Vitrian Covenant

Like much of the rest of the Imperium, the Calixis Sector
is touched by the green-plague: Orks. Whilst Calixis has, so
far, been fortunate to have avoided a full scale invasion, there
are pockets of feral Orks infesting the deep wilds of certain
feral worlds such as Ganf Magna as well as their more “advanced” cousins who
have appeared to threaten numerous outposts and colonies.
Orks are the focus of the Vitrian Covenant, more of an unofficial crusade than a
cult, formed with the imperative of destroying these hated aliens. Vitrian was a
confessor who fought alongside the Heronoris 88th in the
4th Epocanus Crusade. Just before the final defense of Spire
City against the Obsidian Tooth Orks, Vitrian gave a speech
to the soldiers, declaring a promise that, if the Emperor gave
them victory, he would not to rest until all Orks had been
purged from Calixis. Against the odds, the Orks were repelled
and destroyed, thus the Covenant was forged. Though Vitrian
was killed during the battle, the survivors went on to spread
the word. Many men and women who had had their lives
destroyed by Orks joined, all united in ending the alien
menace within the sector.
The cult works on two levels. The first are those who tell
the story of the Battle of the Spire, and how the Emperor
sent to them a message of their final triumph in that victory.
These members also seek out war zones where Orks are being
fought to take an active roll in the destruction of the xenos.
The second are those who move behind the scenes, using the
cult’s finances to help fund enterprises and campaigns that
lead to the destruction of Orks. These cultists also engage in
political maneuvering to get more Imperial resources diverted
to eradicate the Orks and try and gain support to launch new
military campaigns into known Ork territory.
As a martial cult, the Vitrian Covenant honors the holy
days of warrior saints, including Drusus, especially those
that won great battles against the greenskins. They have also
been known to stage great symbolic Ork sacrifices during
the Feast of the Emperor’s Ascension. On more civilized
worlds, this is usually the burning of effigies or the killing
of criminals painted green, though in some places actual
Orks are used (though they are usually battlefield dead).
The membership of the cult varies widely, though most have had
some part of their life affected by Orks. This could be as
traumatic as the loss of a loved one or as trivial as having the
supply of your favorite cheese interrupted by an Ork raid
on Imperial shipping. Whatever the case, all cult members
passionately hate Orks. The cult’s symbol is a flaming spire,
commemorating the formation of the Covenant.
The cult undertakes the dual purpose of spreading
the faith beyond the edges of the Imperium and combating the orks. For this reason the Covenant are
mostly found on the edges of the Calixis Sector, supporting
armies or helping missionaries to settle new and wild frontier
worlds. Their fanatical hatred of the greenskins has also seen
them travel around the sector using their influence and skills
to drum up support for the Margin Crusade, a venture which
they view as a vital part of both bringing the Imperial Creed
to the lawless void and also curtailing the spread of xeno from
their worlds within the Halo Stars. Of course the fact that the
Covenant is not wholly aware of the truth behind the crusade
has not stopped the Sector Synod from using them to raise
troops and resources for it.
==Obsidian Tooth Skull==
The Obsidian Tooth Skull is a relic of the Vitiran Covenant
and the miraculous victory of the Heronoris 88th against the
greenskin hordes in defense of the world of Epocanus. Said
to be the skull of the chieftain Badzak Groxrender, leader of
the Obsidian Tooth Clan, it is reputed to have been taken in
battle by Saint Vitrian himself before his untimely demise. An
ancient, yellowed skull, pitted and cracked, the relic radiates a
sense of defiance and anger, as if the ork is still raging against
his foes even in death. To the faithful however the skull is
an icon of victory over the alien and a beacon of the God-
Emperor’s might to overcome even the most fearsome of his
limitless foes.
For many years the Obsidian Tooth Skull resided in the
Imperial chapel on Dreah, where members of the Covenant
would come to praise the saint. Close to century ago however
Dreah was raided by xenos pirates, many outlying settlements
sacked and the chapel burnt to the ground. Even now Vitrian’s
disciples search the stars for the Skull, hoping to return to it
the hands of the faithful.
The Obsidian Tooth Skull is a large ork skull, weighting
close to 20kg and difficult for all but the very strong to
carry with one hand. Those that bear the
skull however and possess
Pure Faith can call upon its
blessing by holding it aloft
and incanting the Vitiran’s
Prayer for the Forsaken (a
secret chant know only to the
faithful of the Covenant and
said to mirror the saint’s final
words). Invoking the blessing is
a Full Action. Once the blessing
has been invoked, the faithful
and any of his allies that can
both see and hear him (without
the aid of technology) will be
filled with the wrath of the saint
and gain the Hatred (ork) Talent and become immune
to Fear caused by orks, or any
creature of effect of orkiod origin
(i.e. ork psychic powers, the presence
of a squiggoth etc). In addition to this effect as long as the
faithful holds the skull and keeps it in sight, all allies within
20 meters who can both see and hear him may re-roll damage
against greenskins as the whispers of the saint guide their
blows and shots. The skull’s blessing lasts for the duration the
encounter, however its power is fickle and as such it can only
be used once per game session.