Kuranos Hasthtir

Remembrancer sketch from Carpinius' *Speculum Historiale* of Kuranos Hasthtir.

**Kuranos Hashtir** is the Primarch of the XVIIth Legion, the Dreamwalkers.

On the battlefield, Kuranos’ appearance is as chimeric as that of his Legion. Sometimes he comes wreathed in lighting, on others shrouded in mist. Often he wears gaudy heraldry evoking the deific entities of the foe, and sometimes he is simply the grim and unadorned embodiment of war. It is the latter form that Kuranos prefers the most, for it is what he feels most truly embodies his true nature and that reality itself. All else is a mask, and if you cannot see past it, then that is your flaw.

His inflexible and yet manipulative nature draws criticism from many of his brothers. Those that doubt his methods and claim he undermines the Imperial Truth he simply shrugs off, for he believes he follows the Emperor’s own example. Those that seem enraptured by superstition themselves he is far more vehement towards, and it is only his memory of a time in which he was taught to believe himself divine by those who found him that restrains his ire. He trusts his brothers to outgrow their weaknesses as he did.

Yet, revelation is coming. A revelation that Kuranos’ worldview is ill equipped to handle. As chaos consumes the Imperium and he witnesses a strange poison seep through his legion he strives ever harder to enforce his viewpoint upon the galaxy, even as the bedrock of his beliefs is slowly eroded from underneath him. All shall be unbound, and opportunities unlimited await.

## History

Based at least partially upon Lovecraft's dreamlands. Several cities abandoned for superstitious reasons (later revealed to be warp contamination). There is one large city left, a haven for rationalists and scientists. The most noticeable link to the Dreamlands is the 'Moon Beasts', xenos who from a base on one of the world’s satellites are slowly infiltrating and taking control of the world below.

When the Primarch arrives, he is found by one of the superstitious tribes in thrall to the beasts and they assume that he is a divine gift from the ‘ambassadors of the outer spheres’. They raise him to believe as such, and he considers himself a divine creation. Though the ‘Moon Beasts’ do not know his origins and do not trust him, they are not averse to using him to distract from their efforts and destroy their enemies, hopefully being slain in the process. For years he leads an ever growing union of the faithful, while the tendrils of the Moon Beasts sink ever deeper. Eventually he arrives at the aforementioned city and ventures within, where it is expected he will either join them or destroy them. Instead they convince him that most of the superstitions he was raised with were false. Though they do not fully understand his nature, they understand enough to show that he is a genetically created rather than magical. They disprove many of the myths he was raised with, and show evidence as to the true nature of the Moon Beasts.

He then believes his followers so easily convinced, and exits the city to impart his new revelations. Contrary to his expectations, it shatters them. They descend into once more warring inner factions, many denouncing him as a heretic, and the world is thrown again into chaos. Only a few remain with him.

Alternate: He is seen as a divine weapon against the "daemons" that are the moon beasts, and the city simply explains his and their true nature.

Bitterly disappointed, he is forced once again to use superstitions to weld factions together and drive the 'Moon Beasts' and their followers offworld.

### Great Crusade

When he first encounters the Emperor, he immediately feels a sense of respect due to the doctrine of the Imperial Truth (unaware that it is false), and willingly enters the Great crusade determined to establish an Imperium where the weakness and illusions of superstition can be slowly drained away and replaced by a humanity strong in its rationality. He believes the rise of superstition to be a symptom, and in some cases even the cause, of the Age of Strife as well as a barrier to humanity reclaiming its true strength.

Based on this, he engages with the Great Crusade to the utmost

Meanwhile, the Primarch is confronted with things from the warp that his prized rationality fails to explain. He may approach other Primarchs about this, asking questions. If he approaches Icarion, Icarion will either attempt to confirm his rationalistic beliefs (thus undermining any trust between them when the truth is revealed) or attempt to warn him properly and be dismissed as a fool. The emperor remains silent on the matter.

From here, there are multiple options. One is a necessary purge of one of the tainted cities upon his own world, either being what begins his doubts or ends them when after searching the stars, relevation is revealed upon his own planet. Another is that he remains unconvinced of the chaos gods until the rebellion, when they are impossible to deny and his beliefs crumble around him. I’m somewhat concerned that elements of this stray too close to the Eagle Warriors/Word Bearers and the Predators plot lines.

Another possibility is that ‘tainted’ members of the Legion resolve a major warp incident, and the Primarch becomes frustrated because he can’t understand how, leading on to things. Alternatively they explain it as a further manipulation of superstitions, (related to how melee weapons work better against daemons).

One way or another, there is a revelation that reality is a lie, the Legion falls to its doom as he ascends and his planet merges with the otherworld beyond it.

## Relations

### Primarchs

* **Hectarion** - Suspicious of his homeworld’s primitive culture, thus remaining aloof.
* **Yucahu** - Has a relative degree of respect for Yucahu. Not as disposed towards total destruction, but appreciates someone else with a professional outlook and lack of symbolism.
* **Daer'dd** - Considers the scientific advances of the three Fires against Mechanicum superstition as laudable, but does not openly associate for the sake of maintaining appearances.
* **Raktra** - Makes the mistake of being dismissive of Rakta's past experiences with "Angels". As a result, Raktra hates him as much as anybody else, and Hashtir sees him as a deluded lunatic.
* **Kozja** - Regards his scientific projects with interest, but takes odds with his arrogance.
* **Gwalchavad** - Views his pacifism as an oddity, and dislikes the sincerity behind the symbolism of many of his titles. However, he sees a similarity between his own past under the priests and Gwalchavad's under Luisarch, as is thus more tolerable of Gwalchavad than he might be otherwise.
* **K'awil** - Has little contact with him, though he acknowledges K'awil's methods as particularly effective against those weakened by irrationality, if a little unsophisticated and one dimensional.
* **Nomus** - Appreciates his rationalistic and science based approach.
* **Andezo** - Suspicious of what he considers superstition, but also intigued by Andezo's spectral sight.

