Difference between revisions of "Belisarius Cawl"
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|Caption ={{PAGENAME}}{{Fn|2a}} | |Caption ={{PAGENAME}}{{Fn|2a}} | ||
|Title =Dominatus Dominus<br>Master of Masters<br>Prime Conduit of The [[Omnissiah]] | |Title =Dominatus Dominus<br>Master of Masters<br>Prime Conduit of The [[Omnissiah]] | ||
| − | |Homeworld = | + | |Homeworld = [[Mars]]{{Fn|17a}} |
|Birth =c. Late [[M30]], | |Birth =c. Late [[M30]], | ||
[[Mars]], [[Sol System]] | [[Mars]], [[Sol System]] | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
|Species =[[Human]] | |Species =[[Human]] | ||
|Gender =Male | |Gender =Male | ||
| − | |Relatives =[[ | + | |Relatives ='' |
| + | *[[Alpha Primus (Space Marine)|Alpha Primus]] <small>(Genetic Son)</small> | ||
|Occupation ='' | |Occupation ='' | ||
*[[Tech Acolytum]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small> | *[[Tech Acolytum]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small> | ||
*[[Tech Adept]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small> | *[[Tech Adept]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small> | ||
| + | *[[Tech-Priest]] | ||
*[[Magos]] | *[[Magos]] | ||
*[[Archmagos Dominus]] | *[[Archmagos Dominus]] | ||
| Line 23: | Line 25: | ||
|Succeeded by = | |Succeeded by = | ||
|Faction ='' | |Faction ='' | ||
| − | *[[ | + | *[[Martian Mechanicum]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small> |
*[[Imperium of Man]] | *[[Imperium of Man]] | ||
**[[Adeptus Mechanicus]] | **[[Adeptus Mechanicus]] | ||
| − | *[[Fleet Primus | + | **[[Fleet Primus]]<br><small>([[Era Indomitus]])</small> |
| + | ***[[Battle Group Hephaestus (Fleet Primus)|Battle Group Hephaestus]] | ||
|Notes = | |Notes = | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is an [[Magos Dominus|Archmagos Dominus]] of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] who has been involved in one of the [[Imperium]]'s greatest secrets for many centuries. He first appeared openly during the [[Thirteenth Black Crusade]] of the late [[41st Millennium]]. Cawl is known as the '''Dominatus Dominus''', the '''Master of Masters''', one of the highest ranks available in the Mechanicus.{{Fn|6}} Following the opening of the [[Great Rift]], the [[Synod of Mars|Martian Synod]]{{Fn|12b}} would elevate Cawl as the '''Prime Conduit of The Omnissiah'''.{{Fn|12a}} Unlike many Tech-Priests within the Mechanicus, he does not seek to copy or discover lost technology, but to innovate.{{Fn|7}} His flagship, home, and research facility is the [[Ark Mechanicus]] vessel named the ''[[Zar-Quaesitor]]''.{{Fn|9g}} Many in the Cult Mechanicus | + | '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is an [[Magos Dominus|Archmagos Dominus]] of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] who has been involved in one of the [[Imperium]]'s greatest secrets for many centuries. He first appeared openly during the [[Thirteenth Black Crusade]] of the late [[41st Millennium]]. Cawl is known as the '''Dominatus Dominus''', the '''Master of Masters''', one of the highest ranks available in the Mechanicus.{{Fn|6}} Following the opening of the [[Great Rift]], the [[Synod of Mars|Martian Synod]]{{Fn|12b}} would elevate Cawl as the '''Prime Conduit of The Omnissiah'''.{{Fn|12a}} Unlike many Tech-Priests within the Mechanicus, he does not seek to copy or discover lost technology, but to innovate.{{Fn|7}} His flagship, home, and research facility is the [[Ark Mechanicus]] vessel named the ''[[Zar-Quaesitor]]''.{{Fn|9g}} |
| + | |||
| + | Many in the [[Cult Mechanicus]] are proponents of Cawl's controversial philosophies, while just as many would consider him ''persona non grata'' on their [[Forge World]].{{Fn|15}} Many tolerate that he regularly operates on the fringes of modus becoming, but just as many denounce his modus operandi, even going as far as to decry him a [[heretek]].{{Fn|12h}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | These enemies within the Adeptus Mechanicus accuse Cawl of the crime of invention and claim that he worships change. Stating he goes beyond recreation and improvement, that he sees himself fit to play God and create new machinery, such as his [[anti-grav]] vehicles and Primaris Marines, and even has the hubris to name a variety of other creations after himself.{{Fn|16}} | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| − | Cawl himself is | + | Cawl himself is nearly eleven thousand years old,{{Fn|17a}} predating even the Imperium itself, though how exactly he has sustained his life for so long is unknown. Cawl has been memory wiped at least twice, leaving his own origins a mystery even to himself.{{Fn|6}} It is thought that he has used forbidden alien technology methods with mechanical bionics to sustain his life at the cost of any humanity he may have had left.{{Fn|5}} |
===Great Crusade=== | ===Great Crusade=== | ||
| − | Cawl was born on [[Mars]].{{Fn|8a}} This occurred at some point in late [[M30]] within the facilities of [[Xanthe Terra]] which belonged to [[Magos Biologis]] [[Hammareth]]. Like most Martian children he was vat-born and at the time of his birth was already a young adolescent, physically equivalent to a 10 year old. Unlike most of the children he was mass-produced alongside, he was able to speak [[gothic]] proficiently at the time of his birth, a result of absorbing the force-implanted data while he was being grown in his vat. Before exiting the birthing-chamber, the precocious Belisarius Cawl, only hours old by the time he reached the end of the miles long exit queue, effortlessly exhibited that he knew his name, understood multiple dialects of [[binharic]], and comprehended the core tenets of the [[Cult Mechanicus]].{{Fn|9e}} | + | Cawl was born on [[Mars]].{{Fn|8a}}{{Fn|17a}} This occurred at some point in late [[M30]] within the genevat facilities of [[Xanthe Terra]] in [[Mundus Planus (Mars)|Mundus Planus]] which belonged to [[Magos Biologis]] [[Hammareth]].{{Fn|9e}}{{Fn|17a}} Like most Martian children he was vat-born and at the time of his birth was already a young adolescent, physically equivalent to a 10 year old. Unlike most of the children he was mass-produced alongside, he was able to speak [[gothic]] proficiently at the time of his birth, a result of absorbing the force-implanted data while he was being grown in his vat. Before exiting the birthing-chamber, the precocious Belisarius Cawl, only hours old by the time he reached the end of the miles long exit queue, effortlessly exhibited that he knew his name, understood multiple dialects of [[binharic]], and comprehended the core tenets of the [[Cult Mechanicus]].{{Fn|9e}} |
| + | |||
| + | Belisarius Cawl had always desired to learn and master as many, if not all, of the Machine-God's various Mysteries and sub-disciplines. As a [[tech-acolytum]], he spent years travelling the galaxy learning from who he could when he could. He would study under multiple masters on a forge world before departing for another forge world and ingratiating himself with new masters. He would repeat this process several times, gathering significant knowledge and training during his apprenticeship before informing them that their field was simply not right for him and that he must solemnly depart their service to find a new master and field to pursue. Eventually. He'd depart the world before suspicions of his knowledge plundering were made apparent in the records of the local forge world.{{Fn|8a}} | ||
