Companions of Varen

Companions of Varen, Legendary Caver Group

Ages: 460 to 619, rejuve to 25 (approximate due to caverns)

M: 45- *While all of the Companions of Varen are experts at small unit tactics it is Wally Allanson who is the true master. In fact when it comes to commanding single squads you have never met his match.*

I: 48- *The Companions of Varen are able to move though a nest of Death Ants without disturbing them, and many other feats of great stealth. However it is Gaius Claud who possesses the greatest skill in this, with only Commissar Dalve of the Phase-Tigers being his superior.*

A: 27- *The Companions of Varen are experts of making the absolute most of all of their supplies, though they lack any skill for acting on a larger scale.*

L: 43- *While all of the Companions of Varen are incredibly knowledgeable of the caves, and of technology, it is Kruger 79045 whose incredible knowledge of a wide range of fields has allowed them to survive such a wide range of dangers.*

P: 50- *In the Caverns there are countless mental threats, all of which the Companions of Varen have been faced with. While all of them are strong willed it is Confessor Magnini whose unbreakable will acts as their bulwark against the threats of the mind and soul.*

D: 15- *With the death of their leader the Companions of Varen lack anyone with strong social skill, their own having atrophied in their time in the Caverns.*

C: 54- *The Companions of Varen are some of the most deadly warriors on Avernus, able to fight on par with some of the greatest human heroes of history.*

**Paragon Teamwork Trait: The Companions of Varen** (all members use the highest relevant stat and skill bonus for all checks and rolls)- T*he Companions of Varen's teamwork is legendary, with them being able to flawlessly move to that exactly the right person is there for any particular task. This is furthered by the sheer amount of cross-training that they have put each other though over the centuries.*

**Paragon Combat Trait: The Bigger They Are...** (+50 to rolls/20% dodge chance vs large, +100 to rolls/35% dodge chance vs huge, +150 to rolls/50% dodge chance vs gargantuan, +200 to rolls/65% dodge chance vs colossal, no negative size penalties)- *The Companions of Varen have fought countless large foes, ranging from Gnaw Worms all the way to Cavern Dragons and the Honoured Bloodthirster Zhuzhran Rageblaze. This experience makes them experts at using their foes' size against them.*

***Legendary Cavers*** (+200 to any rolls to deal with terrain, almost impossible to kill)- *The Companions of Varen have been cavers from before the term existed, and have lived much of their lives in a region that makes the surface of Avernus seem safe.*

***In Memory of Alexander Severus Ibdah: The Lost Leader*** (can re-roll any diplomacy or administration based checks)- *Alexander Severus Ibdah was the leader of the Companions of Varen until his death over a hundred years into their time on Avernus. Since his death there has been no leader among the close knit band, and all of them have worked to step into his shoes.*

**Kurger 79045: The Tech Priest** (can use exotic and relic technology, re-roll any knowledge based checks)- *Kruger 79045 was a Tech-Priest interested in the Caverns when he first met Alexander Severus Ibdah. He was quickly recruited into the Companions of Varen where he uses both a wide range of exotic technologies and a broad knowledge base to support their efforts.*

**Akkad Magnini : The Confessor** (can resist warp powers, re-roll any will checks) - *Akkad Magnini was a wandering confessor before he met Alexander Severus Ibdah and was recruited to act as his spiritual adviser. As well as being deadly with a range of weapons he acts as a bastion of will and sanity for the Companions of Varen.*

**Wally Allanson: The Solider** (can re-roll all martial rolls)- *Sergeant Wally Allanson was a professional solider assigned to act as Alaxander Severus Ibdah's bodyguard by his father. As a member of the Compansions of Varen his combat skills and expertise in small unit tactics has proven invaluable.*

**Gaius Claud: The Guide** (can re-roll all stealth checks)- *Gaius Claud was one of the first people to make it into the Caverns and make it out alive. Since being recruited to the Companions of Varen shortly thereafter he has added them with his incredible stealth skills, and the uncanny accuracy of his sniper rifle.*

**In Memory of Tullar: The Fallen Gladiator** (re-roll all combat rolls below 50)- *Tullar was once a gladiator on Varen until Alexander Severus Ibdah brought his freedom. Since then he has turned his incredible combat instincts and ferocity to the defence of the Companions of Varen until his death holding back the Honoured Bloodthirster Morkhothrak the Bloody while his companions escaped.*

***Survivors of the Grand Incursion*** (+3M, +8W, +8C, +50 to all rolls against daemons, +9 Prestige, +15 Fame)- *The Grand Incursion was the fourth Daemonic Incursion that the Companions of Varen survived, and led to the loss of their second member, Tullar the Gladiator. Terrible as this loss was for the close-knit group, it only seems to have hardened their determination and sharpened their focus.*

The Companions of Varen are a legendary group of Cavers, founded shortly after the discovery of the Caverns under Dis by the bastard son of the Governor of Varen. They initially consisted of six men, though after a hundred years their leader was slain in the deep caverns. The Companions are legendary figures on Avernus, both for insanity, they are cavers after all, and for their skill.

