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Warp Gheists - Warband Colours: The Warp Gheists' thrallband colours are azure trimmed in gold. The white on the Warp Gheists' armour represents the bone remnants contained within the Power Armour of their Rubricae. |
Warp Gheists - Warband Badge: The Warp Gheists thrallband's symbol is a yellow sigil of the Cult of Duplicity centred upon a field of azure and trimmed in gold. |
Warp Gheists - Sources: Codex Heretic Astartes - Thousand Sons (8th Edition), pg. 22War Zone: Fenris - Wrath of Magnus (7th Edition), pg. 134 |
Warp Ghosts - Warp Ghosts: The Warp Ghosts are a Renegade Chapter of Chaos Space Marines of unknown Founding and origin, whose survivors now serve Chaos Undivided. It is unknown exactly when the Chapter betrayed the Imperium of Man and turned to Chaos.Being only a single Renegade Chapter, the Warp Ghosts have far fewer Heretic Astartes and equipment than the original Traitor Legions, but are still renowned for their ferocity among the forces of Chaos.The Warp Ghosts are a mysterious entity similar in some ways to the Loyalist Legion of the Damned. A warband of spectral Chaos Space Marines existing somewhere between life and death, each of their Heretic Astartes gives off an eerie green glow.Iskandar Khayon of the Black Legion did not recognise the pattern of their armour and warships during the 31st Millennium, commenting that it looked futuristic compared to what even the Imperium at the time fielded.The origin of the Warp Ghosts and what they are remains unclear. Any attempt made by others to have them explain their origin or purpose is met with a proclamation that such matters are irrelevant.It is believed that the Warp Ghosts, or at least a sizable faction of their number, joined the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler, although doubtless such a loyalty will last only so long as their price is met. |
Warp Ghosts - Chapter History: The sinister legend that surrounds the Warp Ghosts is well known among the students of the profane, but itself has been the cause of considerable confusion as to the attribution of their actions and involvement in various wars and incursions down the millennia.The Warp Ghosts themselves are believed to be a sizable force, perhaps numbering several thousand damned Heretic Astartes at their core. Their true strength, however, lies in the possession of at least two score of powerful warships, ranging in power from fast raider vessels to vast Grand Cruisers.Their flagship, it is claimed, is a Horus Heresy-era assault barque of prodigious size known as the Spectre Ens, while xenos gunships, stolen Imperial troop macro-transports and even a nightmare-conglomerated space hulk are attested as under their control, according to unconfirmed reports.As well as marauders and world-breakers in their own right, the Warp Ghosts are also renowned as mercenaries among the dark forces of the Eye of Terror and far beyond, owing fealty to neither god nor master but only to the coin of strong flesh and blood, fealty and sacrifice.Theirs, it is said, is a singular curse, to be condemned as withered undying souls, damned for some unknown sin or treachery, to ride the tides of the Warp in search of new flesh to wear, as any physical body that they invade is itself quick to decay and soon ruined by their Chaos-tainted possession.Condemned to wander the tides of the Warp, they have gained a reputation as the ferrymen of the damned, transporting vast war hosts of mutants and Renegades as well as Chaos Space Marine warbands and the forces of the Dark Mechanicum to safe exit routes out of the Eye of Terror, so long as their sinister price is met.These dark proclivities have led the Warp Ghosts and their nature to be confused in garbled after-battle reports with other Chaos forces they have carried to war, such as the Deathmongers, the Bleak Brotherhood and the Unhallowed, while they have also been known to have made common cause with Fabius Bile and his abominations on more than one occasion. The Bleak Brotherhood, however, may also be a sub-faction or warband of the Warp Ghosts. |
Warp Ghosts - Notable Campaigns: The Martyred Sons (416.M37) - Inquisitor-Lord Antonius Coil of the Ordo Malleus discovers the current location of the nomadic Hell-Forge of Sarum while conducting an Exterminatus action against the Warp-tainted Hive World of Goleonda IX, and moves to see it destroyed at last. Along with warships committed from Battlefleet Reductus and several Militarum Tempestus regiments, he mobilised the aid of three Space Marine Chapters, the Sons of the Raven, Celestial Guard and the Brazen Claws, to strike deep into the perilous Golgotha Wastes against this nightmarish thorn in the Imperium's side. Within sight of the baleful world, the Imperial fleet was ambushed on all sides by the pale warships of the Warp Ghosts and corrupted Black Wings Chaos Space Marines and the horrific Daemon Engines of their Dark Mechanicum allies of Sarum. In the brutal seventeen-solar-hour void battle that followed, the Imperial fleet was encircled and slowly torn to pieces both from without and from within as daemons ripped open passages into realspace deep onboard the stalwart vessels. Only the Chapter fleet of the Brazen Claws broke free from the trap without crippling losses, while the human contingent of the Imperium's strike forces were annihilated to the last. The ravaged Celestial Guard Chapter took nearly a standard century to rebuild its grievous losses from its stores of gene-seed, swearing bitter vengeance against the Warp Ghosts. The fleet-based Sons of the Raven Chapter, not one of whose Battle-Brothers escaped the deadly trap, were declared martyred and the great Bell of Lost Souls in the Tower of Heroes on Terra tolled to mourn their passing. Eighteen standard years later, a corrupted Warspite-class Battle-Barge, believed once to have been the Seraphina Carricus of the Sons of the Raven, is encountered transporting a Warp Ghosts raiding force off Mezoa XV, the withered face of Jo'sun Hernezu, the martyred Chapter's last Master, worn by its revenant captain.The 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - It is believed that the Warp Ghosts, or at least a sizable faction of their number, joined forces with the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. |
Warp Ghosts - Stygian Vanguard: Such mystery surrounds the Renegade Astartes known as the Warp Ghosts that barely a handful of confirmed depictions of their war machines exist in the archives of the Ordo Malleus. These fragments of forbidden knowledge have been pieced together by the toil of several generations of indentured Imperial savants to form a tenuous description of a cadre of siege engines within the group.This formation has been dubbed the "Stygian Vanguard" by Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and has been engaged by the forces of the Grey Knights on four different occasions, and the Exorcists and Revilers Chapters in an unknown number of encounters.The Stygian Vanguard is thought to represent a gathering of the Warp Ghosts' entire heavy tank and siege capacity into a single battlefield formation, and is thought to include amongst its ranks several dozen Vindicators and Predators in addition to a Typhon Heavy Siege Tank.The Stygian Vanguard is said to possess certain characteristics beyond those normally encountered even among the hosts of the hell-tainted Ruinous Powers. Its attacks are invariably heralded by abnormal atmospheric phenomena, including the sudden appearance of unnatural mists, the falling of night during daytime, strange lights in the sky and a deep, haunting clarion call rolling across the land from no discernible source.Thus cut off, Imperial bastions and fortress-cities find all Vox systems mysteriously silent, and allied formations ignorant of their plight. The first, and invariably last, sight the defenders see is a sudden parting of the lambent mists as the Stygian Vanguard descends upon them, large bore guns raining death and destruction upon them.Even the staunchest of defences cannot hold against such a sudden and relentless assault, and it is believed the mightiest of fortifications will come crashing down under their weapons fire.In the wake of the Stygian Vanguard comes the ground troops of the Warp Ghosts, though in truth very few defenders have survived to describe them, or if they have, their maddened ravings can hardly be counted as reliable. |
Warp Ghosts - Chapter Appearance: Based on their colour scheme, the Warp Ghosts may be another name for the Death Mongers, a similar Chaos Space Marine warband. Or, this duplication of colour scheme may simply be an oversight on the part of Games Workshop. |
Warp Ghosts - Chapter Colours: The Warp Ghosts' original Loyalist Chapter colours were dark green and white with black and gold details. After turning to Chaos, their armour became the pale green of rotting flesh with black trim. |
Warp Ghosts - Chapter Badge: The Warp Ghosts' Chapter badge is currently unknown. However, iconography known to have been deployed by Warp Ghosts' assets that has been only rarely witnessed depicts two skulls facing away from one another. A small black Octed (eight-pointed Star of Chaos) is centered upon the twin skulls.Ordo Malleus diabolists theorise that this symbol represents a stylised coin, the skull face looking in two directions at once. They note commonalities with certain legends of the Hellan cultures of Ancient Terra, as well as the role the Warp Ghosts are said to play in the ranks of the servants of the Ruinous Powers.It is currently a matter of debate whether this symbol is unique to a certain war machine, the icon of the Stygian Vanguard, or of wider significance to the Warp Ghosts as a whole. The Warp Ghosts are also known to adorn their Power Armour with the usual heretical symbols of devotion to Chaos, such as the eight-pointed Chaos Star. |
Warp Ghosts - Notable Warp Ghosts: Saronos - Saronos was the Chaos Lord who led the Warp Ghosts and was originally the Chaos Sorcerer Ashur-Kai Qezremah of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. Known as the "White Seer," Ashur-Kai was a powerful psyker who commanded the warship Tlaloc and its advanced, partially daemonic Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence) known as the Anamnesis. He eventually fell under the command of the Sorcerer Iskandar Khayon and became part of the Kha'Sherhan warband. Along with the rest of his warband, Ashur-Kai swore himself to the service of Abaddon the Despoiler and took part in the first battle of the reborn Black Legion, the Battle of Harmony during the Legion War within the Eye of Terror. Though the Tlaloc was destroyed in combat, Ashur-Kai was aboard the Vengeful Spirit and continued to serve Abaddon. Shortly before the commencement of the 1st Black Crusade, Abaddon's fleet was unable to break out of the Eye of Terror. The Warp Ghosts warband of Chaos Space Marines suddenly appeared, offering to ferry the Black Legion fleet to the Cadian Gate should a price be met. Abaddon agreed to give up the children of his human slaves who were psykers and several sorcerers within the fleet in return for the Warp Ghosts' tow. Ashur-Kai was among those to be taken and voluntarily went with the Warp Ghosts' leader, Saronos. In an apparent act of time travel, it was later revealed that Saronos was likely a future version of Ashur-Kai himself, returned to the past for an unknown reason. |
Warp Ghosts - Canon Conflict: The Warp Ghosts have the same colour scheme as the Deathmongers, as seen in that warband's first appearance in Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition). However, Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition) shows the Deathmongers now wearing pure grey armour with copper trim. |
Warp Jump Generator - Warp Jump Generator: The Craftworld Aeldari Aspect Warriors known as Warp Spiders make use of a technology called a Warp Jump Generator that serves as a sophisticated Warp field emitter that is integrated into a Warp Spider's Aspect Armour and is largely responsible for that suit's unusual bulk, as least so far as Aeldari defensive technologies are concerned.The generator is what allows the Warp Spider to make his short jumps into the Immaterium so that he can cross the intervening space nearly instantaneously, completely undetectable to his foes, providing an invaluable ability to outmaneuver and surprise the enemy.The Craftworld Aeldari use these Aspect Warriors in a similar combat role as the jump troops of the other starfaring races. But the Warp Spiders' ability to literally materialise out of thin air and attack with no warning is invaluable to Aeldari commanders despite the extreme risk to the Aeldari of travelling unprotected through the Warp even for only Terran seconds at a time.The Aeldari generally make use of little in the way of teleportation technology due to the extreme dangers for them of being exposed to the Warp and the soul-hunger of Slaanesh. However, in this one area of Aeldari life the risk has been deemed worth taking. |
Warp Missile - Warp Missile: A Warp Missile is an Imperial Titan support weapon that travels through Warpspace, the strange chaotic dimension used by Imperial starships to span immense distances in realspace.The missile, equipped with a massive explosive payload, enters the Immaterium when it is fired, and is programmed to re-enter normal space on the other side of the target's Void Shields. It may sometimes materialise inside the target itself.However there is a chance that the missile will exit from Warpspace at an entirely different point, potentially any location within this or another universe.A Warp Missile is a special type of support missile used by Imperial Titans. Like other support missiles the Warp Missile takes up one carapace point on the Titan and is usually fitted to the walker before a battle. |
Warp Spider - Warp Spider: A Warp Spider is a tiny, spider-like creature that lives in the Aeldari Craftworlds' Infinity Circuits. They are attracted by the presence of negative psychic entities which they swarm and feed upon, much like the white blood cells of a human immune system.When there is no danger to the Craftworld of psychic infection, they roam the Infinity Circuit forming nests and searching for fragments of bad memories to feed upon.The Warp Spiders Aspect Warriors are named after them in honour of their role defending the Craftworlds. Because of their protective abilities, Warp Spiders are also known to the Aeldari as "White Guardians." |
Warp Spiders - Warp Spiders: The Warp Spiders are Craftworld Aeldari Aspect Warriors who specialise in the use of a personal teleportation device built into their Aspect Armour to make a series of rapid jumps through the Immaterium that make them nearly impossible to target and allow them to attack the enemy suddenly and disappear before he can strike back.Taking their name from the arachnoid creatures who protect the Infinity Circuits of their craftworlds, the Warp Spiders epitomise the concept of an aggressive defence. |
