The Imperium of Mankind
Archmagos Licussian Cybixx(active)
Recruited at the denouement of the Horus Heresy, Archmagos Licussian Cybixx acted as an emissary for the Adeptus Mechanicus to the newly formed Imperium of Man. This was after the Treaty of Olympus Mons created a union between the two titanic forces and brought forth an age of technological rediscovery. One of his notable colleagues was Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl himself who acted as a mentor and instructed him in the ways of prolonging his life through mechanical enhancement resulting in his robed, spindly, behemoth form which is more machine than human.
Sector Commander Titus Luthor (active)
Cybixx was fascinated by xenos technology, particularly that of the Aeldari, Drukhari and Necrons who’s archaic elegance he was fond of and wished to replicate through experimentation on himself. The Cult Mechanicus, however, were not so fond of this admiration as they viewed it as sacrilegious to the Omnissiah.
Banished from the Forge World of Mars, denouncing his allegiance with Cawl and the Martian dogma Cybixx stripped his robes of colour with corrosive fluids leaving them grey and drab looking. He took with him a small war cohort consisting of hooded rangers from the Legiones Skitarii as protection and fled to the Vandrax system where he began work on the creation of his new army, dedicated to the true quest for knowledge (unhindered by the restrictions of the Imperium).
In 010.729M32, with his new force established, Cybixx went into a hibernative state leaving his new Magi to learn about Xenos weaponry with the goal of replication – he assumed this would take several millennia to master. During this hibernation, a malfunction occurred which inhibited him from reawakening. Due to the complex nature of the device, his disciples were unable to mend it and so he lay dormant amongst his thoughts, a statue of a bygone era.
After nearly 10,000 years had passed, in 009.017M42, crusade forces, consisting of ‘The Lord of Light’, battling for control over ‘The Foramen’ landed on Vandrax 3 to discover the remnants of a rusting technological empire. Inquisitor Natalia Vorushko discovered the preserved form of Archmagos Cybixx in what resembled a high security burial chamber and set her personal tech priests on reviving him. Successfully doing so, Vorushko briefed Cybixx on their current place in terms of galactic conflict. Pleased with the possibility of seeking vengeance against Mars and Cawl, he eagerly took up her offer of joining the crusade. She gifted him a personal assassin from the Callidus Temple to conduct his doings and an Ark Mechanicus, which he named ‘The Omnissiah Vengeance’, to hold his now vast legion. He swiftly began construction of his new, even more powerful force – keeping his Xenos interests to himself for if the inquisitor were to find out she would surely execute him for heresy. With nearly unlimited resources, Vorushko expects the threat of the Crusade Mechanicus to be the key to the destruction of the loyalist forces and securing the Foramen for herself.
Banished from the Forge World of Mars, denouncing his allegiance with Cawl and the Martian dogma Cybixx stripped his robes of colour with corrosive fluids leaving them grey and drab looking. He took with him a small war cohort consisting of hooded rangers from the Legiones Skitarii as protection and fled to the Vandrax system where he began work on the creation of his new army, dedicated to the true quest for knowledge (unhindered by the restrictions of the Imperium).
In 010.729M32, with his new force established, Cybixx went into a hibernative state leaving his new Magi to learn about Xenos weaponry with the goal of replication – he assumed this would take several millennia to master. During this hibernation, a malfunction occurred which inhibited him from reawakening. Due to the complex nature of the device, his disciples were unable to mend it and so he lay dormant amongst his thoughts, a statue of a bygone era.
After nearly 10,000 years had passed, in 009.017M42, crusade forces, consisting of ‘The Lord of Light’, battling for control over ‘The Foramen’ landed on Vandrax 3 to discover the remnants of a rusting technological empire. Inquisitor Natalia Vorushko discovered the preserved form of Archmagos Cybixx in what resembled a high security burial chamber and set her personal tech priests on reviving him. Successfully doing so, Vorushko briefed Cybixx on their current place in terms of galactic conflict. Pleased with the possibility of seeking vengeance against Mars and Cawl, he eagerly took up her offer of joining the crusade. She gifted him a personal assassin from the Callidus Temple to conduct his doings and an Ark Mechanicus, which he named ‘The Omnissiah Vengeance’, to hold his now vast legion. He swiftly began construction of his new, even more powerful force – keeping his Xenos interests to himself for if the inquisitor were to find out she would surely execute him for heresy. With nearly unlimited resources, Vorushko expects the threat of the Crusade Mechanicus to be the key to the destruction of the loyalist forces and securing the Foramen for herself.
Sector Commander, aleph Sector
Inquisitor Lord Hathek (active)
That being said he rejects the idea of federal expansion and would also love to see these worlds return to the faithful service of the Emperor. He believes the Eldar, Orks and Tau should be "contained" in the systems they control, but that extended campaigns to wipe these races out are foolish and unnecessary. Hathek has been the voice of reason in the sector now for decades. He worked with Inquisitor Huron investigating the Aleph Warp nulls. There is great mutual respect, though not always agreement, between the two men.
Hathek was therefore vehemently opposed to Inquisitor Vorusko's "crusade" which he considered a betrayal of the Emperor's worlds, whereas Vorushko merely saw her plan as necessary, since the Imperium continued to lose ground and resources to the enemy. Rejecting her "scorched earth" policy Hathek plunged the Sector into civil war over Libria until the matter was settled in 017M42 when the warpscar cut off Libria from Imperial aid.
Hathek also tried to stop Vorushko's agents from activating the necron device on Corticant, although his failure created the vital Foramen Interdictum. This did not stop Hathek claiming the credit for the act however, and the old Inquisitor is now leading the loyalist faction in trying to defend both tracts of the Foramen Interdictum.
It is these experiences which have led the Inquisitor to become an extreme radical. He views the Tau as natural allies and would gladly allow the Federacy to re-enter the Imperium as a democracy. He believes the old ways are holding the Imperium back and that its superstitious religious doctrines are dangerous. Huron spent many years on Tallax investigating Daemonic possession with the Tallaxian government and, despite his continued membership of the Inquisition he is still welcomed within Federal space.
Huron actively hated Inquisitor Xanthus and worked tirelessly to thwart the monodominant's activities, before Xanthus was killed by the Librian trooper Danel Levais on Myrentas II.
Huron has thus far avoided Vorushko's wrath by not siding with Hathek in the Librian Heresy. He opposes her actions however, and although the two worked together to unravel the mysterious necron devices in the Aleph Sector, it can only be a matter of time before the two end up in implacable opposition.
