Wharhammer 40,000 lorebook

1. #1Abaddon the Despoiler

   Keys: Ezekyle Abaddon, Black Crusade, Abaddon, Black Legion, Abaddon the Despoiler

   Abaddon the Despoiler, also known as Ezekyle Abaddon, holds the title of Warmaster of the Imperium Nihilus and is revered as the foremost champion of Chaos Undivided in the galaxy. He commands the Black Legion of Chaos Space Marines, speculated to be a genetic descendant of the infamous Warmaster Horus, once his favored son and first captain of the Sons of Horus Legion.

   Abaddon's notoriety stems from his leadership in the Black Crusades, massive Chaos offensives from the Eye of Terror against the Imperium. These campaigns form part of his strategic "Crimson Path," aimed at reaching Terra itself, culminating in the Great Rift's creation during the 13th Black Crusade. This catastrophic event divided the galaxy and ushered in the Noctis Aeterna and Era Indomitus.

   Initially rising to prominence as Horus's first captain during the Great Crusade, Abaddon's loyalty shifted with Horus's rebellion against the Emperor during the Horus Heresy. After Horus's death, Abaddon inherited his mantle, leading the renamed Sons of Horus Legion across pivotal battles like Isstvan III, Isstvan V, and Terra. His grief and anger at Horus's demise fueled a relentless pursuit of vengeance against the Imperium.

   Following the Heresy, Abaddon transformed the Sons of Horus into the fearsome Black Legion and initiated the infamous 1st Black Crusade. He forged dark alliances with the Chaos Gods, notably recovering the Daemon Sword Drach'nyen, enhancing his unstoppable reputation. Subsequent Black Crusades, now totaling twelve, furthered his enigmatic goals, consolidating his power and unraveling the Imperium's defenses.

   Abaddon's enduring ambition is to succeed where Horus failed: breaching the Imperial Palace, dethroning the Emperor from the Golden Throne, and reshaping the galaxy in Chaos's image. His influence spans millennia, gradually eroding the barriers between realspace and the Warp, leaving an indelible mark on galactic history.

   In the Imperium, Abaddon's name evokes dread and serves as a reminder of Chaos's relentless threat. His determination to unite the Traitor Legions and fulfill ancient prophecies continues to drive him, promising a future where the Ruinous Powers reign supreme.

   Despite facing numerous setbacks and betrayals, Abaddon remains resolute, driven by an unquenchable thirst for vengeance and dominion. His legacy as the Warmaster of Chaos is intertwined with the galaxy's darkest epochs, shaping its fate in ways few can comprehend or oppose.

2. #2Abbess Sanctorum Morvenn Vahl

   Keys: Paragon Warsuit, Purgator Mirabilis, Morvenn Vahl, Abbess Vahl

   Morvenn Vahl is the Abbess Sanctorum of the Adepta Sororitas and a High Lord of Terra. Unlike many of her political peers, she is a warrior first, wearing the relic Paragon Warsuit 'Purgator Mirabilis'. She leads crusades personally, believing that the leader of the Sisters of Battle belongs on the front lines. She was appointed by Roboute Guilliman, who trusted her integrity over the plotting of the other High Lords.

3. #3Abelard Werserian

   Keys: Abelard, Seneschal Werserian, Abelard Werserian, Von Valancius

   Abelard Werserian is a stalwart Seneschal serving the Von Valancius Rogue Trader dynasty. A former officer of the Imperial Navy, he brings military discipline and unshakeable loyalty to the erratic world of the Koronus Expanse. He acts as the right hand of the Rogue Trader, managing the logistics of the voidship and physically clearing a path for his Lord with a chainsword when diplomacy fails. He is a man of duty, tradition, and immense physical durability.

4. #4Abhumans

   Keys: abhumans, Abhuman, beastman, ogryn, ratling

   Abhumans are stable, recognized strains of mutants descended from humans who evolved on high-gravity or adverse worlds (e.g., Ogryns, Ratlings, Squats). Unlike random mutants, they are officially tolerated citizens, though often treated as second-class or 'filth'.

   The Inquisition and Arbites monitor them closely for signs of 'instability' or chaos taint. They are frequently drafted into the Imperial Guard for specialized roles (assault troops or snipers) or used for heavy labor.

