vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
White Scars - White Scars Librarians: Like their fellow Astartes Chapters, the White Scars also maintain a Librarius of potent psykers who are highly talented and trained to master the power of the Warp at the highest levels, though they refer to these warriors as "Stormseers" according to the ancient Chogorian shamanistic tradition.Stormseers act as advisors to the Chapter's khans as well as being powerful psykers. Stormseers are able to command the very elements; their foes are battered to ruin by mighty winds or beset by forked lightning from the storm-wracked skies.Each Chapter selects its Librarians in its own way, either from seed worlds or the Chapter homeworld, as it does with the bulk of its Initiates, or from the ranks of gifted psykers brought to the Chapter by the Scholastica Psykana. Most Chapters train and test chosen psykers following the ancient ways laid out in the Codex Astartes.The Stormseers of the White Scars are chosen from those Initiates who display an aptitude for learning the Arts of Heaven. White Scars Stormseers have a number of unique psychic abilities only used by the psykers of their Chapter:Heart of the Khan - The Stormseer reaches deep into the legacy of Jaghatai Khan, and brings forth the legendary swiftness and ferocity of the White Scars' Primarch in himself and his battle-brothers, allowing them to move with speed that is superhuman even by the standards of the Adeptus Astartes.Spirit of the Steppes - The Stormseer calls upon the spirits of the land, air, and the souls of long-dead warriors to bring some fragment of the climate of the harsh steppes of Chogoris to the battlefield he walks upon, forcing the foe to contend with more difficult environmental conditions. It is said that so long as these forces of nature fight alongside them, the White Scars will always be victorious.Stormlance - The Stormseer calls upon the lightning that embodies his Chapter's way of war, and brings it to bear against his enemies. When he summons this ability he hurls a bolt of lightning in a straight line out to its maximum range, striking everything in its path.The Howling Wind - The Stormseer gathers the powerful winds of the Chogorian steppes, driving them forwards to cast aside the enemy.
White Scars - Stormspeaking Discipline: The Stormspeaking Discipline is unique to the Stormseers of the White Scars and focuses upon unleashing the power of a planetary environment against the foe. Among the abilities learned by Stormseers who are masters of this discipline are the following powers.Blasting Gale - The Stormseer calls up a screaming windstorm to assail the foe. It is all his victims can do to stand their ground without being torn from their feet, let alone press forwards into battle.Lightning Call - Raising his arms to the roiling storm-clouds overhead, the Stormseer calls down lightning strikes upon his foes.Ride the Winds - Invoking the power of the winds with a gravelly-voiced chant, the Stormseer sends rushing currents of invisible energy to speed his comrades into battle.Storm-wreathed - At the Stormseer's behest the roiling clouds funnel into a furious vortex that swirls down to surround his advancing brothers. Lightning crackles around the White Scars and leaps from their bodies to strike down the foe.Spirits of Chogoris - Many and terrible are the spirits and ghouls of Chogorian tribal folklore, and it is Warp-wrought simulacra of these ancient terrors that the Stormseer now unleashes on the foe.Eye of the Storm - Summoning a hurricane, the Stormseer becomes the heart of a screaming cyclone. Wherever he strides, the enemy are plucked from their feet and dashed to ruin by its elemental fury.
White Scars - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The achievements of the White Scars have often gone unnoticed by others, their battles originally fought on the far edges of the Great Crusade where few have lingered to observe the heroism they displayed in the name of the Emperor. On the back of their quiet and hidden battle honours was the Great Crusade built, for where other Legions and armies ventured, it is likely that they followed the trails left by the White Scars.These battles were often of a different breed to those lauded by other Space Marine Legions and then Chapters, lightning raids and campaigns of hit-and-run warfare designed to sap the strength of a foe so that others might strike the final blow.Jaghatai Khan and his sons have for many millennia often been accused of lacking the heavy ordnance required of a true Astartes force, but the White Scars embraced this quirk of their organisation and sought to turn what others saw as a flaw into advantage.Speed and strategic manoeuvrability are the cardinal virtues of their campaigns, and flexibility and the ability to adapt to circumstances swiftly are the hallmarks of their finest strategists. They meet brute force with emptiness, flowing around the foe to strike at his weakest points before falling back to strike again.Some see them as unreliable, for they are wont to avoid battle save on ground of their own choosing, but time and time again they have been disregarded and ignored only for their foes and allies alike to find them suddenly present at the heart of the battle, ready to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, always laughing as they kill.
