Niklaas

*"In a consummate defence, properly fought from a well-prepared fortress, one may perceive one of the salutary lessons of war. In no scenario do we see more clearly the advantage in pulling a battle onto one’s own terms. One must not see the limitations of walls, instead find the killing grounds into which the foe may be drawn. Let the foe feel the disdain of one's volleys, the contemptuous ease with which their forlorn hopes are smashed. Behind the facade of an immense and redoubtable army, find a throng of bored soldiers ready to be ground down by their own inaction. Thus a scenario most often equated with desperation may be exploited by the astute warlord to inflict a consummate defeat."*

Excerpt from Niklaas' treatise *On Stone As Weapon*

## Niklaas

### Allegiance

Loyalists

**Niklaas**, known as the '***Steel Prince***', was the Primarch of the XIIth Legion, the Fire Keepers. Of all the Emperor's sons, his expertise in siege warfare was the greatest. With the outbreak of the Ruins, his expertise would be vital to fending off the Traitors' and Separatists' armies.

## **History**

Obsailes, like most of Humanities ancient holdings, was hard hit by Age of Strife. Reduced to reproducing feudal technology alone the native tribes venerated the few technological heirlooms of their past for two reasons; firstly their immense power — compared to their primitive devices — and secondly because they were untouched by witch taint. Warp tainted weapons were common on Obsailes, for as long as could be remembered it had been plagued by covens of malicious psykers. Nor could it be told when their leader, the Witch King, had first risen to terrorise the tribes.

Spread across Obsailes' northern continent, its tribes-peoples had sequestered themselves within cities akin to fortresses, each one with walls strong and tall. Watchmen armed with muskets and pikes patrolled the ramparts watching warily for threats. By day they could hold such foes at bay and armed convoys would cautiously sally forth from their walls in strength. By night however the Witch King ruled, and the nights upon Obsailes were long and dark.

Not only do day and night upon Obsailes last far longer than on than Terra, but in addition the nature of its orbit means that for a third of the year a 'Long Night’ prevails. Between Obsailes and it's sun lies a vast debris field, the remains of some long forgotten battle from the Age of Strife. Thanks to its density and some unfathomable form of half functioning shielding technology commonplace among the wrecks this could shroud the sun for months at a time. The debris field's chaotic nature means that such periods are unpredictable and of indeterminate length and the only warning was a strange dappling of the light that sent foraging parties, no matter how numerous or well armed, flying in terror to their cities before they were cast the anomaly's shadow. For this time the tribes were constantly under siege. Countless holdings fell as warp fuelled monstrosities with unbreakable hides tore down their walls, or as sorcerer’s used their foul arts to beguile the minds of gate sentries so that their doors swung open. Others moved as shadows unhindered by any barrier, caring not for wall nor watch fire, murdering where they pleased. The night was for them both as concealment and a weapon, for humanity has ever feared the dark.

The tribes retaliated in the only way they could, casting out any psyker child they found amongst them into the forests to fend for themselves. However, the reach of the Witch King was long: his whispers would guide the outcasts regardless of distance, and they would invariably join the creatures that assailed their human brethren. In truth it might well have been the practice of abandonment that began the threat, with survivors building up over generations. Another possibility is that ancient cults had endowed themselves with abhorrent abilities, though some native scholars claimed that it was a curse brought with or even to them from the stars citing beastly remains and bizarre artefacts worshipped by certain cults. Such was the world that Niklaas came upon.

Fortune favoured Niklaas, for his pod landed both during daylight and within view of the sentry towers of Tribe Grannus.The patrol sent to investigate returned with a prize beyond their imagining.

As Niklaas was watched warily by his mentors. They might well have taken him to be a creation of the Witch King. Instead, they saw him as a weapon to ensure their tribe’s survival not just because of his physical prowess, but by how fast he exceeded the lessons given to him in smithing and fortification. He designed methods of reinforcing the walls and when the walls were breached he was the first to fall upon the attacker, often helping repair any damage to the defences with his own hands. While most adhered to a binary shift some sleeping at night and some at day the Primarch seemed constrained to neither, working intermittently during the day and standing sentinel during the night.

