Chosen of Aurelian

Chosen of Aurelian armorial displaying the *Latros Sacrum* - the unholy symbol of the sons of Lorgar.

Warrior-brother Tarem Caeroth; Desecrator of Hive Quintus.

## Chaos Warband

### **Allegiance**

Word Bearers
(*Traitoris Maximus*)

### **Origin**

XVIIth Legion - Word Bearers
(Lorgar Aurelian lineage.)

### **Numbers**

Unknown
1,500 Heretic Astartes
Estimated

### **Specialty**

Daemonomancy
Daemon Engines
Sorcery

### **Battle Cry**

Appropriate excerpts and passages from the *Book of Lorgar*
"Ultramar will burn!" *(when fighting Ultramarines and their successors)*

## Pre-Heresy

### **Colours**

Slate Grey

The **Chosen of Aurelian** is a fanatical and ruthless Word Bearers Chaos Warband formed by their Primarch Lorgar Aurelian to ensure the XVIIth Legion remains united and ideologically pure. Though led by a Dark Apostle, they have a special sanction that allows them to operate independently of the Dark Council of Sicarus.

## Warband History

After the Great Scouring the 42nd Grand Host was visited by the daemon primarch Lorgar on Sicarus. He told the Dark Apostle Verok Ranasar that he did not trust the newly-formed Dark Council to keep the legion together. Lorgar knew that by its nature Chaos invites division, enmity, and greed; and that these would inevitably afflict his sons to their detriment. The Urizen empowered Ranasar to act as he saw fit to keep the XVIIth Legion together and joined in the worship of Chaos Undivided while the Primarch secluded himself to study the mysteries of the Warp.

Granted a seat on the newly-formed Dark Council, Ranasar immediately forsook it so as to free himself of the inevitable politicking and backstabbing his Primarch had warned him of but retained his position and control of his Grand Host which he renamed to better reflect his new authority. Initially, the Idolater kept the Chosen of Aurelian based on Sicarus as the Legion Wars began. As time passed, however, it became apparent that if he was to truly remove himself from the squabbling and internecine violence simmering beneath the surface, the Dark Apostle would need to find his own demesnes.

While the Chosen of Aurelian keeps their distance from the Dark Council they are free to observe or ignore its mandates so long as such do not compromise the unity or faith of the legion. Because of their purpose, they have left Eyespace fewer times than other Word Bearers warbands - typically during Black Crusades when the XVII mobilises in legion strength - which is why the Imperium has no records of them before now.

### Notable Campaigns

* **The Legion Wars (early M31)** - As they settle into the Eye of Terror, petty skirmishes erupt into open conflict as the Forces of Chaos turn on one another - starting with the Emperor's Children. Soon almost every one of the nine Traitor Legions is engaged in some kind of battle with one another; some within their own ranks. Unlike most others, the Word Bearers retain their unity. The Chosen of Aurelian assist XVIIth Legion warbands in defending Sicarus and assaulting other Astartes - most notably the Sons of Horus who are blamed for what comes to be known as 'the Cthonian Failure' on Terra.

* **2nd Black Crusade (597.M32)** - The Word Bearers, including the Chosen of Aurelian, move out of the Eye of Terror in support of Abaddon the Despoiler. While not formally allied to the Warmaster, they do support his campaign by making use of fire ships - captured Navy vessels launched back at the Imperium filled with explosives. When the XVIIth splinters into disparate warbands and scatters across multiple star systems, their advantage is lost. The Chosen of Aurelian retreat back to Eyespace with the rest of their Legion.

* **The Era of False Religion (Late M32)** - Verok the Idolater and his Sorcerers begin spreading Chaos cults across the Imperium. The majority fail for one reason or another - these are viewed as cullings of the weak - but a few not only survive, they thrive and are able to instigate revolts against the Imperial government of their planets. A literal handful even pave the way for escalated Chaos incursions into realspace and draw the attention of the Inquisition.

