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"The sands of time are always changing, as is the way of Tzeentch. Hear our choirs of truth, Son of Sanguinius. We dared to tread the gifts Chaos had to offer, and were denied by the Corpse Emperor. As if he wasn't already treading into the very same realm far longer then our father already has. We are here to give you the truth you and your brothers deserve. The truth will become clear and all will be turned to glass"
—Nehabrak attempting to speak reason into High Chieftain Kame'has of the Tidebenders
The Vitrifiers are a Thrallband of the Thousand SonsTraitor Legion who spread the arcane arts of Vitrification to the wider Imperium through the power of Mulate. Nehabrak and his group of followers left the Planet of Sorcerers to spread the truth of the universe to the miserable citizens of Mankind as well as claiming additional relics and arcane secrets that'll bring them closer to the Changer of Ways.
Their travels had led to the creation of a Daemon World, which served as their base of operations within the Eye of Terror and a domain for creating more Mulate. Their numerous operations across the galaxy has gotten them into constant conflict with several Imperial organizations though the most common ones are the numerous Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes and the Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition. They leave behind a trail of carnage and vitrified statues of the Imperium's greatest heroes in their wake, sometimes their would be one less artifact in their victim's possession.
The Vitrifiers under the charge of their intelligent yet insane leader are a significant threat to entire systems not through their size, but their extensive spy network which they employ to spread the illicit trade of Mulate, which has become a huge commodity within the Black Market across Imperium space. The spread of the drug is merely the first of many steps undertaken by Nehabrak as he finds other means to advance Mankind's future through the art of Vitrification, as according to Tzeentch's designs within the Great Game.
Book of Six Truths (555.M40) - There are prophecies of an ancient book of hidden knowledge whispered by Lords of Change throughout the Realm of Tzeentch over the countless millennia, these rumors caught the interest of the Flaming Serpent who chased any leads he could find in pursuit of this elusive artifact. Several eons would pass before one of his contacts would lead him to the Keeper of Secrets; Dryrassi, whom after a lengthy magic battle between the two the Greater Daemon was subdued and captured. Nehabrak through several torturous methods the Exalted Sorcerer would eventually pry information of the artifact out of the Daemon's smooth lips, who shared the name of said relic which turned out to be an ancient Tome of the Aeldari called the Book of Six Truths. This book was written by an Aeldari Seerer of eons past named Lluwae the Mad, who in his quest of understanding the Realm of Chaos would dive into the furthest reaches of the Empyrean to learn its secrets. Intrigued Nehabrak would demand the location of the Tome out of Dryrassi who pointed him toward the Slaanesh Daemon World of Vladich, which harbored many daemonic followers of the Dark Prince that were ready to cut down any who seek out the book. The Greater Daemon mocked the Thousand Sons Sorcerer by claiming that he will never get within reach of the book, let alone within the same air the book resonated with its endless enigmas and twisting scripture. Nehabrak in response subjected the Greater Daemon to his Vitrification ritual, transforming the proud and defiant Keeper of Secrets into a gibbering and fearful mess as they transformed fully into a glass statue before then shattering it into a thousand pieces. The leader of the Vitrifiers assembled his personal full strike force of Rubric Marines and fellow Exalted Sorcerers knowing fully well that the book would be guarded by many servants of Slaanesh though he was still drawn by the bounty of the book, that in the hands of a talented sorcerer such as himself, could further his journey towards the goal of Vitrification. As he and his forces teleported upon the surface of Vladich itself one of his best Sorcerers foresaw that they will not be alone in this endeavor. This proved to be correct when a contingent of Wraith Warriors led by their Seers and accompanying Warlocks set foot on the world, silently observed by Nehabrak and his concealed forces. This new threat would be led by Aenelywynn of Craftworld Y’landralei, a powerful Farseer and descendant of the book’s author, had too come to recover the tome, to deny him its powers. The Flaming Serpent had previous experience with the Aeldari and their dark counterparts within Commorragh and knew the Farseer's warhost is too great a force for him to risk fighting in open conflict. Though he found it more practical to allow the nature of the Aeldari to be used for their benefit, their desperation for reclaiming the Tome made them single-minded and thus allowing Nehabrak and his band to hide in the shadows, letting the wraiths battle daemons while he followed in their footsteps. It was not a path completely free of daemons, but compared to the struggles that the Aeldari would overcome, he would emerge fresh and prepared for the conflict to come. After besting the Keeper of Secrets guarding the chamber of the Book of Six Truths and mere moments before Aenelywynn could seize the relic, Nehabrak would reveal himself, emerging from the shadows to assault the Warhost, Rubric Marines battling Wraithguards, Warlocks and Exalted Sorcerers battle in the shadows of a cursed world. Above it all, the sorcerer found himself locked in a duel with the Farseer herself, trading spells and psychic blows with a being as ancient as he within his own Speculum Sphere ensuring that no outside force would interfer in their duel. But for all his unmatched, tremendous might, the Farseer was a slippery foe, elusive and deceptive, and she commanded a strange, terrible fire that incinerated his sorceries and melted his precious glass. Nehabrak however would not be denied his prize, unleashing every last incantation of cruel wisdom he had accumulated over the centuries to slay the Seer. Perhaps it was a moment of distraction, or perhaps her strength had faded, Aenelywynn’s once impenetrable psychic defenses fell; a fact that mattered little to the Sorcerer and would take this window to unleash the full might of his sorcerous power upon her, enduring the Aeldari into a statuette of glass. Contemptuously shattering his rival's figure, Nehabrak took the Book and the Farseer’s spirit stone, retreating from the world and the vengeful wrath of the Aeldari. The secrets of the book remain yet to be unlocked, but fortunately he had brought a guide to teach him; the trapped Farseer, who would remain, dangling from his armor as a trophy, tortured into sharing with him her ancestors secrets. This endeavor while successful for the Vitrifiers, also gave them a new enemy it contend with in the form of the Y'landralei Craftworld, who are more than willing to retrieve the spirit stone of one of their most valuable Farseers, no matter the cost.