Alexander Severus Ibdah was the bastard son of the Governor of Varren, one of the richest worlds in the Segmentum, raised with access to everything he could ever want and the knowledge that he would never have any real duties or power. Like many noble scions he became a thrill seeker, moving from extreme sports to hunting dangerous beasts and searching for archeotech in the far reaches of space. Like many adventurous sorts upon hearing of Avernus he immediately made his way to it, landing shortly after the discovery of the caverns. He was fascinated by the caverns as soon as he heard of them, immediately moving to explore them with the aide of his three old companions, a local guide and an interested Tech-Priest that offered his assistance. For over a hundred years he led countless expeditions into the Caverns, mapping out dozens of landmarks and recording hundreds of dangers. In fact he is the author of the famous work, 101 Tips for the Caverns, which is still considered a must read over a century after his death. Alexander Severus Ibdah was slain by a Deathwalker Revenant deep in the Caverns, one that was shortly torn apart by the Companions of Varen in a rage, which was the first credited death for a Deathwalker Reverent.

Kurger 79045 was a junior Tech-Priest interested in the Caverns when he met Alexander Severus Ibdah, and joined the Companions of Varen. Since then he has become a highly respected Magos, considered to be the greatest living expert of the Caverns, and the possessor of one of the broadest skillsets within the Mechanicus. As well as being an expert on the Caverns Magos Kurger is highly knowledgeable about biology, cybernetics, the Warp, Warp Biology, material sciences, geology and a wide range of other fields that my prove useful to his time in the caverns. However his greatest skill is undoubtedly his ability to quickly analysis whatever he encounters in order to determine what to do about it.

Confessor Akkad Magnini was a wandering priest on Varen when he first met the young Alexander Severus Ibdah, who was at the time a member of a rather vicious upper class gang. Confessor Magnini beat down the young scion and his gang before given them a blistering lecture and dragging them back to their manors. This act impressed both the young Alexander and his father and Confessor Magnini was soon recruited to act as a spiritual adviser to the young noble. Confessor Magnini become very close to his young charge, and followed him though all of his adventures where he demonstrated that thanks to some Juve-Nat treatments he had lost none of the skill that allowed him to knock out an entire well equipped gang. However even more valuable then this is the sheer faith that Confessor Akkad Magnini possess, which has proven to be enough to make him near immune to mental effects and resist many other Warp powers over the years. As such the Companions of Varen rely on him to see past any illusions, and to help them deal with the mental attackers of the Caverns.

Sergeant Wally Allanson was one of the more talented soldiers in Governor Micheal's personal guard, and was assigned to act as his sons bodyguard when Alexanders thrill seeking started to take him offworld. As such he accompanied his charge though countless dangers, where his tactical mind and combat skills were often the only reason that they survived. These days Wally Allanson is the tactician of the Companions of Varen, leading them though countless fights while providing support with his custom made rifle and power bayonet.

Gaius Claud was one of the initial colonists of Avernus, and one of the earliest explorers. Where many of his contemporaries explored the surface of Avernus Gaius was more interested in the caves that he found under Avernus' Spine. As such it is not surprising that he was one of the first people to stumble into the caverns, though it is surprising that he managed to make it out alive, and even more so that he was willing to guide a foolish party of adventurers back in. Gaius has a incredible natural talent for stealth that he has honed in his time in the caverns, along with a near supernatural ability to find his way in a changing landscape that he attributes to his ancestry, which hail from the distant Sabbat Worlds.

Tullar was one of the most talented gladiators in a underground area of Varen until his meeting with the young Alexander Severus Ibdah, who was impressed by both his skill and his character. Shortly thereafter Tullar's contract with the area was brought out by Alaxander and he was gifted his freedom, and a job offer. Since then Tullar has joined his friend in countless adventures, where Tullar's sheer skill at combat proved to be invaluable. These days Tullar fights with a pair of power claws with inbuilt guns, and is the front-line fighting of the Companions of Varen and one of the most deadly men on Avernus. He met his end in the Grand Incursion holding back the Honoured Bloodthirster Morkhothrak the Bloody while his companions escaped.