vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Howling Banshees - Notable Howling Banshees Shrines: Crimson Scream ShrineEbon Witch Shrine - A notable Aspect Shrine whose Howling Banshees wear black Aspect Armour instead of the usual red and bone of their Aspect.Shrieking Blade Shrine - The Exarchs of this shrine favour the use of Mirrorswords in battle.
Howling Banshees - Howling Banshees Exarchs: An Asuryani Exarch is the leader of an Aspect Shrine. An Exarch has travelled so far down the Path of the Warrior that he or she can no longer leave it and so dedicates him or herself fully as a high priest of Khaine in service to the Aspect of the war god that he or she represents.Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of Aspect Armour which incorporates the souls of their past wearers, granting an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge stretching across the millennia but a raw pool of potent psychic energy that can be used in combat.Under the guidance of their female Exarch, a squad of Howling Banshees are acrobatic warriors, leaping and bounding into combat with deadly grace, while the psychosonic war shout delivered by an Exarch's Banshee Mask is even more devastating to the foe than the normal piercing cry of the Howling Banshees.Instead of a normal Aeldari Power Weapon, some Howling Banshees Exarchs will wield an Executioner or Triskele, while others will replace both Power Weapon and Shuriken Pistol for twin Mirrorswords, practicing an arcane and ancient form of Aeldari swordplay that allows the Exarch to maximise her inhuman close combat abilities with the blades and make her one of the deadliest melee warriors in the galaxy.
Howling Banshees - Phoenix Lord: The Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees is Jain Zar, "the Storm of Silence." In the time after the Fall of the Aeldari, she was the first warrior of her species chosen to serve at the side of the first Phoenix Lord, Asurmen, and the first to become an Exarch, those Asuryani who can never leave the Path of the Warrior for they can never take off the war mask of Khaine.Jain Zar travelled the Webway after her time with Asurmen, teaching her skills to the rest of the Asuryani, and leading others along the Warrior Path. Soon there were Aspect Shrines to the Howling Banshees on all the large craftworlds, and many Howling Banshees Exarchs to teach the warrior skills of Jain Zar to future generations.Of all the Phoenix Lords, Jain Zar is the most devoted to the shrines of her Warrior Aspect throughout the craftworlds. She travels the Webway from craftworld to craftworld, visiting the shrines and nurturing her spiritual descendants.An acrobat at heart like the Harlequin, Jain Zar (which translates into Low Gothic from the Aeldari Lexicon as "The Storm of Silence") is the fastest of all the Phoenix Lords save for Baharroth, the Phoenix Lord of the Swooping Hawks.Jain Zar still travels the labyrinthine corridors of the Webway, spreading her particular martial knowledge to all but the most remote of the Aeldari craftworlds. Although she is known to disappear for entire Terran centuries at a time, she always returns, and the shrines of the Howling Banshees maintain a constant vigil in preparation for her coming.
Howling Banshees - Sources: Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 9, 12, 86\Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 10Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 31, 63Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 32Path of the Warrior (Novel) by Gavin Thorpe, pg. 160Planetstrike (5th Edition), pg. 55Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 51Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (5th Edition), pg. 157Warhammer 40,000 Munitorum: Banshee Mask  (6th Edition) (Digital Edition)Warhammer Community - Psychic Awakening: The First Prophecy
Howling Griffons - Howling Griffons: The Howling Griffons is a Loyalist Space Marines Chapter founded in the 33rd Millennium from the gene-seed of the Ultramarines. This Chapter fought in the Badab War and saw extensive action in the 13th Black Crusade, fighting against Chaos Plague Marines in the defence of the world of Amistel Majoris.The Howling Griffons take a special pride in their oaths, seeing each as the promise of an unending effort until the deed sworn in the oath is accomplished or the oathtaker has been slain in the trying. Before battle, additional oaths are often added to the Howling Griffons' already long lists of promises, some sworn for the Chapter as a whole and others that are far more personal for each Astartes.Once an oath is taken, a Howling Griffons Astartes goes to extreme lengths to complete it and it is never forgotten, even if solar decades have passed. Completed or satisfied oaths are taken as a badge of honour, often inscribed on parchments or directly into the power armour of the oathtaker.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Organisation: The Howling Griffons are organised along the strict guidelines provided by the Codex Astartes, though the Chapter sees this tome not so much as holy writ, but simply as the finest military treatise ever written. Their tactics are in keeping with those prescribed in the Codex and only waver in situations where Roboute Guilliman's doctrine encourages innovation.Because of the work's comprehensive and pragmatic teachings, this is seldom a problem. Even by adhering to the Codex in the strictest fashion possible, the Howling Griffons sacrifice little flexibility. They remain more than capable of responding effectively to any known opponent and of adapting quickly to the abilities of a novel one.The Howling Griffons are organised into Battle Companies with specific roles in keeping with the directives of the Codex Astartes. Cases of inconsistency with its tenets are generally only due to the high rate of turnover among the Chapter's membership. Because these Space Marines sustain a high rate of casualties and recruit so aggressively, they are not always capable of fielding enough battle-brothers to keep all ten companies filled.At times, the Chapter has transferred members between companies so that one can be despatched for an engagement while another undergoes resupply and retraining. Though members often view an assignment to resupply with disdain, most verbally accept its necessity, while simultaneously attempting to transfer to another company before it is deployed on a combat mission.The Howling Griffons Chapter is also notably well-provided for in both arms and wargear. The Chapter's extensive forges on its homeworld of Mancora work tirelessly to keep the Howling Griffons supplied and to make good on battlefield losses as they occur. The capacity of their armouries are such that they are not only able to keep pace with the Chapter's aggressive nature, but are also able to manufacture and maintain some of the rarer battle machines available to the Adeptus Astartes, such as the Land Raider Prometheus and the advanced Mark VIII Errant Pattern power armour in noteworthy numbers.Also of note is the Chapter's tradition of maintaining powerful psykers in its ranks, due in no small part to the recruits it adopts from its homeworld of Mancora, whose population possesses an unusually high frequency of the psyker mutation.