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This article, Ninefold Acolytes, was written by Wolfman912. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Ninefold Acolytes, is currently under active construction. The author, Wolfman912, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
The Ninefold Acolytes are a notorious Chaos Warband comprised of the remnants of the formerly Loyalist Grey Gorgons, a Successor Chapter of the stoic and unforgiving Iron Hands, created during the 25th Founding. They are currently led by the former Librarian and now Sorcerer Lord Thanatos. They worship the Changer of Ways, Tzeentch and have recently secured a pact with the Daemon Prince Ska'nnath. Although the core group of members of this warband were all originally Traitor Grey Gorgons, casualties have reduced their number, and it is not known if any still live. Some of the Chapter may have remained loyal and may have even fought during the Cerberus Crusade against their former brothers.
History[]
Pict-file of a Grey Gorgons Battle-Brother (Pre-Heresy).
The Ninefold Acolytes were once Loyal Space Marines known as the Grey Gorgons who fell to Chaos in the late 41st Millenium. The reasons for their fall is well known to the Imperium as it happened during a major campaign to reclaim the Cerberus Expanse from secessionist forces. The Cerberus Crusade was a massive campaign fought in 821-844.M41, between the Imperium and the secessionist Adeptus Mechanicus Fabricator-General Ovid Terrozant, the master of a massive Forge World designated Iterium VI. In his goal of creating his own empire he persuaded the Fabricator-Generals of six other Forge Worlds to unite under his command and cede from the Imperium.
Knowing he would not be allowed to go peacefully he set about creating an army to do his bidding, using the power of seven Forge Worlds he set about creating an army that he believed would be enough to break away, to this end he also used the long standing ties of his world to the vaunted Knights of Guilliman Astartes Chapter and to the Grey Gorgons to convince them that his goals were honest and during the coming war these two Chapters would commit themselves fully to Terrozant and his plan much to the ruin of them both.
Allied to these formidable forces was the Terrozantian Traitor Militia, an army 100 million-strong, created from the PDF and Imperial Guard regiments in the Sector along with tens of millions of poorly trained but very well-equipped Imperial militia units from the worlds of the Sector. The Elite Terrozantian Traitor Militia units that were encountered in the final two years were equipped with a lighter type of Power Armour similar to that worn by some Inquisitors as well as with Boltguns. Further strength was added from the massed Skitarii Regiments of the Forge Worlds along with Titans and Knights based there. Against virtually any foe this Army would sweep all before them but Terrozant knew that the Imperium would commit vast forces to retake these important worlds but he was set on his path and plunged his worlds into war. The Imperium did as expected and in 931.M41, an Imperial Retribution force arrived to begin the War that was to last 23 years and claim more than a billion lives.
The Grey Gorgons and Knights of Guilliman were always at the forefront of the fighting but by 830.M41 the Knights had tired of the constant war and retired to their homeworld, only to be nearly destroyed by the Flesh Rippers. The Grey Gorgons for their part had no such qualms, as many were already disenchanted by the Imperium and revelled in their newfound freedom. They committed scores of atrocities as they slowly but surely fell to Chaos. With each passing week the pull of Chaos became greater and greater and by 825.M41, the Gorgons had fallen completely and allied themselves to Tzeentch and to the Daemon Prince Ska'nnath, but they kept their new allegiance a secret, particularly from the Knights of Guilliman who they knew would never follow them after turning to Chaos. Having fallen, the newly renamed Ninefold Acolytes were in time able to fully corrupt Attila and his subordinates by 830.M41. The war which started as rebellion became a full-fledged Chaos incursion as Traitors from all over the Galaxy flocked to this new conflict, including followers of all four of the Chaos Gods. With the support of the Chaos Gods, various Daemons and cults became a major part of the Terrozantian Traitor Militia along with Chaos Marines from several warbands. Ska'nnath himself was able to manifest during the final battle on Iterium VI where he created havoc before being banished by the Grey Knights.
The armies of Ovid Terrozant were eventually pushed back to the Forge World Iterium VI and defeated but the cost was high and Ovid Terrozant and the other forces, including the remnants of the Ninefold Acolytes, were able to escape into the Eye of Terror, where they continue to raid the Imperium to this day, who had paid a heavy price for victory.
Notable Campaigns[]
Cerberus Crusade (821-844.M41) - The Ninefold Acolytes fought during the war and were corrupted by Chaos during the fighting.
Corvedai Massacre (979.M41) The Ninefold Acolytes attack the Corvedai System with their casualties from the Telios Attack replaced with Renegades from other Chapters and manage to corner and kill 38 White Scars, the Gene-Seed is believed to have been used in the creation of new Chaos Marines and the equipment captured has since been put to good use.
13th Black Crusade (999.M41) Thanatos and his followers fight during Abaddon's attack on Cadia.
Invasion of Trax (100.M42) Thanatos leads his followers and other allied forces in a massive invasion of the sentinal world of Trax. Victory is achieved and the world is turned into a Deamon World
Battle of Hades Prime (110.M42) Demi-Warlord Roghax leads a portion of the Ninefold Acolytes and other Chaos forces to Hades Prime in order to summon Ska'nnath, the foul Deamon Prince is able to manifest but is destoyed by High Inquisitor Deimos and most of the Chaos forces present were destroyed, only Roghax and some of his followers were able to escape.