Warp Spiders - History: Like all of the Craftworld Aeldari Warrior Aspects, the Warp Spiders trace their history back to Asurmen, the first Phoenix Lord, who established the first Aspect Shrine, called the "Shrine of Asur," upon the world of the same name. It was Asurmen who trained the first Aeldari Exarchs, several of whom went on to become the Asurya, the first Phoenix Lords and founders of the different Warrior Aspects.However, like several of the other Aeldari Warrior Aspects there is no known founder, or Phoenix Lord, of the Warp Spider Aspect Shrines, although the lore of the Kaelor craftworld speaks of the Lhykosidae, the Wraith Spider, who might be a Warp Spiders Phoenix Lord perhaps even the Aspect's Asurya, the first Phoenix Lord. The truth of the matter may not even be known to the Aeldari themselves, lost in the mists of the ancient past.The Warp Spiders actually take their name from the tiny but aggressive creatures that are seen amongst the slender wraithbone trees of the Dome of Crystal Seers that forms the heart of every Aeldari craftworld. These sparkling entities can move anywhere within the craftworld, melting their arachnoid bodies into the Infinity Circuit and becoming pure psychic energy before recrystallising in the Materium to reappear at a new location. They are attracted in vast numbers to invasive psychic entities.As the wraithbone core of a craftworld is supportive of psychic consciousness in a similar way to the Immaterium itself, it is possible for it to become corrupted by the fragmented consciousnesses of lost Human or other non-Aeldari souls. In theory, at least, it would be possible for a Daemon of Chaos to find its way into the wraithbone core of a craftworld, although such a horrific occurrence would be immediately apparent.The tiny Warp Spiders ensure that this does not happen, hunting and destroying alien psychic fragments much as white blood cells in the Human body attack and neutralise foreign bacteria. |
Warp Spiders - Role: The Warp Spider Aspect Warriors epitomise the doctrine of aggressive defence. Using a compact Warp Spider Jump Generator housed within the backpack of their Aspect Armour and operating in squads of five to ten warriors which are sometimes lead by an Exarch, these Aspect Warriors can make short Warp-jumps, disappearing into the Immaterium and reappearing into realspace in the blink of an eye.This enables them to make totally unexpected attacks on their foes, though it does necessitate spending a short time unshielded in the Empyrean. For this reason, the Warp Spiders are considered the bravest of all Aeldari Aspect Warriors -- they risk not only their lives in the name of victory, but also their souls, as Slaanesh hungers for the souls of all Aeldari who dare to enter the native realm of "She Who Thirsts" unprotected.Despite this accolade, Warp Spiders are also regarded as strange and terrifying, the furthest removed from the normal Asuryani mindset of all the Warrior Aspects. Warp Spiders also tend to have a bleak outlook on life, and rarely mix with the warriors from the other Aspect Shrines.The ritual armament of the Warp Spider is the Death Spinner; a highly advanced weapon that extrudes a thick cloud of razor-sharp monofilament wire. The Spinner's magnetic containment field then spools the wire together and hurls it toward the enemy. The wire's own tension causes it to writhe and lash, and where it touches flesh or soft tissue, it slices through the victim's body, causing an agonising and quite messy death. Warp Spiders are also equipped with other standard Craftworld Aeldari weapons, including Power Blades, Shuriken Weapons and Fusion Guns. |
Warp Spiders - Notable Warp Spiders Shrines: Shade Gate Shrine - Warp Spiders of the Shade Gate Shrine bear only token flourishes of the red and white of their Aspect, favouring all-black bodysuits. Draping their foes in cascades of monofilament wire, they will often retreat to hidden positions in order to observe their targets' futile, and ultimately fatal, struggles.Slicing Skein Shrine - The crimson-clad Aspect Warriors who hail from the Shrine of the Slicing Skein are the thread of fate that severs all others. Theirs is the art of the ambush from multiple directions; the cutting of chosen strands that will see entire webs of fate collapse in upon themselves. |
Warp Spiders - Warp Spiders Exarchs: Every Aspect Shrine of the Craftworld Aeldari is led by an Exarch, an Asuryani who has been called permanently to the Path of the Warrior. An Exarch has travelled so far down that Path that he or she can no longer leave it and so dedicates him or herself fully as a high priest of Khaine in service to the Aspect of the war god that he or she represents.Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of their Aspect Armour which incorporates the souls of their past wearers, granting an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge stretching across the millennia but a raw pool of potent psychic energy that can be used in combat.This permanent acceptance of the Asuryani's "war mask" provides Exarchs with enhanced skill and dedication to their craft and entitles them to access their Aspect Shrine's oldest and most advanced wargear.The Exarchs of the Warp Spider shrines have honed their deadly skills as ambushers to a high degree, passing on this knowledge to the Warp Spider squads that they personally lead. They are experts in surprise assaults, teleporting onto the battlefield in a storm of crackling psychic lightning, but also know when it is prudent to withdraw from combat and to regroup in order to perform further guerrilla attacks.Some Exarchs will go into battle with two Death Spinners, wielding them as ably as they would a single weapon, or instead carry a Spinneret Rifle. These weapons eject a single, rigid strand of monomolecular wire that punches through armour and recoils in a tight spiral.In addition to this ranged weaponry, some Warp Spider Exarchs will also be equipped with Powerblades, twin Power Weapons fitted to their forearms, enabling the wearer to use both hands freely. |
Warp Spiders - Phoenix Lord: There is no known Phoenix Lord for the Warp Spiders. However, some Craftworld Aeldari claim that the legendary Aeldari warrior Lhykosidae, renowned upon Kaelor as the "Wraith Spider," is the Phoenix Lord of the Warp Spiders.Most other Asuryani disagree with this supposition because the Phoenix Lords appeared far earlier in Aeldari history and were responsible for founding their Warrior Aspect after their tutelage by Asurmen. The truth of the matter remains currently unknown to Imperial xenographers. |
Warp Spiders - Warp Spiders Wargear: Aspect Armour - Like other Asuryani Warriors Aspects, Warp Spiders wear lightweight synthetic bodysuits, reinforced with plates of psycho-sensitive bioplastics that will instantly harden to resist impacts. These plates can also morph their shape in accordance with the wearer's movements, meaning the armour does not encumber the wearer in the slightest, offering both good protection with excellent mobility. Using a compact Warp Spider Jump Generator housed within their armoured backpack, Warp Spiders are able to make short Warp-jumps, disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. This enables them to make totally unexpected attacks upon their foes, though it does necessitate spending a short time physically unshielded in the Immaterium. For this reason, the Warp Spiders risk not only their lives in the name of the victory, but also their souls. Warp Spider Aspect Armour is much bulkier compared to that worn by other Aspect Warriors, making the Warp Spiders more heavily armoured than their fellows but also among the slowest of the usually highly mobile Asuryani Aspects. While this would be more constricting for the movements of other Aeldari warriors, the Warp Spiders' unique teleportation abilities negate this disadvantage. Warp Spider Aspect Armour is also further warded to allow for safer travel through the Warp, which provides some protection against psychic powers when in realspace. The reinforced breastplate of the Aspect Warrior's armour bears their Spirit Stone, a precious item for all Asuryani. This psycho-receptive gem is attuned to the individual so that at the moment of death, when the Aeldari's psychic consciousness or soul is released into the Immaterium, it is captured instead within the crystalline matrix of the stone. Otherwise it is believed by the Aeldari that the soul would be released into the Warp, where the Chaos God Slaanesh, "She Who Thirsts," awaits to consume it. Contrary to popular belief, the small domes and blisters on Warp Spider Aspect Armour are not extra gems, but small compartments that contain the suit's technical systems. A tabard or pennants are a common addition to Warp Spiders Aspect Armour. The armour's runic Aeldari Lexicon inscriptions name the particular Warp Spiders Aspect Shrine for which the Aspect Warrior is fighting and identifies the the particular craftworld that shrine is located upon. Regardless of a shrine's location, the Warp Spiders Aspect's colour scheme is always some pattern of red, black and white.Aspect Helmet - Each Warrior Aspect has its own distinctive helmet, and within each shrine of that Aspect the helmet may vary in form slightly, with correspondingly more elaborate versions for the shrine's Exarchs. For a standard Warp Spider, the helmet is swept back and comes to a slight point. By custom, it is this helmet that marks the Aspect Warriors as the protectors and avengers of their craftworld. In battle, the Warp Spider is assisted by an advanced, computerised targeting system. This targeter finds and tracks multiple foes, feeding the target information directly to the Aspect Armour's helmet display. It is likely that it can also differentiate between enemy and ally. The helm bears the Warp Spider Aspect's Aeldari Lexicon rune traced upon its forehead. Warp Spider Aspect Helmets appear to incorporate an external respirator unit that allows operation in the void or toxic atmospheres.Warp Spider Jump Generator - The Warp Spider Jump Generator is a sophisticated Warp field emitter that is integrated into the Warp Spider's Aspect Armour and is largely responsible for that suit's unusual bulk, as least so far as Craftworld Aeldari defensive technologies are concerned. The generator is what allows the Warp Spider to make their short jumps into the Immaterium so that they can cross the intervening space nearly instantaneously, completely undetectable to their foes.Death Spinner - A Death Spinner is the ritual armament of the Warp Spiders Aspect; a highly advanced ranged weapon that extrudes a thick cloud of razor-sharp monofilament wire. The spinner's magnetic containment field then spools the wire together and hurls it toward the enemy. The wire's own tension causes it to writhe and lash, and where it touches flesh or soft tissue it slices through the victim's body, causing an agonising and exceptionally messy death.Spinneret Rifle - A Spinneret Rifle is a variant of the Death Spinner used by Warp Spider Exarchs. Spinneret Rifles operate by ejecting a single, rigid strand of monomolecular wire that punches through armour, before recoiling in a tight spiral. Spinneret Rifles have a more consistent armour penetration ability than standard Death Spinners, and a longer range. However, they will usually only affect a single target at a time.Powerblades - Warp Spider Exarchs that utilise twin Death Spinners commonly fit a pair of Powerblades on their forearms. Primarily used as defensive weapons, Powerblades are short, wide blades attached to the forearm designed primarily for parrying. Their projected energy field allows them to parry almost any attack, but it is less effective when used offensively. Still, Powerblades remain no less deadly than a normal Aeldari Power Weapon in melee combat. A Powerblade is mounted on the forearm, and does not need to be held in the wielder's hand (leaving the Exarch's hands free to wield their Death Spinners whilst retaining dangerous close combat capabilities). Some wielders pair them with compact pistol weapons, while others wield a single Powerblade while carrying a larger ranged weapon in both hands. |
Warp Spiders - Sources: Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 23, 38Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 9Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 36, 65Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 37Rogue Trader: Into the Storm (RPG), pg. 125Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 55White Dwarf 127 (US), "Eldar" by Rick Priestley, Jes Goodwin, William King and Lindsey D. Le Doux Paton, pp. 13-52White Dwarf 138 (US), "Alaitoc Craftworld Eldar Army - Warp Spiders Exarch", pp. 20-29White Dwarf 172 (US), "The Eldar: The Path of the Warrior - Warp Spiders", pp. 5-16Wrath & Glory: Aeldari - Inheritance of Embers (RPG), pg. 30Planetstrike (4th Edition), pg. 9Eldar Prophecy (Novel) by C.S. GotoDawn of War (Novel) by C.S. GotoPath of the Warrior (Novel) by Gav ThorpeWarhammer 40,000: Conquest Collectible Card Game(Picture) |
Warp Stabilisation Field - Warp Stabilisation Field: A Warp Stabilisation Field is produced by a Warp Stabilisation generator and acts similarly to a Gellar Field to protect Imperial ground vehicles like Land Raiders and Dreadnought walkers from assault by the entities of the Immaterium.Warp Stabilisation generators are intricate and highly-sophisticated technology that is no longer understood in the Imperium of the late 41st Millennium. As such, they are rarely used, as they are nearly impossible to replace if damaged or destroyed.Inquisition Land Raiders of the Ordo Malleus and Vortimer Pattern Land Raider Redeemers deployed by the Grey Knights often possess the technology needed to generate Warp Stabilisation Fields. |
Warp Storm Cyklöp - Warp Storm Cyklöp: Warp Storm Cyklöp is a Warp storm that erupted in the galactic core after the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus.The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.It was in the face of such threats that many of the Leagues of Votann chose to seek new territory beyond the bounds of the core for the first time in their histories. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Human, Aeldari and T'au interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the energies of the raging Warp and spat out in territory claimed by the Leagues. Anarchic conflicts erupted as interlopers sought to either fight their way out or claim territories for themselves, and the Kin fought back with equal vigour. |
Warp Storm Gëirokh - Warp Storm Gëirokh: Warp Storm Gëirokh is a Warp storm that erupted in the galactic core after the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus.The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.It was in the face of such threats that many of the Leagues of Votann chose to seek new territory beyond the bounds of the core for the first time in their histories. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Human, Aeldari and T'au interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the energies of the raging Warp and spat out in territory claimed by the Leagues. Anarchic conflicts erupted as interlopers sought to either fight their way out or claim territories for themselves, and the Kin fought back with equal vigour. |
