vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Fallen Angels - Another Fallen Perspective: In another record, Interrogator-Chaplain Uzziel was attempting to draw a confession from a Fallen in the bowels of the Rock. The Fallen decried Uzziel's attempts, saying that the Dark Angels sent to Caliban with Luther were abandoned by Lion El'Jonson and the Emperor and robbed of the glory of the Great Crusade.Eventually the Fallen made a false repentance that led Uzziel on a Crusade to recover the Lion Sword. Uzziel realized the repentance was false when he recovered the weapon only to discover it was in fact the Sword of Luther.This perspective is backed up by another record of a Fallen known as Cephesus. When finally tracked down by Interrogator-Chaplain Bareus he claimed the same reasoning, that the Dark Angels on Caliban had been abandoned with Luther while the Lion claimed the glories of the Great Crusade.Bareus was mortally wounded by Cephesus, but eventually the Fallen was slain by Brother Kaelan of the Dark Angels who received a field promotion to the rank of Interrogator-Chaplain by the dying Bareus.This also ties in with the perspective given in the novel "Fallen Angels" where Luther declares that the Lion has forgotten about the Dark Angels on Caliban. He then secedes from the Imperium and is joined by many of the Dark Angels stationed with him, including the Chapter Master Astelan and the Librarian Zahariel.
Fallen Angels - The Risen: "The Risen" is the name given to those Fallen that avoided corruption by Chaos and were redeemed and forgiven of their betrayal by Primarch Lion El'Jonson after his awakening in the Era Indomitus.Though the Fallen were all members of the garrison of the Dark Angels Legion left behind by the order of the Lion on Caliban during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy after the assassination attempt on him at Sarosh, and all were cast through time and space by the Warp storm that devoured the Dark Angels' homeworld, many of them were line Astartes who had never betrayed the Imperium or been corrupted by Chaos like their commanders Luther and Merir Astelon.Yet, when these Fallen found themselves returned by the vagaries of the Warp to a galaxy often thousands of standard years later that they barely recognised, they found themselves hunted by the Dark Angels and their Unforgiven successors of that era for reasons that they could barely even comprehend.When Lion El'Jonson first awakened into the Era Indomitus and emerged on the world of Camarth, he met one of these Fallen, Zabriel, and realised that he was indeed both loyal to the Imperium and uncorrupted by service to the Chaos Gods. When Zariel swore to the Lion that he was no Traitor, his primarch believed him and forgave him, allowing him to become the first of the Risen. Other Fallen in similar circumstances discovered by the Lion during his travels through the sub-realm of the Immaterium known as Mirror-Caliban in the Imperium Nihilus would be equally forgiven and join the ranks of the Risen.
Fallen Angels - Notable Fallen Starships: Fury of the First Legion - An ancient destroyer that was docked at the Dark Mechanicum orbital at the world of Gallium during the Legion Wars. According to the sorcerer Iskandar Khayon, it was rare for Ist Legion ships to sail in fleet formations within the Eye of Terror, so he presumed it was alone.With Blade Drawn - An ancient battleship commanded by the Black Legion warlord and Calibanite known as Vortigern. It participated in the First Battle of Cadia during the 1st Black Crusade.
Fallen Angels - Fallen Formations: Fallen Champion - Bolt shells and plasma blasts rain down from all sides as the Fallen Champions spring their ambush. Enemies reel in shock, struggling to fight back against deadly attackers who already have them surrounded and trapped within their gunsights. As the cacophony of battle fills the air, Cypher ghosts through the crossfire, eliminating one enemy target after another with salvoes of pistol fire. United and coordinated by their totemic Champion, the Fallen fight as a single elite force, maximizing their firepower and inherent martial discipline to the detriment of their victims. Even the Fallen do not know Cypher's darkest secrets, but they understand enough that they will not risk defeat or apparent weakness beneath his gaze, lest they be the next to die.Fallen - Secretive and spiteful warriors, the Fallen fight with furious determination as they seek to avoid defeat or capture. Ever on the run from the inexorable vengeance of the Dark Angels and their Unforgiven Successor Chapters, the Fallen have become as relentlessly merciless as those who pursue them. Whether seized during piratical raids, or prised from the hands of Adeptus Astartes they have slain, the Fallen typically maintain substantial caches of weapons and armour. Some bands of Fallen prefer to take the fight to their enemies at close quarters, while others eliminate their enemies from afar -- in either case, the Fallen make lethal foes, who do not flinch from any dark act or terrible hardship if it ensures they can continue to breathe the free air for another day.
