Zaranchek Xanthus
| Born | c. M30 |
|---|---|
| Active Period | c. M30 - M32 |
| Death |
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| Cause of Death |
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| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Affiliation(s) | |
Zaranchek Xanthus was an agent of Malcador the Sigillite during the Horus Heresy.[3a]
Biography
Horus Heresy
One of the Chosen of Malcador, he was one of the individuals that the Sigillite telepathically passed on key information to before he ascended the Golden Throne. This included the file dubbed Terminus, which was given to him by Khalid Hassan and dealt with the anti-Astartes weapon of Basilio Fo. Viewing the weapon as belonging to the Chosen as opposed to the Custodes, Xanthus recruited Andromeda-17 and together they were able to temporarily gain custody of Fo alongside his warden Amon Tauromachian. The Custodian agrees to work with Xanthus and Andromeda until the authority of the prisoners custody can be confirmed.[4b] Fo, Amon, Xanthus, and Andromeda-17 next journeyed to the Sigillite's Retreat to use Malcador's lab to create a perfected version of his bio-weapon that had no chance of mutating to also infect non-Astartes.[4]
While watching over Fo, Xanthus was attacked by the mad scientist and grievously wounded. While Fo was seemingly killed by Amon Tauromachian[5a] in truth Fo was able to clone Xanthus and inhabit his body, burning the original. Now with a new identity, Fo/Xanthus began to collect Malcador's research materials.[5b]
Post-Heresy
Fo fully took up Xanthus' identity in the Post-Heresy period. He was part of the meeting of the remaining Chosen and agreed to Khalid Hassan's goals of gaining influence over the new Grand Council of Reconstruction.[6a] He later discovered Kyril Sindermann burning forbidden texts relating to knowledge of the Warp from the Fortress of the Sigillite, and convinced the former Remembrancer to stop.[6b] He then placed himself as Rogal Dorn's agent to use Sindermann to catalog and potentially use forbidden Warp lore against the Traitors in the future.[6c] Later, the new Grand Master of Assassins Khalid Hassan expressed disquiet at Xanthus' increasing obsession with Warp-lore.[6d]
By M32, Xanthus was a Radical Inquisitor. Accused of Chaos worship, he maintained that he remained pure but merely used the forces of the Warp to better mankind. It was his firm stance that such power could be harnessed without spiritual corruption. However, despite this defence, Xanthus was ultimately burnt at the stake for heresy. Nonetheless his ideology lives on in the Radical philosophy known as Xanthism.[1][2]