Captured in 018M42 by the Drukhari Crimson Blade karnal while investigating the Hadron Expanse. Presumed deceased.
Inquisitor Lord Natalia Vorushko (active)
Natalia Vorushko, Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Hereticus, arrived in the Aleph Sector in 013M42. Alarmed by the loss of the Aleph subsector and the ongoing defeat in the Zadoc subsector, Vorushko had decided on a more permanent solution.
Educated on Terra and colleague of the now famed Inquisitor Greyfax, Vorushko has seen many heresies, and despite being once set adrift in the warp for over a century of real time, nothing phased the powerful lord Inquisitor.
Her plan for the Aleph sector was simple. The Zadoc subsector and Perseus Deeps would be cleansed by fire, exploited, and then destroyed. That way rich pickings like Libria and Bastien would not fall to the "alliance" of heretic humans and the Tau Empire, nor be consumed as food for the tyranids of Nemesis.
Vorushko sent agents to the Valitane subsector, preventing heresy and its inevitable loss to the forces of Chaos and the Tau Empire, but it was on Libria, where her path was blocked by the amalthian Inquisitor Hathek, that her real problem emerged. Hathek managed to create division in the ranks of the Imperium by his opposition to her Crusade, splitting the Imperial forces and causing a civil war between factions of the Imperium which only died down with the coming of the Cicatrix Maledictum. In the end the Crusade failed, and Libria fell to the Tau Empire anyway, which VOrushko blames solely on the actions of Hathek.
Now Vorushko is in the Dark Imperium, having abandoned the "crusade", seeking out heresy and ultimately the dismemberment of the Federacy and their Tau allies. It was her agents who brought about the formation of the Foramen Interdictum, although Hathek took the opportunity to claim responsibility and receive all the credit.
Recently Vorushko has convinced General Veers to join her Crusade, and has created a new base in the Imperium Nihilis centred on Bastien. Meanwhile she seeks to close of the unintentional second tract of the Foramen - the Foramen Minoris.
Inquisitor Xanthus (deceased)
Former monodominant Inquisitor, killed by Danel Levais at the battle for Myrentas II.
General Veers (active)
Commander of Imperial Forces, Perseus Deeps. Responsible for the success of the Crusade against chaos, he became embittered as forces were stripped away from him to fight in the Librian Heresy. Now he is rebuilding his strength under the remit of Vorushko's new Crusade.
Admiral Jellicoe (active)
Admiral John Jellicoe is the commander of the Aleph sector fleet. He is not native to the sector, having been brought up among the Navis Nobilite on Kar Dunash, the Naval capital of the Segmentum. After the failings of Choraeus and the loss of Admirals Yamamoto, Moore, Alexis and Conner in the war, Jellicoe was sent to Aleph to restore the situation.
Like Choraeus he is a pragmatic and cautious man but does not share his predecessor’s doom laden negative outlook. More importantly he is much younger.
Jellicoe’s previous assignment was as Vice Admiral in the Valen sector where he commanded one of the sector’s three battle groups and saw action against the Tau and elder fleets. It is this experience which made him first choice for the admiralty of the Aleph sector fleet.
Since taking over command Jellicoe has had mixed fortunes. He has suffered defeats at the hands of the Tau and chaos, but also secured an enormous and creditable victory over the combined fleets of the forces of Chaos in 014M42, at the battle of Bastien, which only infuriated further his arch-nemesis, Grand Admiral Thok.
Cardinal Fang (deceased)
Cardinal Fang lived all his life as a politician and was brought up in the midst of court intrigue on Cerberex. From here he manipulated himself into power, often by blackmailing or coercing various members of the council of Aleph (as the C.A.S.S. was known then).
Cardinal Fang was appointed leader of the Aleph sub sector in .087 M41. His reign was unremarkable in time of peace, though apart from ensuring that tithes were paid he had little to do apart from to become involved in intricate political weavings of the sector.
All this changed in .001 M42 when things began to go awry in the sector. It was clear from the start that he was a poor military tactician and his bombardment of Aleph 4 in a fit of rage in .002 M42 did very little to help his reputation. Eventually his interference in Imperial military affairs caused more and more disasters while his handling of the UFP situation did more to help the fledgling empire than it did to stop it.
In the end he was captured by the Eldar during the Aleph war of .002 M42 and handed over to the Dark Angels after a peace treaty was signed. He was executed on the orders of Inquisitors Hathek and Huron for crimes against the Imperium at the age of 68.
Cardinal Sheriden (deceased)
Cardinal Sheriden was a controversial man. Taking over in .003 M42 to replace the executed and incompetent Cardinal Fang, the 42 year old politician had as many enemies in the Imperium as he elsewhere
Sheriden’s views were extremely liberal when compared to the average leader of the Imperium. He was particularly detested by the Dark Angels and Inquisitor Xanthus for his constant brokering of deals between the Imperium and the Federacy, an organisation they would like to see removed from the galaxy.
Cardinal Sheriden’s past didn't help him either as before being appointed by Inquisitor’s Hathek and Huron as a peacemaker, Sheriden was Vice President of Tallax, now a member of the Federacy. However he also saw military action in the Vastrid sector against the Orks as part of his military career in the Imperial Guard (Tallaxian 12th Armoured Regiment).
His heroics in the military saw him rise to power in Tallax’s democracy, but now he faced his greatest challenge, leading the Aleph 4 sector through turbulent times without getting assassinated or removed from power.
Unfortunately the cardinal was assassinated on 1401.006 M42 by agents of Chaos backed by Inquisitor Xanthus. A small team used the Chaos “device” to teleport right into the cardinal’s country home on Cerberex, all the way from Myrentas II! After slaughtering 32 guardsmen the five marines then dismembered the cardinal before retreating back to their base.
Both incompetent and psychopathic, the upper class General Roover made his way to the top through his connections rather than any skill in battle. As such, he was a typical Imperial General, and as commander of the Aleph Sector ground forces managed to oversee a succession of failures after replacing the enthusiastic but even more incompetent Lord Commander Xertes. Roover's style was to consider all his "assets" as expendable, and his attitude to Xenos was alarmingly risible, once describing eldar as "coneheads". Eventually the loss of a subsector became noticeable to even the slowly working machinery of the Administratum, and the general was "retired" in 013M42, being replaced by Titus Luthor, who combined the role of Cardinal and Imperial Commander to become Sector Commander.
