vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Diablodon - History: On their native planet of Aurum, Diablodons are considered to be the ultimate predator. They are descended from the reptile strain of midasaurs. While some midasaurs have been domesticated by the Auran people, many more are not. These range from the small and virtually harmless species, to the massive Diablodons themselves. Found scattered across numerous worlds within the Jericho Reach, Diablodons have been distributed by many Rogue Traders and Free Captains for a variety of reasons: some deliberate and others by accident. They feature popularly within many of the legendary Beast Trades and tournament arenas for obvious reasons.Diablodons play a significant role in the culture and mythology of the native Aurans. In some of the outlying tribes, the Diablodon is believed to represent the true spirit of the hunter. Dances, performances, and literature have all centred on this terrifying creature. The most prominent role these reptiles play is in the Aurans' Divested Hunt.The truest test of a huntsman's skill, the Divested Hunt involves tracking, stalking, and then killing one of these great monsters. So voracious and skilful are Diablodons that those who attempt the Divested Hunt rarely return. Once the reptile is found, it must be killed and its carcass ritually prepared. This is easier said than done, for these creatures possess a keen intellect and refuse to be taken down easily.As terrifying as the Diablodon is, there are many myths and legends surrounding it. On Aurum, the most significant one revolves around the Diablodon as a harbinger of death. In the Human cultures of Aurum, the Diablodon is portrayed as a psychopomp, the being who ferries the dead to the afterlife beyond. Many young hunters also choose to tattoo the Diablodon's image on their bodies, as they believe having the symbol of the monster allows them to channel a small part of its strength and animal cunning. With the return of the Imperium and the Achilus Crusade, this practice has spread throughout some of the regiments of the Astra Militarum operating with the crusade, much to the dismay of the Departmento Munitorum.
Diablodon - Anatomy and Physiology: Diablodons are fearsome-looking reptiles. They all have a distinctive crimson hide that has spectacular patterns and whorls streaked into the scales. A typical Diablodon sports a sagittal crest and massive, needle-like teeth. Their eyes are glistening yellow orbs, and their talons are as long and as sharp as an Imperial Power Sword. Diablodons have a hunched-over stance, walking on their two hind legs. Adults stand as tall as an Adeptus Astartes Dreadnought. They have a distinctive three-toed track that hunters quickly learn to recognise. The talons and claws of a Diablodon are almost always covered in the gore and remains of past victims; thus, any wounds inflicted by a Diablodon inevitably turn septic unless treated.Diablodons prefer to dwell within caves or other subterranean places, especially those that are near volcanic or geothermal areas. This preference not only adds to their mystique, but also provides additional protection from potential predators. One of the obvious signs that a Diablodon lair is near is the grisly pile of leftover carcasses and split bones -- the reptile isn't one to finish its meal entirely.Evidence supports that Diablodons are excellent night hunters, leading some to believe that they possess both superior night vision and a heightened sense of smell. An unusual trait in Diablodons is the fact that they are not pack hunters -- preferring to hunt on their own. In fact, a Diablodon will go out of its way to remove any "competition" from its hunting grounds.While their mating habits are unknown, it is speculated that a Diablodon will only tolerate the presence of another until the female has been fertilised. She will then leave the area and either locate a suitable place to lay her eggs (near volcanic vents, if possible), or return to her own hunting grounds. The Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus suspect that the male is the one who initiates the mating ritual by extending his sagittal crest to lure the female in. However, it is not unheard of for male Diablodons to do this as a means to reduce competition for food sources by attacking the potential mate instead of propagating.
Diabolist - Diabolist: A Diabolist was a unique officer class utilised exclusively by the traitorous Word Bearers Legion during the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium who were capable of making use of ritualised psychic powers to use the Warp as a weapon against the Emperor's Loyalists.The term "Diabolist" was first coined by the few survivors of the 22nd Chapter of the Ultramarines Legion during the Battle of Calth in 007.M31.This designation was later adopted en masse by their brethren to identify those Word Bearers commanders whose training appeared to somehow harness the Ætheric medium as a weapon of war.These consul-type specialist officers represented a Word Bearers officer who had already become engulfed in the unholy lore of Chaos and had paid the forfeit with their soul. They were able to direct the corporeal manifestations of the Warp -- manifesting what some observers have called "Warp magic."Carefully hidden from Ultramarines observers, other officers of similar specialisation to those observed in various cities appeared to have been present in most of the Word Bearers units mustered on Calth.  Indeed, ritual use of psychic powers by these individuals appears to have been the source of some of the bizarre transformations and illogical tactical choices made by certain Word Bearers formations.One of many dictates issued by Primarch Roboute Guilliman in the campaigns following Calth was the priority targetting of enemy officers classified as Diabolists.These specialist officers are akin to the present-day Word Bearers' spiritual leaders, known as Dark Apostles. It is not known if these individuals are still utilised in the ranks of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion in the 41st Millennium or have been completely subsumed by the Dark Apostles.
Diagnostor - Diagnostor: The Diagnostor is a sophisticated medical device used across the galaxy. It can detect and diagnose almost every ailment known to the Imperium of Man, and can be incorporated into medical kits, Servo-skulls, and other dedicated Servitors.Any individual trained in medical knowledge in the Astra Militarum or any other Imperial military branch understands its use.