| − | Belisarius | + | Belisarius found various ways to gain transport and move freely across the galaxy, making himself of use aboard various void-faring vessels in order to gain passage. Cawl capitalized on the logistical bustle during the [[Great Crusade]] and later [[Horus Heresy]] where voidships could always make use of a competent tech-priest or simply go unnoticed or overlooked as just another tech adept. These numerous apprenticeships gave Cawl a wide range of valuable knowledge from multiple fields while being free of any of the responsibilities of dedicating himself to a single field of study.{{Fn|8a}} |
| − | + | Bioengineering had always been his favoured field and he had considered specialising as a biologis when he'd inevitably have to declare a specialisation to ascend to the ranks of an ordained tech-adept. He didn't enjoy being pigeon-holed into one specialisation, but believed it was a necessary step for him to eventually return to his eclectic interest in all fields of study.{{Fn|8a}} | |
| − | The Forge Worlds he was documented as having studied upon includes Mars, [[Ryza]], [[Antioc]], [[Belacane]], [[Verica VII]], and lastly [[Trisolian-A4]].{{Fn|9a}} A notable former master of Cawl was the hermit | + | Over these many years studying abroad, he created a variety of complex tools and augmentic upgrades from a variety of scavenged and pilfered parts. Such as his pet [[servitor]], [[Tez-Lar]], whom he named after a mythical scientist whom he aspired to emulate. Cawl had given himself many cybernetic upgrades, opting for internal rather than external upgrades. The young Belisarius viewed the human form as sacred and often spoke disrespectfully of those tech-priests who had foregone their human form, and instead opted to become insectoid agglomerations of innumerable mechanical legs and mechadendrites.{{Fn|8a}} |
| + | |||
| + | The Forge Worlds he was documented as having studied upon includes Mars, [[Ryza]], [[Antioc]], [[Belacane]], [[Verica VII]], and lastly [[Trisolian-A4]].{{Fn|9a}} A notable former master of Cawl was the hermit Magos Biologis [[Diacomes]] who studied [[cortical linkage]], also known as the linkage of minds. He would ultimately leave the service of Diacomes due to his disgust of the reprehensible results wrought upon the minds of his master's human test subjects.{{Fn|9h}} | ||
===Heresy-era=== | ===Heresy-era=== | ||
| Line 49: | Line 60: | ||
Cawl at this time maintained that the [[Emperor]] was the [[Omnissiah]], but disagreed with a great deal of Mechanicum dogma as he felt they should innovate rather than ritualistically maintain. He believed in the human form, and refused many of the more visible cybernetic modifications utilized by other Tech-Priests.{{Fn|8a}} However, the young Cawl secretly performed illegal brain enhancement surgeries on himself in order to increase his own intelligence while in Hespertia's service. She would discover this, but instead of punishing him with death, as cult doctrine prescribes, she would use this fact as leverage to force him into servitude, promoting Cawl to become her tech-adept and aiding her with her own pursuits.{{Fn|8d}} | Cawl at this time maintained that the [[Emperor]] was the [[Omnissiah]], but disagreed with a great deal of Mechanicum dogma as he felt they should innovate rather than ritualistically maintain. He believed in the human form, and refused many of the more visible cybernetic modifications utilized by other Tech-Priests.{{Fn|8a}} However, the young Cawl secretly performed illegal brain enhancement surgeries on himself in order to increase his own intelligence while in Hespertia's service. She would discover this, but instead of punishing him with death, as cult doctrine prescribes, she would use this fact as leverage to force him into servitude, promoting Cawl to become her tech-adept and aiding her with her own pursuits.{{Fn|8d}} | ||
| − | Not long after Cawl's promotion, the Trisolian System was [[Battle of Trisolian|assaulted by traitor forces led by Horus himself]], and Cawl was betrayed when his master [[Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma]] defected to the [[Warmaster]]. | + | Not long after Cawl's promotion, the Trisolian System was [[Battle of Trisolian|assaulted by traitor forces led by Horus himself]], and Cawl was betrayed when his master [[Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma]] defected to the [[Warmaster]]. When [[Horus Lupercal]] briefly landed on the station to have loyalty pledge to him Cawl was disgusted by the sight of the corrupted Horus, muting his all senses to the warp-infused speech of the Warmaster. Cawl feigned submission during this audience to survive. Later during the battle, Cawl, along with his colleague Friedisch Adum Silip Qvo were able to kill Aspertia and escape the Trisolian System - but not before Cawl absorbed his masters intelligence core and mastery of cloning.{{Fn|8c}} |
Cawl and Friedisch escaped the Trisolian System aboard Aspertia's vessel the ''[[Silencia]]'', along with her [[Navigator]], and together they headed for the known loyalist Forge World of Ryza. They would arrive safely, unaware that the civil war had ended at this point, but be taken into custody until their loyalty had been thoroughly scrutinized and proven. The two would take menial tech-adept work for a time on Ryza before being forcibly escorted to Terra by [[Altrix]] [[Herminia]], a servant of Lord Geneticist [[Ezekiel Sedayne]].{{Fn|9b}} | Cawl and Friedisch escaped the Trisolian System aboard Aspertia's vessel the ''[[Silencia]]'', along with her [[Navigator]], and together they headed for the known loyalist Forge World of Ryza. They would arrive safely, unaware that the civil war had ended at this point, but be taken into custody until their loyalty had been thoroughly scrutinized and proven. The two would take menial tech-adept work for a time on Ryza before being forcibly escorted to Terra by [[Altrix]] [[Herminia]], a servant of Lord Geneticist [[Ezekiel Sedayne]].{{Fn|9b}} | ||
| Line 55: | Line 66: | ||
Following this, Cawl and Friedisch went to [[Terra]] where they met Ezekiel Sedayne. In truth, Sedayne simply wanted transfer his consciousness to Cawl's body to extend his own life so he may continue the work of the [[Emperor]]. Sedayne threatened Friedisch's life to force Cawl to agree with the [[cortical linkage]] procedure.{{Fn|9i}} However, Sedayne's personality was overpowered by Cawl and he emerged as the dominant personality in their now shared body. Upon awakening Cawl relived a memory of Sedayne meeting the Emperor during the [[Unification Wars]]. In the memory the Master of Mankind was speaking directly to Cawl in the future as he had foreseen Sedayne's ultimate fate. He stated that Cawl must continue His work, even when the day came when Cawl thinks he has betrayed Him.{{Fn|9a}} Cawl was horrified by the idea of ever betraying the Emperor.{{Fn|5}} | Following this, Cawl and Friedisch went to [[Terra]] where they met Ezekiel Sedayne. In truth, Sedayne simply wanted transfer his consciousness to Cawl's body to extend his own life so he may continue the work of the [[Emperor]]. Sedayne threatened Friedisch's life to force Cawl to agree with the [[cortical linkage]] procedure.{{Fn|9i}} However, Sedayne's personality was overpowered by Cawl and he emerged as the dominant personality in their now shared body. Upon awakening Cawl relived a memory of Sedayne meeting the Emperor during the [[Unification Wars]]. In the memory the Master of Mankind was speaking directly to Cawl in the future as he had foreseen Sedayne's ultimate fate. He stated that Cawl must continue His work, even when the day came when Cawl thinks he has betrayed Him.{{Fn|9a}} Cawl was horrified by the idea of ever betraying the Emperor.{{Fn|5}} | ||
