Order of Ruin
The Order of Ruin was one of the three Red Orders of the Thousand Sons Legion[1] and served as its Techmarines[2], during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[1]
Description
Symbolized by a poised serpent, the Order of Ruin were a sect of mystics said to be obsessed with numerology and the hidden structure of the universe. Its members were known as calculators, logicians, analysts, and organizers of supreme ability. The Order of Ruin would formulate logistics and battle plans down to the second and as a result was often deployed to the rear of any major Thousand Sons campaign. In addition to these duties, the arraying and maintenance of the Thousand Sons' warships fell under the control of the Order. As a result, they maintained close contact with the Mechanicum.[1]
Numerologists
High-ranking members of the Order of Ruin were commonly referred to as Numerologists and, in addition to performing the role of Techmarines, they were also known for possessing considerable tactical acumen. The formulation of logistics and battle plans was their key responsibility, which the Numerologists took to with fervor. Of particular note was the almost preternatural speed with which they could develop new plans to counter enemy movements and relay orders to one another. Thousand Sons battlegroups containing Numerologists could react to changes in tactical plans with fluid synchronicity with one another, even when separated by hundreds of kilometers. Much of their success can be attributed to the psychic abilities of the Numerologists, who employed both divination and telepathy to predict enemy movements and effortlessly relaid such changes to their allies.[2]
During the Great Crusade, the Numerologists were commonly deployed with rear elements of the Thousand Sons, as the Legion fought its foes. However this changed with the coming of the Horus Heresy and the shattering of the Thousand Sons, during the Burning of Prospero. In the aftermath of their Legion's near destruction, the surviving Numerologists now found themselves frequently deployed in the front lines of battle. In order to minimize their risk, many were accompanied by Thousand Sons known as Life Wards, who had sworn to protect the Numerologists no matter the cost. These groups were called Numerologist Cabals and normally consisted of 1 Numerologist and 4 Life Wards. Though this could be increased to ultimately 9 Life Wards if the need arose.[2]
A Numerologist Cabal[2]
Known Members of the Order of Ruin
- Ignis - The Master of Ruin
See Also
Sources
- 1: The Horus Heresy Book Seven, pg. 152
- 2: Warhammer Community: Unleash the Unlimited Power of Numerology With a Free Download for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy (Posted on 16/09/2022) - The Axandria IV Incident PDF, pgs. 6-8 (Last accessed on 16 September 2022)
