Aubrey The Grey

Aubrey Vokrii-Kendov 'The Grey'
Title/Honours	Aubrey The Grey
Aliases	The Surgeon
Discovered (world)	Lazarus I
Discovered (period)	901.M30
Legion	Sixteenth
Heraldry/Sigil
Distinguishing Traits	friendly, driven, scholarly
Flaws	naive, prideful
Horus Heresy role	Traitor.
Disposition	Ascended

This page details people, events, and organisations from The /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

He was gifted in the medical arts, but it was a narrow understanding at best. Aubrey did not see the parallel between the human body and the human society. A healthy immune system does not let "tolerance" prevent the elimination of foreign bodies or diseased cells. The Great Crusade taught the rest of us that this truth of nature also applies to politics.

(Excerpt from Gaspard Lumey's private correspondence.)

History

Youth

Aubrey's childhood was an oddity, even for a primarch; when he was lost, he was thrown onto a planet that was already inhabited; it was inhabited by Xenos called Tarellians. It was a grand debate on whether or not the small primarch should live; he only did so upon the mercy of a sadistic general, deciding to see whether or not the small child could survive the rough life of a Tarellian.

Aubrey was brought up in the lowest caste of Tarellian culture; The Doctors. In Tarellian culture, it was the doctors who were the disgrace; for a warrior, the highest honour and caste of the Tarellians, to have his blood spilled in anything but combat, such as by a surgeon, was the most vilified of possibilities. Aubrey showed prowess in learning, quickly becoming one of the most renowned doctors of the Tarellians in his early twenties.

It was then that his life came to a twist as he saved the life of the general who decided to save his life. The General and Aubrey made a pact; if Aubrey told no-one of his surgery, the General would allow Aubrey to become a warrior.

Aubrey rose through the ranks as quickly as he rose through the medical world, becoming a valiant warrior and leader, soon taking the place of the now retired general. His ascension to general was a very treacherous one. As he made his way through the ranks, many questioned his ability based upon Xenophobia.

Aubrey learned quickly, the only way to silence the sniping comments made of him was to hurt their pride; while his voice could not be heard, his blade could. He picked up the sword and became well versed in swordplay, throwing all of his spare time into practice. It was not unusual for an officer to bring a sword by his hip into the theatre of war, but not many openly used it to its intended purpose as a weapon.

After many assaults upon him, he dueled his way to a bregrudging form of respect, and he was eventually approached by Brother Makai, Major Vex, and Sergeant Vaas. Major Vex had also been another rising star in the military, and many had compared Aubrey to Vex. Due to this, Vex had a grudge; how could some lowly off-worlder garner so much respect? Vex challenged Aubrey to single combat. Soon, the two locked in a duel with Aubrey clearly winning. However Vex had an edge; his brother Vaas had slipped into Aubrey's blind spot and struck Aubrey with a club, allowing Vex to wound Aubrey.

Aubrey's pride was wounded; regardless of the obvious interference, he knew the only way for him to regain that status was to beat Vex and Vaas at the same time. It was upon this revelation that he took up a second sword, taking his time to master the ways of the dual blade.

He once again approached Vex, demanding a rematch. A very cocksure Vex accepted, a more cocksure Vaas insulting Aubrey and attempting to enrage the Primarch. All they found was an icy emerald gaze in return.

The fight began; Aubrey toyed with Vex, hunting his prey, slowly frying him, while showing only a single sword. Aubrey was waiting, anticipating Vaas. All his senses flaring open, and when he felt confident, he went on the offense, forcing Vex into a corner he couldn't escape from. Vaas made his move and when he did, he found his club blocked by a second sword. Aubrey turned his attention to Vaas, ruthlessly disarming then striking him down. He was left bleeding, but only wounded. Vex, in a blind rage, rushed at Aubrey, letting the Primarch quickly dispatch him as well. From that day on, Aubrey held his head high, two swords by his side.

