Vissarion Achitzis

**This article, Vissarion Achitzis, was written by ChibiPotatoes. Please do not edit this article without their explicit permission.**

**Vissarion Achitzis**, sometimes referred to simply as "The Searcher", was a Loyalist-aligned Harrowmaster of the Alpha Legion during the time of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Achitzis' role in the Alpha Legion is debated, but what is generally inferred by Remembrancers was that he served the role of searching for technology throughout the galaxy that could be hidden or utilized exclusively by the Alpha Legion. He was not feared in the same way as his peers and it was rare that he took to the battlefield for anything less than what was necessary for his overall objective.

The most prominent action in which Achitzis is named directly was during the conflict on Repentance in the aftermath of the destruction of the mass-conveyor *Inexorable Temperance*. Aboard the *Temperance* Achitzis and his strike force had been en route to deliver specimens of previously lost vehicles (now known to have been the Erlik Assault Walker and Konnik Siegecrawler) to his Primarch, Alpharius Omegon. No record exists of what happened to Achitzis following the battles on Repentance and his fate, along with those that served him, remains a mystery to the majority of the Imperium.

In actuality, Achitzis and a large portion of his Gamma Harrow managed to escape Repentance further towards the edge of known space in Segmentum Ultima with the Erlik and Konnik STC still in their possession. They eventually landed on a sparsely populated area of Tharkad where they remained hidden, operating in secrecy for several centuries. Rumours of a phantom legion of Space Marines clad in metallic blue in the Gierland Sector prompted an investigation by the Ordo Hereticus. This investigation, led by Inquisitor Anya Dannecker, ultimately led to the discovery of Achitzis’ and the remainder of his brethren.

A massive cover-up operation was undertaken by Dannecker, whose Radical inclinations led her to decide to spare the supposed Loyalist-aligned Alpha Legion. As part of said cover-up, Achitzis took up the name Hersten Rehnquist as the first Chapter-Master of the Lyran Guard.

## Wargear

As with many Praetors, specifically Harrowmasters of the Alpha Legion, Achitzis possessed an exceedingly wide range of wargear. This served the dual purpose of adapting to the needs of campaigns as well as masking his identity from friend and foe alike. In most records, Achitzis was most commonly seen in Cataphractii Pattern terminator armor equipped with a pair of Lightning Claws.

### Vissarion Achitzis, *The Searcher*

The following wargear was most commonly used by Achitzis before his disappearance from records during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

* ***The Hydra’s Shadow*** – *The Hydra’s Shadow* was Vissarion’s unique and personally customized variant of Cataphractii armor. It was equipped with a special piece of wargear built by Vissarion himself that made it difficult to pinpoint him on the battlefield and melt back into the ranks of his Harrow when necessary.
* ***The Hydra’s Talons*** – *The Hydra’s Talons* were a pair of relic lightning claws equipped to Achitzis’ cataphractii armor. They are believed to have been fabricated from micro-folded adamantium, but their origin and where Achitzis may have obtained them is unknown.

### Vissarion Achitzis, *The Shrouded*

The following wargear possessed by Achitzis was the Harrowmaster’s equipment in his alternate identity as “The Shrouded”. Most of the equipment listed here is inferred by the Imperium based on rumours and hearsay and ultimately may not reflect accurately.

* **Artificer Armor**
* **Frag Grenades**
* **Krak Grenades**
* **Iron Halo**
* ***Hydra’s Blood*** – *Hydra’s Blood* was Achitzis’ named archaeotech pistol that was commonly characterized for the blinding, bright blue flash it emitted when it was fired.
* ***Hydra’s Bite*** – *Hydra’s Bite* was a Paragon Blade wielded by Achitzis’ that resembled an omi yari of ancient Terra. Although less skilled than his brethren in combat, Achitzis’ prowess with *Hydra’s Bite* could not go underestimated.