Circle of the Hermeguard

The insignia of the Circle of the Hermeguard.

The **Circle of the Hermeguard** is a secret interplanetary society comprised of wealthy, powerful and noble humans that seeks to find a community of fellow imperial servants that enjoy both art and knowledge above all else. In the circle, bohemians, artists, intellectuals and hobbyist scholars can seek refuge from a Galaxy that seems to only care for war and violence, leaving “the finer things in life” to the side.

What very few of the members realize is that, in reality, the Circle is a heretical cult that draws ritual practices from both Tzeentch cults, and Slaaneshi cults. This is a truth that only becomes apparent as you rank up in the Circle, to the point where members are so invested in this sect that they can either fully embrace the chaotic worship of their brothers and sisters, or can be slain by the cult's mysterious leader if they were to try to escape.

## Background

### A Secret Society of Misfits

The Galaxy is not a place for artists or thinkers. War is what binds it all: travel, economy, politics, technology; what moves it all is the innate need of civilizations to battle an enemy; because of that, the favored among the stars are the fighters, the strategists and the conquerors. The Circle of the Hermeguard offers shelter for the souls that have never quite fitted in this universal war machine. It is a place for inquisitive, creative minds that walk among obtuse administrators, unimaginative nobles and brutish warriors. Or at least, that’s what the members say.

Painters, writers, poets, essayists, philosophers, and of course, hermeguards; these kinds of people serve no purpose to the machinery of an eternally warring Imperium. Since the dawn of civilization itself, creative souls have been ostracized, deemed to be nothing but useless daydreamers and annoying know-it-alls. Because of this injustice, the Circle exists to offer these outcasts the possibility to gather with plenty of minds that are alike. In the social gatherings held by the Circle, hermeguardians, —as they call themselves—, can discuss all things related to the endeavours of the mind and the heart. It is a space for connection among sensitive and inquisitive people who are usually marginalized from their immediate contexts. The purpose of this society is for its members to come together to admire artistic and intellectual works, while they also share their own products of artistry with people who can actually appreciate them.

### Origins

It is unknown when the Circle held its first meetings, but it's clear that for an elaborate interplanetary lodge like this to be formed, Imperial worlds had to be well established and connected, which leads us to think that the Circle was founded plenty of time after the end of the Great Crusade.

Its name evokes the profession of the alleged founder of the circle, Salie Megistres Ignacitus, a cultured and successful Imperial architect who devoted himself to the admirable hobby of *hermeguarding*. Hermeguarding is an Imperial hobby that can be found among upper-class citizens, and it consists of analyzing, restoring and transcribing old and withered texts that belong to one’s family lineage. This hobby is different to the job of a common scribe, or that of a restorer, in the way that the hermeguard approaches the words that it wants to rescue with respect, diligence, and commitment to preserve and reflect upon the legacy of their own lineage. A hermeguard produces tomes of restored knowledge that can either be faithful to the original source or can add comments and footnotes to create a more comprehensive restoration.

As legends have it, Salie Magistres started to hold meetings with fellow architects who were interested in hermeguarding. Soon, it expanded to include enjoyers of all sorts of intellectual hobbies and members from all kinds of careers, vocations, and lifestyles. Before Selie died, he was able to proudly see the society he created take off to other worlds in search of brilliant minds.

## The Inner workings of the Circle

### Gaining Membership

To join this exclusive and secretive society, an invitation is imperative. However, it’s never hard for the unique minds of the Circle to find people who share their same interests. Since the only humans that can afford artistic hobbies belong to the higher classes of Imperial worlds, Circle recruiters look for the black sheep of royal families, the outcast children of Governors, and the misunderstood geniuses among wealthy traders; those are the kind of minds that the Circle is composed of.

After neophytes attend a few gatherings, in very little time, they are formally asked to join the Circle. The initiation ritual remains mysterious and unknown, as members are encouraged to never talk about it until the time comes to initiate someone else with the same ritual. However, from the few things that can be gathered, it’s a ritual that's meant to symbolize the initiates giving their backs to the world they know, and embracing the mysteries of art and knowledge.

