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Zephon - Wargear: Artificer ArmourSpiritum Sanguis - A powerful broad-bladed Power Sword of exquisite craftsmanship, the Spiritum Sanguis was presented to Zephon by the IXth Legion's Master of Artisans upon his departure to join the Crusader Host on Terra.Lament and Grief - A pair of artificer-made Volkite Serpenta pistols, Lament and Grief fire powerful thermal beams of blinding white light over short ranges that sear the flesh as well as the sight of their targets.Jump PackIron HaloFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesRad GrenadesMelta Bombs

Zephro Carnelian - Zephro Carnelian: Zephro Carnelian is a human Illuminatus, and a liaison between that organisation and the Eldar. As an Illuminatus, he is as comfortable in the Immaterium as he is in realspace. He seems to be enamored of Eldar culture and knowledge, especially as it relates to Harlequins. Indeed, he is shown to favor Harlequin dress and mimick their mannerisms. He also acts on behalf of the Illuminati and their Eldar allies as a double agent, having infiltrated the Ordo Hydra.He was the prime operative in a plan to manipulate secret Inquisitor Jaq Draco into an unwilling triple agent - as an Inquisitor who's furthering the Illuminati's plans by joining the Ordo Hydra. According to the Eldar Farseer allies of the Illuminati, Draco was to be a significant actor in their common plans. Draco was also considered by Carnelian to be a prime candidate for "Illumination" -- joining the cabal of the Illuminati. In a feat thought impossible, Carnelian originally contacted Draco by remotely intruding into one of Draco's readings of the Emperor's Tarot and taking over the deck's Harlequin card. It is not known whether this was an ability acquired by members of the Illuminati or whether it was a particular psychic gift of Carnelian's alone. Carnelian's plans regarding Draco eventually backfired, to the dismay of his Eldar mentors and patrons amongst the Illuminati. Carnelian's current whereabouts and disposition are unknown.

Zephyrglaive - Zephyrglaive: A Zephyrglaive is a weapon utilised exclusively by the mysterious Aeldari Harlequins, particularly, the riders of Skyweaver Jetbikes, known as Great Falcons.This weapon takes the form of a long-bladed polearm -- each Zephyrglaive is perfectly weighted, individually balanced to its wielder and enfolded in a molecular dissonance field.This renders it a lethal weapon of high-velocity aerial murder. Zephyrglaives are wielded with consummate skill, carving graceful arcs through the air as they lop heads from shoulders or bisect torsos in fans of blood.

Zephyrglaive - Sources: Codex: Harlequins (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 48-49, 59, 185, 210White Dwarf Weekly 54 (07 Feb. 2015), "Skyweavers," and "Harlequin Army List - Skyweavers," pp. 6, 8-9, 57

ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine - ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine: The ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine, also known informally as the ZFR Drive, is a system of interstellar starship propulsion that was the great invention of the T'au Earth Caste and allowed the T'au Empire to expand rapidly starting with the Second Sphere Expansion.An ingenious design, this powerful new mechanism allowed T'au starships to attain near-light speed. It is the primary means of T'au interstellar travel, and is used by all of the vessels of the T'au Navy, the Kor'vattra.

ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine - History: The rise of the T'au can be seen to develop through three distinct phases, periods of intense growth known to the T'au as "Spheres of Expansion." Each of these waves of colonisation is marked by a long build-up of resources, after which continual waves of exploratory missions are launched, followed, where needed, by military campaigns to solidify territorial gains. Once a T'au colony transforms itself into a stable settlement, it then serves as a jumping-off point for the next expansion.By the end of the millennia-long First Sphere Expansion, as it later came to be called, the T'au Empire had unfurled across the heavens in the Eastern Fringe and consisted of eight fully-settled star systems known as septs. Named after its prime or "Sept World," a Sept can include any number of additionally colonised planets or moons, as well as other holdings such as listening posts, sensor fields, shield satellites, orbital cities, and mining operations.Everything is connected, both by a series of space stations and a massive net of communications and sensor relays strung between major locations. Although it might take many generations to establish itself, each sept is unique, with its own cultural nuances and varying proportions of the different T'au castes and alien populations.Several factors combined to end the T'au's first great period of rapid growth. Firstly, despite the terrific population explosion their species had been experiencing, their numbers were being stretched too thin, with need for more of every caste being felt. Fire Caste warriors were in particularly high demand; the wars fought to conquer new planets had proven costly, and ongoing conflicts still raged in outlaying areas.The second reason the First Sphere Expansion came to a halt was simply due to the immense distances between star systems. After colonising the many dense star clusters near their homeworld of T'au in the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, the expanses between worlds became greater. At that time, it was already impossible to travel the span of the empire in a single T'au lifetime using the slow sublight drives available to T'au voidcraft, and crossing the black gulfs that surrounded their star systems would take many, many generations. The T'au clearly needed to innovate new methods of interstellar space travel.The first problem was solved by the integration of the Kroot race into the T'au Empire following the War in the Place of Union, where the T'au and Kroot first allied to defeat a massive assault by the Orks upon the Kroot of the world of Krath and then went on to free other Kroot enclaves under Greenskin assault. In a short period of time, the Fire Caste's armies were swollen by billions of additional Kroot warriors to aid the fight for the Greater Good, albeit in a more mercenary fashion than was considered ideal by the ruling T'au Ethereals.It was only the Earth Caste which had failed to reach their prescribed goal of developing a new method for more rapid interstellar travel. With engineering centres in every sept working diligently, the Earth Caste provided innumerable innovations for the T'au military and society, but the invention demanded by the Ethereals -- faster propulsion-technology to drive starships -- eluded them.At last, the quantum leap came from Fal'shia Sept, where its Earth Caste scientists and engineers finalised development of the ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine. An ingenious design, this powerful new mechanism allowed T'au starships to attain near-light speed. It was this device that would usher in the next phase of progress, as now T'au vessels could reach new star systems in only a few objective Terran years, while their crews experienced very little subjective passage of time due to the relativistic time dilation effects of moving at such high speeds.

Zhao-Arkhad - Zhao-Arkhad: Zhao-Arkhad, also spelled Zhao-Arkkad, is a major Forge World of the Adeptus Mechanicus as well as a Death World that sits at the heart of its own small stellar empire.The Sovereign Omnissian Domain of Zhao-Arkhad lies on the borders of the Segmentum Tempestus and the Segmentum Obscurus. Remote and isolated for much of its troubled history, the planet is perhaps best known for being the home of the Titan Legion known as the Legio Xestobiax ("Iron Vigil") which gained a dubious reputation during the Battle of Prospero.Long-suspected to delve into forbidden technologies and considered suspect for their close former ties with the Thousand Sons, one of the most notable Traitor Legions of the Legiones Astartes, the Arkhadian forge-fanes were excommunicated by Fabricator-General Zagreus Kane during the dark years of the Horus Heresy.Brought back into the light of the Imperium of Man during the Great Scouring, both Zhao-Arkhad and the Legio Xestobiax have since been declared only guilty by association and purged of the Heretek practices they used in the past.It was during this reconsecration that Mechanicum Assay Teams from the great Forge World of Metalica would rediscover the Standard Template Construct database for the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport, the Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher and the Dominus Heavy Siege Bombard which are now manufactured on many Imperial Forge Worlds.

Zhao-Arkhad - Founding: Much of the knowledge of Zhao-Arkhad is based on the data recovered by the Metalican sect of the Adeptus Mechanicus during the Great Scouring and even these records are cursory and fragmentary at best. Hence, the specifics of the Forge World's curious history, especially its beginnings, remain unknown.What is certain is that Zhao-Arkhad was initially founded by a Mechanicum Ark expedition heralding from sacred Mars itself, sent by the tech-priests of the ancient Mechanicum to spread the doctrines of the Machine God across the galaxy and to pursue the divine Quest for Knowledge. The timeframe of the colony mission's inception is still debated amongst scholars but is generally agreed upon as falling in the latter years of the Age of Strife.To reach their final destination, the Mechanicum Ark must have been flung widely off course from their intended target. What little lore remains from Zhao-Arkhad's founding indicates that the powerful Warp storms that marked the period of the Age of Strife were responsible for wrecking the Ark's Warp-Drives as well as damaging its more conventional engines, thus prompting an emergency translation back into realspace.When the Mechanicum Ark reentered reality, be it by the hand of fate or blind luck, it was amid the uncharted and unknown stars of the deep galactic south. Orbiting a white star, the system they had emerged in counted numerous minor volcanically-active planets, gas giants and thick webs of asteroid belts, but only one verdant green world capable of harbouring life. That any world within range of the stricken Mechanicum Ark was serviceable was viewed as a miracle by many of the Martian colonists.Calculating that this world offered their only chance at survival, the Mechanicum Ark limped towards its destination, gathering more information as it closed with the planet: its atmosphere harboured oxygen and the three moons orbiting it were determined to possess heavy mineral concentrations, making it suitable for settlement and offering the opportunity for potential expansion. Full of confidence, the colonists named this new system Zhao and landed their craft on the new world.It was only after the landing that the colonists realised that their new haven was a blighted one. Fate had delivered them onto a Death World. The tropical world boasted an atmospheric oxygen level far above the Terran norm, while local flora quickly proved highly toxic for any unaugmented Human. The prevailing climate was that of a tropical rainforest with wildly fluctuating temperatures and ceaseless rainfall which brought humidity to severe levels.These harsh atmospheric conditions left the colonists with little choice but to remain in those sections of their force-landed Ark and its cargo-holds that could be fully air-locked and were able to shield them from Zhao-Arkhad's weather.The first parties to venture outside the downed vessel soon testified to their new homeworld's ability to sustain life: grossly enlarged fauna that grew at a speed seldom seen and an extensive population of monstrously large arthropods and ophidian beasts provided a snapshot of the planet's hostile ecosystem.From the outset, the aggression level of these beasts threatened the very existence of the colony and if it had not been for the handful of Titans that had survived in the Ark's holds, the colonists' survival would not have been possible. Thus began the Titans' unceasing "iron vigil" which would later become the cognomen of the Legio Xestobiax, the Forge World's most powerful protectors.To the colonists of Zhao-Arkhad, it must have seemed as if the fertile world consciously resisted every attempt at colonisation. The myriad different species of trees formed a dense canopy that let through little sunlight, but at the same time these trees were so tall that they reached above the cloud level, which meant that the storms and monsoon rains formed directly over the colonists' heads, the foliage of the canopy further trapping the humidity below, causing intense corrosion that reached previously unseen levels.Even when the colonists tried to cut these trees down, the oxygen-rich atmosphere and the increased sunlight let the ground erupt with new saplings, the forest growing even thicker in the short-lived clearings made by the colonists. Where the canopy grew so thick as to entirely block the rays of Zhao's star, great macro-predators made their lairs, and the ferocity of these beasts ensured that the colonists' Titans never ran out of targets.The only Human-edible produce of Zhao-Arkhad proved to be a tuber, and even this had to be boiled and filtered repeatedly for many solar hours before it could be consumed with no or few ill-effects. But even with Zhao-Arkhad trying to kill them, the Human colonists held on. As Humanity has always done and will continue to do, the colonists of Zhao-Arkhad forged their home through adversity, driven by their iron faith in the Omnissiah and the Martian doctrine of unceasing labour.Quickly realising that expansion across Zhao-Arkhad's surface would be futile, the colonists decided to live beneath the ground, where the atmosphere could be more easily regulated and they would be safe from the predations of Zhao-Arkhad's macro-fauna.Using the deteriorating shell of their colony ark as cover, deep access shafts were cut into the subsurface, allowing the colonists to abandon the cannibalised wreckage of their starship and start a new existence deep below the surface.This venture marked the foundation of the world's first forge-fane. Others would eventually follow, as painstaking expeditions were sent out into the wild, braving the dangers of the rain forests, exploring new regions and sinking new biomes and forge-fanes into the ground. As the first forge-fanes slowly became functional, the worker caste was granted new technologies that allowed them to complete their work with greater speed and efficiency.Each Terran year, more forge-fanes were founded and within the space of one Terran century, Zhao-Arkhad reached the rank of a fully self-sustaining Forge World. To mark this occasion, the world's planetary governor and chief archmagos, now bearing the newly-created title of "supreme domini" of Zhao-Arkhad, announced the start of the First Conjunction, a period of time during which the Forge World would aim towards becoming fully equipped and functional, a golden age of economic expansion that would allow Zhao-Arkhad to grow strong.

Zhao-Arkhad - Expansion: As part of the First Conjunction, the settlers of Zhao-Arkhad not only limited their ambitions to just the development of their world, but also turned their gaze skywards. The three moons orbiting Zhao-Arkhad -- which were designated Arkhad I, II and III -- harboured welcome mineral resources the Forge World needed desperately to grow and evolve.With this goal in mind, permanent mining bases were established on each moon. To reach them, the first transorbital spacecraft were manufactured from repurposed materials drawn from the remains of the Mechanicum Ark and powered using simple hydrogen torch engines.As exploitation began on Zhao-Arkhad's moons, it was quickly deemed more efficient to harbour much of the labour force on lunar colonies rather than on Zhao-Arkhad itself. The First Conjunction would last for an entire Terran millennium before it was declared complete by the office of the supreme domini.By its own accord, each forge-fane was now considered fully operational while the population of the servile workers in their lunar bases had risen into the hundreds of thousands, each generation of workers totally devoted to generating resources for their masters' use below. The supreme domini and the governing magister locum of every forge-fane had long awaited the announcement of the First Conjunction's completion and had already laid out the objectives for their second phase of expansion, the Second Conjunction. Unknowingly, Zhao-Arkhad had entered its last years of prosperity.With the lunar transportation fleet now numbering dozens of transportation barques and shuttles, the influx of raw materials extracted from the lunar colonies permitted the forge-fanes to expand and research new and more efficient technologies. Yet, this was still not enough for the Tech-adepts to achieve their desired ends.While useful, the materials extracted from the lunar colonies lacked the essential properties needed to develop the more advanced technologies each forge-fane secretly or openly coveted. In particular, the moons lacked void-worthy materials that would allow the domains of Zhao-Arkhad to grow beyond their own orbit and let them claim the entire Zhao System and its untapped resources.A first step to achieving this goal was to settle and claim the neighbouring volcanic world of Nytos. To ensure that the effort expended on this venture would not be in vain, the magi of Zhao-Arkhad launched a new space program to send unmanned survey probes to Nytos.What these probes found confirmed the magi's supposition: Nytos did harbour the rare elements desired by the forge-fanes. With the lunar colonies rapidly reaching the limits of their production, the necessary surplus population for a grand settlement expedition existed, and so the colonisation of Nytos was fixed as the first great target of Zhao-Arkhad's Second Conjunction.