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Recruitment: In addition to Mancora, the Howling Griffons recruit from several other worlds, including Dennar IV. This is a necessity for the Chapter, as without additional worlds, it would be impossible for it to rapidly recover the heavy losses it suffers by engaging in endless campaigning.It is important to note that in spite of this option, the Howling Griffons still continue to preferentially recruit from Mancora. Its volatile culture insures that candidates from that world are more capable of fulfilling the Chapter's needs. Some of the other recruiting options for the Chapter, such as Dennar IV, have cultures that are less focused on developing candidates who will prove to be worthy and capable Initiates.An additional reason for the Chapter's aggressive Mancoran recruitment efforts is that the planet has a history of producing a significantly higher number of psykers than would normally be expected. Many of the individuals with these talents are recruited into the Howling Griffons as Aspirants.However, the Chapter's Librarians also oversee the planet's population for undue signs of psychic ability. The Codiciers weed out any who might pose a risk of Warp contamination or daemonic possession.
Howling Griffons - Howling Griffons Librarians: The higher than average incidence of psykers born on Mancora has resulted in the Chapter's ability to maintain a strong Librarium down through the centuries, due in no small part to its own Codiciers taking an active role in culling and policing Mancora's population and weeding out those psykers who would be a danger to themselves and the population at large.This fact is reflected by the number and raw talents of the Howling Griffon's Librarians. Ultimately, these uniquely talented Space Marines exercise their gifts in a manner that is consistent with the teachings of the Codex. However, because the Chapter has an exceptionally high number of these psykers, their service plays a critical role in shaping the Chapter's engagements.These battle-brothers represent a critical strategic asset, so the Chapter's officers take care to utilise them in the most effective ways possible.Most Chapters train and test chosen psykers following the ancient ways laid out in the Codex Astartes. Librarians of the Howling Griffons are trained in this way, and, with a few minor traditional variances, have been taught to live by the word of the Codex.Howling Griffons Librarians have a number of unique psychic abilities only used by the psykers of their Chapter, which include:Blood Oath - Librarians of the Howling Griffons Chapter take their oaths as seriously as any of their brothers and can bind them psychically with blood to make them more potent and enduring. The Librarian calls upon his eldritch powers when taking an oath at the start of a mission, committing not just his word but his spirit to the binding and seeding it with a few drops of his own blood. Any other members of a Howling Griffons squad may choose to participate in the Oath-taking with the Librarian, which will psychically compel them to carry out its terms.Griffon's Howl - The Librarian calls to the Warp and draws forth a mighty cry like a diving bird of prey to cow his foes with fear and shatter their resolve. This cry is also a potent weapon against Warpspawn and can shake the ties which bind them to the material plane, sending them screaming back into the Empyrean from whence they came.Periclitor's Bane - The Howling Griffon's intense hatred of the Word Bearers and their Daemon Prince Periclitor has been translated by the Chapter's Librarians into a number of abilities targeted at the Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions. When the Librarian summons up this power, he is creating a psychic resonation that can cause agonising pain to the members of one of the Traitor Legions present on the field of battle, badly eroding their effectiveness in combat.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Homeworld: The Feudal World of Mancora serves as the homeworld of the Howling Griffons Chapter and has done so for all of their known history. The history of its days prior to the Chapter's arrival is uncertain, those records long lost to the vagaries of time. Located within the Ultima Segmentum, Imperial records clearly indicate that the Chapter has deliberately and artificially prevented the world from advancing beyond a pre-industrial technological base.Through an uncharacteristic degree of covert operations and manipulations, the Howling Griffons have also kept the world's feudal city-states on a near-constant war footing, which has led to a culture that has a poor record of its own origins. This enables the Howling Griffons to select from a pure gene-stock of hardened warriors who display the desired traits of ferociousness, stoicism and tenacity.From the earliest days of their pre-recruitment, the warrior elite of Mancora who will one day become battle-brothers of the Howling Griffons are brought up in a war-torn feudal world of pre-industry. In this crucible of battle, personal and familial honour, and martial duty, the citizens are forged into the perfect Initiates of the Chapter.It is in this life that they learn the value of glorious warfare and to respect and rely on their brothers-in-arms. While they may lack the technology even to comprehend the military might of the Adeptus Astartes, the people of Mancora are predisposed, by the culture of their birth, to hold dear the martial ideals held by the Howling Griffons.When the day finally comes that a new recruit is elevated into the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes, it is almost as a continuation of his previous life, albeit on a much greater scale. His heraldry is no longer that of his local noble house, it is instead the griffon rampant. His allies on the field are no longer the members of his local nobility, they are his battle-brothers. The land he fights to defend is no longer his city-state, it is the entire Imperium of Man.When he is first girt in his ochre and crimson livery, he sets aside the military training and traditions of his past life and takes as paramount the teachings of Guilliman as inscribed in the words of the Codex Astartes.
