vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Plague Surgeon - Role: Sinister, hooded figures, Plague Surgeons drift through the mayhem of battle like ghoulish spectres of death. They were once Death Guard Apothecaries who brought healing to those who could be saved, and absolution to those who could not. Damnation by Chaos transformed their order, rendering them the dark antithesis of what they once were.The unnatural resilience of Mortarion's gene-sons leaves little call for conventional medicine. Flesh wounds seal up with bulbous flab and clotted pus, while any damage serious enough to lay one of the Death Guard low is usually so catastrophic that no amount of suturing or surgery can save them. Instead, the Plague Surgeons tend to the well-being of the diseases that their brothers carry within their rotting bodies.Like proud fathers, the Plague Surgeons spare no effort in tending to all of Nurgle's children. Their bodies are incubators for every form of parasite and phage, their flesh and blood offered willingly as living nurseries for these ghastly offspring.As a result, the very touch of a Plague Surgeon is virulently infectious, while every breath they exhale teems with spores, Warp-infused bacilli and Daemon motes. The miasma that seeps from their plague censers and the filth that drips from their weapons and surgical instruments only adds to this effect. Any foe foolish enough to engage a Plague Surgeon in combat will soon be crawling with Empyric disease.Plague Surgeons bolster the potency of Nurgle's plagues in friend and foe alike. The Chaos-tainted narthecium-like instruments upon their arms contain booster-vials and macro-stimulants for plagues both naturally-occurring and Warp-spawned, imbuing Nurgle's mortal servants with new strength even as they worsen the enemy's sickness to lethal degrees.Plague Surgeons also have another role upon the field of battle, one that has earned them the unending hatred of the Emperor's Space Marines. Their surgical tools still include ancient, rust-furred Reductors capable of cracking open the body of an Adeptus Astartes and extracting his gene-seed.While Plague Surgeons gather the mutated Progenoid Glands of their Death Guard brethren wherever they can -- despite many having rotted to an untenable degree -- they take a macabre glee in falling upon dead or dying Loyalists, ripping the healthy Progenoid Glands from their victims and spiriting them away from the battlefield. Some of this pure gene-seed is used in the creation of new Death Guard Heretic Astartes, while the fate of the rest is best left unspoken.
Plague Surgeon - Notable Plague Surgeons: Nauseous Rotbone - The name of Nauseous Rotbone is infamous throughout the Death Guard and beyond, for this accomplished Plague Surgeon is the personal physician of Mortarion himself. It is Rotbone who sees to the virulence of the plague censers borne into battle at Mortarion's feet, and the putrid feculence of the Daemon Nurgling mites that bear them. It is he that draws his primarch's Daemonic ichor with needles and grizzle-leeches for use in gruesome rituals and unclean rites. Rotbone listens to his gene-sire's embittered rants with a doctor's wry patience, and is one of the few individuals in the galaxy who Mortarion will permit to disagree with his pronouncements or challenge his plans. Originally, Rotbone belonged to the Sons of Sorrow, a vectorium of the 7th Plague Company. Since being chosen and elevated by Mortarion -- seemingly on a whim -- he has fought alongside, and even led, forces from all the different Plague Companies. He is the keeper of the surgical dungeons deep within Mortarion's Black Manse on the Plague Planet, wherein the Death Guard keep their stocks of tainted gene-seed, and Rotbone's assaults into realspace are most often launched to gather new samples for this genetic treasure trove, with which he delights in tinkering.
Plague Surgeon - Wargear: Corrupted Power Armour (Any Firstborn pattern)Bolt PistolBaleswordBlight GrenadesKrak GrenadesTainted Narthecium
Plague Toad - Plague Toad: A Plague Toad, formally known as a Daemon Plague Toad of Nurgle, and informally often also called "Rot-Eaters" and "Sewer-Kin," are massive, toad-like Daemonic Beasts of Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease, decay and rebirth.Plague Toads are mutated, pseudo-amphibian sacs of brackish filth and pus whose wide maws can swallow a Human whole. Plague Toads are drawn to places in the Materium afflicted with disease and decay, and in such places those Chaos Sorcerers versed in the lore of the Plague Lord can summon these Daemon-vermin into realspace and bind them to their will.Plague Toads are sometimes taken as mounts by Plaguebearers who serve as Pox Riders, the vanguard cavalry of Nurgle's daemonic Plague Legions in the Realm of Chaos.
Plague Toad - Wargear: Bloated Flesh - Most melee weapons simply slide harmlessly through the bloated, abscess-riddled flesh of a Daemon Plague Toad with little effect, the foul bulk of the thing swallowing up blades and bullets alike.Rot-eaters -  A Daemon Plague Toad's jag-toothed maw yawns impossibly wide as the abomination prepares to devour its victim.