| − | After the Heresy, Cawl was charged by [[Roboute Guilliman]] to oversee two great tasks should the [[Primarch]] fall. They were to be the resurrection of Guilliman and the creation of the [[Primaris Space Marines]] with the [[Sangprimus Portum]], two things he worked on for the next 10 millennia. During his ten thousand years of work, Cawl changed dramatically. He began to combine more entities within his own intelligence core, becoming in essence a legion of separate beings described as a mesh of souls rather than a combination of minds. These | + | After the Heresy, Cawl was charged by [[Roboute Guilliman]] to oversee two great tasks should the [[Primarch]] fall. They were to be the resurrection of Guilliman and the creation of the [[Primaris Space Marines]] with the [[Sangprimus Portum]], two things he worked on for the next 10 millennia. During his ten thousand years of work, Cawl changed dramatically. He began to combine more entities within his own intelligence core, becoming in essence a legion of separate beings described as a mesh of souls rather than a combination of minds. These absorbed minds includes Ezekiel Sedayne and Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma. Over time, Cawl began to lose much of his personal and shared memories as he was forced to dump data around every 500 years.{{Fn|9j}} |
===Post-Heresy=== | ===Post-Heresy=== | ||
[[Image:40k-106-belisarius-cawl.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Belisarius Cawl{{Fn|13}}]] | [[Image:40k-106-belisarius-cawl.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Belisarius Cawl{{Fn|13}}]] | ||
| − | At the time of the 13th Black Crusade, Cawl was guided by a [[Harlequin]] [[Shadowseer]] to a planet which was long-abandoned during the [[4th Black Crusade]]. After battling [[Ork]]s on the world he recovered an artifact and learned of the [[Pylon]]s holding back the [[Immaterium]]. He was then instructed by this mysterious Shadowseer to go to [[Cadia]], where he aided in the defenses of the world against the forces of [[Chaos]]. He eventually joined into a reluctant alliance with the [[Necron Lord]] [[Trazyn the Infinite]] and the duo joined together to activate Cadia's Pylon array. While initially successful in activating the Pylons, Cadia was shattered by [[Abaddon]]'s redirection of the remains of a [[Blackstone Fortress]] into the planet. Cawl fled the Cadian system with his artifact and several allies including [[Saint Celestine]], [[Inquisitor]] [[Greyfax]], and [[Marshal (Black Templars)|Marshal]] [[Marius Amalrich]] of the [[Black Templars]] Astartes chapter. Hounded by the [[Black Legion]], who sought his | + | At the time of the 13th Black Crusade, Cawl was guided by a [[Harlequin]] [[Shadowseer]] to a planet which was long-abandoned during the [[4th Black Crusade]]. After battling [[Ork]]s on the world he recovered an artifact and learned of the [[Pylon]]s holding back the [[Immaterium]]. He was then instructed by this mysterious Shadowseer to go to [[Cadia]], where he aided in the defenses of the world against the forces of [[Chaos]]. He eventually joined into a reluctant alliance with the [[Necron Lord]] [[Trazyn the Infinite]] and the duo joined together to activate Cadia's Pylon array. While initially successful in activating the Pylons, Cadia was shattered by [[Abaddon]]'s redirection of the remains of a [[Blackstone Fortress]] into the planet. Cawl fled the Cadian system with his artifact and several allies including [[Saint Celestine]], [[Inquisitor]] [[Greyfax]], and [[Marshal (Black Templars)|Marshal]] [[Marius Amalrich]] of the [[Black Templars]] Astartes chapter. Hounded by the [[Black Legion]], who sought his artefact of still unknown significance, Cawl and his allies were eventually guided into the [[Webway]] on the world of [[Klaisus]] by the [[Eldar]] [[Farseer]] [[Eldrad Ulthran]].{{Fn|2}} |
| − | The Eldar guided the expedition to [[Macragge]] where Cawl revealed that his | + | The Eldar guided the expedition to [[Macragge]] where Cawl revealed that his precious artefact was a suit of [[Power Armour]] that could heal the comatose Primarch Guilliman. During the [[Ultramar Campaign]] Cawl was able to successfully work with the Eldar in resurrecting Guilliman, who drove the Chaos invaders from [[Ultramar]]. Cawl accompanied Guilliman in the subsequent [[Terran Crusade]] and was one of the few to reach [[Terra]]. Once on Terra Cawl talked with Guilliman of a secret pact with [[Mars]] and of his work nearing completion. He then made his way to the Red Planet to oversee its success.{{Fn|3}} |
This secret project of Cawl was revealed to be the creation of the [[Primaris Space Marine]]s, the next generation of the [[Space Marines|Angels of Death]]. In truth, Cawl had been working on the project for 10,000 years.{{Fn|4}} Despite his seeming loyalty and effectiveness, Guilliman still harbored a great amount of distrust for Cawl. He believed Cawl to border the [[Heretek|heretekal]], particularly with regard to his creation of an artificial intelligence known as the ''Cawl Inferior''. Because of this, Guilliman repeatedly refused Cawl's requests to become [[Fabricator-General]]. Cawl's actions have also made him enemies with many across the greater [[Adeptus Mechanicus|Mechanicus]], particularly the more religious and conservative Tech-Priests.{{Fn|5}} | This secret project of Cawl was revealed to be the creation of the [[Primaris Space Marine]]s, the next generation of the [[Space Marines|Angels of Death]]. In truth, Cawl had been working on the project for 10,000 years.{{Fn|4}} Despite his seeming loyalty and effectiveness, Guilliman still harbored a great amount of distrust for Cawl. He believed Cawl to border the [[Heretek|heretekal]], particularly with regard to his creation of an artificial intelligence known as the ''Cawl Inferior''. Because of this, Guilliman repeatedly refused Cawl's requests to become [[Fabricator-General]]. Cawl's actions have also made him enemies with many across the greater [[Adeptus Mechanicus|Mechanicus]], particularly the more religious and conservative Tech-Priests.{{Fn|5}} | ||
