Thorian - Notable Thorians: Cornelius Antrecht - Like many Thorians, Cornelius Antrecht is an Inquisitor within the Ordo Malleus and possesses formidable psychic powers. He came to the attention of the Inquisition during the anti-mutant sweeps of Menthusium II, a large mining colony in the Segmentum Solar. Unlike many untrained psykers, who flee the wrath of the Inquisition and their agents, Antrecht openly surrendered himself to the investigators of the Black Ships. Worried by his own abilities, the pious young man presented himself to Inquisitor Bastalek Grim in part believing that he might be saved from damnation and in part to protect those around him. Somewhat surprised by this unusual occurrence, the normally hard-line Inquisitor Grim submitted Antrecht to psychic evaluation and he was found to possess the required strength of mind to undergo training. Coupled with his own forthright manner, Antrecht's psychic abilities garnered him a place amongst the Inquisition and he pursued his new vocation with fiery determination for many standard years. Despite his own psychic powers, Antrecht was one of the most energetic Witch Hunters of the Ordo Hereticus. Driven by a mixture of self-loathing and disgust at those that would hide their abilities, Antrecht prosecuted many successful anti-psyker campaigns across worlds in the Feareach and Optimus Sectors. During this personal crusade Antrecht and his followers captured or killed no less than three hundred and fifty psykers and latent psykers. However, on the world of Danse Landing, Antrecht was to find a new subject for his purges -- the Daemon. Antrecht came to Danse Landing to seek out psykers, as he had done so for many years previously. What he was to uncover was greater and more sinister than he had ever encountered before. Encountering a cabal of Chaos Cultists led by the mad Imperial Commander Gothburg, Antrecht and his entourage were subdued and captured. As well as the psychic assault, Antrecht's body was subjected to all manner of agonising tortures, as Gothburg hoped that weakening the Inquisitor's body would aid in breaking his spirit. Eventually, even the iron will of Antrecht could not withstand the psychic intrusions into his mind and he was reduced to a coma-like state, his mind torn open and vulnerable. A diabolical ceremony was conducted within solar days, to summon a daemonic entity to possess the Inquisitor's body. As the ceremony reached its height, a daemonic entity began to occupy Antrecht's passive shell. His body rippled and shifted as the possession grew in power and the Daemon corrupted the physical form that it was entering. Perhaps it was this that triggered Antrecht's awakening, or perhaps the touch of the alien presence in his mind. Whatever it was, Cornelius Antrecht surged back to full consciousness before the possession could be complete. In a psychic blast that flattened everybody in the chamber, Antrecht hurled the Daemon back to the Warp. Though his body was crippled by torture and the Daemon's mutating presence, his mind was stronger than ever. With coruscating arcs of psychic energy, he struck down the assembled cabal, razing the room with psychic power. Within a few moments, their smoking corpses littered the floor. Partially paralysed and mutated, Antrecht dragged himself from the chamber. As he crawled through the corridors and rooms of the palaces, he struck down everyone that he met. Exhausted by his efforts, Antrecht hid in the dark, ancient places beneath the palaces for seven solar months, fitful and feverish for much of the time. Eventually an Ordo Hereticus force arrived and began to reclaim Danse Landing for the Imperium. It was only the Inquisitorial seal that he wore on his signet ring that saved Antrecht from the ire of the battle-sisters as they came across his twisted, battered form in the palace dungeons. Over several standard years, Antrecht was rehabilitated and regained some use of his body, though he wears a power harness to aid his movements and cannot speak. However, his psychic potential having been increased even further, his telepathic abilities more than make up for his physical deficiencies. Having felt the power of daemonic possession first-hand, Antrecht was naturally drawn towards the beliefs of the Thorians, and endeavours to bring about the Emperor Incarnate with all the vigour that was once directed towards witch-hunting. Still prone to occasional bouts of nightmarish hallucinations, Antrecht has joined the ranks of the Ordo Malleus in his efforts to thwart the machinations of the Daemon at every occasion.Antigonus Balorodin - Known as the "Expulgator of Thoth Prime," Inquisitor Lord Antigonus Balorodin was the youngest son of the Imperial Commander of the Hive World of  Polyphemia II, located in the Segmentum Solar, and spent his life being groomed for a career within the military of his homeworld. Balorodin's father was a staunch traditionalist who insisted that all his children serve a term of at least five standard years within the Planetary Defence Force, the Polyphemian Guard. As Antigonus was the youngest of the governor's five sons and three daughters, there was little prospect of him replacing his father; instead, it was suspected that he would remain within the Polyphemian Guard, where he might rise to the rank of colonel or possibly general, depending on his abilities. During Antigonus' second year as a lieutenant in the Polyphemian First Division, a Departmento Munitorum tithing fleet arrived at Polyphemia, much to the surprise of the governor and his aides. The Orks had invaded the Agri-world of Dacemon, located only a hundred and twenty light years away, which meant that Polyphemia was now required to provide four hundred thousand soldiers for the Astra Militarum army that was to be assembled for the re-conquest of that planet. The governor stuck with his principles and