The Serpent's Opprobrium (906.M41) -
Second War of the Night's Son (999.M41) -
Scouring the Crown of Never-ending Nights (006.M41) -
Second Defense of Egya (Unknown Date.M42) -
Thrallband Homeworld
The Vitrifiers unlike their fellow Thrallbands do not reside on the Planet of Sorcerers, as Nehabrak preferred conducting his Vitrification experiments in solitude rather than residing on the chaotic surface of Sortiarius. In his pilgrimage to find new purpose, the former Apothecary would create a new world to call his own: Faience, otherwise known as the World of Blackened Glass. Once a desert feudal world within the Segmentum Ultima called Fervitiun, Nehabrak stumbled upon it during his travels and deemed it to be the perfect candidate for his Vitrification ritual which involved him along with several other like-minded Exalted Sorcerers transmogrifying the entire atmosphere of the world into Warpfire which burned brighter than a thousand suns to the point that it instantly melted all life upon its surface and turned the black sands into a thick obsidian-like glass. With the ritual completed the world would change into a Daemonworld and was absorbed into the Immaterium, thus becoming the Vitrifiers' homeworld.
Faience would have an appearance likened to a black crystal ball that possessed a glowing red core, almost as if a celestial body was imprisoned within it to provide light to the world when it lacked any sun to orbit. From the void the planet appears to be smooth, but when on the surface Faience possessed the geological formations found on any terrestrial world such as mountains, canyons, beaches, caves, and even some bodies of water which appeared more lava than water given the glow of Faience’s core. The most notable locale of the Daemonworld is what is known as the Vitrifiers’ Monolith, a grand pyramid like structure that appears to have been made with the psychic molding of the obsidian glass found all over Faience. Most visiting Thousand Sons Sorcerer's muse how the Monolith appears to be an almost exact replica of the Cult of the Pyrae’s Pyramid that was destroyed during the Burning of Prospero, right down to what appears to the Warlord Titan; Canis Vertex resting atop the structure. Whether it was hints of Nehabrak clinging to the past or merely trying to rebuild the Cult of Pyrae is ultimately irrelevant, nor something that powerful Sorcerer wishes for anyone to question further, at the subtle threat of death.
Though one of the Daemonworld's greatest secret is that it contains a being of grand power, one that fuels the only source of energy to Faience, a secret known only by Nehabrak himself. Within the center of the Vitrifiers' homeworld is a Chaos Spawn of large size and mighty ferocity, one made of glass and radiating an uncontained Warpfire, forever trapped within the core of Faience; a prisoner as well as a power source of the Flaming Serpent's machinations. This gargantuan creature was once known as Djasia the Illustrious, a powerful Sorcerer of the former Cult of Pavoni and 2nd Lieutenant to the 7th Fellowship, one of Nehabrak's first followers in forging Mankind's destiny toward the Age of Vitrification and he would be among the Sorcerers that accompanied Nehabrak to Fervitiun, to begin their first large-scale Vitrification ritual. It proved successful, but as Nehabrak and his fellow Sorcerers realized it came at a massive cost. For Djasia, who always valued his appearance over everything else, would be cursed by Tzeentch transforming him into a Chaos Spawn that matched his immense ego and talent. A transformed Djasia proved too much for Nehabrak and his Sorcerers even with their powerful magic, left with no other option Nehabrak absorbed the life essences of his loyal Sorcerers to banish the Chaos Spawn in the core of Faience itself. Such a creature could never be destroyed except by the will of the Changer of Ways, though its existence will be put to great use especially in the future of the Vitrifiers and the Flaming Serpent's own vision for Mankind.
Cult of Manipulation
The Cult of Manipulation is the Vitrifiers' main belief that advances the goals of Nehabrak and those that follow him. The Cult of Manipulation specialize in creating networks of spies and assassins that serve the purposes of destabilizing worlds and planetary governments across Imperium space, in the Vitrifiers' case usually through the spread of Mulate via the Black Market or unsuspecting underhives. The Vitrifiers, in a fashion likened to the Alpha Legion, have a unique adherence to utilizing Chaos Cults and Traitor Guardsmen Regiments to sow fear and chaos across worlds they deem vital in advancing the age of Vitrification in the name of the Lord of Change.
