vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Rogal Dorn - Death and Rebirth: Meanwhile, Archamus, Rogal Dorn's Master of the Huscarls, was eventually able to deduce the Alpha Legion's true intentions -- to sabotage the Imperial astropathic monitoring network centred on Hydra. During the fighting, Archamus led a Huscarl contingent in a daring assault upon the Alpha Legion force led by Primarch Alpharius himself. In the subsequent fighting, the Huscarls were killed and Archamus was left mortally wounded.All seemed lost, as the battle seemed to swing in favour of the Traitor forces. But miraculously, the Imperial Fists' mobile star-fortress Phalanx, led by Rogal Dorn himself, arrived with a massive Imperial Fists fleet in tow. They were boosted by additional reinforcements from the Armada Imperialis. Utilising the competing gravity wells throughout the Solar System, the Imperial Fists fleet managed to arrive quickly by slingshotting itself towards Pluto. The Imperial Fists reinforcements immediately pacified the captured guns on Kerberos, as Rogal Dorn led his Huscarls in an assault upon the astropathic chamber on Hydra.Dorn and his remaining Huscarls teleported directly into the locked chamber, and soon joined battle against Alpharius and his elite Lernaean Terminators. Archamus looked on helplessly, as the two Primarchs fought one another in an epic life-or-death duel. When Alpharius was about to impale Dorn with his Pale Spear, the now-dying Archamus attempted to intervene in the battle after spotting Alpharius was primed for a killing blow, however his seax rebounded harmlessly off of the spear's haft.Archamus was unaware that Dorn had anticipated the strike and stepped in to take the blow with his shoulder to pin Alpharius in place, then grabbed the spear with one hand and using his deadly Chainsword, Storm's Teeth, Dorn sliced through Alpharius' wrists, severing his hands from his arms, before slashing his brother across the chest and impaling him with his own spear. Finally, Dorn finished off Alpharius with a deadly chop of his mighty Chainsword into the top of his skull.With the death of their Primarch, the Alpha Legion fleet withdrew and retreated from Pluto. At the moment of his twin-Primarch's death, Omegon sensed the demise of his sibling and became distant. Shortly thereafter, he was notified that the Warmaster demanded that Alpharius speak with him so that he could know the status of the Alpha Legion's attack on the Sol System. Like he had done many times before, Omegon immediately took upon himself his brother's name, and permanently assumed the mantle of sole Primarch of the XXth.
Rogal Dorn - Defence of the Imperial Palace: Dorn was subsequently charged with bolstering the defences of the Imperial Palace even further against the coming storm of the Traitor Marines, and oversaw the construction himself. Dorn crafted great bastions armed with millions of artillery cannons, and added steel plating to the towers and walls of the Palace. He felt he was marring the perfection and beauty of the existing structure in doing so, and regretted it, even though it was necessary.Elements of his Legion were also ordered to assault schism-torn Mars, securing vital weapons, thousands of suits of the new Mark VI Power Armour and munitions from the Loyalist Mechanicum, even as the planet fell to the Chaos-tainted Dark Mechanicum that had allied itself with Horus, though the Imperial Fists Space Marine force under Captain Camba-Diaz took terrible casualties in the raid to secure the critical supplies. This materiel would later prove essential in holding off the siege of the Imperial Palace by the Traitor Marines.What forces of his Legion Dorn had taken with him would fight in the Siege of Terra, manning the Imperial Palace defences with the aid of the Blood Angels Legion. When Horus dropped the shielding on his flagship, Dorn and his most trusted veterans, clad in the few suits of Terminator Armour remaining to the Loyalists, would teleport directly into battle alongside the Emperor, the Legio Custodes and Sanguinius against Horus' forces on that Chaos-twisted vessel.Unfortunately, Dorn and his chosen Astartes would land the farthest from Horus as the power of Chaos warped the teleportation, dividing the Imperial forces. Dorn and the Imperial Fists had to fight their way across almost the entire length of the Battle Ship to reach the bridge.This meant that they would arrive too late to participate in the battle with Horus himself. Dorn was the one to find the bodies of the Emperor, Sanguinius and Horus on the vessel's bridge after their titanic duel.He was also the one to hear from the fatally crippled Emperor his final commands on how to rebuild the Imperium, and personally carried his shattered father's body to his resting place in the Golden Throne of the Imperial Palace, where he would lie, neither alive nor dead, for the next ten millennia.