| − | During the [[Age of the Dark Imperium]], Cawl led [[Battle Group Hephaestus]] of [[Indomitus Crusade Fleet Primus]] into the [[Nephilim Sector]] in order to battle the [[Necrons]]. His main goal was to secure the area before the arrival of Guilliman himself.{{Fn|10}} During the [[Pariah Crusade_#The Mesmoch Deception|Pariah Crusade]], Cawl accompanied a strikeforce led by [[White Consuls]] [[Captain]] [[Messinius]] to the surface of [[Planet 7/2]]. During the fierce battle, he was able to interface with the [[Pariah Nexus]] directly to disrupt it locally as well as unleash dataphages into the Necron network before escaping with the surviving Space Marines via a [[Pharos]] device.{{Fn|14b}} | + | During the [[Age of the Dark Imperium]], Cawl led [[Battle Group Hephaestus (Fleet Primus)|Battle Group Hephaestus]] of [[Indomitus Crusade Fleet Primus]] into the [[Nephilim Sector]] in order to battle the [[Necrons]]. His main goal was to secure the area before the arrival of Guilliman himself.{{Fn|10}} During the [[Pariah Crusade_#The Mesmoch Deception|Pariah Crusade]], Cawl accompanied a strikeforce led by [[White Consuls]] [[Captain]] [[Messinius]] to the surface of [[Planet 7/2]]. During the fierce battle, he was able to interface with the [[Pariah Nexus]] directly to disrupt it locally as well as unleash dataphages into the Necron network before escaping with the surviving Space Marines via a [[Pharos]] device.{{Fn|14b}} |
After parting ways with the [[Indomitus Crusade]]'s fleets, Cawl traveled to [[Sotha]] to meet the newly rebuilt [[Scythes of the Emperor]]. Cawl's primary interest on Sotha was to investigate the reawakening [[Pharos (Device)|Pharos]] and use it to obtain a galactic map of all [[Blackstone]] deposits across the Galaxy.{{Fn|9b}} While delving into the necron complex, the [[C'tan]] held within the facility, [[Zarhulash]], agreed to work with Cawl to remove the heart of the Pharos, and the data within, in exchange for being set free. Cawl agreed, but tricked the C'tan by destroying the Pharos and teleporting Zarhulash to the far side of the galaxy.{{Fn|9a}} | After parting ways with the [[Indomitus Crusade]]'s fleets, Cawl traveled to [[Sotha]] to meet the newly rebuilt [[Scythes of the Emperor]]. Cawl's primary interest on Sotha was to investigate the reawakening [[Pharos (Device)|Pharos]] and use it to obtain a galactic map of all [[Blackstone]] deposits across the Galaxy.{{Fn|9b}} While delving into the necron complex, the [[C'tan]] held within the facility, [[Zarhulash]], agreed to work with Cawl to remove the heart of the Pharos, and the data within, in exchange for being set free. Cawl agreed, but tricked the C'tan by destroying the Pharos and teleporting Zarhulash to the far side of the galaxy.{{Fn|9a}} | ||
| − | After obtaining the Necron map from the Pharos, Cawl learned of all of the locations of Blackstone in the galaxy. This information is critical to his schemes to ultimately close the Great Rift, an | + | After obtaining the Necron map from the Pharos, Cawl learned of all of the locations of Blackstone in the galaxy. This information is critical to his schemes to ultimately close the Great Rift, an endeavour he refers to as his Great Work. To expedite this grand scheme, he has called for aid from multiple Forge Worlds in order to access a time-locked Necron pylon control world to use their technology in the production and control of his own prototype pylon network. In this meeting which he dubbed the [[Conclave Chronalis]], he offered the map of all Blackstone deposits in the galaxy to those Forge Worlds who would aid him in this mission.{{Fn|12f}} Delegations of the nearby Forge Worlds of [[Metalica]], [[Accatran]] and [[Tigrus]] would attend but only the latter 2 would choose to aid Cawl{{Fn|9k}} in his mission to travel to the ancient Necron world [[Irtanathep]].{{Fn|9f}} |
| + | |||
| + | Cawl was next given a mission by Guilliman to stabilize the [[Attilan Gate]], an alternate route into [[Imperium Nihilus]] to circumvent the beleaguered [[Nachmund Gauntlet]]. He utilized captured Necron Pylon technology in an attempt to stabilize the gate, which was located near the [[Pit of Raukos]].{{Fn|17c}} Cawl alongside the [[Logos Historica Verita]] Historitor [[Solana]], [[Alpha Primus]], and [[Qvo]] journeyed to the Necron "War World", revealed to be a [[World Engine]], which was frozen to a time during the [[War in Heaven (Necron)|War in Heaven]]. Cawl used the captured Necron [[Cryptek]] [[AsanethAyu]] to protect them from the effects of the [[Black Hole|singularity]]{{Fn|17d}} and as the group fought through [[Scarab]]s to reach the central data nexus. There, Cawl negotiated a truce with the awakened Necrons of the [[Indukh Dynasty]], receiving their aid to stabilize the time field in exchange for data codes to cure them of the [[Flayer Virus]]. However soon enough, the group was attacked by Necron [[Flayed One]]s.{{Fn|17e}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | Despite the chaotic fighting, Cawl was able to secure the data from the World Engine just as the Indukh [[Phaeron]] turned on him. The [[Necron Overlord]] was killed by Alpha Primus, and the group was able to flee just as the time field collapsed and the World Engine imploded into the singularity.{{Fn|17b}} Back aboard the ''Zar-Quaesitor'', Cawl journeyed to [[Ulvheim]] in order to reach the Attilan Gate. However as they arrived, they found the world [[Last Battle of the Pit|attacked by the forces of Vashtorr]].{{Fn|17f}} Amidst the chaos, Cawl reached the Pylon control node on Ulvheim and activated it. A massive [[Null field]] was field directly into the Pit of Raukos, sealing it and banishing the Daemons. In the aftermath of the battle, Cawl met with [[Decimus Felix]] and announced he would immediately leave for the Attilan Gap. Felix insisted on accompanying him.{{Fn|17g}} | ||
==Biology and Wargear== | ==Biology and Wargear== | ||
[[Image:40k-181-fabricate.jpg|thumb|right|300px|{{PAGENAME}} fabricating{{Fn|13}}]] | [[Image:40k-181-fabricate.jpg|thumb|right|300px|{{PAGENAME}} fabricating{{Fn|13}}]] | ||
| − | Belisarius Cawl is equipped with a [[Solar Atomiser]], [[Arc Scourge]], Master-crafted [[Omnisian Axe]], [[Refractor Field]], vast multitude of [[Mechadendrite]]s, [[Servo-Skull]],{{Fn|2b}} a mandibular [[Vox|vox-cast]] implant, multi-configurable input ports, a Buprestis sampling drone and a data-interface.{{Fn|11}} His outer layers consist of his weapons harnesses, limb mounts, secondary [[plasma generator]]{{Fn|12c}} and the [[conversion field]],{{Fn|9f}} all of which give him his high, crooked back. Without all of these his form is akin to a great mechanical weasel.{{Fn|12c}} His body also possesses auto-repair systems.{{Fn|12e}} One of the many features of the mechanism Cawl wears on his back, one is a [[privacy field]] which deadens all noise coming in or out of a small area around the archmagos. It is used to have private conversations.{{Fn|12g}} | + | Belisarius Cawl is equipped with a [[Solar Atomiser]], [[Arc Scourge]], Master-crafted [[Omnisian Axe]], [[Refractor Field]], vast multitude of [[Mechadendrite]]s, [[Servo-Skull]],{{Fn|2b}} a mandibular [[Vox|vox-cast]] implant, multi-configurable input ports, a Buprestis sampling drone and a data-interface.{{Fn|11}} His outer layers consist of his weapons harnesses, limb mounts, secondary [[plasma generator]]{{Fn|12c}} and the [[conversion field]],{{Fn|9f}} all of which give him his high, crooked back. Without all of these his form is akin to a great mechanical weasel.{{Fn|12c}} His body also possesses auto-repair systems.{{Fn|12e}} One of the many features of the mechanism Cawl wears on his back, one is a [[privacy field]] which deadens all noise coming in or out of a small area around the archmagos. It is used to have private conversations.{{Fn|12g}} Cawl would later come into possession of a [[Necron]] [[Warscythe]] that had once belonged to [[Phaeron]] [[Lhaskek]] of the lost [[Indukh Dynasty]].{{Fn|17b}} |
