Flawless Heralds

Flawless Heralds Amorial with Warband iconography

A Flawless Heralds Astartes

"*There is no place where you can hide from the most excellent siegemasters!*"
— Princep Veus Odarashar
The **Flawless Heralds** are a Chaos Warband formed by elements from the Emperor's Children and survivors of the 69th Grand Company of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legions, seduced and later corrupted by a Daemon of Slaanesh. The Flawless Herals follows the mysterious designs of their daemonic master and if a good offer is presented, they join the battle of others as mercenaries.

Interested to achieve perfection in their warfare art, they are prideful, cruel and ruthless.

## Warband History

### Founding

The Flawless Heralds Warband was formed in an unknown time between the end of the Horus Heresy and the Great Scouring, by the survivors of the 69th Grand Company of the Iron Warriors heavily hunted by the loyalists and unknown forces from the Emperor's Children that found themselves allied with after being cornered by their pursuer. The two traitor forces and their leaders decided to join their efforts against the adversities they were facing but even if united by a pact of survival, found it difficult to accept each other. The more practical Iron Warriors strenuously refused to give in to the worship of chaotic deities as the Emperor's Children did, this risked creating an internal schism and the destruction of the Warband itself since the very beginning.

However, in the end Alakhe'shiri, a lesser Daemon of Slaanesh who possessed one of the Emperor's Children captains, started to whisper to **Barnabas Galdband**, the Iron Warriors leader, corrupting him slowly but steady, day by day. In time the corruption spreaded through the Iron Warriors lines and, even if some resistance, the two bands were mostly merged in one purpose, devoted to the Chaos God and mainteining the martial prowess of both Legions.

In their first millennia, the Flawless Heralds weaged war against other smaller Chaos Space Marine Warbands to assert their much celebrated superiority, creating for them a notorious name during the 'Wars of Pride' that will later used for being hired at their own conditions.

### Clash of Iron

The Flawless Heralds will later appear during M34 among the forces of the 'Iron Pact', leaded by the Iron Brotherhood against the entire Ogun System, where the homeworld of the Iron Juggernauts is located. The tithe for the partecipation in this long conflict later known as 'Clash of Iron' was salty, the Iron Brotherhood was obliged to give up modified and improved weapons from their own collection and also the pleasure to sack the Fortress-Monastery first. While heavy the payment was well placed, as the main forces of the Flawless Heralds partecipated during the siege of *Valhgard*, with their veteran terminator cadre, the Iron Guard entering the breach first and killing many Iron Juggernauts before being repelled by the counter offensive leaded by Forge Otec **Iron Wermand**.

After the succesful sortie from the Iron Juggernauts, the Flawless Heralds smelled the defeat and retired in good order leaving their allies to suffer more losses before being violently repelled and forced to withdraw. On their escaping route however they were intercepted by the Battle Barge known as ***Mother Swan*** and faced her Exterminatus ordinance directly on the rearguard of their fleet, losing some vessels in the process. This will bring the Flawless Heralds to avoid the Iron Juggernauts in the future.

### The Schism

The century long conflict of the 'Clash of Iron' and the extended period of time fighting alongside other Iron Warriors Warbands with more traditionalist views and far close to the original Legion traditions instilled in **Dorgus Erdalexi**, commander of the **Iron Guard**, a sense of nostalgia of the old ways awakening his slumbering pride and suspitions about something wrong not only in the highest echelons of the Warbands but among the battleline Astartes too.

After sharing his preoccupation with his most close comrades and personal squad of the Iron Guard, Dorgus started a slow and secret operation to uncover the mysteries of the Warband, the help of the former Consul-Librarian **Porso Bharrox** and the Astartes **Trago Vernius** will be providential to discover that the voice in their heads that he and his commrades have suffered for millennia were not a symptom of stress or battle inducted disorders but an actual warp creature who was trying to grasp inside their mind as already did with many others. The sudden realization of the existence of Alakhe'shiri and the corruption it spreaded among the Warband forced Dorgus to take action, the 'Schism' started shortly.

