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Vortigan

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Vortigan is a Freeblade Imperial Knight from the former Knight World of Tarnis,[1c] as well as the current Iron Warden of Tarnis.[1h]

Biography

Originally a member of House Drakkus, Vortigan underwent and succeeded in the Ritual of Becoming the day Fort Drakkus was attacked by a Khorne Warband. Regaining consciousness during the middle of the siege, he assisted in the defense of the fortress but was unable to prevent the Warband from killing his family/fellow knights. Vortigan, himself, was nearly killed when his Knight was attacked and severely damaged by a Heldrake. On the brink of death, he and his operational engine were rescued by the Dark Angels space marine chapter, who had an ancient pact with House Drakkus. Vortigan, wanting vengeance for House Drakkus, swore to uphold the pact despite the fall of the house. He became a Freeblade and joined the Dark Angels in retaking Tarnis from the Warband (as well as an Ork Waaagh! lead by Warboss Nekkruncha, in exchange for repairs and upgrades to his Knight.[1a]

Vortigan helped the Dark Angels push back the Orkz, but when intel came in that the Warband had begun an assault on the Heraklion Bastion, he abandoned the Dark Angels' mission to try and get revenge on the Warband. Unfortunately, the forces of chaos were too great and Vortigan found himself struggling to escape the bastion. He was saved thanks to Altorus, the Iron Warden of Tarnis, ambushing the warband's Daemon Engines, but left before Vortigan could speak to him. Afterward, Vortigan returned to the Dark Angels' mission against the Orkz, successfully reinforcing the space marine forces in taking several critical strategic locations.[1b][1c]

Altorus later contacted Vortigan and asked for assistance stopping the warband's plans. Entering the Old Sepulchre to find what the Warband was looking for, the Dark Angels found a piece of wreckage from a Chaos ship: Bloody Maw. Tracking the rest of the wreckage to the forest Dredmire, Vortigan and the space marines entered to further uncover the warband's plot. While fighting through the Warp corrupted forest, Vortigan was haunted by hallucinations of his deceased family. Altorus came to his aid once again, fighting alongside him and helping keep Vortigan's focus against the hallucinations. He explained the warband's plan: to sacrifice 8 powerful individuals in order to summon a Bloodthirster of Khorne: Felfurion.[1e]

The Dark Angels discovered why the Orkz had such a strong hold on the planet: teleporters created by the Mekboy Urgrim. Vortigan, along with Altorus and the Dark Angels, assaulted the Ork base in the Old Ironworks. There they destroyed the teleporters and killed Urgrim. Unfortunately, the Warband took advantage of this and made Urgrim their 6th sacrifice.[1f]

In response to this, Altorus called for an immediate attack on the Warband, to stop the summoning ritual before it progressed further. The Dark Angels refused as they had not finished their original mission of defeating the Orkz on Tarnis. Vortigan joined the Dark Angels over Altorus, as part of the ancient pact. After a fierce battle, Vortigan faced against Nekkruncha's Morkanaut, defeating and slaying the warboss, ending any chance of his Waaagh advancing any further.[1g]

Altorus desperately contacted Vortigan and the Dark Angels forces, calling them to Fort Drakkus, where he had located the center of the summoning ritual. Vortigan and the space marines responded and redeployed to Fort Drakkus. Unfortunately, they were too late to save Altonus, who spoke to Vortigan one last time. Altonus mentioned he was once called Branor, that he had known Vortigan since he was very young, and that he was very proud of knight Vortigan had become, before finally succumbing to his wounds.[1h]

Vortigan then attacked the center of the warband's hold, entering the summoning chamber. The warband's leader, the Fallen Zufiel, used himself as the final sacrifice and Felfurion appeared onto the planet. Vortigan engaged the daemon, as well as the remainder of the chaos forces. After a brutal battle, Vortigan succeeded in slaying Felfurion, banishing the daemon back into the Warp, avenging House Drakkus and Altorus. Following the battle, Vortigan took up Altorus's title and became the new Iron Warden of Tarnis.[1h]

Sources