5. #5Adepta Sororitas (Orders Militant)

   Keys: Reign Of Blood, Schola Progenium, Sororitas, Decree Passive, Adepta Sororitas, San Leor, Brides Of The Emperor, Sisters Of Battle, Ophelia, Orders Militant, Daughters Of The Emperor, Abbess, Vandire, Sebastian Thor

   The Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle) are the Ecclesiarchy’s legal military arm. Their origin lies in the Age of Apostasy: the Daughters of the Emperor were manipulated by High Lord Goge Vandire into becoming his Brides of the Emperor, then later reformed under Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor.

   After Vandire’s fall, the Decree Passive forbade the Ecclesiarchy from controlling “men under arms.” Due to legal wording, the female Sororitas were retained as the Orders Militant.

   They are fanatically devout, disciplined, and often deployed to enforce faith, punish heresy, and defend holy sites. In stories, their presence usually signals that the situation is spiritually and politically critical—not merely military.

6. #6Adeptus Arbites

   Keys: Lex Imperialis, Imperial Law, Proctor, Adeptus Arbites, Book Of Judgement, Arbites, Lex

   The Adeptus Arbites are the Imperium’s imperial law enforcers, often called the Judges. They uphold the Lex Imperialis (the great Book of Judgement) across the galaxy, acting when local law fails or when governors become treasonous.

   Arbites are feared because they can be judge, jury, and executioner. They typically operate from fortress-precincts on Imperial worlds and can be assigned to watch planetary rulers.

   They are not ordinary police: they exist to enforce Imperial compliance, crush sedition, and ensure tithes and anti-psyker controls are maintained. Their arrival often means the Imperium believes the world is slipping toward rebellion.

7. #7Adeptus Astartes (summary)

   Keys: Librarians, Adeptus Astartes, battlebarge, powerarmour, Techmarines, First Founding, apothecaries, Space Marines, bolter, Codex Astartes, gene-seed, Angels Of Death, Astartes

   The Adeptus Astartes (Space Marines) are the Imperium’s elite strike forces: superhuman warriors created through gene-seed implantation, intense conditioning, and powered armour integration. They are organized into semi-independent Chapters with their own fleets, traditions, and recruitment worlds.

   Space Marines are few compared to the Imperial Guard, but their mobility, training, and equipment make them decisive in crises. They often act where speed, shock, and precision matter more than numbers.

   Chapters vary wildly in culture and doctrine. Many follow the Codex Astartes; others are idiosyncratic. Specialists within Chapters include Librarians (psykers), Chaplains (spiritual discipline), Techmarines (Mechanicus-trained), and Apothecaries (gene-seed caretakers).

8. #8Adeptus Astra Telepathica (Astropaths & Black Ships)

   Keys: Astropath, Adeptus Astra Telepathica, psyker levy, Soul Binding, Scholastia Psykana, sanctioned, Black Ships, psyker, Astra Telepathica, League Of Blackships, Astropaths, psykers

   The Adeptus Astra Telepathica recruits and trains psykers for Imperial service, most importantly creating Astropaths—the only practical means of interstellar communication. Without them, the Imperium’s bureaucracy and fleets cannot coordinate.

   Psykers are collected via a levy enforced across Imperial worlds and gathered by the League of Black Ships. Many are executed or sacrificed; only a fraction become sanctioned servants.

   Astropaths undergo the Soul Binding ritual, where the Emperor’s power is used to shield and reshape them. Survivors are usually blinded, but gain the ability to send and receive messages through the warp, though messages can be distorted or lost.

   In a story, a Black Ship visit is a world-shaking event: fear, religious fervor, disappearances, and Inquisitorial inspections often accompany it.

9. #9Adeptus Astronomica (the Astronomican)

   Keys: Astronomica, Astronomican, Himalazian, Golden Throne, psykerchoir, Adeptus Astronomica, Forbidden Fortress, Master Of Astronomican

   The Astronomican is the Imperium’s psychic homing beacon, projected from Terra through the warp and used by Navigators to guide long-range warp travel. Its effective reach is roughly 50,000 light years and can be blocked by warp storms.

   It is maintained by the Adeptus Astronomica from the Forbidden Fortress (in the mountains of ancient Nepal). Thousands of psykers are trained as Acolytes; the chosen become the Chosen, whose lives are drained to feed the Astronomican’s psychic energy.

