Militia Battalion 34786 – the Vashdarii

“To whoever receives these Comms, do not approach Station Δφ-ele. They butchered the rest of my Ceemati, tearing them apart like animals.

I escaped into the platform’s command centre and sealed the bulkhead. But I can hear them scratching at the door…

Last transcript of Boluk-Bashi Mar Melott

Background

The world of Gamma-Phu 7 was predominantly populated by mutants due to the planet’s close proximity to the radiation-sick star. The planet was therefore exempt from any recruitment drives as mutants were not considered citizens and not worthy of military service. Instead they were subjected to brutal conditions in the planet’s mines by their non-mutant overseers.

When word of Horus’ betrayal hit the sub-sector, the world erupted into civil war. It appears that agents of Horus had been present amongst the population for some time, stirring anti-Imperium sentiment and promising citizenship within Horus’ empire. The overseers were quickly overthrown, but any pretence of rights was quickly squashed once the Iron Warriors entered the system. They rounded up fully half of the population and forced them to board Slovo-VI bulk carriers.

This was not an isolated story. For the Iron Warriors had calculated the manpower required to take a sub-sector, particularly one as fortified as Xyphos, and found its own forces wanting. As such it had force recruited billions to be utilised as labourers and meatshields.

Life was cheap, with the Legiones Astartes masters treating the ‘recruits’ as a resource to be spent like bullets and tanks. This scenario was made worse by those marines assigned as overseers resented their role and inevitably took their frustrations out on their charges.

Despite the circumstances, for many it was an improvement compared to their lives in the mines on Gamma-Phu 7 and, coupled with the spread of the corrupting Primordial Truth, led to a change in attitude over time. Eventually the force re-named itself the Vashdarii – ‘Those owing a life debt to the Primordial Powers’ and took to war with a fanaticism.

Equipment & Fighting Style

From the outset, given their duties and life expectancy, equipment was incredibly varied but generally poor. Most combat units resorted to scrounging what gear they could and typically relied on autoguns instead of lasguns.

The above pict shows a Vashdarii’s typical appearance, armed with an autogun pieced together from multiple examples, and his armour is clearly scavenged from multiple sources – including a shoulder pad from a Piscaian auxiliary.

They were generally herded towards enemy positions and told to charge, with little thought given to tactics or safety. These waves would then be followed up by marines.

However, as the heresy developed, the waves were increasingly bloody and determined, willingly walking through Minefields. Should they actually reach enemy positions, they assaulted with an otherworldly enthusiasm, tearing enemies limb from limb.

Notable Conflicts

• Sardis VII Slaughter – a moonbase on the outer rim of the system, housed by a regiment of Highland Plöners. Seen as an unimportant strategic target but nonetheless a loyalist bastion that needed clearing, waves of Vashdarii were sent in and just left there by the Iron Warriors. Based on recovered vox traffic the Vashdarii slaughtered the Plöners before slaughtering each other. When the base was recovered during the Scouring, it was a charnel house, with roving bands of blood-mad mutants haunting corridors.