Rogal Dorn - Wargear: The Auric Armour - Commonly dressed in baroque power armour of burnished copper and gold, Dorn also wore a red velvet cloak and an unfurled eagle-wing motif was heavily present on much of his wargear, most notably on a decorative section of his armour that rose above the shoulders. It was said to be constructed from the same auric-adamantium alloy as the Emperor's own personal combat armour.Storm's Teeth - This colossal chainsword, too weighty for any but a primarch to wield, is said to have been crafted by the weaponmasters of Inwit before the coming of the Emperor. Its razored teeth can shred metal, stone and flesh with ease and while the primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion had many arms at his disposal, some relics of far greater power, it was this blade which had served him faithfully for so long that he favoured most.The Voice of Terra - Presented to Rogal Dorn by the Legio Custodes to honour the primarch's appointment as Praetorian of Terra, this tactical bolter follows the pattern of the Legio Custodes' own weaponry, albeit redesigned for the hand and might of a primarch to wield.Teleport Homer - A Teleport Homer was a device of ancient Imperial technology utilised by the Adeptus Astartes, the forces of the Inquisition and the Chaos Space Marines to allow teleportation through the Warp from one location, usually an orbiting starship, to a point on a planetary surface. A Teleport Homer transmits a special signal that suits of Terminator Armour can lock onto to allow their users to teleport to a given location through the Immaterium with great accuracy by using teleporter technology located at the point of origin.Frag Grenade - A Frag Grenade is an anti-personnel grenade commonly used by the military forces of the Imperium of Man. It produces a blast of shrapnel that can shred unarmoured troops. The blast has the tactical advantage of forcing the enemy to duck into cover to avoid damage. In effect, the blast of a Frag Grenade neutralises any movement advantage held by an opposing force by pinning them to their position.The Ætos Dios - Following several attempts on Rogal Dorn's life by the Traitors after the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, Magos Telluria constructed for him a unique, heavily-customised personal Thunderhawk gunship to convey him both in battle and to shield him as he conducted missions in respect of the defences of Terra. In lieu of its usual weapons, this particular gunship was equipped with a Turbo-Laser and a single Titan-grade Void Shield.
Rogal Dorn - Canon Conflicts: In older canon, it was originally stated that Dorn "died" aboard the Chaos battleship Sword of Sacrilege after leading a desperate attack on its bridge. The only trace of the missing primarch uncovered by the Imperial Fists' subsequent search was a single fist. Dorn's skeletal hand was returned to the Phalanx where, over the years, it has been scrimshawed, the bones intricately engraved with the heraldry of all the Imperial Fists Chapter's previous Chapter Masters.Only the current Imperial Fists Chapter Master has the right to engrave his name upon the bones. Even with minuscule script, ten thousand standard years of history have left the bones covered with names, giving a list of the Imperium's greatest heroes.Each bone corresponds to former commanders of the Chapter. For instance, the left hand first metacarpal contains the names of Chapter Masters Bronwin Abermort, Maximus Thane, Kalman Flodensbog and many others, while the first phalange of the thumb bears the name Ambrosian Spactor, and so forth. The Hand of Dorn is the Imperial Fists' holiest icon and it serves as a reminder of sacrifice and commitment.So it was, that throughout the Imperial Fists' history -- from the Ork onslaughts of the 32nd Millennium to the 13th Black Crusade -- they have drawn inspiration from their primarch's remains and resolved to defeat their foes or die in the attempt. Whether the fist actually belongs to Rogal Dorn or his remains lie elsewhere, is unknown. It is even possible that Dorn survived the assault upon the Sword of Sacrilege; whatever his fate, its truth is known only to the Emperor at present.According to Ian Watson's novel Space Marine, which is now considered an apocryphal tale, Dorn's skeleton, without its hands, is encased in clear amber, which is formed in the shape of the primarch's body. Dorn's skeletal fists are kept within two shrines on the Phalanx, the bones intricately engraved with the heraldry of all the Imperial Fists Chapter's previous masters.In the Index Astartes II article "Emperor's Fist - The Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter," Dorn's death is said to have taken place soon after the disappearance of his brother primarch, Corvus Corax of the Raven Guard. That would mean Rogal Dorn died not long after the Great Scouring began in the early 31st Millennium following the end of the Horus Heresy.Official Imperial records also state that Dorn died leading an Imperial Fists assault on a Chaos Despoiler-class Battleship, the Sword of Sacrilege. As this type of battleship was not first built until the mid-36th Millennium, this would not be possible, as Rogal Dorn was already long dead, though it is possible that perhaps he led the Imperial Fists far longer than previously reported.
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank - Rogal Dorn Battle Tank: The Rogal Dorn Battle Tank is a heavy main battle tank of the Astra Militarum named after Rogal Dorn, the primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion.The Rogal Dorn Battle Tank is a behemoth of an armoured vehicle, perfectly suited for smashing enemy positions and anchoring defensive lines. Its heavy armour gives it durability worthy of carrying the Praetorian of Terra's name, while its powerful engines ensure it does not fall behind squadrons of Leman Russ Battle Tanks, the more lightly armed and armoured medium tanks that remain the primary main battle tanks of the Astra Militarum in any campaign.The Rogal Dorn is a lumbering behemoth, equally suited to anchoring a battle line, or grinding forward in support of an assault. Bristling with thunderous guns, these hulking armoured fighting vehicles pound breaches in enemy's defences with enormous shells, and tear apart infantry with raucous storms of ballistic fire.The Rogal Dorn has three crew members, including a spotter, tank commander, and a gunner for the pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber located atop the tank's turret.
