CASTOR'S BAND

Castor Rebelius Xandor – Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers. Originally of the 10^th Chapter. Served as a Scout during the latter part of Great Crusade. Promoted to Initiate status following the Great Betrayal. Slew an Ultramarines Chaplain, took his wargrear and name for his own, and then declared himself an Apostle. His rank was confirmed by the Council after a few hundred years of deliberation.

Tol Amar – Former command squad veteran. Possible acolyte material. On detached duty; he’s converting the natives of Consovor.

ELITES

Command squad (10): The command squad was once all there was to Castor’s band, old brothers from the 10^th that decided to follow the new Apostle. Now only three members are from the old days – the others have either gone on to command one of the four marine squads – or fallen in battle. When Castor is absent the squad is led by Kal Faran – Belarius is no leader.

Belarius – Champion. Has taken the name, vestments and weapons (power sword and storm shield) from the Ultramarine champion that tried and failed to protect Castor when he was an Ultramarine Chaplain. Sworn to keep Castor safe in this life and the next. Has neither spoken a word since that day nor removed his helmet in public. Always at Castor's side – the two fight as one.

Kal Faran – Icon bearer of the warband. Armed with a bolter. Castor’s closest adviser from the old days in the 10th Host. A warrior to the core.

Amarath – Close support for the command squad. Armed with meltagun. A devoted believer even for a Word Bearer. He made his peace with the gods 10k years ago and has never looked back.

Veteran Marines (7) – Seven brothers chosen for their skill, loyalty and zeal.

Anointed squad (10): Terminator armour. The squad went with the new apostle as an honour guard. They are also the spies of the Council and Castor’s would-be executioners should he step wrong. The anointed are Castor’s veteran troops from the 10th host. Body guards and spearhead in combat.

Melkar – Anointed Sergeant. Veteran of the Great Crusade. Fought on Calth. That he is a spy for the Council is well known, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t loyal to Castor. Serves as the warbands warleader (Castor’s 2^nd in command).

TROOPS

Word Bearer Marine (tactical) squads (25): Originally three ten-man 'tactical' squads. The Marines are led by one Veteran sergeant from the 10th Host. These marines are all relatively newly made – within the last 200 years or so. They are armed with mix of old and new wargear. Their zeal is tempered by skills acquired to training and battlefield experience. Most have been with Castor for quite some time now and consider themselves part of his ‘host’ (i.e. their loyalty is to Castor, not someone else).

Recent battle deaths (5) and the creation of the neophyte squads have thinned the ranks – the most experienced men have been promoted to the command squad (2) or become sergeants (8). The first accelerated batch of Marines created by Doctore has filled some of the holes (10), but there is still one squad who is a battle squad short.

Word Bearer Havoc (devastator) squad (10): The warband's heavy support (usually packs 2 heavy bolters and 2 missile launchers). All recently initiated Marines, fresh from Sicarus. Made from pure Word Bearer stock (or so it is claimed). One of the veterans from the 10^th died recently and a new an untried Sergeant is squad leader now. They are eager to prove that they are just as good as the other squads even without the experience of an old hand guiding them. Have done well in several engagements now without a single casualty.

Word Bearer Initiate Squads (80): These are 10-man Tactical Squads composed for 9 recently initiated Brothers led by a Sergeant just promoted from one of the veteran squads. They are zealous in their faith and devotion, merciless killers, suited in the finest power armour the Mechanicus has to offer. But to be honest – they were made in a year and their purity and training leaves something to be desired. The true gods will no doubt sort out the worthy soon enough.

Renegade Space Marines (9): A catchall for various Marines that have drifted into your embrace. Currently includes Flame Flacons (6) – joined recently, Black Legion (1) – survived the destruction of the Wrath of Kings, Alpha Legion (1) – prisoner aboard the Broken Chains, Unknown (1) – rescued by Uriel. Can fight as one unit if needed – or broken up into smaller teams.

Daughters of the Word Squads (20+): These are the abused and desperate women that have been offered a chance to strike back at the galaxy. Armed and armoured in the manner of the Sisters of Battle. Zeal and brutality go hand in hand, military skill is somewhat lacking. It will come – or they will die. Their power armour and bolters make then effective troops, but under no circumstance should they be deployed versus Astartes.

