Wrath and Glory Threat Assesment Deamons and Heretics

CREDITSWriters: Christopher Colston, John Dunn, Michael Duxbury, Chris Handley, Pádraig Murphy, Ciarán O’BrienEditor: Callum CollinsProducer: Christopher ColstonSenior Producer: Pádraig MurphyCover: Helge C. BalzerProofreading: Jay WantlandIllustration: Sam Manley, J G O’Donoghue, Erin Rea, Orniris Terensi Graphic Design & Layout: Claudio Canellas Dias Cubicle 7 Creative Team: Dave Allen, Emmet Byrne, Alex Cahill, David F Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski, Christopher Colston, Elaine Connolly, Josh Corcoran, Jennifer Crispin, Claudio Canellas Dias, Matthew Freeman, Paula Graham, Diana Grigorescu, Gemma Harper, TS Luikart, Sam Manley, Dominic McDowall, Pádraig Murphy, Ceíre O’Donoghue, JG O’Donoghue, Yvonne Perry, Laura Jane Phelan, Sam Taylor, and Taryn WrayPublisher: Dominic McDowallSpecial thanks to the Games Workshop team. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2024. Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay logo, Wrath & Glory, the Wrath & Glory logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space Marine, 40k, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Doubleheaded Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or ™, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved.Wrath & Glory originally designed by Ulisses North America Updated: 10th June, 2024

3Skulltaker ................................... 82Flesh Hound ............................... 84Lord of Skulls ............................. 85Khorne Berzerkers ...................... 86Bloodcrusher .............................. 87Skullmaster ................................. 87Relics of Khorne 88Armour of Scorn ......................... 88The Crimson Crown .................... 88Rune of Brass ............................. 88Blood-Drinker Talisman .............. 88A’rgath, the King of Blades ......... 89Skullreaver ................................. 89Using the Forces of Slaanesh in Your Game ................... 90Using The Forces of Slaanesh in Combat .................... 91Keeper of Secrets ........................ 92Tranceweaver .............................. 94Contorted Epitome ...................... 94The Masque of Slaanesh ............. 95Tormentbringer ........................... 96Daemonette ................................ 98Infernal Enrapturess .................. 99Fiend ........................................ 100Seeker ...................................... 101Noise Marine ............................ 102Relics of Slaanesh ........................ 103The Forbidden Gem .................... 103The Mark of Excess .................. 103Soulstealer ................................ 104Slothful Claws ........................... 104Silverstrike ............................... 104Whip of Agony ......................... 104Chaos Vehicles 107Venomcrawler ........................... 107Defiler ....................................... 108Forgefiend ................................ 109Maulerfiend .............................. 109Helbrute .................................... 110Heldrake ................................... 111Prayers to the Dark Gods .............. 113New Maleficarum Powers .......... 116Pandaemoniac Discipline .......... 118Soulstain Discipline .................. 120Warprot Discipline .................... 123Using Tzeentch In Your Game ......... 47Using the Forces of Tzeentch In Combat .................... 48Lord of Change ........................... 51Changeling .................................. 52Fateskimmer ............................... 53Fluxmaster .................................. 54Changecaster .............................. 54Blue Scribes ................................ 55Horrors ....................................... 56Flamer ........................................ 58Rubric Marine ............................. 59The Endless Grimoire .................. 60Relics of Tzeentch .......................... 60The Impossible Robe ................... 60The Everstave ............................. 61Soulbane ..................................... 61Warpfire Blade ............................ 61Soul-Eater Stave ......................... 61Using Nurgle In Your Game ............ 62Using the Forces of Nurgle In Combat ........................ 63Great Unclean One ...................... 64Plaguebearer ............................... 66Poxbringer .................................. 67Spoilpox Scrivener ...................... 68Sloppity Bilepiper ........................ 69Nurgling ..................................... 70Beast of Nurgle ........................... 71Rot Fly ........................................ 72Poxwalker ................................... 72Plague Marine ........................... 73Relics of Nurgle .............................. 74Horn Of Nurgle’s Rot .................. 74The Entropic Knell ...................... 74Tome Of A Thousand Poxes ........ 74Corruption .................................. 75Effluvior ..................................... 75The Endless Gift ......................... 75Using Khorne In Your Game ........... 76Using the Forces ofKhorne In Combat ....................... 77Bloodthirster ............................... 78Bloodmaster ................................ 80Bloodletter .................................. 81Rendmaster ................................ 82Dark Gods ........................................ 5Tzeentch ....................................... 6Nurgle ........................................... 6Khorne .......................................... 7Slaanesh ....................................... 8A System Forsaken .......................... 9Avachrus ...................................... 9Nethreus ....................................... 9Ostia ........................................... 10Enoch ......................................... 10Charybdion ................................. 10Gilead Primus ............................. 11Vulkaris ...................................... 11Trollius ....................................... 11Cults of Gilead 13Varied Patrons ............................ 13Building a Cult 14Example Cult: The Gilded Hand .....16Dark Apostle Maloquence ........... 18Heretic Astartes in Gilead ............... 18The Heralds of Rot ...................... 19The Sybarite’s Grasp ................... 19Using Cultists in Your Game ........... 21Using Cultists in Combat ............. 21Cultist ......................................... 23Demagogue ................................. 24Mindwitch ................................... 25Iconarch ...................................... 26Blessed Blade .............................. 27Mutant ........................................ 28Torment ...................................... 29Chaos Spawn .............................. 30Using Heretic Astartes in Your Game .................... 33Using Heretic Astartes in Combat ..................... 33Legionary ................................... 34Chosen ........................................ 36Warp Talon ................................. 38Raptor ......................................... 38Obliterator .................................. 40Sorcerer ...................................... 41Dark Apostle ............................... 42Warpsmith .................................. 43Master of Possession .................. 44Possessed ................................... 45Master of Executions .................. 46ITHE RUINOUS POWERSThe malevolent gods of ChaosII MORTAL PAWNSFoul cultists and servants of the Ruinous PowersUNHERALDEDCHANGE IVDeceitful daemons in service to the Changer of WaysCORRUPTION MANIFEST VPestilence & blight follows the servants of the Lord of DecayVI RAGE INCARNATEBlood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull ThroneVII DESIRE & DARKNESSUnbridled excess and decadence in the courts of the Dark PrinceVIII ENGINES OF CHAOSFoul amalgamations of daemon & machineDIABOLUSPSYCHIC IXMind rending psychic giftsIII HERETICASTARTESVeterans of the Long WarTHE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

4eyond the countless dangers to be found across realspace, there lie the otherworldly threats of the Immaterium. Among all of these, the most insidious are the Ruinous Powers. The Dark Gods of Chaos dwell within the endless and infinitely mutable realm of the warp. Ancient entities of unimaginable power and perpetual malice, they look upon realspace with covetous eyes and vie endlessly for its domination. To exist in the shadow of the Cicatrix Maledictum itself, as the Gilead System does, is to stand on the very edge of their domain, an ever-tempting target for their servants to despoil and corrupt.There are numerous groups devoted to these powers in Gilead, preying on the growing desperation of the system’s inhabitants to increase their own influence. Daemons and Heretic Astartes lurk in the far reaches of the system, while bands of cultists make their home in the shadows of few remaining redoubts of Imperial might. These vile servants spread the manifold heresies of the Ruinous Powers, corrupting all who fall beneath their sway.The forces of Chaos are relentless and without number. The Immaterium gives birth to countless abominations, and even far from the Great Rift, where the barrier between realspace and the warp is unmarred, they find ways to gnaw at the very foundations of the Imperium. A single ignorant psyker or a lone weak-willed traitor amongst a billion loyal servants to the Emperor can invite ruin and destruction beyond imagining. There is no true sanctuary from the forces of Chaos — their reach is all but endless.Only inexhaustible zeal and ceaseless vigilance can hope to hold off the malevolent tides that threaten to overwhelm the Imperium. Agents who would stand against the forces of the Dark Gods must be both lethally effective and possess an unshakeable will, lest fear overwhelm them or temptation guide them down the path to corruption.THE RUINOUS POWERS

5DARK GODSThough the warp is rife with inhuman manifestations, four entities possess power and influence far beyond any others, each a malefic incarnation of mortal obsessions and fears. These are the Chaos Gods, and most citizens of the Imperium are mercifully ignorant of their existence. Those who do know of them are either sanctioned servants of the Emperor, set the unenviable task of battling the Ruinous Powers, or vile Chaos Cultists who offer their service in return for cursed gifts and fleeting power. Each of the Chaos Gods feeds on mortal emotions. Rage and fear, despair and anguish — the passions, dreams and nightmares of mortals are given form in the warp and empower the Chaos Gods. This is the true, insidious nature of the Ruinous Powers, for while one might spend a lifetime in opposition to them, every act of passion, of anger, of righteous violence ultimately permeates the roiling tides of the warp and feeds those entities within.The Chaos Gods grow in power through the actions and thoughts of mortals. Those who worship the Dark Gods can be rewarded with gifts in many forms, extraordinary power and even, in some cases, immortality. The Ruinous Powers battle one another constantly in the warp, hurling endless armies of their daemonic followers into conflict across the everchanging hellscapes of the Realm of Chaos. So, too, do their mortal followers make war across realspace, fighting to further the goals of their patron deity in the hope that their rewards will elevate them to greater power.FOR TEN THOUSAND YEARS WE HAVE FOUGHT THE LONG WAR ANDOUR HATRED STILL KNOWS NO SUCCOUR. THOSE WHO HAVE DEFIED USSHALL FEEL THE FULL WRATH OF CHAOS.In his lonely quarters aboard the Ducal Circlet, flagship of the flotilla, the Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius has commissioned a series of reports on the many enemies facing the Gilead System. All are classified and legible only on a dataslate keyed to the Rogue Trader’s own biosignature. He has been assured that should anyone else take up this device, they would be struck dead by an overwhelming expulsion of force. As he reads with growing trepidation the most recent message related to this undertaking, delivered to him as a personal favour — or perhaps, a barely veiled threat — by Chapter Master Aureus Erinyes of the Absovlers, Varonius cannot help but wonder if any precautions could be sufficient to contain such profane truths. THREATASSESSMENTSTHE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUSUnknown Heretic Astartes.

6TZEENTCHKnowledge has ever been a potent well of power, and those who marshall their secrets can bend life to their will and bring about glorious change. Followers of Tzeentch know this well, and by their scheming and politicking, they empower their master, even as he guides their fates to his own unknowable ends.The Changer of the Ways is an ever-shifting being, impossible to describe and harder to comprehend. To those who covet power, who revel in intricate plots and arcane secrets, and who would upend whole worlds to rise amidst the madness of unbridled change — there is Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate.The Tzeetchian way is that of plans and schemes of insane, labyrinthine complexity fit to drive even the most ferociously intelligent mortal minds to madness. The Great Sorcerer’s servants labour constantly to fulfil his ineffable plots, and their purposes and deeds often seem like utter lunacy to their enemies until the precise moment they come to spectacular and bloody fruition.NURGLEMost who live within the vast boundaries of the Imperium are no strangers to struggle and suffering. The vast majority work, dwell and die in destitute conditions. Where there are mortals, there exists disease, and where there is sickness, there is Nurgle. Such maladies are rampant; they are the march of immutable atrophy, the death knell of hive cities, worlds or even entire systems.Grandfather Nurgle is said to be as generous as he is malignant, for he is the source of every disease, pestilence, parasite and epidemic ever to trouble mortal beings. Nurgle is rarely described as a spiteful god, but rather, he sees his plagues as gifts, given freely so as to maintain the endless fecund cycle of death, decay and unbound life that follows in its wake. The most faithful devotees of Tzeentch are often rewarded with a fraction of their patron’s sorcerous might. They wield dreadful psychic powers, bending the warp as they see fit and bringing eldritch destruction down upon their foes. Their schemes are deep and far-reaching, though often their complexity can be a weakness, as few mortals have the wit to properly fathom any single thread in the plots woven by their master.

