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Corvin Severax - Cometh the Ravens: As the White Scars gathered at a hidden munitions cache, a long figure emerged from the darkness. It was Shadow Captain Kayvaan Shrike of the Raven Guard, and he delivered a message to the alerted White Scars from his Chapter Master, Corvin Severax. The White Scars were to return to the capital and prepare to retreat offworld.A powerful Imperial fleet, including the Raven Guard Battle Barge, Wings of Deliverance, stood ready to aid in the evacuation. Agrellan could no longer be held against the T'au. It was well indeed for the Imperium that Corvin Severax had such a shrewd tactical mind. Had he not acted so swiftly and decisively to organise a full-scale evacuation, the planet-wide T'au assault would have decimated the Imperium's fighting strength in the Lithesh Sector.When the T'au attack came, it was so sudden and brutally efficient that many hive cities fell within the first few hours of the mass assault. The defences of every hive city had been meticulously analysed by orbital scans and advanced reconnaissance teams. The weaknesses of each of these strongholds had been discovered, and the appropriate cadres deployed to ensure their total destruction. Shadowsun developed a different plan of attack for each hive city, ensuring that if any defensive strategy proved effective, it would not work against T'au forces elsewhere.At the forefront of each and every assault strode the new XV104 Riptides. Wherever these mighty battlesuits engaged the beleaguered Imperial defenders, they slaughtered them and shattered their bulwarks. Only the Imperial Knights seemed able to withstand them on the battlefield, and even then, five Knights were felled by Riptide Wings during the Battle for Agrellan Prime.The defenders of Agrellan Prime had been bolstered overnight by the newly arrived Raven Guard 6th Company and the Cadian 724th "Wardens" Imperial Guard regiment, under Colonel Jericho Voss. Corvin Severax himself directed the hive city's defences, determined to see them hold long enough for Shrike and the White Scars to fight their way back into the city for extraction.But just when it seemed that the Space Marines and Catachans would make it back to Agrellan Prime, Shadowsung sprang her trap. A simultaneous pincer assault comprising four Counterstrike Cadres and Shadowsun's own Firestrike Assault Cadre slammed into both flanks of the Imperial column.Despite a ferocious counterattack from the White Scars and Raven Guard against the first wave of T'au attackers that drove them back, the arrival of a Riptide Wing turned the tide back against the Imperials. Shadowsun darted between the desperate fire fights, picking off the Imperial transports with methodical efficiency. It was at that moment, just when all appeared lost, that Corvin Severax played his trump card.The explosive arrival of this new combatant was evidenced when a vast Reaper Chainsword burst from the chest of a Riptide, before tearing the battlesuit apart in a welter of sparks. The Knight Freeblade known as the Obsidian Knight had entered the fray. Acutely aware of the specialist skills of this fabled Knight, Severax had sought out the relentless T'au-killer and transported him to Agrellan.The violence that ensued proved the Chapter Master wise, for the Obsidian Knight slaughtered the T'au forces with terrible purpose. Inspired by this veritable engine of death, the embattled Space Marines redoubled their efforts and hurled the T'au back. At the last, the Knights of House Terryn were able to fight their way through to relieve the retreating Imperial host. Only when the first of the Imperial transports were launched did Patriarch Tybalt grudgingly lead his few remaining Knights back towards the awaiting Imperial drop ships. With that final act, the Imperium withdrew from Agrellan, leaving the planet in T'au hands.
Corvin Severax - The Imperium Regroups: After the defeat at Agrellan, Corvin Severax held a council of war aboard his flagship, Wings of Deliverance. It was here that Patriarch Tybalt made a solemn gesture of sacrifice, offering up his own homeworld as a favourable battleground on which they could fight the T'au. If the T'au could be drawn into attacking this verdant Knight World, it could be defended more effectively than any other planets in the sector.In the wake of her stunning victory at Agrellan, Shadowsun led her T'au expeditionary fleet onwards to fresh conquests without delay. But ever in the back of her mind was what had become of the Imperial forces that had eluded her at Agrellan. Sensing Shadowsun's frustration, Aun'Va sanctioned her to leave and hunt down her quarry whilst the rest of her expeditionary fleet consolidated their conquest of the Dovar System.She knew that their destruction would not only shatter Imperial resistance in the sector, but Aun'Va was confident that after fulfilling her quest, Shadowsun would return to him more hungry than ever to expand the T'au Empire and strike deeper into the heart of the Imperium. Shadowsun wasted no time in tracking the whereabouts of the Imperial host, and soon quickly discovered their location upon Voltoris. Despite her surprise that the Imperial forces did not hold the planet's orbit against the T'au, she chose to press on with the attack.
Corvin Severax - A Trap is Set: Corvin Severax had ordered the Imperial fleet to retreat before the T'au armada, feigning weakness. He needed to ensure that Voltoris was a suitably irresistible target to the pursuing T'au, who now had the perfect opportunity to seek revenge on the Knights that had so vehemently rebuked their ambassadors and caused so much harm on Agrellan. House Terryn would not stand alone. With great effort, the White Scars Stormseer Sudabeh had concealed the main fighting strength of the Raven Guard beneath a shadowy psychic mist.Meanwhile, the Catachans were carefully ensconced within the dense jungle surrounding House Terryn's main stronghold, Furion Peak. Even the dangerous predators that stalked amongst them held no fear for those born and raised on Catachan. The duty of bait went to the brave shock troopers of the Cadian 724th Regiment, who were heavily dug in before the great gates of Furion Peak. Within the stronghold itself waited the sharpest jaws of the trap -- Khan's 3rd Company of White Scars and the full fighting strength of House Terryn's Knights.To Shadowsun's well-honed instincts, such a situation called for Mont'ka -- the killing blow. She would launch a lightning assault to crush the exposed enemy with overwhelming force. Counterstrike Cadres and Rapid Insertion Forces would form a hard-hitting reserve, ready to react to any fresh enemy threats yet to be revealed.For the first time in her illustrious career, Shadowsun was sorely mistaken. Blinded by her determination to eliminate those that had previously eluded her, Shadowsun had fallen for the same strategy that had won her victories beyond counting. Lured into launching an all-out attack on the Imperial battle line, Shadowsun was unaware of the sheer size and strength of the Imperial army lying in wait.
Corvin Severax - The Trap is Sprung: The T'au Fire Warriors laid siege to Furion Peak, reacting swiftly to the multiple threats posed by the Imperial force, rallying around their mighty Riptides and returning fire. Entire platoons of Imperial Guardsmen were torn apart by the lines of death stitched by T'au Heavy Burst Cannons. But the Raven Guard Astartes have ever been masters of the ambush, and they knew their craft well. They had anticipated such a response from the T'au -- indeed, they had counted on it.The artillery batteries began to refocus their aim, targeting their bombardments to land behind the main body of T'au invasion forces to cut off any lines of retreat. Moments later, shadowy figures began to emerge from within what the T'au had mistaken for thick morning mists. The Raven Guard entered the fray, seemingly assailing the T'au forces from every direction.They swiftly surrounded the pockets of T'au resistance, cutting them down before disappearing back into the psychic mists once more. Amongst them strode Furion Peak's Counterstrike Command, each Space Marine an indomitable champion of Humanity. Without fear or hesitation, they sought out the deadly Riptide Battlesuits and, with blade, claw and psychic energies, they struck them down.Shadowsun was caught in the thick of the fighting when the Space Marine commanders joined the attack. During the height of the battle, Shadowsun activated her XV22 Stealthsuit and blended into the mists and darted her way through the press towards the Stormseer. Scant heartbeats later, Sudabeh was consumed by the superheated fury of Shadowsun's Fusion Blasters, and with his demise, the ghostly psychic mist that had shrouded much of the battlefield began to dissipate.As the air cleared, the full gravity of Shadowsun's predicament was revealed. She looked on in horror at the sight of more Imperial reinforcements. Pouring forth from the gaping maw of Furion Peak's majestic gate came the White Scars, engines roaring as they sped forth to encircle the T'au army.Behind them marched the full might of House Terryn -- over thirty Imperial Knights with Patriarch Tybalt and the Obsidian Knight at their head. The Cadian 724th Regiment emerged from their dugouts to lend their weight to the big Imperial push, each company supported by a Steel Phalanx Tank Squadron.Realising victory against such odds was nigh-impossible, Shadowsun relayed urgent instructions to her reserve cadres to drive back a number of key locations and buy the T'au forces time to retreat. In the meantime, she gave the order to fall back and regroup. As Shadowsun turned her attention back to the battle, Kor'sarro Khan was almost upon her, his oath to slay the T'au Commander not forgotten.Were it not for the intervention of her local bodyguards, the Khan would undoubtedly have taken Shadowsun's head. So did the T'au Commander cheat death; Kor'sarro Khan's blade carving a deep furrow across her chest instead of severing her head. Khan was driven back by the timely arrival of a T'au Rapid Insertion Force dropping from above to rescue their sorely wounded commander.Despite the arrival of T'au reinforcements, it was too late for them to turn back. The Imperial ambush had been so swift that the T'au forces were assailed on every front within solar minutes of setting foot on Voltoris. When word spread of the near-fatal wounding of their commander, the morale of the Fire Caste broke. With their leader cast down and lacking the iron discipline of the Adeptus Astartes, the T'au suffered appalling casualties as they retreated from Furion Peak.The Imperial Knights and Space Marines gave merciless chase and only the formidable firepower of the T'au Mantas and Paradox Squadrons prevented a total massacre. The T'au armada returned to rejoin Aun'Va's expeditionary fleet, humbled by their disastrous defeat. Having learned much from her failure, Shadowsun swore before Aun'Va to redouble her efforts and now leads the T'au onwards with renewed zeal.
Corvin Severax - The Shadows Cast Long: The stakes upon Prefectia, already so dizzyingly high with the Dovar System at risk, were growing higher by the hour. Trench systems were crisscrossed with slashing plasma volleys, ruins were lit by ruby lasers, and outside the built-up areas, tanks prowled by the thousand across dunes of dust and bone. The war for the planet was hanging in the balance.Long days of war passed, each bringing a hundred new acts of heroism and tragedy. Bellowing commanders and scholarly strategists alike were drowned by the tides of violence that washed across the Fortress World. The ancient wisdom of the Codex Astartes was repeatedly tested against the Code of Fire’s teachings. Several Space Marine forces distinguished themselves above the others, amongst their ranks those of Captains Shrike and Khan, but it was becoming obvious that the fortress of Prefectia would not fall to a lightning-fast blitz. Keen to secure victory over the xenos, Chapter Master Corvin Severax made planetfall in person. He intended to oversee the T'au's defeat -- or engineer it himself if necessary.T'au high command was just as determined to win lasting victory. Every available cadre was redirected to Prefectia from those planets already conquered, including the most advanced battlesuits the Fire caste could field. Several Ethereals volunteered to bolster morale on the front lines, Aun’Do amongst them, but the real shock came from above even those lionised few. In a speech that touched the hearts of a hundred billion T'au, Aun'Va himself announced he would be descending from on high. Just as he had on Agrellan, the Master of the Undying Spirit would lead from the front to ensure the torch of the Greater Good burned the planet clean of Humanity's corruption.As for Commander Shadowsun, her star was on the wane. By failing to repel the Space Marines on schedule, Shadowsun had given Aun'Va cause to risk his own life. It was small wonder the commander was no longer in the ascendent, for the White Scars that hounded her were relentless. She had given her all upon Agrellan, and had not been given a moment's rest since.Every explosion she heard on the front line sounded like the boom of a Space Marine bike's twin bolters, every shadow flitting across the ground the precursor to a gunship or speeder charged with her death. The seed of fear the Khan had put into Shadowsun’s heart was taking root, the doom he had dangled over her head oppressive indeed. The thought of his blade haunted her with every waking hour – but at least that threat was in plain sight. There were other forces closing in; sharks sliding through the inky waters in comparison to the Khan’s raging bull.Corvin Severax had ordered his warriors to converge upon Shadowsun wherever she was sighted. The Chapter Master told his Shadow Captains the Khan was out of time, outlining a masterful search-and-destroy battleplan that would span Prefectia. In the past, such manhunts had been met with unqualified success; more often than not, it was Severax who delivered the coup de grâce.Within solar hours, the Chapter Master expected to have Shadowsun's corpse before him. His captains made the sign of the Aquila and slid into the night. Thus far, the T'au Fire caste had encountered the pugnacious, bombastic face of the Imperial war machine. They were soon to realise that under the raw brutality lurked horrors beyond measure, hungry and cunning
Corvin Severax - The Doom of Heroes: Shadowsun had made no secret of her presence upon Prefectia, instead reinforcing her role in the war until she had made herself a target above all others. She believed she could defeat the leader of the Space Marine invasion in person, succeeding where even the most terrifying galactic warlords had failed. Perhaps it was pride, too, that drove Corvin Severax to hunt her in person, for the list of his victories spanned the Vault Raptorium twice over.Dug into a long-dry riverbed east of Aquillon, the trenches of Denechai had been the site of several vicious battles between the Astra Militarum and the Fire caste. Shadowsun’s distinctive battlesuit had been sighted there in the last hour of conflict. Taking only a hand-picked squad of Vanguard Veterans with him, the Chapter Master ordered his personal Thunderhawk to pass over the Denechai Strait, debarking in mid-flight to air-drop straight into the hostilities. It would earn the Raven Guard great honour if Severax’s talons took the head of the T'au supreme commander where the scimitars and tulwars of the Khan’s men had failed.The battle below had seen most of the strait's Astra Militarum slaughtered by the Fire caste's overlapping fields of fire. The Raven Guard’s 3rd Company, as well as scouting elements from the 10th, had attacked from the shadows of the trench network. They had used the Imperial Guardsmen as bait without their knowledge, but the ploy had yielded an advantage – with the cadre spread out before them, they were able to strike back hard. Into this fierce fighting Chapter Master Severax deployed. Somewhere below him was Shadowsun, a foe he had grown to despise. A reckoning was close at hand.The xenos commander preferred to work unseen, and there was wisdom in that. A true warlord did not roar like a beast at the foe, making himself an obvious target and thereby ensuring history remembered him as a scalp claimed by someone else’s sword. No; the wise leader ruled from the shadows, watching and waiting for his moment before bursting out to despatch his foes with certainty and precision. Shadowsun had been a constant thorn in the side of every Chapter tasked with the reclamation of the lost fortress world. The White Scars had suffered worst of all, compounding the losses suffered upon Agrellan, but over the last few months the Raven Guard had lost far too many warriors to the cursed T'au.The Chapter Master and his veterans descended through the mists without so much as a single shot sent to intercept them. They hit the T'au line from above. Ceramite boots smashed the tall ochre battlesuits so hard they sprawled backward into the trenches. Severax’s Vanguard Veterans tore into the T'au forces with their weapons whilst the Chapter Master cast around for his true prey, fully confident in the abilities of his men.When Severax spied a flicker of movement, a heat-shimmer mirage in his peripheral vision, he dived sidelong as twin fusion beams scorched the air where he had been standing. He clattered into the trenches for a moment only to burst back up, claws slashing at Shadowsun's torso. She too was quick, leaning with impossible agility to escape his double blow. Severax's momentum carried him on. He lowered his head, connecting hard with the bulbous helm unit of his foe's battlesuit.The impact sent a ripple of malfunction across its stealth field. As she staggered backwards he swung a bladed right hook that carved her forearm, Fusion Blaster and all, into a gore-spurting mess. The other fusion gun came round, but Severax already had his shoulder beneath it, grasping his foe in a death grip and punching his other claw into her midsection over and over. Blood sheeted down the Battlesuit’s front, turning it from white to filthy red. Severax gave a hollow laugh as Shadowsun was cut to ribbons by his thrice-blessed talons.The laugh echoed longer than it should have. Something shimmered at Severax's flank, something with a tread so heavy he felt it through his power-armoured soles. There was a blaze of light, and Severax was suddenly halved at the waist, groping in horrified denial at the black-armoured legs that kicked and squirted some yards in front of him.The last thing the Chapter Master felt was a blast of fire throwing him into the trench. His vision faded as his half-molten remains thudded into a morass of cooling Human corpses. Upon the bloody battlefields of Prefectia, Severax died, passing into the Raven Guard Chapter's legends.
Corvin Severax - Stealth and Subterfuge: The catastrophic damage meted out upon the 3rd Company shook the Raven Guard Chapter to its core, but it was the death of Corvin Severax that was to echo in the annals of history. Once again, the genius of T'au high command had wrong-footed the Imperial invaders, but in daring to bring low a Chapter Master, they courted a drastic response indeed.Shadowsun’s orders from the Ethereal Supreme Aun’Va had been to use herself as bait for a major Kauyon. Yet a true leader demands results, rather than dictates the manner in which they are achieved. Shadowsun had devised her plans accordingly, asking for volunteers from her cadre’s stealth suit pilots to impersonate her on the battlefield. Unsurprisingly, every member of her teams stepped forward. Even after the events of Voltoris, Shadowsun was still a beloved heroine of the Tau'va.The first part of Commander Shadowsun’s gambit was to commission ten customised XV22 battlesuits from the Earth caste. They were only too happy to comply, for their weapons scientists considered the model a successful prototype after O’Shaserra’s extensive testing. These new battlesuits were fitted with fusion blasters, emblazoned with Shadowsun’s own honour markings, and accompanied by C-link and MV52 Shield Drones so they would better resemble their commander’s signature wargear.If Corvin Severax had known the identity of his killer, he perhaps would have been impressed despite himself. It had not been some nameless veteran in the control cocoon of a Ghostkeel battlesuit that had slain him, but Shadowsun herself. Having seen Kor’sarro Khan and Shrike fight first-hand upon Voltoris, she suspected that their superior officers would also be lethal opponents. It had been her intention to lure out the warrior-king of the Space Marines, and the plan had worked spectacularly.Though Shadowsun was not afraid to give her life for the Tau'va, she also knew that her death would strike a terrible blow against Fire caste morale. By sending decoys into battle, she ensured that Aun’Va’s orders were obeyed, whilst maximising her chances of seeing Prefectia’s conquest through to the bitter end.
Corvus Blackstar - Corvus Blackstar: The Corvus Blackstar is an air-to-ground attack aircraft and dropship used exclusively by the Adeptus Astartes forces of the elite Deathwatch. The Corvus Blackstar is a sleek and deadly aircraft, much prized by watch fortresses across the galaxy.Like a knife slipping in between the ribs of a colossus, the Blackstar penetrates the outer defences of any alien host to strike directly at its heart. Though small enough to slip through the sensor grids of most xenos strongholds, its weapon systems are highly advanced, allowing the Blackstar to have a devastating impact for a craft of its size.
Corvus Blackstar - Role: The war hangars of the Deathwatch are replete with every kind of aircraft the Adeptus Astartes have ever sanctioned. However, such is the Corvus Blackstar's quality that it is used almost exclusively in kill-team missions that involve air-to-ground engagement. Primarily it fulfils the role of transport, combining the hurtling speed of the Drop Pod with the manoeuvrability of a Stormtalon gunship and the offensive capability of a far larger aircraft.Propelled by vectored engines mounted on the wing and behind the airframe, the Blackstar is nimble enough to dart through winding canyons, the elegant star-spires of a craftworld, or even the guts of a Tyranid hive ship in order to bring a surgical strike to the enemy's heart. Once in position it changes from fighter craft to hover vehicle with a twist of the engines, its front-mounted doors yawning open with a hiss of pistons so that the Deathwatch operatives inside can leap out and charge directly into the fight.The pilot of each Blackstar is a Veteran Deathwatch Techmarine who has earned the right to pilot it over long and arduous standard years of schooling. The pilot uses the same machine each time; so intense is this training that the Techmarine's indomitable will and that of the aircraft's Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence) become interlinked. This allows the pilot to pull off aerial manoeuvres so spectacular he can leave all but the pilots of the unnaturally skilled Aeldari floundering in his wake.The Corvus Blackstar's first priority is often to secure aerial supremacy. To ensure its kill-team reaches the fray intact, the Blackstar will plummet through low orbit to fall upon the aircraft or winged bioforms of the enemy like a raptor diving into a flock of prey. Once on the tail of its victims, it will shoot down the enemy aircraft it judges to be the greatest threat.While many Blackstars mount twin-linked Assault Cannons , some bear a prow-mounted Lascannon array, able to channel the penetrative power of the Godhammer Pattern cannons to destroy heavily armoured targets. Many of these aircraft carry a Blackstar Rocket Launcher under their wings, equipped with a profusion of missiles. These allow the pilot to choose Dracos air-to-ground warheads that turn swathes of xenos-infested ground into flesh-melting conflagrations, or Corvid Rockets whose spiteful Machine Spirits seek and destroy enemy aircraft so that their master might rule the skies alone.At a single thought-impulse from the Techmarine pilot, these prow and wing-mounted weapons can be calibrated for strafing runs. In such circumstances, auxiliary grenade launchers mounted at the rear enable the aircraft to rain down a hail of explosive projectiles -- either Infernus Grenades that detonate in clouds of burning promethium, or Frag Grenade charges that hurl deadly shrapnel over a wide area. A full squadron of Blackstars can clear a beachhead amongst a Tyranid swarm in a matter of moments before their passengers descend to deliver the killing blow.The Blackstar has advanced systems to ensure its survival from the inevitable reprisal. Its robust construction can shrug off even a direct hit from enemy flak, and when fitted with an Infernum Halo-launcher it becomes extremely difficult to land a telling blow. Should an enemy missile, drone warhead or similar explosive device close in on the Blackstar, high-calibre Auspicator arrays will detect its aura of hostility, and send a wide spread of decoys, interceptors and flares to thwart the incoming munitions.It appears as if the Blackstar spreads wings of smoke and fire behind it, a sight known to the Chapter's warriors as the "Wings of the Sky Angel." Many a primitive Human culture, saved from the predations of the alien, has seen the Blackstar that brought their deliverance as a mechanical seraph and worshipped it for generations afterwards.On the strategic scale as well as the tactical, the Deathwatch are noted for their use of advanced technologies. They strike with clockwork precision, whether their assault numbers a single kill-team or several Watch Companies working together. The watch captains ensure each team reaches its target at the critical moment, their fine-tuned war plan a series of overlapping attacks from which there can be no salvation. The Corvus Blackstars soar from the clouds, disembarkation doors wide to allow the Deathwatch within to drop directly into combat.The Corvus Blackstar burns through the skies with a scream of engines, guns spitting death as it strafes the xenos below. Though it bears similarities to other Imperial aircraft, it is far more advanced in form and function, and the heavy weapons it shares with its sister machines are optimised for alien-hunting.As the Corvus arrows towards its mission-critical target, its heavy weapons tear the foul aircraft and bioforms of the enemy from the skies. Any incoming fire sent its way is baffled with Infernum Halo-Launchers that fan out to blur the Blackstar's outline and detonate missiles well before impact. Once in position, it swoops down with impressive agility, the twin hatches on either side of its nose-cone slamming open to allow the Deathwatch team within to charge directly into the fray.
Corvus Blackstar - Notable Formations: Corvus Dropship Wing - A formation used by the Deathwatch comprising 3 Corvus Blackstars. Squadrons of Corvus Blackstars cut through the bruised skies of the Deathwatch insertion zone, their ominous shadows presaging a violent death for the alien warriors below. Upon entering combat the Blackstars hunt down the enemy's aerial assets, their fighter craft or winged bio-terrors alike. Their augur arrays scry the incoming targets and share their vulnerabilities via data-hymnal broadcast. When their nose-mounted Lascannons and Assault Cannons open fire, every shot is calibrated to cause maximum destruction, striking the heart, the cockpit or the ammunition supply of the enemy to send their remains spiralling down to the ravaged warscape below. With the skies clear, the Blackstars glide into their designated drop-zone to disgorge the kill-teams inside, clinching the Deathwatch's control over the battle.
Corvus Blackstar - Unit Composition: 1 Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar
Corvus Blackstar - Wargear: A standard Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar is armed and equipped with:Twin-linked Assault CannonBlackstar Cluster Launcher- The Corvus Blackstar has two rear-mounted Grenade Launchers, allowing the pilot to sow a hailstorm of munitions in his wake as he strafes his primary targets. The launcher is capable of firing either crater-chewing Frag Grenade clusters or a matrix of Infernus Grenades that leave burning promethium in the Blackstar's wake.2 Stormstrike Missile LaunchersCeramite PlatingMachine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence)A Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar may replace its set of nose-mounted twin-linked Assault Cannons with the following:Twin-linked Godhammer Pattern LascannonA Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar may replace its two wing-mounted Stormstrike Missile Launchers with the following:2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers - The pugnacious silhouette of the Corvus Blackstar heralds a barrage of missiles, each selected the moment before firing to maximise the destruction it wreaks. Whether air-to-air missiles guided to blast enemy aircraft from the skies or warheads designed to turn a strafing run into a violent visitation of hellfire, these munitions are delivered with pinpoint accuracy and perfect timing.A Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar may take the following additional weaponry:Hurricane BolterA Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar may take the following additional vehicle equipment:SearchlightSmoke LaunchersExtra Armour PlatingLocator BeaconInfernum Halo-launcher - When a Corvus Blackstar comes under attack from enemy flak, missiles or their biological equivalents, the pilot will deploy a complex spread of sanctified flares and decoys from its Infernum Halo-Launcher. These fan out around the Blackstar like the white-feathered wings of an angel from Terran myth, baffling and intercepting incoming xenos munitions.Auspex Array - The Corvus Blackstar bears arrays of sensor equipment that contain Vigilus-class Machine Spirits (artificial intelligence routines). Acting much as the auspexes borne by those Space Marines that hunt the alien across the battlefields of the Imperium, these arrays use wide spectrum strafe readers to detect the presence of hostile life forms and war engines.
Corvus Blackstar - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of the Corvus Blackstar are not publicly available in Imperial records.