Plague Toad - Sources: Forge World Website - Plague Toads of NurgleHorus Heresy Legions Malevolence Expansion Card List (PC Game)
Plague Tower - Plague Tower: The Plague Tower, also known as the Plague Tower of Nurgle or just a Tower of Nurgle, is a large Daemon Engine of Chaos that is completely dedicated to the service of Nurgle, the Chaos God of pestilence and decay.The Plague Tower is a huge construction of rotting timbers and rusting metal that carves its way across the battlefield leaving a trail of death and contamination in its wake.Enemy fire bounces off its heavy armour, whilst inside the tower diseased followers of Nurgle wait impatiently, ready to spring into frenzied assault once the drawbridges have been dropped.This assault is often led by a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, a Great Unclean One, whose massive, maggot-ridden bulk is barely constrained within this twisted engine of war. The war machine is constructed by Nurgle's acolytes, using thousands of twisted and corrupted slaves who toil to build the awesome machines of destruction that will spread the plague of Nurgle to a hundred worlds in the Plague Father's name.When the grotesque Plague Tower is complete, the sorcerers in charge of its construction sacrifice the slaves, their bound souls driving the daemonic machine with their raw emotion.The Plague Tower is cunningly designed to allow troops to disembark quickly and easily, allowing its cargo of plague-rotted infantry and Daemons to quickly spill forth after its main weapons have cleared their way. The towers also serve as transports for large numbers of crazed followers. It is no wonder that these hulking engines of war are often seen as harbingers of a grisly end.
Plague Tower - Role: While many warlords prefer to lay waste to a planet from orbit, some prefer to make an example of their conquests. Disciples of Khorne and Nurgle usually follow this path, and while Khorne usually prefers large-scale battlefields where blood flows freely and skulls are piled, Nurgle's followers have a unique reputation for laying siege to a population where it thinks it is safest.At the height of these sieges, Plague Towers are an all-too common sight; looming, rolling battle-towers from a long-dead age, covered in flayed human skin, and carrying disease and filth. Created from a massive pustule summoned by sorcerers or Warpsmiths upon their arrival, these hulking creations are filled with the virulent gifts of Nurgle, ready to be bestowed upon new hosts.
Plague Tower - Armament: The Plague Tower is armed with numerous heavy weapons, including two forward-firing, wall-breaching Demolisher Cannons to fire upon enemy structures, fortifications, and walls. With such heavy firepower at its disposal, the Plague Tower has little difficulty shattering a city's defences.This Daemon Engine also features large vats of virulent slime distilled from rotting, plague-ridden corpses mounted behind the rear portion of the tower. These large vats are used to feed the machine's main weapon, a massive Bile Cannon located on the front of the vehicle's chassis. The weapon is connected to the corpse vats via large bulging pipes which fill the weapon with a horrendous concoction of disgusting toxic and corrosive slime.The Bile Cannon is designed to rid the initial breach of defenders by blasting them with a foul stream of pus and ichor. Those not instantly killed are covered in oozing rashes and sores as the corrosive liquid works its way through armour.Those enemies who are killed or captured by Chaos forces using a Plague Tower, will eventually have their corpses added to the vehicle's plague vats, ensuring a steady stream of foul corrupted fluids to be used as ammunition.The tower also features a top mounted Plague Mortar. The Plague Mortar is a massive mortar cannon that fires diseased munitions. Any enemy forces that foolishly try to assault the stinking behemoth in close combat will find that the vehicle's internal spaces and external cracks are infested with hordes of Nurglings, the tiny Lesser Daemons of the Plague God.Nurglings will engage any forces that come near to the Plague Tower. If the Plague Tower itself takes enough damage in combat, its corrupted form may explode in a catastrophic explosion, spreading its toxic and infectious gifts of Nurgle even further into the enemy forces.All Nurgle-aligned forces and Daemons caught by the attack of the Pus Cannon as it fires upon the enemy or within the radius of the tank's explosive demise will be immune to the effects and will actually enjoy bathing in the new toxins and diseases sacred to their lord.
Plague Tower - Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The Ordo Malleus has not yet determined the technical specifications for this Daemon Engine, if such a thing is even possible.
Plague Wars - War of Flies: The Plague Wars also encompass the earlier conflict known as the "War of Flies." This was the stop-start war of attrition that the Death Guard and their Nurglite allies fought against the worlds of Ultramar in the wake of the Great Rift's birth and the onset of the Noctis Aeterna.From Talassar to Iax, Espandor] to Circe to Laphis, the Plague Marines launched their strikes. Some were little more than squad-level actions intended to seed contaminants onto Loyalist worlds or enact ritual sacrifices to destabilise the Imperial defences.Others were full-blown offensives by entire vectoriums of Death Guard warriors, instigated to erode the defences of Ultramar and spread destruction and dismay.Against all these actions the Ultramarines stood strong, rallying swiftly to battle the minions of Nurgle wherever they raised their horned heads. Often outnumbered, typically fighting alongside beleaguered battalions of the Ultramar Auxilia, the scions of Roboute Guilliman threw back one attack after another and burned out the corruption of Chaos wherever they found it.The conflict was named the "War of Flies" because of the constant presence of the bloated, biting insects that tended to accompany Nurglish forces wherever they appeared in Ultramar. During this period, besides assaults by the Heretic Astartes of the Death Guard, the defenders of Ultramar faced almost daily attacks from shambling Plague Zombies as the Zombie Plague was one of the primary weapons unleashed by the servants of the Plague God; it was particularly difficult for the defenders to maintain their morale when they realised that they were essentially fighting the undead remains of their own allies who had been reanimated by foul, Warp-tainted sorcery.