7any other approach to battle and shed any remorse for their actions. Instead, they simply act upon their rage and want for violence. As they do so, they garner further approval from their dark master and with it, the prospect of further blessings. Followers of Khorne are rarely subtle, but those who would battle the Blood God’s influence can nevertheless succumb, for aspects such as honour, strength, righteous fury, and glorious victories lie within his domain and are gateways to his worship. Many have fallen to Khorne even while attempting to oppose him. Khornate cultists similarly gather in dwellings that are far from subtle. Within darkened halls and blood-stained walls, the many totems of skulls and brutal iconography commonly flank a central arena or fighting pit where the worship of Khorne is undertaken with primordial aggression. Beyond this, a great altar may rise, a bone-strewn staircase lined with blood gutters that leads to a summit of hammered bronze beneath the roaring visage of their master. KHORNEWar is eternal in the 41st millennium and has been a feature of the galaxy for years beyond counting. Every drop of blood shed in its practice, since the first skull was cracked with a hurled stone and the first throat slit with a bronze blade, has fed Khorne, the Blood God.There are many names for he who sits atop the Throne of Skulls; Khargg the Red Hound, Ohrne, the EndlessHowl, the Bladesman and many more, for wherever in the galaxy one mortal has wroth the death of another, there is Khorne. He is a thing of bloody violence and savage war, of fury made manifest, a taker of skulls, whose servants have drowed whole worlds in blood, but whose thirst for death can never be sated. In a galaxy hewn by conflict, Khorne offers mortals an opportunity to glory in battle, exacting vengeance upon their foes and revelling in destruction and bloodshed. Those who earn the Blood God’s favour are often blessed with great physical strength, martial prowess, and an unwavering bloodlust that sustains them in the face of any odds. They favour close combat over almost To the devotees of the Plague Lord, bloating rotted flesh, spilling innards, virulent diseases, and vast swarms of rampant plague-mites are some of the many blessings gifted by their patron, accompanied by a stench foul enough to warp the minds of unbelievers and rot reality itself.Those who come to embrace Nurgle see themselves as extensions of his will, spreading his gifts far and wide, continuing a cycle of death and decay that is both welcome and inevitable. This service grants a measure of relief from suffering, for while the bodies of Nurgle’s followers may be rife with disease, riven through by fever and covered in weeping pustules, this hardly bothers the faithful at all. These are Nurgle’s gifts, after all, a mark of his favour and a bounty that can be spread to all.Those who bear Nurgle’s gifts are often incredibly resilient, shrugging off attacks that would slay most in an instant. Though keen to share their master’s gifts, Nurgle’s faithful can be subtle, often incubating infections in secret for years before these blights blossom to glorious life and bring death without bounds.THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

8The constant want for more, the desire for excess in one or all areas of life, is unceasing in the minds of mortals. The notion that things could be improved, even negligibly, taunts them constantly. Even nobles who live a life of luxury, with minions at their every beck and call to answer their whims, ponder how things could be improved - more attentive servants, a more grandiose hall, a more precious vintage wine, among myriad other wants. A warrior or artisan could seek the highest form of their art, unwilling to rest at nothing short of perfection, blind to all they have achieved and indeed lost in their pursuit. Slaanesh feeds on these desires, fanning their flames until they grow into an all-consuming obsession.The lure of perfection and obsession have ever seen mortals shed their dignity and prostrate themselves before the Lord of Excess. His followers revel in the twilight between torment and pleasure, between obsession and perfection. Their vile nests are a hideous medley of alluring and repulsive sights and sounds that threaten to overwhelm the senses at any moment.The essence of Slaanesh is reflected in the lairs of his cultists. Excess in all things, visual and sensorial, can dominate the perceptions of those not inured to ways of Chaos. Bright gleaming mirrors, the heavy fumes of incense, and exquisite luxuries of every sort can be found in such places, all accompanied by levels of depravity unmatched even by the most indulgent of the Imperium’s highborn.Many who embrace lives of wild excess constantly strive to find new ways they can experience pleasure, often so that they can lord their newfound comforts over their peers. Agents of Slaanesh seek out these bon vivants and offer them experiences that surpass those typically available. For the weak-minded, even the slightest exposure to the wiles of Slaanesh can be enough to immediately transform a curious mortal into a resolute devotee.SLAANESH

9NETHREUSGeologically, Nethreus bore many challenges for those who dared to inhabit it before the arrival of the Gilead Crusade. Volcanic activity was constant, leaving few places stable enough for a permanent settlement. Further, the planet’s indigenous megafauna constantly threatened settlements of any notable size. The culture of the world’s hardy inhabitants, through brutal loss and many abortive attempts, eventually adapted to both of these challenges. Nomadic tribes emerged who, with scraps of ancient, poorly understood technology and instincts honed over painful generations, hunted the colossal beasts that roamed Nethreus. Bedecked in trophies harvested from their prey, these warbands roam the wastes in search of suitable targets — often wounded or immature megafauna they can more easily take down. They make use of ambush tactics and daring pursuits in ramshackle vehicles or mounted atop barely tamed beasts of their own. Warriors eager to prove their worth clamber over fur and scale to plant precious, often unreliable melta mines, while others trust in their ancient vehicles or unruly mounts to lure massive beasts into the range of partially functional lascannons.The hulking remains of their fallen prey can feed a tribe for months, but even in victory, the warband must be wary. A fallen beast is a prize others may try to claim, and internecine warfare is common. Among the most dangerous of those who prefer to prey on their fellow humans are the Blooded Host, who do not seek the corpse of the megafauna so much as battle with the worthy foe who slew it. They are a warband dedicated to Khorne, whom they name the Great Blood Beast. Such is their ferocity that they have launched attacks on the Knights of House Acasta, seeing little difference between a towering Imperial Knight and the gargantuan creatures they have hunted for centuries.A SYSTEM FORSAKEN The history of the Gilead System is long and storied, and Chaos has played its part in such a history; the system was once a bastion of the Ruinous Powers, and though the crusade of Julyanna Gilead burned away much of this taint, some remnants of that blighted time remained. Now, in the eldritch light of the Great Rift, these lingering elements of corruption have been reawakened and reinforced by fresh incursions, whose touch can be felt on every world in the system. AVACHRUSAgents of the Dark Mechanicum infested much of the Forge World of Avachrus, including its ancient Eternal Engines. Priests of the profane pillaged its resources, using them to construct forbidden weapons and tools, which they used in the service of the Ruinous Powers. There is no indication that they actively sabotaged any of the ancient machines that had survived from the Dark Age of Technology, but they must have studied these devices and unlocked at least some of their secrets. Some among the Tech-Priests of the Suspire Priesthood believe that these profane adepts were the last to truly understand these ancient machines and remain their true masters, but such a notion has been deemed heretical. In the millennia since, the Eternal Engines continue to function, but only with ever-increasing inefficiency. Much of the toxic pollution that permeates all of the planet’s subterranean cities can be attributed to these faltering wonders of another age. THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

10ENOCHFar from the gilded spires and golden effigies of Enoch’s central Spire of Light, the malevolent schemes of the Changer of the Ways unfold among the densely populated encampments of pilgrims and other lost souls. Untold thousands of pilgrims were left stranded on the Shrine World of Enoch as the Great Rift sundered the galaxy. At first, those stranded remained steadfastin their beliefs, knowing salvation would surely come. Yet as the years pass, and the pilgrims remain stranded, many have turned to more radical preachers in their desperation.In the overcrowded pilgrim encampments, these demagogues preach their corrupted litanies, offering a fickle glimmer of hope and salvation to those who would seek it most. Once ensnared by these honeyed words,the desperate pilgrims become resolute in their drive to push deeper out into the encampments, determined to echo and spread their foul message of salvation further. They are the unwilling pawns in a much grander scheme unfolding on Enoch, one that could eventually see the noble Shrine World overrun by the gibbering hordes and scintillating flames of Tzeentch’s daemonic hosts.CHARYBDIONWhen the Explorator vessels launched its refinery temples onto the ocean-rich world of Charybdion, not all of those devices were properly prepared for the level of corruption that emerged within the system over the millennia before the Gilead Crusade arrived. A few of these devices proved vulnerable to the influenceof agents of Tzeentch. Perhaps their machine spirits were not properly sanctified, or perhaps there wereelements within the Explorator fleet who deliberately spread the corruption. Regardless of the cause, several of the refinery temples that were intended to extract promethium from the world’s depths instead became temples devoted to the Architect of Fate. In fact, his followers established hidden repositories of arcanelore far beneath the ocean’s surface. When Imperial workforces attempted to extract promethium from oneof these temples, they were instead overwhelmed with a flow of Daemons that emerged from their pipes. Some fear that more than one of the refineries believed to be lost before the Gilead Crusade arrived could continue to house Tzeentchian devotees. Such an infestation could unexpectedly assault one of the hive cities at any time.OSTIAHigh above the verdant fields of Ostia, the Eternal Engine known as the Great Lift serves to distribute much of the system’s sustenance. Prior to the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the recesses of the Great Lift were home to innumerable smuggling gangs, intercepting, reencoding and redistributing the finest produce the system provides, typically destined only for Imperial nobility. Since the event of the Noctis Aeterna and the isolation of the Gilead System, resources and their control have become a much greater concern, and these smuggling gangs are no longer tolerated.Of course, only the smallest and least capable operations have been truly suppressed, their members apprehended and sentenced to Servitude Imperpituis. This has allowed larger gangs to grow and sweep up the ample profit. Flush with every luxury denied to a system on the brink of starvation, some of the leadership of these towering criminal organisations have turned to the worship of Slaanesh in pursuit of ever-excessive pleasures. Now the rank and file of these gangs labour to fulfil their masters’ obsessions lest they feel the excruciating punishments for failure. Expanding beyond measure, these organisations are advocates of every underhanded tactic, from intimidation and bribery to lightning raids on rivals and the brutal murder of any who get in their way.

11GILEAD PRIMUSWarlord Xavius was once a member of the Black Legion, lording from a stronghold and enacting cruel barbarity upon the world that would become known as Gilead Primus. Xavius commanded a colossal warband, a company-sized contingent of Heretic Astartes, unnumbered hordes of fanatical cultists, and warpmutated horrors whom his followers had nurtured far beneath the planet’s crust. On the arrival of the Gilead Crusade within the system, Xavius initially believed that his vast army of devotees could defeat the force, and seize its weapons and vessels so that he could launch his own Black Crusade.Ultimately it was Chapter Master Tygranas Dalir who put an end to any such prospect, slaying Xavius in single combat. Yet in the brutal confusion of battle those loyal to the Warlord managed to retrieve his severed head. To this day rumours persist of cults that draw their beliefs from these dark days, openly worshiping the deeds of Xavius and keeping his vile name alive over the millennia. Yet few that lurk in the darkest recesses of Gilead Primus realise just how potent an artefact the ancient, scrimshawed skull of Xavius has become after centuries of profane worship.VULKARISIt was only with the advent of the Cicatrix Maledictum that this planet emerged from the Immaterium to establish an unpredictable orbit on the fringes of the Gilead System. Vulkaris is a true bastion of Nurgle, and its ancient ruined cities are infested with cultists, mutants, and daemons devoted to the worship of the Plague Lord.Ruling over this bulwark of disease are the Heretic Astartes of the XIV Legion, the Death Guard. Their void ships cling to the planet’s orbit and have become fused together by colossal, pus-filled growths as other sections disintegrate and dissolve into the vastness of space, withering and rotting from within.Since the planet’s appearance, Imperial forces within the Gilead system have observed Vulkaris at a distance, warded away by its obvious contagion and the mysterious signs of an ongoing conflict there. However, one recent sortie ventured too close, allowing the vile affliction rampaging through the Death Guard fleet to spread. The vessel was quickly dispatched, with fears such a contagion could spread throughout Gilead demanding immediate and decisive action from the system’s higher echelons.TROLLIUSLike Vulkaris, the dead hive cities and barren, frozen plains of the planet Trollius are not native to the Gilead System and were thrust into their erratic orbit by the opening of the Great Rift. Its cataclysmic arrival saw it collide with Craftworld Ul-Khari, stranding the Aeldari upon its surface with a catastrophic loss of life.In the aftermath, the rolling tides of frozen tundra shift and change, revealing long-lost secrets, brought fleetingly to the surface, revealed only momentarily through the piercing ice and hail before once again returning to the ice. Ancient dreadnoughts of forgotten wars, ornate shrines of unknown origin and supposedly clandestine installations have all been reported across the vastness of Trollius’ expanse, yet the planet’s evershifting glaciers and inhospitable atmosphere make confirmation or further study all but impossible.THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

12CAST OUT THE MUTANT, THE TRAITOR, THE HERETIC. FOR EVERY ENEMY WITHOUT THERE ARE A HUNDRED WITHIN.Excerpt from the Imperial Creed.

