Tikoloshe
The Blademaster Tikoloshe was an ancient Chaos Space Marine who fought in The Great Crusade and The Horus Heresy and, having survived both, continued the Long War against the Imperium.[1a]
History
Born on the planet Cthonia, Tikoloshe was chosen to become a Space Marine on his thirteen birthday by the Luna Wolves, and would serve the Imperium faithfully until the Horus Heresy. When the Heresy began he joined the majority of his Legion and sided with Horus, as he struck back at the False Emperor. He would be there as his Legion attacked Holy Terra and he would storm the Imperial Palace as Horus' forces broke through its defenses. Tikoloshe, known for his skill with a blade, would enter the palace in unquenchable fury and hacked at every horrified loyalist Space Marine that dared face him. As the battle turned against them and the Traitor Legions were defeated and driven to the Eye of Terror, Tikoloshe's thirst for vengeance grew. What came next was ten thousand years of rage and anger and bitterness. His fury would eventually land him in a blood-dream slumber which lasted for centuries, until he was awoken by the Chaos Lord Gilgalash the Carnator. Tikoloshe joined Gilgalash's forces and fought in the Black Crusade of Sicklefell, for a century as the Crusades forces attacked the Imperium's Hive Worlds near the Kreel Nebula. Tikoloshe would take a heavy toll on the Imperium's forces sent to stop them, as he killed numerous Space Marines with his blade and would take part in the destruction of the Forge World Barnassus.[1a]
His part in the Long War nearly came to an end in the bloodswamps of I’Ycklahl, as he was mortally wounded fighting the Imperium's forces there. Near death he would have died had Gilgalash, not willing to lose such a valuable warrior, ordered that he be interred within the Chaos Dreadnought Skaarflax; having the previous owner torn out and left to die shrieking in the planet's bloodied swamps. Tikoloshe interment would not lessen his skill with blades, as Skaarflax would soon be equipped with two massive power claws, which Tikoloshe would use to dismember his enemies; often leaving them alive to flop around in shock for his amusement. The Crusade would be defeated by the Imperium and having survived its destruction[1a], Tikoloshe would eventually join a massive Chaos Undivided warband; as they rampaged across the Eastern Fringes of the Ultima Segmentum. The warband toppled a dozen systems and murdered a hundred planets, as they spread the worship of Chaos throughout the Segmentum, as no force was able to stop them.[1b]
They would eventually land on Dolumar IV, a backwater planet with a small human colony which they subsequently destroyed. There the warband would have a Chaos temple built, where they summoned the Lord of Change Tarkh’ax, who would begin to lead them on a new Black Crusade to strike at Holy Terra. It would be all for naught however, as after the summoning an Eldar strikeforce would attack and seal the warband in a prison; in a cut off path of the Webway. Unable to escape Tikoloshe raged against his prison and in the subsequent millennia, his mental state deteriorated until he knew he was quite mad; and began having flashbacks to past moments in his long life.[1b]
This continued for three thousand years, until the heretic Planetary Governor Meyloch Severus freed a majority of the warband; in his plan to unleash Tarkh'ax and gain power from the Lord of Change. Severous would summon the warhost onto the Imperial Navy vessel the Enduring Blade, as the Tau and Imperium were having peace talks[1b]. The warband would quickly overrun the doomed ship, killing both the Tau and Imperium forces as they tried to escape. Eager to kill after his long imprisonment, Tikoloshe would give chase after a fleeing Fire Warrior, charging after him as he ran up a plank way. The Fire Warrior La'Kais would dodge the reach of Tikoloshe's claws, until frustrated the Dreadnought charged at him. At the last second Kais leapt out of the Dreadnought's way and Tikoloshe, unable to stop his lumbering speed, toppled off of the plank way and fell to the ground; opening up Skaarflax like a broken egg on impact. Left blind and crippled without his Dreadnought, Tikoloshe could do nothing as he slowly died.[1a]
