Rancid Lords

Armorial symbol of the Death Guard

Colour scheme of the Rancid Lords, displayed by their leader, Ragthor the Rancid

## Heretic Astartes Warband

### **Formation**

Post Siege of Terra, following Mortarions Ascension.

### **Strength**

Aproximately 700 Astartes and Hundreds of thousands of Mutants, Cultists and Traitoris Militarum

### **Specialisation**

Attrition warfare, Siege warfare, Biological and Chemical warfare, Planetary invasions

### **Battle Cry**

"We bring your Ruin!"

"*YOU HAVE THE GALL TO DEMEAN ME! I have fought for longer and against things beyond what the likes of you can comprehend! I fought by my Genefathers side as a mere mortal, facing things that would haunt your cowardly dreams! When he went to fight in the stars I was amongst the very first to join him! I fought and endured things you can't imagine, AND FOR WHAT! A HYPOCRITE WHO WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL WE HATED! For 10,000 years we have fought to end what we started! This galaxy will repay the debt it owes us! We will see the imperium rot and die! Mortarion and we shall have our VENGEANCE!*"
—Ragthor the Rancid, responding to Captain Hernian Kestarniaz, of The Hammers Devout, insults before promptly eviscerating him
The **Rancid Lords** are the 3rd Sepsis Cohort of the 7th Plague Company, who are feared across the Imperium and within the Death Guard themselves. There ability to bring the full force of a Sepsis cohort to bear against any who face them has meant they are able to overwhelm many a foe with their sheer size and ability to utilise a variety of tactics and assets as they see fit, when combined with the terrifying and legendary endurance and tenacity of the Death Guard makes them a force to be feared across the Galaxy.

The Cohort has been commanded since it's creation by the Lord of Contagion, Ragthor the Rancid, a veteran of Mortarions liberation of Barbarus and the Great Crusade, he is a hulking giant of an Astarte's, who's aggression and brutality is only surpassed by his undying loyalty to Mortarion. His willingness to do whatever the Death Lord orders of him and his success in doing so has meant many times Mortarion has sent him and his Cohort to hunt down those who have betrayed, failed or split from the legion. So much so that he has earned the Nickname, the Axe of Mortarion.

In recent years the Rancid Lords have aided the Halscourgian Dominion gain it's independence from the Imperium and has played a significant role in the Plague Wars, seeing action across Segmentum Ultima. With the Cicatrix Maledictum having torn the Imperium in half the Rancid Lords can now move, and wage war, freely across the galaxy. All in service to their Lord and Master Mortarion.

## Warband History

#### The Beginning

The Origins of the Rancid Lords lies in the story of their lord and founder, Ragthor the Rancid. Born sometime before the infant Primarch Mortarions gestation capsule landed on Barbarus, Ragthor, or as he was named then Garstion, was one of the many human inhabitants of the toxic world that hung on to a miserable existence below the toxic clouds, where above ruled the foul and twisted Warlords who constantly sent their abominations, corpse thralls and worse besides to slaughter the humans all while also collecting captives to be experimented using their foul warp sorcery. It was into this toxic hell of a world that the Primarch Mortarion would find himself on and where eventually Garstion and Mortarion would meet.

When Mortarion learnt of the humans beneath the toxic clouds and their plight, he immediately sought to overthrow the warlords and end their tyranny. It was during this time that a young Garstion, a large farmers boy, who had eeked out a living as best he could with his family became inspired by the Primarch, and soon became one of his most loyal followers, and going on to become one of Mortarions Death Guard warriors, who he trained personally to help lead the liberation of his homeworld. As the years went by and battle by battle, Mortarion and his followers brought the warlords low and freed their homeworld, Garstion grew into a terrifying warrior, who's great size stood him out amongst the rest, as well as his almost fanatical loyalty to the Primarch.

When the XIVth Legion was reunited with it's Primarch, his human death guard, the warriors who had fought by his side for years to liberate their homeworld from the tyrants, offered themselves up for immediate Astartes conversion, despite the risk it posed to the older members, amongst them was Garstion who refused to be left behind and insisted he would rather die than leave Mortarions side, thus he like many others underwent the excruciating process of Astartes conversion and implantation well above the normal age it would be considered safe, the term being relative. Garstion however would survive and become one of the first Barbaran Death Guard of the Legion.

During the Great Crusade Garstion earned himself the nickname Garstion the Giant for his large size, he was soon promoted to one of the Terminator squads and served with distinction throughout the Crusade, but his loyalty, like all of Legion who hailed from Barbarus lay solely with Mortarion, and not the Imperium or the Emperor. Thus when the Death Guard turned on the Imperium during the Heresy Garstion was amongst the first to join his Primarch in betraying the Imperium.

Garstion was at the Siege of Terra, fighting with the rest of his legion and Primarch, though now corrupted and fallen to Nurgle. However, despite all their efforts in the end the traitors would lose the siege when Horus was slain by the Emperor. In the aftermath the Traitor legions would splinter and flee to the Eye of Terror to escape the Imperiums retribution.

However, this was not the case for the Death Guard. Alone amongst the Traitor Legions, Mortarion's Legion made an orderly withdrawal, force after force breaking themselves on the superating warriors of the Death Guard. They reaved a path of desecration and all manner of atrocities across the Imperium, before finally plunging into the horrific sanctuary of the Eye of Terror. For his victories during the Heresy, his unshaken faith, and for the singular achievement of holding his Legion together in the face of the Imperium's vengeful ferocity, the Plague God gifted Mortarion with daemonhood and a world to rule over as his own. So is a new Barbarus created near the fringes of the Eye of Terror, a more nightmarish hellscape than even Mortarion's homeworld once was.

Following this, for his loyal service, unshakable loyalty and skill, Garstion was granted command of the 3rd Cohort of the 7th Great Company, or as they would soon be known as the Sepsis Cohort and 7th Plague Company by Mortarion upon their new home, the Plague Planet. Garstion the Giant would be reborn as Ragthor the Rancid and the 3rd Sepsis Cohort would soon bear the name the Rancid Lords, in honour of their Lord and Master.

#### The Axe of Mortarion

"*To think once I called you brother. We fought side by side in the crusade and endured beyond any. You fought so well, and our Father rewarded you. He made you a Lord of Death itself, and despite all that, you still betrayed him. You call me a glorified Executioner, a poxhound leashed to him, but I tell you now I am his Axe, and I find no greater fulfilment than that.*"
—Ragthor speaking to Bloabott Garrur of the Pus Tyrants before beheading him
As the Death Guard remained mostly within the Eye of Terror for the next 10,000 years they would engage in a series of brutal wars against their former allied legions and Daemons. Mortarion would lead his Legion in many of these wars, throughout this time the Rancid Lords would often fight by their Genefathers side or be deployed against his enemies. However, during this time the Rancid Lords would develop a reputation within the Legion for something else entirely, whilst they were renowned for their skill against the enemies of the Legion, the Rancid Lords became infamous for their ability, and willingness, to destroy fellow Death Guard, those who betrayed the legion or angered Mortarion.

Whilst the Legion was well united under Mortarion over the 10,000 years following the heresy, at least reasonably. There were exceptions, the most notable being Typhus, who would lead the 1st Plague Company to wage war upon the Imperium, Mortarion however permitted this disobedience, with both deciding that conflict between each served neither of their goals. However, there were numerous others, many splinter warbands would break from the Death Guard. Whilst some manage to do so without suffering the wrath of Mortarion there were those who would not or whose betrayal he would not permit to go unpunished.

How it began no one can be sure, but rumour persists that it began after a warband of Death Guard betrayed a world under their control within the Eye of Terror by handing it to the Black Legion, Mortarion was enraged by this betrayal and howled out his desire for vengeance. Ragthor, who was no less enraged at how any could betray their Genefather, is said to have stepped forward and sweared he would if granted the honour hunt down the warband and bring Mortarion their corpses. Regardless of how it began, the Rancid Lords became well known within the Legion for their willingness to slay their own kind if they betrayed Mortarion. To this end he would often deploy the Rancid Lords to bring those who had betrayed or failed the Legion to heel and either bring them back into the fold or annihilate them. The exact number of warbands the Rancid lords fought during this time is unknown but amongst the most renowned and infamous are the likes of the Dominators Bacterius, Mortis Feast and Pus Tyrants. Trough these acts Ragthor would earn himself the nickname the Axe of Mortarion.

During this time they would also occasionally set foot into the imperium and cause untold havoc. Destroying worlds and slaying billions, all in the name of Mortarion and Nurgle. Victory after Victory would see Ragthor and the Rancid lords become ever more favoured by Mortarion, becoming among one his most favoured warbands who would often fight side by side with him. The sacking of the Blood Strix chapters homeworld would be the pinnacle of their prowess and glory, wiping out all but 3 companies and dooming the Blood Strix to a slow extinction if they did not make it to Terra before their Astartes were killed off.

However, this ascendancy and favouritism would make Ragthor ever more arrogant and would fuel a belief of invincibility that saw him act without his Primarchs orders. These minor acts Mortarion tolerated as Ragthor was valuable, however Ragthor would overstep with disastrous results when he decided to try and repeat his earlier success against the Blood Strix, this time against the Red Justicars Chapter an their Fortress-Monastery, Warden Courts.

#### Siege of Wardens Court

When The Red Justicars Space Marine Chapter were forced to deploy the majority of their companies around the Gothic Sector, they left their homeworld of Sallos Quintus and their Fortress-Monastery, Wardens Court, defended by just the 6th, 9th and 10th Companies. Ragthor learning of this, and in his growing arrogance, saw a perfect opportunity to destroy the Chapters homeworld and claim their precious gene-seed stocks, like he had done with the Blood Strix Millennia ago. Without telling his Primarch of any of this he gathered the Rancid Lords and made for the Red Justicars homeworld.

When the Rancid Lords Plaguefleet entered reality within the Sallos System, the Red Justicars fleet was taken by complete surprise. The Rancid Lords managed to quickly overwhelm the Justicars fleet and forced them to retreat, however not before the Red Justicars had managed to send all their Astartes planetside and crucially delaying the Rancid Lords long enough to allow the Justicars to send out a call for aid and recall for their chapter and fortify the already formidable Fortress-Monastery.

Command of the defence fell to 6th Company Captain Azrus Icararis, being the most senior of the captains present, he decided to deploy the majority of the 10th Company outside the Fortress far from it so they would be able to harass the Death Guard and report wherever they would make plantefall. Not wanting to waste anymore time Ragthor committed the entirety of the Cohort to besiege Wardens Court, deploying them planetside following a massive naval bombardment and launching an immediate assault on the Fortress. He used the Destroyer colonies with support from the others and auxiliary units to try and inflict as many casualties as possible and break the defenders resolve and end it quickly.

Unfortunately for Ragthor the presence of the 9th company and their devastators proved decisive in repelling the assault. Subsequent assaults also failed to make any major breakthroughs and thus the Rancid Lords were forced to dig in and prepare for a long siege. At this time the 10th company scouts present outside the Fortress began to harass the Rancid Lords from behind, forcing Ragthor to commit men to protecting the rear thus weakening his assaults. As the siege dragged on, despite the apparent success of the defenders Azrus Icararis knew that his losses were mounting and whilst Ragthor had suffered losses he still had far more Astartes and without the return of the other Companies soon the Fortress would fall. Ragthor for his part grew more enraged as the Fortress and it's defenders continued to defy him and repulse his assaults. He decided to lead a personal assault with his Blightlord Terminators to force a breach, with him launching the assault supported by the rest of the Cohort.

