Othis
Othis was the Regimental Preacher of Colonel Odrameyer's Cadian 4021st Armoured Regiment, during the Plague Wars.[1]
History
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The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | Dark Imperium: Godblight (Novel) |
When Lord Commander Guilliman led Fleet Primus to aid Ultramar, the 4021st were among a vanguard force sent a head to safeguard its worlds until he arrived. This led them to Parmenio, which had been invaded by the Death Guard and was slowing becoming corrupted by the Chaos God Nurgle. This led to an outbreak of Plague Zombies among Parmenio's population, which attacked the 4021st in repeated waves. This lasted for two months, as the despairing Cadians waited for the Lord Commander to invade the world. However, just as Guilliman's forces finally invaded Parmenio, and reinforcements were being sent to relive them, the 4021st began to be overwhelmed by the Plague Zombies. They would have been destroyed, had Othis not acted and began preaching the Imperial Creed and the great hymns of Cadia, as he advanced into the undead hordes. He soon became surrounded, but Othis' voice spoke with holy power and caused the Plague Zombies to falter. This caused the undead hordes to try and kill the Preacher, but miraculously any that came close to Othis, simply fell dead and did not rise again. Seeing this, filled the 4021st with hope and Colonel Odrameyer was convinced that the Emperor was acting through Othis to save the Regiment. In order to take advantage of his Preacher's actions, Odrameyer quickly ordered the 4021st to attack the Plague Zombies while they were still weakened. The Cadians' fury and faith caused the undead hordes to be overwhelmed and the Colonel knew the Emperor's power had sapped the Plague Zombies strength.[1]
The Regiment was soon able to see the still advancing Othis, just as the Preacher held up a holy symbol of his office - a heavy, golden, barred letter I. After the preacher did so, however, a blinding light filled the area and it was followed by a large blast. Once he uncovered his eyes, Odrameyer could see that a large pillar of holy fire was now surrounding them and stretching up into the sky. The Colonel could also see that while the 4021st were unharmed by its touch, the fire had turned the Plague Zombies into ash. For some reason, Odrameyer then looked up into the pillar and within its flames, he could see a giant wearing golden armour. Then the pillar was gone and the sky above them was free of Nurgle's corruption. The Colonel knew, though, that the giant had been the Emperor and that the Imperium's God had saved the Regiment, by destroying the undead hordes. Afterwards the exhausted 4021st looked for Othis, but there was no sign of him. However the ground where the Preacher was last seen standing, was now blackened by a hundred foot circle that was surrounded by the Plague Zombies' ashes. While the Colonel later told all this to Lord Commander Guilliman's corps of logisticators, they showed no interest in what happened. Odrameyer would then begin hearing rumours of other miracles and was soon approached by the Militant-Apostolic Mathieu. Mathieu wanted to know what had happened with Othis and the Colonel could tell that the Militant-Apostolic had seen something similar occur as well. As they had been both blessed by the Emperor's light, Odrameyer decided to immediately pledged the 4021st to Mathieu and the Adeptus Ministorum. This prevented the Regiment from being inducted into Fleet Primus' forces and the 4021st later joined Mathieu's Crusade of the Witnesses.[1]
Sources
- 1: Dark Imperium: Godblight (Novel), Chapter 20