Warp Storm Töroll - Warp Storm Töroll: Warp Storm Töroll is a Warp storm that erupted in the galactic core after the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus.The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.It was in the face of such threats that many of the Leagues of Votann chose to seek new territory beyond the bounds of the core for the first time in their histories. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Human, Aeldari and T'au interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the energies of the raging Warp and spat out in territory claimed by the Leagues. Anarchic conflicts erupted as interlopers sought to either fight their way out or claim territories for themselves, and the Kin fought back with equal vigour. |
Warp Storm Öggh - Warp Storm Öggh: Warp Storm Öggh is a Warp storm that erupted in the galactic core after the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus.The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.It was in the face of such threats that many of the Leagues of Votann chose to seek new territory beyond the bounds of the core for the first time in their histories. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Human, Aeldari and T'au interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the energies of the raging Warp and spat out in territory claimed by the Leagues. Anarchic conflicts erupted as interlopers sought to either fight their way out or claim territories for themselves, and the Kin fought back with equal vigour. |
Warp Storm Örgvayr - Warp Storm Örgvayr: Warp Storm Örgvayr is a Warp storm that erupted in the galactic core after the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus.The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.It was in the face of such threats that many of the Leagues of Votann chose to seek new territory beyond the bounds of the core for the first time in their histories. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Human, Aeldari and T'au interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the energies of the raging Warp and spat out in territory claimed by the Leagues. Anarchic conflicts erupted as interlopers sought to either fight their way out or claim territories for themselves, and the Kin fought back with equal vigour. |
Warp Storm Örgvayr - History: After the birth of the Great Rift, one such raging empyric maelstrom opened upon the north-eastern fringe of Greater Thurian League space, and was soon named "Örgvayr" -- roughly translating into High Gothic as "the Ogre." The Void Strider Kindred and Lâkhryr's Kindred were swallowed up in the instant of its opening. Their pan spectral arrays gave some small forewarning, and so ragged flotillas of Kin refugee ships limped from the fringes of Warp Storm Örgvayr solar days after its emergence, their passangers telling of holds dissolved into raw madness or overrun by howling Daemons.Close on their heels came ravening Chaos Warfleets. Sailing the void in baroque warships and monstrous space hulks, they fell upon the Greater Thurian star systems bordering the storm zone. As more Chaos worshippers poured out of Örgvayr by the solar day, it became clear to the Greater Thurian League that a terrible new threat had been unleashed upon their holds.Those Kindreds whose holds lay directly in the invaders' path now faced a difficult choice -- to hold their ground against the onslaught, or to fall back in the face of growing enemy strength. Exchanging messages as best they could via hardened las-com relays, the Hearthspakes of the Deeprock Kindred, the Kindred of Vôrtun, Khâld's Star Breaker Kindred and Kindred Crimson-Two all elected to hold fast.The Grimnyr interfaced in their Fanes with the Greater Thurian Votann, asking that it communicate their plight to the wider league and begging its advice. Swift merchant craft and scout ships plunged into the Warp, bearing the same messsages to neighbouring Kindreds. Those facing the invasion would stand firm until the will of the Votann and the rest of the league could be made known, or until their defiance was judged too costly to maintain.Meanwhile, the ravening hordes of Chaos blazed a trail of havoc toward the Thurian Hold Worlds that lay in their path. Though one victory was won at what became known as the Battle of Örgvayr on the Kin World of Törg, the great conflict in the region was only beginning for the Thurians. |
Warp Talon - Warp Talon: A Warp Talon is a Chaos Space Marine Raptor whose long exposure to the Immaterium has corrupted his physical form, enabling him to move through the veil of reality and slice between dimensions.Warp Talons are capable of striking at their enemies as if appearing from nowhere before slinking back into their nightmarish home dimension.When a pack of Warp Talons emerges from the Warp, it appears to those on the battlefield below as if daemonic warriors have burst out from nothingness into fiery, vengeful life.Like the stuff of nightmares, they plummet downwards in an explosion of Warp fire, tearing into the foe with murderous intent.Warp Talon packs are comprised of tightly knit groups of horribly altered Chaos Space Marines who possess the ability to slice open the barriers between dimensions.Like their brothers-in-arms, the Raptors, they were once part of the Legiones Astartes Assault companies, though they have followed the path of the predator for so long that they live for nothing more than cutting, slashing and carving apart.This single-minded fixation with the act of severance has been wrought into the very substance of their bodies. In place of its hands and feet, each Warp Talon has a set of crackling blades with supernaturally sharp edges that can temporarily cut through the substance of reality itself.When the din of war resounds through the air, the Warp Talons are attracted to the ephemeral echoes of anger and pain that reverberate through the Warp. These ripples in the aether are often refracted within the Immaterium, where hunting packs of Warp Talons single out the psychic signature of their prey using senses that a mortal could not comprehend.Once the Warp Talons have closed in upon the emotional reflection of their victim's psyche, they will slice their spirit-sharp talons through the air above their quarry's location, cutting deep wounds in the veil between worlds with their energised claws. In this way, they force their way out from the swirling anarchy of the Warp straight into the material dimension.Though the lesion they slice in the fabric of realspace seals over as soon as the hunting pack has passed through, the mind-shattering nature of their attack is usually enough to stun their prey into inactivity.When the Warp Talons appear in reality they do so in an explosion of empyric flame, a flare of energy that is all colours and none at the same time, and accompanied by a cacophony of hellish cries that blasts all reason and thoughts of order from the mind.This moment of awestruck hesitation is often fatal, for as the Warp Talons hurtle into the ranks of the foe, their hellishly sharp claws part heads from necks and limbs from torsos. |
Warp Talon - Role: Like their fellow Chaos Space Marine Raptors, Warp Talons once were part of the Space Marine Legions' Assault Companies and were outfitted with the patterns of rare, pre-Horus Heresy Jump Packs.Once the Heresy was underway, they quickly became addicted to the exhilaration of soaring through the skies and falling upon near-defenceless prey, cutting, stabbing and rending them in an orgy of soul-satisfying slaughter.They fell under the "protection" of an hitherto unidentified Chaos God who saw fit to give them the appearance of cruel ceramite birds of prey. The main difference between Raptors and Warp Talons is that where a Raptor has only the appearance of a bird of prey, a Warp Talon's once-Human psyche has devolved to the point that he has literally become a daemonic bird of prey.Physically, Warp Talons appear as corrupted Space Marines whose hand and feet have mutated to become massive, talon-like appendages with preternaturally sharp blade-like digits. Having been corrupted more thoroughly by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos than even their Raptor allies, Warp Talons have been reduced to an animalistic level of existence.On those rare occasions where they are grounded, they awkwardly hop and crawl around on all fours like flightless birds or bats, yearning to take flight. They communicate between each other with hideous, animal-like screeches, alien even to the other servants of Chaos.Their most outlandish ability, even to their former comrades, is their capacity to rend the veil of reality with their claws, switching between the Materium and Immaterium with ease and at will.Their very nature means that a pack of Warp Talons is not employed but rather set loose upon enemy forces. Chaos Space Marine commanders cannot meaningfully communicate with these "subordinates", and thus employ Warp Talons by giving them something to hunt.Having fallen even further from their mortal origins than their Raptor allies, the Warp Talons have long since lost the means to speak, reason or create. The violence they wreak is eloquent enough.A pack of Warp Talons is not employed so much as set loose, for Champions of Chaos know that these skyborne assassins respect only the hunt and the kill at hunt's end. Instead, the Warp Talons are given something important to their prey, such as a hank of hair, a picture, a possession of the enemy's, a loved one's finger bone or a piece of cloth from a favourite item of clothing. It is then that the hunt begins in earnest.Soaring into the skies on plumes of daemonic fire, the Warp Talons depart, already moving as one in their single-minded pursuit. They will not be seen again until their prey is located and battle is joined.Warp Talons are able to identify their prey while in the Immaterium through the emotional reflection of their victims' psyche in the Warp. This allows them to emerge back into realspace within direct proximity of their prey.A Warp Talon's arrival is heralded with a reality-rending flash of light, which often leaves anyone near the point of entry dazzled and awestruck. This moment of hesitation is fatal, for the Warp Talons capitalise upon their victims' disorientation and quickly lop off heads and limbs with great slashes of their talon-like hands and feet.Warp Talons are utterly baffling to the Ordo Malleus' attempts to categorise them in an attempt to better understand these Heretics and so counter their frightening ability to slaughter the servants of the Emperor at will.They exhibit characteristics of both mortals and Daemons at the same time: their ability to enter and exit the Warp at will and without the protection of a Gellar Field speaks of a blasphemous mingling of the substance of the Materium and the Immaterium.Worse yet, which of the Chaos Gods grants them their abilities is also unknown, and the fact that some Warp Talons have exhibited the Mark of Chaos of each particular Chaos God is a frustrating puzzle, as it makes it impossible to determine which of the Dark Gods is at the base of the Warp Talons' creation.Warp Talons dedicated to Khorne are frenzied butchers, springing forth from the Warp as gore-drenched whirlwinds of destruction.Those dedicated to Slaanesh behave as sadistic killers, maximizing the pain and anguish inflicted for their own pleasure.Warp Talons of Nurgle are bloated carrion birds who enjoy taking their time and toying with their prey.Those Warp Talons in service to Tzeentch channel the raw energies of the Warp, making them almost invulnerable as they slash and dismember. |
Warp Talon - Unit Composition: 4-9 Warp Talons1 Warp Talon Chaos Champion |
Warp Talon - Wargear: Warp Talons still wear an extremely corrupted form of ancient Power Armour, and the potency of their mutated talons has been likened to that of Lightning Claws.They are still equipped with their now almost-unrecognizable Jump Packs, which allow them to soar and fly above the melee in pursuit of their prey.Their most disturbing ability is their capacity to exit from the Warp in close proximity to their victims, appearing unannounced in a dazzling flash of light. |
Warp Talon - Notable Warp Talons: Lucoryphus' Pack - During the Fall of Vilamus in 999.M41, the 10th Company of Night Lords assisted Huron Blackheart in seizing the Marines Errant reserves of gene-seed. During the infiltration of the Marines Errant's fortress-monastery, the Night Lords deployed Lucoryphus and his pack of "Raptors" that were clearly in the process of devolving into Warp Talons. Lucoryphus was the only remaining member of his pack still able to speak the dialect of Nostraman Low Gothic favoured by the Night Lords and meaningfully communicate with his fellow Legionaries, and his pack eschewed ranged weapons in favour of their claw-like appendages to hunt and slaughter their terrified prey. When at rest in the hold of the Night Lords' starship Echo of Damnation they miserably crawled on all fours or hung from the ceiling like obscene bats, yowling and screeching in protest of their inability to fly. Lucoryphus and his pack were not then fully-fledged Warp Talons, for they could not yet enter and exit the Empyrean at will, but these miserable beings were clearly on their way into mutating into a pack of those foul servants of the Dark Gods. |
Warped Stars (Short Story) - Warped Stars (Short Story): Warped Stars is a short story published in the Inquisition War series by Ian Watson. It is included in The Inquisition War (Omnibus) and Deathwing (Anthology). |
Warped Stars (Short Story) - Synopsis: Jomi Jabal has an imaginary friend who helps him make sense of the universe. Except Jomi's friend isn't imaginary, and he's coming to visit very, very soon... |
Warpflame Gargoyles - Warpflame Gargoyles: Warpflame Gargoyles are an add-on for Chaos Space Marine vehicles. It takes the form of of a gargoyle-shaped muzzle mounted on all of a vehicle's weapons that allows them to attack the foe with unnatural blasts of fire powered by the energy of the Immaterium. |
Warpflame Weapons - Warpflame Weapons: Warpflame Weapons are the Flamer weapons used by the military forces of the Chaos God Tzeentch, particularly the Heretic Astartes of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion and their associated warbands. In the hands of the Chaos Space Marines, Warpflame Weapons unleash Warp-generated gouts of transmorphic fire that will mutate any beings caught within them. |
Warpflame Weapons - Warpflame Pistol: The Warpflame Pistol is a smaller variant of the Warpflamer that can be fired in one hand. |
Warpflame Weapons - Warpflamer: The Warpflamer is the standard Warpflame weapon, similar to a standard Imperial Flamer but with the added mutagenic power of Tzeentch. |
Warpflame Weapons - Heavy Warpflamer: The Heavy Warpflamer is a more potent and powerful version of the Warpflamer, similar to a standard Imperial Heavy Flamer but with the ability to project the mutagenic Warpflame provided by the blessings of the Lord of Change. |
