vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Vakillar U'riss - Vakillar U'riss: Vakillar U'riss, the "Mistress of the Theatre of Pain," is a Drukhari Haemonculus and a lead member of the Conclave of Tears.Also called "the Excrutiatress" across a dozen and more sectors along the Eastern Fringe, she is a being of whom bloody folktales have been told for several thousand Terran years.Indeed, the Excrutiatress is not merely a mistress of slaughter and desecration of the flesh, but an artist; her atrocities are pinnacles of twisted achievement and each one drives her on to greater heights.She has even twisted her body into a horror of the utmost artistry, each wicked curve or venomous barb optimised for both bloody efficiency and elegant terror.Worse still, her body is her living canvas, dynamic and ever-shifting as she changes and enhances herself to suit her present needs.On her person, she carries countless samples, specimens, and sundries stored in crystal-glass microphials, including a collection of eyes harvested from species across the galaxy.
Vakrah Jal - Vakrah Jal: The Vakrah Jal, also known as the Chapter of Consecrated Iron, was a chapter of the Word Bearers Legion whose member Chaos Space Marines were recruited from the survivors of the companies of the XVIIth Legion that were devastated on the killing fields of Isstvan V during the Drop Site Massacre.Argel Tal, the Crimson Lord of the elite Possessed Chaos Space Marines known as the Gal Vorbak, gathered hundreds of leaderless Word Bearers warriors and gave them unity from ruination.Forsaking his oaths to the annihilated Chapter of the Serrated Sun he had once called his own, Chapter Master Argel Tal gained permission to raise a new chapter for the XVIIth Legion, the Vakrah Jal, in its stead. Like the Gal Vorbak before it, the Vakrah Jal was composed of many Heretic Astartes who chose to become one of the Possessed.
Vakrah Jal - History: The Emperor of Mankind initially tolerated the deep religious belief of His son Lorgar, the primarch of the Word Bearers Legion, that he was the one, true god of Mankind, but as the Great Crusade reached its height in the late 30th Millennium, the Emperor found Himself increasingly frustrated with the slow pace with which Lorgar conquered and then brought worlds into Imperial Compliance for the Imperium.When the Word Bearers were formally reprimanded by the Emperor upon the world of Khur, their faith was shaken to its very core. Khur had been a world dear to the Word Bearers, who considered its capital, Monarchia, the "perfect city" because of the intense religious devotion of its citizens and the sheer number of cathedrals and monuments dedicated to the worship of the Emperor as a god.But the Emperor had ordered Roboute Guilliman and his Ultramarines Legion to raze it. Feeling betrayed by the Emperor, Lorgar led his Word Bearers in search of those gods of the so-called "Old Faith" once worshipped on his homeworld of Colchis in ancient days who not only accepted the zealous worship of Mankind, but demanded it.Lorgar ordered his XVIIth Legion to find these gods, and so the Word Bearers undertook a sacred journey to the Eye of Terror to make communion with these entities in what became known as the Pilgrimage of Lorgar. Thus were the seeds of the Horus Heresy first sown amongst the Word Bearers.
Vakrah Jal - Pilgrimage of Lorgar: Argel Tal, commander of the 7th Assault Company of the Serrated Suns Chapter of the Word Bearers Legion, was charged by his primarch to enter the Eye of Terror in search of definitive proof that true divinities exis ted in the universe. Whilst they were in the Eye of Terror, the members of the Serrated Sun Chapter were all killed by a Daemon, only to awaken some time later alive once more.All of the normal Humans on their starship were dead and their vessel had sustained critical damage. During the 7-solar-month-long journey that followed out of the Eye of Terror, many members of the Serrated Sun Chapter killed one another and survived the ordeal by drinking their fallen comrades' blood. When they returned to realspace and their waiting Primarch Lorgar, they were told that they had been gone for only a few moments in subjective time.When the remnants of the Serrated Sun Chapter re-emerged from their sojourn, they brought back the Primordial Truth of the existence of Chaos to their primarch. This truth made Lorgar realise that the Emperor of Mankind's Imperial Truth was the true lie and ultimately converted him and his entire Legion to the worship of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos.The survivors of the harrowing journey into the Eye of Terror were honoured and the Serrated Sun Chapter was renamed the Gal Vorbak, "the Blessed Sons" in the ancient dialect of the Word Bearers' homeworld of Colchis.
Vakrah Jal - Horus Heresy: Lorgar and the Word Bearers spent the remaining years of the Great Crusade attempting to enlighten Humanity about the true spiritual nature of Creation, ultimately resorting to manipulation and deception to sway nine of the primarchs to the cause of Chaos as their Dark Gods demanded, the most notable being the Warmaster Horus.When it became clear that Mankind could not be enlightened by Chaos without first being forcibly weaned at a great price in blood from the Emperor's false Imperial Truth, Lorgar willingly helped orchestrate the terrible Isstvan III Atrocity and the Drop Site Massacre at Isstvan V as well as the larger interstellar civil war of the Horus Heresy itself.When Horus openly declared his rebellion against the Emperor in the Isstvan System, the Word Bearers were one of the first Space Marine Legions to support him and his cause.The worlds they had conquered since their conversion to Chaos also joined the side of the Traitors, having been secretly corrupted to the worship of the Ruinous Powers in the final years of the Great Crusade.