Plague Wars - Canon Conflict: As originally chronicled in the Dark Imperium  novel series published in 2017-2018 early in the 8th Edition of Warhammer 40,000, the Indomitus Crusade lasted for roughly 100 standard years and ended with the Plague Wars.However in 2021 Black Library retconned the events of the novels to take place only 12 standard years after the crusade had begun, now with no end date for the conflict.This change now places the events of the Plague Wars in circa 012.M42 by the chronology of the original Imperial Calendar.
Plaguebearer - Plaguebearer: A Plaguebearer, also called a "Maggotkin," and a "Tallyman of Nurgle," is a Lesser Daemon and a footsoldier in Nurgle's Daemonic legions. These loathsome creatures are crafted from the blighted souls of mortals who have been slain by the virulent plague known as Nurgle's Rot.These Lesser Daemons of the Lord of Decay are shambling, pustulent creatures. Plaguebearers have gangling, bony limbs, their bodies swollen with decay, so much so that glistening innards are exposed through rents in their skin. They possess a single, cyclopean eye and a single horn rising above their haggard, drawn faces, their bodies covered in filth and parasites. Despite the Plaguebearer's unusual appearance, they are supernaturally resilient to harm, the gifts of their master having inured them to all pain.Plaguebearers are constantly surrounded by clouds of droning flies and chant monotonous hymns, their gait a staggering lope. Their sonorous voices attempt to keep count of the number of noxious plagues unleashed by Nurgle; an impossible task, for the Grandfather of Plagues constantly invents new strains of viruses. They also serve as the "Tallymen of Nurgle," eternally bound to record all of their Dark God's pestilential creations. Many believe that Plaguebearers are in fact created by such diseases, incubating within plague victims and feeding upon their dying energies, only to later fully emerge from their heaped bodies.In battle, Plaguebearers shamble purposefully towards their foes. Packs of these Lesser Daemons -- often up to seven of them -- are known as the "Tallybands," and form the core of many of Nurgle's daemonic Plague Legions. Each Plaguebearer wields a rusted blade called a Plaguesword that corrupts flesh in an instant. Should a foe endure the stench and not be struck down, they will find their own blows hampered by swarming flies. When strikes do land upon Plaguebearers they seem to have little effect, for the minions of Nurgle feel no pain, and shrug off what should be lethal strokes.
Plaguebearer - Duties of a Plaguebearer: It is the Plaguebearers' role to keep stock of new diseases and symptoms, and to maintain some semblance of order amongst Nurgle's naturally mischievous hordes. The Plaguebearers' obsessive need to organise is characterised by their constant counting as they try to calculate every new outbreak of plague. However, this monotonous chanting achieves very little -- it is practically impossible to catalogue anything amidst the ever-changing nature of Chaos. This in no way discourages them, however, for they are the embodiment of the need to impose order upon a meaningless and uncaring world.In battle, their corpulent forms resist all but the most fearsome weaponry, and they wield rusted blades that corrupt flesh and rust metal in an instant. Unfortunately for the Plaguebearers, they are prone to losing count during combat, and they stand above their dying foes groaning in frustration before starting their count all over again.. These onerous duties have earned Plaguebearers the title of "Nurgle's Tallymen" in popular lore.
Plaguebearer - Unit Composition: 9-29 Plaguebearers1 Plagueridden
Plaguebearer - Wargear: Plaguesword
Plaguebearer - Optional Wargear: Instrument of Chaos - Amongst the myriad warbands of the servants of Chaos there exist tools of murder whose very names inspire terror. These artefacts were forged using the essences of Daemons, and exist only to sow destruction throughout the galaxy.
Plaguebearer - Plaguebearer Holdings: A notable source of Plaguebearers is the Daemon World of Bubonicus, as well as the gardens of the Land of the Plaguelord, Nurgle's personal domain within the Realm of Chaos.
Plaguebearer - Sources: Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 13, 355-356Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition), pp. 58, 105Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition), pg. 47Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition), pp. 34, 52Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 94, 131Codex Heretic Astartes - Death Guard (8th Edition), pp. 6, 43, 52, 55, 62, 77Dark Heresy: Daemon Hunter (RPG), pg. 92Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (RPG), pg. 112Realm of Chaos: Lost and the Damned (1st Edition), pp. 16-18White Dwarf 274 (UK), "Index Malleus: Daemons of the Warp"Games Workshop Online Store: Plaugebearers of NurgleGames Workshop Online Store: Herald of Nurgle
Plagueburst Crawler - Plagueburst Crawler: A Plagueburst Crawler is a Daemon Engine used by the Death Guard Traitor Legion as a mobile artillery piece to provide combat support to Death Guard Plague Marine infantry assaults.Its primary weapon is a Plagueburst Mortar that combines high-radius explosives with lethal Daemonic spore clouds that can eat through almost any known form of protection.The Daemon Engine's only real drawback is that it is unable to unleash this weapon on targets that are closer than its minimum range.
