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Cyclothrathe - History: Cyclothrathe was a relatively young domain, founded long after the establishment of the nearby Forge Worlds of Mezoa or M'Pandex. Its origins could be found towards the end of the Great Crusade and the eradication of the xenos empire known as the Mitu Conglomerate. As a result, Cyclothrathe was situated amongst a devastated stretch of the galaxy, most worlds of the Mitu Conglomerate having been condemned to purge by Exterminatus; leaving an entire star system in ruins.Unsuitable for colonisation, these Dead Worlds, however, harbored precious alien technologies ripe for plunder and subsequent analysis. It was with this goal in mind that the Cyclothrathine Holdfast was created by the Mechanicum, its inception being somehow facilitated by the grievous damage sustained by the Mechanicum war-barque Cyclopean Mind. The Martian magi crewing the Cyclopean Mind had realised their ship was too damaged to continue any further with the Imperial fleet and succeeded in landing their stricken ship safely on the planet's northern continent. From the wreck of the former Cyclopean Mind Forge World Cyclothrathe would arise; forge workings, bunker manufactories and lightning towers soon were raised in the skies or built deep underground to shield them from the baleful electromagnetic energies that wreathed the planet.Soon the Mechanicum outpost began its exploitation of the nearby worlds. Cyclothrathe's population would soon be swelled by those of the Explorator taskforces charged to scavenge the surrounding Dead Worlds of lore and relics who used it as a welcome base for their often dangerous expeditions. As more and more xenos relics were uncovered, some of them devastating weapon systems, Cyclothrathe soon developed its dual nature as outpost and Imperial weapon testing facility.Under patent from Mars, the ruling Synod of Cyclothrathe consisting of magi of the Autokrator Order were charged to administer and build up the outpost into a full-fledged Forge World. Progress was, however, slow due both to the naturally occurring violent electromagnetic storms and the world's isolation from resupply or reinforcement. The former was somehow alleviated through the occupation of the nearby world of Arrian, whose mineral wealth was quickly put to the benefit of Cyclothrathe's growing industries.
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Cyclothrathe - Dawn of a New Age: By the closing years of the Great Crusade, Cyclothrathe had reached the status of a fully-fledged Tertius-II Grade Forge World of the Mechanicum but had encountered several difficulties along its rise; most notoriously it came under threat by unknown forces whose true nature has been since suppressed amid the data cores and archives of the Cyclothrathine and Martian Mechanicum. Although eventually vanquished, these foes considerably altered the Forge World's path, and Cyclothrathe became an isolationist, secretive and highly militant branch of the Mechanicum.Battle-hardened and bellicose, the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum all but severed its ties with the other worlds of the Coronid Deeps, including other Mechanicum possessions such as Mezoa and M'Pandex. Increasingly worried by this turn of events, immediately before the Horus Heresy broke out, the matter was brought to the attention of the Conclave of Mars by emissaries of the Mezoan Mechanicum. However, the matter seems to have been promptly dismissed by order of the fabricator-general, Kelbor-Hal himself.Ever more bellicose and aggressive, Cyclothrathe's magi had earned themselves a dire reputation for arrogance, hubris and secrecy who would pursue their own interest with selfish ruthlessness even if they were to spoil the ambitions of other worlds of the Coronid Deeps. On some occasions, even the Segmentum Court had had to be called upon to hold Cyclothrathe's desire and eagerness for expansion in check.By the dawn of the Horus Heresy it was obvious to all outsiders that Cyclothrathe followed its own agenda, at best acknowledging and bypassing the authorities of its neighboring systems, the Segmentum Court, the Martian Synod and the Imperium itself. The only real ties it upheld were with the worlds of the Manachean Commonwealth, trading convicts in their thousands in exchange for military equipment as to repurpose them into mining servitors on Arrian where they would irremediably die in a few short solar months.
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Cyclothrathe - Horus Heresy: It is not known how the jealousy and ambition of the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum came to the attention of the Warmaster Horus, but it was so, and it may even perhaps have formed part of a larger strategy in dealing with the Mechanicum as an ally in revolt, and perhaps one day as a future enemy. For a while, Horus had courted and indeed caused the corruption of much of the Martian Mechanicum, and the Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal himself, and through that alliance brought many Forge Worlds, Titan Legions and magi under his sway.Horus had also courted a number of Forge Worlds and archmagi to whom Mars was at best an unwanted and distant authority. This was, for instance, the case with Sarum and with Esteban III, both Forge Worlds whose loyalty secured for Horus lines of supply which did not depend on the writ of Mars, and with minor Forge Worlds such as Cyclothrathe, whose industrial resources were not of such magnitude, but brought other, more unique powers into the Traitors' fold.In return Horus offered freedom; no ultimate master but himself as a disinterested overlord who did not care to interfere with their work, their creed or where their arts led them so long as his rule remained unopposed and his warriors were glutted with arms. To Cyclothrathe it seems, long before blood was shed at Isstvan III, Horus offered something else as well: an empire, a domain to rule as their own in his name. For years Cyclothrathe's vault-fanes and sunken forges had labored in secret and without the knowledge of either the Imperium nor Mars; fashioning baroque engines of destruction and unliving legions of robotic Battle-Automata, stockpiling them in the deep vaults beneath their lightning-scoured world, waiting for the trumpet blast of war to call them forth.Perhaps more so than other turncoat forces, the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum bid its time well. Having used the years prior to the Horus Heresy to massively build-up the forces of its Taghmata, the Forge World commanded a force far greater than those readily at the disposal of a Tertius II Grade Mechanicum world.Despite their military strength, the magi did not readily engage in a war of conquest as soon as Horus' treachery became general knowledge but became even more reclusive. This had naturally only been a ruse, so that following the fall of the Cyclops Cluster, when Grand Admiral LaBray issued his rallying call, Cyclothrathe would be counted among the Loyalist forces.Cyclothrathe's involvement in the galactic civil war began with the Treachery at Port Maw. The Cyclothrathine Mechanicum had dispatched three of its mightiest vessels to the Imperial mustering at Port Maw, amongst them the Arithmetic of Violence, a gigantic five-kilometre long war-ark whose flanks swarmed with void-automata. The storm-grey vessels of Cyclothrathe were readily welcomed at Port Maw, being seemingly the only Mechanicum-bound forces still on the side of the Imperium now that Mezoa was blockaded and M'Pandex had turned Traitor.As the events of the Treachery unfolded, the Mechanicum war-arks would carefully avoid combat, using the confusion to maneuver themselves into an ideal position to launch a sudden and overwhelming attack against the warships of Battlefleet Agathon and the sleek pirate-killers from the Cerada System. Taken totally by surprise one lone vessel would survive, the Agathean cruiser Telemachus which would carry news of this new treachery to its distant homeworld at Agathon.With the most serious threat neutralised and Port Maw in the hands of the Traitors, Cyclotrathe would then assist the Sons of Horus in their conquest of the Manachean Commonwealth, using the proximity of its homeworld to despatch Taghmata forces to seize and capture the astropathic relay on the world of Vlorath Srader. As per agreement, Cyclothrathe would then cede a sizable portion of its military might to serve directly under the Warmaster.
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Cyclothrathe - Expansion: The majority of Cyclothrathe's Taghmata would, however, not partake in Horus' war against the Imperium but would instead lead their own war of conquest upon the neighboring star systems, the largely expanded ranks of its Taghmata permitting it to mount several offensives at once. It would be during this time that the infamous Archmagos Yelav Draykavac would rise to power and become more widely known.In theory the Taghmata Cyclothrathe served the Warmaster, but practically Horus' chosen representative, the Tyrant of Port Maw and Sons of Horus Captain Taloc Thorne, could exert little influence over the Mechanicum forces, leaving Draykavac to follow his own agenda. Cyclothrathe's expansion began with the conquest of the neighboring system of Olverach, a planet the ruling Synod of Cyclothrathe had long coveted.Following the Warp-routes the expansion quickly reached the Agri-world of Numinal from where it mounted an offensive on the two most important worlds of the Cerada System: the Civilised World of Cerada Prime and the mining colony of Cerada Secundus. The neighboring system of Quavausari was also quickly invaded.Most of these worlds quickly succumbed to the cohorts of robotic Battle-Automata that landed on their soil, but resistance was still fierce, notoriously on Cerada Secundus and Numinal where survivors of the Obed Cohorts of the Solar Auxilia still fought on. Following severe losses at the Liberation of Numinal, Cyclothrathe's expansion lost its initial momentum, the emergence of the new threat constituted by the Agathean cohorts of the Solar Auxilia forcing Draykavac to consolidate his latest conquests.
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Cyclothrathe - Notable Campaigns: Treachery at Port Maw (008.M31) – Secretly in league with the Warmaster Horus, the Cyclothrathine warships join the grand muster of the Armada Imperialis at Port Maw. Following the first attack wave and the confusion caused by the perfidious scrap-code attack, the Cyclothrathine war-arks open fire at close quarters against Loyalist warships. One of them, the Arithmetic of Violence, annihilates nearly the entire cruiser squadron of Battlefleet Agathon, leaving only the Telemachus to fight on and ultimately escape to Agathon.Liberation of Numinal (009.M31) – Conquered in the last days of 008.M31 and subsequently occupied by Dark Mechanicum forces, Numinal would become the first real defeat Cyclothrathe and Archmagos Yelav Draykavac would suffer. Having been forced beforehand by civil unrest to leave the conquest of Cerada Secundus to one of his subordinates, Draykavac voyaged to Numinal to ensure his plans werecarried out: the forcible conversion of Numinal's civilian population into cybernetic servitors and Adsecularis thrall troops. Draykavac was still on Numinal when the Agathean counterattack, led by the famed Lord Marshal Ireton MaSade, struck. With his own battleship, the Sacra Astra, forced to retreat, Yelav Draykavac was stranded on-world and took steps to repulse the Loyalist attack. His forces had, however, been overseeing the processing of Numinal's population and needed time to assemble, which gave the Loyalists the opportunity and time needed to considerably fortify their landing zones. Loathe to interrupt the processing, Draykavac ordered his Knights and personal retinue to protect the massive amphibious crawlers that had been commissioned for this task and dispatched a token force to conduct reconnaissance on this new and unknown enemy. Soon Draykavac discovered that he would face Agathean cohorts of Solar Auxilia bearing the livery of the long-decommissioned 60th Expeditionary Fleet. Expecting enemy reinforcements, Draykavac reinforced his own attack wave en route. Their task would be to keep the Agatheans under pressure as to give him time to amass a larger secondary force to crush the Agathean beachhead. This first attack wave would suffer far heavier casualties than he expected, Ireton MaSade having issued blast-charger capacitors to his troops which could readily damage the Castellax-class Battle Automata usually impervious to small-arms fire. The Cyclothrathine forces grudgingly retreated, the lesser magi unwilling to assault such a heavily defended position and risk their lives doing so. Seizing the opportunity, several insurrections arose on Numinal, threatening the overall success of Draykavac's plans. Draykavac had no other choice but to personally lead the next attack which would include his entire retinue of Thrall-Knights, the Agatheans displaying a considerable lack of armour which could be exploited. Little did he know that this was specifically what Ireton MaSade had gambled on. On his command, his own Knight detachment -- compromising a great deal of House Orhlacc as well as several House Ærthegn renegades and even some Knights of House Hermetika -- deployed using antique Khobol-class heavy assault landers. Outflanked, Draykavac redeployed his own Knights as a bodyguard to protect himself. While the Knights fought each other, the Solar Auxilia surged forward from their defensive lines and pressed back the Mechanicum forces. Realising that he himself was the enemy commander's objective, Draykavac ordered his bodyguard to form up on him and cover his retreat, sacrificing his troops so that he might live. Fleeing from the battlefield, Draykavac succeeded in reaching his command compound from where he made good his escape into orbit using a salvation-rocket. His own life had been preserved, but Cyclothrathe had lost definite control over Numinal.Raid on Cerada Secundus (009.M31) - Four solar weeks after the successful Liberation of Numinal, the Agathean fleet attacked the vessels of Forge World Cyclothrathe supporting the conquest of Cerada Secundus. This time the Agatheans would not prove victorious, the combined firepower of the Mechanicum warships forcing them to retreat under heavy losses.The Genocide of Goth (Unknown Date.M31)The Lucine Travesty (Unknown Date.M31)The Death of the Donia League (Unknown Date.M31)
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Cyclothrathe - Society: The Cyclothrathine sect of the ancient Mechanicum was a highly secretive branch of the Priesthood of Mars and as such was extremely isolationist and wary of outsiders. Little is known of its inhabitants or indeed how far their organisation differed from the more standard pattern of the Mechanicum of the Great Crusade era.What is known is that Cyclothrathe is ruled by a synod of archmagi as tradition demands and that it maintained a sizeable Taghmata vastly superior to any other known Tertius Grade Forge World to protect its own possession on the mining colony of Arrian.Cyclothrathe's isolation has further led to the development of several idiosyncrasies that considerably diverge from the Martian orthodoxy of the Cult Mechanicus, which included their own writing and the marked preference of dark-blood and sable-hued robes over the more traditional crimson of the Mechanicum.
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Cyclothrathe - Planets of the Cyclothrathine Holdfastt: Cyclothrathe – Cyclothrathe is a rocky, barely life-sustaining Forge World wracked by violent electromagnetic storms which may indeed be the reason why the planet was never colonised by the xenos races of the Mitu Conglomerate. With the homeworlds of this xenos empire in the region devastated by Imperial Exterminatus-class weaponry and rendered uninhabitable, Cyclothrathe's worth as a habitable world rose exponentially. The planet itself mainly consists of broken plains of black granite -- vestiges of its former volcanic state -- which proved highly stable. Not unlike the ecosystem of Vraks Prime, Cyclothrathe's seas are highly sulfurous, which results in devastating electromagnetic storms. Still rich in minerals due to its lack of colonisation, Cyclothrathe would rapidly become a productive Forge World and the beating heart of the Cyclothrathine Holdfast during the Great Crusade.Arrian – Where Cyclothrathe makes for a harsh place to live, Arrian is far deadlier. Arrian is a sulphurous, poisoned world with an atmosphere thick with chlorine gas, and therefore utterly inimical to Human life. Rich in minerals and easily accessible chemical deposits, large-scale mining and extraction facilities had been rapidly constructed across the world's surface to meet the industrial needs of the forges of Cyclothrathe, of which Arrian was a directly-administered vassal possession. Lacking a native population, Arrian's miners were directly imported by the magi of Cyclothrathe, their hellish existence made possible only by extensive augmetic adaptation, despite which mortality rates were still disastrously high. For many standard years, the demand for new labour was met by treaty arrangement between Cyclothrathe and the distant worlds of the Manachean Commonwealth, trading convicts by the thousand in return for arms and other advanced products of Cyclothrathe's forges. During the onset of the Horus Heresy, however, with Cyclothrathe's growing isolation, this agreement had been allowed to lapse and how the presumed shortfall in labour was replaced remains unknown. Arrian is also the home of the Knights of House Atrax, which has since the Heresy been reduced to little better than a thrall-house by the powerful Cyclothrathine Mechanicum.
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Cyclothrathe - Cyclothrathine Taghmata Colours: Even before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy and the birth of the Dark Mechanicum the magi of Cyclothrathe had considerably distanced themselves from Martian orthodoxy. In general they favored robes of darker hue than the far more common Mechanicum crimson, colours such as black and dark crimson seemingly enjoying the favour of Cyclothrathe's population.Perhaps as a by-appearance of their Forge World's early struggles, the Cyclothrathine Tech-priests disdained the use of precious metals such as gold or silver in purely artistic or decorative matters, preferring naked steel or more sombre alloys such as sombre brass, which gave them a most sinister appearance.The bellicose nature of this particular branch of the Mechanicum also included the application of killing marks on esteemed or particularly successful robotic Battle-Automata, a tradition that seems to have been well-established before the dire events of 008.M31. Even at the very beginning of Cyclothrathe's expansion within the Coronid Reach, reports show numerous kill-signs on several Battle-Automata, although against which enemy or even species of xenos these were earned remain a complete mystery.
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Cyclothrathe - Cyclothrathe Heraldry: The most prominent element of Cyclothrathine heraldry was the common arachnid-glyphs they took as their emblem. Usually rendered in crimson on a field of black -- though sometimes inverted -- this glyph strongly resembles an iconic representation of a Terran spider, its "legs" being rendered as lightning-bolts and the entire emblem being set in an encompassing crimson cog.Due to their submission to the Cyclothratine Mechanicum, it was most common for the Thrall-Knights of House Atrax to field the arachnid-glyph of Cyclothrathe, the emblem of the Forge World placed surmounting the personal arms of the Scions of the house to indicate the primacy of Forge over House. The Thrall-Knights' upper dorsal plating would also bear the mark of the Sidon Protocols, though House Atrax suffered under a particularly harsh interpretation of this pact.
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Cyclothrathe - Notable Cyclothrathine Personnel: Archmagos Yelav Draykavac - Though he would become one of the most reviled servants of the Dark Mechanicum, Archmagos Yelav Draykavac was an all but unknown figure before the galactic civil war of the Horus Heresy sundered the Imperium. This bestially-masked and black-robed magos served as the chief military emissary of the Forge World of Cyclothrathe and the foremost field commander of its Taghmata, answerable only to the sinister and hidden tribunal which ruled his lightning-wracked world. As part of Draykavac's command, he also held the rank of Sovereign-Prelate of the Thrall-Knight House Atrax, which was fully oath-bound to Cyclothrathe which, while nominally it still had its own seneschals and master, was in reality little more than a puppet of the utterly callous and inhuman Archmagos Draykavac. With the outbreak of war within the Coronid Deeps, Draykavac was at the forefront of the campaign of invasion and conquest Cyclothrathre carried out in the name of the Traitors, swiftly amassing a tally of atrocities and massacres to his name that set him apart as one of the most hated of his kind. Declared Heretek Ultima by the Great Synod of Martian Unification after the formation of the Loyalist Adeptus Mechanicus, and held responsible for, among other atrocities, the Genocide of Goth, the Lucine Travesty and the death of the seventeen worlds of the Donia League, his long war would extend far into the Great Scouring and beyond. His ultimate fate has yet to be ascertained, though his warship the Sacra Astra's abandoned hulk was discovered adrift in the Maelstrom. In its encrypted data-archive was found much of the extant knowledge of the Dark Mechanicum now possessed by the Adeptus Terra. This dark archive contained many unexpurgated strategic reports, personal analyses and djinn-data from Draykavac's many battles, including a detailed account of the counter-invasion of the Agri-world of Numinal remembered as the Liberation of Numinal.
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Cyclothrathe - Notable Vessels: Arithmetic of Violence(Mechanicum War-ark) – The Arithmetic of Violence was involved in the infamous Treachery at Port Maw, firing its entire complement of Plasma Torpedoes in one devastating volley against the gathered vessels of Numinal and Agathon that had followed the Imperial mustering call. All save the Telemachus would perish under this devastating assault.Sacra Astra (Mechanicum War-ark) – The Sacra Asytra was the flagship and command-vessel of the infamous Archmagos Yelav Draykavac which would serve him during the entire span of the Horus Heresy and the Great Scouring. Initially damaged during the naval battle prior to the Liberation of Numinal, the Sacra Astra would quickly be repaired and would continue to plague the Imperium for solar decades to come. The abandoned hulk of the Sacra Astra would eventually be found adrift near the Warp rift of the Maelstrom, its surviving data-cores and archives -- communally designated as the "Draykavac Archive" by the Inquisition -- representing much of the knowledge gathered by the Adeptus Terra on the Dark Mechanicum.
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Cynder Span - Cynder Span: Cynder Span is a Hold World of the Ymyr Conglomerate of the Leagues of Votann located in the galactic core. Its Forge is famed across Kin space for the skill of its Brôkhyr, who produce machines and other advanced technologies of sublime might. To aid its artificers in their labours, Cynder Span is also located near a major mining epicentre.
