- "Behold as the gate opens, and brings forth the harbingers of change and revelation!"
- —Final worlds of the cultist Aquinius Solin
Based on the daemonic world known as Myznarinax, often referred to as Abyss, the warband known as the Abyssal Host remains shrouded in mystery. While isolated and remaining on Abyss for years on end, the Host remains a force to be reckoned with, as they ravage loyalist, traitor and xeno alike. Emerging from the thick cosmic mist surrounding their homeworld, the servants of the daemon prince Mazateth set forth on raids for new slaves and artifacts, plundering and ravaging all in their path, as their continue their quest for obscure and unholy lore.
History[]
The Abyssal Host was initially a fleet based warband, of hitherto unknown origin. Centered around their flagship, Spire of Revelation, they first reached fame during the First War for Heron. Initially numbering more than 200 marines, the war reduced their numbers, as subsequent conflicts eventually led their current numbers measuring less than 100 marines.
The eventual defeat during the First War of Heron marked a turning point for the warband. Seizing the momentum, the Chaos Lord Veron Calix, knowing he would not be able to outright kill his master, made use of the mystical artifact known as the Endless Cage, trapping the mortal Mazateth, and seemingly locking him in a place beyond the confines of the mortal realm. While most of the marines chose to follow Calix, 31 of them saw that only their true master's vision and plan would lead the Host to achieving it's goals. Escaping from the rest of the fleet, these chosen few undertook a quest to liberate their master, which they would later call the Great Deed.
As the marines that sided with Calix ended up fighting through the Second War of Heron, the loyal 31 managed to unlock the mysteries that would set their master free. Following the end of the Second War of Heron, they confronted their brethren, and freed their lord. However, much to the shock and surprise of the entire Host, Mazateth emerged from his prison transformed and ascended. It is incomprehensible how the sorcerer lord managed to please his patron to bestow the greatest gift a servant of darkness may achieve, but his servants welcomed their master back, yet their treason had to be answered for. It is unknown when, nor how it was done, but the scornful daemon prince condemned those that turned their backs on him to an eternity of possession, replacing their traitor souls with the immortal spirits of the daemons of change. Worst yet became the fate of the arch-traitor, as he would remain in his malformed and mutated body for all times.
Taking back the lordship over his fleet, the daemon prince commanded them to a daemon world. Hidden behind a massive sea of mist, lay the world of Myznarinax. From the outside the mist appeared dark, but as their ships penetrated it, they were engulfed by vibrant and radiant color, being the only heavenly source of light on the solitude, starless world.
Making the world their home, the remaining 26 of the 31 loyal marines, were rewarded by dominion over realms of their new home, and command over their malformed brethren and the hordes of mortal servants, now only bolstered by the enthralled native species of Abyss.
Organisation and tactics[]
Whether or not they were great sorcerers before their Great Deed, or if such power came from learning from tomes of wicked knowledge they had now access to, the champions of the host are formidable user of the mystic arts. Being left to lead their armies, as their powerful lord refrains from such mundane affairs as war and plunder, only seldom leaving the world, if at all.
Supported by their master’s sorceries, the possessed marines charge at their foes with great haste, easily outmatching most in close combat. Some, transformed in the image of Tzeenth’s greater daemons, developed bird-like wings and talons, fixing the former lack of raptors the warband had.
The might sorcerers and possessed marines are further backed by the legions of mortal servants, which make the backbone of their armed force. Comprised of mostly mutated humans and Tzeentchian beastmen, these legions have since the discovery of Myznarinax been bolstered by hordes of abominations native to the hellish world. These beasts, ranging from the pestilent, rat-like pestbringers, to the vicious, predator humanoids of the bloodskins. The multitude of these horrible beasts have boosted the usage of terror tactics used against the feeble minded mortals of the materium.
Even while it fields a considerable armed force, it is not as numerous as the armies of their foes and rivals. As a result, slave soldiers are subject to various experiments and mutations aimed at improving them. This shortage of raw numbers is further resolved by binding daemons to all their machinations.
The Abyssal Host lacks any proper sort of hierarchy and unit division, rather assigning their forces according to the task. In the time spent in waiting on Abyss, the sorcerer lords throw their slaves at each other, mastering their strategies and technologies, with no regard to losses. This happens much to the utter disregard of their daemon prince, who seldom cares for his subjects’ affairs. The Host still remains firm in their continued quest for knowledge and power, yet those that saved him from his prison, might become Mazateth’s undoing.