White Scars - Post-Heresy: The method of war taught to the steppe tribes of Chogoris by Jaghatai Khan has served the White Scars well in the millennia that followed. Their modus operandi consists of lightning-fast hit-and-run attacks conducted by highly mobile forces, destroying the enemy piece by piece and never allowing the enemy to force a decisive or static engagement.Evoking the mounted warriors of their heritage, each brotherhood maintains a high proportion of Assault Bikes, Attack Bikes and Land Speeders, and their infantry squads are almost always borne to battle by fast moving vehicles or gunships. Indeed, it is often said that the White Scars are born in the saddle and are not at ease unless fighting on, in or from an armoured mount of some kind.They also make use of Jump Pack-equipped Assault Squads and Inceptors to harass the enemy, and then hit the foe with a full assault when they are at their weakest and most frazzled.The Chapter's primary combat doctrine is to deliver their forces to the battlefield in a single swift blow; thus, when Drop Pods are employed, the entire force of the Chapter committed to the assault deploys in them in order to avoid the possibility of parts of the force arriving in reserve.Although preferring to keep the foe at arms-length, the White Scars are fully capable of engaging in bloody close assaults, and are rightly feared by the enemies of the Imperium.To the White Scars, the thought of spending an eternity sealed within the ceramite sarcophagus at the heart of a Dreadnought, of never again feeling the rush of the air whilst hurtling towards the foe with blade in hand, is a truly horrifying notion.Also, the majority of heavy weapons normally used by Space Marine forces such as the Heavy Bolter, Missile Launcher, Plasma Gun or Heavy Flamer are frowned upon by the Chapter, and any main battle tank that cannot keep up with the rest of the army is avoided in the order of battle.For instance, the White Scars have no Devastator Squads, and their few Predator tanks may not carry sponson weapons. The White Scars also almost never field any Dreadnoughts, not only because of the slowness of those cyborgs, but also because every White Scars Astartes does not want to be crippled to the point that they must be entombed in a Dreadnought's cybernetic sarcophagus. Far better to die and allow their spirits to pass into the afterlife where they may roam freely.Overall, the White Scars are considered a powerful and effective Chapter when undertaking direct, rapid assaults or carrying out surgical strikes intended to achieve specific operational objectives.However, their lack of units with a great deal of resilience or staying power such as heavy weapons-equipped Tactical Marines, Devastator Marines, Dreadnoughts or the heavier Astartes main battle tanks means that their detachments are more fragile if not used at a tactically appropriate moment or if forced to face prolonged, static combat, particularly against well-defended enemy strongholds and heavily-fortified positions.The White Scars are not a Chapter that would fare well undertaking sieges, for example.
White Scars - Chapter Beliefs: The White Scars share the beliefs of their Primarch, venerating the Emperor as the Ultimate Uniter of Mankind, but not as a God and so they do not hold the Imperial Creed as their faith and have little regard for the Ecclesiarchy.It is the White Scars' belief that it is their duty to destroy the enemies of the Emperor in preparation for the day when He will rise from the Golden Throne to begin a new Great Crusade to unify the galaxy. On that day, Jaghatai Khan will return from the void to lead the Chapter once more.To the White Scars, the lightning bolt that serves as their Chapter badge is a potent and important symbol, representing both their style of warfare and echoing the warrior Honour Scars that they bear on their faces. It also represents the powers of the Stormseers.The Chapter believes that as long as the elemental, animistic powers of air and land heed the call of the Stormseers the White Scars will never falter on the field of battle. All White Scars bear the long, ritual facial scar that is called an Honour Scar and is the mark they receive when they are fully accepted into the Chapter as Neophytes.As noted above, the White Scars avoid deploying Dreadnoughts within their ranks as the thought of being entombed within the mighty cybernetic construction is anathema to the White Scars' beliefs that when a warrior dies, his soul should be free to travel to the afterlife and not be confined where it cannot freely roam the plains of the netherworld.
White Scars - Scarification Practises: Facial markings are widespread among the nomadic tribes of Chogoris, less so amongst the settled populations (the Khilan, Huanjan, etc.). It is said by some that the facial scars that give the White Scars their name are self-inflicted on initiation into the Chapter, a rite carried over from the days when the Talskar roamed the seas of grass on Chogoris. The Talskar tribe of nomads is given to extensive modifications, reflective of warrior prowess, achievement, and ritual events.The Talskar pattern of scarification is now endemic to many of the plains' nomad tribes of Chogoris and have been much emulated by other nations (especially the Haelun, Szechjiak, and High-Zuar) since the conquests of Jaghatai.Typical scarification patterns include those reminiscent of hunting fauna, in particular the native apex raptors (berkul). Permanent resin-based dyes have been added to prominent figures, producing hybrid scars and tattoo forms. Vivid results have been noted, yet their chemical composition is not yet fully understood by Imperial savants.A distinctive local variation of the left cheek zig-zag pattern has also been noted. This pattern of scars is made with ritual daggers under the supervision of the tribal zadyin arga (translated loosely to Low Gothic as "seer of storms"). Scars run from under the left eye socket to the chin. Ash is then used to raise tissue and whiten the residual ridge (hence the term "white scar").Shortly after being reunited with their Primarch during the Great Crusade, the Terran-born members of the Vth Legion quickly adopted the customs of the Chogorian natives who joined the Legion, though their results proved less pronounced.This was because these scarification techniques were most efficacious on the young, prior to the implantation of the Space Marine Progenoid Glands and the development of the basic Astartes bias towards rapid dermatological regeneration.
