Valerius Messor Theophylact

Valerius Theophylact, or Valerius Messor, and sometimes referred to as the "Avenging Son," "The Great Captain," "The Victorious," "The Master of Rillevis," "Lieutenant Lord Commander," "The Prince Regent of Imperium Sagittus," and "The Blade of Unity," is the Luminarch of the Avenging Shields Imperial Marine Legion and its subsequent Imperial Domains. He is the current lord commander of the Northern Imperium Sagittus and its ruling Imperial Prince Regent.
Held by most as a paragon among the God Emperor's sons, Valerius is the Lord of the IInd Legion and is recognized as one of the three eldest of the Luminarchs by his brethren, and as such choose to become as a paragon for his brethren by excelling as a patrician statesman and empire-builder as much as an indefatigable warrior Tactician, and would become an equally capable as a general. Easily adapting to new challenges whenever they arose but His hard fought successes tending to lead to a slight superiority complex over his younger brethren. Equally adept at the construction of cities, and empires, as he is at the systematic destruction of them.
A being of preternatural intelligence, cold reason and indomitable will, Valerius reforged his IInd Legion into a vast force of conquest and control, a weapon by which he made himself the master of a stellar domain in the Northern East Fringe of the galaxy, the Realm of Rillevis, which during his lifetime would span five hundred worlds.
Before He began His conquest of the galaxy, the Emperor of Mankind created the Luminarchs. Utilizing incredible skills of genetic engineering, and the phenomenal psionic ability bound into His own form, He forged twenty demigod children. These were superlative transhuman warriors, strategists and leaders, the finest qualities of Humanity refined in the crucible of science and magnified through the lens of divinity.
The Emperor once intended the Luminarchs to stand at His side during his Grand Crusade, each leading one of the twenty Imperial Marine Legions to glory beyond mortal imagination.
Before that plan could come to pass, Dark Forces intervened. They snatched up the nascent Demi-gods and scattered their essences through the Void, so that each came to rest upon a different one of Humanity's far-flung worlds. The being that would become the Luminarch of the Avenging Legion came to be born on the world of Rillevis, born to Valeria Varro the young midwife would fall ill as she was aiding in the delivery of the local Lords 1st born son.
The strange pregnancy would be discovered by the villages local wise-men, Valeria only 5 days along and already she looked to be months along. The mother and her child were adopted, by the local Lord named Mettius. Growing and developing at a superhuman rate, Mettius' adoptive son soon surpassed all those around him, and soon came to be the greatest warrior, strategist and statesman upon Rillevis.
After Mettius was slain by a treacherous ally, it was Valerius who avenged his foster father, before taking upon himself the mantle of kingship. The entirety of Rillevis was swiftly unified beneath the banner of Valerius Theophylact, becoming a world of peace, civilization, wisdom and strength.
Valerius had been a charismatic and gifted leader, beloved by his people and singularly capable of compartmentalizing incredible quantities of information. He was an organizer, a logistician, one capable of turning the wildest theories into practical reality and rendering order from human chaos.
==History==
=== Rillevis - The Beacon of Autricum ===
Thanks to the widely distributed efforts of numerous Imperial Iterators and the reliable chronicling by the man himself, the story of the Luminarch Valerius Theophylact, his early life and his finding is widely known and well accounted for, in stark contrast to certain others of his transhuman brethren.
Much of these accounts have of course served the role of edification for the masses and the demands of propaganda, but between the accounts, variously embellished, a number of consistent facts and themes emerge.
According to Imperial legend, the Emperor of Mankind created the Luminarchs from artificially-engineered genes using His own genome as a primary template, carefully imbuing each of them with unique superhuman abilities. Imperial doctrine goes on to tell how the unknown Powers of the Void spirited away the gestalt infants emptying their gestation tubes from beneath the Imperial Palace in the Mountains of Terra, scattering them widely across the galaxy through the Void.
The contents of the twenty gestation capsules would come to rest on human-settled worlds throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, distant planets inhabited by a variety of human cultures. Whether by fickle fate or cruel design, each world would provide a crucible which would temper the child into the Luminarch he/she would become, be that hero or monster, tyrant or liberator.