Howling Griffons - Fortress-Monastery: The Howling Griffons' fortress-monastery, known as the Proud Eyrie, oversees a substantial number of well-equipped manufactoria, which are kept isolated from the world's native inhabitants. These manufactoria are productive and capably equipped.Indeed, the Howling Griffons Chapter is capable of manufacturing some less common STC patterns. These include the pattern necessary for Mark VIII Errant Power Armour as well as the Land Raider Prometheus.Such a highly functional forge and unrestricted access to its output has played a crucial role in the Chapter's ability to remain deployed at all times. This vital asset permits the Chapter to continuously resupply its fleets and to have sufficient reserves that its Initiates can undergo thorough training prior to entering the field.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The Howling Griffons strive to remain within the tenets of the Codex Astartes, keeping to its Codex-approved disposition and division of companies wherever possible. This made it standard for the Chapter's battle-brothers to master each discipline in turn as the Codex dictates. Competition within the Chapter for excellence is intense and encouraged, but is never allowed to spill over into outright discord.The Chapter's drive to fulfil its member's oaths often influences -- but never dictates -- their tactical decisions. If a battle-brother makes his commanding officers aware of an oath and an opportunity arrives to fulfil it, attempts are made to accommodate his needs.However, such considerations are only permitted if the situation does not substantially increase the level of risk for a particular engagement. These Space Marines value their oaths and their honour, but they are generally not willing to accept unnecessary casualties to fulfil them. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, particularly as pertains to the Word Bearers and the Daemon Prince Periclitor.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Beliefs: The Howling Griffons is a proud and warlike Chapter, the glorious and storied roll of its history a testament to this reputation. Engaged in near-constant operations throughout the Imperium and beyond, the Howling Griffons are paragons of the martial spirit the Adeptus Astartes were created to embody. The Howling Griffons take special pride in their oaths, seeing each as an eternal conflict to be pursued until the sworn deed is complete.Before battle, additional oaths are added to each battle-brother's already exceedingly long lists, some for the accomplishment of Chapter goals and others that are far more personal. Once an oath is taken, a Howling Griffons battle-brother goes to extreme lengths to complete it even over the course of decades. Completed or satisfied oaths are a badge of honour, often inscribed on parchments or directly into the Howling Griffons' armour.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Gene-Seed: The Howling Griffons' gene-seed is consistent genetically with that of other Chapters from the lineage of Roboute Guilliman. It is free from any known contamination, reproduces stably, and produces the full range of Space Marine organ implants.Because they are extremely active within multiple war zones, the Howling Griffons are rigorous about harvesting and securing the Progenoid Glands from their battle-brothers in a timely fashion. Recoveries made in the field are secured upon the nearest Chapter vessel in short order, and then returned to Mancora for storage at the earliest possible opportunity.This sense of obligation is in large part due to the fact that the Chapter has a very high rate of turnover amongst its members. These Space Marines prefer to engage in the thickest portion of any battle and are almost always at war. Consequently, the Chapter does suffer a higher than usual casualty rate, which can only be compensated by a proportionately high rate of recruitment and initiation.Currently, records indicate that the Chapter is sufficiently well supplied with gene-seed to accommodate even its prodigious needs.