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Cypher - Cypher: Cypher is one of the Fallen Angels of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, and one of the members of that Loyalist Chapter believed to have turned to Chaos during the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.Cypher is a being wrapped in shadow, an entity whose every move is cloaked in mystery. His motives and methods are themselves an enigma; even the name or title by which he is known seems to conceal something, although whether it is a metaphor or yet another conundrum is unknown.To the Imperium at large, Cypher is either wholly unknown, or a being of shadowy rumour that seems to be somehow connected to or sought by the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters. To the Unforgiven, Cypher is a being of legend and untold speculation. Cypher is the one whom the masters of the Dark Angels seek above all others, for he is their most hated foe.The Dark Angels have been chasing Cypher since the catastrophic fall of Caliban, and he has eluded capture for nearly ten thousand standard years. During that time, Cypher has appeared in each of the five segmentae, materialising as if from nowhere. Wherever he surfaces, he brings with him death and destruction, although whether he is the culprit or merely a herald of woe is unclear.Cypher seldom instigates the violent acts that invariably occur when he is present; it is rather that he seems to act as a catalyst, fanning the hatred and mistrust of those around him into a raging fire. Cypher vanishes from the scene as abruptly as he arrives. Worlds burn in his wake.Besides havoc and ruin, there is another trail that Cypher leaves behind; legend and rumour abound after the passage of the mysterious robed figure. The intrigue over his rapid departure is magnified by the inevitable wave of ensuing questions. Sometimes these interrogations are conducted by Inquisitors or their agents, while at others Chaos Space Marines seek more knowledge about the cryptic figure that weaves in and out of their strongholds.Regardless of whether other factions arrive to ask questions, the Dark Angels always follow the trail. Grim-faced and taciturn as to their own purpose, they query any who were in contact or might have spoken with Cypher. Those who have some knowledge, or are suspected of having some, are taken away by a black-armoured Interrogator-Chaplain. Few return.As to who or what Cypher truly is, none can say. Those who have witnessed him in action report that he wears simple ceremonial robes, much like those of the Dark Angels. Beneath his garment can be seen the thick plates of dark power armour. Stranger still by far, however, is that no matter where in the galaxy Cypher surfaces, it is only a matter of time before the Dark Angels or one of their Successor Chapters follow. The Interrogator-Chaplains ask many questions, but give no answers themselves.Despite the constant search for Cypher, none have yet been successful in capturing or destroying him. Or so it would seem. The Dark Angels have believed Cypher neutralised on numerous occasions, yet he always returns. His loyalties and motivations remain impossible to guess at, for though he has fought by the side of both Imperial and Chaos forces over the millennia, he nearly always betrays his allies after a time.Some believe that Cypher follows some vast plan that no other can guess, save perhaps the Emperor Himself. Others think his appearances and acts are random, the caprice of a being whose very existence should be an impossibility. Whatever the truth, none have ever captured the mysterious Space Marine for long enough to find out.But it is obvious to those few Dark Angels Librarians who have studied the compiled data that Cypher's actions seem to follow some pattern or mission known only to himself. It is not even possible to deduce whether Cypher is for or against the Imperium, an ally or enemy to those who betrayed the Dark Angels. The only certainty is that disaster and strife follows in his wake.
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Cypher - History: The Fall of Caliban was one of the last major catastrophes suffered by the Imperium during the bloody days of the Horus Heresy. This is the terrible secret borne by the Dark Angels these last ten millennia; that the incorruptible Ist Legion fell to corruption when the Legion's second-in-command, Luther, corrupted many of their brethren through the foul lure of Chaos.The Traitors were eventually defeated in a climactic battle that resulted in the destruction of the Dark Angels' homeworld of Caliban, but many of their number survived to be cast into the Warp and scattered throughout space and time by the Ruinous Powers. The events of Luther's betrayal are known only to a select few senior members amongst the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters, the so-called Inner Circle.These defeated survivors are known as the Fallen Angels or just the Fallen, mercilessly hunted down by the elite Deathwing and Ravenwing companies and made to repent by the fearsome Interrogator-Chaplains of the Dark Angels before they are executed.Since that time, the elusive Fallen known as Cypher has been on the run, eluding capture for nearly ten thousand standard years. During that time, Cypher has appeared across the galaxy, materialising as if from nowhere. Wherever he surfaces, he brings with him death and destruction, although whether he is the culprit or merely a herald of woe is often unclear.Although the accounts are often tainted with bias, it appears that Cypher seldom instigates the violent acts that invariably occur when he is present; it is rather that he seems to act as a catalyst which fans the hatred and mistrust of those around him into a raging, uncontrollable fire. In each case, Cypher vanishes from the scene as abruptly as he arrived. Worlds burn in his wake, yet he leaves no clues as to where he will turn up next.Besides havoc and ruin, there is another trail that Cypher leaves behind; legend and rumour abound after the passage of the mysterious robed figure. The intrigue over his rapid departure is further magnified by the inevitable wave of ensuing questions. Sometimes these interrogations will be conducted by Inquisitors or their agents, while at others Chaos Space Marines seek more knowledge about the cryptic figure that weaves in and out of their strongholds, never revealing his true name or purpose.Regardless of whether other factions arrive to ask questions, the Dark Angels always turn up along the trail. Grim-faced and taciturn as to their own purpose, they query any who were in contact or might have spoken with Cypher. Those who have some knowledge, or are even suspected of having some, are taken away by a black-armoured Interrogator-Chaplain. Few return.As to who or what Cypher truly is –- none can say. Those who have witnessed him in action report that he wears simple ceremonial robes, much like many of the Dark Angels. Beneath his garment can be seen the thick plates of dark power armour. More damning still, however, is the fact that no matter where in the galaxy Cypher surfaces, it is only a matter of time before the Dark Angels or one of their Successor Chapters follow.The Dark Angels ask many questions, but give no answers themselves. Despite the constant search for Cypher, none have yet been successful in capturing or destroying him. Or so it would seem. The Dark Angels have considered Cypher destroyed on numerous occasions – yet he always returns.The Red Corsairs, still seething after what they believe was their betrayal during the Escovan Campaign, thought they had cornered the elusive Cypher on the Strike Cruiser Rapier. In the deep emptiness of space, they halted the Rapier, yet when they boarded they found only Chaos Cultists. Before they were all slain, none of the cultists could verify the whereabouts of the mysterious Space Marine who had been in their midst, nor could they tell of how he escaped.
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Cypher - Origins: "Lord Cypher" itself was originally a title within The Order of Caliban. To ensure their proud traditions were maintained, the ruling masters secretly selected a single member to become the Lord Cypher. Upon taking the title, the Lord Cypher renounced his own name, enshrouding his very appearance beneath cloak and hood.It was forbidden for any others to recognise his old self, for the Lord Cypher was to forsake his very personality, and from that day onwards was to instead embody the laws, customs and strict disciplines of The Order.He was tasked the responsibility of ensuring the traditions of The Order were upheld, and that the recruits and masters alike were never allowed to degenerate from their lofty ideals.The Lord Cypher advised the masters on all matters of protocol and officiated at many important ceremonies. The Lord Cypher was a lofty position, one which The Order took extremely seriously, for it was known that it was the nature of the galaxy to recede and structures to collapse.The Cypher of the 41st Millennium still embodies many of these ancient tenets.At least three Lord Cyphers have appeared:An elderly human Lord Cypher, who advised Luther and Lion El'Jonson during the campaign against the Great Beasts. He died a few Terran years after the coming of the Imperium and the Emperor to Caliban.A young Lord Cypher, who was one of Luther's advisers during the first stages of his rebellion. He came to his position as a mortal human, but became a Dark Angels Astartes during the recruitment period that followed the Imperium's discovery of Caliban. This Lord Cypher was rumoured to be the last surviving Knight of Lupus, who escaped his order's destruction and somehow made his way into the ranks of The Order. However, this is unlikely, as this Lord Cypher was an ally of the Watchers in the Dark and an enemy of Chaos, whereas the Knights of Lupus sought to preserve the Chaos-tainted Great Beasts of Caliban and books from their library contributed to Luther's fall to Chaos. Furthermore, Zahariel recognised this Lord Cypher after removing his helm, which would be improbable if he was a former Knight of Lupus.Zahariel El'Zurias, who ordered the former Lord Cypher's death after he attempted to kill him during a coup and was promoted to his place by Luther. It is not known if Zahariel is the Lord Cypher that is active in the 41st Millennium, but this would go some way towards explaining his enigmatic behaviour and allegiances, as Zahariel was a powerful Chaos sorcerer who joined a rebellion against the Imperium but was not aligned with Horus or the other Traitor Legions. Furthermore, the current Lord Cypher is said to be one of the Fallen, which Zahariel was.
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Cypher - The Dark Secret: To better understand at least part of the mystery of Cypher, one must first know the tale of the Dark Angels. To outsiders, this is an insurmountable quest, for the Dark Angels Chapter hides its secrets well, masking all activities in a shroud of ritual and clandestine operations. Indeed, even amongst their own Chapter, only the company masters and most distinguished veterans -– the self-styled Inner Circle –- are privy to the truth.In ages past, in the latter years of the Horus Heresy, the Dark Angels homeworld of Caliban was corrupted. The Legion's second-in-command, Luther, betrayed the Dark Angels and turned many of their brethren from the Emperor. These Traitors attacked their primarch, Lion El'Jonson, and the remainder of the Legion upon their return to Caliban.Although the primarch's followers were victorious, the cost was high. Their very homeworld was shattered, their primarch gone and presumed slain. In the death throes of Caliban, the swirling eddies of a Warp Storm opened up –- a perilous gateway to the Realm of Chaos.It was this rent in the fabric of space that consumed the remaining treasonous Dark Angels. It is presumed that Cypher was amidst those heretics swept into the Immaterium. To the great frustration of the Dark Angels, there is no full list or account of who or how many had heeded the dark whispers of the Ruinous Powers and turned against their brothers.The days following the Horus Heresy were the most turbulent of times, for the galaxy-wide empire of Mankind had teetered on the very brink of total collapse. Although Horus was defeated and his remaining followers were on the run, the armies of the Imperium were full of bitterness and recrimination. The unforeseen betrayal of Horus had profound after-effects that are still in existence today.Shorn of the Emperor's guidance, the condemnation of the guilty was totalitarian and egregious, and the Imperium grew ever more repressive. The grim realisation that the Space Marines –- the ultimate warriors of Humankind –- had proven vulnerable to corruption was a severe shock. Fully half of the Space Marine Legions had betrayed the Emperor. If the Dark Angels had admitted that some of their members had turned, their entire Legion would have been condemned.In this paranoid atmosphere, the surviving Dark Angels debated their options even as they paid tribute to their lost primarch. In the end, they felt there was no choice but to hide the truth of their brothers' betrayal. It was decreed by the most senior members of the Legion that no outsider must learn the dreadful truth -- none must know that members of the Dark Angels had proven as corruptible as any mortals and turned to the Ruinous Powers.In the wake of the Fall of Caliban, there was much to do, and many secrets to keep. The Dark Angels found that it was easier to avoid the barrage of questions by fully immersing themselves in rigorous duty. However, they were eventually forced to explain the loss of their primarch and their homeworld of Caliban over and over again, telling their fabricated tale to the High Lords of Terra, and eventually the newly established Inquisition.As no fighting formation carried the war against the rebels forward with more furious resolve than the Dark Angels, no one pressed the grieving warriors too closely. The sons of the Lion continued the fight, chasing the remnants of Horus' armies into the Eye of Terror and enacting many savage acts of revenge. Meanwhile, the largest chunk of what remained of shattered Caliban was chosen as the new headquarters for the Dark Angels. In time, The Rock, as it came to be known, was outfitted with Warp engines, allowing its reach to span the galaxy.It was at first believed that all their traitorous brethren had been destroyed at the Fall of Caliban, yet it was not so. Eventually, the Dark Angels Librarians picked up the telltale traces of their lost brethren. Thus it was revealed that those defeated Dark Angels Traitors -– known as the Fallen Angels, or just the Fallen –- were not all destroyed when they were sucked into the Warp. Instead, the Fallen had been cast across time and space, for the Librarians picked up evidence that many of the Traitors had returned, their psychic signatures shining out briefly from many scattered places across the galaxy.At this point, the Dark Angels merely classified all the Fallen together, for they had not yet recognised or picked out the most mysterious and prolific of their number: the one known as Cypher. That the Traitors escaped their loyal brethren's vengeance was a torment for the surviving Dark Angels.As long as the Fallen lived, the Legion's great shame would live on as well. They might spread knowledge of the Dark Angels' treachery. Any who encountered the Fallen would bear witness not only to the original betrayal, but also the Legion's ensuing cover-up.
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Cypher - The Fallen: In an instant, when Caliban was breaking apart from cataclysmic battle, the Fallen were cast into the Warp. Anywhere from mere moments later to thousands of years in the future, many of the Fallen awoke to find themselves on some far distant and unknown planet. The eddies of the Warp are fickle. As time in the Realm of Chaos does not flow according to any rules, the time in transit for the Fallen might have felt like it was mere seconds, although millennia would have passed. Conversely the individual may have spent ages in the Immaterium experiencing untold torments and long journeys through nightmarish landscapes, only to awake back in realspace within seconds of Caliban's destruction. To this day, there are even some of the Fallen that have not yet been released back into the galaxy. Truly, the Ruinous Powers are cruel; their capricious plans beyond the ken of mortal understanding.Although some of the Fallen had been mere novices-in-training at the destruction of Caliban, most were seasoned Space Marines. Indeed, some were first generation troops created in the First Founding, as overseen by the Emperor himself. These were veteran warriors, many of whom survived multiple actions during the Great Crusade. With their wealth of combat experience and superhuman attributes, these individuals found it easy to carve their own paths to greatness out in the wider galaxy. Some rose to rule over planetary empires while others sought immediate revenge against the Imperium. It can only be surmised by Cypher's abilities and combat prowess that he was a fully trained and already well seasoned Space Marine at the time of Caliban's destruction. This ties in with clues, which the Dark Angels would later discover, that allege Cypher was an important officer with a distinctive role in the Legion's traditions.Across the galaxy the Fallen set planets, systems or even whole sectors ablaze with war. Yet more ominously to the Dark Angels, they raved aloud of those very secrets that the Sons of Lion El'Jonson had sworn to keep silent. Those Fallen carried on from the teachings of Luther -– believing the Emperor to be false and thinking that their own superhuman abilities gave them the right to seize what they wanted, and to rule over the weak. The Fallen saw no reason not to fight for themselves. It offered a better fate than acting as enforcers for a thankless and repressive regime.
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Cypher - Unlike Any Other: Of all the Fallen, none is as hated, or indeed feared by the Dark Angels, as the enigmatic individual known as Cypher. After their very first few encounters, the Dark Angels began to realise that this Fallen might be different. Because of his unknowable motives, and because of his supernatural ability to escape time and again from their clutches, the sons of the Lion began to regard Cypher with growing wariness.As Space Marines they feared no enemy, and their Legion has maintained its reputation for being stalwart in battle. But despite this, they began to fear Cypher –- fearing what he perhaps represented, fearing what he reflected back upon themselves and fearing that he was nothing less than their own doom made manifest.The majority of those that know of Cypher believe he is villainous. If his incalculable plan is successful, who knows what destruction he is capable of? Some rumour that his end goal is to slay the Emperor himself. A few of those in the Inner Circle – not the Interrogator-Chaplains, but those of more open minds –- consider another possibility. Perhaps Cypher is trying to repent, trying to redeem his Fallen brethren’s deeds, or to steer Humanity away from some predestined course known only to himself? Those who feel this way are silent, for this is actually a more frightening thought –- it would mean the Dark Angels are on the wrong side once again...Whenever or wherever Cypher appears, trouble and disaster follow. His appearance heralds the arrival of more Fallen, although whether they answer his summons or he has some foreknowledge of their activities is unknown. At times, Cypher has been linked with demagogues, those who rise up to agitate the masses, while at others he has been associated with military commanders. With unnerving regularity, Cypher will arrive at some critical flashpoint, his presence kicking off a violent chain of events time and again.Cypher has been seen alongside kill teams or even entire armies, although whether he is truly a member of the force or even their commander can never be properly ascertained. More deadly than the most highly trained master saboteur, Cypher's appearance in even the most benign of situations has wreaked havoc that has changed the course of major wars. More than any other of the Fallen, Cypher has been a shadowy, cloaked assassin, leaving behind a trail of powerful victims, even though it is rarely Cypher who pulls the trigger. The Dark Angels go out of their way to assume these targets were chosen and slain by Cypher himself, but often the facts that led them to these conclusions are ambiguous. Certainly, destruction and death follow in Cypher's wake.Cypher's targets and destinations are as inscrutable as everything else about him. Among his confirmed kills (according to Dark Angels records) have been planetary governors, Chaos Space Marine Warlords, Space Marine Chapter Masters, sorcerous covens, cult leaders and high ranking Inquisitors. Naturally, the Dark Angels have never shared any of this so-called proof with any outside of their own close-ranked successor Chapters. It is a paradox how, within a span of only fifty years, Cypher’s deeds could result in the slaying of the evil and corrupt Warlord Favian the Golden of the Flawless Host, as well as the stout and loyal Bartholomew Loxlor, Supreme Grand Master of the Angels of Absolution. The Imperium had sent fleets, armies and assassins to end the rule of Overfiend Tyrannex, Scourge of the Drakeburn Sector, and all efforts failed with lives in the hundreds of thousands lost. Yet Cypher alone was able to locate the Overfiend's fortress, penetrate its defences and gun the miscreant down -- instantaneously freeing billions from Tyrannex's unnatural subjugations.Cypher's trail weaves in and out of the Dark Angels' path, and he crosses it with deliberation. After slaying the Overfiend Tyrannex, riddling him with holes and leaving behind bolt shell fragments and unique plasma burns that are the signature of Cypher's bolt and plasma pistols, he had the nerve to plant a Dark Angels homing device. Within a matter of hours, the Rock was near enough and Deathwing Terminators teleported into the Overfiend's throne room. Yet of Cypher, there was no trace.Indeed, Cypher's continued existence bears testimony to his seemingly mystical ability to avoid capture. Every time pursuers got close, he has shown an uncanny ability to escape. Down the ages, the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels has suggested that Cypher is under the protection of some higher power. The fact that his lifespan has continued since the days before the Horus Heresy speaks of unnatural powers at play, although it was for a time posed by the then Grand Master of the Dark Angels Raphelous that Cypher was not one person, but many. How else to explain both his longevity and his seeming indestructibility? Perhaps Cypher was but a mask, a persona assumed when the last one was destroyed? Ironically, Raphelous was one of two Grand Masters to lose his life in the pursuit of Cypher –- although whether or not the nemesis of the Dark Angels was responsible for their deaths in either case has never been proven.Down the long ages the Dark Angels have found many of their Fallen brethren. Some have committed heinous acts, debasing themselves and their honoured Primarch. But none have garnered the sheer hatred as has Cypher. The Inner Circle of the Dark Angels hates Cypher with a loathing beyond reason. Not even Marbas, who alone of the Fallen has been raised to a Daemon Prince, is regarded with such rage. The Dark Angels would willingly perform any act, no matter how vile, in order to capture Cypher.
