User:Wammnebu/IG cultists
Contents
The Free Company of Gerard Asperwin Knox[edit]
| The Free Company of Gerard Asperwin Knox | |
|---|---|
| |
| Capital |
Nomadic (origionally Quartum IV) |
| Official Languages |
Low Gothic, vairous |
| Power |
Affiliated Auxilary of The Black Legion |
| Size |
Roughly 2 IG Regiments |
| Head of State |
High Priest Gerard Asperwin Knox |
| Head of Government |
Ida Semple, Valentinian Kona, and Abuza Bethel |
| Governmental Structure |
Rogue Military, Chaos Cult |
| State Religion/Ideology |
Chaos Undivided (as understood by the Teaching of Knox) |
| Demographic |
Humans, abhumans, demons |
| Military Force |
The Naval forces of Ida Semple, and Military Command of Valentinian Kona |
" You noble guardsmen all, stand up now, stand up now!
You noble guardsmen all, stand up now!
Knox, we hear your call
To fight against the thrall
Of cheaters, lords and lies
To which good men despise
Stand up now, Stand up now
Your Temples we tear down
Stand up now, Stand up now!
False Temples we tear down
Stand up now!
Your temples are abhored
In gold they are adorned
To hide the corpse's stench
And the Leaders they entrench
Stand up now! Stand up now!
Gainst Traders and gainst Lords
Stand up now, stand up now!
Gainst Traders and gainst Lords
Stand up now!
The Traders they connive
The mis'ry of our kind
To steal the wealth from all
and to make our homeworlds poor
Stand up now, stand up now!
To Terra we will Fight
Stand up now, stand up now!
To Terra we will Fight
Stand up now, stand up now!
To Terra we will Fight
And bring good Knox's Light
The Corpse we shall throw down
And the Four shall wear the Crown
Stand up now, stand up now!
"
- – Song of the Knoxites (to the tune of the Digger's Song)
Traitor guard inspired by the Dissenting Factions of The English civil War.
The Free Company of Gerard Asperwin Knox, also called the "Free Builders," "Fortifiers" or The Knoxites, is a group of Traitor Marines who revolted from the Imperium during the Armageddon war. Under the leadership and ideology of its founder Gerard Asperwin Knox.
Major Figures[edit]
Gerard Asperwin Knox[edit]
Former Ecclesiarch and Military Chaplain, it is philosophy of the Four Wills of the Emperor that eventually gave birth to the Traitor Gaurd
Commander Valentinian Kona[edit]
Military officer known for personally leading his armies to battle. Was severely wounded and brought to Quadratum IV, where he was healed by Hospitaller Bethel Abuza. He along with Ida Semple have become the military leadership of Asperwin's movement.
Commissar[edit]
The founder of the Blue company was a Bullgryn who only goes by the name "Commissar." The Ogryn was one who had his technological implants destroyed in combat, begged for his intelligence to come back. During a healing session, Knox blessed him with the Will of The Emperor's Mind, and his intelligence grew. As it did, the ogryn began to detest more and more, the nature of his species treatment. He began to grow resentful of the "small ones" bossing him around.
Captain Ida Semple[edit]
Naval Commander, and Captain of what is now called "The Undivided Wills." Ida was one of the Captains responsible for ferrying troops between Quadratum IV and Armageddon, and was recruited by Abuza Bethel.
Abuza Bethel[edit]
Gerard Knox's most loyal convert, advisor, right hand, and lover. Abuza was a Sororitas Hospitaller who lost her fellow sisters to a WeirdBoyz attack, which killed her sisters and drove her mad. Knox was able to "heal" her through the power of the wills. She now has a split personality into four different forms of herself. Abuza also is the leader of Knox's Cults of The Wills.