Despite the Justicars resistance Ragthor managed to breach the fortress at last and the rancid lords followed their lord into the breach, the fighting was ferocious with Ragthor and his terminators reaping a bloody toll on the defenders. However, just as Ragthor was about to breach the final defence he recieved a message from his fleet that the Justicars fleet had returned in larger numbers. Ragthor howl in rage and cursed his fate, realising that he didn't have much time he ordered the Rancid Lords to destroy as much of the fortress as possible and finish the defenders off so they may be able to escape with as much gene-seed and artefacts as possible. Unfortunately for the Rancid Lords, the return of their comrades and the promise salvation reinvigorated the Justicars who rallied and manage to push the Rancid Lords back. The Justicar fleet made contact with the Cohorts Fleet and managed to deploy their astartes contingents planetside, the veteran 1st company along with the 8th company of the Red Justicars made planetfall. Led by Chapter Master Valefam Halbesco, the reinforcements managed to break the siege and force the Rancid Lords into a retreat.

Despite their best efforts the Justicars didn't manage to prevent Ragthor and the Rancid lords from returning to their Fleet and making their escape. Nearly 45% of the Rancid lords were killed, with only the 1st Colonies of each Maladictum near intact, the fleet also sustained losses losing a cruiser and some escorts as well as many of the ships suffering damage, Ragthor for his part was utterly berserk with rage at the defeat and swore before Nurgle that he would have vengeance on the Red Justicars. For the Justicars despite their victory against all odds they find little cause for celebration, large parts of Wardens Court were heavily damaged with many infected with corruption and completely unusable without extensive cleansing. The population of Sallos Quintus was decimated by a serious of plagues due to the Rancid lords, and of the 300 original defenders a meagre 80 remained, amongst them Azrus Icararis. The Red Justicars thus also swear an oath of vengeance against the Rancid Lords, pledging to rid the Galaxy of their rot. Ragthor returned to the Plague Planet in disgrace and was to suffer the wrath of Mortarion, spared only due to the need Mortarion had for the Rancid Lords when another of the countless wars between Nurgle and Tzeentch broke out.

#### Redemption

"*Make no mistake, we have been granted a mercy unheard of. The chance to either redeem ourselves in the eyes of our father or to die in his service. We will not fail him again, or we deserve to be nothing but food for the maggots that infest us.*"
—Ragthor the Rancid speaking to Ulceridex the Corruptor after being tasked with hunting down Festax Glopcrust
After the disaster at Wardens Court Ragthor and the Rancid lords lost their standing with Mortarion, Ragthor himself was nearly killed by his genefather for his insubordination and failure. The only thing that saved them from dissolution was when another of the innumerable wars between Nurgle and Tzeentch broke out, Mortarion deciding it was better to keep them than have to break them up in the middle of a war. The Rancid Lords and Ragthor fought with a tenacity unseen before, throwing themselves into the most bloody and violent battles against the changers armies, seeking to redeem themselves in the eyes of Mortarion. Through a series of great victories and feats the Rancid Lords and Ragthor managed to regain some of their standing, to the point they were able to replenish their ranks and were no longer at direct risk of being broken up. But they were still far from where they had stood, they no longer were by their Primarchs side nor his executioners, and the threat of Mortarion breaking them apart was still omnipresent. Ragthor for his part also had to deal with the commander of his 1st Maladictum, Putrous, who seeing a chance to take over the Cohort sought to depose Ragthor, his scheme failed and following his brutal execution a new commander, Fulgostrol Mortek, took his place. Ragthor during this time railed at his failure and became ever more determined to redeem himself in the eyes of his Genefather. Then word reached the Plague Planet of a betrayal that had the potential to redeem the Rancid Lords.

During a meeting of the various commanders of the Legion, Ragthor among them, Mortarion and the Legion command received a message. The Daemon Prince Festax Glopcrust and his Vectorium the Malefactors Immortal, of the 4th Plague Company, had split from the Death Guard and declared that Festax was the only one fit to be the chosen Daemon Prince of Nurgle and thus the true and rightful leader of the Death Guard. Mortarion was enraged at such an insult and betrayal, he howled that Festax and all who followed him would be made to pay for this. Enraged at this betrayal and seeing a chance to at last redeem himself Ragthor, after Mortarion had finished, stepped forward before his Genefather and implored his Primarch to grant the Rancid Lords the right to enact Mortarions vengeance, for both the insult to Mortarion and that they may make amends for their defeat at Wardens Court. Mortarion sat in silence, the assembled commanders unsure if he would grant Ragthors request or simply kill him. The Death Lord pondered, remembering the Cups, remembering that warriors needed to know that they were valued. Praise from one's peers had to be given when the moment was right. Without it, even the most steadfast warrior would eventually feel unvalued. His mind long since corrupted still recognised that this was one of those moments. Mortarion arose and accepted Ragthors offer, ordering the Rancid Lords to seek out the traitor and bring him back to Mortarion alive, he also proclaimed that 7 of his Deathshroud Terminators would accompany Ragthor to annihilate Festax and his traitors.

The Rancid Lords soon set out on their hunt for the traitor, chasing any lead they could find, soon leading them out of the Eye and into the Materium, the trail leads them to the edge of the Halo Stars, in a section long ago abandoned by humanity. The Rancid lords find Festax and his forces on the Dead world of Morwin, whats more the Daemon Prince was in the process of turning it into a Daemon world, whats more Ragthor finds that Festax warband has grown in size to nearly 1,000 Astartes and dozens of cultist covens. Ragthor realised that Festax had prepared for their arrival, he thus decided the best strategy was to deploy the majority of his forces to deal with the traitors and to locate Festax and then teleport with as many Terminators as possible and cut the head of the rebellion. The Rancid lords made planetfall and engaged the traitors, Ragthor and his 70 Blightlords and the Deathshroud meanwhile remained on the fleet to try and locate Festax, all the while the Rancid Lords fought the Malefactors Immortal. Eventually Festax was located in a ruined temple complex that he had made into a palace, Ragthor and his strike force immediately teleported as close as possible and made straight for the traitor. The garrisoned Marines and cultists fought hard to keep the Terminators out but they were brutally swept aside with ease, when they entered the throne room they were greeted by Festax surrounded by his own Terminator bodyguard and lesser daemons who had sworn pacts to him, Ragthor stepped forward and proclaimed he had been sent by Mortarion to annihilate the Malefactors Immortal and to bring Festax back to Mortarion alive to face his punishment. Festax bellowed a guttural laugh and proclaimed that he would soon overthrow Mortarion and offered Ragthor the chance to bow to him and become the commander of the 7th plague company when he took over, Ragthor responded by proclaiming his oath to Mortarion when he was a mere mortal on Barbarus.

A brutal fight ensued as the Ragthor and his retinue fought to get within striking distance of Festax, as more of Festax's forces converged to surround and overwhelm Ragthor and his force, for every enemy the Rancid Lords slew two more took their place. Realising that they couldn't last out Ragthor decided to lead the Deathshrouds to make straight for the Daemon Prince whilst the terminators held the rest at bay. With Ragthor at the head they cleaved a bloody path straight to the Daemon Prince and a brutal melee ensued. 4 of the 7 Deathshroud were killed before Ragthor finally managed to mortally wound the Daemon Prince, causing his daemonic allies to be forced back into the warp and the remaining forces proved no match for the surviving Blightlords. As Festax lay dying on his throne Ragthor is told by the Champion of the Deathshroud, Vyras, that Ragthor has done well. When the Rancid Lords reach their Leader they find half the strike force dead, whilst the rest of the Rancid lords have lost nearly half of their strength, but in exchange the entire traitor force with no exceptions has been annihilated. When they return to the Plague Planet with Festax in chains Mortarion publicly, in front of an assembly of Lords and Commanders, slays the traitor. Mortarion absolves Gartag of his previous failures, referring to him as his Axe once more, he also, to Ragthor's great honour, invites Ragthor for a celebratory drink, The Cups. Afterwards he also has the squad of Deathshroud that accompanied Ragthor replenished and then gives them to Ragthor as his personally Bodyguard, they become the Rancid Blades.

#### The Halscourgian War

 File:Hive City colour.jpg
Sub-Sector Halscourgia, located to the galactic north-west of Corinthe within Segmentum Ultima, is an imperial Sub-sector comprised of 8 system, totaling 30 inhabitable planets. The history of the Sub-sector and that of it's capitol system, and namesake, Halscourgia, from before the Heresy is limited. What is known is that Halscourgia was colonised during the Dark age of technology, and that it managed to survive into the age of strife before it was discovered by the Imperium in 855.M30 by elements of the 125th Expeditionary Fleet. It is unknown if Halscourgia joined the Imperium willingly or was conquered, however considering the ruling Gradshane dynasty claims to have ruled the planet since before the Great Crusade the former seems more likely. During the Heresy Halscourgia came under control of the Traitors, whether they joined with Horus or were occupied is unknown, given that the system was spared during the Great Scouring it is assumed that it was occupied.

After the Heresy and during the Time of Rebirth, Halscourgia became the capitol system of the newly formed Halscourgia Sub-Sector, over the following millennia the system prospered and became the capitol for the Adeptus Mechanicus and Ministorum within the Sub-sector, with their Sub-sector capitols of the Forge World Gargun and Shrine world of Stygrak being founded within the system. The planet Halscourgia grew into a powerful Hive-world, becoming the homeworld for the Halscourgian Havoc Astra Militarum regiments, specialised infantry regiments that excelled in close quarter firefights and were renowned for their endurance. Outside of the occasional Xeno incursion into the Sub-sector, it was peaceful. Making what was to come all the more shocking.

##### The War Begins

Near the end of the year 985.M41 After centuries of planning at the hands of the Gradshane dynasty, Borin Gradshane the X, Planetary Governor of Halscourgia and ruler of the Sub-Sector declared Halscourgia, its system and the Sub-Sector independent of the Imperium of Man and declares himself ruler of the newly founded Halscourgian Dominion. His announcement was followed by a declaration by the Fabricator-general of Gargun, Almanix-Hosk and Cardinal of Stygrak, Magda Cynack also breaking from the Imperium and joining the newly founded dominion. 6 of the 8 systems within the Sub-Sector declare for the Dominion as do 24 of the 30 Halscourgian Havoc Regiments, thanks to an oversight by the Administratum, stationed in the Sub-Sector, and large numbers of the PDF, these forces are further bolstered by vast mobs of militias that the now rogue Ministorum rally as well as the Macroclades of the breakaway Mechanicus, the Dominion even manages to secure a small fleet of ships when the Rogue Trader House van Horth, under its leader Faustus declares for the Dominion.

Initially the rebellion went well for the dominion, the majority of Halscourgias hive cities fall to the traitors, as do most of the strategic areas and assets on Gargun and Stygrak, as well as the other planets within the system, crucially the Fortress world of Scelem is captured by the traitors. This success is mostly replicated across the Sub-sector, particularly among the 5 systems that sided with the Traitors. However, the newly founded Dominion soon suffered from a series of setbacks as loyalist forces managed to rally and consolidate, particularly in the Rodian and Canega systems, the only 2 who did not side with the traitors. The 6 Halscourgian Regiments that remained loyal prove instrumental after they inflict a series of defeats on the traitors that enable them to capture strategic areas and send word to Terra alerting them of the rebellion. Whilst the victories are minor, and the traitors still hold the advantage the loyalists manage to entrench themselves, and slow the advance of the traitors.