General Cunningham (captured)
Cunningham was born on Libria III in 957M41. He was educated at the Librian Military Academy before taking a commission in the Librian army in 977M41. During the Ork Wars of 980-992M41, he served with the 442nd Librian Artillery Regiment, and was awarded a Military Honour in 990M42 and the Honorifica Imperialis in 992M42. For two years after the war he served in the Straits Settlements.
In 002M42 Cunningham became the Commander of the 442nd. This was followed a year later by promotion to major-general and appointment as commander of the 3rd Rapid Reaction Task force based on Tyranteous.
The Melberg Campaign
When the Tau invaded Melberg, Cunningham held a number of short appointments commanding infantry armies before being transferred to command the Western Army Group in mid 007M42. Cunningham fought numerous actions in the Melberg campaign, consistently thwarting Tau commander Longstrides offensives and liberating the city of Gwendel. However his army suffered several setbacks fighting Shadowstrike's troops, and his Librian armies were evacuated from the planet in late 007M42 following the peace treaty made with the victorious Tau.
After Melberg
Cunningham avoided censure over the failure of the war on Melberg, much of which was put down to failures in the overall command of Lord Lenord, though promotion was out of the question. Cunningham retained his Librian regiments and was redeployed to the Shadow Worlds crusade force in 008M42, and later to the Southern Tuva Front on Tarsis Major. Cunningham's record on Tarsis Major was good, but he never had the equipment or support to stop the invasion. Eventually he was evacuated with his remaining forces in 011M42, and the general was once again asked to defend yet another of the Emperor's worlds, this time Tyranteous.
The same story followed and eventually this time in 013M42 General Cunningham surrendered to the Tau. For Cunningham his wars were finally over. For over a decade he had fought the tau, most famously on Melberg and Tarsis Major, scoring a number of famous victories but always losing the war. Over that time he had come to respect the tau, and although he remained opposed to everything they stood for, he was treated well by his captors, as were the majority of the captured guardsmen
Commander Shadowstrike (active)
The command of Hunter Group ‘Truestar’ was bestowed to a fiery young officer hailing from Vior’la, known for educating and training its officers in an aggressive approach to warfare; this officer was Sha’el Longstride. In the Battle for Einmyrria, he produced swift and decisive victories against the myriad of foes encountered on the planet before finally being halted by the redoubtable Dark Angels.
In spite of his victories, Einmyrria was a disaster for the Tau and they were forced to withdraw. Longstride’s successes did not go unnoticed, though; he was promoted to Shas’O and tasked with spear-heading the Perseus Deeps Expeditionary forces.
The young officer’s forceful and impetuous style of command proved his undoing on the planet of Myrentas II, where after a string of victories his offensive gradually lost momentum against the stalwart Gue’la of the Imperial Guard. Defeats followed and soon Tau casualties were reaching levels that exceded even those endured on Einmyrria. Longstride was recalled to Cernunnos to account for his failures before the council of the Fire Caste High Command and Aun’O Y’meth.
Given a last opportunity to redeem himself, Longstride was appointed the unenviable task of the defence of the small colony of Lucardium against the ravages of a Tyranid invasion. In spite of all expectations, the young Commander held back the monstrous tide. This act went some way to helping him regain his honour and win back the respect of the Fire Caste High Command. As such, in 007M42 he was given overall command of the Tau invasion of Mellberg which would be their largest assault on the Imperium by that stage of the Mission. It was a huge gamble that, ultimately, did not pay off. In spite of some early successes by Longstride it was eventually the aloof and previously little-known Commander Shadowstrike who secured the most significant gains, both in tactical and in strategic terms.
Longstride was later side-lined to an administrative role, becoming military govenor of Tau terriorty of the divided planet of Melberg. Though he has had a chequered career many his his contemporaries (and perhaps Longstride himself) see this as an ignominious end for a commander who has so fervently fought in the name of the Greater Good.
Commander Rahvan Malkaor (active)Tau Commander Rahvan Malkaor and the expedition from Kel'Shan Sept
From outside the Sept, it is assumed that Malkaor, the Desert Spider, is an honorific passed from one notable Commander to the next. The first appearances of the title are attributed to an oddity of a commander who rose to prominence early in the Damocles Gulf campaign, against the Imperium. A veteran from the Pathfinder and Stealth teams, Malkaor had a flair for long range recon tactics and had made a name hunting Imperial task forces from within the deserts of contested worlds, using wide ranging hunter teams to search for any movement and hitting it without warning. This preference for individual action, while useful, did not win support with high command, who were quite content to leave the oddball Commander in the desert to his own devices.
Malkaor may have faded away had the Ethereal Auv'Vre Shorio not been assigned to oversee his Cadre. The Ethereal had found himself at odds with the higher council frequently and in an attempt to get keep two problems out of the way he was packed off to the desert. By the end of the Damocles Gulf, with reports of Imperial Commissars kicked at Valkyries and unusually explosive Russes widely circulated, the renown of the Desert Spider had grown wildly, to Shorio's satisfaction.
The name Malkaor reappeared in Imperial records very recently in the Aleph Sector, which would place him at far past the age Tau usually live to, even factoring time spent in cryogenic storage. Outside of the closed circle of the Kel'Shan sept a successor is assumed, and those in the know mostly consider it luck or some secret project, and they mostly keep their own company. Only Shorio knows the truth, the longevity of Ethereals being common knowledge and not looked at twice. What he intends with their foray into the Hadron Expanse is speculated on, but it keeps them out of the way of high command, and while they keep performing to satisfaction they have operational autonomy, and Shorio's plans continue.
Little is known of the career of Kor’O Swiftstar before his role in the Aleph Expansion. What is clear is that he is an experienced fleet commander, especially when considering the large proportion of older Kor’Vattra-model Tau vessels at his disposal.
Swiftstar is credited with leading the first Tau navigation across the Aurelis Deeps, a volatile area of the Aleph Sector known to harbour a great many pirates and raiders. Several Chaos and Ork fleets were met in battle, and in each engagement the Kor’O achieved decisive victories. Even the Space Marines could not break his determination to push through to his objective.