Warpsmith - Warpsmith: A Warpsmith is a fallen Chaos Space Marine Techmarine who now serves the Ruinous Powers through the creation of daemonic war engines. As the master of the soul forges to be found within the Eye of Terror, it is by their hands that the Daemon Engines such as the Maulerfiend and the Forgefiend come to life, an unholy union of daemon and machine, ready to fight alongside the armies of Chaos.Though each Warpsmith is an expert in battlefield repair and siege craft, his true calling lies in the soul forges of the Warp, especially those in the Eye of Terror. There, the spirits of captured Imperial machines are driven to madness as their physical forms are rebuilt into bestial and terrifying new shapes. Daemons are thrust into the cogs of giant, mechanoid birth-factories that crank out red-hot engines of destruction from their cabled wombs.Acolytes of the Dark Mechanicum combine flesh, bone and steel with daemonic essence in ever more inventive and sickening ways. Presiding over this infernal industry are the Warpsmiths themselves -- pioneers of mechamorphosis, grim and silent as the grave save for the occasional barked order or spell of binding. When the time for conquest is finally at hand, entire armies of these growling battle engines stomp and soar into realspace -- the Warpsmiths' bitter ambition writ large and set loose upon the Imperium of Man. |
Warpsmith - Role: Warpsmiths are those Heretic Astartes who serve as the masters of the machine. Exuding an air of authority combined with a hint of insanity, they are the dark echo of the Loyalist Space Marines' Techmarine. Most of these fallen Chaos-worshipping Techmarines can trace their origins back to the Priesthood of Mars, whether through the schisms of the Magi or the rigid doctrine of the Techmarines.However, where the Adeptus Mechanicus regards technology as sacrosanct, the Warpsmiths seek to subjugate and control it. Experts in battlefield repairs and the art of siege craft, their true calling lies in the soul forges of the Warp, especially those in the Eye of Terror. There, they drive the Machine Spirits of captured Imperial vehicles and other weapons mad as their physical forms are rebuilt into bestial and terrifying new shapes.The Warpsmiths preside over their infernal industry as pioneers of mechamorphosis, as they watch Daemon Princes thrust Lesser Daemons into the cogs of giant, mechanoid birth-factories that crank out new Daemon Engines from their cable-lined wombs. When the time for conquest is finally at hand, entire armies of these growling battle engines stomp and soar into the material world under their command, the Warpsmith's bitter ambition writ large and set loose upon the Imperium of Man.Warpsmiths tend to be obsessive characters who believe that Mankind's ambition is limited by his mortal nature. Daemons are ultimately insubstantial of form, and machines, though physically indomitable, are all but inert. Because of this, all Warpsmiths are engaged in an eternal quest to combine the strengths of all three of these elements -- mortal, daemon and machine -- whilst eradicating their weaknesses.They would conquer the galaxy and remould it into one giant, tainted flesh-engine if they could. The Warpsmiths themselves seek to embody this unholy fusion of man, machine and daemon; in their search for perfection, they often become more metal than flesh. Some Warpsmiths are little more than a brain and a spinal cord wired into a metallic approximation of a Chaos Space Marine; pincer limbs, Mechadendrites and fusion claws sprout from the Warpsmith's altered form next to Melta crucibles and searing welder blades. |
Warpsmith - Alliance with Dark Mechanicum: When the Horus Heresy raged in the early 31st Millennium, the Mechanicum was riven by a bitter schism. Horus' agents convinced many of Mars' forgemasters that the Emperor had lied to them -- that He was not the Omnissiah after all, and that the true Machine God was entombed under the red sands of that hyper-industrialised world.The escalating strife that resulted saw thousands of Tech-priests side with the Warmaster, turning their cyborg hosts to his cause and wreaking ever greater acts of destruction upon those they once called brothers. When the Traitor Legions were banished to the Eye of Terror, these rebel Tech-priests or Hereteks, now known as the Dark Mechanicum, went with them.Since that time they have indulged their inhuman curiosity in a thousand despicable ways, blending flesh and steel with the stuff of Chaos to produce legions of war machines. The priesthood of the Dark Mechanicum, in a blasphemous union with the Heretic Astartes' own Warpsmiths, provide the armies of Chaos with armour, with weapons, towering Daemon Engines and even spacegoing fleets. Without them, the hosts of Chaos would soon falter. |
Warpsmith - Notable Warpsmiths: Arkturian - A Chaos Space Marine of the Praetors of Ruin warband, Warpsmith Arkturian is a master of the dark arts of technomancy and daemongineering. An affront to everything the Adeptus Mechanicus holds sacred, the Warpsmith holds no reverence for the machine spirits which he employs. Like a Chaos warlord who forces his servants to submit under the lash, Arkturian tortures and twists the souls of weapons, vehicles, and any other machine at his mercy to his desired ends. No device is sacred, no machine beyond his contempt. Like many Warpsmiths, Arkturian's greatest work is his neverending pursuit of the unholy union of flesh, machine, and Daemon. Each Daemon Engine is a unique perversion of science and sorcery.Valadrak - Valadrak is an infamous Warpsmith of Chaos. He maintained his soul-forges on the Daemon World of Temporia dedicated to Tzeentch in the Eye of Terror. Valadrak is a great creator of Daemon Engines. During the Abyssal Crusade, Valadrak used a specialised electricity-absorbing Daemon Engine to disable the fleet of the Knights Excelsior Chapter, allowing his packs of larger Chaotic creations to overwhelm them. |
Warpsmith - Unit Composition: 1 Warpsmith |
Warpsmith - Wargear: Fleshmetal - An iron-hard fusion of muscle, tendon and powered steel, fleshmetal forms a hideous exoskeleton over those devotees of Chaos whose bodies have melded with their Power Armour.Mechatendrils - Reminiscent of the standard servo-harnesses worn by the Techmarines of the Adeptus Astartes, these writhing tentacles are worn by, or even implanted into the flesh of, Chaos Warpsmiths and can bear a variety of Flamers, Meltaguns, Bolter weapons and Power Weapons.Bolt PistolPower AxeFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades |
Warpsmith - Sources: Black Crusade: The Tome of Decay (RPG), pp. 34-35, 45, 92-93Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 60, 127Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 18, 34, 66, 68White Dwarf 393 (US), "Cover Story, New Releases: Chaos Space Marines," pp. 16-17Only War: No Surrender (RPG), pp. 4, 74, 84, 86-87, 89, 91-92, 95, 97, 99-109, 111-118, 136Chaos Space Marine ForcesCommandChaos Lord • Exalted Champion • Chaos Champion • Aspiring Champion • Sorcerer Lord • Daemon Prince • Daemon Prince of Nurgle • Daemon Prince of Tzeentch • Death Guard LordSpecialistsExalted Sorcerer • Sorcerer • Warpsmith • Dark Apostle • Master of Possession • Master of Executions • Lord Discordant • Warsmith • Death Guard Sorcerer • Lord of Contagion • Malignant Plaguecaster • Plague Surgeon • Tallyman • Scarab Occult Sorcerer • Scarab Occult TerminatorsTroopsChaos Space Marines • Havocs • Chosen • Chaos Terminators • Possessed • Greater Possessed • Khorne Berzerkers • Plague Marines • Noise Marines • Rubric Marines • Obliterators • Mutilators • Chaos Spawn • Fallen Angels • Noxious Blightbringer • Foul Blightspawn • Biologus Putrifier • Blightlord Terminators • DeathshroudFast AttackChaos Space Marine Bikers • Chaos Space Marine Raptors • Warp TalonsChaos DreadnoughtsHelbrute • Ferrum Infernus Dreadnought • Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought • Sonic Dreadnought • Berserker Dreadnought • Leviathan DreadnoughtVehicles and Daemon EnginesChaos Rhino • Chaos Predator • Infernal Relic Predator • Chaos Vindicator • Chaos Land Raider • Chaos Land Raider Proteus • Infernal Relic Land Raider Achilles • Land Raider Hades Diabolus • Relic Sicaran Battle Tank • Maulerfiend • Forgefiend • Defiler • Brass Scorpion • Blood Slaughterer • Blight Drone • Foetid Bloat-drone • Kytan • Plague Hulk • Venomcrawler • Myphitic Blight-haulerHeavy Vehicles and Daemon EnginesSpartan Assault Tank • Fellblade • Decimator • Typhon Heavy Siege Tank • Lord of Skulls • Death Wheel • Plaguereaper • Plagueburst Crawler • Silver Tower of TzeentchAircraftHeldrake • Stormbird • Thunderhawk • Chaos Storm Eagle • Chaos Fire Raptor • Hell Blade • Hell Talon • Harbinger • Chaos Dreadclaw • Kharybdis Assault Claw • Fire Lord • Doom WingSummoned DaemonsBloodletters • Plaguebearers • Horror of Tzeentch • Daemonette • Nurglings • Beast of Nurgle • Plague Drone • Flamer • ScreamerLost and the DamnedChaos Cultists • Poxwalkers • Pestigor • Plague Zombies • Plague Ogryn • Thrall Wizard • Tzaangor • Tzaangor Enlightened • Tzaangor Shaman • Dark DiscipleChampionsMagnus the Red • Mortarion • Abaddon the Despoiler • Kharn the Betrayer • Typhus • Ahriman • Huron Blackheart • Fabius Bile • Cypher • Haarken Worldclaimer • Invocatus |
Warpsword - Warpsword: A Warpsword is a massive Daemon Weapon that is used in combat by Soul Grinder Daemon Engines. The Warpsword is an ever-shifting blade of pure Warp energy that is the physical manifestation of the imprisoned Daemon's hatred at being trapped within the machine-body of a Soul Grinder.The weapon is fully capable of cutting through enemy infantry and vehicles with contemptuous ease. Soul Grinders can choose to wield one of these massive blades in place of a second Iron Claw. When the Warpsword is wielded it is taken in the beast's right hand, and used alongside the creature's Harvester Cannon. |
Warpsword - Warpclaw: A Warpclaw is similar to a Warpsword but the Warp energy comprising it is formed into the shape of a claw rather than a sword. |
Warpsword - Sources: Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition), pp. 17, 45, 87Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition), pp. 60, 63, 102Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition), pp. 117, 120 |
Warrant of Trade - Warrant of Trade: The Warrant of Trade is the most valuable possession of a Rogue Trader; an ancient Imperial legal document which describes and sanctions the accepted limits of a Rogue Trader and his or her descendants' operations across the galaxy. Rogue Traders are unique and powerful Human individuals who serve as a combination freelance explorer, conquistador and interstellar merchant for the Imperium of Man.They are hereditary Imperial servants and nobles, given a starship, a crew, and sometimes a contingent of Space Marines (in very rare cases) or troops of the Imperial Guard and carte blanche to roam those worlds of the galaxy that still lie beyond Imperial control or knowledge. In their task of exploring and exploiting the still-uncharted regions of the galaxy for Mankind, Rogue Traders might come across worlds harbouring long-forgotten Human civilisations which will be later incorporated into the Imperium by official Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleets and expeditions of the Navis Imperialis and Astra Militarum. Other times they find empty or alien-dominated planets ripe for colonisation, conquest or exploitation by the Imperium--and themselves.These charters are hereditary and thus create an entire Rogue Trader dynasty when they are issued. These dynasties are granted a personal coat of arms identifying their members amongst the Imperial nobility. Rogue Traders are empowered with the authority by the High Lords of Terra in the name of the Emperor to travel freely within the Imperium and beyond. This allows them to legally interact with cultures which normal Imperial citizens are forbidden contact with--because they are non-Imperial Human worlds or xenos-controlled planets.Not only that, but Rogue Traders are granted the permission and freedom to deal with these cultures as they see fit, so long as it is judged to be in the interests of the Imperium. Having said that, it can be assumed that a Renegade Rogue Trader guilty of heresy or treason will be severely prosecuted by the Inquisition if discovered and captured. Their punishment will be that much more severe if they are deemed undeserving of the Emperor's extraordinary trust in their family.Rogue Traders usually return to Imperial space every few standard years, to unload their exotic wares and re-supply, recruit, and rest until the next foray into the darkness of unknown space. During these periods they may come into conflict with members of the Adeptus Terra or the Inquisition. Rogue Traders wield incredible power, and it is easy for them to forget that once back within the Imperium, they do not have free rein to act as they wish.This strident attitude will draw attention from the authorities. Many Rogue Traders dispute the right of the Imperium to exercise authority over them. As men and women who have wandered amongst alien stars and conversed with all manner of cultures, Rogue Traders are viewed as susceptible to all kinds of heresies, from wayward philosophies to infection by alien creatures or possession by Warp entities that live in the darkness between stars. All of these factors can lead to violent confrontation, particularly if the Rogue Trader has knowledge or an artefact that others within the Imperial hierarchy of equal or greater power covet.It should be noted that although Rogue Traders are shipmasters who travel the vastness of space, their authority to do so comes not from a Merchant Charter as usually granted by the Administratum to the Chartist Captains of the Imperial Merchant Fleets, but rather a letter of appointment known as a Warrant of Trade that elevates them to a level of Imperial authority and status equaling that held by Space Marine Chapter Masters, Inquisitors and Imperial planetary governors. Some of the more ancient Warrants are dated from the very beginnings of the Imperium, and some were even signed by the Emperor Himself. Others were signed by the primarchs or other leaders of the Great Crusade on behalf of the Emperor.These charters are very valuable and give their owners great leeway. They are tailor-made and unique. A Rogue Trader's authority cannot be appealed since it comes directly from the Emperor, as according to Imperial law and Imperial religious dogma no one is empowered to overrule those persons who have received the God-Emperor's direct sanction. Certain powerful lords of the Adeptus Terra offer Warrants of Trade as a bribe to their rivals. The rival simply walks away into a life of adventure and wealth and no longer causes trouble for their political opponents in the various Imperial organisations.Letters of Marque are similar documents to Warrants of Trade that have been issued more recently by the Imperium to less powerful individuals, though their bearers are still called Rogue Traders. The Letters of Marque are rather restricted in some aspects and controlled more effectively by Imperial authorities. These restrictions may be of geographical nature (e.g.: the Rogue Trader is restricted to operating in a single sector) or something similar. The more recent Letters of Marque are also not hereditary; hopeful heirs must return and reapply to the High Lords of Terra through the Administratum for a new charter.Though a Warrant of Trade or a Letter of Marque grants extraordinary freedoms within the Imperium, they also invariably contain particular conditions; sometimes Rogue Traders will be required to make regular visits to certain troublesome Imperial worlds, or sent to enact military action on worlds which do not require the full force of the Imperial Navy's Segmentum and Sector Battlefleets. More often, however, Rogue Traders will be required to travel outside the established territories of the Imperium in the name of settlement or exploration of new worlds that do not yet know the blessings of the God-Emperor. |