Corvus Blackstar - Sources: Codex Adeptus Astartes - Deathwatch (7th Edition), pp. 4, 44-45, 55, 67, 87, 99, 104, 108Warhammer 40,000 Index: Imperium 1 (8th Edition), pg. 177Games Workshop Online Store - Corvus Blackstar
Corvus Corax - Corvus Corax: Corvus Corax, also known as the "Raven Lord," "The Liberator," "The Deliverer," "Chooser of the Slain" and the "Shadowed Lord," is the currently missing primarch of the Raven Guard Chapter of Space Marines and its Successor Chapters.Corax presented a striking countenance, at least when he wished to be seen. His skin was alabaster white and he was possessed of shoulder length hair as black as the feathers of his namesake, the raven.Most remarkable and unsettling were his eyes, which appeared as entirely black shards of solid shadow. His sable power armour was edged with fine, golden figures and upon his back was mounted a jetpack formed into a pair of articulated, raven-like pinions that he wielded as a murderous, blood-edged weapon of war.Like most of the primarchs, Corax was blessed with an extensive armoury of artificer-wrought weapons, but he most often bore to war a pair of metre-long Lightning Claws and a coiled whip at his belt. The latter was carried as a reminder of the cruelty enacted upon the people of his homeworld of Lycaeus by the tyrannical guild of Kiavahr and with it countless enemies were laid low.Though few even amongst his gene-sons know of it, Corax is blessed with the ability to pass unnoticed should he will it, this preternatural ability allowing him to slip from the perception of his enemies even when he was in plain view.After the near-destruction of his XIXth Legion during the Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V at the start of the Horus Heresy, Corax was desperate to rebuild his Legion. With the Emperor's permission, he and his Astartes delved deep beneath the Imperial Palace to recover the advanced genetic knowledge that the Emperor had used to create the primarchs.Corax then made use of these techniques and a recovered, undifferentiated primarch genetic template to accelerate the development of new Raven Guard Astartes. The repercussions of those actions came back to haunt him, leading Corax to eventually grant the Emperor's Peace to all the twisted, mutant spawn who emerged as the result of his experiments.In the wake of the Horus Heresy, Corax vanished into the Eye of Terror in search of penance for his shame. His current whereabouts and status remain unknown to the Raven Guard, their successors and the Imperium, yet their primarch remains alive within the Immaterium, though continuous exposure to the Warp has wrought multiple mutations upon him, revealing the truth of the being that lies beneath the facade of every primarch's Emperor-given flesh.Quick Answers What is the meaning behind Corvus Corax's title 'The Liberator'? Corvus Corax, the Raven Guard Chapter's primarch, is known as 'The Liberator' for his leadership in the Horus Heresy against the World Eaters' Traitor Legion. His significant role in these conflicts and his liberation of planets from traitor control led to this title. Provided by: Fandom What is the significance of Corvus Corax's warp form in the Warhammer 40k fandom? In the Warhammer 40k fandom, Corvus Corax's warp form holds significance due to his metamorphosis into a Warp-formed consciousness, a result of continuous exposure to the Warp's energies within the Eye of Terror. His new form, a humanoid entity of blades and living shadow, can morph into a massive flock of ravens. This transformation has amplified his combat prowess, enabling him to overpower formidable opponents such as the Traitor Primarch Lorgar. Provided by: Fandom How does Corvus Corax's demon form reflect his character and abilities? Corvus Corax's demon form, a result of exposure to Warp energies, mirrors his character and abilities. His alabaster skin, raven-black hair, and solid shadow eyes reflect his namesake. His sable power armour, adorned with golden figures, and his raven-like jetpack weapon, embody his martial prowess. His transformation into a creature of blades and living shadow, capable of morphing into a flock of ravens, signifies his enhanced abilities in his demon form. Provided by: Fandom What role does Corvus Corax play in the Raven Guard Space Marines? Corvus Corax, the 'Raven Lord,' is the primarch of the Raven Guard Space Marines. He demonstrated his prowess in the Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V, nearly defeating the Word Bearers' Primarch. Post-Horus Heresy, he backed the Second Founding's decision to divide the Legions into Chapters. His final fate is shrouded in mystery. Provided by: Fandom What is the connection between Corvus Corax and the 'Axioms of the Legiones Astartes'? Corvus Corax, the Raven Guard Legion's primarch, significantly contributed to the 'Axioms of the Legiones Astartes'. His First Axiom of Victory, Stealth, and Freedom highlight strategic warfare, stealth, and the equilibrium between justice and force. He demonstrated these principles when leading his legion against the World Eaters' Traitor Legion during the Horus Heresy. Provided by: Fandom{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","name":"Corvus Corax","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the meaning behind Corvus Corax's title 'The Liberator'?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Corvus Corax, the Raven Guard Chapter's primarch, is known as 'The Liberator' for his leadership in the Horus Heresy against the World Eaters' Traitor Legion. His significant role in these conflicts and his liberation of planets from traitor control led to this title."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the significance of Corvus Corax's warp form in the Warhammer 40k fandom?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In the Warhammer 40k fandom, Corvus Corax's warp form holds significance due to his metamorphosis into a Warp-formed consciousness, a result of continuous exposure to the Warp's energies within the Eye of Terror. His new form, a humanoid entity of blades and living shadow, can morph into a massive flock of ravens. This transformation has amplified his combat prowess, enabling him to overpower formidable opponents such as the Traitor Primarch Lorgar."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does Corvus Corax's demon form reflect his character and abilities?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Corvus Corax's demon form, a result of exposure to Warp energies, mirrors his character and abilities. His alabaster skin, raven-black hair, and solid shadow eyes reflect his namesake. His sable power armour, adorned with golden figures, and his raven-like jetpack weapon, embody his martial prowess. His transformation into a creature of blades and living shadow, capable of morphing into a flock of ravens, signifies his enhanced abilities in his demon form."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What role does Corvus Corax play in the Raven Guard Space Marines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Corvus Corax, the 'Raven Lord,' is the primarch of the Raven Guard Space Marines. He demonstrated his prowess in the Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V, nearly defeating the Word Bearers' Primarch. Post-Horus Heresy, he backed the Second Founding's decision to divide the Legions into Chapters. His final fate is shrouded in mystery."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the connection between Corvus Corax and the 'Axioms of the Legiones Astartes'?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Corvus Corax, the Raven Guard Legion's primarch, significantly contributed to the 'Axioms of the Legiones Astartes'. His First Axiom of Victory, Stealth, and Freedom highlight strategic warfare, stealth, and the equilibrium between justice and force. He demonstrated these principles when leading his legion against the World Eaters' Traitor Legion during the Horus Heresy."}}]}
Corvus Corax - Youth on Lycaeus: Like all the primarchs, Corax was separated from the Emperor while still an infant in the Emperor's gene-laboratory beneath the Himalazian (Himalaya) Mountains on Terra by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. The Chaos Gods snatched the infant primarch's gestation chamber and flung it through the Warp, half-way across the galaxy.Corax was eventually discovered in a lightless chamber far beneath the surface of a barren moon called Lycaeus, the desolated but inhabitable moon of the planet Kiavahr. At this time, Kiavahr was a technologically advanced Forge World, providing its city-sized manufactoria with minerals extracted from the non-atmospheric moon by legions of mine slaves. Above the cavern was a mighty glacier, and the primarch might never have been discovered at all were it not for the arrival of a team of Lycaean miners pursuing a mineral seam.To some, the appearance of the miners within solar minutes of the young primarch attaining consciousness speaks of greater powers at work. Whatever the truth, the primarch was taken in by the slaves and hidden from the mine's cruel overseers. Under the iron watch of heavily armed guards, the enslaved inhabitants of Lycaeus, who included criminals, political opponents and workers who had simply failed to meet their quotas, had long provided the rulers of Kiavahr with a free and unlimited source of manpower. As with many of the primarchs, Corax matured in a preternaturally short span of time, the phenomenon serving to confirm the slaves' belief that he represented a great gift to their people. It was they who named him, using their word for "saviour" or "deliverer" in anticipation of future deeds.Created with a wealth of knowledge already imprinted into his mind, the young primarch nonetheless had much to learn from his protectors. Many of the prisoners were radicals condemned for holding views contrary to the interests of the tech guilds that ruled Kiavahr, the planet about which Lycaeus orbited, notions of justice and Human dignity that had no place in their brutal regime. Corax swore to his protectors that he would liberate them from their cruel existence. Fortunately for Corax and the Imperium at large, the young primarch's mentors counselled caution against overt signs of defiance or precipitous quests for vengeance. From these brave, wise men and women, Corax learned to bide his time and to observe his foes, to use his superhuman, gen-hanced faculties to plan far ahead towards the day he would lead the uprising and overthrow the hated slave lords of Lycaeus.It was during this time that Corax came to learn something of the abilities he had been invested with. Always moving one step ahead of the cold-hearted and bloody-handed wardens, he was never discovered. Even when directly in the line of sight of an enemy, by willing an observer not to see him, the primarch somehow avoided detection. At length, Corax could utilise this uncanny ability to go where no other slave in the prison could go, moving about unseen beneath the hard gaze of the guards. There were limits to this ability, as Corax discovered to his cost; auspexes and other artificial methods of detection remained able to see him. It appeared to be the mind of the observer that was somehow tricked into disregarding the primarch's presence should he will it.As Corax reached maturity, so the rule of the tech guilds drew to an end, though the overseers would not know of it until it was too late to avert their doom. Corax led a masterfully conceived campaign that bled the prison authorities dry, taking small cells of freedom fighters on a range of missions, some to steal weapons, others ammunition, still more to sabotage key systems so that they would fail at the moment of his choosing.Eventually, that moment came and Corax led the slave uprising that would cast off the shackles of Terran centuries of oppression. In a necessarily bloody battle, Corax and his fellow freedom fighters took the prison. The bloodshed was great, for not all of the slave-prisoners had been imprisoned for their radical ideals; many were convicted killers and worse. The primarch was forced by necessity to utilise their fighting abilities and overlook their previous crimes, on condition they never repeat them after their bondage was cast off.In yet another convergence of great events, it was in the immediate aftermath of the liberation of the prison moon Lycaeus and the opening salvoes of the atomic bombardment of Kiavahr that the Emperor arrived in 922.M30 to reclaim His lost gene-son. Unlike events surrounding so many other such meetings, however, the Emperor came alone, without an expeditionary fleet of the Great Crusade, and the next solar day left alone. While it is known that the Master of Mankind and the XIXth Legion's primarch spoke for long solar hours, what passed between them remains a matter of conjecture. With the benefit of hindsight, some have claimed that the Emperor spoke to Corax of things mortal Humans, even some other primarchs, were not yet ready to hear; of the truth of those inhuman powers that seethe within the Warp and the darkness soon to come.Certainly, it appears that when the full horror of the Warmaster Horus' treachery unfolded solar decades later there were elements of it Corax seemed to have been forewarned of, though he only ever passed such knowledge on to his forces as and when they needed and were ready to assimilate it. Whatever the truth, one thing is known to have passed between father and gene-son that night. The Emperor would leave Corax to complete his mission and to defeat the tech guilds of Kiavahr. Only later would he be ready to assume command of his Legion.It was as if in leaving Corax to liberate Kiavahr on his own, the Emperor was ensuring the primarch learned and assimilated the most vital lessons of war. The Emperor departed, leaving His son to complete his task using only those weapons he had to hand. Those weapons turned out to be a stockpile of atomic barrages and mining charges the masters of Kiavahr had secreted on Lycaeus, believing them safe from the multitudes they ruled over. In their hubris the guilds never imagined that the slave-miners might one day cast off their shackles and claim those weapons as their own.Even as the guilds sought to launch a counterattack against the massively outnumbered freedom fighters, Corax knew the terrible order he must give. Using the steep gravity well that tethered Kiavahr and its moon, the primarch committed to a full-scale atomic bombardment of the vast manufactory cities below. Even as the atomic fires blossomed on the face of Kiavahr, Corax demonstrated that by slaying thousands, millions would be saved. This, some would later claim, was the lesson the Emperor meant Corax to learn, and one that would temper his nature against the numerous challenges few but the primarchs of the Legiones Astartes can fully comprehend.Their greatest cities decimated, the Kiavahran guilds had no option but to capitulate. Kiavahr was liberated and Lycaeus renamed Deliverance. The primarch had confronted that most terrible lesson of war -- oft times, the innocent must suffer for the sake of all. It was a truth the Emperor knew well, and one that Humanity as a whole would experience on an unprecedented scale within a single standard century of Corax's reunification with the Emperor.Soon the Mechanicum stepped in to retake control over their ancient colony world and the planet was rebuilt to the benefit of the Imperium while the black tower which had once housed the Kiavahran garrison of Lycaeus became the Ravenspire, the fortress-monastery of the Raven Guard Legion.
Corvus Corax - Under the Raven's Banner: By the time the Raven Lord took command of his Legion, the Great Crusade was over a Terran century old. Corax was quick to impose the style of war he had perfected on Lycaeus over that which had come to define the XIXth Legion, melding stealth and guile with vigilance and swiftness. It was during these early years that much of the native demeanour of the old XIXth Legion, particularly the more cold-blooded ways of the Xeric tribes who had formed its original, Terran intake of Astartes, was purged.The Legion had so often served in oppression, repression and occupation forces that Corax saw in some of the Terrans of his XIXth Legion something akin to the slavers of Lycaeus. Several of the Legion's highest-ranking officers were displaced or reassigned to non-command roles, including Arkhas Fal, who had commanded the XIXth Legion as its Legion Master for three solar decades before the coming of the Raven Lord.Under the Primarch's guidance, distilled into a series of battle-mantras, the Raven Guard developed their skills to preternatural levels. Corax is even known to have bested Roboute Guilliman in his brother-Primarch's notoriously testing strategio-simulacra, making use of several unconventional troop types his brother-Primarch had never before faced, including the forerunners of the Moritat. Corax only bested his brother three times in this manner, and once the master of the Ultramarines heeded the lesson and adjusted his tactics, the Raven Lord would never beat him again.During its restructuring, the XIXth Legion commissioned several innovations from the forges of Mars, all of them cunningly wrought to further its master of the arts of stealth and speed. As the Thunderhawk gunship entered widespread service, the Raven Guard secured for themselves a variant known as the Shadowhawk, sporting all manner of technologies that made it invisible to all but the most sensitive of augurs.In addition, the Legion gained access to the Whispercutter, an open airframe flyer constructed about a gravitic impellor and capable of dropping ten Legionaries into a war zone in utter silence and with practically no chance of detection. Such technology was created not by the Martian Mechanicum nor any of the Forge Worlds, but by those master artificers of Kiavahr who formerly served the tech guilds.Utilising strands of machine canon unknown to the mainstream of the Mechanicum, the Kiavahran guild artificers created all manner of systems at the behest of the Raven Guard and in time the Legion's Techmarines were inducted into these mysteries, although it has been speculated that the Kiavahrans might have been declared outcast by the jealous lords of Mars, were it not for the patronage of so august a body as the Legiones Astartes and the Primarch Corax.As the Great Crusade ground ever onwards, Kiavahr assumed its position in the Emperor's Imperium of worlds. While its output was not equal to that of a fully-fledged Forge World of the Mechanicum, with the aid of the Tech-priests of Mars, its forges and manufactories produced and exported vast quantities of matériel as well as a number of the more specialised machines and weapons required by the Raven Guard Legion.The guild artificers attempted to retain their closest secrets from the Mechanicum with some small measure of success, and clung on to their independence from Mars. Having remained self-sufficient throughout the lonely dark ages, Kiavahr remained unwilling to cede its secrets to outsiders, the only authority it recognised being that of the Raven Guard.Of all of the Mechanicum's subsidiary domains, Kiavahr maintained relations with only one -- Gryphonne IV. The terms of this relationship remain unclear, but because the Legio Gryphonicus fought alongside the Raven Guard throughout several of its larger scale campaigns, it can be assumed that some manner of reciprocal pact was, and perhaps still, remains in place.
Corvus Corax - Istvaan Compliance Action: One of the more notable campaigns carried out by Corax and his Raven Guard Legion during the Great Crusade was the Imperial Compliance of the Istvaan System, located in the northern reaches of the Ultima Segmentum, far beyond the established heartlands of the Imperium. Though cut off, scout vessels ranging ahead of Corax's 27th Expeditionary Fleet had found evidence that human life on Istvaan III had managed to maintain a largely cohesive industrialised society that had endured the millennia intact, making it a high priority for contact and absorption into the Imperium.A long-standing autochthonic culture was prevalent on Istvaan III, which included endemic local mysticism and religious practice. This, coupled with a history of independence, meant that once contacted by the forerunners of the Great Crusade, the Istvaanians had first demurred and then denied Compliance with the Imperial Truth. Given the strategic importance of gaining the life-sustaining and industrialised star system with its large human population for the Imperium, a priority was given to achieving the Compliance of the Istvaan System. The War Council had one caveat when issuing this order that precluded the use of overwhelming force in order to avoid excessive collateral damage that would spoil this valuable prize.The task of bringing the Istvaan System into Imperial Compliance fell to Corax and his Raven Guard Legion as the warriors of the XIXth Legion had a reputation for the use of surgical strikes and precision in such matters. The black-hulled Strike Cruisers and gunships of the Raven Guard attacked without warning, systematically destroying Istvaan III's military infrastructure and taking charge of its seats of governance. The military forces of the indigenous Istvaanians were professional soldiers who did not break easily, even when confronted with the might of Space Marines. There was some resistance, but the last elements of the aggressive faction were destroyed by the Raven Guard at the Redarth Valley on Istvaan III. An Istvaanian delegation formally surrendered before the Primarch Corax and the 800 companies of Raven Guard Space Marines that comprised his XIXth Legion.The Istvaanians kneeled before the sable-armoured conquerors as a defeated foe but were welcomed into the fold as men of the Imperium. Though they had waged war against one another, the Imperial Truth had prevailed and the Istvaanians had sworn to accept its teachings. By proving themselves men of wisdom and civilisation, they were deemed fitting partners for the many other worlds of the nascent Imperium. The Remembrancer Order had not yet been foisted upon the Space Marine Legions by the Council of Terra at this time, but a substantial civilian contingent was left behind to begin the integration of the Istvaanian population with the Imperial Truth. Vardus Praal was left behind as the world's Imperial Planetary Governor to command Istvaan III in the name of the Imperium, to ensure continued Compliance and manage the dismantling of the traditional religious structures that defined the planet's autochthonous society.The established capital located at the sprawling proto-hive of Khry Vanak -- Istvaan III's political and cultural capital ("Choral City" in translation) -- was chosen as the site of Imperial power. Unbeknownst to Corax and his Raven Guard, they would return fifteen standard years later to the Istvaan System, to the world of Istvaan V, to bring the rebel Horus to account.
Corvus Corax - The Battle of Gate Forty-Two: It was the need to conduct war in a more conventional manner that led to one of the greatest setbacks in the XIXth Legion's history, and one that would foreshadow the terrible events at Istvaan V only a few years later. Soon after Horus was declared the Imperial Warmaster, the Raven Guard was recalled from operations along the coreward edge of the Ghoul Stars and ordered to take its place in the line alongside several other Legions under the Warmaster's direct command. The Aukum-Sothos Cluster had been brought to Imperial Compliance by the Luna Wolves in the opening years of the Great Crusade, but its people had fallen to a form of mass-psychosis and violently rejected unity with Terra. This unheralded secession was later determined to have been caused by xenos parasites which matured within the eye sockets of their hosts, in this case the unfortunate population of the cluster. As they matured, the parasites gained rudimentary control over their hosts and formed what amounted to a wholly alien, gestalt consciousness focused on a cabal of primary hosts dubbed the "Unsighted Kings". The newly ascended Warmaster Horus refused to see the cluster of worlds he himself had brought to Compliance slip from the Imperium's grip and so he vowed an Oath of Moment to reclaim its worlds no matter the cost.Horus had formulated a plan to cast down the Unsighted Kings in a lightning war that would purge the afflicted population while retaining the cluster's highly developed infrastructure for future re-population. Furthermore, a rapid victory would demonstrate to Horus' brother-Primarchs that the Emperor had been correct to elevate him so high a rank. The Warmaster's plan called for the bulk of four Legions -- the Luna Wolves, Space Wolves, Iron Warriors and Raven Guard -- to converge on the heavily fortified lair of the Unsighted Kings before a final, overwhelming assault was launched. Having brought the outer worlds of the cluster to heel in a matter of solar weeks, the Warmaster called a council of his brother-Primarchs, one part of his plan calling for the Raven Guard to make a frontal assault directly into the guns of the defenders of Gate Forty-Two. Corax argued against what he denounced as a waste of resources and a needless squandering of his warriors' lives, countering with a strategy of his own. The Raven Lord proposed that his Legion should draw off the enemy forces in a series of feints, allowing the three other Legions to overwhelm what defenders remained at the walls with comparative ease.In answer, Perturabo accused Corax of seeking to avoid battle, a crime verging on dereliction for a Primarch of the Legiones Astartes. The two very nearly came to blows, with only the intervention of Leman Russ staying bloodshed. The Wolf King counselled Corax to heed the words of the Primarch who the Emperor had set above his brothers. Russ urged Corax to smother his bitterness, but not to extinguish it, and allow that guttering flame to kindle the fire necessary to carry the battle through. Taking his leave of the council, Corax mustered the Raven Guard before Gate Forty-Two. Knowing their particular demeanour would carry them forward, Corax assigned many of his Terran-dominated companies to the van, in particular those whose captains appeared the most willing to play their part in the Warmaster's plan. The assault that followed was hailed as the Legion's darkest hour, a grim honour that, tragically, would be displaced just a few years later at Istvaan V. At the height of the battle, the assault companies decimated and the attack faltering in the face of overwhelming fire, Corax himself led the forlorn hope, his battle cry firing the XIXth Legion to such efforts that the breach was carried and Gate Forty-Two taken. The honour of slaying the Unsighted Kings was claimed by Horus as Warmaster and at the moment of their execution, the xenos' hold over the population was dispelled. The Aukum-Sothos Cluster was delivered and the Warmaster's prize was reclaimed. The cost was terrible however, for not only had countless millions of hosts been crippled in mind and body, but thousands of Raven Guard, the bulk of them Terran-born, had given their lives before the shattered walls.Though the Battle of Gate Forty-Two was counted a victory by (and indeed for) Horus, its effects were far-reaching. The XIXth Legion was sorely depleted, leaving only 80,000 Legionaries under the Primarch's command and making it the smallest of the Legiones Astartes. Corax removed himself and his Legion from his brother's command, swearing bitterly never to serve alongside Horus again. One last consequence of the Battle of Gate Forty-Two lingers still. In its aftermath, those line officers who, before the coming of the Primarch, had served for so long under Horus' command were gone, and so the Warmaster was able to exert little in the way of influence over the Raven Lord's Legion. Many of these Terrans had been inducted into the Warrior Lodges, and with their deaths these unseen bodies all but vanished from the Raven Guard. It has been claimed by his detractors that in assigning the Terran-born Legionaries to the assault wave that would suffer the greatest losses, Corax did his Legion a service, consolidating his power and paving the way for a future more in line with his own vision. As a result, the Legion was largely spared the wave of insurrection that was transmitted through so many of the Legions by the hidden auspices of the lodges.
Corvus Corax - The Scouring of the Scalland Sector: A two year engagement through a sector of space claimed by the remnants of the broken Eldar race, the Scalland Campaign was to serve as the original field test for the first thousand sets of prototype Power Armour that would later come to be designated as Mark VI; though at the time it bore the provisional designation Mark V. Small numbers of the Mark V armour had already been submitted to the Iron Warriors and Salamanders Legions, and both had expressed reservations about the lack of heavy plating when compared to earlier marks, pushing for the Mark V to be revised for a heavy assault role. It was deemed that a mass combat trial was required to determine the effectiveness of the original design before potentially abandoning it. Internal politics within the various Legion commands saw this honour bestowed upon the Raven Guard, depleted in number after the bloody fighting in the Aukum-Sothos Cluster. Speculation at the time suggest that a faction amongst the Primarchs and Legion commanders, led by Perturabo, intended this assignment to an under-strength Legion to be the death-knell of the Mark VI armour, leading to its replacement by a sturdier design.If this was so then the plan was to backfire spectacularly, for the Raven Guard performed admirably in the verdant Eldar seed worlds of the Scalland Sector, utilising the advanced auto-senses and agility of the new armour to hound the Eldar in a series of strike-and-fade attacks that decimated their already battered military forces. Such was the success of the fighting in the sector, which eventually saw the expulsion of the Eldar and the Imperium claim its rich worlds, that not only was the Mark VI armour approved for final deployment, but the majority of the improvements suggested by the Raven Guard were adopted. The new armour, later dubbed "Corvus" Pattern Power Armour in honour of the Raven Guard, was placed into full scale production only a few solar months before the outbreak of Horus' rebellion against the Emperor, re-designated as Mark VI from Mark V by the Mechanicum to account for the inclusion of the many stop-gap field modifications and repairs into the Legiones Astartes order of battle.
