Asdrubael Vect

Asdrubael Vect is the Supreme Overlord of Commorragh and master of the Kabal of the Black Heart. He began as a slave within the Dark City and possessed none of the ancient status enjoyed by its ruling aristocracy. Vect survived through deception and ruthless ambition until he accumulated enough followers to form the Black Heart. His ascent culminated in a scheme involving the capture of the Salamanders strike cruiser Forgehammer. The resulting Imperial assault devastated many of the noble houses that opposed him. Vect emerged from the destruction as the dominant ruler of Commorragh and eventually forced its disparate sub-realms beneath his authority. He claims to remember the Fall of the Aeldari and has ruled for millennia while destroying countless challengers to his position.

Vect maintains control by ensuring that every faction within Commorragh has something to fear from him. He has survived coups and assassination plots as well as rebellions that would have destroyed lesser Archons. When the resurrection of El’Uriaq helped plunge the Dark City into a catastrophic Dysjunction Vect used the resulting chaos to crush several enemies and restore his authority. The later awakening of Ynnead and rise of Yvraine caused another enormous upheaval. Daemons flooded portions of Commorragh while Ynnari influence spread among the Drukhari. Vect withdrew long enough to gather his strength before returning with the Black Heart and allied Incubi to restore order.

Vect later appeared to be assassinated by Mandrakes. His apparent loss drew rivals and ambitious Archons into the open for a grand funeral attended by many of the most powerful figures in Commorragh. The ceremony became a massacre. The bloodshed restored Vect in a renewed body while many enemies who survived through Haemonculi intervention were remade as mutilated servants. Vect proclaimed himself a living Dark Muse and used the event to reinforce his supremacy. He has since worked through intermediaries and rival Kabals to suppress Ynnari influence while avoiding any appearance that his own position has become vulnerable.

Appearance: Asdrubael Vect has pale gray skin and a tall slender build. His eyes glow red. His long dark hair falls around his shoulders with a reddish cast through several sections. His pointed ears extend sharply from the sides of his head.

He wears elaborate black armor with silver edging and layered blade-like plates across the shoulders chest and arms. His helmet rises into an enormous ridged crest with multiple horned projections and sweeping fins around the sides. The faceplate is narrow and angular with a long central ridge above the brow and sharp cheek guards framing the lower face.

His chest and abdomen are covered by overlapping dark plates with ribbed silver sections and skull ornamentation. A large black cloak spreads behind him with long pointed extensions and torn edges. Additional spikes and barbed structures rise behind his upper body.

Personality: Vect is patient and vindictive with an exceptional understanding of fear and ambition. He rarely relies upon straightforward force when deception can cause his enemies to destroy one another for him. Every alliance is temporary in his eyes and every subordinate remains useful only while their loyalty can be guaranteed. Vect deliberately allows rivals enough freedom to expose their intentions before punishing them so severely that others understand the cost of betrayal. His origins as a slave also left him with little reverence for the ancient bloodlines that once dominated Commorragh. His authority rests on the simple fact that he has outlived and outmaneuvered generations of enemies.

Yvraine has become one of Vect’s most dangerous enemies because the Ynnari offer Drukhari an alternative to the order he controls. He has therefore used assassins and bounties and covert wars to weaken her followers throughout Commorragh. Drazhar has served him when their interests align and Vect has employed the Master of Blades against Yvraine. The Kabal of the Black Heart remains the foundation of his rule and its Archons enforce his authority across the Dark City. Vect has also maintained dealings with the Masque of the Veiled Path across immense spans of time. None of these relationships are founded upon trust. Vect expects betrayal as an ordinary part of existence and structures every relationship so that treachery becomes more dangerous for the other party than obedience.

Vect is an ancient Drukhari whose greatest weapons are experience and political intelligence. He has survived more than ten thousand years within a society where assassination is routine and weakness is immediately exploited. He is a capable combatant but normally prefers to enter a conflict after arranging the battlefield in his favor. His knowledge of Commorragh allows him to manipulate Kabals and Wych Cults and Haemonculi Covens through debts and threats. He also makes extensive use of doubles and hidden agents. One such safeguard is the Geldling which can impersonate Vect when exposing himself personally would be unnecessarily dangerous.

When Vect enters battle he can ride the Dais of Destruction which is a heavily modified Ravager protected by a powerful force field. On foot he uses a Shadowfield for protection and carries Obsidian Orbs built from advanced soul technology. These weapons can draw strength from the terror of his enemies and restore him during battle. His Sceptre of the Dark City contains sophisticated pain-inducing technology and serves as both a symbol of his authority and a lethal close-combat weapon. Vect also commands the immense military resources of the Kabal of the Black Heart which remains the largest and most powerful Kabal in Commorragh.