Eventually the Primarch rose until he was the ruler of the Grannus holdings. The so called nightsiders were won over first by Niklaas's leadership and skill whenever a breach was suffered. The daysiders were slower to come around, but during the Long Nights their shift too suffered the dark and they too witnessed Niklaas’ full abilities. Not all on the soldier's and builder's councils were willing to bow to the Master of the Walls, a few argued that he could not surpass their collective efforts. The next day, Niklaas was gone. As dawn had risen over the city, he had given the guards of the Western Gate orders to let him pass. They complied without word. None in the city would set out after him for of late a mutant beast they called 'the Devil’ had plagued them during night and day, slaughtering any who dared set foot beyond the walls. Yet as dusk stole across the woods and the watch fires were set alight sentries spied Niklaas approaching the Northern Gate. Behind him he dragged a corpse three times his size, its mottled hide torn pierced by a steel shafted spear driven clean through its misshapen skull. The next morning Niklaas was declared to be their leader. His first commandment was that no psyker would be cast forth from the city. Instead each and every one would suffer execution. Grannus would provide no more monsters to prey upon its peoples. Roughly a year later Niklaas would lead the first overnight expedition outside the city walls in living memory. The expedition was almost feared lost until it arrived back at the city with a cargo of nigh unfindable anti-psychic ore. This was the first sign that Niklaas would retake Obsailes from the witches.

Upon his return Niklaas took the ore to his personal forge and spent two weeks toiling. During this time the cities besiegers roused their hate once more and began again to assail its walls. In the night the Steel Prince blunted such assaults and in the day flames were seen billowing from his forge. Then one night when shadow walkers had emerged within the city Niklaas burst out of his forge wielding a great war hammer of polished night. Where mundane weapons proved useless his hammer smote them, dispersing them into mist that burnt away as light fell upon them. The surviving shadowkin fled.

The war hammer, the Redeemer, would serve Niklaas into the Insurrection and beyond. For now it would slay a god. Again he announced his intention to leave the cities confines. He spoke clearly of intentions to find and slay the Witch King. From another this was insanity. Indeed, it was perilously near to the fall of the next Long Night. His only assurance to the tribe was that a broken vessel was useless to the Witch King. Niklaas would be gone for nearly a month. During this time they forged many weapons of the Beast Hunter's design. Caches of blasting powder and steam powered mining contraptions were cautiously repaired for their Lord’s return. The next Long Night fell and at first they despaired. Yet even as the woods raged with witchfire and was pierced by the cries of the damned, no assault came. The few intruders were battle weakened and seemed almost to be seeking refuge. They were met with fire. They nearly greeted their Lord that way also. He had knocked upon the gate thrice, and the sentries could not believe that the shadows were not deceiving them. It took witnesses warded by Niklaas' tokens to convince the sentries that he was who he appeared to be. Rather than be enraged their actions Steel Prince praised the wardens vigilance. By now the city folk knew that the psykers were warring amongst themselves. Niklaas now confirmed their hopes. The Witch King was slain.

As they waited out the long night the tribe continued with the preparations that were now overseen personally by the Witch’s Bane. At First Light he led contingents out of the city in daytime hunts for the hidden lairs of the horrors. Where these were found blasting powder was brought to blow them open and leave their inhabitants in sunlight. These beings were lethal in nature and such forays cost the tribesmen, but the witches were weakened by their strife. For the first time in living memory the mortals of Obsailes struck back at their tormentors. Niklaas did not pick his targets without care, instead seeking to clear corridors to where other cities might stand. Soon they witnessed smoke upon the horizon.