The arrival of the fleet at Cernunnos was hailed as one of the greatest triumphs of the Aleph Expansion thus far, opening new routes along which the campaign will forge ahead and the Tau Empire expand in its wake. Kor’O Swiftstar has shown himself to be pioneering figure in the Kor’Or’Vesh, his innovative approach to fleet manoeuvres and engagements leading to his own ‘Deeptide’ battle formation now quickly being adopted by other Admirals.
Educated on Terra and colleague of the now famed Inquisitor Greyfax, Vorushko has seen many heresies, and despite being once set adrift in the warp for over a century of real time, nothing phased the powerful lord Inquisitor.
Her plan for the Aleph sector was simple. The Zadoc subsector and Perseus Deeps would be cleansed by fire, exploited, and then destroyed. That way rich pickings like Libria and Bastien would not fall to the "alliance" of heretic humans and the Tau Empire, nor be consumed as food for the tyranids of Nemesis.
Vorushko sent agents to the Valitane subsector, preventing heresy and its inevitable loss to the forces of Chaos and the Tau Empire, but it was on Libria, where her path was blocked by the amalthian Inquisitor Hathek, that her real problem emerged. Hathek managed to create division in the ranks of the Imperium by his opposition to her Crusade, splitting the Imperial forces and causing a civil war between factions of the Imperium which only died down with the coming of the Cicatrix Maledictum. In the end the Crusade failed, and Libria fell to the Tau Empire anyway, which VOrushko blames solely on the actions of Hathek.
Now Vorushko is in the Dark Imperium, having abandoned the "crusade", seeking out heresy and ultimately the dismemberment of the Federacy and their Tau allies. It was her agents who brought about the formation of the Foramen Interdictum, although Hathek took the opportunity to claim responsibility and receive all the credit.
Recently Vorushko has convinced General Veers to join her Crusade, and has created a new base in the Imperium Nihilis centred on Bastien. Meanwhile she seeks to close of the unintentional second tract of the Foramen - the Foramen Minoris.
Inquisitor Xanthus (deceased)
Former monodominant Inquisitor, killed by Danel Levais at the battle for Myrentas II.
General Veers (active)
Commander of Imperial Forces, Perseus Deeps. Responsible for the success of the Crusade against chaos, he became embittered as forces were stripped away from him to fight in the Librian Heresy. Now he is rebuilding his strength under the remit of Vorushko's new Crusade.
Admiral Jellicoe (active)
Like Choraeus he is a pragmatic and cautious man but does not share his predecessor’s doom laden negative outlook. More importantly he is much younger.
Jellicoe’s previous assignment was as Vice Admiral in the Valen sector where he commanded one of the sector’s three battle groups and saw action against the Tau and elder fleets. It is this experience which made him first choice for the admiralty of the Aleph sector fleet.
Since taking over command Jellicoe has had mixed fortunes. He has suffered defeats at the hands of the Tau and chaos, but also secured an enormous and creditable victory over the combined fleets of the forces of Chaos in 014M42, at the battle of Bastien, which only infuriated further his arch-nemesis, Grand Admiral Thok.
Cardinal Fang (deceased)
Cardinal Fang was appointed leader of the Aleph sub sector in .087 M41. His reign was unremarkable in time of peace, though apart from ensuring that tithes were paid he had little to do apart from to become involved in intricate political weavings of the sector.
All this changed in .001 M42 when things began to go awry in the sector. It was clear from the start that he was a poor military tactician and his bombardment of Aleph 4 in a fit of rage in .002 M42 did very little to help his reputation. Eventually his interference in Imperial military affairs caused more and more disasters while his handling of the UFP situation did more to help the fledgling empire than it did to stop it.
In the end he was captured by the Eldar during the Aleph war of .002 M42 and handed over to the Dark Angels after a peace treaty was signed. He was executed on the orders of Inquisitors Hathek and Huron for crimes against the Imperium at the age of 68.
Cardinal Sheriden (deceased)
Sheriden’s views were extremely liberal when compared to the average leader of the Imperium. He was particularly detested by the Dark Angels and Inquisitor Xanthus for his constant brokering of deals between the Imperium and the Federacy, an organisation they would like to see removed from the galaxy.
Cardinal Sheriden’s past didn't help him either as before being appointed by Inquisitor’s Hathek and Huron as a peacemaker, Sheriden was Vice President of Tallax, now a member of the Federacy. However he also saw military action in the Vastrid sector against the Orks as part of his military career in the Imperial Guard (Tallaxian 12th Armoured Regiment).
His heroics in the military saw him rise to power in Tallax’s democracy, but now he faced his greatest challenge, leading the Aleph 4 sector through turbulent times without getting assassinated or removed from power.
Unfortunately the cardinal was assassinated on 1401.006 M42 by agents of Chaos backed by Inquisitor Xanthus. A small team used the Chaos “device” to teleport right into the cardinal’s country home on Cerberex, all the way from Myrentas II! After slaughtering 32 guardsmen the five marines then dismembered the cardinal before retreating back to their base.
General Thaddeus Roover (retired)
General Cunningham (captured)
In 002M42 Cunningham became the Commander of the 442nd. This was followed a year later by promotion to major-general and appointment as commander of the 3rd Rapid Reaction Task force based on Tyranteous.
The Melberg Campaign
When the Tau invaded Melberg, Cunningham held a number of short appointments commanding infantry armies before being transferred to command the Western Army Group in mid 007M42. Cunningham fought numerous actions in the Melberg campaign, consistently thwarting Tau commander Longstrides offensives and liberating the city of Gwendel. However his army suffered several setbacks fighting Shadowstrike's troops, and his Librian armies were evacuated from the planet in late 007M42 following the peace treaty made with the victorious Tau.
After Melberg
Cunningham avoided censure over the failure of the war on Melberg, much of which was put down to failures in the overall command of Lord Lenord, though promotion was out of the question. Cunningham retained his Librian regiments and was redeployed to the Shadow Worlds crusade force in 008M42, and later to the Southern Tuva Front on Tarsis Major. Cunningham's record on Tarsis Major was good, but he never had the equipment or support to stop the invasion. Eventually he was evacuated with his remaining forces in 011M42, and the general was once again asked to defend yet another of the Emperor's worlds, this time Tyranteous.