Fallen Angels - Unit Composition: 4 Fallen Angels1 Fallen Champion
Fallen Angels - Wargear: BolterBolt PistolChainsword (Optional replacement for Bolter)Frag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Fallen Angels - Optional Wargear: A Fallen Champion may replace his Bolt Pistol and / or Bolter with one of the following:Lightning ClawPower Weapon (Any type)Power FistA Fallen Champion can also take Melta Bombs.The Fallen Champion may replace one weapon with one of the following:Combi-weapon (Combi-flamer, Combi-melta or Combi-plasma)Plasma PistolOne Fallen may replace his Bolter with one of the following:FlamerHeavy Bolter, Meltagun, AutocannonPlasma Gun or Missile Launcher (with Frag Missiles and Krak Missiles)LascannonUp to four Fallen in a unit may choose one of the following options:Replace Bolt Pistol with a Plasma PistolReplace Bolter or Bolt Pistol with one of the following:Power Weapon or Lightning ClawPower FistReplace Bolt Pistol and Bolter with a pair of Lightning ClawsReplace Bolter with one of the following:FlamerMeltagun or Combi-weapon (Combi-flamer, Combi-melta or Combi-plasma)Plasma GunTake any melee weapon, including:ChainaxeChainswordLightning ClawPower AxePower FistPower MaulPower Sword
Fallen Angels (Novel) - Fallen Angels (Novel): Fallen Angels is the eleventh volume in the Horus Heresy series of novels and is a direct successor novel to Descent of Angels.
Fallen Angels (Novel) - Synopsis: With news of Horus' treachery spreading across the galaxy, the Great Crusade grinds to a halt as the primarchs and their Legions decide where their loyalty lies -- with the Emperor, or with the rebel Warmaster.The Dark Angels, too, face a time of testing, both among the stars and on their homeworld of Caliban. Luther, once Lion El'Jonson's trusted second-in-command, now languishes as an exile in all but name while his master struggles to thwart the Traitors' advance upon the Forge World Diamat.But an ancient evil gathers its strength beneath the surface of Caliban, and the Ist Legion will soon be thrust into a deadly conflict where all that they know will be cast into doubt.
Falling Star - Falling Star: The Falling Star is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Nothing else is currently known about it in Imperial records.
Falling Star - Chapter Colours: The Falling Star's Chapter colours are not currently listed in Imperial records.
Falling Star - Chapter Badge: The Falling Star's Chapter badge is not currently listed in Imperial records.
Falon's Lament - Falon's Lament: Falon's Lament -- originally known as X-alpha 782 and Falon's Pride after that -- is an unsettled planet found within the Outer Reach region of the Jericho Reach.Legends suggest that Falon's Lament is a cursed world. Over the millennia, every Human effort to tame this beautiful planet has met with terrible tragedy.No matter the benefactor, the era, or the resources invested, the efforts invariably lead to the loss of countless lives and a sense that all of the effort invested was squandered. In spite of this, the planet's natural resources and mysterious artefacts continue to make it an irresistibly tempting jewel.While it is currently under assault by the Tyranid forces of Hive Fleet Dagon, these xenos are having no better luck with their attempts to seize the planet than Humanity has had over the millennia. However, this time, the reasons for the difficulties have finally become clear.
Falon's Lament - History: Falon's Lament is inextricably tied with the tale of Marquis Caleb Falon. During the height of the ancient Jericho Sector, he was the head of the Falon mercantile guild. The family maintained a powerful shipping trust that controlled the vast majority of intersystem commerce through nine of the Jericho Sector's richest worlds.The marquis had a rather grand opinion of his own abilities and was believed to have substantially more money than sense. In an effort to establish new markets and ensure his legacy, Falon chose to sponsor the founding of a new colony world.After substantial research and bidding to obtain the rights, the marquis received a writ of colonisation for a world designated "X-alpha 782." Preliminary reports indicated that the world had ideal gravity, climate, and natural resources for Human habitation.The marquis renamed the world "Falon's Pride," and promptly committed a significant portion of his guild's resources to the colonisation effort. Initial efforts recruited a disproportionate number of members of noble families from the Jericho Sector.Many younger sons and daughters were granted substantial farmstead rights to the world in exchange for an agreement to numerous standard years of service. So many of these overly generous grants were made, in fact, that settlement rights to more than 80% of the planet's habitable surface were made prior to any vessel actually travelling to the system.When colonisation efforts began in earnest, the true extent of this folly became obvious. Even with his substantial fleet of vessels, the marquis was unable to provide necessary homesteading equipment to all of the colonists.Upon arrival the greater error was soon apparent -- very few of the colonists had ever lived outside of a hive city. The majority of the new colonists were incapable of agricultural work or of successfully hunting any game animals.By the end of the first winter, more than 90% of the colonists had died. The remaining 10% were desperate to escape from their contracts, but after investing so many resources into the initial effort, the Falon family lacked even the resources to retrieve the survivors.In the end, House Falon collapsed and its members were sold into servitude. There were no known surviving colonists, and the residents of the sector renamed the world "Falon's Lament."