13for example, might speak of the Emperor ensconced in a brass throne atop the many skulls of his enemies, while a cult of Nurgle might offer praise in the name of the Grandfather whose gifts bring relief to the suffering, and the strength to endure pain. The lure of Chaos is ever-varied.The Blood God often draws people who are inclined to ideologies of martial violence, such as soldiers and gangers. However, these cults may also emerge where members are frustrated at the lack of violence in their lives. A noble may turn to Khorne and find their duels and petty rivalries grow ever more bloody; a Guardsman stationed defensively for years on end may yearn to feel the rush of battle; the subjugated masses subject to injustices may seek bloody revenge against one another, and the authorities that crush them revel in the bloodshed under the guise of maintaining order.Cults of Tzeentch can often emerge from groups of psykers, those seeking to evade the Black Ships that gather them from worlds across the Imperium. They also develop in places where secrets are sought and protected. Sometimes groups devoted to the Changer of the Ways take shape among scholars and scribes who come across hidden knowledge, while others emerge amidst the gossip and intrigues of nobility and courtly life. All see change, whatever form it may take.Those who suffer from disease, including many mutants or teeming masses of mortals dwelling in a hive city’s squalid underbelly, may find solace in the Plague God, seeking a way to endure the hardship of their destitute lives. Such followers may be enveloped by Nurgle’s gifts, spreading rife corruption to enlighten those who are tormented by disease and death, bearing the marks of pox, welt and boil openly upon their flesh, or hidden beneath robes.The lure of the Dark Prince is equally as insidious, for pleasure is a rare and valued commodity in the Imperium, and there is much room for these obsessions to grow. The danger of such a lure is its prolific nature. Be they a thousand-strong mining workforce, a lone administrative adept or a garrison of Guardsmen, no mortal individual nor throng is beyond the coaxing promise of excess in its manifold forms. Cults of Slaanesh also form among the nobility of some worlds, those who have access to luxuries in relative abundance but for whom novel excitements are an endless pursuit, and so all from high to low can open themselves to the worship of Slaanesh.CULTS OF GILEADThe Ruinous Powers are insidious and their influence may be found in every corner of the physical realm.While many expect to find cults only among the downtrodden, the wary recognise that these groups can be found through any segment of the Imperium.Though each cult is unique to the world and populace it seeks to subvert, there are commonalities shared among any clandestine organisation. Cults typically gain their first foothold through subtlety and a seemingly innocuous presence, particularly when trying to appeal to otherwise loyal Imperial citizens. They depend upon a process of gradual corruption that brings membersever deeper into their trawl as they become initiated into the cult’s deeper secrets. In this way, the less committed members also serve as a gateway to newer members, as they typically have yet to develop any physical signs of the corruption that nestles inside them.Such groups often grow by providing a welcome senseof individuality and meaning amidst the indifferentbureaucracy of the Imperium. A cult may offer camaraderie, convenience, or access to minor luxuries that might not be available to non-members. The outward face of the group gives the initiates little reason to think that the cult is a fringe organisation bent on blasphemous, heretical beliefs. Instead, they find a group that shares access to a secret store of supplies or knowledge. Outright heresy is kept hidden, though members are taught to see the Emperor’s rightful authorities as misguided or corrupt.The truth only starts to emerge once members have incurred a debt to the cult or have committed crimes of one sort or another, which now isolate them from their fellow citizens. At this stage, some cults use blackmail to keep their members loyal. Others simply make an example out of those who try to leave for others who question their loyalty to the Ruinous Powers. Most use both methods in some measure, always erring on the side of utmost caution, as discovery almost certainly means death.VARIED PATRONSMost mortal cults form around a set of beliefs or guiding principles, and few know the true nature of the entities they worship. A cult dedicated to Khorne, THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

14Cults devoted to the Dark Gods lurk in the shadows across the Gilead System. When one is needed quickly the Gamemaster can roll on the following series to establish a cult. You can very quickly establish the cult from the Allegiance and Faction Tables, however, should you wish to expand the cult further you can make use of the most appropriate tables provided.BUILDING A CULTWhich aspect of Imperial society does the cult draw its membership from?Faction d66 RollAdeptus Administratum 11-24Adeptus Mechanicus 25-31Astra Militarum 32-44Adeptus Ministorum 45-51Hive City Dregs 52-61Imperial Nobility 62-65Rogue Traders 66FACTION TABLEWhich of the Dark Gods, if any, holds this cult’s favour.Allegiance d6 RollKhorne 1Slaanesh 2Tzeentch 3Nurgle 4Chaos Unbound 5 – 6ALLEGIANCE TABLEHow large is the cult, and how far as their corruption spread?1We Chosen Few This cult consists of only its leader and a few close confidantes eager to draw more members to their cause2-3Cult of the Dark Gods This cult is somewhat established, though its limited number of members still operate out of a single location4-5Heresy Spreads This cult boasts multiple covens throughout the local area, each with several dedicated members.6Widespread Corruption The influence of this cult has spread throughout Imperial Society and boasts thousands of members CULT SIZE TABLEMotivation d66 RollSubsistence: Food, Clothing, Shelter 11-24Comfort: Luxury, Pleasure, Wealth 25-31Fanaticism: Beliefs, Ideologies, Hatred 32-35Anger: Inequality, Injustice, Vengeance 36-40Ideological: Democratic, Anarchist, Populist 41-45Curiosity: Xenos, Forbidden, Psychic 46-50Hubris: Elitism, Judgment, Megalomania 51-55Normalisation: Mutant, Abhuman, Outsider 56-61Economic: Trade, Equity, Growth 62-64Religious: Reformation, Renewal, Heresy 65-66MOTIVATION TABLEWhat does the cult claim to want, at least to its most naive recruits?

151 Demagogue This cult is controlled by a powerful orator 2 Dark Commune Decisions are ruled on by the Dark Commune in control of this cult.3 Daemonic Whispers The whispers of warp entities direct this cult's actions 4 Servant of Chaos A powerful chosen figure of the Dark Gods leads this cult5 Visions of Darkness A single prophet, guided by visions from their dark deity controls this cult's actions6 Missives of Evil Passed down from unknown sources, arcane missives instruct this cult’s movements.LEADERSHIPWho leads the cult?1 OutcastThis cult's members are mostly outcasts from society, forced to live on the fringes of the Imperium, and typically resort to violent raids and other unsubtle means to acomplish their goals.2 Labourer’s Gang This cult is embedded within the workforce and aims to disrupt Imperial production, tainting it to their own ends or diverting supplies to the cult and its allies.3 Merchant GuildThis cult enjoys the wealth, luxury and freedom afforded to them from within one of the many trading dynasties. 4 Tech-heresyThis cult uses technological means to spread its poisonous influence, or perhaps makes use of technology that is itself a form of heresy. 5 Imperial NobilityThis cult festers among the opulence of the upper echelons of Imperial society, hiding their excess behind the charade of nobility. 6 PreachersPurporting to be an admittedly radical interpretation of the Imperial Creed, these insidious cultists aim to corrupt the faithful to their cause. They often use the promise of alms to lure others to their cause.MODUS OPERANDI TABLEHow does the cult operate?1 Icon Icon - Members carry a distinct item unique to the cult.2 Tattoo These cult members share ritualistic tattoo somewhere on their bodies.3 Branding Cult members have their flesh branded with their iconography.4 Ritual ScarringTypical among worshipers of the Blood God, these cult members cut deep scars into their flesh.5 Mutation Those belonging to this cult share a common mutation6 NoneCarrying no identifying mark or items makes these cultists among the hardest to identify.ICONOGRAPHY TABLEWhat symbols or signs do the cultists use to mark their own?THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

16EXAMPLE CULT: THE GILDED HANDHeimleia von Mettler’s ambitions have always far outstripped the minor standing of her house, a lesser clade of hive nobility concerned with living lives of relative luxury and very little else. While young, she took her studies far more seriously than most of her peers, delving far deeper into the archives of Gilead Primus than most. Her family’s modest status and a peculiar administrative oversight were enough to grant her access to records normally forbidden to all but the most trusted servants of the Adeptus Administratum. It took her countless long nights of trawling through reams of often contradictory scrolls, tomes, and dataslates, but slowly, the sharp-minded young scholar began to assemble an image of Humanity and its place in the galaxy that was both mind-bending and deeply disturbing. Far from being the unassailable monolith preached by Adeptus Ministorum and believed by most, the Imperium was besieged on all sides and from within by powerful, numerous, alien, and often incomprehensible foes. Such revelation, horror and doubt were laden upon the youth’s mind that it all but snapped. In response, she set upon a new path — the Imperium could not be relied upon to protect its subjects, therefore Heimleia would find a way to protect herself.To this end, she used her meagre influence and wealth to found the Order of the Gilded Hand, a minor religious order that enjoys hard-won recognition by the Adeptus Ministorum on Gilead Primus. On the surface, the Gilded Hand offers alms to the desperate, who devour these paltry rations as von Mettler’s favoured priests sermonises to the gathered throng. Few know that von Mettler herself pens these edicts, and they diverge in subtle but important ways from the recognised Imperial Creed. To those who can find this meaning buried between the lines of these sermons, her words proclaim that the God-Emperor has destined his subjects to elevate themselves in stature, intellect and cunning, to rise above the masses so that they can serve Him with their greatest potential. The sermons further preach that there is to come about a time of glorious change in which all faithful will serve the God-Emperor to reshape the Imperium’s strength, and lead it forward from the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge and salvation.