The essence of one Luminarch would come to inhabit the world of Rillevis in the Western Fringe of the galaxy in the heart of the Proxima Occidenta. Rillevis had once been a Verdant garden world controlled by Nobles of the Millennium Empire, but now had become a Wild Feudal world inhabited by a number of megabeast, and it was part of a decaying human star empire whose glories of ages past had long since dwindled to stories of Legend and myth.
But its industries had survived intact through the Long Dark, and its people had retained an authoritarian but cohesive society. It had remarkably preserved a number of antiquated, short-range Void-capable craft which could be utilized for near-stellar transit -- conditions permitting -- and its people continued to build sub-light spacecraft even during the time of the most intense Void Storms.
This had allowed the people of Rillevis and the surrounding worlds to maintain contact with several neighboring human-settled star systems, despite the fury of the Rhine, a Void-Rift that splintered the once great Autricum Empire, and so retain a tenuous link to the rest of human space and the knowledge that it was not alone in the darkness.
==== The Avenger Ascendant ====
Upon the vast world of Rillevis, the seat of power for the Autricum Empire resided in the capital city known as Autricum Civitas. It was within this realm that a remarkable event occurred—a gestalt luminarch found himself stranded and his essence implanted into the womb of Valeria Messor, a simple farm maiden toiling away on the northern Amantia Estate.
Within the humble confines of the estate's shoddy barn, the Lord of the Estate, Camilius Amantia, stumbled upon the revelation of Valeria's peculiar pregnancy. As fate would have it, Valeria, barely a week into her parturiency, already appeared as if she had been carrying a child for months. The throes of birth pangs gripped her suddenly, thrusting her into the overwhelming experience of labor.
Amidst this scene, the Doula of the Estate, a skilled midwife, stepped forward to aid the young mother in the laborious journey of childbirth. Ten long hours passed, filled with anticipation and effort, until finally, they unveiled the sight of a strikingly beautiful and perfectly formed infant — Mikha’el. Even as a newborn, he emanated a radiant nimbus of psionic power that set him apart.
The growth of the young Luminarch would be rapid, surpassing all natural expectations. With each passing day, his physical and mental abilty became increasingly apparent to those around him. Astonishingly, by his fourth birthday, Valerius had already mastered the tools of labor used by the Amantia Estate's workers to complete their arduous quotas.
And soon, the legend of the Amantia Estate's prodigious giant and his enigmatic birth quickly spread like wildfire across the continents of Rillevis. And in its wake, pilgrims, mystics, and sightseers embarked on journeys to witness this wonder. Word soon circulated of a shepherd towering at an astounding height of 3.5 meters, possessing inhuman strength and unparalleled swiftness. Inevitably, challengers flocked to test their mettle against the young Demigod.
As the tales of his immense stature and strength traversed the world and permeated the empire, many likened Valerius to the demi-gods of ancient legends. Rumors even claimed that he could consume the equivalent of three cows' worth of meat in a single day and adorned his mother's arm bracelets as pinky and thumb rings.
These challengers, perceiving Valerius as nothing more than a simple barbarian, were swiftly met with the patrician features of the young Luminarch and his almost peerless intellect. Many of these undisciplined contenders fell before his might, only serving to further amplify the legend of the Demi-God Shepherd.
As the renown of his martial prowess spread, true warriors of the Autricum Empire became aware of Valerius and sought to test their skills against him. Commanders and infantry alike met defeat at the hands of the Luminarch, their tales of his power and prowess reaching the ears of their own masters.
Captivated by the young shepherd's abilities, the reigning Autricite Co-Emperor, Mettius Theophylact traveled to meet the young man - bringing his personal entourage along with him. The man was intrigued to see the youth toil in the fields of the estate, and only after he took a wide note of the man’s abilities did he introduce himself.
Mikha’el was without reverence for the Autricite Emperor at once ignoring him as he toiled over hay bales and beasts of burden.
took Valerius under his wing in a manner not uncommon to their culture, adopting him as a Theophylact and bestowing upon him a position within his personal guard.
