Kabal of the Forsworn Tear (Inevitable Redux)

The Kabal of the Forsworn Tear has risen to a point of respect among the Spires of Commorragh, only recently making a name for itself in the Dark City.

Led by the Archon Ral'es Nefas, the early raids of the Forsworn Tear were of no special note. The small scale skirmishes were against small settlements, mainly missionary settlements and craft. Small, up-start Chaos cults that abandoned their home planets vanished without a trace, leaving more than one Inquisitor confused as to the fate of the Heretics. All of this was initially attributed to various xenos threats, and even when the Dark Eldar were identified, other more powerful Kabals were often given credit. The Kabal of the Forsworn Tear was not even identified by any species until early in M40 when they attacked a Tau vessel carrying an Ethereal. The Kabal took significant damage, and retreated. While the Ethereal himself was not harmed, the ship carrying his personal staff and attendants was captured in the raid.

It was later in M40 that the Kabal was first recorded in the records of the Imperium. A missionary ship taken in a raid years prior appeared in orbit over an Imperial planet. 100 people were found alive on board. The rescuers found the survivors horribly mutilated and branded with the tatoos of the Forsworn Tear. Many of the priests spoke maddened blasphemies, cursing the Emperor and reciting obscene litanies of the most revered Saints. Most were broken husks of the pious devotees they once were. A few even attacked the rescuers upon viewing the sacred Aquila. All 100 were executed as heretics. A tear drop was branded on each of the missionaries.

Less than 5 years later, the Chaos Marine Seldath, Instigator of the Crach Revolt, was seen stripped of his armor, large grafts of skin missing where his unholy markings had once glowed on his flesh, running through the streets of Bacchus IV, screaming about being chased by hounds. The seared brand of the Forsworn Tear was burned on his back. Seldath was never found.

Nefas and those of the Forsworn Tear find a special pleasure in breaking the spirit. The Archon has remarked that the depths of despair experienced by those that were once the most faithful adds a certain flavor to ones soul that is unmatched in the galaxy. A high price is paid for the vid-captures of the "re-introductions" of the coven, the panic and terror of those left alive upon seeing the fate of those taken, their champions broken, their beacons of light snuffed, a delight to those in the Dark City.

Nefas rarely seeks aid with any of the major houses, his small target, high risk, raids not being worth the time of the greater Kabals. Even when successful, Nefas's raids often have a specific person as a goal, making the spoils diffcult to split. Nefas has, on the other hand, often offered his alliance in raids for a small percentage of the spoils, with the exception of one or two high importance targets. This makes Nefas a 'cheap ally' to many Kabals throughout the Dark City.

After some time, Nefas's victories had earned him some renown. He was approached by the Wyches of the Pain Eternal. They had heard of Nefas's exploits against Ecclesiarchal targets, and offered their assistance. With the aid of the Wych Cult, Nefas was able to strike with a new found power. More and more, Nefas allied with Mishaela, The Witch of Ending, one of the Succubi of the Pain Eternal. As time went on, Mishaela and her Hekatrices stayed in the Dark City while the fleet of the Pain Eternal returned to real-space. Their alliance has led to a relationship between the two that has existed to this day. The inevitable betrayal that defines their people aside, the partnership has led Nefas to fund Mishaela's own cult, officially splitting off from the Cult of Pain Eternal.

Thus the Cult of a Thousand Cuts was born. The Wyches of the Thousand Cuts delight in prolonging their battles as long as possible, dodging and inflicting only the most painful, but superficial, of wounds, keeping their quarry in the fight as long as possible. The frustration and desperation of their opponents only fuels the Wyches, who whittle the great warriors into exhausted husks. Only then will they grant them a soft, insulting, killing blow. Those who show no fighting spirit are gruesomely executed, or re-caged to be used as fodder for the Beast Masters.

Mishaela herself is said to have battled the Space Marine Taranas Jonus of the Space Wolves for 4 days and nights before the warrior finally collapsed from exhaustion. Mishaela did not finish the warrior, but instead left him to the taunts and jeers of the audience and his captors for the next month. When she battled him again, it was a brief affair, Mishaela severing the limbs of the Marine, then leaving his body there to bleed to death to the cheers and laughter of the audience. Bardasius lied in the arena, disgraced, and bled to death.