Corvus Corax - Drop Site Massacre: During the Horus Heresy the Drop Site Massacre occurred on the planet Istvaan V when the Emperor dispatched a large force of what he believed were seven Loyalist Space Marine Legions to the Istvaan System to end the rebellion unleashed by the Warmaster Horus and the other known Traitor Legions who had turned to the worship of Chaos, including the World Eaters, the Emperor's Children and the Death Guard. The Loyalist Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard Legions were deployed in the first wave of the assault. Thousands of Drop Pods and Stormbirds were deployed for the initial assault. The first wave was under the overall command of the Primarch Ferrus Manus and besides his own Xth Legion, the Salamanders led by Vulkan, and the Raven Guard under the command of their Primarch Corax joined him. Vulkan's Legion assaulted the left flank of the Traitors' battle line while Ferrus Manus, the Iron Hands' First Captain Gabriel Santor, and 10 full companies of elite Morlocks Terminators charged straight into the centre of the enemy lines. Meanwhile, Corax's Legion hit the right flank of the enemy's position. The odds were considered equal; 30,000 Traitor Marines against 40,000 Loyalists. Horus was aware of the location of the Loyalists' chosen drop site and his troops fell upon the Loyalist Legions.The battlefield of Istvaan V was a slaughterhouse of epic proportions. Treacherous warriors twisted by hatred fought their former brothers-in-arms in a conflict unparalleled in its bitterness. The mighty Titan war engines of the Machine God walked the planet’s surface and death followed in their wake. The blood of heroes and traitors flowed in rivers, and the hooded Hereteks Adepts of the Dark Mechanicum unleashed perversions of ancient technology stolen from the Auretian Technocracy to wreak bloody havoc amongst the Loyalists. All across the Urgall Depression, hundreds died with every passing second, the promise of inevitable death a pall of darkness that hung over every warrior. The Traitor forces held, but their line was bending beneath the fury of the first Loyalist assault. It would take only the smallest twists of fate for it to break. The forces on the surface have been embattled for almost three hours with no clear victor emerging. Even now, the Loyalists wait for the second wave of 'allies' to make planetfall, believing they would be reinforced for their final advance. The Traitors all knew their parts to play in this performance. They were all aware of the blood they must shed to spare their species from destruction, and install Horus as the new Master of Mankind.Though the Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders had managed to make a full combat drop and secured the drop site, known as the Urgall Depression, they did so at a heavy cost. Overwhelmed with rage, the headstrong Ferrus Manus disregarded the counsel of his brothers Corax and Vulkan and hurled himself against the fleeing rebels, seeking to bring Fulgrim to personal combat. His veteran troops -- comprising the majority of the Xth Legion's Terminators and Dreadnoughts -- followed. What had begun as a massed strike against the Traitors' position was rapidly turning into one of the largest engagements of the entire Great Crusade. All told, over 60,000 Astartes warriors clashed on the dusky plains of Istvaan V. For all the wrong reasons, this battle was soon to go down in the annals of Imperial history as one of the most epic confrontations ever fought.The Urgall Depression was churned to ruination beneath the boots and tank treads of countless thousands of Astartes warriors and their Legion’s armour divisions. The loyal Primarchs could be found where the fighting was thickest: Corax of the Raven Guard, borne aloft on black wings bound to a fire-breathing flight pack; Lord Ferrus of the Iron Hands at the heart of the battlefield, his silver hands crushing any traitors that came within reach, while he pursued and dragged back those who sought to withdraw; and lastly, Vulkan of the Salamanders, armoured in overlapping artificer plating, thunder clapping from his warhammer as it pounded into yielding armour, shattering it like porcelain.The traitorous Primarchs slew in mirror image to their brothers: Angron of the World Eaters hewing with wild abandon as he raked his chainblades left and right, barely cognizant of who fell before him; Fulgrim of the lamentably-named Emperor’s Children, laughing as he deflected the clumsy sweeps of Iron Hands warriors, never stopping in his graceful movements for even a moment; Mortarion of the Death Guard, in disgusting echo of ancient Terran myth, harvesting life with each reaving sweep of his scythe.And Horus, Warmaster of the Imperium, the brightest star and greatest of the Emperor's sons. He stood watching the destruction while his Legions took to the field, their liege lord content in his fortress rising from the far edge of the ravine. Shielded and unseen by his brothers still waging war in the Emperor’s name. At last, above this maelstrom of grinding ceramite, booming tank cannons and chattering bolters -- the gunships, drop-pods and assault landers of the second wave burned through the atmosphere on screaming thrusters. The sky fell dark with the weak sun eclipsed by ten thousand avian shadows, and the cheering roar sent up by the Loyalists was loud enough to shake the air itself. The traitors, the bloodied and battered Legions loyal to Horus, fell into a fighting withdrawal without hesitation.The second wave of "Loyalist" Space Marine Legions descended upon the landing zone on the northern edge of the Urgall Depression. Hundreds of Stormbirds and Thunderhawks roared towards the surface, their armoured hulls gleaming as the power of another four Astartes Legions arrived on Istvaan V. Yet the Space Marine Legions of the reserve were no longer loyal to the Emperor, having already secretly sworn themselves to Chaos and the cause of Horus. The Night Lords of Konrad Curze, the Iron Warriors of Perturabo, the Word Bearers of Lorgar Aurelian, and the Alpha Legion of Alpharius represented a force larger than that which had first begun the assault on Istvaan V. The secret Traitor Legions mustered in the landing zone, armed and ready for battle, unbloodied and fresh.The Iron Warriors had claimed the highest ground, taking the loyalist landing site with all the appearance of reinforcing it through the erection of prefabricated plasteel bunkers. Bulk landers dropped the battlefield architecture: dense metal frames fell from the cargo claws of carrier ships at low altitude, and as the platforms crashed and embedded themselves in the ground, the craftsmen-warriors of the IVth Legion worked, affixed, bolted and constructed them into hastily-rising firebases. Turrets rose from their protective housing in the hundreds, while hordes of lobotomised servitors trundled from the holds of Iron Warriors troopships, single-minded in their intent to link with the weapons systems' interfaces. The Word Bearers bolstered their brother Legions on one flank of the Urgall Depression while the Night Lords took positions on the opposite side. Down the line, past the mounting masses of Iron Warriors battle tanks and assembling Astartes, First Captain Sevatar of the Night Lords and his 1st Company elite, the Atramentar took up defensive positions. Both the Word Bearers and the Night Lords were to be the anvil, while the Iron Warriors would be the hammer yet to fall. The enemy would stagger back to them, exhausted, clutching empty bolters and broken blades, believing their presence to be a reprieve.Dragging their wounded and dead behind them, Corax and Vulkan led their forces back to the drop site to regroup and to allow the warriors of their recently arrived brother Primarchs of the second wave a measure of the glory in defeating Horus. Though they voxed hails requesting medical aid and supply, the line of Astartes atop the northern ridge remained grimly silent as the exhausted warriors of the Raven Guard and Salamanders came to within a hundred metres of their allies. It was then that Horus revealed his perfidy and sprung his lethal trap. Inside the black fortress where Horus had made his lair, a lone flare shot skyward, exploding in a hellish red glow that lit the battlefield below. The fire of betrayal roared from the barrels of a thousand guns, as the second wave of Astartes revealed where their true loyalties now lay.Ferrus Manus looked on in stunned horror as Fulgrim laughed at the look on his brother's face as the forces of his "allies" opened fire upon the Salamanders and Raven Guard, killing hundreds in the fury of the first few moments, hundreds more in the seconds following, as volley after volley of Bolter fire and missiles scythed through their unsuspecting ranks. Even as terrifying carnage was being wreaked upon the Loyalists below, the retreating forces of the Warmaster turned and brought their weapons to bear on the enemy warriors within their midst. Hundreds of World Eaters, Sons of Horus and the Death Guard fell upon the veteran companies of the Iron Hands, and though the warriors of the Xth Legion continued to fight gallantly, they were hopelessly outnumbered and would soon be hacked to pieces. The Iron Hands had damned themselves by remaining in the field.The Raven Guard front ranks went down as if scythed, harvested in a spilling line of detonating bolter shells, shattered armour and puffs of bloody mist. Black-armoured Astartes tumbled to their hands and knees, only to be cut down by the sustained volley, finishing those who fell beneath the initial storm of head- and chest-shots. Seconds after the first chatter of bolters, beams of achingly bright laser slashed from behind the Word Bearers as the cannon mounts of Land Raiders, Predators and defensive bastion turrets gouged through the Raven Guard and the ground they stood upon. The Iron Warriors and Word Bearers kept reloading, opening fire again, hurling grenades and prepared to fall back. The Word Bearers Legion had taken up landing positions on the west of the field, ready to sweep down and engage the Raven Guard from the flank.
Corvus Corax - The Raven and the Urizen Clash: The Raven Guard were confronted by the treacherous Word Bearers, with their Primarch Lorgar, the First Captain Kor Phaeron and the First Chaplain Erebus at their vanguard. The two Legions fought one another in bitter combat. Amidst the carnage and the slaughter, the anger of a demigod was released -- beyond anger, beyond rage. It went beyond both, for it was wrath, in physical form. Lord Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard charged into the ranks of the Traitorous Word Bearers, a blur of charcoal armour and black blades, butchering with an ease that belied his ferocity. Soon the voices of dying Word Bearers became a conflicting chorus over the Vox as they screamed for help. Argel Tal, the Crimson Lord and leader of the daemon-possessed Astartes known as the Gal Vorbak, Lorgar's "Blessed Sons," led the Possessed Chaos Space Marines forward to meet their end at the hands of a demi-god. Meanwhile, Lorgar mirrored his brother Primarch's actions, and slaughtered enemy Astartes with contemptuous ease. Just as the Word Bearers struggled to stand before Corax, so too did the Raven Guard fall back and die in droves. Suddenly, the Urizen halted his attack. He noticed that Corax was wading through the Gal Vorbak, ripping his daemon-possessed crimson warriors apart. Given a blessed respite from the Primarch’s murderous advance, the Raven Guard were falling back from him in a black tide. They left their dead in a carpet at the Primarch’s feet.Despite the protestations of both Kor Phaeron and Erebus, Lorgar disregarded their counsel and sprinted forwards across the churned earth and dead bodies of his brother's Legion to engage in a battle he had no hope of winning. He saw his brother -- a man he had barely spoken to in two centuries of life, a man he barely knew – butchering his sons in a vicious rage. There was no thought of conversion. No hope of bringing Corax into the fold, or enlightening him enough to cease this murderous rampage. Lorgar’s own anger rose to the fore, burning away the passionless killing of only moments ago. As the Word Bearers Primarch hammered his way through the Raven Guard to reach his brother, he felt power seethe within him, aching to rise out. He felt his unchained power reaching out, not only to enhance his physical form, but reaching to his sons across the battlefield. And there he stood at the heart of the killing fields, winged and haloed by amorphous contrails of psychic fire, shouting his brother’s name into the storm. Corax answered with a shriek of his own – the call of the betrayer, the cry of the betrayed – and the raven met the heretic in a clash of crozius and claw.The Primarchs fought in furious combat -- Corax fighting to kill, while Lorgar fought to stay alive. During their duel, Corax hurled insults and accusations at his former brother. He wanted to know why Lorgar and his Legion had committed such treachery? Lorgar shared with his brother of the future visions he had seen of their father -- a bloodless corpse, enthroned upon a throne of gold and screaming into the void forever. Angered by his brother's lies, Corax lashed out furiously with his pair of Lightning Claws across Lorgar's face, cutting the meat of his cheeks deeply. Even should Lorgar somehow manage to escape his ultimate fate this day, he would bear these scars until the day he died. The two Primarchs traded vicious blows, but the Raven Lord had the advantage not only speed and finesse, but of also being a penultimate warrior with decades of fighting experience. Lorgar did not, for he had always been more of a scholar than a warrior, and his lack of experience cost him dearly as Corax impaled Lorgar through his stomach, the tips of his metre-long talons glinting to the side of his spine as they thrust out his back. Such a blow meant little to a Primarch – only when Corax heaved upwards did Lorgar stagger.The claws bit and cut, sawing through the Word Bearer’s body. Illuminarum slipped from the impaled Primarch’s fists. Those same hands wrapped around Corax’s throat even as the Raven Lord was carving his brother in half. Even as he tightened his grip on Corax's throat, the Raven Lord remained untroubled by his weaker brother's grip. Lorgar crashed his forehead against Corax’s face, shattering his brother’s nose, but still he couldn’t free himself. The Raven Lord gave no ground, even as a second, third and fourth head butt decimated his delicate features. The claws jerked, snagged against Lorgar’s enhanced bones. Corax tore them free, inflicting more damage than the first impaling had done. Blood hissed and popped as it evaporated on the force-fielded blades. Lorgar fell to his knees, hands clutched over the ruination of his stomach. As Corax stepped closer, he raised his one functioning claw to execute his brother. Lorgar screamed his defiance at Corax, lost in the irony that of all the sons of the Emperor, he was the one soul in twenty who'd never wished to be a soldier. And now here he would die, at the heart of a battlefield. As the claw fell, it struck opposing metal.Corax looked to meet eyes as black as his, in a face as pale as his own. His claw strained against a mirroring weapon, both sets of blades scraping as they ground against each other. One claw seeking to fall and kill, the other unyielding in its rising defence. Where the Raven Guard Primarch’s features were fierce with effort, the other face wore a grin. It was a smile both taut and mirthless – a dead man’s smile, once his lips surrendered to rigor mortis. It was Konrad Curze. Corax sought to wrench his claw free, but the Night Haunter’s second gauntlet closed on his brother’s wrist, so that Corax would be unable to fly away and escape his fate. Curze looked upon his prostrate brother and ordered him to rise from his knees, disgusted at his cowardice. Corax was not idle as this exchange took place. He fired his flight pack, burning his fuel reserves to escape Curze’s grip. The Raven Lord’s claw ripped free, and Corax soared skyward, carried on jet thrust away from Curze’s rising laughter. Curze then shoved Lorgar back towards his Word Bearers. Around them both, the grey Legion warred with the warriors in black.Lorgar thanked his brother for saving his life. But Curze warned him that he would let him die next time. As he bit out another retort, his words halted as he took in the scene of the transformed Gal Vorbak - their armour was crimson and ridged bone. Great claws, both metallic weapons and fleshy, jointed talons, extended from bestial arms. Every helm was horned and every faceplate was split by a daemon's skullish leer. Disgusted by this horrific sight, Curze turned his back on Lorgar and commented that he was so much more than merely foul, he was rancid with corruption. Though grievously wounded, Lorgar would live. The traitors had carried the day and dealt the Emperor and the Imperium a grievous blow. As the Horus Heresy began in earnest, Horus now possessed nine Space Marine Legions and had all but destroyed three of the remaining nine Loyalist ones. The path to Terra was now wide open, and the decisive Battle of Terra and the Siege of the Imperial Palace would follow after seven more years of blood and terror as the Traitor Legions penetrated to the very heart of the Imperium of Man.
Corvus Corax - Inevitable Slaughter: The outnumbered Loyalists were then surrounded and brutally butchered. Refusing to surrender, the remaining Raven Guard and Salamanders Astartes stubbornly defended themselves, trying to hold off the inevitable slaughter for as long as possible. Though they suffered an atrocious number of casualties, the Loyalists managed to hold their own, until the Primarchs Mortarion of the Death Guard and Angron of the World Eaters joined the fray. Bolstered by the support of the infamous Imperator-class Titan Dies Irae, the Traitors killed tens of thousands of Loyalist Astartes. At the height of the massacre the Warmaster Horus entered the fray, at the head of the elite Sons of Horus Terminators known as the Justaerin, slaughtering the Loyalists in wrathful anger.Any hope for escape for the Loyalists was quickly crushed when the traitorous Iron Warriors destroyed the first wave's drop ships. The Loyalist starships still orbiting the embattled planet were also largely annihilated by the vastly superior numbers of the Traitor's fleet. Despite the odds arrayed against them, some of the Loyalists on the ground managed to survive against these odds — they miraculously escaped through the tightening cordon of Traitors that surrounded their position. The Raven Guard fared better than the Salamanders in escaping the brutal massacre. But the Salamanders managed to assist a few surviving Astartes from the decimated Iron Hands Legion to also escape the slaughter. Imperial history does not record the fate of these surviving Salamanders or their missing Primarch Vulkan. The Raven Guard's Primarch just barely managed to board a fleeing Thunderhawk gunship to make good his escape, but was thwarted in the attempt when it was shot down almost immediately by the gunfire of the Traitors. The badly damaged ship crashed on the outskirts of the Urgall Plateau.
Corvus Corax - Raven's Flight: Corax had survived the crash and quickly ordered the remaining warriors of his Legion to regroup. He learned to his shock that a large percentage of his Legion had been utterly annihilated during the ensuing slaughter. They took to the highlands of the surrounding hills and took to the shadows, hiding from their relentless pursuers. During their flight, their position was nearly discovered by a roving armour column of traitorous Iron Warriors, but they were destroyed in a Raven Guard ambush and wiped out before they could report what they had learned.Thirty days after the initial planetary assault, the future looked grim for the fleeing Raven Guard survivors. They had received no word from either the surviving Iron Hands or Salamanders Legions. Corax ordered his warriors to dig-in and hold position at Lurgan Ridge while he undertook a lone reconnaissance of their original drop site to determine their options. Utilising his innate psi-abilities to escape detection, Corax successfully conducted a reconnaissance of the Traitor Legions' positions around the heavily fortified drop site. Though the Primarch informed his men that his mission was to reconnoiter the drop site, his primary objective was to scour the Urgall Plateau for the bodies of his fallen sons, but he failed to find them.After 98 days of relentless pursuit, the Raven Guard survivors were finally backed into a literal corner. Caught upon the windswept mountainside, Corax's Legion remained resolute. Behind the peak stretched the great salt plains that had forced them into this last, defiant stand. Ahead of them massed the might of the World Eaters, the rage-driven Astartes Legion of Angron, who strode at their head roaring for the blood of his brother. A sea of white and blue World Eaters Astartes spattered with the red of gore swept up from the valley intent on the destruction of the Raven Guard. Maddened by their neural implants and driven into a battle-frenzy by inhuman cocktails of stimulants, the berserk warriors of the World Eaters pounded up the sloping mountainside while their tanks and guns provided covering fire; every warrior bellowed his eagerness to fulfill the blood oaths he had sworn to his Primarch.But before they could utterly eradicate the surviving Raven Guard Astartes, the World Eaters were attacked from an unexpected quarter. Broad-winged aircraft plunged down from the scattering of clouds, missile pods rippling with fire. A swathe of detonations cut through the ranks of the World Eaters, ripping through their advance companies. Incendiary bombs blossomed in the heart of the approaching army, scattering white-hot Promethium over the steep slopes. Corax looked on with incredulity as blistering pulses of plasma descended from orbit, cutting great gouges into Angron’s Legion.The roar of jets became deafening as drop ships descended on pillars of fire: black drop ships emblazoned with the badge of the Raven Guard. The Legionaries scattered to give the landing craft space to make planetfall. As soon as their thick hydraulic legs touched the ground, their ramps whined down and boarding gateways opened. The Raven Guard met their rescuers in stunned disbelief. These drop ships were part of a desperate rescue mission that had been devised by Commander Branne, a Raven Guard Captain who had been left in charge of the Legion’s homeworld of Deliverance. Without further delay the Raven Guard survivors quickly prepared for embarkation and escaped aboard the drop ships, breaking for orbit and leaving behind the frothing berserkers of the World Eaters, their angry Primarch futilely baying for blood.
Corvus Corax - Corax's Act of Desperation: With his Legion severely depleted from the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V and the Imperium teetering on the brink of destruction, a critically wounded Corax was brought back to Terra in a stasis tube. Healed in body but not in soul, Corax eventually returned to his homeworld of Deliverance to rebuild what remained of his Legion. While traveling from Istvaan V, Corax dwelt upon why he had fled from the confrontation with Konrad Curze and Lorgar, and realised that he had felt fear when facing the Night Haunter. Not fear of death, but the realisation that but for a twist of fate, Corax could have landed upon Nostramo instead of Lycaeus, and become a monster as savage as Curze. Consumed by the loss of over 75,000 of his Legion's Astartes, his flight from the Night Haunter, and obsessed with thoughts of revenge against Horus, Corax ordered his survivors to return to Terra, where he intended to ask the Emperor for help in rebuilding his devastated Legion. Following a number of delays and setbacks, and despite the disagreement and displeasure of Rogal Dorn and Malcador the Sigillite, Corax psychically communed with the Emperor, who was devoting all his time battling Chaos within the Warp and what remained of the secret Imperial extension into the Webway in the aftermath of Magnus the Red's catastrophic psychic intrusion into the Imperial Palace. The Emperor revealed certain truths to Corax: the existence of the Imperial project to control portions of the Webway, the nature of Chaos, and the truth behind the outbreak of the so-called Heresy—which in reality was an all-out campaign by the Chaos Gods to defeat the Emperor and enslave Mankind, using Horus and the Traitor Legions as their pawns.The Emperor decided to help Corax, and had another, astonishing revelation to make: the Primarch Project's genetic assets had not been destroyed, as everybody thought, but still existed and were dormant—including living samples of the original gene-stock the Emperor had used to create the 20 Primarchs. The Emperor, who offered no explanation as to why such facilities and the gene-stock still existed, demanded only one thing: this genetic material could never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Accompanied by several Raven Guard squads, a contingent of Adeptus Mechanicus specialists, and a number of Custodians to serve as the Emperor's "overseers", Corax managed to locate and enter the Emperor's well-protected gene-laboratories deep beneath the Imperial Palace in the Himalazian Mountains. Corax's strike force suffered a number of casualties due to the numerous traps that the Emperor had put in place in order to protect the pure gene-stock from unwanted visitors. The Primarch gene-stock and related technical information was secured, and Corax and his Raven Guard warriors returned to Deliverance to begin remaking the Legion.After several weeks of effort by Corax, Chief Apothecary Vincente Sixx, and Magos Genetor Nexin Orlandriaz, a breakthrough was achieved, and a new reservoir of stable Astartes gene-seed was extracted from the Primarch DNA. The gene-seed was more pure than "normal" Raven Guard gene stock as it came from undiluted Primarch DNA before it was broken down to the 20 different recombinant strands that gave birth to the Primarchs. It was implanted using an extremely accelerated development schedule within 500 Aspirants, with excellent results. The resulting Astartes, though lacking combat experience, were even more capable than typical Raven Guard Space Marines. They were assigned the name "Raptors", and placed under overall command of Captain Branne, who served as the Legion's Master of Recruits. Following a baptism by fire in a successful attack against a Word Bearers intelligence outpost/listening station, the prospects for the reconstruction of the XIXth Legion looked bright indeed.The Alpha Legion had other plans. Patiently waiting until the Raven Guard had achieved the genetic breakthrough, they were fomenting rebellion among the old tech-guilds of Kiavahr, the Forge World that the moon of Deliverance circled, while assembling an Alpha Legion force nearby, and simultaneously misleading both their nominal allies among the other Traitor Legions and their supposed allies in the Cabal about their true purpose. With the help of Adepts from the Dark Mechanicus the Alpha Legion operatives within the Raven Guard contaminated the pure Primarch gene-stock held by the Raven Guard with a virus that was tainted with daemonic essence. The nature of the virus was unknown to the Alpha Legionaries until after the gene-stock had been contaminated, as their Dark Mechanicus allies had insisted the virus could be easily extracted once the Primarch gene-stock came into their possession.The next cadre of 2,000 Raven Guard Astartes was predictably a disaster. All manifested hideous Warp-related mutations after they were implanted with their gene-seed organs, and many had to be kept imprisoned. Corax announced that mutation or not, he considered them as much a part of the Raven Guard as the rest of his Astartes, and vowed to find a way to reverse the mutations. At the same time, the Alpha Legion's plans were reaching their climax. As the Legion fought in isolation against Horus' forces during this period, isolated from the other Imperial forces, nothing is known for sure of the initial results of Corax's program, but an element of truth is found in the Space Wolves' Saga of the Weregeld, which tells of ferocious monsters lead to combat by their Raven Guard Battle Brothers.The Kiavahr rebellion was well under way, supported by the newly arrived Alpha Legion force, who were camouflaged as Raven Guard, bearing the XIXth Legion's badges, insignia, and armour. These tactics were only diversions intended to allow the Alpha Legion operatives already within the XIXth Legion to steal the Primarch gene-stock and to completely destroy the original Raven Guard gene-seed, crippling the Loyalist Legion. The first objective was successful: the Primarch DNA and all information about it was secured by Omegon, who had been secretly on Kiavahr all this time, manipulating events as needed. To save the gene-seed, Corax intended to go to Ravendelve himself, but Commander Branne begged him not to, saying that he was prepared to destroy Ravendelve to prevent the guilders from gaining the gene-seed, but Corax's presence would prevent him from doing so. Branne's voice cut through the anger in Corax's heart, and listening to a voice he had trusted for so long, Corax realised that he was seeing the face of Konrad Curze, and could not allow his obsession with rebuilding the XIXth Legion to consume him as utterly as hatred had consumed the Night Haunter. Recognising that he must live for the good of his warriors, Corax agreed to remain at Ravenspire while the Legion moved on Ravendelve. Yet the destruction of the Raven Guard's gene-seed was prevented by the Raven Guard Mutants, who were tasked by the dying Chief Apothecary Vincente Sixx to save the future of the XIXth Legion. Corax subsequently allowed the Mutants who were able to fight to join the Legion's Raptor Squads. They participated with the rest of the Raven Guard, a small force of Imperial Fists, and the reconstituted Therion Cohort in the first counterattack against the Traitors, and the Raven Guard's successful campaign against the garrison of an Emperor's Children-held planet near the Kiavahr System.Unfortunately the attempt to rebuilt the XIXth Legion's strength was now in ruins. With a heavy heart, Corax decided that his attempt to use a shortcut to refill his Legion's ranks had been a mistake. He determined that the XIXth Legion would rebuild its ranks in the traditional way, slowly and painstakingly transforming human Aspirants into Space Marines over many years of genetic alteration and training. But the price would be that the Raven Guard would not be able to participate in a meaningful way in defending the Imperium against the Traitor Legions.Following the later reorganisation of the Space Marine Legions into the Second Founding Chapters after the end of the Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard was left largely inoperable as a combat unit and was forced to spend decades recruiting new members and rebuilding itself. Finding itself woefully undermanned and under-equipped following the massacre on Istvaan V, the Raven Guard honed and perfected the use of covert small-unit, guerrilla tactics that utilised little fire support, armoured support or other heavy equipment that the Chapter and its Successors lacked. Even today, the Raven Guard's lack of Predators, Land Raiders, and the latest patterns of Power Armour reflect these conditions of the Chapter's past.
Corvus Corax - Disappearance: After the Horus Heresy, Corax remained unable to forget the growling, monstrous aberrations of Humanity that he had personally created. By the time Corax finally managed to rebuild his Legion to anywhere near its pre-Heresy strength, the Horus Heresy had ended and Roboute Guilliman's Codex Astartes required that the Legion be split into smaller, more flexible 1000-Astartes units known as Chapters. Never again would one man wield the power of an entire Space Marine Legion.Knowing that Guilliman's vision was true and necessary, Corax grudgingly split his remaining forces into the new Second Founding Successor Chapters, but after pondering for solar hours as to what should be done to atone for his sins, he decided to administer the Emperor's Peace to the remaining aberrant Raven Guard mutants personally, praying for both their souls and his.Wracked with guilt following the executions, Corax locked himself in his personal chamber in the Ravenspire, the Raven's Tower, begging for the recently-ascended Emperor's mercy.Nobody knows if Corax received the absolution he prayed for, but a standard year to the day after he had locked himself in the Ravenspire, he left the tower and the world of Deliverance itself on a course toward the Eye of Terror, never to be seen again within Imperial space. His last recorded words were "never more."
Corvus Corax - Hunt for Lorgar: Unbeknownst to all within the Imperium, after his disappearance, Corax took up his prior role as the Emperor's justice made manifest. He had resolved during his time in the Ravenspire to enter the Eye of Terror in pursuit of the Traitor Legions following the Siege of Terra and hunt down his traitorous brother primarchs. He began with the architect of the Imperium's ruin, Lorgar of the Word Bearers.Within the Eye of Terror, on the Daemon World of Sicarus that the Word Bearers had claimed for their own in the wake of the Great Scouring, the Dark Apostle Kalta-Ar sought to raise a huge edifice to the glory of his gene-father Lorgar and his Dark Gods, but his work was derailed when something began killing the Word Bearers under his command. His slaves told him that it was a shadow, a shadow that rose up and tore the Heretic Astartes to shreds.When the shadow finally came for Kalta-Ar, he could not hope to fight it, so he took the Word Bearer survivors and withdrew to Lorgar's sanctum, desperate for the Urizen's aid. The Lorgar that emerged was immensely different from the man Corax had bested on the killing fields of Isstvan V. A golden-skinned giant wrapped in a cloak of throbbing Chaos runes and holding a vicious spiked mace, Corax's prey now radiated power and cruelty.But Corax had changed as well. Constant exposure to the energies of the Warp within the Eye of Terror had stripped away the mortal facade the Emperor had bestowed upon His gene-sons, and revealed the true Warp-formed consciousness that lived beneath the surface of every primarch.Now a humanoid creature of blades and living shadow that could transform into an enormous flock of ravens, the being that was Corax hurled himself at Lorgar. Trading immense blows that would fell a Space Marine many times over, the two demigods battled back and forth across the massive temple to the Ruinous Powers. But, as before, the Ravenlord gained the utter hand.Summoning a nimbus of power, Lorgar forced back his black-eyed tormentor and staggered into the Templum Inficio. At the tower in the heart of everything, Lorgar plunged into a hidden chamber and slammed the obsidian doors behind him.Screaming his rage and frustration, Corax swore to Lorgar that even if it took millennia, he would hunt down the Urizen and tear him limb from limb. On the black door blocking the Ravenlord from his prey, two runes flared into being spelling out a simple message: Deny Fate.