With the help of Porso, he managed to surround himself with the stronger minded and most resiliant to the daemon influx, concetrating the powers of all the terminator cadre in his hands a task easy enough tanks to his position of Warsmith and looking for allies in the small coalition known as the **Orphans of Olympia**, (composed by three minor Warbands of the **Lunar Hammers**, the **Stygian Flames** and the **Brass Destroyers**) renowned for their effort of keeping alive the IVth Legion tradition and their struggle to be loyal to their Primarch and the Legion or the Imperium, and planning to reaching out for the Iron Brotherhood too which will most surely support his quest for eradication and cleasing against the daemon pawns.

However the treason plans can be kept for long, as their secret meeting and the investigations of Trago raised susspect in the minds of their fellows, minds which are open books for the eyes of the Alakhe'shiri, who started immediately to send its forces to force the separatist to comply by strenght or drown in their blood. Forced to action Dorgus unfolded his not-ready-yet plan and answered with violence, thanks of the might of their terminator armours and the external support of the Orphans of Olympia he managed to slain a great numbers of their former brothers on his way out, boarding and successfully stealing the Heavy Cruiser ***Huntress of Almira*** before withdrawing alongside their allies.

Even if victorious the Iron Guard will be always hunted by the Flawless Heralds and the Black Legion, the entire existence of their rebellion covered by the daemon pawns never to reach the ears of the stronger Iron Warriors Warband like the Forgekings or the Iron Brotherhood, relying on low value alliances with smaller Warbands and in piracy and slave raids as the only way to survive, the Iron Guard and the Orphans of Olympia will slowly fade for attrition or suicide after meeting the sudden realitation that will never previal in their quest to destroy the Flawless Heralds completely with only Dorgus and other fews managing to survive to see the end of M41 before passing away.

### Black Crusades

The Flawless Heralds will be sighted again following some of the Black Crusades of Abaddon the Despoiler, while remains unknown if they were hired or simply followed the Warmaster for their own purposes, it is rumored that the Warband was involved in the ambush against the Venerators and the Warhawks during the 5th Black Crusade in M36 and were also sighted in numbers lower then normal during the 7th Black Crusade intercepting some of the reinforcements directed to Midian, until brutally defeated by the Carcharodons and is still believed today that the encounter with the Space Sharks was the reason of their reduced numbers in the future, if truth or not this defeat however forced them to retreat to lick their wounds.

The Warband continued to appear following the Black Crusades, but the reports remain unprecise and misleading. No major engagement occured or has been recorded, except their fight against the Exorcist during the Gothic War from which they withdrawed after a brief skirmish and it is believed that during the 13th Black Crusade their presence was only to follow their own agenda and their leader' daemonic designs.

### The Message

"*Here Dorgus Erdalaxi, commander of the Iron Guard and field-promoted Warsmith of the now forgotten 69th Grand Company of the IVth Legion. This transmission it is not about asking for forgiveness as my actions are beyond that, but I admit if it was on my powers I would make different choices, however I don't repent, what I, what we did was only to grant our survival. As soon as of me will be no more and my only heritage will be this message, my statement is the following - I betrayed my Warband, the Flawless Heralds, not for greed nor for ambitions but because they are my brothers no longer, they become pawns of daemonic beings who defy the nature of the Astartes and for this reason I wished to destroy them, to purge them with fire and iron.

 Doesn't matter if renegades or loyalists, we still remain beings of greater deeds created by a greater mind and even if his truth was a lie, those warp entities do not have the right to exist and endure in our, in your galaxy. As I failed in my quest - I surrender the coordinates of the dominions of my former brethren, the world of Almira and I call for the servitors of the Emperor and his Imperium to burn it to ashes, to exterminate every being on it as it is a place of corruption, depravity and degeneration as I didn't find the power to do it by myself, with my great shame.

 Fear not, cousins, this is not a trap as my dead body will confirm when you will find it adrift in the void of space, may this legacy of mine help you to cleanse the stars as it was once my quest too.