As with most Kabals, the requirements of regeneration have led Nefas and Mishaela to seek out a Coven. Both the Forsworn Tear and the Cult of a Thousand Cuts have allied themselves to the Scions of the Wretched. The Haemonculi there take gleeful pleasure in preserving the lives of those the Kabal finds difficult to break, even treating the injuries of those captured by the Softest Touch who refuse to let their toys perish. They enjoy their work not only because of the painful procedures, but because those that are irrepairably broken are sent to the Covens for "re-introduction". The Scions delight in mutiliating those that are to be sent back, taking sadistic pleasure knowing that their works will be seen by those who cared for them most. In addition, the Coven will often booby-trap the bodies with some disease, to be sent back, either to weaken or kill the captives rescuers. Of great success was the Exterminatus of Fression II, in which the rampant virus unleashed combined with the blasphemies instilled by the Kabal caused the Inquisition to believe the Daemons of Nurgle had taken hold of the main population center. The entire planet was destroyed to save the Sector.

Led by the Ancient Haemonculous Baraz Renzorus, the Scions of the Wretched were once known by a different name, a smaller Coven located in the bowels of the Dark City. What later became the Scions were thought destroyed by many, as a failed alliance in an attempted coup many centuries back had earned the contempt of the Kabal of the Black Heart. The traitors, as well as their allies, were all but wiped from Commorragh. For the centuries after, Renzorus resigned himself to a destroyed section of the city, continuing his experiments while hiding from the assassins of his enemies. Such was his poverty that he became adept at prolonging and restoring life to his subjects as well as himself. Soon after the founding of the Forsworn Tear, Nefas sought out the disgraced Haemonculus, learning of his treachery centuries ago. Renzorus possessed a large chunk of territory in lower Commorragh, abandeond ruins from an area long ago declared useless. With Nefas's patronage, Renzorus sooned turned the ruined area into a respectable regeneration facility. His purpose renewed, and his cages restocked, Renzorus dedicated his services to the Forsworn Tear. Constantly on guard against the one-time traitor, Nefas often reminds Renzorus that he knows of his secret role in the coup attempt against Vect centuries ago. In rare moments of lucidity, Renzorus rages at this blackmail, but as long as Nefas supplies the Haemonculus with fresh bodies, he is content to allow Nefas to believe he has some degree of control.

With their success in Commorragh, the Kabal has achieved a degree of fame for its raids. However, targeting such highly prized targets has left the Kabal with a smaller standing force, with the many in the regeneration chambers of the Coven. Always concerned about a possible attack, Nefas is often seen as soft-spoken and non-confrontational, at least for an Archon in the Dark City. Stronger Kabals are still reluctant to test his might in a coup, however, for besides his own alliances, Mishaela retains her connections to the Pain Eternal.

While never shying from a good assassination, Nefas does much to secure his place in the Dark City through diplomacy. Those who find themselves insulted, either by design or by accident, often recieve a gift from Nefas. When the Archon of the Last Hatred made known his distaste for Nefas after the Forsworn Tear raided a small church-moon that was to be a future target of the Last Hatred, Nefas was concerned that he had provoked the much stronger Kabal. Three months later, the Cardinal of the Church arrived at the doorstep of the Last Hatred, the Cardinal reciting with great fervor the date, location, and captive count of all of the Last Hatreds victories, praising the martial prowess of the Archon, the events cited going back hundreds of years. The Archon kept this living trophy until it dropped dead, Nefas's slight forgiven.

And so the Forsworn Tear continues its climb among the Spires of Commoragh, the blasphemies of the damned echoing from the depths of its torture chambers. Here the brightest souls of real-space are brought, to be extinguished in the blackness of the Kabal's territories. Among the highest spires of his realm, Nefas continues to seek out high profile targets to defile, weakening not only the forces of the galaxy but the very Gods themselves.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

It was later in M40 that the Kabal was named in the Imperium.

You did this in your last one too. The Imperium doesn't name the Kabals. The Kabals do.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

Commorragh revelled in Nefas's newest fad. While the breaking of spirit has long been a refined art, few pursued the destruction of faith with the zealousness of the Forsworn Tear. Nefas oftens plans near suicidal raids into real-space to capture those he sees as having the most faith, the most significance to the spiritual faith of a sector.

