vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Azrael - A Natural Commander: Recognising Azrael's swift decision-making and hardiness of spirit during the Truan IX incident, the upper echelons of the Dark Angels paid close attention to the warrior's conduct and performance. His battle-prowess was undoubted, but to be inducted into the Inner Circle requires more than skill with blade and bolter.During his tenure with the Deathwing, Azrael continued to fight at the forefront of any engagement and, within a few Terran years, attained the rank of Knight Master. No longer destined for the calling of the Chaplain, Azrael was the natural choice to take command of the 3rd Company when Master Razekiel, Batheus' successor, fell in battle against an Ork Warlord; in fact, the warriors of the 3rd Company courteously and respectfully petitioned for the return of their favoured brother.Many successful campaigns followed, including the defeat of the techno-recidivists of Faze V, the slaying of Gorbaz Ironmaw, who had slain Azrael's predecessor, and the overthrowing of the rebellious Nothurnis Monarchy.Within the chambers of the Inner Circle, Azrael's prowess was no less impressive. It was he who always spoke first to support the hunt for the Fallen, keen to restore the Chapter's honour and prove the Dark Angels' loyalty to the Emperor.His tempered argument and sound counsel found welcoming ears, and many of the other masters, some of them solar decades his senior, looked to him as an exemplar of the greatest traditions of Caliban.Azrael continued to distinguish himself, eventually becoming the grand master of the Deathwing in 917.M41. From there, he famously led the assault that slew the Daemon-possessed planetary governor of Sephlagm, claiming vengeance for the Imperium before the order for Exterminatus removed the befouled planet from the heavens.Naberius was the supreme grand master of the Dark Angels before Azrael. He personally led an ambush and was slain by Heretic Astartes during the Rhamiel Betrayal, whilst in pursuit of the infamous Fallen Angel Cypher in 939.M41.Azrael led the Deathwing to recover his body and was subsequently named as his successor. Since that time, Azrael has distinguished himself, and his Chapter, with countless victories.
Azrael - Tuchulcha Engine: In the final days of the 41st Millennium, Cypher turned himself in to Azrael and not only informed him that The Rock held the time-altering Tuchulcha engine, but that both Astelan and the Nurglite Chaos Lord Typhus were seeking similar devices.After the intervention of the Watchers in the Dark, Azrael agreed to work with the infamous Fallen Angel and they eventually gathered all 3 similar engines, creating a Warp rift over the remains of Caliban that stretched into the distant past in the hopes of averting the destruction of the Dark Angels' ancient homeworld.However as the Fallen attempted to enter the portal and potentially change history, and in the wake of pleas from Ezekiel that it would be disastrous to change history, Azrael reluctantly ordered Tuchulcha to prevent anyone from entering the rift, and scatter them instead across time and space.However Azrael was not precise about which moment in time to which he wanted the engine to scatter the Fallen, and so ALL of the Fallen, including those present on Caliban ten thousand standard years before at the end of the Horus Heresy, were scattered through time and space as well. This led to the horrific realisation on the supreme grand master's part that he himself was responsible for the original scattering of the Fallen across the galaxy after the destruction of Caliban.
Azrael - Luther's Escape: After the birth of the Great Rift following the 13th Black Crusade and the Fall of Cadia, The Rock was caught within the Imperium Nihilus, the galactic north that is wholly cut off from the Emperor's Astronomican after the onset of the Blackness.But even as the isolation of the Noctis Aeterna passed, The Rock was invaded. A Daemon army led by the Fallen Daemon Prince Marbas penetrated the formidable Void Shields that surrounded the Dark Angels' asteroid base. Fighting took place along the docks, within the grand halls, and even in the labyrinthine sub-levels and dungeons that burrowed deep into The Rock.As the conflict reached its climactic point, the invaders disappeared with the same suddenness with which they had manifested, having ultimately achieved little beyond mindless slaughter and destruction...or so it is believed by the Dark Angels. There was one, however, who knew otherwise.In the deepest dungeon, a secret prisoner known only to the supreme grand master of the Dark Angels -- Luther -- was set free. Azrael suspected the entire battle had been merely a diversion so that nefarious agents of the Fallen could accomplish their true task -- yet it is a theory that he must keep to himself, for none else must know of Luther's imprisonment...and his escape.
