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It's been a long time since I wrote any fluff for anything Warhammer-related; I think the last time I contributed was well over a decade ago. However, my stepson is now getting interested in 40k and came up with the idea of us slowly building our respective armies from scratch (given the cost of Warhammer now) and writing backgrounds to our armies to explain why they start off so small and then grow over time.

I umm'ed and aah'ed between the two factions I love the most; the Inquisition and Iron Warriors. Ultimately I settled on the Inquisition, with the idea being an Imperial Guard army led by an Inquisitor. This is what I have so far (very rough) - constructive criticism welcome!

THE CADIAN 927TH REGIMENT

The Cadian 927th regiment is one of the many divisions of the Imperial Guard left decimated by the Fall of Cadia. Unlike many, however, this particular formation has a somewhat unique history.

The 927th came into being centuries ago as one of the hundreds of regiments raised every few decades to defend one of the Imperium’s most important planets. For most of their history, the 927th played an important but typical role; they gave their lives defending Cadia against the various forces of Chaos and Xenos that threw themselves in the way of their weapons fire.

Thirty years prior to Cadia’s fall, however, something happened. The Inquisitor-General of the Ordos Cadia dispatched a novice inquisitor to root out a heretical cult troubling an otherwise unimportant settlement. To assist him with this, Inquisitor Alexandros Hourn conscripted the 927th regiment, utilising his near-limitless authority to drag the stalwart Cadians into what should have been a very quick and painless purge.

Seven months later, having racked up unforeseen consequences, the Imperial force returned to their base. Inquisitor Hourn made his report; although the cult had been far more deeply entrenched than they had suspected, with psykers and heavy weapons amongst their number, the Cadian 927th had acquitted themselves superbly. Colonel Herryk, in charge of the regiment, likewise reported positively of the inquisitor. In Herryk’s words, Alexandros had not been eager to throw away Cadian lives needlessly, had taken strategic advice from him as commanding officer, and worked well with the unit to discern the best way of dealing with their foe.

Over the next three decades, the two became linked almost inseparably; although designated as a regiment to remain on Cadia, Alexandros used his influence to have the 927th assigned to him on nearly all assignments that required it. He, in turn, remained with them on Cadia when not on official assignment, developing his own combat skills and strategic acumen. On occasion there was confusion about who was actually the commanding officer of the regiment, something neither Alexandros nor Herryk took offence at. Becoming a permanent fixture of the Ordos Cadia, Alexandros was designed an Inquisitor-Adjunct, given a formal place in the Imperial Guard hierarchy at a rank equivalent to colonel.

The Fall of Cadia changed everything.

Fighting alongside one another, Alexandros and the 927th experienced the hell that the 13th Black Crusade unleashed on the galaxy. Over the course of that conflict the 927th was whittled down; platoon after platoon was annihilated, experienced and freshly recruited guardsman perishing at the hands of the Archenemy. Only the decision of the Inquisitor-General to withdraw the few remaining members of the Ordos Cadia saved the regiment from complete destruction; Alexandros insisted on their being evacuated with him.

The 927th is now a shadow of its former self. Able to muster barely two platoons, they have salvaged some of their heavy weaponry and the shattered remnants of the Imperium’s Salvation, a Stormlord super heavy tank which served as the ‘flagship’ of the regiment. Inoperable as it is, the Salvation and the remains of the 927th have made a base for themselves on the fortress-world of Kristophsis. Though weakened they are not demoralised, and with Alexandros they have committed themselves to rebuilding their regiment, regaining the honour they consider lost, and taking the fight back to the forces of Chaos.