Warrant of Trade - Granting of a Warrant of Trade: The Warrant of Trade is the instrument by which a Rogue Trader is granted their lofty position and the method by which they exercises their considerable powers. Warrants are granted on the highest of authorities, usually by the office of the High Lords of Terra themselves -- and by extension, the Emperor. The issuing of a Warrant is an occasion of great significance, marked by extravagant pomp and ceremony, for it marks the establishment of a new noble line that, should the recipient prove successful, might conquer and rule entire regions of space in the name of the Imperium, thus expanding Mankind's domains. Warrants are issued for many reasons. Some are granted in recognition of a great service done to the Imperium, while others are created for entirely political ends.Rogue Trader Warrants of Trade are hereditary. Once one is issued, it will be passed down from one generation to the next, at least for as long as there are heirs extant to receive it. Many Rogue Trader lines die out and yet more are created to replace them, ensuring a constant supply of individuals driven to expand the Imperium's holdings. The reasons for the granting of a Warrant of Trade include the following. |
Warrant of Trade - Administratum Trade Mandate: A Trade Mandate is an example of one of countless numbers of administrative instruments employed by the Adeptus Terra. It is an instrument of strategy, by which the division's policies for the managing of the unmanageable are drawn up. By way of a myriad of utterly incomprehensible cogitations, vast armies of scribes and factors plot the needs and the means of the Imperium's worlds, and attempt to allocate resources in such a way as to allow future generations to continue their work. Such a process has no meaning or function, and has long since become an end itself, the worlds of the Imperium merely carrying on as before regardless.The Trade Mandate is a product of this system. In such a case, the cogitations have determined that at such and such a date, in such and such a region, the efforts and services of a Rogue Trader house will be required in order to steer the region's fortunes or to expand it borders in response to a particular threat. The date at which the Trade Mandate is to be granted might be many centuries in the future, and so entire armies of scribes will spend their whole lives selecting the eventual recipient of the Trade Mandate, even to the extent of determining that an Imperial servant not yet even born is to receive it. |
Warrant of Trade - Military Service: One of the most common circumstances under which a Warrant of Trade is offered is in recognition of military service to the Imperium. In a galaxy at war on a thousand different fronts, lord generals and high admirals lead dozens of mighty Imperial Crusades to re-take entire regions lost to rebellion or alien invasion. Such mighty leaders have under their command millions of warriors and hundreds of warships, and over the course of a Crusade lasting decades they might claim dozens of planets in the name of the Emperor.Those individuals who succeed will be honoured at the very highest levels, decorated with a multitude of medals, have victory parades, high days and celebrations held in their name and even have whole planets named after them. Such men and women rarely retire having completed their life's work, however, and they are often restless and uncomfortable in non-military circles. The boundless and untameable energies of such leaders are best put to good use, and appointment to the rank of Rogue Trader comes to many as a welcome outlet that can benefit the Imperium. |
Warrant of Trade - Intrigue: While it is possible for a Warrant of Trade to change hands through overt aggression, a change in title is actually more likely to occur through underhanded methods. Assassination of varying sorts is not uncommon, and neither is fraud, but the most common of such methods is outright bribery. This might occur when a Rogue Trader has overstepped the limits of his authority, and a rival garners sufficient evidence of the transgression that the Imperium would be forced to censure them were such evidence to be presented to a high enough authority.Such crimes are most likely to include trafficking with alien empires forbidden even to Rogue Traders, or dealing in goods tainted by the Ruinous Powers. The issue might not even be something considered a crime, but rather evidence of political machinations against more powerful individuals and institutions. Perhaps worst of all, a powerful Rogue Trader might be accused of seeking to establish their own private empire beyond the Imperium's borders, and secede from the rule of the Emperor. Many Rogue Traders have tried to do so, most eventually being brought to justice by the Imperium's forces.In such a case, a rival might take power of an existing Warrant of Trade and all of the assets and rights associated with it. A new line is established and the old one slowly dissolved until little or nothing of the former dynasty remains. No one knows how many Rogue Trader houses have been established in this manner, but no doubt a significant number of Warrants have changed hands many times throughout the millennia. |
Warrant of Trade - Ministorum Bequest: The Ecclesiarchy does not hold the power to grant a Warrant of Trade, for that privilege ultimately lies in the 41st Millennium with the Adeptus Terra and the High Lords of Terra, but, in common with many of the Imperium's highest institutions, it does have great influence in the matter. Many of the crusades launched by the Imperium against recidivist star systems or vile aliens are thanks to the fiery oratory of the Ecclesiarchy's confessors and Redemptory priests. Such individuals preach war and redemption across dozens of worlds, igniting the zealous passions of the Imperium's subjects until vast rallies are held where millions of would-be martyrs call for the preacher's demands to be granted and war to be taken to the enemy.Though the preachers utilise simplistic, even crude methods to gain the support of the masses, they are highly adept at the far subtler ways of ensuring their voice is heard. Even while the confessor preaches hate and bloodshed to the masses, his agents move amongst the Imperium’s institutions, making promises of great favour and wealth to those who aid them, and making veiled threats to those who seek to obstruct them. One such promise the adepts might issue is the granting of a Warrant of Trade, the confessor’s allies ensuring that certain individuals with the power to grant such a reward are spoken to, in return for certain favours being performed. |
Warrant of Trade - Political Expediency: Just as some servants of the Imperium are granted the Warrant of Trade in genuine thanks and recognition for their services to Mankind, others are granted the rank because the alternative would be far worse. Throughout history, men and women granted leadership over an Imperial Crusade fleet have conquered in the name of the Imperium, only to establish themselves as rulers of the new realms. Sometimes these leaders have maintained at least a semblance of fealty to the Imperium, with the Adeptus Terra accepting the new regime so long as tithes are paid and other obligations met.Yet, on many other occasions, these rulers have become so accustomed to absolute power that they desire to hold onto it for all time, rejecting their Imperial masters and setting themselves up as total rulers of the regions they have fought so hard to conquer. The only recourse in such a situation is yet another crusade to dislodge the pretender.Far better, then, to avoid the situation entirely by keeping the conqueror distracted with yet more regions to conquer, leaving the administrators of the Adeptus Terra to complete the pacification in his wake. Many a Warrant of Trade has been granted in order that a Lord Militant might simply conquer region after region until they have expended their forces and are no longer a threat, real or potential, to the wider Imperium. |
Warrant of Trade - Reward: The most coveted of Rogue Trader Warrants of Trade are those that have been granted in genuine recognition of great deeds performed in service to the Imperium. Often, such a reward is not consciously sought and as such may come as a surprise to the recipient. A Warrant of Trade granted in this manner will be gifted to the recipient in a lavish ceremony, attended by the great and the good of the Imperium's highest offices.Many great men and women will attend, often in the hope that some of the glory and prestige will rub off on themselves. The recipient is likely to have gathered about them many powerful allies who others wish to be associated with -- some might even have forged connections with Space Marine Chapters, sector lords, admirals or Inquisitors.The deeds for which a Warrant of Trade will be rewarded are many and varied, and there are no set definitions or conditions set. Military service is a common route by which such Warrants are gifted, but so to is mercantile or political success.There is a darker side to a Warrant of Trade rewarded for such deeds however. The sponsor of the granting -- the individual who lobbied the powers that be for the recipient to be rewarded in such a manner -- will often expect some form of recompense, some favour that might not be called in for many solar decades. But called in it will be, and almost certainly at the most inconvenient time for the Rogue Trader. |
Warrant of Trade - Self-Promotion: To have risen to a position of influence and power within the labyrinthine structures of the Imperium's bureaucracy, an individual must, by the force of their own personality, be exceptionally driven. Just to be noticed amongst the teeming billions of the Imperium, one must be willing to promote oneself with ruthless efficiency.The types of people that attain such lofty stations might be noble and self-sacrificing, but it is just as likely they are ignoble and self-serving. For those of rank, a multitude of ways exists to attain every conceivable personal ambition, and for some the Warrant of Trade is that ultimate goal.Just why a highly placed official would desire the Warrant of Trade will depend on their own particular, sometimes flawed, personality, and the manner in which they attain it will depend on their circumstance, or on situations they can engineer. More than likely, it will involve prodigious bribes at the very highest of levels, or on calling in outstanding debts and favours from every possible source.Once the Warrant of Trade is granted to such a person, they will be keen to use it to attain their every ambition. Some will desire to carve small stellar empires beyond the reach of the Imperium, while others may want to establish the foundations of a mighty noble lineage, even if they themselves will not be around to see how future generations prosper. It has often been noted that many Rogue Traders are vain and egotistical, and that many more are simply venal and megalomaniacal. |
Warrant of Trade - Virtual Exile: Some individuals, by means fair and foul, attain high rank in the service of the Imperium by politicking or murdering their way to the very top. Over the course of a lifetime -- extended far beyond the natural span of Terran years by rare and expensive rejuvenation procedures -- such a person will have come into conflict with all manner of political opponents, earning the bitter enmity of the few others they can count as peers.It may come to pass that such an individual stands at the very brink of the culmination of a lifetime's political manoeuvring, and an appointment to sector governor or even High Lord of Terra is the only remaining rung on the ladder left to climb.At such times, it may be that an individual's many political rivals mobilise against them, drawing on every shred of their own influence to rid themselves of their enemy once and for all. Yet, being too powerful to oust, some in this position find a Warrant of Trade foisted upon them as a convenient way of getting rid of them once and for all.Such an honour cannot be refused, and the newly appointed Rogue Trader has no choice but to accept their fate, demurring politely as speeches are made in honour of all the great deeds they will perform in this, their ultimate service to the Imperium that appreciates them so. For these Rogue Traders, the Warrant of Trade is a bitter reward, for it signals the victory of their opponents.Despite the unwanted nature of the Warrant, these Rogue Traders do often go on to achieve great success, reaving across the stars, conquering dozens of planets, and amassing personal fortunes far in excess of what they might have attained otherwise. Some of these individuals return solar decades later to enact their revenge on their erstwhile political opponents, perhaps waiting until the key conspirators have retired to some private Garden World paradise before dispatching an assassin, or indeed a private army, to settle the matter once and for all. |
Warrant of Trade - Conditions of a Warrant of Trade: Of course, the powers and trappings of a Warrant of Trade do not come without a cost. A Rogue Trader fleet might be a significant military force, and the Warrant will often come with a number of conditions attached to it. In fact, it would be a sure sign that an individual is being virtually exiled if no conditions were attached, the authorities clearly hoping the recipient will go and get themselves killed somewhere beyond their concern.Conditions attached to a Warrant may take many forms, but invariably involve some form of military service or intervention. The most common types of conditions attached to a Warrant of Trade are discussed below. |