After Aubrey had put down the fourth "Aubreyian Rebellion," composed of Tarellian purists coming mostly from the far flung planets in the system, he was prepared to launch a colonisation effort. That was when the crusade ships appeared on Lazarus. Hektor, the Emperor's most trusted son had descended to Lazarus, seeking to meet his brother. He had learned the location of such a man through the whisperings of communications within the Tarellians' small empire.

Hektor made a show of appearing before the Xenos and asked for Aubrey. Aubrey presented himself, dressed very well in a very fine coat of black, scaled leather. Hektor proceeded to converse with him. However, his tongue was different, and he was somewhat shocked himself to hear Aubrey speaking in a serpentine tongue. Aubrey stood in front of what would become his Legion, attempting to stop them from purging the Xenos. Hektor soon realised that these Xenos were under Aubrey's command.

After a few months, Hektor, being the first human Aubrey had ever laid eyes on, began to form a bond as a mentor and student bond developed. Aubrey had the beginnings of Higher Gothic under his belt and he was finally ready to see the Emperor.

Aubrey was a devout atheist, but he never stopped his Tarrellian subordinates worship of their old gods. Aubrey could never relate to a god of lizardian visage, but when he saw the Emperor, he could not help be feel awed. However, despite this, Aubrey began to debate with his father. This became a long arduous week of debating, during which Hektor interjected his opinions, some for the Trellians and some against. Hektor wished to side with his brother, but he knew the dangers of manipulative xenos. By the skin of their teeth, as well as an agreement of quarantine, the Emperor allowed the Xenos to live.

The Great Crusade

After years of inspiring Xenos, beings fundamentally disparate to his entire being, it did not take the Primarch long to gain the trust of his legion.

It was then, with caution and the Emperor's unknowing, that the Tarellians formed an Auxiliary under his legion, making sure to keep his secrets from his brothers.

Aubrey led his Legion, upon the Warmaster's orders, to recapture a human colony and to bring it back to the Imperium. However, events had been set in motion by Uriel, Primarch of the Children of Armok. Whilst in combat with the heavily fortified foe, the Tarellians, the Zealots' Xeno Auxiliary, as well as the host of the homeworld of Aubrey and his legion, had began their Coup.

The Captain of the 1st Company had been felled, and a number of the Xenos were beset upon him and his Legion. He survived, wounded, and sent out a message to his homeworld. A third of the legion was stationed there to keep an eye on the Xenos by the Emperor's order. There was no response from the homeworld and he feared the worst; his hands were tied, for he couldn't pull out of the world without withstanding unneeded losses. Seeing no other alternative, he called out to one of his battle-brothers; Bohemond of the Knights of Justice Legion.

Bohemond rushed to the planet, vengeance in his heart. These filthy xenos had betrayed his brother, regardless of his naivety. When he landed, he was received with the glares of the Captains of the Eternal Zealots as the Knights of Justice opened fire on the Tarellians. However, to the Knights' surprise, the Zealots returned fire.

The messages from the Primarch had been intercepted by the group responsible for the betrayal; a large anti-Imperium faction, they had manipulated the message, reporting to the Captains stationed there that Aubrey had been slain by Bohemond and he had come to Lazarus, their homeworld, to finish the job.

The fighting lasted for a week before a wounded Aubrey and Uriel, who arrived in time to bolster his forces on the world, arrived. Aubrey was livid, for most of his forces had been killed. He shouted, bellowed and threatened to beat Bohemond, and they were about to come to blows before Uriel stepped in, saying that he had to return to his legion.

Aubrey was contacted by the Emperor, his face stern and unamused. He berated the Primarch for allowing this to happen, reminding him of what he had said the day he arrived to Lazarus; that Xenos were never to be trusted, for they were treacherous, selfish beings that wanted naught but their own advancement. They cared not for Aubrey, nor his ambitions. Aubrey was silent through the entire communication. Near the conclusion, the Emperor, after reminding Aubrey of his naivety and disappointment, told Aubrey that Bohemond has been ordered to purge the system of the Xenos and Aubrey was to stand down while they did their work. The Primarch said with a sorrowful heart that he understood. He went then to watch as the people who raised him from infancy burned for their betrayal. He felt it was unjust. He felt sorrow. He felt rage.