Diamantine - Diamantine: Diamantine is a composite ceramic material used by the Imperium of Man to fabricate weapons, ammunition and some forms of personal body armour. "Diamantine" means consisting of diamonds, or resembling diamonds' molecular structure and is an indicator that some form of industrialised diamond material is used in the ceramic composite.
Diamantine - Known Uses: Diamantine is used to tip standard Bolter ammunition. The standard bullets used by Assault Cannons and other projectiles used by Imperial ballistic weapons also possess diamantine tips. This material replaces the more common metals like lead, steel and tungsten that were used to craft the ammunition for most ancient firearms in the late 2nd and early 3rd Millenniums.Armour for Imperial forces is sometimes constructed of diamantine, and walls and doors of Imperial facilities are sometimes lined or constructed from it, notably the walls of an Adeptus Astartes Chapter's fortress-monastery.
Diamat - Diamat: Diamat is an Imperial Forge World of the Adeptus Mechanicus located in the Segmentum Ultima. It was also the former homeworld of the Legio Gladius Titan Legion, whose current status is unknown.
Diamat - History: Unfortunately, the early history of this Forge World has been lost down the long millennia. Diamat is an isolated Forge World located in that Tanagra System in the Segmentum Ultima and only 52.7 light years from the Istvaan System. It also happened to be one of the most heavily industrialised systems in the entire sector, with the Class I-Ultra Forge World of Diamat and more than two dozen mining outposts and refineries scattered throughout the system.Historically, Tanagra was rediscovered by Horus' XVI Legion and became Compliant relatively early in the Great Crusade. It was a key logistical centre for the region ever since. For much of the Great Crusade, this Forge World helped manufacture mighty Ordinatus war machines for the Expeditionary Fleets of the burgeoning Imperium of Man.
Dias of Dominion - Dias of Dominion: The Dias of Dominion is a great, anti-gravitic Necron construct that the Silent King and the ruling Necron Triarch sit atop when going to battle.The dias is accompanied by two Triarchal Menhirs, and a captured C'tan known as the Enchained is bound atop it.The current Triarch that makes use of the Dias of Dominion in the Age of the Dark Imperium is the last of the Silent Kings, Szarekh, and his two companion phaerons, Mesophet the Shadowed Hand and Hapthatra the Radiant.
Diaz Lan - Diaz Lan: Diaz Lan is a Rogue Trader operating within the Jericho Reach who is closely aligned with the high command of the Achilus Crusade. Lan is a member of the Rogue Trader dynasty of House Lan, which sent many vessels through the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate with the Achilus Crusade.A far better diplomat than the crusade's busy commanding Lord Militant Solomon Tetrarchus, Diaz Lan was nominated for the position of crusade liaison, and is often the voice of requests from the crusade high command and lord militant himself to other factions within the Jericho Reach. Serving as the crusade's errand boy, however, is far from the ambitious Diaz Lan's first choice of occupation. An explorer by heart, he has had to content that wanderlust for many solar decades by gathering the second-hand tales and trophies of others.Aboard his light cruiser, the Horizon's Pride, the small museum in his library is but the tip of an iceberg. He has secreted away dozens of artefacts, weapons, and documents that would raise many eyebrows if they came to light.While Lan's status as a Rogue Trader affords him a great deal of leeway in his possessions and interests, the crusade's forces contain enough steadfast Puritans that discretion is in his best interests. Lan is a scholar and collector, not a sympathiser with the alien's cause. Even if he could power his Helix Gauntlet, he has no more intention of wielding it than he does of converting to the T'au Empire.To those who make a good impression on the Rogue Trader, he launches an exploratory philosophical conversation about alien lore to see how much it is safe to reveal. And to those who win his trust, Lan proves to be a highly knowledgeable resource about the secrets of the Jericho Reach.
Diaz Lan - Diplomatic Mission to Aurum: From 798.M41 to 816.M41, Diaz Lan made overtures to the Humans of the Feral World of Aurum to bring them into Imperial Compliance.Due to the world's critical importance to the Achilus Crusade as a food-supplier, a source of additional reinforcements, and as the source of the unique Decavane Crystals, the mission was deemed critical by the crusade's High Command.Unfortunately, the Rogue Trader made little success, with the Aurans refusing to honor future negotiations with him on the grounds of Lan being "not a Man."For this reason and more, Inquisitor Adrielle Quist charged the Deathwatch with accompanying Lan, as the Aurans proved more amenable towards military diplomats.Indeed, Lan himself thought it ironic how the Adeptus Astartes were the last hope for peace on Aurum. For in truth, the Lord Militant Tetrarchus had suspicions of an alien landing planet-side.The need for peace and the planet's resources demanded both compliance from the natives, and the neutralizing of any xenos threat.
Diaz Lan - Description: During a meeting with Deathwatch forces in Watch Fortress Erioch, Lan was described as being silver-haired, trim of frame and swathed in a cruxermine fur cloak.