Warrant of Trade - Trooping the Colours: A common condition under which a Warrant of Trade is granted is that a particular world be "visited" by the Rogue Trader and their fleet. The world may have been isolated for some time, or, for whatever reason, simply not visited by any authority of the Imperium in a generation. Perhaps the tithes have been short or slow to be rendered, and the Imperium's bureaucracy has finally decided to investigate matters.If such a world is distant and other, more pressing concerns have diverted attention, then it may not be practical to task an Administratum mission or Imperial Navy squadron to press home the matter. Instead, a newly appointed Rogue Trader might very well be required to make a brief layover at the troublesome world.In all likelihood, contact with the planet in question will have been sporadic or non-existent, or concerning and fragmentary communications might be all that have been logged. The Rogue Trader will be tasked with undertaking the equivalent of a state visit, complete with all the regal pomp and circumstance of a visiting Imperial noble.Dress uniforms and badges of office will be flaunted, retinues and honour guards deployed, bands assembled, and flags waved. This is all for show, of course, and is intended to remind the world's leadership in a very real fashion that the Imperium still exists, and has not forgotten about them or the tithes they owe.The Rogue Trader will be expected to attend state banquets and high-level talks, acting in essence as a diplomat, even an ambassador of the Imperium. The Imperial Commander of most backwater planets will be sufficiently cowed by such a display, particularly with a small fleet of warships in geo-synchronous orbit over his seat of power. The Rogue Trader will be wined and dined and treated as royalty, and given every assurance that any shortfall in the tithe is clearly a minor inconvenience and entirely innocent, and asked to convey the governor's personal assurances that all will be made right as soon as possible.Some Imperial planetary governors do not welcome the Rogue Trader's visit however, either showing overt resistance or displaying obvious reluctance to comply. In such cases, the Rogue Trader is required to launch a punitive strike to "encourage" the recalcitrant world's cooperation. |
Warrant of Trade - Punitive Strike: In cases where a flag-waving mission has proved unsuccessful, or a world has openly rejected the rule of the Imperium, the Rogue Trader will have no option but to use force. Few newly-appointed Rogue Traders want to squander their resources on the first bush war they encounter, so a hard-hitting show of force is often used to demonstrate the futility of further resistance.A Lance strike from orbit often proves the Rogue Trader means business, particularly if aimed at key infrastructure targets, thus weakening the planetary governor's ability to rule their planet. Alternatively, a strike against a location particularly valued by the Imperial Commander might change their stance: the destruction of a luxurious winter palace or rural hunting lodge, for example.In the unlikely event that this initial show of force does not prove sufficient, then a more protracted campaign may be required. No Rogue Trader wishes to become embroiled in such a war, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. If the Rogue Trader's remit extends to actually dethroning the planetary governor in question, then many will proceed to such a course as soon as possible. This usually ends the matter in short order, a more compliant replacement being selected according to whatever political system put them in power in the first place. |
Warrant of Trade - Settlement: Settlement of new worlds in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind may be a condition placed on a Warrant of Trade. The Explorator fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus are ever investigating the wonders of the galaxy, relentlessly recording and cataloguing celestial phenomena and stellar bodies. A report of a habitable world will be dispatched to the Administratum, along with whatever data can be gathered on it by preliminary investigation by an Explorator team.If the world proves of no great interest to the Tech-priests, perhaps because it harbours no resources or life forms of immediate use to them, then its details will be transmitted and filed away for future generations to follow up as they will. The Imperium's bureaucracy being as it is, the report may progress through the data-mills of the Administratum for many standard years, even Terran centuries, before finally crossing the desk of a clerk tasked with dispatching settlement missions to such worlds to claim them in the name of Mankind.In the span of time between an exploration being logged and a settlement mission being dispatched, any number of fates might have befallen the planet. The ebb and flow of galactic war might have reduced its surface to radioactive dust, or aliens might have claimed it for their own ends. It is not unknown for a Rogue Trader to arrive in orbit over such a world only to find it utterly uninhabitable, or in fact incorrectly categorised in the first place.They will then have a colony ship and some thousands of settlers to dispose of, and it is not uncommon for a particularly callous individual to insist the colonists carry out their mission regardless, landing the prefabricated colony units wherever they can, or else. Very few colonies established under such circumstances last more than a standard year, while a very small minority may somehow survive against all the odds, alone in the darkness out beyond the fringes of Imperial rule. |
Warrant of Trade - Reclamation: Every standard year, unrecorded numbers of the Imperium's worlds fall to rebellion, alien invasion, or natural disaster. A common condition of the granting of a Warrant of Trade is that such worlds be brought back into the fold by the application of overt military power. Such missions are never what could be described as diplomatic, unless a transmission demanding immediate surrender can be counted as an ambassadorial communiqué.Intelligence on such lost worlds might be incomplete or compromised, based on accounts long out of date or deliberately covered up. The Rogue Trader will be operating on the level of a Lord Militant leading an Imperial Crusade, and for such missions additional military forces might be seconded to their command. In some cases, the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes might accompany the fleet, usually for a short time only, but occasionally for extended periods. Though they may well act as a figurehead, the Rogue Trader will not be in direct command of such units, and an administrative body will be formed, often titled a "crusader council."Strategy and political issues will be debated until the best use of the fleet's assets is agreed upon, calling on all the diplomatic skills of the Rogue Trader. Each of the seats on such a council is occupied by an individual of considerable power, and no Navis Imperialis admiral, Astra Militarum general, or Space Marine Chapter Master would agree to a course of action that squandered their own resources.The degree of the Rogue Trader's involvement over the course of such an Imperial Crusade will depend very much on their own background. An individual of a militant disposition may closely oversee the deployment of the fleet's military forces, while a particularly belligerent one may actually take a hand in the fighting. Those of a more bureaucratic nature are more likely to delegate such matters to their military advisors. There are those Rogue Traders for whom the entire crusade will represent a massive inconvenience, and these will deal with the situation in their own unique manner, seeking to extricate themselves and their ships from the mission of the crusade so that they can continue on their way for their own ends. |
Warrant of Trade - Exploration: Exploration is the essential mission of all Rogue Traders, yet occasionally they will be tasked with exploring a particular region of the galaxy at the behest of the Imperium's authorities. There are a lot of reasons such a situation might come about, and many Rogue Traders will be particularly resentful, as it may be specified that they themselves will not receive the exploitation rights they normally enjoy over the regions they explore.This onerous duty might be the result of the Imperium being in possession of fragmentary knowledge of an unexplored region, which, although incomplete, suggests the presence of some natural resource or otherwise desirable asset that might be of strategic value to an entire segmentum. A long-lost archival record might suggest that a region is populated by isolated Human worlds or a space-faring alien culture.Perhaps something far more sinister lurks in the black spaces on the map -- alien Tomb Worlds pre-dating the evolution of Humanity, esoteric stellar phenomena that challenge the understanding of the most learned of Tech-priests, or planet-sized super-weapons placed as silent sentinels by long-extinct civilisations. All of these things might trigger a Rogue Trader mission to investigate matters, often accompanied by senior members of the Adeptus Mechanicus or members of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition. |
Warrant of Trade - Compliance With the Terms of the Warrant of Trade: It may seem at first glance that some newly appointed Rogue Traders might be tempted to simply sail away into the great unknown without undertaking any of their obligations to the Imperium. Indeed, many are so tempted, and some do try to escape. These individuals soon find out that the Imperium is not so foolish as to allow the Rogue Trader to get away without first putting in place at least one contingency plan.The most common method of ensuring a Rogue Trader complies with the conditions of their Warrant of Trade is to ensure there are very powerful representatives of the Imperium on hand to remind them of their obligations. This might be an Administratum prefect, but it might also be an agent of a more obscure division, perhaps even of the Inquisition. On occasion, the Rogue Trader might find their flotilla accompanied by one or more Space Marine vessels, and sometimes these will be serving as much as a reminder of the conditions of their Warrant as to enforce the power of the Imperium on its enemies.Sometimes the Rogue Trader's compliance might be guaranteed by more subtle means, such as the promise of further powers or the granting of additional assets at various stages in a voyage. If a Rogue Trader has to make a number of diversions and fulfil a number of tasks before even reaching the fringes, then they may be reliant on the Imperium to replenish their forces before they leave Imperial space.There might also be more insidious contingencies put in place. Members of a ship's crew could be agents of the Imperium, and it is not unknown for actual Assassins to be emplaced aboard a Rogue Trader's flagship as insurance against non-compliance or betrayal. |
Warrant of Trade - Lineage: There are two broad classifications of Rogue Trader: those personally granted the Warrant of Trade, and those who have inherited it from a forebear. The granting of a Warrant of Trade has the potential to establish a hugely powerful noble line, which, if successful, can grow over the generations to become equal to the most ancient of Navigator and merchant houses.Many of the scions of these houses will hold the title Rogue Trader and wield the authority of the Warrant, yet in the main these powers reside predominantly with the line's titular head. Such individuals must bear the weight of tradition and expectation, and are in the main every bit as driven and able as the ancestor first granted the Warrant. On their shoulders rests the duty of maintaining the Warrant and their line's continued existence, driving them to continue the mission of the Rogue Trader, exploring the benighted regions beyond the fringes and returning with unimagined riches and glory.Some Rogue Trader houses become split with internal strife, the various scions competing with one another for power and the favour of the line's head. In houses where the head exercises complete control, the various members with a chance of inheriting leadership might squabble and manoeuvre against one another, some even resorting to intimidation or assassination to ensure it is they, and not an older sibling, who inherits the Warrant of Trade at the head's passing.Though some Rogue Trader houses may become riven with internecine civil war, most will invariably maintain an outward appearance of respectable propriety -- lest their competitors sense weakness and move against them. It takes a powerful head of house indeed to maintain order amongst competing offspring while also furthering the interests of their house and containing any collateral damage. Even in the face of outright rebellion against the Imperium, many heads of Rogue Trader houses will support their offspring. |
Warrant of Trade - Scions of the Rogue Trader Houses: So that the sons and daughters of the oldest of Rogue Trader lines do not fall victim to a life of idle luxury and thus weaken the bloodline, many such scions are ordered by their sires to "do their time," undertaking a career in one of the Imperium's great institutions until such time as they are judged worthy of returning, or duty calls them back.Many serve in the Navis Imperialis, a career that affords them many of the skills they will one day need to command a Rogue Trader fleet. Others spend time on the General Staff of the Astra Militarum, or in other divisions of the Adeptus Terra such as the Administratum. Such individuals are often reviled by their peers within the Imperial hierarchy, who view them merely as treading water until their privileged birthright recalls them, but many do indeed learn vital skills that will one day serve them well. |
Warrant of Trade - Revocation and Forfeiture of a Warrant of Trade: Some Rogue Traders become so powerful that their interests come into conflict with those of the Imperium. Considering the enormous freedom granted by the Warrant of Trade, it takes a great deal for a Rogue Trader's actions to be considered beyond the scope of their granted powers. The authorities often overlook even the most questionable actions of many Rogue Traders, even if word does get back to Terra, so long as the Imperium's best interests are ultimately served.Yet there are circumstances that have in the past led to the revocation of the Warrant of Trade and the forfeiture of the great powers associated with it. Revocation means the effective death of a Rogue Trader line, its powers and privileges lost for all time. Some houses have continued in a much diminished state, slowly rebuilding what fortunes they have clung to. |
Warrant of Trade - Empire Building: Throughout the ages, some notable Rogue Trader houses have amassed such powers that they have become small empires, controlling entire regions beyond the fringes of the Imperium. This in itself is not contrary to the terms of the granting of the Warrant of Trade, so long as fealty is paid in the form of due tithes to the Imperium. Such is Human nature, however, that hubris and greed has got the better of some, and they have determined to take total power of the realms they have conquered.Although it may be some time before reports of the actions of such individuals reach Terra, and more time yet before they are acted upon, such Traitors will invariably suffer the wrath of the Imperium, with an Imperial Crusade fleet, sometimes even one led by a newly appointed Rogue Trader, being dispatched to crush them. |