The Nerius tribe was astounded by the mortal army before their gates, and more so at the figure leading it. A witch's spawn, some claimed, who had managed to enthrall an entire city. They would not even let his voice be heard. It took time and many dead horrors before the leaders of tribe Nerius consented to accept his aid in fortifying against the warp tainted that attacked the cities coastal border. After the work's completion they attacked Nerius from the sea direct only once and it ended in massacre for the foul beasts. Satisfied, the Nereids swore to follow the Steel Prince.

Not all cities bowed. Some fought Niklaas out of fear or pride. Others were enthralled by psykers and their cities themselves became lairs for the damned. Such holdings were costly to take but more costly to leave, for they served as seats of power and rallying points for the Witch King’s surviving lieutenants. By the time Niklaas and his armies had swept the continent clean of warpspawn and the only foes left had fled beyond Niklaas’ wrath into the waves, the Witch's Bane had twelve tribes under his control that would expand until all the old cities were retaken. Despite peace neither the Steel Prince nor his followers forgot the ancient threat: the constant culls of born psykers served as a constant reminder. Such was the state of affairs when the Emperor came to Obsailes.

### **Tempering a Legion**

When the Emperor came to Obsailes to reveal Niklaas' destiny, He was met with barred gates. Although Niklaas had slain the Witch King himself, there were fears that the Emperor represented a last weapon or perhaps even the Witch King reborn in a new form. To allay this resistance, the Emperor demonstrated patience as He waited before the walls of Grannus, displaying no hostile intent to its defenders. The same could not be said for the monsters of Obsailes. Believing a lone man to be easy prey, they assaulted the Emperor during the night and soon met death at the edge of the Emperor's fiery blade. After three days of this vigil, Niklaas sallied forth alone to meet with this strange and powerful being. What conversation passed between the two has gone unrecorded. By the end of it, Niklaas bowed before the Emperor and swore allegiance.

Although Niklaas would serve, he would do so on his own terms. Up to this point, it had become tradition for each Primarch to spend a period of time under the mentorship of the Emperor, either on Terra or on campaign. Niklaas, however, refused. He took immediate command of the Twelfth and ordered them to Obsailes for a complete inspection. As elements of the Twelfth Legion trickled into the system from other battlefields, Niklaas turned his attention to learning about the Imperium, technology, and the galaxy as he waited. Once the last unit had arrived, Niklaas thoroughly examined his new Legion. Although Niklaas approved of their professionalism and shared their spirit of pessimism, he found the Twelfth wanting. It is said he was disappointed with their limited purpose and chose to expand it.

No longer would the XIIth be simple slayers. They would be builders, crafters, and protectors. For, in his cynical way, Niklaas was an idealist. While he was all too aware of the dangers of the night and the weaknesses of Man, he would not shirk his duties as guardian. He instructed his sons in the ways of fortification, both in body and mind. Not only was the Twelfth to learn on how to build the walls that separated humanity from physical threats, but also to stand watch against the deprivations that lay dormant within humanity's collective soul. According to the Primarch, he and his legion would keep the fires lit to ward away both evil within and without. It would not be long after that Niklaas would formally rename the XIIth Legion as the Fire Keepers.

Words were soon matched with deeds. Before the Legion returned to the stars, it had to prove itself on the earth. Commanding the power of an entire Legion, the first task Niklaas set before them was the complete and utter annihilation of the foul creatures that lingered in Obsailan shadows. This served three purposes. First, it would render Obsailes a safe redoubt, a final keep the Fire Keepers could always fall back to. Second, it exposed the Fire Keepers to the horrors that had long plagued Obsailes and humanity in general, letting them learn the nature of the 'true enemy' as Niklaas called them. Third and final, Niklaas used the campaign to measure his own sons' strength of spirit. Forty days and nights passed as the Fire Keepers methodically destroyed the last threat to Obsailes. Niklaas would soon learn that for all of their transhuman gifts, the soul of Astartes differed only somewhat from the soul of a mortal. A Space Marine could be bewitched or be rent by sorcery. Niklaas studied all of this and prepared. In turn, the Fire Keepers learned in the campaign and discovered that among all of mankind's tools, it was fire that proved most effective against the monsters of the night. Gradually, fire became imbued within the XIIth as much as their new name suggested.

