Duran Heika

Duran Heika is an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos. He has no claims of being a saint but he does his utmost to deliver a fair judgement, even though he knows there can be no such thing in this unfair Galaxy. He operates almost completely in the Ghoul Stars and regions around and often works alongside the fearless Mordekaisers and the mysterious Jackal Claws. He is also known for a deep hatred of the Aeldari.

Early Life
Duran Heika was born in the dark halls of an Imperial Navy cruiser in 900.M41. The cruiser's fleet was often fighting in warzones and thus losses were a common thing, which is why Heika had the misfortune of losing his entire family to an Aeldari torpedo. Alone and unwanted, he spent most of his life as a child scrounging for scraps in the tunnels of the ship, he learned how to defend himself with a crudely made shiv. Alongside survival, his thoughts were dominated by the fact that xenos had claimed his family and thus a burning hatred for anything inhuman was formed. This hatred would finally be unleashed when the cruiser was attacked and boarded by T'au forces. When he saw a fire warrior advancing down the tunnel, the 14 year old Heika knew it was a xeno and, without thinking, lunged out and attacked the T'au. This small, starving, child took the well trained fire warrior by surprise and stabbed his shiv into the xenos' neck over and over until its' blood ran in puddles. It was at the moment he withdrew his shiv did a team of fire warriors turn into the hall and saw him standing over their brutally slain comrade. They instantly raised their rifles and Heika stood tall with his shiv lifted, he was prepared to meet his fate staring at the xenos with hated. But then a volley of lasfire and plasma flew over his head and wiped out the fire team. Turning around Heika came face to face with his saviors. They were a strange group of individuals Heika had not seen before whose leader was a tall man in a suit of ornate armour with a fine cloak. His name was Inquisitor Curtias who had been travelling on the cruiser for a few months. Curtias looked at the boy before him and then to the slaughtered fire warrior and gave a nod of approval alongside a grin. The inquisitor held out his hand and, after a moment, Heika took it.

Heika was taken from the cruiser, his home for 14 years, and inducted into Curtias' retinue and directly under the Inquisitor's tutelage. Why the Inquisitor had taken such an interest in him he could not understand. According to those in his retinue, it was possible that Curtias saw something of himself within Heika or perhaps was simply impressed by a 14 year old orphan slaughtering a xenos. Heika had little time to ponder this question further as he was immediately thrown into his "education". First Curtias ensured he had gotten used to living on a planet before teaching him fitness, mathematics, Low and High Gothic and other expected mannerisms and protocols. Curtias also had one his retainers, a veteran stormtrooper named Jok, teach Heika how to use a pistol and a sword. Jok was not a forgiving tutor but Heika learned well. As a boy who had lived much of his life alone and scraping to survive, Heika had much to learn. It was fortunate that he was quick learner for Curtias was a firm teacher who would punish as much as he would praise. Being an Inquisitor, Curtias was often called away by his duties. He would leave Heika alone on his ship with a topic to study or a series of problems to solve. If he had not learned the topic or completed the problems then he would be punished. Even so, usually in the middle of his studies or the problems, Heika would explore the ship and quiz crewmen or read the archives to learn more about the wider Galaxy. Knowing what would happen if he was found leaving his studies Heika used his innate knowledge as a Voidborn to sneak around undetected and bribed crewmen in exchange for their silence. Doing this, he learned much about the Imperium and subjects Curtias had yet to show. Still there were some files he couldn't get into and topics no amount of thrones would buy and so he was forced to make do. It mattered little ultimately for, on the eve of his 18th birthday, Curtias told Heika that he was well aware of his outings to the archives. Heika shut his eyes for the inevitable stinging slap across the face only to feel a hand on his shoulders, opening his eyes he was surprised to see a reassuring grin on Curtias' face. The Inquisitor proclaimed that he was ready for the next part of his teachings.

