Denithar Zharak

Justaerin Commander

*Tyrant Breaker, True Son of Cthonia, The Black Wolf, Lupercal's Inheritor*

## Background

Denithar Zharak, Assault Captain of the Sons of Horus, Veteran-Justaerin, gang lord of Cthonia, The Black Tyrant. Over the course of his long life the post-human Denithar Zharak had attained many titles, honours and infamy, but it was his time as a proud legionnaire under the service of his gene-father Horus that was the most defining. Already a young leader of a vicious killer gang Denithar took to the arts of warfare and leadership well once he was inducted into the Luna Wolves for the Great Crusade. Over the course of two centuries Denithar survived and led his men to victory over and over again. On the world of Ballax-Prime his Company clashed against a mighty Ork empire, and when his Captain fell in battle against the Ork warlord Gazkrag Bonesnappa he took up his brother's shattered blade and avenged his death. During the Castigation of Terentius he was responsible for reaping a terrible toll against the command structure of the rebellious forces. By the time Horus had been named Warmaster of the fledgling Imperium, Denithar had been elevated to the rank of Captain amongst the honoured Justaerin Terminator elite.

As a leader of such an elite brotherhood, Denithar was fueled by his ambition to one day overtake the First Captain Ezekyle Abaddon to stand at the side of his father Horus Lupercal. Even when the Horus demanded that he slaughter his loyalist brothers did he only comply but took up the task with utmost zeal, for Horus' dream of becoming the new Emperor would provide Denithar the opportunity of truly becoming his father's right hand. So it was during the Battle of Isstvan III and the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V that he took it upon his company, the "Tyrant Breakers", to slaughter as many of his Loyalist brethren as they could, reveling not in glory of killing fellow at last worthy opponents in the chaos of close combat, and but to ensure his spot in the Warmaster's new Imperium. For seven years the Horus Heresy raged.

For seven years Denithar Zharak led his Tyrant Breakers into combat against their brothers. At last the tragic last battle awaited the Traitors, for Horus had finally begun the Battle of Terra. In the opening hours of planetfall after his Justaerin squad made multiple shock attacks cracking the defences of spaceports to secure main landing areas. Once the Traitor forces breached past the outer walls of the Golden Palace did the Tyrant Breakers join the battle in earnest. However this battle would not prove to be the glorious moment he had envisioned, instead his squad took catastrophic casualties from the suicidal berserker charge of the Blood Angels. Above in orbit Horus had just slain the Primarch Sanguinius, driving his legion reeling in psychic bloodlust forever known as the Black Rage, and under the assault of such superhuman hatred the Tyrant Breakers buckled and were shattered upon that holy world. Cutting down the angelic sons of the ninth legion Zharak was confronted by Azkaellon himself. The two titans clashed with skill and fury unmatched, one driven by insane grief and the other for the thirst to slay a most worthy foe. But end in end it was for naught, the martial prowess and Red Rage that fueled Azkaellon allowed him to smash Denithar's blade aside and dealt him a mortal wound. But by some dark miracle Denithar clung to life surrounded by his butchered honour guard, and upon life sensors that their Captain was still alive his support squads dragged his body from the breach, his armour and body bloody and broken.

With the crushing defeat of Horus and the full rout of the Traitor Legions, Zharak retreated to the Eye of Terror with the remainder of the humiliated Sons of Horus. Once Abaddon returned and wrested control of his Legion and delivered the news that he had slain Horus' clone and claimed the mantle of Warmaster did Denithar realize that his ambitions for ruling a mighty force of his own would by crushed under the heel of the First Captain. From there he fled to the Screaming Vortex with his fellow brothers, slaying all who would oppose him, and occasionally taking supplicants under his leadership. Retaining his arrogance as a former Chieftain of the Sons of Horus, he strives to make his name a byword for terror and fear in the Screaming Vortex. His warband the "Obsidian Lords" have been exhausted in a number of savage conflicts against opposing warbands who would wipe out the arrogant upstarts, and as a result the only remaining members being a handful of select important (and lucky) individuals. Since then Zharak has built the foundations of his Black Empire by conquering the world of Arcem. Driven by a fiery hatred towards the Imperium and a thirst to become the uncontested overlord of the Screaming Vortex, Zharak will stop at nothing to gain rebuild his warband's strength, and once he has gained the fealty of the most powerful of warbands will he launch a mighty Black Crusade into the heart of the Imperium.