Zhao-Arkhad - Nytos Disaster: Reaching the goals of the Second Conjunction was no easy task. While the lunar colonies had yielded welcome mineral wealth, none of the moons harboured any of the specialist materials necessary to build additional long-range spacecraft.As Zhao-Arkhad had already consumed all void-worthy materials from their original Mechanicum Ark for the construction of their lunar transport fleet and a small conveyor fleet in use by the Legio Xestobiax, the magi were faced with a difficult decision.In the end, military considerations tipped the balance and it was decided that several transport barges would be wrecked and their materials used for the creation of a single explorer vessel which would transport up to 20,000 colonists to their new home. For this purpose, the hydro-torch engines of the lunar barges would be linked into great reactor blocks to allow the vessel to break free of the grip of Zhao-Arkhad's gravity.The explorer's atmospheric pressure systems and life support were equally boosted to allow the ship and its crew to survive the estimated six solar months of travel unscathed. Most of the ship was crafted from salvaged material, all of which had suffered from some level of corrosion due to the oxygen and humidity-rich surface on which the Ark had landed, or had been freshly forged from far more common ores with lesser strength.The Nytos expedition was led by the forge-domini of Zhao-Arkhad's prime forge-fane, who would personally command and maintain the ship while en route to Nytos.The launch of the Nytos explorer-vessel -- whose name went unrecorded or was perhaps purged from official records -- was declared a major success. Across the Zhao-Arkhad lunar colonies, those servile workers chosen to be part of the expedition were celebrated as "blessed in the sight of the Machine God."Many festivities were organised as the vessel departed on its voyage. For the first three solar months of its trip, everything went according to plan. But about half-way to their intended goal, the rear of the vessel was struck by a meteorite no more than two centimetres in diameter.Weakened by the corrosive effects of Zhao-Arkhad's atmosphere, the hull proved incapable of withstanding such a minor strike, and the impact initiated a chain-reaction of ruptures that led to an explosive decompression of the vessel's interior, exposing the colonists to the fatal vacuum of the void.In a matter of a few solar minutes, Zhao-Arkhad's great venture had turned to disaster. The loss of the Nytos explorer-vessel was the first great crisis encountered by the forge-fanes of Zhao-Arkhad, and many were those who secretly blamed the supreme-domini for it.Fearing the adverse effect the news of this tragic accident might have on the servile worker caste, which severely outnumbered the magi, the loss of the expeditionary vessel was deliberately kept secret for fear the heavily indoctrinated and religious workers might see the vessel's loss as an ill-omen, or even worse, the judgement of the Machine God upon their masters.Still in need of new resources for its planned expansion, Zhao-Arkhad turned its attention to mining the Ilotar asteroid field, far less rich than Nytos had been, but closer and more readily accessible.However, the cruel hand of fate was not quite done with Zhao-Arkhad, or as the ancient Terran proverb says, "disasters never come alone." Shortly after the Nytos Disaster, the Zhao System was increasingly plagued by Empyreal turbulences and Warp Storms the like of which had stranded the Mechanicum Ark on Zhao-Arkhad in the first place.Strange events grew widespread among the lunar colonies; from otherwise harmless strange glowing lights or auras that haunted the tunnels and caverns of the deep forge-fanes and the lunar mines, to infrequent occurrences of Warp entity possession or sudden insanity. Most affected were those of the worker caste who unknowingly manifested the psyker-gift.Becoming suddenly aware of the emergence of psykers in their midst, the magi of Zhao-Arkhad, and especially those of the Eminarii forge-fane began to see them as an interesting new research-subjects, but would not yet act upon it.This would soon change, for with the Warp storms came the first predation of xenos corsairs, believed to belong to the Aeldari race. The corsairs' attention was drawn to the lunar colonies and the void stations established in the asteroid belt but curiously never touched Zhao-Arkhad itself.However, the magi knew that they could not survive without their workers and the resources they generated and fiercely sought to protect these from the corsairs' baleful attention.The supreme-domini declared that all efforts should now be concentrated on the defence of the servile colonies and off-world outposts. This edict is known to have bred particular discontent amongst the forge-fanes as the central authority of the supreme domini began to assert itself and require ever greater portions of the forge-fane's wealth and resources to be directed to military needs.Soon, discontented voices began to murmur that the xenos' depredations were a visible sign that the Omnissiah had turned His gaze from the supreme-domini for his failures.It was during these years of continued militarisation of the Forge World's production that the Eminarii forge-fane grew to prominence. All over Zhao-Arkhad, some few forge-fanes had begun to apply reclamation protocols to the gear and bodies of their enemies, all with the tacit approval of the supreme-domini who believed that the end -- the survival of the Forge World -- would justify the means.As such, xenos weaponry and materials were soon given new purpose by strengthening Zhao-Arkhad's ever-growing arsenal, a practice that would justly be considered as a perversion of the sacred designs of the Omnissiah on every other Mechanicum Forge World.This was, however, not enough for the Eminarii, who chose to tread down an even darker path. Petitioned by Magos Tacitus Proctor of the Eminarii forge-fane, the supreme-domini allowed the forge-fane to requisition and experiment on the emergent psyker population of the lunar colonies. Magos Proctor's goal was to replicate the precognitive skills some of the psykers had manifested, thus greatly increasing the potency of Zhao-Arkhad's defences.Whilst replication naturally proved difficult to achieve, some measure of success was met by augmenting the cerebral cortexes of Battle-Automata with "synthetic" mapped neural networks and harvested cortical material which increased the automatas' responsiveness and seemed to grant near-precognitive levels of response time to threat stimuli.The fact that such techno-arcana had long been proscribed by the Mechanicum since the fall of Old Night seemed not to have hindered the Eminarii forge in pursuing its researches and stands as testimony to the extreme deviation in doctrine that had occurred on the isolated Forge World.Properly impressed with the abilities of these new cybernetica cortexes, the supreme domini declared that each colony would be provided with these "Eminarii" hybrid Battle-Automata as well as the base combat models assembled in the Kiarii forge-fane, while other forge-fanes contributed in other ways to the defences of Arkhad I, II and III, be it through the production of static gun emplacements, fortifications or simple ammunition.An immediate decrease in damage inflicted and servile casualties caused was recorded in the raids of the xenos corsairs, marking the Zhao-Arkhad defensive project as a great success for all of the forge-fanes involved. Yet the other forge-fanes found that disproportionate attention was laid on the efforts of the Kiarii and Eminarii forges, with some even openly talking of favouritism for them from the supreme domini.This talk only masked the growing tensions between these favoured forge-fanes and the other forges of Zhao-Arkhad. Even as Zhao-Arkhad was forced to constantly face xenos raids and other harrowing, otherworldly incursions, the Forge World began to tear itself apart in the internecine conflict that was later known as the Kiarii Wars.

Zhao-Arkhad - Kiarii Wars: The Kiarii Wars that erupted in 827.M27 and which would last for more than three solar decades marked the end of Zhao-Arkhad's prosperity and unity of purpose.In the wake of the successful defence of the lunar colonies and the contribution of the hybrid Battle-Automata clades to this venture, the Kiarii and Eminarii forge-fanes began to work closely together, first at the injunction of the supreme domini, who pushed for a mass-production of the Eminarii hybrid Battle-Automata and later of their own free will, since the success of these hybrids had elevated them in the supreme domini's esteem.The union between the Kiarii and Eminarii forge-fanes was further solidified by the development of the first exemplars of the Black Iron Cores which began testing amongst the Legio Xestobiax, earning them even more attention and gratitude from the office of the supreme domini.While some forge-fanes had been called upon to work with the Kiarii and Eminarii, most forge-fanes viewed the Eminarii's rise in influence with barely hidden contempt. Not all of the forge-fanes had fully embraced the Zhao-Arkhad mentality that the end would justify the means and had purposefully refused to pursue Heretek practices like the Eminarii.In fact, many of the smaller fanes were openly shocked at the blatant disregard the Eminarii and Kiarii forge-fanes and even the supreme domini showed for the Forge World's doctrinal purity.With the rise of the Eminarii and Kiarii, those forge-fanes that would form the so-called "Purist" faction grew anxious over the growing power of the Eminarii and their allies.As fewer and fewer forge-fanes subscribed to the ideology that using the enemy's technology against them or studying forbidden technologies would result in survival, the battle-lines were drawn.The Kiarii Wars began in 827.M27 with the assassination of the forge-domini of the Kiarii forge-fane, then the largest military-specialist forge-fane as its task was the production of divers classes of Battle-Automata-chassis and their weapons.The forge-domini suffered severe rad poisoning from a contaminated nutrient shot, a nutrient shot that could be traced back to the Niare nutri-fane, a fane notoriously aligned with the "Purist" faction.Paranoia soon flared into open conflict, as first the Kiarii and Eminarii and later their supporters took up arms against the Purists, seeking retribution for the assassination of the Kiarii forge-domini. By the time the forge-domini succumbed to the poison six solar hours later, the first shot of the Kiarii Wars had already been fired.Yet, their was no sudden explosion of violence, for the civil war was more a sporadic, slow-burning conflagration that was marked more by border clashes, sabotage or individual assassination attempts than two Taghmata forces openly facing off on the battlefield.The fighting was mostly contained to the Eminarii and Kiarii forge-fanes, the latter of which suffered considerable damage due to its lack of effective leadership. Many of the smaller, more specialised forge-, nutri- or hydro-fanes were attacked by larger fanes against which they stood little to no chance.The supreme-domini retreated to an orbital fortress and did not participate physically in the ensuing carnage. She barred the Legio Xestobiax from intervening but ordered her own forces to occupy vital planetary infrastructures and defend them from any aggression.While she openly condemned the violence and repeatedly called for a ceasefire, her calls, communications and envoys were largely ignored. Eventually, pressure from external xenos attacks, several workers' strikes and revolts and general depredation caused the civil war to wane.In almost three solar decades of fighting, approximately 80% of Zhao-Arkhad's forge-fanes had sustained damage, with fully half of them running at minimal capacities and a further 20% either rendered non-functional or destroyed outright.The results of the Kiarii Wars were inconclusive, for while the Kiarii forge-fane was almost destroyed by its opponents and the Eminarii forge-fane had been severely damaged, the might of their hybrid Battle-Automata had inflicted considerable more damage on their opponents' armies.With the "Purist" faction claiming victory in all but name, the supreme-domini was finally able to convene every forge-domini at a council called in order to broker a peace, but when the negotiations began, it quickly became obvious that both parties had quite different views on how to proceed.The Purists naturally advocated for the dissident forges of the Eminarii and the late Kiarii to be punished for the sins their researches had committed against the Machine God, portraying their creations as dangerous Malefica which needed to be terminated.For her own reasons, the supreme domini was loathe to accept this proposition as the security of all Zhao-Arkhad's domains now heavily rested on those hybrid automata the Purists wanted destroyed.On the other side, the Eminarii, now clearly the leader of their faction, merely called for an armistice. While more to the liking of the supreme domini, this proposition was equally problematic since it would not prevent the Purists from attacking again.From the supreme domini's prespective, the wars had started only because the Purists did not share the beliefs of the Eminarii faction. In the end, she chose a quite different path to resolve the conflict: isolation.Since neither of the two factions were ready to recant their beliefs and cohabitation between the two doctrines only lead to strife, each and every forge-fane was forbidden from maintaining contact with its neighbours, allowing each forge-fane's research to become their sole property.Cooperation like the joint-venture between the Eminarii and Kiarii forge-fanes was no longer allowed as every forge-fane would treat directly with the Office of the supreme-domini which would now oversee the global efforts of Zhao-Arkhad, becoming the central authority all others would rely upon to acquire the resources they needed to further their research.To prevent physical contact, many tunnels that had previously allowed for movement between forges were collapsed or filled, the rest passing under the authority of the supreme-domini whose forces would patrol them exclusively. In addition, each forge-fane was permitted only defensive clade emplacements amongst the lunar colonies and those were forfeit to the control of the supreme-domini.Thus did Zhao-Arkhad return to peace. For the next several Terran years, the forge-fanes worked on isolating themselves from their neighbours and the Forge-World sunk into a strange, guarded, knife-edge stability that doubtlessly arrested Zhao-Arkhad's further development, but offered its people a stability which would last until the world's discovery by the roaming fleets of the Imperium of Man.If the Kriarii Wars had had one true victor, it was the Office of the supreme domini, for it now held complete control over the Taghmata Zhao-Arkhad, the industrial output of the lunar colonies and the newly-established mining colony on Nytos which had been founded by refugees trying to escape the violence unleashed by the Kiarii Wars.While the threat of xenos raids could never be truly eradicated and the threat considerably limited the development of the new colony, the might of Zhao-Arkhad's armies mostly held the worst depredations at bay.Under the supreme domini's authority, each of the lunar colonies would form its own militia to man the ever-growing orbital defences being built, while the forge-fanes had to contribute a certain tithe in order to allow for reconstruction and continual improvement of the defences.In exchange for this tithe, each forge-fane and even the lunar colonies were trusted to mostly conduct their own affairs as they deemed fit.

