Atlan Khassim

## Altan Khassim

**Atlan Khassim** is a decorated Vicar hailing from the Lightning Wraiths, and was permanently seconded to the Deathwatch instead of being after his exploits on the Eultic Campaign have gained the interest of Lord Inquisitor [++REDACTED++]. The campaign, an unfortunate result of his experimentation with the Orks’ hierarchical structure and animalistic urge to assert dominance through combat, would’ve resulted in his rank of Vicar to be stripped from him and the interment into the Ghanszig cadres. This failure weighs heavily on Khassim’s conscience and has made him very bitter throughout his time in the Deathwatch. A brilliant mind who studies xenobiology when away from his duties to search for more efficient methods of killing the alien blight of the Imperium, Khassim is typically sequestered away from the eyes of his compatriots within the Watch Fortress. However, he is not one to shy away from his duties and endeavors to carry them out with as much, if not more, vigilance as if he was still in the Chapter. Given his unique rank as Vicar, he acts as both a spiritual advisor and healer for his comrades-in-arms within the Deathwatch. He also finds himself in the company of Mjalmir Bloodmaw, a Wolf Priest who has made it his personal mission to dig Khassim out of his self-imposed cell of self-loathing and bitterness.

## History

Atlan Khassim was one of the twin sons of the Daimyo, or Ruler, of the Myoka Empire from their homeworld of Faishun. Either he or his brother, Ilyas Khassim, were destined to be the heirs of the Empire when their father's time has come to an end. However, when the brothers were 11 Standard years old, the Lightning Wraiths had begun the search for the future generation of Astartes and were visiting all of their recruitment worlds. Stories of the great Lightning Wraiths were commonplace within the palace walls as the servants, guards, and tutors to the young heirs constantly gossiped among themselves. These stories fuelled their curiosity and drive to become one of the legendary Astartes. And so, while the Myoka Empire slept, the two brothers snuck out of the city's protective walls with as many supplies their bodies could carry and trekked to where they believed the Lightning Wraiths would be waiting to collect the children. Their disappearance was reported on the next day and the Shaikh had announced that his youngest child and only daughter would become the next Daimyo of Myoka.

## Appearance

Atlan Khassim is afflicted with the same genetic mutation that curses the entirety of the Lightning Wraiths. Alabaster skin, milky irises and pure white hair are the iconic traits of every Lightning Wraith and Atlan Khassim is no exception. His right eye is replaced with a bionic due to an old campaign injury, a splash of burning promethium from an Ork Burna hitting the right side of his face after his helmet was wrenched off by another Ork, and the injury can still be seen in the rare moments when Atlan removes his helmet. Much like his twin brother, Ilyas Khassim, Atlan has a trimmed goatee with a pronounced mustache. Unlike Ilyas, Atlan prefers to have long hair which is typically kept in a ponytail to prevent it getting in the way.

In terms of height, Atlan is rather short for an Astartes as he is barely under 7-feet tall. This phenomenon has confused many of his peers in the Lightning Wraiths during his trials, but many have concurred the potential cause for this was a defect in Khassim's gene-seed. Donning Terminator Armor only makes him marginally larger than most of the other Astartes of his assigned Watch-Fortress. Despite his smaller stature, he is just as strong and inhumanly fast as the others. There are some who say that his smaller size was the price his body paid in order to be more resilient because there have been many recorded instances where Khassim was able to recover from grievous injuries that would have meant death or interment into a Dreadnought.

In fact, his alias “Og’Khul” or “ogre” is a reference to his grotesque features and heavily scarred body. It had prompted the creation of his custom Niveran-pattern Diagnostor Helmet that mimicked the appearance of a traditional ogre mask from his homeworld that was supposed to ward off evil spirits. Coupled with the battered Indomitus Terminator Armor that he prefers, Khassim marching into battle can be confused as the manifestation of the Myokan Shinigami. A being whose sole purpose is to collect souls that have overstayed their welcome in the realm of the living.