Dictator-class Cruiser - Dictator-class Cruiser: A Dictator-class Cruiser is an Imperial Navy cruiser that has been retrofitted from heavily damaged Lunar-class Cruisers, with the aft Lance decks replaced entirely by heavy launch bays for large squadrons of Fury starfighters and Starhawk bombers.Originally designed for launching Thunderbolts and Marauders against planetside targets, successive upgrades to the Dictator's communications and auspex detection systems expanded its capabilities for launching long-range attack craft strikes against other capital ships in deep space.Increasingly, they were outfitted to carry Furies and Starhawks instead, until this became their standard complement of attack craft.In the Calixis Sector, several Dictators have been constructed from the keel up using this design instead of being retrofitted.
Dictator-class Cruiser - History: The Dictator is a popular Imperial naval choice as a flagship for long range anti-piracy patrols, as its launch bays give it a significant degree of strategic flexibility. Pirates often lair in asteroid fields or within the atmospheres of obscure planetoids.The ability of attack craft to flush these parasites out and into the range of the warship's powerful Macrocannon macrobatteries is extremely useful, and attack craft also extend the Dictator's reach far beyond the range of its guns.Rogue Traders value Dictators for these reasons, and they are much-coveted vessels amongst this diverse community. Depending upon the inclinations of the individual Rogue Trader, the void-capable (and expensive) Furies and Starhawks are often replaced with more economical Marauders and Thunderbolts, the better to intimidate defiant planetary populations into submission.During the Gothic War, Dictator-class Cruisers proved invaluable for escorting convoys of vulnerable Imperial transport ships through areas threatened by Chaos warships.A single Dictator with a handful of escorts proved an exceedingly flexible force capable of running down pirates and raiding hostile worlds with waves of attack craft.Of particular note was the Rhadamanthine which, in concert with the Skargul patrol, scored a series of spectacular successes against pirates in the Orar Sub-sector of the Gothic Sector.As the demand for supporting attack craft in major actions grew, a number of badly damaged Lunar-class Cruisers were reconfigured as Dictators at the main fleet bases of the Imperial Navy in the sector.By the end of the war, seven more Dictators were in service, more than compensating for the loss of the Rhadamanthine and Archon Kort to Abaddon's Chaos warfleets.
Dictator-class Cruiser - Weapon Capacity: The Dictator-class Cruiser comes pre-equipped with two Jovian Pattern Launch Bays that take up a port and starboard weapon capacity slot. These are built into the design, and nearly impossible to remove.A Dictator-class Cruiser's internal space has already been reduced to account for the incorporation of these fighter bays.
Dictator-class Cruiser - Notable Dictator-Class Cruisers: Archon Kort - The Archon Kort was active during the Gothic War but was destroyed by Abaddon the Despoiler's fleet.Fortitude - The Fortitude fought during the Gothic War, where it participated in several major battles of the conflict, but distinguished itself during the Imperial Navy's victory at Pirates' Haven. The Fortitude was later destroyed by a squadron of Craftworld Aeldari Hellebore-class Frigates in the Picus Offensive.Rhadamanthine - The Rhadamanthine was active during the Gothic War, though her starboard flight decks were blown clean off by torpedoes during a Chaos attack at Bladen early on. In concert with the Skargul Patrol, it scored a series of spectacular successes against pirates in the Orar Sub-sector, but the ship was ultimately destroyed by Abaddon's fleet before the end of that conflict.Lord Solar Macharius - The Lord Solar Macharius fought and achieved great renown during the Gothic War, under the command of Flag-Captain Leoten Semper. Amongst his more notable feats were the rout of the Chaos armada besieging the world of Helia IV, the acquisition of the first proof and detailed Auspex readings of Abaddon's Planet Killer and securing Eldar assistance for the Imperial war effort at the end of the Gothic War.
Dictator-class Cruiser - Dimensions: Hull: CruiserClass: Dictator-class CruiserDimensions: 5.1 kilometres long, approximately 0.8 kilometres abeam at finsMass: Approximately 29 MegatonnesCrew: Approximately 85,000 crew, 15,000 pilots and other support personnelAcceleration: 2.5 gravities maximum sustainable acceleration
Dictators - Dictators: DictatorsSpace MarineChapterFoundingImperial
Dictators - Chapter Colours: The Dictators' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Dictators - Chapter Badge: The Dictators' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Dictatus-class Battleship - Dictatus-class Battleship: The Dictatus-class Battleship was a class of battleship used by the Imperial Army's Imperialis Armada and the expeditionary fleets of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
Dictatus-class Battleship - Notable Dictatus-class Battleships: Proudheart - A battleship of the Emperor's Children Legion that, during the Great Crusade, took part in the War on Murder against the Megarachnids. When he arrived in orbit of Murder and tried to identify this ship, Horus designated it as a battle barge.Lance of Heaven - A battleship of the White Scars Legion, it was an ancient vessel by the time of the Horus Heresy, and often served as one of the Legion's flagships. The Lance of Heaven led the White Scars during the Battle of the Kalium Gate before becoming the Legion's flagship following the sacrifice of the Swordstorm during the Battle of Catallus. During the Solar War at the start of the Siege of Terra in the Sol System, the Lance of Heaven acted as the command vessel of Jubal Khan as it engaged a fleet under Ezekyle Abaddon of the Sons of Horus and Zardu Layak of the Word Bearers. The ship was boarded by both Traitor commanders, and Jubal was slain by Abaddon in single combat. The ship itself was presumably destroyed by the enemy, but its status remains unknown.Kurga -  The Kurga was a battleship of the Imperialis Armada of the Imperial Army. It was designed to serve as a ram battleship that would physically assault other warships during void combat and so was equipped with three six-kilometre-long servo claws and voidship-sized melta harpoons.