Falon's Lament - Collapse: While Falon's attempt ended in catastrophe for his family and his colonists, it was not the last attempt to colonise the world. Tales of the effort, along with its catastrophic ending, spread swiftly throughout the sector. So quickly, in fact, that many sought to follow up on it.After all, in spite of the deaths and the miscalculations, most believed that there may have been significant resources left behind on the planet.Interstellar travel is expensive. Hauling heavy equipment in addition to passengers and vital supplies make the total cost of an interstellar trip astronomically expensive.The fact that the colony world had a waiting supply of agricultural equipment in place -- even if it was spread unevenly across the planet's surface -- made the world even more appealing.Numerous groups attempted to settle the world, each giving it their own new name. As the Jericho Sector began its rapid spiral into collapse during the Age of Shadow, several groups of refugees even tried their hand at colonisation.Ultimately, every single attempt ended in failure. For many, the lack of training was a substantial problem. For others, the amount and quality of the equipment that Falon had left behind led to disaster. In a few cases, groups that reportedly made landfall simply vanished without a trace.Some legends indicate that psychic echoes of the first colonists -- or perhaps those of an ancient race long gone -- led to the destruction of these newcomers. Others stories continue to proclaim the overall incompetence of these desperate colonists as the ultimate reasons for their failure.In any case, the world has remained Falon's Lament in Imperial records and in the sector's stories.
Falon's Lament - At Present: In 811.M41, a Deathwatch Dark Hunter passed through the system as part of a routine inspection. During the course of its scans, the drone vessel discovered that there were numerous Tyranid void-capable organisms in orbit around Falon's Lament. In keeping with standard orders, the voidcraft immediately made best time back to Watch Fortress Erioch.Analysis of its recordings identified a hive ship, at least three cruiser-class organisms and too many Escort Drones to reach a consistent count. At this time, the world was unquestionably the target of a major Tyranid invasion.Falon's Lament is far from any of the Achilus Crusade's frontlines. Even if the crusade were adequately supplied for its current objectives, it is improbable that the crusade could send resources to this distant world in time to make a difference.The Deathwatch lacks the resources to repel a Tyranid invasion during its later stages, but concerted Space Marine efforts have successfully stopped Tyranid attacks in the past. As the time of initial attack and the success of the world's native defenders were unknown, a decision was made based upon the security of the Reach as a whole.If a substantial Tyranid sub-fleet were allowed unlimited access to the resources of this world, it might later sweep into either the Acheros or Canis Salients. As part of an effort to prevent this, the Deathwatch dispatched three Kill-teams to the world in the hopes that they might be able to repel or at least delay the Tyranid invasion.When they arrived, the Space Marines were stunned by their discoveries. Initial imagery from space showed that the world's surface had substantially changed.Numerous large black stripes were visible that encircled the globe. There were few atmospheric signs of a successful Tyranid assault, even though it had been more than six solar months since the Dark Hunter's initial observations. Upon landing, the situation took an even more unusual turn.Those black lines visible from space were, in fact, automated defensive systems. These were clearly of xenos origin, and had been effectively blunting the Tyranid assault.The systems exhibited no reticence in regards to attacks upon the Space Marine forces, but the battle-brothers were able to exploit these systems in such a way that they managed to destroy the Tyranid hive ship. Since its destruction, the ongoing Tyranid assault has floundered.
Falon's Lament - Culture: Prior to the Tyranid attack, there were no known Human inhabitants upon Falon's Lament. Both the attackers and the newly revealed xenos defenders are extremely hostile to any Human habitation.With the exception of the occasional Kill-team, it is highly improbable that there are any surviving Humans living upon the world's surface. Consequently, any discussion of the cultures upon this world must focus upon the xenos.The Tyranid assault appears to have stalled at a relatively early stage of the invasion effort. The infestation has been largely incapable of establishing a solid foothold. There remains a relatively diverse spread of different bioforms.However, these specimens are not present in the frequencies more typical of an established Tyranid invasion effort. For example, there are a disproportionately high number of the larger Tyranid specimens, including Carnifexes and Tyrannofexes, relative to the numbers of Termagants and Hormagaunts.Analysts believe that this disparity is due to the limited number of brood nests and capillary towers upon the planet's surface. Those specimens that might normally be produced using the target world's biomass are dramatically reduced in frequency, while those introduced by Mycetic Spore as the invasion continues are still appearing.This suggests that the hive fleet may have begun to deplete its available reserves of biomass -- or it could be a sign that this invasion effort is following an atypical pattern. Since these data were delivered to Magos Vatsoon of the Divisionis Biologis, he has repeatedly requested Kill-teams be deployed to the world to compile additional specific bits of data.The recently revealed xenos defensive systems represent another threat, but the precise nature of this peril remains unclear. A previously unknown xenos civilisation active within the Jericho Reach represents a significant danger to the crusade's efforts.If that force possesses technology sufficiently advanced to hamper a Tyranid incursion, the risk is even more substantial. Additional data regarding these systems must be compiled so that their origin, capabilities, and weaknesses can be identified.
False Gods - False Gods: False Gods by Graham McNeill is the second volume in the Horus Heresy series of novels.
False Gods - Synopsis: The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of Mankind has handed the reins of command to his favoured son, the Warmaster Horus. Yet all is not well in the armies of the Imperium. Horus is still battling against the jealousy and resentment of his brother Primarchs and, when he is injured in combat on the planet Davin, he must also battle his inner daemons. With all the temptations that Chaos has to offer, can the weakened Horus resist?