Azrael - Indomitus Crusade and the Primaris Marines: In the wake of the recent catastrophic events following the birth of the Great Rift, Azrael decided to convene an emergency council of the Unforgiven's other supreme grand masters, several of whom were still nearby following the Darkmor Massacre.The Dark Angels' Librarians succeeded in piercing the veil of the Great Rift and sending out a scattered astropathic summons -- though several died to achieve the feat -- and soon every loyal son of the Lion was preparing to embark on a perilous journey to The Rock.Not all found their way to that last fragment of their ancestral home. Entire Successor Chapters became lost in the Warp, while others found themselves bogged down in one of the galaxy's many raging conflicts.It was when Azrael finally decided he could wait no longer for the remaining successors to arrive that he was informed of a new fleet transitioning into orbit around The Rock; it was not a waylaid Chapter of the Unforgiven that it bore, however, but the resurrected lord commander of the Imperium.Azrael, his forces depleted and his Chapter's stronghold battered, feared the worst -- that the newly returned primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman, knew the truth of the Dark Angels' hidden past, and brought judgement with him.Debating whether to order the withdrawal of the assembled Unforgiven Chapters, or to make a stand and take up arms against the primarch's delegation, at last the supreme grand master decided upon neither, allowing Guilliman's fleets to dock without incident.It soon became clear that the lord commander and the remaining ships of the Indomitus Crusade fleet came not to deliver censure, but much needed reinforcements.From the depths of Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl's vast freighter-hulk marched Primaris Space Marines, created from the purest genetic material ever taken from Lion El'Jonson. Rank upon rank of them entered The Rock clad in new variants of Mark X Power Armour painted in the colours of the Dark Angels and their successors.At a brief war council, Guilliman outlined the threats facing the Imperium and his plans to continue the Indomitus Crusade. He also spoke of the updated Codex Astartes, and how his brother El'Jonson's descendants had earned the right to maintain their specialised wings and unique order of battle, as long as they continued to serve the Emperor well. So did Azrael and the other supreme grand masters kneel before Guilliman, and pledge their Chapters to the new Imperium.
Azrael - Primaris Marines and the Inner Circle: In the Era Indomitus the Dark Angels have accepted the new Primaris Space Marines out of necessity, but the Inner Circle remained skeptical of their presence since they have not gone through the strict rituals and tests of loyalty required of the Firstborn of the Chapter.The Inner Circle thus began a debate the Primaris Marines' worthiness to join their ranks. At the height of the debate Azrael staked his own prestige and entire authority on the Primaris Marine Apharan of the Deathwing, stating he was confident Apharan would pass a series of trials. Azrael personally oversaw Alpharan's trials, and in the aftermath there could be no doubt of the Primaris' worthiness to join the ranks of the Inner Circle.
Azrael - Crossing the Rubicon Primaris: The supreme grand master himself would later undergo the brutally painful procedure and cross the Rubicon Primaris to transform himself into a Primaris Space Marine.Though Azrael is still healing from the wounds incurred by this transformation, he is now leading the Dark Angels against the forces of Abaddon the Despoiler and the Daemon of Chaos Undivided Vashtorr in their plot to destroy the Imperium, which has caught the Chapter in its jaws.
Azrael - The Precipice of Duty: The secret crusade of the Dark Angels and their successors to hunt down the Fallen has had its consequences. More than ever, the Dark Angels must operate in the twilight between duty to the Imperium and their self-imposed quest to rid the Chapter of shame.Despite the travails and turmoil this has brought to his battle-brothers, Azrael faces the task undaunted. He knows that a greater honour waits to be seized if the Dark Angels can expunge the Fallen from existence, and he holds this higher truth to be more important than anything else the Chapter might accomplish, for the Dark Angels free of shame will become an even more potent weapon for the Emperor. Only through force of will and strong leadership can Azrael steer the hard path to final absolution.On the one hand, if ever the Dark Angels totally forget their oaths of allegiance and their pledges of duty, their quest will be in vain. On the other hand, to relent now, when the Emperor's enemies have never numbered so many nor the threats to the Imperium been so grave, is to court a disaster that would see the Dark Angels destroyed.The burden of the awful truth sits upon the shoulders of all the Inner Circle, but none bear it so heavily nor with such dignity as Azrael. He alone sees the light that will bring redemption and leads a course towards it.Only the supreme grand master -- only Azrael -- does not hesitate at the precipice of damnation, but strides boldly along its edge, confident that his honour is sound and his goal noble.If the hunt for the Fallen can ever be successful, if the Dark Angels can ever overcome a shame ten thousand years old, Azrael will see it done.
Azrael - Wargear: Lion Helm - The Lion Helm is an ancient artefact, taking the form of an angelic-winged helmet said to have been worn by the Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson himself during the bygone days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy over ten thousand standard years ago. It is now the primary badge of office of the current supreme grand master of the Dark Angels. As with all heirlooms connected to the mighty Primarch of the Dark Angels, it is attended by the Watchers in the Dark. The helm generates a powerful force field that has protected the supreme grand master since the days when the Dark Angels were still a Space Marine Legion. To don that winged helmet is to take up the mantle of the Lion and lead the Dark Angels to victory, or die in the attempt.Sword of Secrets - A master-crafted Power Sword of formidable potency created soon after the disappearance of Lion El'Jonson. It is the mightiest of the so-called Heavenfall Blades, the swords cut from a block of jet-black obsidian that struck The Rock whilst in orbit around the Feral World of Al Baradad. The blade of the Sword of Secrets is so incredibly well-crafted that it has not chipped nor lost its razor-sharp edge over its many millennia of bloody use. Only the supreme grand master knows that it is also the only device that allows access to the deepest known dungeon in The Rock. Fitting the blade into a cleft in the wall unlocks the iron gate leading to a dark tunnel and the rune-protected cell in which the Arch-Heretic Luther is imprisoned.The