vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Sepheris Secundus - The Shatters: "The Shatters" is the term given to the deepest, darkest, most dangerous parts of the Gorgonid, which even the barons recognise are too dangerous for serfs to work. Caverns filled with deadly gas, flooded, partially collapsed or simply lethally hot or radioactive can be found in the Shatters. No claim may be staked in the Shatters and ore mined there is not owned by anyone.The Shatters are home to the very lowest of the Gorgonid's low, comprising two main groups. The first consists of the dispossessed: those who have no master, either having been born outside a marriage sanctioned by the barons or condemned to lose even a serf's meagre rights after being convicted of a crime. These hapless individuals invariably die very quickly in the Shatters. Those who survive to illicitly sell a few handfuls of ore fare well compared to most.The second group consists of mutants. Mutants are common in the Gorgonid, as on the rest of Sepheris Secundus, perhaps due to the massive amounts of dangerous metals and chemicals that find their way into the dubious water supply. In any case, mutants gravitate towards the Shatters, which is the only place where they can survive in any numbers without being hunted down by baronial troops or burned by torch-wielding serfs.Some mutants are well adapted to the hostile conditions, and a few even thrive in the Shatters. Mutants have their own crude society where seniority is based on brute strength and the degree of mutation. The mutant barons and kings, it is said, are inhuman monsters from the depths of a nightmare, hellish abominations that range from enormous tentacled horrors to three-eyed seers who can read thoughts.The more criminally-minded serfs buy the ore mined by the outcasts and mutants in exchange for food and other essentials, and a major part of Sepheris Secundus' economy is made up by the labour of the mutant underclass. It is even possible that more ore comes out of the Shatters than out of the exhausted seams of the Face.
Sepheris Secundus - The Tumble: "The Tumble" is the only area outside the Gorgonid that most of its serfs ever see. It is a wasteland on the surface above the mine, dominated by titanic heaps of rock spoil and other trash. In this polluted twilight, thickly carpeted with heavy metal toxins, shady deals are made that take place outside the mine's proper feudal economy.These range from serfs selling off their surplus, to organised criminals selling their services as killers or smugglers. The mutants of the Shatters have a tunnel that links to somewhere in the Tumble, and on the darkest nights, shambling, hideous creatures emerge from the poison smog to take their cut. Barons and off-worlders are sometimes known to frequent the Tumble, every one of them eager to hide their identities.
Sepheris Secundus - Fathomsound Mine: The Fathomsound is the most unusual of Sepheris Secundus' mines. Within its enormous basin is an underground lake upon which float thousands of rafts, barges and lashed-together wooden structures that form the home of Fathomsound's serfs. The frequent blizzards that rip across Sepheris Secundus churn up the waters of the Fathomsound, and many serfs are lost to the freezing waters with every storm. "The Flotsam," as this floating city is known, is one of the most poverty-stricken and desperate places on Sepheris Secundus, with its inhabitants literally clinging to life, permanently ill thanks to the toxically fouled water, and condemned to lives spent in the deadly underwater mines.The barons of the Fathomsound are obliged by planetary law to live within the mine whose serfs they own, but none would willingly dwell on the dangerous Flotsam. Instead, they live in mansions suspended from the edge of the mine pit, hanging from mighty chains and served by precarious elevators and cable cars.The barons typically enjoy taking caffeine on the balconies along the lower surface of these extraordinary homes, from where the Fathomsound is a spectacular sight and its poverty and dangers are not obvious. The mansions swing alarmingly when the wind is up and it is not unknown for them to break free and plunge into the lake. Inside, the furniture and ornamentation is bolted down and visitors to the Fathomsound's barons have to find their sea legs quickly.
Sepheris Secundus - Cults and Malcontents: The Gorgonid's large, oppressed population has led to the formation of groups of criminals and other malcontents. The baronial troops eagerly hunt down criminals and execute them on the street corners of the Commons. Other groups are cults and secret societies lurking in the Gorgonid's dark places."The Loathers," for example, is a group that has forsaken all happiness and hope, and sells its services as assassins and destroyers of lives to spread the misery that has afflicted them. Some whisper that cutting off a finger and nailing it to a signpost in the Commons will bring the Loathers to your doorstep when you least expect it, and that you can then bargain with them to destroy someone you despise.The "Orphans' Crusade," on the other hand, searches discreetly for those with unusual psychic abilities, reading minds or precognition for example, and spirits them away before they are handed over to the baronial troops by fearful relatives. No one knows what the Crusade needs these gifted individuals for, but the fate that awaits them can surely be no more sinister than being dragged away by the baronial troops, never to be seen again. The greyhooded agents of the Orphan's Crusade can sometimes be glimpsed at the bloodsport pits popular in the Commons or at the witherhouses where victims of diseases and accidents languish, always looking for something.Perhaps most terrifying of all the Gorgonid's hidden cults, though, is the "Granite Crown." This group's sinister symbol of a blinded eye is carved on many entrances to the Shatters and many an old serf miner tells tales of how the Granite Crown rules over even the mightiest of mutant shatterchiefs, who pay fealty to the Granite Crown's lords. These "lords" are said to dwell in the most ancient of places beneath the ground. No one knows where these stories originated, let alone whether they hold any truth, but similar tales are told by firelight all across Sepheris Secundus.