Familiar - Familiar: A Familiar is usually an artificially-created biological creature, cybernetic construct or robotic automaton utilised for a variety of different tasks by many organisations and individuals within the Imperium of Man.A Space Marine Librarian or an Inquisitor may sometimes make use of Familiars to aid them in their command of the Warp and to help focus their powers, and Warp-Familiars, often of Daemonic origin, are common companions for Chaos Sorcerers. In this capacity, the Familiar becomes a psychic-symbiote, allowing its master to mentally link with it, seeing through its eyes and controlling its actions. Often, Familiars are either living creatures controlled by the mind of their master via arcane psyber neuro-implants or are cybernetic creatures controlled by voice or coded vox-signal command.Such slaved creatures are the strange fruit of ancient sciences and arcane superstitions, and the ownership and command of Familiars utilise many technologies that the Machine Cult considers sacred. A trailing throng of bonded Familiars is a sign of status both within the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Imperium at large.Familiars are artificially-created biological creatures and cybernetic constructs that slavishly follow and attend to their master. Familiars can be based on a wide number of living creatures, bio-constructs or pure automata. These are restricted to creatures smaller than an adult Human (anything else would class as a servitor), and by their nature cling to a single master unless instructed otherwise.Familiars can take many forms from tiny mechanical beasts and creatures sensitive to the Warp to indentured servants with which their master has crafted a bond. Familiars can be an incredibly powerful tool for Librarians of the Adeptus Astartes. They are psychic-symbiotes, allowing the Librarian to mentally link with them, seeing through their eyes and controlling their actions. Familiars can communicate with their masters in most cases (whether this is part of their nature or by choice) and the bond between a Librarian and his familiar will never be fully understood by other battle-brothers.Despite their status as tools of the Warp, their psychically-bonded or "psyber"-familiars are generally tolerated by the Astartes (with the exception of Chapters like the Black Templars who have no patience for anything connected to the Immaterium). They are also mostly harmless and not perceived as a threat. In some cases, however, they can cause trouble, their curiosity making mischief for those around them. Familiars have a habit of "complicating" things, especially if their master is incapacitated or absent.
Familiar - Cyber-Constructs, Beasts and Servitors: Ancient pacts agreed in ages past with the Adeptus Mechanicus generally forbid most Imperial agencies from utilising Machine Spirits (artificial intelligence routines) beyond a certain level of sophistication, and in any event most Humans of the 41st Millennium typically regard such devices as inherently blasphemous. Culturally, the Imperium is far more acclimatised to the idea of heavily cyberised systems that incorporate organic parts, with the trepanned crania of criminals and animals emptied for use as the control systems of heavy machinery, weapons, and vessels.Servitors -- lobotomised, cyberised, and repurposed criminals or vat-cultured and cloned organic organisms are ubiquitous across the entirety of Human space, and most citizens of the Imperium hardly spare them a second glance. Much of the Imperium's heavy industry is dependent to a degree upon these sad, brain-dead creatures, who shuffle mindlessly from task to task, lifting, cleaning, or carrying out other tedious or hazardous duties by means of cybernetic equipment attached to their bodies or welded to their surgically-modified limbs.
Familiar - Warp Familiars: The Immaterium is home to innumerable malefic beings that readily lend their powers to those foolish enough to call upon them. To entreat such beings is perilous, and many who do so are devoured by the ravenous Warp-creatures. Only a powerful sorcerer can bend such an entity to their will, trapping its essence within an arcane object or host creature as a Familiar.So bound, the Familiar augments the sorcerer's abilities, engorging them with raw psychic might. The practice of harnessing Warp entity Familiars -- known as "tutelaries" -- was a secret amongst the Thousand Sons Legion during the Great Crusade before their fall to Chaos. Where other Imperial forces employed psybernetically-enhanced creatures, the gene-sons of Magnus the Red learnt through their studies of the power they could wield by calling upon the Warp directly.
Familiar - Controlling a Familiar: In many respects, Familiars function as other creatures. Familiars are controlled by their masters through the use of simple commands. These are generally single words, short sentences or the equivalent.Should a master come under attack, the Familiar automatically moves to its master's defence, attacking the assailant unless it receives specific instruction (or possesses an instinct) to the contrary. Upon completing a task, the Familiar returns to its master's side unless it has received prior instructions or some other instinct applies.