* **Triumph of The Word (M34)** - The Chosen of Aurelian are tasked with hunting down the Grand Apostle Noros Merenkar to stop him joining the Black Legion. Not all of Merenkar's followers are happy with this and a schism forms between those loyal to the Dark Apostle and those loyal to the Word Bearers as a whole. The Chosen of Aurelian aid those loyal to the XVIIth as a fierce battle erupts in space and on a nearby planet. When the Black Legion arrive to ensure the treasonous Grand Apostle joins them, the Word Bearers Legion responds in full-force to stop it. Their intervention tips the scales and the Black Legion abandons Merenkar. Merenkar is dragged back to Sicarus in chains while those who remained loyal swell the Chosen's ranks. The traitor is stripped of his status as a Son of Lorgar by a conclave of Grand Apostles. The torments devised for him are whispered to be indescribable, and death is no release.

* **Invasion of Dalriada (Early M36)** - In a rare foray into realspace, the Chosen of Aurelian ally with a force of Iron Warriors dedicated to Nurgle. Together they lay siege to the fortress-monastery of the loyal Obsidian Fists chapter. Though the sons of Dorn claim a pyrrhic victory, the Chaos forces successfully slay every member of their enemy's Librarius and much of the chapter's history is lost. Both warbands suffer heavy losses; though the Iron Warriors definitely come off worse.

* **The Third Purge (late M41)** - During the waning decades of M41 the Black Cardinal Kor Phaeron attempts to reform The Brotherhood - a historic sect within the Word Bearers Legion - with the goal of overthrowing the Dark Apostle Erebus and purging the XVIIth of all his supporters. Kor Phaeron feels that Erebus' influence over the Dark Council has become too strong and wishes to supplant him as the preeminent power on Sicarus. Realising that this could fracture the legion and lead to a full-blown civil war, the Chosen of Aurelian intervene and assist Erebus in a counter-purge of The Brotherhood. Though this is eventually successful, Erebus refuses to move against Kor Phaeron; insisting the whole affair is naught but a game between the two. The Chosen of Aurelian returns to their watchful vigil.

* **13th Black Crusade (999.M41)** - The Chosen of Aurelian gleefully march against the Imperium with the other Word Bearers, the ascended Lorgar at their head. With their daemon primarch, the warband brings the Primordial Truth to numerous Imperial worlds.

* **Second Defence of Egya (Early M42)** - The Idolater declares unholy war on the planet Egya and rallies an army of Chaos Undivided to his banner. Their goal: destroy or corrupt the Vulkan's Drakes chapter who control the world. Initially the Dark Apostle holds most of his own followers in reserve while the other Forces of Chaos assault the Eternal Pyre directly. The battle is fierce with no quarter given or asked for; the devout loyalists welcome the chance to bring cleansing fire to the foul servants of the Warp while the traitors fight madly to cast the Egyans down. Though the sons of Vulkan fight bravely, their numbers diminish as the siege progresses. As the minions of the Ruinous Powers close in to deliver the Chapter's deathblow, a storm of fire erupts in the night sky. The forces of the Indomitus Crusade smash through the flank of the Chaos fleet and drop-pods rain down like comets. Those heretics incapable of teleportation, or cut-off from their transports, are surrounded and eviscerated by the Primaris Space Marines of the Unnumbered Sons. The Chosen of Aurelian are badly mauled, losing more than half their number, and are forced to retreat. The Vulkan's Drakes, conversely, are reinforced to full-strength and swear vengeance on the traitors.

* **Sins of the Father (Early M42)** - A band of 400 warrior-brothers under First Acolyte Drennulan pillage and slaughter across numerous Imperial worlds near the Ghoul Stars. While butchering their way through yet another hive they come across Space Marines from a new Chaos warband doing the same. Though the two sides parlay, a firefight breaks out when Drennulan realises the other Astartes are descended from the Ultramarines. The Word Bearers win the skirmish and begin hunting for other members of The Betrayed.