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Cypher - Origins: Like nearly everything to do with Cypher, it is difficult to pinpoint his origins with any conviction. Deep within the dungeons of the Rock, behind many locked doors of adamantium, can be found the Enigma Chamber. There, the remains of The Order's ancient records are kept. On carefully preserved scrolls, faded writings can still be read. Each of the Dark Angels' Grand Master of Librarians has, in successive turns, tried to wring meaning out of those ancient parchments.Of certainty, the title of Lord Cypher before the Horus Heresy was a title of high office in The Order, the order of knights created on the feudal Death World of Caliban to fight the terrible Chaos-mutated beasts that roamed the planet's myriad deep forests. There, long before the coming of the Primarch Lion El'Jonson, the lordly designation was given to a single knight of the Order.The Order can trace its beginnings back to the period when Caliban was a Death World, as deadly an environment as any in the galaxy. Cut off from Terra during the Age of Strife, civilisation had regressed to a feudal state. Since the Warp Storms had ravaged it, Caliban was almost entirely covered in monster-haunted forests. To travel the paths between the disparate fortifications of Human society was to invite almost certain death.As the forests spread, so was Humanity confined into isolated communities, each based in an ancient keep. There, in the shadows of their stone fortresses, peasants could hack clear patches out of the encroaching woodlands and eke out a living through farming. The nobles, who fought in archaic powered armour, were the rulers of the land. It was their duty to guard the perimeters of their cleared zones from predatory beasts.Caliban bred a hardy people, and they honoured martial skill and bravery. It was a demanding and often cruelly short existence, a constant fight against packs of savage creatures and horrifically mutated beasts. In such times, many brotherhoods of knights were formed, the most famous of which was known simply as "The Order."The Order had won an excellent reputation amongst the noble houses and knightly organisations. It was known for the integrity and the martial skill of its members, and The Order was also famed for its recruitment methods. On Caliban heredity was everything for the noble houses, yet The Order selected its brothers by merit and skill at arms as opposed to inheritance. Contingents of brother-knights from the Order travelled from keep to keep, aiding each in the never-ending struggle to clear land of forest and monster alike.The Order was austere, their many rituals simple but exacting. To ensure their proud traditions were maintained, the ruling masters secretly selected a single member. The bearers bore a variety of arcane titles: Master of Mysteries, Keeper of the Truth, the Lord of the Keys, or else simply Lord Cypher. Upon taking the title, the Lord Cypher renounced his own name, enshrouding his very appearance beneath cloak and hood.It was forbidden by any others to recognise his old self either, for the Lord Cypher was to forsake his very personality, and from that day onwards was to instead embody the laws, customs and strict disciplines of The Order. To him was tasked the responsibility of ensuring the traditions of The Order never faltered, that the recruits and Masters alike were never allowed to degenerate from their lofty ideals.The Lord Cypher advised the masters on all matters of protocol and officiated at many important ceremonies. The Lord Cypher was a lofty position, one which The Order took extremely seriously, for it was known that it was the nature of the galaxy to recede and structures to collapse. The Cypher that appears as a herald of destruction embodies many of these ancient tenets, although there has never been any absolute connection.Although the records taken from Caliban and preserved in the Tower of Angels are incomplete, none are more so than those scribed during Luther's turning from the Emperor's light. Many Dark Angels Librarians and masters have studied them, seeking, but not finding answers. The title of Lord Cypher is mentioned, but who took the post, or when it might have changed are not documented. These ancient records seem to imply that this last Lord Cypher is the last bearer of the title, and that therefore Cypher is not his birth name.This knight was even more of an enigma than most, not least because of his youth and lack of seniority within the brotherhood. When Lion El'Jonson became Grand Master of The Order it had been expected that he would name Master Remiel to the position of Lord Cypher; instead, he raised up a little-known knight younger than Luther or many other high-ranking peers. It was said that the new Cypher had been trained at one of The Order's lesser fortresses, near the beast-haunted Northwilds, but even that was little more than rumour. No one could fathom Jonson's decision, but no one had found cause to complain about it, either.By all accounts, the new Cypher was more of a reclusive, scholarly figure than previous bearers of the title, spending long hours poring through the libraries and record vaults hidden within the main hold of The Order -- though the paired pistols at his belt hinted that he was as capable a fighter as anyone else in the brotherhood.Master Remiel and Sar Daviel, two esteemed members of The Order, claimed that Cypher was formerly a member of the rival monastic order known as the Knights of Lupus. He was allowed to join The Order under an assumed name after the Knights of Lupus were defeated and their order eradicated by Lion El'Jonson at the end of The Order's war against the Great Beasts of Caliban.The Lion's motives for leaving the Lord Cypher behind on Caliban remain a mystery, as was his purpose in what would happen within the mighty walls of Aldurukh, the former fortress of The Order that had become the fortress-monastery of the Dark Angels Legion.Patchy records do seem to indicate that a few of Luther's charges -– both veterans and new recruits alike –- rejected his newer teachings, remaining true to the Legion, Lion El'Jonson, and their Emperor. These individuals who did not join the betrayal are not named, but seem to have begun the fighting before the Dark Angels' fleet appeared in orbit. To show their rejection of Luther, some of the Loyalists seem to have repainted their armour. This, perhaps, gives a hint as to the real reason why the I stLegion switched from black to green colours in the aftermath of the Fall of Caliban.There are a few sections within those ancient tomes that remain unread, for they have been written in some cryptic code. Some suggest that these are but nonsense -- likely the raving-mad scribblings of Luther himself. Thus far they remain indecipherable, and so nobody can truly know if indeed the Lord Cypher present at the destruction of Caliban was the same individual that had been ordained by the Lion.
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Cypher - A Nemesis Unveiled: The Dark Angels believe it is their duty –- their penance –- to track down their treacherous brethren. So long as a single member of the Fallen remains alive and unrepentant, the Dark Angels would refer to themselves as the Unforgiven. This held true even as their proud Legion underwent the dismantling process imposed on all loyalist Space Marines in the wake of the Horus Heresy known as the Second Founding. Across the Imperium, it is no longer known exactly how many successor Chapters were made from the existent Legions. Although many of those newly created organisations still exist, some have since been destroyed, and others have lost their records and history over ages of war and turmoil. This is a convenience which the Dark Angels have taken advantage of, for by claiming their records were damaged in a plasma reactor overload as they outfitted the Rock, they could veil a fraction of their past. It was another lie, for the Dark Angels destroyed those records themselves.The Dark Angels are aware of the scrutiny they are under for the close relationship shared by their many Chapters, but there is another matter that they wish to keep from being uncovered: the loss of the last of the Second Founding Chapters created from the Dark Angels gene-seed, the ill-fated Lions Sable. Of that time, the Unforgiven do not speak. It was one of their first encounters with the one who was named Cypher, and the history of the long campaign that is referred to as the Forgotten Wars is known only to the highest of the Inner Circle. It was only at the end of this gruelling series of hunts and battles that many came to the realisation that Cypher was something more dangerous than just another of their Fallen brethren.It began innocently enough. While in pursuit of the remnants of an Ork fleet, elements of the Angels of Vengeance entered the Gothic Sector. Under the guise of scanning for remnants of the greenskin fleet they had been commanded to destroy, the Angels of Vengeance searched for clues that might lead them to any Fallen. This was standard procedure for all Unforgiven Chapters –- to pursue their secret goals whilst ostensibly following mission edicts as passed down from the Lords of Terra. Gathering long-range scans and widely collected reports, the Angels of Vengeance Strike Cruiser uncovered nothing untoward save for an encrypted signal beamed from the mining world of Lemnos. Once decoded, the message described exactly what the Unforgiven were seeking. The world of Lemnos was embroiled in a bitter war over mining rights –- a battle of greed, rather than ideology. As Imperial tithes were met, there were no orders to intervene, and the matter was to be left for the planetary governor to handle. Rival noble factions were using private armies to enforce their ownership over the richest veins of mineral wealth. It was of these battles that the signal spoke. The mysterious message was sent in one of the older battle codes used by the Dark Angels and provided just the kind of clues that fit the modus operandi of one of the Fallen.According to the message, the leader of one of the mercenary warbands fighting on Lemnos was turning the tide of battle almost single-handedly. He also fought in what seemed to be an old mark of power armour. Hiding the signs of extensive genetic modification is not easy, and the Unforgiven are trained to investigate legends of humans with superior abilities. On the most promising trails, the Unforgiven will attempt to get one of their Librarians close to the quarry, for they can employ the most damning method of testing. At close ranges, Librarians from the Unforgiven Chapters can pick up the unique psychic signatures of those who bear traces of their shared Primarch. Even the most spliced or tainted gene-seed of Lion El'Jonson emits a distinct signal powerful enough to detect. This is not a foolproof method, as such readings can vary due to Warp flux or be blocked by psychic dampeners. Also, not all the Fallen bear the Legion's pure gene-seed. When the First Legion reached Caliban and reunited with their Primarch, they accepted many members of the Order into their ranks. Those young enough to survive the ordeal received the full gene-seed implant, while others –- like the arch-traitor Luther -– were otherwise augmented into elite soldiers.In the Lemnos case, the Librarians reported multiple readings. The original target –- a towering man known as "the Mauler" -– had raised alarms with his superhuman feats of strength in battle. When subjected to a remote psychic probe by an Angels of Vengeance Librarian, the telltale signs of someone bearing Dark Angels Legion gene-seed appeared. Terminators from the Angels of Vengeance 1st Company were sent in to apprehend him. There were, however, other readings picked up from the vicinity as well. One of these signals flickered –- a phenomenon associated with Warp storms, although none were reported at that time. This was the first recorded encounter with the unique signals that would later be associated with Cypher. Whether he had been there first and brought in another Fallen or was working with the Mauler from the beginning is not known.The strike team was successful in capturing the Mauler, although in doing so, they sustained high casualties. As the Terminators closed upon the surprised mercenary band, there was one amongst their number who shot his way out. At the time, neither the robed stranger, his unusually lethal pistol shots, nor his subsequent escape and disappearance were the known trademark that they have since become. At the time, it was merely noted that the loss of so many Angels of Vengeance Terminators seemed out of place. The veteran warriors in their nigh-impervious armour rarely fell in battle, and when they did, it was to titanic weaponry or some mighty champion, not a rogue soldier from an outlaw band of third-rate mercenaries.As the Rock was in an adjoining sector, it was not long before the Mauler was secured in its deep dungeons. Persuaded by the harsh methods of the Interrogator-Chaplains and the relentless mind-probes of the Librarians, the Mauler eventually revealed that he had been known by another, older name. Here was Brother Sytrx, a Dark Angel returned to the fold. Before finally recanting and being relieved of the burden of living, Sytrx revealed more. He named a dozen of the Fallen that he had seen in the sector. Elements from the Angels of Vengeance, the Dark Angels and the Lions Sable followed these trails. Each stop along this new journey -– from planetfalls to the boarding of a derelict hulk floating in the midst of deep space, led the Unforgiven towards still further clues. At each point, some new revelation was ascertained. As each new scrap of information was reported back to the Rock, a larger and more sinister plot was slowly revealed.Originally, the Unforgiven had begun their mission seeking only to apprehend individuals. What was revealed was a corruption spread through six systems of the Gothic Sector. Running through the collusions and inter-planetary trysts was a coherent and sinister thread that bore many of the hallmarks of an elaborate plot by the Alpha Legion –- although that group of traitors had, at the time, erroneously been declared destroyed by the Inquisition. Weaving through the clues and criss-crossing trail of evidence scattered across the Gothic Sector was the individual with whom Dark Angels Librarians had a fast-growing obsession –- the one called Cypher.Sometimes, the cowled figure produced the psychic signature of a Fallen, evincing the blood of their Primarch, the Lion. At other times, however, the mental probes of the Librarians could detect nothing save for a brief flickering of that signal, as if it were overtaken by some other being. Prolonged searches discovered something new –- a hollow, null void, a cold emptiness that moved through the Immaterium like a shadow left behind by Cypher. His apparent ability to mask himself has since been observed many times, but whether it comes from innate psychic powers or some unknown artefact has never been determined. The chase for Cypher stretched from years into decades, until it came to a grinding halt when the trail led to the densely populated world of Brigia. It had been determined that the commander of the Planetary Defence Force –- Grand Captain Tylius –- was most probably one of their Fallen brethren. He had certainly been in recent contact with Cypher. As if he had been forewarned that he was being hunted, the Grand Captain was wary. He remained within Brigia's most formidable fortress system, an entire army acting as his personal bodyguard.With his forces spread thin across the Gothic Sector, Purson, the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels, gathered all the Unforgiven within range. At the time, the Angels of Absolution were to the galactic east and could send no aid -– however, the Angels of Redemption and the Lions Sable answered the summons. The Space Marines descended from Lion El'Jonson have always been known for their well-crafted and flawless war plans, and the assault upon Brigia's best-defended fortress was no different. With precision timing and deadly accuracy, the Unforgiven made headway through the outermost defences, working their way inwards. They were poised for the second phase of the operation –- a final attack on the central keep where Grand Captain Tylius was hidden -– when the unexpected happened.There were two factors that Supreme Grand Master Purson had not anticipated. First, a new target of opportunity appeared on the battlefield – Cypher. The Unforgiven had followed his trail for so long and had been so frustrated by his escape at every juncture that all efforts shifted from the battle and Tylius to apprehending Cypher. His appearance in the trench line immediately drew in Purson's Terminator reserves, as they teleported in an attempt to surround their quarry. Grand Captain Tylius was a cunning tactician, however, and he chose this moment to release his hitherto unsuspected reserve force. A large formation of Chaos Space Marine Terminators teleported to aid his fortress defence, while mobs of Cultists were called up from the nearby population centres. Tylius was indeed a Fallen, and he had made a fell pact, fully immersing himself in a labyrinthine Alpha Legion scheme. This was nothing like the previous covert or skirmish actions the Unforgiven had engaged in throughout the Gothic Sector. The war that erupted over the fortified bunkers was intense, prolonged and destructive.As the Unforgiven attempted to flush out their prize, Cypher made good his escape before the Deathwing could reach him. Soon, the Unforgiven were too hard-pressed to follow, as the heavily armoured Dark Angels clashed with their traitorous kin, trading titanic blows. Although the fight was fierce, and their quarry had likely already fled, the Unforgiven Chapters did not retreat. Notoriously stubborn-minded, the true Sons of the Lion mowed down the Cultist hordes as they swept forward. The clash of Terminators was at first evenly matched, but the Unforgiven were driven by righteous fury, and in the end that proved decisive. Eventually, the last squad of debased enemies was taken out by a single, well-placed burst of energy from a Land Speeder Vengeance's Plasma Storm Battery. Only then could the Unforgiven return to the pursuit of Cypher and the final stronghold assault to prise out Tylius. Both ventures proved too late –- for Cypher and Tylius had made good their escape.
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Cypher - Into the Eye: Upon Brigia it was established that Chaos Space Marines were deeply involved with the Fallen, and it was no real surprise when the clues that had been leading the Unforgiven across the Gothic Sector now led towards that most hated of refuges: the Eye of Terror. Reports of the Dark Angels' actions on Brigia had already reached Terra and questions began to filter back to the Rock. Even as answers were crafted to explain why elements from their Chapters had appeared so far from their assigned missions, the Unforgiven were plotting their courses towards the forbidden zones - the most dreaded part of the galaxy -- the Eye of Terror. This hellish realm was a relative safe haven for many of the Chaos Space Marine Legions. It was perilous even to track the signal, for psykers that open their mind in the direction of the Eye of Terror risk falling prey to fell things from beyond. Dark Angels Librarians, however, dared the attentions of the darker powers in order to achieve the trace –- following the trail to the outermost of the twin planets Cocytus I and II. These were not fully contaminated planets immersed in the chaotic energies, but rather astral bodies that maintained orbit at the edge of the Sentinel Sector -– a region of space that was only occasionally enveloped by the Immaterium.To travel too close to the Eye of Terror was forbidden by the Imperium, yet a council of the Inner Circle was called to discuss that very plan. That region was notoriously unstable and dangerous, and to enter it they would have to navigate around temporal eddies, space anomalies and perhaps Chaos Space Marine battle fleets. Additionally, an Imperial presence surrounded the Eye of Terror –- from listening posts and floating mine fields all the way to heavily fortified worlds. This would make it difficult to enter the Eye of Terror without being observed. After the action on Brigia, several Inquisitors had already been dispatched to look into the reported presence of the despised Alpha Legion. The Unforgiven Chapters could ill afford to draw further attention to themselves.All the Dark Angels successors had inherited their Primarch's legendary tenacity, however, so they did not back away from the ever-growing challenges. Although of reserved mien, they raged inside at the narrow escape of their quarry. That their long and winding path through the Gothic Sector might end without satisfaction was unbearable. The Dark Angels and their successors thirsted to respond – to take the fight to their foe. Supreme Grand Master Purson agreed to send a task force to the very edge of the Eye of Terror. The Unforgiven sent a single Strike Cruiser, the Sable Lions' Fury of Caliban, into the swirling mists. It carried companies gathered from the Dark Angels, the Angels of Vengeance, Angels of Redemption and the Lions Sable. At first, all went well – they successfully ran the gauntlet of Warp storms and emerged in realspace to bypass all of the Imperial stations. Transmissions to the Rock were patchy and unreliable, but the Fury of Caliban had reached the orbit of Cocytus I. A strike force immediately made planetfall.So close to the Eye of Terror, all readings and ranged scannings were corrupted, and comms faded in and out. Not knowing what to expect on a world that had so often been encompassed within the swirling madness of the Eye of Terror, the first drop team was to probe the site of the last signal emission. They found a mist-shrouded planet, its rocky surface largely barren. Here and there stood stone archways or toppled pillars, the remnants of some ancient culture. Weathered and timeworn, the rocks also bore signs of the corrupting Warp –- leering faces or symbols of death were etched within the stonework itself. Carefully, the Unforgiven advanced through the eerie landscape, unsure of what they sought. When they saw it, however, they knew they were on the right path.There, towering out of the roiling fogs, was what looked like the same style of fortress stronghold that topped the Rock itself. Clad in plasteel and adamantium, the walls and ramparts bristled with weapons. The great tower bore the unmistakable icons of the Dark Angels –- the hooded and winged figure bearing a sword. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the stronghold was constructed not as tribute, but in mockery –- a Tower of Fallen Angels. A grim skull-faced visage peered out of the cowl, skulls adorned spikes and several iron cages hung above the ramparts. No few of these gibbets bore skeletal remains inside mangled Dark Angels power armour.Reinforcements were requested –- for here was found a den of Fallen if ever there was such a thing. Yet the Dark Angels were cautious -– for it was only a matter of time before the ebb and the flow of the Warp once more wholly consumed both Cocytus I and II within its raging storms. When it was reported that the distinct signal of Cypher was on the planet, Supreme Grand Master Purson gave both the order to attack and the command that sent a second ship. So began the Forgotten Wars – a raging battle upon Cocytus I that drew in half of the Dark Angels and the Angels of Redemption, three companies of the Angels of Vengeance, and the entire Chapter of the Lions Sable.The corruption grew worse and storms quickly drew over the twin planets. Battle raged as the Unforgiven razed den after den of Cultists, mutants and renegades –- always pressing more deeply into the wasteland continents of both planets. Twice Cypher had eluded them. What was even more infuriating was that he had sent them messages, urging them to depart and warning that they were heading into a trap. Begrudgingly, Purson had to admit that it looked as if Cypher was correct. He gave the command to retreat as the Warp storms crashed over the region. He was loath to abandon the battles, but he knew his time was running short.The Lions Sable, however, refused. Since splitting into Chapters, each successor was meant to remain autonomous, but the Dark Angels had always maintained more control over their progeny than was laid out in the tenets of the Second Founding - another secret they kept hidden. So many times had their Primarch Lion El’Jonson stubbornly held onto a position or refused to give ground that the Lions’ defiant act seemed more in character with their mighty forefather, and for a moment Purson hesitated. Taking with him only his bodyguard, the Supreme Grand Master headed back down to the planet. He commanded the fleet –- for there were now six of their ships in orbit -– to get clear of the Eye of Terror. He would contact them when the storm cleared. None knew it then, but that was the last anyone would ever see of Purson or the Lions Sable.The storms had become so violent – the ever-spinning spiral arms growing wider and wider as raw Chaos vomited from the Eye of Terror's centre –- that the frigate Vendetta was lost into the Warp. The tumult provided one advantage: the Unforgiven fleet escaped out of the Eye of Terror and past the Cadian Gate unobserved in the impenetrable murk. They alone survived to bring word of these events back to the Rock. They were dismayed to find that although they had been gone for but the span of a few years as measured inside the storms, in realspace over a thousand years had passed. Many small sorties had attempted to penetrate that murk, but none ever succeeded. When at last the tempests ceased, a small task force was sent into the Eye of Terror once again -– but no sign of Cocytus I or its twin could be found. It was as if the Eye of Terror had swallowed them.Cypher, however, did return, and much more quickly. His telltale signal appeared in the same system as the Rock, which quickly scrambled hunt-teams to seek him. Once again he eluded them, but not before leading them into an empty cathedral to the Emperor on a ruined and desolate planet. There, they found neatly placed where they could not miss them the returned Sword of Secrets and the Lion Helm -– the most potent icons of the Dark Angels and tokens carried by their Supreme Grand Master.Whether trap or test, the Unforgiven Chapters suffered serious losses upon Cocytus, and those events were to have profound effects upon the Sons of the Lion. To cover up their immediate losses after their warriors were thought lost to the Warp, the resources of the recruiting world of the Lions Sable –- the ebon orb of Nachwald -– were usurped to replenish the Angels of Vengeance and the Angels of Retribution. The Dark Angels staged a false plasma explosion aboard the Rock to explain their loss of records, for it was decided by the Inner Circle to destroy all records relating to the event. In this, they were greatly aided by the distraction caused by the largest Ork invasion recorded in the Imperium and the political upheavals of the Beheading, when assassins struck at the High Lords of Terra. Unknown to any, they were also fortunate when the three members of the Inquisitional inquiry secretly tasked with reviewing the strange activities of the Dark Angels were lost due to a variety of inexplicable accidents.As for the survivors of Cocytus that did eventually return, they were spread out amongst the Unforgiven Chapters so their sudden influx would not be noted. For the rest of their lives, each was closely monitored by Company Chaplains to ensure the prolonged Warp exposure had not contaminated them in any way. Of the Forgotten Wars, the Dark Angels do not speak, nor has it entered into the apocryphal tales told to their initiates. They have gone to great lengths to ensure all references to that campaign or to the Lions Sable have been stricken from the records available to the Adeptus Terra. Yet it is the custom and battle cry of the sons of Lion El’Jonson to "Never forget, never forgive". Deep in the dungeons of the Rock are secreted the only remaining accounts, and only those of the Inner Circle ever learn of that heroic sacrifice that must forever go untold.