Brought the unruly Anarchis Scoria to heel during the battle of Ontarius-217, defeating the Archmagos in single combat and reaffirming Scoria's allegiance to Horus Lupercal.

## Description

An exemplar of his former life the ex-Praetor of the Sons of Horus hides none of his previous affiliation despite the prejudice his brothers suffered after the failure of the Horus Heresy. Clad in a well maintained suit of ancient Justaerin Warplate and wielding the mighty headsman blade Tyrant's Verdict, he is a living monument to a bygone age of darkness. A being full of pride he disdains those he considered responsible for the failure of the Horus Heresy. Those such as the Emperor's Children he despises for their early abandonment of the Siege of Terra in addition to their dogged hunting of the Sons of Horus during the Legion Wars, and considers those such as the Alpha Legion and Night Lords as cowardly rats that should have thrown their bodies on their blades.

Unlike his brother Abaddon he still venerates and cherishes the memory of his father, Horus Lupercal, and while he does not hold a grudge against his sibling's Black Legion he is all too wary of it's dominance in compared to the forces he has mustered. Holding true to the tenants of his early life on his homeworld of Cthonia, Denithar Zharak does all in his power to keep the traditions and culture of Cthonia alive by instilling the virtues of merciless killing, gang fraternities, and value in ones strength of skill amongst his followers Astartes or mortals.

When interacting with other factions Zharak prefers a diplomatic approach first much like his father in the Great Crusade. What is offered is usually a demand of capitulation to those he considers nothing more than inevitable slaves to use as he wills and gladly greets resistance with the savagery of the XVIth legion. To those of his kind or powerful mortals such as the Dark Mechanicum he will respect far more, and is more willing to negotiate and barter for alliances or resources.

Over the eleven thousand years the Black Tyrant has maintained his close appearance to his father with handsome features to match his charisma. But nonetheless the Long War has changed the former Praetor. Sporting an additional arm to carry a more versatile loadout of weaponry, he also is wreathed in unholy warp energy as is radiates and leaks from his body which only enhances his unnatural gravitas. Unbound by the conventions of Legion life Denithar indulges in the life of the gang reaver he once was, enjoying most of all the lordship over his mortal servants after the plunders of battle. Slaves to be dominated, food to be feasted upon, and the riches of weapons and trinkets are all something he prides himself in owning. But despite all this Zharak maintains a level of inner coldness to those not of his inner circle, he will deign to mingle with the troops but always seeing them as nothing more than a means to his end.

## Information

**Archetype**: Veteran of the Long War

**Pride**: Wealth

**Disgrace**: Hubris

**Motivation**: Perfection

## Characteristics

Advancements: Fellowship +5, Agility +5

\*Khorne Compact Bonus

\*\*Legion Terminator Armour

\*Legion Terminator Armour

### XP

**To Spend**: 500

**Total XP Spent**: 6100

## Battle Gear

Legacy of Hate\* - Bellicose: Overwhelming, Overkill

Cataphractii Terminator Armour
14/17\* (23/26\*)
14/17 (23/26)
16/19 (25/28)
 L.Leg
14/17\* (23/26\*)
14/17\* (23/26\*)

\*Secondary for Kursian Shield bonuses

Force Field: (50) 1 Overload, (35) no overload

### Power Armor Subsystems

Careful Maintenance: This armour has been carefully maintained by the user over its service. It looks almost new. Choose two additional sub-systems that the armour still has functioning.

Sustainable Power Source: Whether a miniature stacked atomic pile or something more esoteric, the backpack power supply of this armour is effectively everlasting. This suit of armour does not need to be recharged or replenished to operate.

Enhanced Ceramite Plating: This armour has AP 16 on the Body, instead of AP 14.

Osmotic Gill Life Sustainer: With the helmet on, the armour is environmentally sealed and can maintain an adequate oxygen supply as long as the armour is powered.

