Kaelus Iridiax

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## Character

### **Aliases**

* Caelus Iranius (formerly)
* Kal (formerly)

### **Language(s)**

* Low Gothic
* High Gothic
* Drukhari

### **Role(s)**

* Duelling
* Raiding
* Sabotage
* Psyker

### **Allegiance**

* Imperium of Man (Excommunicatus Traitoris)
* Kylith Meridax
* Unbroken Blades Cult

## Biographical Data

### **Relatives**

* Rethon Iranius (father)
* Anna Iranius (mother)
* Donna Iranius (sister)

## Physical Description

### **Hair colour**

* Sandy-brown
* Black (dyed)

### **Height**

2.58m

**Kaelus Iridiax** is a renegade Astartes who has allied himself with sadistic Drukhari, and now lives as an honorary member of the Unbroken Blades cult, headed by his once comrade-in-chains, Kylith Meridax. Kaelus Iridiax was once Caelus Iranius, or Kal to his former friends, an unorthodox Astartes Librarian who had join the Deathwatch, a militant wing of the Ordo Xenos to take down xenos, and had faced the Ruinous Powers numerous times. He had once adhered to saving humanity from the evils of heresy and foul xenos, and although he had been hot-headed and cocky, he had kept his humanity headstrong, in the face of cruelty and blight.

Now, however, Kaelus has rejected his humanity, and eschewed his morals. Now, he bend his knee, not to the Imperium, but his comrade Kylith. Kaelus, despite being a mon'keigh, has gained a level of respect amidst the cult he is now associated with. Although he is a common factor in the rumours and ridicule directed to Kylith, and his psykic nature draws great eyre, he is protected by Kylith herself. But that is not to say he cannot fend for himself, for in the arena and on raids, he is a valuable asset, able to put the fear of whatever god his enemies may worship into them, both with his psykic powers and his battle-field finesse and brutality.

## History

### Background:

Kal was an Astral Carbine from Casimus, trained as an eliminator and later as a Librarian when his psykic potential was realized. Kal joined the Deathwatch as punishment for lashing out at a Marines Malevolent captain, during the Dracos Campaign, when they bombed an extraction zone to destroy an encroaching force of heretical Astartes. From then on, he was engaged in numerous campaigns, either as a kill-team member or alongside his fellow Astral Carbines, with heavy involvement in the Daemon Box campaign and the Niktari Campaign.

### Commorragh:

After Kal returned to the Deathwatch to aid against the rising raids made by the Drukhari in the Hellion system, he was captured, enslaved and brought to Commorragh. The Chained Skulls, a Kabal prominent in slavery, decided that Kal would be forced to fight in the arena. Kal was pitted against numerous enemies, from horrifying grotesque to fellow enslaved humans, whom Kal had to murder, lest he be killed as well. However, he found a rival and ally in Kylith Meridax, a Drukhari wych who left her cult to join a Kabal, which was then destroyed and enslaved by the Chained Skulls. The two would become something of a star act, as both tried to outplay and counter each other in increasing intricate ways, leaving a suspense in the audience which may not have fully slaked their need to witness pain and gore, but was intriguing nontheless.

However, both still desired their freedom, so the two made a pact to aid each other escape. The two, alongside the help of Kelien Ryssak, one of Kylith's old friends from the Stinging Claws, planned to break out of their cells while the Chained Skulls Archon was hosting a triumph in his own honour after a successful raid. They then stormed the Archon's manor, slaying all the drukhari who stood in their way, taking whatever weapons they needed, with Kal revealing his psykic potential. Eventually, they reached the Archon, who was then beheaded by Kylith and thrown off his balcony, marking an end to his reign over his Kabal, and freeing both Kylith and Kal. Delivering on her world, Kal was transported back to Realspace and delivered back into Imperial territory, reuniting with the Deathwatch.