Corvus Corax - Wargear: The following represents the wargear possessed by Corvus Corax during the late Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.The Sable Armour - Fashioned for the master of the Raven Guard by the Emperor's own artificers, this suit of highly sophisticated Power Armour not only offered the Primarch defence against outside attack, it also masked its sensor signature and could be used to disrupt enemy sensors and transmissions in his immediate vicinity.Panoply of the Raven Lord - Corax carried a number of personal weapons of formidable power with which had made for a frighteningly deadly opponent in personal combat. These included artificer-crafted Lightning Talons able to shred the heaviest armour with ease, and an energised whip -- a symbol of the overthrow of the tyrannical powers that once held him captive -- with which he could lash out or ensnare with blinding speed.Frag Grenade - A Frag Grenade is an anti-personnel grenade commonly used by the military forces of the Imperium of Man. It produces a blast of shrapnel that can shred unarmoured troops. The blast has the tactical advantage of forcing the enemy to duck into cover to avoid damage. In effect, the blast of a Frag Grenade neutralises any movement advantage held by an opposing force by pinning them to their position.Shroud BombsThe Korvidine Pinions - Corax's flight pack was a miracle from the Dark Age of Technology modified to suit the Primarch's own exacting needs.Two Archeotech Pistols
Corvus Corax - Trivia: The Latin word corvus means "raven," while corax also translates to "Raven" in Ancient Greek. Corvus corax is the Linnaean binomial species name for the common raven.Corax's last word before he departed for the Eye of Terror, "nevermore," is a reference to the well-known poem of Edgar Allen Poe, "The Raven," of which the last line is, "Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'"
Corvus Hammer - Corvus Hammer: A Corvus Hammer is an archaic weapon commonly utilised by the warriors of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter's elite cadre known as the Ravenwing Black Knights. The Ravenwing Black Knights serve as the elite Inner Circle of that Chapter's 2nd Company, which is called the Ravenwing. On the Dark Angels' long-lost homeworld of Caliban, the thick forests made tall lances impractical, so the armoured knights of that Death World developed a unique military pick, which consisted of a hammerhead modified to provide additional power during impact. Its beak-like spike proved ideal for puncturing monster scales and armour alike.The bike-mounted warriors of the Dark Angels Legion adopted this weapon design in the late 30th Millennium after the I Legion rediscovered its Primarch, Lion El'Jonson, on that world. To signify their exalted status within the Ravenwing, the Black Knights carry their Corvus Hammers, which are patterned after the ancient Calibanite weapon once used to hunt the Great Beasts of their former homeworld. The Black Knights' riding skills are supreme, and they can drive at top speed through almost any impediments to close on their foes. During this approach, the Plasma Talons of their Mark IV Raven Pattern Assault Bikes tear gaping holes in the enemy lines before they literally ride over their prey, cracking armour and sundering flesh with their Corvus Hammers as they go.
Coryphaus - Coryphaus: The title Coryphaus is a specialist position unique to the Word Bearers Traitor Legion. Each Host of the Word Bearers Legion includes one Coryphaus, a symbolic title granted to the most trusted and capable warrior, war leader and strategos of the Host. In times of war, the Coryphaus serves as the senior war captain to his Host's commanding Dark Apostle, and is tasked with ensuring the military objectives envisioned by the Apostle are met. In time of prayer to the Dark Gods, the Coryphaus is the voice of the congregation. The mood and opinion of the Host is delivered to the Dark Apostle through him, and it is his duty to lead the chanted responses and antiphons from the gathered Host in religious ceremonies and rituals.
Coryphaus - History: Even before their fall to Chaos during the Great Crusade, the Word Bearers Legion was always very devout, and it was not rare for War Captains of the Legion to be chosen for that exalted rank due to their piety and oratory prowess. The War Captains, in turn, saw the merit of keeping one or more Battle-Brothers with a more pragmatic approach and keen eye for tactics close at hand in order to prosecute battles as efficiently as possible.After the Horus Heresy and the Traitor Legions' retreat to the Eye of Terror, the Word Bearers Legion claimed for themselves the Daemon World of Sicarus. When the Word Bearers' Primarch Lorgar isolated himself in seclusion, effective command of the XVIIth Legion fell upon a body known as the Dark Council, composed of the most senior Dark Apostles of the Legion. They commanded that the Legion be divided into multiple War Hosts, each commanded by a Dark Apostle. Each Apostle would in turn appoint from within his Host a First Acolyte (assistant and heir should woe befall the Apostle) and a Coryphaus or war-captain.This extra layer in the chain-of-command allows the Dark Apostle to become a figure of religious veneration to his Host. The Dark Apostle demands worship from his Host as a Chosen of the Dark Gods and exalted follower of Lorgar, in order to fill them with faith, as faithful warriors always fight as hard as they can. However, in order to instill such heights of devotion, the Apostle must remain aloof and above his warriors, and not a part of their dark fellowship. This is why the Apostle appoints a Coryphaus as war-leader, an intermediary who fights and bleeds alongside the regular Battle-Brothers, and serves as the vector through which the will of the Apostle is enabled. With the Coryphaus dealing with tactical matters and the day-to-day nuisances of leading the Host, it allows the Apostle to only appear before his Host either when leading the religious ceremonies or during battle, whipping their devotion and faith to the greatest heights.
Coryphaus - Known Coryphaus: Kol Badar - Kol Badar was the Coryphaus of the 34th War Host of the Word Bearers. A blunt individual with a keen military mind, he was appointed Coryphaus by the Host's first Dark Apostle, The Warmonger, and kept serving his two successors, Jarulek and Marduk, as such. Despite a visceral mutual hatred, Marduk and Kol Badar managed to reach something of an understanding, with both aware that he needed the other alive in order to hold and effectively utilise their respective positions.
Council of Nikaea - Council of Nikaea: The Council of Nikaea was a great Imperial conclave called by the Emperor of Mankind in 001.M31 on the world of Nikaea in the midst of the Great Crusade that was intended to determine whether or not the use of psychic powers represented a boon or a grave danger to Humanity and the newborn Imperium of Man.Ultimately, in the Decree Absolute of the Emperor that emerged from the council, the existence of certain psykers like Navigators and astropaths in the Imperium was sanctioned but tightly restricted under centralised Imperial control. The potent and unrestricted use of psychic abilities that was defined as "sorcery" -- bargaining for power or knowledge with the intelligent entities that existed within the Warp -- was officially banned.Additionally, the existence of the department of the Librarius found in most Space Marine Legions of the era was banned, and the Librarians themselves, who served as the Legion's combat psykers, were ordered to return to the duties of simple battleline Astartes and never to use their abilities again.The psychically powerful Primarch Magnus the Red and his Space Marine Legion the Thousand Sons would continue to study such powers in secret on their homeworld of Prospero, ultimately leading to their damnation by Chaos during the early days of the Horus Heresy and the Fall of Prospero.The ban on Librarians and other sanctioned combat psykers was later relaxed during the campaigns of the Great Scouring largely due to the events of the Horus Heresy and the realisation that the forces of Chaos could not be defeated by Imperial forces without at least tightly controlled access to the power of the Immaterium.It was also at the Council of Nikaea that the "Chaplain Edict" was promulgated by the Emperor, requiring every Space Marine Legion to establish a new specialty rank whose holder was known as a "Chaplain," based on the practice of the Word Bearers Legion.A Chaplain was charged with ensuring that every Legion remained committed to the ideals of the Imperial Truth and to help maintain the dedication, morale and faithfulness of its battle-brothers to the vision of the Emperor.Within the archives of the Blood Ravens, the Council of Nikaea is known as the "Hearing of the Thousands." Furthermore, the Apocrypha of Haidyes -- "Knowledge is power; use it well" -- was used during the council which later became the Chapter motto of the Blood Ravens.
Council of Nikaea - The Debate: There was an increasing concern as the Great Crusade progressed about the use of psychic abilities. The Emperor was of course the most powerful Human psyker to have ever lived, but He was deeply ambivalent about the spread of the mutant psyker genes through more and more of the Human population, as He rightly believed that most of Mankind was not yet evolved enough either physically or spiritually to truly control the great power of the Warp or avoid the temptations offered by its more malevolent denizens.More and more often during the progress of the Imperial conquest of the galaxy, the Imperial Army and Space Marines would make planetfall only to find that the populace were in thrall to mysterious powers and unnatural mystics and so-called "sorcerers." These people were essentially members of Chaos Cults who would resist the forces of the Emperor with sorcerous powers granted them by Daemonic entities from the Warp.These powers were also very akin to those used by the Thousand Sons Legion of the Primarch Magnus the Red. The Thousand Sons had come under criticism for their use of sorcery by the primarch Mortarion of the Death Guard Legion, who knew by his own personal experience with xenos sorcerers on his homeworld of Barbarus the dangers to be found in anything spawned from the Warp, and Leman Russ of the Space Wolves Legion, for whom any battle fought through sleight of hand, clever deceit or any trick other than straight physical combat was by definition dishonourable.Russ found the Thousand Sons' use of sorcery distasteful in the extreme and it was Russ who had fought the hardest for the Imperium to ban the use of psychic powers after his own experiences during several campaigns of the Great Crusade where his Space Wolves had fought beside the Thousand Sons. The schism grew so great that it threatened the very stability of the fledgling Imperium and so the Emperor Himself had called for an Imperial conclave to resolve the issue once and for all.Unlike his brother primarchs, Magnus the Red saw the potential in exploiting the powers of psychically-talented Astartes and he had been instrumental in the development of the Space Marines' corps of Librarians. In some of the Astartes Legions the psychic mutation was relatively common and it was felt by some of the primarchs that such individuals should be allowed to continue to use their innate psychic abilities for the benefit of the Legion. This would allow these gifted battle-brothers to be of use to their Legion without presenting any danger to their fellows or to the civilians of the Imperium.Magnus and a number of other primarchs created a program for the training and development of psyker Astartes that supplemented the traditional process for creating a new Space Marine. The Emperor was asked to approve of the recruitment of these psykers into the ranks of those Legions who wished to make use of them, and He sanctioned these first experiments as a means of controlling the spontaneous outbreaks of psychic mutation within the ranks of the Legions.These "Librarians" -- so named because they soon became the keepers of their Legion's storehouses of knowledge and history -- quickly proved to be loyal and effective warriors and soon gained acceptance by the Emperor and the primarchs for their presence on the battlefield. The Librarians became a powerful addition to the ranks of the Space Marine Legions.However, there were those primarchs who raised their voices in dissent, arguing amongst themselves and with the Emperor that Librarians should not be permitted within the ranks of the Astartes. Some desired to expand their Legions' Librarius and recruit even more Librarians into their ranks, whilst other primarchs vehemently opposed the entire notion of Librarians and felt that they should be expunged from their ranks altogether.Primarchs such as Leman Russ felt that Librarians were no better than witches. Corvus Corax and Rogal Dorn also refused to commit their Legions to fight alongside other Legions that made use of Librarians. Mortarion in particular accused his brother Magnus of using the forbidden arts of sorcery.Dismayed at the accusations levelled against Magnus and the friction the issue was causing amongst His primarchs, the Emperor was also concerned about the Librarians and the dangers they presented to the Great Crusade when He was no longer fighting directly alongside his Space Marine Legions. Before departing for Terra to begin his secret Imperial Webway Project within the seclusion of the Imperial Palace's dungeons, he summoned the primarchs and all the other major Imperial leaders to a War Council summit on the world of Nikaea to address the Librarian crisis.Both sides of the debate over the use of psychic abilities arrived at the world of Nikaea determined to present their views, with the Emperor as the arbiter, enthroned above the dais in an ancient amphitheater that seated tens of thousands where the conclave was held.On one side of the question were the Witch Hunters like the Sisters of Silence who presented their case by reciting a litany of the extensive Human suffering inflicted upon the Emperor's own subjects by sorcerers enslaved by what would later be recognised during the Horus Heresy as Chaos, of gibbering mutants who had lost their Humanity, and of cults and power-hungry individuals who turned their psychic gifts to dark purposes. All present were also aware of the terrible damage that had been done by uncontrolled and Daemon-possessed psykers during the early days of the Age of Strife.On the other side was a powerful advocate for the continued use of sorcery, Primarch Magnus the Red. His very presence frightened many, but he began to speak with the great charisma that only a primarch could wield. His argument was that no knowledge was tainted in and of itself, and no pursuit of knowledge was ever wrong so long as the seeker of that truth was the master of what he learned rather than its pawn.He spoke with finality that his Thousand Sons Astartes had mastered their knowledge of sorcery and that there was no knowledge too labyrinthine for them to grasp or that they could not master to serve Mankind rather than enslaving it. Magnus called on the Emperor not to ban the use of psychic abilities, but to contribute to further research into their usage so that they might be harnessed more fully for the betterment of Humanity and the Imperium.
Council of Nikaea - Edicts of Nikaea: Magnus had spoken passionately with great power and the Council of Nikaea became even more divided. While they had strong arguments in their favour to justify their anti-psyker position, the Witch Hunters could not effectively match Magnus' persuasiveness. The tension could easily have been cut with a knife when a group of Space Marine Librarians approached the dais.The Emperor acknowledged them with a nod, and all present fell silent. Among the group were some of the greatest Librarians of the Space Marine Legions. They formed a semi-circle around the dais to indicate that they spoke as one voice, but it was a young Librarian Epistolary who spoke for the group. A psyker, he proposed, was like an athlete, a gifted individual whose native talent must be carefully nurtured. Psykers were not innately evil in themselves, but like any tool, could be used for either good or evil purposes.Sorcery, however, was a knowledge of how to wield psychic powers that had to be sought for, even bargained for with the foul entities of the Warp. No one could be truly sure who or what had benefited in the deal. The Librarians proposed that all psykers be strictly educated by the Imperium with the express purpose of using their abilities to serve Mankind. This should become an immediate Imperial priority. The practice of psychic sorcery would forever be outlawed as an unforgivable offence against Mankind and the worst kind of heresy against the Imperial Truth.Yet the Council of Nikaea was also the trial of Magnus the Red -- for he was accused of sorcery and of introducing sorcerous practices to the Space Marine Legions through the institution of the corps of Librarians. As the evidence of Magnus' continued practice of sorcery became apparent, the Emperor barely contained His wrath as He pronounced judgement on the primarch of the Thousand Sons, for He had entrusted His son many Terran years before to obey his bidding and foreswear the use of such occult practices because of the dangers inherent to the Warp.He had entrusted only Magnus with the true secrets of the Warp and the existence of the terrible entities later known by Humanity as the Chaos Gods to which only they remained privy, but now it appeared that His gene-son had disobeyed His edicts and at the very least dabbled in the occult and the forbidden black arts of sorcery by repeatedly treating with the denizens of the Warp. The confrontation between father and son is recorded in the Grimoire Hereticus.As a result, the Emperor's judgement at the Council of Nikaea proved severe, largely as a result of his anger at Magnus. The Emperor rejected the Librarians' proposed compromise between the practice of restrained combat psyker abilities and the pursuit of true sorcery. With the exceptions of Navigators and astropaths who were properly trained, controlled and sanctioned by the Imperium and were necessary to its continued existence, the Emperor decreed that the Space Marine Legions were no longer to employ combat psykers within their ranks.He commanded that the primarchs were to close the Librarius departments of their Legions forthwith and not to indulge the undoubted psychic talents of those Astartes who possessed the gift. All existing Space Marine Librarians were likewise forbidden to make use of their abilities. The Council of Nikaea's rulings also created a new position amongst the Space Marine Legions, the Space Marine Chaplain, drawn from the practices of the Word Bearers Legion, to uphold the Imperial Truth and help maintain the purity of an Astartes Legion's dedication and fidelity to the Emperor's commands.The Emperor ordered Magnus to cease the practice of sorcery and incantation immediately, and the pursuit of all knowledge related to "magic." Magnus, of course, did not like the idea, and he remained bitterly opposed to the decision made at Nikaea. But in the end, he bent his will to his father the Emperor and agreed to obey, though the machinations of the Ruinous Powers would ultimately lead to a far darker fate for Magnus the Red and his Thousand Sons.The Edicts of Nikaea stood largely for the next 10,000 standard years as the primary Imperial policy regarding Human psychic mutation. Only the edict against the use of Librarians within the ranks of the Space Marines and of combat pyskers in the wider Imperial military forces would be reversed as a result of the Horus Heresy, as that terrible civil war made clear to the rulers of the Imperium that combat psykers were essential to face the fell powers of the forces of Chaos. In this way, the Librarians' original compromise that the Emperor rejected at Nikaea eventually became the Imperium's de facto policy concerning psykers in the wake of the Horus Heresy.In the 41st Millennium, the choice of whether to make use of Librarians was left to each Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes to decide for itself. For instance, the Salamanders explained to their rivals the Marines Malevolent that they felt the strictures of Nikea were outdated and psychic powers should be cultivated more assiduously, while the Marines Malevolent and many other Chapters retained a healthy distrust of psykers and all those who dealt with the Immaterium.
Council of Nikaea - The Emperor's Decree Absolute: Below is a transcript of the Emperor's speech upon making His Decree Absolute that became known as the Edicts of Nikaea, drawn from the oldest of Imperial records:"Hear now the words of my ruling.I am not blind to the needs of the Imperium, but nor am I blind to the realities of the hearts of men. I hear men speak of knowledge and power as though they are abstract concepts to be employed as simply as a sword or gun. They are not. Power is a living force, and the danger with power is obsession. A man who attains a measure of power will find it comes to dominate his life until all he can think of is the acquisition of more. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but few can stand the ultimate test of character, that of wielding power without succumbing to its darker temptations.Peering into the darkness to gain knowledge of the Warp is fraught with peril, for it is an inconstant place of shifting reality, capricious lies and untruths. The seeker after truth must have a care he is not deceived, for false knowledge is far more dangerous than ignorance. All men wish to possess knowledge, but few are willing to pay the price. Always men will seek to take the short cut, the quick route to power, and it is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that will lure him to evil ways. True knowledge is gained only after the acquisition of wisdom. Without wisdom, a powerful person does not become more powerful, he becomes reckless. His power will turn on him and eventually destroy all he has built.I have walked paths no man can know and faced the unnameable creatures of the Warp. I understand all too well the secrets and dangers that lurk in its hidden darkness. Such things are not for lesser minds to know; no matter how powerful or knowledgeable they believe themselves to be. The secrets I have shared serve as warnings, not enticements to explore further. Only death and damnation await those who pry too deeply into secrets not meant for mortals.I see now I have allowed my sons to delve too profoundly into matters I should never have permitted them to know even existed. Let it be known that no one shall suffer censure, for this conclave is to serve Unity, not discord. But no more shall the threat of sorcery be allowed to taint the warriors of the Astartes. Henceforth, it is my will that no Legion will maintain a Librarius department. All its warriors and instructors must be returned to the battle companies and never again employ any psychic powers.Woe betide he who ignores my warning or breaks faith with me. He shall be my enemy, and I will visit such destruction upon him and all his followers that, until the end of all things, he shall rue the day he turned from my light."
Council of Nikaea - Notable Attendees and Stance on Use of Psykers: The following is a list of the notable attendees of the Council of Nikaea.There were also several individuals in attendance who sat in reserved cantilevered boxes. Instead of defining forms, a person only saw shadows and reflections, each box filled with bent creases of light.These were known as "falsehoods." Though there were unmistakably real people within each box, Imperial technological artifice concealed them from the sight of the rest of the council.Whoever occupied the boxes retained their anonymity by virtue of chameleonic cloaks that shielded them from the casual sight of observers. The Emperor ordered that the falsehoods should be used so that no individual's testimony would be corrupted by the fear of those whose eyes were upon them.It was later implied by the Thousand Sons Legion's Chief Librarian Ahzek Ahriman that several of the individuals behind these falsehoods were Primarchs from other Space Marine Legions.
Council of Nikaea - Council of Terra Members: NamePositionStance on PsykersEmperor of MankindThe guardian of Humanity and supreme ruler of the Imperium of Mankind.Even in the years following the Horus Heresy, it is frowned upon to speculate at the Emperor's hidden plans, and it is impossible to accurately guess His true intentions for the conclave.Malcador the SigilliteHigh Proconsul Imperialis and Regent of Terra, who served as the Emperor's most trusted advisor. Malcador was the chief counselor to the Emperor and acted as the Convener of the Council of Nikaea.His stance on the psyker issue is unknown.Kelbor-HalFabricator-General of Mars*Vehemently against the use of psykers.Tabor LudoviciaLord Militant, Muster of the Imperialis AuxiliaOpenly favoured either side.Haldane Ma'lonLord Militant, Muster of the Imperialis AuxiliaOpenly favoured either side.Constansa Suati-FalkanGrand Admiral, Imperialis ArmadaVehemently against the use of psykers.Jalisco de Jerichos HuertaOcculex-Magister, Ordo Astra TelepathicaAvowed neutrality on the issue.Constantin ValdorCaptain-General, Chief Custodian of the Legio CustodesFavoured neither side.
Council of Nikaea - Legiones Astartes Primarchs: NamePositionStance on PsykersLion El'JonsonLord of the I LegionOpenly favoured neither side, but known to favour the censure of Magnus.FulgrimLord of the III LegionProponent of continued psyker use, despite the fact that his own Legion made little or no use of psykers.PerturaboLord of the IV LegionOpposed the use of psykers.Jaghatai KhanLord of the V LegionSupported continued use of psykers.Leman RussLord of the VI LegionVehemently against use of psykers.Rogal DornLord of the VII LegionKnown not to favour use of psykers.Konrad CurzeLord of the VIII LegionSupported use of psykers.SanguiniusLord of the IX LegionProponent of the use of psykers.Ferrus ManusLord of the X LegionDid not favour the use of psykers.AngronLord of the XII LegionVehemently against the use of psykers.Roboute GuillimanLord of the XIII LegionLess vocal proponent of psyker use.MortarionLord of the XIV LegionVehemently against use of psykers.Magnus the RedLord of the XV LegionAdamantly in favour of psyker use.Horus LupercalLord of the XVI Legion, Warmaster of the ImperiumOpenly favoured neither side.Lorgar AurelianLord of the XVII LegionSupported the use of psykers.VulkanLord of the XVIII LegionSupported the use of psykers.Corvus CoraxLord of the XIX LegionFavoured the censure of Magnus.AlphariusLord of the XX Legion*Supported the use of psykers.These leaders later threw their support behind Horus during the dark years of the Horus Heresy.
Council of Nikaea - Other Notable Personnel: NamePositionStance on PsykersElikasChief Librarian of the I LegionSupported the use of psykers.EidolonLord Commander of the III LegionUnknown, but more than likely favoured whatever position his Primarch held.VespasianLord Commander of the III LegionUnknown, but more than likely favoured whatever position his Primarch held.Targutai YesugeiStormseer of the V LegionSupported the use of psykers. He presented the Council of Nikaea a third option in regards to the use of psychic abilities. Yesugei argued that human psykers should be trained rigorously to take advantage of their innate abilities in order to assist the Imperium in completing its galaxy-wide spanning conquest. With such an elite cadre of trained psychic specialists utterly loyal to the Emperor, the galaxy could be brought back into the Imperial fold with ease. Yesugei also argued that psychic sorcery should be strictly forbidden, since in dealing with the entities of the Warp, the ever-present risk of corruption was simply too great to be avoided. This position would later be vindicated in the wake of the Horus Heresy and would become the default policy of the Imperium towards psykers during the Age of the Imperium.Aun HelwintrPriest of Fenris of the VI LegionVehemently against the use of psykers.Ohthere WyrdmakePriest of Fenris of the VI LegionVehemently against the use of psykers. Wyrdmake initially befriended Chief Librarian Ahzek Ahriman of the Thousand Sons in an attempt to learn more about the sorcerous tenets of his Legion. When the time came, he betrayed Ahriman's trust and spoke out against the Thousand Sons' continued use of sorcery.Fel ZharostChief Librarian of the VIII LegionAdamantly in favour of psyker use.RaldoronChapter Master and First Captain of the IX LegionProponent of psyker use, but made clear that he would respect whatever ruling the Emperor made.Ahzek AhrimanChief Librarian and Captain of the 1st Fellowship of the XV LegionAdamantly in favour of psyker use, like his Primarch.Magistus AmonEquerry to Magnus the Red and Captain of the 9th Fellowship of the XV LegionAdamantly in favour of psyker use.PromosChief Librarian of the XIII LegionSupported psyker use.Calas TyphonFirst Captain of the 1st Company of the XIV LegionUnknown, but more than likely favoured whatever position his Primarch held.UmojenChief Librarian of the XVIII LegionSupported psyker use.These personnel later threw their support behind Horus during the dark years of the Horus Heresy.
Council of Nikaea - Trivia: The term "Council of Nikaea" is a historical reference to the Christian Church's Council of Nicaea, which occurred in the year 325 AD in the Roman Empire's province of Asia (Asia Minor) and was hosted by the Emperor Constantine the Great.This Council of Nicaea determined the content of orthodox Christian belief as laid out in the Nicene Creed of the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Council of Terra - Council of Terra: The Council of Terra was the ancient ruling body of the Imperium of Man convened by the Emperor of Mankind to replace the Imperial War Council in the early 31st Millennium after the Triumph of Ullanor, shortly before the beginning of the Horus Heresy.However, the council did not receive authority over the Imperium's military forces, which instead fell to the command of the Warmaster Horus and the War Council.In its first incarnation, the Council of Terra was the Imperium's earliest attempt at true civilian rule. As the Great Crusade filled out the blank corners of the galactic map, the daily needs of governance fell increasingly to the adepts of the Administratum rather than the Emperor and His sons on the War Council, where some had mistakenly assumed such authority would remain in perpetuity.It was becoming clear as the crusade continued that an empire of a million worlds and more would, as time went on, have less need of mighty warriors and ever more of diplomats and traders, architects and artists, comptrollers, judges and tithe collectors.Presiding over a grand council of several thousand representatives, both elected and appointed, they decreed that the future of the Imperium was to be placed, now and always, in the hands of its people.The council was a civilian body without Primarch participation. The replacement of the War Council as the primary civil governing body of the Imperium in favour of the Council of Terra was one of the grievances that led several of the Primarchs to grow disenchanted with their father, the Emperor.This grievance would be exploited by Horus and the agents of the Chaos Gods to gain these Primarchs' allegiance in their attempt to overthrow the Emperor's rule.The Council of Terra was formally disbanded in the months just before the Siege of Terra as the military once more assumed control over all aspects of Imperial life.The Council of Terra was eventually replaced by the Senatorum Imperialis of the High Lords of Terra after the Primarch Roboute Guilliman began the Imperial Reformation as the Lord Commander of the Imperium in the wake of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.