Warrant of Trade - Acting Against the Imperium: Being free to deal with alien cultures, many Rogue Traders deal or ally themselves with the xenos in the course of their missions. It is not unknown for some individuals to become embroiled in local wars, and on occasions these have been against the Imperium. Perhaps the Rogue Trader was acting to protect their own trade interests, moving against a competitor with lethal force. If the interests are aliens, and the competitors Human, then the Rogue Trader may well find themself on the wrong side in a war that soon escalates far and above a trade dispute.Furthermore, many Rogue Traders actually enjoy the vicious cut-and-thrust of competitive trade, immersing themselves in the politics of interstellar commerce. While most are highly accomplished at such games, even a Rogue Trader can become mired in a bad deal or find themself double-bluffed and outmanoeuvred by a competitor. Before they know it, the Rogue Trader is forced to act against the interests of the Imperium -- and finds themself the target of the Emperor's retribution. |
Warrant of Trade - Consorting with the Xenos Terribilus: Although the proscriptions that bar most Human contact with aliens do not apply to Rogue Traders, there are those xenos pronounced so dangerous, vile, or otherwise undesirable that not even a Rogue Trader is permitted contact with them. Entire star systems are declared Perdita, their outer limits marked by sentinel-buoys that transmit warnings to vessels to turn back, on the authority of the Segmentum High Command or even the Inquisition.Few know what horrors lurk on the worlds beyond the sentinels or what detestable alien life forms call them home. Many a Rogue Trader has allowed their curiosity to get the better of them, and those few that have survived contact with the proscribed xenos have later faced the wrath of the Inquisition and forfeiture of their Warrant of Trade. |
Warrant of Trade - Overstepping the Bounds: It is worth remembering that a Rogue Trader flotilla is a sizable military force in its own right, certainly carrying sufficient firepower to raze to ashes many of the Imperium's worlds. While a single vessel making a return to the Imperium will rarely cause concern, an entire fleet often will. Combine this with the fact that many of the Imperium's institutions have good reason to be distrustful of Rogue Traders, and a potential flashpoint emerges.To the Imperial Navy, a large, armed fleet appearing at the borders of a sector without warning will be sufficient to scramble a large force to ascertain its intentions and ensure it does not initiate hostile actions. The annals of the Imperium contain many unfortunate incidents in which a Rogue Trader fleet, returning victorious from a solar-decades-long expedition, has returned unheralded to the Imperium only to become embroiled with an Imperial Navy battlegroup. Such incidents might be cause to forfeit the Warrant, if the Rogue Trader is still alive at the end. |
Warrant of Trade - Rewards: The rewards a Rogue Trader's Warrant of Trade can bring are exceptional, and often quite beyond those attainable by any other legitimate means. The greatest reward is fortune, obtained by trade or conquest. Often the two are one and the same.Quite aside from the financial gain, many Rogue Traders seek the fame and glory success can bring. Few people in the 41st Millennium can ever hope that their name will be spoken of beyond the limits of their birth world or the span of their own lifetime. For many, the most valuable reward is the opportunity to establish a lineage, with themselves as the primogenitors, of an Imperial noble house that will endure throughout the ages. |
Warrior's Pilgrimage - Warrior's Pilgrimage: The Warrior's Pilgrimage is an ancient tradition of the Adeptus Astartes. When a Space Marine feels that his honour has been irreparably compromised by a personal failure, he can request from his Chapter Master to be released on a Warrior's Pilgrimage. If granted permission, he will leave his Chapter and Battle-Brothers behind and head for the nearest Imperial warzone, throwing himself into the thickest of the combat against one of the Imperium's many enemies, and will keep doing so until he finally dies. Amongst the superhuman defenders of the Imperium of Man, this amounts to honourable suicide, for the Astartes will go into battle seeking death instead of victory, but will not accept death willingly.The tradition of the Warrior's Pilgrimage has been inherited from the ancient time of the Great Crusade, where both individual Space Marines and entire Space Marine Legions would make solemn Oaths of Moment to accomplish some glorious goal or die trying. Often, a dishonoured Space Marine would swear an Oath of Moment to accomplish a truly impossible thing even for a superhuman Astartes, and find redemption in death while trying to fulfill the oath. If by a miracle the Astartes managed to accomplish his heroic task, he would then be vindicated, and welcomed back amongst his Battle-Brothers as a hero.Today, a Warrior's Pilgrimage is seldom requested. Space Marines are psycho-indoctrinated from the moment they are accepted as Aspirants to their Chapter to deal emotionally with the bloodshed they will commit and the inevitable casualities that accompany a life of constant warfare. Also, whenever an Astartes feels an emotional burden, he will confess it to his company's Chaplain. These ancient warriors are masterful orators and keen students of the human psyche, and almost always find the right words to unburden their brethren and re-kindle the flame of their righteousness.But it is not always so; terrible losses in battle, or the loss of a sacred artefact of their Chapter can unhinge the mental stability of a Space Marine beyond the ability of a Chaplain to set it right again. Such Astartes will often request to go on the Warrior's Pilgrimage, as a self-imposed punishment and a way to rid themselves of their guilt.If his petition is accepted, the Space Marine will report to the Apothecarion to have his gene-seed extracted, and will then don his Power Armour, take his faithful Bolter and leave for the nearest warzone, seeking his redemption in death by facing the most powerful opponent he can find. For most of these Pilgrims, their first battle will also be their last; and their bodies and wargear will be solemnly returned to their Chapter if possible. Some Pilgrims will manage to survive despite the odds; these Astartes are choice recruits for Inquisitors seeking to add a fearsome superhuman warrior to their retinue.Sadly, some of these rare survivors lose their sanity completely and ultimately turn Renegade. It is for this last reason that many Chapter Masters are loath to give their permission for a Warrior's Pilgrimage: the loss of a capable Battle-Brother and his wargear is grave but honourable, while the stain on the Chapter's honour of a Battle-Brother on a Pilgrimage who turns Renegade is unbearable. |
Warrior's Pilgrimage - Notable Pilgrims: Captain Taelos of the Imperial Fists - Taleos of the Imperial Fists was faced with the almost total annihilation of his 2nd Company against the Tau. He requested to go on a Warrior's Pilgrimage, but was turned down the first time, and put in charge of the 10th Company instead. After replenishing the ranks of the Imperial Fists, he made another request, which was granted by his Chapter Master.Captain Reinez of the Crimson Fists - Reinez of the Crimson Fists lost his 3rd Company's Company Standard to the Soul Drinkers on Ettymion IV. He resigned his rank and petitioned Chaper Master Pedro Kantor to find redemption in death. He resurfaced for the trial of the Soul Drinkers on the Phalanx where he was appointed as the prosecutor of those Renegade Space Marines by the Imperial Fists. Too consumed by his hatred, Reinez ultimately joined the Forces of Chaos in an assault on the Phalanx and died trying futilely to get his revenge on his hated foes.Lone Wolves of the Space Wolves - The Lone Wolves are the Space Wolves' version of those Astartes who undertake a Warrior's Pilgrimage. Lone Wolves are created when a Space Wolf Astartes becomes the sole survivor of his Pack. The Lone Wolf will swear an oath to face the most terrible of foes in personal combat, to bring his fallen Pack's saga to a close, and either join them in death, or start another saga as a member of the Wolf Guard when his oath is fulfilled. Unlike other Chapters, Lone Wolves still fight as a part of their company, albeit a distant and solitary warrior. |
Warrior Adepts - Warrior Adepts: The Warrior Adepts is a Loyalist Chapter of Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marines of unknown origins and Founding. Nothing else is known about them in Imperial records. |
Warrior Adepts - Chapter Colours: The Warrior Adepts wear a quartered pattern of red and blue on their Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is dark yellow.The red squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is located on the right shoulder plate.A white Low Gothic numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number.The colour of the inset of the left shoulder plate indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc. |
Warrior Adepts - Chapter Badge: The Warrior Adepts' Chapter badge is the profile of a blue raptor's head, on a field of various colours, depending on which company an individual Battle-Brother belongs to. |
Warrior Adepts - Sources: Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)Insignium Astartes, pg. 55 |
Warrior Lodge - Warrior Lodge: A Warrior Lodge was a closed fraternity of Astartes warriors that existed outside of the Space Marine Legions' formal rank structure during the later years of the Great Crusade.Warrior lodges were spread within many of the Legions that ultimately turned Traitor to the Emperor of Mankind at the close of the Great Crusade after the corruption of the Warmaster Horus by Chaos on the world of Davin. It was the customs of the savage warriors of Davin that had first given birth to the warrior lodge tradition.These lodges played a key role in the division and later corruption of the Legiones Astartes under Horus' command that directly led to the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. |
Warrior Lodge - History: Some six solar decades prior to the events of the Horus Heresy, the XVIth Legion, already called the Luna Wolves, in collaboration with the XVIIth Legion, then known as the Imperial Heralds but later renamed the Word Bearers, had undertaken the Imperial Compliance of the Feral World of Davin, codified as Sixty-Three Eight (63-8).A feral place, Davin had been controlled by a remarkable warrior caste, whose savage nobility had won the respect of the Astartes sent to pacify their raging and bloody feuds.The Davinite warriors had ruled their world through a complex structure of Warrior Lodges, which were quasi-religious societies that had venerated various local predators as totem animals. By cultural osmosis, the lodge practices were quietly absorbed, emulated and modified by the XVIth and XVIIth Legions to match their own internal Legion cultures.Throughout history warriors had always sought the brotherhood of their kind. The Warrior Lodges supposedly sought to promote fellowship across the hierarchies of command in a Space Marine Legion, irrespective of rank or position. These lodges were intended to serve as a kind of internal bond, a ribwork of loyalty that operated, as it were, perpendicular to the Legion's official chain of command.Imperial scholars now believe that the influence of the Primarch Lorgar and his Word Bearers played a key role in the proliferation of the lodges amongst the various Legions who took up the practice, spreading like a slow contagion and eventually becoming the source of the cancer that grew at the heart of the Imperium's finest warriors.Officially, there were no warrior lodges, or any other kind of fraternities, within the Legiones Astartes. It was common knowledge that the Emperor frowned on such institutions, claiming they were dangerously close to cults, and only a step away from the illegal cult, the Lectitio Divinitatus, that supported the notion of the Emperor as the one, true god of Mankind.The Emperor openly and publicly refuted His alleged divinity and banned religious worship in His empire, and demanded that his subjects accept the "Imperial Truth"-- that science, reason and logic alone presented the tools required to create a better Human future.There were many of those amongst the Space Marine Legions, especially those Astartes of Terran origin, who were openly opposed to the practise of the lodges, for to them it felt wrong, if nothing else, in that their practises were deliberately kept secret from other members of the Legion and were thus a form of deceit, since they knew the Emperor who have greatly disapproved of the custom.Many of those Space Marine officers within the Legions who disapproved of such clandestine activities let it be known to those Astartes that served under their command that they should have nothing to do with these lodges.In the final days of the Great Crusade, during a battle against Chaos-spawned undead on Davin's moon, whose Planetary Governor, Eugen Temba, had been corrupted by the forces of the Chaos God Nurgle, Horus was poisoned by a xenos blade dedicated to Nurgle known as a Kinebrach Anathame.The blade had been stolen from the Human civilisation of the Interex by the Word Bearers' First Chaplain Erebus after Horus and the Luna Wolves of the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet had made a disastrous first contact with them.In the course of that battle against Temba, the potent living metal of the Chaos blade wielded by the plague-infused monstrosity left Horus with a bleeding, toxic wound in his shoulder that his Legion's Apothecaries could not heal despite all the advanced technology available to them.Seeing his chance to further the nefarious designs of the Ruinous Powers, Erebus next persuaded the Luna Wolves' Warrior Lodge to allow a group of Davinite shamans -- Chaos Cultists all -- located on the surface of Davin at the Temple of the Serpent Lodge to heal him.The Luna Wolves, besides themselves with grief and the fear that their beloved primarch would die, agreed to the suggestion, despite its direct violation of the creeds of the Imperial Truth.It was on Davin that things began to turn, where the momentum that led to the corruption of Horus and his Luna Wolves came to a head, planting the seeds of the monstrous betrayal that was to come. Horus fell and then he rose, healed by the arcane powers of the Davinite witches after he agreed within the Warp to betray his father the Emperor in return for mastery over the galaxy, as delivered to him through service to Chaos.From the day of Horus' resurrection on, he took the good and open nature of the Luna Wolves' Warrior Lodge and turned it slowly to meet his own ends, using it as the instrument of corruption to determine which of his Astartes would join him in rebellion -- and which would have to be eliminated before the betrayal could be consummated.Within the Warrior Lodges of the Luna Wolves and the other Legions targetted by Horus to join his cause, dark shadows grew over the hearts of warriors who had once been devoted and loyal to the Imperium's highest ideals.After Horus' "miraculous" resurrection, the proliferation of these warrior lodges quickly spread amongst the other Legions, especially those that maintained close bonds with the XVIth Legion and eventually turned Traitor.Though these warrior lodges had venerated no god or occult principle, the ritual and secret elements of the warrior lodges did not fit with the ruthless rationality of the Imperial Truth and were soon turned to the purposes of those who sought to spread the worship of the entities of the Warp through the Legions.Frowned upon but tolerated, the lodges persisted and flourished even in the years before Horus' corruption. They had survived in part because many of the officers within the Legions saw them as relatively harmless, and in part because they did promote fellowship within and between Legions. It was a fatal misjudgement that would have dire consequences for all Mankind. |
