An imposing figure, hiding muscle and subcutaneous armour beneath layers of fat, Severus Maximus' purpose in life is to carry the torch of the Emperor's light out into the darkness. Ill suited to the dusty tomes and the endless petty politicking of Ministorum life Severus sought purpose amongst the stars, finally seeking out Rogue Traders to carry him beyond the Imperium's fringe.
Severus' life began on the shrine world of Valon Urr, in the Golgenna reach of the Calixis Sector. The son of a Missionary and Feral world convert, Severus was raised in the peaceful world of the Eclessiarchy. He joined the local seminary finally graduating despite repeated admonitions for fighting. Wanting to follow in his father's footsteps he set off to become a missionary, with the full support of his local parish. After serving his term as a journeyman with a strict Drusian adherent he struck out alone, beginning an exemplary career. Severus excelled at bringing lost worlds and colonies back into the creed, always delighting in co-opting local preexisting belief systems for the Emperor's grace.
Occasional contact with the Holy Synod was always difficult, for both sides. Eventually however his success could not be denied and he was granted the rank of Ponitfex, with the expectation of comfort and sedentary administration that title implies. To the shock of all however Severus soon announced his intention to leve the Imperium behind entirely, planning to carry the Emperors light out into the Halo Stars.
He signed on with Madame Charlabelle and travelled for a while, preaching to crew and maintaining morale aboard ship. However the Lady Captain's trade relied mostly on established routes and contracts, and provided limited opportunities for finding the lost tribes that were Severus' call. So they parted ways, amicably, and Severus joined Gulliver van Droyt.
Van Droyt proved to be an incompetent captain, holding a minor warrant purely by chance of birth and certainly not by merit. However his misguided passion for adventure gave Severus far greater opportunity for spreading the faith, such as the incident on Blefuscu IX.
Van Droyt had received a map charting the warp path to Blefuscu from a one eyed old void-dog on Footfall. Keen to exploit its apparently endless riches and claim it for the Emperor the Wanton Adventure set course. Upon arrival in orbit the Captain insisted on going alone, with only his lifter pilot accompanying him.
After hearing nothing for two days, Severus grew tired of the bridge crews' apathy towards rescuing their Captain. After all, if Gulliver failed in his duty to claim the planet, how could Severus convert the natives?
The drop pod slammed down in the centre of the large settlement van Droyt had first made for. It appeared a large celebration had been underway prior to the Pontifex's arrival, the bunting now somewhat disarrayed by downwash. He was surprised to find the captain and pilot staked to the ground in the main plaza, surrounded by the Ratling citizens of the world. It took only a little brandishing of his Thunder Hammer and a brief speech to calm the locals and secure the forlorn Captain's release.
Shortly after the Blefuscu IX debacle the Wanton Adventure took on supplies and crew at Footfall, including one
Magnus Ormengard.
Unfortunate times aboard the Restless Cove"Hereticus! The damning judgement rang out across the bridge in Severus' booming baritone. "By the Light and Divine Will of the God-Emperor I declare you unworthy of carrying the plenipotentiary remit of Rogue Trader and the Warrant of Trade!"
"Ye scurvy, simpering, church whipping-dog! Ye've no right to threaten me on the bridge o' my ship. To arms men! We'll feed this whiny preacher to the void whales." With a grinding roar McKracken drew his blood-red enamelled chain-cutlass and thumbed the activator in one deadly, practiced motion as the most loyal of his bridge-crew pulled knives, cudgels and pistols.
With a feral cry McKracken leapt from the captain's plinth at Severus, cutlass held in an overhead sweep and bloody murder in his eyes. "Die!" With a terrible shriek the screaming teeth of the blade chewed into the deck as the Pontifex stepped back with a grace that belied his bulk. "Traitor, you will burn forever in the Emperor's judgement." A mighty swing of Merciful Castigation exploded the head of a nearby servitor scribe as McKraken spun and deflected the massive hammer with his sword, backing away and sneering as his cronies closed in around them. "Ye'll be feeding the nether-nether's beasts soon preacher-man. Or perhaps I'll keep ye for a while and see if my good customers fancy something more sporting than a boat load of pilgrims!" Enraged, Severus advanced. Sweeping aside hapless crew with thunderous blows of crackling energy he kept a steely watch on McKracken, trusting to the Emperor that Magnus could deal with whatever witchery was occurring across the bridge. Back and forth the pair duelled, sparks and teeth flashing and spinning about. Finally cutlass met hammer for the last time, and McKracken's weapon was blown asunder by the force of Merciful Castigation. Thrown to the ground by the shattering of his blade, McKracken looked up through sweat-stung eyes. "Ah, ye've bested me. What's to be my fate, merciful cleric?" Severus gazed somberly down at the bruised former Lord Captain. "In accordance with Imperial Law and justice, you will be imprisoned in the brig until we can pass you onto the proper authorities for judgement."
"So it be, so it be." Lowering his head in apparent surrender, the fiendish McKracken drew a jewelled pin from his hat and flung it at Severus, rolling aside as he did. With a loud crack the pin exploded, throwing the Pontifex to the deck.
"Ye sought to challenge me?! On my ship?! I'll make sure me pointy eared friends tear your soul apart, preacher man!" Battered, bruised and burned, Severus hauled himself to he feet. Smoke blinded him and his skin burned where splinters of McKracken's fell cutlass had embedded themselves. In desperation he tried to pinpoint the Captain, before he could employ some other deceitful trickery.
"Mark me words well, the Restless Cove will know no master but me." There, behind the cogitator panel. Putting his fate in the Emperor's hands Severus gave a cry of "Imperator" and swung. The hammer blasted through brass and machine, catching McKracken on the other side, and knocking him cold to the floor.
As the smoke cleared Severus stood over him. "Ave Imperator." "Looking up at he loyalist crew he raised his Thunderhammer to a chorus of cheers and then levelled it at the prone form of McKracken. "Throw him in the brig!"
And so began
The Cataclysm of the Two Ships