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##### Imperium Counter-offensive

When the Imperium learned of the rebellion, it decided that an immediate and overwhelming response was required to bring the sub-sector back into compliance, and to help prevent any further rebellions from spreading. To this end the first year of the war was primarily spent by the Imperium gathering the forces required to reclaim the Sub-Sector. A force of 30 regiments of the Astra Militarum and 4 Companies of Adeptus Astartes from the The Dragons Excelsis, Hammers Devout and the Stormlance Tridents chapters, was assembled. Command of the campaign was granted to Lord General Junith Verechant, a reasonably skilled and competent commander, whose appointment was more politically driven than strategic, despite this Segmentum command was confident that the force gathered would be sufficient, especially as 4 Astartes companies would be involved. With all preparations complete and the force gathered the fleet set course for the Sub-sector to it's west, aiming to arrive in the Rodian system, the second most valuable system in the sector and the westernmost. By the time Imperial forces arrive within the sub-sector, in early 987.M41, the loyalists have been holding out for nearly 2 years, managing to deny the enemy complete control of the sub-sector. The invasion force deployed across the system, with the 2 Astartes companies of the Hammers Devout, commanded by Captain Hernian Kestarniaz, and nearly half the Astra Militarum regiments deploying onto Rodia itself, where the majority of the Dominions forces were deployed. The arrival of reinforcements rallied the loyalists and the subsequent counterattack handed the Dominion a crushing defeat, forcing the Dominions forces within the system to retreat. They proceeded to turn the System into the headquarters for the Imperiums forces and reinforced the system as they began to strategise and plan their next attack.

During this time the Dragons Excelsis and Stormlance Tridents in cooperation with 8 Astra Militarum Regiments freed the embattled Canega system, handng the dominion a further defeat and forcing them into another retreat. Following this success the Imperial forces are left with only one target they can invade, the Boron system, the only system with a stable warp route to the rest of the sub-sector. Knowing this the Dominion forces, under the command of Scag Blackhame reinforce the System and its key Fortress world, Boron Secundus. The Dominion also deploys the majority of it's naval assets to the system in the hope of being able to stop the Imperium.

The Imperium launched its invasion of Boron in mid 987.M41, the Imperials focused first on destroying the Dominion navy, the Astartes with the aid of the Imperial Navy managed to overwhelm the Dominion and soon forced them to flee the system after suffering 70% loses. With sky above the fortress world cleared the Imperium began its preparations for planetfall. After a short but intense planetary bombardment, the Astra Militarum deployed on mass to the planets surface, suffering some loses to anti ship fire but in all the vast majority of the Astra Militarum make it and soon establish multiple beach heads that the Astartes soon deploy to as well. Over the next 92 days the Imperium manages to breach the Fortress worlds defences, the defenders fighting tenaciously against the Imperium, but in the end they are defeated time and again. Finally after 92 days of resisting the Dominions forces are defeated thoroughly and the Imperium gains control of not just the Fortress world but the crucial Boron system, allowing them to soon invade the now isolated Dominion system of Vigrit and jump to any of the sub-sectors systems. The Imperium spends the remainder of 987.M41 further consolidating it's position, restoring Imperium control and purging those suspected of siding with the Dominion.

At this point Captain Cadmac Ticodio of the Dragons Excelsis pushed for the Imperium to launch a concentrated attack focused on the Halscourgia system to cut the head off the Dominion and end the war as fast as possible, this plan was supported by the Stormlance Tridents and some of the Astra Militarum command. However, Lord General Verechant and the Hammers devout believe that it is better for the Imperiums forces to launch a general assault across the dominion, to force them to spread their forces out and enable them to be more easily defeated, rather than allow them to concentrate into one major force and be able to hold out potentially for years. In the end the Lord General and Hammers Devout had their way as the Imperium at the end of 987.M41 launched an offensive aimed at 4 of the 5 remaining Dominion systems, Moeborn, Kapaal, Traekrah and Bekratra, Halscourgia itself was spared from being attacked.

##### A call for aid

Following these setbacks, the Dominion found itself in a desperate situation, being assaulted by Imperial forces in 4 different systems, it's navy virtually wiped out, and barely managing to hold the Imperium at bay, in just under a year the Dominions fortunes had been completely and utterly reversed. It was at this point that Borin Gradeshane enacted the second part of his plan, a part he had hoped to have not needed. With the help of a coven of Pyskers he made a call for aid from a being from ancient Halscourgian times, known as the Three eyed king. They received a response in the form of a Giant fly, with three marks on its back, in it's buzzing Borin could hear the voice of a being who asked if he wished for the power to defeat the Imperium and give the Dominion it's independence. When Borin agreed the voice asked that in return he must surrender his Dominion to him, that he must offer their eternal service and in exchange they would be granted gifts and powers to achieve all they wanted and more. When Borin accepted and bowed before the voice pledging his realm to the Three Eyed king and his servants, the voice said that his call had been heard by Grandfather Nurgle and he shall look after his children. Thus Borin Gradshane sold his and the entire Dominions soul to the Lord of Decay and Plagues.

This petition of aid was sent to the Death Guard Legion, asking for their support in defeating the Imperium, and in return offering his eternal service, and the Dominions to them, and Nurgle. Initially Mortarion did not consider such an intervention worth the effort, focused, as he was on building up and consolidation his forces for his planned invasion of Ultramar. However, upon further consideration, and calls by his patron, the Daemon Primarch came to the realisation that the Dominion’s location could actually be of major strategic value being located to the Galactic east of the maelstrom, making it a strategic stopping point between the maelstrom and Ultramar. He also considers the sub-sectors potential for material, and as a prime source of manpower and resources. In the end Mortarion decided to send the Death Guard to intervene on behalf of the Dominion. Mortarion summoned Ragthor and commanders of Vectoriums from the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Plague Companies and ordered them to make for the Halscourgian Sub-sector and bring it into nurgles fold. He placed Ragthor in overall command of a force of nearly 1,400 astartes and hundreds of thousands of cultists, traitoris regiments and mutants, as well as some elements of the Dark Mechanicum aligned to the Legion.

The Death Guard made for Halscourgia, managing to appear within the Halscourgia system by mid 988.M41, the situation however had further deteriorated for the Dominion. They had lost the Kapaal System, and it was expected that soon they would also lose Traekrah and that the Imperium would soon make for Halscourgia itself. Upon their arrival Ragthor proclaimed that they were Nurgles answer to the Dominions plea for aid. The Dominion Leadership realising just how powerful a force had been sent to aid them, and not wishing to anger their new allies, welcomed the Death Guard and the entire Dominion Leadership that was able to came to the Flagship of the Death Guard force, the Repulsive Grand Crusier, *Deaths Knell*, at the demand of Ragthor. When all had assembled he demanded that he and the other Death Guard commanders be informed as to the current situation and how the war had been going. After being briefed, Ragthor declared that from now on he was overall commander of all Dominion forces, and that all within the Dominion answered to him. The Dominion leadership agreed to his demand, he also demanded that the commander of the Dominions forces up until now step forward, Scag Blackhame stepped forward and was promptly beheaded by one of the Deathshrouds for his continuous failures. Ragthor proclaimed that the remaining unengaged dominion forces were to gather within Halscourgia, to be re-organised and to prepare for a counter-offensive.

Over the next month the Death Guard prepared and planed their counter attack, Ragthor also appointed a new commander of the Halscourgian Forces, Octryn Magrand, a highly competent commander and soon a devout follower of the Plague God, Ragthor had her reorganise and improve the remaining Halscorugian Havoc Regiments, and recruited more forces to add to his forces already impressive numbers. He had the Shrine world made into one dedicated to Nurgle, where vast numbers of cultists were raised, he had large numbers of the warriors from the feral world of Rankus recruited and seconded to his auxiliary forces. Soon the Death Guard were ready, knowing the Imperium had spread their forces out and that they outnumbered their loyalist astartes by at least 3-1 Ragthor decided to launch an attack on all four systems.

##### The Death Guard strike

Ragthor sent the Vectoriums of the 3rd plague company as well as a large contingent of auxilia and ships to the faltering Traekrah system, to reinforce its defences and have the Imperium break itself on the 3rd formidable defences. Vectoriums of the 2nd and 5th Plague companies were sent to the Moeborn and Bekratra System to help turn the tide and force the Imperium on the back foot. Meanwhile Ragthor would lead the Rancid lords and the remainder of his forces, among them a sizable amount of the newly reorganised Halscourgian Havocs, to the recently lost Kapaal System, where the highest concentration of Imperium forces were present and the Hammers Devout. There he aimed to surprise the main Imperial force and annihilate it with overwhelming force whilst they could not receive reinforcements. The Imperium meanwhile was oblivious to the fact the Death Guard had joined the war and neither were they prepared for a counter attack, the Imperiums forces in Kapaal under Captain Hernian Kestarniaz, having just secured the system were in the process of fortifying the main planet of the system, Kapaal III and planning to make for Halscourgia when Ragthors Plaguefleet jumped into realspace to the alarm of Imperial forces. The Imperial Navy resisted doggedly but the Plaguefleet proved too much and they were forced back allowing the Rancid Lords to make planetfall on Kapaal III unopposed.

Captain Hernian organised as good a defence as he could with 5 Regiments and 2 Astartes Companies, a formidably force, but they were outnumbered easily 3-1 by the Rancid lords and their allies. When the Rancid lords and their forces made contact with the defenders the result was beyond brutal and bloody. The Defenders opened a torrent of fire upon the Death Guard, but their fire did little to stop the Death Guard who slowly but unstoppable marched closer and closer to the defence line, responding with plagueburst morters and basilisk shells filled with toxins. The defenders struggled to keep up the fire as many began to fall to the toxins that the Rancid Lords unleashed. Ahead of the Rancid Lords charged the Bloatspawn, soaking up much of the fire intended for them. Ragthor led the center with his terminators, shrugging off even the heaviest fire with contempt. Soon the Death Guard were within Bolter range and returned fire, with supporting fire from their Auxiliaries, to devastating effect, some sections of the line lost nearly 1/3 of their forces from the first salvo. The chaos was only worsened when the surviving Bloatspawn made it into the hastily dug trenches, the monstrous abominations causing utter carnage inside the confined space.

Eventually the Rancid Lords and their allies themselves made it into the trenches. The Blightlord Terminators smashed through barriers with contemptous ease, the enemies fire doing little against their corrupted armour, the Destroyer colonies unleashed their plague weapons causing utter havoc among the defenders, who slowly died agonising deaths as they fought tooth and nail to hold their positions. The Harvest Colonies reaped a bloody toll among the defenders, hacking them down whilst the Plague and Reaper colonies deployed where they were needed most, hitting targets and adding to the death toll. The Halscourgian Havocs attached to the Rancid lords fought hard, engaging the defenders in brutal close quarter fire fights, whilst the savage feral warriors of the plague planet and Rankus charged the defenders, hacking and slaughtering them with a horrifying barbarity, whilst the mobs of cultists overwhelmed the defenders. Soon Captain Hernian realised that their position could no longer be defended and not wishing to lose anymore soldiers on a battle that was lost ordered a retreat. The Rancid Lords and their allies pursued them mercilessly, until the 99th Jukalian Rifles opted to form a rear guard to allow the remaining forces to escape. They were wiped out in their entirety, but their sacrifice had allowed the remaining Imperium forces to escape and leave the system to regroup and alert the Imperial army of the new threat.

The shock of the Death Guards appearance across the front caused a similar level of shock and alarm, as the Imperiums efforts across the front were countered and they were forced on the defensive. Realising the situation had escalated far beyond a rebellion, Lord General Verechant called for an urgent war council at Boron, soon all commanders who were not otherwise needed on the front were present. What followed was a frank and somewhat heated discussion about the situation, the Astartes were less than happy that they were outnumbered by at least 3-1 by their traitorous kin and the fact that the hated Inquisition would surely be turning its eye towards the Sub-sector. In the end the Council accepts that reinforcements are needed urgently to help prevent the Death Guard from winning, to this end the Imperium concentrates its forces in Boron, Moeborn, Bekratra and Traekrah, Additionally the remnants of the loyal Halscourgian Havocs are mobilised to create 4 new Regiments, as well as an additional 5 new regiments are hastily raised to garrison Boron. Meanwhile the Astartes gather together and form a mobile rapid response force, tasked with intervening where they are most needed. The strategy works for the most part, as the Imperium manages to hold the Death Guard and Dominion at bay. However, when Bollidius of The Carrion Reapers vectorium of the 5th Plague company are sent to aid in the assault of Traekrah the Death Guard manage to force the Imperium out of the System.