Protector - The Protector is a finely crafted suit of Artificer Armour that has been faithfully maintained by the Chapter's master craftsmen over the long millennia, and is said to provide even more protection and durability than the usual protection of standard Power Armour. The Protector is inlaid with the sombre symbols of the Dark Angels. Its exact age is unknown, but the Protector has been considered a Chapter Relic since the early years of the 37th Millennium, when it is recorded in Chapter records that it saved Brother Methias, Master of the 5th Company, from a close-range Battle Cannon shot during the storming of the Traitor stronghold on the moons of Secclucious VII. Since those days, this suit of armour regularly turns up in the Master of the Armoury's log, where it is praised for its exceptional ability to shrug off the most lethal of blows.Lion's Wrath - Lion's Wrath is a master-crafted Combi-weapon, combining a bolter with a Plasma Gun. Supreme Grand Master Azrael is the relic weapon's current bearer. This legendary weapon was made by Technomagos Prestor the Unchallenged in the days following the Fall of Caliban in the early 31st Millennium. Upon his elevation, Azrael added his name to the list of Dark Angels heroes that have borne it into battle down through the ages.Frag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Azrael - Canon Conflict: In the 6th Edition Codex: Dark Angels, pg. 18, it says Azrael became supreme grand master in 939.M41, after the Chapter's previous supreme grand master, Naberius, died.Yet in Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pp. 54-58, it refers to Azrael as the supreme grand master of the Dark Angels multiple times, but Azrael was present at the Siege of Vraks in 821.M41, which is 118 standard years before he was supposedly promoted to supreme grand master according to the 6th Edition codex.The conflict was resolved by the revelation in the audio book Trials of Azrael that there had been a previous supreme grand master of the Dark Angels named Azrael who had commanded the Chapter during the Siege of Vraks. This was revealed to the current supreme grand master by Khârn the Betrayer during the Pandorax Campaign when Azrael was trapped on the lower decks of the Imperial battleship Revenge by an assault by the forces of Chaos and found himself hunted by the Khornate Chaos Lord.
Azrael - Sources: Codex: Dark Angels (3rd Edition), pg. 18Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pg. 46Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 52-53Codex: Dark Angels (8th Edition), pp. 23, 26, 76Codex: Angels of Death (2nd Edition), pp. 13, 41, 62, 78-79Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pp. 54–58Warhammer 40,000: Index Astartes - Azrael (Digital Edition), pp. 3-4, 6-10, 12-17, 24-32Index Astartes I, "The Unforgiven: The Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter", pg. 21Index Astartes III, "The Eye of the Storm: Space Marine Chapters fighting in the Eye of Terror", pg. 67Unforgiven (Novel) by Gav ThorpeAzrael Revealed – Unwrapping A Chapter Master Cloaked in SecretsTrials of Azrael (Audio Book) by C.Z. Dunn
Baal - Baal: BaalBlood AngelsChapterAdeptus AstartesSegmentum UltimaDesert WorldmutantsHowever its two moons, Baal Prime and Baal Secundus, support notable Human settlements and were once "paradises for mortal men" though now they are classified as savage Feral Worlds by the Imperium.Little is known about the past circumstances of these two moons, but at some time in the distant past, probably during the Age of Technology or the Age of Strife, a cataclysmic conflict arose and led to the widespread use of both viral and nuclear weapons of mass destruction, destroying the ecosystems of both satellites and contaminating their biospheres with intense radioactive fallout, chemical pollution and deadly biological agents.The mighty fortress-monastery of the Blood Angels, the Arx Angelicum, was built on the desert surface of the world of Baal proper, and since the time of Sanguinius, the Blood Angels have continued to recruit from among the tribes of the people known as "the Blood" on Baal Secundus and the tribes of Baal Prime, where a Human colony was reestablished shortly after the time of the Horus Heresy.
Baal - Baal Prime: First and smallest of the moons of Baal, a Human colony was established on Baal Prime, also sometimes called Baal Primus, after the Horus Heresy and it is also in the 41st Millennium inhabited by several tribes of feral Humans worthy and genetically pure enough for the Blood Angels to recruit from them.It is unknown if any of these people survived the Devastation of Baal, though the moon was believed to have been rendered utterly sterile following the assault of the Tyranids.It was on Baal Prime that the Bloodthirster Ka'Bandha left his blasphemous eight-pillared sigil composed of Tyranid skulls, though this was quickly destroyed by an orbital bombardment from the Blood Angels fleet following the end of the battle.
Baal - Baal Secundus: Baal Secundus, known as "Baalfora" in the local dialect of the people of the Blood, was once a paradise world in ancient times, and its surface is still marked by the scattered ruins of that long-lost, technologically advanced Human civilisation.Its environment badly scarred by the apocalyptic wars that consumed Baal Secundus, the moon's ecosystems are now heavily polluted, marked particularly by zones of intense, ionizing radiation and nuclear fallout. Travel in these regions of the moon without access to some form of protection such as radiation suits, is lethal to Human life.But some lifeforms have adapted to the harsh, radioactive desert environment, and now present a source of constant threat to the feral Human tribes. Even worse are the cannibalistic mutant tribes, descended from those Humans whose genomes were corrupted by exposure to the moon's radiation and remaining biological weapons.These mutants long outnumbered the pure strain people of the Blood until Sanguinius made war upon them and dramatically reduced their numbers, practically to extinction. It is unknown how much of a threat, if at all, they remain to the people of the Blood in the 41st Millennium.Baal Secundus' primary settlement is still Angel's Fall, where Sanguinius' gestation capsule was first discovered over 10,000 Terran years ago and the only point on the moon's surface where the Blood Angels still interact regularly with its people.To ascertain who is worthy to join the ranks of the Blood Angels, the adolescents of the feral tribes of Baal Secundus who would be Blood Angels aspirants take part in violent games and tournaments, battling against the harsh landscape and their peers.Baal Secundus has a large population (compared to the other worlds in the system) of feral scavenger tribes who have to compete with vicious predators such as the infamous fire scorpions. Needless to say, men from these tribes make for formidable Space Marine aspirants. It is unknown how many of these people survived the Devastation of Baal.
