Koschei Kharkovic

It would have been inaccurate to describe Koschei Kharkovic as an exceptional Primarch, though this is only to be said in regards to comparison with his other siblings, for he was still an unrivalled being compared to the common man. Koschei was neither the strongest, nor the fastest of his siblings. His strategies, whilst undeniably effective, were blunt and straightforward. He was neither the most brutal, nor the most humanitarian. Where some of his brothers were brash, and bombastic, he was quiet, and reserved. However, that being said, for all the things Koschei Kharkovic may not have been, what he was allowed him to stand as a beacon of hope in a galaxy full of darkness, and despair.

Beloved by the common man, Koschei was held in high regard by both the common citizenry, and the military men of the Imperial Army due, in part, to his strongly held ideal that both he, and his legion, were created to serve mankind. Army officers were given an equal voice in his war room, and he strove constantly to better the lives of the citizens of the Imperium. Even the Mechanicus of Mars, and it's numerous Forgeworlds, considered him an ally. Primarily as a result of his willingness to consider them as equal members in the alliance between the Cradle of Humanity, and the Red Planet.

Sadly, as all beacons do, Koschei Kharkovic drew as much, if not more, criticism as he did praise for his idealism. In the eyes of some, at best, he was naive...at worse, a fool. So too, did he suffer for his hope, as many of his efforts, no matter how pure his intent, seemed to bear for him bitter fruit. Some may wonder how long such a being could stand such ill fortunes, and to some, it seemed as though the Primarch of the Eighth's tragic end was preordained.

The Dreamer
Adopted by a freeholder whose name has been lost to time, and was known only to the Primarch himself, Koschei spent the first two years of his life turning his strength and intellect to agriculture, forestry, and the various needs of his village. It seemed as though this son of the Emperor was bound to live a life of peace, rather than the lives of conflict his other siblings endured. What this might have looked like, we’ll never know, for the arrival of a being as wondrous as a Primarch is nearly impossible to keep secret, and word of his existence had finally reached the ears of the Obri.

Of the events that followed, which would lead to the liberation of the people of Zbruch and the extermination of the Obri, there is a wealth of available accounts. However, of those accounts, few could be charitably described as factual, as it seems in their zeal to record the deeds of the young Primarch, the chroniclers neglected to verify the exploits they recorded.

What is known to be true is that an Obri known as Zberateľ, the Chooser of the Blessed, captured the young Primarch after razing his village to the ground and killing all of its inhabitants. Soon after, Koschei would lead a revolt of the Chosen, those selected to be sacrificed to the Walking Gods; and personally killed Zberateľ. This, the first victory won by the young Primarch, would be short lived, as Koschei's army of rebels would be decimated less than a week later by the army of the local Lord. Forced to flee, it is said that Koschei hid for a time in the ruined Obri fortress which overlooked the ruins of his village, the fortress which would later be converted into the Godslayers' base of operations on Zbruch, The Pevnosť.

Koschei would spend the next twenty years traveling the lands of Zbruch, leading uprisings against the Obri, and their puppet kings. Each time Koschei would slay the Obri himself, utilizing a strange, massive sword known as Bože Zabiják, which was said to glow with a black aura when wielded by Koschei in battle.

As the chronicle of Koschei's victories increased with each slain Obri, the Temple of the Walking Gods grew more and more desperate, but it would be the death of Večná krása, the Red Queen of the Obri, that would push them to put their most extreme plan into action.

Finally, as Koschei stood before the walls of the city of Sibronsk, he was greeted by a conclave of priests from the Temple, led by the High Priest Iosif Kharjalov, chosen of the Horned King of the Obri, Lámačkostí. There he was told that if he did not disband his army of rebels, and submit to the will of the Walking Gods, then the lives of all the children of Sibronsk would be forfeit. He was given a night to decide.

That night, after hearing the pleas of his Rada, Koschei gave his most trusted generals their orders. The army was to appear to disband, staying in the area and waiting for Koschei's signal. Meanwhile, Koschei would surrender, and allow himself to be taken to the Horned King. He would either succeed in killing the last of the Obri, or he would die in the process.

The next morning Koschei Kharkovic was led into the city in chains.

The accounts of what followed this are vague and contradictory. Some indicate that Koschei was led through an empty city, the silence so oppressive that even the Primarch bowed his head, while others allude to a great celebration breaking out in the streets, as the families of those taken thronged to praise, and thank, the great hero who had so willingly sacrificed himself for the well-being of their children. Whatever the truth of the matter, ultimately it is irrelevant. Koschei soon found himself brought before the Horned King, where after a great battle, he slew him and the High Priest, as well as the other priests of the Temple. Victorious at last, he threw open the gates of Sibronsk and welcomed his army in.

