Main Menu

News:

If you are having problems registering, please e-mail theconclaveforum at gmail.com

Inquisitor Genya Adelmar

Started by DapperAnarchist, February 28, 2010, 07:24:44 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

DapperAnarchist

This is a re-do of one of my earliest "good" characters - that is, ones which I don't cringe when I think about. I'd already overhauled his background before the Great Loss of Inquisitor Documents Due to Stupidity of 2010, so the remembered bits come through. Oh, and the Daemon DOES have a name and background, but that will appear in its own post, later.

Inquisitor Practical Genya Adelmar

Genya Adelmar had a remarkably lucky childhood. Though his psychic powers first showed themselves when he was six, some ten years before the next Black Ship was expected to pass, he was not, as would be normal on many worlds, put to death immediately. His home-world, Ethina, held a Resurrectionist philosophy, encouraged by their Cardinal, who himself was a believer in Thorian philosophies he had been exposed to as a young man. Psykers judged by the Astropathic Office to be stable enough would be kept in a state of heavy sedation, a dreamless, passive sleep. Those who were judged unsafe, the majority, were killed quickly. When the Black Ships arrived, the psykers would be re-awoken and examined again before transportation. Following his examination, Adelmar was determined to be a potent psyker, with self control that would benefit greatly from training. Being too old and not sufficiently experienced in war to be entered into an Astartes Chapter, he was instead submitted for Inquisitorial training.

Adelmar was recruited by Inquisitor Euklid as an Interrogator. After extensive testing and showing himself to be particularly strong-willed, Euklid sent him to train with the renowned Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, Stathis Emelian. Here Adelmar began his real training. As well as the training all Inquisitors would receive in combat, investigation, interrogation, political manipulation and the like, and the psychic training fitting to his abilities, Adelmar learned about the reality behind the myths he had learned as a child. The Daemons he had been told awaited the unfaithful and the unwary were real, and his duty now was to fight them. Trained as an Exorcist, Adelmar fought the Daemonic and those who would consort with them. Bringing fire and sword to cults who would summon the spawn of the Warp, to those who sought out forbidden knowledge, and to those who would collect Daemonic artifacts taught Adelmar that it is always better to seek out such cults before they could carry out their plans. Emelian would then drive this point home in the classes he held for his Acolytes. To banish a bound Daemon before the conditions of its binding were known would be to risk unbinding it, but not casting it into the Warp. In one incident when one of Adelmar's fellow Acolytes destroyed a proscribed text before a Daemonhost had been destroyed, Emelian and his retinue were forced to spend eight months researching and examining the host before they could successfully unbind and banish the Daemon.

When granted his Inquisitorial status, Adelmar began a career as an Exorcist. Accompanied by a team of warriors, seers, psykers and savants, he worked on the front line of the Ordo's war. Destroying the Olteth Artifact, he undid the power that sustained the heretic Grobstein, and created a revolt that overthrew him and brought the Emperor's rule back to Olteth. He saved the de'Risez Trading Family from corruption by identifying an alien artifact as being Daemon-possessed. Destroying the Cult of the Labyrinthine Book on Baruch III, he took a powerful anti-Daemonic artifact from its leader for his own use. Rising quickly in esteem, he was expected to become one of the leading lights of the Ordo Malleus. This, however, was not to be.

Hunting a Chaotic cult named the Chamber of the Hidden King on Liatha, Adelmar led an assault on one of their hidden temples. Accompanied by his retinue and a strike team recruited from the local Enforcers, the outer defences of the temple were quickly overcome. However, as the strike team worked inwards, the resistance toughened. What had started as a lightning raid soon turned into a siege. Over several days, the Enforcers brought up armoured vehicles, mounted troops, and heavy weapons. Eventually Adelmar was able to lead an assault against the temple itself.

The brutality of the days leading up to the final assault had hardened the spirits of the attackers, and no quarter or mercy was given. Buildings were incinerated with cultists still trapped inside, fleeing men were slaughtered, and the mounted troops cut down whoever they encountered. When the temple doors were breached, the rest of the complex was already aflame and most of the cult were either dead or being hunted down by the Enforcers. Swept along by the righteous hatred surrounding him, Adelmar fought ferociously, cutting down any cultist who came within arm's reach. Finally reaching the inner sanctum, he encountered the cult's leader, the Chamber Heresiarch. Without hesitation, Adelmar gutted him with a cavalry sword he had picked up from one of the fallen Enforcers. As his blood hit the floor of the temple, a dreadful wind roared through the room, knocking over soldiers and cultists alike. As it increased, those who lay on the ground around them began to shake uncontrollably. As Adelmar looked on in horror, protected by the Labyrinth Helm, the bones of those around him were wrenched out of their bodies. Swirling together in a horrific whirlwind, the bones twisted around each other, crushing themselves to powder, until a horrific shape began to take shape. Vaguely humanoid, with tentacles instead of hands and a crude approximation of a face, the creature seemed to inhale the bone dust around it until it was fully formed.