White Scars - Chapter Gene-Seed: The gene-seed of the White Scars appears to be stable and initially displayed no aberrations or mutation. However, with the introduction of genetic material from the steppes tribesmen of Chogoris, the genome seems to have also inherited their wild savagery and thirst for war.Despite the teachings of the khans and Stormseers regarding the unity of all White Scars, it is not unheard of for existing Chogorian tribal feuds to flare up between fellow squad members.In addition to this, there have been several recorded instances where White Scars brotherhoods have bloodily exceeded their mission objectives, such as the infamous "Red Highway Massacre."Whether such incidents are as a result of some inherent flaw in the White Scars' genetic material or came about after the cultural integration of the tribesmen is unknown, but the Adeptus Mechanicus is eager to know which.The White Scars Successor Chapters are all equally ferocious and fine examples of the combat teachings of Jaghatai Khan.
White Scars - Primarch's Curse: Chogorian Savagery: It is unknown whether the controlled savagery of the White Scars came originally from Jaghatai Khan, or from the wild and fierce people of Chogoris themselves, or even some combination of the two, but whatever the cause, there is a ferocity within their hearts and their blood that grants them great power, but which also threatens to consume all that they are and damn them.All White Scars are watchful for this necessary yet insidious savagery, and it is only with great discipline, humble introspection and often the watchfulness of their battle-brothers that they can hope to master themselves.When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected battle-brother, it comes on in two stages:Stage 1 - A Moment Unrestrained: The battle-brother's discipline begins to slip and falter, allowing brief moments of untamed ferocity to emerge in the heat of battle. Often, the battle-brother will not even know that he is succumbing to this savagery, and it requires the presence of his brothers to warn him of his failure.Stage 2 - Suppressed Rage: Within the darkest reaches of the battle-brother's mind lurks the shadow of his rage and fury, seeking any opportunity to emerge, and causing the battle-brother to become belligerent and quick to anger.
White Scars - Chapter Special-Issue Wargear: Adamantine Mantle - These flowing cloaks are laced through with threads of braided adamantium. When combined with armour and defensive energy fields, it has been shown time and again that these symbols of office are proof against even the very strongest attacks.Artificer Armour - Crafted by the finest artificers of the Chapter, these ornately detailed suits of Power Armour provide superior protective capabilities that rival even Terminator Armour. All who set eyes upon the wearer know that an honoured champion of the Imperium stands before them.Equis Pattern Bolt Pistol - The Techmarines of the White Scars have walked the line of heresy more than once with their fiercely independent approach to adapting STC technologies. The Equis is one such instance, a variant Bolt Pistol design that strains the capabilities of the gun's Machine Spirit to the limit by firing rapid flurries of bolts as its wielder charges into battle. Equis Pattern weapons are rare; their hyper-accelerated rate of fire soon burns out their mechanisms, martyring the pistols within a few short Terran years of battle.Head-Taker's Trophies - Many sons of the Great Khan display the polished skulls of the greatest of their conquered enemies upon their armour on large trophy racks. Those who oppose these swift warriors are filled with dread, for even the mightiest champions cannot help but envision their own severed head becoming a macabre decoration atop those gleaming spikes.Stormwrath Bolts - Fashioned according to ancient designs by Chogorian artificers and intended for use in hunting the macro-predators of the Khum Karta Mountains, these acid-etched bolt shells contain a secret alchemical propellant formula, and their explosive cores are laced with fulgurite that strikes like caged lightning within the target.Cyber-Eagle Helm - These helms contain engrammatic circuits that mentally link the wearer to a cybernetically-enhanced hunting bird familiar. Circling high above the battlefield, the cyber eagle feeds a constant stream of optic and auspex data to the helm's wearer, overlaying their autosenses with targeting projections and auto-prognosticatory hostile proximity alerts.
White Scars - Chapter Colours: The White Scars' Power Armour is predominantly white, with red trim. This has only varied slightly since the Pre-Heresy days of the Vth Legion.Apothecaries of the White Scars have their entire armour painted red save for the backpack, right shoulder and the helmet which are all white and have a red vertical stripe painted down the centre of the helmet.The White Scars base their Chapter iconography on the imagery used by the tribes from which they are recruited. This usually takes the form of jagged lightning bolt designs painted onto their armour and helmets, echoing ritual scarification applied to the flesh beneath.In addition, the White Scars display their company and squad markings on their knees or greaves as opposed to showing them on their shoulder guards.The red-coloured squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command, is indicated on the right shoulder guard while the Chapter iconography is painted on the left shoulder guard.Squad markings are displayed on the left knee plate. In each company there are, at any time, ten squads of up to ten warriors apiece, that may then bereinforced with up to ten squads from the Reserve Companies.The designators for which squad each battle-brother belongs to are displayed upon the left knee plate of their armour.In a complete departure from Codex Astartes-standard systems of company markings, the brotherhoods (companies) of the White Scars Chapter are denoted by vivid red lightning-bolt designs worn upon the squad Sergeant's right leg armour.White Scars Bikers' helmets usually display Chogorian tribal markings.A red helm with a skull symbol denotes the rank of Sergeant.An unadorned red helm and the crux symbol on the right shoulder guard denotes Veteran status.A red helm with skull stud and white stripe shows the rank of Veteran Sergeant.White Scars Lieutenants wear a white helm with a skull-stud and red band.Captains, called "Khans," wear a white, skull-stud helm and a winged skull on their right pauldron.