Acolyte
Heika joined Curtias' retinue as a full Acolyte. Given a las pistol and a simple sword, he began to accompany Curtias on missions where he would observe the Inquisitor or be given simple tasks. He found himself most useful in a ship or a Hive City where he could hide in the cramped tunnels and follow targets without them knowing he was even there. When fighting inevitably broke out Heika fought with alongside the Inquisitor, having been exposed to death and fighting from a young age Heika was already prepared and put his teachings from Jok to good use. In one investigation where they purged a Genestealer cult it was a shot from his las pistol that saved Curtias from a leaping cultist, an act that earned him praise from the retinue and Curtias' appreciation. As he progressed Heika learned new things, such as a taste for the shotgun, and became quite useful in the retinue. However, Heika also saw many aspects of Imperial life as they traveled from world to world, he saw worlds where the masses were quashed by the elite few, worlds where worship was the most important part of life and worlds where life was full of hardship. Heika also saw many judgements meted out by Curtias as harsh and excessive. He spoke to Curtias about this, wandering if there could be any pity, and was immediately met with a stinging slap. The Inquisitor reprimanded Heika sternly, telling him that there could be no pity. The xenos and those heretics under them had no such thing and thus they could be shown none, no matter the circumstances. He made Heika write down the mantra of the Ordo Xenos 1,000 times to drive the point, but still Heika made a vow that if he couldn't be merciful then he would at least be as fair as he could be.

As the years went on Heika learned more and more from Curtias and his experiences until, eventually, he was made an Interrogator. From Jok he learned more martial skills while the Tech Priest Krel-91 taught him communion with the Machine Spirit and the Primaris Psyker Astri taught him how to resist psychic assaults. But it was from Curtias where he learned the most important skills; the art of interrogation and how to be an Inquisitor. Curtias taught Heika the 9 Actions of Interrogation, usually by demonstrating them on a captured heretic, and began to have him act on his own without his guidance when sent to investigate something deemed important. Heika would put his interrogation tuition to good use at Curtias' behest and, when alone, performed to expectations. But, of course, few are perfect and Heika made mistakes in his first few interrogations and investigations until he was finally able to master the craft. He knew that he had to be as best as possible, for Curtias' eyes were upon him with even greater scrutiny. In time he became Curtias' best interrogator and even surpassed Jok in martial skill who, now at an old age, retired and went on to live a peaceful life on a pleasure world until his death. Though Heika carried out his duties admirably, Curtias noticed that he would relish torturing or fighting Aeldari, those of the Craftworlds or from Commorragh alike.

It was against the Drukhari where Curtias would meet his end. In the asteroid mines of the Esteluin System, Curtias, his retinue, and a force of Deathwatch Kill-Teams engaged Drukhari raiders. In the battle Curtias was struck by a splinter fire and felled. Upon seeing this, Heika's mind went back to the memory of seeing his loved ones sucked out into the void by an Aeldari torpedo and now with the sight of seeing the closest thing he had to father lying bleeding on the floor made Heika fly into a deep rage. For all the Drukharis' alien strength and speed they could do little against the enraged Heika who slew all before him with his shotgun and power sword. When the Drukhari were driven away Heika was left standing in xeno blood. The Drukhari had taken a toll, several Astartes had fallen and most of Curtias' retinue had been slain, but worst of all was the slowly dying Curtias. Clutching his hands in his last moments, Curtias gave a few more words of praise to Heika before conferring the title of Inquisitor. In his last breath Curtias said his teaching had ended before finally passing away. Heika could not help but grieve for the loss of his adoptive father though he quickly recovered and accepted his title.

Inquisitor
As soon as he became Inquisitor, Heika began to focus much of his efforts to rooting out Eldar corruption and taint from the Imperium. Most of his time was spent in the Ghoul Stars and its surrounding regions where the untamed region was full of xenos and heresy. Though he preferred Eldar targets, he would take the fight to whatever xenos reared it's head. Often he would call on the services of the Mordekaisers Chapter, whose mastery of void warfare were legend, to aid him in his purges. Less often would Heika work alongside the Jackal Claws, a Chapter that few would call honourable or friend, for more subtle operations.

The Wolves' Treachery
Heika was sent to investigate the Wolves' of Retributions after claims of them destroying Imperial worlds for what they claimed to be heresy. What he found was disturbing to say the least.