Cawl's humanity has long since been stripped away. He maintains different "files" of personalities, which he accesses depending on the situation. By the end of the [[Indomitus Crusade]], Cawl had artificially replicated his own sentience to the point where he could no longer said to be a single individual. Cawl kept each "Sub-Cawl" limited to prevent the core intelligence from being threatened. Aboard his [[Ark Mechanicus]] ''[[Zar-Quaesitor]]'' dozens of sub-cawls swarm about, each undertaking a different task.{{Fn|7}} | Cawl's humanity has long since been stripped away. He maintains different "files" of personalities, which he accesses depending on the situation. By the end of the [[Indomitus Crusade]], Cawl had artificially replicated his own sentience to the point where he could no longer said to be a single individual. Cawl kept each "Sub-Cawl" limited to prevent the core intelligence from being threatened. Aboard his [[Ark Mechanicus]] ''[[Zar-Quaesitor]]'' dozens of sub-cawls swarm about, each undertaking a different task.{{Fn|7}} | ||
| Line 97: | Line 112: | ||
{{main|Cawl Inferior}} | {{main|Cawl Inferior}} | ||
Cawl developed the [[Cawl Inferior]], a device to emulate himself, housed deep within the ''[[Macragge’s Honour]]''. The Cawl Inferior was made to communicate with the Primarch [[Roboute Guilliman]] in the Archmagos's stead, as well as to serve as a backup in case Cawl himself were to die. To facilitate this, the Cawl Inferior contains the sum total of its creator's knowledge. While stated to only communicate using pre-programmed responses, the Primarch suspects that the Cawl Inferior is actually a fully sentient [[Abominable Intelligence]].{{Fn|5}} | Cawl developed the [[Cawl Inferior]], a device to emulate himself, housed deep within the ''[[Macragge’s Honour]]''. The Cawl Inferior was made to communicate with the Primarch [[Roboute Guilliman]] in the Archmagos's stead, as well as to serve as a backup in case Cawl himself were to die. To facilitate this, the Cawl Inferior contains the sum total of its creator's knowledge. While stated to only communicate using pre-programmed responses, the Primarch suspects that the Cawl Inferior is actually a fully sentient [[Abominable Intelligence]].{{Fn|5}} | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
==Images== | ==Images== | ||
| − | + | <gallery mode="packed" heights=200> | |
| + | Cawl.jpg|Belisarius Cawl miniature{{Fn|1}} | ||
| + | Cawl Concept Art (Jes Goodwin).jpg|Belisarius Cawl concept art by [[Jes Goodwin]]{{Fn|18}} | ||
| + | </gallery> | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
{{Trivia}} | {{Trivia}} | ||
*Belisarius Cawl's name may derive from the Byzantine General [[wikipedia:Belisarius|Belisarius]]. | *Belisarius Cawl's name may derive from the Byzantine General [[wikipedia:Belisarius|Belisarius]]. | ||
| + | *Cawl enjoys listening to the music of [[Bak]].{{Fn|12i}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Guilliman Inferior]] | ||
| + | *[[Cawl's Wrath]] | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
*{{Endn|1}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20231110085704/https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/Adeptus-Mechanicus-Belisarius-Cawl-2017 Warhammer Store Page: Belisarius-Cawl] ''(archive saved 10 Nov 2023, last accessed 16 January 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/Adeptus-Mechanicus-Belisarius-Cawl-2017 )'' | *{{Endn|1}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20231110085704/https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/Adeptus-Mechanicus-Belisarius-Cawl-2017 Warhammer Store Page: Belisarius-Cawl] ''(archive saved 10 Nov 2023, last accessed 16 January 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/Adeptus-Mechanicus-Belisarius-Cawl-2017 )'' | ||
| − | *{{Endn|2}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia]],{{Cite | + | *{{Endn|2}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia]],{{Cite Marker End}} |
**{{Endn|2a}}: pgs. 8 & 9 | **{{Endn|2a}}: pgs. 8 & 9 | ||
**{{Endn|2b}}: pg. 120 | **{{Endn|2b}}: pg. 120 | ||
| − | *{{Endn|3}}: [[Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch]],{{Cite | + | *{{Endn|3}}: [[Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch]],{{Cite Marker End}} |
*{{Endn|4}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/05/15/a-new-breed-of-hero-may15gw-homepage-post-1/ Warhammer Community - A New Breed of Hero] | *{{Endn|4}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/05/15/a-new-breed-of-hero-may15gw-homepage-post-1/ Warhammer Community - A New Breed of Hero] | ||
*{{Endn|5}}: [[Dark Imperium (Novel)]], Chapter 12 | *{{Endn|5}}: [[Dark Imperium (Novel)]], Chapter 12 | ||
| Line 145: | Line 165: | ||
**{{Endn|12g}}: Chapter 18 | **{{Endn|12g}}: Chapter 18 | ||
**{{Endn|12h}}: Chapter 15 | **{{Endn|12h}}: Chapter 15 | ||
| − | *{{Endn|13}}: | + | **{{Endn|12i}}: Chapter 7 |
| − | * | + | *{{Endn|13}}: [[Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000]] - ''Belisarius Cawl'' - for details see [[Belisarius Cawl/Sources]] |
| + | *14: [[The Silent King (Novel)]] | ||
**{{Endn|14a}}: Chapter 24 | **{{Endn|14a}}: Chapter 24 | ||
**{{Endn|14b}}: Chapters 44-45 | **{{Endn|14b}}: Chapters 44-45 | ||
*{{Endn|15}}: [[Flesh and Steel (Novel)]], Chapter 9 | *{{Endn|15}}: [[Flesh and Steel (Novel)]], Chapter 9 | ||
| − | + | *{{Endn|16}}: [[Assassinorum: Kingmaker (Novel)]], Chapter 26 | |
| − | [[ | + | *17: [[Archmagos (Novel)]]: |
| + | **{{Endn|17a}}: Chapter 3 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17b}}: Chapter 25 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17c}}: Chapter 4 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17d}}: Chapters 15-16 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17e}}: Chapters 19-20 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17f}}: Chapters 30-31 | ||
| + | **{{Endn|17g}}: Chapter 34 | ||
| + | *{{Endn|18}}: [[The Gathering Storm Companion]], pg. 23 | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cawl, Belisarius}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Cawl, Belisarius}} | ||
| Line 158: | Line 187: | ||
[[Category:Characters (Black Crusades)]] | [[Category:Characters (Black Crusades)]] | ||
[[Category:Characters (Human)]] | [[Category:Characters (Human)]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Characters (Indomitus Crusade)]] | ||
[[Category:Primaris Space Marines]] | [[Category:Primaris Space Marines]] | ||
[[de:Belisarius Cawl]] | [[de:Belisarius Cawl]] | ||
[[fr:Belisarius Cawl]] | [[fr:Belisarius Cawl]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:25, 22 March 2026
|
Belisarius redirects here. For other uses of the term, see Belisarius (disambiguation). |
 Belisarius Cawl[2a] | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Dominatus Dominus Master of Masters Prime Conduit of The Omnissiah |
| Homeworld | Mars[17a] |
| Born | c. Late M30, |
| Active Period | M30 — Present |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Relatives |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Affiliation(s) | |
