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

Few have the required clearance to read the biography of Aubrey the Grey. This is not, fundamentally, due to his crimes. That the perfidious Arch-Traitor made a mockery of all natural and human law is a matter that a humble Acolyte of our Order might learn. The reason for secrecy is that Aubrey the Grey's early life is in many ways a model of excellence, even among the Primarchs. His achievement in rising from the most difficult of upbringings to take an active and important role in the Great Crusade raises many difficult questions about the Emperor's Plan - questions that might cause an undisciplined mind to become vulnerable to the Ruinous Powers.

Youth

Aubrey's childhood was an oddity, even for a Primarch. Although he was lost along with eighteen of his superhuman brothers, his incubator came to rest on Lazarus, a planet inhabited by the inhuman Tarellians. These alien creatures recovered the capsule and discovered the infant Aubrey within, but as they were not human they deliberated on whether to let their captive live at all. Aubrey's life was spared only at the whim of the sadistic General Tareq, who felt it would be more interesting to see if the child could survive the rough life of a Tarellian. No mercy was given to the foundling and he 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.

By quirk of fate, Aubrey gained the opportunity to repay his saviour and performed a life-saving operation on General Tareq. Shamed and grateful in equal measure, Tareq offered a pact; if Aubrey told no-one of his surgery, the General would allow him to become a warrior. Aubrey rose through the ranks of the Tarellian military as quickly as he had risen through their medical world, becoming a valiant warrior and leader. Soon he took the place of the now retired general. His ascension to general was a very treacherous one. Although Tarellian culture was in principle based on merit and accident of birth should place no prejudice on a warrior, few took kindly to what they saw as a mis-shapen out-worlder giving orders.

Aubrey quickly learned the arts of Tarellian politics, just as he had those medicine and warfare. Under the honour code of the Tarellian warrior the only way to silence sniping comments was to with the blade. Forged by the super-science of the Emperor of Mankind to be a peerless warrior, Aubrey was a natural swordsman and spent countless hours honing his craft to a razor-edge. Though it was not unusual for a Tarellian officer to bring a sword by his hip into the theatre of war, only Aubrey did so for the sake of duels with his own men. After many assaults upon him, the Primarch dueled his way to a bregrudging form of respect. He was eventually approached by Brother Makai, Major Vex, and Sergeant Vaas. Major Vex had also been another rising star in the military leading to comparisons to the offworlder. This was a grave affront to Vex's honor. How could some lowly off-worlder garner so much respect?

Vex challenged Aubrey to single combat. Inevitably, the Primarch quickly gained an advantage. However Vex had an edge of his own. His brother Vaas had slipped into Aubrey's blind spot and struck Aubrey with a club, allowing Vex to wound Aubrey and win the duel. Aubrey's pride was wounded. Tarellian honour allowed for interference by kinsmen and to overlook the possibility of Vaas deciding the issue was a grievous error. Aubrey knew the only way for him to regain his status was to beat Vex and Vaas at the same time. Without kin of his own to even the odds, Aubrey took up a second blade and practiced new techniques in secret. For their second meeting, it was Aubrey who approached Vex and demanded a rematch. A very cocksure Vex accepted, with his brother Vaas now insulting Aubrey and attempting to enrage the Primarch. The reply was an icy emerald glare and the glitter of sunlight on Aubrey's blade. The fight began. Aubrey toyed with Vex, showing only a single blade and not pressing the issue. The Primarch's first target was Vaas, but he could not honourably strike a warrior who had not entered the duel. Slowly the duelists circled until Aubrey felt the position was right. He suddenly quickened his pace and swept forward, pressing Vex into a corner. Alarmed, Vaas leapt to his brother's defence only to find his club blocked by a second sword, drawn faster than the Tarellian eye could see. With a flick of his wrist Aubrey disarmed Vaas, a second lightning strike laid open the warrior's legs and sent him to the ground. Vex, consumed by fear and rage, rushed at Aubrey and was defeated as quickly as his brother. From that day on, Aubrey held his head high, two swords by his side.

Success with the blade and in command led to further advancement. In time, Aubrey became recognised as Tarellia's supreme commander with full authority to persecute interstellar wars against lesser civilizations. However, as in the past, his elevation aggravated chauvinists among the Tarellians and a series of revolts broke out, slowing expansion efforts. Of more import to the expansion of the Terellian sphere was the arrival of Imperial Crusade ships bearing the markings of the Wolves of Dawn. These ships were far more powerful than the Tarellian warships present and many feared invasion. But the Astartes' mission was more subtle. Following up the reports of Rogue Traders who had dealt with the Tarellians and learned of Aubrey's presence, Hektor Cincinnatus took his honour guard to the surface of Lazarus and demanded an audience with the supreme commander.

Aubrey presented himself in Tarellian finery of black, scaled leather highlighted with silver filigree. Naturally, he worse his blades - alien to Hektor's eyes - at his side. The two Primarchs spoke through an interpreter, the Rogue Trader Alvec Rhan. Such measures were not unusual, but Hektor was unnerved to hear his brother speaking a serpentine tongue so unlike any form of Low Gothic in the Galaxy. After some pleasantries, Hektor made it clear that Aubrey's place was in the Emperor's service as a leader of the Great Crusade. Politely, Aubrey insisted that he already had duties to attend to and that he could not desert his post without being bested in a duel. Not being one to shirk from a fight, Hektor issued a challenge and the two Primarchs faced one another in ritual combat: spear and shield pitted against twin swords. It cannot be doubted that Hektor won the duel, but Alvec Rhan's testimony suggests that this victory had more to do with superior Imperial technology than superior skill.

On the long return voyage to Ancient Terra, Hektor and his entourage helped Aubrey prepare for a meeting with the Emperor. Aubrey quickly mastered High Gothic and the essentials of Terran etiquette, though the philosophies of the nascent Imperium were exotic to his mindset and he particularly questioned the human-centric view of the Galaxy. Hektor deflected arguments by suggesting that it was his own explanation that was lacking and that the Emperor could make his case better in person - an excuse which helped to win Aubrey's friendship, but hardly steered him towards the Imperial Truth. So it was that, despite the natural awe that Aubrey felt towards the Emperor, he quickly leapt into debate. After an arduous week of debating, during which Hektor was occasionally called upon to provide testimony, it was agreed that the Tarellians would be put under quarantine with the ultimate fate dependant upon Aubrey's conduct.

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. Provides a 4+ FNP and a rerollable 4+ IWND

Jörmun and Gandr: The twin blades of the primarch. S:U AP2, Paired (+1A), Duelists's Blades (Aubrey gains +1d6 Initiative in a challenge) faints instant death, shred and ignore eternal warrior on double 6's in to wound rolls

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. All units overwatchong him must reroll successfull to hit and to wound rpll

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.