After this time of destruction, a time of creation followed. Niklaas set his sons to building fortifications, combined with Imperial technology and his own insights. While no Legion homeworld lacked in defences, Niklaas' zeal would not be satisfied with any less than perfection. Walls were raised, void shields were installed, and gun emplacements stood sentinel over inch of Obsailes. When the last macro cannon groaned to life, Niklaas extended his efforts to the entire system. The debris field responsible for the Long Nights became a sphere of protection as it was seeded with mines, ambush sites, and sensor relays. During this process, the Fire Keepers discovered several archeotech designs and devices that were soon made to serve the Legion in the form of relic warships.

Years passed as the Fire Keepers' followed through their gene-sire's exacting details. All through the physical process of fortification, Niklaas oversaw the reinforcement of his sons' mental defences. The Lord of the Twelfth wrote catechisms to reinforce lessons learned during the extermination campaign and to protect the mind from influence with zealous devotion. The former professionalism of the Legion was weaponised and strengthened to create barriers of the soul that would confound sorcery and witchcraft. Nor did this go on without notice. A portion of the War Council were offended by what seemed to be almost naked religious teachings disguised with a secular face. Combined with Niklaas' subtle suspicion of the Emperor, few would go so far as to whisper that Niklaas' true intent was secession. These most hostile of critics saw the intense fortification of the Obsailes system as merely another hint that Niklaas would act against the Imperium's interests. If there were such dissenting voices within the Legion, they go unrecorded. For all intents and purposes, the Twelfth submitted itself entirely to their Primarch's will, no doubt the instinctive loyalty bred into their genetics made them all too pliable to Niklaas' authority and persuasion.

Nor did Niklaas allay any of those suspicions with his final act in the Legion's transformation. He instituted an order of chaplains, chosen from the Fire Keepers who had devoted themselves to his teachings in mind, body, and soul. While the Halcyon Wardens were the first to resurrect the questionable position, Niklaas went much further in their implementation. Where the Fifth Legion chaplains served as guides and were viewed as a specialist officer, the Twelfth Legion chaplains possessed three ranks in of themselves and had the right to assume command of squads, companies and even chapters if they were of sufficient rank. It is rumoured that at this late stage, the Emperor received petitions to intervene before the Obsailes System defences were completed. Whether or not such an event did occur, the day finally arrived when Niklaas deemed the Obsailes the perfect fortress. Only the Sol System, the seat of the Imperium and the Mechanicum, could boast better defences than Obsailes.

Upon hearing that Niklaas' work was completed, the Emperor himself sent orders for the Fire Keepers' first campaign. The orders were personally delivered by Tribune Abram Hasrubal of the Custodes, though the Emperor resisted the advice to send a larger detachment. It is said that Niklaas received the orders and uttered a single sentence in reply: "So be it." The very next day the Twelfth Legion returned to the stars with their Primarch at their head.

## **Physical Description**

The Primarch Niklaas is a large and physically imposing figure. His black hair is clipped short and he wears a heavy beard. His eyes are dark like the sky just before a storm. Niklaas is most often seen wearing terminator plate and carries a unique thunderhammer in battle. Niklaas appears taciturn and morose to those that are not close to him. In the company of those he considers close Niklaas has a dry sense of humor. The Primarch has a deep insight into human behavior but isn't always certain of how to interact with others. He values honesty above all even when others consider it blunt or even cruel. Niklaas is a craftsman with a natural intuition of the mechanical. He is known for forging armor and weapons of stunning quality and power. His works include "Corinthian" pattern terminator armor and the monstrous ordinatus weapons used by his legion's siege engineers. As well as many gifts given to his siblings and the officers of his legion.

## **Wargear**

* **The Habergeon**
* **The Redeemer**
* **Peacemaker**
* **Null Matrix**
* **Frag Grenades**