Gorjus Festicles

**Gorjus Festicles** [ˈɡɔːdʒəs fɛstɪkliːz] is a Death Guard Chaos Lord, and among the most destructive, vile and immoral Astartes to travel the forsaken galaxy under the banner of Nurgle. Considered an upstart, he is reviled by his peers, loathed by his enemies, he is nothing short of repulsion incarnate; the greatest among the Lord of Decay's truest believers.

## History

### Early Life

Gordon Pericles was born to a noble house on the pleasure world of Thezeum 3, heir to an immense commercial empire. His life took a very different path when an incursion of the Lords of Silence warband of Death Guard invaded the planet. Their way through the planet's defences paved by the corrupted Lord Pericles, they brought with them a vile plague of hitherto unseen destruction that rendered the planet a cesspit of viral contamination; a burgeoning Plagueworld filled with zombified Poxwalkers, Daemonic Plague Bearers and many other blessings imparted by Grandfather Nurgle.

Despite his willingness to sacrifice the entirety of his family and planet to Nurgle in return for his blessing of extended life and increased power, the Lord did not see the end of the his planet's transformation, as he suffered a painful death courtesy of several deadly pathogens. The family's sole survivor was the youngest of seven children, and though he was at first dismayed by the occurrence, he saw the beauty and art in Nurgle's machinations, and already embraced the changes brought about by the Plague God's blessings. Gordon Pericles was taken by the Lords of Silence and, without the need for indoctrination, he was brought into the cult of Nurgle to join the ranks of the Death Guard. Meanwhile, after an failed attempt by Imperial forces to subject the planet to Exterminatus, Thezeum 3 plane-shifted into the Immaterium to be ruled by one of Nurgle's lesser offspring.

### Reborn

As a newly ascended Plague Marine of the Lords of Silence, Pericles was reborn as Gorjus Festicles, his name chosen by warband Champion Seigemaaster Vorx upon experiencing his dedication to the religion first-hand, despite the incredible potential for pain and suffering at the hands of the warband's Plague Surgeons when he received the Death Guard's corrupted Gene-seed. Strong, resilient, and with the enhanced abilities of an Astartes, Festicles fought his way into the ranks of the Blightlord Terminators. Showing true dedication, with the prospect of advancement always in his mind, the upstart continued to increase in rank, and soon led a squad of Blightlords in the elite unit known as the Kardainn. It was when he led an immensely important mission to an Imperial stronghold Icronus 2 that he was elevated to the rank of Chaos Lord, further aggravating his subordinates, all of which had been a part of the warband long before Festicles was admitted.

### Plague Wars

During the period known as the Plague Wars, Festicles became concerned that thoughts of an external nature had begun to encroach on his mind. Initially taking this to be a pleasurable abnormality brought on by a new, interesting disease, he began to understand that the influence came from Nurgle, as relayed by a Nurgling that had manifested some time before. These sweet whisperings had him wishing to leave his beloved Lords of Silence and travel to a remote, hitherto unknown location, to join a warband of which he had no knowledge. He remained among his ancient brothers, however, until the conclusion of the Plague Wars, after which he set off with a small group of underlings to meet with potential allies, believing this to be the prelude to the warband's assimilation.

### Crimson Heart

Heading to the lesser known Crimson Heart, led there by the Ruinous Power Nurgle, Festicles arrived in what amounted to a small, ancient vessel that formerly constituted a Stealth Ship, though its Stealth abilities had long since depleted, resulting in a diseased, corroded warp vessel of small proportions. When the vessel landing close to the chosen destination, a former Black Legion fortress, little effort was made to prevent the deaths of nearby personnel, resulting in a sudden outbreak of various impossible sicknesses, though the quick deaths of the afflicted resulted in its lack of spreading. When attending the fortress, carrying his Nurgling messenger, and doing his best to prevent a repeat occurrence of deadly pathogenic destruction at the facility's gate, he was informed that his entry to the organisation depended on his slaying of a member of the local Fauna - a Chimera - and returning with a trophy. Though this displeased him, and he was tempted to fight his way in, he accepted it in good humour, saying nothing, lurched into the forests to seek out one of the intended targets, the Nurgling atop his armour his cheerful, giggling companion.