Zhao-Arkhad - Coming of the Imperium: It was not until the latter half of the Great Crusade that the Imperium's expeditionary fleets ventured into the deep galactic south and thus discovered the existence of Zhao-Arkhad.First contact was made indirectly, when a small Arkhadian mining-fleet which was exploiting the mineral-rich asteroids of the Ilotar Asteroid Belt encountered a beacon which transmitted an unknown and unrecognised signal in an ancient Terran language.The message promised peace and broadcasted a series of ident codes that would correspond with the identity markers of arriving vessels. In addition, the broadcast requested permission to land on the system's primary world.News of this discovery was quickly forwarded to the supreme domini, who ordered the mining fleet to remain on station so it could auspex-check that the ships that would come were indeed of Human origin. Within solar hours, the first vessels of the announced fleet emerged from the Warp at the Zhao System's Mandeville Point.The miners were quickly able to confirm that the fleet was indeed Human, its ships being brute slabs of armour and weaponry and not the sleek hunter-killers of the despised xenos. Through hololithic transmissions, the mining fleet and the Human vessels exchanged some words of greetings, again confirming the Humanity of the newcomers.The vessels which entered the Zhao System belonged to an expeditionary fleet of the Thousand Sons Legion of the Legiones Astartes, this particular squadron being commanded by Captain Itzal Apophis of the 5th Fellowship.Upon his arrival, he was greeted by the supreme domini herself and at her side stood Magos Tacitus Proctor, now forge-domini of the Eminarii Forge. Officially Proctor's presence was justified for the great contributions he and his forge had made in Zhao-Arkhad's continued survival.Imperial Compliance was reached bloodlessly, the masters of Zhao-Arkhad only too delighted to be brought into the Imperium of Man and restore communications, however distant, with Holy Mars.It was perhaps indeed better for Zhao-Arkhad to have been discovered by an expeditionary fleet of the XV Legion, for many more technically-versed Astartes Legions such as the Iron Hands might have preferred to destroy them utterly upon learning how far they had strayed from the precepts of the Cult Mechanicus.Even the great distance between Mars and Zhao-Arkhad worked in their favour, as given the long journey Zhao-Arkhad's first visitors from Mars would be Mechanicum envoys tasked to assay Zhao-Arkhad's production capabilities rather than a fleet of Mechanicum War Arks. In this again, the isolation of the Arkhadian forge-fanes worked in their favour, the considerable deviations from Martian dogma being easily hidden amongst purer forge-fanes.Now a far-flung outpost of the Imperium's ever-expanding borders, Zhao-Arkhad would greatly benefit from its attachment to the wider domain of the Emperor, as gradually great quantities of materials and new technologies were made available to them.The xenos that had preyed on the Zhao System for so long were annihilated by the armies of the Great Crusade and the vessels of the Armada Imperialis.On Zhao-Arkhad, the manufactoria began to run day and night, producing the goods needed by the Imperium's armies and the neighbouring worlds. Upon its discovery, the Arkhadian Mechanicum had begun reconfiguring a part of its mining fleet into new colony vessels to settle the next world in the Zhao System, but had to halt any plans for expansion following its reunification with the Imperium.In return for the new influx of technologies and resources, Zhao-Arkhad grudgingly gave up several maniples of the Legio Xestobiax in service to the Great Crusade. The militia regiments of the lunar colonies were transferred to the Imperial Army and the former mining barques became their mass-conveyors.Additionally, perhaps hoping to gain profit from such a close relation to Imperial power, the Kiarii forge-fane produced its own independent Taghmata for service in the Great Crusade.While the Thousand Sons had already discovered other minor Forge Worlds such as Shenzen and Boracora Lux, on Zhao-Arkhad, the sons of Magnus the Red lingered far longer than they should have and also took a keen interest in some of Zhao-Arkhad's research, especially those of the Eminarii forge-fane.The Thousand Sons seemed keenly interested in the Eminarii's psyker-imprint-based hybrid Battle-Automata and in hindsight the similarities between these hybrids and the Castellax-Achea-class Battle-Automata used by the Thousand Sons during the Fall of Prospero are many.Here was a thing widely forbidden by the Mechanicum yet the Thousand Sons could easily get their hands on the design. To solidify this new relationship, the Thousand Sons advocated a formal alliance: the XV Legion would maintain a small garrison on Zhao-Arkhad, whilst the Forge World would open a sub-fane on the Thousand Sons' homeworld of Prospero, a sub-fane they argued should be run by Forge-Domini Proctor of Eminarii.The supreme-domini quickly accepted, for such patronage could only favour Zhao-Arkhad, but even better, the Thousand Sons had offered the supreme-domini a means to placate the Purist faction by removing the leadership of the Eminarii forge-fane from the world, which would cement Zhao-Arkhad's fragile peace.The deal was struck and Zhao-Arkhad's later condemnation by association with the Thousand Sons after they were declared Traitors was sealed virtually at the very moment they were welcomed into the Imperium.During what remained of the Great Crusade, Zhao-Arkhad knew a brief period of prosperity during which much of he Forge World's resources were spent in order to build and expand the Prosperine forge-fane, which like its Arkhadian counterparts was established under the burning sands of Prospero to ward it from Psychneuein-infestation.The sub-fane was so densely layered with Void Shields that it would survive the initial bombardment of the Imperial Censure Host later sent to punish Prospero virtually unscathed and offer fierce resistance to the invaders.Most of the materials gifted to Zhao-Arkhad upon their Compliance were invested in the expansion of the Legio Xestobiax, which was granted a Prosperine Vigil to watch over Forge-Domini Proctor's new domain on Prospero.With the Kiarii taking up the call of the Great Crusade and focusing solely on manufacturing new, traditional patterns of Battle-Automata, the Purists were placated and peace reigned on Zhao-Arkhad until the fateful civil wars of the Horus Heresy broke out.

Zhao-Arkhad - Horus Heresy: Unlike other Forge Worlds that were officially approached by envoys of the Traitor Warmaster, Horus Lupercal, or of the Traitor fabricator-general, Kelbor-Hal, Zhao-Arkhad's isolation seems to have prevented such diplomatic missions to bind it early on to the Traitors' cause.Indeed, the first to be involved in the fighting of the galactic civil war would be the Arkhadian forge-fane on Prospero when the Space Wolves of Leman Russ descended upon that world as part of the Imperial Censure Host despatched by the Emperor of Mankind to bring His wayward son, Magnus the Red, to account for breaking the Edict of Nikaea.In what was later called the "Burning of Prospero," the Arkhadian sub-fane resisted the initial bombardment virtually unscathed, having been protected by both its extensive network of Void Shield generators and the soil of Prospero itself. The forge-fane's small garrison of Legio Xestobiax Titans rose from their subterranean storage bunkers and defended their forge against a Maniple of the Legio Mortis.That a minor Titan Legion from a backwater world like Zhao-Arkhad could match and even best the most powerful Titan Legion of the Great Crusade-era came as a shocking surprise to many tacticians.The Prosperine Taghmata also put up considerable and unexpected resistance but would prove nearly powerless against the mysterious Ordo Sinister which destroyed the forge-fane in the wake of the Legio Mortis ' failed assault.Guilty by association for the actions of the Prosperine sub-fane, Zhao-Arkhad was condemned by the highest echelons of the Mechanicum and an inquisition and audit fleet was sent to punish the Forge World, even though the wars of the Heresy and the vagaries of the Warp saw to it that it never arrived. Located in a quadrant of the galaxy that saw none of the great fighting of the Horus Heresy, Zhao-Arkhad's fate was a peculiar one.As they had done for millennia, the forge-fanes of Zhao-Arkhad remained isolated and never intervened as one of the major players in the Heresy.While the supreme-domini declared in favour of the Warmaster, the Purist faction quickly deposed her and condemned her to death, their task facilitated by the departure of the Thousand Sons garrison that had remained on Zhao-Arkhad as part of the treaty between the Forge World and the XV Legion.What followed was a sort of anarchic stand-off, the remaining forge-domini unable to elect a new supreme representative. Individual forge-fanes declared themselves independent and took the initiative of seizing vessels and Navigators to depart Zhao-Arkhad, eager to secure new resources and thus secure their own supply lines.Many other forge-fanes chose to mirror their actions, vacating Zhao-Arkhad and acting like mercenaries in exchange for gifts of raw materials, resources or new technologies. Some of these warring Arkhadian forge-fanes would eventually ally themselves with the warbands of the Traitor Legions, especially those of the Death Guard Legion.Other Arkhadian magi chose to remain on their birthworld, either supporting the hope of restored order represented by the Imperium or simply wishing to be left alone. Meanwhile, the Taghmata Kriarii was fighting far in the galactic north alongside the Raven Guard at Priam and would not learn of their world's censure for two full standard years.On Zhao-Arkhad itself, paranoia became rampant, resulting in numerous internal purges of both the thrall and worker population. In the following years of bloodshed, Arkhadian forge-fanes would fight on both sides of the civil war, but would always remain a minor faction.

Zhao-Arkhad - Great Scouring: It was not before the Great Scouring that Zhao-Arkhad formally reentered the Imperium, subdued by a powerful warfleet despatched by the great Forge World of Metalica.Again information is scarce other than that Zhao-Arkhad was thoroughly purged of its Heretek beliefs and  welcomed again into the fold of the Adeptus Mechanicus.It would be during this reclamation process that the Metalican envoys would discover an STC database containing the pattern of the powerful engines of war derived from the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport.Between the damage of the war, the cull of its own population and the purges of the Metalican Mechanicum, the Zhao-Arkhad that was reunited with the Imperium was but a shadow of its former self and it would take many Terran centuries of reconstruction before the Forge World would eventually recover from the depredations of the Heresy.

Zhao-Arkhad - Era Indomitus: The STC template for the Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher -- along with several others of note-- was thought lost until relatively recently when the tech-priests of the re-consecrated Forge World of Zhao-Arkkad unearthed the data.With the dissemination of the powerful Crassus chassis, this has led to the introduction of a new mobile Praetor weapon platform by Zhao-Arkhad's manufactoria which has spread relatively swiftly through frontline regiments throughout the Segmentum Tempestus and beyond.During the Era Indomitus, Zhao-Arkhad became the foremost Forge World in its segmentum, establishing offworld enclaves such as Enclave ZA Four-Five-Two, AL-o, Seg TS (referred to as "Steelmound" by non-Mechanicus locals) on Varangantua.The servants of the Forge World have adopted a grey and red heraldry, and despite Zhao-Arkhad's own unorthodox past, those that publicly subscribe to the beliefs and methods of innovation promulgated by Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl and his followers are persecuted as Hereteks.

Zhao-Arkhad - Zhao System Planets: Zhao-Arkhad - Zhao-Arkhad, sometimes also spelled Zhao-Arkkad, is the central world of the Zhao System, a verdant green Death World whose rainforests hide macro-predators of a bygone age. Where the trees block out the sunlight, great serpents and armoured insects prey on the weaker lifeforms, including heavily armed humans. Zhao-Arkhad's atmosphere is toxic to unaugmented humans as it harbours too much oxygen for the human body to process, while the overbearing humidity renders breathing difficult. The high oxygen and humidity levels also make Zhao-Arkhad a bane to every manufactured good, especially of metallic composition, as it rusts far quicker and more severely than on any other known planet. Therefore, the forge-fanes of the Arkhadian Mechanicus are all subterranean. Most of the greater forge-fanes are devoted to the production of manufactured goods and only a small portion of their mass is dedicated to the production of food, energy or drinking water, relying instead on smaller satellite fanes to produce what they lack. These so-called nutri- and hydrofanes are used to feed Zhao-Arkhad's population, which remains unusually low for a Forge World as the working classes are exclusively housed on the great lunar colonies established on Zhao-Arkhad's three moons.Nytos - The volcanic world of Nytos is Zhao-Arkhad's principal colony in the Zhao System. Its surface is dominated by great mining colonies, as the considerably dense volcanic heart of Nytos holds heavy metals and other strategic substances required to fashion the more advanced forms of Imperial technology. The closest habitable world to Zhao-Arkhad, Nytos was only colonised in the 27th Millennium by refugees seeking to escape the violence brought to Zhao-Arkhad by the Kiarii Wars.

Zhrukal Androcles - Zhrukal Androcles: Zhrukhal Androcles, known as the "Siegebreaker," was the grim Captain of the 9th Devastator Company of the Star Phantoms Space Marine Chapter. During the internecine Imperial conflict known as the Badab War (904.M41-912.M41), Captain Androcles played a crucial role in the final battle of the campaign when he confronted the renegade Astral Claws Chapter Master Lufgt Huron and mortally wounded him with a point-blank Combi-Melta blast before dying from his own wounds.

Zhrukal Androcles - History: Zhrukhal Androcles was a grim and relentless warrior even amongst his fellow Battle-Brothers of the Star Phantoms Chapter where such melancholy aspects of character were commonplace. Zhrukhal Androcles first made his name as a Devastator Sergeant in the bitter wars of the Gallitzin Succession fighting Traitor Astra Militarum elements of the Sentrek Freemen, where he and his squad accounted for no less than 58 tank kills in a single solar day's worth of fighting on Astrakhan.In another notable engagement, during the Battle of Orsha, Androcles breached the Renegades' Leviathan with Melta-charges and led an ad hoc assault force within, systematically butchering the Traitors' commanders as the battle raged around them. He fought his way to the main gun deck and ripped apart the corrupted Enginseers who manned the cannons with his Power Fist before turning the colossal war machine's heavy batteries against the Traitors' forces, turning the tide of the battle. Zhrukhal Androcles's rise within the Chapter after this feat was meteoric and he was soon appointed as the commander of the Star Phantoms' formidable and respected 9th Devastator Reserve Company, later earning the epithet "Siegebreaker" during the counter-invasion of Muertar Prime.During the climatic battle for the Palace of Thorns on Badab Primaris, Captain Zhrukhal Androcles was entrusted with the command of one of the strike forces attacking the heavily defended palace's citadel. Androcles's Star Phantoms pressed on through the shattered cityscape in some of the fiercest close fighting of the war, battling their way through savage counterattacks by the Astral Claws as well as multiple minefields and death traps, pressing on despite suffering heavy casualties.As the citadel's protective Lightning Field began to fail, Androcles and his surviving Star Phantoms were in a unique position to force a breach through the maze of catacombs beneath the palace. As dark fate would have it, Androcles' own detachment encountered none other than Lugft Huron and his elite bodyguard endeavouring to make their escape from their homeworld through these subterranean passages.The battle that followed was swift and bloody, and the Star Phantoms' force was wiped out to an Astartes, but data recovered from the Power Armour of the slain Star Phantoms and Astral Claws in the combat's aftermath reveals that with his dying strength, Captain Androcles managed to unleash a Melta blast at point blank range into the Tyrant of Badab, dealing him a mortal blow, though Lufgt Huron would be reborn as the Chaos Lord Huron Blackheart in subsequent months as the result of the blessings of the Dark Gods and the augmetic ministrations of his Chief Apothecary, Garreon.

Zhrukal Androcles - Wargear: Power ArmourPower FistCombi-meltaFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesIron Halo

Zhufor - Zhufor: Zhufor, also called Zhufor the Impaler and the Butcher of Vraks, is the Chaos Lord who led the warband of World Eaters' Chaos Space Marines named the Skulltakers during the Siege of Vraks.Before his corruption, Zhufor was a Sergeant of the loyalist Storm Lords Space Marine Chapter. Zhufor is massive, even by the physical standards of the Space Marines, and stands taller than most other Heretic Astartes.

