#clade culexus

The Assassination of the Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica

0067215.M26

This assassination is noteworthy because its target, Lord Phaedrus, did not die, nor was it the intention that he should die. Goge Vandire, Master of the Administratum and Ecclesiarch, was having considerable trouble bringing the Adeptus Astra Telepathica under his control. Lord Phaedrus was a potent psyker and as such was not swayed by Vandire’s charisma. No matter how rousing his speeches were, Phaedrus could always see through the plots and deceits revealing Vandire’s true intentions.

Vandire knew that Phaedrus was using his psychic powers to stay one step ahead of him. Simply having the Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica killed would never do, he would simply be replaced by an equally powerful psyker. Vandire lured Phaedrus into a trap, using a Culexus Assassin to nullify his psychic capabilities. The helpless Phaedrus was strapped to a specially prepared life-support machine, whereupon the Culexus Assassin finished the job, permanently severing his ability to tap into the warp and making him incapable of using psychic powers.

Normally such an operation would kill, but with a life-support system and a bribed Magos Biologis, Vandire was able to keep Phaedrus alive. The Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica was utterly distraught; robbing him of his psychic powers was like blinding a man and leaving him to wander in the darkness. On several occasions Phaedrus tried to take his own life, but Vandire was always there to remove the blade from his hand or loosen the noose around his neck. In the end, Vandire achieved his aim and gained control over the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. He promised Phaedrus he would not disclose the loss of his psychic capabilities if he agreed to do his bidding.

Commander Krole: *scowls* *hand gestures*

Melpomanei: “There are many who would call pariahs monsters. The Culexus live up to the name. I have been to the Fortress of the Soulless. I have seen how they create the broken and ruined things they call protiphages. If I had not also seen the things they kill, I would have razed that place to the ground.”

Commander Krole: *frowns* *shakes head* *hand gestures*

Commander Krole: *shakes head* *hand gestures*

Melpomanei: “The Animus Speculum was actually developed by Clade Culexus before the Silent Sisterhood was formed.We are, first and foremost, witchseekers, not killers. The Animus Speculum amplifies and projects particular abilities that are by no means common to all pariahs - designed to kill, and nothing else.Clade Culexus both recruits based on these abilities and have their own methods of enhancing them. We look for other criteria. There do exist a handful of Oblivion Knights that could make use of an Animus Speculum, but the majority of their duties would not utilise it, and it would be far less powerful than in the hands of a Culexus Protiphage. A waste of resources of unparalleled rarity.”