Familiar - Psy-Bonded Familiar: A psy-bonded (or "psyber") Familiar is a living creature bonded to its master by arcane technology. Cybernetic neural interface circuitry implanted in the minds of both Familiar and master (called a "psyber-lure") allows the creature to be directly and precisely controlled, with the master having access to the sensory experiences of the creature and able to give it instantaneous commands at great distance. Owing to the idiosyncrasies of the little understood technology, usually only small, non-sapient creatures can become psy-bonded to a Human master. Example psy-bonded Familiars include the following:Psyber-eagle - Psyber-eagles are genetically and cybernetically enhanced familiars created as gifts from the Adeptus Mechanicus to the grandees of the Imperium. They are often utilised by psykers to extend and channel their powers. Within the Calixis Sector, most famously, Lord Marius Hax himself is accompanied by a pair of psy-bonded eagles of prodigious size and splendour, gifts from the Mechanicus Fabricator-Lords of the Lathe Worlds. The eagles circle above him in the vast vaulted halls of the Lucid Palace on Scintilla, their eyes those of their master scanning from on high.Psyber-raven - A Psyber-raven is a common choice of Familiar among the Adeptus Astartes, particularly with Librarians. These dark-winged creatures are excellent for scouting objectives, their keen eyes picking out enemy ambushes and relaying troop positions. The bird's brooding appearance atop a shoulder pauldron and its occasional muttering of ominous phrases can be useful side effects as well. Psyber-ravens are commonly created by the Iron Priests of the Space Wolves Chapter. They often accompany their master in battle and act as the Iron Priest's eyes and ears, relaying vital information via arcane psyber neuro-implants. These fearsome creatures are often fitted with an array of deadly weapons to protect their master in the heat of battle. It is not unheard of for an Iron Priest to gift these formidable constructs to a fellow Space Wolf as a boon -- usually as a gesture of gratitude for having their life saved from certain death.
Familiar - Chaos Familiars: Some Champions of Chaos are so blessed by their patron deity that they are granted supernatural creatures as servants and protectors, also called Familiars.Combat Familiar - A Chaos Combat Familiar in service to a Chaos Champion can take almost any form, such as that of a diabolical hound, a stunted humanoid minion, a tumbling nest of metal tentacles, a being of living Warpflame or a thousand other strange and unsettling beasts created from the energies of the Empyrean.Spell Familiar - A Spell Familiar may be a small creature made of bound psychic energy, such as the tutelaries of the Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerers, or a living being invested with the power of the Warp. They can take any form imaginable or desired by their master, but are often small imps, evil-looking mannequins, or twisted, dwarfish mutants.
Familiar - Notable Familiars: Hamadrya - The Hamadrya is a peculiar creature which seems bound to the Chaos Lord Huron Blackheart. Slick skinned, with blank red eyes, it resembles something like a featherless bird or a skinless dog, but when seen on the edge of sight its shape changes, bloating in size, or turning to a flickering pillar of flame. What this creature is remains a mystery. Perhaps it is a Daemon of the Warp, the bound essence of one of Huron's enemies, or even the remains of his own mutilated soul, forfeited to the Chaos Gods in return for his survival. No matter its nature, the Hamadrya seems to gift Huron with strange powers, slowing time, allowing him to see lies, and to know truths that no mortal should. The beast appears semi-intelligent and stays with him at all times, perching on his shoulder or hiding behind him if things get too dangerous. The creature never fights or tries to help its master directly, but it seems to manifest its curious psychic powers, which Huron uses to his advantage.
Familiar - Servo-Skulls: Servo-skulls are human skulls (often that of a favoured servant or low ranking Tech-priest) that have been fitted with rudimentary Machine Spirits, support systems and an anti-gravitic suspensor motor to provide lift. These constructs are devoted to a particular task and have the basic equipment to carry out the purpose that they have been programmed to perform. Their advantages are their small size and manoeuvrability, which allows them to enter otherwise inaccessible spaces or hazardous areas that would endanger their operators, as well as the ability to act as additional "eyes and ears" for their masters. The Servo-skull is synonymous with the Adeptus Mechanicus, who regard these creations as excellent servants and their Machine Spirits as exceptionally faithful and pure. Servo-skulls can also be found serving faithfully with the other Adepta and the high-ranking elites of many Hive Worlds.
Familiar - Familiar Technology: Berserker-Chip - Also known as "lobos" and "butcher-jobs," these devices are surgically embedded in the creature's brain. When triggered, the chip sends it into a near-uncontrollable bloodlust and frenzy, backed by heavy doses of combat drugs pumping into its remaining organic tissues. These chips are activated either by a command word or signal sent directly to the beast.
Familiar - Sources: Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition), pg. 14Codex: Imperialis (2nd Edition), pp. 3, 15, 46Codex: Heretic Astartes - Thousand Sons (8th Edition), pg. 38Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 67Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 57Dark Heresy: The Book of Judgement (RPG), pg. 72Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook (RPG), pp. 142-145Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pg. 107Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pg. 146Necromunda: Underhive (2nd Edition), pp. 2, 26, 91, 141Rogue Trader: Lure of the Expanse (RPG), pg. 127The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 237Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pg. 213Warlords of the Dark Millennium - Huron Blackheart," pp. 7, 20White Dwarf 137 (UK), "Confrontation," pp. 60, 63, 67White Dwarf 132 (UK), "Confrontation," pg. 33White Dwarf 130 (UK), "Confrontation - Necromunda Imperial Hive World," by Bryan Ansell, Rick Priestley and Nigel Stillman, pp. 13, 18Heroes of the Space Marines (Anthology), "The Skull Harvest," by Graham McNeillTreacheries of the Space Marines (Anthology), "The Bitter End," (Short Story) by Sarah Cawkwell
Family (Anthology Short Story) - Family (Anthology Short Story): Family is a short story published in the Gaunt's Ghosts series that was originally part of an anthology. Family was published as part of the Sabbat Worlds anthology in November 2014, and has yet to be released as a stand-alone e-book.
