+++Subject & Author+++
Inquisitor Magnus Thorne, Ordo Malleus, Thorian faction - Martin Jenner
+++Thought for the day+++
Inquisitor Magnus Thorne, Ordo Malleus, Thorian faction
Magnus Thorne was born and raised in the Imperial Palace on
Terra, the son of a member of the Adeptus Custodes – the Emperor's
Guards. As might be expected in such surroundings, he grew up a
devout believer in the Imperial Cult and determined to serve the
Imperium to the bet of his ability. The young boy's unshakeable
faith seemed to make him destined for a life in the Ministorum, but
after denouncing his tutor as a heretic he attracted the attention of
the Inquisition, and was placed under the tutelage of Lord Heskey, a
venerable and respected Inquisitor.
The young boy grew into a young man, burly and strong, and
accompanied Heskey and his loyal retainers as they travelled around
the Imperium, never resting, never allowing evil or treason to go
unpunished. He was accepted as an Acolyte, and fought beside his
master in many a battle against foul heretics and traitors, becoming
highly proficient in the use of his favourite weapon, a massive,
broad-bladed axe he named `Truthseeker'. It was on the hive world of
Vanaheim, however, that the young Inquisitor's world came crashing
down.
A rudimentary investigation of Hive Secondus's nobility
revealed it to be rotten to the core, riddled with members of a
daemon cult previously thought limited to the Hive's lower reaches.
Only the presence of an Imperial Guard force in orbit, resupplying
for the journey to some far-off war, had prevented full-scale
rebellion, but with the Inquisition among them, the heretics were
forced to act. Before Heskey could relay news of the cult's
influence off-planet, the Inquisitor and his party were ambushed.
The two Inquisitors and a noble, Baron Carlos Damodred, managed to
survive to fight their way to the spaceport, but found their way
blocked by a mob of cultists baying for their blood. Far more
disturbingly, a robed figure with wings of rainbow feathers and a
cruel, curved beak towered over the cultists – a Greater Daemon!
Heskey charged into the mob without a second thought, cutting a path
towards his shuttle, and the other two followed. Separated by the
swirling melee, they could only watch as the venerable Inquisitor was
torn to pieces by the Daemon's wicked talons. Breaking free of the
cultists, they dashed for the shuttle and had just managed to get
airborne when a beam of brilliant purple light leapt from the
creature's hands to strike the flier. The rear of the shuttle
exploded into flames, and the vessel, its drives warped and melted,
crashed back down to earth…
Though the insurrection on Vanaheim was eventually put down
due to the timely arrival of the Space Marines of the Salamanders
chapter, the young Inquisitor Thorne took no part in it. The next
three years were spent in reconstructive surgery, and even with all
the surgical skill of the Imperium at work, a significant portion of
his body was replaced with bionics. His spinal column, broken in
half-a-dozen places in the crash, had to be replaced completely with
an experimental impulse relay system, while it was only with the
implantation of an extensive neural network of processors and storage
systems that the Inquisitor remained anything more than a helpless
vegetable. As it was, a significant portion of his memories was
lost, and his personality changed dramatically, becoming calculating
and cold. Nonetheless, Baron Carlos, who had survived the crash
virtually intact, continued to accompany him, calling it repayment of
a debt owed his old master, Heskey.
Since that day, thirty-eight years ago, Inquisitor Thorne has
devoted his time to the hunting down and destruction of daemons and
those who would summon them, transferring to the Ordo Malleus. His
old axe, lost in the crash, was replaced with a power-weapon from
Inquisitorial supplies, a weapon Thorne christened `Warpchild'.
However, eleven years ago Thorne began to notice signs and portents
mentioned in an ancient Thorian tome, signs that foretold the arrival
of a `divine vessel'. A steadfast Thorian, Thorne believed this
vessel to be the body into which the Emperor's psyche could be
transferred, and as such spent long hours searching the Inquisition's
library of forbidden lore for clues as to where this man could be
found. Eventually, Thorne drew the conclusion that the vessel would
be found under the Ecclesiarchy's rule, and set off to find his man.
After questioning a crazy old monk on the asylum-moon of
Ganymede, Thorne made for the Schola Progenium mission in the Gammis
system, where he believed the vessel could be found. Arriving just
in time to prevent the execution of Shaskur Shael, he determined the
young scholar was the one the books had spoken of, and took him into
his care, teaching him as he was taught by Lord Heskey, in the ways
of the Inquisition, until the day came when the Divine Vessel
fulfilled its destiny.
Despite searching every book of lore he finds, heretical or
otherwise, Thorne is still no closer to bringing about the Great
Transference he seeks. Of late, he has turned in desperation to
other means, and believes the answers he seeks lie in the Black
Library of the Eldar. Only one man has seen it and returned, though
he will not speak of it. Indeed, the legendary Inquisitor Czevak has
recently disappeared, and none know where he may be found.
Nonetheless, Inquisitor Thorne seeks him, and will not rest until the
destiny he believes lies ahead of his ward, Shaskur Shael, is
fulfilled.