Council of Terra - History: Following the successful conclusion of the Unification Wars in circa 800.M30, the Emperor convened the ruling body known as the War Council to manage the execution of the Great Crusade to reunite the entire Human-settled galaxy under a single government.The War Council effectively became the true ruling body of the Imperium during the early and middle years of the Great Crusade. The Emperor Himself sat at the head of the council; at his left hand was Malcador the Sigillite, perhaps the Emperor's greatest ally during the Wars of Unity and a psyker whose powers were matched only by those of the Emperor.The rest of the council was composed of talented administrators drawn from the great ruling aristocratic dynasties of Terra and the Segmentum Solar, and when the Emperor forged his alliance with the ancient Mechanicum of Mars in the Treaty of Mars, the Fabricator-General of the Mechanicum also claimed his seat.The War Council was also attended by the Paternova of the Navigator Houses. As the Emperor left the homeworld of Mankind to lead the Great Crusade into the stars, he left the legendary Malcador to act as the Regent of Terra in his stead.As the Great Crusade progressed, the War Council grew, as an inevitably widening vortex of admirals and commanders, generals, sector governors and ministers of state were appended to its administrative apparatus. Below these luminaries were advocates and technocrats responsible for the Imperial control of far-flung administrative systems and world-regimes with chains of supply and distribution whose scale beggared belief.As the years became solar decades, each of the Primarchs were rediscovered and brought into the Imperial fold and were given a seat on the council, as was the Chief Custodian and Captain-General of the Legio Custodes, the Emperor's bodyguard. Yet, such men were creatures of war and not politics, and as some of the purely Human council members died in battle, or through simple old age or infirmity, they were replaced only irregularly.After the decisive victory during the Ullanor Crusade in 000.M30, when Mankind's re-ascension to predominance in the galaxy was no longer in doubt, the Emperor bestowed upon the Primarch Horus Lupercal the title of Imperial Warmaster and ceded to him control of all the Imperium's military forces in the Emperor's stead. The other Primarchs were then instructed to follow Horus and obey him and to complete the Great Crusade under his direction.There was, it is said, some disquiet among the Primarchs that the Emperor had decided to no longer fight alongside them, but the Emperor was as adamant as He was close-mouthed as to what He would do on His return to Terra.The Emperor then departed for the homeworld of Humanity and the dungeons deep beneath His great Imperial Palace to begin His great work on the creation of a Human extension into the Aeldari Webway under a veil of secrecy previously unknown in the Imperium. He drew to Him certain advisors and retired to the private subterranean vaults of His city-fortress.Upon His return to Terra, the Emperor called to His side Malcador and the Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal. He issued them with new commands. No longer were they to support the military campaigns, as these were now safely in the hands of His sons the Primarchs and the newly appointed Warmaster Horus. The Emperor needed time and all of His focus to be directed at His next great project, which would tie the newborn Imperium together and unite it as no other Human polity had ever been united.To this end, the Emperor convened the first Council of Terra. Unlike the War Council, of which Horus was now the leader, the Council of Terra would attend to matters of state and the establishment and maintenance of Imperial law across the myriad worlds of the Imperium. In particular, the Council of Terra was to administrate the establishment of the Imperial Tithe of troops and resources from all the worlds of the Imperium that were required to support the Great Crusade.In effect, under the auspices of the new Council of Terra would fall the entirety of the civil government of the Imperium. Malcador, the Emperor's most trusted advisor, was named as the First Lord of the Council and would lead it in the Emperor's absence. The Fabricator-General of the Mechanicum of Mars, Kelbor-Hal, Chief Custodian Constantin Valdor and the Masters of the Adeptus Astronomica, the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and the Administratum of the Imperium were also appointed to the Council.Having established the new governing body of the Imperium to carry out the day-to-day work of ruling tens of thousands of worlds and trillions of Human beings, the Emperor took refuge in His vast laboratories and workshops beneath the Imperial Palace. He began work in earnest on His new project. While the Emperor was locked away in His subterranean factories, trouble was brewing. The formation of the council proved to be a contentious decision with the distant Primarchs, who were appalled when news of the formation of the Council of Terra finally reached them on the frontiers of the Great Crusade.Some of the Primarchs took great exception to being ruled by those they deemed less worthy of such an honour than themselves. The less stable Primarchs felt that this was a betrayal of all they had fought and won in the Emperor's name and that their victories now counted for nothing.They, and many of their Astartes, felt that it was they who had suffered and sacrificed the most to build the Imperium and thus it was they who should have the greatest say in how it was ruled, not a council composed of effete Terran nobles and faceless bureaucrats. This was one of many growing resentments that allowed the Ruinous Powers to infect and corrupt several of the Primarchs.The creation of the Council of Terra, seen in this light, lent new weight to Horus' argument to several of his brothers that the Imperium had been betrayed by their father. He argued that the Emperor had proved more than willing to turn His back on His sons and generals and give power instead to petty mortal administrators and the sycophantic Tech-adepts of Mars who lacked the Primarchs' brilliance and superhuman abilities.As Horus prepared his rebellion against the Emperor, he convinced himself that petty functionaries and administrators had supplanted the Primarchs and the Astartes within the Imperium they had won. Once the Imperium had been wholly geared for the war and conquest that was its life's blood since its inception, but now it had become burdened with parasitic executors, scribes and scriveners who demanded to know the cost of everything. Bureaucracy was taking over -- red tape, administrators and clerks were replacing the heroes of the age.Horus argued to his more receptive brothers that unless the Imperium learned to change its ways and its direction, its greatness as an empire would soon be a footnote in history books. Horus argued that everything he and his brother Primarchs had achieved would be a distant memory of former glory, lost in the mists of time like the civilisations of ancient Terra. It was this hubris and arrogance that led to the Warmaster's inevitable fall to Chaos and the resultant civil war that would consume the entire galaxy, ushering in a new Age of Darkness that would last for millennia.Yet Horus and his more resentful brothers had completely misunderstood the Emperor's intent in creating the Council of Terra. The council was to become the body of civilian government that would administrate the myriad bureaucratic tasks needed for the survival of the newly formed Human interstellar empire.The Emperor was determined that in His Imperium power would reside with those men and women who were governed by its apparatus and not with an artificial military elite composed of genetically-engineered beings who were so powerful that they already possessed only a very tenuous grip upon their own Humanity.The Primarchs and their Space Marines had been created to give life to the Emperor's dream of a united Human Imperium stretching across the galaxy and to defend it from Humanity's myriad foes. They were not to rule it as a hereditary caste of immortal warriors imposing their whims upon those they deemed mere "mortals" by brute force.Tragically, the Emperor's vision of a new Golden Age for Humanity would never be realised due to the machinations of the Dark Gods. Following the calamities of the Horus Heresy and the Emperor's internment within the Golden Throne and the sacrifice of Malcador, the Emperor could no longer take an active hand in ruling His realm directly.The role of Imperial Regent initially fell to Roboute Guilliman, the great Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion. It was he, in the early years of the 31st Millennium after the Great Scouring that followed the Heresy, who set up the new ruling body for the Imperium based on the foundation of the Council of Terra, the Senatorum Imperialis, or as its members were more commonly called, the High Lords of Terra.
Council of Terra - Known Members of the Council of Terra: First Lord of the Council and Regent of Terra: Malcador the SigilliteFabricator-General of the Martian Mechanicum:Kelbor-Hal (until the Schism of Mars)Zagreus Kane (represented by ambassador Vethorel)Captain-General and Chief Custodian of the Legio Custodes: Constantin ValdorMaster of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica: Nemo Zhi-MengMaster of the Administratum:Simion PentasianPaternoval Envoy of the Navis Nobilite: Bolam HaardikerThe two Lord Commanders Militant of the Imperial Army: Tabor Ludovicia and Haldane Ma'lon. By the time of the Siege of Terra the Imperial Army was represented by a single Lord Commander Militant, Adreen.Grand Provost Marshal of the Adeptus Arbites: Harr RantalMaster of the Astronomican : Cohran HursulaChancellor of the Estate Imperium: OssianSpeaker for the Chartist Captains: Kelsi DemidovChirurgeon-General of the Orders Hospitaller: Sidat Yaseen TharcherHigh Lord of the Imperial Chancellery: Jemm Marison
Counterfire Defence System - Counterfire Defence System: A Counterfire Defence System is a valuable T'au artificial intelligence (AI) sensor suite that was first designed to counter the threat of charging Ork hordes.The system incorporates predictive logic circuits that further enhance T'au Battlesuits targeting systems, ensuring that large groups of assaulting enemies are met with a withering curtain of unerringly accurate firepower.A Counterfire Defence System is a support system available to most forms of T'au Battlesuit.
Coven of Isha - Coven of Isha: The Coven of Isha is a secret pact between some members of the Ordo Xenos and the ancient Farseer Eldrad Ulthran of Craftworld Ulthwé. According to the Coven's librarium, the information provided by the Eldar through this pact has been linked to a number of disastrous events that engulfed the Imperium of Man, including the Sanapan Scouring, the Mortis Annihilation, the Third Coming of Orian and the First War for Armageddon. The Coven has rarely been invoked, for the Eldar rarely require the help of the Imperium, and the Imperium never looks toward xenos for help. The most recent time that the Coven was activated was when Deathwatch Space Marines from the Ordo Xenos had to help the Craftworld Ulthwé to counter the Dark Eldar's recent raids that took many Ulthwé prisoner to Hesperax, the homeworld of Lelith the Wych Queen. The prisoners were taken to be slain in Hesperax's gladiatrix games.The great Eldar Farseer Eldrad Ulthran had created a special Wraithbone chamber hidden aboard the Inquisition's secret space station located in the Ramugan Sub-sector for the Ordo Xenos which could be used for communication between the Inquistion and the Seer Council of Ulthwé. The Inquisitor Lord Seishon was summoned there to hear the request of Ulthran that the Imperium aid the Eldar in securing Craftworld Ulthwe by recovering a lost Eldar relic. The Inquisition's Ramugan space station had stood for millennia, and dated back to the time of the Great Crusade when the Emperor Himself was still actively leading the Imperium. The station was home to delegations from the three main branches of the Inquisition: the Ordo Xenos, the Ordo Hereticus and the Ordo Malleus.The Seer Council of Ulthwe was convinced to accept aid from the "Mon-keigh", an action that some members of the Council, such as Ruhklo, saw as an insult, but the Emerald Seer Thae'azki and the Seer Eldressyn, who had been chosen to serve on the Council by Ulthran himself, insisted on accepting the humans' aid. At last the decision was made. A Deathwatch Kill-team departed from Ramugan on the frigate Lance of Darkness by order of the Ordo Xenos to recover the relic for the Eldar and uphold the Coven of Isha.
Coven of Nine - Coven of Nine: The Coven of Nine is a warband of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to the service of Tzeentch, the Lord of Change. They participated in the assault on the Stygius Sector during the Stygius Crusade that ultimately led to the conquest of that region of the Imperium for the Changer of Ways. The Coven of Nine was led, as the name implies, by nine Exalted Sorcerers of Tzeentch. The Sorcerers lead a vast warhost that includes daemons, Chaos Space Marines, and hordes of Chaos Cultists. Little else is currently known about them in Imperial records.
Coven of Nine - Warband Badge: The Coven of Nine's badge is currently unknown in Imperial records.
Coven of Nine - Warband Colours: The Coven of Nine's warband colours are currently unknown in Imperial records.
Covenant - Covenant: Covenant is an Inquisitor of the Daemon-hunting Ordo Malleus. He is one of a new breed of fiery, determined individuals dedicated to purging perceived corruption within the Inquisition itself.As a member of the Ordo Malleus, he has access to specific Daemon-hunting equipment, such as a Psycannon, and makes a particular point of destroying the Daemonhosts created by his less puritanical cohorts.Currently Covenant is scouring the southern rim of the galaxy of the taint of Chaos.In recent years, Covenant's actions have been focused on the Caradryan Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus, where his investigations have revealed the existence of a powerful Horusian faction within the Inquisition.
Covenant - History: The driven and charismatic Covenant is the foremost of a movement of young firebrand Inquisitors emerging from the Ordo Malleus conclaves of the galactic south, focused not on the broad Imperium but upon the ranks of the Inquisition itself.Initially dismissed as over-zealous novices promoted too early, Covenant and his colleagues have answered this cynicism with brutal purges of their brethren. Rumour has it that their crusade through their own corridors of power is a reaction to a series of betrayals along the southern rim, where Inquisitors gave in to despair in the depths of the Second Tyrannic War and turned to forbidden arts to combat the menace of Hive Fleet Kraken.There are even claims of a secret pact wherein the young and hot-blooded Inquisitors swore to punish the crimes of the old and misguided, and that Covenant renamed himself for that pact to honour it. But he and his fellows refuse to discuss their pasts, only the work they have yet to do and the justice they have yet to mete out.Piercing the veil of secrecy Covenant has surrounded himself with is no easy task, and what is known about him is fragmentary at best. Covenant's true identity and origins are unknown. In fact, the Imperial and the Inquisitorial Archives have been purged of any mention of him before his admission to the ranks of the Holy Ordos.Inquisitor Covenant performed his apprenticeship under the notorious Thorian Inquisitor Argento, which caused many of his peers to mark Covenant as a Thorian himself, a status that remains unconfirmed. Covenant and Argento's second Interrogator, later the Inquisitor Idris, both simultaneously reached the rank of Inquisitor, a painful transition that perhaps heralded much of Covenant's future career.Although the exact extent of Argento's treachery has been redacted, what is known is that Argento diverted from the Thorian dogma and did not content himself with merely searching for the Emperor's new host-body, but actively sought to create a Living Saint capable of harbouring the Emperor's consciousness.Similar to the blasphemous methods employed by Radicals to create Daemonhosts, Argento's efforts were deemed heretical by Covenant and Idris, who confronted their master and ultimately thwarted his plans and slew him.It was in recognition of this act that both former Interrogators were confirmed by the Inquisitorial Conclave in their rights as full-fledged Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus.In recent years, Covenant has concentrated his efforts on hunting those Inquisitors he deemed corrupted by the taint of Radicalism, zeroing in on Inquisitor Goldoran Talicto, who he formally denounced as a Heretic at the great Inquisitorial Conclave on Ero.By sheer luck, Inquisitor Idris was also present at the Conclave and immediately supported Covenant's accusations against Talicto. However, unforeseen to both Inquisitors, the Renegade Talicto had secretly planned to kill those members of the Inquisitorial Conclave present and assume formal command of the gathering Imperial Crusade.Covenant's effort, while sufficient to disrupt Talicto's plans, failed to apprehend the Renegade Inquisitor or indeed prevent the Massacre of the Reliquary Tower, as Talicto had covertly smuggled a highly effective band of assassins -- a resurrectionnist Cult later revealed as the Renewed -- onto Ero.In the fierce fighting that ensued, Inquisitor Idris was slain while trying to evacuate the sacred Reliquary Tower before its Plasma Generators overloaded. Suspected of being a Traitor himself, Covenant was confronted by the Inquisitor Lord Vult, the highest ranking member of the Inquisition in the Caradryan Sector before gaining his trust and joining forces with him.Covenant's investigations soon revealed that the man posing as Goldoran Talicto was in fact a usurper, the real Inquisitor having been found slain on the distant planet of Iago. Convinced that the imposter was in fact an agent for a more powerful organisation, a trio of Horusian Inquisitors called "the Triumvirate" in Talicto's notes, Covenant and Lord Vult investigated a secret asteroid base referred to as "the Archive" where they came under attack by those they sought.Their opponents did not hesitate to open a portal into the Warp and unleash a tide of Daemons in a desperate attempt to stop them. Through the heroic sacrifice of Lord Vult, Covenant and his retinue escaped the asteroid base before the Archive was destroyed by a volley of Plasma Torpedoes fired from the Traitors' ship, the Falchion-class Frigate Truth Eternal.Cleared of all the charges pending against him in a formal Inquisitorial Trial, Covenant now hunts for the Truth Eternal in the vain hope that it will finally lead him to its dark masters.
Covenant - Covenant's Retinue: Cleander von Castellan - Cleander von Castellan, more commonly known by his formal title of Duke von Castellan, is the scion of a once wealthy and powerful Rogue Trader dynasty from Xarxis Plethis. Having inherited the von Castellans' hereditary Warrant of Trade, he sold the family estates to buy a new starship in order to reestablish his family's reputation and wealth by voyaging through the void. His travels took him further and further towards the Southern Rim of the Segmentum Tempestus, where he encountered no less than four non-Imperial worlds, with which he opened exclusive trade negotiations. It was at this point that Inquisitor Covenant caught up with him. In return for not being punished for failing to disclose the whereabouts of aliens he had encountered, the Duke signed an agreement pledging himself and his ship, the Dionysia, to Covenant, and has subsequently answered the Inquisitor's call on several occasions. Von Castellan has little sense of honour or duty, but is scared of reprisals by the Inquisition should he renege on his oath. Over the years, a semblance of trust has grown between the two men, and in truth, Cleander von Castellan enjoys the additional authority and reputation his close association with Covenant has given him.Viola von Castellan - Sister to Cleander von Castellan and second-in-line for the inheritance of the von Castellan Rogue Trader legacy, Viola von Castellan is very different from her brother. Whereas Cleander carefully maintains an aura of roguish charm and capricious moods, Viola's temperament is etched in stone: dedicated, unmoving, unflinchingly loyal and always well-prepared. As a child she was trained in several schools of logi-calculus disciplines, making her perfect for the role of Seneschal to the von Castellan dynasty she now holds. While Cleander serves as the Dionysia 's captain, Viola serves as Covenant's logistics and information specialist, her training allowing her to identify discrepancies or discover patterns of interest in a great mass of data.Glavius-4-Rho - Glavius-4-Rho was the Tech-priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus charged with the maintenance and security of the mighty Plasma Reactors that powered and protected the famed Reliquary Tower on Ero. Subdued by a powerful psyker within the ranks of the Renewed, a Chaos Cult used by the Renegade Goldoran Talicto to murder his fellow Inquisitors, Glavius-4-Rho lowered the Reliquary Tower's Void Shields and initiated a catastrophic reactor failure that destroyed the Tower and killed all within. Rescued from the blast by the actions of Covenant and his Acolytes, he sees himself as a failure for having permitted sacred machines under his care to be destroyed. As a result of his shame, Glavius-4-Rho abandoned his rank of Magos in the Martian Priesthood and remained with Inquisitor Covenant during his hunt for the Renegade Inquisitor Talicto.Ivixia Dannica - Covenant recruited the notable Inquisitor Ivixia Dannica from one of the Schola Progenium on Alena-Mora. She was the daughter of the Astra Militarum Colonel Dannica whose regiment had been seconded to service with Inquisitor Grainne of the Ordo Hereticus during his Examinations into the Cardinal of Alena-Mora during the Sargossa Schism. Following the successful persecution of the Cardinal for his apostate teachings and the prescribed punishment of both him and his world, Colonel Dannica's regiment was granted feudal rights over the ashes of that world. The tales of the executed Cardinal's wickedness filled her with a righteous loathing of all things heretical and evil. Such was her fervour in this pious hatred that many believed she would take her vows and become a member of one of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas. This was not to be. On Ivixia's eighteenth birthday, Inquisitor Covenant appeared at her family's estate and demanded to see the young girl. The Colonel obeyed the mysterious robed figure and allowed Covenant to speak with his daughter. The Inquisitor was convinced that Ivixia would make an ideal recruit for his retinue and began subjecting her to a lengthy series of ordeals to prove her spiritual purity and physical suitability. Ivixia passed each with ease, but as she continued with the tests, an act of base treachery reaching back to the examination of Inquisitor Grainne was to come to fruition. Those that had escaped the initial purges of Colonel Dannica's regiment had clandestinely continued following the apostate teachings of the planet's former ruler. A network of Daemon-hunting cults existed across the planet, slowly gathering power until such time as they were ready to avenge their master and regain control of their world. As Ivixia's tests continued, the Chaos Cultists struck at the Colonel as his family attended a regimental ball. A Daemon from the darkest regions of the Warp manifested in a blazing pyre of blood, slaughtering the guests in a frenzy of bloodletting. Schooled in the mystical arts of the Daemonhunter, Covenant was able to hold the Daemon at bay, but not before it slew the Colonel with a sweep of its Warp-forged blade. The Colonel's body burst into flames, immolating in a heartbeat until nothing but his charred skull remained. At the sight of her father's murder, Ivixia screamed at the Daemon and the power of her words staggered the Neverborn for the briefest instant. It was the opening Covenant needed and he was able to destroy the Daemon's form and send it back from whence it came. In the aftermath of the massacre, Inquisitor Covenant led the purges of the cults with Ivixia at his side, convinced more than ever that Ivixia was the right choice to serve as his Acolyte. Six solar months to the day following her father's death, Inquisitor Covenant left Alena-Mora with Ivixia Dannica by his side. Recalling the teachings of her father, Ivixia had his skull modified by the Lexmechanics of Inquisitor Covenant and transformed into a weapon-carrying Servo-skull. Now her father is always with her wherever she goes and can continue to serve the Emperor beyond death. Together Covenant and Ivixia now travel around the southern rim of the galaxy, stamping out many blasphemous sects dedicated to the worship of Daemons and other Warp-spawned abominations.Josef Khoriv - Josef Khoriv is a Schola Progenium Drill Abbot in the service of Inquisitor Covenant. Born in the lower levels of Adrianis Hive on distant Mandragora, Khoriv is a born warrior. He lost both of his parents early in life and survived on his own in the gang-infested warrens and humid environment of Adrianis Hive before being seized by an Imperial Navy press-gang and forced to work in the chain-gangs of the artillery crews onboard one of the Navy's great starships. This left him with a powerful physique as well as near-total deafness, a handicap later overcome with an augmetic ear. It was on that starship that Josef Khoriv first encountered the divine teachings and holy texts of the Adeptus Ministorum, which kindled in him the determination to become a Preacher. While hardly eloquent or given to long sermons, Josef's humble origins permitted him to know exactly what moved his congregations' hearts. Now nearly sixty years old according to the Terran standard, he serves Inquisitor Covenant, having met him during the Purge of Golian where Covenant unearthed and purged a Genestealer Cult. Both men have known each other for a long time and have become close friends.Koleg - Koleg serves as Covenant's weapon and infiltration specialist, as well as his demolition expert. His favorite weapon is a deadly Macrostubber, which, while it lacks the explosive capabilities of the more cumbersome Bolter, has greater penetration capacities than standard las-weaponry. Koleg is a master of explosives and usually carries a cumbersome Grenade Launcher into battle when he expects trouble. Koleg's martial training has left him bereft of fear or indeed most human emotions, the warrior acting purely on logic and experience, which make for a deadly combination.Mylasa - Sometimes referred to as the Bringer of Oblivion, Mylasa is a powerful Primaris Psyker whose help is needed when Covenant's own impressive psychic powers are not enough to face down an enemy. Mylasa is not deployed to the frontlines if it can be avoided, but frequently remains behind. Her psychic condition is so severe that she has lost the ability to speak in the physical world and must rely solely on telepathic mind-speech. When directly interacting with someone, she chooses to appear as a stunningly beautiful red-haired noblewoman in a dark green satin dress.Severita - Formerly a Sister of Battle of the Order of the Bloody Rose, for her failures, Severita has become a Sister Repentia. In an unusual move for one of her status, she chose to leave her Order behind and link her fate to that of Covenant. Utterly loyal, Severita is an accomplished warrior, be it with the blade or the Bolter. She sometimes acts as Covenant's de facto assassin because of her excellent marksmanship.
Covenant - Wargear: Carapace ArmourFlak ArmourPower FalchionMIU-Linked Shoulder Mounted PsycannonPump Action Combat ShotgunScatter ShellsHellfire ShellsBolt Pistol
Covenant of Fire - Covenant of Fire: The Covenant of Fire is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter and a successor of the Salamanders.It is a Chapter composed wholly of Primaris Space Marines and was raised during the Ultima Founding of ca. 999.M41 by Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl.
Covenant of Fire - Chapter History: The Salamanders were kept largely unaware of what new Successor Chapters were created from their gene-seed by Belisarius Cawl, and once they learned of their existence, they were always quick to dispatch a Chaplain to the Chapter to teach them the ways of the Promethean Cult.The Covenant of Fire crave knowledge of the Imperium they fight for, seeking out lore wherever they can find it, hoping that this information can help them bring light to darkness.Conversely, they purge any sign of heretical material they find, knowing that its knowledge is a false light that leads only to ruin.The Chapter eagerly embraced the Promethean Cult of their progenitors, imbibing and applying the wisdom of their gene-sire Vulkan swiftly.
Covenant of Fire - Chapter Colours: The Space Marines of the Covenant of Fire wear orange power armour with black helms, shoulder pauldrons and arms. The shoulder pauldrons have golden trim. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is also gold.The left shoulder guard displays the Chapter badge, while the right is inscribed with a yellow Low Gothic numeral indicating squad number.The left knee plate is black and displays the Astartes' yellow squad tactical specialty icon -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command.
Covenant of Fire - Chapter Badge: The Covenant of Fire's Chapter badge is an open book ablaze with fire.
Cowled Wardens - Cowled Wardens: The Cowled Wardens are a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter and a genetic successor of the Dark Angels, created during an unknown Founding.
Cowled Wardens - Chapter History: The Cowled Wardens' base of operations lies within the Sirikoid Belt, a part of the region known as the Tears of Piruz. Rather than a single fortress-monastery, the Chapter operates out of several hollowed-out asteroids.Nominally tasked with the purging of the savage Jehangir xenos that terrorise the region, the Chapter's secret purpose is the investigation of what the Unforgiven believe to be a large network of the Fallen in the area.Those Fallen Angels that are captured by the Cowled Wardens are consigned as prisoners to icy catacombs they have carved within a nameless asteroid of the Sirikoid Belt.Not long after his awakening from his ten-millennia-long sleep beneath The Rock, Primarch Lion El'Jonson is known to have visited this Chapter. The nature and purpose of this meeting is unknown, but at its end the Lion led the Cowled Wardens to a final victory over the Jehangir species.
Cowled Wardens - Notable Campaigns: Arks of Omen Campaign, Battle of Idolatros (Unknown Date.M42) - During the Arks of Omen Campaign, the Cowled Wardens joined with three-quarters of the known Chapters of the Unforgiven to hunt down the Greater Daemon Vashtorr during the Battle of Idolatros in the Idolatros System of the Somnium Stars.