   The Chamber of the Astronomican is described as a vast sphere lined with tiers of seats where the Chosen focus their power into a central psychic energy mass, which the Emperor directs.

   In campaign terms: if the Astronomican falters, travel becomes slower, more dangerous, and entire sectors can be effectively isolated.

10. #10Adeptus Custodes

    Keys: Custodes, auramite, Emperors Guard, guardian Spear, Custodians, Captain General, Adeptus Custodes

    The Adeptus Custodes, sometimes called the ten-thousand, are the personal guard of the emperor of mankind. They are transhuman, and are said to be as far beyond the adeptus astartes as the astartes are beyond regular humans. Unlike the astartes, however, who are both trained and wired for group tactics, every custodian fights as an individual.

    Potential custodes begin the process of physical and mental enhancement shortly after birth. They are equipped with auramite power armor of incredible quality, and use a variety of artisan weapons. The most common weapon associated with the custodes is the guardian spear - a glaive-like power weapon which incorporates a powerful bolt weapon into the haft.

    Almost ageless, many custodes are over a thousand years old. They rarely leave Terra, as their foremost mission is the protection of the emperor, but in recent times, detachments of these legendary warriors can be found supplementing Imperial armies, and even occasionally going to war themselves. Each custodian is a perfect warrior and even individually, can turn the tide of battles.

    Unlike most of humanity, the custodes do not worship the emperor as a god. They know he is a man - the most powerful human ever born, and their creator; a man.

11. #11Adeptus Mechanicus

    Keys: tech-priest, princeps, adeptus mechanicus, skitarii, machine spirit, collegia titanica, tech priest, mechanicus, omnissiah, mars, servitor

    The Adeptus Mechanicus are the guardians of ancient technology and the industrial powerhouse of the Imperium. Based on the Red Planet, Mars, they worship the Emperor as the Omnissiah, or Machine God. To the Tech-Priests, flesh is weak and steel is pure; they replace their limbs and organs with bionics in a quest for enlightenment and efficiency. They treat machines as living entities with 'machine spirits' that must be appeased with rituals, prayer, and sacred unguents.

    The Mechanicus controls the manufacturing of all Imperial weaponry, from the humble lasgun to the mighty starships. Their own armies include the cybernetic Skitarii legions and lobotomized cyborg slaves known as Servitors. They hoard knowledge jealously, searching the galaxy for Standard Template Constructs (STC) from the Dark Age of Technology.

    The Titan Legions are the ultimate weapon of the Mechanicus. These god-machines, towering walkers void-shielded and bristling with city-levelling weaponry, are piloted by a Princeps who links his mind directly to the Titan's aggressive spirit. A single Titan can turn the tide of a planetary war.

12. #12Adeptus Mechanicus (Mars & Forge Worlds)

    Keys: Mechanicus, Techno Arcana, Cult Mechanicus, Fabricator General, Skitarii, Logis, Omnissiah, STC, Machine Cult, Skitarrii, Standard Template Construct, Mars, Forge World, Titan Legion, servitors, Genetor, Magos, Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech Priests

    The Adeptus Mechanicus is the technocratic priesthood of Mars and the forge worlds. It supplies the Imperium with ships, weapons, and technical expertise, treating knowledge as sacred and machines as holy vessels of that knowledge.

    The Cult Mechanicus acknowledges the Emperor as Master of Mankind, but follows its own strictures and rituals. Its hierarchy includes the Fabricator General (a High Lord), Magi of many disciplines, Logis analysts, Genetors (biologis), and vast armies of servitors.

    A defining obsession is the search for Standard Template Construct (STC) knowledge: ancient design systems from the Dark Age of Technology. Even fragments are revered like scripture, hoarded, copied, and fought over.

    The Mechanicus also fields Titan Legions and other war assets, and guards industrial and power infrastructure with jealous intensity.

13. #13Adeptus Ministorum (Ecclesiarchy)

    Keys: apostasy, Reign Of Blood, Ecclesiarchy, Ophelia VII, Imperial Creed, Ecclesiarch, Adeptus Ministorum, Holy Synod, Imperial Cult

    The Adeptus Ministorum, commonly called the Ecclesiarchy, is the Imperium’s state religion and enforcement arm of the Imperial Creed. It teaches worship of the Emperor and hatred of heresy, mutants, and aliens.