- Abuza Cruror
- A Bloodthirsty zealot with a hatred of injustice and underhandedness
- Abuza Magus
- A prophet and seer
- Abuza Specula
- Seductive and Charismatic
- Abuza Insurmountis
- Despondent but strong
Winthrope Hutchinson[edit]
Quartermaster General who joined Knox's cause. Was vital for both ensuring the revolution's supply as well as leaving Quadratum with most of the Army's equipment intact. Thanks to him Knox's Cause is more than just undermanned rebels. He continues to serve in this capacity though he has been adding stranger and more heretical tech to his repitoire.
History of Gerard Asperwin Knox and The Free Builders[edit]
Early History[edit]
Gerard Asperwin Knox was from noble birth, but had never met them. Like many illegitimate spawn from the dalliances of the upper crust, he was shoved into an Ecclesiarchic Orphanage on a far off planet. In his case, it was the Planet Asperwin, a Small Agriworld. Gerard Knox grew up to be a promising young man and was quick to catch the eye of the Ecclesiarchy because of his brilliance, empathy, and charisma. He likely would have remained there and have become an important ecclesiarch for this small community had two things not occurred. First was some of his writings and sermons about the state of the Ecclesiarchy began to draw concern. While not outright heretical per se, many of the upper echelons of the Asperwin leadership began to show concern about his description of "The Emperor's Wills." These wills of the God Emperor were said to inspire individuals with aspects of The God Emperor himself, his brilliance, his resilience, his ambition, and his ferocity. Secondly, these teachings, and Gerard's sermons and popular meets began to become critical of The Ecclesiarchy itself, and that its actions were preventing the Emperor's will from imbuing the people rather than aiding it.
Mission to Quadratum IV[edit]
Not willing to directly confront or eliminate Knox and instigate a riot, the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition instead set to destroy his reputation. Rumors were spread, witnesses were brought in, and accusations made of Gerard Knox's uncouth behavior, with claims of desecrating temples, seducing Sororitas, and robbing from his followers. A Grand Show Trial was made, and Gerard Knox, humiliated was banished from the planet. He was sent to be a military chaplain to Quadratum IV, a doomed planet near what would become Imperium Nihlus. This planet was a staging ground, where men were brought from across the galaxy before being shipped off to Armageddon, and the few survivors brought back to be shipped off again.
In the Armageddon War, Gerard Knox became a beacon of hope for the soldiers, while Gerard himself became more bitter. Himself already cheated by the machinations of his leadership, was disgusted at how the Astra Militarum leadership woudl so callously and glibly throw these men into the meat grinders of the Ork wars? Were these not men? he thought to himself. "Who gave these cowards the right to throw their brethren to the beasts in such a humiliating a manner?" He also continued to develop his theology of "The Emperor's Wills" and began establishing revival like services where the Gaurdsmen would come up to be imbued with "The Emperor's Will" before battle. His stature within the guard grew, but unlike in Asperwin, the War in Armageddon meant the leadership had more pressing concerns than a demagogic priest. As far as they were concerned, He was free to preach to the dead about revolution as long as it kept their morale up.
As His audience grew so too did his ambitions and percieved power. He began to believe that "The Emperor's Wills" granted the power of Faith healing, which began uplifting guardsmen from horrid and egregious wounds, as well as prophecy. His sermons became more esoteric, with less citations from The Lectitio Divinitatus and more of his own personal visions with the manifestations of the wills. In his own meditations, he began to write about speaking to the holy will of Lorgar Aurelian, the great founder of the Ecclesiarchy. As well as revelations about a coming "great return of heros" and the arival of a deceiver.
Formation of The Company[edit]
While his followers were mostly among the grunts and lower officers, he also attracted some of the leadership. In particular a Hospitaler Sororitas Bethel Azuza, and Commander Valentinian Kona. Both highly intelligent individuals who had grown bitter and disillusioned with The Armageddon war. Both clung to Asperwin Knox's beliefs in the Emperor's Wills and saw his movement as the best weapon Mankind had against the Orks. Encouraged by these two, Knox during the height of the war became more bold, and more outright in his preaching, proclaiming that each of the Emperor's wills was In fact a godlike entity of The Emperor. And that we should pray to each will has its own demands and needs of us. He began to divide his followers into worshipers of individual wills. He also began to preach of a "Great Rift" of the Emperor's disfavor, and that The Emperor would punish Terra and her leadership for its many sins against mankind. By this point the Generals were begginning to be fed up with Knox, but it was too late. His followers had now infiltrated the majority of the planet's leadership and some of the best troops in the imperial guard.