Family (Anthology Short Story) - Synopsis: Gol Kolea of the Tanith First-and-Only enjoys a brief, if not awkward, family dinner with his children and their adoptive mother Tona Criid.
Fane - Fane: A Fane is the device or node used by the Grimnyr or "Living Ancestors" of the Leagues of Votann to interface with the Votann, the self-aware machine intelligences that govern the Leagues. The Fanes have become near-sacred spaces for the Kin because of their connection to the Votann and one exists within every Kin hold.To the Grimnyr -- who are among the few Kin to possess a psychoactive cloneskein -- falls the duty of asking the Ancestor Cores for wisdom and guidance, and interpreting the resultant output. This they do within the arcane technological structures called Fanes.A Fane is a space of timeless devices and quiet contemplation, at the heart of which lies a complex tangle of machinery that is part altar, part cogitator interface.It is said that once, these machines were simply the nodes through which the wisdom of the Votann flashed with the speed of thought from one voidcraft to another in the Kin's ancient Long March mining fleets. They still fulfil this practical purpose. Culturally, though, the Fanes have taken on a greater spiritual significance to the Kin, so that now they are viewed as places almost akin to other intelligent races' temples. A Fane is the place where a Kin stands in the full regard of the Ancestors, and where the presence of the Votann lies heavy and sombre.Indeed, through arcane technological processes that even the Kin do not understand, there have been instances recorded of Fanes miraculously developing an artificial intellect in their own right, and so joining the ranks of the Votann themselves. These occurrences of miraculous self-awareness are cause for great honour and celebration amongst the Kindred in whose hold they occur.By comparison, though, more than one Votann has degenerated in recent centuries until they have become little more than Fanes themselves. To witness such a decline is a terrible tragedy to the Kin. Alliances such as the Kapellan League or the disintegrating Balor-Attal Conglomerate endured long Terran years of mourning after their Ancestor Cores suffered this fate.
Fane - Trivia: "Fane" is an archaic English word for a temple or shrine, and as used by the Kin indicates the near-religious intensity with which they view any interaction with the Votann.
Fang, The - Fang, The: The Fang is the famed citadel of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter that was built at the direction of the Primarch Leman Russ during the early days of the Great Crusade. This massive and cunningly constructed stronghold serves as the Chapter's home and fortress-monastery and is located on the icy Death World of Fenris.At the centre of the vast plateau of the northern polar continent of Asaheim there is a range of mountains whose peaks are said to rise above the atmosphere. The tallest of all lies in the very middle of the range, dwarfing its fellows and rising like a single gnarled tooth above those that surround it. This peak, and the Chapter fortress that is built upon and within it, is The Fang.Despite being almost universally referred to as "The Fang," the Vlka Fenryka (Space Wolves) refer to their fortress-monastery simply as the Aett. In Juvjk, the local Fenrisian dialect of Low Gothic, this means "clan-home", "fireplace" or "den".
Fang, The - Shrine of Harek Ironhelm: Situated on the site of the Great Wolf's duel with Magnus the Red in the 32nd Millennium during the First Battle of The Fang, located on the flank of The Fang is the Tomb of Harek Ironhelm, a place of pilgrimage to test the endurance of the faithful and to serve as a memorial to Ironhelm's unwavering devotion to the Emperor. It was also constructed to serve as a memorial to his blindness. Never again would the Space Wolves allow themselves to be drawn into a war not of their own making. This sombre crypt serves as a shrine to the memory of that noble Wolf Lord who battled the Chapter's gravest foe. Whenever an Aspirant Rune Priest undergoes his ordeal of initiation, he must first make a pilgrimage to this mighty edifice and call upon the spirit of Harek Ironhelm. It is said that the spirit of the fallen Great Wolf appears to warn the Aspirant against trusting visions granted by Chaos. This was the lesson the Space Wolves learned from the First Battle of The Fang, and they would use it to further enhance their skill in defence of the Emperor's realm.
Fang, The - Docking Platforms: Far up near the very peak of The Fang are located the Docking Platforms where the Chapter's many aircraft can take off and land. Reaching just beyond Fenris' atmospherem The Fang's docking platforms can even service the Chapter's warships.
Fang, The - Void Shield Array: The upper reaches of The Fang feature Void Shield arrays of incredible strength. Drawing power from the Geothermal Reactors beneath The Fang the Void Shield array is capable of repelling the firepower of entire fleets, making it virtually impossible for an enemy to attack The Fang from orbit with any hope of success.
Fang, The - Defensive Batteries: The Fang's mighty flanks bristle with massive defensive batteries capable of throwing shells, torpedoes and directed energy beams at anything foolish enough to come within range.
Fang, The - The Forge Hills: Situated on the lower slopes of The Fang near to the great cliffs that drop down to the battering ocean surf is the Forge Hills. It is a great stretch of foundries, smiths, anvils and workshops where the Chapter Iron Priests and Thralls work under the open elements, harnessing the harsh nature of Fenris into weapons of adamantium and titansteel.