Plagueburst Crawler - Role: The Daemon Primarch Mortarion himself perfected the designs for the first Plagueburst Crawlers as a labour of pure spite. The Death Lord sought to create a superlative mobile artillery piece that would outclass any comparative Imperial weapon, and thus demonstrate the Death Guard's superiority over their corpse-worshipping former kin.For many solar months he locked himself away in the smog-wreathed spires of the Black Manse on the Plague Planet, obsessing endlessly over his foul brainchild, turning all of his remarkable intellect to the challenge. The resultant Daemon Engines reflect well the values of the nightmarish figure that created them. Plagueburst Crawlers are lumbering, formidable siege tanks whose huge ram-blades, thick armour plating and daemonic energies provide them with incredible resilience.Their fearsome Plagueburst Mortars boast a parabolic fire arc and terrifying range, while the shells they fire combine high-radius explosives with lethal clouds of corrosive spores to inflict damage comparable to that of Imperial Demolisher Cannons. The drawback of this weapon is its inability to fire at targets that are closer than its minimum range. However, the remainder of the Crawler's weaponry is intended to slaughter the foe up close, spraying diseased slime and hails of viral shells at any who approach.Mortarion's decision to make these vehicles Daemon Engines says much for his contempt for all living things. Live crew -- even Death Guard Heretic Astartes -- might be injured or slain, or suffer an all-too-Human error of judgement in battle. By comparison, though great effort is required to bind a Daemon within each Plagueburst Crawler, once installed the possessor entities tirelessly obey their masters and, by extension, the will of Mortarion.Plagueburst Crawlers are not swift vehicles, even running at full power. Yet their advance is as grinding and relentless as the Death Guard themselves. Intended to support infantry offensives, Plagueburst Crawlers plough forward like huge mechanical slugs, their mortars firing with metronomic regularity. Shell after shell whistles down to explode amidst the enemy ranks. Every shot spreads billowing clouds of lethal spores amidst shock waves of fire and shrapnel.An area under sustained bombardment from these weapons becomes so saturated with foul spore clouds that it is inimical to all life. Armour provides scant protection, for the daemonic spores chew through ventilator grills and enviro-seals, corrode the thickest adamantium plating, and wear through rockcrete layer by layer until they spill into even the deepest and most well-protected bunkers.These hideous effects have made the Plagueburst Crawler a much-hated weapon of war. Enemies strive to destroy them at any cost, while even the daemons of Nurgle look at them askance. After all, where the Plagueburst Crawlers strike, there can be no cycle of rebirth, no matter how foul. For its victims, there is only ever-lasting death.
Plagueburst Crawler - Unit Composition: 1 Plagueburst Crawler
Plagueburst Crawler - Armament: Plagueburst MortarHeavy Slugger2 Plaguespitters2 Entropy Cannons (Optional replacement for Plaguespitters)Rothail Volley Gun (Optional replacement for Heavy Slugger)
Plagueburst Crawler - Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The technical specifications of the Plagueburst Crawler have not yet been determined by the Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition.
Plagueburst Mortar - Plagueburst Mortar: A Plagueburst Mortar is the primary weapon of the Plagueburst Crawler, a Daemon Engine that provides mobile artillery support to the Death Guard Traitor Legion.Their fearsome Plagueburst Mortars boast a parabolic fire arc and terrifying range, while the shells they fire combine high-radius explosives with lethal clouds of corrosive daemonic spores to inflict damage comparable to that of Imperial Demolisher Cannons.The drawback of this weapon is its inability to fire at targets that are closer than its minimum range. Shell after shell whistles down to explode amidst the enemy ranks. Every shot spreads billowing clouds of lethal spores amidst shock waves of fire and shrapnel.An area under sustained bombardment from these weapons becomes so saturated with foul spore clouds that it is inimical to all life. Armour provides scant protection, for the daemonic spores chew through ventilator grills and enviro-seals, corrode the thickest adamantium plating, and wear through rockcrete layer by layer until they spill into even the deepest and most well-protected bunkers.These hideous effects have made the Plagueburst Crawler a much-hated weapon of war. Enemies strive to destroy them at any cost, while even the Daemons of Nurgle look at them askance.After all, where the Plagueburst Crawlers strike, there can be no cycle of rebirth, no matter how foul. For its victims, there is only ever-lasting death.
Plaguereaper - Plaguereaper: A Plaguereaper of Nurgle, also known as a Chaos Plaguereaper or more simply as a Plaguereaper, is a Chaos-corrupted variant of the Baneblade super-heavy main battle tank used by the Imperium of Mankind's Imperial Guard.The Plaguereaper is used by the forces of Chaos affiliated with Nurgle, the Chaos God of plague, decay and corruption. The Plaguereaper has been distorted beyond all recognition by the "gifts" bestowed upon it by Nurgle, and has been transformed into a gurgling, fortress surrounded by a cloud of pestilence and disease.The vehicle features large vats of virulent slime distilled from rotting, plague-ridden corpses mounted on its sides. These large vats are used to feed the tank's main weapon, a massive Pus Cannon. The weapon is connected to the corpse vats via large bulging pipes which fill the weapon will a horrendous concoction of disgusting toxic and corrosive slime.