Hailed a hero of the people, it was the intent of not only his Rada, but the people of Zbruch as well, to name Koschei their new king. To their surprise he flatly refused when the notion was brought forward. He had liberated his people so that they could be free, not so he could rule. Instead, he said that the people should govern themselves, or at the very most, establish Radas of their own to govern them.

The Coming of the Imperium
The people, who for so long had been under the yoke of absolute authority, were slow to accept the young Primarch's new order, but with encouragement from both Koschei himself, and his trusted Rada, they soon embraced their newfound freedom with enthusiasm. Zbruch soon entered a golden era of peace, and prosperity. However, this freedom from authority was not to last, as less than ten years later the Emperor's fleet arrived in orbit over Zbruch, intent on bringing not only his wayward son into his Imperium of Mankind, but his planet as well.

Alas, Koschei’s laudable principles would bring the reunion with his father to near disaster. Koschei regarded this golden king with deep distrust, despite the kinship he felt with both him and Alexandros, who had accompanied the Emperor. When they drew close, the sheer magnitude of the Emperor’s psychic presence overwhelmed Koschei, and he leapt to attack what he saw as a tyrant seeking nothing more than to once again oppress the people he had fought so hard to free. Mercifully, Alexandros succeeded in holding Koschei back, and the Emperor managed to placate his son. Over the following weeks, he explained to Koschei the true scale of his intended destiny, and arranged for the now willing Primarch to assume control of his Legion. His people, still unsure of their freedom, embraced the rule of the Imperium without hesitation.

Master of the VIIIth
Here, Koschei would first assert himself. Having read his Legion’s histories, he was appalled at the reputation they had garnered, and the baleful influence of Prometear Thyris. So as the first generation of the new VIIIth, both of Terra and Zbruch, began their ascension, Koschei summoned the Godslayers to his world. In some ways he was generous, doing little to alter the Legion’s culture, but when it came to the echelons who ruled the Legion he was uncompromising. Thyris and his most brutal lieutenants were removed from frontline service and sent on individual redemption crusades, the first of their kind within the Imperium; risking the anger of much of the Legion. Yet having seen the strength of bonds between Astartes and their gene-sire, Koschei was willing to make this calculated gamble, and it proved a remarkable success.

From the first, he took the brunt of whatever battle the Godslayers fought, and this swiftly earned him the respect of the remaining holdouts. It may be deemed a happy accident that Thyris fell during his crusade only a few years after the reunion; an honourable death, but one that reduced him to little more than a footnote in the Godslayers’ story. It is said that the day before his death he sent a communique to his gene-sire thanking him for teaching the former legion master how to be loved, rather than feared. He is believed to have died saving the people of Vikaram from xenos raiders.

Whatever the truth of Thyris’ end, it ushered out the last remnants of the old VIIIth and completed the Godslayers’ new lease of life. Along with a newfound feeling of purpose, they found acclaim from their cousins and the Imperium at large. Koschei made them liberators, and thus they were loved. Companies were placed within Kapitola, and in these Terrans mingled with Zbruchans as they did in the flourishing lesser Radas that emerged throughout the legion.

Koschei spent his formative campaigns at Alexandros' side, and the influence showed in the Godslayers’ use of their strength to shield their mortal allies. Indeed, they took it further, and while they used many of the units available to a Legion Astartes, they often skewed towards close-combat. Perhaps it was by Alexandros' example or a continuation of Koschei’s own policies, but in council all senior officers were given an equal voice in principle, be they of the Legion, Army or a Titan maniple.

Soon, the Godslayers were known for their determination to negotiate with any human culture they found, to an extent only seen among the Halcyon Wardens before. In Alexandros, Koschei found a kindred spirit who was quite willing to share his decades of experience, and dozens of worlds were brought into the Imperial fold by his rhetoric and that of his sons. Nonetheless, the Godslayers rigidly upheld the Emperor’s line on xenos and mutants, and the VIIIth had ample battle honours to go with its diplomatic triumphs.

Under Koschei their reputation in combat was for steadfast endurance and willing sacrifice, offering their lives to break sieges rather than starve the defenders. To some of Koschei’s brothers this was cause for concern or scorn; an unwillingness to face the hard facts of galactic conquest. But in the grand scheme of the Great Crusade - as multifaceted a scheme as Mankind has ever known - these were but minor worries, apt to delay the VIIIth's growth but nothing more. Besides, the Godslayers’ high regard for the Army ensured that they did not want for mortal support in their campaigns.

Yet beneath the surface, there was strain. The rate of attrition wore on Koschei as he watched his sons sacrifice themselves for the Emperor’s dream. At the same time, he was frustrated by the stratified society of the Imperium and the way that rulers were so often imposed on a conquered populace. Of course, he was often obliged to do exactly this to ensure a full compliance, and the charge of hypocrisy stung even if none spoke it.

Wargear

 * The Black Mantle -
 * Čierne Kladivo -
 * Bože Zabiják -
 * Frag Grenades

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