Given access to the vast libraries of the Empire, Valerius's exceptional mental abilities became evident to all. And within a mere two years since his appointment to the Emperor's Personal Guard, he had absorbed the knowledge imparted by the wisest tutors of Autricum, surpassing their teachings. His insight into matters of history, philosophy, and science astonished his teachers, as his memory proved infallible and his ability to extrapolate accurate conclusions from fragmentary information bordered on the inexplicable.
Yet, it was his mastery of the art of war that truly showcased his extraordinary talent, a skill revered as a noble science within Rillevian culture. And as his reputation for bravery in past battles solidified, Valerius swiftly ascended the ranks within the Emperor's Personal Guard.
In due course, he assumed the role of overseeing all training, earning the respect of his fellow soldiers by drilling alongside them day after day. And once he reached his legal majority, Valerius's now foster father, Mettius, wasted no time in granting him command over an expeditionary force dispatched to bring order to the unruly worlds of the Autricum Expanse's far eastern territories.
Within the vast expanse of the Autricum Empire, there existed a tumultuous region known as the Pannon Enclaves, a collection of star systems and worlds teetering on the edge of chaos. This volatile territory harbored a motley assembly of brigands, mercenaries, and warring micro-states, which had long plagued the more civilized realms through their relentless raiding and willingness to engage in nefarious mercenary contracts.
Driven by his unyielding desire to crush the enemies of the empire, Valerius, now a revered figure, embarked on a brilliant campaign to bring order to the Pannon Enclaves. Leading his conquering army across the treacherous Rifts of the Rhine, he fearlessly advanced into the heartland of this troubled territory.
As the luminarch's forces triumphed over their adversaries, the spoils of victory piled high, and Valerius boasted that the entire world itself seemed incapable of containing the immense wealth and treasures he sent back to the imperial capital of Rillevis. The legend of his exploits spread far and wide, leaving a lasting impression on all who heard of his conquests.
With relentless determination, Valerius forged ahead, earning the submission and respect of the once-ferocious Pannonite warrior bands. These hardened fighters, known for their unwavering resolve and ferocity in battle, recognized the luminarch's prowess and bowed before his might.
However, even as the triumph of his campaign echoed through the halls of victory, Valerius received word of the growing turmoil that had befallen the capital worlds of Autricum Civitas. Rumblings of discontent and unrest had shaken the foundations of the empire, and it became evident that the mantle of leadership he had once embraced now beckoned him back to face a new challenge.
===The Death of Mettius===
During Valerius's absence on his victorious campaign in the Pannon Enclaves, a co-consul by the name of Caellus, who had long harbored ambitions of unbridled rulership, seized the opportunity to unleash a coup d'état against Mettius Theophylacts, the reigning Autricite Emperor. This turn of events, though not uncommon historically, came as a surprise in this instance. Caellus had conspired with a faction of wealthy nobles from Autricum who were envious of Mettius' rising political power and popularity. Moreover, they had become increasingly apprehensive about the future of Valerius, the emperor's precocious foster child, whose extraordinary abilities both intrigued and intimidated them.
The discontented nobles represented the remnants of Rillevis' ancient regime, an entrenched aristocracy whose wealth derived from vast estates maintained through the toil of countless impoverished vassals. Mettius, backed by the industrial magnates of Autricum who rivaled the old regime, had taken measures to challenge the prevailing balance of power. He had forced the aristocracy to grant their vassals improved living standards and legal rights, thus weakening their grip on the polity.
Furthermore, Mettius had enacted legislation that compelled the nobility to invest in the neglected infrastructure of Rillevis and contribute to the expansion of the capital city at their own expense. These reforms, while elevating Mettius Theophylacts to near-unassailable status in the eyes of the common people, were met with considerable resistance from all but a few farsighted aristocrats.
As Valerius Theophylact and his triumphant army approached the beleaguered city of Autricum Civitas, they were met with a disheartening sight. Smoke billowed from numerous fires, and citizens fled in panic, escaping the grip of anarchy that had engulfed their world. It soon became apparent that Caellus' private army had launched an attack on the senate house while Mettius and his loyal troops were inside.
The refugees, each bearing witness to the unfolding chaos, recounted the same tale: rebel soldiers had assaulted the senate, while a drunken mob, initially incited by Caellus but now beyond anyone's control, roamed the city, wreaking havoc through arson, looting, and murder.