Sepheris Secundus - Sepheran Traditions of Serfdom: Sepheris Secundus' centuries of harsh serfdom have created many cultural traditions that confirm the relationship between baron and serf, some of which seem very strange to outsiders. The details of these traditions differ across the planet but their spirit is preserved everywhere. They include:Marriage - A marriage between serfs must be sanctioned by both serfs' barons. The prospective husband and wife each cut off a little finger and send it to their baron, which symbolises the serfs handing over of their rights of any children born out of wedlock.Death - To demonstrate the fact that no serf ever fully pays off his debt to his baron, his body becomes his baron's property upon his death. Most barons dispose of these bounties by burying them under heaps of mine spoil, but some more ostentatious barons make a point of feeding dead serfs to their hounds.Mandatory Celebrations - On an occasion important to the baron, such as the birth of a child, the baron's serfs are required to celebrate by breaking into dance upon hearing the news and whenever the baron approaches. Many barons take this very seriously and will flog nearby serfs until they begin to dance, regardless of whether they have heard the baron's good news or not.Faceday- A serf celebrates the day when he becomes old enough to stake his own claim on the Face (normally in early adolescence). The first Faceday is marked with three solar days of ceaseless toil, to demonstrate that the young serf indeed deserves the bounty of the Face. Anniversaries of this Faceday are marked with ceremonies that vary wildly but are always painful or humiliating, varying from simple beatings to being painted with offensive slogans and forced to run naked through the Commons.Day of Thanks - An annual holiday observed across Sepheris Secundus, the Day of Thanks is a chance for the serfs to remember and mourn their dead (a practice otherwise frowned upon or even prohibited). Since mourning is considered a selfish act, participants ritually disguise their identities by wearing masks, painting their faces or attending gatherings in pitch darkness.
Sepheris Secundus - Departmento Cartographicae Planetary Data: Galactic Position: 52/34/CS/NNEClass: Mining World / Feudal World.Satellites: Three moons, none inhabited.Geography: Planet-wide overcontinent, small polar oceans. Mountainous, forested, extensive areas of open mine workings. Arctic climate and average temperatures, atmosphere moisture-laden and blizzards constant.Government Type: Feudal monarchy.Planetary Governor: Queen Lachryma III.Adept Presence: Very low. Some Adeptus Ministorum clergy, Adeptus Arbites Precinct-Fortress.Economy: Chips or Lumps -- In the mines and villages of Sepheris Secundus life revolves around endless mining, to the point where chips and lumps of ore are sometimes used as an alternative default currency to the Throne more common in the Calixis Sector.Principle Exports: Sepheris Secundus is the largest exporting planet in the Calixis Sector. Without its massive exports of ore, strategic metals and fuels, the economy of the Calixis Sector could not function. Sepheris Secundus is known for exporting the defensive weapon known as a Mirror Shield. The Mirror Shield is used by the Royal Scourges on Sepheris Secundus. The shield is a large rectangular shield that will cover about two-thirds of a human-sized body. The shield is made from layers of stained glass, a material used in large quantities by the barons of Sepheris Secundus. This gives the shield a mirrored effect that has been known to repel las-weapon shots of low-strength.Principle Imports: Sepheris Secundus relies on imports of food from the sector's Agri-worlds.Astra Militarum Recruitment: Sepheris Secundus' vast population makes it a potential supplier of Astra Militarum recruits, although a relatively small proportion of the population would be suitable because of universally poor health, along with the risk of exposing the subjugated masses to the possibility of life outside the mines.Military: Royal Scourges, Baronial armies, noble private armies. Poor/medium quality troops.Contact With Other Worlds: Stable Warp routes link Sepheris Secundus to Scintilla, Iocanthos, Fedrid and Ganf Magna. Sepheris Secundus is one of the worlds on the path of the voidship Misericord.Tithe Grade: Exactis Extremis.
Septeryx - Septeryx: The Septeryx are an intelligent alien species that are known to be insidious and hostile. As a result of the convulsions in the Warp brought to the galactic core by the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus that destroyed their home star system, the Septeryx launched attacks into Leagues of Votann space.
Septeryx - History: The greatest recorded upheaval to the Leagues of Votann's home space in the galactic core came with the emergence of the Great Rift, and the eruption of multiple Warp storms across the core as a result. Warp storms designated by the Leagues Örgvayr, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp and other distorted maelstroms swallowed star systems, consumed Kindreds, sundered age-old trade routes and stable Warp currents, and left many leagues either suddenly embattled or broken into Warp-riven territorial fragments.As the shock waves of the Warp storms rolled outward, worse was to follow. Long-stable celestial phenomena convulsed and mutated, with pulsars becoming betentacled predatory horrors, grav-reefs inverting and black holes sprouting dark matter fangs as they expanded ravenously. Hostile alien races -- such as the insidious Septeryx, the Chrobdyr Ferrophagites and the ominous Cult of Ohn -- were driven onto the warpath as their own home star systems were consumed. Some Warp storms -- Örgvayr and Gëirokh worst amongst them -- vomited hordes of Chaos-worshipping invaders and Daemonic horrors, and one Ork WAAAGH! after another erupted from the fringes of the storms.