Belisarius Cawl is an Archmagos Dominus of the Adeptus Mechanicus who has been involved in one of the Imperium's greatest secrets for many centuries. He first appeared openly during the Thirteenth Black Crusade of the late 41st Millennium. Cawl is known as the Dominatus Dominus, the Master of Masters, one of the highest ranks available in the Mechanicus.[6] Following the opening of the Great Rift, the Martian Synod[12b] would elevate Cawl as the Prime Conduit of The Omnissiah.[12a] Unlike many Tech-Priests within the Mechanicus, he does not seek to copy or discover lost technology, but to innovate.[7] His flagship, home, and research facility is the Ark Mechanicus vessel named the Zar-Quaesitor.[9g]
Many in the Cult Mechanicus are proponents of Cawl's controversial philosophies, while just as many would consider him persona non grata on their Forge World.[15] Many tolerate that he regularly operates on the fringes of modus becoming, but just as many denounce his modus operandi, even going as far as to decry him a heretek.[12h]
These enemies within the Adeptus Mechanicus accuse Cawl of the crime of invention and claim that he worships change. Stating he goes beyond recreation and improvement, that he sees himself fit to play God and create new machinery, such as his anti-grav vehicles and Primaris Marines, and even has the hubris to name a variety of other creations after himself.[16]
Contents
Biography
Cawl himself is nearly eleven thousand years old,[17a] predating even the Imperium itself, though how exactly he has sustained his life for so long is unknown. Cawl has been memory wiped at least twice, leaving his own origins a mystery even to himself.[6] It is thought that he has used forbidden alien technology methods with mechanical bionics to sustain his life at the cost of any humanity he may have had left.[5]
Great Crusade
Cawl was born on Mars.[8a][17a] This occurred at some point in late M30 within the genevat facilities of Xanthe Terra in Mundus Planus which belonged to Magos Biologis Hammareth.[9e][17a] Like most Martian children he was vat-born and at the time of his birth was already a young adolescent, physically equivalent to a 10 year old. Unlike most of the children he was mass-produced alongside, he was able to speak gothic proficiently at the time of his birth, a result of absorbing the force-implanted data while he was being grown in his vat. Before exiting the birthing-chamber, the precocious Belisarius Cawl, only hours old by the time he reached the end of the miles long exit queue, effortlessly exhibited that he knew his name, understood multiple dialects of binharic, and comprehended the core tenets of the Cult Mechanicus.[9e]
Belisarius Cawl had always desired to learn and master as many, if not all, of the Machine-God's various Mysteries and sub-disciplines. As a tech-acolytum, he spent years travelling the galaxy learning from who he could when he could. He would study under multiple masters on a forge world before departing for another forge world and ingratiating himself with new masters. He would repeat this process several times, gathering significant knowledge and training during his apprenticeship before informing them that their field was simply not right for him and that he must solemnly depart their service to find a new master and field to pursue. Eventually. He'd depart the world before suspicions of his knowledge plundering were made apparent in the records of the local forge world.[8a]
Belisarius found various ways to gain transport and move freely across the galaxy, making himself of use aboard various void-faring vessels in order to gain passage. Cawl capitalized on the logistical bustle during the Great Crusade and later Horus Heresy where voidships could always make use of a competent tech-priest or simply go unnoticed or overlooked as just another tech adept. These numerous apprenticeships gave Cawl a wide range of valuable knowledge from multiple fields while being free of any of the responsibilities of dedicating himself to a single field of study.[8a]
Bioengineering had always been his favoured field and he had considered specialising as a biologis when he'd inevitably have to declare a specialisation to ascend to the ranks of an ordained tech-adept. He didn't enjoy being pigeon-holed into one specialisation, but believed it was a necessary step for him to eventually return to his eclectic interest in all fields of study.[8a]
Over these many years studying abroad, he created a variety of complex tools and augmentic upgrades from a variety of scavenged and pilfered parts. Such as his pet servitor, Tez-Lar, whom he named after a mythical scientist whom he aspired to emulate. Cawl had given himself many cybernetic upgrades, opting for internal rather than external upgrades. The young Belisarius viewed the human form as sacred and often spoke disrespectfully of those tech-priests who had foregone their human form, and instead opted to become insectoid agglomerations of innumerable mechanical legs and mechadendrites.[8a]
The Forge Worlds he was documented as having studied upon includes Mars, Ryza, Antioc, Belacane, Verica VII, and lastly Trisolian-A4.[9a] A notable former master of Cawl was the hermit Magos Biologis Diacomes who studied cortical linkage, also known as the linkage of minds. He would ultimately leave the service of Diacomes due to his disgust of the reprehensible results wrought upon the minds of his master's human test subjects.[9h]
Heresy-era
Sometime after the Schism of Mars, Belisarius had spent 19 years as a student and apprentice, becoming a tech acolytum rho grade. He was old for an acolytum and chose to delay promotion even though his mastery of various mysteries would have allowed him to be graded 4 levels higher. But he would choose to continued to prolong his learning under other various masters instead, learning the mysteries from who he could when he could.[8d] While on Trisolian, he would become friends with a fellow Martian born tech-acolytum named Friedisch Adum Silip Qvo.[8a] This is when Cawl first appears in history during the Horus Heresy, where he was a Tech-Acolyte on the Mechanicum world of Trisolian-A4. He was trained under Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma, Mistress to both Cawl and Friedisch at the time, herself a master of soul-merging.[9a]
Cawl at this time maintained that the Emperor was the Omnissiah, but disagreed with a great deal of Mechanicum dogma as he felt they should innovate rather than ritualistically maintain. He believed in the human form, and refused many of the more visible cybernetic modifications utilized by other Tech-Priests.[8a] However, the young Cawl secretly performed illegal brain enhancement surgeries on himself in order to increase his own intelligence while in Hespertia's service. She would discover this, but instead of punishing him with death, as cult doctrine prescribes, she would use this fact as leverage to force him into servitude, promoting Cawl to become her tech-adept and aiding her with her own pursuits.[8d]