Driven by an overwhelming sense of duty and love for his foster father, Valerius hastened to Mettius' aid. Leaving his own troops to confront the rampaging rioters with an unwavering resolve, Valerius personally fought his way toward the heart of the city. Along his path, he bore witness to the aftermath of rebel firing squads executing loyalists throughout the government district. However, upon reaching the senate house, he found himself too late. The once-proud institution lay in ruins, riddled with bullet holes and devastation. Even the rebels, it seemed, had abandoned the scene to join in the pillaging.
Amidst the half-collapsed shelters beneath the remnants of the senate house, Valerius discovered his dying father. For three agonizing days, the wounded consul had valiantly defended the besieged stronghold, even as surgeons struggled to save his life following a failed assassination attempt on the senate floor. It is said, perhaps apocryphally, that in his last breaths, Mettius imparted the full extent of Caellus' treachery to his beloved son, naming those complicit in his demise.
Consumed by a chilling rage at his father's demise, Valerius's determination knew no bounds. With the unwavering support of his army and the beleaguered citizens of Autricum Civitas, he crushed the aristocratic rebels, scattering their hired armies and adorning the streets with the hanging bodies of the rioters. In doing so, he swiftly restored order to the capital city and its surrounding lands.
Thousands of citizens flocked to the senate house, their voices rising in a wave of popular acclaim as Valerius assumed the mantle of the sole and all-powerful Emperor of Autricum. This new ruler dismantled the old aristocratic order, stripping the nobility of their lands and titles.
Caellus and his co-conspirators were swiftly apprehended, their leaders publicly executed while the rest faced the sentence of hard labor, meticulously rebuilding the city they had laid to ruin, stone by stone, with their own hands. It was a sentence few would survive. In this new era, loyal soldiers and industrious settlers were granted rights and privileges, eradicating the oppressive grip of the aristocracy.
With boundless energy and a singular vision only a Luminarch could possess, the new emperor meticulously reorganized the social fabric of Rillevis, establishing an enforced meritocracy where hard work led to prosperity and honor bestowed high office. Those who flouted the law or worked against the greater good faced draconian yet impartial punishments.
The stagnant and unequal economy underwent a comprehensive transformation, with technology disseminated to benefit all instead of being hoarded by the privileged few. The armed forces were revitalized into a formidable, well-equipped power. Autricum flourished as never before, with its people united under the unassailable rule of Valerius Theophylact.
In this era of unity and progress, the autocratic reign of the past gave way to a brighter future. The legacy of Valerius's indomitable will and unwavering dedication reshaped Autricum Civitas, elevating it to unprecedented heights. The empire stood as one, united by the vision and steadfast leadership of its luminous emperor.
===Rillevis Maximus===
During the time when the young Valerius Theophylact was engrossed in his military campaign in the volatile Pannon Enclaves, the vast fleet of the God Emperor reached the distant planet of Turiaso, situated at the outer fringes of the Autricum Expanse. It was there that the Emperor received momentous tidings about Rillevis and the extraordinary son of Emperor Mettius Theophylact, realizing that this child could only be a missing Luminarch.
Some have speculated that the Emperor's arrival at Turiaso, situated far from the frontline of the Great Crusade's primary expansion, was no mere coincidence. They suggest that through extraordinary means, the Emperor had perceived or possessed foreknowledge of what awaited Him there.
However, the ensuing events were far from predictable. As the Emperor's fleet swiftly progressed toward the Autricum Expanse, they encountered violent Void storms that abruptly formed, effectively blocking passage to the Expanse and several neighboring star systems. This formidable force hindered even the Emperor, compelling Him to acknowledge a power that could not be easily ignored. Thus, it would take approximately five standard years before a successful contact could be established.
During this interlude, Autricum underwent a remarkable transformation. It evolved into an empire characterized by uniformity and order, thriving in prosperity and productivity. The cities of its worlds were reconstructed with resplendent marble and gleaming steel, while its armies stood in disciplined ranks, well-armed and well-equipped, preparing for endeavors beyond their birth stars.