After his Xeno allies betrayed him and were then destroyed, planet and all, by the orders of his father, whom he admired greatly, he festered a hatred deep inside him for Bohemond and Aubrey's faith in the Emperor became shaken. Aubrey became distraught; the normal life and warmth in his face began to fade and he become a much darker man, throwing himself in the pursuits of sorcery.

During a woeful deployment near the Eye, he was confronted by the Primarch Kranios after the battle had been fought and won.

The pair of brothers had no love for each other, coming to verbal blows during Nikaea Council, ironically the pair were on the pro-psyker side when it happened. Aubrey would not be mocked on his stance of medicative sorcery.

Kranios then began to openly mock him for his trust in the Tarellians, laughing at his expense and pain over his lost family calling such things pathetic and hilarious. Aubrey became enraged and tired of his brothers tirade struck the man in the throat so that it might end.

The pair came to blows, After an seemingly endless number of hours Kranios began to bellow and chortle. This was the final straw for Aubrey. He struck his brother with a violent fist of unrelenting rage brought on by his adrenal glands, knocking out the other Primarch and putting a sword to his throat to end him.

His better judgement however told him to spare the Primarch as it would be more fitting being beaten by the Primarch, who he had claimed was the weakest physically of all of their brothers. The thought of his humiliation stayed Aubreys blade before he dragged him to the nearest captain.

He ordered the Horns of Ruin off planet with the threat of slaying their progenitor if he should ever glance at him again.

This event then fostered a rivalry between the two legions that would continue for millennia to come, even after both of their legions turning.

The Hektor Heresy

After the betrayal, their Primarch threw himself further into his studies of magicks to be used for an alternate form of healing. It was then that Uriel introduced a race of Chaos worshiping Xenos; The Cyfecti, a race close to the Eye of Terror who worshipped the Great Eye and the mighty beings that dwelt within. Uriel had kept this secret in the hopes it could be used, and no other would be so easy to fall to this bait then Aubrey. When contacted by the Zealots, the Cyfecti invited them down to their planet and Aubrey was witness to a summoning of a Daemon, which spoke to him. Thus were his eyes opened, showing him the proof of these magicks and giving Aubrey the deal he could never refuse, in the name of medicine. Aubrey would go on to use these powers to corrupt the wounded Warmaster Hektor and cause him to fall to Chaos.

Aubrey wanted a better Imperium, where men and xenos could live in prosperity; this was his vision and no one could get in his way now that he had a god on his side. His legion believed now, fully, that they would be the ones to lead a new and perfect Imperium. The Eternal Zealots then soon believed that the loyalists were beneath them and should therefore die in the name of Aubrey's new Imperium.

Now with zealotry and fanaticism, the Eternal Zealots pursue Mankind and the Imperium, world by world, shrugging off their Hippocratic Oaths of healing in favour of cutting out the tumor that is The Corpse-Emperor's followers, so that he may heal the Imperium and shape it into his own image.

Post-Heresy

Aubrey led half of his legion out into the Galatic East to sow more heresy and culminate followers to the Zealots side, resulting in the strike force style in which the Zealots exist today.

After the dividing of his Legion Aubrey resided on the planet of the Cyfecti, Sucked into the Eye of Terror, where he resided for some time inside his fortress "The Hall of Skulls", Decorated with the skulls of Knights of Justice heroes, while also sending out his sons to take any high priority target in the Imperium.

He sought to cut out the cancer of the Imperium, wishing to keep most of it intact so that he could instate his own "perfect" Imperium that is free of any xenophobia and filled with the worship of Chaos.

He disappeared into the warp in M37, seeking Roman Albrecht to finally settle once and for all who was the greatest swordsman, only finally returning in M41 when he had Ascended into Daemonhood, summoned when his Legions forces are in great need.

Personality

Naive, prideful. Aubrey is the spiritual heart of his Legion, the epitome of all that his sons stand for and all they wish to achieve. He likes to be on the front line, doing his part to keep his sons safe, challenging the leaders and champions of the enemy armies, like a surgeon cutting out the cancer of his foes.