Vakrah Jal - Drop Site Massacre: During the Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V when the Traitor Legions betrayed their Loyalist brethren, the Gal Vorbak underwent their final metamorphosis, one of many that they had endured since the Pilgrimage of Lorgar into the Eye of Terror. At the height of the battle, when Lorgar attacked Corvus Corax, the primarch of the Raven Guard Legion, all of the members of the Gal Vorbak became true Daemons.Their flesh and ceramite fused and warped into a new, bestial form, marking them out as amongst the first of the Possessed Chaos Space Marines. After the battle, the Gal Vorbak resumed the form of normal Heretic Astartes again, though the battle had proven costly. Only 5 of their number, which included Argel Tal, had survived taking on a primarch in battle to continue to fight in the service of Chaos throughout the rest of the Horus Heresy.They were the last of the first Gal Vorbak, the true "Blessed Sons" of Chaos: warriors with Daemons in their hearts because they had willingly mutilated their souls on the first treacherous steps into Hell, unlike the thin-blooded Daemonhosts that Argel Tal bred for Lorgar in the years following Isstvan V.These later incarnations were Gal Vorbak in name and blood, but not in spirit. They had not undertaken the Pilgrimage. They came to their power with no comprehension of what it had cost their brethren to earn it.Argel Tal's Daemon-blooded brethren were as much animals as men. Few of these so-called "Blessed Sons" restrained themselves to the degree shown by their former commander, and most became petty warlords lording it over their own squads and Hosts, ruling in their daemonic form more often than not, issuing commands that originated not with the XVIIth Legion, but from the pantheon of Chaos Undivided.
Vakrah Jal - Rising From The Ashes: Thousands of the Gal Vorbak were left to die, alone and unsupported, on the surface of the devastated world of Calth when First Chaplain Erebus fled the conflict that the Word Bearers had fought against the Ultramarines on that benighted world. These Word Bearers had been left to die. They would never be reinforced. They would never be recovered.All those Gal Vorbak who spent solar months of their lives fasting, praying, scarring their flesh in preparation for a chance to taste the Divine Blood, were lost. Argel Tal was the sole surviving original member of the Gal Vorbak, having been seconded to the World Eaters Legion for temporary duty before the Word Bearers' assault on Calth.Argel Tal forsook his oaths to the annihilated Serrated Suns Chapter and gained permission from his Primarch Lorgar to form a newly constituted formation, known as the Vakrah Jal, the "Chapter of Consecrated Iron," who rose from the ashes of those Word Bearer companies devastated on the killing fields of Isstvan V. Argel Tal gathered hundreds of leaderless Heretic Astartes and gave them unity and new purpose.Several hundred of the Vakrah Jal were birthed aboard the World Eaters' flagship Conqueror, where they trained for solar months in the World Eaters' gladiator pits, honing their skills to deadly lethality. Each member of the Vakrah Jal was given newly forged-blades in honour of their new status.They went to war behind faceplates of burnished silver, marking them out as the elite amongst the warriors of the XVIIth Legion. The Vakrah Jal were also blessed with the priceless best wargear of the Dark Mechanicum: built-in, wrist-mounted Flamers that spat green alchemical fire. The Vakrah Jal became known as the "Bearers of the Jade Fire," for their use of this telltale weapon.This elite formation would go on to serve Argel Tal with unflinching devotion as well as serving as their primarch's honour guard when duty demanded it.Following the events of the Horus Heresy, it is not known whether or not this elite formation still exists within the ranks of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion in the 41st Millennium.
Valador - Valador: Valador was an Asuryani Wraithlord of Craftworld Biel-Tan in the service of that craftworld's Autarch Kyre who was slain by the Ork Warlord Gorgutz on the world of Acheron that had long been lost in the Warp. Valador's Spirit Stone was destroyed, and his death had been secretly orchestrated by Kyre's spymaster, the Ranger Ronahn, who sought to stop Kyre from claiming the long-lost artefact known as the Spear of Khaine that could serve as a catastrophic weapon.
Valadrak - Valadrak: Valadrak is a Warpsmith of Chaos who maintained his soul-forges on the Dark Mechanicus' Daemon World of Temporia in the Eye of Terror, where he was known for being a master craftsman of Daemon Engines. During the Abyssal Crusade of 321.M37 he unleashed specially-crafted Daemon Engines on the Astartes of the Knights Excelsior Space Marine Chapter that had entered the Eye and discovered Temporia.Outgunned, the Knights Excelsior were forced to make a hasty tactical withdrawal, fighting their way back to their dropships. As the Chapter attempted to make good their escape, their orbiting warships were attacked by a strange archeotech device that rendered their technology impotent, leaving the Space Marines at the mercy of Temporia's Daemon Engines. When the Knights Excelsior were last seen, they had been refashioned into the Renegade Magma Hounds.During the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41, the Forge World of Agripinaa launched its forces against Temporia in an attempt to damage Abaddon the Despoiler's flow of materiel and Daemon Engines. Valadrak led the defence of his Hell-Forge against this assault by the Loyalist Adeptus Mechanicus.