17Those who stand out as true believers in von Mettler’s cause are taken from the gathering crowds, with devotees joining the Gilded Hand, or given positions among her family’s personal staff. All followers are intensely loyal to their saviour, who has raised their status, welfare and purpose above the squalor they once resided in, and are unaware of her deceit. As the cult has grown, so has the breadth of von Mettler’s knowledge of the Gilead System and the greater Imperium beyond. The scholar once believed she enjoyed excellent fortune when it came to uncovering obscure sources of forbidden information. As she read more deeply, and discovered more secretive truths and lore, von Mettler came to realise she enjoyed the favour of a patron far more powerful than any saint of the Imperium. Pouring over ancient texts beneath the garish light of the Cicatrix Maledictum, Heimleia von Mettler finally found the answers she had desired for so long in the form of a dark ritual. During that profane rite, she learned much, scried that her life had been leading to that moment of enlightenment, and saw that only a single entity was worthy of her worship. The name and mark of the Cosmic Seer, a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, was inked into the pages of her mind. When she returned from her dark musings, von Mettler was changed utterly.Since the revelation, her ambitions know no bounds. She plans to transcend mortality and will pay any price to do so. Among the revelations granted her by the Lord of Change was knowledge of the Silver Towers. Von Mettler’s warped mind envisioned the glittering spires of a long-dead world turned spacefaring mausoleums. Each was filled with chambers of arcane lore — the key to her ascendancy. To reach this place would bring immortality and unfathomable power. Though the summoning of such an eldritch vesselstructure would surely spell the end for all within Tora Takkas, she would gladly see it done for a chance to access its myriad chambers and the power within.Having already risen to leadership of her family, it will be by the work of the Gilded Hand that such a grand plan will come to fruition. There are rumours to spread, intricate acts to perform, assassinations, manipulation, betrayal and sabotage to undertake. Control over the very engine that dictates the elevation of the Brasyl Plate will be needed to achieve the impossible geomantic alignment the ritual demands. Through the puppets of her cause this will be so, and von Mettler will enact the ritual to call forth one of the Silver Towers. She believes that hers will be the hand to rewrite the fate of Gilead Primus itself, and that such an act will seal her place of ascension beside the Cosmic Seer.HEIMLEIA VON METTLER Threat A|E|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, TZEENTCHS T A I WIL INT FEL3 4 3 4 5 4 4 DEFENSE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 8 7 6 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 4, Awareness 6 (Passive 3), Deception 5, Leadership 6, Stealth 5, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESHerald of Ruin: At the start of each Round this Threat is alive, the GM gains 1 Ruin for every 6 Cultists alive in the Scene.Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. Priest of the Dark Gods: This Threat gains +2 bonus dice to all Interaction Attacks. ABILITIESACTION: Autopistol: 7 +1 ED / Range 6 – 12 – 18 / Salvo 2 / Pistol Commune Stave: 5 +3 ED / Range 1BATTLECRY: The Gilded Hand As an Action Heimleia makes an Interaction Attack against all Targets within 20m who do not possess the TZEENTCH Keyword. Any Target affected by the Attack is Prone in addition to any normal effects.RUIN: Kill Them ALL! Spend 1 Ruin. As a Free Action, Heimleia commands a Mob of Cultists within 3m to make one Combat Action immediately. The GM may spend 1 Ruin to have Heimleia use The Gilded Hand as a Ruin Action. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 4D6Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

18While vile and insidious cults prevail across the Gilead System, their very nature forces them to hide into the darkest recesses avoiding persecution from Imperial authority as they swell their number or advance their malevolent schemes. The Heretic Astartes present within the system make no such attempts at subterfuge, either standing in blatant defiance of the Imperium such as on Vulkaris or openly inviting the forces of the Imperium upon them for bloody slaughter as they lurk within the depths of the Voidmire.DARK APOSTLE MALOQUENCEAncient, cold and unforgiving, Maloquence wields a level of patience uncharacteristic of many brutal lords of his standing. Claiming to have once served alongside the Word Bearers during the galaxy-spanning conflict of the Horus Heresy, the Dark Apostle leads a fittingly zealous warband known as the Faithful Writ, a sizable force of Heretic Astartes. The Faithful Writ adheres to its lord’s patient command, studying the weaknesses of their target before erupting from the shadows of the Voidmire and committing war with burning fervour, be it on an enemy force or hold.Yet it is not just Maloqence’s warband that goes forth from the darkness to raze idols of the False Emperor and slaughter those ignorant followers. The Dark Apostle has access to means by which to travel rapidly between the worlds of the Gilead System, should he wish to obtain artefacts, study the foe or bring the wrath of the Ruinous Powers in person.Maloquence’s patience leads him to carefully target enemy weaknesses, resulting in terrible lasting impacts, while abhorring brash actions that could unravel years of preparation. This makes him a recurring threat to all in Gilead and one that the Space Marines of the Absolvers Chapter have yet to be able to thwart.Maloquence’s forces also harbour a specific hatred toward the xenos within the system. Some reports indicate that he targets Aeldari and Ork groups as often as Imperium assets. If these reports are accurate, it is likely that he has some personal agenda associated with these xenos. Maloquence is always willing to use pawns to further his causes. For heretical groups, he may offer compensation that includes access to his own armoury. Conversely, he may contact loyalists if he believes that he has the potential to manipulate them or even to corrupt them into serving him instead.HERETIC ASTARTES IN GILEAD

19THE HERALDS OF ROTWhen Vulkaris emerged into the Gilead System, it brought with it a massive infestation of Nurgle’s daemons as well as a contingent of the repulsive Death Guard. This contingent includes hundreds of hulking Plague Marines as well as several of their festering voidcraft, which continue to orbit the planet. Preliminary reports indicate that this warband, the Heralds of Rot, holds a position of authority on the Vulkaris. They have not yet launched any larger-scale attacks against Imperial planets. The reason for their relative inaction remains unclear.Notably, the Faithful Writ have launched numerous small incursions against Vulkaris, including several attacks that specifically targeted the Heralds of Rot and their craft. No one outside of those two factions has recounted any details of the engagements. However, as both groups clearly remain functional, it does not seem likely that the conflict has been settled. The Dark Apostle has certainly been in the system longer, and he may simply resent the intrusion of another large warband within his territory. Alternatively, this could have been an act of calculated aggression, an effort to force the Plague Marines to cede allegiance to him. Inquisitorial agents have not found any reports of communications between cultists captured on the Heartworlds and the forces on Vulkaris. However, this should not be taken as a sign that none has taken place. The Plague Marines may still be securing their holdings and analysing Gilead’s resources before taking deliberate action. Any cultist who brought them useful information on the Imperium’s forces in Gilead is certain to receive Nurgle’s pustulent blessing. THE SYBARITE’S GRASP A light cruiser carrying devotees of Slaanesh has been reported in the Voidmire. Several of the stories involving the vessel report that it has engaged in destructive raids against other vessels. Some of these have targeted Imperial ships, but there have also been sightings of them engaged in conflicts with the Aeldari Corsairsof the Greensteel Warriors. Further, there is at least one report of The Sybarite’s Grasp lingering alongside Persephone’s Regret. Inquisitorial agents have onlysecured one report from a survivor who claimed to have escaped from the vessel. The wretched soul’s reports are babbling and inconsistent, surely due to corruption and the madness that has beset their mind. They have spoken of music, discordant and raucous, that was inescapable and emanated from every part of the ship, reverberatingwith such force that the floor and walls of their cell shook without end, chattering their teeth and grinding at their very bones. Between shaky breaths, the survivor revealed a most ominous detail - giants clad in skin and metal bore the sound, roaring music that screamed from blasphemous amplifiers fused to their bodies, accompanied by devoted cultists and leering monsters that haunted the corridors. Though the survivor’s hearing was swiftly shattered, eardrums rupturing from the force of the sound itself, other senses remained intact. They rambled about the excessively rich flavours of the sustenance aboard the vessel, tastes that stung the tongue and altered their perceptions, compelling them to do the bidding of the crew.The victim was able to escape during a raid that saw the light cruiser attack an Imperial transport traversing the system. According to their jabbering report, the survivor walked freely from the vessel and onto thelifeless transport ship without resistance, where they were found soon afterwards by an Imperial relief force. Inquisitorial agents have thus far been unable to confirm any alternative report regarding their escape, though the story continues to confound them. In the meantime, more efficient means of interrogation will have to be employed in hopes of revealing further details.THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

20Little is known about the light cruiser The Sybarite’s Grasp, though the leader of such a cursed vessel is believed to be the most dangerous among the twisted Noise Marines, one known as Onoros the Siren. Intercepted communications report that Onoros is searching for something within the system, a relic of profane psychic power, an object with which to create infernal harmonics that can fulfil his dire plans.The very same communications have been interrupted by cacophonic noise and violent screams, each an attempt by The Sybarite’s Grasp to broadcast the madness of unholy sound across the decks of enemy ships. Yet alongside these blasts of discord have come whispers from voices unknown, those that have spoken of the power of the relic, and its music that can rupture mind, body and even the veil separating realspace and the horrors beyond.Notably, Onoros the Siren has not been observed to make contact with any of the other Heretic Astartes in the system. As his vessel contains significantly fewer forces than either of the other warbands, Onoros may fear that The Sybarite’s Grasp could be taken by another warlord and his fate one of a gristly end, strung up aboard the bridge of the victor.ONOROS THE SIREN ONOROS THE SIRENThreat A|A|E|E|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ASTARTES, SLAANESHS T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 6 6 4 3 4 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE5 10 6 13 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 12 (Passive 7), Ballistic Skill 8, Persuasion 10, Weapon Skill 8 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the starter of each of this Threat’s turns.Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin.Mark of Chaos: This Threat has the Mark of Chaos (Slaanesh) (Wrath & Glory, p. 136). The Skills above already include the effects of this Mark.Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and optional actions from Space Marine Implants (Wrath & Glory, p. 75)ABILITIESBATTLECRY: Pandemonic Ecstasies: Anyone who can hear a Noise Marine must fail an Awareness (Int) Test or gain Hindered (2) until the Noise Marine isdefeated.ACTION: Boltgun: 10 +1 ED / Range 12 - 24 - 36 / Salvo 2 / Brutal, Rapid Fire (2)RUIN: Cacaphonies of Pain!Spend 1 Ruin. Once per Combat, As a Free Action, Onoros broadcasts a soul shuddering explosion of noise. Agents within 30m of Onoros must pass a DN4 Will Test or gain the Hindered Condition.DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6 on Onoros Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg

21cross the galaxy, the mortal followers of Chaos seethe in numbers beyond count. Some are the insane and twisted survivors of worlds swallowed by the warp. Others are among the untold masses that endure tortured existences within the bowels of Heretic Astartes ships or in the depths of their dungeons. Yet a great number exist within the Imperium itself, corrupting society from within.USING CULTISTS IN YOUR GAMEThe Preachers of the Adeptus Ministorum espouse the Imperial Creed across the Imperium, preaching the unparalleled virtue of obedience to the Emperor, and warning that corruption and heresy can arise from any quarter. In this last point, they are certainly correct, as the holy investigators of the Emperor’s Inquisition know all too well. Chaos Cultists can come from almost any background; psychotic soldiers, cut-throat hive gangers, decadent nobles, Imperial Guard deserters, factorum indentees, persecuted abhumans, sewerdwelling mutants — all are susceptible to the Ruinous Powers in the heretical belief that it will elevate their existence. After all, even one with nothing can still barter away their soul. Consequently, Chaos Cultists are found in one form or another almost everywhere in the Imperium. At first glance, they can be indistinguishable from any other unremarkable citizen of the Imperium, but beneath their clothing could hide flesh tattooed with dangerous markings, branded with otherworldy symbols that pain the eye to look upon, or abhorrent mutations that would see them shunned by most. USING CULTISTS IN COMBATWhen open war breaks out, screaming gangs of zealots rush into battle armed with hand weapons and rudimentary solid-shot firearms, the strongest of their number toting flamers or the largest heavy weapons they can carry. Despite their primitive wargear, Cultists are often able to drown a superior foe through sheer weight of numbers and a fierce desire to tear open the belly of the Imperium. Whipped into a frenzy of hatred and heresy-fueled fervour by catechism-spitting Cult Demagogues, mobs of desperate, violent fanatics erupt from hidden temples and makeshift shrines.Regardless of their station, these dangerous malcontents all prepare for the day when the favoured of the gods will lead them to a darkly glorious future, each with their own vile reasons to rise up against the hated Imperium and set the galaxy aflame.MORTAL PAWNS

22SLAUGHTER THEIR PATHETIC ZEALOTS, BURN THEIR SHRINESAND STAIN THE VERY GROUND WITH THEIR BLOOD.Shem the First Blooded of the Brass Fist.+++Incoming Transmission+++Subject: Threat Assessment: REDACTED Originating Vessel: REDACTEDSecurity Ident: REDACTED Begin Data Transmission:My Lord Varonius, I present an updated report on a heretical cult operating among the upper echelons of Ostian society, just as you suspected. As ever, I marvel at your insight.Unlike Gilead Prime and Charybdion, where the vast hives prove ample breeding grounds for insurrection and heresy to blossom, Ostia is an agri world, with much of the land given over to grain and Grox. It is therefore a disturbing revelation that such a cult has arisen. From my dealings with the noble families that run the vast Ostian estates, there is an exclusive guild devoted to fraternity, to the planet’s ancient hunting rituals and eventually to bloody murder.This guild meets just once per harvest cycle, the bloated rulers of the ancient agri-family dynasties indulge their lust for the hunt, slaughter, and ultimately cannibalism by having agri-workers abducted and declared deceased to the adepts of the Administratum, only to be released within their private estates, the prey in their vile hunt.Such is the secretive and exclusive nature of the cult, I believe that the tendrils of their coven have woven their way across the elite of the world, and while it does not rule out the possibility of further trade and cooperation, I would recommend increased prudence in any future dealings with those representing the Ostian estates. As per our previous discussions, my intent is to travel onward from Ostia and compile further information regarding the threats posed by heretical forces within the Gilead System and will relay this to you with the utmost urgency. Your Faithful Servant Adept REDACTED +++ End of Transmission+++