It did not take long before he encountered one, although it appeared unwilling to approach at first, encouraged only by a warning Bolt shot into its flank. As is approached the Death Guard Chaos Lord tentatively, the Astartes remained stoic, encouraging his Little Lord to run from harm, and made no move to defend himself. Waiting to engage at close range, eventually the Chimera's attack came and the unmoving Festicles was bitten by the beast, suffering what would have been, for an regular Astartes, a deadly sequence of deep incisions. The creature immediately regretted its action, as the nature of Festicles's Suppurating Plate was entirely unexpected by the hapless animal. Puss-filled sacks and tubes running beneath the armour sprayed their contents outwards, spattering the beast internally and externally, liquifying its face, teeth and mouth, quickly spreading its corrosive effect to its internal organs and structures. As the Chimera released its hold, the Astartes fired repeatedly through new openings in its hide, its flesh burnt outwards from the escalating damage within. Still capable of fighting, the beast manically darted at the Death Guard, but it was all too late to secure its survival, as the combination of bolt rounds to its weakened face, the infectious destruction of its body, and, when finally in range once more, a last energised Chainfist blow to the jaw that shattered its half-flayed skull was more than enough to secure the creature's death.

Eventually finding a piece of the creature that had not entirely dissolved under the effects of his relic armour, Festicles retrieved a small section of its jaw. Filled with broken and blackened teeth, pock-marked and crumbling, it was apparently no longer breaking down into bacterial slurry. Turning once again towards the fortress, Festicles slowly made his way back, lurching through what remained of the forest as an unstoppable, hideous reflection of an Astartes, content that he had easily defeated what really ought to have been a more challenging enemy. Leaving a trail of dead flora and fauna, and new life sprouting up in its wake, only to die once again and restart its next cycle, Festicles picked up his abandoned Nurgling and tickled its boil-covered belly.

## Appearance

Festicles has the appearance of Death Guard Chaos Lord in Terminator armour, though the blessings he has received from Nurgle vary from many others of his ilk in that he is less afflicted with spikes, tentacles or bloating. His appearance is more of a consumed body, his flesh an unhealthy mix of corpse-like shades that varies dependent on which pathogen is currently taking the lead in transforming his physique. Beneath his armour, his flesh and organs are half-putrified, held together by cancerous growths, oddly-strong sinews, and corrupt, chaotic muscle.

As with all Death Guard, Festicles has armour that is permanently bonded to his body, though he has no need to remove it for any biological reasons, as he is blessed with a divergent physiology. As the result of consistent use of a rebreather, in lieu of a helm, Nurgle blessed him with the inability to remove it, thus saving him the effort or worrying about it, thus; the lower half of his face consists of the imbedded equipment, and scar tissue surrounding it.

Festicles is also blessed enough to have retained natural sight in his right eye, though its cloudy cataract portrays blindness. His left eye, though practically black to look at, is multi-faceted, akin to that of a fly. Though his armour was once a mixture of the inherited bare Ceramite of the Death Guard during the Great Crusade, and the later sections looted from rival legions, it has taken on the green, mossy colouring of the Death Guard faction's most common, in honour of the Plague Lord's position on harbouring life.

## Personality

Slow to anger, Festicles believes himself of good humour, and of great interest to others. Among his brothers, he is considered a great leader and inspiring warrior. Though his philosophical understanding of Nurgle's religion is complex, he has equal distaste for any other of the beliefs associated with the other ruinous powers, causing occasional conflict with believers of other creeds, though he does not mean to cause specific offence, seeing it as pointless anyway. As a warrior that joined the Death Guard long after the Horus Heresy, he is considered an upstart, though this point of view has done nothing to hamper his stoicism and dedication to Nurgle's cause.

Contrary to the feelings of most others among the Death Guard, Festicles not only believes in the changes wrought by Nurgle upon the galaxy, but he also takes pleasure in the conversion of others, the suffering they feel and their disgust in viewing their own bodies with the terrible pathogens he is capable of giving them. This has nothing to do with any manipulation or corruption of his mind, but was a part of his understanding prior to any attempts to convert him.