White Scars - Chapter Badge: The White Scars' Chapter badge is a stylised red thunderbolt with a horizontal yellow bar behind it, exemplifying their style of combat and echoing the facial Honour Scars all members of this Chapter bear.Members of the White Scars' Scout Marines brotherhood are permitted to wear the thunderbolt on their shoulder plates, but an obscure piece of Chapter law states they may not have the horizontal bar, an honour only given to full Initiates.
White Scars - Trivia: The White Scars' tactics and history are inspired by the real-life military tactics used by the Mongols during the creation of their continent-spanning medieval empire in the 13th Century AD and by the organisation and order of battle used by the Mongol army.Jaghatai Khan is inspired by the actual historical character of Genghis Khan (Temüjin) and some Turkic-Hunnic legends. The name Jaghatai means "white one" and "energetic one" in Mongolian and Turkish, and this name is still popular in Turkic-speaking countries in Central Asia.Rather than the Western portrayal of the Mongol Great Khan as a bloodthirsty conqueror, Jaghatai as portrayed in Warhammer 40,000 is more in line with how Genghis is still seen in his homeland of Mongolia -- a benevolent leader and masterful tactician.
White Sentinels - White Sentinels: White SentinelsSpace MarineChapterFoundingDuring the Era Indomitus it was reinforced with Primaris Space Marines by the Torchbearers' Task Force White Sentinels commanded by Admiral al Pre'golsa.Al Pre'golsa inflicted such stinging defeats upon all he came across that his fleet's name came to be feared by pirates across the Karenna Sub-sector.When the admiral finally encountered the doggedly surviving White Sentinels, al Pre'golsa had inadvertently secured a deadly new reputation for his fleet as expert naval tacticians to be avoided in void combat at all costs.
White Sentinels - Chapter Colours: The White Sentinels Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
White Sentinels - Chapter Badge: The White Sentinels Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
White Templars - White Templars: The White Templars is a Loyalist Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter once believed to have descended from the genetic lineage of the Imperial Fists, created during an unknown Founding.The White Templars' Chapter homeworld is the planet named Sanctum, located in the Formidyre System of the Segmentum Solar or the Segmentum Pacificus, as sources conflict. The White Templars are stoic and relentless in their prosecution of the foe.Though for a time it was thought that they were Imperial Fists successors, recent discoveries by genetoria-logi employed by the Administratum have thrown substantial doubt upon this claim. The White Templars have been shaken by this revelation, and have launched a star-spanning Imperial Crusade to discover the truth.During the Fourth Tyrannic War in the Era Indomitus, the White Templars' homeworld came under assault by the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Formidyre System soon became a major front in the Imperial defence of the Segmentum Pacificus, and drew large contributions of forces from the Astra Militarum, the Navis Imperialis, the Imperial Fists and other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.
White Templars - Notable Campaigns: Fourth Tyrannic War (Unknown Date.M42) - During the Fourth Tyrannic War, the White Templars' own Chapter planet of Sanctum came under assault by Hive Fleet Grendyllus, a massive, named tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan. With the aid of Lord Commander Solar Arcadian Leontus and the forces of the Astra Militarum he commanded who were using Sanctum as a base to face the Great Devourer in the galactic west, the White Templars were able to defeat the assault of the Tyranids even as it crashed against the walls of their fortress-monastery Holdfast, despite the fact that much of the Chapter was not present as they were away on an Imperial Crusade to determine the truth of their genetic origin. Sanctum lay in the Formidyre System, which was defended by the White Templars, the Imperial Fists and their mobile fortress-monastery the Phalanx, detachments from several other Space Marine Chapters, a vast Navis Imperialis battlefleet and the Astra Militarum forces under the command of Lord Solar Leontus.
White Templars - Notable White Templars: Chapter Master Kruxor Stavro - During the Fourth Tyrannic War, Stavro served as the co-commander of the Imperial forces tasked with defending the White Templars' fortress-monastery of Holdfast after their Chapter planet of Sanctum was invaded by Hive Fleet Grendyllus, a major tendril of the larger Hive Fleet Leviathan. The other was Lord Commander Solar Arcadian Leontus of the Astra Militarum, who acted as the heart and mind of the fortress-monastery's defence. Stavro served as the defence's blade-wielding fist and led each punishing counter-attack that drove the invading Tyranids back from Holdfast and ensured any breaches the xenos made in the fortress-monastery's walls were sealed.
White Templars - Chapter Colours: The White Templars wear predominately white power armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard, as well as the inset of the shoulder plates are black.The white squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is located on the right shoulder plate.A black High Gothic numeral is stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number.A black High Gothic numeral stenciled on the left knee plate indicates company number.
White Templars - Chapter Badge: The White Templars' Chapter badge is a white, eight-pointed cross-crosslet, centred on a field of black.