Valdor Tank Hunter - Valdor Tank Hunter: The Valdor Tank Hunter is an ancient heavy main battle tank of the Astra Militarum that was first developed during the Horus Heresy as a weapon to help counter the Land Raider tanks of the Traitor Legions.The Valdor is based on the Malcador heavy tank chassis, and is named after Captain-General Constantin Valdor of the Legio Custodes, a great hero of the Imperium during the Horus Heresy.The Valdor Tank Hunter is equipped with an ancient and powerful weapon known as a Neutron Laser Projector that is powerful enough to destroy its targets on the molecular level.
Valdor Tank Hunter - History: The Valdor Tank Hunter is a heavy tank destroyer, named for the legendary Emperor's Legio Custodes commander, Constantin Valdor, which was only just entering service with the Excertus Imperialis in limited numbers and on a trial basis when the Horus Heresy began.Initial production runs were chanelled to the elite Solar Auxilia, in particular those cohorts operating against foes equipped with heavy tanks or in the case of the myriad xenos enemies still infesting the stars, tank analogues. While utilising a familiar chassis on which several other armoured vehicles in the arsenal of the Solar Auxilia were based, the Valdor mounted a devastating Neutron Laser, each a meticulously wrought iteration of a then-recently recovered relic of the Dark Age of Technology.While not yet in common use (at that time), Imperial logisticians had projected that its services were likely to be required in ever greater numbers, especially where Loyalist Solar Auxilia were called upon to fight the Traitor Legiones Astartes and the heavy armoured vehicles they had ready access to.Ancient records found at the Scholastica Bellicose on the planet Mordian show that the Valdor Tank Hunter was most widely used during the Great Scouring after the Heresy, when the Imperium led the great counter-attack against the Traitor Legions, driving them all the way to the Eye of Terror.The Valdor Tank Hunter is considered an ancient relic in the 41st Millennium, with the number of Forge Worlds able to maintain, let alone construct the Valdor dwindling to just a handful. As a result, they are rarely deployed amongst the Imperial Guard's armoured regiments. The 1st Cadian Armoured Regiment, which helped to defend the Imperial Fortress World of Cadia in the Cadian Gate, possesses a total of only 5 Valdor tanks.During the Siege of Vraks the 88th Siege Army's intelligence officers believed that there was no more than 30 Valdor tanks stored inside of Vraks Prime's vast Departmento Munitorum storehouses, and these tanks were not utilised by the Vraksian Traitor Militia until much later in that terrible, grinding conflict.It is believed that a dark magos of the Dark Mechanicum arrived on the planet with the Steel Brethren Chaos Space Marines and helped the Renegades to activate and deploy the Valdor tanks in the Vraksian storehouses. The payment to the Dark Mechanicum for this aid was the provision of a complement of several fully-functional Valdor tanks and what is believed to be a data-core detailing how to construct the Valdor.This means that there is a dreadful possibility that the Valdor Tank Hunter may start appearing in the armies of the forces of Chaos in the near-future.
Valdor Tank Hunter - Regiments Known To Field The Valdor Tank Hunter: 1st Cadian Armoured Regiment - 5 Valdor Tank Hunter were stationed on Cadia to aid in its defence against the Forces of Chaos attacking the Cadian Gate.Death Korps of Krieg - The 17th and 60th Line Korps of the Death Korps of Krieg fielded several Valdor Tank Hunter in the gruesome war known as the Orphean War, which was fought against the Necrons of the Maynarkh Dynasty. It is unknown if these Tank Hunters were already part of the Death Korps' line of battle, or were requisitioned from Amarah's reserves and pressed into service.Vraksian Traitor Militia - The Valdor Tank Hunter was deployed during the Siege of Vraks by the Traitor forces that sided with the Apostate Cardinal-Astra Xaphan.Imperial Guard - The Imperial Guard fielded a large number of Valdor Heavy Tanks during the Great Scouring of the 31st Millennium, and the Guard still fields a small number of Valdors during the 41st Millennium.
Valdor Tank Hunter - Armament: The Valdor is armed with an ancient weapon known as a Neutron Laser Projector, which was developed during the Age of Technology and thus very few Forge Worlds are still able to produce or maintain them.The weapon takes up most of the room inside of the tank, and the shielding for its required power generator is not very thick, so any major damage caused by an enemy attack could have disastrous consequences for the crew.If the weapon fails to transfer all of its energy into its target while firing, it could lead to a powerful feedback reaction that can damage the weapon. The Valdor is also equipped with a single sponson-mounted Heavy Flamer, but it can be replaced with a Heavy Stubber, Heavy Bolter, Autocannon, or a Lascannon.The tank can also be equipped with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, Extra Armour Plating, a Searchlight, a Dozer Blade, or Smoke Launchers.
Valdor Tank Hunter - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Mars Pattern Valdor Tank HunterVehicle Name:ValdorMain Armament:Neutron Laser ProjectorForge World of Origin:Mars, Cyraxus II, Lathe-hetSecondary Armament:Heavy FlamerKnown Patterns:I - IITraverse:0 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 2 Gunners, 1 EngineerElevation:0 to 22 degreesPowerplant:HL330 v12 Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:Unlimited; power drawn from generatorWeight:96 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:8 ShotsLength:11.5 metresArmour:Width:4.95 metresHeight:3.7 metresSuperstructure:180 millimetresGround Clearance:0.65 metresHull:160 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:25 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:18 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:8600-032-8656-ML038Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Valdor Tank Hunter - Sources: Imperial Armour: Apocalypse II, pg. 9Imperial Armour: Apocalypse (2013), pg. 40Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 119-121Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 148-151, 267Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 65, 81The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 282Forge World - Valdor Tank Hunter
Valedictors - Valedictors: The Valedictors is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in Imperial records, save that it was created some time after the Second Founding.