Zhufor - History: Zhufor was not always a servant of the Dark Gods. Once, millennia ago, he was known as Balzach, a former Sergeant of the Storm Lords Chapter. During the sacking of the hive cities of Paramar, Sergeant Balzach was severely wounded and taken captive by the Traitor Marines of the World Eaters Legion.Balzach was then drugged and subjected to torture and psycho-corrective surgery to alter his brainwave patterns in order to break his Imperial indoctrination. He was turned into a raging psychopathic killer, tall and muscular beyond even his normal Space Marine physique, and reborn as Zhufor the Impaler. His former life as a Loyalist Space Marine was forgotten.He joined the World Eaters' ranks as a Khornate Berserker. Blessed by the Blood God, Zhufor rose quickly through the ranks of the Khornate Berserkers until he had become a Skull Champion, and then an Exalted Champion in turn by dint of his formidable strength. Believing himself to have been chosen by Khorne for greatness, Zhufor enacted a bold plan. Leading what little men he had, Zhufor launched a treacherous attack against an allied warband of the World Eaters -- the Skulltakers. The bloody internecine fighting that ensued ended with Zhufor's men subjugating their foes, and he became the Chaos Lord of the combined warband.Taking command, Zhufor's first act as their leader was to offer himself and his warband in service to Abaddon the Despoiler. With the Warmaster of Chaos' powerful political and material support, the Skulltakers could grow into a formidable fighting force, no longer mere raiders and pirates, but a formidable army better able serve their true master Khorne. Zhufor did the Warmaster's bidding in return for Abaddon's aid -- a small price to pay for the power that he acquired along with access to Abaddon's immense Armouries.Sanctioned by Abaddon, Zhufor led the Skulltakers into the defence of the Forces of Chaos during the Siege of Vraks. Once upon that Imperial Armoury World, Zhufor committed his warband to the front, sweeping all Imperial forces before them in a bloody swathe of hacking blades and whirling Chainaxes. Lacking numbers, the shrewd Chaos Lord allowed his warband to roam the surface of Vraks, killing and plundering wherever they pleased.As the Imperial siege closed in and it seemed that they might be defeated, Zhufor enacted his plan to take over supreme command of the Apostate Cardinal Xaphan's army and ultimate control over Vraks Prime to transform it into a new Daemon World dedicated to the Blood God. First, he targeted and united all of the Khornate warbands on the world under his command. Next, he attacked the Cardinal's Palace, sweeping through it with his Chaos Terminator bodyguard, the Blood Cult, slaughtering the garrison and taking Xaphan captive. He turned the Cardinal over to the warband known as The Sanctified, proclaiming himself the new ruler of Vraks.During the final stages of the siege, Zhufor took to the field and sought out the thickest of the fighting, leading his psychotic followers against the Imperial forces. During one such counterattack he fought and slew Commissar-General Maugh of the Death Korps of Krieg's 143rd Regiment, taking the body of the Imperial hero and mounting it as a gory trophy upon his blood encrusted Terminator Armour. By the end of the siege, Zhufor found himself surrounded, with the Chaos-controlled fortress at the heart of the Chaos lines being pounded by relentless Imperial artillery day and night.Ultimately, Zhufor and his surviving followers managed to escape before the Imperial forces could capture him. He left behind a rear guard of Khornate fanatics and daemons and, it is believed, used a Warp portal to flee back into the Immaterium to safety. Following the dire events on Vraks Prime, Zhufor remains a grave threat to the Imperium, and is still regarded as one of Abaddon's mightiest lieutenants. Zhufor commands the Skulltakers from his flagship Blood Dawn, which has been identified leading many bloody raids upon Imperial targets from the Eye of Terror. At the end of the 41st Millennium he and the Skulltakers served at the forefront of Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade. Four attempts by the Assassins of the Officio Assassinorum to find and eliminate him have all ended in failure.

Zhufor - Wargear: Chaos Terminator ArmourClaw of Demnos - Torn from the dead hand of the Dark Apostle Demnos of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion during the Scathak War, when Zhufor was but an Aspiring Champion, the Claw is a Power Fist which incorporates a rapid-firing Combi-Bolter of ancient design.Skulltaker Chainaxe - The Skulltaker Chainaxe is a brutal hand-to-hand Chain Weapon crafted in the form of a great two-handed axe which incorporates a powered chainsaw edge. The biting action of the whirling row of monomolecular teeth means this weapon can easily hack through both flesh and armour with ease.Blood Cult - In battle, Zhufor is accompanied by a bodyguard of Chaos Terminators who are outfitted in the finest Chaos Terminator Armour available, and are known as the Blood Cult. They were the most numerous and dreaded of the Chaos Terminators who operated on Vraks Prime during the Siege of Vraks. They fought with inhuman skill and savagery, and were feared in equal measure by their enemies and their erstwhile comrades, whose blood they were more than inclined to spill when the Khornate battle-rage overcame them.

Ziaphoria - Ziaphoria: Ziaphoria is a Jungle World that once belonged to the Imperium of Man but fell to the control of Hive Fleet Tiamet at some point after the Great Rift was created.Unlike other worlds taken by Tyranid hive fleets, whose biomass is consumed before the hive fleet moves on to its next target, Tiamet has established itself on Ziaphoria while it creates a biomechanical edifice of unknown purpose that serves as some form of psychic resonator.

Ziaphoria - History: Ziaphoria, the repugnant and anomalous Jungle World claimed by Hive Fleet Tiamet, has become the site of a disturbing new development in the curse of "tyrannoforming," the hyper-accelerated biological process that is used to overcome and devour the prey worlds of the Hive Mind. There the conquering hive fleets have constructed vast psychic resonators of fleshy, encephalitic material -- some the size of mountains, some large enough to cover entire continents.The world forms the end point of a vast pilgrimage of Genestealer Cultists from the nearby planet of Heinrich's March. Led by a blind prophet known as "the Conduit," they departed from a world plagued by the Dark Gods, plying the stars to eventually land upon Ziaphoria's pulsating crust.Those who touched the corrupted earth with their bare flesh were instantly brought in thrall to it -- and convinced their brethren to go back into space as missionaries, carrying the Creed of Tiamet to as many Imperial worlds as possible. They were the first of dozens of interstellar pilgrimages that sought out Ziaphoria, and in doing so, added to its power.The Tyranids of Hive Fleet Tiamet defend the planet so ferociously it was declared Quarantine Extremis and abandoned entirely by the Imperium. Only the Deathwatch of the nearby Watch Fortress Haltmoat -- and Inquisitor Fidus Kryptman, who came out of his long exile to join them -- have any inkling of the threat posed by the immense psychic resonator of Tiamet.The theories the Astartes of Haltmoat and Kryptman discuss long into the night about what Tiamet is doing on Ziaphoria are so wild, and the other threats facing the Imperium at this time so dire, that they are given little credence by the wider Inquisition.

Zoanthrope - Zoanthrope: Zoanthropes (Tyranicus animus-aborrens) are perhaps the strangest and most bizarre of the Tyranid's myriad breeds. They are powerful psykers, apparently engineered from harvested Aeldari DNA to form living conduits for the focused power of the Tyranid Hive Mind. So extreme is their development that their atrophied bodies and bulbous heads are entirely energised by psychic force.They can shoot an extremely powerful blast of Warp energy and rival the Craftworld Aeldari in their psychic prowess. They can move only by psychically levitating themselves, drifting across the battlefield to rain bolts of incandescent psychic power on the enemy or relay the synapse commands of the Hive Mind to its lesser breeds.Zoanthropes are without a doubt one of the more effective psychic creatures among the Tyranids. Their primary means of defence is a Warp blast psychic power that can even kill the mighty Space Marines. Zoanthropes are a potent addition to a swarm of smaller Tyranid bioforms as they have extended synaptic control and provide hard-hitting, ranged psychic attacks.Despite their power, however, Zoanthropes sometimes seem to be victims of their own massive energy reserves and there have been numerous after action reports of Zoanthropes psychically "burning out" in battle. After hurling numerous psychic bolts or sustaining their telekinetic shield for an extended period, their craniums have been observed to burst and bleed out, sending them crashing limply to the ground.Imperial psykers who have witnessed these events liken it to the perils of the Warp which normal psykers can suffer when psychic energy overloads their minds.In addition to their ability to hurl powerful bolts of Warp energy at their foes, Zoanthropes are also very difficult to destroy, especially considering how weak and feeble their actual bodies are. This resilience stems from their ability to create a powerful telekinetic bubble of Warp energy around themselves, shielding them from all kind of weapons and even turning aside physical blows in close combat, much like naturally-generated Void Shields.Like their ability to drift above the ground by extending a bubble of Warp energy around themselves, the psychic shield seems to be constantly regenerated by the Zoanthrope and is always present as long as the creature lives.It has been noted that the shield seems to strengthen or coalesce around particularly powerful attacks, flashing bright for an instant to turn aside the blow before fading back to a uniform shimmer surrounding the alien psyker.

Zoanthrope - Zoanthrope Psychic Powers: The Zoanthrope and Neuothrope, like many of the other Tyranid bioforms, possess potent psychic powers, manifested not from drawing power from the Warp but by tapping into the vast gestalt will of the Tyranid Hive Mind itself. Powers that have been displayed by a Zoanthrope include the following:Catalyst - The Zoanthrope can send out a signal from the Hive Mind that infuses lesser Tyranid creatures with an unnatural vitality.Death Shock - When a Zoanthrope is slain, its death sends a psychic shockwave through the Hive Mind. All Tyranid creatures within synapse range will automatically break or flee as quickly as they can.Dominion - The Zoanthrope reaches into the depths of the Hive Mind and strengthens its links to the indomitable alien will, projecting a blanket of control and purpose through its synapse to all Tyranid bioforms nearby.Hypnotic Gaze - The Zoanthrope can use its powerful gaze to snare the mind of a nearby warrior, holding it immobile and helpless as long as its stare remains unbroken. The Zoanthrope can affect a single enemy with this power, provided it can make eye contact with its intended target.Leech Essence - Using the raw psychic power of the Hive Mind, the Zoanthrope creature tears the life-force from a nearby foe, devouring its essence and healing its own wounds.Onslaught - The Zoanthrope infuses a nearby Tyranid brood with burning energy and the pitiless drive of the Hive Mind to devour all in its path.Paroxysm - Summoning the psychic power of the Hive Mind, the creature assails its foes with crippling pain, tearing at their nerve endings and filling their minds with agony that makes it difficult for them to stand, let alone fight.Psychic Scream - The Zoanthrope may let forth a terrible silent psychic scream that echoes in the mind as a crippling shriek. All those sentient, living creatures (not soulless machines like the Necrons or beings of pure psychic energy like Daemons) within a 20-metre radius suffer a crippling blow.The Horror (Psychic Power) - The Zoanthrope unleashes a wave of psychic horror that gnaws at the resolve of its enemies.Warp Blast - By sending out a burning bolt of Warp energy, the Zoanthrope blasts an area with raw psychic power. The Zoanthrope must choose a single creature within range as the target, through others nearby may be affected.Warp Lance - More focused and thus more potent than a Warp Blast, the Warp Lance is primarily used against heavily-armoured targets and vehicles. Taking the form of a single concentrated beam of Warp energy, it can strike a single target within range.

Zoanthrope - Neurothrope: The Neurothrope is a further evolved versions of the standard Zoanthrope. These alpha Zoanthropes possess the psychic ability to leech the very life force from their foes to power their own psychic attacks. There are some who believe the Neurothrope strain to be the progeny of the unique Zoanthrope known as the Doom of Malan'tai, which is a horrifying concept for all the sapient species of the galaxy if true.Neurothropes can also use their parasitic power to heal nearby Zoanthropes, which helps to safeguard against the overload of psychic energy that commonly overwhelms these creatures, which is one reason why the Hive Mind may have developed the Neurothrope subspecies. A combined host of these psychic bioforms is a formidable threat indeed.

Zoanthrope - Ordo Xenos Data: Designation:ZoanthropeCommon Title:BrainSpecies Name:Tyranicus animus-aborrensAverage Height:3.5 metresAverage Weight:0.5 tonnesFirst Encountered:MolochRole:Psychic assaultThreat Evaluation:High

Zoat - Zoat: The Zoat are an ancient, reptilian and centauroid alien species that was enslaved or specially engineered as bioconstructs by the Tyranids and incorporated into the multitudes of subservient bioforms that serve the Hive Mind. They were used as Tyranid "diplomats" since they were more capable of the intelligent thought, logic, linguistics and diplomacy that the other, more animalistic Tyranid species did not engage in.The use of such alien ambassadors was seen as a good way for the Hive Mind to scout out new species and determine how useful their incorporation into the Tyranid genome would be for the Tyranids' never-ending quest to further their own evolution. Despite their creation by the Tyranids, Zoats who were able to escape the psychic influence of the Hive Mind could pursue their own, independent agendas, unlike other, non-sapient Tyranid bioforms.Eventually, the Zoat ceased to be of use to the Hive Mind, and the species was no longer created within the Tyranid hive fleets by the 41st Millennium, vanishing from Imperial records for generations. However, Zoats have recently been seen once more in the Era Indomitus aboard the Seventh Blackstone Fortress, apparently free of the Hive Mind's control and pursuing their own interests.Though the aliens have been observed in groups on a handful of occasions, most sightings concern single, nomadic individuals, and no evidence of a Zoat homeworld or population centre yet exists. If the Zoats are working to some inscrutable common agenda, the actions of each specimen keep any such plan a mystery; each appears to serve only their own ends. All that seems to link their current actions is a recurrent interest in obtaining rare technological artefacts.

Zoat - History: Zoats were an ancient alien species that were most likely enslaved by the Tyranids and incorporated into their ranks or may have been engineered by the Hive Mind to serve a specific function, similar to other bioconstructs like the Genestealers. The Tyranids adapted the Zoat's natural abilities and used them primarily to understand and communicate with various other intelligent species encountered by the Tyranid swarms that were not a part of the Hive Mind.The Zoat were capable of assimilating information about other species' languages and psychology with stunning speed, making rapid and accurate leaps in their comprehension of alien creatures. Due to this innate capability for understanding the subtlest nuances of facial and body language, the Zoat were remarkably charismatic and enigmatic creatures who were able to convey more meaning in a look or gesture than a native of the same culture could manage in a sentence.Although they were a slave species, the Zoat were useful to the Tyranid hive fleets and were often used to subvert members of other alien species to bring them under the control of the Hive Mind, leading them against those who tried to resist the Tyranids. In keeping with this role, the Zoat were bio-engineered to be tremendously strong warriors with thick, horned hides. Driven forward by their four powerful legs, a charging Zoat was like an organic battering ram of hide and muscle, their sheer speed and momentum keeping them moving forward even when mortally wounded. In hand-to-hand combat a Zoat could crush most opponents in solar seconds, proving to other alien species the awesome power of the Tyranids.Although they were slaves to the Hive Mind, Zoats often occupied important positions within the hive fleets, with certain individuals gaining great power over the other bioforms. Rebellion by Zoats from Tyranid control was extremely rare but not unknown, due to the Tyranids' naturally secreting a special "slave-hormone" which suppressed the Zoats' natural sense of independence and kept them docile servants under the Hive Mind's psychic control. This same hormone also suppresses the psychic talent that approximately half of Zoats may develop when they are uncontrolled.However, renegade Zoats did exist throughout the universe, where they had broken away from the hive fleets or had become lost during scouting or exploration missions. Without the inhibiting influence of the Tyranid slave-hormone, many of these independent Zoats were able to develop strong psychic abilities. The range of these independent Zoat communities was incredibly diverse, with small groups isolated from each other on widely scattered planets across the galaxy.Other independent Zoats may find themselves employed as mercenaries, however rare. Aeldari corsairs favour Zoat mercenaries, due to their antipathy to Orks and due to the general Aeldari disdain for Humans. These Zoats, whether abandoned by the Hive Mind or escaped from their Tyranid masters, have little choice but to fight for whoever pays best and complains the least.Once the most common of the Tyranids' many specially-engineered bioconstruct slave species, Zoats were unlike most of the Tyranids' assimilated worker-creatures since they maintained their mental independence of the Hive Mind and were therefore often used by the Tyranids as a type of ambassador. Hence it was Zoats that were the first members of the Tyranid species to make contact with the Imperium of Man.