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Cypher - Trail of Revelations: Over the millennia, Cypher's trail has, time and again, led the Unforgiven Chapters to some new revelation. This has included unveiling evidence that leads to the capture of a Fallen, the detection of a hidden vein of corruption that has wormed its way into the Imperium, or even the discovery of an ideal new recruiting world. If not for chasing Cypher, the Dark Angels would never have landed upon the feral world of Kimmeria, and the Angels of Vengeance would not have realised that the death world of Damnia could serve as one of their main recruiting worlds. Yet not all the revelations during the hunt for Cypher have proven beneficial. Many a bold and eager Ravenwing commander has been lead badly astray by Cypher's appearance on the battlefield. Only those who prove their ability to aggressively pursue, but at the same time anticipate the enemy's traps and ruses, survive for long in the Dark Angels 2nd Company.
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Cypher - Misdirected: There are instances when it is difficult to understand whether the Unforgiven Chapters are hunting Cypher or if it is the other way around. It is a favoured tactic of Cypher to appear upon a battlefield involving the Sons of the Lion, materialising suddenly at moments so inopportune that it has proven impossible to apprehend him. Perhaps the most famous of these instances occurred during the final battle of the Red Stars campaign. In desperation to cut the head off a rising Ork WAAAGH! the entire Dark Angels Chapter was deployed en masse. It was their hope that the Deathwing could draw out and destroy the Ork Warboss Zogax da Great before the Space Marines were overwhelmed by the green tide. Alas, these hopes were dashed when Zogax's Meks deployed some sort of jamming device that prevented the Deathwing from teleporting down anywhere near the Warboss' vicinity.Defiant, Supreme Grand Master Alloken led his own command squad and the 3rd Company in an attempt to cut through the heavily armoured bodyguard of Warboss Zogax. However, aided by all manner of hulking mechanised fighting machines, the Orks proved too powerful. The Dark Angels' impetus was all but spent by the time Alloken appeared before the chainaxe-wielding Ork Warboss. Tragically, the Supreme Grand Master was cut down, but as Zogax reached down to claim the Lion's Helm for his own, his hand was vaporised by a bolt of plasma. Howling in anger and surprise, the towering Ork Warboss looked up just in time to take a rapid volley of bolt pistol shots through both his good eye and his bionically enhanced one. Even devoid of the back part of his huge cranium and the majority of his brains, Zogax fought on for a few more moments before he fell, twitching.Cypher appeared, spinning in a circle while his twin guns blazed away. The plasma pistol was powerful enough to melt holes through the thick plating that covered the Mega Nobz, while his bolt pistol shots struck more vulnerable points, such as joints or the Orks' open-faced helms. Many went down beneath that cascade of fire, spouts of Ork blood, steam and black oil jetting out from the collapsed piles of blocky armour. Holstering both pistols, Cypher dragged Alloken and his treasured artefacts to a nearby trench, then sprinted off even as the nearest Dark Angels closed in. Ignoring the remaining Orks, the Dark Angels concentrated fire on the robed figure, but he was soon hidden behind the smoking hulks of wrecked vehicles. Within moments, the forcefield jamming device that prevented the Deathwing from teleporting down was nullified and the 1st Company arrived to secure victory. Of Cypher, no further signs could be found.
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Cypher - Voice of Discord: Across the galaxy, the legend of Cypher –- the mysterious loner who fights for freedom –- has been known by many names. He has sometimes been confused with the Saviour of Praxus, the Robed Rogue of the Nova Terra Uprisings and more recently the Voice of the Emperor. Whether Cypher actually ever assumes these aliases, or if his presence has merely begun another series of rumours is another mystery. When Cypher arrives upon a planet he has proven an ability to persuade and cajole the disaffected masses into rebellion. This has alarmed the Imperium, but they cannot pinpoint if he is using manipulation, the power of his mystique or some hitherto unidentified psychic power. Likewise, it is often difficult to discern whether Cypher's message to countless billions is to rise up against harsh oppression, or for justice across the galaxy, or if he merely arrives at the same time that another delivers such a message. What is sure is that Cypher's presence provokes a swift and inevitable response.Whether Cypher employs meticulous planning or some Warp-born ability to shift the odds, it is often one of the Unforgiven Chapters that is sent to quell the worst of these rebellions. At times, they have uncovered Chaos Cultists or some machination of the Alpha Legion running like an undercurrent beneath the agitator's message. In several instances, such as during the Nova Terra Interregnum, there were one or more Fallen amidst the rising anarchy. Only by following the trail of Cypher did the Unforgiven find and capture the guilty –- but at other times he seemed determined to aid the Fallen to escape. It is the Dark Angels' belief that Cypher is an expert at manipulating others into his schemes. Some serve as bodyguards and are willing to lay down their lives for Cypher. Others, however, would be appalled to realise whom they have aided, and have been duped by an erstwhile ally who is not all he seems.In battle, rebels, squads of Chaos Terminators and Daemon Princes have all accompanied Cypher. He has gathered and led squads of Fallen that have campaigned together since the Fall of Caliban, and he has fought alongside the towering war machines of the Dark Mechanicum. Cypher has fought shoulder to shoulder with the Forces of the Imperium –- frequently directing Imperial Guardsmen, squads of Space Marines or any number of planetary defence forces, while under the guise of a Space Marine loyal to the Emperor. The one thing they all have in common is that they serve a purpose in Cypher's plans and he easily abandons them to their fates as befits the circumstances of his mission. He will not hesitate to spend their blood if it grants him but a further second needed to escape the clutches of pursuit. For their part, the forces of the Unforgiven seek to hunt Cypher regardless of whom he surrounds himself with. This has, more than once, brought the Dark Angels and their successor Chapters into direct conflict with their own allies. There are some –- such as the Silver Skulls and the Black Templars -– who have a bitter enmity with the Unforgiven and will go out of their way to avoid working alongside them.
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Cypher - Dichotomy of Purpose: It is obvious to those few Dark Angels Librarians who have studied the compiled data that Cypher's actions seem to follow some pattern or mission known only to himself. It is not even possible to deduce whether Cypher is for or against the Imperium, an ally or enemy to those who betrayed the Dark Angels. Cypher does not always work alone, at times seeming to ally or associate himself with others. His presence upon a planet draws dangerous elements to him from across the galaxy. Whether this is through his bidding is unclear, but it is too recurrent to be mere happenstance. Ultimately, no matter if he is surrounded by others: Cypher is a loner, a rogue agent whose true intentions are unknown to those he has served alongside.Cypher's ability to coerce others into helping him only adds to the frustrations of those in pursuit. After following such a labyrinthine trail to find them, there is seldom anything of value to be learned from those whom Cypher enlisted to aid his hidden agenda. Cypher has left behind entire cult armies dedicated to establishing new rulers, pirate bands seeking to amass wealth, and far-distant colonies merely wishing to survive the wilderness. Once, he subverted an Inquisitorial death squad –- for only in the aftermath of the action was it determined that it had been Cypher who had slain and replaced the cowled Inquisitor Arnuldus. Further investigations revealed that the Inquisitor, who wore a cowl to cover his hideous injuries, had been slain months previously. In the guise of the Inquisitor, Cypher took control of his web of agents and misdirected the defence of Septius VII –- resulting in the complete collapse of an Imperial Hive World. While the Planetary Governor and his entire ruling system was determined to have been corrupt and unjust, he was the rightful ruler and the planet's tithes had always been honoured. The uprising brought brief freedom to the citizens of Septius VII, before the inevitable bloodbath suppression that followed once again crushed the will of the people under the Imperium's yoke.Some of the recorded contacts with Cypher are brief –- his appearance only registering at the onset of a conflict. In others, Cypher has seemed more deeply involved. From the Dark Angels' records, it is believed that Cypher had spent some twenty Terran years in the Cult of the Red Heresy, a growing anarchic movement that was drawing in agitators from seven systems. Accounts differ as to whether he was leading the cult or was merely manipulating their actions. During the same period he was also identified as having joined the Zargosoan smuggler fleet. In both cases he made no effort to disguise himself. Cypher appears always as a cloaked and cowled figure, bearing pistols of ancient and expert craftsmanship, and a sword which none have ever seen unsheathed.It can reliably be said that Cypher works almost exclusively with other humans. Although there are instances of xenos alliances, the frequency of these is slight. Yet what can be learned from such a paradox of information, other than the fact that he is apparently as likely to work with as against the forces of the Imperium? During a raid upon the Forge World of Voss Prime, Cypher arrived in the centre of a formation of Chaos Space Marine Terminators from the Black Legion. They fought their way through adamantium gates into the cramped corridors of the Irontower. There, they stole ancient STC documents before teleporting away once more. Save for cavorting with Daemons, there is perhaps no transgression more damning to the eyes of any agent of the Imperium than to associate with those arch-heretics. There are dozens of similar entries placing Cypher in action alongside known traitors. Sightings corroborate what blurry vid-captures show: that the robed one is often not a mere accomplice, but can be seen actively leading warbands as varied as rabble-rousing Cultists, Renegade Space Marines and the arch-enemies of the Imperium, the Chaos Space Marine Legions themselves.Conversely, there are numerous instances where Cypher has undeniably worked alongside forces of the Imperium. He has operated countless times alongside planetary defence force battalions, Imperial Guard regiments and Space Marine Chapters. It was Cypher who guided the Silver Skulls Space Marine Chapter in their suppression of the Red Heresy during the Plague of Unbelief. To what purpose Cypher aided and then betrayed the cult has never been determined. On Monarch Prime, just as the last lines of defence came under attack by surging rebel forces, the mysterious figure of Cypher appeared to aid the beleaguered Cadians. According to statements by Sergeant Grunhelm, the last surviving member of his squad, their Commissar had just gone down in a bloody heap when a new voice shouted out orders along the trenchlines. The new arrival wielded twin pistols, and had the bearing and command of an Imperial officer. The Cadians, eager to believe that Space Marine relief had at last arrived, rallied behind him. And so Cypher personally led the last defence, holding the foe at bay before the very bunker in which the planetary governor had taken refuge. The Cultists were gunned down so thickly that the trench system filled with bodies. Like waves of the sea, squad after squad of the foe charged up only to break and recede. There were but a few Cadian soldiers left –- each injured, but still fighting. They would not have survived were it not for the cowled figure whose blazing pistols could not miss their mark. Only when the black-armoured hulls of Ravenwing Land Speeders could be seen approaching the bunker at speed did the stranger duck behind the heaped piles of the slain and vanish.
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Cypher - Terran Crusade: During the Terran Crusade of 999.M41, the resurrected Primarch Roboute Guilliman was defeated in the Warp rift known as the Maelstrom by the Greater Daemon Kairos Fateweaver and imprisoned with his surviving forces in a Blackstone Fortress that had been given by Abaddon the Despoiler to the Chaos Space Marines called the Red Corsairs.There Guilliman would have rotted away, had not Cypher, escorted by the Harlequin Shadowseer Sylandri Veilwalker, agreed to free Guilliman in return for his promise to allow the Fallen Angel an audience with the Emperor once they had reached Terra.With little choice, Guilliman agreed, and Cypher remained with the crusade and fought by the Primarch's side during his escape from the Blackstone Fortress, through the labyrinthine corridors of the Webway and on the dusty surface of Luna, where the crusade faced Guilliman's brother the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red.Once the Primarch reached the Imperial Palace on Terra and prepared to meet with his father the Emperor, he ordered Cypher to be taken into custody, unwilling to trust the Fallen Angel until he better understood his motivations. However, within only solar hours of his imprisonment, Cypher once more escaped his captors.
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Cypher - Era Indomitus: In the wake of Cypher's escape from Terra at the start of the Era Indomitus, he is once again being pursued by the Dark Angels. This pursuit led them into disaster during the Massacre at Darkmor.Elements of half a dozen Unforgiven Chapters descended upon the Shrine World of Darkmor, including multiple companies from the Angels of Vengeance, the Consecrators and the Guardians of the Covenant. All had followed their Librarians' scryings to the planet, searching for the newly materialised Fallen. It was not long before they discovered that they were not the hunters, however, but the hunted.The Warp Storms that subsided to allow their armies into Darkmor's orbit returned in force. On the planet's surface, the Unforgiven found the world's vast cathedrals in ruins and its populace slaughtered. Awaiting in ambush are armies of daemons, Chaos Space Marines and Renegades.What followed was the worst single incident of losses suffered by the Unforgiven since the Forgotten Wars. Less than a hundred Space Marines from an original contingent of a thousand managed to escape, and they did so only because they pursued Cypher, who, in his attempt to flee, also led them to a secret teleportation device.Cypher's original jailers on Terra are also now in pursuit of the Fallen Angel following his escape from his Imperial Palace cell in the form of a combined Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence force under the command of the Shield-Captain Daryth.When the trail of clues Daryth was following led across the barrier of the Great Rift to the Imperium Nihilus, Daryth took command of the frigate Sol's Arrow and gathered his Shield Company and a cadre of Sisters of Silence to help him track Cypher down.However the perilous journey across the Great Rift has caused havoc with the Sol's Arrow 's instruments and Daryth is unaware that a disguised night-black Space Marine Strike Cruiser is following in his frigate's wake.