## Homeworld

The daemon world of Sothirax is located in Hell's Grin, meaning it has a presence in that particular warp rift in both Eyespace and the Segmentum Tempestus. The planet is a desolate wasteland covered in temples, fanes, and shrines to the Ruinious Powers. Interspersed are factorum-settlements which create daemon engines and supply mortal slaves for the warband.

A coven of Dark Mechanicum hereteks has formed a pact with the warband: mutual protection and ample slaves in exchange for a reliable supply of munitions and materiel. They work with the Chosen's warpsmiths to create and maintain vile daemon engines like Defilers and Blood Slaughterers.

## Warband Culture

As with every other Word Bearer, the Chosen of Aurelian live the lives of warrior-monks: part soldier, part holy man - albeit in service to abominable powers. Their warband is focused utterly on maintaining the Word of Lorgar within their own ranks and within the legion as a whole.

## Warband Beliefs

The Chosen know with a zealot's surety that they are the final arbiters of purity in the legion. Their word is the Truth for their Truth is The Word. Their mandate comes directly from Lorgar and therefore from the gods.

Though Possessed are viewed as being of a blessed state, it is understood that the attrition rate of those seeking this communion is high. Those who seek to become daemon-bonded must receive the Idolater's blessing before beginning the rituals or making the necessary blood offerings. Even with this boon, few succeed; the rest becoming mindless Spawns, which are then corralled and used as shock troops against the warband's enemies.

## Recruitment

The Chosen of Aurelian recruits by kidnapping boys from worlds they visit and subjecting them to horrific indoctrination, regimen, and rituals to ensure they are physically and mentally strong enough to become Astartes and to serve the Dark Gods with fervour.

## Warband Gene-Seed

The Chosen of Aurelian are all descended from the daemon primarch Lorgar. While they must secure uncorrupted gene-seed to produce new warrior-brothers, they will never sully their ranks with the legacy of the hated Guilliman.

## Warband Organization

### Command Ranks

* **Dark Apostle** - The religious and overall leader of a Word Bearers war host. These men teem with immaterial power, having been blessed by the gods on numerous occasions. A Dark Apostle is a potent daemonomancer; able to summon forth and bind swarms of Neverborn to his unbreakable will.
* **Coryphaus** - The military commander of the warband - essentially a Chaos Lord. A master tactician, he is responsible for overseeing the warband's disposition in battle and ensuring it is militarily capable of carrying out his lord's commands. The Coryphaus acts as an intermediary between the Dark Apostle and his servants: he communicates the demeanour of the warrior-brothers to the priest and in turn, ensures that the Apostle's insidious wishes are carried out.

### Junior Ranks

* **Exalted Champion** - These Chaos Marines have passed numerous tests imposed upon them and have received boons from their infernal deities. Many also bear the mark of a particular god or of Chaos Undivided. Such men are officers in the warband's hierarchy and could potentially lead their own armies as Chaos Lords someday.
* **Aspiring Champion** - Those warrior-brothers who have distinguished themselves from their fellows and have begun their journey towards becoming a true champion of the Dark Gods. They can often be found leading squads of Astartes infantry in battle.

### Line Ranks

* **Warrior-Brother** - The rank-and-file legionaries who make up the warband's infantry squads.

### Specialist Ranks

* **Warpsmith** - These Chaos Marines are masters of machinery; often they were Techmarines in the days of the *Legiones Astartes*. Inculcated with Dark Mechanicum lore and experts in the fusing of daemonic essences with machines, they can repair daemon engines or unleash warp-born curses upon enemy armour. They also specialise in the creation of monstrous daemon-engines of war.

* **Sorcerer** - Wielders of the arcane, a sorcerer is not necessarily a true psyker. Many have made bargains with eldritch entities for infernal power. Though they are held in awe for their ability to bend reality around them such Astartes are also deeply mistrusted because, like the warp energies they channel, they are deeply fickle.