Howling Griffons - Primarch's Curse: Cursing the Word: Since the death of Chapter Master Orlando Furioso at the hands of the Daemon Prince Periclitor, the Howling Griffons have fostered and nurtured a deep and unrelenting hatred of the Word Bearers, and a vow to seek retribution against them and their lord Periclitor no matter the cost.It is a hatred which simmers in the heart of every Howling Griffon battle-brother but one which can spill over in times of madness and consume them and their every thought. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected battle-brother, it comes on in three stages:Stage 1 - The Price of Treachery: The battle-brother has become increasingly obsessed with the Word Bearers' treachery and relives their fateful ambush in his mind over and over again. While this spurs him on to seek out the hated Word Bearers, it also leads him to see treachery in other places, comparing the great crime perpetrated against his Chapter with other events as they unfold. The merest hint of treachery is enough to prompt a strong and violent response from the battle-brother, one which he may not be able to control. If the battle-brother comes into contact with a suspected Traitor (to the Imperium, the Deathwatch, or his Chapter) he must do every thing in his power to restrain himself from lashing out. If he manages to do so, he will still be very unpleasant to the known or suspected Traitor. But if he cannot, he will see it as his place to punish them, perhaps even with summary execution if their crime is great enough.Stage 2 - Trail of the Traitors: As the battle-brothers hatred of Traitors grows and his obsession with finding and exterminating the Word Bearers heightens, he will be loath to give up any mission or clue which could lead to them. On a mission, this could mean going out of his way to seek out known or suspected Traitors or even changing the mission objectives to include their capture or destruction. In other settings, it can mean an obsessive thirst for knowledge and seeking out dangerous or forbidden texts if it means gaining a clue to the location and crimes of a Traitor. In both instances, if the subverting of a mission or the seeking of knowledge would place the battle-brother or his squad in extreme danger, he must resist his urges, unless the action pertains directly to the Word Bearers.Stage 3 - In the Eye of Terror and Beyond: The battle-brothers' hunger to eradicate the Word Bearers and repay them for their crimes against the Chapter culminates in doing whatever it takes to see them destroyed. The battle-brother will always seek out Heretic Astartes in any combat situation or mission, and if it falls within their power they will see their squad face off against Chaos Space Marines as often as possible, trying to ensure their deployment to warzones and campaigns where they might come face to face with them. When these hated foes are encountered, the battle-brother will do everything in his power to destroy them and see they do not escape, even if it means leaving others behind or abandoning mission objectives to chase them down wherever they might run.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Fleet: The Howling Griffons maintain a large Chapter fleet. The Chapter's fleet includes the following starships:Forge of Destiny (Battle Barge) - The Forge of Destiny is the primary Battle Barge of the Howling Griffons Chapter and is often commanded by Chapter Master Alvaro.Cerulean Claw (Battle Barge) - The Cerulean Claw was the Battle Barge employed by Chief Librarian Mercaeno when he wanted to fulfill an oath to the ruling Falken family in the Obsidian System.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Relics: The Lost Halo - This advanced Iron Halo had a long and glorious history in the Angevin Crusade, defending the mightiest heroes of the Howling Griffons from the foul xenos that claimed the Calyx Expanse. It disappeared from Chapter records after the Crusade's conclusion, and was not heard of again for centuries. Shortly before the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate was discovered, the Omega Vault of Watch Fortress Erioch yielded up the Lost Halo to the Howling Griffons battle-brothers of the Deathwatch for unknown reasons -- and without any clue as to how it had arrived there.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Colours: The Howling Griffons Chapter utilises a unique colour scheme that is a quartered red and yellow design. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is silver.The black squad symbol on the right shoulder guard designates operational specialty -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command. A white Low Gothic numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number. No company markings or colours are displayed.A squad sergeant sports a black helm with a red skull; Veteran sergeants adorn theirs with a white stripe.In certain circumstances, a Chapter may be permitted to make use of variant livery on their armour, painting it with different designs specific to an individual campaign or engagement. During several of its engagements, the Howling Griffons have been sanctioned to use such livery, giving up the bold quartered red and yellow they normally employ. For instance, on Sigmar VI, the Insurgency Force from this Chapter wore a yellow, orange and brown camouflage pattern with smaller black spots.Also among these official Codex Astartes-approved patterns and colours is the Night World Battle Livery. A Howling Griffons battle-brother may choose to paint his armour in Night World Camouflage before a mission if it will involve stealth or reconnaissance elements.
Howling Griffons - Chapter Badge: The Howling Griffons' Chapter badge is a black griffon rampant, centred upon a quartered field of red and yellow.
Howling Griffons - Canon Conflict: In the 1st Edition of the novel Dark Imperium by Guy Haley, Alvaro was the Chapter Master of the Howling Griffons.In the 2nd Edition of Dark Imperium Kenot Friche was now listed as the Howling Griffons Chapter Master for an unknown reason.