Septicus Legion - Septicus Legion: The Septicus Legion is a Daemonic Plague Legion of the Chaos God Nurgle. It is a Legion Pathogenus, a type of Nurglish Daemonic legion in which disease has fully bloomed. It is sickness made manifest, the very height of contagion; equally capable in both attack or defence, and often deployed to guard key sites within Nurgle's Garden or spearhead an assault into realspace or against the forces of the other Chaos Gods within the Realm of Chaos.The Septicus Legion was part of the daemonic force that penetrated deep into the Realm of Ultramar during the Plague Wars, and participated in the fighting that culminated on the world of Iax with the defeat of Nurgle's forces by the Ultramarines and their allies. It is led by the Great Unclean One Septicus himself -- the self-styled "Pox-Tyrant of the Scourge Stars." On the battlefield, Septicus is accompanied by the "Rustclankers" -- a bodyguard of three Soul Grinders.Shown below are the seven full-strength Tallybands that made up the Septicus Legion as it took part in the Battle of Ioneth Fields and the contamination of the Vinecoast. It was the task of the Septicus Legion to conquer and hold Iax. Were it not for the untimely return of the resurrected Primarch Roboute Guilliman to Ultramar after the end of his Indomitus Crusade, it is a mission they would have successfully completed.
Septicus Legion - Tallybands of the Septicus Legion: Investus - Led by Drog'lar Slimeskin (a Spoilpox Scrivener). Composed of seven Plaguebearer packs and three Beasts of Nurgle. It was the Investus Tallyband that served Septicus as a vanguard on Iax. Its ranks of Plaguebearers formed around Drog'lar as he counted the initial symptoms of disease exhibited by the planet's defenders.Fecflies - Led by Giglex (a Poxbringer). Composed of three Plaguebearer packs, four Plague Drone packs, two Beasts of Nurgle and a Nurgling pack. The most fly-covered of all the Septicus Tallybands, it was the Fecflies that met and defeated the Ultramarines 3rd Company within the corrupted forest of Adellus.The Worm-Ridden - Led by Mag-grub Larvalmaster (Poxbringer). Composed of four Plaguebearer packs, three Plague Drone packs and three Beasts of Nurgle. The Worm-Ridden carry within their bodies the latest of Nurgle's creations, the worm-borne blistereye disease, and it is their task to ensure it spreads in the mortal realm.Shambling Horde - Led by Grizguttage (Spoilpox Scrivener). Composed of seven Plaguebearer packs, a Beast of Nurgle and a Soul Grinder. With Dribwretch, a hulking Soul Grinder, supplying firepower, the daemonic infantry of the Shambling Horde advances into the thick of enemy fire.Plagueswords of Bhadrub - Led by Bhadrub Buboepox (a Poxbringer). Composed of five Plaguebearer packs, two Plague Drone packs and two Nurgling packs. The Plagueswords of Bhadrub held back the Ultramarines that came to halt the legion's defilement of Iax's wellsprings until reinforcements arrived.Buzzblitz - Led by Bzzark the Fly-borne (a Daemon Prince). Composed of seven Plague Drone packs. The winged Daemon Prince Bzzark and his Plague Drones are adept at exploiting weaknesses in the enemy lines, and are often unleashed after the Investus and Dirge Tollers Tallybands have pinned down the foe.Dirgetollers - Led by Gurglax (a Sloppity Bilepiper). Composed of seven Plaguebearer packs and four Nurgling packs. The Dirge Tollers devastated the Ultramar Defence Forces, Gurglax's mirth attracting a horde of capering Nurglings to his aid.
Sepulchor Sector - Sepulchor Sector: Sepulchor Sector is a sector of Imperial space located to the galactic west of the galactic core. Since the opening of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus the Kin of the Greater Thurian League have dispatched numerous Prospects west beyond the circumnuclear disc that marks the boundary of the galactic core. They have deployed forces into the neighbouring Marsalis and Sepulchor Sectors in numbers not seen outside the galactic core since the Kin first settled there.The remit of these forces is to claim new worlds for those Thurian Kindreds dispossessed by the Chaos invaders pouring from Warp Storm Örgvayr near Thurian space in the core, and identify safe star systems for the league to fall back to should its defences fail or the fight become too costly. Imperial planetary governors throughout both sectors have responded to this apparent invasion with a predictable mix of panic and zealotry, hurling armies at the encroaching Kin even as their astropaths' fragmentary distress calls wing their way out to the wider Imperium.
Sepulchre - Sepulchre: A Sepulchre is a Necron starship weapon system that is mounted on Cairn-class Tomb Ships, and certain command Scythe-class Harvest Ships.A Sepulchre is only utilised by the largest Necron vessel in a given fleet. When a Sepulchre is used to attack an enemy ship that has foolishly come within its range, a wave of palpable psychic force is generated and sent outwards in all directions.The enemy’s crew are then paralysed by visions of horror, and if discipline is lost, then the crazed crew are likely to do damage to their own ship as they rampage uncontrollably through its confines.
Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues - Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues: The Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues is a league of the Leagues of Votann that is located in the galactic core. It is a league that has risen to prominence only in recent times, due to its lucrative trading relationship with the T'au Empire.
Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues - Demiurg: The T'au Empire in the past has reported that it made a commercial deal with the "SrrykTok Brotherhood" of the Demiurg. The Demiurg are now known to have been a Prospect of the Leagues of Votann that was misidentified by the T'au and Humanity as a minor xenos species. Whether the SrrykTok Brotherhood is actually the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues has not yet been clarified.