Following this a stalemate ensues, as Death Guard find that the shock of their arrival has worn off and the defenders have now dug in. Ragthor knows that they will sooner or later be reinforced and thus seeks to bolster and consolidate their hold in the Sub-sector, he thus begins the task of converting the Systems under them to the worship of Nurgle, this is aided by the Dominion who eagerly help their new masters in spreading the faith of the Three-Eyed King. Meanwhile, after seeing how the Havocs performed in the Battle of Kapaal III, and remembering how his Genefather had raised the Rancid Lords back to grace, as well as a practice that the World Eaters partook in. He had the Halscourgian Havocs granted a blessing, the Goblet. Every Halscourgian Havoc was to be granted the honour of a drink with an Astartes of the Death Guard, to drink from a goblet filled all manner of chemicals with a drop of Astartes blood, a truly toxic liquid. This would also from now on be a trial of initiation for the Havocs, to make them stronger and more resilient to the very diseases and toxins they now unleashed upon the enemy. The result was 1 in 4 of the Havocs who drank died an agonising death, but the other 3 who survived were more resilient and stronger than ever before. The amount of Pyskers within the Dominion also exploded, with many joining the Death Guards forces further bolstering them, whilst the Dark Mechanicus had begun to turn Gargun into a hell-forge to supply the Death Guard. The remainder of 988.M41 carried on this stalemate.

##### The War Escalates

By the begining of 989.M41 the Imperium received much needed reinforcements in the form of 5 additional Companies of Astartes from the The Dragons Excelsis, Hammers Devout and the Stormlance Tridents, the Forces of Magos Dominus Uixisch van Thal of the forge world Arkagrost, a Commandery of The Order of Our Anointed Faith under Canoness Commander Evangiya Chrismella, and an additional 10 regiments of Astra Militarum. While the Death Guard had managed to raise an additional 15 Halscourgian Havoc regiments, and been reinforced themselves by a renegade warband called the Thrice-damned, of 70 astartes who were devoted to Nurgle and a single travelling Dreadblade Knight Rampager, *Scythe of Rust*. The with both sides reinforced the war escalated in brutality and death as over the next 3 years the two sides would engage in a bloody tug of war, with control of the Systems of Moeborn, Bekratra and Kapaal changing hands more than once. Both sides would suffer loses, the Stormlance Tridents all but losing their entire 4th company to the combined forces of the Dominion, Dark Mechanicum, The Carrion Reapers and Scythe of Rust, whilst the Death Guard would lose the Space Hulk, Septic Sorrow, after the The Order of Our Anointed Faith and Hammers Devout, combined with the Imperial Navy destroyed it, costing the death guard a powerful vessel. However the tide of the war did seem to favour the Death Guard, as bit by bit they were wearing the Imperiums forces down.

Near the end of 991.M41, the Death guard controlled Kapaal and Moeborn, whilst the Imperium was hotly contesting Bekratra. Realising that the war had dragged on for long enough and that he needed to deliver a decisive defeat to the Imperium if the tide was to turn fully to the Death Guard Ragthor ordered a council to be summoned. On *Deaths Knell* the commanders of the Death Guard and Dominion thought of how they could deal this hammer blow to the Imperium, some suggested they deploy to Bekratra and force the Imperium back to Boron and then launch an invasion of Boron from all sides, whilst others argued if they attacked Boron and took it they would force the Imperium to leave Bekratra. However Boron currently had garrisoned within it most of the Imperiums forces, 6 companies of astartes, 27 of the 40 regiments they had left, 60% of their fleet and The Order of Our Anointed Faith. Eventually after much arguing and thought Ragthor decided he would gather as much of his forces as possible and launch a full scale invasion of Boron in the hopes of destroying most of the Imperiums forces and forcing the rest to retreat, whilst those already engaged in Bekratra would launch an offensive to tie down the Imperium there. With the plan in place Ragthor gathered as much of his forces as he could spare, gathering around him over 1,000 astartes, 770,000 auxiliaries and allies comprised Halscourgian Havocs, other Traitor Regiments, Numerous Cults, barbaric warriors and Dark Mechanicum forces, the Scythe of Rust and most of the Plaguefleet. With his forces assembled Ragthor made for the Boron System.

##### The Battle of Alcoghrax

When the Plaguefleet arrived in the Boron system, in mid 991.M41 the Imperium was taken by surprise, they had not expected the Death Guard to launch such an assault upon their fortress system. Lord General Verechant had long made her headquarters in the Rodian system, far from the fighting, as such effective command fell to Captain Hernian Kestarniaz who immediately saw that the defenders made all preparations possible to defend against the invasion. The Plaguefleet engaged the Imperial Navy, the two sides were locked in a brutal stalemate until Faustus van Horth, seeking to avenge his Families defeat at the start of the war led a contingent of the Plaguefleet on a masterful flanking move, forcing the Imperial Navy to pull back and allowing the Plague fleet to control the Planets atmosphere and make planetfall relatively unopposed.

Ragthor deployed his forces away from the Fortresses, wanting to advance on them and not have them be fired on by the enemies guns during planetfall. He led his forces towards the main fortress of the planet, Alcoghrax, where 4 years earlier the Imperium had won its final victory and claimed the planet. Ragthor knew that the other fortresses were a waste of time, and that if he threw everything at Alcoghrax then Kestarniaz would either recall all of his forces if he wanted to prevent his forces from being overwhelmed. Kestarniaz meanwhile busied himself preparing the defence and ordered as many forces to the Fortress as he dared, he suspected Ragthor would attack his Fortress but could not leave the others unguarded and risk their munitions and supplies falling into the Death Guards hands. When Ragthors army arrived at the fortress he found it brimming with defenses and the defenders well dug in. Soon his army also dug in and prepared for a siege, the defenders did not sally out to meet the Death Guard allowing them to build their own defences as they prepared to attack.

After 7 days Ragthor commenced his attack, beginning with a massive orbital bombardment to break up the defenses, the outer lines were blasted apart but the Fortress itself held firm. After 7 hours of this barrage the Death Guard advanced, supported by covering fire from Plageburst morters and Basilisks. The defenders held firm even as the artillery spread destruction and death, poisoning the very air and earth around them. As the defenders prepared to return fire they were greeted with a horde of flies that screened the entire enemy army and surrounded the fortress. The Sorcerers of the Death Guard had summoned forth a wave of flies to cover their advance, realising what was happening Kestarniaz ordered his men to fire regardless, the defenders thus opened fire but to no avail as they had no way of knowing how effective their shots were, whilst the Death Guard continued their march. When the swarm of flies finally dissipated to the defenders utter shock and horror the Death Guard were already within boltgun range and even worse still they had concentrated most of their forces in one area using the flies as a cover, Ragthor gave the order to fire and the Death Unleashed a devastating salvo, corrupted boltgun shots tore through guardsmen with horrific ease, whilst the Spawn and other melee oriented units flooded the trenches, whilst the Death Guard artillery now fired around the advancing army, preventing the defenders from supporting the section with any ease.

Realising what was happening the Dragons Excelsis, Stormlance Tridents and The Order of Our Anointed Faith sallied out of the main fortress to support the guardsmen, whilst the Hammers Devout remained behind to support them from the ramparts and coordinate the redeployment of forces. What followed was a brutal melee between defender and attacker, with both refusing to give way, the Adepta Sororitas burned heretics with holy flame and fought with the fury of the fanatical, as the Astartes of the Dragons Excelsis cut down traitors with blade and ferocity, the Stormlance Tridents meanwhile in conjunction with other defenders helped cut down the enemy with disciplined bolter fire. The Hammers Devout used their heavy weapons and position to support their allies, reaping a bloody toll on the enemy, whilst the Guardsmen continued to stand, using killzones and volleys to make the traitors pay dearly for every step they took, The Cadians as ever did their homeworld proud, the remnants of the loyalist Halscourgians fought with a fury and hatred to their traitorous kin, the Jukalians seeking to avenge their comrades sacrifice, these and regiments from 5 other worlds fought to deny the traitor even one inch of ground. Whilst the Foul Blightspawn and Biologus Putrifiers filled the trenches with all manner of toxins and plague brews, that melted the flesh from the defenders bones, filled their lungs with pus and worse besides. The Sorcerors unleashed all manner of horrors upon the defenders, swarms of daemonic flies consumed defenders alive, defenders drained of all their life to see in horror as their enemies were restored, while Nurglings burst into reality and began swarming the trenches like rats, falling on the defenders with cackling giggles. All while the Plague marines endured all manner of punishment only to pay it back in full, the Terminators reaped a terrible toll as they shrugged off even the most powerful of shots, the Noxious Blightbringer's delighted in seeing the defenders resolve break. The Havocs, fought with a cold and brutal efficiency, years of war, exposure and the goblets having made them more endurable than any mortal in the battle, Cultists from across the sub-sector like The Scions of Beckoning Decay and The Children of the Befouled King, fought with fevered fanaticism all in the hopes of catching the eye of their God or masters. The Techno-Barbarian Rustbloods reaped a bloody toll on the defenders, tearing through all manner of armour whilst the Rakusian Tribes sought to exalt nurgle in glorius battle and hacked down defenders. Mutants fought against Ogryns in colossal bouts, neither one willing to give in, whilst the dark Mechanicum unleashed all manner of technological horrors upon the defenders, self thinking war machines covered in rust, Dark Skitarii, Mutant techno-thralls and worse besides.

Whilst this was happening the artillery of the Death Guard advanced and began a fresh deadly barrage, Kestarniaz however noticed something different this time, they were now starting to hit the walls. It wasn't until he heard the sound of a bellowing and corrupted Knight horn that he realised what was happening, in the distance he saw the Dreadblade, *Scythe of Rust*, making straight for the wall that was being hit, worse still close behind it were Predators and Rhinos. Before he could order the Defences to concentrate fire however the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Ragthor, in the thick of the Melee smiled as his plan came to fruition, right in the middle of the battle the ground began to crack and shake uncontrollably, until suddenly a gigantic worm like creature, covered in a carapace with oozing pus leaking from the joints, with chains and thick plates of rusted metal nailed to it burst out of the ground and roared so loud that even the Dreadblades warhorn was cancelled out, the defenders looked on in horror as the Death Guard cheered at the sight of it. A Deepwyrm from the mining world of Kronustus in Halscourgia, captured, corrupted and used as a tunneler by the Death Guard. The colossal creature writhed and squirmed before roaring one more time and returning underground. However not long after it disappeared from out of the newly dug hole burst out Possessed and Hellbrutes, Ragthors second hidden reserve, who now were finally unleashed upon the defenders, to devastating effect. The Possessed and Hellbrutes tore through the defenders as the Death Guard pressed on with their attack at last forcing the defenders back towards the main fortress.

Kestarniaz realised he could not deal with both at the same time and so deciding that the outer line was a lost caused ordered all his forces to make for the main fortress complex and those within to provide covering fire. Realising their situation was hopeless the defenders of the outer defences pulled back to the main fortress in as organised a way they could, the Astartes doing their best to cover them whilst they withdrew. Ragthor for his part pressed forward not allowing the defenders much respite. Then once again the Scythe of Rust bellowed its warhorn as the Death Guard artillery now focused all it's fire on the fortress and the wall, the Death Guard made way for the Knight as it made for the wall in a crazed berserk bloodthirst. When it made impact with the wall it's gauntlet obliterated it, the Knight went into a rage tearing at the wall and widening the gap until the fire from the defenders tanks caught its attention and it charged them. Kestarniaz realising that this was the key moment of the battle rallied his forces and made for the breach, Ragthor for his part ordered the Death Guard forward to take the breach. Both sides made all haste to it, with the Death guard that had been close behind the Knight Rampager disembarking and establishing the bridgehead, soon they were engaged by the defenders who pushed hard to force them out, the Death Guard were able to stop the pushback when their own reinforcements arrived. what followed was a brutal melee with both sides refusing to give in. Eventually Kestarniaz and his veterans found Ragthor with his Deathshrouds, hoping to end the battle by killing their commander, Kestarniaz engaged Ragthor in a duel, both champions traded blows and insults, until Kestarniaz said something that seemed to enrage the Lord of Contagion, so much so he redoubled his attacks and soon dealt a mortal blow to Kestarniaz before he eviscerated him.

