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'''Goge Vandire''' was the trigger to the [[Age of Apostasy]] that nearly tore the [[Imperium]] apart. He became known as a megalomaniac, and at the end, almost completely insane. He attained the important position of the [[Master of the Administratum]], and thus a [[High Lord of Terra]], through assassination and threats, and later manipulated the [[Ecclesiarch]] [[Paulis III]] to secure control over the [[Ecclesiarchy]]. Vandire later declared Paulis a heretic and murdered him, assuming this position as well. As both Ecclesiarch and Master of the Administratum, Vandire became the most powerful individual in the Imperium. In later years, he became more and more paranoid , unstable and increasingly easily angered, as well as his mental state at times turning him into a drooling fool. At the end he was executed by [[Alicia Dominica]], the leader of his own bodyguard, the [[Sisters of Battle|Brides of the Emperor]].

Goge Vandire came to power within the [[Administratum]], part of the central Imperial bureaucracy, at some point during the [[M36|36th millennium]]. He arose during a chaotic period of time known as the Age of Apostasy, in which the Imperium was beset by massive corruption within the [[Ecclesiarchy]], the administration ruling over the official Imperial religion. The powerful organization, which was not answerable to anyone short outside of the [[Emperor]] himself, demanded extraordinarily high taxes (called tithes) in order to build ever larger and more ornate cathedrals and monuments. When a planet would refuse to pay the demanded tithes, the Ecclesiarchy would send its armies to destroy the resistance; if Imperial governors (or other officials) joined in resisting, they would be declared [[heretic]]s and executed.

Vandire was eventually elected the 361st High Lord Master of the Administratum, and from the outset, he opposed the power of the Ecclesiarchy. It was common practice for High Lords to subtly manipulate the other branches of the Imperial government, including the Ecclesiarchy; Vandire made no such attempt and openly sought to subvert it. He collected a cadre of loyal Imperial troops, attacked the Ecclesiarchy's palace on the planet [[Ophelia VII]], declared the sitting Ecclesiarch to be a traitor and summarily executed him. Vandire then assumed the dual role of as both High Lord leader of the Administratum and Ecclesiarchthe Ecclesiarchy.

Upon seizing power in the Ecclesiarchy, Vandire began to systematically execute all Cardinals and Ecclesiarchy officials who opposed him. Many Cardinals attempted to escape [[Terra]], but upon entering the [[Warpwarp]], a fierce [[Warp Stormwarp storm]] arose and destroyed the fleeing ship. Vandire declared this to be a sign of approval from the Emperor himself; he then set about replacing all vacant Cardinal seats with lackeys loyal to him.

''See also [[{{main|Age of Apostasy]]''}}