Zoat - Imperial Contacts: Retrospective accounts speak of a species, assumed to be Zoats, having first made contact with the Imperium as early as the late 38th Millennium. A Tyranid hive fleet of centauroid aliens travelling aboard semi-organic spacecraft, now designated Hive Fleet Colossus as these aliens called themselves the "Colossi," attempted to enter Imperial space from the Eastern Fringe and were sighted in the Ultima Segmentum and as deep into Imperial space as the Segmentum Tempestus.When contacted by Imperial forces, they claimed they were escaping oppression by an unknown xenos species. It is clear now that the Zoats may not have declared their true intentions, nor the intentions of their real masters. Alternatively, it is possible that the Colossi spoke the truth, and that as the hive fleets evolved, the Zoats became a less useful tool, their free thought no longer of much utility to the Hive Mind.Many of the Zoats, sensing that they were soon to reach the end of their use to the Hive Mind, staged a rebellion. It quickly was crushed, and the rebel Zoats were purged from the Hive Mind's forces. Those who survived fled ahead of the main hive fleets, and made up that first hive fleet to reach the Imperium. They were soon trapped between their former masters and their new Human foes who saw them as an invading alien force. Being warlike by nature, they typically reacted in kind, and so ultimately set themselves against the Imperium regardless.These Colossi were unique in their ability to communicate telepathically and arm themselves with what is now recognised as Tyranid biomorph weaponry, albeit doing so caused them great pain. Due to their frequent contact with other alien species and their attempts to settle in Imperial space, the Colossi were declared Xenos horribilis by the Senatorum Imperialis in the early 39th Millennium.The Colossi eventually turned upon Imperial forces and were supposedly destroyed in 226.M39 above the world of Zorastra after the fleet provoked the Zorastra-Attila War or during the Helican Crusade, but there are rumours that it has risen once more.In 897.M41, Astartes of the Space Wolves Chapter engaged forces of Hive Fleet Colossus as it attacked the Civilised World of Thressiax.Eventually, as the Tyranids became a more common sight in the galaxy after the invasion of Hive Fleet Behemoth in the 41st Millennium, the Zoats were no longer seen outside the ranks of the Tyranids. Their sightings became less and less frequent, and they appear to have been entirely absent from the assault by Hive Fleet Leviathan that began the Third Tyrannic War in 997.M41.However, a Zoat was encountered by a squad of Imperial Fists Space Marines aboard a Tyranid Hive Ship of Hive Fleet Kraken during the Second Tyrannic War in 993.M41. This Zoat attempted to persuade the Space Marines of the virtues of the Hive Mind and to impede their progress into the Hive Ship. When its attempt at subterfuge failed, it immediately charged the Imperial Fists squad before being killed by their bolter fire.

Zoat - Era Indomitus: By the dawn of the Era Indomitus, the Zoats had been all but absent from the galaxy for generations. However, a Zoat known as The Archivist appeared to Imperial agents aboard the ramshackle void station called Precipice, which existed to serve as a base for expeditions sent to explore and plunder the nearby Seventh Blackstone Fortress.Presenting itself as a data trader, the Archivist offered to help quell a region of the Blackstone Fortress known as "the Seethe" that was comprised of constantly shifting matter. Within that region of the fortress, the Archivist identified an ancient Zoat spacecraft and a relic within it known as the Grayl Intulia -- which would give its bearer a measure of control over the Seethe's riotous turbulence and grant access to areas of the alien void fortress otherwise impassable.Once it collected a large personal cache of archeotech artefacts, the Archivist abandoned its fellow explorers, which trapped them in the heart of the Seventh Blackstone Fortress. The Archivist now roams the galaxy as a free agent, salvaging other technological relics amidst the anarchy that has consumed the Milky Way since the opening of the Great Rift.

Zoat - Anatomy and Physiology: The Zoat shared the same six-limbed structure as those of the Tyranid Warrior bioform and most other Tyranid species, probably an evolved bioconstruct created using the Tyranid's own genetic material. Their form is likely derived from the native creatures of the lost Tyranid homeworld in whatever remote galaxy they originated.Physically, the Zoats are centauroid, appearing similar to the centaurs of ancient Human myth with two muscular arms and no visible mouths, though they were clearly reptilian in nature. The two manipulative and strong frontal limbs provide Zoats the means to wield a variety of weapons. Only their upper arms are used to carry or manipulate objects; the lower two limbs are used only for locomotion and have horny toes like those of a Terran rhino. They had thick, scaly hides that could be used as armour plating by other species and tremendous strength which made them deadly in melee combat.Zoats may subsist on anything, but their daily diet largely consists of three reconstituted proteins based on woven biscuits called Zoatibix.When cut off from the Hive Mind and granted mental independence, approximately half of Zoats developed psychic abilities.Zoats make use of all manners of bio-technology to survive in diverse environments throughout the galaxy, including genetically-engineered augmentations to their metabolic and musculoskeletal systems. Atmospheric breather masks and synthetic organs are also used to enable digestion of alien proteins.It may be that the Hive Mind found these creatures' usefulness to be less than it had imagined, for the Zoat have been rarely seen by the Imperium or the other intelligent species of the Milky Way Galaxy since the early years of the Tyranid invasion almost 300 Terran years ago. In recent times, the hive fleets have sought only to absorb more bio-mass, not conduct diplomacy.

Zoat - Technology: Zoats are a highly intelligent and technologically advanced alien species. They are capable of manipulating other life forms through the use of arcane devices and diplomatic subterfuge.While the agenda and true nature of the Zoats remains inscrutable, the common link between their actions is their recurrent interest in obtaining advanced technological artefacts. Besides the technology they may acquire or craft, Zoats are also capable of interfacing with standard Tyranid biomorphs.The Zoats rely on bio-technology to survive in diverse environments across the galaxy, using all manner of augmentations to support their metabolic and musculoskeletal systems. From atmospheric breather masks to synthetic organs that enable the digestion of alien proteins, these diverse enhancements are added to and upgraded throughout a Zoat's long lifespan. The most terrifying of these technologies are the psychic resonators through which the Zoat communicate, allowing them to implant messages telepathically, directly into the minds of others.Combined with their naturally manipulative and diplomatic talents, these devices enable Zoats to install themselves as ambassadors, power brokers and data traders on the lawless frontiers of Imperial space, such as at the void station of Precipice near the Seventh Blackstone Fortress.Even in places where Imperial authority is stronger, Zoats have been known to spread their influence by proxy, weaving webs of coercion until they have given themselves considerable power.

Zoat - Notable Zoats: The Archivist - The Zoat known as the Archivist first crossed paths with Imperial agents on the void station Precipice, where intelligent species of many kinds gather and plan expeditions into the Seventh Blackstone Fortress that looms nearby. Even amongst the diverse populace of Precipice, the creature stood out, its large reptilian body and bio-technological augmentations unlike anything else seen on the station. Presenting itself as a data trader, the Archivist approached a group of explorers, offering an opportunity to quell the roiling chaos in an area of the Blackstone Fortress known as "the Seethe" -- a barely navigable region of constantly shifting matter. There the Archivist had identified fragments of an ancient Zoat voidcraft and, ever driven by the desire for precious archeotech, had resolved to salvage the remnants of the vessel before they were lost to the churning maelstrom. Crucial to its plan was another Zoat relic, the Grayl Intulia, which would give its bearer a measure of control over the Seethe's riotous turbulence and grant access to areas otherwise impassable. Once the remains of the Zoat ship had been reclaimed with the explorers' aid, the Archivist pledged that it would calm the upheaval of the Seethe permanently. In truth, the Archivist's proposals were just one facet of a much wider manipulation that affected many different exploring parties on Precipice and prompted several ventures into the Blackstone Fortress -- some successful, others disastrous. Once the duplicitous Zoat had stockpiled a large personal cache of artefacts, it disappeared, leaving many promises unfulfilled and many hapless allies trapped in the maddening depths of the fortress. The Archivist now roams as a free agent, capitalising on the laxity of regional Imperial authorities and salvaging relics amidst the anarchy that has proliferated in the age of the Cicatrix Maledictum. Wherever it encounters the operatives of other intelligent species, the Zoat draws upon all of its technology and intellect to disrupt their activities or mould them to its purposes, particularly when rare archeotech is at stake. Those the Archivist cannot coerce in this way soon find themselves facing much more hostile methods, as the creature will not hesitate to engage its formidable Atomic Disassembler or Eradicator Glove to destroy all who resist its manipulations.The Forerunner - The Forerunner is the Zoat whose ancient voidcraft was discovered aboard the Seventh Blackstone Fortress. Another Zoat named the Archivist later duped a group of explorers into recovering the voidcraft's remains and the archeotech within for it, but what became of the Forerunner is not known.

Zoat - Trivia: The Zorastra-Attilla Wars between the Colossi and the Imperium is likely alluding to the Zoats, as the name of the war can be abbreviated to ZOAT Wars.The protein-rich biscuits that constitute the Zoat diet are known as Zoatibix according to the 1st Edition Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader rulebook, which is likely a pun on the protein-rich British breakfast cereal known as Weetabix.

Zoat - Sources: Advanced Space Crusade (Board Game), pp. 57-59Blackstone Fortress: Deadly Alliance (Specialty Game) (Cover Image)Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pg. 19Codex: Tyranids (4th Edition), pg. 25Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pg. 31Space Marine (Novel) by Ian Watson, Ch. 20Tyranid Attack (Board Game), pp. 18-20Warhammer 40,000 Chapter Approved - The Book of the Astronomican (1st Edition), pg. 101Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, Relics of War (PC Game), "Zoat Hide Jerkin" (In-game item)Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pp. 202-203Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (5th Edition), pg. 166Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition), pg. 198White Dwarf 145 (US), "Tyranids" by Andy Chambers and Jervis Johnson, pp. 36-52White Dwarf 452 (March 2020), pp. 46-48Warhammer Community - From Aelves to Zoats - Previews from the Las Vegas Open 2020 (Miniature Image)Warhammer Community - Blackstone Fortress: Return of the ZoatWayback Machine web archive: Games Workshop website, Forgotten Fleets, Xenos of Hive Fleet Colossus

Zodgrod Wortsnagga - Zodgrod Wortsnagga: Zodgrod Wartsnagga is an infamous Ork Runtherd who was perhaps the greatest Runtherd in Ork history before being expelled from Warboss Ugulhard Duffgruntas' Chargerz, an extremely fundamentalist band of Snakebites who rabidly rejected the use of advanced technology.After the expulsion, Zodgrod travelled the galaxy and learned several ancient Orkoid techniques to create enhanced Gretchin who were possessed of more aggression, intelligence and sheer ferocity than any of their counterparts, which he named "Supa-Runtz."Zodgrod is now hired by those Ork warbosses and warlords who are particularly desperate to make use of his Supa-Runtz in battle.

Zodgrod Wortsnagga - History: Zodgrod started off as a member of the Warboss Ugulhard Duffgrunta's "Chargerz," a tribe of Orks wholly drawn from the Snakebites klan who were normally determined to cling to the Orks' old ways, yet had managed to develop a relatively high level of technology.Zodgrod was made the tribe's Runtherd, the Ork in charge of breeding Snotlings who would eventually be fired from a Shokk Attack Gun as living ammunition. Zodgrod proved to be unusually effective in training his Gretchin to follow orders and act aggressively. His Gretchin, known as "Kommando Runtz" among the Chargerz, became quite well-known among the local Greenskin tribes.However, also unusually for an Ork, Zodgrod became fanatically protective of his simple-minded trainees' well-being, a situation that turned bloody after Zodgrod fired a Mek through his own Shokk Attack Gun for mistreating the Gretchin who served as his ammunition.For this action, Zodgrod was banished from the Chargerz by order of Ugulhard Duffgrunta himself, as his recklessness had nearly cost the Chargerz their victory in battle.Zodgrod took to the spacelanes with his beloved Gretchin as an Ork Freebooter, selling his services as an unparalleled Runtherd to any Greenskin Warboss or Warlord who could pay his fees and existing on the margins of what passes for Ork society.During the course of his wanderings, Zodgrod came across the writings of another Ork Runtherd named Narflung who had performed experiments upon his Gretchin until they displayed increased intelligence, aggressiveness and coolness under fire, becoming a formidable military force when they worked in concert.Narflung called these Gretchin "Super-Runtz" and the techniques he had used to produce these results were actually what Humans call "Pavlovian conditioning," involving a lot of bell-ringing and the reward of a fat, juicy Squig when the Gretchin did as required. With this information at hand, Zodgrod soon created his own breed of Super-Runtz and he began to hire them out as an effective combat force to many Ork tribes and WAAAGH!s.Most traditionalist Orks believe that the idea of Gretchin who are fearless and competent warriors represents a horrible threat to the very fabric of Orkoid society. But many other Ork leaders who find themselves in desperate straits will not hesitate to hire Zodgrod and his elite Gretchin.Surprisingly, they have proved to be a potent force multiplier on the battlefield for whatever Greenskin force is willing to employ them without first laughing uproariously at the idea.

Zombie Plague - Zombie Plague: The Zombie Plague, also called the Curse of Unbelief, is a deadly, Warp-spawned viral infection that is spread by the forces of Chaos, and leads to the creation of hordes of infectious, undead zombies. The Zombie Plague originally threatened billions of people on many Imperial worlds near the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus before the 13th Black Crusade, but since the birth of the Great Rift the disease now represents a danger to worlds across the galaxy.The Zombie Plague is a supernatural Warp-based disease, and as such it does not follow the laws of biology or physics, for it can actually only infect those mortals consumed by despair, who have no hope or faith in their hearts. In the uncaring grind of Imperial life, the vast majority of the populace can be counted amongst that number. The unfortunate victims of this horrendous malady rot from the inside out, coughing themselves to death over a long, painful period. Yet that is merely the beginning of their suffering. Those that fall do not stay dead -- their bodies are reanimated by the uncanny psychic power of the arcane infection, and they lurch after the living, desperate to gnaw upon warm, supple flesh. Even a single bite can transfer the infection to a new host, and so the process begins anew.The Curse of Unbelief has appeared in the underhives of Necromunda and in Chaos-influenced regions of the Segmentum Obscurus near the Eye of Terror, with documented instances of undead fighting against the servants of the Emperor going all the way back to the final days of the Great Crusade before the Horus Heresy, such as during the Luna Wolves Legion's assault upon the feral moon of the world of Davin.The first recorded incidence of the Zombie Plague in the 41st Millennium came in 757.M41 on the world of Hydra Minoris. A quarantine was imposed by the Navis Imperialis, trapping 23 billion uninfected people alongside a rising tide of hungry and mindless undead.The Zombie Plague is an especially favoured tool of the Death Guard Sorcerers and other Chaos Sorcerers who serve Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay, who are more likely to unleash it than all the other followers of Chaos.In the history of the Imperium, billions have died and been returned to undeath. Worse still, since the opening of the Great Rift after the 13th Black Crusade in the Era Indomitus, the proliferating energies of Chaos across the galaxy have mutated countless strains of the original Zombie Plague. Boasting infection vectors as esoteric as nightmares, groans of misery and the surrender to despair, they have created many new types of Plague Zombie to bedevil the Imperium, of which the most common by far are the leering, moaning Poxwalkers.