With the death of their Commander the defenders resolve crumbled, the Death guard managed to pour into the breach and ravage the Fortress and its defenders. They cleared it of all they came across, no mercy was shown. Cadmac Ticodio of the Dragons Excelsis took command and ordered a retreat, with the Imperial Navy returning to dispute the skies long enough to allow the defenders time to escape. However, the Plaguefleet managed to claim more than its fair share of kills in the following withdrawal. It was a decisive victory for the Dominion and the Death guard, despite losing a quarter of their own forces in the battle they had managed to inflict 50-60% casualties on the Imperium, including at least half the Astartes and Sisters of Battle. As Ragthor predicted following the fall of Boron, the Imperium was forced to abandon Bekratra, the wars momentum was now firmly back in the Death Guards hands.

##### End of the War

Despite the decisive battle at Alcoghrax, the war would not be ended it's outcome but in fact due to a far greater threat to the galactic east. Only a few months after the Imperial defeat at Alcoghrax, the Second Tyrannic War broke out and the Imperium is forced to abandon their attempts to reclaim the Sub-Sector and redeploy the majority of their forces to deal with the threat of Hive Fleet Kraken. Following this the Halscourgian Dominion and it's allies consolidated their gains and fortified their borders with the Imperium, content to simply foment rebellions in the remainder of the Sub-sector. Any future efforts to mount a new offensive to reclaim the Sub-sector are further hampered due to Vect's Declaration in 994.M41, leading to Drukhari raids across the Imperium, whilst the epidemic level of Ork WAAAGH!s of 996.M41 further prevent the Imperium from being able to gather a sufficient force, with the catastrophic events of 999.M41 making the attempt all but an impossibility. In the end whilst the Dominion only controls 5 of the 8 planets in the sub-sector prior to the Great rift, the Dominion emerges more powerful than ever before. As had been promised, the Dominion swears its loyalty and submits to Mortarion and the Death Guard. Halscourgia also swears an eternal debt to the Rancid Lords for the pinnacle role they played in defeating the Imperium. Ragthor uses this to replenish his Cohort and restore it to full strength and has regiments of Halscourgian Havocs, Covens of Stygrakian Cultists and Tribes of Barbaric Rankusians added to his Auxiliary forces. He also receives a gift from Borin Gradshane, a massive creature from Rankus called a Toad Drake, this specimen being the largest and most powerful of its kind on the planet. Ragthor accepts the gift and soon tames the beast naming it Glottus.

## Notable Campaigns

#### Time of Remission, M32-M41

* **Galactic Respite (Unknown Date.M32-M41)** - The Death Guard engage in a series of brutal wars against their erstwhile allies in the Eye of Terror. Though they prevail time and again, this territorial campaign consumes Mortarion's entire focus. Thousands of standard years will pass in realspace during which the Death Guard are rarely sighted by the servants of the Imperium. During this time the Rancid Lords came into being and distinguished themselves as a reliable formation at Mortarions disposal. It is also during this time that Ragthor begins to catch the eye of his Genefather.
* **Conquest of Thantenzore XIII (Unknown Date)** - When the forces of the Daemon Prince of Khorne, Hararag Goreblade begin raiding Death Guard worlds within the Eye of Terror Mortarion dispatches the Rancid Lords to destroy Goreblade and his forces. The Rancid Lords find Goreblade on his own Daemon World Thantenzore XIII, a blood drenched world mostly covered in oceans of blood. Seeing an opportunity to both claim the world for the Death Guard and to wipe out Goreblade and his followers, Ragthor has the Cohort make planetfall and has the Destroyer Colonies infect and pollute the blood seas, soon they turn into toxic reeking oceans of sludge that infect the planet and greatly weaken the defenders and Goreblade. After this the Rancid lords go on the offensive, slowly and brutally crushing Goreblades followers bit by bit til only he remains. When Ragthor finds Goreblade he find the Daemon Prince wracked with pustules and buboes and too weak to fight back, Ragthor ends his suffering by cleaving his skull in two to deny it for Khorne and presents a new Daemon world for his Lord and Master.
* **Plagued Faith (Unknown Date)** - When Nurglite cultist uprisings occur in systems around the Ecclesiarchy Shrine World of Montsavula's Citadel, Cardinal Merrasta, with the sanction of the Ordo Hereticus, orders the faithful and Adepta Sororitas to purge the heretics and restore the God Emperors light in a War of Faith. Unbeknownst to the Cardinal however is the fact that the uprisings are in fact a trap to lure away the defenders of the Shrine World away so the Rancid Lords may break it. Within weeks of the faithful's ships leaving the System the Rancid Lords arrive and invade Montsavula's Citadel, despite the brave and defiant defence of the local populace within a solar month of making planetfall the Rancid Lords conquer and infect the world, the remaining worlds in the system last only a solar month between them. When the faithful return from their purges they find their home a toxic disease ridden ruin, the Cardinals infected and bloated corpse nailed to the Emperors statue outside her cathedral.
* **Execution of the Wretched** **(Unknown Date.M35-M39)** - Despite Mortarions control over his legion, numerous splinter warbands break from the Death Guard. Whilst some manage to escape without suffering the wrath of Mortarion there are those who do not or whose betrayal he will not permit to go unpunished. To this end he deploys the Rancid Lords to bring those who have betrayed the Legion to heel and either bring them back into the fold or annihilate them. The exact number of warbands the Rancid lords fight is unknown but amongst the most renowned and infamous are the likes of the Dominators Bacterius, Mortis Feast and Pus Tyrants. It is through these acts that the Rancid Lords leader, Ragthor the Rancid, earns himself the Nickname the Axe of Mortarion.
* **The Fall of Naogendore Reach (Unknown Date.M40)** - When the systems within the Naogendore Reach on the edge of the Halo stars comes under Drukhari raids at the hands of the Kabal of the Broken Sigil rebellions break out as the local populace feels the Imperium cannot protect them from the Xenos incursions. Seeing an opportunity forces from the Death Guard, Emperors Children and Word Bearers descend upon the Reach to claim it for themselves. The Rancid Lords prove one of the key units in the war managing to inflict heavy losses on the Imperial forces sent to stop them. However, once the Imperium is forced to abandon the Reach to it's fate the Forces of chaos soon turn on one another to claim the prize. Despite the Rancid lords best efforts it is the Word Bearers who win the war to claim the Reach, thus the Rancid Lords are forced to withdraw in defeat. However thanks to the trove of Geneseed, captives and other artefacts of worth to the Death Guard they bring back with them the consequences of their failure are less severe than anticipated.
* **The Siege of Wardens Court (841.M40) -** When The Red Justicars Space Marine Chapter are forced to deploy the majority of their companies around the Gothic Sector leaving their homeworld of Kovah Primus and their Fortress-Monastery, Wardens Court, defended by just the 6th, 9th and 10th Companies Ragthor sees a perfect opportunity to destroy the Chapters homeworld and claim their precious geneseed stocks. The Rancid Lords manage to quickly overwhelm the Justicars fleet forcing them to retreat but not before they manage to send all Astartes planetside and crucially delaying the Rancid Lords long enough to allow the Justicars to send out a call for aid and recall for their chapter and fortify the already formidable Fortress-Monastery. Command of the defence falls to 6th Company Captain Azrus Icararis, being the most senior of the captains present, he decides to deploy the majority of the 10th Company outside the Fortress far from it so they will be able to harass the enemy and also report wherever they make plantefall. Not wanting to waste anymore time Ragthor commits the entirety of the Cohort to besiege Wardens Court, at first he attempts to use the Destroyer colonies with support from the others and auxiliary units to try and inflict as many casualties as possible and break their resolve. Unfortunately for Ragthor the presence of the 9th company and their devastators prove decisive in repelling the assault. His subsequent assaults also fail to make a breakthrough and thus the Rancid Lords are forced to dig in and prepare for a long siege. At this time the 10th company scouts present outside the Fortress begin to harass the Rancid Lords from behind, forcing Ragthor to commit his men to protecting the rear thus weakening his assaults. As the siege drags on despite the apparent success of the defenders Azrus Icararis knows that his losses are mounting and whilst Ragthor has suffered losses he still has far more Astartes and without the return of the other Companies soon the Fortress will fall. Ragthor grows more enraged as the Fortress and it's defenders continue to defy him, he decides to lead a personal assault with his Blightlord Terminators to force a breach, despite the Justicars resistance Ragthor manages to breach the fortress and the rancid lords follow their lord into the breach, the fighting is furious with Ragthor and his terminators reaping a bloody toll on the defenders. However, Just as Ragthor is about to breach the final defence he receives a communique from his fleet that the Justicars fleet has returned in larger numbers. Realising that he doesn't have much time Ragthor orders the Rancid Lords to destroy as much of the fortress as possible and finish the defenders so they may be able to escape with as much geneseed and artefacts as possible, unfortunately the return of their comrades and the promise salvation reinvigorates the Justicars who rally and manage to push the Rancid Lords back. The Justicar fleet makes contact with the Cohorts Fleet and manages to deploy their astartes planetside, the veteran 1st company along with the 8th company of the Red Justicars make planetfall, led by Chapter Master Valefam Halbesco, the reinforcements manage to break the siege and force the Rancid Lords into a retreat. Despite their best efforts the Justicars don't manage to prevent Ragthor and the Rancid lords from returning to their Fleet and they manage to escape. Nearly 40% of the Rancid lords are killed, with only the 1st Colonies of each Maladictum near intact, the fleet also sustains losses losing a cruiser and some escorts as well as many of the ships suffering damage, Ragthor for his part is utterly berserk with rage at the defeat and swears before Nurgle that he shall have vengeance on the Red Justicars. For their part despite the Justicars victory against all odds they find little cause for celebration, large parts of Wardens Court have been heavily damaged many now infected with corruption and completely unusable without extensive cleansing. The population of Kovah Primus suffers from a serious of plagues due to the Rancid lords, and of the 300 original defenders a meagre 80 remain, amongst them Azrus Icararis. The Red Justicars thus also swear an oath of vengeance against the Rancid Lords, pledging to rid the Galaxy of their rot. Ragthor returns to the Plague Planet in disgrace and is made to suffer the wrath of Mortarion, spared only due to the need Mortarion has for the Rancid Lords when another of the countless wars between Nurgle and Tzeentch breaks out.

