Galkran Vornost

Among the followers of Chaos few are so cursed and despised as Galkran Vornost, better known as Galkran the Perverter. Galkran was a powerful, brilliant and dangerously mad Chaos Sorcerer. Within the Gallican Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus his name is a curse. Galkran began his reign of terror in the Galican Sector in 874.M39. He brought suffering and madness to the Sector for the better part of a century before he was slain at the Battle of Draalford. However even after his death Galkran has left a legacy that has haunted the Gallican Sector since his demise, and ultimately lead to the Sector being quaranteened by order of the High Lords of Terra. Dead though he may be it seems that Galkrans plots may still be in motion, and they could spell the end from the Gallican Sector.
==History==
Very little is known about the actual origins of Galkran the Perverter. As with any traitor Galkran's history was likely erased, and even the Inquisition can not say with any certainty from where the foul Sorcerer originated. Galkran had been utterly unheard of before the pretigious Silver Lions Chapter was corrupted when its Chapter Master Ullros Braith ignorantly took possession of a Chaos tainted blade, and was turned from the Emperor's light himself. Ullros remade them into the Argent Beasts Warband, and set about preying on those the Chapter once protected.. There are whispers amongst certain scholars and Inquisitor's of the Gallican Conclave that Galkran had in fact orchestrated the noble Chapter's downfall. That it was by his will that Ullros came into contact with the Chaotic artifact. Such theories are entirely speculative, as there is no concrete evidence to support them.
What is known is that shortly after the Silver Lions turned to Chaos renamed themselves the Argent Beasts and began to become a blight upon their home Sector Ullros was approached by Galkran. Galkran came to the Argent Beasts alone, claiming to have been exiled from his original warband, and begged the newly corrupted Chaos Lord to take him in, promising service in return for being welcomed into the Warband. Ullros agreed, and after a short period of time Galkran became his chief advisor.
Galkran would turn out to be a poisonous friend. The Sorcerer slowly wormed his way into the hearts of the Argent Beasts. His accomplishments in service to the Warband gained him admiration, and he soon gained many supporters within the warband through his scheming. The final blow was struck when Galkran tricked Ullros into attacking a heavily fortified fortress with his most loyal warriors. Galkran had assured Ullros that he had seen visions of a swift and decisive victory, and the glory hungry Ullros insisted upon being in the vanguard of the assualt with his best troops. What Galkran had failed to reveal was that the Fortress was due to recieve a sizable amount of reinforcements soon. Ullros attacked, and when the reinforcements arrived the vanguard was caught between them and the guns of the fortress. Galkran mounrfully observed that the forces arrayed against them were too great to overcome in that situation and ordered the Argent Beasts to retreat, leaving Ullros and the Vanguard to be slaughtered. The Argent Beasts now belonged to Galkran alone.
===Rise of the Perverter===
With the Argent Beasts firmly under his control Galkran began to mold them to his image. He indoctrinated his new Warband with his ideology, changed their colors and iconography and changed their name. They were no longer the Argent Beasts. From that point on they became the Sons of the Perverter, Galkran's most deadly and fanatically loyal followers.
Galkran began his work subtley. He and his warband attacked a few fringe worlds. On each of these worlds Galkran left countless mutants and madmen, victims of his blasphemous Sorcery. Stories began to spread within the Sector of a dark force preying upon worlds, and leaving any that it did not consume twisted and mad. Fear and paranoiga quickly spread. Galkran capitalized on this, sending his agents to many worlds, and creating cults in his service out of those that admired or feared his power. Galkran's influence quickly grew even as the Inquisition took notice of his activities and moved to counter.
Eventually Galkran built up quite a following. A massive cult devoted to his teachings called the Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege was formed, and it's ranks swelled with the mutants and lunatics that were left in the wake of Galkran's raids. The Covenant spread his teachings across the Sector, and Galkran's twisted dogma dug it's claws deeper int othe hearts and minds of the innocent. With a large, powerful cult at his back, a dangerous and by this time utterly depraved Warband at its head Galkran had become a threat to the entire Sector. The Imperium decided it was time to muster a true show of force, and crush the Perverter, but Galkran moved first.