Fang, The - The Heart Forge: Mightiest of the forges found in the Forge Hills is the Heart Forge. An ancient anvil upon which some of the greatest weapons and relics of the Chapter have been forged, it was here that Arjac Rockfist worked to restore the Axe Morkai before the Kraken Spawn attacked the Forge Hills.
Fang, The - Valgard: The Fang is vast beyond comprehension and a huge network of tunnels, shafts and chambers riddled the highest levels of the peak. Even so, the fortress proper is dwarfed by the full bulk of the mountain, and only the very upper reaches had ever been delved into habitations. For the most part, the Space Wolves dwell underground, their lairs hidden under kilometres of solid rock. Only at the very pinnacle of the mountain, the terminus of the level known as the Valgard, does artificial structures break the surface in any quantity. It is there that the fortress' landing stages and docking berths had been constructed, clustered around massive towers that thrust from sheer cliffs hundreds of metres tall. Ancient drive mechanisms power service shafts a kilometre deep, hauling materiel and wargear from depots in the heart of the mountain and delivering them to the transports waiting in the hangars. These lifts are always busy, a testament to the restless spirit of the Space Wolves and their ceaseless voyaging in the sea of stars. High up at the summit of the Valgard, spacecraft can blast off from launch platforms and large landing bays where Thunderhawk gunships mingle with the Chapter's few remaining Stormbirds. Here even starships the size of the Chapter fleet's Hlaupa-class Escorts, heavily armed variants of the Imperial Navy’s Cobra-class Destroyers, can dock. Vessels of such size would not normally have been able to dock within a planetary atmosphere, but the sheer altitude of the Valgard landing stages made it possible for them to make planetfall on Fenris.
Fang, The - Chamber of the Annulus: The Chamber of the Annulus is high up in the pinnacle of the Fang, in the Valgard near the very summit of the vast fortress, surrounded by a seam of pure granite. It had been one of the first halls to be delved from the living rock by the Terran geomancers brought to Fenris to establish the VI Legion in the early days of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. In that age, Tech-adepts had been able to level the very mountains and raise them up again, to shape the continents and quell the tumults of the Death World’s seasonal upheavals. They could have made Fenris a paradise if they had so chosen, and it was only on the Primarch's orders that the planet was never altered from its fearsome character. Russ wished for his homeworld to remain the great proving ground of warriors, a crucible in which its humanity would be tested and honed forever. So, as it had happened, only one mountain out of the hundreds on Asaheim had been changed from its primeval form, its chambers hollowed out and wrought by ancient devices of forgotten, terrible power. Now the knowledge brought by those long-dead Artificers is fading fast, and no citadel of comparable strength and majesty will ever be built again within the Realm of the Emperor. The Fang is unique in the Imperium, the product of a genius that is slowly bleeding out of the galaxy as humanity stumbles and unlearns the lessons of the past. The Chamber of the Annulus is where the Great Wolf and the Wolf Lords of the Chapter gather during councils of war. The twelve jarls will gather round the Grand Annulus, the huge circle on the floor of the chamber with the sigils of the Great Companies inscribed on its panels of stone.
Fang, The - Fleshmaker Laboratorium: For a time in the 32nd Millennium, the Space Wolves held the hope of eventually creating Successor Chapters to spread the seed of Russ across the galaxy. To this end, high in the Valgard had been established a biomedical research installation known amongst the Space Wolves as the Fleshmaker Laboratorium. This laboratorium was under the supervision of Thrar "Wyrmblade" Hraldir, who was a highly skilled Wolf Priest during the 32nd Millennium. He was instrumental in the creation of the genetic alteration program known as The Tempering -- the effort to expunge the genetic deficiencies and instabilities of the Space Wolves' gene-seed, in particular the Canis Helix, in order to create new Successor Chapters. He had come closer than any other since the time of the Emperor Himself at understanding the fundamental nature of the Canis Helix. Unfortunately, during the First Battle of The Fang, Hraldir was forced to confront the Thousand Sons' Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red and was slain by the ancient sorcerer. With Hraldir's death, the secrets of the Space Wolves' gene-seed and how to remove the taint of the Curse of the Wulfen died with him. After the battle, the shattered laboratorium was reconstructed and transformed into the place where the Chapter's various Servitor-Thralls were created and maintained by the Iron Priests.
Fang, The - Chamber of the Watch: In the upper levels of The Fang is located the Chamber of the Watch, the tactical operations center from which the garrisoning Great Company can oversee the defence of The Fang.
