Blight Vector Krenacus

Krenacus the Infested, originally known as Krenacus Mortek during the days of the Emperor, is the greatest pride of Blight Vector Krenacus. Even in his early years with the legion, Krenacus was extremely skilled in both melee and ranged combat, while also having the skills necessary to lead a squad. He proved to be invaluable to the legion as his kill team’s raids would be the difference needed to allow the mass waves of Death Guard infantry to advance upon an enemy position. These actions, especially during the Heresy, caught the eye of Typhus, who was already serving the Grandfather at this point in time. After the legion’s subsequent transformation into the horrifying Plague Marines, Typhus blessed Krenacus with a gift unlike any other; an infestation of blackened daemons, who became one with the Champion. This led Krenacus to become the first person ever infected with the Black Decay, a fact he believes comes with the great responsibility of making sure it can spread and fester; primarily doing so through the usage of his relic plague sword, Vitriol. As Krenacus is the main host of this vile disease, its spread empowers him, and allows him to recover from wounds every time he witnesses someone become infected by it, much to the awe of his battle brothers.

Malial Zurrul is the beating heart of Blight Vector Krenacus, and is perhaps the team’s greatest reason for siding with Typhus in serving Nurgle faithfully. Malial was born a Psyker on Barbarus after the Emperor had already brought the planet into the fold. Due to Mortarion’s hatred of Psykers, Malial realized that he needed to suppress who he was and what he was capable of in order to fit in with the legion, even becoming a talented apothecary. For these talents, he was hand picked by Krenacus to serve in his kill team, where he found proper camaraderie with his battle brothers. Here, distinguished himself further as he served the needs of his squad, healing them from the injuries they faced even while they were far behind enemy lines. Eventually, his team came to learn of his Psychic abilities, but respected him for his ability to control them with perfect skill. Soon, Typhus learned of Malial’s abilities, and invited him to the Seven Pillared Lodge, where he would connect with other disillusioned battle brothers and discover what he considered to be a brighter future. Eventually, Malial invited the other members of his team to the lodge, where many of the philosophical discussions had begun to cause the team to reevaluate their beliefs in their primarch and prejudices as they saw what the future could be. Soon, they would accept the gifts of Nurgle as Typhon had, and Malial would wield his psychic abilities with no shame; helping his brethren on the battlefield with far more efficiency than ever before.

Taygon Barcahn is the extremely stoic and fatalistic explosives expert of Blight Vector Krenacus. Originally serving as an extremely talented grenadier during the great crusade, Taygon had served many battles at the tip of the spear, constantly being placed in different squads as many of his previous ones would die in the intense frontlines of trench and zone mortalis combat. Because of these experiences, Taygon would become quite reserved; beginning to see others as tools and obstacles rather than as fellow battle brothers or enemy warriors to respect. However, this would change upon being assigned to Krenacus’ kill team, where he was surprised by the squad’s ability to survive despite the odds, gaining a deep loyalty and respect for these battle brothers, something even he himself never thought would be possible. After the kill team being blessed by Nurgle, he now sees himself and Blight Vector Krenacus as having embraced the entropic nature of battlefield misery, and believes the suffering they spread is sharing the ultimate truth of reality. Taygon personally embraces this truth through using his impressive skill with custom grenades that are laced with the Black Decay and many other diseases. Guranthal will often refer to Taygon when he needs his weapon to have more of an immediate kick to it.

Besides the Infested himself, Pyrek Kargoss fervently carries more of the Black Decay than any of his battle brothers. Once having been the standard bearer of his squad during the Great Crusade, Pyrek Kargoss would often raise the flag of the Death Guard upon his squad’s successful shock assault, alerting the greater legion at large to begin their attack on their enemies, or to signal their ultimate victory in their assault. Now, after their subsequent corruption at the hands of Nurgle, he raises his standard not to signal the assault of his legion, but rather the spreading of the Grandfather’s gifts; a role he believes in so fervently, he chained his icon to his own arm, preventing him from removing it or even allowing himself to rest. Not only that, but this icon also has stim storages attached to it; now repurposed to open and allow the spread of plague, providing perhaps the most reliable source of diseases for the team to unleash on their enemies. Of Blight Vector Krenacus, Pyrek may just be the most fervent believer in Chaos, even more so than Malial. With that said, there is no competition between the brothers; Nurgle is generous with his plagues, as are the members of Blight Vector Krenacus; Pyrek being the most so.