Baal - Flora and Fauna: Baal Secundus is marked by a number of deadly animals and plants who have adapted to the moon's harsh climate and unique environmental hazards.Among the most dangerous of these are the Baalite fire scorpions, huge creatures twice the height of a man, which carried virulent, acidic toxins that could burn through flesh in a solar second. Among the other dangerous fauna mentioned by name were blood eagles, a trap-clams and catch spiders.A carnivorous plant-like organism, called "thurstwater" by the people of the Blood, has adapted to latch onto its prey and drain its cells of every drop of water, dehydrating it to death faster than it can escape.
Baal - Notable Locations: Baal Secundus, despite being little more than an irradiated Desert World, had a surprisingly varied geography.Angel's Fall - As already mentioned, Angel's Fall, sited near the cliff where Sanguinius' gestation capsule had first been discovered by the people of the Blood, still served as the moon's primary settlement and the place where all trials to join the Blood Angels were carried out. A great statue of Sanguinius now oversees these proceedings.Angel's LeapKemrenderMount Seraph - A natural amphitheatre had been carved into the mountain known as Mount Seraph to serve as a meeting place for the tribes.The Necklase - The Necklase is a great rift that stretches all around the surface of the moon that was created by the fall of a massive military orbital void station during the days of the ancient civil war between Baal Prime and Baal Secundus that destroyed the advanced Baalite civilisation of both moons.Fellholme - Fellholme is a place that has been carved out from the ruins of the Necklase where a true history of the ancient conflict between Baal Prime and Baal Secundus can still be found.Sell Town- Sell Town is a local trading settlement used by the Baalite tribes to carry out rudimentary trade and commerce, much of it in artefacts scavenged from the Baalite ruins.The Great Salt Waste - The Great Salt Waste is the harshest stretch of desert on Baal Secundus and is the remains of what was once likely an ancient sea.
Baal - Inhabitants: The indigenous peoples of Baal Prime and Baal Secundus suffered greatly from the aftermath of the ancient conflict that scored both moons and they gradually became degenerate, mutated and sickly, the survivors banding together into semi-nomadic tribes. These tribespeople appear to have maintained some advanced technology as mention is made of rad-counters, rad-suits (self-evidently advanced technological equipment to protect from the effects of radiation), vehicular transport and advanced weaponry.Many of the tribes turned to cannibalism and became even further corrupted by the radiation, biological agents and other toxins endemic to their environment, but at least one tribe maintained a noble and enlightened outlook; known as the "Ones of Pure Blood," often contracted simply to "the Blood." A colony of these people was later established on Baal Prime after the Horus Heresy to extend their reach and increase the Blood Angels' recruitment pool. They lived a nomadic, tribal existence similar to that of their counterparts on Baal Secundus.
Baal Predator - Baal Predator: The Baal Pattern Predator, better known simply as the Baal Predator, is a specialised variant of the standard Space Marine Predator Destructor main battle tank. The Baal Predator is used only by the Blood Angels Chapter and their Successor Chapters and is named after the Blood Angels Chapter homeworld of Baal.This variant of the standard Predator replaces the vehicle's Autocannon with twin-linked Assault Cannons. The Baal Predator is also faster and more maneuverable than the standard Predator variant. The Baal Predator's Standard Template Construct (STC) design was not approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and thus its use by Space Marine Chapters that are not the Blood Angels or their Successor Chapters is limited.The vast majority of these vehicles in service with the Adeptus Astartes are not true Baal Predators but standard Predators equipped with twin-linked Assault Cannons, and lacking all other features of the Baal Pattern.
Baal Predator - History: The Standard Template Construct (STC) designs for the Baal Pattern Predator were discovered by the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion at the start of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. The designs were found on the planet of Atium III amidst the ruins of the Arch-Heretek Lord de Ladt's fortress.After the Astartes of the IX Legion stormed into the fortress and defeated the Heretek's forces, they found the Baal Predator's STC designs within his inner sanctum. The Blood Angels never handed the designs over to the Adeptus Mechanicus as Imperial law required and instead returned with them to their homeworld of Baal, where the originals remain to this day.The designs are stored alongside the Chapter's relics, and are protected from enemies and Imperial allies alike. This act has caused great friction between the Blood Angels and the Adeptus Mechanicus, which claims that this variant and its STC template were never officially sanctified in the eyes of the Machine God.The Blood Angels only allow the knowledge of the Baal Predator's design to be used by their Successor Chapters, who also protect this knowledge from falling into the hands of others.
