Syriac

Comprised of six members of the Star Guardians, the Syriac act as the personal advisors to Lord Hydrades himself. Usually of high rank, but not always, the Syriac was formed of equals, and any differences in rank were discarded to better serve the needs of their Primarch. Of course, those who were granted the position before having a high rank of their own soon rose to positions of command.

The Syriac was formed mere years after Shaaa had taken command of the Legion, months before the Squat Wars engulfed the IVth. In those times, Lord Commander Varinius Rampt, Commander Julius Atalan and Commander Sirvan Golz served on the council, alongside two other Terran Commanders, Yartik Mar and Quental Lokaal, and Forge Lord Avalon Saros, the only one of the inital council to not bear the rank of commander. Of those six, only three have retained their position, Lord Commander Varinius Rampt, now Fracturam Commander Varinius Rampt,, Commander Julius Atalan and Forge Lord Avalon Saros. Yartik and Quental perished in the Squat Wars, while Sirvan Golz was dismissed from the council due to the extreme distaste Shaaa had for the warrior, and the warrior had for Shaaa. Three new warriors joined the council, though in the wake of the Bloody Reprisal, the position of Commander Harnt Redal Remained empty, his armour and weapons standing forever as a testament to Shaaa favoured son.

## Members of the Syriac (At the time of the First Solar War)

### Lord Commander Crikon Hanfer

Lord Commander Crikon Hanfer was the first Astartes to succeed implantation from the Ring in the wake of the Imperium finding the station and the IVth Primarch. During the Primarch’s war to unite the mighty station, Crikon forced his way to the forefront of Shaaa’s 10,000 strong army, proving himself a capable warrior despite his young age.

Proving himself in the Squat Wars, by skill and by dint of surviving, Crikon rocketed through the ranks to Commander within less than a decade, and when the former Lord Commander was struck down at the climax of the Squat Wars, there was no one more suited to taking his place in Shaaa’s mind, despite having surviving captains with much more experience.

As brutal as his Lord is, Crikon is the exemplar of what a Star Guardian strives to be, leading from the forefront of an Assault at the head of his Saturnalians, clad in unbreakable armour, carrying weapons more often found on robotic chassis than, the Lord Commander of the IVth is the rock upon which many Empires have been smashed against.

### 3rd Commander Harnt Redal

(Position is left unfilled after his demise)

Of all the sons sired by Shaaa, none have ever been as close to the Breacher Lord as Harnt Redal was. Raised to the legion shortly after Crikon Hanfer, Harnt survives the hell of the Squat Wars and rose through the ranks, gaining command of a shattered Division. However, while Crikon was ever moving forward, Harnt stayed by his Lord’s side, eventually being named his aide and equerry.

Here he served for decades, ever the calming voice of reason beside the Breacher Lord, displaying traits of both the Star Guardians and their Dark Watcher predecessors, bridging the gap between the Ring and Terra. This all ended when he was shot dead by an assassins bullet meant for Shaaa himself, on a world that Harnt begged the Breacher Lord to land on, rather than allowing the surrender to be absorbed by second line troops. On that day, the first world burnt, 60 more to follow in the wake of Shaaa’s rage.

### Fracturam Commander Varinius Rampt

The first Astartes taken into the IVth Legion, and the first Lord Commander of the Dark Watchers, Varinius Rampt has fought on countless battles, from Luna to the deepest warrens of the Squats worlds. It was in that war that Varinius knew defeat, crushed by the Retributor suits as he fought alongside Shaaa, being placed within a Dreadnought shortly afterwards.

One of the few Terran’s to ever gain the respect of the Breacher Lord, it was Varinius who developed the Fracturam into the force it grew into, creating whole units of his Dreadnought Brothers, commanded over by their own lords, in effect creating an 11th Division comprises solely of the almost dead. Varinius became an important link to the legions past, and their future.

Initially placed within a Contemptor chassis, Varinius provided close range firepower for those under his charge, transitioning towards a Leviathan shell as they became available. However, the taxing nature of the chassis soon weighed on him, seeming to spell the end of the venerable warrior. It was only a friendship with another ancient warrior of a far superior order, and the closeness of the legion to Mars as the Praetorian, that saw him placed within a custom made shell, there to continue to fight against the foes of the Emperor, even if they turned out to be his own cousins.

### 7th Commander Julius Atalan

Another Commander from the Terran day’s of the legion, Julius Atalan is the most critical of Shaaa who serves on the Syriac, though he knows when to bite his tongue and when to speak, seeing him remain on the council where others may be dismissed from it, or worse. In this capacity, he serves as a foil to the Breacher Lord, presenting conflicting view points that only those not of the Ring may identify and bring before their Lord, risking his ire in his duty to the legion, and the Emperor.

More a Dark Watcher than a Star Guardian, Julius is often known as the Moriat of the IVth, fighting across the galaxy with his duel pistols, slaying warlords and peons alike with uncanny aim. However, he still sees the value of the Star Guardians grinding methods of war, and is as familiar with a boarding shield as every other member of the IVth legion is.

### Forge Lord Avalon Saros

Unique
amongst the IVth legion, and perhaps even amongst the Astartes themselves,
Avalon Saros was born upon Mars in the days before the Emperor’s arrival, a
lowly menial who managed to snatch a glimpse of his gods arrival. Attempting to
sneak aboard one of the Emperor’s vessels, the youth was easily caught and
brought before the Emperor, throwing himself before the mercy of his god and
begging for the honour of becoming one of his angels. The Emperor agreed to
allow the youth to be tested, stating that if he were not compatible he would
be delivered back to Mars to accept punishment for abandoning his work post.
Luckily for Avalon, he proved to be a match for the IVth’s geneseed, and was
soon raised to the legion, his martian upbringing seeing him move down the path
of a tech marine, and eventually become the Forge Master of the entire IVth
Legion when they still bore the name, Dark Watcher. In such a technologically minded legion, it is of little surprise that Avalon was part of the earliest iteration of the Syriac

### Vexillarius Quantil Herok

The newest addition to the Syriac, Quantil Henrok is a young warrior, barely a decade of service under his belt when he was elevated to his current rank and position. However he gained a name for himself if the battles of the Colossalstructure, picking up the fallen standard of the Star Guardians, continuing forward despite his injuries.

In the wake of a battle his wounds were easily enough to grant him the elevated status as a member of the Dreadnought Division, but Henrok refused, instead desiring to remain the new standard of the IVth’s banner. Rebuilt almost entirely, the standard bearer is now more metal than flesh, mounted atop the tracks of a Kataphron battle servitor, his determination caught Shaaa’s eye, Henrok quickly finding himself elevated to the Syriac to stand beside his Primarch. To date he is the only new member to join in the wake of Harnt Redal’s death, and though the Commander is long dead, Henrok knows he will always be in the shadow of the truest favoured son.

## Sources

1. - Art by Shane Cook - Deviant Art - https://www.deviantart.com/slaine69
2. - Art by Algrim Whitefang