraChannel.png|A rare scene of the happy couple in something other than Blam!-o-vision
Image:ANGRY-LCB.jpg|Angry Marine haet LCB
Image:1232455221928.jpg|Idranel gives her opinion
Image:LCB comic.jpg
Image:CodecLoveBloom.jpg|[[Metal Gear Vindicare|Apparently.]]
</gallery>
</center>
{{Template:Promotions}}
<center>
<gallery>
Image:LCB Visual Novel.jpg|I'd let my love bloom in her, if you know what I mean
Image:LCB Visual Novel Uncensored.jpg|Now with additional [[heresy]]!
Image:LCBVisualNovelPayoff_by_eccm417.jpg|Extra extra [[heresy]]!
Image:LCB_Promotions.jpg|I JUST ADVANCED IN RANK
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Stories]][[Category:Stories/Love Can Bloom]][[Category:Stories/Warhammer 40,000]]

Sindri Myr

2015-11-17T05:05:28Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Sindri.jpg|right|thumb|His voice is like wine. Evil wine.]]

Sindri Myr, commonly known as [[Lord Bale|SSSSSSIIIIINNNNNDDDRRRRRIIII]], was a Chaos sorcerer of the [[Alpha Legion]] and notorious jackass. He betrayed the bulk of his warband and manipulated a [[Blood Ravens]] Librarian in order to obtain the Maledictum and ascend to Daemonhood. His ascension to Daemonhood was short-lived - cut short by [[Gabriel Angelos]] - but daemons are essentially immortal, so he'll probably be back eventually (although the Daemon of the Maledictum listed Sindri as a sacrifice, which means it consumed his Daemonic essence, permanently destroying him, although considering its Sindri aka the arch-sneaky jackass he probably had a backup soul to force feed the daemon).

He is well-known for his chillingly calm voice, which all but oozes evilness (except when he tries to shout; then he sounds like a pussy), and the hilarious, often sarcastic dialogue he has with Lord Bale, a level of awesomeness that no Chaos Sorcerer since has managed to replicate (ever since they changed the voice-actor in Winter Assault for reasons best-left nebulous). He is also known for being yet another example of Relic fucking up [[Fluff]]. as Sindri invokes [[Khorne]] several times (and Khorne despises sorcerers) and the Daemon who is freed by him ultimately is a greater daemon of Khorne. This is something that would be repeated in [[Dawn of War|Winter Assault]].

However, he probably honors all of them due to being Chaos Undivided.

==Tartarus==
Sindri, along with [[Lord Bale]], sought to gain a powerful artifact called "The Maledictum" (A stone imprisoning a Khornate Daemon). Being a cunning and manipulative planner (And also using the Alpha Legions tactics of stealth and guerilla warfare), he found it more tactical to hide in the shadows while their pawns, The Orks, distracted the Imperial Forces from noticing them. He constantly had to cope with Bale's bitching, mistreatment and constant threats while he carefully planned to get the Maledictum. He eventually got the key and, later on, betrayed Bale to the Blood Ravens. He also was able to corrupt the Librarian Isador after constant tempting from visions (Who was then killed by [[Gabriel Angelos]]). He finally ascended as a Daemon Prince , though it was, as stated above, short lived after Gabriel smashed his face (and subsequently the Maledictum) with a Daemon Hammer. While this would normally mean he was banished back to the warp, dialogue from the daemon sealed in the Maledictum after it was freed indicates that it took him as a sacrifice like it did everything else that died on Tartarus.

==About Sindri==
[[File:ChibiSindri.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sind'aw Myr.]]
He displays the usual traits of a Chaos Sorcerer (regardless of Chaos God affiliation): He is intelligent, cunning, manipulative, arrogant and has a constant thirst for greater power. Not to mention an incredibly smooth voice. No, seriously, [[Scott McNeil]] really hit the conniving evil sorcerer right on target. He is also shown to be very calm and laid back, even when enemies are closing in. He is also very patient and doesn't lose his temper (Though he does become very annoyed with Bale after obtaining the Maledictum). [[C.S.Goto|He is an oddity amongst Chaos Sorcerers because he seems to worship Khorne (Very, Very, Very odd, considering that Khorne hates and distrusts Sorcerers, to the point where he'd kill one outright if one tries to offer a sacrifice to him)]] Sindri is armed with a Bedlam Staff (A Tzeentchian Daemon Weapon from the previous edition), which steadfastly marks him as an Undivided Sorcerer. This is unusual as Bale appears to be a Nurgle Lord (armed with a Manreaper), though given the fact that Relic at that time has handled fluff about as well as [[C.S.Goto|this faggot]], we should be thankful they're not all armed with [[Multilasers]]