Zombie Plague - Biology: The Zombie Plague is a supernatural, Chaos-infused infection created through the use of Chaos sorcery blessed by the Plague Lord Nurgle to alter a biological virus. The resulting physical symptoms spread rapidly before Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade and was heralded by the invasion of the Plague Fleets of the Chaos Champion Typhus.This led to the rise of numerous Plague Zombies on Imperial worlds and also resulted in the formation of a new branch within the Inquisition known as the Ordo Sepulturum which was specifically tasked with dealing with the Zombie Plague and similar Chaos-infused biological threats to Humanity.The plague was a necrotic microorganism that physically degenerated those it infected, causing their skin and internal organs to rapidly rot until the moment of "death" at which time the Chaos energy within the virus reanimated the victim's corpse as a "zombie" whose only remaining drive was to feed on living flesh and so spread the infection.The Chaos energy in the Zombie Plague virus allows a small portion of the victim's life essence to be retained by their body even after physical death has occurred. However, every attempt at creating a stable "faith virus" that would allow wounded servants of the Imperium to live on as "good undead" like the Emperor or even allow the Emperor to be reborn in an undead form has led to mutation in the sample.The zombie victims of the plague are noted to have a psychic connection to each other created by the Chaos energy that exists within the virus and it has also been noted that psykers have the capacity to manipulate the pitiable decaying creatures that are spawned.A common theory among Inquisitors of the Puritan Thorian philosophical persuasion is that the plague is an offshoot of the technology used to modify the Golden Throne to support the Emperor of Mankind's life functions by the Adeptus Mechanicus ten millennia ago. It may have been created by the Dark Mechanicum Tech-priests that reside within the Eye of Terror with the Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions.There have been numerous noted similarities between the Zombie Plague's ability to use the power of the Warp to reanimate a victim's corpse and the operation of the Golden Throne, which uses the power of the Warp to keep the Emperor of Mankind's body from completely dying.Increased study of the plague by Thorian Inquisitors has led them to believe that this research can help them understand the Emperor of Mankind's current state and how He might yet be reborn.

Zombie Plague - Disease Progression: Once infection has occurred, the Zombie Plague proceeds through four basic symptomatic stages:The first symptoms of the infection are hard to discern. The skin becomes pallid and sickly-looking. The infected is overwhelmed by nausea and sees spots in front of their eyes. Green-coloured scabs may start to appear all over the body. From this point forward, the victim is highly infectious, and the pathogen can be spread by exposure to an infected individual's bodily fluids, such as blood and saliva.In the second stage, the victim's skin begins to tighten and harden, causing the veins to stand out. The scalp begins to shed hair as the follicles die and the viridian scabbing spreads more noticeably across the skin as the cellular necrosis accelerates. At this stage of the infection the victim is beyond hope of a cure and becomes dangerous to others as his or her sanity begins to be overwhelmed by uncontrollable, abnormal cravings for healthy flesh.By the time the plague has progressed to its third stage, its effects are no longer capable of being overlooked. The divine perfection of the God-Emperor created Human face is now marred by sunken cheeks, thin lips, necrotic white skin, rotting teeth and large areas of the epidermis that have decayed into vast swathes of seeping, pus-filled cysts. The cellular necrosis reaches the point that large portions of the body can now effectively be considered dead tissue.The final stage of the plague is truly horrible. Now essentially a mindless, walking corpse after the termination of all life functions such as cellular metabolism and higher cognitive activities, the victim's advanced necrosis causes extremities to simply fall off, rotting veins bubble under parchment-thin dead skin, and final death through a shot to the head or dismemberment is the only release from the torment. Victims of the disease in this stage, colloquially known as "zombies," often congregate in large numbers as they seek out any lifeform that is not infected with the disease so that they can consume healthy flesh.

Zombie Plague - Notable Strains: Fydae Strain - Fydae Strain Plague Zombies, named for the outbreak of the disease that assaulted the mining settlemernt of Sutter's Rock in the Calixis Sector, first appear to be no more than gaunt, dead-eyed plague victims in soiled and blood-spattered clothing. However, this does little to dim the horror for friends and loved ones wracked with grief. As the outbreaks worsen and the Warp-spawned entities known as the Vile Savants themselves make an appearance, the Fydae Zombies decay at an unnaturally accelerated rate. They turn into horrific rotting husks of putrescent flesh, but are no less active or deadly for it.Poxwalkers - Poxwalkers are a form of Chaos-infected, mutant undead similar to Plague Zombies who have been cursed by one of the Chaos God Nurgle's Warp-derived maladies, the so-called "Walking Pox," so that they can serve as unliving weapons for the Death Guard Traitor Legion and other mortal servants of the Plague Lord. Some Inquisitors of the Ordo Sepulturum -- the new Ordo Minoris of the Inquisition dedicated to battling the undead -- claim that the Walking Pox is actually a variant of Nurgle's Rot, since unlike "standard" zombies encountered before the birth of the Great Rift, the victim's flesh often mutates even after physical death, growing horns, tentacles and spikes similar to those of Nurgle's victims who become the Lesser Daemons known as Plaguebearers.

Zombies - Zombies: Zombies, also known as Plague Zombies, are victims of a highly contagious and deadly viral infection known as the "Zombie Plague" or the "Curse of Unbelief", spread by the minions of the Chaos God Nurgle, the god of disease and despair. Not only do they die as the result of the disease, they are reanimated by the virus as undead, mindlessly devoted to adding their former comrades-in-arms to their number by infecting them with the Zombie Plague virus they carry in their saliva and blood.The Zombie Plague is a supernatural Warp-based disease, and as such it does not follow the laws of biology or physics, for it can actually only infect those mortals consumed by despair, who have no hope or faith in their hearts. In the uncaring grind of Imperial life in the 41st Millennium, the vast majority of the populace can be counted amongst that number. The unfortunate victims of this horrendous malady rot from the inside out, coughing themselves to death over a long, painful period. Yet that is merely the beginning of their suffering. Those that fall do not stay dead -- their bodies are reanimated by the uncanny psychic power of the arcane infection, and they lurch after the living, desperate to gnaw upon warm, supple flesh. Even a single bite can transfer the infection to a new host, and so the process begins anew.The Curse of Unbelief has appeared in the underhives of Necromunda and in Chaos-influenced regions of the Segmentum Obscurus near the Eye of Terror, with documented instances of undead fighting against the servants of the Emperor going all the way back to the final days of the Great Crusade before the Horus Heresy, such as during the Luna Wolves Legion's assault upon the feral moon of the world of Davin.The first recorded instance of the Zombie Plague in the 41st Millennium was on the world of Hydra Minoris in 757.M41. A quarantine was imposed by the Imperial Navy, trapping 23 billion uninfected people alongside a rising tide of hungry and mindless undead.The Curse of Unbelief is believed to be a spiritual as much as a physical contagion, hence its name, and the disease is held by the Ecclesiarchy to afflict only those lacking a pure faith in the Emperor. The disease is one of the multitudes of foul contagions spread by the Plague Fleets of Nurgle; most notably the warships of the Chaos Lord Typhus of the Death Guard Traitor Legion.Plague zombies act very much like the zombies in ancient films from Old Earth's Age of Progress; they are mindless, shambling and cannibalistic. The main thing about plague zombies (and zombies in general) is that they are hard to kill and require an accurate shot to the head or complete dismemberment to put them down for good.

Zombies - Notable Variants: Fydae Strain - Fydae Strain Plague Zombies, named for the outbreak of the disease that assaulted the mining settlemernt of Sutter's Rock in the Calixis Sector, first appear to be no more than gaunt, dead-eyed plague victims in soiled and blood-spattered clothing. However, this does little to dim the horror for friends and loved ones wracked with grief. As the outbreaks worsen and the Warp-spawned entities known as the Vile Savants themselves make an appearance, the Fydae Zombies decay at an unnaturally accelerated rate. They turn into horrific rotting husks of putrescent flesh, but are no less active or deadly for it.Poxwalkers - Poxwalkers are a form of Chaos-infected, mutant undead similar to Plague Zombies who have been cursed by one of the Chaos God Nurgle's Warp-derived maladies, the so-called "Walking Pox," so that they can serve as unliving weapons for the Death Guard Traitor Legion and other mortal servants of the Plague Lord. Some Inquisitors of the Ordo Sepulturum -- the new Ordo Minoris of the Inquisition dedicated to battling the undead -- claim that the Walking Pox is actually a variant of Nurgle's Rot, since unlike "standard" zombies encountered before the birth of the Great Rift, the victim's flesh often mutates even after physical death, growing horns, tentacles and spikes similar to those of Nurgle's victims who become the Lesser Daemons known as Plaguebearers.

Zone Mortalis - Zone Mortalis: The term Zone Mortalis -- the "fatal ground" in High Gothic -- was the term used by Imperial military forces of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras to refer to the most savage arenas of combat conceivable.The concept of the "Zone Mortalis" as a theatre of warfare dates to the era of the Great Crusade as referred to in the ancient Codex Tactica Imperialis. Such zones, be they the contested decks of a void warship, wall breaches, tangled mine works, lightless under-hives, the prison-vaults of sundered fortress citadels, labyrinthine industrial sewer systems and sacred catacombs, all have a confluence of factors in common such as close confinement, limited access for attack or escape routes, as well as treacherous environments, which make them murderous venues for warfare.It was an area in which the brute force of the ancient Legiones Astartes excelled, and much application of strategy evolved from this most deadly form of warfare. Zone Mortalis battles are often fatal and chaotic affairs, such as fighting in a collapsing hive city under mass artillery bombardment or on a burning star vessel in the middle of a pitched void battle.Some from Legions such as the Ultramarines and Iron Warriors saw victory in the Zone Mortalis as a precise application of tactics and equipment, while others such as the Blood Angels and World Eaters relied on courage and fury to carry the day, but without doubt the undisputed masters of the Zone Mortalis were the Death Guard Legion. In such warfare they were relentless, merciless and without peer.

Zone Mortalis - Boarding Assaults: Boarding actions between starships are truly deadly affairs, vicious and swift close-quarter duels in the most treacherous and dangerous environments imaginable. In short, the kind of conflict the Space Marines were created for. The vessels of the early 31st Millennium ranged in size and role from interplanetary cargo scows to mighty battleships with crews numbering in the thousands serving as the flagships of the Imperium's far-ranging expeditionary fleets.Larger still were Mechanicum mass-conveyers tens of kilometres in length, and unfathomably ancient drifting space hulks that dwarfed even these. In the case of these larger vessels, regardless of whether they were an engine of war or a colony ark, their sheer size granted them weaknesses to be exploited, just as their immense bulk made them difficult to destroy by more conventional means.For these mighty voidships, damage to specific systems could be as fatal to them as poison injected into a living heart. The best way of doing this was often by breaching the hull of an enemy vessel and assaulting it with troops -- if they were victorious then the ship might be crippled, captured intact or even destroyed from within.Only the most skilled and able warriors were selected to undertake boarding assaults and attrition among them was always high, as was the glory gained should they succeed. The shipboard defenders who repelled a boarding assault had to fight with all the courage and ferocity they could muster if they were to save their vessel. For the loser death was certain, as aboard a starship surrounded by the infinite darkness of the cold and silent void, there was nowhere to retreat or run to.Most boarding actions take place against the backdrop of a fierce void battle in which immensely destructive forces quite beyond the combatants' control are unleashed that may even destroy the very ship through which they are fighting. Even when the boarded ship is not taking direct hits in the battle, the effects of prior damage can cause secondary explosions to rip through its hull or the vessel itself may be caught in a crossfire or ride through the blast waves of dying ships and lethally spinning debris.A "hit-and-run" attack is a crucial tactic used in ship-to-ship combat and involves one or more boarding parties forcing access to the target ship, fighting their way through the companionways with the aim of destroying key systems. Boarding an enemy vessel with the aim of destroying, crippling or capturing it is a gruelling task and one that will exact a high price in blood from both attacker and defender over a number of savage battles.A void strike mission represents the most perilous phase of a boarding assault for an attacker -- the attempt to establish a foothold on an enemy vessel from which to press forward towards its most vital areas. The interior of a starship is a tangled labyrinth of passageways and chambers. Wrecking missions represent an attack on one of several vital target areas, ranging from the warship's massive Plasma Drives to its command deck.The larger the starship, the more of these systems that attackers have to cripple in order to bring about the death of the vessel. Sometimes an attacking force will utilise a desperate gamble, and instead of launching a boarding mission against the target vessel's more easily accessible launch bays or loading decks, they attack the outer, armoured skin in an attempt to cut through and strike directly into the vessel's undefended and most vulnerable systems.A successful killing blow can conclude a hit-and-run attack before the defenders have even mustered to repel the boarders. If the attackers fail, they are doomed to a cold death as the void claims them.The final stage of a boarding assault mission is when the attackers have to make their desperate withdrawal from the target vessel. It may be that the boarders have succeeded in their mission to cripple the enemy warship and must now withdraw to their assault boats or teleportation points even as the starship tears itself apart around them.Conversely, it is entirely possible that the boarding action has met with failure having been repelled or perhaps recalled by the parent vessel, necessitating a hasty retreat as the voidship's vengeful crew close in from every quarter.

Zone Mortalis - Encounter Missions: Encounter missions are a special Zone Mortalis mission where two hostile forces advanced through unknown ground where neither side had the advantage of foreknowledge or tactical control of the area.

Zone Mortalis - Search and Destroy: This mission represents the vicious struggle to control the Zone Mortalis through brute savagery and attrition, destroying the enemy's forces in detail.

Zone Mortalis - Capture Ground: This mission type occurred when two opposing forces fight to control the area of the Zone Mortalis and drive out the enemy.

Zone Mortalis - Invasion: This was a mission in which two opposing forces seek to fight their way into enemy-held territory, slaughtering as many of the foe as possible.