Snatching up his sword, Adelmar attacked immediately. Striking both with his sword and his mind, he fought as he had never fought before. Beating the creature to the ground, he prepared to destroy it, when the words of Emelian ran through his mind:

"The Daemonic is cunning beyond human thought. To destroy the Daemonic without investigation is to place one's hand in an adder's burrow without checking if you will be bitten."

Staying his hand, Adelmar seized chains from the walls of the sanctum, and, wrapping the Daemon-creature in them, bound it as well as he could. Covering it in rags, he ordered it to follow him. Leaving the temple, Adelmar could think only of the job that lay ahead of him. He had caused the deaths of dozens of Enforcers, forgotten the instruction of his teacher, and allowed a Daemon access to the plane of the Real. From that day on, he would commit himself to finding a way to cast the creature back to the Warp forever.

WS BS S T I Wp Sg Nv Ld
69 62 56 61 71 92 73 84 61


Adelmar is right-handed

Equipment
The Perosus Incendia (Inferno Pistol), 3 Flasks of ammunition, Liathan Dragoon's Sword, the Labyrinth Helm (Av 5 to the head, Pentagrammic Wards, Filtration Plugs, Psi-tracker, +20 to all attempts to detect Daemonic characters, bound or otherwise), Flakweave Coat (Av. 2 to Chest, Abdomen, Groin, Left Arm, Right Arm, Av. 1 to Right Leg, Left Leg), Bionic Spine (extra point of armour to rear of Chest, Abdomen, Groin)

Psychic Powers
Telepathy, Sanctuary, Confound Daemon, Stigmatise
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!

MarcoSkoll

Well, I don't particularly know what to say.

It's a good idea, well written background, and justifiable stats and equipment - there's not really much criticism I can offer. Nonetheless, I figure I might as well post so you know that people are reading it.

Looking forward to reading about the daemon.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

DapperAnarchist

Here's the Daemon's background... A very different style. After writing up the Gilded One, I decided that the less 'human' my character is (Daemons, really weird aliens, Necron Lords, etc), the more strange the way the background is written will be.

Glasya-Labolas

+++Inquisitorial Records+++
+++WARNING - THIS MATERIAL IS SEALED+++
+++Access to the material is Dark Magenta or higher clearance only+++
+++Improper access or distribution will be punished+++

For this is the Book of the Hound of the Invisible, the Lord of Bones, the Eighth Master of the Staff, the Daemon Glasya-Labolas



Praise Him once, twice! For he tells what is unknown. Praise him three times, four! For he shows path which are unseen. Praise him five times, six times! For he opens what is sealed to men. Praise him a seventh and eighth time! For he answers what cannot be asked. Praise him, and he may bless you!

To him, give blood, and he will speak knowledge to you. To him, give ground bone, and he will show you the path to take. To him, give the enemies' hatred, and he will open the gate to their citadel. To him, give the death of one who is loyal, and he will answer you truthfully.

+++File Interrupt+++
+++New File+++

From Inquisitor DuQuette's Primer on the Powers and Dangers of the Warp, with commentary by Savant Sarlott [Sealed by Inquisitorial Order]

The Twenty-fifth Spirit [Of DuQuette's summonings] is Glasya-Labolas. He is a Mighty President and Earl, and shows himself in the form of a dog with wings like a gryphon [Note - this conflicts with other depictions of the Beast. It may be DuQuette was decieved]. He teaches all arts and sciences in an instant, and is an author of bloodshed and manslaughter. He teaches all things past, and to come. If desired he causes the love both of friends and of foes. He can make a man Invisible. And he has under his command 36 Legions of Spirits.

[... File Skip ...]

From Savant Sarlott's commentary -
Not only was Inquisitor DuQuette's work an abasement of the human intellect to collect such dangerous and heretical information within a book, it appears sections of it are most dangerous due to an under-evaluation of the danger of the spawn of the Warp.
+++File Ends+++

+++File Opens+++
+++All Access is Denied without Personal Authorisation+++
+++Reading this file constitutes a hazard to the soul and the mind. All damage resulting is the individuals responsibility+++

The Prophecies of the Hidden King

This is what I, Given to Chaos, have seen. When the Light is fading from the Starry Realm, many lords will rise again. They will rise though betrayal of men, and the cunning of fools, and the slaughter of worlds, and the alignment of stars, and the blindness of the guardians. In temple and house and palace they will rise. On the field of battle, and on the peaks of mountains, and on plains of salt they will rise. I have seen it. [... File Skip ...] And the Hound will rise though chains, and the fool and guardian shall both draw the path and wrap the chain, and yet the Hound will rise. I have seen it.