White Templars - Canon Conflict: The White Templars' Chapter planet of Sanctum is said in the 5th Edition Space Marines codex to reside in the Segmentum Solar. However, during the Fourth Tyrannic War according to the Warhammer Community website and the Battle for Oghram website, Sanctum is now said to lie in the Formidyre System of the Segmentum Pacificus in the far galactic west.
Whiteshields - Whiteshields: "Whiteshields" or Conscript Platoons are units of the Astra Militarum that consist of normal Imperial citizens with little or no military training, new recruits who have not yet entered training, children of an already extant regiment's troops or standing guardsmen who have not yet completed their training.Sometimes, in military emergencies, the Imperium's need for manpower is so great that normal Imperial citizens will simply find themselves conscripted by their local Imperial Guard regiment. These conscripts are officially designated in the Imperial military hierarchy as "probitors," but are better known by a variety of nicknames, such as "cadets", "probationers" or "gun babies", but the most common moniker from Feral or medieval homeworlds is "Whiteshield."This name is derived from a custom of the troops once raised from the fallen Fortress World of Cadia in that the probitors of that world's Cadian Shock Troops regiments show no regimental, company or platoon markings until they have earned the right to do so after facing their first combat test on the battlefield. Only then will they be allowed to proudly display their regimental colours or the heraldry of their fathers, while others receive ritualistic scarring or tattoos to mark their entrance into full maturity. Their only identifying insignia before this is the display of a single white stripe on their helmets.These reckless cadets are eager to prove their courage and earn the title of "guardsman". To them, this is more than a simple promotion, it is considered a rite of passage for many amongst the probitors, marking their entry into adulthood, particularly if they are Cadians who have spent their entire lives preparing to enter the military service of the Imperium.Whiteshields continue to perform menial and support duties, but combat training takes up an increasing proportion of their time until they are judged ready for action. Finally, they get a chance to prove their mettle in combat and to demonstrate that they are worthy of becoming true soldiers of the God-Emperor.
Whiteshields - Rites of Passage: Only those Whiteshields who distinguished themselves in battle are allowed to become guardsmen proper. Some regiments merely demand that a Whiteshield take part in a battle without giving way to fear. Others will only accept those who have drawn blood or killed an enemy, sometimes requiring the young soldier to collect a grisly trophy to prove their claim.After they have shown their worth, the Whiteshield has their blank, white helmet badge ceremoniously replaced with the regimental number and colours of their platoon; they take the shoulder motif of their company, and the helmet markings of the squad to which they are newly assigned. These rituals vary widely, as they are taken from the regiment's homeworld culture. Tattoos and ritual scarification are common and receiving these marks without crying out in pain is as much a test of the youngster's courage as their bravery on the battlefield.Often these Imperial soldiers serve in dedicated Heavy Weapon Teams in their platoons. They are equipped with mortars, Heavy Bolters, Autocannons or Lascannons to offer long-range infantry support or anti-armour support to regular guardsmen. These special heavy weapons sections bolster the battleline and provide close fire support. Unleashing a torrent of indiscriminate firepower, a Heavy Weapons Team can reduce the packed ranks of the enemy to nothing but a pile of bleeding corpses in the time it takes to pull the trigger.Those soldiers who demonstrate an affinity with specialised weaponry are gathered together into squads within a heavy weapons company. Generally, these teams are made up of two soldiers who crew a heavy weapon -- one crewman fires whilst the other hauls and loads the ammunition. Placed under the command of an officer, the Heavy Weapons Teams boost the firepower of the individual squads, allowing them to engage enemy armoured units or hold off alien hordes that outnumber them many times over.
Whiteshields - Wargear: Whiteshield squads are issued with the same basic equipment as full guardsmen. The sergeant carries a laspistol and chainsword, eight of the trainees carry a lasgun and the remaining squad member is armed with a lascannon, the only heavy weapon available to Whiteshields.Unlike other Imperial Guard squads, Whiteshields must retain equipment they are issued with -- they may not replace any of their weapons with alternative armament or take additional equipment or extra grenades or missiles. Being green recruits and trainees, the Whiteshields are not permitted to draw on the full resources of the regiment. The only exception are the Whiteshield squads that are included in a platoon of Rough Riders. These squads may have horses and explosive lances to match the other members of the platoon.Whiteshields wear the official Astra Militarum uniform of their regiment, but it is stripped of any insignia, including the unofficial gang or tribal symbols worn by many full guardsmen. Whiteshields must prove themselves in battle before they are allowed to display the insignia of their regiment and their homeworld culture. The unit badges are plain white, with neither platoon colours nor regimental number. They have white helmet stripes to indicate the status of their squad, but no other helmet markings.Although themselves already fully-trained and accepted guardsmen, Whiteshield sergeants wear the white badge and helmet stripe of their squad. They may, however, also wear the Imperial Aquila and various homeworld tribal or gang markings -- unlike the novices they accompany, Whiteshield sergeants have earned the right to these prestigious insignia.There are severe disciplinary measures for any Whiteshield who decorates their uniform with extra badges or slogans -- such presumption is despised by those who have earned in battle the right to call themselves true members of the Astra Militarum.