Howling Griffons - Sources: Arks of Omen: Angron (9th Edition), pp. 15-18, 20, 44-47Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 16Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition), pp. 22-23Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 26, 49Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 18, 33, 141Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 113Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pg. 28Codex: Space Marines (9th Edition), pg. 47Dark Imperium (Second Edition) (Novel) by Guy Haley, Ch. 20Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter (RPG), pp. 66-73, 129Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pp. 39-41, 119, 124-131, 158-159Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pp. 23, 58-59, 89Index Astartes: Fortress Monasteries (Digital Edition), pg. 4Insignium Astartes, pg. 61Iron Hands (Novel) by Jonathan GreenLegacy of Russ 1: The Lost King (Short Story) by Robbie MacNivenWarhammer 40,000: Compendium (1st Edition), "The Badab War" by Rick Priestley, pp. 33-35White Dwarf 101 (UK), "Index Astartes: The Badab Uprising" by Rick PriestleyWhite Dwarf 284 (UK), "Index Astartes: Humanity's Shield, Chapters Involved in the Defence of Cadia"White Dwarf 309 (UK), "Howling Griffons" Model Showcase by John Cadice, pp. 43-51Chapter War (Novel) by Ben Counter, Chs. 5, 17Phalanx (Novel) by Ben CounterThe Space Marine Omnibus (Anthology) edited by Christian Dunn
Hrafnkel - Hrafnkel: The Hrafnkel was a highly modified Gloriana-class Battleship that served as the flagship of Leman Russ, the Primarch of the Space Wolves Legion, during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.The Hrafnkel was one of the oldest and largest Gloriana-class Battleships, surpassed only by the Vengeful Spirit, the Iron Blood and the Conqueror in size after its extensive reforging, an impression confirmed by ancient texts written by Imperial Remembrancers accompanying the VI Legion that described the scale of the Hrafnkel as incredible. If the smaller Escorts and fleet tenders of the Space Wolves' ancient fleet were blunt-nosed slabs like slices of mountain cliff, the principal Space Wolves capital ships were shockingly vast, veritable mountains in themselves.Yet, the Hrafnkel was a slate-grey monster with a ploughshare prow that surpassed even those mighty vessels in scale and power. The Hrafnkel served as an apex predator, the alpha of the Space Wolves' fleet. The Hrafnkel is known to have transported the Wolf King Leman Russ when he led the vast flotilla that carried out the Scouring of Prospero, the sanctioned Imperial military reprisal against the Thousand Sons Legion's homeworld of Prospero at the start of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium.This action was carried out by the Space Wolves Legion and elements of the Legio Custodes and the Sisters of Silence as a punishment for the Thousand Sons' flagrant violation of the Emperor of Mankind's edicts against the use of psychic powers and sorcery made at the Council of Nikaea. The Hrafnkel was seriously damaged during operations in the Alaxxes Nebula later in the Heresy when the Space Wolves were being chased by the fleet of the Alpha Legion, but still it endured, and ultimately met another Gloriana-class Battleship, the Alpha, in combat.
Hrax - Hrax: Hrax is a Desert World of the Askellon Sector's Stygies Sub-sector which emerged from a receding front of the Pandaemonium Warp rift a Terran millennium ago, and whose feudal inhabitants dwell among the mazes of interconnected canyons and cave networks inscribed into its arid surface. These great chasms were carved from streams flowing towards the warm equatorial oceans, and the native flora and fauna are almost completely dependent on these waters for survival.Occasionally, these rivers form pools or small lakes that quickly become verdant oases of life; great herds of sparmadons, families of garnun, and packs of deadly vornae gather about their banks. This sprawling labyrinth of winding ravines, overhanging stone arches, and endless interconnected caverns are as difficult to navigate as the densest of hives, and most Hraxian wildlife relies on some form of echolocation to aid in navigation.
Hrax - Geography: This desolate, windswept rock is covered with massive fortress cities, whose occupants live in complex feudal societies under the command of mighty High Marshals. These warlords rule the great fiefdoms called Bastias, which encompass both their colossal fortresses and any surrounding territory. Bastias also house great warrior hosts originally sworn to defend their territories from Ork attacks, but now more frequently from assaults by rival Bastias.In exchange for service within his armies and a tithe of any looted equipment, a High Marshal accords these warriors various hereditary rights based on the particular feudal clan to which they belong, as well as individual rewards for accomplishments in battle. As in all things, from dress to bestowed honours, the people of Hrax follow the dictates of the ancient ways -- especially the legends surrounding the warriors who fell from the sky.Bastias are constructed with materials salvaged from the rusted debris of massive Astra Militarum troopships that litter the desert landscape. The most powerful Bastias are formed from the shattered wrecks themselves, whose venerable hulls serve as the basis for fortresses of torn bulkheads and cavernous holds. Other canyons and ravines have basins littered with the scars of battle and the decaying ruins of ancient Imperial war machines and tanks.Yet who or what the forces of the Imperium faced on Hrax so long ago remains unclear, as no record of such a campaign exists within the sector's voluminous military annals. Some believe it to have been Orks, as Greenskin remains pollute the world, while others instead point to the horrific damage inflicted on the numerous burnt-out hulls as signs of an enemy of even more extreme potency.