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Cypher - Notable Sightings: It is impossible to track the deeds of Cypher with any degree of accuracy. Most confirmed sightings come, not surprisingly, from the Unforgiven Chapters. They keep painstaking records on Cypher -- codifying every rumour, documenting every potential sighting –- so that entire chambers of the librarius are devoted to mere speculations about their nemesis. Over the millennia, there have been a few Inquisitors who have brushed upon the possible existence the Fallen Dark Angels, though they have not recognised it as such. In no more than a handful of their datascroll records, there are even mentions of Cypher in particular -- although he is not always identified by name. There are several missing documents in these collections, which is largely due to intervention of Cypher himself. If anything, Cypher's movements with other renegade forces are even less well documented. The main reason there is any visibility into these dealings comes from the Logbook of Condemnations seized from the The Scourged by the then-Grand Master of the Deathwing, Valefor, during the Battles of Grimtide:First Contact? (Unknown Date.M31) - It is likely the Dark Angels experienced their first run-ins with the Fallen identified as Cypher during their quest to discover new recruiting worlds. There are over a dozen entries recorded citing mysterious circumstances, acts of sabotage and casualties amongst both the Dark Angels and their potential recruits. These attacks influenced which worlds were originally chosen (or not chosen, as the case often turned out to be). In hindsight, several Librarians have suggested these attacks were instigated by Cypher. Certainly the Massacre on Olney and the loss of the Legion's last remaining Stormbird on the moons of Sestus bear his mysterious hallmarks.The Forgotten Wars (580.M31-632.M32) - The Dark Angels, along with successor Chapters the Angels of Vengeance, the Angels of Redemption and the Lions Sable, embark on the trail of multiple Fallen. The clues lead them through Segmentum Obscurus and deep into the Gothic Sector. Only in hindsight do the Dark Angels realise the extent of the trap that had been laid for them. It was known that Cypher existed for hundreds of years before this campaign, but it was this event that shocked the Unforgiven Chapters into realising the true magnitude of the danger he represented.Truly Forgotten (ca.M33) - The Apocrypha of Davio lists the following as Second Founding Chapters derived from the Dark Angels: Angels of Absolution, Angels of Redemption, and the Angels of Vengeance. By this time the name Lions Sable has already been lost.Battle of Vermilac Prime (822.M33) - Cypher's timely intervention prevents the Orks from looting the Lion Helm and the Sword of Secrets from the slain body of the fallen Supreme Grand Master Alloken.Saviour of Praxus (997.M33) - The Angels of Redemption find sedition upon one of their own recruiting worlds. Cypher, under the guise of the Saviour of Praxus, has been manipulating recruiting practices, hand-selecting and training the feral warriors to increase their chances of being chosen. He escapes before he can be apprehended.The Nova Terra Interregnum (257.M35) - Secessionists of Nova Terra declare a new rule, claiming to take over from the High Lords of Terra. Cypher weaves through the anarchy, his trail highlighting the many Fallen that have taken positions of power during the uprisings in Segmentum Pacificus. It is even rumoured that Cypher himself has taken a position on the Ur-Council –- the ruling body of Nova Terra. A daring Ravenwing strike assaults Nova Terra, but fails to apprehend any prisoners.The Red Heresy (290-310.M36) - During the Age of Apostasy, the Red Heresy Plague erupts across the Don'lorth Sector, a foreshadowing of the later battles that would become known as The Plague of Unbelief. Deep in Segmentum Tempestus is a star cluster that supports the heavily populated Don'lorth Sector. It is here that the Cult of the Old Gods rises. Agitators and anarchists stir up the hives into open rebellion. Workers in their untold billions are urged by red-robed priests to cast off their shackles, to reject the corpse-god Emperor. The horrific slaughter of all agents of the Adeptus Administratum and Adeptus Ministorum is enough to draw in vast fleets of Imperial armed forces. Seeking a quick way to end the rebellion, the Silver Skulls Chapter deploy en masse in a desperate attempt to kill the leaders behind the rising cult. The hunt is disastrous –- with Drop Pod assaults ambushed and multiple Thunderhawks brought down en route to their objectives. Only the arrival of Dark Angels Deathwing and Ravenwing forces, along with the 3rd Company of the Angels of Vengeance, staves off certain defeat. However, the Silver Skulls observe the Deathwing forsaking the battle in pursuit of a mysterious robed Space Marine. Before Cypher escapes, an Angels of Vengeance Librarian detects several Fallen ensconced within the red-robed hierarchy of the Red Heresy. The Silver Skulls are left to dig themselves out of their own predicament. They do so, but openly condemn the Dark Angels; another formal protest is filed to the High Lords of Terra.A Blade out of Time (624.M36) - Although impossible to fix in time, this seems to be the first recorded instance where Cypher is seen carrying the C'tan phase knife -– a weapon similar to the C'tan phase sword used by the Callidus Assassins. The blade of the knife can phase in and out of real-space by dimensional realignment, so it is capable of bypassing armour and protective fields. The knife was at some point lost in battle with the C'tan known as the Deceiver in the opening stages of the 13th Black Crusade, however, the battle occurred in the Warp and seems to have been subject to a strange loop in either the time continuum or reality itself. Cypher is most often seen without the blade, but true to its name, the knife occasionally phases back into being beneath his cloak.The Black Gulf Mines (157.M37) - The few survivors of the Zargosoan smuggler fleet break under pressure from a Dark Angels force led by Master Interrogator-Chaplain Molochia. They relate a tale of how a cloaked stranger fought his way aboard their flagship, the Black Needle, claiming parley. He knew the smuggler's code and invoked the rites of combat -– winning his duel and taking the place of a seasoned mate. Within a year, the stranger had risen to the very top, besting the previous captain in single combat. Under his leadership, the Zargosoan fleet -– five ships in all -– concentrated their raids along the Black Gulf Mines. There, amidst the sprawling asteroid fields and orbital man-made platforms, the smugglers raided mining complex after mining complex, hauling off many tanker-ships filled with sought after minerals and gasses. As it turns out, the leader of the mining colony -– known as the Black Gulf Tyrant –- is a figure greatly sought after by the Dark Angels.Inquisitorial Intrigue (665.M38) - While on a secret mission Inquisitor Arnuldus, who wore a cowl to cover his hideous injuries, is supplanted by Cypher, who acts in his stead. Arnuldus has never since been found. After using his new guise to destroy many sensitive records pertaining both to himself and the Unforgiven Chapters, Cypher takes control of Arnuldus' chain-of-command and redirects the defence of Septius VII –- resulting in the complete collapse of an Imperial hive world. Only the Alpha Legion can trace the action back to Cypher.Within the Eye (200-500.M39) - Although it is unknown to the Unforgiven, Cypher spends this period inside the Eye. There, for a time much greater than the years that pass in realspace, he makes contact with various groups of Fallen. It is during this time that he makes further alliances with the Legions, in particular the Alpha Legion. Reports of Cypher continue to haunt the galaxy, with the Dark Angels and their successor Chapters chasing false rumours -– some planted long ago by Cypher himself.Hundred Planet Rebellion (518.M39) - Too often dealt with falsely by the Alpha Legion, Cypher takes a measure of revenge upon them. He purposefully leads the Dark Angels onto the path of the priest Alldric the Subverter. Alldric has, through great effort and long planning on behalf of his Alpha Legion allies, led a swathe of planets on the borders of the Veiled Region to reject the rule of the Imperium. Within a decade, the Dark Angels and several of their successor Chapters suppress the Chaos Cultist uprisings and slay their leaders. Such actions are doubly pleasing for Cypher, for not only is he revenged upon the Alpha Legion's machinations, but he further frustrates the Dark Angels. For their part in the campaign, the Dark Angels are awarded many honour badges and campaign ribbons for their actions by the High Lords of Terra. The austere Dark Angels infrequently bear such commendations, but feel pressured to do so in this case. Deep down, the Inner Circle seethe at the dishonour –- for they know the truth, that the badges are but a sign of their failure to capture Cypher once again.Liberation of Amadis (976.M41) - Cypher makes an appearance during the final battle of the liberation of Amadis, arriving in time to rally the last few defenders in the face of Chaos Cultist wave assaults. Only a single trooper from the planetary defence force survives and he swears an oath to the mysterious robed stranger never to reveal the truth of what has happened, never to mention the rogue Space Marine's presence. When the lone survivor greets the Dark Angels as they arrive to mop up the remaining foes, he does not mention his mysterious saviour.Escovan Campaign (989.M41) - Little is known about this series of events, except that following several bloody battles the Red Corsairs vowed to slay Cypher.Rise of the Voice of the Emperor (995.M41) - This is the first recorded instance of the one known as "the Voice of the Emperor". A self-proclaimed oracle of the Emperor himself, this individual begins to broadcast across the Agripinaa Sector. On many planets, new cults rose up, answering his call to clash with Ministorum officials.Assassins Dispatched (997.M41) - Alarmed at the growing popularity of "the Voice of the Emperor" the Imperium assigns multiple agents of the Officio Assassinorum to dispatch the heretic. None return. At least one gets close to his target, his last communication describing the target as a robed and hooded figure, concealing dark power armour shorn of livery beneath, and bearing a sword and two pistols of great antiquity.The Black Templars Incident (998.M41) - A Black Templars' Strike Cruiser, Ophidium Gulf, assists a Dark Angels force in pursuit of the individual known as "The Voice of the Emperor". After hard fighting, the Black Templars succeed in capturing him -– although are later embroiled in a dispute with the Dark Angels, during which both Chapters briefly engage in battle. Although ultimately taken into custody by the Dark Angels, the robed captive mysteriously escapes and the Ophidium Gulf is lost. At the behest of the Black Templars, the Inquisition is called upon to investigate –- results are pending after the disappearance of Inquisitor Archibald.Belial's Fury (561.999.M41) - Belial, Grand Master of the Deathwing, corners Cypher on Piscina IV. Belial is the best shot and most formidable close combat fighter in the Dark Angels Chapter, yet his efforts come to naught. His Storm Bolter misses before jamming and the Sword of Silence cuts off merely a piece of Cypher's hood as he ducks the blow. When Belial is subsequently tied up by the massed wave attack of suicidal Cultists, Cypher makes good his escape. This marks the third time he has eluded the mighty Belial.Who Hunts the Hunters? (789.999.M41) - While observing the Ravenwing and Deathwing work in conjunction to capture a prisoner, Inquisitor Rasputin believes he has, at last, solved the riddle of the Dark Angels. As he turns to leave the battlefield, only his lightning-fast reflexes and a nigh-impenetrable force field allow him to survive the flurry of shots that would have slain him. Even as a hooded figure advances upon his position, a new conflict breaks out. Ravenwing troops on bikes have picked up Cypher's trail and pursue him as he attempts to gun down the Inquisitor before escaping. Rasputin never makes his final report, and once again, the Ravenwing return empty handed from chasing Cypher.The Voice Silenced (999.M41) - Although Cypher seems to be supporting the 13th Black Crusade, this is perhaps only a pretence. Certainly there have been uprisings in the Agripinaa Sector and even upon Piscina IV, however this has had a polarising effect. It has done as much to rally the faithful as it has stirred rebellion. Cypher has a minor conflict with Abaddon, and their alliance of convenience is brought to an end. The Dark Angels trace the source of the comm-signals to a broadcasting device in deep space. Although difficult to measure with precision, it is estimated that its location amidst the dust-ridden clouds of debris would approximate be where their homeworld of Caliban once was. The beacon is swiftly and unceremoniously destroyed.
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Cypher - Wargear: Ancient Artificer Armour - Like many of the Fallen Angels, Cypher wears an ancient suit of dark-green coloured Power Armour matching the pre-Horus Heresy Dark Angels shorn of livery and covered with simple white robes.Cypher's Pistols - It is difficult to get anything other than a brief glimpse at Cypher's pistols -- for they are drawn, fired, and reholstered with a blinding speed. As with all things about Cypher, his weapons too have brought about much speculation. They are clearly of ancient design -- possibly pre-dating the Imperium itself. The plasma pistol bears many of the same hallmarks as those weapons favoured by the Dark Angels -- the energy pulse, the fizzling aftercharge and the roar of its blasts draw comparisons with other notable relics amongst the armoury hoards of the famed First Legion.C'tan Phase Knife - Cypher is also known to have once carried a C'tan Phase Knife which was lost in battle with the C'tan named the Deceiver during the 13th Black Crusade. Due to the fact that it was lost within the Warp, this seems to have caused a mysterious temporal loop which causes the knife to reappear at random times on Cypher's person.Frag GrenadesKrak Grenades
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Cypher - The Mysterious Sword: One of the characteristics that defines the mysterious Cypher is the sword that he carries. On every world where he has been sighted, Cypher has always borne a sword, yet no matter how pressed he has been in combat, he has never yet drawn the blade forth, either to attack or even in his own defence.Even on the rare occasions when both pistols were struck from his hands, the robed figure did not draw his blade. Some of the Unforgiven have speculated that the blade is none other than the famed Lion Sword -– the blade of their Primarch that was lost when the Lion disappeared.Others say it is a new weapon made of the same meteor that produced the metal for the Heavenfall Blades borne by the leaders of the Dark Angels today. There are those within the Inner Circle that speak of the ebon Sword of Luther, the treacherous sword that some believe slew Lion El'Jonson before he vanished into the Warp Storm.They whisper that it is Cypher's goal to reach Terra, to finally draw forth that sword for the first and last time, using the weapon to slay the Emperor, striking him down from his Golden Throne.Some few have even suggested that Cypher will kneel before the Emperor, offering him the blessed blade and by this deed seeking final redemption for the Unforgiven. In the end, all that is known for certain is that the sheathed weapon is yet another mystery.
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Cypher - Voice of the Emperor: It is widely believed by fans that Cypher used the alias of "The Voice of the Emperor" during the worldwide Eye of Terror campaign that chronicled the 13th Black Crusade. Though this was unconfirmed, the description of the Voice of the Emperor, "a hooded figure carrying a sword and a pair of exquisite pistols" -- fits the appearance of Cypher, and Andy Chambers mentioned the connection in an article describing the results of the campaign.Although Cypher's actions appeared to be supporting the goals of Chaos during the 13th Black Crusade, his influence had a polarising effect, increasing Imperial faith in the Emperor of Mankind as much as rallying anti-Imperial Chaos Cult fanatics, along with drawing the Dark Angels into several conflicts where their assistance was of great benefit to the Imperial war effort."The Voice" is also mentioned in the 4th Edition Codex: Black Templars, where he is described as a figure wearing ancient, black power armour, devoid of livery. A Black Templars Strike Cruiser, the Ophidium Gulf, assisted a Dark Angels force in pursuit of "The Voice."Although the Black Templars captured him, they were forced to hand him over when the pursuing Dark Angels fleet threatened to fire on the Gulf.The crew of the Gulf released the prisoner into the custody of the Dark Angels, and after a single communication back to the Black Templars' High Marshal (Chapter Master), disappeared without a trace.Due to the suspicious nature of its disappearance, this has led to some speculation that the Dark Angels destroyed the Gulf in order to hide their secret shame. Upon the Dark Angels' return to The Rock, the cell in which "The Voice" had been confined on their flagship was discovered to be empty.
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Cypher: Guardian of Order (Audio Drama) - Cypher: Guardian of Order (Audio Drama): Cypher: Guardian of Order is the nineteenth audio drama for the Horus Heresy Series that was not originally released as part of an anthology or other release. Cypher: Guardian of Order was published online in December 2013 by the Black Library as a part of the 2013 Holiday Advent Calendar, on the last day. The title was also published as part of the Legacies of Betrayal main series anthology novel.
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Cypher: Guardian of Order (Audio Drama) - Official Synopsis: For a select few amongst the I Legion, the Northwilds of Caliban hold a particularly dark secret. At the command of Luther himself, young Librarian Zahariel accompanies the Lord Cypher on one of his mysterious forays into the unknown depths. But an ancient evil is stirring once more and, with rumours of galactic civil war creeping back to their homeworld, it may have already sunken its claws into the Dark Angels Legion...
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Cypra Mundi - Cypra Mundi: Cypra Mundi is an Imperial Forge World and the primary Imperial naval and military base, or Segmentum Fortress, for the Segmentum Obscurus, the Segmentum Majoris of the Imperium of Man that includes the Eye of Terror.The Segmentum Fortress is directly overseen by an official of the Administratum with the grade of master.Located on the northern fringe of the galaxy, Cypra Mundi is also the traditional home for Imperial Navy officers in the Segmentum, who are usually chosen from amongst the aristocracy of Cypra Mundi.
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Cypra Mundi - History: Little is known of the early history of Cypra Mundi, save that it was more than likely discovered and colonised by Mechanicum Explorators during the Dark Age of Technology. Early in the Great Crusade, the armoured formations of the XIII Legion (before it was known as the Ultramarines) halted an Ork advance on the ash plains of Cypra Mundi, and in doing so saved a city of millions from a savage death, successfully bringing another world into the fold of the burgeoning Imperium.The economies of entire sub-sectors are devoted to supporting the manufacture and supply of the Imperial Navy's warships, principally in regions which serve the greater Forge Worlds such as Mars or Cypra Mundi.Within its vast orbital shipyards, Cypra Mundi has become notable for manufacturing the Overlord-class Battlecruiser, an oft-difficult vessel to construct, but faithful and fierce in its service to Mankind. The design is an ancient but successful one, and new examples of the class are still commissioned every solar decade or so.Though extremely rare, Cypra Mundi is also known to occasionally produce capital-class warships for extremely wealthy individuals or dynasties with the financial wherewithal to commission the manufacture of a bespoke cruiser.When Abaddon the Despoiler launched his 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, a massive fleet was despatched from Cypra Mundi to reinforce the Imperial Navy, which had been fighting an ongoing battle against the seemingly endless waves of Chaos vessels. The fleet from Cypra Mundi staged at Belis Corona in preparation for a massive Imperial counteroffensive into the Cadian Gate, just outside the Eye of Terror.Following the destruction of the Fortress World of Cadia by the forces of Chaos during the 13th Black Crusade, the Eye of Terror was no longer restrained by the pylons that had dotted the world's surface. The result was the birth of the Great Rift, a massive Warp rift that spread across the galaxy from the Eye of Terror to the Hadex Anomaly in the Eastern Fringe, essentially rending the territory of the Imperium of Man in half.To those on the Terran side of the rift in the Imperium Sanctus, it is a tainted scar stretching across the sky. To those unfortunates on the far side, such as Cypra Mundi, in the region now named the Imperium Nihilus or the "Dark Imperium," it is something much worse -- the very gates of Hell.
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Cypra Mundi - Notable Campaigns: The Curse Entropic (865.M41) - A Chaos fleet of Iron Warriors and Daemon Engines unleashed a destructive machine-curse upon Cypra Mundi. Soon the Forge World runs with rivers of molten metal, its surface dotted with a million burnt-out machines. Just as all seems lost, the Cult Mechanicus coordinated a psalmic banishment that lifted the curse, leaving the Chaos Space Marines bereft of their daemon allies. The planet is cleansed within a Terran week.
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Cypra Mundi - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition), "Bastions of the Machine God," pg. 12Codex: Cult Mechanicus (7th Edition), "The Quest for Knowledge," pg. 38-39Forces of the Imperial Inquisition: Collector's Guide, pg. 4Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard & Imperial Navy, pp. 217, 230, 236Rogue Trader: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 315Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus (RPG), pp. 22, 24, 67Shadow Point (Novel) by Gordon RennieThe Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 73White Dwarf 139 (UK), "Space Fleet: Interstellar Travel - The Segmentae Majoris," by Jervis Johnson & Andy Jones, pg. 17White Dwarf 140 (UK), "Space Fleet: The Stellar Fleets," by Rick Priestley & Simon Forrest, pg. 50Warhammer Community
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Cyrene - Cyrene: CyreneCivilised WorldSub-sector AureliaKorianis SectorSegmentum UltimaBlood RavensChapterSpace MarinesTartarusDawn of WarExterminatusCompanyCaptainGabriel AngelosAngelos had been on Cyrene to conduct his Chapter's Blood Trials which were intended to identify and induct new Aspirants into the Blood Ravens. But in the course of the trials Angelos discovered evidence of wide-spread heresy and mutation amongst the populace of his homeworld. In truth, Cyrene was not afflicted by the usual forms of heresy seen across the Imperium but by an unexpected cultural change.Cyrene was ready to throw off the shackles of the Imperial Creed and embrace forbidden ideas such as planetary democracy, free trade with xenos species, and allowing psykers to practice their powers unrestricted while living among the population without stigma or being handed over to the Black Ships.Horrified at this turn of events, Angelos quickly sent a coded message to the Inquisition, who performed an Exterminatus action on the world. This was an extraordinarily difficult decision for Angelos, who had called Cyrene his own home before he was recruited by the Blood Ravens.During the Third Aurelian Crusade, the heretical Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens, Azariah Kyras, came to the blasted surface of Cyrene with his followers in order to conduct his apotheosis to Daemon Prince rank without interruption by the unsuspecting Imperials. His plan failed, and the factions fighting in the sub-sector followed him.Cyrene became the final battleground for the Third Aurelian Crusade, where Kyras met his end as a half-ascended Daemon Prince of Khorne. The planet is now an S-Class Dead World and all further travel to the world is forbidden by order of the Inquisition.
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Cyrene Valantion - Cyrene Valantion: Cyrene Valantion, known as the "Blessed Lady," served as a Confessor to the Word Bearers Legion commanders, including their primarch Lorgar Aurelian himself, during the latter years of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.Her formidable oratory skills were such that she could stir the emotions of even transhuman Legionaries, leading them to confess personal heresies, reveal their darkest secrets and betray their comrades as psykers or other untrustworthy deviants in the eyes of their primarch. She also heard their professions of faith in the Primordial Truth.
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Cyrene Valantion - Origins: Though Cyrene Valantion would ultimately rise to a highly influential position within the XVIIth Legion for a mortal, she came from humble origins. She was born in Monarchia, the so-called "Perfect City," a city-shrine built by the people of Khur at the direction and exhortation of the XVIIth Legion to demonstrate their faith and devotion to the God-Emperor of Mankind, whose faith was brought to them by the Word Bearers' primarch Lorgar.While born into the faith, Cyrene confessed to never truly feeling a stirring of real faith in the burgeoning Imperial Cult. Six solar decades after being brought into Compliance and approximately 40 standard years before the start of the Horus Heresy, everything would change.The Emperor, for all His love for His gene-son, was deeply disturbed. He had initially tolerated the beliefs of his deeply religious son, but as the Great Crusade reached its height, the Emperor found Himself increasingly frustrated with the slow pace with which Lorgar conquered and then brought new worlds into Compliance for the Imperium. The Emperor finally ordered the Word Bearers to cease their religious activities, as their mission was to reunify the galaxy under the banner of the secular Imperial Truth, not preach the word of the Emperor's personal divinity.The Emperor had long opposed the spread of organised religion and was determined to use the creation of the new Imperium of Man to bring the light of the Imperial Truth -- to enshrine reason and science, not religion, as the true guiding light of a new interstellar Human civilisation. The Emperor was particularly troubled by any notion that He should be worshipped as a god and the actions of the Word Bearers Legion in slaughtering those who refused to accept the Emperor's divinity stank of the religious excesses that had so often poisoned Human history.
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Cyrene Valantion - A Legion Rebuked: The Emperor ordered a task force composed of the entire Ultramarines Legion and led by their primarch Roboute Guilliman, accompanied by a force of His elite honour guards, the Legio Custodes, and the Imperial Regent, Malcador the Sigillite, to raze the capital city of Khur, a world dear to the Word Bearers, whom considered it the "Perfect City" due to the intense religious devotion of its citizens and the sheer number of cathedrals and monuments dedicated to the worship of the Emperor as the god of Mankind.After being given six solar days to evacuate the city of Monarchia, on the morning of the seventh day, the Ultramarines commenced an orbital bombardment of the Perfect City. In mute terror, Cyrene Valantion witnessed the destruction of her home. She stood close enough to the site that the light of the orbital lance strikes permanently blinded her after damaging her retinas. Following the capital's destruction by the XIIIth Legion, the entire Word Bearers Legion, 100,000 Space Marines strong, were ordered to assemble on the planet's surface, within sight of the smoldering ruins of Monarchia, where its Astartes were humiliated and rebuked by the Emperor Himself.The Master of Mankind psychically forced everyone, including Lorgar himself, to kneel before Him, and explained to them that they had failed both Him and Humanity. Lorgar was stunned by his father's reproach and refusal to accept his worship, and fell into a deep melancholy.