Valedictors - Chapter Colours: The Valedictors primarily wear light green Power Armour. The white squad specialty symbol -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran -- is located on the right shoulder plate. A black Roman numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number. The colour of the Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc.
Valedictors - Chapter Badge: The Valedictors' Chapter badge is a white winged letter "V", on a field light green.
Valedictors - Canon Conflict: The Valedictors were described in detail in two "Epic" articles in White Dwarf (UK) 126 and 136, ca. 1990-1991. At the time, the Valedictors were originally said to be a First Founding Legion which saw action on the Eastern Fringe of the Imperium against Orks, Eldar, and the Traitor Legions during the Horus Heresy. The status of the Valedictors changed in White Dwarf 235, where they are said to be of a "later Founding", (post-Second Founding). Therefore, the Valedictors are no longer a First Founding Legion.
Valedictors - Sources: Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)Chapter Approved 2001 - Second Book of the Astronomican, pg. 117White Dwarf 236 (UK), "Chapter Approved - Later Foundings," by Andy Chambers & Gav Thorpe, pg. 79White Dwarf 136 (UK), "Epic," pp. 9-17White Dwarf 126 (UK), "Space Marine: Epic Space Marines - How to Design Marine Regiments in the Horus Heresy - Sample Marine Regiment," by Andy Chambers, pp. 24-25
Valerius (Audio Drama) - Valerius (Audio Drama): Valerius is the forty-first audio drama for The Horus Heresy series that was not originally released as part of an anthology or other release. Valerius was first released as an audio drama in December 2016 as part of the Black Library's 2016 Advent Calendar, on day 16.
Valerius (Audio Drama) - Official Synopsis: Though he knows such beliefs are forbidden, Vice-Caesari Marcus Valerius of the Therion Cohort is willing to lay down his life in service to the immortal God-Emperor, for the good of all Mankind. Sent by Corax to the great slaughter at Beta-Garmon, every last one of the Imperial Army soldiers under his command knows that the end is nigh -- but can Valerius' holy visions guide them to one final victory over the hordes of the hated Archtraitor?
Valesnus - Valesnus: Valesnus was a watch master of the Deathwatch Chapter who served as the watch commander of Fort Starshield in the Kadus Sector until it was destroyed by the arrival of the Great WAAAGH! of the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka in the sector in the Era Indomitus. In the battle that ensued, the watch fortress and its entire complement of Astartes was destroyed after they put up a heroic defence.
Valesnus - History: The Watch Companies of Fort Starshield completed several textbook extermination missions against xenos warships that surged into the Kadus Sector from the galactic west. The Deathwatch noted that each battle was made easier by the condition of their foes, whose voidcraft evidenced severe battle damage and whose crews seemed panicked, even frantic. Realising that these invaders must, themselves, be fleeing some other, greater peril, Watch Master Valesnus requested urgent reinforcement.Fort Starshield's astropathic relay was soon after annihilated by a titanic eruption of lurid green ectoplasm. Deep-void auspex buoys went dark one by one; and their picters sent back last, blurry images of Ork warships beyond number filling the starfield. Recognising that his forces were impossibly outmatched, Watch Master Valesnus girded his warriors for a selfless strike against whatever mighty Greenskin warlord ruled this space-borne WAAAGH!. He hoped that, by striking off the beast's head, he might make the sacrifice of his and his battle-brothers' lives a worthy one.Solar months later, the requested Imperial reinforcements finally reached the location of Fort Starshield. They found nothing but drifting wreckage, that of dozens of Ork warships and of Fort Starshield itself. They located the mangled corpses of Watch Master Valesnus and his closest brothers pinned to the starfort's wreckage with huge scrap-metal spikes. Each warrior's chestplate had been torn away, and on their flesh was branded the personal glyph of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka...
Valhalla - Valhalla: ValhallaIce WorldAdministratumCivilised WorldUltima SegmentumgalaxyIt is famous across the Imperium of Man as the homeworld of the Valhallan Ice Warriors regiments of the Astra Militarum, who are legendary for their tenaciousness in holding their ground against even the most hopeless odds and their ability to suffer the most appalling casualties without breaking.
Valhalla - Notable Valhallans: General Jenit Sulla - Jenit Sulla spent her long career with the Valhallan 296th Regiment and its successor regiment, the Valhallan 597th Regiment, under the command of Colonel Regina Kasteen. She also served alongside Commissar Ciaphas Cain in the 597th Regiment and was later promoted to the rank of General.Colonel Regina Kasteen - Colonel Kasteen was the commanding officer of the 597th Valhallan Regiment in the 930s.M41.Commander Kubrik Chenkov - Kubrik Chenkov served as the commander of the Valhallan 18th "Tundra Wolves" Regiment.Gunner Ferik Jurgen - Gunner Jurgen served for decades as Commissar Ciaphas Cain's tireless aide. Originally assigned to the Valhallan 12th Field Artillery Regiment, he would later go on to accompany the famous Commissar throughout the remainder of his career, including his retirement on the world of Perlia. Jurgen proved a competent and capable aide but did possess a fierce body odour which assaulted Cain's and anyone else's senses in his nearby vicinity. Also, unbeknownst to most people, Jurgen possessed the incredibly rare attributes of a psychic Blank, which was instrumental in saving both Commissar Cain and several other people from both daemonic and psychic attack countless times.