### Ranking Up

Despite the fact that members think of themselves as non-conformists and rebels to the system, the Circle of the Hermeguard is organized just like many social structures in the Imperium, in the style of a pyramid where only a select few are allowed to climb upwards. To raise the ranks of this society, members must prove their dedication to achieving creation and obtaining wisdom. If a hermeguardian is deemed valuable enough to a fellow member of a higher rank, they may be invited to more exclusive gatherings held by more important Circle members. As a hermeguardian ranks up, it gains reach to more enigmatic secrets and mysteries. Rumor has it that high ranking members have access to precious items for those who love knowledge: works of art that were either smuggled from the black market or thought to be lost to time, rare tomes full of forbidden xenos knowledge, and incomprehensible artifacts of arcane nature. Part of the reason that this sector of the Circle is hard to reach, even if it’s inside a secret society that’s already hard to get access to, is because plenty of the mysteries studied by the Circle are heretical in nature. And even though many of the Imperium-abiding members of the circle may normally be afraid of these forbidden things, being a high-ranking hermeguardian entails a personal sense of immunity to heresy. At this level, members start to think of themselves as above things such as faith in the Emperor, or the fear of being corrupted by chaos. After all, they are liberated men and women; if they were to be tempted by ruinous forces, they should be able to resist their whispers with their superior logic and reasoning.

However, it’s hard to deny that as a member ranks up, the rituals, practices and gatherings performed by their peers become more and more outlandish and transgressive of social norms. These activities include things such as spiritist sessions, dedicated studies to banned literature, the ingestion of potent hallucinogenic drugs, and libertine sexual practices among members. These acts are performed with a prideful sense of rebellion and the feeling that practitioners have freed themselves to be above morality and social norms. There’s no way that nourished children of imperial privilege such as the members of the circle might be able to know it, but many of these practices have their origins in cults devoted to the chaos gods of change and pleasure, Tzeench and Slaneesh respectively; for that's what is really going on behind the scenes, —the real purpose of the Circle of the Hermeguard—, is to initiate affluent imperial citizens into chaos worship.

It’s still possible —hard, but possible—, to ascend even further among the members of the circle. The secrecy of this sector is impossibly high. In the gatherings held by the elite of the Circle its expected for attendees to wear luxurious masks to conceal their identities. When members are this high among the rankings, when they are extremely committed to the circle, —and what it stands for—, it’s impossible to deny that the society’s activities have become fully heretical. It’s quite clear that the people that are able to get here are not the most prodigious, per se, but rather, they are the most willing to leave behind both conformity and allegiance to the Imperium. Analysis of secret archeological findings of demonic nature, the study of arcane spells, communication with beings from other species, as well as from the warp; and full-blown orgies; are some of the activities that the Elite of the circle takes pleasure in practicing.

When they are this involved in the sect, it’s only a matter of time before a privileged member of imperial society that one would assume to be normal, starts devoting itself to the gods of chaos, and the gifts they offer. The idealistic, naive bohemians that first started their journey when joining the Circle, now have found the ruinous means to achieve the artistic apotheosis that they have always sought, the unearthed knowledge they dreamed of obtaining.

And above it all, pulling all the strings, acting from the shadows, a single actor has plotted the downfall of a handful of these influential imperials. Rumors and legends that are whispered among hermeguardians call him “The utmost circle”, for they believe that the secret leaders of the Circle are a small cabal of genuises. However, in reality, it’s only one individual that's behind it all. His name, known only to forgotten imperial history tomes, is Auleth Nakhakua, an Astartes from the Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marine Legion. It’s not clear if he is the actual founder of the Circle, or if he just took charge of it at some unknown point in history, perverting it from its original purpose; but what's certain, is that he uses the society to advance the dominion of the powers of chaos inside imperial planets.

### Secrecy

Since members already see themselves as outcasts in society, they believe that a club like theirs would be quite frowned upon by other high-ranking members of the Imperium; because of that, they all agree that it’s much better to keep the whole ordeal as a secret. Also, It’s not hard to realize that the empire is a strict regime, and though most of the Circle members don’t think of themselves as heretical (the low ranking majority, at least), they are aware of how invasive ecclesiastical authorities can be; so it’s better to keep it all under wraps, far from the sight of the inquisition. Besides, the secrecy also adds a layer of exclusiveness and mystery that the members can’t deny enjoying, and in fact, it is common to find among hermeguardians a feeling of pompous superiority over the uncultured swines that would judge their sensibilities.

#### Secret Salute

This need to hide the Circle from outsiders, has led to the creation of secret symbols that members use in plain sight to find themselves among unsuspecting men and women. The most recognizable of these symbols is the secret greeting that enables them to clearly recognize a fellow Circle member in a formal social setting.

After introducing themselves to someone, the curious hermeguardian may ask something among the lines of:

*“What kind of hobbies do you have?”*

A fellow member will answer:

*“I indulge myself in the art of the hermeguard, from time to time”*

An innocuous enough response that outsiders will think as normal. After all, hermeguarding is a very individualistic hobby. It would not be strange if the interlocutor practiced this activity in private, unbeknownst to their peers.