Warband Organisation[]
The Ninefold Acolytes are organised as is typical of most Chaos Warbands and have no set Companies rather they operate as a single whole. They incorporate a vast number of cultists and mutants and they form the main bulk of the Acolytes Attack. Since their break form the Imperium they have had to make do with with the equipment they took with them but the vehicles they posses have been granted gifts by their patron Gods who have at times granted the use of Daemons. They are known to have several Chaos Terminators that were originally part of the Word Bearers Legion but have since sworn allegiance to The Ninefold Acolytes. Raptors and Havocs have also been seen operating with the Acolytes. Despite the low number of Chaos Marines The Ninefold Acolytes have shown themselves to be formidable foes.
- Bringers of Change - The elite of the Warband, at first glance they appear to be Astartes but beneath their superhuman exterior lies a dark heart for the Bringers of Change are an horrific amalgamation of Astartes and Daemon, having willing allowed themselves to become hosts for powerful creatures of the Warp. But even without the boons granted by their patron they are an exceptionally powerful unit, battle hardened by centuries of combat, many believe them to be the very first followers of Thanatos and once to have been members of the Thousand Sons Legion.
Battle Tactics[]
With just 70 Chaos Marines in their ranks the Ninefold Acolytes rely heavily on Cultists, Mutants and Daemons to fight most of their battles and are more than happy to sacrifice their near-inexhaustible numbers to achieve their goals. They are also especially adept at armoured warfare and count a number of armoured vehicles in their armoury along with Daemon engines granted to them by their patron deity. Since their fall, a number of Rubric Marines from the Thousand Sons have been seen to operate with them.
Warband Gene-Seed[]
After the Cerberus Crusade those Grey Gorgons that had fallen were examined, and from these corpses it was determined that the Grey Gorgons were of Iron Hands descent. Since their fall it is likely that their gene-seed has become as corrupt and mutated as the Gorgons themselves and is no longer capable of producing Astartes and so the Acolytes must find other ways to replenish their ranks.
Homeworld[]
The Homeworld of the Grey Gorgons is unknown, none of the commanders during the war reported a world which may have been the home of an Astartes Chapter but given their close ties to Iterium it is believed to be somewhere within the Cerberus Expanse or at very least in one of the adjoining Sectors. Following their fall the newly named Ninefold Acolytes are suspected to operate exclusively from their fleet but as with all Choas forces the intelligence is fragmentary and outdated and the Acolytes could have claimed a world of their own somewhere in the Maelstrom but it is likely that the exact truth will never be known.
Notable Ninefold Acolytes[]
- Lord Tikan - Former Chapter Master of the Grey Gorgons Chapter, he disappeared sometime in 800.M41. There have been whispers that he noticed the growing corruption within his Chapter and that he willingly went into exile along with dozens of his men rather than be a part of it. Rumours abounded that during the Cerberus Crusade he fought against his former brothers. There were numerous sightings of unknown Astartes wearing plain slate-grey armour present during the final battles of this conflict, but whether they were Tikan and his loyalist brothers, is unknown at present.
- Lord Thanatos - Thanatos was once a loyal servant of the God-Emperor and the former Epistolary of the Grey Gorgons who was said to so powerful that he was considered to one day become the Chapters Chief Librarian. Assigned to the 9th Company, he was believed to have fallen to Chaos during the Cerberus Crusade. However, unknown to any outside the Chapter, Thanatos was long dead - killed over a hundred years before the outbreak of the Cerberus Crusade. His place was usurped by Sobek, a member of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, and a sorcerer of immense power. Sobek fought during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy and later survived the Rubric of Ahriman. For the past ten thousand years he has continued to serve both Tzeentch and Chaos. Whether he chose the Grey Gorgons to corrupt, or if they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time is unknown, but for over a hundred years he slowly corrupted the Chapter and may have orchestrated the war itself. Following the end of the war he led his new followers into the Maelstrom.
- Champion Lucius - Lucius was once the Senior Sergeant in the Grey Gorgons 9th Company before his fall and is now a mighty Chaos Lord and Thanatos's most loyal servant. Although, like Thanatos, he is in fact an imposter. Who he was before the war and what Legion he hailed from is unknown.
- Torgal - Formerly of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion and a veteran of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, he now commands the Terminators within the Acolytes' ranks, his sadistic demeanor a fitting match for the Acolytes.
- Demi-Warlord Roghax - One of Thanatos most powerful followers, Roghax is not one of the original Acolytes but rather a new follower, drawn to to Thanatos's power, what chapter he hails from is unknown but his coal black skin and red glowing eyes points to the Salamanders. What reason he could have had to to betray his brothers and Primarch he keeps to himself and none has had the courage to ask.
- The Twisted One - A truly horrific amalgamation of Daemon and Astartes, the Twisted One leads the ranks of the possessed within the warband, once he was an Astartes of the Word Bearers Legion and a veteran of both the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, now he is host to an immensely powerful creature of the Warp and when that creature is unleashed he is nearly unstoppable.
Warband Fleet[]
The Ninefold Acolytes Fleet is known to consist of several Cruisers and Frigates that turned Traitor during the Telios Attack with the Fleet Flagship being the Strike-Cruiser Enlightenment.
Allies and Enemies[]
Allies[]
- Thousand Sons - Fellow followers of Tzeentch
- Word Bearers - Have been known to serve together during Raids into Imperial Space.
Enemies[]
- Nurgle & Death Guard - Tzeentch and his followers are the enemies of Nurgle and The Ninefold Acolytes strive to disrupt Nurgle and his followers whenever they can, though they have recently been seen to operate alongside the Forces of Nurgle as part of their pact with Ska'nnath.