Appearance[]
The Abyssal Host lacks any consistent iconography of their own, other than the symbols of their patron deity. While being free to decorate themselves however they chose, the Astartes, both the sorcerer lords and their possessed underlings, still bear the same colors as before discovering Myznarinax, being a mix of dark blue and white, decorated with usually black ornaments. The warband also lacks a proper war cry.
Myznarinax[]
The world known as Abyss is located somewhere in the Vanheron Maw. The name itself is derived from many of the tomes found in it’s ancient and ruinous archives. Abyss is the home to a plethora of different xeno species, which grew in insolation from the rest of the universe around them, due to the protective function of the mist surrounding the world. Since their arrival on the hellish world, the Abyssal Host has also made it’s impact on the world, changing it to their own devices.
The Mist[]
Simply referred to as the Mist, this protective barrier serves as the main defensive gambit of the Host in the defense of their world. Appearing dark from the outside, splattered with shades of purple, red and blue, the inside of the Mist is colorful, radiating a strong light which illuminates the entire world, keeping it in a constant state of false daylight. The main protective property of the mist are the anomalous storms that appear within, able to shred or incapacitate entire fleets which dare to perturb the foul lords of Abyss. Only Mazateth knows the ever changing pathways which allows his servants to fly out to do his will, and return without peril with their plunder.
The Changing Ocean[]
As the entire planetary landmass, aside several island, is concentrated as a singular continent, the Putrid Ocean represents the liquid mass surrounding it on all sides. Do question the composition of the liquid is futile, as it keeps changing both substance and color at different places, ranging from simply darkly tinted water to vibrant acid. The weather on the ocean is as changing as on the rest of the world, shifting from clear skies which reveal the multichromatic radiance of the Mist, to raging storms which bring massive tides, raging havoc on the shores and changing them constantly. What dwells beneath the waves remains a mystery, as the Host itself found no purpose for the beings of this weird ocean, yet it is without a doubt that life exists beneath the putrid waves.
The Land[]
The sole continent of the twisted world appear covered mainly in barren grey rock, appearing in different sizes and shapes, often defying common reason (as some rocks simply float around), and dark sand deserts. However, this does not prevent the existence and emerging of a diverse ecosystem, boasting many forms of fauna and of flora. Blue grass and stone, chromatic rivers and lakes, vibrant and even transparent trees, break the monotony of the desolate waste. Yet those grey wastes are not safe from change. Sporadic anomalies and storms change and shift the land, making travel for those unprepared a death sentence.
The Black Towers[]
These enormous buildings, created from pitch black oily stone, tower over the rest of the landscape. They predate the arrival of their current masters, their labyrinth-like libraries are home to forgotten tomes of knowledge, being taken care of by the librarians, a feeble native species, stalking through the corridors, with seemingly no malicious intent. Each of Mazateth’s chosen was granted one of those towers, around which, due to their protection from the maddening storms of the world, arose large slave pits, barracks, factories, armories and fortresses.
Creatures[]
As the world oddly did not become a battlefield for the daemonic servants of Chaos like many other daemon worlds, the beings on Abyss thrived on their harsh home. Most of their origins remain unknown, yet there exists a possibility of their connection to the Lord of Change. The origins of some species however is known, as those were introduced by the Host itself.
Pestbringers - A species native to the world, these naked and blind creatures resemble rats, and contrary to their name do not transmit disease, but mutagenic cells. The effective mutation cause by their bite varies not just from host to host, but from pestbringer to pestbringer, serving as the lowest agents of change.
Bloodhoarder – A species native to the world, all though changed and enhanced by the sorcerer lords over centuries of servitude, these bloated, overgrown beings serve as the main procurers of liquid. As filtrating the liquids found in nature becomes an impossible chore, bloodhoarders are used as a source of liquid nourishment that is easier to filter (not without remaining adverse health effects however). Due to a lifetime of being fed blood, the slave soldiers of the Host develop a natural thirst for blood.
Bloodskins – A species native to the world, these sentient beasts stand out not just due to their red skin, but to their abominable features. Having a vertical mouth, long, thin claws on their hands, a large tail ending with a poisoned spike, these large bipedal monsters are used for their hunting skills, utilized as a part of terror tactics.
Nullskins – Appearing much like their bloodskin kin, these larger beings are prized for their natural ability of total cloak camouflage. They are used for the same operations as their lesser kin.
