[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Betrayal: Beowulf the Loyal
Lexmechanic Niels Berevan, 112M.29
The planet known as Geata IV was one touched by the foul influence of the Chaos Pantheon. The land bubbled and boiled in many places, and some were as barren sandscapes. The foreboding Shiss mountains were home to many monstrous beings, snakes with broad leathery wings that could spew forth gouts of acid, tar, and flame.

It was into this hell that a child was conducted by powers beyond comprehension. He descended as a streak of smoke and fire, coming to rest near the border of a region where the Empyrean and material planes were not separated. He foraged on his own for the first age of his life, growing quickly and becoming strong. Eventually, he happened upon a great and terrible struggle. A monster of the Warp-realm named Grynndael was fighting many men near a city, in which mothers tried to run to safety with their screaming, weeping children. Beowulf gazed longingly and lovingly at the things that fought the monster, who looked much like he did. With nothing but his bare hands, he attacked the beast and slew it, tearing it limb from limb.

He thus gained the villagers’ respect and adoration. But he insisted that he merely wished to join their community, where he could be among their kind. They gladly accepted him, hailing him as the greatest warrior that lived. The towns people had cleared a spot in the centre of their small city, named Haerott, for the giant man’s dwelling. He lived in a humble hall, built with his own hands. Around its walls hung the heraldry of the greatest warriors the town had known, with the heraldry of the town itself over the massive throne the villagers gifted to Beowulf. It became a place of celebrations and massive banquets.

Beowulf defeated many of he town’s enemies. After the Grynndael, came a daemon who claimed to have spawned Grynndael, and would spawn many more. Beowulf agreed to fight the abomination deep in its own realm. Along the way, he defeated many lesser beings. Finally he battled Ormmi, the Spawner of Evil. After realizing that no material weapons could truly harm her, he found it within himself to shape, to a limited extent, the energies around them. He crafted for himself a great sword and destroyed Ormmi.

After this, his exploits were told far and wide, and he gained a great following of warriors. They began to unite under his rule, and he led them to the darkest corners of the world, defeating the creatures of darkness. Wikleif, as well as a few others among his followers, were particularly skilled, as well as courageous, earning Beowulf’s respect. The elite group would soon prove themselves as brave and loyal warriors when the greatest horror besieged Haerott. The master of all the beings of the world, the Draekøn, a massive winged wyrm whose breath carried an ethereal flame and whose horns were black-tipped and sharp as a sword-point, attacked Beowulf on-sight for destroying his Kingdom. Beowulf fought the beast, as did Wikleif and the other elite warriors, even after the other warriors were killed or fled. Eventually, Beowulf and his loyal companions killed the monster, and he named the warriors who had remained with him the Draekøngaard.

It was at this point that the Emperor descended from the Heavens to claim his son. Beowulf knew instantly that this Divine Being was his father, and he knelt in fealty, swearing eternal allegiance. With him the Emperor brought the warriors of the Second Legion, the Star Gryphons. Beowulf kept the name, but renamed the First Company after his own bodyguard, and had them inducted into the legion. The Emperor then sent them on a quest: to rid the stars of beings like the Draekøn who would harm Humanity. Beowulf and his warriors boarded the fleet and departed immediately for the Northwestern spread of stars.

But weeks later, after the raucous and long celebrations of victory and reuniting with humanity and the Emperor, Beowulf and his elite warriors discovered that defeating the Draekøn had left them with a terrible curse. Some sprouted horns, some were able to breath fire, and a few even grew wings. Beowulf received all of these mutations, in addition to sharpened teeth, scaled skin, and claws in place of nails. Beowulf found his new form uncomfortable at first, and the un-mutated Star Gryphons were sore afraid of their Progenitor. But Beowulf had preached loyalty to his warriors, and he assured them that the mutations would be of no consequence and that as they were loyal to him, so he would remain loyal to his father, the Emperor. And so Beowulf and the Star Gryphons continued on their crusade. Those inducted to the First Company were implanted with the new geneseed, which mutated them into a true member of the Draekøngaard.

As the Fates would have it, they happened upon Leman the Bold and his Legion: The Space Wolves. Leman had happened upon an unnamed system teeming with alien life, malevolent, and who appeared to be planning their own foray into the galaxy. Beowulf, the Draekøngaard, and the, Second, and Fifth Companies of the Star Gryphons dropped from the skies alongside Leman, and Beowulf was eager to greet his brother.

The image that greeted his eyes, however, was much different than he imagined. A great, howling, feral wolf-man in torn ceramite armour led a pack of similarly bestial creatures. But Beowulf had promised to his legion that his loyalty to the Emperor had not been shaken, and this meant he would trust his brother. The two legions fought alongside each other for the battle. However, once it was over, Leman the Bold ordered his legion to attack Beowulf and the Star Gryphons. Beowulf and his warriors were taken off-guard, and Beowulf pleaded with Leman to stop his attack, but Leman instead attacked Beowulf directly. Beowulf instructed his cruisers in orbit to make the Emperor aware of the situation, and the rest of his warriors to hold off the Wolves.

The fight continued, and Leman and Beowulf chased each other throughout the system. When, after a month, the Emperor arrived, Beowulf immediately requested a private audience with Him. The Emperor instead opened up a channel to both Beowulf’s flagship, the Draekøn’s Breath, and Leman’s flagship, the Wolves’ Den. Upon seeing Beowulf and members of the Draekøngaard, the Emperor demanded to know what Beowulf had done to turn himself and his legion from their quest. Beowulf replied that he had stayed true to his mission to rid the galaxy of aliens and that he had stayed true to his Father. The Emperor replied that Beowulf was a hideous aberration who had clearly made a pact with dark powers. Beowulf replied that his appearance was the result of defeating such powers.

When the Emperor was not moved, Beowulf asked the Emperor if he had seen Leman and his legion’s warriors. The Emperor opened a link from Beowulf’s ship to Leman’s, and standing there was not the hairy beast Beowulf had see earlier, but a tall, powerfully-built image of perfection. Beowulf cried out in desperation, once more claiming that he was still loyal. The Emperor’s face did not even hint of sadness as he ordered Leman to exterminate his brother and any warriors who followed him who had betrayed humankind.

Leman carried out his orders, immediately attacking the Star Gryphons. Beowulf roared in despair as he watched the Emperor’s ship jump into the Warp and leave the system. The brothers and their legions fought, but the Emperor’s decision had shocked Beowulf, and the Space Wolves caught him and his warriors by surprise. They suffered heavy losses, and eventually Beowulf decided to make a jump into the Warp to escape. They did, and Leman found himself unable to track their course, or indeed, even jump into the Warp at all. They moved to a neighbouring system where they were again able to jump to the Warp, but by then Beowulf was long-gone.

It is believed that Beowulf could still shape the Warp to a limited extent, and had blocked Leman’s pursuit. What has become of he and his legion is to this day unknown. There have been reports since the Betrayal of horned, winged, fire-breathing Astartes near the Oculus Terribus. However, any attempt to investigate by any of the other legions has been met with failure or a lack of information.