Gwalchavad

Remembrancer sketch from Carpinius' *Speculum Historiale* of Gwalchavad.

**Gwalchavad**, known as the '***The Avatar of Light***' or '***The Blank***', is the Primarch of the XIth Legion - the Wardens of Light. Most unusual amongst his brother Primarchs is that Gwalchavad is a Pariah - a psychic blank - also known as an Untouchable or a psychic Null. As a Pariah, Gwalchavad possesses the rare mutation sometimes described as the "Pariah Gene" that makes him generate no psychic presence in the Warp, thus leaving him essentially soulless.

As a result of his innate abilities, the Primarch of the Twelfth is a direct antithesis of Chaos as he possesses no presence within the Warp, making him completely immune to daemonic possession and spiritual corruption by Chaos. This is a trait he would pass down to his sons, for every Warden has the potential of becoming a Pariah of varying strength.

With an unusual streak of pacifism, Gwalchavad is a forgiving soul, attempting to integrate the lost colonies of Man as bloodlessly as possible. Fate, in turn, would not spare this idealistic soul from the cruelty of a brother's dagger.

## History

### The Cold of War

When the Primarchs were spirited away from the Emperor's genelabs under the Himalayan mountain by the powers of the vile chaos gods, the gestation pod containing the XIth primarch was damaged in the process, allowing inhabitants of the warp access into the young primarch's sanctuary. Burning with red hot fire, he plunged into the depths of the warp. Unspeakable pain and relentless agony made it feel like time ceased to exist for the young primarch as countless daemons fed on him. The continuous torture deepened his hatred of the fate that damned him to this hell. After what seemed like an eternity passed, when all seemed lost, a white light emerged from the primarch's eyes as the pariah powers planted by the Emperor awakened, burning through the denizens of the warp and tearing a hole into the Immaterium, ending the agony and bringing the infant back from the precipice of madness.

The infant Primarch landed on the far western border of the known galaxy, on Caerbannog. A planet of rare structure, consisting not of landmasses surrounded by seas, but of islands and continents drifting in the skies. Thick layers of clouds hid the inner core of the world.

The cause of this state was heavily argued upon among the people of Caerbannog. Some speculated it must be the effect of long lost archeotech or incredibly powerful magic. Others saw them as evidence of powerful deities that wanted to reach the light of the sun and lifted the landmasses into the sky.

Littered across surface of the floating continents were ruins from a distant past, holding within them the keys to technologies long forgotten and to unknown riches.

Eventually, the humans who set foot on Caerbannog began to exploit these forgotten technologies. With fleets of primitive airships and proto-jump packs, civilization spread across the face of the world, but soon splintered into smaller tribes fighting over riches from the ancient age. More and more ancient weapons were excavated from the dormant ruins, but power gave birth to ambition, and ambition to war. Nations declared war on neighboring lands, who had also discovered ancient weapons. The battles became epic struggles. And peace was a dream discarded for superiority over one another.

These were indeed dark times and the peasants of Caerbannog prayed for a ray of light to end the time of constant wars and free people from the yoke of violence they were unable to escape. When the red comet of the incubation pod appeared over the skies of the shattered world, many inhabitants of Caerbannog did not realize that it announced the arrival of the son of the Master of Mankind.

The incubation pod crashed near the capital of Boletaria, a relatively small and insignificant nation. The people of Boletaria suffered at the hands of their warmongering neighbours, as those conflicts often crossed over into the small state's borders. Living in constant peril from wars not their own, the rain turned red with the blood of innocents.
When the infant Primarch emerged from the wreckage, his powerful pariah gaze wrought absolute havoc. Most who looked into his eyes lost their souls. Those unfortunate enough to survive the encounter spoke of unspeakable pain and fear, as something gripped their soul and tried to tear it from their body. Many peasants died on that day, and through what must have been sheer luck, the royal knights of Boletaria managed to capture the starchild.

The queen of the tiny nation, Luiseach, a woman of remarkable intellect and ambition, having witnessed the destructive nature of the child, ordered her brightest scholars to find a way to utilize the boy as a weapon to defend Boletaria if war once again spilled over their borders.

The rapidly growing boy was given an archeotech mask excavated from the ancient ruins, which would hide his eyes to protect the people around him from is pariah nature. As long as he wore the mask and concentrated on suppressing his powers he could stay in control. He was tutored in the arts of war and battle meditation the boletarians had cultivated over the centuries and when the ordained time finally came, the boy Primarch was unleashed upon the enemies and drove the hostile forces out of the land.