Hrax - Bred for War: The warriors of Hrax are a proud and noble people who value courage and honour above all else. Only through combat and glory in battle can individuals advance within Hraxian society, which means the clansmen must fight continuously to maintain their Bastial rights in a never-ending cycle of death and bloodshed. In addition to power and glory, the inhabitants of Hrax also fight to honour the great warrior-king of heaven referred to in clan lore as the Battle Lord.It is said that long ago, the celestial god-king sent His host down from the sky on columns of flame to deliver the people of Hrax from their enemies in a purifying baptism of blood. These legends also foretold that the Battle Lord's armies would one day return to Hrax to convey the worthy to fresh conquests across the heavens.From the time they are first able to wield a knife, the children of Hrax are instructed in the ways of war, in preparation for this glorious return. The training is brutal in the extreme, with only the most senior clan warriors allowed to instruct the new recruits. Many clans also have reputations for viciousness, cunning, or some other skill or trait on the battlefield, and these too must be ingrained in the new recruits, for without them the clan would lose honour, rights, and prestige among the others.The feudal clansmen of Hrax wield a variety of weapons in combat, and these weapons vary in condition and function, from jealously-guarded relics to blades that have been repaired countless times over the years. These warriors believe that every weapon has a spirit within that yearns for battle, and that this spirit must be maintained if a weapon is to aid them in combat.For this reason, older, proven weapons are highly valuable to these warriors, both as relics of the Battle Lord's armies and objects of personal value to the fighter and his clan. Many go to great lengths to retrieve weapons that have been damaged in battle, though those which are beyond repair are ceremonially salvaged in order that the spirit within may live on.The lords of the Askellon Sector quickly realised the potential for such skilled fighters, and soon the agents of the Missionarus Galaxia began the diligent and subtle process of indoctrinating the clansmen of Hrax into the Imperial Creed. In a few standard years, the High Marshals were shown the proper rites of devotion, and those who survived publicly swore new blood oaths to their Battle Lord, who now bore the more worthy title of Emperor. Shortly thereafter, the massive transport ships of the Departmento Munitorum arrived, and before long the first regiments of the Hrax Bloodknives left their world behind to claim glory and honour amidst the innumerable terrors of the Imperium's countless battlefields.
Hrax - By Blood Undone: As Askellon continues to slip further into isolation and anarchy, the warriors of Hrax have had less and less contact with the heralds of the Astra Militarum. Many delegations even routinely insult the proud warriors of Hrax by herding recruits aboard drop ships like cattle, without regard for their rank or ceremonial blood sports and rites of tribute. As a result, relations have deteriorated dramatically in the past century of the 41st Millennium, with many now openly questioning these off-worlders' authority and resisting their attempts at impressment with terrible acts of merciless violence.Several High Marshals have even forsaken their sacred oaths and publicly ordered their warriors to mar their loyalty scars with deep, vicious incisions. To these clansmen, the continued grovelling of the loyalist clans at the feet of their Imperial masters is unbecoming of true warriors, and only by killing the false god's servants can they regain the blessings of the true Battle Lord.Whispers of the old ways, of terrible rituals and offerings of blood in exchange for unholy power have also begun to re-emerge among many clans, and though the Imperium is quick to quash such activities, many believe these tales hold the key to overthrowing their off-world oppressors. Meanwhile, those clans who persevere in their faith continue to view such sorcerous activities with palpable scorn, and attempts to erase such dishonours by both sides have ended in numerous acts of bloodshed and death.In addition to the growing unrest that threatens to plunge the planet into open revolt, the number of nascent psykers on Hrax has also risen drastically. Imperial installations have trumpeted numerous decrees forbidding the harbouring of such individuals, but there is little evidence that the natives heed this instruction. Those fiefdoms still loyal to the Imperium have by and large upheld these declarations, and most youths who display any psychic talents are quickly discovered and presented to the Emperor's servants.Among those who honour the old ways, however, this decree has fallen on deaf ears, as gifted individuals are spirited away into the wilderness only to reappear among the Heretic raiders as terrible abominations of Warp-spawned corruption. Many among the clans interpret the return of these blasphemous warriors as a sign of the End Times and the impending battle between the Emperor's warriors and those of the gods of the underworld that seek to devour the souls of the slain.
Hrax - Furimancer: Furimancers are relics of the old ways, and their resurgence among the feudal clans is worrisome to many. These sorcerers are devotees of the Hraxian god Charganal, the ruler of the underworld and bringer of the end times in ancient lore. It is said that Charganal draws his strength from the wanton experience of uninhibited combat, and only those who commit themselves to battle without honour or restraint receive his profane blessings. A Furimancer usually first manifests in the fury of battle.The sensations of combat stimulate his mind, enabling him to tap into his unfettered abilities. These berserkers are fonts of unholy destruction, and most quickly perish as the internalised raw Warp energy immolates their forms. Those who do not die, however, learn to channel their blasphemous gifts with devastating effectiveness on the battlefield, where their arrival is greeted with cries of renewed vigour and fury among their heretical brethren.