23CULTISTThe harried manufactorum worker, the gleefully harsh overseer, the rich and indolent planetary nobility, the far-flung outcasts in the toxic deserts of a hive world — Cultists come from all walks of life and every sort of world in the Imperium. These misguided souls can be tempted by the machinations of the Ruinous Powers, most ultimately succumbing to their worship. Cultists sometimes worm their way into the echelons of power to stoke the flames of rebellion, but most simply undermine the apparatus and citizenry of the Imperium through neglect, corruption, or quiet treachery. Operating for months, years, or even decades in secrecy, leaders direct weapons, money, rogue psykers, and profane relics into the hands of their cultists, growing their power and capabilities. Should an opportunity emerge, the most brash wish drop the facade of quiet servitude to the hated Imperium, donning makeshift armour and masks studded in cruel hooks and spikes. Striking at the manufactorums, military fortifications, and leadership they have so long despised, most relish the opportunity to at last indulge the hideous practices they have so long practised in secrecy.CULTIST Threat T|T|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETICS T A I WIL INT FEL2 3 2 3 3 2 2 DEFENSE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE2 5 4 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Deception 5, Stealth 5, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESDevotion: Any time a Cultist is slain by a Critical Hit, the GM gains 1 Ruin. ABILITIESACTION: Shoot and Stab A Cultist takes no Multi-Action penalty on a turn where the elect to shoot their Autopistol and stab with their Knife. Autopistol: 7 +1 ED / Range 6 – 12 – 18 / Salvo 2 / PistolKnife: 4 +2 ED / Range 1Cultists can replace their Autopistol and Knife with an Autogun, and the Shoot and Stab ability is replaced by For The Dark Gods! Autogun: 7 +1 ED / Range 12 – 24 – 36 / Salvo 3 / Rapid Fire (1) WRATH: For The Dark Gods! Whenever a Cultist rolls a 6 on the Wrath Die, the GM gains 2 Ruin instead of 1. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 3D6.Conviction Resolve Speed Size 3 2 6 Avg MOB ABILITIESFor every ten Cultists in the Mob one may have one of the following options:Flamer: 10 +1 ED / Range 4 – 8 – 12 / Salvo 1/ Assault, FlamerHeavy Stubber: 10 +2 ED / Range 18 – 36 – 54 / Salvo 3 / Heavy (4)THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

24DEMAGOGUEDelivering dark sermons in their blasphemous temples, Demagogues drive their flock into a frothing frenzy of anger, hatred, and zeal. With honeyed words, they draw in the desperate, offering the promise of riches, power, revenge, and all the things denied to them by the so-called falsehoods of the Imperial Creed. As cult leaders, Demagogues do not just pontificate but also orchestrate abductions, sabotage missions, and acts of terror so that they might destabilise the local government in preparation for their uprising, or foster an environment that further facilitates their recruitment of hopeless souls. Upon blood-soaked altars, they offer up sacrificial victims to their dark patrons in exchange for prophetic visions, mutations, blessings, and daemonic possession, cementing their control of the heretical church. DEMAGOGUE Threat A|E|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETICS T A I WIL INT FEL3 4 3 4 5 4 4 DEFENSE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 8 7 6 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Deception 5, Leadership 6, Stealth 5, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESHerald of Ruin: At the start of each Round this Threat is alive, the GM gains 1 Ruin for every 6 Cultists alive in the Scene.Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. Priest of the Dark Gods: This Threat gains +2 bonus dice to all Interaction Attacks. ABILITIESACTION: Autopistol: 7 +1 ED / Range 6 – 12 – 18 / Salvo 2 / Pistol Commune Stave: 5 +3 ED / Range 1BATTLECRY: Kneel Before the Dark Gods! As an Action the Demagogue makes an Interaction Attack against all targets within 15m who do not possess the CHAOS Keyword. Any target affected by the Interaction Attack is Prone in addition to normal effects. RUIN: Kill Them ALL! Spend 1 Ruin. As a Free Action, the Demagogue commands a Mob of Cultists within 3m to make one Combat Action immediately. The GM may spend 1 Ruin to have the Demagogue use Kneel Before the Dark Gods! as a Ruin Action. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 4D6Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg

25MINDWITCHIf the Demagogue is the voice of the cult and mouthpiece of the Ruinous Powers, then the Mindwitch is the twisted soul. They embody the raw power of the Chaos Gods and the energies of the Immaterium unleashed. Such energies course through a Mindwitch’s body, pushing their mortal form far beyond its limitations. The result is hideous mutations, usually a bloated cranium that pulsates grotesquely with the ebb and flow of eldritch energies. To preserve these potentpsykers, the body of a Mindwitch is sacrificed, andtheir heads grafted to obscene cybernetic frames that bear them aloft on suspensor fields. A faithful cultist is tasked to carry this honoured Mindwitch,sharing their body with the psyker as tubes snake from their veins and organs to carry nutrients to the severed head. These cultists do not last long, as the Mindwitch saps them of their vitality. Mindwitches are a deadly threat, not only for their powers but the potential for such cultists to act as gateways for daemons of significant powerMINDWITCH Threat A|E|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, PSYKERS T A I WIL INT FEL2 4 2 5 6 4 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 6 7 6 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 4, Awareness 6 (Passive 3), Intimidation 8, Psychic Mastery 9 BONUSESChampion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin.Warp Touched: Whenever a Mindwitch rolls a Psychic Mastery (Wil) Test, they gain bonus Wrath dice equal to the Tier of the game. ABILITIESACTION: Maleficarum: The Mindwitch attempts to activate Smite or a Maleficarum psychic power (W&G p.280). Combat Knife: 4 +2 ED / Range 1 RUIN: Psychic Storm Spend 1 Ruin. The Mindwitch attempts to activate a psychic power or Deny the Witch (W&G p.267). DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 4D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 6 5 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

26ICONARCHWhile not blessed with the powers of the warp, or commanding the respect of the cult, an Iconarch still holds an honoured position within a Dark Commune – the foul coven that form the heart of a cult — as they bear into battle the repulsive cult icons. These grand sigils, forged from metal or carved from flesh and bone, are anointed in blood and inscribed with abominable runes, infusing the icon with an aura of dread. Often these banners take the form of growling daemonic faces, and many include flaming censers which exude clouds of intoxicating hallucinogenics and vaporised stimms, which drive the cultists into a frenzy. ICONARCH Threat A|E|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, PSYKERS T A I WIL INT FEL2 3 2 3 4 2 3 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE2 5 4 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Leadership 6 BONUSESChampion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. Icon of Hate: Any Threats with CHAOS CULTIST• within 50 metres gain +1 Bonus to all Tests • within 10 metres gain +2 Bonus to all Tests. ABILITIESACTION: Autopistol: 7 +1 ED / Range 6 – 12 – 18 / Salvo 2 / Pistol Combat Knife: 4 +2 ED / Range 1 RUIN: Glory for the Dark Gods! Spend 1 Ruin. A Mob of CHAOS CULTIST within 10m of the Iconarch may use the Iconarch’s Leadership dice pool when making any Test on their next turn. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 3D6Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg

27BLESSED BLADEWhile the cult grows in secret amongst the societies of the Imperium, they must lurk in long abandoned and forgotten places — crumbling, disused hab domes, toxic manufactorums, and blighted wastelands away from the cities. These regions are not theirs alone, as criminal gangs and outland raiders vie for the same territories and resources. Given these threats, the Demagogue elevates the most skilled warriors in the cult and bestows the Blessed Blade role upon them. Bearing a cruel weapon, such as a sword, axe, or scythe — these ornate blades are inscribed and blessed by the Demagogue, who speaks venom-filled verses to empower them — Blessed Blades shadow the coven members. With swift sweeps of their weapon, they decapitate assassins or lead a braying mob of cultists into battle.BLESSED BLADE Threat E|T|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETICS T A I WIL INT FEL3 4 3 4 4 2 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 6 2 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Weapon Skill 6 BONUSESChampion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. ABILITIESACTION: Autopistol: 7 +1 ED / Range 6 – 12 – 18 / Salvo 2 / Pistol Commune Blade: 8 +4 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / ParryWRATH: Executioner of the Gods: If this threat rolls a Wrath Critical as part of an attack, the target may suffer the Savage Attack critical hit as default.RUIN: Quicksilver Strike: Spend 1 Ruin. The Blessed Blade Takes the Initiative and can Charge up to 20m. REACTION: Bodyguard: When a Threat with the CHAOS CULT Keywords within 6m of this Threat is targeted by an attack, this Threat may interpose itself as a reaction and become the new target for the attack.DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 4D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

28MUTANTThe Imperial war machine is monolithic and relentless, the gears of its industry smothering countless worlds in smoke, pollution and toxic detritus. Hive cities and the untold numbers of manufactorums, chem-factories and other constructs pump out industrial waste on a scale unimaginable, contaminating continents and seas. Those exposed, be it within the bowels of constructs or beyond the hives in lawless outlands, are tainted by the touch and presence of such dire wastes. Deformities and mutations become rife. Especially with the advent of the Great Rift, the effects of the warp have further induced mutation within populations; additional heads and twisted limbs erupt from their corrupted flesh, and misplaced eyes and garish maws emerge from their grotesque, malformed bodies. Mutants are so reviled and hated that they are forced to gather in the deepest parts of hive cities or the irradiated wastelands, and in turn, they curse the Imperium that has cast them out. Chaos Cults exploit this hate and lure mutants to their service, viewing their abnormalities as blessings from the Dark Gods, seeing their numbers and multitudinous raw gifts as useful tools to swell the numbers of devotees to the Ruinous Powers.TORMENT Threat E|T|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, MUTANTS T A I WIL INT FEL5 5 3 4 4 2 1 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 7 5 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Intimidation 6, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESMutative: Any time a Torment deals a Wound, the GM gains 1 Ruin. Second Strike: This Threat reduces the Multi-Attack penalty by 2DN, as though it had the Dual Wield Talent (Wrath & Glory, page 133). ABILITIESHideous Mutations: 9 +3 ED / -2 AP / Range 1WRATH: Unnatural Regeneration: Whenever a Torment rolls a 6 on the Wrath Die, the Torment regains 1D3 Wounds. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 5D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg MOB ABILITIESMutant Rabble: A Mob of Mutants may include a Torment. These Mobs gain +1 bonus Icon to any Resolve Tests. This increases by +1 for each Torment in the Mob.MUTANTThreat E|T|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, MUTANTS T A I WIL INT FEL4 3 3 4 3 2 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 5 4 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Stealth 5, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESMutative: Any time a Mutant deals a Wound, the GM gains 1 Ruin. ABILITIESBlasphemous Appendages: 8 +2 ED / -1 AP / Range 1 WRATH: Unnatural Regeneration: Whenever a Mutant rolls a 6 on the Wrath Die, the Mutant regains 1D3 Wounds. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 3D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 3 2 6 Avg MOB ABILITIESMutant Rabble: A Mob of Mutants gains +1 bonus Icon to any Resolve Tests. This increases by +1 for every ten Mutants.

