Eliphas

Eliphas at the beginning of Dark Crusade.

Eliphas the Inheritor.

Eliphas the Inheritor was the Dark Apostle leading the Word Bearers on Kronus in Dawn of War - Dark Crusade. In Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising, he returned as a champion of the Black Legion.

Biography

The Dark Crusade

Eliphas was known to be already present on Kronus during the events of Horus Heresy, where he participated in a battle against the Ultramarines as a young champion. He presumably retreated to the Eye of Terror along with the rest of the Word Bearers when Horus was defeated.¹

Later, during the opening phases of the Dark Crusade, Eliphas and the Word Bearers were summoned back to Kronus by a Chaos cult at the Third Temple of Black Succession in the far south of the Deimos Peninsula. This cabal had turned to Chaos in light of their experiences with the recent rise of the Necrons on Kronus, and Eliphas had answered. Using the knowledge gained from The Book of the Epistles of Lorgar, their leader Virgilius planned to bring Eliphas to Kronus. On the eighth night of their visit to the Temple, Virgilius led them to the great chamber at the temple's heart, where he and eight of his cultists were sacrificed on an icon of Chaos. The Warp opened between the points of the eight-pointed star and Eliphas stepped forth, heralding the beginning of the Ninth Inheritance.

Eliphas came to Kronus to turn the planet into a Daemon World, and would go on to lead the Word Bearers against the other six factions all vying for supremacy on the planet. He began his conquest from the Daemon Gate situated in the Deimos Peninsula on the tropical southern coast of Kronus. He is armed with an Accursed Crozius and over the course of the conflict, can gain new equipment to enhance his powers, such as Daemonic Armour and the same helm worn by the Word Bearers Primarch Lorgar 10,000 years previously during the Horus Heresy. Of all the powers on Kronus, barring the Blood Ravens of the Adeptus Astartes he despises the Necrons most as they have no souls to be devoured by his gods.

Throughout the Dark Crusade, Eliphas is given ample of opportunities to gain favour with the four Chaos Gods and other Chaos figures through the defeat of his enemies.

• Khorne's by offering to him the skull of Lord Crull, a champion of the Blood God slain by Warboss Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter.
• Slaanesh's by cracking open all the spirit stones left behind when the Eldar fled Tyrea, and offering the souls within to the Prince of Excess.
• Nurgle's by freeing the Plague Daemon imprisoned within the Hellstorm Cannon in Victory Bay, using the rotting corpses of the Imperial Guardsmen as sacrifice.
• Tzeentch's by defeating the Necron army beneath the Thur'Abis plateau.
• Warmaster Abaddon's by defeating the Blood Ravens in North Vandea, although it is unknown why the defeat of a chapter whose history does not date back to the Horus Heresy would be especially pleasing to Abaddon.
• Word Bearers Primarch Lorgar's, said to hate the irreligious above all others, by defeating the Tau forces in Or'es Tash'n.

Deimos was eventually conquered by the Blood Ravens.² Eliphas was last seen conversing with an unnamed Daemon Prince inside a rapidly collapsing Warp Gate and attempting to explain his failure. The Daemon Prince declared that Eliphas is past redemption and refused to send him to the Basilica of Torments again, opting to destroy him outright instead, claiming that "It is a poor shepherd to blame his flock, Apostle. This failure is yours and yours alone." Eliphas attacked the Daemon Prince, but was lifted into the air by the Prince's power, and exploded in a huge gush of blood. This is extremely similar to the animation shown when a Bloodthirster is summoned, only without the existing Bloodthirster.¹

Chaos Rising

As a result of his unexpected popularity, Eliphas returns in Chaos Rising. He fights as a champion for the Black Legion against the Blood Ravens in Aurelia, having been somehow resurrected. He leads a warband together with Araghast the Pillager – whom he later deserts, causing Araghast's death and leaving Eliphas to be the sole commander of the warband. He is later defeated by the Blood Ravens Force Commander. He is then punished and tortured by the Warmaster of Chaos and commander of the Black Legion, Abaddon the Despoiler. Eliphas promises Abaddon that he will corrupt the Blood Ravens, though despite Eliphas' promise Abaddon seems eager only to inflict more harm upon him. Eliphas' fate is currently unknown. This also marks Abaddon's first appearence in popular media outside the tabletop game and novels.²

Retribution

Eliphas returns in Retribution, this time in Terminator Armour. He is sent by Abaddon to claim the souls of the Blood Ravens and the population of sub-sector Aurelia. Should Chaos win, Eliphas is elevated to the status of Daemon Prince after Kyras's death.

Should the Blood Ravens be played, Eliphas is confronted and killed early in the game.³

Sources

• ¹ Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
• ² Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising
• ² Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of war II - Retribution

External Links

• Eliphas the Inheritor - RelicWiki
• THQ TV - Chaos Rising - Developer Feature (preview video showing Eliphas)