Kimery – Leader of the Daughters. Has separate entry.

HORDES

The Aspirants (200): These are the Word-Bearers-to-be. Promising candidates will be singled out from the herd and handed over to Doctore for evaluation. Some come from the Watch, but not very many. Most are of the Faithful, but there are quite a few young prospects taken directly from the slave holds. The aspirants are indoctrinated and armed with whatever wargear is available, and then expected to prove themselves in matters of faith and war. The rate of attrition is high. Similar to how the Death Guard handles recruitment.

The Watch (1000): The Word has a number the Faithful serving as professional ship security (lots of zeal and brutality, mediocre in the skill department). They role is to keep the crew in line and repel boarders. In a pinch they can be used as light infantry. Shipboard armament is comprised of light body armour, shotgun and melee weapons.

The Faithful: Those among the crew who have accepted the Word. They can be armed and expected to fight with great zeal, but even less skill than the armsmen. Can be armed with whatever personal weapons can be found in the ship’s armour at the time – usually a mix of weapons old and new, including stubbers, autoguns and lasguns of various patterns. Body armour is not available.

The Unenlightened: The remaining that have not yet embraced the word; at least not enough to trust them with a gun. Arming them is not advisable, except if all other options have been exhausted. At any rate there are not enough real weapons to go around, so they must make do with pistols, improvised weapons and simple melee weapons. Or simply pick up weapons from the fallen.

SPECIALISTS

Commander Fragmin - Naval Tactical savant from Cadia. Was set free from the chains of the Corpse God during the 12th crusade. Fragmin has traveled a lot and been part of a lot of crews. His problem and greatest asset is being a savant; he can calculate that if his advice and battle orders go against a 10k old ship captain then he will end up dead. So he joined Castor’s small one ship warband for there he is too valuable to be easily discarded – why be a dead servant of someone great when you can the great servant of someone else?

Master Lumin – Former astropath. Now a sorcerer of Chaos.Came with the Word of Faith – turned by Castor. Serves much as he did before; as chief communications officer, head augurer and adviser to Castor. He has one additional role though – it is he who divines the paths the fleet will tread in the Warp. Served by a small number of acolytes.

Emona – Feral shaman fro Nim-Kor. Granddaughter of the savages’ head witch. From a long line of shamans. Will be a great sorcerer one day.

Apothecary ‘Doctore’ - The warbands medic is known only as Doctore. He is from a late founding loyalist chapter, but his constant experiments with gene-seed and Marine physiology got him in trouble with the Inquisition and he fled to the Eye. Doctore has found a home in Castor’s warband as combat medic – and as Castor's ticket to getting more Marines. Doctore gets bodies to experiment on and he gets to hit back at the Imperium that took his old life away.

Sister Kimery – Formerly an acolyte in the service of Inquisitor Renthor. Freed from her shackles by Castor. Serves as the leader of the Daughters of the Word (her basic combat skills are good and she’s quite fearless, but she’s no match for one of the Whores of the Corpse-God). Commands the Broken Chains (no naval experience, but has a keen mind). Has created a network of spies and informants with Castor’s sub-fleet – eerily similar to what an Inquisitor would do. Dedicated mind, body and soul to Castor and freedom for Humanity (in that order).

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URIEL'S BAND

Uriel - Iron Warrior

ELITES

Command squad

Iron Warrior Veterans (?):

TROOPS

Murder servitors

HORDES

Gun servitors

SPECIALISTS

Kruger: Magos. Servitor specialist.

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ADROTOS'S BAND

Sgt. Adrotos - Death Guard Veteran Sergeant. Participated in the 2nd Reaving. Recruited from the blasted surface of Bokiba-Bapas. Has no vessel of his own.

ELITES

Command Squad

Death Guard Veterans (12)

TROOPS

Death Guard Neophytes (100+): Death Guards in training. Undergoing the transformation into Marines even as they prove themselves in battle. Attrition (a Death Guard speciality), disease (a Nurgle thing) and gene-seed corruption (caused by the Death Guard's practice of accelerated gene-seed cloning) will kill most of them before the transformation is complete.

HORDES

Death Guard Aspirants (100+):

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XERXZES' BAND

Xerxzes - Emperor's Children.