29TORMENTAs genetic aberrations run rampant, and bizarre morphology ripples through the bodies of the mutants. Either passed through the generations or by the touch of raw energies from the warp itself, mutants can undergo changes that push the limits of their bodies and strain the very boundaries of the mortal form. Torments are those cursed lot whose abberations have pushed past even these boundaries, their original human husk swollen and overtaken by spawn of the warp, brutally horned, winged and viciously clawed semi-manifested creatures from a nightmare realm beyond reality. Despite the danger they are, even to their fellow cultists, these vile creatures are living embodiments of the influence of the Chaos Gods. In the wretched temples of the Dark Gods, the cultists bring trinkets and offerings to these mutants, as they treat them as living idols. When the cult emerges from their shadowy cathedrals of hate, Torments often charge from the front of the rabble, tearing and slashing with venomous claws that can cut through ceramite. Theirtoughened hides and oozing flesh can sustain a hailof gunfire, rapidly knitting together or reforming to produce new snapping jaws and writhing tentacles. THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

30CHAOS SPAWN Chaos Spawn are hideous victims of their own ambition, their wracked minds and distorted bodies unable to withstand the gifts – or curses – of the Dark Gods. Reduced to lumpen mounds of muscle and flailing mutated limbs, these malformed beasts are herded into battle by their former brethren – or simply lurch forth to share their suffering, lashing out at horrified enemies with unnatural strength. Becoming a Chaos Spawn is the fate of many upon the Path to Glory. Wracked with the endless gifts of the Dark Gods, they are mutated mounds of muscle, scaly hides, talons, eyes, teeth and far more. No two Chaos Spawn look identical — each bears the corruption mark of Chaos on the writing flesh in a multitude of ways. Some are multilimbed beasts with claws and wings, while others are bulbous or serpentine masses.Encountering a Chaos Spawn is a memorable experience for even hardened characters and makes for an interesting tactical situation when supported by Chaos Cultists.CHAOS SPAWN Threat E|T|T|T|T CHAOS, HERETIC, MUTANTS T A I WIL INT FEL5 5 3 4 4 2 1 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE3 7 5 5 (1 AR)SKILLS: Default 3, Awareness 4 (Passive 2), Intimidation 6, Weapon Skill 5 BONUSESMutative: Any time a Chaos Spawn deals a Wound, the GM gains 1 Ruin. Second Strike: This Threat reduces the Multi-Attack penalty by 2DN, as though it had the Dual Wield Talent (Wrath & Glory, page 133). ABILITIESHideous Mutations: 9 +3 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 WRATH: Unnatural Regeneration: Whenever a Chaos Spawn rolls a 6 on the Wrath Die, the Torment regains 1D3 Wounds.DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 5D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg

THIS IS OUR TIME. LOOK UPON THE GREAT WOUND IN THE SKY IF YOU DISBELIEVE IT. FIGHT US BYALL MEANS, FOR WE RELISH EVERY STINGING BULLET, EVERY SLASH OF THE BLADE, JUST AS YOUMIGHT RELISH A DELICIOUS FEAST. BUT KNOW THIS TRUTH, AND REMEMBER IT ASTHE NIGHT SKIES CURDLE ABOVE YOU – WE HAVE ALREADY WON.Hyperlogus Phaevra, Lord Sensorium of the Silken Death.

32f all the servants of the Dark Gods, the Chaos Space Marines are among the most powerful, megalomaniacal and twisted. They are the most reviled of the Imperium’s foes. Each of their warbands is a brotherhood of fallen heroes. Amongst their number are counted the Traitor Legions – those Space Marines who renounced the authority of the Emperor ten thousand years ago – as well as the Renegade Chapters of Adeptus Astartes warriors who have since abandoned their oaths and now exist only to serve their own selfish ends.Heretic Astartes who have pledged themselves to the service of Chaos will find that their physical form, and even their armour and weapons, warp to better suit their new masters. Grinning daemonic visages, cruel spikes, and other marks of chaos soon marr their once proud armaments. Those who pledge themselves to a specific Chaos God are often changed in even more radical ways. Chaos Space Marines who embrace the worship of Slaanesh may find their amplifiers, cacophonic shock armaments, fused to their flesh permanently, or hooked barbs protruding from their skin that induce an agonising excess of pain. Those sworn to Nurgle mayinstead find their bodies bloat to a point where armour cracks, and rancid growths - slimy tentacled limbs,rotting fanged maws, pus-filled lesions - break forward unable to be contained, much like the potent miasma of disease surrounding their hulking forms. HERETIC ASTARTES

33USING HERETIC ASTARTES IN COMBATHeretic Astartes are physically imposing foes who retain enough of their original visage to be recognisable as twisted cousins of the Emperor’s own Space Marines. This adds a sinister element of recognition for those who must confront them — one which only becomes more horrifying as battle is joined. Corrupted as they are, Chaos Space Marines still possess the same gifts granted to them by the Emperor’s gene alchemy. They are far faster and stronger than any mortal warrior of the Imperium, and have only tempered these advantages with centuries of battle experience. Their armour is resilient enough to withstand entire volleys of fire, and their bolters and heavier weapons roar warp-tainted death at any who cross their path. Heretic Astartes are the twisted remnants of the Emperor’s legions that founded the Imperium itself. They are an overwhelming foe made even more terrifying by the terrible gifts granted them by their new masters.In many cases, unknown traitor warbands appear only briefly in Gilead to indulge their thirst for violence. Some enter the system to simply engage in a rampage of destruction before departing back to the confines of the warp. Others attack to secure necessary objectives, be it plundering ammunition, destroying a specific Imperial installation, or reclaiming their corrupted relics. A few attack to abduct prisoners who can be pressed into the service of their dark masters. In most instances, neither the warband nor their victims are seen again.Some warbands become fixated with making war in one specific manner. By challenging their rivals or committing acts of barbarity that attract the favour of the Dark Gods or their merciless champions, such warriors acquire the powerful wargear that speaks most to their desires. Those attracted to the bloodpounding thrill of heavy firepower fight as squads of Havocs, dominating large swathes of the battlefield with volley after punishing volley, obsessed by the power their weapons afford them. Some Heretic Astartes are entrusted with covert missions of sabotage, assassination or corruption, granted the honour to kill or defile the greatest threats to their cause. Squadrons of Chaos Bikers, meanwhile, are the harbingers and hunters of their nightmarish warbands, roaring across battlefields and trailing brimstone and death in their wake.USING HERETIC ASTARTES IN YOUR GAMEOver the millennia since the Gilead Crusade, the worlds of the Gilead System have wavered little in their adherence to the Imperial Creed. The system became a bastion of loyalty to the Emperor, and tithes were dutifully collected and delivered. Of course, the substantial presence of the Absolvers chapter and Adeptus Ministorum provided a powerful reminder of just why this should be the case, quickly crushing any signs of heresy before they could swell into legitimate dangers.The coming of the Cicatrix Maledictum changed everything. With its presence, particularly through the Voidmire, beings from the Immaterium were able to enter Gilead with frightening ease. At the same time, many of the system’s most capable defenders departed to fulfil responsibilities elsewhere. Most entities who threatened the system were beings native to the warp, but some were once human. Among these were Heretic Astartes, Space Marines who had turned away from the Imperium and now sought to spread the malign influence of the Ruinous Powers across the Gilead System by way of blade and bolter.THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

34LEGIONARYA horror from the darkest period in the history of the Imperium, the Heretic Astartes are ancient living embodiments of Chaos and the hubris of Humanity. Despite everything that was once believed, even the chosen warriors of the Emperor could become enthralled by the promises of the Dark Gods. Chaos Space Marines are ancient warriors — or renegades who have turned more recently from the light of the Emperor. All have fought across innumerable worlds, and many know what it is to live within the warp itself, unshielded from the raw stuff of Chaossave by the favour of the gods they serve. Each is a terrifying figure to witness and face in battle. Their ceramite armour — at times unnaturally melded with their flesh and organs — is typically studded with cruel spikes, yawning beastial maws or covered in repulsive runes that make mortals weep if their gaze lingers upon them too long. Each Chaos Legionary is a fearsome opponent, capable of laying low hundreds of mortals, their daemonic-faced boltguns and screaming chainswords tearing apart their foes in showers of viscera. Wielding devastating firepower, Havocs are the Heretic Astartes equivalent of Devastator squads. Many of the weapons are recognisable to those in the Imperium. Still, like the armour of the renegade Legions, the weapons are twisted mockeries, contorted by the energies of Chaos. Havocs may carry reaper autocannons, lascannons, heavy bolters, missile launchers, or reaper chain cannons. A Havoc Champion may be armed with flamer, meltagun or plasma gun, and chainsword. A Havoc Champion replaces their RUIN action with the following. RUIN: Annihilation! Spend 1 Ruin. Heavy weapon attacks made by Havocs within 6m gain the Brutal trait for 1 round.HAVOCS

35+++Incoming Transmission+++Subject: Threat Assessment: REDACTED Originating Vessel: REDACTEDSecurity Ident: REDACTED Begin Data Transmission :My Lord Varonius, As you rightfully expected, our recent diplomatic visit to the Vow of Absolution yielded little further information into our research regarding the threats posed by heretic forces within the system. In fact, on raising the subject with the envoy assigned to our small detachment, we were subject to several hours of questioning regarding the nature of the interest. Information on our previous missions for yourself, as well as the data we collected, was taken from us by an unnamed Space Marine clad in lacquered black armour. Following our impromptu interrogation, and before being escorted from the battle barge itself, our envoy gave us further warning. I have committed this to adata slate using my vox-encoder in the hope it may provide context for future dealings with the Absolvers. +++ Begin Audio-Relay++++++ Attributed to Chaplin Turiel, of the 10th company of the Absolvers Chapter +++ Only a fool could believe that the tools of Chaos could be used to serve a just or noble cause, or that a mortal mind could study such matters and remain sane. We must expunge all traces of the Heretic from the face of the galaxy without mercy or respite. Whatever misguided purpose you serve in looking into these matters is, at best, a fool’s errand and, at worst, will end in your damnation. ” +++ End Audio-Relay+++Beyond this, we were unable to uncover very little useful information. However, I intend to travel from the Absolver’s battle barge toward the Voidmire to continue our observations and research.Your Faithful Servant Adept REDACTED +++ End of Transmission+++ ASPIRING CHAMPION An Aspiring Champion leads a band of Legionaries. They have the following wargear and Ruin action. Daemon Blade: 13 + 4 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / Parry, Rending (1) Plasma Pistol: 15 + 1 ED / -3 AP / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Pistol, Supercharge RUIN: Death to the False Emperor! Spend 1 Ruin to Charge, gaining +2 bonus dice to the attack Test. LEGIONARY Threat A|A|E|T|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>S T A I WIL INT FEL8 6 5 5 4 3 3 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 10 6 12 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 9 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 9, Weapon Skill 10BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, PistolChainsword: 13 +4 ED / Range 1 / Brutal, Parry Or, Boltgun: 10 +1 ED / Range 12 — 24 — 36 / Salvo 2 / Brutal, Rapid Fire (2) They are also armed with Frag and Krak Grenades. RUIN: Veteran of the Long War: Spend 1 Ruin to add the game’s Tier as ED to all attacks this Threat makes this RoundDETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 6D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