Appearance

A lean physique, coupled with a gaunt and angular face; he tends to have a certain warmth to his face. His skin tone is pale, almost pure white in colour. His hair is silver, parted towards the right of his face and flowing, with a pair of emerald coloured eyes. He bears a pair of curved scars under his left eye, which curl towards the edge of his lip, the outer scar dwarfing the smaller scar and curling around it.

If he isn't seen with a pondering look on his face, he is either in battle or conversing with his valued brothers, normally with a small smile on his face.

When out of his armour he wears a black coat, it is said to be made of precious material as strong as adamantium, yet as soft as silk, with a green lining made of the same material. Underneath it he wears a soft leather cuirass made of weaves.

Inside of his armour, he wears a cloak made of this material, purely green over his armour.

Wargear

Aubrey wears the Armour of Lazarus. Jörmun and Gandr are a pair of matched serpentine blades, made by dark powers in the heart of the Eye, are fast as quicksilver and can slice any foe apart with ease. He also carried the Wledig crown, a gift from the King of Cattegirn that was both a symbol of his authority and a powerful relic incorporating a defensive field as strong as a Storm Sheld.

A fan's Attempt at Rules

	PTS	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
Aubrey the Grey:	450	9	5	6	6	6	8	7	10	2+/3++

Unit type: Jump Infantry, Independent Character.

Wargear: Armor of Lazarus, Jörmun and Gandr, Wledig Crown.

Special Rules: Adamantium Will, Bitter Rage, Bulky, Crusader, Eternal Warrior, Fear, Fearless, Fleet, Furious Charge, Independent Character, It Will Not Die, Master of the Legion, Suspicious Reputation, Venomous Concoctions.

Armor of Lazarus: Primarch armor, crafted by the awesomest priests of mars, blah blah. 2+, has a jump pack that makes him jump infantry. Additionally, his jump pack may be used in both the movement and assault phases of the same turn.

Jörmun and Gandr: The twin blades of the primarch. S:U AP2, Paired (+1A), Duelists's Blades (Aubrey gains +1I in a challenge).

Wledig Crown: Iron Halo +1, basically. Offers Aubrey a 3++ invuln save. Additionally, Aubrey counts as having assault grenades, and any unit he charges must make a blind test.

Bitter Rage: Aubrey's many years as a warrior slave gave him a harsh determination to meet the enemy's champions in fair combat, and prove his worthy by defeating them, sometimes going to seemingly insane lengths to catch them. Aubrey must give out and acccept challenges whenever possible, and has Hatred: HQ's, LOW's, and Characters. If any character ever refuses a challenge from Aubrey, he gains the Rampage USR, and must always move, consolidate, and run towards that character until he kills them.

Suspicious Reputation: Aubrey's history of conflict with his own brothers and factions of the Imperium leads to great distrust from his allies for Aubrey and his sons, even beyond what his deviant legion had already earned for themselves, and his tolerance for aliens makes him an outcast even among his traitor brothers. If Aubrey takes to the field, all armies count as By The Warmaster/Emperor's Command, regardless of where they sit on the allies table.

Venomous Concoctions: All of Aubrey's melee attacks count as poison 3+. Additionally, every roll of a 6 to hit in melee counts as 2 automatic wounds.

Aubrey is Fun!*. He's obviously a character killer, with his high WS, I, and A, plus poisoned attacks that multiply on a 6, a 2+/3++, and hatred against characters? There are like two characters in the entire freaking game who can fight him and win (Roman and Horus). But, he has some major drawbacks. A 440 point model that does nothing to buff your army is of questionable value, and his absolutely neurotic pursuit of his role as a duelist could potentially lead to him spending the whole game chasing a biker sergeant around the board (with the appropriate benny hill music playing), because if he decides to kill you, he will kill you. Granted, the odds of this happening are relatively low, considering that Aubrey is generally going to be on his own, he's very fast, and with all his bonuses, if your opponent refuses a challenge, he's going to be getting 10+D3 attacks, hitting and wounding on 2's, with rerolls, so even if your opponent does try to pull him off to run around the map, odds are Aubrey will catch whatever character, and eat his entire squad in one charge.