Seraphax - Seraphax: Seraphax was a Fallen Angel of the Dark Angels Legion and the Sorcerer Lord of the Ten Thousand Eyes warhost of Heretic Astartes that operated in the Imperium Nihilus region of the Ultima Segmentum. Like many of the Fallen, Seraphax did not believe himself to be a Traitor to the Emperor, but instead sought to ultimately use the power of Chaos as a means to better the lot of Humanity.Seraphax was slain on the world of Sable by Lion El'Jonson after the Dark Angels primarch's awakening in the Era Indomitus. Drawn to Sable through the sub-realm of the Immaterium known as Mirror-Caliban by the Sorcerer Lord's machinations as part of an insane plan to use the primarch's undead body to overthrow the Chaos Gods, Seraphax was ultimately slain during his duel with the primarch as a mutated beast by his own lieutenant Baelor, who stabbed him through the back.Baelor, also one of the Fallen, believed that Seraphax had finally been too corrupted by Chaos to save and also sought his primarch's forgiveness before the Lion granted him the Emperor's Peace.
Seraphax - Origins: Seraphax was originally a member of the garrison of the Dark Angels Legion left behind under the command of Luther on Caliban during the Horus Heresy to oversee the Legion's homeworld. When Caliban was destroyed at the end of the Heresy, Seraphax was one of the Fallen who was cast through time and space in the Immaterium as Caliban was destroyed by a great Warp storm.Seraphax reemerged into history as a formidable warrior and charismatic leader who led a brutal insurrection against the Imperial planetary government of the world of Bast and made himself its heretical lord governor. He ruled over Bast for over a standard century, terrorising its people and gathering other Heretics to his rule.However, eventually the Imperium received word of the fall of Bast to Renegade forces. When the Dark Angels learned of what had happened on Bast, the Chapter recognised Seraphax as one of their Fallen and dispatched a strike force commanded by Interrogator-Chaplain Razyl to capture the sorcerer. As the Dark Angels began what proved to be the ultimately successful invasion and liberation of Bast, Seraphax fled off-world rather than be brought back in chains to the dungeons of The Rock to face the tender mercies of the Interrogator-Chaplains.By the time of the birth of the Great Rift in the Era Indomitus, Seraphax had become the Sorcerer Lord of a great warhost of Chaos Space Marines known as the Ten Thousand Eyes, alongside his lieutenants and fellow Chaos Lords Markog and the Fallen Baelor. In the chaos of the Imperium Nihilus, the Ten Thousand Eyes were soon able to seize control of an interstellar pocket empire that encompassed multiple Imperial worlds. Among these planets was the Jungle World of Camarth, where the Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson first reappeared after awakening from his long sleep beneath The Rock and beginning his journeys through the sub-realm of the Warp he knew as Mirror-Caliban.
Seraphax - Bloodrage Project: The Ruby Crescents Chapter, genetic successors of the Blood Angels, had long maintained a fortified outpost known as Redmoon Keep on Camarth. The garrison of the keep was left there to watch over the people of that world, who greatly respected and honored the Adeptus Astartes who walked among them. But when the Great Rift was born in the Era Indomitus, the Ruby Crescents of Carmath found themselves cut off from the rest of their Chapter as Carmath was located in the Imperium Nihilus. During this time, Camarth was assaulted by the Ten Thousand Eyes, the warhost of Heretic Astartes commanded by Seraphax. The Chaos forces overwhelmed the now-isolated garrison at Redmoon Keep and claimed the world for their own as part of their pocket empire.In truth, Seraphax had deliberately targetted the Ruby Crescents because they were so isolated and easily overcome. The Sorcerer Lord wished to use Space Marines of the Blood Angels' genetic lineage as fodder for a research endeavour he termed the "Bloodrage Project." This was an attempt to turn the Flaw in the gene-seed of all the sons of Sanguinius against them so that the mindless ferocity of the Black Rage and the Red Thirst would become all-consuming, transforming all the Astartes of the Sanguinary Brotherhood into weapons to be used against the Imperium.The Ten Thousand Eyes took control of Redmoon Keep and imprisoned nine of the surviving Ruby Crescents who had been captured at high cost to the warband in one of the fortress' cells. The Captives' blood was drained from them into a giant vat placed before them, where it was transformed by Seraphax's Chaos sorcery into a glowing liquid that he hoped could be used to initiate the Flaw in any of Sanguinius' scions.The imprisoned Ruby Crescents were later discovered by the Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson, who had found his way to Camarth through the Immaterium's sub-realm of Mirror-Caliban after his awakening beneath The Rock, and the redeemed Fallen Zabriel, now one of The Risen who had been forgiven by their primarch after being encountered on Camarth. The two sought to redeem Camarth for the Imperium, and had sought to expel the Ten Thousand Eyes from Redmoon Keep when they discovered the secret research being conducted in its dungeons.The Lion and Zabriel tried to free the Ruby Crescents, but each of the Space Marines had fallen to the Red Thirst and tried to attack their rescuers. Unaware of the nature of the Red Thirst which afflicted his brother Sanguinius' gene-sons, the Lion simply assumed they had already been corrupted by Chaos and granted them the Emperor's Peace.Then the Lion and Zabriel sabotaged the generatorium of the Redmoon Keep and destroyed it in a great explosion, which brought to an end the Bloodrage Project.Later, the Lion and Zabriel helped unite and lead the people of Camarth against the remaining Chaos forces to reclaim their world. Afterwards, its people joined the Lion's Protectorate in the Imperium Nihilus and provided contingents of the mortal paramilitary militia under the primarch's command known as the Lion Guard.
