Post by Newter on Jun 19, 2014 21:21:37 GMT -6
Inquisitor Kokrand had found the boy, if boy was the right word, in the slums of Theta 4 in the Orpheus Sector of Segmentum Tempestus. His hooves and horns had caused others to shun him, and he lived on only what he could scavenge, but there was no denying the psychic aura that he projected. Wrapped mostly in old rags, Kokrand could feel his fear, but he could also feel the underlying curiosity, of what someone like him might want with a boy like this.
It had been the start of a new life for the young abhuman. Boybeast they had called him, but Inquisitor Kokrand gave him a new name, Doyen. Kokrand trained Doyen, first on Theta 4, in the lush quarters afforded to the Inquisitor by the sector's Cardinal, and later as they began the quest that led him here. Harkor, on the other end of the galaxy, in the Collatus Sector of Ultima Segmentum.
Inquisitor Doyen. It still sounded strange to his ears, but he did not feel any shame. During his years of service to Inquisitor Kokrand, it became apparent that despite the finery, and the education, and his status as an Interrogator in the company of an Inquisitor of such renown, the Imperium still shunned 'people' like him. There was no chance that a Conclave would ever grant him Inquisitor status. Though he was ever loyal, and grateful to Kokrand for giving him his new life, he understood that Kokrand looked at him as one more tool to be used to combat the enemies of the Imperium.
So while there were tears in his eyes as he pulled the ritual blade from Kokrand's chest, and took the Inquisitorial Seal from the pouch at his waist, he did not feel shame for putting the knife there in the first place. The others saw the remains of what could only have been a sacrifice to the chaos gods. Kokrand's body lay in the middle of an eight pointed star, drawn in his own blood while he was still alive. It had been crude, but it had been enough to bind the daemon Bal'kizzar to his sword.
His first duty as Inquisitor was to disband Kokrand's loyal deputies. While in his heart, Doyen would always serve the Imperium that shunned him, he knew that his former friends and compatriots would not understand the methods he would have to employ. Over the years, his extracurricular training had led him down the path of Zaranchek and the Xanthite methods of entreating with chaos in order to save the Imperium.
This had led him to Harkor. Kokrand had been on his way here as well. This former outpost of the Dark Angels was reputed to still hold a dark and terrible secret. While perhaps not 'the' secret of the Dark Angels, it was said to be information that could not be lost if the Imperium were to survive.
The Harkorn 88th was a proud fighting force. Mustered in the early days of the Imperium after the planet had been brought to compliance by the 52nd Expedition Fleet of the Dark Angels. The battle had consisted of a single shot.
The initial colonization of Harkor had been lost in the mists of time, and no one left knew that those who had been sent to lead them were killed by a mysterious plague. All they knew was that those that were left shunned technology for hundreds of years, eventually becoming a feudal society with a level of technology comparable to Terra in the long ago middle ages. Having rejected the initial request for compliance, the Dark Angel drop pods made their landing. The brave soldiers of Harkor stood on the battlements of their largest fortress. Only recently discovering black powder, they fired their only cannon. The cannonball bounced and rolled and stopped harmlessly in front of a Predator tank. Realizing what they were up against, the Dark Angels showed mercy and offered another opportunity to surrender and become compliant. The High King accepted and Harkor became an Imperial world.
The Dark Angels built a small outpost and left a garrison behind, along with all the people needed to bring Harkor up to the current level of Imperial technology. The Harkorn 88th were mustered and drilled on Imperial tactics and trained on all the equipment they would need, and they began to accompany the Dark Angels on the great crusade, however the Dark Angels never recruited from the men of Harkor for their own ranks. For this reason as well as the circumstances surrounding their compliance, an undercurrent of resentment began to build in the populace.
Turning to Chaos in secret (fueled by the chaplains of the Word Bearers) they eventually launched a rebellion, overran the Dark Angels garrison, and took their planet back. Now known as the Apostolate they have joined both the Word Bearers and the Iron Warriors on raids and expeditions.