### Space Marine Legions

* **Crimson Lions** - Distrusted due to druidic qualities.
* **Void Eagles** - Will serve alongside happily.
* **Iron Bears** - Does not openly make efforts to serve alongside due to the Mechanicum, but not disrespectful.
* **Berserkers of Uran** - Dangerous lunatics due to their combination of violence and hatred of angels.
* **Warbringers** - Will serve alongside well.
* **Wardens of Light** - Will happily serve aside, there's nothing better than a Pariah to disabuse a Priest-psyker of their notions of self-divinity.
* **Grave Stalkers** -Distrusts due to ritualistic tendencies, but appreciates the psychological aspects of their tactics.
* **Steel Legion** -Well regarded. Eager to piggy back on their information warfare capabilites for cultural research.
* **Predators** - Looked down upon due to superstition.

## Primarch Appearance

Armour is modular and has two layers. The fist is its basic form, designed with a series of attachment points to which variants of the second layer may be attached.The second layer posses no defensive value, but rather can be tailored so that he can mimic mythical figures of significance to whatever foe he faces. There are two common generic forms, one designed to portray him as a dread harbinger of devastation and the other as a radiant figure of light. Arco-projectors are often integrated into this. Smoke/hallucinogen dispensers for affect rather than stealth, enhancing a mystical appearance?

His face often shows evidence of scarring. Once he was tattooed with symbols of a ritualistic nature from his old life, but he burnt these away. Now and then he may adopt new symbols as required by his dealings, but he always sears them off once he’s done.

## Personality

Among strangers he appears aloof, his words are layered so that numerous meanings can be derived from them, his words appear shrouded in a myriad of meanings. If needed he presents a ‘mask’ or ‘visage’, adopting different ways or speaking or acting as befits whatever he is attempting to emulate. Unlike Icarion's abilities, these are not natural are psychic and can only be interpreted in one way at a time, representing a deliberate attempt at manipulation.

With fellow Primarchs and members of his Legion he is blunt and direct, always stating things as he factually believes them with no attempt to mollify, or necessarily to provoke. He expects anybody who serves under him or is his equal to be rational and unbound by the weakness of superstition.

Titans he likes to have on hand, due to their godlike appearance which proves useful on more than one occasion. He does however keep in mind that most princeps are fanatically devoted to the Omnissiah.

In regard to the warp and psykers, the primarch still believes these to be rational and empirical definable things, with daemons simply being xenos inhabiting the warp. Though he does not entirely understand them, he trusts that the Emperor that understands them better than he does himself, and trusts His word on this.

He does not regard xenos as evil, but is aware that many of them have biological or social imperatives that render them a direct threat to humanity. Xenos are also harder to psychologically examine, making it harder to prevent superstitions from spreading between them.

## Fighting Style

His preferred weapon is something that resembles a Dane axe, though the blade possesses multiple differences. It was crafted using technology taken from the Emissaries/Moon Beasts, but flares brightly whenever a blow is struck. Attempts to cripple or kill with the first blow that hits the enemy proper. Ranged weapons: Lightning gun? (too much clash with the Lightning bearers if they stay?) Flamer? (akin to fire related deities entities, also something they would be more likely to have on his homeworld) Darkfire weapon? (related to deities/entities of shadow?).

Hallucinogen/shroud bomb dispensers?

## Crunch

* **"True Face" Character** - Loyalist Terran who represents the hard and cynical portion of the Legion.

* **"New Way" Character** - A member of the legon tainted by chaos, slowly sud=ffering more visions but currently coping etc

* **"Rationalist"-Character** - One of the Legion's Apothecary/Chaplain hybrid scientists, a strong believer of his Primarch's worldview who follows him into his insanity.

## Rite of War: Whispers From the Darkness

Omens of the apocalypse theme. Mandatory psyker, starts of with the aforementioned recon units reinforced by deepstriking forces (from heaven and hell) such as termites, jump packers, teleporters, drop pods etc.

"The True Face" rite of war? (Limits most of the legions usual shenanigans in exchange for total destruction)

“Reality unbound” Rite of War? (saved for potential daemonic incarnation.

* **Recon Unit with Advanced Hallucinogenics** - (+ A psyker?), intended to seed and engender superstitions and omens, as well as collect data on local superstitions, prior to an assault. (Phase Walkers?)

* **Shock and Awe Terminator Unit** - Wreathed in artificial lightning/flames/ice and teleportation capabilities. (Still favoured by true face methodoligies). Flamers/volkite/plasma/lightning claws/double handed melee weapons.

## Wargear

* **Hallucinogenic Arsenal**
* ***The Pale Visage*** - An archaeotech helm with an enhanced diagnostic array, often used to identify apparently supernatural phenomena