Cowled Wardens - Chapter Colours: The Cowled Wardens primarily wear black power armour with gold as a secondary colour, whilst purple adorns their helms and the insets of their shoulder pauldrons. Their armourial trim is gold. The Aquila or Imperialis worn on the chest plate is also gold.The gold squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, fire support, close support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder pauldron. A black High Gothic numeral is prominently displayed upon it that indicates a battle-brother's assigned squad.The left shoulder pauldron displays the Chapter's iconography.It is unknown how the Chapter indicates company assignment.
Cowled Wardens - Chapter Badge: The Cowled Wardens' Chapter badge consists of a gold-hooded skull centred upon a field of purple.
Craftworld - Craftworld: A craftworld is a vast, planetoid-sized spacecraft populated by the Asuryani faction of the highly advanced humanoid species known as the Aeldari. The craftworlds travel through the void of space at sublight speeds, carrying the greater remnant of the Aeldari species after their Fall.Each craftworld is a self-sufficient, independent realm with its own distinctive culture. Every craftworld is built upon a skeleton of psychoactive, crystalline wraithbone whose structure extends throughout the gigantic voidcraft. A similar skeletal core lies at the heart of most Asuryani constructions and every one of their spacecraft.In function, this core is similar to the blood vessels and nervous system of a living creature, pumping life-giving energy around the body and also transmitting the psychic impulses that coordinate its many functions.Wraithbone is psycho-conductive, and the core of a craftworld acts as a self-replenishing reservoir of psychic power. The invasive rib-like structures carry this energy throughout the entire length and breadth of the vessel.In a very real sense, the craftworld is a living entity, powered by psychic energy and responding in an organic way to the stimuli of psychic forces. The psychic power contained within it can be expended as light and heat, and most ship-board devices and other Asuryani technology could not actually function without the wireless psychic power grid that runs throughout the substructure of the craftworld.The Asuryani refer to this grid as the Infinity Circuit, a metaphysical neural structure studded with the Spirit Stones of the craftworld's dead, their gestalt psychic collective serving as the source of the great vessel's power -- and its ghostly sentience.
Craftworld - Before the Fall of the Aeldari: Prior to the Fall of the Aeldari, the craftworlds were vast Aeldari commercial starships psychically "sung" from wraithbone; they were effectively self-contained starfaring communities housing hundreds of Aeldari families. Trading missions could take the craftworlds thousands of light years beyond the borders of the Aeldari Empire, separating the community from the Aeldari homeworlds for Terran centuries.These colossal spacecraft would travel across the galaxy using the Webway, trading with the many intelligent alien races they encountered before returning centuries later to the Aeldari homeworlds.This meant the craftworld communities had already developed a strong sense of independence and self-reliance from the heart of their civilisation -- an independence that prevented them from being infected by the increasing decadence and sadistic hedonism that ultimately consumed their species.Because a craftworld might return to the rest of Aeldari civilisation only three or four times in a thousand Terran years, it was easy for them to perceive the degeneration of Aeldari society, while to the Aeldari as a whole the slow decline was too gradual to realise.As the final weeks leading to the cataclysm that would be called the Fall of the Aeldari approached, the various craftworlds' populations returned to the heart of the Aeldari Empire, finding their worlds already in ruin, torn apart by the orgy of sadism that heralded the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh.The craftworlds' inhabitants were horrified by the changes in Aeldari society. The Aeldari Seers who had remained behind and uncorrupted enlisted the aid of the Craftworld Aeldari to undertake a titanic effort to save their people. Onto each Aeldari craftworld, the last uncorrupted people from each Aeldari homeworld were loaded.Taking with them any Aeldari who still remained what they considered sane, the craftworlds fled the heart of the Aeldari civilization, along with works of art, plant life and animals, and whatever else of Aeldari culture that could be saved. The massive psychic shockwave of Slaanesh's awakening caught some of the craftworlds and destroyed them alongside the Aeldari homeworlds, while others were pulled into orbit around the newly-formed Eye of Terror Warp rift at the moment of the Prince of Pleasure's birth.Others survived for thousands of Terran years before their people finally faded and died. The rest drift throughout the galaxy today, their exact number uncertain, as contact with and between them can be difficult and intermittent.
Craftworld - After the Fall: For thousands of Terran years after the Fall unto the current day (the 41st Millennium), the craftworlds have carried the greater part of the surviving members of the Aeldari species, those who named themselves the Asuryani, the "Children of Asuryan," in the years after the Fall and were often called "Eldar" by outsiders, particularly Humans.Craftworlds contain Webway gates that connect tunnels through that labyrinth dimension that lies between the Warp and realspace. The Webway links the craftworlds to each other as well as to thousands of planets scattered across the territory of the lost Aeldari Empire, allowing the dispersed Aeldari civilization some measure of cohesion.Because the Webway is labyrinthine and impossible to accurately map, many craftworlds are effectively lost, unknown and cut off from the greater part of the remaining Aeldari civilisation. Craftworlds have grown greatly in size since the Fall, when they became the sanctuary worlds of the Aeldari people. They are now approximately 10 to 100 times bigger in both volume and population size than they were before the Fall.Craftworlds are well-named, for they are effectively artificial worlds in space, each a self-contained biosystem, with forested and natural areas as well as urbanised ones. These natural areas provide a breathable atmosphere for the craftworld and renewable resources. There are sections of some craftworlds that are uninhabited and awaiting reconstruction. Vast space docks located outside the craftworld house fleets of Asuryani spacecraft.These fleets are capable of traveling through the Warp tunnels of the Webway, allowing the Asuryani of the relatively slow-moving craftworld to bring their forces to areas of the galaxy thousands of light years distant.Every Asuryani of a craftworld is a highly trained warrior -- in battle these citizen-soldiers are known as Guardians, forming the craftworld's defensive militia. Craftworlds are independent political realms, sometimes acting in cooperation with the other Asuryani craftworlds, combining their military forces and acting in concert to achieve a common objective, and trading or exchanging knowledge.Aeldari Exodites often trade with their Asuryani counterparts who live in the craftworlds, but believe that the Craftworld Aeldari are still too close to the old ways of decadence for their own good. However, the militarily stronger Asuryani grant some protection to Exodite Aeldari from attacks by Orks, the Drukhari, Chaos and the Imperium of Man.As mentioned, the populations of the craftworlds of the 41st Millennium probably now comprise the majority of the surviving Aeldari species in the galaxy of the 41st Millennium, although it is impossible to say just how many Aeldari this actually is. The craftworlds are certainly the seat of the remaining Aeldari industry, technology, and culture, as they contain the only vestiges of their original homeworlds.Most of the craftworlds contain special biodomes that house plants and wildlife from their original homeworld, and these are carefully tended and preserved by the Asuryani as the last vestiges of what they have lost.Although each craftworld is essentially independent in its actions and governance, they will generally offer and accept aid and advice from one another. Although not common, sometimes craftworld disagreements will cause them to clash with each other on the field of battle, though this is always a last resort when every Asuryani life is precious.
Craftworld - Major Craftworlds: The most important Aeldari craftworlds of the Milky Way Galaxy are listed and described here.
Craftworld - Alaitoc: Far out on the frontiers of the galaxy, on the edge of explored space in the Ultima Segmentum, lies the Alaitoc craftworld. The Alaitoc Asuryani are zealous in their guard against the touch of Slaanesh, even more so than is common amongst the other Craftworld Aeldari. As such, Alaitoc is strictly governed to prevent any emergence of the sadistic obsessions that the Aeldari are prone to as a species.For this reason, many of Alaitoc's citizens will at one time or another decide to leave the strict confines of the starship and strike out on their own or in small groups to pursue the Path of the Outcast and become Rangers. They will return in times of need, however, and so all military forces deployed by Alaitoc will always possess a substantial force of Rangers.As noted, Alaitoc is an unusually strict craftworld in making sure its citizens follow the Asuryani Path and Asuryani traditions; in response, many of the more freedom-loving individuals from this craftworld choose instead the Path of the Outcast, becoming Rangers or even Aeldari Corsairs who roam the galaxy and make their living raiding primarily Imperial commerce.While all craftworlds make use of the Rangers, who are the most highly accurate snipers amongst the Asuryani, none field or produce more than Alaitoc. Though Alaitoc Rangers do not reside upon the craftworld and prefer to travel the galaxy, these Rangers retain their loyalty to Alaitoc and will return to their craftworld on occasion to visit family and friends.Aside from deploying large numbers of standard Rangers, Alaitoc is also the only craftworld to field the highly skilled Rangers known as Pathfinders. These snipers without compare can cause havoc amongst even the most powerful and numerous of enemy forces. In times of extreme need, such as during the Imperium of Man's invasion of Alaitoc, the craftworld sometimes recalls its Rangers to contribute to Alaitoc's defence forces.Alaitoc uses a sword rune which represents the Sword of Vaul, the weapon forged in Aeldari mythology for the Smith God's desperate battle against the war god Khaela Mensha Khaine. It represents the defiance and determination of its people. Alaitoc and its forces are associated with the colours blue and yellow. The craftworld is known to be located in the Ultima Segmentum.Alaitoc is described as a continent-sized, flat disk (although there are hundreds of levels) whose surfaces contain numerous domes, each with its own environment and climatic theme. There are kilometres-high protrusions on its surface, serving as landing docks, weapons platforms, etc. It is a vast, shielded spacecraft that trails its own Webway portal. Gigantic solar sails provide the needed energy for the artificial world to function.Alaitoc was assaulted by a huge Imperial force after an attack by Aeldari Corsairs on an Imperial shipping convoy was traced back to the Outcasts' home craftworld, which happened to be Alaitoc. Tired of the constant raids of the Aeldari pirates, the Imperium determined to make an example of the craftworld which allowed its citizens to attack Imperial shipping and take Human lives.The surprise assault upon Alaitoc utilised a large Imperial Navy fleet, numerous Astra Militarum regiments, and the Sons of Orar Space Marines Chapter. At the time, the craftworld was in fixed orbit around a dying star, using the tremendous energy of the star's dying throes to recharge its solar sails.There was no time to get away before the invading Human force was upon it. Therefore the craftworld's Autarch and Farseer Council mobilised all of its Aspect Shrines as well as the regular army -- comprised of Alaitoc's Guardians, civilian citizen-soldiers who had been trained in weapons and/or had previously walked the Path of the Warrior.Also awoken was the craftworld's Avatar of Kaela Mensha Khaine and several powerful Phantom Titans to help in the defence of the great vessel. Additionally, the Phoenix Lords Baharroth, Maugan Ra and Karandras all offered their aid.The Asuryani's advanced laser technology proved effective against the Imperial Navy fleet, and the Alaitoc Bonesingers outsmarted the invading Imperial infantry by trapping them within the craftworld's wraithbone structure.Despite these maneuvers, the Imperial forces held on to their initial beachhead, helped by a vicious Drop Pod attack led by the Space Marines that successfully penetrated deep into the craftworld but met increasing resistance from Alaitoc's Aspect Warriors, who were backed by the extraordinary combat abilities of the three Phoenix Lords.Yet the Asuryani were forced to retreat from the Imperial forces' onslaught in order to better defend the craftworld's Infinity Circuit and its core cities. This bitter retreat let the regiments of the Astra Militarum and the Space Marines overrun the settlements of Exodites that existed at the craftworld's periphery.Despite the Imperial might arrayed against the craftworld and the territory the Emperor's forces had already seized, the Farseers of Alaitoc correctly foresaw the ultimate defeat of the Imperial offensive and the expulsion of the Mon-Keigh from the sacred confines of their home.
Craftworld - Black Library: The Black Library of Chaos, better known simply as the Black Library, is the secret Aeldari craftworld that serves as the Aeldari's repository of forbidden lore concerning the Ruinous Powers that exists somewhere within the labyrinthine passages of the Webway.The Aeldari craftworlds became the only surviving sources of their ancient knowledge of sorcery and the Ruinous Powers of Chaos after the Fall of that species to the birth of Slaanesh. As the craftworlds have drifted apart, this knowledge has consequently become fragmented, and as some craftworlds have become lost over the millennia, more precious Aeldari knowledge has been lost with them.The Black Library is governed by a body of the wisest Asuryani Farseers drawn from all of the craftworlds known as the Black Council. The Black Council is the closest the fractious Aeldari species has come to an advisory body that looks after the interests of the entire people.The Aeldari know more of Chaos than Mankind ever will, and still more was lost during the Fall. The Black Library is a single source of Aeldari knowledge that has remained untouched and inviolate since the Fall. In a hidden location, some say at the very centre of the Webway -- the Aeldari's network of stable interdimensional tunnels between realspace and the Warp that crosses the galaxy -- rests the tomes, books, scrolls, and codices describing the Aeldari's complete and extensive knowledge of the Warp.The forbidden lore of the Black Library describes the blandishments, influences, forms, creatures, perils, promises, and horrors of Chaos. The existence of the Black Library is known to only a few and entry is allowed to even fewer individuals. The library defends itself against the weak and those who would misuse its knowledge by refusing entry to all except those who have acknowledged and tempered the Chaos that resides within themselves.The immature or the weak, who are still vulnerable to the promises and seductions of Chaos, find that they are unable to pass through its gateway. As a result, only the Solitaires of the Aeldari Harlequin troupes are allowed to come and go freely, although some say that a Human, perhaps an Inquisitor, has also been allowed to do so.
Craftworld - Biel-Tan: The most martial and aggressive of the craftworlds, Biel-Tan has made the decision to try and reforge the Aeldari Empire, by eliminating the younger races who have "usurped" the galaxy. Each craftworld carries the seeds of Aeldari culture. Not all are identical by any means, as each reflects the cultural heritage of its long dead world of origin.Biel-Tan is renowned for the strong warrior ideals of its people. For the Asuryani of Biel-Tan the Way of the Warrior, the life-stage that encompasses the Aspect Warriors, is considered the first step upon the Asuryani Path. Upon reaching physical maturity a Biel-Tan Asuryani becomes an Aspect Warrior, and only once they have fulfilled this role can they continue along the other roles of the Asuryani Path.The Asuryani of Biel-Tan have a strong honour code and believe that the best way to die is in battle fighting the enemies of Biel-Tan. In the centre of the craftworld there is a special Chamber of Heroes where the Spirit Stones of dead Aspect Warriors are placed.When the Runeseers have to make a particularly difficult decision about the future of their craftworld, they retire to the Chamber of Heroes to consult with the warrior dead. The dead of particular battles are arranged together and are often referred to by the name of the battle in which they fell -- for example, the Dead of Corrus fell fighting Chaos on an ancient Aeldari colony world of the same name.When the Asuryani of Biel-Tan go to war they assemble a warhost known as the Bahzhakhain in the Aeldari Lexicon which means "Swordwind" or "Tempest of Blades." The Swordwind's tactic is a single, swift strike and taking the enemy by surprise. This tactic works considerably well with the elite fighting skills of the many Aspect Warriors eliminating the enemy before they can respond.The Biel-Tan therefore make perfect use of the speed and maneuverability of the Wave Serpents and Falcon grav tanks. The main target of the Biel-Tan are non-Aeldari colonists -- particularly non-Aeldari occupying Aeldari Maiden Worlds. It is especially galling to the Aeldari who created these paradise worlds from dead worlds to find them overrun with "inferior" species.The Asuryani of Biel-Tan believe the success of other alien species is a threat to the expansion of the reborn Aeldari Empire. For this reason the Biel-Tan particularly hate the Orks, greenskins being a completely expansionist species, whose occupation of a world quickly becomes permanent.In many cases Biel-Tan have helped Imperial forces that were under heavy attack by Orks and to hunt down Ork Roks before the tide of Orks can overrun a planet. The Swordwind even possess a vehicle that is unique to Biel-Tan. It is a super-heavy gravity tank called a Void Spinner which is armed solely with a huge monofilament cannon which works just like any other monofilament weapon except that it incorporates a techno virus that sterilizes the ground that it touches.This makes it extremely useful against the Orks due to the Orkoid physiology's spore-based method of reproduction, preventing further re-infestation.The symbol of Biel-Tan is the Aeldari Rune of Rebirth and its name literally translated into Low Gothic means the "Rebirth of Ancient Days." The Swordwind Court's battle colours are green and white, often with flowing vines painted on Biel-tan vehicles. Each thorn of these vines represents the death of a hated enemy.Biel-Tan Guardians wear white or grey armour with trim in green. Biel-Tan vehicles are often coloured entirely green, with large areas broken up using a pattern of twisting vines in a contrasting shade. For every kill an Asuryani pilot makes, a thorn is added to the vine.The name of the craftworld is a variation of the Irish Gaelic word Beltane (also known as Beltaine among the ancient Celtic peoples of Europe or May Day, May 1st).The colour scheme of the Biel-Tan craftworld and its forces is generally green and white. The Biel-Tan craftworld can usually can be found drifting among the stellar winds in the southern reaches of the galaxy, relative to Terra, in the Segmentum Tempestus.
Craftworld - Iyanden: The Iyanden craftworld was once one of the largest and most prosperous of all the remaining Asuryani craftworlds. Having barely survived the Fall, the Asuryani of Iyanden did not long despair. Disaster fanned the flames of their arrogance where it had doused them in others.Those who had survived the Fall had done so precisely because they had never succumbed to corruption, or so the Asuryani of Iyanden said, and it was their duty to rebuild. Thus did the Seers of Iyanden harness ancient techniques of mysticism and science to recover the first Spirit Stones from the Crone Worlds, and soon thereafter adapted the Infinity Circuit of their craftworld to be a conduit for the souls of the dead.Though Slaanesh's shadow could not be truly denied, the Dark Prince would at least have to work harder for its prizes in the years that followed. It was a small victory, but against a nemesis of such terrifying and indescribable power, there would only ever be small victories. Deeming this noble goal could be more swiftly achieved though unity of purpose, Iyanden sent emissaries through the Webway to other craftworlds.They shared with them the discoveries of the Spirit Stone and Infinity Circuit, and bade them join in their great work. Iyanden's Seers soon lamented, for though their discoveries were welcomed, their call to action fell upon deaf ears or encountered minds too closed to embrace the opportunity.Many craftworlds deemed their resources just barely sufficient to ensure their survival in a hostile galaxy, and would not indulge such grandiose plans. Other major craftworlds -- Alaitoc and Ulthwé foremost amongst them -- claimed higher duties, ones that required them to focus their strength on the destruction of ancient enemies rather than rebuilding their own past. In the end, only the Asuryani of Biel-Tan joined Iyanden's cause.For thousands of Terran years, Iyanden and Biel-Tann fought as inseparable allies, their distant craftworlds united by the common goal of defeating Chaos. Though the Asuryani forces were few, when considered on a galactic scale, their mastery of the Webway allowed their fleets and warhosts to span the stars with a speed and surety no other starfaring species could ever have hoped to match. As Biel-Tann purged the western arm of the galaxy, so did Iyanden drive the forces of Chaos from the eastern rim, tirelessly defending the Exodites and Maiden Worlds they hoped would one day form the heart of a new Aeldari civilisation.Then came the Tyranids. Iyanden had encountered such creatures before, but those had only been tendrils of the Hive Mind's awareness, groping blindly through space; now Iyanden stood exposed before the onset of an entire hive fleet. In their pride, the Asuryani of Iyanden underestimated the threat. They believed that their might could weather even this storm, that their armies and fleets could vanquish the Great Devourer. Alas, they were terribly wrong.Iyanden drifts through the stars of the eastern rim. Once, its halls were busy and vibrant with life, but no longer. Now, it is but a shadow of its former glory, a sombre and desolate vessel where the dead walk and the living dwindle.Iyanden teeters on the brink of extinction after being invaded by Hive Fleet Kraken in 992.M41. Thousands upon thousands of its noble warriors fell in battle against the Great Devourer. On the verge of utter defeat, Iyanden was saved from extermination by the return of Prince Yriel and the Aeldari Corsairs of his Eldritch Raiders.Yriel had formerly been the high admiral of the Iyanden fleet. Yriel and his Asuryani Outcast pirate raiders, even though previously vowing never to return to Iyanden, could not bear to have their home craftworld destroyed and launched an attack on the Tyranid fleet. Taking the final battle to the craftworld itself, Yriel used an ancient artefact spear called the Spear of Twilight to slay the Hive Tyrant that led the assault.In doing so, Yriel doomed himself to a slow and painful death due to the psychic artefact being bound to its user and then slowly burning away their soul. The forceshield worn by Yriel staved off the constant negative energies of the Spear until such time as Yvraine, the prophet of Ynnead and her Ynnari, came to the craftworld during the Battle of Iyanden against the forces of Nurgle. Yvraine revealed that the Spear of Twilight was actually one of the missing Crone Swords, resurrecting Yriel from death with the power of the Aeldari god of the dead in the bargain.Regardless of Yriel's actions and the coming of the Ynnari, the chances of Iyanden recovering from its losses against the Tyranids remain slim and their future still looks bleak.The Iyanden craftworld can usually be located in the galactic southeast in the Segmentum Ultima and is one of the two Asuryani craftworlds found near the borders of the T'au Empire, the other being Alaitoc.The Asuryani of Iyanden rely much more heavily upon the spirits of the dead to defend them because of their low numbers. Iyanden makes heavy use of the cybernetic warriors known as the Wraithguard and Wraithlords that are animated by the souls of their fallen kin. The Iyanden have specialised psykers called Spiritseers who are trained in aiding the reanimated souls in battle.However, most Asuryani see Spiritseers as necromancers, and even the Spiritseers themselves hate disturbing the spirits of their dead. Indeed, on the eve of the attack by Hive Fleet Kraken, Iyanden's leader Farseer Kelmon made the fateful decision to take the Spirit Stones from their resting places and place them into wraithbone constructs to take to battle, knowing that they would make the difference in the craftworld's survival.Asuryan is the oldest and greatest of the ancient Aeldari deities. He is the father of the gods, the ancestor of all living things. The world-rune of the Iyanden craftworld means "Light in the Darkness," a reference to the ever-burning shrine that honours Asuryan and the flame of hope for the Asuryani of Iyanden.It has been noted that the world-rune of Iyanden that represents this Shrine of Asuryan closely resembles the torii of the Shinto religion practiced in Japan.Iyanden's chosen colours are gold and blue.
Craftworld - Saim-Hann: The Asuryani craftworld of Saim-Hann was one of the first craftworlds to abandon what became the Crone Worlds as the Fall of the Aeldari approached, heeding their Farseers' warnings. As such they have spent far more time isolated from the rest of the Asuryani than the other major craftworlds, although the Saim-Hann do maintain contact with and have a very similar culture to the Exodite worlds.They are fierce warriors, who place upon honour a higher value than their sophisticated kin. This, coupled with their pride, has sadly led them into conflict with each other and different Craftworlds. While this generally takes the form of an organised duel between representatives of each Craftworld in which first blood is usually sufficient to end the matter, the high number of deaths from these conflicts has lent to the barbaric reputation of the Craftworld among other Eldar.The Wild Host of Saim-Hann is comprised almost entirely of Jetbikes. Any unit which cannot be mounted on Jetbikes or do not have a fast form of movement (such as Warp Jump generators or Swooping Hawks wings) is normally given a Wave Serpent transport. An exception to this are the Wraithlords and Dark Reapers, whose role is normally to give covering fire to the vehicles. The force is fast moving and tactically flexible, meaning that even against a far stronger or more numerous enemy the Eldar of Saim-Hann can always remain just beyond their reach. Almost every member of Saim-Hann is part of a Wild Rider family, including the seers, and this allows them to field many specialists who ride Jetbikes and Vypers. The families are maintained in a feudal hierarchy by one Eldar and the rule is passed down through hereditary tradition. The closest family to the "Chief" forms the Kinsmen who are the ruling elite of the family. The families will decide for themselves whether to go to war and the Kinsmen will then guide the chief in battle. Some families also fight with each other, although they usually take the form of a ritual single combat between champions. They are not uncommon, but fights to the death are very rare as first blood is usually sufficient to determine a winner.The Saim-Hann warhosts are generally coloured red or a light scarlet colour. They are often highlighted with contrasting colours, mainly black, white or yellow in striped patterns. They also tend to use striping techniques on their vehicles. The different warrior clans have different personal symbols, however, so there is almost certain to be a significant amount of variation between clans, squads or even individuals. The Craftworld's rune is a stylised serpent, which is the Cosmic Serpent of Eldar myth. The serpent is significant in Eldar mythology because it is supposed to be the only creature to exist in the spiritual and physical worlds at the same time. Indeed, it is revered so much by the Saim-Hann Eldar that one of their coming-of-age rites is to catch a daggersnake (found on the worlds of the Exodites) in mid-strike. The serpent also epitomises the attack style of Saim-Hann -- a fast, deadly strike before withdrawing, leaving the enemy panicked and confused. The Warriors of Saim-Hann are proud, boisterous and aggressive, and use fast, mobile troops with a high quantity of Jetbikes. Young Guardians are always trying to outdo each other in contests of speed, and particularly in battle.The name of the Craftworld is a variation of the Gaelic holiday Samhain (also called the Celtic New Year or in modern times, Halloween). Saim-Hann means "Quest for Enlightenment" in the Eldar tongue. The Saim-Hann Craftworld can usually be found in the Segmentum Pacificus.