Seraphax - Defeat by the Lion: Yet, rather than fear at the sudden emergence of a primarch to oppose his schemes, Seraphax welcomed Lion El'Jonson's return, for he saw it as an opportunity to carry out a plan to ensure the Emperor's ultimate victory over Chaos. Seraphax lured the Lion to the world of Sable in the Imperium Nihilus, not far from Camarth, by having his Ten Thousand Eyes warhost butcher much of that world's population, knowing that this massacre of the innocent would eventually draw the primarch to oppose him.When the primarch arrived at Sable through the Mirror-Caliban sub-realm of the Immaterium as expected, Seraphax was able to capture him by binding the Lion in psychic chains summoned by his sorcery. Seraphax revealed to the captive El'Jonson his grand plan to save Humanity -- he would force the Lion's soul from his body and then use his sorcerous powers to take control of the primarch's corpse as his undead puppet. Using the Lion's return as a pretext for the second returned Loyalist primarch to gain an audience with the Emperor on Terra, Seraphax would use that audience to have his puppet strike down the Master of Mankind upon the Golden Throne, which would finally free Him from His chains of flesh to fully ascend as a new god in the Warp. Fully ascended, Seraphax believed that the Emperor would then possess the power to both destroy the Chaos Gods and all of the remaining xenos threats to Humanity in the galaxy, such as the Tyranids and Orks.However, once the ritual of soul-banishment began, the Lion was able to resist its effects long enough for The Risen, the Fallen Angels he had met on his journeys and whose crimes he had forgiven, to arrive and assault the Ten Thousand Eyes on Sable, eventually disrupting the ritual and allowing the primarch to free himself.During the combat between the Lion and the crazed Sorcerer Lord that ensued, Seraphax called upon the Warp to transform himself into a bestial mutant form, but was slain by his own lieutenant Baelor who stabbed him from behind. Baelor was a Fallen Angel himself, who saw the return of his primarch as a chance to gain his own redemption and become one of The Risen. He also saw Seraphax's mutation in his fight with the primarch as the final proof he needed that his friend had fallen too far to the corruption of Chaos to be allowed to survive.After Seraphax's death, Baelor asked for and received the forgiveness of the Lion, joining the ranks of The Risen for a short time. However, Baelor's body was slowly degrading under the influence of the Daemonsword Seraphax had gifted him long before, so he requested and the Lion granted him the quick and noble release of the Emperor's Peace.Sable was restored to its surviving people and became part of the Lion's Protectorate in the Imperium Nihilus. The warhost of the Ten Thousand Eyes were scattered with the loss of their leaders, its survivors fleeing off-world.
Seraphax - Appearance: During his youth on Caliban as a Dark Angel Seraphax possessed red hair the colour of hungry flames. After his fall to Chaos, his hair mutated into actual bright, yellow flames that covered the entire left half of his face as well as his head. These flames caused him no pain nor did they harm any other part of his body.
Seraphim - Seraphim: The Seraphim, usually part of a Seraphim Squad, are elite warriors of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas who serve as the Sisters of Battle's primary assault infantry.Amongst the highly devoted warriors of the Orders Militant there are those battle-sisters whose faith burns so brightly that it appears as if the Emperor Himself guides their actions. These angelic warriors are known as Seraphim, and they are exclusively trained to use Jump Packs. More importantly, they are also taught the co-ordination, dexterity and control to fire two pistols at once.These warriors dedicate many painstaking Terran years to perfecting these arts. Time and again Seraphim have struck like avenging angels, descending into the thickest of fighting upon wings of fire, their Bolt Pistols spitting death at their foes.Seraphim are schooled in their order's most ancient fighting techniques, learning to wield their sidearms in brutal melees as other warriors brandish knives and swords. Seraphim deflect the strikes of their foes with fluid grace before landing a killing blow of their own, typically with a point-blank headshot from a Bolt Pistol.
Seraphim - Role: Even amongst the highly skilled warriors of the Orders Militant, some battle-sisters prove themselves to be exceptionally talented. These are organised into Seraphim Squads and the Seraphim Sister Superiors teach them the ancient fighting techniques which have been passed on down the millennia since the Daughters of the Emperor were founded.Using a mix of pistols, predominantly Bolt Pistols and Hand Flamers, the Seraphim act as the roving hit-and-run specialists of the Sisterhood, hunting Heretics from the air and punishing them up close.In order for a battle-sister to be accepted into the ranks of the Seraphim, they must display close combat aptitude and be experienced warriors. Being a Seraphim is a great honour in that they are often lauded as the heroes among heroes, the "saviours" of a battle as they dispense the Emperor's wrath from the heavens.Open only to the sisters of the Orders Militant, those who join the Seraphim exemplify the willingness of the Sisterhood to pursue Heretics wherever they hide. Their mobility on the battlefield makes them one of the most deadly assets a canoness has at her disposal.Even among the Sororitas, the Seraphim's tactics and training are considered impressive. The are schooled in the ancient skills of their order. This includes methods of unarmed warfare, armed hand-to-hand combat, and the use of sophisticated equipment such as Jump Packs. Most importantly of all, the Seraphim are taught co-ordination and control to fire two pistols at once. In combination with their Jump Packs, this skill is deadly and means the Seraphim can strike almost anywhere, hitting hard and fast before moving onto another target.The sight of the Seraphim has a very powerful influence upon friendly Imperial troops who bear witness to them descending into battle, often described as a feeling of being protected by a higher power. The angelic profile given by their Jump Packs is reportedly an unexpected benefit, though some have speculated that it was intentionally designed millennia ago to boost the morale of the devout and to strike fear in the corrupt.Thousands of battle-weary Imperial troops have reported that when the Seraphim arrived, they felt their spirits rise and became newly emboldened to fight their enemies. Many division commanders in the early holy wars of the Calixis Sector were known to time their assaults to coincide with the appearance of the Seraphim. To date, few wars have been lost when the Seraphim have been present.