Auto-senses: So long as the bearer is wearing his helmet, he gains the Dark Sight Trait and Heightened Senses (+10 to relevant Tests) for Sight and Sound. Input filtering provides immunity to photon flash grenades and stun grenades. (These benefits stack with any bonuses Chaos Space Marines may get from their organs and implants). In addition, the wearer gains the ability to make the Called Shot Action as a Half Action. Also the wearer counts as being equipped with an auspex.

Bio-Monitor and Injectors: Bio-monitor and injectors: More extensive than stim-injectors, if the internal cogitator detects a problem wit the wearer’s vital signs, it can administer pain suppressors, combat stimms, and anti-toxins. This provides the following benefits: The wearer gains a +10 bonus to all tests to resist the Toxic Quality, toxins, or other poisons. The armour has 6 doses of pain suppressors, each of which allows the wearer to ignore Characteristic Damage or Characteristic penalties from Critical Effects for 1d10 rounds per dose. Finally, if the wearer is Stunned, the effect lasts for one round before being negated by the armour.

## Inventory

**Gear**: Vox-Link, Cameleoline Cloak, Unholy Icon

**Clothing**:

**Tools**:

**Wargear**: Trophy Rack, Collar of Khorne

**Force Fields**: Terminator Armour 35, Best Infernal Star 50

**Consumables**: 3 Doses of Slaught

**Cybernetics**:

**Mounts**:

## Warband Assets

**Manpower:** 113 Tribesmen warriors, 33 Catachans, 147 Valhallans, 500 villagers, 5 psyker, 1500 mountain warriors, 9 ogryn, ? pontifex guards + cardinals

**Weaponry:** 7 plasma cannons, broken hellhammer lascannon, Combat Shield, 2 heavy stubbers, 7 membrane daggers, 10 flamers, 1 missile launcher, 2 power swords, 10 lascannons, 18 heavy flamers, 19 poor? doom sirens, 50 chainswords, 52 heavy stubbers

**Equipment:** 5 Cameleoline cloaks, holy unguents, strange archeotech device, 8 Storm Shields, 1 Storm Shield (overloaded), one servo arm, 1 chimera, 4 earthshaker cannons

## Talents & Traits

**Talents:** Ambidextrous, Bulging Biceps, Legion Weapon Training, Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight), Nerves of Steel, Quick Draw, Resistance (Cold, Heat, Poisons) Unarmed Warrior, Air of Authority, Ancient Warrior, Enemy (Adeptus Astartes, Hatred (Adeptus Astartes, Imperial Guard), Jaded, Peer (Traitor Legions, Warlords), Lightning Reflexes, Unshakeable Will, 2x Greater Minion of Chaos, Swift Attack

**Traits:** Amphibious, Unnatural Strength (+4), Unnatural Toughness (+4)

## Special Abilities

**Harbinger of Heresy**: Dark Apostles are powerful orators whose words convert entire populations to the worship of Chaos and inspire them to unite and rise up against their Imperial Oppressors. When attempting to use any Interaction Skill to affect multiple targets, a Dark Apostle may affect 10 times the number of targets normally allowed. Further, he may spend an Infamy point to re-roll an Interaction Test and add a Degree of Success to the result. A Dark Apostle may also attempt to convert any NPC target(s), including minions, with a Disposition Modifier of +20 or greater to his own heretical beliefs through an Opposed Charm Test. The Dark Apostle gains +10 on the attempt, and, if successful, he can spend an Infamy Point to mark the target(s) as Faithful. Faithful followers are zealously dedicated to the Dark Apostle’s cause as long as their disposition towards him remains positive, giving them a +10 bonus to Opposed Willpower Tests to resist hostile Interaction Skills.

**Abhorrence Unchained**: Every Veteran of the Long War harbours an undying hatred and the Imperium that fuels his murderous rampages while sowing the seeds of his inevitable damnation. Across the battlefield of ages he strides, a blood-soaked nightmare whose steps are thunder and whose battle-roar is death. Whenever a Veteran of the Long War slays a foe for whom he has the associated Hatred Talent, he makes an Ordinary (+10) Infamy Test. If he succeeds, he gains the Fear (2) Trait against that type of foe and his attacks inflict +1 Damage (to a maximum of +10 against enemies of that type until the end of the encounter.

### Mutations

**Corruption Points:** 51

**Gift of the Gods:** Wreathed in Chaos, Additional Arm

**Rewards of the Gods:**