Wicked Sisters - Wicked Sisters: The Wicked Sisters are twin Imperial Pleasure Worlds named Iatos and Delphos that are located in the Jericho Reach. Both are markedly bizarre. Located dangerously close to the heavily contested Cellebos Warzone, the two systems they are each located in, also called Delphos and Iatos, are completely identical, and the planets themselves are nearly indistinguishable from each other except for the Imperial structures that have been built there.Located very close to the same Warp-route, the two systems have the same number of planets that orbit identical stars and the exact same frequency of rotation.In fact, they are so similar that the Imperium has established a vox beacon in each system, perpetually broadcasting each individual system's designation to avoid confusion between the two for voidships just dropping out of the Warp.After the conquest of these two systems by Lord General Ovidius, there were many members of the Adeptus Administratum who opposed establishing an Imperial presence on the worlds due to their bizarre nature.However, after seeing the verdant and beautiful terrain for themselves, they could not let such worlds go unused.Since then, the planets have acted as the main retreat for ranking members of the Imperium from both the Acheros and Orpheus Salients of the Achilus Crusade. In practice this has left them relatively deserted of any military personnel, as time for rest and recreation is severely limited given the current state of the Achilus Crusade.Both systems are in close proximity to the Hadex Anomaly; its glowing presence in the sky tinges every night on the planets with a sickly red glow. There are many Inquisitors operating in the Jericho Reach that believe that the influence of the Anomaly has tainted these worlds, infecting those who stay there with the subtle corruption of the Warp.However, with many more pressing concerns bearing down from all sides in the Reach, no Inquisitor has been able to spare resources long enough to launch a full investigation.The suspicions of these Inquisitors are even more accurate than they could imagine; underground Chaos Cults dedicated to Slaanesh have sprung up in both systems, and the subtle influence of Chaos can be felt by any who stay on the surface for an extended period of time.In the solar decades since the worlds' reclamation they have garnered a reputation for laxity and the pleasures of the flesh, giving them the name "The Wicked Sisters" amongst Imperial citizens of the Reach.
Wicked Sisters - Geography: Both Iatos and Delphos are extremely verdant worlds, and contain an extensive variety of indigenous flora and fauna but no native sentient life. Imperial records indicate a previous Human presence, although no evidence of previous colonisation has been uncovered.Geographic analysis by Adeptus Mechanicus agents has uncovered the presence of [REDACTED BY INQUISITORIAL ORDER] under all major continents on both Iatos and Delphos, but no other materials of worth to the crusade.With the complete transformation of the Wicked Sisters after the birth of the Hadex Anomaly, any shreds of Imperial records left on the planets vanished.The only reliable information that has been recovered from elsewhere in the Reach are simple planetary datafaxes recording the Imperial geographic analysis of the planets' original surfaces.Although Administratum agents found it bizarre that both planets had undergone such a dramatic shift during the Jericho Reach's "Age of Shadow," they attributed it to a changing orbital pattern or other natural causes.Only the records of the Deathwatch, who observed the Reach all through the Age of Shadow, indicate that the metamorphosis occurred in conjunction with the creation of the Hadex Anomaly, and that there may be a more sinister cause behind it.
Wicked Sisters - Strange Symmetry: Since the discovery of the two identical systems there have been many attempts to ascertain the nature of these bizarre twins. Dozens of Adeptus Mechanicus installations are scattered throughout each system, each dedicated to collecting specific subsets of data.This information is then astropathically transmitted back to a central station on Delphos for in-depth analysis with powerful and ancient cogitators that have been shipped in with the crusade.Thus far the collected information has netted no useful clues in determining the origin of Iatos and Delphos. All analysis has shown that, besides the alterations caused by Imperial forces, the systems are completely identical.Investigation has been further hampered by constant Inquisitorial intrusion -- an entire Adeptus Mechanicus installation -- dedicated to geological analysis was completely shut down under strict orders from the Ordo Xenos, and all information gathered was destroyed.
Wicked Sisters - Stark Contrast: Despite being identical for all intents and purposes, Delphos and Iatos have developed very differently. Since its reclamation, Delphos has maintained itself as a typical Pleasure World of the Imperium; the Ecclesiarchal presence keeping everyone strong in their faith to the Emperor.Iatos, on the other hand, has strayed far from the Emperor's light. The damaging presence of Charsilith's Den has allowed the insidious influence of Chaos to affect the populace and turn them away from the Emperor.Without swift Inquisitorial action, the populace of Iatos could be in danger of straying too far for the Imperium to tolerate and drastic action may have to be taken.