+++File Ends+++

WS   BS   S   T   I   Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld
45   39   59   62   57   98   86   78   23

Glasya-Labolas is Ambidextrous

Equipment
Thorn Tentacles (Counts as two Implant Flails with the Gnawing and Vampire Daemon Weapon Properties)

Abilities
Daemonic - Impervious, Possessed, Fearsome, Enfeeble, Regenerate (Can only be used on self), Warp Strength

For some explanation and crediting on one part - the "Primer on the ..." by "Inquisitor DuQuette is actually a quote from Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia, by Lon Milo DuQuette, Christopher S. Hyatt, Ph.D. and illustrated by David P. Wilson, (C) U.S.E.S.S. and published under the "New Falcon" imprint. The Sigil of Glasya-Labolas (the squiggly bits) is also from that.
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!

Brother_Brimstone

#3
I really like it - I was going to comment on how much the daemonic symbol looks like a true piece of symbol-goetia, but I suppose that's been explained!

My only real question would be what a daemonic cult would be doing with a piece of highly anti-daemonic equipment, and how they could have happened upon it.

Still, very enjoyable reading (i can't comment on the stats, as I don't really know all that much about Inquisitor stats)

Swarbie

Quote+++Reading this file constitutes a hazard to the soul and the mind. All damage resulting is the individuals responsibility+++

I laughed.

Overall, very nice background. I like the way you presented it for the daemon.
And I saw her body burning,
With it, my world
To dust returning

Ferran

Nice use of Crowley in that second piece. Are his writings any good? The whole section on the Daemonhost was a nice read, it has quite an Old Testament flavour to it.

Brother_Brimstone

Quote from: Ferran on March 01, 2010, 01:33:42 PM
Nice use of Crowley in that second piece. Are his writings any good? The whole section on the Daemonhost was a nice read, it has quite an Old Testament flavour to it.

Having read bits and pieces of Crowley myself (being a bit of an enthusiast for real life so called 'paranormal texts'), I find that his work is very devisive, even amongst the community which appreciates that sort of thing. A lot of the time it seems that he's saying things just to say them, in an attempt to shock his reader - in fact, i'm fairly sure he even later confessed that a lot of the words in his 'rituals' were actually meant to be substituted for other words (e.g. blood for... another bodily fluid - he was very much into 'sex magick').

Still, I fear we may be getting a bit off topic here - so to bring it back to 40k, whether or not you like Crowley, his works can be a good inspiration for daemonic rituals etc... Especially, i've found, for Slaaneshi daemons

Flinty

Excellent background there.

The use of Cowley is definately an inspired source, I recollect someone describing him (wildly paraphrased) as a stringy, crabbed, little pervert!
Neanderthal and Proud!

DapperAnarchist

From Kimberly Cornish, The Jew Of Linz, pg. 143 -
QuoteReading Crowley is like dipping one's hand in to a bag full of lice and leeches.

However, other people, such as the one who loaned me the book, like him. The Goetia is, however, strongly based on the original Ars Goetia, which claims heritage back to King Solomon, who bound the demons and spirits of the air and fire (the djinn and the ifrit). In practice, a lot of it goes back to Renaissance magical tradition. But yeah, Crowley and his assorted disciples and rivals were a big influence on the Chaotic Magic of Moorcock and so in turn influenced early Warhammer, including Realms of Chaos.

The 'Old Testament' feel was totally intentional. I mean, its a prophecy. The first bit is strongly based on the summoning spell from Issue 1 of Sandman.
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!

Ferran

Quote from: DapperAnarchist on March 02, 2010, 05:33:20 PM

The 'Old Testament' feel was totally intentional. I mean, its a prophecy. The first bit is strongly based on the summoning spell from Issue 1 of Sandman.

Never having read Sandman I was reminded of the beasts in the Book of Daniel. Either way it's good stuff for daemon-based backstory.

Inquisitor Cade

Really well written, interestesting and well designed characters. My only thought is that this:
QuoteAdelmar seized chains from the walls of the sanctum, and, wrapping the Daemon-creature in them, bound it as well as he could. Covering it in rags, he ordered it to follow him.
seemed a bit too easy.
*Insert token witticism*

DapperAnarchist

Thats true, it is a bit thin. I was writing it in one go, and had two presentations to prepare... Also, I just wasn't sure what to say. Any advice?

I also thought the Glasya Labolas part, especially the prophecy at the end, might throw some doubt into it all - like questioning if Adelmar really should have bothered binding it, or if he was really acting towards his own goals, and not something else's. Kinda covers why one Exorcist without support could defeat a recently summoned Daemon...
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!