When the Cicitrix Maledictum was created, and isolated The Imperium Nihlus region from the rest of the Imperium, Knox was vindicated. He proclaimed that this was the great sign of the Disfavor, and that it was up to them to overthrow the corrupt leadership of the Imperium and restore power to the Wills. Imbued with "holy Power" the Guard rose up on Quadratum IV, commissars were executed and gutted, Ecclesiarchs and sororitas executed, and soldiers were forced to recieve the power of the wills or executed.
Under the Leadership of Kona and Knox, the company, using stolen and confiscated ships fled the planet to bring their message of the True Imperium, an imperium free from Ecclesiarchs and Generals and High Lords. The Imperium prophecized by Horus and Lorgar.
Teachings[edit]
Origin of "Free Builders"[edit]
Comming from their days as part of the Armageddon war, many of Knox's followers in the Guard (Particularly the Greensfolk) would establish their own free bases and fortifications in Ork infested territory. These encampments fortified by their faith in "The Emperor's Wills" proved to be effective in warding off the Orks. What word of these actions got back to Knox, he encouraged the practice. Fitting what was essentially a practical action into a greater ideology of anti-authoritarianism. Criticizing the leadership's right to build encampments where they are safe and allowing the soldiers to die. In the center of these complexes was usually some sort of cultist symbol.
This practice continued after their treason, and the Free Builders will land on a planet, build a fortification and cultist complex, and use that to Conscript and or acquire resources for the cause.
Though the Freebuilders are one of the most recognizable parts of Knox's Company, they are entirely the work of Abuza Bethel, who under Knox created series of war hospitals and clinics in the battlefield to administer The Healing Emperor's wills to the dead and dying.
Organization[edit]
For the most part, the Company is structured in roughly the same shape as the imperial guard. After all, the guard have known very little outside of the Astra Militarum to compare against, and neither Asperwin nor Abuzza have much interest in the Nuances of the organization. So while the Company writ large, resembles the Imperial Guard, with their ranks, and lines, and warsongs, the familiarity is deceiving. Much like an algae and grass filled pond can pass itself for solid ground, the comfort of familarity bellies an awful truth.
Leadership[edit]
The Four Cults[edit]
Based on the original divisions created for worshipers of the "Four Wills of The Emperor" these cults eventually threw off their syncretist charade with each worshiping one of the Four Ruinous powers. These groups are considered to be small armies in of themselves. Each has its own particular way of choosing a representative who meets with the General Assembly. Members of the army are "Free to join" these cults, and the cults answer to Azuba Bethel rather than the military. It is not uncommon for spats between the Military "undivided" wing of Gerard's movement to come into conflict with Bethel's cultists. These cults are identified by the color of their banners.
The Redmen[edit]
What was originally "The Order of the Emperor's Ferocious Will," these are the Khornate worshipers of the Company.
The Greensfolk[edit]
"The Emperor's Peacekeepers" when founded. The order was perhaps the first founded, created by Abuza along with several other disillusioned Apothecaries and Hospitallers.
The Blue Company[edit]
The Blue Company never truly had an predecessor from the Guards days serving "The Emperor's Wills." Though one eventually formed right at the beginning of The Company's uprising. It was founded by Seargant along with his fellow Bullgryn revolters, pledging their fealty to Tzeentch in exchange for power and knowledge. The blue company is formed entirely by ogryns with non abhumans being lobotomized "slaves" for the Abhumans to bully as a reversal of fate.