Baal Predator - Armament: The Baal Predator is the variant Predator pattern that differs the most from the standard pattern. The Baal Predator can be equipped with either twin-linked Assault Cannons or a Flamestorm Cannon, which is a massive, vehicle-sized Flamer weapon. Unlike other Predator variants, the Baal Predator is able to equip Heavy Flamers and Multi-Meltas on the vehicle's sponson-mounts. The Baal Pattern is also faster and more maneuverable than any other Rhino chassis-based vehicle in use by the Adeptus Astartes.The Blood Angels have also reverse-engineered these features into their other vehicles. Due to the designs for the Baal Predator being kept secret, there may be other differences between this pattern and standard pattern Predators.The Baal Predator, like all other Predator patterns, can also be outfitted with a Dozer Blade, Extra Armour Plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a Pintle-mounted Storm Bolter, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.
Baal Predator - Known Users of the Baal Pattern Predator: Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter - The Baal Predator is used almost exclusively by the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter and their Successor Chapters and any that are in use by other Chapters outside the lineage of Sanguinius are more than likely just standard Predators equipped with Twin-linked Assault Cannons.Blood Angels Successor Chapters, including the:Angels EncarmineAngels SanguineAngels VermillionBlood DrinkersBlood LegionBlood SwordsExsanguinatorsFlesh EatersFlesh TearersKnights SanguineLamentersRed WingsSons of BaalTemplars of Blood
Baal Predator - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Baal Pattern PredatorVehicle Name:Baal PredatorMain Armament:Turret-mounted Twin-linked Assault CannonsForge World of Origin:BaalSecondary Armament:Sponson-mounted Heavy FlamersKnown Patterns:I - VITraverse:360 degreesCrew:1 Driver, 1 GunnerElevation:-15 to 28 degreesPowerplant:Quad Mark II Adaptable Thermic Combustor ReactorMain Ammunition:1,200 RoundsWeight:44 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:20 ShotsLength:6.6 metresArmour:Width:6.0 metres with sponsonsHeight:4.4 metresSuperstructure:65 millimetresGround Clearance:0.44 metresHull:55 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:68 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:65 millimetresMax Speed Off-Road:50 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:0120-766-0724-PH 120Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:65 millimetres
Baal Predator - Also See: Blood AngelsImperial Vehicles
Baal Predator - Sources: Codex: Blood Angels (3rd Edition), pg. 13Codex: Blood Angels (4th Edition), pg. 11Codex Blood Angels (5th Edition), pg. 36Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 112, 166Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pp. 45-48Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pg. 113
Bad Moons - Bad Moons: The Bad Moons are a powerful and very wealthy Ork "klan." The Bad Moons are the richest of all the Ork klanz. This is because their teeth grow faster than anyone else's, meaning that even the lowliest Bad Moon Ork has a steady supply of the standard form of Ork wealth.This is not regarded as an unfair advantage, as any Ork who is big and ferocious enough can simply smash the teeth out of a Bad Moons' head.In fact, many Ork Warbosses like to keep a mob of Bad Moons around for just this purpose, their toothy gobs a ready supply of extra teef. It is often not a terrible deal for the Bad Moons either, as any Ork tough enough to beat their teeth out of them is usually one worth following into a fight. The Bad Moons essentially fulfill the role of a merchant caste in what passes for Ork society, and have a reputation for showing off.They are always continuously buying, selling, swapping, and conning to get teeth. The highest-ranking amongst them wear garishly decorated war banners on their backs and the richest openly flaunt their wealth by wearing necklaces of Ork teeth. These Orks prefer a posh and refined lifestyle, at least by Ork standards.Instead of rushing in to melee combat immediately like many of their brethren, they sometimes hang well back, firing their deadly Snazzguns into the fray while their mobs of Gretchin slaves wade into the enemy ranks to do the dirty work, with tooth and claw and Choppa.
Bad Moons - Notable Campaigns: A New Weapon (979.M41) - Nazdreg, a Bad Moons Warlord noted for his wealth and flair, bullies his Meks into performing ever more progressive and bizarre experiments. Despite some nasty "setbacks" ranging from spontaneous combustion to sporadic gravity reversal, Nazdreg's Meks perfect their Tellyporta designs. The Warlord barters his new technology with Ghazghkull in exchange for an alliance.A Hundred, Hundred Teef (987.M41) - WAAAGH! Ozdakka rampages through the Helshrike Systems, millions of Orks led by the legendary Bad Moon Boss of Bosses Ozdakka. Such is the utter destruction wrought by the WAAAGH!, entire worlds being smashed to scrap and dragged off into the stars by the unstoppable Orks, that the Adeptus Terra dispatches a Vindicare Assassin to take out Ozdakka and his most powerful Nobz. Brutally effective, the nameless assassin stalks the battlefields of Helshrike, sniping Orks from the shadows and taking a terrible toll on Ozdakka's bosses. In a fit of rage, the Warboss offers a hundred, hundred teef –- more than most Orks can comprehend -- for the head of the unseen killer. As word spreads of the bounty, even more Orks flock to Ozdakka's banner and his WAAAGH! swells until it is even larger than ever. However, the Warboss does not live to enjoy the destruction he has wrought upon the Helshrike Sector, as the assassin's final shot takes Ozdakka's head from his shoulders before the Imperial agent is overwhelmed by a mob of Bad Moons intent on claiming the immense prize.