===War of Desecration===
Galkran and his army struck suddenly on the planet of Temnos. They ravaged the planet , and unleashed untold nightmares upon it's inahbitants. three hundred years later it would be the first planet to have a Sullied Ground identified. Galkran's warhost struck planet after planet, but his targets were chosen seemingly without reason, and yet that he went out of his way to strike at dsitant or insignificant planets speaks to some kind of greater design, though what these plans were have yet ot be determined.
However the Gallican Sector was not without it's defenses. Shortly after Galkran launched his campaign a large Imperial force was mustered to counter him. The Inquisitionm had kept an eye on his activities for some time, and had been preparing to bring Galkan to justice. Galkran's attacks had puched up the schedule and Imperial Guard forces, the agents of the Inquisition and many others had gathered to crush the twisted madman once and for all. Among those gathered were the Bronze Lions, a Successor Chapter of the very Silver Lions that Galkran now lead as his personal Warband. The Bronze Lions were determined to destroy their tainted forefathers, and punish Galkran for leading them astray.
On the world of Lobrick the Imperial armies and Galkran clashed for the first time. The battle raged across the world, and forever scarred it. The Imperial Forces won, driving Galkran and his twisted ilk from the world, but they did not manage to bring the fiend to justice. With their quarry fleeing the Bronze Lions gave chase.
So it was on world after world. Galkran attacked and the forces of the Imperial Guard, the Inquisition and the Bronze Lions drove him away. always coming up just short of delivering a finishing Blow to Galkran and his forces. The Bronze Lions in particular were persistence embodied. They hounded Galkran's footsteps always, and were often the first to counter his malicious attacks.
Yet for all the efforts of the Imperials the death toll was rising. The Sons of the Perverter and the Convenant of Blessed Sacrilege butched millions on their warpath, and even after they had left more bloodshed would follow. Often a significant portion of a planet's inhabitants would become irreparably corrupted by Galkran's magics, and thus after each and every battle the Inquisition found itself having to put countless innocents to the torch. If this continued the Sector might never recover. A reckoning was needed.
That reckoning would come at the Battle of Draalford. Galkran proceed in an unusual way on the planet. For one he did not burn and murder the population to the same extent that he had the other worlds that he had made his victims. He also proceeded much slower than usual. As a result the Imperium was able to muster it's forces considerably, and luanch a definitive counterattack. The battle raged acrosss the planet. The Imperials could smell victory. Galkran himself had made a base in a remote temple on a mountain, and he did not move from that spot.
Little did the Imperial forces know that the temple was to be the site of a sorcerous ritual, Galkran's last and most potent work of magic yet. Askarion, the Chief Librarian of the Bronze Lions at the time, felt the distortions within the Warp that were being created by Galkran's ritual, but did not understand what they meant. The rest of the Imperial force remain ignorant of the devilry and work. Near the climax of his ritual Galkran bid his Warband to quit the field, and flee Draalford without him. The Sons of the Perverter were reluctant to leave their leader and prophet to his doom, but ultimately obeyed their master. They along with a considerable amount of the Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege fled the system, but most ot he Imperials payed it no mind. Their prey was in sight.
Glakran remained at the temple with only the Tainted Praetorians, his personal guard, and a small army of cultists to defend him. The Imperials were closing in for the kill, but Askarion grew wary of the strange phenomenon he was sensing. He warned the other Imperial commanders that something foul was afoot. The Inquisition had wanted to take Galkran alive, but in light of Askrion's warning they decided it best to end Galkrans existence quickly. Galkran just completed his ritual when the orbital strike cqame down and snuffed out his existence, but the damage was done. A wave of sorcerous energy rippled out from the temple even as it was reduced to burning rubble. They wavepassed over the entire planet, and even went out into space a small distance. The spell infused the genes of those exposed to it with a chaotic curse, the Perverter's Blight.