Dieprian Mountain Men - Dieprian Mountain Men: The Dieprian Mountain Men are regiments of the Astra Militarum drawn from the world of Dieper III.Dieper III is an extremely mountainous world and Dieprian Mountain Men regiments are specialists in alpine and other forms of mountainous warfare. There is little information on this regiment in current Imperial records.
Dieprian Mountain Men - Notable Dieprian Mountain Men: Lorenzo Cavalieri - Captain Lorenzo Cavalieri was a Dieprian company commander who led his troops in various conflicts on the world of Laidia against a warband of Chaos Space Marines.Iuseppe Carrafiello - Carrafiello was a Dieprian sniper who killed a Chaos Lord with a shot to the head while he was slaughtering a squad of a dozen Imperial Guard privates.
Dieprian Mountain Men - Trivia: The Dieprian regiments are based on Italy's elite Alpini Corps of mountain warfare specialists, established in 1876 and active during both World Wars.
Dieprian Mountain Men - Sources: Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pg. 28
Dies Irae - Dies Irae: The Dies Irae ("Day of Wrath" in High Gothic) was a massive Imperator-class Battle Titan assigned to the Death's Head Legion, the Legio Mortis, of the Adeptus Mechanicus' Collegia Titanica. This Legion served during the final days of the Great Crusade as part of the Titan contingent assigned to the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet of the Warmaster Horus and his Sons of Horus Space Marine Legion. The Dies Irae was commanded by Princeps Esau Turnet and his two Moderati Primus were Titus Cassar and Jonah Aruken.When the Horus Heresy began during Horus' massacre of the Traitor Legions' remaining Loyalists at Istvaan III, Princeps Turnet and Jonah Aruken chose to side with the Warmaster while Moderati Cassar, a devotee of the early Lectio Divinitatus cult which believed in the divinity of the Emperor of Mankind, opposed Horus' betrayal. Aruken killed Cassar and the Dies Irae took no action to stop the Istvaan III Atrocity when the Traitors' Virus Bombs began to fall upon the Loyalist Space Marines of the Sons of Horus, World Eaters, Death Guard and Emperor's Children Legions.Ultimately, the Dies Irae joined the forces of the Dark Mechanicum and it and its crew were twisted and corrupted by their exposure to the powers of Chaos. The Dies Irae met its end at the hand of Imperial Titans in 999.M41 during the 13th Black Crusade on the Forge World of Hydra Cordatus.
Digital Weapons - Digital Weapons: Digital Weapons, or Digi-Weapons, ostensibly supplied by the Adeptus Mechanicus to the Imperium, owe their provenance to nimble xenos technosavants, known as the Jokaero. Though they are short ranged, they can be triggered to discharge potent laser blasts or jets of flame just as the enemy believes the wearer to be most vulnerable.They are fitted into rings, bionic implants or the knuckles of a glove. They lack range, but can be used in melee to take an enemy unaware and cause great harm. The only drawback is that most of these small devices either take a while to recharge their power source or end up being a one-time-use weapon.
Digital Weapons - History: Digital weapons appear to be rings or other jewellery, but are actually powerful ranged weapons of either archeotech or of xenos origin. The most common of these (if common can be used to describe such wondrous items) are crafted by the brightly-haired, ape-like aliens known as the Jokaero. Their creations are so marvellously constructed that even Throne Agents of the Holy Ordos have been known to wear them.These compact weapon can pack the punch of a full-sized weapon. Digi-versions of hand Flamers, Inferno Pistols, Laspistols and Needle Pistols are just some of the various weapon types that can be acquired. Sometimes, the types of digi-weapons that are desired can vary by the different regions of the galaxy. For example, within the Calixis Sector, two of the most popular types of digital weapons amongst the agents of the Calixian Conclave of the Inquisition are the digi-las weapons, and digital explosives.Digi-las weapons are usually modelled in the form of rings, and can be used in close combat as a pistol. Digital explosives are made to look like a wide variety of jewellery, are armed by applying precise pressure to certain points, and then thrown. Of course, both have their drawbacks: digi-las weapons take considerable time to replenish their tiny power reserves, and digital explosives are strictly one use only, making them an expensive investment.
Digital Weapons - Notable Digital Weapons Users: Skitarii - Skitarii Vanguard/Ranger Alphas and Sicarian Infiltrator/Ruststalker Princeps use digital weapons.Space Marines - Space Marine captains, Chaplains, Librarians, and Techmarines sometimes are outfitted with digital weapons.Inquisition - Inquisitors and other high-ranking members of the Inquisition have been found with digital weapons. While many of the alien-hunting Ordo Xenos believe that all aliens should be killed, this is not true for all Ordo Xenos Inquisitors. Some believe that if an alien species does not wish the Imperium harm and does not move against Imperial interests then cooperating with them is not out of the question. Some aliens possess technology that far surpasses the Imperium's own, such as the elegant digital weapons made by the ape-like Jokaero, and trading for such technology may be to the Imperium's benefit. Bearing a weapon of alien manufacture is not a crime in itself, not at least for Inquisitors, Rogue Traders, and others of such rank. For the common citizen it is of course a crime, often punishable by death. Such items as digi-weapons are highly-prized amongst those who have need of such easily concealed "hold-out" weaponry, and they command a high price when offered for sale.