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank - Armament: The Rogal Dorn Battle Tank's turret mounts either two full-size Battle Cannons that possess a high rate of fire, or an enormous Oppressor Cannon. The latter in particular is a devastating anti-armour powerhouse, capable of knocking out almost anything up to a Chaos Knight in a single salvo -- and it still has room for a co-axial Autocannon to the side.The firepower of this heavy tank does not stop there -- the Rogal Dorn mounts a secondary hardpoint that can be outfitted with a deadly Castigator Gatling Cannon on the hull, perfect for scything down infantry. Or that can be replaced with a Pulveriser Cannon -- the Demolisher Cannon's only-slightly smaller counterpart, which is also intended to take on enemy armour and fortified positions.The tank can be further augmented with a pair of Heavy Stubbers or Meltaguns. A pair of Heavy Bolters or Multi-Meltas can be attached to sponsons on the side of the vehicle. There is also an additional pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber for any gunner brave enough to clamber up out of the interior of the tank to the top of the turret.The tank's tracks can be upgraded with Extra Armour Plating, as well as tow hooks, viewing slits, extra fuel, a searchlight, and other stowed equipment.
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: The Adeptus Mechanicus has not made the technical specifications of the Rogal Dorn Battle Tank publicly available.
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank - Wargear: 2 Battle Cannons (Turret weapon)Oppressor Cannon with co-axial Autocannon (Alternative turret weapon)Castigator Gatling Cannon (Hull mount)Pulveriser Cannon (Hull mount, replacement for Castigator Gatling Cannon)2 Heavy Stubbers2 Meltaguns (As replacement for Heavy Stubbers)2 Heavy Bolters (Sponson weapons)2 Multi-Meltas (Sponson weapons, replacements for Heavy Bolters)Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber (Turret mount)SearchlightExtra Armour Plating (Optional upgrade)
Rogal Dorn Battle Tank - Sources: Warhammer Community - The Rogal Dorn Battle Tank Crushes Heretics With the Power of the PraetorianGames Workshop - Rogal Dorn Battle Tank
Rogue Trader (Rulebook) - Rogue Trader (Rulebook): Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is the 1st Edition of the Warhammer 40,000 core rulebook of the tabletop miniatures war game published in 1987. It is a highly sought-after collectible among enthusiasts of the hobby. It is also the only edition of Warhammer 40,000 not to have a starter set of miniatures for the game (such as Battle for Macragge or Assault on Black Reach).The cover features Space Marines of the Crimson Fists Space Marine Chapter combating an horde of Orks.
Rogue Trader Cruiser - Rogue Trader Cruiser: A Rogue Trader Cruiser is any class of Imperial cruiser that is in the employ of a Rogue Trader dynasty. It can be a starship drawn from a variety of existing cruiser classes, including light cruisers, standard cruisers, heavy cruisers, battlecruisers or even grand cruisers in very rare cases, but will almost inevitably have a wide variety of technological modifications made by its owner, often of xenos or archeotech origin.Imperial cruisers are gigantic constructions, most of them Terran centuries or even millennia old. Those few that are constructed anew are often the result of standard years of toil by the population of an entire world -- enormous orbital shipyards that might produce a single vessel every few solar decades. Even the mighty Forge Worlds of the Priesthood of Mars with their unimaginably vast, serried ranks of orbital docks and laying yards may only complete one of these behemoths every standard year or so despite easily having a dozen or more of them in varying stages of construction at any one time.Such gargantuan efforts are beyond the ken of even Rogue Traders. Rather, most Rogue Traders rely on vessels built (and often owned) by others. Many cruisers are in fact part of the dynasty's Warrant of Trade itself as their house's flagship, an undeniably powerful aid gifted to the Rogue Trader by the Adeptus Administratum as a bequest to their agent abroad. Other vessels are loaned to Rogue Traders more temporarily, perhaps being themselves Navis Imperialis vessels given over to a Rogue Trader for a time where Segmentum Command thinks it beneficial.Rogue Trader Cruisers take an infinite variety of forms, all based on existing Imperial cruiser patterns. The form these vessels take may vary greatly, based primarily on what particular Forge World either constructed the vessel itself or leased its Adeptus Mechanicus-approved design template to the orbital shipyard that constructed it. Thus, while Rogue Trader Cruisers are generally recommissioned hulls of many different patterns, the most typical cruiser pattern utilised by Rogue Traders are those constructed at Kar Duniash, the Segmentum Fortress of the Ultima Segmentum, and its surrounding star systems. Conversely, for this same reason the pattern is also common to various Navis Imperialis cruiser classes that operate throughout the Ultima Segmentum, such as the Lunar-class, Tyrant-class, Dominator-class, etc.Rogue Trader vessels are unique, exotic things, often exhibiting many signs of their colorful adventures. Although typically based around the hulls of the more common Imperial cruiser classes, Rogue Trader vessels are subject to constant refit and adornment, much of it alien in origin, creating truly unique vessels.The business of a Rogue Trader can take them all over the galaxy and, while their vessel's class or hull pattern may be common in its sector of origin, it may be virtually unknown in those which they travel, meaning a relatively standard cruiser may stand well apart in appearance from its Imperial Navy counterparts. Drawing such flamboyant attention to one's self is something most Rogue Traders hardly seek to avoid.