===Aftermath===
The most vile servant of the Ruinous Powers to ever menace the Gallican Sector was finally dead, but it seems as though Galkran was still working evil from beyond the grave. Galkran's curse had effected all those that had been on the planet, and many of those that were on ships in low orbit, placing the Perverter's Blight in their genes. Of course the impeial forces were unaware of this. However Askarion had felt Galkran's ritual mopve to completion. Before Galkran was finished he wisely couciled his Chapter Master to move the Bornze Lions away from Draalford, thus sparing them from the curse, but he still sensed that whatever Galkran had accomplished that which he sought to do.
Askarion told the Inquisitors present of what he had sensed, and advised them to cleanse Draalford in the holy fires of Exterminatus. Feeling it best not to leave anything to chance the Inquisitors agreed. They gave the order to prepare the Exterminatus. However before the planet met it's end something else would happen. Lord Admiral Malcom Dremann of the Imperial Navy suddenyl had a crisis of conscience. Before the Exterminatus was underway Dremann had a large portion of the population evacuated from the planet.
When the business on Draalford was finished Dremann had the refugees deposited on worlds across the Sector in small groups so as not to arouse suspicion. It is ironic that Dremann's act of mercy would eventually lead to so much suffering. The Draalford refugees bleneded into the populations of the planet's they were deposited on. They mixed with the native people, and as a result the Perverter's Blight, a hereditary curse, was spread across the Sector, and introduced into the genepools of who knows how many planets.
The Sons of the Perverter ravaged the Sector still for a time, but as they continued to be hunted the Warband eventually dispersed. Many would continue to operate in the Sector as individuals, or in small groups, but other fled the Sector and joined other Warbands and cults, determined to spread Galkran's gospel across the stars.
The Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege fracture and broke apart, but was not wholly destroyed. Elements of the cult would create new cults on numerous worlds within the Gallican Sector. These cults were no longer affiliated with one another, and no longer shared exactly the same beliefs. However each of these Cults still echoed Galkran's teachings to some extent or another.
Galkran was dead and gone, but his servants and spells would torment the innocent even onto present day.
==Legacy==
Galkran may be long dead, but he still strikes fear into the hearts of many within the Gallican Sector. Naturally as a worshipper of Chaos and a Traitor the Imperium has supressed all historical information regarding the villain in an attempt to keep such knowledge out of the hands of the Imperial citezenry. However they have been mostly unsuccessful. Due to their efforts the common people of Gallican know not tht he was a servant of the Ruinous Powers, nor that he was a Space Marine. What they know of Galkran is that he was a dangerous and powerful rogue Psyker that ravaged their worlds in time long past. Galkran's tale is passed down by word of mouth among the people of Gallican, and he has became a dark folklore figure to them.
However etching himself into the minds of the peoples of the Gallican sector is the very least that Galkran has done. Many worlds within the Sector still bear the scars of Galkran's vicious campaigns. To make matters worse Galkran's spells have yet to die out in many places, and the terror he wrought upon many stars is alive and well, terrorizing the pure and the innocent. In addition to his spells his foul followers still prey upon the Sector in one form or another. Despite the efforts of the Inquisition and other Imperial servants The Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege and the Sons of the Perverter were never fully wiped out, and remnants of these groups still work towards making Galkran dreams a reality.
===Perverter's Blight===
Of all the terrors that Galkran left behind none has caused more misery than the Perverter's Blight. The Perverter's Blight is a powerful sorcerous curse that was imbeded in the very genes of the people of Draalford, and many of those that fought at the Battle of Draalford. The curse's primary mode of transmission is hereditary. Anyone who can trace their ancestry back to one of the Draalford Refugees, or anyone that survived and wasn't sterilized in the Battle of Draalford already has the curse within them. The curse causes those suffering from it to transform into a species of Chaotic Mutant commonly called a Blightspawn. The Perverter's Blight can take effect at any point in a carrier's lifespan. In addition the curse can skip generations, leaving some of those afflicted with it human, and unaware of the foul legacy they carry. These traits along with the fact that the refugees of Draalford were spread among several worlds, and blended with the native of those worlds has made tracking which people may have the curse, and which don't difficult. However enough planets have been afflicted that the Imperium felt compelled to quaranteen the Gallican sector, less ti spread out to the Imperium at large. Thus the Perverter's Blight is primarily responsible for the desperation that the Gallican Sector now faces.