36CHOSENSpat out of the Eye of Terror, filled with fury and the need for revenge, Chosen are veterans of countless wars who have faced all foes — xenos, Imperial and daemonic. Many of these ancient warriors were involved in the darkest events of the Imperium’s history — and old enmities and memories of defeat still burn with their corrupted hearts. To have survived such apocalyptic battles and claimed swathes of territory on daemon worlds from rival heretic warbands, theseChaos Space Marines are battle-hardened. They wield not only the respect — or contempt — of their fellow Legionaries but also bear some of the most powerfuland devastating warp-tainted weapons available. These warriors undertake the most glorious and dangerous missions, and are the bane of all that lives. Many Chosen lead warbands from the front to assaultenemy positions, or are tasked with more specific missions, as they are deployed deep behind enemy lines to conduct sabotage, assassination missions, or thedefilement of holy Imperial sanctums and relics. Such is the single-mindedness of these Chosen that they will often ignore their orders when the opportunity arises to settle millennia-old grudges or sacrifice any of their forces to fulfil their vainglorious aspirations. CHOSEN Threat A|A|A|E|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS> S T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 6 5 3 3 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE5 13 8 13 (5AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 10 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 10, Intimitation 8, Leadership 8, Stealth 8, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, PistolChainsword: 13 +4 ED / Range 1 / Brutal, Parry Or, Boltgun: 10 +1 ED / Range 12 — 24 — 36 / Salvo 2 / Brutal, Rapid Fire (2)Chosen frequently carry a wide array of weapons, including combi-flamer, combi-plasma, and combi-melta guns, power fists, and plasma pistols.Plasma Pistol: 15 +1 ED / -3 AP / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Pistol, Superchange Power Fist: 13 +5 ED / -3 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Unweildy (2)They are also armed with Frag and Krak Grenades. WRATH: Wanton Slaughter: When a Chosen successfully hits with a Wrath Critical in melee they deal +2 Mortal Wounds. RUIN: Veteran of the Long War: Spend 1 Ruin to add the game’s Tier as ED to all attacks this Threat makes this Round Chosen Champion A Chosen Champion leads a band of Legionaires. They have the following wargear and Ruin action.Accursed Weapon: 15 +4 ED / -3 AP / Range 1 / Parry, Rending (2) RUIN: Death to the False Emperor! Spend 1 Ruin to Charge, gaining +2 bonus dice to the attack Test. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6.Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg

37Tactical dreadnaught armour, commonly known as Terminator armour, is a hulking, ancient and formidable battle plate. Each suit is a relic of another age, typically many thousands of years old. These are master-crafted suits of armour, bestowing the wearer near invulnerability in combat, safety from hazardous environments, and the ability to wield some of the most devastating weapons known to mortal kind. Amongst the Heretic Astartes, those Chosen most favoured by their masters wield Terminator armour, often acting as honour guards for their commander. Such is the rarity of Terminator armour that a Chaos Space Marine can only acquire a set after killing the former owner — Heretic or Loyalist. Chosen, Champions, and Sorcerors may wear Terminator armour. Wearing this armour allows them to use the following weapons; a power fist, chainfist, or accursed weapons such as a power axe, power sword blades, power maul, or one or a pair of lightning claws. Where only one close combat weapon is selected, the user of the Terminator armour may carry a ranged weapon, such as a combi-bolter, combi-flamer, combimelta, or combi-plasma gun. Alternatively, the ranged weapon can be a heavy weapon, such as a heavy flamer or a reaper autocannon. Chaos Space Marines wearing Terminator armour gain the benefits of this sturdy relic, as described below. This replaces any existing armour.CHAOS TERMINATORS ARMOUR TABLEName AR Value Rarity Traits KeywordsChaos Terminator Armour8 12 Unique Powered (5) CumbersomePowered, Adeptus Astartes, Chaos[Legion], Mark of ChaosTHE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

38RAPTORRaptors are terror troops who launch far ahead of the main assault force of Heretic Astartes. They are borne aloft on jump packs, and though these are early forms lacking the refinement of those used by the later loyalist Chapters, the combined lethality of speed, agility and close-quarters martial prowess remains. Like their namesakes, Raptors are precision hunters, targetingthe weak points in enemy lines and conducting hitand-run strikes that sow confusion and fear amongsttheir enemies. So committed are they to their art of war, Raptors form insular cults, even worshipping a minor aspect of Chaos that suits their murderous impulses. Such are their obsessions that Raptor cults can barely operate with the wider Chaos Warband. They considerthemselves unmatched warriors, considering fellow Legionaries cowardly for not rushing into battle asquickly as possible. As shock troopers, Raptors utilise a combination ofclose combat weapons, including their customised clawed boots and indiscriminate assault arms, such as flamers and meltaguns. Like all Astartes who form the Traitor Legions, their armour has undergone unnatural changes. Combined with purpose-made modifications, these armours and jump packs emit shrieking cries and blood-chilling wails, heightening their enemies’ anxiety.WARP TALON Warp Talons have fallen so far into the thrall of the Chaos Gods, that they have willingly given their bodies over to the warp. Now, as beings of the Empyrean, they are capable of swooping down upon their enemies and striking from beyond the material realm by tearing ragged holes into realspace with their claws. Appearing, wreathed in warp fire, these shrikes cleave their opponents in half using talon-tipped gauntlets before disappearing into the warp. Warp Talons have long discarded any sense of their humanity, and even the Heretic Astartes can barely communicate with these savages — Warp Talons are not commanded; they are unleashed.

39RAPTOR Threat A|A|E|T|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>,<MARK OF CHAOS> S T A I WIL INT FEL8 6 5 5 4 3 3 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 10 6 12 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 9 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 9, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 1 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75)ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, Pistol Chainsword: 13 +4 ED / Range 1 / Brutal, Parry They are also armed with Frag and Krak Grenades. Jump Pack: A Raptor may fly at double Speed by making a DN 3 Pilot (A) Test, ignoring terrain. If they fail this test, their movement deviates according to the Scattering (W&G p.186) rules. A Complication on this test triggers a crash, and the Raptor suffers 1d3 Shock and falling damage (p.201) WRATH: Terror From the Skies: When this Threat successfully hits with a Wrath Critical in melee on a turn that they made a charge using their Jump Pack, this Threat deals +1 Mortal Wound, and 1D3 Shock. Raptor Champion: A Raptor Champion leads a band of Legionaries. They have the following wargear and Ruin action. Power Fist: 13 +5 ED / -3 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Unweildy (2) Plasma Pistol: 15 +1 ED / -3 AP / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Pistol, Supercharge RUIN: Death to the False Emperor! Spend 1 Ruin to Charge, gaining +2 bonus dice to the attack Test. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 6D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 4 3 6 Avg WARP TALON Threat A|A|A|E|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>, DAEMONS T A I WIL INT FEL8 6 6 6 5 2 1 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE5 12 8 12 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 9 (Passive 5) Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBATTLECRY: Warp Rift: The Warp Talon emerges from the Warp. All opponents of the Warp Talon must make a DN 3 Initiative Test or are Ambushed. Additionally, all opponents of the Warp Talon must make a DN 3 Fear Test. RUIN: Empyrean Return: Spend 1 Ruin. The Warp Talon disappears into the Warp. At the start of its next Turn, the Warp Talon may reappear using its BATTLECRY: Warp Rift. Warp Claws: 12 +3 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Rend (2) Jump Pack: A Warp Talon may fly at double Speed by making a DN3 Pilot (A) Test, ignoring terrain. If they fail this test then their movement deviates according to the Scattering (W&G p.186) rules. A Complication on this test triggers a crash, and the Warp Talon suffers 1d3 Shock and falling damage (p.201) WRATH: Reality Slice: When this Threat successfully hits with a Wrath Critical in melee this Threat deals +2 Mortal Wounds, and 1D3 Shock. DETERMINATION: Daemonic Determination: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 6d6. Warp Talons can roll Determination against Mortal Wounds. Any Wounds negated by Determination are ignored instead of being converted to Shock.Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

40OBLITERATORHulking figures bristling with heavy weapons, Obliterators are nightmare beasts of utter destruction. A Baroque melding of Chaos Space Marine, daemoninfused armour, and mutated weaponry, Obliterators are able to reshape their forms from moment to moment, adapting to changing battlefield conditions and thenature of their target with an array of ever-shifting fleshmetal armaments.Obliterators often step directly from warp fissures into ideal firing positions, sweeping away their enemies in a firestorm of warp-tainted ruin.OBLITERATOR Threat A|A|A|E|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>, DAEMONS T A I WIL INT FEL10 10 5 6 5 1 1 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE5 20 10 18 (7 AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 8 (Passive 4), Ballistic Skill 10, Intimidation 10, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESAgent of Apocalypse: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136)Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBefore declaring a target, the Obliterator must choose the mode of fire from the three below. This is used for the round of combat. Warp Hail: 12 +2 ED / Range 12 — 24 — 36 / Salvo 6 Ruinous Salvo: 14 +2 ED / -2 AP / Range 12 — 24 — 36 / Salvo 3 Focused Malice: 18 +3 ED / -3 AP / Range 12 — 24 — 36 / Salvo 2 In melee combat the Obliterator uses its Crushing Fists Crushing Fists: 15 +5 ED / -3 AP / Range 1 / Brutal Second Strike: This Threat reduces the Multi-Attack penalty by 2 DN, as though is had the Dual Wield Talent (W&G, page 133). RUIN: Witness Annihilation!: Spend 1 Ruin to increase the Salvo rating of an attack by 1.DETERMINATION: Daemonic Determination: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 10d6. Obliterators can roll Determination against Mortal Wounds. Any Wounds negated by Determination are ignored instead of being converted to Shock. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Lrg

41SORCERER Despite the danger posed by dabbling with the energies of the Empyrean it became clear that psykers amongst the ranks of the Astartes were formidable warriors, and the Traitor Legions have no qualms in augmenting the abilities of their psykers with the terrible knowledge acquired from their daemonic allies.Sorcerers combine their psychic abilities with infernal rituals, bloody sacrifices and forbidden mysteries to summon forth power from the Immaterium. Binding and treating with daemons, they unleash realitywarping spells that often bend the course of a battle in their favour.SORCERER Threat A|A|A|A|ECHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>, PSYKERS T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 5 6 3 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 15 10 13 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 7, Awareness 10 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 10, Leadership 9, Psychic Mastery 9, Scholar 9, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75)Warp Touched: Whenever a Sorcerer rolls a Psychic Mastery (Wil) Test, they gain bonus Wrath dice equal to the Tier of the game. ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, Pistol Forcestave: 12 +2 ED / -1 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Force Maleficarum: The Sorcerer attempts to activate Smite or a Maleficarum psychic power (W&G p.280). RUIN: Psychic Storm Spend 1 Ruin. The Sorcerer attempts to activate a psychic power or Deny the Witch (W&G p.267). DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 6 5 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

42DARK APOSTLE Keepers of the Primordial Truth, Dark Apostles are the malefic reflection of loyalist Chaplains. They recite the dark verses to inspire the devotion of their Legionaries while causing their enemies of cower and weep. The first Dark Apostles appeared in the ranks of the Word Bearers, the first of the Legions to fall to Chaos. As further Legions turned to the worship of the Ruinous Powers, Dark Apostles would join their ranks to spread the truth as the most zealous among them. These mouthpieces of the Chaos Gods carry into battle a Cursed Crozius — a vile weapon that is a mockery of the symbol of faith the Space Marine Chaplains bear. Dark Apostles are often accompanied by their Dark Disciples — faithful mortal cultists who attend to their lord’s needs. DARK APOSTLE Threat A|A|A|A|ECHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS> S T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 5 6 3 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 17 11 13 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 7, Awareness 10 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 10, Leadership 10, Scholar 10, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136)Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBATTLECRY: Turn the Galaxy Red With Blood!Anyone who encounters this Threat must make a DN 3 Fear Test. Bolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, Pistol Accursed Crozius: 12 +4 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / Brutal Dark Disciples: Use the profile for Demagogues to represent the Dark Apostles’ Disciples. RUIN: Death to the False Emperor! Spend 1 Ruin to Charge, gaining +2 bonus dice to the attack Test. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6.Conviction Resolve Speed Size 6 5 6 Avg

