Acherius Erinyes

"There is only one law in this galaxy; kill or be killed. I certainly intend to kill."

- Acherius Erinyes Known to many as The Vulture, Acherius Erinyes is the leader of the all-Night Lord Raptor Cult known as the Hell-Screamers, and is perhaps the prime personification of what it is to be a Chaos Raptor. Selfish, sadistic, egotistical, and generally considering himself everyone's better, Erinyes and his fellow Raptors stalk the fringes of the galaxy, selling their services to any Chaos Warlord who might give them the opportunity to sate their bloodlust in battle.

Nostramo
Like many Night Lords, Erinyes grew up on the blood-stained streets of Nostramo, fighting every day just to survive. Yet strangely, while many died or where transformed into psychopathic killers, Erinyes found a way to thrive despite all the odds. He did through a very simple method, playing to all sides; he would join one murderous gang, only to feed their rivals information about their strengths and weaknesses. When the two factions inevitably came to blows, Erinyes would spread rumors throughout both sides to fan the flames of their conflict, and so the two gangs would eventually destroy each other. When all was said and done, only scattered criminals remained of the two factions, and thus Erinyes would assume a position of leadership, crafting a new faction of ruthless criminals from the remnants of the old ones. By the time he turned thirteen, Acherius Erinyes had become a full-fleged gang leader, renowned for his guile and cunning.

Then the Night Haunter came, and tore down everything that Erinyes had built. With weeks his mighty syndicate (or at least he thought of it as a mighty sydicate) had been reduced to a pile of corpses, Erinyes only escaping the slaughter by going into hiding and ceasing all of his criminal activity. A wise choice, it seemed, for Konrad Kurze had more dangerous foes than a pre-pubecent child to worry about, and thus Erinyes fell from his notice. However, despite the fact that the Night Haunter had ruined all his hard work over the years, Erinyes never blamed him for it. In fact, he largely admired him, seeing him as a sort of twisted role model for his future endeavors.

Those endeavors never came, as by his fourteenth birthday, Nostramo had fallen under Imperial compliance with the coming of the Emperor of Mankind. Three days later, Erinyes was taken from his homeworld by the newly formed Night Lords Legion as a recruit.

Amongst the Night Lords
While loyal to his Legion, Erinyes did not exactly make a exemplary Space Marine. Rather, he was cunning, sadistic, and extremely ambitious, a dangerous combination, but one that did allow him to rise quickly through the ranks and become a full Space Marine much more quickly than anyone else had anticipated. Having established himself as a dangerous cutthroat, Erinyes was posted as a member of the 35th Night Raptors Squad within the Night Lords' 13th Talon.

As a Night Raptor, Erinyes found himself amongst like-minded individuals, and even becoming Huntmaster of his squad after the unfortunate demise of his former commander on the Industrial World of Siren Primus (although there were rumors that Erinyes orchestrated his death). Fighting alongside his fellow Night Lords at the forefront of many notable campaigns, Erinyes eventually became known as The Vulture, due to his tendency for picking off the survivors of any of his squad's assaults one by one.

It was Erinyes' ambition to become a member of the Kyroperta, the inner circle of the Night Lords, as to become a confidant of Konrad Curze himself. Thus he frequently went out of his way to display his worthiness, usually through larger and bloodier acts of violence against the Night Lords' enemies, yet the recognition that he thought he deserved never came. Yet again, Erinyes did not blame his genefather, instead blaming his fellow Night Lords for stealing his glory. Thus did he vow to become the greatest and most powerful of their number, as to outshine his "rivals" and claim the honor and praise he believed were due to him. However, this vow only served to inflate his already enormous ego.

Turning Traitor
When the Night Lords did join the corrupt Warmaster Horus in his revolt against the Imperium, Erinyes did not question his Primarch's judgement, putting the loyalist Legions to the sword at the Drop Sight Massacre and the Battle for Terra. Like the rest of the Night Lords after Horus' death, Erinyes and his Night Raptors, who had long since become known as the Hell-Screamers during the Horus Heresy, spread terror throughout the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy. Their momentum was only stopped when the news came that Konrad Kurze, the Night Lords' beloved progenitor, had been killed. Erinyes was shocked by this revelation, for he had always considered the Night Haunter to be beyond the grasp of death, for He was death itself. With this news Erinyes swore bloody vengeance against the one who killed his genefather, only to have that vengeance denied when Kurze's killer, the Callidus Assassin M'Shen, was killed by former Night Lord Apothecary Talos Valcoran.