===Sullied Ground===
A less overt but potentially just as significant memento of Galkran's activities were the unusual areas found on some planets known as Sullied Gounds. The existence of these unusual areas were not discovered until half a century after the beginning of the quaranteen, but have since become an object of great Interest to the Pravus Cabal. Back when Galkran was alive he attacked a large number of planets within the Sector. It appears that on some of these planets he used his mastery of the fouler art of Warp craft to create areas that were strongly warped and corrupted by his Sorcery and the touch of Chaos.
These areas came to be known as Sullied Grounds. Each example of Sullied Ground is unique, twisted in it's own particular way by the Perverter's conjuring. all are nightmarish, wicked places where Chaos rules. In addition to the spells that flow through these blasted lands the viel between the Materium and Immaterium is often very thin, and in some cases they may be the sight of a Warp Rift. They are always in areas of their respective planets that are isolated, and difficult to find without a great deal of effort. However this is only true of those who do not serve the Dark Gods. Sullied Grounds seem to call out to the servants of the Ruinous Powers, drawing them to the desecrated lands. Numerous Chaos Cults and Blightspawn live, and worship their profane god within the confines of Sullied Ground. To the Forces of Chaos Sullied Grounds are holy land, touched by the divine hand of one of the Dark Gods' favored prophets, and pulsing with the power of the Warp.
Journeying to Sullied Ground is often a dangerous prospect. As stated it is always in remote areas, and often in places that require a great deal of effort and risk to reach by most conventional means. Naturally this is one of the deterrents meant to keep the followers of the Corpse-God away, as well as any other belligerents. However to the Followrs of Chaos these treacherous paths are viewed as a pilgrimage, meant to test their faith and worthiness to enter the sacred site. The Journey to Sullied Ground is not the only danger though, for Galkran did not leave his creations unprotected. Remaining within Sullied Ground for too long has the same effect that much regarding Galkran does, changing those exposed into one of the Unclean. Furthermore thye inhabitants of Sullied Ground are often quite Hostile. Those followers of Chaos within do not take trespassers lightly, and often the plannts or animals living within may have become strange or dangerous. Besides this Galkran weaved many spells to protect these blighted places, and in many cases bound Daemons to protect the sites. Searching for these dark places is not for the faint of heart.
Yet sought they are, and by none more vigorously than the Inquisition. After discovering several sites, and looking upon records of Galkrans warpath many within the Gallican Conclave have come to the conclusion that Galkran's often unusual choices when selecting planets to attack may have been specifically to create Sullied Grounds. If this is the case then the various Sullied Grounds may have some great significance in some as of yet unknown master plan of Galkran's. In addition Sullied Grounds form gathering sites for the Forces of Chaos, and due to the weakened barrier to the Warp within them may be plausible places to begin a planet's transformation into a Daemon World. Thus the Pravus Cabal and many other Inquisitiors hvae made the location, containment and purification of Sullied Grounds a priority.
===The Unclean===
During Galkran's time in the flesh the Unclean were those that were the subject of his terrible Sorcery, which twisted the bodies, minds and very souls of those subjected to it. These afflicted peoples were turned into twisted reflections of their former selves, deformed and driven mad by Galkran's infuence.
Even after Galkran died more Unclean came into being. It seems that not only did Galkran have the ability to change people into the Unclean, but indeed exposure to much that was related to him, such as the Blightspawn, Sullied Grounds and various relics and servants he left behind, can change one into one of the Unclean. Indeed with the increase of Blightspawn more Unclean are coming into existence than ever.
Each Unclean is unique, gor the Perverter's influence often changes the core aspects of their personality, making them perverse. How twisted one's body and mind become are most often dependent upon how long they were exposed to the corrupting power of Galkran's legacy. Many become broken, reviled creatures, shunned and hunted by their fellow man. Many choose to embrace their new defiled state, choosing to follow the Dark Gods and revel in their corruption.