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Cyrene Valantion - The Blessed Lady: In the aftermath of the stinging rebuke, Cyrene Valantion was rescued from the outskirts of the former city by Argel Tal, captain of the 7th Assault Company of the Chapter of the Serrated Sun. As the sole survivor of Monarchia's destruction, she was taken aboard Lorgar's flagship, the Fidelitas Lex, and eventually accompanied the XVIIth Legion during the Pilgrimage of Lorgar into the hellish realm that would later be known as the Eye of Terror, to seek the Primordial Truth.At first she was simply a passenger, blind and alone, aboard a Legiones Astartes crusading ship with no knowledge of what was happening. But she was often visited by Argel Tal and others of his chapter who took pity on her and spoke to her of what happened.As a blind, naive, mortal woman she was seen as the perfect vessel for the Legion to unburden themselves to, with no understanding of any of the things that she was privy to. Her unbelief in the Emperor as a god was believed to be a sign of prescience or insight and she became something akin to a saint to the Word Bearers, known throughout their fleet as the "Blessed Lady."Thereafter, she was appointed as Confessor by Lorgar himself. She would serve as the Legion's Confessor for many standard years, diligently listening to the "sins" of many of the XVIIth Legion's senior commanders as they began to worship the Ruinous Powers. She remained closest to Argel Tal, and was shocked when he became one of the Gal Vorbak -- the "Blessed Sons" of Colchis -- who shared their bodies with Daemons and would become Lorgar'a greatest weapons.
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Cyrene Valantion - Resurrection: As the Horus Heresy began to take shape and the Word Bearers began to earnestly worship the Ruinous Powers, Cyrene Valantion was killed by a party of Legio Custodes, who had been left to accompany the Word Bearers Legion, and to observe and report to the Emperor should they once again start deviating from the Imperial Truth. Cyrene was, sadly, simply in the Custodians' way, as they fought to send word to the Emperor of the Word Bearer's heresy. As she lay dying, she expressed pity for her friend Argel Tal and how he was being used by the Word Bearers as a Possessed.Argel Tal swore vengeance on them and slew the Custodes on the sands of Isstvan V, taking a unique Power Sword and a Guardian Spear from their bodies, which would become his preferred weapons. Lorgar held the Confessor in such high esteem that he even named one of his three secretly-built Abyss-class Battleships Blessed Lady in her honour.As the XVIIth Legion became more fragmented as they fell further into the throes of the malign influence of the Ruinous Powers, the Legion's senior commanders began to scheme against one other. During this time a feud between Dark Apostle Erebus and Argel Tal had developed, and so, the scheming Chaplain sought to use Cyrene as a pawn in his plot to manipulate Argel Tal. He promised that he could return Cyrene to life, something that he hoped would push Argel Tal towards his eventual death.After Cyrene's death, the crew serfs of the Fidelitas Lex, which had become a large rabble of Chaos Cultists, broke into her coffin and took her bones as relics. They even formed a minor cult around her. Argel Tal went to the bowels of the Fidelitis Lex, slaughtering dozens of cultists to recover Cyrene's bones, and presented them to Erebus who, true to his word, performed the Chaos ritual to return her to life.
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Cyrene Valantion - Shadow Crusade: Although brought back to life once again, Cyrene Valantion's time in the Warp had left her soul-scarred. She recovered slowly, but being plunged into the Warp and having her soul torn apart by Daemons would leave an indelible mark on her psyche. After her return to the material realm, she was seen as proof of the power of the Chaos Gods, and was hailed as a literal Living Saint, returned from the abyss to bless the Word Bearers' actions.She remained on board the Fidelitas Lex as the Word Bearers and World Eaters undertook the Shadow Crusade against the worlds of Ultramar, in retribution for the destruction of Monarchia solar decades earlier. Their combined fleet cut a swathe through the mostly undefended worlds of the Eastern Fringes, as Lorgar sought the right circumstances to allow Angron to ascend to Daemonhood, and thus save him from a slow death caused by his cybernetic implants, known as the Butcher's Nails.While this course was ultimately successful, the combined fleets' attack on Angron's former homeworld of Nuceria was extremely costly as an Ultramarines strike fleet arrived and attacked the Traitors. The Fidelitas Lex was slowly but surely destroyed by dozens of Loyalist attack runs, taking most of her crew along with her. But fate had another path in mind for Cyrene Valantion.In the days leading up to the battle of Nuceria, Cyrene was approached by Damon Prytanis, an immortal Perpetual and an agent of the Cabal, a secret organisation comprised of Humans and various alien species that were dedicated to the eradication of Chaos. He informed her that, unbeknownst to Erebus, her return from death had made her like him -- a Perpetual, a Human who could not die. While initially skeptical, Prytanis eventually won her trust, and rescued her from the Word Bearers flagship's destruction.
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Cyrion - Cyrion: Cyrion was a Tactical Marine in the 1st Claw (squad) of the 10th Company of the Night Lords Traitor Legion. He was of Nostraman birth and took part in the Great Crusade, Horus Heresy, and the Long War that followed. By the time of the 41st Millennium he was serving under Talos Valcoran aboard the Covenant of Blood, captained by his former sergeant, the Possessed Chaos Space Marine known as "The Exalted".Talos was subject to the manipulations of his immediate superior, as well as those of the powerful Chaos Lord Abaddon the Despoiler, which placed him and his warriors like Cyrion in mortal danger time and again.
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Cyrion - History: Cyrion was a veteran of the Heretic Astartes' Long War against the Imperium like the rest of 1st Claw, who took part in various campaigns during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, including the epic final battle during the Siege of Terra. Cyrion possessed a psychic gift which allowed him to taste and feed upon fear. Cyrion secretly preyed upon Legion serfs and other mortals to satiate this thirst, which marked him out as a growing devotee of Slaanesh.Talos considered him valuable, but Cyrion was hated by the rest of 1st Claw for his Chaos corruption. Cyrion gained an augmetic arm following the Crythe Campaign, an offensive where the Black Legion Chaos Lord Abaddon the Despoiler had requested the participation of The Exalted's warband.
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Cyrion - Death: Despite surviving an almost fatal encounter with fellow 1st Claw squad member Uzas, largely due to Cyrion tricking Talos Valcoran into killing the berzerker, Cyrion was slain by the Void Stalker on Tsagualsa.
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Cyrion - Personality: Despite his psychic mutation, a result of his taint by Slaanesh, Cyrion stood with his fellow Night Lords in the belief that Chaos and the corruption that it induced were assured, yet not needed for victory in the Long War. However, over time, as his corruption and selfish pursuit of pleasure grew with Slaanesh's hold over his soul, Cyrion's goals became far more self-serving and manipulative, often causing harm or trouble to his fellow squad members.
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Cyrion - Wargear: Artificer Armour - Cyrion's Power Armour was an amalgamation of scavenged pieces won in battle or taken from the bodies of fallen brothers of the Night Lords Legion.BolterChainswordLegion Gladius
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Cyrius - Cyrius: Cyrius was a Lord Commander of the Emperor's Children Traitor Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. He was known to have been the second opponent to defeat Lucius the Eternal in combat, only to have his victory cut short when his body was slowly and painfully transformed into a newborn copy of Lucius as the result of a gift provided to the Soulthief by Slaanesh, the Prince of Chaos.Slaanesh did not wish to see one of his favoured Champions and proteges removed so easily from the Materium. Cyrius slowly and painfully transformed into Lucius over a matter of weeks. The former Lord Commander now exists only as a screaming and writhing face upon Lucius' Armour of Shrieking Souls.
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Cyrius - History: Following the corruption of the Emperor's Children by the Ruinous Powers the arrogant Captain Lucius continued to distinguish himself in the arts of war as his Legion traced the downward spiral of Chaos worship. The gaudily-painted fleets of Fulgrim's Traitor Legion moved from world to world, bringing ever more vile and extreme deaths to the populations that became their prey. In the transitory times between each invasion, the Emperor's Children would indulge in pageants of violence and gladiatorial contests amongst themselves. Only the most inventive displays of bloodletting could stay their boredom for long.Whenever he fought in these contests, Lucius truly excelled. His obsession with becoming the perfect swordsman lent him speed and skill that even other Space Marines could not match. The joy he took in both giving and receiving the hot kiss of agony was so intense that it echoed in both in the material dimension and the Warp. Some even whispered that Lucius had been brought back from the brink of oblivion more than once, and that his obsession was stronger than death. Lucius' infamy grew in this realm and the next. Before long, it was not only the Emperor's Children that drank in each of Lucius' orgies of bloodletting, but the handmaidens of Slaanesh that clustered around his reflection in the Empyrean. After each contest, he basked in the adulation of his fellow Traitor Legionaries, bowing elaborately and fanning the applause with his blade. His grandstanding was such that it eventually drove the silver-maned Lord Commander Cyrius to action.As the contest known as the Scarlet Blade reached its final round, Cyrius himself stepped into the arena against Lucius. The Lord Commander intended to teach the preening champion his place and cement his own position as Fulgrim's favoured son in the process. Clad in baroque Artificer Armour painted with obscene dreamscapes and wielding a twelve-foot power spear, Cyrius made for an impressive opponent indeed.The Lord Commander was every bit as fast as his chosen foe. Lucius fought hard to get within the reach of the power spear, ducking and rolling with fluid grace. Weapons clashed and clanged in a staccato blur. Though Lucius' blade was sharp as a razor, it could not penetrate Cyrius's ornate battle plate, and for his part the swordsman was wearing little more than a sleeved tunic. A well-placed kick from Cyrius sent Lucius sprawling backwards, coughing blood. A stab of the power spear took a finger from Lucius' sword hand. Less than a second later, a sidelong blow from the power spear’s haft sent starbursts across the swordsman's vision.Each fresh wound had sent Lucius giggling with glee. Cyrius bared his teeth, slashing and jabbing as his opponent laughed, staggered and whirled across the scarlet sands like a demented marionette. At the last, Lucius corkscrewed through the air and levelled a decapitating blow right at Cyrius' throat. There was a sudden crack of electrical discharge from the impact, and Lucius' blade snapped in two. As the crowd howled and hollered around him, Lord Commander Cyrius caught his laughing opponent by the throat. Grinning a mirthless smile, he pounded Lucius into the scarlet sands of the arena until there was nothing left but a red ruin of broken bone. The Emperor’s Children had lost their favoured duellist, but gained a memory to be savoured for years to come.Over the next few weeks, Lord Commander Cyrius underwent a hideous transformation. His mane of hair fell out in clumps, his eyes changed colour, and the copulating figures that decorated his armour writhed and flowed to depict a host of laughing Daemons. To the commander's mounting horror, dark lines appeared under his flesh, pushing outward with each passing night until they formed a maze of scar tissue. His screams were a source of great interest to his fellow Emperor's Children, but none came to his aid. In the Lord Commander's fate they saw the hand of Slaanesh at work.Some swore that Cyrius' shrieks eventually changed in tone, becoming ever more like maniacal laughter. The next gladiatorial event saw Lucius stride the sands once more, his power armour adorned with the tortured, moaning face of Cyrius. The heavily scarred swordsman had been reborn, and the Lord Commander had been taken in his place. In the throne at the arena's edge, Fulgrim smiled knowingly. His master Slaanesh was evidently loath to let such an entertaining protege fall from the mortal coil for long.Since that day, Lucius has borne a peculiar blessing from his patron, Slaanesh. Whoever takes his chosen champion's life, and finds even a moment of satisfaction from the act, will find himself undergoing a painful and gradual metamorphosis. When the transformation is almost complete, Lucius emerges from their discarded shell like a butterfly from a chrysalis. All that remains of his killer will be a screaming face trapped forever in the fleshy panels of his twisted battle plate.
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Cyrus - Cyrus: Cyrus is a Space Marine Scout Sergeant who served in the 10th Company of the Blood Ravens Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. He participated in the Kaurava Campaign and survived the three Aurelian Crusades fought in the Sub-sector Aurelia of the Korianis Sector. He has proven himself invaluable to his Chapter by successfully training a great number of its Neophytes and Scout Marines during their service in the 10th Company.Cyrus is a demanding sergeant, but he is also patient and fair-minded, and these traits inspire fanatical devotion from his Initiates. Among the Blood Ravens' Scouts, a simple nod of approval from Cyrus is said to mean more than a dozen commendations from the Chapter.
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Cyrus - Deathwatch Service: Cyrus favors subtle and unconventional tactics of warfare which often receive negative criticism from his fellow Space Marines. Despite this, these tactics earned him the attention of the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition -- the elite xenos-hunting Deathwatch. Cyrus has served at least one Vigil with them some time before the First Aurelian Crusade began. During his period in service to the Long Watch, he faced various xenos species hostile to the interests of Mankind, including the Tyranids. His experience in fighting these foul creatures proved invaluable when the Blood Ravens faced the swarms of a splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan during the First Aurelian Crusade.
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Cyrus - Kaurava Campaign: It is known that Cyrus served under Captain Indrick Boreale during the Kaurava Campaign, but Cyrus rarely spoke of it, stating only that the whole campaign had proven to be a terrible mistake for the Chapter when pressed. It is now known that the Blood Ravens lost the 5 full companies that participated in the campaign, which proved a terrible disaster. Long years would pass before the Blood Ravens were able to fully recover their losses in the Kaurava System.
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Cyrus - First Aurelian Crusade: During the campaign in Sub-sector Aurelia named the First Aurelian Crusade by the Blood Ravens, Cyrus played a vital role in aiding his Chapter's Force Commander in defending the sub-sector during the onset of the invasion of the region by the splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan. He also assisted in slaying the Tyranids' Hive Tyrant on the world of Typhon Primaris after Captain Gabriel Angelos' timely arrival.
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Cyrus - Second Aurelian Crusade: Cyrus served in the strike team of Force Commander Aramus during the Second Aurelian Crusade when the Blood Ravens in the region nearly strayed from the doctrines of the Codex Astartes and the Emperor's teachings to fall victim to the corruption of Chaos. Avitus, one of Cyrus' Battle-Brothers, betrayed the Chapter to the Black Legion, turned Renegade and was eventually slain by his brothers.
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Cyrus - Third Aurelian Crusade: Ten standard years after the defeat of the Black Legion on Aurelia, Cyrus again battled the enemies of the Imperium in Sub-sector Aurelia, but this time faced the enemies of Mankind found within the Blood Ravens themselves, in the form of the corrupted Chapter Master Azariah Kyras. Cyrus served alongside Captain Apollo Diomedes and helped to banish the vile daemon of the Maledictum that Gabriel Angelos had unwittingly unleashed upon the world of Tartarus several decades earlier as well as to defeat Kyras and his plans to achieve apotheosis as a Daemon prince in return for the sacrifice of every living human being in the Sub-sector Aurelia at the hands of an Inquisition Exterminatus Fleet.
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Cyrus - Wargear: As an experienced Battle-Brother of some renown within the Blood Ravens, Cyrus has access to some of the Chapter's most valuable and rare wargear, including master-crafted and relic weapons. This includes the following:Master-Crafted Astartes Scout ArmourMk IIS Sniper RifleMk IIIA Heretic Pattern FlamerAstartes Assault ShotgunGrenade LauncherVarious Specialty Bolter Ammunition
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Cyrus - Trivia: In the series of Dawn of War PC Games, Cyrus is voiced by Steve Blum.
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Cytheron Pattern Aegis - Cytheron Pattern Aegis: The Cytheron Pattern Aegis is a relic force field generator that was used by the Dark Angels Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. It was among the rarest and most esoteric technologies possessed by the Ist Legion.The Cytheon Pattern Aegis was a creation of the long-lost city of Cytheron on the world of Mercury in the Sol System during the Age of Technology, and the generator was based upon the same force field technology that had once been used by the people of Cytheron to hold at bay the ferocity of Sol itself so that they could live upon the scalding surface of Mercury.A Cytheron Pattern Aegis generator was available to the Astartes of the Deathwing Companions and once activated the resulting force field could be used protect the individual wearing one or those nearby from kinetic and directed energy attacks for as long as the shield generator did not overload.
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Cythor Fiends - Cythor Fiends: The Cythor Fiends (Homindae crystallis) are a mysterious species of hostile humanoid xenos that previously inhabited the Ghoul Stars but have now been sighted elsewhere in the galaxy. They possess an unusual crystal-based technology and are capable of altering their forms to become some type of mobile, crystalline organism.Among the worlds of the Ghoul Stars, the Cythor Fiends' territory was centred on a gas giant dubbed 9836-18 Grave Core by the Imperium.
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Cythor Fiends - History: The Cythor Fiends were believed to be vicious xenos by the Imperium, and every exploratory probe or scout team sent into their territory in the Ghoul Stars to conduct reconnaissance never returned. The Cythor Fiends often clashed with the Death Spectres Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes which was tasked with maintaining a sentinel watch over the Ghoul Stars and ensuring that these xenos or other hostile forces did not emerge from that region to plague Imperial space.At some point, the Death Spectres launched a major offensive campaign to destroy the Cythor Fiends once and for all, only to find their worlds strangely empty and devoid of the xenos' formerly teeming presence. As a result, the Death Spectres became aware of the fact that the Cythors possessed some type of technology which allowed them to ultimately evade any attempt to exterminate them.Eventually, the Cythors reemerged on their old planets and reclaimed them. From then on, however, the Death Spectres limited themselves to simply repelling any attempts by the species to break out of their containment in the Ghoul Stars.This changed in the 41st Millennium, when the species was largely exterminated according to the records of the historitors of the Adeptus Terra by the efforts of the Black Templars and Death Spectres Chapters during the Ghoul Stars Crusade led by the Black Templars' High Marshal Helbrecht, the first crusade led by Helbrecht after he attained that rank.In the wake of that crusade, only the Cythor Fiends' homeworlds in the Ghoul Stars remained outside Imperial control. However, the historitors did not record that when the Black Templars arrived at their homeworlds to complete the crusade, they, like the Death Spectres before them, found the Cythor homeworlds completely deserted by the xenos except for their crystalline fortress-cities. What happened to the species remains a mystery.In the Era Indomitus, Rogue Trader Janus Draik encountered what he later identified as a Cythor Fiend on the Seventh Blackstone Fortress located in the Western Reaches region of the Segmentum Pacificus. Draik stated in his own published report on xenos species that according to the information he gleaned from the Aeldari texts in his possession, the Cythor Fiends were technologically advanced enough of a species to have "evaded" Helbrecht's crusade through the use of these unknown technologies. Draik explained that this account could not be trusted, of course, since the Aeldari were well-known for their duplicity.Cythor Fiends have also been observed on the Daemon World of Sublime on the edge of the Eye of Terror, a planet slowly disintegrating within the temporal anomaly produced by a Warp storm, that serves as a black market of sorts for the various mortal forces of Chaos, Daemons, the Drukhari, Aeldari Corsairs, the Harlequins and various other intelligent xenos species.
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Cythor Fiends - Anatomy and Physiology: Cythor Fiends are tall and slender humanoids who possess spindly, wire-thin limbs, and glassy skin that has a reflective quality. Cythor Fiends have elongated and inhuman faces that seemed to be almost an intended, grotesque mockery of the Human visage.Cythor Fiends have a strange light in the deep pits that serve as their eyes, and seem to possess the ability to in some way temporarily paralyse anyone who meets their gaze.According to the Space Marines of the Death Spectres Chapter who knew them best, the Cythor Fiends are not alive as Humans would understand the term.
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Cythor Fiends - Technology: On their homeworlds in the Ghoul Stars, the Cythor Fiends live in great fortress-cities with sheer walls of glimmering crystal and they possessed some uncanny crystal-based weapon technologies.On the Seventh Blackstone Fortress, Rogue Trader Janus Draik observed a Cythor Fiend under assault by a pack of Ur-Ghuls. The Cythor held an object in its slender, claw-like hand that looked like a small, silver disc. As the Ur-Ghuls attacked, the alien turned the disc, causing it to flash, which then led the Cythor's body to collapse like a shattered glass.A shower of glittering shards fell to the floor, then reformed into what looked like a crystal. The crystal moved of its own accord and passed through the mob of Ur-Ghuls. In only solar seconds, the Ur-Ghuls lay dead, their throats expertly sliced. These mobile crystals can also change their size and become quite small, and seem to possess the essence of the Cythor Fiend's psyche.The Cythor Fiends are known to employ unique warships, one known class being what the Imperium has designated the Pinion-class Stealth Frigate.