The worlds were no bastions of corruption, they were shrine worlds or homes to loyal regiments! The Wolves had burned these worlds not for the crimes of heresy but for the crime of following a false belief! It seemed that the Wolves had fallen under the belief that their interpretation of the Lectitio Divinitatus was the only true belief. At the same time, Kaiser Markus Stahlhelm, Kaiser of the Mordekaisers, received a message from Raedwald Harus, Chapter Master of the Wolves of Retribution. The message consisted of insane ranting and murmured prayer that ended, to the Kaiser's horror, with a declaration that the Imperium was rife with heresy and must be purged. Already aware of the investigation into the Wolves, who were close friends with the Mordekaisers, Markus contacted Inquisitor Heika with this new development and immediately set off for the Wolves' of Retribution homeworld of Cythron in order to confront them.

But it was too late. Far too late.

When Heika and the Mordekaisers reached Cythron they found only a burnt wasteland with all life destroyed. The Fortress Monastery, Elboros, was abandoned and filled with scenes of the Wolves' rampage. Chapter serfs had been placed in piles and used as makeshift fuel for fire pits to burn "heretics" alive, Astartes were placed in cages and similarly set alight and holy books and iconography were burned and defiled and replaced by crude icons that could only be marks of Chaos that yet praised the Emperor's name. The only living being they found was the burned form of Captain Valden, of the Wolves' 2nd Company, tied to a stake in the center of what was once the Chapter's reclusium. In his final moments, Valden told them that he had been sacrificed to the Emperor to light the way to their new fortress from where the Wolves of Retribution will mount their noble crusade to save the God-Emperor from the Imperium's heresy. He died before he would reveal their destination, his final words being a declaration of the Wolves' of Retribution loyalty to the God-Emperor of Mankind, ignorant of chaos markings carved into his charred flesh.

Inquisitor Heika declared the Wolves of Retribution to be Excommunicate Traitoris. Since then, there have been sightings of Heretic Astartes bearing the colours of the once loyal chapter rampaging through worlds controlled by Imperial, xenos and Chaos alike in their burning rages.

Guile of the Warp
"What in the Throne happened?!"

- Heika upon emerging from the warp after 1,000 years.

Through some trickery of the warp, Heika's ship went into warp travel and didn't emerge for over 1,000 years when it was the 42nd Milennium. When he came back he found the Imperium split in two by a great warp rift and a Primarch, Roboute Guilliman of the Ultramarines, had returned to lead it. Heika was enraged to discover the Imperium had entered some sort of a ceasefire with the Ynnari, but grudgingly accepted it as there were still the Drukhari and other Aeldari who were hostile to the Imperium. Heika continues his vigil over the Ghoul Stars to this day, slowly coming to terms with missing an entire millennia.

Retinue
Though Heika is often independent, he has a retinue to frequently call upon.
 * Callun Nikoni Penal Legionnaire - Sentenced to the Penal Legion for killing his wife's lover (and supposedly failing to return a library book), Callun Nikoni was a tough grunt who went into battle with gusto. It was in the Battle of Edukos where Heika witnessed the Penal Legionnaire take on an Ork and beat it to death with the butt of his lasgun. Impressed, Heika ordered his release and brought him into his retinue. Since then the grateful Nikoni has been a loyal bodyguard and muscle to the Inquisitor who stayed his death sentence.
 * Muggy Sharp Shooter - Despite a harsh lesson from Curtias, Heika had vowed to be fair. An example of this is the mutant called Muggy, whose mutations were a stunted growth and a sealed eye that was closed over by flesh. Because of how minor the mutations were, Heika saved Muggy from a mob of redemptionists and added him to his retinue as a sniper. Muggy's skills as a sniper has served Heika well, though he tends to be kept out of view from purists.
 * Zer-Alpha-00 Tech Priest - Zer serves as Heika's expert on machinery. A Tech Priest from the Forge World of Stygies, it joined Heika's retinue to spread the Omnissiah's wrath to the Xenos and their heretical machines.
 * 3231-Omega Combat Servitor - Once an Ogryn, this combat servitor's arms have been replaced by a lifter claw and heavy flamer respectively. It has been wired to serve Zer-Alpha and Heika by extension.
 * Rin Coffe Desperado - An out of work gunslinger on a peaceful frontier world, Rin jumped on the chance to join Heika's retinue and have her skills with her two laspistols put to good use. While she doesn't share her master's zeal for hating xenos, she holds no qualms about putting two lasbeams into a xenos' skull.
 * Meinus Primaris Psyker - Meinus was part of Curtias' retinue before joining with Heika after his former master's death in the asteroid mines. As well as being a powerful psychic asset against xenos, Meinus also serves as an adviser to Heika.

