Devastator Captain Mani "Animal" Haldr

> "They may be vile abominations unto the Emprah, but at least these Xenos and some notion of honour and strateg......
>
>

> "Captain?!?"
>
>

> "WHAT. ARE. THOSE!?!?!?!?!"
>
>

> "Erm, I think the Xenos call them Broadside Battlesuits, they're one of their power armour units Sir"
>
>

> "I WANT ONE!"
>
>

> - Mani Haldr upon encountering Tau Broadside Battlesuits during the Ensemble Studios Crusade
>
>

### Early Life

Born and raised on the tectonically active feudal world of Redfield, his upbringing was relatively impoverished but peaceful, assisting his parents and siblings in cultivating their small fungus farm and apprenticing under the local blacksmith.

This all ended following the arrival of an Ork Waagh! to the world, spreading like a destructive plague despite the best attempts of local guard forces to contain it. When the first wave of Orks reched Mani's vilage, half of the population was massacred before the greenskins could be repelled using makeshift rifles, including both of his parents. Losses increased over several days of assaults, until fewer than 10 villagers remained alive, including Mani and his sister Freya. The siege was finally broken by the arrival of the Cardinal Archivists, whom adimiring Mani and Freya's "spunk" recruited them, Mani joining the Space Marines and Freya being sent to a small order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas convent (The Order of the Gentle Touch, where she would eventually rise to the rank of Canoness Preceptor).

### Time in the Tenth Company

As is usual, Mani spent his early years in the chapter training and receiving implants and modifications before spending time in the Tenth Company as a scout, a role he was "not traditionally adept at" due to his total disregard for subtlety and stealth, although is marksmanship skills were deemed exceptional. This period was marked by multiple operations against Ork hordes, Drukhari raiding sites and Tzeentchian Chaos Cults against which he proved himself capable (after a fashion). In particular he showed a fascination with taking heavy bolters from deceased guard forces and using them to mow down hordes of cultists and boyz instead of focusing on assassinating key targets, which he was chastised for, but ultimately got him fast-tracked into completing his implantation and becoming a Devastator.

### Fourth Company

As anticipated, Mani thrived in his role as a devastator, wracking up an enormous kill count against Orkish and Tyranid forces and rapidly adapting to using other heavy weapons. In particular his proved adept at using Lascannons and Missile Launchers, dispatching enemy armour with great accuracy. This period also marked the beginning of whispers centered around his supposed Xenophilia and technoheresy, particularly following a string of engagements against (and a couple of instances of fighting alongside) Tau and Aeldari forces. His excited and apparently absent-minded remarks about how "exquisitely engineered" and "magnificent" Tau firearms are, along with his infamous desire to acquire a Broadside Battlesuit for himself (rumors circulate that he even requested an "allied" Tau engineer as to whether he could have one built). Nevertheless, he has served admirably in hundreds of campaigns, although he is hastily hidden away whenever agents of the Mechanicus or Inquisition are around.

In between battles he is currently working on a "bolter that fires knives", tests have thus far been promising.