However, a hermeguardian will continue interrogating with an equally seemingly innocuous question:

*“What kind of texts do you like to hermeguard?”*

Here, the member will respond:

*“The texts that talk about blue jays and passion fruit are the ones I find the most delight in”*

That specific phrase is what seals it. The blue jays allude to the wisdom that Circle members seek, and the passion fruit, to the dedication they have for artistic matters. Two members have successfully recognized each other in public. As a Circle courtesy, the interaction will end with a final response.

*“I too, delight myself in such sublime endeavors”.*

## Notable Members

##### **Paulia Von Zolnechik**

As a member of a prominent royal family that rules over an industrial world in the Segmentum Pacifus of the Galaxy, she was raised from an early age in the endeavors of governmental administration and ruling. However, while her sisters chose to learn a musical instrument, or to study foreign languages, when Paulia was offered what recreation activity she would like to do, she chose painting. What followed was that she developed a strong, burning passion for the art of painting, and as she grew up, she spent more and more time devoting herself to master the necessary techniques to become an accomplished artist. Unfortunately for the expectations of her family, her passion for art meant that she became uninterested in the responsibilities of a ruler. For months, she argued with her parents so that they would allow her to pursue her passion for her talent. However, as they threatened to disown her, Paulina, who refused to abandon her high-class lifestyle, realized that she would have to conform to a career deemed fit for someone of her status.

Still moved to somehow work in something art-related, Paulia entered the office of imperial propaganda in her system. In a few months she found herself being miserable with her constant duties as a propaganda designer. There was no passion, no heart to what she was doing, the product of her labor were mere images for making subjects compliant to the Imperium.

Paulia was given a breath of fresh air when she was recruited into the Circle of the Hermeguard. For a couple of years, Paulia could find solace in sharing her passion for art with people that could understand it. However, as war raged stronger and stronger in the galaxy, her responsibilities as head of propaganda designer grew more and more in size. From dusk to dawn, she had to somehow come up with effective propaganda designs. She spent hours, days and even months making hollow works that in return rendered her soul hollow as well.

Right as she started to grow depressed and suicidal, an anonymous high ranking member of the Circle made her a gift that would help her condition. As she unwrapped the present, a stench overwhelmed her senses. It was a putrefact skull, that when inspecting it closer, it seemed like it didn’t belong to a human neither to any animal she had ever seen; it was the cranium of a monstrous being, oozing from its eyes with a thick, smelly, red fluid. The note attached to the gift instructed her to use the ominous red liquid to write on a piece of paper what she would like people to see in her paintings, and then, to draw over it, concealing the red text. At first, she thought it was a sick joke, but seeing how the note bared the exclusive seal of the Circle elite, she eventually gave it a try.

Paulia discovered that whatever she wrote underneath a work of hers, people would inexplicably see, as if the words traced by the disgusting ink of blood had some sort of hypnotic effect on viewers. Without thinking much about it, she used this mysterious power that was given to her to turn her propaganda designs into the most inspiring pieces of art anyone had ever seen. Imperial subjects that laid witness to her works felt an intense devotion to defending and serving the Imperium. In very little time, Paulia was recognized as one of the most recognized propagandists in her side of the Galaxy. As she was promoted to director of the office of propaganda, she found herself with much more time to fully get back to her passion: painting. However, now she has to deal with the struggles of being an essential part of the Imperial system in the Pacificus Segmentum. She is now one of the greatest promoters of war in the empire, and that has put a big target on her back.

##### Liebe Innar

An accomplished poet and playwright, famous for his tragic stories of decaying and unattainable love. Many connect with his works because they deal with the theme of arranged marriages, and the dissatisfaction they usually entail; something that plenty of high-ranking members of the Imperium can relate to, as arranged marriage is a very common practice among the higher classes to forge political alliances between clans and factions. Liebe is an expert in this topic as he has been part of three separate arranged unions thanks to the fact that he belongs to a family of high aristocrats in an urbanized planet. If that sounds like a taxing thing to endure, it’s important to keep in mind that the spouses he is assigned to are usually old widows that seek to re-marry for merely social reasons. That’s why he’s had three of them, its because his spouses keep dying of old age, and as soon as Liebe thinks he is going to finally be able to freely love whoever he wants, his family clan assigns him to a new forced marriage.

Being invited to the Hermeguard Circle allowed him to take his writings to a whole new interstellar audience of melancholic men and women. However, it’s not the most important thing he did there. As he ranked up and immersed himself deeper into the mysteries of the Circle, chaotic visions started to invade his dreams, some of them inspired him to write; but as the visiones grew more itnense, they reached an apotheosis when an otherworldly being started talking to him in his sleep. Drawn to his deeply sad works, a being of warp sadness started to communicate with Liebe.