43WARPSMITH Consorting with abominable powers and wielding forgotten and reviled technologies, Warpsmiths work beyond the confines of material law. They toil in titanic soul forges in the warp, melding machine, flesh and Daemon into monstrous war engines for their despotic lords. Each Warpsmith is a fusion of flesh and metal, host to a writhing nest of semi-sentient mechatendrils. They are twisted masters machinery, dark scholars of corrupted engine-lore and other profane technological mysteries, seek not only to employ technology for their diabolical ends, but to subjugate it entirely. Nothing is forbidden to them as they pursue their obsessions with singleminded determination. They make use of outlawed knowledge to maintain and improve their warband’s arsenal of armoured vehicles. Tortured machine spirits are empowered with utterances of corrupted code, and under their ministrations, the righteous roar of mighty engines become screams of pain and mechanical fury. WARPSMITH Threat A|A|A|A|ECHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS> S T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 5 6 5 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 17 11 15 (7 AR)SKILLS: Default 7, Awareness 10 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 10, Scholar 8, Tech 10, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136)Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) Second Strike: This Threat reduces the Multi-Attack penalty by 2 DN, as though it had the Dual Wield Talent (W&G, page 133).ABILITIESA Warpsmith benefits from an Augmetic Arm, Augmetic Eye, Augmetic Legs, and two Ballistic Mechadendrites and Utility Mechadendrites. Plasma Pistol: 15 + 1 ED / -3 AP / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Pistol, Superchange Power Axe: 14 +5 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / Rending (1) Flamer Tendril: 7 +1 ED / Range 3 — 6 — 9 / Salvo 1 / Flamer, Pistol Melta Tendril: 16 +1 ED / -4 AP / Range 3 — 6 — 9 / Salvo 1 / Melta, Pistol Utility Tendrils: 8 +3 ED / Range 1 RUIN: Enrage Machine Spirit! Spend 1 Ruin to enrage a Daemonic Machine Spirit in friendly vehicle within 6m. The vehicle benefits from a firther +1 bonus die to all combat actions for the round. DETERMINATION: More Machine than Man: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6. Warpsmiths can roll Determination against Mortal Wounds. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 6 5 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

44MASTER OF POSSESSION Those Sorcerors who push the limits of reality and the Immaterium, and delve into the darkest rituals and blasphemous witchcraft, become capable thaumaturgists and manipulators of the energies of the Empyrean. Through their skill and deranged insight, these Masters of Possession, at the behest of their patrons and warlords, bind daemons into the bodies of willing, or sacrificial, Legionaries to create the terrible beasts — Daemonkin — known as Possessed. Compared to Warpsmiths, a Master of Possession follows ancient rites held in reviled tomes rather than following precise and uncaring logic. The demonologists of the two disciplines are rivals, only joining forces when ordered to by their patrons. Away from their sanctums of the profane, a Master of Possession is a skilled sorcerer on the battlefield, unleashing blasts of raw warp energy or augmenting their daemonic amalgams with spells that knit flesh and enhance their might and fury. MASTER OF POSSESSION Threat A|A|A|A|ECHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>, PSYKERS T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 6 7 4 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE5 17 12 13 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 8, Awareness 12 (Passive 6), Ballistic Skill 10, Leadership 9, Psychic Mastery 11, Scholar 11, Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) Warp Touched: Whenever a Master of Possession rolls a Psychic Mastery (Wil) Test, they gain bonus Wrath dice equal to the Tier of the game. ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, Pistol Sacrificial Dagger: 10 +1 ED / -1 AP / Range 1 / Rending (1)Staff of Possession: 12 +2 ED / -1 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Force Maleficarum: The Master of Possession attempts to activate Smite or a Maleficarum psychic power (W&Gp.280). BATTLECRY: Slaughter of the Gods The Master of Possession uses their sacrificial dagger to slay a friendly non-daemonic Heretic Astartes within 6m. Doing so provides the Master of Possession a bonus 2 dice to their next Psychic Mastery (Wil) test. WRATH: Soulbane: When this Threat makes a Critial Hit against a target with the PSYKER keyword, when attack with a Staff of Possession, they target suffers 1d3 Mortal Wounds in additional to the Critical Hit’s effects. RUIN: Psychic Storm Spend 1 Ruin. The Master of Possession attempts to activate a psychic power or Deny the Witch (W&Gp.267). RUIN: Whispers of the Warp Spend 1 Ruin. Target PSYKER within 20m of this Threat adds +10 to their Perils of the Warp result.DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 7 6 6 Avg

45POSSESSED An amalgam of Daemon and Heretic Astartes, these beasts are formed through pacts between the Chaos Space Marine and the warp-born entity or crafted through the arcane arts of a Master of Possession. Where lesser mortals become consumed by the daemon that inhabits their body, leaving them a meat puppet for the spirit which begins to contort and mutate the physical shell to their perverse liking, those that possess a Heretic Astartes have much less control. Possession to these Heretic Astartes is a holy act that brings them closer to the Ruinous Powers. Only in the heat of battle does the Chaos Space Marine relinquish control to the Daemon and allow the Warp-spawn to run rampant and utilise the full potential of its powers. POSSESSEDThreat A|A|A|E|TCHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF CHAOS>, DAEMONS T A I WIL INT FEL9 8 6 7 5 2 1 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE6 16 9 14 (5AR)SKILLS: Default 5, Awareness 9 (Passive 5), Weapon Skill 10 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has a Mark of Chaos (W&G p.136) Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75) ABILITIESBATTLECRY: Turn the Galaxy Red With Blood! Anyone who encounters this Threat must make a DN 3 Fear Test. Hideous Mutations: 13 +4 ED / -2 AP / Range 1 / Rend (1) WRATH: Wanton Slaughter: When a Possessed successfully hits with a Wrath Critical in melee they deal +2 Mortal Wounds. RUIN: Veteran of the Long War: Spend 1 Ruin to add the game’s Tier as ED to all attacks this Threat makes this Round DETERMINATION: Daemonic Determination: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 8d6. Possessed can roll Determination against Mortal Wounds. Any Wounds negated by Determination are ignored instead of being converted to Shock.Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

46MASTER OF EXECUTIONS Grim headhunters, these assassins and executioners are the brutal agents of powerful warlords, tasked with slaying enemies within and without the warband ranks. They hone their skills in the blood-drenched arenas of daemon worlds, slaying an array of beasts and captive warriors brought to fight for the warlord’s amusement. Their skill and devotion often attract the attention of the Ruinous Powers themselves, and each Master of Executions who proves worthy of the name is bestowed with the gift of soul sight. Some seek this power through blood-soaked rituals, while others make sacrifices such as plucking out one of their own eyes for the Gods. To these skull-takers, the souls of the most accomplished enemies are like blazing pyres, drawing the Master of Execution to these worthy adversaries. Facing their chosen foe, they bellow a fatal decree before crashing forward and hacking through armour, flesh and bone.MASTER OF EXECUTIONS Threat A|A|A|A|ECHAOS, HERETIC, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, <LEGION>, <MARK OF KHORNE>S T A I WIL INT FEL8 7 5 7 5 2 2 DEFENCE WOUNDS SHOCK RESILIENCE4 15 10 13 (5 AR)SKILLS: Default 7, Awareness 10 (Passive 5), Ballistic Skill 10, Weapon Skill 11 BONUSESArchitect of Ruin: The GM gains 1 point of Ruin at the start of each of this Threat’s turns. Champion: This Threat may use Ruin Actions and has 2 personal Ruin. Mark of Chaos: This Threat has the Mark of Chaos(KHORNE) (W&G p.136)Space Marine Implants: Gain bonus dice and options for actions from Space Marine Implants (W&G p.75)ABILITIESBolt Pistol: 10 +1 ED / Range 6 — 12 — 18 / Salvo 1 / Brutal, Pistol Axe of Dismemberment: 14 +3 ED / -3 AP / Range 1 / Brutal, Rending (3) RUIN: Limb Slicer: Spend 1 Ruin. When this Threat successfully hits they deal +2 Mortal Wounds. WRATH: Head Taker: When this Threat successfully hits with their Axe of Dismemberment with a Wrath Critical in melee they roll twice on the Critical Hit table and select the best result. The Threat is also armed with Frag and Krak Grenades. REACTION: Warp-Sighted Butcher: This Threat may make a free move in response to a target declaring a Charge action, and so interpose itself between the target the Threat being charged, and become the new target for the attack. DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7D6. Conviction Resolve Speed Size 5 4 6 Avg

47nown to many as the Architect of Fate, Tzeentch is the master of enigmatic plans of endless complexity, galaxyspanning scope and unfathomable comprehension, presiding over sorcery, fate, mutation, trickery, prophecy, boundless change and more. To all those seeking answers, secret knowledge, arcane power, political ascendency or the alteration of reality around them, all intention feeds the worship of Tzeentch. To such a master, mortals are but puppets, fleshy material tools and conduits through which to weave the strands of fate or channel the emergence of Tzeetchian daemon hosts to tear across realspace. The web of fate touches all, and whether these convoluted schemes come to fruition over the course of months or millennia, the influence of the Changer of the Ways is unceasing.USING TZEENTCH IN YOUR GAMETzeentch feeds on secrecy and intrigue, and the plots and politicking of Humanity do much to feed his growing power. Those who desire such knowledge for whatever reason, be it selfish or moral, are sometimes drawn into the worship of Tzeentch. Servants of the Changer of the Ways might tempt others, Agents included, with the promise of hidden knowledge — what would a way out of the Gilead System be worth, after all — but such knowledge always comes with a price. Sometimes that price is the knowledge itself, for there are secrets known to Tzeentch and his followers that would drive most to madness and despair. This could quickly lead an Agent down a path of corruption without them even realising it. Introducing servants of Tzeentch can be gradual, culminating only when the target appears ready to dedicate themselves fully to the Architect of Fate.CHANGE UNHERALDED

48USING THE FORCES OF TZEENTCH IN COMBATServants of Tzeentch seldom begin any interaction with direct conflict. While they have access to powerful psychic powers and potent weapons, deceit and manipulation are their preferred tools. Because of this, when interacting with Agents, a fight should only come after other options have been exhausted. Before things reach that stage, the party should already have interacted with at least one servant of Tzeentch, knowingly or unknowingly, and have their plans suitably disrupted at almost every turn.Mortal cultists are the most likely initial points of contact between the party and their enemy. These cultists may have ways to conceal their physical corruption, sometimes through the use of powerful psychic powers. These interactions may seem positive, with a helpful bystander providing useful information or a well-informed scribe pointing the party in the apparent right direction. As events progress, however, it should become clear that deceit and endless scheming lie behind every helpful facade.When direct confrontation comes, it should do so only when the Agents have successfully cut through the schemes and plots around them or when those schemes have drawn the party into a favourable position for their enemy to strike. Depending on the game’s Tier, this might take the form of ordinary cultists suddenly throwing off their disguises and attacking, or it may take the form of a nigh-overwhelming tide of daemonic foes erupting from the heart of a vile ritual that was going on beneath their feet the entire time.

49+++Incoming Transmission+++Subject: Threat Assessment: REDACTED Originating Vessel: REDACTEDSecurity Ident: REDACTED Begin Data Transmission:My Lord Varonius,We have spent nine long weeks now in the depths of the Voidmire. Thus far, our attempts at observation have been futile, chasing fleeting shadows and echoing vox transmissions long lost to the depths of this place. Yet the time spent here awaiting those in service of the Ruinous Powers to reveal themselves has not been completely wasted. This additional time has allowed me to further review and study the data compiled on these heretical threats and fully appreciate its great importance to the Varonius Flotilla. As I posited in the past, if we can come to understand the many cults and their machinations, we can manipulate them to our will. Once we better understand them, we can bring about the glorious change you have long dreamed of; elevating the Varonius Dynasty to greater power than ever before. The great potential of such work has taken on new meaning to me, and while some among the crew have voiced concern, I have decided to press us further into the Voidmire.Your Faithful Servant Adept REDACTED +++ End of Transmission+++ WHAT WOULD A TOOL OF THE CORPSE EMPEROR KNOW OF THE POWEROF THE WARP? I HAVE KNELT BEFORE THE CHANGER OF THE WAYS, AND STOOD AGAIN WHEN ALL THOSE ABOUT ME WERE TURNED TODUST. LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I GAINED IN RETURN.Massintos, Wielder of Fates.THE RUINOUS POWERSMORTAL PAWNSHERETIC ASTARTESCHANGE UNHERALDEDCORRUPTION MANIFESTRAGE INCARNATEDESIRE & DARKNESSENGINES OF CHAOSPSYCHIC DIABOLUS

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