Plaguereaper - Armament: The Plaguereaper is armed with a large turret-mounted weapon of corruption known as a Pus Cannon in place of the Mega Battle Cannon and coaxial Autocannon used on the standard Baneblade. The Pus Cannon is connected to the vehicle's large vats of rotting and diseased corpses from which it draws its toxic ammunition.The Pus Cannon fires a stream of highly toxic, infected and corrosive slime that is used to douse swaths of enemy infantry, ensuring them a horrific death. The victims of the Pus Cannon's slime find their skin instantly erupting in weeping, pus-filled boils and their flesh eaten away from within. Any enemy forces that foolishly try to assault the stinking behemoth in close combat will find that the vehicle's internal spaces and external cracks are infested with hordes of Nurglings, the tiny Lesser Daemons of the Plague God.Nurglings will engage any forces that come near to the Plaguereaper. The enemies killed or captured by Chaos forces using a Plaguereaper will have their corpses added to the vehicle's plague vats, ensuring a steady stream of foul corrupted fluids to be used as ammunition.The Plaguereaper, being a corrupted Baneblade, still has use of its other standard weapon systems, which include a hull-mounted Demolisher Cannon and a set of twin-linked Heavy Bolters, two sets of sponson-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters, and two top sponson-mounted Lascannons. The vehicle can also be armed with a Pintle-mounted twin-linked Bolter (Combi-bolter) or a Combi-flamer, a Havoc Missile Launcher, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.If a Plaguereaper is destroyed by enemy forces, the vehicle's vats of infected slime will rupture and spray their contents onto anyone nearby. If the Plaguereaper itself takes enough damage in combat, its corrupted form may explode in a catastrophic explosion, spreading its toxic and infectious gifts of Nurgle even further into the enemy forces.All Nurgle-aligned forces and daemons caught by the attack of the Pus Cannon as it fires upon the enemy or within the radius of the tank's explosive demise will be immune to the effects and will actually enjoy bathing in the new toxins and diseases sacred to their lord.
Plaguereaper - Known Plaguereapers: The following is a list of known Plaguereapers that have been deployed by the forces of Chaos:Bastion of Filth - Bastion of Filth is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.Nurgle's Pustulant Son - Nurgle's Pustulant Son is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.Poxichordia - Poxichordia is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.Mellifluous Volvulus - Mellifluous Volvulus is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
Plaguereaper - Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Data: The technical specifications of this vehicle are currently unknown to the savants of the Imperium.
Plaguereaper - Also See: Chaos Vehicles
Plaguespitter - Plaguespitter: A Plaguespitter is a weapon used by the Daemon Engines of Nurgle known as Foetid Bloat-drones and Plagueburst Crawlers to spread noxious diseases to their foes on the battlefield.As the Daemon Engine floats or rolls over the battlefield, its trailing pipes and tubules suckle rot and filth with idiot hunger to fuel these revolting weapons. The Bloat-drone or Plagueburst Crawler slurps up diseased innards and maggot-thick mud until its putrid flesh is straining and pulsating, refining a hideous cocktail of hyper-concentrated toxic slime. Then, with a disgusting spasm of regurgitation, the drone or Crawler squirts the resultant soup through its Plaguespitters, spraying it in great fans across the foe. No cover or defence can protect the target from this lethal rain of filth. Victims find their bodies convulsing and twisting in the grip of a thousand maladies, rotting and bloating until they collapse into a heap of decaying, highly-infectious matter. Many are still screaming when they do.
Plaguesword - Plaguesword: A Plaguesword is a Daemon Weapon of Nurgle. Each Plaguebearer, the Lesser Daemons of the Plague God, carries a gnarled and spike-ridden blade -- an infamous Plaguesword.Although corroded and battered, these blades drip with a coating of loathsome slime whose touch brings disease and death.As Grandfather Nurgle enjoys each of the wide variety of splendid aliments at his command, there is no telling exactly what might be contracted from a scratch suffered from a Plaguesword.Victims not slain outright have been known to come down with all manner of gruesome and deadly maladies.
Planet Killer - Planet Killer: The Planet Killer, called the Krukal'Righ in the Cthonic tongue of the Black Legion, is a massive, planet-destroying stellar vessel that served as Abaddon the Despoiler's flagship during his 12th Black Crusade, otherwise known as the Gothic War, from 139.M41 to 160.M41.Built around a central, directed energy cannon of immeasurable magnitude and unknown type, the aptly named Planet Killer was able to destroy entire worlds with its powerful main weapon, which was known as the "Armageddon Gun."It was supposedly destroyed in 154.M41 by the Imperial Navy's Omega Squadron, freshly arrived from outside the Gothic Sector, but its ultimate destruction could not be confirmed. In truth, it had survived, and its return to Imperial space would herald the start of Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade, the greatest and most successful Chaos incursion into Imperial space since the Horus Heresy.