Bad Moons - Split-Grin Bad Moons: All Bad Moons Orks have a well-deserved reputation for being as proud of their loot as of their prowess in battle. The Split-Grin tribe are among the worst of their kind, and have amassed piles of teef in recent years.Following the trail of destruction sown by Grukk and the Red WAAAGH!, Gashrakk da Flash and his Split-Grins rivalled Grukk's own tribe in size and status. For Terran years the Split-Grin Bad Moons scraped out an existence on Eyrok skirmishing with their rivals, the Goffs of the Skullcracker tribe. Their Warboss, Skagfing, was content to lead his Boyz in the brawl with the Goffs and make some teef in the process, trading with Freebooterz for shiny stuff.The big guns of the klan kept the Skullcrackers in check, and Skagfing liked to make jokes about poor old Krugg the "Tyrant" who couldn't afford a good Shoota. The Split-Grin tribe might not have been huge, but they had the best loot, and the biggest guns to keep other Orks from getting their hands on it.This all changed when Grukk met Mogrok and decided to take control of all Eyrok's Orks. Skagfing had only recently heard about his rival's death when Grukk and his lads smashed their way into the Bad Moons camp, the Goff Warlord sacrificing loads of Boyz as he charged to in pin Skagfing down, stand on his chest, and messily rip his face from his skull.In a single bloody blow, the Split-Grins were absorbed into the Skullcrackers and Grukk took control of the tribe. In Skagfing's place a bunch of Nobz tried to bully their way to the top, but none of them could match the raw aggression and prodigious size of Grukk.Fragmented and leaderless, the Split-Grin tribe became inferior to the Skullcrackers. Grukk used the tribe for its massive guns and kustom weapons, draining their stockpiles to build up his warband. The Split-Grin tribe also gave Grukk access to the Sanctus Reach Sub-sector's Freebooterz, giving the Ork Warboss a way off Eyrok and out into the void.Of course, Freebooterz' tastes are just as extravagant as Bad Moons, and so as soon as Grukk's warband took to the stars, the fortunes of the Split-Grins changed again. Drawn to Grukk Face-rippa's Red WAAAGH! by riches untold, Gashrakk took over as Warboss of the Split-Grin tribe.
Bad Moons - Bad Moons Tactics: Bad Moons are more likely to engage their foes at range than most other Orks, punctuating their raucous cackling with the fire of their long-ranged weapons.Bad Moons prefer to kill with their extravagant and deafening guns. Therefore, Bad Moons often have many Flash Gitz, who set up across the battlefield before the fighting starts in earnest and lay waste to anyone who comes into their fire lanes.Bad Moons are usually capable melee combatants, but prefer to fight at range. As such, if they find themselves too close to use their guns effectively, Bad Moons sometimes reposition themselves to other convenient positions where they can continue firing their guns unimpeded.
Bad Moons - Klan Beliefs: The Bad Moons are notoriously avaricious and greedy and care about nothing except the acquisition of wealth.They will even go so far to attain wealth by engaging in highly secret deals with other alien races to gain access to technology and wargear unavailable to other Orks.They also love to spend their teeth on food, which means many Bad Moons are a bit stout around the belt.
Bad Moons - Klan Colours: The Bad Moons favour flashy and gaudy colours in their liveries, usually golden yellow and black for their wargear, taking a snarling moon on a field of black flames as their klan emblem.Their armour and wargear is painted with gaudy patterns in the klan colours, with a heavy emphasis on yellow, gold, and red, and they have more jewellery and piercings than the greenskins of any other Ork klan.If something looks valuable, a Bad Moon will find a way to wear it, stick it through his body or bolt it onto the side of his vehicle, preferably somewhere that every other Ork can clearly see it.However, it is only a fool who underestimates the raw strength of the Ork underneath the ostentation. A Bad Moons Warboss is just as happy to use a shiny boss-pole to smash skulls in as he is to use it to boast of his wealth.
Bad Moons - Klan Icon: The Bad Moons klan sigil is a snarling yellow crescent moon over a black sunburst on a yellow banner. Their banners are often chased with black and white check, embroidered with threads of gold, and encrusted with glittery, shiny bitz.
