Dalchian Rassaq
Dalchian Rassaq, the Skin-Taker, was once the Chaos Lord of the Night Lords Warband known as the Blades of Atrocity.[1a]
History
Dalchian led the Blades of Atrocity as part of a larger army under the command of Gorelord Thelissicus of the Crimson Slaughter. Thelissicus humiliated Dalchian regularly, leading to him hunting slaves aboard their vessel Torrent of Hatred to vent his frustration and conspired to usurp him. Dalchian's position in his own warband is far from secure, and he conspired with the captive Tech-Priest Ibriel to put down a mutiny by his own lieutenant Krutaan, though he is spared to preserve his warband's strength.[1a]
Later, the Chaos alliance assailed an Imperial Navy fleet. During the engagement against Armsmen and Sisters of Battle in a boarding operation, Dalchian betrayed the Crimson Slaughter by seizing the Destroyer Red Galentia and firing on the Torrent of Hatred before fleeing the battle.[1b] Now in command of his own vessel and captive crew, Dalchian and the Blades of Atrocity took to raiding Imperial void docks and Space Stations. They eventually were able to hunt down a Black Ship of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, but during the hunt they were tracked down by Thelissicus' subordinate Sorcerer Lord, Leil Jathok of the Abyssal Kindred thanks to the betrayal of his second-in-command Zorean. Dalchian was captured and moved aboard Jathok's Frigate Ikhtheos.[1c] However Dalchian was able to persuade Jathok into freeing him and joining him in an alliance against Thelissicus.[1d]
The Blades of Atrocity and Abyssal Kindred continued the hunt for the Black Ship, overcoming the Sisters of Battle Light Cruiser Vizier of Arandeep. The group was able to flee the ship before the Imperial crew detonated it, capturing the nearby Frigate Prideful.[1e] Using Ibriel's technology to track down the Black Ship, training his new captive crew as breachers and branding them with the star of Chaos to ensure they can never return to the Imperium.[1f] Finally tracking down the Black Ship Vitreyu, they rammed the vessel and began a boarding action.[1g] In the subsequent battle, Dalchian and his forces released the captive Psykers to combat the Black Sentinel guards before killing the commanding Sister of Silence.[1h]
Having secured the Vitreyu, Jathok chose to betray Dalchian but the Night Lord had foreseen this and turned the Sorcerer's own subordinate Warpsmith Gyren Naritsa in turn. Jathok was poisoned with a neuro-toxin and held within a Stasis pod. Dalchian was also able to acquire Gene-Seed stocks which would allow him to replenish his warband.[1i] In the aftermath, Dalchian used Naritsa aboard the Ikhtheos to declare war upon Thelissicus, using his new ship to fire a Lance strike act the Torrent of Hatred before disappearing.[1j]