Planet Killer - History: The origins of the massive Chaos vessel known as the Planet Killer are a mystery to Imperial Navy authorities. It bears no resemblance to any known Imperial starship design and is assumed to have been constructed by Abaddon's forces, just prior to the start of the Gothic War.In truth, soon after the conclusion of the 10th Black Crusade in the early 39th Millennium, Abaddon discovered deep within the Eye of Terror an ancient shipyard drifting through the Warp.Amongst its rusting gantries and crumbling manufactorum towers, the Warmaster of Chaos discovered a half-constructed vessel, vast in scale and terrible in its design.His Warpsmiths examined the ship, marvelling at its dark majesty, and promised that, when it was completed, it would be the doom of worlds -- a Planet Killer.Many amongst the Tech-priests of the Machine God correctly attest that the Planet Killer could only have been fabricated within the Eye of Terror, so blasphemous to all the laws of nature is its construction. This formidable vessel was built around a central directed energy cannon, aptly named the "Armageddon Gun," a monstrous weapon capable of directing a focused blast of what is hypothesised to be the very stuff of the Warp.This weapon is capable of bringing about the destruction of worlds, for its blast is powerful enough to bore through the crust of any planet, causing catastrophic instability within the core and literally ripping it apart.It is also studded with numerous long-range Lances, weapons batteries, and torpedo launchers. Well-armoured and protected by a plethora of Void Shield generators, the Planet Killer's only weakness seems to be its ponderous speed.In 978.M40, Abaddon overthrew Lord Teknos of the Dark Mechanicum Hell-Forge of Raji IV. The Hereteks of that world swore allegiance to the Despoiler and returned with him to the Eye of Terror.By 982.M40 the Renegade Tech-priests began construction of a massive stellar vessel within the Eye, using data recovered by Abaddon's forces from the Halo Stars world of Lanamorgstein.By 139.M41, the construction of the Planet Killer was completed and a massive effort began to find enough crewmen amongst the forces of Chaos and the Black Fleet to man it.Abaddon's advisor, Zaraphiston, bound several Daemons into the huge vessel, greatly reducing the manpower needed to run it. As Warp Storms began to engulf the Gothic Sector, Abaddon commanded his subservient Warmasters to attack, thus heralding his 12th Black Crusade into the realms of the Imperium.
Planet Killer - Battle of Kharlos II: By 154.M41, Malefica Arkham, having been abandoned by Abaddon, attempted to use the Planet Killer to carve out an empire of his own in the Gothic Sector. The world of Gonnacrash in the Quinrox Sound swore sovereignty to his rule, but, as he moved the Planet Killer to Kharlos II, Arkham was discovered by the Imperial Navy's Omega Squadron, freshly arrived from outside the Gothic Sector.With no vessels to support him, Arkham still decided to attack, but the Planet Killer was eventually destroyed by salvo after salvo of continuous torpedo fire from the four Lunar-class cruisers.Two standard years later, an Imperial expedition was launched by Inquisitor Horst to recover the hulk of the Planet Killer for study by the Adeptus Mechanicus.No trace of it could be found, and there were worrying rumours of a Black Legion vessel being sighted in the vicinity. The ultimate destruction of the Planet Killer could not be confirmed, yet in the years after the Gothic War there were no confirmed sightings of it.
Planet Killer - Ship Design: Built around a central directed energy cannon of immeasurable magnitude, the Planet Killer is also studded with numerous long range Lances, weapons batteries and torpedo launchers.Well armoured and protected by a plethora of Void Shield generators, the ship's only weakness seemed to be its ponderous speed.It was this lack of acceleration which seemed to pave the way to its defeat, as it was seemingly destroyed by salvo after salvo of torpedoes, fired at extreme range by the Lunar-class cruisers of Battle Group Omega, shortly after the destruction of Kharlos II.All technical details that are known or can be deduced from close range observation of the Chaos vessel known as the Planet Killer are listed below.Armageddon Gun Projection Barrels - These elements are unique to this vessel. Imperial analysts are no closer to understanding the manner of their operation. That they are capable of focusing and projecting an energy beam of immense power is beyond doubt. However, the type of energy involved and exactly where it is generated remains a mystery. The reason for the larger size of the central barrel is equally shrouded in uncertainty. Many hypotheses have been put forward but none bear up to close scrutiny or sustained logic.Unidentified Central Structure - Postulated functions include tertiary Warp-core phasing accelerator or some kind of "charging-coil" for the vessel's primary weapon system. Certainly no identifiable system on this vessel is capable of generating the phenomenal levels of energy which the vessel's primary weapon must require.Execration Pattern Tri-diotic Laser Array - This weapon system has been in continuous use since the mid-23rd Millennium, although it is currently classified Perdita by Imperial Naval Commissioners.Torpedo Tubes - Unusually configured to allow a wider arc of launch than is standard on Imperial vessels. These are capable of launching a torpedo spread commensurate with the massive size of the vessel.Macro-Projectile Weapon Systems - Massive calibre weapons capable of firing a large round to an extreme range. Other than their unusual size, these are of similar pattern to those observed on other Renegade vessels.Unidentified Structure - Located aft of the vessel is possibly an extra-spatial sensor device of sorts. Some have hypothesised that these are simply communications and/or sensor arrays, in which case their configuration is such that interference from the Warp core would make them all but useless.Ventral Stabilisation and Trans-Etheric Relay - A common structure seen on many Renegade vessels and older patterns of Imperial shipping. The size of these is inconsistent with the estimated mass of the vessel, so it is possible that other systems are also incorporated into these structures.