In addition, it's worth noting that Bale's warband did not feature a single cult unit among it's ranks and made use of both Tzeentchilist and Khornate daemons. So it's likely that Bale and Sindri were followers of Chaos undivided, with Sindri spouting Khornate lines only because the Daemon of the Maledictum he sought to free was itself; Khornate. Had it been a Keeper of Secrets or Lord of Change stuck in there, he probably would have rattled off the catchphrases specific to princess of excess or the architect of fate.

Opportunism with regards to which god is honored is quite common among the more lucid yet secular followers of Chaos Undivided. If you want/need to appease Khorne for soemthing, you say Khornate phrases and kill things in an angry and bloody way. If you need to appease Tzeentch, you start rattling off "just as planned" and work to enact great change. Nurgle? Get out the phrase book and spread the joy of necrosis. Slaanesh? Time for some extreme fun to be had/Eldar sacrificing. You don't commit to any god, but instead juggle around offerings and what not to get what you want.

In any case, it was less Khorne he was trying to appeal to and more the Daemon of the Maledictum; whom he ultimately really just wanted because the energies used in binding it could let him attain daemonhood. He only wanted to make bloody sacrifices to Khorne and ceaseless conflict because that was the fastest way for him to get access to the energies of the artifact and attain immortality as a daemon prince of chaos undivided. The goal wasn't ceaseless bloodshed for the sake of ceaseless bloodshed with Daemonhood really only being a means to more such bloodhsed like Kyras, the goal always was to become a big bad daemon and never have to worry about dying.

Until Macha, Angelos, and Thoth killed him and the Daemon he had sought to use simply devoured him like everyone he had fed to it in his quest for power. In a sense, the ultimate irony is that despite being a master manipulator; Sindri himself was outplayed by the forces he wanted to exploit and just as he had thrown his Lord's warband, an Ork WAAAGH!, Guardsmen, Space marines, and Eldar at the Daemon to fuel his ascension by stealing the Maledictum's power, he himself was turned into nothing but fuel for the Daemon's own plans.

==Trivia==
*If a Chaos Lord or anyone of high-rank is betrayed by a second in command, the correct term would be "Sindri'd". You may also pronounce it as "Sindri...SIIIIIIINDRIIIIII!-'d"
*It could be argued that he may be as equally awesome as [[Ahzek Ahriman]] (Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons).
*Sindri appears to have made a pact with [[Slaanesh]] for his voice, considering it's a lot smoother and seductive than the other Sorcerers found in the expansions.
*His voiceactor is [[Scott McNeil]] (MIGHTY IS HE), and his voice style returns in DoWII Chaos Rising for the regular sorcerers, which many heralded as the most awesome thing to happen to Chaos in a video game.
*His last lines. "Just a moment more damn you...''Yes'' it is UPON US! BEAR WITNESS TO MY ASCENSION!!! GRAAAAAHH!!!" are perhaps the most awesome lines in all of Warhammer history, tied only by [[Kyras|Kyras']] "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!! LET THE GALAXY, '''BURRRRRRN'''!!!!!!!!"
* Sindri is the name of a [[Dorf]] from [[Warriors of Chaos|Norse]] mythology.
* No relation to [[Magic the Gathering|Myr]] [[wat]]soever.
* When Sindri turns into a daemon prince, he is MUCH stronger than the version of the unit introduced in Dark Crusade (4 times the health, the model itself is bigger, and his DPS is a good sight better) and is actually stronger than the game's relic units (he's still beatable though, the player will have already those down and not even with the full arsenal the game lets them have, in addition; he only comes out to play after you've slaughtered all his mooks and are bearing down on him with your entire army). So unlike [[Eliphas]], [[Carron]] and [[Warriors of Chaos|Thorgar The Blooded One]], him turning into a daemon prince is an upgrade and not a downgrade since they get stuck with turning into [[Derp|balanced version intended for multiplier games]], but a campaign exclusive super unit. Granted, we don't know how strong he was before that because he doesn't appear in levels before ascending, but we can safely assume.