Punished Ones – The servants that displease their masters might earn the grace of death or sacrifice, but those that transgressed might not meet such a mercy. Bathed in a unique slime, their mortal bodies melt and merge with the thick slime, until it forms a gelatinous body. The snail-like being which remains is condemned to an eternity of suffering, unless they’d find a way to die in the wastes of Abyss.
Relic and artifacts[]
Endless Cage - Acquired at some time by the sorcerer Veron Calix, this artifact, appearing as a large, black box, was used for his plan of trapping Mazateth, knowing he would not be able to defeat him otherwise. However, his plan backfired, as in the infinite void within his cage, Mazateth miraculously managed to ascend to daemonhood. It is generally believed that the flow of time inside it is much slower that real time, mainly to prolong the torture of the imprisoned. The Endless Cage was destroyed as Mazateth was freed.
Sindemer - The daemon blade once wielded by the champion Hadron of the Crimson Reavers, it was picked from his corpse by the sorcerer Andor the Undoer. The blade grants it’s user unnatural speed, making even the bulky space marines easily leap and charge, provided it is fed large amounts of blood.
Gate of Gilzenmor - Allegedly forged by the greater daemon of Tzeentch, Gilzenmor, it’s is also known as the Gate of Changing Names. The gate can transport the user to any place where it’s current name is being chanted, hence requiring a skilled, or instructed, sorcerer at the other end to operate. The names it takes on are usually absurdly long, and should it be mispronounced, the user might be disintegrated while passing through it. It’s size prevents it to be used to transport larger vehicles, but when used correctly, entire armies of infantry, marines and smaller daemon engines might pass without peril.
Simulacrum Helm - Given to the sorcerer Ranolon Idilion by his master, this artifact allows the user to appear as anyone they wish, even emulating the correct sounds of the one, provided that the user knows them well enough. It’s usage for infiltration is immeasurable.
Godpiercer - A powerful spear granted to Nar’abloron, the most exalted among the possessed marines, often serving as the leading figure of the winged possessed ones. It is able to generate massive heat at it’s tip, easily melting through even the thickest of metals.
Voidstone of Undoing – Created from a forceful sacrifice of the remaining astartes of the Covenant of the Maggot, this artifact was destroyed after it’s use, as it was shot at the star of the Vilimir System, causing it to die and casting the system into darkness and winter.
Notable members[]
Mazateth – Even as a mortal he displayed immense sorcerous powers, leading his warband for centuries before the First War of Heron. Betrayed by his servant, he still managed to ascend to daemonhood while trapped. It is unknown how he did it, but he emerged like no other daemon prince. The appearance he took is one of an ever changing mass of pale tentacles, limbs and eyes, as mutations appear and vanish constantly. He is still able to take on a weaker form of a humanoid when needed to actually lead his forces. Seldom interfering with anything, he shuts himself off to uncover the mystic lore at his disposal, breaking this isolation only to command his underlings.
Veron Calix – The sorcerer that betrayed Mazateth, lead the Host through the Second War of Heron, ultimately being subjugated by his master upon his liberation. The punishment for his transgression was immense. He was turned into a mass of yellow flesh, forevermore serving to punish other servants of the Host, as he became the source of the slime which creates the Punished Ones.
Arameis of Ylena – One of the sorcerer lords of the Host, Arameis usurped a massive Chaos cult on Ylena IV, during the Third War of Heron, soon conquering the rather defenseless planet. Styling himself Lord of Ylena, Arameis began to disregard the rest of the Host and grew hungry for power. His visions of power were soon shattered by the Imperial counter attack and subsequent exterminatus. It is not believed that Arameis found a way to escape his newfound kingdom.
Andor the Undoer – Generally believed to be the most potent fighter among the sorcerer lords of the Host, Andor eventually came into possession of the khornite blade Sindemer, which most believe he took from Hadron the Bloodtide during the Fourth War of Heron.
Ranolon Idilion – A masterful sorcerer and among the most powerful of the host, he serves as a de-facto spymaster of the Host, and is one of the most loyal to their master, all though such a loyalty might just be a façade for his own ends.
Nemilidion Quom – Another mighty sorcerer, renowned for his deed of trapping the remainder of the Covenant of the Maggot, and sacrificing them to forge the Voidstone of Undoing.
Nar'abloron – The first among the possessed marines, is the most prized living instrument of his masters, serving often as the harbinger of their will, leading fellow possessed marines into battle.
Auqinius Solin – A cultist, infiltrator and psyker, who was used to open the Gate of Gilzenmor within the Hive City of Adamantium, on Cispin Minor during the Fourth War of Heron.