Planet Killer - Dimensions: Regarding external dimensions, unfortunately no reliable assay has been made of the vessel's size, but it is without doubt significantly larger than the Imperial Navy's own battleship class vessels.Captain Vinrex of the Felicitas estimated the Planet Killer's gross displacement as being in excess of 400 million tonnes.According to a designer of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the Planet Killer is approximately 6 miles long (or 10 kilometres).But scaling the Planet Killer to the size of the other voidships in the Battlefleet Gothic: Armada PC game means that it comes to an actual length of around 8.4 miles or 13.5 kilometres.
Planet of the Sorcerers - Planet of the Sorcerers: The Planet of the Sorcerers, officially named Sortiarius, is the current homeworld of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. The Planet of the Sorcerers was originally a Daemon World located deep in the Eye of Terror, though it recently returned to realspace through the use of a potent sorcerous ritual that culminated with the Siege of the Fenris System in ca. 999.M41.With the fall of his original homeworld of Prospero to the Space Wolves at the start of the Horus Heresy during the Scouring of Prospero, the primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, Magnus the Red, used his sorcerous powers in the final act of his pact with Tzeentch to transfer his beloved and infamous City of Light, Tizca, through the Warp from Prospero to a new planet.In this way, all of the precious (and heretical) knowledge hidden within its libraries that the Thousand Sons had gathered from all across the galaxy during the Great Crusade would be preserved.For ten thousand Terran years the Planet of Sorcerers has been the staging ground from which the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion has launched their raids into realspace. A nightmarish world of Daemons, it was nested deep within the Warp until Magnus' hand had it drawn through the veil and thrust into the Emperor's domain in the waning years of the 41st Millennium.It now has taken up position above the Thousand Sons' original Legion homeworld of Prospero. The Thousand Sons have finally come home in a most unexpected way.
Planet of the Sorcerers - Return to Prospero: The catastrophic effects of a full-scale Thousand Sons invasion are exemplified by the Legion's Siege of the Fenris System in ca. 999.M41. The attack drew the Space Wolves back to defend their homeworld, allowing the Sons of Magnus to wreak vengeance upon them.Unnatural footsoldiers from the entire Chaos pantheon joined in the slaughter before Magnus himself stepped forth from the Warp onto the surface of Fenris, there to face the Chapter that had thought to execute his sons on Prospero ten thousand standard years before. Space Wolves, Dark Angels and Grey Knights champions fell to Magnus' psychic might, their minds and bodies dashed to particulate matter.But the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar was able to land a blow on the Crimson King, allowing the Daemon Hunters of the Grey Knights to work their rites of banishment.Though the invasion was driven back, its purpose had been achieved. The psychic anguish of a billion deaths rippled through the Immaterium, providing the final component in a ritual millennia in the making. The psychic energy taken from the worlds of the Space Wolves saturated the Planet of the Sorcerers. It vanished from the Warp only to burst violently into realspace, appearing near the burnt husk of lost Prospero.The old and new homeworlds of the Thousand Sons now orbit the same cursed star -- a star that has become an omen of doom in the skies throughout the Imperium.
Planet of the Sorcerers - Warp Fleets of Magnus: Scarring the minds of all who look upon them, the Silver Towers are the largest remnants of ancient Prospero's citadel spires. Each of these mighty fortresses exists across dimensions, and wherever they go they spread the chaotic influence of Tzeentch.Though they manifest in realspace, the Silver Towers contain chambers that are fragments of the Crystal Labyrinth entwining the Grand Conspirator's kingdom in the Realm of Chaos.For millennia the Silver Towers have been harbingers of madness and death, appearing from Warp fractures above Imperial worlds across the galaxy. Arcane lightning lances out to incinerate anything that draws near to them while cruelly mawed cannons and more esoteric weapons open fire. When the gates of the Silver Towers open, rank upon rank of Thousand Sons march forth to enact destruction.Magnus the Red leads his Warp fleets from his flagship, Tizca's Revenge. This vast and monstrous voidcraft is fashioned from the plundered resources of an entire Imperial world, fused together with unfathomable Warp energies as a simulacrum of the Great Pyramid of Tizca.
Planet of the Sorcerers - Trivia: The Eye of Magnus atop the Tower of the Cyclops is similar to the Eye of Sauron atop Barad-dûr, the Black Tower, in the Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Planetary Defence Force - Planetary Defence Force: A Planetary Defence Force (usually abbreviated to PDF) is the primary military force of an individual Imperial world. The PDF is under the control of the local planetary government rather than direct Imperial control; the raising, training, arming, leadership, etc., of such units is entirely in the hands of the world's Planetary Governor. According to Imperial law, all Imperial planets must maintain a standing army in order to maintain the planetary government's (and thus the Imperium's) control over the world against any possible invasion or insurrection.The PDF, as essentially the local military of an Imperial world, has no standardisation and can take any form; some, such as the PDF of Hive Worlds, may be no more than legitimised gangs supported and armed by the local planetary government to keep down the more anarchic elements. When facing any internal or external threat, it is the responsibility of the PDF to engage the enemy until Imperial reinforcements such as the Astra Militarum or Space Marines can be mustered by the nearby Sector Command.Thus, although rarely respected within the broader Imperial military due to their relative lack of experience, the PDF are widely considered crucial to the Departmento Munitorum as the first line of defence for Imperial worlds against any form of invasion or rebellion. Also important is the PDF's role as the primary source of recruits for the Imperial Guard. Whenever required, the best soldiers in a PDF are transferred into the regiments of the Imperial Guard, receiving further training as they are shipped to their destined locations elsewhere in the galaxy. However, the loyalty of many PDF units is not always true. Many PDF regiments on certain worlds will betray their Planetary Governor if the opportunity -- and the right incentive -- arises.Larger planetary populations may permanently support professional PDF corps, including elite special forces troops. These elites may be House troops belonging to a particular noble dynasty, under the command of the Planetary Governor of the world, or even Kill Squad Storm Troopers.