The same story followed and eventually this time in 013M42 General Cunningham surrendered to the Tau. For Cunningham his wars were finally over. For over a decade he had fought the tau, most famously on Melberg and Tarsis Major, scoring a number of famous victories but always losing the war. Over that time he had come to respect the tau, and although he remained opposed to everything they stood for, he was treated well by his captors, as were the majority of the captured guardsmen
The Forces of Chaos
Admiral Thok (active)
Insane Heresy era Imperial admiral, now follower of chaos undivided
Lord Traegan (active)
Master of Kendrenec and custodian of the Grand Fleet.
Warsmith Stahl (active)
Lycurgus Stahl is a reclusive and vicious Warsmith, his forces known by several names; the 25th, the 144th Grand Battalion, “the Reforged” and “the Broken”, depending on who you ask. Stahl launches his operations from the Enceladus Subsector and the secondary base of operations on Minos.
See also: https://alephsectorfiction.blogspot.com/2018/12/sire-these-recordings-were-intercepted.html?m=0
Moonface (ascended)
One time commander of the Iron Warriors, created the Catechism and supplanted all other chaos leaders to become Master of Chaos in 012M42. After creating the vast chaos empire of the Perseus Deeps, his downfall came after his failure at the invasion of Farport.
Moonface first appeared on Myrentas II where he assassinated Iron Warriors leader Gallowfen. Following that the daemonic presence led chaos wars on Alphe, various minor worlds then finally Cerberex, where his invasion was a ruse to steal an ancient "device" also known as the "soul hole", later found to be of Necron design.
Known rotes of the Catechism
#34 "How might Moonface be glorified?"
"The destruction of the Imperium, the overthrow of the Emperor."
#42 "Who is the master and the slave?"
"Moonface, who has control of our will in order to serve us."
#43 "Who takes with one hand and provides with the other?"
"Moonface, who takes our freedom in order to give us life."
#44 "Who is the ally and the enemy?"
"Moonface, who must destroy us to bring us to life."
Arch Cleric
Led the former followers of the Catechism to some success. Now leader of Zadoc.
Lorek
Commander of the Claws of Lorek and former "Master of Chaos", Lorek has quit the region after losing much of the Perseus Deeps to the Imperial Crusade under General Veers.
The Claws of Lorek had some success, but the warmaster was heavily criticised by Warmaster Stahl of the Iron Warriors after losing the Rim Worlds to Hive Fleet Nemesis, and then losing Parthenope and finally Bastien in the Perseus Deeps to the Imperium. Lorek presided over the worst defeats for the combined forces of chaos in more than a Millenia.
Markus Lupane and Andreos Cain (active)
- See Emerald Serpent (Forces)
Insane Heresy era Imperial admiral, now follower of chaos undivided
Lord Traegan (active)
Master of Kendrenec and custodian of the Grand Fleet.
Warsmith Stahl (active)
Pre Heresy
Lycurgus Stahl was born upon Olympia, in the city state of Kardis. He was among the first intake after Perurabo's decimation of the IV. His aptitude was recognised and he received further training as an Apothecary. Stahl was assigned to the 144th Grand Battalion under Warsmith Narek Lexer, a Terran and rising star within the Legion. The 144th were given command over the 707th Expeditionary fleet which pushed into the Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy.
The 707th Expeditionary fleet was recorded as one of those that conquered the Aleph Sector, having purged several Xenos infestations from the region. It is unknown if this is was the only Expeditionary fleet that conquered the Aleph Sector as it was far from unknown for Expeditionary fleet to work together.
During the Araaki Spiral compliance, Stahl had the ignominious honour of being the subject of one of the few art pieces of the IV by Imperial Remembrancers. Kelan Roget created The Glory of the Fallen, a famous painting of Lycurgus Stahl collecting geneseed from fallen Iron Warriors. The Araaki Spiral compliance had heaped art and verse upon the I, V and VII Legions, praising their courage, but Perturabo's Legion fought the bloodiest battles and received none of the accolades save the single painting, buried amongst the copious works of art representing the other three Legions. Perturabo had famously burned the painting in front of Roget; its data recording remains one of the few reliable images of Stahl. Shortly after the incident Lexer fell out of favour with Perturabo; his Expeditionary fleet was broken up and reassigned and Stahl himself was assigned to the Enceladus Subsector, part of the overall Aleph Sector garrison, of which Lexer's Grand Battalion comprises a sizeable portion.
While the some of the worlds of Aleph Sector had peacefully accepted compliance, the Enceladus subsector had been a hard and brutal campaign with a resentful populace, particularly the Charybdis system where a technologically advanced society had violently resisted. The primary hospice of the Iron Warriors was placed with the garrison on Charybdis Major and left to the care of Lycurgus, who was forced to remain with the garrison. Surrounded by broken and dying Iron Warriors and a rebellious populace, an already broken Lycurgus heard of Olympia's rebellion and Perturabo's vengeance. Kardis had been the first city to suffer Perturabo's rage, utterly destroyed by orbital bombardment, Perturabo had the pict recordings spread throughout the IV Legion where possible. Like so many in the IV, the genocide of Olympia darkened Lycurgus' soul. Lycurgus was bitter, clearly mentally suffering beyond the resilience of even an Astarte after the horrors the IV had endured, and here he began his experimentations, swearing he would not lose anymore of his patients.
The Heresy
It is thought that the technologies of the fallen Charybdian societies helped Stahl in his efforts, thought to be forbidden by the Mechanicus of Mars. Nevertheless Stahl succeeded; 25 warriors at first deemed too damaged even for a Dreadnoughts sarcophagus were returned to active duty. To outsiders the 25 Iron Warriors were monstrous, a melding of machine, grown organics and less identifiable elements. It quickly became obvious that the warriors held greater loyalty to Stahl than any other. Stahl, the 25 and most of Lexer's Grand Battalion were at Istvaan Massacre, other Iron Warriors referring to 144th Battlion as “the Reforged” or less favourably “the Broken”. Among all the Grand Battalions, the 144th suffered some of the lowest death tolls, but highest injury rates. The 25 had formed an honour guard for Stahl, who had become indispensable to the 144th, much to Lexer's chagrin.
At the attack on Terra, the 144th Grand Battalion were assigned as the triage teams behind the front line, Lexer was thought to be apoplectic at this slight, his battalion again overlooked and all Stahl's fault. Because of their tactical position, the withdrawal from Terra was quick. The 144th withdrew to their fortified garrisons in Enceladus and Aleph Sector. Many of the Aleph Sector had joined Horus in treachery and the reconquest of the sector was arduous during the great Scouring. The last subsector to face the vengeful loyalists was the Enceladus Subsector.