## Abilities and Traits

Disgustingly Resilient - Due to gifts granted by Nurgle, the damage caused to him tends to be reduced, such as when a bolt explodes in a node of puss-filled flesh, the damage can be contained more easily.

Revoltingly Resilient - Similar to the above, this trait allows Festicles to shrug off damage that would cause serious injury to other Astartes, either by way of supplementing functionality with alternate bodily growths and organs, or simply not requiring the damaged portions of his body to function at peak efficiency.

Lord of the Death Guard - When in battle, nearby units tend to fight harder and more efficiently, this inspiration providing additional chances at damaging enemy units.

## Wargear

Sigil of Corruption - The blessings of Nurgle provide Festicles with the means of reinforcing his defensive capabilities though warp energetic means, thus; regardless of a weapons penetrative capability, the chance of defence will generally remain the same.

Suppurating Plate - The ancient collection of parts consisting of Indomitus and Cataphractii Terminator armour worn by Festicles is of a relic nature, whereby tubes of corrosive, infectious puss run beneath its surface, as constructed by the armour's skilled artificer. Should the plate be breached, or in some cases only lightly scraped, the tubes will expel their contents from the damaged sections, resulting in the spatter of the attacking enemy, often resulting in their attacker's wounding or death.

Teleport Homer - As with regular Terminator armour, that worn by Festicles contains a teleport homer that enables him to be teleported into or out of battle using a teleportation device.

Combi-Melta - A double-barrelled weapon consisting of an ancient Boltgun and Melta-gun, allowing a variation of attacks verses enemy targets with regular or reinforced armour.

Chainfist - A standard Powerfist with a Chainsword attachment, designed for cutting through armoured bulkheads and reinforced armour.

## Relations

His relationship remains suitably productive with his brethren among the Death Guard, and, considering his great age, they don't see his move to the Foretoken as being anything of a permanent transition.

### Friends and Allies

Aside form his brethren, he has garnered several relationships over the millennia that have resulted in various provisions of assistance in both directions, which makes him an anomaly among the Death Guard, who tend to work only with their own kind.

**Ezekiel** - Chaos cultist, and personal equerry to Festicles, this former soldier turned to Nurgle during the height of war, when disease ravaged his platoon. Offered mortal salvation at the cost of his soul, he took the deal offered to him, his allegiance shifting to the God that would save him from the terrible pain of the pathogen ravaging his system, in the absence of the God-Emperor's blessing, and turned on his fellow soldiers, sacrificing them in order to appease Nurgle and establish the relationship with his new patron. Seeking out the forces of Nurgle, while continually undermining the Imperium's stability wherever possible by establishing Nurglite cults, he eventually encountered Festicles, and was taken to serve among the Death Guard. Armed with an Autopistol, Dagger and Improvised Mace, he puts his training to good use in the assault of his enemies, often providing support in securing secondary objectives, whilst his master attends to the matter of conflict.

**Marburg** - The green Nurgling, mostly seen standing atop the Chaos Lord's armour, and often in possession of a Censer/Thurible, manifested only shortly after Festicles's choice to dedicate himself to Nurgle. Having existed for longer than eight millennia beside Festicles, this Little Lord has been his only true companion, where he has more recently been forsaken by his kin. Receiving a moniker in reference to an ancient virus, this Nurgling lives up to his name, occasionally spreading deafly pathogens of his own.

**Septimus** - A Poxwalker of advanced age, he was personally named Jim by Festicles when he demonstrated his effectiveness in battle, somehow surviving an onslaught that should have seen him cut to ribbons. Thought to have been blessed by Nurgle to a far greater degree than any Poxwalker the Chaos Lord had seen, let alone the apparently unending amount of time his would-be deteriorating body has managed to survive beyond the point of his creation, he is considered lucky. His name is that of number Seven, the number held sacred by the followers of Nurgle.

### Enemies

In general, Festicles sees his enemies as uninformed, ignorant persons who have not yet embraced Nurgle, but eventually will, or else in death will simply add to the cycle of death and rebirth inherent in the universe. This feeling, however, is less than mutual, as most who come into contact with Festicles instantly dislike or hates him, or wish to kill him, however difficult it may be.