Seraphim - Recruitment: Only the Sisters of Battle with a clarity of purpose, exceptional talent and inhuman dexterity are considered for training, yet even of these, few are found capable of the task. The sister must be able to aim and fire both her weapons as she rockets forwards at tremendous speeds, all the while maintaining a precise flight path. She must be able to land a pace away from a snarling throng of enemies, cut them down with fluid strikes and take to the air once more in the space of a few heartbeats.Yet even more than this, a Seraphim must be a vanguard of the faith, their soul devoid of doubt and their every action and instinct dictated by divine inspiration. These women are implacable foes to those who would blaspheme against the Emperor or His Imperium, and fonts of inspiration to those fighting on the Emperor's behalf. The sight of the "avenging angels" has on more than one occasion provided the needed boost of morale to Planetary Defence Forces and Astra Militarum troops disheartened by battle losses or more arcane forces.While many aspire to stay in the ranks of the Seraphim, the need for trained leaders in other combat-ready Sisters of Battle squads often pulls away from the Sororitas' ability to retain veteran sisters in these units.Seraphim assigned to act with Acolytes of the Inquisition or to work with other servants of the Ecclesiarchy are often younger battle-sisters whose zealous pursuit of the enemy within is not tempered by experience.
Seraphim - Seraphim Superior: Seraphim Superior are highly respected warriors amongst the Orders Militant and their advice is rightly heeded by their canoness in councils of war. Such is their skill and conviction that long-serving Seraphim Superior often go on to become Palatines or canonesses themselves.As befits veterans of such standing, Seraphim Superior wield some of their order's most vaunted weapons, from golden-bladed Power Swords inscribed with litanies of faith to sacred pistols once carried into battle by Living Saints. These revered heirlooms are irreplaceable and Seraphim Superior fight all the harder to ensure they do not fall into enemy hands.
Seraphim - Flamewing Seraphim: In the Order of the Sacred Rose, elite Seraphim are formed into squadrons called "Flamewings." They are renowned throughout the Order of the Sacred Rose for their agile grace and never losing their accuracy while moving on the field of battle.If the need arises they can be used as the personal retinue of a canoness of that order.
Seraphim - Seraphim in the Calixis Sector: Seraphim have traditionally been in short supply in the Calixis Sector due to the demand for them to fight in holy wars elsewhere in the Imperium.The Calixian Ecclesiarchy has placed great faith in the Frateris Militia to manage alone, but with holy wars brewing in the Protasia and 47 Kapella Systems, this issue may be revisited. Only two of the Orders Militant currently have ready Seraphim Squads in the sector: the Order of the Bloody Rose and the Order of the Valorous Heart.
Seraphim - Unit Composition: 5-10 Seraphim1 Seraphim Superior
Seraphim - Wargear: Power Armour (Sized for mortals)Jump Pack2 Bolt PistolsFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades2 Hand Flamers (as replacements for Bolt Pistols)2 Inferno Pistols (as replacements for Bolt Pistols)
Seraphim - Seraphim Superior: Chainsword (as replacement for one Bolt Pistol)Power Sword (as replacement for one Bolt Pistol)Plasma Pistol (as replacement for one Bolt Pistol)Melta Bombs
Sergeant (Imperial Guard) - Sergeant (Imperial Guard): A sergeant is a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank within the Astra Militarum. They are the assigned leaders of individual squads and conduct much of the day-to-day training and operations within any platoon of an Imperial Guard regiment.Those few battle-hardened sergeants who have proved their fidelity, loyalty and valour are promoted to the seasoned rank of veteran sergeant. These combat veterans often find themselves in a leadership role, mentoring less-experienced troops and junior officers. They lead by example, inspiring courage and awe on the field of battle, instilling their wisdom and battle-field experience upon their subordinates -- and often their superiors as well. Veteran sergeants often have access to non-standard gear as well as a variety of items, such as peaked caps and refractor field gorgets, normally reserved only for officers.