### Specialist Units

* **The Possessed** - Known as *Talrak Jar*, their name translates from Colchisian to 'Those Awakened by Blessed Union' in High Gothic.

### Headquarters

The Cathedral of Terrors - known as *Cathedrum Horribilis* - is a massive fortified temple complex on Sothirax and the base of the Chosen of Aurelian. It is from here that Dark Apostle Ranasar leads his congregation in worship when he is not otherwise observing the XVII Legion from afar.

### Companies

While there is no fixed hierarchy beneath the Dark Apostle and the Coryphaus, it is sometimes necessary for the Chosen of Aurelian to divide their forces when on a campaign. When this happens, any number of warrior-brothers can be placed under the command of an initiated member in the Coryphaus' warrior cult or another trusted warband champion. Due to the lack of a fixed hierarchy, a warrior-brother can find himself under a different officer from one battlefield to the next.

## Warband Combat Doctrine

Like all Word Bearers, the Chosen prefer subversion through the creation of Chaos cults and the summoning of daemons to achieve their goals. That said, they are not above standing tall in the face of the enemy. When faced with an unbreakable foe, the Chosen prefer relying on using their numerous daemon engines to throw the enemy into disarray. They also use cultist auxiliaries as meatshields and as auxiliaries to keep the enemy off-balance while the warrior-brothers move in for the kill.

## Notable Warband Members

* **Verok Ranasar** *the Idolater* - Dark Apostle
* **Baras Drennulan** - First Acolyte
* **Peros Ennat** - Chaos Sorcerer
* **Bathusa Gharax** *the Profaner* - Coryphaus

## Warband Fleet

### Capital Ships

* **Ashes of Monarchia**, *Desolator*-class Battleship: Warband flagship
* **Lex Infernum**, *Retaliator-*class Grand Cruiser: Secondary capital ship

### Cruisers

* **Insidious Temptation**, *Hellfire-*class Heavy Cruiser: Assignment to this ship is seen as a sign of the Dark Apostle's disfavour as the ship is an unshielded and easy target. That said, it has yet to be destroyed and those Word Bearers who survive commanding her are considered favoured by the Pantheon.
* **Bringer of Damnation**, *Devastation-*class Fleet-support Carrier
* **Chariot of the Word**, *Hellbringer-*class Planetary Assault Ship
* **Unholy Wrath**, *Hades-*class Heavy Cruiser

### Escorts & Squadrons

* **Born of Sin** - *Apostate-*class Heavy Escort: A member of the eight-strong squadron known as the 'Fist of the Urizen'.
* **Black Truth** - *Apostate-*class Heavy Escort: Another member of the 'Fist of Urizen' formation.
* **The Blood Price** - *Iconoclast-* class Destroyer: Active in service to the warband since before the Gothic War.
* **Soulstain** - *Infidel-*class Destroyer: Part of the twelve-strong 'Godsworn' squadron.

### Support Ships

* **Deathknell** - A Soulcage slave ship taken in the Koronus Expanse and used by the warband as a transport ship for cultist meatshields.
* **Corpse's Curse** - Another Soulcage slave ship taken from mortal pirates in Eyespace.

## Warband Appearance

### Warband Colours

The Chosen of Aurelian wear the same scab-red armour as their brethren; though they have given themselves white trim so as to distinguish themselves.

### Warband Badge

The Latros Sacrum is the unifying symbol of all Word Bearers who keep faith.

## Relations

### Allies

 Black Legion |      | The Chosen of Aurelian believes that Abaddon the Despoiler serves the will of the Dark Gods. They have mobilised a number of the Warmaster's Black Crusades.

### Strained

 Apostates of Ash |      | Though not in open conflict with these Word Bearers, they are viewed with suspicion by the Chosen of Aurelian because they seemingly prioritise serving Be'lakor over the Legion.

### Enemies

 Knights of The Beast |      | Exiled by the Dark Council for their rejection of The Word, these vile monotheist heretics shall be hunted until none remain alive!

## Quotes

### About:

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

[Source]