Donovan Galchos

## Raine-Five (Donovan Galchos)

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Raine-Five of the Alpha Legion, Seneschal to the Primarch Omegon, Thorn to the Primarch Alpharius.

Donovan Galchos, Aid of Craftworld Vendryl, Consort to Yvraine of the Ynnari.

His life is long, rich, divergent. It is indelibly intertwined with the fate of the Galaxy, and it is not yet over.

Brought forth in the laboratories of Omegon's personal flagship and given purpose and training by the Primarch himself; Donovan was crafted for a purpose which was only ever truly known to his creator, and perhaps beyond that, never anticipated by his creator. One of five of the original squad that borne the same name as he does, Galchos has outlasted his erstwhile brothers despite the events he has witnessed. And of these there are many. From the hidden conflicts within the heartlands of the Imperium during the Great Crusade, to the cataclysmic wars that ended legacies both on this plane and others, Donovan has not only fought against the myriad species and entities of the galaxy and beyond, but also communed, discussed and allied with them at various stages during his journeys across all the stars both civilised and abandoned.

He was the legend that alluded history, the element unanticipated by all foes and hoped for unknowingly against all odds by all allies; but now he stands before the light of the Emperor, revealed for all that he is to his most unexpected of friends. Arrayed in front of him now in the 42nd Millennium is the fruits and consequences of all his choices and actions, and wherever they lead, he will follow.

### His Journey

#### Genesis

The year is 881.M30. Omegon has been atlast reunited with his twin brother Alpharius, making the race to discover the last Primarch intensify and the Great Crusade continue with renewed strength. Within the year the newly inducted Primarch has absorbed all that there is to know about the existence of the Imperium of Mankind, and soon new lives are begun onboard Omegon’s flagship *Plutonian* to join the ongoing fight. But not all were simply human.

Creating fifty subjects via the ill-understood means of Replicae, Omegon formed a secret project called the Raine-Program that even his twin brother was not aware of. Unsatisfied with the faceless collectivism of the Alpha Legion after the jarring transition between his own origin and the new world, Omegon sought to experiment with the individual capabilities of both his gene-seed and the nature of astartes themselves. Using the anomalous TRN-38 Gene to make the basis for their genetic structure, Omegon crafted an artificial evolution from part of his own DNA that would attempt to mirror the kind of rumoured biological and psychological ascension that the Legio Custodes possessed, seeking to recreate a process which seamlessly bridged the gap between man and transhuman.

Biologically and psychologically identical, the fifty Raine clones emerged from their vats as blank slates that were brimming with encoded potential, their very essence optimised for a naturalised ascension to the status of astartes; mere helpless babes ready for the moulding of their creator. The process took decades, Omegon adding to his careful manipulations of their ingrained gene-seed with ruthless physical trials and endless psychological lessons in the spheres of warfare, philosophy, archaic lore and subterfuge. One after another, the clones did not make the high standards of the Primarch, yet the remainder always displayed that which he envisioned. At the end of this initial process, there were only five left, and their likeness was more akin to that of the guardians of the Emperor rather than simple killing tools.

Set to be distinct from their peers in more ways than just their impressive training and enhanced physiology, Raine Squad as it became known, or simply 'Raine', was also set upon a path of developing individual identities. Allowed to be freely formed from their extensive experiences in being brought to their new state of being, the personalities of the squad followed their own preferences in specialisation. The first became the leader, decisive and confident, the second the quartermaster, prudent and shrewd, the third the librarian, the inquisitive and capable, the fourth the fighter, the courageous and deadly, and finally the fifth; the seneschal. Calm and taciturn – these words and more would describe Raine-Five, one who would eventually come to influence the course of history itself.

Excelling in the use of the mind as a weapon beyond that of his peers, Raine-Five displayed a particularly incredible understanding of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences, able to manipulate, bluff and impersonate on one hand, and support, mediate and advise on the other, often filling in the gaps of Raine-One’s natural leaning to the greater goal. Alongside this, Raine-Five showed an ability to plan beyond just that of his brother's logistical and militaristic capabilities, having near perfect foresight of the undulations of morale, deception and cultural elements both within and without the legion.

Armed with their unique bodies, equipment, knowledge and training given by Omegon himself and fleshed out by the gradual development of character, the Raine Program was deemed a success by its master. Approved for active duty, Raine Squad was set to work by their father and mentor in earnest. Given an unidentified design of smaller aerial transport known as the Lampranys for roving the galactic laneways, the vat-born Alpha Legionnaires were sent out on their first mission.

### Ways of War

Raine-Five has always been known as the Seneschal, and nowhere is this more apparent than his ways of killing. Avoidant when it comes to the prospect of physical confrontation, the Alpha Legionnaire instead prefers to mediate the conflict towards others if possible, but when faced with the prospect of killing by his own hand, he is anything but hesitant. To Raine, violence is a last resort, and often comes in the form of a necessitated plan of assassination. A crack shot when it comes to the use of a stalker bolter, Raine's marksmanship skills have no peer, able to end a war in one shot before the target even sees his killer. Additionally, he is versed in the use of combat knives, poisons, explosives and other unorthodox weapons, his mind formulating the efficient use of them rather than excessive displays of terror or prolonged suffering. And though preferring not to enter direct conflict when possible, Raine-Five was nevertheless taught by the Primarch Omegon in the art of close combat, moreover having sharpened those teachings over millennia of conflict.

A fearsome duellist, Raine is an intimidating force to face in one on one combat, for the surgical precision instilled within him is bolstered by his desire to end the battle as soon as possible. Fighting in a blur of strikes, feints and counters, Raine takes a deconstructed view of the foe before him, observing how to whittle him down or exploit a weakness or character to deliver an unceremonious killing blow. Some take Raine's rapid and merciless ways of war in an offensive light, seeing it as dishonourable or even downright boring, but to Raine-Five it has kept him alive and mobile against terrifying creatures and raving madmen.

#### Shroa

Raine's primary weapon since the Horus Heresy, Shroa is an Aeldari Diresword he obtained during a mission into the far reaches of the Segmentum Obscurus. Delving down into the depths of a fortress once forged by the ancient kingdoms of Eldar but then corrupted by She-Who-Thirsts, he was guided by an unseen voice that did not belong to the God now assailing him. Raine-Five fought a fighting retreat through the violated halls alone, progressing towards whatever was aiding him in avoiding the most terrible of deaths. Finding the source of the voice, Raine ripped the Diresword from its plinth, using it to fight against the daemons swarming him.

Finding the sword possessed by an ancient, preserved soul of a former Asuryani Exarch, Raine fights not only with his own strength now, but the will of a vengeful dead man millennia old. As time progressed from his founding of the blade, Shroa now not only lends the physical abilities of a normal Diresword however, but a kind of mental connection between Raine and the soul of the former Exarch. Forging a telepathic bond between the two that transcends their species, Raine and Shroa fight as one will now, a harmonious union which sees the enemies of the new Imperium fall before them.

*Archives Incomplete....*

### What Lies Without

*Archives Incomplete....*

-R