Valhalla - Trivia: The Valhallan Ice Warriors' gear and regalia resemble that of the Soviet Red Army which fought in the harsh winter campaigns of World War II.Despite "Valhalla" being a Scandinavian name and of Scandinavian origin, the inhabitants and culture are akin to those of ancient Russia.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Valhallan Ice Warriors: The Valhallan Ice Warriors comprise the famous Militarum Regimentum of the Astra Militarum which hails from the frozen and desolate Ice World of Valhalla located in the Segmentum Ultima. The Valhallan Ice Warriors have a long and glorious history of victories against the Orks and other enemies of the Imperium.Famed as some of the toughest regiments ever deployed by the Imperial Guard, these grim and tenacious troops never retreat and refuse to surrender. They are particularly successful at cold weather combat and are often used by the Imperium when a campaign of attrition must be fought on an Ice World that is similar in climate to their frigid homeworld or when an operation involves combat against Orks.The regiments of Valhalla have a reputation for stoicism and dedication to the Emperor. When attacking, they are renowned for combining massed artillery barrages with infantry assault waves. When defending they show dogged determination, even in the face of defeat.The Valhallans are a stubborn and stern people who refuse to acknowledge their own hardships, and are rarely deterred by the horrors of the battlefield. They are all but impervious to harsh conditions and have a casual disregard for human life, leading to the superstition amongst other Militarum Regimentos that ice runs through their veins, just as it covers their homeworld.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - World of Ice: A stubborn and stern people, Valhallans refuse to acknowledge their hardships, but their world is not a forgiving one. In the wake of the comet strike and the subsequent Ork invasion, life on the planet of Valhalla has only flourished underground. The population of Valhalla exists entirely in vast subterranean caverns carved out from the rock and ice beneath the planet's surface, warmed by the planetary core.These underground habitats are woefully overcrowded, packed with citizens so thickly that human life on Valhalla is considered inconsequential and cheap. To alleviate the peoples' hunger, nutrient slime is cultivated on the cavern walls by generations of ceaseless toil and sacrifice.Even the most petty crime carries with it the harshest of sentences: death. Only those citizens who volunteer for the Astra Militarum escape such an existence, but such service is considered an honour.The Valhallans have a long and proud history as a prime source of providing regiments for the Departmento Munitorum, and many regiments of Valhallan Ice Warriors have earned considerable renown for their heroism and steadfast refusal to given in when lesser soldiers would surrender and lesser regiments would collapse beneath the weight of their impending doom.Over the millennia, the Guardsmen of Valhalla have fought for the Emperor across thousands of worlds. Their steadfast valour and casual disregard for their own lives has built a legend that inspires countless citizens across the Imperium. Stern and uncompromising, the Valhallan Ice Warriors are valued and admired by many Imperial Guard officers in need of reliable troops.Often, the Valhallan Ice Warriors are deployed in warzones infested with Orks in order to take advantage of the regiments' intimate knowledge of Ork tactics and to channel the troopers' undying hatred for the Greenskins who invaded their homeworld so long ago. Similarly, Valhallans are commonly positioned where their dogged resolve can bolster surrounding allies and hold the line where other armies might fall back when faced with certain death.Due to the overcrowded conditions within the subterranean habitats on Valhalla, life is considered cheap. Even the most petty crime carries with it the harshest of sentences -- execution. Those that do not serve in the Valhallan armoured, artillery or famed Ice Warriors infantry regiments must toil in the dark caverns that comprise the icy world's hive cities, cultivating the nutrient slimes that sustain the populace.Valhallan soldiers are expected to carry each and every item they will need to survive. Without their thermally insulated greatcoats and helmets, a Valhallan Guardsman's blood would freeze within seconds on the arctic surface of Valhalla. The armoured battle tanks and artillery units of Valhalla are uniformly camouflaged in a manner suited to the frozen tundra of their world, and each vehicle proudly displays the name of their homeworld on its hull.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - The Spinward Front: Valhallan regiments on the Spinward Front of the Calixis Sector's Periphery Sub-sector are commonly placed into warzones where their experience fighting Orks can be best employed. Additionally, Lord Marshal Ghanzorik seems to favour the Valhallans' fighting style, and the Ice Warriors have often been deployed into battlefields with the harshest environmental conditions.The Ice Warriors have made planetstrikes on Maesa and have suppressed a mutant uprising on Sisk, but many of the Valhallan senior officers believe that Ghanzorik's future plans for the regiment involve a direct strike at Avitohol, the homeworld of the Ork menace now ravaging the sub-sector.Given the failure of the last Imperial assault on that world, it is very likely that the Valhallans will simply be one part of a much larger attack force, but there is a sense of quiet pride amongst the Valhallan Ice Warriors that they would be considered for the honour of taking the fight to the Ork Warlord Grimtoof himself.These formations are generally concentrated into large batteries of heavy artillery -- usually Basilisks and Manticores -- supported and defended by robust infantry forces. Several Adeptus Ministorum Preachers from the Calixian Synod have joined with the Valhallan order of battle, and the Ice Warriors consider themselves blessed to face the Orks and the Secessionists of the Severan Dominate well supported by the servants of the Imperial Creed.