Rogue Trader Cruiser - Kar Duniash - A Trader's Haven: Being the Segmentum Fortress of the Ultima Segmentum, Kar Duniash is a favoured departure point for countless voyages to the Eastern Fringe, the largest of the vast, unexplored tracts of Wilderness Space in the galaxy with its promise of adventure and undiscovered riches.Accordingly, it is also the return destination of many traders once their business in the Fringe is complete, and over the millennia has established itself as a welcome haven for exhausted traders and crews who may well have been beyond Imperial-controlled space for many Terran years. It is for this reason that Kar Duniash is the primary place from which Rogue Trader Cruisers are often created, leased or otherwise acquired.
Rogue Traders - Origins: The Rogue Traders had their origins in the demands of the early days of the Great Crusade of the late 30th Millennium. Driven by the will of the Emperor, the first expeditionary fleets of the crusade pushed outwards into the galaxy.Preceding each great expeditionary fleet of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of vessels often ranged smaller contingents of independent flotillas led by a class of martial leader that would become known as the "Rogue Traders Militant." Many of these individuals were former rulers of the numerous realms the Emperor had cast down first during the Unification Wars on Terra and later, as the Great Crusade spread, formerly independent Human colony worlds.They were offered a stark choice -- bend the knee before the Emperor and swear service to the Great Crusade, or die by His hand. Though many set pride before what they regarded as slavery, others chose service and took up the Emperor's Warrant of Trade. There was a price, however. The Rogue Traders Militant were expected to scout ahead of the leading edge of the Great Crusade, accompanied by their own armies as well as whatever assets had been ceded them by the Emperor.Operating so far ahead of the Emperor's crusading armies, the Rogue Traders Militant could expect little or no aid should they encounter foes too powerful for them to overcome. After several solar decades penetrating the inky black of the void, Rogue Trader Militant fleets often appeared as ramshackle vagabonds, many of their starships taken from defeated enemies, sometimes including xenos vessels of entirely novel or esoteric form.They were forbidden to return to Terra, for in His wisdom the Emperor sought not to just rid Himself of powerful rivals, but to ensure that even in their deaths they might serve Mankind. Many vanished alone and unheralded; slain, consumed or enslaved by nameless xenos abominations far from the light of Terra.
Rogue Traders - Imperial Legal Status: The most valuable possession of a Rogue Trader is his or her Imperial Warrant of Trade; an ancient legal document which describes and sanctions the accepted limits of a Rogue Trader and his descendants' operations across the galaxy within the framework of Imperial law.These charters are hereditary and thus create an entire Rogue Trader dynasty when they are issued. These dynasties are granted a personal coat of arms identifying their members amongst the Imperial nobility. Rogue Traders are empowered with the authority by the High Lords of Terra to travel freely within the Imperium and beyond.This allows them to legally interact with cultures which normal Imperial citizens are forbidden contact with because they are non-Imperial Human worlds or xenos-controlled planets. Not only that, but Rogue Traders are granted the permission and freedom to deal with these cultures as they see fit, so long as it is judged to be in the interests of the Imperium.Having said that, it can be assumed that a Renegade Rogue Trader guilty of heresy or treason will be severely prosecuted by the Inquisition if discovered and captured. Their punishment will be that much more severe if they are deemed undeserving of the Emperor's extraordinary trust in their family.Rogue Traders usually return within the boundaries of Imperial space every few Terran years, to unload their exotic wares and re-supply, recruit, and rest until their next foray into the darkness of unknown space. During these periods they may come into conflict with members of the Adeptus Terra or the Inquisition based on their activities during their most recent expedition.Rogue Traders wield incredible political, economic and military power beyond the Imperium's frontiers, and it is easy for them to forget that once back within the borders of the Imperium, they do not have free rein to act as they wish. This strident attitude will draw attention from the authorities.Many Rogue Traders dispute the right of the Imperium to exercise authority over them. As individuals who have wandered amongst alien stars and conversed with all manner of cultures, Rogue Traders are viewed as susceptible to all kinds of heresies, from wayward philosophies to infection by alien creatures or possession by Warp entities that live in the darkness between stars. All of these factors can lead to violent confrontation, particularly if the Rogue Trader has knowledge or an artefact that others within the Imperial hierarchy of equal or greater power covet.
Rogue Traders - Origins: No two Rogue Traders are exactly alike, but all are exceptional individuals with a drive and personal ambition that sets them far above the teeming ranks of Humanity.They come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all appear fêted, or cursed, by the title they bear.