Fueled by righteous hatred and combat stimulants, the boy quickly grew to manhood mastering all aspects of warfare his teachers had to offer. The Queen saw this as her chance to break from the insignificance and write her own destiny. The small country started to attack its neighbours and began conquering the floating lands of Caerbannog. With the wild primarch leading her army, the queen plotted to destabilize the surrounding countries. Utilizing airship cannons to shell shock the enemy, the Primarch would lay down a storm of explosions on the opposing armies before he and his troops hurled themselves towards enemy fortifications in suicidal maneuvers only equipped with jetpacks and twin blades. Having destroyed most defenses with brutal efficiency, the primarch unmasked himself in front of the remaining defendants holding their ground to sow terror in the enemies ranks and break their last resistance. Whenever a victory could not be achieved to weapon strength alone, Luiseach sent the primarch to assassinate those in command, leaving the enemies army without proper leaders. Blood flowed in deep crimson rivers wherever the boy went and left only trails of burning waste and corpses behind.

With every victory the young Primarch, who the people had named Gwalchavad, felt that the tides were turning. The victories filled the queen with pride and she grew fond of her prized weapon, like a aristocrat growing fond of his successful attack hound.

But after continuous attempts at her life the heart of Queen Luiseach hardened. The years passed and the Queen who only wanted to defend her homeland vanished, leaving Luiseach to become an ambitious and mistrustful ruler. Battle by battle the people of Boletaria had gone from the oppressed to the oppressors, conquering continent after continent. Always afraid of finding traitors around the next corner, Luiseach established a system of torture and cruelty to ensure that nobody will rise against her or question her legitimate reign.

As the forces of Boletaria approached one of the last free city on Caerbannog, fate struck and Gwalchavad's airship was shot down from skies. He disappeared into the sea of clouds, further below the islands than any has ever returned from. Luiseach in her rage blamed the defenders, and sacked the city, slaughtering all residents as a warning to all that would dare to stand in her way. Seeker Squads were sent out to recover the Queens prized weapon, but they always returned empty handed and as the years passed the hope of finding the primarch kept dwindling. However, after years of fruitless search one seeker squad finally managed to return with Gwalchavad at their side. However, the man that returned was no longer the same.

### The Warmth of Light

When Gwalchavad regained his consciousness he was alone. His ship had crashed and he was the sole survivor. Thick mist made it difficult to see further than a few metres. As the fog lifted slightly and the sun shined through, he realized that he stood amidst the remnants of an ancient city, now lost to time. Ruins and scarred earth told a sad story, everywhere around him Gwalchavad found the terrible traces of a war long past. The entire city was broken. More buildings had roofs fallen in than had them whole. Towers stood shattered, abrupt and jagged like broken sticks. Uneven mountains made of rubble could have been the remnants of palaces and blocks of the once proud city. Scattered everywhere, and preserved from the grasp of time bleached bones surrounded Gwalchavad, grinning skulls with hollow eyes watching the lone intruder.

Gwalchavad felt mystified, as the sheer size of the city and its dead citizens was more than he had ever witnessed. To him the city was one gigantic grave, and he did not want to add himself to the collection of bones so he searched for a way out of the maddening surroundings.

The battlefield had a cold malevolent air to it, the wind howling past the primarch from all directions, as if trying to express it's own uncertainty at the picture before it. As Gwalchavad wandered the city, he felt eyes on his back, tingling the hairs on his neck. The moment night set in, the fog intensified and from the ruins ancient forms emerged, approaching the primarch. Red eyes flared through the mist. Following his instincts Gwalchavad drew his weapons and attacked, smashing the unfamiliar constructs made from materials he had never encountered. It seemed truly otherworldly, the material was very resilient to the primarchs blows and with every construct destroyed, new ones appeared and those that were smashed seconds before would reassemble themselves. Gwalchavad roared in wild anger as he attacked anew, he fought for hours and the fearsome clash didn’t end until the the first rays of the rising sun lifted the fog and the unknown constructs retreated into the ruins. Every following night the scene repeated. As the sun sunk, and the mist thickened, the constructs returned and Gwalchavad met them head on in furious combat. But with every day that passed, the night held more and more constructs ready for the young primarch. The nightly fights drew heavy on Gwalchavad and he realized, that he can’t go on much longer and soon the constructs will overwhelm him. His deep anger and fury long vanished, he made a choice for himself. Tired of fighting he prepared himself for the end. The endless fighting only pronounced the inevitable.

He remembered the lessons of meditation and brought himself to accept his fate, and when the night finally approached, the primarch laid his blades aside and waited for the killing blow. But it never came. When he looked around himself he only saw the constructs watching him with red eyes from afar, but none made any attempts to attack him. It was only then that he realized that all the nights before, it was always him attacking first and that in the countless weeks he lived through this neverending nightmare, the constructs only reacted to his attacks.