In rare cases members of the Unclean are not hunted and destroyed, nor do they turn to Chaos. These unfortunates realize that they used to be a much better version of themselves, and mourn the loss of their former state. Often these Unclean grow vengeful, wishing to claim bloody retribution against the unholy forces of Chaos, who they see as being responsible for their sullied state. These Unclean become relentless enemies of Chaos. Some radical Inquisitors of the Gallican Conclave actually seek out the aid of these individuals, turning them into something that has come to be referred to as an Unclean Aid within the Conclave. These Unclean Aids are highly valued, for their fervour in fighting Chaos is peerless, and they have unique insight into the minds of those who worship Chaos, and those rlated to the Perverter.
===Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege===
When he was alive Galkran built up a considerable following with his charisma and twisted ideology. Many were the dispossessed and the hated that flocked to his banner. Mutants, madmen and villains flocked to his banner, lured by Galkran's dogma which actually proclaimed such miscreants as those that were truly in the right. Galkran taught the Perverter's Gospel to this rabble, and organized them into a Chaos Cult that revered him as a prophet of the Dark Gods. This was the Covenant of Blessed Sacrilege.
At the height of Galkran's power the Convenant was massive, and formed the bulk of his army. He lead them on a trail of desecration and slaughter throughout the Gallican Sector. However the Covenant would cease to exist as a unified entity following Galkran's demise on Draalford. Without their prophet to lead them the cult shattered, suffering from a lack of direction or being separated by rivals and differing ideologies within its membership. The Inquisition put a great deal of effort into tracking down the remnants of the cult, but ultimately they would miss a few of Galkran's devotees.
These individuals and splinter factions would spread throughout the Gallican Sector and beyond, settling on various worlds, and creating new cults. Few of these cults still follow the organizational structure, nor the exact doctrine of the Covenant. However Galkran's influence within these cults is unmistakeable, and most still follow and preach some variation of the Perverter's Gospel.
===Sons of the Perverter===
The Sons of the Perverter are Galkran's former Warband. Originally the Silver Lions Chapter, they were corrupted by Chaos and became the Argent Beasts. Following this Galkran took the Warband over and changed them once more into Sons of the Perverter, his most devoted and powerful servants. The members of the Warband are uterly devoted to Galkran's beliefs and ambitions, and followed him unquestioningly in life.
Following His death the Warband did as Galkran's other followers did and scattered. Some chose to forsake their warband. These individuals left the Gallican Sector, and joined other Chaos Warbands, abandoning the colors and iconography of the Sons of the Perverter. Most of the Warband remained in the Gallican Sector, determined to see Galkran's vision come to fruition.
The Sons of the Perverter have long since scattered across the Sector. They no longer operate as a single army anymore, with members operating either individually or in small groups. While they no longer make war together the warband is still considered a major threat by the gallican Conclave. It seems that whenever members of the Sons of the Perverter show up calamity follows shortly after. The Pravus Kabal believes that the Sons of the Perverter are still working towards to completion of some grand scheme Galkran layed out before his death. It is believed that no more than a hundred Sons of the Perverters remain alive within the gallican Sector.
===Embodiments of Inversion===
The Embodiments of Inversion are five unique Daemonic entities that afflict the Gallican sector and seem to have some connection to Galkran. These five Daemons don't seem to have any particular allegiance to any of the Chaos Gods, and do not fall under any of the contemporary Daemonic classifications. Strange and powerful, the Embodiments spread misery wherever they manifest, and often their presence galvanizes the Forces of Chaos on a planet. They have not manifested anywhere outside the Gallican Sector, and there is a theory that their origins may have something to do with the Vile Guard, five Champions of Chaos that formed Galkran;s personal guard, and perished with their master on the cursed world of Draalford.
==Personality==
Galkran was a twisted creature down to his core. Little is known how he became the way he was, as even by the standards of most Champions of Chaos Galkran had a distorted view of the world. Galkran viewed the very concept of purity as ugly and sinful. To him purity was something with no potential. Afterall one could only be pure or unpure, yet one could become infinitely corrupt, and in a million different ways.  Thus Galkran viewed that which was tainted and defiled as truly beautiful and sacred. He viewed it as his holy mission to twist and distort the universe for the sake of the Gods. He would dirty all that was clean, deform all that was shaply, desecrate all that was sacred, make false all thatis true and utterly defile anything that was pure and the natural order of the world until the entire universe is a twisted, evil mockery of what it once was.