Under siege and out of time, Stahl was under greater pressure to heal those injured in the defence. War raged in space and on the ground. Warsmith Lexer, suspected to have lost his mind by this point, was resigned for them to die in the defence, the failure of Horus meaning the death of them all. Stahl believed otherwise, he wouldn't let his works go to waste on the whims of a fool. How it came about exactly is unknown, but was is known is that Stahl murdered Lexer in cold blood and declared himself Warsmith of the 144th, which none dared nay-say. Stahl devised a daring escape plan, to destroy the whole system to cover their escape. The 144th Grand Battalion's command ship Stone Born, a Despoiler Class Warship, was hurled into the Charybdian Sun. Warsmith Stahl set the Warp Drive of the Stone Born to dramatically overload, creating a Warp event within the Sun and causing a massive warp laced supernova. But he miscalculated and, rather than destroy the sun, time ceased to have meaning at the point of the Storm Born's Warp drive overload, with the plasma drives syphoning power from the star itself and eternally fuelling themselves in overload. An everlasting timeloop was caused repeating the final moments of the ship. In realspace, the warp event that would become known as the Charybdis rift destabilised the whole subsector, pulsing to life at each loop and causing violent Warpstorms to engulf the Enceladus Subsector. The 144th were hurled into the warp, reappearing above Medrengard, only later retracing their journey through the warp, finding an eddy current that would take them to Charybdis and back again.
Post Heresy
For 10,000 years Charybdis was accessible to Medrengard and vice versa, a secret that Stahl kept from rivals, using the resources of the system to use against rivals Warsmiths. Stahl, like many traitor Apothecaries, spent time studying with Fabius Bile at the Apothecarium Consortium, however Fabius' obsession with the “New Men” set the two at odds.
While the warp storms were strong, Charybdis was not able to be used to attack the Aleph sector directly as there was no stable route through. It is unknown why the route became more stable but this led the Warsmith Lycurgus Stahl and his Iron Warriors to invade the Aleph sector once more.
Despite the Iron Warriors' successes, Stahl believes they have suffered from incompetent allies who have continually lost any territory his Chaos forces have gained. Warsmith Stahl had considered allying with the Federacy, however this is impossible due to their weak stomachs and entreating with Xenos. The slow progress finally changed with the conquest of Minos, Stahl's foothold into the Perseus Deeps. Along with Enceladus, Stahl had armies on both sides of the Foramen Interdictum. The appearance of Cicatrix has frustrated Warsmith Stahl's own plans of Empire building with the influx of Chaos forces with their own insane agendas.
Personality and Disposition
Lycurgus Stahl intends to create an empire with himself and his Iron Warriors at its head. He is driven by his own bitterness and hope; bitterness in believing that they were enslaved and used throughout their lives, and hope that he can save his Legion. His jewel will be the creation of a new Olympia, a new Kardis. He sincerely believes that that the only way for humanity to survive the horrors that assail it is if his genius intellect guides the way. He loathes Xenos in a manner that would give him more in common with Monodominant Inquisitors than they like to admit. He is one of the pre-eminent minds on melding biological, technological and the warp outside the Dark Mechanicus. Those Legionaries who displease him are doomed to a Hellbrute sarcophagus or worse; however Stahl rarely lets Legionaries know their fate until they are on his slab. Those in Stahl's favour can be recovered and rebuilt from almost any physical state. Stahl still holds to a twisted version of the Imperial Truth, believing the Warp to be nothing more than a tool like a wrench, a gun or a blade, and the gods themselves just warp entities that inhabit it. Stahl is just as damned as other Traitoris Astartes, regardless of how he wishes to delude himself otherwise. Stahl has no qualms of using those wholeheartedly dedicated to the Chaos gods for his own aims. His forces consist of large numbers of cloned and vat grown mortals, as well as slave troops taken from conquered worlds. He has an abiding loathing for Xenos, still believing in humanity's right to rule the galaxy. Many Iron Warriors suffering mutation have come to Warsmith Stahl, swearing loyalty in return for augmentation and “curing” of their mutation. This along with his access to hidden resources have made him surprisingly powerful. Stahl still yearns for recognition from Perturabo, yet has never received it.
Moonface (ascended)
Moonface first appeared on Myrentas II where he assassinated Iron Warriors leader Gallowfen. Following that the daemonic presence led chaos wars on Alphe, various minor worlds then finally Cerberex, where his invasion was a ruse to steal an ancient "device" also known as the "soul hole", later found to be of Necron design.
Known rotes of the Catechism
#34 "How might Moonface be glorified?"
"The destruction of the Imperium, the overthrow of the Emperor."
#42 "Who is the master and the slave?"
"Moonface, who has control of our will in order to serve us."
#43 "Who takes with one hand and provides with the other?"
"Moonface, who takes our freedom in order to give us life."
#44 "Who is the ally and the enemy?"
"Moonface, who must destroy us to bring us to life."
Led the former followers of the Catechism to some success. Now leader of Zadoc.
Lorek
The Claws of Lorek had some success, but the warmaster was heavily criticised by Warmaster Stahl of the Iron Warriors after losing the Rim Worlds to Hive Fleet Nemesis, and then losing Parthenope and finally Bastien in the Perseus Deeps to the Imperium. Lorek presided over the worst defeats for the combined forces of chaos in more than a Millenia.
Markus Lupane and Andreos Cain (active)
- See Emerald Serpent (Forces)
The Federacy And Tau Empire
Commander Skyfall (active)
Commander of Tau Forces in the Aleph expansion sphere
Former Shadow-ops commander, the title is now honorific for the sept, as Shadowstrike himself has long since retired.
Commander Longstride (retired)
In spite of his victories, Einmyrria was a disaster for the Tau and they were forced to withdraw. Longstride’s successes did not go unnoticed, though; he was promoted to Shas’O and tasked with spear-heading the Perseus Deeps Expeditionary forces.
The young officer’s forceful and impetuous style of command proved his undoing on the planet of Myrentas II, where after a string of victories his offensive gradually lost momentum against the stalwart Gue’la of the Imperial Guard. Defeats followed and soon Tau casualties were reaching levels that exceded even those endured on Einmyrria. Longstride was recalled to Cernunnos to account for his failures before the council of the Fire Caste High Command and Aun’O Y’meth.
