APPENDIX: SPECIAL CHARACTERS

Legends have sprung up on dozens of worlds of a charismatic preacher, elderly but still vital, who brings the word of the faithful to the masses then leaves to spread the word elsewhere. On Mossba he was known as The Blessed Gilessen Bogtat. On Prandium, Revered Pater Noveen the Meek. It was on Ichar IV that he took the name that the Inquisition hunts him by to this day: Learned Brother Janos Armistadt.

Under a variety of names and shifting guises this being has moved from system to system, preaching to the downtrodden and raising up new religious fervor while secretly initiating Genestealer infiltration. How long he has lived is unknown (certainly many decades longer than a normal human). He has always managed to stay a step ahead of any arriving Imperial forces sent to deal with the revolutions he instigates. Unlike most other Magi, he usually leaves the planetary system once a Cult is established, rarely staying for outright revolution to begin. One of the Purestrain Genestealers he brings with him to each new planet begins a new life as Patriarch for the emerging Cult. After his departure (along with a cadre of Genestealers and Brood Brothers) the Cult usually continues to flourish, due to the training and experience he imparts on the new leaders.

On Ichar IV he lead the Brotherhood, a religious fundamentalist group which masked his secret objectives. It was Inquisitor Agmar who finally realized that the descriptions of the missing Magus from that uprising (only barely averted due to a combined Imperial Guard and Ultramarines counter-attack) matched those of religious leaders seen on several other planets stretching back over many decades. On each of these worlds, serious revolts had later begun, not hapless uprisings as commonly seen in badly governed worlds but well-orchestrated and professional insurrections. Agmar alerted others, and the mysterious preacher was sighted shortly again and nearly captured. Since then though Armistadt has been more careful, adopting a new disguise as he arrives at each new world. One step behind usually though are the Arbites and Inquisitorial forces, keeping him from staying too long on any one planet. It is still not known how long or why he operates in this manner, or how many other Magi might also be doing so, or even his true name. It is even more uncertain if he is possibly aware of his true Tyranid heritage, or if he might even be guided from afar by the Hive Mind. The fact that these are still unknown has been the cause for great concern amongst the Inquisition, especially Agmar who has made it his personal quest to eradicate this threat to the Imperium at any cost.  

Weapons: Armistadt is armed with a Master Crafted Bolt Pistol, The Serpent’s Tooth, and The Shepherd’s Staff

Wargear: Armistadt wears Carapace Armor (4+ save) with a Chitin Armor Covering under his flowing robes.

Psychic Powers: As a Magus, Armistadt has the psychic power Hypnotic Gaze as described above, plus the new power Test of Wills. Armistadt has refined his hypnotic powers to the level that he can actually reach out and take control of enemy minds. At the start of the Cult player’s Assault Phase, Armistadt may attempt to use this power against a single enemy model with 6" to which he has Line of Sight. First he must pass a Psychic Test as normal, then both models roll 2D6 and add it to their Leadership. If Armistadt’s total is higher, he has taken over the mind of the enemy, and can immediately make a normal Assault move with the model. The Assault Phase is then conducted as normal, but Armistadt also controls that model and it counts as being part of the Cult Army for the rest of the phase. If the result is a tie, or the enemy’s total is higher, nothing happens. The power will only work on living creatures – so Vehicles, Demons, Necrons, Thousand Sons, Avatars, Wraithguard, etc. are not effected. Tyranids of any type are not effected by the power either. At the end of that Assault Phase, the effects wear off and the enemy model regains control of his senses.

Special Rules: As a Magus, Armistadt can use the "He who runs away…" special rules described above. Also, his ages of experience give him an additional edge in ensuring his safety. If desired, when attempting to make this voluntary Fall-back test he can declare that he is deciding to quit the battlefield altogether and flee the area. If his test is successful, he is simply removed from play, but no Victory Points are scored for his removal. He will though count as being dead for purposes of any other special Cult rules.

Special Wargear:

The Shepherd’s Staff

Moving from planet to planet, Armistadt has acquired a collection of rare and arcane artifacts, which have served him well as he has sown the seeds of heresy and revolt throughout the Imperium. While not confirmed, it is believed that the Staff was captured in a pitched battle with rival Chaos Worshippers. Where they got (or stole) it from was never revealed, but the Staff has become a signature mark of Armistadt ever since. Glowing with unholy power and coronal discharges, the Staff counts as a Power Weapon in Assaults. The Staff takes both hands to use as a weapon though, so if used then no other combat bonuses for extra attacks can be used.

The Staff also amplifies Armistadt’s hypnotic powers throughout his followers, allowing any unit he is leading to re-roll any and all Leadership-based tests they are required to make. For any effects that cause automatic failure of a test, the unit may still make a single test but may not re-roll it. This power is in effect even if the Staff is not being used for combat at the time.