Guranthal Molahn is the plague brewer of Blight Vector Krenacus, who sees every encounter as a chance to test out his own plagues and diseases. Originally, Guranthal was a specialist in chemical warfare ordinance, often assisting in determining optimal firing vectors and timings to ensure maximum damage when using phosphex and virus based weaponry. Eventually becoming so proficient with this seeming six sense, the Death Guard reassigned him to serve under Krenacus as a vox specialist for his kill team, calling in timed air and orbital strikes for his legion’s pilots to maximize damage and create openings for his squad and other front line fighters, a job he enjoyed far more than watching from above. However, many of the legion’s tools and equipment would change following their transformation into plague marines, and oftentimes Guranthal would not have access to working vox nets or proper artillery systems. Because of this, Guranthal decided to instead bring his own personal chemical weapons to the battlefield, using them to horrifying effect, and tinkering with them to ensure he can inflict maximum misery during the next encounter. Oftentimes, Taygon will consult him for suggestions regarding the toxicity of his blight grenades.

Serias Kroathe serves as the de facto second-in-command of Blight Vector Krenacus; a role earned not through charisma, but through iron discipline and undeniable skill. He and Krenacus were recruited from Barbarus at the same time, fought in the same companies, and survived the same campaigns of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. However, where Krenacus rose through charm and leadership, Serias earned his place through cold and brutal efficiency. Though he occasionally resented his brother’s spotlight, he never allowed personal pride to interfere with the order of the Legion. He was handpicked by both Krenacus and Typhon to serve as the kill team’s second; a choice he accepted with quiet resolve. Of all Blight Vector Krenacus, Serias is perhaps the least devout. This is not to say he dislikes Chaos, rather that he views their gifts with pragmatism rather than true reverence. achieve goals rather than ends unto themselves. When the Legion fell and the Black Decay consumed him, Serias accepted his new form with the same stoicism that defined him in the original legion. In battle, Serias is the squad’s direct combat specialist. He wields a boltgun loaded with homemade Black Decay rounds and a plague knife with terrifying efficiency, switching between ranged support and front-line slaughter with seamless instinct. He speaks little and believes less; but he always follows orders with deadly precision. When the march begins, he walks beside Krenacus, but never behind.

Vyrite Laestal was the final member to join Blight Vector Krenacus, and did so at a much later date compared to the rest of the squad. A young marine compared to the rest of Blight Vector Krenacus, Vyrite did not serve with a specialist strike team like the rest of his brothers, but rather as a part of the Death Guard’s standard squad formations during the Heresy. Specifically serving in a close support squad, Vyrite was an extremely angry and aggressive marine, often preferring to bludgeon or slash his targets to death in the close confines of melee. Given his skill in melee, he was picked out and being considered for a more elite role, with even some of the Deathshroud taking note of him as a potential candidate. However, before this promotion could be brought to fruition, the Death Guard were corrupted by Nurgle, and now bonded with his armour, Vyrite was kept in his original squad and company; however, he had a greater destiny still. During the Siege of Terra, almost the entirety of Vyrite’s squad and company were killed, leaving him alone with the corpses of both enemy and ally alike, where he was eventually found by Blight Vector Krenacus beginning a spearhead strike for their own company to follow. With no other squad to assist, Vyrite joined the strike squad, serving with remarkable proficiency that impressed Krenacus enough to invite him into the fold. Like his brothers, Vyrite is a fervent worshipper of Nurgle, but has a particularly ambitious bend to his worship, his tougher physiology being one of the primary reasons he engages in worship. As well, he has taken up using a flail of corruption to further spread Nurgle’s rot, but also as a means of his own worship; each of the striking heads being a censer that bears the Black Decay. Nowadays, Vyrite is a deeply respected member of Blight Vector Krenacus, treated as if he were there from the beginning, while the sight of his flail is a true terror for any enemy to witness.