Even before the Emperor's arrival, it is said that Valerius Theophylact delved deeply into the ancient histories preserved by the deposed aristocracy of his world. Within the fragments he uncovered, he discovered accounts of humanity's ancient domains and began to envision new horizons and uncharted worlds waiting to be conquered—a realm described in ancient texts as "Illuromar" or "beyond the seas of night."
With unwavering determination, Valerius set his plans into motion. Within the Void-sealed expanse, Autricum's star-faring vessels now traversed well-patrolled trade routes with neighboring star systems, facilitating the exchange of resources and inhabitants to the flourishing worlds. Moreover, conflicts were swiftly waged and won against certain neighboring systems to quell the strife that plagued them.
When the Emperor beheld the fruits of his lost son's efforts, He found great satisfaction. It is recounted that He met with Valerius Theophylact without the need for pretense, a departure from His encounters with other Luminarchs whose temperament was more savage. Historical accounts further record that upon learning the truth of his origins, Valerius immediately pledged his loyalty to the Emperor, recognizing Him as his true father, for Valerius had already surmised the purpose for which he had been deliberately created rather than simply born.
Imperial observers swiftly realized that Valerius possessed an exceptionally potent analytical intelligence, surpassing even the superhuman cognitive abilities of his fellow Luminarchs. His aptitude for statecraft and macro-organization held staggering potential. Yet, at that time, few could fathom the remarkable achievements that would unfold when such talents were harnessed in service of the Great Crusade.
===Unification of Mind and Soul===
The IInd Legion of Imperial Marines, sometimes called the "Second-Sons," was assigned to Valerius in short order, for the Luminarch needed little urging or aid in the assimilation of knowledge of the wider galaxy, the Great Crusade and the many technological wonders of the new-born Stellar Imperium.
It was a development greeted by the IInd Legion with great rejoicing and pride in the honor that Valerius Theophylact paid them in accepting their fealty.
The oratory and vision with which their new-found Father expounded to them his designs for the future and the righteousness of the Great Crusade filled the Imperial Legiones Angelus with a renewed vigor and dispelled any shadows of doubt in their minds, and made Valerius's takeover, according to official records, all but seamless.
Valerius Theophylact did far more than merely take command of the IInd Legion, he set about transforming it. His vision was for a Legion that was more than simply one army among many, however exceptional, but a self-sustaining power for conquest, order and expansion; the strength of the body and blood of the Stellaris Imperium made manifest by the will of the Emperor through His servant Valerius Theophylact.
To him, a military force was more than the warriors who wielded arms -- it was their chain of supply, the ships which carried them between, the manufactora which supplied their munitions and the worlds which bred their recruits; they were indivisible and equally vital. To Valerius's mind, all of these things made an Imperial Legion, and he meant to control them all so that his own would prosper and the Emperor's will be done.
In accordance with his grand design, he planned to not merely take the worlds of his fosterage as his headquarters and recruiting ground as his peers had done and would continue to do, but from the start set it up as merely the fulcrum of a far larger network of provender and support.
The basis of this network would be the systems Autricum had long maintained links with, but they would merely be its first components, not its fullest extent. This would be the start of Valerius Theophylact's "Greater Illuromar" and it would be a project of decades, and continue to expand during the years of the Great Crusade.
===Eagle of the West===
As swiftly as he put his plans for Illuromar into action, he embarked on the root and branch reorganization of his Legion. Adopting an extraordinarily detailed plan which drew from both the military doctrines and political philosophies of his surrogate homeworld, a detailed study of the history of the IInd and each and every other Legion and armed force under the Emperor's banner in their current form, he remade the organisational structure and tactical doctrines of his Legion accordingly.
The result was an elegantly structured but elaborate and highly meritocratic force. It unsurprisingly built on much that had already been evident in the character of the II Legion, as their Luminarch's gene-proginae had already partly shaped them, however unconsciously, and through the application of analysis and reason sought to purge any weaknesses or deficiencies to achieve the optimal military outcome.
