Deathwatch (40 page)
To a very special bird for all her strength and courage in the face of a most murderous and deceitful foe.
A BLACK LIBRARY PUBLICATION
Published in 2013 by Black Library, Games Workshop Ltd., Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK
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ISBN 978-0-85787-812-0
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. . RP – Rendezvous Point.
. . GDC – Ground Defence Command.
. . S.I. – Standard Imperial: a single year of one thousand days in the official Imperial calendar
. . khadit – literally ‘giver of knowledge’; shares a root with ditah, meaning ‘father’ in Occludian Low Gothic.
. . The Occludian day is 27.3 hours.
. . The Megron – a position roughly equivalent to Master of the Flag in other Space Marine Chapters.
. . khajar – literally receiver of wisdom; the term by which a khadit addresses his foremost student. The word shares an etymological root with jari, the Occludian Low Gothic for son.
. . Cadash – translates approximately from Old Occludian as ‘the living chalice’.
. . Melanchromic organ – the phase 13 implant responsible for cutaneous protection from radiation.
. . Mucranoid – the phase 16 implant controlling sweat-gland secretions to protect against climatic extremes.
. . Betcher’s gland – the phase 17 implant allowing internal production of a corrosive toxin projected by spitting.
. . Cyanomorphide – a ‘nucleocode’ drug also known as Shift which, in combination with ingested samples of genetic material, allows certain mutants to mimic the physical form of others.
. . ne-sergeants – candidates for advancement to the position of Watch sergeant. By Deathwatch conventions, the prefix ne– denotes a candidate under consideration for further honour.
. . The Purifier – phase 14 implant known more properly as the oolitic kidney, which purges toxins from a Space Marine’s body.
. . Progenoids – two extremely important glands – phase 18 implants – that grow inside a living Space Marine; they contain the genetic seeds of all other implant organs and are used to make more Space Marines. There is no other way.
. . Darguu – a close-quarters martial discipline emphasising reflexive movement through nerve conditioning.
. . HID – Human Interference: Deliberate.
. . Psytroprene – a memory-wiping drug often employed by the Inquisition. A 1cc dose wipes approximately forty minutes of memory in average humans. The lost memories can never be recovered, even by psychic means.
. . Menrahir – the Chapter council of the Death Spectres; from the word menris, meaning ‘sage’ in Occludian Low Gothic
. . LAV – Light Armoured Vehicle.
. . HE – high-explosive.