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Noctis Aeterna: The indomitable grit of the Valhallans allowed them to weather the horrors of the Noctis Aeterna, a period when the Astronomican was lost within roiling Warp Storms after the birth of the Great Rift in 999.M41. Without it, supply fleets were flung far off-course or lost to the Warp entirely, and many worlds fell to famine and despair.This created the ideal conditions for the minions of the Dark Gods, and Chaos Cults arose amongst crowded and terrified populations across the sector. Not so on Valhalla. The planet had survived calamity before, and it would do so again. The Valhallans kept their vigil and, despite stringent food and heat rations, continued to recruit and train as they had always done.Valhallans deployed throughout the Imperium Nihilus also fared better than many other Imperial forces. With long-range communications silenced, the lumbering military machine of the Astra Militarum ground to a shuddering halt. Infantry platoons marched hopelessly into war zones without armoured support, and companies scouring planets of xenos were obliterated by the orbital bombardments of allied fleets who were unaware of the ground presence.The Valhallans hunkered down wherever they were stationed, and followed the last orders that had come crackling over comm-links before all had fallen quiet. Their glacial advances continued, driven on in the absence of central command by their inexorable obstinacy.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Regimental Organisation: Through combating Orks in the defence of their homeworld, the Valhallans have become adept at fighting Greenskins, and are often deployed to fight those Imperial conflicts where this talent for killing Orks can be best put to use. The Ice Warriors are stoic and unwavering when on the defensive, resolutely holding their ground against fearful odds when most other human troops would consider it a good idea to flee. Enemies have often found that Valhallan defending forces need to be completely destroyed to capture the held ground.Valhallans are trained to fight in dense formations to support their morale. When on the offensive, Valhallans combine massed artillery barrages with follow-on infantry wave assaults. The morale of regiments is often backed up by attached Adeptus Ministorum priests.All Valhallans are equipped with standard-issue Imperial Guard Lasguns and Flak Armour but certain Guardsmen in the Valhallan Regiments are armed with special or heavy weapons. The uniforms of the Valhallan Ice Warriors are made to endure the rigours of colder climates, and include heavy great coats as part of the ensemble. Valhallan infantrymen favour the use of Flamers and Mortars in combat.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Training: On the attack, Valhallan regiments often combine furious barrages of artillery with wave after wave of stoically advancing infantry. Many Valhallan officers, such as the famous Commander Chenkov, have expertly used these tactics to grind the enemy down and wrest victory from even the most hardened of objectives.In defence, Ice Warrior regiments are known for stubbornly fighting to the last man. Many Valhallan regiments incorporate Ministorum priests into their order of battle, relying upon pre-combat blessings and exhortations of valour in the God-Emperor's name to bolster their righteous hatred of the foe.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Armoured Regiments: 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment is known to include Leman Russ Demolishers and fought on Sallan's World. The regiment also possessed a Leman Russ Executioner which fought in the advance on Sallan's Point. The 8th Armoured Regiment also includes a Destroyer Tank Hunter which was put on sentry duty defending a fuel or ammunition dump during the Sallan's World campaign and a rare Baneblade super-heavy tank that was lost during the same campaign.14th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 14th Valhallan Armoured Regiment took part in the Gravalax Incident under the command of Lord General Zyvan.28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 28th Valahallan Armoured Regiment is a highly honoured unit amongst Imperial Guard armoured regiments, and is allowed to display a red Aquila symbol. It includes at least one Leman Russ Vanquisher which is the second vehicle of the first squadron of the 1st Company. The 28th Armoured also includes a Leman Russ Exterminator as the third tank, fourth squadron, 4th Company. Also, the regiment possesses a Leman Russ Conqueror which has subtle camouflaging unlike the other tanks in its company or squadron. The 28th Armoured is known to have taken part in the Retreat to the Auriga Parallel on the Ice World of Adhara. The Valhallan 1st Heavy Tank Company is attached to the 28th Armoured.58th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - There is little recorded information on this armoured regiment in current Imperial records.193rd Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The Valhallan 193rd Armoured Regiment includes a Stygies VIII Pattern Leman Russ Vanquisher and took part in the Defence of Canaan's World.425th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 425th Valhallan Armoured Regiment took part in the Adumbria Incident under the command of Lord General Zyvan and was stationed within the planetary capital.1st Valhallan Heavy Tank Company - The 1st Valhallan Heavy Tank Company includes a Mars Pattern Shadowsword super-heavy battle tank, which is the third vehicle of the company. The company is normally attached to the 28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Artillery Regiments: Valhallan 12th Field Artillery - Notable as the debut assignment for Commissar Ciaphas Cain. Cain claimed to regimental commander Colonel Mostrue to have been assigned as a way of easing him into service after a lackluster performance at the Schola Progenium, but in fact Cain had requested it in the (vain) hope of a relatively safe duty post. Later in Cain's career the 12th frequently worked alongside the 597th Regiment.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Trivia: The Valhallan Ice Warriors are based on the appearance and tactics of the Soviet Red Army during the frigid winter campaigns of the Eastern Front during World War II.