This, as with so much of the Legion's affairs, was considered by the Luminarch as an ongoing project, and it evolved quickly into a dual doctrine which embraced in parallel on one hand what were the ancient and deterministic values of the warrior: courage, discipline, skill and adaptability, defined as that which was "Pragmatic," and on the other: planning, precedent, analysis and assessment, defined as that which was "Conceptual."
Both were of equal weight and value, one complementing and informing the other, blending together as the metals which made a fine blade. This became the Legion's doctrine and creed.
As with the society Valerius had built on Rillevis, the II Legion under his mastery would be as ruthlessly even-handed as it was efficient, with the needs of the individual sublimated to the greater whole, but the life of the individual never spent wantonly or without purpose; for the doctrine stated that each Legionary lost weakened those who remained.
Within the Legion, the valor and the achievement of the individual were rewarded with honor and responsibility, but the obedience to hierarchy and order it demanded of its members was to be unquestioning and unchallenged. The outward signs of this transformation were striking, the livery of the IInd was altered to a deep red, chased with silver, while the symbol of the ancient "Aquilus" glyph found in the pre-isolation stellar charts of the region was adopted as its icon and seal to tie them to both the newfound realm which they embodied, and the Imperium they served.
==Personalty==
"O' Father my Lord, forgive me for not being able to defend this world that you love so much... Forgive me for failing in my mission to protect your dream... But I beg of you, give me a little of Your strength so that I may bring your light to humanity once more.
 — Valerius praying to the Emperor.As Lieutenant Lord Commander, the Prince Regent of Imperium Sagittus, and Lord of Rillevis, Valerius is seen as one of the greatest of the Luminarchs with a strong sense of justice, honor, empathy, honesty, patriotism, and innate selfless benevolence. While also being a highly charismatic leader and capable of endearing his subordinates, whilst his very presence is capable of boasting the morale of allied forces, and earning genuine respect to those who serve under his command. He is a firm, strong, but powerful leader, regarded as the embodiment of conviction and both follows and enforces the laws and regulations of the Imperium Dominus set by his Father to the letter while expecting others to do the same. 
Regardless, Valerius cares deeply for his siblings even though he does not show it, prompting Gabriel to say that Michael has a "typical uptight big brother way" of showing that he cares.
Some within the Imperial courts fear Valerius due to his status and authority, however, when he detects this he states that it is not he that they should fear, but the Emperor, being clear that he is not exactly fond of being looked at with fear. He is not one to tolerate insubordination, and is vocal with those who attempt to act in such a manner. He often lacks a sense of humor and thus almost never smiles. He is quick to anger in the face of possible betrayal and can be quite aggressive in combat.
He is impeccably loyal to his father and his dream, and takes his duties with utmost seriousness, expecting the same from the Marines under his banner along with his brethren. 
==Wargear==
*The Ignis Gladium: Gifted to the Lord of Rillevis upon His Rediscovery, the Ignis Gladium is but one of 10 others. Forged from the Fingers of a God of Ethereal Flame, and so uses a form of extremely powerful Void-Flames that are capable of extinguishing the existence of chaotic beings of darkness into ashes, or even rending their very essences completely. When unsheathed, the blade is engulfed in Void-Fire. The aura of these weapons disintegrates everything and anything which their bearer deems fit for destruction, changing it into nothing more than flowing ash, and engulfs the surrounding landscape in a blazing firestorm, the heat of which is said to be intense enough to even scorch the sky.
*The Rillevis Aegis: Extensively worked in the IInd Legion’s forges upon Rillevis, Mikha’els’ wrist mounted Hard Light Arc-Shields are equipped with field generators, capable of negating even the blast of a main-line battle tank.
*Lance of Mikha’el / Patronus:  The same Lance Mikha’el has wielded as a child on Rillevis, Patronus has since grown, and evolved in comparison to its superhuman owner. And upon making contact with the Imperium, Patronus was given to the artificers of Terra. It emerged again having been hollowed out and fitted with a power field, and having even further evolved, meaning Mikha’el could swing it as easily as if it were his own arm while carving through all in his path.
*The Lorica Dominus: A beautiful and lightweight aegis of psychically infused adamantine and carbonite, engineered from Ancient rediscovered Rillevian archeotech.
*
Category:Luminarch
Category:Character
Category:Imperium