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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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→The rise of High Lord Vandire
[[Goge Vandire]], the name most closely associated with the Age of Apostasy, and the Reign of Blood. He was the 361st High Lord of the Administratum and had a reputation as a staunch resistor to the dominance of the [[Ecclesiarchy]]. It is said he used assassins to gain his position, but any who spoke out against him mysteriously disappeared or were found dead, so none dared oppose him. Shortly before his rise, Vandire was instrumental in the rise of Ecclesiarch [[Paulis III]], an incompetent who was easily controlled by Vandire and his followers.
Once he had taken full control of the Administratum, he used his powers to undermine the Ecclesiarchy while he led a ground group of Imperial Guard officers into the Ecclesiarcal Palace and overthrew Paulis III in what can only be described as a military coup. He declared Paulis a heretic and had him shot. He then moved in and took control of the Ecclesiarchy, effectively controlling both at once as High Lord of the Administratum and Ecclesiarchy.
The Ecclesiarchy could do nothing to stop Vandire, shaken and battered as they were. Vandire purged the Ecclesiarchy, getting rid of any who opposed him. Those [[Cardinal]]s who had not already fled gathered onto a single ship and set off for [[Ophelia VII]] in an attempt to escape Vandire. Their ship was, however, engulfed by a gigantic [[warp storm]] and never seen again just as they entered the warp. Vandire used this as evidence to claim that it was the Emperor's will that they should die and that he himself should lead the faith of the Imperium. Vandire then elected Cardinals of his own choosing to fill the benches, including many weak-minded fools and several brilliant geniuses who were just cruel enough to follow Vandire. He now had total control of the two most powerful facets of the Imperium.