## Personality

Atlan Khassim, like many of his chapter, is a very introverted individual. He speaks only when required - typically in a very blunt manner with no thought about recrimination - and prefers the company of historical tomes, xeno-biological research papers, or the silence of the Reclusiam. This introversion and reluctance to communicate are further exacerbated by his circumstances. His failures in the Eulta Campaign and his subsequent exile into the Deathwatch by his Preceptor have made him extremely dour and irritable. His insubordinate behaviour and scathing personality were the sparks of many scuffles between him and many of his compatriots. Normally this behaviour would have been unacceptable for even his brothers in the Lightning Wraiths, but Khassim believes that nobody can truly punish or reprimand him anymore. His permanent position in the Deathwatch, along with the threat of becoming one of the Ghanszig should he return to his chapter, is the greatest punishment one could give to his kind. Only a worthy death could absolve him from his sins. However, there is warmth still in his soul, but it only reveals itself briefly when amongst true comrades and to mortals who have earned his respect.

## Relations

Interestingly, Atlan has blood relatives in the Lightning Wraiths. His twin brother Ilyas Khassim, who is a fellow Lightning Wraith, and a dynasty of serfs known as the Karlyle Family, who are his distant cousins.

The Karlyle Family is a dynasty of Chapter Serfs that have earned their place amongst the multitude of savants serving the Lightning Wraiths through their unwavering loyalty to the Chapter. The first generation of the Karlyles arrived with the Khassim twins, as they were indebted to the twins' kindness during their journey through the Jirae Mountains.

## Wargear

* **Indomitus-pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armor** - Atlan Khassim is a unique character within his chapter as he is more comfortable in a hulking and nigh-impenetrable suit of Terminator Armour than behind the cockpit of a Landspeeder or on the seat of an Attack Bike. While not part of the infamous Stalkers that explored Space Hulks in search of relics and trophies, Khassim had a history of volunteering to be a part of their expeditions should the need for an Apothecary arise. His particular set of Tactical Dreadnought Armor is custom-made by the artificers of the Deathwatch, as it incorporates elements of his chapter as well as his homeworld of Faishun. For example, his right pauldron is a stylised version of a Cataphractii Terminator pauldron and it even has a low-yield shield generator built-in underneath the thick slabs of ceramite. The pauldron itself is a trophy that he ripped off of an Iron Warrior he bludgeoned in the past.

* **Vida’Ahnye** - A word in Pyzhosen Volk that means “retribution” or “salvation”, it refers to the custom-made two-handed mace shaped in a *kanabo*, a traditional weapon of the Myokan Warrior Priests. The *Vida’Ahnye* is Khassim's symbol of office as he was a part of the Fyarat'Karum, the Lightning Wraiths' Sanctum of Healing, and is a fearsome weapon in the hands of a master. Large and unwieldy, the weapon's appearance betrays the unexpected swiftness that its user may showcase when combatting his enemies. As per Khassim’s request, the weapon’s power field generator was given a function that could allow him to overcharge it’s field strength. Normally, the top of the weapon would glow blue if it was activated. If Khassim were to overcharge the weapon, the glow would extend up to the generator and the resulting strike would have explosive damage akin to multiple Thunder Hammers hitting a target simultaneously. However, this quirk comes in a dangerous cost as Khassim would be gambling on whether or not the overcharge would cause the power field generator to drain completely and if his enhanced strike would short out the servos of his armor.

* **Kyv’Arak** - A word in Pyzhosen Volk that means “judgement”, it refers to Khassim’s Niveran-pattern Diagnostor helmet, which adds the components of a standard Diagnostor helmet to a Chaplain's skull helmet. His particular helmet is shaped in the image of a guardian spirit of his homeworld. Within the cylinder in between his helmet’s jaws, is a gas that acts as both poison and combat stimulant. The concoction, one of Khassim’s making, heavily relies on an Astartes’ Premnor gland to neutralize the poisonous gas. The biochemical reaction that takes place within the body produces a significantly higher amount of adrenaline that is released into the bloodstream. This in turn allows Khassim, as this gas is released into his helmet, to conduct feats of strength that are beyond the capabilities of Terminator Armor. However, the after-effects of using this concoction include extreme fatigue and loss of motor function in the extremities. As such, this concoction is only used as a last-ditch option where the possibility of extracting gene-seed from fallen brothers is negligible.

* **Combi-Melta** - While he is a master of close-quarters combat, Khassim prefers to use his Combi-Melta whenever the situation favours the tactical edge of a ranged weapon. Furthermore, his out-of-the-box train of thoughts often results in him utilizing the melta in creative ways.

* **Nathercium** - As a former member of the Fyarshan, Khassim is thoroughly trained in the usage of the Nathercium and is solely responsible for ensuring that the legacy of his comrades-in-arms will not be lost to the foul machinations of humanity's enemies.

* **Frag and Krak Grenades**