Free from the burden to fight, Gwalcahvad felt at peace. A feeling at first unknown to the young primarch but soon welcomed as a much needed companion.

The following months Gwalchavad investigated more and more of the lost city and was able to retrieve several tomes of knowledge. At first he was not able to comprehend them as they were written in a language few humans were ever able to speak. As the days passed, he taught himself how to read the ancient tomes and mastered the language of old. In those ancient rites, Gwalchavad found answers that forever altered his perceptions of Caerbannog, and the universe as a whole. He learned that he stood on sacred ground and that the island was called Avelorn, a place where no violent behavior was permitted and the constructs served as wardens to ensure peace in this sacred place.

He learned that the original inhabitants of Caerbannog came to this planet to seek a new path for themselves, fleeing the corruption which befell their race. But soon the corruption found its way into their hearts once more and thereafter war after war was waged against each other much like the humans who now settled on this planet. Their arrogance was limitless and only amplified by their knowledge of destruction. Weapons of mass destruction were created and after centuries of constant war, the spiral of violence flew out of control. With the weapons created by the ancients, the planet’s surface was torn apart apart and the ancient civilization came to an end. Those who withstood the corruption had created Avelorn, a city hidden in the mist. But as the ruins suggested, they too were destroyed along with their brethren. The ruins were a mere glimpse of the true power the ancients inherited and with Gwalchavad’s previous experience of war they were a cruel warning to him that violence would only lead to more violence and eventually obliteration.

Gwalchavad spent his days meditating and studying every bit of knowledge he could obtain. Like a sponge he sucked up all information and called into question the way he lived before. He realized that he was little more than a weapon used by his mother to feed her ambition. His past victories turned now to ash in his mouth and he was ashamed by all the atrocities he committed in the name of his mother and worse that he enjoyed it. In front of his mind’s eye he could see every man, women and child he had killed, seeing the shock in their eyes as life bled out of them. Gwalchavad wept bitter tears and found humanity in himself. He swore to himself, that he would no longer be a tool of war.

Gwalchavad spent several more years in exile before he was finally found. Although the odds were slim, the Queen never stopped searching for her son. His loss meant a heavy blow to the queen's campaign of conquest as her opponents resisted attacks and managed to regain land in return. Everywhere riots broke out against the terror regime and the Queen of Boletaria stood with her back to the wall.

So when message arrived that the prized weapon was retrieved, the Queen rejoiced and a celebration in front of the people was arranged to show them their combined power. However, the man that arrived was a different man and when Gwalchavad was brought before his queen, he confronted her with his newfound views, declaring that he would not serve as weapon anymore. The warmth left the face of the queen and her smile changed to a frown. Furious, she ordered her son to be restrained in chains. She responded to his views with her own and that the only peace Caerbannog would ever have would be achieved through fear of her rule. Anybody who opposed her would suffer pain, along with their relatives suffering the same pain. So that as long as people remembered that pain, nobody would dare rise up against her and defy her peace. Looking disappointedly at Gwalchavad, the Queen ordered her guards to kill her son.

Gwalchavad accepted his fate, but the crowd witnessing the whole scene did not and they left their places to stand in and fight for their peace. When the Royal Knights drew their swords and attacked the people, Gwalchavad made his choice. He would not be a tool of war, but he would give the people of Caerbannog real peace and freedom. And so he broke out from the chains and met the Royal Knights with nothing more than his bare hands. He fought for the Fate of Caerbannogs people and the people fought along with him. Together they managed to overpower the guards and confront the mad queen. Now alone the Queen begged for mercy which Gwalchavad was willing to grant for her. However it was only a foul trick, shrieking out the Queen drew a knife and swung at Gwalchavads throat but the reactions of a primarch greatly outstripped a mere mortal and she only managed to hit the fastening of his mask. When their eyes met, the time seemed to freeze as Luiseach’s soul was claimed by her son, leaving only an empty husk behind that dropped to the floor.

The people of Boletaria elected Gwalchavad as their leader and from there on the primarch erased the name of his mother from history and reformed the authoritarian state she and her corrupt advisors had established. He gave the people of Caerbannog true peace. The movement spread across the planet and the people rejoiced at the changing of their fate, believing Gwalchavad’s return as the ray of light they had been praying for for. Soon they spoke of him as the “Avatar of Light”, sent by the heavens to free them of the darkness. Peace had quickly reached the remaining nations as the people finally freed themselves from the cycle of conflict.