Zone Mortalis - Common Dangers of Zone Mortalis Operations: Deadly Ground- Fighting within Zone Mortalis terrain is a dangerous and treacherous affair, and one in which even light vehicles can flounder or damage themselves, unexpectedly crashing through buckled deck plating, getting crushed beneath falling rubble, or contacting exposed power conduits with deadly results.Firestorm and Shrapnel - The confined spaces of certain types of Zone Mortalis can prove to be death traps to the unwary and certain weapons have their effectiveness increased by the environment, while others become more unpredictable.Nowhere to Hide - Units that break and flee from combat within the confines of a Zone Mortalis are far more likely to be trapped in areas where their avenues of retreat are entirely cut off, and due to the confusion of corridors and passageways that may surround them, falling back may be a particularly deadly affair.Reaction Fire - The confined spaces of a Zone Mortalis make for deadly, close-range fire-fights, where a split second reaction may be enough to gun down an enemy rushing out from the darkness before death strikes a Space Marine down.Catastrophic Damage - One of the perils of battle underground or within a building in a warzone is the risk of bringing the roof down on the combatants and being buried alive or crushed under tonnes of earth or masonry.Enemy Unknown - Fighting in levels of low visibility over distance is nothing compared to the abyssal darkness of fighting deep underground or within the tortuous confines of a space hulk, where even the finest auguries and sensors may prove utterly useless.Outer Hulls - The expanse of a gigantic starship's outer hull can itself form a battlefield, and some of the most desperate and bloody boarding actions are fought simply to force a breach in a voidship's armoured flanks. In boarding actions of this kind, the outer surface of a voidship forms the battlefield for attacking forces, with them seeking either to force air locks open or damage vital structures on the hull's surface.Cold Void and Poisoned Air - Fighting in a Zone Mortalis aboard a vessel has many dangers in its own right, such as areas filled with poisonous gas, choking industrial fumes or extreme heat, as well as the effects of fighting in a depressurised area of a space vessel during a boarding action.

Zone Mortalis - Zone Mortalis Stratagems: Zone Mortalis stratagems are the unique and unusual tactics used by forces fighting within such regions, taking advantage of the terrain and equipment available to a Space Marine Legion force which would play an integral part in the successful completion of their mission.The use of such stratagems was neither compulsory nor, strictly speaking needed, but they could add a new dimension and a few nasty surprises to both attacking and defending forces on both sides.Tunnel Access - This is when forces gained access to the conduits and service tunnels in the area of the Zone Mortalis, providing a Space Marine commander with a significant advantage -- just as long as they didn't collapse first.Breacher Charges - Some Space Marines were equipped with a single breacher charge, a combat explosive device designed for breaking into bunkers and blasting apart bulkheads.Flanking Counter Assault - This particular stratagem was when a Space Marine commander has sent a portion of their forces off in an attempt to outflank the enemy in the hopes of cutting them off, enabling them to be isolated and destroyed.Lascutter (Gear) - Some Space Marines were equipped with lascutters, a powerful industrial tool that could be used for cutting through armoured bulkheads or as a makeshift but devastating close-quarter weapon.Spearhead Sentry Gun - Both attacking Zone Mortalis forces and defenders often deployed automated weapon systems to provide them with fire support, usually covering a vital area or important access chamber. This weapon was a light artillery mount equivalent to an Imperial Tarantula, heavy Gun Servitor or defence platform.

Zone Mortalis - Attacker Stratagems: Interdiction Assault - Either through the use of advanced phase-field generators to render the surrounding terrain temporarily out of sync with reality, or the rather more brute force approach of blasting out intervening ferrocrete and earth with seismic charges, the attacker could make a major breach in either the ceiling, floor or walls from which they would have troops poised to make a storm assault.Sustained Assault - When attacking forces greatly outnumbered those of defending forces, this allowed them to press on heedless of casualties with reinforcements close at hand.Fire Wasp - A Fire Wasp was a Mechanicum-produced combat drone used since the early years of the Great Crusade in Zone Mortalis actions to venture ahead of assault parties and help clear them a path. Sent in ahead of a squad and intended to trip mines and other booby traps, the Fire Wasp was an extremely robust device, if a poor fighter. Most standard patterns were equipped with a built-in Flamer weapon and Searchlight device for aid in their mission.

Zone Mortalis - Defender Stratagems: Defensive Strongpoint - After deployment areas were worked out but before any Space Marines were deployed, the defending forces would often times utilise an enclosed or semi-enclosed area of terrain to be their defensive strongpoint.Barricades - This was when defending forces has had enough time to get ahead of their attackers and meet them on prepared ground, utilising barricades and other barriers as protected positions and killing zones.Traps - The defending force has been able to seed the area with anti-personnel mines, tripwire-bombs, rad-fields and hidden deadfalls, making it a potential death-trap for attacking forces.

Zone Mortalis - General Stratagems: Void Hardened Armour - A single unit in a boarding assault strike force is equipped with specialised additional armour and life support systems.

Zone Mortalis - Attacker Stratagems: Shock and Awe - The assault force calls in a thunderous barrage of ship-to-ship fire, cluster grenades or even teleporter charges in an attempt to disorient and throw the defenders off-guard. However, such attacks are seldom as precise as the attacker would like.Phase Field Generator - A single Space Marine is equipped with a back pack-mounted Phase Field Generator which allows the individual and his squad to phase through a closed bulkhead door or through a single Zone Mortalis wall section. This is a very dangerous proposition as a phase field could flicker out of sync and trap a warrior within the stuff of the bulkhead, and slay his fellow squad members outright.Devastation Drone - Devastation drones are mobile demolition bombs armed with implosion charges designed to inflict maximum damage within a highly confined area (and thus reduce the risk to the voidship they are used on). They are compact, man-sized and quite sturdily constructed in order to resist enemy fire until they have reached their target zone. Many are often mounted on heavy track units to keep them mobile, although the best have anti-grav plates instead.

Zone Mortalis - Defender Stratagems: Security Airlocks and Bulkhead Doors - Vital access points controlled by defending forces during a boarding assault action can serve as internal chokepoints which dramatically increase the attackers' casualties.Murder Servitor Auto-Clade - The warship is equipped with chambers within which are sealed small numbers of skull-faced Murder Servitors, their hands replaced with grafted-on billhooks, spikes, axes and other equally crude but effective weapons. At the captain's command, every chamber is unsealed and the Murder Servitors are activated, tearing forth in a savage tide to scour the ship of boarders.Voidsmen Gangs - The defender is forced to press the voidship's crew into the defence of the vessel. Equipped with armoured void suits and emergency weapons, these crewmen are often far from the best-trained soldiers, but will be well-motivated, as nothing but death or slavery awaits them should their vessel be taken.

Zso Sahaal - Zso Sahaal: Zso Sahaal, also called the Talonmaster, was the First Captain of the Night Lords Traitor Legion both during and after the Horus Heresy and the heir to the artefact known as the Corona Nox.Captain Sahaal was designated by the Night Lords' Primarch Konrad Curze to serve as his successor as leader of the Legion just before his assassination on the world of Tsagualsa following the end of the Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.However, Sahaal lacked the artefact called the Corona Nox ("Crown of Night") that was required by Night Lords tradition to fully ascend to the position of leader of the Legion, and was forced to begin a ten-thousand-year-long odyssey to recover the artefact and learn the truth about his Legion's fall to Chaos.

Zso Sahaal - Early Life: When the Horus Heresy began in the early 31st Millennium, Captain Sahaal's loyalties lay entirely with his Primarch, Konrad Curze, also known as the "Night Haunter," rather than the Emperor of Mankind. Like so many of the Chaos Space Marines from this period, Sahaal willingly turned Traitor against the Emperor for the sake of his loyalty to his Primarch and served Curze well throughout the Night Lords' campaigns against the Imperium of Man.Sahaal believed devoutly in the Warmaster Horus' rationale that the Emperor of Mankind had betrayed Curze and the Night Lords by retreating from the Great Crusade to Terra to seek his own divinity and leaving civilian bureaucrats in control of the Imperium rather than one of the Primarchs who had won the galaxy for him. Before the Night Haunter's death, Sahaal was designated by the Primarch as his heir. However, the Callidus Assassin M'Shen took Sahaal's inheritance of the Corona Nox following her assassination of Curze before the Primarch could declare Sahaal his undisputed successor as the Legion's commander.Sahaal vowed to gain vengeance for his gene-father's death no matter the cost and pursued the Assassin off-world until the Aeldari ambushed his starship and attempted to take the dead Primarch's crown for themselves. It was during this altercation that Sahaal was trapped in a Warp Storm that lasted for 10,000 standard years in realspace, transporting him from the early 31st to the late 41st Millennium.

Zso Sahaal - Conflict with the Imperium and Night Lords: Thanks to the effects of Zso Sahaal's Sus-an Membrane, he was not slain when the Warp Storm ensnared him. Instead, ten millennia passed in realspace while Sahaal was trapped in the Immaterium and he awoke to discover that his starship had emerged from the Warp and crashed on the Hive World of Equixus. Even worse, the Corona Nox was once again missing from his possession. Sahaal began his quest for the Corona once more and began by killing the Equixus hive gangers who had stolen this precious item from his downed vessel while he still hibernated.He then discovered a kindred spirit amidst one of the gangs in the lower portions of the hive city of Equixus he had crashed upon, as these gangers reminded him of the people who had inhabited the Night Haunter's (and his own) homeworld of Nostramo.However, Sahaal was unlucky in that members of the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus, led by Inquisitor Kaustus, were investigating Equixus at this time for evidence of heresy. Sahaal's quest for the Corona Nox was further complicated by the presence of the psyker Mita Ashyn, a young Interrogator within Inquisitor Kaustus' retinue of Acolytes who could sense his presence and objectives, and so Sahaal led the hiver gang to war throughout the hive city on Equixus.Sahaal also continued to attempt to regain the Corona and eventually signaled his fellow Legionaries amongst the Night Lords Heretic Astartes now inhabiting a Daemon World within the Eye of Terror to come to Equixus and aid him in his task. He was, however, deeply disappointed when these Night Lords arrived and Sahaal learned that in his absence the Legion had forgot Konrad Curze's teachings of "fear through focus" and instead had devolved after ten thousand Terran years under the constant influence of Chaos into little more than super-powered, fear-craving psychopaths.The Night Lords were now led by the embodiment of corruption in Sahaal's eyes, a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided named Krieg Acerbus, known during the Heresy as the "Axemaster" who had once been Sahaal's greatest rival within the Legion.Sahaal succeeded in defeating all of his foes and reclaiming the Corona Nox, though at the price of a severely wounded arm. Sahaal eventually returned to the Eye of Terror to press his claim to rule over the Night Lords, but this attempt did not prove successful, as many members of the Night Lords now called Sahaal "The Betrayer" because he had fled from the 1st Company whilst they were still battling the Aeldari so that he could continue to hunt the Corona Nox.A discussion between Talos Soul Hunter of the 10th Company of the Night Lords and the Warmaster Abaddon later revealed that Sahaal's claim to the leadership of the Night Lords Legion had no more merit than any of the other supposed chosen successors to the Night Haunter who displayed other stolen relics that belonged to their Primarch and claimed to be his heir.

Zso Sahaal - Wargear: Artificer ArmourMordax Tenebrae - Zso Sahaal uses an ornate Bolter named Mordax Tenebrae, "the Dark's Bite". It had been hand-crafted within the hive city of Nostromo Quintus on the Legion's lightless homeworld of Nostramo and was priceless. It had a finely constructed stock, elaborately decorated chambers and a skull-mouthed barrel. The Bolter had been a gift from his Primarch for Sahaal's loyal, dedicated service.Unquis Raptus - The Talonmaster also makes use of archaic Lightning Claws which he named the Unguis Raptus, the "Raptor's Claws" -- and in so doing had coined the name of his command company. These too had been a gift from his master, whose generosity could be as unpredictable and spectacular as his moods. Sahaal had received them as gratefully as he had his Bolter, but had wielded them with far greater relish: finding in them weapons worthy of the precision and purity he craved. Before even the Horus Heresy his Raptors became justly feared, and in the name of first the Emperor, and then his Primarch alone, they had brought swift death from above to their foes. If his master had known where the gauntlets were constructed, or by whom, he had never revealed it. They were as much a part of Sahaal now as were his own limbs or the hate in his soul that drove him forwards.

Zula Hatiar - Zula Hatiar: Zula Hatiar was the Imperial Commander and planetary governor of the Mining World of Haephos in the Chalnath Expanse of the northern Segmentum Ultima in the Imperium Nihilus. It was she who led the Imperial defenders of the worlds gainst the Chaos Cults, a Genestealer Cult and the forces of the T'au Empire's Fifth Sphere Expansion that assaulted Haephos during the Haephos Containment, a part of the larger Chalnath Expanse Campaign fought during the Era Indomitus.

Zula Hatiar - History: The first of the Mining World of Haephos' troubles began when the birth of the Great Rift caused Haephos to be cut off from the rest of the Imperial space because of turbulence in the Warp that prevented FTL travel and astropathic communications. As panic gripped Haephos' population, Chaos Cults and their associated mutants loyal to the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion began to commit numerous atrocities across the world's surface. The Haephos Planetary Defence Force and Astra Militarum regiments native to the Mining World were pushed to their limits protecting their homeworld from these attacks and in response, Haephos' Imperial Commander, Zula Hatiar, made a desperate decision.Against the advice of her council, Hatiar offered imprisoned psykers, bound for the Black Ships as part of the world's Imperial Tithe, their freedom if they aided the world's defenders in the battles against the Chaos Cults and mutants. Those that agreed soon joined the Planetary Defence Force, while those that refused were executed so that they could not be turned to the service of Chaos.Afterwards, those unsanctioned psykers greatly aided the Haephosian PDF in eradicating the cults, including the Followers of the Red Monarch and Cult of Chalkonides. However, further disaster struck the world when during a purge of a subterranean city of mutants and Heretics, the regiments of the Astra Militarum discovered that the city was also afflicted by a massive Genestealer Cult infestation. Once discovered, the Genestealer Cult began an uprising all over Haephos, and attempted to claim the spaceport of Eletyrio. Not willing to allow the wider Imperium to learn that her world was afflicted with the xenophile infestation and risk a possible Exterminatus action, Hatiar deployed her forces and succeeded in eliminating their efforts to overthrow the planetary government at a great cost in lives and with Eletyrio's destruction.However, soon after the Genestealer cultists' attack on Eletyrio was repelled, a fleet from the T'au Empire's Fifth Sphere Expansion made contact with Haephos. Envoys of the T'au Water Caste met with Hatiar and offered their aid in repelling the Genestealer Cult provided that the Imperial Commander allowed Haephos to secede from the Imperium and join the xenos empire. At that time, with the Genestealer Cult's assault having nearly bled her regiments dry and still unable to request aid from the wider Imperium, Hatiar was desperate to save her people and nearly accepted the T'au's offer.This changed, however, when a Haephosian Ecclesiarchy priest suddenly appeared before the governor, after having miraculously survived one of the horrific battles raging on Haephos. The priest claimed that while he fought with an Astra Militarum force against the Genestealer Cult, they had been attacked by the forces of the T'au Empire. The xenos had not discriminated in their fire between the Loyalist troops and those of the Genestealer Cult, who were both slain by the aliens' fire. Upon hearing this, Hatiar spurned the T'au's offer of allegiance, and reaffirmed her loyalty to the Emperor. The Imperial Commander reaffirmed her commitment to destroy all of the Heretics, mutants and xenos infesting Haephos.