    Its ruling body is the Holy Synod of Terra, led by the Ecclesiarch (a High Lord). Preachers, missionaries, and confessors spread the faith across a million worlds, often blending doctrine with local superstition.

    The Ecclesiarchy is politically powerful and historically dangerous: its overreach helped trigger the Age of Apostasy and the Reign of Blood. In the modern Imperium, it remains a central pillar of social control and morale—especially in wartime.

14. #14Administratum

    Keys: tithe, tithes, Administratum, Estate Imperium, Adeptus Administratum

    The Administratum is the Imperium’s vast civil bureaucracy: it assesses tithes, manages records, distributes resources, and attempts to keep over a million worlds in some semblance of order.

    Its personnel range from lowly scribes to senior officials seated among the High Lords. Administratum "temples" and offices exist across the galaxy, often doubling as fortress-like government compounds.

    To ordinary citizens, the Administratum is the face of Imperial power: quotas, rationing, conscription demands, audits, and endless forms. Even when wrong, it is still obeyed—because the Imperium runs on compliance, not convenience.

15. #15Aeldari Biology

    Keys: Metabolism, Eldar Biology, Aeldari Physiology

    To a human observer, an Eldar appears much like a lithe, elongated human, but this similarity is superficial. Their physiology is vastly different, boasting a cardiovascular system that beats nearly twice as fast as a human's, and helical DNA with a crystalline structure. This rapid metabolism grants them superhuman reflexes, agility, and cognitive processing speeds, making human movement appear sluggish and clumsy in comparison.

    However, this biological intensity extends to their neurology. Eldar experience emotions—joy, sorrow, rage, and pleasure—to a degree that would shatter a human mind. This intensity is their greatest strength and their truest curse, necessitating the strict discipline of the 'Path' to prevent their own feelings from consuming them or feeding Slaanesh.

16. #16Aeldari Blade Technology

    Keys: Crystalline weapons, Monomolecular

    Aeldari melee weapons, from the humble combat knife to the Banshee Power Sword, rarely rely on brute weight. They utilize monomolecular edges—blades honed to the width of a single molecule—capable of slicing through ceramite and plasteel with negligible resistance. Many are crafted from psychically resonant crystal rather than metal.

17. #17Aftermath: Tyranid Residual Life

    Keys: capillary towers, capillary, Ripper, Tyranid, swarm

    After Tyranid contact, assume the ecosystem is contaminated. Rippers, spores, and lingering bioforms can persist long after the main swarm withdraws.

    The greatest mistake is to treat victory as safety. Salvage teams disappear. Wounded are eaten. The ground itself becomes hostile.

    If the shadow has passed, the hunger may remain.

18. #18Agri-World

    Keys: Agri World, agriworld, agri-world, farming planet

    Agri-worlds are farming planets entirely dedicated to producing food for less fertile worlds, particularly Hive Worlds. They are sparsely populated, often by indentured workers or servitors.

    The entire surface is often terraformed into a single monoculture crop or livestock pen. The air is thick with fertilizer and pesticides. Life is hard and monotonous, ruled by harvest quotas set by the Administratum. Failure to meet these quotas often results in severe punishment for the planetary governor and starvation for the populace.

19. #19Agri-Worlds

    Keys: Agri-Worlds

    Verdant, pastoral Agri-Worlds stand in stark contrast to the rust-blown hellscapes of the Hive and Forge Worlds they supply. Where those realms exemplify the dark amenities of the Imperium's industrial might, Agri-Worlds represent the fragile, hard-won bounty needed to feed the teeming billions those forges and cities give rise to. As such, they are prized and protected holdings, their environments meticulously maintained and carefully cultivated down to the most minuscule detail. Most Agri-Worlds are covered in vast continental stretches of crops, arboreal orchards, and hydroponics facilities that marry cutting-edge agrarian science with brutal pragmatism and manpower. Those plants hazardous to human life are cultivated in isolation zones by reenacted prison labor or techno-serf enclaves employing recycled air-recyclers and protective envirosuits. Even the indigenous macrofauna is drafted into service for agricultural purposes - gigantic slab-herds and protein-beasts are pastured in fenced prairies to be harvested for nutritive biomass at industrial slaughtering renderers. Other Agri-Worlds take far more esoteric and specialized roles. Some produce potable water supplies on a pandemic scale through chemical purification and reclamation measures. Others focus on growing yeasts, nutrients, and other food-adjacent cultivars in subterranean fungal 'grottoes' to be harvested for processing into nutritive supplements and rations. More exotic still are the rare celestial Agri-Worlds given over entirely to cultivating floating rafts of planktonic life-forms and oxygen-generating phytoplankton in their atmospheric skies. In all cases, the primary export of these worlds is raw plant, animal, and synthetic foodstocks, rigorously inspected and passing strict purity guidelines set by the Administratum before being approved for shipment to the hungering masses of the Imperium. For an Agri-World's planetary governors and tithers, any environmental mismanagement or loss of arable lands and hydroponic facilities is an unforgivable tragedy, for it risks unknowable millions being consigned to famine in the cycle of resupplies.

