Enok Innokenti
Enok Innokenti was a Magister of the Chaos forces during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade in M41. He was regarded as one of the most gifted commanders of the Chaos Archonate during the conflict.[1c] Though monstrous in appearance,[3][4b] he had a musical, beautiful voice.[4b]
History
Innokenti was already a powerful warlord by the start of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. At the time, he served as one of Archon Nadzybar's many lieutenants. He had a considerable force under his command and held a lot of sway in the Chaos ranks.[1a]
By 771/772.M41, the new Archon Urlock Gaur tasked Innokenti, among other Magisters, to lead a coreward flank attack on the exposed Imperial forces that were locked in the Cabal Salient. The resulting campaign focused on the Khan Group,[1b] where Innokenti and Anakwanar Sek proved particularily successful in disrupting Imperial supply lines and inflicting heavy losses on their opponents.[1c][4a]
Amid his advance into the Khan Group, Innokenti received arcane knowledge from the Warp, predicting the return of Saint Sabbat on the otherwise insignificant world of Herodor. Realizing the potential impact of this event, the Magister psychically communed with Urlock Gaur who ultimately left the decision on how to react to Innokenti. Resolving to prevent Saint Sabbat from fully reemerging,[4b] Innokenti personally mobilised a massive force and led an invasion of Herodor in 773.M41.[4b][1d] His army, including Blood Pact troopers, landed on the world rather than destroying it from orbit as the Magister wanted the pleasure of either killing or capturing the saint and using her body to demoralise the Imperial Guard troops in the sector.[4b][4c]
The battle of Herodor was initially regarded as a one-way battle with Chaos forces pushing the advantage of numbers, making the Imperial forces retreat to Herodor's capital Civitas Beati.[4c][4d] To the surprise of the invaders, the Imperials offered much more fierce resistance then expected, and Saint Sabbat eventually made a broadcast proclaiming that she had sensed a great Imperial victory on faraway Morlond, a victory which Innokenti 's offensive into the Khan Group had been supposed to prevent. She also taunted Innokenti, declaring his campaign a failure and daring him to flee from Herodor.[4d] The Magister was infuriated so much by the broadcast that he personally went to the front, challenging Saint Sabbat in signle combat. Although seen to be a tightly contested duel, Enok Innokenti was eventually decapitated by the Saint who then used his impaled head to rally the Imperial forces and push back the broken Chaos forces.[1d][4e]
Most of the Magister's army was subsequently wiped out, as Herodor's garrison counterattacked and Imperial reinforcements arrived.[4f] Enok Innokenti's demise on Herodor was seen as one of the major turning points of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.[1d][4f] Elements of the Magister's host managed to escape from Herodor, with some of these contingents unsuccessfully attempting to capture the planet of Lysander during their retreat.[2]
Sources
- 1: The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Background Book)
- 2: Interceptor City (Novel), Chapter Glory Stories
- 3: The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Background Book) (2019 Edition), p. 70-71
- 4: Sabbat Martyr (Novel)