Zurcon - Zurcon: ZurconImperiumJericho SectorVerronusIn common with only a handful of other worlds in the Jericho Reach, Zurcon remained faithful to the Pax Imperium even after the last Imperial Navy warship abandoned the region to its fate and the sector's "Age of Shadow" plunged all into anarchy and bloodshed.When the T'au discovered Zurcon, Water Caste contact specialists knew immediately that they would not easily usurp the population's faith in their distant, yet still present God-Emperor, and so they concocted an ingenious plan.Over the course of a solar decade, T'au agents infiltrated the ruling class of Zurcon and insinuated their own proxies into its structure.By way of a series of all but invisible assassinations, painless re-educations, and subtle coups, T'au agents took over the planetary government without the populace ever knowing of it, or them.The average citizen is entirely unaware of both the T'au and the Achilus Crusade, and ignorant of the fact that his toils are all directed towards a war against his own people, the Imperium. The world is entirely in thrall to the T'au Empire, yet only the very highest placed in its government know of the fact.The Water Caste fully intend to slowly usurp the Imperial Creed, which has endured on Zurcon for many thousands of Terran years, yet they know they must do so slowly lest the people rise up in rebellion.To date, this program is only partly complete, and the T'au have gone to great lengths to ensure that the Imperium will not discover the world and upset their plans.The situation on Zurcon has been greatly complicated by the arrival of Hive Fleet Dagon. A vanguard fleet has recently launched a series of probing attacks into the system's outer regions and a number of T'au-crewed waystations have been lost.To date, the T'au have yet to decide whether Zurcon should be evacuated or its population mustered to fight the Tyranids. Either way, the edifice of lies which the T'au have built around Zurcon must surely soon come crashing down.

Æther Ray - Æther Ray: An Æther Ray is an aerial Daemon Engine of Tzeentch, the Chaos God of change and intrigue, created on the world of Q'Sal, located in the Screaming Vortex, a Warp rift that separates the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus from the Koronus Expanse region of the Halo Stars. Q'Sal is a self-sufficient, largely peaceful and highly industrious world, whose Heretic inhabitants have the freedom to use the power of the Warp in their creations. Ruled over by the powerful Sorcerer-Technocrats of the three cities of Tarnor, Velklir and Surgub, the Æther Ray is the direct result of all three often rival cities working more or less together in its creation.The Æther Ray is a relatively new construct, designed after the Pact of R'Suleir which brought a rare time of peace between the three cities. This period ended quickly, but not before this new Daemon Engine took flight. Æther Rays act both as transports for the elite of Q'Sal as well as a powerful symbol of each of its cities' might. Those viewing the beast soaring above them know the terrible power enchained within, and the even greater power it took to keep such a creature bound in service.Built on a light alloy chassis and draped with metallic fabric daubed with runes in the Dark Tongue that burn the eye, the main chassis is massive and smooth, more akin to ocean life than the air. Once infused with the essence of bound Screamers of Tzeentch, however, it shows its true nature. The fabric hardens as the foul Daemonic energies permeate the material, translating gross matter into a fleshy alloy that ill-refracts light and brushes off gravity.Sharpened wings grow out from the sides, and an iridescent fluked tail emerges from the rear. Quasi-organic strands extrude along the back, ready for those who dare ride atop the beast to grab hold for their very lives. When the change is complete, the form reveals the daemons used in its creation, a huge flattened metallic ray now ready to take flight. The very air around it shimmers with the contained hate of the daemons bound within, eager for escape and destruction.Each Æther Ray is bound to a specific Tzeentchian sorcerer with runes infused with the tendrils of their soul, so while theft is impractical, sabotage is not uncommon. Slight alterations in the runic bindings have enabled some to be used for travel across the void, using globes that appear as thin as soap bubbles to contain the lives of the riders.Further research suggests that Warp travel is also possible for these Daemon Engines, though no one is known to have tried. To ride atop an Æther Ray, knowing that if the Daemon should break its shackles even the smallest amount can lead to a painful, plummeting death, is fearful enough. To ride one through the Sea of Souls could lead to a fate far worse, for death would be only the beginning of an eternity of torments. Some whisper that this has already been accomplished, and Æther Rays are ready to glide above new worlds to spread the might of Q'Sal across the Screaming Vortex.Æther Rays are commonly crafted in three sizes, depending on the desires of their sorcerer-creator. Passengers ride along the back and sides of the Daemon Engine, holding on via cleverly extruded grips and foot anchors as they fly to their inscribed destination, praying to the Changer of Ways that his eyes not turn to them whilst in transit.

Æther Ray - Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The Ordo Malleus has not yet determined the technical specifications for this Daemon Engine, if such a thing is even possible.

Ûrvymm's Bulwark - Ûrvymm's Bulwark: Ûrvymm's Bulwark is a Hold World of the Greater Thurian League of the Leagues of Votann located in the galactic core. It is situated in the western region of Thurian space, and lies on a major Kin trade hub and is near multiple mining epicentres. Ûrvymm's Bulwark is famed among the Kin alongside its fellow Thurian Hold World Crimson Gulf further to the galactic east for its sheer size and nearly impenetrable defences.

Ûthar the Destined - Ûthar the Destined: Ûthar the Destined, often simply known as Ûthar, is perhaps the most skilled and most well-respected kâhl of the Greater Thurian League of the Leagues of Votann.As the most accomplished hero of the Greater Thurian league, Kâhl Ûthar is marked for greatness. Few can assess the foe as swiftly or mercilessly as Ûthar and -- once he has his enemies' measure -- he soon cuts them to pieces with the glowing plasma edge of the Blade of the Ancestors.Ûthar, who calls the Kindred of Vôrtun on the Hold World of Obsyd Gate his home, is the victor of the Deadstar Campaign and the slayer of Gorbrak the Iron Beast, yet it is said his greatest and most important deeds still lie ahead of him.After the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus, it was Ûthar who led the Thurian forces in the defence of their space from the Chaos-worshippers spilling from Warp Storm Örgvayr in the continuing conflict in the galactic core that has become known as the Battle of Örgvayr.

Ûthar the Destined - Origins: Ûthar was born to the Greater Thurian League's Kindred of Vôrtun in the hold of Obsyd Gate on a day of strange omens. In the Fane, the Grimnyr watched with wonder as the Votann put forth a spontaneous screed of prophecy. The information was muddled, printed in ancient datascripts few Kin now comprehend. Argument raged about its true meaning, but it seemed to imply that one amongst the day's newly cloned was meant for some great task.Meanwhile, the mechanisms of the hold's Forge swung into motion without any Brôkhyr's command and produced a magnificent plasma blade. At the same time, clues in the Votannic prophecy led the Grimnyr to the newborn Ûthar's crucible. Thus, by the end of his first bewildering day of life, Ûthar had been proclaimed as the Destined, and the miraculous Blade of the Ancestors was bestowed upon him. He has striven to live up to the expectations of the Ancestors ever since.Driven to prepare himslf for his enigmatic duty, he has explored, soldiered and endured hardships to make even a Cthonian Beserk wince. Through it all, Ûthar has dispalyed uncanny good fortune that some have attributed to the aid of the Ancestors, and others to some obscure cloneskein he possesses. Whatever the truth, this has certainly contributed to Ûthar's longevity and his many victories, yet so have his hard-won veteran abilities.If Ûthar's actions sometimes seem cruel, his comrades simply attribute this to the pressure of knowing that one day his great duty shall come upon him. Besides, Ûthar's ready gallows humour and down-to-earth persona help to cover up his colder side. They also conceal a hidden worm of doubt.This has gnawed at the Destined since his earliest days, forcing him to question if the prophecy was correctly understood by the Grimnyr and, if it was, whether he can ever be ready for such a momentous yet ineffable task. Ultimately, Ûthar is Kin, and thus able to push his fears aside in favour of duty. He swore long ago to himself that he would make his Ancestors proud.

Ûthar the Destined - Prelude: Ûthar's great destiny may finally have arrived with the emergence of the Great Rift that shook the Leagues of Votann to their foundations. Holds vanished amidst the roiling energies of the new born Warp storm belt. Trade routes were severed. Many Kindreds were compelled to relocate their holdings, abandoning territories held for thousands of Terran years and venturing out from the galactic core to seek more stable regions to settle.Both within the core and beyond its fringes, the rift's advent has driven the Kin into new conflicts, as well as stirring up old foes and setting them on a collision course with the Leagues.The Kin do not recognise or name the Great Rift as a single manifest phenomena. They believe that to do so would lend further superstitious menace to a threat that is already menacing enough. They choose instead to name the greatest of the component Warp storms that have opened within the galactic core, treating each as a separate peril to be weathered and overcome.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.

Ûthar the Destined - Counteroffensive at Törg: By a stroke of good fortune, Ûthar the Destined had recently returned to Obsyd Gate, the hold of his own Kindred of Vôrtun. Ever the dynamic hero of his people, Ûthar convinced the Kindred of Vôrtun Hearthspake that they could not afford to simply mass behind their defences and await the enemies' onslaught. To do so handed all strategic initiative and opportunity to the invaders and would abandon outlying facilities, resources and personnel to their murderous attentions.The voice of the Destined carried great weight amongst his Kindred, who were swiftly convinced by his arguments. Thus, their mustered Kinhost broke into a number of Oathbands; some would remain to garrison Obsyd Gate, while the rest would sally forth under the command of Ûthar and other prominent Thurian heroes, to launch counterattacks against the incoming Chaos invaders. Their role would be to slow the enemy wherever possible, to evacuate all strategic resources, Kin and Ironkin they could, and to destroy any facilities they could not rescue so as to deny their use to the foe.Ûthar the Destined's Oathband deployed to the outlying Kin World of Törg. Riven by standard years of deep-core tectonic mining, Törg was a hostile mass of jagged stone, exposed magma veins, convulsing super-volcanoes and Kin harvester fortresses, wreathed in toxic fumes. Several immense Renegade warships had already settled in the vulnerable world's orbit and disgorged warbands of Heretic Astartes to the surface. Mutated Chaos Space Marines of The Purge and ferocious Khorne-worshipping World Eaters had overrun Törg's void docks and cut bands of Cthonian Guild miners off within their harvester fortresses. Swiftly casting the Eye of the Ancestors over the dire strategic situation, Ûthar formulated his battle plan and set his forces into motion without delay.

Ûthar the Destined - Void Battle: In the void above Törg, the warships of Ûthar's Oathband engaged the craft of the Chaos worshippers under the command of Voidmaster Hêmmyk. Their mighty Conversion Beam batteries and salvoes of Drill Torpedoes mauled the Chaos grand cruiser Abomination, and forced other Chaos warships to break off orbital bombardment in order to respond to the Kin assault.Hêmmyk coordinated her small but potent fleet with consummate skill, fending off each assault by the Chaos worshippers and handing out far worse punishments than her own warships suffered.

Ûthar the Destined - Battle for Törg: Nôkh's Hernkyn Pioneer bands, supported by light gunships and rugged Sagitaur ATVs, swept through the high passes of the Fumarok Range to attack the World Eaters from the rear. They launched swift hit-and-run strikes, using their pan spectral scanners to maintain a fix on their enemies amidst the toxic murk of Törg's surface. Goaded to action, many wrath-crazed Khornate Berserkers broke off their assault on Harvester Fortress Five and pursued Nôkh's band into the hazardous mountain passes.Separating into several smaller Oathbands, Ûthar the Destined's forces launched a massive drop offensive into the world's Shatterfields. Ûthar himself led an armoured spearhead against the World Eaters commanded by the Chaos Lord Hakatar. Kâhl Svêkh Thûrkann and her Oathband met The Purge head-on. As orbital fire from both sides rained down onto the planet's surface, the two swirling battles erupted into a storm of close-range firefights and brutal offensives.While the foe were engaged to the north, Grimnyr Khôhn led an elite force of Einhyr and Hearthkyn to evacuate the Cthonians at Harvester Fortresses Two, Three and Four. Guildkin and great quantities of raw materials were loaded aboard Hekaton Land Fortresses and the armoured carriages they drew behind them.Sensing their prey escaping, the Chaos Lord Urthak Skullripper led a massed teleport of World Eaters Chaos Terminators that cut the Grimnyr and her bodyguards off, even as the Kin forces were pulling out. Though many Cthonian Beserks turned back to hurl themselves into the fight, the Living Ancestor could not be rescued. The surviving Cthonians and many of the Hearthkyn have since formed the Grudgeband of Khôhn -- they will be avenged upon Urthak Skullripper or die trying.

Ûthar the Destined - Duel With Hakatar: Ûthar the Destined met the Chaos Lord Hakatar of the World Eaters upon the stone span bridging the Chasm of Embers. The two warlords battled back and forth along the crumbling expanse as their warriors fought and died around them and pillars of volcanic fire blasted up from below. Wounded but unbowed, Ûthar at last wrong-footed his foe, taking the World Eater's right leg off with a vicious sweep of the Blade of the Ancestors and pitching him, still howling with fury, into the flames below.

Ûthar the Destined - The Retreat: After several solar hours of rapid armoured warfare, and with the vast majority of Kin assets ferried successfully up to his waiting voidships, Kâhl Ûthar commanded a full retreat from Törg. Howled accusations of cowardice from the Khorne-worshippers followed the retreat. They meant nothing to the Kin; all that was worth extracting from the planet had been recovered and any remaining assets were deemed not worth the cost in lives to salvage.The Greater Thurian League Oathbands fell back in good order, Voidmaster Hêmmyk giving the enemy flotilla a last devastating volley to scatter their formations before commanding a plunge back into Warpspace. The tragic death of Grimnyr Khôhn aside, the Törg offensive had proved successful, but the wider war zone surrounding Warp Storm Örgvayr was becoming more fraught and violent by the solar hour.A great battle still lay before the Greater Thurian League and Ûthar the Destined would be needed elsewhere.

Ûthar the Destined - Wargear: Bastium Void ArmourRampart CrestVolkanite DisintegratorBlade of the Ancestors (Plasma Sword) - The Blade of the Ancestors is a legendary relic Plasma Blade wielded by one of the Greater Thurian League's greatest heroes, Kâhl Ûthar the Destined. Along with the relic Ancestral Warding Stave known as the Murmuring Stave, it is said to be one of only two weapons ever fashioned through immaculate forging by the Votann themselves, though prophecy speaks of a third still to be wrought.Eye of the Ancestors