Not long after Cawl's promotion, the Trisolian System was assaulted by traitor forces led by Horus himself, and Cawl was betrayed when his master Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma defected to the Warmaster. When Horus Lupercal briefly landed on the station to have loyalty pledge to him Cawl was disgusted by the sight of the corrupted Horus, muting his all senses to the warp-infused speech of the Warmaster. Cawl feigned submission during this audience to survive. Later during the battle, Cawl, along with his colleague Friedisch Adum Silip Qvo were able to kill Aspertia and escape the Trisolian System - but not before Cawl absorbed his masters intelligence core and mastery of cloning.[8c]
Cawl and Friedisch escaped the Trisolian System aboard Aspertia's vessel the Silencia, along with her Navigator, and together they headed for the known loyalist Forge World of Ryza. They would arrive safely, unaware that the civil war had ended at this point, but be taken into custody until their loyalty had been thoroughly scrutinized and proven. The two would take menial tech-adept work for a time on Ryza before being forcibly escorted to Terra by Altrix Herminia, a servant of Lord Geneticist Ezekiel Sedayne.[9b]
Following this, Cawl and Friedisch went to Terra where they met Ezekiel Sedayne. In truth, Sedayne simply wanted transfer his consciousness to Cawl's body to extend his own life so he may continue the work of the Emperor. Sedayne threatened Friedisch's life to force Cawl to agree with the cortical linkage procedure.[9i] However, Sedayne's personality was overpowered by Cawl and he emerged as the dominant personality in their now shared body. Upon awakening Cawl relived a memory of Sedayne meeting the Emperor during the Unification Wars. In the memory the Master of Mankind was speaking directly to Cawl in the future as he had foreseen Sedayne's ultimate fate. He stated that Cawl must continue His work, even when the day came when Cawl thinks he has betrayed Him.[9a] Cawl was horrified by the idea of ever betraying the Emperor.[5]
After the Heresy, Cawl was charged by Roboute Guilliman to oversee two great tasks should the Primarch fall. They were to be the resurrection of Guilliman and the creation of the Primaris Space Marines with the Sangprimus Portum, two things he worked on for the next 10 millennia. During his ten thousand years of work, Cawl changed dramatically. He began to combine more entities within his own intelligence core, becoming in essence a legion of separate beings described as a mesh of souls rather than a combination of minds. These absorbed minds includes Ezekiel Sedayne and Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma. Over time, Cawl began to lose much of his personal and shared memories as he was forced to dump data around every 500 years.[9j]
Post-Heresy
At the time of the 13th Black Crusade, Cawl was guided by a Harlequin Shadowseer to a planet which was long-abandoned during the 4th Black Crusade. After battling Orks on the world he recovered an artifact and learned of the Pylons holding back the Immaterium. He was then instructed by this mysterious Shadowseer to go to Cadia, where he aided in the defenses of the world against the forces of Chaos. He eventually joined into a reluctant alliance with the Necron Lord Trazyn the Infinite and the duo joined together to activate Cadia's Pylon array. While initially successful in activating the Pylons, Cadia was shattered by Abaddon's redirection of the remains of a Blackstone Fortress into the planet. Cawl fled the Cadian system with his artifact and several allies including Saint Celestine, Inquisitor Greyfax, and Marshal Marius Amalrich of the Black Templars Astartes chapter. Hounded by the Black Legion, who sought his artefact of still unknown significance, Cawl and his allies were eventually guided into the Webway on the world of Klaisus by the Eldar Farseer Eldrad Ulthran.[2]
The Eldar guided the expedition to Macragge where Cawl revealed that his precious artefact was a suit of Power Armour that could heal the comatose Primarch Guilliman. During the Ultramar Campaign Cawl was able to successfully work with the Eldar in resurrecting Guilliman, who drove the Chaos invaders from Ultramar. Cawl accompanied Guilliman in the subsequent Terran Crusade and was one of the few to reach Terra. Once on Terra Cawl talked with Guilliman of a secret pact with Mars and of his work nearing completion. He then made his way to the Red Planet to oversee its success.[3]
This secret project of Cawl was revealed to be the creation of the Primaris Space Marines, the next generation of the Angels of Death. In truth, Cawl had been working on the project for 10,000 years.[4] Despite his seeming loyalty and effectiveness, Guilliman still harbored a great amount of distrust for Cawl. He believed Cawl to border the heretekal, particularly with regard to his creation of an artificial intelligence known as the Cawl Inferior. Because of this, Guilliman repeatedly refused Cawl's requests to become Fabricator-General. Cawl's actions have also made him enemies with many across the greater Mechanicus, particularly the more religious and conservative Tech-Priests.[5]
During the Age of the Dark Imperium, Cawl led Battle Group Hephaestus of Indomitus Crusade Fleet Primus into the Nephilim Sector in order to battle the Necrons. His main goal was to secure the area before the arrival of Guilliman himself.[10] During the Pariah Crusade, Cawl accompanied a strikeforce led by White Consuls Captain Messinius to the surface of Planet 7/2. During the fierce battle, he was able to interface with the Pariah Nexus directly to disrupt it locally as well as unleash dataphages into the Necron network before escaping with the surviving Space Marines via a Pharos device.[14b]
After parting ways with the Indomitus Crusade's fleets, Cawl traveled to Sotha to meet the newly rebuilt Scythes of the Emperor. Cawl's primary interest on Sotha was to investigate the reawakening Pharos and use it to obtain a galactic map of all Blackstone deposits across the Galaxy.[9b] While delving into the necron complex, the C'tan held within the facility, Zarhulash, agreed to work with Cawl to remove the heart of the Pharos, and the data within, in exchange for being set free. Cawl agreed, but tricked the C'tan by destroying the Pharos and teleporting Zarhulash to the far side of the galaxy.[9a]
After obtaining the Necron map from the Pharos, Cawl learned of all of the locations of Blackstone in the galaxy. This information is critical to his schemes to ultimately close the Great Rift, an endeavour he refers to as his Great Work. To expedite this grand scheme, he has called for aid from multiple Forge Worlds in order to access a time-locked Necron pylon control world to use their technology in the production and control of his own prototype pylon network. In this meeting which he dubbed the Conclave Chronalis, he offered the map of all Blackstone deposits in the galaxy to those Forge Worlds who would aid him in this mission.[12f] Delegations of the nearby Forge Worlds of Metalica, Accatran and Tigrus would attend but only the latter 2 would choose to aid Cawl[9k] in his mission to travel to the ancient Necron world Irtanathep.[9f]