despatched his better-equipped and trained troops, which included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the Polyphemian Guard. Antigonus was given a brevet rank as a lieutenant within the Astra Militarum and in three solar months time, he was aboard a voidship that was heading towards the war zone. The Polyphemians were among the first Imperial reinforcements to arrive at Dacemon, dropped onto a world that was already three-quarters overrun by the Orks. Their mission was to establish a fortified landing zone from which further attacks would be launched against the Greenskins and allow a bridgehead through which other reinforcements could be landed. However, the initial assault turned out to be a disaster due to poor intelligence, which led to the majority of the drop being made on unstable lava beds that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers; the drop ships simply crashed through the fragile surface or were destroyed by the eruptions created when hundreds of drop craft landed simultaneously. From that moment on, matters simply became worse as what was believed to have been an uninhabited wasteland was in fact a densely-populated region full of numerous large xenos creatures that inhabited the tunnels inside the vitrified lava flows. A majority of these beasts were highly predatory and many of the soldiers recovering from disastrous landings found themselves killed by the gigantic crab-like creatures and mutant hunting cats. This in turn led to the assault force being completely unprepared for the eventual Ork counterattack that employed Gargants and similar war machines that assaulted the Astra Militarum's positions. It became abundantly clear that the Imperial Guard forces were incapable of holding their positions. Recognising the predicament his forces were in, Balorodin requested permission from his superiors to lead a task force into the network of tunnels, which would serve as a rearguard for retreat. His request was denied, as the task force's commanders were adamant: there would be no retreat, and the landing site had to be held no matter the cost. Three more regiments were in-bound and would reach the planet within three solar weeks' time; the commanders reasoned that they could hold out until then. Unsurprisingly, the debacle at Dacemon drew the attention of Inquisitor Brek, who arrived at the Agri-world determined that those responsible for the disaster would not go unpunished. During his investigation, Brek became impressed with Balorodin and instead of chastising him for his lax attitude towards authority as well as the deliberate misinterpretation of his orders, the Inquisitor admired his foresight and planning. When the time came from Inquisitor Brek to leave Dacemon, Balorodin joined him as a member of his entourage and began his first steps to becoming an Inquisitor. During his tenure, he became a staunch Thorian and a strong believer in incarnationism. Later in his career, he came into conflict with the Asuryani upon the world of Thoth Prime. His actions to combat this threat led to him being given the title of "Expulgator of Thoth Prime" and brought about the creation of the Soulwatcher Helm, a device made from Human and Aeldari technology which was designed to allow Balorodin to see the psychic aura of any living being -- or so he believes. With the aid of this device, he was able to move from success to success, as he was now able to see into the souls of those he spoke to and determine lies from half-truths with unerring accuracy, as well as determine both motive and emotion. As such, he became an expert in rooting out the truth, allowing him to root out cults and conspiracies long before they came to the notice of the Inquisition. Baldorin's actions are often viewed as erratic, as he has come to rely more and more on the arcane device, and some believe that he judges too rashly. Baldorin has also earned the enmity of the Asuryani, with several attempts being made by an Asuryani Ranger to recover the Soulwatcher Helm. This Ranger is believed to have met Inquisitor Balorodin on Thoth Prime and has been tracking him on-and-off again, ever since.Jaueg Dag - In his earlier years, this headstrong Thorian Inquisitor conducted secretive investigations into the remains of Imperial saints on the ancient world of Gallilenus III. His operatives infiltrated catacombs to probe the revered corpses, questing to learn what allowed their bodies and souls to achieve such divine achievements. The Sisters of Battle who guarded the crypts discovered the desecrations, and rather than reveal himself, Dag and his Acolytes attacked and killed many in his escape. Realising his horrible actions, he has since served in the Ordo Hereticus to atone, though whispers still exist of the ghastly tomb-robbers within those sacred crypts.Umberco Eto - Born in the Segmentum Obscurus, on the backward world of Arbrenia, young Umberco's life was changed by the arrival of Rogue Trader Daskon Holpstein. Holpstein's vessel had been attacked by a small Aeldari pirate fleet and had been forced to make a hazardous jump into the Warp to escape capture. During the fighting and the forced jump, he had lost many of his crew and so came to Arbrenia looking for replacements. Armed bands shuttled down to the surface and rounded up hundreds of the inhabitants, who were shocked and awed by the metallic birds descending upon them from the sky on tails of fire. Eto was amongst the seven hundred or so pressed crewmen taken aboard the Prince Yugen. So it was that Eto and the others aboard the Prince Yugen dared the remote areas of the Eastern Fringe, seeking an undiscovered world or isolated planet that would be profitable for their master. What they found would have an even more profound effect on Eto's life. At Bredo Rock, a common staging point for ships travelling to the north of the Ultima Segmentum, the Prince