In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. In this endless warfare, certain individuals rise to prominence – not always for the better. Today, we delve into the history of one such figure – Typhon, the First Captain of the Death Guard. This is a tale of resilience, power, loyalty, and ultimately, a fall from grace.
In the aftermath of a fierce battle, Typhon watched as the body of his ancient foe Vul decomposed in a welter of acrid blood. His fascination with the process of decay was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
As the campaign to liberate Barbarus – a planet under the rule of the cruel overlords – reached its climax, the Emperor of Mankind arrived on the scene. Despite Typhon’s attempt to dissuade the Emperor’s son, the Reaper, from marching on the fortress of the last enemy, Necare, the Reaper pressed on. And he would have met a premature end if not for the Emperor’s intervention.
Following the successful liberation of Barbarus, Typhon was among those considered for ascension into the esteemed Astartes ranks. His potential was evident, but it also had to be suppressed, as the use of psyker powers had been renounced after the Edict of Nikaea.
Primarch Mortarion, the leader of the Death Guard Legion, was initially reluctant to accept the use of psykers, seeing in them the potential for corruption and a reminder of the cruel overlords they had defeated. But Typhon, with his iron will and spirit, won over Mortarion, who soon preferred him above all others. Typhon was elevated to the rank of First Captain of the Death Guard. Under his command, the First Company adopted the moniker “Grave Warden”.
The Grave Wardens were clad in Terminator armor, a prototype for the armors of later models. Kitted out for extreme conditions, these suits were equipped with devices for dispersing lethal substances such as the creeping phosphex or the deadly c-gene gas. Wherever they went, enemies awaited a slow and agonizing death.
The Terminator armor was often attached with an assault grenade launcher, a reliable short-range weapon. When the ammunition was spent, power fists were employed – oversized armored gloves that generated a force field capable of breaking the molecular bonds of any solid substance they touched. It was not just a weapon but also a protective mechanism, allowing Typhon to envelop himself in a deadly toxic mist.
As the errant worlds of the galaxy were brought to Imperial compliance, Typhon continued to distinguish himself. He ascended first to the rank of a knight, then to a warrior king, contributing significantly to the triumphs of his Legion during the Great Crusade. His resilience in the face of the harshest war zones and weaponry became a legend often recounted in the Death Guard.
Yet, despite his loyalty to the Death Guard and the Imperial Truth, Typhon aspired for more. He was initiated into the mysteries of the Seven Pillared Lodge by the Word Bearers’ foremost chaplain, Erebus. Typhon realized the heights he could achieve if he shed the shackles of the Emperor’s misconceptions. The Primarch and his First Captain sided with Horus in his insurrection. But that, dear readers, is a tale for another day. Stay tuned for the next part of the saga of Typhon, the Grave Warden.
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