Rogue Traders - Navis Imperialis: A great many Rogue Traders have served in the Navis Imperialis, the Imperial Navy. This is hardly surprising, as they are expected to command entire armadas of voidships, and few would wish to delegate such responsibility to a subordinate. As a consequence, many Rogue Traders are exceptionally skilled captains of their vessels and admirals of their fleets, able, even keen, to take on enemies the likes of which may never have been encountered by the Imperium, and emerge victorious.Many would have been considered mavericks by their contemporaries in the Imperial Navy, for their methods and tactics might run contrary to the doctrines of space combat taught at the Segmentum Fortresses. Those whose ideas genuinely are too extreme tend not to survive long, though the manner of their death might form the basis of legend and rumour for many Terran centuries to come. Those with a genuine talent, even one based on ideas the Imperial Navy could never fully endorse, might go on to achieve great things once released from the service of the notoriously conservative Imperial military establishment.Many Rogue Traders who once served in the Imperial Navy maintain a network of contacts across the sector in whose battlefleet they served, and beyond. As such, they might be able to call upon old friends, perhaps individuals they served beside as officer cadets. Such contacts can provide all manner of aid when really needed, from emergency supplies to official Imperial help against pirate or alien attack. Most Rogue Traders prefer to get by on their own skills and only call in such favours when things get desperate. Many prefer not to call in a favour from an old contact recently made a commodore when that same individual might one day be a high admiral and therefore able to provide even greater aid.Rogue Traders from a naval background often maintain the trappings of their former rank, ornamented with all manner of additional finery. Thus, a Rogue Trader might wear a formal dress coat similar to that worn by a high admiral (even if he had never attained such rank himself), complete with rows of medals and awards, gold-braided epaulettes, and metres of elaborate piping.Yet, he might wear his hair braided in the fashion of some Feral World tribe, or facial tattoos in the style of an anarchic hive city gang. Alongside a treasured Imperial Navy cutlass he might carry a sword of unknown, yet unmistakably xenos manufacture, or bear other weapons traded with or stolen from any one of a hundred bizarre societies.
Rogue Traders - Astra Militarum: The Astra Militarum is another Imperial military institution from which Rogue Traders may be drawn. Those who have risen above service in a single regiment to lead the vast, diverse armies of the Imperial Guard might be granted a Warrant of Trade to take their crusade beyond the borders of the Imperium's space and out into the great unknown.These individuals are not only masters of ground-based combat, but gifted in the arts of strategy. Some become great admirals as well as great generals, while others have the foresight to delegate command of their vessels to underlings, concentrating their own prodigious skills on the bigger strategic picture.Rogue Traders from such a background often amass huge ground forces and use their fleets to bring these to bear in devastating planetary assaults. Beyond the reach of the Imperium, such individuals will be forced to husband their forces in a manner they may be unused to, lest they exhaust their finite resources with little or no hope of recruiting fresh troops.Should their ground forces suffer high losses, the Rogue Trader will be forced to recruit from those worlds they have already conquered or colonised. In the case of Human societies re-discovered after generations of isolation from the broader galaxy, they may establish a system of feudal duty, whereby the planet is required to send its warriors to serve in the Rogue Trader's fleets, or they may be forced to demand or coerce service in their armies.Some Rogue Traders have even resorted to recruiting the services of alien mercenaries or auxiliaries, a practice highly frowned upon by the authorities of the Imperium. Out beyond the fringes, however, Rogue Traders are a power entirely unto themselves -- who knows what bizarre forces roam the Halo Zones ostensibly in the service of the Imperium?In appearance, these militant Rogue Traders vary hugely. Many wear the trappings of the regiment from which they were originally drawn, which, unlike the formalised uniforms of the Imperial Navy, is often specific to the culture of the regimental homeworld. They may also wear elements of the uniforms of the Imperial General Staff, including a long, elaborate coat, or peaked cap. The many who prefer to lead their conquests from the frontline mix such dress in a manner more appropriate to their warrior background, combining a dress uniform with Carapace Armour or even power armour modified to fit a normal-sized Human.As with other types of Rogue Trader, these individuals carry all manner of unusual weaponry, including exotic sensor and force field devices normally only available to the upper echelons of the Inquisition or Officio Assassinorum.While the weapons carried by a Rogue Trader of an Imperial Navy background might be considered for show, those carried by one from an Astra Militarum origin are generally more practical and far more devastating, having been hand-crafted for them and covered in elegant engravings, or recovered from the body of a defeated foe and kept not only as a trophy but valued for some uniquely destructive capability it possesses.