#### Time of Infection, M41

* **Reapers Due (Unknown Date.M41)** - When the Daemon Prince Festax Glopcrust and his Vectorium the Malefactors Immortal split from the Death Guard and declare that Festax is the only true and rightful leader of the Death Guard, Mortarion demands that he be made to pay for this betrayal. Ragthor implores his Genefather to grant the Rancid Lords the right to enact Mortarions vengeance, for both the insult to Mortarion and they may make amends for their defeat at Wardens Court. Mortarion obliges, sending the Rancid Lords and 7 Deathshroud Terminators to annihilate Festax and his traitors. When the traitor is located the Rancid lords find Festax and his forces on the Dead world of Morwin, now in the process of becoming a Daemon world. Ragthor finds that Festax warband has grown in size to nearly 1,000 Astartes and dozens of cultist covens, realising that Festax had prepared for their arrival Ragthor decides the best strategy is to deploy the majority of his forces and to locate Festax and then teleport with as many Terminators as possible and cut the head of the rebellion. As the Rancid lords make planetfall and engage the traitors Ragthor and his 70 Blightlords and the Deathshroud remain to try and locate Festax. Eventually Festax is located in a ruined temple complex he has made into a palace, Ragthor and his strike force immediately teleport as close as possible and make for the traitor. After fighting their way to the throne room they are greeted by Festax surrounded by his own Terminator bodyguard and lesser daemons who have sworn pacts to him, a brutal fight ensues with more of Festax's forces converging to surround and overwhelm Ragthor and his force, eventually he decides to lead the Deathshrouds to make straight for the Daemon Prince whilst the terminators hold the rest at bay. With Ragthor at the head they cleave a bloody path straight to the Daemon Prince and a brutal melee ensues. 4 of the 7 Deathshroud are killed before Ragthor finally manages to mortally wound the Daemon Prince, causing his daemonic allies to be forced back into the warp and the remaining forces prove no match for the surviving Blightlords. As Festax lays dying on his throne Ragthor is told by the Champion of the Deathshroud, Vyras, that Ragthor is to take the traitor alive to Mortarion. When the Rancid Lords reach their Leader they find half the strike force dead, whilst the rest of the Rancid lords have lost nearly half of their strength, but in exchange the entire traitor force with no exceptions has been annihilated. When they return to the Plague Planet with Festax in chains Mortarion publicly, in front of an assembly of Lords and Commanders, slays the traitor. Mortarion absolves Gartag of his previous failures, referring to him as his Axe much to Ragthors relief. He also has the squad of Deathshroud that accompanied Ragthor replenished and then gives them to Ragthor as his personally Bodyguard, they become the Rancid Blades.
* **The Death of Zephur (301.M41) -** When the Hive World of Zephur Prima suffers from an outbreak of riots the planetary governor deploys the Enforcers of the Adeptus Arbites to restore order. However, the situation rapidly deteriorates when the rioters are suddenly joined by cultists who manage to overwhelm the enforcers and the riots soon escalate into a planet wide uprising. It is soon revealed that the riots and events that have occurred are all the due to plot of a Tzeentchian cult known as the Prophecarii. Soon the world falls to the cult and the system soon finds itself embroiled in uprisings. To most the uprisings appear to be just another of the numerous chaos uprisings that have plagued the Imperium, but to the Death Guard they see clearly the hand of their arch rivals, The Thousand Sons, at play behind this. Whatever the reason behind their involvement the Death Guard decide they cannot allow whatever plot the uprisings play a part of to occur and thus the Rancid Lords are sent to eradicate the Cult. When the Rancid Lords arrive the System is in utter anarchy with Imperium forces barely managing to contain the rebellions, deciding to not waste time on the uprisings on the other worlds Ragthor decides to target the origin of uprising, Zephur Primus. When the Rancid Lords make planetfall they quickly manage to take dig in and defeat the forces sent against them. Ragthor seeing a chance to once again win his lords approval decides to not only wipe out the cult but also claim the system for Mortarion. Thus Ragthor leads the Rancid Lords on the offensive to claim the system, spreading his fleet out across the system and sending Colonies of the cohort to begin the process of conquering the planets. Time and again the Rancid Lords manage to defeat both Imperium and Prophecarii forces and soon Ragthor and his Deathshroud elite manage to locate the leadership of the cult, teleporting within their compound and slaughtering them. However, near his moment of triumph Inquistor Natedia van Hulf, of the Ordo Hereticus with her Chamber Militant of Adepta Sororitas of The Order of Our Vengeful Prophet and Imperium forces arrive in the system and make planetfall on Zephur Primus to eradicate the Heresy that has engulfed Zephur. The Order of Our Vengeful Prophet fight with a zeal and fury nearly unmatched as they seek revenge for the destruction of their ancient homeworld of Montsavula's Citadel at the hands of the Rancid Lords. In the face of such a sudden and furious assault the Rancid Lords are forced to leave Zephur to the Imperium. Despite achieving their original objective of destroying the Prophecarii and ending any plan the Thousand Sons had for them, Ragthor is incandescent with fury at being denied the conquest of the system for Mortarion.
* **Halscourgian War (987-992.M41)** - After centuries of planning at the hands of the Gradshane's, Borin Gradshane the X Planetary Governor of Halscourgia and ruler of Sub-Sector Halscourgia declares Halscourgia, its system and the Sub-Sector independent of the Imperium of Man and declares himself ruler of the newly founded Halscourgian Dominion. 6 of the 8 systems within the Sub-Sector side with him as do 21 of the 30 Halscourgian Havoc Regiments, which thanks to an oversight of the Administratum were stationed in the Sub-Sector, and the majority of the PDF. Initially the rebellion appears to be a resounding success, the majority of the planets hive cities fall to the traitors, as do most of the strategic areas and assets within the system and Sub-Sector. However, the newly founded Dominion soon finds itself suffering setbacks as loyalist forces manage to rally and consolidate and the 9 Halscourgian Regiments that remain loyal inflict a series of defeats that enable them to capture strategic areas and send word to Terra alerting them of the rebellion. Whilst the victories are minor, and the traitors still hold the advantage the loyalists manage to entrench themselves, and prevent any further success for the traitors. When the Imperium learns of the rebellion, it decides that an immediate and overwhelming response is required to bring the subsector back into compliance, and to help prevent any further rebellions. To this end the first year of the war is primarily spent by the Imperium gathering the forces required to reclaim the Sub-Sector. A force of 25 regiments of the Astra Militarum and 4 Companies of Adeptus Astartes from the The Dragons Excelsis, Hammers Devout and the Stormlance Tridents, command of the campaign was granted to Lord General Junith Verechant. By the time Imperial forces arrive within the subsector, the loyalists have been holding out for nearly 2 years, managing to deny the enemy complete control of the subsector. The invasion force first arrives in the hotly contested Rodian system, the second most powerful and valuable system in the subsector, and one of the two that hadn’t sided with the Dominion, the invasion force quickly, and brutally manages to crush the dominions forces within the system, and manages to reinforce and turn the System into the headquarters for Imperium forces. . Following these setbacks, the Dominion finds itself in a desperate situation, being pushed back by Imperial forces, and barely managing to hold them at bay. It is at this point that Borin Gradeshane enacts the second part of his plan, a call to aid from the Chaos God Nurgle, or as he is known from ancient Halscourgian times, the Three eyed king. He sends out a petition of aid to the death guard Legion, asking for their support in defeating, the imperium, and in return, offering his eternal service, and the Dominions to them, and Nurgle. Initially Mortarion does not consider such an intervention worth the effort, focused, as he is now on building up and consolidation his forces for his planned invasion of Ultramar. However, upon further consideration, the Daemon Primark comes to the realisation that the Dominion’s location is actually of significant strategic value being located to the Galactic east of the maelstrom, making it a prime, strategic stopping point between the maelstrom, and Ultramar. He also considers the subsectors potential for material, and as a prime source of manpower and resources. The Death Guard respond by sending Ragthor to lead a force of nearly 1,400 astartes made up of the Rancid Lords and Vectoriums from the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Plague Companies . The war comes to an end with the outbreak of the Second Tyrannic War and Imperium Forces being forced to abandon their attempts to reclaim the Sub-Sector and redeploy to deal with the threat of Hove Fleet Kraken. Following this the Halscourgian Dominion swears its loyalty and submission to Mortarion and the Death Guard. Halscourgia also swears itself as in eternal debt to the Rancid Lords for the pinnacle role they play in defeating the Imperium. Ragthor uses this to replenish his Cohort and restore it to full strength and has regiments of Halscourgian Havocs, Covens of Stygrakian Cultists and Tribes of Barbaric Rankusians added to his Auxiliary forces. He also receives a gift from Borin Gradshane, a massive creature from Rankus called a Toad Drake, this specimen being the largest and most powerful of its kind on the planet. Ragthor accepts the gift and soon tames the beast naming it Glottus.
* **13th Black Crusade (995.999.M41)** - The Death Guard Traitor Legion deployed in its entirety to take part in Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade against the Imperial Fortress World of Cadia. This resulted in the largest mobilisation of both Imperial and Chaos forces seen in the Milky Way Galaxy since the Horus Heresy. The Forces of Chaos succeeded at last in overwhelming the defences of Cadia when Abaddon unleashes the shattered remains of a Blackstone Fortress known as the *Will of Eternity* as an artificial meteor to destroy the Cadian Pylons and devastate the Fortress World's valiant Imperial defenders.

#### Time of Outbreaks, M41-M42

Note: All dates from this point forward are provisional due to errors in the Imperial Calendar, meaning these events could actually have occurred at any time from the early 41st Millennium to the early 42nd Millennium.

* **Galactic Epidemic (ca. 999.M41-Unknown Date.M42)** - In the wake of Cadia's fall during the 13th Black Crusade, the Great Rift thunders into being, reality bursting open like the stitches of a weeping wound to spill Warp-stuff into the galaxy. Plague Fleets strike all across the Imperium, spilling from the roiling Warp Storms of the *Noctis Aterna* to spread misery and decay.
* **The Plague Wars (Unknown Date.M42-ca. 111.M42)** - As the Blackness settles across great swathes of the Imperium, Chaos Cult activity and recidivist uprisings lead to the daemonic infestation of several prosperous star systems to the galactic north of Ultramar. Under the influence of Mortarion, these worlds fall entirely into Nurgle's grasp and become the "Scourge Stars," a feculent fortress for the servants of the Plague Father within realspace. It is from these suppurating staging posts that Mortarion will launch his campaigns into Ultramar in what will become known as the "Plague Wars."
* **Warzone Ultramar (Unknown Date.M42)** - Mortarion's long-awaited invasion of Ultramar begins, initiating the Plague Wars. Sepsis cohorts of every Plague Company join the fight, with the 2nd, 3rd and 7th Plague Companies deploying in almost their entirety. Marching alongside daemon Tallybands, corrupted Renegade Knights, Traitor Titan Legions and countless warbands of Renegades, Chaos Cultists and turncoat Astra Militarum, the grotesque armies of Nurgle force the beleaguered defenders of Ultramar back step by bloody step. During this time the Rancid Lords prove a key asset to Mortarion due to their skill and ability to bring full force to bear.

## Warband Organization

What sets the Rancid Lords apart from the vast majority of their peers is the fact that they have managed to maintain almost perfect unity and structure within the Cohort just as Mortarion set out. Whilst most other Cohorts are in reality broken up between multiple Vectoriums, warbands, the Rancid lords entire assets are always present and ready to be deployed in their entirety, a fact that Mortarion finds incredibly useful. This unity is almost wholly down to the Leadership of Ragthor.

The fact that the Rancid Lords are able to bring a full Cohort to bear enables them to fight in a variety of methods and deploy a diverse array of assets, meaning the Cohort can, as intended, fight in most engagements with sufficient skill and assets. Enabling the Rancid Lords to be deployed for a wide variety of missions and warzones where they can adapt to the situation.

#### Sepsis Cohort

* Drop Pods
* Gunships
* Daemon Engine Packs
* Super-heavy detachments
* Sorcerer covens
* Summoned Daemon Tallybands
* Tallyman bands
* Blightbringer vagaries
* Blightspawn colonies

* Traitoris Militarum Regiments
* Drone Swarms
* Helbrute Talons
* Legion Armoured Detachments
* Daemon Engines
* Super-Heavy Assets
* Summoned Daemon Packs
* Nurglings
* Traitoris Militarum Regiments
* Drone Swarms
* Helbrute Talons
* Legion Armoured Detachments
* Daemon Engines
* Super-Heavy Assets
* Summoned Daemon Packs

#### Colonies

Under Ragthor's leadership the Rancid Lords have organised both Maladictums to ensure their colonies match each other. This is to ensure that when the cohort fights as one they can be combined to double their strength, or can fight equally effectively when split.