Sergeant (Imperial Guard) - Role: Sergeants are typically well-respected, non-commissioned officers, who fill a number of leadership roles within the Astra Militarum. The strong backbone of the Imperial Guard, sergeants are in charge of the individual squads, and much of the day-to-day operation of units falls on their capable shoulders.Along with their leadership roles, sergeants are tasked with the training and general education of their subordinates. They are expected to take new conscripts and turn them from inexperienced civilians into battle-ready and professional guardsmen, typically in a stunningly short amount of time. The institutional memory of the Astra Militarum also lies largely with its sergeants and their colleagues among the non-commissioned officers. These senior enlisted men and women typically have standard years of hard-earned combat and leadership experience, and tend to have a better grasp of tactics and the necessities of competent command under fire than many of their superior officers, especially those who have never served in actual combat. It is a wise officer who places their trust in their sergeants, especially when new to a unit, as the sergeants typically have the trust and respect of the troops under them already, and, in some regiments, their support, or lack thereof, can make or break an officer.Due to their role as both leaders and instructors, sergeants in the Astra Militarum are expected to lead from the front, driving their troops to feats of valour and glory, and setting a strong example for junior enlisted troops and officers alike. A good sergeant can keep a squad together even under the most dire of circumstances, using their command skills, natural gravitas, and the earned trust of their troops to quell fear and rally shaken guardsmen under their command.This is not to suggest, however, that all sergeants in the Astra Militarum are highly-respected father figures and competent leaders, who have the best interests of their troops foremost in mind. In an organisation as vast, varied and far-ranging as the Imperial Guard, the opposite may be the case. Tyrannical, corrupt, and incompetent sergeants litter the noncommissioned officers' corps. Many find that the power they wield goes to their head, and they take to brutalising their subordinates. Others find themselves in over their heads, and their fear and inability make them capricious and dangerous.Many incompetent or brutal sergeants have met their end at the hands of their subordinates, victims of "accidents" or "friendly fire incidents" (also known as "fragging") on the battlefield. In general, however, sergeants are a blessing to a squad. Their experience and knowledge is priceless, and surely, without its sergeants, the Astra Militarum would suffer greatly.
Sergeant (Imperial Guard) - Rank Insignia: The sergeant's rank insignia is indicated Imperium-wide as three chevrons, with little to no variation. In most cases this is sewn or pinned on the uniform. However, in more brutal environments (such as on Catachan, where most of the issued gear that would reflect rank has been sold for alcohol or cigars) it is more common to see the rank tattooed or even branded onto the individual's arm.On service and dress unifoms, senior sergeants have varied ways of discerning one from another. A sergeant major will usually have a star underneath their chevrons, whereas a sergeant assigned to Tactica Control will have a skull and wreaths in the same location. A Master of Ordnance will have their own unique insignia as well (a bursting bomb), but tends not to wear it on the surface of planets -- this is because the Master of Ordinance is the primary, if not the only, line of communication with the Navis Imperialis and exposing their rank makes them a priority target for snipers; the same philosophy is also applied to many high-ranking officers, and is also why all sergeants, even senior ones, are not referred to by their full rank in the field and simply called "sergeant."
Sergeant (Imperial Guard) - Specialist Positions: Colour Sergeant - While more of an appointment than an actual rank, the title of colour sergeant is often bestowed upon veteran and senior sergeants and sergeants major as a reward for many standard years of loyal service in the Astra Militarum. With the reward comes the responsibility of guarding the ensign or "colours" of the colour sergeant's parent regiment. These sacred flags are carried into battle, and are a key source of the average guardsman's morale and pride in their regiment. The colours carry each regiment's battle honours and are the embodiment of a regiment's soul. The loss of colours is not only considered to be bad luck for the regiment, but also a source of great shame, dishonour and an affront to the God-Emperor. Even dropping or allowing the colours to fall in battle is seen as a disgraceful act, so much so that guardsmen are known to willingly lay down their lives in droves so that the colours never touch the ground in the heat of battle. So important are the colours to each individual guardsman and the regiment as a whole, only sergeants with the fiercest fighting reputations and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor are given the appointment of colour sergeant.
Sergeant (Imperial Guard) - Notable Sergeants: Sergeant Dryak - Sergeant Dryak is a hardened veteran of the Catachan 233rd Regiment and a long serving member of the 14th Recon Company.Sergeant Major Jarran Kell (8th Cadian Regiment Colour Sergeant) - Jarran Kell was long the best friend and chief aide of Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed. He was slain by Abaddon the Despoiler while getting Creed to safety aboard a Valkyrie transport on Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade before that world's fall to Chaos.Sergeant Major Merrick - Merrick was the command sergeant major of the Imperial Guardsmen involved in the Sub-sector Aurelia Exterminatus campaign during the Third Aurelian Crusade.Gunnery Sergeant "Stonetooth" Harker (Catachan Jungle Fighters, "Catachan Devils" Regiment) - A famous (infamous) NCO of the Catachan Jungle Fighters  regiments.Staff Sergeant Lukas Bastonne (Cadian Shock Troops) -  Lukas Bastonne was one of the most recognised faces on Cadia, as his image was the public trademark of the Cadian regiments, used for propaganda purposes for the Astra Militarum across the galaxy. His heroism and great bravery earned him enough of a reputation that he was instantly recognizable by his superiors, colleagues, and almost the entire population of Cadia. Bastonne's passion for his soldierly duty was second to none, which many whispered bordered on fanaticism.Sergeant Poul Marlin (10th Slavok Regiment) - Poul Marlin was considered the toughest NCO in the 10th Slavok Regiment.
