Josef Khoriv
Josef Khoriv is a Drill Abbot, who serves in the retinue of Inquisitor Covenant and has always had a love for fighting.[1]
Early Life
He was born in the sump of Adrianis Hive of the Hive World Mandragora,[4] where Khoriv was a member of a gang. This suddenly changed, when his gang was targeted by Imperial Navy Press-Gangs and Khoriv was captured by them. He was then sent to their waiting warship and taken to a gun deck, where he was attached to the Iron Eternal chain. There Khoriv and others were charged with pulling the chain, which was one of dozens within the deck. Just like his Hive's sump, there were gangs and each was named after the chain they were charged with pulling. Thus Khoriv was a member of the Iron Children and rose to become a gang leader, through committing violence against other gangs. His fate would change once more, however, after Khoriv was ambushed in the warship's lower decks and nearly killed, after being stabbed in the stomach by a young gang member from the Kindly Ones. He was content to allow himself to die, but the Preacher Abernath found Khoriv and began calling for aid to help him.[2]
Ascension to Priesthood
Due to Abernath's influence, Khoriv was taken to a Butcher-Brig medicae wing, where the warship's higher-rated crew sought treatment. This was the only reason that Khoriv survived and when the gang leader awoke, the Preacher was there and explained their meeting came about, as he walked the lower decks in search of injured people to save. Khoriv had been the twenty-five wounded soul the Preacher had found, but the gang leader was the only one to survive their wounds. Abernath felt that meant the Emperor had found some worth in Khoriv and because of his heavily muscled build, the Preacher sought to have the gang leader become a member of the warship's Naval Armsmen. While the Armsmen would not normally allow members gun deck members to join their number, Abernath had an understanding with warship's mid-port decks Master-lieutenant-at-arms to bypass this. Khoriv agreed and this changed the path of his life dramatically, as being an Armsmen, later led him to become a Preacher himself and then a Drill Abbot at a Schola Progenium. This then led him to be recruited by Inquisitor Covenant, who Khoriv still serves to this day.[2]
Inquisition Agent
Despite his life changes, Khoriv and Abernath remained close friends, though some thirty years would pass after they last saw each other. It was at that thirtieth year, however, that Abernath, who had since risen to become a Cardinal, was accused of Heresy and blasphemy by the Ecclesiarchy. He was then taken to the Dungeon of the Doubted prison, which was stationed within the Space Station that orbited Bakka. This was found out by one of Covenant's retinue members, conducing an operation on the world, who informed him of what occurred. Covenant both knew and thought well of the Cardinal and also was aware of the personal relationship he had with Khoriv. This led the Inquisitor to tell the Drill Abbot about Abernath's fate, which left Khoriv in shock and disbelief. Covenant then informed the Abbot that they were going to Bakka, so Khoriv could meet with Abernath. This was both due to their friendship and because the Cardinal's Heresy was connected to the Desolate City realm, that the Inquisitor had long been hunting for. Others had seen this realm as well and Covenant feared its increasing appearance, would bring about the downfall of Mankind.[2]
During the journey to Bakka, Khoriv reviewed Abernath's full confession to the Heresy charges, but he later asked the imprisoned former Cardinal to tell him everything. Abernath freely admitted he was guilty of the crimes he was accused of and said it began shortly after he started preaching to a huge crowd of pilgrims on the Caradryad Sector's holy world, Dominicus Prime. The pilgrims rushed to the dais Abernath was speaking on and it was at that moment, the Cardinal saw a dying pilgrim on the ground, who was using the last of her life to look up at him. For reasons unknown, the sight cast Abernath's mind into the Desolate City, while his body still remained on Dominicus. In this new realm, he traveled through the vast ruins of an Imperial city, that spread as far as the Cardinal could see. However he soon began hearing pleas for aid, which led to the center of the city and a figure sitting on a throne. It was in terrible pain and kept repeating "I cannot go on". Once he came closer, though, Abernath knew at once that it was the Emperor, who was crying out for aid and just before the vision of the Desolate City was gone, he heard the Emperor plead, "Please… I must be free." Abernath then found himself back on Dominicus, where only moments had passed for everyone else. However the experience had changed the Cardinal forever, as seeing the Emperor in pain and pleading for help, made the Cardinal realize the Emperor was dying. This revelation not only shattered Abernath's internal strength, but also destroyed his faith in the Imperial Creed.[2]
Abernath was left with a feeling of despair that never ended, though he kept what he saw to himself at first. When various phenomena then began striking the Caradryad Sector, the Cardinal was convinced they were connected to his revelation. Shortly afterwards, he began preaching to small groups about the Desolate City and that the Emperor was dying. This led the Ecclesiarchy to charge Abernath with Heresy and then have him imprisoned in the Dungeon of the Doubted. The now former Cardinal would admit his guilt and confession also contained what he saw in the Desolate City - except for the Emperor's request to be freed. However when Khoriv pressured Abernath for anything he left out of the confession, the former Cardinal relented and told his old friend what the Emperor's last words had been. With that, Abernath was done and once more admitted his guilt to Khoriv. The former Cardinal then remarked that though Khoriv wished to save him, he did not want the Drill Abbot to interfere on his behalf. Abernath was now forever broken and wished to accept his fate of Arco-flagellation, for his Heresy and for no longer having the faith to serve the Emperor. Khoriv accepted this and later left to report everything to Inquisitor Covenant.[2]
Despite Abernath's plea not to, Khoriv asked Covenant to help his old friend. The Inquisitor refused to interfere with the Ecclesiarchy's judgment of the former Cardinal. While he admitted, Abernath was a good man, Covenant stated the former Cardinal was guilty and had accepted the punishment of Arco-flagellation. The Inquisitor then remarked they would soon travel to Dominicus Prime and use Abernath's information to aid them in their search for the Desolate City. Khoriv reluctantly accepted this, but implored Covenant to ask the Ecclesiarchy for possession of Abernath, once his punishment was carried out. The Inquisitor agreed and soon the former Cardinal, who was now known as Credo 425, became part of Covenant's retinue.[2]
Sources
- 1: Inquisitor Rulebook, pg. 137
- 2: The Father of Faith (Short Story) - Horusian Wars: Divination (Anthology)
- 3: White Dwarf 265 (UK), pg. 88
- 4: The Horusian Wars: Resurrection, Chapter Two