Rogue Traders - Adeptus Administratum: Through their long and varied careers, some adepts of the Adeptus Administratum might amass considerable personal power, holding sway over a small empire of divisions and departments with responsibilities across dozens of planetary systems. Invariably, these men and women will be ruthless, calculating individuals who have worked their way to the very top of the Imperium's massive bureaucracy by any means possible, crushing their foes and thwarting endless assassination attempts to stay in power.Many of these officials will have been assigned to such tasks as the suppression of a rebellious sector, or enforcing the Imperium's rule on Human colonies recently re-discovered and brought back into the Emperor's fold. These individuals will be masters in the precise application of political and bureaucratic power, able to bring to bear any weapon at their disposal, from the military might of the Space Marines to the secret arts of political manipulation.As such, some make ideal Rogue Trader material. An Imperial administrator given command of a Rogue Trader fleet will be a politician first and a leader second, though the most successful will combine both roles or switch between the two with masterful skill. They will amass their resources and appoint leadership of the various arms of their fleet to those they not only trust, but can also destroy should they challenge the Rogue Trader in any way.They will keep their underlings in perpetual competition against one another, encouraging them to seek their patronage and approval at the expense of their rivals. Unlike Rogue Traders of a more martial background, these men and women rarely engage in overt displays of their personal combat prowess, preferring instead to exert their power by way of an assassin's knife in the dark rather than crass displays of military might.In appearance, these Machiavellian princelings often prefer to remain comparatively inconspicuous. They might wear the vestments of their former positions, such as the monkish robes of the scribe and the adept. Others wear more ornate dress, but keep the colours dark and subdued, lending them a brooding, menacing aspect and hinting at the foolishness of crossing them.They tend not to wear conspicuous weaponry, yet only a fool would assume that such an individual would be unable to defend themselves. These Rogue Traders always carry small, yet deadly weapons such as digital-lasers or concealed power blades, and invariably some form of personal force field generator that will protect from the attacks of an enemy in battle or a treacherous underling at court.
Rogue Traders - Merchants: Most of the cultures of the Imperium's worlds remain comparatively isolated, with only a handful of a planet's population ever undertaking a journey to another star system. Yet despite this parochialism, most Imperial worlds rely on trade with those in the nearby stellar vicinity for many of their needs to be met.Weapons and other items of advanced technology must be imported from those worlds with the expertise and capacity to produce them, while such centres of industry may require rare natural resources, which must be imported. In addition, the aristocratic ruling classes of many worlds crave the exotic, often paying outrageous sums for goods imported from distant locales. Clothes, foodstuffs, jewellery, and art are all highly desirable to those who wish to make a display of their wealth and influence, whether real, imagined, or feigned in the interests of fashion. An entire Imperial class has grown up over the millennia existing solely to meet the demands of interplanetary commerce.The merchant interests of the Imperium take many forms, from cartels to federations and small concerns to mighty, galaxy-spanning corporations. Most centre their efforts on a relatively small group of worlds or a stretch of a lucrative trade route through the Warp, for the fragmented and feudal nature of the Imperium does not facilitate a stable, galaxy-wide economy.For many of these merchants, trade and war are one and the same. They must protect their interests by any means possible -- for some, that means maintaining small private armies or sponsoring mercenaries for just such a purpose. These very literal trade wars might be fought against competitors or other parties that threaten their interests, from pirates to aliens.It should come as no surprise that the most accomplished of Imperial merchant leaders are as capable generals as they are traders, applying the same doctrines to both pursuits. These persons make ideal Rogue Traders. Rogue Traders from a merchant background are often the most astute and successful, equally at home facing an opponent across the negotiating table as on the field of battle -- though sometimes the two are one and the same. The armies and fleets they employ might be drawn from their own substantial holdings, or they might be able call upon a complex network of obligation, drawing upon mercenaries and trading partners from across a broad spectrum of their trade.Mercantile Rogue Traders often dress in the manner of opulent heads of state, bedecking themselves in fine jewellery, most of which is in fact some hidden weapon, force field, or sensor. They surround themselves with individuals indentured to their service before birth, drawing on familial connections that often stretch back in time for many generations.Their vessels often take on the appearance of space-going palaces crammed with all manner of outrageous ostentation. Yet it is a foolish opponent indeed who writes off such a Rogue Trader as a fop or dilettante. Many in fact cultivate such an air, treating it as just one more weapon in a not inconsiderable arsenal.
Rogue Traders - Imperial Commanders (Planetary Governors): While most Imperial Commanders occupy a hereditary seat of power only relinquished and passed on in the event of their own death, there are those who do pass beyond even such a lofty position and take to the stars as Rogue Traders. The most common cause for such a change in career is that the planetary governor has been replaced or deposed in some manner, yet remained of use to the Adeptus Terra.Perhaps an Imperial Commander has lost their world to alien invasion, yet has retained a measure of their assets, such as their own Planetary Defence Forces and defence fleets. Some such individuals may be appointed to Rogue Trader status and given the opportunity to conquer for themselves, and for the Imperium, a new planet.These Rogue Traders may well be motivated by the need to re-establish all that they may have lost. They are commonly highly charismatic, commanding the loyalties of their dispossessed subjects. Their fleets are massive conglomerations of whatever vessels escaped the destruction of their planet, accompanied by whatever assets the Imperium might assign to them.The subjects often fight all the harder than the followers of other types of Rogue Trader, for they are driven by their loss and motivated by the need to claim for themselves some manner of recompense. Those not able to fight form a cadre of colonists, each with an assigned role in the new society they dream of one day establishing.Such Rogue Traders vary enormously in appearance and personality, but they often come to embody the culture of their lost homeworld. Local modes of fashion are exaggerated far beyond their original form, and dialects and customs are held dearly lest they be forgotten forever.