The 1st Ccolony of each Maladictum are made wholly of Blightlord Terminators, in keeping with Death Guard tradition. The following 2nd and 3rd Colonies are both Plague Colonies, made up of standard Plague marine squads. the 4th and 5th Colonies are both Destroyer Colonies, made of squads equipped with Alchemical Weapons. The 6th Colony are Reaper Colonies made up squads mounted in transport vehicles. The 7th and final colony of each are Harvest Colonies comprised of Squads equipped wholly with Axes, Maces, Cleavers and Flails. The first squad of every Colony is made up of it's most veteran members, whilst the 7th squad is made up of its newest.

Every Colony contains a Tallyman and Plague Surgeon, to both keep track of the Colonies tally and to keep them functional, as well as collect any geneseed they can from their own fallen or the enemies. Noxious Blightbringer's also play a key role in the Cohort thanks to their ability to weaken the resolve of an enemy, thus the 2nd, 3rd and 7th colony of each Maladictum has a Blightbringer. Being of the 7th Plague Company, the Rancid Lords have a predilection for being plague brewers and twisted alchemists, who love nothing more than unleashing their creations upon their enemies and watching the horrifying results. The 2nd, 3rd and 6th Colonies to this end each have one Foul Blightspawn and Biologus Putrifier, whilst the 4th and 5th, being Destroyer Colonies, have 2 of each.

Ragthor like many within the Death Guard has nothing but contempt for the sorcerers within his Cohort, seeing them as little different than the ones the Death Guard revelled in killing in the Great Crusade. However, just like many within the Death Guard he also recognises their utility as living weapons upon the field of battle, as well as the devastation they can bring on the enemy. Thus Malignant Plaguecasters are present within the Cohort. However, unlike the other specialists that are present in every Colony, only a few Colonies in the Cohort have a Malignant Plaguecaster, these are the 1st, 3rd and 7th Colony of every Maladictum, the Sorcerors of the 1st also are equipped with corrupted terminator armour, the better to keep with the colony. Thus in total every Maladictum has only 3 sorcerers, whilst the 7th and Chief Malignant Plaguecaster, Viluthrox Sphek, is attached to Ragthors retinue. He also does not allow them to take command as he does not trust them.

Additionally an additional Specialist of each exist outside of the Maladictums, these being the Chief amongst them and thus being responsible for these specialists as well as being the best of them. They make up part of Ragthors personal Retinue. They are:

* **Viluthrox Sphek:** Chief Malignant Plaguecaster

* **Glidex Barcen:** Chief Biolugus Putrifier

* **Slostrol Pukescum:** Chief Foul Blightspawn

* **Festrach Rotbolgh:** Chief Noxious Blightbringer

* **Gnaxos Squirmlung:** Chief Plague Surgeon

* **Anplhax Thrombhoxis:** Chief Tallyman

Another 3 units also exist outside the Cohort structure. The first and foremost amongst them are the Rancid Blades, Ragthor personal bodyguard of Deathshroud Terminators. 7 Strong the blades have proven highly effective at protecting their charge and proven very effective in battle. However, Ragthor is more than aware that they also serve as his Genefather's eyes and ears and if ever they find cause to, his scythes. The second is a unit known as the Fellkin, a rare group of Death Guard Possessed, made up of those who sold their souls to Daemons for power, Ragthor despite his worship and veneration of Nurgle is not a devout fanatic, thus he looks upon those within the Cohort who sold their souls with contempt. But as with the Sorcerers he also recognises the usefulness of the Fellkin, keeping them seperate from the cohort structure and deploying them when he sees fit and where. The numbers of the Fellkin have fluctuated over time wildly, the most being 30, usually broken into squads of ten these possessed are sent in to wreak havoc amongst the enemy and slaughter freely. The third and final group are the Bloatspawn, a pack of Chaos Spawn that are locked and chained up like the uncontrollable monsters they are, made up of the Spawn from the Rancid Lords and their Auxilia, the Bloatspawn are used as cannon fodder, sent ahead to absorb the enemies fire and attention as the Rancid Lords advance.

##### 1st Maladictum

The 1st Maladictum has gone through numerous commanders in it's history, at least 4 in the past 8,000 years. These commanders have either been replaced due to failure or because their commander attempted to overthrow Ragthor which promptly resulted in their brutal execution. The Maladictum currently is commanded by Fulgostrol Mortek, a very competent and effective commander. Fulgostrol Mortek is also among one of the, relatively, youngest commanders within the Cohort. Being a mere 3,000 years old and having commanded the 1st Maladictum after its previous Commander, Putrous, tried to overthrow Ragthor following the defeat at Wardens Court.

* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Helbrutes
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Sorcerer
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries

* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos and Siege Tanks
* Predator Squad
* Land Raider
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Sorcerer
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries

##### 2nd Maladictum

Under Ulceridex the Corruptor the 2nd Maladictum has long been an incredibly competent and effective fighting force. Ulceridex holds the unique distinction of being the longest serving Maladictum commander within the Rancid Lords having led it for nearly 7,000 Terran Years, . Whilst there are those who have questioned why Ulceridex hasn't been made Commander of the first Maladictum the truth is Ragthor is grateful to have a loyal and reliable commander who he hasn't had to replace and would rather not risk changing that, or as he will occasionally joke if he made Ulceridex commander of the first he would probably end up having to kill him.

* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Helbrutes
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Sorcerer
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries

* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Tallyman
* Putrifiers
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos and Siege Tanks
* Predator Squad
* Land Raider
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries
* Sorcerer
* Plague Surgeon
* Tallyman
* Putrifier
* Blightspawn
* Rhinos
* Helbrutes
* Bloat-Drones and Blight Drones
* Poxwalkers and Cultist Auxiliaries

#### Vehicles

The Rancid Lords have in their possession a rather diverse and large array of Daemon Engines and vehicles that they utilise. The numbers have fluctuated over the Millennia and the Rancid Lords have more than once taken additional vehicles for a campaign.

The Rancid Lords having remained a coherent fighting cohort for 10,000 years has resulted in its fair share of losses, Champions amongst them. Those Champions who are alive long enough inevitably are placed in a Helbrute sarcophagus, their resilience allowing more to live long enough for the process. As such over 10,000 years of war the Rancid Lords have gathered a large number of Helbrutes, as of the outbreak of the plague wars the number stands at approximately 21.

Additionally the Rancid Lords have a high number Rhinos at their disposal.

#### Auxiliaries

 File:Rakussian Warriors.jpg
Like other units within the Death Guard, the Rancid Lords make extensive use of Auxiliary forces comprised of Mutants, Cultists, Daemons and Traitors. These Auxiliaries come from a variety of sources, some come from the Plague Planet, some from marauding pirates and raiders the Lords pick up, some are from slaves who have been forced to fight for the Rancid Lords, others come from a variety of worlds and places who are taken in by the cohort, some are regiments who have forsaken the Imperium and sold their souls to Nurgle.

    Amongst some of the most notable Auxiliary forces are the likes of the Rustbloods, a savage tribe of Techno-Barbarians who are attached to the 1st Colonies, who's ranks are replenished by inducting other barbaric auxiliaries into their fold. Barbarian tribes from feral and death worlds as well as the Plague planet find themselves attached to the 7th colonies, the most notable of these tribal warriors are the Feral warriors of Rankus, who joined the rancid lords following the Halscourgian war. Among the many Cults and Cultist Covens within the Cohort among the most notable are the likes of The Faithful of the Flyblown Warp, The Scions of Beckoning Decay and The Children of the Befouled King. The Rancid Lords also since the Halscourgian War have been been able to count among their ranks Traitoris Militarum Regiments from Halscourgia, the Halscourgian Havocs. These Regiments have earned a place within the Cohort as reliable and tough soldiers who are superior to most of the other Auxiliaries.

The Rancid Lords also can, when it is possible, count on the support of Daemon packs that have sworn oaths with the Rancid Lords to aid them when called upon, these mostly are comprised of Plaguebearers. However, the Cohort can also call upon the support of the Blothrox Legion, a Plague Legion led by Blothrox a Great Unclean One. Blothrox Legion is a Morbidus Legion, thus they are reapers, tolltakers, and bringers of death, much like the Rancid Lords, hence they compliment each other.

## Warband Recruitment

The Rancid Lords like the Death Guard as a whole are one of the few Traitor Legions that still partakes in active recruitment, their numbers having swelled since the heresy thanks to this relentless recruitment drive. Where the recruits come from tends to vary depending on what Colony they will belong to and the time. A number of the Cohort are comprised of Barbaran veterans of the Great Crusade, others are made up of renegades who joined the Death Guard and others still are those who have been recruited and inducted from a variety of sources.

The 1st Colony being made of the Elite Blightlord Terminators draws its recruits from the most veteran and elite among the rest of the Cohort.

The 2nd, 3rd and 6th colonies are amongst the most diverse, made up veterans of the Great Crusade and the Heresy, Renegades who joined the Death Guard after pledging their souls to Nurgle and others who have been created with either the occasionally usable Death Guard Geneseed or stolen stock from their enemies. Thus the source of their recruits is varied and wide.

The 4th and 5th Colonies similarly are a varied mix from many different sources, however for them the key distinction lies in one of two mentalities, the Despaired and the Corrupters as they are called. The Despaired are those who have given into despair and hopelessness, they wish to see the galaxy suffer their plight and take no joy in what they do or anything, they seek purely to bring ruin. The Corrupters on the other hand are the opposite, jovial and jolly they wish to spread their Grandfathers gifts to the galaxy and will do everything to see it so. How the two coexist without coming to blows is a mystery.

The 7th Colony of each Maladictum being the Harvest Colonies comprised of close quarter combatants is made up of the most violent and melee oriented of the Cohort. Ragthor has tended to favour having recruits from Feral and Death worlds inducted into these Colonies, the better to let their barbaric tenacity and melee skills shine, as such many of the 7th Colonies marines come from barbaric tribesmen. In recent years to make up for the losses the 7th Colonies sustained Ragthor has had many of the best tribesmen from the Feral/Death World of Rankus from the Halscourgia System inducted into the 7th Colonies.

## Warband Headquarters

The Rancid Lords Headquarters lies on the Plague Planet, more specifically the Black Manse, Mortarion's personal keep and the Keep of the 7th Plague Company. Stretching between the three highest peaks of the Plague Planet the dungeons and laboratories of this nightmarish fastness conceal horrors of the very darkest kind. The Plague Planet is a fume-wreathed nether-hell where disease runs rampant and barbarian tribes cling to a nightmarish existence amidst rotting forests and swamps. Worm-eaten mountains rise to pierce the churning skies, their flanks roamed by plague-ridden abominations that should be dead yet still prey on human flesh. Higher, atop the peaks, the Death Guard maintain their fortresses as once the carrion lords of Barbarus ruled from on high, revelling in the bitter irony that they have become the very despots they once fought to depose.

The clouds of contagion that wreathe these slab-sided, rusting fastnesses are inimical to life. None but the Death Guard can endure even a single breath of them. Quite besides the brutish batteries of orbital guns that stud every single mountaintop of this world, its vapours alone have proved enough to massacre invading armies on more than one occasion. The Plague Planet is replete with hideous spectacles and places of foetid power. Amongst the suppurating valleys rise tri-lobed platforms of rusted iron upon which mortal tribal champions battle for the right to join the Death Guard's ranks. Hanging in orbit are chained rings of biomechanical defence platforms and suppurating orbital docks, at which the Plague Fleets suckle like flies on a carcass. Shrines to Nurgle, crawling molluscoid fortresses, smog-spewing plague factories and crackling alchemical shield generators dot the planet's surface. The world's mortal citizens cower in tiny villages, serving their supreme masters of the Death Guard, who reside in mighty fortress citadels far above all of them.

