First Founding (2011), p85 — Blight-master Ussax of the Death Guard

Ussax is a veteran of the Death Guard Traitor Legion, and known as one of the Daemon Primarch Mortarion's inner circle of sorcerers. He is well known to the Ordo Malleus and to the Grey Knights, having been responsible for countless millions of deaths throughout the millennia. Ussax is held to be one of the most darkly gifted concoctors of blights, afflictions and plagues serving the Death Guard, and his recent appearance in the warzones of the Jericho Reach, attended by a cadre of Plague Marines, is a cause for much concern amongst those with knowledge of what he is capable of.

According to recent findings presented to the Chamber of Vigilance, Blight-master Ussax has been present in the Reach for around three years, travelling from one warzone to the next. At each battlefield, he gathers up a grim and unspeakable harvest from the dead and the dying, before returning to some as yet undiscovered fastness to concoct his latest ague. This he then unleashes upon the next battlefield he attends, once more harvesting the bodies of the victims. Thus, so it is feared, the Blight-master is in some blasphemous manner refining his plagues, using the raging conflicts of the Jericho Reach as some vile breeding ground.

Blight-master Ussax (Master) Profile

WS	BS	S	T	Ag	Int	Per	WP	Fel
45	43	(8)45	(18)60	42	40	38	52	28

Speed: 5/10/15/30

Wounds: 48

Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +20, Dodge (Ag), Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int), Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology, Psykers, The Warp) (Int), Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry, Legend, Numerology, Occult) (Int) +10, Psyniscience (Int) +20, Scrutiny (Per) +20, Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Survival (Int), Swim (S), Trade (Chymist) (Int).

Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Crippling Strike, Die Hard, Fearless, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines) Heightened Senses (Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch), Jaded, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Swift Attack.

Traits: Dark Sight, Fear (2) (Frightening), Size (Hulking), Stuff of Nightmares, Toxic (1d10), Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x3).

Psy Rating: 6

Psychic Powers: Ussax has the Nurgle's Rot Psychic Power (see box).

Armour: Astartes Power Armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10, Legs 8).

Weapons: Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/-; 2d10+5 X, Pen 5; Clip 12; Reload Full; Tearing), Plague Knife (1d10+10 R; Pen 2; Toxic 1d10), Force Staff (1d10+10 R, Pen 5; Special)

Gear: Two bolt pistols magazines, Filthy Robes.

Mark of Nurgle: Blight-master Ussax has the Mark of Nurgle (see page 363 of the Deathwatch Rulebook), taking the form of numerous lesion-runes etched all over the sloughing flesh of his body.

Special Rules

Cloud of Corruption: Ussax is surrounded by a thick, black cloud of bloated flies. All those within 30 metres take a -20 penalty to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests as an impenetrable cloud of vile flies descends upon them.

Psychic Power: Nurgle's Rot

Action: Half Action
Opposed: No
Range: 5 metres + Psy Rating radius
Sustained: Yes

Description: The grandest and most infamous of Nurgle's contagions, Nurgle's Rot is known by many names and has appeared on countless worlds, leaving entire populations desolated by this terrible daemonic pathogen. Nurgle-devoted Sorcerers take on all manner of diseases, serving as host to the creations of the Lord of Plagues. From this seething mass of decay and entropy, these devotees of pestilence summon forth the psychic echo of this paragon of plagues, inflicting it upon those nearby.

The infectious gift of Nurgle is cast outwards to embrace all who stray too near to the Sorcerer. Creatures within range of the Sorcerer while this power remains in effect suffer 1d10 + Psy Rating damage, with the Toxic (1d10) quality. The damage from this power ignores Armour unless it is environmentally sealed.

While this power remains in effect, the air within the power's range is filled with a thick, acrid fog and swarms of massive bloated flies. Any creature within range that is not devoted to Nurgle suffers a -5 penalty to Intelligence, Perception and Fellowship Tests as the foul vapour and buzzing flies hinder their concentration and drive them to distraction. This effect is in addition to any normal Psychic Phenomena.

Using Blight-master Ussax

Ussax can be used as a middle to high ranking enemy Master, and if the GM has access to Mark of the Xenos he may be accompanied by as many Plague Marines as deemed appropriate to the nature of the Kill-team's mission. He can also be used as a figure of doom, with rumours of his appearance in a warzone precipitating a wave of despair amongst Imperial Guard units. The Kill-team might be despatched to investigate such rumours, and if possible locate the base Ussax is using to concoct his ever more pestilent diseases.