Planetary Defence Force - Suspect Loyalties: Although the PDF automatically defaults all command to any Imperial forces that arrive in the event of an emergency, there are many possible reasons the PDF or elements of it may join in rebellion against Imperial authority; Chaos or alien (particularly Genestealer) infiltration of the planet can cause divided loyalties as PDF regiments turn Traitor or are psychically enslaved by their Genestealer relatives.The sheer ambition of corrupt Planetary Governors and other organisations in control of the planet can mean the PDF under their control turns against the off-world Imperial forces. This concern is a cause of continual mistrust in PDF forces by the Imperium in general, and further reason for Imperial military commanders to prefer to rely on non-local defences when possible. Imperial Inquisitors are particularly known for a lack of trust in the local PDF of a world they are investigating, and are often quick to have nearby Imperial forces available, particularly elements of the Chambers Militant of their respective Ordo, should the need arise.
Planetary Governor - Secession: Those Imperial Commanders possessed (sometimes literally) of the worst excesses of arrogance and hubris may take it upon themselves to bring about not only the secession of their own fiefdoms from the Emperor's realm, but to foster such thoughts in their neighbours. This is especially true in regions isolated from the Imperium at large, perhaps by vast gulfs of interstellar space or by raging Warp Storms.The leaders of such worlds might band together under a single, charismatic leader, and establish small stellar empires. Such entities rarely endure for long, for any agents of the Imperium's bodies residing upon their worlds either rise up or call for aid. Some do manage to maintain a semblance of legitimacy and stability; however, the population is entirely ignorant of the fact that their worlds have cut all ties with the rest of Humanity.Some especially foolish leaders go so far as to openly pronounce themselves separated from the Imperium. These are doomed, for the Imperium launches mighty crusades to reclaim such lost territory, often accompanied, or even led, by the agents of the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition.
Planetary Governor - Planetary Governors and the Inquisition: Regardless of the type of political system by which a world is administered, there exists a single individual who holds the post of Imperial Commander, or planetary governor. Most of the worlds of the Imperium are entirely independent, at least so long as tithes are forthcoming, but others are the domains of such bodies as the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Departmento Munitorum or even the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes.Even so, there is an official who holds such a rank -- a magos prime or fabricator-general in the case of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a supreme prefect in the case of the Administratum, or the Chapter Master or designated mortal regent in the case of the Space Marines. The exact title varies from world to world, but the political principle is more or less universal.When acting overtly on any of the Imperium's worlds, it is common for an Inquisitor to go straight to the top -- to the world's Imperial Commander. Should the Inquisitor have need of the world's resources, most cut out the middle men and make their requests -- or demands -- directly of the individual who holds ultimate power on the world.Depending on their demeanour, an Inquisitor might approach an Imperial governor as a peer, with appropriate ceremony. They might hold court, laying out requirements and pacifying the governor's ego with honeyed words and shows of respect.Regardless of the words they use in such instances, no Inquisitor considers themselves anything other than above the Imperial Commander, and such players are amongst the most dangerous and effective of the Inquisition's operatives. Other Inquisitors make no such compromises, riding roughshod over local sensitivities and demanding in no uncertain terms what they require.The vast majority of Imperial Commanders comply with an Inquisitor's demands without hesitation, for even if their people are ignorant of much of the greater Imperium, they are fully aware that they are just one world amongst multitudes and ultimately owe their power to the grace of the Adeptus Terra. Some governors might feel wounded by an Inquisitor's methods, resenting a blunt reminder of the limitations of their own powers. It is still a very foolish Imperial Commander indeed who presents any objection to an Inquisitor's demands.It is when the Imperial Commander has something to hide that things get interesting. In such an instance, the Inquisitor is most likely testing the governor, knowing full well that he or she has something to hide and perhaps seeking to force their hand. In so doing, an especially bold Inquisitor might unveil a rebellion that would otherwise have taken many solar months of investigation to bring about; the Imperial Commander revealing their treachery for all to see.
Planets - Types of Planets: The galaxy teems with worlds. The majority are gas giants, worlds of frozen methane, huge, globular masses of hydrogen that failed to become stars, and many other variations.Some of these are mined or exploited in some way and may even harbour their own forms of truly bizarre alien life, but it is mostly upon small, rocky, terrestrial worlds that Mankind, and its enemies, are found. Within this category of world, however, are many variations and Humanity endures all manner of different environments in its quest to survive in a cruel and unwelcoming universe.The Adeptus Administratum of the Imperium generally classifies all planets in the galaxy according to the following classifications for the purposes of raising tithes of raw materials, manufactured products and Astra Militarum regiments.