Personality
Duran Heika would never describe himself as a saint but he tries to make his judgements as fair as possible even though such a thing could not exist in this Galaxy. Though he is not above torture, his verdict will often come in the form of a quick death at best. He is known for only ordering two Exterminatuses, one to a world long lost to a Genestealer cult and the other ruined beyond salvation by Orks. He also does his utmost to ensure every pure human is saved before a purge is enacted, regretting it deeply if he cannot. As he was taught by Curtias, Heika rejects any radical philosophy and will never use xenos weaponry or technology nor will he work with a xeno. He is also known for his extreme hatred for Aeldari, the killers of his family, and will not hesitate to kill any in his path. While Heika doesn't want to be seen as cruel he knows full well what he must do in order to protect the Imperium and, while he doesn't admit it, it keeps him up at night knowing what he has done.

As a voidborn, Heika has always felt more comfortable being on a ship or a claustrophobic place than a planet. This is why he prefers to live on the Star Port Morgen Schwach.

Equipment and Abilities

 * Reflector Shield
 * Artificer Carapace Armour
 * Masterwork Shotgun
 * Masterwork Power Sword
 * Inquisitorial Rosette

Heika is a well trained swordsman and considerably skilled shotgun wielder. He is a quick learner and capable of adapting to new situations as they unfold. He knows his retinue's strengths and weaknesses and plans accordingly around them. His retinue have attained a synergy with each other that allows them to predict each other's actions. Heika knows High Gothic, Low Gothic and Germanik, the Mordekaisers' native language, thus has no problem speaking to anyone and is quite convincing with his words too.

Mordekaisers
The Mordekaisers are a Chapter founded as part of the 24th Founding and are known for their mastery of void warfare. Due to their watch over the Ghoul Stars from the Star Port Morgen Schwach, they have frequently been called upon by Inquisitor Heika for their skills in boarding a ship or space station and tearing it apart. Furthermore, their battle damage and scarred power armour makes them more intimidating than the fact that they are giant superhuman warriors. Due to being voidborn, Heika can understand the Mordekaisers' discomfort from being on a planet and even prefers to live on Morgen Schwach when not undertaking an investigation.

Jackal Claws
The Jackal Claws are a mysterious Chapter of an unknown Founding descended from the Raven Guard. They are infamous for having no code of honour and allow those they fight alongside to take the brunt of losses before they swoop in and finish the weaken enemy. They are also disliked for supposedly scavenging battlefields for equipment and vehicles. Even so, Heika will enlist their services for their superb marksmen skills and subtle methods. However the individualistic minded Jackal Claws often require convincing and thus Heika looks the other way should a Jackal Claw and a long lost relic of another Chapter be in the same location.

By Duran Heika
"I had a family to feed once before they were taken from me. I can understand your need but that doesn't excuse smuggling xenos good, merchant. Be fortunate I am merciful and I'm only sentencing you to life on a penal world. As for your family? They'll join you."

- Heika sentencing a xeno smuggler.

"If there is one thing I hope for concerning the Wolves of Retribution. It is that I hope, when they are in their dying moments, they do not realize what they have become. It is better to die in ignorance than suffer with knowledge, and I fear the Wolves will suffer greatly if the veil is ever lifted from their eyes."

- Heika on the Wolves of Retribution.

"I don't care. Not shooting a xeno on sight is bad enough but to give aid to one is spitting in the face of The God Emperor"

- Heika's reason for hating those who help Xenos.

About Duran Heika
"I've never met a man more obsessed with killing Aeldari or any Xenos. Obsessed but not enough to be called insane, he's perfectly sane, which makes him more terrifying."

- Unknown.