Digital Weapons - Notable Digital Weapons: Dead Man's Hand - The Dead Man's Hand is a gauntlet containing a set of built-in digital weapons that could be utilised in melee combat. It was once wielded by the former captain of the Blood Angels Space Marines' 3rd Company, Erasmus Tycho. Upon his death it became an important relic of the Chapter.Gauntlet of the Forge - The Gauntlet of the Forge is a master-crafted gauntlet with a built-in Heavy Flamer that incorporates a set of digital weapons, whose molten rage none can endure. It is one of the nine Artefacts of Vulkan and is wielded by Vulkan He'stan who serves as the current Forgefather of the Salamanders Chapter.
Digital Weapons - ​Sources: Codex: Skitarii (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 172Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition), pg. 198Codex: Inquisition (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 105Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 272Dark Heresy: Ascension (RPG), pg. 138Dark Heresy: The Radical's Handbook (RPG), pg. 25Rogue Trader: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 127Inquisitor: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 74The Inquisition - Illustrated Guide (Sourcebook) pg. 27Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pg. 78
Dilen Belfry - Dilen Belfry: General Dilen Belfry was a senior Imperial military commander who served under Warmaster Slaydo during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. He was heroically killed in action on the world of Ambold Eleven in 756.M41 during Operation Newfound.
Dilen Belfry - History: During the planning stages of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, the strategically important world of Ambold Eleven had been proposed as an objective of the opening stages of the Imperial campaign into the Sabbat Worlds Sector. At the final hour before the Crusade was to commence, Slaydo overruled this scheme and instead decided that Ambold Eleven would be one of the primary objectives when the Crusade began the second phase, known as Operation Newfound, focusing its priorities on the liberation of the region known as the Newfound Trailing Group. Just before the initial phase of Operation Newfound took place, the Crusade trained its focus on liberating the towering hive cities of Ambold Eleven.The assault on the Chaos-held planet began in the middle of 756.M41, as Admiral Karslae decimated the orbital fortresses and destroyed enemy shipping at both the high and low anchor orbital points, allowing for the Imperial Guard forces under the command of General Belfry to execute an overnight orbital drop into the enemy strongholds of Pelbury Civitas, Upper Ganff and Amboldus Hive. Between the days of 201 and 288 of 756.M41, the forces of the Archenemy drove back three waves of troop attacks. Though not well-supplied or equipped, the Imperial forces dug in and benefited from the sturdy concentric wall defences of Ambold's citadels. Approximately 9,500 Imperial Guardsmen were lost trying to breach the walls. General Belfry himself was killed in action during a mortar attack.
Dinorwyc Cluster - Dinorwyc Cluster: The Dinorwyc Cluster was a regional grouping of Imperial Agri-worlds located in the Cadian Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus. Its agricultural output was considered vital to the supply of the nearby worlds.It was for this reason that in 956.M41 the Imperium moved swiftly to put down the rebellion on the nearby Fortress World of Kieldar during what became known as the Kieldar Offensive. The Segmentum High Command feared that the Kieldarian rebellion, later proved to have been instigated by Chaos Cultists, might have spread to the cluster.
Diocletian Coros - Diocletian Coros: Diocletian Coros was a Prefect of the Legio Custodes, the elite bodyguard of the Emperor of Mankind, and close confidant of the Master of Mankind during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the 30th and early 31st Millennia. He was a member of the Custodians' Hykanatoi caste.Coros fought in the Imperial War Within the Webway under the command of Tribune Ra Endymion, and managed to escape back into realspace before the Emperor sealed the portal in the Imperial Palace's dungeons.Coros was one of the few Custodians still capable of dreaming, which they believed represented a way for the Emperor to make His will known to His praetorians after His ascension to the Golden Throne.Coros would pen a tome, The Master of Mankind, which would contain many of his dreams and prior interactions with the Emperor that would still be available to the Adeptus Custodes of the 41st Millennium.
Diocletian Coros - History: Following the Crimson King's folly, when the Thousand Sons Primarch Magnus the Red attempted to warn the Emperor through sorcerous means of Horus' corruption and eventual perfidy, the wards placed on the Imperial extension of the Webway deep within the Imperial Palace's dungeons were breached, which allowed the Daemonic legions of Chaos to encroach upon the Emperor's palace.Five Terran years into the War Within the Webway, things began to go badly for the Imperial forces, as the never-ending hordes of Daemons threatened to breach the sanctity of the Palace's dungeons and spill out onto the surface of the Throneworld itself.Diocletian Coros was charged with organising a fresh wave of Imperial forces to resist the encroaching forces of Chaos, which included the condemned prisoners of the fallen Imperial Knight House Vyridion, who would aid the beleaguered Imperial forces at Calastar (a derelict Aeldari city, nicknamed the "Impossible City") just as the Chaos hordes began to overrun it.As events turned dire for the defending Imperial forces, the Emperor Himself was finally able to leave the confines of the Golden Throne, following the sacrifice of one-thousand psykers, in order to cover the retreat of the decimated Imperial forces and to confront the foul Daemonic entity known as Drach'nyen. During this battle, Diocletian fought at the sides of both Ra Endymion and the Emperor, and eventually fought his way back to Terra and escaped the confines of the Imperial Webway just before the Emperor sealed the portal, effectively ending the War Within the Webway.Following the battle, the Emperor began to show Diocletian visions of both His and Terra's past, much as He had done with Ra. This could be an indication that Diocletian was raised to the status of Tribune following Ra's disappearance into the Webway.