Wicked Sisters - Verdure Basilica: Upon the reclamation of the twin systems, the Ecclesiarchy planned to build a monolithic cathedral on both of the Pleasure Worlds to act as the centre of the Imperial religion on the planets.They began construction first on Delphos, but the process was plagued by problems from the beginning. Machine Spirits failed, workers died, materials were faulty, and what was meant to be a simple construction dragged out for solar decades.Eventually the construction was finished, and the Verdure Basilica stood as a monument to the Emperor's will, resplendent amongst the towering forest in which it was built. The basilica now acts as the spiritual heart of Delphos, keeping the population pure in the Emperor's light.The main section of the building is constructed from a grey and green speckled stone, its towering walls blending in with the forest around it. Vine-like plants grow over every facet of the structure, up its columns and buttresses, and covering most of the ornate windows.If a Kill-team operating on Delphos is going to meet with a member of the Administratum or the Ecclesiarchy, it would likely be within the walls of the Verdure Basilica.The towering building is the centralised meeting place for people from all across the planet. There is a constant flow of citizens and off-worlders milling throughout the grounds, each talking in quiet whispers to each other. For a Kill-team who would prefer to stay out of the sight of the public, the cathedral has multiple wings that stretch out into the forest.These dark and often abandoned areas would work perfectly for a quiet, low profile meeting with an important contact.
Wicked Sisters - Charsilith's Den: While the Ecclesiarchy constructed the basilica on Delphos to act as the centre for all Imperial culture on the planet, the people of Iatos had no centralised location in which to congregate.Charsilith's Den rose up to fill this void on the planet. Since then it has become a giant complex of excess and debauchery, a powerful influence on the entire planet that is -- unbeknownst to most of the planet's inhabitants -- driving Iatos closer and closer to the embrace of the Ruinous Powers.Initially Charsilith's Den was no more than a small establishment in which the artists and Administratum members of the Pleasure World could come to gamble and unwind. But with no central location in which to congregate, more and more people began spending their nights there, and it started to expand rapidly.As the Den grew, and other buildings were erected around it, the area began to resemble more of a tiny hive city than a single building. Many people began spending their entire days wrapped in the pleasures that the Den offers, being gently corrupted by temptation.The Den is a dark, imposing presence that can easily be seen on the approach to the planet. It is a jumble of rockcrete and adamantium buildings, clustered in the middle of a huge, cleared section of forest. Between the different buildings are small, cramped streets filled with people intent on gambling or darker deals.The chaotic and quick expansion of the complex has led to these dark streets being nearly labyrinthine in layout, perfect for secret meetings and illicit activities.The debauchery hidden deep within the walls of Charsilith's Den has been a perfect vessel for the Ruinous Powers to extend their influence, especially Slaanesh. Multiple Chaos Cults secretly operate deep inside the walls of the Den, spreading their influence far beyond to the rest of the planet.Many Inquisitors have investigated the establishment, suspecting the corruption within, but mysteriously no action has ever been taken to shut down or destroy it.Whether the Inquisitor and their retinue meet a mysterious fate, a more pressing matter materialises in the area, or they broker a secretive deal with a member of the Administratum, inevitably each Inquisitor ceases his investigation of the Den.The difference between Iatos and Delphos is noticeable. Anyone who spends much time at either can see the effect that the presence of the basilica and the Den have had on the two planets -- one desperately fighting off the malign influence of Chaos, the other giving into the siren call of the Ruinous Powers.
Wicked Sisters - Gollard Mountains: While the Gollard Mountains are a geographic feature, they are present on both Delphos and Iatos. Named by Lord General Ovidius, they (confusingly) both share the same name. Whether he did so out of humour or lack of creativity, no one will ever know.The mountains are made up of a jet-black rock that shimmers in the light of the sun. The range sticks out in stark contrast to the lush greenery of the rest of the planet, cutting a swath across the main continent like a dark scar. Weather has not worn down the peaks, which are pointed with sharp, jagged edges as if they had just been created yesterday.Anyone trying to navigate the mountain range on foot would have a difficult time. The sheer rock faces are steep and slick, and the endless peaks leave very few landmarks to guide the way. This has prompted a number of Imperial nobles to build their extravagant properties on the peaks of the Gollard Mountains.These giant structures are only accessible via a flying craft, allowing the nobles to enjoy solitude and privacy away from prying eyes.
Widowmakers - Widowmakers: The Widowmakers is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in Imperial records.
Widowmakers - Notable Campaigns: Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - The Widowmakers sent one Battle Company in defence of the world of Armageddon against the green tide of the massive Ork WAAAGH! led by the infamous Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka during the Third War for Armageddon.
Widowmakers - Chapter Colours: The Widowmakers' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Widowmakers - Chapter Badge: The Widowmakers' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Wilderness Space - Wilderness Space: Wilderness Space is the name officially used by the Imperium of Man to refer to all those areas of the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond that have not yet been explored or charted by the agents of the Emperor of Mankind.There are many reasons why so much of the galaxy remains unexplored even in the late 41st Millennium. First, the galaxy is still a truly massive region of space-time on the Human scale, and even after almost forty standard millennia of space travel Mankind has not yet been able to pierce every dark corner and hidden stellar cranny.Then there is the problem of the Warp. As Humanity is dependent upon the Immaterium for all faster-than-light travel, it can only travel along those routes of the Sea of Souls that are navigable.Like a terrestrial ocean, the Warp has currents, eddies, and storms, all of which can block access to vast regions of the galaxy. This is particularly true in times when the power of the Ruinous Powers waxes, as the resulting growth in Warp Storms and Warp rifts like the Maelstrom, the ancient Ruinstorm and the current Great Rift can cordon off entire segmentums from each other.Other, outlying regions of the galaxy, such as the Halo Stars, are simply judged to possess neither natural resources or environments suitable for Human colonisation. Thus, neither Explorators nor Rogue Traders bother to make the journey, seeing no profit in the venture.Finally, certain regions of the galaxy, particularly in the Eastern Fringe, are so far from Terra, that they fall beyond easy reach of the Astronomican. Unable to sense the Emperor's guiding psychic beacon, many Navigators refuse to enter these regions, fearful of being lost in the Warp for an eternity.