{{Template:Chaos-Marines}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Chaos]][[Category:Space Marines]][[Category: Dawn of War]]

Sindri Myr

2015-11-17T04:59:00Z

2A02:FE0:C100:1:94BE:C5C6:5FFE:CB07:

[[File:Sindri.jpg|right|thumb|His voice is like wine. Evil wine.]]

Sindri Myr, commonly known as [[Lord Bale|SSSSSSIIIIINNNNNDDDRRRRRIIII]], was a Chaos sorcerer of the [[Alpha Legion]] and notorious jackass. He betrayed the bulk of his warband and manipulated a [[Blood Ravens]] Librarian in order to obtain the Maledictum and ascend to Daemonhood. His ascension to Daemonhood was short-lived - cut short by [[Gabriel Angelos]] - but daemons are essentially immortal, so he'll probably be back eventually (although the Daemon of the Maledictum listed Sindri as a sacrifice, which means it consumed his Daemonic essence, permanently destroying him, although considering its Sindri aka the arch-sneaky jackass he probably had a backup soul to force feed the daemon).

He is well-known for his chillingly calm voice, which all but oozes evilness (except when he tries to shout; then he sounds like a pussy), and the hilarious, often sarcastic dialogue he has with Lord Bale, a level of awesomeness that no Chaos Sorcerer since has managed to replicate (ever since they changed the voice-actor in Winter Assault for reasons best-left nebulous). He is also known for being yet another example of Relic fucking up [[Fluff]]. as Sindri invokes [[Khorne]] several times (and Khorne despises sorcerers) and the Daemon who is freed by him ultimately is a greater daemon of Khorne. This is something that would be repeated in [[Dawn of War|Winter Assault]].

However, he probably honors all of them due to being Chaos Undivided.

==Tartarus==
Sindri, along with [[Lord Bale]], sought to gain a powerful artifact called "The Maledictum" (A stone imprisoning a Khornate Daemon). Being a cunning and manipulative planner (And also using the Alpha Legions tactics of stealth and guerilla warfare), he found it more tactical to hide in the shadows while their pawns, The Orks, distracted the Imperial Forces from noticing them. He constantly had to cope with Bale's bitching, mistreatment and constant threats while he carefully planned to get the Maledictum. He eventually got the key and, later on, betrayed Bale to the Blood Ravens. He also was able to corrupt the Librarian Isador after constant tempting from visions (Who was then killed by [[Gabriel Angelos]]). He finally ascended as a Daemon Prince , though it was, as stated above, short lived after Gabriel smashed his face (and subsequently the Maledictum) with a Daemon Hammer. While this would normally mean he was banished back to the warp, dialogue from the daemon sealed in the Maledictum after it was freed indicates that it took him as a sacrifice like it did everything else that died on Tartarus.

==About Sindri==
[[File:ChibiSindri.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Sind'aw Myr.]]
He displays the usual traits of a Chaos Sorcerer (regardless of Chaos God affiliation): He is intelligent, cunning, manipulative, arrogant and has a constant thirst for greater power. Not to mention an incredibly smooth voice. No, seriously, [[Scott McNeil]] really hit the conniving evil sorcerer right on target. He is also shown to be very calm and laid back, even when enemies are closing in. He is also very patient and doesn't lose his temper (Though he does become very annoyed with Bale after obtaining the Maledictum). [[C.S.Goto|He is an oddity amongst Chaos Sorcerers because he seems to worship Khorne (Very, Very, Very odd, considering that Khorne hates and distrusts Sorcerers, to the point where he'd kill one outright if one tries to offer a sacrifice to him)]] Sindri is armed with a Bedlam Staff (A Tzeentchian Daemon Weapon from the previous edition), which steadfastly marks him as an Undivided Sorcerer. This is unusual as Bale appears to be a Nurgle Lord (armed with a Manreaper), though given the fact that Relic at that time has handled fluff about as well as [[C.S.Goto|this faggot]], we should be thankful they're not all armed with [[Multilasers]]

In addition, it's worth noting that Bale's warband did not feature a single cult unit among it's ranks and made use of both Tzeentchilist and Khornate daemons. So it's likely that Bale and Sindri were followers of Chaos undivided, with Sindri spouting Khornate lines only because the Daemon of the Maledictum he sought to free was itself; Khornate. Had it been a Keeper of Secrets or Lord of Change stuck in there, he probably would have rattled off the catchphrases specific to princess of excess or the architect of fate.