At first, he was scared by the demonly apparition, but then he became intrigued. As they both started to share and open themselves to each other, the poet ended up deeply and madly in love with the gloomy demoness. This was the most intense love he had ever felt. However, it was a love that slowly drove him to madness, as the object of his affection did not belong to the realspace, but rather, to the abstract dimension of the Immaterium; which meant that he could never quite reach her.

He stopped writing, as he dedicated himself to studying the forbidden chaotic texts that the Circle gave him access to. He read all about demons and the Warp, trying to find a way to fully be with his loved one. With time, he stopped washing himself, or even eating. His family noticed his worrying state, and promptly, they put him in an Imperial Asylum where he was treated with the rudimentary cures his planet had come up with to deal with crazed folk like him. Slowly, he decayed to his own death.

His last words were not an elaborate poem, or a complex play, but rather, the maddened scrawls in the wall of a lost man that only read “I will finally meet you".

##### Auleth Nakhakua

The chief Hermeguard, the only member of the so-called “Utmost Circle”, the man behind it all. Nakhakua is a Chaos Space Marine from the Thousand Sons Legion that belongs to the Cult of Manipulation. A scholar, like most of his legion brethren, Nakhakua realized that a proficient way to advance the influence of the ruinous powers would be through the use of subjects that could be exposed to the influence of chaos without them knowing. What is a better way to create heretics than to create them without even realizing that they are being corrupted? That's why he secretly took leadership of the Circle of the Hermeguard and steered it to become the heretical cult that it is today: to create subjects of chaos that had a high influence on planetary governments. That way, by making a few men fall, he could doom entire planets as a domino effect.

Being part of the cult of manipulation, through the years he has perfected ways to induct people to his sect, making them devoted to the Circle above all else. He knows what kind of people to exploit and how to do it. As a member of the Thousand Sons Legion, he has access to a myriad of tomes, artifacts and forbidden items that he employs to motivate the hermeguards into joining the higher rankings of the Circle. Nakhakua has little to no care for the lives that he ruins or corrupts. For him, it’s all about creating powerful sons of Chaos.

##### Frances Flos V

A rich aristocrat from a Feudal world in the Pacificus Segmentum. Or at least, that's what he says to his fellow hermeguardians, since in reality, Frances Flos is only the persona of Por’el Ksi'm'yen Bentus’la Gassa, a water caste gue'vesa diplomat of the xenos T'au Empire that has somehow found its way into the Circle of the Hermeguard. Not only that, but he has become a high ranking member thanks to the invaluable books of occult knowledge that he has been able to provide to the Circle. Por’el has access to these tomes, thought to be lost to time, due to the fact that the T'au authorities gave him entry to old inquisitorial libraries which contents were seized by T’au forces as their spheres of expansion took more and more human worlds. His job inside the T'au empire, and his way of serving the greater good, is to write works of human historiography so the diplomat water caste can fully understand human culture and ways of living. He is equal parts historian, scholar and diplomat; and for his outstanding works that lead T’au studies of humanity, he has been awarded the title of “Por”.

Stricken by luck, he became aware of the secret society that welcomed scholarly minds like his, so he got his hands on a typical Imperial aristocrat outfit, created a fake human name for himself, and started attending their meetings, concealing his true xenos affiliation. And despite the fact that he belonged to a completely different culture, he fit perfectly with the other members of the circle. And though many hermeguardians wonder why he never hosts any gatherings (because his home planet is a xenos one), very few have become aware of his true origins, and even when other high ranking members discover who he really is, they don’t really care as they see him as one of theirs, above all else.

Being a third generation gue’vesa, Por’el is completely indoctrinated to the philosophy of the greater good, fully believing that galactic peace can be achieved through cooperation. He also thinks of the Imperium as a savage, violent war machine that only seeds death and suffering; though this is not an uncommon viewpoint among the hermeguardians. However, as he dug himself deep into the ranks of the secret erudite society, Por'el has now put an artistic spin to his personal philosophy. Seeing how harmonious and passionate his fellow hermeguardians are,  he now believes that in order to achieve the greater good, —to accomplish galactic peace—, the Galaxy must no longer be shaped by war and its agents: warriors, strategists and conquerors. War has to be rendered obsolete all together. Instead, the Galaxy MUST be shaped by the minds of the Circle: creatives, scholars and bohemians.

Ever since he received this realization, a great ambition has taken over him. Thanks to the studies of heretical imperial history that he has written, he is fully aware of the demonic nature of the Circle that attempts to corrupt its members. He is confident that the ruinous powers promoted by the high-ranking elite of the Circle can surely be used to advance his own vision for the future of the galaxy. It’s all a matter of studying further, and waiting for the right opportunity to make his first move.

By: Circle of the Hermeguard

About: Circle of the Hermeguard

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