Craftworld - Ulthwé: During the Fall of the Aeldari, the lamentable event that heralded the birth of the Dark Prince Slaanesh, Ulthwé was caught in the pull of the Eye of Terror. Here it has remained for millennia, trapped, where the Immaterium intersects with realspace.It is a breeding ground for Chaos and a gateway into the Warp. Due to this baleful proximity to the Eye, Ulthwé must be on constant high alert in case of attacks by the forces of Chaos. Constant risk and warfare has hardened this craftworld's citizens to hardship. Due to the lack of Aspect Warriors on the craftworld, Ulthwé maintains a standing militia known as the Black Guardians, who are highly skilled and better-trained than the Guardians of other craftworlds.Craftworld Ulthwé is home to many of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy. The Eldar of Ulthwé cast themselves as sentinels, keeping an endless vigil over this dread gulf. There, the elite cadres of Farseers keep watch for the many and varied guises of Chaos, for Ulthwé’s many talented mystics can foresee future events with a greater precision than those of other Craftworlds. This foresight allows them both to preserve their line and thwart their eternal enemies, the forces of the Great Enemy. Ulthwé uses such future-knowledge often to the detriment of other races, always acting to preserve the Eldar, whatever the cost. Due to the Craftworld's close proximity to the Eye, Ulthwé maintains a larger number of Warlocks, though others believe it because their location causes exaggerated psychic powers in the Ulthwé population that results in the emergence of more Warlocks. Whatever the reason, many Warlocks, Seers and other psychic warriors follow the Ulthwé armies to battle and their psychic skills are even more advanced than those found on other Craftworlds, as they are able to see the skeins of fate further and farther ahead in time and with greater precision.One of the more famous and integral aspects of the Ulthwé Craftworld is that of its Seer Council. Formerly led by the now deceased Eldrad Ulthran, the council both overtly and secretly interferes with other races in an attempt to steer fate in their favour. This has no doubt allowed the Ulthwé to survive so long in such a perilous position. At the behest of the Council, the Craftworld's warriors are sent into apparently unrelated battles that will ultimately concern Ulthwé itself. It is largely these seemingly arbitrary conflicts that have earned the Eldar their reputation for random and capricious behaviour. The Farseers of Ulthwé know well that stopping the fall of a single stone can sometimes prevent an avalanche, and they manipulate fate itself in order to avert disaster. After all, the Seers of Ulthwé would rather see a hundred thousand humans perish than a single Eldar life slip away.Through its interference with other races, Ulthwé is supposedly responsible for several devastating events in the Imperium of Man, including the Second War for Armageddon, the Sanapan Scouring, the Mortis Annihilation and the Third Coming of Orian. Yet they have also made powerful allies within the Imperium, such as the ancient and wealthy House Belisarius of Terra, one of the families of the Navis Nobilite, having saved this house of Navigators' fortune and honour in times long past. The House of Belisarius then forged the Pact of Anwyn with the Eldar of Ulthwé, agreeing to repay their debt seven times by coming to the aid of Ulthwé whenever it is requested. In the 10,000 Terran years since the Pact was forged, the House of Belisarius has been called to repay five of the seven debts.Because of Ulthwé's heavy reliance on Seers and Warlocks in its forces, the Craftworld has found itself lacking in Aspect Warriors. To compensate, it maintains a highly-trained standing army known as the Black Guardians named for the colour of their armour, who are dedicated to rapidly responding to the many attacks from the Eye of Terror. They are feared throughout the region around the Eye of Terror, both as saviours and dreaded foes. To perceive a force of Ulthwé Guardians as weak would be a grave mistake, for their Seers and Warlocks guide them even upon the battlefield. Thanks to this force, Ulthwé has survived millennia of constant attacks by the Forces of Chaos. Though the battle-psykers of Ulthwé have made their armies mighty indeed, continued reliance upon them has left the Craftworld lacking in Aspect Warriors. The Path of the Seer is long and treacherous, leaving little time for an Eldar to focus upon the Path of the Warrior. It is for this reason that Ulthwé maintains a large standing army of Guardians.The most powerful of these psykers was the late Eldrad Ulthran, who was the leader of the Craftworld prior to his apparent demise aboard a Blackstone Fortress. The Seers of Ulthwé are said to be much more capable than those of other Craftworlds and can see far into the future to shape the destiny of their Craftworld based on their insights. The Seers may predict catastrophe and steer Ulthwé away from it or determine the best course of action regardless of the cost to other races. Such foresight can lead the people of Ulthwé to perform actions which seem selfish and erratic in the eyes of Men and other races, but to the Seers of Ulthwé it is clear that such actions must be performed for the good of the Craftworld. Though results may not directly arise from such action, it will indirectly influence Ulthwé's fate perhaps far into the future.
Craftworld - Contact with Outsiders: Of all the Asuryani craftworlds, Ulthwé seems to interfere with the affairs of other intelligent species the most because of its people's greater ability to foresee the future.Some notable conflicts resulting from Ulthwé intervention include the following.Second War for ArmageddonSanapan ScouringMortis AnnihilationThird Coming of OrianBattle of Lorn V13th Black CrusadeDark Crusade on KronusKaurava Campaign
Craftworld - Minor Craftworlds: Altansar - A small Eldar Craftworld that had been on the edge of the shockwave from the Fall that created the Eye of Terror, Altansar was long thought to have been lost in that Warp rift along with the homeworlds of the Eldar. However, there were reports of its sighting and even active involvement in the recently conducted campaign between the Imperium and the Forces of Chaos near the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade, and doubt now exists as to its ultimate fate. Yet Altansar did, in fact, escape from the Warp with the help of the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra, and that Eldar of other Craftworlds regard its inhabitants with deep suspicion due to their multi-millennial imprisonment in the Eye of Terror. Altansar was one of the many Craftworlds that survived the Fall of the Eldar. It rode out the psychic shock waves that destroyed the Eldar Empire but was subsequently caught in the gravity well of the newborn Eye of Terror. Although the Eldar of Altansar struggled valiantly against the encroachment of Chaos, their doom was inevitable, and within five hundred years of the Fall, their Craftworld was swallowed into the Warp. Amongst the entirety of Altansar's population, only the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra escaped the Craftworld's consumption by Chaos. Over 10,000 Terran years later, Abaddon the Despoiler emerged from the insane reality of the Eye of Terror, at the head of the 13th Black Crusade. The Chaos Traitor Legions' intrusion into reality left a rift which bridged the material universe and the Immaterium. Through this opening Maugan Ra counter-invaded the Eye to find the remains of his people. Leaving a silvered trail of soulfire behind him, Maugan Ra eventually found the remains of his Craftworld. He found that the Eldar of Altansar had survived 10,000 years within the Eye. Maugan Ra guided the remnants of his Craftworld out of the Eye and against Abaddon's forces to deny him ultimate victory. However, there was no celebration or welcome from the other Craftworlds. Altansar is regarded with open suspicion and hostility, for how could any Eldar remain untouched by the predations of Chaos for ten thousand years? Altansar's traditional colours are a deep red and black and the Craftworld has reemerged into realspace in the Segmentum Solar. The world-rune used by Craftworld Altansar is known as the "Broken Chain" -- not only in reference to the escape of Kurnous and Isha from the dungeons of Khaine, but also to the shattering of the links that bound Vaul to his anvil. The broken infinity loop above the world-rune has only been adopted by the Craftworld since its narrow escape from an eternity of damnation within the Eye of Terror.Il-Kaithe - Il-Kaithe is one of the lesser-known Eldar Craftworlds. Being located close to the Eye of Terror, the Eldar of Il-Kaithe constantly wage war against the Forces of Chaos. Il-Kaithe, meaning "Knowledge of Blood", was once best known for its Bonesingers' creativity. Their talented Bonesingers are said to be able to practice their art even in the heat of battle. Since the dawn of the 41st Millennium, it has become renowned for its merciless crusades against the forces of the Dark Gods. The craftworld opposes the Great Enemy at every turn, no matter the cost -- it will readily ally with Commorragh and even with Mankind to thwart the machinations of Chaos. The traditional colours of Il-Kaithe are green detailed with purple trim. The world-rune of Il-Kaithe, known as the "Helm of Eldanesh", represents the all-seeing helm the Eldar hero Eldanesh received from Asuryan himself. The Lay of the House of Eldanesh describes how the Eldar hero defeated the gods and monsters alike with the prescience that it gave him, but in the end he fell prey to his own curiosity and foresaw his own bloody demise at the hands of Khaine. The Eldar of Il-Kaithe use the world-rune depicting the helm to remind themselves that knowledge can have a terrible cost.Iybraesil - Iybraesil is a largely matriarchal Craftworld society, fostering many Howling Banshees shrines and female Autarchs. As followers of the blind Eldar Crone Goddess of the Underworld, Morai-Heg, the Iybraesil Eldar constantly aspire to recover the hidden secrets of the Crone Worlds, the original homeworlds of the lost Eldar empire which now reside within the Eye of Terror. Dutiful and fierce, the gifted Seers of the craftworld labour long in their hunt for the hidden secrets of the Crone Worlds. They hope to secure not only the Tears of Isha, but also ancient technologies and doomsday artefacts that will allow them to tip the balance in the war for survival. The colours of Iybraesil are blue and white. The Iybraesil Craftworld can regularly be located within the Segmentum Pacificus. The world-rune of Iybraesil, known as "Wisdom of Pain" and also the "Hand of Heg", is a reference to the Eldar myth wherein Morai-Heg, the Crone, persuaded Khaine to sever her hand so that she could drink of the wisdom of her own blood. The Eldar of that Craftworld make frequent references to this act, claiming that no knowledge is truly claimed without sacrifice.Kaelor - Kaelor is an extremely isolated Craftworld of the Eldar. Under unclear circumstances, at some point in the distant past, Kaelor made a Webway jump to the edge of the galaxy and has not ventured back towards the galactic centre for several millennia. It has virtually no contact with the outside galaxy, and even the Harlequins barely remember its existence. The Kaelor Craftworld is located in the Segmentum Obscurus in orbit of the Eye of Terror. Kaelor is known to pass through the Calixis Sector, a region normally avoided by the Eldar, every thousand Terran years. The colours of Kaelor are red and yellow. The Craftworld of Kaelor remembers virtually nothing of its early history and its earliest known records begin with the Craftwars between Kaelor and the Saim-Hann Craftworld, and even information concerning that event is very scarce. What is known is that following a Webway jump, Kaelor found itself on a collision course with the Saim-Hann Craftworld. The ensuing conflict supposedly ended with a Kaelorian victory, but this is highly doubtful. All that is known is that Kaelor was virtually rent apart in the conflict and is now only held together through incredibly strong psychic bonds. During this time, one Kaelor Eldar, known only as Gwrih the Radiant, came to prominence. Gwrih united the Craftworld in an uneasy peace that has held for millennia; a single line, the Rivalin Dynasty, was chosen to permanently hold the position of Farseer of Kaelor. The other great families were effectively exiled from the Craftworld's capital city, the Sentrium, to the outer reaches of the Craftworld. The Exarchs of the Aspect Shrines are accorded far less stature on Kaelor than on other Craftworlds and they swore an oath to Gwrih that they would never intervene in the political struggles of the Kaelorian great houses. The tenuous peace that held was so long that it led to a dangerous level of unbounded indulgence and decadence among the population of the Sentrium. What would have been purged as a Chaos-influenced pleasure cult on other Craftworlds became accepted as "normal." The affluence of the Sentrium and the ever greater deprivation of the other great houses could only have one outcome, and events finally came to a head with the outbreak of the Kaelorian House Wars. During the House Wars the Aspect Shrines retained their customary neutrality, and thus the main opposing forces were the Guardian armies of Houses Ansgar and Teirtu. The struggle was long and bloody, but the final victory went to the Teirtu, and the head of House Ansgar was executed, though his heirs were spared. Following the House Wars House Teirtu, led by Iden Teirtu, emerged as the dominant political player on Kaelor, and House Ansgar was vanquished and exiled into the hinterlands of Kaelor. Iden Teirtu moved his house to the Sentrium and effectively held the Farseer under house arrest, as his son had sided with House Ansgar during the war.Lugganath - Perceived as little better than Corsairs by other Craftworlds, the Eldar of the minor Craftworld of Lugganath are a society of renegades who seek to foster close ties with the Harlequins of the Laughing God as the Lugganath Eldar hope to abandon this galaxy and start Eldar civilisation afresh and claim the Webway as their realm, reclaiming the Labyrinthine Dimension from the Dark Eldar. Reports of Corsair fleets operating out of Lugganath are common, notably the Sunblitz Brotherhood, whose vessels often fight alongside those of Lugganath's navy in times of war. The main colours of Lugganath are bright orange and black. The Luggnath Craftworld is last known to have been active in the western quadrant of the Segmentum Obscurus. In 801.M41 forces from Lugganath attacked the stronghold of the Steel Hearts and destroyed this Chapter of Renegade Chaos Space Marines in its entirety. Later in 805.M41 forces from Lugganath aided in stymieing a daemonic incursion on the world of Cathox Prime and also in suppressing an uprising by Chaos Cultists on the world of Cathox Gamma. Lugganath's name translates as "Light of Fallen Suns". Their world-rune, the "Black Sun", is a reference to the lost glory of the original Eldar star systems. It is said that if a viewer were to look far enough into the void he would be able to perceive the last light of those dead stars -- as close to a metaphor for hope as the Eldar of Lugganath ever use.Mymeara - Mymeara was an ancient Eldar colony world that had escaped the Fall of the Eldar after the birth of Slaanesh because it was located on the extreme outer frontier of the Eldar Empire and the corrupting influence of the Pleasure Cults had never gained a foothold. However, as the Fall consumed their race, the Mymearans finally descended into hedonistic depravity and madness. The wisest of the Mymearan elders had foreseen this fate and spent the last solar decades of their world's existence constructing a mighty Craftworld that was also named Mymeara. The world-ship was completed just as the planet that had given it birth began to descend into wholesale bloodshed and slaughter. Only half of Mymeara's population was on board, having been deemed uncorrupted, when the Craftworld set sail into the interstellar void. Lost in their grief for the death of their race and believing themselves alone in the galaxy, Craftworld Mymeara drifted across the galaxy for many Terran years. However, before long Mymeara had to fight for its very survival against the assault of countless Ork clans. Hundreds of thousands of Mymearan Eldar died in these wars, and the only hope for Mymeara's survival during this terrible time came from Irillyth, the Phoenix Lord of the Shadow Spectres Aspect Warriors, an Aspect Shrine that was native to Mymeara. Through Irillyth's wisdom the warriors of Mymeara learned how to combine the aspects of stealth, speed, and firepower to decimate their foes and soon set about clearing a safe path through the galaxy for their world-ship. Irillyth's presence upon the Craftworld was short-lived, and the Phoenix Lord left to fight the forces of the fledgling Imperium of Man when he was certain Mymeara had been spared destruction at the hands of the rampaging Greenskins. Mymeara then found a region of space that had not yet been infested by the other intelligent races of the galaxy, and using their advanced holographic technology hid themselves away from all contact with outsiders. Craftworld Mymeara remained hidden for millennia, its continued existence unknown to the rest of the Eldar and the other intelligent races of the galaxy alike. Yet, in the late 41st Millennium, Mymeara's Farseers managed to locate Irillyth's final resting place upon the Imperial Ice World of Betalis III. Betalis III was the site of the Betalis III Campaign fought in 894.M41 between the forces of the Imperium defending the system and the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara who sought to recover Irillyth's armour and the spirit of the Phoenix Lord within. An alliance of Eldar forces from the Craftworlds of Mymeara and Alaitoc as well as Eldar Corsairs from the Void Dragons, Sky Raiders, and Sunblitz Brotherhood, descended on the frigid world to recover their beloved Phoenix Lord's armour before it was discovered and defiled by the human miners present on Betalis III. In this way, the Mymearans hoped that Irillyth might be restored to fight once more for his people, since his spirit would have remained intact within his armour's Spirit Stone. Betalis III was reinforced by Imperial Guard regiments drawn from the Cadian Shock Troops and the Elysian Drop Troops as well as Titans from the Legio Gryphonicus and Space Wolves Space Marines. After the Imperial forces fought the Eldar to a bloody standstill, the mysterious xenos vanished as quickly as they had arrived, presumably after they had recovered Irillyth. The world-rune of Mymeara, known as the "Cursing Eye", is a reference to the omniscient abilities of Asuryan, said to be able to perceive and to kill in the same instant. Asuryan's pitiless extermination of the brutal Yygghs epitomises the cull of a lesser race in its comparative infancy, eradicating it before it could grow to endanger the noble Eldar race in any way.Yme-Loc - The Eldar of the Yme-Loc Craftworld are talented artisans, boasting many weapon-smiths who supply its warhosts with Engines of Vaul and lithe Titans that dwarf the Gargants of the Orks and the God-machines of the Imperium. Though it is not openly spoken of, the Craftworld also possesses an arcane engine of destruction that can destroy a continent in a single night. Their armies are supported by powerful grav-tanks and Eldar Titans. Yme-Loc's Guardians wear grey armor with red helmets and shoulder armour plates. Their mighty Wraithlords and other vehicles are often coloured grey with red details. Yme-Loc is considered only a minor Craftworld located in the Segmentum Obscurus and is not very well known throughout the galaxy. The world-rune of Yme-Loc is known as the "Crucible of Souls". Eldar legends tells of the Crucible of Souls, within which the smith-god forged weapons of purest wraithsteel were alloyed with the spirits of the virtuous in order to wage the War in Heaven. It was in this crucible that the ninety-nine-and-one Swords of Vaul were created. Yme-Loc uses the symbol of the Crucible of Souls as its world-rune, claiming that the Eldar's fate is theirs to forge.
Craftworld - Other Minor Craftworlds: CraftworldSummaryAn-IolsusThe craftworld of An-Iolsus forged a rare alliance with the Imperium of Man during the Gothic War of the early 41st Millennium to defeat the Forces of Chaos.Arach-QinThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.AringheThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.Cairas MytharThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.CthoCtho is the legendary "lost craftworld."CrudarachCraftworld Crudarach and its people recently went missing from their prior known location for reasons that remain mysterious. It was the home of the Asuryani Ranger Yrliet Lanaevyss, who joined with the retinue of the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius in the Koronus Expanse after meeting them on the Agri-world of Janus to seek out clues as to what had happened to it and her people.DoltheDire Avengers from the Dolthe craftworld fought to defend and close a Webway portal on the contested world of Monthax. They were later joined by the Volpone 50th and the Tanith 1st Regiments of the Astra Militarum.DorhaiThe Asuryani of Dorhai do not deal with other craftworlds, believing themselves to be the only untainted survivors of the Fall of the Aeldari.Il'sariadhIn 116.M38, when this craftworld was visited by a large troupe of Aeldari Harlequins, during their performance, the Solitaire was none other than the trickster Tzeentchian Daemon known as the Changeling. Killing the player who portrayed the Great Harlequin, he summoned the Slaaneshi Daemon known as The Masque of Slaanesh, who in turn opened a portal that allowed her Daemon brethren to pour through. Though the craftworld ultimately survived the incursion, Il'sariadh effectively had its heart torn out with the loss of its brightest and best.Karan-SkeLocated in the Segmentum Ultima, the craftworld of Karan-Ske repeatedly clashed with the Ultramarines Chapter in the wake of the First Tyrannic War.MerosMeros is remembered only as "the doomed craftworld."MiandrotheMiandrothe is a minor Asuryani craftworld that haunts the Askellon Sector, striking without warning and leaving no trace. While the Askellian authorities know all too well of the Aeldari Corsairs that plague shipping and outposts across the sector, the presence of a mighty craftworld within Askellon's bounds remains unknown to the Imperium.Miel CarnThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.NacretineiThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.Stel-UitThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.TelennarTelennar is a minor Asuryani Craftworld. Cordial relations between Alaitoc and Telennar have often brought the two craftworlds together to battle against the forces of Chaos, most recently during the Fall of Medusa V in 999.M41. Telennar is also known for going to war alongside the Harlequins of the Masque of the Twisted Path. It's well documented that the Twisted Path have an affinity with the Asuryani of Telennar, for while the masque has been known to spirit victims, whether they be friend or foe, away into the Webway (never to be seen again), this never happens on Telennar -- some say it is because the souls on that craftworld are too dark. Telennar's colours are bright orange and sable. The meaning of their world-rune is unknown.Tir-ValThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.VaranthaVarantha is a minor Asuryani craftworld that is also known as the "Crown of Our Steadfast Hopes." Varantha is renowned among the other Craftworld Aeldari for the gems it crafts, the rare flowers it breeds, and the beautiful metals its artisans work. The Aeldari of Varantha hate Chaos with a white heat, and so the craftworld has deployed many of its forces to combat the forces of Chaos across the galaxy as well as to defend the worlds of the Exodites from its taint.Yr-ArthiThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.Zahr-TannThere is no information on this craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact of its existence.ZandrosHome to the Slicing Orbs, an Asuryani Aspect Warrior shrine unique to this craftworld.
Craftworld - Lost Craftworlds: Since the Fall of the Aeldari some craftworlds have been destroyed through various tragedies. These include:CraftworldSummaryAnaenThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.Bel-ShammonThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.IdharaeIdharae was destroyed in an all-out siege launched by the Invaders Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and the Legion of the Damned; its surviving population fled to Alaitoc, which earned revenge against the Invaders by destroying their homeworld of Ogrys in 895.M41, forcing them to become a Fleet-based Chapter.Ila-ManeshIn 326.M33, a huge warband of the Night Lords Chaos Space Marines descended from the darkness of the Warp on a mission of revenge. Their aim was simply to eradicate the Craftworld's Spirit Stones, many of which had previously been stolen from the Crone World of Aesyl-Sar. While delivering justice for this past Eldar sin, the Night Lords unleashed several Defilers. One of these, Ghostcrusher, stood out as a particularly savage machine beast. The Daemon Engine spearheaded a Night Lords assault upon the Shrine of Eldanesh, incinerating ancient tomes, crushing sacred totems, destroying spirit stones and burning the Guardians who attempted to prevent the desecration. So thorough were the Night Lords in their assault on Ila-Manesh that they left the Craftworld a tomb, with no artifacts and no living Eldar remaining.Kher-YsKher-Ys was once an Eldar Craftworld rich in souls and drifting dangerously close to the Eye of Terror. The covetous Dark Prince of Chaos and his minions gathered in a great host to seize their share of the prize. Leading this daemonic host was the Keeper of Secrets Ail'Slath'Sleresh, known as Heartslayer. During an invasion of the Craftworld, Heartseeker managed to possess an Avatar of Khaine. The Keeper of Secrets, in the borrowed form of the Avatar, led the Slaaneshi daemon host in an orgy of destruction. They gorged themselves upon the Eldar of Kher-Ys for many solar days and nights as thousands fell to their insatiable thirsts. Slaanesh finally claimed his prized jewel. The empty and desolate Craftworld of Kher-Ys continues to drift along the eddies of the Eye of Terror, its corridors still ringing with the death cries of its people and the laughter of their daemonic slayers.Kolth'seThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.LanimayeshThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.Lu'NasadLu'Nasad was destroyed after fleeing from their civilisation's destruction during the Fall of the Eldar. The scholars, Farseers and Warlocks of Lu'Nasad had spent Terran centuries studying and discovering lost paths within the Webway which led through the Empyrean that no living being had walked since time out of mind. As fate would have it, the dark, twisting, and largely unknown paths taken by Lu'Nasad took her not to salvation, but directly into the seething heart of the Rifts of Hecaton, located in the Koronus Expanse. There in the midst of these damned and forgotten stars, Lu'Nasad came face to face with powerful forces of the Empyrean that were manifesting in realspace. A desperate and largely futile battle ensued as Lu'Nasad's defenders were overwhelmed by the Forces of Chaos, and in short order the Craftworld fell silent and drifted further into the Rifts, her only survivors the powerful Farseer Anaris and the crew of his starship. Bathed in the energies of the Warp and infused with the taint of Chaos, Lu'Nasad became a twisted, ugly parody of herself.Malan'taiMalan'tai was a minor Craftworld of the Eldar. It was destroyed in 812.M41 by a splinter of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Naga and was the location of the first known encounter of the potent Tyranid Zoanthrope later called the Doom of Malan'tai by the Eldar. The derelict Craftworld became nothing more than a drifting, lifeless husk floating through the void. In 994.M41, Craftworld Iyanden came to Malan'tai to see if they could find anything of use to help with repairs of their home after their recent battle with Hive Fleet Kraken, but instead, they found the abandoned Craftworld swarming with vile Orks. When the Eldar finally regained control of Malan'tai, they discovered that the Orks have stolen or destroyed anything of use. With heavy hearts, they altered the Craftworld's course towards the nearest sun and headed home.Mor'rioh'iThis Craftworld was destroyed by the military forces of the burgeoning Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade.MuirgaythhDestroyed by the daemonic forces of Slaanesh.TheminaraeTheminarae was a Craftworld that was destroyed when it crashed upon the world Quintus in the wake of a Warp Storm that ravaged the Calaphrax Cluster.ThuyelaThuyela was destroyed by the 10th Company of the Space Wolves Legion during the Great Crusade.UthurielThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.Zu'lasaThere is no information on this lost Craftworld in Imperial records other than the fact that it once existed.Zahr-TannDestroyed by the WAAAGH! led by the great Ork Warlord who was known as "The Beast" during the 32nd Millennium.
Craftworld - Sources: Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition), pg. 21Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pp. 13-17Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pp. 17, 58Dark Heresy: The Enemies Without (2nd Edition) (RPG), pp. 105-106, 108, 110-111, 122, 127Iyanden - A Codex: Eldar Supplement (6th Edition)Rogue Trader: Fallen Suns (RPG), pp. 4, 7-12The Horus Heresy Book Two: Massacre by Alan Bligh, pg. 157Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pg. 129The Citadel Journal 3, pg. 42The Citadel Journal 46, pg. 32White Dwarf 147 (US), "Space Marine: Avatar & War Walker - Eldar Craftworlds," pp. 12-14Fulgrim (Novel) by Graham McNeillProspero Burns (Novel) by Dan AbnettAurelian (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-BowdenPredator, Prey (Novel) by Rob SandersCalgar's Fury (Novel) by Paul Kearney, pg.38Eldar Prophecy (Novel) by C.S. GotoFarseer (Novel) by William KingPath of the Seer (Novel) by Gav ThorpePath of the Warrior (Novel) by Gav Thorpe, pp. 329-409Howl of the Banshee (Short Story) by Gav ThorpeWarhammer 40,000: Index Chaotica - DefilersSnares & Delusions (Short Story) by Matthew FarrerWarhammer 40,000: Will of Iron (12 Issue Comic Series) (2018)Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (PC Game)Worlds of the GalaxyGeneral/Environmental ClassificationsChem World • Dead World • Death World • Desert World • Derelict World • Ice World • Forest World • Jungle World • Mountain World • Ocean World • Rad World • Swamp WorldImperial ClassificationsAbattoir World • Adeptus Astartes Homeworld • Agri-world • Anchor World • Arboreal World • Archive World • Armoury World • Astropathic Relay Station • Battery World • Cardinal World • Cemetery World • Civilised World • Delverworld • Feral World • Feudal World • Forbidden World • Forge World • Fortress World • Frontier World • Hive World • Hub-Fortress • Industrial World • Knight World • Labyrinth World • Lumber World • Menagerie World • Merchant World • Mining World • Penal World • Penitent World • Pleasure World • Qurantined World • Quarry World • Refugee World • Repository World • Research Station • Sentinel World • Shrine World • War World • Waste WorldChaos ClassificationsDaemon World • Hell-Forge • Fallen Knight WorldXenos ClassificationsCraftworld • Crone World • Exodite World • Hold World • Kin World • Maiden World • Ork World • T'au Sept • Sept World • Tomb World • Xenos World
Crassus - Crassus: The Crassus is a heavily armoured assault transport of the Astra Militarum that was named after one of Lord Solar Macharius' greatest generals during the Macharian Crusade, Borgen Crassus, who had remained loyal to the Imperium even during the grim and bloody Macharian Heresy that followed after Macharius' death.The Crassus, along with the Dominus Heavy Siege Bombard and Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher weapon systems are Standard Template Construct (STC) designs recovered on the recently re-conquered Forge World of Zhao-Arkhad. After the planet was re-consecrated into Imperial service, its STC data cores were found deep inside the vaults of the once-nightmarish realm.Even though the Crassus is a relatively new addition to the arsenal of the Astra Militarum, it has already become famous for its heavy armour and firepower.It has entered widespread use in the southern and western regions of the Segmentum Tempestus and after only a few standard centuries the Crassus design is now being constructed on the Forge World of Lucius and is used to extensively resupply the Imperial forces that are guarding the space around the Eye of Terror to replace the on-going losses in that steadily worsening warzone.There, as everywhere else it had been deployed, the Crassus had earned a considerable reputation for its sheer power and durability.This reputation has given the vehicle near-talismanic status amongst some siege assault units of the Astra Militarum, to the concern of some within the Commissariat and the Departmento Munitorum.