### Arcane Reavers:

When Kal returned to the Astral Carbines, little did he know that his chapter had been corrupted. He knew that the Months of the Warp had changed his battle-brother Arius greatly, and not for the better, but he couldn't realize that Arius had sold himself and the fate of his chapter to Tzeentch. However, on Helvight, the heresy of the Astral Carbines was fully realized, as they transformed themselves into the Arcane Reavers, and hunted down the loyalist remnants of the chapter, including Kal. Kal and his assigned squad-mates barely survived. However, their numbers were lacking, so Kal decided to rally any other loyalists he could find. The first he could think of was the ever-headstrong Menelaus Reidor, a veteran Astartes who had been demoted from his 2nd company captain position and left, alongside his company, to fend off Orks on a backwater world. However, he was ambushed by Lieutenant Veritas Ruimas, a 4th company lieutenant turned traitor. However, he was saved by Kylith Meridax, who wished to aid in his battle against his fallen brothers. Kal was reluctant, but he decided to let Kylith onboard, valuing whatever help he could get.

From there, Kylith would grow closer to Kal, and mould him into a ruthless warrior. Kal taking onboard on a Drukhari was not met well by many of his allies, but he insisted, further trying to justify to others and himself why they needed the help of Kylith. Moreover, Kal would become more callous and brutal, becoming more distant from his battle brothers. When one of the Astral Carbines tried to kill Kylith, Kal slit his throat, enraged by an inferior trying to sabotage him. Kal would focus less on what made him a hero to his fellow Astral Carbines, his concern for humans, his comradery with his battle-brothers, his focus on his assignment; Kal would rush into battle, wishing to gorge himself in a frenzy, and deluded himself into believing that it was the only way to defeat the Arcane Reavers. Kylith encouraged this turn in Kal's heart.

Eventually, on Casimus, Kal and Arius fought against each other, and although Arius tried to explain why he turned traitor, that he felt he had no choice, Kal rushed into slay Arius. Although Arius could match Kal at first, Kal used his psykic power to overload Arius in guilt and anguish, debilitating him, and allowing Kal to rise as victor, condemning his former battle brother's soul to Tzeentch. Since the Arcane Reavers were using the Daemon Box to turn Casimus into a daemon world, Menelaus Reidor offered to venture through its portal, using the Blackstone Spear, to shut it off. His finals words to Kal were 'Don't lose sight of who you are'.

However, those words were in vain.

### Rise of Kaelus:

After the Arcane Reavers withdrew from Casimus, Kal and Julo Neronius, Chapter Master of the Draconian Wardens, got into a bitter argument about the fate of the Astral Carbines. Julo ruled that the Astral Carbines should be left to fade into history, that their heresy was due to their weakness, and should serve as a bitter reminder of what happens when Astartes are lax in the face of evil. Kal vehemently argued against Julo, still feeling loyalty to the Astral Carbines. However, during the heated row, Kal stormed off, realizing that he has no hope of winning, and that he essentially has nowhere to go, especially since his alliance with Drukhari has disgraced him in the Deathwatch, and the eye of the Inquisition may be upon him. He realized the only place he had to go was with Kylith Meridax.

And so, he finally relented to Kylith, and allowed himself to be brought to Commorragh, not as a slave, but as an honorary member of Kylith's cult, the Unbroken Blades. Kal would rename himself to Kaelus Iridiax, and train alongside the wych cult, who fostered his rising cruelty. Kaelus lost all hope in humanity, believing them to be nothing more than pawns, weaklings. Kaelus was brought to believe that he, by joining the Drukhari, was no longer a slave of the Imperium, but liberated, able to reach true power.

## Personality

Kaelus believes that he, unlike those in the Imperium or under the thrall of Chaos, is free, and that he can determine his own future, no matter who must die to achieve what he wants. This has led to an arrogance growing in Kaelus, believing humanity may as well be beneath him, for they are blinded by the lies of the Imperium. Kaelus' cunning is much more sinister than his former self. Whereas his former self did strike fear into his foes, Kaelus gets a sadistic flee from seeing his enemies suffer and cower. However, Kaelus does also relish a challenge, and will typically rush to face off monstrous foes or powerful warrior. Kaelus, unconcerned with humanity's value, has grown cold to the suffering he inflicts unto them, whether in their deaths or their slavery.

## Wargear & Equipment

**Chained Blades-** Kal has two master-crafted blade which he wields in combat. He is able to link them with a chain, allowing him to swing it around and strike enemies from a certain distance, using his telekinetic power to enhance their capabilities. He can also use the chain itself as a weapon against his foes, strangling them with sadistic glee.

## Psykic Abilities

Kaelus has honed his psykic abilities to strike fear into his opponents before mowing them down.