Sergeant (Space Marine) - Sergeant (Space Marine): A sergeant is an Astartes noncommissioned officer who commands a squad composed of 10 Space Marines or Primaris Space Marines. Ten of these squads form each of the 10 companies that comprise a standard Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes that follows that organisational dictates of the Codex Astartes.Sergeants are selected from hardened Veteran Space Marines who have survived and thrived through several solar decades, or even standard centuries, of hard and brutal campaigning in the name of the Emperor of Mankind.It is essential that a Space Marine squad be led by a canny and daring individual capable of divining the flow of battle for those opportunities that will allow his squad to maximise its tactical advantage, and it is quite common for squad sergeants to be seconded from their Chapter's elite 1st Company. This is to ensure that the mainstay of the Chapter's battle forces are led by the most experienced of its warriors.
Sergeant (Space Marine) - History: Sergeant is an honoured rank amongst the Space Marines, a title and responsibility awarded in recognition of those Firstborn and Primaris Marines who have proven their mettle in the heat of battle time-and-time-again.These select individuals are singled out and awarded the title of sergeant, along with the privilege of leading a squadron of their battle-brothers into the fires of war. Sergeants undergo additional special training in leadership and tactics.They are the Adeptus Astartes leaders primarily responsible for executing their Chapter's missions and for training their squad members so that they are prepared to execute their operational functions at a moment's notice.In battle, a sergeant has the option to use a variety of weapons, with most opting for a Bolt Pistol and chainsword combination. The sergeant may have fought enough battles to qualify as a Veteran. Such Veterans are often promoted to special command duties or transferred to the vaunted ranks of their Chapter's elite 1st Company.Such is the experience wielded by the sergeants of an Astartes squad that their seniority and authority is second only to that of their company's lieutenants and commanding captain. It is not unusual for a senior sergeant to be given command over several other squads at the battle's onset, allowing the company captain to focus his strategic and tactical acumen on a particular area of the conflict rather than dissipating it across the battlefront.Should the captain be slain or otherwise eliminated, command of the strike force automatically and seamlessly passes to the most senior sergeant unless a lieutenant is present.Only a foolish enemy would think this to their advantage however -- any shortfall in experience a sergeant has in comparison to his fallen captain is more than made up for by the newfound determination he possesses to avenge his fallen commander.
Sergeant (Space Marine) - Chapter Variants: Those Space Marine Chapters regarded as Codex-compliant Chapters usually adhere strictly to the tenets set down by the Primarch Roboute Guilliman to the letter. There are, however, several noteworthy and substantial deviations from the Codex Astartes prescribed doctrine.Most notable among these deviations are the use of certain honourific ranks and titles within the Chapter in place of the standard Space Marine Sergeant rank, which was also a common practise amongst the ancient Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.The following is a sample of some of the various honourifics and titles utilised by the Space Marines:ChapterHonourific or TitleExcoriatorsChief Whip (Senior Veteran Sergeant)ExcoriatorsVeteran Squad Whip (Veteran Sergeant)ExcoriatorsSquad Whip (Sergeant)ExcoriatorsSecond Whip (Sergeant, Assistant Squad Leader)Fire HawksPreceptor-SergeantGrey KnightsJusticarSons of HorusChieftain
Sergeant (Space Marine) - Appearance: Traditionally, in Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters, a sergeant's badge of rank is a red skull displayed on their left shoulder plate and a red helmet. The legacy of the red-coloured helm hails back to the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy eras in the early 31st Millennium.Within the Ultramarines Legion, the red colouration once meant that the Space Marine that bore it was marked for discipline and censure -- a mark of shame.But during the Battle of Calth in the early 31st Millennium this changed when a lone, censured Astartes named Sergeant Aeonid Thiel used unorthodox tactics and strategy to wage war with all ferocity against the Ultramarines' former brethren, the Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers, who had woefully betrayed both the Ultramarines and the Imperium.When Roboute Guilliman led a boarding party of 50 Ultramarines aboard an orbital platform commandeered by the Word Bearers, Sergeant Thiel ordered that the Astartes accompanying him paint their helmets red because the Word Bearers' traitorous attack had demolished the Ultramarines' normal command hierarchy and vox communications had become unreliable. The primarch had made clear that he wanted firm and simple visual cues for the chain of command during their assault on the void station, and Sergeant Thiel's innovation was quickly used by other squad leaders.Following the events on Calth, Guilliman declared that from that time forward, in recognition of the heroism and original thinking displayed by Sergeant Thiel, a red helm would be considered a badge of honour instead of censure amongst the Ultramarines.In the ten millennia since the Battle of Calth, the sergeants of the Ultramarines and several other Codex-compliant Chapters continue to paint their helmets red to signify the honour accorded to the Astartes who achieve this rank.Veteran sergeants have a red helmet with a white stripe running front to back along the centre of the helm. Veterancy may also be indicated by an Imperial Laurel honour marking or a white laurel painted around the crown of the helmet.
Sergeant (Space Marine) - Wargear: Power Armour (Any pattern)Boltgun (If Firstborn Sergeant)Bolt Rifle (If Primaris Marine Sergeant)Bolt PistolFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Sergeant (Space Marine) - Optional Wargear: ChainswordCombi-melta, Combi-flamer or Combi-plasmaStorm BolterPlasma PistolPower WeaponPower FistMelta BombsTeleport HomerScout Armour (Scout Squad sergeant only)Astartes Shotgun (Scout Squad sergeant only)Jump Pack (Assault Squad sergeant only)Neo-Volkite Pistol (Primaris Bladeguard Veteran sergeant only)Terminator Armour (Terminator Squad Veteran sergeant only)