Galkran could hide this side to him when he desired it however. He was an extremely cunning individual, and could be quite charismatic when he chose to, as evidenced by the large following he garnered. He was a very decietful and manipulative, having no issue lying to and sacrificing his followers in the name of creating his distorted world. This is evidenced in how he betrayed the former Chapter Master of the Silver Lions in order to take over the Warband.
Galkran served Chaos Undivided, not willing to holy commit to any one God of Chaos. Despite this Galkran payed particular respect towards Nurgle and Slaanesh. He revered Nurgle in his aspect as the god of physical corruption just as he adored Slaanesh as the corruptor of the spirit. As a result while most followers of Galkran's twisted doctrine are Chaos Undivied like their master, followers of Slaanesh and Nurgle could be counted amongst his acolytes as well.
==Powers and Abilities==
Galkran was considered to be the most dangerous servant of the Ruinous Powers to ever menace the Gallican Sector, and seeing how his influence still torments the inhabitants of Gallican one can understand why. The worlds he left ravaged, and the foes he left broken do much to show Galkran's apptitude. As with any member of the Adeptus Astartes, loyal or traitor, Galkran was a fearsome opponent on the field of battle. Galkran was accurate with a Bolter, or plasma weapon. He was also shown to be a particularly skilled swordsman, and he could never be seen without the twisted Daemon sword known as the Defiler's Edge at his side. He was also an adept commander with a gift for onorthodox strategy. In particular Galkran seemed to always know the best method of destroy the morale of the forces he fought, whether it required the death of a particularly inspirational leader, or a gruesome display of the depravity he would inflict on those that crossed him. As skilled a warrior and commander as he was, Galkran's most deadly ability was his mastery of Sorcery.
As a Sorcerer of Chaos Undivided Galkran used a wide variety of potent spells. Galkran was capable of unleashing offensive psychic powers that could demolish tanks, and he could telepathically communicate with his followers over great interstellar distances. However his most devastating and infamous powers were his ability to pervert the nature of people or things through the use of his profane magic. In keeping with his core philosophy of holding that which was impure and twisted sacred Galkran rarely stopped at simply slaughtering those he attacked. Galkran would cast powerful spells that deformed the body, and twisted the mind. It was even said that he could defile the very souls of his victims, remaking them into a twisted mockery of their former state. On each and every planet Galkran assualted he would leave mobs of these pooor, unfortunate souls which soon became called the Unclean among the Imperials, and were mostly put to death.
Indeed this power may not have simply been a sorcerous art that Galkran had learned, but in fact a reflection of Galkran's very nature. It was said that Galkran possessed an aura of wrongness. Standing in his presence was disconcerting, and those that beheld him got the impression that he was something that shouldn't exist in this world. Furthermore standing in his presence for extended periods of time had an effect on bodies and minds of others. After spending a few days with him one might find mild deformation on their body, and their thoughts would become strange. Exteneded contact eventually resulted in becoming one of the Unclean if one had not alrady been under the thrall of chaos up till that point. Some scholars believe this effect was the result of Galkran's very soul which was said to be unnaturally twisted and corrupt. A Sanctioned Psyker looked upon Galkran with Witch Sight once and went mad as a result. The individual referred to Galkran's soul as a "Twisted, broken, dirty Abomination" shortly before lapsing into incoherent rambling.
Galkran was also skilled in the field of Daemonology. During his career he summoned, and bound numerous Daemons into his service. He also made many blasphemous contracts with the maliciouis spirits of the Warp in order to increase his power, and solicit aid. he was stated as being able to summon several Lesser Daemons to his command with a single word or gesture, which meant he did not have to fight alone even when his personal guard was no with him. Given Galkrans aesthetics he most often trafficked with the Daemons of Nurgle and Slaanesh.
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Category:Gallican Sector
Category:Deceased
Category:Chaos Lords
Category:Psykers