Diocletian Coros - The Master of Mankind: Following the Horus Heresy, there were accounts, written in arcane script and buried in the deepest vaults of the Inner Palace, that tell of detailed testimony from the oldest of the Adeptus Custodes' order, now all long dead. Some of the greatest -- Diocletian Coros, Thanassar, even Constantin Valdor himself -- were said to have had dreams in which knowledge was given.To a Custodian, dreams do not mean the same as they do others. During their ordinary lives, Custodians do not dream at all, for something in their psyche changes after their transformation, and whatever purpose dreaming has for the mortal psyche is made redundant by the alteration.But there were exceptions, legendary ones. They were spoken of carefully, reverently, for it was in the form of dreams, long ago, that the Emperor's will was made most clearly manifest to His Custodians.Diocletian Coros would pen his seminal work, The Master of Mankind, some time after the end of the Horus Heresy, a copy of which could still be read by the Adeptus Custodes some ten millennia later. It detailed many of his interactions with the Emperor, including the visions and dreams he believed the Master of Mankind had given him.
Dire Avengers - Dire Avengers: The Dire Avengers were the first amongst the Aspect Warriors of the Aeldari. They represent the Aeldari war god Khaela Mensha Khaine in his aspect as the noblest and yet most merciless of warriors. The Dire Avengers show no mercy to their foes and are unwavering in their devotion to their people.These warriors are the least specialised and the most tactically flexible of all the Warrior Aspects, as they serve Aeldari armies as elite ranged infantry. The Dire Avengers are also the most common of the Warrior Aspects amongst the Aeldari, and their shrines are the largest to be found on all the craftworlds.
Dire Avengers - History: The Dire Avengers Warrior Aspect can trace their origins to Asurmen, the first of the Phoenix Lords, those master warriors who lead the Aeldari Aspect Warriors and who are each absolute masters of their Aspect's form of combat.Following the Fall of the Aeldari, Asurmen was the Aeldari who led the Craftworlds away from the ancient Aeldari homeworlds at the time of the Fall and it was he who founded the first of the Aspect Shrines, the Dire Avengers, who are the most numerous of the Aeldari Aspect Warriors.As a species on the brink of extinction, beset on all sides by hostile forces, many Aeldari eventually walk the Path of the Warrior and take on the mantle of an Aspect Warrior. Whereas most Aeldari who take up arms do so in times of great crisis as the militia known as Guardians, those who walk the Path of the Warrior embrace the art of war fully, devoting their every breath to the pursuit of military perfection.Those who attend the shrine of the Dire Avengers are the manifestation of the noble warrior, showing no mercy to their foes and tirelessly devoting themselves to their people. When not at war or embarked upon missions, the Dire Avengers spend much of their time at their Aspect Shrine, meditating upon battle, studying the tactics and strategies of their ancestors, and practicing their skills at arms.The ritual masks and armour that Aspect Warriors wear set them apart as the elite soldiers of their race. Although they are rarely encountered beyond their craftworld, the Dire Avengers are nonetheless the most commonly encountered Aeldari Aspect Warriors, for they are skilled and adaptable troops deployed to deal with any external threats.It is to the Dire Avengers that the Farseers turn for the most important missions. When an ancient Aeldari relic needs to be recovered or an abandoned Webway portal needs to be defended, Dire Avengers are often sent to carry out the task. When a Human or Ork colony is discovered upon a Maiden World, Dire Avengers are sent to clear the trespassers. On those occasions when a Farseer has need to meet with agents of the Imperium of Man, it is the Dire Avengers who accompany him as an honour guard.Dire Avengers are patient and methodical warriors, as furious in attack as they are intractable in defence. They possess an uncanny ability to read the ebb and flow of a battle, in much the same way as a sailor might read the sea, riding its waves and harnessing its power to overwhelm a foe. One moment they might unleash a hail of fire before plunging forwards into the enemy lines, Power Weapons drawn, whilst the next they might be falling back, luring their foe into a carefully prepared ambush.