Hrax - Warriors of the True Faith: After centuries of fighting and squabbling amongst themselves, many feudal clans that remain loyal to the Emperor have now joined beneath the might of the Warlord Talvrak, High Marshal of the Bastia of the Golden Light and recently-appointed Planetary Governor of Hrax. The Bastia of the Golden Light is one of the oldest and most revered of the mighty fortress-cities, its name stemming from its many gilded archways and hull panels, as well as the massive Imperial altar that crowns its most prominent battlement.Supposedly, when the sun first falls upon the altar, the light is refracted down the ruined Adeptus Ministorum frigate's many corridors and murals until the surrounding canyon is bathed in radiance. It is rumoured that the warriors of the Bastia cannot be defeated when this light is upon them, and numerous clans have journeyed to its mighty, adamantine gates to beg admittance into the warlord's fiefdom.However, despite frequent exterminations, the rebellious clans continue to remain a thorn in his side, a fact which is not helped by the aggressive culling of Talvrak's finest warriors for service in the Imperium's armies. The Adeptus Administratum functionaries and Askellian sectorial representatives on Hrax also see little need to interfere in the planet's affairs thus far, choosing instead to allow the conflict to continue as they pursue their own selfish gains.Yet still Talvrak persists in his efforts, even as his allies battle both each other and the Heretic raiders for the right to ascend to the Battle Lord's realm. Now, however, his body is growing steadily weaker with age, and his Marshals have begun to squabble and scheme for the honour of command. Meanwhile, the elderly warlord has begun to long once again to bathe in the blood of his enemies and feel his great axe bite into flesh and cleave bone. With every passing Terran year, the call becomes harder and harder to resist, and it is rumoured that he has begun to look to ancient rituals for a way to break the stalemate while ending his own feverish cravings.
Hrax - Aurelian Janissary: Aurelian Janissaries are among the most zealous of Warlord Talvrak's sworn clansmen, and their courage and skill have won him countless battles in the conflicts that rage throughout the canyons surrounding his venerable stronghold. In return for the right to dwell and worship at the feet of the golden shrine that overlooks the Bastia's highest battlement, the Janissaries forsake all rights of salvage, and pledge their lives and swords to the warlord's service.The Janissaries believe that a being known as the Sky King watches over them in battle, and often adorn their salvaged armour and personal banners with gilded eagle wings as well as other symbols of the Imperial Cult. In combat they are nigh unstoppable, as they unleash volley after volley of fire into their enemy's ranks before charging into battle atop their vicious vornae mounts, fearing nothing save death with an unblooded blade.Vornae are highly intelligent and ferocious predators with powerful legs. They prefer to hunt in packs, using high-pitched whoops to coordinate their efforts as they ambush prey from above. Meanwhile, the coarse fur that coats their thick, rubbery hides helps regulate their body temperature while camouflaging their movements among the tall hedge thistles and prickly scrub bushes. Only the most skilled riders are able to tame these venomous beasts, and those who manage to do so gain an unparalleled degree of lethal mobility on the battlefield.
Hrax - Tooth Taker: Tooth Takers are skilled hunters and warriors whose feats of bravery in combat bring honour to the lords and clans who sponsor them. Supposedly this title is a relic of ancient times, when mighty warriors who defeated a bestial Ork in single combat preserved the teeth of their foe in the waxy resin of the ferdo shrub and displayed them as warnings of their deadly abilities.Now this tradition lives on in the exploits of these ruthless killers, though a trophy is only taken if the opponent is bested in single combat. As is also traditional, such trophies must accompany self-inflicted scars or brands to remind the warrior of the battle, assuming the teeth's original owner did not already provide one.As their trophies increase, so too do their honours and accolades. These warriors are also valuable to the Astra Militarum. Though held in high esteem among their comrades, Tooth Takers are also regarded as reckless and dangerous individuals. Many of their fellow Imperial Guardsmen often react poorly when they see human bicuspids among their collections of mementos and tusks.
Hrax - Cult of the Great Eye: A clear night sky on Hrax is a wondrous beauty, yet the angry stain of the Pandaemonium often tarnishes this splendour as it glares down from the heavens like a great unclean eye. Hraxian lore says that this is the gateway to Skreiga, the realm of the dead, and it is here that the Battle Lord's armies fight to keep Charganal and the other foul denizens there from re-emerging into the mortal world.Now, as discontent with the Imperium continues to spread across the world, there are many among the fallen who seek to revive the old ways of worship in order to free the armies of Skreiga and cast off the yoke of servitude. These so-called Skreiga Clans dedicate themselves to the worship of dread Charganal and the other malevolent beings whose veneration was once prevalent among the feral clans.Though there are many underworld denizens which a clan may choose as its patron, one of the most powerful is Skarthrall, the keeper of souls. This god is believed to dwell in a hut on the banks of the River of Fate, appearing to his followers as a frail, wizened man draped in a tattered cloak of mouldering furs and shimmering, blue feathers.His small, unassuming hut is filled with the most terrible and wonderful secrets man has ever and could ever know, and it is here that he weaves the dreams of the mortal realm with silvery threads of influence and seeming chance. It is said that those who harvest souls for Skarthrall may even bargain for a single thread of his forbidden knowledge of their very own, though the cost for such a request is often more than a sane man can bear.
Hrud - Hrud: The Hrud (Troglydium hruddi), also known as the Nocturnal Warriors of Hrud, are an intelligent alien race of the Milky Way Galaxy who are prone to living in subterranean conditions and who possess an unknown biological ability, likely Warp-based, to dramatically accelerate the aging of any living being or to accelerate the slide towards entropy of an object that comes within their vicinity. They are considered a dangerous xenos species that threatens human life by the Imperium of Man. There is currently a dispute between Imperial scholars over the nature of the species, as two very different types of alien being have both been labelled as members of the Hrud species.
