Librarian

## Description

Librarians are those Space Marines born as psykers, able to wield the powers of the mind against the foes of Mankind. To be a Space Marine is to be one in a billion—a man judged strong, tough, and bold enough to stand against the horrors of the galaxy. To be also a psyker, judged capable of holding back the ravenous beings of the warp and to wield his powers in combat, the Librarian is truly one of Mankind’s most exceptional warriors. Most of the Librarians called to serve in the Deathwatch hold the rank of Lexicanium, the most junior of the four ranks of the Space Marines’ battlefield psykers. They are nonetheless warriors of fearsome ability and renown. However, a small number of higher ranked Librarians do serve—the most senior become the Watch Commanders’ most valued counsellors. Within their own Chapters, Librarians may have different titles and unique methods of utilising their powers. Amongst the Space Wolves, for example, Librarians are known as R u n e Priests, and m a n i f e s t their powers through the casting of stone-engraved runes, manifesting spectral wolves of legend, and summoning violent thunderstorms. Librarians fulfill a number of roles within the Deathwatch. Chief among them is that of the combat psyker. By focusing his prodigious psychic powers, the Librarian is able to unleash withering blasts of searing energy at his foe, reducing them to ashes with but a thought. Often, the energies are directed and multiplied through the blade of a specially crafted weapon such as a force sword or halberd, with which even the mightiest of foes might be cut down as wheat before the scythe. Death can be unleashed from afar as well, for the Librarian is able to project his powers at distant enemies, launching deadly bolts from a staff, an outstretched hand, or through his very gaze. Unlike conventional weapons, a Librarian’s wrath cannot be parried and does not run out of ammunition. The only limit on a Librarian’s powers is his own will, and this is as strong as any of the Imperium’s mightiest heroes. Librarians are also the guardians of the secrets of the Deathwatch. Within each Watch Fortress is to be found the sealed Vault which stores weapons and relics too dangerous to be allowed to fall into the hands of Mankind’s enemies. Also within the Vault is an archive of forbidden knowledge— multiple stasis chambers contain ancient tomes, engraved tablets, data-crystals, and mnemonic banks. Not even the Watch Commander has access to these archives—only the Librarians are entrusted with their access codes, and only they are judged strong enough to withstand the sanity shattering secrets sealed within. It is only in the direst of circumstances that a Librarian will enter the Vault archive, for each time he does so he is exposed to the whispering voices of long-dead alien beings, tempting him with the power to rule the whole of Humanity in the name of ancient and blasphemous gods. Nevertheless, so terrible are many of the horrors faced by the Deathwatch that the Librarian may be required to consult the archives in order to discover some previous record of an enemy’s weakness. Such knowledge can spell the difference between a mission’s success and failure. Another role carried out by a Watch Fortress’s Librarians is that of providing the Watch Commander with counsel. Given their access to forbidden knowledge and their innate understanding of arcane matters, the word of a Librarian rarely goes unheeded in the Watch Commander’s plans. In addition to this, many Librarians are gifted with some degree of prognostication—whether by way of visions, meditation , consulting the Emperor’s Tarot, or seeming intuition, Librarians can often discern something of what will come to pass. Though such a premonition is rarely clear enough to provide complete certainty, it often provides clues that enable an experienced Librarian to make a sound judgement concerning potential dangers that may be faced in an upcoming mission, and to advise the Watch Captains accordingly. Often, the premonition focuses upon the actions of the Librarian himself, telling him that his own presence will be required if a mission is to succeed. Many Deathwatch Librarians have foreseen their own death at the hands of some alien monstrosity, and gone proudly and stoically to their fate, with certain knowledge that their death will sow the seed of their companions’ victory. Another task at which many Librarians excel is the sending of psychic messages. Many Librarians are skilled enough to send messages from the surface of a planet to a vessel in orbit, and more powerful Librarians might even be able to contact a fellow Librarian in another sector. Generally, the further the message is projected the less clear it becomes. However, in several cases, a Kill-team that has been considered to be lost has been recovered due to the efforts of a Librarian, who managed to invoke a simple insight from the mind of a Battle-Brother light years away. Given the nature of some of the places into which the Deathwatch must go, such an ability is invaluable, and has saved the lives of many of Humanity’s mightiest warriors. While many Deathwatch Librarians are, in effect, part of the Watch Commander’s officer cadre and not permanently assigned to a single Kill-team, in reality most come to associate themselves with one single group of warriors. Such is the bond between the Battle-Brothers of a Kill-team that to separate them is to degrade their considerable combat effectiveness. Deathwatch Librarians are able to make a significant contribution to a Kill-team, lending their singular abilities to the eternal war against the alien horrors of the galaxy.

## Starting Information

### Special Ability

**Battle-Psyker -** The Librarian begins the game with a Psy Rating of 3 and access to 3 Psychic Techniques from the following list:

* **Inspire**
* **Augury**
* **Reading**
* **Avenger**
* **Iron Arm**
* **Short Range Telepathy**
* **Smite**

Advances