Dire Avengers - Role: Dire Avengers take to the field armed with Avenger Shuriken Catapults. These elegant weapons are even more advanced than the Shuriken Catapults used by the Craftworld Guardians. Their lethal volleys echo the Death of a Thousand Blades, the punishment that Khaine metes out upon traitors and cheats who are unworthy of a clean kill.Each silent fusillade of incredibly sharp monomolecular discs is levelled with such pin-point accuracy that they slice through armour, bone and flesh with sickening ease. They have an uncanny knack of knowing when to follow this onslaught with a lightning-fast assault and when to carefully draw the enemy forward onto their blades. It is rare to find an Aeldari force without a squad of these graceful warriors at its heart.Dire Avengers operate in combat in squads of five to ten warriors, which sometimes is led by a Dire Avengers Exarch. These squads will at times ride to war within a Wave Serpent transport. These patient, methodical warriors are equally well-suited for both offensive and defensive operations. Their training gives them the uncanny ability to read the ebb and flow of battle, knowing when to press the attack or feign retreat and fall back, luring their foes into a carefully prepared ambush.Dire Avengers are also trained in hand-to-hand combat techniques, though with the exception of their Exarchs who can become specialists in close combat techniques, this is not the primary focus of their training, which is bent towards generalised elite ranged infantry skills. When forced to engage in close combat, Dire Avengers carry deadly ceremonial knives as a weapon of last resort. Because of their adaptability, Dire Avengers are also the most common Aspect Warriors used to conduct special operations missions beyond the bounds of normal combat requirements. These missions can range from the necessity of aiding Exodites from an incursion by Greenskins to protecting a Farseer engaged in diplomatic negotiations with the arrogant Mon-keigh Inquisition.
Dire Avengers - Notable Dire Avengers Shrines: Argent Crest Shrine - Aspect Warriors of the Argent Crest bear colours and iconography unique to their shrine and independent of their craftworld.Falling Moon Shrine - Aspect Warriors of the Falling Moon wear a distinctive red colour crest on their helms.Knights Azure Shrine - The Knights Azure Aspect Warriors bear the colours of their individual craftworld on their right arm. The Knights Azure are known to pursue sightings of Asurmen.Sable Helm Shrine - As befits the name of their shrine, warriors of the Sable Helm are instantly recognisable by their black helmets.Silvered Blade Shrine - Dire Avengers of the Silvered Blade Shrine wear distinctive helm crests of alternating black and yellow.Sun Blade Shrine - Aspect Warriors of the Sun Blade shrine are known for their fierce counter-charges.
Dire Avengers - Dire Avengers Exarchs: Every Aspect Shrine of the Aeldari is led by an Exarch, a Craftworld Aeldari who has been called permanently to the Path of the Warrior. An Exarch has travelled so far down that Path 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 spirits 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.This permanent acceptance of the Aeldari's "war mask" provides Exarchs with enhanced skill and dedication to their craft and entitles them to access their Shrine's oldest and most advanced wargear. As befitting their Shrine's focus, the Dire Avenger Exarchs are tactically flexible warriors able to serve in multiple tactical roles. Rather than just one Shuriken Catapult, some Exarchs will carry two of these weapons into battle, wielding one in each hand with exceptional deadliness.Other Exarch will instead choose to leave behind the ranged combat skills that defined their early days upon the Path of the Warrior and focus on their hand-to-hand combat techniques, choosing to wield a combination of either Shuriken Pistol and Diresword or Power Weapon and Shimmershield if the Exarch prefers to concentrate exclusively on his or her melee role.Their secret knowledge and supernatural abilities also allow Exarchs to enhance the abilities of the Dire Avengers squads they lead. Under the guidance of their Exarch, a Dire Avengers squad can empty their weapons more rapidly than normal in an action known as a Bladestorm, creating a hurricane of deadly shuriken shards without loss of accuracy, though their weapons' depleted ammunition cores will require reloading. The Exarch can also lead the squad through a series of defensive moves designed to deny attacks of opportunity from opponents engaging them in close combat.
Dire Avengers - Phoenix Lord: The Phoenix Lord of the Dire Avengers is Asurmen, the "Hand of Asuryan." He was the first of the Phoenix Lords; it was Asurmen who founded the first of the Aspect Shrines, the Shrine of Asur, and trained the other Exarchs who would become the first of the other Aspects' Phoenix Lords. In the Aeldari mythic cycles Asuryan, the Phoenix King, is the chief and greatest of all the Aeldari Gods and the king of the Aeldari pantheon.Asurmen was the penultimate warrior of all the Aeldari, for his extraordinary powers placed him at the Pinnacle of Might. Prior to the Fall of the Aeldari, Asurmen was the Aeldari who led the Craftworlds away from the ancient Aeldari homeworlds of their now lost interstellar empire and it was he who founded the first of the Aspect Warrior Shrines, the Shrine of Asur, upon a barren world of the same name his people initially settled.Asurmen found that he could not give up the Path of the Warrior to follow a different Eldar Path, for he desired to use his skills to protect what remained of his species after the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh, "She Who Thirsts." From the Shrine of Asur sprang the first Aspect Warriors, and the Path of the Warrior was opened for the very first time to all Aeldari.Asurmen then travelled amongst more of the different Craftworlds than any other member of his race, teaching those Aeldari who wanted to learn the Dire Avengers' suite of combat skills. Those Aeldari learned at the feet of their master, and in turn they assumed the mantle of Exarchs before spreading throughout the galaxy.The first Exarchs, the Asurya, the children of Asurmen, were the greatest of his students and went on to become the Phoenix Lords of the other Aspect Shrines, the first masters of the other specialised Aeldari combat disciplines. It was then that the different Warrior Aspects were formalised within the culture of the Aeldari Craftworlds, taking as their model the skills and teachings of their founders.