 Warsmith Dorgus Erdalaxi out, iron within, iron without*"
— Last message of Warsmith Dorgus Erdalaxi before his death
## Notables Campaigns

* **Wars of Pride (50.M32-800.M33)** - The 'Wars of Pride' were a collection and smaller and larger engagements for supremacy against other various Warbands;

* **Clash of Iron (001-101.M34)** - Due to a series of agreements and unstable alliances, the Iron Brotherhood managed to convince the Flawless Heralds to join the force of retaliation later known as 'Iron Pact', besieging the entire Ogun System for almost a century. In the end the Iron Juggernauts managed to repel the 'Iron Pact' forces thanks to reinforcements from other Chapters and the instability of the pact itself, however the loyalist will pay with heavy losses;

* **The Schism (660.M35)** - Planned at least a century later by Dorgus Erdalexi, the 'Schism' was a seccession action promoted by the Iron Guard, the elite terminator guard, and the coalition of minor Warbands of the Orphans of Olympia against the main force of the Flawless Heralds who were subjugated by the Slaaneshi daemon known as Alakhe'shiri, planning to overthrone the daemon and its main host, cleasing the Warband by its will and orders;

* **5th Black Crusade (723.M36)** - The Flawless Heralds partecipated behind payment in the ambush agaist the Venerators and the Warhawks Chapters, who made their exintion. It is unknown, however, how deep was their involvment;

* **7th Black Crusade (811.M36)** - The Flawless Heralds intercepted many of the reinforcements directed on Midian in aid for the Blood Angels, suddenly they faced the Carcharodons and were forced to retreat with heavy losses;

* **8th Black Crusade (999.M37)** - Small forces of Flawless Heralds were spotted outside the main forces of the Despoiler, they attacked objectives seemingly unrelated and it is beleved that their action were made on their own interest, which are still unknown;

* **Gothic Wars aka 12th Black Crusade (139-160.M41)** - The Flawless Heralds were among the Despoilers' forces, no major fight occured but they fastly withdrawed after a brief skirmish with the Exorcists;

* **13th Black Crusade** **(999.M41)** - While the Flawless Heralds joined the forces of the Despoiler for the attack to the Cadian Gate, numerous unconfirmed and apparently random attack caused the suspicion that they were still working on their mysterious and unknown interests;

* **Siege of Almira (025.M42)** - +++DATA RECOVERING ■■■▢▢▢▢▢▢▢ 30%+++

## Warband Home World

The homeworld of the Warband is Almira, a already twisted and contort planetoid on the rims of the Eye of Terror who was later swallen by the Warp Storm itself as it expandend.

Precise informations like positions and further details remains unknown as only recently the planet returned on the Imperial records after a messagge from Dorgus Erdalaxi who openly denounced and revealed it as the homeworld of the Warband, allowing Imperial historians to record and recover some informations about it.

## Warband Organization

### Officier Ranks

Due to their low numbers and their hybrid nature, the Flawless Heralds have a very short command chain:

* **Princep** - Supreme commander of the Warband;
* **Warsmith** - Company commander;

### Line Ranks

* **Sergeant** - Squad commander;
* **Battle-Brother** - The bulk of each squad;

### Specialist Units & Formations

During the millennia the Flawless Heralds managed to merge the specilist units of both their parent Legions:

* **Sonic Havocs** - A remenescence of the Kakophoni units deployed during the early stages of the Horus Heresy by the Emperor's Children, the Sonic Havocs are an heavy support unit weaponized with a less corrupted version of the sonic weapons;
* **Burning Havocs** - Veteran devastators squads weaponized with heavy energy weapons (plasma cannons, multi-meltas, lascannons) specialized in the destruction and annihiliation of enemy tanks and war machines;
* **Iron Guard** - The Iron Guard was the elite and terminator cadre of the Warband, serving as a specialized close combat force in assaults and breaching actions, with some of them clad in ancient Cataphractii Terminator Armour, leading the troops were the assault was harder. However after the 'Schism' the Warband will lose all their Terminator Armours and Alakhe'shiri will forbid its pawns to replanish or revive the role;

## Warband Combat Doctrine

The combat doctrine of the Flawless Herald is based on shock and awe, precise and heavy bombardments are followed by harsh and merciless assault. The close combats units and breachers squads advance steadily together with regular troops, that aim to catch in clinical precise crossfire anyone who try do prevent the main assault, while heavy weapon teams manteins cover fire aimingto disable enemy defences systems, veichles or simply their troops.