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Cythor Fiends - Homeworld: 9836-18 Grave Core is a gas giant located in a system of the Ghoul Stars. Before the Ghoul Stars Crusade, it served as the capital world of the Cythor Fiends' civilisation. It is unknown by what name the planet was called by the Cythor Fiends. 9836-18 Grave Core is the Imperial designation, with the number signifying it was the eighteenth world conquered during the Ghoul Stars Crusade.The planet was a mid-sized gas giant which appeared blue from high orbit. Its atmosphere was toxic and extremely cold, unfit for most intelligent species. High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars noted that the world closely resembled Neptune in the Sol System. 9836-18 Grave Core was later determined to be highly resistant to damage from Imperial Exterminatus-class weaponry, to an unnatural degree.Grave Core was regarded by the Cythor Fiends as their primary homeworld in the region. The xenos had erected platforms in the world's atmosphere that supported their usual crystal fortress-cities. The Astartes of the Death Spectres Chapter who accompanied the Black Templars in the crusade hinted that they had once also assaulted Grave Core, just as the Black Templars now did, but had also found it deserted by the xenos.The Black Templars had expected the Cythor Fiends to make their last stand of the Ghoul Stars Crusade there, but the entire species had already apparently fled the planet. Furious, the Black Templars attempted to destroy the world by unleashing an Exterminatus action, but failed even at that as the world seemed to be able to resist any form of damage.As an alternative, the Black Templars then destroyed the Cythor Fiends' orbital platforms and tried to ignite the world's atmosphere by bombarding it with their armada. This took an unnaturally long time, and the Death Spectres' Captain Naroosh remarked that whatever the Imperials did to the gas giant, it would not matter in the long run, as the Cythor Fiends always returned to reclaim the worlds of their realm.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - D'Shas'Ka 4: D'Shas'Ka 4, which means "Twin Suns" in the T'au Lexicon, is the name of both a world and its binary star system comprising six planets found within the Canis Salient of the Jericho Reach. Controlled by the T'au Empire, it is currently under assault by the forces of Chaos.The fourth world in the system, designated "D'Shas'Ka 4" or Seraph 131 in Imperial records, is officially regarded as a Xenos World, the system having been claimed by the T'au at some point before the launch of the Achilus Crusade.For unknown reasons, no prior Human colonisation attempts had been made, though it is speculated that Seraph 131 should be classified as a Death World.D'Shas'Ka 4 is ruled as a minor colony of the subordinate T'au political entity referred to as the Velk'Han Sept.Inquisitorial intelligence-gathering has determined that the world's government is called D'Shas'ka Shan'al, or the "Twin Suns Coalition", which is led by the highest-ranking T'au of the Fire, Water, Air and Earth Castes, presided over and advised on the true course of the Greater Good by a senior Ethereal.For the Imperium, the specific identities of these individuals are unknown, but it is believed that they are not actually on Seraph 131 at all, but rather upon an orbital station above it.T'au facilities on Seraph 131 are thinly scattered fortified compounds, defended by T'au warriors, supported by Kroot auxiliaries and drone-controlled auto-defences.The fortifications are somewhat uncharacteristic of T'au settlement, as the T'au are known to dislike defensive warfare, and are believed to exist primarily to fend off the intrusion of aggressive native flora and fauna.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - Climate: The D'Shas'Ka System consists of six worlds, one of which is presently habitable, orbiting a mid-sized yellow star akin to Terra's sun, while a small white dwarf companion star orbits the edge of the system from a considerable distance, making translation into the system from the Warp dangerous to the unwary due to shifting gravity wells.The habitable world, orbiting fourth from the primary star, has an irregular day-night cycle due to almost constantly bombardment with either direct or reflected light from one or both stars, with eclipses providing the few occasions of true darkness.This abundance of light and warmth, and the world's ideal distance from both stars, has resulted in a fecund and verdant world regarded by the T'au as being ideal for habitation, though somewhat cooler and wetter than their physiology may be used to.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - History: Located spinward of the Greyhell Front, D'Shas'Ka 4 is several solar weeks travel from any other world in the Velk'Han Sept, and represents the furthest extent of T'au-dominated territory from the Black Reef and Tsua'Malor.However, in spite of such claims, D'Shas'Ka 4 is not a world entirely under the peaceful rule of the Greater Good. While largely unperturbed by the Imperium, D'Shas'Ka 4 is a world pressured by invasion from another front -- the Chaos-tainted legions of the militaristic Stigmartus Chaos Cult.While clashes between the T'au and Stigmartus forces are not unheard of, they are rare, with the Stigmartus typically content to turn their fury upon other Humans, particularly the Imperium.The Stigmartus do not regard the T'au as particularly significant when compared to their loathing for the Imperium, and tend only to attack T'au worlds when provoked or when some ulterior motive drives their cruelty.The binary system of D'Shas'Ka, referred to by Imperial astrographers as Seraph 131, seems to be of some significance to a faction within the Stigmartus, driving their urge to stain its worlds and stars with the blood of the T'au.The eventual goal of the Stigmartus on D'Shas'Ka's primary world remains unknown, in spite of careful scrutiny by the Inquisition.A significant Kroot presence has been established on D'Shas'Ka 4, primarily because of the sheer density and aggression of the indigenous creatures. These Kroot have thrived on the verdant world, and continue to do so, with a fourth generation of D'Shas'Ka Kroot beginning to appear in the last solar year.The T'au colonists, however, have not been as successful. Earth Caste xenobiologists struggle to catalogue the sheer quantity of species to be found on D'Shas'Ka 4, and rigorously drilled cadres of Fire Warriors are on constant alert to repel attacks from particularly tenacious wildlife or from Stigmartus forces making planetfall, seldom staying in one place for more than a few solar weeks at a time.Particularly troubling to the leaders of the D'Shas'Ka Coalition is that the diversity and viciousness of both the local flora and fauna and the frequency of Stigmartus attacks has been increasing steadily for the last Terran decade, and while the Shapers of the Kroot gladly embrace the fury of the wild as a challenge to be overcome, the T'au are less pleased with this development. Their anxiety has only increased with the first forays of the Imperium to D'Shas'Ka.In place of a warfleet aimed at xenocide and conquest, swift and stealthy courier vessels have represented the overwhelming majority of the Imperial intrusion into the system, with each and every one of them bearing servants of the Inquisition.Each visitation has heralded a series of high-level negotiations, with the adepts of the Inquisition conferring with T'au diplomats for weeks at a time before departing silently.Unknown to the T'au, these missions are the operations of a coven of Ordo Malleus Inquisitors who have been observing and working to counter the actions of the Stigmartus, following a string of omens and prophecies that revolve around the heretical organisation.Seeing a pattern in the Stigmartus attacks on D'Shas'Ka 4, members of this coven have acted to bolster the T'au defence against Chaos-aligned forces and guide their hand to combat such foes without overtly showing their involvement.Following usual T'au tactics, there are few static defences throughout the system; instead, the T'au rely upon scattered drone-controlled sentry stations and a fast-responding defence fleet operating from the orbital station above the fourth planet (which also serves as the primary Air Caste habitat for the T'au colony in the system, the Air Caste being physiologically unsuited for life on a planetary surface).The colonial efforts on D'Shas'Ka 4 are somewhat different from conventional T'au strategy, however. So vital and aggressive is the indigenous life that the T'au have been forced to establish fortified compounds to maintain an effective presence on the surface, using these scattered strong-points as the primary settlements from which to engage in forays into the dense forests.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - The Argent Revelations: Prognosticator Gallius, a Silver Skulls Librarian serving within the Deathwatch centuries ago, penned a massive tome of prophetic visions witnessed over his decades of service, which to this day resides within the Librarium of Watch Fortress Erioch, studied by Librarians and Inquisitors alike.Over the centuries, it has given a remarkable amount of insight into threats faced by the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach, to those with the wit and will to decipher the cryptic words and sigils.One of these transcribed visions speaks of "An angel under twin suns, and the branded legions who strive to defile her," which seems to refer to Seraph 131 and the Stigmartus forces assailing it, in a remarkably clear and lucid fragment of prophecy amidst thousands of pages that have taken countless savants to decipher.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - Shas'ar'tol D'Shas'Ka: The command centre for all Fire Caste operations within the D'Shas'Ka System, the Shas'ar'tol D'Shas'Ka is a sprawling complex of scanning arrays, vox-relays and buildings filled with drone-assisted substrate stacks, collating immense amounts of strategic and tactical information from every Fire Warrior Team, battlesuit and vehicle on the planet in order to provide accurate minute-by-minute insight into the state of every skirmish and firefight currently ongoing.The T'au use of these technologies is commonplace in many warzones, allowing them to respond efficiently and coherently to enemy actions and take best advantage of the experience of veteran commanders.The Shas'ar'tol D'Shas'Ka is staffed by several hundred Earth Caste technicians, Water Caste adjutants, and a select staff of experienced Fire Caste officers (typically those who have suffered debilitating injuries in the field and who cannot currently serve on the front lines), led by Shas'O Tsua'Malor Aloh'shas Elan'nan, a young and promising T'au Commander born upon the Velk'Han Sept's capital world.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - Insertion Point Alpha: Unbeknownst to the T'au, the Inquisitorial missions to Seraph 131 have not purely served a diplomatic purpose.Viewing a T'au world under attack by a mutual foe as an unrivalled opportunity to reach orbit undetected, an operation was undertaken during an early diplomatic mission to insert a mixed detachment of Inquisitorial agents, ranging from seconded Death World veterans, to infiltration specialists, xenolinguists, Tech-priests and a trio of astropaths, to observe T'au movements and report back to their masters.Under strict orders to not engage the enemy, the observation detachment has established a central base of operations within a region largely unexplored by the T'au, while discrete teams move about the planetary forests and jungles for solar weeks at a time, working to intercept and decipher T'au vox transmissions, and awaiting covert supply drops from subsequent Inquisitorial missions.To date, no extraction plan has been formulated that will not result in the cessation of diplomatic operations with the T'au, but the placement of the insertion group has resulted in Inquisitorial savants devising a number of distinct hypothetical infiltration scenarios, should conflict be required.Many of these scenarios have been discussed at length with the Chamber of Vigilance of Watch Fortress Erioch, as one or more Deathwatch Kill-teams would be ideal for precision operations -- such as sabotage or assassination missions -- deep into enemy territory, or for spearheading a potential invasion.None outside of the Inquisition and the Deathwatch so far know about Insertion Point Alpha, and only a few within those organisations are aware of its existence. For the time being, an Imperial invasion of Seraph 131 is purely hypothetical, as are any further armed missions into the system.
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D'Shas'Ka 4 - Fio'mont'yr: Literally translated as "the blooded earth," this region has been identified as a common place of conflict between T'au and Stigmartus forces, and much blood has been spilt there as a result. The frequent fighting is not why the place grows in infamy amongst the T'au, however.Fire Caste forces who have fought in the area are known to have a particular dread and loathing for the region, for a variety of unsettling reasons.The most worrying of these is an increased tendency for the T'au to be aggressive and short-tempered, even with bonded teammates, which has forced more than one cadre to be redeployed elsewhere on the planet, or even off-world, to gather their composure and reaffirm their loyalty to the Tau'va.However, it was not until agents of the Inquisition were made aware of the region's influence that an arguably greater threat became known.The indigenous flora and fauna within the region resemble in many ways those of surrounding regions, yet they have diverged physiologically and behaviourally in a quite drastic manner, becoming increasingly savage and predatory in ways that do not conform to evolutionary patterns known in the xenobiological lore of the Imperium.The fact that these divergent species seem most concentrated in regions that are frequently used by the Stigmartus as landing and encampment sites suggest that they may be the result of an insidious and startlingly swift-acting Warp-taint brought to D'Shas'Ka by the servants of Chaos.
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D'vok - D'vok: D'vok, also called "D'vok the Unmaker," is a Heretic Astartes Warpsmith who commands the Black Legion warband known as the Forgeborn.
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D'vok - History: The ambitious Warpsmith D'vok once flew the banner of the Iron Warriors, but his scheming kicked off a civil war that tore his original warband of Heretic Astartes apart. Abandoning their former comrades, D'vok and his most elite followers stole away with several packs of Daemon Engines to join Abaddon's Black Legion.Guided to the Exodite planet of Daethe near the Nachmund Gauntlet in the Nachmund Sector by an ancient star chart not long after Abaddon and the Black Legion retreated from Vigilus following the War of Beasts, the Warpsmith and his Forgeborn constructed a ring of Noctilith Crowns to harness the World Spirit energy of this Aeldari Maiden World. Now, he plans to weaponise the souls of slaughtered Exodites to supercharge his vile machines and curry favour with the Warmaster of Chaos.However, the Asuryani of Craftworld Saim-Hann heard the desperate plea for aid of the Exodites of Daethe. They despatched a military force commanded by the Autarch Ghaelyn. Ghaelyn led her forces to the Maiden World determined to stop the Forgeborn from desecrating yet another of her species' few remaining sanctuaries.
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D-Cannon - D-Cannon: The Distortion Cannon, often more commonly called a "D-Cannon", and also known as a "Displacer Cannon," "Displacer," "Warp Cannon," or "Warper," is a heavy Vortex Weapon utilised by the Craftworld Aeldari and the most dangerous of all that ancient species' weapons.The D-Cannon is commonly mounted on heavy weapon platforms. This weapon uses a miniaturised Warp-Drive to create a point where the Immaterium is temporarily overlaid onto an area of realspace.If the target is not "swallowed" by the resultant Warp rift, the gravitational forces involved in opening and maintaining this overlay will literally rip the target apart. The weapon is effective against both infantry and vehicles.Although immensely powerful, the D-Cannon's primary drawback is that it possesses only a short range, and is highly inaccurate by Aeldari standards.
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D-Cannon - Role: To produce its effect, the Distortion Cannon makes use of the same technology as Imperial starships do to enter the Warp, essentially creating a small gateway into the Immaterium from realspace that collapses in on itself, creating a small hole into the Warp in local space-time.A lucky target of this weapon is simply torn apart by the violent gravitational forces this process unleashes; an unlucky victim will actually be sucked bodily into the Warp, where a far worse fate awaits.The Distortion Cannon's attack can affect a wider area than the initial target, as the localised distortion of reality causes other people and objects to be spatially displaced, which can cause unintended damage. Like all Warp-based weaponry, this unpredictability is to be expected, since the technology at issue is essentially violating the physical laws of the material universe.The size of the Warp rift created depends on the size and power of the D-Cannon, with the larger variants of the weapon requiring more power and a larger platform or vehicle chassis to mount them. The largest D-Cannosn can be found mounted on Cobras and Aeldari Phantom Titans, and even Void Shields have proven ineffectual in defending against a D-Cannon strike made by these vehicles.An assault by these larger and more powerful versions of the weapon is capable of creating a Warp vortex that swallows multiple enemy battle tanks in a single strike, and the shockwave produced in realspace when the rift they create closes can knock over other armoured vehicles that have otherwise avoided being sucked into the Warp.All efforts by the Adeptus Mechanicus to study and replicate this technology have ended in gruesome failures. In 755.299.M40 unsanctioned experiments carried out by rogue Tech-priests resulted in the event remembered as the "Contagion of Eridanus" and the necessity of deploying a Grey Knights strike force to defeat the subsequent daemonic incursion.Since that incident, more draconian measures have been taken against the Mechanicus by other Imperial organs to prevent further attempts to explore this heretical xenos technology. Those who ignore such restrictions are likely to face the wrath of the Inquisition.
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D-scythe - D-scythe: A D-scythe or Distortion Scythe, is a form of Aeldari Distortion Weapon. Considered to be a taboo weapon among the Craftworld Aeldari, a D-scythe can force the soul of its target from their physical body and banish it into the Warp, a truly frightful proposition for the Aeldari, who so fear the consumption of their souls by Slaanesh.When fired, a D-scythe emits no visible blast and leaves behind no damage, save the suddenly lifeless corpse of its target. The Aeldari call the act of separating the spirit from its body "Cutting of the Crone's Cord," for in Aeldari Mythology a strand ties the soul of a being to its material form in realspace.Ancient tradition has it that only the Aeldari Crone Goddess Morai-Heg herself has the right to sever this connection, for a mortal doing so would be taking on the rightful role of a god. However, due to the desperate situation of the Asuryani craftworlds, increasingly pragmatic Autarchs are calling for more regular deployment of these once-taboo weapons.D-scythes are considered so fiendish that no living Aeldari is expected to wield them; instead that is a role for the spirits of the Asuryani dead, such as the Wraithguard and the spirits who help to fly the Hemlock Wraithfighter.D-scythes are normally wielded by Wraithguards in place of the more standard Wraithcannon.
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D-scythe - Heavy D-scythe: A Heavy D-scythe is simply a more potent version of the standard D-scythe commonly mounted under the wings of Hemlock Wraithfighters.Originally designed to sever the psychic link between Tyranids and the Hive Mind, these powerful weapons can even scramble the electronic engrams of purely mechanical beings such as the Necrons.
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Daemon Behemoth - Daemon Behemoth: A Daemon Behemoth, also called a Ruinstorm Daemon Behemoth, is a gargantuan Daemon of Chaos who emerged during the Horus Heresy from the galaxy-spanning Warp Storm known as the Ruinstorm.Behemoths were often used by the daemonic legions as heavy support units similar to Imperial Titans to devastate enemy combat lines, assault Loyalist fortifications and other strong points, or take on Titan-grade combat walkers.
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Daemon Behemoth - Role: Vast beyond the comprehension of mortal warriors, titans of flailing tentacles and grinding teeth, the largest monstrosities of the Daemon hordes to emerge from the Ruinstorm were death incarnate.The least blow from their talons could smash tanks and the tread of their feet crushed mere infantry like ants.They were animate, Warp-born war engines fired by hate and pain which they unleashed upon the cowering warriors of the enemy.The Daemon Behemoths were employed similar to Imperial Titans, and set against the strongest defences to force a breach for the daemonic horde that followed at their heels, serving as a focus for the heavy guns of the mortal armies that stood against them.Only a concentrated barrage of heavy cannon fire would bring down such monstrosities during the battles of the Horus Heresy where they were deployed by the forces of Chaos.Even then, the vile energies of the Warp stole any guarantee that their death would bring more than a temporary lull from the Behemoths' brutal wrath, for within the roiling tides of the Immaterium they would be reborn once more to bring ruin to the worlds of Mankind.
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Daemon Behemoth - Unit Composition: 1 Daemon Behemoth
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Daemon Behemoth - Wargear: Gargantuan close combat weapons (claws, daemonic swords, axes, warhammers, horns, etc.)
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Daemon Brutes - Daemon Brutes: Daemon Brutes, also called Ruinstorm Daemon Brutes, are the Daemons of Chaos who emerged during the Horus Heresy from the galaxy-spanning Warp Storm known as the Ruinstorm.They were often used as melee assault shock troops to soften up enemy lines for the Traitor Legion or daemonic forces coming after them.
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Daemon Brutes - Role: Hulking creatures of twisted muscle and sharpened bone, Daemon Brutes were the vanguard of the horde, created to break the fragile ranks of mortal armies and serve as a bulwark for the smaller minions of Chaos that followed in their wake.Each of these brutish monsters towered over even the enhanced warriors of the Legiones Astartes and was capable of shrugging aside the mass reactive projectiles of bolters as through they were mere irritations.Thundering forth from the depths of the Warp in a charge that shakes the earth upon which they tread, a phalanx of these terrifying monsters could sunder any formation and break any line set against them.Worse yet, these beasts exhibit the same twisted cunning common to the rest of their ilk, ever devising new ways to torment their foes and confound the efforts of Mankind to stand against the Daemon and its fel masters.
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Daemon Brutes - Unit Composition: 3 Ruinstorm Daemon Brutes
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Daemon Brutes - Wargear: Close combat weapons (claws, daemonic swords, axes, warhammers, horns, etc.)