Dire Avengers - Sources: Codex: Eldar Craftworlds (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 77-79, 192-199Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 31Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 30, 64Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 12Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 8-9Dark Heresy: Creatures Anathema (RPG), pp. 78-79Imperial Armour Volumen Eleven - Doom of Mymeara, pp. 32-33Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pp. 60-61Warhammer Rulebook (5th Edition), pg. 156White Dwarf 172 (US), "The Eldar: The Path of the Warrior - Dire Avengers", pp. 5-16White Dwarf 138 (US), "Alaitoc Craftworld Eldar Army - Dire Avenger Exarch", pp. 20-29White Dwarf 127 (US), "Eldar" by Rick Priestley, Jes Goodwin, William King and Lindsey D. Le Doux Paton, pp. 13-52
Dire Wolf-class Titan - Dire Wolf-class Titan: The Dire Wolf-class Titan is considered a "Heavy Scout Titan" which places it in size between the Warhound-class Scout Titan and the smallest of the true Battle Titans, the Reaver-class Titan. It was deployed by the Loyalist and Traitor Titan Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras.Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titans were much sturdier and more heavily armoured than their Warhound Scout Titan counterparts. The Dire Wolf was easily distinguished from the Warhound by its reinforced frame and unorthodox, pintle-mounted arm weapons. The Dire Wolf carried its massive main weapon on the back of its torso, sacrificing some mobility for added stability to handle the recoil and weight of this payload. Hunched forward, the Titan's heavy armour plating and stout legs provided stability and durability.The Dire Wolf Titan was especially favoured for use by the Legio Audax, a Traitor Titan Legion that fought during the Horus Heresy.
Dire Wolf-class Titan - Armament: The Dire Wolf was armed with unusual, pintle-mounted weapons on its arms in the form of Ardex-Defensor Mega-Bolters, which offered some defence against enemy Knights, allowing the Dire Wolf to focus on lining up a firing solution with its main carapace-mounted Neutron Laser. Neutron Lasers required a massive amount of power, and generated incredible heat, requiring sophisticated additional modifications to the carapace and chassis of the Dire Wolf.Some Dire Wolf Titans were armed instead with a carapace-mounted Volcano Cannon -- a weapon so massive and powerful that it is usually only found on Reaver-class Titans. Additional cooling and structural modifications to the carapace and chassis of the Dire Wolf were required to accommodate such a large weapon.
Dire Wolf-class Titan - Sources: Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Traitor Legios (Specialty Games), pp. 80, 110Warhammer Community - When Warhounds Won't Cut It, It's the All-New, All-Smashing Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titan (24 Jan 2022)Forge World Online Store - Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titan with Neutron LasterForge World Online Store - Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titan with Volcano Cannon
Diresword - Diresword: A Diresword is an Aeldari Power Weapon only wielded by Exarchs of the Dire Avengers Aspect. These one-handed, single-edged Power Swords are crafted in the graceful Aeldari style, into which a potent Aeldari spirit has been placed through the incorporation of a Spirit Stone into the blade.Any target wounded by a Diresword can be killed outright by the spirit residing within the Spirit Stone. When a blow is struck, the spirit within the sword will attempt to destroy the enemy's mind, potentially killing them instantly. This action is similar to the Imperial Nemesis Force Weapons used by psykers like the Grey Knights.The Phoenix Lord Asurmen carries the very first Diresword ever crafted, the Sword of Asur. It contains the soul of his brother Tethesis, who was slain by a daemon, which allows the ancient Aeldari hero to continue to fight against the greatest enemies of his people.
Dirge-class Raider - Dirge-class Raider: A Dirge-class Raider is a Necron starship that is the smaller and rarer of the two escort-sized Necron warships so far encountered and formally identified by the Imperium of Man; the other being the Jackal-class Raider. Whether its lack of numbers in a Necron fleet is universally the case or simply a matter of chance is unknown.Dirge-class Raiders, although never formally identified at the time, are now believed to account for many of the vessels occasionally sighted by Imperial Explorators even before the Yuctan Incident and the first known Necron harvest of an entire world's population as part of their biomedical experiments surrounding the attainment of "apotheosis," the quest to return their consciousnesses to organic forms.In 692.M41 an impenetrable layer of unidentified metal was found several hundred metres beneath the surface of Angelis, later to be revealed to be some form of alien spacecraft when the vessel rose entirely out of the sand and departed without trace. In the light of later events, it would seem probable that this "Angelis Boat," as it was dubbed by the Explorator team researching it, was in fact a Dirge-class Raider.As with all known Necron vessels, Dirge-class Raiders possess an unknown form of drive technology that allows the ship to undertake interstellar travel without the need to enter the Warp. The Raider's drive technology eliminates the spacecraft's inertia, allowing it travel at extreme speeds and with extreme acceleration, whilst also giving the spacecraft an agility that few other ships can match.In truth, however, Dirge-class vessels, like all Necron spacecraft, primarily rely upon the use of Dolmen Gates to serve as portals into the Webway, which allows them to cross the vastness of space without resorting to the use of the Warp since the undying Necrons possess no psykers.