|Homeworld =[[Mars]]{{Fn|17a}}

|Relatives =''*[[Cawl InferiorAlpha Primus (Space Marine)|Alpha Primus]] <small>(CloneGenetic Son)</small>

*[[Cult MechanicusMartian Mechanicum]]<br><small>(Formerly)</small>

**[[Fleet Primus]]' [[Battle Group Hephaestus (Fleet Primus)|Battle Group Hephaestus]]<br><small>([[Era Indomitus]])</small>***[[Battle Group Hephaestus (Fleet Primus)|Battle Group Hephaestus]]

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[[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 , that he sees himself fit to play God and create, inventing new machinery, such as his [[anti-grav]] vehicles and Primaris Marines being clear [[tech heresy|tech heresies]], and even has the hubris to name a variety of other creations after himself.{{Fn|16}}

Cawl himself is over ten 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}}

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}}

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. Cawl He would ultimately leave the service of Diacomes due to his disgust at of the reprehensible results wrought upon the minds of his master's human test subjects while researching cortical linkage.{{Fn|9h}}

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]]. He became When [[Horus Lupercal]] briefly landed on the station to have loyalty pledge to him Cawl was disgusted at by the sight of the corrupted Horus, but 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}}

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 artifact 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 precocious artifacts were the [[Emperor's Sword (Weapon)|Emperor's Sword]] and 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}}

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 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 endeavor 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}}

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}}

[[Image:<gallery mode="packed" heights=200>Cawl.jpg|thumb|center|180px|Belisarius Cawl miniature{{Fn|1}}Cawl Concept Art (Jes Goodwin).jpg|Belisarius Cawl concept art by [[Jes Goodwin]]{{Fn|18}}</gallery>

*{{Endn|2}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia]],{{Cite thisMarker End}}

*{{Endn|3}}: [[Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch]],{{Cite thisMarker End}}

**{{Endn|12i}}: Chapter 7*{{Endn|13}}: 
 [[Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000]]
 - ''Belisarius Cawl'' - for details see [[Belisarius Cawl/Sources]]*{{Endn|14}}: [[The Silent King (Novel)]]

*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}}: [[Belisarius Cawl/SourcesThe Gathering Storm Companion]], pg. 23