Rogue Traders - The Inquisition: Although rare, there are recorded cases of an Inquisitor being granted the Warrant of Trade and taking up the rank of Rogue Trader. The most likely reason this might occur is as a result of political manoeuvring within the Inquisition itself, perhaps resulting in the outmanoeuvred individual being offered the Warrant as an alternative to a far less desirable outcome.Upon being granted the Warrant, the Inquisitor will understand that they have no alternative but to accept. As it is most often members of the alien-hunting Ordo Xenos who find themselves being appointed as Rogue Traders, these individuals will be well equipped for their new career. Although no longer able to call on the nigh-limitless resources of the Inquisition, the Rogue Trader will still wield considerable powers and influence.The main difference between their old and new roles is the context -- rather than hunting out corruption, heresy and treachery within the populace of the Imperium, they will be seeking such threats out amongst alien stars, and will no doubt prosecute their new duty with as much vigour as they did their old.It is not only fully appointed Inquisitors who may become Rogue Traders, for their many and varied servants and Acolytes might end up in such a position too. Those agents of the Inquisition of lower rank would consider themselves fortunate indeed to be made a Rogue Trader, for the alternatives are often too terrible to dwell upon should the true price for whatever deed has earned their elevation be exacted.
Rogue Traders - Warrant of Trade: It should be noted that although Rogue Traders are shipmasters who travel the vastness of space, their authority to do so comes not from a Merchant Charter as usually granted by the Administratum to the Chartist Captains of the Imperial Merchant Fleets, but rather a letter of appointment known as a Warrant of Trade that elevates them to a level of Imperial authority and status equaling that held by Space Marine Chapter Masters, Inquisitors and Imperial planetary governors.Some of the more ancient Warrants are dated from the very beginnings of the Imperium, and some were even signed by the Emperor Himself. Others were signed by the primarchs or other leaders of the Great Crusade. These charters are very valuable and give their owners great leeway. They are tailor-made and unique. A Rogue Trader's authority cannot be appealed since it comes directly from the Emperor, as according to Imperial law and the religious dogma of the Imperial Creed no one is empowered to overrule those persons who have received the God-Emperor's direct, divine sanction.Certain powerful lords of the Adeptus Terra offer Warrants of Trade as a bribe to their rivals. The rival simply walks away into a life of adventure and wealth and no longer causes trouble for their political opponents in the various Imperial organisations.Letters of Marque are similar documents to Warrants of Trade that have been issued more recently by the Imperium to less powerful individuals, though their bearers are still called Rogue Traders. The Letters of Marque are rather restricted in some aspects and controlled more effectively by Imperial authorities. These restrictions may be of an astrogeographical nature (e.g.: the Rogue Trader is restricted to operating in a single sector) or something similar. The more recent Letters of Marque are also not hereditary; hopeful heirs must return and reapply to the High Lords of Terra through the Administratum for a new charter.Though a Warrant of Trade or a Letter of Marque grants extraordinary freedoms within the Imperium, they also invariably contain particular conditions; sometimes Rogue Traders will be required to make regular visits to certain troublesome Imperial worlds, or sent to enact military action on worlds which do not require the full force of the Imperial Navy's segmentum and sector battlefleets.More often, however, Rogue Traders will be required to travel outside the established territories of the Imperium in the name of settlement or exploration of new worlds that do not yet know the blessings of the God-Emperor.
Rogue Traders - Granting of a Warrant of Trade: The Warrant of Trade is the instrument by which a Rogue Trader is granted their lofty position and the legal method by which they exercises their considerable powers. New Warrants are granted on the highest of authorities, usually by the office of the High Lords of Terra themselves -- and by extension, the Emperor.The issuing of a Warrant is an occasion of great significance, marked by extravagant pomp and ceremony, for it marks the establishment of a new Imperial noble line that, should the recipient prove successful, might conquer and rule entire regions of space in the name of the Imperium, thus expanding Mankind's domains.Warrants of Trade are issued for many reasons. Some are granted in recognition of a great service done to the Imperium, while others are created for entirely political ends.Rogue Trader Warrants are hereditary. Once one is issued, it will be passed down from one generation to the next, at least for as long as there are heirs extant to receive it.  Many Rogue Trader lines die out and yet more are created to replace them, ensuring a constant supply of individuals driven to expand the Imperium's holdings. The reasons for the granting of a Warrant of Trade include the following.