Warrior Lodge - 41st Millennium: In the late 41st Millennium, ten thousand standard years after the end of the Heresy, the formation of secret brotherhoods amongst self-appointed "elite" soldiers was still regarded as a warning sign of corruption by Chaos.Commissar Ciaphas Cain made a point of lecturing his students at the Schola Progenium about it, to make it possible for them to identify, and hopefully head off, the potential development of Traitor Guard units. |
Warrior Lodge - Warrior Lodge Organisation: From what little is known to modern Imperial scholars, behind closed doors the members of a lodge put aside the divisions of rank and honour. No rank existed between members aside from the ranks and divisions of the lodge itself.It was quite possible for a senior Space Marine captain to be greeted as an equal by a warrior under his command. Likewise it was equally possible for a sergeant to be the Lodge Master, one of his acolytes a company captain and a neophyte to be a senior Lodge Commander.Such subversion of the order of rank and military discipline was possible because the lodges bound themselves with ritual and secrecy. The meeting places of a lodge were secret chambers entered by only one door. That door was guarded, and only those bearing the words and symbols of membership could pass within.Members recognised each other by the use of artefacts (such as lodge coins), marks, gestures and code phrases. Symbolism and ritual significance surrounded initiation into a lodge. In some of the Legions' warrior lodges, the prospective initiate was blindfolded, only seeing again once the ceremony was complete.In other lodges he would drink a cup of blood, a cup of water, and a cup of soured wine. Some had labyrinthine levels of rank to ascend; others confined themselves to a basic few.For example, within the Emperor's Children Legion, the Brotherhood of the Phoenix was a more exclusive warrior lodge than those found within any of the other Legions.When the Emperor's Children had fought alongside the Luna Wolves early after the rediscovery of their Primarch Fulgrim, they had formed great bonds of friendship with the warriors of Horus, and in the times between the fighting, a few loose tongues amonst the warriors of the XVIth Legion had spoken to their brothers in the IIIrd Legion of the existence of their warrior lodge.The Luna Wolves' lodge was, in theory, open to any warrior who desired to be a member, an informal place of lively debate where rank held no sway and an Astartes could speak his mind freely without fear of reprisals.Eventually a few Astartes from the Emperor's Children were permitted to attend one such meeting, a pleasant evening of honourable camaraderie under the titular leadership of the Lodge Master Serghar Targost. Some enjoyed the meeting, despite the clandestine nature and theatrics of it, but some remained uncomfortable with the informality and mingling of the ranks.In the traditionally hierarchical Emperor's Children Legion, only warriors of officer rank could join the similar confraternity which was soon created within the IIIrd Legion, and which also would eventually be used as the conduit by which Fulgrim and the other members of the Emperor's Children who were corrupted by Slaanesh would seize control of the Legion and rid themselves of their Imperial Loyalists during the Istvaan III Atrocity. |
Warrior Lodge - Notable Warrior Lodges: Quiet Order - The Quiet Order was the warrior lodge founded within the Sons of Horus Legion to corrupt them towards the service of Chaos. Before the Warmaster Horus revealed his treachery at the Isstvan III Atrocity, where he culled the Loyalist elements of the Legions under his command, the lodge had met only as often as campaign necessity allowed. It had been an indulgence permitted by Horus, encouraged even, but always subservient to the demands of war. Following the massacre at Isstvan III, the lodge met more regularly as the Sons of Horus learned more of the secret arts of service to the Ruinous Powers from Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion.Brotherhood of the Phoenix - The Brotherhood of the Phoenix was a confraternity that existed within the Emperor's Children Legion and unlike other Warrior Lodges, was strictly composed of only the III Legion's senior officers.Dodekatheon - The Dodekatheon was the mason's order of the Iron Warriors Legion which had been gathering aboard Iron Warriors starships even before their Primarch Perturabo had been reunited with his gene-sons. It was a meeting place of builders and warriors, where new structural designs were unveiled, past battles refought and new theorems of war given voice. Every warrior of the IV Legion was welcome, but in practice only those of rank had the opportunity to attend any of the lodge meetings.Seven Pillared Lodge - The Seven Pillared Lodge was the Warrior Lodge founded within the Death Guard Legion to corrupt them towards the service of Chaos from within. |
Warriors of Aggannor - Warriors of Aggannor: The Warriors of Aggannor are a warband of Chaos Space Marines composed of an amalgam of warriors from multiple Chaos Space Marine warbands and the Traitor Legions. Numerous Night Lords and Word Bearers Traitor Marines swore allegiance to the Chaos Lord Aggannor and were responsible for a major Chaos incursion on Calibos III during Goge Vandire's Reign of Blood in the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium. |
Warriors of Aggannor - Warband Colours: Since this warband is composed of warriors from multiple Chaos warbands and Traitor Legions, they have no definitive colours that identify them. Instead, they maintain their original warband's or Traitor Legion's colours. |
Warriors of Aggannor - Warband Badge: The Warriors of Aggannor do not have their own iconography to identify them. Instead warriors from this warband wear their original warband's or Legion's identifying badge or markings. |
Warriors of Aggannor - Notable Warriors of Agganor: Agganor - Agganor is the powerful Chaos Lord who leads the Warriors of Agganor warband. |
Warriors of Mayhem - Warriors of Mayhem: The Warriors of Mayhem are a warband of Chaos Space Marines of unknown origin and allegiance. This warband was first sighted by Imperial forces in 925.M41. |
Warriors of Mayhem - Warband Colours: The Warriors of Mayhem wear deep purple coloured Power Armour with silver trim. |
Warriors of Mayhem - Warband Badge: The Warriors of Mayhem do not have their own individual badge or iconography. Instead they have been noted to wear the usual blasphemous Chaotic icons and fetishes that identifies them as servants of the Dark Gods. |
Warriors of the Reborn - Warriors of the Reborn: The Warriors of the Reborn were a thousand-strong army of former Human helots (slaves) of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion recruited by the Chaos-corrupted Blood Angel Space Marine Arkio the Blessed from the population of the planet Shenlong.The Warriors of the Reborn were chosen through a series of gruelling arena combats, with only the most brutal and savage surviving to the end. During their short existence, these warriors fought alongside those Space Marines of the Blood Angels Chapter who had also been duped into following Arkio's false message. |
Warriors of the Reborn - History: Similar to the Tyrant's Legion formed by Chapter Master Lufgt Huron of the Astral Claws leading up to the Badab War, the Warriors of the Reborn were a cult-like army of standard Humans formed to serve the Chaos-corrupted Space Marine Arkio the Blessed, who claimed to be the primarch Sanguinius reborn.Liberated from many standard years of horrific abuse and enslavement by the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, the people of the world of Shenlong were quick to worship Arkio as a god, not knowing he was himself an unwitting pawn of the Chaos God Tzeentch.Following Arkio on his crusade against those who resisted the idea of his ascendence, the army was wiped out on the world of Sabien while fighting the overwhelming force of the Blood Angels. |
Warriors of the Reborn - Notable Campaigns: Blood Angels Civil War (ca. 999.M41) - Following a successful battle on the world of Cybele, Brother Arkio, who possessed the sacred relic known as the Spear of Telesto, proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Sanguinius. Fealty was given to the so-called "Reborn Angel" by many within the ranks of the Blood Angels' 6th Company. Unknown to the Blood Angels, an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor named Remius Stele, a secret servant of the Ruinous Powers, manipulated the situation to cause a schism within the Chapter. Chief Librarian Mephiston arrived on the Blood Angels' Shrine World of Sabien to judge Arkio, and turned the powers of his formidable witch-sight upon him. He saw the carefully hidden seed of Chaos that Stele had planted inside Arkio and denounced the "Reborn Angel" as false and Inquisitor Stele as a Heretic. Mephiston then challenged Arkio to a duel but before it began, Arkio's biological brother Sergeant Rafen, a fellow Blood Angel, arrived and offered to challenge Arkio instead. Rafen was one of the few Blood Angels of the 6th Company who had doubted the veracity of Arkio's supposed resurrection, keeping faith with the Emperor and their primarch, and formally denounced his brother as a false reincarnation. Mephiston looked into Rafen's mind and saw that he had seen a vision of Sanguinius and that he was destined to fight Arkio. The Lord of Death allowed Rafen to take his place, and the two siblings duelled to the death. After Rafen wounded Arkio and he fled, the corrupted Inquisitor Stele ordered the Loyalist Blood Angels and the Warriors of the Reborn to attack Mephiston and his entourage. Eventually, Rafen emerged triumphant, impaling Arkio through the heart with the Spear of Telesto. Arkio died begging for his brother's forgiveness. After his sibling's death, the true master behind the nefarious Chaos plot revealed himself -- Malfallax, a Lord of Change of Tzeentch. Malfallax and Inquisitor Stele had entered into a devil's bargain with Warmaster Garand of the traitorous Word Bearers Traitor Legion to turn the Blood Angels to Chaos by using Arkio as a false messiah. When Arkio was killed by his sibling Rafen, Stele attempted to summon Malfallax, intending to have the Greater Daemon possess his slave Ulan. Instead, Malfallax betrayed the Inquisitor and possessed his body instead, fully manifesting as a Lord of Change on the mortal plane. Malfallax then attempted to cause the Blood Angels to succumb to the Black Rage, but was in turn banished by Rafen using the Spear of Telesto. By the time Rafen had defeated Malfallax, Mephiston's iron will had snapped, and he fell once more into the Black Rage. Rafen directed the power of the Spear of Telesto at Mephiston himself, breaking the hold of the curse upon the great Librarian for a second time. In the aftermath of this great tragedy, Arkio's remains were eventually burned upon a pyre out of respect for the fact that he had been duped into heresy through no fault of his own. The Blood Angels that willingly followed Arkio learned of the perfidy of the agent of Chaos, Inquisitor Stele, and tried to comprehend the awful realization that they had been duped. For they had been turned into unwitting pawns in a grand scheme unleashed by the Chaos God Tzeentch to steal their very souls. The fallen battle-brothers were brought aboard Mephiston's warship, the Europae, stripped of their wargear and shackled in manacles. One of the Blood Angels strike teams loyal to Mephiston located the hardened steel module from the interior of the Bellus that housed the Progenoid capsules containing the genetic material of the traitorous fallen Blood Angels who had followed Arkio. Many of the clerics aboard the Europae were of the opinion that this gene‐seed was now tainted and fit only for the fires of the fusion furnace, but Mephiston thought otherwise. The genetic material was placed in secure holding for the journey back to Baal; it would be Lord Commander Dante alone who would decide the fate of this gene-seed. Though offered a promotion to the rank of captain and the command of his own company, Rafen refused, choosing to earn the position on his own merits when the time was right. Rafen only made one request of the Lord of Death -- clemency and compassion for his battle-brothers of the 6th Company who had strayed and followed his sibling into heresy unwittingly. Blinded by their belief in Sanguinius, their faith had been turned against them and misused. Mephiston counseled Rafen that the rites of cleansing and purification that might be employed were quite arduous. Many of his battle-brothers would not survive the process. But Rafen informed Mephiston that they would endure and their faith would be twice as strong for it. |
Warriors Tempest - Warriors Tempest: The Warriors Tempest is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in Imperial records, except that it was created some time after the Second Founding. |
Warriors Tempest - Chapter Colours: The Warriors Tempest primarily wear bone-white Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard, as well as the central portion of the power pack and the insets of the shoulder plates are midnight blue. The white squad specialty symbol -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran -- is located on the right shoulder plate. A black Roman numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number. The colour of the left knee plate indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc. |
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