Given a last opportunity to redeem himself, Longstride was appointed the unenviable task of the defence of the small colony of Lucardium against the ravages of a Tyranid invasion. In spite of all expectations, the young Commander held back the monstrous tide. This act went some way to helping him regain his honour and win back the respect of the Fire Caste High Command. As such, in 007M42 he was given overall command of the Tau invasion of Mellberg which would be their largest assault on the Imperium by that stage of the Mission. It was a huge gamble that, ultimately, did not pay off. In spite of some early successes by Longstride it was eventually the aloof and previously little-known Commander Shadowstrike who secured the most significant gains, both in tactical and in strategic terms.
Longstride was later side-lined to an administrative role, becoming military govenor of Tau terriorty of the divided planet of Melberg. Though he has had a chequered career many his his contemporaries (and perhaps Longstride himself) see this as an ignominious end for a commander who has so fervently fought in the name of the Greater Good.
Commander Sunstrike (retired)
Sunstrike is the architect of the Aleph Sphere expansion. After serving with distinction in the Third Sphere expansions, Sunstrike was appointed chief military advisor to the Aleph Mission. Sunstrike was to later become leader of Fire Command Cernunnos, and successfully defended the planet against the attempted Imperial invasion. The orbital defence installation commissioned to defend Cernunnos from future threat was named in his honour.
Many in the Fire Caste pushed for the commander to be made ‘Supreme Commander’ of the Mission given his influence and co-ordination of the Fire Caste in the sector, but others remained wary of a repeat of the Farsight revolution should any one Commander be given so much power. Sunstrike served with distinction and finally retired in 013M42
Por’O Gal’en Tau’n Ly’eth
An unseen force behind the Mission, Por’O Gal’en has influenced much of the Tau success in the Aleph Sector. His chief role has been that of ambassador and diplomat, seeking out allies and trading partners for the new colonies.
His greatest success thus far has been in forging an alliance with the United Federation of Planets. The economies of both factions have flourished with increased trade between the fledgling empires, and the Federacy has welcomed the Tau as brothers-in-arms in the struggle against Chaos and the Imperium of Man.
Some in the High Command have shown disdain for the democratic and overtly liberal policies of the Federacy , but the always-pragmatic Por’O Gal’en has realised the strength of his allies and the invaluable aid they have given in the fight for Myrentas II. Though they do not yet follow the doctrine of the Greater Good, Por’O Gal’en hopes that with continued exposure to Tau philosophy and culture the Federacy may yet take up the cause and join the Empire.
Many in the Fire Caste pushed for the commander to be made ‘Supreme Commander’ of the Mission given his influence and co-ordination of the Fire Caste in the sector, but others remained wary of a repeat of the Farsight revolution should any one Commander be given so much power. Sunstrike served with distinction and finally retired in 013M42
Por’O Gal’en Tau’n Ly’eth
His greatest success thus far has been in forging an alliance with the United Federation of Planets. The economies of both factions have flourished with increased trade between the fledgling empires, and the Federacy has welcomed the Tau as brothers-in-arms in the struggle against Chaos and the Imperium of Man.
Some in the High Command have shown disdain for the democratic and overtly liberal policies of the Federacy , but the always-pragmatic Por’O Gal’en has realised the strength of his allies and the invaluable aid they have given in the fight for Myrentas II. Though they do not yet follow the doctrine of the Greater Good, Por’O Gal’en hopes that with continued exposure to Tau philosophy and culture the Federacy may yet take up the cause and join the Empire.
Commander Lightfoot
A senior commander originally from Sa’cea, Commander Lightfoot is a seasoned veteran of the Third Sphere expansions and commanded Hunter Cadres that followed alongside those of the famed Shadowsun. His role in the Aleph Expansion had been relatively minor until the string of defeats on Myrentas II that lead to him replacing Longstride as Commander-in-Chief of the Perseus Deeps Expedition. His more defensive and cautious approach was welcomed by the hard-pressed Tau of Myrentas II.
Yet even the hugely able Lightfoot saw little success over that of his predecessor. The spring offensive intended to finally dislodge the Gue’la from the planet met with catastrophe at the intervention of the Imperial Airforce and the Blood Martyrs Space Marines. It reamined for the allies of the Tau , the Federacy, to win the planet from the Imperial grasp. The High Command had been forced to cede control of the planetary operations to the Federacy, unwilling to sacrifice any more lives on Myrentas II. Lightfoot continued to skirmish with the forces of Chaos and the Gue’la, but full scale military operations became increasingly untenable.
After this failure to capture the planet, Lightfoot's support of the Federacy offensives were to prove his last action: during a routine reconnaissance mission meant to observe the Gue'la forces as they tried to evacuate the planet, Lightfoot and his cadre were ambushed and subsequently massacred by the Space Marines who had been sent to protect the fleeing Imperial army and deal the Tau one last parting shot.
A senior commander originally from Sa’cea, Commander Lightfoot is a seasoned veteran of the Third Sphere expansions and commanded Hunter Cadres that followed alongside those of the famed Shadowsun. His role in the Aleph Expansion had been relatively minor until the string of defeats on Myrentas II that lead to him replacing Longstride as Commander-in-Chief of the Perseus Deeps Expedition. His more defensive and cautious approach was welcomed by the hard-pressed Tau of Myrentas II.
Yet even the hugely able Lightfoot saw little success over that of his predecessor. The spring offensive intended to finally dislodge the Gue’la from the planet met with catastrophe at the intervention of the Imperial Airforce and the Blood Martyrs Space Marines. It reamined for the allies of the Tau , the Federacy, to win the planet from the Imperial grasp. The High Command had been forced to cede control of the planetary operations to the Federacy, unwilling to sacrifice any more lives on Myrentas II. Lightfoot continued to skirmish with the forces of Chaos and the Gue’la, but full scale military operations became increasingly untenable.
After this failure to capture the planet, Lightfoot's support of the Federacy offensives were to prove his last action: during a routine reconnaissance mission meant to observe the Gue'la forces as they tried to evacuate the planet, Lightfoot and his cadre were ambushed and subsequently massacred by the Space Marines who had been sent to protect the fleeing Imperial army and deal the Tau one last parting shot.
Commander Quickstrike (deceased)
Borderline incompetent Tau commander, killed on Myrentas II by the Dark Angels.
