As I’ve said before, all of my Warhammer 40k armies are interconnected in a complex narrative of characters and events. Each game that I play advances the storyline forward in some way, and each army I add to my collection adds to the narrative. While each individual army has their own specific narrative, the overall narrative of my Warhammer 40k hobby is called “The Data Slates of Inquisitor Vuln”.
The primary character of the Data Slates, is Lord Inquisitor Hunter Vuln. He is an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos Branch, and the Lord Inquisitor of a collective called the Fringe Conclave. The Fringe Conclave is a group of individuals from a variety of major and minor branches of the Inquisition, all of whom have a particular interest in the events happening in the Eastern Fringe of Imperial Space. It is an ancient order, nearly as old as the Inquisition itself and it has its own objectives. The Fringe Conclave is forefront in the battle against the Xenos-especially the Tyranid Xenos Species- and is known for their unorthodox approach to achieving their objectives. The Conclaves wide network is led by a Lord Inquisitor, a position that Inquisitor Vuln has recently inherited after the death of his mentor.
As Lord Inquisitor of the Fringe Conclave, Inquisitor Vuln commands the Sword of Night, an immense Imperial Battleship that has been retrofitted into an Inquisitorial Black Ship. A Retribution Class Battleship by design, the ship bristles with weapons platforms, powerful void shields and improved augery scanners making it more than capable of surviving the dangers of the Void. The ship is a relic, once belonging to the Imperial Fists Legion during the Horus Heresy under the name “The Stoic Warden” before it was destroyed by the Iron Warriors in the Gojira sector of the Eastern Fringe. The Ship was rediscovered as a space hulk and repaired by the Adeptus Mechanicus, what relics of the 7th legion found were returned to the Imperial Fists Chapter. The ship itself was given to the Inquisition, and through lines of succession it has serve the Fringe Conclave for thousands of years.
The Sword of Night is equal parts battleship and Inquisitorial Facility. Within its hull includes a variety of laboratories, jailing cells and specimen enclosures, entire decks committed to communication systems, training arenas, a modified bay area, multiple teleportariums and other important spaces. It is for this reason that the ship has its own escort, a Squadron of Firestorm-Class escort frigates. The Sword of Night is more than capable of defending itself against attack, however being that it is so immense it can not turn at the speed of smaller ships, it requires an escort of ships that can respond rapidly to ensuing threats while the Sword prepares itself. Firestorm frigates, armed with their defensive turrets and Lance Batteries, serve this role quite well and the Sword of Night is escorted by a minimum of three at all times.
ens of Thousands live aboard the Sword of Night, with the majority being the indentured that maintain the ship and work the vessels weapons systems. These individuals make up the nameless and faceless hordes who have committed their lives to the service of the Emperor of Mankind through the continual lower operations of the ship. Entire generations of these vassals have lived and died on the Sword of Night and can no longer distinguish themselves from the ship. They are completely loyal, proud and zealous despite those of the command deck never knowing them or acknowledging their existence.
Detachments of various organizations operate aboard the ship as well, Primarily the Adeptus Mechanicus. The majority present are the grey-robed Mechanincus from the Forge World Triplex Phall, whose innovative spirit and knowledge of the Eastern Fringe comes in high value to the Fringe Conclave. Also present are the Red Robed adepts of Mars, due to suspicion towards the adepts of Triplex phall and also due to wanting access to any knowledge found on the ships voyages. The presence of the two Forgeworlds on the ship frequently leads to tension between the adepts of each, but they remain civil with eachother so long as they work together and have their own roles to play which are not overstepped by the other. Its for this reason that the Martians are primarily responsible for the higher maintenance of the Sword of Night and its assets, and the Triplex Phall Cohort are responsible for its armed defense.
Inquisitor Vuln is accompanied by a detachment of Tempestus Scions from the Zulupian Predators Astra Militarum regiment, an specialist regiment of the Imperial Guard composed fully of Abhumans known as Leonicines. There has been an enduring alliance between the Leonicine peoples and the Ordo Xenos which has lasted for thousands of years. The Leonicines are a felinid, proto-ogryn peoples who are renown tyranid xenos hunters. It is for their skills that they often accompany Ordo Xenos Inquisitors in the eastern fringe. They are fearless, fierce warriors who worship the Emperor as a God and believe in the eradication of all Xenos. The Zulupian Predators either accompany Vuln on missions or go in his place when he is otherwise occupied. They have been referred to as Vuln’s “Floating Skulls”- both because of their bone white helms and otherwise black armor, but also as an remark towards Vuln’s tendency to surround himself with servoskulls, indicating that the Predators too are his eyes and ears on many occasion.
The Sword of Night and its escorts travel alone through the Void, but will often join fleets in conflict, taking command of the fleet for the duration of the battle before departing. Inquisitor Vuln- like most Inquisitors- chooses to remove himself from the social fabric of the Imperium, wholly dedicated and focused to his tasks and investigations. Being a Lord Inquisitor, he can at any time pull on many of his allies for assistance, including the Deathwatch, The Void Lions Chapter, and other Inquisitors.
The Data Slates is focused on the adventures of Inquisitor Vuln aboard the Sword of Night, as well as those organizations which are in some way connected to him. It is a collection of Narratives and scenarios which tell the wargaming story of my personal hobbying. I will be going over some of the named characters and information on the ally forces of Inquisitor Vuln in another blog. I hope that you all enjoy! Thank you for reading.
The Data-Slates of Inquisitor Vuln 
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