Bad Moons - Sources: Codex: Orks (2nd Edition), pg. 23Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pg. 14Codex: Orks (7th Edition), pp. 29, 39-40, 56, 62, 68, 72-76, 83, 85Only War: Enemies of the Imperium (RPG), pp. 60-61Red Waaagh! Campaign Supplement (7th Edition), pp. 57, 63-64, 66, 80-87White Dwarf 349 (UK), Preview & "Da Boyz Are Back In Town" & "Clan Loyalties," by Phil Kelly, pp. 3, 18, 32White Dwarf 290 (UK), "Chapter Approved: Ork Clanz"Warhammer 4000: Freeblade (Video Game)
Badab Primaris - Departmento Cartographicae Planetary Database: The estimated population of Badab Primaris in 913.M41 was 5.17 billion human Imperial citizens; the planet is currently uninhabitable by unprotected organic life.Tithe Grade: None (Formerly Exactis Extremis).Climate/Geography/Biosphere: Arid/Desolate; much of the surface of Badab Primaris is currently covered in millions of tonnes of radioactive fallout and debris, processed slag debris and ruined hive cities and industrial plants; the toxicity is now extreme, and the lethal average exposure time for a baseline human physiology is 1-3 solar weeks.Governmental Type: None. Formerly an Imperial Commander with the title of "Dominar" as hereditary ruler drawn from the leading industrial clan families until the failed coup in 781.M41, when the Astral Claws brutally suppressed the uprisings, executing much of the planet's ruling class as well as purging those they perceived as morally recidivist. Lufgt Huron then took on the dual role of Chapter Master and Planetary Governor.Planetary Governor: None. Formerly Lufgt Huron, Tyrant of Badab and Chapter Master of the Astral Claws.Adepta Presence: None. Formerly a moderate presence of all Imperial Adepta.Military: None. Formerly the Astral Claws Chapter and its human Auxilia known as the Tyrant's Legion who were equivalent to a second-tier Astra Militarum army; additional Household Troops of various industrial ruling clans equivalent in quality to irregular planetary militia. Before the final assault of the Loyalists upon the world in 912.M41, Badab Primaris was protected by the High Guard orbital station, a modified Inviolate-class Star Fortress that once served as the Astral Claws' Chapter fortress-monastery before they assumed rule over Badab Primaris after 781.M41. The Star Fortress was destroyed by the Loyalists' attack.
Badab Sector - Badab Sector: The Badab Sector is a region of space located within the Maelstrom Zone, along the Eastern Fringe of the Segmentum Ultima. This sector of space was the site of one of the most insidious and dangerous internecine conflicts to wrack the Imperium of Man in recent history, known as the Badab War (ca. 901-913.M41).With the difficulty of travelling through the region, this area of space became a haven to xenos, pirates, Heretics and Renegades. Within the Maelstrom is a region of lawless wilderness containing an estimated 20+ Ork empires, numerous Hrud infestations, and countless Human pirate strongholds.It is also now home to the infamous Huron Blackheart and his piratical Renegade Space Marine warband known as the Red Corsairs as well as a large contingent of Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines and their Chaos Cultists allies who fled there in the 31st Millennium in the wake of the Battle of Calth during the Horus Heresy.This region of space was first explored during the Great Crusade by the Emperor of Mankind and His vast military forces. But it was not until the 38th and 39th Millennia that the Imperium slowly established several important Imperial outposts within the Maelstrom Zone.These outposts rose to prominence as flickering beacons of influence and strength within the region. The three vital star systems that formed the links in a distant chain that allowed the resources of the Maelstrom Zone to flow into the coffers of the more established sectors beyond were the star systems of Cygnax, Sagan and Badab.
Badab Sector - Notable Systems and Worlds: Archaea SystemArchaea IV - Agri-WorldJahga - Ice World - Current Space Marine Chapter Homeworld of the Star PhantomsBadab SystemBadab I (Pyrantius) - Molten WorldBadab II (Badab Primaris) - Dead World/Former Hive World - Home to the Fortress-Monastery of the Renegade Astral Claws (Destroyed ca. 913.M41)Badab III: Rigeal -Dead World - High Anchorage/Imperial Navy BaseBadab IV: Badab Secundus - Dead World that served as a Tithe StoreBadab V (Laimius) - Gas GiantBadab VI (Sigma) - Fortress Station/Astropathic RelayDecaballus SystemDecaballus V - Frontier WorldEschunna SystenEschunna XII - Proto-Hive WorldHattusa SystemHattusa II - Waste WorldIsin SystemIsin IV - Civilised WorldPireaus SystemPiraeus II - Settled moonPiraeus V - Industrial Hive WorldPiraeus VII - Settled moon
Badab System - Badab System: The Badab System is an Imperial star system of the Badab Sector that lies within the Maelstrom Zone of the Segmentum Ultima. With the difficulty of traveling through the region, this area of space has become a haven to pirates, Heretics and Renegades. The Maelstrom Zone is a region of lawless wilderness containing an estimated 20+ Ork empires, numerous Hrud infestations, and countless human pirate strongholds.The Badab System was the heart of the demesne created within the Maelstrom Zone by Lufgt Huron, the Renegade Chapter Master of the Astral Claws Space Marines who bore the infamous title of the Tyrant of Badab. The Badab System served as the heart of Huron's rebellion against the Imperium during the terrible conflict known as the Badab War.Its primary world, Badab Primaris, was finally conquered by the forces of the Loyalist Space Marines in 912.M41 at the cost of all life on that once-thriving Hive World. The fall of Badab Primaris finally brought the terrible internecine conflict to its close.