I really dislike this idea. One: I don't see a Kabal caring about a slave races religion in the slightest. Two: It smacks of borderline Chaos Eldar, which I also don't like. Three: A suicidal archon wouldn't stay in power long. If he kept planning suicide missions, if his underlings didn't take him out by "accident", they would probably defect to another Kabal. Remember that Kabals operate under a Mafia mentality.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

Thus the Cult of the Softest Touch was born.

I'd work on that name a little more. It sounds like a brand of Commorraghite toilet paper.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

Mishaela severing the limbs of the Marine, then leaving his body there to bleed to death to the cheers and laughter of the audience. With his increased constitution, Bardasius lied in the arena, disgraced, for days before dying.

Space Marine or not, bleed-out is still bleed-out. He'd die within a day of having his limbs severed without medical attention. A Space Marine has multiple hearts and his blood pressure, theoretically, would be much higher than that of a human's.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

Soon after the founding of the Forsworn Tear, Nefas sought out the disgraced Haemonculus.

This would need to be done in secret. In the murder-politics of the Dark City, it would be political suicide.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

While often greedy for additional power, Nefas has reminded Liluneth that it would take but a word to remind the higher powers of her treachery, and the Dark City never forgets.

Haemonculi are megalomaniacs. There is no way that a Haemonculus would allow another to lord over him or her without severe repercussions. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but the Archon who forgets himself is going to be a wonderful plaything for the scorned Haemonculus.

CDSzafraniec wrote:

Given his relative weakness, Nefas is often seen as soft-spoken and non-confrontational, at least for an Archon in the Dark City. Stronger Kabals are still reluctant to test his might in a coup, however, for besides his own alliances, Mishaela retains her connections to the Pain Eternal.

You need to rework this. It sounds like, "Neener, neener, neener! You can't get me!" And as we all know, everyone is fair game in Commorragh. Also, if he is considered weak, how does he recruit followers? A Kabalite warrior would not work for an archon who appeared weak because his weakness would reflect onto that of his warriors. And that invites destruction. Wych allies or not.

My two cents.

Good thought process and explanation. I look forward to seeing more.

Xelkireth beat me to most of what I was thinking. Pity.

I actually think that Softest Touch is a pretty good name. Still, if you can't unhear the toilet paper thing, I would suggest either the Cult of the Countless Wounds or the Cult of the Infinite Blades.

Spanna uv Komor-AAAGH! wrote:

Xelkireth beat me to most of what I was thinking. Pity.

At last! REVENGE!

Spanna uv Komor-AAAGH! wrote:

I actually think that Softest Touch is a pretty good name. Still, if you can't unhear the toilet paper thing, I would suggest either the Cult of the Countless Wounds or the Cult of the Infinite Blades.

Cult of the Countless Wounds: I like the sound of that.

So,

Kabal: The Forsworn Tear
Archon: Ral'es Nefas
Symbol: Hexed Red Tear Drop

Cult of a Thousand Cuts
Head Succubus: Mishaela, the Witch of Ending

Coven: Scions of the Wretched (switched this up, converted a haemie too!)
Ancient Haemonculus: Baraz Renzorus, "Renzorus the Unhinged"

Did my final edit, switched up the names and reworded some parts to sound less 'Chaos Eldar' ish.

Actually, regarding the Cult name, how about "Cult of a Thousand Cuts?" It certainly describes their preferred method of murder...

That is actually perfect. Thank you.

Quote :

While never shying from a good assassination, Nefas does much to secure his place in the Dark City through diplomacy. Those who find themselves insulted, either by design or by accident, often recieve a gift from Nefas. When the Archon of the Last Hatred made known his distaste for Nefas after the Forsworn Tear raided a small church-moon that was to be a future target of the Last Hatred, Nefas was concerned that he had provoked the much stronger Kabal. Three months later, the Cardinal of the Church arrived at the doorstep of the Last Hatred, the Cardinal reciting with great fervor the date, location, and captive count of all of the Last Hatreds victories, praising the martial prowess of the Archon, the events cited going back hundreds of years. The Archon kept this living trophy until it dropped dead, Nefas's slight forgiven.

That is hilarious. I absolutely love that.

Certainly, a good backstory for your Kabal, and I must say, in your defense, if anyone could piss of a Haemonculus and get away with it, it would be an Archon.