Valhallan Ice Warriors - Sources: Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pg. 24Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Regiments of Distinction - Valhallan Ice Warriors"Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 20, 24, 27, 65, 82Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pp. 30, 58Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pp. 6, 28, 38Codex: Imperial Guard (2nd Edition), pp. 12-13, 35, 48, 70, 76, 88Imperial Armour - Imperial Vehicles for Warhammer 40,000, pg. 33Only War: Hammer of the Emperor (RPG), pp. 32-35The Thirteenth Black Crusade (Sourcebook)Warhammer 40,000: Planetstrike (5th Edition), pg. 57White Dwarf 183 (UK), "Ice Warriors of Valhalla" by Rick Priestley, pp. 6-11Caves of Ice (Novel) by Sandy MitchellFor The Emperor (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell"Fight or Flight" (Short Story) by Sandy MitchellIce Guard (Novel) by Steve Lyons
Valiant Blades - Valiant Blades: The Valiant Blades is a Chapter of Primaris Space Marines raised during the Ultima Founding of an unknown origin. Little else is known about the Chapter in current Imperial records.
Valiant Blades - Notable Campaigns: Debts Long Owed (Unknown Date.M42) - Already stretched dangerously thin, House Hawkshroud found itself in deadly peril as the Orks of WAAAGH! Zagsmasha descended upon their homeworld of Krastellan. Cries for help were sent, debts long owed called in at last from the many allies that Hawkshroud had so selflessly aided over the millennia. Most fell upon deaf ears, but on Baal, Valhalla and Dragon's End, relief forces began to muster, while in the empyrean, the Primaris Space Marines of the Valiant Blades turned their ships' helms towards Krastellan. Whether these reinforcements will arrive before the homeworld of House Hawkshroud is overrun remains to be seen.
Valiant Blades - Chapter Badge: The Valiant Blades' Chapter badge is not listed in Imperial records.
Valiant Blades - Chapter Appearance: The Valiant Blades' Chapter colours are not listed in Imperial records.
Valkyrie - Armament: Airborne assaults play a crucial role in the battle plans of many Imperial commanders. Due to the high risk of such manoeuvres, and the high reward of eliminating key enemy assets, it is common for Valkyries to be loaded with the best troops available -- Astra Militarum Veterans or Tempestus Scions. However, certain pragmatic officers have achieved decisive victories by using Valkyries to distribute rank-and-file soldiers across large swathes of the battlefield.One such Company Commander -- Jetta Bacchi of the Athonian 992nd "Vagrant Blades" -- has used Valkyries in multiple city fights across the Imperium to seed the battlefield with his Tunnel Rats before engaging the enemy. Once deployed, each Infantry Squad sets up choke points and ambushes across the zone of battle. The foe then faces an unenviable decision -- either move at a crawl trying not to stumble into the infantry's traps, or barrel ahead full pace to outrun the deadly rain of aerial fire unleashed by the Valkyries.Even when troop transport is not required, or when the battlefield conditions make such actions impossible, Valkyries are still an invaluable aerial asset. Their armaments allow them to carry out hit-and-run strikes and strafing runs on ground forces whilst swatting enemy flyers from the sky. Though certain xenos attack craft are certainly faster, few boast the balance of offensive and defensive capabilities that make the Valkyrie so resilient and versatile.The Valkyrie's primary armament is a Multi-Laser that is mounted just to the side of the cockpit and two Hellstrike Missiles carried under its wings. The Valkyrie is also equipped with two door-mounted Heavy Bolters that are each manned by one gunner. This weapons configuration allows the Valkyrie, when using its VTOL capabilities, to stay on station once its troops have been dropped and provide air support or covering support fire during a difficult insertion.The Valkyrie can replace its Multi-Laser with a Lascannon, and can also replace its Hellstrike Missiles with 2 extra external fuel tanks for extended range operations or 2 Multiple Rocket Pods. The aircraft can also be equipped with ejector seats, Extra Armour Plating for the cockpit, flare or chaff launchers, infra-red targeting systems, and illumination flares.When a Valkyrie is expected to be assigned to the Astra Militarum for a long-duration assignment, usually to provide combat air support and transport, the Aeronautica Imperialis modifies the aircraft by adding more heavily reinforced armour to better protect it in close firefights with enemy forces. The reinforced armour reduces the Valkyrie's maximum altitude and range due to the increased use of promethium fuel, but it makes the Valkyrie a far more robust combat platform when it is carrying out its VTOL transport and gunship roles.The Valkyrie is capable of carrying 12 guardsmen, but cannot carry large groups of Ogryns. Valkyries also possess the cargo capacity to carry modified Drop Sentinels, Cyclops Demolition Vehicles or Sentry Guns instead of a complement of guardsmen, but the added weight requires that they also carry two additional external fuel tanks.