Their home planet of Harkor now resembles many other industrialized worlds of the Imperium, masterpieces of gothic architecture, most of which now lie in ruin.
It had been the start of a new life for the young abhuman. Boybeast they had called him, but Inquisitor Kokrand gave him a new name, Doyen. Kokrand trained Doyen, first on Theta 4, in the lush quarters afforded to the Inquisitor by the sector's Cardinal, and later as they began the quest that led him here. Harkor, on the other end of the galaxy, in the Collatus Sector of Ultima Segmentum.
Inquisitor Doyen. It still sounded strange to his ears, but he did not feel any shame. During his years of service to Inquisitor Kokrand, it became apparent that despite the finery, and the education, and his status as an Interrogator in the company of an Inquisitor of such renown, the Imperium still shunned 'people' like him. There was no chance that a Conclave would ever grant him Inquisitor status. Though he was ever loyal, and grateful to Kokrand for giving him his new life, he understood that Kokrand looked at him as one more tool to be used to combat the enemies of the Imperium.
So while there were tears in his eyes as he pulled the ritual blade from Kokrand's chest, and took the Inquisitorial Seal from the pouch at his waist, he did not feel shame for putting the knife there in the first place. The others saw the remains of what could only have been a sacrifice to the chaos gods. Kokrand's body lay in the middle of an eight pointed star, drawn in his own blood while he was still alive. It had been crude, but it had been enough to bind the daemon Bal'kizzar to his sword.
His first duty as Inquisitor was to disband Kokrand's loyal deputies. While in his heart, Doyen would always serve the Imperium that shunned him, he knew that his former friends and compatriots would not understand the methods he would have to employ. Over the years, his extracurricular training had led him down the path of Zaranchek and the Xanthite methods of entreating with chaos in order to save the Imperium.
This had led him to Harkor. Kokrand had been on his way here as well. This former outpost of the Dark Angels was reputed to still hold a dark and terrible secret. While perhaps not 'the' secret of the Dark Angels, it was said to be information that could not be lost if the Imperium were to survive.
The Harkorn 88th was a proud fighting force. Mustered in the early days of the Imperium after the planet had been brought to compliance by the 52nd Expedition Fleet of the Dark Angels. The battle had consisted of a single shot.
The initial colonization of Harkor had been lost in the mists of time, and no one left knew that those who had been sent to lead them were killed by a mysterious plague. All they knew was that those that were left shunned technology for hundreds of years, eventually becoming a feudal society with a level of technology comparable to Terra in the long ago middle ages. Having rejected the initial request for compliance, the Dark Angel drop pods made their landing. The brave soldiers of Harkor stood on the battlements of their largest fortress. Only recently discovering black powder, they fired their only cannon. The cannonball bounced and rolled and stopped harmlessly in front of a Predator tank. Realizing what they were up against, the Dark Angels showed mercy and offered another opportunity to surrender and become compliant. The High King accepted and Harkor became an Imperial world.
The Dark Angels built a small outpost and left a garrison behind, along with all the people needed to bring Harkor up to the current level of Imperial technology. The Harkorn 88th were mustered and drilled on Imperial tactics and trained on all the equipment they would need, and they began to accompany the Dark Angels on the great crusade, however the Dark Angels never recruited from the men of Harkor for their own ranks. For this reason as well as the circumstances surrounding their compliance, an undercurrent of resentment began to build in the populace.
Turning to Chaos in secret (fueled by the chaplains of the Word Bearers) they eventually launched a rebellion, overran the Dark Angels garrison, and took their planet back. Now known as the Apostolate they have joined both the Word Bearers and the Iron Warriors on raids and expeditions.
Their home planet of Harkor now resembles many other industrialized worlds of the Imperium, masterpieces of gothic architecture, most of which now lie in ruin.