That single act was what finally drove Erinyes away from the Night Lords, for in his eyes, Talos being the one to avenge Kurze's death was the ultimate insult. It should have been him, the most ardent of the genefather's children, that returned to the Legion carrying M'Shen's skull in one hand and a bloodied blade in the other. His ego simply couldn't stand the "humiliation", and thus he and his Hell-Screamers planned to depart from the bulk of the Traitor Legion, but not before they had bolstered their numbers.

Erinyes contacted the leaders of two other Night Raptor Squads, the Night Blades and the Daemon-Reapers, requesting that they meet with him to discuss "plans for the future". Chosing to meet aboard the Strike Cruiser Avenging Shadow, the Raptors gathered on the bridge of the ship, yet Erinyes and his Hell-Screamers were nowhere to be seen. Sensing deception was afoot, Therak "The Flayer", Huntmaster of the Night Blades, turned to his Raptors... and facefirst into a blast of plasma that punched a hole clean through the Night Lord's skull.

Erinyes emerged from the shadows behind the two groups, the barrel of his Daemonic Plasma Pistol still venting heat, and proclaimed that a change of management was in order, he was taking control of both Raptor Squads. Syveris Jokoth, Huntmaster of the Daemon-Reapers, bristled at this proclamation, and demanded that his Raptors kill Erinyes. In his rage, he never saw his lieutenant Kyber Rann impale him from behind with his Lightning Claw. Erinyes had bought Rann off with the promise of a high position within the Hell-Screamers. The rest of the Raptors, seeing how easily Erinyes had dealt with their respective Huntmasters, pledged their allegiance to The Vulture.

With more than 30 Raptors under his command, Acherius Erinyes set off from the Eastern Fringe aboard the Avenging Shadow, his newly-formed Raptor Cult in tow.

Personality
"How am I not superior to the common breed of Astartes? Let the the rabble fight their Loyalist kin tooth and nail, we of the Raptors shall simply wait until they have worn down their defenses... then we shall STRIKE!"

- Archerius Erinyes

Erinyes was once described as having "the ego of an Emperor's Child and the blood-hunger of a World Eater". This statement perhaps sums up The Vulture's personality entirely, for while he as just as coldhearted and sadistic as any Night Lord, he is also selfish, arrogant, extremely ambitious, and entirely convinced of his own superiority. This overinflated sense of self-importance is the result of his upbringing on Nostramo, where at the tender age of thirteen he singlehandedly managed to become a gang leader (an accomplishment that he will often boast of). His recruitment into the Night Lords only served to increase his already bloated ego, which finally came to a head when Erinyes separated himself from the bulk. While not as self-centered as those amongst the Emperor's Children Traitor Legion, Erinyes' ego is so great that he still refers to himself by his old Legion rank of Huntmaster, and any who meet his gaze can practically feel the contempt radiating from them.

Quite simply, Acherius Erinyes believes himself to be better than everyone else. He sees both normal humans and xenos as little more than vermin, for they are no match for a fully-fledged Space Marine. He sees his Legion, the Night Lords, as the greatest of the Space Marine Legions, and his genefather Konrad Kurze to have been the greatest of the Primarchs. He even holds his fellow Chaos Space Marines in contempt, for they are nothing compared to the deadly Raptors. Erinyes will often boast of all his apparent "superiority", although his is mindful to hold his tongue in the presence of more powerful benefactors, while silently he chafes at how they can consider themselves greater than he.

Yet despite his arrogance, Erinyes can more than back up any threat that he makes. Cunning and utterly merciless, Erinyes lives up to his namesake by exploiting every weakness he can find, whether on the battlefield or in simple conversation. Concepts like "honor" or even "fair play" are utterly alien to him, and he thinks nothing of committing the worst of atrocities if it benefits him in the end. But if something goes badly, Erinyes will not hesitate to flee at a moments notice, for he sees little value in fighting a battle he cannot win. Some have labeled it cowardice, but Erinyes merely sees it as common sense, one of the reasons he has survived this long.

Appearance
Standing at over seven feet tall, Erinyes is pale and sallow-skinned, the result of his upbringing on Notramo. His head is shaven, and his features are sharp and angular, giving him an almost avian appearance. Erinyes' eyes are a storm-grey color, and the left side of his face is dominated long scar that runs down his cheek and cheekbone. Erinyes claims to have recieved that scar during his days as a Nostraman Ganger.