Yugen docked at one of the system's dozen space stations. As Holpstein went about gathering supplies, the story of the Aeldari attack and the press-ganging of the Arbrenians began to spread. It was either the Emperor's Will or poor luck for Holpstein that these tales reached the ears of Inquisitor Malordnu, an agent of the Black Ships. One of the Inquisition's psyker-hunting vessels was at Bredo Rock and soon the Prince Yugen was quarantined and boarded. The entire crew were subjected to psychic testing and young Eto was found to possess psychic potential. Having already been taken half-way across the Imperium, the boy now found himself aboard a dreaded Black Ship, his fate uncertain. However, as the Black Ship left Bredo Rock on its long voyage back towards Terra, the testing and investigation continued. Inquisitor Malordnu was informed that Eto was a powerful latent psyker, though his abilities had yet to manifest themselves in any way. Further probing and research over the coming solar months brought forth a willpower and mental fortitude in Eto that was unexpected but ultimately saved his life. Eto was one of those rare psykers with power enough to protect himself from the worst perils of the Warp. Not for him to be consumed by the Emperor, nor to endure the agonising soul-binding to become an astropath. Greater things awaited the illiterate youth -- a lifetime of service to the Inquisition. Eto became a Thorian after reading a transcript of the Tiberias Conclave held by Helstern. He was intrigued by the notion of the Emperor Incarnate, which Eto deemed plausible enough given his experience with daemonic manifestation. Umberco has become a Daemonhunter of some repute, and has pursued his vocation within the Inquisition for seven standard centuries. His travels have taken him across the Ultima Segmentum, but it is for his works close to the Maelstrom that he is particularly noted.Gotterich Valon - Cardinal Gotterich Valon was a prosperous, powerful individual on the world of San Sebastian. Well-respected amongst his peers, he was touted as an obvious candidate to join the Cardinals Astra on Ophelia VII. In his late forties, Cardinal Valon had done much work with the Missionarus Galaxia and Schola Progenium, diverting considerable Ecclesiarchy resources into the missionaries' endeavours and establishing several dozen new Schola Progenium abbeys in the surrounding sectors. As well as these good works away from the Cardinal World, Cardinal Valon was also responsible for several esteemed projects on San Sebastian. In tribute to his hard work and dedication, Cardinal Valon was granted passage to conduct a five-year tour of the Schola Progenium facilities and Missionary waystations constructed under his patronage. When Valon came to the world of Luchesio, much to the dismay of his ship's crew, they found themselves in a warzone. An Ork-infested space hulk was menacing the Luchesio System and Ork ships had landed on the Agri-world. Though the captain of the vessel was keen to leave, Valon insisted that they continue on their journey to visit the Schola Progenium abbey on Luchesio. The Orks assailed the abbey where Valon and his entourage were visiting, and during one particular vicious bombardment, Valon found himself trapped beneath some fallen masonry -- his leg was shattered and one of his lungs was pierced with a shard of stone. He was found by a young twelve-year-old girl, Louisa Della Monica, who was unperturbed by the situation, having been raised at the Progenium by the sisters since she was a babe. With a prayer to the Emperor on her lips, she proceeded to dig Valon out of the rubble. When a salvo of shells detonated inside the ruined courtyard and flung the young girl to the ground, Della Monica emerged from the dust cloud unscathed. To Valon's eye, perhaps miraculously unscathed. After several more solar weeks of fighting, the Orks were pushed back many kilometres from the abbey and it was safe for Valon to take his leave. He had resolved not to continue his tour, but to return to San Sebastian and report on his extraordinary encounters at Luchesio. After many solar days of questions and examinations, Della Monica was declared blessed of the Emperor, and the benefactor of a miraculous intervention. Valon had long been aware of such miracle happenings, but having witnessed one first hand an insatiable curiosity had been piqued. Still with a standard year's license and a cutter to use, Valon spent his time well, taking his new companions with him to visit various sites of other recorded miracles in the surrounding systems. This eventually brought him to Sanagua Primar, and the attention of Inquisitor Van Dremen. Van Dremen and Valon crossed paths in the Chapel of Blaesilla's archives, and the two formed an immediate friendship. The Thorian Inquisitor immediately recognised a potential ally in Valon and soon arranged for him to be relinquished of his Ecclesiarchal duties. In return, Gotterich Valon added his vast theological knowledge and recent observations to Van Dremen's own investigations and knowledge and the pair continued working together for several standard years. During this time, Van Dremen inducted Valon and his companions into the Inquisition proper and Valon became an Interrogator under Van Dremen. Upon Van Dremen's death during the Epscillion Demise, Valon was granted full Inquisitor status by Lord Inquisitor Heidenreich. Valon continues to this day, protected by Della Monica and his compatriots from Luchesio. He is now a noted Daemonhunter, and saw much action in the fighting leading up to Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade and the assault on Cadia. Wounded in the fighting once again, much of Valon's body is now artificially sustained by a number of chem-inducers and bionics. Unperturbed, he pursues the Thorian agenda and the duties of an Inquisitor with equal vigour.