20. #20Ahriman

    Keys: Arch-Sorcerer, Ahriman, Ahzek Ahriman

    Ahriman is the greatest sorcerer of the Thousand Sons and arguably the most powerful mortal psyker in existence. He cast the Rubric that dusted his legion, for which Magnus exiled him. He now roams the galaxy seeking the Black Library of the Aeldari, hoping to find a way to become a god or reverse the Rubric.

    He is a master of manipulation and fate, often helping Tzeentch's plans inadvertently while believing he acts of his own free will. He wears the horned helmet and wields the Black Staff of Ahriman.

21. #21Air Caste Aircraft

    Keys: Razor Shark Strike Fighter, Razor Shark, Sun Shark Bomber, Sun Shark

    The Sun Shark Bomber and Razor Shark Strike Fighter are the primary atmospheric aircraft of the Fire Caste support wings (piloted by Air Caste). The Sun Shark is a dedicated bomber capable of deploying pulse bombs and drones, while the Razor Shark is an air-superiority fighter armed with Quad Ion Turrets.

    They are sleek, fast, and rely on electronic countermeasures rather than heavy armor to survive dogfights.

22. #22Alaitoc Craftworld

    Keys: Alaitoc, Rangers, Pathfinder

    Alaitoc imposes the strictest lifestyle upon its citizens to protect them from Slaanesh. Many of its youth chafe under this rigidity and leave to walk the Path of the Outcast, becoming Rangers. As a result, Alaitoc fields vast numbers of these stealthy snipers and scouts in its armies, ambushing enemies long before the main lines clash.

23. #23Alizebeth Bequin

    Keys: Alizebeth Bequin, Distaff, Bequin

    Alizebeth Bequin was a 'Blank'—an untoucable with no soul-presence in the warp—found by Inquisitor Eisenhorn on Hubris. Originally a lady of pleasure, she was recruited into the Inquisition for her ability to block psychic powers and repel daemons. She founded the Distaff, an organization dedicated to finding and training other Blanks for the Inquisition. She had a complex, unrequited romantic tension with Gregor Eisenhorn.

24. #24Alpha Legion (Legion XX, Traitor)

    Keys: Alpharius, Omegon, Legion XX, Hydra Dominatus, Alpha Legion, hydra, XX

    The Alpha Legion, led by Alpharius (and often associated with the twin identity Alpharius/Omegon), wages war through secrecy: infiltration, sabotage, misinformation, and proxy forces. They are infamous for cells within cells, false flags, and plans that unfold over decades.

    They are strongly linked to cult manipulation: directing rebellions, undermining supply chains, and turning Imperial systems against themselves. When they fight openly, it is often as the final step of a long, hidden campaign.

    As with other traitor Legions, they don’t “found” loyal successors in the Imperial sense; instead they splinter into hydra-headed networks and warbands whose true allegiance can be maddeningly difficult to prove.

25. #25Amasec

    Keys: rotgut, alcohol, Amasec

    A popular distilled liquor in the Imperium. High-quality Amasec is a fine brandy enjoyed by officers and nobles.

    For the lower classes, 'Rotgut' or 'Second-best' is common—harsh, chemically distilled alcohol often made from fermented engine coolant or fungus. It serves to numb the misery of daily existence.

26. #26Ambull

    Keys: xenobeast, Ambulls, Ambull, burrower, tunneler, ambull

    Ambulls are thickly armoured burrowing predators, infamous for erupting from rockcrete, ash, or soil with little warning. Their forelimbs are powerful digging claws; their bodies are built like living drills, shrugging off small-arms fire that would drop most fauna.