Clad in his full battle-plate, Erinyes is an imposing figure. He wears modified Mark VI Corvus-Pattern Power Armor, painted the lightning-streaked dark blue of the Night Lords and trimmed with gold. One shoulder plate proudly bears the bat-winged skull of the Night Lords, the other is painted bone-white, the ceramite moulded into the shape of a screaming skull, and like most Night Lords Erinyes has decorated his armor his gristly fetishes such as spikes, flayed skins, skulls, and various bones. A massive Mark V Heresy-Pattern Jump Pack adorns his back, and his legs have been replaced with bionic replicas, complete with feet ending in razor-sharp adimantium talons. These augmetic legs give Erinyes a loping, slightly stooped gait, making him all the more vulture-like in appearance.

Abilities and Traits
Despite all his bravado, Acherius Erinyes is still a fearsome warrior with centuries of experience under his belt. As a Raptor, Erinyes prefers to attack from above using his Jump Pack, savoring the look of fear in the eyes of those he pounces upon like a bird of prey. He is a formidable opponent in close quarters, fighting with his Chainsword in one hand and his Daemonic Plasma Pistol in the other. Any who try to flee his attack are picked off one by one by the Vulture, a grusome habit that earned Erinyes his namesake.

As a Night Lord, Erinyes is a cunning strategist and a competent leader. Like most of his Traitor Legion, The Vulture excels at spreading fear through the ranks of his enemies, although Erinyes prefers a more direct method of sowing terror. This mostly entails coordinated hit-and-run style attacks of such brutality that is leaves the enemy dreading another assault, a tactic that has become a trademark of Erinyes' Raptor Cult. However, Erinyes' is mind is a calculating one, and thus he often strikes where the enemy is weakest or least protected. To him, victory is most assured when he is the one holding all the cards.

But if the odds are somehow turned against him, Erinyes won't hesitate to flee, though he grits his teeth every time he must.

Equipment

 * Mark VI Corvus-Pattern Power Armor - A relic of the Horus Heresy, Erinyes' Power Armor is both easy to repair and extremely flexible, allowing for a full range of motion in combat. However, It has been modified extensively over the years, to the point where it's original model is barely recognizable.
 * Mark V Heresy-Pattern Jump Pack - Larger yet lighter than the standard Jump Pack, Erinyes uses it often in combat. In battle, it can be used to propel him through the sky in long-range jumps or boost him forward in a single direction, allowing for impressive mobility.
 * Hellshriek Helm - A custom-made Power Armor helmet crafted by Dark Mechanicus armorsmiths as payment for the raiding of the Forge World Agonar, the Hellshriek Helm is a fiendish-looking helmet equipped with powerful vox-boosters. When activated, the Helm can release a supersonic scream so powerful that it can rupture the eardrums of anyone within a ten-foot radius of the wielder. Erinyes uses the Hellshriek Helm's power to gain advantage over multiple foes on the battlefield.
 * Thunder Edge-Pattern Chainsword - Erinyes has used this powerful Chainsword since his first days as a Night Raptor, and it has served him well. Modified and improved over the centuries, this Chainsword is capable of sawing through metal, flesh, and bone with equal ease.
 * Alecto (Possessed Plasma Pistol) - Erinyes' most prized possession, Alecto is a daemon-possessed Plasma Pistol acquired by Erinyes during the Horus Heresy. This pistol neither misfires nor overheats, it's ectoplasmic coils glowing a malefic violet color. Whenever it does fire, it's plasma bolts can punch a hole through solid adimantium, and if Erinyes wills it Alecto can make no sound while firing.

Relations
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Variel Reeve
The Chaos Lord and the Vulture were hardly close friends, mainly due to their rivalry in the Nostroman gangs and later the Night Lords for centuries. The two Night Lords and their warbands often worked alongside one another from the Horus Heresy to just before Variel's death, and both group were adept in the arts of slaughter and terror. However this did not indicate trust. Variel saw the Vulture as a useful ally and an effiectient killer, but also viewed him as to ambitious and idiotic to leave alive. The Vulture in the mean time looked down on the Chaos Lord with his usual arrogance, and was eager to plunder his remaining riches when Variel dissapeared into the Warp.

By
"The Night Lords were the only ones to truly realize what war was about. It wasn't about "honor" or "glory", or any other of those deluded concepts the Imperium still clings to. No, only we Night Lords know what war is truly about; the destruction of the enemy, by any means necessary."

- Acherius Erinyes

"I. HATE. Retreating."

- Acherius Erinyes, on retreating

About
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"While the Vulture is adept in tearing out entrails, his arrogance will one day be his downfall. I suspect he believes no mere Chaos Lord is capable of betrayal or backstabbing. We must adjust that view"

- Variel Reeve

Trivia

 * Erinyes' Plasma Pistol is named Alecto, which just so happens to be the name of one of the three mythological Erinyes.