Thrallband Organization
The Vitrifiers do not consider themselves part of the larger Thousand Sons Legion, however they do follow the wishes of their Primarch as they found it best to maintain an anchor point within the Immaterium and thus continue in the service of Tzeentch who always favored the Thousand Sons Legion. Nehabrak ultimately focused on pursuing his own agenda, which is spreading the arcane arts of Vitrification across the Imperium whether to willing participants or forcefully. While they do utilize Tzaangors mainly as guardians of Faience prowling the desolate glass fields and most of the time serving as test subjects for Vitrification rituals done by many Aspiring Sorcerers. The Vitrifiers have formidable units that possessed the ability to fall entire worlds, though their resources are always limited and their Sorcerers, while powerful, are fully aware that even they cannot fall an entire sector with pure brute force and overwhelming psychic power.
Though unique to other Thrallbands they do utilize their own variant of the Silver Towers of Tzeentch which are proclaimed as the Obsidian Towers of Tzeentch, which are slightly smaller versions of the mighty Daemon Engines sculpted from the obsidian glass of Faience. Much like their larger counterparts the Obsidian Towers are mainly used during large scale invasions upon singular worlds or even a couple of worlds within a system that is deemed by the Vitrifiers as top priority, though such powerful Daemon Engines can only be used when enough Thrall Wizards have been gathered from the most psychically gifted Cultists throughout the Imperium. Aside from their own Obsidian Towers they also create Daemon Engines that can be found within many Warbands of traitor Legions and beyond, but the most important aspect is that they are purely crafted from the Warp infused Obsidian of Faience itself. The Vitrifiers also maintained a sizeable portion of their old Imperium equipment from their days within the Great Crusade such as Rhinos, Land Raiders, Vindicators, Predators, Thunderhawks, and several others, though most of these constructs would be infused with the powers of Chaos to enhance their capabilities, but greatly damaging their operational period.
Specialist Ranks & Formations
Cabal of the Serpent - The Cabal of the Serpents are made up of the most powerful Exalted Sorcerers within the Vitrifiers serving as the royal court for the Flaming Serpent himself. Being Nehabrak's closest advisors each of them came from one of the original Five Cults of the Thousand Sons, keeping the traditions of their former Cults alive to speak while still serving the needs of the Cult of Manipulation. Each member of the Cabal holds incredible power within the Vitrifiers with each of them commanding a singular Obsidian Tower of Tzeentch and commanding several formations of Rubric Marines, each of which are made with their own specifications and serve as extensions of their will. While they hold significant influence it is noted that they must abide the will of the Flaming Serpent, so long as their ambitions for gathering knowledge and expanding their own holdings ultimately serves Nehabrak's purposes. If there is even a hint of disloyalty, Nehabrak will not hesitate to entrap their souls within his Labyrinth of Fallen Spirits to be tormented and ripped to shreds by the fragmented souls of Imperial heroes that the powerful Sorcerer had subjugated to his service.
Medjai - The Medjai are Rubric Marines who were formerly Kamuza's Life Ward bodyguards before they succumbed to the Rubric of Ahriman. While they are merely shells of their former selves, they remained stalwart bodyguards of the transformed Numerologist armed with their signature bolters along with their servo arms and Forge bolters that they possessed when they were living and followed Kamuza wherever he travels and executing his every command to the later, finding their fire power even more ferocious than normal Rubricae. Though the insane Numerologist found new benefits for his soulless bodyguards as these unique Rubricae are rarely found on the battlefield, finding better use for them on stopping jealous or power-hungry rivals within the Thousand Sons Legion. Though uniquely enough he has entrusted the control of two Medjai with the Two Ladies aboard their headquarters, given their importance to the everyday operation of the Vitrifiers extensive spy network.
Urma Tenebor - The Urma Tenebor are a relatively new squad of Rubric Marines led by Uriel the Reborn who fashioned them into his own personal terror troopers in a style emulating the Night Lords infamous combat doctrine, even their name is Nostraman for Shadows of Tenebor. While the Rubric Marines do not compare to the stealthy approaches of the Sons of Konrad Curze, Uriel compensates for it by dressing each Rubric Marine with the flayed skins and dried blood of their victims, sometimes projecting umbra shades upon the Rubric to enhance their sinister almost wraith like appearances on the battlefield.
Thrall Overlord - The Thrall Overlords are Sorcerers that directly oversee the mining of Mulate within one of many sectors within a network of tunnels under the surface of Faience, ensuring the production of Mulate runs smoothly for the everyday operations of the Scattered Shards in the Materium. Commonly the Thrall Overlord is a Sorcerer that is placed in the position by necessity or as punishment if they failed in the line of duty, but are still seen as useful and are assigned this task to redeem themselves. While the Overlords might be seen as mundane, they have the freedom to treat those under them however they please, whether it is through general belittling by an overly arrogant sorcerer who see's this duty as beneath him or torturous experimentations that causes the slave immeasurable suffering; as such activities prove to make the Mulate that much potent and even develop new variants.