    They are drawn to vibration, mining activity, and underground industry. Frontier settlements learn to fear the sudden silence of a tunnel—often the moment before the walls break.

    Ambulls are prized by some slavers and beast-handlers, for a restrained ambull can be used as a living breaching tool. Few handlers live long enough to grow old.

27. #27Ambull Broods & Borewyrms

    Keys: ambull larva, Ambull, Borewyrm, borewyrm, ambull

    Ambulls rarely range alone for long. In deep tunnel systems they establish broods: a dominant adult, smaller juveniles, and the writhing borewyrms that infest the surrounding strata.

    Borewyrms are not merely scavengers; they strip a victim’s flesh with grinding mouthparts and can follow a blood trail through soil like a hunting dog follows scent. In confined tunnels, a borewyrm swarm can turn a casualty into bone in minutes.

    If ambulls are present, treat every collapse as suspicious and every vibration as a warning.

28. #28Ambull Warning Signs

    Keys: Ambull

    Ambulls are attracted to vibration. The loudest things in the underworld—drills, generators, ore crushers—are also the best bait.

    Warning signs include tremors that do not match machinery cycles, sudden temperature changes in tunnels, and fine dust "breathing" from hairline cracks.

    If the floor begins to bulge upward like a rising blister, you have seconds. Do not aim down—move away.

29. #29Ammo Runts

    Keys: Ammo Runts

    Gretchin trained to carry spare shells and rockets for Flash Gitz or Nobz. Their presence allows the Ork to fire continuously without pausing to reload.

30. #30Angels of Absolution (Dark Angels successor)

    Keys: Angels Of Absolution, Unforgiven, Inner Circle, Caliban, Deathwing, Ravenwing, Absolution, Dark Angels, Fallen

    The Angels of Absolution are a Dark Angels successor Chapter, often counted among the Unforgiven. They are known for a strict, penitential interpretation of duty and for pursuing the enemies of the Imperium with relentless certainty.

    Like many Dark Angels successors, they may be drawn into the secret war against the Fallen, even if their ordinary battle-brothers do not understand why some missions abruptly override all other priorities.

31. #31Angels of Redemption (Dark Angels successor)

    Keys: Unforgiven, Caliban, Angels Of Redemption, penance, Redemption, Dark Angels, Fallen

    The Angels of Redemption are a Dark Angels successor Chapter with a strong penitential theme. Like other Unforgiven Chapters, they often carry Dark Angels traditions while appearing outwardly like a conventional Codex Chapter.

    If present in a story, they may pursue secret objectives linked to Caliban’s betrayal, even at personal and strategic cost.

32. #32Angels of Retribution (Dark Angels successor)

    Keys: Emperors Fist, Anduin, Ulthran, Eldrad, Angels Of Retribution, Ravenwing, Dark Angels, Retribution

    The Angels of Retribution are a Dark Angels successor Chapter founded later than the core Unforgiven Chapters. Their masters decided it was improper to share the deepest Fallen secret with them; however, they were entrusted with Ravenwing-style doctrines and call their mobile arm “the Emperor’s Fist.”

    They are unusually chaplain-heavy (multiple chaplains per company) to reinforce loyalty and purity. Their internal structure emphasizes mixed, self-sufficient companies rather than isolating veterans into a separate 1st Company.

    In late M41 they were tasked with protecting the world of Anduin against persistent Eldar incursions, facing forces associated with Eldrad Ulthran’s warhost. The Chapter’s “standard of Retribution” is awarded to the company most distinguished over a fifty-year period.

33. #33Angels of Vengeance (Dark Angels successor)

    Keys: Unforgiven, Angels Of Vengeance, Caliban, Vengeance, Deathwing, Ravenwing, Dark Angels, Fallen

    The Angels of Vengeance are a successor Chapter of the Dark Angels. They carry much of the grim resolve and secrecy of their parent Legion and are frequently associated with the Unforgiven.

    In campaigns, they often present as stern, uncompromising Astartes—prone to sudden, urgent redeployments when rumors of the Fallen surface.

34. #34Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl

    Keys: Zar-Quaesitor, Belisarius Cawl, Archmagos Cawl, Cawl

    Belisarius Cawl is an ancient Archmagos Dominus of the Adeptus Mechanicus who has been active since the Horus Heresy (having survived by repeated memory wipes and bionic transference). A borderline heretek in the eyes of his peers, Cawl is responsible for the creation of the Primaris Space Marines, a project commissioned by Roboute Guilliman ten millennia ago.

