John Grammaticus - Traoris: Disguised as the frontier archaeologist Caeren Sebaton, Grammaticus had been tasked to come to Traoris to obtain a relic from the ancient ruins of a fortress built by Chaos Cultists millennia ago. Within the fortress was buried a spear, though not truly a spear as such. It was in fact a piece of fulgurite, a fork of lightning crystallised in rock.The sublime artefact had been formed from the infinite power of the Emperor when He annihilated the servants of the Ruinous Powers in millennia past. The Dark Apostle Vaddrek Elias hoped to obtain the relic in order to utilise the divine power within to ascend to daemonhood.Realising that he was out of time, Grammaticus knew he had been tracked by the Word Bearers and attempted to flee. He was only saved through the intervention of First Captain Artellus Numeon, the commander of the Salamanders Legion's Pyre Guard and his rag-tag group of Loyalist survivors of the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V.Informing the Salamander Captain of his true identity and nature, Grammaticus also informed Numeon that the mysterious relic was somehow tied to the Salamanders' missing Primarch Vulkan, but as to how, he could not say. Though initially distrustful of the mortal, Numeon relented, and attempted to help Grammaticus escape off-world.The remaining Loyalists were being hunted by the relentless Word Bearers Huntsman, Barthusa Narek, a servant of the Dark Apostle Elias, as well as the Chaos Cultists of Traoris. Over the course of making their way towards Traoris' lone spaceport, many of the surviving Legionaries were killed.The Raven Guard had hidden their Thunderhawk gunship within the lightning fields located on the high peaks that surrounded the spaceport. While some of the surviving Loyalists futilely attacked the spaceport in order to draw the bulk of the encroaching Word Bearers away, Numeon, Grammaticus and Codicier Hriak made their way towards the hidden gunship.Unfortunately, Narek and two of his fellow Word Bearers followed them, having tracked the Raven Guard's psychic spoor. The Raven Guard willingly sacrificed himself as he confronted the encroaching Traitor Marines. As Numeon went to assist Grammitcus, the mortal utilised a laser Digital Weapon and fired it into one of Numeon's retinal lens, burning out his eye and searing his face beneath. The trauma of it put him on his knees.Half-blind, Numeon snatched for the human. Grammaticus took the fulgurite artefact from Numeon's scabbard, deftly avoiding the Salamander's grab. Before the human departed, he wanted to know only one thing, did Vulkan truly live? The mortal believed that he did. Suddenly, the Pyre Captain convulsed as he was shot by a Bolt Pistol from behind.Grammaticus froze in place as he was confronted by the Dark Apostle Elias himself, who stood on the lowered ramp of the gunship. Without warning, a tear in reality appeared before them, the form of the Word Bearers First Chaplain Erebus stepping forth through the Warp gate.Elias thought that his master had come to help him achieve his ascension. Handing over the fulgurite relic, Erebus lashed out instead with the lightning spear and slit his fellow Dark Apostle's throat. Elias sank to his knees, dying, unable to staunch the grievous wound from the god-weapon.Erebus had killed his former servant for attempting to betray him. Erebus then ordered Grammaticus to take the relic, making no attempt to stop him. Cautiously, the human took the proffered artefact and departed Traoris in the lone gunship.