Opportunism with regards to which god is honored is quite common among the more lucid yet secular followers of Chaos Undivided. If you want/need to appease Khorne for soemthing, you say Khornate phrases and kill things in an angry and bloody way. If you need to appease Tzeentch, you start rattling off "just as planned" and work to enact great change. Nurgle? Get out the phrase book and spread the joy of necrosis. Slaanesh? Time for some extreme fun to be had/Eldar sacrificing. You don't commit to any god, but instead juggle around offerings and what not to get what you want.

In any case, it was less Khorne he was trying to appeal to and more the Daemon of the Maledictum; whom he ultimately really just wanted because the energies used in binding it could let him attain daemonhood. He only wanted to make bloody sacrifices to Khorne and ceaseless conflict because that was the fastest way for him to get access to the energies of the artifact and attain immortality as a daemon prince of chaos undivided. The goal wasn't ceaseless bloodshed for the sake of ceaseless bloodshed with Daemonhood really only being a means to more such bloodhsed like Kyras, the goal always was to become a big bad daemon and never have to worry about dying.

Until Macha, Angelos, and Thoth killed him and the Daemon he had sought to use simply devoured him like everyone he had fed to it in his quest for power. In a sense, the ultimate irony is that despite being a master manipulator; Sindri himself was outplayed by the forces he wanted to exploit and just as he had thrown his Lord's warband, an Ork WAAAGH!, Guardsmen, Space marines, and Eldar at the Daemon to fuel his ascension by stealing the Maledictum's power, he himself was turned into nothing but fuel for the Daemon's own plans.

==Trivia==
*If a Chaos Lord or anyone of high-rank is betrayed by a second in command, the correct term would be "Sindri'd". You may also pronounce it as "Sindri...SIIIIIIINDRIIIIII!-'d"
*It could be argued that he may be as equally awesome as [[Ahzek Ahriman]] (Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons).
*Sindri appears to have made a pact with [[Slaanesh]] for his voice, considering it's a lot smoother and seductive than the other Sorcerers found in the expansions. It is theorized that he can turn any woman, pious or commoner, into a heretic by simply speaking, thus it is most fortunate that the sisters of battle were not sent after him.
*His voiceactor is [[Scott McNeil]] (MIGHTY IS HE), and his voice style returns in DoWII Chaos Rising for the regular sorcerers, which many heralded as the most awesome thing to happen to Chaos in a video game.
*His last lines. "Just a moment more damn you...''Yes'' it is UPON US! BEAR WITNESS TO MY ASCENSION!!! GRAAAAAHH!!!" are perhaps the most awesome lines in all of Warhammer history, tied only by [[Kyras|Kyras']] "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!! LET THE GALAXY, '''BURRRRRRN'''!!!!!!!!"
* Sindri is the name of a [[Dorf]] from [[Warriors of Chaos|Norse]] mythology.
* No relation to [[Magic the Gathering|Myr]] [[wat]]soever.
* When Sindri turns into a daemon prince, he is MUCH stronger than the version of the unit introduced in Dark Crusade (4 times the health, the model itself is bigger, and his DPS is a good sight better) and is actually stronger than the game's relic units (he's still beatable though, the player will have already those down and not even with the full arsenal the game lets them have, in addition; he only comes out to play after you've slaughtered all his mooks and are bearing down on him with your entire army). So unlike [[Eliphas]], [[Carron]] and [[Warriors of Chaos|Thorgar The Blooded One]], him turning into a daemon prince is an upgrade and not a downgrade since they get stuck with turning into [[Derp|balanced version intended for multiplier games]], but a campaign exclusive super unit. Granted, we don't know how strong he was before that because he doesn't appear in levels before ascending, but we can safely assume.

{{Template:Chaos-Marines}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Chaos]][[Category:Space Marines]][[Category: Dawn of War]]