Weapons only capable of killing were tossed aside and under Gwalchavads guidance the people finally found peace. Only in traditional ritual dances and ceremonies would weapons be allowed as Gwalchavad established a form of visual storytelling to remind the people about the atrocities committed by the rulers of old and what decades of war had done to the people of Caerbannog.

When he considered his work done, Gwalchavad put down the mantle of leadership and installed a council of wise men and women, representatives of the countries of old, giving his power back to the people of Caerbannog. They would work together for Caerbannog's prosperous future.

Gwalchavad retreated to Avelorn, the remote island hidden in the mist, where he had conquered his vicious nature and pursued further enlightenment. Every leader-to-be made a pilgrimage to Gwalchavad's sanctuary in order to study the ancient histories of Caerbannog and the wars that had nearly consumed it in ages long past to prevent anything like this from happen again. Gwalchavad himself became a legend and the people told the story of the Avatar of Light who had freed them from the darkness of war.

### The Emperor Arrives

Several decades after Gwalchavad had retreated to his quiet exile, the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade arrived on Caerbannog. The strangers were welcomed with open arms by Caerbannogs open-minded population.

When the Emperor heard the legends of the so called 'Avatar of Light', he knew that one of his sons must have landed on this world. He made his way to Gwalchavad, accompanied by Icarion Anasem, primarch of the IInd Legion and Socraes Travier, primarch of the XIIIth.

### Reunion

When first marines appear on Caerbannog they were greeted with kindness by the people. They were invited to visit Granseal, one of their main city states/island of Caerbannog. They were welcome and listen to the lore of the people. One legends tell of a great darkness accompanied by the Avatar of Darkness to which the skies of Caerbannog succumbed and they tell of the Avatar of Light, who freed them of the darkness, and gave power back to the people. The Space Marines recognize this so-called 'Avatar of Light' as one of the lost sons of the Emperor, so they send word to Him. So when the Emperor arrived, accompanied by two of his sons (Icarion and Socraes) they found the location of the mythical island of Avalon. Well to speed things up. They find a lonely figure meditating. The figure wears a mask. The Emperor introduces themselves and tells the figure He is His father and wants Gwal to join him. Gwal responds that the last man who he called 'father' used him to slaughter innocent people. So how can he be sure that the Emperor wouldn't do the same so he has to refuse the offer. Socraes (who suffers from a personality disorder is outraged) and attacks Gwal who does nothing to prevent it. Socraes rips the mask from bis face, letting the pariah run rampant.

Icarion cries out in pain.

The Emperor realises what is going on and shouts not to look him into the eyes and rushes between Gwal and Icarion, blocking his line of sight. Although he is in great pain. Only Socraes is unaffected and knocks Gwal out. When he looks at Socraes asking in wonder, "How?" (the reason is that Socraes changes his persona very quickly, and the power of Ggwal can't influence him.) Icarion and the Emperor who looked directly in his face have great pain and if not for the Emperor, Icarion's soul would have been sucked out.

When Gwal awakes he has his mask on him and the Empeor sits in front of him. The Emperor tells him again of His plans to unite humanity and bring peace to every human being. This time Gwal listens and he changes his mind because he saw how the Emperor protected Icarion, like a real father would do, and he saw the kindness in His eyes.

### The Avatar of Light and the Aztec

On their way to Terra, Gwal is tutored by Socraes, who is angry at the Emperor to get stuck on such a useless duty, but soon a friendship blossoms and the roles got interchanged.

### Family Matters

Gwalchavad is introduced to some of his brothers.

### The Wait is Over

"*Join us brothers. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry out the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day, we shall join you.*"
— Oath of the Wardens of LightGwalchavad is introduced to the Apostles of War and reorganises them into a Legion more to his liking, renaming them the Wardens of Light.

## Wargear

* **'*Mwgwd ddi-rym*' ('*The Masque*')**
* ***Grandfather* & *Peacekeeper*** - Tonfas/Elbow-blades
* **'*Trealamh Gréine*' ('*Armour of Light*')**
* ***Hidden Blade***
* **Master-Crafted Jump Pack**
* **Frag Grenades**

## Gallery

An ancient Remembrancer's portrait of Primarch Gwalchavad during the Great Crusade.A Remembrancer portrait of Primarch Gwalchavad wearing his trademark anti-Null mask, '*Mwgwd ddi-rym*' ('*The Masque*')Primarch Gwalchavad fighting against traitor Legionaries from the Eagle Warriors and the Berserkers of Uran.Primarch Gwalchavad arrayed in his fearsome panoply of war.