Valkyrie - Valkyrie Variants: There are several variants of the Valkyrie in use by the Imperium's Aeronautica Imperialis, including the following:Vendetta - The Vendetta is a Valkyrie modified to carry 3 Twin-linked Lascannons which allow it to operate in the role of a dedicated tank buster and anti-armour asset while still mounting the two Heavy Bolters at its doors. Some variants also replace 2 of the Twin-linked Lascannons placed on its wings with 2 Hellfury Missiles instead that are specifically designed to destroy armoured vehicles by unleashing an incendiary fury that cooks the vehicle's crew within its armoured shell or can be used to drive enemy troops from cover in lieu of their wing-mounted Lascannons.Vulture - The Vulture is a gunship of the Imperial Navy's Aeronautica Imperialis that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). It is used to provide heavy air support for Astra Militarum ground units and the Valkyrie transport. The Vulture is very similar in appearance to the Valkyrie, but with a drastically different role on the battlefield. The Vulture is capable of carrying a large variety of weapons and is able to engage both infantry and armoured units, and is also able to effectively attack fortified enemy structures and bunkers. The Vulture is an attack gunship, and its main role is the support of Valkyrie assault carriers while in flight and while their Imperial Guard troops are disembarking. The Vulture will often stay at the drop zone after the Valkyries have left in order to provide heavy air support to the infantry on the ground.Valkyrie Sky Talon - The Sky Talon is a stripped-down Valkyrie modified to carry light vehicles instead of troops. The troop compartment is replaced with magnetic lifting clamps that allow the aircraft to latch-on to light vehicles, such as the Tauros or Drop Sentinels, and drop them from a very low altitude right into the heart of battle.
Valkyrie - Notable Users of the Valkyrie: Aeronautica Imperialis (Navis Imperialis) - All military aircraft or attack craft in the Imperium fall under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Navy's Aeronautica Imperialis, though they are also provided to the Astra Militarum on an as-needed basis. All Valkyries are flown by experienced Aeronautica Imperialis pilots and crews.Astra Militarum - The Astra Militarum are the primary users of the Valkyrie. The Imperial Navy provides Valkyries to Imperial Guard regiments when they are needed, and many Guard regiments make use of Valkyries. Some regiments, such as those of the Elysian Drop Troops, have Valkyries that are permanently provided to them by attached Aeronautica Imperialis squadrons.Inquisition - The Inquisition's Acolytes and agents have the ability to requisition any equipment or vehicles they need while on the battlefield from any arm of the Imperial military. Many Inquisitors use Valkyries as personal transports during missions, and the Inquisition has their own permanent Valkyries and pilots that are used to deploy their Inquisitorial Storm Troopers into battle.
Valkyrie - Notable Regimental Users of the Valkyrie: 2nd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Fought in the defence of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.22nd Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought during the Yarant III Campaign.64th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Took part in the ill-fated Fifth Ymgarl Insertion.123rd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Part of "Pursuit Force Fidelis," during the Battle of Kovalic 479.99th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment, D Company Veterans - Fought against the Tyranids that escaped from a secret Adeptus Mechanicus research facility on Anphelion IV.184th Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Transported Storm Troopers during Operation Comet, part of the Taros Campaign against the T'au.71st Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Participated in Operation Deathblow during the Taros Campaign and during the Helion V Campaign.23rd Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought during the Taros Campaign against the T'au.181st Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Served during the Raid on Kastorel-Novem.5136th Imperial Navy Wing - Supplied 80 Valkyries to aid in the Raid on Kastorel-Novem.226th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment - Fought during the defence of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara.Athonian 992nd "Vagrant Blades" - Commanded by Jetta Bacchi, known for innovative use of the Valykrie in delivering infantry troops to urban battlefields (see above).205th Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Inducted into Inquisitorial service by Inquisitor Gruberman during the Tyrama Secondus Campaign.Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Tyrus - Used to transport Storm Troopers during the Purging of Gladrinus VI.Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Hector Rex - Used to transport Storm Troopers during the Judgement of Hellanus.
Valkyrie - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Valkyrie Airborne Assault CarrierTypeAssault CarrierOperational Ceiling13,000 MetresVehicle NameValkyrieMax Speed1100 kilometres per hourForge World of OriginMars, Voss, Artemia, Estaban VIIRange2000 kilometres in atmosphereKnown PatternsI - XMain ArmamentHull-Mounted Multi-Laser, 2 Door-mounted Heavy BoltersCrew1 Pilot, 1 Navigator, 2 Door GunnersSecondary Armament2 Hellstrike Missiles or 2 Multiple Rocket PodsPowerplant2 F75-MV Afterburning Vector-TurbofansMain Ammunition150 Shots From Power PackWeight13.0 Tonnes EmptySecondary Ammunition1000 RoundsLength18.5 MetresArmourWingspan16.9 MetresSuperstructure75 millimetresHeight4.8 MetresHull75 millimetres
Valkyrie - Sources: Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition), "Valkyries & Vendetta Gunships," "Fast Attack-Valkyrie Squadron"Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pp. 63, 117Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 56, 101Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 241-248Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pp. 202-205Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 106, 107, 110, 111, 124, 125, 126, 143, 149, 269, 271, 273, 310Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pp. 58, 62, 63Imperial Armour Volume Eight - The Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pp. 21, 24, 25, 37, 45Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pp. 102, 104Imperial Armour Apocalypse, pg. 39Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pg. 38Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 316Aeronautica Imperialis (Rulebook), pg. 22Only War: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 288Death From the Skies (6th Edition), pp. 58, 69Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 132Dawn of War - Winter Assault (PC Game)Dawn of War - Dark Crusade (PC Game)Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)Dawn of War II (PC Game)Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising (PC Game)Dawn of War II - Retribution (PC Game)Space Marine (Video Game)Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Video Game)The Regimental Standard - On Wings of Victory