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engine: A Daemon Engine is a nightmarish artificial construct used by the forces of Chaos that is a fusion of a realspace vehicle or combat walker with a possessing Daemonic spirit of the Warp. Daemon Engines are gigantic war machines that prowl on mighty piston-driven limbs.Jutting from their armoured torsos are gargoyle-muzzled cannons and heavy weapon-arms that end in murderous tools of war. To compare a Daemon Engine to an ordinary vehicle is folly, for each of these beasts possesses its own malevolent sentience rather than a crew.Bound within the battle-scarred metal of each Daemon Engine is the essence of a raging Warp entity, imprisoned in a physically indomitable body in order to better serve the Chaos Space Marines in their Long War against the servants of the False Emperor.The Imperium has little concept of how these affronts to sanity came into being. Fragments of ancient texts and post-action pict-captures have allowed Imperial strategos to gather that they are creatures of daemonic nature, but little else. Even amongst the ranks of the Chaos Space Marines, there are few who understand how these immortal beasts are created.With the correct rituals, a devout Chaos Sorcerer or Word Bearers Dark Apostle can coax a Daemon to possess the body of a mortal man, but only the brotherhood of the Warpsmiths can bind an unwilling Daemon into a machine.Unlike the rituals of possession, the process of creating a Daemon Engine is not one of mutual assent. Using corrupt rituals and forbidden alchemy, Adepts of the Dark Arts can force immaterial spirits into a physical shell of the Materium. It is the Warpsmiths that bring hell-forged Daemon Engines into being, from Forgefiend gunbeasts to new Chaos Titans. Beyond the soul forges of the Immaterium, Warp entities are bound in nooses of rope woven from the hair of murderers or with chains fashioned of scrimshawed bone.These captive Daemons are dragged biting and screaming into the flame-hearted citadels of the Dark Mechanicum. In the molten heat of the dark forges, the Warpsmiths trap the screaming Daemons within the rune-bound hulls of the giant metallic beasts they have captured or created.The screaming and newly-created machine-fiends must then be bludgeoned into submission until the time of battle is at hand. Caging a hate-filled Daemon in a physical form that can smash through a fortress wall is a hazardous business. Dozens of machine-thralls (and many more Dark Adepts) are lost with the creation of each Daemon Engine, for they do not fear death or pain, but delight in bringing it to their enemies in as vicious a fashion as possible.
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Daemon Engine - Creation of a Daemon Engine: Daemon Engines are beasts of living metal, towering engines of war driven not by technology, but diabolic machine-lore. They take many forms, from tracked behemoths to towering giants and they carry a fearsome array of weaponry, much of it unknown or forbidden to the machine canon of the Cult Mechanicus.Within the armoured shell of each Daemon Engine is entrapped a denizen of the Warp, a being dragged forth from the Immaterium against its will and nature, sealed within the machine by the unreasoning hatred for the material universe in which they find themselves; they seek only to shed the blood of its mortal inhabitants and to feast upon their unbound souls. They are as much a threat to their supposed masters as they are to the enemy, and must often be restrained with heavy, warded chains between battles, lest they fall upon those who summoned them in an orgy of bloodshed.Daemon Engines are the product of tripartite blasphemy, for to bring one into being a sorcerer, Dark Apostle and a Warpsmith or Dark Mechanicum magus must come together in fell co-alignment. The sorcerer must utilise the forbidden dark arts to weaken the thin skein of reality and create a portal through which a Daemon may be drawn forth. The Dark Apostle must entreat the Ruinous Powers and bind that denizen to his ferocious will, thus dragging it through the portal the sorcerer has created. The Warpsmith or magus' role is to provide the mechanical shell into which the Daemon is bound, and to set the warding-chains upon it so that the Daemon does not escape.Such a process is costly in the extreme, and each step involves much shedding of the blood of innocents and the invocation of unspeakable powers. The greatest danger is to the participants themselves, for any misstep, any weakness of resolve or any misspeaking of the ritual incantations can bring about the doom of all involved.At the least, the summoning will fail, bringing down the ire of the warlord in whose name it is being enacted. At worse, the Daemon will come forth unbound or possess one of the three, and violence unimaginable will be unleashed.In some cases, those who seek to create the Daemon Engine are dragged through the portal they have created and cast adrift upon the tides of the Warp, their bodies torn apart in seconds by the predators of that unreal dimension, their souls fed upon for all eternity.
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Daemon Engine - Binding of the Daemon: Those few savants of machine lore to have survived a close examination of any form of Daemon Engine have noted that many feature some manner of containment vessel, often warded and chained tightly shut and invariably aglow with the fell powers of the Warp. The exact nature and purpose of this device remain largely a mystery, but several observations have been noted.Firstly, the vessel is only present on war machines constructed in the realm of mortals -- it has yet to be observed in engines wrought in and summoned forth from the Warp. It has been observed, for example, on Blood Slaughterers, for these are held to be made by mortal hand, but not on Brass Scorpions, which are held to be summoned from the Abyss.Secondly, this vessel bears a disturbing resemblance to the cortex and reactor chambers utilised long ago by various machine constructs of the Cult Mechanicus, constructs almost entirely consigned to history as the mysteries of their construction and maintenance have been lost.Several tech-savants and daemonologists serving the Ordo Malleus now suspect that these vessels are used to draw forth and perhaps contain the infernal spirit within the Daemon Engine. Indeed, breaching the vessel has been observed to bring about the Daemon's escape and the catastrophic destruction of the engine itself.Though such an endeavour will secure the fall of the Daemon Engine, the escaping spirit is wont to reap utter devastation as it is driven back whence it came by the cold inexorability of realspace, making even its successful banishment a dangerous prospect indeed.
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Daemon Engine - Notable Daemon Engines: The following is a list of all notable Daemon Engines, with the exception of Chaos vehicles that are Daemonically possessed, such as the Rhino, Land Raider, Hell Blade, and Chaos Titans:
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engines of Chaos Undivided: Death WheelDecimatorDefilerForgefiendHeldrakeHelstalkerMaulerfiendSoul GrinderVenomcrawlerWirewolf
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engines of Khorne: Blood ReaperBlood SlaughtererBlood Throne of KhorneBrass ScorpionCauldron of BloodDeath DealerDoom BlasterKytan / Skull ReaperLord of BattlesLord of SkullsSkull Cannon of KhorneTower of Skulls
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engines of Nurgle: Blight DroneContagionFoetid Bloat-droneMyphitic Blight-haulerPlague HulkPlague TowerPlagueburst Crawler
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engines of Tzeentch: Æther RayThe AuruntaurDoom WingFire LordMirrorfiendSilver Tower of Tzeentch
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Daemon Engine - Daemon Engines of Slaanesh: Hell-KnightHell-ScourgeHell-StriderQuestor Scout TitanSlaanesh Subjugator
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Daemon Engine - Sources: Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition), pp. 17, 44Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 74-75, 145Codex Heretic Astartes - Death Guard (8th Edition), pp. 49, 84Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 50Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pg. 151Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned by Andy Hoare with Alan Bligh & Neil Wylie, pp. 111-134White Dwarf 394 (UK), "New Releases: Daemon Engines," pp. 4-11White Dwarf 188 (UK), "Plague Engines of Nurgle," by Gav Thorpe, pp. 25-28White Dwarf 164 (UK), "Space Marine: Daemon Engines of Khorne," by Andy Chambers, pp. 18-25White Dwarf 156 (UK), "Chaos at Kadavah," by Mark Watts & Richard Helliwell, pp. 36-53White Dwarf 148 (UK), "Space Marine: Daemons & Chaos War Machines," by Andy Chambers & Rick Priestley, pp. 22-28Games Workshop Oficial SiteGames Workshop Oficial SiteChaos Space Marines Datasheet - Nurgle Plague TowerForge World Webstore - Chaos DecimatorForge World Webstore - Nurgle Plague HulkChaos Space Marines Datasheet - Slaanesh SubjugatorChaos Space Marines Focus: The Lord Discordant
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Daemon Prince - Daemon Prince: A Daemon Prince is a Human Champion of Chaos who has been elevated to Daemonhood as a reward for their actions on the behalf of one of the major Chaos Gods or by the will of Chaos Undivided. Daemon Princes have chosen to trade their Humanity for the god-like power and immortality of a creature of the Warp, though at the cost of their free will.A Daemon Prince is a living extension of the force of Chaos. To ascend to the rank of Daemon Prince is the ultimate goal of the most powerful Champions of Chaos, as it gives them immortality and power beyond the reckoning of mortals. For the devotees of the Ruinous Powers, this is far from an impossible goal. Those few who climb the path of the Champion to its apex are granted the prize of eternal life.Though thousands of lesser aspirants will fall by the wayside, a supremely talented devotee will clamber over mountains of the slain until they reach the pinnacle of their bloody craft. Over the course of Terran centuries, such Champions offer up sacrifices on a planetary scale, risking death and mutation in the hope of attracting the gaze of the Dark Gods. And yet murder alone is not enough.Only those who further the causes of their infernal masters are given the precious gift of Daemonhood. They are raised up to become demigods, roaring their triumph into the night as their new bodies swell and bulge with the energies of the Warp.Daemon Princes combine the brute strength of Daemons with the combat skill and tactical acumen of Space Marines. However, if the Champion fails in the eyes of their god, their lives and ambitions end as they are cast aside and instead descend into the mutant state of a Chaos Spawn.Since Daemon Princes have been transformed into semi-autonomous extensions of the Chaos God they serve or of Chaos Undivided, they are now entities of the Warp and can never truly be killed in the material universe, only banished into the Immaterium for a specific or arbitrary amount of time, usually 1,000 standard years. One who ascends to Daemonhood can look forward to an eternity of servitude at their divine patron's behest. Even death is no respite. Essentially, Daemon Princes will exist for as long as Chaos is a force in the universe.Daemon Princes are infernal monsters that tower over the mortals they lead to battle. These paragons of Chaos take many forms, though all exude a palpable aura of terror and power. In battle, a Daemon Prince strides through the pitiful bullets and bolts of the enemy without pause, their unnatural laughter driving mortals to the edge of fear. Warp energy sizzles from their eyes, and black flames curl from their mouth as they speak dread phrases in the Dark Tongue that kill as sure as any blade. These are creatures of nightmare -- a living expression of Chaos given form.The galaxy is filled with tales of Daemon Princes and their vile deeds. Besides Be'lakor -- perhaps the most infamous of Daemon Princes -- the most renowned of these beings are the primarchs of the Traitor Legions, for their dark gifts were layered atop the frames of mortals already akin to demigods. Although frequent allies of the Chaos Gods' Daemonic legions, these so-called "Daemon Primarchs" prefer to lead their own corrupted Legions of Heretic Astartes against the Imperium they betrayed.Quick Answers What is the process of a Human Champion of Chaos becoming a Daemon Prince? To become a Daemon Prince, a Human Champion of Chaos must successfully achieve the goals of the Ruinous Powers on multiple occasions. This ascension involves trading their Humanity for the immortality and god-like power of a creature of the Warp, becoming a living embodiment of Chaos. The transformation includes the champion's flesh morphing into the Warp's immaterial substance, forsaking their mortal existence. The most powerful followers of Chaos aim for this ascension, as it grants them immortality and unimaginable power. However, as a Daemon Prince, they become a Daemon like any other, their own will and desires now utterly subservient to the will and needs of their divine patron. Servants of Chaos believe becoming a Daemon Prince to be the ultimate reward -- but in truth, it is simply another form of damnation. Provided by: Community What are the powers that a Daemon Prince possesses? Daemon Princes, towering figures of terror and power, are immune to mortal weaponry. They wield warp energy and black flames, capable of killing as effectively as any weapon. These massive beings, often adorned with horns and bat-like wings, harness potent sorcerous powers from the Warp's psychic energies, reflecting their patron Chaos God's influence. They blend the raw strength of Daemons with the combat prowess and tactical acumen of Space Marines. Provided by: Fandom What is the relationship between a Daemon Prince and the major Chaos Gods? A Daemon Prince, a living embodiment of Chaos, trades humanity for divine power and immortality. They bear the marks of the major Chaos God they serve, often leading Chaos's mortal armies. Despite their individuality, Greater Daemons view them as lesser due to their mortal roots. The highest aspiration for powerful Champions of Chaos is to become a Daemon Prince, gaining unparalleled power. Provided by: Fandom What is the significance of the Proclamation of Khazant in the context of Daemon Princes? The Proclamation of Khazant, delivered by Dark Apostle Bellephrades, a Daemon Prince of Chaos, underscores the supremacy of the Warp's gifts over human power. It warns of the dire consequences awaiting those who deny this fact. Daemon Princes, such as Bellephrades, are former Human Champions of Chaos rewarded with daemonhood for their service to the major Chaos Gods or the will of Chaos Undivided. Provided by: Fandom Who is Dark Apostle Bellephrades in relation to Daemon Princes? Dark Apostle Bellephrades, a Human Champion of Chaos of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, was rewarded for his service to the Dark Gods with transformation into a Daemon Prince. This apotheosis, granted by the agreement of all the major Chaos Gods or Chaos Undivided, involved Bellephrades trading his Humanity for divine power and immortality. 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Daemon Prince - History: In order to attract the attention of their patrons amongst the Ruinous Powers, Champions of Chaos are required to achieve dark and terrible ends. They willingly sacrifice both foes and friends in service to their ambition for power and willingly risk their lives at the hands of both the enemies of Chaos and their own fickle masters, who do not suffer failure gladly.Few Chaos Champions avoid either death, or the mutation into Chaos Spawn that awaits all those mortal servants of Chaos who fail their dark patrons. Those who succeed at the tasks set for them by the Ruinous Powers are transformed into immortal entities of the Warp. They leave all the trappings of mortality and simple Human feelings far behind.Daemon Princes are incredibly powerful entities of the Warp, vast and nightmarish beings whose essence is the immortal hellstuff of the Immaterium given form. No two Daemon Princes are truly alike, although many maintain a roughly humanoid shape when incarnate in the material realm. Their exact forms are fashioned from congealed horror and marked with the signs and stigmata of whichever great Chaos God they ultimately serve.Whilst other Daemons are simply fragments of their master's psyche, a Daemon Prince retains much of their own personality and the thirst for power that drove them in their mortal existence. Eager to carve out a realm of their own, many lead the mortal armies of Chaos, the massacres unleashed in their name sustaining them in the realm of reality.The oldest and most powerful of Daemon Princes are even worshipped as deities in their own right on some worlds. Most Daemon Princes eventually discard their material form altogether and pass beyond mortal concerns to join the ranks of their patron's Daemons, only to come back and haunt the galaxy an age later at the head of a Daemonic host.While Daemon Princes come in as wide a variety of shapes and sizes as there are facets of Chaos, most are massive beings composed of hulking muscle and thick sinew, displaying traditionally Daemonic characteristics like horns and bat-like wings. All Daemon Princes save those of Khorne wield potent sorcerous powers that originate in the Warp's psychic energies, and that are representative of the sphere of influence of the Daemon Prince's patron Chaos God. What little that a Daemon Prince retains of his or her Humanity is usually only the caustic ambition and ruthless cunning which helped them earn their Chaos reward in the first place.In the 41st Millennium, most of the Daemon Princes known to the Imperium hail from the ranks of the Chaos Space Marines, as these often ancient warriors possess the capability and desire needed to successfully serve the interests of Chaos well and long enough to earn Daemonhood. However, the oldest of the Daemon Princes may actually have ascended to their immortal stature during the savage age long before Mankind left Terra to explore and settle the stars.When a Daemon Prince conquers a world in the physical universe using the mortal forces of Chaos that serve them, their patron Chaos God or the Chaos Gods as a whole if they serve Chaos Undivided bestow the world upon them as their own personal realm. The conquered planet is absorbed into the Immaterium. It becomes what the Imperial Administratum has deemed a "Daemon World," a sub-reality of the Warp in which the ruling Daemon Prince has complete control over reality, having essentially become a minor Chaos God within the boundaries of their own realm.Like all Daemons, Daemon Princes much prefer the environment of the Warp to the physical universe, and only rarely do they deign to actually leave the Empyrean and reenter the material universe. Daemon Princes are prized by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos because unlike true Daemons or even the Chaos Gods themselves, they are former mortals.As previous denizens of the Materium, Daemon Princes still have a deep knowledge of the material universe and how mortals think and act. Despite this, many Daemon Princes continue to crave more power and further ascent within the ranks of the forces of Chaos and so they often choose to join the retinue of a Greater Daemon of their patron Ruinous Power.To their surprise and anger, Daemon Princes often discover that other Daemons, particularly the Greater Daemons who outrank even them amongst the servants of the Ruinous Powers, regard Daemon Princes as inferior beings because of their mortal origins, seeing them as tainted by their heritage as natives of the physical universe.Despite this attitude, Daemon Princes are still often put to use in the Daemonic legions, leading formations of Lesser Daemons on the battlefield. As always, even Daemon Princes are no more than tools of Chaos, albeit extremely powerful ones, to be used and discarded as the situation demands it.
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Daemon Prince - Daemon Primarchs: The greatest and most powerful of the current Daemon Princes were once the Traitor primarchs of the Space Marine Legions that turned against the Emperor of Mankind during the Horus Heresy.These powerful entities, often called "Daemon Primarchs," can easily be distinguished from other Daemon Princes by their distinctive appearances, which often maintain at least some aspect of their once-noble appearances as mortals.The Daemon Primarchs are still greatly revered by the Traitor Legions of Chaos Space Marines they corrupted millennia ago, even though it has become uncommon for them to personally lead these Legions in battle from their home Daemon Worlds. Instead they long preferred in the years after the Horus Heresy ended to combat their Daemonic rivals within the Eye of Terror as part of the Great Game, leaving the direction of their Legions, now broken up into individual Heretic Astartes warbands, to their subordinate Champions of Chaos.In the Era Indomitus, however, several Daemon Primarchs have decided to take a more active hand in mortal affairs, now that Chaos' influence in the galaxy has greatly increased with the birth of the Great Rift. They have also been galvanised into action by the resurrection of the Ultramarines primarch Roboute Guilliman to lead the Imperium and the reawakening of the Dark Angels primarch Lion El'Jonson who is presently defending the worlds of the Imperium Nihilus.The Daemon Primarchs who have returned to lead their Traitor Legions openly once more in the Era Indomitus include Mortarion of the Death Guard, Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons and Angron of the World Eaters.Daemon PrimarchChaos GodTraitor LegionAngronKhorneWorld EatersFulgrimSlaanesh Emperor's ChildrenLorgarChaos UndividedWord BearersMagnus the RedTzeentchThousand SonsMortarionNurgleDeath GuardPerturaboChaos UndividedIron Warriors
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Daemon Prince - Daemon Princes of Khorne: Daemon Princes of Khorne are also known as the "Favoured of the Blood God," "Blood Princes," and "Bone Lords."Not all of the Blood God's Daemon servants began their existence as beings of everlasting Chaos. There are those who once strode across the material universe as living creatures of weak, frail, and limited flesh but who sought to be more. These courageous souls seek to offer themselves in service to Khorne in exchange for unparalleled strength and limitless martial power. Embarking on the path of glory, such a mortal knows full well that each footfall upon it could be the last they take.Service to the capricious Blood God is fraught with constant hazards. Twists and turns of fate cause many Champions to displease their master and end their relatively sane days as they are suddenly transformed into a mindless Chaos Spawn. There are, however, rare instances where the Chaos Champion, over time and through victory in thousands of battles, catches the more favourable eye of his or her divine master.For these few, the life of a mortal is gladly exchanged for elevation into the ranks of Daemonhood as a powerful Daemon Prince. Those the Chaos Gods favour in this way are always rewarded because they were unwavering in their devotion and, just as importantly, unfailingly achieved all that their lord demanded of them.Of all the Chaos Gods, discerning what Khorne requires of his Champions is the easiest and least complicated: kill. Ensure that the flow of blood is constant. Make war upon all things. These straightforward tenets speak to the basic nature of all creatures, giving their inner need for conflict a path for expression.Khorne cares not if his Champions began as hive city scum or as Space Marines. As long as they give him an unending flow of blood, they can earn the rewards he has to bestow, and elevation to Daemonhood is the greatest reward of all.
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