Unable to take battle in the open fields due to their low numbers, the Flawless Heralds will plan tactics and strategies in their favour, trying to lure the enemy and fight on their own conditions with the most petty and wretched means at their disposal.

## Warband Beliefs

The Flawless Heralds are more pompous than their Iron Warrior brethren, this is caused by the influence of the Emperor's Children who were among the foudners of the Warband. Obsessed with perfection in their art of war, they are fanatical and arrogant, believing themselves better than others.

Deeply corrupted by Alakhe'shiri, they pursue mysterious objectives that sometimes lead them to sell themselves as mercenaries for larger Warbands, taking advantange for possible help and reward. They consider themselves specialists and they also proved this with their actions during the 'Wars of Pride', able in the negotiations and to sell themselves as the best, it is easy for them to convince someone that any engagement would be impossible without them and their contribution. Considered excessively cruel by the larger Imperium , they take pleasure in the torture their victims and prisoners just to please their Daemonic patron and their own depravity. One of their most common cruelty is to chain the unlucky prisoners to their battle tanks alive, using them as meat shields.

The Flawless Heralds are followed by a retinue of corrupted mortals, it is unknown if they are part of the Warband itself or are simply convincend to join them to please their malevolent gods, in any case, the Flawless Heralds take pleasure to use them to test enemy defences and to cover their advance.

## Warband Gene-Seed

The geen-seed of the Flawless Heralds has been modified to merge both Iron Warriors and Emperor's Children genetics from the founding members of the Warband. Any level of purity or corruptions are unknown, but is highly implied due to their loyalty to a lesser Daemon of Slaanesh to be on the highest of degrees, also the merging of the seeds is truly demonstrated by their unique attitudes.

### Warband Flaw

* **Forced Brotherhood** - The Flawless Heralds, expecially after the 'Schism' are unwillingly bondend by a strong brotherhood, inducted by the influx of Alakhe'shiri. They always fight side by side and work together to achieve victory and their objectives and withdraw as one if their master deems right to do so;

* **Pitiless** - The Flawless Heralds are addicted to murder and slaughter, enemies and innocents a like;

* **Mysterious intents** - The very objectives of the Flawless Heralds are known not even to them, as they always pursue without consciousness the orders wispered inside their minds. They will easily eave their 'allies' or 'employers' if the voices order it;

* **Daemonic master** - While the Flawless Heralds maintains an ordinary chain of command none of them, from the highest echelons to the lowest battleline Astartes, none have real power at all. Even if sometimes someone find himsels free from the voice, will usually continue their perverted and wicked pursuits while waiting for new orders from the voices, as Alakhe'shiri whispers in the minds of them all and only its is the command;

## Notables Members

* **Princep Veus Odarashar** - First Princep of the Flawless Heralds;
* **Princep Rakatilo Daimiax** - Princep during the 'Clash of Iron';
* **Princep Sulle Pakremetus** - Current Princep of the Flawless Heralds;

* **Warsmith Barnabad Galdband** - Leader of the founding Iron Warriors;
* **Warsmith Hellanin Ruen** - Warsmith during the 'Clash of Iron';
* **Warsmith Dorgus Erdalexi** - Promoter of the 'Schism';

## Warband Fleet

* **Battle Barges:**
	+ ***Delicious Destruction*** (Unknown class Battle Barge);