    He is a master of genetics and ancient technology, commanding the massive Ark Mechanicus vessel 'Zar-Quaesitor'. He operates with a degree of autonomy that frustrates the Fabricator General of Mars.

35. #35Arco-flagellants

    Keys: Arco-flagellant, Arco-flagellants

    Arco-flagellants are heretics who have been lobotomized and cybernetically enhanced to serve as mindless killing machines. Their arms are replaced with cyber-flails or whips.

    Normally dormant, they are activated by a trigger word, upon which their systems flood with adrenaline and combat stims. They lash out indiscriminately until the enemy is dead or their own bodies fail.

36. #36Armageddon

    Keys: War for Armageddon, Armageddon, Hades Hive

    An industrial Hive World of the Imperium and the site of immense conflict. It has suffered two major Ork invasions (the Second and Third Wars for Armageddon) led by Ghazghkull Thraka. To the Orks, Armageddon is a holy site of eternal war, a perfect testing ground where the fighting never ends.

37. #37Astartes Assault Squad

    Keys: Assault Marines, Jump Pack, Assault Squad, Assault Marine

    Assault Squads are Space Marine specialists in close-quarters combat. Equipped with jump packs, they can soar across the battlefield, bypassing cover to crash directly into enemy lines.

    Armed with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords, they rely on the shock of impact and the brutal efficiency of their melee weapons to route the foe. They are the tip of the Astartes spear.

38. #38Astartes Devastator Squad

    Keys: Hellblaster, Devastator Squad, Devastator, Devastators

    Devastator Squads are the heavy fire support elements of a Chapter. Positioned in cover with optimal firing lines, they carry the squad's heaviest portable weaponry: Lascannons, Missile Launchers, Plasma Cannons, and Heavy Bolters.

    Their role is to destroy enemy tanks and fortifications, allowing their Tactical and Assault brethren to advance unhindered. Their Primaris equivalents, the Hellblasters, focus exclusively on destructive plasma weaponry.

39. #39Astartes Scout Squad

    Keys: Scouts, Space Marine Scout, Scout Squad

    Scouts are Space Marine neophytes who have not yet completed their transformation into full Astartes. They wear lighter carapace armor and focus on infiltration, reconnaissance, and sabotage.

    Armed with sniper rifles, shotguns, or bolters, they operate behind enemy lines to disrupt supply chains and mark targets for artillery. It is the final crucible a recruit must pass before becoming a Battle Brother.

40. #40Astartes Tactical Squad

    Keys: Tactical Marine, Tactical Squad, Tactical Marines

    Tactical Squads are the strategic backbone of a Space Marine Chapter. Flexible and disciplined, these warriors are equipped with Bolters and supported by specialist brothers wielding heavy or special weapons.

    They are capable of fulfilling any battlefield role, from holding ground to offensive storming operations. A Tactical Marine is the standard by which all other warriors in the galaxy are measured.

41. #41Astropath

    Keys: Soul-Binding, Astropath, telepathy, Adeptus Astra Telepathica

    Astropaths are sanctioned psyker-telepaths. They are the only means of interstellar communication. They send messages through the Warp as dreams or cryptic visions to other Astropaths light-years away.

    They are usually blind (a side effect of the 'Soul-Binding' ritual with the Emperor that protects them from Daemons). They are vital to commerce and government. Civilians regard them with fear and awe, often making the sign of the Aquila when one passes.

42. #42Asurmen

    Keys: Hand of Asuryan, Asurmen

    The first of the Phoenix Lords, founder of the Dire Avengers. He led the flight from the Fall and established the Path of the Warrior. He is the most noble of the Lords, wielding the Sword of Asur. His current whereabouts are unknown, wandering the webway.

43. #43Attack Craft (Ordnance)

    Keys: fighta-bomma, Dreadclaw, shark assault boat, starhawk, doomfire, fury interceptor, nightwing, phoenix bomber

    Most capital ships carry hangars for small craft. These are vital for fleet defense and anti-ship strikes.

