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The Harrowing was a Chaos Space Marine warband in the early years of M33. It was led by the warlord Gzrel and a coterie of Chaos Sorcerers comprised of Maroth, Xiatsis, Cottadaron and the one called Horkos, the apparently weakest and most subservient to Gzrel and Maroth. The warband had over a hundred renegade Astartes members, as well as enginseers, mutants and slaves. It controlled the ailing hunter ship, the Blood Crescent. However, on the edges of the Eye of Terror it encountered a under powered and rogue Adeptus Mechanicus vessel, the Titan Child, commanded by the tech-priest Carmenta. Thirty Harrowing boarded the Titan Child and encountered four Astartes -- Thidius, Cadar, Kadin and their leader, a Librarian called Astraos. Cadar was neary killed, and after the battle, his body would be turned into a daemonhost by Maroth. The other three were incapacitated, and so, Maroth would take an eye from each of them. The superior Titan Child was to become Gzrel's flagship and a makeshift throne room was hastily constructed on the newly conquered vessel. Carmenta was enslaved and other slaves were sacrificed to the glory of Chaos as the vessel was quickly corrupted by the Ruinous Powers and structural changes begun.

Shortly after capturing the Titan Child, however, a warship of unknown provenance, known as the Blood Crescent, approached. From it came a sorcerer, Tolbek, an exile of the Thousand Sons, accompanied by a pair of Rubricae. Tolbek claimed he sought the former First Captain and Librarian of the XIV Legion, Ahzek Ahriman, whom he believed was hiding within the Harrowing. In Gzrel's throne room he looked at each sorcerer and realised that the meek, beak-helmed Horkos was in actuality Ahriman, and after psychically communicating with the wayward First Captain, he immediately attacked. In the ensuing battle Tolbek, Gzrel, Xiatsis and Cottadaron were killed, and Maroth's mind was shattered. Immediately, Ahriman realised that he must seize the ship, kill the Harrowing and flee Tolbek's superior warship. He immediately sought out Carmenta, mistress of the Titan Child and freed her. He also freed Astraos and his two living brothers, earning their fealty. Together, the five killed the hundred Harrowing Chaos Marines aboard the Titan Child and caused a fight between Tolbek's unassuming vessel and the Blood Crescent, damaging both vessels and allowing the freed Titan Child to escape. The remaining Harrowing presumably died on the severely damaged and listing Blood Crescent.

Warband History

Almost nothing is known about the Harrowing's history in official Imperial records.

Warband Appearance

Warband Colours

The Harrowing warband's colours are not listed in current Imperial records.

Warband Badge

The Harrowing warband's iconography is not listed in current Imperial records, but they wore the usual Chaos fetishes and iconography, showing their allegiance to the Ruinous Powers.

Sources

  • Ahriman: Exile (Novel) by John French
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