* **Strike Cruisers:**
	+ ***Arrow of Pain*** (Strike Cruiser);
	+ ***Excellent Aggressor*** (Strike Cruiser);
	+ ***Splendid Blood*** (Strike Cruiser);
* **Escorts**;
	+ ***Doom Caller*** (Cobra-class Destroyer);
	+ ***Terror Soul*** (Cobra-class Destroyer);
	+ ***Proxima Anguish*** (Viper-class Destoyer);
	+ ***Lady of Wrath*** (Infidel-class Escort);
	+ ***Righteous Pride*** (Infidel-class Escort);

* **Retired and destroyed vessels:**
	+ ***Stone Cutter*** (Olympia-class Battle Barge, destroyed);
	+ ***Worlds Shutterer*** (Strike Cruiser, destroyed);
	+ ***Huntress of Almira*** (Heavy Cruiser, stolen by the Iron Guard);

## Warband Armoury

### Specific Equipment

* **Sonic Cannon** - The Flawless Heralds developed a unique design of sonic weapons, while similar in effects to the one used by the Emperor's Children, the Flawless Heralds' sonic cannon utilizing a proper technology and not the warp powers however as corruption spreaded among the former Iron Warriors, this kind of weapon will be abandoned in favour of the more classic Sonic weapons;
* **Sonic Dreadnought** - The Flawless Heralds deploys a dreadnought pattern similar to the Emperor's Childrens' Sonic Dreadnought;

### Warband Relics

* **Iron Phoenix** - An ancient Phoenix Power Spear, wielded by the Princep as badge of office. The relic was brought to the Warband by one of the founding members from the Emperor's Children but its original owner is unknown;
* ***Pride*** - A master crafted Thunder Hammer;
* ***Greed*** - A golden Archeotec Laspistol sold by the Iron Brotherhood as payment for the partecipation to the forces of the 'Iron Pact';

## Warband Appearance

### Warband Colours

The primary colours of the Flawless Heralds are purple with midnight blue pauldrons, knee guards and backpack with bronzed orange trims and decorations.

They usual engrave on their right pauldrons phrases from the Unbreakable Litany while other times are present blasphemous symbols and runes.

### Warband Badge

The Flawless Heralds badge is the Iron Warriors skull bronzed orange coloured, usually accompanied by Legion number in High Gothic, IV.

## Relations

### Allies

 Black Legion |      | The Flawless Heralds had been usually spotted together with the Black Legion during the various Black Crusades, while it is unknown the precise kind of relationship between the two, can be considered similar to an alliance;

### Enemies

 Silver Snakes |      | Even if fought side by side during the 'Clash of Iron', the Flawless Heralds do not trust the SIlver Snakes and the circumstances around their engagements and failures. By Alakhe'shiri decree iffurther contact will happen, the Flawless Heralds will be ready to attack them as enemies.

 Carcharodons |      | The Flawless Heralds deeply hates the Carcharadons for their ruthless boarding actions against them during the 7th Black Crusade. It is believed that the Carcharadons actions unreaparable damaged the Warband for the times to come, inflicting heavy lossess and lowing their number to a point of no return;

## Notable Quotes

### By the Warband

"*There is no place where you can hide from the most excellent siegemasters!*"
— Princep Veus Odarashar
"*Bow to me Warsmith, your liege has forsaken as your Emperor did too.
 Bow to me and enjoy the embrace of Slaanesh.*"
— Alakhe'shiri to Warsmith Barnabas Galdband
"*You refuse the touch of the Gods, how can you all still be so naive?
 There is power beyond your imagination. The Gods could grant you mastery in all the art of war you wish!*"
— Princep Rakatilo Daimiax
### About the Warband

"*You believe that Chaos gave you the capacity to be unrelentless, unstoppable and excellent at the same time?
 I say that this is achieved throu practice and thousand of wars, do not fall for the easy way, brother. There are no such a things like gods.* "
— Grand Warsmith Khalod Han of the Iron Brotherhood to Warsmith Hellanin Ruen
## Gallery

A Iron Guard Terminator from the Flawless HeraldsA Flawless Herald Astartes from a Sonic Havoc teamA Flawless Heralds Astartes

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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