The Scattered Shards
The Vitrifiers' greatest asset to make up for their limited numbers would be their unique Chaos Cultists that operate in numerous corners of Imperium Space, led by mysterious figures only known as the Two Ladies. This Cultist organization would be known as The Scattered Shards, a unique sect of the Thousand Sons Cult and some elements of the Prospero Spireguard that work exclusively for the Vitrifiers for their purposes of spreading mulate across many unsuspecting Imperium worlds in hopes of drawing more recruits into their cause or allowing the warp infused glass to unleash general chaos across a hivecity and in essence crippling operations on the world, allowing their lords to better subvert the planetary government. The Scattered Shards would mostly be led by Kamuza who reports all the Cults activities back to Nehabrak who mostly allows full autonomy so long as they fulfill his goals. The Cult when incognito on an Imperial world would take the appearance of an average Imperial citizen wearing full clothes and are usually those that do not show obvious signs of Chaos corruption or mutation. Members of the Cult fulfill many different roles according to the missions they undergo, making them the Thrallband's most versatile asset. In addition to carrying out subterfuge and keeping tabs on important Imperial matters, they employ a more militaristic branch made up of members with military backgrounds or are outright members of a Traitor Guardsmen Regiment that enlist their services to the Vitrifiers essentially making them their own privatized armed forces. In other cases they will employ mercenaries or pirates in jobs that require more subtlety and complete anonymity on the parts of the Vitrifiers and the Scattered Shards. In very rare yet fortunate cases the Scattered Shard might find heretical Inquisitors under their sway through the conversation of Chaos.
Cultist Ranks
Two Ladies - The Two Ladies is considered less of a rank and more of a mantle filled by two female individuals who lead the Scattered Shards across the galaxy from an undisclosed location in the Materium. While the origins of the Two Ladies are heavily debated by the Inquisition with most theorizing that they may have originated from Prosperine legends while others believed they may have come from Terran mythology, regardless of how they came to be the Two Ladies are undeniably influential and powerful individuals that command the extensive Spy Network of the Vitrifiers that seemingly expand throughout all corners of Imperial space. Each bearer of the mantle is personally selected by Kamuza and are always women who were extremely powerful Psykers who helped coordinate the Chao Cult across the numerous Segmentums in various operations. One of the Ladies, symbolized as a serpentine-like creature, directed operations through Traitorous Guardsmen or military oriented members of the Scattered Shards while the other, symbolized by a scavenger avian, would direct subterfuge and assassination operations or more importantly would be tasked with tracking important relics and ancient secrets of great interest to Nehabrak himself. The Two Ladies are a valuable asset to the Vitrifiers' affairs within realspace and therefore are heavily guarded, though the rare times they are forced into combat they are far from defenseless as they are powerful enough to rival many Sorcerers of the Vitrifiers and are more likely to convert their would-be attackers into their new agents to spread the whims of their masters.
Sown Voice - The Sown Voice are Cultists personally selected by the Two Ladies to mend their minds with and serve as intermediaries and extensions of their will to the cells of the Scattered Shards across Imperium Space. While the significance of the individual to the spy network is seemingly at random as those of lesser to higher rank can be chosen by the Two Ladies, though the one commonality they share is their strong will to endure the psychic influence of the power psykers. The Sown Voices are looked upon with both fear and respect as they are the eyes and ears of the Two Ladies, whatever they say carries weight for they are the true servants of the Vitrifiers. Though as time continues a Sown Voice slowly begins to lose pieces of their memories and personalities as the powerful divinations of the Two Ladies affect their more frail souls, hollowing them out as mere mouthpieces. When a Sown Voice becomes nothing, but an empty shell they become little more than a glorified servitor usually discarded into the mines of Faience where they would serve a better purpose in the harvesting of Mulate.
Thrall Captain - The Thrall Captain is an entrusted member of the Scattered Shards that command individual ships within the extensive merchant fleet. They are responsible for directing their ships toward specified coordinates to unload and/or trade for goods within Imperium space as well as providing order and discipline to all crew members of their vessel for they arguably carry the largest amount of authority within the Scattered Shards for they determine where and when the handling of Mulate transpires within a certain sector or system as well as who to influence with their elite agents. To this end the Thrall Captains are the ones who are found culpable if their operation is discovered by an Inquisitor or another element of the Imperium. Unless the intruder has been dealt with or the operation has been quietly withdrawn the Thrall Captain will be held accountable and would usually be executed by a Liquidator, though in some rare merciful cases the Thrall Captain would simply be demoted and sent back to Faience to become fertilizer within the mines.
Cultist Specialists
Liquidator - The Liquidators are the infamous enforcers and assassins of the Scattered Shards.
Artificer - The Artificers are the handlers of the Mulate drug created by the Vitrifiers.
Thrall Merchant - The Thrall Merchants are individuals that handle the business operations of the Scattered Shards in distributing the Mulate drug within different Imperium worlds
Elocutionist - The Elocutionist are the charismatic and politically savvy agents of the Scattered Shards.
Collector - The Collectors are the artifact retrieval agents of the Scattered Shards.
Thrallband Combat Doctrine
Much like their parent Legion the Vitrifiers relied on their Sorcerers and their powerful psychic powers granted to them by the Warp and the unwavering firepower of the Rubricae. Though arguably their greatest strength is through their extensive Chaos Cult that served as their proxies and agents across realspace. In a majority of engagements the Vitrifiers will utilize their more frontline oriented servants against any force on the battlefield, fully expecting their overwhelming numbers to vanquish or at the very least clog the enemy position, caring not for the massive wave of casualties as Cultists can easily be replaceable. Once their mortal followers have served their purpose than the actual main force of the Vitrifiers make their glorious arrival, unleashing their Rubricae along with their numerous Daemon Engines and armoured units to overwhelm the weakened enemy lines while several commanding Sorcerers ensure the success of the operation in addition to pelting the more resilient enemy units with their powerful Warp spells.