Crassus - Armament: The Crassus is a heavily armed and armoured transport, with 2 forward-mounted Heavy Bolters and 2 sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters, and every weapon can be replaced individually with a Heavy Flamer, an Autocannon, or a Lascannon. This allows the Crassus to be equipped with up to four different weapons at once.The Crassus can also replace the sponson weapons with Extra Armour Plating for added protection. The vehicle is also able to be outfitted with a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter for extra firepower, a Dozer Blade, Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.The Crassus is capable of transporting up to 35 soldiers in its expansive armoured hold, and is also able to carry up to two Cyclops Demolition Tanks.Its weapons are used in a primarily defensive role to protect the troops it carries as they deploy onto the battlefield, but it can be modified to carry a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher.This option is most often used against enemy armour. Although it is very effective, it is best deployed alongside other Crassus transports to maximise its effectiveness.
Crassus - Known Users of the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport: Astra Militarum - The Crassus is becoming widespread throughout the Imperial Guard's front-line armoured and mechanised infantry regiments.Adeptus Mechanicus - The Mechanicus uses the Crassus for many of its own armed transport needs.6th Cadian Armoured Regiment - The Crassus was heavily used by the 6th Cadian Armoured Regiment during the Betalis III Campaign against the Asuryani of Craftworld Mymeara. During that campaign, the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport was crucial in deploying Imperial forces to all of the different frozen warzones across that world's frigid surface. The Crassus played a crucial role in the Battle of Alnitac and allowed Colonel Empteda to reach that facility before the Asuryani and destroy it before it could fall into the xenos' devious hands.
Crassus - Variants: The Crassus assault transport has several variants that are used by the Astra Militarum, which include the following:Praetor - The Praetor is an armoured assault missile launcher used by the Astra Militarum for direct infantry fire support. The Praetor is armed with a unique weapons system known as the Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher, a massive heavy Missile Launcher system that fits into where the troop hold would be located on the standard Crassus. This weapon's Standard Template Construct (STC) designs, along with the Dominus Heavy Siege Bombard weapon system and the Crassus vehicle's designs itself, were recovered on the recently re-conquered Forge World of Zhao-Arkkad.Dominus - The Dominus is an armoured assault missile launcher used by the Imperial Guard for direct infantry fire support. The Dominus is armed with a unique weapons system known as the Dominus Heavy Siege Bombard, which is a triple-barrelled, heavy bombardment cannon. This weapon's Standard Template Construct (STC) designs, along with the Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher weapon system and the Crassus vehicle's designs itself, were recovered on the recently re-conquered Forge World of Zhao-Arkkad.
Crassus - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of this vehicle have yet to be released by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Creations of Bile - Creations of Bile: The Creations of Bile is the collective name for the many servants and genetically altered creations employed by Fabius Bile, the infamous Chaos Lord and former Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children.The forces which comprise the Creations of Bile are used both for the Chaos Lord's own purposes as well as deployed as mercenaries for other Chaos Lords willing to pay the Spider's high price. These hideously altered warriors are often used for diversionary attacks while Bile pursues his own agenda under the cover of their operations.The forces comprising the Creations of Bile are myriad, consisting of the genetically-altered Heretic Astartes known as Terata, Gland Hounds, or even entire Chaos Space Marine warbands like The Shriven. Many have been abducted by the Clone Lord from other Chaos forces or even from Loyalist Space Marine Chapters ,so that they may serve as raw material for the Spider's horrific experiments.Heretic Astartes acting under this name aided Bile during the War of the Spider in the Era Indomitus.
Creations of Bile - Warband History: The Chaos Lord Fabius Bile operates primarily as a solitary predator and a mercenary bio-artisan. He is attended occasionally by disciples from other Traitor Legions hoping to learn the craft at the side of a master, as well as by lowly surgeon acolytes who shadow Bile until they displease him and then form part of his next gruesome experiment.Although Bile's creations are ultimately perfected for another paying Chaos Lord, he has been known to use such forces for his own purposes before handing them over. While he is certainly a dangerous combatant in his own right, Bile has sometimes found the need to wield his own creations en masse.A planet, installation or voidship containing suitable new specimens or gene-tech is often heavily guarded. Similarly, Bile has experience of vengeful armies of many different factions converging on him, seeking his head for what they consider abhorrent crimes.In these situations, Bile casually sends diversionary forces of his altered warriors into the fray, heedless of their lives as he acquires what he needs or makes his escape.Whether under the Primogenitor's direct command or operating on his behalf throughout the galaxy, the genetically-altered Chaos Space Marines who do his bidding -- his Terata -- have a variety of origins. Some, like The Shriven, are entire warbands of Renegades who sought out Bile's gene-sculpting services to enhance their physical prowess and who now grudgingly repay him by ceding him temporary command. Others are forces of warriors amassed and augmented within Bile's own hidden laboratories, whether they are vat-grown clones or abducted Space Marine warriors from Traitor or Loyalist formations alike.Still, others are handed over to him by the Traitor Legions for mass enhancement, or are assembled from individuals that escaped medicae institutions. Indeed, Bile's operatives have been known to infiltrate such sites and taint their arcane machineries, the resulting mutant abominations often destroying the facilities in their escape and somehow finding their way back to the Spider via an inexplicable bio-tether.The abhorrent warbands of horrifically augmented Heretic Astartes known as Terata, whether devoted to Bile's search for prize specimens and forbidden knowledge or pledged to his will in payment for his grisly services, expand the web of the Spider's sinister influence over the galaxy.Fabius Bile's obsessive quest to surpass the Emperor's original achievements in genetic science has borne myriad horrific fruits. As a result, all of his Terata are chemically, physically and biomechanically altered by his experiments, elevating their abilities above those of even similar beings like other Chaos Space Marines -- for now...
Creations of Bile - Notable Campaigns: Shattering of Lugganath (764.M34) - With the help of a troupe of Harlequins, the Craftworld Aeldari of Lugganath defeated and slew a rising Chaos Champion of Slaanesh, Kasperos Telmar, the Radiant King, who -- if left unchecked -- could quite possibly have reunited the warring warbands of the Emperor's Children into a single fighting force. In order to draw out their prey, the Aeldari do not hesitate to manipulate the Clone Lord, Fabius Bile, to side with the Radiant King by offering him a target too tempting to ignore: the craftworld itself. Successfully drawing out their enemies, the Aeldari of Lugganath allow the Emperor's Children to penetrate deep into the craftworld before springing their trap, as the Aeldari counterattack successfully, isolating the Radiant King as he entered the transitional phase from mortal to Daemon Prince. Surrounded by Lugganath's Seer Council, the Radiant King is utterly destroyed. Yet this victory proves costly as the secondary ploy to tie Bile's fate to that of the IIIrd Legion failed. Worse yet, Fabius Bile was able to steal several Spirit Stones inhabited by the souls of Lugganath's Farseers. Who knows what terrible monsters Bile will be able to forge from the knowledge they contain?Expedition to Solemnace (ca. M35) - Acting under a request from Eidolon to recover a tithe of Emperor's Children Legion gene-seed lost somewhere in the Eastern Fringe, Fabius Bile and his affiliated forces tracked it down to the Tomb World of Solemnace that was ruled by the Necron Overlord Trazyn the Infinite. Bile traded the uncorrupted clone of the Primarch Fulgrim he had created to Trazyn to include in his collections of galactically important individuals in exchange for the Emperor's Children's uncorrupted gene-seed, which provided the Traitor Legion with enough genetic material to create 18,000 new Heretic Astartes.Battle of Belial IV (993.M37) - A conflict between Fabius Bile and the Drukhari Haemonculi Coven of the Thirteen Scars erupts when the Clone Lord is caught passing on the secrets he learned among the Haemonculi to the Emperor's Children Chaos Space Marines in his employ. As their minions fight tooth and nail outside the shattered Aeldari palace the Emperor's Children were using as a base on the Crone World of Belial IV, the Primogenitor Bile is paid a visit in his throne by the lords of the Thirteen Scars. After the Renegade Apothecary's private army of horrors experiences a dozen esoteric types of murder at the hands of the Haemonculi, an understanding is reached, particularly after Bile threatened to release a Glass Plague and Slaaneshi Daemons began to arrive in earnest. Bile's augmented Emperor's Children are granted death by masochistic ecstasy, and the Haemonculi depart after surgically ensuring that the Renegade cannot speak of his knowledge of Thirteen Scars flesh-crafting techniques to any other living creature.War of the Spider (Unknown Date.M42) - During the Psychic Awakening after the birth of the Great Rift, Fabius Bile stole a precious Death Guard artefact known as the Ark Cornucontagious. This relic of Nurgle granted to the Death Guard by the Great Unclean One Rotigus gives off powerful waves of corruption that brings about such catastrophic mutations and such rapid, uncontrollable growth that the Ark could easily corrupt entire worlds within a matter of solar days. This spurred the Nurglite Chaos Lord Typhus and his Plague Fleet to pursue the Spider, who was forced to form an alliance with Argento Corian and his warband of The Shriven to hold off his fellow Heretic Astartes. During the subsequent conflict known as the "War of the Spider," Bile was able to manipulate all sides to his own advantage. The Shriven were modified into hordes of Terata while Corian himself was eventually doomed to become a monstrous golem. In a battle that erupted on Bairsten Prime, Bile was able to capture a number of Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence, taking them as the newest and most interesting of his test subjects. In the final stage of the war on Dessah, Bile was again able to escape as the Shriven, Death Guard, and Custodes destroyed one another. With his research subjects acquired and the Ark Cornucontagious in hand, Bile returned to Urum in the Eye of Terror to begin his work anew.
Creations of Bile - Notable Creations of Bile: Igori - Igori is one of a group of genetically enhanced Human mutants known as New Men created by Fabius Bile. Igori is the first of Fabius Bile's "Gland Hounds", a sub-type of New Man created through the implantation of a modified form of Space Marine gene-seed implants. She rules the rest of Fabius Bile's creations through strength and a higher degree of intelligence than the rest of the mostly primitive mutants. The Clone Lord has an unusual degree of fondness for Igori and the rest of her kind, believing that they will one day inherit the galaxy as a superior species of Humanity.Savona - Savona is a Slaaneshi-mutated female Human warrior fighting for the Emperor's Children. Born to the family of the planetary governor of an Agri-world, Savona eventually married another planetary governor and for a time lived as his widow. When a warband of the Emperor's Children arrived to raid the planet , she joined them willingly, draped in her family's skin and offering the Legion their hearts. She began her time in the Traitor Legion as one of the Legion serfs, but that changed when she was gifted with semi-sentient Daemonic battleplate from her master the Chaos Champion Kasperos Telmar, also known as the Radiant King, who was on the cusp of ascension to Daemonhood. She subsequently rose through the ranks, never becoming a true member of the Legion but still recognised by the Heretic Astartes as an accomplished warrior. By the 34th Millennium she was ranked 2nd in the Joybound, the elite guard of Telmar's warband. After the Shattering of Lugganath and Telmar's death at the hands of the Craftworld Aeldari, Savona joined Fabius Bile's Consortium warband. She continued to rise through the ranks of Bile's servants by pitting her rivals against Bile, which inevitably led to their deaths.Mayasha & Mayshana - Known as "the Twins," Mayasha and Mayshana were "Gland Hounds," a sub-type of New Man created through the implantation of a modified form of Space Marine gene-seed implants. Mayasha was slain by Palos, a warrior of Flavius Alkenex, during the Phoenix Guard Prefect's betrayal of Fabius Bile on Solemnace.Wolver - Wolver was a bizarre, mutant creature that served as the bridge overseer of the Vesalius, the captured Gladius-class Frigate used by Fabius Bile as a form of flagship.Key - Key was a Daemonically-corrupted and severely mutated Aeldari Corsair formerly of the Sunblitz Brotherhood who acted as a means to enter the Webway and control the wraithbone implants that Bile had added to his flagship, the Vesalius.
Creations of Bile - Warband Relics: Helm of All-Seeing - This baroque helm sports numerous additional sensors, requiring the existence of various disfiguring organs with which to process the additional information.Hyper-growth Bolts - These bolts are infused with Fabius Bile's most unstable growth-inducing serums, causing victims stuck by them to explode in eruptions of swelling flesh.Living Carapace - With but a thought, the wearer of this biomechanical suit of armour created by the twisted genius of Fabius Bile can compel the bio-armour to thicken and enhance its protection.
Creations of Bile - Warband Fleet: Vesalius (Modified Gladius-class Frigate) - The Vesalius was an Adeptus Astartes Gladius-class Frigate captured and renamed by Fabius Bile. Since coming into his possession it has undergone substantial modifications with captured xenos and other heretical technologies, giving its Machine Spirit (ship's computer) a level of awareness bordering on Abominable Intelligence. The vessel is crewed by mutants, including New Men, Gland Hounds, Terata and Heretic Astartes of the Emperor's Children, all of whose genetics have been heavily modified by Bile. The mutant crew worship Bile as a god and are intensely loyal to him. The lower decks of the ship are full of savage creatures which hunt the crew and vice-versa. At the centre of the vessel is a garden comprised of wraithbone which Bile has been secretly cultivating. The living wraithbone has grown into the very bones of the vessel, something which worries the more xenophobic members of the Emperor's Children who serve aboard the vessel. At the centre of the wraithbone garden is a horrifically mutated and Daemonically-corrupted Aeldari male known as "Key," who was once a member of the Sunblitz Brotherhood until his capture by Bile. The Clone Lord now uses Key to access the Webway when needed and maintain the growth of the wraithbone garden.
Creations of Bile - Warband Colours: The Creations of Bile's warband colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Creations of Bile - Warband Badge: The Creations of Bile's warband badge is a golden, studded skull from which emerges eight spider legs on a field of purple.
Credos - Credos: Credos is a mountainous Shrine World located within the Achilus Crusade's Orpheus Salient in the Jericho Reach. It was declared a Forbidden World by the Inquisition after the forces of Hive Fleet Dagon made planetfall, and thus became sequestered by the Deathwatch under clearance level Omega Vermillion.The planet stands as a monument to the might of the Imperium and to the grand heroes that strove to unite Humanity so long ago. For as long as the Imperium has laid claim to the stars themselves, Credos has existed to denote the impossible distances Mankind has crossed and the strength of Human ambition.The only Human structure of any significance upon Credos is a range of colossal statues depicting the likeness of the Emperor and the Primarchs, collectively known as the "Theopticon."Believed to predate the Horus Heresy, the Theopticon appears to have once consisted of twenty-one statues, with eleven of them -- clearly those depicting the Lost and Traitor Primarchs -- having been reduced to nothing more than rubble, leaving only empty spaces and shattered rock as testament to their presence.Each statue is some six kilometres high, carved from the hard yellow-brown stone of their surroundings, maintained by ancient and cunning technologies to help them endure the ages and stand under their own immense weight.The statues are arranged in a vast arc, all facing inwards with each statue gazing at the same point as all the others -- the highest peak on the small, mountainous continent. Into this peak is built a temple to the might of the Emperor, now maintained by forces loyal to the Deathwatch.Deathwatch personnel frequently make pilgrimages to Credos as a way of reconnecting with their spiritual and genetic fathers, though there are some outside the Deathwatch -- amongst those few who know of Credos -- who suspect some motive for the Deathwatch beyond Adeptus Astartes spiritualism in their continued maintenance of the Theopticon and its temple.
Credos - History: The world has seen many changes in the long millennia of its existence. The structure known as the Theopticon is said to have existed upon Credos' only continental mass since before the Horus Heresy, the statues of the Emperor and the Primarchs dominating the skyline with their size and majesty.In the wake of the Horus Heresy, Credos became a world of specific importance in the Jericho Sector. As belief in the God-Emperor spread across the Imperium in the 31st and 32nd Millennia, temples and shrines were constructed to celebrate that faith, and worlds came together to share it.When the Temple of the Saviour Emperor became the official religion of the Imperium, the many priests and clerics of the Emperor within the ancient Jericho Sector embarked upon a pilgrimage to Credos, to stand beneath the gaze of the Emperor and His sons and consider the faith that they all shared.Over the course of many years, these priests resolved many disputes and came to many conclusions, determining the sector's first Imperial saints, the core tenets of faith, and the structure of the sector's dioceses and which worlds would fall within them -- in short, the entire religious landscape of the Jericho Sector.In the millennia that followed, the sector's Cardinals embarked upon a pilgrimage back to Credos once a decade, to discuss matters of politics and theology, their grand conclave being the only opportunity these powerful individuals had to all appear in the same place at the same time.However, the tradition was ended with the appointment of Arch-Cardinal Udo Asterus, who saw no need to discuss his power with those he considered beneath him, and Credos lay abandoned by all save the last generation of monks who maintained the temple.Centuries after Cardinal Asterus' demise, Credos had been all but forgotten, its existence remembered only in the works of scholars, or so it was believed by the rulers of the Jericho Sector.For reasons which even today are unclear, the Deathwatch keep a watchful eye on abandoned Credos, despite the temple there being empty but for the desiccated remains of the monks who once dwelt there as caretakers.For some five thousand standard years, the Deathwatch has maintained a vigil over Credos, employing a select group of trusted mortal serfs to maintain the temple and the arcane machinery that keeps the immense statues from collapsing.During that time, many Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch have voyaged to Credos, some to bear witness to the visage of their ancient gene-fathers, while others confine themselves to the temple complex instead, venturing deep into the catacombs for solar weeks at a time.The first Tyranid creatures made planetfall on Credos in late 816.M41, when a cluster of Mycetic Spores bearing vanguard organisms plunged into the ocean several hundred kilometres from the world's only land mass.It is believed that Credos, being largely lifeless, is a low priority for the Tyranids compared to populous worlds like Castobel or verdant ones like Phonos.Even so, the group of Deathwatch serfs given stewardship of Credos must now contend with the likes of Genestealers and Lictors attempting to gain access to the mountain temple, slaying all they encounter to prevent knowledge of their presence reaching the hive fleet and bringing a greater concentration of Tyranids down upon them.
Credos - The Theopticon: Standing some six kilometres high at its tallest point, and consisting of ten remaining statues -- the other eleven having been destroyed at some point during or after the Horus Heresy -- in the image of the Emperor and nine of His Primarchs.The statues are not believed to be accurate depictions -- few beings even during the Great Crusade could claim to have laid eyes upon the Emperor or His sons, and thus stylised representations or ones based on picts and existing art would likely have been the source instead.The statues are constructed from carefully machined blocks of the hard yellow-brown stone common to Credos' surface, designed to interlock seamlessly with one another.Each is laden with arcane technology intended to help the statues endure the ages without being diminished by weathering or brought low by gravity, cunningly concealed so as to be invisible to all but the most meticulous inspection.What also becomes apparent from close inspection is that the statues themselves are partially hollow, with chambers and passageways woven within their immense structure.Whether these tunnels were part of the original design or added later is a mystery, but given the sheer mass and enduring nature of the statues, it seems likely that were anything to be stored within them, there is little that would be able to liberate such items by force.
Credos - Temple of the Vigilant Emperor: Significantly younger than the statues that gaze upon it, the Temple of the Vigilant Emperor was originally little more than an observation balcony, a habitation area and a small landing platform.Over the millennia, it has steadily expanded, initially into a sizable monastery sufficient to house several thousand monks long-term, and keep several high-ranking priests in their accustomed manner for solar months at a time.As the wealth of the Jericho Arch-Diocese grew, so did the size and opulence of the Temple of the Vigilant Emperor, as it has become known, eventually reaching a point where it rivalled some of the sector's smaller cathedrals in size.After the reign and death of Arch-Cardinal Asterus, the Temple of the Vigilant Emperor was ignored, becoming a footnote in history and a mausoleum for the monks who had dwelt there. However, the Deathwatch was not content to let such a fate befall Credos, and their efforts saw the temple renewed.This time, military practicality and the spartan beliefs of the Adeptus Astartes prevailed over the greed and indolence once endemic amongst the Adeptus Ministorum, and the Temple became a fortress, reinforced against external attack, with many of its lower chambers repurposed to serve the Temple's new masters.The Temple today is a bastion designed to be held by a small number of warriors against many, fitted with batteries of emplaced sentry-guns and servitor-crewed anti-aircraft weaponry. That, however, is only the surface of the Temple of the Vigilant Emperor.Beneath the mountain, and connected to a series of winding passages that lead into the statues themselves, the temple's purpose becomes clearer.Vast quantities of arcane cogitators and sophisticated logic engines, connected to a colossal array of augurs, auspex feeds and a choir of astropaths, fill the deeper chambers of the temple, gazing upon the void and sending information back to Watch Fortress Erioch continuously.Deeper still, the secure vaults within the statues themselves are often employed to store the most valuable and most dangerous of artefacts, hidden away from all but a chosen few.Every so often, a matter of importance detected by the temple's scanning equipment requires the presence of a member of the Deathwatch to confirm and report on, a voyage often referred to as a "pilgrimage."Indeed, many amongst the Deathwatch take the opportunity to reaffirm their oaths of service under the gaze of the Emperor and His loyal sons, while waiting for another Battle-Brother to return from the temple's depths.While not an official watch station in the traditional sense, the Temple of the Vigilant Emperor on Credos serves a similar purpose, ensuring that the Deathwatch are aware of threats in the region and giving them the opportunity to prepare.At present, Credos' isolation and relative lack of Tyranid presence allows it to continue functioning, barely, but it is an asset so significant and valuable to the Deathwatch that the prospect of losing it to alien invasion is one that few wish to contemplate.
Creidann Grenade Launcher - Creidann Grenade Launcher: A Creidann Grenade Launcher is a specialised Eldar Grenade Launcher that hurls canisters of hallucinogenic gas through the air according to pre-programmed fire patterns. These Grenade Launchers are utilised exclusively by the Eldar Harlequins known as Shadowseers; enigmatic psychic masters of trickery and misdirection who use manipulations of the mind as their foremost weapon. In the Harlequins' performances, the Shadowseers play the role of Fate. As the narrators of the Dance Without End, their use of subtle psychic abilities coupled with the hallucinogenic Creidann Grenade Launchers upon their backs provide diverse illusions for their shows, enhancing the sensory experience. Blasts of multicoloured light, glowing swirls of blinding mist and white-hot illusory flame -- all are conjured forth with consummate showmanship. In battle, the Shadowseer uses his formidable psychic talent to magnify the effect, leaving enemy warriors disorientated, terrified and easy prey.
Creidann Grenade Launcher - Sources: Codex: Harlequins (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 50, 99White Dwarf Weekly Magazine Issue #56 (21 Feb 2015), "Shadowseer," "Harlequin Army List - Shadowseer," pp. 7-8, 52-53
Cressid - Cressid: Cressid is a Dead World found within the Outer Reach region of the Jericho Reach. Once an Imperial Mining World, it is now under the surveillance of the Deathwatch.The thin atmosphere on Cressid does little to insulate the world from the chill of the void. Before the onset of the ancient Jericho Sector's Age of Shadow, records suggest that the great refineries may have warmed the world so that it could be safely inhabited. In the millennia since those shut down, the world has once more become a cold and barren wasteland.Those who choose to live upon its surface must endure miserable conditions as they attempt to eke out an existence. Such a fate is far too kind for those who have chosen to abandon their sacred responsibilities to the God-Emperor.Were it closer to the salients of the Achilus Crusade, dramatic action might be taken. As it stands, the resources necessary to conquer such an inhospitable planet are better spent in other environs for the time being.
Cressid - History: The Adeptus Mechanicus has maintained the most complete archives of records from the time of the ancient Jericho Sector. While even those are fragmentary, analysis of the surviving supply and resource allocation reports strongly suggest the most significant sources of raw materials, warehousing, and manufacturing in the sector.Numerous surviving transaction reports indicate that Cressid represented a significant source for heavy metals, including a number of rare ores. It is difficult for anyone to precisely measure the quantity of materials obtained, but these records suggest that the world may have represented as much as 7% of the metals used by the ancient sector's numerous Forge Worlds.It is clear that at least one mercantile family worked to maintain assets on Cressid in conjunction with the Adeptus Mechanicus. The name of that family is lost to the ages, yet some portion of its legacy remains in the form of the countless ruined structures and unstable mines that litter Cressid's crust.Many bear an unusual iconography that overlaid the sigils of the Adeptus Mechanicus on the entrances to the structures and on surviving fragments of the ancient servitors that once worked there.Many of these components are not consistent with any current patterns, suggesting that these servitors may have been constructed using a template particularly focused upon mining work under these harsh conditions.Analyses of the remains of the world's once vast structures suggest that the planet was never heavily inhabited. All indicators point to the systems being largely automated, depending primarily upon servitor labour, only relying upon Humans for necessary maintenance and supervision.This may explain why there are no known surviving Human populations that can trace their ancestry back to ancient times. Alternatively, Cressid's harsh environment could simply have killed any who tried to survive on the world without external support.
Cressid - Collapse: Cressid was clearly incapable of functioning as a self-sustaining Imperial world. Once its support network was eliminated by the sector's collapse, the few Humans required to maintain operations were incapable of living under its harsh conditions.The planet supports very few native life forms. Most of those that have been identified are poisonous to Humans without extensive processing.This lack of native life also means that there are no known local sources of promethium necessary to power Imperial vehicles. In fact, with its relatively scarce amounts of organic substrates, there are a limited number of materials inhabitants can burn to generate heat and power.It is believed that the mercantile interests were the first to collapse. Without their support, agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus attempted to keep the mines operational -- largely through the use of vast numbers of servitors. Over time, as resources continued to dwindle, maintaining those servitors became a monumental task.Ultimately, there simply were not enough replacement parts to keep all of these critical systems fully functional. The Adeptus Mechanicus chose to concentrate its efforts on other worlds, effectively abandoning Cressid.This left the world without any Imperial defences, save for the watch station maintained by the Deathwatch. The station's files confirm that even without Imperial assets, the planet was only rarely completely abandoned.The substantial concentration of relatively rare and complex minerals continued to command attention through the Age of Shadow. These included visits from several xenos races, including surveys of less than ten solar years duration by both the Aeldari and the T'au. It is unclear why neither of these races remained upon the planet for an extended period of time.However, it is likely that both ultimately found the conditions far too unstable for colonisation. Records also indicate that there have been at least two attempts at colonisation by Humans who actively oppose the Imperium, but neither of these groups has survived.

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