When the Rancid Lords set out from the Plague Planet, their Headquarters becomes their Flagship, the Repulsive class Grand Cruiser, *Deaths Knell,* with its overwhelming firepower it is more than capably of defending itself. Within the Control room Ragthor has modified it to resemble some great war chamber, with him sitting on a throne carved into a Biomechanical plague tree that has grown out of the very ship itself, there he rules over like some barbarian king. From here he coordinates the actions of his Cohort.

Following the Halscourgian War, the Rancid Lords established a Fortress upon the capitol planet of Halscourgia, called the *Rusted Bastion.* From within a garrison force of 70 Corrupted Astartes oversee to the defence and compliance of the Halscourgian Dominion. From the Bastion the Death Guard induct fresh Plague Marines and oversee the raising of Cultists and Halscourgian Havoc Regiments to be supplied to the Death Guard, as well as enforce the Rule of the Gradeshanes, as long as their loyalty remains unquestioning.

## Warband Combat Doctrines

The 1st Colony of each Maladictum are made wholly of Blightlord Terminators, in keeping with Death Guard tradition. Made up of the elite and most veteran of the Cohort, the Blightlords of the 1st hold a special place within the cohort, as all terminator armoured Astarte's do. They are the relentless and unstoppable shock troops with few equals, contemptuously advancing through even the thickest of enemy fire, before mowing down the enemy in droves with brutal ease. Even in close quarters they excel, wielding their swords, axes and flails with ease to cut down any that get to close. With their Auxiliaries being amongst the most elite as well . Able to teleport they make for excellent shock troops who can single handily end a war with a well placed attack.

The 2nd and 3rd Colonies by comparison are far more tactically flexible, comprised of Plague Marine Squads equipped with boltguns and a variety of special weapons depending on their role and preference. many are equipped with Blight Launchers, these grenade launchers are particularly effective at firing Blight Grenades at the foe, unleashing innumerable daemonic pathogens and diseases. Others use Plasma Guns to help punch through armoured opponents whilst others use Meltaguns to melt through even the toughest armour. In all the 2nd and 3rd Colonies are a tactically felxible force that can perform many roles and needs for the cohort, just like any Astartes. However, like all Death Guard, they are far more durable than even the strongest Astartes, able to take punishment that would kill many.

The 4th and 5th Colonies are the Destroyer Colonies, and as such in many ways mirror the 2nd and 3rd colonies with the key difference that they are equipped with Alchemical and Plague Weapons, instead of the special weapons of the 2nd and 3rd. These colonies are the toxic destroyers of worlds, who coat the land in such malefic toxins and disease ridden alchemicals the very land itself dies and writhes in agony. Equipped with Plague Spewers that can unleash a noxious brew of Nurgle-crafted daemonic pathogens and toxins upon any foes who come within range and the smaller Plague Belcher that vomits just as potent a slime. These make the 4th and 5th the best in tight urban environments and trenches, where their deadly concotions can reak untold havoc amongst tightly pack and confined defenders. Dooming them to a agonising death, or in their desire to escape such a fate will often be mowed down by the boltgun wielding members of the colonies who delight in such 'Sport'.

The 6th Colony of each Maladictum in many ways mirrors the 2nd and 3rd, however the key difference is they are the Reaver colonies and thus are all placed within a Rhino APC to be deployed to where they are needed most urgently as fast as possible. Whilst the Death Guard have always been infantry who preferred to march and slog through the fire and endure whatever punishment the enemy and environment could throw at, even Mortarion understood well the that the rapid deployment and redeployment of forces was something far to important and key to ignore. Thus from the Crusade to the present the Death Guard have always utilised Rhino APC tied squads to allow for this rapid deployment and redeployment. To this end the 6th are used primarily to quickly claim essential objectives fast, or to support a specific area. Though they also have under their command almost all of the cohorts armour and most of its rhinos, with the other colonies usually only having 2 rhinos each, with 7 for the 6th. Each Reaver colony has attached to them a squad of Predator Tanks as well as siege tanks and Myphitic Blight-hauler Pack, and a potent land raider. This makes the 6th the armoured, rusted mailed fist of the cohort able to punch through most defences and take on enemy armour with ease.

The 7th and final Colony are the Harvest Colony, and are thus comprised of melee oriented Plague Marines. Equipped purely with Axes, Maces, Cleavers, Plague Knives and Flails these savage fighters engage purely in hand to hand combat. Their weapons are coated in the vilest of toxins and plague brews, just one cut is enough to seal ones fate to a slow agonising death. However few live long enough to suffer such a fate as the 7th are renowned for their brutality and savagery, hacking down any within reach all in the aim of honouring Nurgle and Mortarion. The Auxiliaries attached to the 7th are made up of the wildest, savagest and most violent the Rancid Lords can muster, from plagued-berserk cultists to the various barbaric tribal warriors of the corrupted feral and death worlds the Death Guard rule. They are deadly melee combatants with few equals who always reap a bloody toll on the enemy.

On their own each Colony is capable of being extremely effective and deadly, able to overwhelm many enemies in numerous environments. However, when fighting together they achieve their full devastating potential, with each different type of colony able to compliment the others and adding to their effectiveness. When the Maladictums fight as one few can stand against them, even fewer when the entire Cohort deploys as one as it often does. For all their physical and spiritual corruption, the warriors of the Rancid Lords are highly drilled, superhuman warriors. They remain Mortarion’s perfect infantrymen, tactically astute and well-equipped combatants whose incredible strength and resilience combine with an impressive array of hideous weapons and vehicles and daemon engines and more to render them horrifically deadly at mid-to-close ranges. It is this that has made the Rancid Lords a force to be reckoned with and feared.

## Warband Gene-Seed

The Legionaries of the Death Guard always reflected the gaunt, shadow-eyes quality of their Primarch that gave the lie to the hardness with which they were made. The original Terran-stock displayed a stoic temperament and gene-crafted aptitude, reminiscent of their genetic inheritance from the Ironside warriors of Old Albia.

With the introduction of the feral stock of the pale, gaunt people of Barbarus, the Death Guard Legion's gene-seed seemed to amplify the uncommon resistance to contagion and toxins in its Barbarus candidates to unheard of levels.

The contagion which led to their damnation corrupted them physically, as well. As Plague Marines, the once-gaunt Death Guard are now bloated and seeping like an infected abscess, covered in boils, sores and weeping wounds crusted with the brown and green filth of the unclean.

Nurgle does not accompany this repulsive aspect with gifts of mutation as freely as the other powers (such capricious change is the province of his antithesis, Tzeentch), but on occasion will alter the countenance of a Death Guard aspirant with a tentacle, facet-eyed head of an insect or some other hideously repulsive form.

## Warband Beliefs

The Rancid Lords in many regards mirror the beliefs of their parent legion. With certain differences.

### Cult of Personality

The arrival of the Primarch Mortarion within the XIVth Legion in the later days of the Great Crusade seemed to augment and amplify characteristics that had always been present in the Dusk Raiders to new and unseen extremes, while other aspects of the Legion's established nature fell away like a shed skin. Mortarion possessed a razor-sharp intelligence and flare for organisational simplicity and efficiency. These factors, coupled with the ability to inspire a fanatical loyalty in those of Barbarus blood who viewed him as no less than a near-divine saviour, engendered a fanatical loyalty to its Primarch rarely seen in other Legions.

It was no wonder then that by the time of the Istvaan III Atrocity, with the majority of the Legion being of Barbaran bloodstock, that their loyalty was to their Primarch first, then their Legion and to Horus. The majority of the Barbaran-born Death Guard Space Marines were more than willing to spit upon their oaths of fealty to the Emperor of Mankind and cast their lot with their macabre Primarch when the time came, a decision which ultimately encompassed the XIVth Legion's doom.

This loyalty to their Primarch is still as prevalent as ever, especially within the Rancid Lords under Ragthor who is utterly devoted to his genefather. The Rancid Lords go above and beyond to achieve the tasks handed to them by Mortarion and are the first to demand the right to slay any who offend him. As such their loyalty to their patron god is mixed, whilst many within the Cohort do openly and devoutly worship Nurgle, loyalty towards Mortarion takes principle, at least openly, for to show any sign of disloyalty is to invite the wrath of Gartstag.

### The Goblets

In a an act that mimics the practice of the legion from the great crusade and following his return to grace, Ragthor has enacted his own version of the Cups from the Legions days in the Crusade and added to it.

Like in the crusade at the conclusion of every battle, Ragthor, like Mortarion, at random selects a member of the Death Guard, and offers them the oppurtunity to share a celebratory drink with him. During the Crusade the poured distillate often contained a potent mixture of agent magenta nerve bane, some variety of sword beetle venom, and other, less identifiable compounds. This has now been made even deadlier as now they use all manner of plague brews, vile daemon toxins, rotting and decayed material and other, worse things besides. To consume it is to subject ones body to the purest and vilest of disease, liquid decay as Ragthor calls it.

Despite many within the Rancid Lords seeing such a traditions as a waste of time, not too dissimilar to frowning "The Cups," from the crusade received Ragthor knows, from recent experience that these honours and citations were sometimes necessary. Warriors needed to know that they are valued. Praise from one's peers must be given when the moment was right. Without it, even the most steadfast warrior would eventually feel unvalued and be tempted to betrayal or worse.

Additionally at the end of every battle, in honour of the auxilaries and their actions, 7 are chosen at random and granted the singular honour to shair a drink with an Plague Marine. The contents within these goblets are a much weaker version than the ones the Astartes drink, however this is more than sufficient to kill all but the most resilient humans. In addition each goblet contains a single drop of the astartes blood, a gift of strength and endurance to those who can survive it. This has instilled in the auxiliary a fanatic loyalty towards the Rancid Lords. Halscourgian Havoc recruits must drink from the goblets to be initiated into the regiments attached to the Rancid Lords.

## Notable Members

* **Lord of Contagion Ragthor the Rancid:** Leader of the Rancid Lords. A veteran of Mortarions liberation of Barbarus and the Crusade, he used to be known as Garstion the Giant, he was known for his size and devotion to Mortarion and aggressiveness. He had been one of the first followers of the Primarch upon Barbarus and upon the Reunification of the Legion with its Primarch one of the first Barbarusians to join the legions ranks. Through Ragthor’s firm leadership and the iron discipline he has instilled in his cohort his Cohort has been kept in almost perfect shape, with all its elements and assets present, all its colonies and maledictums at full proper strength.

* **Viluthrox Sphek:** Chief Malignant Plaguecaster

* **Glidex Barcen:** Chief Biolugus Putrifier

* **Slostrol Pukescum:** Chief Foul Blightspawn

* **Festrach Rotbolgh:** Chief Noxious Blightbringer

* **Gnaxos Squirmlung:** Chief Plague Surgeon

* **Anplhax Thrombhoxis:** Chief Tallyman

* **Vyras:** Deathshroud Champion

* **Festrik:** formally Festrin Gradshane, 7th born son of Borin Gradshane, Ruler of Halscourgia and ruler of the Halscourgian Dominion. Being utterly inspired by the sight of the Plague Marines of the Rancid Lords in all their repulsive and decayed glory Festrin decided he would join the Rancid Lords. At first the Rancid Lords didn't remotely think highly of him, but Festrin endured and toiled to earn the right and he was chosen as a potential canidate.

## Warband Plaguefleet

As of the opening of the great rift the Rancid Lords fleet stands at:

* 1 Repulsive class Grand Cruiser – Deaths Knell
* 1 Styx class heavy cruiser
* 1 Hades class Heavy cruiser
* 2 Murder class Cruisers
* 2 Carnage class Cruisers
* 1 Devastation class Cruiser
* 1 Emasculator class Cruiser
* 2 slaughter class Cruisers
* 12 Pestilaan light Cruisers
* 4 Hellbringer class light cruisers
* 7 escort squadrons of 5 ships each
* 15 Iconoclast class destroyers
* 5 infidel class raiders
* 5 apostate class raiders
* 5 idolator class raiders
* 5 Sword class Frigates