Badab War - Badab War: The Badab War, fought between 901.M41 and 913.M41 primarily in the Badab Sector and Endymion Cluster of the Segmentum Ultima, was one of the most insidious and dangerous internecine conflicts to wrack the Imperium of Man in recent history, made all the more lamentable because the unthinkable had occurred.As a result of a conflicting nexus of honour, treachery, politics and greed, several Space Marine Chapters turned Renegade against the Imperium and bloodshed and outright civil war ensued -- a war which turned entire armies of the Imperium's most powerful warriors against each other and in doing so swept millions to their deaths in its turbulence.Such was all the result of the treachery and hubris of the former Chapter Master Lufgt Huron of the Astral Claws Chapter, the self-styled and infamous "Tyrant of Badab." The carnage wrought amongst the stars of the Maelstrom Zone during this conflict was such that it rocked the faith and order of untold Imperial worlds never touched directly by its violence, and caused loyal subjects to look upon their Adeptus Astartes protectors with fear. Such were the dire sins and hidden truths that lay behind the war, that a pall of secrecy and lies descended about the conflict even as it was fought.The rebellion was eventually put down by the forces of the Inquisition and those Astartes Chapters who remained steadfast in their duty to the Emperor of Mankind, but its instigators, the Astral Claws, wholly given over to Chaos in the course of the conflict, turned Renegade and its survivors become the infamous piratical band of Chaos Space Marines known as the Red Corsairs.The Red Corsairs are led by the treacherous Chaos Lord named Huron Blackheart, a vicious Champion of Chaos Undivided who is now nearly unrecognisable as the once-noble Lufgt Huron.Blackheart and the Red Corsairs currently dominate a large Chaos empire within the Warp rift known as the Maelstrom in the Eastern Fringes of the galaxy. There Blackheart plots his vengeance upon the Imperium and prepares to build a new empire dedicated to the Ruinous Powers that will bring the demesne of the Traitor Legions within the Eye of Terror to shame.
Badab War - Rise of a Tyrant (718.M41): In 718.M1, a failed coup attempt on the Hive World of Badab Primaris led to an abortive civil war, and the Astral Claws stepped in and brutally crushed the conflict. In the aftermath, the elements behind the coup were brought forth to Lufgt Huron for judgement. Mindful of the lesson of Cygnax, the Chapter Master personally took matters into his own hands, swiftly reimposing order once more. This time he employed the Astral Claws much more brutally as they executed much of the planet's ruling class as well as purging those they perceived as morally recidivist.Taking upon himself the mantle of planetary ruler, Lufgt Huron stylised himself the "Tyrant of Badab," claiming the inhabited worlds in proximity to the hospitable region of the void around the Badab System as his Chapter's fiefdom. In his subsequent pronouncement, he echoed the example and precedents of the sovereign realm of Ultramar and the Maelstrom Warders' charter.The nearby system was soon purged wholesale of the ruling elites and in the solar decades afterward, a number of Astral Claws "watch bastions" were established. The Tyrant's chosen servants and political allies were placed in positions of power, turning the Badab Sector into a pocket empire, commanded by the Astral Claws.To further cement his power, in a massive reorganisation of the uneven and often isolationist native Planetary Defence Forces in the region into what would become known as the "Tyrant's Legion." Following a unified command structure these forces now followed a standard dictated by Huron. The Astral Claws assigned detachments to further train the Tyrant's Legion in order to purge them of weak elements.Soon the Tyrant's Legion proved their worth as they repulsed numerous corsair raids, freeing the Astral Claws from their defensive stance. The Chapter was able to conduct a series of lightning raids into outlying areas to harass and destroy Heretic and xenos-controlled areas. With the increase of Huron's tally of victories, and the curtailing of corsair activity and the increase of production never before reached, the fame of the Astral Claws "Tyrant" grew beyond the Maelstrom Zone.Spurred by this success, Huron had his servants delivered a formal and lengthy petition to Terra, making a detailed case for completely subduing the Maelstrom and the surrounding area, which would greatly benefit the Imperium in the long term.In order to achieve this, Huron advocated the deployment of several more Space Marine Chapters to the Maelstrom Warders' ranks, suggesting that a new Founding might even be warranted to meet the needs of his plan. Unfortunately, Huron's petition was dismissed without full hearing on the grounds that the military requirements of the Imperium were better met elsewhere.
Badab War - Astral Claws Falter: During the mid-700s.M41, the Astral Claws submission of required gene-seed tithes to the Magos Inviglia of the Adeptus Mechanicus became infrequent and incomplete. Although initially a cause for concern, such matters were not uncommon, particularly those Space Marine Chapters deployed to border areas or on crusade, simply because the Chapter itself might have a temporary need to retain the gene-seed itself to sustain battlefield losses.But as the omission persisted, this signaled to the Mechanicus that there was some darker motive at work. This would later prove to be true with the Astral Claws, as evidence indicated that this first great sin against the established traditions of the Adeptus Astartes would arguably result in the Chapter's fall into heresy.Repeatedly denied the reinforcements he had requested to aid him and the Maelstrom Warders in carrying out their tasks, in his arrogance and pride, the Tyrant of Badab sought to expand his forces into a force equal to a Space Marine Legion of old. Further covert investigation would later uncover that the Astral Claws' Apothecarion was conducting heretical experiments in rapid gene-seed zygote cultivation. Though largely unsuccessful, the Astral Claws eventually stood at around an estimated 3,500 battle-brothers strong, a direct violation of the proscriptions laid out in the Codex Astartes.In 729.M41, Lufgt Huron's servants delivered a formal document of petition to the High Lords of Terra making a detailed case for complete purging and subduing the Maelstrom and the surrounding area. In order to achieve this, the document set out the case for a massively augmented deployment of Space Marines to the Maelstrom Warders. Huron's petition was, once again, dismissed without a full hearing on the grounds that the Imperium's needs were better met elsewhere.