Ciaphas served only briefly as a Terminator Marine in the 1st Company under Grand Master Gabriel of the Deathwing, before he was transferred back to the 3rd Company at Belial's request. There he was a veteran sergeant of the 1st Squad during the Piscina IV campaign, which eventually saw the defeat and expulsion of the Ork invaders. After the successful conclusion of the Piscina campaign, Belial saw fit to promote Ciaphas to the status of Master, and gave him an independent command: Strike Force Vendetta. To aid him he was given Codicier Librarian Daedalus and Interrogator-Chaplain Boreaus. Together, the three of them embarked on a campaign to diminish the area of space which the Tau Empire had claimed. This placed Ciaphas in a poor position to participate in the fight against Abaddon the Despoiler and his 13th Black Crusade, and Ciaphas has never forgiven himself for that, paying penance with every battle he wins in the name of the Emperor. His campaign against the Tau has fostered in him a bitter hatred of the fledgling xenos Empire, and his bitterest foe has been one Shas'o Mal'cao whom he pursues wherever he might be found. His first battle as Master of Striek Force Vendetta did not see him engaged against the Tau, but rather against the Eldar of Craftworld Rhiadan. In this battle he learnt the true ferocious nature of the xenos and the deviltry which they are involved with, as he came face to face with the daemon incarnation of their god: Khaine, the Bloody-Handed. Though he banished the Avatar in fierce hand-to-hand fighting, his lightning claws proving invaluable, the battle was still lost. That taught him a valuable lesson of never underestimating the foe, and it is a lesson which he has remembered ever since. Also, Craftworld Rhiadan has become one of the most frequent opponents of the Strike Force, and he has clashed with them time and again. During his time as commander of Strike Force Vendetta, Master Ciaphas has shown himself to be an able and astute strategist and a cunning tactician, proving that he is truly a son of the Lion. His planning has often seen his outnumbered force victorious in situations which Imperial Tacticians deemed to be lost battles. Most recently, Ciaphas was instrumental in securing the planet of Demaron Secundus from the schemes of the xenos Eldar of Craftworld Rhiadan and their Ulthwé allies. Because of this feat, Ciaphas was promoted to the status of Grand Master. He has proven time and again his value to the Chapter, and many believes that he has only just started to truly fulfil his ultimate potential. |
SANCTUM OF HEROES |
Origin: Fortis Minor, Segmentum Pacificus Armory: Jump Pack, Master-Crafted Twin Lightning Claws, Artificer Armour, Frag Grenades, Iron Halo. Current Position: Commander of Strike Force Vendetta, Dark Angels 3rd Company |
Famous Achievements: The Death World of Fortis Minor has seen the rise of many brave and noble warriors. Free from the taint of Chaos, and pure and strong of heart, it has proved to be a fertile recruiting ground for the Dark Angels. Already from an early age had the boy who would eventually become Ciaphas proven himself to be an able fighter. When he was 7 years of age he single-handedly killed an infant Carnosaur which inhabited the jungles of Fortis Minor. When the Dark Angels arrived to recruit new people for their glorious chapter, they were greeted by the Elders of Ciaphas' clan, and shown the most promising crop of youths who would be considered eligible to go and fight for the Star-Emperor. After his induction into the 10th Company, Ciaphas served as a sniper. This taught him the virtues of patience, and he learnt to value the craft of the stealthy scouts. His mettle was first proven on the fields of Bork, where he and his squad provided suppression fire against an Ork horde, giving the rest of the Strike Force sufficient time to complete the objective. Ciaphas was eventually made a full Battle Brother and was inducted into the 3rd Company, where he served under the extremely competent Master Belial. As a Tactical Marine, Ciaphas proved himself an able soldier, true and strong in the service of the Lion, as well as an astute tactician. When his squad sergeant got killed fighting the Eldar on the moon of Knoss, Ciaphas assumed command of the survivors and fought his way through the Eldar lines in order to rejoin the main Dark Angel command. Impressed by this puissant skill of arms and tactical leadership, Master Belial promoted Ciaphas to the status if Sergeant of the 3rd Squad. There he served for 59 years, where, eventually, fighting the Tau, he earned his Terminator Honours. It was not long after the Battle of Priaos, where he had earned his Honours, that Master Belial's company encountered Traitor Marines. During the purge of Hel IX, Ciaphas' squad encountered, and captured, a strange marine wearing black armour with a red winged sword emblem on the right shoulder pad. It from Belial himself that Ciaphas was enlightened about the existence of the Fallen, and it was he who inducted him into the ranks of the Deathwing. |
GRANDMASTER CIAPHAS Dark Angels Chapter By Jorgen bender (Master Ciaphas ) |