Fang, The - Jarlheim: High up the mountain but beneath the Valgard, past the huge, shadowy bulwark of the Fangthane, is the Jarlheim, the abode of the Sky Warriors. No mortal Thrall remains on those levels except on the orders of his masters, for it is there that the twelve Great Companies of the Chapter were housed. The halls of the Space Wolves are often empty and silent, since they are ever called away on campaign to some far-flung corner of their galactic protectorate. At least one Great Company always kept the hearths burning, however, tending the sacred flames and paying obeisance to the wards that kept maleficarum from entering The Fang. In the Jarlheim are the warshrines to the fallen, the totems collected by the Rune Priests from far-off worlds, the Armouries full of sacred weaponry. In the holy places, tattered banners from past campaigns are laid to rest amid the dusty rows of skulls, armour and other prizes.When the warning klaxons blare across the demesnes of the twelve Great Companies, the narrow ways are lit with a savage fire -- for when the masters of the mountain have been summoned to service, it is as if the earth itself has been shaken into sentience. The stone reverberates with a deep tremor as the massed wolf-spirits are goaded into life. Armour is strapped on and drilled into place by Thralls, beast pelts reverently draped over the Ceramite, runes daubed on shoulder-guards in thick animal blood, charms hung piously over necks and wound around armoured wrists. Deep within the centre of the maze of shafts, galleries and tunnels, there comes the beating of a great drum. It underpins all other sounds, thumping out a heartbeat rhythm of savagery. Other drums soon join it. The power of the drums' vibrations make the entire labyrinth resonate with a growing crescendo of hatred and pent-up aggression. There are few sights more intimidating in the entire galaxy than a Space Wolf Great Company preparing itself for war.
Fang, The - Hall of the Fangthane: The Hall of the Fangthane is the chamber that links the Hould and the Jarlheim. It had been delved centrally, right into the inner core of the mountain above the Hould and directly below the landing stages of the Valgard. One of a number of bulwark points within the Aett, it is the only route from one region of the fortress to the next. Any enemy, should they somehow make it inside The Fang at the gate level, would have to pass up through the Fangthane to enter the higher galleries. In a fortress of wonders, the Fangthane has an awe-inspiring quality all of its own. Its walls soars high up into the dark, hundreds of metres, gently curving toward a roof lost in gloom. The entire populace of the Hould, hundreds of thousands of souls, could assemble in its cavernous space, filling the frozen chamber floor. They enter from the west, ascending the huge Stair of Ogvai, lined with images of ancient heroes carved from the mountain-stone and lit by flickering torches. In the chamber itself, images of Fenris had been delved into the walls, each more than fifty metres high and adorned with intricate knotwork. There are symbols of the Great Companies of old – wolfsheads, broken moons, claws, axe-shafts and bleached skulls. Monumental images of Fenris' elemental powers – the Storm-Spirit, the Ice-Bringer, the Thunder-Heart – are picked out in the flickering light. Above them all are the Fenrisian runes, the sacred sigils that channel the soul of the Death World into the sphere of the living and warded against maleficarum -- against daemons and those who trafficked with them.When fully assembled, the ranks of grey-clad men and women who make up the Chapter's population of serfs or Thralls marches between the two massive granite statues of Leman Russ' Fenrisian Wolf brothers Freki and Geri that guard the west gate, each ten metres tall at the shoulder and crouched ready to pounce. Ahead of the assembly area, the chamber stretches away into the distance, vaster than any cathedral, lit only by racks of blood-red fire in braziers of iron as tall as a man. And at the far end, most brightly lit of all, there had once stood the mightiest of the many statues in The Fang, the colossal image of Leman Russ. The size of a Warhound-class Titan, the granite Primarch gazed across the space with a snarl on his craggy features. He had his Frostblade Mjalnar clutched in one hand; the other was clenched into a balled fist. Other Primarchs might have been rendered in a more contemplative pose, but not Russ. He had been carved by the stone-shapers of Fenris as he had been in life: an engine of war, a living god, the living embodiment of the primal urge to kill. During the First Battle of The Fang in the 32nd Millennium, the Thousand Sons' Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red had profaned this sacred chamber and performed the ultimate desecration. In an act reminiscent of the one performed by Russ against Magnus during the Burning of Prospero, the Daemon Primarch ripped the statue of Leman Russ from its foundations and broke its back across his knee.
Fang, The - Tomb of the Drekkar: High up in the Jarlheim stands a remote chamber, far from the largely inhabited halls. Large enough to house fifty warriors, this remote hall features ancient carvings and houses the skeletal remains of a drekkar, a longship of the Fenrisian tribes. Who hauled it there and why is lost to the mists of time. The chamber came back into use when it was rediscovered by the Wolf Guard Gunnlaugur and since then has been used as the staging chamber for Járnhamar Pack.
Fang, The - Hould: The Hould is the beating heart of the Aett. The thousands of mortal warriors, craftsmen, technicians and labourers who maintain the massive citadel as Thralls of the Chapter live out their entire lives there. Thralls rarely leave The Fang unless taken out of it by troop transports: the air is thin even for Fenrisian natives at that altitude. Their skin is as pale as the ice that covers the upper slopes, and they are all Fenris-born, of the stock that still roams across the ice-fields below Asaheim and provides the recruits for the Space Wolves. Their breed had been taken into the vast halls of the Aett when the first chambers had been hollowed out, and all could trace their lineages back over thirty generations or more. Only some -- the kaerls -- were kept at arms at all times, but all knew how to wield a blade and fire a skjoldtar, the heavy, armour-piercing projectile weapon similar to an Autogun favoured by the Aettguard, the body of kaerls, committed to the defence of Russ' fortress. They are the children of a Death World, and from the youngest infant to the oldest crone they know the art of killing.