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Cyrene Valantion

(Redirected from Actaea)
Targetdrone.gif This article is about the Word Bearers confessor; for the world, see Cyrene.

Cyrene Valantion, known as the Blessed Lady by the Word Bearers and inhabitants of Colchis, was an early Confessor.[1]

History

The Blessed Lady

Cyrene was the sole survivor of the destruction of the Word Bearers' "perfect city" of Monarchia by the Ultramarines, losing her sight amid the blinding light of Lance orbital bombardment. Thereafter she was worshiped by many of those who followed the Word Bearers' ideals, and was made a Confessor by Lorgar himself. Cyrene became very close to and trusted by Argel Tal and Xaphen, who came to her with their troubles. One of the three Abyss Class battleships was named in her honor as Blessed Lady.[1]

Cyrene was killed by the Adeptus Custodes for being in their way during the beginnings of the Drop Site Massacre, and spent the next year having her soul torn apart by daemons in the warp. Later, she was resurrected by Erebus as part of his scheme to better control Argel Tal. However, she was apparently killed again during the Shadow Crusade when the Fidelitas Lex was heavily damaged. In truth she had reached an escape pod and met Cabal agents led by Damon Prytanis, who revealed that she was a Perpetual since her resurrection and asked her to come with them.[2]

Actae

Cyrene then took up a new identity known as Actae and disguised herself as an acolyte of the Cult of the Blessed Lady. She was recruited by the Word Bearers to help find Fulgrim in preparation for Horus' drive on Terra. Actaea led them through the Webway and then to the Palace of Slaanesh, where Fulgrim was eventually found and bound by Zardu Layak using his True Name. All of these events were part of Lorgar's plan to usurp Horus as the anointed of Chaos, but in the end Actaea tipped off the Warmaster to the treachery. This combined with Layak freeing Fulgrim instead of using him to attack Horus as originally planned resulted in Lorgar's coup falling apart and the Primarch being banished. Afterwards Layak confronted Actaea and revealed that he not only knew it was her who informed the Warmaster, but that he had also looked into the history of of Valantion's Cult and no record of an individual named Actae had ever existed. Layak asked just who or what exactly Actae was, but she refused to answer and left.[3]

Actae next appeared during the Siege of Terra alongside a Space Marine identifying himself as Alpharius in order to save Ollanius Persson, John Grammaticus, and the rest of their group from the clutches of the Emperor's Children.[4] At some point, Actae had become acquainted with Erda and was dispatched by as a failsafe to deal with Horus should he prevail in the Heresy.[6a] However Actae believed she could use Horus as a conduit to instead enslave Chaos, saving humanity and turning the Arch-traitor into the savior of Mankind. To that end, she was able to activate Alpha Legion First Captain Ingo Pech's activation trigger "Orphaeus" to psychically control him and use him to get her into the Imperial Palace.[6b]

Upon meeting Actaea, Grammaticus became horrified by her presence, saying she was an object of Chaos and pleaded with Ollanius to refuse her help. For her part however, Actae stated she was neither a pawn of the Emperor or Horus. Ollanius agreed to the aid of the woman and Pech (now going by "Alpharius") in reaching the Emperor.[4] Together, the group acquired an Arvus Lighter and flew to the Imperial Palace across Terra's ravaged landscape.[5a] However as they crossed the frontline, they were engaged by traitor forces near the Inner Palace. During the fight that followed, Actae displayed great psychic abilities by telekinetically crushing a traitor fighter aircraft[5b]. In the end however, their aircraft was shot down. Actae and the others were guided by "Alpharius" into hidden passages with the intent to reach the Sanctum Imperialis.[5c]

Within the depths of the Imperial Dungeon, Pech was able to reveal his plight and pled with John Grammaticus for help, who eventually was able to immobilize him and turn on Actae by pointing a pistol at her head. However thanks to the pleading of Oll Persson and the psychic confirmation of Katt that she did not intend to help Horus, John spared Actae and they continued to the throneroom.[6c] Within the Thromeroom, the group came before Vulkan and Actae speculated that Horus was the "Dark King" who intended to ascend to a fifth Chaos God.[6d]

As the group continued on their quest to reach the Emperor, they found themselves on a wall of the Imperial Palace and attempted to find a new plan.[7a] It was then that they were confronted by Erebus, who had been hunting the group since Calth. In the subsequent battle Katt, Zybes, Graft, and Krank were all slain by the Dark Apostle, forcing Actae to let out a huge blast of psychic power which caused the wall they were standing on to collapse.[7b] Actae was burined underneath the rubble, continually dying and reviving due to her perpetual nature but still being able to psychically guide Ollanius and John Grammaticus in their quest and warn them of the approaching Dark King.[7c] Actae herself was saved from the rubble when Rogal Dorn appeared, having escaped from the Warp-madness that had trapped him aboard the Vengeful Spirit.[7d]

Katerina Moriana

Actae was left behind by Dorn as he continued his mission to reach the Emperor, but proved instrumental to the loyalist after she was able to rendezvous with Marshal Aldana Agathe. The group were able to use Blackstone to amplify her psychic power, transmitting a statement that the Emperor was facing Horus alone aboard the Vengeful Spirit and urging all faithful to aid Him. Beginning the chant "The Emperor Must Live", the cry erupted across Terra and unleashed a storm of faith that was able to drive back many of the traitors and even reactivate the Astronomican.[8a]

Following her rescue by Dorn, Actae discovered that her mind had melded with that of Kat's during their brief link together at the moment of her death. When Actae was recovered by the Imperials, she proclaimed herself Actae's full name: Katerina Moriana.[8b] She further proved vital in the final stages of the Siege of Terra by teleporting Ollanius Persson and John Grammaticus to Lupercal's Court as Horus and the Emperor battled.[8c] After the battle she spread word of Ollanius' valiant last stand, which helped create the myth of Ollanius Pius.[8d]

See Also

Sources