Hrud - Physiology and Biology: The Hrud was first depicted as a crouched, diminutive rodent-like creature swathed in rags, its face obscured by a hood, and possessing a rat-like tail. Later images that have been labelled as representative of the Hrud species show a bizarre, vaguely humanoid, black-eyed creature with long, segmented limbs, an exoskeleton and a mouth featuring both teeth and mandibles. Whatever their physical form, the Hrud prefer darkness and are basically scavengers and tunnel-dwellers. They are found all over the galaxy, though never in large numbers. They are considered to be parasites, and when they are referred to it is usually as "infesting" a place. Observing a Hrud is often difficult even within a well-lit room due to a distortion field of unknown origin emanating from the Hrud that prevents the eye from focusing on it. In addition the limbs of a Hrud have a bone structure similar to the human spine allowing the limbs to bend in any direction (hence the Imperial nickname for this species of "bendies"). They also exude various poisons from their skin. Their bodies liquefy rapidly upon death -- conveniently making detailing the creature impossible. Hrud have also been known to emit an unknown field of entropic radiation from their bodies that can cause living and inorganic matter to rapidly age or decay, similar to a reverse stasis field of some kind. This ability may be psychic in nature.
Hrud - History: Apparently, the Hrud's original homeworld was in a region of space the Eldar warned the Adeptus Mechanicus' Explorators to avoid, but the Explorators did not trust the xenos' warning and entered the star system anyway, precipitating the first contact between humans and Hrud sometime during the Great Crusade in the 31st Millennium. Classified as a hostile alien species after they destroyed the Explorator mission to their homeworld, the Astartes of the Iron Warriors Legion undertook a xenocidal war against the Hrud warrens on Gugann during the Great Crusade that nearly exterminated the species. However, Iron Warriors garrisons also suffered defeats at the hands of the Vulpa Strait migration of Hrud on Krak Fiorina, Stratopolae, and the Fortress World of Gholgis in the final years of the Great Crusade, proving that the Hrud remained a threat to the Imperium.The Star Phantoms Space Marine Chapter's former homeworld of Haakoneth was mentioned as being destroyed by a massive Hrud migration caught within a temporal Warp-rift in 101.M40. The Star Phantoms are credited as being one of the only Astartes Chapters to have survived a Hrud migration with no outside support from the Imperium.The Imperium has dealt with the Hrud on numerous occasions in the 41st Millennium, including on the world of Mordant Prime where the Hrud infested the Delphic Sink mines in what was remembered as the Delphic Plague and during the Hrud infestation on the Imperial Mining World of Cinchare where the 1st Company of the Dark Hands Space Marines and the Imperial Guard's 39th Cadian "Xenobane" Regiment of the Cadian Shock Troops defeated a massive Hrud infestation. On several other occasions, the Inquisition has had to deal with a major Hrud migration.Perhaps the most well-known Hrud infestation came in 783.M41 on the Imperial Agri-World of Ursula Spinal. The world's crops turned to ash and its defenders found their bodies biologically aged 50 standard years by exposure to the Hrud's deadly entropic fields. To deal with the problem, 6 full regiments of the Imperial Guard's Valhallan Ice Warriors made planetfall and managed to defeat the xenos infestation, but at the cost of the loss of combat readiness for 3 of the regiments due to premature aging caused by the Hrud.
Hrud - Society: The Hrud are meticulous record keepers and have compiled large libraries of data. Based on the title of their original depiction ("Nocturnal Warrior of Hrud") in the Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (3rd Edition), it might be assumed that the species' homeworld is a planet called Hrud.
Hrud - Religion: The Hrud believe in a pantheon of gods called the Slah-Haii. The Hrud's chief deity among the Slah-Haii is named Qah, "He Who Lingers," who was likely the Old One who first nurtured and protected the Hrud species when they still lived above ground many millions of years ago. When the C'tan's Necron forces began to attack the Old Ones and all their works during the War In Heaven, Qah ordered the entire Hrud race to move below ground, pursue a subterranean lifestyle and become nocturnal warriors. According to Hrud mythology, during the Fall of the Eldar Qah was destroyed by the newborn Chaos God Slaanesh and much of his essence was splintered into millions of shards that became the enigmatic alien race of shadowy spheres called the Umbra who are attracted to areas with high Warp resonance, such as suspected entrances to the Eldar Webway or the Warp-Drives of Imperial starships. Hrud legend says that before his essence was shattered by the Prince of Chaos, Qah promised that he would one day return to help the Hrud defeat the Yaam-khoh, though to what this term refers is currently unknown to Imperial scholars.
Hrud - Technology: Hrud technology is often scavenged from other races, particularly the Imperium of Man. A weapon of their own development is the Hrud Fusil, a powerful form of rifle based on Warp-plasma technology that literally draws raw energy from the Immaterium and projects it outwards in controlled bursts to cause heavy damage.