Cawl was next given a mission by Guilliman to stabilize the Attilan Gate, an alternate route into Imperium Nihilus to circumvent the beleaguered Nachmund Gauntlet. He utilized captured Necron Pylon technology in an attempt to stabilize the gate, which was located near the Pit of Raukos.[17c] Cawl alongside the Logos Historica Verita Historitor Solana, Alpha Primus, and Qvo journeyed to the Necron "War World", revealed to be a World Engine, which was frozen to a time during the War in Heaven. Cawl used the captured Necron Cryptek AsanethAyu to protect them from the effects of the singularity[17d] and as the group fought through Scarabs to reach the central data nexus. There, Cawl negotiated a truce with the awakened Necrons of the Indukh Dynasty, receiving their aid to stabilize the time field in exchange for data codes to cure them of the Flayer Virus. However soon enough, the group was attacked by Necron Flayed Ones.[17e]
Despite the chaotic fighting, Cawl was able to secure the data from the World Engine just as the Indukh Phaeron turned on him. The Necron Overlord was killed by Alpha Primus, and the group was able to flee just as the time field collapsed and the World Engine imploded into the singularity.[17b] Back aboard the Zar-Quaesitor, Cawl journeyed to Ulvheim in order to reach the Attilan Gate. However as they arrived, they found the world attacked by the forces of Vashtorr.[17f] Amidst the chaos, Cawl reached the Pylon control node on Ulvheim and activated it. A massive Null field was field directly into the Pit of Raukos, sealing it and banishing the Daemons. In the aftermath of the battle, Cawl met with Decimus Felix and announced he would immediately leave for the Attilan Gap. Felix insisted on accompanying him.[17g]
Biology and Wargear
Belisarius Cawl is equipped with a Solar Atomiser, Arc Scourge, Master-crafted Omnisian Axe, Refractor Field, vast multitude of Mechadendrites, Servo-Skull,[2b] a mandibular vox-cast implant, multi-configurable input ports, a Buprestis sampling drone and a data-interface.[11] His outer layers consist of his weapons harnesses, limb mounts, secondary plasma generator[12c] and the conversion field,[9f] all of which give him his high, crooked back. Without all of these his form is akin to a great mechanical weasel.[12c] His body also possesses auto-repair systems.[12e] One of the many features of the mechanism Cawl wears on his back, one is a privacy field which deadens all noise coming in or out of a small area around the archmagos. It is used to have private conversations.[12g] Cawl would later come into possession of a Necron Warscythe that had once belonged to Phaeron Lhaskek of the lost Indukh Dynasty.[17b]
Cawl's humanity has long since been stripped away. He maintains different "files" of personalities, which he accesses depending on the situation. By the end of the Indomitus Crusade, Cawl had artificially replicated his own sentience to the point where he could no longer said to be a single individual. Cawl kept each "Sub-Cawl" limited to prevent the core intelligence from being threatened. Aboard his Ark Mechanicus Zar-Quaesitor dozens of sub-cawls swarm about, each undertaking a different task.[7]
Cawl has a number of other creations used to aid him, such as Alpha Primus and Qvo.[9c]
Subminds
See also: cortical linkage
Cawl is a composite being, not just in body, but also in mind. A gestalt formed from several individuals. A single soul made of a blend of many spirits.[12c] Some who have met Cawl on several occasions state that he rarely seems to be the same man twice, regardless of their knowledge of his gestalt consciousness.[14a]
In order to preserve knowledge and pursue innovation, Belisarius Cawl has absorbed the minds of multiple other individuals. These are referred to as his subminds, with Belisarius Cawl's mind being the dominant mind of his blended being. Notable individuals, now a part of the being known as Belisarius Cawl, includes Hester Aspertia and Ezekiel Sedayne. They sometimes war for dominance.[9a]
To gain the full extent of one's knowledge the personality must survive. Knowledge is indivisible from experience, and personality is the accumulation of experience. All of these parts are inseparable from one another. However, grafting of one consciousness to another risks psychosis and eventual death. Cawl somehow overcame or staved off this issue of conflicting personalities.[9h]
As the millennia pass by, the former identity of the subminds are sometimes forgotten, unless reminded of them. The district individuality of the memories and experiences can blur. He favours some of these personalities over others. The subminds can chatter and argue amongst themselves. At Cawl's will these lesser subminds can be delineated problems to work on in the hinterlands of his minds and then reintegrated with his primary intelligence, returning him to a singular identity and purpose again, if a bit lonelier.[12c]
Cawl often blends himself together with his subminds, been mind-wiped more times than he cared to admit, forgotten too much the normal way, and wasn’t above budding off dozens of sub-Cawls when he got busy, some of which got lost. Such a multiplicity of experiential input and recollection was bound to confuse things. Cawl is a mystery to himself.[12d]
Some of his subminds share certain traits that define his greater gestalt mind, such as an independent tendency that results in a dislike for taking orders.[12a] Although, he is a gestalt formed from several individuals, and added different overlays to his personality to suit his whim, at the core he was himself, Belisarius Cawl, always and forever, and that core was somewhat light-hearted.[12c]
The Cawl Inferior
Cawl developed the Cawl Inferior, a device to emulate himself, housed deep within the Macragge’s Honour. The Cawl Inferior was made to communicate with the Primarch Roboute Guilliman in the Archmagos's stead, as well as to serve as a backup in case Cawl himself were to die. To facilitate this, the Cawl Inferior contains the sum total of its creator's knowledge. While stated to only communicate using pre-programmed responses, the Primarch suspects that the Cawl Inferior is actually a fully sentient Abominable Intelligence.[5]
Images
Belisarius Cawl miniature[1]
Belisarius Cawl concept art by Jes Goodwin[18]
.jpg)
Trivia
 |
- Belisarius Cawl's name may derive from the Byzantine General Belisarius.
- Cawl enjoys listening to the music of Bak.[12i]
See also
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Store Page: Belisarius-Cawl (archive saved 10 Nov 2023, last accessed 16 January 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/Adeptus-Mechanicus-Belisarius-Cawl-2017 )
- 2: Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia,
[Help]
- 3: Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch,[Help]
- 4: Warhammer Community - A New Breed of Hero
- 5: Dark Imperium (Novel), Chapter 12
- 6: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition), pg. 39
- 7: In the Grim Darkness (Short Story)
- 8: Wolfsbane (Novel):
- 9: Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel):
- 10: Crusade: Pariah Nexus, pgs. 21-26
- 11: Warhammer 40,000: The Ultimate Guide, pg. 82
- 12: Genefather (Novel):
- 13: Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Belisarius Cawl - for details see Belisarius Cawl/Sources
- 14: The Silent King (Novel)
- 15: Flesh and Steel (Novel), Chapter 9
- 16: Assassinorum: Kingmaker (Novel), Chapter 26
- 17: Archmagos (Novel):
- 18: The Gathering Storm Companion, pg. 23