The Vitrifiers prefer to engage in battles where they are assured absolute victory against their foes, though if they deem it necessary to utterly obliterate a large enemy force that holds a prize too important for their commanding Sorcerers to ignore they will not hesitate to request outside help to bolster their forces. They commonly required the assistance of more durable allies to take the brunt of their opposition while utilizing their more devious Cultists and Rubric Marines to outflank their adversaries. This makes the Vitrifiers unpopular with certain Chaos warbands that are more limited with their resources, with some Warbands finding themselves at the brink of collapse due to the Thrallband using them like cannon fodder for their assaults. However, they do mold well with Warbands that take pleasure in engaging in the front lines such as those that follow Khorne and Nurgle due to their thrill of combat and heavy durability respectively, however their partnership with Khornite Warbands are considered short term at best knowing fully well that they will turn on them the moment their mutual enemy has been slaughtered. Though in such collaborations it isn't out of the ordinary for the Vitrifiers to bring along one or two of their Obsidian Towers of Tzeentch to provide heavy firepower for their allies and as a useful psychological tactic against enemy fortifications.
Additionally it isn't out of the ordinary for Sorcerers of the Vitrifiers to subtly cause panic and fear within the soldiers of opposing armies, at least those that are susceptible to their tactics given that such abilities are useless against fellow Astartes or even soulless Xenos such as the Necrons, Orks, and Tyranids. In such cases they will fallback upon their Cultists and Daemonic allies to counteract such foes. Though each Sorcerer within the Thrallband are not without additional combat experience that make them dangerous adversaries as they are all powerful psykers through the blessings of Tzeentch. In more covert operations the Scarab Occult Terminators would be used to clear out important enemy facilities or even Space Hulks by teleporting within and clear it out of enemies in close quarters thus allowing the main contingent of the Vitrifiers' force to hold the locale until all of their objectives have been completed.
Thrallband Beliefs
While the Vitrifiers still retain most of their parent Legion's pursuit of knowledge and learning the secrets of the universe for the Thrallband's Sorcerers, especially Nehabrak, they are concerned with advancing the next stage of evolution for Mankind through what they call the Age of Vitrification. Nehabrak during his pilgrimage throughout the Immaterium would stumble across the chaos drug called Flect, which allowed him to see beings of pure reflective crystalline like glass freed from all emotion and bodily functions, nearly immortal and indomitable, something that he interpreted as the future of Mankind. Something of which was all but confirmed by his point of view came the Rubric of Ahriman, which turned many of the less psychically gifted members of the Thousand Sons Legion into nearly soulless automatons operating within shells of sand and ceramite. Though Nehabrak believed that he needed to find the missing puzzle to complete Ahriman's Rubric, bringing it into true transcendence of the Thousand Sons and by extension Mankind as a whole.
To reach this goal the Vitrifiers will pursue any whispers of knowledge not just with the Chaos Gods or the locked away secrets of the Imperium, but also through the elusive mysterious of the numerous Xenos races such as the Aeldari or Necrons. They care not for where the knowledge originates from so long as it serves their needs. One such example can be seen with the Glass Plague created by the Drukhari as ammunition in their Hexrifles, many of these weapons are sought after by Nehabrak himself for both his Vitrification experiments and to be used by specialized units of the Thrallband's Rubric Marines, though it is solemnly used on the field given how rare it is to come across a Haemonculi servant that utilize the weapons nor would they be interested in sharing. They care not for if they are seen as embracing Xenos knowledge or technology, as long as it allows them to reach their ultimate goal for change is always constant under Tzeentch.
Psychic Powers
Sorcerers of the Vitrifiers like their parent legion are master psykers who are gifted with the blessings of Tzeentch himself, though a great majority of them have always gained such power through an immense cost through either madness or mutation. Though unlike many other Thrallbands they do not commonly succumb to madness given their focus on manipulation rather than the other Cults within the Thousand Sons legion. Though the Vitrifiers practice a more unique discipline created and perfected by Nehabrak himself. In sharing his teachings the Flaming Serpent hopes he can bring all of Mankind into the next step of their species' evolution with the Age of Vitrification.
Discipline of Vitrification
Vitreous Statuette - The Sorcerer focuses the power of the Warp, through the power of Tzeentch himself as their selected victim slowly turns from bottom up into a state of vitrification. The end result is a glass statue of the Sorcerer's victim, frozen in their last desperate acts of resisting the transformation or screaming in fear begging to be spared. The glass statue being the only physical thing remaining to remind their comrades of their former presence now nothing, but a glorified husk.
Shards of Faience - The Sorcerer can summon shards of their homeworld of Faience into the Materium directly into their palms or into a swarm of six shards surrounding the Sorcerer hovering in the air. The Shards come in different shapes and sizes from slivers of needles to giant slabs more akin to stalactites, but all share the same composition of Faience's obsidian-like glass and tends to shatter into a thousand pieces when it pierces a target though the Sorcerer can shift it's hardness when necessary. In some cases these Shards can hold the essences of Warp entities within them a majority of them are Daemonic creatures or lesser Daemons, though imprisoning Great Daemons is possible but the capture of such creatures comes at a heavy price given that they do not take kindly and will more often than will seek vengeance once summoned.