Rogue Traders - Military Service: One of the most common circumstances under which a Warrant of Trade is offered is in recognition of military service to the Imperium. In a galaxy at war on a thousand different fronts, lord generals and high admirals lead dozens of mighty Imperial Crusades to re-take entire regions lost to rebellion or alien invasion.Such mighty leaders have under their command millions of warriors and hundreds of warships, and over the course of a crusade lasting solar decades they might claim dozens of planets in the name of the Emperor. Those individuals who succeed will be honoured at the very highest levels, decorated with a multitude of medals, have victory parades, high days and celebrations held in their name and even have whole planets named after them.Such men and women rarely retire having completed their life's work, however, and they are often restless and uncomfortable in non-military circles. The boundless and untameable energies of such leaders are best put to good use, and appointment to the rank of Rogue Trader comes to many as a welcome outlet that can benefit the Imperium.
Rogue Traders - Political Expediency: Just as some servants of the Imperium are granted the Warrant of Trade in genuine thanks and recognition for their services to Mankind, others are granted the rank because the alternative would be far worse.Throughout history, men and women granted leadership over a crusade fleet have conquered in the name of the Imperium, only to establish themselves as rulers of the new realms. Sometimes these leaders have maintained at least a semblance of fealty to the Imperium, with the Adeptus Terra accepting the new regime so long as tithes are paid and other obligations met.Yet, on many other occasions, these rulers have become so accustomed to absolute power that they desire to hold onto it for all time, rejecting their Imperial masters and setting themselves up as total rulers of the regions they have fought so hard to conquer. The only recourse in such a situation is yet another Imperial Crusade to dislodge the pretender.Far better, then, to avoid the situation entirely by keeping the conqueror distracted with yet more regions to conquer, leaving the administrators of the Adeptus Terra to complete the pacification in their wake. Many a Warrant of Trade has been granted in order that a Lord Militant might simply conquer region after region until they have expended their forces and are no longer a political threat, real or potential, to the wider Imperium.
Rogue Traders - Self-Promotion: To have risen to a position of influence and power within the labyrinthine structures of the Imperium's bureaucracy, an individual must, by the force of their own personality, be exceptionally driven. Just to be noticed amongst the teeming billions of the Imperium, one must be willing to promote oneself with ruthless efficiency.The types of people that attain such lofty stations might be noble and self-sacrificing, but it is just as likely they are ignoble and self-serving. For those of rank, a multitude of ways exists to attain every conceivable personal ambition, and for some the Warrant of Trade is that ultimate goal.Just why a highly placed official would desire the Warrant of Trade will depend on their own particular, sometimes flawed, personality, and the manner in which they attain it will depend on their circumstance, or on situations they can engineer. More than likely, it will involve prodigious bribes at the very highest of levels, or on calling in outstanding debts and favours from every possible source.Once the Warrant is granted to such a person, they will be keen to use it to attain their every ambition. Some will desire to carve out small stellar empires beyond the reach of the Imperium, while others may want to establish the foundations of a mighty noble lineage, even if they themselves will not be around to see how future generations prosper.It has often been noted that many Rogue Traders are vain and egotistical, and that many more are simply venal and megalomaniacal.
Rogue Traders - Virtual Exile: Some individuals, by means fair and foul, attain high rank in the service of the Imperium by politicking or murdering their way to the very top. Over the course of a lifetime -- extended far beyond the natural span of Human years by rare and expensive genetic and chemical rejuvenation procedures -- such a person will have come into conflict with all manner of political opponents, earning the bitter enmity of the few others they can count as peers.It may come to pass that such an individual stands at the very brink of the culmination of a lifetime's political manoeuvring, and an appointment to sector governor or even High Lord of Terra is the only remaining rung on the political ladder left to climb.At such times, it may be that an individual's many political rivals mobilise against them, drawing on every shred of their own influence to rid themselves of their enemy once and for all. Yet, being too powerful to oust, some in this position find a Warrant of Trade foisted upon them as a convenient way of getting rid of them once and for all. Such an honour cannot be refused, and the newly appointed Rogue Trader has no choice but to accept their fate, demurring politely as speeches are made in honour of all the great deeds they will perform in this, their ultimate service to the Imperium that appreciates them so.For these Rogue Traders, the Warrant of Trade is a bitter reward, for it signals the victory of their political opponents. Despite the unwanted nature of the Warrant, these Rogue Traders do often go on to achieve great success, reaving across the stars, conquering dozens of planets, and amassing personal fortunes far in excess of what they might have attained otherwise.Some of these individuals return solar decades later to enact their revenge on their erstwhile opponents, perhaps waiting until the key conspirators have retired to some private Garden World paradise before dispatching an assassin, or indeed a private army, to settle the matter once and for all.
Rogue Traders - Conditions of a Warrant of Trade: Of course, the powers and trappings of a Warrant of Trade do not come without a cost. A Rogue Trader fleet might be a significant military force, and the Warrant will often come with a number of conditions attached to it.In fact, it would be a sure sign that an individual is being virtually exiled if no conditions were attached, the authorities clearly hoping the recipient will go and get themselves killed somewhere beyond their concern.Conditions attached to a Warrant may take many forms, but invariably involve some form of military service or intervention. The most common types of conditions attached to a Warrant of Trade are discussed below.