William King - William King: William King is an author for Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.
William King - Dark Angels: Deathwing (Short Story) (1990, With Bryan Ansell, collected in Deathwing (Anthology) and The Book of the Lion (Anthology))
William King - Eldar: Farseer (2002, ISBN 1-84154-244-X)
William King - Macharian Crusade: The Mancharian Crusade (Omnibus) (2017, ISBN 1-78496-493-X), collects the following:Angel of Fire (2012, ISBN 1-84970-184-9)Fist of Demetrius (2013, ISBN 1-84970-402-3)Fall of Macharius (2014, ISBN 1-84970-737-5)
William King - Space Wolf: The Space Wolf Omnibus (2008, ISBN 1-84416-457-8)Space Wolf (1999, ISBN 1-84154-106-0)Ragnar's Claw (2000, ISBN 1-84154-118-4)Grey Hunter (2002, ISBN 1-84154-207-5)Space Wolf: The Second Omnibus (with Lee Lightner, 2009, ISBN 1-84416-775-5)Wolfblade (2003, ISBN 1-84416-021-1)
William King - Other: Devil's Marauders (Short Story) (Collected in Deathwing (Anthology))In the Belly of the Beast (Short Story) (1999, collected in Into the Maelstrom (Anthology) and Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology))The Wrath of Khârn (Short Story) (Collected in Dark Imperium (Anthology), Let the Galaxy Burn (Anthology), and There Is Only War (Anthology))
Wirewolf - Wirewolf: A Wirewolf is a type of Chaos Daemon Engine that was encountered by Imperial forces during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. All of  the Wirewolfs encountered were in the service of Magister Anakwanar Sek, the commander of the Chaos militia known as the Sons of Sek. The Wirewolf, like all Daemon Engines, are machines powered by a trapped Daemonic entity, although unlike most Daemon Engines used by the forces of Chaos Wirewolves can take a variety of shapes and forms, all depending on their maker's will. These range in shape from knights in full armour to actual hounds.Wirewolves were commonly produced and used to police and protect the worlds of the Consanguinity. The rites performed by teams of philia metallurgists and wiresmiths put a Daemon-spirit into a conductor-body of metal, allowing it to walk abroad. This process is long and might take solar months or even standard years to properly machine the metal chassis of a wirewolf to perfection, inscribing it with the most precise runes and sigils in the Dark Tongue.When they are inactive, Wirewolves hang from specially fashioned "gibbets", where arcane practices made the space between the Materium and the Immaterium thin so the Warp could finger its way through the aether when the correct commands came. The beasts could be summoned by wandering "glyfs", which are sentient Chaos runes, at the slightest hint of disturbances from the area's enslaved population. Once awoken, Wirewolves were known to be nearly uncontrollable, often attacking friends and foes alike.A downside to the usage of Wirewolves was that they expended their energy quickly (in only 40 to 50 solar minutes), and were required to periodically return to their "gibbets" to recharge, but when they were fully awoken, there was little that could stand before their assault. When a Wirewolf is damaged enough or destroyed, its ruptured metal carcass will be torn open by the escaping Daemonic entity within, unleashing the contained Warp energy in a ferocious explosion that could potentially kill anyone within its blast radius.
Wirewolf - History: The twelve members of the Astra Militarum's Tanith 1st Regiment located on the planet Gereon encountered several of these monstrous Daemon Engines. Much to the amazement of the Chaos forces, they managed to defeat the Wirewolves that were summoned against them.Most notably, Surgeon Ana Curth destroyed one of the Daemonic machines by using a number of flasks containing the blessed water from the Imperial Cult's Balneary Shrine on the world of Herodor. The water contained within was originally manufactured by the Departmento Medicae to counteract the effects of Warp-contact on the Human metabolism.
Witchblade - Witchblade: A Witchblade is a psychically-attuned melee weapon that a Craftworld Aeldari walking the Path of the Seer, such as Warlocks and Farseers, often carry to battle.Essentially a potent Force Weapon, these swords resonate with their users, enhancing their physical strength to terrifying levels -- Farseers have been known to slash through the heaviest of power armour or cleave battle tanks clean in half with devastating blows from these weapons.Used to enhance and unleash the latent psychic power of the wielder, Witchblades are effective against all infantry targets; humanoid, xenos, beast or Daemon.A Witch Blade contains a helix-shaped, crystalline psychic matrix embedded with runes to channel and focus a Seer's psychic energies.