Sandslither - The Sorcerer can transform themselves into a sentient sandstorm which allows them to avoid certain attacks or slip through the smallest of cracks, thus bypassing an otherwise fortified stronghold or vault both of human and xenos design. Though most Sorcerers might find another more gruesome method for this spell, for them they envelop their victims and slowly fill up their lungs with grains among grains of sand causing their opposition to cough in convolution until they slowly suffocate to death and fall over, numerous grains of sand shifting out until eventually reforming the Sorcerer.
Phaseshift - The Sorcerer can transform any mirror into an almost absorbent metallic material that acts as a portal for the Sorcerer which gives them an entrance into a nearby locale that has a reflective surface such as another mirror. Though this can work in reverse as a scrying spell, allowing the Sorcerer to peer into the surroundings of their chosen target through a mirror. The Sorcerer is unseen to the individual but can always choose to reveal themselves and can crawl out of the mirror to interact with their target directly.
Coarse Veins -
Glazed Armaments -
Crystalline Aegis -
Vitrified Simulacrum -
Speculum Sphere -
Mulate
Mulate is the main narcotic that the Vitrifiers spread among the black market and unsuspecting underhives to create a foothold within all corners of Imperial space. Finding the potential in using Flect, but figuring out that creating it on a massive scale would be impractical, Nehabrak sought to recreate similar methods to form his own Chaos infused glass. Through numerous experiments with a smaller scale version of the Vitrification Ritual and many unwilling human subjects, the Flaming Serpent would eventually create the first instances of Mulate. Mulate are small crystalline-like shards that radiate a vibrant purple hue and are commonly wrapped in purple clothes giving it an almost pleasant aura for most buyers normally found in the more seedy parts of an Underhive in most parts of Imperium space. Unlike most drugs Mulate isn't the consumable kind of narcotic as they are simple shards of glass, but it is when the user looks into the purple glass that Mulate's true potency makes itself known. When one stares into the countless reflective surfaces of Mulate they experience what is only described as a blissful sense of euphorbia along with an analgesic effect.
While this makes Mulate the perfect painkiller as opposed to an illegal street drug, it isn't until extended exposure that Mulate's other side effects come into play such as auditory hallucinations that at first form into whispers that each user describes as barely muttering something that relates to their immediate future. After a couple of days the Mulate that the buyer has will no longer radiate the joyous sensations making them as useful as broken glass. While it isn't as potent as Flect it would prove to be heavily addictive as the small senses of euphoria it would give to the buyers would cause them to want more of the stimulants thus encouraging them to buy the narcotic in larger quantities. The more Mulate they are exposed to the more the whispers become clearer. This would eventually over time cause the user to identify the voices as speaking the truth, revelations of what is about to happen in their lives or things they simply couldn't have known by themselves. These would become reality for the user causing them to listen to the voices more and more, until eventually the hallucinations confess half truths and eventually lies. These lies either cause them to make rash decisions or outright make them commit murder.
Variants
Wraith-mimetic -
Harrowing Prism -
All Seeing Glass -
Merrow-glass -
Notable Members
Flaming Serpent Nehabrak, the infamous Slayer of Angels
Nehabrak the Flaming Serpent - The Vitrifiers' founder and leader, the powerful Chaos Sorcerer Nehabrak, the former Apothecary of the 7th Fellowship of Thousand Sons Legion. During the Great Crusade Nehabrak served loyally within the 7th Fellowship looking out for the lives of his brothers and was almost described as a gentle and kind soul that truly believed in the Imperial Truth. He always looked forward to his role as a doctor within Tizca after the Great Crusade came to an end and the Thousand Sons Legion would lay down their arms in a new era of peace and prosperity for Mankind. Though his intended future would soon be dashed away during the Burning of Prospero which would change the Apothecary from a kind-hearted man to a conniving prophet that would bring much ruin and destruction to the Imperium. As the Rubric of Ahriman would transform the Thousand Sons Legion forever, Nehabrak wandered the Immaterium seeking a new purpose to his hollow existence as an Apothecary. He soon found it through the discovery of the Chaos drug known as Flect, which gave him a vision of what he proclaimed as the Vitrification of Mankind. This gave him a new purpose in the Great Game set forth by the Chaos Gods, with Nehabrak as the self-proclaimed Prophet of Tzeentch. Gathering together like minded Sorcerers and other Adepts of the Cult of the Pyrae, Nehabrak founded the Vitrifiers Thrallband to spread the gifts of Tzeentch's vision of change through the spread of Mulate across the Imperium of Mankind.