Commander Rahvan Malkaor (active)
From outside the Sept, it is assumed that Malkaor, the Desert Spider, is an honorific passed from one notable Commander to the next. The first appearances of the title are attributed to an oddity of a commander who rose to prominence early in the Damocles Gulf campaign, against the Imperium. A veteran from the Pathfinder and Stealth teams, Malkaor had a flair for long range recon tactics and had made a name hunting Imperial task forces from within the deserts of contested worlds, using wide ranging hunter teams to search for any movement and hitting it without warning. This preference for individual action, while useful, did not win support with high command, who were quite content to leave the oddball Commander in the desert to his own devices.
Malkaor may have faded away had the Ethereal Auv'Vre Shorio not been assigned to oversee his Cadre. The Ethereal had found himself at odds with the higher council frequently and in an attempt to get keep two problems out of the way he was packed off to the desert. By the end of the Damocles Gulf, with reports of Imperial Commissars kicked at Valkyries and unusually explosive Russes widely circulated, the renown of the Desert Spider had grown wildly, to Shorio's satisfaction.
The name Malkaor reappeared in Imperial records very recently in the Aleph Sector, which would place him at far past the age Tau usually live to, even factoring time spent in cryogenic storage. Outside of the closed circle of the Kel'Shan sept a successor is assumed, and those in the know mostly consider it luck or some secret project, and they mostly keep their own company. Only Shorio knows the truth, the longevity of Ethereals being common knowledge and not looked at twice. What he intends with their foray into the Hadron Expanse is speculated on, but it keeps them out of the way of high command, and while they keep performing to satisfaction they have operational autonomy, and Shorio's plans continue.
Commander Swiftstar (active)
Swiftstar is credited with leading the first Tau navigation across the Aurelis Deeps, a volatile area of the Aleph Sector known to harbour a great many pirates and raiders. Several Chaos and Ork fleets were met in battle, and in each engagement the Kor’O achieved decisive victories. Even the Space Marines could not break his determination to push through to his objective.
The arrival of the fleet at Cernunnos was hailed as one of the greatest triumphs of the Aleph Expansion thus far, opening new routes along which the campaign will forge ahead and the Tau Empire expand in its wake. Kor’O Swiftstar has shown himself to be pioneering figure in the Kor’Or’Vesh, his innovative approach to fleet manoeuvres and engagements leading to his own ‘Deeptide’ battle formation now quickly being adopted by other Admirals.
Admiral Haskel(retired)
Founder of the Federacy
The Necrons
The Aeldari
Farseer Tarquil of Kel Sandros (active)
The Orks
Von Bismork (active)
Na'Porkleon (active)
Ork Warboss of the Blood Axes involved in the invasion of Hylas. Has since returned to the Vork Ork expanse to fight more challenging opponents in the Cicatrix Maledictum. Allegations that he is in fact two grots standing on top of each other in a suit of Ork Mega Armour are unfounded.... There are three of them working that suit.
Waagh Kogh (active)
Ork Warboss of the Blood Axes involved in the invasion of Hylas. Has since returned to the Vork Ork expanse to fight more challenging opponents in the Cicatrix Maledictum. Allegations that he is in fact two grots standing on top of each other in a suit of Ork Mega Armour are unfounded.... There are three of them working that suit.
Waagh Kogh (active)
Nazghat (deceased?)
From what can be ascertained Warboss Nazghat was a leading warlord in the Vork Ork Empire, with considerable influence over many warbands. With inactivity from the Vork Ork Empire during the Aleph campaign it is highly likely that the leading Vork Empire warlord, of which we do not know who is, was questioned about the lack of war and expansion at such an opportune time. It can surmised that Nazghat was the primary vocal figure, attracting warbands to his side with a rallying call for an Ork Waagh on nearby sectors, whilst calling on the allegiance of others under his own influence.
It appears that the Vork Empire attempted to crush resistance; however Nazghat warbands appear to have had a stockpile of captured Imperial armour, which was seen on Tarsis Major and Tyranteos, and also a strong force of dreadnought walkers. This use of armour may have been the contributing factor to Nazghat success against fighting other orks but thanks to the Emperor’s will not against the armour brigades of the Imperium.
Nazghat tactics hence were the use of ‘looted’ tanks, with a mobile contingent of ork trucks, bikes and buggies. Since Tarsis Major, with the destruction of Nazghat’s forces by both the Vork Empire and the forces of the Imperium, Nazghat has disappeared. Whether dead as suggested by the Ork boss found on Tarsis Major, although this warboss had low armour and next to no adornment of battle honours for a warboss like Nazghat, it would be prudent to believe that Nazghat is not dead, but in hiding. Even so, with few or no warriors under his command they do not constitute a threat to Imperial worlds. However, the Vork Empire, with the acquisition of the looted armour and battle experience of the orks that were under Nazghat’s command, may begin to step up raids in the near future.
Snazteef (disappeared)
Nazghat tactics hence were the use of ‘looted’ tanks, with a mobile contingent of ork trucks, bikes and buggies. Since Tarsis Major, with the destruction of Nazghat’s forces by both the Vork Empire and the forces of the Imperium, Nazghat has disappeared. Whether dead as suggested by the Ork boss found on Tarsis Major, although this warboss had low armour and next to no adornment of battle honours for a warboss like Nazghat, it would be prudent to believe that Nazghat is not dead, but in hiding. Even so, with few or no warriors under his command they do not constitute a threat to Imperial worlds. However, the Vork Empire, with the acquisition of the looted armour and battle experience of the orks that were under Nazghat’s command, may begin to step up raids in the near future.
Snazteef (disappeared)
He was spored on the moon of Keprok where he quickly discovered that the only thing he liked better than kickin' in 'eadz was getting a bunch of Sunz together and going and kickin' a whole lot more 'eadz in. With his natural flair for mustering forces ("Iz you gonna come wiv me and go kick Grimgutz boyz in or duz Snazzteef gotta kick you in as well?") and cool, collected talent for strategy ("If 'e's smalla than yez kick 'iz 'ead off and if 'e's bigga than yez shoot 'im inna foot, then kick 'iz 'ead off. Got it? Good. WAAAGH!") Snazzteef soon found himself Warboss of a large WAAAGH flying under the banner of the Evil Sunz. Growing weary of fighting only with the other Orks on (planet's moon) Snazzteef had his Big Mek Killit Wotzit get cracking on building an "Invayshun Armarder" to get them to the big fight on Tarsis that Snazzteef could feel in his bones.
Thrugnik (disappeared)
Da Verminator (disappeared)
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