The Serpent’s Tooth

According to Imperial Intelligence reports this ornate dagger was made from a claw from the long-dead Patriarch who founded Armistadt’s original Cult family. Witnesses say the blade of polished bone is covered with small notches, believed to represent each Cult the Arch-Magus has founded, or possibly each Imperial Agent he has killed. In combat it operates like a normal Genestealer Claw Totem, but can be used with another Close Combat Weapon. Armistadt’s skill with the dagger though results in +2 Attacks when he uses it (rather than the normal +1), for a base total of 3 Attacks for normal combat (4 if he charged that turn). All attacks gain the special AP 4 Totem ability.

Protectorate: The Protectorate is formed from 5-10 models of highly trained & fanatical Brood Brothers chosen among all others to serve as his personal Bodyguard.

Weapons: Protectorate members wear well-made Flak Armor (Sv 5+) and are armed with a Close Combat Weapon.

Manos (certainly not his original name) began life on a backwater planet, the first generation offspring in a newly formed Cult. Oddly though for a first generation hybrid, he appeared fully human. His parents were killed mere months after his birth though, attempting to rescue their Genestealer master from the wreck of a burning transport vehicle. Orphaned, Manos was raised by a local seminary and thoroughly immersed in proper Imperial Cult and worship of the Emperor.

Young Manos showed himself to be quite brilliant and fervent as a student. His devotion to the Ministorum was without doubt, and he had lead several local crusades against heretics, saving hundreds of souls from living as unbelievers. Soon he was readied to leave the planet and embark on what looked to be a successful career as a Preacher. Then his true heritage emerged.

A small blue growth appeared under his left arm, which grew rapidly in mere days to become an additional arm! Shocked to the core to discover his heresy as a mutant, he immediately severed the limb and burned the foul flesh. Praying to the Emperor for deliverance he drifted off to a troubled sleep filled with monstrous visions of hissing demons with deep hypnotic eyes. Salvation was not forthcoming though as the next morning he awoke to not only find the arm regrown, but a hard layer of blue chitin forming over his now purple-ish skin! Needless to say his world view shifted a bit, and he snapped quite utterly and completely. Effortlessly slaughtering his former brethren, he boarded his ship and left the planet. Abandoned by his former God-Emperor, one vision now fills his brain – to find his true father, a mighty being of daggered teeth and razor claws who must be out there somewhere in the stars. Only he can cure poor Manos of his heresy, and forgive him of his sins. Manos travels from system to system in search of his father and new god, hiding his heresy with robes and skin-paint. Periodically his alien urges take control, and he spreads the Genestealer infection amongst the local populace before regaining his "senses" and continuing with his quest for redemption.

Weapons: Manos is armed with a Close Combat weapon plus a special Flamer which fires The Flames of Blood. He also carries The Brazier of Damnation, The Eye of Judgement, and The Crown of Iron.

Special Wargear & Weapons:

Brazier of Damnation

Neither of his true parents realized that they carried recessive taints of heresy in their genes. Even had they not been implanted with Genestealer viral DNA, Manos would have been born a mutant. His mutation caused his first new arm to grow back, and did the same thing each other time Manos tries to severe his heretical limbs. He chops up his severed parts to burn in a brazier he carries on a pole, surrounding him with the foul evidence of his sins. These fumes give him a 5+ cover save at all times, allowing him to strike first as if in cover all the time. If he has joined a Cult unit, the scent of his burning flesh also allows them to gain +1 Initiative and +1 Attack in the first round of each Assault.

Flames of Blood

The Eye of Judgement

In one of his more mad moments (and he has had many over his many years of roaming the galaxy), as a self-inflicted curse Manos drove still-glowing steel spikes into his head, forming a circlet of metal. This didn’t hurt him of course, but it did make him almost impervious to pain and allows him shrug off wounds that would kill others. This is represented by his higher than normal Toughness, and in that he cannot be wounded by weapons with a Strength lower than his Toughness (ie., he cannot be harmed by Strength 4 or lower weapons). He can still be wounded as normal by a Sniper Rifle though.

Some Cults are naturally more successful than others, and grow to large sizes. As the years pass though, and their Patriarch grows older and not as light on their feet as he once was, it becomes more difficult to have their father lend his guidance to his flock in battle. Many Cults convert other vehicles into command and control centers, doubling as mobile transports for their Patriarch. The Chimera chassis is commonly used, and fitted scanning and imaging systems plus powerful defensive fields. Special trained multi-limb hybrids are chosen to operate the vehicle mounted weapons. The Patriarch is aided by a Hierarch, who monitors the gathered battlefield intelligence data and relays his instructions to the rest of the Cult.

Weapons: Pintel-mounted Storm Bolter, plus Heavy Flamers mounted in the hull and both side sponsons.