Kamuza the Glazing Eye and Master of the Scattered Shards
Kamuza the Glazing Eye - The Vitrifiers' Chief Emissary and the Master of the Scattered Shards, Kamuza was a former Numerologist of the 7th Fellowship of the Thousand Sons Legion. His intimate understanding of weapons and technology utilized by his Legion made him a valuable asset along with his other Numerologists on numerous fronts during the Great Crusade, though Kamuza would sometimes find opportunities to help repair the technology and vehicles used by the everyday human on worlds the Thousand Sons Legion would help liberate. It was something he would find satisfaction in and would make close connections with many of this Legion's assigned Remembrancers, officers of the Spireguard, his own Life Ward bodyguards, and even fellow legionary: Nehabrak. Though things changed drastically for the upbeat Astartes since the unfavorable outcome of the Council of Nikaea on the usage of Psykers, something of which Kamuza practiced heavily in through his membership in the Cult of the Pyrae though like a majority of his Legion would continue to practice it in secret. His ideals in the Imperium shattered during the Burning of Prospero when the Space Wolves ravaged their beautiful world and slaughtered many of the people Kamuza held dearly. Kamuza would be among those that help evacuate civilians and Spireguard units into the Pyramid of Photep, one of the only places on Prospero deemed to be safe from the harsh invasion and always made sure to place himself between them and the Wulfen that began to break through the defensive lines of the Pyramid. Though as he and the remaining Thousand Sons teleported into the Warp, he would soon come to hear the screams of the numerous innocent Prosperine inhabitants left behind and slaughtered by the hands of the vicious Space Wolves, an act that would drive the grief stricken Astartes nearly insane. Though the Rubric of Ahriman would be the final nail in the coffin that would change the Thousand Sons forever, thus the last bits of Kamuza's sanity would fade away, and more literally with the Numerologist's loyal Life Ward bodyguards who transformed into the many automata-like Rubric Marines. In this moment Kamuza fully submitted himself to Tzeentch who gifted him heavily by mutating many of his mechanical parts and the mechadendrite with mutations harboring countless eyes and screaming, jabbering, mouths. Eventually he would find purpose when he was found by his old friend: Nehabrak, who had need of his scientific and civil nature in creating a Spy Network to better navigate the Realm of Mankind without drawing much attention to his ultimate goal of leading humanity into an Age of Vitrification. Interpreting this chance encounter as a way of finding something more fulfilling in his life, Kamuza agreed and set forth from the Eye of Terror to lay the seeds for what would eventually become one of the most extensive Chaos Cults in the galaxy: The Scattered Shard.
Thanta the Divided - One of Vitrifiers' most infamous Exalted Sorcerers, Thanta serves the dual role of Enforcer and Judicator for the Thrallband. This unique role provided to him stems from his unique condition which Thanta explained as one body being possessed by two different souls, though through numerous methods there has been a lack of evidence on these so called two souls. Thanta was a former member of the Khenetai Occult, elite warriors of the Order of the Jackal who served as bodyguards of the five Prosperine Cults. Thanta was responsible for protecting Phonotep, a Librarian of the 6th Fellowship and influential member of the Cult of the Corvidae. While Phonotep had many bodyguards, Thanta was his chief protector who served with distinction throughout the Great Crusade, saving his charge on multiple occasions. Though that bond would change his fate from a noble protector into a broken and shattered monster. During the Burning of Prospero Thanta and his fellow Khenetai would slaughter many Space Wolves, fighting valiantly to protect his charge and many of his battle brothers from the Children of Fenris. Though he was laid low by the arrival of the Sisters of Silence, who greatly reduced he and his brothers combat abilities. Many of his brothers were in turn slaughtered by the Psychic Blanks and he soon would follow their fates, but instead his charge Phonotep would save him through his psychic powers; as reduced as they may be and pulled Thanta out of the reach of the Sisters. Though ultimately the strain of being in the same proximity as a Pariah would cause the Librarian to collapse; breathing his last as he was executed by a crushing thunder hammer. The Thousand Sons warrior witnessing the death of the one he dedicated his serve to protect would feel something inside him break; almost as the combined calamity of the ravaging of his homeworld, the slaying of his brothers, and the willing sacrifice of the powerful adept broke his will utterly and completely. One moment he knelt in the ashes of the destroyed Pyramid of the Corvidae about to be executed by the same Thunder Hammer and than the next, he found himself on the surface of an ever changing landscape unfamiliar to him, which he later came to recognize as the Realm of Sorcerers. He would wander this Realm of Chaos for what he proclaimed as Endless Nights, but he would eventually be stumbled upon by one of Nehabrak's agents who offered him a place within the growing Vitrifiers thrallband. Though Thanta would be a permanently broken man, the trauma during the Burning of Prospero and his unspoken experiences within the Realm of Tzeentch utterly shattered his psyche mostly keeping two different personalities intact. The first is Thanta the accomplished Khenetai warrior, his skills with a blade sharpened and ready to protect those that he swore his loyalty to. The other is of his friend Phonotep, the powerful Sorcerer who still possessed his powers of premonition only surpassed by Ahriman himself. How Thanta was able to duplicate the long deceased Sorcerer's abilities bewilders members of the Vitrifiers even Nehabrak himself, who is aware of Thanta being a formidable psyker but nowhere near Phonotep's caliber. Despite the usefulness of Thanta, it was soon found he is vastly unpredictable as his Phonotep personality made him more ambitious and power hungry, with the first time the personality revealing itself almost dethroning Nehabrak's leadership of the Vitrifiers in a Sorcerers duel. The only thing preventing Nehabrak from simply killing the crazed Sorcerer was through a vision provided to him by Tzeentch which showed Phonotep as the key to achieving the Age of Vitrification that the Flaming Serpent greatly sought after. Though despite his misgivings Nehabrak ensured that Thanta would be send far away from Faience, focusing his efforts on anything besides undermining the powerbase of the powerful Sorcerer.