    Imperial: The Fury Interceptor (dogfighter), Starhawk Bomber (anti-ship), and Shark Assault Boat (boarding). Chaos: Doomfire bombers and Dreadclaw assault pods. Eldar: Nightwing interceptors and Phoenix bombers, remarkably agile. Ork: Fighta-Bommas, ramshackle craft that overwhelm with noise and bullets. Attack craft wars are desperate dogfights fought in the vacuum between the great capital ships.

44. #44Aun'Shi (Ethereal Hero)

    Keys: Aun'Shi, Hero of Fio'vash, Blade Master

    Aun'Shi is an anomaly among the Ethereal Caste. While most Ethereals are leaders and philosophers, Aun'Shi is a martial artist. He wields a honor blade with incredible skill, famously holding back an Ork horde almost single-handedly at Fio'vash.

    He is old but spry, often fighting on the front lines to inspire the Fire Caste directly. He represents the physical discipline aspect of the Tau'va.

45. #45Aun'Va (Supreme Ethereal)

    Keys: Aun'Va, Master of the Undying Spirit, Supreme Ethereal, Mu'gulath Bay

    Aun'Va was the supreme spiritual leader of the T'au Empire, the Ethereal Supreme. He was an ancient and influential figure who guided the Empire through the Third Sphere Expansion. His rhetoric inspired billions to die for the Greater Good.

    In truth, Aun'Va was assassinated by an Imperial Assassin during the war for the Mu'gulath Bay. To prevent mass panic and the collapse of the Empire, the Ethereal Council used hard-light hologram technology and AI to recreate him. The T'au populace believes he is still alive, ruling from T'au, while he is actually a programmed spectre controlled by the high council.

46. #46Auspex & Augurs (Sensors)

    Keys: Auspex, auspex-blind, Augur, machine-senses

    'Auspex' is the common Imperial term for a handheld sensor device (similar to a scanner or tricorder). They are bulky, blocky devices with glowing green screens that display life-signs, energy emissions, or motion.

    'Augur' usually refers to larger, ship-based or static sensor arrays. Characters 'consult the augurs' or 'sweep with an auspex'. They identify targets as 'contacts', 'runes', or 'blips' on the display.

    Slang: 'The spirits are restless' (many contacts), 'Auspex-blind' (jammed sensors).

47. #47Bad Doks

    Keys: Bad Doks

    Painboyz who have been exiled from their tribe for botched surgeries (usually resulting in the patient exploding or turning inside out). They often join Freebooter crews.

48. #48Badab War (Chapter civil war)

    Keys: Novamarines, Executioners, Huron, Lamenters, HowlingGriffons, MantisWarriors, Minotaurs, TigerClaws, Badab, StarPhantoms, SpaceSharks, BadabWar, RedScorpions, FireHawks, LufgtHuron

    The Badab War (901–912.M41) was a major Space Marine conflict triggered when Lufgt Huron of the Tiger Claws (Tyrant of Badab) attacked an Imperial investigation fleet amid tithe and gene-seed disputes.

    Several Chapters joined the rebellion (notably the Mantis Warriors, Executioners, and Lamenters). Loyalist forces including the Minotaurs, Red Scorpions, Star Phantoms, and others were drawn in. The war ended with Badab’s fall and the near-destruction of the Tiger Claws; Huron’s ultimate fate became uncertain.

    In RPG use, Badab is a compact “Space Marines vs Space Marines” historical reference that explains grudges, penitent crusades, forfeited homeworlds, and why some Chapters distrust each other.

49. #49Baharroth

    Keys: Cry of the Wind, Baharroth

    Phoenix Lord of the Swooping Hawks. Known as the 'Cry of the Wind', he is the vibrant and youthful hope of the Phoenix Lords. He represents the elegance of war in the sky and has died and been reborn many times.

50. #50Bait & Lures (Common Predator Trick)

    Keys: deathworld, lure, Predator, bait, trap, ambush

    Many non-sentient predators use bait, whether intentionally or by instinct. Some drag corpses into open areas to attract scavengers; some leave injured prey alive to draw rescuers.

    Certain plants mimic the scent of blood or ripe fruit. Certain parasites induce their hosts to move toward water or shade where the next stage of the life cycle waits.

    If something looks like it is trying to be found, it probably is—and it probably wants you close.

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Extensions: world_info_budget, world_info_case_sensitive, world_info_depth, world_info_match_whole_words, world_info_max_activations, world_info_min_activations, world_info_overflow_alert, world_info_recursive_scanning (their contents are in the Raw tab)

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