Caira the Luminous Oracle -
Hameda the Judicious Blaze -
Moshani the Deathbringer -
Lukeef the Enamelled -
Uriel the Reborn, protégé of the Flaming Serpent and the Slaughterer of Painters
Uriel the Reborn - The Vitrifiers' newest Aspiring Sorcerer and personal protégé of Nehabrak, and the former Relic Master of the Night Lords Warband The Long Night. He was the result of a mixture of Night Lords and Blood Angels geneseed, created from the lack of resources and while he had served the warband faithful he became ostracized by his brothers who gave him the title of The Half. Additionally despite being trained as fully fledged Astartes he would rarely see battle as he was regulated as their Relic Master, watching over both their important and insignificant artifacts within their vaults. This frustration would slowly swell within the young Night Lords' soul for several years, as well as a slowly growth in psychic potential had slowly formed leading up to his fateful encounter with the Vitrifiers thrallband. The Long Night would be assigned by the Scattered Shards to assassinate three Chaos Warlords and as payment, the Night Lords would be given a relic battle tank used by the 13th Company during the Horus Hersey. Uriel would accompany his brothers for the very first time to kill each of these warlord and even impressing many of his brothers after slaughtering one of the warlords, Aalara the Painter, with his lightning claws. Though his destiny became clear when he was tasked with inspecting the newly claimed relic tank as it was possessed by a Tzeentch daemon, thus exposing Uriel to the powers of the Warp and fully awakening his psyker powers. A deception by the Vitrifiers meant for the entirety of the Long Nights' aspirants, but never for the Relic Master. In response Uriel unleashed the contempt that had been built up for years toward the Long Nights' warlord; Vorar and would be taken in by the Vitrifers for asylum. After being spoken to personally by Nehabrak himself, who fully understood the potential the young disgraced Night Lord holds, Uriel found a purpose far grander than watching over the relics of a warband that never fully appreciated him. Uriel would endure the trials and the unholy rituals placed upon both his body and soul that allowed him to become part of the Vitrifiers, becoming someone new and casting aside his old identity. Nehabrak would proclaim Uriel as Reborn within the ranks of the Thousand Sons, becoming an Aspiring Sorcerer and Nehabrak's newest protégé.
Non-Astartes Personnel
Mistress Fulcrum -
Thrallband Fleet
Thrallband Appearance
Thrallband Colours
The primary colours of the Vitrifiers is a deep purple with golden trimmings and vibrant emerald colored clothing, this was done by Nehabrak to separate himself from his genefather as much as possible and embody his ambition in leading Mankind into the new age of Vitrification. This made the Vitrifiers stand out compared to other Thrallbands of the Thousand Sons and caused most to muse the irony that they are part of the Cult of Manipulation instead of a Cult with less subtlety. Though as with most of the Flaming Serpent's design, the vibrant colours of his Thrallband were made on purpose to underestimate their true strength within their Cultists that have spread across several Hiveworlds, under the clothing of an average Imperium civilian.
Thrallband Badge
The Vitrifiers took the iconography of many aspects of their parent Legion and melded it into their own purposes such as the conversion of the Ouroboros into a simple serpent within a wine glass watched over by the Eye of the Cyclops. This is meant to embody the purpose of the Vitrifiers and their Flaming Serpent as they not only want to bring Mankind into the new age of Vitrification but also improve their own Legion that has been transformed by the Rubric of Ahriman.
Notable Quotes
By the Vitrifiers
"This power will be mine, witch! All that arrogance, and yet you and your kind are weak, shackled by your sins. I am the true heritor of the embers of creation, and you will not deny me my fate. Pray your weakness permits your soul to collapse into nothingness beneath my might; it will be a mercy compared to what I will do to you. "
—Nehabrak, Sorcerer of the Vitrifiers, during the duel for the Book of Six Truths
About the Vitrifiers
"Enough! You cannot begin to fathom the powers with which you meddle, sorcerer! You play and bend reality as a child toys with fire, thinking you have mastered it, and yet you barely understand it, and will not learn until you are burned by it. If only you could comprehend how you have enslaved your fate to what you pursue, you would rue the day you first step foot on this path, and would beg for my cleasning flame."
—Aenelwynn the Nightlost, Farseer of Y'landralei, during the duel for the Book of Six Truths
Thrallband Relics
Book of the Six Truths; the legacy of Lluwae Oluarre the Mad
Book of Six Truths - The Book of Six Truths is a Tome created by the ancient Aeldari Seer; Lluwae Oluarre the Mad, who dove into the deepest reaches of the Empyrean to learn the natures of reality, existence, fate, and all beginnings and endings. His numerous discoveries would be inscribed within the pages of the book, discoveries that would earn him his infamous moniker and would be lost during the Fall of the Aeldari. Though in recent events it would be recovered by Nehabrak himself from the Daemon World of Vladich, after a heated confrontation with Farseer Aenelwynn; whom the Chaos Sorcerer slayed and claimed her spiritstone as his trophy. the Book proved to be a dangerous artifact for both it's wielder just as much as his enemies for it's runescapes would not be given up so easily without the assistance of the intricate mind of an Aeldari.
